Episode 26 of the Twins baseball podcast, Talk To Contact (@TalkToContact), is now available for download via iTunes or by clicking here. Thanks to Mark Smith (@MarkArtSmith) for the new logo!Now more than 6 months into the podcasting experiment the Pleiss brothers tackle the glory and excitement that is the dawn of the 2013 baseball season. Among things discussed are the real value of spring training ...
Originally posted at kbro's baseball blog We all had a good chuckle (and by "chuckle," I mean "eye-roll") when we heard that Anthony Swarzak cracked a couple ribs when he and a teammate engaged in what the team officially calls "horseplay." Now, we're hearing that Scott Diamond's bone chips -- you know, the ones that required surgery in December -- occurred because he was jumping rope. It makes one wonder whether players participating ...
If my Twins blog gets any bleaker, it'll have to wear black eyeliner. Not too worried. First Spring Training home run by a Minnesota Twin will have me predicted a World Series victory in six games. I'm like that. Roger Clemens is threatening to become an obsession for me. He could go into the Ty Cobb Hall of Fame for players so completely unlikeable they've become loveable. I'd drive him there myself, as long as I didn't have to rub Icy-Hot on his groin area. ...
One of the bigger storylines of the offseason was the future of Ron Gardenhire as manager of the Minnesota Twins. Most years throughout his tenure, he signed a two-year extension before he got to the final year of his contract. However, after last season, Gardenhire did not receive an extension, so he is in the last year of his deal. On its own, that means very little. I mean, Terry Ryan could still choose to extend him any time during the season or following the season. Unfortunately, ...
The Twins are in the lull time of spring training after players have reported and before the start of games. There are plenty of players making adjustments to being in a new organization. Other players are sliding into the daily routines that help them prepare for the coming season. It is hard to get a lot of information about players at this stage in the spring training process. This still doesn't mean that there aren't some positive signs coming out of Fort Myers. ...
Somewhere, somewhen, I realized I'm generally ill-suited to responding to internet forums as I often type up ten times as much information as is really suited to being in a forum post. It hasn't stopped me from doing it, but it has stopped me from posting more than about 1% of the things that pop through my head when reading forums. I type up a response to a thread that starts growing as I try to add details to clarify why some of the things I was saying were as they were until it gets to the point ...
Updated 02-20-2013 at 02:45 PM by ericchri
Originally posted on www.twinstrivia.com On August 23, 1965 the Twins were in their fifth season in Minnesota ready to take on the New York Yankees in a 3:10 start at Met Stadium in front of 37,787 fans that wanted another Twins win over the hated Yankees. The Twins had a 7.5 game lead and were well on their way to their first World Series. That same day Tony Oliva became the first Twins player to grace the cover of Sports Illustrated magazine. ...
Last year, as Brian Dozier’s offensive season sank deeper in the abyss, Andrew Bryz-Gornia at TwinkieTown pointed out how many different stances Dozier displayed. While the frequent changes in his batting stance acted as a visual barometer to his overall hitting struggles – the constant alteration a sign that he never was comfortable at the plate – his front side mechanics may have been one of the sources that led to his poor numbers. In 2012, Dozier’s swing contained a ...
When Twins position players reported to camp at the end of last week, Justin Morneau was one of the first people that the media hunted down. There was good reason to do this since he is in the last year of his contract with the club and his future is unclear at this point. According to Morneau, there haven't been any discussions about an extension between his agent and the club. This means that he is anticipating playing out the rest of his contract and testing the free agent market ...
Every year around this time the talk is about how hope springs eternal; how the slate is wiped clean and every team is 0-0; how every club is tied for first place. For these 2013 Twins, optimism is noticeably subdued. For most people, a realistic form of “hope” involves approaching a .500 record and avoiding the cellar for a third straight year. The Twins have more question marks dotting their roster than perhaps any other team in the American League. The odds are against ...
Tonight (Tuesday) at 7:00 central time, Seth Stohs will be taking your Minnesota Twins-related questions. He will answer questions for as much as two hours tonight. The Twins are in spring training camp. We can finally move past the offseason and start talking about actual baseball news. This is a good opportunity for you to ask your individual questions regarding Seth's projections from today, ask about minor leaguers and much, much more. It's a good opportunity for the Twins Daily ...
Please take a few moments, and imagine having your face caved in from the impact of a line-driven baseball. That's what our boy Eddie Rosario was dealing with mid-summer in 2012 after taking a batting practice rep to the face. How much can you expect from a guy after something like that? Well, I'll tell ya. If you combine Eddie's winter league stats with his abbreviated 2012 regular season stats, you'll see a fierce line of numbers that hints ...
Updated 02-21-2013 at 11:02 AM by mnfanforlife
The Twins have a few full squad workouts under their belt and the team's first spring training game will be this weekend. Spring has sprung in Fort Myers even if the 40-degree weather this weekend didn't agree. Baseball season is back and there are plenty of things to be excited about for the Twins. Last week, I looked at some of the story lines for pitchers and catchers since they were the first to report. Later in the week, I dissected some of the headlines for position players as ...
Since completing the Minnesota Twins Prospect Handbook a month ago, I have managed to find a little extra time in my life. So, what did I do? I am so cool that I started making my Minnesota Twins Roster Projections (which can be found here and here). Today, another piece to that fun, preseason puzzle is presented for you today. It is my attempt to predict how the Twins hitters will fare in 2013. I'm sure you've reviewed several such projections, such as Bill James and PECOTA and others. ...
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