A Lesson in Autograph Collecting

After winning the 2004 Cy Young Award as the best pitcher in the American League, Johan Santana was viewed by Twins fans as a lock to get into the National Baseball Hall of Fame. When he won again in 2006 people thought him destined to be an all-time great like Tom Seaver or Steve Carlton.

When Justin Morneau won the 2006 A.L. MVP he was viewed as the left handed hitting Harmon Killebrew. Morneau like Santana was on the path to the Hall of Fame. So too was Torii Hunter and maybe Joe Nathan. Joe Mauer meanwhile was going to challenge Johnny Bench as the greatest catcher in baseball history.

Those players also were the obsession of many an autograph collector. To get Santana, Morneau, Hunter, or Mauer’s autograph at Twinsfest you lined up outside the Metrodome a minimum of six hours before the doors opened (many camp out overnight to be first in line). Once inside you had to run for your life to get to player’s line where you sometimes had to wait another 2-3 more hours for the player to start signing, and even then you were not guaranteed his autograph. Of course everyone thought it would be worth it.

Santana, Morneau, Hunter, and Nathan have seen their careers come to an end. When National Hall of Fame voters casted their ballots in regards to Johan Santana candidacy, he got 10 votes (roughly 330 votes were needed). He will not make the Baseball Hall of Fame. Neither will Morneau, Hunter, or Nathan while Joe Mauer has a decent shot at baseball’s highest honor, but Johnny Bench is still viewed as the greatest catcher of all-time.

Yes, Santana, Morneau, Hunter, Nathan, Eddie Guardado, Michael Cuddyer, Brad Radke, and maybe a couple other members of the those 2000’s Twins teams will rightly elected to the Twins Hall of Fame, but they were not great long enough to be one of best in baseball history.

Maybe if Johan Santana never gets traded to the Mets and then injured his shoulder things might have been different. Same with Justin Morneau – if he does not get that concussion in 2010, he goes on to legendary status. Those things happened and the careers of two great players where impacted for the worse.

So what about all those autographs’ people worked so hard for, are they worth anything? Not as much as people thought they would be. It is one reason why I focus on getting an autograph from every player on the Twins not just certain ones. I do not value any of my autograph collection for its dollar worth. I valued it for the memories it provides. This allows me to enjoy my collection and rest my back and neck as I do not have to stand in line 6 hours before a signing event even starts.

Goodbye Gardy

Ron Gardenhire became manager of the Minnesota Twins in 2002. I started rooting for the Twins with greater passion in 2002 because of the spunky team he lead back to the playoffs. Since 2002 the Twins have won 6 division titles, but only advanced once in the playoffs (2002). Under Gardenhire the Twins won more often than not, and gave fans plenty to root for.  At least till 2011-2014 when 4 straight 90 loss seasons did Ron Gardenhire in. Now the Twins have to find a new manager who hopefully can turn the Twins back around.

Gardenhire lead teams that employed 2 MVP’s in Joe Mauer and Justin Morneau, a 2x Cy Young Award winner in Johan Santana, and 2 other players (Torii Hunter and Joe Nathan) who were considered amongst the best at their position. Yet many fans felt Gardenhire lead teams underachieved. Others feel he got more out of the Twins than others would have.

I remember my interactions with him. I got 5 cards, 1 ball, 1 photo, and Twins banner signed by him. He was always pleasant with me. I even freaked him out at Twinsfest 2007 when I congratulated him on the new truck he had just bought (a guy in line who worked at the dealership Gardenhire bought truck from told me).

I liked Ron Gardenhire, but it was time for him to go. I will remember his successes more than his failures. I am not sure his successor will right the ship, but Gardenhire was no longer getting through to the players and a new voice was needed. Hopefully the new manager will be a person who is kind to fans like Ron Gardenhire was. Best of luck in your future Gardy!

Minnesota Twins and Baseball Free Agency

Baseball free agency is upon us once again, and millions of baseball fans will clamor for their team to sign a big name player who will help them win next season.

The Twins coming off their worst season in years are looking for a starting shortstop, a backup catcher who can hit, a starting pitcher or two, and plenty of help in the in bullpen. However, the Twins history says they won’t be finding any big name player on the free agent market.

In fact the Twins history shows they will leave most of their free agent go to other teams, and most of those players will achieve little with their new clubs.

After the 1976 season baseball had its first true off-season of free agency. Bill Campbell was the Twins first free agent. Campbell had been the best reliever in the American League for the Twins in 1976 going 17-5 with an ERA of 3.01 and 20 saves.

Campbell signed a 5 year $1 million dollar deal with Boston. This was consider outrageous money (oh, how things have changed since then), and much was expected of Campbell. He delivered in 1977 with a very good season then followed that up with a bunch of subpar years.

Outfielder Larry Hisle and Lyman Bostock had brilliant years for the Twins in 1977, and entered free agency as hot commodities. Hisle signed a 6 year $3.15 million contract with Milwaukee while Bostock signed a multi-million dollar deal with the Angels. Twins fans were outraged that Twins had let them go. When starting pitcher Dave Goltz left after the 1979 season to sign with the Dodgers, Twins fans started giving up hope.

However, Hisle, Bostock, and Goltz never lived up to the amount of money they were given. Hisle had a brilliant 1978 for Milwaukee then proceeded to get hurt and never play more then 27 game in a season for the next 4 years. Bostock was having a good 1978 when he was tragically murdered late in the season. Goltz never even came close to having even an average season with the Dodgers, and they released him before the end of his contract.

Gary Gaetti, Greg Gagne, Jack Morris, Jeff Reardon, Dan Gladden, Shane Mack, Chili Davis, Eric Milton, David Ortiz, Eddie Guardado, LaTroy Hawkins, Jacque Jones, Corey Koskie, Torii Hunter, Matt Guerrier, and Jesse Crain have all left the Twins as free agents. Some had success, some failure, some a little of both. Were any really worth retaining? You could argue Hunter, Gagne, and Ortiz were, but it is not a high percentage of the number of free agents who have left the Twins.

The Twins will likely loose 4 more free agents this off-season. Michael Cuddyer, Joe Nathan, Joe Kubel, and Matt Capps are free agents. I expect 3 if not all 4 to leave. Cuddyer and Kubel have spent their entire careers with the Twins while Nathan has spent most of his productive years with the Twins, but money talks and all 3 could quickly be out of the Twins price range.

I was trying to think who the Twins biggest free agent signing was. Minnesota natives Jack Morris, Dave Winfield, Terry Stienbach, and Paul Molitor all signed with Twins as free agents, but took less money to do so. Chili Davis signed a 2 year $4.5 million dollar contract in 1991 that was a fairly large investment at the time. However, since then the Twins have signed few free agents. Players such as Orlando Hudson, Rondell White, Livan Hernandez, and Jim Thome took less the below market contracts mainly because not many teams were interested in them.

There is lots of talk of the Twins signing shortstop Clint Barmes and catcher Ryan Doumit or catcher Rod Barajas not to mention a bunch of pitchers of varying talent and price range. Will the Twins invest in any of them? One cannot be sure, but their history says not unless they can get them at below market cost. Then again, when you loss 99 games as the Twins did this year, they may make an exception.

Minnesota Twins Update

The Twins have played 58 games with their franchise player Joe Mauer having played in only 9 of games. Add to that the fact the Twins have been forced to call up 14 players from the minors due to injuries and poor performance, and it is no wonder the Twins have the worst record in baseball.

Still it has been an interesting year with interesting subplots, some of which I write about below.

Casilla and Plouffe

Alexi Casilla seemed on the verge of being release, now he is playing like the team’s most valuable player. After a horrid start, Alexi Casilla has become an igniter in the Twins lineup with his batting average having risen over 100 points to .262. He leads the team in stolen bases with 8 which is twice as many the as anyone else on the team.

Casilla has had quite a ride with the Twins since being first called up in 2006. From bad to good to bad to good, Casilla’s play has been all over the place, and rightly earned him the reputation of being an enigma. He may yet fail again, but Casilla recent play has earned him a chance to play out the season as a starter

Casilla supposed replacement Trevor Ploufe on the other hand has earned the demotion he received. Plouffe was called up when Casilla go off to a horrible start. Ploufe, a former 1st round draft pick, had the chance to win the shortstop job and secure his spot on the team for the next few years. While Ploufe did hit 3 home runs in his time up with the Twins, I have never seen someone airmail so many throws to 1st base.

Plouffe’s throws seem to be careless, and he was to easily upset by reports questions about his bad play. He also hit only .200 in the 18 games he played for the Twins. Bad defense, being easily hurt by bad press, and hitting only .200 is not a good combination to have if you want to be a big league shortstop.

Kevin Slowey and Glen Perkins

I have never seen the entire Twins organization turn on someone as they have turned on pitcher Kevin Slowey. Twins television color man Bert Blyleven, who is a Hall of Fame pitcher, has repeatedly slammed Slowey on air about Slowey’s unwillingness to pitch out of the bullpen. Others have followed in bashing Slowey whose time here in Minnesota is obviously about to end.

I have meet Kevin Slowey and thought he was a pretty decent guy. That said Slowey has been with the Twins 5 seasons and has yet to pitch more than a 160 innings as a starter (typical good starting pitchers pitch 200 + innings in a season). Slowey cannot seem to stay healthy, and when he is healthy he gives up way to many fly balls many of which turn into extra base hits.

Glen Perkins was once like Slowey, a man about to be sent into exile, but Perkins arrived this year with the attitude he was going to move to the bullpen and be effective. To the surprise of many, Perkins has been the Twins best reliever. Though he is currently on the disable list, Perkins has been the biggest and most pleasant surprise for the Twins this season.

Liriano and Pavano

Right now the highlight of the season is Francisco Liriano’s no-hitter. However, Carl Pavano’s no infamous attack on a garbage can in the Twins dugout in at Kansas City on May 1st may go down as the symbol of how most Twins fans feel about this season.

The Future for These Twins Might be as ex-Twins

I believe if the Twins are over 10 games out of first place by the all-star break in July, they will explore trading Michael Cuddyer, Delmon Young, Jason Kubel, Carl Pavano, Matt Capps, and of course Kevin Slowey. All but Young will draw interest, and many will be traded. I do not think as some have suggested that Jim Thome will be traded as he is too beloved here to be sent away via trade. Plus Thome may take a while to reach home run number 600, and the Twins will not trade him till he reaches that milestone.

I respect Justin Morneau for playing hard even when it is obvious he still has injury concerns. I respect Joe Nathan for realizing he was not ready to contribute to this team, and removed himself from the closer role, and asked to be put back on the disabled list. Men of character are hard to find in pro sports, and Morneau and Nathan are 2 of them.

I think Morneau will be back to his old self and with the Twins next year. Nathan, on the other hand, will likely not be back, but should land a job elsewhere.

The Twins Minor League System

Luke Hughes, Trevor Ploufe, Rene Rivera, Steve Holm, Rene Tosoni, Brian Dinkelman, Ben Revere, Jim Hoey, Phil Dumatrait, Eric Hacker, Jeff Manship, Anthony Swarzek, Anthony Slama, and Chuck James are the 14 players called up from the minors to help the Twins. Only Revere, Swarzek, and James have major league talent.

Matt Tolbert, Jason Repko, and Dusty Hughes were Twins on the opening day roster that had no business being on a major league roster and should be in the minors. Come to think about it, Dusty Hughes is back in the minors. I have a feeling Tolbert and Repko’s time on the big league roster is limited.

The only minor league talent the Twins have not called up this season that is even remotely ready to help them are starting pitchers Kyle Gibson and Liam Hendriks. Gibson is at Triple A Rochester, and Hendriks is at Double A New Britain. The Twins currently have enough decent starting pitching that neither man is needed, but by next year Gibson especially will be a factor.

Outside of Gibson and Hendriks the Twins best minor league prospects are Oswaldo Arcia (a 20 year old outfielder who can hit for power and average), Adrian Salcedo (a 20 year old starting pitcher with ace potential), Miguel Sano (a 18 year old hitting sensation), and Nate Roberts (a 22 year old outfielder who can hit). All have star potential and all are in low A ball or the rookie leagues which means 2-3 years minimum before they can be counted on.

Unfortunately it looks like supposed top 10 prospects Aaron Hicks (21) and Alex Wimmers (22) are not on verge of greatness as many had hoped. Hicks is a great defensive outfielder who cannot hit. Wimmers has suddenly lost his ability to throw strikes. The Twins were counting on both players to help out in the near future. Now it looks like neither will be ready for some time if at all.

There is always hope some minor league player will suddenly blossom ala Denard Span, and there are other players in the system like Joe Benson, James Beresford or Logan Darnell who have the chance to be a good player. On the whole though all the really good players are young and will not be contributing next year.

Final Thought

The Twins may yet somehow end up contending, but I sense this is a lost year.

I think the Twins organization needed to be knocked down off their high pedestal. The Twins organization has started acting pretty smug lately. It was time to remind both the baseball side and the business side of the Twins that they are not infallible. There is a fine line between being a winning and losing team.

If there is one thing I know about the Minnesota sports fans, it is they support winners not losers. God forbid the Twins have a couple losing seasons in a row. Target Field will become a ghost town. Let’s hope that does not happen, but the Twins had better watch out because it can easily become the case.

Minnesota Twins Win Their Sixth Division Title in Nine Years

I have been blessed to witness the Minnesota Twins win 2 World Championships (1987 & 1991). Watching those wins provide me with an amazing feeling that cannot truly be described. I have talked to several younger folks who are now rabid Twins fans and are too young or were not even around to see the Twins win the World Series 1991. These folks want a chance to experience what I did in 1987 and 1991. Thanks to the Twins posting the best second half record (42-15) in baseball this season, these folks have another chance to get their wish as the Twins have won their sixth division title in nine years.

This Twins team had high expectations entering the season, and so far they have lived up to them. This has been an impressive season for many reasons. The Twins lost their All-Star closer Joe Nathan even before the season began. At the halfway point of the season, All-Star 1st baseman Justin Morneau, who was having a MVP worthy season, endured a concussion and has not played since. Three fourths of the Twins opening days starting rotation (Scott Baker, Nick Blackburn, and Kevin Slowey) have been injured and /or wildly inconsistent. The Twins 3rd base platoon of Nick Punto and Brendan Harris imploded with Harris being demoted and Punto spending more time injured than healthy.

Add to those problems the fact that suppose lineup stalwarts centerfielder Denard Span and designated hitter / outfielder Jason Kubel have had subpar seasons offensively, and this division title looks even more impressive.

How did they Twins overcome these obstacles to achieve success? A group of unexpected contributors emerged, and the team’s MVP decided to kick it into high gear.

Entering the season Francisco Liriano was the team’s fifth starter, and his future was in doubt. Today Liriano has become the team’s ace, and will start game 1 of the playoffs. Liriano is finally recovered from the Tommy John surgery he had late in 2006 and it shows. Liriano’s emergence gives the Twins a legitimate pitching ace and hope for a deep playoff run.

Entering the season Delmon Young was considered a bust as player. On opening night he homer then in July he almost singled handily carried the Twins offense. Young has achieved career highs in home runs (18) and RBIs (105), and shown some actual personality. Young is still a work in progress, especially on defense, but he has finally emerged as a player and in the process helped the Twins into first place.

Brian Duensing entered the season in the bullpen. He soon became the team’s most reliable reliever; then Nick Blackburn imploded and Duensing was forced back into the rotation and promptly went 7-1 with an ERA of 2.43 in 11 starts. Duensing won’t be going back to the bullpen instead he will be starting game 3 of the playoffs with a spot in next season rotation already reserved for him.

Reliever Jesse Crain entered the season under a death watch. Most fans expected the option on Crain’s contract for 2010 would not be picked up – it was. After a rough first half of the season, Crain looked to be on the verge of being released. At the Twins autograph party in June I found fan after fan who could not stand the name Jesse Crain. Then after the all-star break something clicked, and Crain became the team’s indispensable setup man and arguably their most important reliever. Crain got the Twins out of jam after jam and has become so loved by Twins fans that many are saying Crain should be considered the Twins MVP.

Many Twins fans were surprised that the Twins signed designated hitter Jim Thome in the off-season. Fans wondered what the team would do with Thome when we already had a good designated hitter in Jason Kubel. Then Justin Morneau was injured, Michael Cuddyer had to take over at 1st, Jason Kubel had to play right field, and Jim Thome took over at DH. Despite limited playing time, Thome now leads the team in home runs with 25. His walk off home run against the White Soxs in the bottom of the 10th on August 17th was the turning point in the Twins season and will go down as one of the great moments in Twins history. No one is wondering anymore why Jim Thome was signed last off-season, they are only hoping he will come back next season.

Entering the season Carl Pavano was considered one of the biggest busts in free agent history. After a couple of good years in Florida, Pavano signed a large free agent contract with the New York Yankees. His four years with the Yankees were pathetic, and Yankee fans still sheath with anger at the mere mention of Pavano’s name. Pavano started last year in Cleveland and was traded to the Twins in the second half of the 2009 season. He pitched admirably, and was offered a 1 year contract for 2010. After exploring free agency and finding no one really interested, Pavano took the Twins 1 year offer. All Pavano has done this year is lead the Twins in wins (17) and innings pitched (210). In era where pitchers rarely pitch complete games, Pavano has 7 with many of them coming at crucial times when the Twins bullpen needed a rest. It is safe to say Pavano has been anything by a bust in Minnesota.

Danny Valencia was supposed to be the future at 3rd base. At least that was what we heard for most 2009. Then when the September call ups in 2009 were announced, Valencia was not among them. The Twins said he was not ready. In spring training this year Valencia was cut early on. His performance in the minors was ordinary, and it looked like he was no longer the future at 3rd. Then the Twins needed someone to play 3rd base and Valencia was the only warm body available. Like Denard Span in 2008, Valencia came up and played so well the Twins could not send him back down. To date Valencia is hitting .328 with an OPS + of 121. Valencia is no longer the future at 3rd, he is the present.

In the end though, the Twins are Joe Mauer’s team. Entering this season Mauer was the reigning American League MVP and had just signed a $184 million contract extension making him a Twin for life. Mauer, the Twins best and most important player, was supposed to repeat his MVP year and carry the Twins to the World Series.

Instead Mauer started off slow and was hitting only .293 at the all-star break with no signs of the home run power he had shown in 2009. The Twins were barely above .500. There were rumors Mauer was hurt, or too burden by the expectations bought on by his $184 million contract. Then Mauer kicked it into high gear, and since the All-star has hit .382 raising his batting average from .293 to .331. As Mauer started to hit, the Twins started win. Over the years people have tried to point out that Justin Morenau and Joe Nathan are more valuable to this team than Joe Mauer. This season proves that is not the case. Morneau and Nathan are nowhere to be seen, and yet the Twins are division champs. Joe Mauer has brilliant years in 2006, 2008, 2009 and 2010. In three of those years they have won division titles. The one year they did not (2008) they lost the division by 1 game when they lost a one game playoff to decide the division winner. Mauer in the lineup and playing brilliantly equals the Twins winning. Joe Mauer is this team’s MVP.

Below is a video taken by a fan of Jim Thome's August 17th walk off home run. You might want to turn your volume down when watching it as it is a little loud.

The Twins Future is Now

It is indeed rare that a baseball team has 1 let alone 2 or 3 franchise players on their roster at the same time. When they do they need to take advantage of these players presence and bid for title.

 Hall of Famer Harmon Killebrew was the Twins first franchise player. He was at this peak from 1961-1971. In 1964 another franchise type player Tony Olivia arrived and played at an All-Star from 64-71.

In 1965 shortstop Zolio Versalles had a MVP year and along with Killebrew, Olivia, and All-Star performers Jim “Mudcat” Grant, and Earl Battey the Twins went to the World Series. They lost.

In 1967 the Twins third franchise player Rod Carew joined Killebrew and Olivia and the Twins came within a game of going back to the World Series. In 1969 & 70 Killebrew, Carew, and Olivia lead the Twins to division titles. Pitcher Jim Perry won 20 games both seasons winning the CY Young in 1970. The Twins lost both American League Championship series 3 games to none.

After 71 Killebrew and Olivia career went downhill and the window of opportunity for a championship was gone.

In 1984 the Twins fourth franchise player Kirby Puckett arrived. Along with All-Star level players Kent Hrbek, Frank Viola, Gary Gaetti, Tom Brunansky, and soon to be Hall of Famer Bert Blyleven, Puckett seemed poised to lead the Twins into a window of opportunity to bid for that elusive World Series title.

However then Twins General Manager Andy MacPhail knew the Twins needed a strong bullpen closer if they were to compete for a title. He acquired Jeff Reardon who then went on to help Puckett and the Twins win the 1987 World Series.

In 1991 with Puckett still at the top of his game, MacPhail was able to sign free agents Jack Morris and Chili Davis to be the Twins #1 starting pitcher and DH. Again the Twins were able to win the World Series.

But the 1993 season started a string of 8 consecutive losing seasons, and Kirby Puckett’s time as a franchise player came to an unexpected end in 1995 due to injury.

I write this because in 2010 the Twins have 2 franchise players on their roster in Joe Mauer and Justin Morneau. Morneau is signed through 2013 which by then he will 32 and Mauer 30. The opportunity for the title is now. The next couple of years will see Mauer and Morneau at the top of their games. The Twins do not seem to have another Mauer or Morneau in waiting in the minors.

However, franchise players need help to win. That’s why baseball is called a “team” game. Like 1987 & 1991 the Twins have made moves that signal this organization thinks the future is now. Now is their chance to win it all. Trading for J.J. Hardy, signing free agents Jim Thome and Orlando Hudson, and retaining Carl Pavano were all signs the Twins thought 2010 could be their year.

Another sign is the Twins trading highly rated catching prospect Wilson Ramos to Washington for reliever Matt Capps last week. The move was not a usual Twins move. They don’t trade highly regarded prospects away. They believe in preparing for the future.

Of course the future for Ramos was not so certain. He is a catcher in an organization which employs the best catcher in baseball in Joe Mauer. Ramos has had a history of injury. He has also had a history of showing great defense and tremendous power. Ramos looks like he could be a star. He could also be a dud.

Capps has already shown who he is -a reliever with a 92-94 mph fastball and a good curve ball who’s closed games effectively for 2 of the worst teams (Pittsburgh & Washington) in baseball. One of the things that separate Ron Davis one of the worse closer in Twins history from Jeff Reardon one of the best closers in Twins history was not their pitching ability, it was ability to maintain their composure and confidence after a bad outings. Good closers need a good makeup to thrive. Reports say Capps has a good makeup. We shall see.

The Twins need Matt Capps to thrive. Their bullpen has been shaky of late. Jon Rauch has been an effective closer, but is needed in a setup role. Capps give the Twins bullpen depth not only for this year, but for next year when Rauch, Matt Guerrier, and Jesse Crain might leave because they are free agent after this season and Joe Nathan’s return from injury is questionable. Matt Capps will contribute, but will it be enough to help win the World Series?

Harmon Killebrew, and Tony Olivia never won a World Series. Rod Carew never got to one. Kirby Puckett has won 2 World Series and his legacy is enhanced because of it. What will Mauer & Morneau’s legacy be? The Twins look like they are trying to be make sure it a legacy of a World Series Championship team.

2010 Minnesota Twins Autograph Party

On Saturday, June 12 I attended the Minnesota Twins autograph party. Unlike past years, the Twins did not release a player signing schedule before the day of the event. I think the Twins reasoning was that they tired of people showing up the night before and camping out in the Joe Mauer or Justin Morneau lines. It did not help though as many people did camp out in what they thought was the Joe Mauer line. Of course at 9:00 am when the signing schedule was release, I heard all these people found out they were in the wrong spot and they ran like a spooked herd of cattle to the right line.

I, on the other hand, showed up at 9:30 am and got in the Orlando Hudson line which had all of 10 people in it. I needed Hudson, Jose Mijares, Matt Tolbert, Ron Mahay, Danny Valencia, Steve Liddle, and Trevor Plouffe to complete my collection of signed baseball cards of current Twins players and coaches. Hudson was signing with Jose Mijares so I figured I could kill 2 birds with one stone.

About the time the Twins started signing it started to rain hard. The rain cause numerous problems including slowing down lines, destroying items people wanted signed, and smearing autographs. The ball I had signed by Francisco Liriano had the autograph smeared, but it was still legible. Numerous other folks were not so lucky.

Despite the rain, things went well for me. I got 16 different players including everyone I wanted except Plouffe.

One thing that surprised me was future Hall of Famer and Twins broadcast analyst Bert Blyleven was personalizing all photos. The Twins have always said no personalization at the events. You get in trouble if you even ask for one. However, the rule must not apply to Bert. I think he knows he is about to be elected to the Hall of Fame, and he thinks people will get stuff signed by him and will sell it on the Web. He is probably right; there are some of those folks around. I also noticed Bert was not signing baseballs on the sweet-spot (the prefer spot for collectors) either.

I have no problem with Bert personalizing my photo. I think it is great he gets to know who I am. Also I do not sell my stuff.

Below are my signing successes all of which were baseball cards unless otherwise noted:

Orlando Hudson, Jose Mijares, Clay Condrey, Steve Liddle, Danny Valencia, Francisco Liriano (ball), Matt Tolbert, Joe Nathan, Rick Stelmansyk, Ron Mahay, Drew Butera, Ron Gardenhire (banner), Bert Blyleven (photo), Ron Coomer, Al Newman, Greg Olson (the ex-Atlanta Brave and Minnesota native signed a post of the game winning hit of 1991 World Series – he wanted to draw a sad face on it, but I thought that was not a good idea).

I had a good time and look forward to next year – without the rain.

Joe Nathan = Class Human Being

With the news Twins closer Joe Nathan has a ligament tear in his elbow that will him the 2010 season people are spending time speculating on his replacement or highlighting his past achievements. This is only normal since we tend to value athletes by what they have or have not done on the playing field. However, I wanted to talk about Joe Nathan the man.

I met Joe Nathan for the first time in 2007. He had been with the Twins 3 years, but I had never gotten around to getting his autograph. He was at Twinsfest signing with Ron Gardenhire on a Friday night. I saw Joe Nathan close up for the first time. He was tall with curly hair. He looked like a dude who should have been in a rock band. He signed my card with what I have come to find is one of the signatures in baseball. I soon found out he was into rock music and made weekly appearances on 93X the hard rock station here in the Twins Cities. I first impressions of him had proved correct.

I meet Joe Nathan again a year later. This time he was signing at a Cub Foods. This there was no one else but me and him around. I am not kidding. I showed up a half hour into his signing time and he was just sitting there with nothing to do. He graciously signed a ball and a card for me. He took the time to talk with me for 5 minutes. I sure he really would have preferred to be elsewhere. After all I spent a lot of time gushing how happy I was that he was on the team and how important he was to the team. Still he tolerated me. He just seemed like a great guy who was happy to be in the position he was in.

Over the years I have seen Joe Nathan make numerous appearances in public to sign autographs. He was never too big, too important to come out and meet the fans. Joe Nathan always seemed to be deeply involved in the team’s charity work. On his Website he would post pictures of these charity events. You could see Joe and his wife amongst the common people. They were not above being nice to whomever they met.

I have run into him a time or two again. He was always gracious. Joe Nathan has always kind enough to sign things I sent to him in the mail. Again he never was to “good” not to be kind to fans. That has been noticed by fans of other teams. On Web communities dedicated to collecting autographs through the mail, the name Joe Nathan is mention with reverence. He is much loved for taking the time sign for fans.

Depending on how he recovers from his surgery Joe Nathan may have made his last appearance for the Twins. If so he will the following moment to remember. The Twins had just lost to the Yankees in the 2009 ALDS. It was the last Twins game ever at the Metrodome. Nathan had blown a 2 run in lead back in Game 2 that if he had held the series might have been different. Now the Twins were done for the 2009 season, Twins baseball in the Metrodome would be no more. Fans were still lingering around when suddenly Joe Nathan, still in full uniform, jogged to the pitching mound. He wanted to gather up some dirt from the Metrodome pitching mound to take and spread on the new pitching mound at Target Field. Fans spotted him and cheered him loudly. Even though he had blown a critical game earlier in the series, fans knew what Joe Nathan meet to the Twins on and off the field. Nathan admitted afterwards he was stunned at the greeting. He should not have been, but often kind people are humble people.

I am glad Joe Nathan got those cheers. If his career with the Twins is over and he never appearances in a game again, he will have that moment where fans let him know how much he meant to them. Best of luck to you Joe Nathan, you are more than a great relief pitcher you are a class man.

Twinsfest 2010

Twinsfest 2010 was held last weekend and I was in attendance on Friday and Saturday. One of my goals this year was to get Joe Mauer to autograph one of his Allen & Ginter cards. Another goal was to get new Twin Jim Thome to sign an Allen & Ginter card as well.

Friday is usually the best day to get player autographs because it is the least attended day. I got there 2 ½ hours before the event started and waited in the bitter cold wearing three layers of cloths. Upon getting into the event I ran so hard I almost fainted from exhaustion, and I still did not get a spot in line that would enable me to get an autograph from Joe Mauer.

One problem was that the people ahead of me outside the event held places in line for others. Therefore the 40 people ahead of me grew to be 100 people. There are two gates that they let people into the event which are both equal distances from the spot on the concourse where Joe Mauer was going to sign. Well, they opened the other gate up first meaning some of those folks had the jump on me.

This was frustrating but I have I learned over the years of attending these events that where one door closes another opens. There would be no Joe Mauer autograph this year (the line on Saturday was even worse), but there would be some surprise successes.

With a Mauer autograph out of the question, I moved down to field level where the vendors were and where also some of the other players were signing autographs. I found Brian Dunesing, along with coaches Rick Anderson, Rick Stelmaszek, and Scott Ullger signing with virtually no line. I needed Dunesing, Ullger, and Stelmaszek for my collection so I went through their line. I even had the chance to have a brief discussion with Dunesing about the quality of Allen & Ginter cards. For the record he thinks they are great cards too.

While waiting in that line I heard an announcement over the P.A. system that Hall of Famers Ferguson Jenkins, Rollie Fingers, former Twin Jim “Mudcat” Grant, former NL MVP George Foster, and former MVP and CY Young winner Vida Blue were there signing autographs for $20 each with the money going to charity. Jim “Mudcat” Grant has eluded me for years, so I was more than willing to donate $20 for him to sign a card for me. He even signed it Jim “Mudcat” Grant. While there I also got Rollie Fingers and Ferguson Jenkins to sign baseballs for me.

With these surprise successes under my belt, I moved to the J.J. Hardy, Nick Blackburn, and Jose Mijares line. One thing I always try to remember about Twinsfest is that just because the schedule says a player will be there does not mean he will be. Sure enough Blackburn was stranded in Oklahoma because a snowstorm and Mijares is was stuck in his native Venezuela with a visa issue. Luckily the person I really wanted (Hardy) was there and he signed an Allen & Ginter card for me.

I moved back up to concourse and got a baseball signed by Rod Carew which I got certified by Major League Baseball. Now when my heirs try to sell the ball the autograph will be guaranteed authentic making it more valuable.

I went and check out the Jim Thome line, and it was as bad as the Mauer line had been. My 2 goals were now out of reach. I decided not to fret the situation and was able to get a ball signed by Twins Manager Ron Gardenhire, a photo signed by Joe Nathan, a ball signed by Michael Cuddyer (the man has one of the nicest signatures), and a card by Jon Rauch (another player I needed).

I must admit I was exhausted, but on the drive home I got another surprise when I realized my route home let me see the Twins new stadium Target Field which was all lit up. I pulled over and take a brief look at what looks like a beautiful stadium.

I did not sleep well that night, it was bitterly cold Saturday morning, and the lines outside to get in were really long. I decided Mauer and Thome, who were signing in the first autograph sessions, were unobtainable. I waited to get in and went down to the field where Denard Span was signing. I got him to sign a ball for me. With that I moved back up to the concourse where Dan Gladden was going be signing. I needed to get him to sign a poster I have showing the 1991 World Series Game 7 winning hit. I already have the poster signed by the guy who got the hit (Gene Larkin), now I was wanted to get the guy who scored the run (Gladden).

Gladden was going to be signing at the station where Thome was still signing. I arrived to find the Thome line still going and it seemed short enough for me to have a shot at getting him. I hustled to the end of the line and found some of those people were already waiting for Gladden. I was able to move past them and with roughly 3-4 minutes left in his signing time, I got Jim Thome to sign an Allen & Ginter card for me. What luck!

On rare occasions in the past I have been able to arrive at the end of a signing period and get a popular player unexpectedly. In fact that is how I got a Joe Mauer signed baseball. Of course that was back when Mauer drew only 400 people in his line unlike the 1000 – 1500 people he draws now.

I did get Dan Gladden to sign my poster. Roy Smalley (did not need him, but he was signing with Gladden and I feel it would be rude to not have something for him to sign) signed a card for me.

Most the other lines were now insanely long as Saturday is busiest of the three days. Worse was the fact that up in the concourse it was unbearably hot due to the large crowds there.

One line down on the field was not busy at all. Former Tim Laudner, current coach Jerry White, and Jeff Manship were not exactly drawing big crowds. I had a photo for Launder, a card for White, but nothing for Manship who I needed for my collection. Luckily I found a vendor who had a Jeff Manship card. I now have signed cards from 213 different current or former Twins.

I had a ticket for Sunday too, but I was pretty sore from standing in line and running up and down the Metrodome steps all day. Also there was really no one signing on Sunday that I needed, so I decided to use Sunday to sleep and rest. Turned out to be wise decision was I was more sore and tired than I knew.

In all I got 20 different current and former players to sign for me which is 3 short of my record achieved at Twinsfest 2009 in which I attended all three days. I read that this year’s Twinsfest was the 2nd most attended ever. I could believe that.

I find that sometimes during an event you don’t realized how good of time it really was. This was such an event. I was not sure it was as successful as I was hoping while the event was going on, but after looking at my successes I realized it turned out to be successful venture.

Ron Gardenhire - My Minnesota Twin of the Decade

No one person has done more for the Minnesota Twins this decade than Twins Manager Ron Gardenhire. In his 9 years as Twins manager, Gardenhire has guided the Twins to 5 division titles and only 1 losing season. More than that Ron Gardenhire has created a culture of winning and dignity within the Twins organization that is noticed by players, the media, and fans alike.

You only have to look at the rosters of the 2002, 2003, and 2004 division championship teams and then check out what happen to most those players after they left the Twins to see how much Ron Gardenhire got out of them. Ron Gardenhire sees things in players most people do not. Ron Gardenhire had the vision to see that a long time setup man – Eddie Guardado – could be a top level closer, and a failed closer – LaTroy Hawkins – could be an elite setup man. Ron Gardenhire saw in Joe Nathan the makings of an elite closer, and gave Nathan the chance when others thought he should not. When others called for Brad Radke’s departure, Gardenhire stuck with him and was rewarded. No one believed Jacquie Jones could succeed as a lead off leader, but Ron Gardenhire did.

Most people look at the 2006 division champs and see super-stars Joe Mauer, Justin Morneau, Johan Santana, and Joe Nathan. What they do not see is Ron Gardenhire had to manage a team whose starting pitching staff was Johan Santana, Boof Bosner, and whoever was healthy. Had Ron Gardenhire not trusted a mid-season call-up name Pat Neshek, the 06 team would not have had a setup man for Joe Nathan.

Gardenhire’s work in 2008 and 2009 is perhaps even more impressive as the Twins weathered the losses of Torii Hunter and Johan Santana and still contended often with patched work pitching and players at key positions who really should not have been there. Credit Ron Gardenhire for establishing culture that accepts nothing less than full effort and winning.

Gardenhire has his faults. His obsession with playing Nick Punto brothers me, so too does some of his pitching moves. However Gardenhire’s strengths far outweigh his weaknesses.

I have meet Ron Gardenhire twice in person; he always takes the time to talk people and make the feel at ease. He insisted his players treat Twins fans with dignity. Many Twins players are great at signing autographs through the mail. Player attendance at Twinsfest is always great, and players make many appearances around town, and do a lot of charity work. At these events the players almost without fail treat people well and don’t displaying any prima donna attitudes. This class attitude starts at the top with their manager.

Joe Mauer is the best player in baseball, and will go down in baseball and Minnesota sports history as an icon. Joe Mauer may well be the most loved Twin of all-time. Justin Morneau has re-introduced Twins fans to what having a power hitter on their team is like. Morneau was an MVP on the field and a good guy off it. Torii Hunter gave the Twins 7 strong seasons and helped lead the revival of Twins this decade. Hunter is also a class human being.

Johan Santana won 2 Cy Young Awards as a Twin, and was baseball’s best pitcher from 2004-2007. Joe Nathan may well have been the best closer in baseball the last 5 years. Former Twins General Manager Terry Ryan rebuilt the Twins into a winner this decade, and one cannot forget Judge Harry Crump whose ruling that the Twins had to honor their Metrodome lease saved the Twins from contradiction in 2002.

However, Ron Gardenhire had more an affect than any of these gentlemen. Great managers are rarely truly appreciated till they have left. Ron Gardenhire led the Minnesota Twins back into relevance, and back into the hearts of Twins fans anywhere. For that Ron Gardenhire is my Minnesota Twin of the decade.

More Twins Signings

Saturday I made the drive up to Elk River. Michael Cuddyer and Brendan Harris were signing autographs at the Cub Foods in Elk River. In fact Twins players were all over the Twin Cities area Saturday. Jason Kubel was in Maple Grove, Joe Nathan was in St. Louis Park, Denard Span was in Hudson, Wi (Hudson is right across the MN/WI border), Scott Baker was in Minnetonka, R.A. Dickey was in Roseville, and Brian Dunesing was in Apple Valley.

With all these players out and about and signing autographs at roughly the same time I had to choose where I wanted to go. I choose going to see Cuddyer and Harris because I had just bought some nice looking Allen & Ginter cards of Cuddyer, Harris, Nathan, Blackburn, Liriano, and Gomez. I have goal of getting all these cards signed. Since both Cuddyer and Harris are both in that group of cards, and I don’t really have a signed card of Harris, the choice of where to go was quite obvious.

The choice was made easier by the fact I knew I could mail Nathan his card with a SASE c/o of the Twins and he would sign it and send it back. Blackburn is also great at signing stuff sent to him, but I had sent him a Topps Heritage card in April, and I wanted to wait till at last August before sending him another card. I don’t want Nick Blackburn to think I am trying to spam him with autograph requests.

My hope for Saturday was to get to Elk River early, get through the line quickly then make the 40 minute drive to Roseville to get R.A. Dickey who I need to add to my collection. I got to Elk River at 10:15 for the scheduled 11:30 signing. A handful of people were there already ( and I knew many more would follow which they did), so I quickly got in line. I figured I would get through the line in 10-15 minutes and be able to get in Roseville in time for R.A.

Unfortunately things did not work out as planned. Michael Cuddyer, who is a class guy, arrived early. Brendan Harris was 10 minutes late. The line moved slower than expected, and I was left with only 25 minutes to make a 40 minute drive. Obviously R.A. would have to wait another day.

Instead I took the opportunity to drive around the area heading north to Zimmerman and Princeton. This area is fast becoming an area of growth as more people try to get away from the city. However as more people move out there it is fast become more a part of the city. Pretty soon these cities will be outer ring suburbs, but for now they are still country towns.

I did make it down to Roseville, but it was later in the afternoon. I wanted to stop at Three Star Sports Cards to get some more cards for signing. Dan, one of the owners, told me the 2009 Allen & Ginter cards had arrived. They were $5 for a pack of 8, and $100 + for a box. Ouch! I remember when packs of cards cost 25 cents and you got 12 cards and a stick of gum. Of course that was 30 years ago.

I will wait for Three Star to set out some single Allen & Ginter cards. Yes, they usual charge a $1 or $2 for each card, but I will get who I want instead of spending $5 and taking a chance on getting who I want.

I returned home to find I had mail. Joe Nathan had returned my signed Allen & Ginter card I had sent him in the mail. He had also signed a SPX card for me. Joe Nathan is just a class individual who remembers his fans. He has also been selected to play in his fourth All-Star game. Go Joe Nathan!

I ended up with signed Allen & Ginter cards from Cuddyer, Harris, and Nathan all on the same day. It was god day.

Twinsfest 2009

I attended Twinsfest last weekend. I go every year to this celebration of all things Minnesota Twins, but this was the first time I went all three days.

Friday night was bitterly cold out. A lot of people were waiting outside the Dome before the doors opened because they wanted to run the Joe Mauer and Justin Morneau autograph lines. I tried waiting outside, but it was to cold. I retreated inside a parking ramp where it was warmer.
I return to stand in line, but only for a short period before they let everyone in.

Once inside I got Rod Carew to autograph a 1970 card of him. I even brought a fine point sharpie for him to use. After that I headed down the field where I got Scott Baker, Mike Redmond, Alexi Casilla, and Matt Guerrier. Casilla is a favorite of mine. I got him to sign a ball. It was the only ball I would have signed all weekend.

I spotted former Viking All-Pro RB Chuck Foreman at a sports memorabilia collectors table. For $10 he was signing pictures of himself. I asked if he would sign my football card of him. He said he would, but he did not have a blue or black sharpie to sign it with. Luckily I had one which he used. The lesson here is that you should always bring a sharpie to these events as you never know when you might need one.

With Foreman’s sign card I now have signed cards from ten Vikings from their Super Bowl teams including Tarkenton and Page.

I happened upon a friend who told me Al Newman was on the field signing for charity. I have cards signed by all the living members of the 1987 World Champion Twins team except for Al and Dan Schatzader. For a $5 donation Al not only signed my card, but graciously humored me in conversation. Al is a real nice guy.

I found out that Michael Cuddyer, Delmon Young, and Nick Punto were not there. Cuddyer and Young were both sick while Punto missed his flight to Minnesota. This altered by plans as I was going to get into the Delmon Young autograph line.

Instead I went and got Paul Molitor to sign a card of him as a Twin. I recently received a sign card of him as a Brewer in the mail. I noted the one in the mail and the one I got signed in person were different. The one in person has an “m” which looks like an “m” while the on in the mail has an “m” that looks like an “n”. He dotted the “I” in Molitor on the one in person, but on the one in the mail. I am wondering if he signs differently for one in the mail in order to save time, or where the one in the mail ghost signed (i.e. signed by someone other than Paul)?

Paul seems like to nice of a guy to have someone else sign his stuff. He may alter the way he signs stuff in the mail to save time. I would have like to ask him that whether that was the case, but you are not encourage to hold up the line at Twinsfest, so I had to move on.

I headed by to the field ran into a big surprise. I spotted Hall of Fame pitcher Ferguson Jenkins. He was there signing for a cancer charity he supports. He told me for $10 he would sign a card for me. I did not have a card of him with me. He offered to let me choose from some he had along. I asked him how much for the card and he said the card was free. Wow! For $10 I got a 1979 Topps card of Mr. Jenkins and he signed it adding his HOF year. Great deal!

I was about to leave for the night when I decided to check out the Twins Pro Shop area. I was amazed to find they were selling Torii Hunter replica Twins jersey that once cost $100 for only $25. Granted Hunter does not play here anymore, but it is still a nice jersey for cheap. I bought one for myself.

Saturday was even colder than Friday. I refused to go early and stand outside the Dome in that frigid weather. This cost me a chance to get autographs from Joe Mauer and Justin Morneau as those line were filled by the time I got there. People are obsessed with these two guys. It is amazing. Luckily I have signed balls and cards for these men already.

I settled for signed cards from Nick Blackburn, Mike Redmond (again), and Denard Span. Then I was able to get Jason Kubel and Glen Perkins. I added Ron Gardenhire and Jesse Crain. Gardenhire was especially friendly to everyone including me. He is a class guy. Perkins was signing in place of Delmon Young who was still sick. I needed Perkins for my collection so that worked out great. I had Kubel sign a picture of him getting Gatorade dumped on him by Michael Cuddyer after hitting a game winning home run in 2006. I had Cuddyer sign it last year, but Kubel was not at Twinsfest last year, so I got him this year. He thought the picture was great.

I head down to the field to get Jim Mudcat Grant, Tom Johnson, Joe Morales (the younger), and Scott Leuis. Sadly Mr. Grant decided to skip his appointed signing time and fly to AZ to attend a card show where he was paid to sign items. While he has the right to make his own decisions, I thought it was a classless move. He had said he would be at Twinsfest. Several people came just to get him, and they left disappointed. I stayed because I wanted the other three, but was disappointed as well that Mr. Grant was not there.

I always meet interesting people at Twinsfest. Men, women, and young people who are great fans of the Twins are there. Lots of folks from outstate and the Dakotas. I always enjoy the conservations. I meet one guy who said he was the second person in line Saturday morning. He had arrived at 6 a.m. When did the first person arrive? He said it was 3 a.m. 3 in the morning in -10 degree weather. Doors opened at 9. Why would someone stand outside the Dome in -10 degree weather for 6 hours? I don’t know.

Saturday ended on a high note. I found a collector who has a certified autograph card of Johan Santana. A Donruss Playoff, number 47/100. I normally don’t buy the autograph cards that the card companies produce, but the only Santana signed item I have is a ball he signed for me. I wanted an autograph card of him. The collector had card for only $40 which is cheaper than I have seen such cards go for around here. The collector let me check it out, and after some thought I bought it. It is a beautiful card.

Sunday was as cold as Saturday, so I went in late again. I got Corey Koskie and Phillip Humber. Good to see Mr. Koskie again after all the health problems he has had. I hope that he becomes more a part of the Twins organization now that it looks like his playing days are over.

Delmon Young was feeling better and in attendance on Sunday signing with Jason Kubel. I got them each to sign a card for me. I wanted to get Michael Cuddyer to sign a card for me, but the word was after he had gotten over the flu his wife got it, and he had to stay home and care for there child. Cuddyer has always been generous to fans with his time, so I will cut him some slack.

Exhausted after three days of standing in line and running up and down the stairs of the Metrodome, I called it a day, but not before making one more purchase. Some years ago I bought a grab bag from the Twins. For $15 you get whatever is inside. That year my big items were a Twins Media Guide (which was great reading) and a Torii Hunter mini-bobblehead.
This year I decided to buy another grab bag. I got a Michael Cuddyer kid’s bat that they had given away last season to kids 14 and younger. Nice bat which I may get him to sign for me. I also got a red baseball hat with Twins on the front that looked nice, and a mystery bobblehead. I say mystery bobblehead because it was in a bigger box and that box was tapped shut. I did not get a chance to open it till I got home. Who was it? Of course it was Torii Hunter! It was the official one they gave away in 2006 of him holding the gold glove trophy. I put it up on my shelf next to my mini Torii Hunter bobblehead had gotten years early.

I really had a good time at Twinsfest and look forward to next year. First though we have a baseball season to play. Win Twins!

Review of the Twins Roster - 2008

Alexi Cassila and Carlos Gomez celebrate a victory.
Hopeully there will be several wins in 2009.

Justin Morneau 1st Base– I wrote in April that as Justin Morneau goes so go the Twins. I was proved right. Morneau was brilliant almost all season long putting up MVP worthy numbers while the Twins battled for first place in the division. Only at the season end when Morneau worn down by having to play everyday (Morneau started all 163 games) did the Twins start to fade.

Morneau is one of the best players in all of baseball. He is able to hit for average or power, and his defense at first is outstanding. The Twins were very wise to lock him up to a long term contract. He will be a cornerstone player for the Twins for years to come.

However, the Twins need to find him a good backup. Morneau cannot be asked to play every game next season. Michael Cuddyer was supposed be Morneau’s backup, but Cuddyer was hurt all season. While Cuddyer will likely be back and healthy next season, the Twins should look at getting someone else on the team (Jason Kubel?) some time at first just in case.

Alexi Casilla 2nd Base – Demoted to the minors in the middle of spring training, Casilla was not exactly lighting it up in Triple A when injuries forced his call- up in April. However, once here Casilla seized the opportunity and become the igniter to a Twins hot streak. Casilla has learned to play within himself, and how to work counts and get walks. While he could not keep up his early .300 + batting average, he never lost sight of his role as the team’s number two hitter. Casilla looks like a solid .280-.290 hitter who can earn walks, bunt, and move runners along. He is also a plus in the field.

Some people has suggested moving Casilla to short which he played a lot of in the minors, but I am against that move. Casilla has settled in comfortably at second. It would be unwise to disrupt him now.

It also should be noted that Casilla is also a positive influence on fellow Dominican Carlos Gomez with whom Casilla rooms with on the road.

Nick Punto shortstop – Almost by default Punto ended up being the shortstop. Adam Everett was suppose to man the position but was always hurt. After he bombed at 2nd Brendan Harris took over and faired okay, but was then needed at 3rd. Punto is best as a utility player who does not play everyday. He is a capable defender at multiple positions, but only a marginal hitter. He is also injury prone.

Punto is a free agent and might been in demand because of his versatility. Everett is also a free agent though he will not be in demand because of two straight years of injuries. I think the Twins will take a stab at resigning Punto as he is a Gardenhire favorite, but he might be to expensive.

Even it they do resign him, he might be more valuable in a utility role than as the starting shortstop.

Who would be the starting shortstop? Matt Tolbert could be the answer. He looked good at second before being hurt, and can play short. Brendan Harris could slide over to short. He is solid though not great on defense and he can hit. Everett could be resigned, or another player brought in. There does not seem to be a player in the minors ready to come up and take the job.

Brendan Harris and Brian Buscher 3rd Base – Harris was solid on defense and a capable hitter. Buscher was a solid hitter who has issues on defense. Neither looks to be a full-time answer, and neither has a lot of power. Luke Hughes and Danny Valenica will challenge from the minors. Both have power potential with Hughes being viewed as closer to ready.

Look for 3rd and short to be positions with lots of competition for playing time.

Joe Mauer Catcher – Mauer was simply brilliant this year. Winning his second batting title in three years, Mauer continues to shine as a hitter. Defensively Mauer was dominant, and he brilliantly handled a young pitching staff. Mauer is the best catcher in all of baseball, and amazingly is still only 25.

Mike Redmond will be back as Mauer back-up. Redmond handles the bat and pitching staffs well. More importantly he handles s being a backup to a Minnesota icon even better. Wilson Ramos is rated as a top catching prospect with a powerful arm and even more powerful bat, but he is considered at least a couple years away.

Carlos Gomez, Denard Spahn, Michael Cuddyer, Delmon Young, and Jason Kubel – Outfielders and DH – The Twins will have five players who have proven they not only belong in the majors, but should be starting but have only four spots open for them to play. How Gardenhire sorts this out could be critical to the team’s success next year.

While one could be traded, they might all be kept for fear one might be injured or one might take a step back from their play this season. Also the Twins could use the depth especially when the need a pitch hitter. In years past the pitch hitting choices have been slim. This would beef that choice up.

Cuddyer is likely to return to starting in right. He is a good defender with a strong arm. He is also a right handed bat with some power, and the Twins really need that. Throw in that Cuddyer is one of the clubhouse leaders of this team, and his position looks secure.

Gomez is a dynamic talent. In the field Gomez as more range and a stronger arm in center field than his gold glove winning predecessor Torii Hunter. Gomez has speed to burn and stole most bases by a Twin in over a decade. Gomez also looks to have power potential. He swings a little too freely, and a can get a little too worked up. Still I cannot remember another Twins player who much five tool talent as Gomez does. The question is can he harness it. I think the Twins will try to find out by keeping him the starter in center field.

Kubel played mostly at DH and thrived. He was second on the team in HR’s and third in RBI’s. Kubel also was not bothered by not being able to play in the field. Many players don’t like to DH because they like playing in the field where they don’t have to sit around and think about their last at bat. Kubel seems to not have that problem. On a team desperate for power hitters, Kubel’s power will likely get him a lot of at bats at DH.

That leaves Delmon Young and Denard Spahn.

Young was suppose to hit for power and did not. He swung freely, but still managed to his .290. He showed some base stealing ability. He also displayed an incredible throwing arm in the field, but seemed to have problems tracking balls in left field which was not his normal position.

Young is only 23 and has great potential and the Twins gave up a lot to get him. It would be hard to see them replacing him. However Spahn came up at mid-season and showed gold glove caliber defense. He also thrived in the lead-off sport where he hit well and worked the count. Spahn also showed great speed on the base paths finishing second to Gomez is stolen bases.

Spahn true strength may lay in his ability to play all three outfield spots well. I foresee Spahn playing a lot, but not in one set outfield spot unless Young is traded.

Look for all five of these guys to play in 120 or so games, but no one will play in 150 – 160 games like Morneau will. I really like this outfield DH depth and youth. Hopefully it will develop into something great.

Outfield prospect Ben Revere and Aaron Hicks are causing a lot of buzz, but neither is ready to challenge for a major league spot right now, but they are on their way. Jason Pridie will be back at Triple A as insurance, but he will not be able to make the big club. He could be traded.

Scott Baker – Baker pitched well down the stretch and overcame early season injuries to serve notice he is the new ace of the Twins staff. There is no reason not to think next year will be a big year, however due to injures, Baker still has not made 30 starts in a year. He must stay healthy.

Francisco Liriano – Speaking of pitchers who must stay healthy, Liriano looked horrid in his initial return from Tommy John surgery. However after a stint in the minors Liriano look very good and served notice he was ready be starter #1a to Baker’s starter #1 status. Baker and Liriano could be an impressive right – left combination.

Liriano however has had history of loafing during the off-season. That cannot be the case anymore as he needs to come to Spring Training 2009 ready to go. If not, there will be some upset folks with the Twins.

Kevin Slowey – Slowey pitched the Twins only complete game shutouts this season, and easily solidified his spot in the rotation. Slowly does not have Baker and Liriano’s impressive stuff, but he has the ability to locate his pitches and keep hitters guessing. Slowey should become a valuable member of this rotation for years to come.

Nick Blackburn – Blackburn only made the team because Scott Baker was hurt in Spring Training, but he seized the opportunity and was an affective starter for most the year. At season’s end he had some rough outings, but then proved his toughness and competitive spirit by pitching a great 6 1/3 innings while giving up only 1 run in the playoff game against Chicago. That fine performance likely ensured Blackburn a spot in the 2009 rotation.

Glen Perkins – After an injury plagued 2007 season, Perkins was sent to the minors to get back in shape for a role as a starter. Brought back during mid-season, Perkins had some good outings and some dreadful outings. Still he was able to tie for the team lead in victories. Going into 09 he has the lead in earning the fifth spot in the rotation.

Joe Nathan – The Twins wisely signed Nathan to a contract extension and he responded with another All-Star season. Nathan remains an elite closer.

Jose Mijares – One of the September call-ups from the minor leagues, Mijares suddenly became the go to guy in the 8th inning. With an electric arm and incredible poise, Mijares looks to have made the team in 09, with the 7th or 8th inning role reversed for him.

Pat Neshek – The designated 8th inning reliever, Neshek promptly blew out his elbow and was lost for the season. Apparently on the road to a full recovery, Neshek will be asked to work the 7th or 8th inning.

Jesse Crain – Recovering from shoulder surgery in 2007, Crain was used with caution in early 2008. As the season wore on Crain was used more and more and for the most part was affective. Crain has a good arm and will be expected to work with Mijares and Neshek in the innings leading up to the 9th.

Dennis Reyes and Craig Breslow – One of these left handed relief specialists will not be back. Since Reyes is a free agent expect it to be him. Breslow though is not assured of a spot on the team with the decision on those below clouding things.

Boof Bonser- Bonser started the season in the rotation and I thought he would be a key to the Twins having a successful season. Instead Bonser lost his spot in rotation with a string of bad outings. Once in the bullpen it took time for Bonser to get comfortable. By season’s end he was being called on in more and more critical spots. Bonser has a very good arm, and he is out of minor league options so the Twins have to keep him on the big league roster, or trade him or release him.

Phillip Humber – Like Bonser Humber is out of options so the Twins must decide what to do with him. One of the players acquired for Johan Santana, releasing him would look bad. He may get a shot and working long relief.

Matt Guerrier – Guerrier has worked his way up from long reliever to taking over as 8th inning guy when Neshek got hurt. And for a while Guerrier was an affective 8th inning guy. Unfortunately Guerrier imploded and several late-inning Twins leads were blown because of Guerrier’s failings. Guerrier is up for arbitration so it is possible he may not be back. If he is back it will be in a reduced role.

Twins Mid-season Report

July 5, 2008 finds the Minnesota Twins at 48-38 only 1 game out of first place in the A.L. Central Division. I don’t think anyone was expecting this. The Twins had traded away a 2 time Cy Young Award winner (Johan Santana), and allowed an All-Star player (Torii Hunter), and their #2 starter (Carlos Silva) to leave via free agency. If anything most everyone had the Twins peg as a talented, but young team which would hover around the .500 mark.

Yet here they are on the verge of first place. How could this have happened?

1. Justin Morneau and Joe Mauer are superstars and playing like it.

It is now apparent that as Morneau goes, so go the Twins. Morneau has been brilliant this year, hitting over .300, second in the A.L. in RBIs, and playing gold glove defense. He is the best first basemen in the American League. That long term extension the Twins signed him to this off-season is looking better all the time.

Mauer is simply the best catcher in baseball. He calls great games, plays well defensively, and hits with the best hitters in baseball. Healthy this season, Mauer could win another batting title. He was voted the starting A.L. catcher for this year’s All-Star game, as he should.

2. Joe Nathan is best closer in baseball.

Many wondered why a re-building club like the Twins would sign the 33 old Nathan to a contract extension instead of trading him. You sign Nathan because his presence gives confidence to a young starting rotation that their efforts will not be blown when it gets crunch time in the 9th. Nathan has saved every game he has been asked to except for 2, and the Twins rally back to win both games.

Having Nathan changes the outlook of this club. In an age where having a great closer is a key, the Twins have the best.

3. Alexi Casilla

In May the Twins offense look spotty, then Alexi Casilla arrived. I heard about Casilla a couple of year ago. He had good success in the minors and when he arrived in late 2007, I was expecting a good hitter who would steal bases and play great defense solving our 2nd base problems for years to come. Well, Casilla looked bad in 2007, and was sent back to the minors early in spring training this season.

However, I learned long ago that many a great player started out their major league career playing bad. When the opportunity to return to the major presented itself Casilla seized it and never let go. Everything I expected in 2007, I have gotten in 2008.

Casilla is the perfect #2 hitter. In fact he has lead off hitter potential. A great bunter, able to work the count; steal bases, and showing some surprising power, Casilla may be the third most important every day Twin.

One last point about Casilla, he has been a pal for the electrifying and sensitive Carlos Gomez. Gomez is a great talent, but needs someone to keep him somewhat grounded. Fellow Dominican Casilla is that guy. Gomez and Casilla are a great 1-2 at the top of our line-up. Remember in baseball, speed kills. Gomez and Casilla have speed in spades.

4. Our young starting pitching is coming of age.

Scott Baker, Nick Blackburn, and Kevin Slowey are giving the Twins incredible starting pitching. All have ERA’s under 4, and more impressively all have better than 3 to 1 strikeout to walk ratios.

Glen Perkins also looks to be coming around, while somehow Livan Hernandez is hanging around and winning games. If this young staff keeps developing, they could be the Twins best starting pitching since 1991.

5. The Pohlads, Bill Smith, and Ron Gardenhire may know what they are doing after all.

The Pohlads guessed right on who to give the six year contract extension too (Morneau not Santana). Bill Smith traded Santana to the right New York team (Phil Hughes, the key to the Yankee deal, pitched horrid then got hurt).

Ron Gardenhire is doing some good managing. He kept with Gomez and Delmon Young when it seemed like they were not going to get the job done. He kept calm as the left side of the infield falter. He is smart enough to let his brilliant pitching Rick Anderson work with his young pitching staff without interference.

Joe Nathan Signs Extension

The Minnesota Twins have signed closer Joe Nathan to a contract extension that will keep him around till 2011 with an option for 2012. He will get over $11 million dollars a year which is less than half what Johan Santana will be making a year with the Mets.

Nathan was good player to retain. As a person who lived through the Ron Davis era of blown saves and stunning loses in the mid-eighties, I know the value of a great closer. Nathan is possibly the best closer in the all of baseball. With the exception of Pat Neshek, the Twins had no one else capable of handling the role of closer. With Nathan signed, and Neshek set as his set-up man, the Twins bullpen has an excellent back end which should help the whole pitching staff.

It is well known Twins fans did not like losing Torii Hunter and Johan Santana. However, the Twins have now locked up Joe Mauer, Justin Morneau, Michael Cuddyer, and Joe Nathan to long term deal. They will have not significant free agent issues till after the 2010 season.

This should bring some peace to an organization and fan base which has been very nervous about such things. Now maybe the Twins can get back to playing and winning some games.