Besides the moves from the front office, I’ve also letting myself get frustrated by people with whom I disagree – and even with terms I’m tired of people throwing out with authority. (“Replacement” and “upside” are tops on my sick-of-hearing list.)

I’ve been reminding myself, “It’s just club baseball.” And I’m sure I’m right. I had a great time at a game with 7,000 people at Met Stadium where the highlight was Bombo Rivera throwing our beach ball back into the bleachers. To some degree, it doesn’t matter if the team stinks. I still get to see top-level teams and players.

The reason having the Twins turn into the Timberwolves or Royals or Cubs matters is because the average fan is not me. Minnesota baseball fans are fickle. We have come dangerously close to watching the team leave before, and I don’t want to come close again.

James, I do believe there were other “difference makers” in the FA market beyond just Greinke. Sanchez, Jackson, Marcum, Dempster, just to name a few. Were they “aces”? No. But each was a potential “difference maker” in a Twins rotation. I admit that I let the talk coming from Ryan, Pohlad and St. Peter give me some hope that this offseason would be different from others in the past. Now, like last year, I’m left in a position where I just have to hope for the best. There’s always at least one really surprising team that outperforms all expectations… maybe this year that’ll be the Twins.

Since my local Class A team, the Kernels, is now the Twins’ Midwest League affiliate, I’ll likely spend many more nights watching live baseball at the local ballpark watching the Kernels. I can even do that without feeling like I’m “supporting” Jim Pohlad, since my ticket and beer money go to the local public organization that owns the Kernels. My guess is that it will be much less frustrating watching them that in would be watching the Twins this season.

I did not say I did not or would spend money on anything where any portion of it might find its way in to the Twins’ pockets. The topic I clearly was discussing was tickets to their games. True, I attended two Twins home ST games in 2012 and I may indeed attend ST again this spring. I did not attend any regular season games. I also don’t think you can consider my MLB.tv subscription to be “supporting the Twins” since I’m blacked out of even watching Twins games on that site. I primarily watched Orioles games.

Nevertheless, let me clarify… I did not spend any money on Twins regular season tickets in 2012, while I have historically made several trips to the Twin Cities to attend Twins series each season for most of the past decade, at least. It’s unlikely that I’ll make a similar number of trips this season, unless the team is far more successful than we’re expecting. Attendance is a critical component of the Twins’ financial model and going to fewer games is one important way fans can communicate their displeasure with the Twins’ financial decisions this offseason.

Baseball is a tough business. You sit and look at player development. Do you bring them up too soon. What do they need to be the best prepared for the big leagues. You always worry about arbitration and potential free-agency. You want the best group of players to mesh in an overlapping pattern, not necessarily all at the same time (as they become expensive at the same time).

Someone has to lose. Someone has to win, If everyone amps up for contention, someone still gets the short straw.

Plus, you have injuries, headcases, working together, fan support, age.

In the real world, and at times baseball has been a real world, all teams are fairly equal. They have their one or two outstanding superstars, a bunch of grizzled vets, and young turks who long for the glory.

But there is still more disparity than ever, it seems, as in real life business. You have $200 million payrolls and $40 million payrolls. Go figure. But the money is there to spend.

Yes, we would rather see the Pohlads spends $100 million of their yearly $200 million revenue on current on-field product. Then they spend $80 million, we wonder where that additional revenue ultimately goes. Of course, we don’t know how much the Twins really make, how much money is shuffled between companies (this year, they own the radio station).

Was baseball of my youth better, players having to work real jobs in the off-season, preparing themselves for another career after the game ended. Was it a expensive back then as now. Did I blanch at getting more than x-$ worth of food and drink like I do now?

I love baseball. I enjoy watching the game. I worship the different skill sets that I dream I can almost do.

They still get my money, a small percentage of what they take in each year. I happily give it to them, and watch…be they win or lose.