Injuries

Form ESPN:

"Twins 1B Justin Morneau, who had been sidelined with a back tightness, had four at-bats in a minor league game Saturday morning. He is expected to be ready to start the season. . RHP Cole DeVries, who left Friday's game after just three innings with forearm tightness, is doing fine and is expected to make his start on Saturday. . RHP Samuel Deduno, who has not pitched since the World Baseball Classic final because of a sore left groin, is feeling better but has not pitched a bullpen session yet. ... He will stay at the team's spring training complex in Fort Myers when the Twins leave. . RHP Liam Hendriks, who was hit in the hand by a line drive in his last start, is scheduled to pitch in a minor league game Sunday and is expected to make his start on Friday. . Twins RHP Anthony Swarzak, on the disabled list because of a rib injury, is scheduled to pitch in a minor league game on Tuesday. He is eligible to come off the DL on April 6. . LHP Scott Diamond, on the DL with an elbow injury, is expected to pitch in a minor league game on Tuesday."

Me again.

So much of the season depends on the guys listed here being healthy for the entire season. The DeVries news sounds GREAT but I haven't trusted a Twins diagnosis on injuries for at least a season now. They ALWAYS seem to get it wrong. I'm bummed that Deduno isn't available and won't be for awhile. Liam's hand appears to be better, and I'm glad he's one of the scheduled starters.

The Twins rotation:

Worley, Correia, Pelfry, Hendriks, DeVries

Any bets on how long this rotation order will last without an injury or replacement? Will we even make it through the very FIRST time?

Pelfrey

Mike Pelfrey, expected rotation starter for the Twins, gave up FOUR runs and NINE hits in 3 2/3 innings yesterday.

Sadly, this has been pretty average performance for him this spring. MY hopes are not high.

Nope, not high at all.

Baseball Season Starts TODAY!

The Rangers and Astros kick off the 2013 season tonight. I wish I was more excited. This used to be the biggest day of the year for me. Bigger than Christmas after the age of 12 or so. But the amount of excitement I feel as an adult directly corresponds to the perceived ability and potential of the Twins starting 5-man rotation.

On a holiday scale, I feel today is more like Arbor Day.

Okay, that's not exactly right. Most Arbor Days I miss completely without even knowing it came and went. This is more like President's Day. We don't get any mail on that day and I realize it's a holiday when there's nothing in the mailbox.

This season, I don't think the Twins are going to leave me anything in the mailbox.

Kobe Passes Wilt in Scoring

For many, this may seem like a big deal. But as someone who grew up in the "Wilt Era" I don't see the comparison. Wilt graduated college which means HE started his playing career FOUR full years after Kobe (who actually started in the NBA at age 17.) Wilt also played the last FOUR years of his career in the start-up ABA because of the money offered him. THOSE scoring years don't count in his total. Imagine Wilt with EIGHT more years of scoring that were not allowed him. Kobe could only dream of achieving those numbers.

Yes, what Kobe accomplished last night was pretty good. What Wilt did was so much more amazing. And let's not forget that up to 20% of Kobe's points came from three point plays. Wilt's era never even HAD a three point play.

It's apples and oranges. And Wilt is still that shiny red apple that most no longer recognize.

Cole DeVries HURT

DeVries left the game yesterday after just THREE shutout innings with a strained forearm. No official evaluation has been released yet, but since spring training is basically over, this may (will probably) cost him his chance at the starting rotation.

sigh

One of the few picthers who had a good spring on the entire roster and now he will probably NOT be available for the start of the season.

Vance "My ERA is Just Awful and Look at All Those Hits" Worley will be starting for the Twins against Cy Young Award winner Justin Verlander on Monday. Verlander just signed the RICHEST deal in baseball history for a pitcher yesterday. $180 million deal guaranteed for 7 years.

The LONG season starts Monday...

Another Number One Bites the Dust

It's so common that none of these wins can be called "upsets." This time Michigan beat number one seed Kansas.

"There are no good teams. There are no bad teams. There are just teams." - Oogway, Kung Fu Panda

A-Rod vs. the Astros

Even though A-Rod is hurt and will miss half the season, he will make more money this season than the entire Houston Astro's roster. A-Rod is scheduled to receive $29 million. The Astro's entire team will cost them about $25 million.

The sad thing is that Houston has just signed a HUGE local TV deal with their local Fox Sports channel that will pay them $80 million a year. The Astros COULD afford to pay their team more. They have just chosen to make a lot of money instead. They were even paid a nice bonus this season by MLB just to switch leagues.

Astros owners are rolling in dough. It's the fans who are getting baked.