Twins second baseman Orlando Hudson had a one year contract with the Dodgers last season and his deal with the Twins expires at the end of 2010.  Hudson will be 33 in December and teams are cautious about long term commitments to older players.  The Twins are paying him $5 million this year, according to Cot’s baseball contracts.  https://mlbcontracts.blogspot.com/2005/01/minnesota-twins_17.html

Hudson is hitting .225 for the Twins, with no home runs and one RBI.  His switch hitting gives the Twins, who face a steady lineup of left-handers, versatility hitting No. 2 in the batting order.

Hudson has no errors thus far and been effective on double plays teaming with shortstop J.J. Hardy.  Hudson has had a base running lapse or two in the team’s first nine games.

The Twins left 11 runners on base in yesterday’s 6-3 loss to the Red Sox.  For the season the Twins are 0-11 with the bases loaded.

Delmon Young is batting .383 (31-for-81) with six homers, 23 RBI and 14 runs scored in 21 games for the Twins since September 22, 2009.

Former Twin David Ortiz has struck out 12 times in his last 21 at bats for the Red Sox.

Twins owner Jim Pohlad is a certified public accountant.  No one needs to explain an income statement to him.

KARE 11 reports that “Target Field does have the coldest averages of any outdoor baseball stadium in the country, but not by as much as you would think.  Denver and Detroit, for example, average April temperatures are just 2 degrees warmer than Minneapolis.  Chicago and Cleveland are only 3 degrees warmer. In October, the temperature differentials are basically the same.”   https://www.kare11.com/news/news_article.aspx?storyid=847706

Baseball America’s top 10 Twins prospects are Aaron Hicks, Wilson Ramos, Kyle Gibson, Miguel Sano, Ben Revere, Danny Valencia, Carlos Gutierrez, Angel Morales, David Bromberg and Max Kepler.  This is the second consecutive year Hicks, an outfielder, has been ranked by the publication as the No. 1 prospect in the organization.

Former Gophers and Cincinnati Bengals football player Ben Utecht sang the national anthem at last week’s Cincinnati Reds season opener.

The semi-finals of the Vikings cheerleaders’ swimsuit competition is Sunday night at Pantages Theatre.  See the Vikings Website for more information including ticket prices.  https://www.vikings.com/news/article-1/Minnesota-Vikings-Cheerleaders-Swimsuit-Competition-Set-For-Sunday/3439f7c7-55ca-4152-9fbf-a9180c272b2c

Despite a schedule that includes five likely top 25 teams, at least one passionate and optimistic Gophers football insider is talking about an 8-4 record.

Condolences to the Stoll family on the death of Jill Stoll.  She is the daughter of the late Cal Stoll, the former Gophers football coach.

Wild head coach Todd Richards will for the first time be an assistant coach of the U.S. Men’s National Team.  The Wild’s Brent Proulx will also be a part of the staff as equipment manager.  Team USA will open the International Ice Hockey Federation World Men’s Championship against host Germany on May 7.  The game will be played in a soccer facility and is expected to draw a world-record hockey crowd of more than 76,000 fans.

Mikko Koivu finished the season with a career-high 70 points (21-59=70), the third-highest total in Wild history.  Marion Gaborik is No. 1 with 83 points, Brian Rolston is second at 79.

Two Gustavus players, junior defender Kirstin Peterson and senior forward Melissa Mackley, and also St. Catherine junior forward Micheala Michaelson, have been named to the RBK Hockey College Division All-America first team for the West Region as chosen by members of the American Hockey Coaches Association (AHCA).

Chris Berenguer, son of former Twins pitcher Juan Berenguer, is a hockey defenseman for Hamline and was recently named a West Region All-American by the AHCA for the RBK men’s team.

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When the Twins hit nine home runs last week in their opening regular season series against the Angels, it sent a message that this baseball team has the potential to rank with the best home run clubs in franchise history.

The 1963 Twins hit a franchise record 225 home runs and the 1964 ball club produced 221.  The 1986 and 1987 teams hit 196 home runs each season, the third best totals in Twins history.

Sports Headliners researched the Twins 2010 roster and found 10 players that, based on recent major league performances, are candidates to hit 10 or more home runs.  Collectively, those 10 could hit 196 home runs, plus perhaps another four homers from power challenged hitters Alexi Casilla, Drew Butera, Jose Morales and Nick Punto.

A 200 total would rank third in franchise history and put the Twins among the leaders in major league baseball.  Last year the Yankees led all teams with 244 home runs.  The 2009 Twins hit 172 home runs, 61 more than in 2008.  After a week of baseball this year the Twins are second in the American League to Toronto in home runs with 10.  The Blue Jays have hit 11.

The Twins’ power surge last season was led by Joe Mauer and Jason Kubel who had career highs in home runs with 28 each.  Justin Morneau led the club in home runs with 30, four under his career best.  This season the upward trend should continue with new power acquisitions in J.J. Hardy and Jim Thome.

Here are the projected totals for the team’s 10 best potential home run hitters:  Mauer, 34; Morneau, 33; Kubel, 25; Michael Cuddyer, 24; Hardy, 20; Thome, 15; Delmon Young, 15; and Brendan Harris, Orlando Hudson and Denard Span, all with 10 each.

The projected total of 200 team home runs seems achievable, perhaps it could be 10 higher or lower, but in that range.  What seems unlikely, though, is a total of 220 or more.  To reach that level the Twins need a slugger like Harmon Killebrew who hit 49 home runs in 1964 and 45 in 1963.  The 1963 Twins also had Bob Allison who hit 35 home runs and Jimmie Hall with 32.  In 1964 Allison and Tony Oliva both homered 32 times.

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Frank White told Sports Headliners he doesn’t know what his grandson Royce is planning for his future.  Speculation is that White, who dropped out of school at Minnesota earlier this year, might return to the Gophers and coach Tubby Smith.

Frank, who has been an adviser to Royce, said he hasn’t spoken to his grandson in recent weeks.  “I don’t know anything,” Frank said. “My hope is Royce gets over (to Minnesota) and talks to Tubby.  This is the best place for Royce to be. Tubby is one of the best basketball and life coaches in the country, second to none.”

White is the 2009 Minnesota Mr. Basketball who didn’t play for the Gophers this past season as a freshman because of suspensions involving off the court incidents. .  Reports that White and the Gophers might have a mutual interest in reuniting included an article last week by Nadine Babu on GopherHole.com.

Babu wrote that former Gophers basketball player Willie Burton contacted GopherHole to communicate that White is interested in talking with Smith about a return to the program.  Her article also said the Gophers coaching staff might be open to White’s return.  Burton, who was a star forward for the Gophers in the late 1980s, has known the White family for years.

Frank White tried to arrange a meeting involving himself, Royce and Smith the week of February 28.  But at that time the younger White wasn’t ready to meet.

White is a 6-7 power forward who has the rebounding and physical skills the Gophers missed last season, and still have a need for.  The team’s front court depth was further reduced last week when junior forward Paul Carter announced he was transferring.

Frank said earlier in the year he believes his grandson has learned from his mistakes.  He’s also said “Royce is a very smart kid” who is capable of excelling in his school work.

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