The Justin Morneau Trade: My Reaction

I was at New Britain Stadium this morning
to take batting practice. This was the first
thing I saw upon entering the gates.

I've always been unable to separate the business side from the personal side when it comes to Justin Morneau. He's been my favorite Twins player for the better part of the last decade. I've met him a few times, I've watched him donate large sums to charity -- and organize his own charitable events, and I've watched him hit the hell out of the baseball and give 100% on the field all the time. I read every article on his concussion and rehabilitation, hoping against odds that he would come back to resemble the guy that was on an MVP pace the first half of 2010. This past month, I knew a trade was probably coming, but today my heart is still a little heavy knowing that #33 won't be manning first base any longer for the Twins. It's no understatement to say that this is the end of an era: the end of the "M & M" Era. I can acknowledge that Morneau probably wouldn't have been part of the next competitive Twins team, but that doesn't mean that I wanted to see him go.

The good news for Morneau is that he's healthy, he's been hitting for power this past month, and he's getting the opportunity to play in meaningful games for the first time in 3 years. He gets to go to Pittsburgh -- a fun, energized baseball city with one of the best parks. Hopefully, he'll play an important role for a team that has a good chance to compete in October. As much as Morneau's identity was intertwined with Minnesota and the Twins community, he's a professional athlete, and I'm sure the possibility of taking September and October at-bats in a pennant race produces a special kind of energy -- an energy he hasn't felt in several years.

But my source of frustration is that, in this trade, the Twins didn't really do anything to get better for the future -- aside from the possibility that the remaining $2+ million owed to Morneau could be spent this offseason on talent. Believe me, I completely understand that every single baseball team passed on Morneau during the waiver period. That alone is significant, and it strongly suggested that any trade return wouldn't be impressive. But if the Twins had been willing to eat part of that $2 million, could they have netted one solid prospect, rather than 28 year old fourth outfielder Alex Presley (we already have a few fourth outfielders), and Duke Welker, a righty reliever that throws hard but has control problems (note that at this time, Welker is only rumored to be the player to be named later)? Otherwise stated, my question is this: if the Twins had paid half or more of the money owed to Morneau, could they have received a better prospect from Pittsburgh? If the answer to that question is yes, then I'm disappointed with the result of this trade.

The Twins are obviously rebuilding. They haven't said it, which frustrates me, but it's happening. Part of a rebuild is that deals have to be made with the future in mind. If I'm Terry Ryan, I'm evaluating every trade with the following mindset: "Is Player X (meaning the player the Twins are to receive) likely to play a role on the next Twins team that is legitimately competing for a division title, which probably won't be until 2015 or 2016?" If the answer is "no," or if it would take a miracle for the answer to be "yes," then Ryan should go back to the drawing board. Yes, sometimes a legitimate return isn't really possible. Maybe that was the case with Jamey Carroll, in which case cash probably was an acceptable return. In fact, sometimes just having a player off your 40-man roster, and having another team take on the contract, might be enough of a return. But something was different about Morneau. Yes, he's not as good as he once was, but there is still gas in the tank. What if the Twins had let it be known that they would pay all the money owed to Morneau, but would expect a better return? It's tough for me to imagine that no team would have offered better than Alex Presley and a PTBNL.

This trade is complicated for me. I'm disappointed that I'll probably never see Justin Morneau play a game in person again. I'm sad -- as a fan -- that the M & M Era is over. I mean, these guys lived together and were practically best friends. I'm sad that Justin Morneau won't get to see good baseball in Minnesota again, when guys like Miguel Sano and Byron Buxton come up. I'm disappointed that, unless the PTBNL pans out, the Twins probably saved $2 million, but didn't improve one iota for the future. In the end, maybe Ryan did offer to pay the entire $2 million, and maybe no team had a better offer. But I can't get it out of my mind that this feels like penny-pinching Twins deals of the mid 1990s all over again.

Ben Revere: Placeholder?

If Ben Revere's legacy with the Twins is as a speedy outfielder who
was a placeholder until better players developed, that's just fine

If you read this blog with any regularity, it's no secret that I'm a Ben Revere supporter. Despite his shortcomings (bad arm and no power to speak of), I still, and probably always will, maintain that Revere can be a useful and productive player for the Twins. It's important to recognize that, since returning to the Twins after a stint at AAA Rochester, Revere has been pretty darn good. As of today, here's his slash line: .328/.353/.397. He has 5 doubles, 2 triples and 9 RBIs in 131 at-bats; he has stolen 11 bases and has been caught only twice. Last year, in 450 at-bats, he had 9 doubles -- so we are seeing slightly more power (also evidenced by the .309 slugging percentage in 2011 compared with the .397 slugging percentage thus far in 2012). Incidentally, if you really want to rag on him for his lack of power, please note that his OPS in 2012 is 5th best on the team (just behind Justin Morneau, and just ahead of Denard Span). As others have mentioned, though, there still is not much power to speak of, and Revere has only drawn 4 walks -- so his on-base percentage is largely dependent on his batting average, which right now is very good. I'll also add to the equation that he has made probably a half-dozen highlight reel catches in this time frame, and that he just turned 24, which means that he will be entering what should be his athletic prime over the next 2-4 seasons.

Today, though, I'm thinking about Revere's role in the future of this team. Many people list Revere's shortcomings, especially the facts that his arm is below-average and that he will never hit for power, and suggest that he probably cannot be a long-term starter for a major league team. I admit that there's merit to that. But I pose a different, and more relevant question: can he be a relatively low-cost starter for this team for the next few years? And I think the answer to that question is a resounding "yes." I'm firmly of the belief that the Twins will not be a playoff-caliber team until 2014 at the very, very earliest. Yes, 2012 will probably be better than 2011; and I expect 2013 to be better than 2012. But there is still a long road to travel. If the Twins can trade Denard Span this summer -- which they should if they can get a good package -- the door is open for Revere to establish himself as the Twins' center fielder.

Maybe the Twins will get lucky -- perhaps Joe Benson or Aaron Hicks will prove themselves ready for Target Field and will play Revere out of his starting job -- but that's certainly speculative. Hicks, in my opinion, is at least another season out; and who knows how Benson will perform once he overcomes the wrist injury that is currently sidelining him. For now, and perhaps for the foreseeable future, Revere might be the Twins' best option.

Very rarely does a player come along with the complete package. And no one would suggest that Revere is such a player. But, if you agree with me that the Twins are traversing down a road to recovery that could take 3-4 years, what difference does it make if Revere is lacking in a few tools? The real focus should be on the Twins improving each year as prospects mature, and if Ben Revere is nothing more than a placeholder for 2 years -- at a total cost of under $2 million -- until Hicks or Benson plays him out of a job, I'd be fine with that, especially if the Twins can get a good return for Span in order to facilitate this move. I'm not really treading any new ground today, except for noting -- primarily for the benefit of the Revere detractors -- that it really doesn't matter if Revere is an All-Star caliber outfielder in 2012 or 2013. He's by no means a bad player, and for the Twins right now -- and in the short-term future -- that just might be good enough.

Minnesota Momentum and ESPN SportsCenter Coverage

Is tonight the night where Francisco Liriano puts it together?

CC Sabathia is down. In two starts this season, he has 0 decisions. In 12 innings pitched, he's given up 16 hits, 9 earned runs, 2 home runs and 5 walks, while striking out 15. His ERA in this brief stretch is 6.75. Clearly, he's looking to rebound against the Twins tonight, and for good reason: in his last 9 starts against Minnesota (including the postseason), Sabathia is 8-0 with a 1.72 ERA. So, although the Twins have the momentum going into tonight -- thanks to great games by Joe Mauer, Justin Morneau, Alexi Casilla, and a solid outing by Carl Pavano -- Sabathia has the momentum in the historical sense. Tonight's game, featuring lefties Sabathia and Francisco Liriano, could be very good, or it could be rough: both are capable of shutting down offenses, but both have been very hittable thus far.

As I wrote last year, I think it is possible for this team to have success off of Sabathia. I still would love to see a couple bunts (for base hits) in the first few innings tonight. Between Sabathia's bulk, and the fact that neither Alex Rodriguez nor Mark Teixeira is fleet of foot, bunting would be a great way to upset Sabathia early on. Anything that gets him off of his routine is a positive, in my book. Second, Liriano needs to bust a few Yankee hitters inside. Last night, Pavano pitched well, but you could see the Yankees waiting for those pitches that were on the outer half of the plate, without any fear that Pavano would instead go inside and upstairs to "give them a different view of the ball," so to speak. Liriano, with better velocity than Pavano, can do just that. It could be a great game tonight, like a 2-1 or 3-2 contest, if Liriano and Sabathia are both "on." Judging from past performances this season, though, my guess is that one or both are going to struggle. Hopefully it's Sabathia.

Finally, I want to formally thank ESPN's SportsCenter for their wonderful coverage of last night's Twins-Yankees game. This game featured, among other things, a gigantic Justin Morneau home run to the deepest part of Yankee Stadium, 3 hits from Joe Mauer, including hard-hit doubles down both lines, and a solid RBI single in the first inning by Josh Willingham to give the Twins an early lead. Of all those plays, SportsCenter's coverage after the game showed one of the Mauer doubles (and Alexi Casilla's nice play up the middle). They spent most of the time -- like 80% -- focusing on Derek Jeter's leadoff 351 ft. home run, Curtis Granderson's shot immediately thereafter, and -- get this -- a Jeter infield single. An infield single. A meaningless infield single in a game the Yankees lost by a considerable margin.

I know I'm preaching to the choir here, but seriously: we have Morneau trying to come back, against some pretty significant odds, to resurrect what was once a great career, and they don't even show his home run. We have Willingham, who has hit in every single game this season, and they don't show the line drive that he ripped to open up the scoring for the Twins. And there were a handful of other plays during the game that constituted Twins highlights in my opinion, but were, of course, left on the cutting room floor. I'm very, very glad I got to see Jeter leg out that single to shortstop. Thanks, as always, ESPN, for the fair and balanced coverage. And I really, really look forward to watching the Red Sox-Rangers on ESPN's Wednesday night baseball, and the Yankees-Red Sox on ESPN's Sunday Night Baseball.

Aaron Hicks and the Rock Cats, Twins Baseball and the Future, & the SethSpeaks Weekly Twins Podcast

Thus far, good things are coming out of New Britain

A few unrelated items this morning. First, if you missed it, yesterday I wrote about Alex Wimmers' first AA Rock Cats start that took place Monday night, and Aaron Hicks' monster game that helped give the Rock Cats a big victory. This morning, the good news coming out of New Britain, despite a 7-2 loss to the Harrisburg Senators last night, was that top prospect Aaron Hicks was 2-for-4 with another home run. That's two home runs in two days, and the latest came batting lefty, which is the weaker side for Hicks. A batting average that was a laughable .077 just a couple days ago is now .250, and Hicks is 4 for his last 8, with 5 RBIs in just two games. Clearly, when he's "on," his bat can lead a team. We're all looking for consistency from Hicks, so hopefully these past couple games are a sign of things to come. Whether the Twins decide to keep him as part of the projected 2014-2015 "new look outfield" that's easy to imagine being fantastic (with Joe Benson, too), or whether the organization eventually tries to package him in a trade for some kind of power starting pitching, it's an incredibly important season for Hicks in terms of development and career trajectory. The final Rock Cats note for this morning concerns middle infield depth. Pedro Florimon is off to a fast start for New Britain, with a .400/.429/.450 slash line in his first 20 at-bats, and has looked solid in the field from what I have seen. I don't expect too much from him in terms of what he could do for the Twins, but it's nice to see him start off hot. The Rock Cats play at 10:35 eastern time this morning. Talk about an early start! If anything newsworthy happens, I'll post this afternoon.

Second, how about those Minnesota Twins? I've barely been discussing them lately. Between the pathetic offense (except Justin Morneau and Josh Willingham) and the fact that Scott Baker is already out indefinitely, I feel like we're in for a long season. Yes, I know that 4 games is nothing, and tonight the Twins could easily start a 4-game winning streak. That's just how baseball works. But the pitching has me worried for the long-term, and that hasn't even been the weak point for this team thus far.

A lot of fans are concerned with the depth of the Twins' minor league system, and rightfully so. Here's a question for you: What if the Twins stink again this season? I don't mean winning 78 or 80 games, but more like winning 65 or 68. What if they can secure a top 3 pick in the 2013 draft? Between this year's #2 overall pick and a top selection next season, the Twins could have a rare opportunity to add top-shelf draft talent, which would complement some of the exciting players, like Miguel Sano, that are coming up through the organization.

In other words, if you agree with me that this is not a playoff team in 2012, even with a healthy Scott Baker and Joe Mauer, would you rather watch an 81-81 season, or would you prefer to see a bad season in which the team unloaded some players before they hit free agency, and was able to secure a top pick next year? It's an interesting discussion, anyway.

Finally, I was thrilled to be a guest on Seth Stohs' SethSpeaks Weekly Twins Podcast. I talked Rock Cats baseball for 10 minutes or so, and was happy for the opportunity to do so. Seth had me on right after Brian Dozier finished up. A tough act to follow! Dozier sounds like a great guy, and I believe he's ready to take over at shortstop right about now. If you didn't listen to the podcast live, you can listen any time by clicking here.

Camden Yards Recap: Twins Begin Their Losing Ways, or an Aberration?

Camden Yards from the hotel window.

Well, the baseball side of things left a lot to be desired, but you're not much of a baseball fan if you can't have a great time at opening weekend at Camden Yards. Before Friday's game, I got to say hi to veteran blogger Topper Anton from Curve for a Strike. Great guy, and it was cool to meet another east coast transplant Twins blogger. There were also several Twins fans in attendance. We sat next to the coaching staff's wives one day, and also near Josh Willingham's family another day. I also ran into a guy I went to high school with. It was a good sized, and vocal, community of Twins fans sitting near their dugout. And, as usual, the players were pretty responsive to the fans. Denard Span, especially, spent a lot of time signing autographs before Sunday's game.

So far, Morneau looks like a man on a mission to hit the
ball as hard as possible.

I'll start with the one positive from the Twins' side: Justin Morneau is, far and away, the best hitter on this team right now. A month ago, who would have thought that? I attended the Saturday and Sunday games. In those 2 games, Morneau hit 2 hard doubles (1 looked like a home run off the bat, but didn't have the height), one hard single that nearly took off the first baseman's foot, and had 2 long outs to the outfield, one of which missed being a home run by 5 feet or so. He also worked ahead in the count, and was selectively choosing which pitches to swing at. There was little of the flailing that we saw last season, and he didn't bail out on any pitches. Morneau is so locked in that, if he stays healthy, he should hit 20 home runs and at least 40 doubles.

Francisco Liriano warming up before he, and the Twins,
imploded

Saturday, Francisco Liriano looked like he was going to be great after the first inning. He struck out the side convincingly, and Joe Mauer actually tossed me the game ball as he jogged back to the dugout. That first inning, unfortunately, was the highlight of the game for the Twins. Yes, Liriano was not good the rest of the game, but I'm pegging a lot of that on the defense -- Josh Willingham, and to a lesser extent, Danny Valencia. The defense was cringe-worthy, and that, along with Liriano becoming a head-case after giving up a relatively unimportant solo home run in the second inning, undid the Twins. Like everyone else, I was expecting a lot better from Liriano. If he can't get his head under control -- against the Orioles in April -- I don't know what to do with him. Hopefully, it was just a rocky start and he'll rebound later this week. He was probably angry with his performance, and angry with his teammates. Rightfully so on both counts.

I don't have very many other positive things to say. Anthony Swarzak was decent yesterday. He kept the Twins in the game, even as they were getting no-hit into the seventh inning. Jamey Carroll looked good at shortstop, but bad at the plate. He doesn't have a hit yet, but he does run hard down to first base, so there's that. Valencia is off. He grounded into 2 double plays Saturday and, though he wasn't charged with an error in that game, have a mental lapse on a play where he should have covered third base, but did not. During infield practice yesterday, the coaches were working with Valencia. Perhaps he is on a short leash again, because Sean Burroughs started at third on Sunday, while Valencia watched. Chris Parmelee looked like a rookie out there. His at-bats weren't very good on the whole, but there's room for optimism with him.

After the small sample size, I'm left thinking that this Twins team isn't nearly as bad as they played this past weekend, but also isn't very good, either. There are going to be defensive concerns all over the place. Left field and right field could be problem areas. Willingham didn't look very comfortable in the small left field of Camden Yards -- I wonder how he will fare at Target Field? And the offense was troubling, to say the least. Baltimore's pitchers were just adequate this weekend, and the Twins made them, for the most part, look like All-Stars. Not a good way to start out. I still think this could be a .500 team, but the offense has to start clicking.

On a side note, I love Target Field, but Camden Yards is still #1 for this fan. I will say, though, that Target Field definitely has Baltimore beat in terms of concessions. Sure, we don't have softshell crab sandwiches at our ballpark, but that's about the only unique food at Camden Yards. The rest seemed to be hot dogs, popcorn and burgers. Also, it is nice having the open concourse at Target Field. We missed over an inning of Saturday's game searching for food, and it would have been nice to have had that open view of the stadium. So, in its 20 years, Camden has aged a little bit. But without Camden Yards, there's no footprint for PNC in Pittsburgh, San Francisco's great stadium, and even Target Field. Happy anniversary to the "parent" stadium for this great new generation of classic American ballparks.

After catching Liriano's third strikeout in the first inning,
Mauer looked at me as he was jogging back to the dugout.
I was wearing a "HC" hat, which is the nickname for
New Britain (Hardware City). It looks like a TC Twins hat.
He sort of pointed at me, and flipped the ball right to me
over the Twins' dugout.

Mr. & Mrs. Fan From Afar

In Defense of Michael Cuddyer . . . Sort Of

Some thoughts on Michael Cuddyer, a player who I do not personally dislike, but who I believe has no place on this team after 2011:

1) His salary for 2011 was determined 5 days after the end of the 2009 season. Yes, that's the same season that he filled in admirably at first base for Justin Morneau, and had many clutch hits and RBIs down the stretch. Undoubtedly, the Twins would not have come back to win the division without Cuddyer that year. It was Cuddyer's agent that did the good bit of negotiating that caused the Twins, in November, 2009, to give Michael the substantial raise that he is receiving, but not earning, now. Doubtful the front office will agree to that kind of scheduling again!

2) At least the guy doesn't make excuses. Only one and a half months into the season, I have heard enough about weak legs, the flu, oblique strains, and mental problems that magically manifest themselves in physical symptoms (Francisco Liriano). Say what you will about Cuddyer - - it is probably deserved -- but he has played where he is asked to play, has not completely embarrassed himself in the field, and has not asked for days off. His batting average (though great relative to other Twins players) is subpar, he has shown absolutely no ability to drive in runners, as Howard Sinker recently noted, and it feels like he's going to come close again to leading the lead in one of the most frustrating stats, grounding into double plays. But, notwithstanding that, he is one of 4 or 5 genuine MLB players that we have in the lineup, and the last thing I expect him to do is ask for a day off.

3) I actually like the guy. If he were to be stuck in suburban Hartford, Connecticut, and needed a ride somewhere, or a hot meal, I would have no problem with that. We might even have a beer or two.

Let's pretend for a minute that the Twins manage to get healthy, pull the season together, and, stay with me here . . . win the World Series in 2011. I know, it feels unlikely now that they will even get to .500. But, for the sake of argument, let's say that happens. Regardless of what happens to Cuddyer in 2012, if the Twins win the World Series, he's going to go down, eventually, as some sort of hero in Minnesota.

I am the biggest Kent Hrbek fan of all. I grew up at exactly the right time to enjoy his prime, and to feel sad when he retired. He was a fan favorite, had his share of great games and key plays, and gave good sound bites, but he was never a marquis player. Granted, in his best years he was better that Cuddyer was, however, he never reached the upper echelon of major league baseball players. But, Kent Hrbek was the first baseman on 2 World Series teams, the last World Series teams in Minnesota. I know Hrbek likes to fish, and frequents the lakes and resorts in northern Minnesota. I have it on good authority, also, that he enjoys having a few drinks after a day on the lake, and have heard great stories about Hrbek talking to fans, just like us, sharing beers and shooting pool, at places like Grand View Lodge and Madden's. Kent Hrbek is immortal in Minnesota, literally, because his number 14 is retired, and figuratively in the hearts of people like me. A native Minnesotan, he wisely stayed there and let his legend grow.

If the Twins were to somehow pull it together this year, Cuddyer, a career Twin and the most senior member of the organization, might deserve to have his number 5 retired just as much as Kent Hrbek did. History is interesting, and also revisionist. Today we complain about Cuddyer grounding into double plays and failing in the clutch. Assuming postseason success, twenty years from now, we might remember a key play or two of Cuddyer's, a very good postseason OPS, and the fact that the guy never asked out of the lineup.

The bottom line is this: we can scream about Cuddyer all we want; he is overpaid for the production he has given in 2011 so far; and I have no confidence in him batting in a clutch situation. If the other veterans on this team decide to get healthy and contribute, however, some of the heat will be taken off of Cuddyer, he can bat 7th or 8th in the lineup, and perhaps he will produce down there. If not, and if the Twins can't turn this season around, we have an extra $12 million to devote to middle infield, starting pitching, or the bullpen in 2012.

AL and NL MVP Picks

Leading up to the regular season, I'll be posting my picks for some of the major baseball awards, as well as my predictions for which Twins players will lead team pitching and offensive categories.

I'm not really a betting man, although Mega Millions is pretty high right now (remember to play within your limits). If a were a gambler, however, here are my picks for the AL and NL MVPs for 2011. No real shockers:


Adrian Gonzalez, in his first year as a member of the Red Sox, will be batting cleanup in the most feared lineup in baseball, in a stadium that favors his opposite-field power, playing for one of the most heavily covered teams. Batting in front of him will be speedsters Jacoby Ellsbury and Carl Crawford, as well as former MVP Dustin Pedroia, and behind him will be sluggers Kevin Youkilis and David Ortiz. Simply stated, Gonzalez will have speed and high batting averages in front of him to create RBIs, and the threat of power behind him, ensuring that he will see pitches to hit. The Red Sox' rejuvenated, healthy, power-packed offense will be the front-runner in the AL East, following the failure of the Yankees to acquire a marquis player, and the liquidation of the Tampa Bay Rays. MVP voters look for large offensive numbers and passable defense from a star player on a team that is in contention for the playoffs. On paper, Gonzalez, already a 3-time All-Star and 2-time Gold Glove winner in his own right, is in line for what could be a legendary season with the Red Sox. Notably, as of the end of March, he has yet to sign an extension with Boston, and although many believe it is forthcoming, he is playing for his next contract. Though the expectations for Gonzalez are high, he is poised to have the most productive season of his career, and to help lead the Red Sox to the playoffs.

Dark Horse: Justin Morneau. Even if Morneau takes a month to get going, if he ends up having a great 5 months, stays healthy, and the Twins are in contention, he will get votes. After his injury in 2010, voters will want to see him succeed in 2011. Like Gonzalez with the Red Sox, he will be batting in front of a couple hitters who we (hope in the case of Nishioka/expect in the case of Mauer) to be on base very often, and behind him will be some combination of D. Young, Kubel or Thome. Morneau will have plenty of RBI opportunities and will see pitches to hit.

In the National League, no player has more to prove in 2011 than Albert Pujols, namely, that he is worth the 10 year, $300 million contract he reportedly is seeking. Last month, all reports indicated that the St. Louis Cardinals offered to make Pujols the fourth or fifth highest paid player at his position, that the average yearly value of the contract was several million dollars short of Pujols' goal, and that the sides were never even close to a deal prior to reaching his self-imposed deadline for negotiating. In 2011, Pujols must prove to the Cardinals, the Cubs, and any host of teams that have a potential vacancy at first base, that he is worth the commitment he is seeking. He may be the odds-on favorite to win the NL MVP award each season, but it will not be enough this year to simply bat .300, hit 35 home runs and drive in 110 runs. Pujols needs a season for the ages, a season in which he is leading the Triple Crown race entering September, a season in which he hits 50 home runs and manages to make the Cardinals a competitive team. If he has that season, he will easily win the MVP and force the Cardinals ownership to essentially write him a $300 million check. If any player in baseball can, on demand, come up with that kind of season, it is Albert Pujols.

Dark Horse: If Giants catcher Buster Posey is the real deal, if he plays great defense, bats like he did in the World Series, and keeps the Giants competitive, he's going to get a lot of votes. Like Joe Mauer a few years ago, Posey might become a household name in 2011, if he is not already.

Mr. Pohlad, Tear Down That Wall!

Joe Christensen over at the Star Tribune has an interesting piece discussing the Mauer contract, its scope in terms of the Twins' payroll, and whether, in retrospect, it was good long-term idea for the Twins. In it, Christensen quotes Mauer as stating, regarding Target Field: "A lot of times, I was hitting balls to left field that would be out of other parks, and they were caught for outs." This, of course, is not news for anyone that watched Twins broadcasts in 2010. It felt like Mauer hit about 50 lineouts or flyouts that were within 5 or 10 feet of being home runs. Christensen also notes that Target Field was was the stingiest ballpark when it came to yielding home runs, surrendering only 52 Twins home runs, and 64 opponent home runs.

I am ordinarily not one that believes in pandering to players' demands. I would have really liked to see the batter's eye trees given a chance to mature, and I think that Michael Cuddyer overstepped his role in complaining, publicly, about the trees. The fence issue, to me, is another story. Mauer has not out-and-out complained about the fence, but reading between the lines, his comments clearly indicate that he would be a happier camper were the left field fence moved in 10 feet or so. Justin Morneau, as well as other players, have said as much.

In my opinion, this is no more than a business decision. The Twins are in the middle of a relatively short window of time in which certain players (e.g., Mauer, Morneau, Young, Valencia, Liriano) are either affordable, in their athletic prime, or both. With respect to finances, Mauer and Morneau alone will cost the Twins $226 million on their current contracts, and that does not take into account any new contract or contract extension for Morneau that would begin in 2014. That's nearly a quarter of a billion dollars for two players that have, in some manner, voiced concerns about Target Field's dimensions, and that certainly have experienced some degree of difficulty hitting for power there.

Additionally, the Twins as a franchise are becoming increasingly reliant on power, as it is not unreasonable to expect a minimum of 20 home runs from 5 of the 9 likely opening day starters (Mauer, Morneau, Young, Cuddyer, Thome/Kubel). This is a far cry from the teams composed primarily of scrappy piranhas and cagy, over-the-hill veterans of just a few years ago.

2010 was the first year playing at Target Field, and the sample size -- 81 regular season games, 2 preseason games against the Cardinals, and 2 postseason losses against the Yankees -- is probably a statistically insufficient basis upon which to make a decision about the playing field dimensions. After 2011, however, if Target Field remains the stingiest ballpark in all of baseball with respect to home runs, and if the Twins continue to court and sign to long-term deals supposed power hitters, the field dimensions should be altered.

And if the Twins do move up the left field fence, I would like nothing more than to see a St. Paul Saints-esque hot tub constructed in that new patch of vacant real estate. Can you imagine the revenue?

Justin Morneau: Jayson Stark Article

For those who haven't read it, here is the link to Jayson Stark's excellent article on ESPN.com about Justin Morneau and his return to baseball.

With respect to Morneau's injury, I have always held opinion that he should not play until he is ready, even if that were to mean missing some, or all, of the 2011 season. Morneau has a lot more going on this year than he did last year; more important than being a very good ballplayer, he is a human being, a son, husband, and now a father. Of course, even if he were to retire today, he has earned more than enough money to comfortably support his family, so finances probably aren't as much a consideration for him as they are for most working-class people.

Concussions -- especially multiple concussions -- are no joke. The fact that Morneau couldn't comfortably watch television for several months underscores the degree to which these injuries affect daily life. The Twins organization has done the right thing by not urging Morneau's return. As a basis for comparison, just take a look at former NFL greats who return for their Hall of Fame or number retirement ceremonies, or listen to them on TV interviews: many players, only in their 40s or 50s, cannot comfortably walk, and exhibit other signs of lasting physical and mental injuries. Of course, football is, by its nature, much more physical than baseball, but the NFL has always had a policy of "encouraging" quick returns from injuries, even concussions. Unfortunately, although it may be better for television ratings to encourage star players to return to action, it is those players that pay the price for this unwritten policy of fast returns to action.

10, 12, 15 years from now, should the Minnesota Twins Baseball Club decide to retire Morneau's number or induct him into the Twins Hall of Fame (hopefully after a World Series or two), I hope to see a healthy, physically fit Morneau, rather than the shell of a man that was once a great ballplayer, who came back to his sport too soon after a brain injury, the full medical scope of which has yet to be fully understood.

I hope Justin Morneau is starting at first base on April 1 in Toronto, and, although I will be disappointed as a Twins baseball fan if he is not, I will understand on the human level that many things transcend the game baseball.

Rivalries

The older I've gotten, the more I have realized that sports rivalries are more for the fans and inhabitants of the cities, than for the athletes themselves. Really, they are perceived rivalries. Sure, you occasionally get a Yankees-Red Sox brawl, and might hear a lot of trash talking from players before a Vikings-Packers game, but I have come to believe that about 90 percent of a rivalry is simply posturing and good marketing (remember how packed the Dome used to be for the Twins-Brewers Border Battles?). And there's nothing wrong with that, it's just a fact of professional sports: we, the fans, care much more about the rivalry than do most of the actual players.

Then I read this article on ESPN today, "Jesse Crain Yet to Hear from Ex-Mate" (http://sports.espn.go.com/chicago/mlb/news/story?id=6154804), and it made me feel good. On the one hand, it detailed that Justin Morneau works out in the offseason with White Sox player Mark Teahen, but that seems to be pretty common between players, based on offseason training programs and location. But it was interesting to hear that Morneau has yet to "congratulate" Jesse Crain on his lucrative contract.

Perhaps Morneau is the exception to what I believe are perceived, fan-driven rivalries. I really like to think that Morneau would have called had Crain signed out of the AL Central, but that the idea of any Twins player signing with our division rival got under Morneau's skin. The White Sox made some good moves during the offseason, and let us not forget that they won 88 games in 2010, not a bad total. The division race in 2011 looks like it's going to be a lot closer than last year, and I, for one, can't wait for the first time Crain has to face the heart of the Twins' lineup.