I had intended to watch the Twins' spring training game on television last night but, like so many nights, was distracted by a conversation with a co-worker and didn't get home until after 8. By then, Boston had a comfortable 5-0 lead, kicking our big off-season pickup Jason Marquis (sarcasm intended) out of the game with only five outs.

The game also appeared to be headed into four-hour territory (how does Boston do that?) and listening to Dick and Bert seemed too exhaustive. If you miss the first four innings of a spring training game you're not likely to find anyone you know batting and the uniform numbers seem more appropriate on offensive linemen than pitchers.

Spring training baseball really isn't all the exciting since these games mean absolutely nothing. The Twins could win (or lose) all of them and it wouldn't matter a bit when April 6 rolls around.

Spring training is basically for pitchers to build their arm strength and for the media to spend a few weeks in warm weather hashing over who will play where, who's injured, who's looking in shape, who's looking out of shape, who has a chance of making the team, who doesn't have a chance - when we all really know the roster was set before Twins Fest.

Still, seeing the games on television (day games, at least) is uplifting, a good reminder that spring will return, green grass will grow, short-sleeves will be appropriate for outdoors yet again.

For those who did watch last night's game, any insights I missed while mixing up granola?

I've written three blogs since the end of the season. It's pitiful, I know.

Perhaps we should consider why I've failed to show much interest in the Twins' off season.

1. The Twins put me to sleep with their 2011 lameness.
2. The off-season moves, while credible, did little to inspire excitement.
3. Gophers hockey has been actually been fairly decent. Well, except for those games when it wasn't.
4. I'm too cheap to pay for reading about the Twins on the Star Tribune website.
5. I will not be vacationing Florida this March.
6. This winter was so mild I forgot to dream about baseball and summer.
7. I had never heard of Ryan Doumit, Jason Marquis or Josh Willingham before December.
8. The unmarried Twins are all too young for me.
9. I rediscovered renting movies from the library.
10. The Vikings stadium buzz reminded me how annoying the media can be. Myself included.
11. I trust Terry Ryan more than Bill Smith.
12. We all know how "Great Expectations" ends. Not the novel, 2011.

Now that we have that out of the way, I probably should start my pre-season training to get in shape for April 6 form. Baseball blogs, here I come.

Not much of a surprise but the Twins made two moves that may further define next year's pitching staff.

The Twins signed Matt Capps to a one-year, $4.5 million contract, which has many fans upset. Frustrated by last season's implosion, fans didn't want to see Capps anywhere near this ball club come spring. Twins writers and bloggers seems a little more accepting of the deal.

If Capps can close games, this really doesn't matter. The Twins office staff have been high on him since trading catcher Wilson Ramos  back in 2010. Fans are a little less pleased considering his nine blown saves last season and Ramos' hot start while our catcher nursed one injury after another.

I could care less either way. If he's cheap, healthy and effective, yea. If not, it wasn't that big of an investment. Perhaps I'm not analyzing this team thoroughly enough, but the bullpen kind of bores me. I'm more interested in the starting rotation.

And there comes the Twins' second deal in two days: trading Kevin Slowey to Colorado for a player to be named later.

Though no one is shocked by the trade - Slowey made his unhappiness known last season - the tirade from certain members of the media seems quite out of place. Jim Souhan, for example, really is letting his dislike for Slowey be known, tweeting and saying some very unkind things today.

@SouhanStrib: Slowey, we hardly knew ye. Oh, wait, yes we did. That's why Twins traded the jerk for a boiled hot dog and a used spit cup.

It's always a little uncomfortable when the media lambast players for their personalities. It's one thing to criticize their performance or attitude toward the game, but, blasting a guy because you don't like his personality seems a little wrong. (Granted I never met Kevin Slowey and will admit to a crush in his earlier years as a Twin. I like guys with impressive vocabularies apparently.) If I was a ballplayer, it would make me think twice before speaking beyond cliches.

As for what happens on the field, the Slowey trade was meant to give him new scenery. It's not necessarily going to solve any of the Twins issues unless this player to be named later turns out to be Troy Tulowitzki. A girl can dream can't she?

Anyway, we'll see what happens. I wish Slowey the best. I wish Capps even better. And I wish that Michael Cuddyer, in the glow of his new twin daughters born today, opts to sign for the Twins for $5 million a year. (I've made my feelings known we shouldn't pay him more.)

What the heck, maybe Joe Mauer just agrees to pay him out of pocket.

Any devoted Twins fan will tell you, there’s nothing like a good off season.

 

While baseball is played on the field, it’s what happens November through February that has many fans in a tizzy. It’s signings and trades, managerial bootings and front office questions.

 

The Twins have a lot of behind-the-scenes changes to make before April 6 rolls around, and it’s way too early to venture a grade on this off-season’s maneuverings.

 

Yes, Joe Nathan is gone and Michael Cuddyer and Jason Kubel likely out the door after him. I’m not too sad to see any of these guys go. Yes, they were all good Twins: modest, responsible and friendly. But it’s time for a new era, and frankly, none of these guys are worth what they’re commanding on the free market, especially for a team that needs more than just one piece to put together a championship run.

 

The dismissal of Bill Smith has been the most promising change. He seems like a nice enough guy, but his general managership has been marred by questionable contracts and even uglier trades. See: J.J. Hardy.

 

Back at the reigns is Terry Ryan, who built an outstanding farm system in the late 1990s and 2000s, which has dissipated in recent years. See: the 2011 Twins.

 

My assessment thus far is so-so. The Jamey Carroll deal makes sense. He’s cheap and a more productive stop gap at shortstop as we await Brian Dozier is two years. I really like the Ryan Doumit signing. One can never have enough catchers, especially if your $180-milliion man has bilateral leg weakness and his backup doesn’t hit his weight.

 

Still, any final yea or neigh will depend on how Ryan handles the starting rotation. The Twins need an ace. They need a No. 1 starter to lead this bunch of bottom-rotation guys who in four years look surprisingly like they did four years ago: Liriano, Baker, Blackburn, Slowey. I’m talking to you. That said, Baker, Blackburn and Pavano will be back in 2012 - contracts and all.

 

Liriano, too, will probably be wearing a Twins uniform. Why? Because when it comes down are the Twins really willing to give up on their once-dreamed second Santana? I doubt it.

 

That’s why I wait. I wait to see how these changes (if they happen) affect the Twins. (I haven't actually done my homework on which starters the Twins should pursue, so I'll gloss over making any recommendations.

 

Frankly, the 2012 Twins will be better than the 2011 Twins. They will win more games. They will be more fun to watch. But how good they are depends entirely on how that rotation comes together before spring training. What Ryan and the front office do in the coming weeks will by the lynchpin for whether I’m still turning on the baseball game come August.

It's not exactly the match up I would have expected in April - frankly, the final four were all a little surprising - but this year's World Series is sure to be some compelling baseball.

 

Take the Texas Rangers, who are making a back-to-back appearance. They lost to the scrappy San Francicso Giants in five last year and have something to fight for this October.

 

And who would have thought the St. Louis Cardinals would rebound from their early-season injuries? Adam Wainwright's Tommy John's surgery was enough for most to doom the Wild Card winners, who slid into the playoff thanks to Atlanta's September collapse.

 

It all shows you just how unpredictable this game of baseball is. And yet, we still predict.

 

My prediction for the World Series: Rangers over the Cardinals in six.

 

Who are you taking?

 

I just realized the Twins could be the worse team in baseball this year.

 

Or maybe they already are.

 

The Twins lost their 10th consecutive game last night despite being just a run behind with bases loaded with no outs in the ninth inning. I can't even remember when the Twins won their last game or who they beat. Is that bad?

 

Well, maybe not so bad, considering I can't even remember that the Twins are still playing baseball. I was brushing my teeth this morning when I realized I didn't even flip through the game or turn my radio on last night. I didn't even know they were playing - and I'm the type of gal who carries a Twins schedule next to her driver's license.

 

But this is all self-preservation.

 

Instead of worrying about how bad the Twins are, I'm going to let them fade away. After a New York-Philadelphia World Series, I'll return to the team to watch their off-season moves. I'll have put this atrocious season behind and focus on 2012. In fact, 2011 will be removed from my memory completely, similar to 2007. Was that the lockout year?

 

That is, of course, unless the Twins hit the 100-loss mark.

 

The Twins are 59-94, just six games shy of one of the most embarrassing feats in baseball. But even more disheartening, the Twins - who won the division last year with a 94-68 record - have a remote chance of beating out the Astros for the worst record in baseball.

 

It is remote. The Astros have already lost 101 games. The Twins would have to lose out its final eight, while the Astros must win out. Not going to stake any money on that happening. But the fact we're even talking about it makes me shake my head.

 

A record is only that. But this season has been beyond disappointing considering the promise we fans carried into it. I myself wrote this just last March:

 

The Twins kick off their 2011 season tonight against the Toronto Blue Jays. They’ve brought back most of the 2010 team and are poised to defend their Central Division title. ...What this really means – 162 days of insurance that something good will be on TV.

 

But it's better to forget about those things. Self-preservation, you know.

Paint me a fair-weather fan, but I can't find anything worth writing about when it comes to our Minnesota Twins.

 

Partly because they're losing - badly. One can only subject oneself to such dismal offensive outputs as last night's 4-0 shutout to Kansas City for short periods of time.

 

But my lack of interest in the team is simply because I've found better things to do this summer. I have to admit, it's kind of been a great summer without the Twins.

 

While I had hoped to attend several Target Field games, I really only watched five innings in our beautiful park. Instead, I've found myself lounging at Canterbury, taking in a Saints game at Midway and spending a lot of time out of town.

 

Let's change that now. The Twins' 2012 schedule was released this morning and I'm already looking at my calendar trying to figure out which games I'll be aiming to land tickets.

 

I like the three Target Field interleague series - Brewers, Cubs and Phillies. They're back-to-back-to-back in mid-June - perfect baseball weather. 

 

The backend of the schedule is heavy with Central Division foes, with an interesting twist in the mix. The Yankees won't be arriving in Minnesota until late September. Could those games be relevant?

 

I definitely want to get to a warm, mid-week day game at Target Field. A Thursday would be a great day to play hooky - June 14 might be nice or July 19 against the Orioles. Wouldn't mind seeing J.J. Hardy again.

 

Check out the full schedule here and let me know what games you're most excited to see.

 

Can it get any uglier?

 

This week's four-game series against the Baltimore Orioles has to be the low point of the year. Otherwise known as rock bottom.

 

To be swept at home by the American League's worst team, having been outscored 24-4, is just despicable. Yes, I said it. Despicable.

 

These anemic games were so bad I almost wish I was an Orioles fan - almost.

 

The saving grace in all this is that it's August, and I'm more concerned about enjoying the last few weeks of summer than being chained to the TV watching meaningful baseball.

I could add my complaints to the ever-growing list of what's wrong with this team, but it would be futile. It's disheartening to watch them fall further below .500 and offers little hope for next year.

 

A person can't even wish the team to trade away all its top players (an idea that sends most fans up in arms because they are more loyal to nice guys than actual performance) since no one has any value anyway.

 

I'm sorry, but I'm headed for the doldrums thinking about this team.

 

Uff da, is it March yet?

With JJ Hardy and his 24 homeruns back in town, it seems only appropriate for me to remind the Twins front office staff I was against any trade back in December:

 

A healthy Hardy could really help this team next season, providing them with some middle-infield consistency.  He might not be as fast as the Twins want but are Twins putting the emphasis on speed instead of depth?

I just don't see the point of trading  Hardy in December before you see how Nishioka and Casilla will perform. His salary isn't going to put him on the untouchable shelf, and unless you're getting a steal of a deal (think Pierzynski for Nathan, Liriano, Bonser), why the rush?

Eight months later, I sure look smart.

I have to admit, I'm not really sure what to do with myself come September.

 

Typically I'm all excited about the Central Division pennant race and the Twins chances of making up ground on the Detroit Tigers or Chicago White Sox. This year, the pennant race could be one of the most exciting in baseball, yet at 10.5 games back the Twins won't be anywhere near it.

 

Thus, it's time to start thinking about 2012 and how this team needs to reshape itself during the offseason. Thankfully I have some great baseball minds among my friends who have been suggesting a wide array of options to pass on to Mr. Bill Smith.

 

I started the year optimistic considering the Twins were bringing back nearly everyone from 2010. How could they be worse? Turns out the Twins are the Vikings of 2010.

 

It’s the starting pitching that has really disappointed. Of the five, Baker is the only one to put together a decent season. The other four haven't been anywhere near their 2010 numbers. Yes, lack of offense (and defense) has hurt. But a lack of quality starts goes a long way, too. The Twins starters’ 4.43 ERA is 26th of 30 teams in MLB. We were 11th in 2010 with a 3.95 ERA.

 

So let's break it down:

Pavano: He'll be back in 2012 simply because he's a workhorse and has another year left on his contract. The Twins like his poise and influence on the younger staff. Was 2010 just a fluke? Or if the Twins find their bats and play better D, could he win 15 games again in 2012?

 

Baker: The oft-injured Baker has been the team's best pitcher with his 3.21 ERA, yet he’s only pitched 131 innings and won’t hit 170. He’s not a traditional ace – I don’t think any team quakes when it seems him on the mound – but he’s the best we got. He’ll be back in the rotation but don’t expect anything more than we see now. He’s a second or third in the rotation kind of guy.

 

Liriano: Time to cut ties. He’s never lived up to his promise. Call this a failed project and pass him on before you have to pay him too much. Since Liriano is arbitration eligible, he’s going to pull in a heftier salary thanks to 2010. The Twins need to admit they made the mistake by keeping Liriano and passing on Garza.

 

Blackburn: He hasn't won a game since before the All Star break and every time out it seems this is his last chance. Like Pavano, he gives up too many hits, but unlike Pavano he unravels for big innings. While a defensive upgrade behind him might be a boost, Blackburn is a fifth rotation guy. And he can't pitch from the bullpen. I'd be OK if he walked.

 

Duensing: He hasn’t shown the dominance he used to work himself into the playoff rotation last season. He used to impress me as the only Twins starter not afraid to come in, he’s lost that. I wanted Duensing in the bullpen but now he’s lost that role to Glen Perkins (who has been a little rocky as of late). I would expect Duensing is back in the starting rotation next spring mostly because he’s cheap and throws strikes. Two very important things for this team.

 

Slowey: Slowey is getting his chance right now to raise his trade stock. Frankly, I’m surprised he’s still wearing a Twins uniform,. He’s not liked by the front office and it’s only a matter of time before, bon voyage. Let’s hope they can get a little more for him than what they got for Delmon Young or JJ Hardy, whom I’m still lamenting over.

 

Am I right or wrong? Let me know.