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from LEN on Twitter Alex Meyer looked sharp in his two inning stint, giving up one hit (double down the line) while striking out three. Six up, six down for Berrios. Wonder who these guys are facing this morning?

You would think they could sell a lot more beer at $5 a bottle rather than $7.75 or whatever they are charging now. They would certainly create some goodwill among fans with a move like.

I know we have a number of TD regulars that have trips scheduled for spring training. who do we have down in Florida this week? Anyone going to the early game? Interested in the battle for center field. Love to see Benson step up and force his way onto the opening day roster.

Did he really strike out the side on 9 pitches?

It's still spring and I holding out hope for a miracle run. When we hit June and any hope of sticking with the leaders in the central have faded, it would be nice to have Jim in the lineup every couple of days. If we don't have a playoff chase to look forward to, we will need some additonal story lines. Jim Thome will be a good storyline. Are we past the point where his class and professional approach wouldn't be of benefit to everyone in the clubhouse?

According to LEN's post in the strib... Kyle Gibson threw a pitch in the fourth inning that registered 96 miles an hour on the stadium radar gun. Say what? I checked wtih a scout in the stands, and Gibson topped out at 95. That's pretty darn good for a first outing. Gibson has to fine tune his command in future outings, but if he's feeling good enough to let it loose like that, wow.

what more can we ask for.Willingham starts up right where he left off and Correia has an ERA of only 4.50 Looks like it is time to end spring training and start the season.

starts the spring 2-2 with a long ball.

the hammer with the dinger

96.3 FM is the new radio home of the twins. Listening live is not an option without a subscription. Tried Ktwin's site, but they are just playing music online. I had to break out the radio and listen the old fashioned way. It sounds like summer, even with the ground covered with white.

thanks for bringing us back to reality. I really hope we don't even try this guy as a starter. He has never pitched 100 innings. If he could throw 40 innings out of the pen with a sub 3.00 ERA I would be thrilled. He has the stuff, just need to keep him on the mound.

I agree, as 17 or 18 year old the world looks different. Denard was also a little different, very well spoken and a little more cerebral than most. I can see him sitting back and thinking about his days as a young player in the system and questioning the instruction he received.

I wonder if they will publish the results of these 6 weigh-ins?

Nice write up Nick. I have always been a big Plouffe guy, but he has disappointed me every time. Was last years outburst just a mirage? I think so, put me down for a worse and hope that I am wrong.

that is the beauty of predictions. Last year, I thought Texas and the Angels would be fighting it out for the best record in baseball and that the Oakland A's would be lucky to win 50 games. I though Ozzie was a great fit in Miami and with the new roster would complete in the NL East. Could I have been more wrong? I guess we will just have to see. Maybe Terry and his scouts got the guys that they wanted and our pitching will be fine. The lack of moves with the rest of our team should really be a concern. I have a feeling our defense will be just awful this year.

1) Morneau returns to all star form, bettering both Mauer and Willingham at the plate. He puts the injuries behind him, playing in over 140 games in 2013. As the all star game approaches, the arguments behind whether to extend him or trade him. Most fans will wish we had locked him up in the off season. 2) the twins start the season with a number of very close games and Perkins blows a number of save opportunities. He is demoted to a set up role and everyone agrees that should continue to be his role. 3) Plouffe gets off to a slow start in the field and at the plate. He eventually only plays against lefty's and finishes the season with under 10 dingers. 4) Pitching turns out to be our bright spot. Correia, Worley and Diamond lead a staff that keeps us in most games, but with no run support we only win 75 games.

I couldn't participate in the live chat, but really enjoyed reading your comments Seth. thanks for taking the time, we do enjoy these sessions.

I agree, we are currently a 70+ win team, with the addition of Marcum we turn into a 75+ win team. That still doesn't get us to .500 or even contention, but it least it gives us a better chance to win every 5th day. I think the key is to keep the contract at 2 years or less. I'd even go as high as 2/25million with an option for 2015, just in case he out preforms his contract. Terry has money in his pocket, he needs to spend it to make this team better. It servces no purpose to stick it under the mattress for a rainy day.

Last year, the Yankees finished with 26 more wins than the Red Sox. I wouldn't be surprised that from top to bottom, we only see a 10-15 game spread. I don't see that much of a separation in 2013. The best have gotten worse and the bottom of the division with be improved. As old nurse pointed out the interesting race will be in the west. Texas has been the best for a while and is due to regress if last seasons collapse is any indication. I too, am thinking that they A's may turn out to be a one shot wonder. I can't see them winning the division again in 2013.

It looks like my table didn't format properly, but I think you will get the idea. First column is team, second column is 2012 wins and the final column is 2012 Payroll.

I consider myself a pretty optimistic fan. I always approach opening day with the view that "this is the year". Every team starts out equal and has a shot at a world championship. Even in 2011 and 2012, I had hope that the pitching would come around and that Gardy would guide the boys to another division championship. I am having a hard time ramping up my excitement this off-season. Granted it is only early January and we still have 3 weeks before we even hit Twinsfest, but with our current off-season roster moves and faint hope of any additional meaningful acquisitions, I don't see much reason for optimism this time around. In fact the exact opposite view is starting to creep in. Will we finish with the worst record in the American league? There is a pretty severe divide between the have's and the have not's in the American league. As you can see 10 games separate Chicago's 85 wins in 2012 and the 75 wins posted by Seattle. Objectively looking at the American league, who in the losing bracket do you see moving up to an above .500 club? What team will finish with the worst record in the American league in 2013? Will it be the Twins? Team Wins 2012 Payroll New York 95 196 Oakland 94 49 Baltimore 93 81 Texas 93 121 Tampa 90 65 LA Angels 89 155 Detroit 88 119 Chicago 85 98 Seattle 75 82 Toronto 73 75 Kansas City 72 61 Boston 69 146 Cleveland 68 66 Minnesota 66 94 Houston 55 61 I think that Toronto, Kansas City and Boston will all move in the above .500 category for 2013. When you look at Houston's 55 wins last year, it is hard to imagine that they will improve much with the move to the American league. I'm picking them to finish with the worst record. At this point, I don't see any way the twins can win 80 games this year. With out Houston, I think the Twins would be a favorite to finish with the worst record in the American league.

Stranger thinks in sports have happened. I love these 1:00am posts glunn, it really seems like anything is possible at that hour of the day.

I sure hope that is just a negotiating ploy to get some agent to move a little on price. I have a feeling that it is what it is however, a bunch of guys that need to pitch career years, just to keep us at .500

I would think it didn't annoy him because he never saw it. If he doesn't have an intern screening e-mails from fans trying to help him do his job, we are in big trouble.

Sorry about that looking at the wrong calendar. Here is the e-mail notice. I was thinking that Tickets go on sale to the general public the following Saturday. "Mark your calendar for Wednesday, January 9th for your opportunity to purchase tickets to Spring Training in Fort Myers, Florida. This exclusive presale allows you access to the best games at Hammond Stadium before they go on sale to the general public. Enjoy Twins baseball in an intimate venue - and take some time to warm your feet on the white sand beaches of Florida's Gulf Coast. An email including a unique one-time-use password to access this presale will be forwarded in early January."