Oliva awaits vets' Hall vote

BY GORDON WITTENMYER
Pioneer Press

FORT MYERS, Fla. — Former Twins great Tony Oliva has reason to be optimistic about his chances to be inducted into the Hall of Fame this year, but he is trying to stay away from the subject.

In fact, he welcomes today's start to full-squad spring training workouts to help keep his mind off Wednesday's announcement of veterans committee voting for the Hall.

"They're telling me I might have a good chance this year. We'll see," said Oliva, who arrived in camp late this week to work as a special instructor. "It'd be nice. But I don't want to get too high or too low. Everybody around me is more excited than me."

Every member of the Hall of Fame is a voting member of the veterans committee in a system restructured two years ago. Oliva stays in touch with many of them, including Juan Marichal, who told him recently his chances of making it were good.

"I just want to be neutral," Oliva said.

Done deal

The insurance company covering the Twins' four-year contract with pitcher Johan Santana approved the policy Friday, making the $40 million agreement official and clearing the way for Santana to sign it as soon as the paperwork is ready in a day or so.

The contract pays him $5.5 million (including a $1 million signing bonus) this season, $8.5 million next year, $12.75 million in 2007 and $13.25 million in 2008.

The largest contract in franchise history, in both total value and single-season salary (in the final year), also includes a $100,000 bonus for every Cy Young award he wins in addition to last year's, as well as a limited no-trade clause.

The no-trade clause, only the second given to a Twins player (also Brad Radke in 2000), becomes a full no-trade clause with consecutive finishes among the top three in the Cy Young voting. Until then, he is allowed to choose three teams to which he cannot be traded this year, eight next year, 10 in 2007 and 12 in 2008.

The Talk

Twins manager Ron Gardenhire said his annual "go-get-'em" speech to the team before today's first full-squad workout will have a lot to do with looking ahead. "Everything else is in the past now, so you build off of it. Maybe we learned something from last year, and you try to move forward and see if we can do even better."

New Stew

Left fielder Shannon Stewart made his first appearance in camp and said his right foot is fine after he spent much of last season sidelined and slowed because of plantar fasciitis, an injury usually associated with basketball players that often lingers for months.

Stewart, who got married during the offseason and who is about to close on a new home in the Miami area, looked fit and upbeat, and said he was ready to get back to baseball.