Delmon, Livan and Leyland’s view of the AL Central
Posted on May 13th, 2008 – 11:05 AMBy Joe Christensen
La Velle returns to the Star Tribune baseball command post today. For those who can’t get enough, here are a few extra items heading into the Blue Jays series:
(*) The Blue Jays can definitely pitch, but they are having a terrible time scoring. They are averaging 3.70 runs per game, compared to 4.46 for the suddenly offensive-minded Twins. Toronto just scored four runs combined in dropping three of four to Cleveland.
(*) Delmon Young added this about his recent upswing Monday: “It’s usually about 150 at-bats, about May 15, and that’s when I get going. I always have a timing issue with my rocking leg kick, and that’s why it takes a while to get going. And just getting used to the Dome, with the depth perception.”
Last year, he entered May 15 batting .222/.257/.347 with four home runs and finished the year batting .288/.316/.408 with 13 home runs.
(*) I can’t get over this stat: The Twins are 8-1 in Livan Hernandez’s nine starts.
Manager Ron Gardenhire dreaded the reaction he might get from Hernandez for wanting to pull him Monday after six innings.
“He said to me, ‘Gardy, when I’m out of gas, I’m going to tell you. I’m going to be a good teammate.’ And I don’t blame him for being gassed — not giving up three in first, then the pitching he had to do to keep those guys right there for five more innings,” Gardenhire said.
Added pitching coach Rick Anderson: “Nothing fazes him. Ahead 6-0, behind 6-0, he’s the same. He’s battling.”
How about Dustin Pedroia’s line drive? “OK. Maybe that fazed him,” Anderson said. “That would faze any pitcher.”
(*) Here’s another view of the AL Central from Jon Paul Morosi, in today’s Detroit Free Press:
Manager Jim Leyland, who has long maintained that the Tigers’ competition would be fierce, was asked Sunday what he found surprising about the division to date.
His response: “We’ve surprised me.”
When the subject shifted to Minnesota, he almost immediately mentioned Carlos Gomez, the Twins’ electrifying centerfielder.
Gomez, one of four prospects obtained in the Santana deal, won the starting job in spring training and has provided a needed spark atop the batting order.
He’s only 22. He did not play above Double-A before last season. That inexperience has been evident at the plate, with 37 strikeouts and five walks. But he changes the game by merely taking a lead off first base. He has swiped 16 bases, and he hit for the cycle last Wednesday.
“He’s the igniter,” Leyland said. “He’s impressive. He’s a run producer because he’s got legs.”
(*) Also, be sure to check out Howard’s latest big-picture Twins assessment.
A 20-17 pace plays out to an 88-74 record. I wouldn’t have bet you at the start of the season that the Twins would win 88 games. Now, if you buy the improving team scenario, are we being delusional if we start thinking about them winning 90 or more?
149 Responses to "Delmon, Livan and Leyland’s view of the AL Central"
IT’S ABOUT TIME LAVELLE RETURNS TO WORK!!
Yep, Carlos G is also impressed by the record of Twins with Livan now 8-1 (and Baker 5-1) on the mound. Brings back the old saying of Spahn and Sane and pray for rain.
I make the call that DY hits his first bomb on May 15. Thanks for the insider info DY.
Last night as I was heading in the direction of home after the game I noticed a squirrel that with just a huge tuft of hair. I was driving down a frontage road at the time of the incident. Well since it was in the middle of the road and my old dead squirrel was getting a bit ragged. I decided to run over the squirrel and take it home to taxidermy and wear atop my head. I needed to get rid of oldie the previous dead squirrel that I wore.
Carlos G regarding the 1st place Twins. I was wrong in underestimating the Twins. I am very happy for them to be in first place. Gooooo Monroe.
“are we being delusional if we start thinking about them winning 90 or more?”
Yes!
Thanks jb.
Re: Spahn, Sain, and rain… it was a little different back then with guys pitching about 300 innings AND pitching every 3rd of 4th game with some 40 starts a year. Those guys were tough.
Does anyone think they will start using a few pitchers a game kind of like in football the 2 back system. I actually am being very serious this time. Imagine a whole team of Mr’s and everyone pitches like 2-3 innings or maybe something around there maybe 3-4 innings. I don’t know. Strange concept though
jimmy -
You should keep on posting that bit about Anthony LaPanta and the squirrel! Maybe if you post it enough times, someone will find it amusing!
Thanks Pete D great concept
why does it always look like like Coomer is laughing at my hair
Delmon Young: professional excuse maker.
Can anyone taxidermy me something and send it to Kare 11 for me to wear
“Delmon Young: professional excuse maker.”
Yeah, he always has an excuse for missing games with bogus injuries.
last year he only played 162 games.
And this year he has played….uh…all of them. But,he’s just about out of excuses when he finally uses his first one.
Too many variables to say if 90 wins are in the cards. The starting pitching seems to be getting better amid injuries to Baker and Slowey and the slow comeback of Liriano. For those who said that Livan would be a disaster, think about how we’d be without him.
Like the ‘06 run, we need to make some changes on the left side of the field. Everett cannot throw, and when LNP gets back make him the SS. Ugh, I hate to say it but I have more faith in him than Everett.
Lamb gets one more month in my book. Every good pick he makes at third he does something dumb. ANY marginal power he can provide would be great.
Mauer–leave him be. Just keep driving the ball and getting on base.
Gomez–even a smidgen of patience would raise your OBP and garner more runs. How about taking a pitch?
Delmon–prediction that he tears it up the next month!
Bullpen–one more injury and we could be in trouble. Another LHP would be nice. Uh Mr. Nathan, you’re a multi-millionaire, I think you could come in the 8th once in a while. How about it Gardy?
“The Twins are 8-1 in Livan Hernandez’s nine starts”.
Where are all the chumps who blasted the Twins when they signed Livan?
Oh, wait a minute!
That was me!
So, I think I’ve located at least one of the chumps.
I’d look at trading Hernandez now. You know he isn’t going to keep this up all season and his value won’t be higher than it is right now.
I know this won’t happen, and it probably shouldn’t being that the Twins are in first place. But they should look into what his value is.
I never hated the Livian signing. Am Happy with 8-1. He will be traded in July or August if the Twins are out of it.
Actually with Livan, I thought he was a great cheap inning eating pitcher. A good replacement for the departure of Silva. The thing with Silva is I never understood the difference in age between him and his wife being in Highschool while he was pitching. I never knew if the age gap difference was very legal
“I’d look at trading Hernandez now.”
Hahaha. That’s even funnier than the jimmy bee’s squirrel.
Exactly. Why would you trade a good starter until you are out of the race? There is no sense to do it any toher time.
i mean ‘other’. lol
Thank you The New and Improved Craig
jimmy,
Instead of wasting a perfectly good squirrel, wouldn’t a hunk of Fieldturf work?
That is a wonderfull idea The New and Improved Craig. What type of turf would you suggest? Wrigley in March so it is brown or the turf from the dome. I could use Idaho blue turf from the college football program????
Trade Livan now? Are you insane? That might be the dumbest thing I’ve ever read on these blogs and trust me, that’s a difficult feat to accomplish.
jama, you should call the Marlins, I bet they have a place for you in their front office.
Turf from the dome. The grounds crew can vacuum it after every home game. Keep it nice and clean.
According to tsn.ca, Carlos Gomez is on pace to strikeout 177 times this season. That would shatter the old Twins record for futility, set in 1972, by Bobby Darwin (145).
By the way the closest any Twins player has come to Darwin’s record in the past 35 seasons is Darwin himself, in 1973 (137), and Rich Becker in 1997 (130).
The New and Improved Craig says:
May 13th, 2008 at 12:45 pm
By the way the closest any Twins player has come to Darwin’s record in the past 35 seasons is Darwin himself, in 1973 (137), and Rich Becker in 1997 (130).
Craig was Vavra the hitting coach back then?
Robert, the marlins are one of the best teams in baseball this year, just traded two over-priced players for more than the Twins got for santana, and signed one of the best players in baseball to a very large contract. What was your point?
“Carlos Gomez is on pace to strikeout 177 times this season.”
We need to trade him for somebody who never strikes out, but consistently hits nine-hoppers back to the pitcher.
I would love for people to vacuum my turf head The New and Improved Craig. That would feel good and if I find any popcorn and beer in it that would be a plus. When they build the new stadium I could get a whole bunch of turf for my dome that woulld last a very long time
I see big things for the Twins in the future and some this season. The big numbers for me are how they hit with RISP and their wins in close games: 9-4 in one run games. That is the best in baseball. Both of those stats are huge for a young team, it shows they are clutch.
Mike, what I was obviously talking about was the Marlins’ philosophy of constantly trading away their players as soon as they start to show promise. Do you follow baseball?
i would hope the twins dont suffer a letdown after such a gueling series with the beasts (asses) of the east…what a great series for them, and we can only hope that they take it as a springboard to bigger and better days ahead….this team is for real, they can and will contend (no more rebuilding theories please)and continue to build as they contend….how they handle these next 2-3 series, i think will tell us a whole lot about where this team may head this season…i wish them the best, and hope delmon can pick it up a bit, and lamb finally gets comfortable in the new surroundings….and my hats off to monroe, who i have been pumpin since spring training–keep it up
I can’t wait for that outdoor stadium now. I look outside right now and it is swimming time
mj1 GOOOOOOO Monroe. Go go go go get the heck out of here Kubel
Jama-
Trade Livan?? what are talking about man? The Twins are in 1st place!! and Livan is our best pitcher right now!
Delmon is going to start power raking like a Massey Ferguson 1500 now that Big Pappi has helped him with his Elvis like leg twitch. Kubel is going to become a vegan to help improve his bat speed.
thats it jimmy bee…..that is it…
release kubel please!!! i doubt he has any trade value, do ya think??
The Twins should only look to trade Livan if they fall out of it by the deadline. If it comes June and the Twins are looking like buyers, Livan will be worth keeping.
That’s provided he keeps up pitching as well as he has. He’s surprised me, a lot. And I like it.
if they would release kubel, one thought could be to use his spot for that 3rd catcher j morales…so they have some more flex there, but there may be better options open to them also…something to think about..
the talk of trading livan is just assen9- cant even imagine thinking that way…
mj1 how about bring up Mulvey and use him in the bullpen. I just want to see another piece of the Santana trade. How about bring up Span to be an occasional player. I would even rather have Span up then Kubel. I don’t know but I am very open to suggestions
mj1, why would we need a 3rd catcher? Redmond is barely even getting any playing time, when would the 3rd catcher play?
mj1 I can see them doing a trade unfortunately with Livan just before he gets his incentives for pitching a certain amount of innings. I will lose all respect for them if they do this though.
why would the Twins release Kubel? Makes zero sense.
Shawn in Binghamton says:
May 13th, 2008 at 1:45 pm
why would the Twins release Kubel? Makes zero sense.
to save $$$ and bring up Span
Robert, they just signed Hanley to a long term deal, I think they are changing their philosophy. Also, I think trading Willis and Cabrera was a good move - waaaaaaay to expensive for most teams to afford, and they got good return on that investment.
They’ve also won 2 world series in the last 10 years or so, haven’t they?
My point was that the marlins seem to have a ton of young talent (again, just like the last two times they won it all) and just committed to their current star for the long term (unlike the last two times). I think you are judging them overly harshly. I’d be perfectly happy if my team won the WS that often, if it meant they aren’t very good in the between years.
The Twins have the money, Kubel doesn’t make that much and provides some lefty power. and Span can be the next Tyner in AAA.
Mike, do you really think Hanley will still be a Marlin at the end of that contract? I would very much doubt it.
the only point of the 3rd catcher is strictly emegency…but gives them the oppurtunity to rest mauer behind the plate and still keep his bat in the lineup-only downside to that is monroes bat comes out, but i do like to see redmond play a bit
–i think they did this last year or the year before with heintz—-too bad roster spots are so tight….almost leads to another subject that makes me think, as in todays game with the pitchers the way they are and the need for such large staffs, mlb should think seriously of raising the team rosters from 25 to at least 26 -27…..
jimmy - i agree with you about span, as i would much rather see him up and kubel gone…he can at least play the field & has alot of speed
Kubel is way to expensive and Span could give the Twins just as much production for way cheaper and they could keep it off the books. I agree we should get rid of Kubel to save $$$
mj1, I think Lamb has the ability to be the emergency catcher. Bringing up another catcher would just be wasting a spot on the bench. Mauer seems to be doing fine, he’s playing more than ever and is healthy. Maybe resting him every 3rd day is what led to the injuries. Maybe he tightened up on that day of rest and it made him more injury prone.
Robert, I’m not sure. Right now, I’m leaning toward thinking that they are changing their stripes, and he’ll be with them for most/all of the contract. But, I could just as easily be wrong.
It’s hard to deny that they have quite a bit of good young talent though. They know how to draft and develop players (and seem to trade well also).
The only way I’d favor another roster spot is if it were part of a negotiation with the union to eliminate the DH. The last thing baseball needs is more specialization.
mww
The philosophy of buying low and selling high doesn’t work well in baseball. The Marlins have won two world series but there also last in baseball in attendance this year. Thats due to too many years of sub .500 baseball is that really what you want?
bisonaudit,
The LAST thing baseball needs is having the helpless (pitcher) bat every 9th at bat, and trying to sell tickets to watch that.
It’s like paying to see Roseanne sing.
MWW The first World series players were not brought up through the Marlins farm club everyone was a free agent the second WS was the Farm system. The first reminded me of the Yanks when they just basically paid for a WS Win.
If they’re going to pull the starer after 5 or 6 innings how many AB is a ‘helpless’ pitcher going to get?
Let’s not forget that presently more than half the teams in baseball have pitchers who hit, and at least occasionally, they are somewhere other than 9th in the lineup. Not all of them are ‘helpless.’
MWW the first WS win was cheap and bought and in my book was kind of a tainted WS for the Marlins. Don’t get me wrong but it was bought.
I think, at least this last time around, when the Yanks started trying to buy rings they stopped winning them.
I am soooo confused… Now you want to trade Kubel? What about the “Free Kubel” movement? Has it turned into the “Trade/Release/Get rid of any way we can” movement already? Wow…
Span will never be a starting major league player. He’s not even on the radar as a prospect anymore. Take a look at his body of work in the minors. It will tell you all you need to know.
I’m not the biggest Kubel fan in the world, but he still has a chance. Don’t forget, he lost almost two years to a major knee injury. Who else is going to come up and replace him?
Span, on the other hand, is Jason Tyner re-incarnate. And that’s not a compliment.
JP, you don’t understand, people on this blog call for players’ heads as soon as they start to slump or have a bad period. Very fickle bunch here.
“Span will never be a starting major league player. He’s not even on the radar as a prospect anymore. Take a look at his body of work in the minors. It will tell you all you need to know.”
You could say the same thing about 1/2 the position players on our Rochester team. Span will never be a superstar but if you don’t think he’ll ever start take a look at who played LF for the Tribe last night. Thats right jimmybees boy Tyner the vanilla Delmon Young.
BC - Tyner is awesome. We made a huge mistake getting rid of him. He has the same hr Total as Delmon Young
Exactly i liked him too and your right D Young has given us no more then JT would have so far.
jimmy the one thing i always wondered about Tyner is why the Twins didn’t try to convert him into a 2b or ss. The guy can hit for average and has good speed but he doesn’t have the power to be an outfielder.
Actually, you could say that about almost the entire Rochester team.
Yeah, and Tyner was really tearing up AAA to the tune of a .234 batting average. Thank goodness I don’t have to watch him anymore.
Making an occasional start because if injury is a little different. What I said was he will never be a starting major league player. A few seasons of spot duty is all he will ever see.
Tyner was a terror on the basepaths and very quick. I wish we would have kept him. He wouldn’t have cost us that much. Why we never converted him is beyond me. For the 3 years Tyner played for the Twins his avg was way above .300
I think we got rid of the wrong guy “Tyner” and kept the wrong guy “Kubel”.
What the heck are you talking about Tyner for?
We’re lucky to win any games with Punto on the DL. Must be pure luck when you lose your bestplayer and still win.
Send Gomez and Young down and save the service time. Maybe Kubal to.
I will lose all respect for them if they do this though.
No, you’ll complain if they trade Livan, regardless of the circumstances revolving around it. (Which is hilarious since I seem to recall you were one of the same people waving the “cheapskate” flag when the front office for making signed Hernandez in the first place)
If the Twins trade Livan…it will be because all of their young pitchers are back and healthy this year (this would be Baker and Slowey, Perkins to a lesser extent, and perhaps Liriano will have figured it out)
But if they’ve still got questions regarding the guys I listed above, and Livan continues to pitch well, they’ll keep him around.
Of course, if their young pitchers can stay healthy, Livan on his current pace becomes an extra piece and valuable to bring in a young 3B that can take over starting duties right away.
“I think we got rid of the wrong guy “Tyner” and kept the wrong guy “Kubel”.”
It’s so much fun to watch bandwagons come and bandwagons go.
cj
So at the ripe old age of what 22 your saying Spans career is over?
T I thought I called them CHEEEEAP when they spent the 10 million on a jumbotron and not on one more SP. Livan I called him “Fat” which he is, and I also said that he could eat the innings and “Old Country Buffet” that Silva used to eat up.
Just for the record, in his three years with the Twins, Jason Tyner had 173 hits in 578 at-bats… for a .299 average.
Not that anyone here would ever embelish facts in an attempt to support their opinion, of course.
By the way… Tyner went 0-2 in his first game with the tribe. Yet, if he gets a hit in his next AB, he’ll have a higher BA than everyone on his team not named Victor Martinez. In fact, if he can scratch out a hit in one of his next TWO ABs, for a .250 average, he’ll be hitting better than the entire Cleveland infield (outside of catcher)… and their DH.
as for tyner i wish i could look back and say i played in the major leagues for 5-6 yrs and had a career .275 ave.
a wild guess nobody on this blog has 1 ml at bat.
T I also wanted Reyes and Livan to race in a 40 yd dash. I never called the acquisition of Livan Cheap though. As for Kubel I was against him on the roster before the season began. I voiced my opinion regarding my dislike for him on the team since before ST. I was crucified for this by Blog clones though. I stood my ground on the subject and now I am being referred to as a wagon jumper. Oh well.
“i always wondered about Tyner is why the Twins didn’t try to convert him into a 2b or ss.”
What?
It might have something to do with the fact that Tyner THROWS LEFT-HANDED.
Kubel only eats lettuce, cucumbers, pickled Lard and fried squirrel, no chicken.
Your no wagon jumper Jimmy. Have you changed your mind on the outdoor stadium, I hope so.
LOL sane… once again, you’re just letting facts get in the way of things!
Gobbledygook is very sensative about Tyner that is his brother in laws 4th cousin twice removed on their daddy’s side. He wont take too much Tyner bashing.
sane says:
May 13th, 2008 at 3:08 pm
“i always wondered about Tyner is why the Twins didn’t try to convert him into a 2b or ss.”
What?
It might have something to do with the fact that Tyner THROWS LEFT-HANDED.
Christina,
Do you understand now why I am never sure whether posters are serious?
Don’t bring up Span! No home run potential and a very low on base percentage! I think we a guy named Punto that does the exact same thing. Look at Span’s minor league stats. He is awful at getting on base. A guy that hits no home runs and strikes out that much in the minors has no place on this squad! He can’t even figure out minor league pitching. No more Span talk please!
And if Tyner does not get a hit his next at bat he will batting 260 points lower than Punto.
JJ quality post really put me in my place.
sane why didn’t they try him at catcher?
gobble,
If the baserunners start running clockwise, we will need a left-handed throwing catcher.
I like the idea of Tyner taking on a Kubel like role but with a waaaaay higher batting avg of course, oh yeah and also with scoring allot more runs then “crippled knee” Kubel
was that danny darwin ?? somebody ran backwards back in the good old days when we were winning 60-70 gms a yr.
Ben D says:
May 13th, 2008 at 3:10 pm
Your no wagon jumper Jimmy. Have you changed your mind on the outdoor stadium, I hope so.
I am looking outside right now in my office and I dunno what do you think. I am open to the idea and I will attend but I want to know one thing will they have tornado sirens if needed. Can anyone say “retractable roof” needed. I will go though. I love baseball….
The Twins didnt own a left-handed catchers mitt!
Some of you guys are way, way too funny to be wasting your comedian talents on these blogs. Didn’t I just hear that there was a last comic show starting up again?
If I dont see Jimmy in our new stadium on the Jumbotron the season will be a bust. I hope he is holding a sign saying “bring it mother nature”.
sane your right how stupid of me to assume that a left handed hitter might by some small chance be ambidextrous. I’m sure you’ve never seen a SS/2b who hits left and throws right. When i grow up i want to be a pompous, judgemental genius just like you.
Kubel hits like Bob uecker. Heck, can I trade Dick and Bert for Bob Uecker
You will see Jimmy on the Jumbotron, but he will be curled up in the fetal position in his seat bc it started drizzling.
BC baby Jesus is ambidextrous. Who says Tyner isn’t
JJ hope you get hit in the head by a baseball sized hail stone then when you are out cold a tornado launches you 10 miles down the road into a corn field
Carlos G always gets irritated 3 hours before the game.
JJ- Maybe lightning could hit you while you choke down a pretzel
Sorry Carlos G. I meant bc
Why are you wishing a lightning strike on me, Jimmy?
Could the Twins still send Kubel down to AAA so he could at least get some consistant atbats? I know he doesn’t help things himself, but Gardy has stunted his growth with this erratic playing time.
I am telling you now that I’ve never been happier to be proven wrong by this team. I am still not changing my mind because it’s too young, and we haven’t hit the dog days yet, but this team is playing damn good baseball, and it’s nice to see them win.
Yes that’s right, I don’t mind being wrong. In a case like this with baseball and basketball I always hope I’m wrong, but I will never just give them the benefit of the doubt. Especially in Basketball… respect is earned, and Gardy, Vavra, McHale, and Wittless have not earned my respect though Gardy does a lot of things very very good.
Jimmy bee will be sad until lightning strikes someone in the ass, while they eat.
sorry it was disco danny ford that ran across home plate backwards and only because the other team didn’t have a left handed catcher.
just because mauer hits left doesn’t mean he’s ambidextrous, which means doing things with both hands equally well.
like yogi said when asked why he hit left and threw right he said he was amphibious. so the twins have several amphibious players.
I am going to watch some outdoor baseball this week….. Sure its AA and AAA, but i will be glad there is no roof.
Do I have to go to the Blue Jays website to get the lineups?
Ben D right on lightning will strike. JJ I don’t wish Lightning strike you. Just GO GO to see how quick he could move…..
BC Beneke, I’m pretty sure Kubel couldn’t be sent down without having to clear waivers first and I guarantee he wouldn’t clear waivers.
I take that back JJ Iwould laugh if kubel got hit in the ass by lightning.
Kubel is not that bad just not worth bigtime/longterm deal.
Jimmy,
What does Kubel remind you of?
an inbreed troll with fetal alcohol syndrome
I thought it was Mike Tyson with the amphibious comment.
I actually don’t want anyone getting hit by lightning except I want a real close strike near Gomez while he is running.
yogi said it about 50 yrs ago not to say tyson didn’t as well.
Jimmy by god your right the baby jesus does bat left and throw right. That’s weird, and what do you know so do Kubel, Lamb and Morneau. This must be some sort of anomaly I mean what are the odds of having four players on the same team who can do this?
Sane do the Twins have a laboratory where there creating these freaks of nature? Please explain to us simple folk.
Punto will explode offensively when he returns. I will make a run as an all star. He already voted for hiself 25 times (You have to write him in).
How many players do we have that catches left, throws right, switch hits and is pigeon toed?
JJ Who is it?
“like yogi said when asked why he hit left and threw right he said he was amphibious. so the twins have several amphibious players”
But they no longer have any Pirahnas how sad.
It is Kubel. He can nock the sh*&t out of it batting right, but his grand paw would hit him with a cain when he would try to bat righthanded in little league. If you look at his glove closely it fits a right or lefthand and he takes his braces off before warm-ups.
Have a wonderfull night and Goooooo Twins.
one pirahna but he lost his teeth
Batting Left Handed and Throwing Right Handed does not make you ambidextrous.
Ambidexterity is being equally adept with both appendages (usually hands).
In baseball a switch hitter would be considered ambidextrous, or someone who throws equally with either hand.
a kid i knew in junior high pitched left handed and quarterbacked right handed. not too bad, either. he moved away before i found out if he advanced to the high school level or beyond.
Anyone who watched the Twins at all would know Jason Tyner threw left handed, as well as hitting that way. Thus, the suggestion he be taught to play ss or 2B was… well… humorous.
Many, many players (including myself) throw right and hit left… Tyner simply isn’t one of them.
BC of ND -
Tyner batting left handed has nothing to do with why they didn’t try to convert him to a middle infielder. It is the fact that he throws left handed. Which is what sane said in his/her post. Players who throw left handed don’t play middle infield spots (or catcher).
I played with a kid in high school who threw left and hit right, now that’s a strange one. We laughed about it all the time. He’d been doing it that way since he could walk. Unusual, but that’s just the way it was.
There are actual baseball reasons why lefties don’t play the other infield sports (other than 1B), I’m not sure how compeling the on-the-field arguements are against a left handed catcher.
Like golf for a long time I think a big factor is lack of equipment. Also, most of the south paws who can throw get much better jobs 60′ 6″ from home plate.
“an inbreed troll with fetal alcohol syndrome”
You say that every day (at least 10 times a thread).
You’d think the lack of laughs would be a hint that it ain’t funny.
As for Kubel I was against him on the roster before the season began.
Oh I’m just saying that it went from everybody hating Monroe and wondering when Kubel would get ABs to everybody hating Kubel and wondering why Monroe wasn’t getting more ABs.
Mike Squires was a left handed throwing 1st baseman, for the White Sox. He won a Gold Glove sometime in the early 1980’s. Squires was such a good glove-man, that he played some at 3B. I think he also caught.
I think those who said it earlier hit the nail on the head.
These days if a kid can throw left handed…parents aren’t going to “waste time” trying to teach him to hit.
They’re going to stick him on a mound and make him throw until the kid’s arm falls off.
N&I Craig -
Squires won a gold glove in 1981. For his career, he played 3836.3 innings at first, 38.0 at third, 8.3 in the outfield, and 2 innings behind the plate.
Ok, Mr. New and Improved if you are going to multiply out a guys strike-outs you have to be fair and do the same with stolen bases…..that’s 96,,,, fair trade don’t you think?
BCof ND,
“When i grow up i want to be a pompous, judgemental genius just like you.”
I plead innocent to “pompous judgemental genius”, but guilty to insensitive and stupid.
I misread the intent of your post and went for the laugh without thinking about anything else.
I respect your opinions, especially the one that stated my IQ bottomed out if I had coached football at the U of M after giving up the OSU football job.
Apparently my IQ actually bottomed out today.
My parents did a much better job of raising me than I demonstrated earlier today.
I think they would forgive me for stupidity, but not for insensitivity, pomposity or being overly judgemental.
I hope you will forgive me for all four.
Mike wants wins,
the first Marlin’s WS title was with a veteran team that they bought and then sold the next season. The big joke was that they showed how money can buy a WS title.
Young is not hitting with any power, maybe that will be corrected but he needs some pine time if he continues his horrid play defensively. He hasn’t hit a cut-off man since God was a boy.
Perhaps if the cutoff man wasn’t bouncing his throws from SS to 1B, hitting him would make a little more sense. Problems compounding problems.
is anyone else sick of watching delmon swing 3 seconds too late on a first pitch, eye-high fastball, and fouling it over the first base dugout? i’m not even sure the term “agressive” accurately describes his approach. i honestly believe he makes up his mind before the pitch is thrown whether or not he’s going to swing. i can’t stand to watch his ab’s anymore…
DELMON MUST PULL BALL
IF YOU WANT TO REPLACE 48 THEN YOU MUST TRY TO PULL THE BALL WAY TOO MUCH!!
SOMEONE TELL HIM I DON’T THINK HE KNOWS THAT WE NEED POWER IN THE LINE-UP!!
HE CAN’T POSSIBLY STRIKE OUT ANYMORE IF HE SWING FOR THE FENCES….CAN HE?
get punto back in the lineup and the twins will have kick ass lineup -just like the vikes and chili dog!!!!!!!!
