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  • Notebook: Opening Day Roster Announced!

    Andrew Luedtke

    By Andrew Luedtke

    The Twins were victorious today over Pittsburgh and the Opening Day roster is set. More details inside today’s Offseason Notebook. We are three days away from regular season baseball, Twins fans!

    Image courtesy of © Nathan Ray Seebeck-USA TODAY Sports

    Twins Video

    Minnesota 5, Pittsburgh 3

    Box Score

    Twins Takeaways

    Standout pitcher: Derek Law (1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 3 K’s - 18 pitches)

    Standout hitter: Willians Astudillo (2-for-3 with a HR and 2 RBI)

    Fastest pitch (mph): Josh Winder (97.5 mph)

    Fastest exit velo (mph): Jose Miranda (106.4 mph)

    In the second to last game of the spring, the Twins came out with a “W” and some familiar faces were keys to the victory. Also, Mitch Garver returned to his first game since leaving last week after injuring his finger on a foul tip.

    https://twitter.com/dohyoungpark/status/1376573570562846723

    Turtle Power:

    Willians Astudillo got the green light on a 3-0 pitch and mashed it to left-center field to put the Twins on the board 2-0 in the second inning. And he admired this one…

    Astudillo will be heading north with the Twins to Milwaukee on Thursday.

    https://twitter.com/Nashwalker9/status/1376592170967240706

    Cave shows off speed:

    One of the most exciting plays in baseball -- a triple! Jake Cave had an RBI triple in the fourth inning to put the Twins back on top 3-2, and they didn’t give it back from there. Cave has six career triples.

    More on Jake Cave in just one second …

    Twins Bullpen Solid:

    Josh Winder got the start today vs. the Pirates. He allowed four hits over 2 2/3 innings. The only runs he allowed were on a HR in the third to Erik Gonzalez. He touched 97.5 mph today. Cody Stashak and Caleb Thielbar worked back to back scoreless innings. They will be on the Twins Opening Day roster. Derek Law, who impressed all Spring, was untouchable in his inning of work. He walked one but struck out three. Check back for the winner of the #SireofFortMyers crown later this week.

    It should be noted that Matt Canterino was impressive. He picked up a two-inning save scattering two hits and striking out three. His top speed was 95.1 mph. His slider generated three whiffs.

    Opening Day Roster set!

    Well Twins fans, you’ve been following the roster battles all Spring long. Finally, we have a 26-man roster. Baseball is upon us!

    https://twitter.com/AaronGleeman/status/1376634378063781890

    You can find more details on the roster, here.

    Clearly, the most interesting development is that Kyle Garlick beat out Brent Rooker for the last corner OF spot. Garlick posted a 1.011 OPS in Spring while Rooker only a .712.

    On paper, it seems the plan is for Garlick and Jake Cave/Luis Arraez to platoon in LF until there is an injury or they feel one of Alex Kirilloff or Brent Rooker are ready to take the role.

    Rocco Baldelli made some interesting comments after today’s game about the Rooker decision noting that the Twins want him to be a more “well-rounded player”.

    https://twitter.com/dohyoungpark/status/1376644678456578053

    As Twins Daily writer Cody Pirkl points out, a platoon of Garlick and Cave should work out just fine. Eddie Rosario has a career 106 wRC+, for what it’s worth.

    https://twitter.com/CodyPirkl/status/1376635566473809925

    Other notable choices:

    Fan favorite Willians Astudillo made the team after an impressive Spring (1.235 OPS with 4 HR’s) and Caleb Thielbar was selected as the second LHP over Brandon Waddell. Thielbar posted an impressive 2.25 ERA with a 9.9 K/9 in 20.0 IP in 2020.

    Following 2020’s rules due to the pandemic shortened season, 2021 also allows for a five-man taxi squad to travel with the team. Those players are:

    https://twitter.com/Brandon_Warne/status/1376634198308626433

    First pitch is three days away!

    https://twitter.com/Twins/status/1376633451730890752

    Other News and Notes:

    Randy Dobnak’s contract details released today:

    https://twitter.com/BNightengale/status/1376552940119334919

    The White Sox make a move:

    The Sox picked up 1B/3B/DH Jake Lamb today after he was released from the Braves. Lamb figures to slot in as their DH. Lamb posted a 144 OPS+ in a very small sample of 49 PA’s for the Athletics after being traded last year, but hasn’t posted a OPS+ above 100 since 2017 when he was an All-Star in Arizona.

    https://twitter.com/ByRobertMurray/status/1376548164661043201

    That’s a wrap from today. Only one game left on the schedule before the team packs their bags and heads to Milwaukee!

    Next up:

    Twins vs. Pirates @ 11:05am CST Tuesday

    MORE FROM TWINS DAILY

    Twins Daily Staff Predictions: National League

    How the Twins Have Hedged Against Injury Risk

    Twins Finalize Opening Day Roster

    You can follow Andrew Luedtke on Twitter here.

    Follow Andrew Luedtke on Twitter: andluedtke

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    Dodecahedron

    Dodecahedron 747

  • Twins Daily Jail

    • Posted

     

    Yes, you are right. Those were the earliest of my Twins memories, especially when Roy Smalley was playing for Uncle Gene. I should have written not enough horses. Mauch was an excellent manager and would be remembered alongside other great 70's mangagers: Earl Weaver, Dick Williams Whitey Herzog, Sparky Anderson, and of course Billy Martin, but Calvin Griffith kept trading his horses, or not spending enough to add more to the stable. I cried when Smalley and Wynegar went to the Yankees, Bostock and Carew to the Angels. Mauch never broke 90 wins with those Twins teams, but saw the postseason when he went west too. Managed Carew, Doug Corbett, Rob Wilfong, and Geoff Zahn in California. Twice knocked out of the ALCS.

     

    I remember seeing Killebrew, Carew, etc., at-bats, though I admit I don't remember much about how the Twins fared in those years in general. When I look back, their W-L records are better than I thought they were. The Twin Cities were pretty down on the Twins in the 70s, which I admit is why I suspected they were never very good, but the teams were never that bad.

     

    I remember Smalley being ejected from a game for dropping an F-Bomb to the umpire after striking out, which was so loud I'm sure it could have been heard outside the stadium. We were in the last suite on the first base line and his shout was very loud even up there.

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