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Melissa Berman

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Blog Entries posted by Melissa Berman

  1. Melissa Berman
    Needless to say, walking away from Detroit with a 1-4 series record is not what the Twins were hoping for. This was a chance for the Twins to gain some serious ground on the White Sox. who are currently in Toronto and struggling in nearly every facet of the game, but the Twins squandered nearly every opportunity. In today's series finale game, Archer, Gordon, and Urshela were just about the only bright spots. Duran pitched well too. Urshela continues to be Captain Clutch. 
    The Twins are banged up (Sonny Gray to the IL is incredibly disappointing and it seems that Joe Ryan really got hit hard by covid), and the schedule certainly isn't going to get any easier with a trip up to Toronto this weekend and then hosting everyone's favorite team, the Yankees, next week. I'm hoping to be at all 3 games of that Yankees series. As a side note, how happy must you be as a Toronto fan to have a bunch of short-handed teams visiting you the whole season? It's obviously not their fault that there are unvaccinated opponents or that the Canadian government has restrictions in place, but it definitely is of benefit to them. 
    It's not time to hit the panic button yet, but it's important the Twins don't get complacent. I know the Twins have a 5-game lead in the division, but baseball is a streaky sport, and things can go downhill, or a team can piece together a number of wins, in an instant. I hope the Twins can bring their A-game over the next couple series because the White Sox are in the midst of a brutal stretch here: Blue Jays, Rays, and Dodgers. It would be nice to be able to pick up a couple more games in the standings. 
    Hang in there, Twins Territory! 
     
  2. Melissa Berman
    Waking up yesterday morning on May 18, I was taken aback to see that Lewis was sent back to AAA. Here are both viewpoints regarding the Twins sending down Royce Lewis, and then my own take. 
    Those in favor:
    The Twins don't know how long Carlos Correa will be with the Twins, so they are sending Lewis down to continue developing at SS In case Correa does stay for a while, it's necessary to find somewhere else in the field for Lewis to play, and AAA is the best place for him to try out new positions You don’t just “try” your #1 future investment in new positions at the MLB level, especially since he’s coming off missing a lot of playing time due to injury He'll be back soon anyway- this is just temporary  More regular playing time in case the Twins aren't able to get him in the lineup every day You're not going to change long-term plans based on < 2 weeks of high production  Those against:
    The Twins are a highly competitive team. Lewis helps the Twins be more competitive and is one of their top hitters They sent him down right after a game in which he had a double and a home run!? He has played outfield in the minors before, there's no reason why the Twins could not put him in left field in particular  Sent down before Miranda!? (likely it's just a matter of time before he too heads back to St. Paul to work some things out) What a way to kill excitement among the fans  If he can play short stop, the hardest position on the field, he could play anywhere, especially 1B. If it doesn't work out after a week, send him down With some shuffling around, the Twins should be able to find a spot for Lewis with some regular playing time  My take
    I understand the nuances of both sides, but I'm still not a fan of the move at all. I understand he will be back soon, and Correa said he spoke with Lewis after the game and Lewis seemed to take it well, but I think it's a disservice to him to send him down while in the midst of such a hot streak.  I'm glad he's taking it well, and I assume management explained that he's doing great and will be back as soon as he develops some more, perhaps at different positions, but still, one of my first immediate thoughts was a fear that, what if this crushes his confidence. To me, if you have a player who is on fire to the extent Lewis is, you find a spot in the lineup for him, period. Fans reacted so strongly because the Twins are competitive and the fans care. A lot of them have been following Lewis for years, ever since he was drafted. Fans caring is a good problem to have- strong emotion is better than apathy. The Twins are battling the Chicago White Sox for the AL Central crown and playing Lewis in the current lineup makes them a better team. Like I said. hopefully he is back soon, but letting him learn alongside Byron Buxton does not seem like a bad idea either.
  3. Melissa Berman

    The Future is Now

    By Melissa Berman,


    Melissa's Blog
    Another series, another sweep! 
    The Twins just keep rolling! My main takeaway from this past weekend's series vs the Oakland Athletics is what a joy it was to get a glimpse of what the Twins' future lineup might look like. On its face, let's say someone showed you a Twins lineup featuring Royce Lewis, Trevor Larnach, Jose Miranda, Gilberto Celestino and Josh Winder on the mound. What year would you think it is?
    Although we are seeing some of these faces due to illness and injury, it's apparent that the future is bright for the Twins. They have depth, talent, and based on the number of one-run games they have pulled out this year, grit and ability to tackle adversity. The Twins have the largest division lead in baseball- 3 games over the the second place Chicago White Sox. But exactly as I predicted, here come the Sox; they have gone on a tear and have won 6 in a row. Things have begun to calm down in the field for them after starting the year off with a circus of errors.  But as long as the Twins are taking care of business on the field, they don't need to worry about what the Sox are doing.
    Regarding Lewis specifically, seeing him make his long-awaited debut AND get his first hit on Friday was a blast. Considering how beautiful of a night it was and that the Twins' #1 prospect was making his debut, I was expecting a bit larger of a crowd, but I know several people who went to the game for the sole purpose of seeing Lewis debut. His hit brought about a funny moment that may or may not have been picked up by TV- when Lewis' first hit ball made its way back to the Twins dugout, Gio Urshela feigned tossing it into the crowd. If he actually did, it could've been a Tom Brady 600th touchdown ball situation. Regardless, the Twins fans in attendance treated him right and rewarded him with some big cheers during pregame introductions and after that first MLB hit. He received a standing ovation by many fans during his first at bat too, His debut has been a long time coming, and after having gone through ACL surgery and rehab, it was rewarding to finally see him on the field after all that hard work. Welcome to the Show!
    One other cool observation from the game on Friday- the Twins put up the score of the Wild game on the outfield screen! I really appreciated being able to follow along what was going on with the game. My friends and I could barely believe our eyes when we saw the board light up that the Wild had scored two goals in the first couple minutes while on the road. That's one way to quiet a crowd!
     
    I'm looking forward to getting to some more Twins games this week! Twins fans who were waiting for 70s and 80s weather to go, now is your chance.
    For those who like kicking back and having a couple beers at the ballpark (I'll stick to Gatorade and dollar dogs), look no further than the Twins' new promotion called "First 2 Drinks On Us!" For games on May 6- May 15, $30, gets fans a ballpark access ticket and two drinks. Considering that's probably about the cost of two beers (can you tell I'm not a beer drinker?), that doesn't seem like too shabby of a deal.
    Have a great week and Go Twins!

    His very first at bat!

    After Lewis' first MLB hit, a single!
  4. Melissa Berman

    Power Rankings Roundup

    By Melissa Berman,


    Melissa's Blog
    To me, power rankings are only legitimate if I agree with them.
    Alright, that's a little flippant, but the Twins are getting mixed amount of love in the power rankings so far. MLB's latest power rankings have them at 14th. The Tampa Bay Rays, who the Twins handled with ease this past weekend, are at #8 on their list. Yahoo Sports has the Twins in 11th, CBS sports has the Twins in 9th, and the Athletic has the Twins in the 10th spot.
    Fox Sports MLB Analyst and brother of a certain MLB pitcher Ben Verlander has the Twins in the 9th spot on his rankings. He has been very vocally high on the Twins lately too, both on his Twitter and his podcast. Top 10? Now that's more like it.  
    The Twins have won 9 of the last 10 games and their roll is becoming reminiscent of their early 2000s heyday. They have the biggest division lead in baseball. For those who have the Twins ranked outside the top 10, what more do they want to see? Based on the events of this past weekend, the Rays should not be ahead of the Twins on any ranking.
    The argument keeping the Twins out of the top 10 is that the Twins supposedly have not played good teams so far. But the Twins have the 9th highest winning percentage in the MLB and 4 of its first 6 series were against 2021 playoff teams. And they are a completely different team than what we saw in that Dodgers series (we don't need to further speak about that one) and even vs the Mariners, a series in which the Twins split. The Twins offense is on par with their lights-out pitching: Byron Buxton is back, Carlos Correa just has his best series as a Twin, and the Twins are calling up some top prospects like Jose Miranda. The Twins could also be battling against last year's reputation, and outlets are waiting to if the 2022 Twins are the real deal.
    As we know, power rankings really don't matter very much. But it does feel nice to be recognized, and it seems the Twins are deserving of a bit more praise than they have been bestowed thus far by some outlets (looking at you, MLB's rankings). The upcoming series against the Orioles and Athletics likely won't do much to convince the experts that the Twins have played some high-quality opponents, but us who are following the team know what we're seeing. The recognition will follow. 
  5. Melissa Berman

    Sunday Walk-Off Win Reaction

    By Melissa Berman,


    Melissa's Blog
    Wow, what a game yesterday! There is nothing better than seeing a walk-off win in absolute monster fashion. Winning is pretty fun, eh? Here are some of my thoughts on Sunday April 24's walk-off win vs the White Sox:
    After that sweep, we’re back on top of the Central where we belong. I have no doubt that the White Sox will end up being fine, but it is important that we pounce and gain as much ground as possible while they’re banged up and committing a circus of errors in the field. I of course don’t wish to see anyone injured, but unfortunately that’s part of the game and we’re already facing a host of injuries too. Now that our offense has really woken up, it's time to go on a tear here and put some space between us and the White Sox. A long season awaits, but it's great being the frontrunner. It's incredible how entirely different of a team the Twins are when Byron Buxton is in the lineup. Everyone else starts hitting and he makes unbelievable, clutch plays like Sunday’s walk-off launch into orbit. He's also a huge clubhouse leader/ veteran presence. Jeff Passan had a great tweet illustrating his on-field impact: I was at the game with some friends, including a loyal White Sox fan, and he called the Buxton home run. Once he saw the Sox weren’t going to walk Buxton, he laughed, pointed up to the Home Run Porch and said, “He’s going to hit it right up there.” And sure enough next pitch, out into outer space that ball went. I was really surprised that they decided to pitch to Buxton considering the streak he’s been on (4-4 with a walk the day before Saturday and a home run in the 7th inning earlier on Sunday’s game). Chicagoans were not impressed with that decision either. Boy, is it great to have Buxton back. If this keeps up, he very legitimately will be in talks for MVP. And going further- might we even have the best player in baseball? It was a COLD day for a Gatorade bath at home plate, but something tells be Buxton didn't mind too much...  
     
    We got our first look at everyone's favorite rule- the "runner on second in extra innings" or Ghost Runner rule! I wrote a piece on it in March when the return of the rule was announced. It worked out well for us this time, but I'm still not a big fan of the rule. Because it is so effective on ending the game in the inning in which it is implemented, it seems to me it should maybe take effect in the 11th or 12 inning- give a little extra time for the game to end naturally, and if not, the Buck stops here (pun intended). However, yesterday's game was a bit cold and unpleasant with some scattered sprinkles, so my friends and I were just fine with the rule yesterday. I'm glad we started out with an extra innings win so we don't have an "0-8 in extras" monkey on our back like we did last year. And I'm kind of surprised we made it 16 games into the season before we had an extra innings duel. How about that diving stop by Gio Urshela followed by an incredible, right on the money throw to first from the seat of his pants?! That has to be the best 3rd baseman play I've ever seen at Target Field. What a great addition to the team he is.  There were a few times there where I was wondering why in the world we did not pinch hit Carlos Correa for Gilberto Celestino, Nick Gordon, or Miguel Sanó. I understood that we could not pinch hit for José Godoy because we did not have another catcher to go in, but for the others I was a little puzzled. To Rocco, if a player is off, he must be off.  Every time Sanó gets a hit, I breathe a sigh of relief. He had a nice single in yesterday's game and no strikeouts- so progress, right? He has played in 15/16 games. so they are really trying to just make him work through what he's been going through. Hopefully things are turning around now.  I noticed Target Field is still doing the pitch sequence that I talked about in my last blog, but it is very irregularly shown on the right field screen and only for opposing pitchers, Everyone in the stadium got a huge kick out of the junior PA announcer, who was extremely enthusiastic and sounded like he was announcing a goal at a Wild game when announcing each Twin up to bat. Cute moment from Gleeman here describing how the junior PA announcer got a tour of the press box after his half inning! I wore snow pants to the game, brought big, thick Twins mittens, and wore a full winter coat. I'm not messing around. It looks like it won't be at least until a week into May when it will hit 60 degrees. The Tigers series this week will be cold (a shock, I know). It's been so bad that at this point I'm wondering if Correa knew how cold it was here (albeit, unseasonably so) if he would've come here. We sure are earning that spring this year, and those warm summer nights at Target Field will feel even better after all this, right? Maybe?  As a last side note, I got mentioned in David Laurila’s Sunday Notes column at Fangraphs! Thank you so much to Twins Daily’s Matt Braun for pointing that and to David for the kind shoutout. Here is a link to my piece and here is David's! See you at the Ballpark and Win Twins!

    Walk-off home run!
  6. Melissa Berman
    The Twins just wrapped up their first homestand! I have the Twins Pass so I have a ticket to every home game this year, and I was so baseball-starved that I decided to go to all 4 of the Twins vs. Mariners games and then game 1 vs the Dodgers (I stayed from 6:40-8 p.m., at which point I went to the Timberwolves game. Luckily too- it started raining right after we left + that's when the game fell apart). I did not go to the Wednesday day game vs the Dodgers because of work, and thankfully so- we all know how that one turned out. Here are my observations from going to this bunch of games:
    Opening Day was a joy to get to. I was just so happy to be back regardless of the game result. Thank goodness the Twins pushed the game back a day, so while it was still chilly out, there was at least a lovely warm sun for a bit. I did stay warm- I wore several pairs of pants, brought hand and toe warmers and thick mittens- the whole works. My brother and I's tradition of attending every Home Opener lives on! We were literally 3 feet away from a Gary Sanchez walk-off win- that would have been an unbelievable cap on the day. It was still somewhat surreal to see Carlos Correa in a Twins uniform! The Opening Day jackets were cool. They are very thin, but they look nice and it's a great windbreaker layer to wear over a sweatshirt or something. I thought the Twins' decision to give out 10,000 of them at each of the first 3 games vs just 30,000 at the first game was kind of a cool idea. Of the 3 jacket days I went to, I got 2 jackets!  Duran is the real deal. On Monday, one of the foul balls he through hit the 3rd baseline scoreboard by me with such force that it broke a piece of the scoreboard off. I've never seen anyone throw like he does. I cannot wait to see him pitch again, especially in person with that "101 mph" constantly flashing.  I'm a huge fan of our new Yankees additions in Sanchez and Urshela. They appear to have settled in on the team very well and they seem like great locker room guys. I saw Sanchez's Grand Slam on Sunday and it was unbelievable. I'm not sure I've seen a Twins grand slam in person before despite all the games I've attended. What was cool was that his grand slam was part of a bit of a home run outbreak in the MLB- there were 3 in about 20 minutes across the MLB. One of my favorite accounts on twitter is MLB Home Run, which tweets in real time every home run that happens across the MLB. It was really fun seeing our copious amounts of home runs come through on this account.  Speaking of, my favorite game I've attended so far was Sunday's day game which had Twins 6 home runs! It was a blast to see Correa's first home run as a Twin- a triple deck launch into outer space.  The 7th Inning Stretch is sponsored by Kris Lindahl this season and BOY did people have some thoughts on that. When I tweeted that picture out, I was not expecting the absolute barrage of strong reactions. Check out the replies and quote tweets on my tweet and you'll see what I mean. Kris Lindahl, or someone running his account, liked nearly every one of those replies, I must add. He's always watching.  It's definitely spring training for the scoreboard operators. No hate intended towards them, just lots and lots of errors in terms of the wrong player at bat being shown on the jumbotron, the wrong amount of outs being shown on the board, inconsistent displaying of the stats about each player (as in, one player it will show their height, DOB, debut date etc, and the next player it doesn't) the entire jumbo showing a blue screen of death for a bit, etc. 
    The jury is still out in my head on the scoreboard re-design for this season. I do like how with the new design makes the balls, strikes, and outs really huge. The player's batting stats now display in the lineup column on the right side of the jumbotron. They didn't have any facts about the players (ie DOB, height, debut date) for the first couple games, and I was wondering if they just weren't going to do those this year. The fun facts returned for the last 3 games I went to, so it appears it might have been a kink the operators were working out.  New this year is the "pitch sequence" displayed on the right field board. I thought it was really interesting to see what pitches guys were going to, but I was surprised it was showing the type and order of pitches for both Mariners AND Twins pitchers. I noticed they stopped showing the pitch sequence for the Twins pitchers after the first couple games- though I'm sure the opposing teams have ways of seeing what pitches are being thrown, putting it up for display and analysis in real time is totally different. I'm wondering if someone complained. Let's keep it to opposing pitchers. 
    The Hammermade sponsorships in the jumbotron pictures are back! Didn't notice our new guys sporting it yet  It appeared to be mostly Dodgers fans at the game I attended on Tuesday and boy, do they still have a lot of vitriol for Correa. The "cheater" chants reverberated through the stadium at each of his at-bats. The taunting seemed to work, as Correa smacked two doubles in a row in his first two at bats. I was wondering if these Dodgers fans came into town for the game or where they came from. I should've asked one of them. Dollar Dog night was back on Tuesday! A damp night at the ballpark did not stop us from getting what my brother deemed "Soggy Dogs." They were actually quite good, and they did not have a limit on the number you could buy (their website says two).  Attendance at these five games was pretty awful- I wrote a front page article about the Twins' efforts to fill these empty seats. The weather was not ideal though, so better weather and good play should help numbers.  There are some really cool walkout songs this season. A few favorites of mine: Sanós new walkup song, "Goat" by G Cinco aka our very own Nick Gordon (who is extremely talented at music in addition to baseball, by the way), Chris Archer's "Voodoo Child", and Tyler Duffey's "Electric Feel." Joe Ryan's Grateful Dead "Fire on the Mountain" quickly grew on me too.  I'm really pulling for Sanó. I will always have a soft spot for the players who grew up in our organization, though I fully acknowledge that 6 hit-less games in a row is approaching egregious level. I'm hoping he figures it out soon. That decision to send Sanó around to home on Monday's game was.. a choice. That was obviously not his fault. That game had some pretty rough baserunning. We will need to get that ironed out- and quickly.  A reminder that if you buy tickets in person at the box office, you can avoid the heaps of ticket fees. My buddies bought a heap of $4 tickets on Tuesday to avoid ticket fees.  I got to the game very early on Sunday because I wanted to make sure I got a jacket in my size, so I had some extra time on my hands. I went into the team stores and they're still selling "October Reign" 2019 Yankees playoffs sweep apparel for semi exorbitant prices. I mean who is going to buy one of these sweatshirts for $40? Come on now, let's slash those prices and clear up some floor space.  That's all for now! I'm looking forward to getting to lots more games this season, but I'm hoping the Twins can go on a tear here so we don't get buried before we even get started. Though Twins games are always fun to get to, they're extra enjoyable when the Twins are competitive. Bummer we have to start off the season playing the likes of the Dodgers and Red Sox. See ya out at the ballpark and Go Twins! One photo from each game recap:

    Friday- Opening Day! (above)

    Saturday- A beautiful, sunny day for ball!

    Sunday- Home runs galore!

    Monday- Second win of the season!

    Tuesday- Dollar Dog Night!
  7. Melissa Berman

    Here We Go- Happy Opening Day!

    By Melissa Berman,


    Melissa's Blog
    Here we are finally- Opening Day! Who would have thought a couple months ago during that lockout purgatory that we would be playing early April baseball? But here we are, and I am grateful for it. 
    Opening Day is special to a lot of people- players, fans, and staff alike. Baseball runs deep within families and holds many cherished memories for fans dating back to childhood. A lot of people have sacred Opening Day traditions or people who they attend it with.
    Tomorrow I'm excited to carry on my tradition of attending Opening Day with my brother, Matthew. At all Minnesota sporting events, we are essentially a combo deal- we attend nearly every Vikings, Timberwolves, Twins, and some Wild games together (it hasn't been too easy over the years to find someone who also wants to go to every single Wolves game). He is by far the biggest, most well-rounded Minnesota sports fan I've ever met, and I'm not just saying that because it's my brother. He's my best friend and has been since we were kids both playing travel baseball and softball.
    But Opening Day is different from all these games- it is cherished, much-anticipated, and represents a blank slate of hope. There is just no way we're not going to go. We've been talking about this Opening Day game for months, and after the Correa trade was announced, our shared excitement only intensified. I hope that as we continue in life, we continue to make attending Opening Day together a priority. I know we will. We always make sure we get there early enough to get the cool Opening Day giveaway item (this year a jacket), to see the Twins lineup announced with all its inaugural fanfare, and we make sure to get a picture together too.
    This year we will be bundling up, unlike last year's Opening Day, also on April 8, where my brother wore shorts! Masks were also mandatory at all times inside the stadium and a large portion of seats were zip-tied. I was so grateful we were able to get tickets; I remember we both set alarms and jumped on separate computers to grab tickets due to the limited supply. Amazing what a difference a year makes, but the tradition lived on. We've been to much colder games together, including the 2016 TCF Bank Stadium "Wide Left" game that was -8° at kickoff, and Vikings vs Packers at Lambeau recently on January 2, 2022 which was I believe 7° air temperature
    So Happy Opening Day wherever you're watching from in Twins Territory! Let's hope for a great season full of happy memories made with family and friends. Baseball is best when watched with people you care about.
    Go Twins!

    A MUCH warmer Opening Day, 2021
     

    2019, also a much warmer day. Matthew is wearing the cool giveaway jacket they handed out that year

    2018- I'll be wearing the same hat for Opening Day 2022!
    2017
  8. Melissa Berman
    Happy Opening Week! As a Twins fan who was a kid during the Metrodome era of the aughts, I have fond, cherished memories of being swept away by the wind when the Metrodome doors were opened after games, the giant milk jug down the first baseline, the outfield curtain, Dome Dogs, and uncountable other quirks and joys. Though I have strong nostalgia for our beloved Dome, there is no question that Target Field is one of the most beautiful, scenic stadiums in the MLB. Nothing can compare to sitting out at a a game with your friends on a perfect 70-some degree evening, and Target Field certainly is a great place to do it. In celebration of our beloved team taking the field this week, here are some of my favorite things about Target Field:
    1. The view of the city skyline from the 3rd baseline- I’ve gone to uncountable Twins games since Target Field opened, but I think I can count the number of times I’ve sat down the first baseline or in the outfield on two hands. There’s nothing wrong with sitting elsewhere in the park- they just don’t offer the same sweeping views of the downtown skyline. No, Target Field does not have giant tailgate lots like the Brewers or White Sox, but the stadium's location smack-dab in the middle of downtown Minneapolis makes up for it. The giant Target dog Bullseye wagging his tail in right field is also pretty cute. If you’re looking for something to do in between innings, try counting the number of times he wags his tail in a minute, then extrapolate that into month, year, etc.

     
    2. Club Rayne during rain delays- There is nothing quite as groan-inducing as when the clouds roll in and the Target Field grounds crew descends upon the field with a tarp. However, rain delays are made much more tolerable- and even entertaining- due to the Twins opening up “Club Rayne” during each rain delay- a bit where the Twins throw a rain delay dance party and show fans dancing on the jumbotron to somewhat chaotic party music ranging from intense electronic music you might hear at a club to Michael Jackson. Last year during a rain delay my brother got extended screentime on the jumbotron by doing the Thriller dance. The Twins also find other ways to pass the time during rain delays; last year’s Home Opener was briefly stopped by a rain delay and Target Field played part of the NCAA hockey tournament that was happening concurrently. It looks like Club Rayne dates back to Target Field’s early days, so Twins fans have been dancing in the rain for almost a decade. I'm hoping for few rain delays this year, but if the clouds do open up, I'm ready to get down. 
    3. The real organist- Target Field-goers may or may not be aware that the stadium has its own organ player- Sue Nelson- who has been the Twins’ full-time organist since 1999! Look for her upbeat stylings in the 2 Gingers Pub located near sections 214-216. In a game that's constantly evolving, having an organ played live is a sweet nod to the game's longstanding traditions- similar to the players wearing button-up shirts, fans singing "Take Me Out to the Ballgame," and coaches wearing baseball uniforms just like the players. Today, about 50% of MLB ballparks have a live organ player, so Nelson is one of the many reasons why Target Field is so special and unique.
    4. Friday night fireworks- The Twins light up the downtown skyline with postgame fireworks every Friday night game from June to August. They are impressive shows that are accompanied by music- often tying in with the game’s theme (Star Wars songs for Star Wars night, for example). The downtown skyline and the Minne and Paul sign are simply a gorgeous backdrop to the show. The St. Paul Saints also do Fireworks Fridays too. It feels a little strange following up a Twins or Saints loss with fireworks, but the show must go on! Going to these Friday games is one of my favorite summer things to do with my friends because the show is a perfect, multicolor cherry on top to a beautiful evening. 
     

    5. Minnie and Paul shaking hands after a win- Adorable and unique. I really enjoy how Target Field ties in both tradition with modernity (now to get the Twins to start wearing the “M” hats again).  Now that the Saints are over across the river, our favorite centerfield staples seem even more applicable. I also love how they play the same song after every win- 'On Top of the World' by Imagine Dragons.
    6. Artwork outside the stadium- It is clear that the stadium was planned with painstaking detail; even the outside is lovely and unique too. The outside of the stadium is lined with murals and is surrounded with sculptures ranging from Kirby Puckett's iconic homerun trot to the giant glove that fans commonly sit inside to take pictures. Next time you're early for a game, take a lap around the outside of the stadium- I realized at one point that because I always park in the same spot and go in the same entrance, I didn't even quite know all that was there!
    7. Cool giveaways- Though the Twins run a lot of special theme night packages, they still have some cool fan giveaways. The Twins always treat Opening Day fans right by giving away quality items like a Twins puffer vest or hooded zip-up sweatshirt. My siblings in particular love going to bobblehead days. Last year I showed up way early to get a baby blue giveaway jersey. Albeit thin material, it is a quality giveaway and will look great with a little ironing. It even has buttons and the patches!
    rs
    8. The Mascot Race- I love the Mascot Race and taking harmless bets with my buddies on who is going to win (I usually pick Bullseye- the Twins gotta uphold that Target sponsorship so the odds should be good, ya know?) I like Gracie the Gray Duck probably the best though. On Sundays the mascot race is run by cute kinds who rather than wearing the full mascot costume are just wearing mini versions of the mascot heads. The best was when the Twins had fans text in their pick for the race and if they won, they would get a coupon for something free like sunscreen or Oreos at Target. Let's bring that back, eh Twins?
    9. Twingo and the Pick 3 Game- I have never won either but have come close. These are fun ways to be even more invested in the game and pay attention to the game's happenings. My Pick 3 strategy is to pick players who others are not likely to pick. Everyone is going to pick Buxton, so I gotta gain an edge somewhere, right? Then again, like I said I have never won, so proceed with my advice with caution. 

    10. Dollar Dog Night- Nothing beats getting dinner- or following dinner up- with a dollar dog (or two or several). My friends and I enjoy going to these Dollar Dog games and buying round of hotdogs like people do with drinks at bars. They are delicious but not filling, so the amount of Dollar Dogs I could put away if I wanted is dangerous. Last year on a couple occasions I remember the Twins even toasted the inside of the hotdog bun! Not bad for a buck. 
     

     
    That's it for now! I can't wait for another season of games at this beautiful stadium. What are some of your favorite things about Target Field?
     
     
     
     
  9. Melissa Berman
    Well, THAT was a fun weekend in Twins Territory! Here are my jottings and scattered thoughts about the Correa signing and how it went down:
    It was really fun to watch everyone learn about the signing in waves. You had the late-night crew who were up at about 2am Saturday morning when the news broke (*I* was not among this group), followed by the early morning crew who probably consists of people who wake up early for work Monday-Friday and can't sleep in on the weekends, followed by the later morning crew who either had really fun Friday nights or are just night owls. It really makes you wonder what that negotiating process looked like for the news to break at such an odd hour. The fact that there were no leaks/speculation from insiders preceding the signing made it extra exciting- it was a complete and total surprise. I don't want to be overly dramatic and say this is a "where were you when" moment, but for us, wasn't it though? I was among the early morning group who woke up to a multitude of ESPN/ Athletic/ Bleacher Report notifications and ecstatic texts and will not soon forget that moment. Let's say I woke up really fast.   With the barrage of parody insider accounts floating around Twitter, I'm sure some people thought they were being trolled for a few moments. Correa? To the Twins? Yeah, sure.  I love the Twins and baseball so much that I would be excited for the season regardless of projections or status of our lineup. But it feels great to be genuinely excited about something ABOVE and beyond that. We just got the top free agent in all of baseball! Take my money, Target Field box office!   Seriously though, in response to the signing, my brother texted me, "Lol I want to buy more tickets now," and I'm in the same boat. Yes, I sure did take advantage of that no ticket fees flash sale the Twins put on.  What a paradigm shift for this franchise that generally has not paid free agents. Now let's start making pitching moves. Return of the Bomba Squad!? I want a Correa jersey. But we'll need to wait until we receive word of the Nick Gordon vs Carlos Correa jersey #1 situation. Something tells me we will be seeing Correa wearing that #1 around the diamond.. Was I overly harsh on the front office? I'm going to go with no; no one could have expected us to land Correa. It really looked like for a while there we had downgraded at most positions (ie catcher, DH, and no viable starting shortstop). Given that the sole notable free agent move the Twins made before the lockout commenced was signing Dylan Bundy, who would've thought we'd be wheeling and dealing our way into finessing the Yankees AND landing Correa? Correa chose us. It's not like he was traded here against his will. Yes it's a strange contract he's receiving with those buyouts and I know he's trying to set himself up for his next big contract which, in his mind, may or may not be here, but he left the adoring masses in Houston nonetheless. Other teams in bigger markets would have been willing to pay him.  I still wish we had signed Michael Pineda and think it's a mistake we didn't do so; I already miss Big Mike. But more pitching moves have to be coming. Having this starting rotation with Correa on your roster is like having Ikea furniture in your Lake Minnetonka mansion. Time to upgrade.  I cannot wait to watch Correa in a Twins uniform this week, and I'm so excited for the applause he's going to draw on Opening Day Any other takeaways from you? What was your "where were you?" moment of the Correa signing?
  10. Melissa Berman
    Time flies while you’re having fun, but it’s not flying quickly enough, says the MLB.
    During CBA negotiations, the MLB players union agreed to allow the MLB to ban shifts, to implement a pitch clock and to make bases larger (not XL pizza box size- from 15” to 18”) effective the 2023 season, subject to those agreements fitting into a total deal. Though the MLBPA appears to be on board with these changes, baseball fans as a whole are not known as being a particularly flexible folk that is eager to embrace change. Needless to say, these potential changes have sparked some conversation. 
    Regarding a pitch clock in particular, there has been serious talk surrounding adding one for years now (since 2014 specifically), but it was ultimately not adopted in 2018 when the MLB implemented a host of other rule changes with the goal to increase pace of play. The MLB's plan is to implement a 14-second pitch clock with the bases empty and a 19-second clock with runners on base.
    Here are the pros and cons of each side of the pitch clock argument as well as my personal take: 
    Pros
    It will speed up games and increase excitement- The paramount objective of the MLB adding a pitch clock is to improve pace of play, and there seems to be clear evidence that adding one would accomplish this goal. In 2021, a pitch clock experiment in low-A cut game times by 20 minutes using 15-second and 17-second clocks. In case you question if time in between pitches actually is the long game culprit here, a 2014 study found it was.
    A number of extra seconds here and there for a pitcher to do his best Joe Nathan horse exhale doesn’t seem like much, but when around 280-300 pitches are thrown per game, it adds up. These days, games are 20 minutes longer than they were a decade ago, when the average game length was 2:50. That’s a lot of time to be buying ballpark beers. The MLB clearly thinks the ever-increasing game length is a problem, wants to keep its fanbase engaged, and desires to reel in some of its younger fans (not that canceling games exactly accomplishes these goals, but that’s a separate matter entirely). The MLB has the oldest fans among the major sports, with an average age of 57, according to a 2017 survey by Sports Business Journal. (The average NBA, NHL, and NFL fans are 42, 49, and 50, respectively). Recapturing this younger demographic is crucial to the sport's vitality and despite what baseball purists would like to admit, these young fans are the future of the game. It’s the MLB’s hope that increased game speed might also make games more action-packed; games will theoretically be cramming more offense and more action into a lot less time. At the minor league level, albeit with a small sample size, they have seen more runs, higher batting averages, more homeruns, fewer strikeouts and fewer pitchers throwing ball four After this lockout, an increase in game action might be just what the MLB needs to return to relevance (or maybe they’ll just juice the balls again).
    Existing pace of play measures are already in place- Adding a pitch clock isn’t exactly new territory in the MLB- there are already time parameters set up by the MLB for warmup pitches, inning changes, and limiting mound visits, so adding a pitch clock is the logical next step. In the minor leagues, pitch clocks of some sort have been in place for the last seven seasons- it had only been in Double A and Triple A before the 2021 season- and minor leaguers didn’t seem to think it was that big of a deal. In addition, because pitch clocks have already been around in some form for more than a handful of years, the number of MLB hitters who have never played in one of those leagues with a clock is now down to slightly more than two per team. The number of pitchers who have never pitched with a clock is around three per team. Of course though there are a number of veterans who have never stared down a clock, and they are vocal, but the times are a changin'.  
    14/ 19 seconds is enough time for a pitcher to begin his delivery-  Assuming the MLB keeps with what was implemented in the minor leagues, the pitch clock will not begin to run until the pitcher has the ball on the mound. That should be enough time to check the count and outs, communicate with his catcher, and otherwise go through his established routine.
    Cons
    Decline in pitching statistics?- I’ll be curious to see what the effect of an MLB pitch clock is on pitching statistics. According to the Athletic, the average fastball velocity without a 15 second clock is 92.3 mph which is nearly the same as with one at 92.4 mph. However, this data comes from a relatively small sample size of minor league play. There’s also more to pitches than just speed- movement and quality of a pitch. Even if fastball velocity with the clock is the same, which in the MLB it very well might not be, it makes theoretical sense the break or movement of a pitch could be affected because of less recovery time and less time for pitchers to get set. After all, the minor leagues have already seen increased batting statistics like batting average and homeruns. Despite initial findings that velocity might not be greatly affected, clearly something is going on, unless all those statistics are flukes. Could a pitch clock lead to increased arm fatigue in pitchers or the need for pitchers with greater stamina?  All of these thoughts are cons if you’re ya know, a pitcher, or love a good pitcher’s duel. 
    Hitters and pitchers shouldn’t be rushed- In the major leagues, every pitch matters and the pitch type is selected based on the batter and the current game situation. A catcher needs time to work through the current game situation, put down a sign, and potentially put down another sign if the pitcher shakes it off. It’s a chess match, and there is a lot to process. Minor leaguers report hitters too are impacted by pitch clock. Hitters are aware that every at bat is significant. Big leaguers, especially older veterans, have been raised with the idea that when you’re at the plate, it’s your time; they have established and ingrained routines which yes, might involve messing with their batting gloves between every pitch. Being held to a time clock would be a big mindset switch.
    Pitch clocks are antithetical to baseball- Baseball is an inherently slower paced sport. There isn’t nonstop action and movement and an incessant flurry of scoring- try basketball or hockey. The fact that it is the only North American sport to be played without a clock is one of the things that makes baseball unique. And is 2 hours and 50 minutes that much different than 3 hours and 10 minutes? Because it’s inherently a slower paced sport, might the people who are bored at 3:10 still be bored at 2:50? Does shaving off 20 minutes justify potentially altering the feel of the game with its ebbs and flows of suspense? Arguably, it’s a case of the MLB adding more unnecessary rules to further regulate the game. Going to the ballpark is an experience, and people who go plan on spending their entire afternoon or evening there anyway. Also it may sound petty, but installing big blinking pitch blocks where batters and pitchers can each see them sounds like an eyesore.  
    My take
    I am such a devout baseball fan that I don’t mind the current length of games or pace of play. I enjoy the relaxed nature of the sport and how there isn’t an omnipresent clock incessantly ticking down like a football play clock. There are other pace of play measures in place and I’m of the opinion that those are enough. The MLB sure isn’t interested in cutting down commercial breaks to shorten game length, that’s for sure. However, now that the MLBPA is on board, I’m curious to see what effect it has on games once implemented, and maybe we won't even notice the change before too long. And besides, it *was* kind of nice walking out of Target Field at 9:30 p.m. on April 23, 2021 (2:17 game duration) when J.A. Happ had a no hitter going into the 8th inning and thus caused the game to go hyperspeed. Time will tell, but regardless, change is here- whether we like it or not.
     
    Feature photo: Taylor Rogers warms up in relief of J.A. Happ on April 23, 2021
  11. Melissa Berman

    Goodbye to the Bringer of Rain

    By Melissa Berman,


    Melissa's Blog
    The Minneapolis forecast has cleared up, and Josh Donaldson is now a Yankee.
    After the Josh Donaldson news broke, I instinctively ran to twitter and tweeted, "Josh Donaldson skyrocketed to being one of my favorite Twins ever and I'm going to miss him." I got a few incredulous replies, so I thought I'd expand on it. 
    Is Josh Donaldson a player who is or should be beloved in our hearts among all-time Twins like Harmon Killebrew, Tony O, Kirby Puckett, and Rod Carew? No, of course not- all those players have well-deserved near untouchable status in Twins lore (so please don't nominate me for KFAN's Preposterous Statement Tournament). Donaldson's time with the Twins was short and somewhat plagued by injuries. But it was unbelievably fun having Donaldson on our team. I loved his bravado, his personality, and how he was willing to go to bat against anyone (both literally and figuratively). It was fascinating to have a widely known and respected voice in the league within our own clubhouse- someone who was unafraid to be unapologetically controversial at times. In my lifetime, I do not recall a Twin with a personality as strong as him- he has swagger, chutzpah. Donaldson is one of those players who you love to have on your team but you hate to play against because they have the tendency to get under your skin (Patrick Beverly is our current Timberwolves equivalent).
    His live tweeting the World Series was both entertaining and insightful, and he seemed accessible to fans in a way that few other professional athletes are today. I was excited when the Twins made a rare, big free agent splash when they signed him January 2020 in the aftermath of 2019's Bomba Squad homerun outbreak. Despite him not being the quality starting pitching I vocally pined for, I was excited that the Twins were finally willing to spend some money to take a leap when traditionally the Twins have not made legitimate efforts to pursue flashy and promising free agents. Ultimately, I understand why the Twins made the deal to send Donaldson to the Bronx- the Twins gave themselves some big payroll flexibility and got a likely regular DH in return in Sánchez- but it was fun having him on the Twins while the storm lasted.  
    So farewell to the Rain Maker and I hope you continue to bring the showers- but why does it have to be for the Yankees!?
     

  12. Melissa Berman
    Let’s say earlier this winter, as you shivered at home and headed out into the dark night of 4:30 p.m. in Minnesota to rev up the snowblower, your mind drifted to baseball and spring training. Sure, there was some CBA uncertainty at the time, but that was a mere specter miles and months off in the distance. You haven’t been able to go to spring training for the last two years, so Spring Training 2022 sounds extra enticing. And Rob Manfred- that confident, seasoned, labor industry-tested lawyer, is unequivocally confident that he will find a way to get the season underway on time. After all, he’s found a way every time! What could possibly go wrong?
    Fast forward to *checks watch* right about now, and you find yourself with Fort Myers airfare, lodging, and lots of time on your hands. What are you going to do with it?
    Never fear, Melissa the Fort Myers vet is here!
     
    Go to the Spring Training Complex Anyway You traveled all the way down there, you might as well pay a visit to the scene of the crime at this point. The Lee County Sports Complex is home to Hammond Stadium, where both the Twins and the Ft. Myers Mighty Mussels of the Single-A Southeast League play, and a number of practice fields. The complex is beautiful and impressive- both Hammond Stadium and the grounds. With the constant hive of activity in the complex, you should be able to to just drive right in and grab parking. The parking lot lanes are all labeled with street signs named after different legendary Twins, so grab your picture by your favorite one. There is some cool artwork on the complex’s buildings and backstops including my favorite, commemorating Kirby Puckett’s walk off homerun in game 6 of the 1991 World Series.

    You can also catch some minor league action with some batting practice or bullpens on the adjoining practice fields as well- as we well know, the lockout doesn't apply to *them*. There’s also a Twins Pro Shop located in the front of the stadium. During the off-season when I have visited, I’ve been able to walk into stadium and grab some pictures of the field as well. Everyone I have interacted at the complex have been unbelievably friendly and accommodating. JetBlue Park, the Boston Red Sox’s spring training facility, is located just across town and is also cool to see. It is essentially a mini Fenway Park- green monster and all (but Hammond Stadium is better, for obvious reasons). As a fun fact- Hammond Stadium was modeled after Churchill Downs!

    Chug a bunch of juice samples at Sun Harvest Citrus After you stroll around the Twins’ spring training facility, hop over to one of my every trip must-visit places- Sun Harvest Citrus. It is only one mile away from the stadium and thus unsurprisingly a favorite amongst Twins players, according to the employees I’ve talked to there. My favorite part of Sun Harvest is the six kinds of free juice samples. The Strawberry Orange juice is my personal favorite, but of course I have to sample each one. I visited here last in November 2021 and can confirm the juice samples are up and running in their usual non-covid times glory.

    I usually always get an ice cream cone here too- I get chocolate, but they have festive Florida flavors like Key Lime and Orange as well. There’s a nice gift shop, areas to sit outside, a small play area, and I always get my picture with the giant orange outside.

    My usual chocolate ice cream cone at Sun Harvest Citrus
     

    Me and my brother with the giant orange!
    Frolic around the town of Fort Myers Beach (and avoid the spring breakers) The town of Fort Myers Beach is a hopping home to a myriad of resorts, shops, restaurants, bars, and of course its namesake beach. Whenever in Fort Myers Beach, I love walking out on the fishing pier, checking out the shops surrounding the times Square area (named after a prominently placed clock in the middle of downtown Fort Myers Beach), and of course spending time on the beach itself. For some beach reading, I'd recommend "One Tough Out" by Rod Carew and "Game Used" by Dick Bremer.
    Last time I stayed on Fort Myers Beach, I in particular enjoyed eating at a restaurant called the Salty Crab because we got to eat directly out on the sand on a table illuminated by a single light the waitress clipped onto our umbrella stand. The Island-themed Yucatan Beach Stand was also memorable for me because its bar chairs were all swings! One night we also got some really good Mexican food at Mr. Tequila, located a little off the main strip.
    Various companies on the island offer dolphin cruises, during which hopefully some happy, non-captive ocean dolphins will come ride the waves of your boat. There are also deep sea fishing excursions to be had, though this is not my personal cup of tea. My family loves playing Jungle Golf every time we visit the Fort Myers Beach area as well. Beware that spring training time is also spring break time, so Fort Myers Beach will be extra busy. Fort Myers Beach tends to draw a ton of college kids, but also families as well. However, I have always been able to find beach parking on the street or in parking lots no problem. If not, however, you could try parking at Bowditch Point Park, which is a nature preserve at the northern end of Fort Myers Beach.
     
    Fort Myers Beach Pier

    Times Square, Fort Myers Beach
     

    Bar swings at Yucatan Beach Stand 
    Go for a stroll at the Six Mile Cyprus Slough Reserve  Located less than three miles from Hammond Stadium, the Six Mile Cyprus Slough Reserve is one of my favorite places to go walking in the area. It features a 1.2 mile boardwalk over a beautiful, wooded wetland. Keep your eyes out for alligators, turtles, otters, and wading birds. Lakes Park is another pretty albeit more developed walking option that I’ve enjoyed visiting too- it features walking and biking trails and a boardwalk over the lake.
    Catch some college baseball Fort Myers is home to the Division I Florida Gulf Coast University Eagles. If you have a fever and the only prescription is more baseball, the Eagles play a number of home games during the month of March. The Eagles recently hosted the Gophers on February 23 and unfortunately that resulted in a 13-5 loss for my beloved alma mater. Though not the Twins, sitting outside in the Florida sunshine to watch any sort of baseball sounds pretty dang lovely.
    Visit Manatee Park Naples (not right now though) The caveat is that currently, now in early March, the manatees have mostly departed for greener pastures aka the warm water in the gulf. However, if you visit the area during the winter or on the early end of spring training in February, it’s likely manatees will be present in the park. Manatees are warm blooded, docile critters that flock to this park during the winter months of late December, January, and February because the water in the nearby gulf is below 68F- the coldest temperature manatees can be to maintain a safe internal body temperature. A nearby power plant warms the water as a byproduct of its operation, and manatees have figured this out and come to this park as a warm and cozy place of refuge. The park also rents kayaks. Check out the park’s website for recent news regarding sightings before venturing out to see these beautiful, peaceful creatures.
    Bop around Sanibel and Captiva Islands Nearby Sanibel and Captiva Islands are well worth a day’s excursion and have some pristine beaches, unique restaurants, and some beautiful houses. My beach takes: The easiest beach parking is at Bowman’s Beach- which has a giant surface lot. The beach itself is lovely white sand and undeveloped. Lighthouse Beach Park has pretty scenery and a lovely, historic lighthouse, but I have found that this beach is crowded and not as nice and sandy as the other ones on the island- lots of sharp shells. Most of the people visiting this beach last time appeared to be here shelling, so it’s worth a stop if you’d like to see the lighthouse or seek out some sea shells (say that five times fast). Captiva Beach is at the very end of Captiva Island. It has a very small parking lot, but I’ve always had luck finding a spot here. Even if you drive to the end of the island and are unable to find a beach parking spot here, it’s still worth the drive to see all the beautiful houses along the way, each of which has its own unique name and sign out front proclaiming it. I've eaten at a bright pink restaurant called the Lazy Flamingo a couple of times- they have two locations on the islands.
     There will likely be long lines of traffic to exit the island if you want to stay for the the sunset, but if you want to get a jump on traffic, you can pull off onto the Sanibel Causeway Beaches and watch the sunset there.

    Lighthouse Beach Park, Sanibel
    Do some Twins reading or pondering at Lover’s Key State Park If the hustle and bustle of Fort Myer’s Beach isn’t your scene (or even if it is), Lover’s Key State Park is a 15 minute drive to the end of Estero Island from the Times Square area of Fort Myers Beach. It has two miles of untarnished, undeveloped, and beautiful white sand beaches and is surrounded by Florida’s famous mangrove trees. This would be a great place to get away and think about life’s great questions, such as the impact of modern baseball analytics on managerial decisions and the decline of bunting in the MLB.

    Reading Dick Bremer's book at Lover's Key!
    9. Get a history lesson at Edison Ford Winter Estates
    If you're a fan of history like I am, you might like The Edison and Ford Winter Estates in Fort Myers.  it has a historical museum and 21 acre botanical garden alongside the winter homes of Thomas Edison and Henry Ford beside the Caloosahatchee River. I haven't visited the museum since I was a kid, but I remember loving seeing Edison's winter workshop in particular. 
    10. Visit Naples (No, not Italy)
    Naples is a gorgeous city about 55 minutes or so from Fort Myers. There's a super fancy shopping area called Fifth Avenue South that will be lined with Maseratis and Lamborghinis, the Naples Pier, and some incredible mansions. My family grew up going to nearby Vanderbilt Beach as well. When I visited Naples a few months ago, my best friend and I had a lot of fun driving around town and looking at the houses and walking out on Naples Pier. 
    Fifth Avenue South in Naples
     
     
  13. Melissa Berman

    Shortened Season- A Win for Twins?

    By Melissa Berman,


    Melissa's Blog
    Among my friends, I’m known as being a bit of a Minnesota sports optimist. I’m the type of person who, when it’s at the end of the NFL season and the Vikings hold a 11% chance of making it to the playoffs IF the Vikings beat the Packers at Lambeau, the Washington Football team beats the Eagles, AND the terrible, tanking Texans beat the Niners, I’m all in on following those scenarios.
    Next week sounds like it will feature a marathon of bargaining sessions as the MLB and its owners and the MLB Players Association work to iron out differences in their CBA proposals. However, unless things really begin to pick up, we might be looking at the reality of a shortened regular season. But could a shortened season be good for the Twins on multiple fronts? Here is a look at a shortened season through an optimistic lens.
    1. Smaller sample size
    One of the truths of baseball is that most things tend to even out to their natural state by the end of the season in a theory called "Regression Towards the Mean." In all sports, there is certainly some luck involved. However, in baseball and its gauntlet of a 162 game regular season, over the long run most things average out, including batting averages, pitching performance, and wins for a team. But what happens if the season is short enough that things can’t regress to that mean? What if the Twins start hot and then just stay hot?
    Twins leadership has maintained they anticipate being competitive in 2022 despite trading José Berríos to the Toronto Blue Jays at the MLB trade deadline last season and not pursuing any flashy free agent starting pitchers before the lockout commenced (we hardly ever do). I am not saying that I do not anticipate the Twins being competitive this season, but our favorite ballclub certainly has their work cut out for them once the lockout ends, including a pressing need to sign two starting pitchers, a starting shortstop, and a late-inning reliever. 
    Thus, with such an uncertain rotation, glaring roster holes, and the jury still out on the future of some of their prospects like Royce Lewis, maybe the smaller the sample size for the Twins, the better. It seemed that last season was a perfect storm for the Twins in which the majority of their players were slumping or injured all at the same time. It is feasible the opposite could happen- multiple players could have career seasons. Maybe less games in 2022 would be beneficial to the Twins and if they started hot, would not allow them to regress to a mean which included statistics like finishing the 2021 season with the 17th best batting average at .241 and the 26th best ERA at 4.83. A somewhat anecdotal example illustrating sample size- do you favor the Twins' odds more in a one game playoff with the Yankees or a full series? ("Neither" is not an acceptable answer, thank you very much). There's sample size for ya.
    Another note- the last time the Twins won the division it was in a small sample size 60-game season. More on that later.
    2. Less injuries for star veterans
    A shortened season would also benefit the Twins because less games means less wear and tear on their injury-prone stars. Josh Donaldson has struggled with recurring calf issues throughout his career- in a July 2020 Instragram post, Donaldson acknowledged that he’s torn “both of my calves a total of seven times in two years.” Calf issues held him to 28 games in 2020 and forced him to sit out of the playoffs that year. During the full 2021 season, Donaldson got in 135 games but was bothered by hamstring issues. He will be 36 for the 2022 season, and while he still can bring the rain, there is little doubt less games would be of great benefit to him.
    The most evident beneficiary of a shorter season is Byron Buxton. To be clear, I was incredibly excited about the Buxton extension and did not remotely believe his injuries were a reason to not resign him, as many of his injuries have stemmed from somewhat freak occurrences like getting hit by a pitch (2020 and 2021) or fouling a ball off his toe (2018). To me, it is unfair to label him as being "made out of glass" from these instances of bad luck that could happen to anyone. Regardless, in looking at his game log through his entire Twins career- he has played triple digit games only once- 140 games in 2017. It is inarguable that the Twins are a much better team when Buxton is in the lineup; since the beginning of 2019, the Twins have played at a 99-win pace when Byron Buxton is in their starting lineup and an 81-win pace when he isn't. Therefore, less games would mean less wear and tear on their star centerfielder's body, which hopefully would result in him being in the starting lineup more regularly. More Buxton starts, more wins.
    3. Games (almost) solely against AL Central teams

    In 2020, the MLB faced another shortened season with only 60 games played due to the pandemic and boy, did it work out well for the Twins. During this season, the Twins played 10 games vs each of their four AL Central opponents and 20 games against NL opponents. The Twins won the American League Central division title for the second year in a row and had winning or .500 records against each of their AL Central opponents. The Twins were 13-7 in the 20 NL games they played. Maybe they just do better when avoiding beatdowns from the likes of the Yankees, Red Sox, Dodgers, and Athletics- if you can imagine that (sarcasm). A shortened season would probably follow a similar model; with little time to waste, divisional games would be prioritized.
    If you dig into this 2021 wins matrix, you will see that despite the Twins having a decidedly disappointing season with their 73-89 record, the Twins played disproportionally well vs each of their AL Central opponents with the exception of the White Sox, who ran away with the AL Central title and had their most wins as a franchise since the 2005 season. Despite landing in last in the AL Central rankings, the Twins went 11-8 vs the Cleveland Guardians, 11-8 vs the Detroit Tigers, and 9-10 vs the Kansas City Royals. Of all the other AL teams the Twins faced, the only other AL series the Twins won were vs the tied-for-league-worst Baltimore Orioles, the Houston Astros, and the Texas Rangers. Every other AL series the Twins lost, thus making the fact that the Twins won or were almost .500 vs all their divisional opponents (yes, except the White Sox- but the Twins were 5-5 vs them in 2020 and we'll get 'em next year) significant. Nothing says they couldn't perform similarly well vs their division opponents in 2022.
    Even though there is nothing more I would like to do more than try to beat my personal record for number of home games I attend during a Twins season, I take heart knowing that a shortened season could very well shake out in the Twins' favor. Just a little optimism for you on this windy, spring training-less day.
     
    Feature photo: Fireworks Friday after a 6-4 loss to the Astros on June 11, 2021
    Photo: Byron Buxton warming up in the on deck circle during an extremely hot and muggy game I attended on June 10, 2021. Buxton went yard twice and returned to the outfield in what was the first game of his Saints rehab stint.

  14. Melissa Berman

    Twins Valentine's Day Cards!

    By Melissa Berman,


    Melissa's Blog
    Happy Valentine's Day! Today as I watched all our other local sports teams post their annual Valentine's Day pun cards featuring their team's players, I connected the dots that the Twins can't do that this year because of the lockout. So, I made some cards instead! I hope you like them, and if not, I hope our love isn't ~Ober.~
     
    All player images are courtesy of ESPN.com

















  15. Melissa Berman

    Hello + Stealing Home from the Hot Corner

    By Melissa Berman,


    Melissa's Blog
    Hello Twins fans and fanatics!
    My name is Melissa, and I’m romantic about baseball, the Twins, and Dollar Dog Night.
    I'm so excited to be starting up this blog to share my hot takes, musings, and ramblings about all things Twins baseball. 
    My deep love for the Twins comes from a baseball and softball-centric upbringing. 
    Growing up, softball truly was the love of my life. Like many little girls, my mom first tried putting me in dance. My dear readers, I *hated* dance. One of my most vivid memories entails me angrily crawling around on the floor of my mom’s minivan as she drove me to another dreaded dance rehearsal in a stuffy church basement. It was not a match. 
    So, my parents stuck me in tee ball; my older sister played softball and of course I wanted to be ~just like her.~ I loved softball more than anything- I loved bunting and sliding, I loved practicing and executing rundowns but NOT getting into them, I loved my Jennie Finch glove, I loved tournaments and my jersey tan lines, I loved playing CF and 3B, I loved the number 12, and I loved being part of a team. Before I traded all my fast twitch muscles to the devil for the slow twitch marathon runner muscles I have today, I was an incredibly fast baserunner. Always the fastest on my team and usually the fastest overall at softball tryouts. In softball my favorite thing of all was stealing home- I’d take a larger than usual leadoff off third base aka the hot corner. The catcher would shoot me daggers and think ‘what the heck is this girl doing?’ and then the second her wrist snapped to throw the ball back to the pitcher, I’d be charging full speed towards home. I think I made it in safety every time.
    Growing up, and thanks to my parents, I went to a myriad of games at my beloved Metrodome. I have fond memories of arriving hours before weekend games to line up for Hormel bobblehead or bat giveaways and staying after the game to run the bases on Sundays. I think it’s an interesting cultural change that even in the past 10 or 15 or so years that people don’t really go crazy over these giveaways of material collectibles anymore and that teams don’t do as many of them. I’m admittedly quite a nostalgic person, so look for a blog post where I wax nostalgic about my favorite parts of the Dome sometime soon. 
    We also went to Twins fest regularly, where I have wonderful memories of meeting players like Harmon Killebrew, who yes, was truly every bit as kind and warm as everyone says, and I attended uncountable free autograph signings at Cub Foods and Twins Pro Shop locations. Again, you don’t really see autograph signings like that anymore, and if you do, you might have to pay for the autograph. 
    These days, I’m an attorney, competitive Nordic (cross country) skier, marathon runner, and ski coach.  I love golfing and have to be frequently reminded to not “kill the ball”- a vestige from my softball days and a desire to swing as hard as I possible. I am a fierce advocate for women in sports and am proud to mentor both the boys and girls I coach.  
    I attend around 30+ Twins home games a year, a handful or two of Saints games, and I’m hoping to road trip out to Chicago to catch a White Sox beatdown with some college friends this season as well. I love going to Spring Training and have a goal to visit as many MLB stadiums as possible. 
    Some of my hot takes and views include a moderate aversion to modern analytics and using them to “overmanage” (especially in the playoffs), a disappointment in the disappearance  of bunting, an annoyance in the Twins’ aversion to spend money on quality starting pitching, a belief that "The Trop" is a wonderful stadium, and being kind of bummed that the NL added the universal DH. 
    That’s more than enough about me for now. Thanks for reading, and I’ll see you around the diamond! (Hopefully.. hop to it, Manfred!)
     

  16. Melissa Berman
    A wise gal once said “Cold days like these have me dreaming about baseball.”
    Actually, that was me on Twitter a few days ago.
    Regardless, here we are on the eve of yet another meeting between Major League Baseball and the MLB Players Association, where on February 12 the MLB and its owners plan to make a new proposal to the MLBPA. As I’m sure we all know, thus far very little progress has been made and both sides remain quite far apart on issues ranging from service time rules to free agency structure. The pace of negotiations has thus far been definitively glacial. 
    Here's a theory that gives me some hope that the CBA negotiation pace is going to pick up big time- hopefully starting with this February 12 meeting. Spring training makes way more money now than it did even 10 years ago; it’s big business. The price of tickets continues to rise and complexes are becoming more built out. It’s a whole experience (and might I mention, a wonderful one for those lucky enough to find themselves at Hammond Stadium- I'll give my Fort Myers sightseeing guide in a future blog post). Therefore, the MLB has a real incentive to not only prevent the disruption of regular season games, but to prevent the loss of spring training games as well and the scores of beer-buying, sunburnt snowbirds they draw. Here’s an interesting graph courtesy of the the online ticket marketplace Tickpick showing the average price of spring training tickets per team on its platform as of 2020- the Twins appear to be on the lower end of prices.
    As a quick aside, I did not view the MLB's desire to use a mediator as negatively as the players did. I actually thought it was a good idea- we've seen it work recently in other sports like the NHL's 2012-2013 lockout. The players rejected the use of the mediator, saying that they did not need to use one because their proposals have been "fair." I do side with the players, but in my opinion each side believes they are being fair in their proposals- the impasse remains anyway. I thought a mediator might help the parties work through the hyper-toxic environment we have seen during the negotiating process. However, mediation isn't not happening, so hopefully the two sides can work through their differences one-on-one. As mentioned above, spring training profits likely provide an extra incentive for the MLB to move things along on their end. The players, on the other hand, don't get paid until regular season Opening Day (meaning they do not get paid for spring training).
    So for now I'll keep daydreaming about baseball and remain optimistic that a deal will get done. But really, as I look outside and see steam pouring out of chimneys, how nice does a 73 degree June night at Target Field, Dollar Dog in hand, sound right about now?
     
    By the way, any pictures I use on my blog/within its posts are my own!
    Below: Centurylink Sports Complex in 2019. There are a bunch of walls with really cool artwork and murals that line the complex's buildings and backstops.
    Feature photo: Spring training game I attended on March 6, 2018 during law school spring break, an 8-9 loss to the Orioles. Wave to TC down the third baseline!

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