A baseball warm-up on a cold week
Posted on January 13th, 2009 – 8:39 AMBy Howard
We’ve reached the time of year when baseball stuff starts popping up on the calendar with increasing frequency. This is your guide to things you can do for the next couple of weeks that can get you away from the keyboard and talking baseball face-to-face.
*Saturday, January 24 is the 2nd Annual Last Hot Stove League Banquet. Last year was supposed to be the 25th and final banquet, but it was so hot that a 2nd Annual Last banquet was deemed necessary. It will be at the Harriet Island Pavilion in St. Paul. Corey Koskie (someone bring a bat and a chair) and umpire Tim Tschida are the featured entertainment; LaVelle and “Twins Geek” John Bonnes will be there too. Bill “Spaceman” Lee was the featured guest last year and everyone went home with new stories to tell. Some were even true.
There will be an auction of baseball stuff (including a chance to watch a game in Section 220) and I’ll be your MC, which means that if someone brings a bat and a chair, Mr. Koskie will be asked to replicate the Cleveland incident that some say saved the 2004 season. It’s that kind of event. Tickets are $30 in advance and $35 at the door. You can get ‘em at Anodyne (43rd and Nicollet in south Minneapolis) and Golden Thyme Coffee Shop (921 Selby) in St. Paul. Get in touch with Sam, at 651-644-9254 or twinsfansam@gmail.com, if you need to know more. The gathering starts at 5:30 p.m, “festivities” begin at 7:10. Proceeds go to St. Paul’s Dunning Field Little League.
*If you want to dress sharp and spend $150 on dinner, the 4th annual Diamond Awards — a collaboration of the Twin Cities chapter of the Baseball Writers Association of America, the Twins and the University of Minnesota — is Thursday, January 22 at 5:30 p.m. at the Marriott City Center. Proceeds support medical research at the U and awards will be presented to an assortment of Twins. Here’s the list of winners. LaVelle, who is the BBWAA chair for the Twin Cities, works his butt off on this one and the cause is really good.
*The Twins’ Winter Caravan started Monday and runs through June January 29th. Gardy, Glen Perkins and Joe Vavra are doing northwestern Minnesota and eastern North Dakota this week, including a stop in Fargo on Thursday where Gardy has promised to continue talking about the outfield situation. Mike Redmond and Matt Guerrier are in Ely today, where they’ll learn that the weather doesn’t matter to some people. The complete schedule of about five dozen cities (including stops in the Dakotas, western Wisconsin and Iowa) is here. If you go, it would be great if you’d write about it.
*What off-season is complete without a trip to TwinsFest, which will go from Friday the 23rd through Sunday the 25th at the Dome? It’s the usual collection of autograph booths, player photo stations, National Anthem auditions, vendor tables, clubhouse tours and ticket sales. If you want your picture taken with Carlos Gomez, it would be a good idea to get in line, like, tomorrow. For Nick Blackburn, you’ll be no better than second in line, behind Ms. Baseball. Proceeds go to the Twins Community Fund and you can buy tickets at twinsbaseball.com. Maybe J.J. Hardy will be there.
Just sayin’.
68 Responses to "A baseball warm-up on a cold week"
After Red Dog and Guerrier finish in Ely they should head South and stop at Margie’s Liquor Store in Eveleth and peruse the vast array of inventory and visit with Jean about the Twins this season. The people in Eveleth/Virginia/Biwabik love baseball and are always happy to spend time with you going over the off season and will have predictions for the 2009 season.
Don’t necessarily like the comment about Koskie.
Gregor: You don’t remember the game in Cleveland some number of years ago (was it 2003?)
I believe the Twins were in the lead in the Central and had struggled somewhat on a recent roadtrip. The final game of the trip was a Sunday afternoon in Cleveland, with the Twins holding on to a slim lead (if they weren’t already tied)
After striking out with the go ahead run in scoring position, Koskie went into the clubhouse and reportedly beat the crap out of a chair. In his next AB (which I think was in extra innings) Koskie took Cleveland deep for the winning run.
Cleveland would never catch the Twins.
Ah here we go: http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/recap?gameId=240815105
According to the folks at the AV Twins Pro Shop, tickets for the season don’t go on sale until Feb. 7 - kind of a bummer. I liked the way they handled it at TwinsFest in the past - now they’re forcing our hands to the website or long lines in the cold?
jhawk, let me check into that. thanks.
gregor, it was a great moment in twins clubhouse lore — one that caused justin morneau to quip that more chairs ought to be broken more often.
I miss Koskie, one of the more under-appreciated players in Twins history.
I’m jealous no caravan coming to my part of the Dakota’s so i hope you give me some good stuff on the banquet Howard.
Thanks, T!
I have said for awhile now that the Twins need some to “break some chairs” and show some damn fire in the dugout/clubhouse.
Wonder is something like that could have helped in game 163?
T,
Funny that the article has Koskie’s Blue Jays photo and Terry Mulholland’s Mariners photo.
Interesting, Howard. That southern group is coming closer than I remember ever happening. Usually Mason City is as far south as they wander and that’s a pretty good trek for me. But Cedar Falls or even New Hampton are definitely doable. Where do I get details on specific locations and times?
Don’t know about that Shaun. I think that was absolutely inexcusable what Carlos Quentin did to himself AND his team. Displays of frustration and displays of celebration should be held back a little. Always act like you’ve been there before.
I’m with Shaun on this one. I’ve said for a while, too, that the Twins need someone like Dan Gladden around.
I’m not saying break chairs (or your own hand), but you need someone who can light a fire under people occasionally.
JC,
There’s usually a sponsor in each city that can give you the information. If that’s not easily findable, I’d call the Twins and ask.
Will a meaningful trade be made before the spring season for a power hitting infielder?
nomeds,
No.
[…] A Fan’s View – […]
Just noticed Brewers and Hardy signed a one year deal for 4.65 M to avoid arbitration…. guess we can all say goodbye to that little pipe dream this year.
Thanks Howard. Guess I’ll have to make that call. Just seems like it would have made sense for them to put the information out on their web site.
Funny that the article has Koskie’s Blue Jays photo and Terry Mulholland’s Mariners photo.
I guess the DBA’s at ESPN only have enough room in their tables for one entry per player. 
Hey Howard just curious as to who your picking in the championship games this weekend. I like AZ and Pit with Pit winning it all.
Don’t know about the breaking stuff and lighting fires under players. Tom Kelly and Bud Grant had pretty good success without that. I found this:
“They say emotion will carry only so far. In Minnesota — home to that most emotionless of species; quiet and reserved, polite and demurring — they actually say emotion will carry only so far, ‘then’”.
It also states we say,”you betcha!”
hey howard - that’s one long caravan if it won’t wrap up until JUNE 29th…
Matt,
Good catch. A case of summer envy, I think.
For the ones based on the East Coast, the New Britain Rock Cats will hold their Hot Stove Luncheon on Friday, Jan. 16, from 12 to 2 PM at the Farmington Marriott Hotel in Farmington, CT. Tickets cost $25. Bill Smith will be there…
OK well… so I called the Twins… asked about locations for the Cedar Falls and New Hampton Caravan stops… got transferred… was on hold for 15 minutes.
When the call finally went through, the guy said the information he had didn’t have any specifics either.
Yanno what… any organization that can’t get its crap together any better than that isn’t worth any further time on my part.
It does make me wonder, however… if the agents of a few FAs have maybe been trying to reach the Twins about their clients’ services, but had similar issues getting through to anyone who knows anything.
“Excuse me, Mr. Smith…there’s a Skip Bormass on line.”
“Skip Bormass? I don’t know any Skip Bormass. Get him off the phone, I’m supposed to be conferencing with Scott Boras about Beltre shortly.”
JC they still have the Yankees and Red Sox on hold about the Santana trade.
Yeah T and BC… I’m thinking along the same lines. I can just hear the guy as he puts his hand over the mouthpiece of the phone and yells out, “Hey, I’ve got a guy who wants to know if we need a third baseman with power… anyone got that information? no?…”
Then coming back on the line, “No… sorry sir, I don’t have that information. Could I interest you in tickets to Twinsfest?”
JimC - it is on their website. There are links to each tour on the top of the caravan page, under the banner. It’s not obvious, I was looking for details as well and finally saw them. They don’t have detailed locations on a couple of the south stops yet.
I love watching the bottom ticker on MLB Network and seeing the incoming players for each team and seeing “(none)” show up next to the Twins. Good job Twins management. Keep building a strong fan base by doing nothing in the post season.
I meant off-season.
Dis,
Last season, the post season WAS our off-season.
jhawk, yeah I found those links but, as you say, the two stops I’d be interested in have no details. They also say “not all stops are open to the public”, so I asked that question, as well… with the same “I don’t know” response.
I miss Koskie too. 3rd has been a hole ever since he left, and the Twins FO seems content to keep it that way.
Gardy is actually talking about us bringing in Eric Gagne?
Does he have anything left in the tank at all? He either pitches poorly, or gets hurt…
If we are going with an old guy that is about washed up…
Jason Isringhausen or Tom Gordon would be better options I think.
Kay,
If the Twins FO was content to keep 3B as a black hole, they wouldn’t have run 20 guys through there.
Content may not be the right word.
Futile may be a better descriptor.
Eric Gagne is one good pharmacist away from a comeback.
sane…
exactly. Juan Rincon with a better past, and as bleak a future = Eric Gagne
After bombing in Ely last year, the Twins put on a nice show at the elementary school and at a banquet. Jack Morris stole the show with his story on how his third grade teacher influenced his love of baseball. And, of course, TC was a big hit with the kids.
thanks for the NB info thrylos… if it was the 17th i would go.
Too bad for the players who are caravaning that fans may be less excited because of the lack of FA and trade success so far this off-season.
Can anyone tell me when pitchers and catchers report?
birdofprey,
Do you mean lack of FA and trade success as compared to last year’s preseason?
The fans should be wetting themselves in anticipation this year with last year as a back-drop.
Monroe, Lamb, Everett, Young, Gomez and Harris in.
Santana, Hunter, Silva, Bartlett and Garza out.
True. “Standing pat” could arguably be considered progress compared to last year.
Can anyone tell me when pitchers and catchers report?
Valentine’s Day
As I recall, last year’s Caravan was nothing but questions about what was going to happen with Santana. I don’t believe he had been traded yet at the time most of the Caravan stops were held. Smith probably thinks this year’s much easier, by comparison.
I love watching the bottom ticker on MLB Network and seeing the incoming players for each team and seeing “(none)” show up next to the Twins.
Like I said the last time you posted this…I’d rather see nothing than see what Detroit fans are reading.
“Detroit: Adam Everett”
JimCrikkit and sid, I was talking about the fans who are dissatisfied with this off-season in a vacuum, and I’m not among them. Last year, we had serious questions at every spot in the starting rotation and at most positions, and this year fans are freaking out because of three weaknesses: RH power, 3B defense, and RP depth. There is lots of room for optimism.
Fans were in a lather last year, for more legitimate reasons, but that won’t stop them from being in a lather this year too.
If I were Mike Redmond, out on caravan, I might get tired of fans criticizing Billy Smith at every whistle stop.
Hey, look. Last year at this time we were looking at M,M and C and a whole bunch of unknowns and we ended up in a playoff for the division title.
Honestly, do you not feel just a little more confident going into this season.
Well, I’m still not content. (I wouldn’t object to signing Crede to incentive laden contract)
T-
When our only addition is addition by subtraction, and vicariously getting better through bad signings by the Tigers… that still doesn’t make me feel better about all the work the Indians have put into the 2009 season so far.
I don’t think I can think of a team that is going to just get better by staying status quo though… I have been going through the playoff teams for the last 25 years and I can’t see any that have gotten better by not changing at all, or adding something.
BC: I wasn’t saying the Twins have improved by simply staying where they are at…but if the tradeoff to make sure we’re not left out of the hot stove is seeing a name like “Adam Everett” come up on the ticker, I’ll take the nothing.
And to see people go from “Wigginton is the only answer!” to “It’s obviusly Crede!” sounds more like people wanting change for the sake of change vs those who can put together an argument for what would be an improvement.
T,
how about this for an improvement at 3B and its free:
Harris as the starting third baseman, Buscher at Rochester and Tolbert/Tolleson/Hughes/whomever win the utility spots back up Harris.
Just the thought of Buscher starting 75% of the time because he is a lefty is scary.
thrylos98,
A Harris-Buscher platoon does not HAVE TO be a strict L-R platoon.
Harris can get all the at-bats, except for those against a RHP with a lights-out slider, or a difficult arm angle for RH batters to hit.
Harris could end up with 80+% of the at-bats.
Its not that revolutionary.
sane,
based on the fact that we are talking about Gardy, who in September gave the majority of the ABs to Buscher while the latter compiled a .578 OPS, it is a good bet the Buscher will get the majority of the ABs in such a platoon if he is in the majors. It is not that revolutionary, but it’s Gardy…
Tolbert should be able to outplay Bush-Hair at 3B quite easily. No problem.
Craig Counsell is still available as an alternative, and as a free agent upgrade for 3B.
Not to dig up an old discussion, but do you think the Twins would do well to have a sacrificial chair brought out when trailing in the 7th inning?
Perhaps that was what was missing the final week of 08…
Dear “The only way we’ll get better is by trading for somebody or signing a free agent” crowd:
1. Those aren’t the only ways to get better - many (most?) of the Twins from ‘08 are going to get better through age and experience - exactly what most people hope for when they have one of the youngest teams in the league.
2. Getting “better” through trade and free agency involves significant cost that raises the issue of whether one is actually getting better on balance. Even while a trade is supposed to make a team better in one area (3B for example), it almost always makes the team WORSE is other areas, so there is a balance to account for. Better at 3B v. worse at pitcher? Free Agent signings raise the risk of handicapping the team when hoping to sign current players to longer-term, higher-paying contracts. I know you all know this - why do you pretend it doesn’t matter?
3. So often, you assign last year’s stats to a player, and make that your standard for comparison, as in ascribing Ruthian qualities to a certain Cubs infielder who had a career of evidence to show he was NOT REALLY even an upgrade. You all just hunger for ANY move!
Personlly, I haven’t seen a single move that has been talked about, that the Twins “passed” on, that would have likely “improved” this team. Adrian Beltre didn’t want to come here, and the asking price would have made the Twins WORSE on balance anyway. The Brewers had no intention of letting JJ Hardy go. Everybody else talked about was re-warmed Lamb, at the cost of Slowey, Span, and/or solid prospects.
This team won 88 games last year dominated by <27 year old players. Is there room for improvement from outside the organization? Sure. But so far, we haven’t actually seen one.
Fair enough, Bluewater, I think we all can agree that expecting the same results this year based on last year’s stats is unrealistic.
But I think you gloss over the fact that not EVERYONE improves from one year to the next. Rookies have “sophomore slumps” as their weaknesses are discovered and spread among opposing teams.
We all may want to believe that all of those kids that stepped up so well (and unexpectedly) last year will just be that much better this season. That’s simply not a reasonable expectation, however. Some will improve. Some will regress. Some will get hurt.
Point is… it’s no more realistic to assume everyone is going to improve than it is to assume everyone will perform just as they did last year.
JC,
Is it more likely that an aging team will improve, than it is that a young team will improve?
I think I know the answer to that.
sane, you didn’t ask me, but I believe that is something that Livan, Lamb and Everett contributed last year. They were aged and we improved, LOL!
(also, Howard’s Cooperstown blog has some funny ones towards the end)
sane, yeah the younger team is more likely to improve.
But that doesn’t mean it’s assured.
I remember a lot of optimism after 2006 and heading in to 2007 because the team was young and was expected to improve.
Sometimes it just doesn’t work out that way.
mudcat,
“I believe that is something that Livan, Lamb and Everett contributed last year. They were aged and we improved”
I believe that Livan, Lamb and Everett will contribute even more to our improvement THIS year
Their PRESENCE LAST year, compared to their ABSENCE THIS year, will cause a TREMENDOUS improvement.
[…] will also be at another event that Saturday night. You’ve read about it on Howard Sinker’s blog, and yesterday on the Twins Geek blog, but today you can read about it here today. Like Howard […]
Came across this
http://www.athleticsnation.com/2009/1/17/726670/is-orlando-hudson-a-potent
after reading Rob Neyer’s blog post regarding Orlando Hudson’s continued unemployment so late into the winter.
http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/blog/index?entryID=3840153&name=Neyer_Rob
The first article considers a potential switch for Hudson from 2b to SS for the A’s, but why not for the Twins?
