Twins Winter Caravan Hits Cooper, Punto Sent to Hospital

by Kilgore Trout
Staff Writer

February 12, 2010


Cooper was visited by several members of the Minnesota Twins yesterday, but the day didn't end as hoped. Cooper appeared for the first time as a stop on the Twins winter caravan, a tour of the state during the off-season by the Twins. And it appears unlikely that the team will be back any time soon.

The gymnasium at Cooper High School was full of excitement as the Twins arrived, players Nick Punto, Denard Span, Pat Neshak, and minor-leaguer Toby Gardenhire, as well as his father, manager Ron Gardenhire. Coach Gardy and 3rd baseman Nick Punto opened the day with statements to the crowd, before breaking up and running drills with the young ballplayers in the crowd.

Punto was running sliding drills, teaching the kids how to slide into a base and avoid getting tagged. All was well until one of the sasquatch youths in attendance did his best Ty Cobb impression. While sliding into the base where Punto was waiting to put down the tag, the sasquatch raised his right foot and planted it into Punto's jaw, separating the ball from the fielder and the fielder's mandible from his cranium. Punto also suffered a concussion when his head bounced off the gymnasium floor.

First aid workers were on scene within minutes, as was manager Ron Gardenhire. Punto was immobilized and taken via ambulance to the Duluth Emergency Medical Center 90 miles away for x-rays and a CT scan. He is in stable condition and hopes to be in Ft. Myers for the start of spring training.

The Winter Caravan event was cancelled after the Punto incident, the players were hustled onto the bus and sped out of town. Manager Ron Gardenhire stayed behind and addressed the crowd. "I'm starting to think you sasquatches are White Sox fans," he said. "Sorry to cut the day short but I can't afford to lose anyone for the season. Our bench is already pretty thin. It's a good thing we didn't bring Mauersie or Morneausie or Cuddy, we really couldn't afford to lose one of them. But Nicky... well we'll get over that one."

Punto joined the club in 2004 after three seasons with the Philadelphia Phillies. He has never been one to compile impressive statistics, but his hustle and heady play has irked opponents for years. It was Punto who so annoyed Chicago manager Ozzie Guillen that he nicknamed Punto and teammates the Piranhas, due the way the team seemed to nibble away at its opponents. Punto has been considered a utility infielder for much of his career, being able to play all four infield positions, but has spent significant stretches as a starter over the last few seasons, filling in the holes brought about from poor play or injury to teammates.

Nick Punto nearly continued the recent trend of the Team losing a valued member just before the start of the season, including Kirby Puckett's tragic death in 2006 and the passing of owner Carl Pohlad in 2009. It would also continue the Twins' string of bad luck at 3rd base. Since the departure of Corey Koskie after the 2004 season the team has not had an effective every day third baseman. Punto was penciled into the spot for the 2010 season by default.

Gardenhire was also seen talking to the young sasquatch who injured Punto. One can only hope that Gardy was offering him a spot on the club. The team could use that kind of toughness. The Twins will open the season on Monday, April 5 at Anaheim.