MINNEAPOLIS – Talking about himself doesn’t come naturally to Byron Buxton. That’s why it’s so meaningful when he does.
The Twins recognized Buxton on Sunday morning for reaching 10 years of Major League service time, a milestone that players greatly treasure. In a clubhouse ceremony attended by his wife and children, his sister and people throughout the Twins organization, Buxton was celebrated for his longevity.
And in Buxton’s case, there’s extra weight because every day of that 10 years came with him wearing a Minnesota uniform.
“That was a goal I made when I first got up here,” Buxton said after the ceremony. “It's still a goal. It's good to have that goal still intact. There's nothing like wearing this uniform across my body. All it says [on my career log] is Minnesota Twins.”
Among the gifts given to Buxton was an engraved Rolex, a bottle of Ace of Spades champagne and a large framed print by Twin Cities artist Ben Labuzzetta commemorating various moments throughout his career. It was commissioned by Twins pitchers Justin Topa and Taylor Rogers. Speakers included Topa, Rogers, manager Derek Shelton and executive chair Tom Pohlad.
“I was nervous that it might’ve gotten overlooked because everybody figured Buxton would get to this point anyway,” said Rogers. “So I’m really happy that it came in the fashion that it did, because it is quite the accomplishment. I didn’t want the fact that we all knew he’d get to this point to [make us] just say, ‘Yeah, he was going to get here anyway.’ So I think we did it right.”
Even while speaking to reporters after the ceremony, it was clear the emotions of the moment were significant. Buxton joined a list of franchise luminaries, becoming the 14th player to reach 10 years as a member of the Twins, while playing the entire time with the Twins/Senators franchise. The list is studded with all-time greats: Harmon Killebrew, Kirby Puckett, Kent Hrbek, Rod Carew, Joe Mauer, Gary Gaetti, Tony Oliva, Bob Allison, Eddie Guardado, Randy Bush, Jim Kaat, Glen Perkins and Brad Radke.
“To be able to play with Joe and know he did it… people were like 'You're going to be the next one to do this.' I didn't [believe],” Buxton said. “When you're 18, 19, 20, you don't believe half the stuff people tell you. Then when it finally gets here, it's that ‘I told you so’ moment. It's surreal.”
Also making the day more enjoyable for Buxton was that he returned to the lineup. He was held out of Saturday night’s lineup after being hit by a pitch on Friday night, but returned as designated hitter on Sunday.
Still, this was about more than any one day. It was about a career, one Buxton hopes will never take him anywhere else.
“Only 10 percent make it here,” he said. “You'd think there'd be a lot more [players] to reach this number than what it is. This game is hard for a reason. It's hard to get the 10 years, stay healthy, play 162 games, whatever it is. Whatever it is to do it, it's hard. The support system, your work ethic, your mentality, as long as it's strong and you've got that support, you can get through anything.”