John Bonnes

~ Sponsored by Switch My Trip ~ How big of a switch do you want? A game? A week? A team? A career? Our winner this week, Chris Colabello, represents all of the above. His bases-clearing double in yesterday’s 10-7 win over Cleveland rescued a game that was deteriorating fast for the Twins. And that was his second best performance of the week. His best was three days earlier, when the Twins were trying to bounce back from a disheartening extra-inning loss, avoid being swept by the dreaded White Sox and win their first game of the 2014 season. That’s when he drove in six of the Twins ten runs in a 10-6 win. [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK] ~ The Twins are looking to switch things around this year. Every week, Metro Transit recognizes a Twins player who successfully switched the outcome of a game for the better. ~ A week that could’ve ended 1-5 is now 3-3. A team that had serious questions about their offense is now one of the top scoring teams in the majors. And their cleanup hitter is a 30-year-old rookie who was nearly sold to a South Korean team in December. Hollywood would turn down this script as too saccharine. Three years ago, Colabello wasn’t playing with an affiliated team. He was playing in the Can-Am league, an independent league similar to the league in which the St. Paul Saints play. As a 28-year-old he joined the Twins AA club and impressed. Last year as a 29-year-old he tore up AAA, earning a promotion to the majors as a very old rookie. That’s already a Disney movie. But cue the foreboding music, because after he was called up, Colabello fell flat. He started out 1 for 11. He bounced around a .200 batting average finishing with a .194 mark. He went to the Dominican Winter League where he was hitting just .190 when the opportunity arose to join a South Korean team. Colabello had every right to embrace that destiny. It was reported that he could have made upwards of a million dollars in salary overseas. With the Twins, he would be limited to about half of that – and that was only if he made the team, which was looking questionable. Joe Mauer was moving to first base, Colabello’s natural position. The Twins had signed Jason Kubel to be their designated hitter. Colabello was a long shot to make the roster even if he was hitting, which, of course, he wasn’t. The simple fact that the Twins were willing to sell his contract overseas spoke volumes about their evaluation of his future. But Colabello turned down the chance to go overseas. He started hitting early in spring training and never stopped. He leapfrogged several other candidates to make it onto the Opening Day roster for the first time as a 30-year-old. And through the first week of the season, he leads the team in RBI, total bases and OPS (on-base plus slugging). How much bigger can a switch get? ~~~ Why fight traffic and parking? Say ‘Switch My Trip’ for the next Twins game. Metro Transit can provide you and your whole family a train ride to the game. Planning your trip is as easy as clicking on this link.

~ Sponsored by Ticket King ~ There are lots of good reasons to go to any number of the Twins games versus the A’s this year, but … I mean, c’mon …. there is really only one game to go to. Monday is the home opener. You know where you need to be. The Long Winter We’ll start with the obvious – because you’ve been waiting for six months to watch a live baseball game. Actually, odds are that you’ve been waiting a lot longer than that, seeing as the Twins attendance in September was pretty dismal. The field is green, the weather is going to be relatively warm, it’s been a brutal winter and there are trees back in Target Field. Correia’s Return It would be nice if it featured one of the free agent pitchers the Twins signed, but instead it’s going to feature last year’s ace, Kevin Correia, who already had a roller-coaster of a game in his first start. He gave up only three runs over six innings, but when he threw his last pitch, the Twins were down 3-2 and had about a 30% chance to win the game. However, in the top of the seventh, the Twins scored three runs giving them an 80% chance to win and get Correia the “W” without throwing another pitch. It all evened out for Correia, much to Twins fans chagrin. Glen Perkins blew the save, allowing the White Sox to tie the game in the ninth and so Correia got a “no decision.” Then Sam Deduno and Kurt Suzuki teamed up to lose the game in the 11th on a wild pitch. You can see the FanGraphs.com chart that shows the Twins/White Sox chances of winning that game to the right. Tough Road The Twins should have their hands full this series. The A’s won 96 games last year, 94 the year before, won the AL West both of those years and took six of seven versus the Twins last year. For the opener, the A’s will have Scott Kazmir take the hill, who they signed this offseason to replace Bartolo Colon. Kazmir spent last year torturing the Twins when we was with the Cleveland Indians. He started five games against the Twins, threw 31 innings and had just a 1.45 ERA in those games. In fact, one could make a case that Kazmir should send the Twins a thank you note for the 2-year, $22 million contract he got. Without those games against the Twins, his overall would’ve climbed from 4.04 to 4.67. It’s Not Too Late There are still tickets available for the home opener, and they won’t break the bank – I currently see some for as low as $14 apiece. Plus, it’s not like you need to take even a half day off; the game is at 3:00 so just get permission to blow out of there a little early. And if it is too late – as in, you are reading this on Monday night, take a look at the afternoon games later this week. The second and third games of the year always have incredible bargains for seats, and Wednesday it’s hitting 70 degrees for the first time this year. All you have to do is find a way to get out there by noon. (Oh, and it’s dollar dog day, too.) ~~~ Ticket King has all kinds of seats available for this matchup. You can impress an important client in the Champions Club, or give your kids a memory, even if it's from the the upper deck. Plus, if you use the promo code DAILY DOUBLE, you’ll be supporting Twins Daily and get 10% off. Whatever your needs, your local ticket supplier, Ticket King, can help.

Sponsored by Snyder Gislason Frasier LLC Baseball, bourbon, great legal minds and the end of TV blackout rules as we know them. If that sounds like a pretty good night, well, you missed it. I however, did not. So, let's recap.... The partners of Snyder Gislason Frasier (a.k.a. The Law Geeks) - Chad Snyder, Adam Gislason and Mike Frasier - invited me out to share the finer things in life and parse through the broader implications of two class-action lawsuits. The suits were brought by fans against Major League Baseball,[PRBREAK][/PRBREAK] the NHL, Comcast and DirectTV -- Garber et al v. Office of the Commissioner of Major League Baseball and Laumann et al v. National Hockey League -- which were consolidated in 2012. The plaintiffs (fans) claim that sports franchises, that should be in competition, conspire to establish territorial TV rights with television distributors. As a result, they can charge enormous fees for people who want to watch out-of-market games. There is no debate about whether this really happens - even MLB admits it - although the distributors claim to be bystanders in this process. In fact, this has been a topic on Twins Daily forums. For instance, Cedar Rapids is about a four-hour drive from Target Field AND the home of the Twins Low-A minor league club, the Cedar Rapids Kernels. But local residents there can't get Fox Sports North on cable so they are not able to watch Twins games that way. They are ALSO officially within the blackout area of MLB.TV, so they can't get those games as an out-of-market option either. The Kernels can't tune into a Twins game, either as in in-market or out-of-market option, in their clubhouse. (But it actually gets more ridiculous for Minnesota's southern neighbors. MLB.TV considers the entire state of Iowa to be "in-market" for SIX major league teams: the Twins, Brewers, Cubs, White Sox, Royals and Cardinals. Iowa residents are at the mercy of the few cable stations that want to extend that far.) But just because it's true, doesn't mean it's legal or illegal. Although the fans’ case against MLB is a unique one, in the past, MLB has killed suits brought against it before they got off the ground using a unique defense – the “baseball antitrust exemption” i.e., unlike most other businesses, federal and state antitrust laws don't apply to them. You may have heard that baseball is a legal monopoly, but that isn't entirely true. The truth is considerably more gray. In the 1920s, the Supreme Court ruled that MLB games were not subject to federal antitrust laws. This ruling was later affirmed in the 1950’s by the Supreme Court, which, to use a football term, punted the question to Congress. Since then, including the Flood case, courts have not shown a willingness to expand on that ruling. And both the NHL and NFL have been shot down when trying to get the Supreme Court to apply the same broad antitrust exemptions applied to them. It looks like MLB didn't want to risk something similar befalling its exemption, because it didn't hide behind that standard defense when the suit was filed in 2012. That may have been because its lawyers aren't sure the courts, including the Supreme Court if it gets that far, will follow the prior Supreme Court decisions this time around the bases. "There are indications that the Supreme Court, as it's currently comprised, might not feel restricted by previous rulings," says Chad. Choosing not to claim antitrust exemption backfired, as it meant the suit was not dismissed and instead has been involved in two years of discovery. Recently, though, MLB claimed that the antitrust exemption "includes its territorial league structure and live video rules." That opens the door for a much higher stakes game, one that could even include a trip back to the Supreme Court. Not that TV rights aren't high stakes all by themselves; between how local television contracts have recently changed the landscape of team revenues AND the rise in profits and valuation of MLB Advanced Media, this suit could radically change a multi-billion dollar revenue stream. However, its effect could go even beyond that if MLB's nebulous antitrust exemption is further defined. One of the last times any official ruling was made on baseball's antitrust exemption, it led to the federal Curt Flood Act of 1998, which helped solidify free agency. The Curt Flood Act changed baseball's business forever, limited MLB's antitrust reach, but also recognized that there was at least some antitrust considerations upon which to reflect. If both sides get to the point where a ruling on the antitrust designation of MLB is challenged, far more than just TV revenues is jeopardized. This is unlikely to happen. "Given what is at stake for both sides, the current class actions will likely end in a settlement," suggested Adam, a common conclusion for these types of suits. "But a settlement will likely include changing how the industry currently works," added Mike. Just what those changes could look like is anyone's guess. Baseball fans in several regions have been victimized by the momentum of the current system. It's likely time for an overhaul. Perhaps this suit will encourage baseball to face the challenge head on. ------ 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.

Aaron and John podcast from Freehouse and discuss the Twins final roster decisions, Kyle Gibson’s opportunity, losing Vance Worley and Alex Presley, distinctive Fanny Bay oysters, Byron Buxton’s injuries, gimpy knees, expectations for the Twins lineup, roto-bird, Aaron’s new iPhone and the magic of Tinder. You can listen by downloading us from iTunes, Stitcher or find it at GleemanAndTheGeek.com. Here's the breakdown:[PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]0 Aaron’s Knee 4 KFAN 8 Freehouse 11 25-man roster 12 Kyle Gibson 13 Wrong Aaron 14 Sam Deduno 17 Losing Worley 21 Losing Presley 23 Oysters 28 Keeping Bartlett 33 Bullpen moves 35 More Barltett 40 Keeping Guerrier 41 Powered by Cheese Curds 42 Buxton’s injury 46 Embracing “youth” 49 Lineup over-under 50 Brian Dozier 54 Kurt Suzuki 56 Joe Mauer 60 Josh Willingham 64 Oswaldo Arcia 68 Jason Kubel 70 Trevor Plouffe 73 Aaron Hicks 75 Pedro Florimon 77 Josmil Pinto 78 Losing kids 81 $1000 burger 85 Aaron’s iphone 94 Tinder

Aaron and John talk about picking over/under win totals for each team, Kyle Gibson vs. Scott Diamond and Aaron Hicks vs. Alex Presley, Sam Deduno moving to the bullpen, drinking Hammerheart beer and eating all kinds of good stuff at New Bohemia, Vance Worley clearing waivers, how not to get an iPhone, Josmil Pinto and the catcher situation, Padres fan bartenders, and succulent sausages. You can listen by downloading us from iTunes, Stitcher or find it at GleemanAndTheGeek.com. Here's the breakdown...[PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]1:30 – Australian Twins 4:30 – Hammerheart/New Bohemia 7:45 – Running Sap 11:30 – Starter Race 22:30 – Assembling dreck 25:00 – Hicks return 31:00 – Batting 2nd 35:30 - Succulent Sausages 39:00 – Fattening up 40:30 – Vance Worley 43:00 – Twins catchers 43:50 – Bench speculation 48:00 – Shaving letters 49:00 – Aaron’s iphone 53:45 – Over-unders 57:25 – Houston Astros 58:30 – Beer flights 1:05:00 - Seattle Mariners 1:08:30 – LA Angels 1:13:00 – Texas Rangers 1:16:30 – Oakland A’s 1:20:30 – Blue Jays 1:24:30 – Baltimore Orioles 1:27:00 – Yankees 1:30:30 – Red Sox 1:32:00 - Tampa Bay 1:33:30 – White Sox 1:35:00 – Cleveland Indians 1:37:00 – KC Royals 1:39:30 – Detroit Tigers 1:42:00 – Minnesota Twins 1:46:00 – San Diego Padres 1:47:00 - Next week

The Twins Greatest All-Stars Countdown is sponsored by Wendy's Prior to being named to the American League's All-Star squad last month, Joe Mauer would not have ranked above our #5 choice, Tony Oliva, on this list. It's still a close call. Mauer is tied with Oliva with six All-Star game apperances and if Mauer gets a hit, he'll tie Tony O in that category, too. Mauer gets the edge because he accumulated a RBI (on a two-out hit, no less) and a run, neither of which Oliva was able to do. Mauer also has his four hits in just 11 at-bats while Oliva had nineteen to get his five hits. But the separator is games started: Mauer has started four game while Oliva only started three. Those four games ties Mauer with the other Twins catcher on this list, Earl Battey, but that's a little misleading. Battey started two of those All-Star games in the same year. From 1959 to 1962, MLB held two All-Star games, adding a second one to raise money for the players' pension fund. Battey also didn't have particularly productive All-Star Game appearances...

Aaron and John talk about Glen Perkins' contract extension, St. Patrick's Day craziness, what the plan is for Josmil Pinto and Aaron Hicks, unwanted apartment guests, drinking and eating at Mason's downtown, Ricky Nolasco starting Opening Day, running into KFAN producer Ryan Donaldson and his crew, waitresses in short shorts, out-of-options Twins, and getting too excited about spring training stats. You can listen by downloading us from iTunes, Stitcher or find it atGleemanAndTheGeek.com.[PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]

~~~ Sponsored by Great Clips ~~~~ A seventeen year career that included pitching in 694 games with a career ERA of 3.37 – and the poor guy will always need to live down this disastrous haircut. Bob Miller came to the Twins just before the 1968 season. It was not a small deal. The Twins gave up two of their more reliable players – pitcher Jim “Mudcat” Grant and 1965 MVP award winner Zoila “Zorro” Versalles to acquire Miller, fellow reliever Ron Perranoski and aging catcher John Roseboro. Miller did his part to make the trade a success. In 1968 he worked exclusively out of the bullpen, posting a 2.74 ERA. The following year, new manager Billy Martin also had him start eleven games over the second half of the season. Despite his success patching up the starting rotation, the Twins moved Miller following the 1969 season for a more permanent solution. They traded Miller along with a package of players to the Cleveland Indians for starting pitcher Luis Tiant. Miller struggled that year and was traded two more times before he was released by the Cubs. He was never again as effective as he had been with the Twins, but kept pitching through 1974, eventually pitching for eleven different major league teams.