Opening the floor up for questions last week led to over 100 being submitted between the comments section and e-mails. In an effort to respond to as many of them as possible, I addressed questions on baseball-related topics in a separate entry yesterday and will tackle the non-baseball topics today.

Would you eat the moon if it were made of spare ribs?

No, I'm back on a diet.

Ever thought of expanding AG.com to include a Vikings blog during the Twins' offseason?

Football is at best my third-favorite sport and from September to January I write about it six days a week over at Rotoworld, so when it comes time for this blog that's just about the last topic on my mind. Plus, at this point regularly blogging about the Vikings sounds like some sort of court-ordered punishment for law-breaking writers.

Can you settle on an Official Fantasy Girl of AG.com?

Apparently not.

When does the real debate about the next Official Fantasy Girl of AG.com start?

The debate is always ongoing.

Who is in the pool of candidates?

Previous titleholders Heidi Klum, Jessica Alba, and Elisha Cuthbert will always be factors, but the top candidates at this point are Keeley Hazell and Jenna Fischer. However, they've been the leading contenders for several months now and the throne remains vacant, so it's safe to say that I'm waiting for a new third-party candidate to emerge. As Saint Augustine once said, "Patience is the companion of wisdom."

If forced to choose between the two, would you rather watch an hour of Nick Punto at-bats or listen to an hour of a Jeff Straub podcast?

This is an easy question, because I'm a huge Jeff Straub fan. The podcast that he devoted to me was absolutely brilliant and a true comedic masterpiece, even if he didn't mean for it to be that way. I linked to the podcast here, tried my best to keep the site that hosted it from censoring him, and made sure that everyone in my family listened to it. In particular, my grandfather seems fascinated by Straub, bringing him up often. Meanwhile, everyone just tries to forget every Nick Punto at-bat they've seen.

Any good restaurant recommendations in the Highland Park neighborhood?

I grew up in Highland Park, but spent most of my childhood eating at chains and haven't lived there in about eight years. With that said, there's a good Chinese buffet on West 7th Street called Buffet King.

Who is your favorite ESPN.com writer?

Last week in this space I discussed being a huge Bill Simmons fan and I've talked several times in the past about idolizing Rob Neyer, who was basically my introduction into the world of baseball analysis. Beyond Simmons and Neyer, I also enjoy John Hollinger, Peter Gammons, Len Pasquarelli, Keith Law, Chad Ford, Jerry Crasnick, Eric Neel, D.J. Gallo, Jonah Keri, Marc Stein, Matt Mosley, and Mike Sando. And I'm sure there are another handful of names that I'm forgetting.

Can you get me a date with the hot girl from your NBCSports.com videos?

Tiffany Simons is easy on the eyes, likes sports, has a good sense of humor, and is extremely nice, so my guess is that she has enough suitors to avoid getting hooked up via my blog. With that said, there's a chance that I could get you a date with her co-host, Gregg Rosenthal.

Do you think that you'll ever beat me in checkers?

This question comes from a fellow University of Minnesota journalism-school student who faced off against me in virtual checkers hundreds of times over the course of a semester while we sat in the computer lab during a "magazine editing and production" class, which perhaps provides a glimpse into why I never did graduate.

This summer you wrote that the breakdown of your air-conditioning unit had a negative impact on your mood and ability to blog. Yet you've also expressed an extreme dislike of indoor baseball, specifically the Metrodome. How do you reconcile these two opinions on climate control?

Baseball is meant to be played outside. Sitting around the house and typing on a laptop is meant to be played inside.

Do you have any interesting pre-SABR convention travel plans coming up?

The annual Society for American Baseball Research convention tends to be my lone vacation each year, although next week I'm flying to Milwaukee for a long weekend. I'm fairly certain that three nights in Milwaukee isn't most people's idea of "interesting," but I'm looking forward to it. Other than that, it's all work and no play until the 2008 convention in Cleveland.

Are you going to the Winter Meetings again?

It doesn't look like it. A big part of why NBCSports.com sent me to the Winter Meetings last December was that they didn't have any other baseball writers on staff yet. Now the site features columns from Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News and Tony Massarotti of the Boston Herald, both of whom will presumably be at the Winter Meetings for their newspapers anyway.

Better career: Adrian Peterson or Reggie Bush?

I wrote about favoring Adrian Peterson over Reggie Bush when they were both still in college, saying the following about Bush when he was nearing the end of his Heisman Trophy-winning season back in 2005:

I still have some questions about his ability to be an every-down back in the NFL, particularly near the goal line, and I wonder how he'll fare when he doesn't have as many opportunities to run in open space.

I got quite a bit of criticism for that and for favoring Peterson, but my feelings haven't changed. Bush is a fantastic talent and I'm sure that he'll have a great career, but so far he's averaging 3.6 yards per carry and 7.6 yards per catch. Peterson is leading the NFL in rushing despite having two-thirds as many carries as his closest competitors. For as much national attention as Purple Jesus has gotten already, the hype would be off the charts if the Vikings would actually get him the ball 20 times per game.

If you stopped linking to pictures of scantily-clad starlets, would you lose readers? And if so, how many?

I receive more e-mails and comments about the Official Fantasy Girl of AG.com stuff than just about anything else, which you can see from the multiple OFGoAG.com-related questions today. While the dominant topic here is the Twins, this blog has also always covered stuff that has nothing to do with baseball and everything to do with whatever interests me. It's possible that certain non-baseball topics push people away, but the odd mix of topics is likely a big part of why many people enjoy the site.

Would you anticipate gaining new readers (presumably female) from such a change?

Perhaps, but not many. First, the linking to pictures of women is generally reserved for Friday entries, which are pretty clearly not related to baseball for anyone who wishes to skip them rather than be offended. Beyond that, the actual number of links to "pictures of scantily-clad starlets" tends to be pretty minimal. For instance, last week's Link-O-Rama contained only one such link and the same is true for the previous week's entry.

In fact, the Link-O-Rama on October 5 was completely devoid of such links, which caused someone to leave a note in the comments section that read: "No links to hot women? You're losing it, Gleeman." I once assumed that this site's readership was pretty close to 100 percent male, but I've been pleasantly surprised by the number of regular female readers over the years. Plus, if someone is truly offended by non-nude pictures of beautiful women, then I don't mind not having them as a reader.

Why don't you write for The Hardball Times any more?

I co-created The Hardball Times along with Matthew Namee back in early 2004, and for several years I served as editor-in-chief and near-daily columnist while running the site alongside Dave Studenmund. Unfortunately, I had to give up my involvement in THT as part of my contract with NBCSports.com and Rotoworld, but the site and its annual book are thriving without me and remain must-reads for baseball fans.

What is your official title at Rotoworld and NBCSports.com?

It says "Senior Editor" on my business card.

Who do you think is a better wide receiver, Randy Moss or Terrell Owens?

Terrell Owens is obviously very good, but when healthy and motivated there are few wide receivers in NFL history who can compete with Randy Moss.

What are your thoughts on "suiting up" to go to a casino?

I'm not sure what this means, but generally speaking I'm in favor of anything that promotes gambling.

What should have been my reaction when some random guy at Canterbury Park told me that I look like Nick Punto? Was it merely an attempt to put me on tilt?

Punto doesn't strike me as a bad-looking guy. If the person at Canterbury Park had told you that you hit like Punto, then those might have been fighting words.

Opening the floor up for questions last week led to over 100 being submitted between the comments section and e-mails. In an effort to respond to as many of them as possible, I'll tackle questions on baseball-related topics today and get to the non-baseball topics in a separate entry later this week.

When is the next installment of Top 40 Twins series coming out? What number are you up to now?

Hopefully soon, although unfortunately I've struggled recently to find enough time to do the research required for a proper write-up. The last profile in the series was Rick Aguilera at No. 18. Here's the full list of completed write-ups:

- #18 Rick Aguilera
- #19 Dave Goltz
- #20 Camilo Pascual
- #21 Gary Gaetti
- #22 Zoilo Versalles
- #23 Cesar Tovar
- #24 Shane Mack
- #25 Brian Harper
- #26 Eddie Guardado
- #27 Larry Hisle
- #28 Tom Brunansky
- #29 Kevin Tapani
- #30 Jacque Jones
- #31 Butch Wynegar
- #32 Al Worthington
- #33 Greg Gagne
- #34 Matt Lawton
- #35 Steve Braun
- #36 Dave Boswell
- #37 Jimmie Hall
- #38 Eric Milton
- #39 Scott Erickson
- #40 Randy Bush

Are you in favor of changing the "Mendoza Line" to the "Punto Line"?

That might have worked if not for a late-season surge pushing Nick Punto's batting average to .210. Plus, Punto has never actually hit below .200 in a season and carries a .245 career batting average, whereas Mario Mendoza frequently batted below .200 and was a career .215 hitter. Sorry.

What do you think of the structure of the baseball playoffs in general?

I'd be in favor of longer first-round series, fewer days off, and Wild Card winners being allowed to play a team from their division in the opening round. In particular, it bothers me that teams can typically rely on just 3-4 starters and 3-4 relievers in the postseason after needing five starters and 5-6 relievers throughout the regular season. People are often surprised that the strongest regular-season teams don't fare better in the postseason, but it's not always the same team.

What are the Twins going to do for bobbleheads next year now that there are no worthy players left undone?

Surely the Devil Rays still have a few Jason Tyner bobbleheads that the Twins could give out.

What do you think is the biggest niche left to be filled in the Twins blogging community?

There are a lot of possibilities, because most Twins blogs tend to focus on day-to-day issues that don't really qualify as a niche. The one niche that I'd love to see filled is Twins history. Will Young does some good historical stuff and I dabble in it with the Top 40 Twins series, but there's room for a lot more focus on and analysis of things that have already happened.

What types of pitches and/or velocity ranges produce ground-ball pitchers and fly-ball pitchers?

There are people capable of providing much better answers to this question than me, but I'll offer up a simplified version. Pitchers who throw four-seam fastballs and change-ups (Johan Santana, Cole Hamels, Pedro Martinez) typically produce fly balls. Pitchers who throw two-seam fastballs, which are often called "sinkers" (Brandon Webb, Carlos Silva, Greg Maddux), typically produce ground balls.

Be honest, you'll miss the Metrodome a little bit, right?

Not one bit.

Under Tom Kelly and during Ron Gardenhire's early tenure, the Twins were always a fundamentally sound team. With their recent baserunning errors, inability to bunt, etc., who is to blame?

The manager is almost always given the bulk of the credit when a team thrives at the fundamentals, so it seems logical that the opposite should also be true.

Do you see the Twins getting rid of Gardenhire after next season if the team doesn't make the playoffs?

I very much doubt it, although the odds are perhaps slightly greater with Bill Smith replacing Terry Ryan. Ron Gardenhire has a .550 winning percentage and the Twins have employed two managers over the past 20 years.

Should the Twins extend Jason Kubel now while he is cheap?

Any time a team decides that a young player is going to be a big part of their future, they should attempt to sign him to a long-term contract that buys out some of his free agency. I'm not sure whether or not the Twins consider Jason Kubel a big part of their long-term plans yet, but as a 25-year-old who batted .273/.335/.450 despite an awful start they should.

Should Michael Cuddyer be extended?

In a perfect world, sure. But Michael Cuddyer is a good player, not a great one, and once those types of players get close to free agency they tend to be overpriced for the Twins.

If you were hired as Twins general manager, where do you think you'd rank among the 30 GMs?

Dead last, probably by a wide margin. I have no experience within baseball and no experience as an administrator. Being a general manager extends far beyond simply making trades and evaluating players, which is a big part of why Ryan stepped away from the job.

There's no doubt that Torii Hunter runs his mouth, but why does it bother you so much?

I don't mind that Torii Hunter is a quote-machine who loves speaking to the media, because that's a positive trait. It bothers me when he criticizes teammates through the media, often unfairly. It bothers me that he disingenuously spins his future plans. And it bothers me when media members give him a free pass based on his willingness to provide them with quotes. I'm sure that Hunter is a good person, but he acts like a jerk and a phony a lot more often than most fans are able to realize or willing to admit.

What are reasonable expectations for Francisco Liriano next season?

The list of pitchers who've undergone Tommy John surgery is so long at this point that it's really not even worth offering up case-by-case comparables for Francisco Liriano. A huge fraction of pitchers have had the surgery, with the success rate checking in at something like 90 percent. Most pitchers return to their previous level of effectiveness and some pitchers surpass it. The latest updates on Liriano sound very encouraging and barring a setback he'll be more than ready for spring training.

It's going to be tough for many fans to keep their expectations for him "reasonable" given what he did as a rookie, but I'd say that the Twins and Liriano should be incredibly happy with his first season back if he can simply pitch 150 innings without suffering another serious injury. If he can pitch those innings as the same unhittable pitcher that he was in 2006, then that's just a bonus, but it's far from a disaster if it takes some time for Liriano to regain his ability to dominate.

Who's the most overrated Twins prospect?

I'd say Denard Span or Matt Moses, just because many people are still under the impression that they have bright futures.

What would Santana's win-loss record have been if the Twins had produced as a league-average offense during his starts, given the rest of his peripherals?

Santana definitely deserved much better than his 15-13 record. He turned in 21 Quality Starts, yet got stuck with a loss in seven of them to rank third among all MLB pitchers in "tough losses." On the flip side, 54 different MLB starters picked up at least one "cheap win" and Santana wasn't one of them. Santana allowed four or fewer runs in all but three of his 33 starts and the AL as a whole scored 4.9 runs per game, so it's safe to say that he could easily have had 18-20 wins with average support.

The Twins wouldn't bring back Jacque Jones on the cheap to play center field, would they?

I don't know if they would or not, but they should definitely be willing to consider it. Jacque Jones has one year and $5 million remaining on his contract, and the Cubs seem willing to part with him. The Gordon Wittenmyer love letter to Jones that was covered in this space last week was embarrassing, but he'd be a fine short-term solution for the Twins' hole in center field.

Is it a good idea for the Twins to pursue Barry Bonds as a designated hitter?

Would it be a good idea? Yes. Will the Twins do it? I highly doubt it. Many people are quick to overlook Barry Bonds' on-field performance because it hurts their agenda, but he batted .276/.480/.565 this season. Putting his bat in the Twins' lineup would improve the offense far more than any other move that the team could make this offseason. Of course, given the money it would likely take and the fact that both Bonds and the Twins would have to be interested in him playing in Minnesota, it's a long shot.

Can you believe that LaTroy Hawkins will be pitching in the World Series?

Absolutely. LaTroy Hawkins was horrendous as a starter early in his career, but he's been a very good reliever for nearly a decade. Hawkins has turned in a better-than-average ERA in seven of his eight seasons working out of the bullpen, posting a 3.35 ERA while holding opponents to a .255/.311/.376 hitting line in 553.2 career innings as a reliever. During his final two seasons with the Twins, Hawkins combined to go 15-3 with a 1.99 ERA in 157.2 innings.

Do you see Smith doing anything different than Ryan, preferably going after more offense now that we have pitching?

It's nearly impossible to speculate about what type of general manager Smith will be at this early stage, but compared to Ryan he almost can't help but take more risks and focus more on offense.

What is your opinion of the designated hitter rule?

I like the designated hitter, although it should be noted that I'm a lifelong fan of an American League team who was born in 1983. With that said, I'd be in favor of both leagues adopting the same rules whether it meant pitchers or designated hitters batting.

Looking at the Twins' payroll going ahead, why does everyone assume that they have to trade Santana?

Because, rightly or wrongly, many people assume that every star player on a small-payroll team will eventually leave for a big-payroll team due to money. Given the money that they've paid to players like Hunter and Brad Radke in the past, and the fact that the payroll increases on an annual basis, paying Santana in excess of $20 million per season is certainly feasible for the Twins.

Can stats be used to explain everything in baseball?

Not even close.

Can a person cherry pick stats to prove his or her point?

To "prove" it? No. To attempt to prove it? Sure.

If a player has a bad year, one where injury isn't a factor, can he come back and have a great year?

Of course. This happens every season.

Is there anything that can prevent Smith from signing Pedro Feliz?

Sure, money. Pedro Feliz is similar to the player that Tony Batista was in his prime, so he's someone I'd have expected Ryan to pursue via free agency. I'm hopeful that Smith won't go after Feliz, but it's probably a moot point given that several teams seem likely to pursue him after four straight 20-homer seasons.

Why do baseball writers and television analysts say and write "RBIs" instead of "RBI" to indicate multiple runs batted in? The plural is in the "runs."

There are differing views on this, with some major newspapers and websites using "RBI" and others using "RBIs." Because the acronym itself has become a word, I'm of the opinion that "RBI" is what's being pluralized. Thus, I write "five RBIs" instead of "five RBI." It's the same reason that I'd write multiple prisoners of war or multiple weapons of mass destruction as "POWs" and "WMDs."

Do you really think that Alexi Casilla should be the Twins' second baseman?

Yes, although I'd bet on Punto having the job coming out of spring training. Alexi Casilla had a very disappointing season, putting up modest numbers at Triple-A before struggling mightily with the Twins. However, he's just 23 years old and is a career .298/.368/.374 hitter in the minors despite being young for nearly every level he's been at. In time Casilla looks capable of providing an above-average on-base percentage with outstanding speed and strong defense at second base.

What does his impressive showing in xFIP for 2006 and 2007 mean for Felix Hernandez? Does xFIP favor Hernandez too much, or does it indicate Santanian dominance in his future?

Felix Hernandez is among the best young pitchers to come along in decades and the fact that his xFIPs don't match his ERAs shows that he's been inconsistent and hurt by the Mariners' defense. Some people view Hernandez's 30-25 record and 3.94 ERA as disappointing because of the massive hype that he received, but the opposite is actually true. A pitcher who wins 30 games with a sub-4.00 ERA and 3-to-1 strikeout-to-walk ratio before his 22nd birthday has a tremendously bright future.

Is it possible for the Twins to win the AL Central in 2008? If so, how?

Absolutely. Regardless of how frustrating the 2007 season was, the Twins still boast some of the best top-level talent in all of baseball and can make significant improvements by simply adding depth in the form of players who're merely average. Remember, Cleveland finished fourth last year and the Twins finished third in 2005. With that said, the division is much stronger than it was earlier this decade and in particular the Tigers, Indians, and Royals are setting themselves up very well for the future.