Doubles

This looks like a wasted challenge.

Great sign for Dozier to stay back on that off-speed pitch on the outer half and plunk it into right field. That's an easy grounder to short if he tries to pull it.

Santana was one of the players I saw working in the batting cages early in the morning both days I went to spring training. Like seeing hard work pay off.

Nice hanger to Kipnis. Nolasco Fiasco getting an early start tonight.

Sano hasn't taken any ground balls at 3B since he reported to camp. And now people are clamoring for him to be moved to a position 100 feet away from home plate where balls come off the bat like missiles? Errrr, no. I don't think so.

I'mma give you the benefit of the doubt and venture to guess that you don't really think this would solve all the offensive woes.

Good gravy, here's what I felt like trying to determine what happened when Rosario made that out on the bases on the ball Mauer hit based on Gladden's 'call'.

We're gonna have to get used to all these strikeouts. The makeup of this team is such that they are gonna whiff, and whiff a lot. That's just the nature of quite a few hitters in the Twins lineup this year. They're gonna strike out a lot, and I think they're gonna hit a good number of taters and score quite a few runs, too. We're gonna have to learn to take the bad with the good...

How did I not find out before today that as a paying subscriber of DirecTV, and with FSN included in my subscription, that I can stream all games via the Fox Sports To Go app?

Thanks for that, Paul Douglas.

Agree with Gagne at shortstop here. Eight seasons with the Twins, infield anchor on both World Series champs, extremely durable, and ultra-dependable. Gags had his flaws and was far from perfect, but I can't think of a shortstop in the history of this team that accomplished what he did.

If you haven't yet seen the Buxton catch, do yourself a favor & check it out. Jim Edmonds made some of the very best catches I've ever seen. This play by Buxton is every bit as good as some of those Edmonds used to make quite regularly.

BH the DH

Didn't CC Sabathia come under fire for his lack of conditioning (and for eating like an entire box of Cap'N'Crunch for breakfast each day) around the time his ERA went up about a run-and-half in 2013?

I would generally agree with the comments in the first paragraph above, but I feel a bit of context is needed here. Going home & visiting the family on winter break? No issue whatsoever when worded that way. But given the impression that Sano would be in one spot (back at camp early next week) only to be somewhere else for an 'extended' period (visiting family in the DR for two weeks) is a bit of a red flag, especially if the communication / expectation between player & team was in question. 'Switching agencies'- wording, again- not an issue on its face. But teams are well within their rights to have concerns about their players' lifestyle choices and who they run with away off the field. I think it's a bit naïve to think an organization wouldn't have any concerns about potential distractions stemming from one of their players aligning with one of the most powerful, influential men on the music scene. I find zero fault with this article at all. Reusse knows a thing or two about baseball and had quotes from the manager. I read at as a measuring stick for where Miguel Sano is at in his career right now. He's 22 years old, far from being at a fork in the road career-wise. Plenty of time to figure it out. I, for one, am glad to learn the Twins have their 'thumb on the pulse' here. Much rather read this column now than read the indictment about how Sano's 'lack of professionalism' has us asking 'What might have been' ten years from now.

I'll be in Fort Myers next week. There are games each day starting at 1:05 pm. Anyone know what time of day a baseball junkie should get to Hammond so as not to miss anything? What time of day do things start happening there? Thanks in advance for any answers...

Nothing personal, but I hope you don't get cast as a reliever on the downhill side of his pitching career in a movie that tries really hard to otherwise look semi-legit.

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Herndon must have been dinged up, but I couldn't find anything on that. That's the only explanation I can think of for pinch-running a pitcher for an OF with decent speed, which Herndon was.

LH batting Dave Bergman started the game at DH against RH Les Straker. In the bottom of the 3rd, TK replaced Straker with LH Dan Schatzeder. Sparky went to RH Larry Herndon, who hit a two-run double off Schatzeder to stretch the Tigers lead to 5-0. The Twins would score 2 runs in each of the 4th, 6th, and 7th innings, and what was a 5-0 Tigers lead evaporated into a 6-5 score in favor of the Twins. Herndon lead off the bottom of the 8th against Reardon by lining a single to LF. Now this may be where the question comes in: Herndon was lifted for a pinch-runner. I am wondering if Herndon may have had a bum ankle? Anyways, who was inserted as the pinch-runner? That is my easy-peasy trivia question. Tom Brookens foul-popped a bunt attempt that was caught by Hrbek. Sheridan came up with one out and one on, and drilled a Reardon offering into the upper deck in RF at Tiger Stadium. After staring down a possible 3 games to 0 deficit, the Tigers suddenly had life. But it wouldn't last very long.

I also remember Bruno hitting a dinger I believe in the 9th inning of Game Five. One of the highest homers I've ever seen. Seemed to take forever to come down, and landed one or two rows back behind the left field fence if I recall correctly. That was the moment when I was like, "Ooooooh, wow! The Twins are going to the World Series!!!! Yeah boyyyyyyyy!"

I believe you're thinking of the decisive Game 5. I remember listening to that game on the radio at school that day. I had a little Sony Walkman radio (remember those?). I took one of the headphones off the headset. Made sure to wear a long-sleeve shirt that day. Radio in my pants pocket, shirt untucked. I ran the cord from the headset up my shirt and down the sleeve of my left arm. Held the earphone speaker in my left hand, and leaned my head on it. Was able to listen to John Gordon and the legendary Herb Carneal call all the action right in class. None of the other students, much less any teachers, figured out I was listening to the whole game. Game 3 also may have been a day game. That was when Pat Sheridan hit an eighth-inning two-run-dinger off Jeff Reardon to take a 7-6 lead the Tigers would hold onto for their only win in the series. Trivia time: Name the pinch-runner that entered the game for Larry Herndon in the bottom of the 8th, who would go on to score ahead of Sheridan on his dinger? This is a pretty easy one, actually...

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Barring a total collapse by a lotta guys, they're gonna be fun to watch next year as well. You're not a bad fan at all for as long as you've followed them. But man, allow yourself to "enjoy the moment" a bit here. Relevant, meaningful baseball in September. That's a big part of what we, as fans, live for. http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-N0O7FQuYzXo/U-vKVNjpMhI/AAAAAAAAASQ/PTu8zYpoRN8/s1600/shawshank2.jpg

One of my favorite and in my opinion one of baseball's most unheralded players ever made two fantastic plays at third base last night. 404 career HRs (a rare club at 3rd base), closing in on 2,700 hits, and an elite defender. Does he make it to the HOF? Or does he need either those 300 more hits or 96 more taters?