Nobody is predicting the Twins will win the American League Central or even secure a wildcard position in the playoffs, but after about two months the home team certainly looks better than last year’s club that finished with a 66-96 record.
“I certainly believe so,” Twins president Dave St. Peter told Sports Headliners.
The Twins are 22-21 after last night’s interleague win over the Padres in San Diego. On this date a year ago the Twins were 18-25, and seven games out of first place.
The 2014 Twins, although six games behind the division-leading Tigers, and are in second place and have won three consecutive series. One was against the Tigers in Detroit, with the other two in Minneapolis facing the 2013 World Series champion Red Sox and also the Mariners.
The Twins have managed to play around .500 baseball despite a difficult early season schedule. Injuries to outfielders Oswaldo Arcia and Josh Willingham, and first baseman Joe Mauer have been a challenge, too.
“There’s no doubt in my mind that we believe this baseball team is built to be better than what we’ve been in the last three years,” St. Peter said. “That isn’t saying much because we haven’t been very good. We need to get better.”
The team’s last three regular season records were 66-96 twice and 63-99. Coming out of spring training there was hope but no assurance this season would be better. The starting pitching was a concern and fans had minimal optimism about run production.
St. Peter said the team’s bullpen has often been “very good” this spring while the ongoing effort is to restore “credibility” among the starting pitchers who must show more consistency. The offense has been much better than expected with the Twins fifth in American League runs scored. “We’ve got a lot of work to do, but, nonetheless, we’ve been encouraged by a variety of different developments,” St. Peter said.
Ask St. Peter about early season Twins MVP’s and he mentions closer Glen Perkins, new starter Phil Hughes, new catcher Kurt Suzuki, third baseman Trevor Plouffe and second baseman Brian Dozier who has been statistically more impressive than anyone on the roster. Dozier, in his third season with the Twins, is tied for fourth in AL home runs, third in stolen bases and first in runs scored.
St. Peter has praise, too, for manager Ron Gardenhire and the coaching staff. “I think our manager and coaching staff have always done a great job here. Again, long way (for the team) to go.
“They (the staff) certainly should get credit for the continued evolution of some of our core players. Guys that maybe people had questions about. Whether it be a Plouffe, or a Dozier, or some of our bullpen guys, or what have you. There’s no doubt that the collective coaching staff deserves some credit and ultimately Ron Gardenhire is the leader of that group.”
The Twins made a habit of being blown out of games by the mid-innings last season. This year has been different and the team has not only stayed in games but rallied from behind, or overcome tie scores. “As we get into the heart of the season I’d like to think we’re in a position here where we not only can surprise some people but ultimately hopefully we can contend (for the playoffs),” St. Peter said.
The Twins haven’t been a contender since 2010 when they won their second consecutive AL Central title. The 2014 club still has most of its season ahead and has much to prove. “We’ve got a lot of work to do, but, nonetheless, we’ve been encouraged by a variety of different developments,” St. Peter said.
Worth Noting
Each major league baseball team is guaranteed a roster spot for one player in the All-Star game. The 2014 game is in Minneapolis but nothing in the MLB rules guarantees extra roster spots for the host club. Closer Glen Perkins, an All-Star last season, and second baseman Brian Dozier are leading Twins candidates to participate in the game but first baseman Joe Mauer, who has only six extra base hits and is hitting .282, needs to pick up his production pronto before All-Star rosters are finalized in early July. Mauer has played in six All-Star games and his reported $23 million salary is among the highest in baseball.
St. Peter said Mauer is healthy now and mentioned other Twins All-Star candidates include catcher Kurt Suzuki and starting pitcher Phil Hughes. “We’ll have at least one All-Star and the play on the field will dictate whether we have more than one,” St. Peter said.
The fourth seeded Gophers baseball team plays its opening Big Ten Tournament game tonight in Omaha starting at 9 p.m. against fifth seeded Michigan. Gophers right-handed senior pitcher Alec Crawford from Wilton, Iowa was voted All-Big Ten Third Team by the conference coaches. Catcher Austin Athmann from Cold Spring was a unanimous All-Big Ten Freshman Team choice. Big Ten honors were announced yesterday.
For the first time in MIAC history one school has teams in both the NCAA Division III softball and baseball national tournaments in the same season. The St. Thomas softball team, 42-7, plays its opening game Thursday against Salisbury (Md.) in the eight-team, double-elimination tournament in Tyler, Texas. The Tommies have earned their fifth trip to nationals in 13 seasons but first since 2006.
The St. Thomas baseball team, 37-7, opens play Friday at 10 a.m. against defending champion Linfield (Ore.) in the eight-team, double-elimination tournament in Appleton, Wis. This is the Tommies’ fifth trip to nationals in the last 16 years and second in three seasons.
Gophers basketball coach Richard Pitino has been on the job for about 14 months and has yet to gain a recruiting commitment from a big name Minnesota high school recruit, but that’s likely to change with his 2015 class. Look for top 100 recruits Jarvis Johnson from DeLaSalle and Alex Illikainen from Grand Rapids to listen hard to Pitino, with either or both likely to become Gophers. Pitino probably realizes the chances of chasing Big Ten titles without one or two star contributors from Minnesota high schools are minimal.
Gophers football coach Jerry Kill, when asked on WCCO Radio last Sunday morning about redshirt freshmen who could contribute to the team’s success next fall mentioned running back Berkley Edwards, 6-foot-10 tight end Nate Wozniak and linebackers Ray Dixon and De’Niro Laster.
There’s probably more willingness among NFL owners than ever before to consider northern cities as Super Bowl sites. It’s not a trend but northern Super Bowls are more common than years ago. The 2014 game was in New Jersey and because the next three Super Bowls will be played in warm weather cities, Minneapolis likely benefitted in winning the 2018 game in a vote of league owners yesterday.
Pete Prisco from Cbssports.com posted his post-NFL Draft power rankings last Thursday and listed the Vikings at No. 27 among 30 teams. “It’s all about the quarterback position for the Vikings,” wrote Prisco who ranks the three other NFC North Division teams ahead of Minnesota.
Prisco has the Packers No. 8, Bears No. 12 and Lions No. 22. The Super Bowl champion Seahawks are his No. 1 team.
Dennis Schapiro, who died last week in Minneapolis at age 67, was a terrific editor and friend of mine. Condolences to Schapiro’s family including uncle Sid Hartman.