Postgame update: Morneau leaning toward missing HR Derby
Posted on July 5th, 2009 – 4:37 PMBy Joe Christensen
Justin Morneau, baseball’s defending Home Run Derby champion, said he is leaning toward missing this year’s event to give himself more rest.
Morneau joked that he’d be going out on top. He said he’s excited to be heading back to the All-Star Game, along with teammates Joe Mauer and Joe Nathan. But he remembers how hot it was in St. Louis when the Twins visited last weekend, so missing the Derby would add to his rest.
“I don’t know, we’ll see,” Morneau said. “It’s something I’m leaning toward not doing. I maybe could use that extra time off, and just go there, play in the game, and enjoy the time. The last two [years] I’ve been in the Derby, and it’s been kind of hectic. I haven’t really got to enjoy it too much, so I’m kind of leaning toward not doing it.”
Mauer said he won’t try to nudge Morneau one way or the other.
“It’s his decision,” Mauer said. “He’s been in a couple of them, and he’s won it, so I don’t know. It’s a great event. If I was asked, I know I would go in it, but we’ll see what happens.”
So, a reporter asked, he’s throwing his hat in the ring?
“If they ask me, I’d have a tough time saying no,” he said. “Something might be hurting or something like that, but I don’t know if they want to see me go the other way [to left field] or anything like that, so we’ll see what happens.”
Also, Manager Ron Gardenhire said the Twins will not alter their starting rotation before the All-Star break as he had hinted before today’s 6-2 victory over Detroit.
So it’ll be Scott Baker, Glen Perkins and Anthony Swarzak against the Yankees. Francisco Liriano, Nick Blackburn and Baker will follow against the White Sox. Then, after the break, Gardenhire said the Twins will go to Perkins, Baker and Liriano against Texas.
77 Responses to "Postgame update: Morneau leaning toward missing HR Derby"
first?
I missed most of the game. Could someone please explain what happened in the 4th when Kubel was caught stealing? Thanks.
Mauer Power,
Missed Hit & run sign?
Regards,
Morneau once said that the Hr Derby hurts his swing. His numbers do drop off during the second half of the season. Why not take the rest.
I would love to see Baby Jesus hitting em down the left field line in the HR Derby.
Yes, Cuddyer missed the hit and run sign and Kubel was hung out to dry.
Hell, I’d skip the Derby out of principle if I were Justin. He’s cometed twice and won the thing last year… but in the MLB promos, he doesn’t even get mentioned for it along with other past winners.
Tell ‘em to shove their Derby, just sit back, relax and watch. I doubt the media will even notice that the defending champion isn’t competing because they don’t remember who won it anyway.
Off topic but here goes anyway. Somewhere on the site yesterday it was mentioned that Boston will be the first Twins’ opponent in 2010 but the rest of the schedule was not indicated. Is there any way to find out what the rest of the schedule looks like and when individual game seats may be purchased?
Also mentioned was the removal of large cranes from Target Field. How did the birds get there in the first place, wouldn’t they be on the Mississippi? And how were they going to catch them to remove them?
Any answers in these two areas would be greatly appreciated.
Good to see Jeter and Jason Bay starting… I am sure both of those two would be starting for the AL if they played for the Royals.
oldguy- they will not release the schedule until the fall. They just leaked the opening games. We open at home on April 12 against the Red Sox.
oldguy…………are you being serious about the “large cranes?”
Bay deserves to start…. Jeter….. this year the SS crop is weak
how is blackburn not there with a 7-4 record with a very good 2.94 era that sounds deserving
JC, yea it is ridiculous, espn shows Hamilton as the winner last year in their promos..haha
travis, Im guessing if he would have won in Milwaukee Blackburn would be in. If a pitcher backs out Im thinking he will be one of the first replacements. They picked the pitchers before the game today so his start today wasnt factored in.
deserving over who?
Deserving over Wakefield….
Jason Bartlett is weak? hitting 360 w/ more RBIs, SB and fewer errors than Jeter in less games? Huh?
wakefield got the lifetime acheivement award, may not be fair but not a surprise
6 Red Sox in the game it is annoying. 4 should be the limit.
but in the MLB promos, he doesn’t even get mentioned for it along with other past winners
This. Not to mention the sponser last year didn’t even bother to get his name right.
I’d definately skip this year for those reasons, though for PR’s sake I’d never say it was for those reasons.
They couldn’t find Jason Morneau so they settled for his brother in the HRD this year, duh.
Change topic here….Interesting stats on Twins’ player salaries and all teams totals……..
I’m assuming the 2.5 million next to Crede means he’s triggered that many incentives right?
What was the ceiling on that BTW…7 mil?
2.5 mill is his base salary
correct, Shawn.
heh, that U of M degree came in handy, heh
Mickey Hatcher: why wouldn’t I be serious about such an important subject as cranes? They are endangered, are they not? One certainly does not want to see one of them’s demise in trying to remove them from Target Field. There will be other birds flying around the field why not just let the cranes stay there.
Re Doc’s 6:38……
Guerrier is the most underpaid, imo (and the most overused).
There are lots of good Twins players with very, very low salaries. Hope BS keeps his savings from this year in the bank so he can keep these good players in a couple years.
oldguy - They had to be removed.
I think they called in animal control and shot them.
The meat was donated to the local food shelf
PETA of course protested.
Roomer that is true about the starters but not the position players.
clutterheart,
Why would PETA protest? Are you talking about “People Eating Tasty Animals”?
Oh, I get it, they don’t taste very good.
Regards,
I cant believe i am saying this but I am quite sure that when the article metioned “cranes” it was refering to “heavy equipment”…cranes that move heavy steel I beams……..oldguy you must have been joking???? right?????
Dragon, I heard that the taste of cranes is something like an eagle or a loon.
Question……… I may be stupid, but
do I read it correctly that Morneau
made the All-Star team “only” to hit in
the HR contest? Can be pass on that, and
still play in the game?
“I am quite sure that when the article metioned “cranes” it was refering to “heavy equipment”…cranes that move heavy steel I beams……..oldguy you must have been joking???? right?????”
Mickey Hatcher,
Between oldguy, you and me, at least two of us must have been standing under those cranes when they dropped an I-beam.
I think you are correct, but I wasn’t going to say anything, because “oldguy” may ACTUALLY be correct and I didn’t want to sound totally clueless.
Mr. Dragon and Mr. sane, Thank you for your requisite humor and wisdom. It’s appreciated!! That said, it appears that the “trade” involving Garza/Young is quickly evolving into the Bartlett fiasco. I always liked Bartlett and am more than pleased at his successful transition to Joe Madden and TB. Funny how a manager believing and praising you can help build such a bright future. Congrats to Jason on being named to the AL All-Star team (your stats indicate that you should have been voted in as a starter).
It’s not surprising they removed all the cranes from Target Field.
The Twins removed all the Crains from the ‘dome this year, too.
Cranes, or “Slew-pumpers” we called them, feed in stinky swampy areas. But how would anyone know they taste like eagles? ? ? Peta AND the U.S. Wildlife
Service are against eating THEM. Back to Morneau, he’s not good enough for the HR Derby and doesn’t belong in it and nobody likes him or knows him. They should turn their back on him and not invite him. Besides, it messes up his swing and he’s a little nicked up. Mauer said he’d like to be in it? Good one, Joe, keep dreaming.
Thanks for the detail on Kubel being caught stealing, guys.
Morneau should definitely skip the derby. He got the trophy last year. The lack of recognition from national sports media grates, at least on this fan. Just get some extra R&R. The second half of the season is coming up.
Gardenhire is a great manager, but he could be better. The best leaders know how to read people and give them what they need to excel. Some people need a kick in the butt. Some other people need a few words of kindness or encouragement. People vary a lot. I don’t think Gardy has quite mastered this part of leadership yet, but he is capable of doing so.
Witness the Ayala situation. Ayala is an OK pitcher who performed very poorly as a Twin. Why didn’t Gardy get the best out of Ayala? You can say “attitude problem” or “personality conflict,” but the best leaders do not have those problems because they overcome them. They put their own personality on hold when necessary and give whatever the individual or team needs at that particular time, while retaining personal integrity. I believe there may have been similar issues with Garza and Bartlett.
The kind of leadership that solves very difficult interpersonal problems does not just appear out of nowhere. It is created through hard work and improvement over time. Dwight Eisenhower does not just show up one day and organize D-Day. He spends a lifetime getting better at being a leader. That’s how it’s done.
Power is right, the Home Run Derby is dumb. I watched Garza pitch on ESPN game of the week. He’s pretty good at getting out of bases loaded jams. But he kept loading them. Bartlett messed up a few times also. When you read the news you expect to see Cy Young and Ernie Banks. They looked to me like just regular major leaguers about like the guys we’ve got. Hard to imagine Delmon and Harris on the All-Star team though, but anything is possible.
2.5 mill is his base salary
Ah. My bad. I thought he had signed for 1.5 base. Thanks!
You can say “attitude problem” or “personality conflict,” but the best leaders do not have those problems because they overcome them.
Sometimes the best leaderse overcome these issues by simply eliminating them.
Speaking of ASG: Assuming that the 9 guys voted in will all be able to play, what do you forsee being the starting lineup?
Mauer would be #2/3 in most lineups, but considering there’s also Jeter (who’s typically leading off or batting 2nd) and Ichiro (who’s a career leadoff hitter)… do you think he’ll be bumped way down?
I’m thinking something like this for the AL.
Suzuki
Jeter
Mauer
Texiera
Hamilton
Longoria
Bay
Pedroia
(Pitcher)
It’s one of those situations where no matter how you put it together the guys batting at the bottom look out of place.
The best leaders change with the times also. The days of the “kick in the butt” are over, believe it or not. Today’s players were brought up in a cooperative learning environment, so some coaching methods don’t work as well. I think the chance to become rich beyond your wildest dreams should be enough motivation, IMO.
The homerun derby is fun, yet overrated at the same time.
The whole point of it is two-fold in my view: 1. It’s a chance for the national fans to see some of the big name HR hitters on display and 2. It’s a chance for the fans to see some of the unknown power hitters on display.
Since Morneau should be in Category 1, but isn’t for some reason, and he apparently can’t get any respect in Category 2, I say skip it. The MVP trophy will end up looking a lot better than that silly Century 21 bat, especially when their PR rep doesn’t even know your name.
I agree Justin.
Of course, having said that, I wouldn’t mind seeing him up there…
Bartlett is the best SS in the American league this year. Garza is a solid starter, but I agree he isn’t a stud like many want you to believe.
Shaun is right on with his comments. Bartlett is a decent shortstop, probably one of the better in the AL at this time, but he is not great, and never will be. He doesn’t have much more upside than he is showing right now. A good little player, but certainly not a cornerstone or “franchise” type guy. Garza’s a head case who can look like Cy Young one start and Bozo the Clown the next.
the braves are shopping yunel escobar what would he cost? he could play 2b, he has played there, for the rest of the year and move to ss next year. punto could go back to super utility guy.
i can’t see them trading for sanchez with his contract.
i can’t see them trading for sanchez with his contract.
Kinda like how they’d never land Crede because of he and Boras’ demands?
——-
As far as the Home Run Derby is concerned, is anybody else amazed by how quickly Hamilton dropped off the radar following that?
I mean, All-Star Weekend last year basically turned into the Josh Hamilton Road to Redemption Special…culminating in the love-in that was the Home Run Derby.
He was the best baseball story ever, one of the greatest hitters of all time, and a shoe-in for MVP…and then you didn’t hear a thing about him after the break.
What the heck happened?
Hell, the only thing most fans remember about last year’s home run derby was Josh Hamilton, despite the fact that Morneau won. Is it any wonder ESPN would play up Hamilton over Morneau? It’s about attracting viewers, getting ratings and making money. Us Twins fans might not want to admit it, but reminding everybody what Hamilton did last year does that much better than running Morneau out there in the ads.
I would post more, but I am still laughing at the whole “cranes” thing. I mean, there’s thick and then there’s really thick.
Count me in on the group that would like to see Joe in the HR derby. I still wish they had a skills challenge for the AS game instead of the lame softball game.
T I think Hamilton cooled off after the AS break and his team was horrible so there wasn’t much to talk about with Hamilton.
Buffalo…and then there is “tick” and “really tick”. That is how we Norwegians pronounce it.
“Kinda like how they’d never land Crede because of he and Boras’ demands?”
not real sure how they relate T. crede was a free agent and didn’t cost any prospects signed on a 1 yr incentive based contract. sanchez will cost some players plus taking on the rest of his contract for this year about 3m and next year at 8m. not really apples to apples.
In attempt to clear up the crane issues, please read the following link:
From that article, we read:
“Three separate cranes are currently on the site, with 400-450 construction workers taking part in the project every day.”
The question is, how many hours will PETA allow those cranes to be worked without proper food and water?
What about union representation?
Are any bird labor laws being violated?
EOE Laws apply, sane.
Good one sane. Reminds me of a story I heard about a Spanish Zoo. They purchase a crane before they became extinct, but it refused to get off the plane it was shipped on. They had to ship it back.
The moral of this story is: that cranes in Spain stick mainly to the plane.
crede was a free agent and didn’t cost any prospects signed on a 1 yr incentive based contract.
Which nobody figured Smith would be able to pull off due to him being backed by Scott Boras.
That is why I’m making the comparison to Sanchez. It’s different situations, but both are situations that people figured would never happen.
Is it any wonder ESPN would play up Hamilton over Morneau?
It’s one thing to play up Hamilton’s performance as overall more impressive. However when you’re discussing past winners and bring up Hamilton instead of Morneau then you’re just flat out getting your facts wrong. I think that’s where most people here in Minny are disappointed.
I still wish they had a skills challenge for the AS game instead of the lame softball game.
That would be fun. They’ve already got the Derby for power hitters. They could have a competition for catcher’s to see who has the best accuracy throwing from home to 2nd/3rd (hit a target that represents the glove)
Or have a control challenge where pitchers try and hit targets that represent places in the K-Zone.
I suppose they’re not as flashy as the skills challenges in the NHL ASG, but it’d be a fun distraction for a day between the softball game and the Derby.
Good idea T. They could set up a giant Slip’n Slide thing down the first base line for the Head First Sliding competition.
T,
My suggestions for skills challenge events would be:
1)a range evaluation at defensive positions..a pitching machine could be used to test defensive players on their left/right or back/forward range on identical machine-fired balls.
2)Also, test catchers on their catch-throw times to 2B;
3)infielders on their dive-recovery-throw times;
4)outfielders on their vertical jump and reach on wall balls.
How about including Line Drives hit off a tee at the 1st/3rd base coaches, kind of like a game of dodgeball with baseballs.
Letterman had some kind of tall Velcro wall you jump onto on his show one night. That could be some kind of outfielder competition.
No, not dwarf tossing! Get serious, you guys!
do cranes crap as much as geese? the field could get very messy if they do.
it would probably make it easier for nicky to slide into first, however.
Probably more, ggg. These are BIG cranes!!!!!!!
I think they should have a contest for sliding into first base. The first one to rip a ligament in their hand wins.
ggg,
“do cranes crap as much as geese?”
I am guessing no, because I have never heard a football coach say “We went through that team, like crap through a crane!”
JoeC….you have to admit that the bloggers today have great, great senses of humor. We are like a deck of cards, we oughta be shuffled and cut!!!
“The days of the “kick in the butt” are over, believe it or not. Today’s players were brought up in a cooperative learning environment, so some coaching methods don’t work as well.”
sounds like a question for sane … so, sane, do you think players over the years have become different from a coaching standpoint?
Good idea T. They could set up a giant Slip’n Slide thing down the first base line for the Head First Sliding competition.
It’s time like these I wish I had Photoshop on my work PC.
If I was Morneau I’d skip the derby as well, he got no respect from MLB for winning it last year, and he could use the rest, he doesn’t get much as it is. Been there done that. It’d be fun to see Mauer in it, but he could also use the rest.
“do you think players over the years have become different from a coaching standpoint?”
Absolutely.
The baseball rats are still baseball rats, but there are fewer of them.
More players have more varied non-baseball interests and opportunities.
An old-school in-your-face coach who runs a drill-bitch-drill-bitch-drill practice routine will turn off and drive away players who have more interesting diversions available elsewhere.
Many players will simply not tolerate that approach, because there are more pleasant alternative approaches used by other coaches and instructors after you tell “old-skool” to go bleep himself.
sane or somebody who actually knows something about baseball-Would Crede be worth a two year contract extension as long as his back stays sound and Boras doesn’t try to rob us?
I think Casilla is the key to the second half.We need a offensive threat with speed in the two hole. Mauer in the three hole balances out the bottom of the order better.Disregard his defensive lapses Gardy,overall he is the answer.The Tigers won ten in a row and the White SOX just came off a seven gamer.If we could win ten in a row(our longest has been four)we could run away and hid in this division!
Let’s not forget to move Harris to the 6 or 7 position tomorrow night!
