Reusse: Twins hosting Cubs means Ron Coomer returns to Minnesota

A livelihood attached to sports tends to work out better for those who get along with everyone. A veteran scribe can make this declaration from decades of observation and not necessarily based on practice.

There is a current visitor to the Twin Cities offering a fine example of this theory — that being Ron Coomer. He was a worthy player for the Twins during those beleaguered days of the late ’90s, then had one-year contracts with the Cubs, Yankees and Dodgers before retiring after the 2003 season.

Coomer was drafted by Oakland in the 14th round in 1987. He signed with the White Sox as a released player for the 1991 season and was traded to the Dodgers before the 1994 season. He truly enjoyed the rare air of Albuquerque, N.M., the home of L.A.’s Class AAA club. Coomer batted .338 with 22 home runs, and his 123 RBI led the Pacific Coast League.

There were several obstacles to a big-league promotion: The Dodgers had Eric Karros at first base, Tim Wallach and Dave Hansen as right-left options at third base, and then the MLB season was shut down by a players’ strike after the games of Aug. 11.

This became the first time since 1904 that there would not be a World Series, which was exactly four years longer than the last time the Chicago Cubs had won a World Series.

And why do we mention that? Well, as a tie-in to the good things that can happen when you’re a sports person who gets along with everyone — including staying silent in a radio booth as your Hall of Fame partner, Pat Hughes, describes the last out of the Cubs’ World Series championship in 2016.

The Twins had taken note of Coomer’s production at Albuquerque, and he was included in the list of suspects sent from the Dodgers to Minnesota to acquire starter Kevin Tapani and reliever Mark Guthrie on July 31, 1995.

The other Dodgers were pitchers Greg Hansell and José Parra and outfielder Chris Latham.

Coomer was the definite star of that foursome. He would become the beloved “Coom Dawg” to those small but occasionally rowdy crowds in the Metrodome. The rowdiness came when the proper number of thirsty youth had taken advantage of discounted tickets in the left field seats.

Once the tragedy of Kirby Puckett’s vision had taken place at the end of spring training in 1996, the only person more popular in the Dome than “Coom” was Wally the Beerman.

Post-career, Coomer and his wife, Paula, from a St. Peter family, would settle in a condo in Eden Prairie. They worked in business. Coomer was tight as could be with the Twins, including team president Dave St. Peter. He became Bert Blyleven’s fill-in on telecasts and was with the music station that became home to Twins broadcasts.

“I had signed my contract with the Twins,” Coomer said Monday, “Then, I looked at my phone one morning and it read, ‘Pat Hughes,’ as a caller.”

Coomer’s immediate thought: “Why is Pat calling me in the middle of winter?”

It was with the information that the Cubs were hiring a new radio analyst, and Coomer might be missing an opportunity by not applying.

This was before the 2014 season. Coomer ran it past St. Peter, went to Chicago for an interview and was soon the radio analyst for the Cubs.

And 12 years later, old-timers and new generations of Cubs fans mark his arrival to Wrigley Field with an elongated “Cooooom” — not quite the bellowing reception Harry Caray would receive, but part of that Wrigley vibe that honors the durability of baseball.

“I think the fans in Wrigley at this time of year are always happy that they spent a few hours there, even when they don’t get a win,” Coomer said. “And this season, they are getting a lot of wins.

“PCA (Pete Crow-Armstrong) has Wrigley going crazy every time he comes to the plate. And Michael Busch, the Minnesota guy, is not only dangerous as a hitter, he keeps getting better at first base.

“He’s also what you would expect from a Minnesota guy. Busch hit his third home run on Friday, ran the bases, came into the dugout and got the backslaps. The crowd tried to get a curtain call out of him, but Michael stayed in the dugout.”

Coomer was raised on the South Side of Chicago, surrounded by friends and relatives who were White Sox fans.

“I was a rarity in my group — a Cubs fan," Coomer said. “I got that from watching the Cubs on Channel 9 [WGN] and listening to Jack Brickhouse.”

As an early subscriber when baseball on cable was the Cubs on WGN and the Braves on WTBS, I had to make an admission: Jack didn’t do it for me, Coom.

Coomer smiled and said: “He was a raving homer, even when the Cubs weren’t winning a lot. But for me being like Jack, in a booth at Wrigley for Cubs broadcasts … it doesn’t get much better for a Chicago kid."

Those would be the first-place Cubs. They are here for the next three days vs. the Twins. And a few of those guttural “Coooom” growls would only add to the fun.