Twins Notes: 4/4/2018

Here is the latest installment of Twins Notes:

• The Twins are coming into their home opener on top of the AL Central (albeit tied with the pesky White Sox) and a game and a half ahead of Cleveland, which is a nice place to be.
• RHP Lance Lynn started his last tune up game at Fort Myers with the Rochester squad against the Red Sox' AAA team five days ago and gave 5 runs in the first inning.  He repeated the feat with the Twins at the Pirates' home opener on Monday.   Lynn indicated that he was a bit behind in his preparation due to late signing.
• Despite the efforts for a comeback, which are great to see, the Twins fell short, like at the Baltimore Opener by one run losing 4-5.  Again, great to see the Twins not going belly up for the second time this season, but good teams win some of the close games.  The Twins are 0-2 under these circumstances this season.
• C Mitch Garver who was hit on the head with Manny Machado's bat, thankfully seems ok and will not need to go to the concussion DL.
• On Tuesday the Twins beat the last undefeated team in the majors, the Pirates, in a snowstorm, mainly due to Miguel Sano's,  bat, base running and defense.  He went 3 for 5, blew threw a stop sign to score the tying run and made some serious defensive plays, including the last play of the game.   The final score was 7-3.
• This was an ultra cold game and neither of the two starters could get comfortable; so other than Sano, no names need to be named.  Or maybe two:  Logan Morrison got his first hit of the season, and I thin that he does not deserve the Lo Mo moniker.  It is more like Slo Mo.  And if Molitor has not brought Rule 5 pick Tyler Kinley yet in the blow outs, I am not sure when he will do so.  Competing teams cannot afford to hold players they will not play.
• Sam Miller at ESPN writes that Brian Dozier "whining about a bunt is all about trying to gain an edge"
• The Twins have traded their number 6 prospect, C Rainis Silva to the Mariners for cash considerations.   Not a move I am a fan of...
• The Twins unveiled a whole bunch of new foods at Target Field.
• The MLB pipeline published their list of the biggest breakthrough prospect candidates from the AL Central organizations, and the Twins' is their number 45th ranked prospect LHP Ryley Widdell.
• The Fort Myers Miracle published their 2018 roster.
•  Dave Paschall at the Chattanooga Times Free Press writes that Twins number 1 prospect, Royce Lewis, may be coming to the Lookouts in 2019.
• The USA today did a ranking of all MLB mascots.  The Twins' TC Bear did not fare very well.
• JJ Cooper has an article at Baseball America indicating that Independent Leagues may be in verge of extinction, based on whether the US Congress passed the Save America’s Pastime Act.  Kris Dugan has more on the subject at the Observer-Reporter.
• The parting shot tonight is of the snow yesterday at Pittsburgh: 

 

You can find all the installments of the 2018 Twins Notes series here.  As always feedback is more than welcome.