Most of the issues during the Twins’ three-game set this week vs the Rangers came from the pitching mound. Simeon Woods Richardson returned to the rotation and surrendered seven runs (six earned) in just 4 2/3 innings. Jorge Alcala followed by allowing 6 more earned runs in his 1.2 innings, before he was traded immediately following the game.

Then this afternoon, after David Festa flew in and saved the Twins’ tail Wednesday night by holding Texas to two runs on three hits, Bailey Ober — who we found out this morning has been dealing with two different injuries — turned in an ugly 4.2 innings where he allowed seven runs (all earned) on six hits and six walks.

No one is more frustrated with these recent performance than the players in the clubhouse. When he left the mound, Ober could be seen hanging his head in clear disappointment, after letting his teammates and Minnesota Twins fans down in a moment where they so desperately needed him to come through.

Bailey Ober receives death threats after poor performance

There’s no way to dress it up. Injuries be damned, Bailey Ober stunk up the joint on Thursday. It was his second straight tough outing, bringing his total runs allowed over the past two games (11.2 IP) to 12. But no high-level athlete or performer deserves what happened next, when Ober got back to his phone after coming off the mound Thursday.

That’s when the 29-year-old College of Charleston alum told Dan Hayes (The Athletic) opened (assumedly) a direct message with a threat on his life, due to his poor performance on the mound today.

We published this story yesterday. #MNTwins pitcher Bailey Ober mentioned he received death threats via social media following today’s blowout loss. https://t.co/97yWKeQGuR

— DanHayesMLB (@DanHayesMLB) June 12, 2025

One of the best things about the internet is that it gives everyone a voice. That truth literally spreads to anyone. And on some apps, like X, it can literally be anyone, no matter how small the account. “Normal” people who, social media, would otherwise never be heard.

The problem with the amplification of those “common” folk, however, is that some of the people sitting behind these screens are downright vile, and live completely void of empathy.

Minnesota Twins pitcher isn’t the only one dealing with online threats

In his tweet reporting the Ober death threats, for example, Hayes shared an article posted to The Athletic on Lance McCullers, who was subject to some brutal threats from a drunk, angry gambler earlier this season. It was so bad that the Houston Astros contacted the police who helped them track down the source of the threats.

“I’ve received (something) as simple as a Venmo request with a threat on it that says, ‘You owe me $9,000 because you blew the game – I need you to send me that money or I’m going to find your family,. That’s too far. We’ve communicated as players to MLB security that we need to get a handle on this before it gets out of control. I don’t want to say this, but something bad is going to happen and it’s going to be like, ‘We told you so.’”

Anonymous player – The Athletic

The Minnesota Twins — along with the rest of the 29 teams across Major League Baseball — employ professional athletes, yes. But they are also humans. Bailey Ober, Lance McCullers… they are all sons, brothers, parents, husbands, etc.

Bailey Ober has showcased his welcoming personality by collaborating on different with local cleat artists and he is active on social media. He’s also one of the rare professional athletes whose DMs are still open to the public. Probably not anymore, though.

Actions of the few will continue to hurt the experience of many

It won’t be at all shocking when the opportunity for fans to access their favorite celebrities or athletes dry up completely, due to interactions like what Bailey experienced today. Is having a presence on social media worth reading the increasing amounts of terrible messages these celebrities get?

“X isn’t fun anymore.”

“It’s brought more fans to the games the wrong way.”

Anonymous players – The Athletic

It’s every single one of these interactions that shape the future. Whether fueled completely by the ever-changing gambling landscape or not, the fact that they have to be addressed is ridiculous. Unfortunately, that’s the sad reality we currently live in.

Bailey Ober works his butt off, gives 110% and is a fantastic person on top of it! To hear him say he was getting threats completely broke my heart. He doesn't deserve it. No one does. https://t.co/HyErWP5RmY

— Audra Martin (@Audra_Martin) June 12, 2025

To allow them more flexibility, both now and in the future, President of Basketball Operations Tim Connelly dealt Karl-Anthony Towns to the New York Knicks a couple of weeks ago, in shocking fashion. He had another goal, however. A new identity. Out went KAT, a player most of the league sees as soft.

Minnesota Timberwolves trying to ditch “soft” label…?

In came Julius Randle and Donte DiVincenzo, two players who nobody in the league associates with the “S” word. Connelly and head coach Chris Finch wanted the 2024-25 version of the Minnesota Timberwolves to have a tougher, more rugged feel than what this franchise has put on the floor in the last decade plus.

It was the right move. The Wolves, as currently constructed, are better suited for a championship run than it was before the Karl-Anthony Towns trade went down. The shift in the Wolves playoff chances, according to ESPN BPI, post-trade, agree.

Let’s talk about the Timberwolves’ hashtag

But… we might see those odds shift again, after what happened on Friday night. With every new major pro season, comes new (or old) official social media hashtags. The teams pick them, and when tweeted on X, a little logo for that team pops up next to the hashtag.

The Minnesota Vikings have #SKOL, the Wild have #mnwild and the Twins have #MNTwins. Those hashtags have been in place for a very long time. Other teams around the country, including the Timberwolves, prefer to change them each year.

Most years, the Wolves have gone with one of either #RaisedByWolves or #WolvesBack. Both are fine. Especially when you see what they picked for 2024-25. This year, the Minnesota Timberwolves chose a different hashtag… and it might be the worst one in hashtag history. Make sure you are sitting down for this…

#BringTheNice

The NBA’s team hashtags this season: (hornets don’t have one)#ThunderUp #MileHighBasketball #BringTheNice #ClipperNation #MFFL #SunsUp #Pelicans #LakeShow #LightTheBeam #DubNation #Liftoff #TakeNote #GrindCity #PorVida #RipCity #DifferentHere #NewYorkForever…

— 𝙎𝙠𝙮𝙚𝙙 🇦🇺 (@SkyedOKC) October 18, 2024

Look, these hashtags are getting out of hand anyway. It’s time to put them away for good. We can configure social media search bars to look for relevant content instead of hashtags. This is 2024 (almost 2025). The hashtags had their moment, and it was over a decade ago.

Related: KAT and His New Knicks Teammates Can’t Help But Respect “Gangster” Wolves PoBO Tim Connelly

That doesn’t excuse the Minnesota Timberwolves choosing literally the opposite hashtag of what they are trying to be. If they wanted to #BringTheNice, they should have kept Karl-Anthony Towns around. Maybe traded for Andrew Wiggins.

Keep your MN “symbolism”

How does nobody in the boardroom making this decision stand up and say, ‘you know guys… I get what we are trying to accomplish here, but this ain’t it’. Yes, “Minnesota Nice”, you don’t have to sell me on the symbolism.

I get it. But there are a million different way to #symbolize local momentos. Bringing the nice isn’t how you win in professional sports where everyone is being paid millions of dollars to physically and mentally dominate their opponent.

Related: Timberwolves + Rudy Gobert Contract Extension Rumors Heating Up Again

All hashtags are dumb, but I can get down with #Liftoff or #TakeNote. Even #DifferentHere. Fine. But #BringTheNice? It didn’t even take us 6 months to ruin “Bring Ya Ass”. Only in Minnesota, man…

And why linger in the past. The always upbeat No. 10 overall pick sure isn’t. Not only can he be seen daily scootering and crutching around TCO Performance Center, interacting with teammates and sitting in on QB meetings. He also likes to shout his fellow QBs on social media. Especially Sam Darnold.

Related: JJ McCarthy is Sam Darnold’s No. 1 Fan

Like on Saturday, after his Michigan Wolverines completed a 4th quarter, last-second, comeback victory over the USC Trojans, in the latter’s Big Ten debut. The final score was 27-24, but Michigan was down by four points with under two minutes left, when they broke this 63-yarder, and then finished in the endzone, nine plays later.

THE RUN MICHIGAN NEEDED!!!!!@UMichFootball pic.twitter.com/DKChaXVxby

— FOX College Football (@CFBONFOX) September 21, 2024

As I’m sure all of you remember, being the bright, learned Minnesota Vikings fans you are, our current QB1’s alma mater was also playing in this contest. He was on the losing end, though. Sam Darnold was a stud for two seasons at USC. He threw for over 7200 yards, 57 touchdowns and just 22 interceptions as a Trojan.

JJ McCarthy trolls Sam Darnold after Michigan’s win over USC

So, in his Instagram story, following the victory, McCarthy posted a 2005 Madden style play menu graphic of an inside run. Underneath, where the name of the play would normally be, was written “Run Through a Motherf*cker’s Face”. And yeah, that was the moment I knew, for sure, that JJ McCarthy was going to be great.

JJ McCarthy trolling Sam Darnold on Instagram after Michigans win over USC today 🤣 pic.twitter.com/cufEpvejNZ

— VikingzFanPage (@vikingzfanpage) September 22, 2024

I love this. Maybe don’t run to your 7-year-old, with this article, but this kind of thing is what brings teammates, and teams together. Sam Darnold is not going to be the quarterback of the Minnesota Vikings, after 2024. The numbers don’t make sense.

Related: Class Act 49ers Star Explains How He Injured Vikings WR Justin Jefferson

The Vikings are building their roster up to be led by a rookie contract QB. Kevin O’Connell has already made bad quarterbacks look serviceable, and a bust look like the 1st rounder he was drafted to be. Next year, his most important mission will start.

This Minnesota Vikings team, man…

Turn a rookie QB, who spent his entire 1st season of NFL football recovering from a preseason knee injury, into an elite superstar. If he can do that, and there is no reason to believe he can’t, then he’ll prove what everyone already believes. That he is THE new quarterback whisperer.

And that is what makes these public interactions so great. This locker room isn’t worried about what happens in March. Those things will take care of themselves. The 2024 Minnesota Vikings are worried about 2024 (and maybe Jan-Feb 2025).

Related: Minnesota Vikings Should Just Extend Kevin O’Connell Now

That includes their QB of the future trolling their QB of the now. Because camaraderie matters. Without a doubt, this team has a bunch of it. I don’t know when JJ McCarthy’s knee will be able to handle being on the Vikings sidelines, on Sunday. But I hope it is soon, because I honestly believe he could be an asset, even in street clothes.

Anthony Edwards commits social media sin against Rudy Gobert

But those bogus chair tossing charges do not compare, even slightly, to the social media crimes Ant appears to have committed against his teammate, Rudy Gobert. Yesterday, Edwards liked two comments on Instagram that were trashing Gobert. The first said, “worst trade in the history of sports”. The second said, “I will never forgive Minnesota for that dumbass trade”.

Below, there’s a screen recording that lays out all of the evidence along with screenshots that make it a little bit easier to understand, for those who aren’t on Instagram. The comments Ant (@theanthonyedwards_) “liked” were made by the same account (@jeriquewalker15) under the same post, which was from an Anthony Edwards fan page (@edwardswave). As of 11:05 AM CDT on Thursday, I checked myself and the likes are still there if you want to go sleuthing around yourself.

Looks like Anthony Edwards isn’t hiding his feelings about the Rudy Gobert trade going into the offseason ???? #timberwolves pic.twitter.com/Uhdwscvmzj

— Circle Me Sota (@CircleMeSota) April 26, 2023

Anthony Edwards really liked an IG comment blasting the Rudy Gobert trade ???? pic.twitter.com/67jov8DlE2

— NBA Memes (@NBAMemes) April 27, 2023

Where there is smoke, there is fire.

Go ahead and poo-poo this news all you want. It’s not a good thing when your 21-year-old superstar is liking social media posts that are calling last offseason’s blockbuster trade for Rudy Gobert the worst in sports history. I mean, your scroll finger doesn’t slip and like two ‘Rudy ruined the franchise’ comments from the same account on accident.

Clearly, there is trouble brewing at Mayo Clinic Square. We’ve already heard about and seen a clear divide inside the Wolves locker room. Does that mean they will trade Rudy Gobert or Karl-Anthony Towns this offseason?

No, but if Anthony Edwards is sick of the Gobert experiment, then the front office needs to do some serious soul searching on what to do next because keeping Ant happy and engaged needs to be the #1 priority for this franchise this offseason and beyond.

Eric Strack | Minnesota Sports Fan

To fans who didn’t grow up in the social media age, this means nothing. To the younger generation of fans, they’ll see a bigger significance. Towns added to the drama when he sent a tweet claiming his account had gotten hacked and that’s why the random tweet in that random Twitter thread was liked by his account.

Hmmmmmmmmmm.

Interesting like by KAT ???? pic.twitter.com/kPfEsisWFj

— NBA Central (@TheNBACentral) November 4, 2021

Just changed my password. We solid on here now ????

— Karl-Anthony Towns (@KarlTowns) November 4, 2021

Maybe I’m just more creative, but if I hacked into the account of an NBA Star, I would do more than just like a vaguely cryptic “like. I mean, there’s a good chance nobody worth the time even sees that type of internet crime.

HACK-A-KAT

Either this is the most boring hacker in history OR (more likely) Karl-Anthony Towns did like the tweet in a bit of frustration after another tough loss in a Minnesota Timberwolves jersey. It’s KAT’s 7th season in the NBA and this latest one is dangerously close to traveling the same path most others have.

Towns isn’t going to request a trade tomorrow but nothing is guaranteed after the season, maybe sooner. If the trade deadline approaches and the Wolves are on a clear path to the lottery again, the rumor mill would be cooking. Who knows where Towns’ head would be in that moment or what kind of offers the Minnesota front office might receive if they start seeing a trade as a more serious option.

Unless you believe he was actually hacked (which nobody really does).

Hacker getting access to KAT’s whole Twitter just to like 1 #FreeKAT tweet pic.twitter.com/RtP0iCirzn

— Stephen A. Smith Burner (@TheSASBurner) November 4, 2021

pic.twitter.com/KUo4dRqLhQ

— Bucks Legend Dj Wilson(4-4) (@WilsonBurner) November 4, 2021

bro would’ve done some like this if they had Kats account pic.twitter.com/I7watbMKbd

— KimoLBJ ➐ ²³ˣ¹¹ (@KimoLbj) November 4, 2021

Eric Strack | Minnesota Sports Fan

Because this blog is not for the fight itself, but the ass-kicking that took place on social media afterward. First though, let’s show you the postgame interview by KAT because it is proof that Karl-Anthony Towns couldn’t lose last night, no matter what happened on the scoreboard.

Karl-Anthony Towns on the scuffle that broke out with Joel Embiid: “It’s a competitive game. That’s all it was.” #Timberwolves pic.twitter.com/2BQWbr78QZ

— FOX Sports North (@fsnorth) October 31, 2019

That might be the greatest most competitive interview of all time. I’ve written about it and talked about it (just like everyone else) but this is a new KAT we are dealing with this year. He wants heads on fucking platters. I don’t know what it was, that flipped his switch, but I don’t want the old KAT back. No. I want this KAT here for good.

Anyway… before I start going too hard on my new-found love for Karl-Anthony Towns, let’s get into how big of a bitch Joel Embiid looked like, after the game, when the two went to social media. After giving the real media nothing but “competetive” quotes, Karl didn’t hide anything or play passive aggressive on social media.

Embiid is known for his social media saavy….. but he might need some new lessons, because he looked like a social media bitch last night. Here are the posts, in chronological order.

OHHHH MY GOD. Embiid became a reply guy on Towns’s IG!!!!! pic.twitter.com/SxcsArbAQk

— Sopan Deb (@SopanDeb) October 31, 2019

Wow… so, after Ben Simmons bails Embiid out of a Karl-Anthony Towns ass-kicking, he goes to social media to drag Jimmy Butler’s fake-ass back into this bullshit??? WTF are you thinking? And then, after already posting about it on his own IG, Joel jumps into the replies of Karl, who is just running train all over him, with expert-level internet trolling…

So upset that he can’t see his reply in Towns’ feed, Embiid buries himself with a picture of it to his story??? KAT is a big mother fucker but he seems extra comfortable up in Joel Embiid’s head. How long do you think Embiid waited for KAT to reply back to him or to throw more shade, last night? Has he slept at all, since?

This is pathetic on a stupid scale.

I don’t care what basketball game was played last night. Wednesday’s game, and its aftermath, has completely re-written the narrative on Karl-Anthony Towns. He was well on his way to setting whatever narrative he wants, for his play on the court, because KAT is going to be a DOMINANT force in this league for years to come. It’s the “toughness” narrative that Towns turned on its face, Wednesday. That makeover was much more needed, than anything on the court, after Jimmy trashed his reputation around the league, over the last two seasons.

It’s pretty crazy how one night of real/social media fighting with Joel Embiid, can change all of that work Jimmy put in, in just one night.

Eric Strack | Minnesota Sports Fan