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Nishioka soon to sign; Hardy deal to follow
via Bullpen Catcher December 09, 2010 at 12:11 AM

Twins 2011 Lineup Taking ShapeBy Bullpen CatcherThe Twins need to get Tsuyoshi Nishioka signed and my guess is it will happen very soon. Nishioka is a great gamble and could really become an integral part of the lineup and infield. Even if he hits .270 and bats in the No. 1 or 2 spot, he'll be a huge part of the team simply because I suspect he'll be in the lineup every day and remain co

Possible New Twins Shortstop
via Bullpen Catcher December 01, 2010 at 01:17 PM

Tsuyoshi Nishioka looks outstanding in this highlight reel. He's a switch-hitter and has earned top fielding honors at both second base and shortstop. Enjoy ...

December 1, 2010 Twins Lineup
via Bullpen Catcher December 01, 2010 at 01:05 PM

Let's update as we go, but here's the Twins 25-man active roster as it appears it would be if season started next week:Pitchers (11)P Francisco Liriano (L)P Scott Baker (R)P Brian Duensing (L)P Kevin Slowey (R)P Nick Blackburn (R)MR Jeff Manship (R)MR Anthony Slama (R), Pat Neshek (R) or Alex Burnett (R)MR Glen Perkins (L)MR Jose Mijares (L)SU Matt Capps (R)CL Joe Nathan (R)Position players (14)C

Friggin' Blogging Challenge Du Jour
via Bullpen Catcher November 22, 2010 at 11:29 PM

I entered a blogging challenge. All I need to do is spout off about stuff I normally blog, tweet, FaceplateTM or otherwise kick out on the Interent non-stop for my classes at the U.Thanks to Word Savvy hot mama for pushing me to do it. You'll want to read my blog-du-jour about Thanksgiving -- no guess on what it's about, but a full day with the Bullpen Catcher's family is enough fodder for a full

Once more: Joe Mauer could be a werewolf
via Bullpen Catcher July 12, 2010 at 11:41 AM

Comparison photos. Separated at birth?Left: Actor Taylor Lautner. Right: Twins catcher Joe Mauer (in high school at Cretin-Derham Hall).

Time for Twins to show fans they're serious
via Bullpen Catcher July 02, 2010 at 01:11 PM

The Twins head into the final few games before the All-Star Game break with the sixth best record in the American League. Granted, they lead the Tigers by one game, but teetering on the verge of being ousted from consideration of a Wild-Care berth if Detroit overtakes them is unsettling.Twins management have built a darn good team for the inaugural season of Target Field.   And inordinat

Morneau Missing In Triple Crown Talk
via Bullpen Catcher June 30, 2010 at 10:59 AM

Texas Rangers outfielder Josh Hamilton and Tigers first baseman/DH Miguel Cabrera are all the talk in American League circles as potential Triple Crown (and assumable MVP) candidates this year.  The latest comes from Yahoo! Sports writer Tim Brown who claims Hamilton has the most probability of the two to win the first Triple Crown (lead league in batting average, home runs and RBI) since Car

Is Thome biggest waste of Twins 2010 money?
via Bullpen Catcher June 27, 2010 at 11:53 AM

In late January the Twins signed certain future Hall-of-Famer Jim Thome to a one-year $1.5 million contract. It looked like a steal of a deal: Thome ranked the second-best designated hitter in the 2009 season in an Associated Press story, just behind Adam Lind in every geeks' new favorite Sabermetrician statistic OPS (on-base percentage + slugging percentage). Is it possible the Twins wasted their

2010 Twins Challenge
via Bullpen Catcher April 17, 2010 at 12:05 AM

Time to test the Bullpen Catcher's TheoryThis year's Twins team is shaping up to having the best beginning to a season in the team's 50-year history. The key to the 8-3 start? Certainly we could point to the power production (3rd in the AL in homeruns; 2nd in Total Bases) or the bullpen led by surprising closer replacement Jon Rauch (all 6-foot-11, 290-pounds of him).The Twins are damn good so far

O-Hud Set to Join Twins
via Bullpen Catcher February 04, 2010 at 10:17 PM

Second baseman Orlando Hudson Makes Twins Central FavoritesIt will be announced within the next few days that the Twins have come to an agreement with former Los Angeles Dodgers second baseman Orlando Hudson. Hudson's signing will be squeezed between the signing of DH Jim Thome and what is sure to be the soon announcement of a 10-year-deal between the team and 2009 AL MVP Joe Mauer.It's a hell of

Thome in the lineup!
via Bullpen Catcher January 26, 2010 at 11:11 PM

Adding Jim Thome to the lefty-dominated Twins lineup is a great move. For a baseball-paltry $1.5 million contract, Thome joins a team with powerful lefties Joe Mauer, Justin Morneau, Denard Span and Jason Kubel. There isn't a team in the league with enough lefties to roll out in late innings against this crew.It's just too bad we couldn't have had Thome for the last 3-4 years. He would have 650 ca

My New Second Favorite Blog
via Bullpen Catcher July 20, 2009 at 11:35 PM

Yep, I've finally had it with Punto.Read this for a summary of why ...

Bullpen? We Don't Need No Stinkin' Bullpen!
via Bullpen Catcher May 16, 2009 at 05:59 PM

Time to make a changeAfter two late-inning blown games in New York, it's time to deem the Twins bullpen an official mess. But it's not just those two losses in New York that appropriate a move to help the team, it's the last two season's worth of poor relief pitching that dictate finding a solution -- and fast.The Twins starting pitching is solidifying as the season moves along. The Big Five are g

MLB Gameday
via Bullpen Catcher May 15, 2009 at 09:11 AM

Gameday Best Of Recent MLB InnovationsIs there any better thing than the pitch-by-pitch approach used by MLB in its free Gameday package? Thursdays at work are significantly better with an afternoon Twins game on in a browser on my computer.I often monitor multiple games when I'm not at the ballpark and it used to be an outstanding function while working on deadline at the newspaper.Obviously MLB

Back in the Pen!
via Bullpen Catcher May 06, 2009 at 10:59 PM

After a too-long hiatus, the Bullpen Catcher has returned to the pen.Time for a few thoughts about the first month of the Twins season:Well, the Twins bullpen leaves a lot to be desired. When you have a knuckleballer in there, a few folks who can't keep the ball down, and Joe Nathan playing less than stellar, things are just not going to go well for this team. Right now it's starting pitching or n

Crede Can You Take The Twins "Higher"?
via Bullpen Catcher March 18, 2009 at 08:20 PM

Photo from Getty ImagesAt long last the Twins made a signing that made sense today.General Manager Bill Smith nabbed oft-injured Joe Crede for one year that will pay the former White Sox third baseman $2.5 million plus incentives. With incentives, Crede's contract could add up to the $7 million which he was initially asking.The signing comes a day before the mandatory Spring Training reporting dat

An Unlikely Flier at Third Base?
via Bullpen Catcher March 18, 2009 at 08:20 PM

First: There's this rumor about the Twins and Michael Young of the Rangers. Not out of the blue nor out of the question, but if Young waves the no-trade clause to Minnesota and the Twins piece a package together well, who knows?In recent days, we in the bullpen have been thinking about a third base option that doesn't involve money, doesn't threaten the current pitching rotation, doesn't cost muc

Blyleven Non-Election A Huge Mistake: Again!
via Bullpen Catcher March 18, 2009 at 08:20 PM

Jim Rice and Rickey Henderson were elected into the Baseball Hall Of Fame today. The voters didn't elect pitcher Bert Blyleven, outfielder Andre Dawson and a couple of others worthy of HOF status.Rice enters the Hall in the final year of his eligibility. Henderson and Rice are undoubtedly Hall of Famers and certainly deserve the honor. Unfortunately, the baseball writers' idiotic unwritten rules a

Michael Young A Great Option
via Bullpen Catcher March 18, 2009 at 08:20 PM

Recent reports about Texas Rangers shortstop Michael Young requesting a trade are intriguing. The Twins certainly could use Young at shortstop (he's bailing on Texas because the Rangers want to move him to third base). If they did that, Nick Punto could slide over into the third base platoon and all would be happy in Twinsville.There are two problems with this scenario, however. First, the Twins w

Reusse Has It Right
via Bullpen Catcher March 18, 2009 at 08:20 PM

Today's column by Patrick Reusse of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune hits the offseason right on the nose. Give it a good read if you have a few moments. {I won't even go out of my way to point out most everything he writes in that column has been said here previously.]