8 Things Minnesota Twins Fans Should Be Thankful for

Thanksgiving is a day for turkey, football and naps. We also take time to think about what we are thankful for like family, friends, food, Fridays and the letter “F."

What are Twins fans thankful for, though? It’s hard to be thankful after a 99-loss season, and more importantly, after a season where Nick Punto won a ring!

Target Field

A lot of people thought that many games would be very frigid or rained out at the outdoor Target Field; they could have played nine innings today.  On Thanksgiving, it’s 50 degrees and clear skies. Today is an example of why Twins fans do not miss the Metrodome.

No Expectations

After a 99-loss season, Twins fans can only have little to no expectations for the 2012 Twins, so if they surpass these low expectations, the season will be considered a success.

Terry Ryan

No one really expected that Bill Smith would be fired, but now that he’s gone, Twins fans are more than thankful that Terry Ryan is back at the helm.

Ryan brought this team back from the dismal mid-to-late '90s to become a division championship contender every year.

Jamey Carroll

There’s one reason Twins fans are thankful for Carroll: no more Tsuyoshi Nishioka.  If Carroll can throw the ball to first and hit for a respectable average, he may have the popularity in Minnesota of The Beatles, Justin Bieber and Tim Tebow combined.

The Departure of Joe Nathan

The Twins don’t have an endless payroll like the Yankees, so money is always tight, even in areas that need improvement like the bullpen.

It didn’t make any sense for the Twins to sign an expensive closer when they lost 99 games last year, so they didn’t, and Twins fans should be thankful.

Ron Gardenhire

Gardenhire took over the reins from Tom Kelly in 2002. Since then, the Wild have had three head coaches, the Vikings have had three head coaches and the Timberwolves have had six different head coaches.

Not matter if you think Gardenhire had a lot or little to do with the Twins' struggles last year, just be thankful the Twins aren’t always in the middle of a coaching search like some teams.

Other Minnesota Sports Teams

Nobody in Minnesota has been too focused on how terrible the Twins were after their season ended. Instead, Minnesotans have been captivated by the horrible seasons the Vikings and Gopher football squads have turned in.

Also, Minnesotans are thankful for the NHL-best Wild and the No. 3-ranked Gopher men’s hockey team. Twins fans are just thankful that they can be distracted by both the beautiful and the ugly.

Former MVPs

Twins fans are well aware that Joe Mauer and Justin Morneau have a hard time staying on the field, but at the same time, fans have to be thankful for them. Without the M & M boys, the fearsome twosome for the Twins would be Danny Valencia and Trevor Plouffe…I know, I’m thankful it hasn’t come to that.