Seeking Shake-Up, Twins GM Could Put Luke Edwards in Manager Role

Minneapolis, MN - It has already been a long season for the Minnesota Twins. At 34-36, they are already 4.5 games behind the division-leading White Sox, and with the departure of Torii Hunter and Johan Santana, coupled with the injury-plagued Francisco Liriano and less-than-stellar seasons from Justin Morneau and Joe Mauer, that 4.5 game gap could get much wider. All that has Bill Smith, the Twins' GM, on the hot seat with Ron Gardenhire the most likely candidate to take the brunt of it.

Insiders speculate that Smith may look to put Luke Edwards in the manager role. At age 12, Edwards miraculously led the Twins to the Penant after his grandfather, the Twins' Chairman, unexpectedly passed away. But that was 1994, and it was a movie - Little Big League - and Edwards was playing the role of Billy Heywood.



Questions remain as to whether Edwards would be able to step into a non-fictitious role as club manager. For one, the 1994-post-season was fueled by the memory of his deceased grandfather, who was adored by the entire Twins team. Without that inspiration, critics suggest that Edwards won't have the circumstances to succeed.

But Edwards is willing to give it a shot and stand up to the critics like he stood up to that umpire that called his baserunner "out." Partly because he doesn't have much else to do. After playing the background role of "high school guy" in 2001's American Pie 2, Edwards last significant role came in 2003's Jeepers Creepers II. But don't count Edwards out just yet: "I've got some experience with baseball from Little Big League, and I've got some experience with sequels, so why shouldn't we do this again and win the Penant? Only this time, it will be for real."