Cody Christie

Twins fans have been spoiled in the last two seasons. Ben Revere made base stealing look easy. Even Denard Span could swipe a base or two if the club needed it. Both of these men are in different uniforms to start the 2013 season. In fact, three of the top four base stealers from the 2012 Twins are no longer with the organization. Last year the Twins stole 135 bases, which ranked first in the American League. In 2011, the club finished in 10 place in the AL with 92 stolen bases. The team only had 68 steals in 2010 and that was bad enough to rank 12th among the 14 AL clubs. It obviously helps to have Mr. Revere on your club for any part of a season. Stealing bases is an art form. Unfortunately for the Twins, the club is going to have to find some different artists for the coming year. Chris Parmelee was thrown out trying to steal second base in the late innings of Monday afternoon's game. This meant the Twins have only been successful in two of their six stolen base attempts. The current team leaders in steals are Trevor Plouffe and Parmelee with one steal apiece. It is obvious that these two men aren't the fleetest of foot. So where are the steals going to come from for Minnesota? One man the Twins will rely on for steals this year is Aaron Hicks. He has gotten the year off to a bad start and this has meant he has only been on base four times. If a batter isn't getting on base, he obviously isn't going to be able to rack up steal attempts. In his one attempted steal this year, he was thrown out pretty easily (see photo above). Hicks had an outstanding year last season at Double-A and his solid offensive output was only helped by his ability to steal bases. He stole 32 bases last year and was caught stealing 11 times. Before last year, he had never had more than 21 steals so this was a step in the right direction. The Twins can't just rely on Hicks for steals so there will have to be some other men to reek havoc on the base paths. Darin Mastroianni had 21 steals in 24 attempts last season. These were very good numbers for someone that played in only 77 games. He has been hampered be a nagging injury from the end of spring training. When he is able to get back to being fully healthy, he could get more playing time and the chance to steal some more bases. The middle infield core of Brian Dozier, Pedro Florimon, and Eduardo Escobar has yet to join the steal parade. Dozier had nine steals for the Twins last season but in his last full season in the minors he took 24 bags. Florimon and Escobar have a track record of getting double digits in steals but they will have to be selective with when to take an extra base. One dark horse when it comes to stealing bases could be Joe Mauer. He usually gets on base at one of the best rates in the AL and being on first base a lot can lead to some opportunities to swipe second. Mauer's athletic ability can always make him a threat but he has never stolen more than 13 bases. This could be the year for him to set a new career high. Steals might be few and far between this year unless the Twins get some other players into their everyday line-up. The opportunity to swipe bags might be there but the club will need to be selective in sending some runners with less ability on the base paths.

Twins fans have been spoiled in the last two seasons. Ben Revere made base stealing look easy. Even Denard Span could swipe a base or two if the club needed it. Both of these men are in different uniforms to start the 2013 season. In fact, three of the top four base stealers from the 2012 Twins are no longer with the organization. Last year the Twins stole 135 bases, which ranked first in the American League. In 2011, the club finished in 10 place in the AL with 92 stolen bases. The team only had 68 steals in 2010 and that was bad enough to rank 12th among the 14 AL clubs. It obviously helps to have Mr. Revere on your club for any part of a season. Stealing bases is an art form. Unfortunately for the Twins, the club is going to have to find some different artists for the coming year. Chris Parmelee was thrown out trying to steal second base in the late innings of Monday afternoon's game. This meant the Twins have only been successful in two of their six stolen base attempts. The current team leaders in steals are Trevor Plouffe and Parmelee with one steal apiece. It is obvious that these two men aren't the fleetest of foot. So where are the steals going to come from for Minnesota? One man the Twins will rely on for steals this year is Aaron Hicks. He has gotten the year off to a bad start and this has meant he has only been on base four times. If a batter isn't getting on base, he obviously isn't going to be able to rack up steal attempts. In his one attempted steal this year, he was thrown out pretty easily (see photo above). Hicks had an outstanding year last season at Double-A and his solid offensive output was only helped by his ability to steal bases. He stole 32 bases last year and was caught stealing 11 times. Before last year, he had never had more than 21 steals so this was a step in the right direction. The Twins can't just rely on Hicks for steals so there will have to be some other men to reek havoc on the base paths. Darin Mastroianni had 21 steals in 24 attempts last season. These were very good numbers for someone that played in only 77 games. He has been hampered be a nagging injury from the end of spring training. When he is able to get back to being fully healthy, he could get more playing time and the chance to steal some more bases. The middle infield core of Brian Dozier, Pedro Florimon, and Eduardo Escobar has yet to join the steal parade. Dozier had nine steals for the Twins last season but in his last full season in the minors he took 24 bags. Florimon and Escobar have a track record of getting double digits in steals but they will have to be selective with when to take an extra base. One dark horse when it comes to stealing bases could be Joe Mauer. He usually gets on base at one of the best rates in the AL and being on first base a lot can lead to some opportunities to swipe second. Mauer's athletic ability can always make him a threat but he has never stolen more than 13 bases. This could be the year for him to set a new career high. Steals might be few and far between this year unless the Twins get some other players into their everyday line-up. The opportunity to swipe bags might be there but the club will need to be selective in sending some runners with less ability on the base paths.

When word came out following TwinsFest about the injury suffered by Anthony Swarzak, it had to be embarrassing. He suffered a fractured rib after wrestling with some teammates during the Twins annual fan festival. Swarzak would open the season on the DL and it was tough for him to watch the Twins fight the Tigers and the Orioles before he could get on the field. Swarzak returned to the mound on Sunday and got four big outs for the Twins on their way to a second series win in a row to start the year. He entered in the sixth inning and allowed two hits and a walk along with one strikeout. He was forced to toss a lot of sliders because he didn't have a great feel for his fastball. It would be his first victory of the year and he made the appearance without making any rehab starts in the minor leagues. Swarzak is back and he has a little something to prove. One of the biggest surprises for the Twins in the first week of the season has been the performance of the pitching staff. There have been positive signs from almost every starting pitcher but only Kevin Correia has pitched seven innings. This leaves the bullpen in charge of getting a lot of outs. The Twins could be relying heavily on Swarzak during the coming season. The long relief pitcher could be called on for some big outs when the starting staff doesn't make it into the late innings. In recent years, he has even been called on to make a start or two. Players like Jared Burton, Glen Perkins, and Brian Duensing are going to have important late-inning roles out of the bullpen. It might take a bridge to get from the starting pitcher to those back of the bullpen arms. That is where Swarzak can make his mark. As one would expect, his numbers are much better as a relief pitcher versus his time as a starter. For his career, he ERA is 1.19 points lower out of the bullpen. His WHIP is .153 points lower and he has a higher strikeout per nine. Opponent’s batting average against him is 60 points lower when he is used in relief. Ron Gardenhire and Rick Anderson know the bullpen is one of the team's strengths in 2013. This could mean a lot of use out of some of the more consistent arms in the bullpen. The team has relied on the bullpen to keep their games close so far and that trend will likely continue in the coming weeks. Swarzak wants the ball as much as possible. He said, "As long as they want me to pitch, I'll pitch. That's always been my attitude here, and that will always be my attitude anywhere. I'm a pitcher before anything else. As long as they want me to have the ball, I'll take the ball." The Twins might need Swarzak to take the ball a lot this season. It looks like the bullpen is going to be one of the most important parts of the roster and Swarzak could be a key figure for the success of the 2013 Minnesota Twins.

When word came out following TwinsFest about the injury suffered by Anthony Swarzak, it had to be embarrassing. He suffered a fractured rib after wrestling with some teammates during the Twins annual fan festival. Swarzak would open the season on the DL and it was tough for him to watch the Twins fight the Tigers and the Orioles before he could get on the field. Swarzak returned to the mound on Sunday and got four big outs for the Twins on their way to a second series win in a row to start the year. He entered in the sixth inning and allowed two hits and a walk along with one strikeout. He was forced to toss a lot of sliders because he didn't have a great feel for his fastball. It would be his first victory of the year and he made the appearance without making any rehab starts in the minor leagues. Swarzak is back and he has a little something to prove. One of the biggest surprises for the Twins in the first week of the season has been the performance of the pitching staff. There have been positive signs from almost every starting pitcher but only Kevin Correia has pitched seven innings. This leaves the bullpen in charge of getting a lot of outs. The Twins could be relying heavily on Swarzak during the coming season. The long relief pitcher could be called on for some big outs when the starting staff doesn't make it into the late innings. In recent years, he has even been called on to make a start or two. Players like Jared Burton, Glen Perkins, and Brian Duensing are going to have important late-inning roles out of the bullpen. It might take a bridge to get from the starting pitcher to those back of the bullpen arms. That is where Swarzak can make his mark. As one would expect, his numbers are much better as a relief pitcher versus his time as a starter. For his career, he ERA is 1.19 points lower out of the bullpen. His WHIP is .153 points lower and he has a higher strikeout per nine. Opponent’s batting average against him is 60 points lower when he is used in relief. Ron Gardenhire and Rick Anderson know the bullpen is one of the team's strengths in 2013. This could mean a lot of use out of some of the more consistent arms in the bullpen. The team has relied on the bullpen to keep their games close so far and that trend will likely continue in the coming weeks. Swarzak wants the ball as much as possible. He said, "As long as they want me to pitch, I'll pitch. That's always been my attitude here, and that will always be my attitude anywhere. I'm a pitcher before anything else. As long as they want me to have the ball, I'll take the ball." The Twins might need Swarzak to take the ball a lot this season. It looks like the bullpen is going to be one of the most important parts of the roster and Swarzak could be a key figure for the success of the 2013 Minnesota Twins.

There have been two series so far for the Twins and each one has produced the same result, a Twins win. Minnesota is tied with the Chicago White Sox for first place in the Central Division. It is very early in the season but the Twins are finding ways to keep games close and to come out victorious. Aaron Hicks isn't in the minor leagues any more and there were some struggles in his first week in the majors. He did knock in the go-ahead run for the Twins in Sunday's game. It was a big hit for the rookie and hopefully it will help him to get going at the plate. One pitching staff combined for a no-hitter and plenty of the top prospects in the organization are off to hot starts. There were a few other surprises as we take a look around the Twins minor league system. Cedar Rapids Kernels 9, Beloit Snappers 1 Box Score It was a special day in Cedar Rapids as three Kernels pitchers combined to toss the organization's first no-hitter of the 2013 season. Tyler Duffey started for the Kernels and tossed seven perfect innings before being removed. He struck out seven and picked up his first win of the year. Duffey, the Twins fifth round pick last year, was starting his first game with the organization after being used as a relief pitcher in Elizabethton at the end of last year. Josue Montanez would pitch the eighth inning and he surrendered the only run of the game for Cedar Rapids. He walked three batters in the frame and this allowed Beloit to get on the board. Tim Atherton struck out the side in the ninth inning to close out the no-hitter. On the offensive side of the ball, Bryon Buxton continued his strong start to the season. He went 4-for-5 with his first double and his first triple of the year. Buxton is now hitting .563 with three extra-base hits and four runs scored as the leadoff hitter for Cedar Rapids. Dalton Hicks went 3-for-4 with a couple doubles. Travis Harrison also notched a couple of hits including his third double of the year. Ft. Myers Miracle 9, Bradenton Marauders 8 (10 Innings) Box Score Fort Myers continued their hot start to the year by winning their fourth consecutive game. The Miracle jumped out to an early 6-0 lead on the strength of a five run third inning. Michael Gonzalez hit his second home run of the year to give the Miracle the go-ahead lead. He knocked in three runs in the game. Miguel Sano had a three hit game to raise his batting average to .438. Eddie Rosario went 4-for-6 with a double and two runs. Andy Leer also had his first home run of the season. Scott Diamond made his first rehab start in this game. He pitched five innings and gave up four earned runs including one long ball. All of the runs came in a long fourth inning. Madison Boer pitched in relief of Diamond and gave up four earned runs of his own. There were some control problems as he had three walks in a little over two innings of work. Chad Rodgers got the win and Corey Williams picked up his second save with a perfect bottom of the tenth inning. New Britain Rock Cats 2, Richmond Flying Squirrels 3 (11 innings) Box Score New Britain was the lone Twins affiliate to lose on Sunday. It was a tough luck loss as the club fell in extra-innings to mark their third loss on the season. The Rock Cats were leading for most of the game after the team scored a run in the second and the fourth innings. Michael Tonkin gave up a run in the bottom of the ninth to blow the save and let Richmond back in the game. Highly touted pitching prospect Alex Meyer made his Double-A debut and did well. He threw five innings and gave up one run on six hits. He struck out eight and issued one walk. Meyer threw 75 pitches in the game and 53 were for strikes. It was a slow offensive day for New Britain. The Rock Cats combined for five hits in the game. No hitter had more than one hit. Josmil Pinto cracked his first home run of the year in the second inning. Daniel Ortiz got his first triple of the year. The team was 1-for-16 with runners in scoring position and the club left 15 men on base. Rochester Red Wings 14, Buffalo Bisons 5 Box Score The Red Wings were riding a three game losing streak to start the year but they made sure to snap that skid on Sunday. The team pounded out 17 hits and scored 14 runs. There were home runs from a trio of players including Brandon Boggs, Chris Colabello, and Clete Thomas. Colabello would finish the game 4-for-4 with a home run, three runs, and two RBI. It was the first four hit game of the Red Wings season and of his career in affiliated baseball. He is hitting an eye-popping .600 through four games. Thomas would knock in five runs with a homer and a two-bagger to his credit. Oswaldo Arcia continued his hot start to the year by going 3-for-4 with three runs scored. The 3-4-5 hitters combined to go 10-for-13 with two home runs, two doubles, 9 RBI, and 8 runs. Virgil Vazquez had plenty of run support as his team scored 10 runs for him in the first two innings. He threw six frames by allowing eight hits and four earned runs, all solo home runs. Michael O'Connor pitched two innings in relief and gave up one run on two hits. Anthony Slama got the final three outs of the game for the first Red Wings W.

There have been two series so far for the Twins and each one has produced the same result, a Twins win. Minnesota is tied with the Chicago White Sox for first place in the Central Division. It is very early in the season but the Twins are finding ways to keep games close and to come out victorious. Aaron Hicks isn't in the minor leagues any more and there were some struggles in his first week in the majors. He did knock in the go-ahead run for the Twins in Sunday's game. It was a big hit for the rookie and hopefully it will help him to get going at the plate. One pitching staff combined for a no-hitter and plenty of the top prospects in the organization are off to hot starts. There were a few other surprises as we take a look around the Twins minor league system. Cedar Rapids Kernels 9, Beloit Snappers 1 Box Score It was a special day in Cedar Rapids as three Kernels pitchers combined to toss the organization's first no-hitter of the 2013 season. Tyler Duffey started for the Kernels and tossed seven perfect innings before being removed. He struck out seven and picked up his first win of the year. Duffey, the Twins fifth round pick last year, was starting his first game with the organization after being used as a relief pitcher in Elizabethton at the end of last year. Josue Montanez would pitch the eighth inning and he surrendered the only run of the game for Cedar Rapids. He walked three batters in the frame and this allowed Beloit to get on the board. Tim Atherton struck out the side in the ninth inning to close out the no-hitter. On the offensive side of the ball, Bryon Buxton continued his strong start to the season. He went 4-for-5 with his first double and his first triple of the year. Buxton is now hitting .563 with three extra-base hits and four runs scored as the leadoff hitter for Cedar Rapids. Dalton Hicks went 3-for-4 with a couple doubles. Travis Harrison also notched a couple of hits including his third double of the year. Ft. Myers Miracle 9, Bradenton Marauders 8 (10 Innings) Box Score Fort Myers continued their hot start to the year by winning their fourth consecutive game. The Miracle jumped out to an early 6-0 lead on the strength of a five run third inning. Michael Gonzalez hit his second home run of the year to give the Miracle the go-ahead lead. He knocked in three runs in the game. Miguel Sano had a three hit game to raise his batting average to .438. Eddie Rosario went 4-for-6 with a double and two runs. Andy Leer also had his first home run of the season. Scott Diamond made his first rehab start in this game. He pitched five innings and gave up four earned runs including one long ball. All of the runs came in a long fourth inning. Madison Boer pitched in relief of Diamond and gave up four earned runs of his own. There were some control problems as he had three walks in a little over two innings of work. Chad Rodgers got the win and Corey Williams picked up his second save with a perfect bottom of the tenth inning. New Britain Rock Cats 2, Richmond Flying Squirrels 3 (11 innings) Box Score New Britain was the lone Twins affiliate to lose on Sunday. It was a tough luck loss as the club fell in extra-innings to mark their third loss on the season. The Rock Cats were leading for most of the game after the team scored a run in the second and the fourth innings. Michael Tonkin gave up a run in the bottom of the ninth to blow the save and let Richmond back in the game. Highly touted pitching prospect Alex Meyer made his Double-A debut and did well. He threw five innings and gave up one run on six hits. He struck out eight and issued one walk. Meyer threw 75 pitches in the game and 53 were for strikes. It was a slow offensive day for New Britain. The Rock Cats combined for five hits in the game. No hitter had more than one hit. Josmil Pinto cracked his first home run of the year in the second inning. Daniel Ortiz got his first triple of the year. The team was 1-for-16 with runners in scoring position and the club left 15 men on base. Rochester Red Wings 14, Buffalo Bisons 5 Box Score The Red Wings were riding a three game losing streak to start the year but they made sure to snap that skid on Sunday. The team pounded out 17 hits and scored 14 runs. There were home runs from a trio of players including Brandon Boggs, Chris Colabello, and Clete Thomas. Colabello would finish the game 4-for-4 with a home run, three runs, and two RBI. It was the first four hit game of the Red Wings season and of his career in affiliated baseball. He is hitting an eye-popping .600 through four games. Thomas would knock in five runs with a homer and a two-bagger to his credit. Oswaldo Arcia continued his hot start to the year by going 3-for-4 with three runs scored. The 3-4-5 hitters combined to go 10-for-13 with two home runs, two doubles, 9 RBI, and 8 runs. Virgil Vazquez had plenty of run support as his team scored 10 runs for him in the first two innings. He threw six frames by allowing eight hits and four earned runs, all solo home runs. Michael O'Connor pitched two innings in relief and gave up one run on two hits. Anthony Slama got the final three outs of the game for the first Red Wings W.

The Rangers sure like to get within one out of accomplishing something big. A couple of years ago, Texas was an out away in more than one game from the club's first World Series title. On Tuesday night, Yu Darvish did his best to fit in with the Rangers by getting within one out of a perfect game. He too would fall short of making history. Since the Twins moved to Minnesota in 1961, there have five times when a Twins pitcher has taken a no-hitter into the ninth inning. Many fans might remember Scott Baker's almost perfect game back in 2007. There have been other men to get close only to fall short for the club. Here is a look back at the five Twins pitchers that made it within three outs of throwing a no-hitter. September 27, 1961: Minnesota vs Cleveland Pitcher: Al Schroll (9 IP, 2 H, 4 BB, 4 SO) Out of Minnesota's last seven games in their inaugural season, this was the lone win for the Twins. It was definitely a strange no hitter as Indians put four runs on the board. All of the runs for Cleveland came in the final frame. Schroll's control had been all over the place and this was evident in the ninth. He gave up a single to lose the no-hitter and a couple walks followed this. Terry Francona was the next batter and he knocked a triple to clear the bases. Schroll calmed down enough to get the next three outs and Minnesota was victorious 10-4. June 26, 1964: Minnesota vs. Chicago (1st Game of Double Header) Pitcher: Gerry Arrigo (9 IP, 1 H, 1 BB, 8 SO) In a game that barely lasted two hours, Arrigo only allowed one hit and it was to the leadoff man in the top of the ninth. One man reached second base for the White Sox and this was only after Arrigo hit two batters in an inning. All of the offense for the Twins would come off the bat of Harmon Killebrew. Following a Tony Oliva double, Killebrew smashed a go-ahead ahead home run to seal the Twins 2-0 victory. June 1, 1968: Minnesota at Chicago Pitcher: Dean Chance (8.2 IP, 3 H, 3 BB, 8 SO) Chance got no support from his teammates as he took a no-hitter into the ninth and still ended up with the loss. Minnesota left nine runners on base and the team was 0-2 with runners in scoring position. When Chance headed to the mound for the ninth, he still had to feel pretty good about his chances. He was able to get the first out of the frame before back-to-back singles had the Sox sitting pretty. Chance coaxed a groundout to get the runner at second and this left runners on the corners with two outs. Dick Kenworthy would win the game with a single and the Twins fell 1-0. August 7, 1976: Minnesota at Texas Pitcher: Steve Luebber (8.2 IP, 2 H, 2 BB, 2 SO) The Twins took an early 1-0 lead in this game and it looked like that was all Luebber would need on the mound. He was perfect through six innings before a couple of walks in the seventh. When he came out for the ninth inning, the Twins were up 3-0 and the frame got off to a good start. He got a groundout and a flyball to record the first two outs. The next two men would reach on singles and a throwing error by the outfielder didn't help matters. Minnesota would turn to Bill Campbell for the final out and he struck out Jeff Burroughs to end the game. August 31, 2007: Minnesota vs. Kansas City (2nd Game of Double Header) Pitcher: Scott Baker (9 IP, 1 H, 1 BB, 9 SO) This game happened six seasons ago but it is probably still fresh in the minds of Twins fans. Baker had been untouchable for eight innings and he looked to be on the way to the first perfect game in franchise history. The Twins put together a long bottom of the eighth inning by piecing together three hits and scoring a couple of insurance runs. This might have let the pressure mount for Baker. He walked John Buck, the first batter of the ninth, to end the perfect game. After a groundout, Mike Sweeney pinch-hit and knocked a single to center field. It was the only hit of the game and Baker was that close to being perfect.

The Rangers sure like to get within one out of accomplishing something big. A couple of years ago, Texas was an out away in more than one game from the club's first World Series title. On Tuesday night, Yu Darvish did his best to fit in with the Rangers by getting within one out of a perfect game. He too would fall short of making history. Since the Twins moved to Minnesota in 1961, there have five times when a Twins pitcher has taken a no-hitter into the ninth inning. Many fans might remember Scott Baker's almost perfect game back in 2007. There have been other men to get close only to fall short for the club. Here is a look back at the five Twins pitchers that made it within three outs of throwing a no-hitter. September 27, 1961: Minnesota vs Cleveland Pitcher: Al Schroll (9 IP, 2 H, 4 BB, 4 SO) Out of Minnesota's last seven games in their inaugural season, this was the lone win for the Twins. It was definitely a strange no hitter as Indians put four runs on the board. All of the runs for Cleveland came in the final frame. Schroll's control had been all over the place and this was evident in the ninth. He gave up a single to lose the no-hitter and a couple walks followed this. Terry Francona was the next batter and he knocked a triple to clear the bases. Schroll calmed down enough to get the next three outs and Minnesota was victorious 10-4. June 26, 1964: Minnesota vs. Chicago (1st Game of Double Header) Pitcher: Gerry Arrigo (9 IP, 1 H, 1 BB, 8 SO) In a game that barely lasted two hours, Arrigo only allowed one hit and it was to the leadoff man in the top of the ninth. One man reached second base for the White Sox and this was only after Arrigo hit two batters in an inning. All of the offense for the Twins would come off the bat of Harmon Killebrew. Following a Tony Oliva double, Killebrew smashed a go-ahead ahead home run to seal the Twins 2-0 victory. June 1, 1968: Minnesota at Chicago Pitcher: Dean Chance (8.2 IP, 3 H, 3 BB, 8 SO) Chance got no support from his teammates as he took a no-hitter into the ninth and still ended up with the loss. Minnesota left nine runners on base and the team was 0-2 with runners in scoring position. When Chance headed to the mound for the ninth, he still had to feel pretty good about his chances. He was able to get the first out of the frame before back-to-back singles had the Sox sitting pretty. Chance coaxed a groundout to get the runner at second and this left runners on the corners with two outs. Dick Kenworthy would win the game with a single and the Twins fell 1-0. August 7, 1976: Minnesota at Texas Pitcher: Steve Luebber (8.2 IP, 2 H, 2 BB, 2 SO) The Twins took an early 1-0 lead in this game and it looked like that was all Luebber would need on the mound. He was perfect through six innings before a couple of walks in the seventh. When he came out for the ninth inning, the Twins were up 3-0 and the frame got off to a good start. He got a groundout and a flyball to record the first two outs. The next two men would reach on singles and a throwing error by the outfielder didn't help matters. Minnesota would turn to Bill Campbell for the final out and he struck out Jeff Burroughs to end the game. August 31, 2007: Minnesota vs. Kansas City (2nd Game of Double Header) Pitcher: Scott Baker (9 IP, 1 H, 1 BB, 9 SO) This game happened six seasons ago but it is probably still fresh in the minds of Twins fans. Baker had been untouchable for eight innings and he looked to be on the way to the first perfect game in franchise history. The Twins put together a long bottom of the eighth inning by piecing together three hits and scoring a couple of insurance runs. This might have let the pressure mount for Baker. He walked John Buck, the first batter of the ninth, to end the perfect game. After a groundout, Mike Sweeney pinch-hit and knocked a single to center field. It was the only hit of the game and Baker was that close to being perfect.

There were a few surprises on Opening Day at Target Field but for the most part, the game went according to plan. Justin Verlander pitched well. Joe Mauer got his hits. Miguel Cabrera and Prince Fielder know how to get RBI. The inexperienced Minnesota bats didn't know how to get an RBI. This all led to the Tigers coming out on top. One interesting move made was actually a player left on the bench. In the bottom of the sixth inning, Ron Gardenhire turned to his bench and tabbed Wilkin Ramirez to pinch-hit for Pedro Florimon. This move wasn't a surprise as Florimon is a light hitting middle infielder and Ramirez was added to the roster for some pop off the bench. The surprise came later in the bottom half of the inning when the Twins turned over shortstop to Eduardo Escobar. It's not that Escobar is a bad pick to play shortstop, in fact he might have been the best defensive option available to the manager. Jamey Carroll was left on the bench and with this decision came question marks about his role with the 2013 Minnesota Twins. At the beginning of last season, Carroll had to be riding high. He signed a very lucrative free agent deal for a player closing in on 40-years old. The Twins named him the Opening Day shortstop and he found himself batting between Denard Span and Joe Mauer. Life was good! A slow start began to muddle the role of Carroll. He didn't record a hit in his first four games and it would take awhile to get his average back to a respectable point. The team moved him out of the number two spot in the batting order and he would spend time playing a variety of different infield positions during the rest of the year. Entering this spring, the front office made it be known that there was an open competition for the middle infield jobs. Carroll, Florimon, Escobar, and Brian Dozier were all in the running for starting jobs. Florimon had the leg up for the starting shortstop job since the end of last year. That left three men fighting for the other spot. The Twins want Dozier to be a part of their rebuilding process. This was evident last season when they continued to use him at shortstop even with his struggles. Dozier is 14 years younger than Carroll and he is under team control for multiple years. It makes sense to start Dozier but there are still questions about Carroll's role with the club. Carroll will make $3.75 million this year, which is a lot of money for someone that looks like a bench player at this point. There are incentives in his deal if he accumulates over 550 plate appearances this season. If he gets 401 plate appearances in 2013, he will have the option to return to the Twins for $2 million or become a free agent. If he doesn't reach that number of ABs, the Twins can pick up his option or buy out his deal for $250,000. All of these things could be a factor in his diminishing role. It was only one game and a couple of bench decisions made by the manager. The 39-year old Carroll will likely get playing time when one of the other players struggles or when an injury arises in the infield. There will be important at-bats for the veteran infielder and the Twins have to hope he will be ready when the opportunity comes. Carroll's role might be shrinking but his time in Minnesota isn't over yet.

There were a few surprises on Opening Day at Target Field but for the most part, the game went according to plan. Justin Verlander pitched well. Joe Mauer got his hits. Miguel Cabrera and Prince Fielder know how to get RBI. The inexperienced Minnesota bats didn't know how to get an RBI. This all led to the Tigers coming out on top. One interesting move made was actually a player left on the bench. In the bottom of the sixth inning, Ron Gardenhire turned to his bench and tabbed Wilkin Ramirez to pinch-hit for Pedro Florimon. This move wasn't a surprise as Florimon is a light hitting middle infielder and Ramirez was added to the roster for some pop off the bench. The surprise came later in the bottom half of the inning when the Twins turned over shortstop to Eduardo Escobar. It's not that Escobar is a bad pick to play shortstop, in fact he might have been the best defensive option available to the manager. Jamey Carroll was left on the bench and with this decision came question marks about his role with the 2013 Minnesota Twins. At the beginning of last season, Carroll had to be riding high. He signed a very lucrative free agent deal for a player closing in on 40-years old. The Twins named him the Opening Day shortstop and he found himself batting between Denard Span and Joe Mauer. Life was good! A slow start began to muddle the role of Carroll. He didn't record a hit in his first four games and it would take awhile to get his average back to a respectable point. The team moved him out of the number two spot in the batting order and he would spend time playing a variety of different infield positions during the rest of the year. Entering this spring, the front office made it be known that there was an open competition for the middle infield jobs. Carroll, Florimon, Escobar, and Brian Dozier were all in the running for starting jobs. Florimon had the leg up for the starting shortstop job since the end of last year. That left three men fighting for the other spot. The Twins want Dozier to be a part of their rebuilding process. This was evident last season when they continued to use him at shortstop even with his struggles. Dozier is 14 years younger than Carroll and he is under team control for multiple years. It makes sense to start Dozier but there are still questions about Carroll's role with the club. Carroll will make $3.75 million this year, which is a lot of money for someone that looks like a bench player at this point. There are incentives in his deal if he accumulates over 550 plate appearances this season. If he gets 401 plate appearances in 2013, he will have the option to return to the Twins for $2 million or become a free agent. If he doesn't reach that number of ABs, the Twins can pick up his option or buy out his deal for $250,000. All of these things could be a factor in his diminishing role. It was only one game and a couple of bench decisions made by the manager. The 39-year old Carroll will likely get playing time when one of the other players struggles or when an injury arises in the infield. There will be important at-bats for the veteran infielder and the Twins have to hope he will be ready when the opportunity comes. Carroll's role might be shrinking but his time in Minnesota isn't over yet.

The last two Aprils have been rough for Twins Territory. Slow starts out of the gate meant the club would only accumulate single digit wins in 2011 and 2012. As fans know, the team never recovered from those slow starts and Minnesota finished at the bottom of the American League for two consecutive years. It's a new year and the Twins are hoping not to repeat the slow starts of the last two season. For some people, there is plenty riding on the start by the Twins. Ron Gardenhire is in the last year of his contract and the team might need to get off to a decent start for him to keep his job. Since 1987, there have been only two men to be at the helm of the Minnesota Twins. Tom Kelly took the team to two World Series titles before stepping down after the 2001 season. Gardenhire was named as his replacement and there have been plenty of good things during his tenure. The team won the AL Central in his first three years as manager. There was a surprise run to the ALCS in his first year. He also led the team to six division titles in his first nine years. Gardenhire had multiple runner-up finishes for the AL Manager of the Year before winning the award in 2010. Those were the good times. 2011 and 2012 have been dark days in Minnesota. Injuries plagued the 2011 team and the club would finish with the second worst record in baseball. Things didn't get much better in 2012 as the organization waffled to another last place finish. The future looked bleak and something needed to be done. During this offseason, the front office decided to overhaul the coaching staff around Gardenhire. Steve Liddle, Rick Stelmaszek, and Jerry White were all replaced. Scott Ullger and Joe Vavra were reassigned to new positions. Only Rick Anderson and Gardenhire would survive to stay in their same positions. It was a surprising set of moves for an organization that had only one coaching change in the last 11 seasons. There was a stability that stemmed from the ownership throughout the organization. Voices in the locker-room can get stale and sometimes change is needed. There are some fresh voices on Gardenhire's staff and he has to hope there will be a new energy in the clubhouse. New faces will fill-in multiple positions on the Opening Day line-up. The only starting pitcher back in the rotation from the beginning of last year is Liam Henriks. Changes were made and Gardenhire has to work with the roster he was given. This Twins team isn't destined to bring home a World Series crown but it could be a team to surprise at the start of the year. There are plenty of players with something to prove. Justin Morneau wants to put his injury plagued past behind him. Aaron Hicks wants to prove he belongs at the major leagues. Joe Mauer wants to prove he can spend more time behind the plate. Vance Worley, Mike Pelfrey, and Kevin Correia want to prove they can handle the switch from the NL to the AL. Trevor Plouffe and Chris Parmelee want to prove they can be everyday players. Pedro Florimon and Brian Dozier want to prove they belong in the middle infield. Josh Willingham wants to prove that last year's numbers weren't a fluke. Jamey Carroll wants to prove that he has something left in the tank. Gardenhire hopes the drive behind these ambitions will get the team off to a better start in 2013. His job might be counting on it.

The last two Aprils have been rough for Twins Territory. Slow starts out of the gate meant the club would only accumulate single digit wins in 2011 and 2012. As fans know, the team never recovered from those slow starts and Minnesota finished at the bottom of the American League for two consecutive years. It's a new year and the Twins are hoping not to repeat the slow starts of the last two season. For some people, there is plenty riding on the start by the Twins. Ron Gardenhire is in the last year of his contract and the team might need to get off to a decent start for him to keep his job. Since 1987, there have been only two men to be at the helm of the Minnesota Twins. Tom Kelly took the team to two World Series titles before stepping down after the 2001 season. Gardenhire was named as his replacement and there have been plenty of good things during his tenure. The team won the AL Central in his first three years as manager. There was a surprise run to the ALCS in his first year. He also led the team to six division titles in his first nine years. Gardenhire had multiple runner-up finishes for the AL Manager of the Year before winning the award in 2010. Those were the good times. 2011 and 2012 have been dark days in Minnesota. Injuries plagued the 2011 team and the club would finish with the second worst record in baseball. Things didn't get much better in 2012 as the organization waffled to another last place finish. The future looked bleak and something needed to be done. During this offseason, the front office decided to overhaul the coaching staff around Gardenhire. Steve Liddle, Rick Stelmaszek, and Jerry White were all replaced. Scott Ullger and Joe Vavra were reassigned to new positions. Only Rick Anderson and Gardenhire would survive to stay in their same positions. It was a surprising set of moves for an organization that had only one coaching change in the last 11 seasons. There was a stability that stemmed from the ownership throughout the organization. Voices in the locker-room can get stale and sometimes change is needed. There are some fresh voices on Gardenhire's staff and he has to hope there will be a new energy in the clubhouse. New faces will fill-in multiple positions on the Opening Day line-up. The only starting pitcher back in the rotation from the beginning of last year is Liam Henriks. Changes were made and Gardenhire has to work with the roster he was given. This Twins team isn't destined to bring home a World Series crown but it could be a team to surprise at the start of the year. There are plenty of players with something to prove. Justin Morneau wants to put his injury plagued past behind him. Aaron Hicks wants to prove he belongs at the major leagues. Joe Mauer wants to prove he can spend more time behind the plate. Vance Worley, Mike Pelfrey, and Kevin Correia want to prove they can handle the switch from the NL to the AL. Trevor Plouffe and Chris Parmelee want to prove they can be everyday players. Pedro Florimon and Brian Dozier want to prove they belong in the middle infield. Josh Willingham wants to prove that last year's numbers weren't a fluke. Jamey Carroll wants to prove that he has something left in the tank. Gardenhire hopes the drive behind these ambitions will get the team off to a better start in 2013. His job might be counting on it.

Three years ago, the Twins were in an ideal position. The organization was proud to be opening Target Field on a beautiful day in downtown Minneapolis. Minnesota would be on their way to 94 wins, the most for the franchise since the 2006 season. It would be a memorable season for Twins Territory but there were some problems starting to bubble under the surface. The dreaded Yankees were again waiting for the Twins in the first round. It would be another quick exit from the postseason but things seemed to look fine to the blind eye. Those views of the team would quickly fall apart with injuries, poor play, and other bad decisions. Minnesota has fallen far since that day in the Bronx. Teams that suffer this kind of defeat can find it hard to get back on their feet. Minnesota won six division titles from 2002-2010 but only one of those playoff trips resulted in a trip to the ALCS. The price of losing can start to add up and for some teams, that price can result in a decade long struggle to get back to the top. One of the toughest things to do when a team wins or when a team loses is to divide the credit or the blame. There are going to be plenty of people who want to take credit when things are going well for a franchise. If things are going the opposite way, there will be plenty of finger pointing. The bitterness in defeat can be a lot harder for a franchise to overcome. After the team's tough 2011 season, two of the most vocal members of the clubhouse left the franchise through free agency. Michael Cuddyer had been the longest tenured Twins player and he offered a veteran presence. Joe Nathan set the franchise record for saves but he saw a better opportunity to win in Texas. Now there are other veteran players on the club but most of their personalities are calm and reserved. There have been other casualties as the storm has continued to build. Bill Smith was given a lot of responsibility when the club handed him the reigns in September 2007. He would be the man in charge of trading away Johan Santana, signing franchise player Joe Mauer, and preparing the team to enter Target Field. These were challenging items and the team would go in a different direction in 2011. Minnesota went back to Terry Ryan as the organization looks to return to their winning ways. There have been some tough decisions with him back in the saddle. Denard Span and Ben Revere were traded this offseason to try and build up some organizational pitching depth. Some other tough decisions could be on the horizon. Justin Morneau has been an important part of the franchise over the last decade. He won an MVP and was selected to four consecutive All-Star Games. Concussion issues and other injures have limited his playing time. The Twins made sure to sign him to a deal that would keep him in a TC uniform until the new stadium opened. That deal expires at the end of the year and he could be dealt before July's deadline. The coaching staff saw it's biggest shake-up since Tom Kelly resigned after the 2001 season. Ron Gardenhire is in the last year of his contract. There are fresh faces on his staff but it's hard to have hope that the club will get off to a good start. This could mean the end of Gardy's tenure as Twins manager and maybe that's the best path for the franchise. It seems the Twins are entering a new phase. There will be plenty of new faces on the roster for Opening Day. The minor league system is stocked and some of the best young hitters in the game could be getting closer to Target Field this season. One of the hardest things to do in sports is to reinvent an organization. Terry Ryan knows this. His job is to calm the brewing storm. There will be other changes but fans can have hope that the clouds will part and the sun will shine through on a bright future in Minnesota.

Three years ago, the Twins were in an ideal position. The organization was proud to be opening Target Field on a beautiful day in downtown Minneapolis. Minnesota would be on their way to 94 wins, the most for the franchise since the 2006 season. It would be a memorable season for Twins Territory but there were some problems starting to bubble under the surface. The dreaded Yankees were again waiting for the Twins in the first round. It would be another quick exit from the postseason but things seemed to look fine to the blind eye. Those views of the team would quickly fall apart with injuries, poor play, and other bad decisions. Minnesota has fallen far since that day in the Bronx. Teams that suffer this kind of defeat can find it hard to get back on their feet. Minnesota won six division titles from 2002-2010 but only one of those playoff trips resulted in a trip to the ALCS. The price of losing can start to add up and for some teams, that price can result in a decade long struggle to get back to the top. One of the toughest things to do when a team wins or when a team loses is to divide the credit or the blame. There are going to be plenty of people who want to take credit when things are going well for a franchise. If things are going the opposite way, there will be plenty of finger pointing. The bitterness in defeat can be a lot harder for a franchise to overcome. After the team's tough 2011 season, two of the most vocal members of the clubhouse left the franchise through free agency. Michael Cuddyer had been the longest tenured Twins player and he offered a veteran presence. Joe Nathan set the franchise record for saves but he saw a better opportunity to win in Texas. Now there are other veteran players on the club but most of their personalities are calm and reserved. There have been other casualties as the storm has continued to build. Bill Smith was given a lot of responsibility when the club handed him the reigns in September 2007. He would be the man in charge of trading away Johan Santana, signing franchise player Joe Mauer, and preparing the team to enter Target Field. These were challenging items and the team would go in a different direction in 2011. Minnesota went back to Terry Ryan as the organization looks to return to their winning ways. There have been some tough decisions with him back in the saddle. Denard Span and Ben Revere were traded this offseason to try and build up some organizational pitching depth. Some other tough decisions could be on the horizon. Justin Morneau has been an important part of the franchise over the last decade. He won an MVP and was selected to four consecutive All-Star Games. Concussion issues and other injures have limited his playing time. The Twins made sure to sign him to a deal that would keep him in a TC uniform until the new stadium opened. That deal expires at the end of the year and he could be dealt before July's deadline. The coaching staff saw it's biggest shake-up since Tom Kelly resigned after the 2001 season. Ron Gardenhire is in the last year of his contract. There are fresh faces on his staff but it's hard to have hope that the club will get off to a good start. This could mean the end of Gardy's tenure as Twins manager and maybe that's the best path for the franchise. It seems the Twins are entering a new phase. There will be plenty of new faces on the roster for Opening Day. The minor league system is stocked and some of the best young hitters in the game could be getting closer to Target Field this season. One of the hardest things to do in sports is to reinvent an organization. Terry Ryan knows this. His job is to calm the brewing storm. There will be other changes but fans can have hope that the clouds will part and the sun will shine through on a bright future in Minnesota.

The Twins might be destined to finish at the bottom of the AL Central but there can still be some standout stars on a mediocre club. Every year it is fun to put on a prediction hat to try and figure out who will have the best season. This can be tough to do with injuries and other uncertainties. It has been prediction week here at NoDak Twins Fan. This means a look at the National League, the American League, and a close up view of the AL Central. Most of these predictions are likely to go wrong but that's what makes this whole exercise a whole lot of fun. Check out the schedule of post for the week and make sure to stop back every day so you are prepared for the upcoming season. 2013 Preview Week Monday: National League Preview Tuesday: American League Preview Wednesday: American League Central Preview Thursday: Minnesota Twins Awards Preview Friday: Friday Links-N-Thinks Each of the awards below has been named after someone that optimizes that award for the Twins organization. There are some legends from the past and even one current MLB player but all have had a significant place in Twins lore. Harmon Killebrew MVP: Joe Mauer, C Previous Winners: Josh Willingham (2012), Michael Cuddyer (2011), Joe Mauer (2010) Justin Morneau might not be with the team for the entire season and it's hard to know if Josh Willingham will be able to duplicate his numbers from 2012. This leaves one man at the top of the preseason pile for Twins MVP. Before the last three seasons, Mauer has been my pick for the MVP of the team. There might be injuries and there probably won't be a ton of home runs. Fans can count on him having a high batting average and to get on base at one of the best rates in the American League. Trevor Plouffe might surprise or Willingham might continue to rake but my money is on Mauer. Johan Santana Pitcher of the Year: Vance Worley, RHP Previous Winners: Scott Diamond (2012), Carl Pavano (2011), Carl Pavano (2010) This has consistently been one of the hardest awards to pick for the Twins. It says a lot about the men that have composed the pitching staff in the Target Field era. Scott Diamond ran into a rough patch at the end of last year and he will be trying to get back from surgery at the beginning of this year. That crossed his name off of my list. Kyle Gibson is starting the year in the minor leagues but he could end up having a strong second half with the club. My heart wanted to pick Liam Hendriks because I want him to find success at the big league level. My head made me pick Worley but I'm not too excited about the selection. Rick Aguilera Relief Pitcher of the Year: Brian Duensing, LHP Previous Winners: Jared Burton (2012), Glen Perkins (2011), Jesse Crain (2010) There have been surprise winners in this category over the last two seasons. Glen Perkins exploded onto the scene in 2011 and he is fully entrenched into the closers role for the coming year. Last season, Jared Burton was a tremendous find and the Twins will rely on him again in 2013. Brian Duensing has moved back and forth between the rotation and the bullpen. If the Twins are smart, they will leave him in the bullpen where he can find more success. Perkins and Burton might live up to last year's standards but Duensing will be the surprise. Rod Carew Rookie of the Year: Aaron Hicks, CF Previous Winners: Scott Diamond (2012), Ben Revere (2011), Danny Valencia (2010) Two of the last three winners of this award are with different organizations so this might not be good news for Scott Diamond. The Twins handed Hicks the reigns for center field after never getting a plate appearance at the Triple-A level. So far this spring, he has looked very good and this could mean he has a chance to win the overall rookie of the year award for the American League. In previous years, Hicks has struggled with the transition to a new level. This will be the biggest transition of his career and he will need to be able to make the appropriate adjustments. Now it's your turn. What would your ballot look like for the top awards in the Twins organization for 2012? Leave a COMMENT and start the debate.

The Twins might be destined to finish at the bottom of the AL Central but there can still be some standout stars on a mediocre club. Every year it is fun to put on a prediction hat to try and figure out who will have the best season. This can be tough to do with injuries and other uncertainties. It has been prediction week here at NoDak Twins Fan. This means a look at the National League, the American League, and a close up view of the AL Central. Most of these predictions are likely to go wrong but that's what makes this whole exercise a whole lot of fun. Check out the schedule of post for the week and make sure to stop back every day so you are prepared for the upcoming season. 2013 Preview Week Monday: National League Preview Tuesday: American League Preview Wednesday: American League Central Preview Thursday: Minnesota Twins Awards Preview Friday: Friday Links-N-Thinks Each of the awards below has been named after someone that optimizes that award for the Twins organization. There are some legends from the past and even one current MLB player but all have had a significant place in Twins lore. Harmon Killebrew MVP: Joe Mauer, C Previous Winners: Josh Willingham (2012), Michael Cuddyer (2011), Joe Mauer (2010) Justin Morneau might not be with the team for the entire season and it's hard to know if Josh Willingham will be able to duplicate his numbers from 2012. This leaves one man at the top of the preseason pile for Twins MVP. Before the last three seasons, Mauer has been my pick for the MVP of the team. There might be injuries and there probably won't be a ton of home runs. Fans can count on him having a high batting average and to get on base at one of the best rates in the American League. Trevor Plouffe might surprise or Willingham might continue to rake but my money is on Mauer. Johan Santana Pitcher of the Year: Vance Worley, RHP Previous Winners: Scott Diamond (2012), Carl Pavano (2011), Carl Pavano (2010) This has consistently been one of the hardest awards to pick for the Twins. It says a lot about the men that have composed the pitching staff in the Target Field era. Scott Diamond ran into a rough patch at the end of last year and he will be trying to get back from surgery at the beginning of this year. That crossed his name off of my list. Kyle Gibson is starting the year in the minor leagues but he could end up having a strong second half with the club. My heart wanted to pick Liam Hendriks because I want him to find success at the big league level. My head made me pick Worley but I'm not too excited about the selection. Rick Aguilera Relief Pitcher of the Year: Brian Duensing, LHP Previous Winners: Jared Burton (2012), Glen Perkins (2011), Jesse Crain (2010) There have been surprise winners in this category over the last two seasons. Glen Perkins exploded onto the scene in 2011 and he is fully entrenched into the closers role for the coming year. Last season, Jared Burton was a tremendous find and the Twins will rely on him again in 2013. Brian Duensing has moved back and forth between the rotation and the bullpen. If the Twins are smart, they will leave him in the bullpen where he can find more success. Perkins and Burton might live up to last year's standards but Duensing will be the surprise. Rod Carew Rookie of the Year: Aaron Hicks, CF Previous Winners: Scott Diamond (2012), Ben Revere (2011), Danny Valencia (2010) Two of the last three winners of this award are with different organizations so this might not be good news for Scott Diamond. The Twins handed Hicks the reigns for center field after never getting a plate appearance at the Triple-A level. So far this spring, he has looked very good and this could mean he has a chance to win the overall rookie of the year award for the American League. In previous years, Hicks has struggled with the transition to a new level. This will be the biggest transition of his career and he will need to be able to make the appropriate adjustments. Now it's your turn. What would your ballot look like for the top awards in the Twins organization for 2012? Leave a COMMENT and start the debate.

The Tigers were supposed to run away with the division last season but their team showed some holes. This allowed a club like the White Sox to surprise the baseball world and finish in second place by only three games. The Indians and the Royals have made some offseason moves to try and push themselves closer to the top. The AL Central is considered one of the weaker divisions in baseball but the reigning American League Champions reside in the division. Detroit wants to get back to the World Series and win another title for Mo Town. Anything can happen over the course of the regular season and this could leave Detroit on the outside of the playoffs. It's preview week here at NoDak Twins Fan. Check out the schedule of post for the week and make sure to stop back every day so you are prepared for the upcoming season. 2013 Preview Week Monday: National League Preview Tuesday: American League Preview Wednesday: American League Central Preview Thursday: Minnesota Twins Awards Preview Friday: Friday Links-N-Thinks 1. Detroit Tigers (Record Prediction: 92-70) The Tigers have almost all of the pieces to make them an easy pick for the top of the division. Justin Verlander will lead the pitching staff that has other solid starters like Anibal Sanchez, Max Scherzer, and Doug Fister. The line-up will be bolstered by the addition of Torii Hunter and the return of a healthy Victor Martinez. Austin Jackson has turned himself into possibly the best leadoff hitter in the AL Central and who can forget the MVP season of Miguel Cabrera. The one question mark with the Tigers is the back end of the bullpen. At the beginning of the offseason, rookie Bruce Rondon was expected to earn the closer job but he has put together a rough spring. He still might get the job to start the year or the Tigers could use a closer by committee approach. 2. Kansas City Royals (Record Prediction: 84-78) The Royals bet the farm by trading away Wil Myers and other prospects to the Rays for pitchers James Shields and Wade Davis. Kansas City has struggled to produce pitching prospects and the front office wants to make a run toward the postseason. Ervin Santana and Jeremy Guthrie will try to improve their numbers against AL Central opponents. Eric Hosmer was supposed to be an MVP candidate last year but he struggled to find a consistent swing. If he can make some adjustments and reach his potential, he could be a force in the middle of the line-up. Billy Butler is a veteran leader and he should help to keep some consistency. The front office really wants to make a run this year and they might be in position to make a move at the deadline if they need an extra piece. 3. Cleveland Indians (Record Prediction: 81-81) Over the last couple of seasons, Cleveland has been a team that seems to be getting close to breaking through. Core players like Grady Sizemore and Travis Hafner had struggled with injuries but both of these men are not in Indians uniforms to start the year. New manager Terry Francona is trying to turn around a franchise that hasn't made the playoffs since their team lost the 2007 ALCS. Nick Swisher and Michael Bourn were surprise offseason signings and young pitcher Trevor Bauer will look to make a mark on the rotation. There are enough question marks with the pitching staff to wonder if the Tribe will be able to push past the .500 mark. This team could finish ahead of the Royals so it will be a close battle for second place. 4. Chicago White Sox (Record Prediction: 77-85) Chicago surprised a lot of the baseball world last year when they came within a handful of games from winning the division over the eventual AL Champions. Last year's postseason could have had quite a different feel if the White Sox had ended up as the winner of the Central Division. Paul Konerko and Adam Dunn will provide some powerful swings in the middle of the line-up. Tyler Flowers will try and take over the big offensive hole left behind the plate by the departure of AJ Pierzynski. Chris Sale might be the second best starting pitcher in the division and he will continue to prove himself this year. For Chicago, it's going to be a little tougher to score runs and their rotation is lacking some depth. They will fall back to the pack this year and finish near the bottom of the division. 5. Minnesota Twins (Record Prediction: 69-93) Twins fans might not like seeing the team at the bottom of the division for the third year in a row but there is nothing that is pointing to the team from finishing anywhere else. The lackluster rotation thrown together for 2013 is underwhelming at best. Joe Mauer, Josh Willingham, and Justin Morneau will provide offense but it still won't be enough to overcome some of the team's deficiencies. The good news is that the future looks bright and fans will get to watch Aaron Hicks in center field at the beginning of the year. Chris Parmelee and Trevor Plouffe will look to translate minor league numbers into sustained success at the big league level. There are plenty of question marks but the team should be slightly better than the last two years.

The Tigers were supposed to run away with the division last season but their team showed some holes. This allowed a club like the White Sox to surprise the baseball world and finish in second place by only three games. The Indians and the Royals have made some offseason moves to try and push themselves closer to the top. The AL Central is considered one of the weaker divisions in baseball but the reigning American League Champions reside in the division. Detroit wants to get back to the World Series and win another title for Mo Town. Anything can happen over the course of the regular season and this could leave Detroit on the outside of the playoffs. It's preview week here at NoDak Twins Fan. Check out the schedule of post for the week and make sure to stop back every day so you are prepared for the upcoming season. 2013 Preview Week Monday: National League Preview Tuesday: American League Preview Wednesday: American League Central Preview Thursday: Minnesota Twins Awards Preview Friday: Friday Links-N-Thinks 1. Detroit Tigers (Record Prediction: 92-70) The Tigers have almost all of the pieces to make them an easy pick for the top of the division. Justin Verlander will lead the pitching staff that has other solid starters like Anibal Sanchez, Max Scherzer, and Doug Fister. The line-up will be bolstered by the addition of Torii Hunter and the return of a healthy Victor Martinez. Austin Jackson has turned himself into possibly the best leadoff hitter in the AL Central and who can forget the MVP season of Miguel Cabrera. The one question mark with the Tigers is the back end of the bullpen. At the beginning of the offseason, rookie Bruce Rondon was expected to earn the closer job but he has put together a rough spring. He still might get the job to start the year or the Tigers could use a closer by committee approach. 2. Kansas City Royals (Record Prediction: 84-78) The Royals bet the farm by trading away Wil Myers and other prospects to the Rays for pitchers James Shields and Wade Davis. Kansas City has struggled to produce pitching prospects and the front office wants to make a run toward the postseason. Ervin Santana and Jeremy Guthrie will try to improve their numbers against AL Central opponents. Eric Hosmer was supposed to be an MVP candidate last year but he struggled to find a consistent swing. If he can make some adjustments and reach his potential, he could be a force in the middle of the line-up. Billy Butler is a veteran leader and he should help to keep some consistency. The front office really wants to make a run this year and they might be in position to make a move at the deadline if they need an extra piece. 3. Cleveland Indians (Record Prediction: 81-81) Over the last couple of seasons, Cleveland has been a team that seems to be getting close to breaking through. Core players like Grady Sizemore and Travis Hafner had struggled with injuries but both of these men are not in Indians uniforms to start the year. New manager Terry Francona is trying to turn around a franchise that hasn't made the playoffs since their team lost the 2007 ALCS. Nick Swisher and Michael Bourn were surprise offseason signings and young pitcher Trevor Bauer will look to make a mark on the rotation. There are enough question marks with the pitching staff to wonder if the Tribe will be able to push past the .500 mark. This team could finish ahead of the Royals so it will be a close battle for second place. 4. Chicago White Sox (Record Prediction: 77-85) Chicago surprised a lot of the baseball world last year when they came within a handful of games from winning the division over the eventual AL Champions. Last year's postseason could have had quite a different feel if the White Sox had ended up as the winner of the Central Division. Paul Konerko and Adam Dunn will provide some powerful swings in the middle of the line-up. Tyler Flowers will try and take over the big offensive hole left behind the plate by the departure of AJ Pierzynski. Chris Sale might be the second best starting pitcher in the division and he will continue to prove himself this year. For Chicago, it's going to be a little tougher to score runs and their rotation is lacking some depth. They will fall back to the pack this year and finish near the bottom of the division. 5. Minnesota Twins (Record Prediction: 69-93) Twins fans might not like seeing the team at the bottom of the division for the third year in a row but there is nothing that is pointing to the team from finishing anywhere else. The lackluster rotation thrown together for 2013 is underwhelming at best. Joe Mauer, Josh Willingham, and Justin Morneau will provide offense but it still won't be enough to overcome some of the team's deficiencies. The good news is that the future looks bright and fans will get to watch Aaron Hicks in center field at the beginning of the year. Chris Parmelee and Trevor Plouffe will look to translate minor league numbers into sustained success at the big league level. There are plenty of question marks but the team should be slightly better than the last two years.

Trying to predict baseball is becoming harder and harder. With the addition of the second wild card spot, it seems like almost every team has a shot at earning a trip to the postseason. No one saw the Orioles and the Athletics making it into the postseason last year. It is also hard to believe the playoffs occurred without the Angels participating. That is what makes this game so much fun. Fans from every team have hope at the beginning of the year and there are 162 games to separate the men from the boys. It's preview week here at NoDak Twins Fan. Check out the schedule of post for the week and make sure to stop back every day so you are prepared for the upcoming season. 2013 Preview Week Monday: National League Preview Tuesday: American League Preview Wednesday: American League Central Preview Thursday: Minnesota Twins Awards Preview Friday: Friday Links-N-Thinks AL East: Toronto Blue Jays The Blue Jays spent the offseason acquiring talent to get them back to somewhere they haven't been since the early 1990's. Toronto spent multiple seasons as the top dog in the AL but that was many years ago in a galaxy far, far away. Last year's NL Cy Young winner RA Dickey will look to calm some of the bats in the AL East. Jose Reyes will use his speed to wreak havoc on the bases and Jose Bautista will get back to his healthy home run hitting form. Their rotation is solid and they have a very strong line-up that will guide them through the gauntlet of the AL East. AL Central: Detroit Tigers After being embarrassed by the Giants in last year's World Series, the Tigers have a chip on their shoulder. They have arguably the best pitcher and the best hitter in the game in Justin Verlander and Miguel Cabrera. Veteran Torii Hunter was brought in to help an offense that struggled at times and a defense that ranked near the bottom of the AL. The AL Central shouldn't be too much of a challenge for the Tigers even with some revamped rosters in Cleveland and Kansas City. Detroit is built to get back to the Fall Classic. AL West: Los Angeles Angels On paper, the Angels had one of the best team's in 2012 but that still didn't translate to a playoff spot. This year will be a different story. Mike Trout will get a full season to show off his talent. This will be dangerous especially with the other offensive players around him. Albert Pujols took a lot of the blame for LA's poor start last year but there was plenty of blame to go around. For the second year in a row, the Angels brought in a big name free agent to bolster their line-up. Josh Hamilton will help to make Los Angeles the best team in the American League. Wild Cards: Oakland Athletics, Texas Rangers Oakland surprised the baseball world last year by using a rotation mostly comprised of rookie pitchers to win the AL West. They won't be as much of a surprise this season but it helps to have the Astros at the back-end of their division. The A's will benefit from playing Houston 18 times this year and this should help them move to the top. Josh Reddick and Yoenis Cespedes will pace the offense and Oakland will have back-to-back playoff appearances for the first time since the Moneyball Era. There is a little turmoil in Texas but the Rangers roster still should be strong enough to make an October run. Team leaders Josh Hamilton and Michael Young are in different uniforms so other players will have to step up to the plate. Ian Kinsler is one of the best infielders in the game and Jurickson Profar will look to make his mark in his rookie campaign. AJ Pierzynski and Lance Berkman will try to replace some of the offense lost by Hamilton leaving town. Wild Card Game: Oakland over Texas ALDS: Los Angeles over Oakland, Detroit over Toronto ALCS: Los Angeles over Detroit World Series: Washington over Los Angeles AL MVP: Mike Trout, Angels Trout lost out on last year's MVP award because of the Triple Crown season put together by Miguel Cabrera. This year there won't be another Triple Crown winner and this leaves the door open for Mr. Trout. A full season at the big league level could allow Trout to put together some numbers that have never been seen before. He has a chance to be the first 50/50 player in history. He is also one of the best defensive outfielders in the game. The offense around him will be even better this year and this could put him on pace to break the single season record for runs scored. AL Cy Young: Justin Verlander, Tigers Verlander is simply one of the best pitchers in the game. In each of the last two years, he has lead the American League in strikeouts and innings pitched. The Tigers should steam roll the AL Central and this could put Verlander on a pace to set a new career high in wins. Over the last four seasons, he has averaged 238 innings on the mound and it is hard not to think that those innings might start to add up. He hasn't showed any signs of slowing down so a Detroit playoff birth and some gaudy pitching totals should earn him his second Cy Young in the last three years. AL Rookie of the Year: Aaron Hicks, Twins There might be better prospects on other teams but not many of the top prospects in the American League will get the chance to start from Opening Day. The Twins are giving Hicks this chance and he could be the team's first Rookie of the Year winner since Marty Cordova in 1995. Wil Myers and Jurickson Profar will have a chance to impact their clubs later in the year. Hicks put together a tremendous spring and he has all of the tools to be a solid player. It will be up to Hicks to make the correct adjustments and show that he belongs at the MLB level. AL Manager of the Year: John Gibbons, Blue Jays If things go according to plan in the AL, Gibbons will have the best shot to walk away with the manager of the year award. The front office has done a good job to compile a talented roster. He is still going to have to control a lot of different personalities if the Jays are going to make it through the AL East. If Ned Yost can help to turn the Royals around, he might have a claim to this crown. For now, Gibbons looks like the front-runner and it will be up to the rest of the league to stop him.

Trying to predict baseball is becoming harder and harder. With the addition of the second wild card spot, it seems like almost every team has a shot at earning a trip to the postseason. No one saw the Orioles and the Athletics making it into the postseason last year. It is also hard to believe the playoffs occurred without the Angels participating. That is what makes this game so much fun. Fans from every team have hope at the beginning of the year and there are 162 games to separate the men from the boys. It's preview week here at NoDak Twins Fan. Check out the schedule of post for the week and make sure to stop back every day so you are prepared for the upcoming season. 2013 Preview Week Monday: National League Preview Tuesday: American League Preview Wednesday: American League Central Preview Thursday: Minnesota Twins Awards Preview Friday: Friday Links-N-Thinks AL East: Toronto Blue Jays The Blue Jays spent the offseason acquiring talent to get them back to somewhere they haven't been since the early 1990's. Toronto spent multiple seasons as the top dog in the AL but that was many years ago in a galaxy far, far away. Last year's NL Cy Young winner RA Dickey will look to calm some of the bats in the AL East. Jose Reyes will use his speed to wreak havoc on the bases and Jose Bautista will get back to his healthy home run hitting form. Their rotation is solid and they have a very strong line-up that will guide them through the gauntlet of the AL East. AL Central: Detroit Tigers After being embarrassed by the Giants in last year's World Series, the Tigers have a chip on their shoulder. They have arguably the best pitcher and the best hitter in the game in Justin Verlander and Miguel Cabrera. Veteran Torii Hunter was brought in to help an offense that struggled at times and a defense that ranked near the bottom of the AL. The AL Central shouldn't be too much of a challenge for the Tigers even with some revamped rosters in Cleveland and Kansas City. Detroit is built to get back to the Fall Classic. AL West: Los Angeles Angels On paper, the Angels had one of the best team's in 2012 but that still didn't translate to a playoff spot. This year will be a different story. Mike Trout will get a full season to show off his talent. This will be dangerous especially with the other offensive players around him. Albert Pujols took a lot of the blame for LA's poor start last year but there was plenty of blame to go around. For the second year in a row, the Angels brought in a big name free agent to bolster their line-up. Josh Hamilton will help to make Los Angeles the best team in the American League. Wild Cards: Oakland Athletics, Texas Rangers Oakland surprised the baseball world last year by using a rotation mostly comprised of rookie pitchers to win the AL West. They won't be as much of a surprise this season but it helps to have the Astros at the back-end of their division. The A's will benefit from playing Houston 18 times this year and this should help them move to the top. Josh Reddick and Yoenis Cespedes will pace the offense and Oakland will have back-to-back playoff appearances for the first time since the Moneyball Era. There is a little turmoil in Texas but the Rangers roster still should be strong enough to make an October run. Team leaders Josh Hamilton and Michael Young are in different uniforms so other players will have to step up to the plate. Ian Kinsler is one of the best infielders in the game and Jurickson Profar will look to make his mark in his rookie campaign. AJ Pierzynski and Lance Berkman will try to replace some of the offense lost by Hamilton leaving town. Wild Card Game: Oakland over Texas ALDS: Los Angeles over Oakland, Detroit over Toronto ALCS: Los Angeles over Detroit World Series: Washington over Los Angeles AL MVP: Mike Trout, Angels Trout lost out on last year's MVP award because of the Triple Crown season put together by Miguel Cabrera. This year there won't be another Triple Crown winner and this leaves the door open for Mr. Trout. A full season at the big league level could allow Trout to put together some numbers that have never been seen before. He has a chance to be the first 50/50 player in history. He is also one of the best defensive outfielders in the game. The offense around him will be even better this year and this could put him on pace to break the single season record for runs scored. AL Cy Young: Justin Verlander, Tigers Verlander is simply one of the best pitchers in the game. In each of the last two years, he has lead the American League in strikeouts and innings pitched. The Tigers should steam roll the AL Central and this could put Verlander on a pace to set a new career high in wins. Over the last four seasons, he has averaged 238 innings on the mound and it is hard not to think that those innings might start to add up. He hasn't showed any signs of slowing down so a Detroit playoff birth and some gaudy pitching totals should earn him his second Cy Young in the last three years. AL Rookie of the Year: Aaron Hicks, Twins There might be better prospects on other teams but not many of the top prospects in the American League will get the chance to start from Opening Day. The Twins are giving Hicks this chance and he could be the team's first Rookie of the Year winner since Marty Cordova in 1995. Wil Myers and Jurickson Profar will have a chance to impact their clubs later in the year. Hicks put together a tremendous spring and he has all of the tools to be a solid player. It will be up to Hicks to make the correct adjustments and show that he belongs at the MLB level. AL Manager of the Year: John Gibbons, Blue Jays If things go according to plan in the AL, Gibbons will have the best shot to walk away with the manager of the year award. The front office has done a good job to compile a talented roster. He is still going to have to control a lot of different personalities if the Jays are going to make it through the AL East. If Ned Yost can help to turn the Royals around, he might have a claim to this crown. For now, Gibbons looks like the front-runner and it will be up to the rest of the league to stop him.

It's preview week here at NoDak Twins Fan so everyone should get excited!! This means it is the last full week before the regular season begins. The start of real baseball can't get here soon enough. Throughout the week, I will be making my picks for the National League, the American League, the AL Central, and awards for the Twins. Here is a look at the schedule so make sure to stop in all week to get yourself primed for the season to come. 2013 Preview Week Monday: National League Preview Tuesday: American League Preview Wednesday: American League Central Preview Thursday: Minnesota Twins Awards Preview Friday: Friday Links-N-Thinks NL East: Washington Nationals With a young core of players and a strong pitching staff, the Nationals look to be the crème of the crop in the National League. Bryce Harper will get a full season to show his potential. There also won't be an innings limit on Stephen Strasburg. Both of these players are driven to show they can be the best in the game. Washington will get plenty of push from the Atlanta Braves but the Nats should have enough talent to walk away with their second consecutive NL East crown. NL Central: St. Louis Cardinals St. Louis has won two of the last six World Series championships and they still made it to the NLCS last year even after losing Albert Pujols. They have arguably the best minor league system in the game and some of those young players will be ready to make an impact in 2013. Shelby Miller and Oscar Taveras will be knocking on the door to the big leagues. The Cards also have solid arsenal of talent at the major league level that will look to win the division for the first time since 2009. NL West: Los Angeles Dodgers The Dodgers ownership group has stepped up to the plate and made sure they have a contender on the field. Clayton Kershaw and Zack Greinke might be one of the best top of the rotation duos in all of baseball. Matt Kemp needs to put his injury-plagued year behind him and show that he is an MVP candidate again. Adrian Gonzalez and Carl Crawford will look to add some pop to the line-up as the team looks to make the playoffs for the first time in four years. Wild Cards: Atlanta Braves, San Francisco Giants The Braves have a chance to battle the Nationals for the top spot in the NL East. The pitching depth of the Nationals will separate the two clubs so Atlanta will have to settle for a Wild Card spot for the second year in a row. Jason Heyward, Justin Upton, and BJ Upton might form the best outfield in the game. Craig Kimbrel is a force at the back end of the bullpen and Heyward will put himself in the MVP discussion. The Giants have won two of the last three World Series and they will be looking to go back-to-back in 2013. It is going to be a struggle for them to even reach the playoffs and they will fight with the Reds through the last week of the season. Matt Cain and Madison Bumgarner are two of the best hurlers in the game. Buster Posey will look to earn his second straight MVP but Tim Lincecum continues to be a giant question mark. Wild Card Game: Braves over Giants NLDS: Nationals over Braves, Cardinals over Dodgers NLCS: Nationals over Cardinals NL MVP: Jason Heyward, Braves Heyward is only 23-years old and he is all around game makes him one of baseball’s most exciting players. He won a Gold Glove last year so his defense might not be the thing holding him back from taking home the hardware. His batting average was only .269 so he would definitely need a spike in this department. If he gets close to a 30-30 season and sees an improvement in average, the award will be his. NL Cy Young: Clayton Kershaw, Dodgers Over the last two seasons, Kershaw has lead the NL in ERA, WHIP, and Hits/9. He won the Cy Young in 2011 and he finished second last year to RA Dickey. His win total was a little low last year and the improvement in the Dodgers offense should lead to more run support in 2013. He will only be 25-years old this season and he has been a workhorse over the last few seasons. The Dodgers are looking to make a statement in the NL and Kershaw is their ace. NL Rookie of the Year: Oscar Taveras, Cardinals Bryce Harper is a tough act to follow but Oscar Taveras might have just the perfect situation to find success. He is considered one of the best prospects in the game and the Cardinals will look to be a solid team in the National League. Taveras won't start the year in the big leagues but he will make enough of an impact in the stretch run to separate himself from some of the rookie pitchers like Zach Wheeler and Tyler Skaggs. NL Manager of the Year: Mike Matheny, Cardinals There are plenty of coaches that will be vying to take home this award but the Cardinals haven't won their division multiple seasons. Matheny did a good job guiding the club to a Wild Card birth in his first year at the helm. It is tough to step into the spot of a future Hall-of-Fame manager but Matheny has a solid organization around him. This will help him to standout above the crowd.

It's preview week here at NoDak Twins Fan so everyone should get excited!! This means it is the last full week before the regular season begins. The start of real baseball can't get here soon enough. Throughout the week, I will be making my picks for the National League, the American League, the AL Central, and awards for the Twins. Here is a look at the schedule so make sure to stop in all week to get yourself primed for the season to come. 2013 Preview Week Monday: National League Preview Tuesday: American League Preview Wednesday: American League Central Preview Thursday: Minnesota Twins Awards Preview Friday: Friday Links-N-Thinks NL East: Washington Nationals With a young core of players and a strong pitching staff, the Nationals look to be the crème of the crop in the National League. Bryce Harper will get a full season to show his potential. There also won't be an innings limit on Stephen Strasburg. Both of these players are driven to show they can be the best in the game. Washington will get plenty of push from the Atlanta Braves but the Nats should have enough talent to walk away with their second consecutive NL East crown. NL Central: St. Louis Cardinals St. Louis has won two of the last six World Series championships and they still made it to the NLCS last year even after losing Albert Pujols. They have arguably the best minor league system in the game and some of those young players will be ready to make an impact in 2013. Shelby Miller and Oscar Taveras will be knocking on the door to the big leagues. The Cards also have solid arsenal of talent at the major league level that will look to win the division for the first time since 2009. NL West: Los Angeles Dodgers The Dodgers ownership group has stepped up to the plate and made sure they have a contender on the field. Clayton Kershaw and Zack Greinke might be one of the best top of the rotation duos in all of baseball. Matt Kemp needs to put his injury-plagued year behind him and show that he is an MVP candidate again. Adrian Gonzalez and Carl Crawford will look to add some pop to the line-up as the team looks to make the playoffs for the first time in four years. Wild Cards: Atlanta Braves, San Francisco Giants The Braves have a chance to battle the Nationals for the top spot in the NL East. The pitching depth of the Nationals will separate the two clubs so Atlanta will have to settle for a Wild Card spot for the second year in a row. Jason Heyward, Justin Upton, and BJ Upton might form the best outfield in the game. Craig Kimbrel is a force at the back end of the bullpen and Heyward will put himself in the MVP discussion. The Giants have won two of the last three World Series and they will be looking to go back-to-back in 2013. It is going to be a struggle for them to even reach the playoffs and they will fight with the Reds through the last week of the season. Matt Cain and Madison Bumgarner are two of the best hurlers in the game. Buster Posey will look to earn his second straight MVP but Tim Lincecum continues to be a giant question mark. Wild Card Game: Braves over Giants NLDS: Nationals over Braves, Cardinals over Dodgers NLCS: Nationals over Cardinals NL MVP: Jason Heyward, Braves Heyward is only 23-years old and he is all around game makes him one of baseball’s most exciting players. He won a Gold Glove last year so his defense might not be the thing holding him back from taking home the hardware. His batting average was only .269 so he would definitely need a spike in this department. If he gets close to a 30-30 season and sees an improvement in average, the award will be his. NL Cy Young: Clayton Kershaw, Dodgers Over the last two seasons, Kershaw has lead the NL in ERA, WHIP, and Hits/9. He won the Cy Young in 2011 and he finished second last year to RA Dickey. His win total was a little low last year and the improvement in the Dodgers offense should lead to more run support in 2013. He will only be 25-years old this season and he has been a workhorse over the last few seasons. The Dodgers are looking to make a statement in the NL and Kershaw is their ace. NL Rookie of the Year: Oscar Taveras, Cardinals Bryce Harper is a tough act to follow but Oscar Taveras might have just the perfect situation to find success. He is considered one of the best prospects in the game and the Cardinals will look to be a solid team in the National League. Taveras won't start the year in the big leagues but he will make enough of an impact in the stretch run to separate himself from some of the rookie pitchers like Zach Wheeler and Tyler Skaggs. NL Manager of the Year: Mike Matheny, Cardinals There are plenty of coaches that will be vying to take home this award but the Cardinals haven't won their division multiple seasons. Matheny did a good job guiding the club to a Wild Card birth in his first year at the helm. It is tough to step into the spot of a future Hall-of-Fame manager but Matheny has a solid organization around him. This will help him to standout above the crowd.