Monday lineups: Kielty signs minor-league deal with Twins
Posted on August 11th, 2008 – 3:22 PMBy Joe Christensen
The Twins have signed Bobby Kielty to a minor-league contract and assigned him to Class AAA Rochester.
Kielty, 32, played for the Twins from 2001 to 2003 before getting traded to Toronto for Shannon Stewart on July 16, 2003. Kielty was released by Boston this season on July 12.
Kielty batted .228/.348/.391 with three homers and 18 RBI for Class AAA Pawtucket before his release. A switch-hitter, he hit a home run for Boston in Game 4 of last year’s World Series.
Update (3:50 p.m.): Michael Cuddyer is in the clubhouse, with his broken left foot in a walking boot. He said he’ll be on crutches for two or three more days but is hoping to begin his rehab program when the team leaves on its next road trip, Aug. 21.
Lineups below, updates to come…
Update (5:45 p.m.): On the last homestand, I asked Alexi Casilla what his chances of returning this season were, on a scale of 1-10, and he said six or seven. Today, he said it’s 10. He will get his splint taken off Wednesday and begin taking batting practice on Friday.
There could be a minor-league rehab stint next week, and barring a setback, Casilla could be back by the time the Twins leave on their next road trip.
In our last chat, Casilla said he could swing righthanded without pain but felt pain when he swung lefthanded. Today, he said he’ll be able to swing from both sides.
“Right now, I’m feeling pretty good,” he said.
Update (6:05 p.m.): Forgot to mention this, but Loek Van Mil, the 7-foot-1 righthander from Class A Beloit is at the Metrodome today. Van Mil was supposed to pitch for Holland in the Olympics but injured his right elbow during a bullpen session in Beijing.
An MRI exam showed a partial tear of his ulnar collateral ligament. Better than a full tear. Sounds like he might not need surgery. He’s in town to see the Twins doctors to confirm that.
Yankees (63-55)
1. Justin Christian, LF
2. Derek Jeter, SS
3. Bobby Abreu, RF
4. Alex Rodriguez, 3B
5. Xavier Nady, DH
6. Robinson Cano, 2B
7. Richie Sexson, 1B
8. Ivan Rodriguez, C
9. Melky Cabrera, CF
Starting pitcher: RH Sidney Ponson
Twins (65-52)
1. Denard Span, CF
2. Nick Punto, 2B
3. Joe Mauer, C
4. Justin Morneau, 1B
5. Jason Kubel, DH
6. Delmon Young, LF
7. Brian Buscher, 3B
8. Adam Everett, SS
9. Carlos Gomez, CF
Starting pitcher: LH Glen Perkins
Metrodome. First pitch: 7:10 p.m.
452 Responses to "Monday lineups: Kielty signs minor-league deal with Twins"
maybe the Twins get Stewart too and have a minor league reunion. 
Hopefully Ronald has the Red-Fro grown out
I would hope that this is in wake of being pessimistic of Cuddyers return, why else would we need more outfielders, span, gomez, young, cuddyer, kubel, why again did we release monroe???
Stewart was released by the Jays today so yes they could have a reunion.
Gotta love Mr. Smith for getting his nose dirty and really going for it. (Yes, I realize this is a AAA-roster filling move.)
he was actually clutch for Boston in the post season last year…. might just be getting him in the system for a spetember lefty bat, gomez day off
Josh,
The Twins roster in Rochester is in shambles. My guess is that they just needed another OF to fill a hole in the organization. I wouldn’t read too much into this signing, I don’t think we will be seeing Bobby at all this season.
Well, Rochester needed a little depth, and now they have it.
It’s time to bring in Bonds- Kubel left nine men on base yesterday and is terrible defensively.
Should’ve made a play for Dougie Baseball instead…huge game against Mets again as the Buccos are trying to steal one from NY.
Dougie batting third for Pirates; now hitting .293 on the year.
Jason,
if Dougie is so valuable, he will never clear waivers to the Twins anyway… and i don’t think he would
Shawn…I meant prior to July 31, and yes, I was calling for it then as well.
I just don’t see Pittsburgh bringing him back, do any of you? They would’ve taken a minor leaguer for him.
The missing piece to the puzzle has been found. I was hoping for Dustan Mohr though.
I know you love Dougie, but i’d take him as a 3b/1b bench guy, would like it better if he were a righty
he will never clear waivers to the Twins, i think the Mets for 1 would claim him.
AZ goes out and gets Dunn
We go get Kielty.
Seems even
No one would claim Dougie Baseball, I don’t think.
the Twins have the perfect righty 3b/1b employed by the team and they don’t even know it.
let me be the first to say: FREE RON COOMER!
can kielty play 3b, ss or 2b?
I remember when people thought Kielty was the next Kirby Puckett. So wrong, so wrong. I also remember that Sid criticized the trade but actually later admitted he made a mistake (that’s once, for those keeping count).
Pirates are about to steal an absolutely must win for the Mets with a 3-run rally in the 9th and Dougie (and Louis Rivas) were right in the middle of it…Rivas singled with one out, Dougie had about a 10 pitch at-bat that ended in a walk, and Doumit doubled the tying run home…
Dougie is 3-for-4 with 2 RBI, a double and a walk in his first game as Pittsburgh’s No. 3 hitter…he’s now hitting .293…at his price, there’s no doubt he would get claimed by someone.
you just miss listening to him on the 1/2 ass morning show
how many times will coomer talk about his illustrious 54 gm career with the yankees tonight? smally played there maybe 3 yrs and never brings it up.
Jason two weeks ago LNP was hitting .293
I think today is a pressure game for Punto. Could be a train wreck if he fails to take good at-bats against the Yanks…when will Gardy pull the plug?
Is anyone else bothered that Harris isn’t in the lineup and Punto and Everett both are?
Just saw Dustan Mohr in Sioux City , Iowa on Saturday and got some old Twin pictures autographed. He was playing for the Wichita Wingnuts. He hit 2 homers this past Friday. Does anyone know if Barry has called yet?
“Is anyone else bothered that Harris isn’t in the lineup and Punto and Everett both are?”
Very much so but bitching about it does no good Gardy will keep running LNP out there until he gets hurt again.
Terrible argument, BC. Punto’s .293 was when he had about 120 ABs…Dougie is up to 232 ABs…plus, Dougie is a career .272 hitter; Punto is a career .242 hitter.
Cuddyer is in the clubhouse. Somebody give him a glass of milk for god sakes!
true enough, BC
Jason, you’re not alone. I’m infuriated that Harris will start on the bench for the third straight game. What does he have to do to convince Gardy that he belongs in the starting lineup every night? Strike out 4 times? Stop running to second on ball 3? He’s shown he can consistently get at least one hit per game and he rarely looks over-matched in the batter’s box. In the field he’s reliable; his range may be somewhat limited, but he makes all of the plays. And he’s done all of this with Gardy bouncing him around the infield.
NEWS UPDATE: The Twins just signed Chris Latham and Jason Maxwell.
“plus, Dougie is a career .272 hitter”
And that is why no one really went out of their way to get Doug Mientkiewicz.
Jason my point was that both are best as part time players.
Is there any chance we could get someone to sneek a few brews into Sidneys locker before the game?
Captain Jack and I truly hope Bonds gets called. I mean come on, if he acts like a moron, we designate him and he leaves…no harm done. We got the cap room to take a shot
BC–
Punto hit .293 as a part time player…as a full time player we are finding that he’s more like he was last year…a .215 hitter.
Dougie, conversely, has thrived in his role as a Pirates full-timer, which he became well over a month ago.
Jim Mandelaro reported on August 8th that the Red Wings were down to “zero bench players”.
Punto thrived as a full-time player in 2006.
I’m so tired of hearing about Bonds and Mienkiewicz I’m almost tempted to actually do some work today. But seriously, anybody else you want to bring up that will NEVER be with the Twins? Sosa? Frank Thomas?
bottom line, Harris should be starting, LNP will strike out 4 times tonight again…just watch…the dude is his own worst enemy
Macleod,
Good point…let’s stop talking about Bonds and Mientkiewicz…it’s much more appealing to discuss the likes of Bobby Kielty.
Macleod,
there is alot of Frank Thomas banter from time to time
The most talked about athlete in the history of Minnesota sports:
Nick Punto.
The signing of Bobby Kielty really raises the twins chance of making it to the post season…thank god Billy Smith is working his magic
signing Kielty does not hurt the chances though.
we got enough low .200 hitters on this team…
Is anyone else a little bothered that both the Twins-Yanks and White Sox-Red Sox got passed up on ESPN tonight in favor of the Phillies?
Where’s the AL Central love?
If he gets promoted before someone like Machado or Hughes, then yes, it would hurt the chances
Billy Smith has signed Marty Cordova and Cesar Tovar to AA contracts. “This should quiet some of that talk that I am ignoring getting quality right handed bats!” Smith said.
craig a lot of players had good yrs in 06 but aren’t worth diddley squat this yr. but he does get after it, battles, puts some good swings on it .. wait maybe not going that far.
To the person complaining about signing Kielty to a minor-league deal while the D-Backs got Dunn, how exactly were we to get Dunn? Last time I checked, we have a better record than Arizona and even if we didn’t, they would have had first shot at him since they are in the NL along with Cincy. So no chance of happening.
I’ve been complaining about Kielty but said nothing about Dunn
But really, come on, Kielty???
What a lackluster move
The Twins needed warm bodies at AAA, and Kielty was not quite ready to call it quits. It’s a good fit.
omg, seriously? LNP is batting 2nd again? What does this manager have against giving his team the best chance to win? Gardy deserves a ton of credit for the Twins’ success this year, but I just don’t get his love of this guy batting 2nd. Has any player shown less fundamentals this year (counting base running, sliding, fielding, sacrifice bunting…..)?
He’s a power free Lew Ford. Ugh.
First of all, if you would have said on Opening Day that Justin Christian, Ivan Rodriguez, Sidney Ponson, Xavier Nady, and Richie Sexson would be playing for the same team, I never would have guessed the Yankees.
Secondly, I am also upset that Everett and Punto continue to get playing time over Harris! Maybe he’s slightly injured or something?? He had a hot bat before getting benched.
stop complaining about punto starting and harris sitting, gardy is going with the hot hand;
last 7 days harris .375 ave, .421 obp and 4 so.
punto .120 ave, .267 obp and 10 so.
why is this stuff so hard to understand?
“The most talked about athlete in the history of Minnesota sports:
Nick Punto.”
So let’s talk about Gomez. He should be leading off, followed by Span. Punto 9th.
Gomez leading off can’t be worse than Punto batting 2nd, and will probably get that 1st inning magic back that’s missing because of Casilla’s absence.
“Billy Smith has signed Marty Cordova and Cesar Tovar to AA contracts.”
Cesar has passed away, but Marty was always in good shape. He should be ready to go.
Hey Joe,
You have Gomez and Span listed in the lineup as CF. I am guessing its just a misprint
I am all for Kielty at AAA, but people here were thinking he could be called up…thats where it went terribly wrong
And yes, benching Harris is ridiculous…might as well put Lamb at first again too and have Brian Bass be the starting pitcher
Did someone say Gomez should lead off instead of Span????????? STUPID!
“But really, come on, Kielty???
What a lackluster move”
Not really a move, just a nuts-and-bolts thing.
Relax, everyone. Signing someone to a minor league contract ain’t busting the bank.
Our bullpen needs some rest, we should get an innings-eater pitcher… oh wait, we had one of those
Lew Ford was a “Power Free Lew Ford”
All in all…..Get at ‘em Twins and prove all my may saying wrong!!!
*nay
lol, complaining about the loss of Livan? serious?
Given how they’ve treated Rochester most of the year, this is the least they could do. I forget, Rochester had to play pitchers in the field one game, didn’t they?
“Did someone say Gomez should lead off instead of Span????????? STUPID!”
Not as stupid as leaving Punto in either the 1st or 2nd spots…..regarding THIS WEEK, RIGHT NOW.
Punto is psyched; Punto is funked. He needs a change.
Shawn, agreed.
Yesss!!! The Punto/Everett train is back on the tracks! We’re comin’…we’re comin’!!!!
Bobby should’ve never been dealt in the first place. Great signing by a horrible GM.
Now swing a deal for Rivas and Mientkiewicz so we never have to see Lamb or Everett again !!!!
Gardy and I have decided Harris should not play in the middle infield unless it is an emergency. We decided this about the same time. Great minds think alike.
We are going to go with Everett and Punto as the DP combo. We decided Harris will platoon with Buscher.
The New and Improved Craig says:
August 11th, 2008 at 4:31 pm
Gardy and I have decided Harris should not play in the middle infield unless it is an emergency. We decided this about the same time. Great minds think alike.
you and Gardenhire are fools so it’s fitting. Everett is a terrible fielder, and even worse hitter, and Buscher is good for nothing but DH.
In Gardenhire’s mind, there is only one second baseman on the roster–LNP. When they went deep on their bench in Seattle, Everett (who had never played a major league game at second) was there, while Harris stayed at short. I understand this, and half agree. Harris was brutal at second.
The Everett half of the equation, I am not so sure about. Everett’s arm is not full strength and I think that negates his advantage over Harris in range. There is no doubt that Harris is the better hitter. Perhaps, they are trying to decide whether to DFA Everett if/when Casilla is available. But, for crying out loud, it is the middle of a pennant race!
AJ
I think we have definitions of what a train is. lol
*different definitions
Punto gives every indication of needing a few days off. Obviously, he should not be in the lineup, but there really is no one to step in.
there really is no negative to the Kielty signing. It’s a no-risk, no-reward signing.
Exactly, Seth. It was only news because Kielty was a former Twin…which is why I brought Mientkiewicz into the conversation; if you want to bring in a former Twin who might actually make a difference, he would be my pick…but it’s a moot point now since they lost that chance after July 31.
Casilla will be back soon.
there really is no negative to the Kielty signing
I beg to differ: a. If he is on the 40 man roster and gets up in September, Gardy will play him. That’s a negative b. I think that Dustin Martin and/or David Winfree reserve a trip to Rochester more than Kielty, but that is just my opinion…
Gardy and I could no longer watch all those balls go past Harris, to his left and to his right. That was far worse than an occasional error.
Gardy and I want Casilla back, but we are going to go with the best we have, until that time. That means we are going to be playing Ev and Nicky, most every day.
“but it’s a moot point now since they lost that chance after July 31.”
It was actually a moot point well before then, considering they already had a 32 year old left hander on the bench who is a career .277 hitter and can play first and third base.
no doubt with all the complaining today punto will hit the ball tonight.
Chooo Chooo! All Aboard for another non-existant offense!!! Alllll Aboooaarrdd!!! The Punto/Everett train is about to leave the station!! I for one am glad Harris is not on THIS train! I’m tired of all those doubles he gets and am absolutely sick and tired of all those routine plays he makes. Don’t even get me started about how the Twins won 10 games in a row with him starting all 10 games. How are we supposed to get a good early draft pick with Harris in the line-up??? The Punto/Everett train is in full force. Chooo Chooooo!!!
how about machado & pridie?
““but it’s a moot point now since they lost that chance after July 31.”
It was actually a moot point well before then, considering they already had a 32 year old left hander on the bench who is a career .277 hitter and can play first and third base.”
Anyone who has been watching baseball since June and thinks Mike Lamb and Doug Mientkiewicz are the same player, clearly, clearly, haven’t been paying attention. Not even close.
I was at the lake all weekend, did I miss something? What happened to Cuddyer’s foot? (I could look it up, but my laziness has extended into Monday)
Kielty? I seem to remember him as being a nice guy. But his career has been a celebration of mediocrity. Come on - there has to be a kid in the system that can use the ABs…
Steve,
Cuddy took a line drive off his foot in a AAA rehab game.
Good god. Could this guy be having a tougher time? Line drive…was he playing 3rd?
He was hit by his own guy (Garrett Jones, I think) He was leading off of 1st.
Line drive hit him when he was trying to jump out of the way
“Anyone who has been watching baseball since June and thinks Mike Lamb and Doug Mientkiewicz are the same player, clearly, clearly, haven’t been paying attention. Not even close.”
Actually, it’s just playing the percentages, really. The odds are better that Doug Mientkiewicz will regress back towards his career numbers, and Mike Lamb will start hitting in line with his career numbers instead of both of them continuing on the track they are at right now.
And in fact, Mike Lamb has started to hit much closer to his career numbers. Over his last 37 PA - which go back to the beginning of July - Mike Lamb has hit .306/.324/.472. Give those at bats to Mientkiewicz, and you might end up with the same production. Why give up any player for a lateral move?
I feel bad, but c’mon…that’s just hilarious. Thanks for the update guys. Left the cabin last night thinking a sweep of KC was in the books…buzzkill.
Pete D…you’re absolutely right, there’s no doubt that if Lamb were with the Pirates, he’d would’ve exploded in the last 3 months to the point which would have him batting third in their lineup this afternoon.
“there really is no negative to the Kielty signing. It’s a no-risk, no-reward signing.” - Seth
Exactly right.
The positive is that you don’t force your affiliate to play a pitcher in the OF. The Wings are short on players.
The Kielty signing is a non-story story.
.306 in Lamb’s last 37 PA’s? Not bad…but Mientkiewicz is hitting .341 in August; he hit .375 in June and .327 in July…and that’s not in limited duty, unlike Lamb.
So yeah, as I said, not even close.
The hot-hitting, doubles machine Harris benched again? The mighty LNP batting 2nd, again, and tandoming with Everett?
The answer has become clear to me. Gardy is on drugs.
Harris doesn’t get to start in the middle infield anymore. For good reason, he has been banished.
Jason -
I guess I don’t know what is so hard for you to understand.
It would have been a lateral move. Doug Mientkiewicz has had a great June/July/Start of August. No doubt about it. That doesn’t change the fact that there is NO PLACE for him on this team. None. Does he play short? How about 2nd base? Does hit hit right handed? How about for power? Does he throw out of the bullpen?
So, on a team that needs a power hitting right handed batter, you are going to bring in a left handed 1B/3B/RF, even though we have left handed hitting Justin Morneau at first, left handed hitting Brian Buscher at 3B, and left handed hitting Mike Lamb to back them both up. Why would you do that?
“Casilla will be back soon.”
In 10 days, if we’re lucky. The Twins will be about 4.5/5 games out by then.
Just saying……..
Machado.
First it was Gomez.
Then it was Casilla.
Then it was Span
Not it should be Machado. He’s terrifically talented.
I just hope Bill Smith is terrifically talented too. I have high doubts on that though.
i want to know why and the hell everett is playing instead of harris. everett cant hit the broad side of a barn
I don’t normally pile on but…
Brendan Harris is hitting .500 lifetime vs. Ponson (granted 4 for 8). Punto and Everett .250. The stubborness of the braintrust is ridiculous. Only waited a month too long to put Span leadoff. To jettison Livan/Monroe. Once, just once, would like to see some proactive thinking. Oh - and if they ever bunt again with Span for Punto before in the 3rd inning, someone should be fired on the spot.
i want to know why everett is playing instead of harris. everett cant hit the broad side of a barn
“Harris doesn’t get to start in the middle infield anymore. For good reason, he has been banished.”
Hyperbole.
Harris is only a little below average at SS defensively. Not enough range. An erstwhile contending team like the Twins needs something better.
But he should make the 25-man again next year.
“no doubt with all the complaining today punto will hit the ball tonight.”
It better be a HR, to begin to match the Hankies’ HRs.
On the lighter side, Joe Buck and Will Smith are on Letterman tonight. Lots of har-hars THERE.
Let’s see……….what rhymes with Buck. Oh yeah!
Yuck.
I hope for Buck’s sake there he doesn’t have to suffer thru stupid human/pet tricks. “That was a disgusting act by Randy Moss….following the game on Fox, Temptation Island!”
As usual romer shows why he is one of the worst bloggers on this site. zzzzzzzzzzzz
All aboard!! You don’t want to miss the train before it gets to PUNTOBER!!
All aboard!! You don’t want to miss the train before it gets to PUNTOBER!!
If that’s the month Poon officially becomes an ex-Twin, sign me up.
Nothing like sticking that piece of work back in the number 2 hole after K’ing 4 times yesterday.
lets see…twins are 1/2 game out, yanks are in town for a very big series, the team has holes to fill for a pennant run and mr smith is out looking for help….
welcome aboard bobby k…..did i read that az went out and got dunn/28 hrs?? - i am going to say it again, that this GM is not made of the stuff winners are made of…..i can only hope that hes thinking only of minor league help here and not even dreaming that this would help the big club….but then, what has he done to help the big league club- those holes are still there….they need to take gomez out of this lineup. and again, as much as i cant believe im saying it, we need to sign barry bonds and add him to this lineup to protect morneau- …it just makes me think of this lineup which i think would be a fairly tough lineup day in and day out….
span cf
casilla 2b
mauer c
morneau 1b
BONDS DH
young lf
kubel rf
harris ss
buscher 3b
and then please get some bullpen help some way/somehow and maybe we might have a fightin chance to meet the angels for the right to play in the WS
A little more than a half-hour away from game time. Hope the boys are making sure their pampers are fastened REALLLLY tight! Don’t want any leakage onto the field this time around versus the Yankees.
Twins to beat the Yanks tonight. Great move by Gardy. He wants them to get over the negative mind games.
Twins take 2 of 3 for NY….For sure!
Alright,
non-AFLAC quizz time:
in 2 separate years, the Twins’ featured the youngest players to play in the majors for those seasons. Can you name the players? Bonus points if you can name the seasons…
(nooooo cheating allowed 
)
Twins split the series with the Yankees at the dome this year. Played them pretty close if I recall.
And Jason, like somebody said, if Dougie B really is that awesome, he’d never make it to the Twins through waivers. Somebody in the NL would grab him up toot sweet.
thrylos…would Blyleven have been one of those guys?
Here’s some interesting Trivia…how many times has it happened where the Twins have faced the Yankees in three series and each time been the better record of the two?
The mighty LNP batting 2nd, again, and tandoming with Everett?
Harris in for Punto. And if they legalize cloning in time, maybe in for Everett as well by the 7th?
another night of kay, yay
the Twins can win this…. the yanks hava about 5 good guys in their lineup.
lets be positive….
note: willing to turn negative later
Doug Mientkiewicz just made a sandwich. It contained a combination of lettuce, tomato, and bacon. Is there anything he can’t do?
Yeah Jason. Not even Doug can get you to shut up.
Reports out of Pittsburgh indicate Doug Mientkiewicz has successfully cured cancer along with teammate Luis Rivas. Smith really dropped the ball on this one.
Three guys in that lineup that weren’t there the last few times the Twins faced them.
Let’s hope Perk pitches like Silva did after his son was born (just the one game against Atlanta…not the other 20 or so)
Jason says:
August 11th, 2008 at 4:46 pm
“Anyone who has been watching baseball since June and thinks Mike Lamb and Doug Mientkiewicz are the same player, clearly, clearly, haven’t been paying attention. Not even close.”
Who cares? If you agree to pay shipping and handling, you can have them. NO PROBLEM GETS SOLVED!
Brian Runge behind the plate? Oh boy…
hey! Punto made a routine play
Next on Jason’s wish list: Terry Tiffee.
tiffee’s at the olympics, i think.
“Doug Mientkiewicz just made a sandwich. It contained a combination of lettuce, tomato, and bacon. Is there anything he can’t do?”
Jason wins the award for the best post I’ve ever seen on these blogs, haha.
Great to see LNP back out there in the two-hole. Can’t take him out of the lineup if he’s hitting above .205, right Ron?
Let’s hope the Twins finally remember that they’re facing SIDNEY PONSON this time around. I can’t handle losing to him again.
Nah. Jason Tyner. Tiffee wasn’t up with the club long enough.
Tiffee is hitting .375/.415/.559 in Vegas
Jason wins the award for the best post I’ve ever seen on these blogs, haha.
I wonder if you could almost make Dougie B. facts like they do Chuck Norris facts.
*ahem*
Doug Mientkiewicz does run the bases. He simply pumps his legs and the Earth moves underneath him.
Tiffee is hitting .375/.415/.559 in Vegas
Well then get him the heck over here!
birdofprey
he’s touted:
Tyner (as a better LF choice than Kubel)
Lew Ford
Doug M.
I’m not sure if he knows how ridiculous he sounds. Asking for Doug is like worrying about a hang nail after getting stabbed in the stomach. Would Doug be an upgrade. Sure. But marginal enough that it won’t be the difference whether this team makes the playoffs. We will make the playoffs based on our bullpen and production from SS/2nd. But don’t tell Jason.
Oh, I see why LNP is playing. He’s 1-11 against the Yankees this season.
Makes sense. Can’t take THOSE numbers out of the lineup.
LNP is trash!
Make that 1-12.
You’re my hero, Nick!
Span 0-1: Sucks
Punto 0-1: Garbage
Mauer 1-1: IDOL!
Perkins 2H. TRADE HIM!
T, Span doesn’t suck you have that wrong.
Oh oh, we got Cy Ponson pitching against us tonight. Not a good thing.
I have it on good authority that Doug has just traveled back in time to prevent the Kennedy assassination. Now if only he could go back and convince Ryan to sign Hunter and Santana before it was too late.
Who’s the moron that let this Ponson fellow go?
tiffee also pitched for baltimore’s aaa team last year. bet he brings it better than bass. too bad he’s in china.
haha. funny post T. Love the Chuck Norris stuff.
Chuck Norris is such a man, be lost his virginity before his father did.
This strike zone is awfully wide today
Jason,
You’ve got it all wrong. Doug didn’t travel BACK in time to STOP the assassination. JFK traveled FORWARD in time to AVOID it.
Yes… Dough Mientkiewicz IS John F. Kennedy.
Haha, I think I inadvertently gave Doug a new nickname…. Dough… ha, oops.
Perkins needs to settle down very soon. Up to this point he has not looked sharp since retiring the first two batters.
Doug craps gold bars, farts perfume, and pisses pure wonderful.
The only thing we have to fear is fear itself… The only thing fear has to fear is Chuck Norris.
Speaking of Kennedy, who made the fear quote famous, who originally made the statement? Since it seems to be trivia night.
Yes… Dough Mientkiewicz IS John F. Kennedy.
I don’t care what was declared earlier. THAT is win.
I will give Dougie one thing to his credit, he has an Olympic gold medal. Not even Mr. Morneau can claim that one.
Longoria on the DL with a broken wrist? Oh MAN!
And good luck to Tampa getting a good 3B to clear waivers.
Bottom of 1st
Lead-off future HOF’er grounds out…PUNTO’s Fault
Punto grounds out..NOT a ML player why is he in the line-up
Mauer…single…IT”S PUTNO’S Fault it wasn’t a HR…
MVP…Ground out…IT’s PUNTO’s Fault
Why do we always seem to just self destruct against the Yankees?
Speaking of Kennedy, who made the fear quote famous, who originally made the statement?
FDR wasn’t it?
Also:
Chuck Norris does not sleep. He waits.
that aint good
And here we go again….
Why wasn’t Punto backing up Morneau there!?
All of a sudden Runge’s strike zone got awfully tight. A couple of those balls were right at Sexson’s waist.
That’s what happens when you lose focus
T, I don’t think anybody was saying that, but he sure has sucked lately.
Hope the Twins met with the team psychologist today. Help get rid of the Yankee Choke Syndrome.
Dragon,
no regards? where are your manners?
FDR is correct T. Well done. Although you could have waited a bit for drama.
When the Boogeyman goes to sleep every night he checks his closet for Chuck Norris.
So, this is the guy who BS did not want to send to Seattle for Beltre? Uffda
Wow, tremendous job by Perkins pitching out of a jam!
john mccain wanted chuck norris to be his running mate, but you don’t run with chuck norris, you run away from him.
way to get out of your mess perk
Just to get rid of 90% of the “lesser” ones: Chuck Norris doesn’t verb nouns, nouns verb Chuck Norris.
Also, nice DP there. Good pitching and fielding to make up for the mind fart.
Clutch.
Wheeeew!
I give up - going to watch the Olympics. What? a double play - move over on the bandwagon
Kidding Me!
I like that one.
Chuck Norris has counted to infinity. Twice.
Ponson cut off his mullet. =(
Perkins showed a lot of guts to get out of that situation.
YGTBKM!
No Regards, it’s PUNTO!!!
Yankees awarded a run because PUNTO is playing.
What were the other pieces that Seattle wanted? I had heard it was Perk/Blackburn and then a couple of the more prominent guys in the minors.
superman wares chuck norris underware.
Chuck Norris’ calendar goes from March 31st to April 2nd.
Nobody fools Chuck Norris.
“What did you see in Ponson now you didn’t see last year.”
His toes.
BADUMPSHA!
Twins better get to Ponson. Yanks pen is a lot better than ours.
I see sidney falling apart soon enough.
need to get sidney’s pitch count up, be patient
Adam Everett rocks.
what? huh?
Freak HR!
Everett! See YA!
Oh. My. God.
Everett!!!!
Adam f-ing Everett!!!
Sweet, that is exactly why Everett should be in the lineup and LNP should not. Everybody calling for Harris to play for AE instead of LNP needs to look no farther.
Life is like a box of chocolates. You never know what you’re gonna get.
Everett is an RBI machine. He should be hitting 5th and 2nd.
Haha… go Everett! Wow…
Chuck Norris lives inside Everett’s bat
Isn’t Everett hitting a homerun the breaking of the seventh seal?
Everett almost hit a HR in KC too. That’s what they call a late season power surge…
Can’t someone tell Gomez to take a strike every at bat? How is that not the proper approach with this guy?
Everett witgh the bat has been pretty decent since he came back from purgatory
Officially, this is the first home run that Everett hit this year without a pink bat
Let’s send the Rays Lamb, Buscher, Tiffee, Harris, Mientkiewicz, Juan Castro, Auggie Ojeda, Luis Mata, Casey Blake, Luis Rivas, Chris Gomez, and jason for Grant Balfour.
everett’s not major league ready. WHAAAAT!!!
chuck norris wouldn’t need a bat. He would just demand that the baseball leave the park immediately.
b
but not Everett
Everett, just passed Punto, Span and Cuddyer in the AB/HR category this year
Ben, honestly? Everett and “pop” are not exactly hand-in-hand.
Also…
Question: What do you get if you cross Chuck Norris and an elephant?
Answer: Unknown. Nobody’s crossed Chuck Norris and live.
Officially, this is the first home run that Everett hit this year without a pink bat
So you’re saying it’s not the pink bat?
I know I will be beat up unmercifully, but IMO until Casilla is back I would play Harris at second. Damn the torpedos. The Twins have shown a history of taking decent sticks and working them through their defensive foibles. Koskie, Morneau, Buscher, Young come to mind. I’m sure that there are other examples.
Harris was never afforded the opportunity to work at his position that Koskie was.
Casilla is back soon…put LNP on the deck as the super sub and let Harris get his bat back in the lineup. I just wish the brass was consistent on who needs to “work through it” and who needs to be punished.
That’s my Grand Casino Mille Lacs story and I’m sticking to it. Flame on.
haha Nobody fools Chuck Norris.
I like that.
On Beltre it was all pure speculation. It was stated that Seattle wanted a haul similar to what the Phils gave for Blanton. Stark also reported that Seattle upset several teams/GMs with outrageous demands for players.
In fine print on the last page of the Guinness Book of World Records it notes that all world records are held by Chuck Norris, and those listed in the book are simply the closest anyone else has ever gotten.
Shaun is a flippin genius for predicting the Everett homer. Of course, he predicted it against Silva on Friday, but Ponson’s close enough.
Adam Everett should’ve pointed at Ponson and laughed as he rounded the bases.
“Hah hah. You gave up a homerun to me!”
but Ponson’s close enough.
Agreed. You’re within that 15lbs. +/-.
Everett almost hit a HR in KC too. That’s what they call a late season power surge…
Heck, he almost hit the Twins’ first homerun of the season with the bases loaded in game 1.
Perkins did a great job of going outside then inside on that Abreu at bat.
Yankees broadcast is questioning their lineup…. when was the last time DickBert did that? never?
Stark also reported that Seattle upset several teams/GMs with outrageous demands for players.
I read that report too. So its nothing exclusive to the Twins.
Also (since that appears to be the theme).
Chuck Norris once shot down a German helicopter by pointing at it and saying “Bang.”
Yeah, I don’t think I have ever heard Bert and Ernie question the Twins lineup
Yankees broadcast is questioning their lineup…
Wouldn’t that be like Jay Leno complaining that one of his cars was in the shop?
everett is now batting .500 over last 7 days plus whatever he did in his at bat today
The strike zone just opened up for punto
everett is obviously juicing.
Crop circles are Chuck Norris’ way of telling the world that sometimes corn needs to lie the f*ck down.
They were wondering why Girardi isn’t showing more urgency, sitting Damon and/or Giambi
In other news, synchronized DIVING has got to be the stupidest olympic sport ever (I thought I would bring a start contrast to the Chuck Norris talk).
Pretty bad when your best hitter can’t atop himself from trying to pull everything against one of the worst pitchers in the majors.
stark contrast, that is.
say what you want about synch swimming, at least it lasts awhile and people do something in the water. this was just two dudes diving into the water together!
which 2 91 Twins were on 98/99 Yanks?
Agreed on the synchronized diving. Was thinking that myself last night.
shane
no way. badminton is the worst.
How are those last three pitches not strikes? The strike zone shrunk way down from 5 minutes ago.
Is it me or is the ump squeezing Perk vs. what he is giving Ponson?
Chuckie for sure
Chili?
Erickson?
have you ever played badminton? It’s actually fun. Of course, I will admit to never engaging in synchronized diving. Maybe it’s a blast.
“Is it me or is the ump squeezing Perk vs. what he is giving Ponson?”
It is as clear as day.
chili and chuck, yes.
Yankees broadcast is questioning their lineup…
wonder why?
And I think Chili was still pretty decent at the time. Chuck, not so much.
Thanks Shane…. wasn’t sure if Chili played that long
Perk blew the last two batters away, nice to see!
no thrylos, they are questioning the Yanks lineup
Now the strike zone has expanded again
didn’t realize it but Chili had a really good career
2380 hits 350 HRs
Shawn,
that’s what I meant… the yankees’ media have high expectations for their team and care if they win or not. The Twins’ media are talking about the space shuttle…
badminton is fun, but so are floor hockey, ping pong, water polo, shooting guns, riding horses, jumping on a trampoline, and soccer. However, none of them have any business in the olympics.
(Kidding about soccer, just couldn’t resist)
Aliens do exist. They’re just waiting for Chuck Norris to die before they attack.
yeah but YES guys are employed by the Yanks, hell Girardi is their buddy
How about taking a few freakin’ pitches before hitting the grounder?
When chuck norris jumps in a pool, chuck norris doesn’t get wet, the water gets chuck norrised.
Who’s calling the game on YES these days? (I just get the mlb.tv version that features the home team announcers)
Well that was a waste of a hit
I actually was looking up Chili’s stats a few weeks ago.
Willie Norwood says:
August 11th, 2008 at 7:48 pm
“I know I will be beat up unmercifully, but IMO until Casilla is back I would play Harris at second. Damn the torpedos.”
My vote, too, Willie. As an aside, do you ever hook up (wink wink) with Hosken Powell? You’re both fabulous and all sparkly.
Well, I have to admit that it chaps my ass that as soon as Ponson left here, or shortly thereafter, he decided that he cared.
If that SOB had pitched for us like he pitched against us we would never have had the Livan Experience.
Will no one step into the box and kick this guy’s ass? It is really annoying.
I know, I’m petty, but…there it is. Why couldn’t he have done this for us?
bop,
Now there’s a real trip to the past. I had totally forgotten about Hosken Powell. It does serve to remind me that the strategy of selling the fans on lesser talents isn’t recent. Hosken Powell = Nick Punto= Insert any infamous fill-in.
Thrylos-
I believe Michael Kay does play-by-play and there are a few different guys who rotate as analysts–David Cone, Al Leiter, Ken Singleton, etc…but I’m not sure…
Perkins usually hits a wall at about… what, 80-85 pitches?
I saw Michael Kay and Al Leiter on mlb.tv when the Twins played the Yankees in NYC earlier this year, so this makes sense
thank you
Those were the dog days, Willie. These youngsters hve Chris Parmelee. We had Mark Funderburk.
Wow, Buscher looked pretty pathetic there.
wasn’t hosken powell in “Who Framed Roger Rabbit”?
And the Twins begin swinging at crap…
You know I read across some of the Strib blogs some comments about Perkins being kind of an a-hole. Someone even wrote to express that Perkins’ wife was also “difficult.” I don’t know about all that but I will say that, of the starters, Perkins has the most attitude and aggression of any of the five starters.
I don’t think that is a bad thing. In fact if Glen wants to channel Black Jack Morris and be an ornery cuss it’s alright with me. If he wants to transfer some of that A-holiness to, say Slowey, who reminds me of Mr. Rogers with a fastball, then more power to him.
I’d like five starters with attitudes and aggression.
Brian Duensing=Bryan Oelkers.
Ponson is doing a good job hiding the ball under his double chin.
YES tonight is Michael Kay and John Flaherty
they also have Ken Singleton, David Cone, and Al Leiter
When you’re really good, like Black Jack or Erickson or Boswell, you get to be an Ahole and keep your job. But nice guys do weThat was fun to type…ll too, like Slowey or Kaat or Stigman.
Just don’t let A-rod hit a homer
I always thought of Ponson as just an obese ape with a baseball cap on.
willie norwood
it would be great if the Twins had a cardigan ssweater jersey, just to wear when slowey pitches.
That was a sharp DP
dick just creamed his trousers.
White Sox up 1-0 after 5 1/2…Danks/ Beckett are both on tonight…Danks has allowed no hits and has 7 ks…
Punto can turn two. Punto, yes. Harris, no. Okay, that’s settled.
Nice hit for Denard
Bunt him over.
Punto got it down!
Ok, ok.
I’m going to channel King Henry the VIIIth here and offer this exortation to the Twins batters:
“What sluggards, what cowards have I brought up in my court, who care nothing for their allegiance to their lord. Who will rid me of this meddlesome Ponson?”
I want another Freak HR!
Punto can bunt. Punto, yes. Harris, no. Okay, that’s settled.
Damn PUNTO…another bunt, another out!!!
Everett and Punto are soooooooooooooooooooooooooo good.
glad that Punto did not hit into a double play with that bunt…
end well, all’s well
Perk’s gotta get his act together otherwise it’s Bass
Hey folks, I’m here for some rare in-game posting…hope no one minds too much…are we willing to let Punto off the hook because of his sacrifice? I say “no” I guess.
great series of pitches to Sexson. That was pitching!
Um, I will go on a limb and offer this.
If starters go 7 or more the bullpen has a chance to look better. This was offered at no charge whatsoever.
I know Perkins has 96 pitches, but I would like to see him out there for another inning unless the twins score 4 or 5 runs. He has just mowing down the yankees since the second inning.
Danks lost his no-no…
That was all luck
I agree. Send him back out. Move limit to 115 for all starters.
Can Everett hit 2 HRs in the same game?
Jason,
More interesting question, Does Morneau continue to get off scot free, for his quite pedestrian performance recently?
Regards,
I’m on board, too. Don’t let bully screw this one up!
And then Danks lost the lead– 2-1 Red Sox in 7th
no Dragon, I was thinking the same thing…he definitely has to pick it up some to remain worthy of the high praise I’ve been giving him this year…
But comparing his struggles, relatively speaking, to that of Punto, is quite laughable.
No he cannot
2-1 Boston takes the lead.
and there goes the Dick saying how great a move was signing Kielty today and how he could help down the road…
Sid the kid is probably going to throw a complete game.
Plus, and this doesn’t excuse Morneau’s performance tonight, but it does have to be difficult to stay in a hitting groove when the opposition doesn’t pitch to you–which is exactly what Morneau has been experiencing lately…
Hmm, wonder who that comes down on?
Is it me or does Perkins have a large, Totonka-style melon sitting on his shoulders, covered by a ten-gallon Twins hat?
The Kielty signing is a throw back to the Jason Tyner era. No thanks.
OMG, Dick did not say that, did he?
Un-freakin-believable…I turned the sound off when Dick patted himself on the back for knowing where Litchfield was…how embarrassing; what childish play-by-play.
Jason,
Maybe, YET he is paid big $$$ to drive in runs, and he does often, yet if PUNTO comes up with RISP, my personal expectations are less than when Morneau comes up in a similar situation. It appears here on the board he get’s a pass continually.
Regards,
Check Punto’s salary, Dragon…he’s not exactly playing for nothing…
yes he did… and Bert concurred adding that ‘with Cuddyer injured he should have a chance’
puke in one’s mouth, analysis
What a great performance by Perkins tonight
What a phenomenal performance by Perkins tonight. Also, somebody needs to tell Hawk to calm down his “He Gone” when the White Sox are behind.
Plus, he’s got what, 91 RBIs…how many would you prefer he have at this point?
gatty790, I guess we were thinking along the same lines tonight.
every time i see punto, i have nightmares about 2007. Plus, he is a convenient scapegoat. Who doesn’t love to rag on a scapegoat?
Gardy better not pull him out. Just start Nathan warming and send Totonka head back out to the bump.
I think being second in the AL in RBIs. one might earn a little leeway
Beckett with 75 pitches thru 6, let him go 2 more innings and bring in Papelbon.
Or when Varitek’s the hitter who strikes out…but I like Hawk and DJ, my guess is they didn’t ask some nerd about what it’s like to walk in space or brag about how he knows where Joliet, IL is located.
Lets get another hit by Denard
johnnyonspot, if we can get one run this inning, we will see Perkins in the 9th. Otherwise I think we see Nathan.
$2+ mil vs. what? $8+ mil?
$2+ mil not chicken feed, yet $8+ is far more than pocket change difference. In fact it’s several multiples.
Regards,
I was initially concerned that Perk would show the exhaustion I showed the nights after my kids were born. But I am obviously not major league caliber and underestimated the motivation that a new child would have on a professional athlete.
At any rate, whatever happens Mr. Perkins showed that he belongs, he has the stuff to make it happen, and to me, most importantly, he has the attitude to be the staff bulldog.
We need to find his clone to work our 8th innings.
Well done, Glen. You may be an A-hole, but you’re our A-hole.
Don’t bunt for Punto.
A-rod might get a line drive in the face if he stands that close to the plate…
Sluggers tend to go into ugly slumps. Killebrew was an extreme example of that. He would go for a long stretch of popping, topping and striking out. Then, all hell would break loose. Don’t worry about Morneau.
Does Punto bunt here?
Uh oh, Denard didn’t do his job… does this mean he’s still infallible?
Even though Span grounded into a FC, I like the call to let him swing away. If you really wanted somebody in scoring position for Punto, you can always steal Span.
Craig…I realize what you’re saying regarding Morneau, but I still would like to see some more consistency for him to get the type of hype I was talking about this year…Puckett-like.
Steve no that doesn’t mean he is infallible, but it is still the right move in that situation.
Now does Punto bunt?
Exactly, there it is.
Surprised they did not call interference there on Punto.
Hmm… wasn’t really expecting a serious response on that one…
Why in the hell is LNP trying to bunt on a 2-0 pitch? Swing away and get a hit.
Punto you continue to be horrible.
“I looked, and beheld a pale horse! The rider that sat on him was named Punto, and Hades was following close behind him.”
You’ve got to be kidding me! 6:8
Come on Mauer, get another hit
You can crap about his defense all you want but I’d still prefer Harris in that last at bat over LNP and take my chances that he might get better given the chance.
Nice work Beckett. 2-1 Boston going to the 8th.
Time for Nickie to think about playing for the likes of the Padres, Pirates and Reds next season
With all due respect to Malky Cabrera, the oft-mentioned replacement by the media to replace Torii, he is hitting .242, or .13 points below Gomez. Just an observation.
Good RBI situation for Morne to get some RBIs
too bad Mauer doesn’t have someone to protect him so he doesn’t get the IBB.
C’mon Morneau put it outta reach.
Keep him with the Twins, but FOR THE LOVE OF GOD, GARDY, DON’T START HIM ON A DAILY BASIS!
Jason,
I am NOT really ragging on Morneau, just the blog inconsistency.
Now pitching around Mauer to get to Morneau.
Regards,
“Puckett-like.”
That’s a high standard, Jason. Among the Twins, only Tony O and Rodney could consistently perform at that level.
That was a GREAT play by span! Wow!
Twins score some more, Perkins should be left in I think.
Morney with the RBI infield grounder with Span at 2b. Ah, that was unique.
I like how Morneau reacted to that as if he made another out…Cuddyer would’ve been giving the smell ‘em gesture, likely.
Span’s speed created that run. Beats out a double play, steals second and scores from second on an infield hit. Not many players can do that.
They may feel Perk sat too long with the inning and the pitching change. But old school would send him out to get the chance.
Whatever the decision, that was a grade A performance from Perkins
I think I’ve been more than consistent, Dragon…comparing a Punto slump to a Morneau one misses the point big time…but, in any event, you are right…he is due for some big hits.
And Kubel looks like a fool…
…and you guys want to rip Morneau for failing to come through in some RBI spots lately.
and this guy can’t get a boner.
Not letting Perk go for the SO is BS!
Nathan? Come on Gardy…
he has over 100 pitches…let’s get the sure thing johnny, we need this win.
god, you guys will complain about ANYTHING
Carlos Quentin may have just saved the game for Chisox… if they can tie or take a lead.
nathan’s the only guy who didn’t pitch yesterday, accept bass. you want bass in the game?
How do you take out a guy pitching a shutout? 105 pitches. Big deal.
Off topic, but Phelps with another WR and a gold.
Plus, you never know, Perkins may have told Gardy he had had enough. We won’t know until later, if at all.
forget the shut out, let’s get a win and a white sox loss
I guess I didn’t realize his pitch count, but still… I wish Gardenhire would worry less about pitch counts.
I guess with a young rotation and little to no backups though… blagh.
I’m fine w/ letting Perkins leave the game w/ 8 shutout innings.
Leave him feeling confident, and it’s a long season. Perkins is coming off an injury last year. No sense piling on innings when not necessary.
sit down, bobby.
Better that USAF than letting him blow up like he did in Seattle.
When you put Joe Nathan into the game, I am always in favor.
Perk to finish or not is a tough choice… the big picture also needs to consider his youth and health. We need him in September also.
But, Shutouts come along rarely… it’ll be interesting to see if he has anything to say after the game or if he would agree he was gassed.
too late for makeup calls, Brian Runge. Wow that pitch was inside.
This inning just goes to show that Craig does not know what he is talking about.
A-Rod rung up? That would never happen in Yankee stadium.
agreed gatty, it’s much better than when the bully gives it up and he never makes it into the game…
if gardy left perkins out there, and he blew the lead, poeple on this blog would be demanding gardy be drawn and quartered.
perkins will say he could have gone 9… he was on his A game, but nathan was probably already warmed up ready to go when it was looking like a save situation and Gardy doesn’t like warming the bullpen and not using them… thats my guess
Hi, little Ben. Mom let you back on the computer?
Damn Joe is good, he just sliced right through the yankees middle of the order.
Take a seat Nady, nice performance by the Twins tonight!
They Gone!
Now that is a closer.
Could go either way on Perk v. Nathan, but wins are much more important than shutouts at this stage of the season…if we aren’t in a pennant race, it’s almost certainly Perk in that situation….but I’ll back Gardy’s move tonight.
Big win, boys!
Beckett is so close to finishing the eighth…
Nathan was great. Perkins was great. Good team.
just what the doctor ordered.
Nice smile from Opie Everett and Perk didn’t look at all upset in the dugout to be out of the game. It’s all good.
2-1 RSox after 8…
2-1 reddies over whitties going to the 9th
taking guesses on: How many times will 1st place change in the last 44-45 games?
Shaun,
I’ve got the “under” covered. I am going with 0 more times after we take over tonight.
****please no olympic posts! some of us haven’t seen it on the west coast*******
“How many times will 1st place change in the last 44-45 games?”
Hopefully just once.
20 times
i think it will be a seesaw battle through and through, the twins do have those road games at the end of this month…going .500 out there will be an accomplishment….we will win the division, but it will because we had a .500 record or better by years end.
Swish gets eaten up
4-1 Reddies
You can put it on the board, yeeeeeesss!
Shaun,
Tough to say. I’ll say two more times within the next ten games, and then the Twins will pull away.
3b coach shouldn’t have sent Drew–would have had 2nd and 3rd w/ no outs
go US Mens Baseball…hopefully we get some live coverage of those games
Love how Hawk and his sidekick can bitch about the ump, but when he calls a high outside pitch for strike one against ellsbury, not a word.
New and Improved Craig? That would put us in that 14 game road trip, if we really can pull away with it maybe we can go into the playoffs with a full head of steam…. I’m still not onvinced we have cured ourselves of the west coast curse..
.500 ball on the road will still net us enough wins to hit 90……
You can put it on the booooaaard, YES!
red sox suck
you suck
yup
We can joke all day long about signing Barry Bonds, but he sure would solidify this lineup.
WHITE SOX LOST
Good to be back in first
He sure would disrupt the clubhouse though as well and who knows if he makes the team better. Look at the Tigers.
On the Olympics front:
********** won a gold medal for the USA.
“We can joke all day long about signing Barry Bonds, but he sure would solidify this lineup.”
Really? Is that a fact? The guy is 44 and hasn’t played baseball in almost a year. But an expert like you (and others posting) knows how he’ll do for the first time in the A.L.
If there were no questions about Bonds and his production, he would have been signed a long time ago by any number of other teams in MLB.
Perk was the most expendable starter among the four willingly sacrificed by the Beltre Boys. Hmm, would Adrian’s performance overcome the start provided by Mulvey or Bonser or Livan in this game tonight? Thank you, Bill Smith, for knowing what you’re doing.
Did anyone see that Nathan forked up $500,000 to build Joe Nathan Field?
GREAT CALL BIRDOFPREY!!!!
Oh and look at the RedSox. At the start of the season they had the most starting pitching depth of anyone in the league. Now with injuries to Colon (yes that guy), Wakefield. And the regression of Bucholtz, the RedSox are looking to trade for Washburn. Who is not a good pitcher. Pitching is too important. The other problem with the Beltre trade was that other propects would have most likely been included to meet the demands of the Mariners. Great no trade by the FO.
I love how SC plays the highlights to the football game that ended a minute ago on the same channel instead of showing games that actually matter.
Good win. Glad to see Nathan come in. The Yankees offense is the kind that if you give them an opening they take it and run (while, nine times out of ten they do).
Perk lets a guy on or two and it can be out of hand before Nathan’s ready.
With Chicago losing, it was key to go to him there.
I almost puked trying to watch the football game (had both going where I was at)
THey couldn’t stop talking about Favre…when the Jets weren’t even THERE. Absolutely disgusting…
“So, this is the guy who BS did not want to send to Seattle for Beltre? Uffda”
Yep. That’s him. Obviously, the Twins once again don’t know what they’re doing.
How bout those Twins! Determined look on their faces tonight. Great at-bat and the walk by Buscher in front of Everett. And the HR by Everett, great to see after last night.
Great DP by Buscher as well. Who said he can’t play Defense.
Go Twins! That’s the first place Twins.
Kielty has an 881 career OPS v. lefties.
Wow. You know something, doug’s right. It all depends how true last year’s decline was, because in 2006 he had a .965 OPS vs. LH pitching. Huh. Never woulda thunk it.
Man, this team sure succeeds a lot, considering how they “don’t know what they’re doing” and all. If only they listened to their opinionated fans more, eh?
To all those who are now saying how great it is that we kept Perkins instead of dealing for Beltre, flash back one week ago to his slaughter at the hands of Ibanez and the Mariners.
It was a different game, different night, and probably most importantly, a different stadium (none of our pitchers are doing well on the road).
Smith can look like a genius for it today and a fool for it come Perk’s next start.
I’m not saying it was or wasn’t a bad move; there’s really no way to know one way or the other anymore.
However, I don’t think it makes anyone who wanted to bolster this lineup with Beltre’s presence an idiot.
I’m excited to have a good, solid rotation for years to come, but things can change quickly. Two years ago, Boof was our #2 starter in the ALDS and people thought he was going to be in this rotation for years to come…
Nice post Steve. But you’ll be ignored, because most posters here can’t look past last night’s game, or look ahead a week or two.
Sounds like Casilla could be returning sooner than expected. With Longoria out with a fractured wrist, maybe the Rays would be interested in taking Harris back in a trade. Skipper’s little buddy could then platoon with Buscher.
Steve–you are right…
birdofprey says:
August 11th, 2008 at 10:12 pm
“Perk was the most expendable starter among the four willingly sacrificed by the Beltre Boys. Hmm, would Adrian’s performance overcome the start provided by Mulvey or Bonser or Livan in this game tonight? Thank you, Bill Smith, for knowing what you’re doing.”
This response makes no sense…Using your logic, the decision to keep Perkins was good b/c he pitched well tonight. Look at your own words: “Hmm, would Adrian’s performance overcome the start provided by Mulvey or Bonser or Livan in this game tonight?” So if he pitched terribly, he should have been traded?? Or if Beltre hits 4 HRs and drives in 10 in one game–does that mean we should have traded for him?? No, you shouldn’t base a decision on one game–whether you want to keep a guy or trade a guy. Your logic is quite flawed…
Let me say, I was on the side to keep Perkins and didn’t want to trade a starter for Beltre…however, for those who did, that is a valid opinion to have…I happened to disagree with them…and if Perkins pitched a horrible game tonight against the Yanks, I still think the decision to not trade him was right. But no matter where you stand, one game against the Yanks in August should not be the deciding factor.
IMO, the biggest weakness at the deadline (and still) is the bullpen. If the bullpen pitches 5 scoreless innings tomorrow, I still think it needs to be improved. And if the BP implodes and gives up 5 runs, I maintain the same posiiton–but not b/c of that one game.
And just b/c the Twins are in 1st, that doesn’t mean the FO is perfect…people can still disagree with certain decisions. Does the FO deserve credit for helping the Twins get to 1st place?? Absolutely…no doubt about it. Is the FO infallible? No.
Steve from Fridley says:
August 11th, 2008 at 10:59 pm I’m excited to have a good, solid rotation for years to come, but things can change quickly.
Good observation, Steve, which is why you should go back to JP’s post at 10:19pm to fully comprehend the argument many of us make, including the Twins FO: you can never have enough pitching; it all starts with starting pitching; this franchise wins more consistently than most because it really really believes that success, financial and otherwise, is correlated to pitching and defense.
Smith has dipped into his supply of quality starting pitchers twice already (Santana, Garza), and was burned badly both times. Hopefully, he learned his lesson.
markinmn,
How could you possibly interpret things the way you just did? Sheer genius I guess. Regardless how Perkins performed tonight, many of us, the Twins FO presumably included, believed it best to resist trading any of the core starters for Beltre. Most of us made that argument based on an educated guess, or intuition, that the future value provided by these four pitchers will, over time, make the idea of sacrificing one of them for Beltre look like a bad idea over time, Those arguing in favor of the trade were focused on the immediate rewards, right? The point: Perkins is replaced immediately with someone else. My recollection is those calling mod=st arduently for the trade would have settled for a start tonight by Livan, Bonser, you name it. They wanted Beltre, but they weren’t thinking it through. Go Bill Smith, and thank you.
Steve,
slaughter? chuck norris put the laughter in slaughter. however, i think most of the posters blamed gardy for leaving perkins in too long. And 5 runs over 7 innings is hardly a slaughter. we could have livan who gave up 9 runs in 2 2/3 innings in his last start. thats a slaughter!!!!
“However, I don’t think it makes anyone who wanted to bolster this lineup with Beltre’s presence an idiot.”
they’re not. but they are an idiot if they blame smith for not making the trade. WE DONT KNOW WHAT THE PRICE WAS. how many times does that point have to be made? as several different media outlets have stated the mariners were asking for ridiculous prices for their players. we do know that!!!!
a fair price for beltre. of course. only an idiot would deny that beltre could help this team. overpay for him (in dollars and players)? only an idiot would do that. AND only idiots would keep clamoring for him without knowing the asking price.
Craig,
As Nancy would say, just say no to punto.
Craig, time will tell if Bill Smith was burned by either the Santana or Garza trades. The answer is far from obvious today, wouldn’t you have to agree?
JP,
Gardy was heaping big praise on Ev after the game. If Casilla comes back Punto may be headed for the bench. Punto’s batting average has “Titanic” stamped on it. Gardy won’t part with him though. Lamb has to stay (contract) and so does Buscher (hitting). I suppose they could keep Harris and send Ruiz packing. Ruiz is close to useless.
I think it is becoming evident that Bill Smith has won in the garza/young trade. You can write this down, Young will be a .300/20HR/110 RBI guy and Garza will be a career #3 starter.
In regards to the Santana trade, I think that everyone understands that BS HAD to trade Santana, so everyone knows that it was not a fair trade to begin with. Unlike the Young/Garza trade where both teams where not pressured to make the trade.
Craig
Good observations with Everett, yea it is starting to look like when Casilla comes back that Everett may be the starting SS, and punto be sent to the bench to be utility IF. Punto has been bad the past weak offensivly, and surprisingly defensivly as well. I think that maybe the pressure of needing to hit everyday, might be getting to him as he plays defense as well
Craig
I posted this on another Twins site, if Everett and his arm his healthy, I have no problem with as our starting shortstop. When Casilla does come back Punto should go to the bench. I would say Harris has shown that he is a capable fielding 3rd baseman with a great arm. And not even you can deny that Harris is a better hitter.
bird,
Unless Garza blows out his arm, that deal is to me, obviously bad. I like Delmon, but Garza was a very high price to pay. If the Twins had traded for a sensational young SS, I might say the jury was still out. Corner OF are just too plentiful.
The Santana deal is a little different, because Carl wouldn’t pay Santana. Smith took a gamble on prospects vs. draft picks. No one will ever know if that was a good deal or not. The other variable is that Santana may have pitched the Twins to the World Series this year. Santana is a way better pitcher with Nathan behind him. The Met’s pen keeps blowing his well pitched games.
When the Twins traded for Delmon, I predicted he would hit 8-9 HR this year. He is on track to do about that.
He has a good natural line drive swing. He is not good at recognizing pitches. His ultra-fast hands make up for his lack of pitch recognition, to a certain extent. I don’t know how much a player can be taught to recognize pitches. It’s sort of an innate ability.
My biggest problem with Delmon is not his hitting, it’s his play in the field. That is something he can improve to an extent, but I don’t thing he will ever be a good fielder. He seems to lack the instincts.
I think Young will remain an average corner outfielder, with average skills. Garza, on the other hand, has the stuff to be a star.
[…] Bobby Kielty was released by the Red Sox back in July. I thought he was still on the DL. He just signed a minor-league deal with the Minnesota […]
[…] Twins signed former Twin Bobby Kielty yesterday to a minor league contract and assigned him to AAA Rochester. In my opinion, this is a very low risk, very low reward signing. […]
I love this Craig guy. It’s a good fit, Kielty at Rochester??? Christ. Do you even follow Rochester? It’s a horrible fit.
What’s a good fit down there is the return of Machado and the promotion of Hughes. Now the team can actually score runs and catch the ball in the infield.
Craig, for once, just once, shut your damn mouth about things for which you know nothing–and that means most things baseball.
JP,
Perkins gave up five runs over 6.1 innings to the worst team in the American League. That comes out to a 7.10 ERA. I realize he had six scoreless innings, but he also had loaded the bases once beforehand and escaped it, and had runners on base all night. I’d call that a slaughter. Not as bad as Livan’s implosion in his Rockies debut, no, but that’s like saying Monroe batting .202 was good because Punto’s batting .162 (fact, sadly) since the All-Star Break. Both are terrible.
I know we don’t know what the price was, and I specifically said we won’t know which was the right move probably ever. We don’t know how Perkins would react to pitching in Seattle, nor do we know how Beltre would’ve performed with Minnesota. It’s a moot point, and I’m not blaming Smith for anything.
As for Birdofprey,
The Twins win consistently in the regular season, and I love that. I love having good starting pitching, and I’m excited about the offensive core we’re building (Morneau, Mauer, Delmon, Casilla, Gomez, Span, Kubel).
However, winning in the regular season is only so satisfying, and every organization’s goal is to win in the postseason. While the Twins do far better than most clubs in even making it there to begin with (and don’t get me wrong, it’s all worth it just being there), they fail miserably once they get there.
I think people are too quick to praise the Twins for getting to the postseason, when in reality, something should be said for the fact that despite four postseason appearances in six years, we don’t even have a World Series appearance to show for it, and our only ALCS appearance was a pretty rough showing against the Angels.
At any rate, I fully comprehend the argument you make. I’ve heard it numerous times before, and I agree that starting pitching is important, but I also support Bill Smith’s decisions to trade for some offense. I can’t wait to see Delmon Young in a couple of years, and I also can’t wait to see if these five starters can hold strong as one of baseball’s best rotations as the years go on. I find it astounding that the Rays’ rotation is hyped so much (Don’t get me wrong, it’s VERY good), while ESPN and the like ignore Minnesota’s almost entirely.
Lala,
Craig’s favorite thing is making people react like you just did. It’s better to not mind most of what he says.
Lala: Actually, Rochester was pretty desperate for outfielders, so it makes good sense.
I wanted no part of trading one of the young starters for Beltre and believe those who wanted him are drastically overrating him, particular vs. LH pitching (probably because his split this year is aberrantly extreme), but Bill Smith is still a tool for doing nothing to get Andy LaRoche or Jason Bay in a Twins uniform. I believe either (definitely Bay) could’ve been accomplished while maintaining the current rotation, although if absolutely necessary I would’ve sac’d Perkins to get LaRoche. And re: Perkins’ start in Seattle, that was on Gardy for not recognizing that a guy clearly lacking great stuff on the night had hit a wall before the magic pitch count said so. He’d been getting knocked around all night, was lucky to get out of the 5th and wasn’t yanked when he should’ve been.
two words about Bobby K: Ster oids
How about John Castino at third ?
How much more lord??? How much longer must we endure watching Nick Punto in the two hole? The pain is unbearable. Doom, despair, and angony on me. Please make it stop!!!
Nick Punto needs to watch Harris on how to hit and keep a cool head; believe it
Delmon Young 3 run bomb against Rivera!
