Just realized that we don't have one of these yet. You could almost final part of the Jim Thome thread into this as well.

Out of the rest of the AL Central, go Royals.

Grady Sizemore apologizes for nude pictures of himself floating around on the internets.

Grady Sizemore apologizes for nude pictures of himself floating around on the internets.

 

He's probably just embarassed and self-conscious now after seeing the Greg Oden pics

Orlando Hudson is deciding between the Twins and Indians. Sweet.

If f***ing Orlando Hudson goes to the f***ing Twins I'm going to flip out.

If f***ing Orlando Hudson goes to the f***ing Twins I'm going to flip out.

 

So pretty much what you've been doing for the last year or so? No biggie.

So pretty much what you've been doing for the last year or so? No biggie.

 

LMAO

 

QFT

Tigers sign Verlander to an extension. 5 years $80 mill.

Tigers sign Verlander to an extension. 5 years $80 mill.

 

It's pretty much market value, but I am wondering what kind of season he's going to have this year. 240 innings is a lot of innings. It's going to be interesting to see how he holds up this year.

It's pretty much market value, but I am wondering what kind of season he's going to have this year. 240 innings is a lot of innings. It's going to be interesting to see how he holds up this year.

Its backloaded, $500k signing bonus, $6.75 million this year $12.75 million next year, $20 million for the 3 years after that. I wonder if the contract gives them more room for Damon in 2010.

If f***ing Orlando Hudson goes to the f***ing Twins I'm going to flip out.

 

 

So pretty much what you've been doing for the last year or so? No biggie.

 

TYVM

Here's some of the Twins version of the "Andruw Jones has lost 25 lbs" pre-camp puffery.

In his first three seasons after Tommy John surgery, Minnesota Twins left-hander Francisco Liriano lost touch with his slider, once one of the most feared and unhittable pitches in the big leagues.

 

In his fourth offseason since the procedure, Liriano was finally able to rear back and let it fly. For the first time in a long time, the bite was in the slider and not in his elbow.

 

While pitching in winter ball in his native Dominican this offseason, Liriano started to feel like the All-Star power pitcher he was in 2006, not the wayward youngster of the past three seasons who looked lost without his favorite pitch. He went 3-1 with a 0.49 ERA in seven postseason appearances for Leones del Escogido, including a one-hit, 10-strikeout, five-inning masterpiece in the championship game.

 

As the Twins' pitchers and catchers report for spring training in Fort Myers, Fla., the team and Liriano hope his winter ball performance was a sign of things to come.

 

"You just have to wait and see how he carries it up to here," manager Ron Gardenhire said. "It's one thing pitching down there and it's another thing pitching up here. But the reports are that he's really throwing the ball well. He could be one of those ace in the holes if he can come back and bounce back, keep his arm up and the ball down."

 

-- The Associated Press

Um...

- Shin-Soo Choo's military obligation to his native South Korea has been weighing on his mind for several years.

 

And now, as the deadline for that obligation nears, even Choo's Indians teammates are starting to wonder if their right fielder will have to give up two years of his career to satisfy the demands of his country.

 

"Jake Westbrook asked me about it," Choo said Monday. "I told him, 'I'm with you guys. Don't worry about it.'"

 

Able-bodied South Korean men must serve two years in the military by the time they turn 30 years old. For the 27-year-old Choo, who turns 28 in July, that deadline is coming up quick.

 

Choo spent his entire life preparing to become a professional baseball player, and he refuses to walk away from the game at a point where he should be entering his prime. He is hoping to get clearance from the Indians to participate on the South Korean baseball team in the 2010 Asian Games, which take place in November. If he does, and his team wins a gold medal, Choo would receive an exemption from the South Korean government.

 

But what if Choo doesn't get that clearance or the Korean team doesn't win the gold?

 

Well, in that case, he would have to go to his backup plan. He's not divulging what that would be, because he knows people back home are hanging on his every word.

 

It could be that Choo would pursue citizenship in the United States. Perhaps more likely is the possibility that he would simply not return to his native land and avoid the obligation.

Just for s***s and giggles, here's a lineup the Twins could throw out against a tough right hander...

 

Span - CF (L)

Hudson - 2B (S)

Mauer - C (L)

Morneau - 1B (L)

Kubel - LF (L)

Cuddyer - RF ®

Thome - DH (L)

Punto - SS (S)

Tolbert - 3B (S)

 

That would be 8 guys hitting from the left side of the plate. And I'm sure if they wanted to get really creative or just stupid, they could find a way to get Cuddyer out and Morales in.

Twins outfielder Delmon Young has a new attitude and a new body this spring.

 

He is far more personable and engaging, something that began developing the second half of last year when he become more comfortable with the way the Twins do things -- and because the Twins showed him how much they wanted him.

 

"He is a great teammate," said manager Ron Gardenhire. "He is a pleasure to be around."

 

Young says he has gone from 239 pounds at the end of last year to 207 this spring.

 

"I want to return the days of 2006," he said, referring to his rookie year, when he could run, and really play defense.

That's a lot of weight loss.

Joe Nathan left the game after throwing 20 pitches today, with soreness and tightness in his surgically repaired right elbow.

Joe Nathan left the game after throwing 20 pitches today, with soreness and tightness in his surgically repaired right elbow.

 

The player that MN can least afford to lose.

The player that MN can least afford to lose.

Please, a closer is a lot easier to replace then Joe Maur or Justin Moreneu. Hell, i could even argue that Baker contributes more to the team then Nathan. He's a good-to-great pitcher, but he gives you 5 innings a week if you play your cards right.

Please, a closer is a lot easier to replace then Joe Maur or Justin Moreneu. Hell, i could even argue that Baker contributes more to the team then Nathan. He's a good-to-great pitcher, but he gives you 5 innings a week if you play your cards right.

And yet...I'll bet, they lose him for a time and they're a much worse team when it happens.

Please, a closer is a lot easier to replace then Joe Maur or Justin Moreneu. Hell, i could even argue that Baker contributes more to the team then Nathan. He's a good-to-great pitcher, but he gives you 5 innings a week if you play your cards right.

And those 5 innings a week, are usually the most important 5 innings of the week.

And those 5 innings a week, are usually the most important 5 innings of the week.

 

This is a very interesting thought and I tend to agree with it.

 

Not every inning is the same.

 

This is where value gets a bit screwed up. With stats like VORP or WARP, they tend to undervalue relievers because they pitch less innings. However, I think that the late innings are far different than the early and mid innings. It's more of a mental thing, but in baseball, mentality might just be half of the game.

 

If the Twins do lose Nathan, we should see a pretty big dip in their wins, mostly because Matt Guerrier will end up closing games, resulting in a domino effect of Rauch, Crain, and Mijares setting up, which thins out their middle relief. So basically, everybody is expected to do something out of the ordinary and that's when stuff starts going crazy. We saw this with the Sox in 08. When Jenks went out that bullpen shat itself and was never the same afterwards.

This is a very interesting thought and I tend to agree with it.

 

Not every inning is the same.

 

This is where value gets a bit screwed up. With stats like VORP or WARP, they tend to undervalue relievers because they pitch less innings. However, I think that the late innings are far different than the early and mid innings. It's more of a mental thing, but in baseball, mentality might just be half of the game.

 

If the Twins do lose Nathan, we should see a pretty big dip in their wins, mostly because Matt Guerrier will end up closing games, resulting in a domino effect of Rauch, Crain, and Mijares setting up, which thins out their middle relief. So basically, everybody is expected to do something out of the ordinary and that's when stuff starts going crazy. We saw this with the Sox in 08. When Jenks went out that bullpen shat itself and was never the same afterwards.

 

Agreed, but to say he's more critical to their success than Joe freaking Mauer is just wrong.

Agreed, but to say he's more critical to their success than Joe freaking Mauer is just wrong.

I think that's quite obvious.

 

But he may be more valuable than somebody like Scott Baker.

Don't forget the Twins get Neshek back this season. He'll help that bullpen a lot.