Comments on: Even now, Nathan’s deal looks like a smart investment

By: Ron P

Ron P — Thu, 25 Dec 2008 15:05:49 +0000

One of my pastimes has been to set aside many sports mags and such in a pile to reread in the winter. I done that since I was a kid. One recurring lesson I have learned is that the “experts” are no more expert than any of us in their predictions of the future. Sure their access to clubhouses and news sources is an advantage they have and should have to keep the average fan juiced . One example, The Sporting News , long self described as the baseball bible, said these players were ‘falling’ or were at the end of their value (3/24/08). Tim Wakefield,Jermaine Dye,Francisco Rodriguez ( I kid you not),Mike Mussina!,Carlos Pena, and the Philles pitching staff,etc. My point is ‘what is a legit major leauge player , that sure thing? Carlos Beltran was the sure thing for the Mets a couple of years ago, they and the Yankees have stockpiling ’sure things’ for years now and the world series is conspicuous by their absense. Sexton was a sure thing for the Yankees last year and Twins fans thought he would have been a good fit here. Yes I would like the Twins to be WS champs but neither the experts or the fans here or I myself can guarantee how to fill in those missing pieces. But with 6 playoff in the past 8 , my faith still lies with the FO.

By: Mark

Mark — Thu, 25 Dec 2008 11:56:02 +0000

Ron my friend,
It’s going to be a sad day of reckoning for you when M&M and Nathan are done. Either gone or retired. There is a window. Also your comment had one Telling phrase…”FO Hopes the team will be competitive each year”..that’s the current catch phrase baloney.
Twins can tweak and improve so much right now WITHOUT tearing apart the foundation of this team. Not just for the sake of signing someone as another blogger said, but for the sake of Trying to win a WS!!!!!! No slugs this time but legit Major League players who are available to us right now. Someone just has to pull the trigger. All that and we keep Delmon too. Your one move theory is sadly understated…one move to do what? Win 87 games and be in the race for the Central into Sept. finish 1-7 games back in the end and blog your way to oblivion like this again next off season? It’s going to take 3-4 moves. If your good with that..fine..as for me..I see a shot at a WS team and the window will not be open for long..now is the time.

By: Ron P

Ron P — Wed, 24 Dec 2008 13:31:36 +0000

Enough with this window of opportunity baloney. That seems to be the new catch phrase. or catch all phrase . How many times has that argument been made and by fans urging the FO to make hasty deals that were imprudent , just to take advantage of that closing W. o OP. Weren’t the Twins supposed to have crumbled if the FO didn’t hang on to the Koskies and Doug M’s and that bunch? Last year it was gloom time because the window was slammed shut by not keeping Tori and Santana . Today it’s woe are we for we won’t keep the M&M boys for long. Some fans are so wrapped up in that stale thinking they don’t realize that ‘windows’ also let fresh air in! No I don’t want the M&Ms gone but I think the situation is different now with the new stadium ,I can see M&M doing the Hrbek and Radke thing and staying with the Twins. And really I don’t think the FO ever had a game plan to be mediocre. Every Twins caravan I been to over the last 15 years was filled with hope that the players aquired and the team fielded would be a competitive one. Players get hurt , don’t fit in with the new teammates etc. For every great free agent or trade made that helps a team, there are probably 2 that fail . You don’t think fans in the bay are blogging right now still mad about giving away Nathan and Booof and Liriano. Just like Ryan (8:01 AM)said “Have some faith”. Last year fans wanted action by the FO and got the Garza- Young trade. Whoopee ! then they crabbed because Garza did well on that surprising Ray team . Today they want Young traded and next year they will be bitching that 23 year old Delmon matured into a superstar! The Twins only need to make one move , just one and that is a big stick at 3rd. I have FAITH they will solve the bullpen needs with shuffling the talent within the organization and a shrewd pickup like Breslow was last year. And I don’t see any sure things out there at third for them . Possibilities ,but no sure thing.

By: Jim

Jim — Wed, 24 Dec 2008 01:12:33 +0000

HAHAHAHAHA… Got to love the Yankees. They spend $423 mil and they’re still not done. The richest owner in baseball, cheap ass Pohlad, won’t spend and extra $2m to get Blake. And I don’t want to hear about overpaying, small market team bullcrap. If there is a hell for cheap pricks, Pohlad will be king.

By: thrylos98

thrylos98 — Wed, 24 Dec 2008 00:38:09 +0000

our top guys - Morneau and Mauer - hit lefties fairly well.

I understand what you are saying, back back to the ‘91 team comparison to look at more detail.

Stats against lefties:

2008:

Mauer: SLG .525, isoP .164
Young: SLG .441, isoP .141
Morneau: SLG .435, isoP .169
Harris: SLG .391, isoP .136
Kubel:SLG .374, isoP .142

1991:

Mack: SLG .528, isoP .240
Chilli: SLG .511 isoP .241
Harper: SLG .447 isoP .131
Leuis: SLG .445 isoP .145
Hrbek: SLG .445 isoP .168

if you look at the power numbers they look very different… That’s why the Twins need at least one power RH bat.

A couple things they can do to improve the team:

a. sign Wigginton as the every day third baseman:

last season against lefties:

.340/.424/.631 (.291 isoP)

career against lefties:

.288/.364/.514 (.226 isoP)

b. trade Caddaver for Bill Hall and use him as the RH DH/PH and utility

last season against lefties:

.306/.371/.522 (.216 isoP)

career against lefties:

.278/.355/.493 (.215 isoP)

(and Cuddaver’s last year’s numbers against lefties were .250/.370/.324 , .074 isoP and career .283/.371/.441 , .158 isoP; so Hall is a definite improvement)

Get those 2 on board with minimal cost and the 09 team is starting to look more like the 91…

By: Pete D.

Pete D. — Tue, 23 Dec 2008 23:35:50 +0000

thrylos -

My point is - why does it matter? If the Twins as a team hit lefties and righties exactly the same, what difference does it make if they are right handed hitters or left handed hitters? It shouldn’t make any difference at all. Can we improve the team by bringing in a bat? Absolutely. But looking at the splits versus lefties and righties, it doesn’t make a great difference which one we get, since the team as a whole hits each hand fairly equally.

I guess what I’m saying is - don’t exclude a guy because he only hits left handed. If he hits well, he would be a welcome addition. We don’t necessarily need someone who mashes left handers, because our top guys - Morneau and Mauer - hit lefties fairly well.