The first action took place on Tom Kelly Field with TK working with Mauer, Park, and Vargas and Gene

Glynn working with the middle infielders on fielding grounders and looking toward base runners. Vargas

with his trimmed down look is much more agile around first base. My first prediction of the year;

Vargas with start the year at DH with Park being sent to AAA to learn the "Twins Way."

Things were like yesterday with pitchers warming up in the pen and then alternating between Hammond

and the main practice field to throw against live hitters. I watched these guys in the bull pen; Gibson,

Jepsen, Pressly, Pat Dean, Taylor Rogers, Logan Darnell, Brandon Kintzler, Milone and Mason Melotakis.

Melotakis is a lefty who throws in the mid nineties, but was out all of last year with injury. He threw

hard, but pretty wild.

Next, to the batting cages where Tom Brunansky was working a lot with Ryan Sweeney, a 31 year old

journeyman left handed outfielder with a 276 lifetime avg. Tony Oliva was working with the infielders;

Escobar, Dozier, Nunez, Polanco and D. Santana. When these guys left Joe Mauer (he wore sun

glasses while hitting on Hammond field) worked with Bruno and Park with Tony O.

When practice ended Mark Rosen was interviewing Neil Allen in the bullpen and Perk from Kare 11

was interviewing Byung Ho Park (#52) with his interpreter by the dugout at Hammond. I left the

park at 1:15; temperature was 81.

First game is tomorrow at Jet Blue Park and Thursday nights game with the Red Sox at Hammond

is on MLB network. Later