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I am happy to read that the Tigers ranked #27 and the White Sox #29. That may bode well for 2015 and after.

You should all kiss the ground knowing that you get to see the Twins at home. I have to go to Anaheim, and have developed an intense hatred for that fleabag rally monkey and the color red.

Here is what I believe is a good definition of operating income, from Investopedia: "The amount of profit realized from a business's operations after taking out operating expenses - such as cost of goods sold (COGS) or wages - and depreciation. Operating income takes the gross income (revenue minus COGS) and subtracts other operating expenses and then removes depreciation. These operating expenses are costs which are incurred from operating activities and include things such as office supplies and heat and power. Operating Income is typically a synonym for earnings before interest and taxes (EBIT) and is also commonly referred to as "operating profit" or "recurring profit."" I am surprised that the operating income is so low -- less than 6% of gross revenues. However, I suspect that the cash flow is much higher than the operating income, because the Twins LLC probably has been taking lots of deductions for depreciation. Such depreciation deductions reduce operating income, but not cash flow. I would also note that the effect of empty seats on operating income seems huge. If the Twins have 5,000 empty seats per game, their costs are basically the same as if those seats were filled. If they can fill such seats, the incremental revenue is almost pure profit. Assuming that each seat nets $30 (ticket price plus net revenue from concessions -- this is a PLUG # and the real # may be much higher or lower), then 5,000 more fans per game increases the bottom line by $150,000 per game. So there is an economic incentive for the Twins to spend money to fill seats, but such incentive has limits. As for the Astros' TV deal, maybe we can only hope that global warning will eventually cause millions of people to seek cooler climes.

I think that there is a good chance that Morneau will still be a cornerstone type player for at least two or three more years. I would hate to see him traded unless the Twins get a very high ceiling prospect in return.

I like one column better, but also agree with Han that consistency would be nice. I also agree with John.

That is one of the most creative posts that I have ever read. Are you a professional writer? We are going to need your humor as the season progresses. Please try to cheer us up during losing streaks.

I hope that he can make a doll that works on hitters.

I am admiring how people are debating furiously in this thread without violating TD policy. A few of you have tickled the edges of the policy, but no one has lost control. If I believe those who feel that the manager is not that important, then it seems to me that perhaps they should not care very much whether Gardy stays or goes. I believe that the manager is pretty important and it seemed to me last season that, at times, a losing mentality took hold. I personally feel that Gardy might have done more to get the best from every player. I may be 100% wrong, because what goes on inside the clubhouse is not well known, but Thrylos's rewind to the unspeakable horror of 2006, plus the seemingly innumerable humiliations at the hands of the Yankees, plus my impressions of a losing mentality during parts of last season make me want to see a new manager. I remember watching games against Texas and Tampa Bay last year and wishing that the Twins could trade managers. On the other hand, I hope that Gardy wins manager of the year this year, because that will mean that the Twins have been awesome.

I hope that the Twins are prepared to clear more than one spot, just in case someone promising gets put on waivers by another team.

Great article. I am very hopeful that Worley, Correia and Pelfrey will be an upgrade compared with what Liriano, Baker and Pavano produced last year. In 2012, Liriano had a BB/9 of 5 and an ERA of 5.31 in 100 IP. Baker was injured all season. Pavano had an ERA of 6.00 in 63 innings. This is not a high bar to exceed. Also, it seems to me that the loss of the defense of Span and Revere will be largely offset by the presence of Hicks. Finally, I think that it is at least possible that Blackburn will produce at a higher level than either Pavano or Liriano produced last year.

I worry that Justin may always be one hit on the head away from another concussion. I love the way that he plays and believe that 2013 could be a big year for him, but if a team like the Jays is willing to "overpay" because they are in a pennant run and if Parmelee looks solid, then I think that a trade may make sense. I also like Nick's idea of making a qualifying offer if he is not traded, assuming that the Twins have sufficient doubts about a longer term commitment.

I think that the best course is to ignore such posts (and possibly permanently ignore the poster). If you are annoyed to the point that you almost cannot resist attacking the poster, then you can report the post by clicking on the triangle icon that has an exclamation mark inside it. Alternatively, you can politely give reasons why you believe that the poster's position is completely wrong, so long as you don't attack him or her personally. Example: "With all due respect, I believe that you are completely wrong, because ..." Example: "What you are saying makes no sense to me, because ..." As long as you can refrain from directly or indirectly attacking the poster, you are free to rip apart any reasoning or positions that you think are stupid. Let's say that someone posts something completely stupid, such as a theory that the Twins should sign Butera to a 5 year contract because good defensive catchers are hard to find and he is a good clubhouse guy. If it seems to you that the poster is merely trolling to create conflict, then just report the post and we will look at it. But if you believe that the poster is uninformed and/or not intelligent, then feel free to blast their ridiculous theory. Example: "I believe that signing Butera to a 5 year contract would be a terrible move, because his defense cannot even begin to make up for the fact that his offensive production is abysmal. Your idea seems ridiculous and I wonder whether you are being sincere or just trying to rile people up."

I am looking forward to seeing it. The previews make it look interesting.

As it turns out, there was indeed an unusual level of reports today. I should have checked my email earlier, but I usually don't check it on Sundays. If we moderators wanted more drama in our lives, we could just say bad things to our wives about their cooking. This drama is getting tiresome and I urge people to cut it out so that we can all focus on baseball.

There is almost no "tattling" and the "authorities" are listening to members who don't want over-moderation. Just have fun and stay within the posted policies.

Thank you my friend.

Thanks for this. It is indeed a beautiful song, which I had never heard. [video=youtube;SI8SOeYcXyo]

Thanks for posting this Kirsten. It provides a great perspective about how these coaches are thinking.

Why not let the prospects get as many opportunities as possible to prove themselves? Garland is old and would not be around for long.

Please just drop this discussion about someone who is now a member of TD. We don't want to repeat history here.

If that's correct, then he really has a groin injury. I liked the other theory better.

So this is what can happen when there is a low level of moderation?

I would like that link as well.

How could this lead to a meltdown? BYTO sounds like a very contentious place.

At least he went 5 innings, which seems more than most of the Twins starters have done in ST so far.