FORT MYERS, FLA. -- Twins manager Ron Gardenhire said he definitely wants Chris Parmelee on the team and officially mapped out the rotation plans to start the season after today's 15-3 victory over the Pirates.
As expected, the Twins will use four pitchers the first time through the rotation in this order: Carl Pavano, Francisco Liriano, Liam Hendriks and Nick Blackburn.
Scott Baker will start on the DL, but the Twins hope he can pitch next Thursday's season opener for Class A Fort Myers, which comes exactly 10 days before the Twins need a No. 5 starter for the first time, on April 15.
Anthony Swarzak will start in the bullpen, Gardenhire said.
As for the 2004 ALDS
Asked for his response to Torii Hunter's comment on the 2004 ALDS, Gardenhire said:
"You know what, I'm not going to throw anybody under the bus or anything like that, but I've never had a player -- no matter when it was -- tell me, 'No, I don't want to hit. No, I refuse to bat.' Never happened. Other than a pitcher. I said a player.
"I don't really know where that came from. I really believe that the thought process through the whole situation was we only had a couple guys. You had Kubel, who was one of our best hitters down the stretch as a young kid. And we had two left-handers in a row get hits – Morneau and Koskie – get hits. And we talked about with Kubes … Lew Ford. But believe me, I wasn't going to pinch-hit Lew Ford for Jason Kubel with Kubel's swing.
