Sports Now: Twins Closer Taylor Rogers talks 'rally squirrel,' players' weekend and bullpen culture

MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - Before heading out on a 10-game road trip, Twins Closer Taylor Rogers joined FOX 9 Sports Now to talk about the team’s culture, the personalities in the bullpen, the rally squirrel, players weekend and much more.

“It’s the culture of our ball club,” Rogers said of the Twins’ recent resilience. “We decide not to quit.”

Rogers went on to discuss his long journey to the MLB and how he still feels his heart beat fast before going out onto the field despite his calm demeanor.

Rogers also addressed his heavy workload out of the Twins’ bullpen, saying, “Whatever the team needs.”

This past weekend, he and his teammates wore their “Players’ Weekend” uniforms donning nicknames across the back. His jersey read, “Lefty Piece” because that is what the coaches would call him when they called to the pen.

He admitted that his first choice was “Mr. Rogers,” but that it was nixed by the MLB due to trademark issues.

Rogers also talked about one of the Twins’ newer additions in Sergio Romo and how he has livened up an otherwise quiet bullpen.

“An absolute character,” Rogers described. “We have a lot of quiet guys like myself down there, so bringing him in really livened it up.”

Finally, Rogers was asked about his opinions on the Twins’ “Rally Squirrel,” of which he is a fan.

Rogers talked about how the bullpen guys had the squirrel locked in their bathroom at one point and kept him there to extend the teams’ rally.

“If he keeps bringing runs, we’ll keep him around,” Rogers said.