Minnesota Twins News: Pro Sports Daily

February 2

Minneapolis Star Tribune

"Today's mystery category? Let's see if you can guess from the clues… "What are the Twins television revenues?" "Why is everybody bitching about a $100 million payroll?" "Why couldn't the Twins sign Prince Fielder?" If you didn't get it, don't be too hard on yourself - it's a little convoluted. The category is "What questions avoid THE question?" In Twins Territory, THE question has been: why did payroll go down $15 million following the second year of a publicly funded stadium? But because MLB teams keep their financial information so private, journalists are limited in the information they can dig up. Since that information doesn't give the whole story - and because they want to share"

Sources: Playoff expansion has issues

February 1

ESPN.com

"Baseball commissioner Bud Selig continues to talk confidently about expanding the baseball playoff field in 2012. But sources tell ESPN.com efforts to make that happen remain bogged down, all because of one thorny little complication: the details. Wednesday was supposed to be the day the commissioner's office finished a proposed schedule for the 2012 postseason and shipped it to the players' association for consideration. But sources told ESPN.com that deadline wasn't going to be met -- not because talks have broken down, but because fitting two extra wild-card pieces into the postseason puzzle has proven to be more involved than the commissioner has been willing to acknowledge. The new"

TwinsCentric: Dangerous gambles in the rotation

February 1

Minneapolis Star Tribune

"Teams generally enter every season with a few question marks in the rotation. The Twins, unfortunately, look like they'll head into the 2012 campaign with five. With each starter slated to occupy a spot in Minnesota's rotation, there is a fair amount of upside and also significant downside. At this point there's no way to know which versions of these various Jekyll-and-Hyde acts we'll be seeing, so all we can do is hope that the Twins can come up heads more often than tails as they seek to improve on a league-worst pitching performance in 2011. Carl Pavano has officially been tabbed as Opening Day starter – an honor that he's earned since he's the only member of this unit who threw more"

Following up on Monday's post about the minor league system

February 1

Minneapolis Star Tribune

"Yesterday, I pointed out that MLB.com's ranking of the top 100 prospects for 2012 included just two Twins players in Miguel Sano and Aaron Hicks. It touched off a decent discussion in the comment section. I want to react to one response I read a few times. Several of you argued, with 30 teams in the league, each club should have three (or 3.3333333333) prospects on the list, so being off by one (or 1.333333333) is not bad. I disagree. Ever since I've got on this beat, the Twins have talked about scouting and development as a top priority. Even with the revenues Target Field provides, they want to maintain the small market mentality when it comes to procurement and development. And I agree"

Twins farm system in question

January 31

Minneapolis Star Tribune

"The first of several prospect rankings have been released. MLB.com's Jonathan Mayo, who does an excellent job or covering prospects and the draft, has released his list of the top 100 prospects in baseball for 2012. The Twins were represented by third baseman Miguel Sano, at No. 23 overall, and outfielder Aaron Hicks, at 72. And that's it. So is that an indictment on the the Twins farm system? Class AAA Rochester is coming off of back-to-back 90-loss seasons, and we all saw what happened last year when the Twins started making calls to the Red Wings for players. If you ask Twins officials, they will argue that their farm system is closer to the middle of the pack, with most of their best"

TwinsCentric: Should Ben Revere play center?

January 30

Minneapolis Star Tribune

"Before the spikes have even hit the turf at Hammonds Stadium, manager Ron Gardenhire has gone on the record as saying Denard Span is his 2012 center fielder. "[Span's] going to lead off and be my center fielder. That's my expectations. If somebody were to tell me that he's not able to do that, then we'd have to ad lib. But if Denard comes in healthy, then he's my center fielder, there's no questions to me about that." Apparently, Ben Revere, who performed admirably in center in Span's absence, was just keeping the position warm for the incumbent. There is probably little doubt that Gardenhire is basing some of his decision on the fact that Revere has a substandard arm. From the wisdom"

Valencia vows he will be better all around

January 30

Minneapolis Star Tribune

"After committing 18 errors last year -- the most for a Twins third baseman since Gary Gaetti made 18 errors in 1990 -- Danny Valencia started his offseason with some homework. He studied video of his defense from a camera the Twins station near their dugout. "I had a couple false steps when I would move [leaving his head out of position]," Valencia said Sunday at TwinsFest. "I also realized I could set up a little earlier and stay lower defensively." Valencia focused on making these mechanical adjustments and worked to improve his speed and agility. "There's no doubt in my mind I'm faster," he said. "And I've worked pretty hard to clean it all up. It's not going to be gone right away. It's"

Little guy Carroll out to prove doubters wrong

January 30

Minneapolis Star Tribune

"Wes Carroll has read the blogs and seen the skepticism: The Twins are turning their shortstop job over to that little guy? That little guy is his older brother, Jamey Carroll, a journeyman infielder who turns 38 next month and hasn't hit a home run since 2009. "It's amazing," Wes said in a phone interview this weekend. "Everywhere he's gone, if you read the papers and the message boards, they're talking about his weaknesses. And by the time he leaves, they're all talking about his strengths." Wes, 33, might be biased, but he knows his baseball. He was a minor league infielder for five years, peaking at Class AAA, and is now the coach at the University of Evansville. The oldest Carroll"

Josh Willingham ready to try right field

January 29

St. Paul Pioneer Press

"Josh Willingham readily acknowledges that right field is not his best position. But the newest Twins outfielder is confident he'll figure it out. Though he has started just 33 games in right, he has played hundreds in left. "Hopefully this spring I'll just get a lot of reps out there and get comfortable. That's the goal," he said. "Playing on the opposite end of the field, it's different, the way the balls come off the bat, so it'll just take a little bit of time to get used to." Willingham, 32, signed a three-year, $21 million contract this winter to replace Michael Cuddyer, whose primary position was right field, though Cuddyer wound up playing a lot of first base to fill in for"

Twins pitching prospect Alex Wimmers finds his way again

January 29

St. Paul Pioneer Press

"While the Twins were going through one of the worst seasons in franchise history, their 2010 first-round draft pick was going through something even worse. Alex Wimmers couldn't find the plate and, frankly, couldn't find himself. "It was a crazy experience. It was a bad experience. But it turned into a good one," he said. Wimmers, 23, had experienced little but success in his pitching career until one night last April, when he made his first start for Class A Fort Myers and walked the first six batters he faced. "It wasn't even close," he said. Shocked and shaken, Wimmers was pulled not just from the game but from competition. Sitting on an earned-run average of infinity, the two-time Big"

Pohlad says 2011 payroll 'kind of an aberration'

January 29

Minneapolis Star Tribune

columnist Sid Hartman

"While the average Twins fan can't understand why the team is cutting its payroll from some $113 million in 2011 to about $100 million this year, even though they drew more than 3 million people to Target Field last season, owner Jim Pohlad said the cuts were planned before this year. "I think that 2011, it wasn't so much that we cut the payroll, it was just that 2011 was just an unusual contract year with some of the players in the last year of their contracts," Pohlad said. "I think that's what inflated that. We always knew that was going to be a kind of aberration year. "It's going to ramp back up again in the future as contracts mature." Pohlad said it was hard to lose three long-time"

Money guarantees little in baseball

January 29

Minneapolis Star Tribune

columnist Jim Souhan

"Sports fans savor anger. They twirl it around in a long-stemmed glass, searching for adjectives. Today, vocal Twins fans find their anger to be piquant. Robust, even. They believe the franchise should be spending much more money. As rivals have invested a combined $454 million on two players, Albert Pujols and Prince Fielder, the Twins have countered with Josh Willingham and Ryan Doumit. To put it in Hollywood terms, the Angels and Tigers signed Brad Pitt. The Twins countered with Jonah Hill. Why wouldn't Twins fans think this way? The team is owned by a wealthy family. The team stunk last year. The team plays in a publicly-funded ballpark. So when the Detroit Tigers signed Prince Fielder"

Willingham keeps home close at heart

January 29

Minneapolis Star Tribune

"Josh Willingham had dreams about his baseball career growing up, big ones. The kind of can-you-imagine fantasies that boys in Little League uniforms like to make-believe about but coaches who know how long the odds actually are try not to encourage too much. Sure, you'll get there someday, they say half-heartedly, just keep working hard. Willingham, a precocious and accomplished athlete from the time he first picked up a bat, had such a dream. But he never achieved it. "Growing up, I wanted to go to Alabama. That's where I always wanted to play," the 32-year-old Southerner said. "When I graduated from high school, they offered me a scholarship, but it was very small. I realized if I went"

Joe Mauer no longer Joe Rehab for Minnesota Twins

January 29

St. Paul Pioneer Press

"Twins fans looking for a reason to feel good about 2012 should consider this: At this time last year, Joe Mauer was doing nothing but rehab on his surgically repaired left knee. This year, he has started baseball activity in preparation for spring training. Mauer said Saturday he is hitting off a tee and throwing as he prepares for Feb. 18, the day pitchers and catchers are due to report to Fort Myers, Fla. "This point last year, for me it's been night and day physically, how I feel," Mauer said Saturday at TwinsFest at the Metrodome. "I really was just kind of doing rehab stuff with the knee. I don't think I grabbed a bat until I don't even know, later. I feel good. I'm excited to get out"

Twins don't plan to shift Denard Span, but he's open to it

January 28

St. Paul Pioneer Press

"Denard Span says he's willing to move to right field if it will help the Twins put a rotten season behind them. Manager Ron Gardenhire says that shouldn't be necessary. "He's going to lead off and be my center fielder. That's my expectations," Gardenhire said Friday. Span played only 70 games last season, mostly because of a concussion suffered during a home plate collision June 3 at Kansas City. He returned Aug. 2 but played only nine games before being pulled because of vestibular migraines related to the concussion. Span, who will turn 28 next month, said Friday he feels better than he has in two years and anticipates being ready for spring training. But there has been speculation Span"

Twins hope their health woes are behind them

January 28

St. Paul Pioneer Press

"On a health kick The Twins went into last season hoping Joe Mauer and Justin Morneau would be healthy in spring training and, ultimately, able to play a full season. They weren't, and didn't. In hindsight, the M&M Boys' inability to play much in spring training was a harbinger. The frequent absences of the former American League MVPs was at the heart of a 99-loss season. What's different this year? Not much. The Twins still hope they'll be ready when full-squad workouts begin Feb. 24 in Fort Myers, Fla. Though Mauer has declared himself fit and feeling better than he has in a couple of years, Morneau is still recovering from a concussion and some offseason surgeries, most notably an"

Alexi Casilla confident after playing well during winter ball

January 28

Minneapolis Star Tribune

"Alexi Casilla arrived at TwinsFest on Friday feeling especially confident after a strong performance in the Dominican winter league. "You're going to have a lot of fun this year watching me play," the Twins second baseman said. Casilla batted .336 during 31 regular season games for Gigantes del Cibao and then batted .397 in 17 playoff games. "I'm tired of getting hits, bro," Casilla said. "Oh my God. I was getting on base too much." The Twins were just glad to see him healthy after he missed 57 of the team's final 58 games because of a strained right hamstring."

Span healthy, wealthy and wise

January 28

Minneapolis Star Tribune

"Denard Span's TV was tuned to MLB Network the other night, and the topic was the American League Central. "All they were talking about was Detroit and every other team in the division; they didn't even mention the Minnesota Twins," Span said Friday. "I thought we changed divisions." Coming off a 99-loss season, the Twins have been easy to forget nationally, but Span said he believes improved health could go a long way toward restoring the team's identity. When listing the team's biggest question marks, Span ranks somewhere in the top three, along with Justin Morneau and Joe Mauer. None played more than 82 games last year. But just like the M&M Boys, Span arrived at TwinsFest with positive"

Selig expects two one-game playoffs for this fall

January 28

Chicago Tribune

"Baseball appears ready for an extra round of wild-card playoffs by this fall, according to commissioner Bud Selig. "I really believe we'll have the (extra) wild card for this year," Selig said Friday at SoxFest. "Clubs really want it. I don't think I've ever seen an issue that the clubs want more than to have the extra wild card." The extra round would be one-game elimination in both the National and American Leagues to the teams who would have missed the playoffs as they are set up now. Some have argued for a best-of-three, but that appears impossible with the scheduled all but set for 2012."

Twins to retire Tom Kelly's No. 10

January 27

St. Paul Pioneer Press

"Twins retire Kelly's No. 10 Tom Kelly, the manager who led the Twins to their two World Series championships, had his No. 10 retired by the club Thursday. The number will be officially retired Sept. 8 in a ceremony at Target Field. Kelly, 61, has been a member of Minnesota's organization for most of the past 40 years, signing as a minor league free agent in 1971 and making his major league debut with the Twins in 1975. He is currently a special assistant to general manager Terry Ryan and the organization's guru on infield defense. "Few, if any, individuals have had as much direct impact on the success of the Twins franchise as Tom Kelly," Twins CEO Jim Pohlad said in a statement."

Batting practice could be in Morneau's near future

January 27

Minneapolis Star Tribune

"Justin Morneau hopes to take another step in his recovery from wrist surgery this weekend while he's in the Twin Cities for TwinsFest. The first baseman will see Dr. Thomas Varecka to determine if he's ready to begin taking batting practice. Morneau had surgery Sept. 30 to stabilize a tendon in his left wrist. He spent six weeks in a cast and six more in a splint and wasn't cleared to take swings off a batting tee until last week. Morneau's wrist began bothering him last May. An Internet rumor has circulated that Morneau injured the wrist in a clubhouse tirade after a strikeout, but Morneau refuted that this week in an e-mail to the Star Tribune. "My wrist injury was done swinging,""

Perkins remains rooted as a Twin and as a Minnesotan

January 27

Minneapolis Star Tribune

columnist Jim Souhan

"Thursday, Glen Perkins woke up in his house in Lakeville, drove to the University of Minnesota to throw with his old coach, stopped by one of his old college hangouts wearing his Lakeville South hockey T-shirt, headed home to check on his wife and kids, then headed to Target Field to accept the Twins' Diamond Awards as the team's pitcher of the year and most improved player. More than two years after filing a grievance against the team, Perkins has become the Twins' best reliever. He might also be the only Twin to ever escape the Hotel California of doghouses, the one constructed out of glares and barbed wire by manager Ron Gardenhire. As Joe Mauer winters in Fort Myers and tries to"

10's off the market; Twins will retire Kelly's number

January 27

Minneapolis Star Tribune

"Former Twins manager Tom Kelly will have his No. 10 retired, which will make him the seventh member of the organization to receive the honor. The announcement was made at the end of the annual Diamond Awards banquet, which was held Thursday at Target Field. "Tom Kelly has perhaps been more instrumental than any other single individual to the success of this franchise over the past 25 years," Twins President Dave St. Peter said. "The retirement of his No. 10 celebrates his greatness as a manager, loyalty to the organization and commitment to doing things the right way." Kelly will join Harmon Killebrew (3), Rod Carew (29), Tony Oliva (6), Kent Hrbek (14), Kirby Puckett (34) and Bert"

So, Joe Mauer, what's new?

January 27

Minneapolis Star Tribune

"The Twins winter caravan took a quiet detour Thursday morning, when Joe Mauer and Danny Valencia appeared before a group of 26 second-grade charter school students at the Mexican Consulate in St. Paul. With the floor open for questions, one nervous youngster finally built up the courage to ask, "Is it really hard to play baseball?" Valencia grabbed the microphone and said, "For me, it's really hard. For Joe, it's pretty easy." Mauer could only smile. Easy? Last year was anything but. In the first season of his eight-year, $184 million contract, Mauer was limited to 82 games and just 47 starts at catcher. He spent time on the disabled list with bilateral leg weakness and pneumonia, batting"

Carl Pavano will be Twins' Opening Day starter

January 26

St. Paul Pioneer Press

"The Twins don't open their regular season until April 6 against the Orioles in Baltimore, but manager Ron Gardenhire is set on his starting pitcher. "(Carl) Pavano's going to start the first one," Gardenhire said Tuesday night. Scott Baker will start the Twins' home opener at Target Field against Albert Pujols and the Los Angeles Angels on April 9. Justin Morneau, who continues to rehabilitate from concussion symptoms last season, and Gardenhire have texted back and forth a few times, the manager said. Gardenhire will see Morneau this weekend at TwinsFest at the Metrodome."

Camilo and his curveball deserve spot in Twins' Hall

January 26

Minneapolis Star Tribune

"It is the summer of 1961, the first year of Major League Baseball in Minnesota. We're in Murray's, then and now a famed steakhouse. The night games start at 8 o'clock sharp, so there's time to have an early dinner in downtown Minneapolis and get to Met Stadium for the first pitch. That's what we're doing, my father and me and some of his friends, and all around the restaurant, there's a hum of excited baseball talk. The Yankees were in town -- a big deal for us prairie folks, and even bigger because this was the Year of Maris and Mantle. The Yankees already were far clear of the Twins in the 10-team American League, but there was no gloom among the ticketholders on this night. Camilo"

Excitement builds as TwinsFest nears

January 26

Minneapolis Star Tribune

"With the Diamond Awards banquet scheduled for Thursday at Target Field and TwinsFest slated for this weekend at the Metrodome, team President Dave St. Peter said there is a lot of fan excitement around the Twins this week. "[TwinsFest is] a benefit for the Twins Community Fund. I think we've gotten as good a player response as we ever have for this event," St. Peter said. "I think we're at like 62 or 63 current, or former, or even future Twins. "Obviously there's a tremendous collectible show, an exhibit from the National Baseball Hall of Fame including the Bert Blyleven Hall of Fame plaque which is obviously new from last July. Just a tremendous opportunity to really be the unofficial"

Fielder deal reiterates Tigers' hunger for title

January 25

Minneapolis Star Tribune

columnist Joe Christensen

"Mike Illitch has been called the George Steinbrenner of the American League Central, and Tuesday, the Tigers owner showed his spare-no-expense mentality again. No one expected Detroit to sign Prince Fielder. Tigers General Manager Dave Dombrowski dismissed the idea publicly last week after Victor Martinez suffered a potential season-ending knee injury. But Illitch, the founder of Little Caesars Pizza, is still looking for that first World Series title. He has hoisted the Stanley Cup four times as Red Wings owner, but the Tigers are trying to snap a title drought that stretches to 1984, eight years before he bought the team. While some mid-market teams such as the Twins tend to shy away"

TwinsCentric: Fielder hardly seals AL Central

January 25

Minneapolis Star Tribune

"While many people had already written off the Twins as contenders in 2012 following a 99-loss season, I've been bullish on their (admittedly slim) chances, reasoning that a whole lot can change health-wise from one season to the next and that no club in the AL Central was looking like a world-beater. The entire division has largely been in a holding pattern all winter. The White Sox, Indians and Royals haven't made impact additions. The Twins have brought in several new players, but all have been designated to fill newly created vacancies. (Willingham for Cuddyer, Marquis for Slowey, Zumaya for Nathan, Doumit for Kubel, etc.) And those reigning champs? Coming off a 95-win campaign, the"

MLB allows retired Tony La Russa to manage in All-Star game against Ron Washington

January 25

Dallas Morning News

"Tony La Russa will come out of retirement to manage the National League team for the July 10 All-Star Game at Kansas City. La Russa will go against Texas Rangers manager Ron Washington, who will handle the American League team for the second consecutive season. La Russa retired shortly after St. Louis defeated the Rangers in the seven-game World Series."

TwinsCentric: Organizational Depth Chart - First Basemen

January 24

Minneapolis Star Tribune

"After looking at the catchers throughout the Twins system yesterday, I'll be looking at the first basemen today before continuing around the diamond throughout the coming weeks. Again, the purpose is two-fold. First, it's a look at the depth at or near the big leagues. Second, it's a glance at the depth at the position throughout the system. You can find out who might be coming up to the Twins if there is a need, and you can find out who the prospects to watch might be. As I did yesterday, I need to point out that these are my thoughts. I have no insider information to know where players will be playing for certain in 2012. Obviously after spring training, some of these players will be let"

Did the Rockies outsmart the Twins in the Kevin Slowey trade?

January 24

Minneapolis Star Tribune

"After climbing Mount Kilimanjaro, former Twins pitcher Kevin Slowey never did get a chance to pitch for the Rockies. Colorado traded the starting pitcher to Cleveland last week, along with $1.25 million in cash, for righthanded reliever Zach Putnam. Around here, this begged questions about whether the Rockies had outfoxed the Twins in the Dec. 6 deal that sent Slowey to Colorado for righthanded reliever Daniel Turpen. The answer is complicated. For insight, I called a talent evaluator from another MLB club who is very familiar with all three pitchers. In short, he thinks the Rockies acquired a decent relief prospect in Putnam, but he doesn't think the Twins got fleeced because of all the"

Jim Leyland's report on new Twins reliever Joel Zumaya: 'great arm, great guy'

January 22

St. Paul Pioneer Press

"The Twins took a calculated gamble when they signed relief pitcher Joel Zumaya to an $850,000, one-year contract plus incentives last week. "If he comes back, boy, he's a real good sign for (the Twins)," Jim Leyland said. Leyland, the esteemed Detroit Tigers manager, had Zumaya, 27, when the right-hander's fastball could hit 100 mph two seasons ago. He shattered his elbow during the 2010 season pitching at Target Field and since has had two surgeries. "Joel is one of our favorites, one of our sons," Leyland said. "We brought him up as a kid. He's got a great arm, and he's a great guy. It's just unfortunate that he's been injured. "Things didn't work out. We were hoping to get him back, but"

Justin Morneau: On balance, he's better

January 22

Minneapolis Star Tribune

"The sun had just appeared on the desert horizon last week when Justin Morneau climbed into his white Chevy Suburban for a 30-minute drive from his home in Paradise Valley. Using side streets to avoid Phoenix's plodding freeway traffic, the Twins first baseman zipped past the airport and pulled into an obscure industrial park filled with faceless gray buildings. Here, a concrete contractor and an electrical engineering firm share the same driveway with another repair establishment. Morneau parked at Fischer Sports, a physical therapy and conditioning center to which ballplayers such as Joe Nathan, Carl Pavano and Kerry Wood have turned to rebuild their careers. Morneau knew this was where"

Twins like their bullpen setup pair

January 20

St. Paul Pioneer Press

"Twins like prospect of late-inning hard stuff The Twins believe they have the back end of their bullpen set after signing Joel Zumaya to a one-year, $850,000 deal plus incentives. "We were looking for a power right-hander who can pitch in the seventh and eighth innings," general manager Terry Ryan said Thursday. The Twins see Zumaya, once a dominant setup man who could hit 100 mph on radar guns, as part of a tandem with left-hander Glen Perkins. If Zumaya indeed is recovered from elbow injuries that cost him the past year and a half, it could be a potent combination. Both he and Perkins can pitch consistently between 94-96 mph, giving the Twins something they've been lacking - good,"

For Zumaya, it's health before heat

January 20

Minneapolis Star Tribune

"Home Sports Twins/MLB For Zumaya, it's health before heat Article by: LA VELLE E. NEAL III , Star Tribune Updated: January 19, 2012 - 10:46 PM The newest Twin, almost as famous for his injuries as his 100-mph fastball, is building up for a comeback. hide New Twins reliever Joel Zumaya Photo: Julian H. Gonzalez, MCT CartBuy Photos CameraStar Tribune photo galleries Cameraview larger 0 comments decrease font size resize text increase font size print buy reprints Share Joel Zumaya expects to ring up triple-digit readings on the radar gun this season, but it's more important to the righthander to prove he's healthy -- and is more than someone who blows"

Twins are poised to clean up their act

January 18

St. Paul Pioneer Press

"Last season, the Twins were about as fundamentally sound as a North Korean suspension bridge. The difference is that the citizens of Pyongyang are used to rickety infrastructure. Followers of the Minnesota Twins are not. "We're going to clean this up as best we can," Tom Kelly said. "I went to a meeting, and it was discussed. We are going to do our damnedest to fix it." The Twins are scheduled to arrive in Fort Myers three days earlier than usual so they can participate in drills to improve their fundamentals. And T.K. is the master drill sergeant. Not only will the big-league club experience a renewed emphasis on basics, but the entire organization also is expected to embrace a return to"

TwinsCentric: Morneau and progress

January 18

Minneapolis Star Tribune

"About a month from today, Jamey Carroll will turn 38 years old. That will make the veteran infielder, signed by the Twins earlier this offseason to man shortstop over the next couple seasons, the same age as former Minnesota third baseman Corey Koskie. Of course, while Carroll is enjoying the best years of his pro baseball career, Koskie has been out of the game since 2006, when a concussion sustained in Milwaukee ended his days as a major-leaguer. An athletic baseball player with a tremendous passion for the game, cut down in his prime by an injury that seemed totally harmless at the time, even to him. I brought up the unfortunate parallel between Koskie and Justin Morneau after the"

Baseball won't let Selig get away yet

January 18

Minneapolis Star Tribune

columnist Jim Souhan

"The first time I met Bud Selig was when he walked into the County Stadium press box late in a Brewers' loss to the Twins in 1993, and loudly complained about his bullpen. The first time I interviewed Selig, he invited me to his office in the basement of County Stadium. Newspapers from all over the country stood in chest-high stacks. He had read most. He was in the process of trying to read the rest when I removed a few copies of the New York Times from a chair and experienced my first Selig filibuster. "You know, as I was just saying to Carl yesterday, and Carl is a good friend ..." He began his baseball life by becoming a minority owner of the Milwaukee Braves. When the team left town for"

Perkins, Liriano get raises; Twins talking with Casilla

January 18

Minneapolis Star Tribune

"The Twins avoided arbitration with lefthanders Francisco Liriano and Glen Perkins and exchanged figures with infielder Alexi Casilla on Tuesday. Liriano, who made $4.3 million last season, will make $5.5 million in 2012. That's right, he gets a raise after going 9-10 with a 5.09 ERA in 2011. Of the three arbitration-eligible Twins this offseason, Liriano has the most to gain by having a bounceback season in 2012. He threw a no-hitter May 3 in Chicago, but the rest of his season perplexed the Twins. In 134 1/3 innings, he gave up 125 hits and walked 75 batters. Liriano, 28, was supposed to take it easy during the offseason but instead has spent the past two weeks pitching for Escogido"

Potentially interesting bargains for the Twins' rotation

January 17

Minneapolis Star Tribune

columnist Michael Rand

"Quick story first: About 12 years ago, we visited New York as part of the first modern day Great Baseball Road Trip. At the time, our grandmother (now deceased) was still living on Long Island in the nice little beach community of Long Beach. We took the train out there and spent the better part of a day with her. As we sat near the ocean, most likely eating ice cream, a hot air balloon drifted by in the distance. Our grandmother exclaimed, squinting: "What is that? Some sort of dirigible or zeppelin?" We think of that from time to time, and it makes us smile. In fact, we thought of it while looking for an image for this post -- depicting Led Zeppelin's song "Kashmir." That brings it"

Twins roll dice with reliever Zumaya

January 16

Minneapolis Star Tribune

"The last pitch Joel Zumaya threw in the majors sent Target Field into shock. So he really has a chance to come full circle since that day in June 2010. The Twins and Zumaya have reached agreement on a one-year contract for $800,000, with incentives that could add another $900,000 to the deal. A Major League Baseball official on Sunday confirmed the deal, which was initially reported by MLB.com. The Twins have been careful to announce deals until after the player passes a physical. Zumaya is expected to be in the Twin Cities for a physical on Thursday or Friday."

Twins agree to terms with former Tigers reliever Zumaya

January 16

Minneapolis Star Tribune

"The Twins have agreed to a deal with former Tigers reliever Joel Zumaya, pending a physical, a major league official confirmed today. The agreement was first reported by MLB.com. Zumaya, 27, is expected to take his physical sometime late this week, perhaps Thursday or Friday, and the Twins plan to be careful not to comment publicly until after everything checks out OK. The physical will be key because Zumaya has had a history of arm issues. In 2010, he posted a 2.58 ERA in 31 appearances before breaking his right arm on a pitch at Target Field."

Twins could be threat to Tigers in AL Central

January 15

Detroit Free Press

"The biggest change for the Twins is really no change at all. Terry Ryan is again the general manager. Ryan stepped down as GM in 2007 after 13 years on the job. Bill Smith moved up to replace him. The Twins missed the division title by one game in his first season, won it by one game (from the Tigers) in his second, and ran away with it in Smith's third year, 2010. Last season, the Twins collapsed and lost an American League-high 99 games. Owner Jim Pohlad fired Smith and brought back Ryan. In his first few months back, Ryan has signed four free agents: outfielder Josh Willingham, shortstop Jamey Carroll, catcher Ryan Doumit and right-handed starter Jason Marquis."

All-Star decision not expected soon

January 14

Minneapolis Star Tribune

"Dave St. Peter likes the Twins' chances of landing the 2014 All-Star Game but doesn't expect an answer from Major League Baseball for several months, the team president said Friday. The Twins, in conjunction with the City of Minneapolis, delivered their formal bid for the 2014 event during the quarterly MLB owners meetings this week in Phoenix. "I am hopeful that at some point, maybe in the early part of the 2012 season, that we might be in a position to have something announced, but that timetable's all MLB," St. Peter said. "It isn't driven by the Twins, and MLB hasn't even announced the 2013 game yet, officially, so we're subject to the pace MLB wants to move." This year's All-Star Game"

Twins might get 2014 All-Star Game

January 13

Minneapolis Star Tribune

"Speculation continues to build that the Twins will be the hosts of the 2014 All-Star Game. On Thursday night, USA Today's Bob Nightengale reported via Twitter that the Mets will be the host of the 2013 All-Star Game, with the Twins getting the game in 2014. After returning from the quarterly owners meetings in Phoenix late Thursday, Twins president Dave St. Peter said, via text message, that nothing was made official."

Ryan says Morneau is making progress

January 13

Minneapolis Star Tribune

columnist Sid Hartman

"An interview recently posted on Major League Baseball's official website with Justin Morneau was, at best, pessimistic about how the Twins first baseman was recovering from his concussion and wrist problems. Twins General Manager Terry Ryan saw the interview and said that "it didn't surprise me, the facts that came out." However, Ryan is optimistic Morneau will be healthy and ready to go in spring training. "He's doing OK in my book," Ryan said. "He's been in the ballpark here this past week every morning, and he's working hard. He's on about the right schedule. He'll start to swing a bat here in probably another 10 days to two weeks. I wouldn't get too concerned about exactly what came"

Revere vs. Delmon

January 12

Minneapolis Star Tribune

"Last week in a thought exercise, I wondered if who we could expect more out of this year – Delmon Young or Ben Revere. One offensive, one defensive. One defensively laughable, one offensively infuriating. So let's look, sabrmetrically, at what each should be worth offensively and defensively next year. Offense I like using a very basic sabremetric stat to measure offensive production for players: Bill James' Runs Created (or RC). Basically James discovered that by looking at the number of walks, hits, doubles, triples, homeruns and at-bat a team had, he could give a pretty good estimate of how many runs they scored that year. Then he used that same formula for players. (If you're"

Twins' Justin Morneau is focused on playing first base, not DH

January 11

St. Paul Pioneer Press

"Justin Morneau is willing to be the Twins' full-time designated hitter, but it's not his preference. "I will play wherever the team wants me to play that will give us the best chance of winning," he said via email Tuesday. "I believe that would be at first base." That's what general manager Terry Ryan is hoping to hear, now and when spring training begins the third week in February. If the Twins are to recover from a 99-loss season and compete for an American League Central title, they'll need Morneau to play his first full season since 2008. And if Morneau is able to play a full season, it might as well be at first base, where he earned the 2006 AL Most Valuable Player Award. "We have not"