Do Spring Training Results Matter?

That’s a damn good question, really. Most Major League players would tell you that they think spring training is much too long –does it really take nearly six weeks and thirty games to get a team ready for the season?

I seriously doubt it, but as long as they’re playing the games you’d like to think the results mean something, in terms of both individual and team performance, and at least anecdotally I can say that I think what happens in Florida and Arizona is a decent barometer for the season ahead.

The issue this year is perhaps clouded from a Minnesota standpoint by the fact that there are very few roster spots open on the team, and so Ron Gardenhire and his coaches are giving extended looks to a bunch of guys who are competing for those final jobs. There has also been the problem of injuries –concerns with Mauer’s knee, Morneau’s gingerly comeback from his brutal winter, and Nick Punto’s slow return, not to mention the various aggravations with the pitching staff.

Consider, though, the Twins’ spring training records in their two championship years –1987 and 1991– and in each of the last three seasons. They were 14-10 in ’87, and 21-10 in ’91. Last spring they were 20-11, the best mark in the AL, and they also had winning records in ’03 (19-13) and ’02 (18-14-1). So far this spring the Twins are 7-11 through Saturday, and have been scuffling to score runs. Their homerun production has been virtually non-existent, and the only offensive players who’ve really been tearing it up have been Matthew LeCroy, Jason Bartlett, Juan Castro, Todd Dunwoody, and Jason Tyner (the latter two are non-roster invitees). Luis Rivas has been terrible (.148 BA), which may be an indication that four hitting coaches (Rod Carew, Paul Molitor, Tony Oliva, and Scott Ullger) are not necessarily better than one.

Things have been a little more encouraging on the pitching side, even though Kyle Lohse and Brad Radke have struggled a bit, and J.C. Romero and J.D Durbin have imploded (they combined for eight strikeouts and sixteen walks before Durbin was sent to the minor league camp). The good news is that Joe Mays has been remarkably sharp (1.29 ERA in four games), Johan Santana, Joe Nathan, and Juan Rincon have pretty much picked up where they left off (well, in Rincon’s case, not necessarily where he literally left off), and Scott Baker has shown that he may in fact be the real real deal (0.00 ERA in eight innings pitched, with four hits, seven strikouts, and no walks).