Twins 2010

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Twins 2010

Postby gobison#6 » Sat Apr 03, 2010 9:33 am

Good to watch the Twins on FSN again! Too bad they dropped the exhibition to St. Louis. Target Field looks pretty sweet on camera, can't wait to see a game in person!
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Re: Twins 2010

Postby Run4Fun2009 » Sat Apr 03, 2010 6:32 pm

I'm getting tickets for the Fourth of July series against the Rays. Can't wait to see this stadium in person...it looks SWEET on TV!

How will the team do this year in your opinions...

I think the offense will be just fine...and the pitching will be decent for the most part...but the bullpen is MY worry
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Re: Twins 2010

Postby Milkman » Sat Apr 03, 2010 6:39 pm

Personally I think it is the Twin's rotation that is most suspect. Maybe Liriano becomes the Ace we've always hoped he would but until then they don't really have a "real" #1 pitcher. The Twin's bullpen has tons of depth and the lose of Nathan is bad but is survivable.

Luckily we have arguably one of the top 5 offensive line-ups in baseball, so maybe we will have a decent amount of run support and the pitching staff won't be asked to keep teams under 2-3 runs on a daily basis.
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Re: Twins 2010

Postby Indy5 » Sat Apr 03, 2010 7:36 pm

Milkman wrote:Luckily we have arguably one of the top 5 offensive line-ups in baseball, so maybe we will have a decent amount of run support and the pitching staff won't be asked to keep teams under 2-3 runs on a daily basis.

Yeah that is the total opposite of your typical Twins team. My concern is that with the addition of Thome, he'll probably DH. There are going to want Kubel's bat in the line-up so that probably puts him in left with Cuddyer in right. Also, they added Hudson(great pickup. Good defense and a good bat in the 2 slot.) and Hardy. I don't know about Hardy on the defensive end. This also means Punto won't see that much time. He should always be playing somewhere IMO. I just worry that they are sacrificing defense for power. Thats usually not a big deal, but I don't like getting away from Twins baseball.
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Re: Twins 2010

Postby Milkman » Sat Apr 03, 2010 7:48 pm

We improved defensively up the middle. I like Hardy and Hudson. Both good gloves and hopefully Hardy will come back to his all-star form. Only weak spot is 3rd. Options are Punto(great glove, bad arm, NO bat) or Harris(ok glove, ok arm, decent bat) I've honestly held my breath every time this spring Ive watched Punto throw to first

Gardy did say that Harris will start against Lefties (which is a relief since Poon's BA is nonexistent against lefties)
Last edited by Milkman on Sat Apr 03, 2010 7:51 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Twins 2010

Postby The Schwab » Sat Apr 03, 2010 7:48 pm

Indy5 wrote:
Milkman wrote:Luckily we have arguably one of the top 5 offensive line-ups in baseball, so maybe we will have a decent amount of run support and the pitching staff won't be asked to keep teams under 2-3 runs on a daily basis.

Yeah that is the total opposite of your typical Twins team. My concern is that with the addition of Thome, he'll probably DH. There are going to want Kubel's bat in the line-up so that probably puts him in left with Cuddyer in right. Also, they added Hudson(great pickup. Good defense and a good bat in the 2 slot.) and Hardy. I don't know about Hardy on the defensive end. This also means Punto won't see that much time. He should always be playing somewhere IMO. I just worry that they are sacrificing defense for power. Thats usually not a big deal, but I don't like getting away from Twins baseball.


I'm sorry, Puntos defense has declined over the last few years, he makes more dumb base running errors then he did before. I would much rather have him as a spot starter to give guys rest rather than an everyday player.
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Re: Twins 2010

Postby Milkman » Sat Apr 03, 2010 7:57 pm

The Schwab wrote:
Indy5 wrote:
Milkman wrote:Luckily we have arguably one of the top 5 offensive line-ups in baseball, so maybe we will have a decent amount of run support and the pitching staff won't be asked to keep teams under 2-3 runs on a daily basis.

Yeah that is the total opposite of your typical Twins team. My concern is that with the addition of Thome, he'll probably DH. There are going to want Kubel's bat in the line-up so that probably puts him in left with Cuddyer in right. Also, they added Hudson(great pickup. Good defense and a good bat in the 2 slot.) and Hardy. I don't know about Hardy on the defensive end. This also means Punto won't see that much time. He should always be playing somewhere IMO. I just worry that they are sacrificing defense for power. Thats usually not a big deal, but I don't like getting away from Twins baseball.


I'm sorry, Puntos defense has declined over the last few years, he makes more dumb base running errors then he did before. I would much rather have him as a spot starter to give guys rest rather than an everyday player.



I completely agree.

Granted he does his job as 9th batter against RHP. He gets on base more and sees more pitches than Harris vs RHP which is your job as 9th in the line up. I'm just hoping that there is a kid in our farm system ready to come up mid season.
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Re: Twins 2010

Postby Hinsa » Sat Apr 03, 2010 11:00 pm

If Danny Valencia can have a good start at Rochester and Punto/Harris falter at all, Valencia will be up by June to take the 3rd base job.
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Re: Twins 2010

Postby Milkman » Sun Apr 04, 2010 12:35 am

Hinsa wrote:If Danny Valencia can have a good start at Rochester and Punto/Harris falter at all, Valencia will be up by June to take the 3rd base job.


I was talkin with my buddy at work and he brought up Danny Valencia. He was telling me that there are people talking him up like the next Corey Koskie. He wasn't willing to make that parallel yet but said he looked very promising.
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Re: Twins 2010

Postby Hinsa » Sun Apr 04, 2010 10:26 am

Valencia is a true 3rd baseman - quick reflexes, good arm, hits for some power. Should be as good as Coskie if not better. He could lock up the Twins 3rd base position for a long time.

I think their starting pitching will be just fine. Slowey's back, Liriano is poised for a comeback season, Baker and Pavano are very consistent, and Blackburn is really coming into his own now.

The one thing I have a problem with is keeping Butera on the major league roster. He's hitting under .200 and reports are that his defensive skills are only average. Ramos hit over .300 and spanked 3 homers in spring training. I'm sure this is a move motivated by money - keep Ramos in the minors so his major league clock doesn't start ticking so they can delay his eligibility for arbitration as long as they can.

And I wish they had room for Jacque Jones. He can provide defense in all 3 outfield positions and his bat off the bench would surely be an upgrade over Alexi Casilla. Start Harris at third, let Punto be the uber-utlity guy, send down Casilla and keep Jones. Shoot, their only outfield depth right now is Kubel or Punto in an emergency. Jones makes a lot more sense to me than Casilla.
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Re: Twins 2010

Postby Indy5 » Sun Apr 04, 2010 1:03 pm

Jones makes sense, but there has to be room somewhere for Casilla. I like him as a player. He is one of the few piranhas left. He's a decent average hitter with a very good glove.
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Re: Twins 2010

Postby baseball » Sun Apr 04, 2010 2:03 pm

Indy5 wrote:Jones makes sense, but there has to be room somewhere for Casilla. I like him as a player. He is one of the few piranhas left. He's a decent average hitter with a very good glove.


Was Casilla with the Twins when they used that term? I thought it was back in the days of Luis Castillo...
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Re: Twins 2010

Postby Indy5 » Sun Apr 04, 2010 4:33 pm

baseball wrote:
Indy5 wrote:Jones makes sense, but there has to be room somewhere for Casilla. I like him as a player. He is one of the few piranhas left. He's a decent average hitter with a very good glove.


Was Casilla with the Twins when they used that term? I thought it was back in the days of Luis Castillo...

Yeah he was about a rookie that year. Let me try to think of the original piranhas. Castillo, Casilla, Punto, Rodriguez(sort of), and I think there is one more I'm forgetting.
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Re: Twins 2010

Postby baseball » Sun Apr 04, 2010 6:26 pm

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Re: Twins 2010

Postby Indy5 » Sun Apr 04, 2010 6:30 pm

baseball wrote:Guzman

No he was gone way before this. The piranhas were named only like 2 or 3 years ago. Ozzie Guillen made it up at least the year after the White Sox won the World Series. The one I was forgetting was Bartlett.
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Re: Twins 2010

Postby Milkman » Mon Apr 05, 2010 6:54 pm

scc wrote:You have to see Target Field in person. It's a great ballpark, and even though it was a bit chilly over the weekend, it was a lot of fun. Get there early to check out all the sights inside and outside Target Field.


I am officially jealous of you. I have heard nothing but good from both the media and regular fans. Word is there isn't a bad seat in the house either. How was the food?????

Maybe we could start a thread or even add on here experiences and advice for people visiting Target Field. (Totally stealing this idea from BYTO though)
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Re: Twins 2010

Postby digger » Tue Apr 06, 2010 10:55 am

Went down for the Friday evening game, outdoor baseball is back! Twin Cities and upper Midwest baseball fans are in for a treat. Beautiful ballpark, limestone on the outside is nice, gates numbered after the jersey numbers of Twins greats (3, 6, 14, 29, 34) is neat, Minny and Paul shaking hands in centerfield, a little bigger seats with a little more leg room, view of the skyline is great, I love that they were able to fit it in right downtown. Plenty of parking, we parked in a lot about 5 blocks away ($10) wanted to stretch our legs a bit. If you know your way around downtown at all (and really even if you don't) it's easy in and easy out. Escalators zip you up and down different levels quickly, wide concourses, it will be a great home for the Twins and their fans.

Folks were really excited to be there, talked to people from: Bismarck, Fargo, Aberdeen, Edina, and Hudson, WI. Had a Twins Big Dog and a bag of chips for about $6, beer was $7 (what are you gonna do?), good hotdog, onions and peppers, good stuff. My son had one of Tony O's cuban sandwiches, looked and smelled great, (I had a cast iron stomach in my 30's too!). Buddy went for the gutbomb sampler platter: cheese curds, nachos from Senior Smokes, two beers and ice cream during the 7th inning stretch. He eats like he's a carnival worker yet he's 60, 6'2" and about 185. Arteries have to be more clogged than an LA freeway.

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Re: Twins 2010

Postby Indy5 » Tue Apr 06, 2010 10:59 am

I agree that the new stadium looks awesome, but they really should have got a retractable roof. What are they going to do when there is snow until May or in October when they are in the playoffs?
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Re: Twins 2010

Postby Milkman » Thu Apr 08, 2010 1:49 am

Indy5 wrote:I agree that the new stadium looks awesome, but they really should have got a retractable roof. What are they going to do when there is snow until May or in October when they are in the playoffs?


Although Target Field will have a couple of games that will(just like EVERY outdoor stadium) be delayed and or postponed do to weather, people are grossly exaggerating the effect cold weather will have.

Minneapolis Avg Temp April - 46.4 precip. 2.3in snow 3.1in Minn. actually only averages 2.2 "snowy" days in April as well.

Compared to New York, Boston and Chicago, Minneapolis is only averaging a few degrees cooler and actually less precipitation but to be expected a little more snow. And somehow fans in these cities survive. I think we will be just fine.

I know a lot of people don't like the idea of taking a day off work, making a +3hr drive to the cities only to have the game postponed due to weather. But there is no difference from that scenario and the one that all fans who don't live within their respective teams city experience yearly. Its the price you pay to play outside. And I for one am ok with it
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Re: Twins 2010

Postby Milkman » Thu Apr 08, 2010 1:59 am

Also remember those numbers listed are AVERAGES for the entire month. I listed them ONLY so that you can compare them to other cities with stadiums. They are not the weather you would experience for every game.
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Re: Twins 2010

Postby NE B-Baller 242 » Thu Apr 08, 2010 7:41 pm

Hinsa wrote:Valencia is a true 3rd baseman - quick reflexes, good arm, hits for some power. Should be as good as Coskie if not better. He could lock up the Twins 3rd base position for a long time.

I think their starting pitching will be just fine. Slowey's back, Liriano is poised for a comeback season, Baker and Pavano are very consistent, and Blackburn is really coming into his own now.

The one thing I have a problem with is keeping Butera on the major league roster. He's hitting under .200 and reports are that his defensive skills are only average. Ramos hit over .300 and spanked 3 homers in spring training. I'm sure this is a move motivated by money - keep Ramos in the minors so his major league clock doesn't start ticking so they can delay his eligibility for arbitration as long as they can.

And I wish they had room for Jacque Jones. He can provide defense in all 3 outfield positions and his bat off the bench would surely be an upgrade over Alexi Casilla. Start Harris at third, let Punto be the uber-utlity guy, send down Casilla and keep Jones. Shoot, their only outfield depth right now is Kubel or Punto in an emergency. Jones makes a lot more sense to me than Casilla.


My bet is that Ramos is in AAA for trade bait for a closer like Heath Bell. Cuz he's blocked by Mauer and as much as I hate to say this, at Joe Nathen's age he could be done after this surgery.
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Re: Twins 2010

Postby pakkyzoo » Sat Apr 10, 2010 1:44 am

Hinsa wrote:Valencia is a true 3rd baseman - quick reflexes, good arm, hits for some power. Should be as good as Coskie if not better. He could lock up the Twins 3rd base position for a long time.

I think their starting pitching will be just fine. Slowey's back, Liriano is poised for a comeback season, Baker and Pavano are very consistent, and Blackburn is really coming into his own now.

The one thing I have a problem with is keeping Butera on the major league roster. He's hitting under .200 and reports are that his defensive skills are only average. Ramos hit over .300 and spanked 3 homers in spring training. I'm sure this is a move motivated by money - keep Ramos in the minors so his major league clock doesn't start ticking so they can delay his eligibility for arbitration as long as they can.

And I wish they had room for Jacque Jones. He can provide defense in all 3 outfield positions and his bat off the bench would surely be an upgrade over Alexi Casilla. Start Harris at third, let Punto be the uber-utlity guy, send down Casilla and keep Jones. Shoot, their only outfield depth right now is Kubel or Punto in an emergency. Jones makes a lot more sense to me than Casilla.


Casilla is out of options, meaning if they send him down, he gets put on waivers. The Twins want to keep him around because they feel the can learn from Orlando Hudson, but my guess is that they will trade him when they trade Morales or Ramos. I agree Jacque Jones offers depth at all 3 outfield positions. The Twins have themselves in a good position to get a good player some where down the line, they have 2 young catchers (Ramos 22 and Morales 26) and (Casilla 25). Someone is going to take a chance on Casilla. Just look at Garrett Jones for the Pittsburgh Pirates, he was a 27 year old rookie for them last year that hit 25 home runs. Where did he play all his minor league baseball for? The Minnesota Twins. We got the trade bait to not to have to give away any of our top pitching prospects (Guitierrez, Gibson, and Guerra).

My guess is we will upgrade at either the front of line starter or a 3rd baseman. Rauch will do fine as the closer, if the can save 17 games for the Washington Nationals 2 years ago, he can do fine with the team we have behind him. Don't get me wrong, I would love Heath Bell, but it sounds like the Padres and Twins offices don't see eye to eye. We tried all summer to get Kuzmanouff, but it didn't work out. We kept offereing Casilla and Perkins, etc.. Didn't work out.
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Re: Twins 2010

Postby Indy5 » Mon Apr 12, 2010 4:17 pm

I think we can definately say that we have the nicest park in the league now. The stadium is so awesome. I can't wait to go there.
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Re: Twins 2010

Postby Hinsa » Tue Apr 13, 2010 12:47 pm

I was at opening day yesterday. The park is awesome! Every seat looks like it is right on top of the field. The outfield upper decks are stacked on top of each other so even if you are sitting in the upper deck in center field it feels like you are right on top of the field. The food choices are amazing, the metropolitan club for season tickets holders is really nice and you can watch the game from inside or outside of the club, there is so much to look at outside of the park while you are waiting to get in, and it goes and on.

I found myself just giggling as I walked around, amazed at everything I saw.

It is awesome. You have to go ASAP.
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Re: Twins 2010

Postby scruffy » Wed Apr 14, 2010 11:19 am

My friend was their for the pre-season game and he too liked what he saw. He compared the atmosphere to Miller Park in Milwaukee. If the duplicated that...they did well.
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