John Bonnes

Calling all baseball enthusiasts and history buffs! The Halsey Hall Chapter of SABR is hosting a program to celebrate and educate Twins fans about the 100th anniversary of a legendary milestone: the first World Series championship of the Washington-cum-Minnesota franchise. The event will take place at the Ramsey County Library in Roseville (northeast corner of Hamline Avenue and County Road B) on Wed., Apr. 17, from 6:30 to 7:45 PM, and admission is absolutely free. You'll get to learn all about the World Series championship that the Twins franchise won before they were the Twins. Here's what's in store: Exclusive Presentations by Stew Thornley and Dave Lande Walter Johnson & Clark Griffith: Dive deep into the lives and legacies of two baseball titans who shaped the sport's history. 1924 World Series: Relive the glory of the Washington Senators’ championship with historic video clips straight from the heart of the action. Special Guest Appearance Matt Hodson of the Minnesota Twins: Hear firsthand about the team's plans to commemorate the 1924 champions on Aug. 11, in conjunction with the SABR Annual Conference here in the Twin Cities. Get insights into the special day ahead and immerse yourself in the excitement of honoring baseball's heroes. Door Prizes Be sure to stick around for a chance to win fantastic door prizes! It's just one more reason to join us. Again, admission is absolutely FREE and open to the public. Seize this unique opportunity to celebrate a century of baseball glory with fellow fans and aficionados. Event Details Date: Wednesday, April 17th Time: 6:30 – 7:45 p.m. Location: Roseville Library, Main Floor Meeting Room, 2180 Hamline Ave. N, Roseville, MN 55113 Presented By: The Halsey Hall Chapter, Society of American Baseball Research View full article

It was alternately warm and sunny or shady and cold at Target Field on Saturday afternoon. The Twins mirrored the weather, getting good pitching and plenty of baserunners, but also swinging ice-cold bats. The result was another frustrating loss to a division rival. Image courtesy of © Matt Blewett-USA TODAY Sports Box Score SP: Joe Ryan - 6 IP, 5 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 0 BB, 6 K (90 pitches, 67 strikes (74%)) HR: none Bottom 3 WPA: Carlos Santana (-.124), Ryan Jeffers (-.118), Byron Buxton & Willi Castro (-.109) Win Probability Chart (via FanGraphs) One Big Mistake The Guardians scored three runs against the Twins on Thursday by stringing together a bunch of opposite-field bloopers. They were more efficient on Saturday when David Fry drove one bad pitch from Joe Ryan over the left field wall for a three-run bomb. It was pretty clearly a mistake pitch. Ryan pitched a strong six innings in a tidy 90 pitches, giving up five hits, walking none, and striking out seven. He can be prone to giving up home runs because he works his fastball high in the zone. That can gather strikeouts but can also result in fly balls that carry over the fence. But this was not a fastball. It was a sweeper to a right-handed batter that is supposed to end up outside the strike zone. It did not: "I think Joe was phenomenal," manager Rocco Baldelli said after the game. He made a pitch to Fry that was not a pitch he wants to make for numerous reasons. He made it and we paid for it. He knows it. But honestly, what a good outing for him." A Big Zone Leads to Daytime Fireworks The Twins only managed two hits in the game, but had 10 other baserunners due to walks and being hit by pitches. So one might think the strike zone favored them. It did not. In fact, Twins hitting coach David Popovich was thrown out of the ballgame following the fourth inning for arguing balls and strikes. The Twins battled an expanded strike zone all game from home plate umpire Brennan Miller, but his generosity reached its peak in the bottom of the fourth inning with Matt Wallner at the plate. Pitcher Nick Sandlin started Wallner with some sliders down and in, which were called balls. After a 2-0 pitch that ended in the dirt, Wallner had a 3-0 count and dutifully took a fastball down the middle for the first strike. Nick Sandlin followed that with two more sliders low and inside, and Wallner took both, but this time for strikes. Wallner was furious and it was a little bit surprising he walked away without getting tossed. Popovich continued Wallner’s lobbying from the dugout and was tossed, and Baldelli continued the discussion, but returned to the dugout after making his point. Both the Twins' aggressiveness and their patience worked against them in several big at-bats. Their last big chance to score was the bottom of the sixth, when they had the bases loaded with one out. But Jeffers fell into an 0-1 hole swinging away and struck out on four pitches. Then Willi Castro fell into an 0-1 hole - on a questionable called strike, no less - and also struck out on four pitches, trying to recover from that early hole. It's not clear and of the pitches Castro saw were strikes. The Edouard Julien Experience The Edouard Julien Experience (EJX) may not be as much fun as we hoped. It feels odd to say that, given that he hit a home run as recently as Thursday, but Julien struck out two more times today, for a total of five times in the last two games, and all of them have been looking. On the other hand, he also drew two walks today, drove a ball to deep left field in the ninth, and, of course, hit that home run Thursday. So that’s a .300 on-base percentage over those two games and a .500 slugging, good for an 800 OPS. But it has not been very fun to watch. Kirilloff Kruising The Twins' best news so far this season has been Alex Kirilloff's bat. Entering the game with an 1122 OPS on 25 plate appearances, Kirilloff went 1-4 with a walk and hit his third triple in three games. On the other hand, he has yet to score as a result of any of those triples. Wednesday and Thursday, he was stranded there despite reaching third with one out. In today’s game, Buxton made contact on a similar play, but it was directly at the shortstop and Kirilloff was thrown out at home plate. Twenty-five plate appearances do not a career make, and Twins fans have seen similar stretches from Kirilloff in the past. Just last year, he had a stretch in late June and early July where he exceeded a 1000 OPS for nearly a month. A week later, he went on the injured list, That is also a trend with which Twins fans are familiar. After being considered a top prospect who could be a middle-of-the-order presence for years to come, he’s been plagued by injuries. Primarily, it was a wrist injury that lasted two years and finally resulted in surgery that shaved bone. Then, last year, he suffered a shoulder injury. Rather than undergo midseason surgery, he tried to rehab it and play through it, and had a reasonable year, all things considered. He did undergo the surgery in the offseason, and fortunately, no labrum tear was discovered. So is he all set to become the player we thought he was back in 2020, when the 22-year-old made his MLB debut in a postseason game versus the Astros? Choose your narrative. You can choose to believe that he’s a player who finally overcame one chronic injury and, after being delayed by another small injury, is exactly who we expected three years ago. Or you can believe he’s a mediocre hitter who runs hot just often enough to tease. Or that he’s an exceptional hitter who just can’t stay healthy, so it’s just a matter of time. I don't know the answer. Kirilloff might not yet, either. That’s the beauty of baseball - it’s always a story that is in the process of being written. What’s Next? The Twins will try to salvage the last game of the series Sunday afternoon. Bailey Ober (54.00 ERA) will try to bounce back from the worst start of his career against the Guardians’ Tristan McKenzie (10.80 ERA), who also had a shaky first start. But hold those tickets. There is a forecast for rain all day, and Cleveland is scheduled to return for a weekend series August 9-11. Plus, both teams have no games on August 8th. Also, Monday is the Guardians' home opener, and there are also travel concerns given the eclipse Monday afternoon. So the threshold for “banging” that game might be pretty low. Stay tuned. Postgame Interviews Bullpen Usage Spreadsheet WED THUR FRI SAT SUN TOT Funderburk 0 39 0 0 0 39 Duarte 25 0 0 0 0 25 Sands 0 22 0 0 0 22 Alcala 0 0 0 25 0 25 Jackson 0 0 0 20 0 20 Okert 20 0 0 0 0 20 Jax 18 0 0 0 0 18 Stewart 17 0 0 0 0 17 If the game is played tomorrow the Twins should still have most of their arms available, though they may need to get through some high-leverage middle innings without Jorge Alcala, who has been pushed into that role a few times. View full article

Aaron and John talk about the Twins' opening week of the season, the familiar offensive struggles of April baseball, trying to replace Royce Lewis, trying to draw conclusions from a handful of games, and positive signs from several key hitters looking healthy again. You can listen by downloading us from iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, iHeartRadio or find it at GleemanAndTheGeek.com. Or just click this link. View full article

Bombo Rivera's legend far exceeded his actual impact on the Twins. He played for just three years, only 257 games, and hit a total of 8 home runs with 64 RBI and a 699 OPS. So how did he become the toast of the Twin Cities in the late 70s? One word: Bombo. The Met's fans chanted it from the bleachers. U of M students wrote in votes for that name. Garrison Keillor wrote a song for that name, complete with a rhyme. Even the holiest of baseball literature, Shoeless Joe Jackson by Ray Kinsella which was turned into the move "Field of Dreams," reveres its reverie. “We drive on to Minneapolis. We are all relaxed at the game, cheering the Twins to an easy win, chanting ‘Bombo! Bombo! Bombo!’ each time the Twins’ right fielder Bombo Rivera is announced. He is a good young player, but not great. It is his name that intoxicates the crowd.” It probably helped that the Twins were excessively mediocre at that juncture. Tight-fisted Calvin Griffith had traded away Rod Carew and historically had made it clear he would do so with any player good enough to earn free agency. In that way, Rivera's good-not-great performance was ideal for Twins fans that wanted to love baseball but had grown bored or frustrated with the team. He was fun to watch, but not so good that he would need to leave soon. He did, however, leave. After breaking a kneecap in 1980, he was released by the Twins just prior to the 1981 season. He signed as a free agent with the Royals, playing in AAA in 1981 and most of 1982 except for a five game callup back to the majors to finish out the season. Of course, that drew more pop culture references, as Ken LaZebnik wrote an ode called "Fare Thee Well, Bombo Rivera" in his own maagazine called Minneapolis Review of Baseball and later Elysian Fields Quarterly. But that was not the end of his playing career, and the Twins were not the beginning. The youg man from Puerto Rico, who was born Jesus Manuel River Torres, had a pro career spanned 21 years, playing in Mexico, Japan, and 18 seasons in the Puerto Rican Winter League. His professional career started with the Expos, who signed him in 1970. He debuted with them, too, in 1975 as a 22-year-old. The Twins purchased him following the 1977 season. In 1978 he started 57 games in right field, splitting time with Hoskin Powell. The Twins had lost their "Lumber company" corner outfielders Larry Hisle and Lyman Bostok the previous offseason, and would lose "Disco" Danny Ford after 1978, so manager Gene Mauch cobbled together an outfield out of replacement parts to try and keep the team's head above water. It sort of worked; the Twins finished fourth in the seven-team AL West, but they were 19 GB of the division-winning Royals. His next two seasons, the Twins finished aroudn the same place, and just below .500 ball. Attendance for those seasons averaged less than 5500 fans per game. But they were all chanting in unison when Bombo Rivera came up to bat. *Mambo. It rhymed with mambo. Here is a link to an MPR report that includes an interview with Rivera as well as the Ballad of Bombo Rivera by the Powdermilk Biscuit Band. It starts at 3:48. View full player

After today's Twins Daily Social Club's Opening Day Watch Party, join us all year long as we watch the Twins at three fantastic local spots! Come join us as we watch the Twins win at fantastic bars and taprooms! Dan Kelly's, Gluek's, and a new Downtown Mystery Bar will be hosting us for a night of baseball, good company, and delicious food. Whether you're a die-hard Twins fan or just looking for a fun night out, this event is perfect for you. Last year our Watch Party at Forgotten Star had over 300 guests. Our home opener party at Tom's Watch Bar had almost 400. Our Winter Meltdown at the Pourhouse had 300. But these smaller in-season venues are more intimate, so we have to limit the tickets, so grab yours early! It won't cost you much. Tickets for each are just $5 but will be going fast because they include: a free beer a free BOGO beer coupon on a future visit prizes and gift cards at the first pitch, last out, and throughout the game our Six of a Kind baseball card game and our Last Fan Standing game for all attendees lots of Twins talk and camaraderie with the Twins Daily community a Twins win!** Grab a seat, get your free beer, win prizes, and cheer on the Twins with fellow fans. With delicious food, great atmosphere, and plenty of Twins spirit, you won't want to miss out! This is especially true because we're doing all this at some great places. Gluek's is the most historic bar in Minneapolis. Dan Kelly's is the birthplace of Twins Daily! And wait until you see which Mystery Downtown Spot kicks the whole thing off! Tues, 5/21, 5:45 vs WAS – Mystery Downtown Venue (Get tickets here!) Tues, 7/30, 6:10 vs NYM – Dan Kelly’s (Get tickets here!) Tues, 9/17, 5:40 vs CLE – Gluek’s (Get tickets here!) So get your tickets, mark your calendar, and invite your friends - this is a night you won't want to miss! If you want a taste of it, join us for today's epic Opening Day celebration! The Twins Daily Social Club is geared up for an unforgettable event this afternoon at Forgotten Star, with camaraderie, craft beer, games, activities, prizes, and (hopefully) a Twins win! Over 300 guests joined us last year! Forgotten Star's Beer and Gift Cards Join us for $2 off beers and a chance to win $50 gift cards courtesy of Forgotten Star, starting at first pitch and ending at the last out. Plus, more gift cards will be available throughout the game—it's a true celebration of baseball and community. Meat Raffle by Grote Beef Enjoy succulent steaks up for grabs throughout the game—it's a carnivore's dream come true. Sotastick Joins the Party Catch the Twins game live and snag exclusive Sotastick merchandise. Throughout the watch party, plenty of prizes will be raffled off—it's a win-win for all Twins fans! Details: Today, March 28th, 2024 Game: 3:10 PM Event: 2:00 PM - 7:00 PM Location: Forgotten Star, 38 Northern Stacks Drive, Fridley, MN 55421 Admission is FREE! No need to preregister—simply show up and immerse yourself in the excitement. Just remember, the game kicks off early at 3:00 PM, so don't be late! Whether you're a die-hard Twins fan, a meat enthusiast, or simply looking for a good time, this event promises to be a home run. See you there! **not guaranteed 😉 View full article

Aaron and John preview the 2024 Minnesota Twins season. You can listen by downloading us from iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, iHeartRadio or find it at GleemanAndTheGeek.com. Or just click this link. View full article

Aaron and John preview the American League by reviewing Vegas' over-under for each team and making their predictions. You can listen by downloading us from iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, iHeartRadio or find it at GleemanAndTheGeek.com. Or just click this link. View full article

Put it on your calendar! Put it on your friends' calendars! You have plans for Opening Day! 📅 Save the Date! 📅 This week’s warm weather has us thinking ahead, so join Twins Daily’s Social Club for an epic season opener event at the iconic Forgotten Star Brewing Co. ⚾️ What's the Plan? ⚾️ We're gathering to cheer on the Twins as they take on Kansas City on the road. But this isn't just about the game; it's about the experience! Last year we had 400 Twins fans join us at Forgotten Star and this year will be even bigger and better, including their new 10’ wide screen. 🍻 We've Got You Covered! 🍻 Forgotten Star Brewing Co. will be pouring their finest brews, and they’ll all be $2 off their regular price. With a wide array of choices, you'll find the perfect pint to accompany the game. 🎉 Raffles and Games 🎉 Get ready for some fun and games! Alongside cheering on the Twins, you'll have ample opportunities to mingle with fellow fans. We'll be hosting our silly "Six of a Kind" baseball card game and Last Fan Standing challenges, offering chances to showcase your knowledge and win exciting prizes. But that's not all – be sure to arrive early for your shot at big door prizes, awarded at both the first pitch and last out. And stay tuned for more surprises and announcements coming your way soon! This event is shaping up to be an absolute blast, and we can't wait to celebrate the start of the Twins season with you! 🕒 Mark Your Calendar! 🕒 Date: March 28th, 2024 Game: 3:10 PM Event: 2:00 PM - 7:00 PM Location: Forgotten Star, 38 Northern Stacks Drive, Fridley, MN 55421 Facebook Event for you to share! 🎟️ Admission is FREE! 🎟️ No need to purchase tickets; simply show up, check-in at the front desk, and we'll make sure you're set up with everything you need to win great prizes and everything else you need for a memorable Twins season opener! It's time to break out of hibernation and reconnect with fellow fans over the love of baseball and beer. Don't miss out on this unforgettable event! See you there! ⚾️🍻💖 View full article

Aaron and John talk about the Twins trading for Manuel Margot instead of re-signing Michael A. Taylor, the Byron Buxton vibes getting better and better, why Anthony DeSclafani's elbow soreness puts the rotation plan in jeopardy, and Denard Span joining the television crew. You can listen by downloading us from iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, iHeartRadio or find it at GleemanAndTheGeek.com. Or just click this link. View full article

FORT MYERS - Last year, Simeon Woods Richardson's four-seam fastball averaged 90.4 mph. Monday, in his 2024 spring training debut, Woods Richardson threw eight fastballs. The slowest was 92.1 mph. Two of the eight were over 94 mph. Last year - over the whole year - he did that once. In 884 pitches. Image courtesy of Kim Klement This is potentially big news, because Simeon Woods Richardson has had a velocity problem. Since being acquired by the Twins as part of the José Berríos trade, he's seen his velocity - and prospect status - decline. Last year, as a 22-year-old, that resulted in an unsightly 4.91 ERA at Triple-A St. Paul. Even given his relative youth, there were plenty of concerns. What had happened to the velocity? "I honestly think it was from being so over the top," said Woods Richardson, talking about his arm slot. "I wasn't able to use my full potential." The idea behind being over the top was that it allowed his pitches to be more deceptive, to disguise the pitches longer to the batter. But it appears the side effect of that was to significantly hinder his natural athleticism. So, over the offseason, he and the Twins decided to try something new. "It was from both parties," Woods Richardson said. "I wanted to change for the better, and why not? And they said, 'OK, let's sit down. Let's talk about this.' And we came up with a couple of things, working on mechanical stuff. Let's see if we can drop the slot a little bit and see where it goes." So Richardson got to spring training a month early and started working on becoming more "rotational," meaning he throws a little more across his body than up and down. Both Woods Richardson and Twins officials thought that work looked like it had been paying off, at least in the bullpen. But the real proving ground is a game where the adrenaline is flowing. Among the most difficult proving grounds is George M. Steinbrenner Field, the Yankees' spring training park. Woods Richardson started Monday and was lucky enough to test his new stuff versus DJ LeMahieu, Juan Soto, and Gleyber Torres. ? Three up .... three down. With a strikeout of Soto for good measure. And eight fastballs over 92 mph. His release point was, indeed, noticeably different from the 2023 Woods Richardson: And from that change in delivery came a change in movement, too, as well as the added velocity that came from a freer arm swing. His fastball was a true fastball again, rather than a cutter. His slider had more consistent depth, and much more separation from that fastball. The changeup is a more functional pitch against a lefty, with greater run away from them. Three batters doesn't mean much in the grand scheme of things. But a long journey starts with a first step. It also goes a lot faster - and is a lot more fun - if you add a little velocity. While the bulk of John Bonnes's reporting from Fort Myers has been turned into free content for all Twins Daily users, it's important to note that the support of our Caretakers helps make things like sending John to Florida possible each spring. If you enjoy this level of coverage, blending the numbers with the insights John gleans by talking directly with the Twins, please consider signing up for our increasingly robust Caretakers program, which gets you access to Twins Daily live events (like our Winter Meltdown and in-season watch parties) and to exclusive, next-level content from a growing stable of talented writers. View full article

FORT MYERS - The Twins fell to their crosstown Fort Myers rivals, the Boston Red Sox, today. We saw Bailey Ober's first start, watched some roster hopefuls amid free agent rumors, and got an answer about an odd lineup. Bailey Ober's First Start The Twins fell to the Sox 6-1 on their first road trip of the season. The game went sideways early as Bailey Ober reached his pitch limit after getting one out in the second inning. He left the bases loaded with one run in but ended up being charged with four runs when reliever John Stankiewicz gave up a home run to Rafael Devers. Ober jumped up to 171 1/3 IP last year between the minors, majors, and postseason. His previous high was 108 1/3 IP and that was back in 2021. He credited his trainer and her program for the big leap. "I feel like I followed my program a lot better," said Ober. "I worked with Jen Marcelo - she used to work with the Twins - but I work with her full time. She works with a lot of other guys too, around the league. I fully dove into her programming. And I felt like that helped me out big time from a health standpoint." He didn't feel like he wore down physically, though he admits he did a bit mentally. Given that he started spring training knowing that he was slated for St. Paul, then was promoted, then went back to St. Paul, then was promoted, and then finally pitched in the postseason, that's probably to be expected. Last week, he said he wasn't focusing on adding a new pitch. He was focusing on getting his big frame ready to compete. "I feel like I'm just always trying to clean up mechanical stuff, just because I'm so big," explains Ober. "At 6'9", there's a lot of moving parts. So just making sure everything's tuned up, on time, and ready to go out there and throw and have the best velo that I can, possibly the best command. So that's always an everyday concern." After the game, he did not seem overly concerned about the results, focusing instead on what he had been trying to do. "I feel like I mixed pretty well," he reflected. "I feel like I could have dominated with fastballs primarily only today. But I needed to go out there and throw all my full repertoire, so I didn't do stuff that I would do during the regular season if I was trying to read at-bats. But I felt good to be back out there." Enrique Hernandez Rumors Word broke yesterday that the Twins are one of the "finalists" to sign Enrique Hernandez, a 32-year-old utility player who played for Boston and the Dodgers last year. Cody Schoenmann examined Hernandez a couple of months ago. Since Hernandez has positional flexibility and hits right-handed, he makes some sense for the Twins, which is why they certainly talked to him earlier in the offseason. The problem is that the 10-year veteran has only posted a 639 OPS over the last two seasons, and last year, he struggled even against southpaws, which would be his primary role. When a report lists several finalists for a player, that information likely came from the player's representative; teams don't usually know what other teams might be involved. That representative has an incentive to make a player seem like he is in demand. So take this report with a grain of salt. In the meantime, we're keeping an eye on right-handed hitting options who are currently on the spring training roster. 31-year-old Niko Goodrum started versus Boston today at shortstop. He's posted a career 816 OPS versus left-handers in his MLB career. Austin Martin started in left field yesterday, and the 24-year-old prospect is seen as a potential starter or utility player. Michael Helman started at third base today, and the 27-year-old posted a 902 OPS in St. Paul last year. So the Twins have some options in camp, and they're all getting at-bats early. While we've been waiting for the Twins to sign one more right-handed hitter, we should probably pay close attention to a few of their internal options. It appears the Twins are. Lineup Notes The Twins lineup Sunday included three starters, all at the top of the lineup, and all of whom made their second appearance of spring training. Christian Vazquez(C) and Matt Wallner(LF) both played Friday, and Alex Kirilloff (1B) will be the first Twins player to play in back-to-back games, though Saturday he was as a DH. Beyond the regulars, the Twins started several of their top prospects (Brooks Lee-DH, Emmanuel Rodriguez-CF, Yunior Severino-2B, Trevor Larnach-RF) or guys who could sneak onto the roster but will likely be in St. Paul, hoping for a midseason callup (Helman-3B, Goodrum-SS). The quality of the names are about par for a trip crosstown to JetBlue Park, but the defensive positions were odd. One would usually expect Lee at shortstop, Goodrum at second base, and Severino and Kirilloff at first base and designated hitter. Having Lee at designated hitter moved Severino and Goodrum to positions at which they are a little stretched. So what was up? Why was Lee - who is clearly being groomed for several defensive positions - starting at DH? "Because he's playing tomorrow," Rocco explained. "So instead of playing him two days in a row, he'd get the at-bats at the DH spot today, and then we can send him on the road tomorrow.". The Twins have one of their longer road trips of the season when they travel to Tampa to play the Yankees, a 2+ hour drive. It's worth remembering that a lot of what we see in spring training is logistical. View full article

Over 7000 people are expected to attend the Twins' home opener of the Grapefruit League season versus the Pittsburgh Pirates at 1 PM (noon CT) today. Unfortunately, you're not one of them. 😑 Fortunately, I am. 🤩 So follow along and live vicariously through me as I covered the Twins 5-3 win over the Pittsburgh Pirates. Baseball is back, baby! ⚾ 12:15 PM ET Lineups were posted in the clubhouse as we arrived. The opener is often stacked with regulars, and today is no exception. The opener is often your best chance in the first several weeks to see a lineup somewhat akin to what you may see at Target Field. Otherwise, a lot of the time is being given to non-regulars as the regulars slowly ramp up. Today's lineup includes six guys expected to be regulars (Carlos Santana, Royce Lewis, Max Kepler, Ryan Jeffers, Edouard Julien, Alex Kirilloff), two bench players (Kyle Farmer, Willie Castro), and two guys who are likely(?) slated for St. Paul, but will be the first guys called up in the event something changes (Austin Martin, Louie Varland). That's honestly a better lineup than the Twins will have in some games this year. (Or had for the entirety of September of 2022. 😭) 12:35 PM ET Alternately, the Pirates are apparently saving their starters for their home opener tomorrow vs the Orioles. Woof. I see one projected starting position player in their lineup, catcher Henry Davis. By default, he's batting third. Their starting pitcher is Bailey Falter, who is projected to be their 5th starter, which may explain why they have a starting catcher making the bus trip here. The "bus trip" reference to a visiting team is more than just fancy baseball writing. It's a factor for why we see lineups like this. Pittsburgh's spring training is relatively close in terms of Grapefruit League road teams - it's a one-hour, forty-minute drive - but most Grapefruit League games are annoyingly far away compared to the cross-town drives that exist in Arizona's Cactus League. For any established major leaguer, it's almost viewed as a punishment (or an absolute necessity) to be scheduled as a road game. If you want to see Twins regulars, you'll want to come to Hammond or to the Red Sox SkyBlue park, which is also in Fort Myers. I'd heard behind the scenes that MLB was going to try to crack down on lineups like this because there are supposed to be at least four regulars that make a road trip. It's a battle that MLB has been losing more and more each season, but I'm increasingly wondering if it's a battle worth fighting. A visiting superstar might draw more fans on the road, but superstars don't take any road trips. Is Kepler making a trip to Bradenton change anyone's calculus to attend a game? Fans go to see their own players, anyway. 12:55 PM ET I've got great news for you baseball nerds out there: there's an even better way to follow this game than right here. MLB.com is doing pitch-by-pitch tracking of spring training games, and for the first time, it includes Statcast data. (At least it does today at Hammond Stadium. We'll find out if the Red Sox are too, tomorrow.) Here's the link to it. So, if you're wondering if Louie Varland is going to use his 2-seam fastball (i.e. sinker) versus right-handers, you may get a chance to track that live. Or, for that matter, go back and see how it worked. The Pirates have right-handed batters in their second and third spots today. Of course, he might be saving that for later in the spring and just trying to get his pitch count in today. We'll see. 1:12 PM ET The game time and temperature was announced, which leads to one of my favorite bits in spring training: announcing the temperature both here and in Minneapolis. 74 degrees here and 35 degrees in Minneapolis. Eat it, losers.😜 Varland's first inning was scoreless but there were a couple of noteworthy developments for a guy who was hurt on homers by right-handed hitters last year. Both the second and third batter got hits against him, one of which was a grounder up the middle that Julien was able to get to but unable to field cleanly. He threw the 2-seamer to the second guy twice, went 2-0, and then went back to his traditional pitches. He threw 17 pitches and is coming out again in the second inning. (Lots of corrections made in this entry. I had Varland's sides lined up wrong and listed him as "Larnach" in one spot so ... live-blogging might not be my thing.) 1:23 PM ET An "old friend" just batted for the Pirates, except he is anything but old. Gilberto Celestino, the 25-year-old outfielder who played 145 games with the Twins in 2021 and 2022, signed a minor league deal with the Pirates this winter and is starting today's game. Celestino only hit .222 with a 592 OPS over those two years, but he was also just 22 and 23 years old and had been rushed through the minors due to injuries in the Twins outfield. He had some initial success by driving pitches the opposite way, but pitchers started busting him inside and he couldn't pull the ball with any authority. Last year, he was supposed to get the development time he needed in AAA, but he had a thumb injury that required surgery in spring training. He didn't join St. Paul until mid-June, and he wasn't bad, posting a .392 OBP, albeit with no power (.389 SLG). But again, thumb surgery. That happens. If he had stayed with the Twins, he might have made my "guys we should not forget about" list, but he was probably wise to find another organization. Austin Martin is on his way, Walker Jenkins is behind him, Buxton looks healthy, Willie Castro can fill some gaps, and Michael A Taylor is still on the free-agent market. The Twins are a crowded place to try and get time in center field. True to his history, he struck out in his first at-bat, but only after having a likely triple go foul by about two inches. Always so close..... I'll be rooting for him this year to get the opportunity his talent deserves, even with another team. 1:36 PM ET The Twins get their second run of the inning on a ground ball single by Austin Martin with an exit velocity of 102.3 MPH. I am an avid believer in not paying too much attention to spring training results, but my conviction on that is going to be challenged by Martin this year. He is arguably the best option for the last roster spot for position players, because he's a right-handed outfielder who can play all four spots. But will the Twins instead sign a right-handed hitting free agent? Would the even want Martin on the bench or would they prefer he play full time in St. Paul? I don't think I'm the only one watching him closely; I think the Twins are too, as they try to figure out which way to go. 2:15 PM ET Sorry about the long delay. We went down to talk to Varland, who I'll talk about next. On the way back, I took a midgame break to try out the concessions, which is not mandated for Twins Daily writers since we have created our Ultimate Guide to Spring Training. Today I checked out Bomba's Grill, which I rememberd I had liked, but I wasn't sure why. Today, I remembered. They do a "walking taco," which is essentially a taco salad that is tasty, filling, made-to-order, and reasonably priced. I will not overlok them again. I just added them to our Spring Training Guide. I'd recommend you click over for more options, or if you just like to daydream about visiting spring training. Next game: I try the Philly cheesesteaks. I'm not optimistic. I'm an admitted cheesesteak snob. 2:25 PM ET We talked to Louie Varland about his outing. It was pointed out that he hit 98 on his first pitch, but that was not a goal, and he didn't do that afterwards. (It did look like his 4-seam fastball was pretty effective.) He did try using his sinker versus some left-handers, and so I asked whether he usually has trouble getting in the zone, because he missed it a fair amount today. He said that hasn't usually been a problem - except for today. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ One thing to watch is that he is also apparently working on his slider a bit. He has so many pitches and so many ways he can pivot, it's not too hard to believe he's going to find his way back to the majors and succeed. 2:35 PM ET The Twins position players have almost all been pulled after going through the lineup twice. Carlos Santana had his first at-bat in exactly the role he was primarily brought in to fill: as a right-handed hitter versus a left-handed pitcher. He also had his first hit, grounding a single past shortstop. There's your good omen if you're looking for one. Max Kepler began the season where he left off. His first at-bat resulted in an out, but it was hit at over 106 mph, just right at the shortstop. That was versus a southpaw, too. In his second at-bat, he had a line drive single to left field. I mentioned a play Julien did not make in the first inning, but he had a fantastic pickup in the top of the fourth. Already shifted towards second base, he ranged even further to his right, charged a ball, and threw across his body to record an out. 3:01 PM ET I just went to sit down in section 207 which ended up being a shooting gallery for about a half inning. There must've been half a dozen foul balls that made their way into or around that section. There's another reason to come to spring training - just make sure you have your head on a swivel. While I was there, I also saw the Twins grab the lead, courtesy of an opposite-field home run by Dalton Shuffield. Shuffield isn't in big league camp; he's one of twelve minor leaguers that were called over to play in the late innings in this game. He also He isn't on any of our prospect lists, but he made AA-Witchita as a 24-year-old, so there's still time. His weakness seems to be power - he had a .398 SLG last year - so homering in Hammond is an auspicious start to his 2024 season. Then, to put the cherry on top, he ended the top of the seventh by throwing out the Pirates at the plate. Have a day, Dalton. 🙌 (FWIW, Twins Daily has talked about Shuffield quite a bit. Here's what I found when doing a quick site search on him.) 3:17 PM ET We have a pitch clock for the first time in spring training this year. There is only a small change to the pitch clock rule for 2024: with a runner on base, the block will be set at 18 seconds instead of 20 seconds like it was last year, so there may need to be some small adjustments by pitchers. It's amazing how quickly everyone became adjusted to the pitch clock after years of debating whether it was an incarnation of evil. I haven't heard anyone ask a question or comment on it this spring training. Last year, it was the #1 topic. This year, we've moved on to uniforms, I guess? 3:52 PM ET Twins win 5-3. In his postgame talk, manager Rocco Baldelli responded to reporters' questions and gave his impressions: Louie Varland looked fine and had a good outing. Austin Martin is a player that he wants the coaching staff to see more of. He brings a set of skills that would be a good fit for the team. Carlos Santana's defense at first base is one of the assets he is bringing to the Twins. The play Edouard Julien made is something they have seen before, and they think his defense keeps getting better. They're excited to see a full year of Royce Lewis. Niko Goodrum is known for his ability to hit left-handed pitching and play in the infield, which is a good fit for the team. Make sure to join our community by commenting on the game below if you're following along! View full article