TKGuy

On the flip side as an Iowan, I have DISH with the all sports package and I get all 6 "home" teams and can watch the rest on my ipad

Thats why I love baseball, things can go up and down numerous times in a game

Matt Summers was a 4th round pick out of Scottsdale AZ in 2008. The righty started 21 games for the Miracle in 2013 and posted a 6-5 record with a 2.47 ERA. Summers received a late suasion promotion to New Britain making 5 starts and struggling to a 1-2 mark with a ERA in the mid 6's. Summers will start the season in New Britain in 2014. We will see if Summers can adjust to the big jump to AA this year

The 10th round pick of the Twins in 2012 will start the season where he finished, with the New Britain Rock Cats. Baxendale made 25 starts, 16 of those with the Rock Cats after a dominating start to the season in Ft. Myers. With the Miracle, the right-hander started games going 7-0 with a 1.10 ERA and a WHIP of 0.785 to lead the Miracle to their torrid 2013 start. After earning the promotion to AA, Baxendale struggled a little bit in his 16 starts, posting a 5-7 mark with the Rock Cats and posting an ERA of 5.63. Here's hoping the 2nd time around the Eastern League will be more successful. Baxendale is rated as the #30 Prospect for the Twins (according to Aaron Gleeman) and won't turn 24 until December. He is a pitch to contact pitcher with good control, so it will be interesting to see if he has hit a ceiling this year.

It's baseball and I felt just as bad with this loss as if we were in the pennant race. Correia continued success means trade talk also, which is certainly exciting also. Hicks has certainly responded well and Colabello has also started out well. Excited to see Pinto and Gibson. Also excited to have the minors starting tomorrow. I'm sick of NFL talk.

When Presley got cut, he spouted off about spring training not meaning anything, so I would agree that it was his attitude. I think Correia and Pelfrey could be dealt at the deadline if they can just be decent starters. Really excited to see Meyer and May at AAA to see how they fare. I still would bet Diamond would come up before Meyer though.

He would have played 0 games in Rochester by now also. Interested in seeing Kubel's at bats

Matt Summers - 2nd prospect adoption

DJ Baxendale

Colabello and Gibson for what they've been through to get here.

It's spring, the season is starting tomorrow and I can't be more excited. That doesn't mean I think we will win the division, but I am hoping for a run at .500. no doubt the pitching is better, offense, not so much, but who knows. We are all tied at 0-0

Kind of eerie the numbers in their first ten years. I'd still give it to Puck for his leadership and durability prior to Dennis Martinez plunking Puck in the head. He is my favorite twin by far, however, I was only three when Harmon retired. The more I heard of him as a person and a player may have made comparison closer. Harmon was a better run producer and Puck a better defender. Carew also was a better player in my mind, kind of prickly though, so I'd put Joe 4th, although 4 batting titles is hard to top Everything Joe does seems so blah. I sure that Mauer plays just as hard as Puck did, but without the infectious smile and personality. Heck, even Herbie had the bravado that Joe lacks. I still think he is a great player, but the lack of personality makes him not as revered by the fans in my opinion. Darn, I really miss having Puck and Harmon around though.

First of all, Pat Dean was actually pretty good in the Red Wings playoff push last year, so don't knock him. I guess I would count May as a prospect also, and I would guess Meyer would start in Rochester also.

I think batting 8th to start the season and having some experience at this level will mean he will really be improved this year

Bartlett always killed the White Sox, gonna see if he that magic back

I am happy we kept Colabello, we had way too many lefties. I think it's clear the Twins don't think Parmalee is going to make it, although Antony wants to light a fire under him. If Kubel doesn't hit, then Parmalee may get one more chance. Presley claimed, yawn. Twins going all in on Hicks and Arcia. Need to see if they can stick or be replaced by Buxton and Rosario. Bartlett, good story, we will see how it plays out, obviously Gardy wanted him.

Imagine the interest that would be had if Sano could have been in Minnesota this year also.

Baseball was the only sport I was any good at. I played all through high school and we made the state title game before Chris Weinke and CDH beat us in the finals. I went onto a Division III program and decided that I didn't want to put in the long hours it took just to play on a Division III team, so that was the end of my "playing career." After that, I have continued to coach baseball and now umpire baseball games. Why the Twins? My parents tell me the story of sitting on the floor when I was 4-5 years old sorting out my baseball cards and listening to Herb Carneal and Joe Angell and the Twins games during the summer. When it was time to go to bed, my parents allowed me to listen to the games as I was falling asleep. In the days of no internet, I would always get up and turn on the radio/TV and see if the Twins won. All that was on TV for baseball were the Braves for me on WTBS, back when Dale Murphy, Bob Horner and the like were playing. I didn't go to many Twins games at Met Stadium except for the yearly Park and Rec bus trip. Then Bob Kurtz and Harmon started to broadcast games on KMSP and my interest soared. While everybody remembers the playoff and WS games, some of the regular season games stand out to me still to this day. I remember with anguish losing the 10-0 lead in Cleveland on a Jamie Quirk HR and blowing the division title in front of about 2 fans in Cleveland. I remember the Ron Davis - Fred Lynn meltdowns night after night in Baltimore. I remember fondly the Twins comeback in Oakland after David West gave up 5 HRS to Dave Henderson and Mark McGwire in 1991. I was at the last home game against the Royals in 1987 when the Twins clinched a tie of the division title. I still remember the look on Tim Tschida's face when Joe Niekro tossed the emery board out. Even into college, law school and as an adult, I always make time for Twins games. I was such a fanatic that I wired a headphone up my sleeve so I could listen to the Twins games while taking night classes at law school. This blog has ramped up my interest because I can follow the minor leaguers up the system and find so many knowledgeable people that can discuss the Twins on the same level that I can. The one thing about this site that always bothers me is the constant bashing of the Pohlad family. I remembered in horror that Calvin or his family were going to sell the Twins and move to them to Tampa Bay if I remember correctly. At that time Carl Pohlad swooped in and stopped the Twins from moving. Even into the threat of contraction, I understood the Pohlads motivation. The Metrodome, while I have fond memories indeed, was not suited for baseball, and the Phil Krinkie's of the world kept stopping a new stadium from being built. Finally, the legislature passed the bill and Target Field was built and the Twins franchise was secure in Minnesota. People are still complaining about not spending more and more money and say that is why we are losing. Well the Twins are spending a heck of a lot more money now, so spending stupidly is not going to buy you the titles. I guess I will always remember with gratefulness that the Pohlad family stopped the Twins from moving. Finally, why baseball in general? I always paid attention to the details of the game and tried to figure out what TK was going to do, he was actually the person I loved to follow. Sure Kirby Puckett will always be my favorite player, but TK was a genius in my mind (thus the moniker on this site). I was the type of player that wasn't talented enough to play even in college, but I always hustled and played the game the "Twins" way, which was a TK and Kirby Puckett philosophy I guess. I continue to watch the games on satellite and my oldest daughter is now a fanatic also. I love Dick and Bert, but am trying to get used to Cory on the radio after so many years with Herb and Gordo. We try to make at least one game per year at Target Field and regularly take road trips to other Midwest ballparks. Now, I living near Cedar Rapids, I am excited to have the Kernels be the Twins affiliate. While I still know football is king in Minnesota, the Twins have since a very young age been my first love and baseball, with all of its intricacies, is way more interesting to me then football, and always will be. I am now an attorney and on Monday, as I have every year of my career, will wear my Opening Day tie to commemorate the best day of the year, opening day, where no matter my realistic baseball knowledge know the Twins won't probably win the pennant this year, but there always is hope.

You can't let Kubel play against lefties, so I guess Pinto will be DH/C a lot if Colabello is not here

Once again, I believe this is the right thing to do. With Deduno and Swarzak in the pen, Diamond would have just been dead weight. Gibson earned the 5th spot, which is great because in the recent past we have taken who was less worse than the other pitchers.

Count me as shocked also, but I love Deduno in the bullpen. Does that mean Pressly gets sent down? Gibson certainly earned it, along with Hicks.

Who's stepped up? Deduno, Gibson, Pinto and Colabello, they have earned their spots

Presley has to go north since we need a backup CF. I agree, it looks like Hermann's versatility will get him the backup C. Colabello has to be on the roster as he has certainly earned it, and Kubel is batting .080 (although so has Hammer) and Escobar on the bench. Deduno is the #5 and he certainly has earned it. I'd think to think Tonkin has earned the last spot along with Thielbar. You are right, Diamond needs to come up with a case of "dead arm" although I'm not opposed to seeing him go either with Gibson and possibly Meyer waiting in the wings. This could change if we make a trade in the pen, like Duensing or Burton, in which case Tonkin and Hoffman would certainly make it

Bye bye Vanimal, we hardly knew ya

I hope that Deduno goes to the pen and Gibson goes north as the 5th starter. Time to cut bait on Worley and Diamond