Minnesota Twins roster: Tsuyoshi Nishioka

Should the Twins keep Tsuyoshi Nishioka on the Twins roster for next year? That seems to be the question every Twins fan is asking themselves right now. The blatantly obvious answer is NO, and here's exactly why:

• In the last two seasons, Nishioka has failed to make the necessary adjustments to his game to go from Japanese style of baseball to the American style of baseball. The most glaringly obvious point in time that I'm referring to is when he failed to get out of the way of Nick Swisher and ended up breaking his leg - so the degree to which this needs to be adjusted is pretty large. If, after two full seasons, he hasn't been able to adapt to the American style of pla, it's time for him to go.
• In the three games he last played with the Minnesota Twins, he has three errors. That's not a good statistic for a guy that's essentially "trying out" for the team.

• Right now the Twins are paying $3 million per year for Nishioka - way more than he's actually worth. I think Twins fans wouldn't have such a problem with this guy if he were actually playing at a halfway decent level that deserved this kind of dough.

So basically, I personally think they should be getting rid of this guy. Not only does he make mistakes, he just can't seem to adapt to American baseball. What do you guys think?

Last Twins Series(es) of the summer

Yes, I know what you're thinking: why should I care about making it to a game at Target Field when the Twins are already out of the playoff race? Well, I have three reasons for why you need to get to a game on the Twins schedule before the end of the month:

1. It's summertime, which means there's no better time for outdoor baseball (even if we don't have the best team in the league).
2. Target Field is a blast no matter who's on the field - between the snacks, people watching and things to check out around the stadium you'll always be having fun.
3. Your kids won't care if the team wins or loses, they'll just be excited that they got to check out a game!

So: three great reasons why you should be excited to hit up a game at Target Field. And with that in mind, I have the three LAST home stands of the summer to share with you right.this.second. :note: they're not the three last series of the year, just the last ones before schools start back up in the fall!

1. Twins vs. Rays tickets are available for the weekend of August 10th-12th. Weekends are perfect for date nights and bringing the kiddos out to play!

2. Twins vs. Tigers tickets are available just following that series, Monday August 13th thru Wednesday August 15th. You know what's great about weekday games? They make great incentives for employees!

3. August 27th thru 29th grab Twins vs. Mariners tickets at Target Field. It's a great way to end the summer - bring your buddies to a baseball game!

New interactive game for your next excursion to Target Field

Ok - I have some exciting news for all of you Twins fans that are worried about needing more entertainment at a Twins game this year. The Twins have just launched a new mobile game for fans AT Target Field. It's called "At The Plate" and allows Twins fans to predict what's going to happen when the Twins are at bat. Which could be an interesting prediction tool - see how on you are with how the team is playing that day!

It's really interesting to see how the team is creating new ways of engaging fans in the game - something that is desperately needed with the evolution of mobile media and fans being constantly connected to technology. I don't know about you, but I'm pretty excited to test this game out - and so are my kids! - at the next game we have Twins tickets to!

Twins Out of MLB Playoff Race - but not down for the count

Well guys, we're over the halfway mark in this baseball season. But we still have a few months of MLB play left - which is good, for any team BUT the Minnesota Twins. You see, the Twins have already thrown away their chances of making it to the MLB Playoffs this year. In fact, they have less than a 1 percent chance of actually MAKING it to the playoffs. Pretty sad considering how optimistic I was at the start of the season.

All boo-hooing aside, the team now has two choices in front of itself:

1. They can either give up on the rest of this season, play a half-assed game and hope for a really great off-season  - which would be the usual expectation of a Minnesota team in this position.

2. They can try to play their asses off, keep some butts in the seats at Target Field and really screw up the playoff potential of their rival teams.

Judging by their level of play recently - specifically in the series that finishes today against the Baltimore Orioles - they've chosen option number 2. I have to say that I'm a little impressed by the route that the Twins are taking. Normally, as a Minnesota sports fan, you'd expect this team to just kind of fall off the radar after a bad season. But they're hanging on, actually managing to maintain a little fan interest (aka still selling SOME Twins tickets this year!) and making things happen. Now I really AM interested in seeing what happens for the rest of this season/in the off-season.

2014 All Star Game at Target Field

Have you heard the news about the Twins pushing for the 2014 All Star Game at Target Field? Well, it's looking more and more like the team is going to be awarded this awesome deal! It's not official or anything yet, but how cool would that be to have this event - and all of those awesome players in town - to happen at our own local stadium? There really isn't a better location. Yes, there are some cool stadiums in the country, but in my (biased) opinion, Target Field is the best. It's gorgeous and has some great features - like the Metropolitan Club and the Legends Club - that could be really well utilized for a great fan experience at this event. Have ya'll heard anything about this?

Twins Season Halfway Over

Well, I have some good news for Twins fans: the season is officially halfway over. Sometimes it's a little sad when we hit the halfway point in the season, but honestly I think that most Twins fans are happy to be over the hump this year. Following this team is always kind of a roller coaster, but it's just insanely so this year. Seriously.

I feel like I'm constantly being let down by these guys - they win a couple of games and then they LOSE for an even longer streak. Gross.

But, like I said before it's important to check out the positive. And the positive is that cheap Twins tickets are quite abundant right now! My kids are going to have a blast hitting up games for the rest of the summer, that's for sure...

Cheap Twins Tickets

Things I know about the Minnesota Twins:

1. They started out well against the White Sox until they got killed yesterday, 12-5.
2. They play the Royals at home this weekend.
3. I'm ready for the MLB All Star Break.

That being said, my kids really want to go to a Twins game - they don't care about winning vs. losing teams. And since the team isn't playing so hot, it means there are a lot of cheap Twins tickets floating around. Aka I fully intend to take advantage of some of the deals that are out there right now and get the fam to a game this weekend on the cheap. I just hope that the weather cools off a little bit - it's sweaty outside!

Scott Diamond might just be the next Twins roster superstar

Have you heard of Scott Diamond? If you're not a Twins fan...or haven't been paying attention to the Twins at all this season (not that I blame you) then you probably haven't. But you should definitely be paying attention to him - because I have a feeling that he's going to carry us through the rest of the season this year.

Born in Canada in 1986, Diamond attended Binghamton University where he received a full athletic scholarship. He was originally signed to the Braves in 2008 as an undrafted free agent and was eventually selected by the Twins in 2010. He was finally called up to the majors in May of this year and has been turning heads ever since.

His win-loss record is 6-6, which is not just impressive for a rookie but impressive for this team. Have you SEEN the rest of the pitching roster lately? I'm just hoping that it's not the early rush of being part of the big team and that his steam doesn't run out before the end of the season. If he can keep chugging along, I have a feeling that this kid has a bright future as a member of the Twins roster.

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Minnesota Twins Roster: Time to trade in July

Ok - anyone else getting a little sick of this rollercoaster ride that the Twins have us on? Yeah, me too. And with July quickly approaching, they'd better be looking at which players are going to be traded off the team and which players are going to be ADDED to the Twins roster. Here's my take on who needs to be let go:

• It's time for Francisco Liriano to go. He had a good run with the team earlier in his career but seems to have lost his edge. 
• Carl Pavano needs to be traded. He's just not playing up to par this year. 
• Nick Blackburn is playing mediocre at best. Although he has had a couple of good games in the last month so maybe we should hold off on that one for a bit.
• Alexi Casilla, I'm ready for a new man in your roster spot. His playing has been POOR at best. 

Can we please get some game changers on this team? I actually LIKE baseball, and even I'm bored watching these games. Basically: we NEED a new pitching squad. Is that so hard to accommodate?

Twins Tickets: They take on the Cubs all weekend at Target Field

Well, our Twinkies may *fingers crossed* be back on the winning train. They've won seven of their last nine games - with a big thanks to their starting pitchers for these wins. They are taking on the Chicago Cubs all weekend at Target Field - and this is the first time that the Cubbies have been to Target Field since it opened. What this means for you as a fan: There will be a ton of great people watching and a lot of excitement down around Target Field! I am pumped for the games this weekend. I have Twins tickets for Saturday's game and am excited to see if the Twins can continue on this winning streak that they've been on lately - it's time for a winning team in Minnesota, and the Twinkies might be just what we've been waiting for!

Twins Manage To Sweep Athletics - By The Skin of their Chins

Photo credit: Businessinsider.com

 After five losses in a row, the Twins managed to eek out a sweep of the Athletics this week. Why does this always happen? The Twins always have this rollercoaster ride of wins and losses where we think they're finally on track and then they just lose momentum. I'm not just talking about this year - I'm talking about every.single.season. This team (like all of the other Minnesota sports teams, for that matter) really knows how to gain a crowd and let that whole crowd down. It's exactly why Minnesota fans are bandwagon jumpers. They get sick of getting their hearts broken by teams that always fall apart just as they're getting good. I really hope that the Twins came prove me wrong this year. There are a lot of games left on the Twins schedule this season - so they definitely have the opportunity to!

Twins doing...okay?

A couple of weeks ago, a lot of Twins fans held out absolutely no hope for what this season held. And then they went on this road trip. To be honest, I haven't been paying too much attention to what's been going on with the Twins schedule. My own life has taken precedence over their less-than-mediocre kickoff to the season. I've still been going to some home games, but I haven't been as avid of a fan as I have in seasons past. And then, earlier this week, I got an email from my Twins rep telling me about how the team won six out of the last eight games and that corporate interest in the team had really picked up over the past few weeks.

They lost last night, but it doesn't bother me too much. This team has actually started to get their act together, and a weekend series at home might be just what the doctor ordered to KEEP these guys on the right track of winning games. I'm actually excited, for the first time in quite a while, to hit up a couple of games this Memorial Day Weekend! We might not be the worst team in baseball afterall!

Justin Morneau and the Minnesota Twins Roster

It's not a secret that the Minnesota Twins roster has been struggling so far this year. Part of that is due to the number of players - good players - that have been delegated to the disabled list. That list includes Twins superstar Justin Morneau, who was sidelined due to experiencing severe pain in his wrist that was surgically fixed during the off-season.

Despite his not great start to the season, Morneau has made known his dedication to this team and has told team manager Ron Gardenhire that he wants to return to his position with the team ASAP. He doesn't like sitting out games and not being able to help out his team.

Cheers to Morneau's dedication and hoping that he's back soon - the Twins are in desperate need of their power hitter being back on the team.

Minnesota Twins: The Worst Team in Baseball

The Twins own the worst record in Major League Baseball right now.

I just wanted to let that soak in for a minute. They are legitimately awful. They can't seem to get into a groove and stick there like they have in years past.

That being said, it could be an alright thing that they're switching up their level of play. In previous years, they've been great right off the bat but haven't been able to stick to that consistency throughout the season. Maybe they're starting off terrible but will be great by June?

One can only hope.

Until then, we will sit here. Not watching their games (because they break my heart every night) and just hoping that a W comes up on the stats after the game.

New Twins Gear For Chilly Weather

Oh, Twins. How disappointing you've been for the last few games. So disappointing that I'm not even going to talk about how terrible you've been playing. Instead, I'm going to post about this fantastic Twins sweatshirt I found and why I absolutely need to have it. Victoria's Secret makes absolutely the BEST Twins gear around. At least for women. The design is much more girly and the FIT is actually made for a woman - you're not putting on a man's shirt that's clearly not made for a woman. Not so cute. This sweatshirt IS so cute! I love the metallic red and silver writing, I love the cute "Take Me Home" saying...it's a need. So even if you're cheering on the Twins roster and they pretty much don't deserve your cheering, you'll still look like an oh-so-cute Twins fan at the game. Oh, VS MLB gear, how I do love you.

Minnesota Twins Win in NYC and More on the Twins Schedule

Man: did you catch any of those games in New York against the Yankees? My Twins loving heart was pitter pattering for both of those wins at the new Yankee Stadium. Seriously, could there BE a better place to win?

Tonight on the Twins schedule, the hometown team is taking on the Boston Red Sox. I went to the game on Monday - seemingly the better game if you had to choose between Monday and Tuesday. That Tuesday loss was brutal. Tonight I'll be catching the game from my very own couch :)

Oh, and this weekend the Twins battle it out with the Royals in a very family friendly three game series. Saturday they play at 12:10 and Sunday they play at 1:10 - perfect for getting the kids out of the house and out to a baseball game this year. Bonus: this weekends Twins tickets are super, super cheap. Love it!

Target Field is Awesome - Even When It's Cold Outside

For all of you that think that outdoor baseball and April weather in Minnesota don't go well together, you need to start rethinking that idea. In fact, a little chill in the air makes the game that much more fun - because you know that you're a true fan when you're willing to bundle up in all of your Twins gear just to make it to a game. Plus, you can always grab a hot chocolate or a beer to warm yourself up! If you love Minnesota Twins gear, you can always stock up while you're at Target Field - since dressing in layers is key and you'll have fresh gear to wear all season! And while you're thinking about all season, don't forget to get your hands on some awesome Minnesota Twins tickets for one of the games next week - the Twinkies play the Red Sox Monday through Wednesday!

Twins Home Opener Week

Yes friends, it's true. It is the Twin Home Opener week here in Minnesota. And while the hometown team may not be off to the *best* start of the season that they've ever had, you have to remember what they say: slow and steady wins the race. So if these guys take a few weeks to warm up and get their batting juices flowing, who cares, right? Regardless of the outcome of the game, you know you'll have a blast checking out this team at Target Field anyway. Grab some food at Hrbecks (their new menu is AWESOME), do a little people watching and check out all of the super cool things that Target Field has to offer. The best time to hit up a bunch of games is right now, too! As a rule of thumb, Twins tickets are always a little cheaper in the Spring before the schools let out for the summer. Plus I know you're dying to get out of the house and enjoy a little outdoor baseball in Spring weather. So get your seats and have some fun down at Target Field!

New Food at Target Field for 2012 Twins Season

Since the Twins home opener is just days away, I'm starting to plan out what all of my opening day food choices are going to be. And now I'm thinking that I'm going to have to starve for a few days before the home opener just to get in all of these new foods I'm wanting to try! IE: Hrbek's has some new menu options that look absolutely to die for. Their new salads look devine. The Rex burger and walleye sliders look so cute with their little Twins flags flying high! Oh and those raspberry filled fresh fried donut holes? Well, I'm probably going to need a whole order just for myself. What does all of this mean for you? It means that you should probably get some Twins tickets for one of the games next week. If not the Home Opener then for sure one of the weekend games! So pumped for the start of baseball!

Carl Pavano of the Minnesota Twins Roster Targeted By Extortionist

Minnesota Twins righthander Carl Pavano was recently targeted by an old high school classmate in an extortion attempt. Claiming to be Pavano's high school lover, Christian Bedard of Connecticut demanded a navy blue Range Rover with a tan leather interior in exchange for keeping quiet about the pair's illeged past relationship. Oddly enough, he didn't try to contact Pavano directly for what he was requesting. He went through Pavano's sister's facebook page and sent his sister a message with his demands. Odd. And pretty unbelievable, if you ask me. Whatever happened in Pavano's past is his own personal business, but trying to "expose" such a potentially large secret in such a weird way just shows that this idiot is begging for his fifteen minutes of fame.

Twins Season is Just Around the Corner

That's right friends, the Minnesota Twins season is just around the corner, and you should definitely be excited to get your hands on some 2012 Minnesota Twins tickets. Why? Because you're a Minnesotan. And you support local teams. And there's NOTHING better than summer in Minnesota at Target Field! Picture yourself out at a game with the fam, grabbing some hot dogs, some popcorn and taking in the game. Your kids will be super pumped, you'll be having a blast and your wife will love it because she can get a tan while she's watching baseball. Such a perfect summer day! And if you are a Minnesota Twins super fan, you need to get your hands on some Twins Home Opener seats before they're gone. This is always one of the hottest games of the season, and you don't want to miss out on any of the action as the team kicks off the season at Target Field. Don't miss this game!

Welcome to the Minnesota Twins Fanatic Blog!

Welcome to my new blog - home of all of the BEST info on what's going on with the hometown team! Stay tuned to my blog for info on the Minnesota Twins 2012 season, the Minnesota Twins roster and all of my favorite Minnesota Twins gear. I'm a Twins fan through and through, and I can't wait for the start of the regular season. April 9th, baby! Get your Twins home opener tickets before they're gone!