Twins pregame: Cuddyer to start at DH
Posted on September 15th, 2008 – 2:55 PMBy Joe Christensen
CLEVELAND — Michael Cuddyer will start as the Twins’ designated hitter, as they begin a three-game series against the Cleveland Indians tonight at Progressive Field.
Cuddyer has shown the Twins he can play through the pain in his left foot, which he broke on Aug. 8. Cuddyer has been assured he won’t re-injure himself by running, so it just comes down to managing the pain.
Cuddyer returned from the disabled list Saturday and went 1-for-2 as a pinch-hitter against Baltimore this weekend. He gives the Twins another veteran righthanded hitter, as they’re about to face three lefthanded pitchers in this series against the Indians.
Update (7:25 p.m.): An update on the pitching rotation, pasted directly from my notebook:
Scott Baker, Glen Perkins and Nick Blackburn remain on schedule to face the White Sox, Sept. 23-25 at the Metrodome. Gardenhire doesn’t foresee a change.
He and pitching coach Rick Anderson have weighed their options and decided its best to stay status quo.
Francisco Liriano is scheduled to face Tampa Bay on Sunday. They don’t want to bring him back on three day’s rest to pitch Sept. 25.
They could skip Liriano on Sunday and let him face Chicago on Sept. 23. But to do that, they’d either need Perkins to pitch on short rest Sunday — something they oppose — or a new starter.
Gardenhire said it’s not worth sacrificing the team’s chances Sunday.
“There’s not really much we can do,” he said.
(Apologies, but I got busy and didn’t get a chance to post that earlier.)
Twins (82-67)
1. Denard Span, RF
2. Alexi Casilla, 2B
3. Joe Mauer, C
4. Justin Morneau, 1B
5. Michael Cuddyer, DH
6. Delmon Young, LF
7. Brendan Harris, 3B
8. Nick Punto, SS
9. Carlos Gomez, CF
Starting pitcher: RH Scott Baker
Indians (72-77)
1. Grady Sizemore, CF
2. David Dellucci, LF
3. Shin-Soo Choo, RF
4. Jhonny Peralta, SS
5. Travis Hafner, DH
6. Kelly Shoppach, C
7. Michael Aubrey, 1B
8. Andy Marte, 3B
9. Asdrubal Cabrera, 2B
Starting pitcher: LH Scott Lewis (1-0, 0.00)
Progressive Field. First pitch: 6:05 p.m.
353 Responses to "Twins pregame: Cuddyer to start at DH"
Someone in the other thread said Gardy should take notice of Ned Yost getting fired.
Wow, what an apples to orange comparison!
Don’t you think Ruiz would give us a better chance to win?
There he is again. Punto cracks the line-up depsite his abysmal baserunning. Gardy is such a hypocrite. All we hear is that the Twins organization stresses the fundamentals like defense and baserunning and this team is near the bottom at both (if baserunning was somehow an offical statistical category) and Punto is OVERRATED defensively.
Punto can do no wrong! Had Harris made two baserunning mistakes in one game, we’d never see him in the lineup again.
Agree, Ruiz might be the better option as RH DH over Cuddy, but let’s see what he’s got.
no reason to bench punto to teach him a lesson…. he will never learn anyway
Glanzer,
who is this Harris you speak of?
I know the Punto bashing can get old, but I agree he should sit on the pine for idiotic baserunning mistakes.
Harris-wasn’t he the guy who had some hits on Saturday and flashed some glove at 3b?
If the Twins make it to post-season play, Tolbert may be the only left-handed hitter on the bench, when a right-handed pitcher is pitching.
If the Twins only go with 11 pitchers, they end up with 5 reserves. Against starting RHP I would guess the reserves would be: Tolbert, Cuddyer, Redmond, Everett, Harris.
Does Punto have naked pictures of Gardy? or what’s the deal…the way he ran the bases yesterday why is he allowed to even be in the dugout today let alone start.
Punto for President!
Has the team announced a postseason roster yet?
i would have been surprised, had Punto been benched. Atleast he battled his tail off yesterday. Even though he still doesnt realize its faster to run through first base then dive into it. I mean are you kidding me, as a manager you have to tell/teach your players that diving into a first base is only to avoid an errant throw.
The Twins could have Cuddyer start against some RHP and have Kubel on the bench, to pinch hit.
[…] Originally published by Around the Majors […]
how is baker starting tonight? do you mean slowey?
Hey Brasky pipe down! Punto is one of the hardest working, smartest players on the Twins. Yes he is a hitting liability, but he’s great defensively and a very positive clubhouse figure.
Every MLB team has a guy like this…weak hitting, but greats solid defense, hustles and is good for the team.
Punto is not making the big errors. Buscher has 10 errors, Harris has 13, and Casilla has 10. Matt Tolbert has 5 errors in just 35 games. Adam Everett has 7 in just 44 gms.. Punto has 9 in 88 games…at 3 different positions.
I’d take Punto over Tolbert, Everett, Buscher, and Harris any day.
The Indians are pretty terrible. Bare minimum gotta sweep Cleveland and then take 2 of 4 from Tampa.
sweep Cleveland? with 22-2 Lee?
you have a guy that just had 2 triples on friday and actually knows how to run the bases in Tolbert, but instead lets stick with a flashy base running moron that has troubles laying down a bunt. dont you get a win for having style points out in the field.
Ruiz no, but what does Kubel have to do to play everyday, I don’t get how a guy can hit in the high .270’s and be second on the team in all power categories not be an everyday dh?
Lee’s losses have come from the Twins.
yes everyone contender has a Nick Punto, but as a utility infielder, not as a starter, I like his hustle, but not his bat, no one disputes the glove, it’s just I would rather see anyone else except for GO-Go up there when it matters.
Jackson Kruger for comedian of the year.
Side note: The losses on Lee’s record are from the Twins. It would be pretty sweet to hand him all 3 losses this year.
Side note #2: Everett looked pretty decent at SS last Saturday night. He fielded a nasty high hopper hit to him. I’m doubting Punto wouldn’t have made that play, but it also wouldn’t have been an error due to the bad nasty hop. Punto may have better range, but the hard one-hoppers and nasty hops that come right at him he has trouble with.
Only one of the Lee’s losses is from the Twins the other is from a national league team.
Nick Punto:
OBP SLG AVG
.345 .395 .287
Statistic aren’t the whole story, but I’ll take those numbers for a rangy, slick fielding SS.
To all the Punto haters: Who do you want to see instead of Punto, Everett or Tolbert?
all I can say is “MadDog JunkYard Mutts will win tonight”!!!! GO MUTTS!!! WIN TWINS!!!! and Shawn, the bar is now open!!!!!
I think I agree with the poster that said Punto has something on Gardy. I saw his baserunning blunders yesterday and couldn’t believe he didn’t get benched immediately, much less play in tonights game. I say we should give Tolbert a chance at shortstop - his glove is good and those two triples the other day were awesome. Bench Punto!!!
Go Twins!
Does it really matter folks. The twins are from minnesota, they will find a way to lose regardless.
btw, wouldn’t it make sense if the manager put cuddyer between mauer and morneau. Then the batting order would be lefty - righty - lefty -right. Makes it a bit more difficult on the opposing manager in using his bullpen. But, Gardy is a genius, so I will just stick to footbal.
I hope Cuddyer is healthy :{
Great that Punto is doing better than last year, but I still would like to see Harris or Tolbert in at short.
Regardless of how he hits, I think it will boost morale to have Cuddeyer in the lineup. If the other guys see him busting his rear end, when he’s still hurting, maybe they will be inspired to play at a higher level. Besides, Cuddeyer had the most post-season experience on the roster, so he knows what it takes to get to the playoffs.
To all the Punto haters: Who do you want to see instead of Punto, Everett or Tolbert?
Anyone….anyone…anyone…busher at 3b regardless who is pitching, harris at SS, casilla and morneau
there should be a negative OBP stat for anytime some is wiped off the bases after reaching.
Yep, I retract. The Reds handed Lee one of his losses. Thanks Brian.
With Ev, you get a superior glove, but I doubt if Everett can get on base at a .300 clip, much less .345. He will NEVER steal a base either.
With Tolbert you might get better hitting than Punto, but he has very little experience at SS. High risk in a division race.
Harris is a plodding guy, that Gardy won’t use at SS. The worn out old saw, about the Twins winning X number of games in a row with Harris at SS, is meaningless. Everyone knows a team can win with a bad player or two in the lineup, or the field.
someone*
can someone post a link to the baserunning blunders from yesterdays game.
I want to see if he really was an All-Star snub
Don’t agree with Cuddy in the lineup. Just don’t see it as a plus. The guy’s not at 100%. I hope I’m proved wrong, but I just don’t agree with this decision.
i had to watch the throwout from 3rd from about 75 feet away Johnny.
at third*
Craig, I think it could be Tolbert starting at SS next year and Punto more into the traditional utility role with Casilla at 2nd. But this is a young team - anything could happen and Punto could again end up starting at 2B, SS or even 3B again if anyone falters or gets hurt.
I hope Buscher is the answer at 3rd. He has good plate discipline, but not sure the fielding will ever be average let alone above average. If he gave us 20+ HR’s I’d accept the fielding. Perhaps his fielding will be better for him on natural grass in ‘10 ??
No chance we sweep the Indians. Now that they are finally getting healthy they are a pretty dangerous team down the stretch. I’ll be happy if we take 2 of 3 from the Indians and split the series with tampa. That would give us a 6-4 road trip, given our struggles on the road that’d be pretty good.
All i care about is being within 1 game of the Sox in that series.
I like Cuddy’s chances at DH. Just pinch run for him when the game’s on the line.
Jimmy Jam,
The only realistic alternative is Ruiz who has looked like a windmill swinging at the wind. I’d rather have an experienced player in there, even if he isn’t at 100 percent.
My infield would be:
1B-Morneau
2B-Tolbert
SS-Casilla
3B-Harris
With Punto, Everett and Tolbert healthy, Harris will start at SS again, about when Cuddy starts at 2B. In other words, its not going to happen.
platoon Harris and Buscher…see who gets the hot hand over time
Well, I’d rather see Cuddyer try to do something positive against a lefty than Kubel, who rarely gets a clutch hit in the late innings of a close ballgame. Maybe Cuddyer’s presence will give the rest of the team a mental spark.
yeah, my wife thinks Cuddy has cute dimples…does that count for a mental spark?
As long as Gardy is the Skipper and his ‘lil buddy Punto is on the roster, Punto will start, no matter how bad he stinks it up. If he’s around next year, he will start, Tolbert will collect splinters and Harris will not be on the team.
i hope he isn’t back, i can’t take another year.
1B-Morneau
2B-Tolbert
SS-Casilla
3B-Buscher/Harris platoon
That is probably our IF for 2009
Kimmerz,
That’s a good infield. Gardy is too conservative to switch Casilla now, but that infield would work for 2009.
Assistant GM Rob Antony said the Twins are comfortable with Buscher at 3B, next season everyday, so I think Harris will be on the bench or more likely gone.
Honestly, I would trade Harris if we could in the off season, but not sure who would take him.
The two guys I would trade are a couple of young ones that are still regarded as having high upside. I personally don’t see as high a ceiling for either as I once did. Plus, I think both will present chemistry issues with the team over time. The two are Gomez and Delmon. I think their liabilities will outweigh the positives over time and we are better to trade them for good talent now while others think they are very good.
Toronto has a great bullpen. I would trade either one of those two for either BJ Ryan (whom the Jays want to dump) or League (98 mph). Either could be a great 8th inning specialist.
Brewers fire Yost! They are nearly in the playoffs. That is astounding.
Kimmer and Lefty,
With your Starting infields next you (which I agree with), who is our utility infielder?
Maybe they would go with a Buscher/Macri at 3B and Harris at utility.
that should read “next year” not “next you”
Fry Dog,
I think the Twins will switch Casilla to SS next season. He will probably play SS in winter ball. They are loaded in the minors with talented players who can play 2B, but nobody who can play SS, until you get down to class A.
Tolbert, Tolleson, Dinkelman, Singleton, are all good 2B. Machado is also good, if his shoulder comes around.
Tonight, I would have liked to see Tolbert in there instead of Punto. I am not totally down on him, its just I see him as a role player, so a break every now a then would be helpful for him, as well as Tolbert.
Craig, I agree with the depth at 2B and not at SS. Casilla has good range, but for some reason his glove seems erratic at short. He’s maturing so I hope he makes the transition. Maybe a spring training game I saw is stuck in my head where he had 2 errors and a base running error in the first 5 innings.
What about Luke Hughes? Isn’t he going to be auditioning at 2B in the future? I kinda lost track of that guy.
AJ,
I believe Hughes’ defense has a long way to go before he is MLB ready. He has a good bat but is atrocious in the field.
The Twins are going to try to make a 3B out of Luke Hughes. He will be in AAA next year. I have little hope, that he could play there in the majors. I think he is a DH-corner OF type. Maybe a backup 1B.
mike wants wins,
the Brewers FO, unlike that of the Twins, gave a message that failure is unacceptable…
Time for Smith to think about it
I like Macri as utility until he’s proven he can take 3B on a permanent basis. Then maybe Harris as utility. He’s played all positions in the infield…not sure if the same can be said for Buscher.
How many meaningful hits has Pontu had? He must have gone to the same fundamental skills school as Lew Ford.
I’d think Machado or a FA signing would be your utility guy.
Or, I’m not opposed to upgrading 2B (Uggla, Hudson) and making Tolbert the utility guy. Cuddy can play 3 of the 4 spots in a real tight situation too. (Real tight-like last minute funeral or child birth situations where someone has to leave the team for a day)
AJ, here is what a recent scouting report (9/08) had on Luke Hughes:
His strike zone judgment is still marginal, and his BB/K/AB ratio deteriorated after his promotion to Rochester. Unless that improves, I suspect he will be hard-pressed to hit close to .300 in the majors. He’s likely a .260ish hitter, with good but not elite-level power. Position-wise, he did the super-utility thing again this year, spending time at third base, second base, and outfield. His arm is well-suited for third base, however, he is very error-prone at third (.888 fielding percentage at New Britain). He best position looks to be second base, though there are concerns about his range there.
Looking at everything, I’d rate Hughes as a Grade C+/B- prospect right now.
Fry Dog,
Casilla at SS and Buscher at 3B, could be an erratic left side. I love Tolbert, but he doesn’t look like a natural at SS on an everyday basis.
I doubt if the Twins will bring back Everett or Punto. Listening to a Bill Smith interview earlier in the year I sort of got that drift. He didn’t come right out and say they wouldn’t be back, but that was my interpretation. I don’t want to try to quote him, because it was too long ago. He said something like Everett and Punto “WOULD BE” free agents at the end of the year, and that players like Casilla and others could be moving into those rolls. I think if Smith and Radcliff wanted Punto or Everett back they would have signed them by now, or offered a contract.
“Trade either Gomez or Delmon to the Toronto Blue Jays for either Brandon League or BJ Ryan…?”
I would trade Delmon today for either. Is it that the Jays don;t want to pay Ryan?
But Gardy wants Punto back and he apparently has some say in player personnel decisions.
I think Punto will be signed in the off season for one more year….maybe two at the same price. He’s an affordable back up/utility guy. I’m okay as long as that’s all he is. Everett’s a goner…
Tupp,
I don’t consider $3M affordable for a back up/utility guy.
Kay,
well, there is one way of avoiding Punto getting back, then: get rid of the loser manager as well…
The Twins saved enough on payroll this year that they’ll sign Punto again for about $1 million.
They may wait until other signings happen before they announce re: Punto.
I hope they spend the extra millions on a dominant 8th inning pitcher. There is BJ Ryan and Brandon League…who else?
The Twins could try to make a deal for a SS in the off-season for some depth. Casilla and Tolbert may be a little light at SS. It’s a tough position. They could both flop.
They have this guy Sergio Santos on the roster. They also have Trevor Plouffe in AAA. Those two are not anywhere close to being major league baseball players. Plouffe someday may be.
Kay,
Gardy may have input in evaluating the current roster, but I don’t think he has input in personnel decisions.
Fry Dog,
I don’t think Punto will take that big of a pay cut without at least testing the FA waters.
The Twins may re-sign him late in ST for that but not in the offseason.
Top line short stops are hard to come by in free agency. How about Jason Bartlett?
Seriously, I’d wait to see how Casilla/Tolbert/Plouffe emerge next year unless someone like Jose Reyes becomes available….which is extremely doubtful. I think we should spend our money next year on a great 8th inning bullpen specialist.
I don’t understand why everyone thinks Punto is such an asset in the field. Yes maybe his range is a little bit better than that of Brendan Harris. Many of the botches that Punto has made have been on routine balls, excuse me but I don’t think that has anything to do with range. I don’t mind having Punto on the team but this playing every day stuff has got to go.
Sweetone, you may be right…but I wonder if the Twins would offer him less, but a 2 year deal. I think both sides may go for that to continue their seeming mutual love affair…?
Seriously, as much as Gardy confuses us, how can he be compared to Ned Yost? Yost watched his Brewers collapse 2 years in a row, never making the playoffs. As much as I wanted the Twins to actually to win more than an AL Central title, what the Twins have done can’t be compared to the pathetic Brewers.
Thrylos, I am coming “this close” to agreeing that Gardy needs to go. At the beginning of the year, I said that the Twins will never make it to the WS, much less win it, with Gardy in charge. For the all the good he has done, he cancels it by mismanaging the bullpen, stubbornly refusing to make changes until weeks or months after he should have made the change, refusing to put his best team on the field and playing his favorite players, no matter what.
LNP is obviously, a case in point. If the Twins resign him, he won’t be relegated to a back-up/utility role. Gardy has shown that he is completely unable to resist inserting him into the starting line-up, no matter what bone-headed things he does. And to blame White for Punto’s inane play at 1st yesterday? Low class Gardy. Low class.
Kay,
Did Gardy really blame White for the play at 1st? I saw White looking at Punto and pointing to 1st.
Punto could be a cheap insurance policy to have around, in case Casilla flops at SS. I really doubt if Tolbert could handle SS over the long haul. He has the arm, but he isn’t SS smooth.
If Tolleson does well in the Arizona fall league he might get a chance at 2B in 2009. He hasn’t played higher than AA, but he has good skills. Right hand hitter, high OBP, rangy, some speed.
Dinkleman and Singleton are behind Tolleson, but all the reports say they can play. Dinkleman is a left hand hitter, and I believe Singleton is a switch hitter. Dinkelman or Singleton could wash out in AA, but I doubt it.
The Gardy situation may be similar to Dungy in Tampa. Dungy could only take them so far and someone else was needed to take them to the next step.
I think it is too early to make that determination.
I would be okay with re-signing Punto at no more than $1M, which is a little more than veteran minimum for his years of service.
Anything more than that is too much. Hopefully a NL sees value in him and offers him a big contract.
Sweetone,
I think $1M is too much to pay someone to suit up as TC Bear. Yes I know he can flop with the best of them and get all excited, but c’mon!
Sweetone, I didn’t see the quote, just read it from another source, but Gardy apparently blamed White because Punto was being so sneaky and certainly would have had the O’s fooled into thinking he didn’t round 1st if White had not been pointing to 1st and telling Punto to get back there. It looked to me like the O’s knew right away that they had Punto.
The Tigers lost yesterday on purpose because they are jealous of us. They were supposed to run away with the division due to off season aquisitions but never got going. They would rather see the Sox instead of us go the the playoffs… we owned them this year and we won’t forget it. I can’t believe I am about to say this….go yankees? ouch.
I think it is too early to make that determination
nope
4 post seasons 0 titles… it’s not early, see: Denny Green. Same situation.
And to start a guy who cannot run at DH today, while keeping the person who won the batting title at AAA on the bench is inane
Gardy has left me scratching my head lots this year. Still don’t know if Ulger is a good 3B coach, or what he does otherwise.
But I can’t get down on Gardy. His main job, which is to manage and produce a good club, has been done well this year — especially considering the youth and newness of this team.
good call romer. Gardy would be manager of the year if it weren’t for Maddon.
thrylos,
Do you think with all the whiffs by Ruiz, Gardy has seen about enough? Three whiffs in four AB was Ruiz’ last efforts. I’ve seen all I need to see of Ruiz. Welcome back Cuddy.
B. Harris should be the the starting SS. His range is not that less than Punto’s and his stick is much better.
Harris at SS, that’s the answer.
Sorry, jack. You should read Howard’s blog from about 5 days ago. He proved what you say about Harris’s range is untrue.
Craig,
Gardy kept Ruiz in the freezer for a week for no reason. What do you expect? Same with Harris. Cuddy can barely hobble…
and another thing about Gardy: the intensity of a manager gets rubbed off to the players… These days Gardy just stands or sits in the dugout and stares. Has the intensity of a dead fish. Time for a change.
Good to have Cuddy back, but what’s the over-under and how many DP’s he may hit into tonight coming off that injured foot?
the dow is down more than 500 points today. i blame punto.
I really like Cuddy and want him to be part of the team, but to put him at DH at this point of the season is unwarranted. He has been on the shelf forever and let’s not forget that before he was injured he was only hitting at about a .240 clip. No offense to Cuddy because I know it’s eating him up inside just watching the team, but maybe it’s time to just focus on next year for him and let’s roll with the players who have gotten us this far.
The Twins have scored the third highest number of runs in the AL. Only Texas and the Red Sox have scored more. Gardy has squeezed a lot of runs out of these guys. If Gardy thinks Cuddy is ready to contribute, Gardy gets the benefit of the doubt.
mickey,
No question that Punto has caused all the problems in the market, in the whole world for that matter.
Regarding whether I personally guaranteed that Mike Lamb would be with the Twins in 2009, I haven’t been able to find evidence that I did. If I did however, you should know that personal guarantee, like all my personal guarantees, comes with a lifetime warranty. If you are ever unhappy with any one of my personal guarantees, I will cheerfully exchange it for another.
Of course Cuddyer is starting at DH. When Gardy said yesterday Cuddyer is not an option to DH because he can’t run, it was sealed in fate he would start today.
I guess the same baseball fairy that visited and changed his mind overnight about Gomez starting visited him again last night.
as long as it’s done cheerfully, craig, that’s good enough for me.
Cuddy looked great at the plate
seems that cuddyer isn’t the only one to have trouble in the early going …
Hey all, I am truly pulling for the Jankees tonight, but usually am happy when the Bronx Bummers lose. It is Miller Lite Time and also time to cheer our Pups on. GO PUPS!!!! WIN TWINS!!!
Nady HR, 2-0 Yanks
Go Yankees! (can’t believe I am saying that) up 2-0 on Buehrle.
thanks Gatty
Amazing that slowey would even try that pitch again since the first three times he threw it, it was no where near the strike zone.
I hear you too, Nora, as I said just ahead of you about cheering for the Jankees.
What a great play by Mauer.
Great throw Go Go, Great block and tag by Mauer. YESSSSSSS
Yay, a leadoff double for the man, the myth, the legend…
and the saga continues, in spite of all the bashers, but Punts is playing MLB with the Twins, and the bashers are jealous…. Come on Denardo!!!
2 K’s for The Spanner tonight, come on PUPS!!!
I feel like someone is going to hit it out of the park soon…
I agree, gatty….I am picking Justin.
Slowey really grooved one there…
Tied game in the bronx
Dwayne Wise two-run homer….it’s 2-2 in the Bronx!
Who is this Wise kid? Geesh. 2-2 Sox-Yankees
Lewis’ fastball is as straight as an arrow…
straight… but located well.
i am not sure the twins want this division as bad as the white sox. the white sox are missing konerko and quentin and are still playing better than the twins. imagine if the white sox had those two in their lineup right now.
twins came to play today
konerko and quentin means no room for dewayne wise…
pretty sure it isn’t a question of wanting it more. this is baseball.
There’s that HR I was feeling
Wise isn’t a kid, Nora… he’s a 30-year-old career minor leaguer, which makes it all the more depressing that he’s killing us.
Great play by Harris. Maybe if he keeps turning in web gems, Gardy will actually let him play in back to back games.
I hate Kelly Shoppach.
Well according to gameday he is getting 5-6″ of movement so it is hardly straight.
The unfamilliar lefty = trouble for the local nine.
Any soft-tossing lefty = trouble for the Twins over the past few seasons.
Remember when Mark Redman shut us out? 
My predictions last week and how they are working out:
I said the Sox would go 3-4 last week (they were 3-3).
I had us going 5-1 (we were 4-2).
So, we are 1.5 games behind my hoped for pace.
Then, I had us losing a game in the standings to the Sox this week and gaining the game back next week or possibly two… ending up tied or 1 game up.
Now… With the yankees’ pitching woes, I just don’t see it coming any other way than a sweep at home next week. If the Sox go 5-2 or 6-1 this week and we go 4-3 this week, we’ll need to win out the last 6 games.
So, no problem. Go ahead and start Perk against the whities.
this pitcher is dealin. gotta get to the bullpen somehow to have a chance…
At least the twins aren’t being no-hit. Sure feels like it though…
Where is the urgency? Stranded three runners at 2nd, twice with no outs. Perhaps the manager could put a bunt or two on to move the runner over??
any more proof that Cuddy can’t play? Gardy should just make a move before it’s too late
doesn’t it seem like most of delmon’s hits are rendered meaningless?
gomez flew out to right, just not quite deep enough. by the time young go to 2nd with 0 out, harris had 2 strikes.
and punto cannot bunt with one out. never mind punto just cannot bunt.
there goes Punto… gold glove play
pretty ridiculous to suggest punto’s at fault on that throw.
It must be nice to be able to hit a HR…
outpitched again.
Okay, this game is almost out of reach.
So what is with the twins pitching batting practice the last couple days. the young arms losing it.
Well he has grooved four or five HR balls, just a matter of time before some of them get out of the park.
who’s at fault, then? Any other shortstop would have been there in time…
Punto did not cover the base, knowing that he was to do that with a man on first… He was way too much on the 3rd base side of the field.
Hey Blackburn,
I think I can give up 5 HRs tonight.
TC, it seems like the pitchers are all losing it at the same time, not good.
i think it is safe to say this season is over. we cant keep losing these games and hoping that the white sox lose as well. it is taking games off of the schedule and it just isn’t going to work much longer.
But I can give up more homeruns with a 10 run lead.
Punto no matter what will be in the lineup though. Even though lately he has made the most costly errors.
Scott Baker, Glen Perkins and Nick Blackburn remain on schedule to face the White Sox, Sept. 23-25 at the Metrodome. Gardenhire doesn’t foresee a change
ok
let’s get the 2 worse pitchers face the Sox in the most important series of the year… If Gardy doesn’t foresee a change, I hope that Smith does…
I agree with you 2010. The sox tried to give it away, but the twins just refused to take it.
absolutely
Either way, Neither team is going to go far in the playoffs. Too my issues.
too ‘many’ issues I mean.
it’s not the SS fault the C threw the ball in the dirt.
and what would you suggest gardy and the twins do to set up their rotation for next weeks series with the sox?
Gardy needs to “think outside the box” and have Liri face the White Sox.
Awful lot of gloom and doom considering we’re 1.5 games out, the Sox are playing at Yankee Stadium, and we’ve got the Indians bullpen looming.
The Twins are getting outplayed in a key game and that is unacceptable. I’ll check the score tomorrow morning.
I hope that Rincon is warming up for the Indians
i just REALLY hope the white sox don’t clinch it in our house…
thank god lewis is done.
STEVE FROM FRIDLEY…do you happen to know the Rohe’s that live in Fridley?
thrylos, Yes, there is hope. Yes, let’s get rincon in the game.
good thing hafner has a hole in his bat these days.
I would bet that it will soon be 2.5 games back (3 in the loss column) with only 12 to play. twins seem way too lethargic to mount a comeback tonight. just no energy, no urgency.
repeat of last road trip, win first 2 convincingly than in the tank against rookie pitchers. what in the h… is cadiver doing in the game? oh i forgot Gardy is the manager…yuk, yuk.
ok… I dug. Ruiz this year was .687 with a home run against Lewis…
and the idiot starts Cuddy at DH
where was that aggressive pitching last inning.
i think the best rotation the twins could put out there in the white sox series is baker, slowey and liriano
ruiz was also pretty much dogs*** in his last 3 ab’s saturday.
2010,
I second that emotion
mighty casey,
Cuddy was dogs*** in his 2 AB tonight…
duh
perkins and blackburn are wore out. find a way to get that rotation in that series no matter what if they are still in the race if gardenhire doesnt, fire him
and there he still is… how about Kubel?
to shake up the rotation to set it up for the series with the sox would only compromise the rest of the games by shuffling pitchers and making them less presumably much less effective on shorter rest. how does that make sense, gardy-haters?
kubel is being saved to hit for someone with a chance to tie the game
As in 1984 (Jamie “effin” Quirk) it looks as if, unless the shadows change, the season will die in Cleveland. I suppose it is fitting since the team that had the most optimism coming into the season transfers most of it’s pain to us. Unless the current shadows change I see an empty chair by the fire in October.
Here’s hoping that it isn’t three years (as in 1987) to get to the mountain top. With the front office I would bet it is going to be more like 30 years. No MacPhail or Kelly in this bunch.
My only comment about tonight is why, in the heat of a pennant race do you insert a guy, no matter how good he was for one year, who hasn’t been in a meaningful game in months. I’d rather have seen someone else in the lineup.
Oh well, they got their stadium so all is well.
because if the division comes down to it they need to put their best pitchers out there. if he was smart, he would start juggling the rotation now!
cuddyer hit the ball hard his last AB. also.. he can be much more useful down the stretch than a useless ruiz.
if cuddyer could just get on, then he would be gone. they would pull him for a pinch runner.
he hit that really hard at this AB, too…
pee wee league hard
wasn’t ruiz the international league batting leader when he got brought up? and if he was so useless why did that genius of a manager keep him up?
what i’m saying is that if you start shuffling the pitchers to get what you want for next week, than those games with be meaningless by the time we get there.
yankees up now score!!!!!!!!!1
yep, that gardy really deserves manager of the year for always making sure his team had the best chance to win. a gimp vs. a .687 batting average against and gardy goes with the gimp.
Back-to-back doubles off Horacio Ramirez… Yanks lead 3-2
Yanks take a 3-2 lead…
because he was the best right-handed option we had to DH against a string of lefties. now our best option is cuddyer.
STEVE FROM FRIDLEY..DO YOU KNOW THE ROHE FAMILY IN FRIDLEY??
2010,
No.
ruiz was/is
the international league batting leader
the international league rookie of the year
(and about to be the international league MVP)
that genius of a manager thinks that Cuddy could be better than him…
I GUESS i would have put buscher in to hit there. why is cuddyer playing??
even the almighty minor leaguer ruiz wouldn’t have touched lewis tonight.
Only one thing to say at this point…go Yankees!
Yanks lead 4-2…
I guess we are saving Kubel and Buscher and Tolbert for when the lefty reliever comes in.
please find a way to win this game
If the Twins lose this, I hope Smith fires Gardy here and now…
enough
Remember when……Harris never played so we didn’t have to watch those terrible at bats and stone hands…….
That’s the funniest thing I have read all day.
i agree thrylos98
ya gardy should just run out the rochester red wings in a pennant race. what’s he thinking??
It’s going to take a miracle. Our hitless wonders are getting shut out again.
LOST: Twins Offense
LAST SEEN: Getting shutout by rookie pitchers; making nobodies look like Cy Young (Liz, Duckworth, Lewis, et al).
REWARD: I have a 1987 Twins large kirby pop cup.
La Velle: the twins cannot keep losing and relying on the white sox to lose. there is just not enough games left. am i right or wrong here? i guess if the white sox lose all of the same games the twins lose and it comes down to that series it would work but i just dont see that happening
chamberlain has the 8th, hopefully he can get it to rivera
Cuddyer hit the ball hard? When?
Was it the 3 pitch K, the broken bat grounder to short, or the soft humpback liner to second?
i guess we will not find out what ruiz will do against lewis tonite. we will just have to live with knowing that ruiz hit .687 off him in the past.
lol..USAFCHief
you guys are complaining about the twins horrible offense, yet the addition of michael cuddyer is a huge negative??? can anyone make sense of this to me? probably not…
he has a broken foot and cant run. i would rather have monroe for god sakes
I have another theory….don’t know if it’s been said already, but here goes. In my line of work, the first thing the new management guy/gal always does is try to slash and cut any way possible so they can tell the boss “look at what a great job I have done towards the bottom line Corporate!!!”. Anybody think Smith is thinking along those lines?????
or rondell white
what’d morneau do tonight? i can’t believe everett didn’t get the nod at 1st base. give me gardy’s head….
cuddyer is faster with a broken foot than ruiz
the hell he is…..
Cuddyer hasn’t faced live Major League pitching since when…June? He can’t run and is hitting off a sore front foot.
I think the manager ought to have better sense than that. Even if you’re gonna let him hit off the LH starter, why is he hitting against the RH reliever?
Just silly managing. Stupid. Idiotic.
And that’s coming from a Gardy supporter. Although he’s making it hard this year.
cuddyer has been missing in action all year, he has a bad foot, he needs a lot of at-bats to get his stroke back. Even if he can hit, which so far he has not demonstrated, he should be used as nothing more than a pinch hitter.
but not Ford, er, well, maybe.
cuddyer will be traded this offseason
Have no fear people, we will make a comeback…Brad Childress was calling in offensive instructions to Gardy through the first 7 innings, but Gardy’s cell phone battery just died. So the offense should pick up in the 8th and 9th innings.
i’ll take cuddyer to your ruiz any day.
Mr. Willie N. (8:04), Absolutely!!! Couldn’t agree more with that fine post. Enjoyed the “empty chair by the fire in October” citing and hope there are no “Bah Humbugs” in our near future. I have been out of town… are Kubel and Buscher on the DL or is the last inning typical Gardy? Gracious!
ruiz has had like 5 at-bats in the last 2+ weeks, compared to cuddy’s 2. before tonight.
If they’re both healthy, and have been hitting against live pitching, I’d agree with you casey.
As it stands, not so much.
Chief is right. And, I usually give Gardy the benefit of the doubt. Last inning was the perfect time to bring in Buscher and/or Kubel. You know they won’t be seen for the top of the order and you knew a lefty was coming in for the 8th.
and here is Punto batting… not enough pinch hitters on the bench?
you want to be flexible in 9th with pinch-hitters, not burn them up in the 7th
punto should have drawn a walk.
the offense sucks and it needs a cuddyer the next couple weeks. he needs at-bats.
a manager’s job is put his team in the best position to win. that is all the manager can do because the manager does not hit and he does not pitch. starting cuddyer after an entire season of being out does not put the twins in the best position to win. keeping morneau in does give the twins the best chance to win, even if morneau does not produce on a particular night.
this is ridiculous
Someone needs to remind the twins that they are playing a baseball game and not attending a funeral.
finally, somewhat of a logical stance.
in defense of gardy, and myself, the goal for the manager is to win not only tonight, but the world series. the best chance for the twins is to have an actual threat from the right-side, something the twins have not had in months. that is what cuddyer can provide. hopefully he get it going pretty quick, albeit with very few at-bats.
dick just said that the only player that drew a walk was casilla and he was the only player to draw a 3 ball count when gomez just did…
Now is not the time to “get Cuddyer ABs.”
Sheesh.
Why must the Twins get owned by pitchers they’ve never faced before?
Funeral is right…
kinda tells you how much the twins miss cuddyer huh?
No, casey. The goal of a manager who is 1.5 games out on September 15th is to win today’s game. Pretty much nothing else matters, with the possible exception of long term health concerns for your best players.
If, and when, you are faced with winning the World Series, you worry about that, then.
mighty casey,
Gardy is a loser.
Period.
he is a 0 for 4 in the post season. This team cannot win a world series with him as a manager…
Goo Rare will give up at least 2 runs…
just in case a grand slam may have won the game for the twins, gardy is bring in guerrier to make sure that does not happen.
It also seems that this team can’t make the playoffs without him as manager either.
way to go matty, you da man
Now I understand why no pinch hitters in the 8th.
Gardy was planning on using Guerrier, and knew we’d need more than 4 in the 9th.
can we bring dennys reyes in now just finish it off
thrylos,
you obviously have no clue about baseball. you are a twins fan, but say gardy is a loser?
can i ask, why do you bother watching the twins?
the GM sucks.
gardy sucks.
pohlad is cheap.
the dome is too white.
minnesota has too many lakes.
mauer’s sideburns are too hairy.
did i miss anything?
Joe Nathan is the closer, Guerrier is the opener.
quick fire gardenhire and hire ned yost
and breslow was pulled after 2 outs on 4 pitches because . . .
Guess the Twins thought why bother scoring? Bullpen will come in an undo it all.
On the bright side, it’s much easier to watch Guerrier “work” when we’re down by three, instead of up by three.
The former makes a bad situation worse.
The latter makes a good situation bad.
Gardy’s hitting them with the old 1-2 punch…first Goo Rare, and then the Tub of Goo.
does reyes give up the wild pitch or the grand slam first? tough call
i am calling a bases clearing double
yo ‘mighty casey’,
i an a twins fan
i expect them to win. And yes gardy is a loser.
tell me (oh mighty casey) what he won? how many rings are in his fingers?
for some fans, mediocrity is fine… not for me. This team could (and can) win it all. But as long as Gardy is at the helm it won’t happen
frustration
straight and simple…
not koolaid drinking…
close tc
he won 4 division championships, pretty good for the lack of talent he’s been given. also has one of the best managerial records over the past 7+ seasons. pretty good to me.
Hafner should’ve been called out for running inside the baseline.
Boo, Reyes was effective and against the wishes of some no less!
Way to go Reyes!
and there goes Gardy… the runner should have been out (interference) but what does he do? Scratches his balls… great job manager of the millennium…
he needs to win in the playoffs MIGHTY CASEY. what is his record in the playoffs? what is Tom Kelly’s record in the playoffs? He didnt have half the team that the twins have now
Great job there, but why can’t they do that when they are up by a few runs?
Yep this year’s twins team is twice as good as the two twins teams that won the world series.
2010,
Who on Earth would want Michael Cuddyer’s contract, lack of production, and injury prone body?
Answer: No one.
Exactly, if Twins were up 3 runs at least 3 runs would have scored.
nice job. i give credit where credit is due. but come on, how many really had faith in reyes to get out of that one. let’s hope the twins use it as inspiration to get some runs.
sox lose
Just to be clear thrylos every manager who does not have a ring is a loser?
tom kelly had a first-ballot hall of famer. he had a blyleven-viola combo. he had jack morris. kent hrbek. a solid foundation at SS. he also managed many lousy teams in the 90s. teams that made you LOOK FORWARD (god forbid) to viking football in may.
also, he didn’t have the ALDS to contend with.
“for some fans, mediocrity is fine… not for me.”
Then, why do you continue to post mediocre ramblings, backed by mediocre grasp of the subject?
Mauer wanted to hit one out and he did.
Mauer Power?
The Chairman will lead the comeback.
Morneau really opened up the strike zone in that at bat.
we have had santana, morneau, mauer, hunter, liriano, mays (when he was decent) jones, we had bartlett who was just fine too
You blame Gardy for not getting an obviously correct call by an umpire reversed?
Clueless!
and nathan
Fire Gardy. NOW
Prediction:
If the whities fail to win another game, we will win the division by one game. 
Mays was had only 1 good year and it was in 2002-before Mauer and Morneau.
cant wait to here gardenhire say “they battled their tails off tonight.” “good pitching by the young kid over there.” that is all he ever says
This road trip is just like the last one. The twins forget that they are on the road and win the first two games. But then they suddenly realize that they are on the road and their play is effected. If you think the series in Toronto was bad, the twins are on track for another chicagoeske four game series later this week.
TB is throwing cookies to the Red Sox.
santana? how many wins did he have in the playoffs? how many did morris, blyleven, and viola rack up?
mauer only played in the 06 playoffs. morneau was only a stud in the 06 playoffs. hunter? jacque jones? please… liriano? what year did he appear in the playoffs? bartlett couldn’t lick the dirt off gagne’s spikes.
other than starting cuddyer, this loss in really not on gardy. gardy did not give up a single homerun, he did not strike out once, he did not ground back to pitcher and he did not hit into a single double play.
Jon, if you’re talking about the Hafner AB as “obviously correct,” then you’re the clueless one.
I don’t blame Gardenhire, I blame the ump. Hafner was clearly running inside the white line and should have been called out.
“Fire Gardy. NOW”
I’m sure that no one with brains and/or power pays any attention to that nonsense or any of your other opinions.
Twins may have failed to take advantage of Sox but they sure have failed to completely put the Twins away either. Twins went 5-9 on a roadtrip and did not lose much ground.
the twins ran into another good pitcher tonight. that being said, they had man on 2nd with 0 outs twice, and failed to get him in. twins offense can’t afford that kind of stuff.
Another game off the schedule, Nora. Another game off the schedule. Every day that goes by without losing ground is a victory for Chicago.
jon-
it’s about time someone shows up that isn’t completely oblivious
TC, If we look at things that way though and not blame the manager for anything they would never be blamed and could never be fired.
santana won game 1 of alds 03 and 04 and was 2-0 in the playoffs
Not when the Twins still have games against Chicago.
Chief,
You are right about the call, but getting the umpire to reverse it would have been futile.
What would Kelly Shoppach’s average be if he wasn’t playing against the Twins. Someone is getting him out. Why can’t our advance scouts get this info to our starting staff. Seems like there is a Twins killer or two on every team that everyone else gets out on a consistent basis. Looks glum for the boys. Cliff Lee means third loss in row. And 4 in Tampa, who has better young starters then we do. Very glum.
I think gardy is a joke and makes plenty of managerial mistakes. In this game, he did not. partially because the twins had no offense and the twins did not have a lead for the bullpen to blow.
This just in…Guerrier still sux. Put this Rinconesc player on the blocks. He is DONE>
oh no! the season is over! again!
Yep this at least the 10th this month the season has been over. LOL
unfortunetely the season is over. twelve games left. they will need a rockies type comeback. we have to go to tampa and chicago gets to go to kansas city
“they will need a rockies type comeback.”
Will they now?
Didn’t Chicago lose 2 of 3 in KC last time?
It just looks like the boys just don’t want it or they have the Yips. I don’t know what Gardy can do about that.
its okay, the boys are tired and they were not supposed to be here anyway. everyone picked them for 4th in the division. so it is okay if they sleep walk to the end of the season. after all this is just a rebuilding year for 2009 and 2010.
See how ridiculuous that sounds. They need to wake up and win it, instead of just trying to lose less than the white sox.
yes they will. They will need the white sox to lose games while we win the games they lose and that just isn’t happening gatty790 know it all
Twins will have to beat the Sox at the dome for sure. And that is definately possible. Sox hate the dome.
Really, how many games were the rockies out of a playoff spot at this point?
Surely since this team is twice as good as the 87 and 91 team, anything is possible.
it all depends how many games the twins are out nora
TK coached teams that had a much smaller window to make the playoffs (only one team from each division). Gardy also coaches in the Central. Pretty weak competition.
WHO ACTUALLY BELIEVES THAT THE TWINS WILL WIN THIS DIVISION RIGHT NOW??
looks like we will be chasing the rays for the wild card as well. means that the 4 games in tampa just got more intense.
The same amount that wants the twins to win this division.
Obviously not you, so why are you here? To whine about it?
IF TK managed this team right now, i gaurantee this race wouldn’t even be close
Nora, I never said the season is over. I said that every day that goes by without picking up ground is a victory for the White Sox.
That much is absolutely true. You don’t know how many losses Chicago is going to sustain, and just assuming they’ll sweep the Sox at home is silly.
There are what, 13 games left? And the Twins are 2 back in the loss column. They will need to win 2 more than Chicago the rest of the way just to tie.
Can it be done? Probably, but it will take help from the White Sox.
I’d rather not depend on others.
Win some damn games. Hit the damn ball. A guy throwing 89 in his second major league start and a bum like Liz shouldn’t throw 14 consecutive scoreless innings at you in a pennant race.
Sure, whatever.
they cannot win it RIGHT NOW, there are 11 games left. that “if the season ended today” stuff is just for make believe.
2010 - me. But, only because since about April, I’ve said this season feels like 2006 and you know, I’ve got these colorful glasses.
2 in Cleveland
4 in Tampa
6 in Minneapolis
–
12 games left
i stand corrected, i miscounted.
Guess the Twins thought why bother scoring? Bullpen will come in an undo it all. Exactly, if Twins were up 3 runs at least 3 runs would have scored.
Either way, Neither team is going to go far in the playoffs. Too my issues. too ‘many’ issues I mean. Punto no matter what will be in the lineup though. Even though lately he has made the most costly errors. it seems like the pitchers are all losing it at the same time, not good.
who is whining?
there is no way and hell we are getting the wild card. we are like six games from that hope
i’m gonna try something radical. i’m gonna watch and see what happens. maybe even enjoy things a little here and there…
Whities not finishing us off. Sometimes that comes back to bite you. Whities are 10-13 while we have been 9-14. I suppose the Sox fans have nearly as much to be upset at, with the one big exception that they are playing as the front runner. Whoever can string a few games in a row, wins this.
The Sox don’t play well at the Dome, and they’re going to have three games here, and then three games against Cleveland. If it comes down to the last day, they’re gonna have to face Cliff Lee.
We finish with a six-game homestand and a series against the Royals. This season isn’t over unless we get swept by the Sox at home. If that happens, we deserve to lose.
“i’m gonna watch and see what happens. maybe even enjoy things a little here and there…”
Extremist.
Might as well sit back and enjoy it, Mickey. I don’t see any sense of urgency on the Twins. It’s just as well maybe, they’ll be swinging wildly at bad pitches, making bonehead baserunning mistakes, and the pitchers will let leads disappear.
Wait, we already do that!
Maybe they need to relax, have fun, and enjoy a pennant race!
mudcat and craig — yes, it might be a bit extreme. but i think it would probably be the best option for all concerned. i mean, it’s A GAME and it’s meant to be FUN.
Speaking of fun… even without Brady, my fantasy team is 2-0
Let me get this platoon thing down. When Buscher is batting and they bring in a lefty Harris PH’s. But when Harris is starting and they bring in a righty we bring in Busch, NO, we leave in Harris to hit into a double play.
Now I understand the platoon thing better…….Go figure. I guess Gardy had a hunch that Harris was due. Great
platooning.
Twins are only 1 1/2 game out w/ 12 games to go, no sweat.
We were only 1 1/2 games out two weeks ago. Twins are going to run out of time soon. Remember, they still have to go to Tampa…..who has the best home record in baseball. And Perkins and Blackburn to pitch against the Sox.
What’s with the home runs given up Sun and today. Seven homers…….
WOW.
The Sox series won’t mean much after the Cleveland/Tampa series. Even if it does the Sox have more heart, experience, power and better starting pitching. The Twins are in meltdown mode. You can see it.
baseball is a game where funny things happen, rocky simon and twinsfanrick.
Now is when the veterans (those that are left) need to take control of this team and lead them to the playoffs.
“Now is when the veterans (those that are left) need to take control of this team and lead them to the playoffs.”
If only it was that simple.
I have no confidence in the Twins winning the tiebreaker, if needed. Perkins will start. It will be in Chicago.
Anything less than a 1-1/2 game lead by the end of the season for the Twins will probably result in them not getting into the playoffs.
If the lead is only 1/2 game, I believe the Chisox will beat Detroit in Chicago in the one last game on the 29th. They will then sit and wait for the Twins to fly in and will beat the Twins on the 30th.
So, I believe the Twins will need to win 3 more games than the Chisox in their next 12 games.
I predict the Twins will have that 1-1/2 game lead starting the last day of the season and will need a win that last day to get to playoffs.
sometimes one guy gets really hot — goes on like a 12-for-17 jag and changes everything. i know it’s probably too much to ask, but i’m hoping for punto.
but then, after all that, punto will boot a routine grounder and cost the twins the division on the last day of the season …
If we meet the White Sox at 1 back, and win two of the three, we would be tied, correct?
Win - tied
lose- 1 back
Win tied?
They may have a chance to sweep the White Sox at the dome if Liri, Slowey, Baker pitch, but it sounds like that is not going to happen. Gardy must have lots of faith in Blackburn and Perkins to put the division win in their hands. I’m hoping he is right.
I think i’m going nuts. I want the Twins to win so bad!!!! Go Twins Go!
except then he’ll come up in the ninth with two out and the tying and winning runs on second and third …
mickey,
“except then he’ll come up in the ninth with two out and the tying and winning runs on second and third …”
They will walk around him to get to Gomez.
And Gomez will…………………………………sorry, its bedtime.
AgateHunter’s wife, Chicago is slated to only play 161 games through the last day of the season because they missed a game this weekend.
The Twins and Chicago will always be something-and-a-half games apart from each other through the 28th, the last day of the season. If they are a 1/2 game apart (zero-and-a-half game apart, if you like) at the end, Chicago will then play their makeup game with Detroit.
If there are no other postponements for either the Twins or Chicago, it will be impossible for them to be 1 game apart before the 29th (as they each have an off day on the 22nd).
What’s the deal, is Boof injured?
Well it looks like FIRE will be able to keep his moniker for another year as the Twins most likely won’t win 90 games this year.
To hit 90 they have to win 8 of 12. It looks like they may only get 1 in Cleveland and will be lucky to get 2 in TB so that means that they will have to get 5 of 6 in the homestand. And we will have our 2 “gassed” pitchers (Perkins & Blackburn) going against Chicago.
Twins finish in 2nd with 88 wins.
Twins should go to a four-man rotation the rest of the way. Drop either Perkins or Blackburn - neither one will start a game in the post season (if they make it).
