John Bonnes

It is our intention for this site to be a community, and so I thought I'd share some numbers with you all as we reach the 48-hour mark of the site being live. I'll preface this by saying: when we first conceived of this site, we guessed that we would get about 5000 page views of stories and about 1000 page views in the forum per day. Instead, through our first 48 hours, we're seeing the following: 431 Registered Users 6813 Unique Visitors 9269 Visits 44,034 Page Views I truly hope this is just the beginning of a much bigger community. It can go as far as you can take it. Thank you all so much for a kick start that has blown away our expectations.

I think you might have more luck if you posted this in the forum on the Twins page.

Nice. Thanks for joining the party Topper!

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Aaron and John broadcast from Lindsay Guentzel's MLB Fan Cave Voting Party. They discuss each of the Twins pitchers, including a spirited discussion about the relative values of Carl Pavano and Scott Baker. Then they finish by talking about the new TwinsDaily web site. You can find: the podcasts the rss feed if you want to subscribe and the podcast on iTunes (where you can also subscribe and leave reviews). Thanks!

Aaron and John broadcast from Lindsay Guentzel's MLB Fan Cave Voting Party. They discuss each of the Twins pitchers, including a spirited discussion about the relative values of Carl Pavano and Scott Baker. Then they finish by talking about the new TwinsDaily web site. You can find: the podcasts the rss feed if you want to subscribe and the podcast on iTunes (where you can also subscribe and leave reviews). Thanks!

Huh, that's an interesting question. Off the top of my head, I'd say Yankees and maybe White Sox. But having fallen in love, I gotta say, I'm not sure it would have mattered. Hmmm. I guess it depends - do I find out before or after the "fireworks" moment. If after, I'm a goner. If before, I can maintain a little integrity.

Cody, great story. I've promoted it to the front page. You might want to make sure to add links back to your excellent independent blog so people can find more from you, too. Please continue any comments here: http://twinsdaily.com/content.php?224-Twins-will-use-Nathan-s-blueprint-for-Zumaya

Great overview! I've promoted this to an article for the front page. Please continue any comments here: http://twinsdaily.com/content.php?223-Fort-Myers-Spring-Training-Guide

Good stuff. Thanks for sharing it. I especially love the idea of naming someone "The Spaniard," but not Span, cause he doesn't really have any ties to Spain. Instead, I vote for... me. Cause I don't either.

I think Baker's performance this year is going to be very important and also very interesting. A couple of notes... First, it's an important year for him financially. The Twins have a $9M option on him next year and he'll need to earn that. Second, it turns out tht pitch count has not been proved to necessarily be that important for reducing injuries. A lot of what that was based on is now been shown to be a myth. If you're interested, I did 3 stories talking about that research. They are at: http://twinsgeek.blogspot.com/2010/05/maybe-bert-is-right-part-1.html http://twinsgeek.blogspot.com/2010/05/maybe-bert-is-right-part-2.html http://twinsgeek.blogspot.com/2010/06/maybe-bert-is-right-part-3.html Finally, I'll give a gratuitous plug for our Gleeman and the Geek podcast where we talk quite a bit about Baker and Pavano and disagree pretty vehemently about who was more valuable last year and what to expect this year. It will be published on the 21st.

It isn’t just for reading. That’s the difference. When I first started blogging in January of 2002, I went something like six solid months with less than 20 people reading my thoughts on a daily basis. That’s the dirty secret about blogging that both supporters and critics don’t get: it’s easy to do, but very hard to get enough readers so that anybody notices. http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-EELQ71HPwVg/T0HFlP4lX9I/AAAAAAAAAgU/ztM4WbCpvv0/s320/TD%2BFront%2BPage.jpg When I find out that someone has blogged, they have instant credibility. Sure, anyone can write. But to do so consistently, and make it insightful and entertaining without payment or promise of payment or even any hope that what you’re doing is going anyplace beyond dissolving into the ether – I want to know these people. That is a story of faith. And passion. And dammit, nobility. Which is why it kills me that it may be harder to blog now than it was when I started. At least then it was new and fresh. Now it’s so loud out there, I don’t know how any new voice ever gets heard. And I’m as guilty of the deafness as anyone. I simply can’t keep up with all the Twins blogs that have sprouted up only to go silent. That’s why TwinsCentric is very proud to announce the launch of TwinsDaily.com. We’re each setting aside our independence to start a central site where you can find (for free, mind you) all our stories. But the site isn’t just for reading. There are two other very important pieces. First, in the hope of resurrecting the spirit of the old Dickie Thon Twins Board we’re including a forum where you can discuss all kinds of Twins topics. All we ask is that you register so we have some accountability for the discussions, and that you keep it civil. We’re all on the same team. Second, when you register, you get a blog. You can ignore it if you want, or you can try out your voice. If your post is good, we’ll find room for it on the front page. And if it’s bad? Well, then we won’t. But at the very least you’ll be trying to find your identity where thousands of Twins fans are stopping by each day. TwinsCentric has worked on several magazines, books and e-books over the last couple of years, but I think it’s safe to say that we’re more excited about this than any of them. This is a site we want to exist: a local place where Twins fans can gather, read, share and write. If that sounds great, then please swing by. And if it sounds too over the top, swing by anyway, because that’s exactly what we want it to be. Thanks, TwinsCentric P.S. If you’re looking for a good place to start, stop by the front page or check out our one-minute cheat sheet. Or you can check out my blog there, which is where TwinsGeek.com will be pointing to sometime this week.

It isn’t just for reading. That’s the difference. When I first started blogging in January of 2002, I went something like six solid months with less than 20 people reading my thoughts on a daily basis. That’s the dirty secret about blogging that both supporters and critics don’t get: it’s easy to do, but very hard to get enough readers so that anybody notices. http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-EELQ71HPwVg/T0HFlP4lX9I/AAAAAAAAAgU/ztM4WbCpvv0/s320/TD%2BFront%2BPage.jpg When I find out that someone has blogged, they have instant credibility. Sure, anyone can write. But to do so consistently, and make it insightful and entertaining without payment or promise of payment or even any hope that what you’re doing is going anyplace beyond dissolving into the ether – I want to know these people. That is a story of faith. And passion. And dammit, nobility. Which is why it kills me that it may be harder to blog now than it was when I started. At least then it was new and fresh. Now it’s so loud out there, I don’t know how any new voice ever gets heard. And I’m as guilty of the deafness as anyone. I simply can’t keep up with all the Twins blogs that have sprouted up only to go silent. That’s why TwinsCentric is very proud to announce the launch of TwinsDaily.com. We’re each setting aside our independence to start a central site where you can find (for free, mind you) all our stories. But the site isn’t just for reading. There are two other very important pieces. First, in the hope of resurrecting the spirit of the old Dickie Thon Twins Board we’re including a forum where you can discuss all kinds of Twins topics. All we ask is that you register so we have some accountability for the discussions, and that you keep it civil. We’re all on the same team. Second, when you register, you get a blog. You can ignore it if you want, or you can try out your voice. If your post is good, we’ll find room for it on the front page. And if it’s bad? Well, then we won’t. But at the very least you’ll be trying to find your identity where thousands of Twins fans are stopping by each day. TwinsCentric has worked on several magazines, books and e-books over the last couple of years, but I think it’s safe to say that we’re more excited about this than any of them. This is a site we want to exist: a local place where Twins fans can gather, read, share and write. If that sounds great, then please swing by. And if it sounds too over the top, swing by anyway, because that’s exactly what we want it to be. Thanks, TwinsCentric P.S. If you’re looking for a good place to start, stop by the front page or check out our one-minute cheat sheet. Or you can check out my blog there, which is where TwinsGeek.com will be pointing to sometime this week.

I love it Kirsten.

This shortest of phrases makes our hearts soar Pitchers and catchers report We limped through last year but come back for more Pitchers and catchers report 99 losses taught the boys things We yearn for the clean slate a new season brings Like Hornsby we stared out the window for spring Pitchers and catchers report Four tiny words and hope’s candle’s lit Pitchers and catchers report Gardy will make sure they get after it Pitchers and catchers report Smith was relieved and Ryan’s the man He let Cuddy go but got Josh Willingham We’ll hope that Capps moon shots don’t ruin his plan Pitchers and catchers report We love when they hustle and slide in the dirt Pitchers and catchers report But please Lord don’t let the boys end up hurt Pitcher and catchers report We’ll watch through our fingers when Frankie throws Obsess on the nogginof Justin Morneau And the Bilat’ral legs of our catcher Joe Pitchers and catchers report Finally you take your turn as poet Pitchers and catchers report Channel your winter frustration and show it Pitchers and catchers report The comments below are a great place to bleat Two tens and three ‘levens provide you the beat (But add words wherever, if like me you cheat) Pitchers and catchers report With apologies to Franklin Pierce Adams

This shortest of phrases makes our hearts soar Pitchers and catchers report We limped through last year but come back for more Pitchers and catchers report 99 losses taught the boys things We yearn for the clean slate a new season brings Like Hornsby we stared out the window for spring Pitchers and catchers report Four tiny words and hope’s candle’s lit Pitchers and catchers report Gardy will make sure they get after it Pitchers and catchers report Smith was relieved and Ryan’s the man He let Cuddy go but got Josh Willingham We’ll hope that Capps moon shots don’t ruin his plan Pitchers and catchers report We love when they hustle and slide in the dirt Pitchers and catchers report But please Lord don’t let the boys end up hurt Pitcher and catchers report We’ll watch through our fingers when Frankie throws Obsess on the nogginof Justin Morneau And the Bilat’ral legs of our catcher Joe Pitchers and catchers report Finally you take your turn as poet Pitchers and catchers report Channel your winter frustration and show it Pitchers and catchers report The comments below are a great place to bleat Two tens and three ‘levens provide you the beat (But add words wherever, if like me you cheat) Pitchers and catchers report With apologies to Franklin Pierce Adams

Don't believe the hype. There might be 66 guys in Twins spring training, but they aren't really competing for roster spots. In fact, there may not be a single roster spot to compete for. How come? Because of "options." Options are a MLB administrative rule that limits how long a team can keep a player on their 40-man roster but not bring them to the big leagues. Basically, they have three years before they need to commit to bringing that player to the majors. For a little more on it, check out this entry, where I compared it to the amount of time before you move from dating to married. If a player doesn't have "options" left, they cannot be sent to the minors without being offered to every other major league team for their 25-man roster. So a team risks losing that player, and that isn't a risk the Twins are usually anxious to take. Thus, a player without options almost always has the inside track to make it to Opening Day. And when you look over the 25 spots the Twins have available, player without options look like they're going to gobble up most of the open spots. Let's run through them. The Twins entered spring training with their lineup and rotation pretty set, which (barring any injuries) takes care of 14 of the 25 spots on the roster C - Joe Mauer 1B - Justin Morneau 2B - Alexi Casilla SS - Jamey Carroll 3B - Danny Valencia DH - Ryan Doumit RF - Josh Willingham CF - Denard Span LF - Ben Revere Rotation - Carl Pavano, Scott Baker, Francisco Liriano, Nick Blackburn & Jason Marquis That leaves 11 spots, which probably includes four guys off the bench and seven guys in the bullpen. There are heavy favorites for each of them: Drew Butera is likely the backup catcher unless the Twins are really enamored with newly acquired JR Towles. Trevor Plouffe and Luke Hughes are both out of options, so they're almost locks to be on the bench. The fourth spot might be the only open spot, but the obvious option is Tsuyoshi Nishioka, who the Twins will be paying $3M whether he plays in the majors or minors. And there are similar roster crunches in the bullpen. Four of the seven spots will likely to Matt Capps, Glen Perkins, Joel Zumaya and Brian Duensing, all of whom are slotted for late-inning roles. And the other three spots? It turns out there are three relievers without options: Anthony Swarzak is out of options, is right-handed and did a nice job in the swingman role last year. It seems obvious that he would make it. Jeff Gray is a right-handed reliever who has pitched for several team the last couple of years. The Twins picked him up this offseason off of waivers because he was out of options. The Twins want at least one more right-hander in the bullpen, so he would seem to be an obvious front-runner Finally, Matt Maloney is a left-hander that the Twins also picked up this offseason because he was also out of options. He has mostly worked as a starter, but so did Perkins before the Twins moved him to the bullpen. And a third left-handed reliever might make sense given that Perkins won't be used situationally. Suddenly there are 0 spots left and another 41 guys in camp.

Don't believe the hype. There might be 66 guys in Twins spring training, but they aren't really competing for roster spots. In fact, there may not be a single roster spot to compete for. How come? Because of "options." Options are a MLB administrative rule that limits how long a team can keep a player on their 40-man roster but not bring them to the big leagues. Basically, they have three years before they need to commit to bringing that player to the majors. For a little more on it, check out this entry, where I compared it to the amount of time before you move from dating to married. If a player doesn't have "options" left, they cannot be sent to the minors without being offered to every other major league team for their 25-man roster. So a team risks losing that player, and that isn't a risk the Twins are usually anxious to take. Thus, a player without options almost always has the inside track to make it to Opening Day. And when you look over the 25 spots the Twins have available, player without options look like they're going to gobble up most of the open spots. Let's run through them. The Twins entered spring training with their lineup and rotation pretty set, which (barring any injuries) takes care of 14 of the 25 spots on the roster C - Joe Mauer 1B - Justin Morneau 2B - Alexi Casilla SS - Jamey Carroll 3B - Danny Valencia DH - Ryan Doumit RF - Josh Willingham CF - Denard Span LF - Ben Revere Rotation - Carl Pavano, Scott Baker, Francisco Liriano, Nick Blackburn & Jason Marquis That leaves 11 spots, which probably includes four guys off the bench and seven guys in the bullpen. There are heavy favorites for each of them: Drew Butera is likely the backup catcher unless the Twins are really enamored with newly acquired JR Towles. Trevor Plouffe and Luke Hughes are both out of options, so they're almost locks to be on the bench. The fourth spot might be the only open spot, but the obvious option is Tsuyoshi Nishioka, who the Twins will be paying $3M whether he plays in the majors or minors. And there are similar roster crunches in the bullpen. Four of the seven spots will likely to Matt Capps, Glen Perkins, Joel Zumaya and Brian Duensing, all of whom are slotted for late-inning roles. And the other three spots? It turns out there are three relievers without options: Anthony Swarzak is out of options, is right-handed and did a nice job in the swingman role last year. It seems obvious that he would make it. Jeff Gray is a right-handed reliever who has pitched for several team the last couple of years. The Twins picked him up this offseason off of waivers because he was out of options. The Twins want at least one more right-hander in the bullpen, so he would seem to be an obvious front-runner Finally, Matt Maloney is a left-hander that the Twins also picked up this offseason because he was also out of options. He has mostly worked as a starter, but so did Perkins before the Twins moved him to the bullpen. And a third left-handed reliever might make sense given that Perkins won't be used situationally. Suddenly there are 0 spots left and another 41 guys in camp.

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