Spring Outlook: Denard Span

Denard Span felt he was ready to step up and play centerfield last season for the Twins. That viewpoint has not changed with the New Year, and Span says he is still ready to step in and fill the hole.

"I'm definitely ready; I thought I was ready after spring training last year. I
felt like I had proven to others and especially to the Twins organization that I
was ready for the next level and now one year later everyone is writing me off
because of one bad half of baseball in Rochester."

He never got the chance to show his talent at the major league level last season, but the Twins will allow him to go after the job this spring in a competition with other young prospects Carlos Gomez and Jason Pridie. Span feels like he has a chip on his shoulder and is eager to get started.

"I'm ready to compete with whomever, whether it be Pridie or Gomez. I expect it
to be a war in spring training because I gotta believe that they are just as
hungry as I am. I know for a fact that I have a bigger chip on my shoulder
because neither of those guys have been disrespected or slapped in the face
like I've been by others and the Twins this off season."

Span hasn’t been doing anything out of the ordinary to gear up for the competition. He says he’s always worked hard and that has remained the same.

"I've been doing the same thing I've done every off season since the Twins
drafted me in 2002. I've always worked hard and never needed anyone or anything
to motivate me except for this year."

With spring training now just weeks away, you can be sure that Span is ready to go.

"My favorite part is just getting back down to Fort Myers and gearing up for
another season."

And this season will have much more attached to it than any other that Span has encountered.

[All comments were made in an interview with Twins Territory and were not taken from any other source]