NEW YEAR RESOLUTIONS

It's a new year and it's time to break those old habits and make New Year Resolutions. This year I resolve to:

1. Watch more Minnesota Twins games in person (specifically, I want to go to a dozen games)

2. Save Money (specifically, watch the Internet for Cheap Twins Tickets and do more price comparison)

3. Eat fewer Bacon, Egg and Cheese Biscuits (specifically, limit to one per month - this ones gonna be tough)

I know the tradition of making New Years Resolutions is a little hokey, but I do it anyway. It's a hopeful tradition that things will be brighter and better in the year to come...for instance, I am hoping the Minnesota Twins will resolve to WIN a playoff series or two in '07!

BUYING TICKETS!!! I HATE SERVICE FEES!!!

I wanted to take a quick second to relay a recent Minnesota Twins ticket buying experience that I had with an online ticket broker. I am not a season ticket holder because I just don't have that kind of cash to pay out at one time, so I always pick my favorite games and get them from second hand sellers. I usually surf the net looking for the cheapest seats (who doesn't?!)

I found tickets to the Minnesota Twins opener this upcoming year on a national ticket brokers website. I agreed to pay the listed price for the 2 tickets in section 121 row 26 (right by home plate) and as I was checking out, there was a 15% service fee added to the total charge!!!! I am not a big fan of hidden charges (that's why I hate Ticketmaster) so I did some further shopping and I found the same tickets at Ticket King. Not only were the Twins tickets being sold for less than the other site was selling them for, but there were no added charges at check out. If you are looking for the best prices on Minnesota Twins baseball tickets, check out Ticket King. I know they are a site sponsor of mine so you may think I am biased, but it's true about the no hidden fees and the fact that the other site doesn't disclose it's fees up front is enough to make me never shop with them again.

The Radke Blues

With Radke retiring, the Twins and I are definitely going to suffer the Radke Blues...Who will replace him? can he even be replaced? I think pitching will be the top position to watch at Spring Training (it usually is anyway) - The pitcher selection and performance next year will definitely make or break the Twins. Radke looked really torn over retiring and I found the timing of the announcement rather odd . . .but if the 'ol boys bod just can't hack it then I understand. If I was Brad Radke, I wouldn't want to spend the rest of my life in pain just to play one more season of pro ball. Good-bye Brad Radke, we will miss you.

NEW STADIUM TEASERS!!!

With the holidays right around the corner, the Minnesota Twins have been teasing the fans with baseball stadium dreams (as opposed to sugar plum dreams). Last week, Hennepin County commissioners heard a preliminary presentation about some of the highlights that will be in the new facility, which will be built north of the Target Center in downtown Minneapolis. I guess they are only about 15 percent of the way through the design process, but of course they want to keep the excitement alive so they gave us all a sneak peak into the package. It's like when you used to slowly peel back a corner of the wrapping paper on your presents to see what they were and then quickly tape them back up before mom could catch you. The excitement of seeing a few key words was enough to keep your mind reeling!

So here's the sneak peak in the Twins Stadium package:

*** The Twins ballpark will have about 40,000 seats and only 10,000 of those seats will be in the upper deck, giving the majority of fans a closer proximity to the playing field

*** The concourses will be twice as wide as the Metrodome, and there will be twice the number of bathrooms. Hooray to all of us ladies who have stood in super long lines between innings!

*** The concourse will be open which will allow the fans inside the facility to walk completely around the field without ever losing sight of what's going on

*** The Main entrance into the ballpark will be on the outfield side of the facility

*** There will be a restaurant just beyond right field - yummy!

While the field dimensions aren't completely set, Twins officials say that it will be fair to both hitters and pitchers, and despite the compact size of the facility, it won't necessarily be a power hitter's dream. The power alleys will actually be deeper than those in the Metrodome. I can't wait to see the rest of the package!!!! I have to say that I am nervous that some of the land needed for the facility has not yet been purchased, but the project is on schedule to open at the start of the 2010 season!!!

MY BOY JUSTIN

I had a friend of mine call me the other night just to ask about my blog - remarkable as it may seem a few of my friends actually read this - now if I could just them to leave some comments (hint, hint, nudge, nudge) My friend was surprised that I hadn't made a big fuss over Justin Morneau winning the MVP - well, of course I made a fuss about it - I just forgot to write it in my blog - so HATS OFF TO MY BOY JUSTIN!!!

My kids (who really aren't into baseball) can even pick him out of a line-up. They usually say, "Hey, Mom isn't that the guy you like?" They always say it so loudly and at the worst times - like when my mother-in-law is on the other line . . .I had to do a little explaining there. The kids can also pick out my boy Justin's pal, Joe Mauer. At our house we call Joe Mauer "the make-out dude" because we have heard he is a good kisser . . . . if only I knew.

I mentioned a few posts back that there should be a grass roots effort to get Morneau voted as MVP and I would like to take some credit for his winning! It's fans like me that keep the Minnesota Twins in the spotlight!!!!!

There has been some icky talk that Morneau may not have deserved this MVP, but let's face it it's not a coincidence that the Twins' turnaround coincided with Morneau's emergence. After reading countless articles and seeing lots of interviews, the Minnesota Twins players and coaches all agreed . . . "there was no question they felt Morneau was their MVP. "

Charles from Boston wrote:

I'm from Boston and watched Derek Jeter carry the Yankees through their injuries last summer. He was the MVP, not Justin Morneau. Please pass this on. I'm flabbergasted. This is a total fluke. -- Charles D., Boston

Well, Charles don't be a sore loser and Justin Morneau is NO FLUKE!!! If you took Morneau off this Twins team, there is no way they made the playoffs. Can the same be said of Jeter? I don't think so.

TWINS FEST 2007!!! yippie!!!

I love the Minnesota Twins Fest and it's right around the corner! Mark your calendars Twins Fest 2007 will take place Friday, Jan. 26, through Sunday, Jan. 28, at the Metrodome. The Minnesota Twins Fest is a great opportunity to leave behind our winter duldrums and begin dreaming about the boys of summer hitting the diamond! TwinsFest will provides plenty of fan fun times including the opportunity to take a tour of the Twins clubhouse and walk on the field.
More than 50 current, former and future Twins players will be on hand for the event! I hope Justin will be there! The event always marks the first chance for fans to purchase single-game tickets for the 2007 season, but don't wait - RESERVE YOUR TICKETS NOW www.minnesotatwinstickets.com . Among the highlights on the 2007 schedule are games such as Opening Day and the series against the New York Yankees, Boston Red Sox, Chicago White Sox, Washington Nationals and Atlanta Braves.

Get your tickets reserved now! Minnesota Twins Tickets

POOR LIRIANO - POOR TWINS - POOR ME

This article is mainly from the Twins site - with my own added commentary, of course.

It's such a bummer that the Twins' hopes and my personal hopes of having Francisco Liriano in the rotation next season were erased when the club announced that Liriano will undergo elbow surgery on Monday in Los Angeles. The surgery means that Liriano will likely be sidelined for the entire 2007 season.

The decision to perform surgery comes after months of uncertainty for Liriano, as he has continued to be plagued by soreness in his left elbow. Liriano first began having trouble will his left elbow in early August and "The therapy and the rehab didn't seem to be working," Terry Ryan, Twins GM said. "Francisco continued to feel some soreness in there, so we're going to proceed with the surgery, and obviously he's going to miss next year."

Liriano headed to the team's year-round training facility in Fort Myers, Fla., after the club was eliminated from the playoffs, and he remained there until Oct. 21, when he experienced pain again during his first light-throwing session. Frustrated with the continuing pain, Liriano left the facility. He spent some time in the Dominican Republic to celebrate his birthday before a decision was finally made to have the lefty visit the Dr. for one last opinion.

Losing Liriano, who was 12-3 with a 2.16 ERA last season, is just another hit to a Twins rotation that already appears to have depth issues. With Brad Radke expected to formally announce his retirement in the coming weeks, the Twins were already planning to add starting pitching this offseason. The only guaranteed spot in the rotation appears to belong to ace Johan Santana.
But while the news of Liriano's surgery certainly wasn't something positive for the club, Ryan said that it doesn't really change the Twins' approach this offseason. "There wasn't any guarantee that he was going to be able to perform," Ryan said of Liriano. "Today's decision just means we have finality here. We need to move forward. We know we're not going to have him and we need to find some other people, whether it's through outside resources or from within the organization..."

So sad to see Liriano out - I hope the Minnesota Twins can find the talent they need to keep the ball club super competitive in 2007 - I have to believe!

APRIL IS NOT THAT FAR AWAY!!!

OK, Minnesota Twins Fans - the schedule is out! I love that baseball is practically a year round affair. We call the Twins the boys of summer, but really with Minnesota Twins Spring Training starting long before Spring ever hits Minnesota and then the big games start at the beginning of April through the end of September and then we have playoffs through October and then talk of trades and surgeries and player of the year awards through December - Minnesota Twins Fans and Major League baseball fans in general have very little down time.

THE SCHEDULE IS OUT!!! THE SCHEDULE IS OUT!!!

Minnesota Twins Fans, the tentative 2007 Schedule has been posted!

Minnesota Twins Schedule

Check it out!

Minnesota Twins Schedule