…..yet.

Most of the vibe I’ve gotten from the Twins about free agent third baseman Joe Crede has been that his history of back problems is a bad match for their FieldTurf.

Then there was a note here that claims the Twins are in on Crede.  That kind of puzzled me.

Here’s an update: The Twins are looking at all options while trying to upgrade at third base. A healthy Crede is an upgrade at third base. But as you can see Crede hasn’t been healthy.

Crede, as of now, is working out at home located just outside Jefferson City, Mo. (I’ve been to Jeff-City). In a couple weeks, he’ll head to Arizona to work out and see where he’s at physically. It sounds like the Twins will be there to see where he’s at physically.

If Crede is healthy - and let’s it be known that he’s not afraid of FieldTurf for one season - the Twins could be interested THEN. But before we all break out pencils and try to figure out how much he’ll cost, he has to prove he can hold up. And his agent is Scott Boras, so a multi-year deal isn’t out of the question. And at what cost? Indications are that his decision might not come until right before camp opens.

 So it’s a little different from what I’ve heard earlier this offseason, but I still think it’s a longshot.

CORDERO UPDATE

Speaking of working out, Chad Cordero worked out for several teams - including the Twins - on Friday.

But all he did was play long toss. I mean, how much can you learn from that? These things end up being a meet-and-greet with the agent, who’s on the scene.  I’ll eventually learn to ignore notes that claim a pitcher, “will throw for teams.” in January.

TICKET TALK

Single-game tickets for Twins spring training games go on sale tomorrow at 9 a.m. You can go to www.twinsbaseball.com for more details.

NON-ROSTER INVITES

The Twins have already met to discuss their spring training invite list. which I wouldn’t be surprised if it’s released sometime next week.

Clubs might bring in a couple extra players to make the clubhouses look full when other players take off for the World Baseball Classic. Especially pitchers. The Twins were shorthanded during the 2006 WBC and went to a back field at Fort Myers to see which minor leaguers showed up early. They found Matt Garza and brought him into camp.

HALL OF FAME

Someone asked me who was on my Hall of Fame ballott. I didn’t know I was obligated to release such information before the results were announced.

But since you asked, I voted for Ricky Henderson. Bert Blyleven, Jim Rice, Andre Dawson and Lee Smith. I don’t have my ballot in front of me, but those are the ones I know for sure.

FINALLY….

Don’t forget about this……and Twins pitchers and catchers report in 36 days…..

Reliever Chad Cordero will throw for scouts on Friday in California, and I expect a Twins scout to join the Mets, Tigers, Diamondbacks, Brewers and other teams for a look-see. Cordero saved 47, 29 and 37 games from 2005-07 with Washington before having shoulder surgery last July.
If he looks O.K. it wouldn’t hurt the Twins to offer him a chance to have his comeback season as a set-up man for Joe Nathan.

WORLD BASEBALL CLASSIC UPDATE NO. 1 

It’s not official yet, but Nick Punto hopes to play for Italy in the World Baseball Classic.
“I think it’s good for baseball.’’ Punto said this afternoon. “I think it would be a cool experience. And I would get to learn a little more about my heritage.’’
Punto said officials are making sure he is eligible to play. He doesn’t expect any hurdles because his grandparents are from Naples – and not Naples, Fla. !!!
Twins prospect Matt Macri has been approached by the Italian national team too, but declined. “It was thrown out there,’’ he said, “but I thought it would be best for me to be at camp the whole time.’’
Provisional rosters are due on Jan. 19.

WBC UPDATE NO. 2

While Nick Punto, Joe Nathan (USA) and Justin Morneau (Canada) appear headed for WBC glory, Joe Mauer apparently isn’t.
Indications are that Mauer will need right up to the Feb. 14 reporting date for pitchers and catchers to fully recover from the minor kidney surgery he had last month to remove a blockage.

CARIBBEAN DREAMING

Winter leagues are in playoff mode right now. Alexi Casilla is batting .290 with 2 homers and 7 RBI in 8 postseason games for Gigantes de Cibao. Matt Tolbert, Jose Mijares and Wilson Ramos are playing for Aragua in the Venezuelan playoffs.

AND FINALLY…..

Twins pitchers and catchers report in 37 days.

A few years ago, the Twins met with local baseball writers to brainstorm on how to have a pre-season hot stove banquet. Twins president Dave St. Peter got us together with the Minnesota Medical  Foundation, and the Diamond Awards were born.
Since 2006, we have raised $1.7 million to help with research to cure Ataxia, ALS, Parkinson’s disease, muscular dystrophy and multiple sclerosis. The late Carl Pohlad stunned everyone during the first Diamond Awards when he donated $500,000. You don’t have to look far to come across someone who has been affected, or has a loved one affected, by one of these conditions.
It’s a good time. We hand out awards (Most Valuable Twin, Twins Outstanding Rookie, the Bob Allison Twins Leadership Award, etc.). We talk about the upcoming season. We eat! There’s a silent auction (one of the items for auction is a day with me at the ballpark). You get to see your favorite sportswriters in tuxedos. And all the award winners – Joe Mauer, Justin Morneau, Alexi Casilla, Joe Nathan, Ben Revere ,Anthony Slama and others – have agreed to attend.
The banquet takes place Jan. 22 at the City Center Marriott. The tickets aren’t cheap - $150.00 – but part of the cost is tax deductible and is for a good cause. If you can’t make it, stay tuned for details when the event will be aired on Fox Sports North.
As the chairman of the Twin Cities chapter of the Baseball Writers Association of America, I am proud to be part of this event and would love to see some of you there. A link to the event is now at the top of the blogroll on the right. If you can’t make it -if the economy makes it too tough this year - maybe next year.

Hopefully, there will be a couple updates later. But today will be a little tough to gather information because of Carl Pohlad’s funeral.

In case you didn’t read the official obit, here are details of funeral services for Twins owner Carl Pohlad, who passed away on Monday at age 93.

The wake will be held at Washburn McReavy Funeral Chapel, West 50th at Hwy 100, Edina between 4 and 8 p.m. Wednesday, January 7.

The funeral service will be held at The Basilica of Saint Mary in Minneapolis Thursday, January 8 at 1 p.m.

I want to share a few Carl Pohlad stories that couldn’t make today’s ink-on-paper edition:

4:28 update: Justin Morneau has asked to release the following statement on the passing of Mr. Pohlad.

“He was known as the man who saved baseball in Minnesota and a great fan of the game who gave so much back to the community. I’m sure his legacy will live on and he’ll be remembered not only by the Twins front office staff, but the great fans of Minnesota and the Twins players proud to wear the uniform under his leadership. His contributions and commitment to sports and the Minnesota community will never be forgotten. It’s a sad day when we lose a teammate and member of the Twins family. The players’ condolences go out to the Pohlad family.” – Justin Morneau on passing of Twins Owner Carl Pohlad.”

Now for a personal story. About eight years ago, I went to Carl’s office to a story on the state of the organization. Dennis Brackin and I were seated in meeting room at Pohlad’s spacious 40th floor office. Carl walks in with his notes, looks at me and says, “I heard you just bought a new home. Why didn’t you finance it through us?”

I had just moved into my townhome, so I was baffled how he found that out. At the time, I thought it was pretty funny.

Clark Griffith, son of the former Twins owner, has always been impressed with Carl Pohlad. I got a kick out of his line in today’s story about how Carl and his father ran the team the same way but one was the richest owner in baseball and   the other the poorest.

“Carl was the only owner George Steinbrenner looked up to,” Griffith said. “He was a business colossus.”

Griffith remembered one time he tried to help someone buy a few of Pohlad’s banks.

“A banker in North Carolina hired me to represent him in the purchase of several banks from Carl. I went to great lengths to draft a letter to Carl to propose the purchase of these banks.

“It came back two days later,  my letter with Carl’s writing across the face of it. `Clark, we buy banks. We don’t sell them.’ My great enterprise for my new Carolina client was dashed on the rocks.”

Former Twins manager Tom Kelly got his break during Pohlad’s tenure and hasn’t forgotten that.

“One of those people come up in your life, you never figure out how this happens,” Kelly said. “He gave me a chance and, boy and boy, that certainly had a big role in my life and my family’s life.”
“He treated me wonderfully. I would hear these stories with other managers, about the problems they might be having with an owner, and I’d say, ‘Wow, that never has happened to me.’
“I was very fortunate to be able to work with a man like that – to get to know him.’’

There was a belief that 2000 was going to be Kelly’s last year as manager. Kelly even pulled me into his office during a late September road trip to Cleveland to get my take of the situation.

Kelly confirmed the meeting with Pohlad after the 2000 season, when short-term CEO Chris Clouser had suggested to Carl there was a need for change.
“We had that sit down in Mr. Pohlad’s office,’’ Kelly said. “I wouldn’t call it a clearing of the air; it was me telling Carl what I felt. I don’t know all that went into it, but after that, I still was the manager and a while later that other fellow [clouser] was gone.’’

Kent Hrbek had a great relationship with Pohlad.    “They called him cheap beause he wouldn’t pay the big dollar for anyone. That was the wrong impression of Carl. He was the kindest, caringest man I knew.”

Carl Pohlad was moving around pretty good when I first got on the beat in 1998. In recent years, he was confined to a wheelchair.

But he still made regular visits to the manager’s office about a half-hour before the first pitch of home games. I remember numerous times walking from the dining room to the pressbox and seeing manager Ron Gardenhire in the hallway, bent over Carl and giving him updates about the team. 

Pohlad’s visits go back to the Tom Kelly era.

“That first year, ’87, he came down in the middle of summer and asked me, ‘Do you think Berenguer could be a starter?’ Kelly said. “I said, ‘He’s doing pretty well where he is, Carl, so I think we’ll keep him there.’ And then in early September he came in and asked the same thing. My answer was the same: ‘We’re a couple of games ahead, so I’ll think we’ll stay the way we are Carl.’
“Somebody was putting a bug in his first year, obviously. But Juan helped us win the World Series out of the bullpen, and never again did Carl say anything you could consider offering advice on a player. Not once in my next 14 years as a manager.’’

There should be no worrying about the future of the Twins’ ownership. As I pointed out today Carl’s three sons - Jim. Bill and Bob - want to continue the ownership legacy. Jim will run the day-to-day aspects of the club but will bring in Bill, a film industry whiz, and Bob, who runs PepsiAmericas, Inc., when big decisions need to be made.

But it goes farther than that. Two of Carl’s grandsons Tom and Joe - have held baseball jobs.

Tom spent a year working at Major League Baseball headquarters in New York. “He’s probably more knowledgeable than most owners in the workings of baseball,” Jerry Bell, president of Twins Sports, Inc. said.

Joe, who is well-liked, works in the baseball operations department and is a fixture in the press box.

I’ve been told a a third grandson, Charlie, is an up-and-comer. Charlie is in college. Tom and Joe are a little older. But it looks like there will be another generation to run the club down the road.�