Troy Larson

Originally posted at http://troystwinsdugout.wordpress.com/2014/01/26/twins-fest-highlights/ Hello Twins fans! Well, the Twins season is a couple of months away. I thought I’d share some of the highlights from my experience at Twins Fest atTarget Field yesterday. It was certainly a different experience from the years past at the Metrodome. Also, I think this is probably the best opportunity to experience certain parts of the ball park that fans normally wouldn’t go to during game days. To start with, dad and I didn’t get there till after three o’clock since we had some other commitment. Normally, dad and I go in the morning on Saturdays. We spent the first forty minutes or so hanging out in the Legend’s Club listening to the Twins Fest coverage on 96.3 KTWN. By the way, if you find Legend’s Club tickets on Stub Hub for $20, I’d do that for any Twins game. The tickets are normally $68. That way, you’ve a place to go when it rains. Then, the real highlights began. Dad and I started walking around. Next thing we know, a lady ushered us towards the press box. The press box has several doors to the various radio and tv booths along with the booths for the general managers of the Twins and visiting teams. The one thing I was surprised about was tat there were braille signs on each one of the doors. And for the Twins radio booth, the sign actually said, “John Gordon Radio Booth.” Funny thing is, I find it hard that the numbers for the different booths were decimals. Even some of the signs I read on the service level had a decimal for a number. Now, we’ll move on to some of the other highlights. Dad and I went outside to the concourse. It was sure quiet out there. We didn’t really have an actual plan in mind although we’d eventually make our way to where the Twins clubhouse was. When we came to an elevator, we were thinking of going up to check out the party deck that we’d heard about. Plans however changed when we got on the elevator. Dad asked a gentleman if we could go up to the party deck. We couldn’t, but round up on the service level. On the service level, there were several Twins offices and also the champions Club which is for the really expensive tickets. This is also where the Twins clubhouse and manager’s office were. We had to wait in line to get to tour the clubhouse, but the wait wasn’t long. First thing we checked out was the manager’s office. I’d say that it’s like most offices except that there was a podium along with some scorecards on the walls for various games in Ron Gardenhire’s career. Then we came to the clubhouse. The clubhouse I’d describe as an upscale locker room. Instead of lockers on either side, there were cubicles for the players. In the center were some coutches and chairs. Also, there’s a training room and a snack room as well. Dad and I didn’t do much after we toured the clubhouse. We went back to the Legend’s Club and listen to members of the Twins radio and television teams talk Twins baseball and didn’t leave till quarter of six. I’d say that if you want to go to something where you have increased access to the ball park, Twins Fest is the way to go provide it they have it a Target Field next year. I wouldn’t be surprised if they move it to the new Vikings stadium come 2017. For one thing, There aren’t a lot of things for little kids. Plus, they had to put a limit on how many fans could come. Having Twins Fest at the new Vikings stadium will allow for more activities and more fans to come. However, I’d say that this was an unique Twins Fest this year. I got to go to some of the other areas of the ball park. One thingI will say is it was sure weird not having a game going on at Target Field. But, it won’t be long till Spring Training starts. And once that happens, that means that the Twins season is not far off.

Originally Posted at http://troystwinsdugout.wordpress.com/2014/01/16/comparing-jack-morris-to-pitchers-inducted-by-veterans-committee/ Last week, the inductees were announced for the Baseball Hall of Fame. They were Pitchers Greg Maddux and Tom Glavine along with Frank Thomas. Along with these players, managers Bobby Cox, Tony Larussa and Joe Torre were inducted by the veterans committee. One player who deserves to be in the Hall Of Fame is Jack Morris. This year, he received 61.5 percent of the vote by the Baseball Writers Association of America, falling short of the 75 percent needed to be inducted. Last year, Morris received 67.7 percent of the vote, which was the highest vote total Morris had received. Morris, who finished his career with a 254-186 career record, would have the highest ERA of any pitchers in the Hall of Fame at 3.90. His next opportunity to be elected into the Hall Of Fame is in 2017 by the Veterans Committee. Now, what I really want to discuss is some of the other pitchers that have been inducted into the Baseball Hall Of Fame by the veterans committee. Jim Bunning pitched from 1955-1971 in the Majors, ending up with a win loss record of 224-184. Inducted into the Hall Of Fame by Veterans Committee in 1996, Bunning did not pitch in a World Series. He only won 20 games once and has a lower career ERA than Jack Morris at 3.27. He walked exactly 1000 batters in his career compared with 1390 walks by Morris. Bunning fanned 2855 batters compared with Morris’s total of 2478. Bunning struck out 200 or more batters in 6 seasons to Morris’s 200 or more strikeouts in 3 seasons. Jesse Haines is another pitcher who was voted in by the Veterans Committee. Inducted in 1970 , Haines pitched for 17 seasons in the Majors, most of which were with the St. Louis Cardinals in the 1920′s and 30′s. He didn’t strike out has many hitters as Morris with 971, with only 871 bases on balls. He would finish his carreer with a win loss record of 210-158 and would have a career ERA of 3.64. Like Morris, Haines would win 20 or more games in three seasons. Waite Hoyt was inducted into the Hall Of Fame in 1969. He pitched most of his career in the 20′s and 30′s, winning three World Series with the New York Yankees in the 1920′s. His Career record was 237-182 with a career ERA of 3.55. He won 20 games twice in a season. he had 1003 bases on balls and 1206 strikeouts. Burleigh Grimes was another pitcher who was inducted into the Hall Of Fame by the Veterans Committee in 1964. He pitched in the Major Leagues from 1916-1934. He would finish with a career record of 270-212 with a career ERA of 3.53. he would win 20 or more games in a season 5 times. he walked 1295 batters in his career while striking out 1512. Six seasons he had 100 or more strikeouts compared to Morris who had 15 seasons with 100 or more strikeouts.

Originally posted at What Will Opening Day Be Like? | Troy's Twins Dugout Hello Twins fans and it's another season upon us! tomorrow, some of you fans and players alike will be braving the cold at Target Field. I wonder if they will postpone the game because the weather forecast is expected to be in the 30's with windchills in the 20's. Wel, to tell you the truth, it doesn't feel like baseball weather here in Minnesota. Although Target Field is cleared of snow, there's still snow on the ground. Also, it's hardly even cracked into the 50's, something that usually happens at this time of year. To put it simply, it still feels like winter, providing for an interesting atmosphere at Target Field. I thought I'd have a little fun here thinking about what the atmosphere will be like. Not all of my ideas will happen, but it's still fun to predict what it will be like. At least a couple of generations of Twins fans have never experienced opening day where it's in the 30's with snow still on the ground and you're outside. There have been opening days where it was cold and snowing outside, but the Twins were under the tafflon roof at the Metrodome for 29 seasons. So, here are some ideas of what I think opening day should be like tomorrow although I doubt if all of them will happen. Most of you have heard of the recent creation of the homer blankie. Well, I wouldn't be surprised to hear of people bringing a sleeping bag to the park to stay warm in. Or how about wearing a snowmobile suit. Fans will be wearing plenty of layers that for sure. The next thing I can see happening is the beer vendors standing out in the cold with limited sales. They wonder if they should have stayed home and not have bothered showing up to work. And oh yeah, this cold weather will stimulate sales for hot drinks like coffee and hot chocolate. Minus the sale of the hot beverages, the concession sales Will be as slow as a turtle. Now, here's something which I doubt will happen. The Twins should play Christmas Carols between innings. That's what it feels like to me outside. It feels like it's still winter and that it should be Christmas season instead. Usually when I think of opening day, I think of it being at least in the fifties and at the very least, very little snow. Now don't think that I'm not looking forward to the Twins season starting. However, when it still feels a bit like winter with some snow on the ground, it doesn't exactly feel like baseball weather. Moreover, Major League baseball shouldn't have had the Twins open there home season this early since they play outside in a northern state where there's still a chance that the weather could still feel like winter. Luckily it's not snowing or it would really not be good. Although I'm not actually going to the game, the current weather doesn't feel like that the baseball season's here yet.

Originally posted at What Will Opening Day Be Like? | Troy's Twins Dugout Hello Twins fans and it's another season upon us! tomorrow, some of you fans and players alike will be braving the cold at Target Field. I wonder if they will postpone the game because the weather forecast is expected to be in the 30's with windchills in the 20's. Wel, to tell you the truth, it doesn't feel like baseball weather here in Minnesota. Although Target Field is cleared of snow, there's still snow on the ground. Also, it's hardly even cracked into the 50's, something that usually happens at this time of year. To put it simply, it still feels like winter, providing for an interesting atmosphere at Target Field. I thought I'd have a little fun here thinking about what the atmosphere will be like. Not all of my ideas will happen, but it's still fun to predict what it will be like. At least a couple of generations of Twins fans have never experienced opening day where it's in the 30's with snow still on the ground and you're outside. There have been opening days where it was cold and snowing outside, but the Twins were under the tafflon roof at the Metrodome for 29 seasons. So, here are some ideas of what I think opening day should be like tomorrow although I doubt if all of them will happen. Most of you have heard of the recent creation of the homer blankie. Well, I wouldn't be surprised to hear of people bringing a sleeping bag to the park to stay warm in. Or how about wearing a snowmobile suit. Fans will be wearing plenty of layers that for sure. The next thing I can see happening is the beer vendors standing out in the cold with limited sales. They wonder if they should have stayed home and not have bothered showing up to work. And oh yeah, this cold weather will stimulate sales for hot drinks like coffee and hot chocolate. Minus the sale of the hot beverages, the concession sales Will be as slow as a turtle. Now, here's something which I doubt will happen. The Twins should play Christmas Carols between innings. That's what it feels like to me outside. It feels like it's still winter and that it should be Christmas season instead. Usually when I think of opening day, I think of it being at least in the fifties and at the very least, very little snow. Now don't think that I'm not looking forward to the Twins season starting. However, when it still feels a bit like winter with some snow on the ground, it doesn't exactly feel like baseball weather. Moreover, Major League baseball shouldn't have had the Twins open there home season this early since they play outside in a northern state where there's still a chance that the weather could still feel like winter. Luckily it's not snowing or it would really not be good. Although I'm not actually going to the game, the current weather doesn't feel like that the baseball season's here yet.

Originally posted at http://troystwinsdugout.wordpress.com/2012/07/28/if-valencia-does-well-it-could-create-an-interesting-situation-for-the-twins/ Today, Danny Valencia Will be in uniform and is expected to start at third Base for tonight’s game. Valencia replaces Trevor Plouffe Who has a sore thumb and was placed on the 15 day DL retroactive July 20. Valencia was batting .190 with 1 homerun and 11 RBI before he was given a one way ticket back to Rochester in early May . While with the Red Wings, Valencia batted .250 with 7 homeruns, 37 RBI and 30 runs scored. Plouffe has hit 19 homeruns with 37 RBIs while batting .259 with 44 runs scored. He’s not homered since before the all star break. If Valencia does well this time, it could create an interesting situation for the Twins. Granted Plouffe can play in the outfield, but it would make it more crowded. The only way I see Plouffe being an everyday outfielder is if either Denard Span or Josh Willingham are traded and it appears that it won’t be very likely. Also, it’s possible that if Justin Morneau’s traded, Plouffe could slide over to first base, but again I don’t see it likely to see Morneau dealt. Another senarial is Valencia gets traded by the nonwaiver trading deadline which is this Tuesday, but again it’s only a few days to up Valencia’s trade value and teams wouldn’t be likely to give a lot in return for him. You could also trade Plouffe, but he’s currently on the DL and won’t be available until early August. What the Twins do if Valencia does will this time is certainly something to ponder. Where would they play Plouffe? It’s possible that Plouffe is once again a utility player, but I think you’d want to keep his bat in the lineup. There’s however one thing certain. If Valencia wants to stay with the Twins, he needs to prove himself to Ron Gardenhire and the Twins coaching staff. There’s nothing better than an opportunity for him to make a statement that he belongs here in the majors.

Originally posted at http://troystwinsdugout.wordpress.com/2012/07/28/if-valencia-does-well-it-could-create-an-interesting-situation-for-the-twins/ Today, Danny Valencia Will be in uniform and is expected to start at third Base for tonight’s game. Valencia replaces Trevor Plouffe Who has a sore thumb and was placed on the 15 day DL retroactive July 20. Valencia was batting .190 with 1 homerun and 11 RBI before he was given a one way ticket back to Rochester in early May . While with the Red Wings, Valencia batted .250 with 7 homeruns, 37 RBI and 30 runs scored. Plouffe has hit 19 homeruns with 37 RBIs while batting .259 with 44 runs scored. He’s not homered since before the all star break. If Valencia does well this time, it could create an interesting situation for the Twins. Granted Plouffe can play in the outfield, but it would make it more crowded. The only way I see Plouffe being an everyday outfielder is if either Denard Span or Josh Willingham are traded and it appears that it won’t be very likely. Also, it’s possible that if Justin Morneau’s traded, Plouffe could slide over to first base, but again I don’t see it likely to see Morneau dealt. Another senarial is Valencia gets traded by the nonwaiver trading deadline which is this Tuesday, but again it’s only a few days to up Valencia’s trade value and teams wouldn’t be likely to give a lot in return for him. You could also trade Plouffe, but he’s currently on the DL and won’t be available until early August. What the Twins do if Valencia does will this time is certainly something to ponder. Where would they play Plouffe? It’s possible that Plouffe is once again a utility player, but I think you’d want to keep his bat in the lineup. There’s however one thing certain. If Valencia wants to stay with the Twins, he needs to prove himself to Ron Gardenhire and the Twins coaching staff. There’s nothing better than an opportunity for him to make a statement that he belongs here in the majors.

Originally posted at http://troystwinsdugout.wordpress.com/ Recently, I've been thinking about the homerun race between Trevor Plouffe and Josh Wilingham. No, it's not as dramatic as the race between Mickey Mantle and Roger Marris. However, it's still fun to follow Plouffe and Willingham as they battle for the team lead in homeruns. For several weeks now, they've been battling for the team lead. Plouffe hasn't hit a homerun in over a couple of weeks. Willingham last homered in Saturday's los to the Oakland Athletics. They've homered seven times on the same day in June and six times they've homered in the same game. Because of this back and forth battle between these two players, I've been thinking that there ought to be a slogan. The slogan should be this. "One is willing to hammer the ball over the fense, the other makes it go poof out of the park." This slogan fits really well. The willing to hammer part I got from Willingham's last name. The other part I got because poof rhymes with Plouffe. Although this homerun race between Plouffe and Willingham is not like the one between Mantle and Marris, it should provide for a little excitement for the rest of the season. The Twins may not be making it into the playoffs, but at least Plouffe and Willingham could provide some excitement as they battle it out for the team lead in homeruns.

Originally posted at http://troystwinsdugout.wordpress.com/ Recently, I've been thinking about the homerun race between Trevor Plouffe and Josh Wilingham. No, it's not as dramatic as the race between Mickey Mantle and Roger Marris. However, it's still fun to follow Plouffe and Willingham as they battle for the team lead in homeruns. For several weeks now, they've been battling for the team lead. Plouffe hasn't hit a homerun in over a couple of weeks. Willingham last homered in Saturday's los to the Oakland Athletics. They've homered seven times on the same day in June and six times they've homered in the same game. Because of this back and forth battle between these two players, I've been thinking that there ought to be a slogan. The slogan should be this. "One is willing to hammer the ball over the fense, the other makes it go poof out of the park." This slogan fits really well. The willing to hammer part I got from Willingham's last name. The other part I got because poof rhymes with Plouffe. Although this homerun race between Plouffe and Willingham is not like the one between Mantle and Marris, it should provide for a little excitement for the rest of the season. The Twins may not be making it into the playoffs, but at least Plouffe and Willingham could provide some excitement as they battle it out for the team lead in homeruns.

Originally posted at http://troystwinsdugout.wordpress.com/2012/06/18/even-though-there-were-plenty-of-mistakes-in-yesterdays-win-twins-will-take-the-victory/ Hello Twins fans, How about that game yesterday! It took 15 innings, but the Twins got it done thanks to a base hit by Denard Span that scored Brian Dozier. There were plenty of mistakes for the Twins at the plate. The most glaring is Ryan Doumit grounding out with the bases loaded to end the bottom of the Twelfth. Part of it is the Brewers pitcher, Jose Veras, had already walked two in the inning and was behind to Doumit with no strikes. Also, the Twins hit into two double plays, one in the fifth inning and one in the sixth inning. If it weren't for those double plays, the Twins could have scored more runs and have the chance of playing only 9 innings. Despite all of the mistakes, the Twins will take the win. Usually, who ever plays better wins the game, I think the Twins actually played better despite the fact that they made more mistakes. The reason I say that is because of the fact that Ben Revere made some good catches in right field especially in the top of the 11th. If it weren't for that catch in the 11th, the Brewers would have had a runner in scoring position for sure at second or maybe even at third. So, the Twins should take this extra inning victory and move on. They should use this to build some positive momentum and see if they can get themselves closer to 500 by the all star break. Let's see if this victory can be a stepping stone to a solid season. I would also like to make an announcement. Earlier tonight, my dad and I hosted a half hour show where we talked Twins baseball. We also touched on some of the divisional races. The name of the Show is called Troy's Twins chat. You can listen to it by clicking on the above link.

Originally posted at http://troystwinsdugout.wordpress.com/2012/06/18/even-though-there-were-plenty-of-mistakes-in-yesterdays-win-twins-will-take-the-victory/ Hello Twins fans, How about that game yesterday! It took 15 innings, but the Twins got it done thanks to a base hit by Denard Span that scored Brian Dozier. There were plenty of mistakes for the Twins at the plate. The most glaring is Ryan Doumit grounding out with the bases loaded to end the bottom of the Twelfth. Part of it is the Brewers pitcher, Jose Veras, had already walked two in the inning and was behind to Doumit with no strikes. Also, the Twins hit into two double plays, one in the fifth inning and one in the sixth inning. If it weren't for those double plays, the Twins could have scored more runs and have the chance of playing only 9 innings. Despite all of the mistakes, the Twins will take the win. Usually, who ever plays better wins the game, I think the Twins actually played better despite the fact that they made more mistakes. The reason I say that is because of the fact that Ben Revere made some good catches in right field especially in the top of the 11th. If it weren't for that catch in the 11th, the Brewers would have had a runner in scoring position for sure at second or maybe even at third. So, the Twins should take this extra inning victory and move on. They should use this to build some positive momentum and see if they can get themselves closer to 500 by the all star break. Let's see if this victory can be a stepping stone to a solid season. I would also like to make an announcement. Earlier tonight, my dad and I hosted a half hour show where we talked Twins baseball. We also touched on some of the divisional races. The name of the Show is called Troy's Twins chat. You can listen to it by clicking on the above link.

As for Capps being traded, I don't think that will happen unless the Twins can get some value for him. I think unless Capps has some really outstanding numbers in the next couple of months, look for him to stay with the Twins.

Originally Posted at http://troystwinsdugout.wordpress.com/2012/05/17/should-fransisco-liriano-become-a-full-time-reliever/ Recently, the Twins have moved Fransisco Liriano to the bullpen. Since then, he's made two relief appearances and hasn't allowed a run. On Monday, he pitched two innings of relief against the Cleveland Indians. He retired the tribe in order in the seventh. In the eighth, he walked the bases loaded before working out of the jam. Earlier this afternoon, he pitched 2/3 of an inning against the Detroit Tigers facing one batter, retiring the Tigers by means of a double play. From following Liriano this season, one thing has become obvious to me. Liriano pitches fine for one inning. The next inning, he works himself into a jam and can't think straight on the mound. Even last year, especially later in the season, Liriano was displaying this inconsistency from one inning to the next. Although this is only a small sample size, but from Liriano's recent relief appearances, it makes it a good idea to keep him in the bullpen. And the fact he was able to work out of pressure situations today and on Monday makes it seem like the logical thing to do. There are pitchers that have struggled in the past as starters and when they moved to the bullpen, they found success. LaTroy Hawkins is one such example of a Twins pitcher that found success when he moved to the bullpen. In his first five seasons with the Twins, he never had an ERA under 5. In 2000, he appeared in 66 games, saving 14 and finished with an ERA of 3.39 with 14 saves. Since then, he's had only two seasons where his ERA was over 5 (2001 and 2010). In his first five seasons, Hawkins pitched to an ERA of 6.92. From 2000-2012 he has an ERA of 3.51. For me, it makes sense to convert Liriano to a full time reliever. However, the Twins may not want to since they have a salary of $7 million invested in him. Plus, if he returns to the rotation and does close to as well he did in 2006, the Twins could get more in a trade around the trading deadline. However, because of the fact he's struggled in the past two seasons, I think it would be the best thing the Twins could do. Who knows, Liriano could be a closer in a year or two. And if he's a successful closer, he could make just as much money as he does now, maybe even more. The fact he's been inconsistent as a starter in the past two seasons suggests that this is a good move for Liriano to become a full time reliever.

Originally Posted at http://troystwinsdugout.wordpress.com/2012/05/17/should-fransisco-liriano-become-a-full-time-reliever/ Recently, the Twins have moved Fransisco Liriano to the bullpen. Since then, he's made two relief appearances and hasn't allowed a run. On Monday, he pitched two innings of relief against the Cleveland Indians. He retired the tribe in order in the seventh. In the eighth, he walked the bases loaded before working out of the jam. Earlier this afternoon, he pitched 2/3 of an inning against the Detroit Tigers facing one batter, retiring the Tigers by means of a double play. From following Liriano this season, one thing has become obvious to me. Liriano pitches fine for one inning. The next inning, he works himself into a jam and can't think straight on the mound. Even last year, especially later in the season, Liriano was displaying this inconsistency from one inning to the next. Although this is only a small sample size, but from Liriano's recent relief appearances, it makes it a good idea to keep him in the bullpen. And the fact he was able to work out of pressure situations today and on Monday makes it seem like the logical thing to do. There are pitchers that have struggled in the past as starters and when they moved to the bullpen, they found success. LaTroy Hawkins is one such example of a Twins pitcher that found success when he moved to the bullpen. In his first five seasons with the Twins, he never had an ERA under 5. In 2000, he appeared in 66 games, saving 14 and finished with an ERA of 3.39 with 14 saves. Since then, he's had only two seasons where his ERA was over 5 (2001 and 2010). In his first five seasons, Hawkins pitched to an ERA of 6.92. From 2000-2012 he has an ERA of 3.51. For me, it makes sense to convert Liriano to a full time reliever. However, the Twins may not want to since they have a salary of $7 million invested in him. Plus, if he returns to the rotation and does close to as well he did in 2006, the Twins could get more in a trade around the trading deadline. However, because of the fact he's struggled in the past two seasons, I think it would be the best thing the Twins could do. Who knows, Liriano could be a closer in a year or two. And if he's a successful closer, he could make just as much money as he does now, maybe even more. The fact he's been inconsistent as a starter in the past two seasons suggests that this is a good move for Liriano to become a full time reliever.

I'm just pointing out what's been going on with the Twins lately, so yes I'm stating the obvious.

Originally posted at http://troystwinsdugout.wordpress.com/2012/04/24/saying-if-only-this-or-that-had-happened-wont-change-the-outcome/ The Twins so far this season have a record of 5-12. One of the reasons for this is the fact that they've not taken advantage of scoring opportunities. They've hit into 19 double plays. Not only that, they’re 8-47 with runners in scoring position in their past five games. Last night's 6-5 loss featured an excellent opportunity in the eighth inning for the Twins to score. Jamey Carroll reached third base on a single and a two base throwing error. Joe Mauer grounded out to first, Josh Willingham lined out to third, Justin Morneau was intentionally walked and Ryan Doumitt popped up to short. Matt Capps came on in the ninth and gave up a homerun to Cody Ross that made the score 6-5. Ross had also hit a two run homerun to tie the score at 5 in the seventh inning off of Twins starter Jason Marquis. And in the bottom of the ninth inning, Trevor Plouffe hits a fly ball to left that almost went over the fence for a two run homerun that would have won the game for the Twins, but died at the last minute and was caught for an out. You could say if only Capps didn't give up that homerun, then we'd had an opportunity to win, maybe even winning in extra innings since the score was tied when he came on. Or, you could say if only Plouffe’s fly ball to left went a little higher and had gone over the fence for a two run homerun, the Twins would have won the game. The Twins didn't take advantage of their earlier opportunities in the game. Therefore, we didn't win the game. To create runs, you need base runners. Not only that, but you need to actually score runs. If you don't take advantage of those opportunities when you have runners on base, then you won't win as many games. The team that wins a game is one that makes the least mistakes and takes advantage of the scoring opportunities handed to them. To say if only this had happened or if that had happened, it doesn’t change the outcome of the game. Once the game’s over, it’s over and the team that loses needs to look back and realize that they didn’t execute when they needed to.

Originally posted at http://troystwinsdugout.wordpress.com/2012/04/24/saying-if-only-this-or-that-had-happened-wont-change-the-outcome/ The Twins so far this season have a record of 5-12. One of the reasons for this is the fact that they've not taken advantage of scoring opportunities. They've hit into 19 double plays. Not only that, they’re 8-47 with runners in scoring position in their past five games. Last night's 6-5 loss featured an excellent opportunity in the eighth inning for the Twins to score. Jamey Carroll reached third base on a single and a two base throwing error. Joe Mauer grounded out to first, Josh Willingham lined out to third, Justin Morneau was intentionally walked and Ryan Doumitt popped up to short. Matt Capps came on in the ninth and gave up a homerun to Cody Ross that made the score 6-5. Ross had also hit a two run homerun to tie the score at 5 in the seventh inning off of Twins starter Jason Marquis. And in the bottom of the ninth inning, Trevor Plouffe hits a fly ball to left that almost went over the fence for a two run homerun that would have won the game for the Twins, but died at the last minute and was caught for an out. You could say if only Capps didn't give up that homerun, then we'd had an opportunity to win, maybe even winning in extra innings since the score was tied when he came on. Or, you could say if only Plouffe’s fly ball to left went a little higher and had gone over the fence for a two run homerun, the Twins would have won the game. The Twins didn't take advantage of their earlier opportunities in the game. Therefore, we didn't win the game. To create runs, you need base runners. Not only that, but you need to actually score runs. If you don't take advantage of those opportunities when you have runners on base, then you won't win as many games. The team that wins a game is one that makes the least mistakes and takes advantage of the scoring opportunities handed to them. To say if only this had happened or if that had happened, it doesn’t change the outcome of the game. Once the game’s over, it’s over and the team that loses needs to look back and realize that they didn’t execute when they needed to.

This post was originally posted at http://troystwinsdugout.wordpress.com/2012/04/14/introducing-clete-thomas/ Earlier today, the Twins announced that they've claimed Clete Thomas from the Detroit Tigers. To make room on the 25 man roster, the Twins optioned Ben Revere to AAA Rochester after the Twins 6-2 loss to Texas. Thomas will replace Revere as the fourth outfielder and provide some speed on the basepaths off the bench. In 593 minor league games, Thomas has a batting line of .267/.348/.399 with 41 HR, 246 RBI and 344 runs scored. He's stolen 148 bases and has only been caught 44 times. Not only does Thomas have plenty of minor league experience, but he's also played in 145 games in a Tiger uniform where he batted .253/.336/.391. He's only hit 8 HR with 48 RbI and 54 runs scored in parts of 3 seasons with the Tigers. He only played in 3 games iwth the Tigers This year before he was reassigned to AAA Toledo. One of the key reasons for the move was the Twins were short in the outfield at Rochester due to Rene Revera being on the Disabled List. Drew Butera has had to fill in some out there. Also, it provides Revere an opportunity to play every day.

This post was originally posted at http://troystwinsdugout.wordpress.com/2012/04/14/introducing-clete-thomas/ Earlier today, the Twins announced that they've claimed Clete Thomas from the Detroit Tigers. To make room on the 25 man roster, the Twins optioned Ben Revere to AAA Rochester after the Twins 6-2 loss to Texas. Thomas will replace Revere as the fourth outfielder and provide some speed on the basepaths off the bench. In 593 minor league games, Thomas has a batting line of .267/.348/.399 with 41 HR, 246 RBI and 344 runs scored. He's stolen 148 bases and has only been caught 44 times. Not only does Thomas have plenty of minor league experience, but he's also played in 145 games in a Tiger uniform where he batted .253/.336/.391. He's only hit 8 HR with 48 RbI and 54 runs scored in parts of 3 seasons with the Tigers. He only played in 3 games iwth the Tigers This year before he was reassigned to AAA Toledo. One of the key reasons for the move was the Twins were short in the outfield at Rochester due to Rene Revera being on the Disabled List. Drew Butera has had to fill in some out there. Also, it provides Revere an opportunity to play every day.

this post was originally posted at http://troystwinsdugout.wordpress.com/2012/04/11/twins-need-to-look-themselves-in-the-mirror/ The Twins haven't done well to start the season. They're 0-4 after losing three straight to The Baltomore Orioles and the home opener against the Angels, scoring only 6 runs compared with 20 runs allowed. Now that they've had an off day to assess where they're at, I think it will be interesting to find out how they will respond. Granted, the Twins haven't made a whole lot of huge mistakes or their bullpen hasn't had to hold a lead, but an off day can do a lot to a team. A team could keep on playing lousy or a team could look themselves in the mirror and clean up the mistakes that have been made. What the Twins need to realize is they're not hitting right now except for Josh Willingham and Denard Span. However when the hitting does come around, I think it will be contageous. Another area is the fact that the Twins have made a few mistakes in the field, but I don't think that the fielding has been the biggest issue at the moment. The Twins are going to have to look at themselves in the mirror and realize that they're not hitting. Three out of the four games we had a shot at winning, but the Twins have only scored 2 runs in the first seven innings of those games combined. It hurts your team when you have to rally late in games. The Twins need to score more runs early. They also need to avoid hitting into double plays. On Monday, the Twins hit into three double plays, two of which happened before the seventh inning. Those were double plays that snuffed out potensial rallys. It's early in the season, but the Twins need to win some games. The Twins have two more games against The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. This weekend, the Twins will play the Texas Rangers. Next week, the Twins will face the New York Yankees and Tampa Bay Rays. Then they're home to face the Boston Red Sox. In all, the Twins have 15 games coming up against these teams. Point is, the Twins need to win games and they need to look at themselves in the mirror. This is a tough stretch of games coming up. The Twins need to realize that if they start hitting, it will make this upcoming stretch of games easier. And when the hitting does pick up, it will allow the Twins to win some games against tough pitching.

this post was originally posted at http://troystwinsdugout.wordpress.com/2012/04/11/twins-need-to-look-themselves-in-the-mirror/ The Twins haven't done well to start the season. They're 0-4 after losing three straight to The Baltomore Orioles and the home opener against the Angels, scoring only 6 runs compared with 20 runs allowed. Now that they've had an off day to assess where they're at, I think it will be interesting to find out how they will respond. Granted, the Twins haven't made a whole lot of huge mistakes or their bullpen hasn't had to hold a lead, but an off day can do a lot to a team. A team could keep on playing lousy or a team could look themselves in the mirror and clean up the mistakes that have been made. What the Twins need to realize is they're not hitting right now except for Josh Willingham and Denard Span. However when the hitting does come around, I think it will be contageous. Another area is the fact that the Twins have made a few mistakes in the field, but I don't think that the fielding has been the biggest issue at the moment. The Twins are going to have to look at themselves in the mirror and realize that they're not hitting. Three out of the four games we had a shot at winning, but the Twins have only scored 2 runs in the first seven innings of those games combined. It hurts your team when you have to rally late in games. The Twins need to score more runs early. They also need to avoid hitting into double plays. On Monday, the Twins hit into three double plays, two of which happened before the seventh inning. Those were double plays that snuffed out potensial rallys. It's early in the season, but the Twins need to win some games. The Twins have two more games against The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. This weekend, the Twins will play the Texas Rangers. Next week, the Twins will face the New York Yankees and Tampa Bay Rays. Then they're home to face the Boston Red Sox. In all, the Twins have 15 games coming up against these teams. Point is, the Twins need to win games and they need to look at themselves in the mirror. This is a tough stretch of games coming up. The Twins need to realize that if they start hitting, it will make this upcoming stretch of games easier. And when the hitting does pick up, it will allow the Twins to win some games against tough pitching.

A version of this post was published in February. You can view it at http://troystwinsdugout.wordpress.com/2012/02/09/what-makes-a-good-baseball-broadcast/ It's opening day for the Twins. One other thing, it's the first opening day since 1986 with out the voice of Jon Gordon painting a picture of what's going on on the field. He called Twins baseball for 25 years. To honor Gordo, I thought I'd share my post I wrote in February I wrote on what I thought makes a good baseball broadcast. So, enjoy! One of the things Gordon made sure he tried to do when calling the games on the radio as he put it, “Make the fan feel like that they’re at the ball park, sitting in the stands with their favorite beverage.” But what does that really look like or rather what does that sound like on radio since you can’t see anything when listening to a game except in your mind. To start with, the key to a good broadcast is let the crowd noise and the sounds of the ball park tell a part of the story. Corey Provus, the new voice of the Twins stated that his college instructors taught him that dead air was a bad thing to have in a radio broadcast. When he joined the Milwaukee Brewers radio team, he learned from Bob Uecker, the long time radio voice of the Brewers, that dead air was a good thing. So, how can a radio broadcaster use dead air to their advantage? I think the key is not telling everytime the pitcher throws a pitch. For example it’s the middle of the game like in the sixth inning. The play by play announcer is talking about some major story that’s taking place in baseball. Then, there’s a pause. In that pause you hear the crowd and a second later you hear a pop as the ball hits the catchers glove. “He got him! Swing and a miss!” the announcer says. But, let’s back up to before we learn that the batter struck out. What do we know when the ball hit the catcher’s glove? Well, we know that the ball was thrown and that the bat didn’t make contact with the ball. And then we learn of the batter missing the ball for a strikeout. This is exactly what Jon Gordon would say when a Twins pitcher gets a big out in an inning. To me, this is what it’s like for a radio announcer to make the listener feel like they’re at the ball park. They’re using the sounds of the game and crowd to tell what is going on on the field. You can put yourself right there in that imaginary seat and feel like you’re part of the ball game. And of course when you’re doing a part of the game where there’s more action, you’re more focused on telling the action on the field. You’re telling of when a pitch is thrown and what the batter does since the crowd noise is drowning out the sounds of the ball hitting the glove or the bat hitting the ball. However, I think the key is to leave enough pauses in the broadcast to let some of that crowd noise be heard. I think another key element is to use the right words to tell the action. If you listen to Gordon’s call of Paul Molitor’s getting his three thousandth hit you’re get the following. Molitor for two! Molitor for three and it could be history making! It is! Paul Molitor becomes the first player to get a tripple on his three thousandth hit.” To me, that’s using the right words to tell of what’s going on on the field. You’re telling that Molitor got his three thousandth hit and you’re telling that Molitor’s going to become the first player to hit a tripple on his three thousandth hit. You’re not telling too much, but you’re telling just enough to give the listener the facts. Speaking of stats, I think that having too much stats in a broadcast is a bad thing. You can use stats in your broadcast to point out things, but if you put too much emphasis on stats, I think it takes away from the broadcast. If someone wanted to find out some of the stats, they can go on the internet and look them up themselves. And oh yeah, let’s not forget the voice. A baseball broadcaster should have a clear pleasant voice to listen too. Many of the best broadcasters in baseball had a pleasant voice. Broadcasters like Jon Gordon, herb Carneal, Ernie Harwell and Bob Uecker to name just a few. Well, it’s about time to wrap it up. I can’t wait to listen to baseball on the radio! Can you?

A version of this post was published in February. You can view it at http://troystwinsdugout.wordpress.com/2012/02/09/what-makes-a-good-baseball-broadcast/ It's opening day for the Twins. One other thing, it's the first opening day since 1986 with out the voice of Jon Gordon painting a picture of what's going on on the field. He called Twins baseball for 25 years. To honor Gordo, I thought I'd share my post I wrote in February I wrote on what I thought makes a good baseball broadcast. So, enjoy! One of the things Gordon made sure he tried to do when calling the games on the radio as he put it, “Make the fan feel like that they’re at the ball park, sitting in the stands with their favorite beverage.” But what does that really look like or rather what does that sound like on radio since you can’t see anything when listening to a game except in your mind. To start with, the key to a good broadcast is let the crowd noise and the sounds of the ball park tell a part of the story. Corey Provus, the new voice of the Twins stated that his college instructors taught him that dead air was a bad thing to have in a radio broadcast. When he joined the Milwaukee Brewers radio team, he learned from Bob Uecker, the long time radio voice of the Brewers, that dead air was a good thing. So, how can a radio broadcaster use dead air to their advantage? I think the key is not telling everytime the pitcher throws a pitch. For example it’s the middle of the game like in the sixth inning. The play by play announcer is talking about some major story that’s taking place in baseball. Then, there’s a pause. In that pause you hear the crowd and a second later you hear a pop as the ball hits the catchers glove. “He got him! Swing and a miss!” the announcer says. But, let’s back up to before we learn that the batter struck out. What do we know when the ball hit the catcher’s glove? Well, we know that the ball was thrown and that the bat didn’t make contact with the ball. And then we learn of the batter missing the ball for a strikeout. This is exactly what Jon Gordon would say when a Twins pitcher gets a big out in an inning. To me, this is what it’s like for a radio announcer to make the listener feel like they’re at the ball park. They’re using the sounds of the game and crowd to tell what is going on on the field. You can put yourself right there in that imaginary seat and feel like you’re part of the ball game. And of course when you’re doing a part of the game where there’s more action, you’re more focused on telling the action on the field. You’re telling of when a pitch is thrown and what the batter does since the crowd noise is drowning out the sounds of the ball hitting the glove or the bat hitting the ball. However, I think the key is to leave enough pauses in the broadcast to let some of that crowd noise be heard. I think another key element is to use the right words to tell the action. If you listen to Gordon’s call of Paul Molitor’s getting his three thousandth hit you’re get the following. Molitor for two! Molitor for three and it could be history making! It is! Paul Molitor becomes the first player to get a tripple on his three thousandth hit.” To me, that’s using the right words to tell of what’s going on on the field. You’re telling that Molitor got his three thousandth hit and you’re telling that Molitor’s going to become the first player to hit a tripple on his three thousandth hit. You’re not telling too much, but you’re telling just enough to give the listener the facts. Speaking of stats, I think that having too much stats in a broadcast is a bad thing. You can use stats in your broadcast to point out things, but if you put too much emphasis on stats, I think it takes away from the broadcast. If someone wanted to find out some of the stats, they can go on the internet and look them up themselves. And oh yeah, let’s not forget the voice. A baseball broadcaster should have a clear pleasant voice to listen too. Many of the best broadcasters in baseball had a pleasant voice. Broadcasters like Jon Gordon, herb Carneal, Ernie Harwell and Bob Uecker to name just a few. Well, it’s about time to wrap it up. I can’t wait to listen to baseball on the radio! Can you?

Seth's Weekly Twins Podcast

This post was originally posted at http://troystwinsdugout.wordpress.com/2012/04/04/my-thoughts-heading-into-the-season/ Hello Twins fans! The season is almost here. I thought I’d share with you some of my thoughts heading into Friday’s season opener at Baltomore. I think the biggest thing different from last year is the club is more prepared. Last year, for of our regulars didn’t play in spring training games until like mid way through. In fact, Joe Mauer and Justin Morneau didn’t play in a regular spring training game until like 10 days before the season opened. Also, we don’t have a shortstop in Tsyoshi Nishioka who looks like he’s lost in a storm. Rather, we’re heading into a season where Morneau and Mauer have played in most of the spring training games. They both appear to be ready for the season. The only minor concern I’d have is Morneau’s concussion symptoms flaring up again, but the fact that manager Ron Gardenhire has stated that Morneau will be the DH most of the time for the time being makes it seems that this will be less likely. The biggest concern I have heading into the season is our starting pitching. Both Scot Baker and Jason Marquis will not be with the club to start the season. Marquis has missed the past couple of weeks to tend to his daughter who was injured in a bike accident. I think that with a couple of starts at New Britain, Marquis will be ready for the season. Baker is the one I’d worry about more. His elbow has been giving him trouble again this spring. Last ssummer, he went on the Disabled List due to elbow soreness. And, of course he’s had elbow problems in the past. I wouldn’t be totally surprised if Baker’s not with the club by mid April. and, of course we don’t know what we’re going to get from Fransisco Liriano this season. This spring he pitched to an ERA of 2.33. Will Liriano be over thinking his pitches this season? We’ll see. One thing I think the fans should watch to start the season is how will Gardy use his bench. For one thing, I don’t really think a starting right fielder has actually been finalized. I think it will end up being a platoon type situation between Ryan Doumit, Ben Revere and Trevor Plouffe. A few days ago, I would have said that Plouffe will be getting the majority of the playing time in right, but the fact that he missed several spring training games due to a sore hamstring makes me wonder if Plouffe might spend more time on the bench for now. Also, the Twins only have two catchers on their big league club to start the season. Gardy may not want to play Doumit as much in the outfield. However, at the same time you have Revere and Plouffe on the bench to take over in right if Mauer was to be injured in a game when both catchers are in the field. Well folks, it’s time for me to wrap it up. Twins baseball is less than 48 hours away. So, let’s play ball!

This post was originally posted at http://troystwinsdugout.wordpress.com/2012/04/04/my-thoughts-heading-into-the-season/ Hello Twins fans! The season is almost here. I thought I’d share with you some of my thoughts heading into Friday’s season opener at Baltomore. I think the biggest thing different from last year is the club is more prepared. Last year, for of our regulars didn’t play in spring training games until like mid way through. In fact, Joe Mauer and Justin Morneau didn’t play in a regular spring training game until like 10 days before the season opened. Also, we don’t have a shortstop in Tsyoshi Nishioka who looks like he’s lost in a storm. Rather, we’re heading into a season where Morneau and Mauer have played in most of the spring training games. They both appear to be ready for the season. The only minor concern I’d have is Morneau’s concussion symptoms flaring up again, but the fact that manager Ron Gardenhire has stated that Morneau will be the DH most of the time for the time being makes it seems that this will be less likely. The biggest concern I have heading into the season is our starting pitching. Both Scot Baker and Jason Marquis will not be with the club to start the season. Marquis has missed the past couple of weeks to tend to his daughter who was injured in a bike accident. I think that with a couple of starts at New Britain, Marquis will be ready for the season. Baker is the one I’d worry about more. His elbow has been giving him trouble again this spring. Last ssummer, he went on the Disabled List due to elbow soreness. And, of course he’s had elbow problems in the past. I wouldn’t be totally surprised if Baker’s not with the club by mid April. and, of course we don’t know what we’re going to get from Fransisco Liriano this season. This spring he pitched to an ERA of 2.33. Will Liriano be over thinking his pitches this season? We’ll see. One thing I think the fans should watch to start the season is how will Gardy use his bench. For one thing, I don’t really think a starting right fielder has actually been finalized. I think it will end up being a platoon type situation between Ryan Doumit, Ben Revere and Trevor Plouffe. A few days ago, I would have said that Plouffe will be getting the majority of the playing time in right, but the fact that he missed several spring training games due to a sore hamstring makes me wonder if Plouffe might spend more time on the bench for now. Also, the Twins only have two catchers on their big league club to start the season. Gardy may not want to play Doumit as much in the outfield. However, at the same time you have Revere and Plouffe on the bench to take over in right if Mauer was to be injured in a game when both catchers are in the field. Well folks, it’s time for me to wrap it up. Twins baseball is less than 48 hours away. So, let’s play ball!