Random opinions on the Twins who finish spring training this week and play the season and home opener at the Metrodome a week from tonight against the Los Angeles Angels:

Willie Mays, the 76-year-old hall of famer who once played for the San Francisco Giants, is about as likely to join the Twins as Barry Bonds.  Suggestions that the Twins sign the home run king, who wasn’t pursued by the Giants after last season, don’t make a lot of sense.  Bonds is 43-years-old and controversial.  The Twins are rebuilding with younger players and value their clubhouse chemistry.  The Twins may already have added a player or two during the off-season that might test the chemistry, but not the way the ego-centered Bonds could.

The prediction here is the Twins won’t bring Francisco Liriano home from spring training if there’s doubt he’s ready to take his turn in the starting rotation.  Liriano, 24, is potentially the Twins’ most valuable pitcher, but he has a challenging comeback ahead because of his famous elbow surgery that sidelined him all of last season.  Management has a team desperate for quality starting pitching but won’t do anything to jeopardize his comeback.  If Liriano needs special work and confidence building in the minors, the Twins will send him down, probably letting him work in Florida.

The Twins’ commitment to patience and investing in future results will apply to whether they keep high potential, so-so on fundamentals Carlos Gomez throughout the year.  The 22-year-old center field candidate played in the majors for the first time last season, 58 games, 125 at-bats and a .232 batting average with the New York Mets.   In spring training he’s made news with his extraordinary speed, base stealing and live arm.  He’s also been labeled a wild swinger at the plate and in need of improved fundamentals in the field and on the bases.  Although the Twins can look good showing him off as the center piece of the Johan Santana deal, they would send  him to the minors if needed rather than play the public relations game.

The Twins did make a statement today (Monday) about Gomez when they sent his spring training center field rivals, Jason Pridie and Denard Span, to their Triple A Rochester farm team.  Pencil Gomez in as next Monday’s starting center fielder and lead off hitter.

Santana, 29, must feel like a kid again and not just because the New York Mets gave him a six year, $137.5 million contract.  The Mets have talent but a lot of players are in their 30’s including starting pitchers Pedro Martinez, 36, and Orlando Hernandez, 38.  Infielders Carlos Delgado and former Twin Luis Castillo are 35 and 32, while outfielder Moises Alou is a geezer at 41.

The Angels team that comes here next week to play the Twins has a deep, experienced and talented outfield foursome.  Vladmir Guerrero, 32, had the most impressive numbers last year hitting .324 with 27 home runs and 125 RBI. Former Twin Torii Hunter, 32, will be the best of the foursome in the field, giving the Angels perhaps the game’s best center fielder while he tries to exceed last year’s batting totals that included a .287 average, 28 home runs and 107 RBI.  Gary Matthews, 33, hit .252 with 18 home runs and 72 RBI.  Garrett Anderson, 35, batted .297 with 16 home runs last season.

The Sporting News baseball issue distributed last week picks the Twins for a fourth place finish in the five team American League Central Division, suspicious as everyone else is about the team’s starting pitching.  The magazine predicted the Indians will win the division.

Sporting News rates the five best teams in baseball as the American League’s Red Sox, Indians, Tigers, Angels and Yankees.  The Twins rank No. 21 among 30 teams, just two spots ahead of the Royals who are predicted to finish last in the Central Division.

Comments Welcome

The 63^rd U.S. Women’s Open coming to Interlachen Country Club in Edina from June 23-29 is expected to sell-out the final two days for the first time in the event’s history, according to Dave Mona.  He and wife Linda are volunteer co-chairs for the USGA national championship tournament along with Bob and Virginia Carlson.

Ticket sales are ahead of any past opens and it’s expected that capacity crowds of 22,500 will attend each day of the Saturday and Sunday finals at Interlachen, Mona said. The tournament will have about 15 hours of national TV coverage provided by ESPN and NBC.

Mona said that among the players who will be here competing for the approximately $3 million in prize money are Annika Sorenstam, Juli Inkster, Paula Creamer, Suzann Pettersen and Edina’s Hilary Lunke.  Mona said teenage sensation Michelle Wie is the player event organizers “receive the most questions about” but it’s not certain at this time whether she will qualify for the tournament.

Changes will be made to the course including reversal of the front and back nines.  Interlachen’s signature hole is No. 9 and as No. 18 “will photograph beautifully” for TV, Mona said.  Other course changes will include faster greens, longer roughs and some narrower fairways.

Mona said the USGA wants to stage its opens at historic venues like Interlachen, the site of the 1930 men’s U.S. Open where Bobby Jones won a championship.  USGA officials have been impressed with ticket sales, corporate sales and volunteer enthusiasm.  Over 3,000 volunteers have registered and they pay $100 in return for some privileges including meals.

Marketing for the event will be timed to coincide with next month’s Masters.  Event information is available at www.2008uswomensopen.com.

Comments Welcome

Late last week Twins general manager Billy Smith said “we’ve got a good bullpen.”  He singled out spring training performances by bullpen pitchers Joe Nathan and Denny Reyes.  He said Jesse Crain, coming back from shoulder surgery, has been “fantastic.”

The Twins announced yesterday they have optioned left-handed pitcher Glen Perkins to their Triple A Rochester farm team.  In seven spring appearances (two starts), Perkins was 1-2, with a 7.50 ERA, allowing 19 hits with four walks and six strikeouts.

Gopher football coach Tim Brewster isn’t pleased with a new NCAA rule that prohibits head coaches from visiting high schools during the spring recruiting evaluation period.  “That’s a disappointing rule change, particularly for me,” he said.  “I enjoy being out so much.  It limits my effectiveness. …”

Brewster thinks the rule was pushed through by coaches who aren’t ambitious evaluators and that the policy may be changed next year.

He and his family moved into their home in a western Minneapolis suburb late last week.  Brewster had been living in an apartment in St. Paul.

Brewster, whose Gophers begin spring practice on Thursday, said he expects nine of the 11 Big Ten Conference teams to run spread offenses this fall.  Iowa and Wisconsin are the two programs that won’t.

Vikings’ coach Brad Childress heads for the NFL owners meetings in West Palm Beach next week.  Childress said he and Viking owner Zygi Wilf typically talk a couple of times per week but declined to identify the topics.

The Metrodome will be the site of first and second round NCAA® Division I men’s basketball games on Friday, March 20, and Sunday, March 22, 2009. Ticket packages go on sale today and are priced at $192 and $147.  Both ticket packages include four games on March 20 and two games on March 22.  Fans interested in purchasing tickets may do so online at www.ncaa.com/tickets.

The 10 finalists for the Hobey Baker award are Nathan Gerbe, Boston College; Ryan Jones, Miami University; Lee Jubinville, Princeton; Simon Lambert, RIT; Jean-Philippe Lamoureux, North Dakota; Ryan Lasch, St. Cloud State; Jeff Lerg, Michigan State; T.J. Oshie, North Dakota; Kevin Porter, Michigan; and Kevin Regan, New Hampshire. The public can vote for candidates to determine college hockey’s top player from now through March 30 by visiting www.hobeybaker.com.  Fans’ votes account for one percent of the total ballot, with the balance determined by a selection committee of 25 members from across the country.  Three final candidates will be announced April 2 with the winner revealed April 11 on ESPNU at 6:30 p.m. Minneapolis time.

Comments Welcome