Return to Minnesota has significance to ace Gibson
MINNEAPOLIS — The first seven years of Kyle Gibson’s MLB career were spent in Minnesota. It’s the franchise that drafted him in 2009. His kids were born in the Twin Cities. In a lot of ways, it’s home.
When Texas Rangers manager Chris Woodward referred to Target Field as “the house that Kyle Gibson built,” it might have been just a tad bit hyperbolic. But at least to Gibson, a return home is significant.
“Whether you’re traded, whether you retire, whether you sign in free agency, it’s always tough to leave a team you spend a lot of time with,” Gibson said. “My case was no different. I really enjoyed my time here in Minnesota.”
Gibson started against the Twins on Tuesday night, a team that he played 193 games for from 2013-19. He was a rotation stalwart, making at least 25 starts in six consecutive years.
Now he returns coming off what is likely the best month of his career. After a disastrous opening day start in which Gibson recorded only one out, the tall righthander has an 0.82 ERA over 33 innings. He has been one of the best pitchers in baseball this year.
“It’s hard to tell,” Gibson said when asked if this is the best stretch of his career. “Probably in recent memory just feeling the way I’ve been feeling — let alone from statistics, or success or failure. I’d say it’s probably pretty close, if not the best I felt.”
Coming into the series, Gibson asked his 6-year-old daughter Hayden if she would still be a Twins fan or root for her father. He said she promised to root for him, but Gibson suspects that if Brian Dozier were still on the Twins it might be different.
All of it speaks to the community that Gibson built within this team and organization. Before Monday’s game, he was honored with a pregame video montage. He was also welcomed to the field with warm applause.
“There’s countless people that mean a lot to our lives,” Gibson said. “Whether they babysat our kids during the time that we were here. The chaplain and his wife while we were here. I could go through a lot of people.”
The last time that Gibson had a big start — that aforementioned opener — he didn’t handle the nerves well.
It was his first opening day start, and he immediately gave up a five-run lead. Woodward, though, isn’t concerned about a similar bout of nerves for the 33year-old veteran.
“I think he’s excited more than nervous,” Woodward said. “Obviously, you always want to do well against your former team, your former teammates. I’m not worried about it.”
COVID-19, Gibson said, has changed the dynamic of this return to Minnesota. He enjoyed the flight into the land of 10,000 lakes on Sunday night, recognizing the skyline. But for the most part, seeing some of his friends from the area will have to wait until 2022.
“It’s cool to be back. It’s different seeing it from the third base dugout,” Gibson said.