Cody Christie

On Tuesday night, one of the legs of the Minnesota Twins caravan made a stop in the Fargo-Moorhead area. The location for this event was "The Venue" at "The Hub." Doors opened at 5:00 pm but the event didn't start until 6:30 pm. The hour and a half "pre-game" was for fans to enjoy a ballpark meal of hot dogs, chips, and soda. Current Twins players Scott Diamond and Glen Perkins along with Twins great Tony Oliva were there to take part in the festivities. Cory Provus was there to give his voice to the evenings events. Also on hand was Dave St. Peter, the North Dakota native, on one of his few stops on this year's caravan. Many fans braved the below zero wind chill to get a small taste of baseball on the prairie. When the event started, they showed a promotional video to drum up support for the coming season. It started by explaining the team's need for pitching this offseason. Then it introduced fans to the players acquired in the Denard Span and Ben Revere trades. Alex Meyer and Trevor May probably won't be in the big leagues this year but it tried to paint a bright picture for the future. It went through the positional battles in center field and in the middle infield positions. It showed Darin Mastroianni, Aaron Hicks, and Joe Benson as the likely center field options. For the middle infield, it talked about Pedro Florimon, Brian Dozier, Eduardo Escobar, and Jamey Carroll. All of these players should have a chance to start on Opening Day. The video also introduced fans to the plethora of new starting pitchers for the team. It also talked about Rich Harden more than I thought it should since he is a giant question mark. For other fans, I guess he would be one of the few names that people have heard of so it makes sense. There were interviews with Terry Ryan and Ron Gardenhire to explain some of the positional battles. They gave the positives for each player and the reasons for trading away some of the team's proven talent. One of the most important messages of the video was the fact that the team is not punting 2013. They feel the right moves are being made to be competitive next year and into the future. Following the video, the fans were able to ask a variety of questions to the panel on the stage. Dave St. Peter thanked the players for being willing to go on these caravan trips over the years because it wouldn't happen without them. This brought out some good stories from Oliva. He spoke about the first time he came to North Dakota back in the early 1960's. The weather was cold and he only spoke a couple words of English. Tony-O took over the microphone for awhile. He said that it was great for the players to interact with the fans because it showed the fans that they were real people and not just figures on TV. He also told the story of how he lost a tooth earlier that day while eating chicken wings. Oliva said the wings were really good and he jokingly blamed Glen Perkins for the incident. One of the more surprising quotes of the evening came from Dave St. Peter. When asked about the center field opening, he said that the hope of the organization is for Aaron Hicks to win the job. The team needs a lead-off hitter and Hicks should have the skills for that spot. He did say they were worried about his ability to hit consistently at the big league level but he knows how to draw a walk. There were a variety of other questions. Perkins hates to face Miguel Cabrera and Diamond said Jose Bautista is scary. Some of their favorite parks to visit are Safeco Field and Fenway Park. Diamond also explained the story of him having to throw near Josh Hamilton's head last year. He said that he was being a "rascal" and that the pitch got away from him a little. It was a fun night to get fans ready for the up-coming baseball season. There were door prizes and autographs at the end but it was more about getting geared up for the coming season.

On Tuesday night, one of the legs of the Minnesota Twins caravan made a stop in the Fargo-Moorhead area. The location for this event was "The Venue" at "The Hub." Doors opened at 5:00 pm but the event didn't start until 6:30 pm. The hour and a half "pre-game" was for fans to enjoy a ballpark meal of hot dogs, chips, and soda. Current Twins players Scott Diamond and Glen Perkins along with Twins great Tony Oliva were there to take part in the festivities. Cory Provus was there to give his voice to the evenings events. Also on hand was Dave St. Peter, the North Dakota native, on one of his few stops on this year's caravan. Many fans braved the below zero wind chill to get a small taste of baseball on the prairie. When the event started, they showed a promotional video to drum up support for the coming season. It started by explaining the team's need for pitching this offseason. Then it introduced fans to the players acquired in the Denard Span and Ben Revere trades. Alex Meyer and Trevor May probably won't be in the big leagues this year but it tried to paint a bright picture for the future. It went through the positional battles in center field and in the middle infield positions. It showed Darin Mastroianni, Aaron Hicks, and Joe Benson as the likely center field options. For the middle infield, it talked about Pedro Florimon, Brian Dozier, Eduardo Escobar, and Jamey Carroll. All of these players should have a chance to start on Opening Day. The video also introduced fans to the plethora of new starting pitchers for the team. It also talked about Rich Harden more than I thought it should since he is a giant question mark. For other fans, I guess he would be one of the few names that people have heard of so it makes sense. There were interviews with Terry Ryan and Ron Gardenhire to explain some of the positional battles. They gave the positives for each player and the reasons for trading away some of the team's proven talent. One of the most important messages of the video was the fact that the team is not punting 2013. They feel the right moves are being made to be competitive next year and into the future. Following the video, the fans were able to ask a variety of questions to the panel on the stage. Dave St. Peter thanked the players for being willing to go on these caravan trips over the years because it wouldn't happen without them. This brought out some good stories from Oliva. He spoke about the first time he came to North Dakota back in the early 1960's. The weather was cold and he only spoke a couple words of English. Tony-O took over the microphone for awhile. He said that it was great for the players to interact with the fans because it showed the fans that they were real people and not just figures on TV. He also told the story of how he lost a tooth earlier that day while eating chicken wings. Oliva said the wings were really good and he jokingly blamed Glen Perkins for the incident. One of the more surprising quotes of the evening came from Dave St. Peter. When asked about the center field opening, he said that the hope of the organization is for Aaron Hicks to win the job. The team needs a lead-off hitter and Hicks should have the skills for that spot. He did say they were worried about his ability to hit consistently at the big league level but he knows how to draw a walk. There were a variety of other questions. Perkins hates to face Miguel Cabrera and Diamond said Jose Bautista is scary. Some of their favorite parks to visit are Safeco Field and Fenway Park. Diamond also explained the story of him having to throw near Josh Hamilton's head last year. He said that he was being a "rascal" and that the pitch got away from him a little. It was a fun night to get fans ready for the up-coming baseball season. There were door prizes and autographs at the end but it was more about getting geared up for the coming season.

[ATTACH=CONFIG]3108[/ATTACH] In the 2013 Minnesota Twins Prospect Handbook (which is now available in paperback and e-version copies), I wrote an article looking back at all of the players that were considered rookies in 2012. From Brian Dozier and Chris Herrmann to Scott Diamond and Tyler Robertson, there were 15 rookies to make appearances with the club. On a team fighting for every win, there were plenty of opportunities for some young blood to sink or swim. Now that the Prospect Handbook has been out and fans have been able to look through it, the future can turn to those prospects that have the chance to make an impact on next year's squad. It can be tough to guess which players will be given the opportunity but the Twins have made hints at a few different names. Joe Benson and Aaron Hicks will both have the opportunity to earn the starting center field job out of spring training. If one of these two young men sticks with the club for the entire year, there is a good chance they will have the big impact on next year's club. Hicks seems to have the best chance of making the club. There is also a chance that neither of them earn the job and that could make their opportunity to shine a little harder. When looking to the pitching core, there are a few names that could make a splash in 2013. Kyle Gibson, the former first round pick, should be making his big league debut this year. He missed most of last season following Tommy John surgery. At the end of last season, he came back healthy and he looked good for portions of the Arizona Fall League. His innings limit this year could hinder him but he could still make a big impact. BJ Hermsen was the organization's minor league pitcher of the year and he was strong at two different levels this past season. He accumulated most of his innings at the Double-A level so this could put him at the cusp of making his debut next year. If the Twins start him in Rochester, he is only an injury or two away from getting the call. Out in the bullpen, Caleb Thielbar or Ryan Pressly could factor into the team's plans for this year. Theilbar, a Minnesota native, has been slowly working his way towards the big leagues. He pitched out of Rochester's bullpen for all of last season so he only has one more level to conquer. Pressly was the Twins Rule 5 pick this year from Boston. This means that he will have to stay on the big league roster for the entire year or be offered back to the Red Sox. The one player that could be considered a dark horse for next year's squad is Oswaldo Arcia. His performance in 2012 earned him Twins Minor League Player of the Year honors so it would exactly be a breakout year. The surprise would come from the fact that he doesn't seem to have an open position on the roster. He fits into a corner outfield spot and the Twins are looking to use Josh Willingham and Chris Parmelee in left field and right field. This could leave Arcia at Triple-A hoping for someone on the big league roster to get injured. In the end, there are a few different ways to look at who will be making the biggest impact. Some of the names on this list are almost guaranteed to make their big league debuts and some of the others have less of a chance. Kyle Gibson is most likely going to pitch more big league innings than Caleb Thielbar. Aaron Hicks will probably get more at-bats than Joe Benson or Oswaldo Arcia. Here is a ranking of the top five players from the list above based on the kind of impact they will have on next year's team. This list isn't completely based on talent. It is based on what type of playing time each player is expected to get next year and what kind of impact he will have at the big league level. 1. Kyle Gibson RHP- He looked healthy at the end of last season and in the Arizona Fall League. Gibson is ready to prove that he is completely recovered from Tommy John surgery. 2. Aaron Hicks OF- He might have to start the year in the minor leagues and this could hinder his ability to make an impact. A hot start at Triple-A could have him in the big leagues sooner than expected. 3. Caleb Thielbar LHP- There is always a need for left-handed pitchers in the bullpen. Thielbar could make the team out of spring training and stick with the club for most of the year. 4. BJ Hermsen RHP- The Twins have been stocking up on questionable starting pitching this offseason. This could leave a hole in the rotation for Hermsen. 5. Ryan Pressly RHP- If the Twins want to keep him, he has to stick on the big league roster. They could make him a long relief man or use him as a spot starter since he has experience as a starting pitcher. Which rookie do you think will have the biggest impact on next year's squad? Leave a COMMENT and start the discussion.

[ATTACH=CONFIG]3102[/ATTACH] Twins fans know the kind of mourning that Cardinals are going through. Stan Musial, the greatest Cardinals player to ever live, passed away this weekend at the age of 92. Less than two years ago the Twins were mourning the loss of their own great player, Harmon Killebrew. These two players are two of the best players in the history of the game and their character off the field shown just as bright as these stars did on it. Killebrew and Musial had their career path's cross for a few seasons near the end of Musial's career and the beginning of Killebrew's playing days. They would be on opposite sides of the field in three different All-Star Games but they never met in any other contests since there was no interleague play. Musial's NL squads would come out on top in all of those games but there were no hard feelings as a friendship was starting to form. Both men loved to be involved in the community and this was evident in their off the field activities. One of their most publicized events together was a trip to Vietnam in 1966 to help boost the morale of the troops. Musial and Killebrew would join other stars like Hank Aaron, Joe Torre, and Brooks Robinson on a trip overseas. The faced some dangers on the trip with their choppers being shot at and their barracks being bombed but they warmed the spirits of America's men in uniform. [ATTACH=CONFIG]3101[/ATTACH] "I got to know Stan very, very well (on that tour)," Killebrew said. "I got to know the kind of person he was, and it really magnified my feels about Stan Musial." Killebrew had grown up in a baseball culture where Musial was one of the best players in the world. In an interview with a St. Louis radio station on the day Musial was receiving the Presidential Medal of Freedom, Killebrew offered a variety of thoughts on Stan "The Man." "I always admired Stan from afar as a youngster," noted Killebrew. "I've known him now for over 40-some years and we've been good friends. I've always marveled at the records Stan Musial put up. I always felt he did not get the credit he deserved... He has to rank, in my book, as one of the greatest players who every lived." Besides their trip overseas, there seemed to be a Midwest connection between these two players. The greatness of their careers is overlooked outside of their baseball market because of where they spent all of their playing days (Killebrew mentions a bit of this in the interview linked above). New York, Los Angeles, and Chicago would never be their homes and this might have been better for these gentle giants. Their quiet personalities might have never held up in a bigger market. To generations of Twins fans, Killebrew was the first star of a franchise when it moved to the frozen tundra of Minnesota. His statue greats fans as they arrive at games and the stories of his life will never die. There would be other greats to bring championships to his town like Kirby and Hrbek but he was still the living legend. His name will always be remembered and his gentle nature was one of his most enduring legacies. To generations of Cardinals fans, Musial will serve much of the same role. His statue greets fans when they arrive at the gate and his stories will continue to be told. Albert and Ozzie would bring titles to St. Louis but he was still "The Man" to that city. He will never be forgotten for what he meant to the game of baseball. Rest in Peace, Stan "The Man." I hope Killer was there to greet you at that big baseball field in the sky.

[ATTACH=CONFIG]3076[/ATTACH] At different points yesterday, Major League Baseball and the other countries that will be represented in the tournament announced the rosters for the 2013 World Baseball Classic. This will be the third time for the tournament being held and the United States has finished in fourth place in both other tournaments. The Japanese team has taken home the championship twice and some of the other rosters will look to dethrone the two-time defending champs in 2013. There are Twins and former Twins scattered throughout the line-ups of many of the teams in the tournament. This includes some high profile minor league prospects and some of the best players on the major league roster. When teams allow their players to participate in the tournament, it can be a little bit of a tough decision. There are plenty of top-notch pitchers like Justin Verlander, David Price, and Clayton Kershaw that are staying with their team for spring training instead of representing their country. So this raises the question, should Twins players compete in the WBC? Both of the team's former MVPs will be representing their respective countries in the WBC. Joe Mauer will be a catcher on Team USA and Justin Morneau will man first base for Team Canada. Last offseason, there would have been plenty of questions around them competing in this kind of event. But Mauer looked back to his old self last year and reports say that Morneau is having his first healthy offseason in multiple years. With the WBC coming during spring training, these players will have to get up to game speed more quickly than in a normal year. Mauer could be asked to catch nine innings faster than he would in the spring. Morneau will be taking hacks for the fences earlier with his surgically repaired wrist. This could compile into some bumps and bruises along the way. Lucky (or not lucky depending on how you look at it) for the Twins a couple of their starting pitchers are coming off of clean-up surgery so they won't be able to participate. Scott Diamond most certainly would have been on the Team Canada roster if not for his minor clean up. Liam Hendriks would likely have been asked to be on Team Australia but he also had an elbow surgery last fall. They will be able to participate in spring training workouts and get ready for what could be the first full season at the big league level for both of them. Twins closer Glen Perkins will be on the roster for Team USA. But since he will likely only be used in a relief role, there shouldn't be too much to worry about with him. He would be pitching in spring training games on a regular basis so this gives him a chance to compete against some tougher competition. Some pitchers will have to get a little more hyped up for the tournament so hopefully Perkins can handle this kind of stress earlier in the year. Two of the Twins top ten prospects, Eddie Rosario and JO Berrios will be on the roster of the Puerto Rican Team. Rosario could have a tough time getting into games with a deep outfield that includes Carlos Beltran, Jesus Feliciano, Angel Pagan, and Alex Rios. Berrios is the youngest member of the team by three years and he might be asked to pitch in some tight situations. The international experience should be good for both players. It can be scary to think about what could happen if Mauer or Morneau were to get injured in the WBC. The team has a lot of money invested in Mauer over most of the next decade. Morneau could be the team's best trade chip at the deadline but that is only if he can stay healthy for the rest of the year. Even a small injury in the WBC could have a big impact on the 2013 season and the future of the club. An injury to Perkins could make it tough for the Twins in the late innings of games. Jared Burton would most likely be asked to take over the closer's role and that could leave a hole in the late innings of games. Team USA and Team Canada will probably be relying more on Morneau and Mauer than Perkins will be relied on by his manager since the US has a deep bullpen. He still should have a smaller workload so he most likely has a better chance of staying healthy. For younger players like Rosario and Berrios, it is going to be a couple of seasons before they step on the field at the big league level. The experience could help them for the future and an injury won't debilitate the 2013 Twins. This is also their first chance to show off their talents to a large audience. Mauer, Morneau, and Perkins are expected to play a large role in trying to turn around the Twins next season and it's not exactly ideal for them to compete in this exhibition. Some of the younger prospects will get to rub elbows with very good players for a couple of weeks. Hopefully they can be a sponge and take in a lot of knowledge over the course of the tournament and bring that back to the Twins organization. What do you think? Should the Twins let some of their star players compete in the WBC? Leave a COMMENT and start the discussion.

There have been plenty of great players in the history of the Twins franchise and there have also been plenty of duds. In my on-going offseason series, I have been taking a look at some of the worst players to ever wear a Twins uniform. There have been some bad players in recent memory but it can be fun to dig into the poor players of yesterday. So far, the series has covered Butch Huskey and Terry Felton. Huskey struggled as a designated hitter for the Twins and he provided an interesting career to follow. One of his most famous moments happened in the Metrodome but not in a Twins uniform. Terry Felton had a rough time pitching in Minnesota and he would finish his career without a big league win to his name. These are just two names in a long list of Twins futility. In the winter cold of the deep offseason, it can be entertaining to look back at the club's history. In the next few weeks, I will discuss some of the worst players to ever wear a Twins uniform. I won't try to rank these players because that could be quite the daunting task and it is wide open to interpretation. These will be simple profiles on some of the worst players in team history. Next on the list of all-time worst, Mr. Scott Klingenbeck... ---------- [ATTACH=CONFIG]3068[/ATTACH] The Baltimore Orioles drafted Scott Klingenbeck in the fifth round of the 1992 amateur draft. His college experience helped him to travel quickly through their farm system. He pitched well in the low minor leagues and he would make his debut during the 1994 season. In that game, he threw seven innings and allowed three earned runs to earn the victory. Klingenbeck would have a strong start to the 1995 season at the Triple-A level for the Orioles. He posted a 2.72 ERA and a 3-1 record. This left the club little choice but to call him up during the middle months of the season. There were a few bumps in the road on his return to the big leagues. His ERA would jump to 4.88 and he posted a 1.596 WHIP over five starts. This would only be the beginning of the bad. The Twins traded for Klingenbeck at the beginning of July in the deal that sent Scott Erickson to the Orioles. Erickson hadn't been able to regain his form from the first couple of years in the big leagues. He was only 27-years old but the Twins wanted to get some younger prospects for him. Klingenbeck had looked good during his minor league career but things would quickly go south in Minnesota. He would make 18 appearances with the Twins in 1995 including four starts for the club. His ERA was a hefty 8.57 with an ugly 1.924 WHIP. He didn’t exactly have control of his pitches as he walked 24 batters, hit four batters, and had five wild pitches over 48.1 innings. It was beginning to look like the Twins had given up a king’s ransom to acquire a not so great pitcher. For the start of the 1996 season, the Twins sent Klingenbeck back to the minor leagues to try and find himself. He improved by posting a 3.11 ERA and a 9-3 record over 22 starts. By the middle of the season, the Twins needed some help at the big league level and Klingenbeck was the guy. He struggled again with the transition and posted a 7.85 ERA and a 1.814 WHIP. This would be his last trip to the big leagues with the Twins. At the start of the next season, Klingenbeck would be sent back to the Triple-A level. The Twins would dump him on Cincinatti, his hometown team, as part of a conditional deal. He would get one more brief taste of the majors in 1998 and he looked a little better with an ERA close to 6.00 and a 1.456 WHIP. The next year would be his last in professional baseball before retiring in 1999. Klingenbeck's numbers in the minor leagues made it seem that he would be able to transition into at least a back of the rotation starter. That was one of the reasons the Twins traded for him but this would never happen. His time in the Twins organization translated to a 1-3 record, an 8.30 ERA, and a 1.883 WHIP. He also put together a -1.7 WAR in his Twins tenure. Following his professional baseball career, Klingenbeck would open a sports bar and grill in Cincinnati. That venue is no longer open but it sounds like it was a decent place to eat. In the end, Klingenbeck will be more remembered as the man the Twins got back for Scott Erickson because his time in a Twins uniform was very unmemorable... What other players should be featured in this series? Leave a COMMENT and start the discussion.

[ATTACH=CONFIG]3062[/ATTACH] Earlier last week, I looked into some of the Twins possible candidates for the leadoff hitter role in 2013. With Denard Span and Ben Revere traded to the National League, there is some question about who will step up and earn the leadoff spot out of spring training. Aaron Hicks looks like the leadoff hitter of the future but that doesn't mean that he will star the year in Minnesota. This could leave a big hole in the first spot in the batting order. One of the names that I discussed as a possibility for the leadoff spot was catcher Joe Mauer. He consistently gets on base and this is a huge part of being the first batter in the order. In the end, I knew that the Twins most likely won't move their $23 million man to the leadoff role but he could still find success in that position. With Ron Gardenhire as manager, it seems most likely that Mauer will be penciled into the number three spot in the order for most of next season. That is where Mauer got the majority of his at-bats in 2012 and there is no reason to think that would be different in the coming year. For the Twins to find more success in 2013, I am offering up another option. Mauer should be moved to the number two spot in the order. This seems like a plan that plenty of fans could get behind and support. For too long, fans have become accustom to seeing the number two spot in the order being filled by a light hitting middle infielder or an outfielder that slaps the ball. It is time to take back the number two spot in the order! It could be tough enough to find a body for the first spot in the order on Opening Day. This could make it twice as hard to find someone for the number two spot. If Hicks is sent to Rochester for a little more experience, that would leave Darin Mastroianni or Jamey Carroll for the first couple spots in the order. These player might be able to find success there but having Mauer at number two would be much more beneficial. The Twins tried Carroll near the top of the order at the beginning of last season and it didn't work out so great. Over the course of the season, those numbers would even out a little but they still weren't the best. As a number two hitter, he batted .260/.330/.296 over 42 games. He was much more effective as bottom of the order hitter. Other options for the Twins for the number two spot are even scarier. Depending on who wins the starting middle infield jobs out of spring training, there could be a host of very light hitting players fighting for the number two spot. Besides Carroll, the other candidates are Pedro Florimon, Brian Dozier, and Eduardo Escobar. None of these three men have a career OBP of over .300 and it is hard to imagine them getting the opportunity to hit that early in the line-up. That leaves Mauer as the obvious choice to move up one spot in the batting order. As Twins fans know, Mauer isn't going to hit for a ton of power so it isn’t essential to have him in the middle of the order. He gets on base at an incredible rate and that skill should be utilized higher as the number two hitter. The number two hitter role isn't completely foreign to Mauer as he has started 73 games in this position during the course of his career. Besides the number three spot in the order, he has accumulated more at-bats in the number two spot than all of the other spots combined. It's a small sample size when compared to the rest of his career but he has a higher slugging percentage when he bats in this spot. As far as the rest of the batting order, Josh Willingham and Justin Morneau would be able to slide up one spot to keep the middle of the line-up as a threat. Willingham is coming off the best season of his career and he could thrive as the number three hitter. Morneau will be entering next season after his first fully healthy offseason in multiple years. Overall, the Twins are going to need a lot of things to break right for them to find success next season. The rotation could be a mess and it doesn't look like there will be much help coming in 2013. Mauer moving to the number two spot in the line-up could be a small step to making the turn for the future. He seems to fit the mold of a number two hitter and this spot looks to be open on the current roster. It only seems natural to "Elect Mauer for the number two hitter!" [ATTACH=CONFIG]3063[/ATTACH]

[ATTACH=CONFIG]3050[/ATTACH] During the last couple of offseasons, there have been some question marks about the role of Glen Perkins. In 2008 and 2009, Perkins had struggled as a starter so the Twins needed to find some kind of role for him. The 2010 team didn't really have a role for Perkins and he spent most of the year as a starter in Rochester. He finally found his spot in the bullpen in 2011 and things have been on the upswing ever since that point. This offseason there is little doubt about his role for 2013; Perkins will be the closer for the Twins at the start of the year. It will be the first year that Perkins has started the season as the closer. Last year he served as set-up man before Matt Capps started dealing with injuries and poor play. One of the biggest strengths of last year's squad was the bullpen and Perkins hopes that continues in 2013. Over the last two seasons, Perkins has been one of the best relief pitchers in the American League. He has a low 2.52 ERA, a 1.13 WHIP, and 143 SO over 132 innings pitched. As a relief pitcher, Perkins has been able to add a little velocity to his pitches and this has helped to make him more dominant. Last season was a career year as he saw his WHIP drop to 1.038 and he was able to increase his SO/9 rate to 10.0 for the first time in his career. Twins fans have become accustom to having shutdown closers for much of the last two decades. The lineage of closers goes back to Rick Aguilera and stretches down through Eddie Guardado, Joe Nathan, and now Mr. Perkins. With a dominant closer, there can be some question surrounding the use of this type of player. How should a manager use a dominant bullpen arm? With Ron Gardenhire as the manager, the Twins have followed the standard of limiting the closer to getting the last three outs of the game. There have been some exceptions to this rule but for the most part it has been true. Using a closer exclusively in the ninth inning is not necessarily a bad thing but there can be some advantages to thinking outside the box when it comes to the late innings of games. Last season when Matt Capps was dealing with some injury issues at the end of June, it looked like the Twins might be going with a two-pronged approach to finish off games. Minnesota seemed to be looking at the match-ups and trying to decided if the left-handed throwing Perkins would be the better option or if right-handed hurler Jared Burton would be the way to go. This didn't last long as Burton would pick up a handful of saves during the rest of the season but Perkins became the standard as the ninth inning man. The idea of using two different pitchers as closers seems like it could be intriguing to attempt especially on a team trying to rebuild after back-to-back 90 loss seasons. There could be situations where a left-handed pitcher would be better and other times where a right-handed man is needed. With how well Perkins and Burton were throwing last season, it seemed like a win-win situation. There are also going to be situations where the closer might be needed for more than one out. What if there is a tough string of batters due up in the eighth inning? Should a manager throw a lesser pitcher out there to face the heart of the order or put his best bet in the bullpen? It seems much more logical to have a team's best pitcher out there in a tougher situation. It might also be in the best interest of the team to let a closer get more than three outs to record a save. If trouble arises in the eighth inning, the closer should be able to come in and attempt to finish that inning and get the last three outs of the ninth. Out of Perkins 16 saves in 2012, only one of them was over one inning of work. In fact, he only recorded more than three outs in a game on four occasions last season. It doesn't seem like Gardenhire is going to allow his closer into the game early and maybe it doesn't matter with a last place team. Even if the Twins are building toward 2014, it would be nice to see a few more victories in 2013. The Twins had a great bullpen in 2012 and it could help to be a little more creative when it comes to finishing games. Perkins could turn out to be the best closer in franchise history but the team should still be smart about the way they use him. Getting more than three outs, using him earlier in the game, and having Burton pick up a save or two could help the team to find more success next year. What are your thoughts on using a closer earlier than the ninth inning? What about the two closer approach? Leave a COMMENT and start the discussion.

[ATTACH=CONFIG]3033[/ATTACH] For the first time since 1996, the Baseball Writers' Association of America did not select anyone to be inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame. This was the eighth time that no one was selected by the writers but most onlookers could see this coming. The influx of suspected steroid users on the ballot makes it tough to judge players and there has been plenty of debate surrounding who should be elected in the coming years. Craig Biggio was the closest person to getting 75% of the vote needed to be enshrined but he only mustered 68.2% in his first year on the ballot. Twins World Series hero Jack Morris came in second with 67.7% of the vote in his 14th year on the ballot. Rounding out the rest of the top five were Jeff Bagwell (59.6%), Mike Piazza (57.8%), and Tim Raines (52.2%). In my ballot that I released last week, I hoped that Biggio and Bagwell would comprise the Class of 2013. I knew this was a long shot but it seemed fitting for two of the former "Killer B's" from the Astros. With so many other worthy candidates, I had a full ballot of 10 players but I divided them into different categories. Those categories included: "Future Inductions," "May Never Get In (But Still On My Ballot)," and the "Under-Appreciated Duo." Check out the entire piece to see the reasons I gave for each selection. For Morris, it was discouraging to see that he only made a small jump in the voting. In the 2012 voting, he finished in second place with 66.7% of the vote and it was looking like he could make the jump needed to get to 75%. His 1% increase this year doesn't bode well for the 57-year old former pitcher that will be on the ballot for one last time in 2013. As more players from the steroids era enter the ballot, the numbers for Morris look more likely that they won't stack up to the competition. The clock is ticking for Jack Morris since there will be some very strong first time candidates on next year's ballot. Tom Glavine, Greg Maddux, and Frank Thomas will all have strong cases to be elected in their first time on the ballot. There will also be some strong returning candidates like Biggio, Bagwell, and Piazza. Morris will get one more chance but the odds are not exactly looking like they will be in his favor when it comes to election time next January. When compared to Glavine and Maddux, Morris doesn't seem to stand a chance on the 2014 ballot. Maddux has a career WAR of 101.6 and this should make him almost a lock to be a first ballot selection. Glavine has a very good 76.8 WAR, which isn't as high as Maddux but it is still very good. Morris is much further down the list with a 39.3 WAR and that would rank sixth among pitchers on next year's ballot. There are plenty of people on both sides of the debate surrounding Morris. Some writers have spoke out loudly to try and push for Morris to get in as he runs out of years on the ballot. Other's have compared Morris to other top pitchers and his numbers don't exactly stand out above the crowd. With one year left, the voices against Morris seem to be bringing down any momentum that he had building in the last couple of years. Twins fans saw Bert Blyleven get elected in his 14th year of eligibility so there were some that thought this might be the year for Morris. Blyleven had much better numbers for his career and his induction should have come much sooner than it did. The extra years on the ballot helped to build the narrative in favor of Blyleven. The problem for Morris has been the fact that the narrative has been building as much against him as it has been for him. Morris pitched one of the biggest games in World Series history and he happened to be wearing a Twins uniform when he did it. On my ballot, I voted for Morris because of the nostalgia involved with Game 7 from 1991. He was the last addition to my ballot so if I had to remove one player it would have probably been him. Does this mean that he probably doesn't deserve to be in the Hall? Most likely...

Last week, I kicked off an entertaining series to look at some of the players that performed at their worst while wearing a Twins uniform. In recent memory, Tsuyoshi Nishioka and Jason Marquis come to mind as the poster boys for futility in Minnesota but there have been plenty of other names throughout the history of the franchise. My first player profile in the series was Butch Huskey. I didn't really have a reason for starting with Huskey but his story provided a good narrative for the post and he didn't really perform up to par after the Twins signed him. There are plenty of players that are worse than him but it was a good starting point. In the winter cold of the deep offseason, it can be entertaining to look back at the club's history. In the next few weeks, I will discuss some of the worst players to ever wear a Twins uniform. I won't try to rank these players because that could be quite the daunting task and it is wide open to interpretation. These will be simple profiles on some of the worst players in team history. In my post abour Mr. Huskey, I asked for some suggestions about who should be next in the series. I got plenty of good responses but decided to look into the career of Terry Felton. ---------- [ATTACH=CONFIG]3026[/ATTACH] Felton joined the Twins organization as a second round pick out of high school in the 1976 amateur draft. He would be sent to the rookie leagues for rest of that summer. On his way to the big leagues, he would post ERA marks in the mid-threes to the low-fours. As a 21-year old, he would make his debut in September with the big league club. His first taste of the big leagues would be brief as he was only asked to pitch in one game for a couple innings. The next year (1980) he made the team's rotation out of spring training but things went south from there. He had a quality start in his first outing by allowing three runs over seven innings. In his next start, he threw over five innings and still gave up three runs. The next three starts would be terrible as he allowed eight earned runs and never pitched more than 3.2 innings. In two of those last three starts, he pitched an inning or less. The Twins would keep him in Triple-A for the rest of the year. The starting pitcher role wasn't exactly working out for Felton and the club decided to go in a different direction with him. He would spilt time during the 1981 season as a relief pitcher and as starter in the minor leagues. Things didn't exactly transition smoothly as he posted a ERA over 4.00 in 131 innings pitched at Triple-A. The organization still gave him a taste of the big leagues in September and he proceeded to give up six runs in 1.1 inning on the mound. In 1982, Felton would be given plenty of opportunities to succeed at the big league level. He spent the entire year with the Twins and he ended up pitching 117.1 innings for the club. Most of this time was out of the bullpen but he was given the chance to start six games. He ended the year with a 4.99 ERA, a 1.49 WHIP, and a horrendous 0-13 record. Opponents only hit .230 against him but they managed to get on base 35% of the time. During one stretch from the end of June to the end of July, he threw 13.2 innings and had a 7.90 ERA. This included a 0-4 record, two blown saves, and another save that he happened to get because he pitched over three innings in a blowout. He gave up five home runs in this stretch but never more than one in an outing. It was tough for Mr. Felton to find success and the team had seen enough of him at the big league level. Felton would never make it back to the big leagues. He spent the entire 1983 campaign in the minor league system for the Twins by posting a 5.24 ERA and a 3-10 record over 115.0 innings. The Twins would part ways with him after that season and he latched on with the Dodgers system. They let him play in a handful of games at the Double-A level but it was rough going and the team decided to go in a different direction. Looking back on his career, it's tough not to look at the way the Twins switched him back and forth from being a starter to shoving him in the bullpen. Some players don't adjust well switching between these two roles. Felton ended his professional career without a major league win and a 5.53 ERA with a 1.518 WHIP. He combined for a career WAR of -2.1 across his four seasons of big league experience. Since the Twins took Felton in a high round of the draft, the team wanted to try and get the most they could out of him. Unfortunately, Felton's best just wasn't very good... What other players should be featured in this series? Leave a COMMENT and start the discussion.