Friday Links-N-Thinks

Original post from North Dakota Twins Fan

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The Twins welcomed Jim Thome back to Target Field for what could be his last series in Minnesota. Over the course of the three game set, Thome made his presence known by hitting a monster shot over the batter's eye in one game and a three run bomb on Thursday night. Fans of the Twins still cheered his powerful swing as Thome got to do his best Paul Bunyan impression for the last time in the "Land of 10,000 Lakes."

By losing the series to the Phillies, the Twins ended their streak of winning series that stretched back to the end of last month. Even in the series loss, Trevor Plouffe has been amazing to watch over the course of the last few weeks. He is locked-in at the plate and it seems like he is now expected to hit a home run every night.

Over the weekend, the Twins will welcome the Brewers to town for their last home series as part of interleague play. Last month, the Twins took two out of three when these same two teams faced off in Milwaukee. Liam Hendriks should get called up to start Saturday's game so it will be fun to see if the Twins can get back to winning series.

Before you sneak out of work early for the weekend, check out this week's edition of "Friday Links-N-Thinks."

• Scott Diamond had a rough night on Thursday but his shine might not have worn off at this point.
  
• The Twins will need to sort out some of their starting pitching before the weekend series.
  
• It's already the middle of June and that means the trade deadline is approaching. What will the Twins do at the end of July?
  
• There has been speculation of trading Josh Willingham but here is one reason why he should stay in Minnesota.
  
• Justin Morneau could also be out the door in the next couple of weeks.
  
• Thome's return to the Twin Cities made room for remembering some moments during his career.
  
• Former Twins pitcher RA Dickey has pitched himself into Cy Young contention.
  
• Even though Ozzie Guillen has switched to the National League, he is still the least respected manager in baseball (the Castro comments from earlier this year probably didn't help).
  
• It was Hope Week for the Twins and one blogger's wife almost spilled beer on Justin Morneau at one of the events.
  
• Byron Buxton, the Twins first round pick, signed this week and got to take batting practice at Target Field. Now fans wait to see what he can do in the minors.
  

• It could be time for Oswaldo Arcia to be challenged with a different level in the minor leagues.
  
• Miguel Sano is a big boy in the batters box and here is some photo evidence.
  
• The Snappers have already clinched a playoff spot by winning the first half title in the Western League so it is important to know the make-up of the key players.
  
• Ben Revere, Trevor Plouffe, and Scott Diamond seem to be forming the new young core for the Twins.
  
• One of the biggest stories of the week was the perfect game thrown by Matt Cain. This catch in the seventh inning by Gregor Blanco still amazes me.
  
• Joe Torre is going to manage the US Team in the World Baseball Classic and there is a chance that Joe Mauer could make the roster.
  
• After being on the Twins big league roster at the start of the year, Luke Hughes finds himself at Double-A for Oakland. His Twitter account has been fun to follow.
  
• Lew Ford continues to kill the ball for Baltimore's Triple-A squad and it would be great to see him get another shot in the big leagues.
  
• Michael Cuddyer seems to like the lighter air in Colorado and he is on pace for one of his best seasons yet.
  
• In a sad note, former Twins pitcher Dave Boswell passed away this week at the age of 67. He was a 20-game winner for the club in 1969.
  

My Weekly Rundown:

• Monday: Diamond flourishes while Bullock struggles
  
• Tuesday: Tuesday Morning Tidbits
  
• Tuesday's Trip through the Minors
  
• Thursday: Twins looking toward international market
  

Video of the Week: Unfortunately for the Twins, one of the team's top prospects Eddie Rosario has to undergo face surgery after being hit by a ball in batting practice. This is still a cool story on his emergence in the Twins system and how he has patiently moved through the different levels.