Twins-Rays: Wednesday pre-game.
Posted on April 16th, 2008 – 3:59 PMBy La Velle
Since I wasn’t on the last road trip I’m trying to remember what it’s like to cover a team again. So I’m waiting for injury updates on Adam Everett, Kevin Slowey and Michael Cuddyer.
Here are the updates:
Everett: Had an MRI today and will confer with Twins doctors around 6 p.m. He’s frustrated because he doesn’t remember a play during which he injured it. (Reporter’s note: This means that we’ll likely get an update after the game, since the clubhouse is now closed. The only chance for an in-game update is if Everett is headed to the DL.)
Cuddy: Admitted that his finger injury is going slower than expected and he’s pretty bummed out about it. His right index finger, by the way, is Shaq-sized right now. It doesn’t look like he’ll be ready to come off the disabled list in four days.
Slowey: Threw in the bullpen today with no problems, but he will need to have at least two more pain-free sessions before they send him out for a rehab assignment.
Gardy seemed rather upbeat for someone who had just watched two rough games. His bullpen’s track record indicates that the relievers will shake off two bad days, and he’s seeing some fight from his lads.
He thought Mat Tolbert had a great at-bat going against Todd Jones before making the final out. He thinks Delmon Young is about to bust out and feels Mike Lamb will start hitting soon. I know Punto is a four-letter word around these parts, but Gardy thinks the infielder is starting to relax a little at the plate.
“I thought we played good baseball this road trip for the most part,” Gardenhire said. “We lost a few games late but we were getting after the game pretty good. Even in the game (Tuesday) with Detroit we got behind late and kept playing. They had to get us out at the end. ”
Here are the lineups:
Tampa Bay (6-8): 1.Akinori Iwamura, 2B. 2. Carl Crawford, LF. 3. B.J. Upton, CF. 4. Carlos Pena, 1B. 5. Evan Longoria, 3B. 6. Eric Hinske, RF. 7. Jonny Gomes, DH. 8. Shawn Riggans, C. 9. Jason Bartlett, SS. Pitching: James Shields.
Note: Rays have nine players on the disabled list. Wow.
Twins (6-8): 1. Carlos Gomez, CF. 2. Denard Span, RF. 3. Joe Mauer, C. 4. Justin Morneau, 1B. 5. Delmon Young, LF. 6. Jason Kubel, DH. 7. Brendan Harris, 2B. 8. Mike Lamb, 3B. Nick Punto, SS. Pitching: Livan Hernandez.
314 Responses to "Twins-Rays: Wednesday pre-game."
i like the lineup but i would play matt tolbert at SS insted of pubto
I’d keep Punto at short and play Tolbert at third.
Frustrating how little Tolbert plays when he can play every position AND he is a switch hitter.
Monroe gets two hits and is out of the lineup again. Why do they have this guy on the team? Span is hitting .300. Give Gomez a day off and get both of those guys in the lineup, then maybe Gomez can clear his head, come back, and go 3 for 4 instead of another 0 for 4 like he’ll do tonight.
Why not let Tolbert play??? At least he has a fighting chance to get on base.
Tolbert is not playing because Nicky is batting .429 while Matty is only batting .407
End of discussion. Next question.
Gardy is a Dumb Ass! I don’t mind Punto starting. It just should have been for Lamb. There is a 90% chance Lamb and Punto won’t even be with the Twins next year.
If Punto goes o-4 tonight, he will drop to .270, Of course thats still .100 points higher than Lamb is hitting right now. I would love to bitch slap Gardy.
Monroe isn’t playing because the pitcher is a Righty. Do we have to go over this every time? He is platooning with Span depending on who is pitching.
Thanks Jama. Sheesh this is hard for you lay people.
That’s why Nicky is playing too because he can bat left handed. And Tolbert is not playing because, uh because, well uh, because, well even if he can bat from the left side, how can I sit Harris at .325? And, uh, because Tolbert is bound to cool off; and, uh, well, I just got a feeling about Lamb.
All right. End of discussion about my lineups. Next question.
Ben D
Lamb/Everett will start to justify their salary . Thats why Punto got over 500 at bats last year.
Lamb, Punto, Everett, Monroe wont be here next year. Redmond might be gone too.
I’ll give Punto his one chance tonight. And that’s it. He’s doing okay and he deserves it.
Of course Tolbert deserves it more. But he’s a better pinch hitter than Punto.
Punto has looked better so lets give him a chance.
Hey Gardy, why does your team always come out of the gate playing horribly, and not playing like they should until it’s too late? Doesn’t three years of that kind of hint towards bad coaching?
Yep,
Thats how it goes. You pay ‘em, you play ‘em. Regardless if its the best lineup to try and win the game.
Except with Nathan, We pay him and wont let him play. Im confused now!
This line up sucks put all the guys in that aren’t playing and sit these guys the only way to go is opposite the way you’re going now except for me so I can keep hitting those screaming laser shots around the park. I’ve got to keep those pictures safe!
Paul,
That’s a good question, even if not entirely accurate. I think last year we didn’t play like we should at all.
I agree the coaching that some of these kids got before they got here wasn’t very good. And that is why after they’ve been here for a while we do better.
Next question.
Lamb will be back next year. Twins signed him to a 2yr 7mil contract.
I don’t understand why Gardy refuses to have a “set” lineup? Not playing Tolbert everyday is a joke. Just like not having Nathan pitch in the 8th inning sometimes.
Lamb will be here next year since he’s signed to a 2-year deal; there’s even an option for 2010.
Relax people. To quote Mike Tice, “Enjoy the Season.”
Jama is correct, Monroe plays against lefty’s because Kubel still can’t hit them.
Everet is out so a utility guy is going to get that spot. Tolbert’s been getting a lot of work in lately, frankly much more than anyone expected. So I’m not suprised Gardy’s going to give Punto the start.
Correct me if I’m wrong but this is his first start of the year is it not? That many games without Gardy starting him has got to be some kind of record so why are you Punto haters crabbing about it?
This is not Punto’s first start.
Tomk,
Tonight is actually Punto’s 3rd start of the season.
JDW that is depressing news, We will just have to trade him then.
Burn Gardy Burn
Burn Gardy Burn
Burn Gardy Burn
Burn Gardy Burn
Burn Gardy Burn
Burn Gardy Burn
Burn Gardy Burn
Burn Gardy Burn
Burn Gardy Burn
Burn Gardy Burn
Burn Gardy Burn
Burn Gardy Burn
Burn Gardy Burn
Burn Gardy Burn
Burn Gardy Burn
Burn Gardy Burn
This is Nicky’s 3rd start. Nicky and my secret agreement is every 5th game. We are on schedule.
Ummm, Lamb has a TWO year contract.
I’m actually a fan of Mike Lamb and still think he will hit 15-18HR and drive in 70+runs. 15 games is too early to give up on anyone.
Gardy: is the coaching why after a spring training and a dozen games Gomez still doesn’t know the difference between a sacrifice and bunting for a base hit. Or are you taking it slow?
The only thing that will make me crazy mad at Gardy is if he lets Span get sent down without giving Go-go a rest and then puts Monroe in CF shortly after that, which I fear is going to happen.
id like to see monroe keep his bat in this lineup….he can hit rt handed pitching, and how do you expect a guy to hit if hes never in the lineup..let gomez sit for a day or so and let span play cf kubel in rt and monroe dh….i hope punto has a good game, as im afraid everett is headed to dl, just my guess….lets hope all the bats wake up on this homestand, as everyone needs to hit…this lineup cant count on just 3-4 guys to carry the load, all must contribute….heres hoping lamb has a very nice homestand…we need him badly…..he has shown some real defense lately, thats nice, but id really like to see some homeruns from a few of the guys….all of them actually…
gobbledygookguy:
Gomez is exciting isn’t he? We get a kick out of watching him from the dugout. You just never know what he is going to do. Now, I have talked to him about bunting with 2 strikes and bunting in sacrifice situations and bunting when we are 10 runs up. That’s why, and you may have noticed, he hit one that bounced over the fence last night. Gomez is going to be all right. He sure is fun to watch.
Next question.
yayyayayaya punto is playing
and a fyi
nick is 4-4 against the TB’s starting pitcher.
THUS WHY HE IS PLAYING.
UGH.
I hope your right JDW.
In Punto’s case, he has not had enough ABs to say either way if he is going to have a good year or a bad year.
History shows that Nick is more likely to have the latter, plus players usually only have 1 career year (2006 seems so long ago).
Gardy
Did you tell Gomez he can get on first by walking and getting on base is a good thing.
GoGo clowns around too much.
Forgive me, for I am a worthless dumbass.
I wonder what people would’ve said about Marty Cordova if we has these blogs back when he was with the Twins?
I wonder what people would’ve said about Marty Cordova if we had these blogs back when he was with the Twins?
I don’t understand why everyone is freaking out about statistics after 15 games. Ortiz is hitting like .100 something and I don’t think they are going to dump him.
If Monroe goes 2 for 4 in his next game he will be hitting .286 and I am sure people will be calling for him to play more.
If Punto’s going to play, SS is the only opening at the moment. Twins did not sign Mike Lamb to let Punto take his ABs.
As far as Span/Kubel/Monroe…I would prefer Span in the field over the other two, and Kubel’s currently hitting better than Monroe (actually a number of Twins are)
Hey Gardy,
Your old pal Jason Bartlett returns tonight. I bet you miss having a shortstop that can actually throw from short to first, don’t you?
I guess I just look at it like what nine players give me the best chance to win this ball game.
And IMO Lamb needs a day off and Tolbert needs to stay in so we will know if he has the potential to be an everyday player. One thing is for sure pinch hitting Tolbert in the ninth for everett every 3 games is stupid.
I am already calling for Monroe to get more playing time, and Tolbert.
Putting Punto and Span in this lineup is daring their pitcher to throw a no hitter against us.
Ben, now that Everett could be out for a while (if not good), let’s see how the shortstop situation playes out.
Tolbert got the start last night, with Punto taking the start tonight. If Punto’s back in tomorrow, then let’s start to worry. Heck, barring something with Tolbert *knock wood*, let’s wait until Punto plays a second time on this HOMESTAND.
Just updated this entry….
Point taken T,
I just don’t agree with it. I said Lamb should have gotten a rest tonight, I’m ok with Punto starting. Tolbert has a better glove than Lamb anyway. Look at what happened when Tolbert got the start for Harris early on, Harris picked his game up alot.
(Everett)’s frustrated because he doesn’t remember a play during which he injured it.
That’s a bad sign, as if he can’t think of a play where it could’ve happened it likely means it’s just happening on its own.
How old is he again?
I’m starting to wonder if Adam Everett is this year’s Jeff Cirillo? Injured but doesn’t know how or if an injury occurred?
I am not a Punto fan, by any means.
That said, this is the one game that it makes sense for him to start with Everett out. He is a career .800 hitter against Shields with 2 walks…
Lamb’s only gotten the day off once right? I suppose it wouldn’t hurt, but the problem is considering his bat at 3rd, there’s really nobody that could replace that.
Tolbert’s hitting well, but I don’t think he has the same threat for pop that Lamb would.
The Twins need to spend 08 getting SOMEBODY ready to take over for Lamb. Even if he’s under contract for 2009, they can put a young guy there and let Lamb serve as a bench option.
He’d be an upgrade over Punto.
Come to think of it, Ben D is right. Lamb has never played full-time. His foot is probably still sore and it hasn’t been relaxing playing in the cold and now traveling back to the Dome.
Tolbert should be at 3rd tonight. Punto is the better SS.
Looking like we won’t see Cuddy or Everett for a week, the latter maybe never again.
And once again, Tolbert hasn’t been reared to play SS. Too bad Casilla is doing miserably in the minors. He still might be worth a try though.
Lamb’s and Everett’s defense seems lackluster thus far. Neither is racking up errors but sometimes it doesn’t seem as though they aren’t doing much to make close plays. IDK… Tolbert seems like a better everyday option-
Lets just hope the Twins get the W tonight. Maybe Lamb puts one in the bleachers tonight and Punto continues to hit well.
Everett got his sore arm, what, 10 days ago? Why didn’t they shut him down after a day or two!?
It’s 6 p.m., what did the doctors tell Everett? (heh-heh)
Well I’ll be double-tweaked, the Yanks and Nation are on ESPN…..
I wonder what Karlee thinks about Manny. Good hitter, but he looks like a scrub-bumple.
PJS and JJ,
Sorry, been on the field for a while and missed your questions.
Gomez is really exciting isn’t he. We want to see what the kid can do. We asked him to be aggressive and now we’ve asked him to swing at strikes a little more. He smiles and nods, so I am sure he understood me. Did you see the ball he knocked over the fence on one bounce last night? He sure is fun to watch. I think he will hit one out tonight in between bunt attempts.
As for Bartlett, you have to give quality to get quality. We have Delmon. I like Delmon a lot. Bartlett was a peach of a SS, but we are going to do ok there too. Let’s see what Nicky can do tonight. If not Nicky, we have Toby G not very far from being ready.
Back to the field in a minute folks. Any last questions?
Tolbert will get his shot to be a starter I just think it will be at 2B. Its sad we have no prospects at SS to bring up if Everett goes on the DL. Casilla and Plouffe have not looked good at all this year.
And “The Yankees are about to swing for the first time, and A-Rod is batting 4th.”
Oh thank you, thank you, ESPN for leading me to the promised land of MLB supremacy. You lay it out so nice for me.
The sad thing is if the Yanks played Boston 162 times in a season they’d air every one…
Casilla is a basket case. I thought moving him to short would get his head out of his butt, nope.
If Tolbert takes 2nd, could Harris go to SS? He seems to be hitting well. I’d hate to see that guy end up being relegated to the bench by next year.
Ben, Span had a “It’s my turn” attitude too. Maybe it’s hard for the old coaches in Rochester to relate to the kids…
Harris defensively has been a better SS than 2B in both the minors and majors. As far as next year goes, its way too early to tell, but I think that Tolbert would be on the bench before Harris…
I was just wondering who makes up the comment sections of the STrib blogs… Is it mostly adults, college students, younger?
If that’s Telly speaking now, he does better on a script than live.
T-
I agree. I was just talking to a Yankees fan who doesn’t understand that.
We need to go down to 13 games against our division teams, and we need to do 2 series with the east and 1 with the west, and then 2 with the west, and one with the east, and we need to intermix the interleague games through out the season. Meaning play the brewers now, play the cardinals in June, play the Mets in August, Dodgers in Sept. Don’t make it some kind of big deal… just play the games.
It would be better for all of baseball financially to do it this way. The Yankees and the Red Sox fill the house wherever they go… so having them play against each other only hurts the pocket books of the other owners, plus those two teams have the biggest national following in the American League and by having them only play 4 games against the non division teams is almost as sad as the Hockey schedule.
So Gardy praises Tolbert for his 9th inning AB last night, and then sits him tonight.
Makes PERFECT sense.
Gardy thinks that Lamb on the verge of hitting, but then starts Punto? I’ve had it with this guy. Igit.
If that’s Telly speaking now, he does better on a script than live.
I’ve noticed he does a whole lot better when he’s muted.
You people are ridiculous. Everything is knee-jerk. You rip Gardenhire … you rip Punto … you praise Monroe.
Has anyone noticed how over-matched Monroe has been at the plate this year? His hit the other night had him lunging @ a slider… nine times out of ten he rolls that the the left side of the infield.
Take twelve seconds and look up Punto’s stats against the Rays starter.
“So Gardy praises Tolbert for his 9th inning AB last night, and then sits him tonight.
Makes PERFECT sense.”
Consider: “David Ortiz isn’t hitting half his weight … why is he starting AND hitting third?”
Same logic…
Gardy is a moron, but he is also very good at bringing a team together.
He needs to bring in better coaches like Anderson to coach on the bench, hitting coach…
We also need a new hitting coach/system in the minor leagues.
Yes Wyatt…
Punto’s 4-5 career numbers versus Shields is what to expect from him tonight.
I fully expect Punto to mirror his career 1.657 OPS versus Shields in tonight’s matchup with the Rays.
Give me a break. You’re just as bad as Gardenhire with his obsession and fascination with sample size statistics.
As a matter of fact…why isn’t Redmond starting over Mauer tonight?
Redmond is 2-2 versus Shields and Mauer is 1-6 in their careers.
I didn’t realize Bartlett was hitting that low…did that say .100 or so?
Redmond’s sample isn’t big enough, it needs to be at least 5 PA’s.
[/sarcasm]
why is punto still allowed to play? Why keep giving him chances instead of giving the young guys a chance to play. Come on!
Redmond’s sample isn’t big enough, it needs to be at least 5 PA’s.
Or he needs to be more scrappy, like LNP.
The point is that Gardy has to get his bench guys involved at some point. Picking a spot like tonight’s game is as good a spot as any. If you’re going to start Punto at all this week, odds are his numbers against Shields are probably better than any other option.
That’s what managers do: They look for situations where their guys have the best chance to be successful.
Or he needs to be more scrappy, like LNP.
Well that’s a given. I didn’t think it was worth mentioning.
That’s what managers do: They look for situations where their guys have the best chance to be successful.
Punto’s best chance to be successful is riding the bench, waiting for his opportunity to pinch run and be a defensive replacement.
Lamb playing way in front of the bag. Livan giving lefthanded batting Iwamura only that lazy slurve which fades away from him. And the kid can’t handle it, finally flies out to left.
Good scouting report.
Gardy thinks that Lamb on the verge of hitting, but then starts Punto? I’ve had it with this guy. Igit.
Don’t look now, but Lamb’s playing 3B tonight. Just like he’s done all but…once?
The point is that Gardy has to get his bench guys involved at some point. Picking a spot like tonight’s game is as good a spot as any. If you’re going to start Punto at all this week, odds are his numbers against Shields are probably better than any other option.
That’s what managers do: They look for situations where their guys have the best chance to be successful.
So then why not start Redmond over Mauer tonight?
Based on his numbers versus Shields, he has a chance to succeed tonight.
Is this going to be the discussion all night? I can just see it now, Punto goes 2-3 with an RBI, Twins lose 4-3…and everybody blames Punto for some reason.
I don’t care if there’s no relation, Dick, let’s talk about Eva Longoria.
Because Redmond plays dependent on what Mauer needs. (Rest, bad matchup, etc)
SS is one of the Twins more fluid positions … the catcher spot is not. Or didn’t you get that when Mauer won the batting title in ‘06?
And you’ll be here to put everyone in their place. We know the routine.
And you’ll be here to put everyone in their place. We know the routine.
Oh yeah, blame one of the few people who doesn’t want to talk about Nick Punto 162 times a year.
Wyatt, did the concept of incredibly small sample sizes and Erik being facetious fly right over your head?
Questions:
1) If Everett’s done (or DLed) who gets the call from the minors?
2) Since Punto’s contract’s up after this season…is the Twins middle infield Harris/Tolbert? Who takes over the utility infielder role?
3) If the Twins can get a young 3B (somebody that can stick around for a while), who’s available?
4) Evan Longoria vs. Garrett Atkins, which would be the better fantasy pick-up for the Twins?
What did Gomez do?
Wyatt, did the concept of incredibly small sample sizes and Erik being facetious fly right over your head?
That tends to happen when dealing with non-elitists.
On the 2-0 pitch, Mauer takes a batting practice pitch right down the middle belt-high.
Doesn’t he like to hit?
Newsflash, Mauer pulls ball….in the air.
He and Delmon must have started taking the same class.
1) If Everett’s done (or DLed) who gets the call from the minors?
Buscher.
2) Since Punto’s contract’s up after this season…is the Twins middle infield Harris/Tolbert? Who takes over the utility infielder role?
I believe it’ll be something like Harris and Tolbert until Trevor Plouffe is ready.
3) If the Twins can get a young 3B (somebody that can stick around for a while), who’s available?
Like who is available to trade for that third baseman?
4) Evan Longoria vs. Garrett Atkins, which would be the better fantasy pick-up for the Twins?
Longoria, hands down.
Sample sizes: Some are different than others. Some sample sizes that, for example, take into consideration at bats in a series or performance against blonde pitchers in day games bear little importance. When they include something like stats against a specific pitcher, they might have more credibility - hitters ’see’ some pitchers better; some guys have a knack for picking up a specific pitcher’s release point better than others.
Additionally, hitters are more apt to ‘believe’ in small sample sizes when they think that the situation means something. In the aforementioned example, a hitter sees no similarities with ABs against blonde pitchers in day games. By contrast, if they have had success against a specific guy, they are more likely to remember it and the relationship is MUCH more likely to be causal.
I get the concept of small sample sizes. I’m just saying you’re wrong. I’m too stupid to know what ‘facetious’ means.
It’s all part of Mauer’s master plan. Get them to eventually shift their entire defense to one side of the field.
Then hit a triple that just clears the dirt on the other side.
Tiger’s beating Sabathia? Sorry Cleveland…we meant well those last two games. For realies.
1) If Everett’s done (or DLed) who gets the call from the minors?
Hopefully a stick, give Knott or Ruiz a chance to take a few hacks.
2) Since Punto’s contract’s up after this season…is the Twins middle infield Harris/Tolbert? Who takes over the utility infielder role?
If the team doesn’t search the scrap heap for someone else’s over-the-hill trash, I would guess either Macri or Machado.
Nice to see throws from short not one-hopping their way to Morneau.
Buscher
I wouldn’t mind that. Have a backup 3B that has a chance to hit for power.
Like who is available to trade for that third baseman?
That’d be part of it. I’m behind on my players this year so I’m none to sure who’d be the best fit (as far as youngsters go) to bring in.
I have thoughts as to who could go out, but the problem is none of it’s worth much.
I wouldn’t mind that. Have a backup 3B that has a chance to hit for power.
It’d also be nice to have an option on the bench that at least has a chance of getting an XBH.
Nice DP. Great cover by Harris.
Nice DP. Great cover by Harris.
Hang on Dick…
It was just strike 2.
I had my back to the TV so I only heard the call and saw the throw.
Livan is putting Dick to sleep. But not the Rays hitters. They aren’t falling for his super-slow curve.
3 walks by Livan. I liked the first one to Pena. Just like walking a B Bonds.
What did Gomez do his first AB?
What did Gomez do his first AB?
GO 4-3.
Thanks, Erik. I was just wondering —
1) Did he show bunt?
2) Did he take pitches? or
3) Did he overswing?
Thanks for your patience and consideration.
Aww s#*!
Wait, so let me get this straight. A guy who has averaged .270 w/ 15 homers over his career, in split time, is struggling after a half month and we want him out.
Great call fair weather fans. I say keep Lamb, let him fight it out. He’s already proven that he is a doubles machine.
You’re the same people that said Livan would go 2-15 w/ a 6.80 ERA.
Only 1 run.
Alright here’s the deal. I really never post on these things, but I’m fed up with the Gardy bashers. I was a logical and serious argument out of you why Gardy is so bad.
Remember my comeback will include the multiple division championships.
Is that the first round-tripper he’s given up this year? I can’t recall another…
Remember my comeback will include the multiple division championships.
*yawn*
Why does Gomez smell his bat?
Why does Gomez smell his bat?
The same reason Julio Lugo grabs his crotch 75 times per at bat…for no apparent reason
Span didn’t run the ball completely out on his groundout. Not the Twins way.
Sometimes after foul balls the bat will heat up in a certain spot (you can smell the ‘burn’). Hitters will rotate the bat so that they don’t make contact on this warm, and sometimes softer, point on the stick.
…but he just smelled it after walking to the plate from the on deck circle … don’t know why
Too many homers these last few games.
*ground ball at somebody…ground ball at somebody*
the twins must lead the league in ground ball outs to 2b and ss… i swear, they dont even make good outs–joe vavra can you tell me ????? i would fire that sob tomorrow….see how tampa bay swings… they put 2 in the seats….not afraid to pull the ball….these weak ground balls are really starting to get old, and i believe joe vavra has alot to do with it…..if not then someone please explain to me…i know i dont have the stats to back up what i claim, but im betting we do lead the league in those wimpy outs…
*phew*
Nice dig by Morneau. Punto, you’re not Everett. (At least not defensively)
Thank god farty still can’t hit. Now we just need one of his patented throwing errors to start a rally for us.
1) Everett flips that ball and JB beats the throw. Everett doesn’t have the hose that Punto does.
2) Classic Bartlett: After five quality Rays’ ABs, he waves at a 2-0 curve waaaay outside, then promptly grounds into an inning-ending DP. Classic.
Okay, leadoff hit. Let’s get this game tied up at least.
Detroit 11-1 over Cleveland.
What hath the Twins wraught upon the AL Central?
Please lay off the changeup.
Alright KUBES!
Kubel on third, not bad for a guy that supposedly can’t run.
Mauer is pretty darn fast.
It’s quite impressive.
I have a fever…and the only pre-*gets stoned*
More Kubel
Oh, I forgot…
KUUUUUBBBBBEELLLLL!!!
Score Kubel
Speaking of guys that can hit a little, Harris swings a nice stick.
Rays presently regretting the Harris portion of the Garza deal moreso than Young at the moment…
Rays presently regretting the Harris portion of the Garza deal moreso than Young at the moment…
I doubt that.
This Garza/Harris trade is going to be great if the throw ins (Young,Pridie) ever do anything. Nice work Bill Smith.
Mike Lamb - Designated Rally Killer
Speaking of Garza and regret…what’s the status on the seriousness of the injury? It would’ve been nice to have him pitch one of these two games.
Gomez, your arm. Harness it.
Two crappy throws by GoGo.
Livan is clearly not down with the 1-2-3 inning tonight.
Another terrific throw by Mauer.
anyone who still wants to move mauer to the infield, think twice….thats two tonite , gets us out of innings…cant be much bigger than that..
Who exactly has Gomez been throwing to? My God!
Good thing Punto started tonight because of his success versus Shields.
Send Gomez?
I think so.
be nice to see Harris here
It’s apparent that the Rays are merely renting Shields from Poon.
Zoom zoom zoom!
#9
lets get a bass hit span
Gomez’s slide a little sloppy. I’d like to see him focus on staying on the plate as he finishes. Some umps aren’t so gracious to call time when a player is silding through a bag.
ok joe
That’s what I like to see.
MAUER to the MEOPLE!
Broadway Joe!
good job joe
This is why Cuddy needs to get healthy. Or Young needs to pick it up so he can hit 3rd. Gomez/Mauer is a great 1/2.
Come on Justin.
Put one in the seats.
Scott Erickson must be a little low on cash, pushing the movie his wife is in…
This is your time Delmon
lets get a home run young
Well done Morneau. Okay Young. 3rd time’s a charm. Right?
Maybe moving Young to 3rd would help. With Morneau coming up behind him they don’t want Delmon on base. Less junk taht way?
DJB, Erickson and his wife made the movie. Erickson last inning was talking about how he helped fund it.
They’re there for ya Delmon.
First 2 pitches to Mauer were ace pitches by Shields. Nice recovery for his RBI. Shields is a good pitcher.
That’s the Bartlett we know and love!
Awe Bartlett
Glad your a D Ray their mr bartlett
Bartlett doing his best Everett impersonation…
Ha-ha. Barlett looks scared tonight.
Bill Smith, the genius?
well, I was off a few innings, but thanks farty
Bartlett with his best Everett impersonation.
thankyou Jason Bartlett
Might be the only time T and I will ever agree on something.
snepp, that is freaky.
More Ku-bel
do you guys think Hernandez will pitch into the 7
Depends how many more runs the Twins can tack on in the 6th.
After that swing, I’d say no.
ugh, guess not
I step away for 30 freaking seconds….
Will anyone besides Morneau or Kubel homer before Cuddy does?
What happened, did Harris take his AB out to his fielding position?
Who needs homers when you can slap singles and steal bases?
thankyou Reyes a fast and clean 7
Mauer having a good night.
Rincon warming up. Runs pleaze? Kthx.
Can I ask why Juan Rincon is getting warmed up in a tie game?
the dreaded eighth inning awaits.
He hasn’t pitched in forever…does Gardy go to Guerrier or Neshek?
Okay Rincon, everybody else has been beat up. Try to break that k?
What options does Gardenhire have? Crain, Guerrier, and Neshek have struggled–Reyes just got 4 guys out, that leaves Rincon and Bass. I am not ready to give up on Rincon. He can help this bullpen.
At this point I think we’re all a little gunshy in regards to bullpen options.
time to get a hit young
So….Everett makes an error, Detroit wins.
Crain makes an error, and Detroit wins.
Harris makes an error, and Tampa Bay ???
good job Young
What Twin, besides Kubel and Morneau, will be the first to homer this year? I would say that Mauer, Lamb, Young and Harris are due. All have hit double digit homers in the past and would figure to do so again.
My lord Dick no, we don’t want Kubel bunting. @#$%@# $^%&#$% @#$!%! @#$%.
*shakes head*
But due to the unpredictable nature of baseball…it’ll be somebody like Tolbert or Gomez. 
tolbert will be pitchrunning if Kubel gets on base
Weird, quiet crowd at the Dome. The Twins are starting a rally to win the game and it’s like, ho-hum.
hit and run
or straight steal; do something gardy
Not pretty, but I’ll take it 10 times out of 10.
“Trade me for Jason Bartlett will you?” yells Harris.
Okay Lamb should be able to get a long fly ball off this guy. He’s gotten a lot of fly balls lately.
If Kubel walked, there would have been no reason to run for him. The lead run is the important one, and Delmon has shown excellent wheels.
Crawford should not have caught that ball. LOL!
Crawford always uses his head!!!!!!!!!!
mistake on the catch crawford
Great catch…but in that situation?
Woohoo, there’s going to be a Nathan sighting!
This is why they pay you the big bucks Joe!
cheap RBI for Lammer
And Punto has had his chance.
Tolbert tomorrow, and forever.
In Punto’s first AB, he struck out looking like he was sitting on a slider or something. Overmatched. And he’s been on par with that in the rest of his AB’s.
does Crawford ever use his head when he plays the twins
So I take it Punto sucked it up?
The best way for Crawford to have his foul ball catch forgotten is to get an RBI hit against Tweak. “Fundamentally sound” teams usually make plays that make their misplays forgettable.
Everett would have gotten to that sooner, but his doctor wouldn’t let him throw it.
I’ll say it, even though I didn’t see it–Bartlett would have thrown Bartlett out.
Shhh flatblade. Don’t remind Crawford of that.
1st is Joe’s new cutter this year.
Punto smartly makes sure to CATCH THE BALL.
That was so much a strike I’M out…
flatblade… or bartlett would have made his 4th error of the year and 2nd of this game.
Gooooooooooooooo TWEAK!
They were giving that strike to Pudge last night. Mauer better start complaining.
Nathan >>>>>>>>>>> me
About time he threw a slider.
CC, a goat again. I wonder what Delmon is thinking.
Good win. Livan struggled, but the offense hung in. 6 runs tonight. Gotta love that.
Ha-ha, J Morris in the postgame tries to bait Young into dissing Crawford re his stupid foul-ground dive-catch, but he won’t have anything to do with that.
Here’s the formula–give up three homers and two unearned runs and still win. Speed does matter and was the difference today. Mauer threw out two guys, the Twins stole three bases and their catcher scored from first on a double down the line.
I feel bad for Bartlett. 2 run error cost them the game. but, I feel good for the Twins.
Nice to see Nathan still knew where to find the mound. Man, I hate we didn’t get the ball to Nathan in one of the Tiger games.
Gomez a couple hits and a coule more SBs. Young hit the ball pretty well. Mauer found some holes. And Morny looks like he feels good with his swing. Here we go… let’s get on a little roll.
Ahhhh, my ears are bleeding, got Telly out of there…
Hey Carlos G, Kubel looked decent too. And Lamb did his job with the game on the line.
Now what’s this clown-jockey reinactment stuff on FSN…..
TV announcers out there catching and throwing balls to explain the in’s and outs of hitting the cutoff man.
Biggest example of fluff I’ve ever seen on TV.
An active, but not really positive, game for the guys who were traded. Young got a hit and scored the winning run, but he had several opportunities to get big hits. Harris had two hits, but made the key error. Bartlett also made a key error, but did get a hit and SB.
post game stuff on fsn leaves something to be desired, and i am having alot of trouble trying to connect to this telly guy…lapanta is bad enough-dont they have any better people than that, im sorry but- i dont like to be critical of people like that but its rather hard not to …oh well we won the damn game and thats all that really matters….good win…we needed that one bad…one more to .500 then we take off…..
nice bullpen nite….3.0 innings 0 runs
back on track..
this tampa team has some pretty stout sticks….if they had pitching they could be tough…
How could a player like Crawford who has played baseball every day for most of his adult life even think of making that catch in that situation. Nice grab but unreal. Good win. We still need to back more hitters of the plate. 6 home runs allowed in two games. By the way the Twins pitching staff in second to last in the AL in hit batters with 2. PITCH INSIDE!!
romer, good point. forgot kubel and he had a fine night. Lamb benefited from a crawford bonehead, but veteran that he is, he probably hits a sac fly in the at bat even without the crawford assist.
Toronto’s 8th and final relief pitcher is struggling in the 13th inning (his third). Too bad we don’t play them next.
Oops, that should have been 8th pitcher–starter+7 relievers.
crawford is an idiot & loser–young laughing like hell on the inside & dont think crawford doesnt know it…lol
romer…you’re joking right? These post-game demos are going to win Emmy’s one day…they really improve the viewer’s baseball IQ
And Rincon had to pitch well for the Twins to win too.
Yeah, that was impressive that Young didn’t take the bait and rip his old teammate in the postgame interview.
So I’m personaally hoping that Everett heads to the DL. Anybody got any ideas who they’ll call up if he does go to the DL?
Brian Buscher has 18 hits in 50 ABs with 3 homeruns and 1 error.
Howie Clark has 9 hits in 33 ABs with no homeruns or errors.
Tommy Watkins has 4 hits in 20 ABs
Alexi Cassilla has 7 hits in 41 atbats but 9 walks and 3 stolen bases
Crawford is stunningly and stupendously stupid. Here’s his quote about catching the foul ball:
“I still figured it was just one run. Hopefully we could come back and get two runs,” Crawford said. “We’re trying to win the game. It don’t matter what happens, you got to win the game. You got to do whatever it takes. I wasn’t really worried about the run too much, but I understood what I did, but by then it was too late.”
Key phrase? “It don’t matter what happens…”
No wonder Young doesn’t pay him no mind.
Dick/Bert mentioned tonight that Everett has had a sore shoulder problem going back to spring training.
Does anyone else here know that?
I also, this evening, saw Everett’s interview and he said he woke up with it sore last Tuesday in Chicago.
Which is it?
How about a straight trade, Bartlett for Casilla? Casilla and Crawford could go to class together.
And Bartlett could return to a classy team. With such a boost, he could have a decent year.
Tampa Bay would do alot better without Crawford with his rookie mistakes and big mouth. Bad attitude did not get Young traded, if they were trying to get rid of bad character guys how in the world is Crawford still there?
Taking bets. How many more games until Mr. Young puts one over the fence…
I’ll say May 5th. Actually you could extend this to any Twin (besides Kubel or Morneau).
Also, Tolbert’s AB in the 9th was terrible. You could tell that he was just fighting off pitches. He looked way over matched.
“Even in the game (Tuesday) with Detroit we got behind late and kept playing. They had to get us out at the end.”
There it is, folks: a new way for Gardy to say “we battled.” ‘They had to get [your crappy team] out at the end,’ you say (well, they did!)? So all the other teams in the league would have refused to finish the game and just forfeited then, huh? This “little team that tries” B.S. is getting old.
This is exactly why Gardenhire isn’t qualified to be a manager… what a stooge! You forgot to mention Gardy that you shouldn’t have gotten behind at all if it weren’t for you having to go strickly by your “Baseball Managing for Dummies” guideline of never bringing Nathan in except in the 9th.
Coddle your players a little more, Gomer!
Shaun, I take it as saying: “Yeah they kicked our bullpen’s butt…but our offense still had a half inning to try and get back in it.”
Dustin, I’d say either Buscher or Casilla. Buscher gives Lamb an actual back up and a better PH option than Punto or Everett, while Casilla would allow for some speed off the bench.
I’d lean towards Buscher, since it’d be nice to find a younger solution to 3B.
These post-game demos are going to win Emmy’s one day…
Bad as they are, at least they’re after the game (when you can turn it off) and not during the game…in the middle of an at-bat…as described by a talking CGI baseball.
I hate Scooter.
GoGomez is leading league in steals. If he can pick up his hitting/pitch selection even one notch - great trade. Ellsbury who???
To all the Boof haters out there - top ten ERA. I’m calling him Cy Boof.
did you hear dick say gardy finally realized that punto was a utility player and not an everyday player?
gardy also realized the earth is not flat, the sun doesn’t revolve around the earth, maybe gardy is taking some on-line jr. high classes.
however we won and punto in line-up = win?
great job gardy!
Gardy,
Put Everett on the DL and bring Buscher up. Put Tolbert on SS everyday and let Buscher play some 3B, so maybe Lamb can get a couple of days off to get his head out of his A&*. Maybe he will come back and start hitting.
“How could a player like Crawford who has played baseball every day for most of his adult life even think of making that catch in that situation.”
Maybe he was looking at the ball, not the foul line, while he was running faster than all you player impersonators ever did when you played. How many of the other critics ever chased a flyball in a dome where you could not take your eye off the ball. I’m sure when the ball landed foul for you, you were still running your butt off 60 feet from the foul line.
“These post-game demos are going to win Emmy’s one day”
Great line!
But I agree with those who said that at least you can change channels when the game ends. There is no escaping Bert Buffoon during the game.
crawford was just getting after it, would have made gardy proud. it’s not like he has done stupid stuff before .. never mind.
“This is exactly why Gardenhire isn’t qualified to be a manager”
Riiight…taking a team that started with Batista and ended with Punto to the playoffs doesn’t require skilled managing. Come on. Find a manager in MLB with a better winning percentage.
As for Gardy’s quotes: who cares? That’s just PR, media talk–not what he’s thinking. Baseball and the media is its own game, separate from what happens on the field.
I am curious what will happen with Span and Blackburn once DL’ers get healthy.
Question to the Buscher fans:
Why do you like him so much? I don’t have a problem, but I see a .260/8 HR guy. Maybe in a couple years he’ll be something more but not anytime soon.
i thought the livan signing was stupid and to this point have been proven wrong. however, it reminds me a lot of how ortiz started off last year, a nl guy coming over first handful or starts looks good and things started going down hill fast. ortiz actually pitched decent for col. so maybe it’s the league thing, not the hitting in the nl and no dh.
will be happy to be wrong on this one.
I dont really like Buscher, but I think he is the best option if Everett goes on DL. I really wish Casilla wasnt playing like crap, then we could bring him up and let he and Tolbert split time at SS.
Buscher already has 3 dingers and batting over .350 in Rochester.
Maybe he was looking at the ball, not the foul line
Part of being a good player means also knowing how many outs there are, knowing what bases are currently occupied, and paying attention to surroundings.
Now I don’t know how many times he’s played in the Dome, so I can’t judge how familiar he should be with it…but he should have developed the ability to judge fair/foul and still track the ball.
And I think more people would be giving him the benefit of the doubt had he not made other poor decisions (such as his running flub last year).
It’s like Torii’s mistake against Oakland in 2006. He doesn’t usually make those kinds of mistakes…so while it sucks it’s more or less a singular lapse in judgement. Now if Torii had a history of poor defensive decisions, people’d have been less willing to accept it as a singular mistake.
T,
I’m not calling Crawford a smart player.
I am calling that a difficult play to make while running full speed with his eyes on the ball. (Crawford’s full speed is much faster than the average LF’s full speed)
As a major league outfielder, you are standing there during the at-bat thinking about what to do in any situation that could happen. You know where the foul line is, and you don’t catch it past there. He should know where it is with his eyes closed.
I can’t wait to see how our valuable friend Nicky Punto gets into the lineup tonight!
Crawford knew what he was doing, and he had to know he was in foul territory at that last instant. He could have pulled his glove back.
He was a lot of feet beyond the foul line.
His manager tried to cover for him. But look at what Crawford said about it (above at 12:00 am). He’s admitting he made a mistake, and that he couldn’t help himself from going in for the kill.
So we can conclude that all this Crawford/Young personal stuff is bogus too. In other words, Crawford is a meat head and Young is a nice guy.
Good chance there’s a bunch of meat heads on the Rays, and that’s why Bartlett isn’t very comfortable there.
So what’s the deal with Everett?
Just read the report that Everett has minor tendenitis and is getting the shot.
And Bartlett says he likes being on the Rays.
The Twins will probably play 500 ball for a bit. If they can figure it out they could make a run.
Mark Salinas, MN
When Punto plays we win. Did you see all the great fielding plays he made that no other SS would, really go after it. Hit the heck out of the ball, some great swings, just got a little unlucky. Twins win when he palys he sould play every day, best player on the team!
And Bartlett says he likes being on the Rays
Would it be wise at this point in his Rays career to say otherwise? He was just brought in as part of a big trade, he’s currently underperforming (depending on your opinion of him)…
Now wouldn’t be the best time to pop off about the current clubhouse atmosphere.
From Gleemans blog:
Quote of the Week, from Ron Gardenhire talking about Nick Punto:
He’ll come back and be a great player. He already is to me because he’s so valuable everywhere you play him.
Gardenhire’s “he already is to me” comment is awfully sweet in an aw-shucks kind of way, sort of like a husband saying that his wife of 50 years is “the prettiest girl in the world to me.” Gardenhire must deluge his wife with compliments, because “great player” and “so valuable everywhere you play him” aren’t exactly the first things that come to my mind when describing a .246/.315/.322 career hitter who had the lowest OPS in all of baseball last season.
At least Gardy understands how great Punto is!
does the twins organization spend so much time emphasizing hitting to the opposite field and moving runners over that they just take all the power out of the hitters hands….im trying to figure…im tired of reading about furcal, rollins, and all these little guys hitting homers, along with their bigger teammates, and the lowly twins with all their hitters (some who should have great power) have hit a lowly 6 or 7 (ive lost count) between two people, kubel and morneau— i know gomez, mauer, young, lamb,harris, monroe, all have homerun power and yet not even one amongst all of them…it just doesnt figure… i would love to ask joe vavra…this is an ugly situation and i would think that even by accident the twins would have hit more than they have now….
mj1,
Home runs or runs?
Pick one.
Is there ever going to be something posted here from LaVelle or Joe regarding today’s game?
frankly sid i would like to see alot of both….
something new here soon i hope, would like to hear an update on everett
mj1,
My point is if you have to sacrifice one for the other, I hope the Twins continue to sacrifice home runs for situational hitting resulting in runs scored.
Where are the lineups?
i dont think you have to sacrifice all your power to score runs..i would say good teams have a good accounting of both..
Hey “what the…”
I saw a great personalized license plate last night and thought of you. It was WTF
I almost lost it laughing. When I pulled along side, I saw a young blonde lady driving.
Is that you? lol
i would like gardy to sit gomez for a nite…play span in cf and monroe dh, kubel in rt
tolbert ss
And the Twins were near last in the AL for runs scored last year 12th, and are scoring at a lower pace this year. It seems like more runs but they’ve scored big in 3 games and had several with nothing.
Gomez was 2-4 last night with 2 steals and you want to sit him? Wait until he has a bad night with a couple of K’s or something.
I posted the update on Everett at 12:35.
romer is correct according to pioneer press…cortisone shot… no dl as of now…just tendinitis ….
Where is everybody?
I hope you all appreciate the manner in which I managed last night’s game after calling for my head in Detroit.
Nice how I got Delmon to steal 3rd before the sac fly, eh? A little detail that most of you have forgotten.
Any questions today?
really would like to see monroes bat in the lineup- just have this feeling this guy is going to get hot, and maybe wishful thinking..
do joe and len3 always have these kind of updaates during the season?
Lineup Anyone?
Gardy; some nice words from you about my fav player Punto and how cute you think he is up the blog a ways. Guess this came from Gleman, he doesn’t understand the value of Nicky to the team but you do.
Gardy,
Do you ever plan to settle on a #2 hitter? I can recall Mauer, Harris, Span, Tolbert all being used (and I am probably missing someone) and we are only 15 games into the season.
Gardy,
Wrong inning, Delmon stole 3rd in the 5th inning and was stranded there.
Good, glad to see some folks showed up for today’s game…
Punto is a great player and is invaluable to this team (that doesn’t been non-valuable). He’ll play a lot this year for us and will make a big difference in how we do.
Carlos — are you any relation to my CF? As for the #2 hitter, these things have a way of working themselves out. We are just looking for some to take a hold of that spot. So far, it’s going pretty well. I like Harris there with his ability to hit and run. When Cuddy gets back we’ll have another decision to make. But, I like Joe hitting the ball through that hole behind Carlos and then watching that kid run. He sure is exciting to watch isn’t he?
Next question.
Sweetone… he would have stole 3rd to set up the sac fly if he wasn’t already there; it was my management that had him getting there on that little pop fly to right.
Next question.
Gardy
Call La Velle and tell him to post your line-up I need to criticize it before I leave work today.
Lineup for tonight:
Gogo
Matty
Red Dog
Morny
Kubes
Delmon
Lamber
Denard
Nicky
What ever the line up is it will be wrong unless Punto is playing. Teams most valuable player!
Or, I could go with:
Lineup for tonight:
Gogo
Matty
Delmon
Morny
Kubes
Lamber
Red Dog
Denard
Nicky
Let me know your thoughts, cause I gotta get this out there soon.
I think harris is in not Punto
OK, I went a different direction. See my lineup on LenIII new post.
Line is out no Punto this sucks.
