Minnesota Twins

You don't need money and pending wagers to gamble.  It's pride, competition, and knowing you are right. Tonight, the Minnesota Twins visit the Milwaukee Brewers at Miller Park for the opening game of an  inter-league series between the two clubs.  Three reasons to take the over for the consensus Las Vegas casinos line of nine.

8:10 ET: Minnesota at Milwaukee

Scott Baker (6-5, 4.41 ERA)

Chistopher Narverson (5-4, 5.79 ERA)

Nick Blackburn has always been tough to figure out. Finishing the last couple seasons with a "well-rounded" total of 11-11, he looks to be skidding into similar figures towards the end of June. 

But what worries me isn't so much the new advent of suck, but it coming after a phenomenal month of May. Blackburn was 5-0 in May, winning all of his decisions. He pitched at least seven innings in every start, as well as starting off the month with a complete game.

Pirates prized prospect Pedro Alvarez had been called up by the team this week, and will probably replace Andy LaRoche.

Alvarez, 23, is a power hitting 3rd baseman, who can be a threat every at bat at the big league level but is very weak when it comes to defense.

He reminds us of a somewhat Adam Dunn, who is a power hitter, yet isn't the greatest fielder (I mean years ago, he has gotten better this year). Also, Dunn and Alvarez both strike out often. 

With Pittsburgh needing help at this point, they called up the young 3rd baseman.

Once again the Minnesota Twins are in first place, and once again the Twins are in the top five in one particular category. As a matter of fact, the Twins have been in the top five in this category for the past five years.

No, it’s not home runs, runs scored, fielding percentage, or ERA. The category in which the Twins are perennial leaders is first pitch strike percentage.

Here is where the Twins have ranked in first pitch strike percentage over the last five years:

2010—61.8 percent (first)

Mlbtraderumors. com reports that the Twins and Rangers are the two teams rumored to be most interested in acquiring Mike Lowell from the Red Sox.  Makes sense to me.

Currently, the Minnesota Twins are one of two Major League teams who boast a roster with two MVP winners.  

Joe Mauer (MVP-2009) and Justin Morneau (MVP-2006) have led the Minnesota Twins to three AL Central Division Titles over the past five years.

Mauer already has three batting titles and two gold gloves, while Morneau has been leading the league in hitting for most of the season so far in 2010.

Where would this "Dynamic Duo" rank amongst some of the best in baseball history?

Originally published at TwinsMVB.com .

The Twins certainly didn’t stray from their organizational philosophy in this most recent MLB Draft. Holding the twenty-first overall selection in the Rule 4 Draft, Minnesota made several selections of players that fill a mold that Twins’ fans have grown familiar with. Here is a brief run-down of Minnesota’s first three picks.

21st pick: Alex Wimmers, RHP, Ohio State (6′2”, 195 lbs)

Here’s a list of the first 18 players selected by the Twins in this year’s  MLB draft from mlb.com, which may grow as the Twins continue to draft players. 

The players selected thus far look like what we’ve come to expect from the Twins: a lot of college pitchers and athletic high school position players.

The first round (including supplementals) of the 2010 MLB Draft is in the books. There were a few surprises (at least based on the mock drafts I saw), with Cal State Fullerton SS Christian Colon (4th Royals) and Texas RHP Barrett Loux (6th Diamonbacks), going higher than projected. Middle Tennessee State outfielder Bryce Brentz, The Citadel’s RHP Ascher Wojciechowski and LSU’s RHP Anthony Ranaudo going lower than expected.

Originally published at TwinsMVB.com .

Starting the season with low expectations and a very young team, the Oakland Athletics find themselves at the top of their division through the first third of the season.

In the Oakland Colosseum, the Athletics boast an impressive 19-8 record. As the Twins attempt to shake off a disappointing series with Seattle, the Athletics appear to be an intimidating foe.

Game One