Mark Sheldon answers Twins fans' questions

By Mark Sheldon
MLB.com

MINNEAPOLIS -- Happy New Year, Twins fans.

Hopefully everyone had a safe and fun holiday week. With 2005 now upon us,
you can believe that Spring Training isn't too far away. I'm sure there are
plenty of questions -- please keep e-mailing and I'll do my best to answer them.

What is the likelihood that the Twins will sign one (or more) of the many
unsigned free agents to fill the gaps that exist within the infield?
-- Julian D., Moorhead, Minn.

The likelihood is slim to none that the Twins will sign a free agent for
their infield. It is possible the club would offer minor league deals and Spring
Training invitations to some unsigned Major League veterans before the team
heads to camp. There are some areas Minnesota identified that it wanted to shore
up -- namely a left-handed bat for the bench and another lefty reliever. By
re-signing right fielder Jacque Jones and second baseman Luis Rivas and
extending arbitration to his four remaining eligible players, general manager
Terry
Ryan has probably hit the ceiling on his 2005 budget, if he hasn't already moved
slightly beyond it.

Why did the Twins sign Mike Redmond? He is a very good catcher, both
defensively with a career .994 fielding percentage and offensively with a .284
batting
average. He is probably better than the average catcher in the Majors. If the
Twins are so optimistic about Joe Mauer being healthy for the entire season
and effective, why would we sign such a great catcher that would start on most
teams?
-- Ross, Minneapolis, Minn.

Outside of the pitcher, the catcher is probably the most important player on
the field and it's important to have as much depth as possible at that
position. The Twins wanted a veteran backup for the 21-year-old Mauer, injury
issues
or not. That's why Henry Blanco was signed for the 2004 season and Redmond for
2005. He will be a step up from Blanco, offensively, and a bit of a step down
in arm strength. But he is a talented catcher with a reputation for calling
good games and being a positive presence in the clubhouse. As for Redmond's
abilities as a would-be starter, it's a bit hard to make any assumptions. He has
never played more than 89 games in seven big league seasons with the Marlins.

What do you see happening to Michael Ryan for the 2005 season now that Jason
Kubel is out with his injury?
-- Doug S., Indiana, Pa.

The Twins signed Ryan to a one-year contract Dec. 20 and are looking for him
to regain the swing he had when he blasted five September homers at the end of
2003.

The outfielder's 2004 season was truly grim. He didn't perform well with the
Twins and then hurt his shoulder sliding into first base in June. He didn't
return to the big league level, even for a September callup, after hitting .211
in Triple-A. The organization liked the potential of Ryan's left-handed pop
off the bench and will give him another chance to lock up a reserve outfielder's
job. I see him having the inside track for the job if he can produce this
spring in Fort Myers.

What is the story on Jose Offerman? Will he return to the Twins? Will he play
ball next year anywhere? He seemed like a solid veteran influence and a
clutch pinch-hitter.
-- Jake L., Shakopee, Minn.

Offerman was offered a minor league assignment and not retained by Minnesota
after he elected free agency. You're right that he performed well as a
pinch-hitter, but only in the regular season. The 36-year-old batted .414
(12-for-29)
in the pinch-hitting role but was a disappointing 0-for-3 in the playoffs. To
the best of my knowledge, he has yet to be picked up by another team.

A friend and I were wondering, why does someone in the dugout throw a ball to
the first baseman when he is going into the dugout, at the end of the half
inning?
-- Kelly S. Mandan, N.D.

It's usually a coach who tosses a ball to the first baseman as he returns to
the dugout after the third out. It's done so the first baseman has a ball
already in his glove when it's time to return to the field for the next inning
to
warm up the other infielders with practice grounders.

Mark Sheldon is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the
approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

01/03/2005 1:31 PM ET


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Ken Staples, the longtime Twins instructor, is home in Champlin after heart
surgery in St. Paul last week. Terry Ryan and Ron Gardenhire of the Twins have
said they would welcome him back to spring training in Fort Myers, Fla., in
February, and Staples intends to be there.

Bob Casey, the longtime Twins public address announcer, is back at Veterans
Administration Medical Center in Minneapolis with complications from pneumonia.

Sid Hartman, who has been a sportscaster at WCCO-AM for 50 years, has signed
a new three-year contract with the station.


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CHARLEY WALTERS
St. Paul Pioneer Press

Look for the Twins to temporarily unretire the No. 29 jersey of hall of famer
Rod Carew this spring.

That's because Carew has accepted an invitation from general manager Terry
Ryan and manager Ron Gardenhire to return to the field in uniform as a member of
the club's instructional staff for a week during spring training in Fort
Myers, Fla.

* Hall of famer Paul Molitor also has been invited to participate in on-field
spring training, but the Twins still haven't heard whether the St. Paul
native will accept.

Molitor's Baseball Hall of Fame plaque will be shipped from Cooperstown,
N.Y., to the Metrodome for display at TwinsFest on Jan. 28-30.

* The Twins are mailing offers to season-ticket holders this week for 140
padded seats that will be constructed for next season behind home plate at a
cost
of $85 per game. The "Dugout Box Seats" will include concierge service and
more leg room than regular Metrodome seats.

* Twins catcher Joe Mauer continues to work out at Concordia-St. Paul during
the holiday break without pain in his tender left knee. He will resume
workouts in Fort Myers, Fla., next week.

* Bill Fanning, 49, who became the St. Paul Saints' first general manager 12
years ago and remained in that capacity until leaving last April, is involved
in real estate investing in the Twin Cities.

Posted on Wed, Dec. 29, 2004


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Twins win fourth straight division title

By Mark Sheldon
MLB.com

MINNEAPOLIS -- The Twins were not successful at reaching their ultimate goal
of winning the World Series, but there were plenty of positives to take out of
2004.

Although the club endured plenty of turnover during the offseason, new stars
like Johan Santana, Joe Nathan, Lew Ford and Justin Morneau gave Twins fans a
lot to be excited about.

Led by manager Ron Gardenhire, Minnesota posted a 92-70 record to claim its
third consecutive American League Central division championship.

With 2005 just around the corner, now seems like a good time to take a look
back at 2004. It was certainly a year filled with plenty of interesting moments.

January

The Twins signed veteran starting pitcher Rick Helling to a minor league deal
with hopes the right-hander would take over the fifth starter role. The new
year began with the return of a great from the Twins' past when Hall of Famer
Rod Carew returned to the club in the front office to perform marketing,
community affairs and broadcasting duties.

February

The club was successful avoiding arbitration with several of its players by
signing them to contracts. Reliever J.C. Romero and Luis Rivas inked one-year
deals while first baseman Doug Mientkiewicz signed a new two-year contract. For
the first time since 1999, the team ended up going to a hearing against a
player. Johan Santana lost his case in arbitration and was given a $1.6 million
contract for 2004. Minnesota addressed its bench depth by signing free agent
veteran Jose Offerman to be a pinch hitter and DH. Spring Training began with
great anticipation as former overall No. 1 pick and St. Paul native Joe Mauer
came to camp ready to assume starting catcher duties.

March

Before throwing his first exhibition game pitch for the Twins, new closer Joe
Nathan inked a new two-year contract that was loaded with incentives if he
succeeded as a closer. Later in the month, Helling's chances of pitching for the
Twins were derailed when his leg was broken -- it was nailed by a line drive
back to the mound. The Twins would spend much of the first half trying to find
a fifth starter to fill the void.

April

The club got off to a solid start in the standings despite losing several
players to injuries. In the second game of the season on April 6, Mauer and
center fielder Torii Hunter were hurt and went on the DL. Mauer was diagnosed
with
torn cartilage in his left knee that required surgery. He missed two months
and would be limited to 35 games all season. Veteran Henry Blanco became a
steady replacement in Mauer's place behind the plate. Relief pitcher Grant
Balfour
and catcher/DH Matthew LeCroy also went on the DL during the month. While
Hunter missed two weeks with a hamstring pull, it paved the way for Lew Ford's
arrival. Ford played so well that he never went back to Triple-A. Several extra
innings games wore out the bullpen. To get help, 41-year-old lefty Terry
Mulholland was acquired from Seattle for $1.

May

As more injuries hit key players, the club's offensive production slowed. The
Twins hit an AL-worst .245 for the month. Left fielder and leadoff catalyst
Shannon Stewart came down with plantar fasciitis in his right foot and went on
the DL for nearly two months. Matthew LeCroy proved his mettle as a
pinch-hitter, getting three homers in his first three pinch-hit at-bats.
LeCroy's
ninth-inning grand slam at Toronto sparked a huge 6-5 comeback win in what was
one
of the more exciting games in 2004. As tough as things got this month, and this
season, Minnesota never trailed first place by more than 2 1/2 games.

June

Mauer returned briefly from the DL and showed his hitting prowess was as
advertised. The 21-year-old also slugged his first Major League homer, an
eighth-inning three-run shot that gave Minnesota a win over Detroit. After a
slow
start, lefty Santana's hot summer got started in a 4-1 month, including an
eight-inning performance at Montreal. Setup man J.C. Romero's struggles got him
briefly sent to the minors to regroup, but the Twins' new-look bullpen still
remained one of the league's toughest. Nathan began emerging as a tough closer,
and
eight-inning man Juan Rincon was 8-3 with a 1.84 ERA in the first half.
Although the Twins swept the Mets and Expos in Interleague Play and took two of
three at Boston, run support was still an issue -- the club lost four straight
to
end the month, including being swept at home by the White Sox.

July

As the save totals racked up, Nathan was named to represent the Twins at the
All-Star Game in Houston. Santana went 3-2 for the month, but held a 1.17 ERA
with 15 walks compared to 61 strikeouts to be named AL Pitcher of the Month.
He did not lose another game after July 11. Meanwhile, a heated division
dogfight with the White Sox continued. A defining moment in the season came July
26
at Chicago when Hunter's clean but hard-nosed home plate collision with
catcher Jamie Burke helped give Minnesota an important win and Burke a
concussion.
The Twins swept the series and never lost first place again. Mauer played his
last game of the season July 15 because of recurring soreness in his knee.
Mientkiewicz also went on the DL with a wrist injury, which cleared the way for
Justin Morneau to play first base. Needing power in the cleanup spot, the change
became permanent. On July 31, Mientkiewicz was dealt to the Red Sox while
Boston was in town and, hours later, took the field against his old team in his
new uniform.

August

One of the Twins' big success stories was the emergence of Carlos Silva as a
starter. Silva pitched his first career shutout in a 10-0 win over Anaheim on
Aug. 3. Nathan continued his sensational summer as one of the league's best
closers, and set a club record with his 25th consecutive save in a win over
Oakland on Aug. 7. The streak ended at 27 with a blown save vs. the Yankees on
the
19th. After an 18-inning loss to the A's on Aug. 8, the club struggled and
saw a surging second-place Indians team close the standings to one game. The
turning point of the season came Aug. 15, when the Twins beat Cleveland at
Jacobs
Field on Corey Koskie's 10th-inning homer. The Indians faded far from the
picture. Meanwhile, Santana was 6-0 with a 2.08 ERA and won back-to-back AL
Pitcher of the Month Awards.

September

The Twins locked up their third consecutive AL Central division crown and
enjoyed some extra satisfaction in the process. On Sept. 20, the clinch came at
U.S. Cellular Field in front of rival Chicago's players and fans. Individually,
Santana continued his spectacular season by winning his 20th game Sept. 24,
setting a new club strikeout record for a single season. The lefty went 18-2
with a 1.36 ERA in his final 22 starts and 13-0 with a 1.21 ERA after the
All-Star break.

October

In one of the more bizarre incidents in their history, the Oct. 2 Twins game
vs. the Indians went beyond a set curfew and was suspended after 11 innings to
prepare the Metrodome for a University of Minnesota football game. The game,
which had implications for postseason home field advantage, was continued the
following day with Minnesota winning in the 12th inning.

In a rematch from the 2003 playoffs, the Twins met the Yankees again in the
American League Division Series. Behind Santana, Minnesota shut out New York in
Game 1 with a 2-0 win at Yankee Stadium. The momentum was halted in a
devastating Game 2 defeat in 12 innings when the Yankees evened the series.
Hunter
broke a 5-5 tie with a homer in the top of the 12th, but New York scored two in
the bottom of the 12th in closer Joe Nathan's third inning of work to win,
7-6. The Twins did not recover when the series shifted to the Metrodome. After a
Game 3 loss, elimination came in a demoralizing 6-5, 11th-inning defeat in
Game 4. Minnesota had a 5-1 lead but eventually lost the game on a three-run
homer by Ruben Sierra off reliever Juan Rincon in the top of the eighth.

November

Although the Twins did not claim a bigger prize in the playoffs, a couple of
their players were recognized with postseason awards. Hunter claimed a fourth
straight AL Gold Glove and Ron Gardenhire was named co-Manager of the Year by
The Sporting News. But the biggest honor of all was when Santana was
unanimously selected as the AL Cy Young Award winner.

December

The hot-stove season kicked into high gear as the Twins went 1-for-2 in
attempts to bring remaining key players back into the fold. At the Dec. 7
deadline
to offer arbitration to free agents, Minnesota re-signed longtime ace Brad
Radke to a two-year, $18 million contract. Less than a week later, the club said
goodbye to third baseman Corey Koskie, who departed for a new three-year deal
with the Blue Jays during the annual Winter Meetings. At those meetings in
Anaheim, Baseball America honored the Twins as its 2004 Organization of the
Year.

Mark Sheldon is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the
approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.


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By Mark Sheldon
MLB.com

MINNEAPOLIS -- Many of the Twins' biggest fans are kids, and a couple members
of the club found some children eager to have some fun around the holidays.

Twins manager Ron Gardenhire, pitching coach Rick Anderson, mascot T.C. and
members of the front office stopped by the People Helping People shelter in
downtown Minneapolis on Dec. 16.

A family homeless shelter that is just two blocks from the Metrodome, People
Helping People opened in 1982 and is one of the largest providers of emergency
housing in Minnesota. It serves those in need around Hennepin County and can
house up to 450 homeless people per night. About 60 percent of the residents
are children, and the average age of a child staying at People Serving People
is just 7 years old.

After being served dinner, the kids received Twins gifts and were treated to
a story reading by Gardenhire and T.C.

Gardenhire found time to sit down with MLB.com to talk about his visit with
People Helping People and his own plans for the holidays.

MLB.com: What makes events like this special around the holidays for you?

Ron Gardenhire: In all honesty, the people who run the show here at People
Helping People are what it's all about. The Twins are just happy to be involved.
We're just happy they asked us to come over. It's a fun thing to see the
young kids here smiling and having a good time. That's what it's all about for
us.

The grown-ups get excited too -- don't let them fool you. This is always a
fun time of the year for everybody. To be able to come to places like this,
seeing families trying to regroup and get back on their feet, that's a pretty
neat
thing.

MLB.com: What are some of your family's holiday traditions?

Gardenhire: We always used to try and travel and go down make sure we spent
time with your parents. That's a little harder now with the kids in school and
they're away at college, coming back home. Basically now, we always spend one
night over at my brother-in-law's house and then we come home. It hasn't
changed for a long time. One of the kids wakes up early and everybody in the
house
gets up -- just like you'd see on TV. Everyone says "Let's go!" and all run
down. We're just a little slower getting up nowadays.

MLB.com: You hoping for anything under your tree this year?

Gardenhire: I don't even think about that anymore. You just think about the
kids and all those things. I guess maybe a new socket set or something like
that.

MLB.com: Do you have a favorite holiday movie?

Gardenhire: "It's a Wonderful Life" -- I love that with Jimmy Stewart. That's
been my all-time favorite since I was a little kid. That and Charlie Brown's
Christmas show. I can sit down and watch that one.

MLB.com: Being way up north like this, does it make it feel more like
Christmas?

Gardenhire: Well, there's always a good chance of snow. Down in Oklahoma, if
it snowed there, it really was a white Christmas and that didn't happen much.
Christmas is basically the same. It's a time for getting together with your
family and sharing and rejoicing. No matter if you're in Oklahoma, Minnesota or
anywhere.

Mark Sheldon is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the
approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

12/24/2004


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* For losing shortstop Cristian Guzman to Washington, the Twins will receive
a second-round pick in June's amateur draft. The loss of Corey Koskie to
Toronto means the Twins will receive a sandwich pick between the first and
second
rounds. And Henry Blanco's departure for the Chicago Cubs will result in the
Twins getting a sandwich pick between the second and third rounds. The Twins'
overall first-round pick will be No. 25.

* Ex-Twins: Pitcher Joe Roa has signed a minor league contract with the
Pittsburgh Pirates; outfielder Brian Buchanan has signed a minor league deal
with
the Tampa Bay Devil Rays, and pitcher Tony Fiore has signed a minor league
contract with the Baltimore Orioles.

* Twins batting practice pitcher Erik Lovdahl's pitching academy skills camp
will be Dec. 29-30 at Mounds View Community Center.

* Midway Stadium and the trains that pass by its outfield fences received
brief national TV footage Wednesday when St. Paul Saints co-owner Bill Murray
was
interviewed on NBC's "The Jane Pauley Show."

* Heading into spring training, it appears Jason Bartlett will be tabbed as
Cristian Guzman's successor at shortstop for the Twins, with Juan Castro as
backup.

* Baseball insiders now figure it could cost the Twins $25 million to sign Cy
Young Award winner Johan Santana to a three-year contract next month. The
Twins are expected to backload an offer that could start at $6 million next
season, $8 million in 2006 and a franchise-record $11 million in 2007 for the
pitcher.

* Of concern for the Twins, though, is that baseball's labor agreement
expires after the 2006 season, and the future, especially without a new
ballpark,
remains uncertain.

* The San Francisco Giants declined a contract option on ex-Twins outfielder
Dustan Mohr, but the Twins aren't interested in him.


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One signing problem for the (Twins) could be pitcher Kyle Lohse, who is
represented by Scott Boras, one of the toughest agents to do business with.
While
Lohse had a poor year this past season, in the arbitration process the
arbitrators judge the past three years, and the previous two were pretty good
for the
righthander.

Twins catcher Joe Mauer and his two brothers, Twins farmhands Billy and Jake,
joined former Twins third baseman Corey Koskie in raising money for homeless
shelters by sleeping in tents outside on Saturday night in Wayzata as part of
"Bob Fisher's Sleep Out." Talking to Koskie, I get the idea that if the Twins
really wanted the veteran third baseman, instead of letting him sign with
Toronto, that he and Ryan could have worked something out. Ryan said he would
have
offered Koskie a no-trade clause as a part of his contract, but Koskie said
he was told otherwise by his agent.


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Associated Press

Matt Clement heard all about curses while playing for the Chicago Cubs, who
have the longest title drought in baseball. So when Clement saw the Red Sox win
the World Series this fall, it made him think about playing in Boston.

Wednesday the thought became reality when he finalized a $25.5 million,
three-year deal with the World Series champions.

Boston also moved ahead on another front, reaching a preliminary agreement
with righthander Wade Miller, who became a free agent when Houston failed to
offer a 2005 contract Monday.

Miller, who passed a physical Wednesday, will get about $1.5 million from the
Red Sox and have the chance to earn approximately $3 million more in
performance bonuses.

Clement agreed to terms last week but the deal wasn't final until after he
passed a physical on Tuesday. He fills a hole in the pitching rotation created
by the departures of Pedro Martinez and Derek Lowe.

Ace Curt Schilling, whose ankle hobbled him through the playoffs, is not
expected to be ready for Opening Day. The Red Sox have also signed lefties David
Wells and John Halama, who is expected to make spot starts while spending most
of the year in the bullpen.

Knuckleballer Tim Wakefield and Bronson Arroyo fill out the rotation.

New York Yankees

The Yankees signed pitcher Carl Pavano to a four-year contract, adding the
18-game winner to a team still seeking five-time Cy Young Award winner Randy
Johnson.

Financial terms weren't disclosed. Major League Baseball's Web site, said the
package was worth $39.95 million.

Pavano, 28, was 18-8 with a 3.00 earned run average for Florida last season,
finishing sixth in voting for the NL Cy Young Award.

Meanwhile, Newsday said on its Web site that the Yankees and Arizona
Diamondbacks renewed their communication and reiterated their mutual desire to
put
Johnson in pinstripes in the near future.

Johnson left for a vacation, and he won't return until Tuesday, Diamondbacks
President Ken Kendrick told Arizona reporters, which could impact the timeline.

Chicago White Sox

The White Sox signed free- agent righthander Orlando Hernandez, who was 8-2
for the Yankees last season, to a two-year, $8 million contract. Hernandez, 35,
had a 3.30 earned run average in 15 starts with the Yankees. He missed the
2003 season with Montreal after surgery on a torn rotator cuff and made his
season debut with New York on July 11, winning his first eight starts.

Tampa Bay

First baseman and designated hitter Josh Phelps agreed to a one-year contract
with the Devil Rays. The deal was contingent on a physical. Phelps, 26,
appeared in 103 games last season with Toronto and Cleveland, batting .251 with
17
homers and 61 RBI. After being acquired by the Indians on Aug 6, he hit .303
with five homers and 10 RBI in 24 games.

Minimum rises

The minimum salary for major league baseball players will rise to $316,000
from $300,000 next year. The amount of the increase was based on the Consumer
Price Index and was agreed to by the commissioner's office and the players'
association. The minimum minor league salary for players on 40-man rosters for
at
least the second year or with at least one day of major league service will
increase from $50,000 to $52,600.

Houston

Carlos Beltran met with Astros officials in Houston's latest effort to keep
the All-Star center fielder, who led the team within one victory of its first
World Series.

Beltran and his agent, Scott Boras, spoke with Astros owner Drayton McLane,
team President Tal Smith and General Manager Tim Purpura at the team's spring
training camp in Kissimmee, Fla.

A day earlier, Beltran met with New York Yankees owner George Steinbrenner in
Tampa.

"We feel we had a positive discussion today," McLane said in a statement.
"We'll continue to have dialogue in the hopes of having Carlos in an Astros
uniform for many years to come."

In addition to the Yankees, the Chicago Cubs are also thought to be pursuing
Beltran. If Houston doesn't reach an agreement by Jan. 8, the Astros would be
ineligible to re-sign him until May 1.

Elsewhere

* Center fielder Dave Roberts agreed to a $1.35 million, one-year contract
with San Diego. Roberts was acquired in a trade with the Red Sox on Monday
night. He had been eligible for salary arbitration.

* Righthander Orber Moreno agreed to a minor league contract with the Mets.

December 23, 2004


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TOM POWERS
Pioneer Press

The steroid scandal has been the big baseball story this winter. That's
unfortunate because there is much better baseball news out there.

Ten years from now Barry Bonds might have two heads, and Jason Giambi might
be shopping for his underwear at Victoria's Secret. But today, the game itself
appears healthier than ever.

Check out the Twins. A supposed money pit that nearly was contracted three
years ago, the organization broke even in 2004. Repeat: After losing $10 million
in 2003, the Twins are at the break-even point for 2004.

"Pretty close to it," said Dave St. Peter, the team president. "There's the
new collective bargaining agreement and the overall health of the industry. The
luxury tax dollars, an increase in our licensing revenue, and we signed with
Fox Sports Net North, the first time we've had what I'd call a real market TV
deal locally."

Baseball also recently raked in a bundle by signing on with XM Satellite
Radio.

Despite flat attendance in '04, the Twins suddenly are on the cusp of
profitability.

"We are in a period of short-term stability," St. Peter said.

He wasn't complaining. He was very happy about it.

Just last week, Twins owner Carl Pohlad was quoted in these very pages as
saying he is losing $15 million a year. He was moaning about that after losing
Corey Koskie to the Toronto Blue Jays.

Maybe he was thinking of some other year or some other business that did
poorly. Maybe he was flashing back to the 1919 Black Sox scandal. I don't know.
But he didn't lose money on the Twins this year. And if he doesn't know that,
someone ought to tell him.

Meanwhile, season-ticket sales are where they always are in December -- flat.
The good news is that the fan base no longer is shocked by the departure of
many longtime Twins. St. Peter, who tries to stay attuned to public sentiment,
says fans now seem almost numb to it.

"More so than a couple years ago," he said. "They've learned to put their
trust in our people. Terry Ryan and his staff still pull the proverbial rabbit
out of the hat to keep us competitive."

As usual, Ryan has had a grueling offseason.

"We did OK," Ryan said. "We're in decent shape. Obviously, we would have
liked to keep everybody."

Losing Koskie was difficult because he was a central figure in the clubhouse.
And it's always iffy when team chemistry is disrupted. The loss of David
Ortiz, for example, had a ripple effect on the Twins. Yes, they lost out on all
those home runs. But when Ortiz left, Cristian Guzman began to drift.

Ortiz kept Guzman in line, acting almost like his big brother. After Ortiz
was let go, Guzman became more undisciplined on and off the field. No one was
very sad when Guzie signed with Washington.

"We've overcome the loss of a lot of positive players the last three or four
years," Ryan said. "We're going to miss people. I don't see that as an issue.
We're going to be fine."

He's almost always right these days. The Twins probably will be fine. And
Ryan has banked political capital with the Pohlads by coming in on budget.
That's
like having a get-out-of-jail-free card. So if he decides he needs another
player somewhere along the line, he'll pull that chip out of his wallet and use
it.

"I'd call on that chip at any time," Ryan said. "I called on that chip to get
Kenny Rogers in spring training two years ago."

Life is better than we thought it was. The politicians even are making
unsolicited comments about a new ballpark.

"Ballpark plans always look good in December," St. Peter said. "We're
cautiously optimistic."

St. Peter sort of thought out loud about how a new ballpark, which translates
to more revenue, would affect the Twins.

"I've always told people that I'd like to see what happens if we gave Terry
Ryan another $20 million in payroll to work with," he said.

Hey, he might screw it up. He could be like the immigrant in the old movie
"Moscow on the Hudson." His first day in America, he was sent to the corner
store to buy a jar of coffee. When he saw an entire row of coffee products, he
hyperventilated and passed out.

But I'd like to see what Ryan could do with a "major league" payroll, too. At
least his budget won't get slashed again. If attendance goes up a little next
year, the team could finish in the black and Ryan might even be rationed a
few new pencils from the supply closet.


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Current and former players, coaches to go on tour

By Mark Sheldon
MLB.com

MINNEAPOLIS -- The Twins are getting ready to warm up their busses and roll
towards an Upper Midwest town near you.

The club announced its itinerary for the 45th annual Dodge Winter Caravan,
featuring stops in over 50 communities throughout the region from Jan. 17-20 and
Jan. 24-27, 2005. It continues a tradition as being one of the oldest and
most extensive trips of its kind in Major League Baseball.

Members of the club will make stops at several schools, hospitals, and
businesses along the way. Proceeds generated on the trips benefit local youth
baseball and softball leagues.

Twins players Joe Mauer, Lew Ford, Joe Nathan, Carlos Silva, Michael Cuddyer,
Kyle Lohse, Matthew LeCroy, Grant Balfour, Terry Tiffee and Jesse Crain will
be on the road. Manager Ron Gardenhire, pitching coach Rick Anderson and third
base coach Al Newman will also be making stops.

Winter Caravan will be broken up into four separate legs.

The Dakota leg, leaving Jan. 17, will feature Gardenhire, Anderson, Tiffee,
Crain and WCCO-AM radio voice John Gordon. The group will move through North
Dakota and South Dakota over the four-day journey.

The Northern leg, also departing the 17th, will carry Ford, Balfour, WCCO's
Dan Gladden and Fox Sports Net's Clay Matvick. Among the scheduled stops in
Minnesota are Duluth, Grand Rapids, Brainerd and Bemidji.

The West leg, shoving off Jan. 24, will have Cuddyer, LeCroy, Newman and Fox
Sports Net's and former Twins great Bert Blyleven. Minnesota stops include St.
Cloud, Ortonville, Mankato and Spencer, Iowa.

A mini leg, on Jan. 26-27, will feature Nathan, Lohse, Newman and Gordon with
local stops in St. Paul, Minneapolis and the suburban Twin Cities.

On selected stops will be former Twins greats Harmon Killebrew, Tony Oliva,
Rod Carew and Kent Hrbek. Twins general manager Terry Ryan, club president Dave
St. Peter and Twins Sports Inc. president Jerry Bell will also make
appearances.

Mark Sheldon is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the
approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

12/21/2004


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Team also signs LeCroy, Ryan

BY BRIAN MURPHY
Pioneer Press

The Twins agreed to contract terms with outfielder Jacque Jones and second
baseman Luis Rivas today, avoiding salary arbitration with two contributors from
their division championship run.

The team also signed designated hitter Matthew LeCroy, outfielder Michael
Ryan and right-handed pitcher Matt Guerrier to one-year deals and tendered 2005
contracts to its remaining arbitration-eligible players, including American
League Cy Young Award winner Johan Santana.

Jones, who has been the subject of trade rumors for two years, will earn $5
million in base salary and his contract includes a $250,000 escalator if he is
traded next season.

"We wanted to retain the offense we had," Twins general manager Terry Ryan
said. "Jacque provides power, and he has been unselfish in moving over to right
field from left. He's durable. He plays the game the right way. It wasn't
anything more than how much it was going to cost."

After the Twins lost to the New York Yankees in the first round of the
playoffs, Jones' future in Minnesota was in doubt because he seemed destined to
win
a $6 million arbitration award. Moreover, the team was content to let less
expensive prospects Jason Kubel and Michael Restovich battle for the right-field
job next season.

But Kubel was injured playing in Arizona and is recovering from major knee
surgery that will sideline him for all of next season. Restovich is
rehabilitating a broken collarbone that has left his spring-training status in
question.
Corey Koskie's free-agent departure to Toronto created a hole in the Twins'
lineup and freed up the money to re-sign Jones.

"I'm cool with the whole situation. I have no problems with nobody about
nothing," Jones said. "My teammates are going to be there. That's it, and that's
all that really matters in the end. Now, I just have to go out and play."

Jones, 29, finished second on the Twins with 24 home runs and 80 runs batted
in, but he also hit 30 points below his career batting average of .284. Off
the field, Jones endured his father's four-month battle with cancer until Hardy
Jones died in California just before the Twins opened their playoff series
against the New York Yankees.

Despite crisscrossing the country on red-eye flights to mourn with his
family, Jones hit a pivotal home run in Minnesota's series-opening victory.

Rivas signed for $1.625 million. He hit .256 with 10 homers and 34 RBI in 109
games but lost his starting job at second base to Michael Cuddyer. A toe
injury also curtailed Rivas' playing time. Bone chips in his throwing elbow
limited Rivas to pinch-hitting duties during the playoffs. He had surgery in
October
and is playing winter ball in his native Venezuela.

Cuddyer is expected to replace Koskie at third base, clearing the way for
Rivas to regain his job.

"We've got some work to do, but we think he can do it," Ryan said.


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Nobody cut loose at arbitration deadline

BY GORDON WITTENMYER
Pioneer Press

Having already assured the return of their entire playoff pitching staff from
last year, the Twins on Monday sewed up their 2005 starting lineup by
agreeing to terms with right fielder Jacque Jones and second baseman Luis Rivas
on
one-year contracts, avoiding a late-night decision over whether to cut them
loose.

Jones agreed to a $5 million deal; Rivas, $1.625 million. Both were eligible
for arbitration and priced just high enough to make arbitration a potential
payroll-breaking process for the Twins. The deadline for offering contracts or
non-tendering (releasing) players was 11 p.m. Monday.

The Twins retained the rights to all seven of their arbitration-eligible
players, agreeing to terms with designated hitter Matt LeCroy, and tendering
contract offers to pitchers Johan Santana, Kyle Lohse, Carlos Silva and J.C.
Romero.

The next order of business for the Twins is to step up negotiations with
Santana, the reigning American League Cy Young Award winner, on a possible
multiyear contract. His salary figures to jump from $1.6 million to more than $5
million if they go to arbitration. The Twins likely have room in their $54
million
payroll budget to go through arbitration, if necessary, with the three other
pitchers.

Monday's signings stopped the winter exodus of productive starters from the
lineup. After losing third baseman Corey Koskie and shortstop Cristian Guzman
to free agency, the Twins made what some considered a surprising move by
bringing back Jones, a career .280 hitter who finished second on the team in
home
runs (24) and runs batted in (80), despite a career-low .254 average, in 2004.

Jones' chances of getting a strong enough offer from the Twins to sign
increased with the serious knee injury suffered this fall by his would-be
successor,
top prospect Jason Kubel, and with the departure of Koskie, who left about $4
million in the Twins' 2005 coffers.

"We wanted to retain the offense we had," general manager Terry Ryan said.
"Jacque provides power, and he has been unselfish in moving over to right field
from left. He's durable. He plays the game the right way. It wasn't anything
more than how much it was going to cost."

The Rivas signing means the Twins are committed to going to spring training
with him back as the starter at second base, after he ended last season in
jeopardy of losing his starting job and possibly his employer.

"We've got some work to do, but we think he can do it," Ryan said of Rivas
regaining his starting role.

If he doesn't regain it, look for the Twins to shop Rivas, who made $1.5
million this year, for whatever they can get. They're not likely to open the
season with a $1.625 million utility infielder who can't play third base, is not
considered a heady player and hasn't hit so much as .260 since his rookie season
(2001).

The signing also means any search for a serious outside candidate to replace
Koskie is over, with Michael Cuddyer settling in as the favorite to be at
third on Opening Day.

Assuming catcher Joe Mauer's knee is ready for spring training, as the team
anticipates, the Twins' lineup is set, with the exception of a shortstop battle
involving newcomer Juan Castro, prospect Jason Bartlett, and possibly Nick
Punto and Augie Ojeda.

Jones, who made $4.35 million last season in the second year of a two-year
deal, quickly turned down the Twins' initial offer of one year plus a team
option for 2006, his first free-agent year. "I didn't ever entertain more than
one
year," said Jones, who has been a continual subject of trade rumors for three
seasons. He has a clause in the contract that increases his salary by $250,000
if he is traded.

"They could still decide to trade me, so I don't know," he said. "I'm cool
with the whole situation. I have no problems with nobody about how everything
went. My teammates are going to be there. That's it, and that's what really
matters at the end."

The signings put 11 members of the Twins' projected 25-man roster under
contract for about $42 million, leaving $12 million to $13 million in the
budget,
as much as $10 million of which could go to the four remaining
arbitration-eligible pitchers.

The Twins on Monday also reached agreement on one-year deals with
pre-arbitration players Mike Ryan, an outfielder who has spent parts of the past
three
seasons in the big leagues, and right-hander Matt Guerrier, who made his
big-league debut in 2004.

Posted on Tue, Dec. 21, 2004


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Patrick Reusse
Star Tribune

MAKO OLIVARES manages Mayaguez in the Puerto Rican Winter League. He also
works for the Tampa Bay Devil Rays. He called Cam Bonifay, the team's director
of
personnel and scouting, early in that season and told him 6-7 Angel Garcia
was pitching impressively for the Mantei club.

Garcia, 21, had been plagued by arm trouble and had undergone Tommy John
surgery as a Twins farmhand. General Manager Terry Ryan kept Garcia off the
40-player protected list, making him eligible for the major league draft earlier
this month.

"After Mako recommended Garcia, we sent a staff scout to Puerto Rico and he
saw him pitch several times," Bonifay said. "We wanted to make sure he was
healthy. We confirmed that. We felt like Garcia had a real high ceiling, so we
decided to take a shot."

This was not the normal $50,000 shot taken by teams in the Rule 5 draft.
Bonifay was so enthused that the Rays agreed to pay $150,000 to Arizona to take
the pitcher with the first choice.

WAYNE TERWILLIGER will manage the Fort Worth Cats in the independent Central
Baseball League again this summer. On June 27, Terwilliger will join Connie
Mack -- the long-ago owner and manager of the Philadelphia Athletics -- as
baseball's only 80-year-old managers. "Twig" coached first base for the Twins'
World Series winners in 1987 and 1991.

Russ Nixon, 70, a Twins catcher in 1966 and 1967, also has longevity going
for him. He will manage Houston's Greenville [Tenn.] rookie league team this
summer, marking his 53rd consecutive season in pro ball.

December 21, 2004


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How the Twins dealt with their arbitration-eligible players as Monday's
deadline approached:

Outfielder Jacque Jones

* Agreed to a one-year deal worth about $5 million

Infielder Luis Rivas

* Agreed to a $1.625 million, one-year deal

Designated hitter/catcher Mathew LeCroy

* Agreed to a $750,000 one-year deal

Offered salary arbitration

* Starting pitcher Johan Santana

* Starting pitcher Carlos Silva

* Starting pitcher Kyle Lohse

* Relief pitcher J.C. Romero

December 21, 2004


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Dennis Brackin
Star Tribune

Twins manager Ron Gardenhire took a timeout from a Florida family vacation
Monday evening to telephone Jacque Jones.

"I just called Jacque and said, 'Thank you,' " Gardenhire said.

The gratitude was for Jones' decision to agree to a one-year deal before
Monday's 11 p.m. deadline that required major league teams to either sign or
tender contact offers to arbitration-eligible players. The Twins retained all
their
arbitration- eligible players, signing Jones, Luis Rivas and Matthew LeCroy
to one-year deals while tendering contract offers to pitchers Johan Santana,
Carlos Silva, Kyle Lohse and J.C. Romero.

The Twins also signed pitcher Matt Guerrier and outfielder Michael Ryan to
one-year deals. Both are on the 40-man major league roster, but neither was
eligible for arbitration.

Jones' was the most difficult negotiation, largely because the deadline in
his case was very real. The Twins made it clear that Jones likely would not be
tendered an offer if an agreement could not be reached Monday, said Dan Lozano,
the outfielder's agent.

"I would say I didn't feel good about things until Sunday," Lozano said. "I'm
happy for Jacque that it came together, because ultimately this is where he
wanted to be."

Jones agreed to a $5 million contract includes a clause that will pay him an
additional $250,000 if he is traded. Jones' salary, coupled with anticipated
raises to the four tendered pitchers, will put the club above its targeted $55
million budget for 2005. Twins General Manager Terry Ryan said he received
approval from owner Carl Pohlad to go over the projected budget to keep the
arbitration-eligible players on the roster.

"It's one of those situations where ownership has allowed us to go above the
call of duty," Ryan said.

Rivas will make $1.625 million in 2005, and LeCroy will earn $750,000.

Ryan said he has no intentions -- or orders from ownership -- to try to trade
Jones, who made $4.375 million in 2004, when he hit a career-worst .254 with
24 home runs and 80 RBI. Gardenhire also ruled out the possibility of trading
Jones, saying the outfielder would "absolutely" be in the team's starting
lineup in 2005, his seventh year with the Twins.

Keeping the roster status quo through the latest deadline was critical for a
team that had already lost starting infielders Corey Koskie and Cristian
Guzman to free agency this offseason.

"I'm very pleased," Ryan said. "To get three [of the seven
arbitration-eligible players] done takes a little off our plate. We still have
four left, but
this gives us a better idea of where we are."

Ryan said he had no contract discussions with any of the four pitchers
tendered offers last night. But he expressed optimism the club could work out
deals
with each. He said he will begin discussions on a multiyear deal for Santana,
the reigning American League Cy Young winner, shortly after the first of the
year.

There were two significant positives to emerge Monday night. First, the club
will enter spring training with its pitching staff intact, thanks to the
earlier signings of veteran free-agent starters Brad Radke and Terry Mulholland.

Second, Jones adds a veteran's presence to a team that will be younger next
season, especially in the infield. Torii Hunter and Jones have emerged as
central figures to the clubhouse chemistry.

"On a personal level, I'm very happy to have Jacque back," Hunter said. "I've
been with that guy forever. I've been with Koskie and Guzman forever, too. I
hate that those guys are gone, but at least someone stays around."

Said Ryan: "Jacque is very important to this club, and this clubhouse. He
plays the game the way we stress it should be played."

That was part of the reason Gardenhire telephoned Jones Monday night. The
other part was an empathy for what the outfielder has been through with the
Twins. The manager believes Jones is too often unappreciated, too often the
subject
of trade rumors, and too often designated as the player who will lose his job
to the next outfield phenom. That was the case this offseason, before
prospect Jason Kubel suffered a serious knee injury that will sideline him all
season, an injury that certainly increased Jones' value to the Twins.

"Jacque has been through a lot with this organization," Gardenhire said. "His
name is always out there -- Jacque's gone, Jacque this, Jacque that. For a
manager, I feel like we have a pretty good relationship, and I'm just real happy
to have him back."

Jones, 29, was low-key, saying he was "happy to be back with my teammates."
Several teams, including Atlanta and San Diego, appeared to be interested in
Jones had he hit the free-agent market.

"I probably left some money on the table," said Jones, a career .284 hitter.
"But who knows -- maybe I'd have gotten less. But sometimes it's more than
that. Right now, I'm just looking forward to going out and playing."

Ryan described his budget as "pretty well stretched," and said he probably
didn't have the flexibility to add any additional free-agent help. Today's
roster will likely be the same on Opening Day.

And from the Monday night perspective of the general manager -- "I think
we're in decent shape" -- and a veteran outfielder, that's not a bad thing.

"You have to be optimistic when you have your two frontline starters back
[Santana and Radke]," Jones said. "Like we always say, everything starts with
pitching and defense."

December 21, 2004


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Outfielders Torii Hunter and Jacque Jones are the only Twins who have been in
the starting lineup for the past five season openers. Here are the lineups
with players no longer with team in bold:

2000

Walker 2B
Guzman SS
Lawton RF
Huskey DH
Koskie 3B
Coomer 1B
Jones LF
LeCroy C
Hunter CF

2001

Guzman SS
Rivas 2B
Lawton RF
Koskie 3B
Ortiz DH
Hunter CF
Jones LF
Mientkiewicz 1B
Pierzynski C

2002

Jones LF
Guzman SS
Mientkiewicz 1B
Ortiz DH
Hunter CF
Koskie 3B
Buchanan RF
Pierzynski C
Rivas 2B

2003

Jones LF
Guzman SS
Hunter CF
LeCroy DH
Cuddyer 3B
Mientkiewicz 1B
Mohr RF
Pierzynski C
Rivas 2B

2004

Stewart LF
Rivas 2B
Mientkiewicz 1B
Koskie 3B
Hunter CF
Jones RF
LeCroy DH
Mauer C
Guzman SS

December 20, 2004


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The Twins will have to tender contracts to their seven arbitration-eligible
players -- Jacque Jones, Luis Rivas, Matthew LeCroy, Johan Santana, Carlos
Silva, Kyle Lohse and J.C. Romero -- by 11 tonight or those players will become
free agents. With the team's budget projected to remain near last year's $55
million figure, it might be difficult for the club to keep all seven. The
toughest decision figures to revolve around Jones, the highest-paid of the seven
last
year at $4.35 million. Why Jones' status is in doubt with a $55 million
payroll:

PLAYERS UNDER CONTRACT FOR 2005

RHP Brad Radke $9 million
OF Torii Hunter $8 million
RHP Joe Mays $7.25 million
OF Shannon Stewart $6 million
RHP Joe Nathan $2 million
IF Juan Castro $1.025 million
C Mike Redmond $900,000
LHP Terry Mulholland $750,000

Total team salary $34.925 million (eight players)

ARBITRATION-ELIGIBLE

(salaries are projected)

OF Jacque Jones $6 million
LHP Johan Santana $5 million
2B Luis Rivas $2.5 million
RHP Kyle Lohse $1.7 million
RHP Carlos Silva $1.5 million
LHP J.C. Romero $1.5 million
C-1B Matthew LeCroy $600,000

Total team salary $53.725 million (15 players)

PRE-ARBITRATION

RHP Grant Balfour, RHP Jesse Crain, IF Michael Cuddyer, RHP J.D. Durbin, OF
Lew Ford, C Joe Mauer, 1B Justin Morneau, IF Augie Ojeda, IF Nick Punto, OF
Michael Restovich, RHP Juan Rincon

Average $325,000 x 11 players: $3.575 million

Total team salary $57.3 million (26 players)

What does this mean?

* The Twins need to trim about $2 million to hit their projected $55 million
payroll.

* If they trim $2 million, and reach $55 million on the nose, there will be
no money left to sign other free agents the club might find attractive.

* The numbers explain why Twins GM Terry Ryan is reportedly offering Jones
(who made $4.35 million last season) and Rivas ($1.5 million in 2004) pay cuts.
If, say, Jones would agree to play for $3.5 million and Rivas for $1.2
million, the projected payroll would be about $56 million, which owner Carl
Pohlad
might find palatable.

* If the team doesn't tender Jones, the projected payroll drops to $51.3
million, leaving room to maneuver. But it also leaves a significant hole in the
starting outfield now that highly regarded prospect Jason Kubel has been lost
for the season due to major knee surgery.

* If the Twins tender all seven players today, and in the ensuing weeks can't
work out favorable deals, they might try to sign the players, and then trade
them.

December 20, 2004


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Patrick Reusse
Star Tribune

Howie Schultz graduated from St. Paul Central High School in 1940. He was
nearly 6-6, a giant for that generation. Later, the sportswriters covering the
Brooklyn Dodgers would refer to him as "The Steeple."

Schultz was headed for Hamline to play basketball for the revered coach, Joe
Hutton, out of high school.

Lou McKenna was a St. Paul sportswriter. He also worked for the St. Paul
Saints, a Dodgers' Class AAA farm club.

McKenna told the 17-year-old Schultz that he had a summer job for him playing
for Grand Forks in the Northern League.

Schultz was there for a third summer in 1942. Come August, the Saints were
caught short of players, so he was signed to complete the season in St. Paul.

"I was putting up some decent numbers for a terrible team in St. Paul in
1943," Schultz said. "The Dodgers brought me up in August, just a few weeks
after
my 21st birthday."

There were two categories on Schultz's résumé that interested Dodgers General
Manager Branch Rickey: A) those good numbers in St. Paul; and B) 4F status
with his draft board.

"I was measured at 6-6 and one-eighth, and the limit was 6-6," he said.

Schultz had his busiest and most productive season for the Dodgers in 1944,
when he was 22: 138 games, 526 at-bats, .255, with 11 home runs and 83 RBI.

The Battle of the Bulge created enough apprehension that draft boards relaxed
their requirements. Schultz was called back and reclassified 1A.

He was told not to leave Minnesota to attend spring training. He finished his
degree at Hamline that spring. He was to be inducted in May 1945, but the War
in Europe ended, and the draft board told him he wasn't needed.

The Steeple went back to the Dodgers. He played in only 39 big-league games
that season, batting .239. A year later, he played in 90 games and batted .253.

Schultz also had starred at Hamline on the 1942 team that won the first of
Hutton's three National Association of Intercollegiate Basketball championships.

The small city of Anderson, Ind., had a team in the National Basketball
League called the Packers. Schultz started playing there in 1946. In the spring
of
'47, he finished the Packers' season and showed up late for Dodgers' spring
training in Havana, Cuba.

The Dodgers were training there to minimize the problems for Jackie Robinson,
the player who was about to integrate major league baseball.

"His first year, Jackie played first base," Schultz said. "I'm a footnote in
history -- the guy who was benched to allow baseball to be integrated."

On May 9, 1947, the Dodgers sold Schultz to Philadelphia for $50,000. He
intended to retire from baseball after that season. Then, in 1948,
Philadelphia's
first baseman was hurt, and Schultz was convinced to return. He later would
qualify for a major league pension because of his service time earned that
season.

Schultz served as Anderson's player-coach in 1948-49. That summer, the NBL
was absorbed into the Basketball Association of America to form the NBA. Schultz
finished that season with another Indiana team, the Fort Wayne Pistons.

Some businessmen in St. Paul decided to try a team, the Lights, in another
upstart league (NPBL). Schultz signed on as the player-coach.

"We lasted 20 games ... made it to Christmas," he said.

Schultz then played two seasons with the Minneapolis Lakers -- quite a bit on
the title team of 1952, not so much on the title team of 1953.

When Schultz's professional career was over, he shared this distinction with
Gene Conley: The only players to serve enough time to qualify for pensions
from both major league baseball and the NBA.

Later, Schultz would coach at St. Paul Mechanic Arts, and then he would
replace the legend, Hutton, as Hamline's coach in 1965. He stayed seven seasons
at
his alma mater, coached a little more in the St. Paul high schools, and then
retired.

OK, readers, if you have made it this far, you might be expecting bad news on
Howie.

Nope. This interview was conducted Saturday. He's 82 and doing fine. Howie
and Gloria, his wife of soon-to-be 60 years, will stay in Minnesota through the
holidays to be with family, then head to their winter place in Naples, Fla.
There, Howie will play his three or four rounds per week on the adjacent Foxfire
golf course.

"I shot my age for the first time when I was 73 and haven't missed a year
since," Schultz said. "I got there [82] a couple of times this year. I can't
wait
until I turn 83 in July. That one stroke can make all the difference for me
these days."

December 19, 2004


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* Jan. 4: Hall of Fame voting announced

* Jan 5-15: Salary arbitration filing

* Jan. 8: Last day until May 1 for free agents who rejected arbitration
offers to re-sign with their former teams

* Jan. 12-13: Owners meeting, Scottsdale, Ariz.

* Jan. 18: Exchange of salary arbitration figures

* Feb. 1-21: Salary arbitration hearings


[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Dennis Brackin
Star Tribune

If this is December and your name is Terry Ryan, you have a deadline to meet
and a projected budget to tweak. And it has enough variables to make a
mathematician's head spin.

Will the loss of Corey Koskie allow the Twins to keep Jacque Jones? If Johan
Santana gets $6 million in arbitration, can J.C. Romero be retained? Will Kyle
Lohse accept a salary based on his lackluster 2004 performance, or will he
hold out for arbitration that could net him close to five times his 2003 salary
of $395,000? And what will that mean to Luis Rivas? And ...

Having endured a Dec. 7 deadline requiring an offer of arbitration to free
agents, Ryan now faces a second arbitration-related deadline. This time he is
required to tender contracts by Monday at 11 p.m. to the team's seven
arbitration-eligible players.

Those players -- Santana, Lohse, Jones, Rivas, Romero, Carlos Silva and
Matthew LeCroy -- would become free agents if not offered arbitration.

Already down two position starters -- Cristian Guzman and Koskie departed via
free agency -- from last season, the Twins could find their roster further
depleted from the fallout accompanying Monday's decisions. Although the Twins
can continue to negotiate with their players who are not tendered contracts, the
reality is they will be difficult to sign on the free-agent market with the
Twins' limited payroll.

Ryan said his goal is to have "the framework of an agreement" with each
arbitration-eligible player. And if he hasn't reached that framework by late
Monday?

"Then you've got a decision to make," Ryan said.

The biggest decision figures to involve Jones, who made $4.35 million last
season. The Twins are likely to offer the outfielder a slight pay cut, as they
did with Koskie. If the two sides aren't close by Monday night, it's
questionable whether Ryan can afford to offer arbitration. Jones might earn $6
million
in arbitration, which would put the Twins well above their $55 million payroll.

The exception to the workable framework philosophy is Santana, the AL Cy
Young Award winner. Ryan will tender Santana, then begin discussions on a
multiyear
  deal sometime after the holidays.

This much is certain: If the Twins tender contracts to all seven players,
there will be no money left in the projected budget to pursue any other free
agents. Meanwhile, their AL Central opponents are revamping their rosters, most
notably Detroit and Chicago.

The Tigers have signed closer Troy Percival and expect to make at least one
more major signing with a payroll that might hit $80 million. The White Sox
signed reliever Dustin Hermanson and outfielder Jermaine Dye and traded for
speedy outfielder Scott Podsednik, all part of a makeover designed to turn the
club
from slugging to pitching and defense.

Ryan said he doesn't get too concerned about offseason moves.

"Until you get to spring training, and see how it all sorts out -- who's
injured, how the chemistry works itself out--I don't worry about winter roster
moves," Ryan said. "A year ago at this time, people were pretty much in
agreement
that Kansas City was the leader in the AL Central and we were about third. So
I never get too hyped up about rosters this time of year."

Deadline approaching

* What's at stake: Arbitration-eligible players have to be tendered 2005
contract offers by 11 p.m. Monday. Players who are not tendered become free
agents, eligible to sign with any team.

* Twins angle: The Twins arbitration-eligible players are pitchers Johan
Santana, Kyle Lohse, Carlos Silva, J.C. Romero, outfielder Jacque Jones, second
baseman Luis Rivas and catcher/DH Matthew LeCroy.

* Question mark: Most questions revolve around Jones, whose potential
arbitration award -- if the process goes that far -- would put the Twins well
above
their $55 million payroll.

2004 salary 2004 stats

JACQUE JONES $4.375 million .254, 24 HR, 80 RBI

* Comment: Twins fear is a $6 million arbitration award. But the loss of
Jason Kubel for the season to knee surgery is forcing club to weigh its options
carefully. Bottom line is he might have to take a pay cut to stay with the team.

LUIS RIVAS $1.5 million .256, 10 HR, 34 RBI

* Comment: Toronto's signing of free agent Corey Koskie means Michael Cuddyer
probably will start at third base. Cuddyer had been the likely starter at
second, which would have left Rivas' status in doubt. Now Rivas likely will
start
with the Twins.

MATTHEW LeCROY $340,000 .269, 9 HR, 39 RBI

* Comment: If GM Ryan can reach the framework of a deal, LeCroy will be
tendered. But the club doesn't want to go through arbitration with a backup
player
who could command a decent salary based largely on his 17 homers in 2003.

JOHAN SANTANA $1.6 million 20-6, 2.61 ERA

* Comment: No framework of a deal needed here. Ryan will tender an offer,
then begin work on a multi-year deal shortly after Jan. 1. Ryan admits that
getting Santana signed to a long-term deal will be difficult because of Twins'
budget concerns. But it's a high priority.

CARLOS SILVA $340,000 14-8, 4.21 ERA

* Comment: The righthander is going to get a nice raise after pitching 203
innings and going 6-1 with a 3.84 ERA after the All-Star break. He'll be back.

KYLE LOHSE $395,000 9-13, 5.34 ERA

* Comment: He was a disappointment in 2004, but the arbitration process looks
at his career numbers. He'll get a hefty pay raise thanks largely to 27-19
combined record in 2002 and 2003. He's almost certain to be tendered a contract,
but the negotiations figure to be difficult.

J.C. ROMERO $820,000 7-4, 3.51 ERA

* Comment: Similar scenario to Lohse. Had disappointing 2004 season, but
arbitrator will not forgot his dominating 2002 season (9-2, 1.89 ERA), and his
overall numbers last season belied his inconsistency. This is a player Ryan
wants
to feel comfortable of signing, because the arbitration process could be
damaging to payroll.

Sun, Dec. 19, 2004


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CHARLEY WALTERS
Pioneer Press

People who know say the Twins' initial contract offer to outfielder Jacque
Jones last week was $7 million for two years.

The Twins have until 11 p.m. Monday to decide whether to offer salary
arbitration to Jones, who was paid $4.35 million last season. If a contract
agreement
isn't reached by then, and the Twins don't offer arbitration, Jones could
become a free agent. He probably could get nearly $6 million through
arbitration.

* The loss of third baseman Corey Koskie and shortstop Cristian Guzman to
free agency could cost the Twins a half-run a game defensively next season.

* Baseball sources say if Corey Koskie had waited until after another free
agent, Adrian Beltre of the Dodgers, signed with Seattle, the former Twins third
baseman might have received a $20 million, three-year deal from Los Angeles
instead of the $17 million for three years he got from Toronto.

* With Pedro Martinez leaving the Red Sox for the Mets, the Twins' Brad Radke
probably passed up a $33 million, three-year deal from Boston to remain in
Minnesota for $18 million for two years. Radke, though, wanted to stay in
Minnesota.

Sun, Dec. 19, 2004


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CHARLEY WALTERS
St. Paul Pioneer Press

Despite constrained payrolls, the Twins have been baseball's most celebrated
organization the past several years. Three organization of the year awards,
two minor league organization of the year awards, two executive of the year
awards (for general manager Terry Ryan), a co-manager of the year award and
three
top-three manager of the year finishes (Ron Gardenhire), a best draft award,
the Cy Young Award (Johan Santana) and the best-operated minor league club
award (Rochester, N.Y.).

And three consecutive major league division championships.

"We have good people over here," Ryan said. "Good people on the business
side, good people on the baseball side, and an ownership that's allowed us to
function. We didn't have that success in the early 1990s; we went through some
lean years. But ownership stuck with us, and I'm very appreciative of that.

"There are 30 teams, and one gets the award. It means a lot to us, and it's
something we take very seriously."

It hasn't been announced, but Ryan will win another executive of the year
honor, the Rube Foster Award from the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum, and that
organization also will give Santana the Satchel Paige Award as pitcher of the
year. Both awards will be presented Jan. 8 in Kansas City, Mo.

"I think we do things the right, fundamental way, and people in the game seem
to appreciate that," Twins President Dave St. Peter said. "But we would trade
every piece of our hardware the last three years for one more World Series
trophy."

* Twins owner Carl Pohlad and his son, Jim, will host a holiday luncheon for
120 full-time team employees today in downtown Minneapolis.

* Former Twin Dave Winfield, a Baseball Hall of Famer and a vice president of
the San Diego Padres, will travel with the team in June when it plays the
Twins in the Metrodome. Winfield and his family will take a vacation in Colorado
during the Christmas holidays.


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Second baseman in good shape after surgery

By Mark Sheldon
MLB.com

With the Latin American Winter Leagues in their final month of their regular
seasons, several Twins are continuing to keep their skills sharp in the
offseason.

Minnesota second baseman Luis Rivas began playing for the Magallanes club in
his native Venezuela after recovering from October arthroscopic elbow surgery
that removed bone chips. Riva was 3-for-17 (.176) through just four games, and
missed a couple of days when he twisted his ankle.

But Twins assistant general manager Bill Smith, who recently returned from a
trip through Latin America, was impressed when he got a look at Rivas.

"He looked great," Smith said Friday. "I saw him two weeks ago and he
probably lost 10 pounds."

Rivas batted .256 with 10 homers and 34 RBIs for the Twins in 2004, but the
club indicated its concern during the Winter Meetings that the 25-year-old
might have hit a plateau offensively. He could be in danger of losing his spot
in
the starting lineup next season. If Michael Cuddyer doesn't replace Corey
Koskie at third base, he could replace Rivas at second base in 2005.

Twins setup reliever Juan Rincon is gearing up to play for the Lara club in
the Venezuelan League. Rincon has started working out and will try to get some
innings to qualify for the playoffs.

"Juan and his agent felt it was important for his conditioning program,"
Smith said.

One pitcher who won't be appearing in winter baseball action is AL Cy Young
Award winner Johan Santana. After considering letting him pitch a few innings
for Magallanes, the Twins ultimately requested that he not participate.

"He had a phenomenal year and he pitched a lot of innings," Smith said. "We
felt strongly it was time to shut down and rest. He's had a lot of activity
this winter. It's been a whirlwind month. He has a chance to spend time with his
family, which he was excited about."

Two Twins prospects, third baseman Terry Tiffee and pitcher Willie Eyre,
finished playing with the Aragua club Dec. 1. Tiffee batted .293 in 10 games and
Eyre was 5-1 with a 1.96 ERA in 13 games.

Another prospect who stopped playing Dec. 1 was left-handed pitcher Francisco
Liriano, who was in the Dominican Republic with Escogido. Liriano, who came
over with Joe Nathan from the Giants organization in the A.J. Pierzynski trade,
was recently added to the Twins' 40-man roster.

The 22-year-old, who split the regular season between Class A Fort Myers and
Double-A New Britain, was 1-3 with a 4.60 ERA in five games this winter with a
solid final outing. Many in the organization like Liriano's potential.

"We wanted him to rest for Spring Training," Smith said. "He had a long
season and pitched more innings than he had in his life. He was very impressive.
He
has a good frame and a good arm. He could have a bright future."

Mark Sheldon is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the
approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

12/17/2004


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Dear Monitor, I would like to join your group and also
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Annual event to be held Jan. 28-30 at the Metrodome

By Mark Sheldon
MLB.com

MINNEAPOLIS -- Fans looking to warm up their excitement for baseball during
the hot stove season can once again gather around at TwinsFest.

Tickets for TwinsFest 2005 went on sale Thursday. The annual event will be
held Friday, Jan. 28, through Sunday, Jan. 30, at the Metrodome.

Among the over 40 current and former players highlighting the weekend are
Gold Glove mainstay Torii Hunter, Cy Young Award winner Johan Santana, All-Star
closer Joe Nathan and Hall of Famers Harmon Killebrew and Rod Carew.

Adult TwinsFest 2005 tickets are available on Twinsbaseball.com and are $7 in
advance or $10 at the door, and $3 in advance for children and $5 at the
door. Proceeds benefit the Twins Rookie League/R.B.I. Youth Baseball program
supported by the Minnesota Twins Community Fund.

All paid admissions to TwinsFest will receive a free Upper Club ticket for a
2005 regular-season game. Some game restrictions will apply.

Among the TwinsFest 2005 features are tours of the Twins clubhouse, national
anthem auditions, live and silent auctions, youth clinics, a baseball skills
area and a large collectables showcase.

The weekend will also mark the beginning of single game ticket sales for all
2005 home games.

Since the first TwinsFest in 1989, the event has raised more than $2 million
for programs and organizations supported by the Twins Community Fund.

Mark Sheldon is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the
approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

12/16/2004


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BY GORDON WITTENMYER
Pioneer Press

In another offseason of roster upheaval, the Twins put the wraps Thursday on
the biggest reason they will be favored to win a fourth consecutive division
title next year.

When they announced they agreed to terms with left-handed pitcher Terry
Mulholland on a 2005 contract, it meant the Twins will bring back every member
of
their 2004 playoff pitching staff -- a staff that led the American League in
team earned-run average for the first time in club history.

"Usually, we're scrambling for pitching," general manager Terry Ryan said.
"This winter it looks like we have things in decent shape going into spring
training with our pitching staff. And it'll be even more favorable if it turns
out
fortunate with Joe Mays and he can produce some innings next year."

Mays, who will make $7.25 million next season in the final year of his
four-year contract, is expected to be healthy by spring training after missing
all
of last season following Tommy John surgery on his elbow in September 2003.

Mulholland, who turns 42 during spring training, agreed to a $750,000 minor
league deal with an invitation to camp, although the minor league part is more
of a technicality. He's expected to make the 25-man roster out of camp,
barring injury.

The versatile Mulholland, the second-oldest player under contract in the
American League (Seattle's Jamie Moyer is 3 1/2 months older), became the
stabilizing force in the Twins' bullpen after being acquired from Seattle for $1
the
second week of the season (a courtesy move by Seattle, which was forced to cut
him from the big-league roster at the end of spring training because of roster
considerations).

By midseason, he was the stabilizing force in the Twins' rotation, spending
the second half as the No. 5 starter.

When he pitched eight innings in an Aug. 15 victory at Cleveland, he not only
had his longest outing in four years but he also turned in what pitching
coach Rick Anderson called the biggest start of the season by one of his
pitchers.
The reeling Twins led the surging Indians by one game in the standings and
were on the verge of being swept before the Twins won the game in extra innings.

"We are pleased to bring him back. He was a good fit for us," said Ryan, who
re-signed longtime Twins ace Brad Radke to a two-year contract last week.
"He's one of those types of guys we can use in a number of different ways, which
we did. He's a good guy in the clubhouse, a good teammate. People in our
organization have a lot of respect for him."

Mulholland, who readily offered wisdom to the Twins' young pitchers and even
bought books on Eastern philosophy for teammates, finished 5-9 with a 5.18 ERA
in 39 games -- including 4-5 with a 4.95 ERA in 15 starts. Along the way, he
beat Detroit to become only the third pitcher in history with victories over
all 30 teams in the majors.

"He was thrilled he got to start games again," said Mulholland's agent, Joe
Bick. "The fact that fifth spot is not solidified wasn't a negative... .
Chemistry is an important part of it. He's a businesslike, no-frills kind of
guy,
and the Twins go about things that way, too. It's the right fit for him. It's a
place where he's very comfortable."

Mulholland, who didn't return a message, enters his 19th big-league season
next year.

"He wants to be the first major league baseball player with an AARP card in
his back pocket," Bick said.

The Twins next turn their attention to re-signing at least two of their
arbitration-eligible players, right fielder Jacque Jones and second baseman Luis
Rivas, before facing decisions at Monday's tender deadline over whether to offer
them 2005 contracts (and risk expensive arbitration) or non-tender (release)
them.

Jones is expected to get a two-year offer in the $8 million range by the end
of the week.

Posted on Fri, Dec. 17, 2004


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Dennis Brackin
Star Tribune

The Twins added pitching insurance on several fronts Thursday with a single
signing: veteran Terry Mulholland signed a minor league contract with a spring
training invitation believed to be worth $750,000.

Mulholland's contract was designated minor league because the team already
has 40 players on the major league roster.

Muholland provides depth to a staff short of experienced lefthanded pitchers
and to a starting rotation that will not be finalized until Joe Mays shows
whether he has rebounded from major elbow surgery that sidelined him all of last
season.

Mulholland, who will turn 42 before Opening Day, moved into the starting
rotation the second half of last season and was 4-5 with a creditable 4.95 ERA
in
15 starts. He was was 5-9 with a 5.18 ERA overall.

If Mays proves he is healthy, Mulholland will probably be used in long
relief. If Mays or any other starter falters, Mulholland could once again find
himself in the rotation.

"He's going to get every opportunity to make our club and provide everything
that he gave us last year," Twins General Manager Terry Ryan said. "On top of
being versatile, he brings a presence and gives us stability with our younger
pitchers."

The signing of Mulholland virtually ensures the Twins will begin spring
training with last year's rotation -- plus Mays -- intact. That's noteworthy,
because when the 2004 season ended, each of the five members faced varying
degrees
of contractual uncertainty: Veterans Brad Radke and Mulholland were free
agents, and Johan Santana, Carlos Silva and Kyle Lohse were
arbitration-eligible,
always a precarious status with the frugal Twins.

The Twins signed Radke to a two-year contract for $18 million this month. And
they're expected to tender contracts to Santana, Silva and Lohse before
Monday's 11 p.m. (Minneapolis time) deadline; anyone not tendered a contract by
the
deadline becomes a free agent, able to negotiate with any team. Jacque Jones,
Luis Rivas, Matthew LeCroy and lefthanded reliever J.C. Romero also are
eligible for arbitration, and Ryan said Thursday he is hopeful of tendering
offers
to all seven players.

Jones, Rivas and Romero are considered the biggest question marks because of
potential arbitration salaries the Twins might not want to pay.

But the loss of outfielder Jason Kubel for the season to knee surgery and the
free agent departures of infielders Corey Koskie and Cristian Guzman have
increased the likelihood that Jones and Rivas will return.

Romero also figures to be back, partly because the only other experienced
lefthanders are Santana and Mulholland. The only other lefties on the 40-man
roster are Ryan Rowland-Smith, selected in last week's Rule 5 draft, and rookies
Francisco Liriano and Dave Gassner.

Which is why Ryan is happy to have Mulholland back.

"One thing about him is he takes the ball," Ryan said. "He's a very
comfortable guy to have on the pitching staff."

December 17, 2004


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Ken Lipshez
New Britain Herald Staff Writer

One metropolitan baseball team frantically tries to out-spend another to win
the tiff for tabloid back pages.

The players union and independent arbitrators take note, and the cost of
doing business for those who try to toe the financial line are banished to a
lifetime of mediocrity. The big winner is greed.

Slightly to the north and east, another fat-cat allows its star pitcher to
leave the barn and attempts to mollify its fans by signing an over-the-hill beer
guzzler.

Oh, the Christmas shopping hasn’t been so good. The Athletics won’t trade
the apple of the Boston fan’s eye -- righty Tim Hudson. Alas, the farm system
is
devoid of prospects, no matter how hard the PR department tries to extol the
virtues of shortstop Hanley Ramirez.

And isn’t it amazing how columnists trip over themselves to slam Pedro
Martinez now that he’s gone? When he was taking the mound on Boston’s
behalf, he
was a prince among men. Now that he’s gone, he’s a washed up commodity and
shouldn’t the Mets be ashamed for spending that kind of money.

Boy if there was ever another time for it to rain 40 days and 40 nights to
rid the land of its sins.

Amidst this madness raging through the Northeast corridor, a
little-publicized note sneaks through, in some cases unpublished, in others
unnoticed.

The Minnesota Twins are cited by Baseball America as Organization of the Year
for the second time in three years. General manager Terry Ryan is named
Executive of the Year.

God, you have your latter-day Noah.

Ryan is the Heartland personified, the symbol of hard work, loyalty, honesty
and baseball acuity second to none. Shackled with a payroll that forces him to
make gut-wrenching personnel decisions every year, all he does is plug in
young players -- the tangible results of the incredible work done by Ryan,
scouting director Mike Radcliff, minor league director Jim Rantz and a crack
core of
coaches and managers.

The Twins haven’t won the World Series but let’s face it. If you give one
man $500, another $25,000, who’s going to come back with better Christmas
presents for his family?

New York doesn’t notice. Neither does Boston. Baseball America does and I
don’
t think it’s necessary to dispute which is more astute about the game in
general.

Why should New Britain care? The Twins, of course, are parents to the Rock
Cats. The seemingly endless supply of quality players has given the local fan
reason to attend games at New Britain Stadium. Fans have responded by sending
attendance to record heights.

As sure as Noah’s flood waters subsided, a substantial number of the players
who frequent the first-base dugout in New Britain will go on to bigger and
better things.

Aside from the most devout Rock Cats fans, how many of you star-gazers knew
that before he became a household New England name, David Ortiz was slugging
home runs in Willow Brook Park?

How many of you know that the guy who secured the final out for the Sox in
the World Series was a two-year player here? Sox fans would trample their
neighbors to get a Doug Mientkiewicz autograph today. It would have been simple
and
painless at Rookies in Cromwell back in 1998.

Another reason why New Britain should care is that Ryan cares about New
Britain. At the behest of the Rock Cats, he came here for a luncheon on the
coldest
day of last winter when he could have offered his regrets and propped up his
feet in balmy Fort Myers, Fla. In fact, the Rock Cats acknowledged that Ryan
will return to town for a hot stove assembly on Jan. 21, although details are
still in the planning stage.

When he visits us twice every season -- generally in May and August -- he
doesn’t cower behind the curtain in GM Bill Dowling’s office. He’s right
there
along the first-base line with his pad and discerning eye for talent, making
notation on each player during visitors’ batting practice then assessing the
assets and liabilities of his own.

Reporter? Season ticket-holder? Usher? Soda vendor? If any of them want a
quick chat with him, he’s always responsive, informative, honest and congenial
to
the core of his Janesville, Wisconsin, upbringing.

If Major League Baseball was played on an even playing field, people would
notice him more. If he didn’t have to shed a blood-tinged tear each time a
David
Ortiz, Cristian Guzman, LaTroy Hawkins, Eddie Guardado and now ex-Rock Cats
third baseman Corey Koskie opts to depart the Twin Cities for big-market
bounty, Ryan’s name would be up in lights with those of knighted
Northeasterners
Theo Epstein and Brian Cashman.

But that isn’t the essence of Terry Ryan. We’re talking about a man who
surveyed the distinct possibility of the Twins’ ship sinking in the sea of
contraction; a man who could have established a secure future for himself in
Toronto
but didn’t even accept an interview.

He thought of the people who toiled for him -- from the baseball braintrust
to the secretary who logs his phone calls. The people he worked with would all
be out of jobs. If the sea of contraction was to swallow the Twins, he was
going down with the ship.

That, my friends, is loyalty. That is partly why Terry Ryan is Executive of
the Year. The other reason can be seen in New Britain each spring when a group
of brown-eyed, handsome men -- perhaps an Ortiz or Mientkiewicz among them --
warm up for another Eastern League season.

Baseball America and the Rock Cats have made the right choice.

12/16/2004


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41-year-old lefty agrees to minor league contract

By Mark Sheldon
MLB.com

MINNEAPOLIS -- After the Twins acquired veteran pitcher Terry Mulholland from
Seattle for a dollar in April, they certainly got more than their money's
worth.

Mulholland first bolstered a worn down bullpen and later took over the fifth
spot in the rotation and made 15 starts.

On Thursday, the club brought the 41-year-old free agent lefty back when it
signed him to a minor league contract with an invite to Spring Training.

Mulholland, the club's lone remaining free agent, was 5-9 with a 5.18 ERA,
including four wins as a starter. But the numbers didn't quantify several
intangibles he brought to Minnesota.

"He was a good addition for us this year," Twins general manager Terry Ryan
said. "He can pitch day after day after day. He can work long. He can start. He
can come in as a situational guy. He's an exceptional athlete and can shut
down the running game.

"And on top of that, he's a good teammate and member of the organization."

Mulholland broke into the Major Leagues with the Giants in 1986 and has had
an 18-year career with 10 clubs. He was one of just three pitchers with
victories against all 30 big league teams.

Signing a minor league deal means Mulholland won't be placed on the 40-man
roster until he earns a spot out of camp.

"The chances of him making the club are quite good," Ryan said.

Ryan also indicated that it's unlikely he'll land a replacement for departed
free agent third baseman Corey Koskie from outside the organization.
Speculation has centered on Royals star Joe Randa as a potential candidate.

"He's out there," Ryan said. "There are a few third basemen out there. I
believe we may just stay inside. That will allow us to stay within the payroll
better."

That makes it more likely that Michael Cuddyer will open the season at third
base.

The club, working within a projected $54 million 2005 payroll, has several
players that must be tendered contracts by Monday's Dec. 20 deadline. Several,
including arbitration eligible stars Johan Santana and Jacque Jones, could tie
up several million dollars in salary increases.

Mark Sheldon is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the
approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.


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Cy Young winner voted in for TWIB Award

By Mark Sheldon
MLB.com

MINNEAPOLIS -- The players have spoken, the writers have spoken.

And now, the fans have spoken too.

Twins pitcher Johan Santana has claimed one more postseason award to put a
bow on his dominating 2004 season. In an online vote, Santana was named Starting
Pitcher of the Year in MLB.com's This Year in Baseball Awards.

Giving Santana 25.7 percent of the vote on MLB.com, fans chose the
25-year-old left-hander over several luminaries around the game. He earned more
votes
than National League Cy Young winner Roger Clemens and 20-game winner Roy Oswalt
of the Astros and 21-game winner Curt Schilling of the Red Sox.

This fall, Santana has already been unanimously elected the American League
Cy Young Award winner by the Baseball Writers Association of America. In
balloting by his peers around the league, he was named AL Pitcher of the Year in
The
Sporting News, and was named a recipient of a 2004 Players' Choice Award as
the AL's Outstanding Pitcher.

It's easy to understand why Santana had so many new fans this year.

The Venezuelan star was 20-6 with an AL-leading 2.61 ERA in 34 starts this
season and helped lead the Twins to their third straight AL Central
championship. The left-hander also recorded 265 strikeouts, holding opposing
hitters to a
.192 batting average and posting a 0.92 WHIP -- all AL-best numbers.

But much of the world didn't really catch on to Santana until he began
overwhelming hitters in early June. That coincided with the time when his
surgically
repaired left elbow felt good enough for him to effectively throw all of his
pitches.

"To be honest, I was looking to be 100 percent with my health," Santana said
after winning the Cy Young. "Coming into the second half, I told myself to be
consistent and prove I could do it and get better and better as the season
goes."

He sure accomplished that. From June 9, he went 18-2 with a 1.36 ERA over his
final 22 starts, including 13-0 after the All-Star break.

"It's a pretty special feeling to hand him the ball every fifth day," Twins
manager Ron Gardenhire said.

Others on the ballot were: Arizona's Randy Johnson, Boston's Pedro Martinez,
Florida's Carl Pavano, San Diego's Jake Peavy, Pittsburgh's Oliver Perez,
Milwaukee's Ben Sheets and the Cubs' Carlos Zambrano.

This year's winners in every category

Hitter of the Year: David Ortiz, Red Sox
Starting Pitcher: Johan Santana, Twins
Rookie of the Year: David Wright, Mets
Manager of the Year: Terry Francona, Red Sox
Closer of the Year: Mariano Rivera, Yankees
Defensive Player: Jim Edmonds, Cardinals
Setup Man of the Year: Francisco Rodriguez, Angels
Individual Performance: Randy Johnson's Perfect Game
Play of the Year: Derek Jeter's catch
Blooper of the Year: Jason Michaels' bobble

Mark Sheldon is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the
approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.


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