It’s an exciting time for the Minnesota Twins this week as spring training baseball games begin in Fort Myers.

There is hope from the top of the organization that the Twins can compete for a playoff berth as they did last year in finishing 88-75, losing to the Chicago White Sox in a one-game playoff.

They return nearly their entire roster, including big-name players and manager Ron Gardenhire, considered one of the game’s best.

This upcoming season also is the final one for the Metrodome, with a brand new facility, Target Field, opening in 2010.

Though the state of the franchise appears rock solid, they expect the same atmosphere each year in Lee County, regardless of the team’s success.

“We’ve been treated like kings,” general manager Bill Smith said Monday. “We were treated like world champs when we were world champs, and we’ve been treated like world champs when we were in the bottom half of the division.”

The Twins are in their 19th season training at the Lee County Sports Complex and Bill Hammond Stadium. The first spring training game this month is Wednesday when they host the Boston Red Sox at 7:05 p.m.

The Red Sox, who lost to the Tampa Bay Rays in a thrilling American League Champion-ship Series, again, expect to contend for an AL East title and a World Series. They ended an 86-year drought, winning the World Series in 2004, and added another in 2007.

Though Twins’ fans haven’t waited nearly as long since their last title in 1991, they’ve struggled to get over the hump, despite being a playoff contender for most of this decade.

They’ve won four AL Central crowns since 2002, but came up short last season, losing to the White Sox in the 163rd game of the season.

Smith believes the core is intact, including three of the best players at their positions.

Two-time All-Star catcher Joe Mauer won his second batting title in three years in 2008, finishing with a .328 average. First baseman Justin Morneau (.300 avg, 23 HR, 129 RBI) and closer Joe Nathan (39 saves) are part of the team’s nucleus.

The Twins hope they’ve added a similar presence in former All-Star Joe Crede, who signed a one-year deal Sunday.

Crede hit 30 home runs and drove in 94 runs in 2006, but back problems slowed him down each of the past two seasons with the White Sox.

Gardenhire said he hopes his new third baseman can produce like he did against the Twins over the past few years.

“I haven’t been around him much, but just watching him against us, I saw how he played, diving after the ball and always coming up with clutch hits,” Gardenhire said. “He’s a quiet guy that goes about his business and works very hard.”

Though Crede was one of the few significant offseason moves, the Twins are confident in their returning cast.

Carlos Gomez, Denard Span and Alexi Casilla were among the young position players that emerged last season, and they’re hoping for a bounce-back year from talented 23-year-old Delmon Young.

Their starting rotation figures to be a strength with all five starters age 27 or younger. It includes Kevin Slowey, Scott Baker, Francisco Liriano, Glenn Perkins and Nick Blackburn. The left-hander, Perkins, will start against the Red Sox Wednesday.

The Twins also plan to dedicate the 2009 season to late-owner Carl Pohlad, who passed away in January at age 93. They’ll wear a patch on their jersey sleeve throughout the season.

The Twins’ 33-game spring training schedule (17 at home) concludes April 4. Hammond Stadium also hosts two WBC games on April 3 and 5.