Evening star., 1962-12-26
SKEH AT LARGE
Twin Troubudour
Doing the Town
BY MORRIS slEcEL

MR.. HERB HEFT gypsy author friend who easily
has managed to prominence in local literary circles
is doing the town, and his presence adds unexpected Joy
TO season already aboundng in good cheer
For the last two years Hefts heart has belonged to
The Upper Midwest but his roots sti deep, deep in
Washington. He achieved mild status while among us
several years by fahering series Of immature reca
tonS entitled, "The Wondrous Mats" written at time
when our ball club more bunderous than wondrous,
which also happens to be its current behavior pattern
Mr.. Heft still unconvinced Of his previous failure, is
currently centerng his literary efforts toward something
we'll call "The Titilating Twins" It's mainly the con-
hnung saga of the escapS Griffith family who detected
to Minnesota with ball club ready to fall in
love with when good old Calvin gave us the boot.
" NO ONE KNOWS not even the knowledgeable Heft,
whether all of the Upper Midwest has succumbed to the
spell of the Twins but there couple Of outposts in
that country which safely be counted their territory
They by the roguish of Thief River Falls Mnn
and Devils Lake, N. Dak
The Twins covet these and other neghbory precincts
with devotion than usually gives to country
cousins, but for good reason OF the almost million
paying customers who have watched the Twins exercise
since they hustled out of Washington, than 80
cent come from so miles beyond their main base
of operation.
According to Heft who spent lifetime here without
realizing there to Virginia than Just Alex
andria literally thousands of Thief River Falls
and Devils Lakes although none is as romanticay named
TO PROVE TO THEIR transient client they love 'em
III Cne OII-SeaSOn as mucn as Gney 90 WIen heeu
em to buy tickets the Twins that Het have organized
speaking spread the good word about baseball
in the winter
1t began in the winter of 1861 when the Twins limped
in eighth. The feeling winter visit by the same
athletes who foundered in the summer didn't discourage
them the from Washington would eventually prove
its worth
This year, in the wake Of a surprising second-place
wndup Heft can't find enough emssares to do his circuit
riding the fve-State whose hes at the box office
reluctantly forced Calvin Griffith to his salary to
$7OOO0 The Twins have deputized their trainer
George Lenz to help with the mission and the yokels
not only abide Lentz but howl at his folk-Singing'
IN DEVILS LAKE the campaign reached its high
mark recently The Governor of North Dakota apparently
proclamation prone man, proclaimed it Minnesota Twins
Day for the whole State with activity cenered around
Devils Lake.
About 10000 mostly school kiddies who suddenly fell
in love with the Twins when told they could have the day
off they attended the rites showed up to watch Vic
Power Lee STANCE and Lenne Green parade through town.
1--WE only insist Heft sad eyng the local scenery for
possible campaign, "that at these functions that
other sport is mentioned except baseball No hockey,
fishing football Just baseball Any number Of little
communities charge admission and the proceeds to
buy uniforms for the high school band I'll betcha no
team in baseball has bought more band Uniforms than
we have" Ill
So far there's been only little hitch in Cavins
Crusade Two of his stawarts, Power and Zorro Ver-
Saes itching to display their affuent financial status
would like to make the trips in their pink Cadillac
converbeS So far they have denied their pleasure
for best known to Calvin and others who have
watched the Messrs Power and Versailles around in
CaddieS.
LAST SEPTEMBER WHEN 1t appeared the Twins
might back into the pennant they given permission
to print up World Series tickets just in case.
The Yankees, when the time came, made the Mime
sofa tickets souvenir items and that's exactly what the
enterprsng Twins did with their World Series tickets
They sent em to the 1000 season tcketholders with
subtle suggestion This is where you'd have been sitting
we had the pennant" the accompanying note Said
adding what about next year?" as p S.
All 1000 Of the season tcketbuyers tickets for every
item alone was 100000.
Next thing you know Calvin himself will be driving
around in pink Cadillac driven Drinks money truck.