Bark's Lounge

Boras is good at his job... maybe the best. If I were a high level post draft baseball player I certainly would want him as my agent. As far as his clients go in the draft, unless they are a Strasburg or a Harper type, I would always pass them over. Mark Appell will never be drafted as high again. Responding to the 25M+ teams will receive, he might be right in players receiving more money, but I only see that happening with the Top Shelf Market Teams. The Twins and many others organizations will exclude themselves from that ring of fire. The 1950's had the communist/socialist trials. Maybe the 2010's need the Neo-Capitalist Trials - owners, players and agents are free game.

If the Theory that "Free Agents will not sign with the Twins because of the Twin Cities weather" is correct, I may have a solution - an Artificial Biosphere (aka Bio-Dome). It might be somewhat ironic as most Twins fans fought to escape a domed environment in the 1990's and early 2000's, but obviously, a Bio-Dome built over the Twin Cities will be quite different than a domed stadium. It might cost Minnesota Citizens a pretty penny - but what the hell, in the name of scientific/technological progress - I'm on board, but only if Pauly Shore and Stephen Baldwin are permanently banned from the Twin Cities.

In 2017, Woody Harrelson and a group of investors purchase the Twins from the Pohlads. At the time of purchase the reigning manager is Jim Riggleman. He is quickly fired and replaced by Kevin Costner as field manager - Ted Danson, Wesley Snipes, Tim Robbins, John Goodman, John Cusack, and Tom Selleck fill out the coaching staff respectively. Bark's Lounge is one of the investors and I take care of all of them... because when they met... it was Moider!

Looking forward to it.

Of course, on this website, this will be the time of year when all channels will be filled with Twin's Off Season predictions, philosophy, and hopes. Let this thread be the break room away from this talk and let's have some fun with it. The topic is future Twins predictions 2013-2019. What do you foresee happening in the future 7 seasons of the Minnesota Twins. This MoFo is wide open - so have some fun with it! My prediction is this: In 2016 Aaron Hicks will become the first 30HR/30SB player in the history of the MN Twins.

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I hope all of us remember this thread in 20 something years when Casilla is being inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame. Shame on the Minnesota Twins!

A lot of folks have high hopes and expectations for what the Twins should do this off season upgrading their roster. Spend money, trade good position players to acquire pitching wealth, and blah, blah, blah. My prediction is there will be no big splashes and they will indeed trade Denard Span, getting okay, but not very good pitching prospects in return. When this happens fans will get pissed off, but this is what most have been clamoring for and every organization knows we have Outfield depth, thus creating a leverage scenario that works against the Twins. Those who think a “Span Trade” can net young pitchers like Alex Cobb, Matt Moore, Kris Medlen and others have stuck their heads deep into the gopher hole. Obviously the Twins will not sign Greinke, Anibal Sanchez or Shaun Marcum. Marcum could be had, but I bet when all is said and done he ends up with a 3-4 year contract, earning 10M per annum and I do not think the Twins will go there. I cannot say I blame them as Twin’s fandom desperation seemingly over values the abilities of Marcum. Good pitching is not cheap, but when you are confidently looking down the barrel of a another mediocre season, why spend that kind of money on a guy who will have a +4.00 ERA and win you 10 games or so? I forgot to mention Edwin Jackson… the state of the Twins situation most definitely dictates he is not the right fit, I’d rather have Marcum. As we all know some team will over pay for these guys, and if they don’t, a contender will for one year at a pretty big salary. Our best bet is Erik Bedard… after that, it is Jason Marquis Types. My perspective is that the Twins will be lack luster next year, Kyle Gibson will be called up by June and pitch fairly well, Aaron Hicks and Oswaldo Arcia will be called up to replace Morneau and Willingham who have been traded in July. The net returns from these trades will be okay, but not overly good. Hicks will struggle a bit, but Arcia will hit adequately. 2013 aside, they both have successful MLB careers ahead of them. I am not down on the Twins, I am realistic, and it is going to take some time to develop the pitching we need to compete. These days, no one has the pieces to trade to acquire above average pitching, in turn you have to build from within – which takes a few or more years… hopefully.

A lot of folks have high hopes and expectations for what the Twins should do this off season upgrading their roster. Spend money, trade good position players to acquire pitching wealth, and blah, blah, blah. My prediction is there will be no big splashes and they will indeed trade Denard Span, getting okay, but not very good pitching prospects in return. When this happens fans will get pissed off, but this is what most have been clamoring for and every organization knows we have Outfield depth, thus creating a leverage scenario that works against the Twins. Those who think a “Span Trade” can net young pitchers like Alex Cobb, Matt Moore, Kris Medlen and others have stuck their heads deep into the gopher hole. Obviously the Twins will not sign Greinke, Anibal Sanchez or Shaun Marcum. Marcum could be had, but I bet when all is said and done he ends up with a 3-4 year contract, earning 10M per annum and I do not think the Twins will go there. I cannot say I blame them as Twin’s fandom desperation seemingly over values the abilities of Marcum. Good pitching is not cheap, but when you are confidently looking down the barrel of a another mediocre season, why spend that kind of money on a guy who will have a +4.00 ERA and win you 10 games or so? I forgot to mention Edwin Jackson… the state of the Twins situation most definitely dictates he is not the right fit, I’d rather have Marcum. As we all know some team will over pay for these guys, and if they don’t, a contender will for one year at a pretty big salary. Our best bet is Erik Bedard… after that, it is Jason Marquis Types. My perspective is that the Twins will be lack luster next year, Kyle Gibson will be called up by June and pitch fairly well, Aaron Hicks and Oswaldo Arcia will be called up to replace Morneau and Willingham who have been traded in July. The net returns from these trades will be okay, but not overly good. Hicks will struggle a bit, but Arcia will hit adequately. 2013 aside, they both have successful MLB careers ahead of them. I am not down on the Twins, I am realistic, and it is going to take some time to develop the pitching we need to compete. These days, no one has the pieces to trade to acquire above average pitching, in turn you have to build from within – which takes a few or more years… hopefully.

Konnichiwa and Ohaiyou Gozaimasu! Now that I live in Japan - I have been watching a television program where humans french kiss/make out with animals (domestic pets... some exotic) called "kiss ****e". Just to be cleared it is pronounced more like "c-te". I am not sure what day it is on, as I am not sure what day it is. If you can find it - I can assure you it is an awesome family viewing experience.

If the theoretical "Best Team" won the Big Kahuna every year - I think most would lose interest and tune out by June 1st (even the "Best Team's" fans). I like the fact that a powerhouse team can smash through the summer months, play okay in September, and get beat by a lesser talented team that has found their mojo in the dusk of the baseball season. This is what baseball has always been for the most part. San Fran has a very, very good team, and if you told me 2 months ago they would be in the WS, I would not have been surprised. Where they lack in hitting, they make up in the pitching department and it's not as if they don't have any impact offensive players. I just hope they beat the living excrement out of the Tigers! Viva San Francisco!!!!

Bartender! I'll have what he is having, but make it a double... what the heck, make it a triple... strike that, make it a quadruple!

Two consenting adults, probable valuable souvenirs, and high end car service. Is there a meaningful lesson in this for me? If you want to find a life partner of your realistic happy ending - do not choose a celebrity - of course their egos are out of control, of course high maintenance is involved. It seems like an F'd scenario to begin with it. Maybe the lesson is to take a lower course. Procure the lesser man/woman of your dreams and set out on an average, but happy and meaningful life together. I do not see how your friend was a victim. Your friend has the memories and last but not least autographed baseballs! Unless you disclose the full story - a judgement cannot be made.

Zodiac - Interesting suggestions. The Film Noir angle is one I have a hard time envisioning - but if it was done with precision and care, I could see it working - I don't think A-Rod is cool enough to have that kind of motion picture portrayal of himself (everyone looks cool in Film Noir movies). Your take on "Shutter Island" is correct. Some of the best cinematography I have seen in my lifetime. The Oliver Stone angle seems like the easy way out, but if it has an NC-17 Rating - I'm on board. I would prefer the movie to be similar in feel to the made for television "Spider Man" movies of the 1970's or like the Trey Parker and Matt Stone movie "Team America (World Police)" - using marionettes instead of actors.

Perfect! That would be an outstanding opening to this future Academy Award Winning Movie.

I am starting to believe that Alex Rodriguez’s career and story is taking a turn into the majestic waters of “Hollywood”. Now is the right time in America’s history to call on Tinsel Town to construct “A-Rod” The Movie. Some may be skeptical of the quality of the said movie, but I believe it has all of the elements to keep the viewers strapped to their seats. Whether it be his PED situation, being benched in the ALCS, trying to pick up some lovely ladies in the stands as he rides the bench during a playoff game, his aloof egomania, his dealings with prostitutes/strippers, celebrity actresses, hanger on relatives who help him procure “Athlete Drugs”, his bromance with the Captain (Jeter), and the disintegration of the aforementioned bromance. This list could go on and on and on and on and frankly I don’t want to make it too easy for the casual Hollywood executive or movie producer reading this thread – take the idea, but do your own damn research! PS: Dear Mr. Hollywood Executive or movie producer – please make this an NC-17 Rated Movie. To do this motion picture properly is going to call for a good dose of nudity and explicit adult situations. Please do not use “Showgirls” as your model for this kind of film – you can do better than that!

Question: Mr. Ryan, let's go back to 1987. That was a great year for all of us because the motion picture "Three Men and a Baby" hit the theaters. If you were a woman, which of the 3 stars appearing in that film would you like to have a romantic tryst with - Ted Danson, Tom Selleck, or Steve Guttenberg? I know it's a difficult question because all three of them are super appealing in different ways. What else happened in 1987? I feel like I am missing something.

I super appreciated Mack in his time with the Twins and so did my baseball comrades at the time. When Mack played for the Twins, I was the age of 14-19. Mack played for the Twins from 1990-1994, and strike his 1993 season, he was a hitting machine. It would have been interesting to see the kind of numbers he would have put up in 1994 if there were not a strike - but you could say that for a lot of players that year. Mack, along with Puckett were our best players during that time. Except for Santana, he has to be the best Rule 5 pick-up the Twins have ever made. I wish the Twins had Shane Mack in his prime now - maybe we could trade him for some above average pitching.

Hey Seth. Out of Arcia and Hicks - who do you think has the better chance to be an impact Major League Baseball Player? Hicks seemingly has the tool box to be good at every aspect of the game, but Arcia's batting performance to this juncture has left a very strong impression. Being that you do much more research than the average fan and that you take the time to travel and watch some Twins minor league teams play in person - I am curious to know your opinion on the question I submitted.

First and foremost - I think Jeter is great and is the face of MLB in my private little world. I take issue with the statement that insinuated that none of us could date and romance the high profile women that Jeter has. In fact, I have dated all of them, and romanced some of them (after Jeter of course). Call me a "left over specialist", but a "dumpster diver" would be the more correct term - some of the aforementioned ladies were high maintenance. I am getting a headache just thinking about it. One of Jeter's unmentioned past girlfriends - Veronica - I ended up dating and getting married to. We're still together and life is a joy. We even have a portrait hanging of Derek in our sleeping quarters - at her request I must admit. I am not too sure of the significance of the portrait - but I like it... it is a nice portrayal of Derek Jeter... it looks sharp.

First and foremost Glunn, you should give yourself a pat on the back. You are not an owner of this site and have been grinding it out since February. You have been a voice of positivity, objectivity, and display great patience with posters who have been lacking of tact (of which I am guilty). This site is nothing without having followers - and you are the Best of the Best of Twins Daily Participants!

Now that the Brave's are in the playoffs - I really am pulling for them to win it all. I know, for me, it would be nice to see 1st Ballot HOFer Larry "Chipper' Jones go out on the highest note possible. This season seems like it is up for grabs and there is no clear cut favorite. Of the teams that you feel are destined for the playoffs... what's your gut feeling - your choice?

Best article ever on Mauer. Not every athlete needs to be a primadona. We St. Paulites stick together and produce better MLB ballplayers than Minneapolis. Snap! What do you have to say about that? I need to run and get back to my dorm... don't want to break curfew.

Although this is a political thread being used as an outlet of passion for the participants' belief system. I am not seeing many stories that link the said ideas to personal experience. I am a 37 year old man who was a citizen of the inner city internment camp, which some of you might know as being the ghetto. To start this out, I came from parents who were cocaine users and dealers. My father was a man who would beat the **** out of one of his kids like he/she was an adult. My mother was much more compassionate, but was an addict herself, which rendered her useless to being a good parent. My parents divorced and went their separate ways. My dad becoming a crack head, my mother becoming a anti-child management alcoholic. After the divorce, my grandparents interceded and I went to live with them as a teenager. My much younger sister and brother stayed with my mother. That in turn ended up being a slow disaster of which no one fully realized until I was in my early twenties. As it turns out I find out my little sister has been molested by my mother's long term companion, he was arrested, convicted, given probation and went back to my mother's house to live. I was incensed and searched this man out and beat the living **** out of him. I held back a bit, not wanting to be a perpetrator of murder. As it turned out, my assault on this molester did no good and I moved out of a place I was sharing with some room mates to be the overseer of my younger siblings. Unfortunately my sister was embittered and too advanced of an age where my efforts were rendered useless, but my brother was very open to influence and with him I had a chance to make a difference. My sister ended up having a child at the age of 16 and a few years later my brother died in a tragic accident when he was 16. Today my sister is a fighting spirit and works towards success with her 3 children - working her ass off none the less. My memories are this: Bad Parents, a dad who beat the **** out of me, a mother who in my early youth was compassionate and loving, but turned into a drunken land mark of which low life humans tied their ship to. I have hope hope for my sister - she is an angry young lady that will get the job done. Losing my brother changed my life... ruined my life... after 9 years I am still trying to find my peace with it. For me: I was beat down by the school kids because I was poor and didn't fit in. I was beaten by my dad who was a violent drug addict sociopath. All of these situations have made me stronger and more forthright in my beliefs. What I am seeing on this site is a bunch or number crunchers who have never really experienced adversity and want to make it an economical debate or even a religious moral debate, or maybe you are being your true selves in not giving a bleep about your fellow humans because the almighty dollar runs your existence. Of course I am a leftist, could anyone expect any different? I am a Humanist foremost and the fact I do not see any humanism floating around these parts makes me a bit depressed.