"Catching Up With Cuddyer" by Buster Olney (from ESPN.com)

Joe Mauer and Justin Morneau were MVP candidates hitting third and fifth for the Twins, and Michael Cuddyer had a breakout season hitting between them, slugging 24 homers and driving in 109 runs. We e-mailed him questions, and he e-mailed answers:

1. You're a right fielder now, but when you've played third base -- the hot corner -- was there a hitter on the other team who made you a little nervous, as you stood at your position (especially on the artificial surface of Minnesota)?

Cuddyer: Have you seen my fielding numbers? Everyone made me nervous! (just kidding). I think without a doubt -- and I would say probably about 90 percent of big league third basemen would agree -- Gary Sheffield is one guy you don't want to see step in the box while you are playing there. Not just because he hits the ball harder than any other player in the game, but because of the bat wiggle, the leg kick, the force that he swings with. All of that combined make for a very intimidating hitter, especially when you are only a hundred or so feet away from him. The worst time I got hit over there at third was by Junior Spivey when he played with the Brewers. He hit one of the hardest sinking line drives I have seen, and I was playing him in to bunt. The ball started up around my face and before I knew it, it hit me right in the knee cap. The ball kicked into the third base dugout, and what made it hurt even worse was that the scorekeeper gave me the error. I couldn't believe it: a broken leg and an error all in one play (Haha).

2. What is the best and worst thing about moving to right field?

Cuddyer: There are many good things that have occurred because of my move to right field. The obvious and best reason, I guess, is that it has given me the opportunity to play everyday at one position without the fear of having to remember to bring my other three gloves (a first baseman's mitt, a third base glove, and a second base glove) down to the field for the game. Because I grew up in the infield and played so long professionally there, I sometimes miss the action that comes with being in the infield. But with the way things have worked out, the positives most definitely outweigh the negatives by a long shot.

3. What is your worst fear?

Cuddyer: Most definitely wasps or bees. Hands down! I never really liked them growing up, and then when I was 16, I had a wasp incident. I lived out on about 50 acres of land in my hometown of Chesapeake, Va. Our driveway was about a quarter of a mile long and the mailbox was on one end, with the house on the other. So when I would come home from school I would just stay in my car, roll the window down, get the mail and take it to the house. This particular year, wasps built a nest under the mailbox. When I went to get the mail, they rushed out and came into the car, and there was nothing I could do to stop them. I couldn't get out of the car because the mailbox was in the way of the door, so I just threw it in reverse and flew down the driveway to the house. When I finally made it to the house, I fell out of the car; to make a long story short, I was stung roughly 15 time in the head and face by the wasps. Needless to say, anytime I get remotely close to bees or wasps, I'm gone.

4. What was the greatest Torii Hunter catch you ever saw?

Cuddyer: Man, that's an extremely tough question, because I have become so accustomed to the plays that he makes -- they just look normal now. There is one play that sticks out, however. I am not sure who we were playing, but it was a game in 2003, and a ball was hit deep to center and just like every other Torii catch, he just climbed over the wall to rob the home run. As he scaled the trashbag-like wall in the Metrodome, he was sling shot back to the ground and hit his head as hard as I have ever seen anything hit the ground. He held onto the ball in obvious pain. Every other catch, in comparison with that catch, seems almost routine.

5. What was the best game you've ever seen Johan Santana pitch?

Cuddyer: Like Torii's defensive plays, Johan makes masterful seem routine. There was the game last year at home against the Red Sox, Curt Schilling against Johan. It was as hyped up, and it was one of the rare times when the all that hype was justified -- both pitchers were spectacular. Two spectacular performances. Johan was absolutely unhittable, and other than Jason Varitek's home run in the 7th, not one ball was hit even remotely hard. He owned that game and although he didn't get a decision, I don't believe, it was still one of the best games pitched by arguably the best pitcher in the game.

6. Who is a player on another team who you like to watch, and why?

Cuddyer: There are so many players in the league that I admire and enjoy watching. I would have to say that one of my favorite players is Miguel Tejada. I really respect the energy level that he plays at. The fact that he plays every day at an All-Star and MVP-caliber -- like that other guy that played shortstop in Baltimore -- shows me the passion that he has for the game. He really plays because he loves it that much. Guys who play hard and really enjoy playing are the guys that I love watching and admire the most.

7. You have three hours to kill on the road; how would you do it?

Cuddyer: It would depend on where we are. For instance, if we were in Chicago, I would probably walk around down Michigan Avenue for a while and check out the sights and sounds of the city, and then most likely head to lunch somewhere. On the flip side of things, if we were in Detroit, for example, I most likely would just kill the time sitting around the hotel, order room service and just hang out in the room watching TV or reading.

8. The proposed ballpark the Twins are scheduled to open in 2010 is open air. What will it be like to play outdoors in April.

Cuddyer: In one word: Cold! But it will be awesome. The city has wanted and needed a new stadium. We are still three full seasons away from having that stadium, and judging by the excitement of the fans and the organization, you would think we were moving into it tommorrow. It will be a great place to have the games, it will be state of the art, and it is something that the city and fans deserve. I hope I am fortunate enough to be able to play that Opening Day, even though it would be with approximately four layers of clothing!

9. Why do you think '06 was a breakout season for you?

Cuddyer: I think last season was one that just evolved, so to speak. I did make a few adjustments during spring training by lowering my hands a bit, but I think what really helped me last season was my mental outlook. I went into the season for the first time not worrying about my situation. Before that, I was like: am I going to play? What position? How am I going to do? What do I need to do, etc? I went in with the outlook of just wanting to be the best teammate I could be, and help the team win any way that I could -- maybe by getting a big pinch hit, or making a great play, or simply just picking up a teammate when he was down. Whatever the case may have been, I worried solely about the team, and in doing that, I think I took a lot of added pressure off myself, and that allowed me to be the player I knew I could be.

10. When your baseball career is over, what line of work will you pursue?

Cuddyer: I hope to stay around the game in some sort of capacity, preferably as a broadcaster or analyst. I love the game so much and for so long it has been my life and passion, I couldn't see myself doing anything away from the game. I love talking baseball, and I love getting others interested in the sport as well, which is why I feel that it would be a good fit for me to continue to talk about the game and analyze the game when my playing days end.

11. Which team do you consider to be the Twins' biggest rival?

Cuddyer: In the day of the unbalanced schedule, I think it's safe to say it has to be another team from the AL Central. We have had so many good battles and so many different types of seasons against those teams, it's tough to say. I think it is between Chicago and Cleveland, and due to the success the White Sox have had the last few years, I would say they get the nod. Usually every game means something and because of the quality of both teams, usually every game is exciting. Neither team wants to lose and both will give it everything they have to get that win. It is always a fun atmosphere when we go into US Cellular, and when the White Sox come into the dome it is always rocking.

12. Who would be the best athlete, among your teammates, at another sport?

Cuddyer: I would definitely say Nick Punto, by far. He can go on a golf course and shoot par, then head to the bowling alley and bowl in the mid 200's, and the next day he can wake up and win a 3-point contest on the basketball court, all the while taking ground balls with a blind fold on. The guy is amazing, one of the best athletes I have ever come across. I always joke with him that he has to make up for the fact that he is 3-foot-6. But in all seriousness, he can do it all. Any sport you put him in, he can excel not just play well, but excel.