Top 10 Surprises of the Minnesota Twins 2010 Season!

[Updated - Sunday, May 9 - 10:15 A.M.]
#10: Excellent play by newcomers Orlando Hudson and J.J. Hardy:  that they're good is not the surprise...it's that they're THIS good.  Second baseman Hudson, seen here giving his Clevon Little impression, has given the Twins the sparkplug the team has lacked since the departure of Torii Hunter two seasons ago.  Hardy has been an asset at shortstop, and showing glimpses of his former batting power with the Brewers.

#9: Jason Kubel's lousy hitting:  not too worried about our guy J-Kubes turning things around (seen here following through on the first regular season HR at Target Field). But, I am concerned that our furry faced masher will get the Philadelphia Freedom Taser Treatment from one of our angry pitchers if he doesn't get his little batting shoes laced up tight shortly.

#8: Twins hitters are showing great plate discipline:  used to be, this club was known for swinging their bats wildly from the moment they left the dugout, going back to Kirby Puckett.  Now, with Big Jim Thome, Morneau and Mauer leading the way, they're wearing out the opposing pitcher by the 5th, 6th inning.  Even Delmon Young is taking bad pitches for balls, of all people on the planet.  That said, we follow up with...

#7: Lousy situational hitting: what's going on with these guys?  Our Minnesota Lumber Company turns into The Trembling Chihuahuas  once they get the bases loaded.  Buck up you guys!  Add 2-3 more wins to their current record had they just got a little dinking grounder or sac fly over and through the infield! Update- as of Saturday night (5-8-10), the Twins are now 8-for-50 (.160) this season with the bases loaded!!! OY!

"Don't gimme that look!  It's double secret probation for you, Kubel!"

#6:Fielding expertise: the Twins are THE best fielding club in the majors.  It's estimated that the infield play of Hardy and Hudson alone will amount to enough saved runs to equal 4 wins, minimum.  WEB GEM!


#5: How inane and ridiculous the "put a roof on it" crowd are:  Friday, May 7th, marked the first rainout at Target Field. This was inevitable. Yet, it prompted one "d123b123" to comment for the StarTrib:"OUTDOOR BASEBALL IN MN=DUMBEST IDEA EVER...Good luck next week as the forecast isn't much better..."  In between spluttering expletives degrading the man/womanhood of that poster, I will repeat: 3-4 rainouts, total average, for 21 years outdoor at Metropolitan Stadium in Bloomington.  Listen to me, junior: cold weather will rear its head early and late in the season, but do you sacrifice the cool skyline and perfect summer days with a $150M partial roof for 3-4 days???    GO HOME OUTDOOR HATERS!

#4: Stellar Closer Relief pitching by Jon Rauch:
It looks as if I was wrong about Rauch being an ineffective closer in replacing the injured Joe Nathan.  I thought by now that fine minor leaguer Anthony Slama would at least be in the discussion, having saved in excess of 50 games the last two years at AA / AAA ball.  It would appear at this point that someone in the Twins offices doesn't feel as if Slama will ever be ready for prime time, not having an explosive fastball. That issue will remain moot if Rauch keeps staring down the barrell and walking away from it!

 #3: What a rather LARGE baby pitcher Kevin Slowey can be!

OK, Kevin, you have a big vocabulary and you think you're the second coming of Greg Maddux.  I get that.  I only wish I could talk good too.  But quit shaking off Mauer when he gives you a sign.  The last guy who got too smart for his britches (see "Glen Perkins") is now laundering jocks and socks at AAA Rochester.  I'm just sayin' it!

 #2 What a great era in Twins baseball this is! From the lakeshores of Duluth, to the bluffs of Red Wing, Twins fans should be shouting "halleluiahs," or some other embarrassing public display in praise of the talented team we've got now.  And then there's the loving care The Baseball Gods  have showered on them from on high with Target Field (with its historical touches saluting past players, murals of Kirby and Rod), to the talent of newcomers like Wilson Ramos, Aaron Hicks, Kyle "Hoot" Gibson and "Midnight Ride" Ben Revere percolating down in the minors, soon to arrive in Twins Territory! 

#1:The reemergence of starting pitcher, Francisco Liriano: all signs point to Liriano regaining his former classic, number one-type flamethrowing pitches of four seasons ago.  If that's the case, boys and girls, that's  BIG...it's like "GONE WITH THE WIND," Part Duex. Or, THE GRAPES OF WRATH / THE WRATH OF KHAN / ATTACK OF THE NINJAS...or...uh...you know what I mean! I admit, I had him on the scrap heap like dozens of other people; "he'll never make it back, forget it!" was the sentiment.  Couldn't be more happy to think I was wrong!

Twinkler Out!