Meet the Twins lifer pitching to Byron Buxton in the Home Run Derby

In the entryway of the Twins clubhouse last week third base coach Tommy Watkins looked like he would ve rather been invisible After finishing up a practice session with superstar center fielder Byron Buxton a reporter approached Watkins to talk about the upcoming Home Run Derby He agreed to answer a minimal questions while trying his best not to draw any attention to himself Do I have to Watkins announced This is supposed to be about Buck That message is only partially true Though the spotlight will indeed be on Buxton when he procedures to the plate during the Home Run Derby on Monday night at Truist Park in Atlanta Watkins will also play a starring role as the person pitching to him It means a lot Watkins reported It s a once in a lifetime opportunity Originally selected in the th round of the MLB Draft Watkins has dedicated most of of his life to the Twins He spent a decade in the minors leagues growing into a fan favorite for the Fort Myers Miracle before eventually reaching the major leagues He eventually transitioned from member to coach spending the better part of another decade in the minor leagues before in the end reaching the majors once again That Watkins will get to be a small part of All Star Weekend after such a long journey through the sport is a heartwarming wrinkle that everybody can get behind Not that he wants to take any of the shine away from Buxton I m happy for him more than anything else Watkins noted I m excited to be a part of his moment After accepting an invitation to compete in the Home Run Derby which often serves as the majority of memorable part of All Star Weekend Buxton commented it was a no brainer that he was going to ask Watkins to share the stage with him It was an emotional exchange between Buxton and Watkins last week that left both of them tearing up It s pretty special Buxton explained He s somebody that s been with me pretty much my whole career They met more than a decade ago when Buxton was a prized prospect in the farm system and Watkins was the batting coach with the Cedar Rapids Kernels Though they weren t together for long as Buxton tore up Single A and rapidly rose up the ranks they developed an unbreakable bond they maintained from afar until reconnecting in when Watkins was named first base coach for the Twins As much as Buxton and Watkins plan to enjoy the experience at the Home Run Derby both made it clear they re trying to win it That explains why they had a limited different practice sessions last week trying to figure out exactly where Buxton wants Watkins to put the ball We re working on it Watkins explained We re still trying to iron everything out Is he any feeling pressure A little bit Watkins revealed with a smile It should be a lot of fun For the entire Twins organization There are a lot of people around here very happy for Tommy and very excited to see his mug on TV manager Rocco Baldelli explained His smile is going to light up the screen at various point along the way We ll all have that image forever What else could we ask for Related Articles Cole Sands embrace of opener role benefitting Twins Making a splash Byron Buxton hits for cycle in Twins win against Pirates Why the Twins nearly had to pull Joe Ryan after one inning Friday Joe Ryan survives early struggles as Twins beat Pirates ace Paul Skenes Baldelli says marquee pitching duel is must-see TV