Cody Christie

Original Post from North Dakota Twins Fan ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ It felt good to get back to a full week of Twins coverage here at NoDak Twins Fan and after my vacation in Arizona it was great to get caught up on all of the happenings across Twins Territory. We are only a few short weeks away from baseball being played under the sun at Target Field. It will be a welcome sight to see the hometown nine take the field for the first time and for the memories of an awful 2011 to go away. The NFL continues to get all of the major headlines in the sports world but for fans of baseball there continues to be a ton of content to peruse through on a weekly basis. Here are a handful of the stories that I enjoyed from the last week with some fun stuff sprinkled in for a little spice. Twins Fan From Afar took a look at the Twins surplus of center fielders and which ones might be expendable in a trade. He even got a link on ESPN's Sweet Spot Blog. One of the biggest Twins stories of the week was the demotion of Tsuyoshi Nishioka to Triple-A. The NFL has the "Bounty-Gate" situation taking all the headlines and Seth Stohs wonders what the equivalent would be for MLB. Nick at Top of the First worked on some Twins roster analysis by examining the outfield situation. A Twins fan will be heading to NYC as part of the MLB Fan Cave. Lindsay Guentzel explained everything she went through to win the spot and thanked everyone who helped her. Baseball Reference released their Negro League database that covers 1903-1948. This is an awesome resource for an fan of the game. Forbes magazine ranked the Twins as the 14th most valuable franchise among MLB teams. The Houston Astros are one better so that's not a positive sign. It looks like former Twins shortstop JJ Hardy went skipping through the woods in his attempt to catch this ball. http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-I1BaW-FLXL8/T2vnNslI2LI/AAAAAAAABJQ/Z40QQ2I8vf4/s320/hardyskipping.jpg ESPN's SweetSpot Blog has been doing their "Over/Under" series in recent weeks and the good news is 65% of America thinks the Twins will win over 74 games. The Twins Armchair GM thinks the current crop of Twins players missed their World Series window but the next window could be right around the corner. With Nishioka being sent to Rochester, is there new life for Brian Dozier? Andrew at Off the Mark tackles this question. If you believe all of the rumors floating around at the trade deadline, Drew Storen almost became a Twin. He has a personalized Batmobile so that's pretty sweet. The Twins had the second pick in the Rule 5 Draft but Terry Doyle, the player they picked, was sent back to the White Sox this week. So much for that investment... Apparently I got out of Arizona right in the nick of time... On a more serious note, the Twins released six minor leaguers with a couple of surprises. It is part of the game but it is tough for guys that make their living playing baseball. My Weekly Rundown Monday: Grapefruit League could learn from Cactus League Tuesday: Seeing Lincecum made me miss having an ace Wednesday: Should Butera follow Nishioka to Rochester? Thursday: Rosario's infield transition continues Video of the Week: The Twins have another Mauer who plays a prominent role in the organization as the manager of the Fort Myers Miracle. Jake Mauer joined Brice Zimmerman to talk about the spring training experience for fans and the players with a focus on the minor leagues.

Original Post from North Dakota Twins Fan ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ It felt good to get back to a full week of Twins coverage here at NoDak Twins Fan and after my vacation in Arizona it was great to get caught up on all of the happenings across Twins Territory. We are only a few short weeks away from baseball being played under the sun at Target Field. It will be a welcome sight to see the hometown nine take the field for the first time and for the memories of an awful 2011 to go away. The NFL continues to get all of the major headlines in the sports world but for fans of baseball there continues to be a ton of content to peruse through on a weekly basis. Here are a handful of the stories that I enjoyed from the last week with some fun stuff sprinkled in for a little spice. Twins Fan From Afar took a look at the Twins surplus of center fielders and which ones might be expendable in a trade. He even got a link on ESPN's Sweet Spot Blog. One of the biggest Twins stories of the week was the demotion of Tsuyoshi Nishioka to Triple-A. The NFL has the "Bounty-Gate" situation taking all the headlines and Seth Stohs wonders what the equivalent would be for MLB. Nick at Top of the First worked on some Twins roster analysis by examining the outfield situation. A Twins fan will be heading to NYC as part of the MLB Fan Cave. Lindsay Guentzel explained everything she went through to win the spot and thanked everyone who helped her. Baseball Reference released their Negro League database that covers 1903-1948. This is an awesome resource for an fan of the game. Forbes magazine ranked the Twins as the 14th most valuable franchise among MLB teams. The Houston Astros are one better so that's not a positive sign. It looks like former Twins shortstop JJ Hardy went skipping through the woods in his attempt to catch this ball. http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-I1BaW-FLXL8/T2vnNslI2LI/AAAAAAAABJQ/Z40QQ2I8vf4/s320/hardyskipping.jpg ESPN's SweetSpot Blog has been doing their "Over/Under" series in recent weeks and the good news is 65% of America thinks the Twins will win over 74 games. The Twins Armchair GM thinks the current crop of Twins players missed their World Series window but the next window could be right around the corner. With Nishioka being sent to Rochester, is there new life for Brian Dozier? Andrew at Off the Mark tackles this question. If you believe all of the rumors floating around at the trade deadline, Drew Storen almost became a Twin. He has a personalized Batmobile so that's pretty sweet. The Twins had the second pick in the Rule 5 Draft but Terry Doyle, the player they picked, was sent back to the White Sox this week. So much for that investment... Apparently I got out of Arizona right in the nick of time... On a more serious note, the Twins released six minor leaguers with a couple of surprises. It is part of the game but it is tough for guys that make their living playing baseball. My Weekly Rundown Monday: Grapefruit League could learn from Cactus League Tuesday: Seeing Lincecum made me miss having an ace Wednesday: Should Butera follow Nishioka to Rochester? Thursday: Rosario's infield transition continues Video of the Week: The Twins have another Mauer who plays a prominent role in the organization as the manager of the Fort Myers Miracle. Jake Mauer joined Brice Zimmerman to talk about the spring training experience for fans and the players with a focus on the minor leagues.

Original post from North Dakota Twins Fan ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-XZ4BnqAdoiU/T2qVBaec3DI/AAAAAAAABJA/pTpDj5rw4fI/s320/ux4BUKbr.jpg In recent years the Twins have struggled to produce quality middle infielders who could succeed at the big league level. There has been a steady stream of infielders to man second base and shortstop for the Twins during the last two seasons but no one has stood out above the crowd. During this offseason, the organization decided to try to create their own middle infielder by moving Eddie Rosario, one of the team's top hitting prospects, from the outfield to the middle infield. Last season with Elizabethton was outstanding for Rosario as he showed some great promise with a breakout campaign. He would be named the player of the year in the Appalachian League by hitting .337/.397/.670 in 67 games for the E-Twins. This offensive explosion was unexpected from the 19-year old after he only hit five home runs and batted .294/.343/.438 in 2010 with the GCL Twins. The Twins saw an asset that was still relatively young and thought they still had time to transform him into a middle infielder before he moved through the rest of the minor leagues. During his couple of seasons in the minor leagues, Rosario showed that he was an athletic player who was able to do a lot in the outfield. The Twins have an extra supply of athletic outfielders that are working their way through the Twins system. Ben Revere broke out for the Twins last season but waiting in the wings are Joe Benson, Aaron Hicks, and Oswaldo Arcia. As Twins Fan From Afar wrote about in a post earlier this week, this surplus of outfielders could mean the Twins would be willing to deal an outfield prospect. It also means that the decision to give Rosario a chance to use his athletic ability at another position was something the Twins needed to explore. The word out of the Twins complex in Fort Myers is that Rosario is working with Hall of Famer Paul Molitor and former Twins manager Tom Kelly on his infield footwork. Since he had a good arm in the outfield, it shouldn't be hard for him to make the throws at second base. As the Twins witnessed with Tsuyoshi Nishioka last year, the footwork while turning a double play can be a challenge. Rosario will has yet to play in a full season league for the Twins so this will give him four levels of the minor leagues to try and master his new position. With Rosario transitioning to second base, the Twins are in position to develop quite the infield over the next couple of seasons. Miguel Sano, the team's number one prospect, plays third base at the same level as Rosario. The Twins number one draft pick from last June, Levi Michael, could be the shortstop between these two players in Beliot at the start of this season. Fans who follow the farm system of the Twins are salivating at the thought of these players all reaching their full potential at the same time. This could be the core of a devastating Twins line-up of the future. There are so many more levels of the minor leagues for these prospects to get through in the coming years so it is a little early to be planning on a trip to the 2016 World Series. The Twins allow their players to spend time developing in the minor leagues and these players won't be rushed to Target Field. Rosario was facing a logjam in the outfield so a shift to second base could make his path to the Twins a little easier. He will need to continue to hit like he did last year but the quick hands of Mr. Rosario should fit nicely into the Twins middle infield of the future.

Original post from North Dakota Twins Fan ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-XZ4BnqAdoiU/T2qVBaec3DI/AAAAAAAABJA/pTpDj5rw4fI/s320/ux4BUKbr.jpg In recent years the Twins have struggled to produce quality middle infielders who could succeed at the big league level. There has been a steady stream of infielders to man second base and shortstop for the Twins during the last two seasons but no one has stood out above the crowd. During this offseason, the organization decided to try to create their own middle infielder by moving Eddie Rosario, one of the team's top hitting prospects, from the outfield to the middle infield. Last season with Elizabethton was outstanding for Rosario as he showed some great promise with a breakout campaign. He would be named the player of the year in the Appalachian League by hitting .337/.397/.670 in 67 games for the E-Twins. This offensive explosion was unexpected from the 19-year old after he only hit five home runs and batted .294/.343/.438 in 2010 with the GCL Twins. The Twins saw an asset that was still relatively young and thought they still had time to transform him into a middle infielder before he moved through the rest of the minor leagues. During his couple of seasons in the minor leagues, Rosario showed that he was an athletic player who was able to do a lot in the outfield. The Twins have an extra supply of athletic outfielders that are working their way through the Twins system. Ben Revere broke out for the Twins last season but waiting in the wings are Joe Benson, Aaron Hicks, and Oswaldo Arcia. As Twins Fan From Afar wrote about in a post earlier this week, this surplus of outfielders could mean the Twins would be willing to deal an outfield prospect. It also means that the decision to give Rosario a chance to use his athletic ability at another position was something the Twins needed to explore. The word out of the Twins complex in Fort Myers is that Rosario is working with Hall of Famer Paul Molitor and former Twins manager Tom Kelly on his infield footwork. Since he had a good arm in the outfield, it shouldn't be hard for him to make the throws at second base. As the Twins witnessed with Tsuyoshi Nishioka last year, the footwork while turning a double play can be a challenge. Rosario will has yet to play in a full season league for the Twins so this will give him four levels of the minor leagues to try and master his new position. With Rosario transitioning to second base, the Twins are in position to develop quite the infield over the next couple of seasons. Miguel Sano, the team's number one prospect, plays third base at the same level as Rosario. The Twins number one draft pick from last June, Levi Michael, could be the shortstop between these two players in Beliot at the start of this season. Fans who follow the farm system of the Twins are salivating at the thought of these players all reaching their full potential at the same time. This could be the core of a devastating Twins line-up of the future. There are so many more levels of the minor leagues for these prospects to get through in the coming years so it is a little early to be planning on a trip to the 2016 World Series. The Twins allow their players to spend time developing in the minor leagues and these players won't be rushed to Target Field. Rosario was facing a logjam in the outfield so a shift to second base could make his path to the Twins a little easier. He will need to continue to hit like he did last year but the quick hands of Mr. Rosario should fit nicely into the Twins middle infield of the future.

Original post from North Dakota Twins Fan ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ [ATTACH=CONFIG]404[/ATTACH] The biggest story of the week so far in regards to the Twins was the club abandoning their Japanese experiment by demoting Tsuyoshi Nishioka to Rochester for the start of the 2012 season. Going into last season the Twins thought Nishioka could be their starting shortstop for the foreseeable future and the team invested $14 million to bring him to the United States. This experiment turned out to be a disaster and the Twins had to make a decision as to what they should do with him as the beginning of the season was moving closer. Nishioka will undoubtedly be the highest paid player in the International League but he still might have to fight for playing time on his own team. Another player that could follow in the footsteps of Nishioka before the end of the spring is Drew Butera. During the past two seasons, Butera has served as the back-up catcher on the Twins squad but his role increased last year with all of the injuries to Joe Mauer. Butera has proven to be one of the worst hitters in the big leagues with his career batting line of .178/.220/.261 in 142 games. The Twins were not satisfied with this output and brought in Ryan Doumit to take over some of the catching duties if Mauer is forced off of the field again in 2012. Only a couple of seasons ago, Butera was a rookie and the Twins were in the midst of a tremendous first season at Target Field. The team only needed Butera to play in 43 games during the 2010 season and he seemed to work well with Carl Pavano during that campaign. His defense ability seemed to make up for his offensive troubles over the course of the year. There were only small doses of Butera and when the club is in the midst of a 94-win season, the fans and the front office will be more willing to accept a little ineptitude at the plate. The Twins did not find similar success as a team in 2011 and this made it much easier to pick out the weaknesses in a line-up full of reserve players. Butera continued to struggle at the plate as he hit .167/.210/.239 with 12 extra-base hits in 254 plate appearances. He was proving to be one of the worst hitters in the history of baseball and it didn't help that his defense also seemed to take a step back. It was a rough year for many players on the Twins roster and Butera's weaknesses stood out because of his increased playing time with Mauer on the sidelines. The front office of the Twins realized they needed to find some other possibilities, as the team got ready for the start of the 2012 campaign. One of the most intriguing names that a lot of fans have been following this spring is J.R. Towles. The 28-year old catcher came over to the Twins from the Astros organization after he failed to make a significant impact on their big league roster in the last five years. For his career in at the major league level, he batted .187/.267/.315 in 155 games. While those numbers might not look the greatest, it seems that anything would be better than what Butera put together. Towles also showed some decent hitting ability during his early years in the minors and he has been successful at the Triple-A level in the past. This would seem to set up a battle royale between these two catchers for the third catching spot on the Twins roster. It seems to have been a close race so far and that might not bode well for Mr. Towles. In 10 at-bats so far this spring, Butera has three hits with one double and two RBI. Towles has the same number of at-bats but he has managed one less hit. On the bright side, he does have a game-winning home run and a couple of RBI to his credit. These are both small sample sizes and the similar numbers most likely mean the Twins will be looking hard at each player's defense in the coming days. If I were a betting man, I would still put the odds more in favor of Butera being the player who comes north with the Twins at the beginning of next month. The Twins tend to show a small amount of loyalty to their players but this might be hard to do with the way Butera has performed on the field in the last two seasons. A hot start for Towles with Rochester could put the pressure on the Twins to call him up and he is just one mysterious Mauer injury from making it back to the big leagues.

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Of0x5M4xZHM/T2fmcN1mD5I/AAAAAAAABIo/vItElcCwrD0/s320/628x471.jpg As I touched on with my post from yesterday, I spent part of the last week in Arizona taking in some Cactus League action. One of the highlights for me during this trip was being able to watch Tim Lincecum take the mound for the Giants. It is rare to get to see a true ace especially one from the National League since the Twins don't face the NL on a consistent basis. The Star Tribune did a good write-up over the weekend on the Twins' search for an ace since the exit of Johan Santana. As part of the piece they looked at seven current aces who are playing in Major League Baseball. According to the Tribune the National League has four of the aces with Roy Halladay, Tim Lincecum, Cliff Lee, and Clayton Kershaw making the list. The American League contains Justin Verlander, CC Sabathia, and Felix Hernandez, the other three big time pitchers. This list of true aces in baseball is small and finding them is even harder to do. Sabathia and Lee were big name free agents who got to their current clubs with big contracts on the open market. Halladay was traded away from the team that drafted him a couple of seasons ago for a handful of prospects. The Mariners were lucky enough to sign Hernandez as a 16-year old amateur free agent out of Venezuela in 2002. Lincecum, Verlander, and Kershaw were all top ten picks in the MLB Draft. Lucky enough for the Twins, the organization has a top ten pick in the draft this coming June. So this means there are good odds the organization will be searching for an ace with the number two pick. Unfortunately Lucas Giolito, the top high school pitching prospect, was recently diagnosed with an elbow injury and this will drop his stock in the draft. The Twins will turn their attention to other arms in the draft but having the number two pick should allow the team to select a potential star. In recent years, the Twins have focused on pitching in the first round of the MLB Draft. From 2008 to 2010, the Twins took a pitcher with one of their first round picks. During some of those drafts, the Twins even went on to select pitchers with their supplemental round picks. Kyle Gibson and Alex Wimmers have encountered a few speed bumps on their way to the big leagues. Gibson was close to making it during last season but with his injury the team continues to search for a front-line starter. The team has been looking for this front-line starter since they traded away their two-time Cy Young winner Johan Santana. It has been four full seasons since Santana last stood on the mound for the Twins and the team has struggled to find his replacement. His place in the starting rotation brought crowds to the Metrodome to see true greatness every time he was scheduled to pitch. The team had a better chance to win the game when the ball was in his hand and he helped the team to avoid long losing streaks. http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Ptz_4X751go/T2fo3kQ-N-I/AAAAAAAABIw/wScRF1NRZr0/s320/BDD_JS_twins_1.29.08_getty.jpg When Santana departed for the Mets, there was still hope in the Twins organization that Francisco Liriano could develop into an ace. He was in the process of coming back from Tommy John surgery but his rookie year in 2006 was enough to get buzz swirling across the baseball universe. Now the Twins and Liriano are one year away from him reaching the free agent market and he has still not reached the potential he had in that rookie campaign. The Twins have seen flashes of brilliance from Liriano since he returned from Tommy John surgery but inconsistency has been his overall theme. Almost every team in baseball is looking for an ace to have at the front of their rotation. If a person looks at the list the Star Tribune put together, there are only six team who can claim to have an ace on their staff. The Phillies are lucky enough to have two aces on their staff but they still failed to get the results they were looking for in the playoffs. It is important to have an ace to get a team through the gauntlet of the regular season and to help a franchise qualify for a playoff birth. But even as the Twins saw with Santana, an ace can't guarantee playoff success. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Original Post from North Dakota Twins Fan

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Of0x5M4xZHM/T2fmcN1mD5I/AAAAAAAABIo/vItElcCwrD0/s320/628x471.jpg As I touched on with my post from yesterday, I spent part of the last week in Arizona taking in some Cactus League action. One of the highlights for me during this trip was being able to watch Tim Lincecum take the mound for the Giants. It is rare to get to see a true ace especially one from the National League since the Twins don't face the NL on a consistent basis. The Star Tribune did a good write-up over the weekend on the Twins' search for an ace since the exit of Johan Santana. As part of the piece they looked at seven current aces who are playing in Major League Baseball. According to the Tribune the National League has four of the aces with Roy Halladay, Tim Lincecum, Cliff Lee, and Clayton Kershaw making the list. The American League contains Justin Verlander, CC Sabathia, and Felix Hernandez, the other three big time pitchers. This list of true aces in baseball is small and finding them is even harder to do. Sabathia and Lee were big name free agents who got to their current clubs with big contracts on the open market. Halladay was traded away from the team that drafted him a couple of seasons ago for a handful of prospects. The Mariners were lucky enough to sign Hernandez as a 16-year old amateur free agent out of Venezuela in 2002. Lincecum, Verlander, and Kershaw were all top ten picks in the MLB Draft. Lucky enough for the Twins, the organization has a top ten pick in the draft this coming June. So this means there are good odds the organization will be searching for an ace with the number two pick. Unfortunately Lucas Giolito, the top high school pitching prospect, was recently diagnosed with an elbow injury and this will drop his stock in the draft. The Twins will turn their attention to other arms in the draft but having the number two pick should allow the team to select a potential star. In recent years, the Twins have focused on pitching in the first round of the MLB Draft. From 2008 to 2010, the Twins took a pitcher with one of their first round picks. During some of those drafts, the Twins even went on to select pitchers with their supplemental round picks. Kyle Gibson and Alex Wimmers have encountered a few speed bumps on their way to the big leagues. Gibson was close to making it during last season but with his injury the team continues to search for a front-line starter. The team has been looking for this front-line starter since they traded away their two-time Cy Young winner Johan Santana. It has been four full seasons since Santana last stood on the mound for the Twins and the team has struggled to find his replacement. His place in the starting rotation brought crowds to the Metrodome to see true greatness every time he was scheduled to pitch. The team had a better chance to win the game when the ball was in his hand and he helped the team to avoid long losing streaks. http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Ptz_4X751go/T2fo3kQ-N-I/AAAAAAAABIw/wScRF1NRZr0/s320/BDD_JS_twins_1.29.08_getty.jpg When Santana departed for the Mets, there was still hope in the Twins organization that Francisco Liriano could develop into an ace. He was in the process of coming back from Tommy John surgery but his rookie year in 2006 was enough to get buzz swirling across the baseball universe. Now the Twins and Liriano are one year away from him reaching the free agent market and he has still not reached the potential he had in that rookie campaign. The Twins have seen flashes of brilliance from Liriano since he returned from Tommy John surgery but inconsistency has been his overall theme. Almost every team in baseball is looking for an ace to have at the front of their rotation. If a person looks at the list the Star Tribune put together, there are only six team who can claim to have an ace on their staff. The Phillies are lucky enough to have two aces on their staff but they still failed to get the results they were looking for in the playoffs. It is important to have an ace to get a team through the gauntlet of the regular season and to help a franchise qualify for a playoff birth. But even as the Twins saw with Santana, an ace can't guarantee playoff success. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Original Post from North Dakota Twins Fan

My trip last week to Arizona allowed me to get a first hand view of the Cactus League for the first time. I have made a couple of trips to Florida to watch the Twins play in the Grapefruit League so it was nice to see how some of the other teams spend their time during spring training. I went into my trip to the Valley of the Sun with the mindset that the Cactus League and Grapefruit League would be very similar but that opinion would change during my week in the Phoenix area. I thought it would just be nice to see some baseball in great weather before the season begins in a couple of week but I was very impressed by the Cactus League. There are plenty of difference between the Grapefruit League in Florida and the action of the Cactus League in Arizona and I think the Grapefruit League could improve their product by following the model of the Cactus League. Here is a rundown of some of the areas that I feel the Grapefruit League could improve on that the Cactus League already does well. 1. Most complexes have two teams training in them: If you are only a fan of one specific team, this might not be that big of deal to you. But for fans who are there because they love baseball, there is a great opportunity to see multiple team's practice in one day. You can start your day watching the young prospects of the Royals on a back field in Surprise and later in the morning you can watch the powerhouse Rangers without having to get into your car. The Rangers and Royals share a facility and the other facilities with teamed up franchises are the Mariners and Padres, the Indians and the Reds, and the Diamondbacks and the Rockies. On my trips to Florida, I loved going to watch the Twins and their minor league affiliates at their practice facility. But if there had been another team training at the Lee County Sports Complex, I probably would have ventured over to get a glimpse of another big league squad. http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-f0P-XQeKJe4/T2ceNj1ej9I/AAAAAAAABIg/fCeJIN4EGSs/s320/cactus_league.jpg 2. Close proximity between every team: This was fantastic for being able to check out multiple teams in one trip to Arizona. All of the team's are only a short car ride away and most on located very close to major highways in the Phoenix metro area. This means there are shorter rides for fans that want to go to different stadiums to see their team play. During the Royals versus Giants game that I attended, there was a sea of orange that took over Surprise Stadium to see the Giants play. While the Giants play on the complete opposite side of Phoenix, it was still not enough to keep their fans locked down to one location. The close proximity between the complexes also means the players can avoid long bus rides that plague the Grapefruit League. The teams are too far apart in Florida and for some fans it is too long of a trip to travel across the state to see their favorite team play. It ties the fans down to one area and it keeps them from seeing other facilities in Florida. http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-4E42svGVHnA/T2cd0aiiZgI/AAAAAAAABIY/moh3VqlmTfo/s320/DSC03663.JPG 3. Improving the stadium experience for fans: This continues to improve in the Grapefruit League with teams adding to their stadiums or even moving to new facilities like the Red Sox. In Arizona it was great to be able to walk around the stadiums and still have a sight line to the field. This made it easy to run and get something to eat or drink and you could keep an eye on the game. The layout of the stadium also made it easier to explore the facility before the game began. Out of the stadiums I saw in Arizona many followed the same format for their outfield seating area. There was a grass hill that covered most of the outfield and this was a general admission area for fans attending the contest. People coming in to watch the game could throw down a blanket, play catch, or just enjoy the sun in the grass. So far this spring, I have heard multiple interviews with Dave St. Peter where he has mentioned the Twins adding on to their facility to include some outfield seating. This could be a step in the right direction for the Twins. The overall experience of going to watch spring training in Florida or Arizona is something a baseball fan will never forget. There is an excitement that fills the air at the beginning of a new year. There is also the ability to get up close and personal with many players for every team. Spring training is great in the Grapefruit League but a few tweaks here and there could make it even better.

My trip last week to Arizona allowed me to get a first hand view of the Cactus League for the first time. I have made a couple of trips to Florida to watch the Twins play in the Grapefruit League so it was nice to see how some of the other teams spend their time during spring training. I went into my trip to the Valley of the Sun with the mindset that the Cactus League and Grapefruit League would be very similar but that opinion would change during my week in the Phoenix area. I thought it would just be nice to see some baseball in great weather before the season begins in a couple of week but I was very impressed by the Cactus League. There are plenty of difference between the Grapefruit League in Florida and the action of the Cactus League in Arizona and I think the Grapefruit League could improve their product by following the model of the Cactus League. Here is a rundown of some of the areas that I feel the Grapefruit League could improve on that the Cactus League already does well. 1. Most complexes have two teams training in them: If you are only a fan of one specific team, this might not be that big of deal to you. But for fans who are there because they love baseball, there is a great opportunity to see multiple team's practice in one day. You can start your day watching the young prospects of the Royals on a back field in Surprise and later in the morning you can watch the powerhouse Rangers without having to get into your car. The Rangers and Royals share a facility and the other facilities with teamed up franchises are the Mariners and Padres, the Indians and the Reds, and the Diamondbacks and the Rockies. On my trips to Florida, I loved going to watch the Twins and their minor league affiliates at their practice facility. But if there had been another team training at the Lee County Sports Complex, I probably would have ventured over to get a glimpse of another big league squad. http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-f0P-XQeKJe4/T2ceNj1ej9I/AAAAAAAABIg/fCeJIN4EGSs/s320/cactus_league.jpg 2. Close proximity between every team: This was fantastic for being able to check out multiple teams in one trip to Arizona. All of the team's are only a short car ride away and most on located very close to major highways in the Phoenix metro area. This means there are shorter rides for fans that want to go to different stadiums to see their team play. During the Royals versus Giants game that I attended, there was a sea of orange that took over Surprise Stadium to see the Giants play. While the Giants play on the complete opposite side of Phoenix, it was still not enough to keep their fans locked down to one location. The close proximity between the complexes also means the players can avoid long bus rides that plague the Grapefruit League. The teams are too far apart in Florida and for some fans it is too long of a trip to travel across the state to see their favorite team play. It ties the fans down to one area and it keeps them from seeing other facilities in Florida. http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-4E42svGVHnA/T2cd0aiiZgI/AAAAAAAABIY/moh3VqlmTfo/s320/DSC03663.JPG 3. Improving the stadium experience for fans: This continues to improve in the Grapefruit League with teams adding to their stadiums or even moving to new facilities like the Red Sox. In Arizona it was great to be able to walk around the stadiums and still have a sight line to the field. This made it easy to run and get something to eat or drink and you could keep an eye on the game. The layout of the stadium also made it easier to explore the facility before the game began. Out of the stadiums I saw in Arizona many followed the same format for their outfield seating area. There was a grass hill that covered most of the outfield and this was a general admission area for fans attending the contest. People coming in to watch the game could throw down a blanket, play catch, or just enjoy the sun in the grass. So far this spring, I have heard multiple interviews with Dave St. Peter where he has mentioned the Twins adding on to their facility to include some outfield seating. This could be a step in the right direction for the Twins. The overall experience of going to watch spring training in Florida or Arizona is something a baseball fan will never forget. There is an excitement that fills the air at the beginning of a new year. There is also the ability to get up close and personal with many players for every team. Spring training is great in the Grapefruit League but a few tweaks here and there could make it even better.

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.

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