Strombomb

I started to be snarky and post this to a particular thread that was annoying me.  But I thought twice, and will post it here, in a vacuum.
What's The Best Logical Fallacy?
A famous Logic professor told me the Appeal to Authority Fallacy is the best.
Anyone who doesn't say the Ad Hominem Fallacy is best is a poopyhead.
Argument from Repetition Fallacy is the best. Repetition. Argument from. Best.
Begging the Question Fallacy is the best because it is superior to all others.
Cherry Picking Fallacy is the best; this message is all you need, to see that.
Circular Argument Fallacy is best because nothing is better than an argument that is circular.
Either the False Dilemma Fallacy, or pure evil, is best, ergo False Dilemma.
Everyone is saying the Bandwagon Fallacy is best, so it must be.
False Equivalence Fallacy is no worse than any other and therefore is the best.
Have you or have you not stopped using the best: the Loaded Question Fallacy?
I bet double my last bet the next one will say the Gambler's Fallacy is best.
I just heard about the Recency Bias Fallacy. It's gotta be the best one ever.
I mistyped another fallacy, so Hasty Generalization Fallacy is the best.
I used to think Stockholm Syndrome Fallacy wasn't best but I'm warming up to it.
I've had success with Proof by Example Fallacy as the best. This is Exhibit A.
If Affirming the Consequent Fallacy is the best, then I wrote this. And I did.
If the Slippery Slope Fallacy isn't the best, pretty soon we'll have anarchy.
If you loved me you'd let me call the Emotional Appeal Fallacy the best.
It can't be a best list if you leave out the No True Scotsman Fallacy.
It's your job to prove the Burden of Proof Fallacy ISN'T the best. Not mine.
Super geniuses Dunning & Kruger invented the best Fallacy, Overconfidence Bias.
The Appeal to Nature Fallacy is best - it's only natural.
The Black and White Fallacy is either the best, or else all logic is wrong.
The Ipse Dixit Fallacy is best, full stop, case closed.
The Red Herring Fallacy is the best because, oh look, a squirrel!
The Straw Man Fallacy is the best because my opponent intends to outlaw it.
The Sunk Cost Fallacy is best and it's too late to pick a different one anyway.
The Survivorship Fallacy is best because it saved my life.
The long-neglected Appeal to Pity Fallacy is the one to support as best.
To deny Moral Equivalence Fallacy as the best is just like robbing a bank.
The Tautology Fallacy is best. When outlawed only outlaws will have Tautologies.

There was a time, not so long ago, that the Minnesota Twins fanbase knew only one outcome. For close to two decades, no amount of momentum or excellence could counter the brick wall that awaited them in the postseason.
18 consecutive times, the Twins threw all they had at that wall. They chipped, scraped, clawed, and flung themselves at it. In so many moments, it looked like they were through. But in the end, they were left unable to breach it. And in the aftermath, we were left scarred by the futility of it all.
Subsequently, even in the brightest moments of the regular season, the joy to be found was tinged with a sadness that it was only temporary. ‘Buy-in’ wasn’t feasible anymore when even the mightiest lineups could be left without answers as soon as the postseason began. How can you get excited about a franchise when it seems to be governed by a completely different set of laws in October?
And then, 2023 happened. 
It was glorious, that brief moment in time. Twins players, some homegrown heroes, finally seemed to acknowledge how this ignominy had affected the fans, and responded by righteously seizing the moment. Pablo Lopez reminded us how to believe in Minnesota. Royce Lewis put the offense on his back. Carlos Correa served as the defensive linchpin we knew him to be, and Jhoan Duran violently shut the door on the Toronto Blue Jays as the stadium lost its mind in a cleansing catharsis. We sobbed tears of relief we didn’t even remember we had in reserve. We saw with our own eyes what we refused to believe for so long, that victory was possible. And not just once, or twice, but three times! The Twins walked onto Target Field having split the first two games in Houston, possessing home field advantage, and actually internalizing the idea that in the end, a path was laid in front of us all that didn’t lead to heartbreak.
No, the 2023 Twins didn’t bring home a trophy. But out of that ordeal, we were given a gift that might be just as valuable: being unburdened by the notion that October baseball didn’t come with a pre-ordained outcome.
A resurgent team, a beautiful ballpark, a fanbase reinvigorated, and an organization primed to continue their hot hand. The wave that had gathered momentum since the hiring of Falvey and Levine in 2016 had finally reached its crest, and breached the first barrier that had stood since 2004. With that milestone achieved, Joe Pohlad and his kin were given the easiest layup in sports with the proposition that they could see the Minnesota Twins ascend to unprecedented heights, if they simply just stayed the course and allowed the current that had carried them this far to continue pushing them forward.
But we would know the Pohlads’ feelings on the matter just weeks later. Any further progress would be on indefinite hold in order to get the balance sheets in order, and ‘right-sizing’ was the watchword of the day. And now, 18 months later, with nearly half the roster sold and the franchise all but certain to follow, the fallout of that choice has been realized, another sad chapter in the story that’s unfolded since that brief window of euphoria.
Having been starved for financial support and paralyzed further by a possible sale, the major league roster is now a shadow of its former peak. Bringing Carlos Correa to Minnesota and securing his long-term future was undoubtedly the signature achievement of the Twins front office, something Falvey could point to as proof that his mission was to not settle for playing the role of a small market underdog. But surely, the game plan was that reinforcements would be needed in order to support the largest free agency deal in franchise history, rather than serving as the final piece needed for contention. Now, a salary dump sending Correa back to the Astros serves as a depressing bookend to the Josh Donaldson fiasco, a move which helped free the resources to bring Correa to town in the first place.
Along with Correa, nine other players have been shipped to every corner of the league, and the quotes from current and former players alike have taken a sour tone. Rocco’s clubhouse has never been a safe harbor for toxicity, but one has to believe he has the hardest test of his managerial tenure in front of him to close out this lost season.
Was this flurry of trades the right decision from a strategic perspective? Divorced from the emotion of the moment, I’m sure a strong argument is there. Many words have already been spilled on the core pieces that remain, the impermanence of what was lost, and how none of this should be regarded as a true rebuild. But I cannot shake the feeling that as the 2025 season is written off, we have had one very hard lesson dumped at our collective feet: The pain that we feel now was worth the money to someone else.

Yesterday was a rough day for me. I have been fighting cancer for 5 years and this spring it had metastasized. I continue to fight every day. Up at 4:30 to do my stretch, strength and balance work followed by a 5 mile run. With that fight I feel pretty good and have a high energy level in spite of all the meds. Baseball helps keep me going. There are still many more games ahead of me and they matter so much more than a championship. That final Twins trade of Varland set off a trigger in me. We had Varland through 2030. While at a large family gathering as the news kept rolling that 2030 hit hard. The odds are against me that I will be around in 2030. Thinking of the Twins led me to thinking of my first grandchild due in January. I can handle missing the next championship but I got pretty choked at the thought of what I will miss with my granddaughter.
Byron, Ryan, Kody, Royce, Matt, Trevor, Brooks, Christian, DeShawn, Joe, Pablo, Bailey, Simeon, David, Zebby, Cole and Justin I appreciate your fight. No one can make it to the major leagues without fighting everyday. You have fought through slumps. You have fought through injury. We will need your fight more than ever now. To the rest putting on that Twins uniform. I appreciate you. You have fought hard for this opportunity. Use this opportunity to make your mark in the major leagues. Fight to get better every day.
Mr. Falvey and Mr. Baldelli I need you to put up a fight. Make every day matter. Make every game matter. I am counting on you. To the Pohlad’s, you have stopped fighting. This is a concept that I can’t grasp. Every day I wake up excited to take on the day and fight for the next. You wake up every day as owners of a Major League Baseball team. How can you not be driven to fight for their success? I don’t get it. I do appreciate what Carl did for this franchise and what your family did for the community but you have stopped fighting. Please step aside and let someone else lead this franchise.
We need a fighter because every day and every game matters. I will be watching.

I like baseball movies that make me feel something. It might be the thrill of a big moment like the homerun in The Natural or Wild Thing's big entrance in Major League. I might be a nostalgia for the game, itself, like any of Costner's baseball movies, really. 1993's The Sandlot makes me feel and remember the pure joy of playing baseball as a kid with a bunch of crackpot friends! There are a lot of baseball flicks that showcase a team of kids and it's essential to bring out their personalities and makes them not just likeable, but loveable. The Sandlot nails this.

The story of The Sandlot is told through the eyes of new-kid-to-the-neighborhood, Scotty Smalls. He doesn't have any friends, he's struggling to bond with his stepfather, and unfortunately, he's hopeless at baseball. He gets invited to play sandlot ball with a group of local kids by Benny "The Jet" Rodriguez. The kids are baffled and astounded by Scotty's lack of baseball knowledge and ability. When they lose their last ball (a frequent occurance) Scotty sees his chance at redemption and offers to let them use his dad's baseball. Unfortunately, that ball is signed by Babe Ruth. Of course, they lose the ball over the wall where there is a junkyard and an absolute beast of a dog that has reached legendary status. The rest of the movie is about getting the ball back, enjoying summer, and a smattering of actually playing baseball. 

I can't emphasize enough how much I love the characters in this movie! Ham Porter, the chunky catcher played by a young Patrick Renna, is the hilarous big mouth on the team and steals a number of scenes. Squints, (Chauncey Leopardi), is kind of the brainy one with glasses who pulls off the biggest stunt imagineable in one of the single best scenes in baseball movie history. I mean, who can forget Wendy Peffercorn? Benny (Mike Vitar) is the stud player and all-around nice guy. Every player on the team has his quirks and even the ones that should be annoying, (I'm looking at you, "Yeah Yeah") somehow just work. I don't know that I've seen most of these actors again, but I can't imagine this movie with anyone else playing these roles. We even get a bit of James Earl Jones in here and that is always welcome. 
In case you can't tell already, The Sandlot is an absolute home run for me and one of my top 5 baseball movies of all time. It's just fun. It's of the most quoteable baseball movies (You're killing me, Smalls!) and unlike most other kid-focused baseball movies, it isn't about an adult coach, the kids pretty much run the whole show. If you love baseball, I don't see how you can't love this movie. If you don't care about baseball at all, you'll still probably love it. 
I'd love to hear your favorite scenes from The Sandlot. Don't like the movie? I gotta know why! Let me know in the comments
Bonus: Did you know that James Earl Jones has been in at least four baseball movies? He must have loved the game. Can you name them?
Run Time: 1 hr 41 min
Scorecard: Homerun to the second deck!

Best line: Adult Scotty as narrator: "Michael Squints Palledorous walked a little taller that day. And we had to tip our hats to him. He was lucky she hadn't beat the *crap* out of him. We wouldn't have blamed her."

Hello, fellow humans! My name is William Malone IV. Son of William Malone III. And I come with great news! We are finally deep enough into the season where the stupid off-day after a team's first home game is no more. Less off days means more baseball! And more baseball makes fans of this wonder games so happy.
Superfans of this wonderful sport are always dying for some bits of information on their favorite players. A good place to look for this is a team's media guide. Well, guess what? Your ole pal William Malone IV has gotten his hands on the 2025 Minnesota Twins Media Guide. It's 533 pages of beautiful baseball related information. So many stats, record, and of course...random information on every Twins player! Here are some things you might not have known about a few Twins players.
And remember, this is just the tip of the iceberg. After all, the damn thing was 533 pages.
Byron Buxton
The Minnesota Twins media guide talks glowingly about the great high school football career of Byron Buxton. He was an All-State wide receiver and defensive back as a senior. The media guide also notes that Buxton was an All-Region quarterback as a junior. It claims he still keeps in touch with Miami Dolphins wide receiver Tyreek Hill, who played for a rival high school of his in Georgia. They were in the same class, and had many battles against each other as wide receivers and defensive backs.
Willi Castro
The Minnesota Twins media guide tells you a lot about his father, Lilliano, who is a baseball lifer. Lilliano Castro signed with the Detroit Tigers as an amateur free agent in 1987, but suffered a career ending arm injury before ever reaching the big leagues. He stayed close to the game though, working as a coach in the Tigers minor league system for almost a decade. Lilliano eventually started coaching in the New York Mets farm system. The media guide claims Willi and Lilliano text each other after every game.
Carlos Correa
The Minnesota Twins media guide talks about the podcast that Carlos Correa used to co-host with former Houston Astros teammate. This wasn't a baseball podcast though. It was two teammates bonding over their shared love for combat sports. It was called "The Walkout," and was picked up by SiriusXM for their mixed martial arts channel at one point. It has a 4.5 out of five star rating on Apple Podcasts, but there has not been a new episode since June of 2021.
David Festa
The Minnesota Twins media guide talks about the odd combination of sports teams that David Festa is a fan of. It claims he is a fan of the New York Rangers, New York Knicks, Indianapolis Colts, and Tennessee Volunteers football. Perhaps those first two make sense. Maybe the Colts/Tennessee combination works too if he was just a big Peyton Manning guy. That's speculation though, as Manning was not named in the media guide. He is also a fan of professional tennis and golf, citing Brooks Koepka as his favorite golfer.
Ryan Jeffers
The Minnesota Twins media guide informs readers that Ryan Jeffers spends his off-seasons working out at Hudson Rose Athletics in Wilmington, North Carolina. Walker Jenkins, who was drafted fifth overall by the Twins in 2023, also works out there in the off-season. They have both been working out there since 2019, but only began working out together in the 2023-24 off-season after Minnesota drafted Jenkins.
Trevor Larnach
The Minnesota Twins media guide tells you that Trevor Larnach has a strong interest in real estate, even claiming that Larnach would be a real estate agent if he was not a professional baseball player. When the Twins are on the road, he will often spend time on Zillow checking out houses in the local area of whatever city the team is in.
Royce Lewis
The Minnesota Twins media guide goes into the love Royce Lewis has for football, even if he can't pick a favorite team. He was a Chargers fan while growing up in the San Diego area, but has since switched allegiance to the Dallas Cowboys after making his off-season home in the Dallas area. Despite being a Cowboys fan, the media guide does say that Lewis still follows the Vikings very closely. It also claims he is an avid fantasy football player.
Pablo Lopez
The Minnesota Twins media guide talks about how Pablo Lopez aspires to be a nutritionist when his playing career is over. As a teenager, he had been prepping to attend medical school had baseball not worked out for him. As his playing career has gone on, Lopez has developed a great interest in taking care of his body. He would like to go back to school when his career is over, and get a degree in nutritional science.
Austin Martin
The Minnesota Twins media guide claims that Austin Martin is a "go with the flow" kind of guy who enjoys fishing, video games, and hanging out with friends at the beach. He learned how to play the ukulele during the COVID-19 pandemic, and likes to watch "SpongeBob SquarePants" and "Dora the Explorer."
Bailey Ober
The Minnesota Twins media guide discusses multiple trips Bailey Ober took to Charleston, South Carolina during this past off-season. Ober, who attended College of Charleston, began their off-season by going on vacation there. He went back a few months later to celebrate a college teammate for getting into their school's Hall of Fame.
Justin Topa
The Minnesota Twins media guide tells readers that Justin Topa enjoys collecting sports memorabilia, which is a hobby he shares with his father. They enjoy opening packs of baseball cards together. This love of collecting applies to memorabilia from several different sports. The Topas are huge hockey fans, which is a sport Justin played at Chenango Valley High School in New York.
Louis Varland
The Minnesota Twins media guide lists off several "favorites" of relief pitcher Louis Varland. Here they are...
Movie: Rocky I
Musical act: Red Hot Chili Peppers
Sports team: Minnesota Vikings
Opposing ballpark: Fenway Park
Pregame meal: Chipotle
Christian Vazquez
The Minnesota Twins media guide explains why Christian Vazquez picked the number eight. His first choice was seven, which he wore for several seasons with the Boston Red Sox. But that is retired for legendary Twins catcher Joe Mauer. His second choice was nine, which he wore during his brief time with the Houston Astros. That was taken by Trevor Larnach. So he picked eight by settling in the middle of those two numbers.

The article of Harrison Bader in right field foreshadowed for me a line up against left handed pitching that will be entirely right handed. That might make sense if you look at the numbers in any individual pairing. It might make sense if games are simulated in a computer. I don’t think it makes sense in the play of the game.
I recently read some thoughts about line up construction in the San Diego Union Tribune from Padres’ manager Mike Schildt. He was asked about his line up that alternates 1 through 8.
I have wondered before if it helps pitchers stay in rhythm when they face batters from only one side. I haven’t seen data on this but I would like to see how a lefty does against a right handed batter after he has just faced a lefty. Are his numbers against right handed batting consistent with similar batters in an all right handed line up? I suspect that for many pitchers a manager makes the game too easy by sending up a one sided lineup.
I would like to see Wallner or Larnach or both in those lineups. They might be the only two lefties the Twins have on the opening day roster. Podcasters and bloggers have beat the drum for right handed batting over the years but it sure seems that have a shortage of left handed bats right now. Let’s hope Julien will return to 2023 form or Keirsey is a better hitter than his minor league wRC+ suggests or Rodriguez and/or Eeles dominate AAA early and join the Twins in the first half. Until then let’s at least see Larnach or Wallner in the lineup. While we’re at it let’s also keep them in the game when they face that lefty reliever before the 8th inning. 
Someone is probably going to argue that Wallner has a career OPS against lefties of .510 or Larnach has a career OPS against lefties of .570. Bader and Castro are well over 100 points better for their career. On paper I can’t win this argument. I can’t win it in a computer simulation.  The batter I wonder about is not Wallner or Bader. It is the next guy. Does Jeffers get a better pitch to hit from that lefty when he is following Wallner? Is that pitcher a little off balance and more prone to a mistake?
I will finish by adding one puzzling split about Jeffers. For his career Jeffers has an OPS against lefties that is 137 points better than his OPS against righties. How is it possible that his OPS in games started by a right handed pitcher is 90 points better than when a game is started by a lefty? 

Hello, fellow humans! My name is William Malone IV. Son of William Malone III. And I come with great news! Regular season baseball starts next week. But this great news comes with a catch. The Minnesota Twins will not be playing regular season baseball next week. Instead, the Chicago Cubs and Los Angeles Dodgers will have an epic clash overseas.
But we need not worry. Our beloved Twins will be playing regular season baseball soon enough. There will be 162 beautiful regular season games, and die hard fans will not miss a single pitch. But if you have to miss some games here or there, your ole pal William Malone IV has you covered. For I have seen the future! And by seeing the future, I already know the results of every single game from the 2025 Major League Baseball season. So here they are!
Game 1 at St. Louis - W (1-0)
Game 2 at St. Louis - W (2-0)
Game 3 at St. Louis - W (3-0)
Game 4 at Chicago AL - W (4-0)
Game 5 at Chicago AL - L (4-1)
Game 6 at Chicago AL - L (4-2)
Game 7 vs Houston - L (4-3)
Game 8 vs Houston - W (5-3)
Game 9 vs Houston - W (6-3)
Game 10 at Kansas City - L (6-4)
Game 11 at Kansas City - L (6-5)
Game 12 at Kansas City - W (7-5)
Game 13 at Kansas City - L (7-6)
Game 14 vs Detroit - W (8-6)
Game 15 vs Detroit - W (9-6)
Game 16 vs Detroit - W (10-6)
Game 17 vs New York NL - W (11-6)
Game 18 vs New York NL - L (11-7)
Game 19 vs New York NL - L (11-8)
Game 20 at Atlanta - L (11-9)
Game 21 at Atlanta - L (11-10)
Game 22 at Atlanta - W (12-10)
Game 23 vs Chicago AL - L (12-11)
Game 24 vs Chicago AL - W (13-11)
Game 25 vs Chicago AL - L (13-12)
Game 26 vs Los Angeles AL - W (14-12)
Game 27 vs Los Angeles AL - L (14-13)
Game 28 vs Los Angeles AL - W (15-13)
Game 29 at Cleveland - W (16-13)
Game 30 at Cleveland - W (17-13)
Game 31 at Cleveland - L (17-14)
Game 32 at Cleveland - L (17-15)
Game 33 at Boston - W (18-15)
Game 34 at Boston - L (18-16)
Game 35 at Boston - W (19-16)
Game 36 vs Baltimore - W (20-16)
Game 37 vs Baltimore - W (21-16)
Game 38 vs Baltimore - L (21-17)
Game 39 vs San Francisco - W (22-17)
Game 40 vs San Francisco - W (23-17)
Game 41 vs San Francisco - L (23-18) 
Game 42 at Baltimore - L (23-19)
Game 43 at Baltimore - W (24-19)
Game 44 at Baltimore - L (24-20)
Game 45 at Milwaukee - W (25-20)
Game 46 at Milwaukee - W (26-20)
Game 47 at Milwaukee - W (27-20)
Game 48 vs Cleveland - L (27-21)
Game 49 vs Cleveland - L (27-22)
Game 50 vs Cleveland - W (28-22)
Game 51 vs Kansas City - W (29-22)
Game 52 vs Kansas City - W (30-22)
Game 53 vs Kansas City - L (30-23)
Game 54 at Tampa Bay - W (31-23)
Game 55 at Tampa Bay - L (31-24)
Game 56 at Tampa Bay - W (32-24)
Game 57 at Seattle - L (32-25)
Game 58 at Seattle - W (33-25)
Game 59 at Seattle - W (34-25)
Game 60 at Sacramento - W (35-25)
Game 61 at Sacramento - W (36-25)
Game 62 at Sacramento - W (37-25)
Game 63 at Sacramento - L (37-26)
Game 64 vs Toronto - L (37-27)
Game 65 vs Toronto - L (37-28)
Game 66 vs Toronto - W (38-28)
Game 67 vs Texas - L (38-29)
Game 68 vs Texas - W (39-29)
Game 69 vs Texas - L (39-30)
Game 70 at Houston - W (40-30)
Game 71 at Houston - W (41-30)
Game 72 at Houston - L (41-31)
Game 73 at Cincinnati - W (42-31)
Game 74 at Cincinnati - W (43-31)
Game 75 at Cincinnati - W (44-31) 
Game 76 vs Milwaukee - L (44-32)
Game 77 vs Milwaukee - L (44-33)
Game 78 vs Milwaukee - W (45-33)
Game 79 vs Seattle - W (46-33)
Game 80 vs Seattle - W (47-33)
Game 81 vs Seattle - L (47-34)
Game 82 vs Seattle - L (47-35)
Game 83 at Detroit - W (48-35)
Game 84 at Detroit - W (49-35)
Game 85 at Detroit - W (50-35)
Game 86 at Miami - L (50-36)
Game 87 at Mimai - L (50-37)
Game 88 at Miami - L (50-38)
Game 89 vs Tampa Bay - L (50-39)
Game 90 vs Tampa Bay - L (50-40)
Game 91 vs Tampa Bay - W (51-40)
Game 92 vs Chicago NL - W (52-40)
Game 93 vs Chicago NL - L (52-41)
Game 94 vs Chicago NL - W (53-41)
Game 95 vs Pittsburgh - L (53-42)
Game 96 vs Pittsburgh - W (54-42)
Game 97 vs Pittsburgh - W (55-42)
Game 98 at Colorado - W (56-42)
Game 99 at Colorado - W (57-42)
Game 100 at Colorado - W (58-42)
Game 101 at Los Angeles NL - W (59-42)
Game 102 at Los Angeles NL - L (59-43)
Game 103 at Los Angeles NL - L (59-44)
Game 104 vs Washington - W (60-44)
Game 105 vs Washington - W (61-44)
Game 106 vs Washington - L (61-45)
Game 107 vs Boston - W (62-45)
Game 108 vs Boston - L (62-46)
Game 109 vs Boston - W (63-46)
Game 110 at Cleveland - L (63-47)
Game 111 at Cleveland - W (64-47)
Game 112 at Cleveland - L (64-48)
Game 113 at Detroit - W (65-48)
Game 114 at Detroit - L (65-49)
Game 115 at Detroit - W (66-49)
Game 116 vs Kansas City - W (67-49)
Game 117 vs Kansas City - L (67-50)
Game 118 vs Kansas City - W (68-50)
Game 119 at New York AL - L (68-51)
Game 120 at New York AL - L (68-52)
Game 121 at New York AL - W (69-52)
Game 122 vs Detroit - W (70-52)
Game 123 vs Detroit - W (71-52)
Game 124 vs Detroit - W (72-52)
Game 125 vs Detroit - L (72-53)
Game 126 vs Sacramento - W (73-53)
Game 127 vs Sacramento - L (73-54)
Game 128 vs Sacramento - W (74-54)
Game 129 at Chicago AL - W (75-54)
Game 130 at Chicago AL - W (76-54)
Game 131 at Chicago AL - W (77-54)
Game 132 at Toronto - L (77-55)
Game 133 at Toronto - L (77-56)
Game 134 at Toronto - W (78-56)
Game 135 vs San Diego - W (79-56)
Game 136 vs San Diego - W (80-56)
Game 137 vs San Diego - L (80-57)
Game 138 vs Chicago AL - W (81-57)
Game 139 vs Chicago AL - W (82-57)
Game 140 vs Chicago AL - L (82-58)
Games 141 vs Chicago AL - W (83-58)
Game 142 at Kansas City - L (83-59)
Game 143 at Kansas City - L (83-60)
Game 144 at Kansas City - W (84-60)
Game 145 at Los Angeles AL - L (84-61)
Game 146 at Los Angeles AL - W (85-61)
Game 147 at Los Angeles AL - W (86-61)
Game 148 vs Arizona - W (87-61)
Game 149 vs Arizona - W (88-61)
Game 150 vs Arizona - L (88-62)
Game 151 vs New York AL - W (89-62)
Game 152 vs New York AL - L (89-63)
Game 153 vs New York AL - L (89-64)
Game 154 vs Cleveland - W (90-64) 
Game 155 vs Cleveland - W (91-64)
Game 156 vs Cleveland - W (92-64)
Game 157 at Texas - L (92-65)
Game 158 at Texas - L (92-66)
Game 159 at Texas - W (93-66)
Game 160 at Philadelphia - W (94-66)
Game 161 at Philadelphia - W (95-66)
Game 162 at Philadelphia - L (95-67) 
ALDS Game 1 vs Boston - W (1-0)
ALDS Game 2 vs Boston - L (1-1)
ALDS Game 3 at Boston - L (1-2)
ALDS Game 4 at Boston - W (2-2)
ALDS Game 5 at Boston - L (2-3)

First let me preface this by saying that I realize that Spring Training results and stats are practically meaningless. But with this in mind here are some raw data from the spring along with a ranking of the 30 organizations.
 
OPS – Twins 20th with a .739 OBP
OBP – Twins 19th with a .336 OBP
SLG – Twins 18th with a .403 SLG
Batg. Avg. – Twins 20th with .250
HR’s – Twins 12th with 19
2B’s – Twins 24th with 20
3B’s – Twins 29th with 0
SB – Twins 9th with 15
CS – Twins 12th with 4
BB – Twins 24th with 55
 
All of these are not surprising. They are not showing a dominating offense at this time. A few of their players are struggling. But here is the eye opener.
K’s – Twins 30th (best) with 111 in 501 AB over 15 games
 
What great news for a team that at times has not been able to put the bat on the ball, especially when it was really needed.
 
I’m hoping that this continues into the regular season.

Hello, fellow humans! My name is William Malone IV. Son of William Malone III. And I come with great news! Regular season baseball is getting closer and closer every day.
The Minnesota Twins played a spring training baseball game against the Atlanta Braves today. The Braves were not able to get revenge from the 1991 World Series, as they failed to defeat the Twins. However, Minnesota failed to win as well. It was a 0-0 tie. The bats were not doing anything for either side.
Speaking of bats, there is a position in the wonderful sport of baseball known to many as the designated hitter. All this guy does is bat. He does not play defense. This position was invented in 1973, and the Twins have started 36 different men on Opening Day at this spot in the years since. Let's rank them all! Please note that we are ranking their entire careers. Not just their time as designated hitter for the Twins. Don't for get to call your ole pal William Malone IV a big stupid dum dum in the comments when you don't like where your favorite DH is ranked.
36. Mike Stenhouse (1985)
He hit .190 with a .598 OPS over 207 big league games with the Expos, Twins and Red Sox. But don't feel bad for the guy. He graduated from Harvard before getting drafted. Not too shabby!
35. ByungHo Park (2016)
Terry Ryan 1.0 was a great general manager who was rightfully inducted into the Twins Hall of Fame. His second stint in that role didn't go as well, and the signing of ByungHo Park was one of the final nails in his coffin. Park batted .191 with a .684 OPS in what was his only Major League season.
34. Danny Goodwin (1980)
Goodwin never played more than 60 games in any of his seven big league seasons, and his career OPS+ is only 84. But despite his lackluster numbers, he was the Twins designed hitter on Opening Day in 1980.
33. Chris Colabello (2014)
This was a low point for Twins lineup construction. Colabello struggled to the tune of a .631 OPS as a 29-year old rookie in 2013, and that was good enough to start him on Opening Day the next season. To be fair, he raked for the first month or so. But it was a flash in the pan.
32. Glenn Adams (1978-79, 1981)
Adams might be one of the worst players in League history who can call himself a "career DH." 78.7% of his career appearances were either as a designated hitter or pinch hitter, as he only made 114 starts in the field during his eight year Major League career. Adams never hit double digit home runs in any of those seasons, and his career OPS+ was just 96.
31. Craig Kusick (1977)
This guy actually wound up having a pretty nice season in 1977 after starting as the designated hitter on Opening Day. Kusick played 115 games with a 120 OPS+, but that was about as good as it got during his seven years in the big leagues.
30. Kennys Vargas (2015)
Vargas crushed the ball for two months after the Twins called him up on August 1, 2014. This made him an easy choice to be the Opening Day designated hitter and five hole hitter in 2015. But perhaps those two months in 2014 were a flash in the pan. He was never flat out bad, but just not good enough to keep around as a hitting only player with little to no defensive value.
29. Pedro Munoz (1995)
Munoz spent most of his career as a backup outfielder, posting a 98 OPS+ across 517 big league games. Some years were better than others, but he was out of the Majors by age 28.
28. Matthew LeCroy (2003-04)
LeCroy was a pretty solid platoon option. He hit lefties really well during his time in the Majors. It's just a bit silly to be platooning your DH slot, and the Twins cut bait on the wrong guy from their early-2000's DH platoon of David Ortiz and LeCroy.
27. Butch Husky (2000)
Husky had a few decent seasons with the New York Mets in the mid-90's when his career was just beginning, but things fell off fast as he bounced around with several teams in the late-90's and early 2000's. This included 64 games with the Twins in 2000.
26. Craig Monroe (2008)
It would be more than fair to move some guys on this list up or down a few sports, because a lot of these careers were more or less the same. That goes Craig Monroe and Butch Husky. A solid few years early on, Monroe's coming with the Detroit Tigers, followed by a quick fall off later on. Monroe hit .202 over 58 games for the Twins in 2008.
25. Logan Morrison (2018)
Morrison was having himself a decent career as a first baseman and corner outfielder for the Marlins, Mariners and Rays. Then he really found it in 2017, launching 38 home runs for Tampa Bay. This turned out to be a flash in the pan, and Morrison had a disappointing season with Minnesota in 2018.
24. Gene Larkin (1989-90)
Larkin was a steady bench bat for the Twins between 1987 and 1993. He brought the ability to fill in at corner outfield and first base, helping them win the World Series in 1987 and 1991. Larkin appeared in 13 combined playoff games during those title runs, but none of them were starts.
23. Lew Ford (2005)
Fan favorite Lew Ford had quite the run for Minnesota during the early stages of his career. He even got MVP votes in 2004, but was out of the league after just five seasons...until making a brief 25 game cameo for the Baltimore Orioles in 2012. That was five years after his final game for the Twins.
22. Manuel Margot (2024)
Margot has had a solid nine year career as a platoon bat. This includes his 2023 season with the Twins, where he hit .331 with an .846 OPS across 165 plate appearances against left handed starting pitchers. Miserable numbers against righties and bench appearances sunk his overall statistics.
21. Randy Bush (1983-84, 1988)
The Twins had Bush in several roles during his 12-year run with the club. He had runs as the starting right fielder, left fielder and designated hitter. Bush also had runs as a bench bat, starting just 82 games from 1991-93 while appearing 228 times over those three seasons.
20. Steve Braun (1976)
A chunk of his 15-year career was spent as a pinch hitting specialist and a defensive replacement in the National League, winning the 1982 World Series as a member of the Cardinals. Braun did play for the Twins for six seasons in the early-to-mid 1970's though, sending a lot of time in left field and at third base. He was the Opening Day designated hitter in 1976.
19. Ryan Doumit (2013)
His versatile glove wasn't needed on Opening Day in 2013, but Doumit brought the ability to regularly play catcher and corner outfield. Doumit had a .756 OPS over a decade long career. His best offensive season might've come in 2012 with the Twins.
18. Jason Kubel (2009-11)
Kubel was a top 20 league wide prospect, and made the Twins playoff roster as a 22-year old rookie in 2004. They sent him to the Arizona Fall League to get some more at-bats after the team was eliminated, and he proceeded to tear his ACL. He still had a pretty good career, but you have to wonder if it could've been even better.
17. Robbie Grossman (2017)
For as dark as the Twins season was in 2016, one bright spot was Robbie Grossman. He was signed to a minor league contract in May 2016 after getting released by the Cleveland Indians, and was instantly able to give his struggling career a spark. Today, he's a career ten WAR player who has been to the playoffs with five different franchises. 
16. Marty Cordova (1999)
The 1995 AL Rookie of the Year hit .277 with a .799 OPS over his five seasons with the Twins. Cordova became a bit of a journeyman after leaving Minnesota, but still had a solid season or two.
15. Dan Gladden (1987)
1987 marked the Twins debut for Dan Gladden, who was expected to be a bench bat for the club after coming over from the San Francisco Giants. He started just eight of the team's first 25 games that season, before settling in as their starting left fielder. Gladden kept that role for several years, and he's now in the Twins Hall of Fame.
14. Rondell White (2006)
The former All-Star didn't fare too well with the Twins in his mid-30's, sporting a 62 OPS+ during his two seasons with the club. If there is a silver lining, he was 5-for-12 (.417) with a home run and a double during the 2006 ALDS. Minnesota got swept. But it wasn't because of Rondell White.
13. Gary Sanchez (2022)
It's easy to clown some of his issues with passed balls. There were a lot of really bad ones with the Yankees during some of their playoff runs. But Sanchez is still a two time All-Star who won a Silver Slugger in 2017. He also had a solid season with the San Diego Padres in 2023, and is currently with the Baltimore Orioles.
12. Gary Ward (1982)
Ward was named an All-Star twice during his 12 seasons in the big leagues, once with the Twins in 1983 and again with the Rangers in 1985. But despite this, 1982 might've been a career year for Ward. His 28 homers and 91 RBI that season were career highs.
11. Roy Smalley (1986)
Smalley was an All-Star who got MVP voters during a career year in 1979. He was a decent starting shortstop for the front part of his career, and a capable backup infielder in the back half. 1986 marked his second stint with the Twins, as his 13-year career was getting towards the end.
10. Jeff Cirillo (2007)
Before coming to Minnesota towards the end of his 14-year career, Cirillo was a two time All-Star third baseman for the Milwaukee Brewers. He hit over .300 five times, including four consecutive seasons from 1998-01.
9. Byron Buxton (2023)
The all-world defensive center fielder had to play designated hitter in 2023 due to knee issues, but he was back out on defense in 2024. Buxton was an All-Star in 2022. He also received MVP votes in 2017 and 2020.
8. Chili Davis (1991-92)
This three time All-Star with 350 home runs to his name put up an .862 OPS over his two seasons in Minnesota, helping them win the 1991 World Series. Davis also closed his career by winning two more rings with the Yankees in 1998 and 1999.
7. Justin Morneau (2012)
He doesn't quite have the longevity that Chili Davis did, but Morneau can be just a head of him on this rankings list due to his MVP peak. The Canadian slugger was AL MVP in 2006, and was MVP runner-up in 2008. He also won the NL batting title in 2014 while playing for the Colorado Rockies.
6. Nelson Cruz (2019-20)
Cruz raked to the tune of 464 career home runs, winning a Silver Slugger four times. Two of those came as a member of the Twins. His decorated career didn't include any World Series rings, but he still sported a .979 postseason OPS and was named 2011 ALCS MVP.
5. Tony Oliva (1973, 1975)
The American League adopted the designated hitter rule at the perfect time for Tony Oliva. Knee injuries had taken away his ability to play defense, but the DH was added in 1973. This helped extend his Hall of Fame career for a few extra seasons.
4. David Ortiz (2001-02)
This one might hurt Twins fans a bit, but David Ortiz was their starting designated hitter on Opening Day in 2000 and 2001. He slugged 541 career home runs, and led the American League in RBI three times. Sadly, the Twins were not the team primarily benefiting from all this success.
3. Paul Molitor (1996-98)
The list of accolades here is very long! Molitor is a member of the 3,000 hit club and was an All-Star seven times. He also won World Series MVP for the Toronto Blue Jays in 1993.
2. Dave Winfield (1993-94)
After winning a World Series with Toronto in 1992, the Minnesota native came home and got his 3,000th career hit in a Twins uniform. Winfield was a 12 time All-Star who won seven Gold Gloves and six Silver Sluggers.
1. Harmon Killebew (1974)
Killebrew led the league in home runs six times, and paced the league in RBI four times. While his career .256 batting average isn't much to write home about, his ability to draw walks gives him the same on-base percentage as career .305 hitter Henry Aaron.

Hello, fellow humans! My name is William Malone IV. Son of William Malone III. And I come with great news! The Minnesota Twins will be playing a spring training baseball game against the Atlanta Braves tomorrow.
What an exciting time of year this is. And the best way to celebrate these exciting times are with some bold(ish) predictions for the 2025 season.
1. Griffin Jax strikes out triple digits
The Twins haven't had a primary relief pitcher strike out 100 or more batters in a single season since Juan Rincón fanned 106 in 2004. In the years since, nobody has come closer than Jax did in 2024. The Air Force product struck out 95 opponents over 71.0 innings pitched last season, and it's possible that the Twins position in the standings cost him the opportunity to reach the 100 strikeout milestone. With the playoffs out of reach, Rocco Baldelli opted out not use Jax in their final three game series of the regular season. It was well earned rest for Jax, who has logged the fifth most relief innings in the Majors since the start of 2022.
2. The Twins steal 100 bases for the first time since 2012
100 is a nice round number, so we'll make it a bit of a theme. This sounds like a big leap coming off a year where the Twins only stole 65 bases, but they have the pieces to pull this off. Minnesota didn't lose much speed over the off-season. Max Kepler, Alex Kirilloff, Kyle Farmer, Carlos Santana and Manuel Margot collectively stole nine bases in 548 games last year. Players like Austin Martin (7 SB in 93 G), Brooks Lee (3 SB in 50 G) and Edouard Julien (6 SB in 94 G) can help add to the total simply by taking away extra at-bats from some of those departed players. Harrison Bader also stole 17 bases for the New York Mets last year. For this to be even possible, Willi Castro would need to get back to his 2023 form where he stole 33 bases. The utility man swiped just 14 bags in 2024.
3. Joe Ryan is an All-Star
Joe Ryan was pitching so well before a shoulder strain in August ended his season seven weeks early. He had the fourth best strikeout-to-walk ratio and eight lowest WHIP among pitchers who started at least 20 games last season. The tools are very clearly in place. As is the case with several players on the Twins, he just needs to be healthy and on the field to earn the accolades. 
4. Carlos Correa wins the Silver Slugger
Maybe this goes under the radar a bit, but Carlos Correa has the fifth highest OPS among shortstops since joining the Twins in 2022. And that's with a lackluster 2023 season dragging his numbers down a bit. The man produces at the plate. He just needs to be healthy enough to get the necessary at-bats. 2024 seemed like it was poised to be a career year. Correa had a .900 OPS for the first time since the ultra juiced ball year of 2019, but his foot injuries resurfaced and he didn't play at all between July 12th and September 14th. He wasn't putting up empty stats either. Correa hit .314 in high leverage situations, according to Baseball Reference.
5. Max Kepler has a solid year in his new home
The bar for "solid year" will be different for everyone, but the prediction here is that Kepler adjusts to post-Twins life better than several other Bomba Squad-era teammates who have since been castoff. Kepler is going to a really good hitters park where he'll have a lot of protection up and down the lineup, and he's also been better than some of these other pieces in recent years. What Eddie Rosario did in the 2021 NLCS was fun to watch, but he still has an 83 OPS+ with -8 defensive runs saved since leaving Minnesota. Kepler's career low for OPS+ in a single season is only 91. Mitch Garver is another Bomba Squad player who went off and won a World Series with a new team, but there's only so much value you bring as a DH and occasional fill-in piece at catcher. The other players to look at from that core are Jorge Polanco and Miguel Sano, who have done even less than the previously mentioned players.
6. Ty France does not make Twins opening day roster, Jose Miranda starts at first base
Ty France has a non-guaranteed contract, so the Twins would be able to release him at the end of camp for no money lost. The only thing it would've cost them is a 40-man placeholder for six or seven weeks. Minnesota had a similar arrangement with Anibal Sanchez in 2018. He signed a Major League contract in the off-season, but the money was only guaranteed if he made the opening day roster. Anyway, it's time for Jose Miranda to assume a full time role. He's moved around between first base, third base and designated hitter during his time with the Twins. After bouncing back from a poor showing in 2023, a strong showing in the Grapefruit League might be all Twins management needs to give him his first full time role.
7. Jorge Alcalá continues his hot and cold career
There is no denying that Jorge Alcalá has talent. Every Twins fan who has watched him knows he can be special when pitching at his best. But his whole career has been filled with these ups and downs. It's an on again, off again relationship that rivals Ross and Rachel. Last season was no different. Alcalá owned a 1.63 ERA through 35 appearances at the end of July. His ERA was 6.41 across 19 outings in August and September. His worst outing was in an August 18th loss to Texas that many point to as the beginning of the Twins late season slide. Alcalá is turning 30 in July. He's been a big leaguer since 2019. At this point, there's no reason to expect anything different. He's going to give the Twins some good stretches, and some bad ones.
8. Twins trade for Framber Valdez at the deadline
Houston doesn't bend over backwards to keep their own guys. Just look at the laundry list of core pieces they've let go; Correa, Springer, Keuchel, Morton, Tucker, Bregman, Pressly. There was even a point where they let Justin Verlander sign with the Mets, only to get him back via trade three months later. If you're not Jose Altuve, they are willing to let you walk out the door and call up their next prospect in line. For that reason, a 31-year old Framber Valdez might be available as a rental. Especially if the Astros can't withstand losing Tucker, Bregman and Pressly all in one off-season. This just might be a re-set year for the organization as they wait for their next wave of prospects.
9. Chris Paddack gives Twins 20-25 solid starts
It's impossible to bank on Chris Paddack for a full 30+ start season with his injury history, but he can still be a solid fifth starter option. Think about the role Kenta Maeda played for the Twins in 2023; 20 starts with a 4.23 ERA. Maybe Paddack won't be quite that good, but Minnesota would sign up for anything close to that. And the 2023 Twins probably didn't have as much starter depth behind Maeda to supplement the time he was down. That was a team who was running Dallas Keuchel out there at points. Fans probably feel better about the Woods-Richardson, Festa, Matthews trio of depth than the shell of Dallas Keuchel. 
10. The Twins win 95 games and take the AL Central
Minnesota was on a 92 win pace as late as August 17th last year, and then the season went off the rails. It's always easy to blame pitching for a collapse like that, and the Twins certainly had problems with their staff. Joe Ryan was hurt, their trio of rookie starters all seemed to hit a wall, and the bullpen was falling apart. But despite all that, the bats were still a bigger issue down the stretch. From August 18th onward, the Twins scored just 137 runs. Only the White Sox and Nationals scored less over that span. In short, everything went wrong over those final 38 games. But sometimes, you need to trust bigger samples. Believe in what you saw for 124 games. Not 38. Even without doing much this off-season, Minnesota is still a very good ball club.

And so concludes my Golden Anniversary year.
Not the Golden Anniversary of my birth. I’m a little way past that. And not the Golden Anniversary of my wedding. We’re a little way short of that.
Rather, this past July 13 marked the Golden Anniversary of the Detroit Tigers beating the homestanding Kansas City Royals 8-3, in front of 25,834 fans. Woody Fryman was the winning pitcher, scattering 12 hits over nine innings. Future Hall of Famer and 3,000 Hit Club member Al Kaline was the only player in the Tiger lineup not to get a hit. By contrast, little-used left fielder Marv Lane had four of his career 37 hits that night. He also had his only career triple and both of his career stolen bases. For the Royals, Cookie Rojas plated both runs with an inside the park homer and Kurt Bevacqua and Hal McRae each had three hits.
As MLB games go, it was pretty routine. But it was anything but routine for the eight-year-old kid sitting in Aisle 119, Row JJ, Seat 4, attending his first-ever big league game.
How do I know there was a kid in that seat attending his first game? Because I still have the ticket stub.
 
To celebrate this Golden Anniversary, I did two things this summer. First, I decided to go to three specific games to celebrate. I went solo to each of the three, which also provided time for reflection, as I thought baseball memories on the drive to and from.
The first game was at new Comiskey in Chicago. Or call it U.S. Cellular, Guaranteed Rate, whatever. I chose new Comiskey because for a long time, that was where I went to games most often, often catching the Twins when they were in town.
Ironically, I was standing a dozen or so rows back in the left field bleacher during batting practice, watching others clamor for balls hit into the stands. Some Twin staffer grabbed a ball and looked up in the stands. I suppose because I was one of the few people wearing a Twins shirt, he pointed at me and threw it in my direction. When I was a kid, I would have died for that to happen.
 
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A second game was at Target Field, where I probably get to games most often these days.
When by myself, I normally just get a cheap ticket and move down to an open seat over the course of the game. This time I actually found a $25 ticket for a seat in the Thrivent Deck.  That got me a padded seat, extra concession stands (with shorter lines and more food options), a concourse with greater access to restrooms and the like and the opportunity to wander through a Hall of Fame of sorts, with memorabilia ranging from Harmon Killebrew’s high school basketball uniform to the gear Joe Mauer wore for his emotional one-pitch return to the catcher spot in the final inning of his final game and lots of other stuff.
That game was topped off by crossing paths with my all-time favorite player as I was leaving. Tony Oliva is a regular at Twins games and was gracious enough to pause for a picture.
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The game I particularly looked forward to was at Royal (now called Kauffman) Stadium. My first hope in looking at the schedule was to go on July 13, but the Royals were on the road. However, I was able to go on July 24.
And here’s where it got extra cool. I wanted to recreate a picture from as close as possible to my seat from 50 years ago. When I looked for tickets, however, I discovered that the sections had been renumbered, so Section 119 was at a different location than it was in 1974.
I found an email address and sent a message to the fan relations office, asking if they had a seat map from 1974, explaining why I was looking for it. A couple days later, one of their people sent a map with the old seat numbers. He even went further, going out to take several pictures from the seat in question and sending them to me. It was indeed the general angle I remembered. When I searched for a ticket near the seat in question, I was able to find one a row behind and a seat to the side, essentially a checkerboard move from one seat to the other.
Then, the person in “my” seat went out to the concession stand just before the game started. I’d struck up a conversation with the family in that row, so I asked to hop into that seat for the opening pitch, taking things up a level. The glove is the one I had taken to the game so many years ago. The Marty Pattin autograph has long worn off.
A couple days after my first email exchange, the Royals took it even another step further in their customer relations. A department manager wrote to ask which game I would be attending and where I would be sitting, saying they wanted to bring me a gift to commemorate the day.
 
Midway through the game, what was probably an intern stopped by with a bag of goodies. She had bags to stop by other seats as well, but they had obviously raided the stash of leftover promotional items. For example, I got bobblehead was from a 2023 giveaway and the cap was what they had given to 2019 season-ticket holders. The picture frame was from when they hosted the All-Star Game in 2012. 
The best gift, however, was the t-shirt given away in 2018 to celebrate radio announcer Denny Matthews’ 50th year of broadcasting, but I’m choosing to see the 50 emblem as my own commemoration of 50 years. It’s fitting to have a broadcaster’s mic as well, since my love of baseball was incubated by listening to Twins on WHO-Des Moines.
 
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The second thing I did was put together a list of at least 50 things or memories that capture and reflect the joy I’ve experienced following baseball. Not surprisingly, I blew past that number in a short time, so I consolidated a few on the list that follows.
 
I’d welcome your commenting on any that resonate for you. Or that seem goofy enough to ask about.

1. Going to my first game in Kansas City. Dad and Mom weren’t baseball fans, but we were visiting my uncle in Kansas City, who got us the tickets.
2. Throwing a tennis ball against the side of the house for hours on end, playing imaginary games that always had the Twins winning.
3. Looking forward to Baseball Digest coming in the mail each month. Hoping each Christmas morning that one of my siblings would again renew the subscription as my present.
4. Winning the daily trivia contest on a local radio station several dozen times over a few years, getting two tickets to minor league games in Cedar Rapids each time. Cashing in the voucher for our box seat tickets, going down the steps to the concourse and then back up the steps to the seats, sometimes after turning right in the concourse to the souvenir stand, where a quarter could get the previous week’s copy of The Sporting News.
5. Going to the Rod Carew Game, a 19-12 Twins win over the White Sox in 1977, the year Carew flirted with .400 for much of the year.
6. Wearing the yellow t-shirt with my red Toughskin® jeans during Pee-Wee baseball and then the green pinstriped uniforms for Little League.
7. Being the bat boy for my brother-in-law’s slow pitch softball team, with my own team shirt with my name on the back.
8. Tying my bat on to my bike with baler twine and hooking my glove over the handlebar as I headed off to Vacation Bible School. I enjoyed the stuff we learned, but I have to acknowledge that the softball games before and after were bigger highlights.
9. My parents letting me drive six hours to a baseball game in Minnesota on my own, with my best friend and his brother. I don’t remember which summer it was and whether we were still in high school or had graduated. Going to a game while visiting the future Mrs. IT near the end of her year at Northwestern College in nearby Roseville.
10. Freezing our butts off on my first trip to Wrigley, during a May Term during college. I mean, it’s May at Wrigley — how could it not be shorts weather?
11. The community at Twins Daily, the best fan site there is for following the Twins. For being an online site, it has amazingly civil discussion (most of the time).
12. Playing fantasy baseball for 27 seasons. I don’t think I’ve finished last yet, but I haven’t won 24 of those years.
13. Going to a game with a dear friend, a loan officer, and talking just enough about his credit union so he could write it off as a business expense. Going to lunch with him just over 20 years ago to plan a weekend trip to St. Louis, Kansas City, Minnesota, Milwaukee and Wrigley, but having him not being able to go after he died so unexpectedly just a few weeks later. Taking a glove and ball to his grave when his Cubs made the World Series in 2016.
14. Not sure where to start in the list of memories related to IT Junior. Starting with teaching him the alphabet by saying that “A is for Aaron, B is for Bostock, C is for Carew,” we’ve covered a whole lot of geekiness since then.
15. Lots of memories with younger son (IT Sophomore?), including the joy of being one of his Little League coaches and sitting on a bucket as his catcher while he practiced pitching. I never caught a single inning in Pee Wee or Little League, but it was so much fun to have my own catcher’s mitt to use with him.
16. Weather — Blistering hot in St. Louis in July while taking the boys to their MLB first game at ages 6 and 3. Getting drenched during a rain delay in St. Louis on a later trip, using the giveaway insulated cooler as our “umbrella.” Blistering hot on a Saturday afternoon at Camden Yards in Baltimore. Freezing cold on a spring break trip to Chicago. Sweltering in the back of the upper deck at Wrigley. Lasting through a rain delay on a Sunday evening Twins blowout at Tiger Stadium, where the game ended with only about 100 fans in the entire outfield.
17. Ballpark nachos.
18. Served in a plastic helmet. Pretty sure that studies have shown that food is about 20 percent better when served in a plastic helmet.
19. Speaking of plastic helmets, collecting them as a high school student, wearing them all the time. I’m still not sure why they didn’t become a fashion trend.
20. Playing slow pitch softball in Iowa and Indiana, along with fast pitch in Indiana. Wow, did I stink at the latter.
21. Visiting all 30 major league stadiums. Redoing it when new stadiums opened in Atlanta and Texas. I’ve also been to 15 stadiums that have been closed. Haven’t decided how I’ll handle Sacramento next year. I’d have to count, but it’s probably about 20 minor league parks.
22. And lest 45 MLB parks seem impressive, what’s even more impressive is that Mrs. IT has been to 23 of the 30 current stadiums and a bunch of the closed ones! She doesn’t even like baseball, but it’s just one more reason why she’s a saint.
23. Putting together picture frames of pictures from all the parks, both for my office and for our home.
24. The 1987 World Series, with the Twins winning their first world championship.
25. The 1991 World Series, when the Twins won again.
26. Going to the public library to check out biographies and history books, particularly during oats combining season, when I would check out a dozen or so to read in the field while I waited for Dad to fill the hopper and be ready to dump in the wagon I was pulling. A lot of the biographies were from the adult section, and they used naughty words my parents wouldn’t have approved of.
27. Only realizing much later how much my thoughts about race were shaped by the biographies of Black and Latin players I read as a child, as they described the discrimination they faced, particularly in the minors.
28. All the Matt Christopher books I checked out from my elementary school library. And the My Secrets of Playing Baseball book by Willie Mays probably had my name on the card a dozen times.
29. Coming from school in the fall of 1973, checking the newspaper each day to see if Hank Aaron had hit another homer as he chased Babe Ruth’s record. Trying to figure out what the four columns of numbers in the box score stood for. Trying to figure out abbreviated names like “Ystrzski.”
30. Getting hooked on folk singer John McCutcheon’s music, particularly when I found there is actually someone writing intelligent songs about baseball. And then he did an entire album of baseball songs. And entire concerts of baseball songs. And I even contributed in a tiny way to his most recent song.

The Hammer - April 8, 2024.mp4 31. Listening to as many Twins games as I could as a kid, including late night games from the west coast, all on WHO-Des Moines. Getting rebooked on baseball on the radio by listening to games on MLB Audio these days.
32. Going to the Baseball Hall of Fame several times, including for Kirby Puckett’s induction. Going to an induction for what will probably be the last time when Tony Oliva was inducted. Going to a bunch of other museums as well. The best of the others is the Negro League Baseball Museum in Kansas City, but there’s also been ones for Ty Cobb, Babe Ruth, Bob Feller (sort of — it’s now closed).
33. Developing a friendship with an MLB player, bringing him to church twice as a youth group fundraiser. Learning more about the business side of the game from the unique perspective he provides.
34. Field of Dreams, The Natural, Bull Durham, The Sandlot, Trouble with the Curve, Moneyball, A League of Their Own and all the great baseball movies I’ve seen. Putting together an All-Star team of movie characters — Billy Chapel on the mound, Roy Hobbs in right, Crash Davis behind the plate, etc. 
 
35. Seeing Twins minor leaguer Royce Lewis interact compassionately with a bat boy with Down Syndrome. Total class.
36. The amazing speed of Byron Buxton. Joe Nathan doing his horse-like, “Pbbbbbt,” as he stood on the mound and prepared to throw a pitch.
37. All the players who gave autographs to my sons throughout the years. I always thought Nathan set the tone with Twins relief pitchers. If the leader of the pen was so willing to sign, how could the others not do the same?
38. Baseball cards — getting introduced to them by getting a pack from my brother. A pack with a Rod Carew, no less. Collecting them as a kid. Spreading them all over the floor with my best friend. Getting gifted my brother-in-law’s cards one year for Christmas. Best Christmas present ever! Knowing I traded away several Nolan Ryan and Reggie Jackson rookie cards over the years. Eventually completing the 1976 and 1979 sets, two years when I was particularly active. Recently completing a run of all of Tony Oliva’s cards, making a display in my home office.
39. Having a work travel schedule at several employers that have lent themselves to being able to tag a bunch of games on to work trips.
40. Going to the Field of Dreams movie site several times, playing catch with IT Sophomore, but also with a bunch of people I’ll never know.
41. Baseball-reference.com. Enough said.
42. Going to the Society for American Baseball Research annual conference. Twice.
43. Ballparks — practically the only time I eat peanuts in the shell. Other than when I go to Five Guys.
44. Touring a bunch of parks over the years, including standing atop the Green Monster.
45. Covering plenty of games as a newspaper reporter or sports information director, including games in several minor league parks and a couple of states and games with a future NFL player. Interviewing a couple of major leaguers who were on minor league rehab assignments.
46. Getting to throw out the first pitch at a high school game, to the young man in my church who I serve as a mentor for.
47. Keeping score. Seeing the passion IT Junior has for doing the same. Occasionally sending scoring questions to Stew Thornley, whom I’ve gotten to know through a unique set of circumstances.
48. Having the goofy dream of retiring to Rochester, Minn., spending my evenings selling Diet Coke in the bleachers at Target Field. Probably won’t happen.
49. Having baseball as part of my end-of-life plan. Seriously. I’ve told Mrs. IT and the boys that baseball enjoyment is one of my measures of incapacity. If there’s no likelihood that I’ll ever be able to sense/experience a baseball again, that’s one indicator that it’s okay to pull the plug.
50. When asked how she feels about going to all these games, hearing Mrs. IT say, “I don’t like baseball, but I like some people who like baseball.” See saint reference above. That statement has taught me so much about marriage.
 
(If you’ve made it through all this, thanks for indulging me.)
 

Revolutionizing Baseball: A Schedule and Playoff Format for Maximum Excitement
Baseball has always been a game of strategy, endurance, and tradition, but with evolving fan expectations, it’s time to rethink how the sport is structured. What if every game and every series carried significant weight? Imagine a league where injuries are minimized, travel is reduced, and engagement soars. With a reimagined schedule and playoff format, MLB can deliver a product that’s better for players, fans, and the future of the game.
⚾ Baseball Needs a Refresh
In its current state, MLB struggles with two major issues:
Diluted Engagement: A 162-game marathon can make games feel less urgent, particularly early in the season or during mismatched series. Player Fatigue and Injuries: Last season, fans missed seeing Shohei Ohtani pitch, Ronald Acuña Jr.’s electric play, and Mike Trout’s brilliance due to injuries exacerbated by relentless schedules. It’s clear: baseball deserves a format that prioritizes meaningful games while keeping stars on the field.
📅 A Cooler Schedule: Why Every Series Matters
Under the new schedule, teams play five-game series against every other team in the league, reducing travel and creating a playoff-like atmosphere for every matchup. Here’s what it looks like:
Sunday Doubleheaders: Weekly doubleheaders cap off the series, creating excitement-packed weekends. Two Halves, One Goal: The season is divided into two halves, with playoff spots awarded to the teams with the best series records in each league after 16 series. This format means:
Fewer travel days (down to ~30 trips/season from 45+). More recovery time with predictable off-days. Fans are rewarded with more meaningful games, especially on weekends. 📊 Old vs. New: Why This Format Wins
Here’s how the new schedule stacks up against the old one:
Metric Old Schedule New Schedule Travel Days/Season ~45 trips (~1 every 3.6 days) ~30 trips (~1 every 5.3 days) Games/Week 6-7 games, no scheduled rest 5 games, with built-in rest Doubleheaders Rare and unscheduled Weekly on Sundays Fan Engagement Peaks during marquee games Higher across every weekend Player Fatigue High due to constant travel Lower, with structured rest Visualize the Difference:
Below is a dynamic comparison chart highlighting how the new schedule improves on key metrics:
 
   
🏆 A Playoff Format That Engages Fans Year-Round
Borrowing inspiration from the NBA, this new system injects excitement into both halves of the season:
Midseason Wild Card Berth: After the first 16 five-game series, the team in each league with the best series record earns a Wild Card playoff spot. This keeps the first half of the season thrilling and competitive. Second-Half Wild Card Berth: The same process applies for the season’s second half, ensuring that even struggling teams have a chance to rebound. If a Wild Card winner finishes with a higher playoff seed through overall performance, the berth shifts to the next eligible team. This rewards consistency without compromising fairness.
Why It Works:
Fans stay engaged all season, as every game carries playoff implications. Teams can reset and refocus for the second half, ensuring excitement from start to finish. 📡 MLB Sunday Ticket: The Future of Fan Engagement
Weekends are when sports dominate the conversation. MLB could launch a subscription service, MLB Sunday Ticket, to make Sunday doubleheaders unmissable.
Features:
Live Commentary Across Games: A dedicated commentator highlights key moments from every game, including walk-offs, no-hitters, and playoff-clinching performances. Real-Time Alerts: Subscribers get notified of milestone moments, like home run chases or record-breaking plays. Exclusive Content: Behind-the-scenes footage and player interviews add depth to the fan experience. The Result: A service that increases ratings, revenue, and fan accessibility, making MLB Sundays as iconic as NFL Sundays.
🚀 Why This Is a Win for Everyone
For Players: Reduced travel and predictable rest days keep stars healthier and on the field. For Fans: Every game and series feels significant, with more opportunities to see stars in action. For the League: Higher engagement boosts attendance, ratings, and revenue, ensuring the sport thrives for generations. Conclusion: A New Era for Baseball
Baseball is built on tradition, but evolution is key to its future. By embracing this new schedule and playoff format, MLB can deliver a league where every game matters, every series is meaningful, and fans are more connected than ever. With healthier players, a competitive structure, and innovations like MLB Sunday Ticket, this vision offers something for everyone.
So, what do you think, Twins fans? Could this be the bold step baseball needs to become the most exciting sport in the world?
 

Where's the game thread for our AFL team today?  Guess I have to start my own. 
J/K.  Here's a photo though. 

That's Kala'i Rosario in RF in case you can't tell.  😊  Had a good time watching a bad, sloppy game last night, with USAF Chief.
/ edit - and that's Rosario with a HR swing in the 5th in the cover photo 
 

I've followed the Twins for as long as I can remember. I am not going to pretend I've seen it all, but that makes the following statement come with deep thought and reflections before saying it aloud:

I have never been more angry at the end of a season and feel as disconnected from the baseball team I love and support as I do at this particular moment.

Just 52 short weeks ago, the Twins did something they had not done in nearly two decades. They won a playoff game.

In fact, they won back-to-back playoff games, which constituted a playoff series victory. Another thing they had not done in two decades. 

After giving a good punch to the Astros in the divisional series, the Twins bowed out of the postseason with three playoff victories and renewed fan excitement. I had not felt this much excitement about the Twins moving forward since the end of 2009 when they were about to move into a new stadium and were going to field a pretty damn good team. 

The Twins took out a full-page ad in the local papers and spammed this letter across their social media channels, doubling down on our excitement for what was supposedly going to come next. 
 


"Imagine what next season could be."

That full sense of excitement never made it to the 2024 regular season. That imagination of what 2024 could be never got even off the ground. 

Right at the beginning of Spring Training, Twins Executive Chair Joe Pohlad had an interview with WCCO Radio, and said the team was not adding any big-time free agents. Pohlad also added that the team's payroll - which had been slashed by $30 million in the offseason - was going to remain where it was presently at. 

Sonny Gray, who was a key cog in the Twins 2023 pitching staff, had already left in free agency. The Twins could have used another front-line starter to compliment Pablo Lopez. They didn't, opting to go with Chris Paddack and a rotating cast of rookies. 

Carlos Santana was the marquee free agent signing, but, with all respect, he was not going to fix what ailed the Twins in the ALDS against Houston: clutch hitting. 

After all that excitement and the fact the Twins just needed a few upgrades, they slashed the payroll and went back to shopping in the bargain bin like the 2000s Twins in the Metrodome. Frustration sank in about the lack of moves during the spring, but hope - as it always does every spring training - sprung eternal and you never know what a regular season will bring. 

Just inside the start of May, as the Twins were surging after a slow start, myself and a large portion of the fanbase lost the simple ability to view the team on television. Diamond Sports Group and Comcast could not agree on a new contract and all Bally Regional Sports Networks - which included the Twins' television home, Bally Sports North - was pulled off the cable giant. 

The Twins had the opportunity to go a different route for their TV options following 2023, but they re-upped their contract with Ballys for one year, knowing full well that this could happen. The Twins opted for the largest deal available to them, the same deal that was their excuse for slashing payroll, and lost a large chunk of fans on TV for the summer.

Sure, you could go find them on something called FUBO TV, but I had already cut cable before and had to go back to it after Diamond Sports group muscled my streaming service out of showing their games. I was not going down that road again. I'm sure I was not the only one in that boat either. 

For three months, I sat in the dark. If the game was big enough, I would find a less-than-ideal way to stream the game, but mostly I resorted to listening via radio or just following along with the beat writers via X if I was not attending the game. That was an incredibly frustrating and unideal way to follow your baseball team in 2024.
 
On August 1, the blackout on television lifted after the companies came to an agreement a few days prior. This also coincided with the trade deadline just passing. The Twins did nothing but add a reliever off the scrap heap who was released a month later. Twins President of Baseball Operations Derek Falvey would not commit to saying if payroll had anything to do with the lack of moves. Frustration sank in again as it appeared that ownership had prevented from the Twins baseball people doing anything meaningful to make this club better. 

Frustration also appeared to be prevalent in the Twins clubhouse after the deadline. Not ideal to see players speaking out about frustrations with lack of upgrades. Surely that will not show its head over the final months, right? RIGHT?

The back end of the rotation was lacking, the bullpen needed another quality arm or two, and hitting was problematic at times. But the Twins sat 59-48, six games back of Cleveland in the Central but well in a Wild Card spot in the AL. Mere hope for the best outcome was all we fans had for the final two months.

Hope did not carry long. 

Pitching fell apart, both in the rotation and bullpen, hitting went colder than a trip to the Arctic, and the Twins sank. Along with a late-season surge by Detroit, the Twins had a collapse for the ages. Nothing went right almost nightly, but at least we had them back on TV to watch uninspired baseball. 

The Twins were officially eliminated in the season's final week, but you might as well have called the coroner on the club on that final day of July when the trade deadline passed. 

Frustration for the season gave way to sheer anger. Anger that nothing more meaningful was done to improve the team leading up to the deadline. Nothing more meaningful was done to improve the team going back to the offseason. Anger that all the excitement we had for this baseball team one year ago has been so quickly washed away.

On the season's final day, as the entire state had its eyes gazed east to Wisconsin for an important football game, the Twins brass came out and spoke on the season's failures. 
 

Joe Pohlad spoke, putting his foot in his mouth again, reminding us fans that this is a business and he won't get into business decisions. 

(credit to Gleeman for putting Pohlad's feet to the fire here)


If I wanted to be spoonfed manure, my wife's uncle has a farm I can go visit anytime. I don't need to be given it from the local baseball team.

Pohlad mentions he has to "run this business for our team and our fans". Well, Joe, this season has been anything but "for the fans". So where can you tell me things were done for the fans? And if we fans voiced our displeasure in the ballpark, they were told to leave the ballpark and not return for a year. 

Good look, Joe. 

In a season in which one of our most prominent players in franchise history went into Cooperstown, and personally, I got to take my baby girl to baseball games, I am left feeling nothing but anger and distrust for what I, and the Twins fanbase, had to endure in 2024. I don't say these things lightly, but this is the reality of what has built up over the last year. 

The negatives horribly outweighed anything that was fun and good. That's what I'll remember about the 2024 season. 

And it will now take more than a couple of playoff wins to wash these feelings away. That's for damn sure. 

As we all know the twins season came to a end last night in the saddest way. possible but today I don't want to focus on the bad stuff. Today we are going to focus on the good stuff
Highlights From The Twins Season
1 They Won 14 Straight After A rough Start to the season. 2 The Twins Had 2 All Stars 3 The Twins Had A lot of key players and a key season they just fell into a weird slump their at the end. Awards
Now is the time I Want to give out the March To October Yearly Awards
Minnesota Twins MVP
Byron Buxton ( All though Buxton had a few key injuries he had his 2nd season in his 7 years of service time. He also Finished With a batting average of 2.79 Batting Average And Arguably Might Of had The Best Season Of His Career)
Minnesota Twins Pitcher Of The Year
Griffin Jax ( I Know This Might Be A Bit Of a weird Pick But he did post an ERA under 3 And was the most Important Bullpen Pieces This Season)
Minnesota Twins Comeback Player 
Carlos Correa ( After Posting up a 2.32 Batting Average Last Year He Finished this Year With A BA just Above 3 And had one of the longest hitting streak. Also he is just a great player And More Importantly A great Human.)
So That Wraps Up The twins March to October Article So thank you so much to everyone for supporting me and Thank you To the twins daily Staff And Moderators For Making This Place A great Website. I hope Everyone Has A great Off season. See you In the Off season Then In the 2025 Season. 
LETS GO TWINS
 

I ran across an article, in a completely non-sports context (ethical choices), that fairly well sums up my view on using analytics wisely.
Have a read, see what you think.  I'm not going to short-circuit discussion by providing a summary; if no discussion occurs, so be it.
https://www.goodthoughts.blog/p/good-judgment-with-numbers

Holy cow,  How pathetic were the Twins Pitching additions this year by our FO?  we all know it was pathetic, but did you know it was THIS pathetic?
I didnt quite realize how poor the moves were... until I read the article by Do-Hyoung Park... Here is the sum total of our pitching additions this year...
OFFSEASON MOVES:
Anthony DeSclafina: $4M   DNP
Josh Staumant:  $950K  Released 8/2.
Steven Okert::  $1M DFA  8/24  
Jay Jackson  $1.3M DFA 6/21
Justin Topa: $1.25M :  INJURED   ... ok so he actually was able to get into a whopping 2 games and 1 1.3 innings but not until 9/25 when we were essentially already toast, so basically another DNP
TRADE DEADLINE MOVES:
Trevor Richards:  acquired  7/30   DFA  8/27.
 
The Sum Total of pitching acquisitions:
6 Total Acquisitions
$9M (roughyl)
4 DFA/Released
2 DNP  (including Topa as DNP as he essetnialyl was)
 
yes... THAT pathetic!!
 
 

How a bout a quick game of Rock Paper Scissors. But this time in the form of Players, Coaches, Front Office.
With an historic collapse liek the Twins had there is never just 1 reason for it. There are always multiple reasons. So how about a game of PCF?
Where would apply the primary Failures?
Not I am not including injuries in the game because a 4th option just does not fit the game. Plus depending on the injury it could fall into any of the current 3.
1) Offense:
Down the stretch our offense completely disappeared. Truth be told, we were never TRULY that good of an offense.  During our stretches of being the "explosive offense" the Twins pretended to be tended to come against stretches against bad to mediocre teams, when we moved onto better teams we tended to revert back to an underperforming offense. but we are focusing here on the collapse portion of the season, and while were were a top 10 run scoring offense overall, during this stretch of futility we were only better than the White Sox and Angels. who COMBINED for 102 wins.
Players: You could say the Twins were "tired"  or injured, btu that is an excuse, Lewis MASSIVE slump to end the year you could tell he was just all upper arm swing which indicates tiredness, But overall just didnt produce. Correa and Buxton were missing for a portion of the collapse, and both it well when they returned but we still struggled. How much of a collective struggle is "team approach" I.E. coaching? and how much is on players not performing? There was just too much bad baserunning, bad situational hitting, and bad approaches down the stretch that must go on the players on the field.
Coaches: This could just be philisophical differences, as opposed to perceived incompetence, but I HATE the amount of early pinch hitting Baldelli does. And while I have never coached above College ball  (ok never above high school or even T ball... but the "never above College" still is technically accurate) I think you have to give your players the opportunities to hit same side pitching. take opportunities during the year with games not on the line. leave them in sometimes. Do SOMETHING to make yourself not so reliable on having to switch out hitters. I cna recal a MINIMUM of at least 5 games wher Baldelli pinch hit for LH hitters in the 5th inning against teams that had only ONE LH pitcher in the bullpen. this means if you left your LH in the game in the 5th inning, you know for a fact they will face oly RH hitters the rest of the game. If my memory is correct we ended losing them all. Not that we were guaranteed to win them, but that is not putting your team in the best position to win.
Front Office: While our offense was not the big priority, it was clear it was not the overall strength they sold it to be going into the season. Everyone had to know Correa and Buxton would be missing time again. While you couldn't anticipate the early injury to Lewis, he had never put together a full healthy season. While we had an abundance of "potential" we went into season with unproven over a full season Larnach, Miranda, Wallner, Kirilloff. Julien was coming off a good year but how many players repeat succesful rookie campaigns?  Farmer is what he is (hint not a major league regular). Would Kepler be the 2nd half Kepler from last year? or what he had been for most of his career? oh yeah and Kepler, Wallner, Larnach all seem to have something I just cant put my finger on when it comes to building out a roster... Oh yeah ALL LH hitting OF.  What is a coach supposed to do there? especially one who relies on analytics to mix and match?  Margot was not a win, Santans though you have to give FO credit. But overall what else would a FO do here? you have to trust/hope in who you had. and where were realistic better options position wise?
RESULT:  ROCK... PAPER.. SCISORS... PLAYERS!!     with coaching a close 2nd.  and I could actually go coaching... after all can you blame players for simply playing to who the level they actually are? 
2) PITCHING
I am lumping the entirety of pitching into one group as starters and relievers impact each other.
Players: Joe Ryan's injury here obviously had an impact. It does not seem to be an injury that coudl have been easily predicted (which would put on Front Office) or through the result of poor handling (which would have been put on coaching) so it comes in here.  Ober was solid, Lopez was not spectacular but solid, and better down the stretch than early. Beyond those two in the roation, SWR performed admirably but tired down teh stretch, we relied on too many young starters who did not have the experience and who were approaching or exceeding historical innings maxes. the Bullpen had some inconsistency especially with Duran, most other failures were just relievers who were not very good overall.  I cannot place the blame on young pitchers with no experience hitting their innigns maxes, or poor performances from players who simply arent that great,  so hint... we may not have a winner here.
 
Coaches: Now it gets juicier. AT least in my opinion. Personally I believe Baldelli did a HORRIBLE job of managing the staff. From pulling pitchers way too soon who were cruising, to using Duran in a number of situations where he had proven himself to struggle (yes any good pitcher shoudl be able to pitch in any situation, but if you as coach know they struggle more in certain situations you just do not put them in those situations). Weirdly the Twins are middle of the pack (14th) in innings pitched by pitchers, so does it just FEEL like he pulls pitchers early??? and maybe the horrible blow ups just shine more light than it deserves. but it FEELS like Baldelli horribly mismanaged this staff. so I am sticking with it.
Front Office: SO going into the offseason we let Sonny Gray go, we let Maeda go. and we replaced with... ???  Again I wouldnt have anticipated Joe Ryan's injury but we went into the season with Ryan, Ober, Lopez as a top 3. with little other experience filling out the back end.  So to START the season we had either inexperience or known injury history in the back end,  SWR, PAddack, Disclafina, Varland.  and ended up relying on inexpereinced youngsters hitting their innigns maxes in Fest and Matthews. SO we did not set up the rotation for success out the gate (which has an impact on the collapse we are specifically grading). At the deadline we did virtaully nothing and almost LITERALLY nothing.  Total pitching moves by this Front Office:  6 total external moves. spending a total of $9M resulting in 4 DFA  and 2 DNP.
RESULT: ROCK... PAPER... SCISSORS... FRONT OFFICE!!  (again with pitching a close second)
 
To paraphrase a well used saying...  "It takes teamwork to make the dream nightmare work"  and if you average the scores... at least mine you get:
Players: 1 offense and 3 pitching == 2 average
Coaches 2 offense and 2 pitching = 2 average
Front Office   3 offense and 1 pitching = 2 average.
Overall though I would put the blame game as   #1 Front Office  #2 (close) coaching  and #3 Players.
 
Thoughts? and who comes out in your "Rock Paper Scissors"?
 
 

Looking at his numbers you can see that his ERA is higher then in years past.  Why is that and what has changed?  Looking at his traditional stat line you notice that he has given up more hits and twice as many walks compared to the last several years.  His strike out rate is the same.  And his homeruns per 9 innings is in line with his career average. 
Let’s dive deeper and look at more numbers.  He is giving up contact at similar rates.  His LD% is actually a full 1% lower than his career average.  His ground ball % is 7% higher than his career average and his flyball rate is down 3% from his career average. 
What I don’t know is if his stuff is less than years past things like fast fastball speed, spin rate on pitches resulting in movements.  What I can see is that it seems more ground ball hits are falling in than normal  Since the line drive % is down, I would think there is more luck / groundball hits going against him.  He is also walking twice as many hitters as he has in the past which is adding even more base runners.  And third.  This hasn’t been stated on here but with the bigger bases and more steals he has given up 7 stolen bases with no caught stealing.  Since 2020 3 was the most stolen bases against him in a season and no one has been caught against him this year. 
Theilbar’s effectiveness loss comes down to 3 things.  1.  More hits on the ground are getting through. 2.  Twice as many walks 3 base runners getting the jump on running to the next base.  1 of these is luck and the other two are tightening up on holding runners and throwing more strikes.  I do believe Theilbar can make a comeback and be good again next season but he has to tighten up his game. 
I would love to hear others thoughts and analysis on his season.  does anyone else think that a few teaks could have him being an effective middle reliever again?

I don't know how many times I've seen the Twins' ownership all lumped together as a singular, static entity. Similar to the entity known as "Falvine" or that childhood couple who got the blended name like Nateiffer or whatever. The perceived sins of the father infect the rest of the family by association like the way people go after the blood relations of presidents. The arguments surround the Twins being owned by misers who hurt the team's chance of being successful because they won't pay competitive salaries. Inconceivably large numbers get thrown around and ranks are used to provide a convenient reference furthering the commenter's opinion. But, just how does the Twins' historical payroll stack up in a visual way? A way which can better illustrate at a glance how competitive they've been. Is Carl the same as Jim? Are the Twins the franchise today as they were 20 years ago?

What does 16th or 19th rank look like? See for yourself how the Twins stack up historically, all the way back to 1988 based on data from The Baseball Cube. 2024 data comes from Spotrac so the methodology might be a bit different. You can see some major trends and how baseball competition levels were affected by changes to the CBA and television, etc. Up until about 1990, the differences from the haves to the have nots wasn't so huge. The Twins were right in the thick of things as one of the upper payroll teams. A paradigm shift occurred and baseball competition levels would never be the same. Another shift in the late 90s changed the landscape yet again. Suddenly, the gap became massive, and Carl Pohlad opted for the bare minimum cost philosophy as the Twins secured the lowest payrolls in MLB. Contraction didn't happen, and Twins payrolls rose to about the bottom of the 3rd quartile of teams until Target Field. When Target Field opened, Carl Pohlad was dead with his son, Jim, having taken over. Jim pushed payroll up a full bracket and more closely followed the bottom of the 2nd quartile of teams. Right about dead mid market combined from 2010-2022, but it appears there's another shift going on.


 
Payrolls and revenues are trending up, and the Pohlad family appear to be more committed to trend back to the days of their father, and the Metrodome as attendance falters. Carl Pohlad was a miser. While generous from a charitable standpoint, and an honorable man with multiple purple hearts, a bronze star with clusters and a fantastic personal reputation amongst the people who knew him, he did not accept losses from businesses, and the Twins were a business to him. Carl's first love was football, and he actively attempted to purchase a controlling interest in the Minnesota Vikings, but was rebuffed because he owned a controlling interest in the Twins already. I have to wonder if Jim is getting miserly as he ages? Frustration with attendance and an inability to get a new stadium built led Carl to cut the payroll down to the bottom of the barrel and field more than a handful of terrible, non-competitive teams while threatening to sell the team to a party who would move the franchise out of state or even potentially contract the team entirely. This new philosophy for the Twins' ownership on the back of frustration with attendance potentially signals it's time for the Pohlads to sell the team to an owner with better business sense because Twins revenue shouldn't be as low as it is. Poorly negotiated TV deals, poor marketing and a lack of accountability at the head of the organization have allowed ownership to assume revenues are fixed so costs must be cut rather than understanding how to expand revenues to keep the team competitive with mid-market teams.

The Pohlads also appear to lack understanding of how team payrolls work. Joe Pohlad pointed to the Orioles as an example, but Baltimore has fielded a payroll higher than the Twins in 21 of the past 37 seasons (57%) including 3 seasons above the maximum payroll in Twins' history despite a much smaller market than Minneapolis. The Orioles recently employed the tank Astros philosophy of the 2010s initiating a total burn down of their roster with the willingness to field the worst teams in baseball year in and out while undertaking a massive rebuild. Now in a competitive window, Baltimore is once again expanding their payroll rapidly, and I expect they'll surpass the Twins once again next season. Baltimore would never have burned down a team in their prime competitive window.

This new (old) Pohlad philosophy is not only a poor look, it's a disservice to the fans, and the taxpayers who built Target Field with the expectation ownership would keep their end of the bargain and fund the team appropriately. It reeks of panic, frustration, poor business management, and dysfunction. If this is what the Pohlads bring to the table now, it's best to find fresh new ownership with a better philosophy.

Every sports fan is likely to believe the umps are biased against their team, but there have been several games lately that make it seem like the fates are working against the Twins. Let's look at some examples.
In last night's game against the Pirates, assistant hitting coach Derek Shomon was ejected for arguing balls and strikes. As it turns out, he was right to be frustrated, as HP ump Paul Clemons called a pitch to Correa a strike when it was a ball. Later in the inning, with bases loaded, a ball to Kepler was called a strike, impacting the shape of the plate appearance, the inning, and the game, as the Twins were unable to score a run. After the game, the folks at umpirescorecards.com released their scorecard, and Pittsburgh was awarded 1.17 runs in their favor.

During the Yankees series, there were several questionable calls and most seemed to go against the Twins. That seems to be a trend on the season. Let's take a deeper dive into the data
So far this season, if all pitches had been called correctly, the Twins should have scored an additional 5.22 runs. Their main divisional opponent, the Guardians, should have scored 17.82 FEWER runs than they have. Overall, that 23 run differential means that the two teams should be much closer in the standings than they are. However, not all runs are created equal. So, I looked at the ump scorecards for each game that was decided by two of fewer runs to understand exactly what impact the umpires have had on the two teams results.
For starters, there have been two head-to-head games that went Cleveland's favor that actually should have been Twins victories. Here are the scorecards for the 4/6 and 5/17 games.  
There have been other examples of Twins losses that the outcome should have been wins, or at least may have ended differently. On 4/14 against the Tigers, the final score was 3-4 Tigers, but they scored 1.32 additional runs due to ball and strike calls.
 
On 4/19, also against the Tigers, the 4-5 loss was in part decided by the extra .88 runs awarded to the Tigers. 

That's four losses directly attributed to incorrect ball and strike calls.
There was also a single example of the Twins recording a win that they may not have earned. On 4/23, against the White Sox, the 6-5 score was aided by an extra run in our favor.

Net-net, this likely means we should have at least three more wins than we actually do. 
Earlier, I mentioned Cleveland's 17.82 surplus runs. According to umpirescorecards.com, they lead all of baseball in favorable calls. How has this impacted their win total? In addition to the two-game swing based on the head-to-head matchups discussed earlier, they have had several one-run victories where they scored a half-run due to ball and strike calls. While these may still have ended in Cleveland wins, the outcome may have been different on 4/18, 5/6, 6/1, and 6/7.

Perhaps more importantly for Cleveland, they have only had a single game this season that calls went against them in a meaningful way - 4/13 against the Yankees. With a final score of 3-2 Yankees, the evil empire was granted an extra .55 runs.
.
Assuming that Cleveland would have won half those games anyway, it's fair to think their actual win total should be four wins less than reality.
What's the impact of all this? Well, entering play on 6/8/24, Cleveland is 40-22 and the Twins are 33-30. Based on expected win totals were balls and strikes called accurately and consistently, the ACTUAL win/loss records should be Cleveland at 36-26, and the Twins at...36-27. That reality would feel much different for fans than the one we are living. The good news is we are well-positioned the rest of the way, with one of the easiest remaining schedules in baseball. Cleveland has one of the hardest. With some fair umpires, we just might be able to run away with the division.
Thoughts?

SO yet again  Baldelli pinch hits  for the lead off batter and the#2 batter in the 5th inning!!!????
 
you have your starting lineup for 4 out of 9 innings.
you pinch hit a guy hitting under .200 and an OPS under .500 for your leadoff guy, and you pinch  another guy under .200 BA and under .500 OPS for a guy hitting .354 &.928!!
 
Thsi SHi....  This CRA....  This STUFF  has to stop!!!!

Hi folks. I am Al from SoDak. I have been reading Twins Daily since its inception and always thought of contributing. Well, here I go.
I am a collector of Twins baseball cards. About 10-15 years ago, I made it a goal to get at least one card from every Twins player who had a card. That goal seems to have morphed into getting each Twins card for every Topps set (and a few other brands here and there). I currently have more than 2,400 cards from about 750 unique players. I have a plan for a series of posts to review and comment on each year’s set of Twins cards. But by no means will this be completed in one initial post. I plan to cover each year in order of the years I have completed. So, I will start with my first completed set (1963 Topps) and go forward to other completed sets. As I continue with my series, I will continue with my collecting. Hopefully when I get the most recent set, I will have more of the earlier sets completed and can loop back and comment on those. Hopefully we all find this an interesting exercise.
To start with I am going to give my opinion of the best card. This will likely be one of the most expensive cards but not necessarily the most expensive. I don’t want to have too many Killebrews, Olivas, Carews, etc. I will also give my opinion of my personal favorite card. This might be based on the look of the card, or a story behind the card or player. Finally, I will discuss the card of the most obscure player in my opinion. This will hopefully include a little research and history of this player so that we can learn more about lesser-known players. I anticipate the obscure player part ending up as the most detailed and longest part of the post.
We’ll see how this goes.
1963 TOPPS
This colorful set is one my favorites from the 1960s. The cards are 2.5” x 3.5” which has been the standard card size since 1957. Each card contains a larger color image of the player with a smaller black and white picture within a circle at the bottom of the card. The player’s name, team and position are on a colorful thick border at the bottom. The league leader cards and many of the rookie cards are of the notorious “floating head” design. This 1963 set contains the Tony Oliva #228 rookie card amongst its 33 Twins cards.

THE BEST
Many sources list the Oliva rookie card and Harmon Killebrew #500 as the most expensive Twins cards in the set. The Oliva card is of the often ridiculed “floating heads” design, so I am going to lean to the Harmon Killebrew card the best card. Hopefully this doesn’t start a trend of too many Killebrews.

PERSONAL FAVORITE
I like the Bob Allison #75 where he is shown in a solid batting pose. Jim Kaat (#165) stares down the camera at the start of a wind-up. To me, that’s a good card and made better by the fact that I was able to get mine autographed at TwinsFest a few years back. I also like that the AL Home Run Leaders #4 has Killebrew front and center as the top dog from 1962. The autograph on the good-looking Jim Kaat card puts that card on top for me as my personal favorite.
                     
MOST OBSCURE PLAYER
My choice as the most obscure Twins player included in the 1963 Topps baseball card set is George Banks (card #564).

Interestingly, the Twins had five rookie cards included in the 1963 Topps set. Four of those cards were like the Oliva rookie with “floating heads” design, but one rookie player got his own card – yes, Mr. Banks. Why? Well, he was signed in 1957 by the New York Yankees and had minor league success. George Banks hit 82 minor league home runs through 1960 (on his way to 223 home runs in 11 minor league seasons). In 1961 the Twins selected him in the Rule 5 draft, the mechanism that led to the Twins obtaining Shane Mack and Johan Santana (trade) many years later.
George Banks played mainly 3rd Base and Outfield. He played a total of five seasons in MLB, splitting his time between Minnesota and Cleveland. He was a piece in a key trade – He and Lee Stange were traded to Cleveland for Mudcat Grant who we all know won 21 games in the World Series year of 1965. Mudcat won Game 6 nearly all by himself. He led the Twins to a 5-1 win in this elimination game. He allowed only six hits and was also a force in the batter’s box with a 3-run home run.
Banks could never match his minor league prowess in the big leagues. His WAR was 0.3. He only got 203 at bats in MLB. He played 63 games in 1963, but only 25 in 1964. After the trade he played in a total of 17 games over parts of three seasons in Cleveland.
But George Banks did have a nice 1963 rookie card. The card shows him squaring to bunt which contrasts with his minor league propensity to his home runs. Love it!
So there it is. My first entry in what could end up being a long series about baseball cards and the Minnesota Twins. Hopefully I get some positive feedback, encouragement, and views to keep me motivated.
If you disagree with my opinions, I would love to see your opinions, criticisms, and suggestions in the comments below. Don’t be too hard on me. Let’s have fun with this!

Listening to the Mariners podcast the team & the fans were overjoyed by the trade. That Polanco had been a target for a long time & they really liked his #s though social media tried to put him down because of his injuries. That the pieces they gave up were not that necessary for their bigger plans. But we have to see there are 2 Polancos, The long-time untreated injured Polanco & the healthy Polanco. Most like to focus on the long-time untreated injured Polanco but with last year of taking it easy on him plus a normal offseason I'm betting on a healthy Polanco with corresponding stats
Year Age Tm Lg G PA AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB CS BB SO BA OBP SLG OPS OPS+ TB GDP HBP SH SF IBB Pos Awards                                                           3.3 WAR 2019 25 MIN AL 153 704 631 107 186 40 7 22 79 4 3 60 116 .295 .356 .485 .841 121 306 11 4 2 7 2 *6D/H AS,MVP-13                                                           4.2 WAR 2021 27 MIN AL 152 644 588 97 158 35 2 33 98 11 6 45 118 .269 .323 .503 .826 125 296 4 5 0 6 0 *46/DH  Polanco had a great debut with ,333/.500/.833/1.333 & a 268 OPS+, he had a very good BA & OBA early in his career with few ABs. '19 was his big opportunity & had a great 1st half & became an All-Star but because of extended time at SS he played at least the last half with bad ankles & his #s dropped considerably yet he got MVP votes. He ended the season with ankle surgery. '20 he played all season with bad ankles & had another ankle surgery at the end of the season. '21 he was moved off SS & never had ankle problems again & had his only truly healthy season his OAA was 13. '22 he had a good 1st half, in June he hurt his back, they gave him time off,  he bounced back & hasn't had back problems after that. Then he hurt his knee sliding, He played the rest of the season with a bad knee until he could no longer take the field. His stats are good even when playing hurt but they are phenomenal when 100%
Gonzalez is an overrated prospect. He's not a great fielder but has a good arm, so he's projected in RF. He's young so some think he'll add extra power but the truth is his structure is 5'10 so he's pretty much filled out & true evaluators believe he won't hit close to the HRs that he needs to profile to play RF together with his lack of plate discipline his stock will plummet. SEA got rid of him at the right time. Twins have no present or future need for Gonzalez.
DeSclafani, SEA was dying to flip. FO thinks that they can fix his pitch mix (they thought the same about Shoemaker). We don't need another 5th starter, we have plenty of in-house pitchers that need that opportunity more than a washed-up veteran. 
Bowan, a low lotto ticket that this FO likes his weird stats
Topa, a 32 yrs. old flash in the pan, which like Jose Lopez we don't know how he going to react in MN & if that success is sustainable. We also have in-house pitchers we can go with, that need experience & we know.
Money, free up money so they can sign a 1yr. Gallo-type hitting 1B or OF. Here they signed Carlos Santana at 1B, a potential HR hitter that SO less than an average Twin but can he come up with the big hit when we need it? & Miranda is better served as a 1B/DH to raise his stock
I'd rather have a healthy Polanco as a full-time 2B that frees up time for Farmer to be better used elsewhere & his great clutch bat for '24. than all these pieces we really don't need. We weren't over-budget so why trade Polanco? Our only real need is a post-season SP if they can't swing that then it's better to do nothing.
The '24 offseason feels a lot like the '21 offseason. It's good to acknowledge our mistakes so we can learn from them if not we keep on doing them & that can be a big problem

Of all the professional sports, no sport seems to have as many and as many colorful nicknames as Major League Baseball. This was especially true in the early years of the sports. Some nicknames were so attached to the player that when they were inducted into Baseball’s Hall of Fame, their nicknames were included on their plaque.
Most nicknames have a known beginning, “Dizzy” Dean’s resulted from an incident in his military career when a sergeant found Dean throwing potatoes against a garbage can and yelled at him, “you dizzy son-of-a-bitch!”. Satchel Paige received his nickname when he had a job of carrying passengers’ bags (satchels) at the train station in Mobile. Lawrence Berra received the nickname “Yogi” from his friend who, after seeing a newsreel about India, said that he resembled a yogi from India whenever he sat around with arms and legs crossed waiting to bat or while looking sad after losing a game.
Here are a few Hall of Famer nicknames: James “Cool Papa” Bell, George Herman “Babe” Ruth, Grover Cleveland “Old Pete” Alexander, Adrian “Cap” Anson, Luke “Old Aches and Pain” Appling, Frank “Home Run” Baker, Albert “Happy” Chandler, Ty “The Georgia Peach” Cobb, “Wahoo” Sam Crawford, Joe “The Yankee Clipper” Di Maggio, and Bob “Rapid Robert” Feller. 
I have nicknames of other Hall of Famers listed below: If you are interested in trying to see how accurate your guesses are leave your answers in the comment section:
1) The Human Rain Delay, 2) Sandman, 3) The Wizard, 4) The Man of Steal, 5) Captain Hook, 6) Double X, 7) Hoot, 8) Big Six, 9) Ducky, and 10) Old Hoss.  Try without using the internet.
In addition to researching nicknames on plaques I discovered a few facts that I was completely unaware of. These are the real first names of some of the inductees: George “Ken” “The Kid” “Junior” Griffey, Harry “Doc” “Roy” Halladay, Umpire Harold “Doug” Harvey, Dorrel “Whitey” Herzog, Monford “Monte” Irvin, Larry “Chipper” Jones, Santurino Orestes “Minnie” Minoso, John “Buck” O’Neil, Alan “Bud” Selig, and Lynn “Nolan” Ryan.
Some nicknames had relevance to physical descriptions of the player, such as: Don "Ears" Mossi, Walt “No Neck” Williams, and Ernie “The Schnozz” Lombardi.  Do a search on each of these player's images to quickly see how they "earned" their nicknames.
You can add to that list Robert “Lefty” Grove and Vernon “Lefty” Gomez who were left-handed pitchers and Mordecai “Three Fingers” Brown who lost most of his index finger in a farm accident when he was a kid.
Baseball also has nicknames that are interesting or unique:
Ron Cey – The Penguin
Marc Rzepczynski – Scrabble
Ted Williams – The Splendid Splinter, The Kid, Teddy Ballgame, The Thumper
Frank Thomas – The Big Hurt
Randy Johnson – The Big Unit
Jimmy Wynn – Toy Cannon
Pete Rose – Charlie Hustle
Bill Lee – Spaceman
Mark Fydrich – The Bird
Will Clark – Will the Thrill
Don Mattingly – Donny Baseball
Rusty Staub – Le Grand Orange
Steve Balboni – Bye Bye
Shane Victorino – The Flyin’ Hawaiian
Kenny Rogers – The Gambler
Vince Coleman – Vince Van Go
Hideki Matsui – Godzilla
Phil Rizzuto – Scooter
Carlton Fisk / Ivan Rodriguez - Pudge
Don Zimmer – The Gerbil (given to him by Bill “Spaceman” Lee)
During the discovery part of this article, I started questioning how some nicknames came into existence. Some of these are very interesting.
Willie Mays – Say Hey Kid – He used to greet everyone with “Hey” when he saw them
Jim Hunter – Catfish – Given to him by Charlie Finley because he thought he needed a flashy nickname
Leo Durocher – Leo the Lip – Based on his constant baiting of umpire from his position in the dugout
Harold Traynor – Pie – As a child he would often frequent the grocery store and ask for pie. The store owner would eventually call him Pie Face which was shortened to Pie.
Frankie Frisch – The Fordham Flash – Attended Fordham Prep and Fordham University where he was a track star as well as playing baseball, basketball and football.
Walter Johnson – The Big Train – Given by sportswriter Grantland Rice because of his size and because the express train was the fastest vehicle known at the time.
Denton Young – Cy – Shortened from Cyclone because of the speed of his fastball.
James Gavin – Pud – Writers said he made hitters look like pudding.
Edward Ford – Whitey – named for his light blond hair.
Leo Hartnett – Gabby – named because of his shy, quiet manner.
Richard Marquard – Rube – His sweeping delivery reminded a sportswriter of Rube Waddell.
Walter Maranville – Rabbitt – He said it was because his penchant for bounding and jumping, others said it was because of his protruding ears.
Lewis Wilson – Hack – He was 5’ 6” and weighted 195 lbs. with an 18 inch neck, and feet that fit into a 5 ½ size shoe. A teammate said his build resembled Hack Lewis, an outfielder for the Chicago Cubs.
Enos Slaughter – Country – Grew up in Roxboro, North Carolina
Joe DiMaggio – Yankee play-by-play announcer compared DiMaggio’s speed and agility to that of the new Pan American airliner “The Yankee Clipper’. Another story equates DiMaggio to the beauty and grace of a clipper ship. He also had the nickname, Joltin’ Joe.
Domenic DiMaggio – “The Little Professor” - He looked like a college professor because of his size (5’9”), wire-rimmed glasses.
John Odom – Blue Moon – As “Blue Moon” explained, he had a classmate in the 5th grade who started calling him “Moon Head”. A few days later he changed it to “Blue Moon”. He hated that nickname, but later really liked it.
Pedro Sandoval – Kung Foo Panda – Given to him by Barry Zito after a play at the plate where Sandoval jumped over the tag of the catcher.
Dennis Boyd – Oil Can – According to Boyd, “growing up in Mississippi there was a woman who supplied the town with moonshine. When I was 7 I started drinking it myself. One day someone caught us in a tin shed drinking Big Momma’s whiskey out of oil cans, so my friend Pap started calling me Oil Can.”
Sal Maglie – The Barber – Named because he pitcher inside to batters, giving them close shaves.
The Society for American Baseball Research penned an article “An Analysis of Baseball Nicknames” . From 1871 to 1968 these were the most popular baseball nicknames: 1) Lefty, 2) Red, 3) Doc, 4) Bud/Buddy, 5) Dutch, 6) Big, 7) Mickey, 8) Whitey, 9) Chick and 10) Kid. There is a lot of interesting information contained in their article.
While nicknames are not as common now as in the past and there is no question they are more PC, but here are a few current players who have nicknames:
Pete Alonso – Polar Bear
Noah Syndergaard – Thor
Shohei Otani – Sho Time
Blake Snell – Snellzilla
Todd Frazier – The Toddfather
Brandon Belt – Baby Giraffe
Jeff McNeil – The Squirrel
Carlos Carrasco – Cookie
Sean Manaea – The Throwin’ Samoan
Finally, a number of Minnesota Twins have had nicknames. Here are players that had nicknames given to them:
Rocco Baldelli – The Woonsocket Rocket
Doug Mientkiewicz – Eye Chart
Josh Donaldson – The Bringer of Rain
Harmon Killebrew – Killer
Kirby Puckett – Puck
Jim Grant – Mudcat
Tom Brunansky – Bruno
Rod Carew – Sir Rodney
Gary Gaetti – The Rat
Kent Hrbek – Herbie
Torii Hunter - Spiderman
Frank Viola – Sweet Music
Willians Astudillo – LaTortuga (The Tortoise)
Nelson Cruz – Broomstick
Luis Arraez – La Ragadera (The Sprinkler)
Chris Paddock – Sheriff
Feel free to comment and include some unique nicknames that I failed to mention.