As the Twins have opened the inaugural season at the new Target Field in Minneapolis (to great success, so far), the team has responded well to the new park, the fans, the new members of the team, and have embraced playing outdoor baseball once again in the Twin Cities. And let me say, it's been a long time coming.

   The Twins, as far back as I can remember, have always been a team that starts slow, sticking around in the division until it's almost too late, then finishing strong to win the division. That was the case in the magical season of 2006, when they went into the All-Star break floundering, then finished with an amazing turnaround, winning with .700 baseball the 2nd half of the season. This year, however, has seen an amazingly strong start, with the Twins, after a doubleheader split with the Orioles, at 20-11, leading the Tigers by 4-1/2 games in the American League Central, and with the third-best record in the major leagues, behind the Tampa Bays Rays and the Yankees, both in the American League East. The reasons are many, including plenty of run scoring, more power than expected, and the return of Francisco Liriano to something akin to his 2006 form. Also, the pleasant surprise of Jon Rauch, filling in as closer very nicely for the injured Joe Nathan. Rauch has 8 saves already, with a 2.25 ERA in 11 appearances.
   In addition to all the offense, the Twins, per their blueprint throughout the organization, have stressed the importance of fundamentals, which has resulted in nearly mistake-free baseball so far. The Starting pitching has been holding up relatively well, but little nagging injuries have cropped up. As long as the Twins stay relatively healthy, the sky is the limit for this team. The only team with a chance to contend with them in the division  is the Tigers. Where the team is at when the All-Star break rolls around will go a long way to deciding where they'll finish come post-season time. I see the Twins running away with the division by the end of August. We'll see - it's a LONG season, a season to which I'm very much looking forward.
   Too bad Herb Carneal didn't live long enough to see the completion of Target Field. I have a sneaking suspiscion, however, that 'ol Herb is looking down and smiling on this team.