Common sense has deserted the Twins

Here is a Press Release the Minnesota Twins sent out yesterday –

Early Entry Program Coming to Target Field

Early entry tickets permit entry into the ballpark 45 minutes before gates open allowing fans to watch Twins batting practice

MINNEAPOLIS-ST. PAUL, Minn. – The Minnesota Twins today announced they will offer fans the opportunity to purchase early entry tickets that will allow them into Target Field 45 minutes before gates open to the general public.

Only available before evening games, early entry will begin at 4:45 p.m. (Mondays – Thursdays), at 4:15 p.m. (Fridays) and 3:15 p.m. (Saturdays). Those times are designed to allow early entry fans to watch a majority of Twins batting practice.

Early entry tickets will be sold on a walk-up basis at the main Target Field Box Office beginning 30 minutes before the early entry time for that game. Tickets will cost $15 dollars, and sales will be limited to the first 60 fans. Fans will also be required to have a normal entry ticket to the game, and will not be allowed to exit and reenter the ballpark after batting practice.

In the case of batting practice being canceled, fans will be offered a tour of the Metropolitan Club, Legends Club and Champions Club as a substitute.

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Can you believe this? Back on January 16th I did a blog posting on Florida spring training and I wrote about what I thought was a stupid idea by the Detroit Tigers. The Tigers implemented a plan this spring to charge their fans $5 for the privilege of entering Joker Marchant Stadium in Lakeland early so that you could watch the Tigers take batting practice. Now our Minnesota Twins have proudly announced they have out done the Tigers with a similar plan but they are going to charge $15 for the right to watch Twins batting practice which is held before the gates open to the general public. Holy crap! What mental genius came up with this idea? I have read some comments from Twins fans and every comment thinks it is a greedy and stupid idea. Some of the fans are blaming the Pohlad family for their greed but there is no way in the world that the business savvy Pohlad family is responsible for an idea as silly as this. This Twins boner falls right in the lap of Twins President Dave St. Peter and the Twins wonderful marketing department. How the Twins could come up with a ludicrous plan like this when they have lost 90+ games two years in a row with attendance dropping like a rock and yet some marketing genius thinks they can bring some extra money in with this plan? Don’t tell me the Twins are doing this as a favor to the fans because if that had any validity what so ever, they would just open the gates sooner and not charge extra for the privilege. This plan is supposedly in effect only during evening games but even if they did it for every one of their 81 home games they would bring in a whopping $72,900 in revenue. Mr. St. Peter, what the heck are you thinking to approve something like this? The Minnesota Twins have done a number of stupid things over the years both on and off the field but to me this qualifies as the dumbest and most stupid move that the Twins have made since they moved here in 1961. If the Twins need the $72K that badly, maybe we should take up a collection and help them to raise the funds. The idea might be slightly palatable if they said that the money that they collected would go to a charity or something but to charge $15 to watch the Twins take batting practice and pocket the money is just plain wrong and is a sin against baseball in general.

I thought the Twins were interested in attracting fans but with moves like this they just shoot themselves in the foot. First off, it has always been stupid not to let fans watch the home team take batting practice but now to say that they are going to charge fans $15 to do this is just plain wrong. Has common sense lost its way at Target Field? Shame on the Minnesota Twins and Dave St. Peter for this ill-advised, nonsensical and shortsighted idea. I love baseball and the Minnesota Twins but ideas like this are what chase people away from the game and keep them from enjoying America’s pastime.

Twins president Dave St. Peter
Twins president Dave St. Peter

The Twins should immediately come out with an apology and rescind this moronic blunder stating that the recent cold snap and unusually cold spring has temporarily dulled their thinking and that common sense has prevailed over at Target field after thinking the plan through. I would urge all of you to drop Dave St. Peter a quick e-mail at davestpeter@twinsbaseball.com and let him know what you think of this Twins announcement. If you want to call the Twins instead, you can reach the team at 612-659-3400. It wouldn’t hurt to also drop a note to Bud Selig and let him know what you think of MLB teams making moves like this. The baseball commissioner can be reached at bud.selig@mlb.com . UNBELIEVABLE!

UPDATE: Later this afternoon the Twins announced that this program is no longer happening because according to Chris Iles, senior manager of corporate communications for the Twins the idea “was not fully vetted across the Twins organization.” The Star Tribune stated that Twins President Dave St. Peter said: “We’re looking at ways to add more access to batting practice, but I’m not sure charging incrementally is the way to go about that. … It was released before it ever should have been. It’s hard to believe, but it was not pulled down because of fan reaction.”

A number of radio shows I listened to today and social media sites I checked out were for the most part very negative about this idea. Whatever the reason for the quick back track, I am just glad to see the Twins back away from this idea.

Less than a week in and……

Tylere Robertson
Tylere Robertson

The Twins announced after yesterdays win in Baltimore that Tyler Robertson was optioned to AAA Rochester and that Anthony Swarzak was on his way off the 15 day DL to join the Twins. A lot of people like Robertson but I am not a huge fan, Robertson’s job is to get that tough lefty out and he has not done that on a consistent basis. What really bothers me about Robertson is that he just gives up too many home runs and he walks too many hitters. In 42 appearances between 2012-2013 Robertson has pitched 26 innings and he has given 5 home runs and 14 walks, both unacceptable numbers. Swarzak is not the answer either but until someone in the minors distinguishes himself, Swarzak will be pitching for the Twins.

Hernandez, Pedro 2013The Twins also officially placed Cole De Vries on the 15 day DL and called up Pedro Hernandez who was acquired in the Francisco Liriano deal last year with the White Sox to start against the Baltimore Orioles. The 23-year-old left-handed Hernandez has one big league game on his resume and it is a start for the Mighty Whities that he would like to forget. Hernandez lasted just 4 innings against the Red Sox on July 18 when he gave up 8 earned runs and 12 hits (3 home runs) while walking one and striking out two. Hopefully today will be a better day for Pedro.

I have to wonder how long the Twins are going to let Aaron Hicks struggle like he has been? In 24 plate appearances Hicks has walked twice and gotten one hit and has a .045 batting average. Yesterday he got thrown out trying to steal second and it wasn’t even close. Hicks looks nothing like he did in spring training and he looks scared at the plate and seems to have no idea what he is doing. I know it is still very early but you have to be concerned what this might be doing to his confidence, hopefully it will not set Hicks back. I think Gardy has no choice but to drop him down to the bottom of the order soon and hopefully that can kick start Hicks career. Hicks too has a huge part to play, he has to show he has the guts and confidence to work through this horrendous start. I hope he can do it or the Twins season is going to take a big down turn quickly. It would be nice to rest Hicks for a day or two and give him a chance to regroup but the Twins have no one healthy enough right now to play center with Mastroianni ailing.

How are things in the minor leagues? Here is a brief run down on hos things stand. The AAA Rochester Red Wings find themselves tied for last place in their 6 team division with an 0-3 record. The AA New Britain Rock Cats also find themselves tied for the cellar in their 6 team division with a 1-2 record. The High-A Ft. Myers Miracle are 3-0 and as one of two undefeated teams in their division sit in first place. The Low-A Cedar Rapids Kernels have put up a 2-1 record which is good enough to tie for second in their division just one game out of the lead. After just a dozen games played, the Twins minor league system stands at 6-6 (.500).

Today in Twins History – April 6

4/6/1951 – Twins pitching great and MLB Hall of Famer Rik Aalbert “Bert” Blyleven was born on this day in Zeist, Netherlands. Blyleven, now a Twins TV color commentator makes a big deal about his birthday and seems to mention his birthday on every Twins telecast and can tell you on any day of the year how many days it is until his next birthday. Bert is famous for using his “telestrator” for circling Twins fans in the crowd who have brought their “Circle me Bert” signs to the ball game.

4/6/1966 – The Twins swing a deal with the Red Sox and acquire catcher Russ Nixon and 2B Chuck Schilling and give up pitcher Dick Stigman and 1B Jose Calero.

4/6/1972 – For the first time in history, the major leagues failed to open because of a player strike, which started on April 1. The traditional season opener between Houston and Cincinnati was canceled and 86 games were lost before the strike was settled.

4/6/1973 – Tony Oliva hits the first home run ever by a designated hitter in AL history when he cranks one out against “Catfish” Hunter in Oakland in the Twins 8-3 victory.

4/6/1978 – In only the second game of the season while playing in the Kingdome, Twins 2B Rob Wilfong is hit by a pitch thrown by Mariners reliever Shane Rawley in the sixth inning and suffers a broken bone in his hand which sidelines him for a month.

4/6/1982 – A  huge crowd of 52,279 turns out for the inaugural game at the brand-new Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome. Twins rookie 3B Gary Gaetti goes 4-for-4 with a pair of home runs, but Seattle wins 11-7. By the way, the temperature outside that day was 28 degrees.

4/6/2004 – Playing in just his second major league game, Twins star rookie catcher Joe Mauer hears something “pop” as he slides and tries to catch a foul pop-up in a game against the Cleveland Indians at the Metrodome. The Twins actually ended up winning the game 7-6 in 15 innings. A few days later, April 8th, Joe ends up having surgery to repair a medial meniscus tear in his left knee. Mauer returns to the line-up on June 2 but continues to have trouble off and on with the knee swelling and he plays in his final 2004 game on July 15 and his first season as a Twin ends after just 35 games but in that short period he showed all of us what kind of bat he had as he hit .308 in 107 at bats.

4/6/2005 – The Twins are leading the Seattle Mariners 3-1 in the top of the 8th inning at Safeco Field when Ron Villone is brought in to face Twins 1B Justin Morneau. Villone beans Morneau and in the process Morneau suffers a mild concussion. According to a Star Tribune article in 2005, “Contributing to the concern is Morneau’s history of concussions. This was his fifth, although the first involving baseball. He suffered others playing basketball and hockey and, in the worst one, running backward in 2000 during a workout. He fell and hit the back of his head on the ground.” Morneau saw the pitch coming toward his head – a frightening recollection. “A heat-seeking missile,” Morneau called it. After a 2 week stint on the DL, Morneau returned to the line-up on April 22.

4/6/2009 – The Twins open their 28th and final season at the Metrodome with a 6-1 loss to the Seattle Mariners. The Twins opponent in the first regular season game at the Metrodome on April 6, 1982 was also the Mariners and the Twins lost that game 11-7.

By the way, I just set up a new page that I call Twins Audio and Video clips, check it out if you have a few minutes.

Twins post first “W” of the season

What a nice win! The Twins posted their first “W” of the season this afternoon in a come from behind walk-off double by Eduardo Escobar that scored Jamey Carroll and Brian Dozier with two out in the ninth at Target Field. I know that the Tigers outfielders probably should have caught that ball for the third out but the fact is they did not. Kevin Correia started and pitched 7 innings allowing two runs on seven hits and a walk while striking out two. Correia did a great job against the Tigers and kept his team in the game. I know it is only one game but maybe this will help quiet all those Correia critics out there. I have to mention Wilkin Ramirez too and give him his props for the pinch-hit double that plated the Twins first run in the seventh inning. On the not so good side, the Twins had 8 more LOB today making 20 in their first two games, they have to do better than that if they want to win games. The Twins still have not started a single inning this season with a lead. I wonder what the Twins are going to do when they have to add Scott Diamond to the roster in a few days, there is no obvious candidate to ship out to Rochester at this point.

Torii Hunter as TigerFormer Twins and current Tiger outfielder Torii Hunter started the game with 1,988 hits and had a single in the top of the third inning and singled again in the top of the fifth for hit number 1,990 but was thrown out at third base by Chris Parmelee on Miguel Cabrera’s single that scored Omar Infante as Hunter tried to advance from first to third.

Thirteen years ago today the Twins introduced TC Bear as their mascot and last May he marked his consecutive 1,000 game. That bear is out there day in and day out, he never misses a game, he just grins and bears it I guess. You can read a nice piece about TC by going here.

Twins on short end of 4-2 season opener

I did not attend the Twins season opener at Target Field yesterday but I did watch it from the comfort of my home where it was nice and warm and the game came in crystal clear on Fox Sports North in HD via Comcast. The folks at the ballpark had to endure a windy 35 degrees with a wind chill in the 20’s at game time (3:10 PM) as they watched the Detroit Tigers beat the Twins 4-2. I thought I would take a few minutes and share my observations of the game.

Vance Worley
Vance Worley

Twins starter Vance Worley was out there in short sleeves while many players wore ski masks and winter hats to keep warm. Worley gave up 8 hits and a walk while striking out three in 6 innings. I have not seen Worley pitch very much prior to this game but I was impressed with his effort today. Yes, he gave up more hits than I would like but what I took away from this game was that Worley is fighter. He had a lot of guys on base early on but he kept pitching and kept his team in the game, which is more that most Twins starters have done in the last year or so. Take Francisco Liriano for example, as soon as he had a runner or two on base you could count on him folding like a $2 umbrella. The man could not pitch with runners on base. The weather was miserable and the Tigers are a top-notch team and it was the season opener with a lot of hype, I though Worley acquitted himself very well.

I felt bad for Aaron Hicks, a rookie that skipped AAA and in his major league debut he gets to face Jason Verlander on a 35 degree day at home. A tough task and those three strikeouts will hopefully just be a small speed bump in what promises to be a long and succesful career for Hicks. Hang in there Aaron.

The Twins lost but they had their chances multiple times but they let the Tigers off the hook by being over-anxious. The Tigers bullpen stinks and the Twins were just not patient enough and didn’t wait for good pitches. When you leave 12 on base you don’t deserve to win and the Twins didn’t. The Twins took 6 walks and they could have had several more in key situations but they swung at “balls” to often.

Although it is a game in the loss column we have to remember it is only one game, I am anxious to see the Twins next game.

Elias says: Justin Verlander improved his record to 7-0 with a 1.22 earned-run average over his last seven starts against the Twins. The last pitcher to win seven consecutive starts against the Twins was David Wells, who won nine in a row against them from 1996 to 2000.

Opening Day has arrived in Minnesota – 2013 style

2013 opening dayThe long cold winter still has a hold on the area as most of the grassy areas are still covered with snow, you can still walk across most of the lakes in Minnesota because ice still covers the shimmering blue waters, there is still snow and ice on the roof of our home and the wind blowing from Canada can still take your breath away but according to the calendar, spring arrived a week or so ago.  We heard a robin the other day and until the recent cold spell the snow was starting to give way to the grass that is showing signs of turning green while puddles were forming in the yard and I had hopes of the ice actually leaving our backyard pond later in the week. All signs of spring but there is no better sign of spring than baseball.

The Minnesota Twins arrived at Target field yesterday and an umpire will officially announce that spring has arrived when he yells out “Play Ball” this afternoon about 3:10 P.M. at Target Field with Joe Mauer behind the plate and Vance Worley on the mound. Everyone is off to a fresh start, the memories of lost games and bad seasons have faded in our minds as we all look forward to the promises a new season of baseball can bring. You don’t believe that? You better check todays sports page and the baseball box scores because even the Houston Astros won last night. We are all excited to see players like Aaron Hicks begin what we all hope are All-Star careers in a Twins uniform and a sparkling new starting pitching staff that hopefully leads the Twins to more wins than they were able to muster last year or the year before for that matter. Some Minnesota Twins may be participating in their last Twins opening day while others that missed making the team look forward to having the opportunity to participate in a Target Field opening day. I won’t be at today’s opening day but I have attended a number of opening days over the years and no matter how many times you have witnessed it, it is always something special.

Even though I don’t expect the Twins to make the playoffs, heck, I don’t even think they can play .500 ball, but I am hoping that the team is competitive, fun to watch and keeps improving as the season progresses. Twins fans are a hardy bunch and they have supported the team when it good and when it was bad and so it begins one more time. Enjoy the good days and file the bad days away as learning experiences and cheer for your Minnesota Twins. April 1st has arrived and the cold weather is a cruel April Fool’s joke with the game time temperature expected to be about 33 degrees and the cold beer may be replaced with a hot cup of chocolate or coffee but it is time for the Minnesota Twins to play ball.

I will finish with a quote from one of my favorite movies of all time, the Field of Dreams.

“The one constant through all the years, Ray, has been baseball. America has  rolled by like an army of steamrollers. It has been erased like a blackboard,  rebuilt and erased again. But baseball has marked the time. This field, this  game: it’s a part of our past, Ray. It reminds of us of all that once was good  and it could be again. Oh… people will come Ray. People will most definitely  come. “

Fun facts about Twins home openers

2013 opening dayThe Minnesota Twins are playing their final spring training game today and I am sure they are hoping for a quick non extra inning game so they can grab a quick shower and board the plane for their flight to Minneapolis where they look to get settled in before they open the season against the Detroit Tigers on Monday, April 1. It seems that the baseball gods are having a good laugh and are playing an April Fool’s joke on both the Twins and the Tigers by making them play ball on day that the weather prognosticators say will be a windy 31 degrees at game time with wind chills in the 20’s.

When the Twins first moved here from Washington they played outdoors in Metropolitan Stadium from 1961 through the 1981 season. In-door baseball was just at the starting gate about this time as Roy Hofheinz was in the process of building the “Eighth Wonder of the World” in Houston in what would open in April 1965 as the Harris County Domed Stadium but was later called simply as the Astrodome.

Let’s take a look at some of the interesting facts about the Twins home openers.

  • The Twins called the “Met” home for 21 years and their record in their Met Stadium home openers was 21-9 including winning 10 out of 11 between 1964-1974.
  • The first Twins pitcher to get credited with a win in a Twins home opener was Bill Pleis in 1964.
  • Of those 21 Met home openers, only 5 of the games were actual season openers as the Twins started their season on the road most of the time. The Twins were 2-3 in season openers at the Met.
  • During the Met Stadium years the Twins opened the season 6 times against the A’s, five times as Oakland and once as Kansas City and they won four and lost two.
  • Between 1961 and 1981 they opened the home season as early as April 6 (1971) and as late as April 23 (1972).
  • The average temperature at the start of a Twins home opener at Met Stadium was 56.48 degrees.
  • The coldest start to a Twins home opener occurred on April 14, 1962 when it was 33 degrees at game time and the Twins ended up losing to the Los Angeles Angels 12-5 in front of 8,363 hardcore Twins fans. The coldest start ever to a game at Met Stadium took place against the New York Yankees in May 2, 1967 when the temperature stood at 32 degrees and the Twins trounced the Yankees 13-4.
  • The warmest start to a Twins home opener took place on April 22, 1980 when the California Angels and Rod Carew were in town to take a 8-1 pasting at the hands of the Twins who were as hot as the 89 degree temperature that day. Geoff Zahn pitched a complete game and Hosken Powell,  Ron Jackson and Roy Smalley all hit home runs.

The Twins moved indoors in 1982 and played in the HHH Metrodome through the 2009 season so the out-door temperatures mattered little as it was always between about 66-72 degrees inside.

  • Of the 28 seasons that the Twins played dome ball, they opened the season at home 15 times and their record in these season opening games was 7-8.
  • The Twins were 9-4 when their first game of the season at the Dome was not a season opener.
  • Many of the Twins openers at the Dome were night games, something not done at any out-door venue in Minnesota.
  • Between 1982 and 2009 they opened the home season as early as March 31 (2008) and as late as April 27 (1995).

Since the Twins have called Target Field home in 2010 they have never played a season opening game there until this year. The earliest game they have played there was April 8, 2011. The Twins are 2-1 in Target Field home openers. The average temperature at a Target field home opener so far has been 57.67 degrees but even if the temperature is only 31 degrees on Monday, the average temperature for a Target field home opener will still be about 51 degrees.

 Here is a chart showing the Twins outdoor home openers.

YEAR Date Temperature Result Season opener
1961 4/21 63 lost 5-3 no
1962 *4/14 33 lost 12-5 no
1963 4/9 49 lost 5-4 yes
1964 *4/22 56 won 7-6 no
1965 4/12 44 won 5-4 yes
1966 4/12 52 won 2-1 yes
1967 4/14 51 won 5-3 no
1968 4/17 62 won 13-1 no
1969 4/18 59 won 6-0 no
1970 4/11 49 won 8-2 no
1971 4/6 53 lost 7-2 yes
1972 *4/23 44 won 8-4 no
1973 4/13 51 won 8-4 no
1974 4/9 53 won 3-1 no
1975 4/15 48 lost 7-3 no
1976 4/13 75 lost 4-1 no
1977 4/15 77 lost 3-2 no
1978 4/14 50 won 14-5 no
1979 4/17 63 lost 6-0 no
1980 4/22 89 won 8-1 no
1981 4/9 65 lost 5-1 yes
2010 4/12 65 won 5-2 no
2011 4/8 63 won 2-1 no
2012 4/9 45 lost 5-1 no
2013 4/1 35 lost 4-2 yes

* = The Twins had home openers postponed in 1962 (April 13), 1964 (April 21), and 1972 (April 22).

One of Twins top prospects hurt

Max Kepler
Max Kepler

One of the Minnesota Twins top prospects, Max Kepler hurt his elbow during pre-game warm-ups on March 16th in Sarasota and was shut down for a week to allow the swelling to recede. An MRI performed a week after the injury fortunately only showed a muscle strain. Kepler has been rehabbing since and faced live pitching yesterday for the first time since the injury but again experienced pain and has been shut down for 3 additional weeks. The injury and rehab is a huge disappointment and frustration to Kepler who had participted in an intense workout program this past off-season in San Francisco and was in great shape. Max was expected to be assigned to the Cedar Rapids Kernels “A” ball team and play in his first full season league this year. Instead, Max will stay in Ft. Myers for the next 3 weeks and rehab. The Twins aren’t going to let Kepler go anywhere until they are sure that Kepler is 100% again.  Kepler is one of my favorite Twins prospects and I hope that Max is able to recover quickly and resume his climb up the big league ladder.

This Day in Twins History – March 27

Jim Perry
Jim Perry

3/27/1973 – Twins’ pitcher Jim Perry becomes the first player to use the ’10 and 5 rule’ when he ok’s his own trade to the Tigers for minor league pitcher Dan Fife and cash. Perry won 20 games for the Minnesota Twins in 1969. In 1970, he went 24-12 for the Twins and won the Cy Young Award. The Perry brothers (Gaylord and Jim) are the only set of brothers to both win Cy Young Awards.

3/27/1985 – The Twins move pitcher Brad Havens to the Orioles and receive pitcher Mark Brown.

Bob Casey
Bob Casey

3/27/2005 – Bob Casey, the first and only Twins public-address announcer passed away.

3/27/2010 – The University of Minnesota Gophers lost to Louisiana Tech 9-1 in the first baseball game played at the Twins’ new home, Target Field. More than 37,757 people came through the turnstiles after they opened in the morning for fans to take a look, sit in the seats and sample the food. Tickets were $2, with proceeds going to the team’s community fund. Former Gophers and Twins catcher Terry Steinbach threw out the ceremonial first pitch. Louisiana Tech’s Clint Ewing hit the ballpark’s first home run.

Twins Trivia 2013 predictions

crystal ballThe 2013 season is just around the corner so it is time to make my annual predictions on who will finish where and who the 2013 World Series champion will be.

AL East
 
Toronto Blue Jays
Tampa Bay Rays (wild card)
Baltimore Orioles
Boston Red Sox
New York Yankees
 
AL Central
 
Detroit Tigers
Kansas City Royals (wild card)
Cleveland Indians
Chicago White Sox
Minnesota Twins
 
AL West
 
Los Angeles Angels
Oakland A’s
Seattle Mariners
Texas Rangers
Houston Astros
 
NL East
 
Washington Nationals
Atlanta Braves (wild card)
Philadelphia Phillies
New York Mets
Miami Marlins
 
NL Central
 
Cincinnati Reds
Pittsburgh Pirates (wild card)
St. Louis Cardinals
Milwaukee Brewers
Chicago Cubs
 
NL West
 
Los Angeles Dodgers
San Francisco Giants
Arizona Diamondbacks
Colorado Rockies
San Diego Padres

 

The Detroit Tigers and the Washington Nationals play in the World Series with the Washington Nationals winning it all in 6 games.

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The Minnesota Twins 2013 season opener at Target Field against the Detroit Tigers is just over a week away so after watching and listening to Twins in spring training and consulting with some of the worlds foremost baseball experts, here is what I see happening in 2013.

Einstein 2013

 

  1. Josh Willingham will be traded and Oswaldo Arcia will be called up to take over a starting outfield position. Arcia will fill the role nicely.
  2. Trevor Plouffe will not be able to hang on to the starting job due to injuries and inconsistent hitting and fielding and third base will be a black hole all season with Jamey Carroll, Eduardo Escobar, and Mark Sobolewski all getting a shot to win the job and none of these guys turns out to be the answer. The Twins will make a deal to fill the 3B hole but it will just be a stop-gap as they wait for Miguel Sano to finally fill the hole late in 2014.
  3. Anthony Swarzak and Tyler Robertson will lose their bullpen jobs and will be replaced by PJ Walters and Ryan Pressly.
  4. Jeff Clement will win a roster spot and be the Twins third catcher leaving Drew Butera out in the cold but not for long because the Twins will do him right by trading him to a team that will give him the back-up catching job.
  5. Pedro Florimon and Brian Dozier give the Twins their first decent infield combo in some time playing well in the field and hitting better than expected.
  6. The Twins will open the season with a starting staff of Vance Worley, Mike Pelfrey, Kevin Correia, Cole De Vries, with Scott Diamond joining the staff in early April. Kyle Gibson will be called up by June 1 and will replace….. Mike Pelfrey in the rotation.
  7. Manager Ron Gardenhire not only makes it through the season but gets a new two-year deal.
  8. Justin Morneau will be resigned to a multi-year deal before the All-Star game and will continue to call Minnesota home.
  9. Tickets to watch the Twins will be easy to get as attendance at Target Field plummets by about 20% and the Twins will be lucky to hit 2.2 million in attendance with attendance dropping by over a half million.