How Minnie and Paul became the logo for the Minnesota Twins
They might be the most recognizable faces in Minnesota Twins history. And every time you go to a game, you see Minnie and Paul shaking hands in centerfield.
The duo has been with the team since 1961, and their origin traces back to a rivalry.
For Clyde Doepner, baseball is more than just a pastime. As Target Field's curator, he becomes the closer — doing everything he can to secure an historic bat, ball or jersey when a milestone is reached.
"This is his first All-Star game jersey. This is the last jersey he ever wore in a major league game," said Doepner while pointing out jerseys that Joe Mauer once wore.
With nearly 18,000 pieces of his own Twins memorabilia, Doepner has no shortage of stories. One of his favorites is Minnie and Paul. They made their major league debut when then-owner Calvin Griffith moved the franchise from Washington D.C. to Minnesota more than six decades ago.
"He wanted to call the team the 'Twin City Twins.' Why? He wanted to unify St. Paul and Minneapolis knowing there had been a lot of competition," said Doepner.
Griffith wanted the two cities to put their rivalry behind, and rally around the new pro team.
"It was the first team ever named after a state," said Doepner.
When the Minnesota Twins became the official name, Griffith asked advertising illustrator Ray Barton to help him out.
"His direction from Cal was to come up with something that shows that Minneapolis and St. Paul get along," said Doepner.
So, on his first and only try, he drew twins shaking hands over the Mississippi River. Griffith loved it, even if Barton didn't.
But over the years Barton came around, especially after the team put Minnie and Paul on nearly everything.
"This is the original shoulder patch that Calvin Griffith picked out," said Doepner while holding Tony Oliva's 1965 All-Star and World Series jersey.
Only one change was made: Barton had put "MT" for Minnesota Twins on the logo. Griffith replaced that with an "M" and an "STP."
Griffith then paid Barton $15 for the logo, a bargain for a quick sketch that has made its way from old Met Stadium to the Metrodome, and now to Target Field, where it's front and center.
The Minnie and Paul sign in center field is 46 feet tall and 39 feet wide. And it may not look like it, but the entire sign weighs more than 8 tons.
For Doepner, it's one of the most iconic logos in sports; handshake that's lasted for nearly 65 years.
"I knew there was a need to unite the two, all of us did, and they did that by this logo," said Doepner. "It still represents, and always will by that giant sign out there, the history of the Minnesota Twins."
Doepner said when the Pohlad family bought the Twins in 1984, they made it a point to keep the logo with the team.
