Twins Fan From Afar

Hughes grounds out to short. Beckett using all his pitches, it looks like.

Falls behind Cody Ross. Thrown first pitch balls to all 3 hitters so far. But, strikes out Ross on a down and in slider.

Falls behind #2 hitter, Ellsbury. Sensing a trend? Ellsbury lines into unassisted double play to first base.

Frankie falls behind 3-0, works it to full count, walks Pedroia.

Bates grounds out, Revere is stranded.

Tosoni flies out to right center, medium deep. Revere advances to third.

Revere steals second! Vroom-vroom.

Nishi weakly flies to left after a 6 pitch at-bat.

Revere singles on second pitch on a liner-ground ball to the right side.

Thanks to NESN, I'll be watching at least the first few innings today. Hopefully Liriano can show control and command. I'll update anything that seems worth mentioning.

Thanks to NESN, I'll be watching at least the first few innings today. Hopefully Liriano can show control and command. I'll update anything that seems worth mentioning.

[Originally posted at Twins Fan From Afar] Whether the 2012 Twins can even be a .500 team largely rests on the ample shoulders of Joe Mauer and Justin Morneau. Let yourself think -- just for a second -- about how fun things could be if our 3-4 hitters were healthy and productive all season long. Thus far -- yes, I know players just showed up a week or so ago -- the early reports are positive. Justin Morneau took Francisco Liriano deep in batting practice, and hasn't had to sit out of any practice or drills. Joe Mauer has caught several bullpen sessions, participated in everything, and looks and sounds completely different than he did last year at this time. Denard Span collided with the center field wall yesterday, but feels OK thus far. For most Twins fans, these few snippets have to be at least a little encouraging. Not to imply that everything else is just details, but at the very least, there's room for optimism this March. Now, onto Friday's links. Jim Crikket over at Knuckleballs had an insightful post on Ryan Braun's issues, and Crikket's conclusion is that a movie must be made about this ordeal. It's hard to disagree. I heard that the role of Braun's urine sample will be played by Pauley Shore. NoDak Twins fan noted that the Twins' early schedule is quite intimidating, featuring several AL East and AL West opponents. I'm glad that I'll see them against the Orioles. Minnesota Twins Musings notes the great payroll debate in New York right now, as GM Brian Cashman has pledged to lower payroll in the next couple years. On the Road with Shawn implores Joel Zumaya not to retire, for fear that Zumaya will end up like the rest of us! The Tenth Inning Stretch had a great recap of yesterday's Twins B Game. The "Twins" (Rochester Redwings, mostly) beat the "Red Sox," (Pawtucket Red Sox, mostly) and new Twin Aaron Bates hit a home run. Michael Cuddyer is up to his old tricks -- literally. Finally, Jim Souhan at the Star Tribune continues to remind me of Walter Matthau in Grumpy Old Men. Jim, your company lets you go to Florida and write about baseball. If you don't want that assignment, I can think of about 100 Twins bloggers who would love it. http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-knzBgxSlnqI/T1Anf6AbfcI/AAAAAAAAALo/7kErE1CBQpk/s1600/Grumpy+Old+Men.jpg

[Originally posted at Twins Fan From Afar] Whether the 2012 Twins can even be a .500 team largely rests on the ample shoulders of Joe Mauer and Justin Morneau. Let yourself think -- just for a second -- about how fun things could be if our 3-4 hitters were healthy and productive all season long. Thus far -- yes, I know players just showed up a week or so ago -- the early reports are positive. Justin Morneau took Francisco Liriano deep in batting practice, and hasn't had to sit out of any practice or drills. Joe Mauer has caught several bullpen sessions, participated in everything, and looks and sounds completely different than he did last year at this time. Denard Span collided with the center field wall yesterday, but feels OK thus far. For most Twins fans, these few snippets have to be at least a little encouraging. Not to imply that everything else is just details, but at the very least, there's room for optimism this March. Now, onto Friday's links. Jim Crikket over at Knuckleballs had an insightful post on Ryan Braun's issues, and Crikket's conclusion is that a movie must be made about this ordeal. It's hard to disagree. I heard that the role of Braun's urine sample will be played by Pauley Shore. NoDak Twins fan noted that the Twins' early schedule is quite intimidating, featuring several AL East and AL West opponents. I'm glad that I'll see them against the Orioles. Minnesota Twins Musings notes the great payroll debate in New York right now, as GM Brian Cashman has pledged to lower payroll in the next couple years. On the Road with Shawn implores Joel Zumaya not to retire, for fear that Zumaya will end up like the rest of us! The Tenth Inning Stretch had a great recap of yesterday's Twins B Game. The "Twins" (Rochester Redwings, mostly) beat the "Red Sox," (Pawtucket Red Sox, mostly) and new Twin Aaron Bates hit a home run. Michael Cuddyer is up to his old tricks -- literally. Finally, Jim Souhan at the Star Tribune continues to remind me of Walter Matthau in Grumpy Old Men. Jim, your company lets you go to Florida and write about baseball. If you don't want that assignment, I can think of about 100 Twins bloggers who would love it. http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-knzBgxSlnqI/T1Anf6AbfcI/AAAAAAAAALo/7kErE1CBQpk/s1600/Grumpy+Old+Men.jpg

Good point, Steve. It is true their attitude is certainly more "small market and home-grown" than a true, big market team like the Yankees. I'm not trying to give the organization the benefit of the doubt too much here, but I do think that we'll see them spend more free agent money after the 2012 season, when it's possible that Scott Baker, Francisco Liriano and Carl Pavano will be off the books. We're only a few season into Target Field, so it might be a little premature to judge what they will or won't do with respect to free agency.

Great post. I'm not sure how I haven't stumbled on your blog before, but I will add it to my blogroll now. I'm not even sure how well Zumaya would have invested his money. For all we know, he could live in a $5 million house, and, at the time he bought it (or other big investments), was probably thinking he would be drawing a MLB check until he was 38.

[Originally posted at Twins Fan From Afar] The Twins are in a sort of interesting position when it comes to Joel Zumaya. Somewhat unsurprisingly, the firethrowing righty didn't make it past one of his first batting practice sessions last week, and now needs decide whether, at age 27, to retire and become a professional fisherman (apparently he is enough of a realist to understand that becoming a professional on Guitar Hero was not going to happen), or to opt for Tommy John surgery and attempt another comeback. http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-b-Fvx5cL8Yw/T094oPXhiTI/AAAAAAAAALg/KbHs85tnC4c/s1600/Zumaya.bmp Technically, Zumaya is still in the Twins' fold. I still think it was a good move signing him, and the $400,000 is negligible in the grand scheme of things. We can debate whether the Twins should have had a back-up option with solid MLB experience, but that's for another day. Although Zumaya is a young, successful millionaire, like the rest of professional athletes, I do feel bad for the guy: he has had so many surgeries, and adding Tommy John to the list reportedly would be his 6th surgical procedure in as many years. You can understand why he might want to hang up the cleats in exchange for a nice Ranger boat and a pair of those oversized sunglasses. But there might be more to the story. What if Zumaya has Tommy John surgery next week? According to one source, the average recovery time from surgery to full competition mode is 11.6 months. That sounds about right. That would put Zumaya out for the 2012 season, of course, but capable of pitching in 2013. Could Terry Ryan and company help convince Zumaya to have the surgery, keep him off the 40 man roster for the year, and offer a similar, low-risk high-reward contract for 2013? I think it's at least worth considering. If there's one thing the Twins' training staff has recent experience in, it's helping pitchers rebound from Tommy John surgery (see Nathan, Joe; Liriano, Francisco; Neshek, Pat). Of course, such a proposition -- especially with Zumaya -- has a good chance of turning into an annual Charlie-Brown-getting-the-football-yanked-by-Lucy-as-he-goes-to-kick-it sort of thing, but even next year, this team would still have use for a guy that can throw 100 mph (note to Twins: explain to Zumaya that he will be expected to throw more than 13 pitches this time around). In the end, it might make more sense from Zumaya's perspective to simply retire. I'm sure it is mentally exhausting for both he and his family to go through all these medical issues each and every year. But on the other hand, Zumaya still could be a great -- and dirt cheap -- pickup for the Twins. He's like an unscratched $1 lottery ticket with 1 in 100 odds. How many times do purchase a ticket, and not win, before you give up on the game? What do you think? Assume for right now that Zumaya is undecided on retirement. Do you try to convince him to get the surgery and come back to the Twins next year for close to league minimum, or do you cut ties now and wish him good luck?

[Originally posted at Twins Fan From Afar] The Twins are in a sort of interesting position when it comes to Joel Zumaya. Somewhat unsurprisingly, the firethrowing righty didn't make it past one of his first batting practice sessions last week, and now needs decide whether, at age 27, to retire and become a professional fisherman (apparently he is enough of a realist to understand that becoming a professional on Guitar Hero was not going to happen), or to opt for Tommy John surgery and attempt another comeback. http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-b-Fvx5cL8Yw/T094oPXhiTI/AAAAAAAAALg/KbHs85tnC4c/s1600/Zumaya.bmp Technically, Zumaya is still in the Twins' fold. I still think it was a good move signing him, and the $400,000 is negligible in the grand scheme of things. We can debate whether the Twins should have had a back-up option with solid MLB experience, but that's for another day. Although Zumaya is a young, successful millionaire, like the rest of professional athletes, I do feel bad for the guy: he has had so many surgeries, and adding Tommy John to the list reportedly would be his 6th surgical procedure in as many years. You can understand why he might want to hang up the cleats in exchange for a nice Ranger boat and a pair of those oversized sunglasses. But there might be more to the story. What if Zumaya has Tommy John surgery next week? According to one source, the average recovery time from surgery to full competition mode is 11.6 months. That sounds about right. That would put Zumaya out for the 2012 season, of course, but capable of pitching in 2013. Could Terry Ryan and company help convince Zumaya to have the surgery, keep him off the 40 man roster for the year, and offer a similar, low-risk high-reward contract for 2013? I think it's at least worth considering. If there's one thing the Twins' training staff has recent experience in, it's helping pitchers rebound from Tommy John surgery (see Nathan, Joe; Liriano, Francisco; Neshek, Pat). Of course, such a proposition -- especially with Zumaya -- has a good chance of turning into an annual Charlie-Brown-getting-the-football-yanked-by-Lucy-as-he-goes-to-kick-it sort of thing, but even next year, this team would still have use for a guy that can throw 100 mph (note to Twins: explain to Zumaya that he will be expected to throw more than 13 pitches this time around). In the end, it might make more sense from Zumaya's perspective to simply retire. I'm sure it is mentally exhausting for both he and his family to go through all these medical issues each and every year. But on the other hand, Zumaya still could be a great -- and dirt cheap -- pickup for the Twins. He's like an unscratched $1 lottery ticket with 1 in 100 odds. How many times do purchase a ticket, and not win, before you give up on the game? What do you think? Assume for right now that Zumaya is undecided on retirement. Do you try to convince him to get the surgery and come back to the Twins next year for close to league minimum, or do you cut ties now and wish him good luck?

Thanks for the comment. I agree generally that ball clubs are more likely to get better "value" from a player earlier in their career -- like the Twins did with Morneau, Mauer, Hunter, Santana, etc. But if you're suggesting that the Twins are small market, they aren't a small market team anymore. They went into 2011 with the 9th highest payroll in baseball -- that puts them in the top 30% of MLB payroll. Now, of course, they scaled back a little in 2012, but I'm sure they will still be in the top 35% or 40% of spenders this year. They can afford 1 or 2 big contracts at a time -- they just need their big guns to be healthy and productive.

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-6xAQtqLanLE/T04jPTt5KqI/AAAAAAAAALY/QFZxCYIYvL4/s320/Mauer.bmp [Originally posted at my blog, Twins Fan From Afar] It's often said that balance is necessary in order to understand the universe. How can you define "hot" without understanding "cold," contemplate "good" without a concept of "evil," or truly appreciate a nice Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon without having a few boxes of Franzia wine in your past? Joe Mauer has spoiled the Twins and their fans for much of his professional career. He exceeded most reasonable expectations, and he met even most unreasonable expectations. He mostly stayed out of the spotlight for the first several years of his career, despite being an All-Star. Sure, Gatorade, Head & Shoulders and MLB the Show came calling, but until 2011, no one really cared. And he kept clear of negative press -- have you ever heard Mauer say a negative word about anyone, or read a story about him showing up drunk at a club in the offseason? If you believe that the Fangraphs "value" indicator is of any merit, Joe Mauer has provided $145.8 million in value to the Twins during his career, while being paid significantly less -- $57 million in total through 2011. Unfortunately, 40 percent of Mauer's career salary came in 2011, undoubtedly his worst season as a professional baseball player. Of that $23 million paid out in salary, the Twins received only $7.9 million in value. It should come as no surprise that an All-Star catcher isn't worth very much money if he isn't catching, if he isn't at Target Field in the lineup, or if he isn't even traveling with the team, all of which were the case at various points in 2011. If nothing else, Mauer's 2011 underscored just how valuable he is to the Twins when healthy, and how much of a game-changer is, when healthy. I don't care so much about the home runs. In fact, Fangraphs suggests that Mauer was worth $22.4 million in 2010 to the Twins, when he only hit 9 home runs, drove in 75 runners, and had a .327/.402/.469 slash line -- remarkably similar to his career line of .323/.403/.471. Clearly, much of his value is tied up in defense at the all-important position of catcher. The fact that he has a career .874 OPS is icing on the cake. I'm not suggesting that Mauer's contributions to the Twins were a complete surprise, or were simply a "lucky break" for fans: he was the first overall draft pick in 2001 and was expected to be a star; us fans pay him very, very well to be one of the best players in the game; and he finagled a huge contract out of the Twins' ownership. I am, however, suggesting that I'm going into 2012 with a newfound appreciation for just how great Joe Mauer has been for the first half of his career. In my experience, there's a better appreciation for a new job or pay raise if you have ever been laid off, demoted, underemployed, or have taken a pay cut; there's a better appreciation for making a sports team and receiving that coveted jersey if you have ever scanned the final roster of names, only to find that yours isn't on the list; and there's a better appreciation for the feeling of being accepted to a college if you have ever received a thin rejection envelope in the mail. Sure, it would be nice if life didn't work that way, but that's not reality. Similarly, with respect to Mauer, perhaps his 2011 puts the rest of his career in better perspective. If you're curious, Thrylos98 at the Tenth Inning Stretch has been doing some fantastic lists and rankings of all-time great Twins. For instance, he attempts to rank the all-time Twins most valuable player here, chronicles the season and career Twins OPS leaders here, and rates the franchise season and career slugging percentage leaders here. If you haven't, you should read these posts. But, even if you don't read this great work, I can cut to the chase for you: Mauer fares very, very well on all lists. In other words, halfway into his career, Mauer is already one of the best Twins -- ever. Joe Mauer still has a lot of work to do in order to re-build his reputation as one of the game's best. He has to stay healthy, he has to catch regularly, and he has to bat over .300 in order to provide great "value" to the Twins -- whatever you definition of that word. But if there's one thing I can take from everything that was awful about Mauer's 2011, it's that it made me appreciate how great 2004-2010 were. Twins fans -- and Mauer himself -- perhaps needed his 2011 season to happen. Without struggle, failure, and the realization that he is indeed aging as an athlete, fans might never have the opportunity to look at -- and appreciate -- 2004-2010 in a new light. And Mauer might not be coming into the second half of his career with a chip on his shoulder. Most overpaid veterans don't believe that they have something to prove going into Spring Training, but everything I have read the past several weeks suggests that Mauer is ready, perhaps for the first time, to shut critics up. Sure, I wish that Mauer's 2011 had been just as great as his 2004-2010, but that's not life. And because of that 2011, I think that fans are going to see a Joe Mauer in 2012 who, although familiar and friendly, will come ready to rebuild his reputation and lead the Twins into (hopefully) the next generation of competitiveness.

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-6xAQtqLanLE/T04jPTt5KqI/AAAAAAAAALY/QFZxCYIYvL4/s320/Mauer.bmp [Originally posted at my blog, Twins Fan From Afar] It's often said that balance is necessary in order to understand the universe. How can you define "hot" without understanding "cold," contemplate "good" without a concept of "evil," or truly appreciate a nice Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon without having a few boxes of Franzia wine in your past? Joe Mauer has spoiled the Twins and their fans for much of his professional career. He exceeded most reasonable expectations, and he met even most unreasonable expectations. He mostly stayed out of the spotlight for the first several years of his career, despite being an All-Star. Sure, Gatorade, Head & Shoulders and MLB the Show came calling, but until 2011, no one really cared. And he kept clear of negative press -- have you ever heard Mauer say a negative word about anyone, or read a story about him showing up drunk at a club in the offseason? If you believe that the Fangraphs "value" indicator is of any merit, Joe Mauer has provided $145.8 million in value to the Twins during his career, while being paid significantly less -- $57 million in total through 2011. Unfortunately, 40 percent of Mauer's career salary came in 2011, undoubtedly his worst season as a professional baseball player. Of that $23 million paid out in salary, the Twins received only $7.9 million in value. It should come as no surprise that an All-Star catcher isn't worth very much money if he isn't catching, if he isn't at Target Field in the lineup, or if he isn't even traveling with the team, all of which were the case at various points in 2011. If nothing else, Mauer's 2011 underscored just how valuable he is to the Twins when healthy, and how much of a game-changer is, when healthy. I don't care so much about the home runs. In fact, Fangraphs suggests that Mauer was worth $22.4 million in 2010 to the Twins, when he only hit 9 home runs, drove in 75 runners, and had a .327/.402/.469 slash line -- remarkably similar to his career line of .323/.403/.471. Clearly, much of his value is tied up in defense at the all-important position of catcher. The fact that he has a career .874 OPS is icing on the cake. I'm not suggesting that Mauer's contributions to the Twins were a complete surprise, or were simply a "lucky break" for fans: he was the first overall draft pick in 2001 and was expected to be a star; us fans pay him very, very well to be one of the best players in the game; and he finagled a huge contract out of the Twins' ownership. I am, however, suggesting that I'm going into 2012 with a newfound appreciation for just how great Joe Mauer has been for the first half of his career. In my experience, there's a better appreciation for a new job or pay raise if you have ever been laid off, demoted, underemployed, or have taken a pay cut; there's a better appreciation for making a sports team and receiving that coveted jersey if you have ever scanned the final roster of names, only to find that yours isn't on the list; and there's a better appreciation for the feeling of being accepted to a college if you have ever received a thin rejection envelope in the mail. Sure, it would be nice if life didn't work that way, but that's not reality. Similarly, with respect to Mauer, perhaps his 2011 puts the rest of his career in better perspective. If you're curious, Thrylos98 at the Tenth Inning Stretch has been doing some fantastic lists and rankings of all-time great Twins. For instance, he attempts to rank the all-time Twins most valuable player here, chronicles the season and career Twins OPS leaders here, and rates the franchise season and career slugging percentage leaders here. If you haven't, you should read these posts. But, even if you don't read this great work, I can cut to the chase for you: Mauer fares very, very well on all lists. In other words, halfway into his career, Mauer is already one of the best Twins -- ever. Joe Mauer still has a lot of work to do in order to re-build his reputation as one of the game's best. He has to stay healthy, he has to catch regularly, and he has to bat over .300 in order to provide great "value" to the Twins -- whatever you definition of that word. But if there's one thing I can take from everything that was awful about Mauer's 2011, it's that it made me appreciate how great 2004-2010 were. Twins fans -- and Mauer himself -- perhaps needed his 2011 season to happen. Without struggle, failure, and the realization that he is indeed aging as an athlete, fans might never have the opportunity to look at -- and appreciate -- 2004-2010 in a new light. And Mauer might not be coming into the second half of his career with a chip on his shoulder. Most overpaid veterans don't believe that they have something to prove going into Spring Training, but everything I have read the past several weeks suggests that Mauer is ready, perhaps for the first time, to shut critics up. Sure, I wish that Mauer's 2011 had been just as great as his 2004-2010, but that's not life. And because of that 2011, I think that fans are going to see a Joe Mauer in 2012 who, although familiar and friendly, will come ready to rebuild his reputation and lead the Twins into (hopefully) the next generation of competitiveness.

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-v0fuwzoau8g/T00s3AYerOI/AAAAAAAAALQ/VyO94XGtCr0/s1600/Rock+Cats.bmp [Originally posted at my blog, http://twinsfanfromafar.blogspot.com] There is breaking Twins-related minor league news this afternoon in Central Connecticut, where it has been announced that the New Britain Rock Cats, which had done very well in the community and in terms of attendance, under owners Bill Dowling (former attorney for George Steinbrenner) and Coleman Levy (local attorney), is being sold to an investment group. DSF Group, the purchaser, is a real estate and sports investment firm, and also owns the New Hampshire Fisher Cats (same division as the Rock Cats and AA affiliate of the Blue Jays), and the Bowling Green Hot Rods (Class A affiliate of Tampa Bay Rays). Interestingly, John Willi, who left the helm as the Rock Cats' general manager in 2010 to take a position at DSF, will be returning to that post. I have a feeling that this is going to be an interesting story, especially as rumors have been floating around that the Rock Cats may change affiliation. I will be keeping track of this story and any further developments. But as a fan, as long as the ticket prices remain affordable, and the quality of baseball is good, I'll be happy to continue to support the Rock Cats. Here's the article from the Hartford Courant detailing the sale. (This blog has been promoted to the front page. Please feel free to comment here: http://www.twinsdaily.com/content.php?257-Breaking-Minor-League-News-New-Britain-Rock-Cats-Have-Been-Sold)

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-v0fuwzoau8g/T00s3AYerOI/AAAAAAAAALQ/VyO94XGtCr0/s1600/Rock+Cats.bmp [Originally posted at my blog, http://twinsfanfromafar.blogspot.com] There is breaking Twins-related minor league news this afternoon in Central Connecticut, where it has been announced that the New Britain Rock Cats, which had done very well in the community and in terms of attendance, under owners Bill Dowling (former attorney for George Steinbrenner) and Coleman Levy (local attorney), is being sold to an investment group. DSF Group, the purchaser, is a real estate and sports investment firm, and also owns the New Hampshire Fisher Cats (same division as the Rock Cats and AA affiliate of the Blue Jays), and the Bowling Green Hot Rods (Class A affiliate of Tampa Bay Rays). Interestingly, John Willi, who left the helm as the Rock Cats' general manager in 2010 to take a position at DSF, will be returning to that post. I have a feeling that this is going to be an interesting story, especially as rumors have been floating around that the Rock Cats may change affiliation. I will be keeping track of this story and any further developments. But as a fan, as long as the ticket prices remain affordable, and the quality of baseball is good, I'll be happy to continue to support the Rock Cats. Here's the article from the Hartford Courant detailing the sale. (This blog has been promoted to the front page. Please feel free to comment here: http://www.twinsdaily.com/content.php?257-Breaking-Minor-League-News-New-Britain-Rock-Cats-Have-Been-Sold)

[Originally posted at my blog, http://twinsfanfromafar.blogspot.com] I have to admit that I was quite surprised this past week to read that Seth Stohs, Parker Hagerman, John Bonnes and Nick Nelson -- the premier Twins bloggers that provide great Twinscentric content for the Star Tribune, among other publications -- had decided to give up their individual blogs and join forces. As I write that sentence, it almost sounds like something out of a comic book written for Twins geeks! They are now providing the great content, but for one individual website, Twinsdaily.com. Most of you who read this blog probably are already aware of the change, but for those few that weren't aware, well, now you are. http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-gc9uQGC8CNw/T0Y_wf27V3I/AAAAAAAAALI/fDC5G-13xJI/s320/untitled.bmp I recently started posting at Twinsdaily, and am very impressed with the content thus far. As expected, Seth, Parker, John and Nick are all doing their same things, but now other bloggers, such as myself, can post their articles so that we might attract new and different visitors, when compared to the same people that we know visit our personal blog every day. Already I've encountered some great Twins fans thanks to Twinsdaily. Moreover, Twins fans that don't have blogs -- and don't want one -- can still create and post content, and can also comment on other articles. The possibilities of Twinsdaily are pretty exciting to think about. First, the Star Tribune now has a paywall, so without a subscription, you can't really actively read the articles and comment on the baseball boards anymore. The Pioneer Press, whose coverage isn't great anyway, seems to have their comment board linked with Facebook. I'm not on Facebook, and never will be, and I suspect that there are at least a few others like me. In the end, Twinsdaily should allow more people to have a voice and to express an opinion on the Twins. I plan on attending both the New Britain Rock Cats opening night, and also two games of the Twins' opening series in Baltimore. I can post game recaps and pictures to Twinsdaily, and I can imagine that other fans will be doing the same thing throughout the professional season. Sure, I can do the same at my blog, and I certainly will, but it will be a good opportunity, I think, to reach out to other fans. In short, those of us with blogs can provide the same material, but to a larger platform, and there is an opportunity for those without Star Tribune subscriptions or Facebook accounts to have meaningful Twins-related conversations online. I'll be taking a break from blogging for the next few days, most likely. It's time for the annual winter trip to Minnesota, and hopefully a stop at the Twins Pro Shop in Roseville to check out the new gear for 2012. Maybe I can get a discount on that Jason Repko jersey I have been coveting.