Twins call up Swarzak; Breslow claimed off waivers by Oakland
Posted on May 20th, 2009 – 12:54 PMBy La Velle
Lefthander Craig Breslow has been claimed off waivers by Oakland and the club has called up righthander Anthony Swarzak to replace him on the roster. Swarzak is expected to start on Saturday against the Brewers.
He was 3-4 with a 2.25 ERA in seven starts at Class AAA Rochester. In 44 innings, he’s given up 40 hits and walked 11 while striking out 32. His WHIP is 1.16. Opponents are hitting .248 off of him. He’s turned his career around after serving a 50-game suspension in 2007 for violating baseball’s drug policy
Joe C. will be at U.S. Cellular Field soon and should have more details.
The Breslow move is a little surprising. He’s hasn’t been effective - he was 1-2 with a 6.28 ERA in 17 games - but I thought the Twins would give him more time to turn things around after pitching pretty well last season. But the Twins needed a roster spot and had three lefties in the bullpen. Someone had to go.
The Twins currently have 39 players listed on their 40-man roster.
In other news, Twins pitching coach Rick Anderson, speaking on Wednesday during his twice-monthly spot on KFAN, said the club got good news on lefthander Glen Perkins. There’s nothing seriously wrong with his elbow, so he’s expected to be ready to step into the rotation when at the end of his 15-day DL stint.
Class A Fort Myers outfielder Ben Revere, by the way, was named Florida State League player of the week after batting .625.
204 Responses to "Twins call up Swarzak; Breslow claimed off waivers by Oakland"
Wow that is a surprise… I didn’t even hear they put him on waivers. Honestly I have less faith in Ayala. They still hoping they will get something out of the couple million they spent on him?
Is Ayala next?
Well the team I.Q. just went down a few points. Hopefully the ERA will follow.
Bet they wish had Reyes in the pen again this year instead of letting him go.
I didn’t think Breslow would be the first to go either. But I am glad that they are finally doing something about the bullpen. Swarzak looks promising
Time will tell. It is that time of the year, as LaVelle stated: “”"Then again, this is about the time of year the Twins make their annual roster adjustments after their initial plans go up in smoke.”"”
Other teams’ initial plans have gone up in smoke too.
Perkins in the Pen would be much better for the pen. Frankly, I thought Perkins had learned some things last year, and would be effective this year. But, so far, it’s hard to call any Twins starter effective.
LEN
When was Breslow put on Waivers? If Swarzak is going to fill in for Perkins why call him up now? Why not leave Breslow in the pen until you are actually going to use Swarzak?
well, I’ve got 2 out of 10 guys so far that I thought we could see on the Twins roster this year…
Duensing and Swarzak.
Shooter Hunt still can’t throw strikes though.
If anyone didn’t notice, Ben Revere and Danny Valencia have come on really strong in the last few weeks down in the minors and Carlos Gutierrez is still pitching lights out for Ft. Myers.
The Breslow move doesn’t surprise me, Ayala will be next, check out my thoughts on the pitching staff by clicking my name, its somewhat humorous…
Ayala will go too. Breslow was first because the team doesn’t need three lefties in the pen and Ayala is getting paid about 4X more than Breslow.
Good move. It makes sense they would waive the lefty Breslow instead of Ayala after adding Henn.
Now they can keep Henn around for awhile to see what he’s got. If he does okay, it’s an improvement over Breslow. if not, they can DFA him and call up someone else. I’m just glad they made a move in the bullpen.
Good, now let’s do the same with Crain & Guerrier if we can’t trade them.
jama….”" Why not leave Breslow in the pen until you are actually going to use Swarzak?”"
According to LaVelle: “Swarzak is expected to start on Saturday against the Brewers.”
Your question was answered in the article LaVelle wrote.
I’m much more worried about the starters than the pen right now. I thought these 5 were all #2-4 types, but so far they’ve mostly pitched like #5 types (slowey is coming around,and Balckburn’s been about the #4 type I expect from him, so I guess it is really the other three, assuming slowey is really coming around).
Good Job last year Breslow and Good Luck!
They probably tried to slip Breslow to the minors, probably why it happened earlier.
Ayala probably has until Friday or until Perkins comes back.
DRDon, no it wasn’t. why not waive Breslow on Saturday (or Friday)? Why not have him available the next few days if the pitching blows up? Why call up Swarzak before Friday or Saturday?
$3.5M could have gotten you Latroy Hawkins and $1M we could have kept Reyes (the Big Sweat). Instead $4M to Punto and $1.3 to Ayala…. Punto is the 5th highest paid Twin!!!
Stay hot GM Smith
Shawn…From what I understand, there is a 72 hour waiver wire, and all GM’s are constantly checking it. Am I right?
Knowing Breslow’s history, he will do well this year in Oakland and suck next year.
Ayala is good as gone. What a waste of $$$!
We have an overabundance of hitters and a dearth of pitching - starters AND relievers. We need to trade the extra outfielder and get some pitching help. Sad as it is to say this, I think Cuddyer would bring back the best deal.
Also, maybe Baker should be put on the DL - there DEFINITELY is something wrong with him.
no idea Don 
Ayala’s not out yet because they can still ues him in those “Somebody PLEASE just go out there and throw the ball” type games while they figure out if they can dump him or deal him.
Good, now how about calling up a real short stop next, at least one that doesn’t either pop fly out or hit into a double play every chance he gets.
I do not know, mike wants. All I did was answer jama’s question. In fact, I know nothing!!!!!!!!
Yes, 72 Hour Waiver wire, but not sure ALL GM’s are constantly checking it, however.
Breslow was probably put on the waiver wire when they decided to call up henn.
Tommyboy….Everything eventually gets to Puntz bashing. This is about Schwarzak and Breslow. Good luck to both of them.
How does Breslow get sent down and Ayala still is getting a paycheck? Good thing we didn’t go out and get some legit bullpen help in the offseason. If we keep this budget conscious approach after the Twins rake in the revenue from the new ballpark, there will be a revolt. Mauer, Morneau, and our hitters deserve more from our GM than standing pat on our bullpen issues in the offseason. I still question Smith’s ability as a GM. Hopefully they’ll rebound, but with our line-up, and the rest of the division playing .500 ball, we had a legit chance to start the season out and separate ourselves from the division. Now, because we chose to fix our bullpen problems with another cast-off we are in a bad situation. We need a nice 8 game streak to get back in front - but with our bullpen, that’s not likely to happen.
Punto hustles though!!! - if he goes down his stunt double Tolbert takes his spot. They both keep the equipment manager busy because there uniforms are dirty from diving unnecessarily!
[…] Twins Insider – […]
This bullpen was a huge problem last September and needed to be addressed big time during the off season by Billy (Mr. No) Smith. Not just tweaked but a total housecleaning. There are still too many leftover pitchers from last year, like Crain and Guerrier that were too inconsistent. I would’ve been happier to see a completely revamped bullpen. It may be too late to salvage the season though, simply because most of the other teams in the league are just plain better in hitting, pitching, and relief pitching. The starters were supposed to be the strongest part of the team but they have 5 guys who are number 3, 4, and 5 type pitchers. Santana would look great right now but at least we got equal value in the trade with Gomez and (who are those other guys?).
i see Juan Rincon is a free agent… 
Matt… Hot Damn!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
We have an overabundance of hitters…
Submitted without comment.
Is it possible for the Twins to find a shortstop that can field his position, bat .275 with 10 homers and 60 RBI’s? There must be one out there somewhere.
Keep the blood flowing.
I’m not surprised that Breslow is gone and agree that Ayala will be next - will we really do any worse with the AAA guys? I would think that Crain and Guerrier would have some trade value (make that just Guerrier) but I think he could be okay if he isn’t used every day. I don’t know if there’s any hope for Crain since he just doesn’t have the consistancy that he needs. He can throw one of those 6 to 12 o’clock curves so great but then can’t throw another strike without it being right down the gut and gets hit a mile.
Just remember, Twins fans, that at the end of the day, what matters most is the bottom line. And don’t fool yourself into thinking that the new stadium will change that.
Breslow was probably put on waivers 10 days ago, when the plan was to replace him with Henn. Then Perkins went on the DL, accelerating the process with Henn.
There’s no way anyone should sign Rincon; we blew it when we didn’t sign LaTroy Hawkins when we had the chance. I think he would look pretty good in our nuclear infused bullpen.
DrDon:
Regarding Punto bashing, you’ll have to excuse me, I go for the easy targets.
Last night Punto hustled to the bag to drop Morneau’s perfect throw on a pickoff. Later he hustled and dove into first, making what looked to be a close play at first an easy out. Then he hustled behind second to knock a ball into the outfielder into his suddenly shrinking glove. He’s a hustler all right.
Jim, There is a certain shortstop at Tampa who is 3rd in the American League in batting with a .380 average. He also has
BA HR RBI OBP SLG
.380 5 22 .422 .577
Punto is frustrating. But pitching is the major problem, particularly the bullpen. (Don’t crane your neck to see who I’m talking about).
Tom:
There was a rumor that he was a Twin at one time, but I refuse to believe we would let a hitting/fielding SS go for nothing, and throw in a half decent starter to boot for a headcase. But that’s only a rumor.
“”"”Tommyboy says:
May 20th, 2009 at 1:38 pm
DrDon:
Regarding Punto bashing, you’ll have to excuse me, I go for the easy targets.”"”"
That was good, Tommy. In all honesty, there are only two players who do not deserve bashing at times, and those two are Joe and Justin. Everyone else is fair game in my book. I just do not do it, (much).
you’ll have to excuse me, I go for the easy targets.
In entertainment circles, that’s called getting a “Cheap Pop”.
Aka: You need to impress the crowd, so you don’t bother to do anything original or thought provoking and instead just stick with the tired material.
“Hey everybody, I’m new. PUNTO SUCKS! Yay I’m accepted!”
Anyone who suggests Jason Bartlett would be a better shortstop than Nick Punto doesn’t understand how valuable defense is in baseball.
The Twins can’t afford a shortstop who doesn’t provide great defense, even if he hits .380.
when is MLB going to find Pujols with a dirty test?
Tonight we’ll find out if Liriano is our staff ace. One attribute of an ace is the ability to “stop” losing streaks.
T Did I forget to tell you something new you may not have heard till right now. Punto sucks.
“”"”"Tommyboy says:
May 20th, 2009 at 1:44 pm
Tom:
There was a rumor that he was a Twin at one time, but I refuse to believe we would let a hitting/fielding SS go for nothing, and throw in a half decent starter to boot for a headcase. But that’s only a rumor.”"”"”
There was also a rumor that some unknown player named Babe Ruth was sold by the ECBS to the Jankees for something like $100,000.
cmathewson,
It is impossible for Breslow to have been put on the waiver wire 10 days ago. The waiver period is 3 days and he was claimed, which means that he was put on waivers on Sunday.
“That was good, Tommy. In all honesty, there are only two players who do not deserve bashing at times, and those two are Joe and Justin.”
DrDon, I think you meant “Jesus”, not Joe. The players who go by “Joe” are Crede and Nathan.
One more thing on Bartlett here are his fielding stats
POS GP GS INN TC PO A E DP FPCT
SS 39 39 334 154 53 97 4 15 .974 and the last part a 1.9m salary as compared to Punto
SS 34 34 294 148 57 88 3 15 .980 at 4m
It is impossible for Breslow to have been put on the waiver wire 10 days ago. The waiver period is 3 days and he was claimed, which means that he was put on waivers on Sunday.
Meaning the HR he gave up to ARod hadn’t even landed yet when they did so.
So they think that Henn is better than Breslow? Good luck…
Am I missing something here…didn’t Punto lace a base hit to right field last night…and then in his next at-bat, he rocketed a 3-1 pitch to the outfield, picking up an RBI in the process? What gives with you folks?
Plus, Punto’s average is now in the .200s, same as Harris.
i’m neutral about the punto bashing - but i do think the bill smith bashing has its place. it can never be repeated too often: santana, garza and bartlett for gomez and young (more or less - and don’t tell me about “pending free agency” - santana for a year is better than gomez for several - AND the twins would have received TWO first round picks in compensation had santana left on his own); lamb, everett, ayala, dickey….. the only good “moves” were bringing up guys already in the system and getting nathan to sign on discount. i don’t understand why the fan base isn’t more upset about having an inept GM who is slowly giving away talent while surrounding a couple of MVP’s (recent and future) with fringe veterans every year.
That’s a lot of Joes, Jason. But we have no one named Jesus in our lineup, that I am aware of.
T:
I’m sorry, I’m not all that intelligent, I can only work with the material that’s been given to me.
Tommy, I can relate to you comment about not all that intelligent. When my late father called me “dumber than a stump”, my mother corrected him and stated…”Art, stop insulting a stump.”
sane did you know that people think Punto Sucks?
jb…. I hadn’t heard that until now…..
AND the twins would have received TWO first round picks in compensation had santana left on his own
The Twins are often criticized for “building a future that never comes”. Letting Santana walk for two players who may never see the majors wouldn’t have really been much in the way of fixing that.
The Twins dealt Santana while they at least had some control over who they got back.
I predict tonight’s lineup:
Span LF
Tolbert 2B
Mauer C
Morneau 1B
Crede 3B
Cuddyer RF
Kubel DH
Gomez CF
Punto SS
One 0-fer is all it takes to put Harris back on the bench.
DrDon, I think you meant “Jesus”, not Joe. The players who go by “Joe” are Crede and Nathan.
The closest thing to “Jesus” on the Twins is “Jessie” and I think we can all agree that it’s a similiarity in name only.
“Jesus” gets uttered a lot when Jessie enters the game, however.
DrDon I am watching the clock till the beer becomes nearer and nearer like a mirage…..
I understand we see a lot of “Punto sucks” on here. Totally stating the obivous.
But did anyone ever think it’s just people stating their opinion? Even if repeatedly? Punto does open himself up the repeated “Punto sucks” comments.
I think Punto sucks. And I say that not to be a part of the “crowd,” but because that’s my opinion. If I say it a lot, that means Punto has done something yet again for my to feel that way.
My opinion also is that I am surprised by the short leash Breslow had. Could be because he wasn’t a Twin long enough to be one of “Gardy’s guys.”
Still can’t explain why Ayala remains though.
good quote from terry leach, the way smitty spends money is strange. harris 0-4 last night bet he doesn’t start tonight.
LaPanta is like our very own “hair piece” Jesus
Keppel, Mulvey, or Morillo for Ayala now plz.
You guys are cruel. Lol.
Could be because he wasn’t a Twin long enough to be one of “Gardy’s guys.”
Why is that always the first thing people assume? Weren’t we calling for Breslow’s head not but a week ago? And now he’s gone and it’s Gardy’s fault?
Jason, I predict this:
The Puntz SS
Kubel DH
Gomez CF
Tolbert 2B
Span LF
Morneau 1B
Crede 3B
Mauer C
Cuddyer RF
That will put fear into the White Sox.
[Crain]…He can throw one of those 6 to 12 o’clock curves so great but then can’t throw another strike without it being right down the gut and gets hit a mile.
If Crain had a great 6 to 12 curveball then he wouldn’t need any other pitches.
I’m not crying over Breslow being shipped out. It’s just too bad we can’t ship out about three other bullpen guys with him (Ayala, Crain, Guerrier).
Yes, you heard me, Guerrier. I know he’s had a number of good outings, but time after time he shows us he can’t get it done when the game is on the line.
But yeah, I’ll lose no sleep over Breslow being gone. He might not have been the worst guy in the pen, but he wasn’t effective.
Who’d win in a fight Tyner or Punto?
Scotty Ulger vs Gardy
Mauer vs Morneau
Indeed, Reyes would look really good right now sweating balls in a Twins uni. Loved that fat faced LOOGY!
[…] This post was Twitted by twinsbuzztap - Real-url.org […]
how did Ayala get to be one of “Gardy’s pets” he has been here less then Breslow??
Jason, why would you want to ship out Guerrier?
Players can be problems…but Gardy has lost control of the team and his decisions stink!
Time for him to be let go!!!
jimmy…
Punto would “battle his tail off” so, clearly would win.
Scotty Ulger would misread Gardy telegraphing his punches, so, would lose.
The hockey player goes down, because catchers know how to take a shot and get back up…
Guerrier’s okay as a 7th inning guy or in a non-pressure situation, but he’s proven time and time again not to be a set-up guy.
More of a hunch than anything, I guess. I know his ERA is pretty low.
T,
I assumed it because it’s my opinion. Next time I will clear my opinions with you.
No need to rag on it. I don’t get all worked up when I disagree with you or others. I just keep reading.
Can Punto slide head first on gravel or asphalt?
Boy, Blake, I’m pretty sure the hockey guy would win. I gotta call you on that one.
“Tonight we’ll find out if Liriano is our staff ace. One attribute of an ace is the ability to “stop” losing streaks.”
No!
The only requirement is to be better than the rest of the crap in the rotation.
Gardy’s downfall will be playing his favorite players. Because unfortunetly his favorite players are not the best players on the team. On any other team Punto would be a defensive replacement at the end of the game and Cuddy would be the teams mascot.
The Job of the manager is to field the best team and Gardy won’t do that.
How well liked is A-Rod?, hell his own teammates dislike him but because he is a good player he is out on the field.
If playing “twins baseball” is about playing the nicest guys in the clubhouse, Houston we have a problem.
I posted this late on one of the other blogs and was genuinely curious to hear from some of the bloggers…
I’m not at the level of baseball understanding and statistical analysis as some of the posters here…in fact I’m simply an avid Twins fan and enjoy the game.
So, I’d like to know why the batting order doesn’t shift up one without a solid #2 hitter? It makes sense in my mind… but that’s not saying much.
Shaun T “screens” all of our opinions you get use to it after awhile
Anyone who plays instead of my boy must be Gardy’s pet.
That is because I am never wrong, Gardy knows it, so he must be playing his “pet” when he disagrees with me,(because I am never wrong - or did I already cover that?)
Sane,
You responded to my earlier post so thanks and sorry for the duplication.
“How well liked is A-Rod?, hell his own teammates dislike him but because he is a good player he is out on the field.”
THAT’S why the Twins don’t have A-Rod!
I thought it was a money issue.
“Bet they wish [they] had Reyes in the bullpen…”
Dude, he’s a free agent…NOBODY wants him eating up a roster spot.
Can LNP slide up and down a chimney like Santa Claus. *Saint Nick*
DrDon says:
When my late father called me “dumber than a stump”, my mother corrected him and stated…”Art, stop insulting a stump.”
Thanks Doc, my own father used use the tired old phrase, “doesn’t know his a$$ from a hole in the ground”.
And to be fair, I never once said Punto sucks, I only said it would be nice to have a SS that actually helps at the plate once in awhile. Punto is just fine in a utility role.
Sane,
I think you missed the point… but then again so does Gardy… must be a Minnesota thing.
Could someone find a link on defensive SS rankings. Not with BA or overall rankings but just Fielding %
Eddie Shore says:
May 20th, 2009 at 2:09 pm
[Crain]…He can throw one of those 6 to 12 o’clock curves so great but then can’t throw another strike without it being right down the gut and gets hit a mile.
If Crain had a great 6 to 12 curveball then he wouldn’t need any other pitches.
THANK YOU Eddie, I thought no one else was going to catch that.
“Gardy’s downfall will be playing his favorite players. Because unfortunetly his favorite players are not the best players on the team. On any other team Punto would be a defensive replacement at the end of the game and Cuddy would be the teams mascot.”
Well put.
Could someone find a link on defensive SS rankings
Yes.
You, for example.
Marco Scutaro, Tor 42 42 365.2 191 58 133 0 28 1.000 4.71 5.445
Derek Jeter, NYY 37 37 319.1 155 70 83 2 19 .987 4.31 5.742
Alexei Ramirez, CWS 35 34 297.2 147 55 90 2 19 .986 4.40 5.796
Nick Punto, Min 34 34 294.1 148 57 88 3 15 .980 4.43 5.615
Jhonny Peralta, Cle 28 28 245.0 127 41 83 3 27 .976 4.56 5.386
Cesar Izturis, Bal 33 33 282.1 159 55 100 4 23 .975 4.94 5.038
Erick Aybar, LAA 27 27 228.1 118 48 67 3 22 .975 4.53 5.398
Jason Bartlett, TB 39 39 334.2 154 53 97 4 15 .974 4.05 6.195
Mike Aviles, KC 30 29 241.0 128 46 78 4 26 .969 4.63 5.297
Orlando Cabrera, Oak 36 36 330.2 162 45 111 6 21 .963 4.26 5.840
Elvis Andrus, Tex 33 31 278.1 169 56 106 7 27 .959 5.24 4.680
Yuniesky Betancourt, Sea
Yeah!! Good glove LNP. 4th hmmmm. Thank You Tom.
bad move… Breslow was starting to turn it around… Ayala should be the first to go. Good Luck in Oakland
“So, I’d like to know why the batting order doesn’t shift up one without a solid #2 hitter? It makes sense in my mind… but that’s not saying much.”
I’m thinking about it, Eddie.
I’d try Gomez in the 2 hole for a while first. I believe someone posted he hits like .400 when batting in front of Mauer.
Connecticut,
“Sane,
I think you missed the point… but then again so does Gardy… must be a Minnesota thing.”
I did miss the point.
My bad.
Play talent, not nice guys.
I get it now.
My mistake was not a Minnesota thing.
I used to be a nice guy, but I moved from Minnesota to SoCal and now I am NOT a nice guy.
Paradise Lost.
Punto is 4th in fielding but only 6th in zone rating. So above average? Sure. Good enough to justify his anemic offense? Not a chance. He is in the upper half of most defensive statistics. Unfortunately he is also 7th in # of games started at SS in the AL, and that is a shame.
Ah, Reyes .. the memories.
I think that’s one thing I love about baseball. Dennys Reyes and Jose Mijares (guys built a lot like me) get to call themselves “athletes”.
Hmmm.
I actually kind of liked Breslow. I think the reason he was doing poorly this year is that they shifted his role. Last year, he was called on to get a couple of lefties out at a time. This year, they’ve been having him pitch entire innings.
I would have gotten rid of Ayala and kept Breslow as a situational lefty. But I guess with Mijares and Henn already in the ‘pen there was no need for another lefty.
But I look forward to seeing Swarzak pitch.
Yes, 72 Hour Waiver wire, but not sure ALL GM’s are constantly checking it, however.
This season, I bet it’s ALL GM’s or very close, especially if it’s a reliever…and even moreso if it’s one that is LH and breathing.
Lots of teams need bullpen help. And the few that don’t are an injury or sudden meltdown away from joining the other group.
Would LNP start at SS for any other team in MLB other than MN?
“bad move… Breslow was starting to turn it around… Ayala should be the first to go.”
You took the words right out of my mind, LMS.
And BTW, I don’t consider Mijares to be a mere “lefthander”…..who is mainly used to get lefties out.
So they could have kept both Breslow and Henn. I don’t buy this “too many lefties in the pen” stuff.
jimmy bee-
Punto because he would hustle and he doesn’t minde getting dirty.
Gardy because he looks like he could rip someone’s head off when he gets mad.
Morneau because Mauer gets hurt too easily and Morneau is “strong like bull.”
“Spectrum Sports Dude says:
May 20th, 2009 at 2:50 pm
Would LNP start at SS for any other team in MLB other than MN?”
Yes. Many other teams. Not necessarily good ones, but there are quite a few that would take him. For example: Detroit. If they’re desperate enough to put Adam Everett at short, you know they’d take Punto!
Ooo, nice stat in Joe C’s feature article this morning:
“The White Sox are 7-1 in his [Buehrle’s] starts and 9-21 otherwise.”
So, we’re back to the 9-21 stuff tonight!
I agree with Little Miss Sarcasm. He wasn’t great, but who will do better? He was worth keeping until someone better comes along.
What kind of stuff does Swarzak have?
Anything above average Malor League wise? Or is he a good control, solid 2or3 starter potential guy, like the rest of the staff?
Torii Hunter stated it perfectly a while back. Sliding head first into first base is “false hustle”. Nicky “false hustle” Punto. I swear he tries to make ESPN highlight films on everything. Like the other night when he slid about 75 yards to get that ball. False hustle.
Yeah except that Everett has actually hit this year and Punto hasn’t.
Jake…you said… “”"”"Morneau is “strong like bull.””"”"”
And most of us bloggers are “smart like tractor.”
I think that we have our best option at SS currently. He is ranked quite well on defense. Much better than people think. The way people rip on him you would say he was last in fielding percentage and has a lower lifetime BA then Ueker, Bob.
I wish Nicky would get a chance to dive into second for a double instead of his 4-3 ground outs….
When he gets a walk does he dive into first?
Another reason I liked Breslow: he has the same date of birth as my wife. I thought that was a lucky sign.
For the same reason, I’m a big fan of DT Kevin Williams. He was born on the same day I was.
2-Go-Go
5-Cuddy
6-Kube
7-Creed
8-Harris SS
9-Tolbert 2B
when going into a base I heard sliding actually slows a person down over running through a base. So When sliding into first you actually slow down your momentum.
Bartlett .380
Everett .303
Punto .202
Yep. We’re definitely getting $4 million a year out of LNP
i think a battle between mauer and morneau would be something like one of the battles out of dragonball z with huge swaths of the midwest being laid to waste.
“I think that we have our best option at SS currently.”
But he can’t hit LH pitching.
I think the Star Tribune should set aside another comment blog with Nick Punto being the sole topic of discussion.
It would obviously be therapeutic for many as venting and hostilities could all be localized while freeing up also pertinent dialogue between fans on other subjects pertaining to the Twins.
Although I don’t know where the Strib would find the funds to support a new server that size.
“when going into a base I heard sliding actually slows a person down over running through a base. So When sliding into first you actually slow down your momentum.”
Not true. They tested this on “Mythbusters” a while ago. Sliding is actually faster and sliding head first is faster than feet first.
So, Icon, If the Puntz would slide down the chimney as one of Santa’s elves, he should go head first, it is faster???
Harping on Nicky is just an indirect way to say that GM Smith sucks…
Or how about Morneau -vs- Chuck Norris. The mighty stick against the roundhouse kick. Live on Pay Per View..
“I think the Star Tribune should set aside another comment blog with Nick Punto being the sole topic of discussion.”
Good idea, but I would call the blog “Who do you hate more, Nick Punto or Brad Childress?”
I think they’d get enough traffic on that page to shut down the entire internet.
“So, Icon, If the Puntz would slide down the chimney as one of Santa’s elves, he should go head first, it is faster???”
I don’t know the answer to that one. But I do know that Boof Bonser and Jose Mijares would eat all of the cookies and milk before Punto even got there.
Sliding is actually faster and sliding head first is faster than feet first.
It increases the chances of getting your hand spiked by Miggy Cabrera or Prince Fielder, though. Ouch.
that raises a good question, who would win in a fight, super chili or little nicky?
How bout’ a blog called Kobe or A-Rod who hates whom more.
Dont hate Nicky Punto. He plays hard he is a utility player being exposed as an everyday player. That is GM Smiths $4M doing and fault….
Now Childress different story….
Lineups are posted….
I think LNP could take down Childress. He’s pretty quick.
my money is on chili and his kick @$$ offense
Chilli would win because of his formal millitary training prior to joining the 1980’s hit show “Major Dad”.
Chilly with his “kick a**” mustache against LNP and his mighty glove of destruction
So when do you think Bill Smith will be put on the DL???
Jimmy Bee: I would have to go with Kobe. I realllly hate that guy. The only reason that I don’t like A-Rod is because he’s a Yankee. Kobe’s a Laker, which is almost as bad as being a Yankee. Plus, I’m at least 50% convinced that he raped that chick (yes, I know he was not found guilty by a court of law. That’s just my opinion).
Chilly would win without lifting a finger he has the Psychology background( which he reminds us). He would play mind games with Lil Nick- Hannibal like…
In all seriousness, what was the reasoning behind letting Breslow go and not Ayala? Are we seeing the beginnings of a fire sale in the bullpen? I think an earlier post said Ayala will be gone by Friday. Would they bring someone up, or dare we think, BS will go out and find another scrap heap reliever.
Punto would slide head first into Childress’s kneecaps and knock him down.
Aquaman:
They will not need to bring anyone up. Delmon Young should return to the roster later this week.
The only good thing is that Breslow would be with Oakland by the 29th and I can go and catch the double header in Texas that day.
Not if Chilly was standing on 2nd base Nicky only sees 2nd base on defense..
Ayala $1.3M and Breslow $400K+ Smith would have to admit another failure….
Well more wierd postings here.
Ayala will be fine. he is guaranteed 1.3 MIL.
Breslow was major league min.
You have Henn and Mijares in the pen and throw harder than Breslow.
I liked him yet as noted earlier they probably tried to sneak him through.
Ayala will get more time unless they find a trading partner that has a similar reliever not performing.
Doesn”t make baseball or economics to give a free reliever up to other teams right now.
Win Twins!
I seriously hope this team deals one of it’s top 5 starters. I know what you are all thinking, that I am crazy to even think that, but look at it this way.
They probably won’t trade an OF’er. They will send Go Go down before they trade one. They never give up minor leaguers. We have no depth in the IF. Our relievers are terrible. What does that leave? Starting Pitching. Where do we have plenty of depth? Starting pitching. I say we deal Blackburn or Perkins, and we could easily get a top end reliever out of it plus a prospect. Starting Pitching is King, and this team could finally get the set up man, plus a prospect and call up one of the several SP prospects we already have.
Some stats worth noting as of today. Former Twins relievers:
Latroy Hawkins/Houston ERA 2.70
Dennys Reyes/St. Louis ERA 3.65
Brian Bass/Baltimore ERA 5.04
Former Twins shortstops:
Jason Bartlett/Tampa .380 BA
Christian Guzman/Washington .373 BA
Adam Everett/Detroit .306 BA
Texas, Little Miss Sarcasm? Are you going there or are you there?
Cali people don’t like Texas and there is a few Californians on the blog so SHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH…..
I say we deal Blackburn or Perkins, and we could easily get a top end reliever out of it plus a prospect.
Someone has a top-end reliever to trade? And one that would be pried away “easily.”
You’re playing fantasy baseball.
Honestly, what did the front office see in Ayala? He’s over 30 and his ERA gets worse every year?
2003 2.92
2004 2.69
2005 2.66
2007 3.19
2008 5.78
2009 5.71
Latroy Hawkins/Houston ERA 2.70
Dennys Reyes/St. Louis ERA 3.65
Hawk and Sweat are pitching in AAAA.
Always add about a run when comparing AAAA ERA’s to the American League.
when perkins comes back and yes he will and should start again then Ayala has to be nextto go unless Henn and Swarzak completely stink it up. And can we please stop with the Crain/Matty nonsense. They are’nt going anywhere, now you want a AAA bullpen ohverhaul 2 months in??
I agree with FranTheMan, this is’nt fantasy sports and BTW bullpens throughout baseball are struggling. There have been more blown saves and walk offs then in previous yrs. As bad as the pen has been, the starting pitching and lack of clutch hitting are bigger problems.
I am in Houston so Arlington is a 3 hour drive. Breslow was a sweetheart when my friend and I saw him on the Baltimore harbor in the early part of May so I am definately going to try to make it there to see him as an A
I think it’s funny that people are telling me this isn’t fantasy baseball and that RP are worth more the SP… You are kidding right? I agree, I might have put my foot in my mouth with the top end bit, I wasn’t expecting JJ Putz or anything, but none of you think we could get a ransom for a young starter? Did you see what they paid Silva? Teams covet young SP. I think they could easily nab a set up man.
What about letting go Crain?!? All he gives the opposing team is BP!!
Matty Guerrier is worth keeping. He will get walloped every now and then against really good hitting teams. But against poor and average hitting teams he is usually lights out.
bit of a shock dumping breslow. why him?? were we that impressed with henn last night? ayala/crain sticking around, what gives? gardy=bonehead..but that should come as no surprise to anyone who follows this team
gardy isnt the GM…
and he’s still a bonehead..do u honestly think he has zero input on these decisions?
Punto sucks, Fire Gardy, get rid of Bert and Ernie
haha…fair enough.
No, gardy obviously has input. But I do think money is playing a role in the personnel decisions that are made. I am not sure, but is Ayala’s contract guaranteed? If so, with Breslow’s and Ayala’s stats being roughly equal it becomes an economic decision.
i agree Bp’s stink all over MLB. that’s why they’re in the BP. at every level of baseball, including professional, your best arms are your starters. it’s that simple. you get into a teams BP and your chances of winning have increased substantially, thats why i hate pitch counts, especially for a guy like gardy who likes to follow trends, like pitch counts, instead of using his head and basing his decisions on situations in the game. yes our BP stinks but outside of 1-2 teams, so does everyone else’s.
Dude, (Reyes is) a free agent…NOBODY wants him eating up a roster spot.
Dude, if you’re going to use the word “dude,” you need to have your ‘facts’ be factual.
(Sliding into first) increases the chances of getting your hand spiked by Miggy Cabrera or Prince Fielder, though. Ouch.
Slide Nicky, slide!!
Someone mentioned earlier about a hitting SS. I stated last fall the Twins should try to get Hardy from the Brewers. The Brewers have a young stud in the minors and will have to move him. Granted the likely hood is alot less now that Rickie Weeks is done for the year.
has anybody filled out an all-star ballot yet? Mauer our only starter? morneau our only other participant?
Cristan Guzman probably could be acquired form the Nats for Punto and a minor league pitching prospect.
Mauer to CF is what I’m hearing.
I like tonights line-up. Punto has come of age and had a GREAT game last
night and really stung the ball well.
I wish he would not slide into 1st base
though, he might get hurt.
“Cristan Guzman probably could be acquired form the Nats for Punto and a minor league pitching prospect.”
unlikely even in your fantasy league …
“Mauer to CF is what I’m hearing.”
where did you “hear” that? on one of these blogs? and were you the one who “said” it?
This team has taken (and was already doing so towards the end of last year) a HUGE STEP BACKWARDS… one so bad that it could keep them in any cellar for years. Mr. Bill (oh no!) has sure mucked things up. Unless…
More Harris, more wins. Punto and Tolbert are utility/bench players at best. Also dont panic yet it’s still early and our division sucks. One member of the central will earn the right to eliminated in the first round.
- Breaking News - The Twins are looking to deal Punto for a Slushie making machine so that Justin can continue to have his slushies after Punto is gone.
“”"”"mickey mental says:
May 20th, 2009 at 5:05 pm
“Cristan Guzman probably could be acquired form the Nats for Punto and a minor league pitching prospect.”
unlikely even in your fantasy league …
“Mauer to CF is what I’m hearing.”
where did you “hear” that? on one of these blogs? and were you the one who “said” it?”"”"”
I heard that the Twins are going to trade Ron Gardenhire to the White Sox for Ozzie Guillon, straight up.
I said it earlier: Ayala: 3As, as in AAA - Go there.
Jesse Crain needs to go!!!!!!!!!!!!!1
I would love to have Guzy at SS.
Or really anyone other than our current options.
testing
romer….you failed the test.
I know Breslow was pretty ugly this year, but I wish we’d gotten rid of Ayala first. He’s the biggest bullpen problem in my mind. He’s been in 17.1 innings and he’s given up 26 hits. Ugly.
For the Knuckleballer haters, the much-maligned R.A. Dickey has a 3.63 ERA with 27 hits in 22 innings, which ain’t shabby.
Brett…. We gotta keep the Dickey.
Cuddy at first base. Great choice Gardy…
Where can you find better inside information on the Twins? The current Twins Insider has to be the worst insider information I’ve seen. There is never any real inside information just a rehash of news from somewhere else. There’s no reason to even go to this website.
Clint Bell… LaVelle, Joe, and Howard do a good job. If you don’t like it… go to another newspaper.
Clint Bell,
And where exactly are LaVelle and co pilfering from? Actually, in my experience, they are often the first to break Twins stories, and I’m a news and Twins junkie.
So I cordially deem you to be incorrect.
I second the good DrDon–we’re lucky to have LaVelle, Joe and Howard…
Brett: “”"”"I second the good DrDon”"”"” Then my question is, when I have something to say, why am I slammed into the ground with a body slam by some people?
Nothing personal nor accusing you, but have you read the blogs for the last month or so and some of the things said about the ol’ Doc???
As frustrating as the pitching has been, i would like to rip on Gomez and his wild swinging ways. Runners on base and he has to try to kill the ball instead of laying a bunt down to move the runners over when there was no outs. If i would have been Gardy, i would have put a boot where the sun doesn’t shine. This club plays some pretty dumb ball at times. Also when Crain gave up they homer, i had a feeling that was coming
My god how did 7 runs happen in the fourth? These twins are having some serious problems. The starting pitching has been mediocre at best, and we only have one reliever worth having (Nathan). Our bats have been alright, but I wish Punto was not everyday. Harris needs to be out there. Oh Gomez can go-go outa here for all I care. Put DY in right, Span in center and either Cuddy or Kubel in Left. We can’t have two automatic outs batting every game. I don’t understand the DY bashing either, he looks silly out there at times, but I don’t actually think his fielding stats are that bad. Last year he hit nearly .300, which is never a bad thing in my book. He hasn’t been given a chance this year, and I think he deserved a starting spot with his performance last year.
40 hits and 11 walks in 44 innings and they call him up???
Doc,
Sorry for the late response. I fell asleep after the inning that shall not be named in tonight’s game. I don’t slam you into the ground, or anyone really. And besides, these blog comments are made for hyperbole, so don’t take it personally.
b
my honest opinion is that the whole team needs to be imploded. Get rid of smith, Gardhy and Rick Anderson. Get a youthful GM like Epstein and spend some freaking $.
The Twins are to clean cut. Bring back the Tori Hunter’s that take out the Chi sox catchers. We need more players smoking cigs between innings and cleating 2nd basemen while breaking up a DP. What ever happen to the great past time, when we could count on TK mixing it up by the 3rd inning. These choir boys are not getting it done. Please just provide us with a competitive team that doesn’t prompt congential heart failure when we make a call to the bullpen! Sorry for the rant, but I’m so sick of mediocrity!
Amen Jason, I’m with you. Getting rid of Ayala, Crain and Guerrier is the next step. Then we can worry about Punto, Young and Gomez later.
It was reported in Minneapolis today by the AP that Twins General Manager Bill Smith had a heart attack today at the buffet line at the Sizzzler when he happened to glance at a sports page someone had left and saw Bartlett was hitting .350. He never knew!
