Cody Christie

I made it home after some rest and relaxation in the Arizona sun. It was a great time in the Valley of the Sun but it does feel nice to get back into a normal routine. Plus the weather here in the Upper Midwest is about as hot as it was down there. It has been a strange winter for weather and it makes me want the start of the baseball season to come that much faster. Since I was gone for most of the week, it was fun to put together this week's version of Friday Links-N-Thinks. It allowed me to get caught up on all of the news I might have missed this week and prepare for a little weekend of watching March Madness. Enjoy!!! MLB released its social media policy and for the most part it seems to make sense. The Twins have started to clear out a little room in the clubhouse at Hammond Stadium by sending some players to the minor league camp. There are three weeks until Opening Day and Seth Stohs tried to piece together the 25-man roster that will be coming north for the Twins. Twins Fan From Afar wonders if the Twins need to hire a sports psychologist. Imagining the Twins starting rotation in 2013 could be scary business. Nick over at Top of the 1st has done a little roster analysis of the Twins during the week. Here are his middle infield notes. Really Scott Baker?!? I leave for a week and your elbow starts acting up. The Baseball Outsider wonders if Brian Duensing could be the LOOGY this season. Do veteran pitchers have more of an advantage in spring training? Minnesota Twins Musings tries to address this question. When I was in Arizona, there was plenty of talk about the addition of Jason Kubel to a crowded D-Backs outfield. It sounds like they want to keep it that way. Michael Cuddyer will be one of the youngest members of the Rockies lineup and that's not a good thing. http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-CsQRRlPRY1k/T2NP6DlnQJI/AAAAAAAABIQ/KtpM9zlHKIg/s320/mlb_g_michael-cuddyer_mb_576.jpg Two Twins minor leaguers were suspended for PEDs this week but luckily they weren't huge prospects at this point. Ozzie Guillen got kicked out of his first game as manager of the Marlins and he did it to protect former Twins player Terry Tiffee. Who could be ready for a breakout season this year for the Twins? Jim Crikkett at Knuckleballs tries to find the answer. John Sickels at Minor League Ball wants fans to pick out which catching prospect is under pressure and Chris Herrmann made the list. Jim Thome is back in the NL and this means he might need his glove a couple of times this season. I never had anything against the Dodgers but now I do. Hello Kitty is evil. My Weekly Rundown Tuesday: Playing Pepper: 2012 Minnesota Twins Video of the Week: Trevor Bauer was the third pick in the 2011 MLB Draft and he could be ready to make some noise for the Arizona Diamondbacks this year. This video of him throwing long toss before a game is amazing to see. He could be close to setting a world record if his throws were official measured. Check it out.

It was a fun week for Twins fans as the first spring training games of the season were broadcast on television. This gave people their first view of the players who will comprise the roster of the 2012 version of the Twins. One of the fun things about spring training games is that a variety of fringe members for the 25-man roster are fighting for their chance to make it to the big leagues. Some players will succeed and others will fail but that is part of life as a professional baseball player. Below you will find this week's collection of links. The great thing about being in the middle of spring training is there is plenty of coverage from the various media outlets that send staff down to the warmer climate areas. Enjoy the links and have a fantastic weekend. Earlier this week marked the sixth anniversary of one of the saddest days in Twins history. Rest in peace number 34. Lindsay Guentzel, a Minneapolis native, is one of the nine finalists who will be spending the entire MLB season in NYC as part of the MLB Fan Cave. Twins Rubes asked an interesting question, "Is Nick Punto a 'Winner'"? Seth Stohs tries to prove to Twins fans that there is plenty of upper-level talent in the minor league system of the Twins. Stohs also wrote about the passing of former Twins player Dan Mincher. MLB 12: The Show came out earlier this week and The Common Man has a good review over at The Platoon Advantage. Twins blogger and NBC writer Aaron Gleeman has lost 150 pounds in the last year and he shared his remarkable story. Speaking of losing weight, Justin Morneau ranks among the top MLB players who lost weight from last season to the start of this year. Andrew from Twins Fan From Afar tried to evaluate what Mauer's off-the-field value is to the Twins. Former Twins player Carlos Silva was trying to make the rotation for the Red Sox but a shoulder injury looks to have put him out of the running. If you haven't seen the Marlin's home run display, here is a picture and it is already drawing citicism from players. http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-d5p5RlezUAQ/T1l9nY8PYdI/AAAAAAAABIA/IsAZwo2uhvU/s320/marlinsdisplay.jpg If you had to guess a rookie of the year candidate from the Twins, would it be a pitcher? AJ Pettersen, a Twins minor leaguer, shared his thoughts on the beginning of spring training from his prospective. This article about Hack Wilson's season in 1930 has a lot of comparisons to Kirby Puckett in it. The folks at Crashburn Alley put together an interesting piece about creating the ultimate roster that could win the next 10 World Series. David Price suffered a strange injury for the Rays and it isn't the first time he has suffered this kind of pain. The White Sox might have AJ Pierzynski bat second in their line-up. So much for speed at the top. In other AL Central news, the Tigers are going to score a lot of runs this year. Apparently Bobby Valentine tried to warn Nishioka about guys sliding into him at second base but the young man must have forgot to listen. My Weekly Rundown Monday: Span continues to be tested this spring Tuesday: Will skinnier Morneau mean more production? Wednesday: Who gets the 40-man spot left by Zumaya? Giolito suffers elbow injury, ends high school career Thursday: Contending or not, Liriano could be gone Video of the Week: The fine people over at 1500 ESPN went through the trouble to put microphones on Denard Span and Drew Butera in a recent Twins workout. The results were quite entertaining and I think you will enjoy the clip. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Original Post from NoDakTwinsFan.com

It was a fun week for Twins fans as the first spring training games of the season were broadcast on television. This gave people their first view of the players who will comprise the roster of the 2012 version of the Twins. One of the fun things about spring training games is that a variety of fringe members for the 25-man roster are fighting for their chance to make it to the big leagues. Some players will succeed and others will fail but that is part of life as a professional baseball player. Below you will find this week's collection of links. The great thing about being in the middle of spring training is there is plenty of coverage from the various media outlets that send staff down to the warmer climate areas. Enjoy the links and have a fantastic weekend. Earlier this week marked the sixth anniversary of one of the saddest days in Twins history. Rest in peace number 34. Lindsay Guentzel, a Minneapolis native, is one of the nine finalists who will be spending the entire MLB season in NYC as part of the MLB Fan Cave. Twins Rubes asked an interesting question, "Is Nick Punto a 'Winner'"? Seth Stohs tries to prove to Twins fans that there is plenty of upper-level talent in the minor league system of the Twins. Stohs also wrote about the passing of former Twins player Dan Mincher. MLB 12: The Show came out earlier this week and The Common Man has a good review over at The Platoon Advantage. Twins blogger and NBC writer Aaron Gleeman has lost 150 pounds in the last year and he shared his remarkable story. Speaking of losing weight, Justin Morneau ranks among the top MLB players who lost weight from last season to the start of this year. Andrew from Twins Fan From Afar tried to evaluate what Mauer's off-the-field value is to the Twins. Former Twins player Carlos Silva was trying to make the rotation for the Red Sox but a shoulder injury looks to have put him out of the running. If you haven't seen the Marlin's home run display, here is a picture and it is already drawing citicism from players. http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-d5p5RlezUAQ/T1l9nY8PYdI/AAAAAAAABIA/IsAZwo2uhvU/s320/marlinsdisplay.jpg If you had to guess a rookie of the year candidate from the Twins, would it be a pitcher? AJ Pettersen, a Twins minor leaguer, shared his thoughts on the beginning of spring training from his prospective. This article about Hack Wilson's season in 1930 has a lot of comparisons to Kirby Puckett in it. The folks at Crashburn Alley put together an interesting piece about creating the ultimate roster that could win the next 10 World Series. David Price suffered a strange injury for the Rays and it isn't the first time he has suffered this kind of pain. The White Sox might have AJ Pierzynski bat second in their line-up. So much for speed at the top. In other AL Central news, the Tigers are going to score a lot of runs this year. Apparently Bobby Valentine tried to warn Nishioka about guys sliding into him at second base but the young man must have forgot to listen. My Weekly Rundown Monday: Span continues to be tested this spring Tuesday: Will skinnier Morneau mean more production? Wednesday: Who gets the 40-man spot left by Zumaya? Giolito suffers elbow injury, ends high school career Thursday: Contending or not, Liriano could be gone Video of the Week: The fine people over at 1500 ESPN went through the trouble to put microphones on Denard Span and Drew Butera in a recent Twins workout. The results were quite entertaining and I think you will enjoy the clip. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Original Post from NoDakTwinsFan.com

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-v-gVcJXMUq8/T1giIhWkuAI/AAAAAAAABH4/9whIYbShsB4/s320/LirianoSpring.jpg When every team reports to spring training in Florida or Arizona, there is hope surrounding the beginning of a new season. Each team has a clean slate and only one team can call themselves champions from the previous year. Besides the St. Louis Cardinals, every other team left the field last year with an unfulfilled feeling inside and a bad taste in their mouth. Some of that taste has washed away in the offseason but all of the teams will head on the field for Opening Day with no losses to their record. The harsh reality is that under the new playoff system only ten teams will make it to postseason play and out of those ten teams only two will get to fight for the World Series crown. This leaves plenty of other teams who will not be in contention for the 2012 season. This is just a part of the game and the Twins became well aware of this aspect during the 2011 campaign. With the organization coming off of a 94-win season, there was plenty to be hopeful for at the beginning of 2011 but the Twins would not be in contention for any part of the season. As the 2012 season begins for the Twins and their fans, it is hard to know what to expect from a team who floundered on the field in 2011. There is hope that a healthy Joe Mauer, Justin Morneau, and Denard Span can improve one of the worst offenses in the American League. But the starting rotation and bullpen are still full of plenty of question marks to get sorted out in the coming weeks. One of the questions marks that has been talked a lot about in the Twins blogosphere is Francisco Liriano. He is in the last year of being under team control and this means he can test the free agent waters at the end of the 2012 season. The Twins have waited patiently for Liriano to bloom into the pitcher they feel he can be but that player has only shown up sporadically during his career. Now his days could be numbered with the Twins. There are a few different situations that could take place for the 2012 season and Liriano might be right in the middle of them. As the trading deadline approaches at the end of July, the team might have to make a tough decision in relation to their left-handed starting pitcher. Here is a look at the way the Twins could approach the Liriano conundrum. Twins in contention >>> Keep Liriano If the Twins are in contention, there is a good chance that Liriano will stay with the club until the end of the season. When the Twins made the playoffs in 2010, Liriano looked like he was close to becoming the ace of the staff. The team will need Liriano to get close to that level if they are going to find success on the field in 2012. A successful season from Liriano should mean the team is having a better year. In recent years the AL Central has allowed some teams to stay in the race if they are near the .500 mark around the trade deadline. That situation could play out again in '12 and the Twins should be able to be close to that mark. Twins out of contention >>> Trade Liriano At the trade deadline last year, the Twins didn't get anything for future free agents like Michael Cuddyer, Jason Kubel, and Joe Nathan. The team did end up getting draft pick compensation for some of these players but the collective bargaining agreement rules have changed for next offseason. In order for the Twins to get compensation for Liriano, they would have to offer him arbitration and a one-year contract of over $12 million. At this point, the Twins would be silly to offer this much money to Liriano so a trade could be a possibility. In this situation, the best-case scenario might be for Liriano to be pitching well and for the Twins to have fallen out of contention. Other contending clubs might be willing to overpay for a left-handed pitcher who could help them to succeed in the playoffs. "Wild Card Situation" Twins in contention >>> Trade Liriano This is deemed a wild card situation because it is hard to imagine a contending team trading one of their top pitchers in the middle of a pennant race. But as was stated earlier, the Twins would have to offer Liriano a contract of over $12 million as part of the new arbitration process. That amount wouldn't correspond with the 2011 version of Liriano so the team might be ready to part ways with their starting pitcher by the time July roles around. In order for this to happen, the Twins would need to have a replacement ready to step into the rotation. A younger player like Liam Hendriks could be ready by mid-July to take a permenant spot in the rotation. The Twins would also need to get some more consistency out of Nick Blackburn and Scott Baker for the team to be able to trade another arm. There are so many variables that could impact a trade for Liriano. His performance on the field, the team's performance on the field, and an injury to Liriano could all play a role in the team deciding whether or not to trade him. It will be an interesting plotline to watch in the summer months of the season especially on a team that doesn't have a lot of starting pitchers under contract for 2013.

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-v-gVcJXMUq8/T1giIhWkuAI/AAAAAAAABH4/9whIYbShsB4/s320/LirianoSpring.jpg When every team reports to spring training in Florida or Arizona, there is hope surrounding the beginning of a new season. Each team has a clean slate and only one team can call themselves champions from the previous year. Besides the St. Louis Cardinals, every other team left the field last year with an unfulfilled feeling inside and a bad taste in their mouth. Some of that taste has washed away in the offseason but all of the teams will head on the field for Opening Day with no losses to their record. The harsh reality is that under the new playoff system only ten teams will make it to postseason play and out of those ten teams only two will get to fight for the World Series crown. This leaves plenty of other teams who will not be in contention for the 2012 season. This is just a part of the game and the Twins became well aware of this aspect during the 2011 campaign. With the organization coming off of a 94-win season, there was plenty to be hopeful for at the beginning of 2011 but the Twins would not be in contention for any part of the season. As the 2012 season begins for the Twins and their fans, it is hard to know what to expect from a team who floundered on the field in 2011. There is hope that a healthy Joe Mauer, Justin Morneau, and Denard Span can improve one of the worst offenses in the American League. But the starting rotation and bullpen are still full of plenty of question marks to get sorted out in the coming weeks. One of the questions marks that has been talked a lot about in the Twins blogosphere is Francisco Liriano. He is in the last year of being under team control and this means he can test the free agent waters at the end of the 2012 season. The Twins have waited patiently for Liriano to bloom into the pitcher they feel he can be but that player has only shown up sporadically during his career. Now his days could be numbered with the Twins. There are a few different situations that could take place for the 2012 season and Liriano might be right in the middle of them. As the trading deadline approaches at the end of July, the team might have to make a tough decision in relation to their left-handed starting pitcher. Here is a look at the way the Twins could approach the Liriano conundrum. Twins in contention >>> Keep Liriano If the Twins are in contention, there is a good chance that Liriano will stay with the club until the end of the season. When the Twins made the playoffs in 2010, Liriano looked like he was close to becoming the ace of the staff. The team will need Liriano to get close to that level if they are going to find success on the field in 2012. A successful season from Liriano should mean the team is having a better year. In recent years the AL Central has allowed some teams to stay in the race if they are near the .500 mark around the trade deadline. That situation could play out again in '12 and the Twins should be able to be close to that mark. Twins out of contention >>> Trade Liriano At the trade deadline last year, the Twins didn't get anything for future free agents like Michael Cuddyer, Jason Kubel, and Joe Nathan. The team did end up getting draft pick compensation for some of these players but the collective bargaining agreement rules have changed for next offseason. In order for the Twins to get compensation for Liriano, they would have to offer him arbitration and a one-year contract of over $12 million. At this point, the Twins would be silly to offer this much money to Liriano so a trade could be a possibility. In this situation, the best-case scenario might be for Liriano to be pitching well and for the Twins to have fallen out of contention. Other contending clubs might be willing to overpay for a left-handed pitcher who could help them to succeed in the playoffs. "Wild Card Situation" Twins in contention >>> Trade Liriano This is deemed a wild card situation because it is hard to imagine a contending team trading one of their top pitchers in the middle of a pennant race. But as was stated earlier, the Twins would have to offer Liriano a contract of over $12 million as part of the new arbitration process. That amount wouldn't correspond with the 2011 version of Liriano so the team might be ready to part ways with their starting pitcher by the time July roles around. In order for this to happen, the Twins would need to have a replacement ready to step into the rotation. A younger player like Liam Hendriks could be ready by mid-July to take a permenant spot in the rotation. The Twins would also need to get some more consistency out of Nick Blackburn and Scott Baker for the team to be able to trade another arm. There are so many variables that could impact a trade for Liriano. His performance on the field, the team's performance on the field, and an injury to Liriano could all play a role in the team deciding whether or not to trade him. It will be an interesting plotline to watch in the summer months of the season especially on a team that doesn't have a lot of starting pitchers under contract for 2013.

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Kf17thJDns8/T1fbH2Wcj3I/AAAAAAAABHw/FdYu8SLXjT8/s320/Lucas-Giolito.jpg Maybe one of the only good things about suffering through a 99-loss season with the Twins in 2011 was the fact that the organization would have a very good pick in the 2012 amateur draft. The Twins "earned" the number two selection for the draft this June and this means there should be some very good talent to select from with only the Astros picking before them. Fans looking forward to the June draft were dealt a blow on Wednesday as it was announced that one of the projected top five picks would miss the rest of his high school career with an elbow injury. Lucas Giolito is a 6-foot-6 right-handed pitcher who some scouts projected to be the number one pick. This injury obviously changes many of those projections and his stock in the draft will most likely fall. Nathan Rode of Baseball America was the first to break the news. His sources told him that it was a sprained UCL in his right elbow. This injury won't require surgery but there is 6-10 weeks of rehab involved. If a player tears his UCL, Tommy John surgery is usually required and there is a chance that his sprain could turn into a tear. The first start of the year was very exciting for Giolito as he came out of the gate smoking. Some radar guns had him hitting 100 mph and he only gave up one hit during the contest. His start on Tuesday was not as good as he made it through 6.1 innings allowing two runs on five hits, three walks and three hit batters. Something was clearly wrong with the young man and the bad news came out on Wednesday. With 6-10 weeks of rest and rehabilitation up next for Giolito and the draft being around 12 weeks away, there is little chance he will be able to prove he is completely healthy before teams have to make their picks. For fans of the UCLA Bruins, this could be good news. If Giolito were to go to college, he had committed to the Bruins. He might be forced to go to UCLA for a couple of seasons to prove his health is back in order. This will also help him to rebuild his draft status for the future. A tough injury for the young man as it could cost him millions of dollars. It is lucky for him that it happened at a young enough age that he can recover and make it back to still have a successful career.

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Kf17thJDns8/T1fbH2Wcj3I/AAAAAAAABHw/FdYu8SLXjT8/s320/Lucas-Giolito.jpg Maybe one of the only good things about suffering through a 99-loss season with the Twins in 2011 was the fact that the organization would have a very good pick in the 2012 amateur draft. The Twins "earned" the number two selection for the draft this June and this means there should be some very good talent to select from with only the Astros picking before them. Fans looking forward to the June draft were dealt a blow on Wednesday as it was announced that one of the projected top five picks would miss the rest of his high school career with an elbow injury. Lucas Giolito is a 6-foot-6 right-handed pitcher who some scouts projected to be the number one pick. This injury obviously changes many of those projections and his stock in the draft will most likely fall. Nathan Rode of Baseball America was the first to break the news. His sources told him that it was a sprained UCL in his right elbow. This injury won't require surgery but there is 6-10 weeks of rehab involved. If a player tears his UCL, Tommy John surgery is usually required and there is a chance that his sprain could turn into a tear. The first start of the year was very exciting for Giolito as he came out of the gate smoking. Some radar guns had him hitting 100 mph and he only gave up one hit during the contest. His start on Tuesday was not as good as he made it through 6.1 innings allowing two runs on five hits, three walks and three hit batters. Something was clearly wrong with the young man and the bad news came out on Wednesday. With 6-10 weeks of rest and rehabilitation up next for Giolito and the draft being around 12 weeks away, there is little chance he will be able to prove he is completely healthy before teams have to make their picks. For fans of the UCLA Bruins, this could be good news. If Giolito were to go to college, he had committed to the Bruins. He might be forced to go to UCLA for a couple of seasons to prove his health is back in order. This will also help him to rebuild his draft status for the future. A tough injury for the young man as it could cost him millions of dollars. It is lucky for him that it happened at a young enough age that he can recover and make it back to still have a successful career.

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Xv6524k0fdo/T1dUA9oCeOI/AAAAAAAABHo/yvxKcDWQB6Y/s320/GardyBurroughs.jpg The Twins took a chance when they signed Joel Zumaya to an incentive-laden contract. That high-risk deal could have come with some great rewards but Zumaya's time with the Twins was over before it even started. Only 13 pitches into his first workout with the Twins, he walked off the mound with soreness in his right elbow. Now the often-injured flamethrower will go under the knife again but this time it will be for Tommy John surgery. Zumaya's recent injury means the Twins will now have spot open on their 40-man roster for the beginning of the 2012 season. The team will release Zumaya or put him on 60-day DL, which will open up a spot for an outlying player to make the jump to the 40-man roster. There are a variety of candidates in camp for the Twins who would be more than willing to get one step closer to being on the 25-man roster for the organization. Here are some brief profiles on a few of the candidates but there is always a chance of another player proving his worth in the rest of spring training. Sean Burroughs, 3B: The former first-round pick has been on quite the roller coaster ride during the last few seasons. After getting mixed up with drugs and alcohol in the mid-2000s, he found himself completely out of baseball and struggling with life. He has overcome those problems and he made his way back to the big leagues with the Diamondbacks in 2011. Burroughs has a chance to challenge Danny Valencia for playing time at third but at this point that could be a long shot. In 2011 Gardenhire seemed to put Valencia in the doghouse on multiple occasions and Burroughs could be waiting in the wings if that happens again this season. He could also provide a veteran bat off of the bench and this could be his last chance to succeed on baseball's biggest stage. Brian Dozier, SS-2B: After a break-out minor league season in 2011, the Twins and their fans have been keeping a close eye on Dozier so far this spring. With a pitching staff composed of "pitch-to-contact" pitchers, the Twins saw in 2011 how important defense up the middle can be for the success of the team. There have been some questions about whether Dozier will be able to stick at shortstop for the long-term but it looks like the Twins will give him every opportunity to succeed at that position this spring. Jamey Carroll was brought in on a two-year contract to fill the gap at shortstop but a hot start from Dozier could leave the Twins with little choice but to bring him to Minnesota. Dozier isn't required to go on the 40-man roster until the end of the 2012 season but there are good odds he will be making his debut in the coming year. Jared Burton, RHP: If the Twins want to fill Zumaya's roster spot with a right-handed pitcher, there are plenty of options in camp for the Twins. One of those options comes in the form of Jared Burton who joins the Twins out of the Reds organization. He has seen some success in the past by posting a 2.92 ERA with a 1.289 WHIP and 94 strikeouts from 2007-2008. The last couple of seasons have been spent trying to recover from injuries such as a thyroid dysfunction, a strained oblique, and a shoulder problem. Now he has a clean bill of health and the Twins will be looking for plenty of arms to step-up and earn a spot in the 2012 bullpen. Even if Burton doesn't make the squad when the team leaves Fort Myers, he could be one of the first options to join the team when there is an injury. The Twins won't be forced to make this decision on this 40-man roster spot for at least a couple more weeks. This will give each of the above listed players plenty of time to prove they belong one step closer to the big leagues for 2012. With everything he has gone through, the sentimental pick might be the Burroughs comeback story. But the team did struggle to find bullpen options last year, so Burton or another pitcher could be given a chance to start the year. Dozier would be the long-shot at this point; but if the team thinks they will add him later this year, the odds could swing more in his favor.

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Xv6524k0fdo/T1dUA9oCeOI/AAAAAAAABHo/yvxKcDWQB6Y/s320/GardyBurroughs.jpg The Twins took a chance when they signed Joel Zumaya to an incentive-laden contract. That high-risk deal could have come with some great rewards but Zumaya's time with the Twins was over before it even started. Only 13 pitches into his first workout with the Twins, he walked off the mound with soreness in his right elbow. Now the often-injured flamethrower will go under the knife again but this time it will be for Tommy John surgery. Zumaya's recent injury means the Twins will now have spot open on their 40-man roster for the beginning of the 2012 season. The team will release Zumaya or put him on 60-day DL, which will open up a spot for an outlying player to make the jump to the 40-man roster. There are a variety of candidates in camp for the Twins who would be more than willing to get one step closer to being on the 25-man roster for the organization. Here are some brief profiles on a few of the candidates but there is always a chance of another player proving his worth in the rest of spring training. Sean Burroughs, 3B: The former first-round pick has been on quite the roller coaster ride during the last few seasons. After getting mixed up with drugs and alcohol in the mid-2000s, he found himself completely out of baseball and struggling with life. He has overcome those problems and he made his way back to the big leagues with the Diamondbacks in 2011. Burroughs has a chance to challenge Danny Valencia for playing time at third but at this point that could be a long shot. In 2011 Gardenhire seemed to put Valencia in the doghouse on multiple occasions and Burroughs could be waiting in the wings if that happens again this season. He could also provide a veteran bat off of the bench and this could be his last chance to succeed on baseball's biggest stage. Brian Dozier, SS-2B: After a break-out minor league season in 2011, the Twins and their fans have been keeping a close eye on Dozier so far this spring. With a pitching staff composed of "pitch-to-contact" pitchers, the Twins saw in 2011 how important defense up the middle can be for the success of the team. There have been some questions about whether Dozier will be able to stick at shortstop for the long-term but it looks like the Twins will give him every opportunity to succeed at that position this spring. Jamey Carroll was brought in on a two-year contract to fill the gap at shortstop but a hot start from Dozier could leave the Twins with little choice but to bring him to Minnesota. Dozier isn't required to go on the 40-man roster until the end of the 2012 season but there are good odds he will be making his debut in the coming year. Jared Burton, RHP: If the Twins want to fill Zumaya's roster spot with a right-handed pitcher, there are plenty of options in camp for the Twins. One of those options comes in the form of Jared Burton who joins the Twins out of the Reds organization. He has seen some success in the past by posting a 2.92 ERA with a 1.289 WHIP and 94 strikeouts from 2007-2008. The last couple of seasons have been spent trying to recover from injuries such as a thyroid dysfunction, a strained oblique, and a shoulder problem. Now he has a clean bill of health and the Twins will be looking for plenty of arms to step-up and earn a spot in the 2012 bullpen. Even if Burton doesn't make the squad when the team leaves Fort Myers, he could be one of the first options to join the team when there is an injury. The Twins won't be forced to make this decision on this 40-man roster spot for at least a couple more weeks. This will give each of the above listed players plenty of time to prove they belong one step closer to the big leagues for 2012. With everything he has gone through, the sentimental pick might be the Burroughs comeback story. But the team did struggle to find bullpen options last year, so Burton or another pitcher could be given a chance to start the year. Dozier would be the long-shot at this point; but if the team thinks they will add him later this year, the odds could swing more in his favor.

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-FpKkyGDAhMo/T1TtwjjjYPI/AAAAAAAABHQ/jVPsfEuFQMg/s320/SkinnyMorneau.JPG When I opened to the front page of the Sunday sports section in the Star Tribune, there was one photo that stood out to me. Justin Morneau was shown taking a swing on a pitch (see photo above) and his size is noticeably different from previous years. This was only one photo from a spring training game but there have been other photos that have trickled out of Fort Myers that show more of the same; Morneau has lost some weight off of his frame. In one of his initial conversations with reporters he told the assembled media that he changed some of his diet to lose weight and reduce stress on his body. By taking some weight off of his frame, there should be less pressure on his joints and other parts of the frame of his body. For example studies have shown that for each pound of body weight lost, there is a four-pound reduction in knee joint stress. Besides the concussion issues that plagued Morneau for the last two seasons, there have also been plenty of other medical issues for the Canadian power hitter. His list of injuries from last year saw him suffer through a pinch never in his neck, numbness in his left hand, and left wrist soreness. When the Twins shut down Morneau in September of last year, he was forced to undergo surgery for his left wrist, bone spurs in his right foot, and a cyst in his left knee. One of the hopes for Morneau is that he will be able to avoid some of outlying injuries. In the middle of May, Morneau will turn 31-years old and the future can be scary for a player who has missed big chunks of the last three seasons due to injury. At Morneau's age, a change of diet can be a good thing for his future health and longevity in the sport of baseball. But one of the downsides to a slugger losing weight is the fact that power hitters use their body to generate a lot of their power. The loss of some of his weight could make it harder for Morneau to smack the ball around the park. Will there be an impact on his production? Or are the Twins just hoping he will stay healthy and on the playing field? The Twins have Morneau under contract for the next two years so it would be good to see him get back to his former self. After not having Morneau in the line-up for giant chunks of the last three seasons, the hope could be to just get Morneau on the field for a greater portion of the 2012 campaign. Having a slightly less productive version of Morneau on the field could be better than having no Morneau at all. Fans of another Minnesota team are familiar with one of their star players losing a little weight and finding success on the field. Kevin Love changed some of his diet and took off a few pounds for the lockout shortened NBA season. This change in his body type has lead to some outstanding production on the court as Love is coming off of his recent All-Star appearance. He is averaging a career high in points per game with over 25 per game and he continues to be a rebounding machine with close to 14 rebounds per game. http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-AhR_yAiUD9E/T1WIBZorYFI/AAAAAAAABHg/NOlDwjFJXFA/s320/skinnykevinlove.jpg It could be a career year for the skinny version of Love and Twins fans would be thrilled with a career year from the new skinny version of Morneau. A career year might be too much to expect from the Twins former MVP for the 2012 season but fans can still hope to see more of a healthier Morneau. The Twins need to be able to score more runs then they did in 2011 and they need Morneau in the middle of the line-up in order to get those runners across the plate. Fat or skinny, it doesn't matter; the Twins just want a healthy Morneau for all of the coming season.

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-FpKkyGDAhMo/T1TtwjjjYPI/AAAAAAAABHQ/jVPsfEuFQMg/s320/SkinnyMorneau.JPG When I opened to the front page of the Sunday sports section in the Star Tribune, there was one photo that stood out to me. Justin Morneau was shown taking a swing on a pitch (see photo above) and his size is noticeably different from previous years. This was only one photo from a spring training game but there have been other photos that have trickled out of Fort Myers that show more of the same; Morneau has lost some weight off of his frame. In one of his initial conversations with reporters he told the assembled media that he changed some of his diet to lose weight and reduce stress on his body. By taking some weight off of his frame, there should be less pressure on his joints and other parts of the frame of his body. For example studies have shown that for each pound of body weight lost, there is a four-pound reduction in knee joint stress. Besides the concussion issues that plagued Morneau for the last two seasons, there have also been plenty of other medical issues for the Canadian power hitter. His list of injuries from last year saw him suffer through a pinch never in his neck, numbness in his left hand, and left wrist soreness. When the Twins shut down Morneau in September of last year, he was forced to undergo surgery for his left wrist, bone spurs in his right foot, and a cyst in his left knee. One of the hopes for Morneau is that he will be able to avoid some of outlying injuries. In the middle of May, Morneau will turn 31-years old and the future can be scary for a player who has missed big chunks of the last three seasons due to injury. At Morneau's age, a change of diet can be a good thing for his future health and longevity in the sport of baseball. But one of the downsides to a slugger losing weight is the fact that power hitters use their body to generate a lot of their power. The loss of some of his weight could make it harder for Morneau to smack the ball around the park. Will there be an impact on his production? Or are the Twins just hoping he will stay healthy and on the playing field? The Twins have Morneau under contract for the next two years so it would be good to see him get back to his former self. After not having Morneau in the line-up for giant chunks of the last three seasons, the hope could be to just get Morneau on the field for a greater portion of the 2012 campaign. Having a slightly less productive version of Morneau on the field could be better than having no Morneau at all. Fans of another Minnesota team are familiar with one of their star players losing a little weight and finding success on the field. Kevin Love changed some of his diet and took off a few pounds for the lockout shortened NBA season. This change in his body type has lead to some outstanding production on the court as Love is coming off of his recent All-Star appearance. He is averaging a career high in points per game with over 25 per game and he continues to be a rebounding machine with close to 14 rebounds per game. http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-AhR_yAiUD9E/T1WIBZorYFI/AAAAAAAABHg/NOlDwjFJXFA/s320/skinnykevinlove.jpg It could be a career year for the skinny version of Love and Twins fans would be thrilled with a career year from the new skinny version of Morneau. A career year might be too much to expect from the Twins former MVP for the 2012 season but fans can still hope to see more of a healthier Morneau. The Twins need to be able to score more runs then they did in 2011 and they need Morneau in the middle of the line-up in order to get those runners across the plate. Fat or skinny, it doesn't matter; the Twins just want a healthy Morneau for all of the coming season.

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-MEN91q2weg0/T1OmFEAiBWI/AAAAAAAABHI/xWKOZXlzyBE/s320/SpanFall.png The Twins are only three games into their Grapefruit League schedule but Denard Span is making sure to put all of his concussion worries behind him. Over the course of the last handful of days, Span has been forced to make numerous plays on the ball that could be troublesome for a player who suffered a concussion last year. Even with all of these rough plays, Span has not suffered any major setbacks and he has started this spring off on the right foot. The first incident took place during a simulated game on Thursday, which was played on a side field next to Hammond Stadium. Trevor Plouffe was at the plate and he hit a ball that looked to be heading over the fence in center field. Span went back on the ball looking to make a play and he crashed into the fence at almost full-speed. Other than a busted lip from hitting the chain-linked fence, he seemed to be fine following the incident. He would continue to workout with the team for the rest of practice with no lingering effects. More tests came for Span in the Twins' first action of the spring against the Tampa Bay Rays on Saturday. In the third inning Span went back on a ball and made a falling catch on the warning track. This caused him to get up a little slow but he was able to shake it off and stay in the game. The very next inning he was forced to battle the sun and the wind to make a falling catch. He was very successful from the offensive side of the plate in the game as he went 2-3 with two singles. The more promising sign might have been that both of his hits came after he made the falling catch on the warning track. The Twins had a split-squad schedule on Sunday with games against Boston and Tampa Bay but four plays from the team were staying back to work on some hitting at Hammond Stadium. Span was one of those players along with Joe Mauer, Justin Morneau, and Josh Willingham. The team has another game on Monday at home so all of these players should be back in the line-up in front of the home fans. Span tried to make multiple comebacks after he suffered a concussion in the middle of last season. He missed most of the month of June and all of the month of July before making his first comeback at the beginning of August. During that month, he would play nine games before before some other complications forced him to sit out until the last week of the season. In September, he played three complete games and he also played in two partial games. He played a vital role in the Twins 1-0 win in the last game of the season by smacking a double to start the ninth inning and he would eventually score the winning run. At the time of Span returning to the field with only a handful of games left, it seemed like a questionable move for the Twins because there was a chance he could get hurt again. But by returning to action, he was able to prove to himself that he could get on the field. In those five appearances, he batted .278/.278/.611 with two doubles, two triples, and four runs scored. He seemed to fit back into the top of the Twins line-up as he helped the team to finish out a miserable season. It would have been easy to skip out on those games but Span wanted to prove to the team and to himself that he was able to stay on the field. The Twins will keep an eye on Span as the spring training schedule continues to play out in the coming weeks. Span has passed quite a few tests in the first handful of opportunities and the hope is that the team won't have to worry about him once the season begins. For the Twins to be successful in 2012, Span is one of the key pieces that needs to be in the line-up on a more regular basis. He is the table setter ahead of the bigger bats in the middle of the batting order and his success can go a long way to determining how the Twins will perform this year. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Original Post from http://nodaktwinsfan.com

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-MEN91q2weg0/T1OmFEAiBWI/AAAAAAAABHI/xWKOZXlzyBE/s320/SpanFall.png The Twins are only three games into their Grapefruit League schedule but Denard Span is making sure to put all of his concussion worries behind him. Over the course of the last handful of days, Span has been forced to make numerous plays on the ball that could be troublesome for a player who suffered a concussion last year. Even with all of these rough plays, Span has not suffered any major setbacks and he has started this spring off on the right foot. The first incident took place during a simulated game on Thursday, which was played on a side field next to Hammond Stadium. Trevor Plouffe was at the plate and he hit a ball that looked to be heading over the fence in center field. Span went back on the ball looking to make a play and he crashed into the fence at almost full-speed. Other than a busted lip from hitting the chain-linked fence, he seemed to be fine following the incident. He would continue to workout with the team for the rest of practice with no lingering effects. More tests came for Span in the Twins' first action of the spring against the Tampa Bay Rays on Saturday. In the third inning Span went back on a ball and made a falling catch on the warning track. This caused him to get up a little slow but he was able to shake it off and stay in the game. The very next inning he was forced to battle the sun and the wind to make a falling catch. He was very successful from the offensive side of the plate in the game as he went 2-3 with two singles. The more promising sign might have been that both of his hits came after he made the falling catch on the warning track. The Twins had a split-squad schedule on Sunday with games against Boston and Tampa Bay but four plays from the team were staying back to work on some hitting at Hammond Stadium. Span was one of those players along with Joe Mauer, Justin Morneau, and Josh Willingham. The team has another game on Monday at home so all of these players should be back in the line-up in front of the home fans. Span tried to make multiple comebacks after he suffered a concussion in the middle of last season. He missed most of the month of June and all of the month of July before making his first comeback at the beginning of August. During that month, he would play nine games before before some other complications forced him to sit out until the last week of the season. In September, he played three complete games and he also played in two partial games. He played a vital role in the Twins 1-0 win in the last game of the season by smacking a double to start the ninth inning and he would eventually score the winning run. At the time of Span returning to the field with only a handful of games left, it seemed like a questionable move for the Twins because there was a chance he could get hurt again. But by returning to action, he was able to prove to himself that he could get on the field. In those five appearances, he batted .278/.278/.611 with two doubles, two triples, and four runs scored. He seemed to fit back into the top of the Twins line-up as he helped the team to finish out a miserable season. It would have been easy to skip out on those games but Span wanted to prove to the team and to himself that he was able to stay on the field. The Twins will keep an eye on Span as the spring training schedule continues to play out in the coming weeks. Span has passed quite a few tests in the first handful of opportunities and the hope is that the team won't have to worry about him once the season begins. For the Twins to be successful in 2012, Span is one of the key pieces that needs to be in the line-up on a more regular basis. He is the table setter ahead of the bigger bats in the middle of the batting order and his success can go a long way to determining how the Twins will perform this year. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Original Post from http://nodaktwinsfan.com

It's hard to believe that another week has gone by and the Twins are one step closer to beginning their 2012 season. The first Grapefruit League action for the Twins will take place on Saturday and it sounds like Joe Mauer, Denard Span, and Justin Morneau could all be available to play. Span ran into the center field wall during a simulated game on Thursday and as of right now he only had a cut lip to deal with. Fingers are crossed that he will show up to the facility on Friday without any lingering effects from the collision. All of the minor league players for the Twins are due to report to Ft. Myers on Tuesday of next week. This means the complex in southwest Florida will be overrun by Twins players and coaches from all levels of the farm system. With the severe winter weather that hit a good portion of Twins Territory this week, the Florida sun is sounding pretty good right about now. The company formerly known as Twins Train has switched their name to Territory Train. They have a variety of great trips scheduled for 2012 so make sure to check them out. The top high school pitching prospect for next year's draft supposedly hit 100 mph in his first start of the year. Talk about getting the year off to a good start. The tenth inning stretch has a recap of the Twins B game from Thursday. Seedlings to Stars composed their first 2012 MLB Mock Draft for the First Round and the Supplemental Round. Who will the Twins snag at number 2? Seth Stohs is preaching patience with the bullpen and he had some great guests during his podcast on Tuesday night. One of the most valuable pieces of sports memorabilia ever is up for auction. After the social media world blew up from some of Morneau's comments, he made some clarifications following a few days of working out with the team. Glen Perkins posted a picture of himself with a shark and he made NotGraphs because of it. http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-H8-xEMu10V0/T1AUHh7AjkI/AAAAAAAABHA/lJfV6yxGQh0/s320/GlenPerkinsShark.jpg Twins Fan From Afar asks the question, "Did Joe Mauer-- and Twins Fans -- need his 2011 season to happen?" Ozzie Guillen is already making headlines in Miami. The New Britain Rock Cats were sold to an investment group earlier in the week. The Fort Myers Miracle are going to be celebrating their 20th season this year and they have special caps in honor of the milestone. http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-uBSEHaqonI4/T1AOxW2DF4I/AAAAAAAABG4/ix3cJyhfcW8/s320/Miracle20thAniv.png A former Twins first round pick retired earlier this week but he never played for the Twins organization. The Yankees can't find a better spot than the bathroom to take their team pictures?!?! Jose Mijares switched teams this offseason but he still couldn't figure out how to get to spring training on time. Twinkie Town wonders if Trevor Plouffe can be the player the Twins need him to be. The writers over at Puckett's Pond have been busy with their "Back to Baseball" series so make sure to visit their page and check it out. Twins Rubes has started a series call "Our Stadium Adventures." The first post was on Target Field and the second installment was on Safeco Field. My Weekly Rundown Monday: Zumaya's injury leaves right-handed hole to fill Tuesday: How long will Dozier stay in the minors? Thursday: Tough schedule could put Twins in early hole Video of the Week: A tip of the cap to the blog Classic Minnesota Twins! for their post with this video earlier this week. It is Kent Hrbek as a guest on the David Letterman Show all the way back in 1987. The Twins were coming off their first World Series Championship and Hrbek had some fun stories to tell.

It's hard to believe that another week has gone by and the Twins are one step closer to beginning their 2012 season. The first Grapefruit League action for the Twins will take place on Saturday and it sounds like Joe Mauer, Denard Span, and Justin Morneau could all be available to play. Span ran into the center field wall during a simulated game on Thursday and as of right now he only had a cut lip to deal with. Fingers are crossed that he will show up to the facility on Friday without any lingering effects from the collision. All of the minor league players for the Twins are due to report to Ft. Myers on Tuesday of next week. This means the complex in southwest Florida will be overrun by Twins players and coaches from all levels of the farm system. With the severe winter weather that hit a good portion of Twins Territory this week, the Florida sun is sounding pretty good right about now. The company formerly known as Twins Train has switched their name to Territory Train. They have a variety of great trips scheduled for 2012 so make sure to check them out. The top high school pitching prospect for next year's draft supposedly hit 100 mph in his first start of the year. Talk about getting the year off to a good start. The tenth inning stretch has a recap of the Twins B game from Thursday. Seedlings to Stars composed their first 2012 MLB Mock Draft for the First Round and the Supplemental Round. Who will the Twins snag at number 2? Seth Stohs is preaching patience with the bullpen and he had some great guests during his podcast on Tuesday night. One of the most valuable pieces of sports memorabilia ever is up for auction. After the social media world blew up from some of Morneau's comments, he made some clarifications following a few days of working out with the team. Glen Perkins posted a picture of himself with a shark and he made NotGraphs because of it. http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-H8-xEMu10V0/T1AUHh7AjkI/AAAAAAAABHA/lJfV6yxGQh0/s320/GlenPerkinsShark.jpg Twins Fan From Afar asks the question, "Did Joe Mauer-- and Twins Fans -- need his 2011 season to happen?" Ozzie Guillen is already making headlines in Miami. The New Britain Rock Cats were sold to an investment group earlier in the week. The Fort Myers Miracle are going to be celebrating their 20th season this year and they have special caps in honor of the milestone. http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-uBSEHaqonI4/T1AOxW2DF4I/AAAAAAAABG4/ix3cJyhfcW8/s320/Miracle20thAniv.png A former Twins first round pick retired earlier this week but he never played for the Twins organization. The Yankees can't find a better spot than the bathroom to take their team pictures?!?! Jose Mijares switched teams this offseason but he still couldn't figure out how to get to spring training on time. Twinkie Town wonders if Trevor Plouffe can be the player the Twins need him to be. The writers over at Puckett's Pond have been busy with their "Back to Baseball" series so make sure to visit their page and check it out. Twins Rubes has started a series call "Our Stadium Adventures." The first post was on Target Field and the second installment was on Safeco Field. My Weekly Rundown Monday: Zumaya's injury leaves right-handed hole to fill Tuesday: How long will Dozier stay in the minors? Thursday: Tough schedule could put Twins in early hole Video of the Week: A tip of the cap to the blog Classic Minnesota Twins! for their post with this video earlier this week. It is Kent Hrbek as a guest on the David Letterman Show all the way back in 1987. The Twins were coming off their first World Series Championship and Hrbek had some fun stories to tell.

Everyone should try and make a trip on the Territory Train. I have gone the last two years to Detroit and Milwaukee. It is a great time with a bunch of other hardcore Twins fans.

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/--jvPqmEC0Vk/T07zkszcmtI/AAAAAAAABGw/2-kEtGFuqe0/s320/twins-yankees.jpg One of the downfalls of having an unbalanced schedule in MLB is that teams will end up facing a lot of competition from the other divisions in their league earlier in the year. For the Twins this means a healthy dose of the AL East and AL West to start the 2012 campaign. The AL East has three of the top teams in the entire American League and the AL West has put together two of the best rosters at the top of that division for 2012. This leaves the Twins with a lot of tough competition when their season gets underway at the beginning of next month. The Twins start the year in Baltimore but almost all of the rest of the month is against teams that won 86 or more games during 2011. The Angels, Rangers, and Red Sox make trips to Target Field in the first month of the season. An east coast road trip sees the Twins visit New York and Tampa Bay. The month ends with a west coast swing into Los Angeles to face the Angels for the second time in the month. Overall, it looks like a very tough schedule to start the year so here's a brief look at each of these teams. Following a 99-loss season, the Twins will want to get off to a good start but it could be hard with the teams they will be facing off against. Los Angeles Angels 2011 Record: 86-76 2011 vs. the Twins: 6-3 April schedule vs. Twins: 9th, 11th, 12th, 30th The Angels made some of the biggest waves in the offseason free agent market by bringing in Albert Pujols and CJ Wilson. After seeing the success of the Rangers during the last two seasons, the Angels are looking to unthrone Texas from the top of the AL West. Top prospect Mike Trout could provide a lift to an aging outfield but recent reports have him starting the year in the minor leagues. By the fifth full week of the season, the Twins will have played the Angels nine times with six of those contests coming at Target Field. In the early part of the year, these teams will be very familiar with one another so it will be interesting to see how the match-up shakes out. Texas Rangers 2011 Record: 96-66 2011 vs. the Twins: 3-5 April schedule vs. Twins: 13th, 14th, 15th The Rangers made some of their own noise in the free agent market by paying a kings ransom to sign Japanese phenom Yu Darvish. Former Twins closer Joe Nathan was also lured away to Texas for the opportunity to fight for a World Series title before his career is over. The Twins first weekend series of the year at Target Field is a three-game set with Texas and this could mean Nathan coming out of the bullpen in center field. During the last two seasons, the Rangers have represented the American League in the World Series and they look poised to make the playoffs again in 2012. These two teams won't face each other again until the later months of the season so it will be interesting to see how much these team's change in the middle portion of the year. New York Yankees 2011 Record: 97-65 2011 vs. the Twins: 6-2 April schedule vs. Twins: 16th, 17th, 18th, 19th A four-game series in the Bronx was probably not very high on the Twins early season wish-list but that was the way the schedule was put together. Unlike the other teams listed above, the Yankees didn't make a huge mark on the free agent market but that doesn't mean that they weren't busy with other moves. The biggest free agent signing for the Bronx Bombers was in the form of Hiroki Kuroda a 37-year old starting pitcher. Other than this signing the Yankees also traded away top prospect Jesus Montero for pitching phenom Michael Pineda from the Mariners. The Twins have struggled with the Yankees in recent years and Yankee Stadium has been full of horrors for the Twin Cities squad. Here's hoping the Twins find a little early season luck in the Big Apple. Tampa Bay Rays 2011 Record: 91-71 2011 vs. the Twins: 7-3 April schedule vs. Twins: 20th, 21st, 22nd The Rays have become the model franchise for small market teams with their ability to develop young talent and produce a winning baseball team. Tampa's front office usually stays away from messy free-agent deals because they have the talent in their system to replenish the major league squad. Carlos Pena will make a return trip to Tampa Bay and he represents the biggest offseason signing for the Rays. A stocked rotation with David Price, James Shields, and Jeremy Hellickson will only get deeper with the edition of top pitching prospect Matt Moore. With all of their talent, the Rays will be picked to finish near the top of the AL East for the fourth year in a row. Boston Red Sox 2011 Record: 90-72 2011 vs. the Twins: 5-2 April schedule vs Twins: 23rd, 24th, 25th After a heartbreaking end to the 2011 season, the Red Sox will be looking to get 2012 off to a positive start. Manager Terry Francona left the team following the team's collapse and veteran manager Bobby Valentine replaced him. The only multi-year free agent signing for the Red Sox was former Twins utility-man Nick Punto but they also brought in outfielder Cody Ross to add some depth to their line-up. One of the biggest questions facing this team in spring training a starting rotation that ranked 13th in innings pitched pitched last season with only the ninth best ERA in the AL. The offense should continue to produce if the team can find away to hold the other team from scoring. A rough start by the Red Sox at the beginning of 2011 was the talk of baseball and the team will be looking for some positive conversations to start 2012. With 16 straight games against this tough competition, the Twins could find themselves looking up in the standings before the team ever faces a AL Central foe. Of those 16 games, 15 of them come in a stretch without a single off day. The Twins could be in good shape for the rest of the year if they can find a way to get out of April without digging themselves a giant hole in the standings. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Original Post from http://nodaktwinsfan.com

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/--jvPqmEC0Vk/T07zkszcmtI/AAAAAAAABGw/2-kEtGFuqe0/s320/twins-yankees.jpg One of the downfalls of having an unbalanced schedule in MLB is that teams will end up facing a lot of competition from the other divisions in their league earlier in the year. For the Twins this means a healthy dose of the AL East and AL West to start the 2012 campaign. The AL East has three of the top teams in the entire American League and the AL West has put together two of the best rosters at the top of that division for 2012. This leaves the Twins with a lot of tough competition when their season gets underway at the beginning of next month. The Twins start the year in Baltimore but almost all of the rest of the month is against teams that won 86 or more games during 2011. The Angels, Rangers, and Red Sox make trips to Target Field in the first month of the season. An east coast road trip sees the Twins visit New York and Tampa Bay. The month ends with a west coast swing into Los Angeles to face the Angels for the second time in the month. Overall, it looks like a very tough schedule to start the year so here's a brief look at each of these teams. Following a 99-loss season, the Twins will want to get off to a good start but it could be hard with the teams they will be facing off against. Los Angeles Angels 2011 Record: 86-76 2011 vs. the Twins: 6-3 April schedule vs. Twins: 9th, 11th, 12th, 30th The Angels made some of the biggest waves in the offseason free agent market by bringing in Albert Pujols and CJ Wilson. After seeing the success of the Rangers during the last two seasons, the Angels are looking to unthrone Texas from the top of the AL West. Top prospect Mike Trout could provide a lift to an aging outfield but recent reports have him starting the year in the minor leagues. By the fifth full week of the season, the Twins will have played the Angels nine times with six of those contests coming at Target Field. In the early part of the year, these teams will be very familiar with one another so it will be interesting to see how the match-up shakes out. Texas Rangers 2011 Record: 96-66 2011 vs. the Twins: 3-5 April schedule vs. Twins: 13th, 14th, 15th The Rangers made some of their own noise in the free agent market by paying a kings ransom to sign Japanese phenom Yu Darvish. Former Twins closer Joe Nathan was also lured away to Texas for the opportunity to fight for a World Series title before his career is over. The Twins first weekend series of the year at Target Field is a three-game set with Texas and this could mean Nathan coming out of the bullpen in center field. During the last two seasons, the Rangers have represented the American League in the World Series and they look poised to make the playoffs again in 2012. These two teams won't face each other again until the later months of the season so it will be interesting to see how much these team's change in the middle portion of the year. New York Yankees 2011 Record: 97-65 2011 vs. the Twins: 6-2 April schedule vs. Twins: 16th, 17th, 18th, 19th A four-game series in the Bronx was probably not very high on the Twins early season wish-list but that was the way the schedule was put together. Unlike the other teams listed above, the Yankees didn't make a huge mark on the free agent market but that doesn't mean that they weren't busy with other moves. The biggest free agent signing for the Bronx Bombers was in the form of Hiroki Kuroda a 37-year old starting pitcher. Other than this signing the Yankees also traded away top prospect Jesus Montero for pitching phenom Michael Pineda from the Mariners. The Twins have struggled with the Yankees in recent years and Yankee Stadium has been full of horrors for the Twin Cities squad. Here's hoping the Twins find a little early season luck in the Big Apple. Tampa Bay Rays 2011 Record: 91-71 2011 vs. the Twins: 7-3 April schedule vs. Twins: 20th, 21st, 22nd The Rays have become the model franchise for small market teams with their ability to develop young talent and produce a winning baseball team. Tampa's front office usually stays away from messy free-agent deals because they have the talent in their system to replenish the major league squad. Carlos Pena will make a return trip to Tampa Bay and he represents the biggest offseason signing for the Rays. A stocked rotation with David Price, James Shields, and Jeremy Hellickson will only get deeper with the edition of top pitching prospect Matt Moore. With all of their talent, the Rays will be picked to finish near the top of the AL East for the fourth year in a row. Boston Red Sox 2011 Record: 90-72 2011 vs. the Twins: 5-2 April schedule vs Twins: 23rd, 24th, 25th After a heartbreaking end to the 2011 season, the Red Sox will be looking to get 2012 off to a positive start. Manager Terry Francona left the team following the team's collapse and veteran manager Bobby Valentine replaced him. The only multi-year free agent signing for the Red Sox was former Twins utility-man Nick Punto but they also brought in outfielder Cody Ross to add some depth to their line-up. One of the biggest questions facing this team in spring training a starting rotation that ranked 13th in innings pitched pitched last season with only the ninth best ERA in the AL. The offense should continue to produce if the team can find away to hold the other team from scoring. A rough start by the Red Sox at the beginning of 2011 was the talk of baseball and the team will be looking for some positive conversations to start 2012. With 16 straight games against this tough competition, the Twins could find themselves looking up in the standings before the team ever faces a AL Central foe. Of those 16 games, 15 of them come in a stretch without a single off day. The Twins could be in good shape for the rest of the year if they can find a way to get out of April without digging themselves a giant hole in the standings. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Original Post from http://nodaktwinsfan.com

Welcome to the blogging world!

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-q9yTJA0HubY/T0u2kqT2SdI/AAAAAAAABGo/0my5j4SyCow/s320/Dozier+Twins.jpg One of the Twins biggest offseason investments was in the form of 38-year old middle infielder Jamey Carroll. The versatile free agent was brought to the organization to help solidify a middle infield that waffled through a gargantuan amount of issues in 2011. He seems to get better with age and the Twins are hoping their two-year investment in the elder statesman can continue to lead to success from this player. Some look at Carroll as the stopgap to another middle infielder who is working his way through the minor league system of the Twins. Last season Brian Dozier found great success on the field in his time with the Miracle and the Rock Cats. In 2011, he led the Twins organization in runs scored (92) and triples (12) and was third in hits (157), stolen bases (24) and total bases (241). This performance led the Twins to honor him with the team's Minor League Player of the Year Award. Dozier is a former 8th round pick of the Twins back in 2009 and he has spent the last three seasons moving his way up to the Double-A level. Since he has never seen time at the Triple-A level, there is a good chance he will start the 2012 season in Rochester. But what happens if he gets off to a hot start with the Red Wings? How long would the Twins wait to call him up? In the middle of May, Dozier will turn 25 and this comes out of the fact that he was drafted out of college and this makes him a little older than some of the other top prospects for the Twins. Many of the other top prospects that he played with in New Britain have already made their debut with the Twins at the end of last year. Joe Benson and Chris Parmelee were both call-ups in September but they had each been in the Twins system for longer than Dozier and they were higher draft picks. Dozier started the 2011 campaign with Fort Myers and the situation was different for Benson and Parmelee. Benson played all of 2011 with the Rock Cats and Parmelee got a taste of New Britain in 2010 and ended up back there for all of 2011. Out of all of the players in the same draft as Dozier, none of them have made their debuts with the big league squad. Kyle Gibson, the team's first round pick from 2009, seemed like he was on his way to debuting in 2011 but an elbow injury kept him from reaching the MLB level. Chris Herrmann, the club's best catching prospect, has shown the organization a lot of positive things over the last three years but he might still be a year away from making it to Target Field. The organization was impressed with the way that Dozier handled himself in the Arizona Fall League at the beginning of this offseason. In 26 game for the Mesa Solar Sox, Dozier hit .296/.358/.454 with 27 runs scored and 11 extra-base hits. In an interview on 1500 ESPN on Monday, Paul Molitor talked about Dozier needing to work on his consistency and this could be one of the reasons the team decided that Dozier needed time in the AFL. If he can continue his patient approach at the plate, the consistency should follow him to the start of his big league career. In a farm system in desperate need for middle infielders, Dozier stands out as the one player most ready to make an impact for the Twins in 2012. In search of other middle infielders, the Twins have switched Eddie Rosario, one of the organization's top prospects, from outfield to second base. All of last season was spent in the Appalachian League with Elizabethton for Rosario so he still has multiple seasons before he could make it to the big leagues. This move might help the Twins with their long-term plans but right now Dozier is the one middle infield prospect who looks ready to become a major league player. How long will fans have to wait for this to happen? Only time will tell... ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Original Post from http://nodaktwinsfan.com

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-q9yTJA0HubY/T0u2kqT2SdI/AAAAAAAABGo/0my5j4SyCow/s320/Dozier+Twins.jpg One of the Twins biggest offseason investments was in the form of 38-year old middle infielder Jamey Carroll. The versatile free agent was brought to the organization to help solidify a middle infield that waffled through a gargantuan amount of issues in 2011. He seems to get better with age and the Twins are hoping their two-year investment in the elder statesman can continue to lead to success from this player. Some look at Carroll as the stopgap to another middle infielder who is working his way through the minor league system of the Twins. Last season Brian Dozier found great success on the field in his time with the Miracle and the Rock Cats. In 2011, he led the Twins organization in runs scored (92) and triples (12) and was third in hits (157), stolen bases (24) and total bases (241). This performance led the Twins to honor him with the team's Minor League Player of the Year Award. Dozier is a former 8th round pick of the Twins back in 2009 and he has spent the last three seasons moving his way up to the Double-A level. Since he has never seen time at the Triple-A level, there is a good chance he will start the 2012 season in Rochester. But what happens if he gets off to a hot start with the Red Wings? How long would the Twins wait to call him up? In the middle of May, Dozier will turn 25 and this comes out of the fact that he was drafted out of college and this makes him a little older than some of the other top prospects for the Twins. Many of the other top prospects that he played with in New Britain have already made their debut with the Twins at the end of last year. Joe Benson and Chris Parmelee were both call-ups in September but they had each been in the Twins system for longer than Dozier and they were higher draft picks. Dozier started the 2011 campaign with Fort Myers and the situation was different for Benson and Parmelee. Benson played all of 2011 with the Rock Cats and Parmelee got a taste of New Britain in 2010 and ended up back there for all of 2011. Out of all of the players in the same draft as Dozier, none of them have made their debuts with the big league squad. Kyle Gibson, the team's first round pick from 2009, seemed like he was on his way to debuting in 2011 but an elbow injury kept him from reaching the MLB level. Chris Herrmann, the club's best catching prospect, has shown the organization a lot of positive things over the last three years but he might still be a year away from making it to Target Field. The organization was impressed with the way that Dozier handled himself in the Arizona Fall League at the beginning of this offseason. In 26 game for the Mesa Solar Sox, Dozier hit .296/.358/.454 with 27 runs scored and 11 extra-base hits. In an interview on 1500 ESPN on Monday, Paul Molitor talked about Dozier needing to work on his consistency and this could be one of the reasons the team decided that Dozier needed time in the AFL. If he can continue his patient approach at the plate, the consistency should follow him to the start of his big league career. In a farm system in desperate need for middle infielders, Dozier stands out as the one player most ready to make an impact for the Twins in 2012. In search of other middle infielders, the Twins have switched Eddie Rosario, one of the organization's top prospects, from outfield to second base. All of last season was spent in the Appalachian League with Elizabethton for Rosario so he still has multiple seasons before he could make it to the big leagues. This move might help the Twins with their long-term plans but right now Dozier is the one middle infield prospect who looks ready to become a major league player. How long will fans have to wait for this to happen? Only time will tell... ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Original Post from http://nodaktwinsfan.com

I was listening to the radio when he made the comment. I blew it off because he was basically saying that all Twins bloggers should be in the press box if they want to form an opinion about the organization. As bloggers, we don't know what is going on behind the scenes.

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ulWg3yFFHgg/T0qAasJmnII/AAAAAAAABGg/21V2xjLUogM/s320/ZumayaTwinsInjury.jpg Terry Ryan tried to make a move that he thought could be one of the important additions to the Twins prior to the start of the 2012 season. Joel Zumaya had been often injured since his rookie year in 2006 but the thought of a hard throwing right-handed pitcher was too much for the Twins to pass up. The honeymoon phase did not last long for Zumaya and the Twins as bad news came out of Ft. Myers over the weekend. The team had only been in spring training for a handful of days before Zumaya left the mound on Saturday with right elbow discomfort. An MRI on Sunday revealed the hard throwing righty has a torn ulnar collateral ligament and this type of injury usually results in Tommy John surgery. The recovery time from this injury is usually around 12-months so Zumaya's time with the Twins was over before it even really started. Before his injury, Zumaya offered hope to a bullpen that struggled to produce on the field last season. The thought of a healthy Zumaya in a seventh inning role leading up to Glen Perkins and Matt Capps was something fans could look forward to at Target Field. Now the Twins will be looking for a variety of right-handed options with little experience at the big league level to step up and produce on the big stage. There are a handful of familiar names that will now be fighting for a late inning role with the club. Anthony Swarzak and Alex Burnett saw time out of the bullpen last season with Swarzak also filling in as a started on 11 occasions. Burnett found some struggles in his 50.2 innings as he posted a 5.51 ERA with a 1.401 WHIP. Swarzak had some up and down moments but showed he could handle a long relief role and making the occasional spot start. There is a good chance that the organization will be looking to these players to prove they can handle some of the pressure of late inning situations. Lester Oliveros was one of the key pieces brought to the Twins as part of the Delmon Young trade and the rookie showed some positive signs in his limited action with the club. After dominating in the lower levels of the minor leagues, Oliveros found some sticking points in his travels to the MLB level. His marginal experience at the big league level is a strike against him and the club will surely take this into account when making a final decision on the bullpen. For the second year in a row, the Twins have a bunch of pitchers in camp in hopes of finding a few options that will be serviceable as bullpen arms. The team had to add Danny Rams, another catcher, to the big league camp in order to have enough men to catch the 33-pitchers with the club. Names like Jason Bulger, Casey Fien, Jeff Gray, and Esmerling Vasquez will be given every opportunity to show they belong as right-handed options for the 2012 Twins. Most of the available free-agent right-handed relief pitchers have been scooped up by this time of year as clubs were making their final additions before pitchers and catchers reported to spring training. MLB Trade Rumor lists five right-handed relief pitchers who are still on the market. This list includes Dany Baez, Jason Isringhausen, Sergio Miltre, Tony Pena, and Michael Wuertz. All of these options are bottom of the barrel relief arms but the Twins could take a flyer on Wuertz who is a Minnesota native and only a couple seasons removed from a career year in 2009. Overall, the Zumaya signing was a good move but luck didn't fall on the Twins side. Luckily for the Twins they are left with a big chunk of the rest of spring training to find out who will be able to fit into a right-handed relief role with the team. To some of the players mentioned above, this should be seen as a major opportunity to be part of the bullpen turnaround for the Twins. Let's hope some of them take the opportunity and run with it. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Original Post from: http://nodaktwinsfan.com