Alright I promised a TC bear story and here it is.  For those of you that don't know the Twins Mascot is TC Bear...He also can hit a ball farther than I can...seriously.  Well TC bear was involved in the Mascot stuff for the All Star game.  He got to go to all the events and entertain the crowd as well as be in the All-Star Mascot HR Derby contest.  TC Bear has cleaned up in the event the past couple years and was once again the favorite to win this year.  Well his toughest competetion I heard came in the 1st round when he knocked out Bernie Brewer...From there he cruised to the finals and eventually ended up winning the thing.  Well he was pretty excited because he got a nice looking trophy to put in his bear house and be proud of from the last couple years.  This year though MLB changed sponsors and he got a sweet crystal trophy that said "Mascot HR derby Champ".  The trophy was given to him, he took a picture and quickly the sponsor took the trophy back.  When asked about it later the sponsor told him it was going into storage for next year and they would use the same trophy.  I don't know about you but it seemed pretty unfair that a big time sponsor couldn't swing for a nice little trophy that a bear worked hard to get.  What do you think 

I just got back from my signing in Mankato...man what a long day.  At 4pm we left the Metrodome...when I say we I mean Wally The Beerman, Sue the Organist, TC Bear (who is fresh off winning the mascot HR derby in NY) and our drivers!  Well we got back around 11pm...what a day.  It was pretty neat to head back to Mankato.  I played in the Northwoods League 8 years ago and the place really changed.  The place was packed, they had a winning team on the field and it was a fun place to be.  I remember when I was there they were the Mankato Mashers and they wouldn't stop playing the song "Monster Mash" and it got old quick.  Flip through 8 years and they are now the Moon Dogs and they are selling out.  I signed autographs for about an hour and met a lot of people from this site.  I did a radio interview for a little bit....I threw out the first pitch...with my left hand since I cannot throw still, I hope the video doesn't end up on Youtube...it was ugly and I almost fell because I was wearing dress shoes!  It was a fun time and pretty cool to go back to a place that had a lot to do with my success on my way to becoming a Big Leaguer. 

Please keep checking out our sponsors below.  Also I have a great story on TC Bear that might make you upset.  Keep checking out the site for that later in the week. 

I just wanted to let everyone know I will be signing autographs in Mankato on Wednesday 7/16 this week.  The signing will take place before the Mankato Moondogs baseball game at 7pm.  Be sure to stop by and say hi if you are in the area!

I was just thinking that one year ago the madness of the Final Vote for the All-Star was blowing up this site after I got nominated.  It got me thinking about a lot of things.  Things like why wasn't the final totals ever released.  I noticed in an article the other day they finally gave out Okajima's vote total...4.4 million.  It would just be nice to have known what type of damage we did on the polls instead of hearing what place we got, maybe someday somebody will come out and give the #'s.  It also got me thinking about what if I had made the team.  For me it would be cool to sign baseballs with AllStar07 inscribed on them and when I get older I would always be able to attend Tristar events and put that ever needed inscription on the balls!  The last thing I thought about was what each guy on the final man vote was doing now a year later...what I found was kind of shocking.  I call what I found the curse of the 07 final man vote.  Nearly each guy who was on the vote is currently injured or struggling.  Don't believe me let's check it out.

Me - Partially Torn Ligament in the elbow,

Kelvim Escobar tear in shoulder hurt and hasn't pitched in the big leagues this season,

Jeremy Bonderman - Out for season with surgery (blood clots)

Hideki Okajima - Not hurt but has struggled a lot according to media

Roy Halladay - Hit in the temple on a line drive - Made the All-Star team

Roy Oswalt - Currently Hurt with a bad hip

Tom Gorzelanny - Sent to AAA after struggling with Pirates

Chris Young - Hit in face by a line drive and has been out for awhile

Carlos Zambrano - Just came off the DL with shoulder problems

Brandon Webb - The only guy that goes against this curse...MLB All Star - Great season

Please support this site by checking out the sponser below this update, thanks!

Just a couple quick things I thought I should note.  On the message board we are going to start a tough project next week for charity.  It involves getting an autographed baseball card of every guy that played in the big leagues during the 2008 season!  So far there have been nearly 1100 guys that have been on a big league roster this year.  What we are going to do is make a huge checklist and try and go after every guy.  Hopefully once it's completed we will auction it off on eBay with 100% of the proceeds going to a charity Stephanee and I will pick out.  It's a tough task but I think we can do it...Once again this is going on under the message board next week and we need all the help we can get. 

Lastly there is another false article out there saying I'm heading to FL at the end of the month to start a rehab program and I have a strained elbow.  As far as I know I will be up here until at least late August at the earliest and my injury was diagnosed as a partially torn ligament in the elbow.  Another case of don't always believe what you read!

The Minnesota Twins and the Twins Wives Organization, will be hosting a special event this Thursday, July 3rd at Majors Sports Cafe in Bloomington from 5pm-9pm.   

"Hang with the Majors at Majors" is an opportunity for fans to interact with their favorite Twins players and support a good cause!  There will be a private dinner for 100 lucky fans to dine with the Twins.  Tickets for the dinner are $100 each and are limited to the first 100 people, so call and reserve yours ASAP.  All proceeds from the event will be donated to the Midwest flood relief.

The dinner will be from 5pm-6:30pm.  Only 100 tickets will be sold and are on sale now for $100 each. Tickets may be purchased at Majors in Bloomington (8301 Normandale Blvd, Bloomington, MN, 55438) or by calling Major's at 952-835-8308.

During the dinner event, the rest of Majors will remain open to the public from 5 to 9 p.m., with Twins players bar tending.  So if you can't make the dinner, you can still stop by and hang out.  There also will be a player autograph station (the players will rotate through and autos will be $5 each), a tip jar to collect additional donations, and the wives will be selling Twins tank tops.

Players and wives planning to participate are: Pat & Stephanee Neshek, Joe and Lisa Nathan, Mike Lamb, Matt and Dejie Guerrier, Jesse and Becky Crain, Glen and Alisha Perkins, Kevin Slowey, Brian Bass, Mike and Michelle Redmond, Nick and Natalie Punto, Boof Bonser and Jessica Clark, Delmon Young and Brendan Harris.  Participants are subject to change.

Hey guys I just wanted to give a quick update on my injury.  I just got my hinge brace off on Monday and have started rehab.  So far the rehab has been pretty boring, I do things with no weight right now and it's not too much fun.  I understand that it's going to take time so I'm going to be patient with it. 

What has been up with me lately...not much.  I've been spending a lot of time trading stuff on the message board on here.  Right now I'm going after baseballs signed by Hall of Famers...It's been a lot of fun and if you are a collector the message board is a must.  Also I give stuff away on there and it's a fun little community to chat about anything.

Baseball cards...Well Topps Series 2 and Upper Deck series 2 came out a little bit ago and I'm in both sets.  To tell you the truth I'm not too impressed with either card...I find the Topps design boring and they put too much gloss on the cards that they are impossible to sign even after rubbing them down with powder and signing with a Staedtler pen.  Upper Deck is Upper Deck, you get a nice looking photo and that's about it.  Either way it's another card to add to my list of cards...and as always if you pull one of them out of a pack I always sign for free just make sure you include a SASE.  Now for the good stuff and what I'm really excited about...Topps decided to put me into the Allen & Ginter card set.  This is my favorite product of the year and comes out in a couple weeks.  I always recommend it to people who are looking to get back into cards, it's probably the funnest set out.  Anyways I'm in the set, not sure if I'm a Short Print but they also put me in as an insert.  They took guys who were born from every state in the US and made a card...I get the Wisconsin card...I can't wait to see it.  I'm really happy that Topps has put me in the set and I owe a lot to you guys for writing letters during spring training and letting Topps know that you wanted to see me in a good set.  I have a strong feeling this product is going to sell out quickly once again so get ready for it.  Once again if you pull my card from this send it over with a SASE and I will sign it up.

Hi everyone, thanks for being patient with me while I sort out this injury.  I also wanted to thank everyone for all the support.  It's pretty neat to see and it has helped me feel better about everything that has happened.  Right now it looks like I'll be out the rest of the season.  They told me it will be 3 months before I will throw then I can start to play catch if everything goes as planned.  Right now I'm in a restrictive brace that basically forces me to stay in the same arm position...I even have to wear the thing while I sleep.  It's not been fun but it's something that happened and I understand what it will take to get back so all I can do is keep my head up.  Right now I will still be going to every home game and hanging out with the guys.  I usually watch all the games inside the clubhouse and lift my legs during the first 3 innings of the game. 

As of right now I have a lot of time to do things I don't normally get to do.  So far I have been on my message board trading items and having a giveaway and auctions.  The best item up for auction right now is the 2007-08 Pink my little pony bullpen backpack signed by all the bullpen members...Be sure to check it out.

I'm sitting back here early in the morning after another nice off-day.  Someone thought it would be good to give us 3 off-days this week...I'm not complaining but I think I would rather have them spread out more over the month so we could get them when we really need them. 

Yesterday was spent hanging out with my family, playing with the dogs, playing some Wii and cleaning the house.  I've been doing a bunch of baseball card box breakings lately and the latest ones are chronicled here http://mlbplayers.mlb.com/mlb/events/nbbcd/index.jsp

Right now is when we start getting some major baseball card releases to come out.  In the next month we will see Topps Co-signers, Bowman Baseball, Topps Series 2 and Upper Deck SPX.  I will be opening up all of these and hopefully I can trade on the message board to finish some of these sets. 

I've also got a lot of game used stuff to trade on the site and some giveaways, maybe on the next road trip I will be able to get a bunch of stuff up.

You guys wanted to see the video of me getting hit in college, here it is - Warning, this video is graphic.

Alright it’s now time to review one of my favorite boxes of the year.  Today we have 2008 Topps Heritage.  Very quickly I will give a brief overview of the product.  The Topps Heritage concept is pretty cool in that they take an old Topps design…this year they are copying the 1959 topps design…They basically go back almost 50 years and use that years card design.  So next year we will be seeing the 1960 design with all the players from today.  In 2057 they will be using the 2008 Topps design…pretty cool to think about. These are sold at all hobby shops...Wal Marts and Target's.   

Now the reason I like this set is that it is nearly impossible to put together.  They have these things called short prints which for baseball card illiterate people means some cards are put in packs at a lot less rate than the normal cards.  So if card #7 is a short print and numbers 6 and 8 are not short printed card #7 is produced in a lot less quantity making set building fun and irritating!  This set also has other weird variations…last year they had cards with the player’s name in Yellow and others of the same guy in White and one of the variations was an extreme short print.  This year some card backs have “Black Backs”  Here’s the variation/short print list if anyone is starting to build this set, http://www.topps.com/sports/news/toppsNews.aspx?news_id=191

 Also Topps uses a lot of players in this set so it’s also a favorite of autograph collectors who collect the set and then try to get it signed!  The non-glossy surface is great for getting signed and one of my favs to get my teammates on.  Well I guess I’ll say let’s get this fun and emotionally grueling set started…I got two boxes to open so here we go.

Well let’s stop talking and open the cards up.

Specs

24 packs with 8 cards per pack

Relic card or Real One Autograph in Every Box

Here’s how I did

2 Box Toppers Advertising Panel –Maddux, Ruiz, Swisher – Velez, Iwamura, Betancourt

Black Backs – Box #1 = 23

Black Backs – Box #2 = 23

SP’s – Box #1 = 8

SP’s – Box #2 = 8

Chrome #’d to 1959 – 6

Chrome #’d to 559 – Manny, John Maine

Chrome #’d to 59 - Joba

Relic/Auto = John Smoltz, Ivan Rodriguez

Well I got the big hit in the Joba #’d to 59 Chrome Card.  I also knocked off a bunch of SP’s.  In some odd way in both boxes my Sp’s the exact same…So it looks like I will be trading these on my website to try and put this set together.  I also noticed the black backs were in nearly every pack.  If you are bored and looking for a fun challenge of putting together a tough baseball set then this is for you…This was my favorite set to collect last year and I think any fan looking to get into baseball cards would like this set.   

Just arrived in Detroit last night and it felt just as cold as KC.  Today I thought would be a good time to talk about mail!  As a lot of you know fan mail is a pretty high priority for me.  When sending a letter there are a lot of things that will help you have success.  Basically when you send out a letter it arrives at the Metrodome and is sorted out by Ryan, one of our clubhouse guys.  Each day a big mail pile arrives and has to be sorted.  I wish I could take a picture of our mail boxes but we are on the road right now.  Basically it's a big cubby on the wall with little cubby holes with our names over each box.  Some guys do their mail, some don't and some pay marketing firms to open their mail and throw in a generic letter with a photo.  When sending to players one of the biggest things you have to know is if the guy does his mail or not.  I mean it's a waste if you spend a $1 on a couple stamps and lose a baseball card...nobody likes that.  So finding out who signs is huge.  There are a lot of websites out there that offer a pay service and provide up to date signing habits and which address works to send to guys.  Also there are the Jack Smalling address books that list every address of players.  Lastly you can check out message boards and try to get some freebie addresses or trade with people.  On my message board we have a cool section where people post their recent successes (as of right now though we have restricted access to the message board so if you aren't a lucky member you have to look elsewhere). 

Okay so you have the address and the guy signs what else?  Well for me my favorite letters are short and to the point.  In a perfect world my favorite letter would be "What's up Pat, I know you are busy, just wanted you to sign this card if you have time!"  I think most players would like it this way also.  There are many times in the clubhouse when guys are opening their mail and they either get a 2 page letter or something so ridiculous they have to show everyone.  To be honest probably only a handful of guys read the longer letters...most guys grab the SASE, sign the card, toss the letters without reading them and put the mail in a pile. 

Never ever ask another player to get something signed from another player.  It happens...every week I get one of these and have to toss it.  I guess in Junior High terms it would be like a guy trying to get the hot girl and using her ugly friend to get in with her...it's just not right.

Always include a SASE.  What's a SASE some of the younger people might ask.  It's short for Self Addressed Stamped Envelope...What's that...it's a return letter that has a stamp and address already on it so the player can throw the card in quickly.  When I do my letters if there is no SASE there will be no response.  I've collected tons of baseballs, hats, shirts, cards and other things over the past couple years because there was no SASE.  I don't want the stuff but I also do not think I should have to go to the post office, buy an envelope, address it up and pay for the postage.  This would def make me want to never do fan mail so I try to spread the word and make it clear that a SASE is a must if you want a reply. 

What to send?  Most TTM (Through The Mail) autograph request are for baseball cards.  I don't mind signing a lot of cards at one time.  Other guys will only sign one and keep the rest, again you have to do your research.  I also sign 8X10's, baseballs, hats, shirts, jerseys you name it if it has a SASE send it over.  If you need a birthday inscription that's fine also, I'm easy on that stuff.  Other guys have different signing habits and you'll have to look into them.

So in conclusion know the player and how he signs, short letters, SASE, 1 card if you are not sure and you should have a lot of success.  Time wise all guys are different.  I like to do my mail in the clubhouse once it comes in.  Sometimes we are on the road for a long time like right now so it might take 3 weeks to get back from me.  Be patient and if you follow the rules above you might have some success.

Also the offer still stands...Send me any signed baseball or hockey card no matter how good the player was or is or at what level and I'll trade you for one of my cards signed!

I totally felt like I was playing MN high school baseball again these past couple games.  I say this in that IT HAS BEEN FREEZING outside!  I thought those days of going out and playing in snow and sub freezing temps might be done but oh I was wrong.  The last two days were games that you don't know how you are going to do because a lot of us haven't played in that type of cold in a long time.  Running out to the mound tonight I kept telling myself to make good pitches and work quick.  The air was so cold I had a lot of trouble feeling the ball because my hands got really cold and it really showed when I let one get away that nearly hit the batter in the head.  People thought I was headhunting and others thought it was a good pitch but honestly the thing got away and had a mind of its own.  I guess this whole trip is a tuneup for the new stadium in a couple year!!!  The next three days look just a little cooler.  I think it's pretty safe to say that I've never wanted to get back to the Metrodome as bad as I do right now! 

Kansas City has been doing some offseason work and I think I might have a new favorite ballpark when the construction is done.  So far they made an excellent bullpen and are really hammering away the rest of the park.  This place has always been one of my favs and I cannot wait to see the finished product. 

Usually when we go to Kansas City there are more Twins fans than Royals fans.  So when looking at the schedule and seeing an early series in Kansas City and then checking the weather I figured we'd be lucky to draw 10,000.  Boy was I wrong, I think a lot of people just wanted to watch ballplayers freeze their butts off!  Tonight I believe was close to a sellout (Billy Butler Jersey Night).  I've never seen that many fans at a Royals game since I was in high school and drove down to watch Mark Mcgwire pack the place.  The fans must have brought some warm clothes because most of them stayed the entire night.  We have one more here and then we head to autograph headquarters (Detroit...lots of graphers there)! 

Today we got a rare off day and I basically spent it catching up on everything...emails, other stuff and right now the site.  Right now we are in Chicago and it's pretty cold outside.  I always hate the first month because it's tough to adjust to cold conditions...tomorrow night might be the coldest game of the season but I'm sure it will be nothing compared to last year when we strolled into Chicago. 

The other day I did an opening day rally in MN and a guy came up to me with my 2008 Topps card.  I guess they released the card in the Minnesota Twins Team sets.  I'm pretty sure it's the same card image they will use for series 2.  I also got an update that the signatures I signed for Topps last season will be introduced in a late product this year...Updates & Highlights.  I think the stickers got piled up on someone's desk and someone found them during spring cleaning. 

I tried a bunch to sign after a couple of our games during the last homestand.  It's not my favorite time to sign because we spend all day at the field and I get kind of anxious to get home but in reality signing only takes around 10 mins to do.  I usually try to sign after day games that aren't getaway days.  Other things about signing, I love signing before the game outside the dome and my favorite place to sign is in the bullpen about 8-20 mins before the game...Just come down to the bullpen and give me a shout.  I heard they are selling my t-shirts at the dome, if you pick one up be sure to stop down and have me sign it.  It's always tough to sign during BP or coming off the field because we have to eat and get dressed in a short amount of time.  As always if I don't sign keep trying, I'm easy. 

Well I haven't been on here in awhile and there's a good reason...I just got worn out and am sick of having to update it all the time...Therefore as of right now I am shutting the site down and erasing all content later in the week... 

gotcha...April Fool's!  Man this past week has been all about moving and cleaning.  I think every guy has been packing up stuff, cleaning up things and trying to set up houses now for the past week and it gets very old...this time of the year is always a mess. 

Opening day was pretty special...what a game.  It definetly had playoff atmosphere where every pitch was under the microscope.  For me it was an intense game...you go through all of spring training with crowds that barely break 9000 people and a couple of loud cheers to a crowd of 50000 that are going nuts for every pitch...gotta love it, it got my adrenaline pumping.  After the game last night I was walking up the stairs and a guy from the other team shouted to me "hey Pat, I'm Darren O'day and I just wanted to say it's cool to meet you...I read your website all the time last year."  I had to do a double take...just about an hour before that I was sitting inside the clubhouse watching this sidearmer from the Angels make his debut.  I kept asking myself who is that side/sub throwing guy was, turns out it was O'day.  Not a bad debut either, got out of a jam, pitched right out of the chute on opening day for his debut...I asked him if he was nervous and he said it was pretty intense.  It was nice to see another weird throwing guy in the bigs and even cooler that he stopped to say hi and let me know about this site.  I ended up snagging a foul ball with the opening day logo on the baseball and had it authenticated because they are very rare to find...after Darren said hi I think I'm going to offer him the ball because stuff from your debut is pretty special and means a lot more! 

I just wanted to give a big shout out to the 2007/2008 Butler Basketball team.  You guys got me watching college hoops this entire past season after many years off.  What a team, it's sad to see it over but I think everyone who follows basketball closely knows how special the team was.  Can't wait for next year! 

Hey guys, lots of cool updates.  We just had a winner in the Joe Mauer Figure contest so that is over.  I just got a cool package from GAMEWEAR the makers of those sweet baseball bracelets http://www.wearthegame.com/ We had some Neshek 17 bracelets made up and I will talk about them in another update down the road.  You will be seeing a lot of their products in stadiums all over the league so I just wanted to let you guys know of the next big thing that will be coming to a stadium near you this season. 

How about the new commercial...if you haven't watched it yet be sure to check it out right here!  Would you believe that it took me almost 6 hours to make!  A lot of the people in the commercial were actually from Park Center with the exception of I think it was 4 people that were actresses and Chad the tour guide.  My favorite part of the commercial...the kid that points at the end...it took him about 40 takes to perfect that part.

The arm feels great and I'm pretty excited to have my stuff working...that's all I'm going to say about on-field stuff...I'm ready for the season to start right now.  Camp is slowly winding down and we have about 2 weeks left.  There are lots of cuts that will be happening soon and that's always the toughest part of camp.  So far to date this camp feels like it has went by the quickest...pretty soon we will be standing in 30 degree temps in Chicago...I can't wait.

I got a lot of baseball card products to review and have been falling behind lately with pitching on the road and having other things to do.  I've opened a bunch of Topps, Upper Deck, Topps Heritage and Moments & Milestones and will be trying my best to get those reviews up soon. 

Just wanted to comment real quickly about the Vegan Article that ran in the MN paper yesterday http://www.startribune.com/sports/16582911.html.  I really didn't want this to be a big deal and that's why I wrote on here before that I will not talk much about this during the season but I cannot speak for the press and they will write about whatever they want.  I wanted to clear some things up that I felt weren't addressed right, otherwise you get stories like this http://www.kfan.com/pages/psn_danbarreiro.html shooting out on the airways that make me look bad and slander my name, "Yes, another Twins pitcher has come forward to say the reason he didn't pitch as well as he should is that he ate too much"?  Now I know the S&T article is tough to follow and I can see where Dan made that assumption that I said things but if you read it closely I never stated that in any way or made an excuse or was quoted saying anything close to that.  It would be cool to go on his radio show and talk about this and clear things up.  I felt the Star Tribune article was good but it sent mixed messages.  In the article it stated that last year my diet was poor...this is not correct.  Anyone that knows me knows that I'm a diehard juicer (Fruits & Vegetables) and have been doing this for the past 6 years.  The last time I ate a whopper jr. was in 2004...the article never gave a date but people might have thought I ate those things last year...not the case.  I didn't go Vegan to do better on the field or improve my game, the article makes it sound like I was looking for answers and this is what I came up with, not the case.  I feel like the article was suppose to be about me getting stronger and how I struggled late last season and in some odd way the vegan thing got tied in.  The simple fact was that my arm wasn't ready to pitch everyday and it wore down.  I like the stuff about the workout program I'm trying to utilize this year...Strong workout program, strong results.  So far in Spring Training the results have been great.  The simple fact here is that this is a touchy subject because there are a lot of people that have a special interest (money, job, family) in these industries and they do not like press that might hurt their industries.  For me I'm not proclaiming this as the way, I'm not trying to hurt anyone, this is my personal choice and the conclusion I have drawn (I'm doing this for my health and has nothing to do with baseball) and a couple reporters wrote stories about it.  It's a mixed subject as I found out, I never had so many people ask me where I get my protein, pretty funny I think they think I just read a book and decided to be a vegan...not the case.  If you really care and I'm sure most of you don't, I'm getting tons of good protein in a lot of the things I eat.  I'm also getting all my vitamins from various sources...hooray.  BTW did you know horses don't eat meat and they have tons of muscle, pretty neat to think about!  In all honesty I really never liked meat and only ate it a couple times a week if that in the past.  For the most part of the season last year I was vegetarian (didn't tell anyone) if I had the choice and when we were on the road I really didn't have a choice and ate what the clubby had or whatever restaurant was close...  This really isn't new to me its just another step that I'm trying out.  I'm not telling anyone to go out and go vegan, I'm not here to say this is the best thing in the world, as is everything I do on here I'm telling my story and shedding light into the life of a ballplayer...Good, it's over...You won't hear anything on THIS site until June and like I said before the press will write what they want...I don't really have a choice.  Also as a side note the only reason I'm arriving early at the field is to get my mail done and hangout, I'm not that diehard...All my workouts are done after practice...listening to SLAYER on my ipod...no hippie stuff for me!

Well lots of stuff today to talk about.  We got stuff about a chiropractor and a vegan meal, a Joe Mauer Autographed Figure, a Good & Bad Letter from the mailbag and also a Japanese Package! 

First off things are going really well on the mound and a lot of the credit goes to Dr. Mark Marien (Gold Coast Chiropractic, gotta give a plug) who is a Chiropractor down here in Ft. Myers I have been going to for a couple weeks now.  I was having a little bit of problems with my range of motion on my throwing arm and this guy does something called Active Release Technique...I'm not going to bore you on the details about it but the guy is a miracle worker...My velo feels like I am at my prime and I couldn't feel better on the mound.  I would recommend it for anyone who has any pain...I still like all you doctors out there but I want results and not just told what is wrong with me!

About 2 months ago my wife turned me onto the books "The China Study", "Slaughterhouse",  and one called "Skinny ***" (I think this is the book Prince Fielder was talking about as to why he doesn't like meat).  I'm not going to go into the details but if you have time and want a real eye opener that might change your life I would recommend either book.  Now most of you that know me know that I'm a big raw food person...I love to juice fruits and vegetables and watch what I eat...You can find the articles out there but a couple years back Stephanee really opened up my eyes with the stuff I was eating and it changed my life.  Well to make a long story short for the past 2 months I have been total Vegan and feel better than ever.  I'm not going to sit here and preach about why things are bad because it's really a lifelong learning process and takes years to digest the simplest things about food and something that can't be forced upon anyone.  I'm pretty proud though that I made the change in my life and can avoid the garbage that is out there.  This year will be tough though with our schedule and being on the road but I will be prepared and update you guys as to how I'm doing and what I do so I don't have to eat Burger King or Popeye's chicken ever again...and yes that was the meal after the last two road games I played in...It's hard to believe.  I'm sure I will eat meat again because our society is set up to reward convenience rather than our health

Fun stuff now...Up on the message board is a FREE contest for a Signed Joe Mauer Debut McFarlane figure from this year's collection.  I need to keep up with Phil Hughes's site...that guy will probably give away a car next!  Anyways Joe was cool enough to sign one of these up for me to put on the site...Good luck, I must mention though that on the message board I have suspended registration due to a couple posters that were making threats.  I don't know if I will open up registration anytime soon so if you have an account on there it just might be your lucky day to win a Mauer Signed Figure.  

The other day I was doing my mail and got a surprise package waiting near my locker from Japan.  Inside was a Sadaharu Oh (Japan All Time HR Leader) shirt as seen in the picture with a box of Japanese chocolates and decorated chopsticks.  I thought it was the coolest gesture that a fan has done in a long time and I'm proud to wear the Oh Shirt!  I get a lot of mail each day and a few from overseas...got one from Australia, another one from Korea a few from Europe and numerous from Japan.  Japan ones are always my favorites because they are written on very thin paper with excellent handwriting and they are fun to read because they are very polite and also because of the translation factor, you see some funny mix ups.

All right time for good letter/bad letter segment.  I should do a post about how to write a letter again because it seems like there are a ton of new people sending.  Real quickly, if you want a response send a return envelope with postage, I stopped replying to those years ago and you will not get a response.  Anyways here's good letter bad letter.  The good letter is awesome and one I rarely get.  Usually when I open mail you can feel what is inside, ones with cards are heavier and contain a sase...others that want responses also contains sase's...the scary ones are the ones that are light because it is usually someone wanting something...Scott Baker sits next to me and every time I get a light one I look at him and say something like "Oh no, what do we have here" and he just smiles.  Most of the time it is something like a charity wanting money (you would think they would add a SASE when they ask for money but they don't) or a kid who says something like send me back cards.  These letters usually get tossed, I know some of you are probably saying that I should write back to the kid but you know what...I would love to also but I get over a hundred of those each year and don't have the time to be paying money and using my time to fill out a badly written envelope and also supply a card.  Anyways today I got a letter and it was a light one, I opened it up and all it was was a kid giving praise and saying how he liked watching me pitch...I smiled...it was a very rare letter and I didn't know what to do...he didn't want anything and just wanted to say what's up...I thought it was one of my all-time favorite letters.                                       The bad letter...well...just read and decide!

Pretty much everyone has thrown in the games and our second outings are already coming up.  I'm throwing again tomorrow against Boston.  The first couple weeks are rough on the pitchers because we are throwing every other day and if a guys arm isn't ready for this test it can be a challenge.  Right now most guys are pumped up because we are into games and most guys will get over 2 days rest and not have to throw as much as the first week. 

 I'm pretty excited about the baseball cards coming out this week.  I've always been a big fan of the Topps Heritage set and that is suppose to be out any day now.  I will have a full review of this years product sometime next week.  I like this set because they include tons of guys in the set (cough...not me...cough).  Another thing that's cool about the set is that it is very tough to put together and it's a fun challenge for the year.

 If you are registered on my message board I just wanted everyone to know that I'm giving away a 2007 Spring Training Game Used hat for free if you can answer the correct question! 

 And if you are bored and need a laugh check this out from a couple weeks ago...I know you may have watched this already but some of you may not have seen this and yes I'm copying aarongleeman.com by inserting a youtube video...I love his site! 

Just released from www.sidearmstore.com are some pretty sweet items.  I don't know how they were designed but the hats have a pretty cool logo of me on them.  This is the fourth installment of t-shirts I have put out and the T-shirt's have the MN License plate with something that is very similar to my actual MN license plate...strike 3!  As always my portion of the sales all go to charity.  Also these have once again been produced in limited quantity so if you like them be sure to order them quick before they are sold out.

I just updated the address with my spring training location above.  Please do not send anymore mail to the FL PO Box (Indialantic) as it will be shut down for good and never used again.  I'm heading over to Ft. Myers for spring training in about a week and a half so mail sent by today should be fine.  I just wanted to give everyone the heads up that the above address is the place to send mail now.

Well last week my wife, brother Paul, friend Ryan and I got to do something we have always dreamed about doing…we went to the NHL ALL-STAR game!  This year the ASG was in Atlanta and we were pumped to be able to go.  Like I said in my last post the past weekend was very busy with Twinsfest going on but I was lucky enough to find a way to make it to the game.  My brother Paul and my good friend Ryan made it to Atlanta just in time on Saturday to do all the events like the Red Carpet arrival, the evening party and the Skills competition.  We arrived later Saturday night carrying 2 large bags on the MARTA (subway) and arriving at our hotel.  I really didn’t know where to start for an event like this.  I knew it would be tough as heck to get autos (It was back in 03 when it was in MN) so I told myself to just enjoy the experience and if I get an autograph it’ll be by chance.  The day of the game we decided to check out the CNN center where they were having a big trading card show.  A couple greats of the game and young guys were signing but the lines were literally out the door and I knew from signings that I have done that there was no chance of me getting the autograph…it was basically a Joe Mauer line for you Twins fans!  There was also a line to get your picture with the Stanley Cup…that also had a line out the door.  We didn’t know where to start so we looked around and decided to tour the CNN studio.  About an hour later we got done with the tour and the lines were even more intense.  I remember reading online there was an Upper Deck redemption set giving out at this event so I went to check out the details.  Sure enough if you opened 6 packs of Upper Deck cards you could turn in the wrappers for a special All-Star game collector set.  I opened up 12 packs and walked away with 2 of these rare sets.  I felt good with the day and as I was walking out there were graphers there that hit me up for Autos.  These guys came prepared…I was at the NHL All Star game and getting hit up for graphs…After seriously signing nearly 50 cards, I walked away…then another person came up with a single card.  I thought it was funny that people knew I would be there and brought cards to get signed…you guys are good.

At this point I felt pretty good, I learned that the previous day it was tough as heck to get anything signed and the hotel (four seasons) wasn’t easy because there were tons of dealers working it.  It made me happy with my approach of if I get somebody I get them and if I don’t I don’t.  We walked back to the hotel to change and get ready for the game.  The next thing we got to do was head over to the Pre-Game reception that was being held at the Georgia Aquarium.  At first I thought it would be cool, free food and I might be able to see some cool fish.  When we got in we were amazed at how big that place was.  I’ve never seen an aquarium that big before…it was like an indoor sea world.  Once again the events the NHL put on went above and beyond what I thought it would be.  We toured the entire aquarium and before I knew it the game was ready to start. 

Of course I wanted to be as early as I could for the All Star game because I’ve never experienced anything like this before.  Our seats were excellent…about 15 rows up on the blue line.  We all sat down and just gazed in amazement that we were able to do this and couldn’t wait for the game to start.  Well about a half hour later the players took the ice and I swear I felt like I was 10 again.  I don’t know what it is about hockey but it really gets me pumped up.  We got to see it all…Ovechkin showing off having fun, Zdeno Charo looking out of place like he should be at a Basketball game and our own Marian Gaborik.  Star after star kept flying by…Iginila made everything look so smooth, Jovanovski slapping the puck as hard as he could and Vokuhn stopping every puck from going in.  Once the shoot around was over a large stage came down from the top of the arena with a band on it getting ready to play.  I’m not the biggest fan of the band but they put on a great pre-game show.  It was the Hives playing a couple songs as the players got introduced.  During this time I got some great pictures and tried to get the opening puck drop picture but the ref dropped the puck before anyone could snap a picture quick enough.  The game went on and you could definitely tell it was an All-Star game.  There might have been one check and no penalties during the entire game.  But what lacked in hitting was made up for in passing and stick handling.  We were lucky enough to see first hand how quick these guys were and it was crazy how good they are.  My head felt like a bobblehead watching them pass to each other so quickly.  Well to make a long story short this probably goes down as the biggest sports event I got to attend, it was definitely right up there with the boxing match I went to last year.  Even Stephanee thought it was an awesome experience although I think she had more fun watching all the mascots run around and her getting pictures with them!  As we walked away that night we didn’t even have to look at each other, we were all smiling inside and knew that we just had the time of our life!  

Well these last couple days have been some of the busiest in my life.  On Wednesday night my wife Stephanee and I flew into Minnesota for a busy weekend.  As soon as we got out of the airport I had to run over to Mall of America to pick up my first suit I have ever owned...seriously last week I bought my first suit for an event on Thursday called the diamond awards.  I always told myself that whenever I needed a suit I would go in a week before and get one...that time was this past week.  The rest of the night was spent sorting through PM's on my message board (which I have been on A LOT lately) and digging out cards that I traded with to other collectors.  Thursday was probably one of the busiest days for me in recent memory.  It all started by me showing up to the Metrodome at 9am.  I was starting my filming career by filming my first big budget commercial...well I like to think it was big budget...they hired paid actors for some of the parts.  The commercial was one of those funny ones that the Twins do every year and I don't really want to ruin the surprise before it comes out but it involves my high school, a lot of students, me and I don't know how it happened but Joe Mauer managed to sneak into it!  It was a lot of fun and also grueling.  From 9am until 2:30 we had to be on camera saying the same lines and the finished product will be only 30 seconds long.  After about 20 minutes you could see some of the faces in the crowd were getting tired and they didn't know how much longer they would have to wait.  I think the commercial comes out in late March so be on the lookout.  Right from the dome I ran into my car and headed back home to put on my suit and head to the diamond awards.  The event is an award show for the Minnesota Twins but mainly a way to help the Bob Allison Ataxia Research Center at the University of Minnesota raise money to try and find a cure.  This year I won an award for Upper Midwest player of the year and with that I had to go up and accept the award and talk for a little bit.  The event started at 5pm and went until 10:30 so it was a long but fun night.  I got to meet a lot of my new teammates and it was pretty cool listening to how happy they were to be playing for the Twins.  When I got home lets just say I slept very good!  On Friday Twinsfest started and that's always a fun event.  The Twins brought in a lot of players this year and there were autographs galore.  I always love Twins fest for grapher watching.  Guys come prepared and have the entire night plotted out where they are going to go.  I always laugh at the collectors juggling the big bags that come in filled with memorabilia and stacks of notebooks overflowing with 8X10’s and cards, it's should be a form of art.  This year I brought a Lumicolor by Staedtler pen for my signing sessions so I wouldn't have to rub the gloss off my Topps & Upper Deck cards and it was cool hearing praise by the graphers for doing so.  Man o man there were tons of people there that check out this site and I couldn't believe the demographics of who reads this little journal I make...I swear I heard people telling me from all walks of life that they read the site, little kids, big kids, adults and even grandmothers!  It's pretty neat hearing that and the reason I keep it going.  Another thing I did at Twinsfest was take pictures with fans for a half-hour and a kid’s question and answer session.  The Q&A with the kids is one of my favorites because you hear some questions that even the best reporters couldn't think of.  One little girl asked me if it's tough leaving my 2 doggies home when we have to play road games.  I thought that was the coolest question I have ever heard.  Keep having fun I have another busy day planned for today.  Twinsfest goes all day then Stephanee and I are flying to Atlanta for the NHL All Star game tomorrow.  I'm going to try to get some autographs but I don't know how I will do in dealer heaven!  We'll be taking pictures though and I'm sure we will never forget the experience.

All right I just got back from the Twins Caravan and it was a blast as usual.  I don't think fans understand that we are on a bus for 4 straight days stopping at nearly 20 different places.  Honestly, I love the whole caravan concept and wish other teams would do what the Twins do...it's pretty special.  Highlights of the trip: Seeing the different cities, chatting with people from this site, and getting cards from fans.  I thought it was pretty neat hearing people say how much they like watching me pitch.  Last year at this time only a handful of people said that and now I'm known as the "Weird Throwing Pitcher" and you wouldn't believe how many people commented to me on that.  The caravan was a lot of fun but it is very grueling and could drive you crazy.  The thing that drove me nuts was saying the same thing at nearly every stop...by the end of the trip I thought I became a much better speaker, but I hated hearing my voice (if that's possible).  Inside I felt like Gardy and Vavra, as well as TC bear, were going "not again, if I have to hear him explain why he throws like he does another time...ahhhh" from listening to me deliver the same old lines.  But as we went along I kind of opened up and touched on a lot of topics, and people had some good questions.  Gardy is one of the funniest guys to hear speak.  Every stop I kept wondering what he was going to pull out of his hat to make the crowd laugh, and each stop I wasn't disappointed.  He was fun to go with.  At the end of each night we would hang out, grab a bite to eat, just kick back and talk about anything...I think that's what I enjoyed most about the caravan. 

 Note sheet: Cool things on the caravan...Visited the Daktronics Plant and got to see how they make MLB Scoreboards, found a long lost neighborhood friend in Sioux City that I played baseball with as a kid, chatted with Gardy, Vavra and others about anything you could think of, received numerous cards as well as Northwood’s leagues sets in Mankato...Got bashed in the Sioux Falls paper for I guess disappointing the sold out crowd...(I thought the crowd loved me and I'm sure people there liked me as well so there).  I think the person who wrote the article must like not me...I probably said no to his wife after she demanded I sign more than one card in a "One Auto per person line"... jk, Watched TC bear go nuts after some unappreciative parents made him mad!  I'm sure there's lots of other stuff I'm forgetting but overall this was a blast and I was happy to see everyone come out and say hi, even those of you at the Hardee's in the small town of Windom!  I always think it's pretty neat that there are fans everywhere.   

Well guys just thought I would give an update on what has been going on.  On Sunday I'm heading back to MN to go on the Twins Caravan.  The week after that is Twinsfest and I will also be back for that.  I'm pretty excited for the end of the month as I will be heading to Atlanta to go to the NHL All Star Game.  I'll be sure to take lots of pictures and let everyone know how that whole experience goes.  I'm a big fan of hockey and it will be one of the coolest events I have ever attended so I'm pretty pumped up to go. 

Right now the weight lifting is in full swing.  I feel very refreshed and very strong where I need to be so it's pretty safe to say I'm ready to start another season.  About a week ago I started playing catch.  Each week I like to take baby steps and get my arm ready for the grind of an entire season.  Right now I'm basically playing normal catch with Stephanee and tomorrow I'm going to start moving back for long toss.  Eventually I will be ready to throw bullpens in a couple weeks.

 As for what else is going on one of the big things I have been doing down here is bodyboarding.  It's one of the toughest workouts you can do in my opinion and is a lot of fun.  One of the main reasons we picked this area of FL is for the waves and the ocean and the spot we are at is Surfing central in FL.  Today we drove down to the Sebastian Inlet where a big surfing contest called the SI Pro was being put on by O'neill.  If you've never been to a surf contest you should try to check one out sometime it's a pretty cool thing to see.  There were a lot of highly ranked surfers at this event and graphs were pretty easy to get.  We went to the finals and got to see the winner crowned, check out the pics of Patrick Gudauskas being carried off after winning the championship...Maybe next year I will pick up a surf board and drop the bodyboard...we'll see, I love my bodyboarding.

Just wanted to remind everyone that the auctions have been going strong for a month now under the message board right above this post, check them out if you see something you like.  Here's the latest auction.

2 day auction on this next item and this will end Friday Night at 10PM.

Alright this is kind of a unique item, it's my 2007 Luggage Tag with my alias on it. Pretty much everyone on the team has an alias (another name they check in at the hotel under). We do this so idiot financial planners, radio stations and random people can't call us up at 8am. As most of you know if you do in person autographing one way to find the hotel of the team is to call it up and ask for a player. I would always ask for an assistant coach because they usually don't have fake names to find out which hotel teams were at and it works a lot. 2006 I didn't have an alias and I'm not lying I would get appr 4 phone calls a day...it sucked. So this year I went with good ole CY DAHMER as my nickname...If you say it really fast and together it sounds like sidearmer...I like to switch things up and Cy will no longer be needed...I also need to switch because people are pretty scared when they come to my room to delieve