Minnesota Twins Team Profile

The  SeatGeek Sports Blog will be doing Team Profiles for all the Major League Baseball teams over the next couple of months.  Each profile will include 5 topical questions about the team, answered by those who follow the teams the closest, the bloggers.  For the Minnesota Twins Andrew Kneeland of Twinstarget.com was nice enough to provide some insight on the team.

SeatGeek:  How do Twins fans like Target Stadium?  Is it playing as a pitchers or hitters park? What is the secondary ticket market like now in Minnesota with a smaller stadium in terms of seats?  Where would you recommend a person going for their first time sit?

Andrew Kneeland: This early in the season, Twins fans are still learning the layout of Target Field. Although it’s impossible to tell this early, the stadium appears to favor pitchers more so than hitters. Tickets for every regular season game at Target Field in 2010 sold out in just minutes, and the demand for Twins’ tickets is certainly high. For your first game, I would recommend sitting in the second level behind home plate, allowing you to see the entire field as well as the outstanding Minneapolis skyline.

SeatGeek: Although he has struggled a bit in his last few starts, it seems that Liriano has found his control again.  Is there anything else that he has changed to get back to being dominant again?

Andrew Kneeland: These last three starts have been very forgettable for Twins fans, and it’s becoming increasingly apparent that Liriano will never return to his 2006 form. The difference between ‘09 Liriano and ‘10 Liriano, though, is a less violent scap loading motion. This eases the strain on his arm, but allows his slider to be as deadly as ever. He will never be the perennial Cy Young threat we thought he was a few years ago, but Liriano can still be a very solid top-of-the-rotation starting pitcher for years to come.

SeatGeek: Do any Twins fans care that Mauer’s HR numbers have dropped back to pre 09 levels, or do they consider 09, in terms of power, a fluke?

Andrew Kneeland: Well, I’m sure some fans care, but with the offense producing at an excellent clip it hardly matters. I view Mauer’s home run total in 2009 as a relative fluke, but he certainly will find his power groove later this season and progress to his seasonal average of 16 home runs per season.

SeatGeek: What are the feelings of the fans toward Manager Ron Gardenhire?

Andrew Kneeland: Generally, Twins fans are very appreciative of the work Gardenhire has done in Minnesota. Although he is usually the prime scape-goat, Gardy is one of the best managers in baseball, and Twins fans recognize and appreciate this.

SeatGeek: Are there any Twins minor leaguers that will have a impact on the ball club this year? If so, who, and can you give me a scouting report? 

Andrew Kneeland: There aren’t many minor leaguers who have a chance of playing with the big-league club in 2010, as most of the team’s top prospects are either in Single- or Double-A. Third-baseman Danny Valencia is currently hitting .302/.345/.389 in Triple-A, and will likely be promoted to man the Hot Corner in a month or so. He is an average defender, and possesses slight pop in his bat. At best, Valencia is probably capable of hitting .280/.330/.430 in the Major Leagues.

I’d like to thank Andrew for taking the time to answer some Twins questions from SeatGeek.  You can find Andrew Kneeland at Twinstarget.com and on Twitter @Akneeland.   Watch out for more MLB Team Profiles weekly on the SeatGeek Sports Blog.