Minnesota Twins Unveil Bronze 'T.C. The Bear' Statue
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- Minnesota's beloved mascot has been sculpted into history.
Late Sunday morning, the Minnesota Twins unveiled a life-sized bronze statue of longtime mascot T.C. Bear.
The statue, located on the 7th Street side of Target Plaza near the box office, was revealed before the team's game against the Houston Astros. The event was emceed by Twins in-game host Jim Cunningham and featured special guests including Kent Hrbek, Tony Oliva, Ron Gardenhire and several young Twins fans.
"T.C. has been a fan favorite ever since he was introduced at the Metrodome in 2000," Joe Pohlad, Director of Twins Productions, said. "Since then, he has grown to become a significant part of the franchise and we're proud to commemorate his contributions with this piece of public art that will forever live on Target Plaza."
T.C.'s statue becomes the eighth statue to reside outside Target Field, Kent Hrbek, Rod Carew, Calvin Griffith, Carl and Eloise Pohlad, Tony Oliva, Kirby Puckett and Harmon Killebrew.
On April 3, 2000, T.C. was signed by the Twins as a free agent and is widely recognized as one of the MLB's best hitting mascots -- notching a record six victories in the All-Star Game Mascot Home Run Derby.