Photo day on this end

The Associated Press has supplied
a sharply focused photo of Joe Mauer's bat.
Why is another matter.

Tuesday was Photo Day at the Twins spring training camp, with the players spending a big chunk of the morning moving through 10 different photo stations. Photos for scoreboard use, for media use, probably for baseball cards ...

When photo day comes, I know that I'll be spending a few hours downloading and preparing mug shots from the Associated Press feed. Which I did Wednesday, about two hours of work on something like 71 photos.

It's not a complete set. It never is. Last year I didn't get a Casey Fien mug, and figured, well, he's not going to make the team, I won't miss it. He wound up pitching 35 innings with a 2.06 ERA for the Twins, and yeah, I wanted a Fien mug in August. In 2011 it was Ron Gardenhire's image missing, of all people.

This year's missing guys are Lester Oliveros and Nick Blackburn, both of whom I have from previous seasons anyway. And bullpen coach Bobby Cuellar, who I don't.

I may never need a photo of the bullpen coach; I think the only time I used a Rick Stelmaszek mug was when the Twins let him go last year. On the other hand, if in midseason Gardenhire and Rick Anderson get the ax, Cuellar is the most likely successor to Anderson as pitching coach.

Much of my work today will go for naught; if Ray Olmedo or Eric Fryer ever play for the Twins, it will be a bad sign indeed. But I'm ready if there ever is a time when their image is relevant.