Exciting times for Twins' Jim Thome

Jim Thome has been involved in the opening of three major league ballparks.

The Twins designated hitter was with the Cleveland Indians in 1994 when Jacobs Field opened, with the Philadelphia Phillies in 2004 when Citizens Bank Ballpark opened and here this season when Target Field brought outdoor baseball back to the Twin Cities.

Thome, 39, has been in the major leagues since 1991. He has also played for the White Sox and Dodgers, so nobody on the Twins roster is in a better position to compare the complete Twins operation on and off the field with other franchises.

"[Target Field is a] beautiful, beautiful place," he said. "It's been a lot of fun being here and getting an opportunity to come to Minnesota and be a part of the organization. And the excitement and what it's done, not only for our club, but I think for the city, it's been wonderful.

"I don't think anything is better -- whenever you're opening a new ballpark there's that excitement. Which there was in Cleveland, when we opened up [a new stadium]. It really, really kind of revitalized the city. It really was great going from old Municipal [Stadium] into Jacobs Field, it was an awesome move for us.

"Then in Philadelphia, kind of the same thing. You could see the excitement, and the fans really enjoyed it, and I think that really brought energy to our club."

Camaraderie is key Entering Wednesday night's game, Thome had five home runs, giving him 569 for his career. He is tied with Rafael Palmeiro for 11th on the all-time list, four behind No. 10 Harmon Killebrew. Among active players, Thome is second, trailing Yankees third baseman Alex Rodriguez (591).

"When you look around, you've got superstar players, but you've got superstar people that genuinely root for everyone every day," he said. "The excitement before the game, how close we all are, I think you want that to last all year long, and it's been a great ride.

"Each team is unique, you're talking different people, you're talking different players. I personally have been very blessed, I've been very blessed to be on some really good, close-knit teams, and this is right there, no question."

Thome was traded by the White Sox to the Dodgers late last season, where he was used 17 times as a pinch hitter. He signed with the Twins as a free agent over the winter and, in addition to pinch hitting, has gotten some starts as a designated hitter.

"Getting an opportunity to stay in a division that I know and have played in for years -- coming over here and getting the opportunity to continue to play and be on a team with a wonderful group of guys and a great organization that plays the game the right way has been wonderful," he said.

"I think what's helped me out is going to L.A. last year at the end of the year and pinch hitting; and then obviously being in the division that I've been in all them years DH'ing," he said.

"Gardy is what you see is what you get," said Thome, who first met Gardenhire as a Cleveland rookie when Gardenhire was the Twins' third base coach. "He's one of them guys that you show up every day and play hard, he's a wonderful human being. He's a good man, he cares about his players, and it sure would be nice to win with him."

And Thome has played with a lot of All-Star position players -- including Manny Ramirez, Eddie Murray, Roberto Alomar, Kenny Lofton, Juan Gonzalez, Ryan Howard, Bobby Abreu and Jermaine Dye.

Now he is teammates with two former American League MVPs, Joe Mauer and Justin Morneau.

"They're both unique great players," Thome said. "I've been blessed through my years to play with some tremendous players and these guys rank right there.

"When I'm done playing and these guys are still going on, it's going to be nice to watch them grow, as they are right now, into superstar players. The one thing that I think you can take to the bank is these guys will never stop working. And that is really impressive."

Jottings Flip Saunders, the former Timberwolves coach now coaching the Washington Wizards, likes the Lakers to beat the Celtics for the NBA title. "Number one is that they have home-court advantage, which is always huge," Saunders said. "Number two is that they have the best player in the series, as far as Kobe Bryant. Number three is when you look at [Lakers coach] Phil Jackson's record when he does have home-court advantage, he's basically unbeatable."

Linebacker Nate Triplett, after a good career with the Gophers, was a fifth-round choice by the Vikings, who have a minicamp this weekend. He has enjoyed his time with the team during the Organized Team Activities. "All of them have been pretty welcoming," Triplett said. "Chad Greenway right away was kind of a jokester. He sent me a text message the day I got drafted and said, 'Don't think you're coming in and taking my spot.' All those guys are really helpful and try to teach me little tricks of the trade here and there. I have the skill set and I think that learning from them and learning the speed of the game, as well, will help me out with that."

Sam Rohr, a 6-4, 235-pound junior tight end from Brookfield (Wis.) Central, recently gave a verbal commitment to the Gophers football team, according to Scout.com.

The Gophers basketball team has offered a scholarship to Paul Jesperson, a 6-5 junior forward from Merrill, Wis. Gopher Illustrated reports Jesperson is the No. 1 recruit in Wisconsin for the class of 2011, the 30th-ranked small forward in the nation and the 132nd overall top recruit in the country.