* Visitor’s BP has always and was still going to be part of the ticketholder experience at no additional cost.

* The only time home BP was *ever* visible is — as I recall — possibly seeing the tail end of it on weekends when they opened up the gates 120 minutes before first pitch rather than 90 minutes.

* The entire ballpark experience is more or less predicated on the pay-to-improve structure. Want to get in? $8 or whatever gets you up top. Pay more to sit lower. Pay more to get into the Legends Club. Pay more to get into the Champions Club. Pay more to take home a Glen Perkins shirsey. You get the idea.

* There was no obligation for anyone to ever do this. And if nobody showed up, or it just wasn’t working, the Twins would have likely discontinued it. But if demand dictated that it would have worked — quite honestly, I think it would have — then the complaints only become worrisome from a ‘future ticket buyer’ standpoint. I do understand this, though.

The problem here, as with many arguments, is a lack of common denominator. People on separate levels are arguing different points for their side. Nobody would necessarily be wrong, so to speak, but to try to make your experience normative for those on the other side simply results in talking past each other.

So suggesting that we’re just talking heads with more than just a vested interest in the Twins — especially at 1500 where we don’t hold the broadcast rights any more — simply just isn’t true. Similarly, it’s not a groupthink situation. I’ve never once been even told what direction to head when it comes to my content, and this isn’t a company line deal of any sort.

The idea that media members get to see home batting practice for free regardless doesn’t really hold water. I’m only a veteran of one homestand as a regular media member, but some things I do understand.

This is one of them.

We congregate in or around the dugout during home BP to talk to Ron Gardenhire. Very little of what we do as media members is gleaned from the BP experience. We are not permitted around the cage — neither the one on-field or by the clubhouse, for good reason — with the exception of a few select folks.  And if Gardenhire speaks earlier, or later, or in his office like he did during the Tigers series, you’d almost have no idea — as a media member — that home BP ever occurred. Last homestand the only time I saw home BP was when we were taping a YouTube video, and that was just the beginning.

Ultimately, we are also not there for the same reason as fans. While I still fervently love the game of baseball, I’m there to work. I don’t cheer when Justin Morneau homers, I don’t boo when Aaron Hicks strikes out. I pound away at the keyboard, drink copious amounts of coffee, and try not to annoy Tyler Mason too much.

The fan experience and the media experience just aren’t the same, and any attempt to reconcile the two on common ground proves futile.

And while the idea may come across as a money grab, surely the Twins have to staff that time with ushers, and possible health care attendants as oftentimes BP home runs can turn into nasty bruises and that sort of thing if fans aren’t as adept with the glove as their on-field favorites.

It’s my view that the Twins shouldn’t be forced to incur that risk financially.

And even if that isn’t the point, my feeling was that the blowback was more indicative of the Twins charging for something which was previously free. And that simply wasn’t the case.

My imperfect solution would be to roll this into a deal with a stadium tour included. I think very few people would do this regularly — hence why a tour makes sense — but it would certainly be enough where a fair pricing structure could be figured out.

I’d love to hear your thoughts on the matter. Feel free to tweet me @Brandon_Warne or email me at brandon.r.warne@gmail-dot-com.

One of my favorite things to do during spring training is to write up what I think the 25-man roster will look like when Opening Day — I capitalize it because it’s a holiday — comes around.

I don’t exactly know why I like it so much. Maybe it makes Opening Day feel that much real and closer? Maybe it’s fun to pretend to be a GM for a few minutes? Or maybe it’s just super interesting to think about how the local nine will play out this season. I don’t really know.

But today I figured we might as well take a look at how this season will open up, because I think there’ll be a few more than 25 names in play when the Twins make some likely difficult roster decisions.

Starting Lineup:
C – Joe Mauer
1B- Justin Morneau
2B- Brian Dozier
3B- Trevor Plouffe
SS- Pedro Florimon
LF- Josh Willingham
CF- Aaron Hicks
RF- Chris Parmelee
DH- Ryan Doumit

No real surprises here. I could see Dozier sent out and Carroll and Escobar sharing second, as the spring hasn’t been all too kind to the converted shortstop (.226/.314/.323 line). But the Twins don’t worry as much about numbers — especially in the case of young players — in spring as demeanor. Is the guy picking up signs properly? How is he carrying himself in situations? Personally, I like this approach because spring training stats aren’t really substantive. There isn’t an adequate sampling of what’s to come, and a lot of times you’re facing a team’s fifth LOOGY or a high-A reliever in the eighth inning of a 9-2 game.

I think Hicks has pretty much cemented his spot in centerfield, as well as hitting leadoff. It may not be pretty early, but in a year which will likely be about growing as a team, Hicks will be given every opportunity to stick. I think the rest of the lineup is pretty much no-brainers, barring health issues.

Bench:
C- Drew Butera
IF- Jamey Carroll
IF- Eduardo Escobar
OF- Darin Mastroianni

Nothing earth-shattering here, either. I could see Chris Colabello making the team as a bench masher with a few conditions. One of them would be only carrying two catchers (Mauer-Doumit). That seems unlikely due to Doumit DH’ing regularly, in my opinion. I could also see Colabello sticking as the 25th man if the Twins went with a shorter pen out of the gates. In that case, I wouldn’t imagine that Colabello survives April unless, again, the Twins were to demote Butera.

An extreme longshot would be Chris Herrmann. Herrmann hasn’t had a very good spring — again, in extremely limited duty — but his versatility as a catcher and outfielder would also be a nice thing to have on the bench. Herrmann has yet to play at Triple-A, and wouldn’t see much time in the bigs, so Rochester might be the best place for him at the outset.

Rotation:
1. Vance Worley
2. Mike Pelfrey
3. Kevin Correia
4. Liam Hendriks

The Twins don’t need a fifth starter until something like April 10, so I think they’ll go with four starters out of the chute in order to get a better look at another reliever, or again maybe Colabello. Hendriks has pitched pretty well this spring — much better than Kyle Gibson, in fact — so I think he probably gets the nod out of the gates as the last starter, even if it isn’t popular with fans. I think the faithful are getting antsy to get a look at the tall Mizzou righty, but they may have to wait a bit. I think Diamond starts the season on the DL, which only helps him and the Twins.

The Twins have plenty of viable arms vying for bullpen slots, and an extra 10 days to evaluate them in regular season games could be helpful. Similarly, I’ve maintained for much of the spring that a guy is more likely to clear waivers on 4/10 or 4/15 than he would be on the eve of Opening Day (when teams likely have less rigid 40-man rosters).

Bullpen:
1. Glen Perkins
2. Jared Burton
3. Brian Duensing
4. Casey Fien
5. Alex Burnett
6. Josh Roenicke
7. Tim Wood
8. Ryan Pressly

I don’t have a good read on how married to the bottom three guys the Twins are. Both Roenicke and Wood are on the 40-man roster — and out of options — so I think they sneak in due to the Swarzak and Diamond injuries. Pressly has been pretty good out of the pen, so I would guess the Twins will give him a shot to prove his mettle. I’ll say this much: I’m glad I’m not a decision-maker regarding this bullpen.

DL:
RP Anthony Swarzak
RP Rich Harden
SP Scott Diamond

I would guess Swarzak and Diamond would be ready to come off sometime around April 15. I’m not sure about the rules, but the Twins could possibly put Diamond on the DL retroactive to say March 25, and then he could be activated to start on April 10. Just an idea. It’ll be interesting to see if/when Harden gets healthy if he has anything left. I’ve long advocated for someone to make a reliever out of him, and if he’s got even a semblance of his old stuff/velocity, it could work.

Outside Looking In:
RP Tyler Robertson
RP Caleb Thielbar
SP Cole De Vries
OF Joe Benson
OF Brandon Boggs
OF Clete Thomas

There’s nobody on this list to be crestfallen for/about, but at least a couple of these guys had legitimate chances to break camp with the club. I could still see De Vries make the team over Hendriks, but I think that’d just be semantics.

One of those teammates who fit the mold for the former was John Prelvitz, whom I caught up with a while back, and he was enthused about a chance to answer a few questions. Prelvitz was a stalwart punter for the NDSU football team who compiled an exceptional senior season which we touch on in the interview.

Brandon Warne: If I recall correctly, you’re the first Roseau Ram to play DI football, right?

John Prelvitz: Yes, as far as I know.

BW: Help us understand a bit better about how the recruiting process worked for you.

JP: Doug Borowicz really helped me get exposure to NDSU on a deeper level. He knew Brent Vigen, who played his college career at NDSU and is now their offensive coordinator. Brent came to Roseau and recruited me. I went there as a preferred walk-on and earned my way to a scholarship. Overall it was great because I was fortunate enough to have a few choices in a few different sports. But NDSU really sold me on getting a quality education and being part of a great football program. Truthfully, both were exactly that!

BW: How was the first day of practice?

JP: It was intimidating, but one of the best feelings ever. It was one of the moments where I thought, “What have I gotten myself into?” I realized very quickly that I wasn’t as good as I may have thought. My competitive spirit was immediately drawn out ten-fold.

BW: What was your ‘welcome to DI/college football’ moment?

JP: Once I realized how big, strong, and fast my teammates were, I knew this program was on another level. Some of the guys I played with on our 2006 and 2007 teams are now starters in the NFL. So if that tells you anything, it was quite the site watching them play at NDSU. Also, the professional structure and equipment we had access to; it was something I had never experienced before.

BW: Initially, you played with (Mike) Dragosavich, who was an excellent punter in his own right.

JP: Yes, I played with Mike. He was in his junior season when I got to NDSU in 2006. Fortunately for him, I didn’t beat him out his senior year. *laughs* I was his backup for two seasons and then I started in 2008 and played for three seasons.

BW: Did he mentor you in any way? What did you learn from him?

JP: He was one of the main reasons I thrived at NDSU. I learned so many things from Drago. Not only perfecting technique, but I learned how to develop a mentality that supported success at that level.

BW: What are the best memories you draw from your time on the team?

JP: Many of my favorite memories always involved my teammates. I had the best teammates in the world. Of course, we gave each other a hard time now and then but I always knew that no matter what, that they had my back and I had theirs. It didn’t matter if we were on the field, in the weight room, or in a social setting. The camaraderie you build with those guys is pivotal; it is a brotherhood. Together, you will face some of the toughest times in your life, but you will also experience some of the best times, too.

From a material standpoint, being one of the best punters in all of college football during my senior year was an amazing memory. Earning All-Conference and All-American honors were both, undoubtedly, highlights of my career. Although none of those things could have happened without having the best teammates and coaches in the country.

BW: You also played with Joe Mays, who’s gone on to be a pretty good thumper at linebacker for the Denver Broncos.

JP:  Yes, I played with Joe. My memory of him was always, “Wow, he is a freak of nature!” He was always in great physical shape and could flatten anyone in his way. But he was a very humble guy. Even as a rookie punter, he treated me with respect and that really says a lot! He is a great guy all around and I wish him all the best in the future.

BW: Who else did you play with who made the NFL?

JP: There are a few. Craig Dahl was a strong safety for NDSU, and is now with the St. Louis Rams as a starter. Matt Veldman is down in Jacksonville with the Jaguars right now.  He played tight end and graduated a year after I did. Paul Cornick was picked up by Denver late this last season and was on the practice squad as an offensive tackle.

BW: How can you best sum up what it meant to beat the Gophers?

JP: Knowing that your team can defeat a Big Ten school was a great measuring stick. Beating them was a critical part of NDSU’s future success as a program. It gave us a taste of success that kept us hungry and wanting more. Our guys realized that we can compete with the majority of all college teams, and that helped push us to the next level, striving for absolute excellence.

The past three years NDSU has been in the FCS playoffs and twice they won the championship.  That is now the expectation and beating the Gophers was a stepping stone to all of it.

BW: You didn’t go the the NFL combine, but rather a prospect showcase after your collegiate career was done. Can you fill us in on some of the details there?

JP: I actually attended a few NFL prospect camps/combines that were put on by former NFL specialist Gary Zauner. Coach Zauner worked with Drago, as well as many current and former NFL specialists. He is a wonderful launching pad for high school and college prospects.

It was fantastic to see the nation’s top punters from all college football. It helped bring out the competitive nature when we all needed it the most. The talent was there and now it’s all about who can execute at a high level, which is exactly what the NFL looks for. Being there was great; unfortunately this was during the lockout, so it was a quiet time for any prospective NFL punter.

BW: When you reflect on your time as a punter, what do you remember best/ worst?

JP: The most important thing I took away from punting while playing college football was the focus, technique, and execution it took to achieve success. No matter what you are trying to accomplish in life, it probably won’t happen unless you have a plan in place to make it happen. I learned that whatever I was passionate about whether it was parenting, sports, business, marriage, or being the best Christian I could be, I had the best chance at succeeding if I focused on those three components.

Success, in my opinion, is broken down three ways. First, you have to have an absolute laser focus on what you want.  Second, you need to have developed a plan of action based on calculated research or previous trial and error.  Finally, you need to commit to executing that game plan every day to the best of your ability. These are the three things I started focusing on when I realized I had the potential to make an impact. Potential, as we all know, is defined as ‘capable of being but not yet in existence.’ Too many times I thrived on the potential of things and ironically they never became a reality. I am confident that with these three steps, those flowers we all saw potential in would bloom into the beautiful bouquet they were meant to be.

BW: Well, since you aren’t kicking on our televisions every Sunday, what are you up to now?

JP: Since graduating from NDSU in 2010, I am now living in Sartell, Minn. I reside here with my wife, Ashley and our amazing sons, Bryden (5) and Beckett (6 months).  I am thriving in my career as a financial planner. I represent Northwestern Mutual and my office is in St. Cloud. We are having the time of our lives. During the day I am meeting some of the most successful people in our community, striving to make an impact on as many people as I can. Ashley and I give much thanks to where we have been and we are excited for what is to come in the future!

And it’s my website anyway, right?

So tonight’s piece is on how I’d construct my 25-man roster if I were a GM. Let’s dig right in:

Batting Order:

1. Leadoff hitter first and foremost has to get on base. I’d say .350 OBP would be my minimum, obviously contingent on iso, etc. I don’t care about speed too much.  I also toy with the idea of my best hitter leading off, so he gets the most plate appearances on the season. (ideal: Joe Mauer)
2. Second hitter should be nearly as good at getting on base. I like a left-handed hitter here, as he’ll be hitting to a more open 1B-2B hole with my leadoff guy on base all the time. Ideally, if I have to similar leadoff-type hitters, I’ll use the guy w/ higher SLG here. (ideal: Dexter Fowler)
3. This is your best overall hitter. Ideally, this guy will be good at making contact, have at least decent power, but overall will be your best hitter. Everyone probably knows this anyway. (ideal: Mike Trout)
4. This is your best power hitter, as in someone who can clean up the bases, preferably in the first inning. (ideal: Miguel Cabrera)
5. I always find this guy to be a hybrid of the 3-4 spots. The five hitter is still arguably one of your most capable hitters, and someone with good extra-base pop will allow them to drive in the most runs. (ideal: Giancarlo Stanton)
6. I don’t have a hard-and-fast rule for my six hitter, except that he’s probably just another solid bat. Maybe a good doubles guy? (ideal: Alex Gordon)
7. Typically this will probably be the last of your adept hitters, unless you’re building some kind of offensive juggernaut. I’m OK with all-power, no OBP here if I like it anywhere. (ideal: Corey Hart)
8. I don’t have a real strong formula here. Probably your worst or second-worst hitter, depending upon if you subscribe to the pitcher hitting eighth in the NL theory. Essentially, someone with OBP who can turn the order over with your nine hitter would be nice. (ideal: Marco Scutaro, maybe?)
9. Obviously this is where you hide your worst hitter. Ideally, I want someone with good OBP if they won’t have any pop, so at least I have someone who can turn the order over. This is probably also a good defensive player, and maybe a fast player too. (ideal: Elvis Andrus)

I don’t really have any set-in-stone rules for if I were to break down what my third baseman or right fielder would need. Typically I’d want at least decent defense from everyone. I’d like a smart catcher with a good arm, a mobile shortstop who also has a good arm, and my centerfielder to be able to track down everything. I’m OK with a noodle-armed left fielder, but need a good arm in right. None of this is really revolutionary, though. Onto the bench….

Backup C: I want a good catch-and-throw guy, and ideally, maybe someone with some pop. (ideal: Kelly Shoppach)
Backup IF: You need at least one guy who can handle short, and ideally he can field really well. A decent bat would be nice, but not required. (ideal: Jamey Carroll)
Backup IF/OF/DH: I need a bench masher. Preferably someone without a discernible platoon split, but I wouldn’t say no to Jim Thome either! (ideal: Garrett Jones/Brandon Moss)
Backup OF: For a fourth OF, I want someone who can run a little, hit a little, and handle center in a pinch. The fielding and running is negotiable if I carry a fifth OF. (ideal: Craig Gentry)

As far as starting pitchers go, I really prefer to have a rotation of guys that all fan a minimum of 6.5-7.0 per 9. I realize that’s not likely, so I’ll settle for one or two guys who get grounders at 45% or higher (like a Jake Westbrook or Matt Harrison).

In my pen I would ideally love all of my guys to throw in the mid-90s and get 8.0 K’s per 9 or better. Again, this isn’t too likely. But if I can get three or four guys like that, I’d also like to have a groundball specialist (Brad Ziegler, anyone?), someone who is filthy against lefties, and at least one guy who absolutely does not walk anyone.

My closer wouldn’t necessarily be my best reliever, but he’d have to be a strikeout pitcher. If he were my best reliever, he’d also have to be OK with being dispatched as I see fit based on leverage. So I’d probably have to have a trio of pitchers like Jared Burton who I could use between the 7th and 9th innings.

So that’s how I’d build my team. Thoughts?