Halsey Hall

As far as yesterday's blunder, there was 2 outs and Hicks on first. He didn't run on Escobar's fly out. He went half way and stopped, thinking there was only one out, as the scoreboard showed. No excuse though, he should have known.

This is the City of Palms. Palms out everywhere for your money. I know they are taking money at 9, not sure what time they start though. On game days alot of people walk from the shopping center on Plantation, parking in what was the old Sweet Bay lot. Just head south off Daniels on Plantation and take the first left and wind into the lot. It's not a far walk from there.

Have you seen him play? I have and don't think his defense needs work. I'd rather see him up than down and break a thumb or something a month into the season.

I was all for Mauer moving to 3rd base last year, he could do it and has taken plenty of reps there. But there's a reason he didn't, and that reason is not named Plouffe.

Plouffe played a bad third base for a couple years and still is not very good. I just may keep track of the errors I see this year that he isn't credited for. The Twins put up with this. Sano plays decent at the corner, works hard and just keeps getting better. He should stick at that position. He hasn't played for over a year, so when he gets back into the routine and ready, bring him up and play him everyday.

Dinkelman just might be in the minor leagues. He's coaching for us now.

I've posted this before but when Morris came, and was doing this drill while i was watching, he sprinted to first. The others hadn't, and stood and stared. From then on all of them sprinted to first. In the end it won us a world series as the opposing pitcher took to much time covering the bag and the runner was safe, and we scored a run to win the game.

Small world. My dad, from St Paul, met my mother, who lived in both St Paul and White Bear in high school. When coming home when the war ended on a train he was sitting next to a farm kid from North Dakota also coming home from the war. They hit it off and my Dad asked him to be the best man in his wedding. He accepted and did that for them and ended up marrying my mothers best friend and bridesmaid from White Bear. My Dad passed five years ago, and his wife about the same. He lives in Sarasota, and keeps in touch with my Mother in Ft Myers. We are putting her into assisted living next week. A hard thing to do, for sure.

Thanks for the great article. And your mother must have been a looker, as us White Bear guys found, all the lookers lived on the other side of the lake in Mahtomedi. Just like the fish bit better on that side of the lake. I loved to troll just outside the docks over there. The scenery was breathtaking!

Jose did show up at Hammond today.

I think Sano shakes the rust by May 1st. My dislike for the luckiest man in the world remains strong and I'd like him gone last year, but for sure by July and watch Sano the rest of the year, good or bad.

Thanks for the post. Sorry for your loss, the memories will live on forever.

I don't think Meyer should get anywhere near the pen. He's a starter all the way, keep him that way. I can see Nolasco getting 5 or 6 starts and the door hitting him in the ass as Meyer boards a plane. I want to see at least 20 starts from Meyer this year and 30 next.

I think if Gardy and Anderson were still here the decision would already be pre-determined, but maybe not so with Molly and Neil Allen. I'm probably the loner here, but I give Pelf a good shot at making the rotation. I've heard he's topped out at 95 on the gun. He's got the experience, the drive and hunger to be a starter. I just hope they give him a chance.

If the Twins have any chance of escaping the cellar the Royals are the team they have to top. And with that bullpen in KC I have my doubts.

My feeling is that Hicks will take the job and remain there. Schafer will spell him in center throughout the season. All the off season worries about CF will be for naught. A side note: Dorsey has an article on the Twins this morning in the new-press. I could fill in alot for that article.

I totally agree with Gladden. A couple years back they had voting on the Twins site and Gladden was leading. I told Dave St Peter there's no way he should be in. Thankfully they don't have to go by the vote totals. I enjoyed watching Tovar play, and wouldn't mind him getting in. He was the spark of the team back in the day.

Plouffe easily could have been credited with a half dozen more errors last season. He's paying off the score keeper. I'm not buying any of the hype.

It's to bad the off subject posts had to be made in what is a good article. At 68 and counting, I have alot of autographed bats and balls, but all mostly from the last 10-15 years. Back at the Old Met I did have Early Wynn sign a piece of paper when he had 299 wins, Nellie Fox sign a paper and I had Mickey Mantle sign my pass at at golf tourney in the cities in the cities when I had a beer with him. Then nothing til I started coming down here, (got here yesterday). I had Sano sign his bat for me when he first got here. And I've had him sign 15-20 balls since. I also bought a bat off ebay he had signed. I looked at that bat about a month ago and it took awhile to figure out who signed it. His signatures are all over the place. The boughten bat the sig is a lot longer than the initial one. His signature on the balls are shorter too. I have an outlet for the balls and they do trickle out of the shop. I keep one of each player and that's it, except for Cuddyer whom I have his initial sig and then one after the talk with Harmon. When Sano does put up #300, PSA is going to have their hands full trying to determine which signatures are authentic and not. Collecting these is fun, especially when I'm over there daily, and the players stop and sign. Some really like the fact people want autographs. There are a few I need to get this spring, Hunter being at the top of the list, and Santana, FYI the last I sold a couple weeks ago, someone bought Meyers, Buxton, Roserio and Sano. Helped pay the gas money down here. The fun begins soon!

I like the move. Shows Jim Pohlad and TR are getting aggressive and now the rotation is in very good shape. Seems like a shifting in goals for the future. Now the attention will shift to the position players, maybe not this year, but next for sure. The light at the end of the tunnel keeps getting brighter.

Doc - My hand is raised! I'm the blacksheep of the family, but my eyes will be on Pelfrey as much as on the other pitchers shortly. And if he's healthy and has an exceptional spring, I'd expect him to be in the rotation. As Mike says, give the best 5 the spots. If Nolasco doesn't start the season off well in say his first 8 starts, I'd be done with him. I'd also give Meyer a shot at the rotation, and May the pen. I think that's the way to go with those two. I'm getting pumped as I'll be down there in less than a month now, and there'll be guys down getting ready.

I don't understand the Pelfrey dislike, and suggest that Meyer, May etc will have to beat him out in spring training. Seems Pelfrey had one bad inning a lot last season. I look for him to be in the mix for the rotation and won't be surprised if he makes it.

I'm so happy Anderson won't be able to tinker with him.

So that's that. It looks like TR wants us to be competitive this year. I wonder if he's done?

Great story, AJ. Sano's a good kid, and he always cracks me up. I've had a lot of great experiences since I started hitting spring training in '91, but this one's for sure top 5. Miguel's first day there at the ripe age of 16. I'm waiting for Punto to come out of the training room to sign a broken bat of his, and Sano and his agent walk up from the fields. Miguel gives some old guy an interview, all in Spanish, as he couldn't speak English. When done, Miguel gets up from the table I'd left and the other two stay and talk. So it's him and me, and I point at the broken bat in my hand and motion if he should break his, could I have it. He just handed it to me. It's about 5 feet from me now. He always greets me when he sees me and we talk a lot. He's come a long ways. He's really a hard worker and a joy to watch play ball. I'm sure everyone else will enjoy it too. I'm in his corner for life.