John Bonnes

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Congrats Cody, this is great. We've promoted it to the front page. If anyone would like to comment on it, please do so here.

Third baseman and non-roster invitee Sean Burroughs reported to Twins spring training camp yesterday and apparently took some time to talk to reporters, as you'll find him in numerous stories today. That's not surprising. Burroughs is a good story - a Little League hero who rose to prize prospect, flamed out in 2007, fell into a life of substance abuse and returned to the majors as a bench bat last year. For now, it's a happy ending. For Twins fans, it has a chance to be happier still, because Burroughs has positioned himself to be in the right place at the right time. I was asked today how the Twins were the lucky team to sign someone with Burroughs’ upside to a minor league contract. The answer is a bittersweet one to Twins fans. Burroughs likely signed with the Twins because a lot could go wrong at the hot corner this year. Last year, a heap of unwanted attention was piled on Danny Valencia's defense, and when one plays for a manager like Ron Gardenhire, that's no small problem. But there was also the fact that the right-handed batting Valencia has simply not hit right-handed pitching, posting .242 batting average and just a 654 OPS in 660 plate appearances. For comparison, Nick Punto’s career OPS is 652. Considering right-handed pitchers account for 2/3 of the at-bats an everyday starter faces and suddenly Valencia’s future as a full-time player is in doubt. Enter Burroughs. Burroughs bats left-handed. Coincidentally, when speaking of Burroughs, Gardenhire specifically praised two areas in which Valencia has struggled: defense and clubhouse impact. ESPN 1500’s Phil Mackey asked Gardenhire about Valencia and passed along the following quotes: "He can pick it over (at third base)," manager Ron Gardenhire said. "Very intelligent. As I said, very intelligent on the defensive side of the ball. Knows the game out there, positions himself well. Always did. And handles himself very well. (Rochester manager) Gene Glynn had him down in winter ball this year. He had him down in winter ball in Venezuela. He had great reports on him.... "Everything I've heard about him from winter ball, they told me he was one of those guys that everyone couldn't wait until he entered the clubhouse; he brightened up the clubhouse.” It's unlikely last year’s third base responsibilities would change by Opening Day. But it's not totally crazy to think that Burroughs could find his way onto the 25-man roster. Two bench spots might be in play. Luke Hughes' status is up in the air given his shoulder problems. Burroughs could replace him, especially if he shows he can fill-in at second base in a pinch. And the Twins have enough redundancy at catcher, shortstop and center field that Gardenhire could use that last roster spot for a bench bat instead of a bench glove. But whether he makes it right now or not, this story isn't over. We don't know the plot twists that will take place yet this spring or summer, but there is plenty of opportunity for all involved to live happily ever after.

Third baseman and non-roster invitee Sean Burroughs reported to Twins spring training camp yesterday and apparently took some time to talk to reporters, as you'll find him in numerous stories today. That's not surprising. Burroughs is a good story - a Little League hero who rose to prize prospect, flamed out in 2007, fell into a life of substance abuse and returned to the majors as a bench bat last year. For now, it's a happy ending. For Twins fans, it has a chance to be happier still, because Burroughs has positioned himself to be in the right place at the right time. I was asked today how the Twins were the lucky team to sign someone with Burroughs’ upside to a minor league contract. The answer is a bittersweet one to Twins fans. Burroughs likely signed with the Twins because a lot could go wrong at the hot corner this year. Last year, a heap of unwanted attention was piled on Danny Valencia's defense, and when one plays for a manager like Ron Gardenhire, that's no small problem. But there was also the fact that the right-handed batting Valencia has simply not hit right-handed pitching, posting .242 batting average and just a 654 OPS in 660 plate appearances. For comparison, Nick Punto’s career OPS is 652. Considering right-handed pitchers account for 2/3 of the at-bats an everyday starter faces and suddenly Valencia’s future as a full-time player is in doubt. Enter Burroughs. Burroughs bats left-handed. Coincidentally, when speaking of Burroughs, Gardenhire specifically praised two areas in which Valencia has struggled: defense and clubhouse impact. ESPN 1500’s Phil Mackey asked Gardenhire about Valencia and passed along the following quotes: "He can pick it over (at third base)," manager Ron Gardenhire said. "Very intelligent. As I said, very intelligent on the defensive side of the ball. Knows the game out there, positions himself well. Always did. And handles himself very well. (Rochester manager) Gene Glynn had him down in winter ball this year. He had him down in winter ball in Venezuela. He had great reports on him.... "Everything I've heard about him from winter ball, they told me he was one of those guys that everyone couldn't wait until he entered the clubhouse; he brightened up the clubhouse.” It's unlikely last year’s third base responsibilities would change by Opening Day. But it's not totally crazy to think that Burroughs could find his way onto the 25-man roster. Two bench spots might be in play. Luke Hughes' status is up in the air given his shoulder problems. Burroughs could replace him, especially if he shows he can fill-in at second base in a pinch. And the Twins have enough redundancy at catcher, shortstop and center field that Gardenhire could use that last roster spot for a bench bat instead of a bench glove. But whether he makes it right now or not, this story isn't over. We don't know the plot twists that will take place yet this spring or summer, but there is plenty of opportunity for all involved to live happily ever after.

I completely do this. Do hate it when one of your favorite caps is consistently unlucky? I do. I keep wanting it to be lucky, but all it brings is heartache. I blame myself and my favorite hat for the '08 season. I just couldn't quit it. And yes, I wish I wasn't serious.

Very good. This would make an interesting forum topic: headlines you want to see become true. "Nick Blackburn aims to strike out batters, not suck." "Joe Mauer's claims he's going to 'Kick some 'bilateral ass.'" "Ben Revere: I'm totally gonna hit the ball past the pitcher this year." Please lord, start this topic.

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.

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!

This story has been promoted! Please put any comments here: http://twinsdaily.com/content.php?225-Gleeman-the-Geek-Ep-29-Pitching-Pitching-and-More-Pitching

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.