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Slowey to start against Oakland 2007-05-30 10:10:57 A few thoughts before the Twins take the field against
the WhiteSox.
Kevin Slowey finally gets his chance. In a move that has been talked about since spring training, Kevin Slowey will finally get his chance to make his MLB debut. This isn’t really much of a surprise. He’s throwing the ball very well for AAA Rochester and has been nearly unhittable since the start of Spring Training. Most Twins people in the media compare Slowey to Brad Radke. Jason Bartlett disagrees by saying, “He’s like Radke but with wicked stuff”. Nuff said.
Matt Garza needs to grow up. I hate to say this because i’m a huge Garza guy….but he needs to tighen up his upper lip a little. He seems to think that the Twins are not handling him correctly. He refuses to throw more “off speed” pitches and believes that the Twins are making a mistake by asking him to do this. Closed circuit to Matt Garza….. If the Twins are known for one Read more:Oakland
Twins killed by Angels 2007-06-05 12:34:21 Up. Down. Up. Down. When does this ride end? I’ll be honest. My stomach is starting to get a little queasy. I loved the positivity that was coming out of the Twins
camp over the last week. That was until we ran directly into the Oakland A’s and Anaheim Angels
.
After winning the first game of the Oakland series, we somehow managed to go cold. Ice cold. Billy Beane would be very proud of his squad. They had the clutch hits, ran the bases well and gave our low-budget small market team a lesson that could have easily been included in the book Moneyball. The A’s were doing all the little things right. Meanwhile our squad could not hit the ball to save its life in the final two games of the series. During those last two games the Twins 3-4-5 batters were a combined 1-11. In the last game of the series the Twins left an amazing 11 runners on base.
Last night’s game was not looking any better. I had some hopes that Boof would come out and shut d
Mauer still injured 2007-06-02 16:13:16 Up until recently, whenever a discussion of Mauer
vs. Prior comes up I have ALWAYS leaned towards Joe Mauer. He has all the skills. He can hit. He can throw. He is deceptively fast on the basepaths. All signs pointed towards Mauer and I always used to thank heavens that we took him over Prior. The knock on Prior has always been his health. When health Prior has shown dominant skills. While I haven’t changed my opinion (and I am still thrilled that we took Mauer), I am starting to wonder about the health of Joe and whether he is actually any less injury prone than Prior.
His most recent quad injury that has kept him on the shelf for about a month makes me really wonder what is going on with him. Now, I am not doubting Joe and his injury. I am sure that it exists. On the other hand, I have to wonder about Joe’s durability and toughness. I have never known of anyone who has a “buised” quad to be out for so long. Also, does this most recent issue really Read more:injured
Mauer to bat second - Finally! 2007-06-06 15:15:50 In a move that Ron Gardenhire hopes will jump start our offense, it appears that Gardy will put Joe Mauer
second in the batting order once he returns for the homestand that starts this Friday. Over the past few years, it has been no secret that Joe is able to get on base. Over the past two years Joe's OBP is .429 and .446. His career OBP is .402.Â
Gardy has been hesitant to put Joe second in the order. The unofficial rule of thumb is states that the best batter on the team should bat third. The problem is that most batting orders don't have a black hole called Punto or Cirillo batting right before. Now that Joe should finally crack the lineup this is a perfect time to make a change. Gardy seems ready to do whatever necessary to jumpstart the club. Currently the Twins are sitting at 28-29 and look nothing like the team that they were last year. The piranhas have lost their appetite and the only hitters to show up this year are Morneau, Cuddy and Hunter. The new Read more:Finally
Twins lose two of three to Nats 2007-06-11 14:10:28 This is not exactly what I was thinking of prior to the start of the second and final round of interleague play. The American League once again dominated interleague. The one exception was the Twins
horrible performance over the weekend against the perennial National League doormat – the Nationals.
This was to be a series that would jumpstart our season. After all, we had Silva and Santana on the mound. We should have won at least two of three from the hapless Nats. Last year at this time we were in roughly the same position. A year ago today, the Twins were 28-34 and were 11.5 games out of first place. This year we’re only slightly better while sitting at 30-31 and a mere 7.0 games behind the first place Indians. Last year interleague play put the Twins onto a role that would carry them all the way to the playoffs… The Nats were supposed to be that team that started the ball rolling… So much for that idea!
The Twins decided NOT to show up this weekend.
Are the Twins Contenders? 2007-06-18 15:16:49 It’s getting to be that time of year again. We are about one third of the way through the schedule and the Twins
record sits at 34-33. This season can be summed up with one word: Inconsitency.
The Twins have shown inconsistency in hitting, pitching, fielding, base running. All aspects of the game have been hit or miss. It’s not as if one player is struggling. It’s that all players are struggling all the time. Sure there are guys who are statistically doing well. Morneau, Hunter and Cuddyer come to mind. That being said, they also have games where they completely disappear. There is talk that the Twins need to trade for a third baseman that can hit. I agree but I wonder whether that will make a difference
The pitching staff has been horribly inconsistent. Santana is still striking out the side but he’s also given up the big inning and has been unable to keep the ball down in the strike zone. Boof Bonser will have a game where he looks
It all starts today 2007-07-27 11:00:08 Today is the start of my annual pilgrimage that I affectionatly refer to as the “Big Trip”. Each year, myself and 4 other guys head out on the road. We map out a week and a half long road trip where we travel from baseball stadium to baseball stadium. This year we’ll be living it up in California! We’ll be flying to LA and from there driving 1400 miles up and back down the coast of California. A quick overview of our agenda…
July 27: The Big A (OC style)
July 29: McCovey Cove and Bonds. We’ll be sitting about half way up in center field. Here’s hoping that I catch the record breaking ball
July 30: The A’s…. least exciting stop on our trip. The only plus here is that they will be playing Detroit…. Let the heckling begin!
August 1: I’m kind of a big deal in San Diego. I’ll be rooting for Khalil Green and building a sand castle in centerfield!
August 2: It’s Bonds time….this ti
Random Musings 2007-08-08 12:25:56 The baseball trip is over. I was able to navigate my way up and down the entire state of California. 5 stadiums and Las Vegas… All in 9 days! What a whirlwind. One of the best baseball trips to date. A few quick notes about the stadiums.
1. AT&T Park is better in person than on TV. The view from the right field seats is breathtaking. Picture this…. McCovey Cove and the Bay Bridge. The only downside… Barry didn’t get a hit.
2. We have always been complaining about the Metrodome. Let me tell you all that we have it good here in Minneapolis. Outside of the fact that McAfee Collusium is open air the place is a certified DUMP. The only way in (via the B.A.R.T.) was through an elevated caged in (with barbed wire) bridge. Once inside the stadium it had NO atmosphere. It’s hard to cheer for a team when no one is sitting within 10 rows of you….(we were sitting lower deck about 20 rows up from the first base baggie). Read more:Random
, Musings
Barry Bonds to Minnesota 2007-09-28 10:36:55 While this season comes to a close, there is much speculation regarding the future of several current Twins…. Will Santana be traded? Will the Twins resign Hunter? One question that is just starting to surface…. Will BarryBonds
land in Minnesota
?
Barry has publically stated that he wants to play for 1 or 2 more years. While everyone in baseball knows that Barry is past his prime playing days, the popular consensus is that he can still see and more importantly hit the ball. Since his days in left field are likely over, it only make sense that he makes his way out of the friendly confines of AT&T ballpark and to the roster of an American League team in need.
Usually a guy like Barry would likely be snapped up by one of the big market teams like the Yankees, Red Sox or White Sox. This situation is somewhat different though. All of those teams have their DH and are not looking to pay for a guy who will ride the bench. After reviewing the current AL rost Read more:Barry Bonds
Torii with two I’s 2007-09-26 09:43:32 With this season coming to a close, I can’t help but think about the future of Torii Hunter. Over the past 10 seasons, Torii has been a rock in centerfield. With his acrobatic catches, robbed homeruns and mile-wide smile I must admit that I have come very attached to this player. To me and dare I say thousands of other Twins fans, Torii has become the Kirby of present day. His enthusiasm and love for the game, his teammates and the communities of Minneapolis and St. Paul, we could not have asked for more from him as a player.
As the season comes to a close (finally!), we will soon know the fate of our beloved centerfielder. The Twins have 2 weeks after the end of the regular season in which they can sign him to a contract without the fear of him being stolen by another team (read New York, Chicago, Boston, Texas). Once Torii hits the free market he will likely be commanding deals of 5 years in excess of 70 million for that time.
Terry Ryan and the rest of the Tw
It was a nice run 2007-11-23 13:55:08 It’s official. The sun has set on Torii Hunter and the Minnesota Twins. The 7-time Gold Glove winner will be leaving the not so friendly confines of the H.H.H. Metrodome in exchange for Edison Field in Sunny and traffic congested Anaheim California! Some of the reactions in the blog-o-sphere have been negative towards Torii and the Twins for not making something happen. A few thoughts:
Torii’s new deal is rediculous. His other suiters offered him 4 and 5 year deals in the 65-80 million dollar range. The Angels came out of left field (yes, just like the movie) and swooped in with their 5 year contract worth 90 million. This contract has an option for a 6th year and includes a NO TRADE CLAUSE! Wow! He couldn’t turn that down…. Baseball is a very fickle business and afterall……he has to feed his family! [somewhere Latrell Spreewell is sitting in his manion…..wondering what’s for dinner].
The Twins are also not fools.
Santana Traded 2007-11-30 09:21:05 I can’t help but wait to see the words “Santana
Traded to [insert team here]” on the front page of the StarTribune in the next couple of days. At this point, it seems inevitable to me that the Cy-Young award winning pitcher will soon be leaving the friendly confines of the Metrodome for either Yankee or Fenway stadiums.
If Santana’s days as a Twin truly are numbered I am forced to look into the future to see what our lineup will likely be like without the best pitcher in baseball. So as I look into my crystal ball, I see the following lineup next season:
Castilla
Mauer
Young
Cuddyer
Morneau
Boucher (or third baseman to be named later)
DH (either Kubel or possibly Monroe if he isn’t released)
CF (to be named later)
Harris
It is very apparent that with any trade for Santana that we address 3b and/or CF. If I was a betting man (which I am) I would think that we’ll fill the CF spot with CoCo Crisp. With that we’ll likely also get Jon Leste
Santana Watch 2007 2007-12-05 09:45:14 First of all, let me get something off of my chest. I hate the fact that a deal hasn’t already been struck. At first, the hoopla and anticipation surrounding Santana
to [insert large market team here] was fun and it was fun to check to look for updates to Loony Lavelle’s or J.Christiansen’s Trib blogs for updates. That time has officially passed and as time drags on, it looks as if the anticipation (or lack there of) will be my cross bare.
Since I am a true Twins fan (so much so that I have my own blog), I feel that I must keep up to date with this. So what have we learned from last week?
· The Yankees are “pulling” out of the Santana sweepstakes because they would not pony up Melky Cabrera, Phil Hughes and Ian Kennedy in one package for the Santana.
· The Red Sox (who in my opinion) were only in the running to bid the Yankees up have now stepped up. They want to offer some combination of Coco Crisp, Lester/Ellsbury, Jed Lowrie and Justin Masterson and Babe Ru
And Monroe Makes 4 2007-12-12 08:48:22 Believe it or not, yesterday was a big day for the Minnesota Twins. No, the Twins did not make top story on ESPN by trading their ace Johan Santana. The Twins made a small move that I believe will help them (at least offensively) next season. Yesterday was the final day to either sign or release former Cubs and Tigers outfielder Craig Monroe
. The key to this deal was that the Twins needed Craig to take a pay cut from the salary that he was making last year with the Cubbies.Â
Monroe agreed to a one year deal worth 3.82 million. You can read more about it here.
This is was a good move for the Twins for several reasons. The first is that the Twins now have 4 outfielders vying for 3 spots. While this might not sound all that good, think of the positives. We’re pretty certain that newly acquired outfielder Delmon Young will be playing Left Field (or possibly center — due to his good range and laser rocket arm). Cuddy has been cemented in right field. Left f
Spring Training: When Hope Spring Eternal 2008-03-10 10:15:51 I can almost smell the freshly cut grass. Looking out my window just now I can see that there are still several inches of snow that are covering the great state of Minnesota. I won’t let that get me down. Why you ask?
Let me tell you…. Yesterday I saw my first (of many) innings of [...] Read more:Spring
, Training
, Eternal
, Spring Training
A Florida Smackdown 2008-03-13 08:37:34 It appears that there is at least 1 Devil Rays player who is happy that Delmon Young is gone.
Carl Crawford.
This week during an interview he was asked about Delmon Young. Carl stated that he is sick of Delmon’s constant yapping and that he should “Shut up and play baseball”. He then went on [...] Read more:Florida
, Smackdown
Will the real centerfielder please stand up? 2008-03-12 10:39:27 During my morning search for Twins related content, I found this interesting video on the StarTribune website. In a nutshell its an interview with Jerry White and each of the three centerfield candidates – Carlos Gomez, Denard Span and Jason Pridie.
Check out the link here:
Since the trade that sent Johan Santana to the Mets, [...]
Statistics are a funny thing 2008-03-25 21:35:57 Ron Gardenhire announced this week that Carlos Gomez would be the opening day center fielder for the Twins by sending Denard Span and Jason Pridie to the Minor League spring training complex. At first glance it seems that Gardy has lost his mind. It has been written over and over that Gomez has [...] Read more:Statistics
Lirano sent to Minors 2008-03-28 17:06:14 This afternoon the Twins announced that Fransisco Lirano will start the season pitching for the Class A Fort Myers Miracle. In my opinion, this is a good move by the front office for several reasons.
1. He’s rusty. Lirano has shown some signs of regaining the form that he had in 2006 but for the most [...]
DQ Hat Day 2008-04-19 13:32:10 It’s a cool and clowdy day in Minneapolis. This afternoon i’ll be making my trek across downtown to the Metrodome. I chose to attend todays game for a few reasons:
#1 - DQ Hat Day… The first 20,000 fans will be getting one of these:
They typically are not great hats but I kind [...]
Off Day 2008-04-21 15:14:09 The Twins have an off day today… The Twins will need to cherish this day — their next day off will be in a week when the Twins finish a 6 game road trip that includes the Oakland Athletics and the Texas Rangers.
Given the Twins current 9-10 record, Twins faithful can be fairly optimistic [...]
The Craig Monroe Show 2008-04-23 11:46:36 It’s about time… Last night CraigMonroe
gave us a glimpse of what he has historically been able to do at the plate. Monroe had a very good night with 3 RBI including a double and a homerun. The season thus far has not been kind for Monroe. Prior to yesterday’s game he was batting [...]
Twins Shut Out 2008-04-24 10:44:08 Dan Gaudin is the second coming of Tom Glavine… Well, not really but last night it looked as if he would be a 300 game winner. Gaudin had no problems finding his spots as he painted corners and used his slider to keep the Twins
batters out of sync. Once again the 2008 version of [...]
Twins take it to the Sawx 2008-05-13 13:26:28 Last night Livan Hernandez improved to 6-1 on the season with a solid pitching performance. After an unsettling first inning where Manny being Manny hit his 498th career homerun, the Twins
were able to get out of the inning only surrendering 3 runs. After the first inning, Livan had much better control over his pitches. [...]
Twins sweep Nats 2008-06-19 16:01:54 The Twins
continued their rollercoaster ways today by taking the last game of a three game series against the Washington Nationals. This after the Twins took 2 of 3 from the Brew Crew last weekend. It seems as if the Twins can not make up their minds… It’s either feast or famine with this club. [...]
Twins beat the Brewers in a thriller! 2008-06-28 16:23:37 I attended last nights game against the Brewers
. The game was very exciting and the back and forth nature made the game was everything that I could ask for in a game. I want nothing more than to be able to go to a game that is compeditive and to see the Twins
win!
A few [...]
Twins throw in the towel 2008-07-31 17:03:36 I’m frustrated. I’m very negative right now. I’m a Twins
fan and as a result of that i’ve learned accept the fact that I live in a flyover state and that my team will always be stuck in mediocrity. Sure, the Twins have won 2 world series in my lifetime. Sure [...]
Twins Move Into First Place 2008-08-04 22:18:20 Do you remember May 13th? That was the last time that the Twins
were first place in the standings in the Americal League Central division. Prior to this season, most media members and fans alike suggested that the Twins were in a rebuilding mode. As the Twins took their place atop the division yesterday it [...] Read more:First
, Place
The Return of King Liriano 2008-08-01 16:29:22 It’s time to dust off your Fransisco Liriano jersey. The king lives and will soon be comeing to a ballpark near you. Liriano has been deadly for Triple-A Rochester over has last 10 starts. His stats are pretty impressive: He’s 9-1 with a 2.51 ERA during stretch of time. He will be replacing the the [...] Read more:Return
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