Former Olympians Joe Ryan, Simeon Woods Richardson enjoyed Tokyo experience

DETROIT – Simeon Woods Richardson remembers singing “Happy Birthday” to basketball star Kevin Durant, “even though it wasn’t his birthday.”

Joe Ryan recalls running into world champion sprinter Allyson Felix in the food hall and marveling at Luka Doncic’s table tennis ability.

“Not to name drop, but there were all these amazing athletes walking around,” Ryan said. “The behind-the-scenes stuff was interesting.”

And it all came back to the Twins teammates on Friday as the opening ceremony of the 2024 Olympics played on the TVs in the visitors clubhouse at Comerica Park. Almost exactly three years ago, Woods Richardson and Ryan marched into a stadium in Tokyo, beginning their own Olympic adventure.

“That’s such a special day. You get all dressed up, you get to see everybody all dressed up, and you’re walking around,” Woods Richardson said of taking part in the traditional Parade of Nations in 2021. “We were walking for a couple of hours. It seemed like a long time. Fireworks going off, all the ceremonial stuff — it’s a very extravagant event. I have very fond memories.”

So does Ryan, who spent part of the time with a high school friend, water polo Olympian Dylan Woodhead. “Everyone seemed like a giant, and I felt like this little guy walking around, like I had snuck in,” Ryan said. “Everyone having fun, representing their countries. We got to sit around and watch some track events with track athletes or had some athletes from other sports explaining the rules. It was so great.”

Ryan’s focus soon turned to winning a medal, while Woods Richardson served as an alternate. But soon they had something else in common. The day before the Opening Ceremonies, the Rays sent Ryan to the Twins for Nelson Cruz. Eight days later, the Blue Jays dealt Woods Richardson to Minnesota in the José Berríos trade.

“I remember thinking, ‘Huh, the Twins. OK, whatever,’ " Ryan said. “My team right then was Team USA, and that’s the only team I was thinking about.”

Ryan gave up only two runs in 10⅓ total innings during the Olympic tournament, but the Americans had to settle for a silver medal, which “I think my mom has somewhere,” Ryan said. Both he and Woods Richardson plan to visit Tokyo again someday — and Ryan even still has Olympic ambitions.

“It would be fun to take part again in some capacity,” he said, “just to see what it’s like without all the COVID restrictions.”

Jose Miranda was batting .515 in July when his lower back locked up on him, so the Twins’ infielder was even more anxious than usual to get back on the Twins’ roster. It happened Saturday, with manager Rocco Baldelli putting Miranda at third base and in the cleanup spot.

“It was hard because I was feeling very good at the plate,” Miranda said. “The good part is that it [happened just before] the All-Star break, so I could have a couple of days off and didn’t miss a lot of games.”

Returning one day after Royce Lewis means the Twins have an abundance of third basemen again, and the crowd will only get bigger once Carlos Correa returns to reclaim shortstop, where Willi Castro and Brooks Lee have been filling in.

“I would say Royce is going to play third the most of all of them,” Baldelli said. “But José is going to play both corners, and he’s going to DH some, and we’re going to find ways to keep him in there.”

The Twins returned Edouard Julien to Class AAA St. Paul to make room for Miranda, a “straightforward move,” Baldelli said, because Lee can play several positions and Julien can’t.

“Eddie needs to play. We’re not going to keep Eddie here in the big leagues and put him on the bench and not start him most days and have him just sit there. That’s not productive,” Baldelli said. “We want to keep him going and keep him making adjustments and letting him get at-bats.”

Zebby Matthews gave up four runs on nine hits, including a home run, in four innings in his second Class AAA start as the Saints lost to Omaha 9-2 at CHS Field.