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This has been an exciting part of the year every year I can remember. I have always loved playing baseball, watching baseball. I remember every year growing up in Babbitt, when the NCAA tournament was going, opening weekend of baseball, and the Masters told me that I could go out and play some catch, and hit some golf balls. I would say it has been about 20 years of this that I could probably remember. This year is a unique year because now I have a child. I am going to bring Lucy to her first Huskies game, and her first Twins game hopefully. Does it matter to her if the Twins are good, or the Huskies are relevant, NO! But do the sights and sounds of baseball make us all excited, it sure does. I am excited to introduce my daughter to summer itself, she hasn't seen summer, and to me summer starts now, the anticipation of the Twins opener, the anticipation of the sounds of CBS and the Masters, the sounds of CBS "One Shining Moment".

The Twins have Vance Worley as the opening day starter this year vs Justin Verlander of the Detroit Tigers. Not a very favorable matchup for our Twins. I am very excited to watch Monday, because everyone has a shot, hell last year did we give the Orioles a chance. For the first time I can remember the AL Central has really passed the Twins in talent, KC is legitimately better this year for the first time, Cleveland has a new manager and they are getting healthy and talented, and the White Sox surprised me last year, they are better. Key thing here is you never know. As Twins fans we had the hardest beginning 21 games of anyone last year and we failed miserably and we were out of it after 4 weeks of the season. Please Twins, (Morneau, Mauer, Willingham, SP's) don't let that happen again.

My daughter is going to hear the voices of Dick Bremer and Bert Blyleven this year, I want those to be exciting words this year. We are going to sit on the couch in the evening and maybe watch the first few innings before she has to go to bed, I am excited about this summer, baseball, fishing and being a parent. In the 90's we were underdogs, the group of youngsters brought us to the 2000's and we won some central championships. As a fan I hope we can keep Morneau, he can be the pathway like Radke was for the Minnesota Twins for the youngsters that are coming up that make us exciting. I hope we can be competitive into August this year. In baseball terms this is what I am looking forward to:

1. 1st pitch, beginning of a season of a sport I love

2. Aaron Hicks, Brian Dozier- I am excited to see how these two guys play out for us. I have been excited to see Hicks for awhile.

3. Justin Morneau, I want to see if he can get back to 1st half of 2011

4. I am the only person I know that wanted Kevin Correia, I didn't want him for that much money, but I thought he had some good talent in Pittsburgh.

5. Mauer batting in the 2 hole, or starts hitting for more power.

6. The Yankees starting off and ending in last place in the East.

I guess every year I have made predictions at the beginning of every baseball year. I want to make those now.

AL Central

Tigers

Royals

White Sox

Indians

Twins 71-92, (I wish I could find it better)

World Series matchup

Reds vs Toronto

I really like the Reds rotation, I think the Blue Jays are ready to have there run, a lot of talent of offense, and above avg rotation, I just have a worry arround Dickey, can he do this again in the AL.

I am picking the Reds to be the 2013 Championship team.

Predictions for the Twins

Correia 15 wins for the MN Twins

Samuel Deduno finishing the season in the rotation, #3 guy in 2014

Morneau a Blue Jay in August

Dozier batting .280, stays at 2B, long term answer at 2B

Plouffe, my guy for 2 years, hits 24 HR, 90 RBI

Mauer competing for another batting title bats .341

Willingham plays only 90 games this season, the Ben Revere trade limits our OF depth this year, becomes a big problem.

Good Luck Minnesota and be a successful 1st year for my daughter.

Nothing like spring time with the strains of "One Shining Moment" bleeding into "Take me Out to the Ballgame". My brothers and I still sing both to each other.

Great post.