tarheeltwinsfan

When Culpepper and/or slick fielding Houston are/is ready, put Lee at 1B, if he can hit with more power. "When" and "if"...two key words.

Amen. Spring training is here. Spring and warm weather are just around the bend. The game of baseball...the game...the game.

In response to this gloomy prediction, I feel I must disagree and quote that great philosopher, Yogi Berra and say: "When you come to a fork in the road, take it."

Gloom, despair and agony on me...Deep dark depression, excessive misery.

I wonder if the Lopez injury will put moving Festa to the pen on hold?

Nick, I agree whole heartedly. Pablo is worth the risk. He is a special talent and an even more special man.

I must say that I feel terrible for Pablo. I imagine he is worried about the political situation in his native country of Venezuela. I feel sure he has family and friends living there. And now this. Mathew mentioned "Jobe's Harvest", referring to Dr. Jobe of TJ surgery fame. However another man named "Job" also was tested by misfortunes in his life, which were much worse than what Pablo is experiencing. Hopefully Pablo Lopez will be able to remain grateful for what he does have, even in the midst of his time of disappointment and anxiety. Hang in there Pablo.

I wish Joe well. He's a cool guy. The Joe Ryan Experience is something special in a good way.

Melissa, These valentine baseball cards are the Topps.

Hello John and Twins fans. I am loading my baseball glove, my autographed Tony O tee shirt, my sun screen and my wife and coming to spring training March 7 through the 14th. We look forward to this trip every year. We will call my former infantry platoon leader and have lunch with LT and Anne at their country club. We 4 will talk about our children and grand children, our health and about long ago days and nights in the Korean DMZ, when we were soldiers once, and young. On other days my wife and I will eat seafood at Salty Papa's (fried seafood platter with shrimp, flounder and scallops, coleslaw and hush puppies, with a cold brew and another meal at Mission BBQ, where an olive drab duce and a half, sits in front of the restaurant and where I will get pork ribs slathered in tangy BBQ sauce plus collard greens and some sweet potato casserole. My wife, Jeannie and I will visit the Six Mile Cypress Slough Preserve, which is a 1.2 mile boardwalk through a swamp where, when we walk slowly and look closely, we will see and hear alligators, snakes, owls, herons, frogs, and many birds. We will also go to Ding Darling Wildlife Preserve at sunset to watch the water birds (Roseate Spoonbills,, giant pelicans, cranes, plus eagles, ospreys, etc.) flying in to prepare for the night. Large fish frequently leap from the water into the air, leaving huge splashes behind. We will see 3 Twins' baseball games. Fun stuff. Nachos, covered with runny cheese and jalapenos, washed down with Killebrew Root Beer. We will cheer especially loudly for our fellow North Carolinians. But my favorite part of the trip is watching morning Twins' practices. Pitchers practicing fielding drills of throwing the ball to first base. Pitchers running to first base to catch a throw while running. The cracks of the bats at various batting cages. The sharp smacks of 3 fastballs, one after the other, as they land almost simultaneously into in three catchers' waiting gloves, from 3 pitchers 60 feet 6 inches away, lined up 12 feet apart on 3 side by side practice pitchers' mounds. The players are boys again, working, laughing and learning. Some are intent. Most are relaxed. As they walk from the different practice fields, they talk with the fans. One of my favorite memories was being able to ask Rod Carew the secret of bunting. He said: "Listen to the sound the ball makes as it hits the bat." I thanked him and walked away feeling like I had discovered the secret of life. Hurry spring.

Thomas Wolfe, the great North Carolinian author, was wrong. You can go home again. Welcome home, Liam. I wish you well and hope you are successful.

Hopefully that problem can be fixed with some confidence, some success and more maturity. The Twins need to figure out whether Able responds to praise or to a kick in the pants as motivation. And Able needs to either channel his frustration into positive results, or lower his levels of frustration. In fact, we could all benefit from some long, quiet, solo walks in the woods. Hang in there Minnesota. We are with you.

" That horse is cooked"? Must be an Illinois saying. LOL

Just like the original Washington Senators: "First in war, first in peace and last in the American League".

Matt Caterino? He is an intriguing pitcher, who, before multiple injuries, was a rising prospect. Would someone from TD please do a story on him immediately.

Lefty ? Righty ? Maybe he is amphibious.

"It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness..." Who knew when Charles Dickens wrote "A Tale of Two Cities", that the two cities he was writing about were Minneapolis and St. Paul during the Minnesota Twins' Dereck Falvey era.

It is almost rime for spring training articles. Hurry spring. We miss you.

Great post Doc.

If I were Festas, I'd request to be moved to relief, just so this could be my walkup song. It would be awesome.

Hooray for Pablo Lopez. He just passed Camilio Pascual as my all-time favorite Senators/Twins pitcher.

Do the Twins have psychologists available for the players who actually play the game in the minors and the majors? Each player is the "man in the arena", to quote Theodore Roosevelt. The player whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood, who errs, but keeps trying, who knows high achievement and crushing fails. And if he fails at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.

This is a picture of the Twins empty seats at Target Field. The number 7 pays homage to one of the greatest players ever to wear this number and answers the frequently asked question: "Who's the Twins Daddy?" It's for Mickey Mantle one of the greatest players ever who played for the Twins' "Daddy", which we must admit is the New York Yankees.

Chaos. We've already got enough chaos in our lives. Even though we love the Twins and want them to win, this is very minor compared to the chaos in our country right now. I will not allow this situation to bother me. I will not. You folks in Minnesota are especially in my thoughts and prayers, as is our whole country.

I think that slogan has already been adopted by the United States.