LaTroy Hawkins was appointed as the Twins closer for the 2001 season. Todd Jones was acquired from Detroit on July 28 as an option for that role. It was Sept. 8 when manager Tom Kelly went to Eddie Guardado for the final four outs in a 6-4 victory over the Angels.
"TK never said anything about it; he just kept using me in save situations for that last month," Guardado said. "Then, TK quit and Gardy [Ron Gardenhire] got the job, and one of the first things he said was that I would be a closer.
"I don't think I'd be here if that hadn't happened."
On Wednesday morning, "here'' was the shore of Lake Minnetonka, waiting to do some fishing with Rod McCormick, the Twins equipment manager, and known as "Hot Rod" to all players of Guardado's generation.
Guardado will be the 18th player inducted into the team's Hall of Fame on Friday night. He arrived early from his home in California's Orange County, to get in some Minnesota fishing.
"My first fishing partner here was Puck [Kirby Puckett]," Guardado said. "First time we went, he said, 'Meet me at 5 a.m. at Perkins.' I figured, 'There's no way Puck is going to be there at 5 o'clock,' but he was waiting for me, eating a cheeseburger."
Guardado is the Twins' career leader in appearances with 648. That's 158 more games than Rick Aguilera, second on the list. He earned the nickname "Everyday Eddie" when leading the major leagues with 83 appearances in 1996.
Even with that, it wasn't until April 12, 2002, that Guardado gained folk-hero status in the Metrodome. The Twins were 5-5 on an opening road trip in 2002, with Guardado getting four saves.