The Last Windrow: The only sure bet is it's time for my annual Twins forecast

The ball might make it over the fence!

The time of the year has arrived when I habitually submit my annual Minnesota Twins forecast. I know many of you could give a hoot, but there are those in my audience who seek this forecast from me with the idea that I might know something about the Twins' chances to experience another World Series.

I caution those who think I know something not to make any big bets on this forecast. Money is too easy to lose.

It seems so long ago that the Homer Hankies were waving in the air after the team secured their second World Series win. I still have my "Hanky" hanging in my basement spare room. When I look at it I wonder if that win actually happened.

But, happen it did, and I've been keeping an eye on the spring training games coming out of Florida. One can never take those wins and losses down in Fort Meyers as any indication of how the team will actually do during the season.

There have been preseasons when the Twins sported lots of wins and went on to a season of disappointment. All preseason games are just a test of players and strategy.

The new rules initiated this year, meant to speed up the game, will be interesting to watch. No longer will pitchers be able to amble around the mound, spitting out sunflower seeds while the batter stands at the ready in the box.

No longer will the infield be able to switch positions in an effort to stifle a hit to the opposite field. Batters won't be able to stand just outside the batter's box and examine their batting gloves for five minutes.

The changes should speed up the game, but there will be arguments.

The Twins have made some good moves in the offseason and have somehow managed to keep Carlos Correa on the roster. He was headed for a couple of other teams when those teams deemed his ankle a problem and allowed him to re-sign with the Twins. That is a plus.

Byron Buxton is again seeming to be healthy. I was going to send the team a note asking the manager to suggest he not run into the outfield fence before the season begins. I don't know if they followed that advice.

A bevy of new pitchers is now on hand, and if the bullpen can hang onto a lead after the eighth inning, good things could happen. The starting lineup should be better than in the past few years. I would hope that a starter having a good game would be allowed to go more than five innings.

And so, here I've come to my forecast.

I've counted the amount of acorns a chipmunk stored under the manifold of my rusted out pickup truck, multiplied that number by how many degree days of heat we've had since December, divided that number by how many squirrels invade my bird feeders daily, and then I've taken the square root of that number and subtracted it from the budget surplus in the Minnesota treasure and I've come up with some numbers.

This year (drum roll, please), I predict that the Minnesota Twins will end up with a record of 88 wins and 74 losses.

That record will win their division and propel them into the playoffs. I can't go any further than that because if they would end up playing the Yankees or the Astros, all bets are off.

The Twins start the season at Kansas City on March 30. To my KC loving editor in South Dakota, that should be a Twins win!

You can hang your baseball hat on that. The ball might make it over the fence this year!

See you next time. Okay?