Twinkie Town Talk: The Opening Day Edition

As usual, feel free to use this as a place to talk about anything you would like—within the limits of reason and the community guidelines.

OPENING DAY IS HERE, TWINKIETOWN!!!! GOOD FREAKING MORNING!!!!

In case you missed it yesterday:

• Jon gave us a preview of our first opponent of the season, Cleveland.
• There are plants making a return to the batter’s eye at Target Field. One theory is that the shrubbery may be sentient, and raised by Byron Buxton to assist in robbing home runs. Another suggests alien involvement.
• The staff gathered up their predictions for the season, and stuffed them all into one big post. It’s basically just a dozen people talking about how awesome Willians Astudillo is.
• Most importantly, imakesandwichesforaliving has EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW about opening day!

Elsewhere in Twins Territory:

• Happy Birthday to Ryne Harper, who officially made the MLB roster. He just joined us olds on the wrong side of thirty.
• You crazy fools did it—you bought every ticket to the home opener. Well, someone did. The Twins have announced that the game is officially sold out.
• MPR gives a backstage look into the Target Field meteorologist, a position that the groundbreaking Twins implemented almost a decade ago. Mace Michaels and Todd Nelson split the duties, and help with deciding when to call the game, and also with the grounds crew’s decision making.

And around the baseball world:

• According the The Hardball Times, there is an increasing between pitcher height and pitcher-goodness. Someone tell Aaron Slegers. Maybe that is all it will take for him to be good.
• Ever wondered about how players find spring training roomies? Start wondering when you read the previous question? Well, the answer is here, provided kindly by cut4.
• Francisco Lindor was supposed to be rehabbing his knee in a minor league game. He ended up injuring his ankle, and will be out indefinitely.
• One of the best prospects in baseball, Fernando Tatis Jr, will avoid the typical service-time manipulation that young players face, as the Padres will start the season with him on the roster.