Twins Fan From Afar

[Originally posted at Twins Fan From Afar] The Twins had some encouraging Spring Training results over the weekend. I realize that Spring Training games don't count for anything -- they are, in fact, for "training." That's why you see guys taking a lot of pitches, just trying to get their timing down, or you might see a pitcher throw a curveball five times in a row. These guys are trying to get ready for the season, not trying to set Grapefruit League records. But still, tangible results are always nice, and Danny Valencia had a good weekend. Valencia hit two home runs and a double in two games. In those two games combined, he was 3-for-6 with 4 runs batted in. And it wasn't just that he was hitting the ball; he was hitting it hard and far, judging from the replays. At the very least, it's nice to see him locked in this early in the season. I hope he keeps it up! [TABLE=class: tr-caption-container] http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Xj29Kdw64WM/T13xmFgp8hI/AAAAAAAAAMQ/jKE-7fGGOig/s1600/Valencia.bmp [TD=class: tr-caption]I bet you didn't know that Valencia attended the U of Miami [/TD] [/TABLE]  In 2010, of course, Valencia impressed most of us, with a .311/.351/.448 slash line in 85 games after a mid-season call up. He was also third in rookie of the year voting. 2011 wasn't so great. In what could be described as a textbook sophomore slump, Valencia regressed to .246/.294/.383. Though he was healthy the entire season, which in and of itself was "highlight-worthy" for the 2011 Twins, Valencia did not impress. He defense was not reliable (he had the second most errors at third base), he did not consistently take good at-bats, and he came off as arrogant in the press. Quite frankly, I don't care at all that Valencia went to the University of Miami, and I suspect that his teammates, manager and coaches don't either. I can absolutely see how, over the course of a 162 game season, Valencia rubbed some in the Twins' organization the wrong way. But still, it's fair to note that Valencia was at least healthy and on the field, even if he wasn't fantastic. Last year, Ron Gardenhire was quick to throw Valencia under the bus, when sometimes there were other parties that were equally, if not more, guilty of bad baseball transgressions. For whatever reason, Valencia was often in the doghouse. At that time, I suggested that Gardy lay off of Valencia (publicly, at least). Looking back, however, maybe Valencia needed to be taken down a couple pegs in the press, even if he didn't always deserve it. I seriously doubt that Valencia feels less full of himself now than he did last year, but perhaps his second full season will bring greater maturity. After all, he's not young -- 27 this season -- and he's been in the show for about 18 months now. And after the departure of several veterans in the past few months, he's starting to climb the Twins' seniority ladder. For 2012, I don't know that we can expect Valencia to be a .300 hitter. After last season, .275 would look pretty good in comparison. And, to be honest, if Miguel Sano keeps maturing into the ballplayer that everyone expects him to become, Valencia's time at third base is probably limited to the next 2-3 seasons. Sure, Valencia developing into a complete ballplayer would be fantastic, and I would never suggest that having talented players on the field is bad, but Valencia was never a blue chip prospect to begin with: he never even hit .300 in AA or AAA. But I hope that Valenica shows a little more maturity this year, that he stays out of the doghouse (whether deserved or undeserved), and that the reported hard work he has been putting in this offseason pays dividends. It's funny -- for as much as people (especially bloggers, myself included) talk about Mauer, Morneau, Liriano and Span -- Valencia could be just as important a cog if he put together a great season. He'll likely never be a 40 home run per year guy, but he has shown flashes of greatness, as well as the ability to hit in the clutch. He certainly has talked the talk, maybe in 2012 he will walk the walk. I'd be content with a .275/.350/.445 season out of Valencia, accompanied by stable defense.

[Originally posted at Twins Fan From Afar] The Twins had some encouraging Spring Training results over the weekend. I realize that Spring Training games don't count for anything -- they are, in fact, for "training." That's why you see guys taking a lot of pitches, just trying to get their timing down, or you might see a pitcher throw a curveball five times in a row. These guys are trying to get ready for the season, not trying to set Grapefruit League records. But still, tangible results are always nice, and Danny Valencia had a good weekend. Valencia hit two home runs and a double in two games. In those two games combined, he was 3-for-6 with 4 runs batted in. And it wasn't just that he was hitting the ball; he was hitting it hard and far, judging from the replays. At the very least, it's nice to see him locked in this early in the season. I hope he keeps it up! [TABLE=class: tr-caption-container] http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Xj29Kdw64WM/T13xmFgp8hI/AAAAAAAAAMQ/jKE-7fGGOig/s1600/Valencia.bmp [TD=class: tr-caption]I bet you didn't know that Valencia attended the U of Miami [/TD] [/TABLE]  In 2010, of course, Valencia impressed most of us, with a .311/.351/.448 slash line in 85 games after a mid-season call up. He was also third in rookie of the year voting. 2011 wasn't so great. In what could be described as a textbook sophomore slump, Valencia regressed to .246/.294/.383. Though he was healthy the entire season, which in and of itself was "highlight-worthy" for the 2011 Twins, Valencia did not impress. He defense was not reliable (he had the second most errors at third base), he did not consistently take good at-bats, and he came off as arrogant in the press. Quite frankly, I don't care at all that Valencia went to the University of Miami, and I suspect that his teammates, manager and coaches don't either. I can absolutely see how, over the course of a 162 game season, Valencia rubbed some in the Twins' organization the wrong way. But still, it's fair to note that Valencia was at least healthy and on the field, even if he wasn't fantastic. Last year, Ron Gardenhire was quick to throw Valencia under the bus, when sometimes there were other parties that were equally, if not more, guilty of bad baseball transgressions. For whatever reason, Valencia was often in the doghouse. At that time, I suggested that Gardy lay off of Valencia (publicly, at least). Looking back, however, maybe Valencia needed to be taken down a couple pegs in the press, even if he didn't always deserve it. I seriously doubt that Valencia feels less full of himself now than he did last year, but perhaps his second full season will bring greater maturity. After all, he's not young -- 27 this season -- and he's been in the show for about 18 months now. And after the departure of several veterans in the past few months, he's starting to climb the Twins' seniority ladder. For 2012, I don't know that we can expect Valencia to be a .300 hitter. After last season, .275 would look pretty good in comparison. And, to be honest, if Miguel Sano keeps maturing into the ballplayer that everyone expects him to become, Valencia's time at third base is probably limited to the next 2-3 seasons. Sure, Valencia developing into a complete ballplayer would be fantastic, and I would never suggest that having talented players on the field is bad, but Valencia was never a blue chip prospect to begin with: he never even hit .300 in AA or AAA. But I hope that Valenica shows a little more maturity this year, that he stays out of the doghouse (whether deserved or undeserved), and that the reported hard work he has been putting in this offseason pays dividends. It's funny -- for as much as people (especially bloggers, myself included) talk about Mauer, Morneau, Liriano and Span -- Valencia could be just as important a cog if he put together a great season. He'll likely never be a 40 home run per year guy, but he has shown flashes of greatness, as well as the ability to hit in the clutch. He certainly has talked the talk, maybe in 2012 he will walk the walk. I'd be content with a .275/.350/.445 season out of Valencia, accompanied by stable defense.

You never know, though, maybe he'll surprise you. I'm not big into autographs, but I am trying to get all the "retired number" guys on individual official MLB baseballs. So far, I have Puckett, Killebrew, Hrbek and Oliva. I actually just sent Oliva's to Spring Training last week and received it back in today's mail, which is pretty cool. Blyleven I'm sure I can get for free somewhere, but Carew is going to be a challenge.

I've heard that Carew rarely signs unless it's a card show or something like that. I'd like to get him to sign a baseball.

I think that's already his second dumb move (other was a pickoff) in a small number of times on base.

I guess that's why everyone is hoping that 2011 was the aberration, rather than the norm, for the rest of his career.

[Originally posted at Twins Fan From Afar] The Twins' offense hasn't really showed up this far in Spring Training, but yesterday, Francisco Liriano had a great 3-inning start against Tampa Bay, striking out five and, most importantly, walking none. Additionally, the three innings took only 34 pitches to get through. Sure, many in Tampa Bay's lineup weren't major league hitters, but it's still encouraging and hopefully is a sign of things to come. The big Twins news yesterday, of course, was that the Twins and left reliever Glen Perkins agreed to a 3-year, $10.3 million extension, which keeps him in a Twins uniform through 2015, with a team option for 2016. This should prove to be a great signing, I think. First, if last year (and this year, so far) has taught us anything, it's that you simply cannot completely destruct a bullpen and easily rebuild it from scratch -- there has to be some continuity, some returning veterans. This contract ensures a veteran bullpen presence for the foreseeable future. Second, the value of the contract is reasonable, especially if Perkins pitches at the same level he did most of 2011. Third, although the contract reportedly contains escalators if Perkins finishes games (takes over as closer), his base salary for 2014 and 2015 is only $3.75 million. In other words, even if you tack on, say, an extra $1 million if Perkins ends up assuming the closer's role in another couple years, $4.75 million for a (hopefully) effective closer is a bargain for the Twins. And even if Perkins just continues to be the late-inning, high-leverage situation guy for the Twins, which is, for now, where I think he's most valuable to the Twins, it's still a great contract. Now I look for Perkins to take that next step and really become a bullpen and clubhouse leader. Congratulations, Glen. It was a busy week for the Twins, and also for Twins bloggers. Here are a few links that I enjoyed reading this past week. First, respected Twins' veteran blogger Aaron Gleeman lost 150 pounds this year. Amazing. Congratulations, Aaron.! Capital Babs from Knuckleballs is at Spring Training right now, and on her honeymoon. She has some good pictures and posts from attending the Twins' B-game, which really featured a lot of the A-lineup. NoDak Twins Fan analyzes the scenarios under which the Twins could either keep Francisco Liriano through all of 2012, or trade him before the deadline. Personally, it's a lot easier for me to imagine the scenarios where we trade Liriano, than it is to imagine the scenarios where we keep him, especially as he nears free agency. Time will tell. John J. Parent at Call to the Pen wrote a great season preview for the Twins. Spoiler alert -- he's concerned with the health of Mauer and Morneau. This is a very well done piece. The Common Man reviews MLB 12 the Show, which is about the only video game series that I enjoy playing. I think I might save the $60 and not buy it this year, though, as I bet the Twins are pretty awful in it. Last but not least, Minnesota's own Lindsay Guentzel was selected for the starting 9 in MLB's 2012 Fancave. Some of the other winners include Yankees and Braves fans, so things could get ugly fast. In all seriousness, though, this is a big deal, and hopefully will help Lindsay in her journalism career. Congratulations, Lindsay!

[Originally posted at Twins Fan From Afar] The Twins' offense hasn't really showed up this far in Spring Training, but yesterday, Francisco Liriano had a great 3-inning start against Tampa Bay, striking out five and, most importantly, walking none. Additionally, the three innings took only 34 pitches to get through. Sure, many in Tampa Bay's lineup weren't major league hitters, but it's still encouraging and hopefully is a sign of things to come. The big Twins news yesterday, of course, was that the Twins and left reliever Glen Perkins agreed to a 3-year, $10.3 million extension, which keeps him in a Twins uniform through 2015, with a team option for 2016. This should prove to be a great signing, I think. First, if last year (and this year, so far) has taught us anything, it's that you simply cannot completely destruct a bullpen and easily rebuild it from scratch -- there has to be some continuity, some returning veterans. This contract ensures a veteran bullpen presence for the foreseeable future. Second, the value of the contract is reasonable, especially if Perkins pitches at the same level he did most of 2011. Third, although the contract reportedly contains escalators if Perkins finishes games (takes over as closer), his base salary for 2014 and 2015 is only $3.75 million. In other words, even if you tack on, say, an extra $1 million if Perkins ends up assuming the closer's role in another couple years, $4.75 million for a (hopefully) effective closer is a bargain for the Twins. And even if Perkins just continues to be the late-inning, high-leverage situation guy for the Twins, which is, for now, where I think he's most valuable to the Twins, it's still a great contract. Now I look for Perkins to take that next step and really become a bullpen and clubhouse leader. Congratulations, Glen. It was a busy week for the Twins, and also for Twins bloggers. Here are a few links that I enjoyed reading this past week. First, respected Twins' veteran blogger Aaron Gleeman lost 150 pounds this year. Amazing. Congratulations, Aaron.! Capital Babs from Knuckleballs is at Spring Training right now, and on her honeymoon. She has some good pictures and posts from attending the Twins' B-game, which really featured a lot of the A-lineup. NoDak Twins Fan analyzes the scenarios under which the Twins could either keep Francisco Liriano through all of 2012, or trade him before the deadline. Personally, it's a lot easier for me to imagine the scenarios where we trade Liriano, than it is to imagine the scenarios where we keep him, especially as he nears free agency. Time will tell. John J. Parent at Call to the Pen wrote a great season preview for the Twins. Spoiler alert -- he's concerned with the health of Mauer and Morneau. This is a very well done piece. The Common Man reviews MLB 12 the Show, which is about the only video game series that I enjoy playing. I think I might save the $60 and not buy it this year, though, as I bet the Twins are pretty awful in it. Last but not least, Minnesota's own Lindsay Guentzel was selected for the starting 9 in MLB's 2012 Fancave. Some of the other winners include Yankees and Braves fans, so things could get ugly fast. In all seriousness, though, this is a big deal, and hopefully will help Lindsay in her journalism career. Congratulations, Lindsay!

What do you think of Bates so far, thrylos?

Did M & M do anything productive after their first at-bats?

That's solid! Big improvement from last time out.

How'd his second inning go? Tell me no walks . . . .

Good for Glen, good for the Twins. As we have realized, you can't just completely gouge a bullpen and expect to be able to piece together a capable replacement.

[Originally published at Twins Fan From Afar] All the reports have been great. He woke up early for the first day of training camp, lost a little weight, has participated in all drills, and stands ready, today, to play in back-to-back games. From the little that I have watched, he appears healthy (if a little thin) and alert, and his swing looks as good as it did at any point last year (maybe that's not saying a lot, but you have to take the positives where they come). In short, if you didn't know any better, Justin Morneau looks like any other baseball player getting ready for the 2012 season. But we do know better, and so does Justin. At the beginning of many romantic relationships, there is the so-called "honeymoon period." You know -- that time when everything feels just great, you think that you've found the perfect partner, and believe that nothing will ever change. **Cue the Tony Bennett music and the sounds of birds chirping** Well, for most couples, even those that persevere, the honeymoon periods ends at some point. Some of those things that were once cute and funny about your partner eventually became annoying; you realize that they aren't, in fact, perfect; and sometimes they simply drive you nuts. I'm worried that some Twins fans, myself included, are in the midst of a honeymoon period -- another honeymoon period -- with Justin Morneau. The pure Twins fan in me, the human side of me, wants more than anything to see him just have a healthy season, whether he bats .245 or .345. That same side of me craves Star Tribune, Pioneer Press, ESPN and AP articles that support that belief. I even look for pictures, like the picture below, to provide documentation for the proposition that Morneau is, in fact, healthy and in Florida.  [TABLE=class: tr-caption-container, align: center] http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-zVg00Ru5hNo/T1gZINF2zLI/AAAAAAAAAMI/nOR0RJ0NhlY/s320/Morneau.jpg [TD=class: tr-caption]Pioneer Press photographer Chris Polydoroff captures Justin Morneau and, is that Joe Mauer catching a bullpen session? [/TD] [/TABLE] Even watching the Twins-Red Sox game a couple nights ago, I was looking for the positive in everything that Morneau did. In his first at-bat that ended with a routine ground out to second base, I focused instead on the hard foul he hit down the right field line ("he made solid contact there," I told my wife). Even on defense, when he threw a ball into a runner going to second base, I thought, "well, at least it was a good pick-up to make the play at first base." Clearly, I'm still in the honeymoon period. Who knows what I'm going to think if/when he actually does start to hit home runs and doubles, and if he reemerges as the great defensive first baseman that he had worked so hard to become. The realist in me -- the part of me that is an analyst, and, well, an adult -- is worried about what happens when that honeymoon period ends. I know it's inevitable at some point. The head, the wrist, or the knees, are bound to act up. Or some other, not-yet-existing injury, could come to light. Even if Morneau is reasonably healthy, there eventually will be some sort of headline after a game or workout, reading, "Morneau to take Thursday off, citing wrist pain." What will we think then? Probably the worst -- and with good reason. There have been very few issues for Morneau in the last couple years that have not become serious, to the point of eventually requiring surgery or time on the disabled list. But for right now, this fan is content living in the delusional honeymoon period. It's March, it's sunny in Florida, and Opening Day is now less than a month away.

[Originally published at Twins Fan From Afar] All the reports have been great. He woke up early for the first day of training camp, lost a little weight, has participated in all drills, and stands ready, today, to play in back-to-back games. From the little that I have watched, he appears healthy (if a little thin) and alert, and his swing looks as good as it did at any point last year (maybe that's not saying a lot, but you have to take the positives where they come). In short, if you didn't know any better, Justin Morneau looks like any other baseball player getting ready for the 2012 season. But we do know better, and so does Justin. At the beginning of many romantic relationships, there is the so-called "honeymoon period." You know -- that time when everything feels just great, you think that you've found the perfect partner, and believe that nothing will ever change. **Cue the Tony Bennett music and the sounds of birds chirping** Well, for most couples, even those that persevere, the honeymoon periods ends at some point. Some of those things that were once cute and funny about your partner eventually became annoying; you realize that they aren't, in fact, perfect; and sometimes they simply drive you nuts. I'm worried that some Twins fans, myself included, are in the midst of a honeymoon period -- another honeymoon period -- with Justin Morneau. The pure Twins fan in me, the human side of me, wants more than anything to see him just have a healthy season, whether he bats .245 or .345. That same side of me craves Star Tribune, Pioneer Press, ESPN and AP articles that support that belief. I even look for pictures, like the picture below, to provide documentation for the proposition that Morneau is, in fact, healthy and in Florida.  [TABLE=class: tr-caption-container, align: center] http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-zVg00Ru5hNo/T1gZINF2zLI/AAAAAAAAAMI/nOR0RJ0NhlY/s320/Morneau.jpg [TD=class: tr-caption]Pioneer Press photographer Chris Polydoroff captures Justin Morneau and, is that Joe Mauer catching a bullpen session? [/TD] [/TABLE] Even watching the Twins-Red Sox game a couple nights ago, I was looking for the positive in everything that Morneau did. In his first at-bat that ended with a routine ground out to second base, I focused instead on the hard foul he hit down the right field line ("he made solid contact there," I told my wife). Even on defense, when he threw a ball into a runner going to second base, I thought, "well, at least it was a good pick-up to make the play at first base." Clearly, I'm still in the honeymoon period. Who knows what I'm going to think if/when he actually does start to hit home runs and doubles, and if he reemerges as the great defensive first baseman that he had worked so hard to become. The realist in me -- the part of me that is an analyst, and, well, an adult -- is worried about what happens when that honeymoon period ends. I know it's inevitable at some point. The head, the wrist, or the knees, are bound to act up. Or some other, not-yet-existing injury, could come to light. Even if Morneau is reasonably healthy, there eventually will be some sort of headline after a game or workout, reading, "Morneau to take Thursday off, citing wrist pain." What will we think then? Probably the worst -- and with good reason. There have been very few issues for Morneau in the last couple years that have not become serious, to the point of eventually requiring surgery or time on the disabled list. But for right now, this fan is content living in the delusional honeymoon period. It's March, it's sunny in Florida, and Opening Day is now less than a month away.

You can view the page at http://twinsdaily.com/content.php?291-Mauer-s-Off-the-Field-Value-to-the-Twins

Jack, Admittedly, I don't know about the roster decision, but I do know that, because Zumaya was a member of the Twins when he injured his arm, the Twins are on the hook for the surgery. I don't think it was so much that the Twins "agreed" to pay for the surgery, as it was that they were obligated to do so.

Good post, Bill. A few weeks ago, I posted on my blog giving them about a 10% chance of winning the division. Your analysis was much better, but basically I agree that it's going to take that rare combination of Mauer, Morneau and Liriano all being healthy and playing well in order for that possibility to materialize.

Yea, looking back, I would have pulled the trigger on that straight up. Lester has been pretty great, and also seems like a nice guy (fantastic story with him coming back from cancer in 2006-2007).

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-spxEoWvSljE/T1dnwKsK0qI/AAAAAAAAAMA/Si870g9dhMM/s320/Jersey.bmp[Originally posted at Twins Fan From Afar] I've written before, as have others, that Joe Mauer isn't only valuable to the Twins for his contributions as the star catcher and third batter in the lineup. Make no mistake, that's how he earns his paycheck, but it's also evident that, over the last few years, he has become his own brand. Even where I live, far removed from Twins Territory, I have noticed more Twins hats, and even the occasional Mauer jersey or t-shirt, than I did even five years ago. Sure, part of it is undoubtedly due to the presence of the New Britain Rock Cats, but part of it is simply because Joe Mauer is regarded as one of the best players in baseball and has helped popularize the Twins' brand (the team's success for most of the first decade of this century probably didn't hurt, either). For the 2010 season, Joe Mauer jerseys ranked as the second highest selling jersey in all of baseball, trailing only Derek Jeter. Damn Yankees. Roy Halladay, Chase Utley and Cliff Lee rounded out the top five. Without putting too much thought into it, I had assumed the Twins derived some specific financial benefit from the sale of so many Mauer jerseys. In turn, I had always credited Mauer's popularity with respect to apparel sales and revenue as part of his off-the-field value. I decided to look into this just a little bit more, and was a bit surprised at what I found. MLB's revenue sharing arrangement, part of which is comprised of a central revenue fund, gets its money from national TV and radio deals, the MLB network, and merchandise sales. Thereafter, the money in the central fund is distributed equally to the 30 teams. In 2009, for instance, each team received approximately $30 million from this arrangement (now, there also is another revenue pool that deals with local TV contracts, concessions and ticket sales -- and it is a large source of disagreement between small market and big market teams -- but that is another post for another day). In other words, the fact that more Joe Mauer jerseys are sold than almost any other jersey does not specifically benefit the Twins more than it benefits any other baseball team. Interestingly, the fact that Mauer jerseys are so popular might not even provide extra cash in Mauer's own pocket. The Major League Baseball Player's Association states, regarding player licensing revenue, that "[p]layers receive a pro rata share of licensing revenue regardless or stature," and that the amount of the share is dependent on that player's actual days of MLB service in a given season. But don't worry, fans, Joe has Gatorade, Nike and Head & Shoulders royalty checks coming in, so I'm sure he's able to afford gas to fill his Chevy, and the weekly Cub Foods trip. So, it might have been premature on my part to think that Joe Mauer jersey sales bring in a considerable amount of revenue for the Twins. That being said, a healthy Mauer does put people in seats, and those people purchase food and booze at Target Field, even if the team is not playing great. That is money in the Twins' pocketbook. Finally, I also don't think it's completely incorrect to give Mauer at least a tiny portion of the credit for helping the Twins land Target Field: yes, the deal was years in the making, and yes, taxpayers prettymuch footed the bill, but it's a lot easier to sell a fan base on a new stadium when the team is winning -- as the Twins did several times in the years leading up to 2010 -- than when it is losing and being threatened with contraction. And there was no player more instrumental to many of those winning seasons than Mauer. The concept of "value" is tricky. Clearly, for franchise players like Mauer or Jeter, it extends beyond the foul lines.

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-spxEoWvSljE/T1dnwKsK0qI/AAAAAAAAAMA/Si870g9dhMM/s320/Jersey.bmp[Originally posted at Twins Fan From Afar] I've written before, as have others, that Joe Mauer isn't only valuable to the Twins for his contributions as the star catcher and third batter in the lineup. Make no mistake, that's how he earns his paycheck, but it's also evident that, over the last few years, he has become his own brand. Even where I live, far removed from Twins Territory, I have noticed more Twins hats, and even the occasional Mauer jersey or t-shirt, than I did even five years ago. Sure, part of it is undoubtedly due to the presence of the New Britain Rock Cats, but part of it is simply because Joe Mauer is regarded as one of the best players in baseball and has helped popularize the Twins' brand (the team's success for most of the first decade of this century probably didn't hurt, either). For the 2010 season, Joe Mauer jerseys ranked as the second highest selling jersey in all of baseball, trailing only Derek Jeter. Damn Yankees. Roy Halladay, Chase Utley and Cliff Lee rounded out the top five. Without putting too much thought into it, I had assumed the Twins derived some specific financial benefit from the sale of so many Mauer jerseys. In turn, I had always credited Mauer's popularity with respect to apparel sales and revenue as part of his off-the-field value. I decided to look into this just a little bit more, and was a bit surprised at what I found. MLB's revenue sharing arrangement, part of which is comprised of a central revenue fund, gets its money from national TV and radio deals, the MLB network, and merchandise sales. Thereafter, the money in the central fund is distributed equally to the 30 teams. In 2009, for instance, each team received approximately $30 million from this arrangement (now, there also is another revenue pool that deals with local TV contracts, concessions and ticket sales -- and it is a large source of disagreement between small market and big market teams -- but that is another post for another day). In other words, the fact that more Joe Mauer jerseys are sold than almost any other jersey does not specifically benefit the Twins more than it benefits any other baseball team. Interestingly, the fact that Mauer jerseys are so popular might not even provide extra cash in Mauer's own pocket. The Major League Baseball Player's Association states, regarding player licensing revenue, that "[p]layers receive a pro rata share of licensing revenue regardless or stature," and that the amount of the share is dependent on that player's actual days of MLB service in a given season. But don't worry, fans, Joe has Gatorade, Nike and Head & Shoulders royalty checks coming in, so I'm sure he's able to afford gas to fill his Chevy, and the weekly Cub Foods trip. So, it might have been premature on my part to think that Joe Mauer jersey sales bring in a considerable amount of revenue for the Twins. That being said, a healthy Mauer does put people in seats, and those people purchase food and booze at Target Field, even if the team is not playing great. That is money in the Twins' pocketbook. Finally, I also don't think it's completely incorrect to give Mauer at least a tiny portion of the credit for helping the Twins land Target Field: yes, the deal was years in the making, and yes, taxpayers prettymuch footed the bill, but it's a lot easier to sell a fan base on a new stadium when the team is winning -- as the Twins did several times in the years leading up to 2010 -- than when it is losing and being threatened with contraction. And there was no player more instrumental to many of those winning seasons than Mauer. The concept of "value" is tricky. Clearly, for franchise players like Mauer or Jeter, it extends beyond the foul lines.

Good post, Nick. I'd like to give Herrmann one more year of seasoning (Bill Smith mentioned at the Rock Cats Hot Stove thing I went to that Herrmann would likely be starting at AA again), but then hopefully he can step into that back-up role next season. Also, thanks for the link on the Star Trib today!

Thanks for the coverage! Who was the player of the game, in your opinion?

Jack, thanks for the comment. I definitely agree with you about the Red Sox' offer for Santana. I don't know that it was ever confirmed that they actually offered all those players (though it was written about extensively on ESPN), but even if the offer was only for 2-3 of those guys, it was much, much better than what they got in return.