Even though there hasn't been a real update on Twins Chatter for quite some time (I did, after all, retire from blogging in 2006), there has been a recent uptick in the traffic to this site due to a couple of links floating out there.

Last Wednesday, I was lucky enough to be invited by Shane Nackeru (he of Greet Machine fame and a fellow employee here at the U of M) on a behind-the-scenes tour of Twins' new ballpark, Target Field. Talk about a great opportunity! Naturally, I was thrilled to go along.

The park was spectacular (and it helped inform my season ticket seat selection choice -- look for me in seat 1 of row 8 in section 124 next spring!), but I'm going to let others tell you about it far better than I could. Here are some links of descriptions (which, sadly, was without photographs) for your enjoyment:

Greet Machine (Shane)

Freealonzo

Twins Ballpark 2010 (Rick)

What Jeff Thinks (Jeff Thompson)

Sadly, this website, which was once the apple of my eye and one of the first Twins blogs out there, has fallen into disrepair - Lew Ford is now in Japan and I haven't posted regularly since the 2005 season.

But tonight, that's about to change - for the 10 of you who still click on this URL (whether or not you are real people... I have a sneaking suspicion you are all simply spam bots) are in for a rare treat. My friend Doug Vose, University of Minnesota athletic communications extraordinaire and aspiring would-be blogger, was in attendance at Wednesday night's big 6-5 Twins win. Check out Doug's thoughts below in "Devil Rays By Any Other Name."

The Twins returned to the Metrodome on Wednesday night to take on the Tampa Devil Rays after finishing off a seven-game, AL Central-flavored road trip that ended with the Twins’ bullpen squandering a pair of winnable games in Detroit. Buoyed by a three-hit performance by Joe Mauer and three shutout innings from their beleaguered ‘pen, the Twins pulled off a 6-5 win on Dollar-a-Dog night.

The Twins were in need of a few breaks to wriggle out of their recent rough patch, and the Rays were apparently feeling generous.

With the game knotted at five in the bottom of the eighth, the Twins began a threat when a bloop single by Brenden Harris moved fellow Rays refugee Delmon Young to third base with one out. Twins third-sacker Mike Lamb came to the plate and sent a soft fly into foul territory near the Twins’ bullpen, to which Rays’ perennial token All-Star Carl Crawford gave chase.

With Crawford’s only option of snagging the Lamb flare coming in the form of a sprawling lunge, everyone in the building was expecting the veteran outfielder to let the ball drop with Young poised to tag and score from third base.

However, Crawford demonstrated why the Rays are indeed the Rays - whether or not their new uniforms and new name say so. Crawford executed what would have normally been a Web Gem-caliber sliding catch. With no chance for Crawford to throw home lying on the carpet, Young trotted home to score the go-ahead tally.

In the span of four seconds, Rays skipper Joe Maddon aged a decade.

Closer Joe Nathan finished off the Rays in the top of the ninth inning, getting Crawford for the final out on a called third strike to secure the 6-5 win and to end the Twins’ brief three-game skid.

In another close game between the two squads last season, Crawford was the culprit on another crippling late-inning baserunning gaffe that cost the Rays a win at the Dome. FSN promptly ran tape of the play during their post-game coverage that featured Crawford turning a sure double into an inning-ending, 9-4-2-6 double play last season.

A player like Crawford illustrates the difference between a valuable fantasy performer and what makes a ‘winning’ ballplayer: Crawford has hit over .300 for each of the past three seasons and has stolen at least 46 games in each of his first five full seasons in the league in spite of the Rays’ perennial place in the sub-basement of the AL East. It is interesting how some fans often scoff at the notion of a ‘winning’ player when broadcasters make mention of the value of players like Kevin Youkilis and Chone Figgins, but games like tonight show why talent does not always translate into wins.


Wednesday also marked the much-anticipated (not really) return of Jason Bartlett to the Metrodome after the shortstop was shipped to Tampa along with formerly prized pitching prospect Matt Garza and farmhand Eduardo Morlan in November for the heralded Delmon Young, Brendan Harris and outfield prospect Jason Pridie.

Bartlett has been handed the starting shortstop job with the Rays, and will look to add some pop at the plate and to shed a reputation as an inconsistent glove man. If Wednesday’s performance was any indication, this quest will be an uphill battle the 28-year-old.

With Twins’ newfound ace Livan Hernandez clearly not in command of his already limited repertoire in the top half of the fourth inning, the Rays followed a one-out solo homer by Eric Hinske with a pair of sharp singles by Jonny Gomes and Shawn Riggans. Bartlett strode to the dish with a chance to chase the Twins’ aging veteran and get into the Twins’ seemingly vulnerable bullpen before the game was half over. On a 2-0 pitch, Bartlett waved at a slow Hernandez curve that looked as if it had as healthy of a chance to reach the plate as it did to end up in the first base dugout. On the next pitch, Bartlett bounced into an inning-ending 6-6-3 double play.

The game was tied with runners on second and third and two outs in the bottom half of the fifth inning when Bartlett showed Twins fans why they ought to entrust new general manager Bill Smith the same amount of trust they did with Terry Ryan. Delmon Young sent a routine hopper to short that Bartlett scooped up and promptly skipped past first baseman Carlos Pena to give the Twins a 5-3 lead.

Although one would think that a seasoned front office executive might be beyond such petty delights, Wednesday’s victory had to feel good for Bill Smith.

Just like my last post (put up approximately six months ago) waxed poetically about the end of the Lew Ford Era of Twins baseball, today marks the start of a new one - the Livan Hernandez era! The early over-under on Livan's season ERA is 5.00... Any takers?

Yet despite the cynicism, I will still be among the 46,000 strong at Metrodome tonight. What can I say? I simply can't stay away. This is Twins Territory, after all.

I realize I never post on Twins Chatter anymore, but last week such a monumental event occurred that it could not go un-commented upon. Lew Ford, the Official Player of Twins Chatter since early 2004, finally saw his roller coast career as a Minnesota Twin come to an unceremonious end on Thursday when he was dropped from the team's 40-man roster. As it turned out, 2004 was the high point of his career - in addition to the AMAZING .419/.471/.710 he hit during April (including 17 RBIs) he hit a solid .299 with 15 homers and 72 RBIs for the season. It truly was a dream season for Lew, the Twins (until that whole losing-to-the-Yankees-in-the-playoffs ending) and Twins Chatter.

But now that legacy, just like the legacy of TC, has come to an end. Let's all pause for a moment to remember all the good times that we had.

Lew Ford: Official Player of Twins Chatter, April 2004-October 2007

The 2007 baseball season is only about 20 games old, but those handful of contests (approximately 12 percent of the entire season) have taught us a lot. We know that Barry Bonds will likely break Hank Aaron's career home run record sooner rather than later (he has six homers already this season), Alex Rodriguez has more talent in his little pinky than you do in your entire body (14 home runs already this year!) and Daisuke Matsuzaka may have been a smidge overhyped (but will still be solid).

But what about when it comes to the hometown Metropolitans, the defending division champions? Through Wednesday, the Twins sported a decent 11-10 record, good enough for fourth place in the American League Central. Although it is too early to make any definitive statements (remember Henry “Hammerin' Hank” Blanco's red-hot start in 2004?), 21 games can serve to confirm or debunk some preseason expectations.

Below are my thoughts on some key Twins performers so far in 2007:

Ramon Ortiz: No one expected much out of this journeyman righthander, me least of all. Ortiz has been a revelation so far in April, turning in four outstanding performances and collecting three wins. He has been doing exactly what made him successful in Anaheim from 2001 through 2003: Keeping the ball down (i.e. in the ballpark) and letting his defense work behind him. Twins fans need to know that Ortiz isn't going to retain his current 2.45 ERA all season long – he will struggle at times, and you will wonder “How did that guy hit the ball that far?” when Ramon serves up another hanging slider in June.

But it looks like playing for an improved team will help Oritz resurrect his previously-floundering career.

Fearless Forecast: 13 wins, an ERA around 4.25 and $3.1 million well spent. Nice work, Terry Ryan.

Nick Punto: I realize Punto has missed time with injuries, but his .186 batting average and .262 on-base percentage to start the year should send up red flags all over the place. An outstanding defensive player, Punto needs to make consistent contact in order to have success at the plate.

When he was hitting well last year (May through August), Punto drew a walk nearly as often as he struck out (41 walks versus 46 strikeouts). His September slump last year (Punto batted just .252) saw him strike out 18 times while walking just three times. This year? Ten strikeouts in 64 plate appearances and only six walks. Punto needs to step up at the plate or last year's “Tiny Superhero” may find himself on the bench.

Fearless Forecast: Punto doesn't regress completely, but can't replicate last year's numbers. Gardenhire stubbornly keeps him at third the entire year.

Carlos Silva: Is “The Jackal” back? A 2.74 ERA through four starts might have you thinking Silva has regained his 2005 form, but that hasn't exactly been the case. The 2005 version of Silva walked just nine batters in 188 1/3 innings that year and threw complete games of 74 and 85 pitches.

This year, Silva has already walked six in 23 innings and needed more than 100 pitches to get through five innings in two starts. For comparison, he only threw 100-plus pitches twice in 32 starts back in 2005. It's heartening to see that Silva hasn't been the worst starting pitcher in the American League this year (as he was in 2006), but I'm not ready to proclaim his comeback a success just yet.

Fearless Forecast: Silva isn't the train wreck that he was in 2006, but never regains his 2005 form. An ERA around 4.75 is good enough to stay in the Twins' rotation, though.

Sidney Ponson: Who can't say “I told you so” on this one? Last week's shellacking by the punchless Kansas City Royals (and last night’s equally unimpressive display) signaled the beginning of the end for this Aruban knight. Ponson simply doesn't have the stuff to overcome the lack of pitch location he's displayed so far. He'll get about three more starts to prove he's not totally inept, because the Twins have three stellar starting pitching prospects waiting in the wings.

Fearless Forecast: Sir Sidney takes his substantial belly, greasy mullet and $1 million guaranteed salary back to his native Aruba after being released in early May.

Joe Mauer, Michael Cuddyer, Justin Morneau and Torii Hunter: Ah yes, now I remember why I still like the Twins in 2007 – these four middle-of-the-order mashers. The team's number three through six hitters rival every squad in the American League not named the Yankees, and all four have hit well this year. As long as the “Piranhas” don't fade into obscurity, these four players will carry a solid Twins offense all year.

Fearless Forecast: 100-RBI seasons for Morneau, Cuddyer and Hunter, and a .325 batting average for Mauer. What more could you ask for?

Even though the majority of my thoughts here may seem pessimistic, let it be known that I'm still bullish on the 2007 Twins. The American League Central is going to be a dogfight down to the bitter end, but the Twins have the pitching depth and offensive star power to be a contender well into the fall. Whether or not the team earns its fifth playoff berth in six years remains to be seen, but I wouldn't be surprised if they did. No matter what happens, it's going to be another exciting summer.

If you're interested in blogging and the decline of the newspaper industry, I recently wrote an article for my school newspaper. I've got sources within the Star Tribune and elsewhere, and I think it's an enjoyable read if you have the time.

Click here to read "New Ways to See the Game."

Fear not, faithful readers (all 10 of you)! Twins Chatter is back, albeit for a limited time only. In fact, that time is limited to... Exactly one day! Before I get started on the post, I just want to go over why I am writing today, of all days. Here's the story: For the Journalistic Writing class I am taking, we recently held a class period on blogs. Naturally, being a *former* blogger myself, I professed to know a little bit about the subject. Our assignment for this week was to start a blog and write a short entry. I already have the blog started (and over 200 archived posts!), so I thought that I would simply add to that number and bring you a little bit of off-season chatter.

I realize that it has been a few months since I posted anything new on Twins Chatter, but rest assured, I've been just as obsessively keeping up with all the latest Major League Baseball news. The playoff sweep, the Tigers roll, the Tigers roll over, Big Mac not in the Hall, price inflation, D-Mat signs.... You all know the storylines by now. It hasn't been a particularly eventful Hot Stove League thus far, but things have been happening pretty consistently, with much more to come no doubt.

On the Twins' side of things, nothing too earth-shattering has happened (hey, imagine that!). Francisco is out for 2007, which we all kind of assumed back in September, and Morneau won the MVP award, which only the most die-hard fans saw coming (I know that I sure didn't). However, the signing of Jeff Cirillo the other day has made me stop and think about what the Twins' 2007 roster might look like. While no one expected Terry Ryan to make any major moves, I think that some fans half expected the team to have acquired a legitimate starting pitcher by now. Those same fans obviously did not anticipate the ridiculously high prices for mediocre starting pitchers this winter.

My opinion? I honestly don't think that the Twins will sign viable starting pitcher to compete with the young kids in the rotation right now. And I don't necessarily think that is a bad thing. Yes, the rotation looks thin after Johan, but is it worse to take some chances with (very talented) kids or overpay for a veteran that will limit you financially when it comes to other priorities? Personally, I'll take my chances, and I think Trader Terry is likely to do the same. Here's the rotation that I see the Twins debuting in April:

1. Johan Santana - No worries here... Cy Young frontrunner again in '07
2. Boof Bonser - How is it that a previously-unheralded guy like Boof is now "untouchable"? Such is the market these days.
3. Carlos Silva - Yuck... But he almost looks like a bargin now.
4. Matt Garza - This guy has all the talent in the world, and I have a feeling that he's going to put together a solid 2007 campaign. Not that he won't struggle at times, but the "Garz-dog" has the stuff to survive and thrive.
5. Glen Perkins - Left-handed and throws 92-94 mph? What more could you ask for!? Okay, a little experience might help, but this guy knows how to pitch.

Alright, I admit it would look a lot better if a name like "Jason Jennings" was penciled in there at number two or three, but the Twins' rotation still compares favorably with the rest of the American League. Ryan might be able to swing a deal for another starter (Joel Pineiro?) but I'm not holding my breath. We'll just have to wait and see what the rest of the winter holds.

And that's it for today's chatter! There is a potential development that may allow and/or encourage me to actually start this blog back up in the coming months, but if that happens I will alert the proper channels. Thanks for stopping by Twins Chatter today!