On Friday, Los Angeles Dodgers Double-A affiliate Tulsa Drillers faced the Wichita Wind Storm (Minnesota Twins), in what many would consider just a normal Minor League game; but for the Varland family, it was anything but that.
Gus Varland of the Dodgers farm system and Louie Varland of the Twins organization are brothers who have played on the same team for most of their lives, including college at Concordia University.
However, both were drafted into different organizations as Gus was selected by the Oakland Athletics in 2018 and Louie was a Twins pick in 2019.
Most Minor League teams don’t end up facing many of the other clubs, but when the Dodgers traded Adam Kolarek to the A’s in 2021, Gus Varland was among the three players L.A. acquired, which moved him one step closer to a somewhat unlikely matchup against his brother.
During that game on Friday, the two started against each other and both finished as the pitcher of record for their respective team.
Although Gus only pitched three innings and allowed six runs, he was still happy to face his brother in the memorable matchup, per Stephanie Sheehan of MiLB.com:
“It was unbelievable,” Gus said. “It’s one of those things that you dream of. … In pro ball, you don’t really think that you’re gonna play against each other, because [Louie] is a year younger and the Twins and Dodgers affiliates never really play each other. But in Double-A, it just so happens that we get to play each other. It was awesome. Just to pitch against each other was unbelievable. The emotions were flowing, which was so cool.”
“And it happened twice, which is even cooler,” Louie added.
Louie was much more effective in the matchup, throwing five innings of two-run ball as his team picked up a 7-2 victory over the Drillers.
The two pitchers also faced each other on April 8, but Louie came into the game as a reliever rather than a starer like Gus. In that first matchup, the Drillers had the edge as Gus threw 4.1 innings of shutout ball while Louis was roughed up for four runs in 4.2 innings.
Carson Fulmer stays in Dodgers organization
Carson Fulmer cleared waivers after being designated for assignment and is remaining with the organization as he was sent outright to Triple-A Oklahoma City.
The Dodgers used their second-round pick to take Fulmer during the Minor League phase of the 2021 Rule 5 Draft. L.A. became the sixth organization the right-hander was part of since being selected eighth overall by the Chicago White Sox in the 2015 MLB Draft.
Fulmer was confident the Dodgers would aid in reaching his full potential, and he viewed reuniting with Walker Buehler as an added pitching coach. The two have developed a close relationship since playing at Vanderbilt together.
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