Minneapolis – Carlos Correa’s return on Friday seemed to come at the right time. He filled his role back at shortstop and in the lineup as if he never left, going 2-for-4 at the plate with a home run and turning a stellar double play on defense.
However, an added bonus was that Correa returned for his bobblehead giveaway night. And it wasn’t just any bobblehead. The Minnesota Twins decorated Correa as a Jedi for Star Wars night at Target Field.
Add Ty France’s walk-off home run to secure the 3-1 win over the Kansas City Royals in the bottom of the ninth, and the hardest question for Correa to answer postgame became, ‘Was it better to win on your bobblehead night or Star Wars night?’
“I think Bobblehead Night,” said Correa, “because it was a Star Wars bobblehead.”
Correa is one of baseball’s better-known movie and television nerds. He’s constantly chatting with his teammates and Twins staff about the latest thing he’s been watching. Most of his teammates aren’t as into the Star Wars franchise as he is, and it brings a better balance of different interests into their clubhouse.
“He’s a movie fiend,” said Twins third baseman Royce Lewis, who’s seen only a few of the Star Wars movies. “It’s good to have that culture in the clubhouse.”
“I’ve never seen a single Star Wars movie, actually,” outfielder DaShawn Keirsey Jr. said. “I mean, it’s awesome. To each their own, we all have our different things on [and] off the field. That just shows everyone’s personality.”
Unlike many fans, Correa didn’t become a Star Wars fan as a child. He and his wife Daniella watched the movies at the start of the COVID-19 lockdowns when MLB shut spring training down that March.
“We were like ‘Everyone talks about the Star Wars movies, let’s see what it’s all about,’” said Correa. “And then we started watching other movies, and that’s how we got into it.”
Despite coming to Star Wars at a later age than most, Correa was still drawn into the films for many of the same reasons as many fans: The groundbreaking special effects, John Williams’ timeless score, and the characters. His favorite character is Han Solo, but all aspects of the series impacted his first steps into Star Wars’s larger world, or galaxy, depending on your point of view.
“[It’s] just how different they are,” Correa said. “How unique and how they can make that world stick. For some people, it might be stupid, but for some, it’s great art, and it’s just completely different from what we’re used to seeing out there when they came out that early. So for me, it’s special because it feels like art.”
The films had an impact on Correa and his wife. When they began the sequel trilogy and watched Episode VII: The Force Awakens, the main villain, Kylo Ren’s name stuck with them so much that they gave their oldest son that name when he was born in 2022. But they didn’t decide on the name because they loved the Dark Side.
“When we first watched the movies in the theaters, I was like Carlos, Kylo,” said Correa. “That sounds like a real cooler version of my name. I think we should name our son that. And then couple years later, we got pregnant, and we always came back to that name.”
With the access social media has given into the everyday lives of athletes and celebrities, it’s more common to see a player of Correa’s caliber share their love for what athletes 20 years ago may have considered “too nerdy” for them. Some players, such as Ken Griffey Jr., had been Star Wars fans during their playing days but weren’t as outspoken about it.
Now, for kids who are fans of Star Wars and baseball, players like Correa, or Gunnar Henderson, Jordan Westburg, and Colton Cowser on the Baltimore Orioles share those interests with them off the field.
“I think it’s just to have fun, and one thing that I enjoy is good movies and good shows,” said Correa on what it means to his young fans. “You know sci-fi, all this stuff that’s just different, I’m in love with. It’s just a world that doesn’t exist, you’re making it a masterpiece, and to me that’s intriguing.”
Some of the major themes in Star Wars often show up in baseball in more ways than people expect: searching for hope and creating a found family. The players in the clubhouse stay together from February until October and become like family with each other. Finding hope when things are down can simply translate into what a player does for themselves to get out of a slump at the plate or on the mound.
While Correa hasn’t often thought about how those two themes intertwine with baseball, it’s something he’s starting to see more frequently as this season progresses.
“I didn’t think about that, but when you put it that way, it totally makes sense,” he said. “It’s exactly how a clubhouse goes. Through the ups and downs, everybody tries to stick together and having each other’s backs, and we’re definitely a family.”
It will be a few years before the Correas show their sons Kylo and Kenzo the Star Wars saga. Still, as it has been for many families for 48 years and counting, they can’t wait for it to be something for their family to bond over off the field.
