Some people wanted the Twins to win 11-10 tonight, scoring enough runs to beat Tampa Bay while giving the front office reason to jettison the team’s reigning MUP (Most Unpopular Player) Sidney Ponson. Everything from the way he’s pitched — yielding almost an earned run per inning in his first four starts to his hand-licking, XXL-presence on the mound — has rankled many people. And then there’s the notion that Garza/Slowey/Perkins/Baker/Tarvaris Jackson/Blyleven (pick your favorite) would do a better job of filling the No. 5 spot in the rotation. Well, maybe not Bert.

The Devil Rays kind of fouled that plan with two innings of incredibly self-destructive baseball that rightfully earned the ire of their radio announcers and let the Twins build a 6-0 lead that no pitcher could have put asunder. After listening to the second inning on XM, with the Devil Rays broadcast crew, I’m watching a replay as I keyboard, and you can talk all you want about Tampa Bay’s promising young players. But as long as they play beer-league defense, any improvements on offense and among their pitchers will be done in by their inability to field. A pick-off turned stolen base, BJ Upton forgets to cover first on a bunt, Edwin Jackson throws a ball into the bullpen, grounder under pitcher’s glove, Upton goes bobble-bobble on a double-play grounder … and so it went. All in one inning. Talk about Pros vs. Joes.

All that was left to do was for Ponson to throw strikes and change speeds. Seven innings, one run. Mission accomplished. You’d think that Sidney would do something to show his appreciation to the Rays for his two winning starts against them. You know, maybe send a few bottles of Dom Perignon to the clubhouse. Or, on account of their youth, send them to the Chuck E. Cheese in St. Pete for a big ol’ party for their roster’s five May birthdays.

You think the Rochester pitching posse wasn’t sending one of the batboys into the clubhouse now and again and again to check on how Ponson was pitching? Their exile will continue because Ponson not only earned the right to take on Boston this Sunday but, in all likelihood, probably earned the right to have at least one or two more rocky starts after that before changes are made. A little bit of success can lengthen the leash considerably.

Here’s the Twins’ company line, for now. If Ponson can find a way to win 10-12 games in 30 or so starts, then he’s doing everything that can be expected from a No. 5 starter. The hyperquick rise of Slowey and Garza through the minors means they won’t be hurt by spending more time, maybe even the entire season, at Rochester. Glen Perkins will get enough work as the second bullpen lefty to justify keeping him with the Twins. Scott Baker hasn’t shown much different from Ponson during his stints in the majors.

That’s got to be frustrating for just about everyone not named Sidney Ponson. Hot Class AAA prospects are the second-string quarterbacks of the major leagues: people always think they’ll be an improvement over the guy with the job. But that’s the way it is right now because, with the help of Tampa Bay’s defense (of all things), Ponson pitched well enough to pitch again.

Now it’s Boof’s turn to do the same.

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This entry was posted on Tuesday, May 1st, 2007 at 10:15 pm and is filed under Thoughts. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.