Halsey Hall

First, second and third overrated, except by his familly.

I could care less about your WAR, bKz, XYZ, etc. If some other team thinks the "luckiest man in the world" has value, trade him.

I also don't think Plouffe worth be worth a grain of salt anywhere else. There's many better options in the other positions than him. I just don't get the love for him as utilitary, where does that come from? It makes no sense if you've been watching him. I'd rather have Escobar at 3rd, he's not that much shorter than Plouffe, is alot quicker, and has been working at third this spring. Just this morning he and Santana were the only two on the half field, fielding balls at both 3rd and 2nd. I also will never understand the dislike for Punto. He was the best athelete on the team and made plays not a soul has been able to do since, just makes no sense to me.

Not to worry about this question as Plouffe won't excel. A better question would have been what if both fizzle.

On the minor league side, AB Walker is here along with Nick Gordon and Kohl Stewart. I watched Pelfrey, Perkins, Duensing and Boyer throw live bp. Most of the hitters just took the pitches but Dozier swung a few times, Mauer and Hicks at least once. No hard hit balls today. But the big new of the day is the flu bugs has hit the clubhouse. Torii is sick but still practiced. Plouffe was back on the field after recovering from it. Buxton was sent home, Suzuki has it along with a few more.

I think Hicks will be fine this year and see nothing wrong with his comments. He's got his feet wet and now he takes off.

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

Notice how Arcia, Nunez, Danny Santana, Vargas and that group had to walk back from the new dorm buildings while the hot shots got to take a ride!

I haven't gone over there, just looked from afar. Burdi is here. The coaches are there, and there's alot of players, I'd guess 30-35.

I'll never forget listening to the game when John Gordon called my name for the snapper mow-em down inning. Radke on the mound and Pudge leading off. He hit a flair into right for a single and then Brad mowed 'em down. the next year I told Brad I had a bone to pick with him. He looked startled, then I told him what had happened, and I ended up with a Dairy Queen cake. We both laughed.

So that's what they were doing! I mentioned to a friend it looked like they were just wasting time, talking about golf yesterday or something.

Friday, the 27th. Cool, only 65 now down here, but many people at the fields today. Yesterday was a short day because of the golf tournament for Cancer Care. I saw several more unfamilar face today wearing uniforms, there's a ton of uniforms here, as I'll mention later. Vargas launched some long balls in bp, and I heard that Sano lost a dozen on another field. TK was back in his usual spot on the half field. He was taking it easy, if that's possible for him to do, taking time between hitting ground balls to pitchers going thru drills. We still can't get into the stadium, where most of the pitchers walk off, but today some did come over to the fans and sign autographs instend of just waving. Gibson and Thielbar came over right away, as Gibson seems to do every day. And then it was kind of a mad house as May, Graham, Aaron Thompson, Hamberger, Pressly, Fien and Stauffer came over, so there were alot of folks getting autographs. LOL, some get them for grandkids, or so the story goes, as one guy got Tony O earlier and then tried again and Tony said he already signed for him. The guy says "but I've got 18 grandkids". I did knock off 4 more on my team bat, which has over 30 now, and I need 3 more. Guess I should have the 25 man covered. The best thing of the day was they finally came out with the roster. This one isn't like the past where it was just a sheet of paper. This is printed like a schedule, with Molly on the cover. It lists the 40 man and then all the non-roster players. It's like a program, with birthdates, home, 2014 club, and all their stats behind their names. On the side is a numerical listing, which also includes coaches. It starts at number 1 and ends with 95, only skipping the retired numbers of whom aren't here. #95 is Phil Roof. The back cover has the Exhibition schedule. Then it has a pronunciation guide. Examples: ACHTER..........OCK-ter, ARCIA........ARR-see-ya, SANO........sah-NO, SUZUKI.........soo-ZOO-kee. On the bottom it lists the Twins Annual Spring Record, which was 9-16-3 last year. in '87 it was 14-10, and '91 it was 21-10. I found it interesting that in '90 they were 6-9, and '95, 8-6. Must of been strike year or work stoppage.

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.

That's it. I talked with Souhan a short time today and he mentioned the change in the clubhouse already. He said the last 4 years it's been really dull. I think any media person would be better off with a Torii type around. Oh, and I do know to space after a period, but something doesn't.

Mauer did show up today, took bp in the cages and went inside for a commercial. Most of us think he should of been here earlier playing with the rest of his teammates. I heard TK was coming on saturday. Seems strange someone else running drills on his field. Pelfrey, Duensing, Perkins and Tonkin threw off the mounds today while I was watching.

It seems to me that they'll start practice in the afternoon then, around 3. Even when batting practice takes place in the stadium they should be practicing on the next field. There's so many guys here that only a small amount will play in the games. I've seen guys on the practice fields go in to the clubhouse after a few innings, change uniforms and then get into the games.

Nolasco has lost alot of weight since last year. Hopefully he's taking this more serious this time around.

Thanks, but no printer down here. No Tom Kelly yet either.

More of the same out here today and I stayed by the bullpen. Mays and Santana worked off the mound with a bunch of others. Then they go to the main field and run, alot. Gibson and Oliveros did come over and sign for fans. The red uni's are hard on my eyes, gonna take some getting used to. The Bosox fans are upset the names aren't on them as they are for their team. I asked Tony when Rod was coming and he said tommorrow. I don't understand why they aren't selling rosters like they usually do out here. They're comment was no one has copied them yet. LOL, they could easily sell 100 a day. Still no sign of Baby Jesus.

Gardy's a Florida resident now, which saves him mega bucks in state income taxes. I could live on his savings.

Without taking a roll call, I assume all the pitchers and catchers were here. They didn't take the field til after 9:30 this morning, and the catchers finally ended up practice around noon. They used the field next to the stadium, and the main field, which is off limits to fans this year. I know Berrios threw off the mound, and Nolasco, but I didn't watch, as I went to the far field to see the position players. I really wanted to see Danny Santana and Byron Buxton. No sign of Mauer yet, and no Hunter today. They did the bp, etc. One thing they worked on quite awhile was baserunning with Butch Davis. The catchers did that also after pop up drills. So that's one thing Mollie will be working on more this year than Gardy had them do. There's some changes with the stadium, and I don't know if we'll be able to get in at all this year or if it being blocked off is temperary. You can get above Kelly Field though, but when the seats start, that's the end of it. To bad as there's alot of action during the spring in there. We can get down the foul lines though, but no where near the field or players. Everyday Eddie is here of course, as is Tony O, and Tony still is a draw. He stopped and signed for alot of people today. That will slow down when Carew gets here though. That's it for today!

Gardy's got the good life now. He almost ran us over friday with his jeep and stopped to chat. He was headed for his boat. Can't get any better than that.

And hopefully you will add to it also!

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!