John Bonnes

Download attachment: grass.jpg The beginning of the Grapefruit Season means more baseball talk, and we saw it on the forum board yesterday: The live thread of the game was a little weird because most people heard the game two hours later. That led to some talk about the limitations of MLB.TV. Also, Seth recapped the game the game which led to more discussion.Gardenhire surprised some of us by playing Trevor Plouffe in left field along with all the other starters. Does that mean Revere could be on the bench? And if that's the case, should Willingham play left field after all?Finally, just the concept of watching baseball live had members reminiscing about their favorite ballparks. This was by far our most popular thread of the day. Ah, spring.[PRBREAK][/PRBREAK] Click here to view the article

Download attachment: Tigers Soccer Jersey.JPG Aaron and John talk about Super Bowl festivities, breaking down the other four teams in the AL Central, last week's star-studded Twins Fest get-together, Matt Capps staying in the division, Aaron's chances with Kate Mara, feeling sorry for Carl Pavano, Dave St. Peter's dimples, the latest on Joe Saunders, meeting people from Twitter, "IAMACEO" by Starflyer 59, and the beauty of Andrew Dice Clay. Here are: the podcaststhe rss feed if you want to subscribe and the podcast on iTunes.[PRBREAK][/PRBREAK] Click here to view the article

Download attachment: Pelfrey_Mike_walking_US_720.jpg The latest casino project in Las Vegas is going to cost seven billion dollars. That is an incredible gamble (*1), but there are reasons that investors make it. The first is that in the long run, the house always wins. But the second is equally important: in the short run, anyone can win. If that wasn’t true, nobody would go to the casino, and there would be no reason to invest. Mike Pelfrey, who the Twins will be signing for $11 million over two years, is an investment too. [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]In the long run, he’s averaged out to a 4.48 ERA return, but that's like saying a roulette spin will come up blackish-red. He’s thrown about five-and-a-half seasons in the majors, and only once (4.74 ERA in 2011) has he ever come anywhere near that career ERA. Instead, he’s crushed it twice (3.72 in 2008 and 3.66 in 2010) and been crushed three times (5.57 in 2007, 5.03 in 2009, 5.19 last year). It doesn’t take a lot of advanced analysis to tell you that the Twins are betting against the house. But the advanced stats tell us the same thing. Pelfrey’s success or failure each year has been almost entirely based on how many home runs he has given up. Home runs are highly dependent on whether or not a pitcher tends to be a ground ball pitcher or a fly ball pitcher, and Pelfrey is the latter. It’s hard for any pitcher to control what percentage of those fly balls turn to home runs, but there is some long-term trend to it, and Pelfrey has been very good at keeping fly balls from turning to home runs. Every year he has pitched in the majors, Pelfrey has been in the top half of pitchers in home run to fly ball ratio (HR/FB). But the two years he was really good, he was elite in HR/FB, ranking 4th among qualified pitchers in 2008 and 9th in 2010. The other years, he wasn’t bad, but merely slightly above average. When Pelfrey has been successful, he’s been elite at doing something in which pitchers have very limited control. I don’t like to call that “luck,” but I also don’t like to call a good run at a blackjack table “luck.” I go with “secret sauce.” But whatever I call it, I don’t rely on it. If this was a one-year deal, I could say that the Twins won’t need to rely on it either. But a multi-year deal changes how teams react. If Pelfrey isn’t effective, whether it’s luck or skill or the wind blowing out in Target Field (*2) this spring, it’s going to be hard to push him out of the rotation. Nobody is going to be anxious to give up on a player with that contract, especially given that Pelfrey is by all accounts a good guy and hard worker. So the Twins are making a bigger bet than they should have against the house. They might have been emboldened to do so by their success with Kevin Correia, who paid off handsomely in his first year. The Twins have responded by doubling down instead of walking away with their winnings. That’s a natural, human reaction. It’s also why they still keep building casinos. ~~~ *1) We tend to read numbers and blow right past them, but think about what it means to build a seven BILLION dollar casino. That’s the value of thirteen of MLB teams, including the Twins, combined. And that money needs to be raised and paid UP FRONT in cash. And it’s not like casinos never go bust – several of them have over the last decade or ended up being partly built and then stalled out. Just what kind of return do you have to anticipate to make a seven billion dollar bet like that? *2) Target Field is probably worth addressing. HR/FB rate is also influenced by ballpark, and it would make sense that Target Field would help pitchers, especially right-handed pitchers, in that regard. But it’s worth noting that Pelfrey’s team, the Mets, also have a home ballpark that has suppressed home runs. For instance, in 2010, the Mets and their opponents hit 110 home runs in CitiField, but 153 home runs on the road. Click here to view the article

Five weeks. Just five weeks. Here's what you magnificent people have been doing in the five weeks since pitchers and catchers reported: We’re up to 1100 registered members, and nearly 500 of them have contributed to the community. The forum holds 500 discussion threads that have generated over 5000 individual posts, or about 100/1000 per week. 321 individual blog posts by our members on 62 blogs, or about nine every day. Those have been read by 34,765 unique visitors who have stopped by 134,000 times. Last Thursday we had 621 people visiting the site all at the same time. And finally, the benchmark that drove us to do this research: over half a million page views. [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]Download attachment: twins-daily h169.jpg The goal of this site was to make it easier for Twins fans to find great independent Twins writers and thinkers. But having 35,000 people discover posts and blogs of hundreds of our members over half a million times in a little over a month? I’m pinching my PC screen. This can’t be real. So again THANK YOU all for coming together and doing this. PLEASE: read, join, post, write and share with your friends. You have something to give. We’ll do our best to make sure we do our best to help people find it. Time for a couple of important notes… Ads You’re going to start seeing ads on TwinsDaily. Believe it or not, this is a good thing. For a community to thrive, it needs to be able to pay for itself, and all this activity (not to mention the initial investment in the web site) costs money. Ads are the last cornerstone to keep this community self-sufficient. It also reflects how thriving this community is - nobody advertises where there aren’t people. We’ll try and keep them from being overwhelming and hope you’ll support them the way they’re supporting all of us. By the way, the implementation of those ads might not be totally seamless. We’re feeling our way through this thing. As always, let us know if you think we’re screwing up. Spam The spambots have found us. Every morning Nick, Seth, Parker and I scour the site trying to stay on top of them, but it’s mostly reactive. So if you see one we’ve missed or haven’t found, please click on “Report” and we’ll get on it (and ban the user) as soon as we can. Play Nice Communities do a lot better when people show each other a level of respect. So we’re enforcing no vulgarity and no personal attacks. If you find a post that you think violates that, rather than lash out yourself, report it to us. Avatars Finally, let’s all get avatars, ok? Here’s how: When you’re logged in, click on “Settings” in the upper right hand corner (or here.) Click on Edit Avatar on the left-hand side. Thanks again everyone. As always, let us know your thoughts below or in the Questions About Twins Daily Forum. I don’t know exactly how the Twins season is going to go, but I’m sure glad we found each other and can share it together. Click here to view the article

Download attachment: plouffe%u0025252Ctrevor.jpg Aaron and John talk about the Twins' youth-led turnaround, Byron Buxton and the power arm-filled draft class, Trevor Plouffe's homer binge, Scott Diamond's ace impression, Chris Parmelee's return from Rochester, Ben Revere's long-term upside, Liam Hendriks' impending re-arrival, the wisdom of re-signing Ryan Doumit, Jason Marquis in pitcher heaven, Brian Dozier's struggles, and the exciting life on Aaron's balcony. Here are: the podcaststhe rss feed if you want to subscribe and the podcast on iTunes Click here to view the article

Download attachment: Beans.jpg Aaron and John talk about Minnesota Twins manager Ron Gardenhire's future, the latest with Jim Thome, Tom Kelly's opinion of Brian Dozier, Liam Hendriks' place in Australian history, late-night World Baseball Classic watching, storming the court, Joe Mauer's twins, questionable television viewing habits, one half of the podcast's "official couple" looking for new league members, going global, and being full of beans. Here are: the podcaststhe rss feed if you want to subscribe and the podcast on iTunes or click on the link below.[PRBREAK][/PRBREAK] . Click here to view the article

(Editors note: Updated at 10:30 with additional information from Joe Christensen's blog.) The Twins announced via Twitter this morning that they had optioned backup catcher to Rochester, reassigned utility infielder Mike Hollimon and placed relief pitcher Kyle Waldrop on the 15-day disabled list retroactive to March 26th. Furthermore, Butera told Star-Tribune beat reporter Joe Christensen that the Twins told him they were only taking two catchers north, leading Joe to believe that Sean Burroughs has won the last spot on the Twins bench.Download attachment: drewbutera.jpg [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK] Butera has served as the primary backup catcher for the Twins the last two years, relying on stellar defensive skills, but struggling offensively to a historical degree. His demotion means that JR Towles, a minor league free agent who came to the Twins from Houston, is the lone remaining option who could be added as a 3rd catcher. However, it appears now the Twins are at least leaning toward carrying only Joe Mauer and Ryan Doumit as catchers. If so (and provided Alexi Casilla's knee is ready in time), it appears that Sean Burroughs would win the last spot on the Twins roster. Burroughs was a top prospect with the Padres who fell out of the major league, struggled with substance abuse issues and returned to the majors last year with the Diamondbacks. He is a left-handed hitting 3rd baseman who would likely primarily be used as a pinch-hitting option. He was signed as a minor league free agent, so he would need to be added to the 40-man roster, but that doesn't appear to be a serious limitation. Hollimon was also a minor league free agent with little chance to come north with the team, but a tremendous spring performance kept him in the running for a utility infielder spot until this last weekend. Waldrop was in the race to make the Twins bullpen but has been out several days with elbow discomfort. Click here to view the article

Download attachment: Half Full Half Empty.jpg Aaron and John talk about the Minnesota Twins' odds of contending or rebuilding in 2013, where Chris Parmelee eventually fits into the lineup, a possible minor league affiliation shuffle, exactly how bad Tsuyoshi Nishioka looked, whether Nick Blackburn should stick around with a 7.50 ERA, Liam Hendriks' and Brian Dozier's long-term outlook, which of them would make a worse Olympian, Bert Blyleven vs. Patrick Reusse, and why Gleeman won't go to Las Vegas with Bonnes. Here are: the podcaststhe rss feed if you want to subscribe andthe podcast on iTunes. [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK] Click here to view the article

~ Sponsored by Ticket King ~ [TABLE=width: 645] DATE TIME (CST) OPPONENT TICKETS RESULT Monday, Mar 31 3:10 at Chicago Sox [/TD] L 5-3 Wednesday, Apr 02 7:10 at Chicago Sox L 7-6 Thursday, Apr 03 1:10 at Chicago Sox W 10-9 Friday, Apr 04 2:05 at Cleveland L 7-2 Saturday, Apr 05 12:05 at Cleveland W 7-3 Sunday, Apr 06 12:05 at Cleveland W 10-7 Monday, Apr 07 3:10 Oakland L 8-3 Wednesday, Apr 09 12:10 Oakland L 7-4 Thursday, Apr 10 12:10 Oakland Ticket King L 6-1 Friday, Apr 11 7:10 Kansas City Ticket King W 10-1 Saturday, Apr 12 1:10 Kansas City Ticket King W 7-1 Sunday, Apr 13 1:10 Kansas City Ticket King W 4-3 Tuesday, Apr 15 7:10 Toronto Ticket King L 3-9 Wednesday, Apr 16 7:10 Toronto Ticket King W 7-0 Thursday, Apr 17 12:10 Toronto Ticket King W 9-5 Friday, Apr 18 7:10 at Kansas City Ticket King L 0-5 Saturday, Apr 19 1:10 at Kansas City Ticket King L 4-5 Sunday, Apr 20 1:10 at Kansas City Ticket King W 8-3 Tuesday, Apr 22 6:10 at Tampa Bay Ticket King L 3-7 Wednesday, Apr 23 6:10 at Tampa Bay Ticket King W 6-4 Thursday, Apr 24 12:10 at Tampa Bay Ticket King W 9-7 Friday, Apr 25 7:10 Detroit Ticket King L 6-10 Saturday, Apr 26 1:10 Detroit Ticket King W 5-3 Sunday, Apr 27 1:10 Detroit Ticket King PPD Wednesday, Apr 30 7:10 LA Dodgers Ticket King L 4-6 Thursday, May 01 12:10 LA Dodgers Ticket King L 4-9 Thursday, May 1 6:10 LA Dodgers Ticket King L 3-4 Friday, May 02 7:10 Baltimore Ticket King L 0-3 Saturday, May 03 1:10 Baltimore Ticket King W 6-1 Sunday, May 04 1:10 Baltimore Ticket King W 5-2 Monday, May 05 6:05 at Cleveland Ticket King W 1-0 Tuesday, May 06 6:05 at Cleveland Ticket King L 2-4 Wednesday, May 07 6:05 at Cleveland Ticket King L 3-4 Thursday, May 08 11:05 at Cleveland Ticket King L 4-9 Friday, May 09 6:08 at Detroit Ticket King W 2-1 Saturday, May 10 12:08 at Detroit Ticket King L 3-9 Sunday, May 11 12:08 at Detroit Ticket King W 4-3 Tuesday, May 13 7:10 Boston Ticket King W 8-6 Wednesday, May 14 7:10 Boston Ticket King L 4-9 Thursday, May 15 12:10 Boston Ticket King W 4-3 Friday, May 16 7:10 Seattle Ticket King W 5-4 Saturday, May 17 6:10 Seattle Ticket King W 4-3 Sunday, May 18 1:10 Seattle Ticket King L 2-6 Tuesday, May 20 9:10 at San Diego Ticket King W 5-3 Wednesday, May 21 9:10 at San Diego Ticket King W 2-0 Friday, May 23 9:15 at San Francisco Ticket King L 2-6 Saturday, May 24 9:05 at San Francisco Ticket King L 1-2 Sunday, May 25 3:05 at San Francisco Ticket King L 1-8 Monday, May 26 1:10 Texas Ticket King L 2-7 Tuesday, May 27 7:10 Texas Ticket King W 4-3 Wednesday, May 28 7:10 Texas Ticket King L 0-1 Thursday, May 29 12:10 Texas Ticket King L 4-5 Friday, May 30 6:05 at NY Yankees Ticket King W 6-1 Saturday, May 31 12:05 at NY Yankees Ticket King L 1-3 Sunday, Jun 01 12:05 at NY Yankees Ticket King W 7-2 Monday, Jun 02 7:10 at Milwaukee Ticket King L 2-6 Tuesday, Jun 03 7:10 at Milwaukee Ticket King W 6-4 Wednesday, Jun 04 7:10 Milwaukee Ticket King W 6-4 Thursday, Jun 05 7:10 Milwaukee Ticket King L 8-5 Friday, Jun 06 7:10 Houston Ticket King L 4-5 Saturday, Jun 07 1:10 Houston Ticket King W 8-0 Sunday, Jun 08 1:10 Houston Ticket King L 5-14 Monday, Jun 09 6:07 at Toronto Ticket King L 4-5 Tuesday, Jun 10 6:07 at Toronto Ticket King W 4-0 Wednesday, Jun 11 11:37 at Toronto Ticket King W 7-2 Friday, Jun 13 6:08 at Detroit Ticket King W 2-0 Saturday, Jun 14 3:08 at Detroit Ticket King L 9-12 Sunday, Jun 15 12:08 at Detroit Ticket King L 3-4 Monday, Jun 16 6:10 at Boston Ticket King L 0-1 Tuesday, Jun 17 6:10 at Boston Ticket King L 1-2 Wednesday, Jun 18 12:35 at Boston Ticket King L 1-2 Thursday, Jun 19 7:10 Chicago Sox Ticket King W 4-2 Friday, Jun 20 7:10 Chicago Sox Ticket King W 5-4 Saturday, Jun 21 1:10 Chicago Sox Ticket King W 4-3 Sunday, Jun 22 1:10 Chicago Sox Ticket King W 6-5 Tuesday, Jun 24 9:05 at LA Angels Ticket King L 6-8 Wednesday, Jun 25 9:05 at LA Angels Ticket King L 2-6 Thursday, Jun 26 2:35 at LA Angels Ticket King L 4-6 Friday, Jun 27 7:05 at Texas Ticket King L 4-5 Saturday, Jun 28 3:05 at Texas Ticket King L 0-5 Sunday, Jun 29 2:05 at Texas Ticket King W 3-2 Monday, Jun 30 7:10 Kansas City Ticket King L 1-6 Tuesday, Jul 01 7:10 Kansas City Ticket King W 10-2 Wednesday, Jul 02 12:10 Kansas City Ticket King L 0-4 Thursday, Jul 03 7:10 NY Yankees Ticket King L 4-7 Friday, Jul 04 2:10 NY Yankees Ticket King L 5-6 Saturday, Jul 05 1:10 NY Yankees Ticket King W 2-1 Sunday, Jul 06 1:10 NY Yankees Ticket King L 7-9 Monday, Jul 07 9:10 at Seattle Ticket King L 0-2 Tuesday, Jul 08 9:10 at Seattle Ticket King W 2-0 Wednesday, Jul 09 9:10 at Seattle Ticket King W 2-0 Thursday, Jul 10 9:10 at Seattle Ticket King W 8-1 Friday, Jul 11 7:40 at Colorado Ticket King L 2-6 Saturday, Jul 12 3:10 at Colorado Ticket King W 9-3 Sunday, Jul 13 3:10 at Colorado Ticket King W 13-5 Friday, Jul 18 7:10 Tampa Bay Ticket King Saturday, Jul 19 6:10 Tampa Bay Ticket King Sunday, Jul 20 1:10 Tampa Bay Ticket King Monday, Jul 21 7:10 Cleveland Ticket King Tuesday, Jul 22 7:10 Cleveland Ticket King Wednesday, Jul 23 12:10 Cleveland Ticket King Thursday, Jul 24 7:10 Chicago Sox Ticket King Friday, Jul 25 7:10 Chicago Sox Ticket King Saturday, Jul 26 6:10 Chicago Sox Ticket King Sunday, Jul 27 1:10 Chicago Sox Ticket King Tuesday, Jul 29 7:10 at Kansas City Ticket King Wednesday, Jul 30 7:10 at Kansas City Ticket King Thursday, Jul 31 7:10 at Kansas City Ticket King Friday, Aug 01 7:10 at Chicago Sox Ticket King Saturday, Aug 02 6:10 at Chicago Sox Ticket King Sunday, Aug 03 1:10 at Chicago Sox Ticket King Tuesday, Aug 05 7:10 San Diego Ticket King Wednesday, Aug 06 12:10 San Diego Ticket King Thursday, Aug 07 9:05 at Oakland Ticket King Friday, Aug 08 9:05 at Oakland Ticket King Saturday, Aug 09 8:05 at Oakland Ticket King Sunday, Aug 10 3:05 at Oakland Ticket King Monday, Aug 11 7:10 at Houston Ticket King Tuesday, Aug 12 7:10 at Houston Ticket King Wednesday, Aug 13 1:10 at Houston Ticket King Friday, Aug 15 7:10 Kansas City Ticket King Saturday, Aug 16 6:10 Kansas City Ticket King Sunday, Aug 17 1:10 Kansas City Ticket King Monday, Aug 18 7:10 Kansas City Ticket King Tuesday, Aug 19 7:10 Cleveland Ticket King Wednesday, Aug 20 7:10 Cleveland Ticket King Thursday, Aug 21 12:10 Cleveland Ticket King Friday, Aug 22 7:10 Detroit Ticket King Saturday, Aug 23 6:10 Detroit Ticket King Sunday, Aug 24 1:10 Detroit Ticket King Tuesday, Aug 26 7:10 at Kansas City Ticket King Wednesday, Aug 27 7:10 at Kansas City Ticket King Thursday, Aug 28 7:10 at Kansas City Ticket King Friday, Aug 29 6:05 at Baltimore Ticket King Saturday, Aug 30 11:00 at Baltimore Ticket King Sunday, Aug 31 12:35 at Baltimore Ticket King Monday, Sep 01 12:35 at Baltimore Ticket King Tuesday, Sep 02 7:10 Chicago Sox Ticket King Wednesday, Sep 03 7:10 Chicago Sox Ticket King Thursday, Sep 04 7:10 LA Angels Ticket King Friday, Sep 05 7:10 LA Angels Ticket King Saturday, Sep 06 6:10 LA Angels Ticket King Sunday, Sep 07 1:10 LA Angels Ticket King Tuesday, Sep 09 6:05 at Cleveland Ticket King Wednesday, Sep 10 6:05 at Cleveland Ticket King Thursday, Sep 11 11:05 at Cleveland Ticket King Friday, Sep 12 7:10 at Chicago Sox Ticket King Saturday, Sep 13 6:10 at Chicago Sox Ticket King Sunday, Sep 14 1:10 at Chicago Sox Ticket King Monday, Sep 15 7:10 Detroit Ticket King Tuesday, Sep 16 7:10 Detroit Ticket King Wednesday, Sep 17 7:10 Detroit Ticket King Friday, Sep 19 7:10 Cleveland Ticket King Saturday, Sep 20 6:10 Cleveland Ticket King Sunday, Sep 21 1:10 Cleveland Ticket King Monday, Sep 22 7:10 Arizona Ticket King Tuesday, Sep 23 7:10 Arizona Ticket King Wednesday, Sep 24 12:10 Arizona Ticket King Thursday, Sep 25 6:08 at Detroit Ticket King Friday, Sep 26 6:08 at Detroit Ticket King Saturday, Sep 27 6:08 at Detroit Ticket King Sunday, Sep 28 12:08 at Detroit Ticket King [TD] [/TABLE] Download attachment: TK-logo.jpg Click here to view the article

Download attachment: kfan-booth.jpg Aaron and John are back on the radio at KFAN and talk about the Twins' opening week, Ron Gardenhire's milestone win and place in history, getting home opener tickets, Chris Colabello's great story, choosing Derek Jeter's career, Twitter slap fights, trading producers, the changing bullpen roles, college tours, and The Church of Mase. You can listen by downloading us from iTunes, Stitcher or find it at GleemanAndTheGeek.com.[PRBREAK][/PRBREAK] ~~~ Thanks to the Twins win over Cleveland on Sunday, Monday you can get 50% off a Large of Extra Large pizza when you use the “TWINSWIN” promotion code at PapaJohns.com. Click here to view the article

Sponsored by Snyder Gislason Frasier LLC [/hr]Download attachment: 743px-Minor_League_Baseball_Logo.jpg Starting at 6 PM today, hundreds of "kids" (I'm 47. I can say that.) will be drafted by MLB teams and begin their dream career but before they get to The Show, they’ll be serving time in a economic system that is being called into question in federal court. At issue is whether MLB teams are using those players' dreams to conduct unfair – and even illegal – labor practices in the minor leagues. I learned more about this when I joined Chad Snyder and Mike Frasier of Snyder Gislason Frasier at a Twins game last week. That question is being raised in a California federal court by three ex-minor leaguers bringing a class-action suit against Major League Baseball, the Office of The Commissioner, Commissioner Bud Selig, and all the teams in MLB. At issue is whether MLB is violating the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) which was FDR’s landmark legislation that governs the length of work week, minimum wage, overtime pay and child labor laws. Certainly, it’s not hard to find evidence that minor league players are treated as serfs by the baseball industry. American minor leaguers do not get to pick their teams; they’re distributed via a draft. While a few get a big bonus, the vast majority get something closer to a couple thousand dollars to sign. Before they play for an organization they need to sign a Universal Player Contract (UPC) which grants MLB exclusive rights to the player for seven seasons, not even allowing them to play for a team outside the United States, or even retire. And while, in theory, the player can negotiate a salary during that time, in reality they can’t; many MLB organizations have a no-negotiation policy. This has resulted in salaries that, according to the lawsuit, range from $1,100/month in rookie and short-season leagues to $2150/month in AAA. In a recent story on Cedar Rapids Kernels players, catcher Alex Muren said he takes home about $660/month. And Twins players are some of the luckier ones. The Twins, unlike many teams, arrange housing for their players with local families. The Kernels also feed players before and after games. But the players are at the ballpark 10-12 hours per day, often six or seven days per week. And there is no provision for overtime. Simple division shows the players aren't earning anything close to minimum wage. But that’s the least of the extra time players put in. The UPC also dictates that those salaries are only paid for the months of the season. The players are not paid for spring training, extended spring training, instructional league, winter ball or winter training. And unlike their major league counterparts, the minor leaguers don’t belong to a union. In fact, the Major League Baseball Players Union (MLBPA) and MLB have collectively agreed to limit many aspects of compensation for the minor leaguers, including signing bonuses for players in the draft or who are signed internationally. The suit concludes: “Since minor leaguers do not belong to a union, nothing has prevented the defendants from artificially and illegally depressing minor league wages. Indeed, MLB's exemption from antitrust laws has only made it easier. Given that MLB carefully controls the entryway into the highest levels of baseball, and given the young minor leaguer's strong desire to enter the industry, MLB and the defendants have exploited minor leaguers by paying salaries below minimum wage, by not paying overtime wages, and by often paying no wages at all." Because of this, the suit is asking for damages and an injunction against the defendants for continuing these practices. But since the class-action suit was filed this winter, the teams and MLB have answered and given some hints as to the defenses they might use: Break It Down Some teams are asking that some of the charges get tried in different states. At the same time, the teams are arguing that different facts and different law should apply to each player. This could be a strategic move by which MLB breaks this class-action suit into separate lawsuits, none of which would be as damaging. Exemption One of the most common defenses for a FLSA suit is that the employer or employee is exempt, as there are many exemptions in the law. You might be surprised to find out that one of these is NOT baseball’s antitrust exemption. That covers a lot of things, but monopolies still need to pay their employees a fair wage. However, there is an exemption for seasonal “amusement or recreational” employees. Certainly, the “Boys of Summer” stereotype of baseball players would seem to support that category. But the suit was very careful to anticipate this defense, showing that players are working, or at least serving, their organization year-round. This could be one of the key points the federal court would need to decide. “Courts have been presented with this argument before, and have gone both ways,” explained Mike Frasier, who specializes in employment law. One court determined that bat boys for the Detroit Tigers fell under this exemption and another court found that the groundskeeping staff at the Sarasota White Sox facility does as well. On the other hand, another court determined that maintenance employees of the Cincinnati Reds do not qualify for the exemption. But none of those decisions were in California, which means the court hearing this case does not need to follow what those others did. Arbitration The federal court could rule that they shouldn’t be the ones to decide this case at all. One defense raised by MLB is that that the UFC has a provision in it for players and their organizations to resolve disputes: arbitration. Because of this provision, the players can't take the organization to court if MLB decides it should go to arbitration instead. But if MLB wants to play this card, they need to do so soon. If they engage in this lawsuit for very long without compelling arbitration, they may waive that right. MLB and the teams are asserting many other defenses, but these appear to be the strongest – or at least the ones that could most quickly win the case for them. There is a significant chance, given some of the defenses, that this case could head for a fairly quick dismissal. But if it becomes extended, it might raise some issues that MLB (and maybe the MLBPA) would be wise to consider. MLB was estimated to have revenue of 8+ billion dollars in 2013. Investing just 1% of that revenue would provide an extra $13,000 to each of their 6,000 minor leaguers, doubling or tripling their salaries. Perhaps it is time MLB considered that investment. [/hr]Snyder Gislason Frasier LLC is a Minneapolis-based law firm committed to providing personalized service to their clients while cheering for the Minnesota Twins. Their talented lawyers can help you find innovative solutions to legal issues in many areas, including general business law, litigation, contracts, family law, employment law, and entertainment law. Click here to view the article

As Minnesotans, we take no joy in kicking people when they're down. Isn't enough that the White Sox are in the AL Central cellar, 8.5 games back of the the 4th place (and rival) Minnesota Twins, against whom they are 3-9 this season? Isn't it enough that they're on pace to lose 100+ games for just the 3rd time in their 113-year history? Isn't it enough that their minor league system is a barren wasteland, providing almost zero hope for the future? Download attachment: Ventura_Robin_Standing_US_600.jpg Nope. [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]This week is the last chance you have to let the White Sox know exactly how much you're enjoying their 2013 season, so lets' find the best Target Field seats and for spending quality time with the Pale Hose: Adam Dunn - Section 14 The tough part about heckling Adam Dunn is choosing where to start. Obviously, there is the last name, which comes in handy for signage. His nickname - Big Donkey - is ripe with possibilities. And his contract, which pays $15 million/year is painful in so many delightful ways. (I like to remind the Sox of that after he strikes out. Which he did 222 times last year, including 10 times at Target Field.) But my favorite is fact is that despite having not hit above .200 against left-handed pitchers since 2009, he not only is in the lineup vs. southpaws, he consistently bats 4th or 5th. I can hardly wait until he faces Andrew Albers with the bases loaded so I can yell "Dunn's up! THANK GOD!" Robin Ventura - Section 11 Taking over for Ozzie Guillen last year, Ventura drew rave reviews as the White Sox surprised everyone by finishing within spitting distance of the Tigers, though they still missed the playoffs. This year - not so much. The frequent camera shots of Ventura this last weekend showed a manager who seemed even less invested in winning games than his players. If you sit near him, you might want to check frequently with him to make sure he's still awake. Mark Buehrle - Bullpen seats in 131 Except you need to wait until the Marlins come back to town. Jake Peavy - Section 12 Except you need to wait until the Red Sox come to town. Ozzie Guillen - Section 10 Except you need to wait until the Cuban National Team comes to town. (Not really.) AJ Pierzynski - Section 334 (Boos carry.) Except you need to wait until the Rangers come to town. White Sox Fans - Any seat in Target Field I'm sure not every White Sox fan is a jerk, but if someone wanted to take that stance, there would be plenty of anecdotal evidence to support it. I suspect it comes from their second division standing in their own town (to a team that is nationally viewed as perpetual losers, no less). The Cubs are the hobbits, and so the White Sox and their fans have decided to play the role of the orcs. As such, it's probably best not to engage them, but if you're forced to, remember that we replaced Pierzynski with Joe Mauer. I wonder how their replacement, Tyler Flowers, is doing? Tyler Flowers - Section 8 and 9 For years, Flowers was the heir apparent at catcher for the White Sox - and yet they kept re-signing AJ Pierzynski. Now we know why. He's hitting .193. Sometimes heckling just takes care of itself. Paul Konerko - Section 3 Did you know that in 854 career at-bats versus the Twins, Paul Konerko has 917 hits? That's right - he has more hits than at-bats. You can look it up. (Editors note: Don't look it up. It's not true. It's not even possible.) This year the 37-year-old Konerko has been a shell of himself, injured and hitting just .241 with a 655 OPS. (Of course, the White Sox are still batting him 4th and 5th. See: Dunn, Adam.) So if you want to heckle him, this is the year. But personally, I'll refrain. To me, Konerko represents what the White Sox could be - confident enough to be brutally honest but productive enough to back it up. If this is the last time he plays at Target Field - and it could be, because his contract with them ends this year and there has been retirement talk - I'd like to be there. It would be worth the time to show up and maybe even respectfully acknowledge him sticking it to the Twins one more time. He's earned that. Click here to view the article

Signup has begun for the Touch 'Em All Pub Crawl, sponsored by Proximo Spirits, and you can join us by clicking on this link. Tickets are $60. The event starts August 23rd at noon and includes a $27 Twins ticket, a t-shirt, and a whole lot more as described below. Last year was legendary and we expect a much bigger crowd this year. Grab your tickets right now. Signup has begun for the Touch 'Em All Pub Crawl, sponsored by Proximo Spirits, and you can join us by clicking on this link. Tickets are $60. The event starts August 23rd at noon and includes a $27 Twins ticket, a t-shirt, and a whole lot more as described below. Last year was legendary and we expect a much bigger crowd this year. Grab your tickets right now. And then I got to see Brock’s great t-shirt design, to the right. "Cappacino and Cream" is the color choice for 2014. So let’s put a pretty little bow on things. Tomorrow morning you’re going to want to click on this link (it'll be active tomorrow) to buy tickets. We’re selling them at cost for $50 on Friday only and go up to $60 after, and they’ll only be available for a week. It starts at noon on August 23rd at Barrio in Lowertown, includes stops and raffles at Campus Pizza, Di Nokio’s BarZia and Masons and of course the Twins game. More details are below. You can also buy just the shirt if you already have tickets to the game. Last year’s was legendary and I expect nothing less this year. We’ll see you tomorrow! The details are coming together for the Touch ‘Em All Pub Crawl sponsored by Proximo Spirits. Remember, tickets are on sale on Friday at 8 AM at this link and not only will they be sold at a discount that day, we have a history of selling out early. Here is what we know so far…. First, since Proximo makes some damn fine liquors, we’ve been promised a couple of incredible drink specials throughout the trip from some high-end products like Maestro Dobel Tequila. I’m telling you this early in the story so you can start pacing yourself right now. We’ll meet up at noon at Barrio Tequila Bar in Lowertown, which also has been awarded some of the best Mexican food in the Twin Cities. They’re hinting at an all-you-can-eat taco special to gear us up for the trip ahead and a raffle for some free pizzas from Papa Johns. Also, Aaron Gleeman has promised to show us videos of his cat. From there we’ll jump on the new Metro Transit Green Line to the U of M and Campus Pizza. There will be more food, drinks and a raffle for DiamondCentric t-shirts. Parker will also entertain us with outtakes from the Twins Daily photo shoot by Twin Cities Business Journal. Our third stop is DiNoko’s BarZia in downtown Minneapolis, home of Chicago Style Deep Dish pizza. There will be yet more specials for the t-shirt wearing crowd and a raffle of four highly sought after Twins Daily Winter Meltdown Pint Glasses. Nick Nelson will impress us all by not rapping. Finally, we’ll end where we did last year – at Mason’s Barre & Restaurant. If you were with us last year or at the Meltdown or at the Home Run Derby party, you know they always take care of us. We’ll also have a very special raffle….. At each bar, you’ll be able to get a stamp on your hand. Anyone who is at Mason’s and has all three of the other stamps will be eligible for a special drawing for two pairs of front row Twins tickets for a game later this year. Finally, you’ll be going to a Twins game with us all where we’ll watch Alex Meyer or Trevor May pitch a perfect game while various Twins players buy us rounds of cocktails*. So click on this page, bookmark it and then set an alarm for Friday morning. That day the price is just $50 which includes a $27 Twins ticket, the Pub Crawl t-shirt and various other incidentals. The price goes up on Saturday to $60 and sales are completely over by Friday the 1st. (We should also mention that if you already have a ticket to the game, you can still join us at a reduced price. Just buy the t-shirt for $25 and you’ll still be welcome on the crawl and enjoy all the specials and benefits of our members. You’re just on your own at the game.) We spend enough time online or listening to each other on podcasts. It’s time to meet up. Please get in early so we can make sure we see you there. *Not totally guaranteed. Hell, none of this it totally guaranteed. We’ll do the best we can. It started as a bad pun. It ended as a legend. Last year Twins Daily and Gleeman and the Geek had their inaugural pub crawl to a Twins game, the inappropriately delicious #GrandDrunkRailroad. The idea was simple: start at one end of an LRT and pub crawl our way to a Twins game where we would sit together and share the love. Our organization skills might not have been the strongest, but our enthusiasm carried the day. I still remember the look on the unsuspecting first bartender’s face as 80 people in red t-shirts swamped his understaffed place on a Saturday afternoon. But like any good runaway train, it built momentum from stop-to-stop. It ended at Hrbek’s with Glen Perkins making national news by buying a round for the revelers during a rain delay. For those that missed it, I have good news: you’re getting a do-over. On August 23rd, starting at noon, the Touch ‘Em All Pub Crawl, sponsored by Proximo Liquors, will be rolling through the metro area. Once again we’ll be starting at one end of town (this time, St. Paul) and making our way, bar by bar, to the Saturday night Twins game versus the Detroit Tigers. I can promise a little more organization – for instance, the bars should actually be prepared for us this year – and several additions to the proceedings. But mostly what you can expect is revelry and community. We want as many people to show up as can, so we’re offering this at cost for one day. On Friday (7/25), we’ll start selling tickets at 8:00 AM for $50 per person ticket, which includes a $27 ticket, a $20 t-shirt (+ shipping) and several other bonuses. If we have any tickets left – and that’s a big “if” because we sold out the Winter Meltdown by noon – we’ll sell those at $60. One week from Friday (August 1st), we’ll need to cut off sales completely to get the t-shirts ordered and delivered in time for the event. Keep checking this space for more details throughout the week and for where to buy the tickets. On behalf of all the writers of Twins Daily and Aaron, we hope you can make it this time. You’re going to get to meet a lot of great people – I know dozens of people who travel to the Twin Cities for this event. Plus, there is something special about seeing a Twins game with 100+ people who love it as much as I do. This is one of our favorite days of the year. Join us and see why. And maybe be part of the next legend. View full article

Over All-Star weekend, the local SABR chapter had a series of panels on Minnesota baseball at Fan Fest. I was on one that covered the history of baseball in Minnesota, starting with the Nininger Nine in 1857 (before statehood) and going through the Twins. Over All-Star weekend, the local SABR chapter had a series of panels on Minnesota baseball at Fan Fest. I was on one that covered the history of baseball in Minnesota, starting with the Nininger Nine in 1857 (before statehood) and going through the Twins. There is a lot of talk about baseball in the 1800s, the Millers and Saints, and the early days of the Twins. If you're looking for a one-hour overview of the history of baseball in Minnesota, you could do worse than to check out the video at http://m.mlb.com/video/v34740753/sabr-panel-discusses-history-of-baseball-in-minnesota View full article

The Minnesota Twins announced on Thursday afternoon that they have traded designated hitter Kendrys Morales to the Seattle Mariners for reliever Stephen Pryor. To fill Morales spot on the roster, they recalled Jorge Polanco from Single-A. Pryor was the Mariners right-handed “closer of the future” back in 2012 but has been sidetracked by injuries since. The most recent, a torn back muscle on his pitching arm side, cost him most of 2013 and meant a late start in 2014. He’s spent most of the year in AAA with only one relief appearance with the Mariners (against the Twins this month). In AAA-Tacoma, he’s had 27 strikeouts in 31 innings but has also had 18 walks. Control has been a bit of a problem for Pryor throughout his minor league career: he has walked 88 batters in 162 IP in the minors. In his major league career, he has 35 K in 32 IP with 16 BB and a 1.313 WHIP. The Minnesota Twins announced on Thursday afternoon that they have traded designated hitter Kendrys Morales to the Seattle Mariners for reliever Stephen Pryor. To fill Morales spot on the roster, they recalled Jorge Polanco from Single-A. Pryor was the Mariners right-handed “closer of the future” back in 2012 but has been sidetracked by injuries since. The most recent, a torn back muscle on his pitching arm side, cost him most of 2013 and meant a late start in 2014. He’s spent most of the year in AAA with only one relief appearance with the Mariners (against the Twins this month). In AAA-Tacoma, he’s had 27 strikeouts in 31 innings but has also had 18 walks. Control has been a bit of a problem for Pryor throughout his minor league career: he has walked 88 batters in 162 IP in the minors. In his major league career, he has 35 K in 32 IP with 16 BB and a 1.313 WHIP. Kendrys Morales was signed on June 7th by the Twins to help with their playoff push, but both he and the team struggled soon after. Overall, he’s hit just .234 with a .584 OPS for the Twins, and has seen only a slight uptick from that production in recent weeks. By trading him to the Mariners now, the Twins will only be responsible for a month-and-a-half of his $12M salary, or about $3M. It’s somewhat a surprise that the Twins traded for a reliever instead of a pure propsect, but while Pryor is a relief pitcher, he is also a power arm prospect that could play a significant role in the Twins bullpen for several years. Or, he could be damaged goods. He turned 25 yesterday and has over a year and a half of service time, so he’ll likely be eligible for arbitration after the 2015 season. It is doubtful the Twins could have received a significant prospect for Morales, who is not hitting enough to be in high demand, and that's not including his defensive limitation. This is a “sell-low/buy-low” trade for both teams, but the Twins will have more time to wait for Pryor to regain his form, and will spend less money while they wait. It also clears up any debate about the direction the Twins plan to take at the trade deadline. They are "sellers" and this could be one of several moves the team makes over the next week. View full article

You can view the page at http://twinsdaily.com/content.php/3284-Video-Minnesota-Baseball-History

I should also mention that there is a lot more discussion on this move here: http://twinsdaily.com/showthread.php/12755-Morales-traded-to-Seattle

I'm a little surprised a move was made this early. It makes me think there are several other moves to come and they wanted to get this one out of the way ASAP.

This whole Knoblauch saga is getting seriously sad. Here is the story about his arrest: http://www.khou.com/sports/Ex-MLB-star-Chuck-Knoblauch-accused-of-assaulting-ex-wife--268479052.html With all that we've learned recently about concussions and such in baseball, I'm starting to wonder if there is some mental illness going on, or physical brain problem that he is fighting. This is getting reminiscent of Darren Daulton, who also had a domestic violence charge, espoused some very goofy beliefs in occultism, and needed brain surgery in 2013.

You can view the page at http://twinsdaily.com/content.php/3277-Twins-Trade-Kendrys-Morales-for-Seattle-Reliever-Stephen-Pryor

So it's not like they need to pull the pitcher, right? They can use the DH in the 1st, let the pitcher bat in the 4th, go back to the Dh in the 7th? I can't quite process it, but I think most of us would agree - having it differ by leagues is the worst possible situation. It's not like we need to gather any more data about this experiment. Do it one way or the other. Personally, I hated the DH rule - right up until I moved to a NL city and had to watch pitchers bat every ninth hitter. There was very little strategic about it. The moves become just as rote - a double-switch, pulling the pitcher in late innings, etc - and the price for the small increase in strategy was having to watch rally after rally get killed by a civilian with a bat. I couldn't believe how much I disliked it. So that's my advice to American League citizens who crave the DH - adopt a NL team for a year and watch their games and see if you really like it. It's a hell of a lot glamorous than you think it's going to be, IMHO.

I think both are reasonable positions. Certainly, if you believe Terry Ryan at face value, he says that they believe that Meyer and May both have some thing on which to work. Accepting this at face value seems to be fair, because I can't think of any nefarious reason to claim otherwise. It's not like they haven't reached the arbitration deadline. There must be a reason here, and I don't think it's "because Terry Ryan is perpetually clueless," because I think he's amply demonstrated otherwise. Then, to me, the question is: "Why?" Perhaps there is something they feel makes them unready, either on or off the field. Maybe they're worried about them tiring by pitching through September. Maybe they like the instruction better at AAA? Maybe....I don't know. I'd be interested in alternate theories or paradigms people have.

You may have the makings of a memorable weekend. And since you'll be downtown for Sunday anyway, you also have a built-in excuse to get a hotel room downtown on Saturday night.