Comments on: Twins-Yanks: Punto’s fine, just not in the lineup. Duensing named to Olympic team. http://blogs2.startribune.com/blogs/neal/2008/07/21/twins-yanks-no-punto/ The latest on the Minnesota Twins Sun, 08 Nov 2009 10:45:15 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.3.3 By: Nate http://blogs2.startribune.com/blogs/neal/2008/07/21/twins-yanks-no-punto/#comment-81890 Nate Tue, 22 Jul 2008 23:58:14 +0000 http://blogs2.startribune.com/blogs/neal/2008/07/21/twins-yanks-no-punto/#comment-81890 Thanks T for the completely useless information once again. Thank God we all have someone like you who can write a novel on a dime's notice about anything that you can pull out your ass at any given moment. Thanks T for the completely useless information once again. Thank God we all have someone like you who can write a novel on a dime’s notice about anything that you can pull out your ass at any given moment.

]]> By: T http://blogs2.startribune.com/blogs/neal/2008/07/21/twins-yanks-no-punto/#comment-81610 T Tue, 22 Jul 2008 13:07:52 +0000 http://blogs2.startribune.com/blogs/neal/2008/07/21/twins-yanks-no-punto/#comment-81610 <i>Dammit, here come the Tigers!</i> The Tigers are playing the Royals while the Twins are playing the Yankees. I'd expect the Tigers to maybe get a game or two closer in that time. It's like when Chicago went on their 7-game "tear" in which they swept the Royals and a then floundering Twins lineup. They then went and got swept by the Tigers and nearly swept by the Rockies. The Twins have played the Tigers better than they've played the Sox (at least recently). I'm not as much worried about holding off the Tigers as I am catching the Sox. That's a HUGE four game series. It'd be nice for the Twins to walk out of there with some kind of division lead. Dammit, here come the Tigers!

The Tigers are playing the Royals while the Twins are playing the Yankees. I’d expect the Tigers to maybe get a game or two closer in that time.

It’s like when Chicago went on their 7-game “tear” in which they swept the Royals and a then floundering Twins lineup. They then went and got swept by the Tigers and nearly swept by the Rockies.

The Twins have played the Tigers better than they’ve played the Sox (at least recently). I’m not as much worried about holding off the Tigers as I am catching the Sox.

That’s a HUGE four game series. It’d be nice for the Twins to walk out of there with some kind of division lead.

]]> By: JJ of NP http://blogs2.startribune.com/blogs/neal/2008/07/21/twins-yanks-no-punto/#comment-81609 JJ of NP Tue, 22 Jul 2008 12:58:06 +0000 http://blogs2.startribune.com/blogs/neal/2008/07/21/twins-yanks-no-punto/#comment-81609 I think the question at this point should not be "should gomez lead off", but whether or not he should be on the major league roster at all, what with the twins contending and all. When Cuddyer's back, let him go to AAA and refine his game. If Cuddyer's out for a while yet, send down Gomez and bring up Macdonald. He needs it. If changing the batting order will hurt his confidence, imagine what going 5 for 100 will do. sending him down might humble him just enough, while still giving him the chance to prove himself on an everyday basis. I think the question at this point should not be “should gomez lead off”, but whether or not he should be on the major league roster at all, what with the twins contending and all. When Cuddyer’s back, let him go to AAA and refine his game. If Cuddyer’s out for a while yet, send down Gomez and bring up Macdonald. He needs it. If changing the batting order will hurt his confidence, imagine what going 5 for 100 will do. sending him down might humble him just enough, while still giving him the chance to prove himself on an everyday basis.

]]> By: herb http://blogs2.startribune.com/blogs/neal/2008/07/21/twins-yanks-no-punto/#comment-81608 herb Tue, 22 Jul 2008 12:36:10 +0000 http://blogs2.startribune.com/blogs/neal/2008/07/21/twins-yanks-no-punto/#comment-81608 I don't think the Twins fans or Gardenhire gets it when it comes to Nick Punto. He is a simple utility player who Gardenhire has taken a fondness for. Gardenhire puts Punto in the lineup without good reason. He replaces better players with Punto and the result is that the Twins lose more games. Thats the bottom line. Gardenhire will never figure out the cause and effect of the needless platooning. I don’t think the Twins fans or Gardenhire gets it when it comes to Nick Punto. He is a simple utility player who Gardenhire has taken a fondness for. Gardenhire puts Punto in the lineup without good reason. He replaces better players with Punto and the result is that the Twins lose more games. Thats the bottom line. Gardenhire will never figure out the cause and effect of the needless platooning.

]]> By: T http://blogs2.startribune.com/blogs/neal/2008/07/21/twins-yanks-no-punto/#comment-81607 T Tue, 22 Jul 2008 12:20:15 +0000 http://blogs2.startribune.com/blogs/neal/2008/07/21/twins-yanks-no-punto/#comment-81607 Wow...looks like somebody fell off the wagon during tonight's game. Perhaps they can consult Ponson and get some tips on how to right the ship. PS: <i>"posts like mine and everyone else’s on here ought to be “tolerated.” It’s called the First Amendment, Kaiser."</i> Hate to break it to you, but on a forum/blog such as this...you only have as much right as the owners give you. The Strib blogs are a privately owned and operated business. If you're posting profane language and slinging offensive comments they can boot you out of here faster than you can type "ACLU". Also, if you have to resort to calling somebody a Nazi, you've lost. "Reducto ad nazism" as its often called. But back on the subject of baseball... Getting beat by Ponson at least twice this season has stung, because you gotta wonder where in God's name this guy was when the Twins had him on the roster last season. Maybe it was getting dumped from the Twins that served as a wake up call? Maybe he just is the kinda guy that didn't want to be in Minnesota? Whatever the case, the Twins staff got rocked by the Yankees. Maybe next year in the new park there won't be that "Mystique" since everything will be new to everybody. (Hard to overwhelemd by history when there isn't any) Going into the series, I pegged three types of games. 1) Twins win comfortably. 2) Twins get blown out. 3) Nailbiter that can go either way. It seems to be the trend when the Twins go to Yankee Stadium. (More often than not the nailbiter goes the Yanks way. They got the pounding out of the way. I just hope the win comes tonight so they can play the nailbiter for a rubber-game vs. to avoid the sweep. (For moral purposes) On the plus side, four moral victories last night. 1) Shut out the Yanks in at least one inning. 2) Got at least another run after being down 100-2. 3) Made the Yankees go to the bullpen. 4) Turned a Web Gem (well, that was after the fact victory) Hopefully whatever butterflies they had last night are gone now. And hopefully Morneau's not feeling any side effects of the blow to his hand on Sunday. Wow…looks like somebody fell off the wagon during tonight’s game. Perhaps they can consult Ponson and get some tips on how to right the ship.

PS: “posts like mine and everyone else’s on here ought to be “tolerated.” It’s called the First Amendment, Kaiser.”

Hate to break it to you, but on a forum/blog such as this…you only have as much right as the owners give you. The Strib blogs are a privately owned and operated business. If you’re posting profane language and slinging offensive comments they can boot you out of here faster than you can type “ACLU”.

Also, if you have to resort to calling somebody a Nazi, you’ve lost. “Reducto ad nazism” as its often called.

But back on the subject of baseball…

Getting beat by Ponson at least twice this season has stung, because you gotta wonder where in God’s name this guy was when the Twins had him on the roster last season.

Maybe it was getting dumped from the Twins that served as a wake up call? Maybe he just is the kinda guy that didn’t want to be in Minnesota?

Whatever the case, the Twins staff got rocked by the Yankees. Maybe next year in the new park there won’t be that “Mystique” since everything will be new to everybody. (Hard to overwhelemd by history when there isn’t any)

Going into the series, I pegged three types of games.

1) Twins win comfortably.
2) Twins get blown out.
3) Nailbiter that can go either way.

It seems to be the trend when the Twins go to Yankee Stadium. (More often than not the nailbiter goes the Yanks way.

They got the pounding out of the way. I just hope the win comes tonight so they can play the nailbiter for a rubber-game vs. to avoid the sweep. (For moral purposes)

On the plus side, four moral victories last night.

1) Shut out the Yanks in at least one inning.
2) Got at least another run after being down 100-2.
3) Made the Yankees go to the bullpen.
4) Turned a Web Gem (well, that was after the fact victory)

Hopefully whatever butterflies they had last night are gone now. And hopefully Morneau’s not feeling any side effects of the blow to his hand on Sunday.

]]> By: Call Me Stupid http://blogs2.startribune.com/blogs/neal/2008/07/21/twins-yanks-no-punto/#comment-81606 Call Me Stupid Tue, 22 Jul 2008 12:16:40 +0000 http://blogs2.startribune.com/blogs/neal/2008/07/21/twins-yanks-no-punto/#comment-81606 Ponson usually beats the Twins more times than not. So last night doesn't supprise me except maybe Blackburn not pitching well. BUT every pitcher has bad outings and his ERA is still below 4. I agree that Gomez needs to be moved down in the order! He doesn't have good ABs especially for the lead off guy. Span or Casillia is who should be there in my opinion. Span would be my choice why mess with the lineup too much? Just swap the two. Gardy hasn't had a problem moving people in the past because of so called "Confidence issues". If moving Gomez is going to destroy his confidence he needs help in that department because this is the MLB not Legion ball. A move should be expected on his part at this point, or learn to have good ABs instead of hacking away and getting out on 1-3 pitches Ponson usually beats the Twins more times than not. So last night doesn’t supprise me except maybe Blackburn not pitching well. BUT every pitcher has bad outings and his ERA is still below 4.
I agree that Gomez needs to be moved down in the order! He doesn’t have good ABs especially for the lead off guy. Span or Casillia is who should be there in my opinion. Span would be my choice why mess with the lineup too much? Just swap the two.
Gardy hasn’t had a problem moving people in the past because of so called “Confidence issues”. If moving Gomez is going to destroy his confidence he needs help in that department because this is the MLB not Legion ball. A move should be expected on his part at this point, or learn to have good ABs instead of hacking away and getting out on 1-3 pitches

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