John Bonnes

We are very sorry (but also very excited) to announce that the Tuesday Taproom Tour is sold out. We promise, Twins Daily and Gleeman & The Geek will continue to work on more events. (Might want to keep July 14th open ... shhhh....) At each event, participants will get our Gleeman and the Geek Tap Handle pint glasses (pictured), two craft beers at a local taproom, and prizes while watching a Twins road game with Aaron and John as they record a podcast in which you can participate. And all four events cost just $40. Your friends can also get in on the action at TuesdayTaproomTour.com. But there are only 85 tickets available, so get them now Here are the details: The Events Join a limited group of 100 fellow Twins fans listening to a special podcast and watching a Twins road game at one of John and Aaron’s favorite local craft beer taprooms with Gleeman and the Geek! Honestly, how many great things are in that last sentence? And it gets better - at each taproom: You’ll receive a free pint glass with the Gleeman and Geek Tuesday Taproom Tour logo (our own tap handle!) on one side and the brewery’s logo on the other. And each taproom’s glass will be a different color. (You need to attend the event to get the glass. We cannot mail them.) You’ll get a free craft beer. You’ll get another free craft beer for a future visit. There will be a giveaway at first pitch, last out and during the game. Aaron and John will talk Twins and answer questions during the game to the assembled crowd and it will all be on a special release podcast. Your question could be featured on the podcast. The Tour We’ll be attending four of our favorite taprooms that you’ve heard on the show. All four dates are Tuesday nights: 4/25 – 7:00 – 10:00 at Northgate Brewing (vs Texas Rangers) 5/23 – 6:05 – 9:00 at 612 Brew (vs Baltimore Orioles) 6/27 – 6:05 – 9:00 at Tin Whiskers (vs Boston Red Sox) 8/22 – 7:05 – 10:00 at Fair State Coop (vs Chicago White Sox) Tickets Unfortunately, you can’t just arrive at the door, as we expect to sell out and these taprooms have a limited capacity. You’ll be able to get tickets right here by going to TuesdayTaproomTour.com (which will take you right back here) on the 24th at 8AM. If the season pass does not sell out, individual event tickets will be sold for $15 and will go on sale the day after Opening Day, which is 4/3, provided any are still available. However, you can buy tickets to all four events for just $40. These go on sale at 8:00 on Friday March 24th and are the only way to get tickets to the events through Opening Day. We have less than 100 tickets available, so it is very possible they sell out and we are unable to offer individual tickets. Locations Northgate Brewery is in NE Minneapolis, at 783 Harding St NE, Minneapolis, MN 55413. They specialize in British inspired beers. 612 Brew is in NE Minneapolis at 945 Broadway St NE, Minneapolis, MN 55413. Their taproom is in an iconic NE Mpls warehouse, and features art on the walls and coming out of the taps. Tin Whiskers is located in Lowertown at 125 9th St E, St. Paul, MN 55101. Started by electrical engineers, it features beer with twists on traditional favorites. Fair State Brewing is located in NE Minneapolis at 2506 Central Ave NE, Minneapolis, MN 55418. Their evolving beer lineup features traditional styles as well as an array of sours. Contact your friends or significant other or siblings or parents or whoever, but get a group together and join us. We've very excited to try putting together a series of events that brings together the Gleeman and the Geek and Twins Daily community on a regular basis. We would love to have you there. View full article

In our second issue of Twins Daily's Write Of Spring Newsletter, Nick Nelson talks about the Twins bullpen battle for left-handed relievers. Let's talk about it in this thread. This issue is being sent out at 11:45 PM the night of 3/13/2017. If you missed it, sign up over on the right to make sure you don't miss the next issue.

We do start a thread for each story we publish in the newsletter. You'll get a link to it along with the link to the newsletter. As for why not, it may allow us some future flexibility as far as content. The site has some built-in restrictions regarding what we can do with format and type of content. It could also lead to exclusive, in-depth content, similar to the Offseason Handbook, but in a form that allows us to update the information as time passes, as opposed to quickly growing stale. And one last edit to my post: since the word "pay wall" came up, Twins Daily was started specifically to avoid a pay wall. I should probably "never say never" but ... I don't ever see that happening. It runs counter to our DNA. That said, we do offer some exclusive content like the Handbook (though recently, we changed that to a free-will donation) so I can see some additional exclusive content especially for community members that want to further support the community's writing and growth efforts.

John and Aaron eat awesome exotic Japanese food at Kyatchi, evaluate Trevor May's injury on the Twins season, reveal the new keyword to win a 20-game Twins season ticket package at kernelnation.com and preview the 2017 season for the AL East using Vegas' over-under bets. You can listen by downloading us from iTunes, Stitcher or find it at GleemanAndTheGeek.com. Or just click this link. http://traffic.libsyn.com/gleemangeek/Episode_300_Trevor_May_and_AL_East_Over-Under.mp3?dest-id=74590 View full article

In our first ever issue of Twins Daily's Write Of Spring Newsletter, Parker Hageman dives into what the Twins have (and have not) done to change how they develop pitching. Let's talk about it in this thread. This issue is being sent out at 11:45 PM the night of 3/6/2017. If you missed it, sign up over on the right to make sure you don't miss the next issue.

Looks like the Twins concessions vendor, Delaware North, is having more job fairs. Just got this press release: Additional job fairs scheduled for Target Field Delaware North looking to fill 300 seasonal, part-time positions for 2017 season BUFFALO, NY and MINNEAPOLIS, MN (March 6, 2017) – Delaware North Sportservice, the food and beverage partner of Major League Baseball’s Minnesota Twins, today announced it will host additional job fairs for part-time, seasonal positions at Target Field for the Twins’ upcoming 2017 season. The job fairs will be held at Target Field, Summit Academy and at the Sabathani Community Center in the coming weeks, a full schedule is below. Open positions include cashiers, cashier leads, supervisors, bartenders, warehouse porters and stockers, servers and food prep workers. Candidates must be highly motivated, and customer-oriented. All positions are event-driven and allow for flexible scheduling. Successful candidates will earn competitive pay, free uniforms, meals and will receive paid training. All candidates are encouraged to apply online at www.careers.delawarenorth.com. Job Fairs: Wed. March 8 Sabathani Community Center 11 a.m. – 1 p.m. Wed. March 8 Target Field 4 p.m. – 7 p.m. Fri. March 10 Target Field 4 p.m. – 7 p.m. Wed. March 15 Sabathani Community Center 11 a.m. – 1 p.m. Wed. March 15 Target Field 4 p.m. – 7 p.m. Fri. March 17 Target Field 4 p.m. – 7 p.m. Sat. March 18 Summit Academy 12pm - 3pm Wed. March 22 Sabathani Community Center 11 a.m. – 1 p.m. Sat. March 25 Summit Academy 12pm – 3pm Locations: Target Field: 1 Twins Way, Minneapolis, MN 55403 Sabathani Community Center: 310 E 38th Street Room 120, Minneapolis, MN 55409 Summit Academy OAC: 935 Olsen Memorial Highway, Minneapolis, MN 55405 About Delaware North Delaware North is one of the largest privately held hospitality and food service companies in the world. Founded in 1915 and owned by the Jacobs family for 100 years, Delaware North has global operations at high-profile places such as sports and entertainment venues, national and state parks, destination resorts and restaurants, airports, and regional casinos. Our 60,000 employee associates are dedicated to creating special experiences one guest at a time in serving more than a half-billion guests annually. Delaware North operates in the sports, travel hospitality, restaurant and catering, parks, resorts, gaming, and specialty retail industries and has annual revenue of about $3 billion. “Delaware North” is a reference to Delaware North Companies Inc. and its affiliates and subsidiaries, including location-specific operating entities. Learn more about Delaware North, a global leader in hospitality and food service, at www.DelawareNorth.com. # # #

Do your eyes kinda gloss over when people start talking about a slider versus a sinker versus a cutter? Mine do. So this spring I asked for help from the Twins pitching staff. The resulting cheat sheet will be in this week's Write Of Spring Newsletter. It's free, but you must sign up soon as it will come out Wednesday night. Sign up by giving us your email in the box at the bottom of this story or use the box on the upper right of the front page. Do your eyes kinda gloss over when people start talking about a slider versus a sinker versus a cutter? Mine do. So this spring I asked for help from the Twins pitching staff. The resulting cheat sheet will be in this week's Write Of Spring Newsletter. It's free, but you must sign up soon as it will come out Wednesday night. Sign up by giving us your email in the box at the bottom of this story or use the box on the upper right of the front page. The "Writer Of Spring" Newletter allows each of our writers to explore an in-depth topic during their time in Fort Myers, along with various notes they gather. Over 3000 people that have signed up, but if you haven't (or are not sure), sign up again; we'll resolve it if you're already signed up. Again, you can sign up: 1) Just below this story where is says "Subscribe to Twins Daily Email" or 2) On the upper right-hand area of Twins Daily's front page. I'm looking forward to getting your feedback on our new Write Of Spring Newsletter, so be sure to sign up! (And if you signup but don't get the newsletter early next week, you might want to check that pesty spam filter...) View full article

Aaron and John accept that the Twins offseason shopping is done, mourn the loss of Alex Kirillloff's 2017 season, share the new keyword to win Twins tickets at KernelNation.com, place their bets on the teams in the AL West, reveal what Aaron does the night before he travels, and drop hints about their new Tuesday Taproom Tour. You can listen by downloading us from iTunes, Stitcher or find it at GleemanAndTheGeek.com. Or just click this link. http://traffic.libsyn.com/gleemangeek/Ep_299_AL_West_Over-Under.mp3?dest-id=74590 View full article

Aaron and John recover at Fair State Coop and discuss Jorge Polanco's midyear move to shortstop, PECOTA's optimistic view on the Twins defense, the keyword that can get you a pair of 20-game Twins season tickets at kernelnation.com, recovery timelines for Phil Hughes and Glen Perkins, Twins Daily's fifth anniversary, Byung-Ho Park's (mis)perceived weaknesses, how a co-op works, Aaron's new podcast, listener mailbag questions and why they both need to recover from Friday night. You can listen by downloading us from iTunes, Stitcher or find it at GleemanAndTheGeek.com. Or just click this link. http://traffic.libsyn.com/gleemangeek/Episode_298.mp3 Image courtesy of © Matt Marton-USA TODAY Sports View full article

Re: his fastball. I don't think he's hitting 94 often. I think BA's description said he "touches 95" so allowed the description to include "mid".

I like the Stewart/Gonsalves comparison. You're absolutely right that the narrative on each is the opposite & also at odds with their results so far. The reason why is that Stewart's pitches were initially graded higher by scouts and have only slipped a bit, so he's seen as having room left to have his results match his tools. Gonsalves is the opposite. His pitches were initially graded a bit lower and have already been upgraded, so the sense is he's already at his ceiling. Whether or not that is fair is debatable but also, mostly irrelevant. Both are positioned to get every opportunity, so perception isn't going to hold them back. They're on the doorstep. Now each must continue progressing if they want to enter.

Re: 2017/2018. I could've gone either way; there's a decent chance of a Sept callup. But that's if he thrives again this year, stays healthy & they don't sweat his innings much. It was a close call, but I felt like the more conservative estimate was more likely.

Expectations and excitement can get sky-high when a 22-year-old pitcher wins his organization’s minor league pitcher of the year award and dominates two levels in which he is one of the younger players. Among the Twins fan base (and certainly in the Twins Daily forums) that is the case for Stephen Gonsalves, but the national outlook for him is more tempered. Why is that? Expectations and excitement can get sky-high when a 22-year-old pitcher wins his organization’s minor league pitcher of the year award and dominates two levels in which he is one of the younger players. Among the Twins fan base (and certainly in the Twins Daily forums) that is the case for Stephen Gonsalves, but the national outlook for him is more tempered. Why is that? Age: 22 (DOB: 7/8/94)2016 Stats (High A/AA): 140 IP, 2.06 ERA, 155/57 K/BB, 1.02 WHIP ETA: 2018 2016 Ranking: 6 National Top 100 Rankings BA: 99(2) | MLB: 92(2) | ESPN: 91(4) | BP: NR(5) Gonsalves slid to the fourth round of the 2013 draft, thanks to a suspension during his senior year in high school, and the lack of innings that resulted. That tumble was softened somewhat by the $700,000 signing bonus the Twins gave him, which would have slotted a round or two higher, but that extra investment looks like money well spent. Gonsalves has steadily climbed through the minor league by posting impressive numbers at each stop. Last year was his most eye-popping season yet, with a 1.82 ERA and 89K in 74.1 IP after a midseason callup to AA-Chattanooga. That earned him the Twins Minor League Pitcher Of The Year Award.What’s To Like The hard data is all good: he’s a 22-year-old southpaw with a career minor league ERA of 2.13 and 396 strikeouts in 368.1 innings. He’s jumped up a level midseason in his three full years in the system. Nobody denies that the results so far have been impressive…. What’s Left To Work On …but there are doubts about how his “stuff” will play at higher levels. His best pitch is his changeup, but a pitcher’s changeup is only as effective as his fastball, and Gonsalves’ mid-to-low 90s fastball needs to find the edges of the plate to be effective. His control of that pitch is good, but it likely needs to be great to thrive. There is also the question of a third pitch. His changeup is effective versus right-handers, but he needs something to keep the easier side of the plate honest. Indeed, each of the last two years, left-handed hitters have had more luck against Gonsalves than right-handed bats. Keith Law reports that Gonsalves' cutter is his best bet in that regard. Finally, there was a health scare last fall. After pitching a career high 140 innings during the regular minor league season, the 22-year-old was send to the Arizona Fall League to get more innings. He suffered a shoulder strain, threw just 8.1 innings, and his velocity was down in the high 80s per Mike Berardino. What’s Next I count only 48 optimistic words versus 176 cautious words in the above two sections. I should be embarrassed by that ratio considering how much success Gonsalves has had so far in his minor league career. His rise through the system has been swift and dominant; there have been no bumps in the road of his ascension. That said, Gonsalves is approaching the levels that worried scouts. It’s a very good sign that he experienced immediate success at AA, though the higher walk rate (4.5 BB/9) he posted is a little worrisome. He’s started each year at the same level that he ended the last one, so expect a start in AA-Chattanooga with (hopefully) a fourth midseason jump to the next level. If he can stay healthy and keep proving his doubters wrong, whether it’s by developing a third pitch or tightening his fastball control or voodoo magic, he’ll find himself in the middle of the Twins rotation for a long time. Read up on our previous installments in the Twins Daily top prospects series:TD Top Prospects: #20-16 TD Top Prospects: #15-11 TD Top Prospects: #10 Lewin Diaz TD Top Prospects: #9 Travis Blankenhorn TD Top Prospects: #8 Kohl Stewart TD Top Prospects: #7 Adalberto Mejia TD Top Prospects: #6 Wander Javier TD Top Prospects: #5 Tyler Jay TD Top Prospects: #4 Nick Gordon TD Top Prospects: #3 Alex Kirilloff TD Top Prospects: #2 Stephen Gonsalves TD Top Prospects: #1 (Coming Friday) View full article

Hey everyone, If you go to KernelNation.com you can signup to win a pair of 20-game Twins Season ticket packaages. Just type in the keyword "research" before the end of Friday, 2/24. And you can get FIVE more entries if you tweet the stock phrase they have after you signup. The keyword changes every week (there are five) so I'll use this thread to post the new keyword every week. Winner is announced at the end of March. Good luck! John

Derek Wetmore does a thorough job of looking at the 11(?!?) candidates for the Twins starting rotation this year: http://www.1500espn.com/twins-2/2017/02/will-emerge-competition-twins-starting-rotation-meet-candidates/ If that's more than you thought were competing - I agree. But I can't find any fault with including at least the first 10.

Aaron and John talk about the Twins' top 10 prospects for 2017, rank the Twins' best 25-and-under players, return to the scene of the Winter Meltdown at Brothers Minneapolis, reveal the secret word that can win listeners a pair of 20-game Twins season ticket packages from Minnesota Corn Growers, predict the upcoming fifth-starter decision, tell you how to get a free Harry's Razor, and revel in the glow of their pale legs. You can listen by downloading us from iTunes, Stitcher or find it at GleemanAndTheGeek.com. Or just click this link. http://traffic.libsyn.com/gleemangeek/Episode_297.mp3?dest-id=74590 View full article

Great story Nick.

Yeah, Brock didn't know anything about it. Basically it went like this.... 1) We made an offer to Brock... 2) but there was a miscommunication about it, so he turned it down.... 3) and talked about other ways we could get together in an email... 4) I saw that he had turned it down in the first couple of lines and basically fired off a butt-hurt email to Nick, Parker and Seth that said "F this guy" and didn't read much further. 5) Nick did reach much further and figured out that we hadn't been clear with our original offer and Brock was turning down a much worse offer than we intended to make, so he shot an email to Brock clarifying it. 6) Brock replied something like "Oh, I see, that changes everything" and things honestly couldn't have gone smoother since.

Derek Wetmore at 1500 ESPN wrote today about the spring training battles he sees. He sees the rotation as almost set with Santana, Hughes, Santiago and Gibson. But he predicts the 5th spot will go to Trevor May over Jose Berrios. And he thinks it's the right call: I agree with him on the four locks. Who do you want for the fifth spot?