The Minnesota Twins start playing baseball for real this afternoon in Chicago against the White Sox. These are two teams experts pick to battle it out for fifth place in the Central Division. The Twins are coming off a 96 loss season (again) and have revamped the starting rotation with the addition of Ricky Nolasco and Phil Hughes. Nolasco gets the start today and will be throwing to Kurt Suzuki. Joe Mauer begins his first season at first base.

The other big question for the Twins is the offense. There's a lot of hope the careers of Josh Willingham and Trevor Plouffe will rebound and centerfielder Aaron Hicks will develop.

Coverage of today's game begins at 2:40 with the pre-game, first pitch 3:10 on KROC AM.

Paul Konerko will likely be watching from the bench for the start of what figures to be his 16th and final opening day with the Chicago White Sox. And the 38-year-old first baseman is comfortable with that decision, which ends a streak of 15 consecutive opening-day starts. Konerko's new role is as a right-handed-hitting platoon player at designated hitter. With Minnesota starting right-hander Ricky Nolasco, left-handed-hitting Adam Dunn will start.

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