On Monday night, the Twins will open the 2010 season with their seventh different Opening Day double-play combination in seven years, giving new meaning to the baseball conjugation "to turn two."

Ever since the promising duo of Cristian Guzman and Luis Rivas faltered and split, the Twins have turned over middle infielders faster than Spinal Tap changes drummers. While the Twins' failure to find a third baseman has been obvious and highly scrutinized, their inability to settle on a double-play combination has caused slow starts, lousy seasons and questionable decisions over the past seven years.

Monday in Anaheim, the Twins will try something new, starting two accomplished veterans at shortstop and second base -- former All-Stars J.J. Hardy and Orlando Hudson. In terms of credentials, the Twins haven't fielded such an impressive duo since 1992, when Chuck Knoblauch was the reigning American League rookie of the year and Greg Gagne was one of the best fielders in the game.

There always are reasons why accomplished veterans become available, though, and Hardy and Hudson (The H and H Boys?) are no more sure things than the April weather at Target Field, even if their résumés lend comfort to their teammates and manager.

"Right now, they look pretty good," right fielder Michael Cuddyer said. "From all the reports I've seen, and from what I've seen in person, Hardy should win a Gold Glove. He plays at that level. And Orlando comes in with those credentials and that hardware.

"It could be exciting -- and stable."

Star Tribune, Star Tribune
Second baseman Orlando Hudson has earned respect in the majors, such as this playful kick from Cardinals star Albert Pujols during Saturday’s game at Target Field.

Hardy made the National League All-Star team in 2007, along with Hudson, who also was selected to the 2009 All-Star Game. Hudson also won his fourth Rawlings Gold Glove award last year and was named the game's best defensive second baseman by Baseball America.

"They are veterans," Twins manager Ron Gardenhire said. "They are easy to talk to. You can tell them a few things you like and don't like, then go right it and it is done.

"They got a lot of experience out there. They have a great track record. They have worked really hard together, trying to get to know each other better and better. I look for great things out of them."

While Hardy and Hudson are more impressive than any other Twins double-play combo of recent vintage, they were both available for a reason. The Brewers traded Hardy to the Twins for struggling center fielder Carlos Gomez because Hardy also struggled in 2009, experiencing a crisis in confidence and getting sent to the minors in August. "I'm confident right now," Hardy said. "I love where I'm at. I got a lot of work done on my swing this spring. I feel really good about it."

Hudson became a free agent willing to sign a one-year deal with the Twins after the Dodgers benched him in favor of Ronnie Belliard for the pennant stretch. Hudson's reputation is as an effusive, hard-working fielding specialist, and yet the Twins were able to land him for $5 million.

"I don't even think about what happened in Los Angeles any more," Hudson said earlier this spring. "I don't even like to talk about it. That chapter is over with."

Hardy is quiet and affable; Hudson is a motormouth. "I've never been around anybody like him," first baseman Justin Morneau said. "He makes you laugh every minute you're around him."

In 1999, a teammate bet Hudson $1,000 that he couldn't stay quiet for an entire day. "I lost," Hudson said, "in 10 minutes. That's OK -- I'd rather talk."

"That's fine," Cuddyer said, "as long as you don't have 25 guys like that. Then it could be a little annoying. I've played against him for nine or 10 years, so I've come to know him quite a bit. You can't really help it. He's out there talking away on the field all the time.

"But it's all good-natured, nothing bad, where you would want to punch him in the face."

Since Guzman and Rivas split, the Twins have tried Jason Bartlett, Juan Castro, Luis Castillo, Alexi Casilla, Adam Everett, Brendan Harris, Nick Punto, Augie Ojeda, Brent Abernathy, Bret Boone, Luis Rodriguez, Matt Macri, Matt Tolbert, Orlando Cabrera, Tommy Watkins and Cuddyer -- among others -- at second or short.

Gardenhire would like high performance at those positions, but he might settle for stability and low maintenance.

Jim Souhan can be heard at 10-noon Sunday on AM-1500. His Twitter name is SouhanStrib. jsouhan@startribune.com