Whenever the temperature settles in at about 20 below zero, I start thinking about Baseball. In less than a month, the Twins will be working out in Fort Myers, Fla., where there is no black ice on the highways and where nobody's hair chips off while walking to the mailbox.

I called Span at his home in Tampa, Fla., to see how things were going. After all, this is the first time in his career he is assured of a major league job as camp approaches.

"I'm doing fine," he said casually. "Just trying to stay warm."

In Tampa? That wasn't the right thing to say to a guy who, in an effort to keep warm, was sitting on a freshly baked pizza. Thick crust.

"It's nothing like you have up there," he added with a laugh.

Last winter, Span didn't laugh much. After paying his dues in the minors he was ready to take over as the Twins center fielder for 2008. But the club acquired center fielder Carlos Gomez in the Johan Santana trade. And everyone knew Gomez was going to play right away in an attempt to make the trade look as good as possible.

Gomez had his moments and is loaded with potential. But Span was much more polished and major league-ready. He finally got his chance to play regularly with the Twins in June when Michael Cuddyer was injured. Span did great, scoring 70 runs in 93 games and playing a solid right field.

As a result, he says, he isn't as angry this winter. In fact, for the first time in three years he didn't need to take a vacation to decompress.

"I'm not as stressed out," he said. "Last offseason, I wasn't happy not knowing my future. I needed to get away. Now I'm more at ease, more confident in myself. It's a good feeling. Now everybody knows what I can do.

"The difference is that last year everybody expected me to fail. Now everybody expects me to be successful."

The only uncertainty for Span, 24, is which outfield position he'll play. He was an accomplished center fielder in the minors but was moved to right field when he came up with the Twins. Now, there's a chance he might be in left.

I'm pretty sure Span could wear a bucket over his head and still play a better left field than poor Delmon Young did last season. But no decision has been made.

"Yeah, I don't know what's going on," Span said. "I've been working out and hitting with some buddies. I go out to left field to see what it looks like. It looks a little funny. I've shagged balls two or three times out there this offseason.

"But right field looked a little funny to me last year, too. That was the most frightening thing for me. It wasn't being in the major leagues. It was playing a position that I hadn't played in six years. But I'll play wherever the organization wants me to play. You know, left field, there might be a few boo-boos there in spring training, but it will be all set by the time we get going."

Span really got hosed last spring when he was sent down. Yet he handled it better than the Twins had a right to expect. Then when he got his chance, he took full advantage, even wresting the leadoff spot from Gomez. When the season ended, he watched his hometown Rays reach the World Series.

"Being from Tampa and knowing what they had been through, I was happy for them," he said. "But I wanted to be where they were. I wanted those magical moments. It was tough to swallow."

It will be interesting to see how Span prepares this season. Success and vindication have reduced his anger.

"That's a challenge for me, too," he said. "I'm not as upset as I was last year. But I'll take the attitude that I want to continue to prove people wrong."

Of course, there's really no one left to prove wrong. I'd say all are agreed the kid can play.

"I'll force myself," he said. "I'll concentrate and trigger that hunger. I don't get complacent."

Until then, Span will try to "stay warm" in Tampa, where the temperature dipped to 37 degrees the other night. And he's coming up for TwinsFest next week, too. I guarantee that when he returns to Florida after that, he'll consider 37 to be Bermuda shorts weather.

Tom Powers can be reached at tpowers@pioneerpress.com