MINNEAPOLIS — If you're feeling a strange sense of calm, confidence and downright joy about the Minnesota Twins right now, it's definitely not just in your head.
"We've got all kinds of readouts here," said Tom Johnson, who considers himself the official, unofficial vibes arbiter for the Minnesota Twins. "We can measure the difference, and I can tell you, scientifically, that the vibes are very good this year."
Johnson worked with a self-described Postseason Spiritual advisor named Michael Haas, to develop what they claim to be the Twins secret weapon this season: The Vibe Transmit 800.
"We are busting through all of the curses this post-season," Haas said, before showing KARE11 how he fires up the mysterious vibe machine inside Fulton Beer's Minneapolis Taproom. "This was actually recovered from the rubble of the HHH Metrodome, and we switch this from shrine to ballpark, flip it on right before first pitch and then the vibes go over there (to Target Field) and help the Twins."
The life-long Twins fans added the technology to Metrodome Dreamscapes' Postseason Curse-Busting Shrine and Homer Hanky Museum, which has been housed inside a couple of other nearby bars in recent seasons.
The shrine features several tributes to the 1987 and 1991 Twins World Series teams, and a makeshift Minnie and Paul tribute that features a nod to the divine.
"Fun fact, it's actually Mary and Joseph," Johnson said. "They came from a nativity scene."
Their original shrine began during the 2019 season, and they quickly credited it for lighting the fuse of the Twins Bomba Squad.
"When we kind of had our grand opening, the twins hit three homeruns in a row," Haas said, during an interview with KARE11 in 2019.
Though the Twins did go on to break the MLB records for regular season homeruns by a team that year, the shrine proved to be a dud in October.
"In the post season I think it just collapsed," Haas said. "It ran out of juice, but this one hasn't. We've been saving our energy for the post season."
They credit some new additions for that.
Kent Erdahl: "Is that a zen garden?"
Michael Haas: "Yes, this is the land of 10,000 rakes zen garden. So this is real Metrodome dirt from the Metrodome. This is imbued with vibes from the previous World Series trophies, and that helps charge up the orb with good vibes."
Erdahl: "Who are those bobblehead characters and what is the purpose of their cloaks?"
Johnson: "First of all, honestly, what is a man? Really, what is a baseball player? Their spirit really surrounds all of us."
Haas: "So these guys are wearing shrouds just to protect themselves from the extreme energy of the good vibes, standing so close to the orb can be kind of dangerous, especially for bobble heads."
Speaking of that 'orb', they say it's a transmitter that connects directly to its mysterious mirror image, which was installed at Target Field this season.
Haas: "We appreciate the Twins organization for committing themselves to accepting the good vibes by really installing like, 5G vibe technology."
Erdahl: "So that is something that you've collaborated on? This transmitter of good vibes?"
Johnson: "Well, the Twins didn't know it was a collaboration, but it did end up being a collaboration."
And they claim the technology isn't just working at home. After the Twins lost game one of the ALDS in Houston on Saturday. Sunday's vibe technician tried something new.
"He asked me what he should do to get the vibes over to Houston and they don't have an orb, but they do have a train up top," Haas said. "So I said, 'As long as you make a choo-choo sound as you're flipping the switch, the vibes should get down there.' Sure enough, it worked."
"The proof is in the pudding, folks," Johnson added.
The vibe and shrine have also produced a fun buzz for Fulton.
"We're a little bit superstitious ourselves," said Jill Drum, general manager of Fulton Beer's Taproom. "Our bartenders, too, a lot of them are younger, so weren't alive for the '87 or '91 (World Series wins), or really any of the playoff runs that the Twins have even ever really started to make, so even they were like excited to get into it."
That's a vibe nobody wants to kill.
Haas: "It's okay to let yourself dream and to be totally positive, and to just let your guard down. If you're a true believer it will feel that much better at the end, when we're taking this baby down Nicollet Mall."
Johnson: "Let the hope live in your heart."
Just like the team, the shrine itself has had to overcome it's own curse. Darby's Pub closed last year, so they moved the shrine to Stilheart Distillery in the North Loop for 2023. Unfortunately, that also closed in the middle of the 2023 season, but that's when Fulton stepped in to hold the late season (and postseason) vibe session.
The rest is history.
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