Dave Overlund

Gio not stepping out while Brieske stood on the mound for seven minutes is low key one of my favorite moments of the year

Man this organization can be frustrating. Why not make Bundy the piggyback and keep Winder's development on track as a starting pitcher? Why not make Lewis the 3B instead of giving at bats to Urshela? Baffling. This also can't be great for relations between the team and his agent.... Scott Boras.

I think 3B makes the most sense. Sending him down now to protect rental Urshela's playing time just wouldn't add up to me.

Provus and Gladden were hilarious about this. Gladden was talking about how it should be Buxton who hits it then, like magic, he does! Gladden does the home run call and talks about the 1,000th home run. When the correction came down, Gladden was (pretending to be) salty that his call wouldn't go down in history and went so far as to suggest they clip his home run call and add it to the end of whoever actually hit the home run. Pretty good radio. 14 (2).mp3

Whatever ends up happening this season, there are some real 2001 vibes going on. A young nucleus learning on the fly, pitchers on their way up, very few payroll obligations moving forward. The watchability of this team is off the charts IMO. It's so refreshing to see Miranda, Lewis, Larnach, Jeffers, etc out there rather than Simmons, Cave, Refsnyder, etc. Same for Duran/Colome and Ryan/Shoemaker or Winder/Happ. I am fine with hitting bumps on the road when it is for the greater good.

Agreed. I should have thrown that in the story!

Since 1983, the year after I was born, Dick Bremer has been the voice of the Minnesota Twins on television. After nearly 40 years behind the microphone, I get the sense that some fans are ready to move on from Bremer, at least according to some of the chatter in the Game Threads here. I am here to tell you that those fans are spoiled and don't know how good they have it with Bremer. Image courtesy of Seth Stohs, Twins Daily - Cover of Bremer's book, Game Used. Since 1983, the year after I was born, Dick Bremer has been the voice of the Minnesota Twins on television. After nearly 40 years behind the microphone, I get the sense that some fans are ready to move on from Bremer, at least according to some of the chatter in the Game Threads here. I am here to tell you that those fans are spoiled and don't know how good they have it with Bremer. Dick Bremer was born and raised in Minnesota and has been a Twins fan all of his life. There really aren't too many instances where a hometown kid becomes the announcer of his favorite team. Born in St. Paul and raised in Dumont, Minnesota, Bremer is the fourth-longest tenured radio or television broadcaster in Major League Baseball. He trails only the Royals' Denny Matthews (1969), the Brewers' Bob Uecker (1971), and Texas' Eric Nadel (1979) and is tied with Seattle's Rick Rizzs (1983) and Boston's Joe Castiglione (1983). On that list, only Bremer and Uecker are currently broadcasting games for their hometown teams. With such a long tenure comes an intimate knowledge of the team's history. Cory Provus, who I really enjoy quite a bit on the radio broadcasts, can look up stats and stories from the 1984 season when Kirby Puckett made his debut or watch videos of the 1991 parade, but he wasn't there and didn't live it the same way Bremer did. Not only does Bremer possess a nearly unprecedented wealth of Twins knowledge, but his personality is also a great fit for baseball fans in the Upper Midwest with a dry sense of humor and a large dose of humility. He seems to understand that viewers tune in to watch the games, not for him. That can be rare in today's world. When I was a kid I had two memorable interactions with Bremer. One at Spring Training where I was basically starstruck passing him in the concourse in Ft. Myers. I managed to sputter out "How will the Twins do this year?" and he gave me a thoughtful, long answer and asked me what I thought. As a kid, I felt so cool having a real conversation with a famous adult. Years later in the 2000's, I was settling into my customary Upper General Admission seat in Section 212 for an afternoon game. I looked down the row a bit, and there was Dick Bremer reading a newspaper in the nosebleeds waiting for the game to start. I remember thinking that it was really neat that he would watch a game from up there on a day the game wasn't televised. In fact, I was in that very seat for one of my favorite Bremer calls: In other words, he strikes me as a real fan of the team. This can be bad (In my opinion Paul Allen takes this a bit too far, nothing against him he's great at what he does) but Bremer seems to know how to toe that line perfectly. I still get goosebumps when I watch this highlight from 2009, coincidentally featuring Kubel as well: That is not a forced home run call. That's not a planned out, "A-Bomb From A-Rod" corny home run call. That is a man who is genuinely excited about what he just saw. I think it is natural to get 'sick of' a broadcaster after this long of a time. If you hear anyone every day for over 30 years, they are probably going to wear on you a bit whether it is a spouse, boss, or sports broadcaster. For the folks who wish for a change in the broadcast booth, be careful what you wish for. There can never be another Dick Bremer. The man has seen it all. View full article

"Any kind of legitimate external boost would be welcome." This. It's by no means just the Twins, but I will never understand why teams aren't more aggressive with roster moves early in the season before it's too late. It's clear what this team's weaknesses are, why not try to address them before just punting in July. Upton is one name being mentioned, Conforto is still out there... plus the Twins have a strong farm system they could use to bolster the bullpen via trades. Instead, most teams just let it all play out until their July fire sale.

Did he just Little Big League us?!

Twins MVP - Alex Kirilloff Twins Top Pitcher - Joe Ryan Twins Most Improved - Miguel Sano Twins Top Rookie - Jhoan Duran Gold Glove Winners - Correa, Buxton Silver Slugger Winners - None Twins Record - 75-87 Place in Division - Third AL Central First- White Sox ? AL Central Second - Royals AL Central Third - Twins AL Central Fourth - Tigers AL Central Fifth - Cleveland Minor League Hitter - Aaron Sabato Minor League SP - Matt Canterino Minor League RP - Matt Belisle I am 100% all-in on post-hype Kirilloff!!!

I agree with you, but to play devil's advocate, why sign Correa if the goal isn't to win the WS this year? That's why I am so confused about this offseason. 95% of their moves signal an intent to compete in the future, then they sign Correa. It's so odd.

Before the internet, folks would prepare for the upcoming season by reading one of the many preview magazines that cost an arm and a leg at the grocery store. My dad would always say that you could tell how good a team would be by how many times the preview of it said "if." Image courtesy of Landon Bost/Naples Daily News/USA TODAY Network-Florida / USA TODAY NETWORK Before the internet, folks would prepare for the upcoming season by reading one of the many preview magazines that cost an arm and a leg at the grocery store. My dad would always say that you could tell how good a team would be by how many times the preview of it said "if." I share my motto for the upcoming Twins season with '90's science fiction TV show "The X-Files." I want to believe. However, looking at this pitching staff, I am having a hard time suspending my disbelief to buy in with this team. Who the heck is going to pitch? Who will play in the outfield when Buxton and/or Kepler are inevitably injured at some point this season? Who is the closer? Before the internet, folks would prepare for the upcoming season by reading one of the many preview magazines that cost an arm and a leg at the grocery store. My dad would always say that you could tell how good a team would be by how many times the preview of it said "if." There are way too many "ifs" this year for me to take the Twins seriously. I don't think they will be awful, but I don't think they are in any way a World Series team this season. Of course I am also on record as saying I thought the Wild would stink this season. So it goes. "If" Byron Buxton stays healthy... "If" Bailey Ober can be successful... "If" Dylan Bundy is one of the few reclamation projects this FO has tried that works... "If" Joe Ryan, Josh Winder, etc can be stretched out for a full season... "If" Chris Archer can provide competent innings, let alone return to his all star form... "If" Alex Kirilloff develops into an impactful, everyday player... "If" Gary Sanchez cuts down on his strikeouts... "If" Jorge Polanco can repeat his monster 2021 season... "If" Ryan Jeffers can be a solid full time catcher... There are too many "ifs" this year. I think there will be high points this season and I hope that the team is competitive well into October. But they will need a lot of things to go their way. I have been a Twins fan since I was born, and I always WANT the team to do well. I just don't know how to convince myself that they will be good this season. View full article

I respect your opinion and don't totally disagree, but the problem in my opinion is Sanchez can't catch and he is a redundant offensive player in this lineup (strikeouts and the occasional home run). The Yankees don't really have anything special behind him to take his spot and they are a team trying to win now, so them letting him go is a red flag in my opinion. At this point, to me, it looks like the Twins took on the Yankees garage sale items in exchange for saving a few bucks. Hopefully this is proven wrong by whatever moves the Twins make moving forward.

I don't have a problem moving Donaldson, but blowing up the catcher position to do so is baffling. Again, it just comes down to money in my opinion. It always does. There are plenty of teams who would eat part of that salary to get something worthwhile back in return.

Somewhere along the line the outfield of Jones-Hunter-Lawton became known as the Soul Patrol. How did they get that nickname? (Pitchman voice) The answer... may surprise you. Somewhere along the line the outfield of Jones-Hunter-Lawton became known as the Soul Patrol. How did they get that nickname? (Pitchman voice) The answer... may surprise you. Any time the Twins have a stretch of futility, a few names are bound to be forgotten. Due in part to the utter hopelessness of the late 90's Twins and in part to the quality players that came after him, Matt Lawton sadly is one of those players. Drafted by the Twins in the 13th round of the 1991 MLB Draft, Lawton made his debut with the big club in 1995 and stuck as a regular in 1997. The Mississippi native made two career All-Star teams, including one with the Twins in 2000. Lawton was a very good to great offensive player, boasting a .379 on-base percentage over seven seasons with the Twins. For his career, Lawton walked 681 times and struck out just 613. He had a strong arm in right field and used it to throw out 12 runners in 1998. The 1999 season saw the arrival of Kirby Puckett's heir apparent in center field, Torii Hunter. Hunter had his ups and downs over his first couple of seasons before establishing himself as an All Star in his own right in 2001. The second half of that '99 season also saw the emergence of Jacque Jones, who would end up playing 976 career games with the Twins. The trio roamed the Metrodome outfield for the equivalent of two seasons beginning in the second half of 1999 through the team's trade of Lawton at the deadline in 2001. They made up Major League Baseball's only all black outfield. Somewhere along the line the outfield of Jones-Hunter-Lawton became known as the Soul Patrol. How did they get that nickname? (Pitchman voice) The answer... may surprise you. According to the Star Tribune, it was none other than the Dazzle Man himself, Dan Gladden, who coined the nickname. Well, he foisted the job on La Velle E. Neal III: After Lawton was traded to the Mets for Rick Reed the left field spot was manned by a platoon of Brian Buchanan, Dustan Mohr and Bobby Kielty. It was Kielty who was dealt to Toronto at the 2003 trade deadline for left fielder Shannon Stewart, moving Jones to right field and restoring the Soul Patrol outfield for another season (until Jones left after the 2005 season). There were many highlights for the Soul Patrol in each iteration. Who could forget Jacque Jones opening the 2002 season at Kansas City with a two home run game, setting the tone for one of the most fun seasons in team history? Torii Hunter running over White Sox catcher Jamie Burke in the heat of the 2004 Pennant Race... Shannon Stewart's catch at the wall in the 2003 playoffs... Lawton's 'Jumpman' pose when catching a fly ball in right at Yankee stadium. The Soul Patrol made Twins baseball cool again with highlight-reel defense and some pop on offense. MORE FROM TWINS DAILY — Order the Offseason Handbook — Latest Twins coverage from our writers — Recent Twins discussion in our forums — Follow Twins Daily via Twitter, Facebook or email View full article

Sorry you feel that way! Seems a little personal for an article about baseball though.

Later this afternoon, the Baseball Hall of Fame will be announcing the results of this year's BBWAA vote. Performance-Enhancing Drugs remain a huge topic for those who vote, or for those who care about the Hall. Image courtesy of Gregory J. Fisher-USA TODAY Sports Later this afternoon, the Baseball Hall of Fame will be announcing the results of this year's BBWAA vote. Performance-Enhancing Drugs remain a huge topic for those who vote, or for those who care about the Hall. The Hall of Fame steroid witch hunt needs to come to its end. The guessing game of who did (or didn't) do performance-enhancing drugs is so arbitrary and without base that it is turning the Hall of Fame itself into kind of a joke. It's wild to me that some players are above suspicion (Jim Thome, Ken Griffey, Jr) even though they played in an era in which there was a large group of players who did PEDs, while others (Mike Piazza had backne!) are vilified based on anecdotal evidence or opinion. There's really no way of knowing at this point who did- or didn't- do PEDs and/or how long they did them. This week there is a debate raging amongst baseball fans about David Ortiz's candidacy for the Hall of Fame, and here's where it gets tricky: Ortiz WAS named on the supposedly confidential Mitchell Report as a player who allegedly used PEDs. However, Ortiz never failed a Major League Baseball drug test and was never suspended for violating the league's policy. To me, that's the line of distinction: Did you ever fail a test given by MLB that resulted in a punishment such as suspension. Beyond that, it's all guessing and a popularity contest among the writers. The architect of the steroid era, Bud Selig, is in the Hall of Fame. Let that sink in for a moment. The man who presided over one of the dirtiest eras in baseball history, the guy who seemingly looked the other way while guys were juicing themselves up for YEARS, is in the Hall of Fame. And I am supposed to believe that guys who are just suspected of wrongdoing should be kept out of its sacred halls? Please. The shark has officially been jumped here. Barry Bonds never failed an MLB PED test? He's in. How about Mark McGwire? He's in. Roger Clemens? He's in. They are all in... unless they failed a test that definitively proved they used performance-enhancing drugs AFTER the rules were put in place. Looking at you, A-Rod and Manny Ramirez. Changing the criteria to punish people who maybe used PEDs before the rule was in place is stupid. That's like banning any player who threw a spitball before it was outlawed by baseball. They were just playing by the rules. Personally, I am a bit conflicted when it comes to the steroid era. As a kid, I loved keeping track of the home run record holders and all of the charts and lists that make baseball great. The steroid era effectively ruined the record books since a lot of the power-hitting records are unattainable without proper help. At the same time if it weren't for the steroid era I might not even be a big baseball fan at this point. The 1994 strike happened when I was 12. and I was pretty much done with baseball at that point. Out of sight, out of mind. Top that off with Kirby Puckett's retirement in 1995 and the generally crappy Twins teams of that era... I was content not caring. The summer of 1998 was so magical, though. Following Sosa and McGwire's home run chase was addicting and every day brought some new drama. The Cubs and Cardinals each made visits to the Metrodome that summer and I got to see both players in their record-setting season. There were more people at the stadium for McGwire's batting practice than there were for 99% of the actual games there that season. Since 1998, I have been a devoted, die-hard baseball fan, and I am not going to pretend steroids had nothing to do with it. Baseball shouldn't either. No matter how history remembers it, I will always look back at 1998 fondly. I think it's time we all do. View full article

Twins' owner Jim Pohlad has been visited by Kirby Puckett and Joe Mauer in an odd and terrifying Christmas dream. In today's thrilling final installment, what will happen?? Will Pohlad be visited once more? How will this conclude? Twins' owner Jim Pohlad has been visited by Kirby Puckett and Joe Mauer in an odd and terrifying Christmas dream. In today's thrilling final installment, what will happen?? Will Pohlad be visited once more? How will this conclude? A Minnesota Twins Christmas Carol - Part 1 A Minnesota Twins Christmas Carol - Part 2 A Minnesota Twins Christmas Carol - Part 3 Jim Pohlad is awakened yet again but this time isn’t even surprised. He has now come to expect interruption to his sleep on this bizarre Christmas Eve. This time a man appears in a Los Angeles Dodgers jersey. Although the face looks familiar, he can’t quite place a name with it. Just at that moment, the man began to speak. “My name is Royce Lewis, and I am the ghost of Twins' Christmas Future,” the man said. “I am going to take you to the future so you can see where your penny-pinching has gotten your franchise.” The year is 2030. The Twins’ last winning season, 2020, was a full decade ago. Players such as Jordan Balazovic, Matt Canterino and Jhoan Duran have all since left via free agency when the Twins claimed they couldn’t afford to keep them. Lewis himself was sent to the Dodgers for a handful of minor leaguers after winning the American League MVP award in 2026. Pohlad is shocked to see the vast emptiness of Target Field during a game on a beautiful July night. Advertising has now taken over the entire stadium like moss on a tree. Ads are spray-painted on the outfield grass, an ad is projected into the sky above left field. Even the hot dogs now feature edible advertising right there on the bun. One thing was missing, however: the fans. There were maybe 1,000 fans in attendance and most of those were in the former Metropolitan Club, which was now a VR-based sports book used to gamble on the outcome of games. Inside the 3M Presents DraftKings SportsBook brought to you by Target in association with Land O’ Lakes were a series of televisions, each of them showing baseball games being played in front of full stadiums. With hockey and football both declining in popularity due to violence and head injuries, baseball has surged back into the forefront of the American sports conversation. Stadiums from Vancouver to Miami were packed full of fans, but not Target Field. “What happened? Why is Target Field so empty,” Pohlad asked. “What about the Target Field experience? Doesn’t anyone care about the Target Field experience?!” “The Target Field experience can only carry you so far, Mr. Pohlad,” Royce Lewis says wistfully. “When you stopped spending money on the team, the fans stopped spending money on the team. “There are no more profits to be had and the franchise value has declined a significant amount due to poor attendance and a poor reputation in general,” Lewis concluded. That last part, the part about declining profits and franchise value, pushed Pohlad to the edge. He finally succumbed to emotion and began to sob. He swore from that point on he would change his ways. ---------------------------------------------------------- "Scrooge" wakes up on Christmas morning feeling much more refreshed than he thought he would. He calls for his butler, Rudy, and announces he needs to be taken to Target Field immediately. “But sir, it’s Christmas,” Rudy says. “You have the day off!” “Yes, Rudy, but Thad and Derek are working today and I have some good news to share,” Pohlad said with an uncharacteristic smile on his face. Rudy offers to take his temperature to make sure he is feeling well, but is waved off by a giggling Jim Pohlad. Pohlad walks into Target Field to find Falvey and Levine signing Christmas carols over the burning trash in the Astros garbage can. Shocked to see him on Christmas, Falvey and Levine instantly start to panic and explain why their boss just caught them singing songs and not working. “Never mind that,” Pohlad said with a warm smile. “I have come to share great news!” Jim Pohlad explains that he had been working the phones on the way to the office and he personally reached out to Gausman’s agent and agreed to a five-year contract. Derek Falvey instantly fainted upon hearing this and needed to be revived so he could hear the rest. What’s more, the Twins’ owner has also agreed to re-sign Jose Berrios and has made an offer to free agent shortstop Carlos Correa. This news sends Levine into a vertigo-like spin, and Falvey helps him into his seat before he falls to the ground, dizzy from happiness. “Merry Christmas to all! Merry Christmas Thad and Derek,” Pohlad said while handing them the 2022 Bill James handbook. “From now on, use THIS version to look for only the best current players to sign. After all, we have a World Series to win this year! Falvey asked Levine to slap him to make sure he wasn’t dreaming. Levine happily obliged but they were still there. “Merry Christmas to all of the loyal Twins fans out there that shell out their hard-earned money year after year after year to follow this team,” Pohlad shouted out his office window to the empty playing field below. News of the big signings soon made their way to the internet. Suddenly, the sound of phones ringing fills the room. The phones are jammed with Twins fans eager to buy season tickets for this exciting team. A new era of Twins baseball had begun. A Minnesota Twins Christmas Carol - Part 1 A Minnesota Twins Christmas Carol - Part 2 A Minnesota Twins Christmas Carol - Part 3 View full article

The epic adaptation of a Charles Dickens' class continues today. Where were we? That's right. In Part 2, Jim Pohlad just spent time with Kirby Puckett, the Ghost of Twins' Christmas Past. Clearly upset, he went back to bed. Let the story continue. The epic adaptation of a Charles Dickens' class continues today. Where were we? That's right. In Part 2, Jim Pohlad just spent time with Kirby Puckett, the Ghost of Twins' Christmas Past. Clearly upset, he went back to bed. Let the story continue. A Minnesota Twins Christmas Carol - Part 1 A Minnesota Twins Christmas Carol - Part 2 Jim Pohlad tosses and turns in bed and finally awakens with a start. He gasps and feels his pajamas, which are soaked in sweat. He reaches for his end table and takes a big drink of water. He isn’t sure why, but he is absolutely parched. “Oh, my, what a terrible dream,” Pohlad says. “And stupid because that story has a happy ending, we got our stadium.” He pulled his sleep mask over his eyes and fell back into a deep slumber, but it didn’t last long. He was awakened again by the sound of cleats on the floor. Pohlad awoke and asked “Kirby? Is that you again?” But this time it wasn’t Puckett at all. It was a tall, quiet, side-burned figure wearing a Twins jersey outlined in beautiful Kasota gold. His name, he explained, was Joe Mauer. The Ghost of Christmas Present. Without a word, Pohlad is taken to a big convention center full of happy people. There are hands shaking everywhere they looked and happy agents calling their clients. They were at the MLB Winter Meetings. There was Max Scherzer shaking hands with Mets GM Billy Eppler. On the other side of the room Robbie Ray shook hands with Mariners GM Jerry DiPoto. Free agents were signing at a record pace and everyone seemed to be very happy. Suddenly, Mauer led Pohlad to an alleyway behind the convention center. Derek Falvey and Thad Levine were looking tired while picking through the offerings near the dumpster. A Dylan Bundy here, a Michael Wacha there… there simply wasn’t much for the duo to choose from. “Thad, I don’t know what we are going to tell Mr. Pohlad if we come up empty here,” Falvey said. “I’m afraid we won’t have enough pitching for the upcoming season and if we don’t start winning some games, we might not have a job soon.” “Don’t worry Derek, everything will work out for us in the end,” Levine said, with more than a little hint of doubt in his voice. Suddenly, Mauer and Pohlad were standing outside of a house in Burnsville. Inside was a family of meager means and a child was opening a present. Inside was a pair of tickets for a Twins game and a Jose Berrios jersey. “I know Berrios isn’t on the team any more son, and I know he was your favorite player. But the Twins simply couldn’t afford to pay him anymore,” the dad said. “Jerseys nowadays are so expensive but this one was on clearance so we could finally afford one. “You see, the Twins are just a small-market team that cannot afford to pay any players. Sure, there is no salary cap and the owners have money they could never spend in seven lifetimes, but something something TV contracts. “I worked overtime to get us two tickets to see the Twins play against the Tigers this April,” the dad said. “It was outside of our normal budget, but you have been so good and loyal that I wanted to reward you this year.” The child thanked the dad and gave him a big hug. “That dad works 50 hours a week to put food on the table,” Mauer explained. “He had to work overtime to be able to afford two tickets to take his baseball-loving kid to a Twins game, even though they won’t be very good this year, especially without Jose Berrios.” He explained that sometimes people spend more money than they maybe want to in order to show someone that they appreciate them. He called this phenomenon ‘reciprocation.’ Mauer then shows Pohlad the 2022 MLB Standings. The Twins have finished with a record of 54-108. “If you don’t change your ways, Jim, this is what you have to look forward to,” Mauer warned. Suddenly, Jim Pohlad was back in bed and again soaked in sweat. He began to think he was losing his mind but he was so, so tired. He went back to sleep. Check back tomorrow for the exciting conclusion to... A Minnesota Twins' Christmas Carol. A Minnesota Twins Christmas Carol - Part 1 A Minnesota Twins Christmas Carol - Part 2 View full article