it happens every year about this time. reports start coming in from down in florida that the twins are gearing up for another season. and let me tell you, i'm more excited than ever this year. you want me to tell you why? okay.
reasons to be excited about the pitching:
-last year, best staff ERA in the AL
-santana will pitch deeper into games this year
-radke has done the same thing year in and out for 10 seasons
-lohse is reportedly having a spectacular spring training
-joe mays is back, and as a fifth starter? seriously, he was a #3 guy before he got injured, if he can perform even at 80% of where he was before his injury, he'll win 15 games in the 5 spot.
-with rincon, crain, bowyer, durbin, romero, or whoever pumping 90's heat all night to set up for nathan the bullpen should be even better than last year. they blew a respectable 20 games last year, and that number should decrease. we're returning all of the pitching staff and adding in mays, and prospects like bowyers (who looks awesome btw).
reasons to be excited about the fielding:
-i'm sorry, but everyone who says guzman's fielding percentage was mediocre because he was getting to balls other players couldn't is silly. seriously, there are ways to think through this stuff. ask
aaron gleeman if you doubt me.
-cuddyer will surprise people at third. i thought he looked great last year at third when subbing, i can only hope that continues.
-hunter and jones have always been good.
-the 'if' everyone wonders about. will mauer stay healthy? if so, i think he has a serious shot at being the best all around catcher in the game today. he could even prove it by the end of the year. umps even talk about how awesome the kid is.
hitting:
-in spring training gardie has put hunter in the 3 spot in the order with mauer in the 2 spot. no. no, no, no. here's my lineup:
DH/LF Stewart
DH/LF Ford
C Mauer
1B Morneau
CF Hunter
RF Jones
3B Cuddyer
2B Rivas
SS Bartlett
complaints:
-although i'd rather see lew ford out in left rather than stewart, having shannon back full strength will be a plus.
-rivas sucks, i hate him. i was hoping to see cuddyer at 2nd, i just want to get rid of that terrible bat that rivas has. unfortunately, i'm not sure i want to see what tiffee or munson would do with extended playing time at third.
-i'm still worried about morneau's abilities at first, hopefully some time with hrbek will calm him down.
-no room for lew ford in the lineup. okay, i know he'll dh most of the time, but he led the club in hits and games played last year, not to mention hitting .299. he should be rewarded with some sort of every day job, at the very least keep him hitting and i'll be happy.
-i'm hoping bartlett gets the job at short cause he can hit, but i'm afraid of watching him boot ball after ball hit to him. maybe someone else will step up? i already said i don't think guzman was that impressive at short, and his batting numbers sucked. most of the players we have signed fighting for the job at short would be a wash for guzman in my opinion.
overall:
i say this every spring, but i really mean it this year, the twins are serious contenders for the world series. boston changed their rotation, who knows how that will work, but i think they will be the stiffest competition this year in the AL. the yankees signed randy johnson, good job guys, but i still can't get over their star-studded cast. the reason they were so good in the mid-late nineties wasn't because they had superstars, they had prettygoodstars, ie brosius, o'niell, martinez, and the great players they did have were in their pitching staff. okay, kinda getting off subject, what i'm trying to say is that the yankees will continue to lose in the playoffs this year without some sort camaraderie, they look like they hate each other out there. the only team from the central that i am nervous about is the indians, they look like the twins did about 4 years ago, but with a hell of alot more power in the lineup. now, i don't know about anaheim...i mean los angeles/anaheim...or oakland, and frankly, who cares. the time for worrying about such things is far off, for now i will just enjoy the optimism of the season. like i said, i do this every year, just had to get it in.
