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. 

When Minnesota Twins pitcher Boof Bonser reported to spring training, it was obvious he'd lost some weight -- 20 pounds, it was reported.

Then, a story in one of the big-city newspapers said 25 pounds. The next time I heard someone on the radio talking about it, Boofy had lost 30 pounds.

His rumored weight loss stayed somewhere around 25 pounds for the next few weeks, most of spring training.

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.

When the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim (or some convolutedly named team like that) comes to the Metrodome next week to face my favorite professional sports team, the Minnesota Twins, the hometown team will honor one of its enemies.

Torii Hunter will receive his Gold Glove award prior to the opening-day baseball game against his former team.

Of the seven potential starting pitchers still in the Minnesota Twins spring training camp, who would you like to see pitch in the starting rotation? (Rank your top five in order.)

Your Minnesota Twins made some interesting roster moves this past weekend.

Carlos Gomez is the starting center fielder. Denard Span and Jason Pridie, both of whom played well this spring, were optioned to Triple-A. Gomez led the three in slugging percentage (.510), swiped a team-high 10
bases, struck out a team-high 10 times, scored a team-high 12 runs,
tallied a team-high 25 total bases, and tied Michael Cuddyer for a
team-high 14 hits.

The Minnesota Twins made the right decision about Joe Nathan, locking him up through 2011. I, for one, am breathing a sigh of relief. The young rotation will need a solid bullpen behind it, including closer Nathan.

Although the terms of the contract weren't announced today, Nathan might just be the richest closer in baseball. 

See the story at http://minnesota.twins.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20080324&content_id=....  

As a junior-higer, I published a baseball magazine. Sold it to all of my family members. It was very profitable.

But one feature was particularly fun, and I think I'll duplicate it here. It was called the Swami. This year, the Swami -- aka me, myself, and I -- predicts this Minnesota Twins lineup on the opening day of the 2008 baseball season March 31:

Batting first, Carlos Gomez, center field

Second, Brendan Harris, second base

Third, Joe Mauer, catcher,  

Fourth, Justin Morneau, first base

Fifth, Delmon Young, left field

Torii Hunter makes his return to the Metrodome on Opening Day today. The Minnesota Twins take on Hunter's Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim at 6:05 p.m.

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.

Four errors by the Cincinnati Reds.

Five hits by the Minnesota Twins.

One run.

That's all the good guys got today, in their first official Spring Training game. (Of course, there was that exhibition almost-loss a day earlier to Concordia College of St. Paul.) It'll take a while, as it does every year, to get the bats warmed up. Come the All-Star break ... well, I digress.

At least new third baseman Michael Lamb, catcher Joe Mauer, and outfielder Michael Cuddyer are batting .500. 

Newly signed Minnesota Twins starting pitcher Livan Hernandez is one of the best innings-eaters in baseball.

Former Twins Johan Santana and Carlos Silva tossed a combined 421 innings last year. Hernandez would throw that many by himself if you let him. This guy doesn't ever want to come out of a game. I don't know how many times I've looked at a boxscore to see that he got shelled for five runs in the first inning and then kept going through the eighth inning.

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.

The New York Mets just got Johan Santana, according to USA Today and ESPN.

See? http://www.usatoday.com/sports/baseball/2008-01-29-twins-mets-santana_N....  

The baseball hall of fame inductions for 2008 will be announced on Tuesday. With Jordan being such a baseball town, I was wondering, who do people in the city think is deserving of being inducted into Cooperstown.

So far, the Minnesota Twins have invited one non-roster player to spring training.

I've never heard of this mystery man -- Mariano Gomez. From the Twins' Web site I gather that he is a 25-year-old lefthanded pitcher from San Pedro Sula, Honduras. He is 6-foot-6 and weighs 190 pounds.

Gomez has no major league experience, but his 2004 career highlights are intriguing. He was signed by the Cleveland Indians as non-drafted free agent in 1999, entered professional baseball at age 17, and was projected to eventually become a No. 2 or No. 3 starting pitcher.

The Minnesota Twins look a little short on catchers this year, despite having what I would call the best catching tandem in the major leagues in Mike Redmond and Joe Mauer.

Jose Morales, who batted 1.000 in a very short major league appearance last year, is also on the Twins 40-man roster.

As of today, there are 22 catchers listed on the minor league rosters of Twins' affiliates. Six of them are on the Single-A Beloit Snappers, and five of them are on the rookie-league Gulf Coast League Twins.

So as of late, the Minnesota Twins' infield seems pretty secure.

Because they were National Leaguers, I don't know a whole lot about second baseman Brendan Harris, shortstop Adam Everett, or third baseman Mike Lamb. I have seen all of them play, and they weren't on my list of hopeful acquisitions for a team that I really, really, really, really want to make the playoffs this year.

But I don't think they'll be half bad, either.

Take a look at the stats for:

- Lamb (http://minnesota.twins.mlb.com/team/player.jsp?player_id=150286);

The Mitchell Report reportedly is due out today.

So we should know anytime now who are some of the most prolific cheaters in Major League Baseball. I, for one, am pretty sure Barry Bonds will be on the list of steroid users.

But what about others?

Should be interesting.

Goodbye, Jason Tyner. The Minnesota Twins reserve outfielder was not tendered a contract for 2008, making him a free agent.

Tyner batted .286 last year in 114 games, and he was capable of playing each of the three outfield positions. But the Twins' outfield is clogged. Craig Monroe, Jason Kubel, Michael Cuddyer, Delmon Young, and possibly Jason Pridie are ahead of Tyner.

Kubel was offered a contract and is eligible for arbitration.

Craig Monroe's deal with the Twins is a good one for him, as well as for the team.

The outfielder could provide much-needed additional power to the local nine. Since he became a regular, he has averaged 22 homers a season. Last year, he hit only 12.

Monroe took a paycut from $4.77 million in 2007 to $3.8 million with the possibility of a $150,000 bonus in 2008. The deal is a lot of money for a guy who batted .219 going into free agency.

But last year was last year.  

If the Twins have to trade Johan Santana, who would you most prefer to have in exchange? Rank them in order of your most to your least preferred player.

For all of his rookie season, I had Delmon Young on my fantasy baseball team.

Just a note about former Minnesota Twins center fielder Torii Hunter: He is highly ranked on several career lists for the hometown nine, but his highest ranking is fourth with 870 strikeouts.

Remember, the Minnesota Twins get two draft picks in compensation for the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim wooing away our beloved center fielder.

My pipe-dream solutions (all from the free-agent market) for the Minnesota Twins on-field problems are:

- Tony Clark, switch-hitting designated hitter and backup first baseman;

I'm not exactly worried about the Minnesota Twins' remaining free agents.

MLB.com lists Carlos Silva as a top free agent, along with the likes of Alex Rodriguez, Aaron Rowand and Andruw Jones.

So what are we supposed to do? Name Jason Tyner the opening-day center fielder for the Minnesota Twins?

I'd primed myself for this long ago, but it's just not going to be the same going every day to watch the Minnesota Twins without Torii Hunter in center field.

As if we needed another reason to lament the loss of David Ortiz to the Boston Red Sox, the Star Tribune printed a short story last week about Ortiz being the perfect player.

The Minnesota Twins are making a few moves this offseason. Here's what's happened:

Today is the five-year anniversary of the day the Minnesota Twins franchise made its worst decision since letting Harmon Killebrew go to the Royals.

This month, the Minnesota History Theatre puts on a play called "Kirby!" that examines the pros and cons of hero worship in our society.

While I'm driving around, I keep a notebook handy. I've become proficient at writing while keeping an eye on whoever I'm talking to or, in this case, the road.

Life without October is a little depressing.

Lately, I've been playing softball as often as Minnesota Twins backup utility infielder Luis Rodriguez (I like to call him L-Rod) has been playing baseball.

The bullpens for the Minnesota Twins and their opponents have been getting a lot of work lately -- and it's not necessarily on the mound.

Here's a cool view of the land for the new Minnesota Twins ballpark: http://minnesota.twins.mlb.com/min/ballpark/new_ballpark_webcam_full.jsp.

Michael Cuddyer's improvement in the outfield might just be one of the brightest spots of a dark Minnesota Twins season. He might just deserve a Gold Glove.

When they're both sidelined, that's the only time it stinks to have league's top catcher tandem.