Things Might Be Looking Up

As the smoke rises and the pall lifts from another crushing end the Vikings season, it is that time of year to start looking forward to baseball. As I look out the window at four new inches of snow, it certainly doesn't look like baseball season. The excitement of Target Field opening, however, along with some recent moves by the Twins have got me looking forward to this season more so than in year's past.

The Twins started the off-season by trading the talented but very confused Carlos Gomez to Milwaukee for shortstop J.J. Hardy. I believe Hardy will benefit from this change of scenery. They also resigned starting pitcher, and innigs-eater Carl Pavano. Then, it was announced a few weeks back that the Twins signed DH Jim Thome, a future Hall of Famer. Thome, one of the all-time "Twins Killers," is 39 years old, but still has some pop left in his bat and should fit in perfectly in the clubhouse. In addition, the word was leaked by WCCO's Mark Rosen that the Twins and Joe Mauer are very close to signing a long-term contract that would keep the 2009 MVP in Minnesota for the next decade. Personally, I thought this was going to be the end of the Twins off-season moves. It looked like they were going to be a very good team going into 2010, with holes at 2nd and 3rd base.

The biggest surprise, however, came yesterday when it was announced that the Twins have signed 2nd baseman Orlando Hudson, a former LA Dodger, to a 1-year, $5 million dollar contract. This, folks, is the icing on the cake in many ways. Hudson, a 3-time All-star and 4-time Gold Glove winner, will fill a huge gap at second base. This also means Nick Punto can shift to 3rd base and platoon with Brendan Harris. Both Punto and Harris are more effective on a part-time basis rather than as full-time starters.

Check out the anticipated Twins batting order in 2010:

CF - Denard Span
2B - Orlando Hudson
C - Joe Mauer
1B - Justin Morneau
RF - Michael Cuddyer
DH - Jason Kubel
SS - J.J. Hardy
LF - Delmon Young
3B - Brendan Harris or Nick Punto

PH - Jim Thome

Not too shabby. The signing of Thome also means that Jason Kubel can play left field if Delmon Young falters, which Thome at DH. That brings up one of the most amazing tidbits of off-season news, by the way. The word is that Delmon Young has lost 30 lbs. Yes, you read that correctly. This could make a huge difference in his batting and play in the outfield.

Lastly, Freealonzo sent me this excellent review of Target Field written by Baseball Digest. It's rather long, but the details of the ballpark are great. The review calls Target Field "the most urban and the most modern ballpark in baseball:"

Yes, there are plenty of urban ballparks billed as downtown ballparks, mostly in the minors. The closest analogy in the majors is Pittsburgh’s PNC Park, as both offer stunning views of the city skyline.

But there’s not a MLB park so closely tied into a downtown area: Target Field is literally two blocks from bustling First Avenue (yes, you’ll be able to easily go to a Twins game and then hit the iconic First Avenue nightclub) and five blocks from the city’s business core. Commercial rail runs on one side of the ballpark, while two commuter train lines meet directly outside the ballpark.

The article also contained this little tidbit about the exact seats that we will be sitting in during the 2010 season:

"The best cheap seats in the house: sections 320-324. You’ll have great views of the downtown skyline and seats angled toward the playing field."

Nice. I do believe things in the sports world might be looking up.

Jeff