This Day in Twins History – July 5, 2004 – Protests against Duke

There is an old saying that goes something like this – “no good deed goes unpunished.” As gesture to honor local military personnel, the Twins give away a “Duke” G.I. Joe action figures to the first 5,000 children attending the Royals game at the Metrodome. A number of “Peace Groups” protest the idea as glorifying war. The team, in an effort to appease protesting peace groups, who see the promotion as glorifying war, asks Hasbro, the toy’s maker, to remove the customary gun from G.I. Joe’s side, but the hand grenades remain visible. Brad Radke pitches a 4 hit complete game shutout and the Twins “bomb” the Royals 9-0. Here is what CBS wrote about the GI Joe give-away and here is the Pioneer Press take on things.