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.

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. 

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.  

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.

In today's Star Tribune, Minnesota Twins outfielder Torii Hunter talked about feeling a little like he did in 2003 yesterday, after a four-game sweep of the Oakland Athletics.

Here are the lines for the Minnesota Twins who played in the Major League Baseball All-Star Game: 

It's nice to see some pitchers struggle in a Major League Baseball
All-Star Game. They usually dominate the best hitters in the game, but