John Bonnes

It’s important to occasionally reflect on the community that we’re building here, so we can make it better and acknowledge all the great work that so many people are doing. Doing so weekly turned out to be a little aggressive, but a monthly review seems about right. Also, it gives me an excuse to use a cheesy stock photo. So let’s look back at June and find out what Twins Daily’s community was up to.Overall Traffic For June Users – 147,859 (up 106% from 2018 Sessions – 462,668 (up 80% from 2018) Page Views – 1,328,465 (up 60% from 2018) Congratulations everyone – you set a record in June! June is usually a big month for Twins Daily, since it’s both the middle of the baseball season and we get very busy during the MLB Draft, which happens the first week of June. But as impressive as the 1.3M page views are, it’s even more gratifying that almost 150,000 unique readers stopped by to check out our writers. I distinctly remember when I started blogging and that number was 15. Increasing that by a factor of 10,000 is … I don’t even know what. I have goosebumps. It’s crazy to me. Stories Our top writer for the month was Andrew Thares, who of course led our MLB Draft coverage. Cody Christie was on his heels, and has grown his readership four times what it was the same month last year. Editor Tom Froemming and founders Nick Nelson and Seth Stohs are of course in the top 10, and so are Ted Schwerzler, Andrew Gebo, Matt Braun, AJ Condon and Steve Lein. Andrew, Matt and AJ are all brand new this year, and each cleared 10,000 reads in their stories last month. That’s fantastic. The most read story is our ongoing 2019 MLB Draft Signing Tracker. The Day 2 and Day 3 threads ranked second and third. The top traditional story was Tom’s article explaining why we need not freak out over the Twins trading prospects. Finally, we paid our writers at the end of the month, since it was the end of a quarter. On a quarterly basis we pay our contributing writers the ad revenue that their stories directly generate. For the second quarter of 2019, that was about $4 per 1000 reads. We’ll continue to work to increase that rate and find a way to better compensate them for their invaluable contributions. We recognize that isn’t enough for their excellent work, but it’s what we get, and we feel strongly that it should belong to them. Forums Registrations – 78 (we had 80 in 2018) Topics –346 (up from 197 in 2018) Posts – 16,462 (up from 11,333 in 2018) We would love to have you join us and talk Twins. This seems like a great year to get involved. Just register and tell us your thoughts. The top posters in June (not including moderators or writers) were: Aggies7Blakeoperation mindcrimeMNT199670chargerMike SixelLaBombosampleSizeOfOnespycakeNine of twelveThat’s quantity and that’s great, but you can also reward quality on our forums. On each comment on our forums, you can choose to give it a “like”. The most liked comment from our community was from mlhouse, who attended a Fort Myers Miracle game and added his observations to that day’s minor league report. I’m especially fond of this one, as it really added to the story and discussion. As for the members with the most likes in June, we should start with our excellent moderators, who always deserve our thanks. A few of them were at the top of the list: USAChief topped it, falling just one short of reaching 2000 likes. Ashbury and Brock were second and third, but LaBombo took the top spot amongst non-moderators. He’s been active in the game threads, such as this one, praising Rocco Baldelli and the Twins newfound penchant for hitting the snot out of the ball. If you would like to join the game threads, they’re always pinned to the top of the Minnesota Twins Talk forum. Thank you to everyone for sharing your thoughts and keeping the Twins Daily forums a civil, entertaining and informative place Blogs I’m going to need to find a better way to feature all the blogs that are being created for these monthly reports. I count at least 10 active blogs from June 6th through the 30th. If you like discovering that next underground band that is going to break through, stop by and check them out, urge them to keep writing, and respond to their thoughts. The blogs are right here and they’re always a link at the top of the Twins Daily menu. Thank you for checking in with us. If you have any ideas for Twins Daily, or feedback that you want to share, please don’t hesitate to give it, good or bad, in the comments below. I promise to read your thought and respond when appropriate. Click here to view the article

Aaron and John talk about every possible impact trade the Twins could make, matching up with Cleveland to start the second half, creating a super Mitch Garver, Miguel Sano's turnaround, Luis Arraez's emergence, and how much bullpen one Taylor Rogers can carry. You can listen by downloading us from iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, iHeartRadio or find it at GleemanAndTheGeek.com. Or just click this link.Listen Here! Click here to view the article

Aaron and John talk about the state of the Twins heading into the All-Star break with a 5.5-game lead, injuries for Jake Odorizzi, C.J. Cron, and Eddie Rosario, LaMonte Wade's very brief edge over Jake Cave, whether there's any reason to have faith in Adalberto Mejia, and highlighting a possible under-the-radar trade target. You can listen by downloading us from iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, iHeartRadio or find it at GleemanAndTheGeek.com. Or just click this link.PLAY THE PODCAST Want more Twins talk? Subscribe to our midweek "Off The Record" episodes via Patreon.com/Gleeman. Click here to view the article

It’s never been more convenient to get tickets to a Twins game. I can be walking to the game, look at options and download tickets. But almost regardless of how you get your tickets, one gut punch awaits at the end: jacked up fees. Let’s get rid of the gut punch.Twins Daily has partnered with Ticket Club, which in many ways is similar to other online ticket brokers. But with Ticket Club, you can get rid of the fees, because they are literally a club for tickets. By becoming a member, they waive all the fees. And for Twins Daily members, they have an even better deal. Ticket Club usually charges an annual fee of $50 for the first year and $10 per year for membership. But for Twins Daily readers, Ticket Club has agreed to WAIVE the first year fee. Plus, no credit card is required and there there is no future commitment. Just use our discount code TCTWINS and enter it HERE for their Premium Membership through 9/1/2019. Click over, and use that discount code by clicking the code redeem link. You'll have a Premier Membership on TicketClub.com for a full year, for free. That means a year where you can test things out, including NO FEES for tickets to Twins games, Vikings games, concert and theater tickets or ANY tickets around the country. Take a second to hop over to their site to take advantage, even if you're not going to buy tickets in the near future, you'll still want to sign up for the free membership before the discount code expires on 9/1/19. Again, just go to this link and enter the code TCTWINS to get a full free year of membership with no future commitment. And then check out their Twins tickets for this weekend. Ticket Club has tickets to most events in across the country, so even if you're not local this is a HUGE DEAL. Thank you again for reading Twins Daily. We value you, and hope you can take advantage of this offer. Click here to view the article

Aaron and John talk about Lewis Thorpe's promising debut, all the Twins being snubbed for the All-Star game, Miguel Sano making adjustments on the fly, Eddie Rosario being the latest injury to keep the lineup from being whole, giving James Rowson a raise, and ghosting someone at a funeral. 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

Aaron and John talk about the Twins' first truly bad week, five ace starters the Twins could (and should) pursue at the trade deadline, adding Cody Allen on a minor-league deal, Miguel Sano's highs and lows, injuries reshaping the lineup, and being careful what you wish for. 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

Aaron and John talk about Joe Mauer weekend at Target Field, the latest batch of absurd Twins hitting numbers, another week spent thinking ahead to bullpen trades, the Twins' remaining schedule, sports betting and wearables, and Rocco Baldelli vs. Tom Kelly. 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

Thanks guys.

Want even more coverage from Aaron and John for this magical 2019 Twin season? Just click here! You'll go to our new Patreon page and get all the details on how we're releasing an extra two to five episodes each week!Check out the Gleeman & The Geek "Off The Record" Podcast here! It looks like the first episode will be out as early as Monday this week! Click here to view the article

Aaron and John announce big show news, say goodbye (for now) to Willians Astudillo, and talk about missing out on Craig Kimbrel and Dallas Keuchel, Byron Buxton's latest jaw-dropping highlight, Max Kepler's three-homer game, Keoni Cavaco and the Twins' draft class, and potential playoff matchups. You can listen by downloading us from iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, iHeartRadio or find it at GleemanAndTheGeek.com. Or just click this link. And check out our new midweek (daily?) podcast here. Click here to view the article

Well, we've been around seven years now, so it's not too surprising that it's pretty big. Though I guess that means we've averaged about four new registrations per day for the entirety of the site. That's probably a few more than I expected.

People like asking me about Twins Daily, but they’ve been surprised when they ask me about the page views this year. With a sly smile, I’ve enjoyed seeing their expressions when I honestly tell them that page views have been down. I thought you guys might be interested in why and what it represents.The graph for a week by week comparison of page views is above and I think it tells an interesting story. Expectations were low this spring after a disappointing 2018 season. On the other hand, expectations were high going into 2018 after making the Wild Card game in 2017. The traffic at Twins Daily reflected that. Our page views through March were down 15%. For the next three weeks, the traffic was very similar to 2018. And then, about the third week in April, people started to believe. That’s why I thought the low attendance stories that started percolating in April were so ludicrous. The interest was certainly there. The problem with game attendance is that it is a lagging indicator. Twins Daily’s page view are a lot closer to a real time gauge of fan interest. (As an aside, congratulations to the Twins marketing department for nipping that little narrative in the bud. I’m sure the release of a 20,000 or so cheap seats in early May was mostly to bring people back to the ballpark, but it’s a nice side effect that they don’t have to deal with the perception that their fan base doesn’t care about them.) So for the last two months, I’ve been able to tell people that page view are down, but you can see from the graph that wasn’t going to last. It didn’t. On Saturday, page views caught up from the three-month head start 2018 was given. Which brings us to this week’s numbers…. Overall Traffic Last Week Users – 46,508 (up 163% from 2018)Sessions – 102,694 (up 105% from 2018)Page Views – 275,601 (up 55% rom 2018)The numbers last week almost perfectly matched the numbers from the week before. Last week's numbers has us freaking out, so it looks like we have a new reality. If you are one of the people who regularly share stories or posts from the sites with friends, thank you so much for contributing to the community’s growth. This week should be interesting, as the three days of the MLB draft are usually among Twins Daily’s most visited dates of the year. Last year, for example, the first two days of the draft were our third and fourth most page views of the year. (Trade deadline in which Brian Dozier was traded was #1. Eduardo Escobar trade was #2.) Stories Andrew Thares has provided so much good quality MLB Draft content over the last month, he deserves the page views his stories have generated. This week his page views were sandwiched between Seth and Tom, which tells you just how much the readers are appreciating his great work. I mentioned that the MLB Draft has become a bit of a specialty for Twins Daily, thanks in large part to the work done in previous years by Jeremy Nygaard. We’re very grateful to Andrew for carrying that tradition forward. I’m struck by how many of our contributing writers are getting even more page view than some of our founders, which NEVER used to happen. I, for instance, am tenth on the list. That might be a good topic for a future Box Score. Forums Registrations – 19 (we had 19 the same week in 2018)Topics – 84 (up from 54 the same week in 2018)Posts - 2613 (up from 2761 the same week in 2018)Twins Daily now has 11,403 members. That’s a lot of people who want to talk Twins. Don’t you? Just register and tell us your thoughts. (I know I’m overdue for a post calling out the top participants in the forums, but it takes a while to generate that report, and this Box Score is already running a little long. I’ll try to give a recap of all of May next week.) Blogs The blogs have blown up. Eleven new entries this week, including: a brand new blog that already has two entries,an entry with 20 comments,a continuation of a series on the first round picks that I talked about last week,talk about signing Dallas Keuchel,a remembrance of Bill Buckner,a blog called The Always Fashionable Uncle Charlie,an entry on the top five Twins prospects who should be promoted,a post on what shoulder impingement is,a look at the AL Central race andsome old friends doing their usual fine work.Whew. Thank you all. I’d encourage everyone to make the blog section a part of your routine when visiting Twins Daily. There’s a lot going on there. If you have any ideas for Twins Daily, or feedback that you want to share, please don’t hesitate to give it, good or bad, in the comments below. I promise to read your thought and respond when appropriate. Click here to view the article

Aaron and John talk about the Twins lapping the AL Central, whether the Twins should be in the mix for Craig Kimbrel and Dallas Keuchel, if it's crazy to focus on the playoffs when making midseason moves, Miguel Sano and Mitch Garver returning, Nelson Cruz being on the verge of a return, Byron Buxton doing Byron Buxton things, and what to make of Devin Smeltzer. 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