Opening Day Extravaganza...Hope you're hungry

Opening Day of the Major League Baseball season is, without doubt, my favorite day of the year.
Out of the 365 days, there isn't a single one I look forward to with as much excitement, anticipation and confidence.
Confidence, because, unlike any other day that you could be someone's favorite (Christmas, Birthday, St. Patty's Day, etc.), you know you're looking forward to more than just one day. A whole season. Even if things go bad for your team, you've got six whole months with a game almost every day.
That's why baseball is great. Football only plays once a week, and the rest of the time you sit around being pissed about the last one. Football is stupid (I actually love football, too, I'm just saying).
Unfortunately this year's holiday excitement has been tempered somewhat by the death of the great Herb Carneal. For the third year in a row, the Twins enter a season with heavy hearts after the death of an icon.

But this won't temper my enthusiasm. So for Opening Day, I offer you, the Twinstown reader, more material than you could possibly want or need. Yes, I could and should have gotten to most of this earlier, but I've been busy taking the Twins to the World Series in MLB The Show for Playstation 2. I'll try to break up most of this stuff, so you can take in a little, do some work, come back later, and so on.
(PS - If you don't usually pick up hard newspaper copies, I'd recommend doing so for today's Argus and the Star Tribune's special baseball section. We did our own baseball preview at the Argus (we usually just assemble a bunch of crap from the wire), with myself and copy editor Mike Klinski working pretty hard to give fans something to save for their scrapbooks. The Strib's baseball special section is borderline amazing - that's what a major daily paper can and should (but doesn't always) do.)

Happy Opening Day. 162 games to go.


Herb Carneal dead at 83.
There are a few names who are synonymous with Twins baseball.
Puckett, Killebrew, Hrbek and Carew are obvious. And even though Carneal was just a broadcaster, he's right there with them on the Twins Mt. Rushmore.
Carneal was with the Twins for every year except their first, bringing an old-fashioned professionalism to the job that has since disappeared.
Patrick Reusse of the Star Tribune writes,
"What Herb Carneal did was describe precisely what was occurring in front of him and allow us to react. When you consider hysterical play-by-play is now often the norm, Herbie deserves lasting admiration for the trust he placed in all of us."
In his later days Herb's eyesight and accuracy understandably deteriorated, but he remained the most popular of the various voices to bring fans Twins games because of that voice - smooth as caramel, that seemed to bring a poignancy, a romanticism, to something as ultimately insignificant as a baseball game.
When the radio was on, and Carneal's sweet voice was bringing you the action, all was right with the world, no matter where you were or what you were doing.
Spending a late night in the office working overtime, burning in the hot sun of a Saturday afternoon, killing a two-hour drive down the highway or burying your head under the hood of your car on a Sunday in the garage - all those chores had the chance to become memorable days with Herbie at the mike.
You know how the Dome isn't the same without Bob Casey? The radio ain't gonna be the same without Herb Carneal.


Detroit Tigers Preview
What the Tigers did last year was not a fluke. I really liked them going into the year, but I sure didn't think a World Series was in the cards. The big reason they made it that far is that their best players, who all had injury histories, stayed healthy.
If that happens again, the Tigers will be very hard to beat. They're very deep. Losing Kenny Rogers for at least the first three months of the season hurts them early, but they have alternatives, and at 42, who knows how much the Gambler had left anyway.
Probable Starting Lineup:
CF Curtis Granderson
2B Placido Polanco
DH Gary Sheffield
RF Magglio Ordonez
SS Carlos Guillen
C Ivan Rodriguez
LF Craig Monroe
1B Sean Casey
3B Brandon Inge
Starting Rotation:
RH Jeremy Bonderman
RH Justin Verlander
LH Nate Robertson
LH Mike Maroth
RH Chad Durbin
Closer: Todd Jones

The rotation is very solid on paper, but there are questions.
Will Bonderman ever completely put it together and become the ace he's obviously capable of being? Or will he remain a head-case whose ERA can't get under 4?
Will Verlander suffer the sophomore slump that often hits pitchers who faced a large rookie workload?
How dependable will Robertson and Maroth be? Can Durbin (or rookie Zach Miner) adequately replace Rogers?
The lineup has only one question. Health.
1-9, the Tigers are loaded. It's a flat out great lineup.
But Sheffield, Ordonez, Guillen and even I-Rod are injury-prone, especially at an advanced age.
Last year the Tigers stayed healthy. Can they get lucky two years in a row?
As if all this wasn't enough, the Tigers bullpen and bench are also very good. Jones is on borrowed time as the closer, with Joel Zumaya ready to replace him and dominate.

The good: Loaded lineup, solid rotation, great bullpen, good bench.
The bad: Loss of Rogers hurts them more than you might think, middle of their lineup full of injury risks.
Best-case scenario: Everyone stays healthy, Rogers comes back strong in July, Bonderman contends for Cy Young. Tigers get back to the Series.
Worst-case scenario: Rotation is solid but misses Rogers, Jones is finished and bullpen depth is hurt when Zumaya takes over as closer. Ordonez, Guillen and Sheffield all go on the DL. Tigers finish 4th behind Twins, Tribe and Sox.
Detroit Tigers
Manager: Jim Leyland
Offense: A
Defense: A
Starting Pitching: B-
Bullpen: B+
Bench: B+ Prediction: 91-71, 2nd in AL Central


Twins 2007 Preview
I picked the Twins to win it last year, when a lot of people weren't. I've realized over the years that many of the TV and magazine people that pick this stuff give the teams they don't often cover only a cursory look. It seemed obvious to me that the Twins would be a much improved team last year, largely because of how young most of their key players were, especially on offense. It's like these people pick all the same old teams (Yankees, Red Sox, Braves, etc, etc), look for one cute little sleeper (Royals in '04, Twins in '05, Blue Jays in '06, Indians this year) and call it good.
I'm picking the Twins again this year, but it's tough. The Tigers are very good, and the Twins rotation obviously looks iffy.
I guess when push comes to shove it comes down to a couple things.
*I prefer Mauer, Morneau, Cuddyer, Hunter and Kubel to Sheffield, Ordonez, Guillen, Pudge, Monroe.
*I think the Tigers rotation, while deeper than the Twins', is overrated, and will miss Kenny Rogers.
*I don't think they'll stay as injury free as they did last year.
Okay, that's three things.

Twins 2007 Opening Day Roster Catchers:
Joe Mauer
He had a tough spring, and remember, last year's .347 average was largely thanks to an insane stretch in June-July when he hit almost .500 for month. Take away that stretch and he was right around .300. But he should get better, and hit for more power. Defensively he's very sharp.
Projection: .319-19-98
Mike Redmond
A terrific backup catcher and a clubhouse leader, he's like an extra coach. I hate that he bats third when he starts, but he's a valuable player who the Twins wisely signed to an extension.
Projection: .306-1-21
Chris Heintz
This three catcher thing with Gardy is getting so old I don't have the energy to re-hash it. This time at least, there's really no obviously better choice than Heintz, who is a fine backup. At least now there's the option of pinch hitting for Redmond. It might get Redmond into the lineup more, which isn't a bad thing.
Projection: .244-1-11
Infielders
Justin Morneau
The MVP finished at .321 even though he was at .236 on June 7. He's a left-handed Kirby Puckett, only with better discipline. Improving defensively.
Projection: .323-32-139
Luis Castillo
A dynamic player at the top of the order and in the field. Will he stay healthy?
Projection: .297-2-33
Nick Punto
Not convinced yet that last year was for real, especially since he faded in September. He's a valuable player, but don't be surprised if he ends up spelling at SS and 2B while Jeff Cirillo sees plenty of ABs.
Projection: .271-2-32
Jason Bartlett
Should eventually be a top of the order hitter. Will only get better offensively, and he was a lot better than many (including me) gave him credit for in the field.
Projection: .291-7-59
Jeff Cirillo
He kills lefties, and Gardy will love him (he's a veteran, he's versatile, etc, etc). If he becomes the everyday 3B his play will suffer, as he's a part-time player at this stage in his career.
Projection: .295-5-33
Luis Rodriguez
Had a great spring just as the team was looking to get rid of him. He's got potential to be a very sound role player in this league.
Projection: .255-4-26
Outfielders
Torii Hunter
I'm interested to see how he is defensively, because that was the worst part of his game last year. He's one of my all-time favorite players, and I really hope this isn't his last year as a Twin.
Projection: .273-28-92
Rondell White
If healthy, he'll be the player everyone thought we were getting last year (and that we finally saw in the second half). He'll open as the regular LF, but Jason Kubel looks healthy, so hopefully he'll gradually spend more time as a DH.
Projection: .283-14-69
Michael Cuddyer
It all finally came together last year, as Cuddyer had 109 RBI even after spending most of April on the bench. I don't believe (as many apparently do), that last year was his career year.
Projection: .292-31-115
Jason Kubel
He's going to have a breakout year. I'm so convinced of it I just keep saying it to myself over and over. He got in shape, and has looked good in the field. Could have a Shane Mack-like impact on this team.
Projection: .293-18-79
Jason Tyner
As much as I've hated on Lew Ford the last few years, I'm not convinced Tyner is an improvement as a 4th OF. I just don't think he can do what he did last year over the long haul. But he can be a good pinch-hitter, and as I've said before, he's the kind of guy that just gives you a good feeling when he steps into the box (Jeff Reboulet was the same way. It seemed like he ALWAYS got a hit, even if he was batting .240).
Projection: .267-0-12
Lew Ford
I'm going to assume he'll eventually return from the DL. Hopefully he'll be better than he was last year.
Projection: .250-2-12
Pitchers
Johan Santana
The best. He's almost as good as two solid starters.
Projection: 21-6, 2.48
Boof
From now on, I'm giving Boof the one-name Ichiro treatment. He's been really, really impressive. Fast becoming one of my favorite players. Pitches with extreme confidence.
Projection: 15-10, 3.88
Ramon Ortiz
Had a pretty good spring. I wouldn't underestimate what he could do under Rick Anderson, who's a far superior pitching coach to whoever the Nationals had.
Projection: 13-11, 4.59
Sidney Ponson
Had a decent spring, and could be successful with a good sinker. How good will he have to be to hang on to his spot in the rotation all year, with all those good arms in Rochester? Projection: 8-8, 4.97
Carlos Silva
The spring was going so bad there was talk he'd go to Triple-A, and then he pitched 5 flawless innings in his last spring start. Did he finally get the sinker back?
Projection: 7-10, 5.11
Matt Garza
One way or another, he'll find his way up here at some point.
Projection: 4-4, 4.26
Matt Guerrier
Very good for the role the Twins have created for him. Had a good spring.
Projection: 3.48
Jesse Crain
Inconsistent last year, but the Twins (and many other teams) still love his arm and makeup. If he struggles again, the Twins may finally consider dealing him.
Projection: 3.12
Juan Rincon
Supremely aggressive and confident set-up guy. Nasty stuff.
Projection: 2.45
Dennys Reyes
His ERA was 0.89 last year. He gave up 5 runs in 50 innings. I doubt he'll repeat that. But he'll still be excellent in his role.
Projection: 2.67
Pat Neshek
Will be hit harder as hitters get more looks at his funky delivery. Gardy has to limit his appearances against lefties.
Projection: 3.42
Joe Nathan
The best. Usually has one little three or four day slump where he struggles with command, otherwise he's unhittable.
Projection: 1.48, 47 saves

The good: Deadly and young heart of the order should only keep improving. There's potential for some strong table-setters in front of them as well. Best bullpen in baseball. Plenty of solid options ready in Triple-A if rotation falters.
The bad: Rotation is not as bad as some are making it sound, but it is a definite question. 9-1-2 hitters can get on base but offer very little extra-base power.
Best-case scenario: The Twins young hitters continue to blossom, while White and Punto also have strong seasons. Bullpen remains lights-out, and rotation is surprisingly strong. Twins go the Series.
Worst-case scenario: Punto proves last year was a fluke, White looks finished, while Mauer, Morneau and Cuddyer can't quite repeat last year's big numbers. Boof has some sophomore struggles, while 3-4-5 starters are a disaster. Twins are a distant 4th and have to scrape to get to .500.
Minnesota Twins
Manager: Ron Gardenhire
Offense: B+
Defense: A
Starting Pitching: C+
Bullpen: A
Bench: B-
Prediction: 93-69, 1st in AL Central





Playstation Twins go 125-37.
Yes, the game came out in late February and I already played a whole season. Most of the games I'd play the first two and last two innings, and skip the middle, otherwise yeah, it'd take forever.
Just for fun, here are some of the numbers my video game Twins put up.
Mauer .321-30-97
Morneau .340-51-131 (won the Triple Crown and MVP)
Cuddyer .336-37-118
Hunter .289-31-109
White .288-30-83
Kubel .338-29-78
Castillo .301-3-52
Punto .287-9-49
Bartlett .277-5-54
Cirillo .292-9-40
Santana 25-1, 0.79 (missed 7 starts on DL, Cy Young anyway)
Boof 20-4, 2.69
Silva 15-6 3.47
Ortiz 18-6 3.87
Ponson 7-3 3.49 (missed second half on DL)
Garza 4-2 3.86
Nathan 0.89, 62 saves

Swept the A's in three straight in the division series. Lost game 1 of the ALCS to the Yankees thanks to a huge error by Bartlett, but stormed back to sweep the next four. Swept the Padres in the Series.
Cool, huh.

Feel free to add any of your own predictions or projections, assuming you eventually made it this far. And if you did, and you're still not appropriately pumped for the season, I'll leave you with this. It's a Twinstown entry from the greatest Twins game I've ever attended (and I was at Game 1 of the '87 series).
Hopefully it will remind you how great baseball can be.

History...Real Time (October 1, 2006).
I was there Sunday.
There for one of the greatest days in the history of the Minnesota Twins.
I bought $6 upper deck tickets for me and my fiancee about two weeks ago, assuming the game probably wouldn't mean much.
I just wanted to go to one more game as a fan.
Just before the game started, the Twins honored Brad Radke with an on-field ceremony in which his teammates presented him with a jetski as a retirement present.
At the time I thought to myself, 'Well if nothing else I'm glad I was here for that.'
But that was nothing.
Three batters into the game the Twins trailed 1-0 with Carlos Silva on the mound. The Tigers were opening up a lead on the Royals. A win for Detroit would give them the division and send the Twins to New York to face the Yankees.
The Tigers were at home, and had already lost twice to a Royals team that they had beaten 15 of 16 times before this weekend.
And they built their lead to 6-0 in the third inning.
Yankee stadium, here we come.
But then...
Joe Mauer laced a double down the line, clinching the AL batting title and starting a Twins rally that would give them the lead. I told my fiancee before the inning that Torii Hunter would homer and he did, hitting a towering fly to left-center, his 31st of the year, and the hit that sealed the win - thanks to a fine outing from Silva and more expert work from the bullpen.
By the time the Twins had pushed their lead to 5-1, the 45,182 fans in attendance were no longer watching the field. They were watching the tiny video boards in opposite corners of the dome that were updating the Royals-Tigers game.
6-0 Detroit becomes 6-2, and the crowd roars. 6-4, the crowd is becoming a distraction to the players.
Detroit scores, 7-4, fans boo.
And then...
7-6, and 'Let's go Ro-yals' echoes through the dome.
7-7!
8-7 KC! The 100 loss Royals have come back from down 6-0 in Detroit against ace Jeremy Bonderman.
Bottom 8, Matt Stairs homers, and the Tigers have tied it at 8. Fans boo.
And then...
Joe Nathan closes out the Twins win, and nobody leaves. The Tigers-Royals game is up on the jumbotron, and the Tigers have the bases loaded with one out in the bottom of the 11th. Brandon Inge launches a ball deep to LF, looking like a walk-off grand slam, but it hooks fould. The dome crowd lets out a huge sigh.
Two pitches later, Joe Nelson, the Royals no-name rookie closer, fans Inge on a changeup that would make Johan proud. Inge crumbles to his knees in disbelief. Curtis Granderson is the Tigers last chance. The Royals summon lefty Jimmy Gobble, and Gobble fans Granderson looking. The dome is euphoric. The Twins players are in the dugout, drinking beer, jumping and screaming and waving towels and acting as giddy as the fans.
It's an amazingly surreal scene. The Twins players and their fans, almost working in unsion, watching the game together, egging each other on. They play 'Sweet Caroline' over the PA between innings, and the entire Twins bench is arm in arm, singing along with the fans.
It's a scene that I can't imagine taking place at any other Pro stadium anywhere in the world.
Top 12, Detroit summons Kenny Rogers from the pen, and the Royals knock him around for two runs. Nick Punto, Luis Rodriguez and Torii Hunter are going absolutely bonkers (they keep showing them on the Tron). Hunter grabs a mike, waves to the fans and screams: "Let's go Ro-yals". The place goes nuts. Of the 45,000 that were here, probably 35,000 remain, and the game's been over for half an hour.
Bottom 12, and Gobble sets the Tigers down almost effortlessly.
Finally...
The Twins players storm onto the field for the second time in a week, mobbing each other at the mound. They then take a victory lap around the field, high fiving fans in the front row. Joe Nathan does the Lambeau Leap into the left field corner. The players are throwing whatever they can, balls, shirts, hats and towels into the crowd.
Over the PA comes the official declaration: "Ladies and Gentlemen, your 2006 American League Central Division Champion Minnesota Twins!"
Gardy and Hunter both grab the mike and say a few words, but it's completely inaudible. The place is just too damn loud.
I look at the banner in right-field that reads AL Central Champs: 2002, 2003, 2004 and think how great it will look to have 2006 on there, too.
I look just a few feet to the left of that and see a big smiling Kirby Puckett, and wonder if he had a hand in the miracle that took place today in Minneapolis and Detroit.
There are 162 games and approximately 180 days in the Major League season, and the Twins were never once in sole possession of first place until after they were done playing. They caught the uncatchable Tigers on the final day.
Even after the fans left the dome, nobody wanted to go home. The streets of Minneapolis were filled with horn-honking cars, and people racing along the sidewalks, high fiving everyone in sight, high fiving people in moving cars.
As of right now, there's no better baseball town in America than Minneapolis.
There have been several moments in recent Twins history that I watched on TV while thinking to myself, 'Man I should've been there for that.'
But this is a day that will live forever, and I'll never forget it.
I was there.
And it was beautiful.