There’s an unexpected positive vibe around the Twins so far this season. At least there is in my head and that of acquaintances.
After the roster shuffling and gaffes of ownership in recent years, the bar for expectations was admittedly low going into the season. This spring the Twins are flirting with a .500 record and Wild Card spot in the playoffs.
Gasp.
With questions about the talent on the roster and unknowns concerning new coaches and manager Derek Shelton, it was easy to be pessimistic about the Twins last winter. The starting pitching has been surprisingly good and so, too, has the run scoring. The defense has been solid and sometimes spectacular. The preseason woebegone bullpen has been just that, but occasionally something better.
Check your pulse if you are not more interested in the Twins after last night’s 16-8 rout of the Diamondbacks in Phoenix. Byron Buxton hit a grand slam in a 10-run fifth inning and he’s now tied with Yordan Alvarez of the Astros for the American League lead in home runs with 24. Minnesota, 37-41 this season, has won seven of its last 10 games.
Shelton and staff have impressed. There’s emphasis on fundamentals and execution. It’s an exaggeration but it seems like the Twins have laid down more successful bunts in 78 games than they did in seven years under previous bench boss Rocco Baldelli.
Kudos to Shelton and the coaches including hitting coach Keith Beauregard for reviving the offense from last season. Only the Yankees with 388 runs scored have touched home plate more times than the Twins (384) among American League teams.
Pitching coach Pete Maki and assistant Luis Ramirez deserve kudos, too. Starters like Joe Ryan, Taj Bradley, Bailey Ober and Zebby Matthews can deliver outstanding performances. Reliever Yoendrys Gomez has been a surprise in the bullpen, stingy with runs, and he leads the team with six saves.
Buxton, 32, is having a career season with home runs and remains a superb centerfielder. Another outfielder, Trevor Larnach, has been hot at the plate—and often the third outfielder is utility journeyman Kody Clemens who has sharpened his stick enough to hit third in the lineup.
Royce Lewis, the man of many stances, has returned from exile in St. Paul to make enough contact with the ball to raise his batting average to .200 and match his 200 pound frame. He may also have found a home at first base while valued young performers Luke Keaschall and Brooks Lee play at second and third base respectively.
Then there are google guys, players you didn’t know about but are contributors to the spring vibe. Shortstops Tristan Gray and Ryan Kreidler have had their moments as have catchers Victor Caratini and Alex Jackson.
The Twins are playing without one of their key starters and veterans in catcher Ryan Jeffers. The injured Jeffers, along with Ryan and Buxton, are drawing trade speculation as the MLB August 3 Trade Deadline approaches.
Such rumors are partially fueled by ownership which has been unwilling in the past to pay pricy veterans. Burned by the past gaffes, fans are reluctant to embrace the Twins now. Parting ways with the team’s best veterans will only deepen the “wound.”
And oh, if the front office hadn’t traded away North St. Paul’s Louie Varland last season! He has 15 saves, with a 0.86 ERA for the Blue Jays. If he had remained a Twin, the club would likely have four or more wins.
Worth Noting
Murray’s restaurant owner Tim Murray, who has visited all the MLB stadiums, now gets his baseball travel fix going with friends every other year to World Series games. His favorite parks are Fenway, Wrigley and PNC. (Murray’s is a longtime advertiser of this space.)
Hats off to former Golden Gophers athletics director Joel Maturi and wife Lois for their volunteer role in hosting a hugely successful open house last week at Second Harvest Heartland in Brooklyn Park. Maturi is a board member for the food bank which is the second largest of its kind in the nation. Timberwolves coach Chris Finch is also on the board.
Spanish playmaking guard Sergio de Larrea is the most speculated pick by the Wolves at No. 28 in the first round of Tuesday’s NBA Draft, per AI.
Don’t be surprised if Wolves assistant coach Michah Nori is the new head coach of the NBA Trail Blazers.
With a corporate naming rights deal, Williams Arena is now The Barn by Blue Cross and Blue Shield. No word I am aware of as to how or if the University of Minnesota will preserve the name of Dr. Henry Williams, the longtime namesake of the arena.
Williams coached Minnesota football from 1900-1921 and has the best football winning percentage in school history. He was 136-33-11 (.786) as coach of the Gophers, and his team won or shared eight conference titles.
Bobby Bell turned 86 last week. He terrified opposing offenses as a defensive tackle for Gophers teams from 1960-1962 that won a national championship and Rose Bowl. He should be on a short list of Gopher football legends deserving statues at Huntington Bank Stadium.
The football Gophers figure to have at least a couple thousand fans in Seattle for their September 26 game against Washington. A friend is asking if anyone knows of people selling individual boat tickets for “sail-gating” on that Saturday. Anyone who has a connection can email ds@shamasportsheadliners.com.
My late father was in the Army during World War II. He was stationed in Panama and liked to quip: “The enemy never took the Panama Canal.”
Happy Father’s Day!