Bartlett working on little things

La Velle E. Neal III
Star Tribune

FORT MYERS, FLA. -- Here's one of the many things players worry about during spring training

Shortstop hopeful Jason Bartlett was in the batting cage at 7:45 a.m. Sunday working on his bunting. Why?

"I was lying in my bed [Saturday] night, thinking, 'I need to work on my bunting,' " he said.

So there he was, in the cage more than an hour before the Twins' scheduled workout.

Bartlett also wanted to work on his fielding with infielders coach Al Newman, but Newman stayed home sick on Sunday.

"I was looking for him," Bartlett said.

A pesky bug has been floating around the clubhouse over the past week, and anyone who falls ills is sent home to keep it from spreading even more.

Bartlett is trying to win the starting shortstop's job in camp. If not, he'll probably open the season at Class AAA Rochester. Coaches have been impressed with his demeanor and work habits.

Mauer report

Remember how the Twins planned on taking things easy with Joe Mauer and his surgically repaired left knee?

He said he has not had to be pulled out of any drill yet.

"Everything feels good," Mauer said.

Gardy-speak

Rain affected the Twins workout plans for a second consecutive day, but pitchers were able to throw in the bullpen after the rain stopped. Wet fields forced the club to skip fielding drills and live batting practice.

But it allowed Twins manager Ron Gardenhire to get on a roll when talking about how he and workout coordinator Rick Stelmaszek handled Plan B.

"All we need actually is a retractable roof right now over our bullpen," he said. "If we had that, we'd be set up perfect out there. A retractable roof over the bullpen and maybe we could talk about an all-grass infield, not turf, grass infield. If we had that, we might be able to take ground balls. That's something we're thinking about."

A reporter suggested a tarp.

"That's what we're talking about," he continued. "I said that today -- put a blue tent over that thing and make it retractable and just roll it over. I don't spend the money. I know I could. I tell ya, there are things I could invent, and I'd be a millionaire. But I just like baseball. I don't want to be a millionaire. I just want to play baseball and go broke. Wait till I'm finished. You'll see me driving down the road with the first car that can actually fly -- no wheels. Glass wheels. It never needs tread. Cuts the road to pieces."