Sports Illustrated named Kirby Puckett and Bert Blyleven the best baseball players to wear their respective numbers.

Puckett, No. 34, was in a class with the likes of David Ortiz (who wears the number as a tribute to Puck), Rollie Fingers, Nolan Ryan, Fernando Valenzuela. 

Blyleven, No. 28, was in a class with Sparky Lyle, Steve Blass, Tom Herr, Al Leiter, and Randy Myers. 

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/multimedia/photo_gallery/0804/mlb.best....

Man, I feel old.

I never remember my dreams unless they are really good, really bad, or important enough to tell someone. So that's why I'm telling you about this one.

One day last week, I woke up excited about an exceptional interest rate that I got. That makes me feel old, because interest rates really do lack excitement, even more so for a young person. 

Other things that I've realized that make me feel old:

- Four years ago, I messed up my checkbook to the tune of having an extra $1,000. My only purchase: a lawnmower.

That was a nice two-game sweep of the Chicago White Sox earlier this week. The Twins are getting close to a .500 winning percentage and -- believe it or not -- first place.

I think the Twins' schedule is fairly tough this month, but it seems the Twins are ready to respond to the pressure of playing their best foes.

Maybe they're ready to face Detroit, Chicago (again), Boston, Colorado, and New York, as well as Kansas City and Texas, teams with which they've had more of a difficult time than I thought they would. All of those teams play the Twins in May.

I knew the Minnesota Twins baseball team was young, but the proof was especially interesting.

Yesterday, Joe Christensen of the Strib noted that the Twins' starting lineup -- at an average age of 26.7 years old -- is the youngest in the American League and the second-youngest in baseball. Arizona's lineup is the youngest.

In the AL, the other teams with young lineups include the Oakland Athletics and the Tampa Bay Rays, which have average ages younger than 28.

The Minnesota Twins are facing the first-place Kansas City Royals this weekend. Whew, it's been a long time since I've said that.

Do you think the Twinks are intimidated?

I can't believe the Royals are in first, but the do have a slightly existing cast. Look for prospects Alex Gordon, Billy Butler, and Joey Gathright, among others, to keep the games at least somewhat interesting. 

Here’s one for all you baseball fans out there. I know it’s probably not a good idea to laugh at this story, but I just think it’s so funny: http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/news;_ylt=Ajgq1loo6t.lsqsTXMMzQe4RvLYF?slug=....

Here’s the nuts and bolts – a girl named Alexa Rodriguez (nickname A-Rod) was attacked by a hawk who lives in Fenway Park.

Apparently even the birds of Boston hate the Yankees.

A few things about the snow and opening day of baseball season:

- When was the last time it snowed on opening day? On the night of the home opener? This seems rare.

- Aren't traffic jams on the way to the game just lovely? I'm looking forward to seeing 45,000 at a game again, but I'm hoping they aren't all getting there when I do -- at 5:50 p.m. for the 6:05 p.m. game.

- Won't it be wonderful when we have an open-air stadium? 

- Maybe global warming will take care of these problems for us by 2010, when the Twins' new stadium opens up.

Flipping through channels while doing the elliptical this morning at the gym, I happened upon the opening-day baseball game.

And my favorite player, David Ortiz, was up to bat. What luck! 

It was a nice surprise, since I hadn't remembered that today was opening day for the Boston Red Sox and Oakland Athletics in Japan. Daisuke Matsuzaka and the Red Sox were losing 2-0 to Joe Blanton and the A's when I was off to do sit-ups and wrist curls.

... intense workout today, huh? Well, I have lost 10 pounds or so in the last month.

This morning, an analyst for ESPN SportsCenter predicted that the Detroit Tigers would win in the strong Central Division of Major League Baseball. Cleveland got a mention, too.

He thought Boston and Anaheim will be the other American League powerhouses.

The only time the Twins were mentioned was during the National League segment, while the analyst predicted the New York Mets would be the team to beat, namely because of a guy you might know.

This analyst said the only comparison he could think of for the swap of Johan Santana was the trade of Babe Ruth.

At TwinsFest last weekend, I got autographs from catcher Mike Redmond and pitchers Matt Guerrier and Boof Bonser.

Each year, my dad and I go for a couple of hours because, since we're season ticket holders, it's free -- and it's always kind of fun. Our modus operandi is to check out who's being interviewed on the radio, then browse the baseball card show and the Twins pro shop booth, then get a couple autographs.