Baseball season is back and the Twins opened their season today in Kansas City.

To celebrate, a Minneapolis baseball and softball glove repair shop hosted a watch party.

For D&J Glove Repair owner Jimmy Lonetti, attention to detail runs in the family. After watching his grandfather repair shoes growing up, today Lonetti loves working with leather.

“Gloves, each one can be like a puzzle or something,” Lonetti said.

He’s been repairing baseball and softball gloves since 2010 but only recently opened up his Minneapolis shop in 2022.

“A great place for me to just surround myself with stuff I like,” Lonetti said.

Just how common are businesses like this? Lonetti believes he’s one of the only dedicated glove repair shops in the country.

“If someone wants to step up and say they have one too, let me know,” Lonetti said.

“I thought it’s worth the drive into Minneapolis to go get it done,” added Chad Pedersen, who lives in Lakeville.

Pedersen stopped in on Thursday to get his college glove fixed up.

“It’s lasted this long, 20 years without and love and care and so now we get that done and we’ll keep it around longer,” Pedersen said about the glove.

“It’s the sentimental ones that are fun to work on,” Lonetti said.

Lonetti says his customers are split: 50% of orders are shipped out and 50% are walks-ins.

One of those walk-in’s was a guy named Paul wanting to repair his son’s glove. It just happened to be Twins Hall of Famer Paul Molitor.

“I really do play up the Twins connection in the shop here,” Lonetti said.

D&J Glove Repair is welcoming a new Twins season but at the same time honoring tradition, and keeping family memories alive.

“If my kids want to use it, I think it would be cool for them to hold onto and say, ‘You know what, this was dad’s glove,'” Pedersen said.