FORT MYERS, Fla. -- When the Twins returned in the clubhouse after their first full squad workout on Saturday, there was a navy blue T-shirt hanging on the back of every player's chair.

The front of the shirt read, "Goal: 162+" and underneath that "(No Excuses)." On the back it said, "PROVE THEM WRONG."

For the players, it seemed to be a clear statement of their focus this season.

"That's it -- we just have to prove everybody wrong," Justin Morneau said of the shirt's message. "No one is picking us to win [the American League Central]. Look what Detroit added, they got better after having a good year. Cleveland is going to be good again. Kansas City is going to be a lot better -- they are going to surprise some people. Chicago has that lineup and that ballpark and they can hit with anybody. I think it's going to be a battle. But no one really ever picks us to win."

The T-shirts were provided by one of the Twins players, although he wanted to remain anonymous. But the reasoning for the shirts seemed based on the fact that many preseason predictions have the Twins finishing fourth or fifth in the AL Central race.

Losing Johan Santana, Torii Hunter and Carlos Silva this offseason has left Minnesota with a relatively young -- and very much altered -- roster. While the Twins feel they made improvements to their lineup by adding outfielder Delmon Young and infielders Brendan Harris, Adam Everett and Mike Lamb, there are certainly still questions that surround the team. And some of those questions are centered on the new additions.

But despite the uncertainty, Morneau said he feels that it's the makeup of this group that could ultimately lead to success.

"A lot of guys that have come over here are hungry," Morneau said. "Delmon came here with a change of scenery and wants to prove to everyone that he's a good teammate, a good person and a good player. And you've got guys like Lamb, who wants to prove he can play every day.

"We've got guys that are established a little bit, but still have a ways to go to prove to everyone that they are good players. I think for us, it's a good situation to be in."

Taking it slow: One of the longest days every year in Spring Training is the first official day of full squad workouts.

But this year seemed to take even longer than normal as the Twins workout lasted nearly four hours. Manager Ron Gardenhire said the reason for the slower sessions was due to the fact that nearly half of the 60 players in big league camp are new to the organization this year.

"We had a few more meetings than we've had the last couple of years because we have a lot of new people, a lot of new infielders," Gardenhire said. "So we just have to slow the pace down."

No help needed: The first day of full squad workouts always provides pitchers with their first opportunity to face actual hitters.

Since pitchers are normally at an advantage at this time of the spring, hitters are told exactly what will be coming during these early sessions.

One person who didn't want the help on Saturday was Young. In his first official batting practice as a Twin, Young asked not to have the pitches announced before they were thrown.

Facing right-hander Casey Daigle, Young seemed to perform quite well considering that he opted not to use the extra assistance. And he put on quite a show during the regular batting practice when coaches threw to the players. He hit three straight balls out of the park during his final go-round of the session.

But Michael Cuddyer wasn't quite so quick to try Young's no-help approach against Daigle as he stepped into the cage after the 22-year-old.

"You can tell me what's coming," Cuddyer said, with a laugh.

Fundamentals 101: One of the annual traditions in Twins camp is a drill known as "Good Morning America!" in which all four infield positions work on fielding hard grounders for at least 30 minutes.

The infielders work on everything from double-play balls to fielding one-hoppers and making other various throws across the diamond.

Among the people who seem to enjoy the drill the most is former Twins manager Tom Kelly, who first introduced it during his tenure. Kelly is still quite boisterous during the drill, but he spent most of his time Saturday helping outfielder Randy Ruiz work on his fielding mechanics while taking grounders at first base.

Twins tidbits: Second baseman Alexi Casilla was on hand for the team's workout Saturday. After picking up his visa on Friday morning, Casilla caught one of the final flights out of Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, into Miami and then caught a connecting flight to Fort Myers. ... Despite a sore back, outfielder Darnell McDonald took part in batting practice on Saturday. Gardenhire also said that infielder Alejandro Machado, who is still trying to strengthen his right shoulder after missing the 2007 season following shoulder surgery, was also able to complete most drills in the first workout. ... The Twins have decided not to hold an intersquad contest on Wednesday. Gardenhire said that since the Twins will be using 10 pitchers in an exhibition against Concordia University on Tuesday, the coaching staff decided to use Wednesday as a final review session for the players. The Grapefruit League seasons kicks off Thursday at Sarasota against the Reds at 12:05 p.m. CT.

Quotable: "Gumby." -- Gardenhire, when asked by a reporter in his daily media session who had the best rubber arm he had seen