Clean sweep: The power of the new beards
Posted on May 29th, 2008 – 11:34 PMBy Joe Christensen
KANSAS CITY, MO. — With the Royals riding an 11-game losing streak, it was tough to tell if they were just plain terrible or if Kevin Slowey really was that good in Thursday’s 5-1 victory at Kauffman Stadium.
Either way, the Twins will take it.
Manager Ron Gardenhire said Slowey was the story but was quick to compliment Carlos Gomez and Alexi Casilla, who each reached base four times, atop the lineup.
“When they start getting on, it’s entertaining out there,” Gardenhire said. “You never know when they’re going to run. A couple of ill-advised [stolen base attempts by Gomez]. But that’s part of the game, too. Every once in a while you scratch your head a little bit, but it’s fun to watch them because they both come to play, and they’re playing very well for us right now.”
Lucky beards?
Joe Mauer and Michael Cuddyer had the whiskers growing pretty long tonight, so I had to ask them, “Playoff beards?”
“I think I forgot my razor,” Mauer said. “Just trying to clean it up a little bit. It’s getting out of hand.”
Then Cuddyer came clean. They’re not playoff beards, like the ones in the NHL. They’re not even lucky beards being grown since the 19-3 loss Saturday. (They’ve won four games since that debacle.)
“No, they’re homer-less beards,” Cuddy said.
In other words, they’re not shaving until they hit their next home runs. Cuddyer has one on the season and Mauer none. Mauer sure came close Thursday, hitting a ball off the center-field wall in the fifth inning.
Cuddyer, who singled home the Twins’ first run for his 19th RBI in 36 games, noted how the homer-less beard is a good incentive. His wife, Claudia, is not a big fan of the beard.
Delmon speaks
Delmon Young welcomed reporters for an interview after the game, saying he didn’t want to talk before the game because his streak was technically still alive.
Last year, he came off the bench three times for Tampa Bay, finishing with 162 games played.
“I’ll take a day off any time,” he said.
He even poked fun at himself.
“I’ve been having days off, except my stats keep going down,” he said. “This one, stays even.”
Asked if Tuesday’s inside-the-park play was on his mind when he missed Alex Gordon’s fly ball Wednesday, he said, “I just flat-out missed that ball. The night before doesn’t really bother me after about 30 seconds go by.”
Korecky optioned
The Twins optioned Bobby Korecky to Class AAA Rochester after the game, making room on the roster for lefthanded reliever Craig Breslow, who will be in uniform for Friday’s game against the Yankees.
221 Responses to "Clean sweep: The power of the new beards"
korecky? what about rincon?? get rid of his sorry but already!!
rincon is on the trading block, and believe it or not, someone will call and offer something. experienced set up guys are on almost every teams needs.
Too bad for Korecky, because he’s been fairly impressive. I think he’ll be back soon.
The Twins have the 6th best team batting average in MLB at .268.
Carlos Gomez, who hit .232 last year for the Mets is now hitting .293.
Alexi Casilla, who was hitting .219 at Rochester is now hitting .326.
Their hitting coach is Joe Vavra, who was working with two very flawed young hitters.
Vavra should be given the same credit as he was given blame by the blog hyenas a month ago.
I still maintain that the hitters are the biggest variable in the equation.
However, if you are going to call out Vavra when the hitters are struggling, you should man up and credit him when the hitters are doing their jobs.
Won’t happen?
OK, but at least I can quit spending all my time defending Vavra against the geniuses who never could explain to me, the differences between what Vavra taught and what the “good” hitting instructors taught.
Or why Vavra’s instruction was inferior to the other MLB hitting instructors.
The reason that there was never an explanation, was because IMO, THERE WERE NO SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCES!
right on, sane, right on.
Holy base on balls, Batman! I didn’t think there was anyone else out there who agreed that Vavra is a pretty good batting coach. Good analysis, sane. Keep it up.
Now only if Delmon Young would listen to him . . .
Where are you, BC Benecke?
Tonight Monroe hit.
Tomorrow Young sits?
sane, I am with you.
The Royals announcers tonight were, well, strange. it was really hard to give them credit when they spent a whole inning (both halves) talking about a barbecue joint in Chicago (aren’t they in Kansas City? Barbecue City?). The one thing I agree with them on from the whole game is that Vavra must be doing something right with Gomez because of the marked difference in his swing.
They did a side-by-side comparison of Gomez’ not-trying-for-a-homer swing, and it is considerably smoother, quicker and more open.
I’ll give Vavra credit for the sudden awakening of the bats. Now lets talk about Anderson and that bullpen…
*snark*
May 30, 2058 - Joe Mauer sits down for an interview to discuss the pact he made with Michael Cuddyer.
http://www.lib.ndsu.nodak.edu/ndirs/collections/photography/Folio131.jpg
just tried to sneak in that thing about Korecky at the last minute…
I really thought it’d be Rincon… it should have been.
It is funny that you don’t hear Vavra bashers apologizing…though after the first shutout they’ll all be back with “I TOLD YOU SO!” and demand that we acknowledge our “foolishness” for defending him.
No, I have a feeling the rallying cry for any loss for a while will be on Gardy (as demonstrated by the comments following Tuesday’s “win”)
Whatever the case, Gomez has shown a lot of maturity in the time he’s been up. And all it took was that benching back during the Oakland series.
It’s also great to see Young’s comments regarding his streak. You see people calling him a diva and ripping him for some mysterious bad attitude. But in those comments I see a humbled guy who’s not afraid to admit he’s having troubles.
Compare that to Jose Guillen’s rant Wednesday night, and I think this team has some good heads on its shoulders.
As far as the Homer-Beards are concerned…it’ll be interesting to see how that turns out. We may be calling Mauer Grizzly Adams before too long.
Well, there really isn’t anything that they can do with Rincon, honestly. He has more than 3 years of MLB service time, so he can refuse an assignment to the minor leagues (correct me if I’m wrong, all you people who are better at the rules than me). They would have had to DFA him, which would have essentially meant that they would pay him to play for another team. I think that the Twins think that if they give him a couple good outings and package him with, say, Punto, Everett, or a prospect, they can make a trade.
However, if he doesn’t get better, DFA would not surprise me.
As far as Korecky vs. Rincon…
The Twins are out of options for guys like Rincon and Bonser (I believe Bass as well). To send any of them down would expose them to waivers. Any of those three would be claimed immediately.
The Twins tried to deal Rincon in the offseason, so we know where he stands with the team (he probably does too…which could explain the performance for all we know)
Whatever the case, the Twins sent down Korecky because if they’re going to lose Rincon they want to make sure they get something in return.
If they just flat out “release” him they have to pay him still. So people suggesting that option and then adding they could use the money to find somebody else can just forget it.
The Twins don’t know if they’d be buyers or sellers yet, and there really isn’t any obvious buyers at the moment. So the Twins want to hold onto Rincon until the market becomes clear and then make a well-informed move to bring in some new faces.
With Rincon, I’d be satisfied with something in the minor league system. I can’t imagine any package built around Rincon that could bring in immediate help.
But it’d be better than just letting him get claimed by some other team and flat out losing him.
They have shown a better tendency to take better at bats as of late…
I still believe they have the fewest walks and have given up the fewest walks as a team. Just an odd mix of results if you ask me.
“The Twins are out of options for guys like Rincon and Bonser (I believe Bass as well). To send any of them down would expose them to waivers. Any of those three would be claimed immediately.”
hopefully by an AL central team so the Twins can Tee off
the trade deadline is july31st, livian, boof, cuddyer, rincon, monroe,lamb maybe playing somewhere else, based on salary and effectiveness. hopefully they get something in return.
get ‘em sane! defend vavra!
korecky down and bass still in the bullpen? that makes me scratch my head. i’m guessing it won’t matter much when baker comes back, bonser moves into the long relief role, and bass goes down. either way, i like his bat and think they should let him take a few hacks every once in a while…ok maybe not
Cuddy isn’t going anywhere, probably not lamb either cause of his 2 year deal
ohh that’s right, bass is out of options…what to do with him when baker comes back? ideas?
When Bake comes back maybe then they get rid of Juanie
rmuk, Livan, Cuddyer, and Boof will not be going anywhere, Boof might get relegated to long relief duty, but that’s it. Livan had a rough game last time out, but has been pretty darn good overall.
Cuddy just signed a big deal, and with his numbers right now, I doubt we’d ever get anything back even if we wanted to trade him.
Lamb could be gone, but they’ll have to have a better option at 3rd, which until Tolbert or Punto gets back, they don’t.
When Baker comes back, the Twins have no choice but to trade someone or subject one of their pitchers to waivers, or keep 13 pitchers. I’d prefer to see Rincon traded, but is Bass really ML ready?
Let’s beat the damn yanks tonight
The pitchers who still have options are Perkins, Slowey and Blackburn. NONE of them deserve to go down. Baker will be back if he goes pain free for one more start. If the Twins trade Livan they need to make sure the other team takes Rincon and his salary with it.
being one of sane’s “blog hyenas” i don’t think i ever said vavra was a bad coach but said the results we where getting were not good and a change could help. it loooks like the whole team approach has changed, taking pitches, working the count. early in the year everyone, but mauer, was flailing away at the first pitch. it also looks like the coachs are working the bench, now you see them talking to the players “coaching” during the game which wasn’t so apparent early in the year. sane i’m not afraid to admit if i’m wrong but it’s a long season sane not sure i would consider the twins a great hitting team team yet. i am encouraged however.
livian has value, the twins have plenty of starters, he won’t be back next year, at least get a prospect.
Jayson Stark’s “Rumblings and Grumblings” this week mentioned Rincón and Crain as players other teams have inquired about.
He also goes on to mention that bullpen help is the most overvalued quantity in the trade market, and teams inevitably give up more for those players than they should.
let’s not anoint the Twins the greatest hitting team ever just yet.. this was the Royals they played losers of now 11 straight games.. there has been some improvement which is encouraging.. Twins are now 6th in runs scored in AL, 13th in HRs hit, 12th in walks drawn, and 9th in K’s.. so a mixed bag still showing not much patience or power but improved run scoring ability if this improvement is more then just beating on a bad team then I will gladly say VAVRA and co have done better
Crain and Breslow have options. When Baker gets activated, Boof goes to the pen and one of them down or someone like Bass would try to sneak through wavers…
All those who said “Gomez can’t hit” line-up for your comeuppance. It’s just amazing how fast this kid learns. He’s laying off tough pitches. He’s hitting pitches up the middle and the other way. His swing is level and smooth. And he still hits the ball hard. He’s really something special.
Re Vavra:
the team slugging percentage is .382. (9/14 in the AL) the team OBP is .329 (again 9/14 in the AL). Is that a C or a D grade in a curve?
Let the team slugging percentage be at least .410 (which would be like 4/14 in the AL, a B grade?) before you pronounce Vavra a decent hitting coach
thrylos I was just saying there was signs of improvement.. we need to toss a few roses towards the “Koolaid drinker” rubes otherwise they swear and threaten to “fix” you
the team has been so dreadful offensively that any blip of runs scored or power is an improvement.. perhaps it was just like I said beating on a bad team like Royals but atleast they beat on someone for a change..
if Twins can somehow get a “bag of chips” for Rincon and rid of his 2.1M salary put Boof in the bullpen they need to do it!!
gobble,
“i’m not afraid to admit if i’m wrong but it’s a long season”
You are absolutely right.
I just picked a (relatively) good time for my rant.
Probably, later this season, another poster (or thirty)will be ripping Vavra (and me) when the hitters start to struggle again.
Since I am a Twins fan, I am going to hope this is not a peak, but it is part of a continued upward slope in hitting performance.
I will hold my position that before, now and later, the hitters successes and failures are largely their own doing.
And Joe Vavra is a MLB hitting coach, like the others, who is just doing his job.
Would they put Tolbert on the 60 day DL to free up a spot????
“the Twins the greatest hitting team ever just yet..”
I am pretty sure that wasn’t my exact wording.
to temper the high, we just went 5-1 against 2 teams that are now a combined 21 games under .500
just think how hysterical this place would be if it was a tigers blog.
sane your backtracking already??
Vavra,
If you interpreted my comment about “fixing my dog” as a threat, and my comment that “Vavra should be given the same credit as he was given blame” as saying “the Twins the greatest hitting team ever”, you are not understanding what I am writing.
If I am not writing clearly, I apologize.
If you felt threatened, that was not even close to my intent.
I think you are reading into my comments what you want to read, not what was written.
“sane your backtracking already??”
No, I am totally consistent.
I think that your reading comprehension may be backtracking however.
well it is a Friday…getaway day!!!
Is Harris our solution at SS? How important is it that he has no range?? I hope Casilla has finally got it together and becomes our 2B starter.
What players will be the Twins infield?
I agree that relievers tend to get more in trades than they’re worth, but has this year been different? Turnbow, Tavarez, Sosa and I’m pretty sure a few others has been exposed to waivers. Personally, I think Rincon is worth at least as much as R.Ortiz was to some team. If we can dump Everett at the same time, maybe for a AA or AAA power hitter I’d be happy.
Questions:
If it is too early to give up on Young, isn’t it too early to say that Vavra is doing a good job this year? Why does either side of the argument feel the need to gloat and egg the other side on every day?
For the record, I’ve never opined on Vavra, but on the Twins’ development of hitters in their system. I have no idea if Vavra does a good job or not, but I’m pretty sure the Twins have done a mediocre job of drafting and developing hitters lately (the last 10 years have brought us 2 hitters so far).
Smith might me trying to trade Boof and/or Rincon right now.
Homer-less beards, huh? What, is Mauer angling for an Amish furniture endorsement deal?
sane - Do you know what the state animal of Minnesota is?
The Tail Gator
I think Slowey is starting to figure out how to pitch in the majors. He did pretty much dominate in AAA.
Rincon + HGH + Wizinator = trade value
Rincon - HGH - Wizinator = hard to get rid of
Lucky beards? I love this idea Mauer and Cuddy will look like the guys from ZZ top before the seasons over.
Kubel better shave then
Why would we trade Livan? Silly posts. were not even Half way through the season…..
The problem Vavra was having early on is that the Twins had a total mess on their hands with respect to batting and he was overwhelmed. No one was hitting, including Mauer, Young, Lamb, Everett, Gomez, Harris, Morneau (yes, even Morneau), Cuddyer, Kubel, Monroe, so it was easy to place blame on Joe. Now that a few traditional “hitters” have gotten out of their early season doldrums (Mauer, Morneau, etc.), he’s had a litle more time to concentrate on others. Gomez & Casilla have responded well, Lamb is coming around, and others are on the brink. Based on the Twins philosophy, we’ll never be a home run hitting team, but in time our BA will continue to rise with our OPS, and our K/AB ratio will drop. Give Joe some slack…
Everett has a bum arm and a BA under .200 Don’t think anyone will want him now, even as part of a multi-player package trade. Does he have any options left to go to AAA and fix himself?
I’m growing a Mullet until Cuddyer, Mauer & Young hit long balls.
Rather positive posts today.The flamethrowers must be having a cow!Don’t worry,if we lose tonight,they will be back in full force spewing their negativity!
I’m going to wear my Anthony LaPanta hair piece untill the little poppers go ya ya.
I just want to say i love Joe Vavra now i still don’t know what he does but i love him anyways.
T,
“It’s also great to see Young’s comments regarding his streak. You see people calling him a diva and ripping him for some mysterious bad attitude. But in those comments I see a humbled guy who’s not afraid to admit he’s having troubles.”
I agree 100%.
Delmon is a good kid that the public may never embrace.
GENO says:
May 30th, 2008 at 10:22 am
Rather positive posts today.The flamethrowers must be having a cow!Don’t worry,if we lose tonight,they will be back in full force spewing their negativity!
I’m back, and LaPanta’s hair did a flip in the front last night where the tail was removed from and hardened
The New and Improved Craig rocks!
Whenever Coomer is sitting next to LaPanta has anyone noticed he can’t look at him or this huge shi _ grin and a slight laughing begins to show. If you haven’t noticed give it a looksy tonight if it happens again
sane - Do you know what the state animal of Minnesota is?
No, but I do remember that the State BIRD of Minnesota is the mosquito.
What about Reddogs streak of streaking around the club house after games is that still intact? Do you really think he takes a shower if he doesn’t even play?
Goober says:
May 30th, 2008 at 10:31 am
The New and Improved Craig rocks!
the old craig was funnier and the new craig is more supportive. Feels like the old craig is not the new craig sometimes but who am I to say maybe he did turn over a new leaf
VAVRA & GARDY & PUNTO MUST GO!! = BC Beneke.
mmmhmm,
“VAVRA & GARDY & PUNTO MUST GO!! = BC Beneke.”
I don’t think so.
In between his rants, BC Beneke is not that angry.
I heard a racoon got loose in the locker room after the game and Gomez beat the hell out of it with his bat, but it was just Lapanta’s hair
jimmy,goober,mmmhmm,
You understand that posting to yourself is an indication of mental instability.
sorry sane I don’t have the know how to be like T and make other peoples quotes into Italics. Mosquito as the state bird is usually true. Not this year, I think it is suposed to snow on Saturday.
Nice win last night. Good, solid effort, a couple of nice DP’s turned, Gomez and Casilla rocked at the top of the order and Slowey had a great outing. Now let’s take the series against the tired old Yankee has-beens.
Korecky deserves to stay up here.
For the love of this team Gardy, do not insert LNP into the starting line-up this week, or next week or next month… Please BS, package him up with Rincon in a trade. A year’s supply of sunflower seeds and a player to be named later will do.
No mosquitos this year?
Unbelievable!
I may be coming home!!!
Two Predictions:
LaVelle will return tonight.
Delmon won’t.
“ohh that’s right, bass is out of options…what to do with him when baker comes back? ideas?”
All the injuries and shuffling has me confused, but my best guess is this:
Rotation: (not in this order)
Baker
Blackburn
Perkins
Hernandez
Slowey
Pen:
Bonser
Rincon
Bass
Crain
Reyes
(New Guy who’s name I forget)
Guerrier
Nathan
Macri is still with the team…is Clark? They could send both down for now. Which would allow them to keep their current pitching staff and not have to force their hand in the trade market just yet.
It also gives them time to weigh Baker’s recovery. If he’s coming along nicely and Boof sticks in the pen. Watch for guys like Rincon and Hernandez to start getting shopped around.
Livan has been GREAT thus far, and has done everything the Twins have asked of him. But his primary purpose was to take pressure off the young staff and help the bullpen get days off.
We’ve seen lately that Blackburn, Slowey, and even Perkins can go deep into games when they’re on…and even when they’re not at their best can still put out 6 solid innings.
So at this point, I wouldn’t argue if hte Twins thank Livan for his time and make a move him and Rincon for somebody to help stabalize the lineup.
If the Twins fall from contention - Reyes, Crain, Rincoln, Monroe & Hernandez will be gone. And why not? They ain’t very good and make too much cash. Nobody will want Lamb so he will probably stay around due to having a 2nd year on his contract. Everett would be this years Jeff Cirillo. I wonder if they would get rid of Guerrier as well? He has arbitration next year if they don’t sign him. Nathan, Neshek and Bonser/Ward/Mistra/Kornecky/Cali/Barrett/New guy/DePaula - Ouch.
thrylos,
Breslow obviously doesn’t have any options since he had to clear waivers before Cleveland could send him down.
Crain may have options left, I don’t know for sure.
I love all the trade Livan talk like all of a sudden he’s more valuable to some other team then he is to the Twins.
Perkins, Blackburn and Slowey have pitched a combined total of 31 starts in there major league careers and you expect them to just sail through the rest of the season with no set backs at all.
Why would we send Crain down? Over the past couple apperances, he is coming on as one of our best bullpen guys…
“If the Twins fall from contention” — what ARE you going on about? The Twins are 2 games out of first place! The question is, how to get better, not who to get rid of. The Tigers are the ones who need to unload some salary.
BC, I think the point is we would have to be out of contention for us to trade Livan. The way we and the rest of the division are playing, this might be a moot point.
However, IF we were out of contention it would make a lot of sense to deal him. You could get a return, as there is always a market for pitching and it is very unlikely that he will be with us after this season.
BC of ND,
But, that’s the beauty of blog-world, where you don’t have to consider reality.
Next week (or more likely, this weekend), blog-world will have new solutions.
Sane-
I’ve never thought Vavra was a bad hitting coach per se, just a bad hitting coach when it comes to teaching hitters to drive the ball.
I’m not complaining about this because I think Delmon’s power will come and Joe is Joe and he chooses not to change his swing, but with almost any other coach, both those guys wouldn’t be encouraged to slap the ball like they are with the Twins. Again, I’m not complaining. I can’t even blame Vavra completely. I blame the Twins’ philosophy.
BONSER TO BULLPEN?
.494 .353 .330 Hernandez
.415 .341 .305 Blackburn
.425 .315 .270 Bonser
.457 .272 .233 Slowey
.409 .273 .244 Baker
.423 .294 .260 Perkins
The read is: SLG OBP AVG
Opponents Percentages
Sane your blood is to thin to come home. It is supposed to snow this weekend and we have had no days of summer yet. We got a nice heavy storm last night. yes perfect BB weather. Can’t wait for that outdoor stadium. I will make you a deal I will move to the LB area for the rest of summer and you can move here and experience the non existant la nina effect summer we are having
sean,
“If the Twins fall from contention - Reyes, Crain, Rincoln, Monroe & Hernandez will be gone.”
Plus Everett and Guerrier?
When have the Twins ever dumped SEVEN players after falling out of contention?
Crain and Guerrier are definitely staying.
A market for Rincon, Reyes, Everett and Monroe may not exist.
To waive them is to:
1) pay them to play for other teams or
2)to pay them to not play.
I would say only Livan (in a trade) would be likely going anywhere.
Craig,
I think those numbers just prove that Bonser can be productive. But he has labored after the 5th inning. However, he may be a very effective pitcher in the bullpen. With his fastball and curve, he could be become a very good setup man.
But out of the bunch, he has been the least effective starter, regardless of those stats.
Cuddy and Mauer might start to look like KIMBO SLICE before they get another homerun. lol
jimmybee,
“I will move to the LB area for the rest of summer and you can move here”
If there are no 747-size mosquitos in Minnesota this summer, I’d consider it.
However,I would have to be back in SoCal for preseason HS football in August. Hotter than Hell. Maybe I could call in sick.
last night after Mauer hit the long flyball I almost fell off of my couch. Then it hit the wall……
Crain is also out of options as this is his 5th season with the Twins.
I think it would be best to hang on to Livan. He’s said he likes it here and would be happy to stay. I like having him here and would be happy for him to stay. Plus he’s going a very nice job for us, we just can’t let him face the Rangers anymore…
Win-win.
I would like to announce that I am not shaving until the Twins fall out of “CONTENTION” ! ! !
And check out my link or website or whatever. Mudcat from the Muppets.
Bonser is also out of options so the only pitchers that can be sent down are Blackburn, Slowey & Perkins and all 3 deserve to stay.
That means in order to activate Baker to pitch on 6/12 they will have to trade, release or DFA somebody.
I’ll ask again…
Can they/would they put Tolbert on the 60 day DL to free up a spot??
Krissy,
Free up a spot for who?
If you are referring to Baker, they don’t need to as Baker is already on the 40-man roster.
By being on the DL Baker is currently not on the 25-man Active Roster. To bring Baker off of the DL a player currently on the 25-man roster has to be taken off of it. Since Baker is a pitcher, they would definitely move a pitcher (especially since we are already carrying 12 on the active roster).
Therein lies the problem as of the 12 pitchers on the roster only 3 have options remaining (Slowey, Blackburn, Perkins) which allow us to send them to the minors without subjecting them to waivers. All 3 have earned their places in the SR at this point.
Tolbert will probably be back in a little over a month. If they put him on the 60 day DL I dont think he can come back before the 60 days is up. We already have infielders we brought up that have not played at all.
“Sane - If there are no 747-size mosquitos in Minnesota this summer, I’d consider it”
There are no Squito’s this year because it is to cold. I am not kiding about the weather this year. I see tonight while the sorm weather approaching is another fine day for outdoor Baseball in Minny. Just one idea for Pohlad (retractable roof)
Thanks Sweet One…
That explains it.
It will be interesting when Tolbert does come back.
krissy,
No, they would not put Tolbert on the 60 day DL to free up a spot.
They would option him to AAA, because he has three options remaining.
If you are referring to a spot on the 40-man roster and they needed to add someone not already on it, Jose Mijares could be put on the 60-day DL.
I hate to say it but i would be willing to bet anyone that one of the three Blackburn, Slowey or Perkins will be sent back down before the seasons over. I hope i’m wrong but i doubt i will be.
Hey sane do any of the kids you coach out there have a shot at getting drafted this year? Anyone i should watch for?
BC Slowey actually has pitched very well the last 2 games. Blackburn is streaky either really good or really bad. Perkins may be the real deal. Of the bunch that you named I would guess Blackburn but I could be wrong
BC,
Your not really going out on a limb with that prediction. Seeing as Lirano and Baker should see some starts maybe even 2 of those guys might go down. Blackburn is giving up a lot of hits, it’s going to bit him in the butt sometime. None of these guys are as good as Baker or Liriano can be when healthy.
The rumor is that there was an old warrent out for len3 (some youthful indiscretion) and when he was in Chicago last time they caught him before he could sneak back out of town. He may be out on bail soon! He will probably have good stories on prison life!
That’s what the rumor is anyway.
Blackburn might be the best starter on our team so far this season, he better not get sent down.
jimmy i like all three of them and i think they have tremendous potential but it’s just like the Hawk said we know both Baker and Lariano are better when healthy because they’ve proved it. I’m just questioning why people think they should trade Livan. I don’t think it matters if we’re in contetnion or not Livan should be in the rotation all year unless he falls completly apart as well.
RyanW says:
May 30th, 2008 at 1:43 pm
Blackburn might be the best starter on our team so far this season, he better not get sent down.
Not Livan. I will have to check on that
Unless someone is hurt, Liriano is not coming up until after the all star break, I don’t think. With Baker’s return, they have 4-5 starters, plus Boof. I just don’t see room for Francisco right now. I think Young plays tonight. I don’t see it as a benching, but a day of rest, just like all the other players get.
BC I am all for keeping Livan. I think he keeps the young guys loose. He looks like he is funnier then anything . He makes a good presence in the clubhouse just like Redmond does for the other players.
BC of ND,
Our only realistically draftable graduate is almost certainly going to a Division I college instead.
The best kids in our immediate area are:
Aaron Hicks RHP-OF Long Beach Wilson
Anthony Gose OF-LHP Bellflower HS
Gerritt Cole RHP Orange Lutheran HS
I coached Gose briefly at 14-yr-old level.
We have played against Hicks every year since he was 13-yr-old. He is projected to go right about where the Twins will make their first choice. Big-time speed, arm and power. Can he hit good pitching? That will decide whether he becomes an OF or a pitcher. As a pitcher he has a 95mph fastball and an 85mph slider - devastating!
Gerritt Cole 95-97mph fast ball says it all.
I would say ship Slowey down when Baker is ready to go. If Perkins doesn’t implode, I like the idea of atleast one lefty in the rotation. Between Slowey and Blackburn, they are close in what kind of stuff they have. I give the edge mentally to Blackburn, he knows better how to attack hitters and pitches more consistantly.
well the common wisdom (gardy said about slowey) that they have mastered aaa and really have no reason to be down there they need to learn how to pitch at the ml level. livan is not our “future” and if there a 5 other guys that are doing as well or better than him come summer get what you can for him. if one of them faulters bad over the next 2-4 weeks maybe not. and how livan pitches the next 2-3 starts will tell a lot.
we have 6 young starters that all could be better, time will tell.
by the end of june livan may be worth a lot to some pitching poor team trying to stay in contention.
BC of ND
Tonight I will see Bian Matusz (LHP) of USD pitch in the NCAA regionals at Long Beach.
Matusz projects as #1, #2 or #3 in the draft.
USD, Cal, Fresno, and the Dirtbags play tonight, tomorrow and Sunday at Blair Field, Long Beach.
MWM,
agreed on Liriano. After the break, and the deadline maybe. I think our surplus starter situation might be resolved in some way by then. When you have that many chips to play with, why not move one or two guys. But it is nice to know when somebody goes down, there is an MLB ready pitcher waiting down in AAA, I just don’t think we need 2 or 3 waiting down there.
I just don’t see room for Francisco right now.
Am I the only one who is concerned about Livan? If he keeps pitching the way he did last night and in two starts earlier this month, and Frankie keeps pitching like h has the last four starts, I could see them making a move before the All-Star game.
As long as we are playing the “buy and sell” game (?), here is my take:
-Bonser has to pitch out of the bullpen for a while and can still regain his 2006 form. Young pitchers are sometimes unstable (remember Santana, Ron Guidry…).
-The “young” rotation of Slowey/Perkins/Blackburn/Baker will be the strength of this team for years to come. Liriano, if he can come back, will be an ace. In the meantime, Livan should stay. He is eating innings, and will win a few more games. Our starting rotation is starting to look good.
-Lack of hitting home runs has nothing to do with Vavra, but the Twins’ philosophy since Tom Kelly, who preferred small ball. I think Vavra is doing a good job, although it is not up to him to start with fundamentals (we have minor leagues for that).
-Unless he shows a healthy strong arm and the defensive skills he was hired for, Everett should be traded as we have other (younger and/or cheaper players) in his position.
-All the rest should stay put.
Enjoy the game on the field, not the trades off it…
The whole problem with trading Livan is what you get for him. The return would be much greater on a guy who could be under that teams control for 3+ more years than a plug in player. Do we want a boarderling MLB player ala Macri or Martin, or a potential starter.
Hernandez 6-2 4.60 76.1 innings
Blackburn-4-3 3.39 71.2 innings
In 5 fewer innings- Blackburn has given up 17 fewer hits, 10 fewer runs, 12 fewer earned runs, 5 fewer HRs, 2 fewer walks, and recorded 14 more strike outs.
The only thing Livan has going for him is his W-L record, but Blackburn has left 3 games with the lead and did not get a decision, so it is a little out of his control.
tomorrow and Sunday at Blair Field, Long Beach.
sane I almost thought you were going to say Blair Field in Pasadena. My bad but funny
Well said Joshua B.
The positive with Livan even though he has struggled lately is that the team scores a lot of runs for him. In his 12 starts, the team is 9-3 when he pitches. That is 1/3 of our wins this year.
“As a pitcher he has a 95mph fastball and an 85mph slider - devastating!”
sane that’s crazy and i thought i read that he doesn’t want to be a pitcher is that true?What a waste that would be.
Ryan W I think your underestimating how valuable having a durable, veteran, innings eating pitcher like Livan. He take’s pressure off our already shaky bullpen and he also acts as a mentor to these young pitchers. How much do you think Santana learned by watching Bradke pitch?
I heard Bert say beat the ball into the ground and then outrun the throw to first. Did anyone see Lamb drop down that perfect bunt down the 3rd base side. That pitcher looked to 3rd then threw to first and buy then you can’t catch a speeding Lamb. Why didn’t he just throw to 1st and get Lamb
Livan, Baker & Perkins are all averaging over 6 runs in offensive support. Blackburn is average at 4.65 runs, Bonser is @ 4.26 and Slowey is @ 3.89.
Twins win 5of6,so the bashers have nothing to complain about.They have to have something so they complain about LaPanta hair.Some people got to get a life!
Think Santana would have liked having 6 runs per game for support last year?
GENO says:
May 30th, 2008 at 2:27 pm
Twins win 5of6,so the bashers have nothing to complain about.They have to have something so they complain about LaPanta hair.Some people got to get a life!
Geno are u folically challenged. If so LaPanta has some spare rugs if you like or I am practicing making some at home with my homemade taxidermy kit. I drive home and try to run over stuff to upgrade my skill level each day at home. With multiple hours of practice I will be able to make some just like LaPanta’s. While the Mice go away jimmy bee will practice and play
“Ryan W I think your underestimating how valuable having a durable, veteran, innings eating pitcher like Livan. He take’s pressure off our already shaky bullpen and he also acts as a mentor to these young pitchers. How much do you think Santana learned by watching Bradke pitch?”
I am sorry if you are reading me wrong. I like Livan. If you go back to when we signed him, I was singing his praises. I was just arguing that Blackburn was one of our best, if not best starters this season. That is all.
stop all the trade talk for livan….he is a twin and needs to remain a twin for the rest of this year at least….his value to this team is measured in more than just wins - his presence and leadership count for alot with these young kids….i dont have stats or anything to back up my statements, but i would bet that he has been a very positive influence on this kiddy corp….and thats great….
lets take these high priced yanks to the mat tonite and kick their arses…..
hey jimmy bee- what the hell are we going to do with cuddy….he is really starting to get on my nerves with his pathetic hitting -whats happened to him- this is more than a slump..it looks at times like he is totally lost….sit him down for a few days, thats my suggestion…..put monroe in rt field tonite and dh young maybe…..
BCof ND,
“sane that’s crazy and i thought i read that he doesn’t want to be a pitcher is that true?What a waste that would be.”
If Aaron Hicks can hit MLB pitching, he would be a legitimate 5-tool outfielder.
(Unbelievable arm and blazing speed, plus power-hitter.
If he can’t hit MLB pitching, he is “stuck” with the 95/85mph fastball/slider as a pitcher.
He would rather be a 5-tool OF, but his hitting will decide that for him.
I wonder how Boof will fare in the pen with a .465 FB% and a .515 LOB%. His OBP% and SLG%, & K/9 rates are all equal or better than the other Twins starters. He also has 6 quality starts, the same as Blackburn and one less than Livan.
GENO - do you have anything to offer besides complaining about other rube’s takes on the team.. just “be happy” and “enjoy the season” have a real take and offer an opinion besides trying to be the “PC opinion” police
RyanW My bad i thought you were on the trade Livan bandwagon. Blackburn has pitched much better then any of us had expected but what are the odds that he can keep this up for 4 more months? The same can be said for both Perkins and Slowey the odds are not in there favor. I will admit that as long as the Twins stay in contention this year there will have to be some tough decisions made in the near future but trading Livan shouldn’t be one of them.
Package deal for Cuddy’s future Maybe with Lamb or Boof or both and see what it brings. As much as I would like to we can’t package him with Young because we haven’t given him much of a chance. From what I have seen with the 2 young brothers is Dmitri is muuuuch better. But maybe I am wrong and Young is just young and still learning. Send Cuddy down to AAA to practice his hitting again is another possibility. I think after his hand injury he should have gone down before rejoining back up with the team
The Hawk,
Boof has 6 quality starts, but how many disgustingly LOW QUALITY starts does he have?
The ones where the bullpen had to get up right after the National Anthem.
thanks sane i’m going to keep my eye on him.
Hawk i’m worried about the boofster in the bullpen as well i don’t think he’d be good for anything but mop up work. If anyone should be traded it’s Boof but thats just my opinion.
Hey guys, can’t we all get along. And you shouldn’t make fun of guys hair, it could hurt their feelings. And wearing fur is wrong, don’t you know fur is murder. It’s much better to be bland and say things like “It’s a shame one of these teams had to lose”, than to go Jose Guillen.
Dmitri is muuuuch better. But maybe I am wrong..
Yes, you are wrong.
No one in the business thinks that.
jimmy bee,
i am bald man!, can i get one of your LaPanta rugs?
“That means in order to activate Baker to pitch on 6/12 they will have to trade, release or DFA somebody.”
They can send Macri down and viola…open roster spot without having to move anybody via trade.
Unless he got snuck back to Rochester when I wasn’t looking.
sid says:
May 30th, 2008 at 2:49 pm
Dmitri is muuuuch better. But maybe I am wrong..
Yes, you are wrong.
No one in the business thinks that.
.286 16 HR’s 3 seasons = Delmon
.291 168 HR’s 12 years = Dmitri
Sid you are wroooooong this time I would say
BC-
I did say that if we were out of contention, I would like to see us deal Livan. But I qualified that statement, by saying that I think it is very unlikey that we will be out of contention.
I like Livan, but he will be priced out of our range next season. Someone will give him a 2-3 year deal. We should enjoy him while we have him. He is gone next season.
Though as an addendum…things get interesting once Punto, Tolbert and Everett get back, as Harris and Casilla aren’t looking too terrible in their current configuration.
Tolbert will likely go back to AAA, one of Punto will likely go to the bench.
Everett? He’ll likely go the Ponson route. Nothing against him personally, but he just can’t play his position anymore and has now had two stints on the DL…
T,
You are correct that they could send Macri down (or Clark depending on which one goes down when Punto gets activated tomorrow).
My argument was based on the presumption that we are not going to go to 13 pitchers and are going to move a pitcher for Baker.
“.286 16 HR’s 3 seasons = Delmon
.291 168 HR’s 12 years = Dmitri
Sid you are wroooooong this time I would say”
You can’t compare career numbers when one’s a 12 year vet and the other’s barely out of arbitration!
When it comes to comparisons like that, you either compare the two as they are *now* or compare what Delmon could be comparred to what Dmitri was.
Shawn in Binghamton says:
May 30th, 2008 at 2:55 pm
jimmy bee,
i am bald man!, can i get one of your LaPanta rugs?
Yes, absolutely, right away. What color would you like. Any allergies to different types of rodent hair. I can get different colors for rugs using an aging process. Recently I started making rugs for folically challenged men, women and children. I will start tonight, STAT!!!!
jimmybee,
Dmitri never REACHED the Big leagues until he was 23 and never played a full season there until he was 25.
Delmon is 22.
Stick to hairpieces where you can use your expertise.
“I like Livan, but he will be priced out of our range next season. Someone will give him a 2-3 year deal”
Your right on about that Ryan it’s amazing how mediocre pitchers can just hang on year after year making damn good money. I’m calling my mom to chew her butt out for yelling at me when i used to throw at the garage door.
I am not looking forward to Punto coming back from the DL. It seems like the team is really starting to gel, and coincidentally the Twins runs per game is nearly 6 in the month of May, the month Punto went on the DL. As long as Punto assumes Clarks job, which is on the bench, everything will be okay. As soon as Punto starts and the line-up starts to get fiddled with, it all comes unraveled. Keep The Same Line-up!!! Please!!!
AJ,
I think with the way Harris/Casilla/Lamb have been playing in the field, Punto will return to the Utility Role, playing occasionally to give guys a rest or late inning defensive replacement or pinch runner.
Punto will start 3 days a week. Gardy will give 1 day off to Casilla, Harris and Lamb.
AJ,
They’ve pretty much run the same lineup (other than to give guys a rest) since Harris took over SS.
Punto will start 3 days a week.
And the Twins will be 0-3 on those days.
Charlie, you may be right since we don’t have a day off until June 16.
But I think they will send down Clark after the game and use Macri to spell Lamb at 3B.
That is giving Punto a WHOLE lot of credit. I dont think he will cause a loss in every game he plays in
Finally Marney Gellner is back! We need more of her and a LOT less of LaPanta’s tuft of turf on his head. Welcome back, Marney!
T:
Don’t mean to hang on your every word, but you sent a shock wave through me at 2:57 when you said send down Macri and Viola. But I’m French, and came back to reality.
Good comments, though.
Plankton,
Hopefully LaPanta goes back to his “old” job and boots out Telly Hughes.
CharlieMurphy,
“I dont think he will cause a loss in every game he plays in”
Nicky is a high-impact player.
Yes Sid I have watched Delmon’s wonderfull fielding and you must be right. Maybe it was the way he launched his bat for the 50 game suspension that makes him better. I sure like the inside the park HR followed the next game by the 2 error game. I don’t suppose the reason that they used Delmon all season long was because they were lousy last year had anything to do with it. To compare the 2 brothers is very hard. In the end I think Dmitri is better but like I said I could be wrong. To bad though regarding Dmitri’ health with the Diabetes. MY POOR WIFE SUFFERS FROM TYPE 1 AND IT IS HORRIBLE. I still like Dmitri’s swing after he hits a HR you would swear it went 600 ft
SweetOne….Yes, Telly seems like a nice guy and a friendly talking head but LaPanta has more engergy and is better for the part. I get the Brewers FSN telecasts also and Telly was doing the same bit on there last week.
i’m not sure where all the young hatred comes from but imo he is a needed part of the puzzle for us to be playoff contenders in the future. lots of negative things said (cancer in the clubhouse for one) with no proof. to this point he has been a disapointment while he has had some good games as well just not enough.
to compare before cutting him or whatever you want to do to him:
Morneau: 22- 40 gms, 23- 74 gms, 24- 141 gms.
cuddy: 22- 8 gms, 23- 41 gms, 24- 35 gms, 25- 115 gms.
kubal: 22- 23 gms, 23- 0 gms, 24- 73 gms, 24- 128 gms.
hunter: 21- 1 gm, 22- 6 gms, 23- 135 gms, 24- 99 gms. remember how bad hunter looked at first and got sent down in his soph. yr. he turned out ok.
maybe young is just young and just ahead of them on the playing time scale.
Sid,
Twins are 9-5 in games Nicky has started. This is Nicky version 2008.
New and Improved.
jimmy,
“I don’t suppose the reason that they used Delmon all season long was because they were lousy last year had anything to do with it.”
Maybe it was the 93 RBI.
SID:
Didn’t follow Dmitri at all, but .291 lifetime and 15 homers per year seems better than I expect for Delmon.
Just my opinion.
I’m with Carlos and now that he’s going to be Papa Nicky your going to see an even better version.
Carlos G, Charlie Murphy,
I like Nicky this year also.
My 0-3 crack was just for a laugh.
If he gives Casilla, Harris and Lamb one day per week off, great!
And EVERY GAME we have a lead in the 9th, have him playing 3B instead of Lamb.
Howie Clark will likely be sent down when Punto is activated tomorrow. Clark will probably then be taken off the 40 man which will free up a spot in case they need it in the future. No team will take Clark, and the Twins don’t care if some team did.
Brian Bass will probably be sent down when Baker is activated. Bass is out of options and could be claimed by another team. If he does get claimed, it ends up as sort of being an indirect swap of Breslow for Bass. Bass has gotten knocked around pretty hard, and Bonser will fill his role as the long man.
sane, if you haven’t left for your game yet…
Do you worry about head first slides with your guys? I used to make my guys hold their batting gloves just to get them not to extend their fingers into the solid bags. But, not sure how beneficial it was.
The way our exciting young guys play with such enthusiasm, I would like to get rid of some of the “unnecessary injuries”. I don’t know how you do it though — and it seems Gardy isn’t too concerned with it.
Mudcat,
With Delmon at 22yrs-old, its just opinion for me too, but Delmon’s swing and his bat speed project him as a very good (great?) hitter when he reaches his prime in five-six years.
But until then, you, me and the scouts are just guessing.
Craig,
Other than the Detroit Game, Bass has pitched relatively well, especially in May.
Carlos G that is a great question. Do you think they could makes something fro players hands that supports each finger. Not trying to be funny here but like a poscicle stick and string around each finger type of prototype. Maybe like a very stiff glove that keeps there hands open and flat. Maybe one that keeps there hands closed. It would be a great idea
Carlos G,
We practice feet-first slides, but some players are not good at it and are in danger of a broken leg.
For them, head-first is better.
For whatever reason, we seldom get finger injuries when head-first sliding.
Maybe we have been lucky.
Carlos,
If you watch, most of the players put on wrist guards when the get on base to prevent them from getting injured sliding head first.
We’ve had 2 injuries from head first slides, one was into 1st base, which neither method would help. The other was Cuddy and his was caused by getting his hand caught in the cleats.
It would be interesting if anyone had studied the incidence of injuries with feet first versus hand first slides.
Wrist guards are helpful for the wrists, but the finger injuries of Cuddy and Tolbert were avoidable with feet first slide for Cuddy or no slide for Tolbert. Someone else just had a slight jammed finger the other day… was it Casilla (can’t remember now).
It also seems that you are more prone to damaging a shoulder than a leg, maybe based on the relative size of each.
Lets hope Delmon plays tonight.
Last year on May 30th:
Delmon .256, .294, .396, .690 6 HR 27 RBI
This year on May 30th:
Delmon .258, .319 .328, .647 0 HR 14 RBI
He also had a 59 game HR drought which is 7 games more than this years drought.
.545 .373 .306 Bass
.365 .341 .261 Guerrier
.337 .353 .233 Rincon
.333 .279 .235 Nathan
.487 .384 .303 Crain
.375 .344 .286 Reyes
.460 .291 .240 Neshek
.389 .300 .222 Korecky
The read is: SLG OBP AVG
Opponents PCT/AVG
Did anyone see Matt Garza the other night strike out 10 and up his record to 4-1. Not to bad. I just hope we don’t get stuck with a bad trade.
jimmy how funny would it be seeing the Twins playing the Rays in the ALCS?
Yes, I would love to see that. I would like the Rays to finish ahead of the Yankees and then lose to the Twins and have to play Joe Torre’s Dodger’s. Anything to get the Yankee fans and ownership angry.
i wouldnt mind seeing a package of cuddy and one of the pitching prospects we have to maybe land a 3rd baseman if theres one out there worth getting
.494 .353 .330 Hernandez
.415 .341 .305 Blackburn
.425 .315 .270 Bonser
.457 .272 .233 Slowey
.409 .273 .244 Baker
.423 .294 .260 Perkins
The read is: SLG OBP AVG
Opponents Percentages/Avg
Garrett Atkins name has been brought up in the past for maybe a package deal?
Delmon Young can be an excellent player if his fielding improves.
Delmon is not going to become a HR hitter, barring changing his swing dramatically. Delmon, himself, said he doesn’t care about HR. That’s a good attitude.
Delmon can be a fine hitter with his excellent, natural, line-drive type swing. He just needs to be a little more selective.
The New and Improved Craig who would you rather have in there best years Delmon or Dmitri Craig. I don’t care really but I think that Dmitri’ look much better at this point.
I think if Delmon would be more patient, he could become sort of a right handed hitting Joe Mauer. Like Joe, Delmon has a beautiful, natural swing. That’s how the Twins should try to mold him.
jimmy,
I much prefer Delmon. They are two way different ballplayers. Delmon has decent wheels, Dmitri doesn’t. Dmitri has the big uppercut swing, Delmon is quick and more compact. Yeah, Delmon all the way for me, but no way is Delmon worth Garza/Bartlett.
Craig,
you’re right on with Delmon. I don’t know where people came up with their expectations for him.
Looking at the pitching #’s you put up, you wouldn’t guess Bonser was the bum he’s been. It’s the astronomically high fly ball ratio that’s killing him. And the 50% of runners who get on scoring. I don’t think those can keep up at about the worst rates in the majors and way off his career marks. I just wouldn’t give up on him yet.
Denard Span seems like a potentially very good major league outfielder. Since the Twins are going with speed on the bases, I think he would be a positive either in left field or right. If Young doesn’t work out, Span may be a good alternative. I think Cuddyer is vastly overrated and slow of foot. If the Twins could trade Cuddyer, they would have a very fast team with Young, Gomez, Span, Casilla, and Tolbert in the lineup everyday.
garrett atkins seems to have too many holes in his glove…doesnt impress me and how would he be outside of colorado….
jimmy,
I don’t think the Twins would try to get Adkins at this point. They are committed to Lamb through 2009. Luke Hughes is doing pretty good at AA, and Danny Valencia is tearing up high class A. I don’t know too much about either player, though. Seth usually has the story.
Seth, what’s the story on these two? How are their gloves at 3B?
Craig
Don’t throw Bartlett in that.
.251/.305/.286 ave obp slg. He only has 4 2B and 1 3B. And those are on line with his career averages for doubles. Delmon had more doubles last year than Bartlett has had the last 2 years.
And about Garza,
somehow he’s limiting lefty’s to a .210 average, that’s way off his career mark of .314. He walks 3.78/9IP and K’s 4.98/9. That’s an above average walk rate and a below average K rate. His BABIP is extremly low at .272 and due for a correction. Don’t let the best start he’s ever made fool you. Average pitcher at best.
I agree with william
Span is out with a broken finger, though.
Cuddy is actually faster than people think. He is also a pretty good base-runner. Problem is that he is awkward in the field, and gets poor reads on the ball.
Cuddy would be a Hall of Fame type hitter, if baseball banned the slider on the outside. Ha-ha. He has sort of learned to hit that pitch to RF, but pitchers are relentless in throwing it. If pitchers have a real good slider, he’s in big trouble.
Hawk,
Of course Delmon is a LF and Bartlett is a SS, so comparing the two is sort of an apples and oranges type thing.
Quality starting pitching is tough to find. Same with good SS.
There are decent corner OF in the minors on many clubs, looking for work.
Bottom line is that SS and SP is in short supply in baseball. LF is plentiful.
If Delmon was a superstar talent, it’s different. He’s just average, though. Some would say below average.
The whole thing is spilled milk, at this point. I like Delmon and hope he continues to improve.
Like you say, Hawk, Delmon is a good doubles guy. He could be a real good doubles and even triples type of player. He has nice gap power.
If half of you people were general managers the Twins entire roster would turn over about every 30 days. 50 games in and you want to trade half the roster and send the other half down to the minors. I couldn’t be happier with this season. 1/3rd done and were in contention for first place! Complaining about a 5-1 road trip because we only played bad teams? Unbelievable. That’s what good teams do, they beat who they are supposed to beat and then they split games with teams equal or better than them.
The Twins longest losing streak of the season is 3 games. That is outstanding. That will keep them in contention through September. Of course Gardy needs to tweak things here and there. Sitting Delmon for a game is a nice start. The 22 year old needs to have a couple days of no pressure (from himself). He’s on a new team in a new city and there is a world of pressure on him. He had a great season last year. I don’t think 162 games played is a fluke or a flash in the pan. And the Twins are in contention after suffering injuries to 3 infielders and their main set up pitcher all within a couple weeks. Yes, all teams suffer injuries. But how many suffer this many at the same time and still are within two games of first place? Every other team in the division runs on a hot/cold basis. The Twins are the most consistent team in the division.
I wan’t really comparing Delmon to Bartlett, I was just pointing out his lack of anything but singles. Harris has twice the doubles and RBI’s and 2 HR’s with the same average. He has also looked better defensivly, especially with the DP footwork, playing SS. The Twins seem to have plenty of good young starting pitching, so trading an starter who walks too many guys and doesn’t strike guy out even though he has a power arm doesn’t bother me.
I wouldn’t say that Garza is any better than Blackburn, Slowey or Perkins.
I would say that Delmon is better than Tyner, Ford, Rondell, Span, Pridie, or who ever else would be playing LF for us this year
can i marry you
A power hitting 3b is the Twins biggest need if they want to win a WS.I agree that Lamb can do a good enough job through 09.I think the Twins have targeted 2010 as the year not only to make the playoffs,but to go all the way.It would be good to have a 3b with power,in place by then.
Macleod,
that reasoning has no place on here 
LEN3 has a post for tonight’s game… Delmon back in linup.
“He {Harris} has also looked better defensivly, especially with the DP footwork, playing SS.”
Hawk,
You aren’t putting Harris in the same category as a fielder as Bartlett, I hope.
Harris is a temporary patch. He has done fine for a few games, but he isn’t a long term solution at SS.
Craig,
no, Bartlett is a vacuum, It’s what we all knew going in. Harris can hit more but Bartlett fields better. Harris does look more natural at SS though, even though he doesn’t have great range. He does have plenty of arm.
he is a twin and needs to remain a twin for the rest of this year at least
Suppose he continues to pitch like he did Wednesday night, game after game after ugly game. What he does in the dugout and clubhouse will not be able overcome his poor pitching on the field, especially when we have a good pitcher and future ace waiting in the wings.
I hope he doesn’t stink it up like he did Wednesday, but he is doing that more often and, as the league figures him out, you can expect many more outings like that one. If this team is in the race, they just can’t afford to carry a guy that puts them into a big hole every fifth day, no matter how good he is with the Latin players.
As long as Livan is better than Silva , it’s an improvement
Carlos G,
“It also seems that you are more prone to damaging a shoulder than a leg, maybe based on the relative size of each.”
Thats true, but a leg injury (like a fracture) is usually more serious with longer recovery time involved.
“he is a twin and needs to remain a twin for the rest of this year at least”
“As long as Livan is better than Silva , it’s an improvement”
But what if Livan keeps Baker, Liriano, Slowey, Perkins, or Blackburn out of the rotation when/if Liriano returns to form?
IMO at that point, Livan has to be traded.
“Bartlett is a vacuum”
Last year the Hoover had 23 errors.
agreed
I can get you a quote where Shields?? calls Bartlett that if you want me to find it. He contends that good infield play this year has won them games.
i can also get some Twins quotes that say that poor infield play has cost this team games.
The Hawk,
I like Bartlett.
At the end of 2008, we may find out that 2007 was an aberration. (or not)
craig-You have already deemed the Garca-Young trade a plus for Tampa after 2 months of this season.Truly amazing!
All of this talk about trades, releases, and whatnot is humorous. Baker won’t return for a week, who knows what will happen in that time? 10 days ago, I’m sure, everyone was thinking Casilla would be sent back when Punto was ready, now no chance! Injuries can happen, and if they do, they will solve problems. Who knows when Everett will be ready to play, or Tolbert for that matter. I wouldn’t be at all surprised to see one of the Twins’ pitchers go on the DL before Baker is activated or Liriano is recalled.
As far as trades go, right now few teams are looking to make a deal. Two months from now will be a different story–by that time Livan’s ERA might be 6.00 and Boof’s might be under 4. It just is too soon to tell on most personnel decisions.
When he came up, Bartlett was praised for his “spunky” hitting. We saw some of it (on and off) in 2006, but his defense did not improve last year, nor was he hitting well. So he was traded, and good luck to him. It is possible he will become an accomplished SS (I doubt it) and even an all-star. This is baseball, and you never know how players you trade are going to develop (remember Ortiz, Knoblauch, Guzman, Milton?).
Best is t
“As far as trades go, right now few teams are looking to make a deal”
Right now, no team has been eliminated yet. July will be different,
Right now, no team has been eliminated yet. July will be different,
Kansas City, Colorado, and Seattle say, “Hi”, with San Diego and San Francisco not far behind.
