John Bonnes

Aaron and John are live from Twins Daily's seventh annual Winter Meltdown event, with special guests Kent Hrbek, Trevor Plouffe, and 400 of our closest friends. You can listen by downloading us from iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, iHeartRadio or find it at GleemanAndTheGeek.com. Or just click this link. http://traffic.libsy...3?dest-id=74590 Click here to view the article

The Twins, the local Baseball Writers’ Association of America and the University of Minnesota’s hosted the Diamond Awards last night. The semi-formal event, hosted at The Depot, presented 2019 year-end awards to Twins players and community members and raised money to fight neurological diseases like ALS, ataxia, and muscular dystrophy. Twins Daily was right in the middle of it all, hosting a table, volunteering and contributing to the organization of a great event.Proceeds from the Diamond Awards fund innovative research fighting brain, nerve and muscle disorders at the University of Minnesota. The event honors Minnesota Twins Bob Allison, who battled ataxia, and was featured in a video shown at the beginning of the presentation. Twins Daily hosted a table, but also had readers, followers and members involved in several volunteer positions to help make the event go smoothly. Over 20 Twins Daily members attended. The staged awards ceremony featured Dick Bremer and Marney Gellner plus several award presenters such as Derek Falvey, Thad Levine, Kent Hrbek and even Terry Ryan presenting awards to players like Luiz Arraez, Mitch Garver and Taylor Rogers. The event broke records for attendance and money raised, and has become a staple of Twins Fest week. Click here to view the article

It’s hard to feel historic in Minnesota in January. It’s gray. It’s cold. It tends to sleet all over you. It’s the opposite of a sunny day at Target Field, and perhaps the price we must pay. That’s the contract that all Minnesotans have signed to live – fans, reporters, Twins staff– and now Josh Donaldson, Impact™ third baseman. But yesterday was a historic day, and one a long time coming, both for Donaldson and the Twins.Donaldson made clear that he viewed yesterday’s press conference at Target Field as a moment. The 34-year-old had worked his whole life to choose the franchise where he was spending the rest of his professional career. “This is what I've worked my entire life for since I was five years old. There's a lot of sacrifices that I have made and that I'm continuing to make to this day,” shared Donaldson. ”It doesn't stop." Twins fans certainly hope it doesn’t stop, because they are in the same boat. It’s been a LONG time – as in forever. Never have the Twins signed a free agent to this much money. Never have they signed a free agent of Donaldson’s caliber. We’re talking about an offensive and defensive difference-maker who garnered MVP votes in six of the last seven seasons. “You want to [make a big move] when you really, really have a needle mover that is that impactful,” emphasized Twins CBO Derek Falvey. We’re still in waiting mode a little bit. We’ll all have to wait to see where Donaldson bats in the Twins lineup; manager Rocco Baldelli doesn’t seem to know. We’ll have to wait to see what number Donaldson is wearing on his back; he hedged a bit on whether the #24 he wore yesterday will be his everyday number. And we’ll have to wait to see how a four (or maybe five) year contract plays out for a 34-year-old player. But we don’t have to wait to see the commitment each side was ready to show. “There was never a moment where I felt like, hey, [Donaldson] doesn’t really want the Twins to be in,” said Falvey. “It felt like he wanted the Twins to be in throughout the conversation.” Certainly, when Donaldson was ready, the Twins were. They had been on board all offseason. “I believe that there’s a really small subset of the truly impactful guys in any cycle in an offseason, said Falvey. “Josh is one of them.” Thus, we witnessed a juncture in the basement of Target Field yesterday, on a gray, sleeting day, sides came together and history was made. Donaldson got the contract he has been waiting for. The Twins got the impact player they were waiting for. Maybe most importantly, Twins fans got the move they were waiting for. Click here to view the article

The Winter Meltdown is sold out, but Fan HQ can still set you up and for FREE! Just enter the Fan HQ Giveaway here. These tickets were $40 each, and include Kent Hrbek as our special guest, two free 612 Brew craft beers, a free pint glass, drink specials and tasting tables from Proper Twelve Irish Whiskey and Gray Duck Vodka, an autographed Kent Hrbek raffle prize and yet more. This is going to be the best Winter Meltdown yet.You can't get in unless you enter. The event is completely sold out! So enter here to get your four free $40 tickets. Click here to view the article

Aaron and John revel in Josh Donaldson joining the Twins, search for the best Twins lineup order, and marvel at the sign-stealing scandal. You can listen by downloading us from iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, iHeartRadio or find it at GleemanAndTheGeek.com. Or just click this link. Click here to view the article

We're sorry, but the Winter Meltdown is SOLD OUT. Follow us on Twitter and Facebook and we'll let you know if any additional tickets become available. Otherwise, we look forward to seeing you Saturday. Kent Hrbek. 612 Brew craft beer. Hot stove talk. Gray Duck Vodka. A free pint glass. Proper Twelve Irish Whisky. Food stations. 400+ Twins fans. More Guests. Raffle prizes. You can get it all now until the tickets sell out. Just click here. Again – these tickets will sell out. And then it will be next Saturday night and you’ll be all mopey, and whine “Why am I not drinking craft beer with Kent Hrbek and Seth Stohs?” And you’ll make the mistake of saying that out loud and someone will point and laugh at you. Nobody wants that. So here are the details, and below are the tickets. Saturday, January 25th4:30 to 7:30 PMLumber Exchange Event Center (above The Pourhouse), just three blocks from Target Field and Twins FestA Twins Daily Winter Meltdown Pint Glass.Two complimentary local craft pints from 612 BrewDrink specials and tasting tables from Gray Duck Vodka and Proper Twelve Irish Whiskey.Raffle prizes, including a signed picture of Hrbek from FanHQFood stations,Interviews with Kent Hrbek and other guests andIt’s only $40 (if you can get tickets).Plus, we are not done making announcements. However, the tickets may not last that long. So grab a friend. Or come by yourself. This is your tribe and they’re going to take care of you. Get Your Tickets Click here to view the article

I'll add one more new Twins to this list: Josh Donaldson. Didn't play his first full year in the majors until he was 27, which explains how's he's 34 years old despite just hitting free agency last offseason.

We’re SO excited to announce that this year’s special Twins guest at Twins Daily’s Winter Meltdown will be Kent Hrbek, who needs absolutely no introduction. (But we’ll do one anyways, right after we tell you how…) To buy tickets, make sure you come back to Twins Daily tomorrow morning at 8 AM, or sign up for our event email list, to get a shot at them Thursday night.If you grew up in a cave, Hrbek was the first baseman for the Minnesota Twins for both of their World Series championships in 1987 and 1991. Originally from Bloomington, he played his entire 14-year career for the Twins and finished among the top 10 in several categories including second overall in home runs. His number 14 was retired by the Twins in 1995. Target Field has both an entrance gate and a bar dedicated to him. His 1987 World Series even graced our pint glass back in 2014. And now he’s coming to our party. Download attachment: Pints.JPG If you want to learn even more about him, just come to the Meltdown. He’ll be one of our first guests on stage Saturday, January 25th from 4:30 to 7:30 at the Lumber Exchange Event Center (above The Pouhouse), just three blocks from Target Field and Twins Fest. You’ll be joined by 400+ Twins fans, media members, Twins execs and many more to celebrate the upcoming season. Your ticket to the party includes LOTS of goodies: A Twins Daily Winter Meltdown Pint Glass.Two complimentary local craft pints from 612 BrewDrink specials and tasting tables from Gray Duck Vodka and Proper Twelve Irish Whiskey.Food stations,Interviews with Kent Hrbek and other guests andIt’s only $40 (if you can get tickets).It also includes raffle prizes, and we’re excited to announce the first. In conjunction with Hrbek’s visit, Fan HQ is providing an autographed picture of Hrbek free for one of the lucky attendees. Download attachment: Meltdown Fan HQ Logo Graphic_900.jpg As you might expect, getting tickets can be tough. It’s even tougher this year, as over 300 of the tickets were sold in a presale. The rest will go on sale to the public right here (TwinsDaily.com) tomorrow (Friday) at 8:00 in the morning. HOWEVER, you can snag them early provided you sign up for Twins Daily’s Events Email List. We’ll be sending out a link to the tickets tonight (Thursday) to those on our list. You can sign up here. This event sells out EVERY YEAR, and I don’t want you to miss out, so do this Friday, blizzard or no. Also, stay tuned. We still have more to announce about the event, so follow us on Twitter and Facebook and you won’t miss any of the news. Click here to view the article

Some like it hot and some like it cold. We’re happy to announce that Gray Duck, knows a thing or two about cold – as the name suggests, it’s Minnesotan through and through. And this year we’ll have a tasting table and a specially-priced drink at the Winter Meltdown, so you can try it yourself.This is the Meltdown’s seventh year, and the recipe has been the same. Make it easy to get to by making it near Twins Fest. Include a great Twins guest. Rally several hundred Twins fans to celebrate the end of the offseason. This year it still be just three blocks from Twins Fest on Saturday, January 25th at the Lumber Exchange Event Center (above The Pourhouse) from 4:30 to 7:30. We’re joined by a Twins player (who we’re announcing tomorrow) and 400+ Twins fans, media members, Twins execs and many more to celebrate the upcoming season. Not only will you get to gather with Twins Daily writers and members and talk hot stove, but we’ll include: A Twins Daily Winter Meltdown Pint Glass (picture above).Two complimentary local craft pints from 612 BrewRaffle prizes,Drink specials, like Gray Duck,Tasting tables,Food stations,Interviews with special Twins guests andIt’s only $40 (if you can get tickets).Getting tickets can be tricky; we’ve sold this out every year. They will go on sale to the public on Friday morning on Twins Daily at 8:00 AM. You can snag them early provided you sign up for Twins Daily’s Events Email List. We’ll be sending out a link to the tickets Thursday to those on our list. You can sign up here. Otherwise, a special pre-Christmas sale took care of most of our inventory, so I HIGHLY RECOMMEND that you find a way to stop by TwinsDaily.com this Friday morning (1/17) and get your tickets while you still can. We still have lot more to announce, including some great raffle prizes and who our special guest (or guests?) will be. Follow us on Twitter and Facebook so you don’t miss any of the news. Click here to view the article

It's indispensable.

The Twins and Miguel Sano announced their contract extension on Tuesday morning. The new guaranteed deal could keep Sano in a Twins uniform for two extra years, through the 2023 season. “Regardless of winning or losing, I think I made up my mind that I want to spend my entire career here,” Sano said in a press conference. “This is the first step.” It really wasn’t.There have been many steps, both forward and back, and almost all of them were giant, like he is. He’s been a top prospect (2010-2015), a Tommy John casualty (2014), and an instant success and late season hero (2015). Then he was a cautionary fielding experiment (2016), an All-Star (2017), and an out-of-shape pariah (somehow, also 2017). The drama has played out as a reclamation project (2018) and a breakthrough player (2019). All this, and he’s not yet 27 years old. So when evaluating his $30 million dollar contract, it is probably unwise to assume any smooth career progression, even if baby steps are what Sano is trying to emphasize for himself. “Just be professional. Take care of my routine; keep doing my routine. Take care of what I eat, what I put in my body,” lists Sano, in response to how he can stay healthy. Health is perhaps the biggest risk in the long-term deal the Twins offered. Sano’s major injuries were Tommy John surgery and a foul ball off his shin that resulted in a titanium rod being inserted into his leg. Neither are the usual chronic injuries that worry teams, but the perception remains that the 6’ 4”, 272 pound (listed) frame was at least a partial cause of injuries, and maybe more than a partial cause of slumps. Even last year, a heel injury, suffered in an offseason celebration, caused him to miss the first quarter of the season. So what could a healthy Sano do over 162 game? Well, last year, he had 34 home runs in 380 AB. “If I play an entire season, I think I can probably double those numbers,” he says. That’s obviously exceedingly optimistic. Fangraph’s STEAMER projections suggest 38 home runs is a more realistic target, but that also factors in a slight step backwards towards the mean. Slight steps in any direction have not been the norm for Sano. If the doubters are correct and he takes yet another giant step backwards, it will cost the Twins an extra $24M over the next four years, given he would’ve made $6M one way or the other this year. On the other hand, if he takes a giant step forwards, replicating the 923 OPS he posted after June 27th? What then? Sano seems to have an idea. When asked what he will do with his newfound riches, he smiles and replies “Nah, it’s not a lot. I can get more than that.” Indeed he can, if the 26-year-old‘s baby steps lead to giant steps in the right direction. Click here to view the article

Sure, we have lots of beer at the Winter Meltdown, but our 400-person crowd has asked for something a little warmer for their hot stove talk. This year we’re happy to announce that Conor McGregor’s Proper Twelve Irish Whiskey will be on hand to warm people up. We’ll have a sampling table, a specially priced drink just for the Meltdown, and the company’s first $1 million in sales is being donated to first responders.If you’re new to Twins Daily’s Winter Meltdown, we hold is just a couple blocks from Twins Fest on January 25th at the Lumber Exchange Event Center from 4:30 to 7:30. We’re joined by a Twins player (who we’re not announcing just yet) and 400+ Twins fans, media members, Twins execs and many more to celebrate the upcoming season. Not only will you get to gather with Twins Daily writers and members and talk Hot Stove, but we’ll include: A Twins Daily Winter Meltdown Pint Glass (picture above).Two complimentary local craft pints from 612 BrewRaffle prizes,Drink specials, like Proper Twelve,Food stations,Interviews with special Twins guests andIt’s only $40 (if you can get tickets).We’ll announce details about all of the above as we count down the days to the event. Tickets can be hard to come by; the event has sold out every year, and we’re limiting sales to just 400 tickets this year. They go on sale Friday morning on Twins Daily at 8:00 AM. Plus, the majority are already gone due to a Christmas pre-sale. So find a way to stop by TwinsDaily.com this Friday morning (1/17) and get your tickets while you still can. Or, here’s a secret: if you sign up for Twins Daily’s Events Email List, you can get them vefore they go on sale to the public. We’ll be sending out a link to the tickets Thursday to those on our list. You can sign up here. I guarantee you’ll wish you were there if you miss it. Stop by the rest of this week and next for more news on our prizes and guests or follow us on Twitter and Facebook. Click here to view the article

Here in the Twin Cities, another couple of inches fell last night, and we’re about to head into the coldest weeks of the winter. But a week from Saturday, we’re all gonna Meltdown. The last available tickets to the Winter Meltdown will be released this Friday morning at 8 AM. From today until the event, we’ll be releasing snippets of what we have in store, including today’s reveal of our Winter Meltdown pint glass, courtesy of 612 Brew.If you’re new to Twins Daily’s Winter Meltdown, we hold is just three blocks from Twins Fest on January 25th at the Lumber Exchange Event Center from 4:30 to 7:30. We’re joined by a Twins player (who we’re not announcing just yet) and 400+ Twins fans, media members, Twins execs and many more to celebrate the upcoming season. Not only will you get to gather with Twins Daily writers and members and talk Hot Stove, but it includes: A Twins Daily Winter Meltdown pint glass (picture above).Two complimentary local craft pints from 612 BrewRaffle prizes,Drink specials,Food stations,Interviews with special Twins guests andIt’s only $40 (if you can get tickets).We’ll announce details about all of the above as we count down the days to the event. You’ll be treated to some fantastic locally brewed beer from 612 Brew in Northeast Minneapolis. This is 612 Brew’s seventh year sponsoring our Meltdown and has supported various Twins Daily and Gleeman and the Geek events for several years. You can see some of the previous year's designs below. Download attachment: Pint Glasses 2015-18.jpg The tough part could be getting tickets. We’ve sold this out every year. Tickets will go on sale Friday morning on Twins Daily at 8:00 AM. A special pre-Christmas sale took care of most of our inventory, so I HIGHLY RECOMMEND that you find a way to stop by TwinsDaily.com this Friday morning (1/17) and get your tickets while you still can. Please join us for our biggest event of the year. It’s easy, it’s affordable, it’s crazy fun and you’re going to be kicking yourself that weekend if you can’t be there. Stop by the rest of this weekend and next for more news on our prizes and guests or follow us on Twitter and Facebook. Click here to view the article