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We're moments away from the first full squad workout of 2014, and it's already been an interesting morning.
Every Twins player and staffer (110 in all) is wearing a Stand^2Cancer t-shirt in support of GM Terry Ryan, who is recovering from surgery two weeks ago. The group gathered on the field this morning to take a picture.
Trevor Plouffe's mother and aunt are cancer survivors. Ryan Pressly lost his father to cancer during the offseason. I've lost both of my parents to cancer. So the show of support hits home with many of us.
Another interesting moment: Tom Brunansky had all the young and not-quite-established hitters sitting on the ground in the batting cages as he spoke to them. And part of it wasn't exactly positive. From the little I was able to hear, he wants things done a certain way, he wants hitters to go about their work a certain way. There was definitely an edge in his tone during parts - not all, parts - of his talk.
The Twins will run through drills then it will be time for some live batting practice. Brian Dozier, who tweaked his back last week while lifting weights, is good to go.
La Velle E. Neal III has covered baseball for the Star Tribune since 1998 (the post-Knoblauch era). Born and raised in Chicago, he grew up following the White Sox and hating the Cubs. He attended both the University of Illinois and Illinois-Chicago and began his baseball writing career at the Kansas City Star. He can be heard occasionally on KFAN radio, lending his great baseball mind to Paul Allen and other hosts. Mark Rosen borrows him occasionally for WCCO-TV.
Phil Miller covered three seasons of Twins baseball, but that was at a different ballpark for a different newspaper. Now Miller returns to the baseball beat after joining the Star Tribune as the Gopher football writer in 2010, and he won't miss the dingy dome for a minute. In addition to the Twins and Gophers, Miller covered the Utah Jazz and the NBA for six years at The Salt Lake Tribune.
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