Now back in Minnesota after six weeks in Florida, I'm working on some preview stuff for the weekend series against the Cardinals.
I have many opinions about what transpired during Spring Training 2010. Too many for one blog....
I expressed my thoughts on the Twins' decision on closing-by-committee on Monday. I don't think the Twins will end this season this way. I just feel it's better to name one person and make adjustments later than it is to have three people going to the park each day not knowing what their role is.
I hope the Twins understand that they can't wait two months to sort this out. They won't be able to pull off a late-season rally every year, and they'll lament the games they lost in April and May if they fall short of the postseason.
At the same time, their offense might be able to absorb the lack of a proven closer until the Twins figure out something more permanent. The Twins were fifth in runs scored last season and added J.J. Hardy, Orlando Hudson and Jim Thome to the roster. When the Twins have had their `A' lineup in this spring, they looked pretty darn good. Or, as Larry David would say, ``pretty....pretTY...pretTY...pretaaaaay good."
Hudson, batting between Denard Span and Joe Mauer, really sets up the lineup nicely. Span already is one of the best leadoff hitters in the game. And their No. 3 hitter isn't shabby.
Speaking of Hudson, one of the nation's best baseball writers, Joe Posnanski, interviewed Hudson for Sports Illustrated's 2010 preview on the Twins. The angle: Hudson's importance to the lineup. The preview hits the newsstands tomorrow.
Something has been bugging me, so I sent an e-mail to the great Nick confirmation of STATS, Inc., for confirmation. And I was right!
Here are the leaders in foul balls given up last season:
1. Justin Verlander, Det 825
2. Scott Baker, Min 774
3. Cliff Lee, Cle-Phi 736
4. Randy Wolf, LAD 665
5. Edwin Jackson, Det 649
I'm guessing this is a result of Baker pitching up in the zone so much....