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"Colby taught me how to fish," Bartlett said. "We even went to the Everglades one day to fish for snook. I had never fished, but I'm kind of into it now."

The resumption of baseball means Bartlett has a new compadre for much of his day: second baseman Luis Castillo.

Bartlett is the 27-year-old Californian who tells you how great he feels. Castillo is the 31-year-old Dominican who shuffles around as if every step might be his last. Together, they did some remarkable things around second during the stretch drive and gained a grand appreciation for one another.

"Bartlett is a very good player," Castillo said. "We will have a full season now, and it will be good."

Bartlett said: "He'll be limping around, then he makes a dive and comes up with an unbelievable play. The thing I love about Luis is how much he wants to win."

Ron Gardenhire is another guy who wants to win -- especially in the first two months of this new season. And this time, Jason Bartlett positively will be at shortstop to assist in the effort.

Patrick Reusse can be heard weekdays on AM-1500 KSTP at 6:45 and 7:45 a.m. and 4:40 p.m. • preusse@startribune.com