The Free Press, Mankato, MN Ed Thoma

Thoma: Putting a haunted Twins season to rest

2011-10-30T22:59:17-05:00

On this Halloween morning I come to finally bury the 2011 Twins season — bury it nice and deep, if only to hide the stench.

Thoma: The Twins' Cuddyer conundrum

2011-10-24T00:35:53-05:00

Michael Cuddyer’s impending free agency is a sharp challenge for the Twins front office.

Thoma: Four discards from the Twins’ hand

2011-10-16T23:56:52-05:00

The Twins on Friday announced that four players had been outrighted to Triple-A Rochester and thus removed from the 40-man, major-league roster. Let’s read between the lines on each player and try to decipher what their demotion tells us about the Twins’ plans:

Thoma: Four aces is not a winning hand

2011-10-09T23:39:59-05:00

Four aces may be good in poker, but when it comes to playoff baseball, four aces isn't always the best hand to play.

Thoma: The case for continuity after a disastrous year

2011-10-03T00:23:52-05:00

Ron Gardenhire and Bill Smith remain as manager and general manager. Some see this as a lack of accountability; I see it as integral to wise management for the long haul.

Thoma: Moneyball triumphs — but A’s haven’t

2011-09-26T00:20:55-05:00

Moneyball, the book, is at once the most influential and misunderstood piece of baseball writing of the past decade.

Thoma: Well, at least the Twins aren’t trying to stink

2011-09-19T00:03:45-05:00

There have been teams that plunged from even greater heights to even deeper depths than the 2011 Minnesota Twins. But those teams could be said to have jumped rather than fell.

Thoma: Fixing the Twins starts with defense

2011-09-11T23:25:36-05:00

The easiest way to improve the pitching is to improve the defense.

Thoma: And introducing Liam Hendriks

2011-09-05T01:13:13-05:00

With Brian Duensing out with a strained oblique, the Twins have again been forced to dip into their farm system for pitching help, this time bringing up the relatively unknown Liam Hendriks.

Thoma: Center of attention: Revere or Span for center field?

2011-08-28T23:57:08-05:00

The Twins have some decisions to make about the future of the outfield.