Chris Jaffe from The Hardball Times wrote an article on the State of the AL Central.

 

"One factoid from the article - the worst ever ERA by a starting rotation is 6.64 by the 1996 Tigers. So that's the mark for Minnesota to avoid."

I was hoping that the State of AL Central were defined with something more interesting than W-L record, ERA and batting average in that article

I'll pass along one eye-opener from that article: The Twins have 14 HRs and the next lowest number in the AL is 21. Yikes.

Only 2 teams in MLB don't have double-digit wins. Both in this mediocre division.

It sure seems like visiting teams don't have nearly the trouble with hitting home runs at Target Field that the Twins do. Can anyone tell me if my perception equals reality?

The article does make a good point about the Twins playing virtually exclusively outside the division. I can never remember a schedule so weird to start a season... I mean who made the Twins 2012 schedule, Satan? The Twins still have 70 intra-divisional games to go, and just 64 against the entire rest of the majors. That's about all I can say to the Twins' defense.

It sure seems like visiting teams don't have nearly the trouble with hitting home runs at Target Field that the Twins do. Can anyone tell me if my perception equals reality?

Other teams don't have issues. It's just our hitters.

Presented without comment. (includes reliever innings)

 

1996 Tigers, ERA+ 80

 

2012 Twins, ERA+ 72

 

 

Ok, one comment.

 

Yuck.

Other teams don't have issues. It's just our hitters.

Unless you actually analyze the facts. In that case, they are only a tiny bit closer to their home run hitting in other parks than the Twins are.