I don't know what's wrong with me. Presumably it's the optimism that fans of the Grand Old Game are supposed to feel at the start of every season, no matter how high the obstacles seem stacked against the home team.
Whatever the evidence that exists to the contrary, there are hints I've seen that the hitter most likely to wind up behind Joe Mauer in the batting order is going to be Trevor Plouffe.
It will not start that way; Ron Gardenhire will give the first shots at that to Josh Willingham and/or Jason Kubel. Both are veterans with their best days as hitters behind them – the way it has looked this spring, far behind them.
Gardenhire and Plouffe have had a tenuous relationship. Plouffe was part of the "fun bunch'' of younger players in 2011 that didn't seem to be properly filled with angst over the on-field disaster that was taking place that season.
All that was established with Plouffe in his rookie season was that he couldn't play shortstop … the position at which he had been drafted in the first round in 2004 and had played for most of his time in the minors.
Plouffe moved around early in 2012, outfield and second base, before taking voer at third base for the failed Danny Valencia. He has started 211 games at third base over the past two seasons.
As many nights as not, there seems to have been at least one Plouffe play – a boot, a bad decision, a lack of range – that has disappointed the manager.
Yeah, we'll go with that, "disappointed,'' rather than me putting a stronger word in the manager's mouth.