Between-games update
Posted on August 31st, 2007 – 4:41 PMBy La Velle
I ran down to the clubhouse after the first game to hear Gardy lament the poor defensive plays and lack of clutch hitting. Then I went out into the clubhouse and got a nice surprise.
Francisco Liriano, Glen Perkins and Jesse Crain - nearly 30 percent of the Twins 2008 pitching staff next season, maybe - were in the clubhouse.
Liriano, coming back from Tommy John surgery, looks really good. I heard some rumors that he had gained weight, but I couldn’t tell. Come to think about it, how can you add blubber if you’re working out every day during the summer in Fort Myers, Fla.?
As of now, the Twins hope Liriano can get back on the mound by Nov. 1.
I’m not sure why Perkins is here. He had two disastrous rehab stints at Class AA New Britain and he’s not close to being able to help out the team. Maybe the club will have him work out in the bullpen, throw a couple of simulated games and see if he can get a few innings in during September.
Crain, coming back from surgery to repair a torn labrum and rotator cuff, is making steady progress and wants to be back for the start of 2008. If he pulls that off, it will be a near-miracle.
Both Liriano and Crain won’t know what they have, stuffwise and velo wise, until they climb on a mound. It’s still good to see them and it gets you thinking about 2008 even more.
Joe Mauer is on the field, playing catch. Don’t know what that means, but at least he’s not longer hanging out in the trainer’s room…and now Mauer has grabbed a bat and looks headed to the cage for some swings…
13 Responses to "Between-games update"
“Come to think about it, how can you gain weight if you’re working out every day during the summer in Fort Myers, Fla.?”
It’s awesomeness. Since he’s been unable to pitch for almost a full season and a half, he’s been unable to exude it on the field.
I saw Francisco downstairs after a game during the Boston series earlier this year… I thought he definitely looked bigger than when I saw him last year
Did Trevor Plouffe get promoted to Rochester? He isn’t starting tonight for New Britain, after not playing yesterday. Nothing was mentioned about a injury that.
Also according to MILB’s site Slowey is starting tonight for Rochester.
So is Slowey going to be limited to about 75 pitches?
Maybe Anderson wants to see Perkins throw in person to offer some tips.
Slowey probably is on a pitch count.
Plouffe was hit by a pitch in the shoulder and is being rested.
Would Mauer please show me that he can play at less than 100%. The more I don’t see of Mauer the more I don’t like that contract he got.
LEN III
Any word on how Watkins is doing? I know he isn’t really an answer to what ails the Twins but he would mean less AB’s for Punto.
Ford and Rodriguez were taken out of Rochester’s game tonight early.
Slowey 4 IP 7 hits 4 runs 3 ER 1 BB 4 K’s 5-2 GB-FB and 67 pitches thrown.
Rochester lost 10-6.
Morales went 3-5 with a Double and a RBI.
Also of note Moses started at 2B tonight for New Britain.
Elizabethton won the Appy League title.
10-7* was the final
Richmond also won so Rochester is 1½ games out of the Wild Card with three games to play.
Terry Ryan has gone on note as saying that Liriano has added some weight this year…and it’s been a “good” type of weight.
Terry said that Liriano added some bulk to his frame that he can become more of a “workhouse” type pitcher. I assume he was hoping Liriano would do some training/weight lifting while he was rehabbing in hopes that he’d get stronger in the areas in which he needed to get stronger.
SportsCenter just showed Liriano and Johan sitting together…and I actually got a chill thinking of what those two could do together in a Twins uniform.
hey lavelle
what u think about the royals pinch hitting in a 5-0 game last nite with the twins killer sweeney–i though it was chicken-s__t
johnb,
You play the game to win.
Flat out.
Yeah, it’s not like the Royals are Brett Favre.
