Minnesota Twins Should Leave the Metrodome with Success

The Minnesota Twins will play their last season in the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome in 2009 and hopefully the Twins will leave it with a season they can be proud of.

The last twenty seven years has seen many highs and lows in the Twins organization, but mainly highs. The Metrodome went along with the artificial turf phase of the 80s and by the turn of the century, the "Homer Dome" as Chris Berman and others have tabbed it, has become sort of a baseball joke.

The newest baseball stadiums are so high-tech they make the Metrodome look like a relic. Twins fans have had to take the ridicule from their friends who rooted for the rival teams of the AL (then) West and (now) Central divisions on the Twins' home field.

When you look at the specs, it doesn't seem too bad. 408 to center 327 to left. The problem, and I don't really have to say it is in right field. Rows of seats are covered by a large tarp or "baggy." The only seats in right field are in the upper deck, and the distance to the wall is just 318 feet.

In the new Target Field. It's 328 to right, and 411 to center. It's going to be a great ball park with not a single bad seat. Before the Twins throw the first pitch there, they have the 2009 season ahead of them.

Now as a lifelong and diehard Twins fan, I can predict that the Twins won't get a whole lot of love as far as preseason predictions go. Last year they were picked to finish third at absolute best, but in most circles were picked to finish fourth.

Instead they came back from a large division deficit to force a one game playoff with the White Sox. Unfortunately they weren't victorious in Chicago, but to finish tied for first in the division had to be viewed as a success.

Now the Twins return what looks to be the same team, but they will get a couple needed additions back.

Last year, the Twins lost a lot of power when Torii Hunter went to the Angels, and they lost a lot of wins when Johan Santana was traded to New York. While the power wasn't as strong as it was two years ago, the Twins still hit the ball well enough to be competitive.

In 2008 however, the Twins' biggest problem was the bullpen, which really served to carry them to all of the division titles earlier in the decade.

Pat Neshek was out for virtually the entire season through injury. Boof Bonser began the season as a starter and was then moved to middle relief. And the young guys really had a tough time settling into their roles.

The biggest problem I felt was the underachievement of closer Joe Nathan. He had started the season after signing a huge contract, and really underperformed all year. He blew enough saves to render claiming the season ending tie at the end his fault.

He seemed to lack the dominance he had in previous years, I don't know if that was due to losing teammates or what, but it surely frustrated this Twins fan.

It's only mid-February but my NBA team is struggling and my Jayhawks have already done enough to peak my interest. I am just renewed my membership to my yearly fantasy baseball league, and I am ready for spring training to kick into full gear.

Hopefully with this being the Twins' departing season from the Metrodome, they will have a little extra incentive to succeed. It will take some luck, especially with the talent in the division, but it is not a stretch to think they can't win it.

They showed last year that Ron Gardenhire's brand of baseball can be successful no matter what the competition.

For the Twins to be successful this year though, they will need a few things to happen.

For one, the group of starting pitchers is really going to have to secure their identity early. Fransisco Liriano has to believe in himself and his abilities. Slowey and Baker will do well to do the same, but I think for them it's less of head contest and more of an execution contest.

Nick Blackburn is going to have to get out of the Brad Radke state of mind when he takes the mound. Throwing meat and hoping the huge sluggers of the AL Central don't hit any of it is not a great way to pitch. Radke was able to succeed by controlling games,.

Blackburn doesn't have that ability yet, so he needs to get some movement on his fastball and change-up if he wants to have a shot. 14 or 15 wins is great, but when it is coupled with 10 or 11 losses, it doesn't nearly look that good.

On the offensive side of the ball, the Twins will need a better statistical year out of Justin Morneau. I have a hard time thinking his MVP winning year in 2006 was a fluke.

He doesn't need to put up those kind of numbers, but finishing the upcoming season with a sub-.300 average is not acceptable.

Mauer is going to be in contention for the batting title every year. The real question is can he get a little bit more power. If he could hit 20-25 home runs, the the Twins should be in contention for the division all year.

There is a lot of potential in the 2009 Twins squad. Let's hope they can harness the potential and execute and leave the place they've called home for 27 years with a bang.