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.

Twins 2015 Prediction and TTM Update

It has been slow going in my pursuit of autographed Minnesota Twins cards since Twinsfest. I did add Paul Powell, Jim Meritt, and Yohan Pino thru the mail (TTM) to give me signed cards from 521 current or former Twins. I also received returns from Jim Thome, Michael Restovich, Ricky Nolasco, Tommy Milone, and Ryan Doumit.

I hope to have more success with the season starting. I will be buying some of the new 2015 cards and sending them to current players. As they seem to do every year the Twins put someone on the team I never expected would make it and those guys never have any real baseball cards. This year it is Blaine Boyer and Shane Robinson who made the team, and I cannot find any cards of them, so I created some on my computer. Hopefully they are good signers.

Predicting how the Twins will do this season is purely guess work. Unforeseen problems like Ervin Santana 80 game suspension for using steroids can quickly mess up any prediction. Still I hope that Danny Santana, Kenny Vargas, and Oswaldo Arcia take the next step in their growth as players and become young stars. I hope Brian Dozier moves his game to All-Star level, and that Joe Mauer returns to All-Star level.

I am rooting for Phil Hughes to continue to pitch like he did last year, and for Tommy Milone to pitch like he did 2012. I also hope Kyle Gibson has a good year, and that Ricky Nolasco bounces back. I really hope to see young prospects like Miguel Sano, Byron Buxton, Alex Meyer, Trevor May, and Michael Tonkin make it up to the big club to stay.

I hope a lot, but I know better. The Twins will have another tough season where they lose at least 85 games. Hopefully though the young players grow and become better, and we get some excitement watching the games this year. 

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!

Random All-Star Game and Other Thoughts

The All-Star game has come and gone, and I have a few random thoughts.

This year’s game featured some sure fire Hall of Famers like Derek Jeter and Miguel Cabrera, but it mostly featured young talent like Mike Trout, Giancarlo Stanton, Andrew McCutchen, Dee Gordon, Salvador Perez, Paul Goldschmidt, Carlos Gomez, Yoenis Cespedes, and Yasiel Puig. When I see the names left off the teams roster like Joe Mauer, Dustin Pedroia, Albert Pujlos, Ryan Howard, Joey Votto, Buster Posey, Evan Longoria, Josh Hamilton, and Ryan Braun I wonder if we are not seeing a changing of the guard amongst baseball’s top players.

I noticed the lack of young Twins star players on the above list. The Twins have only three players on their 25 man roster who are age 25 or young (Danny Santana -23, Oswaldo Arcia -23 and Eduardo Escobar -25). For a team that is supposedly in rebuilding mode this is not a good sign!

I went to All-Star Fan Fest on Monday for only $10 (regular price was $35). It was a pretty good experience though my hope of getting some of the free autographs was dashed by the long lines (people had to be in line 3 hours ahead of the signing time). However, with a donation to charity I got Tony Oliva to sign a card for me. I also was able to pick some of the popular and free Charlie Brown baseball cards Topps was giving away.

Look at this comparison:

Player A was a .294 career hitter with 272 home runs and a Wins Above Replacement (WAR) of 37.6. He was a 10 time All-Star and won the league MVP award.

Player B was a .304 career hitter with 220 home runs and a Wins Above Replacement (WAR) of 43. He was an 8 time All-Star and won 3 batting titles.

Player A and Player B have something in common; neither is in the Hall of Fame. In fact they were on the ballot every year of the eligibility, but never made it. Who are they? Player A is Steve Garvey who started for the National League in the 85 All-Star Game at the Metrodome. Player B is Tony Oliva of the Twins who played in the 65 All-Star Game here Met Stadium. While I was watching the 2014 All-Star game at Target Field I wondered which player(s) would be the Garvey/Oliva player who was really good, but not consider Hall of Fame worthy. It is hard to say who it will be, but we will know by the time the next All-Star Game comes to Minnesota in say 20 years.

The 2014 Allen & Ginter baseball cards were released earlier this month. A & G’s have been my favorite baseball card the last few years. However, this year was a major downer because there were only 3 Minnesota Twins (Mauer, Arcia, & Nolasco) in the set. From 2006 to 2012 the A & G sets average 10 Twins cards per set. Year last there were 7 current and former Twins in the set.

The Twins have been a bad team of late, but really could Topps (who produces A & G) have not least thrown in a card for Brian Dozier or Glen Perkins. Guess not. I would have like A & G to produce at least one card of Rod Carew in a Twins uniform instead of always putting him in an Angel uniform. Carew won 7 batting titles and was a MVP as a Twins for whom he played for twice as long as the Angels. Also why is there no Kirby Puckett card yet? One of the most loved players of his time finds himself one of the very few modern HOFers not to have an A & G card yet.

On a positive note, this year’s Topps Heritage set is real good this season. I hope to get some of them autographed yet this year.   

2014 Minnesota Twins

I have no confidence in the Minnesota Twins having any better season then they have had the last three years. I think the starting pitching is improved and the bullpen remains solid, but the team lacks hitting will hurt it more than the improved starting pitching will help it. I do feel though there are some things worth watching this season which if they turn out positively could lead to better things for the Twins and their fans in the future.

Oswaldo Arica and Aaron Hicks are highly touted prospects who have taken different routes to the majors. Arica was not a prospect from the get go, but has put up great numbers at each minor league level he played at. Arica had decent numbers in his first year in the majors, and is being counted on to provide power in the middle of the Twins lineup this year. Hicks was a prospect from the get go, but has never really justified his high prospect ranking with great minor league seasons. Hicks struggled mightily last season as a rookie, but the Twins need him to secure the center field job while batting lead off this season. Arica, a favorite of mine, is under no threat of replacement, but Hicks has to be looking over his shoulder as mega prospect Byron Buxton is not that far away from taking over the center field job.

Phil Hughes could be a very good starting pitcher for the Twins. Once top prospect Alex Meyer gets here, Meyer, Ricky Nolasco, Hughes, and Kyle Gibson could be the anchors for a good pitching staff for the next 3-5 years. Hughes has the ability to be the #2 starter behind the highly talented Meyer. Having meet Hughes at Twinsfest, I like him and have decided I am making him one of my favorite players on the Twins. Meyer is a favorite of mine as well in part because how many professional baseball players spend their off-season as a substitute teacher as Meyer did this off-season? I think not many.

Brian Dozier is another nice guy, and I want to root for his success. If Dozier can improve his offense and keep up his elite defensive play, the Twins will have something they have not had since Chuck Knoblauch after the 1997 season - stability at 2^nd base.

Josmil Pinto is another guy I want to root for. With Joe Mauer now at 1^st base, we need a catcher who not only can defend, but hit. Pinto is the best option, though I believe the Twins will start the season with veteran Kurt Suzuki as the starter.

Minor leaguers Byron Buxton, Alex Meyer, Miguel Sano, Kohl Stewart, Danny Santana, Michael Tonkin, Kennys Vargas, Trevor May, Eddie Rosario, Felix Jorge, Jorge Polanco, Max Kepler, Joe Berrios, Lewis Thrope, and Fernando Romero have star potential. How many will actually make it to the majors and become stars? No one can know for sure, but for the sake of the Twins and their fans hope a good number make it.

As it is the Twins will be lucky to develop enough players to make the team a contender for the division title in 2016. For now it is more the same for the Twins and their fans. Still I look forward to seeing players like Arcia, Hicks, Hughes, Meyer, Dozier, and Pinto develop hopefully into better player; so here’s to a great 2014 Twins baseball season!

Twinsfest 2014

For the 11^th straight year I attended Twinsfest – the annual winter gather of all things Minnesota Twins. Twinsfest 2014’s big news was after years of being held at the Metrodome, it was moving to Target Field. Fans were promised access to the high $ Champions, Legends, and Metropolitan Clubs, free tours of the Twins clubhouse and press box, and for $5 you got to take 5 cuts in the Twins underground batting cage. Kids were promised a change to play interactive games with Twins players.

In fact all of the above was true. I took the clubhouse and press box tours, and enjoyed them. I watched some of players play various games with kids which I thought was nice. Also fans got to watch real families play the Family Feud game show with Twins players/coaches as team captains. It all seemed to go over well. I also found Target Field is closer to my home, parking was cheaper, the food more expensive, and the view of the lighted field when it snowed on Friday night was amazing.

I go to Twinsfest though mostly to get autographs. I went Friday and Sunday and scored a combined 43 autographs. That broke my previous record of 37 set in 2011. Here is my list. All were on baseball cards except where noted. Numbers next to the player means I got multiple autographs from that player.

Corey Koskie, Trevor Plouffe, Anthony Swarzak, Andrew Albers, Trevor May (2), Joe Mauer, Ricky Nolasco, Jason Bartlett, Casey Fien (2), Phil Hughes, Brian Duensing, Kyle Gibson, Caleb Theilbar (2), Mike Pelfrey, Jared Burton, Chris Parmelee (2),Chris Herrmann (2), Joe Vavra, Kevin Corriea, Tom Brunansky (ball), Max Kepler, Eric Fryer, Austin Malinowski, Glen Perkins, Kurt Suzuki, Alex Presley, Chris Colabello (2), Samuel Deduno, Scott Erickson, Aaron Hicks, Brian Dozier, Jim Mudcat Grant, Darren Mastroianni, Alex Meyer, Sean Gilmartin, Kyle Knudson, and Mike Kvasnicka

I was pumped to get Joe Mauer for the first time since 2008! I was also pleased to get new Twins Phil Hughes, Ricky Nolasco, Alex Presley, and Kurt Suzuki. The lines for mega-prospects Byron Buxton and Miguel Sano were often longer than the lines for Mauer, but top pitching prospect Alex Meyer had virtually no line.

 

My fellow autograph seekers told me they would have liked 5 instead of the 4 autograph stations available. Some of them were upset that the minor league player autographs are no longer free as minor leaguers are now mixed in with the regular players. I was disappointed that Oswaldo Arcia and Josmil Pinto were not in attendance.

Some of the memorabilia dealers there were not happy they were relegated to the basement were it was cold, cram, and the lighting if poor. A few of them told me they would not be back in 2015. I would not be surprised if the Twins phased out the memorabilia dealers all together. Twinsfest seems to be going in a different direction.

However, as long as the Twins continue to have their players sign autograph for a reasonable fee, I will be back for Twinsfest 2015 and beyond.

Farewell Metrodome

In its 31 years the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome (the Dome) has been host to a Super Bowl (1992), two World Series (1987 & 1991), two NCAA Basketball Final Fours (1992 & 2001), a MLB All-Star Game (1985), countless major concerts, monster truck pulls, and most of the home games of the Minnesota Vikings, Minnesota Twins, and the University of Minnesota Golden Gopher football team. Now with the Twins, Gophers, and Vikings having got or getting new stadiums, the Metrodome’s time is at an end.

I saw many Twins games in the 27 years the Twins played at the Dome, but was able to only attend one post season game game. It was Game 2 of the 1987 ALCS. I was a young college student who heard on the radio that some single seat tickets were still available. I walked from the U of M campus over to the Dome to buy a ticket. I sat in the upper deck of center field next to two middle aged women who were really into the game. It was very loud, and great experience as the Twins won 6-3.

I got to see Kirby Puckett’s first career home run on 4/25/85. I saw Carlos Silva set the record for fewest pitches thrown in a complete game (74) on 5/20/2005. I was there to see Joe Mauer go 5 for 5 on 6/27/06. I was also nearly thrown out of the Dome for smoking (no smoking in the Dome!). Except I have never smoked in my life, and still have no idea why I was accused of smoking, though it should be noted that the eight or so buddies of mine there that night roared with laughter and joked about it for years afterward.

In the 2000’s when friends weren’t as available to go to games as they use to be, I would go by myself. I found it a great way to spend an evening. I would talk to people around me, and be able to concentrate on the game itself without people trying telling me the latest gossip, and if I wanted to leave early or stay longer I did.

Along with all the Twins games, I have attended many TwinsFests, Twins Autograph Parties, Vikings games, Timberwolves games (their first season was played at the Dome), and Golden Gopher football games. I loved Dome even others mostly disliked it. Maybe it was because it easy for me to get to. Maybe because there were usually decent tickets available. Or maybe it was simply all memories I have from my time spent there. The people who I went with and good times we had. The memories outweigh the lack of great sightlines and food. The Dome did not have any fancy restaurants or clubs that today’s game attendees demand, but it has great memories for me.

I will miss the Dome not because it was a great stadium, but because part of me is there and always will be there.

Look to 2014 While Reviewing 2013

Here is an early look at 2014 Minnesota Twins while reviewing 2013 season.

 

Catcher – Joe Mauer continues to show himself as a future Hall of Famer, but  concussion issues could force him to move to 1^st soon. Youngster Josmil Pinto (age 24) has showed himself as the likey catcher of the future. Chris Herrmann meanwhile has not had the best of years, but his versatility (he can play in the OF and 1^st as well) could help him make the team as the 3^rd catcher. Veteran Ryan Doumit entered the year as Mauer’s primary backup, but his offense is down, and his defense has never been good. Doumit has one more year on his contract, but likely will be traded in the off-season.

1^st Base – Upon trading Justin Morneau, the Twins are now in a time of uncertainty at 1^st. In house candidates Chris Colabello and Chris Parmelle have been unimpressive. Trevor Plouffe might find his way over here as might Joe Mauer. For now the position is unsettled.

2^nd Base – Brian Dozier is one of the few bright spots for the Twins this year. He looks to have secured the starting job here for the next few years with his great defensive play and solid offense. Dozier is also a class human being who represents the Twins well when dealing with fans.

SS – Pedro Florimon is great defensively, but sub par offensively. Daniel Santana is equally talented on the defensive side, and better hitter. Santana (age 22) will be starting 2014 at Triple A, but likely will find his way up to the Twins in 2014, and could displace Florimon by 2015.

3^rd Base - Miguel Sano is the #3 minor league prospect in all of baseball. He is considered to have 30-40 HR a season power, and is already being hailed and the next great power hitter in baseball. Sano will be 21 next year, and the pressure from fans on the Twins to bring him up to Minnesota will be unrelenting. By the end of the 2014 Sano, barring injury, will be the starting 3^rd basemen for the Twins. Current starter Trevor Plouffe has been disappointing on both offense and defense. Plouffe could be traded, released, or moved to 1^st base. Whatever happens to him, his time at 3^rd is short.

RF – Oswald Arcia (age 22) was hailed as one of the Twins top prospects, and upon promotion to the Twins he showed himself to be a potential star player. Arcia has great power to all fields, and seems to a player the Twins can have in the middle of the batting order. Arcia’s defense needs work, but he has been forced to play left field when right field is his more natural position. It is not beyond the realm of possibility that both Sano and Arica could hit 30 HR’s a year of the Twins while hitting 4^th and 5^th in the batting order.

CF – Highly regarded prospect Aaron Hicks (age 23) was given the starting CF job after the Twins traded away starter Denard Span and backup Ben Revere. Hicks had a terrible offensive year with the Twins, and upon being demoted to the minors, he got hurt and his offensive struggles continued. Hicks is a great defensive player, but he needs to hit at least .250 with some power to stick with the Twins.

Alex Presley, Darin Mastroianni, and Clete Thomas were given chances to take the starting job, with only Presley showing any signs of life. Presley will likely start in 2014, but the #1 prospect in all of minor league baseball one Bryon Buxton (age 19) is looming. Buxton has been hailed as the next Mike Trout (high praise indeed), and the Twins are already telling fans he is the team’s next mega-star. By the end of 2014 fans will be demanding to see him in Minnesota.

LF – Josh Willingham is owed $7 million dollars next year, so he is likely back in LF after and injury riddled and mostly unsuccessful 2013. Willingham can still hit HR’s, and draw some walks, but he will never hit for average, and he is a terrible fielder. If Willingham is traded, Eddie Rosario (age 21) could get a job. Hailed as a top prospect, Rosario has been playing mostly 2^nd base where he has shown himself to be a good hitter and solid fielder. Rosario has played some outfield, and could find himself in LF for the Twins in 2014.

Starting Pitching – The Twins 2013 starting rotation is the worse in all of baseball. Kevin Correia is owed $5 million next year, so he will likely be back. Andrew Albers, Samuel Deduno, Vance Worley, Scott Diamond, Kyle Gibson will get chances with Gibson and Deduno having the best chances of making the starting rotation along side Correia.

Top pitching prospects Alex Meyer (age 23) and Trevor May (age 23) will also get chances. Meyer has a high 90’s fastball, and is viewed as #1 starter which the Twins have not had since Johan Santana was traded prior to the 2008 season. Other top Twins prospects Felix Jorge (age 19), Kohl Stewart (age 18), and Jose Berrios (age 19) are a few years away.

The Twins will likely try to sign some starting pitching via the free agent market, but the Twins have never been willing spenders in free agency. If they were, I would look into Phil Hughes, Dan Harren, Matt Garza, Scott Feldman, and maybe Josh Johnson.

Trades are another possibly, but the Twins have only Willingham, Doumit, and Plouffe available and they won’t bring much back. The Twins could trade some prospects, but Buxton, Sano, and Arcia are too valuable to trade. Rosario, Hicks, and Daniel Santana are probably the prospects who could get traded, but they may not be enough to bring in the need top-flight starting pitching.

I hope I am wrong, but my guess is the starting pitching staff will not be noticeably better till youngster Meyer, May, Jorge, Stewart, and Berrios get to the majors which may happen in 2015-2016.

Bullpen – Closer Glen Perkins has had an All-Star year, and it set for next year. Jared Burton, Caleb Theilbar, Casey Fien, Anthony Swarzak, Brain Duensing, Ryan Pressley and prospects Michael Tonkin, A. J. Achter, and Zack Jones give the Twins plenty of options for an area that was a strong area in 2013.

Reflecting on Justin Morneau

With the news that the Minnesota Twins have traded Justin Morneau a few things crossed my mind. One was reflecting on my personal interactions with Justin. I first meet him in 2005 at the Twins Autograph Party. He grabbed a black ink pen to sign my ball; I promptly grabbed a blue ink pen off the table and stuck in his face and asked him to use it instead. He could have been a jerk about it, but graciously took the blue ink pen and used it.

Over the years I would get his autograph on 2 baseballs, a photo, and five baseball cards. He had married a woman from a town my mother used to and my uncle and aunt still do live in. We got a chance to talk about that, and he always was nice to me.

Another thought I had was what could have been. In 2005 Joe Mauer and Justin Morneau were dubbed the M & M boys. Mauer was 22 and Morneau 24. They were going to rival other legendary Twins duos like Harmon Killebrew - Tony Oliva or Kirby Puckett - Kent Hrbek.

Morneau won the 2006 MVP and finished second in 2008. He was a 4x All-Star, and 2x Silver Slugger. Morneau was one of only 3 players in Twins history to have back to back 30 HR and 100 RBI’s seasons (Killebrew and Gary Gaetti were the other two). Morneau is 3^rd all-time for the Twins in HR’s and 5^th all-time in RBI’s.

Mauer and Morneau’s lead teams made playoffs in 2004, 2006, 2008, and 2010, but never won a playoff series. Morneau actually did not play in 08 or 10, and Mauer did not play in 04. Morneau downfall began in 2010 in the midst of a brilliant season during the prime of his career; Morneau suffered serious concussion in Toronto. He was never the same.

When I think of the greatest Twins of all-time I put Rod Carew, Joe Mauer, Harmon Killerbrew, Kirby Puckett, and Bert Blyleven in the top group. Then I would say Johan Santana, Justin Morneau, Tony Oliva, and few others in the next group. Had he not suffered that concussion in Toronto, I believe Morneau would have been in the top group. A player who could hit .300 with 30 HR’s and 100 RBI’s year after year instead ended up being traded for a reverse outfielder and low level minor league prospect.

Mauer and Morneau were together for 10 years - one year less than Killebrew - Olivia and Puckett - Hrbek were together. It should have been a longer and more successful time together, but injuries to both men, especially Monreau made that not possible. I will remember the great time Justin Morneau produced on the field for the Twins and off the field when I had chance to interact with him.

Best of luck in Pittsburgh Justin as you deserve a chance to at least be in if not win a World Series.

Just Like 1982

In 1982 four of the best prospects in baseball - 1^st baseman Kent Hrbek, 3^rd basemen Gary Gaetti, right fielder Tom Brunansky, and starting pitcher Fran Viola - played their rookie season for the Minnesota Twins. The players had varying levels of success and the team lost 102 games, but the seeds for future successful Twins teams were sown.

When another star prospect – Kirby Puckett - joined them in 1984, the Twins had the foundation that would bring them a World Series title in 1987. Brunansky is now considered to be amongst the top 30 Twins of all-time while Gaetti and Viola among the top 20, and Puckett and Hrbek among the top 10. Puckett is a member of Baseball’s Hall of Fame. Hrbek, Gaetti, and Viola are members along with Puckett in the Twins Hall of Fame.

31 years later the Twins have, are, and will be summoning some of the best prospects in baseball just as they did in 1982. Right fielder Oswaldo Arcia, starting pitcher Kyle Gibson and center fielder Aaron Hicks are already here, with 3^rd baseman Miguel Sano, 2^nd baseman Eddie Rosario, and starting pitchers Alex Meyer and Trevor May expected in 2014. While center fielder Bryon Buxton and starting pitcher Jose Berrios expected in 2015.

Buxton and Sano are already being hailed as Hall of Fame talents. Arcia and Rosario are expected to be All-Stars. Meyer and Gibson are supposed to be top of the rotation starters with Berrios and May being solid pitchers. If Joe Mauer can stay healthy and productive, a Twins lineup of Buxton, Mauer, Arcia, Sano, Rosario, Hicks, and others could make this a Twins team which could be amongst the greatest Twins teams of all-time. Of course history is filled with failed “can’t miss” prospects, so time will tell.

What can’t be missed with this new wave of young Twins players is the excitement they have generated. Certified autographs of Buxton and Sano are going for well over $100 a piece, and demand for items tied to them is in great demand. Meanwhile this year I gone to separate free public autograph signings with Glen Perkins, Chris Parmelee, Josh Willingham, and Pedro Florimon, and was able to go through the line multiple times. That use to not to be the case as Twins players use to draw huge crowds. Fans are not excited about the current players; they want to see the good, young prospects, and soon they shall.

Just like in 1982, the Twins are sowing the seeds of future success. We can only hope this time it will turn out as well as it did then.

Minnesota Twins Need Starting Pitching

The Twins are at the half way point of their season, and it obvious they are heading to another losing season. Sadly, the Twins continued downfall comes even though most of the players they added to roster to improve the team have played well.

Josh Willingham has been the power hitter the Twins had hope for. Ryan Doumit has provided the backup at catcher and part-time DH the Twins needed. Jared Burton has been excellent out of the bullpen. Jamey Carroll has been solid as short and 2^nd.

Young players Scott Diamond (starting pitcher) Ben Revere (outfield), and Trevor Plouffe (3^rd base) have emerged giving the Twins some hope for the future. While franchise player Joe Mauer has returned to All-Star form though the Mauer haters out there won’t satisfied till Mauer hit .400 with 30 HRs. 

Yet, despite the many things that have gone right for the Twins, they are still on the bottom the American League. Why? The answer Twins starting pitching has been awful. Carl Pavano, Francisco Liriano, Scott Baker, Nick Blackburn, and Jason Marquis were going to be the starting rotation. Instead Baker and Pavano have been injured. Blackburn was so bad he was demoted, while Marquis was even worse and was released.

Liam Hendriks, P. J. Walters, Cole De Vries, and Sam Deduno were called up from the minors, and were mostly ineffective. Brian Duensing and Anthony Swarzak were brought out the bullpen to be starters and were also ineffective. Only Scott Diamond has pitched well as a starter though Liriano has been pitching well of late. Teams can’t win with that kind of starting pitching.

For all of the struggles of Justin Morneau (not hitting like he use to), Brian Dozier (the young shortstop has struggled in the field and at the plate), and Danny Valencia (played so bad he was demoted and replaced at 3^rd by Plouffe who has taken over the job for the foreseeable future), the Twins cannot get anywhere with starting pitching they have been getting.

One-time super prospect Kyle Gibson is returning from Tommy John surgery, and may be able to help next year, so to may the solid prospect Hendriks, who has pitched well since his recent demotion. Still Diamond, Gibson, and Hendriks are only three of a needed five. Not to mention replacements when injuries occur.

The Twins prospects like Miguel Sano, Eddie Rosario, Oswaldo Arcia, Travis Harrison, Aaron Hicks, Byron Buxton, and Dereck Rodriguez are all position players. That means that the Twins are going to have dig up some pitching either via trade (hard to do) or free agency (very expensive to do). In other words, the Twins are in trouble and help may not be very close.

Johan Santana Was Not Always a Star

Congratulations to former Minnesota Twins pitcher Johan Santana on pitching his first no-hitter. 

Santana was a unheralded Rule 5 draft pickup whose first 2 years with the Twins (2000 – 2001) were pretty unspectacular. By 2003 though Santana was on his way to becoming the best pitcher in all of baseball, winning the AL CY Young award in 2004 and 2006.

It is fairly obvious that Johan Santana is one of the 10 best Twins ever. Looking at the Twins career leaders in Wins Above Replacement (WAR) Santana is the 9^th best player in Twins history.

Rod Carew – 60.4
Harmon Killebrew – 49.9
Kirby Puckett – 48.2
Bert Blyleven – 46.3
Brad Radke – 42.6
Tony Oliva – 39.7
Chuck Knoblauch – 36.3
Kent Hrbek – 35.7
Johan Santana – 34.0
Joe Mauer – 32.8

However, with all the honors Santana received as a Twin, and the sheer domination he showed between 2003 -2007, Santana probably joins, Mauer, Carew, Killebrew, Puckett, Blyleven, and Oliva as one the seven biggest stars ever in Twins history.

The Twins could not keep Santana, who wanted $20 + million a year, and traded him after the 2007 season to the Mets. His time with the Mets has been injury filled, but the no-hitter he just threw – first in Mets history – will make him a legend there.

I don’t know if Santana will make the Baseball Hall of Fame, but he certainly will make the Twins Hall of Fame. I also know he will be a hard and expensive autograph to get, but that was not always the case.

When I began collecting Twins autographs 2005, Santana was already hugely popular. How popular? At the 2006 Twins Autograph Party I waited line over 4 hours to get Santana to sign a baseball for me, and I barely made it threw the line.

However, last weeekend I was at the Twins Cities Sports Collector Club (TCSCC) show in Bloomington when I found some Santana signed cards for a reasonable price. When I asked the guy who had them where he got them, the guy told me that back in 2001, before he became a star, Santana made an autograph signing appearance at the TCSCC show charging like $5-10 an item, and not a lot of people were interested in him.

It is just another reminder that a player who might not seem like a star at the time, might well turn into one. That is why I am collecting autographed baseball cards for all living Minnesota Twins, not just the ones I think will be a star.

Meanwhile I now have signed cards from 411 current or former Twins which means in my quest to get a signed card from living current and former Twins is now in need of 238 more players. I have requests out to 112 of them, so we will see what shows up.

I can all but guarantee there won’t be a card coming in the mail from Johan Santana (he has not signed through the mail in years), but again congrats Johan on your well deserved no-hitter.

The Greatest Minnesota Twin of All-Time?

                                            Rod Carew

Myth is something that we believe is true, but in reality it is not. The power of myth is that even though the myth can be factual proven wrong, many yet still believe the myth is true. Many baseball fans and media types often believe one player is better or worse than he really is. Why do they believe such things and create this myth?

I believe human nature leads us to like certain people over others, and we then create a “justification” as to why we like that person over another. The “justification” may actually be correct, or it is a myth. Either way it is a justification in our own or possibly other’s mind.

I have often wondered if a baseball player’s stats alone tell us everything about a player’s performance. If a player hits 30 home runs in a year is that a good year for the player? In most cases yes, but what if most of the 30 home runs were hit when his team was way ahead or way behind. Does this still make his season a success? What if another only hits 15 home runs, but all of those home runs either put his team ahead or won a game. Is that player more valuable than the player who his 30 seemingly meaningless home runs?

I wanted to determine who the greatest Minnesota Twin of all-time was and modern statistic helped me do so. Wins Above Replacement (WAR) is a complex formula that takes into account a position player’s runs produced on offense and runs saved on defense. Those runs produced and saved are then calculated into a formula that produces how many of the player’s team wins that player is responsible for above what a replacement level player would be responsible for.

The formula for pitchers is different, but the concept is the same. How many more wins was the player better than his replacement.

The formula favors catcher, shortstops, and centerfielders since those are the most difficult and important defensive positions. Corner outfielders, 1st basemen and DH’s are not as favored because those positions are easier to find replacements.

I got my number from baseball-reference.com and use I only use the WAR a player accumulated while in Minnesota. Before they were the Minnesota Twins, the Twins were the Washington Senators. Some players played for the Senators in Washington then followed the team to Minnesota. I do not count those players accomplishments in Washington only what they did in Minnesota. Here is what I came up with:

1. Rod Carew – 62.7
2. Harmon Killebrew – 54.9
3. Bert Blyleven – 45.7
4. Kirby Puckett – 44.8
5. Tony Olivia – 42.4
6. Brad Radke – 41.4
7. Joe Mauer – 40.3
8. Chuck Knoblauch – 35.4
9. Kent Hrbek - 35.3
10. Johan Santana – 32.1

Bob Allison, Jim Kaat, Cesar Tovar, Frank Viola, Gary Gaetti, Dave Goltz, Jim Perry, Corey Koskie, Joe Nathan, and Justin Morneau are the next ten players. Torii Hunter is 26th on the list. Michael Cuddyer does not even make the list.

Rod Carew was worth 62.7 wins above what is replacement would have been worth to the Twins while Harmon Killebrew was worth 54.9. Does this mean Rod Carew is the greatest Minnesota Twin of all-time?

Hank Aaron, Cal Ripken Jr., Ted Williams, Ty Cobb, George Brett, Robin Yount, Tom Seaver, Babe Ruth, Rickey Henderson, Mike Schmidt, Honus Wagner, Willie Mays, Ken Griffey Jr., and Stan Musial were some of the other players declared by WAR to be the best all-time player of their team. These men are all baseball legends that fans not only know, but probably could tell you what team they were declared the best of. So here WAR looks like it knows what it is talking about.

However, WAR also declared Pee Wee Reese the greatest Dodger of all-time (he beat out Duke Snider 66.7 to 66.5 while Sandy Koufax came in at 54.5), so maybe there is some room for argument or is there?

Carew won 7 American League batting titles. He is the Twins all-time leader in batting average (.334). Carew retired the Twins leader in hits and stolen bases as well as batting average. In 1977 he won an MVP award with the best single season performance in Twins history. He started in 11 All-star games. Rod Carew was a 1st ballot Hall of Famer.

The power of myth though will not allow Rod Carew an easy path to being the Twins all-time best player. Many Twins fans will tell you Harmon Killebrew and his 5 home runs titles, his 1969 MVP award and his incredible warm and humble personality make him the greatest Twin.

The power of myth will not allow those same fans to remember Killbrew was so bad defensively that if he played today he would be a full-time DH. Killebrew hit only .260 (78 points lower the Carew), and despite playing 2 more seasons than Carew with the Twins had 142 fewer doubles and triples.

It took 4 tries for the Twins all-time home run and RBI leader to get into the Hall of Fame, but in many Twins minds, he was a 1st ballot Hall of Famer and the greatest Twin ever because Harmon Killebrew was a great home run hitter, and a great guy off the field.

The power of myth leads many fans to tell you Kirby Puckett is the greatest Minnesota Twin of all-time. Puckett was considered by many to be the most popular athlete in Minnesota history. His Twins won 2 World Series. Puckett’s performance in Game 6 of the 1991 World Series was legendary. Puckett hit for power and average. His career batting average is third all-time to Carew and Joe Mauer while his 207 home runs are 5th all-time.

Puckett’s career was cut short due to injury. Many believe he would have gotten 3000 hits as a Twin had he not been hurt. Then they say there would be no debate of his greatness. Puckett never won a MVP, but he started 6 All-star games which is second in team history to Carew’s 11. Puckett was also a 1st ballot Hall of Famer. Everyone loved Kirby Puckett because he could hit, field, and was such a great guy.

However, Puckett swung at every ball thrown his way rarely drawing walks which cut down on his overall offensive production. Puckett’s defense was overrated as he played deep in center field in order to get back and make several home run saving catches that looked nice on TV, but were countered by the many singles he let fall in front of him.

Also how much credit does Puckett get for his Twins winning a World Series? Puckett was the best player on those teams, but what about Hrbek, Blyleven, Viola, Gaetti, Knoblauch, and Jack Morris who were just some of his talented teammates. What if they had been Carew’s or Killebrew’s teammates instead?

When he died Kirby Puckett was hailed as the greatest Minnesota Twin of all-time. The myth of Kirby Puckett as a great all around player was solidified. When he died Harmon Killebrew was hailed as the greatest Twin of all-time even though just a few years earlier it had been Puckett being hailed. Killebrew’s myth was being solidified as well.

Then there is Joe Mauer. Minnesotans love that Joe Mauer was born and raised in St. Paul, Minnesota. He is now the most loved athlete in the history of Minnesota (replacing Puckett). Mauer won the 2009 MVP and has 3 batting titles to his name. His average WAR per season is better than any player in Twins history. Are we watching the greatest Twin of all-time as he is currently playing for the Twins?

Statistics say Rod Carew is the best Minnesota Twin. Myth though refuses to allow that fact to be so clear cut. There is no arguing Babe Ruth or Tom Seaver is the greatest Yankee or Met. Those players not only have the stats, but they have the myth of all-time greatness. Carew may have stats on his side, but many Twins fans love the myth of Killebrew’s power, or Puckett perceived all around greatness and his 2 World Series, or Joe Mauer seemingly effortless drive to greatness.

Maybe having multiple legends like Carew, Killebrew, Puckett, and Mauer on the same plane of greatness is better than having one true mega star like Mike Schmidt or Willie Mays.

Of course, as previously mentioned, the Twins were once the Washington Senators, and if I had included the Senators’ players in my ranking, as many baseball people do, than Carew, Killebrew, Puckett or Mauer would have no chance at being considered the greatest player in this organizations history.

Walter Johnson, a charter member of the Hall of Fame, and his WAR of 127.7 (more than double Carew’s 62.7) would win hands down. Add to his impressive WAR score the fact that most baseball people consider Johnson the greatest pitcher of all-time, and stats and myth would agree Walter Johnson, a man who likely never step foot in Minnesota, is greatest Twin of all-time.

However, I excluded the Senators from my rankings, and that means Rod Carew is statistical proved to be the greatest Twin of all-time. Myth though is not so sure about that.

Twins Year End Review

I wrote in a post earlier this year that the fate of the Twins season rode upon the health and performance of superstar Joe Mauer. Mauer managed to only play in 82 of the 162 games the Twins and was never really fully healthy in any of the games he played. Promptly, the Twins lost and lost and lost.

2011 marks the worst Twins season in over a decade. With a payroll of over $100 million dollars this Twins team is the biggest debacle in franchise history. So much was expected, so little achieved. This was a record year for Twins players getting hurt, but it was also a year where everyone on the team underperformed.

There is much work to be done in the off-season, but this much is painfulyl obvious – the Twins need a healthy and productive Joe Mauer and Justin Morneau.

Mauer is more likely to come back to form than Morneau. Morneau’s concussion issues have many people worried he may have to retire. At best, Morneau may end up a full-time DH with Mauer and youngster Chris Parmelee sharing time at first base.

The Twins made two disastrous moves before the start of the 2011 season that help doomed them. Correcting these errors could be costly, but it must be done.

First move was trading promising catching prospect Wilson Ramos to Washington for reliever Matt Capps during the 2010 season. I wrote at the time that I felt the Twins made the trade because they thought they had a chance to advance to the World Series. They were wrong. Capps has proved to be an ordinary reliever who is not worth even half of the $7 million he was making let alone Wilson Ramos.

Ramos is now a promising young major league catcher who hits solidly and fields well. With Joe Mauer status at catcher uncertain, the Twins need a solid hitting, good fielding catcher. They had one in Wilson Ramos, and basically gave him away for an overrated reliever in Matt Capps. They only good thing about Capps is he is leaving as a free agent and the Twins can use that $7 million he got paid for something more useful like a shortstop.

Move two was trading starting shortstop J.J. Hardy and reserve infielder Brendan Harris to Baltimore for 2 minor league relievers (Jim Hoey and Brett Jacobson) who have little potential to help the Twins. The Twins said they dealt Hardy and Harris to save money and because they wanted more speed in the infield.

Hardy had a great year and was signed by Baltimore to a long-term contract extension. His replacements in Minnesota - Tsuyoshi Nishioka and Trevor Plouffe – were abysmal. Alexi Casilla can play short, but he is looks better at second base which is where the Twins say he will play next year. That leaves minor leaguer Brian Dozier, who has shown some promise, or the Twins need to go outside the organization to find a replacement and that is likely to cost them.

With a group of young outfielders in Ben Revere, Rene Tosoni, Joe Benson, Brian Dinkleman, and its possible Plouffe might switch to being an outfielder, the Twins will likely have options to replace the likely the departing Michael Cuddyer and Jason Kubel. Therefore, most of the Twins efforts to fix the everyday lineup will center on finding a shortstop and a backup catcher.

The Twins pitching in 2011 was not any better than the play of the position players. Numerous injuries and poor performances led to a near complete meltdown of the staff.

Only Carl Pavano made every start he was scheduled to make, and only Glen Perkins performed well in the bullpen. Those two will return in 2012. Who else is anyone’s guess, but Scott Baker pitched well when he was not hurt (he missed at least 10 starts), and Nick Blackburn has a long-term contract that likely makes him untradeable.

Pavano, Baker, Blackburn, and Perkins are 4 out of a needed 12 pitchers. Where are the other 8 going to come from? Good question, but while working on finding a shortstop and backup catcher, the Twins will also be looking for as much good pitching as the can find.

I hope things go better for the Twins in 2012, but a lot is riding on the health of Joe Mauer and Justin Morneau plus the Twins ability to solve their problems at shortstop, backup catcher and the pitching staff.

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.

My First Twins Game of the Year

I went to my first Minnesota Twins game of the year on Friday, and promptly watched the Twins bullpen blow a 5 run lead in the 8th. I found out later the Twins had their major league record 755 game winning streak when entering the 8th inning leading by 5 or more runs snapped with the loss.

The record was a tribute to the many good relievers the Twins have had over the decade like Joe Nathan, Eddie Guardado, LaTroy Hawkins, Juan Rincon, Matt Guerrier, etc. Unfortunately it looks like the current Twins bullpen does not posses relievers of such quality.

One good thing that did happen at the game was I got an autograph Nick Blackburn baseball. I obtained the ball by buying a “Ball in a Bag” from the Twins Wives Organization. They have several brown bags in a basket that had an autographed baseball in them. If you donate $25 you get to choose a bag.

I asked Carroll Gardenhire, manager Ron Gardenhire’s wife, to pick a bag for me with the hope she would get me a ball signed by someone decent who I do not have a signed ball from already. Nick Blackburn fits the bill. Thanks Carroll for coming through for me!

In case you were wondering you had to pay $100 to have a shot at a Joe Mauer, Jim Thome, or Justin Morneau ball. That is a little above my price range, and I already have signed balls from Mauer and Morneau.

Despite the loss, I did have a good time at the game, and wish I could go to more, but the tickets are pricey, the parking is pricey, and the food is pricey and not all that good. Still the environment is enjoyable and it is worth attending a couple of games a year in person.

Harmon Killebrew

Harmon Killebrew has died. Harmon was the Twins all-time career leader in home runs (475), RBI’s (1325), and OPS + (143). As a Twin Harmon amassed a Wins Above Replacement (WAR) of 54.9 which is second best total in Twins history.

Some Twins fans will tell you Harmon is the face of the Twins franchise. Other Twins fans will tell you, as they did when he died, that Kirby Puckett is the face of the Twins franchise. While other Twins fans will tell you Joe Mauer is the true face of the Twins franchise. Oh, and don’t forget Rod Carew who advanced statistical measurements say was the greatest Minnesota Twin of all-time. I say why do we have to have only one face of the Twins franchise?

Most Twins fans will tell you Harmon was one of the nicest men they ever meet.

I have meet Harmon twice in person. To honest he basically ignored me the first time we meet, but he did hurriedly sign my baseball for me. The second time we meet he signed a baseball card for me then took the time to tell me about the pen he was using to sign the card with. He said he had specifically brought the pen with him to signed baseball cards.

I have been in four autograph lines where because Harmon talked too much to the people ahead of me I did not get through and get his autograph. I also sent a donation to his foundation in exchange for Harmon to sign a picture and baseball card for me. I asked him to sign in blue, he signed in black. I was told he would be put “HOF 84” on both items, and he only did so on the picture.

Of course Harmon was no different than any other person. He had his good days and his bad days. He had his reasons for basically ignoring me the first time we met just as he had his reason for being friendly to me the second time we met.

It was not his fault I cut off in his autograph lines. The Twins people who running those lines knew Harmon was the slowest autograph signer in all of baseball. They should have cut the line off after 100 people rather than let people sit there and fester then get angry when they did not get through the line.

Like what happen when Kirby Puckett died, people will spend too much time talking about how great a man Harmon was. In reality no one deserves all that praise. We all do good things, we all do bad things. We all at times are nice people, and we all have our moments of being not so nice people. No one is perfect.

I think Harmon would say of himself that he was a very good baseball player who tried to be as good a person as he could be. Sometimes he succeeded being that good person, sometimes did not succeed.

In the end that is all we could ask of him. Rest in peace Harmon, you did the best you could.

Joe Mauer Gives the Twins a Good Chance to Reach the Playoffs

Elite position players determine whether your baseball team is a playoff contender. It is as that simple. Don’t believe me? Consider the following.

The Kansas City Royals made the playoffs 7 times during George Brett’s playing career. The Royals never made the playoffs before or after the time Brett played for them.

Since 1890 the Philadelphia Phillies have been to the playoffs 13 times with 10 of those times featuring teams lead by Mike Schmidt (6 times) or Ryan Howard (4 times).

Reggie Jackson lead the Oakland A’s to 5 straight playoff berths (1971-1975). When he left after the 1975 season the A’s did not make the playoff, but Jackson’s new team the New York Yankees did. By the way the Yankees went to the playoffs 4 of his 5 years Reggie Jackson played for them.

Joe Morgan arrived in Cincinnati in 1972 and the Reds went to playoffs 5 times in 8 years including winning their first World Series in 35 years. When Morgan left for Houston in 1980, Houston made the playoffs and Cincinnati did not.

Barry Bonds lead Pittsburgh to the playoffs three straight years (90-92). Bonds left Pittsburgh in 1992 and Pittsburgh has not made the playoffs since.

When Derek Jeter arrived, the Yankees returned to greatness. Players have come and gone in New York, but Derek Jeter has remained and the Yankees keep going to the playoffs.

I could go on, but you get the point. Not every championship team has an elite position player on it, but most do. If your team has a legitimate elite player on it then you have a good chance of making the playoffs.

That is why the Minnesota Twins have a good chance of making the playoffs again in 2011 as they have an elite position player in Joe Mauer.

Yes, the Twins’ bullpen has been rebuilt, the starting rotation may lack a true ace, Justin Morneau is coming off a major injury, the middle infield could have problems, some players are aging, but Joe Mauer remains.

Since Mauer has started playing full-time in 2005 the Twins have made the playoffs 3 times and lost a chance at a fourth berth by losing a 1 game playoff to determine the division championship. When they did not make the playoffs in 2007, Mauer missed 52 games due to various injuries while in 2005 (the other year they did not make it) he was coming back from a major knee injury.

Mauer is only 28, so the Twins still have a good 4 to 5 years left at the top unless Mauer is injured. So health to you Joe Mauer, we need you most in order to make another run at the playoffs.

(The above picture is Joe Mauer's 2006 Allen & Ginter Baseball Card. I think it is one of the best looking Joe Mauer baseball cards of all-time.)

Twinsfest 2011

This winter it has either been me driving in miserable snow and ice conditions or me being sick. It sounds like it has been a rough winter for many people, so here’s hoping spring will be here soon.

Twinsfest, the annual gathering of Twins fans during the dreary winter months, was held on January 28-30. If you are into the Twins and especially if you are into collecting autographs of Twins players this is the place to me.

Normally Twinsfest is held at the Metrodome, but when the Metrodome roof collapsed this winter they had to move the event to the National Sports Center in Blaine, MN.

The NSC bills itself the largest amateur sport complex in America. Whether it is or not, it is closer to my home than the Metrodome and it has free parking.

I went on Friday the 28th and found the line for Joe Mauer autographs shorter than usual. I assume I would get his autograph, but fate worked against me. It seems they were holding the event in two different buildings on the NSC campus, and the one Mauer was signing in had a strict limit for how many people could be in it at one time. Well, guess who was right at the cut-off line.

At least I was not stuck outside waiting in the cold, wondering why the line was not moving like some folks were. It seems a lot people had assume the Mauer line was also the line to get into the other building, so they stood out there and waited even though they did not want Mauer’s autograph.

I quickly found where the other building was and promptly got the autographs of 20 different current and former Twins.

Delmon Young, Anothony Swarzek, Dusty Hughes, Nick Blackburn, Jason Repko, Jason Kubel, Eric Hacker, Pat Neshek, Alex Burnett, Brian Dunesing, Scott Diamond, Jeff Manship, Antony Slama, Denard Span, Glen Perkins, Scott Baker, Kevin Slowey, Michael Cuddyer, Juan Berenguer and Brian Raabe, may not be as sexy of names as Joe Mauer and Jim Thome, but I collect autographs of all current and former Twins, not just he big stars.

Current players Francisco Liriano, Carl Pavano, Matt Capps, Justin Morneau, Alexi Casilla, Jose Mijares, and Tsuyoshi Nishioka choose not to attend Twinsfest this year. Morneau was ordered to stay home and continue recovering from his concussion. Nishioka choose to remain in Japan and celebrate his former team’s Japanesse World Series win.

I was disappointed that Capps, Pavano, and Liriano were not in attendance. I would think those three should have made the effort to get up here and show the fans some love. Matt Capps especially should have made an effort as he not been with the team long, and has made no effort to appear at any public event in his time with the Twins.

I was going to go Saturday, but the crowds were incredible, and there was no one signing that day that I really wanted to get, so I arrived bright and early on Sunday morning instead.

With no “big” stars signing on Sunday, the crowds were lighter and I was able get Twins manager Ron Gardenhire and former manager Tom Kelly.

I also got former Jim “Mudcat” Grant was singing on behalf of the Fergie Jenkins foundation.

There seems to be a growing trend at Twinsfest of outside groups bringing in former players to sign for money. The Fergie Jenkins Foundation brought in Hall of Famers Fergie Jenkins, Phil Niekro, and Rollie Fingers along with former Twin Jim Mudcat Grant. Meanwhile the Bob Feller Museum brought in Hall of Famer Robin Yount, former Dodger great Steve Garvey, and former Twins Jim Kaat and Jeff Reardon. Former Twins icon Frank Viola was also suppose to be there, but became ill.

I expect these outside groups to continue to bring in outside players as the Twins basically bring back only former players who live in the area. Several former Twins have not been back in years. I also think a lot of Twinsfest attendees are into getting good players from other teams

Also on Sunday I visited the Twins minor league autograph corner. The major advantage of this group is the autographs are free! The lines are also shorter, though I noticed the lines for #1 prospect Aaron Hicks and #2 prospect Kyle Gibson were longer than the others. I guess other people were thinking like me – get these guy’s autograph now before they gets up to the big club because then the lines for them will be really long, and it will cost money.

I found out the second time through the line that you could get 2 items signed from each player (normally it is only 1 autograph per player). I wish known this the first time through the line as Hicks was signing, and I would have gotten him on ball as well as a card. As it was I got signed items by Hicks, David Bromberg, Rene Tonsi, Chris Parmelee, Kyle Gibson (card & ball), Kyle Waldrop, Joe Benson, and last year 1st round draft choice Alex Wimmers.

Hopefully some if not all those guys will work their way up to the big leagues. If not, their autograph did not cost me a thing.

Finally, I bought an autographed Kirby Puckett ball. Granted it was signed on the sign panel, not the favored sweet spot, but it was much cheaper then other Puckett signed balls I have seen. I don’t have a ball signed by Puckett, but always wanted one. Since Puckett’s death has created more demand all Puckett signed items are getting more and more expensive, so I think this was a good buy.

Upon getting home on Sunday, I got a bad sore throat which turned into a bad cold from which I am still recovering. Nonetheless I had a real good time, and got to meet several interesting fellow Twins fans. I look forward to next year’s Twinsfest whatever it is held.