Kirsten Brown

Originally posted on k-bro's baseball blog To be clear, the word "lame" in the title modifies "report" and not "Spring Training." Spring Training is always cool. If you follow me on Twitter or Facebook, you may have noticed that I took a nice vacation in beautiful Fort Myers, Florida. It was an amazing trip, and I had a great time. I was lucky enough to attend three Twins Spring Training games -- against the Yankee, the Blue Jays, and the Pirates. And here's the lame part. I don't really have a scouting report for you. I didn't keep a scorebook. I'm not sure who pitched. I didn't even manage to get to the ballpark as early as I wanted to. I only accomplished to take a few crappy pictures with my phone. But that's not to say that I didn't enjoy the baseball -- everything except that 10-run first inning by the Pirates on Thursday. I really enjoyed sitting in the Florida sun and visiting with other fans -- especially the retirees because they're all so happy. The phrase of the games was "give me the book." As soon as the lineup started turning over to the rookies, I'd dig out Seth Stohs's MN Twins Prospect Handbook and look up the replacement guys. The fans around me wanted to borrow it and pretty soon, it was being passed around faster than a church basket. Anyway, here are some of the pictures I took. Sunday: http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7036/6848262240_9ec9d069a4.jpg Hammond Stadium is beautiful on the outside. http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7178/6994388441_474c1426a2.jpg The Twins take the field to face the Yankees. I think it's Nick Blackburn pitching, but I don't really remember. http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7182/6848266012_abe73ca705.jpg The bullpen. I'm not really sure why the banner behind it is advertising MLB '11 The Show. MLB '12 The Show has been out for a couple of weeks now. Besides, the Twins should know that 2011 baseball season never really existed.* *Delusional Twins fan talking. http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7052/6848266578_586fe8bcb4.jpg A win over the Yankees! Whee! [due to limitations for images, the rest of this post is continued in Part 2]

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-GHxgYs4H5Z0/T1bJD0Y3RcI/AAAAAAAABwE/eATs_4llk6E/s200/bucketofballs.png Originally posted at k-bro's baseball blog If I think of my brain as a bucket, I sometimes imagine that it begins to overflow and I have to intentionally get some of my thoughts out of there before they just spill over and are gone forever. Here are some baseball-related bucket thoughts: Denard Falls Down During Saturday's Spring Training game, Denard Span fell down twice while making fly-ball catches in the outfield. If this had been a year ago, everyone would be thinking "ha ha, at least he made the catch" and had gone on with the game. This year, however, I have to admit, every time he falls down, crashes into a fence, or makes a diving catch, I worry. Why did he fall? Is he dizzy? Can he see alright? Did he bang his head? Did he whip his neck? Is he ok? True, I'm especially prone to worrying, and that's fine. It's no big deal if I sit here and think all these things. But, unfortunately, I'm not the only one; the media asked him about it all the time. And that has to be annoying for him. It's not the writers' fault for asking him questions that everyone wants answers to, but it must be difficult to have to make the same assurances all the time. Yes, having to address the media comes with the territory, but I bet he's looking forward to when he can simply talk about the game and not his head. I'm hoping, for both his and the fans' sake, that very soon, he won't have to address these issues every time he has a tiny stumble or makes a difficult play. I'm sure he hopes so too. Your New Voice of Summer I had a chance to listen to the Twins new play-by-play announcer Cory Provus a couple of time, and he made a very nice first impression. His voice is rich, smooth, and easy to listen to, and he calls the game well. If he's telling a story or anecdote while the play is going on, he'll interrupt himself to call the play -- like he should. He's well prepared for the games, and he doesn't give the impression of being the new guy at all (not bad for calling Spring Training games when it's likely there'll be guys coming to bat that even Gardy doesn't know). He already sounds comfortable, as if he's always been here. I'm not sure that it's really possible, but I think he even makes Dan Gladden better. Well done, Cory, well done. The Zumaya Decision After thinking about his situation a few days, JoelZumaya decided to go ahead and have Tommy John surgery and attempt a comeback. Right after his elbow blew, it sounded like he was leaning heavily toward retiring. I imagine this decision came with much thought, prayers, and even tears. This will be his sixth surgery, and the rehab that will come with it will most likely be the most difficult. Plus, there's no guarantee on the other side that he'll even be able to pitch again in the Major Leagues (he'll be a free agent when he's ready to come back, and he'll need to convince a team to sign him). No one would have blamed him if he had just wanted to forget it all and walk away. Instead, he'll take a huge leap of faith and go for it. And I'm kind of happy for him. I certainly wish him all the best.

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-GHxgYs4H5Z0/T1bJD0Y3RcI/AAAAAAAABwE/eATs_4llk6E/s200/bucketofballs.png Originally posted at k-bro's baseball blog If I think of my brain as a bucket, I sometimes imagine that it begins to overflow and I have to intentionally get some of my thoughts out of there before they just spill over and are gone forever. Here are some baseball-related bucket thoughts: Denard Falls Down During Saturday's Spring Training game, Denard Span fell down twice while making fly-ball catches in the outfield. If this had been a year ago, everyone would be thinking "ha ha, at least he made the catch" and had gone on with the game. This year, however, I have to admit, every time he falls down, crashes into a fence, or makes a diving catch, I worry. Why did he fall? Is he dizzy? Can he see alright? Did he bang his head? Did he whip his neck? Is he ok? True, I'm especially prone to worrying, and that's fine. It's no big deal if I sit here and think all these things. But, unfortunately, I'm not the only one; the media asked him about it all the time. And that has to be annoying for him. It's not the writers' fault for asking him questions that everyone wants answers to, but it must be difficult to have to make the same assurances all the time. Yes, having to address the media comes with the territory, but I bet he's looking forward to when he can simply talk about the game and not his head. I'm hoping, for both his and the fans' sake, that very soon, he won't have to address these issues every time he has a tiny stumble or makes a difficult play. I'm sure he hopes so too. Your New Voice of Summer I had a chance to listen to the Twins new play-by-play announcer Cory Provus a couple of time, and he made a very nice first impression. His voice is rich, smooth, and easy to listen to, and he calls the game well. If he's telling a story or anecdote while the play is going on, he'll interrupt himself to call the play -- like he should. He's well prepared for the games, and he doesn't give the impression of being the new guy at all (not bad for calling Spring Training games when it's likely there'll be guys coming to bat that even Gardy doesn't know). He already sounds comfortable, as if he's always been here. I'm not sure that it's really possible, but I think he even makes Dan Gladden better. Well done, Cory, well done. The Zumaya Decision After thinking about his situation a few days, JoelZumaya decided to go ahead and have Tommy John surgery and attempt a comeback. Right after his elbow blew, it sounded like he was leaning heavily toward retiring. I imagine this decision came with much thought, prayers, and even tears. This will be his sixth surgery, and the rehab that will come with it will most likely be the most difficult. Plus, there's no guarantee on the other side that he'll even be able to pitch again in the Major Leagues (he'll be a free agent when he's ready to come back, and he'll need to convince a team to sign him). No one would have blamed him if he had just wanted to forget it all and walk away. Instead, he'll take a huge leap of faith and go for it. And I'm kind of happy for him. I certainly wish him all the best.

Seth, you're right, it would get huge ratings. And it would be fun to see them beat up on each other. FOX (or TBS or whoever it is) would be smart to put that one in the prime time slot. I'm just personally tired of both those teams. I think the Padres/Braves game would be interesting too because the Padres were just so close to the Giants and the Braves in the standings.

Originally posted at k-bro's baseball blog You may have heard that MLB has changed the playoff scheme starting with this season by adding an additional Wild Card team to each league. Some people like it; some people hate it. I really don't have an opinion of it yet, because, honestly, I don't really understand it. I've read a lot of stuff about it, and it all makes my head hurt. I figured I'd map it out on some spreadsheets to see if that helps. Yes, I know, I'm supposed to be afraid of spreadsheets. I am. But if they have some pretty colors on them, they're not so bad. Ok, so lets take the standings from the 2010 season and pretend that 2012 will be exactly the same (I chose 2010 because, as a Twins fan, I'm going to delusionally believe that 2011 didn't exist). Here they are: http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8oEBkEglQIU/T1OtpTwkHLI/AAAAAAAABvs/YmaGI44lTTI/s400/2010standings.png The Rays, Phillies, Twins, Reds, Rangers, and Giants all won their divisions and the Yankees and the Braves won the Wild Card spots (with the Yankees settling for the Wild Card just so they could play the Twins -- they even admitted it). Ok, so for 2012, there will be two Wild Card teams for each league, and they'll have a one-game play-in for the Divisional Series. Here's how that would look: http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-7SMWaemIWII/T1Oujry1c0I/AAAAAAAABv0/oKJ_X1fiafY/s400/2012wildcard1.png So the four Wild Card teams will battle on October 5th to get into the playoffs: the Yankees versus the Red Sox (which will probably last 5 and a half hours), and the Braves and the Padres (which would actually be the more interesting game to watch, but, of course, not the one that will be televised during prime time). Let's say, for the sake of argument, that the Yankees and the Braves win the games (sorry Padres) and move on to the LDS. Now the team with the best league record will play the Wild Card winner and the other two division winners will play each other. In the past, the team with the best league record would face the Wild Card team, unless those teams were from the same division. In that case, they play the division leader with the worse record. Now, they're doing away with all that. No more regard to who's in what division. Straight up, the first seeded team plays the Wild Card, and the second and third seeded teams play each other. http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-6q6tp66yi9o/T1OxT1BdnwI/AAAAAAAABv8/WulWf0aaB3g/s400/2012wildcard2.png Well, that would turn out a little different, huh? There's also discussion about where and when the LDS games will be played with regard to which team gets home games blah blah -- 2012 will be different than 2013 and beyond merely because the schedule was already set when they figured all this out. Honestly, though, I'm not really concerned about any of that because I'll be sitting on my recliner in front of the TV watching the games -- it doesn't really matter to me which park they're in. So, is this better? I get it now. As for my opinion, I'm not a big fan of a one-game play-in. Way too stressful for fans of those teams and it really messes with the pitching alignments, giving an (unfair, in my opinion) advantage to the league leaders. Also, things will get really mucked up if divisions end in ties; there'll be more one-game play-ins just to get to the one-game play-in. But, there should be more motivation for winning and less intentional tanking towards the end of the season and settling for Wild Card berths, and that's kind of appealing. And, of course, it's just more baseball, which is never a bad thing. I see both sides of the argument. I guess I'll just roll with it.

Originally posted at k-bro's baseball blog You may have heard that MLB has changed the playoff scheme starting with this season by adding an additional Wild Card team to each league. Some people like it; some people hate it. I really don't have an opinion of it yet, because, honestly, I don't really understand it. I've read a lot of stuff about it, and it all makes my head hurt. I figured I'd map it out on some spreadsheets to see if that helps. Yes, I know, I'm supposed to be afraid of spreadsheets. I am. But if they have some pretty colors on them, they're not so bad. Ok, so lets take the standings from the 2010 season and pretend that 2012 will be exactly the same (I chose 2010 because, as a Twins fan, I'm going to delusionally believe that 2011 didn't exist). Here they are: http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8oEBkEglQIU/T1OtpTwkHLI/AAAAAAAABvs/YmaGI44lTTI/s400/2010standings.png The Rays, Phillies, Twins, Reds, Rangers, and Giants all won their divisions and the Yankees and the Braves won the Wild Card spots (with the Yankees settling for the Wild Card just so they could play the Twins -- they even admitted it). Ok, so for 2012, there will be two Wild Card teams for each league, and they'll have a one-game play-in for the Divisional Series. Here's how that would look: http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-7SMWaemIWII/T1Oujry1c0I/AAAAAAAABv0/oKJ_X1fiafY/s400/2012wildcard1.png So the four Wild Card teams will battle on October 5th to get into the playoffs: the Yankees versus the Red Sox (which will probably last 5 and a half hours), and the Braves and the Padres (which would actually be the more interesting game to watch, but, of course, not the one that will be televised during prime time). Let's say, for the sake of argument, that the Yankees and the Braves win the games (sorry Padres) and move on to the LDS. Now the team with the best league record will play the Wild Card winner and the other two division winners will play each other. In the past, the team with the best league record would face the Wild Card team, unless those teams were from the same division. In that case, they play the division leader with the worse record. Now, they're doing away with all that. No more regard to who's in what division. Straight up, the first seeded team plays the Wild Card, and the second and third seeded teams play each other. http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-6q6tp66yi9o/T1OxT1BdnwI/AAAAAAAABv8/WulWf0aaB3g/s400/2012wildcard2.png Well, that would turn out a little different, huh? There's also discussion about where and when the LDS games will be played with regard to which team gets home games blah blah -- 2012 will be different than 2013 and beyond merely because the schedule was already set when they figured all this out. Honestly, though, I'm not really concerned about any of that because I'll be sitting on my recliner in front of the TV watching the games -- it doesn't really matter to me which park they're in. So, is this better? I get it now. As for my opinion, I'm not a big fan of a one-game play-in. Way too stressful for fans of those teams and it really messes with the pitching alignments, giving an (unfair, in my opinion) advantage to the league leaders. Also, things will get really mucked up if divisions end in ties; there'll be more one-game play-ins just to get to the one-game play-in. But, there should be more motivation for winning and less intentional tanking towards the end of the season and settling for Wild Card berths, and that's kind of appealing. And, of course, it's just more baseball, which is never a bad thing. I see both sides of the argument. I guess I'll just roll with it.

Aaaand how many Championship rings does Barry Bonds have? I honestly question how much performance enhancers really help. Sure some fly balls may turn into homers, but I'm not sure enough to carry the whole team to a championship. The bad part, however, is they give aging guys an unfair advantage with regard to playing time. Young players linger in AAA or on the bench while 'roiders unnaturally prolong their playing days in a selfish attempt at immortality. Dirty players don't do their teams any favors.

Am I still invited if I can't bring brownies?

Originally posted at k-bro's baseball blog Twins 2012 Spring Training games start on Saturday! Isn't it wonderful that they figured out to have practice games in Florida right at the time when baseball fans can't stand not having baseball anymore and Minnesotans want to go somewhere warm? If you've never been to Fort Myers for Spring Training, I highly encourage you to go. It's a great family vacation, whether you love baseball, the beach, or both. I've been to Fort Myers once, and I'm going again this year. I know several fans who've gone many times. If you're one of those fans, you can probably go on to read the next blog on your list because you already know everything I have to say (probably much better than I do). But, if you've never been, and would like some tips on the baseball part (the beach part you can figure out on your own), well then, read on. First of all, I'll refer you to fellow blogger, Thrylos98. He's written up a very nice Spring Training Guide to Fort Myers and a Fort Myers Culinary Guide (with a curve). Be sure to check them out. I will focus on what to do once you're at Lee County Sports Complex. The complex is comprised of several practice fields and the main field, Hammond Stadium. Hammond Stadium is the home of the Fort Myers Miracle Single-A affiliate and it's where the Spring Training games are played. It's kind of funny because it has a beautiful exterior, with a fountain and nice landscaping, but then the inside is really boring. As you would expect from a minor-league stadium, it's pretty small. Which means there's not really a bad seat in the house. Even up in the second level, you're still pretty close to the action. Keep in mind that most of the Spring Training games are day games, and that the seats near the field are in the sun (hot!) and the seats "up high" are in the shade. There is also a grassy area where you can sit on a blanket and have a baseball picnic -- perfect if you have little kids who would rather run around than sit and watch baseball. If you go to the complex in the morning, you can catch the players doing their drills or hitting BP. The minor league affiliates have their Spring Training there too, so there are a lot of players. They usually have a table set up near the entrance with roster sheets. Each group of players wears different uniform combos -- blue and red tops, blue and gray tops, white pants, gray pants, etc. -- and the roster sheet will tell you who's who (there may be a total of four or five guys who wear #7 and there are no names on the jerseys, so you want to be sure). Get a new roster sheet every day because the groups change their uniforms every day. Also, you should probably bring Seth Stohs' Minnesota Twins Prospect Handbook with you so you're armed with information about these guys. The atmosphere around the complex is relaxed and casual. Fans can wander from station to station watching players do their thing or even take some pictures. However, you have to remember that they're doing their jobs, so they may not have time for chit chat. They don't want to get in trouble with their manager after all. You may be able get some autographs before games or walking around the practice fields, and while a lot of players will be as accommodating as they can, it's not really an autograph signing event. Many players will limit their autograph signing for kids, and other guys prefer to wait until after the game to sign. If you're lucky enough to get a player willing and able to sign, be sure to help him out by having your item and pen -- cap off, ink flowing, and handed to him properly -- ready to go. Use a blue ball-point pen for baseballs (ball-point won't bleed into the leather, and blue won't fade like black does) and a Sharpie for everything else. Be nice; if he can't sign, he can't sign. Also, know who you're asking -- just because a guy looks like Jason Kubel doesn't mean he is Jason Kubel (yes, this actually happens more than you'd think). Don't be in a hurry to leave after a game, because if you hang out near the exit where the players park (it's a fenced-off lot), you might see a player who is willing to hang out in his car and sign autographs for a while. But don't expect premier players like Joe Mauer or Justin Morneau to be doing this -- there is just way too much demand for their autographs. Above all, relax and have a good time. Don't worry about the score of the game -- no one else does. Visit with folks. Enjoy the sunshine. Notice how everyone is happy.

Originally posted at k-bro's baseball blog Twins 2012 Spring Training games start on Saturday! Isn't it wonderful that they figured out to have practice games in Florida right at the time when baseball fans can't stand not having baseball anymore and Minnesotans want to go somewhere warm? If you've never been to Fort Myers for Spring Training, I highly encourage you to go. It's a great family vacation, whether you love baseball, the beach, or both. I've been to Fort Myers once, and I'm going again this year. I know several fans who've gone many times. If you're one of those fans, you can probably go on to read the next blog on your list because you already know everything I have to say (probably much better than I do). But, if you've never been, and would like some tips on the baseball part (the beach part you can figure out on your own), well then, read on. First of all, I'll refer you to fellow blogger, Thrylos98. He's written up a very nice Spring Training Guide to Fort Myers and a Fort Myers Culinary Guide (with a curve). Be sure to check them out. I will focus on what to do once you're at Lee County Sports Complex. The complex is comprised of several practice fields and the main field, Hammond Stadium. Hammond Stadium is the home of the Fort Myers Miracle Single-A affiliate and it's where the Spring Training games are played. It's kind of funny because it has a beautiful exterior, with a fountain and nice landscaping, but then the inside is really boring. As you would expect from a minor-league stadium, it's pretty small. Which means there's not really a bad seat in the house. Even up in the second level, you're still pretty close to the action. Keep in mind that most of the Spring Training games are day games, and that the seats near the field are in the sun (hot!) and the seats "up high" are in the shade. There is also a grassy area where you can sit on a blanket and have a baseball picnic -- perfect if you have little kids who would rather run around than sit and watch baseball. If you go to the complex in the morning, you can catch the players doing their drills or hitting BP. The minor league affiliates have their Spring Training there too, so there are a lot of players. They usually have a table set up near the entrance with roster sheets. Each group of players wears different uniform combos -- blue and red tops, blue and gray tops, white pants, gray pants, etc. -- and the roster sheet will tell you who's who (there may be a total of four or five guys who wear #7 and there are no names on the jerseys, so you want to be sure). Get a new roster sheet every day because the groups change their uniforms every day. Also, you should probably bring Seth Stohs' Minnesota Twins Prospect Handbook with you so you're armed with information about these guys. The atmosphere around the complex is relaxed and casual. Fans can wander from station to station watching players do their thing or even take some pictures. However, you have to remember that they're doing their jobs, so they may not have time for chit chat. They don't want to get in trouble with their manager after all. You may be able get some autographs before games or walking around the practice fields, and while a lot of players will be as accommodating as they can, it's not really an autograph signing event. Many players will limit their autograph signing for kids, and other guys prefer to wait until after the game to sign. If you're lucky enough to get a player willing and able to sign, be sure to help him out by having your item and pen -- cap off, ink flowing, and handed to him properly -- ready to go. Use a blue ball-point pen for baseballs (ball-point won't bleed into the leather, and blue won't fade like black does) and a Sharpie for everything else. Be nice; if he can't sign, he can't sign. Also, know who you're asking -- just because a guy looks like Jason Kubel doesn't mean he is Jason Kubel (yes, this actually happens more than you'd think). Don't be in a hurry to leave after a game, because if you hang out near the exit where the players park (it's a fenced-off lot), you might see a player who is willing to hang out in his car and sign autographs for a while. But don't expect premier players like Joe Mauer or Justin Morneau to be doing this -- there is just way too much demand for their autographs. Above all, relax and have a good time. Don't worry about the score of the game -- no one else does. Visit with folks. Enjoy the sunshine. Notice how everyone is happy.

Interesting stuff. I was surprised to see some of these names. You must have done a bunch of research for this. Thanks.

Originally posted at k-bro's baseball blog. I didn't intend to start up the paper doll machine until the season started. After all, the point of it is to show who's been put on the Disabled List, and they don't really do that during Spring Training. But this one is a special case because ... well, I just feel so darned bad for him. http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-apx70TKPH68/T0rm0Zrp9yI/AAAAAAAABvk/Uwl6BRMBAkY/s400/zumayaucl.PNG Joel Zumaya tore his right ulnar collateral ligament of the elbow (UCL) while throwing a bullpen session on Saturday. It was reported that right before the fatal pitch, he was "throwing gas." The UCL is the Tommy John Surgery ligament. This is the ligament that attaches to the humerus (upper arm bone) to the ulna (the inside forearm bone). And, surprisingly, of all the arm injuries Zumaya has suffered, his UCL was fine. Until that one pitch. The Twins knew they were taking a risk when they signed him. This is why they structured the contract so that he would only make $400,000 if he didn't make the team out of Spring Training. Now he'll be out for at least a year. Now he has a big decision to make. He doesn't really need to go through a major surgery and all that difficult rehab. But if he ever wants to pitch again, he does. This decision is kind of a no-brainer for most pitchers, but I don't think it will be for him. He's already had several arm surgeries -- he missed all of last year after having surgery to replace the screw they put in to set the broken arm he suffered in 2010 (apparently the screw was too big, and the broken arm was suffered mid-throw while pitching to Delmon Young at Target Field). And in the previous four years, he never appeared in more than 29 games. In fact, his only "regular" year was his rookie year of 2006. It's hard to say why he's so injury prone. I do wonder if his mechanics, or his tendency to throw unbelievable heat, have something to do with it. Maybe he's simply not built to throw 99 MPH. Although, if I remember correctly, he had two injuries that had nothing to do with baseball (his wrist due to over-playing the video game Guitar Hero, and straining his shoulder by ... I think ... helping his buddy move furniture). Going through all that, and all the rehabilitation that goes with all that is huge. Having to do it all over again might just be too much. Too bad. I was really looking forward to seeing him pitch. But more than that, I feel bad for him on a personal level. He was reported to be distraught -- understandably. The poor guy just wants to play baseball. I want give him a hug.

Originally posted at k-bro's baseball blog. I didn't intend to start up the paper doll machine until the season started. After all, the point of it is to show who's been put on the Disabled List, and they don't really do that during Spring Training. But this one is a special case because ... well, I just feel so darned bad for him. http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-apx70TKPH68/T0rm0Zrp9yI/AAAAAAAABvk/Uwl6BRMBAkY/s400/zumayaucl.PNG Joel Zumaya tore his right ulnar collateral ligament of the elbow (UCL) while throwing a bullpen session on Saturday. It was reported that right before the fatal pitch, he was "throwing gas." The UCL is the Tommy John Surgery ligament. This is the ligament that attaches to the humerus (upper arm bone) to the ulna (the inside forearm bone). And, surprisingly, of all the arm injuries Zumaya has suffered, his UCL was fine. Until that one pitch. The Twins knew they were taking a risk when they signed him. This is why they structured the contract so that he would only make $400,000 if he didn't make the team out of Spring Training. Now he'll be out for at least a year. Now he has a big decision to make. He doesn't really need to go through a major surgery and all that difficult rehab. But if he ever wants to pitch again, he does. This decision is kind of a no-brainer for most pitchers, but I don't think it will be for him. He's already had several arm surgeries -- he missed all of last year after having surgery to replace the screw they put in to set the broken arm he suffered in 2010 (apparently the screw was too big, and the broken arm was suffered mid-throw while pitching to Delmon Young at Target Field). And in the previous four years, he never appeared in more than 29 games. In fact, his only "regular" year was his rookie year of 2006. It's hard to say why he's so injury prone. I do wonder if his mechanics, or his tendency to throw unbelievable heat, have something to do with it. Maybe he's simply not built to throw 99 MPH. Although, if I remember correctly, he had two injuries that had nothing to do with baseball (his wrist due to over-playing the video game Guitar Hero, and straining his shoulder by ... I think ... helping his buddy move furniture). Going through all that, and all the rehabilitation that goes with all that is huge. Having to do it all over again might just be too much. Too bad. I was really looking forward to seeing him pitch. But more than that, I feel bad for him on a personal level. He was reported to be distraught -- understandably. The poor guy just wants to play baseball. I want give him a hug.

Regarding the Pavano's personal catcher thing: Since Terry Ryan has stated that he'll run a tighter ship that Bill Smith did, I'll be curious to see if Ryan disallows it and this issue simply goes away. I'm not completely convinced that Pavano ever demanded that Butera catch him; I bet it was a small deal that morphed into a big deal. Willingham as an emergency catcher...I like it. Rivera instead of Butera... Yeah, I kind of like Rivera for some reason. If he can start hitting a little better, I'd totally be on board with him as a third catcher if the Twins decide to go that route.

Originally posted at kbro's baseball blog I read LaVelle's piece about whether the Twins should carry three catchers on the roster. It's a good question -- should they keep three just so they have adequate fill ins in case one of them gets hurt, or should they free up that roster spot for, say, another utility guy or pitcher (how many pitchers they should have on the roster is another rant entirely)? So here's the design the Twins will use if they go with three: the regular catcher will be Joe Mauer, the DH who can also catch will be Ryan Doumit, and Drew Butera will be bench catcher. Joe Mauer should be fine in 2012 and will catch the lion's share of the innings. When he needs a "semi-day off," he can either DH, in which case Doumit can catch, or he can play first base, in which case Morneau can DH and Doumit can catch, thereby keeping all those bats in the lineup. If they choose to go with only two, it'll probably be Mauer and Doumit. The risk with having only two catchers, of course, is that if whoever's catching gets hurt during the course of a game, the Twins lose the DH and the pitcher has to hit for the rest of the game. Besides, Carl Pavano really likes to have Butera as his personal catcher. In a perfect world ... you know, when Joe Mauer is healthy and hitting and, well, being Joe Mauer, and Justin Morneau is healthy and hitting and being Justin Morneau, and Josh Willingham is healthy and hitting and being Michael Cuddyer -- wait -- well, you get the idea ... I don't mind having Butera in there once every five days or so. Yes, he's a sub- .200 hitter, but the other guys in the lineup hitting well make up for it. In a perfect world. But it's not a perfect world. I'm not completely confident that everyone will be hitting like they're supposed to. Or even if they're hitting like they're supposed to, that it'll be enough. There may be plenty of holes in the lineup without Butera, there's no reason to intentionally make one with him. Apparently, having to pull the DH so he can catch and make pitchers hit is a big fear of Gardy's. LaVelle's article pointed out exactly how many times that has happened, and it doesn't seem like it happens enough to worry about. Of course, there's always a chance that a pitcher can hurt himself while running the basepaths, but I'm not terribly concerned about that. These guys have played baseball for a long time; they know what to do out there. There's no more risk to a pitcher hitting than there is to a pitcher fielding a bunt. Final conclusion: leave Drew at AAA.

Originally posted at kbro's baseball blog I read LaVelle's piece about whether the Twins should carry three catchers on the roster. It's a good question -- should they keep three just so they have adequate fill ins in case one of them gets hurt, or should they free up that roster spot for, say, another utility guy or pitcher (how many pitchers they should have on the roster is another rant entirely)? So here's the design the Twins will use if they go with three: the regular catcher will be Joe Mauer, the DH who can also catch will be Ryan Doumit, and Drew Butera will be bench catcher. Joe Mauer should be fine in 2012 and will catch the lion's share of the innings. When he needs a "semi-day off," he can either DH, in which case Doumit can catch, or he can play first base, in which case Morneau can DH and Doumit can catch, thereby keeping all those bats in the lineup. If they choose to go with only two, it'll probably be Mauer and Doumit. The risk with having only two catchers, of course, is that if whoever's catching gets hurt during the course of a game, the Twins lose the DH and the pitcher has to hit for the rest of the game. Besides, Carl Pavano really likes to have Butera as his personal catcher. In a perfect world ... you know, when Joe Mauer is healthy and hitting and, well, being Joe Mauer, and Justin Morneau is healthy and hitting and being Justin Morneau, and Josh Willingham is healthy and hitting and being Michael Cuddyer -- wait -- well, you get the idea ... I don't mind having Butera in there once every five days or so. Yes, he's a sub- .200 hitter, but the other guys in the lineup hitting well make up for it. In a perfect world. But it's not a perfect world. I'm not completely confident that everyone will be hitting like they're supposed to. Or even if they're hitting like they're supposed to, that it'll be enough. There may be plenty of holes in the lineup without Butera, there's no reason to intentionally make one with him. Apparently, having to pull the DH so he can catch and make pitchers hit is a big fear of Gardy's. LaVelle's article pointed out exactly how many times that has happened, and it doesn't seem like it happens enough to worry about. Of course, there's always a chance that a pitcher can hurt himself while running the basepaths, but I'm not terribly concerned about that. These guys have played baseball for a long time; they know what to do out there. There's no more risk to a pitcher hitting than there is to a pitcher fielding a bunt. Final conclusion: leave Drew at AAA.

The biggest news in recent days is obviously that pitchers and catchers have reported and are participating in baseball activities. Finally. However, there are a couple other news bits to mention since I last checked in. Alexi Casilla avoided the opportunity to have the Twins tell him that he's not as awesome as he thinks he is. He and the Twins settled on a one-year, $1,382,500 contract. The amount is a smidgen under the halfway point between the numbers the two sides exchanged, but still a nice raise for Casilla. Ok, Alexi, now go be awesome. ~~~ Sounds like the biggest news out of Spring Training so far is that Joe Mauer is participating in all his catching duties and drills like any other catcher. This is newsworthy because, last season, it took three weeks into Spring Training before he could even participate. This delay caused him to rush himself in order to catch up, which turned out to be a one-step-forward-two-steps-back venture. For what it's worth, I know a lot of fans (and some newspaper columnists) are frustrated with Mauer. Ok, fair enough -- last year was a crappy year for him. However, that's all it was ... ONE crappy year. It's way too soon to call his catching career over. It's also too soon to call his contract a bust. Yes, his contract is a huge burden on the team. That's not his fault. Also, it's not fair to claim that should be considered less prone to injury just because he makes a lot of money. I seriously doubt his knees or hips or lungs or any other body parts know how much money he makes. In my opinion, any injuries he suffers and his salary should never be mentioned together. So, I'm glad to read that this camp is starting out well for him. I have every confidence that he'll have a "good Joe Mauer" year this season. And the team will be better for it. ~~~ You need to check out the new enterprise by the TwinsCentric guys (Seth Stohs, Parker Hageman, Nick Nelson, and John Bonnes) called Twins Daily. This great site is not only an aggregator of their work and the work of other great Twins bloggers, but it's also an entire community experience. If you register to their site, you can participate in the forums or even write blog posts. It's a great way to catch up with your favorite Twins bloggers and fans and to find new ones.

The biggest news in recent days is obviously that pitchers and catchers have reported and are participating in baseball activities. Finally. However, there are a couple other news bits to mention since I last checked in. Alexi Casilla avoided the opportunity to have the Twins tell him that he's not as awesome as he thinks he is. He and the Twins settled on a one-year, $1,382,500 contract. The amount is a smidgen under the halfway point between the numbers the two sides exchanged, but still a nice raise for Casilla. Ok, Alexi, now go be awesome. ~~~ Sounds like the biggest news out of Spring Training so far is that Joe Mauer is participating in all his catching duties and drills like any other catcher. This is newsworthy because, last season, it took three weeks into Spring Training before he could even participate. This delay caused him to rush himself in order to catch up, which turned out to be a one-step-forward-two-steps-back venture. For what it's worth, I know a lot of fans (and some newspaper columnists) are frustrated with Mauer. Ok, fair enough -- last year was a crappy year for him. However, that's all it was ... ONE crappy year. It's way too soon to call his catching career over. It's also too soon to call his contract a bust. Yes, his contract is a huge burden on the team. That's not his fault. Also, it's not fair to claim that should be considered less prone to injury just because he makes a lot of money. I seriously doubt his knees or hips or lungs or any other body parts know how much money he makes. In my opinion, any injuries he suffers and his salary should never be mentioned together. So, I'm glad to read that this camp is starting out well for him. I have every confidence that he'll have a "good Joe Mauer" year this season. And the team will be better for it. ~~~ You need to check out the new enterprise by the TwinsCentric guys (Seth Stohs, Parker Hageman, Nick Nelson, and John Bonnes) called Twins Daily. This great site is not only an aggregator of their work and the work of other great Twins bloggers, but it's also an entire community experience. If you register to their site, you can participate in the forums or even write blog posts. It's a great way to catch up with your favorite Twins bloggers and fans and to find new ones.

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-azn05pwnFLQ/TZUrW2YE9RI/AAAAAAAABe0/D-P1hu1nyvk/s320/welcomeback.JPG Do you know what today is? Do you know what's going on today? Of course you do. Today is the day when boys, and men with boys' hearts, gather by the hundreds in places like Clearwater, and Mesa, and Surprise, and Fort Myers, to participate in baseball activities. They're perfecting their changeups, and bunts, and double-plays. They're practicing covering first, and running down flies, and knocking the ball out of the park. They're breaking in new gloves, and new shoes, and new routines. They're greeting old friends, and making new ones. They're preparing their bodies and minds for the new season. And they're bringing their dreams. Dreams as fresh as the grass beneath their feet and as optimistic as the sun on their faces. And their dreams may vary in the details -- some dream of winning it all, while some dream of making the big team -- their dreams are essentially the same. They dream of besting the competition: the other teams, the other players on their teams, themselves. And their fans are dreaming too. On this day, we all have a small voice that says "this is the year." So our boys practice, and play, and prepare. They'll bat, and throw, and catch. And they'll make their fans very happy to see them. Good luck boys. Work hard and have fun. The best is yet to come. ~~~ I wrote this poem about three years ago, so if you've been here for awhile, you might recognize it. I'm replaying it because I like it. Besides, I can't think of a better way to celebrate the start of Spring Training than with a hopeful poem.

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-azn05pwnFLQ/TZUrW2YE9RI/AAAAAAAABe0/D-P1hu1nyvk/s320/welcomeback.JPG Do you know what today is? Do you know what's going on today? Of course you do. Today is the day when boys, and men with boys' hearts, gather by the hundreds in places like Clearwater, and Mesa, and Surprise, and Fort Myers, to participate in baseball activities. They're perfecting their changeups, and bunts, and double-plays. They're practicing covering first, and running down flies, and knocking the ball out of the park. They're breaking in new gloves, and new shoes, and new routines. They're greeting old friends, and making new ones. They're preparing their bodies and minds for the new season. And they're bringing their dreams. Dreams as fresh as the grass beneath their feet and as optimistic as the sun on their faces. And their dreams may vary in the details -- some dream of winning it all, while some dream of making the big team -- their dreams are essentially the same. They dream of besting the competition: the other teams, the other players on their teams, themselves. And their fans are dreaming too. On this day, we all have a small voice that says "this is the year." So our boys practice, and play, and prepare. They'll bat, and throw, and catch. And they'll make their fans very happy to see them. Good luck boys. Work hard and have fun. The best is yet to come. ~~~ I wrote this poem about three years ago, so if you've been here for awhile, you might recognize it. I'm replaying it because I like it. Besides, I can't think of a better way to celebrate the start of Spring Training than with a hopeful poem.

[ATTACH=CONFIG]124[/ATTACH] Click here to visit Amazon.com Doug Glanville. The Game From Where I Stand: From Batting Practice to the Clubhouse to the Best Breakfast on the Road, an Inside View of a Ballplayer's Life. New York, NY: St. Martin's Griffin., 2010, 276 pp. ISBN 978-0-312-57309-6 I love a good baseball insiders book, and former outfielder Doug Glanville's The Game From Where I Stand is a pretty good one. Glanville chronicles his baseball career and the state of the Game while he was in it. But he does more than just list a series of events; he goes deep into his topics giving great insight and smart, solid opinions. The Game is intelligent and interesting. He gives fans tales and background they wouldn't ordinarily know. He informs and entertains without being condescending and absolutely doesn't disrespect anyone. It was an interesting read, but I wouldn't necessarily call it a fun read. His writing style bugged me a bit -- it is prone to cliche and wordiness. And, from time to time, he'd turn a phrase that just seemed like he's trying too hard. It took me a long time to get through because, even though I was interested in it, it never gave me that "can't put it down" feeling. All in all, it's a very good book and certainly worth your time. I recommend it if you're looking for a baseball fix. I'd give it a solid B.

[ATTACH=CONFIG]112[/ATTACH]Right when I go and figure the Twins are done making moves, they go and make a move. However, it's not a move to get terribly excited about. The Twins claimed outfielder Darin Mastroianni off waivers from the Toronto Blue Jays. This looks like it's mostly a minor league filler move. One has to be skeptical about claiming players off waivers -- after all, there's a reason he was put on waivers in the first place. In order to make room on the 40-man roster, they designated RHP Esmerling Vasquez for assignment -- which means they have to trade him or pass him through waivers and put him on the minor league roster. The Twins claimed Vasquez off waivers at the end of last season. ~~~ It looks like I might have to make sure my injury paper doll machine is fully tuned up early in the 2012 season. Luke Hughes sprained his shoulder in a home plate collision during an Australian Winter League game. He's been shut down 3-4 weeks. Which is kind of too bad, because his team, the Perth Heat, went on to win the Australian Baseball League championship, and he had to miss it. I'll refrain from creating a paper doll for him for now. He's not due to miss much playing time during Spring Training, so he doesn't need one yet. However, if he, baseball gods forbid, suffers a setback or he doesn't heal as expected, I'll be on top of it. Just a note to the players for anyone who is unclear: Having an injury paper doll is a bad thing. Continued good health is the goal here. ~~~ Spring Training is very close. The equipment truck has been loaded and is headed to Fort Myers. It's such a big task that everyone needs to lend a hand -- even TC the mascot: http://www.twitvid.com/5T7QZ Very exciting!