Byron Buxton pulled aside Minnesota Twins third-base coach Tommy Watkins under the premise that he had some baserunning question, but that wasn't the real reason.
When he got Watkins alone, Buxton told him he had accepted an invitation to the Home Run Derby. The two of them shared tears, having worked together since 2013, the year after Buxton was drafted second overall by the Twins.
"Neither one of us really said anything," Watkins said in a phone conversation Sunday. "It was an emotional moment for both of us."
The eight sluggers swinging for the fences in Atlanta on Monday (8 p.