Twins tame Tigers, but not for good
Posted on July 3rd, 2008 – 10:39 AMBy Joe Christensen
The Twins came close to sweeping the Tigers this week. It would have happened had the Twins not coughed up a 4-1 lead after the sixth inning in Monday’s 5-4 loss.
After that disappointing game, the Twins bounced back to win their sixth consecutive series. “That says something about this team,” Nick Punto said.
I agree. Sitting here on the off day, I’m thinking about the bigger meaning of all this. The Tigers hadn’t lost a series in a month, but they were without Twin-killer Magglio Ordonez and basically without Miguel Cabrera for the final two games.
The Twins didn’t have Michael Cuddyer, but the Tigers were a shadow of their former selves Wednesday, without Ordonez, Cabrera and Pudge Rodriguez. The Twins also missed Justin Verlander and Kenny Rogers, two of Detroit’s hottest pitchers.
I’m not trying to downplay anything. In fact, think of where the Tigers would be if they hadn’t pinned three losses on the Twins with eighth-inning comebacks this season. I believe the Twins are something like 36-3 when leading after seven innings, and the Tigers are responsible for all three of those losses.
If the Twins keep the lead through the eighth inning in those games, they turn things over to Joe Nathan, who has a 1.67 career ERA against the Tigers. The Twins could be 50-35, leading the White Sox by a half-game and leading the Tigers by 10 1/2.
Anyway, the Twins are 7-4 against the Tigers this year, and they’ll play their final four games at Detroit in a series beginning one week from today.
207 Responses to "Twins tame Tigers, but not for good"
Sounds like you are trying to downplay it. I don’t care who they did not have. Hlf of the Twins team has come up from AAA. Twins don’t make excuses, they find ways to win. Stepping off the soapbox now. LOL
Every team has injuries during the course of the year. An older team like Detroit is going to have more of them.
But what I think we saw this weekend was a Tiger team that looked tired. They had about 3 good innings all series and were fortunate that a couple of them combined to allow them to win a game.
In each of the last 2 years, Verlander has seen his ERA jump over a run per 9 innings in the second half of the season. After starting June out well, Rogers’ last couple of starts have been mediocre, at best.
Robertson showed what kind of fortitude he has in his start vs. the Twins. He did everything short of cry and beg to be taken out of the game when the Twins strung a few hits in a row against him.
I’m surprised Leyland could keep food in his stomach as he watched his team of overhyped, overpaid, overaged has-beens get outworked by a bunch of kids this week. They could probably sleepwalk their way through an interleague schedule, but unless Cleveland starts a fire sale soon, I’m still more concerned about the ‘toons making a serious run the second half than I am the pussycats from Detroit.
sane,
I agree with your comments about young guys like Span, when they “finally figure it out”. That’s one of the joys I get out of baseball. It’s like the big light bulb goes on for them. The game slows down; the ball gets bigger to hit; the breaking balls hang up longer; the gaps in the outfield get bigger. I love the big smiles we see on faces of Gomez, Casilla, and now Span. It’s infectious and reminds the old-timers, both playing and non-playing old-timers, that this is a game and is supposed to be fun.
I also agree that when Cuddy comes back that Span stays (and it sounds medically like that shouldn’t be an issue to be back soon, as they are talking about a knuckle now — how do you sprain a knuckle anyway?).
I wouldn’t mind your 11 pitcher idea at all. No way that Gardy agrees to move any of the young OF’s down. I suppose a trade is still a possibility.
For those who didn’t hear this from Gardy, I think we have a pretty big hint of the plan… he said something like: “We are going to start hitting some balls to Harry at 3b and listen to him complain afterwards”.
Reading between the lines and barring any trades… I think we are looking at two options when Cuddy comes back:
1) 11 pitchers or
2) Lamb is out
Looks like Punto has three new mates for a new version of the Pirhanas. Punto/Span/Gomez/Casilla — probably 4 of the top 10 fastest guys in the AL.
The Twins are shocking all the people (including myself) who insisted that this would be a rebuilding year. Baseball is a funny game. Sometimes things work out better than you think and vice versa. I agree — leave Span in RF or swap with Young in LF & let Young really get comfortable. Let Cuddyer take a lot of turns at DH — he’s declined as a hitter since ‘06. But Cuddy’s a Gardenhire favorite, he’ll be back in RF after the All-Star break. But his job won’t be as secure.
Hey Jimmy Bee,
I know we don’t usually hear from you at night… but how about this stretch of beautiful weather???
Don’t mind it at all Carlos G. My S.A.D is starting to go away thank gosh. It actually starts to drive me a little buggy. I can’t wait to see the Twins beat up on Boston and we throw out Ellsbury trying to steal.
I’m sure no one here would make excuses if the Twins were without Mauer and Morneau for a series in which they threw Blackburn, Hernandez and Perkins.
jimmybee,
I am not trying to torture you, but its July 3 in SoCal and its 75 degrees, sunny and comfortable. All windows are open and a nice sea breeze is blowing through the house.
Of course, in a couple of weeks/months it will be hotter than hell, windows closed and A/C running. I will not talk about SoCal weather at that time.
July is a pivotal month for this team. With the exception of two series with Cleveland, we’ll be taking on some of the best hitting lineups in baseball - Boston, Detroit, Texas, New York, and Chicago. Any of those teams are capable of putting up a lot of runs in a hurry. August gets a bit easier, with three series vs. Seattle, another with Cleveland, and one with KC. Not that those are sure things, baseball is full of surprises. But I’m liking the makeup of this team more and more, the solid starting pitching, the speed, the more consistent hitting up and down the order. Maybe we won’t catch Chicago (goodness, can’t anybody beat those guys once in a while?), and maybe Detroit will get its act together and make a run, but the Twins are shaping up to be a fun team to watch throughout the rest of the summer. As a fan you can’t really ask for much more than that.
sane my 2 months of summeer I actually received here due to a horrible spring have left me California dreaming. I am listening to KROQ on a live stream and it actually said that beach conditions are listed at 75 degrees. Nice winter type weather strange huh. As for evenings are you in the 50’s as usual if the high is 75. Have you heard enough regarding Moe The Monkey or what.
Yeah, the Twins missed Verlander and Rogers, but the Tigers went up against our 4th and 5th starters, too. Tigers team defense was terrible, Thames or Cabrera at first base equals numerous bunt hits for the Twins. Can’t wait to see how short they cut the grass infield in Detroit. I’m guessing it will be like Interlachen last weekend.
I also was reading yesterdays blog and really liked the Queen Mary floating through the strike zone and Punto still wouldn’t be able to throw down a bunt on it.
Not that we should be messing with the chemistry but has there been any talk of the Twins making any kind of trade? I don’t know who exactly should go(other than Lamb and Everett for a bag of balls, maybe Bonser) but Smith may want to do something to put us over the top? I suppose we end up releasing Everett and putting Lamb and Bonser on the market for some A ballers or something.
“the Queen Mary floating through the strike zone and Punto still wouldn’t be able to throw down a bunt on it.”
Thanks.
I often use that line when my hitters are struggling.
How bout this ” That ball took off like the Spruce Goose going airbourne”
Normally I would prefer facing Verlander than any of their pitchers, we do very well against him, as we normally hit hard throwing righties better than crap throwing lefties (Robertson), so when I went to Tuesdays game I was worried b/c Robertson (who is an ok pitcher at best) usually dominates us.
What does it mean? It means that as long as the Twins hit like demons in two-out RISP situations like they did yesterday in the third inning, they’re darn hard to beat. When they don’t, obviously they’ll look different. However, when the chips are down, teams that can score with one swing of the bat will always have the advantage over teams that need three. This ought to be the lesson of the Twins’ playoff teams. Will anyone listen?
The days of juice induced homerun hitting in any given at bat are gone. The Twins philosophy of speed, defense and pitching is suddenly the rage. Gald we’re ahead of the curve on that.
hey bulk.
so you’re saying we should go out and get power hitters? who’s available and at what cost (prospect and monetary). its easy to say we should add power, but i don’t think its easy to accomplish.
I wish that Gardy would consider, occasionally, using Nathan in the 8th. Failing that, I wish he would consider using him in the ninth even if we don’t have a lead. I’m on the Gleeman wagon here, but why is it that we can never use Joe unless it’s a save situation and then when he hasn’t worked in 5 days, we throw him into a mop-up situation because Gardy thinks he needs to stay sharp. How is letting him throw 3 outs in a blow out more likely to keep him sharp than letting him throw three outs in a close game?!? It irritates me. That being said, I’m not going to rip on Gardy for anything else. He’s done a great job this year.
IowaTwin look at the link below it shows MLB leaders in HR’s from year to year
Bulk … you’re right. Teams that can score with one swing of the bat (White Sox, great example) have the advantage in close games and down the stretch. It may be the White Sox’ year, but the Twins could make a decent wildcard run. They’re on track for about 88 wins. Would be great to see neither the Yankees or Bosox in the post season. The Twins are a little too young, probably, to grab that spot, but they may surprise. Hard to believe their young pitchers could hold up under that type of pressure in Sept., but we’ll see.
Someone please give me a list of all the low-to-medium payroll teams who play successful gorilla-ball.
Got it, thanks.
Patrick i’m with you on that one. Joe Nathan is the best one inning pitcher in baseball. I’m not sure if that’s because he can’t pitch more or Gardy wont let him.
jimmy bee,
I check out the link you posted. Interesting. Am I the only one that thinks it would be funny if the homerun leader only hit 4 in a year?
Gardy won’t let him.
For a good reason.
In September, when they need him, he won’t be toast.
Sane-
The Marlins. They’re all mashers and they have less payroll than A-Rod’s yearly salary.
Ok, fine. Let’s say they’re conserving his strength for September. Forget about the 8th inning. He should still see work in tight games even if we don’t have the lead. If it’s between that and getting him work in a completely meaningless situation just to get him work, I’ll take the close game every time. That seems like common sense.
“In September, when they need him, he won’t be toast.”
Ok so if thats the reasoning then what would Gardy do if the Twins had like 5 straight games where we needed him to close out the game? Would he ask someone else to close one of those games just to save his arm?
My S.A.D is starting to go away thank gosh. It actually starts to drive me a little buggy.
hey jimmybee,
The late and long spring is being returned to us as a late and long summer. It will be beautiful until Thanksgiving this year. Or, not. My predictions are running about 50/50 this year. So, I expect to be right or wrong on this one also. But, sure is great weather these last 3 weeks.
Patrick,
The Marlins and the Rays are profiting from:
1) low finishes leading to
2) high draft choices leading to
3) young power hitters which leads to
4) increased salaries which leads to
5) Fire sales which leads back to
6) low finishes
The Twins could choose that route also, but one year in the cellar and Twins fans would abandon the team, the Twins would have to move to Las Vegas and the new stadium would be used for rock concerts, WWF extravaganzas, tractor pulls and flea markets.
BC,
“Would he ask someone else to close one of those games just to save his arm?”
IMO, yes!
Patrick,
“If it’s between that and getting him work in a completely meaningless situation just to get him work, I’ll take the close game every time.”
Agreed.
The unknown factor is wanting him to save him for TOMORROW’S save opportunity and tomorrow there is no save opportunity.
That scenario gets repeated and finally you have to pitch him in a yawner just to keep him sharp.
If Miss Cleo were on the staff, that would never happen, but planning for the future leads to contingency planning.
Pitching more than 1 inning has never seemed to exhaust Mariano’s arm come September.
“If Miss Cleo were on the staff, that would never happen, but planning for the future leads to contingency planning.”
I know your right Sane but it’s still very frustrating to watch them lose a game he might have helped win and then not see him for the next week.
Sane-
I was just answering your question. I don’t think the Twins should or need to become a power hitting team. I was just saying the Marlins are as low payroll as it gets and they’re a power hitting team.
Also, I understand not being able to predict when we’ll need him to save a game, but my argument is that we have need for him even when it’s not a save situation. Monday is a perfect example. There’s no guarantee we would have won that game but with him pitching we would have had a lot better chance.
As is generally the case, the teams that stay healthiest the second half will be the teams to beat.
Konerko is on the DL but he wasn’t hitting even when healthy. Otherwise, the Sox are missing nobody considered a contributor.
The Tigers have several key players injured and Cleveland arguably has been hurt the worst of anyone in the AL by injuries.
Despite losing Neshek for the year and Cuddyer for a couple weeks here and there, the Twins have probably fared better than anyone in the division but the WhiteSox in terms of staying healthy (although I honestly haven’t even looked at KC’s injuries).
When I consider the WSox’ chances, I look at three things. AJ, Dye and the rotation.
AJ and Dye are (I think) the only hitters with .300 averages. If they stay healthy and continue to hit at current levels, they’ll be tough to beat. The rest of the line up is pretty much predictable in terms of what they’re going to do.
All five SPs are already over 100 IP. I’m not sure what they do if they need to find help for their rotation, but if they never have to find out, it’s probably going to be tough to beat them.
But if AJ/Dye get hurt or even just regress back to their typical career productivity levels and/or 1-2 members of the rotation have to be replaced for any significant time, that team can be caught and passed by any of Det, Cle or Minn, if one of those teams gets and stays healthy.
That post comes across more argumentative than I meant it. I was trying to say we’re on the same page.
To be honest I think Pale Hose will have a drop off. Their pitchers have been very hittable all year and are really overrated in my opinion. I also don’t like that lineup to produce all year, especially Quentin. He’s good and will be a very good player throughout his career, I just don’t think he’ll maintain his pace this year.
If we agree that Cuddy likely would not have gotten to the balls to the gap that Span chased down yesterday, and we agree that Cuddy’s offense has not been that hot this year, when he’s healthy, thoughts on trading him? If the youngsters are playing better than him and we’ve got him locked into a multi-year deal, it seems something that BS might want to at least consider.
DY is quietly improving his numbers and quality at bats. Here’s hoping that continues to improve. He looks to be getting the bat out in front of the plate with more frequency and hitting with some “pop” now also. Has anyone else noticed the difference in how the ball comes off his bat now than earlier? He also has a quite effortless swing to generate the bat speed.
I can really see how people were intrigued by his potential. He easily could be a .300/30 HR guy. (Note, this does not say “he is now or soon will be a .300/30 HR guy”. I expect it to happen in 2010 or so.)
AVG OBP SLG OPS
.257 .318 .327 .645 (his “low water mark” on May 30)
.284 .332 .385 .717 (his current numbers)
JimC hit the nail on the head. El Tigres look tired. And they looked positively exhausted on yesterday for an afternoon game. I don’t think it will get any better as the season goes along. If anything, I think they’ll fade even faster this year without their greenies.
Kay - How do we know that Cuddy’s been healthy at all this year. Is it possible that the finger hasn’t fully healed from the first stint on the dl? Judging his offense while he was playing with one good hand probably isn’t the right thing to do. Also, if we trade him now, isn’t that the definition of selling low? With his combination of injuries, poor play, and large contract, what do you think we would get for him?
Oops, should say Los Tigres. And I don’t know where that “on” came from.
As for Nathan vs Rivera, yes I think Rivera does tend to have a slightly higher ERA in September than he does earlier in the year. But in 2007 Rivera threw 4 and 1/3 more innings than he appeared in games while Nathan threw 3 and 2/3 innings more than game appearances. I’m not sure that’s enough of a difference to quibble over.
I do believe closers should be used in critical 7th and 8th inning situations (men on base, less than 2 out, etc.) more than they are, generally, in MLB. But I don’t really have an issue with using closers only for an inning or so per game. It not only keeps their arms strong through the season but allows them to pitch in consecutive days (which Nathan has done 10 times already this season).
sane
i disagree 100% about Nathan and Sept. Papplebon has pitched 6 times wheres he’s gone multiple innings. and even with that has only pitched 1 1/3 innings more than Nathan. I think Gardy is smart enough to use him in pressure situations that REQUIRE our best pitcher while making sure he’s fresh.
Tony, I am not saying to trade him as soon as he comes off the DL. It might be something that works better next year, but I think the front office might consider it if he can be replaced by younger, better players with more potential and lower salaries.
jim crickett’s first entry tells it like it is if we should fear any of the teams in our division it’s the tribe not the motorcity kitty’s
We’re young, the White Sox are not. I think they’ll drop off and we won’t.
I just looked up the Sox starter’s BABIP this year and 3 of 5 have much lower BABIP numbers this year than their average. BABIP (batting average on balls put in play) is a measurement that should stay about equal through a pitcher’s career. When it drops significant it indicates “luck” and is a leading indicator. Pitchers with abnormally high or low BABIPs are good bets to see their performances regress to the mean.
A typical BABIP is about .300. Here are the Sox Starters’ BABIP numbers:
Floyd .220
Contreras .279
Danks .282
Buherle .304
Vasquez .341
for comparison, the Twins’ only starter bellow average is Slowey:
Slowey .269
Baker .296
Blackburn .321
Bonser .323
Perkins .330
Hernadez .354
So it is likely that Danks, Contreras and Floyd will regress whereas Blackburn, Bonser, Perkins and Hernandez will improve as the season goes on.
and i think saving him in the first game of the series because you don’t know what will happend in game 2 or 3 is also a bad idea. save opportunities may or may not happen so you play to win today.
francona in boston used papplebon 3x in 1+ plus situations in april. he knows that games in april are as important as games in june and in sept.
i’m glad it worked out. i think gardy has done a good job. i just have major issues with his use of nathan and his love affair with punto.
“We’re young, the White Sox are not. I think they’ll drop off and we won’t.”
Careful there Iowa Twin i think the opposite might be true.
Cuddyer is not going anywhere. I don’t know what Gardy will do with the line up, assuming everyone stays healthy the next 2 weeks), but I can’t see a Cuddyer trade.
Even if you argue that he’s the 4th best OF on the team when he comes back, the new multi-year, multi-million-$ contract and his time on the DL this season (and moderate stats) will combine to make him untradeable. The Twins would have to eat a ton of that salary and they won’t/can’t/shouldn’t do that. They simply would not get anything significant in return.
They’ll trade or eat someone else’s contract before they would ever be willing/able to trade Cuddyer.
Lamb is probably on thin ice, though. Consider this… if you were the Twins, who would you rather have sitting on your bench as a part-time starter and first RH hitting pinch hitter? Lamb or Cuddyer?
I could actually see them platooning Cuddyer and Span in RF for a bit until one or the other clearly outperformed the other against pitchers from both sides.
Punto and Cuddyer are total waists for the team. They occassionally shine, but, for the most part, do very little to help the team win games. Gardenhire’s habitual affection for them demonstrates his irrationality in constructing a winning team roster. Signing Cuddyer to a long term contract will haunt the Twins for years. It will restrict the potential All-Star Denard Span from playing time, which will not help Span or the Twins team. Also, Punto’s occupation of a roster position only give the team a weaker roster and rewards the opposing teams.
JimCrikket,
I mostly agree with your comments about the injuries above. However I take minor exception to:
Despite losing Neshek for the year and Cuddyer for a couple weeks here and there, the Twins have probably fared better than anyone in the division but the WhiteSox in terms of staying healthy
We have actually lost several guys for different stretches of time that arguably could have taken a lesser team out of the race. Our ability to plug those holes has been surprising.
In addition to the two you mention:
Cuddy injuries (actually 3 weeks in April and another 2 or more weeks now; plus time to get the stroke back) and
Neshek out for all but a month
We lost Baker (a month), Everett, Punto, Liriano (hang over from last year admittedly), and Tolbert.
A lesser team might not have been able to hang in a division race with significant lost time due to injuries to their starting SS, RF, #1 SP, set up RP, top 2 utility guys, and the “hoped for” Franchise SP.
re: Cuddyer. I think it makes sense to trade him, however I do not think that the front office would do that because they installed him as somewhat of the face of the franchise this year. Span had 3 very good games, let’s wait for the next 15 before we anoint him a future starter.
Why don’t the Twins trade Punto, Cuddyer and a minor league prospect for a relief pitcher who can help the team down the stretch. Punto and Cuddyer are over-rated slugs.
The Twins can’t trade Cuddyer and Punto because no teams need them !
JimC - That platoon might work. Cuddy could also get some time against lefties at DH. I can’t see us getting anything for Lamb, and I’m not sure we would eat his contract. He is the least needed hitter on the 25 man roster, so if we insist on keeping 12 pitchers, i agree that he would be the best to go.
Wow Span has played all of what three games since being called up again and already Cuddy is expendable? You guys have a better eye for talent then i do.
Punto on the other hand is very tradable (esp with his recent highlights). Think about this scenario for a while:
The Dodgers are desperate for a SS with Furcal out and a LH PH, they also have someone that Twins could really use in AAA and on whom the Dodgers gave up (Andy LaRoche). They are 1.5 games out and want to make a run.
So a Lamb+Punto+? for LaRoche+? might make very good sense for both teams
I hear what you’re saying, Carlos. I did mention Cuddyer for a couple of weeks “here and there” and Neshek as being significant.
I don’t consider Liriano to have been significant because I never really counted on him being a major contributor and he didn’t start out the season with the Twins.
As for Baker, Everett and Punto, I could make an argument that those three injuries benefitted the team. Not because we lost them, but because their losses gave opportunities to guys who have come in and made major contributions (Blackburn, Casilla, Buscher).
You are correct, though. Equally important to staying healthy is having someone of quality available to step in when you get an injury. Could the WhiteSox replace key people with call-ups of the calibre that the Twins have? Cleveland sure hasn’t been able to and I doubt Chicago would either. For all the talk about how the Twins’ farm system was supposedly so thin, guys like Buscher, Casilla, Span, Blackburn and Tolbert have done a nice job when they got opportunities.
Will they still be performing well in September, when they’ve typically been pretty much finished with their season in years’ past? Who knows?
Cuddyer is awkward and clumsy. He is somewhat slow mentally and on the field. I think it is amazing that the Twins did not trade him at the end of last season. Maybe they could trade him down the stretch to help the team. They need to dump off Punto too. Neither Cuddyer or Punto are real net gains, only net losses. Getting them off the roster would make room for better players like Span, Tolbert, Morales and Macri.
thrylos - If the dodgers were looking to deal laroche, I’m sure they could get a slightly better offer elsewhere.
I think next year’s starting pitching rotation should be:
1. Blackburn
2. Liriano
3. Baker
4. Perkins
5. Slowey
Tony, Punto and Lamb can help them right now and they are very expandable by the Twins. If not LaRoche, then a couple of A+ prospects might make this happen if BS wants to pull the trigger.
If pigs had wings they would fly. Lots of “ifs” but other teams have them as well.
I know it’s an unpopular position around here, but I’m not anxious to trade away Punto. I’d deal Harris, Everett, and/or Lamb before I’d let go of Punto. I’m not saying he should have a regular starting spot and I’m not saying he’s a gold-glove defender. But he plays all three IF positions (sans 1B) well and he makes an ideal utility IF, imo. If he’s willing to accept that role (and if Gardy is willing to use him in that role), I think he’s worth keeping around.
If you think Gardy will/should drop down to 11 pitchers when Cuddyer comes back (and I do think that makes some sense), who’s the odd man out on the staff? Are there trade possibilities for Boof? Bass? Does anyone have any options remaining to be sent down?
For those of you (including me) who punched your television when the Twins bypassed Gerritt Cole to draft Carlos Gutierrez:
Cole (Scott Boras) is asking for 10 times the slot price to sign. He is pitching for a Connie Mack team that I watched last night and he throws GAS!
However, a $10 million bonus is nuts, but he and Boras are shooting for it.
Better the Yankees pay that than the Twins. And despite a once-in-20-years arm, he is not a slam dunk major leaguer.
That makes a little more sense. Thinking they will trade a cheap, controllable 3rd baseman for a less than mediocre and expensive 3rd baseman and utility infielder is a little more than optimistic.
Thrylos98: it could also mean that the White Sox have a better team defense than Minnesota. Considering that it’s not just one pitcher on their team who has a lower BABIP, that seems likely. When judging a pitcher’s BABIP, don’t judge against league average, judge against the team’s average, because it’s the team’s ability to get outs on the balls in play that matters–not the general ability of major leaguers.
It’s also interesting that Floyd has a very low BABIP, and he tends to give up a lot of contact, and Vazquez has a high BABIP, and he gets a lot of strikeouts. Maybe the team is more on its toes when Floyd is out there because they get more balls in play, and lulled a bit when Vazquez is out there because they get fewer.
I’m not convinced those BABIPs will correct themselves as much as some would have us believe they will. That said, I will be sitting Floyd on my fantasy team when he faces the Rangers in Arlington next week.
Sane thats a bigger bonus then Beasley got.
JimC - I’m guessing when cuddy comes back, span goes back down. The twins have already proven relunctant to try to pass bass through waivers and I don’t think anyone but span and gomez have options remaining.
JimCrikket,
I absolutely agree that the silver lining with injuries is being forced to find out what you have in the replacement category. The Twins have discovered some talent that they may have otherwise given up on too easily or without enough compensation in trade (Casilla, Span, and Buscher). Whether we can say the same things about these 3 at the end of the year remains to be seen. But, kudos to those young guys at taking the opportunity and running with it. It’s nice that they are making decisions hard for BS and Gardy and giving us fans something positive to debate.
Just because Mariano Rivera can pitch two innings per game every game doesn’t mean that Joe Nathan can.
I would guess that Anderson and Gardy after getting daily verbal input from Nathan after pitching (How do you feel? Is your arm stiff?, etc.)have a good idea of Nathan’s bounce-back capabilities after one (or more) inninngs of one, two or three consecutive outings. I’ll take the judgement of the insiders over the criticism of the outsiders.
Thrylos
I like where you are going with that trade idea, but no way the Dodgers would bite. Maybe add Bonser and have it be Bonser/punto/Lamb, but im not so sure that i want the Twins to trade Punto. He is a perfect utility IF who can can excellent defense at all IF positions, by all means trade Livan, Bonser, and Lamb to free up positions for Liriano,Macri,and Span.
Obviously I’m a moron and we have alot of other players with options. Slowey, buscher, blackburn, and I’m sure a few more. I still say that unless there is another roster move, Span is the most likely to get sent down when Cuddy returns.
So now the Cuddy bashing begins…all hail Span!! He’s had had a couple of good games!! Has he driven in 100 runs? Hit 20 HR? One of the best arms in baseball?
Or we should dump Delmon because he’s the worst player in the history of the game.
Or we should send Gomez down.
You guys all make Smith look really, really good.
I didn’t think any of the pitchers had options left, either, Tony… but I was hoping.
If Span keeps playing like he has, he’s going to make it damn tough for Smith and Gardy to send him down again. It’s certainly not a bad position to be in, having such a tough decision. It does, however, make me wonder if Smith won’t be trying pretty hard to free up a roster spot by making a trade (Boof, Bass, Lamb, Harris, Punto) for a prospect or two.
Of course, it’s not impossible that someone will suddenly come down with a “mild sprain” in a mysteriously difficult to identify muscle… and require a little DL time.
Ok slumpy, calm down. Not everyone is saying dump Cuddy.
JimCrikket,
no current pitcher on the roster has any options left. If anyone goes, I expect them to trade Bonser, but I am not sure what they will get in return at this point. An intriguing player for the Twins to target might be Beltre. He is due the remaining of $12mil this year and $12 mil for next year. Seatlle is cleaning house. If the Twins package Boof with a couple of prospects, he might be had. Boof needs a change of scenery pretty badly.
“kudos to those young guys at taking the opportunity and running with it. It’s nice that they are making decisions hard for BS and Gardy and giving us fans something positive to debate.”
Well said.
i agree with jim, trading punto makes no sense. first he has no trade value, and secondly, provides a viable option for our otherwise shaky IF. i think if there’s any value for lamb, he has to go at the deadline in favor of buscher at 3b. i really would like to see span stay up and get some ab’s in rf. for a veteran player, cuddyer has a horrific approach at the plate and often appears to guessing. so far, i’ve been impressed with span, he’s fairly polished for not having any experience
I agree that Boof might benefit from a change of scenery and coaching but after the disasterous investment in Silva, I don’t know if Seattle would take another Twins pitcher 
I haven’t paid a lot of attention to him, but has Beltre done anything worthwhile since being de-juiced?
Beltre is hitting .251/.324/.450 16HR 43RBI this season and hitting lefties at a .361/.473/.590 rate this year, which would be perfect for the Twins
I like Punto at SS better than Harris. Harris is obviously a better hitter, but Punto is the better fielder, and shortstop is one of the two positions where most people value fielding higher than hitting. I say, trade Harris.
LaRoche doesn’t interest me much. He seems like a step backwards from Lamb. LaRoche can’t even hit in the NL. Why would he be able to hit here?
“no current pitcher on the roster has any options left”
So what?
Keep Span when Cuddyer returns.
Put Bass on waivers and when you need a 12th pitcher, pick up someone else off waivers. (like a Breslow)
Or call up Korecky, Gomez, Duensing, Daigle.
All you are trying to do is replace Brian Bass, not Joe Nathan.
It’s an interesting scenario, thryl. Not sure how I’d feel about it off the top of my head.
It wouldn’t solve the roster situation because you’re getting a MLBer in return. But then, you might as well send Buscher with Boof to the M’s because you’re certainly getting Beltre with the intent of handing him the 3B job. That clears the space for Cuddyer to come back.
Such a deal, or anything like it, would also send a strong signal that the Twins FO is committing to compete THIS year, not just in the future. I’m sure it would open some eyes in Chicago and Detroit.
Anyway… been fun this afternoon. I’m out of here for a while. Have a good holiday, all.
Dang, wouldn’t it be nice to add Beltre? How about Span, Buscher, and three minor league pitchers for Beltre?
Dave T,
Andy LaRoche (the Dodger’s minor leaguer 3B) and not his older brother, Adam (Pittsburgh’s 1B) I agree, Adam LaRoche is not a very good match
Also, the Twins are not the only team trying to shrink their pitching staff after the ASG. There should be a lot of MLB relievers on waivers (with Bass) by the time Cuddyer returns.
What’s Beltre’s contract status? If he just signed it may take a bit more than Buscher/Boof. But if he’s getting close to the end it may give the Twins some position of power.
It’s too bad most of the good 3Bs are on teams that are still in it.
Wait, I take that back…is Atkins or Kouzmanoff still a potential fit? Or are Atkins home/away splits something that people are nervous about?
If you look at the 40 man roster, Humber will be a free agent next year, unless he makes the 25 man roster (which I frankly do not see happening), so he could be trade bait
Beltre is singed through 2009 for $12mil.
Atkins is hitting .259/.285/.376 outside Colorado (ouch). Kouzmanoff is awful on the field. He’d be a DH in an AL team
“Dang, wouldn’t it be nice to add Beltre? How about Span, Buscher, and three minor league pitchers for Beltre?”
Are you suggesting all that for a 3-month rental of Beltre?
He is making $12 million/year this year and next.
Or are you suggesting that the Twins pay the $12 million per year - this year and next?
Or are you suggesting the Twins sign Beltre to a multi-year contract when he threatens to walk after 2009?
What ever happened to liondragon?
Haven’t seen a good Span, Punto and Rincon trade offer for Jose Reyes and David Wright since he left.
I think Beltre for this year and next, until Valencia is ready. There is no way the Twins should sign him into a long term contract, but he would be a good addition for a playoff run this year and next. I am not sure what it will take to get him from the Mariners (Buscher, Bonser, Humber might not be enough) but it might be a worthwhile possibility. He will bring a RH bat that can crush lefties, which is so much needed in this team
Beltre is overrated and how does a guy go from 23 to 48 and back 19 hr’s in consecutive seasons playing the same amount of games?
thrylos98,
Humber’s current trade value is below zero.
Beltre is overrated and how does a guy go from 23 to 48 and back 19 hr’s in consecutive seasons playing the same amount of games?
It’s called a career year, they happen, pretty regularly too.
Seeings how we’re dreaming today, I heard Ken Griffey Jr. would consider an AL team to finish his career at DH.
He started in a dome at Seattle. I have heard he is a calm and quiet kind of guy, he’d like the Twins. Carl could just write a check.
sane what ever happened to the good ole days of fat closers with terrible moustaches. I miss those days
thrylos98,
If the Mariners were trading Beltre, they would ask for good, young prospects. Buscher, Bonser and Humber are not young enough and (except for Buscher) not good enough.
BC,
the 48HR was an abberration on a contract year (which makes having Beltre on a contract year much more desirable )
His home runs since:
19
25
26
16 (on pace for 32)
Snepp was it anything like the career year that Brady Anderson had when he hit 50 or the career year Bonds had when he hit 73? Your right they are pretty regular now.
“It’s called a career year, they happen, pretty regularly too.”
The Twins want players who regularly have career years.
I like Cookie Sams idea better Griffey would make a great DH for this team.
What is the maximum number of career years allowed in one players career?
sane,
It wouldn’t hurt to see what it takes…
Here is BAs top ten prospects for the Twins at the end of last season:
1. Nick Blackburn, rhp
2. Joe Benson, of
3. Wilson Ramos, c
4. Tyler Robertson, lhp
5. Anthony Swarzak, rhp
6. Ben Revere, of
7. Jason Pridie, of
8. Brian Duensing, lhp
9. Jeff Manship, rhp
10. Trevor Plouffe, ss
I wouldn’t cry if they parted with #5, #7 and #10 from that list, if they are willing to take someone(s) from the 25 man roster to clean up a spot (or 2).
I have finally got it. We need to get Joe Nathan to gain 60 pounds grow a big moustache and wear sunglasses like Kent Tekulve. If he doesn’t like it he will be forced to pitch 2 innings like everyon else does.
“The Twins want players who regularly have career years.”
So does George Mitchell.
All this talk of trades … if the Twins keep winning they will be making NO trades. Punto does have his down side, but he is an excellent fielder, and that’s what a utility infielder is primarily there to do.
The Twins have some good problems right now, with the Cuddyer/Span situation in RF, Buscher/Harris at 3B, and who to remove from the starting rotation when Liriano is ready to come up later this month. Hernandez?? Bye bye from roster, Boof, FYI.
Leave Monroe & Lamb as righty/lefty pinch hitting options off the bench in the late innings. Gardenhire is happy to have these problems, but man, does he look old for only being 50. Time to get some exercise, Ron.
Hey jimmy can we get Delmon to add another 40 to play the role of Dave Parker as well?
BC Is Delmon really just Venus Williams in disguise
I was wondering after all this conversation about Span, iff the light bulb has suddenly gotten bright for him light many seem to think, would anybody think that Cuddy would be amenable to a switch to 3rd? It seemed he didn’t have any issues this spring when Gardy was throwing around the idea of him moving to center. I honestly think that Cuddy is the kind of player that is just plain happy to play. He had a bad tryout at 3rd several years ago, but as player mature, some things just plain start to click. He definitely has the arm of a 3rd baseman, however, his defensive range was pretty poor from what I recall from his first stint there. Anyone actually remember?
Anyway, if Span does gel, and stick in the starting lineup, I think that they need to get him the heck out of right. He simply doesn’t have the arm that is required of that position, especially when the Twins have a player in left that would probably be better served in right anyway. Young has a strong arm, plays the field pretty well, but doesn’t quite have the speed of Span. Span in left with his noodle arm and Young in right with his cannon makes for a much smarter future configuration if Span is indeed gonna stick. Cuddy would make an excellent bench player if nothing else, but he really started to click once Gardy have him time to play in the field. I personally think that Cuddy would be willing to work on his fielding at third if it meant him seeing time on the field as opposed to riding the pine as a 4th. outfielder and a pinch-hitter off the bench.
Again, if Span does stick, I think that he moves to left, Young goes to right, and Cuddy moves to 3rd.
Possibly, Span goes to center, Gomez to left, but I don’t think that benefits the team nearly as much. Gomez has huge potential out there, with a strong arm. Span is supposedly a better fielder, but I really haven’t seen anything to indicate that so far. Gomez takes bad routes, but he will get better with time, that much I am sure of.
Eureka jimmy i think that’s it. I couldn’t decide who he reminded me of. So in a HR contest who hits more Venus or Delmon?
“but he is an excellent fielder, and that’s what a utility infielder is primarily there to do.”
Two things wrong with this statement. No fielding stats back up the idead that he is an excellent fielder. NONE. He is a versatile slightly above average fielder. the second problem is gardy will not use him as a utility infielder. and his career hitting numbers (over 1500 ABs) show what an atrocious ML hitter he is.
BTW, I really think that the Twins pare the staff down to 11 when Cuddy comes off the DL. At that point, Bass is gone. He will get picked up by a team, but just like Breslow, there will be someone out there again. There are plently of teams in the majors that are in the position that the Twins find themselves in. Pitchers run out of options, and you don’t sacrifice your best relievers, you let your lower level ones go.
Sad to see him go, since he seems like he is coming on strong. Maybe when the time comes, they will decide that Bass has a bigger upside than Bonser, and make that decision, but I find it doubtful that they cut their losses with Bonser just yet. Remember, Bass wouldn’t even be up right now if Neshek and Rincon were still here.
I think Cuddyer needs to find again his hitting prowess before he’s considered for a full time spot anywhere. He was terrible at 3B so a switch back there is unlikely … he has too much of a lumbering style for Third and no ability coming in on the slower roller. RF is probably his best gig, but he’s got to return to his ‘06 ways to justify his spot out there. What ever happened to his home runs balls to LF? Now he’s got more of a defensive swing, spraying the ball to Right. That’s no way for a #5 hitter to hit. Cuddy’s on thin ice, except Gardy loves him.
I really don’t see that problem of having Span, Young, Gomez and Cuddyer all on the same team. Span is the only LH hitter–he could fill in at all three spots (40 games each) and get “regular” at-bats. Until the past week, Cuddyer had a higher OPS than Young. IMHO, Cuddyer is certainly a better fielder than Delmon and he is a better hitter than Gomez. Mixing and matching shouldn’t be too hard (it’s not like I’m suggesting that Mantle, Mays, and Aaron get benched). From what I’ve heard, even after “breaking out” at Rochester, Span’s splits vs. lefties were nothing to write home about so it should make sense to rest him against lefties. This is all based on the assumption that Span has found it like Casilla found it.
I think a move to 11 pitchers will happen. Maybe it will be injury, maybe a trade, or maybe ineffectiveness that gets the job done.
I thought that DY was supposed to make up for the loss of Torii’s power #’s. Just wait till after the All Star Break. 27 HR’s in the second hlaf
jimmy i thought he was supposed to make up for Rondells power #’s He’s still got a chance to break 4hr’s this year.
JIMMY AND BC:
Found this in “Rightfielders”. It’s either Venus or Sarenna Williams. Looks similar from the back. Delmon is a Leftfielder though:
http://sports.rightpundits.com/?pp_album=main&pp_cat=&pp_image=serena_williams_jane1.JPG
Truth is, Hunter hasn’t made up for the loss of Hunter’s power numbers.
Youngs numbers don’t look bad at all in comparison to Hunters right now.
Young has done just fine in my book.
Hunter avg .271 OBP .326 SLG .444, 37 rbi’s with protection in the lineup.
Young avg .284 OBP .332 SLG .385, 29 rbi’s without ANY protection in the lineup.
So, from what I can see, Young, with nobody protecting him, meaning he probably isn’t seeing nearly as many good pitches, is hitting for a higher average, and getting on base at a better clip than the highly paid Hunter. Hunters added power has accounted for a total of 8 more RBI’s than Young, not too good when you consider that 7 of those 8 are off his extra homers compared to Young.
And, in a stat that kinda shows a real problem with Torri’s game in my mind, he has only one more run scored than Young, even with his extra 7 homers.
Again people, homers aren’t the only important stat out there. Slugging percentage is good, but in my mind, a higher OBP is very good as well.
Youngs numbers don’t look bad at all in comparison to Hunters right now.
Young has done just fine in my book.
well put, Me Too!
He DID… in batting practice.
Seth what do you think of Jason Giambi’s Moustache? Why doesn’t someone do that on the Twins?
Kinda neat really. Gomez, a guy basically known for his speed has 5 dingers. Gomez, at least in my mind, has far surpassed the Hunter of 2007 in fielding, and if light-years ahead of Hunter when it comes to the excitement factor that he brings to the game. Teams feed off of excitement. Sometimes youthful exuberance is a very, very good thing. Mistakes are gonna happen, but when it is a young guy making them, they are more easily forgiven, and most likely soon forgotten when the guy turns your head with another exciting play. I, for one, love the bunting game that Gomez and Casilla bring to the table. Like was stated earlier in this blog posting, who thinks that the infield grass will look like a putting green in some opponents parks later this year? Heck, maybe we will see some concrete in front of home plate(just kidding about the concrete)
Young HAS seen his share of good pitches (He wouldn’t swing at the 1st pitch otherwise). I’ve watched pretty much all of the games. He swings at the 1st thing thrown at him most of the time. So to say he has no protection means nothing to me cause he does nothing to protect himself. TRY RUNNING THE COUNT sometimes and then we can talk nobody protects him. I like Young as a player though
Are any of the Twins old enough to grow something like that yet?
And also, I assume they’re too young to have played Super Mario Brothers.`
Me Too i agree with you on the ecitement factor Gomez is closer to Kirby then Hunter ever was and the excitement factor is the main reason i miss Johan.
Giambi’s moustache is bad arse
BC to me it looks like Gomez doesn;t slide on his stomach all the time. In the Star Trib it looks sometimes like his face is involved with the dirt quite a bit as well
jimmy i’ve seen that too. What are the odds he’s missing a few chicklets before his career is over? How often did Ricky Henderson slide face first it seems to me he did it a lot as well.
Quiz time:
The Twins have an overcrowding outfield. The Twins have a hole in SS.
Name the one OF on the current 25 man roster who was signed as a SS (Cuddyer is not on the current 25 man roster, btw)
Do you see a conversion this off season that could kill 2 birds with one stone?
thyrols i would guess Gomez off the top of my head
/ is the position Gomez is in when he slides into a base
__ is the postion I would like to see Gomez using while sliding into a base
thrylos98 Cuddy?
Jimmy bee,
How about
L
instead?
Cuddy was drafted as a SS, but he is not on the 25 man roster
I don’t see anything but injuries in the future from the way Gomez slides into a base.
thry,
Span, but that was back when he threw right handed.
Actually, I think it is DY.
And, if you think either DY or Gomez throws straight enough to play SS!!!
Joe Nathan?
Nathan is not an outfielder
thrylos I would say DY because the way that he plays a ball going into the gap in the outfield it is like he has no clue where it is going.
Serious guess would be Craig Monroe
Here is a pic of Jason Giambi before he filled out and used Steroids
http://teamtorso.files.wordpress.com/2007/06/90_06_giambi-jason.jpg
Tony now thats funny how about Kubes?
BC yeah that was my second pic
While it may be true that Young swings at alot of first pitches, it definitely isn’t always the case. The dude has the most walks behind only Morneau, Mauer, and amazing as it seems, Kubel.
Hunter, the higher paid, more seasoned vet, in a better lineup, has fewer. Again, it would seem from the frequency of walks that Hunter is getting better pitchs to hit than Young.
It is Gomez. He might be a bit too big for a shortstop, but ARod broke that barrier…
BTW, there is a reason that the slider away in the dirt is called a “Torri” by many on this list. The guy isn’t the best hitter on the Angels team by far, but is being paid like he is.
Cal Ripken Jr. broke that barrier.
thrylos98 When did he convert to the outfield? He may have been converted with the thought process that he would never overtake Reyes as the Mets SS
thyrols i think Cal Ripken broke that barrier. Gomez has to small of hands to play short me thinks.
Have Cuddy play SS he can throw some missles at Morneau.
Gomez never played any pro games as a SS. The Mets were loaded and converted him to CF right away.
And for those who do not remember, Hunter was hitting .255/.309/.380 in his first full season with the Twins (at 23 years old) Gomez is currently hitting .274/.308/.382, which is extremely similar
(Tony, you are absolutely correct about Ripken, mea culpa)
Gomez makes for an excellent outfielder. Why would the Twins even consider taking that talent out of the outfield?
The best conversion in my mind would be Cuddy to third, especially if Span shows that he has the “stuff” to stick.
Casilla has me pretty optimistic at this point with Span. Hey, “Casilla has done it, why can’t Span?” seems like a pretty good arguement right about now.
Cuddy to third, yeah, I am liking that as a possible future option. Maybe, just maybe, he would be willing to put in the work to make it work for him, kinda like what has converted Mourneau from a defensive liablity into a very good first baseman. Kinda like Koskie became what I thought was a pretty good defensive player too.
Defense can be learned. Reaction times do improve with fungo time.
The more a player works with fungo’s, the better they are bound to become.
Yeah, I like the idea of Cuddy to third, lets hope he is open to the thought of the work he would need to invest in a postion change, AGAIN.
Cuddy starting 3rd didn’t work that well the first time, I’m not sure Gardy would want to try it again.
Why does it seem as though Punto has no problem being a good fielder just about wherever you place him but some guys can not play CF and switch to RF or from RF to LF or vice versa.
Me Too,
I was thinking that during the off-season, when there was a glaring hole at 3rd, that the Twins would consider moving Cuddy there to solve the problem, esp. after they got Young to play RF. Cuddy whined when he played 3rd and Gardy pampered him. Cuddy loves his OF assists. I hope he moves to 3rd, but as long as Gardy is the manager, my magic 8 ball says “Outlook not so good”
It’s because Punto is the best athlete on the team.
Punto has no problem being a good fielder
this is a misconception fueled by overreaction to plays and overpraise by Gardy. Being a clown on the field does not make someone a “good fielder”. Punto is an average fielder.
Career fielding percentage:
SS Punto .979, league .972
2B Punto .978, league .984
a v e r a g e
jimmy it’s sort of like Magic being able to play any position in a basketball game. Well sort of.
BC they are making a new Hunter S Thompson movie that will be coming out soon. I am out of here everyone have a wonderfull and safe Holliday and remember try to stay off the roads. Peace Out
Magic at Center during the Playoffs. Cool. Later skater
Why thrylos are you suggesting that Punto is a bit of a showboat looking to make one web gem after the other?
Looking forward to that jimmy i’m out to y’all be cool and have a good weekend will argue at ya later.
BC,
not necessarily a showboat, he just overreacts (may be all that nicotine from the chew in his mouth that makes him jumpy )
Gomez with his little “crow hop” at SS… Tell him to aim at pitcher to hit Morney at 1st. I think it could work. LOL.
You’all don’t blow your fingers off tomorrow. I don’t want any blog DLs now that we have everything working well.
Good day to you all.
Cuddyer at third was a disaster. It was an absolute nightmare. I think people forget how truly bad he was there defensively.
Plus, the fact is, Cuddyer is the right fielder because of his arm, and knowledge of the baggy, and there is no way that’s going to change because Denard Span is on a roll.
The better way to solve the problem (bet you’ve never heard me say THIS before, haha) is to trade Span for a better option at third or short than any of our current possibilities. I’d prefer Kevin Kouzmanoff, but if Khalil Greene is a tolerable replacement as well. Still, I think his 2007 was a bit of a fluke, statistically speaking.
Steve,
I’d prefer Beltre; and Span would be a good fit in Seattle with Ibanez out and Ichiro moving back to right.
Kouzmanoff’s defense at 3rd is similar to Cuddyer’s, btw (Kouz .945FP vs league .954; Cuddy .941FP vs league .955 )
another thought on getting rid of Lamb is that after the trade deadline we could put him out on waivers, if anyone claims him (like Cirrilo and AZ) we would be rid of his contract. we wouldn’t get any prospects in return but that would be addition by subtraction!
Please, please, please , please, please.
Everyone stop suggesting, that the Twins might trade Lamb. Absolutely no team in baseball will take that contract! He is still owed almost 5 mil. guaranteed. The only small possibility of a trade, is to trade him for a similar, bad player, with a similar, bad contract.
trade idea:
Boof and Punto to the Yanks for Betemit
” if anyone claims him (like Cirrilo and AZ) we would be rid of his contract. we wouldn’t get any prospects in return but that would be addition by subtraction!”
The problem is no one would claim him, when they can wait until he passes through waivers - THEN sign him and have the Twins pay him for one and one-half years (minus the MLB minimum salary) to play for his new team. Terrific incentive to NOT claim him on waivers.
Monroe, Everett, and maybe Hernandez, could be dumped via the Cirillo route. As the season gets closer to the end, there will be little left to pay on their one year contracts. By September, for instance, Everett will only be owed less than $500,000. Taking a contract like that might be palatable, to some team, if Everett is healthy, and that team is in dire need of a SS.
“The problem is no one would claim him, when they can wait until he passes through waivers - THEN sign him and have the Twins pay him for one and one-half years (minus the MLB minimum salary) to play for his new team. Terrific incentive to NOT claim him on waivers.”
EXACTLY!!!!!!
no need to dump Monroe, he fills a good bench power bat/right handed bat.
Hernandez might garner a draft pick so no reason to dump him either. could always trade him.
“Hernandez might garner a draft pick so no reason to dump him either.”
He won’t, according to MLB rules.
he could be a type “B” Free Agent, garnering the Twins a sandwich pick.
No. He would have to be offered arbitration. The Twins won’t do that.
probably not, but they do like that veteran guy and they might bank on him signing elsewhere for more than the arbitration numbers.
Angels may have a better offense on paper. But I think so far the Twins are the better offense
Call,
“Angels may have a better offense on paper. But I think so far the Twins are the better offense”
Does that mean that Joe Vavra was a better MLB hitter and a bigger MLB name than Mickey Hatcher?
Or is that not really necessary to be a good hitting instructor?
Both questions are rhetorical.
Two things weigh heavily against that. 1) There is a chance he may not make it as a B free agent. Silva, for instance, did not. 2) He would almost certainly accept arbitration, unless he has a sensational 2nd half of the season. Even then, he probably would still accept.
I grant you that your statement is correct. He “might garner a draft pick”. I think that possibility, however, is extremely remote.
Just a thought on Mickey Hatcher. Mickey was an excellent hitter. He really could handle the bat.
Hate to criticize ex-Twins, but Mickey was perhaps the worst base-runner I ever saw play for the Twins. He was hilarious. Maybe Chris Latham was worse.
Mickey played CF for the Twins, for awhile. Mickey in the dome with outstretched arms, wondering where the ball was, is indelibly etched in my mind.
He was a character, too. TK got rid of him, almost the first chance he had. The Twins “ate” his full, $600,000, 1987 contract, releasing him in spring training. That was quite a bit of money, back in those days.
Is it just me or does not having a Twins game to ogle tonight blow?
I’ve been forced to watch other games and came upon the NESN broadcast of the Sox/Yanks. Lo and behold I came upon their “Marney G.” (see link) While Marney is fine, the Sawks’ roving reporter doesn’t suck and is easy on the eyes. And, unlike Telly, she can put two coherent sentences together. I assume NESN has a way bigger production budget.
http://www.nesn.com/content/about/personalities/hwatney.aspx
Punto, Span, GoGo & Casilla….. shades of the St. Louis Speedsters of the mid 80’s. Stick Tolbert at 3rd, bat him 7th & let the track relay race home.
Well, just because Cuddy had a poor experience there previously doesn’t mean that he isn’t nor will he ever be capable of playing there in the future. At the time, there was an opening in the outfield, so it seemed like a good thing. Right now, we have a fielder playing in Left field that would rather be in right (I think that is true, even if he has never said it to my knowledge).We have player in right that several on here are hoping will work out, however, he has at best an average arm that would be better served in left field. Span, Young and Gomez, nothing but speed in the alleys. Caddy at third gives the team the pop in the bat that many think is needed at the hot corner, and I think that if given the chance, Cuddy could grow into the position. I remember lamenting the fact when Mientkiewicz was moved out that the Twins were taking a huge step back in defense, well, that definitely isn’t true now anymore, is it????
Of course, all this would be a mute point if Span reverts back to his old form, but we can all dream, can’t we?
looks like the white sox finally got beat. oakland, 3-2. also looks like aj almost tied it in the eighth (doubled to deep left center, said espn’s gamecast).
twins are two back at the 4th of july.
have a good one, all.
mickey mental nailed it. 2 back of 1st on July 4th. At the begining of the year, if someone said that, you’d hug them and cry!
Punto will make the spectacular play. And he’s pretty sure handed. But he does have a penchant to turn the routine play into a highlight reel play, like that attempted bare hand yesterday. And some of those are not made but he does not get errors for them because he makes them look more difficult than they are. I hate it when he runs around a ball in order to back hand it when he just needs to shuffle his feet to get in front of it and make the “boring play”, for example. I like the creativity when the situation calls for it. But I would rather have Harris’s rock-solid approach on routine plays.
Why keep trying to fix something that isn’t broken? The team is winning, leave it alone.
I can’t believe anybody would seriously consider Span over Cuddy. That is such a no brainer. When Cuddy comes back Span goes back down. If another OF goes down Span comes back up. A little depth is also nice.
“The team is winning, leave it alone.”
Its impossible to leave it alone with injured players returning to active status. Unless there are new injuries, someone on the current active roster has to leave to make room for the returnee(s).
In Adam Everett’s case, he may be asked to stay injured until he is needed so the Twins can stay with players who have outperformed him.
That’s not official, but that’s my take.
“I can’t believe anybody would seriously consider Span over Cuddy”
Believe it, because some are considering it.
I prefer they both be kept and the pitching staff reduced to 11 by waiving Bass. If Bass doesn’t clear waivers, then replace him if and when a pitcher is needed. There are many Brian Bass clones in MLB soon to be waived when other teams reduce their pitching staffs. If not, there are more in the minors.
You can’t keep Span and release Bass because there would be 6 OF’s on the team.
If a team is willing to take Cuddyer or Monroe I think the team should sell. If the team has to package Punto in the deal, to make room for Tolbert or Plouffe, then so be it.
Why trade away Cuddy? The guy has good pop in his bat. His year this year has been ruined so far by injury. What you see from him right now is not his normal, nor should anybody point at it and say he is done because he has only 2 homers at this point. I played with a broken finger before, and I can tell you from experience it DOES affect you at the plate. I had a few bats flying since I had a hard time controlling it on a bad swing. Making good contact actually didn’t bother, but man, a hit off the end hurt like HELL.
The guy has gotten plunked on the back on the hand. Had a finger shredded by cleates, and seemingly sprained his knuckle too. That has got to be one heck of a painful atbat.
Before they would trade Cuddy or Monroe, Span will be sent down. Maybe in the offseason, a position switch may be in the works, but right now, Cuddy is the right-fielder if he ever can get and stay healthy.
kmack,
“You can’t keep Span and release Bass because there would be 6 OF’s on the team”
That means you have three starting outfielders, a DH, and two pinch-hitting options. It is not a new configuration. Its been done many times before.
Angels have Vlady, Torii Hunter, Gary Matthews, Garrett Anderson, Juan Rivera and Reggie Willits.
The Rays have Carl Crawford, Cliff Floyd, Eric Hinske, Gabe Gross, BJ Upton and Johnny Gomes.
The Angels and Rays are AL Division leaders so it apparently is not a big handicap.
Add Twins 2003.
Outfielders:
Shannon Stewart(573AB), Torii Hunter(581AB), Jacque Jones(517AB), Michael Cuddyer(102 AB) and Dustan Mohr(348AB).
Plus Lew Ford, Michael Restovich and Mike Ryan were up-and-down as the sixth OF and combined for 187 AB.
Add Twins 2002.
Outfielders:
Torii Hunter(561AB), Jacque Jones(577AB), Dustan Mohr(383AB), Bobby Kielty (289 AB), Buck Buchanon (135 AB)and Michael Cuddyer(112 AB).
Add Twins 2006.
Outfielders:
Torii Hunter(557 AB), Michael Cuddyer(557 AB), Rondell White (337 AB), Lew Ford (234 AB), Jason Kubel (220 AB), Jason Tyner (218 AB) and Shannon Stewart (174 AB).
Sorry, too much time on my hands before 4th of July blasts off.
so sane… I take it you’re saying it’s ok to have 6 OFs?
JimCrikket,
Thanks.
You made my point much quicker than I made my point.
Heaven forbid the Twins actually have a player or 2 on the bench that have some pop in his bat.
