The Minnesota Twins' recent winning streak was halted at 12 games, but the original summer sausage that players jokingly said inspired the hot stretch remains with the team.
The Athletic's Dan Hayes confirmed Tuesday that the original sausage—which manager Rocco Baldelli said would be disposed once the winning streak ended—is still with the team. And in fact, its magic is still intact.
When the Twins' offense was struggling through the early innings of the series opener against the Seattle Mariners on Monday night, the original sausage was brought back into the dugout. The Twins went on to rally for one run in the fifth inning and two more in the seventh to secure a 3–1 win at Target Field.
The Twins were struggling to start the year, winning just seven of their first 20 games despite entering the season as heavy favorites to win the AL Central. Those struggles persisted until the rally sausage was brought into the fold by Minnesota infielder Kyle Farmer.
During a series in April against the Chicago White Sox, Farmer found a Cloverdale summer sausage in his locker. He didn't want it, so he set the sausage on a table in the clubhouse for teammates to enjoy.
For some reason, Twins hitting coach David Popkins grabbed the sausage off the table and brought it to the dugout. The Twins won that day, so the sausage stayed. It became the center of celebrations after a homer or a big hit, as Minnesota catcher Ryan Jeffers would chuck the sausage at a teammate as he strolled back into the dugout.
The Twins went on to win 12 straight games, tied for the second-longest winning streak in franchise history.
Minnesota and Seattle continue their series Tuesday at Target Field. The original rally sausage likely will be in attendance, too—just don't tell the FDA.
