Devereaux

I should be in KC

I will listen to this. I enjoyed Joe's answers to the kids' questions on CCO. I think he might be coming out of his shell finally.

Pretty sure I've heard Joe enough times this season to know he wants to keep playing - and for the Twins. If the Twins are going nowhere for a while, I'd be happy to see him return on a team-friendly contract for a season or two to take more good at-bats and break more club records. As other people have said, I have no idea what the FO wants. Will the FO be seen as less maverick and more Ryan-like if they sign Mauer? What options are there to replace him? I don't see any on the roster now.

My baseball consciousness goes back to 1967-1968. With all deference to Killebrew, I go with Puckett as far as franchise impact. Killebrew led a winning team that laid down solid fan roots in the sixties, but that fandom looked like it was dying thanks to stingy, racist Cal Griffith and the Metrodump. Killebrew was an all-or-nothing player. Even as a kid in the sixties, I was more of an Oliva fan. Killebrew did not even end his career here, and he turned his back in bitterness on the town for a period. Puckett and crew brought the area a two-time championship sports team and fans into the Dome, and Kirby did it with a workman's ethic and well-spoken charisma. He was only on the scene for a dozen years, but he was a reliable dynamo for all of them, and he came through in the biggest of sports moments. Notwithstanding his lost years after his career was cut short, Puckett has been my favorite ballplayer for 34 years and counting.

First pitch homer: https://youtu.be/nApRqTtfAE0

I started a Tony Oliva fan as a small kid, but when Puckett came up he moved to #1 and no other baseball player has come close since. I used to love the way Puckett talked about being fortunate and understanding hard work. In my memory he used to always be the anti-Rickey, which leads to my favorite Puckett story which I have shared on-line before. I was living in A's territory at the time and watched it on t.v.: Monday, August 19, 1991 (Coffeyville Whirlwind summary) Last game of a four game series at the Dome between the Twins and the Oakland A’s. Twins faced them twice that month. The A’s were only three games back when we played at the Coliseum on August 2. The Twins took two of three. The A’s were 5 games behind when they came to the Metrodome for the long series. They still sounded confident. Why not, they had been to the three previous World Series, and of course they were very juiced. The Dome was packed all four games – 52,080 for the Saturday game. The Twins took the first three games – all come from behind victories. Could the Twins sweep? In the first inning, Kirby hit a solo homer to match Canseco’s. The A’s went up 6-1 in the fourth, but the Twins battled back and tied the game at 7-7 when Hrbek homered in the fifth. That’s when – for me – the fun started. Top of 6th, Rickey Henderson walked and stole second and third. Dave Henderson hit a fly ball into short center field, Rickey Henderson tagged up, and Kirby Puckett nailed Henderson at the plate on a hop. Kirby didn’t just nail Henderson. He made the great Rickey fall on his ass in front of home plate. Never touched it. Bottom of 7 now. Two outs Twins, Kirby hit a single right to Henderson in left field. Kirby went for two! It looked for a moment like Henderson was napping but he fired it to second to barely get Kirby. The difference between the greats: Kirby was poker-faced after he schooled Henderson. When Henderson nipped Kirby, he ran past him braying like a donkey – like they were even, as Tom Kelly said in his book about that season. Those were the moments. As for the game, Steinbach got the game-winning hit when Kirby’s throw to home – which looked accurate – bounced straight up off the mound, allowing Dave Henderson to score. Larkin’s would-be tying home run was about six feet foul in the bottom of the inning. The Twins were 3.5 games in first and 6 games ahead of the A’s after that game. And looking set to win their second world championship. Thanks for the baseball memories, Kirby.

The photo of him working out with his strength and conditioning coach doesn't get me optimistic. http://i1.wp.com/www.twincities.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/Mauer-workout-001A.jpg?fit=800%2C450px

But PECOTA is a PROJECTION. Just mocking.

I agree with you about his swing. But I was hoping you were going to say he might start throwing people out at second again.

Show Gleeman this: http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/the-unusually-compelling-kyle-gibson-just-a-tweak-away/

Kramarczuk's and Fulton Sweet Child of Vine - inside the park and nearby outside the park.

It's not more game. It's the same amount of game, but slower. Like if they changed the pianist between every movement in a Mozart concerto - accompanied by a long Treasure Island commercial break while the new pianist warmed up and adjusted himself.

Whew. From the headline I was afraid Rick Aguilera was in trouble.

Twins Hall of Fame? His place in franchise history (including Senators): 28th - games played (14th of Twins) 12 - HR 22 - total bases 24 - slugging 25 - OPS 26 - runs scored 27 - offensive WAR (BR) 28 - hits

I don't follow the NL much either, but I suppose I'll pick St. Louis. Midwest team from a hardscrabble town, with a super long history and a boatload of pennants. They never seem to be on the five year tear-down plan, their fans pack their pretty ballpark (and stood up and cheered for Byron Buxton's first hit), and I always liked Willie McGee.

Darn. My buddies and I are going to the DR on New Years for a week and I was hoping to see Sano in the Winter League playoffs.

In 1977 I was 16 and I could finally drive to Met Stadium with my buddies. I remember being super happy that Bombo Rivera tossed a beach ball back to us in the bleachers. I remember a double header that I kept score where it seemed like Carew made a ton of 1B unassisted. I was guessing it was 1978 because the stands weren't too full, but I can't locate the date for sure on BR. (Maybe July 24 against Boston?) Looks like the Twins played 7 home double headers that season!

Love your podcast. I think you have the wrong hyperlink.

This should be submitted as evidence the next time there's a vote for Twins Hall of Fame. It's not Hall of OPS+. I mentioned earlier that I was living in the Bay Area in 1987. I remember well the Jeffrey Leonard malarkey. I also remember the local press disparaging the All Midwest World Series. If I heard it once, I heard the Twin Cities and St. Louis a dozen times called "cow towns."

I'm genuinely curious if you could/would write the same article about re-signing Torii Hunter to another one-year $10 million ($6 million, whatever) contract. it seems like there's an odd but hard "love-to-hate-them" divide out there.

Excellent read. Great to go back. In 1987 I was just back from the Peace Corps and living in near-poverty in the East Bay with my to-be wife. All the Twins games I saw that season were in the Coliseum. I had to listen to the ALCS on the radio, and, being in A's territory, I had to watch the WS quietly in bars.

Funny and nicely written, thanks. And, yeah, may as well meditate or check Twitter while it comes around, because convincing a Twins Daily reader or two will not stop the Wave. King Canute can attest.

Loved this. Thank you.

Jolly good reading.

The June 17, 2007 Morneau walk off: https://youtu.be/rvU5B3EAx98 Didn't Justin also hit the longest home run in Miller Park in 2003?