spanman2

Concession prices are a joke. I haven't been there since '19 but if my memory service me correctly a craft beer was about $12 or so that year. Other concessions are super expensive as well. Mpls isn't quite a must be destination these days either. I used to have season tickets the 1st few years of Target Fields existence as well. Just not the desire to put in the time etc. like I used to. If I am out and about the radio is always tuned in during a Twins game!

I could hear TK saying something like...Yeah that one right there is a play ya gotta make...Im sure the guys that handle that will show him that the next time they take infield/outfield. Gotta have that one in the big leagues Dick.

I bet there is not a current announcer who appreciates/enjoys it as much as Richard (copyright Tom Kelly) even after all of these years. He has certainly seen it all highs/lows. Hopefully if he is near the end of his career he can see some significant highs which would be great for all of us! I really enjoy it when Kaat is on with him and they reminisce about the game from those days compared to now. Very entertaining conversation!

For my money he seems to have a difficult time with pitch recognition. I wonder what % of his strikeouts over the years are swinging on sliders out of the zone? Obviously hope it clicks but we as fans have been saying that for years now.

For S&G'S I put $20 on the Twins to win the Division at Diamond Joe's while driving back from a work trip down in Des Moines. $20 gets me $118. I doubt they win the division but think a solid 2nd place finish should be in the cards. They should be fine in the field and scoring runs. Pitching/pitching/pitching. Lets go!!!

Great article and opinions. I am not sure if games being shorter in duration is the answer for attracting new fans to baseball or not? Maybe it is. What I see Target Field being is a big expensive bar during beautiful weather days with a baseball game going on in the background. It would be interesting to know what % of people there are hardcore baseball/Twins fans or just there to be there. Appreciate the thoughts/time on the article. Well done!

MLB is already down in the pecking order of popularity. They are toast if the this drags on much longer. It very well may be too late already! I have said it in previous posts. We have great town team baseball in MN which is a lot of fun if you like baseball. I am fortunate enough to play in an over 35 baseball league. The owners/players are either clueless/exceptionally greedy or don't care about the fan base or a combination of the three. As much as I enjoy the game of baseball I'm done with them and their attitudes.

MLB is in big big trouble if they don't come to an amicable agreement and soon! I don't see the beginning of the season being spared. They are already down in the pecking order in terms of popularity. They truly could care less about the fans. Great thing that we have excellent town ball in Minnesota. Super popular where I live.

MLB talks about attracting more fans to the game...if they (owners/players) mess this up forget about it! I love baseball but I might be done with them all too. I can enjoy town team ball of which I myself play in. They better think long and hard about it.

Gotta be worth picking up to ole rotary phone and placing the call...just don't call during peak long distance hours.

Fair point...they have the family section I do know that. I have never sat there so don't know how much the concessions are there.

Its not so much the price of tickets at Target Field that are expensive but the concessions are a joke. I say that as a former season ticket holder. The 'family section' within the ballpark could be a good start to get the family experience back in the game. Have super reasonable concession prices within the section and see how that works for folks? It certainly couldn't hurt.

It was interesting to see the MVP bonuses baked into the cake. That tells me Buxton is very focused on staying on the field to prove to people he is that MVP candidate that wants to be the 150/game a year player. Overall a good deal for both franchise/player. Now it is time to get some pitching! WIN TWINS!

Great job to all involved fun to read all the opinions and stats etc...Id take Mauer in the 2 hole and Puck hitting behind him. Sign me up for that!

I bet it was the 7 years that the Twins didn't watch to touch. My guess is they were looking at 3-4 years with similar $$$/yr. I am with you my friend...should have been able to accommodate that!

If you think back to when Hunter left the Twins for the Angels I believe the Twins offered him a 3/45 deal. The Angels went way beyond on the years. Hunter said it wasn't necessarily the $$$/yr but the number of years. The Twins didn't want to commit to him LONG TERM! Players don't see 3 year deals as long term. They also don't want to be low balled on long term deals. That is just the price of poker in most of these negotiations especially when the $$$ is guaranteed! Everyone knows ownership has the funds. The Pohlad's are amongst the wealthiest of the wealthy in terms of ownerships in MLB. No one is expecting payroll to be 180+/mill a year. It could/should be around 150 if need be to be super competitive! If you swing and miss on a Buxton contract you know one thing. It wont be because of lack of effort or not wanting to be here. Guys get injured in professional sports that is just a fact. There are no guarantees. You could get a haul in terms of 'prospects' but they may or may not pan out. You have a known talent in Buxton. Hopefully he understands from time to time he needs to take his foot off the gas to play 145 games or so per year. Go to him with a genuine offer his team won't look at for 2 seconds and laugh their asses off! Make it known he is the face of the franchise moving forward and commit to building around him,

A great article by Reusse about Trent Kirchner who is from Fulda. Happens to be my hometown as well. Really cool story about his ascending path in the NFL. https://www.startribune.com/reusse-blog-fulda-football-man-lands-in-another-super-bowl/243065941/

And Phil Cuzzi...

My best memory was staying up late watching the games with my dad during the '91 playoffs as a 14 old boy having relocated to Pennsylvania. My stepmom lets say did not think that was a good call on my dad's part. When Kirby hit the game winner in Game 6 we nearly put a hole in the floor jumping up and down. Every time I watch highlights from that time I think of watching it with my dad as much as the outcomes of all the games. That got me hooked on baseball for life. When Kirby passed I was back in Minnesota (most unfortunate memory)...I cried like a kid who lost his puppy. Living in Willmar at the time I nearly drove to Mpls in a blizzard but ended up staying home. Imagine a Twins team with Joe in the 2 hole and Kirby behind him. GOOD LUCK pitchers!

A HUGE if...but comments are full of if's....Since July, Sanó has hit .243/.340/.505 (.845) with 14 home runs and 15 doubles. Give us that for 150 games a year TIMES 2 and I would be one very happy Twins fan...do we think they try to bring Cruz back for one last swan song? Perhaps, if they don't my gut tells my Sano slots in as DH and Kirilloff plays 1B...if they do trade him assuming the NL institutes full time DH please trade him to the NL so he does not go David Ortiz on us! Here is to hoping we beef up the pitching talent pool this offseason.

Had he been signed for say 3 years at 10.5 per and we cut the cord after this year he would be higher up that 'worst ever' food chain...given it was a 1 year deal and it was an horrible year at the plate and not great but not sub-par in the field I can't go with worst ever.

According to Cody's article the most the Twins would be on the hook for is 30 mill...IF they pick up his option years. If they did that you would believe he would be pitching very well at the time. Good value for that many years of good performance. If not you cut the cord if things don't work out and you are out 9.25 in guaranteed $$$...they were probably hoping for him to be a 5th starter type. If you get league average or so performance out of him in that role that is a bargain.

Very interesting....something to follow for certain.

Not only can he be but if I were Rocco I would hope he would embrace that role. Super solid ballplayer, You know what you are going to get from him day in and day out.

I don't see the Twins paying Berrios what he believes he should receive. For what it's worth I think he wants out and a fresh start with a new team. Given Bucks injury history if the Twins offer him a 'fair deal' as viewed by both the Twins and the Buxton camp I would get that deal done. It would likely involve some arbitration type negotiating but I could see that deal getting done. He is certainly a fan favorite. We all know the injury history. If I am the Twins I would be willing to take that risk. If he happens to shake that bug and start playing a 140 games a year elsewhere that would be painful to watch.