Twins Preview

Yes I realize we are already 3 games into the season, I was busy the last few days, perhaps you didn't realize it was WRESTLEMANIA WEEK. Seriously though, it was.

Twins Twins Twins. I love the Twins, let's get that straight first of all. I feel like I may make some comments that may make that appear untrue, but I assure you, I love the Twins.

Infield...... SKETCHY.

Alexi Casilla

Justin Morneau

Danny Valencia

Matt Tolbert

T-Nish

I like one player in our infield. That player is Danny Valencia. Alexi Casilla shouldn't be a starting shortstop, Tolbert I'm just not a huge fan of, and Morneau cannot stay healthy. I love Morneau when he is healthy, but it isn't helping out depth knowing that he will miss significant time. T-Nish is TBD. I personally am not a huge fan. More often than not players come over to the MLB from overseas and are not very good. Maybe he will make me look bad, I hope he does, but my guess is that he isn't starting at second or anywhere come August/September.

Catcher - Solid - Not much to say here. I think Mauer will be rock solid again this year.

Outfield - Like -

Delmon Young

Cuddy

Kubel

Span

Repko

I like our outfield. I think Delmon will have another great year. .300 25+ and 110+ You heard it here first. Cuddy should be fine if he can stay healthy, Kubel will slide, and Span will have a much better year than last years disaster. I loved Repko last year and I hope we get to see him more this year.

Defensively I'm not really sure how I feel. I feel like we are an average defensive team I guess. I think they are capable of playing above average but that doesn't mean they will.

Offensively I think they are above average and capable or being elite. If Span and T-Nish can get on base for the 3-6 hitters I really like our lineup. Not to mention you have Valencia hiding a little further down. The Twins are capable of scoring 4-5 runs a night, hopefully they start doing that.

Pitching - This would be the main problem with this team. There are questions EVERYWHERE in terms of pitching. Starters - questionably. Relievers - questionable. Closers - questionable. Somehow they need to figure it out. Have an Ace emerge, someone like Liriano. Someone who can bring the nasty. Probably not Baker because he just gave up a moonshot to A-rod. Relievers, well lets just say I'm ready for the roller coaster ride. Closers, I'm not a fan of either, but I'd prefer Capps.

In order to win I think they need the pitching to come together, some leaders to step up offensively, and Joe Mauer to show some emotions. He is the poster boy of this team and he needs to start acting like it. I'm sick of the hometown boy gig, lets get mad, hell, yell at someone. Just do something to show me you care about winning and aren't just content with 184 million dollars.

Overall I think the Twins will sneak out the Central. I think it will be by a game. Don't expect too much too early in the season though. If they can manage to play .500 baseball through April and May you should be happy. The schedule then gets easier and the Twins should start rolling.

I'm not making any postseason predictions. This team looks like it could build itself into a contender, but we'll see what they make of themselves.

If I had to guess, I'll say we lose to the Yankees in the first round. IALTO.

Superbowl Prediction

Well, Superbowl Sunday is fast approaching. This year, there will be no Purple and Gold players running around the stadium. Instead, the rival Packers of Green Bay will play the Pittsburgh Steelers. While I don't really care that much about who wins or loses, I'll post some quick thoughts on the game in general.

I've been saying since about week 5 that I thought Pittsburgh was the best team in the NFL. I maintained that thought the entire way through, even into the playoffs. I'm not going to go back on that now. I really think they are overall the best team. It is very hard to pick against the Packers right now as well. They have won 3 straight road playoff games, against some very good football teams. They went into Philadelphia, which was probably their toughest game, and scraped out a win, then they dominated the NFC leading Atlanta Falcons, and finished off their run with a solid win against their arch rival Chicago Bears last weekend. Pittsburgh doesn't have as impressive of a resume. They narrowly escaped Baltimore at home, then beat the Jets at home, but not before letting the Jets climb out of a 24 point deficit to make it very interesting.

The Superbowl will be played in Dallas, a site that I think benefits the Packers. Why you might ask? Simply put, the weather will be perfect. It this game somehow got played in a rain, snow, or cold weather situation, I think it would favor the Packers. And yes, I understand the Packers play at "the frozen tundra". Pittsburgh is a mean, fine tuned football team, that probably prefers to play in terrible weather than ideal conditions. If the game turns into pound the run, stop the run, the Steelers welcome it. The Packers have an exceptional offense, but it goes through Rodgers, and it is hard to pass in bad or cold weather. Look at what Green Bay did in the dome at Atlanta.....

So lets get to the actual pick. I'm taking the Steelers. I think it will be a very close game, most likely won on a field goal in the closing seconds. I'll say 31 to 28 Pittsburgh. Again, it is basically because of experience, and the perfect football machine that is the Pittsburgh Steelers. They are run exceptionally from the ground up. I think they have one of the best coaches in the league in Tomlin, and they have a lot of players who have been there before. They will be ready to roll, and they will come to play. If the Packers can overcome the shock factor of playing in a Superbowl right out the gate, which I think they will, they will keep it close. Rodgers is a hell of a quarterback, as much as I don't like him. He will get a ring someday, but I don't think this is his year.