Secrets of the City

Anybody want to weigh in on the latest Twins trade: Carlos Gomez for J.J. Hardy?

A few of the really hard core Twins fans/bloggers (John Bonnes (Twins Geek), Nick Nelson (Nick’s Twins Blog), Parker Hageman (Over the Baggy) and Seth Stohs(SethSpeaks.net) have come up with some recommendations for the Twins’ off season moves. Some suggestions are summarized in this entry, but for the really hard nosed of you, they’ve written it all out in excruciating detail in a book (which they were kind enough to provide me an advance copy. Thanks, John.) Here it is: Twins Centric Offseason GM Handbook.

Some baseball economics: According to ESPN, the Yankees total 2009 salary was $208 million.  The Twins’ was $68 million. So NY paid $227K for every run they scored this year (915) and over $2M per win (103). Twins paid $83K per run (817) and $777K per win (87).  Not like these numbers are a big surprise, but I guess it remains to be seen who got the better deal.

As our Twins prepare to face the Yankees in New York today, I thought we should pause a moment to discuss last night’s extra-innings victory in the Dome, which some players are now calling “the greatest game ever.” Even this Detroit columnist was impressed. What do you think, MNSpeakers?

Joe Mauer is back from injury and will be playing for the Twins for the first time this year. The Strib’s Jim Souhan gives him a sweet bouquet in a welcome back article today, in which he tells us to love Mauer for what he is, instead of the power hitter he is not. Particularly laughable is Souhan’s mention of Ted WIlliams and Joe DiMaggio, who, I seem to recall, actually tried to hit the ball over the fence now and then. But, according to Souhan, they didn’t fit in to their surroundings as well as Joe does.

The St. Paul Saints are doing what they, and minor league baseball in general, are best at: keeping baseball weird. In this case, they have announced an outdoor baseball game in February to benefit Second Harvest Heartland.

Joe Mauer (or maybe Justin Morneau) should have been the AL MVP, according to ESPN’s Rob Neyer. He’s got the stats to back it up. Of course, if Mauer and Morneau played in Boston, it would have been no contest to outpoll Dustin Pedroia, the first second baseman to win the award since 1959.