It’s all about choices
Posted on June 30th, 2008 – 8:20 AMBy Howard
OK, so I could be writing this in the aftermath of a Delmon-goes-deep high. But when you go through the reasons why the Twins are the hottest team in baseball — you can’t listen to any national baseball broadcast for more than a couple of minutes without hearing about the local guys — I think it’s right to credit some of the choices that have been made. After all, there’s been plenty of Monday morning grumpiness at times this season.
The Twins are playing at an 89-win pace right now, which beats anything that was talked about a couple of months back, or even a few weeks back.
Here are some good choices that have been made:
The Twins didn’t goof around with Joe Mauer’s place in the batting order. This team just doesn’t have a No. 3 hitter who would make more sense, except for Morneau — and then who would you bat clean-up? The big break that’s been caught, of course, has been Alexi Casilla’s readiness to fill the No. 2 spot and second base as he’s done. That Casilla has a .360 on-base percentage and 30 RBI couldn’t have been anticipated. When a player appears to mature about five years between seasons, it’s a tribute to the combination of whatever message was delivered and the way he received it.
Speaking of infielders, Gardy and Bill Smith and their staffs made a subtle decision that hasn’t been talked about much. As frustrating as Brendan Harris was at second base, they kept in mind that Harris was mainly used at shortstop last season, where he had limited range but steady hands. Even though Casilla’s best position is thought to be shortstop, the Twins moved Harris to short and installed Casilla at second. Not only has it proven to be the best of the combinations used so far this season, but Casilla’s athleticism at second base has covered for some of the off-target throws from Brian Buscher at third. In addition to having trouble with the pivot, Harris simply didn’t get to some throws that Casilla has managed to handle. Buscher is much improved at third base, but his arm still makes me nervous.
As long as we’re talking about Harris, I think we’re romanticizing the guy who played shortstop last season. People who say they want Jason Bartlett back aren’t looking at his offensive numbers, which include an on-base percentage 42 points lower than last season’s and a slugging percentage 11 points (.282 to .271) higher than the atrocious number that Nick Punto turned in last year. It’s a flawed statistic, but Harris’ chances per nine innings are well above the league average at shortstop this season. At second base, he was well below the norm.
Speaking of Punto, I saw two things in Saturday’s loss that disturbed me. The first was the bat-flipping fit he threw at the plate when he struck out in the first inning. A team that’s won 10 in a row can survive a strikeout by someone who isn’t expected to hit much – especially in the first inning, for gosh sake. More disturbing, though, was the delayed steal that Milwaukee catcher Jason Kendall pulled off which, according to Ron Coomer’s analysis, came because Kendall saw that Punto had his head down and wasn’t paying attention between pitches. Any coincidence that it happened in the inning after Punto grounded into a double play? Taking batting problems into the field is an ugly thing.
During spring training there were bloggers and others who muttered about the disproportionate amount of attention Denard Span was getting in Florida. Hadn’t proven anything, they said. Wouldn’t amount to anything, they said. Well, he’s joining the team for the second time because of another Cuddyer injury and I think the consensus is that he’s the right choice. It might even give Gardy the confidence to give Gomez a day off.
Speaking of Gomez, there were people who were saying (with a stright face), that Jason Pridie should start the season in center field, that the Twins should sign Corey Patterson (who was available all spring) or that they should have gone after Mike Cameron over the winter. That seems like years ago, huh? And when the team has won 11 out of 12, I can deal with a leadoff batter who has a .295 OBP and more strikeouts than Morneau and Mauer combined — as long as I don’t see similar numbers at this time next season. Steps forward, steps back will be the story of his rookie saeason, and we shouldn’t be surprised.
After his first few starts, when the rotation was still in flux, there were people who wanted Kevin Slowey returned to Rochester. I wrote about a conversation I had with Bill Smith, who said that going back and dominating at Triple-A would prove nothing and he was sure that, unlike some other pitchers, Slowey’s best shot at improvement would come from staying in the rotation. Three earned runs, 21 runners and 30 strikeouts in his last 29 innings says Smith was right.
other people are here too
127 Responses to "It’s all about choices"
nice points Howard and you even joined the “PUNTO must go!!” bandwagon.. welcome aboard!!!!!
Great observations, Howard.
To piggyback on a lot of that, I think it’s time to give Ron Gardenhire some serious credit at this point. Gardy has been under plenty of fan scrutiny this season (and I think deservedly so, at times) for what was perceived to be a rebuiliding year–mostly, fans were concerned about whether or not Gardy would be able to utilize the young guys in a way which would ultimately build a contender for 2009 and 2010.
Now the jury may still be out on that, but what we do know–and what we’ve always known–is Gardy is very good at getting the most out of what he has at the moment. His handling of guys like Jason Kubel (yes, I’m glad to report Kubel stepped up big and made me look silly last week–more on that later), Alexi Casilla, Go-go, even D Young…combined with his de-emphasis on guys like Nick Punto, Mike Lamb, and Boof Bonser…I think Gardy comes out smelling pretty good in this thing, so far.
So for those of you calling for Gardy’s head throughout this first half–shame on you…he’s earned the chance to see what he can do with this bunch and other then some truly, well, I’ll just say it, dumb moments this year (he did void himself of a DH two different times–unacceptable managing), Gardy has been absolutely what this team needs. He deserves a ton of credit for where we are at right now.
Not only was I happy to see Jason Kubel refrain from falling into one of his slumps that we’ve been accustomed to seeing after hot streaks during his time here, I am now even more giddy over his being in the 5-hole! You can talk injuries all you want, but Michael Cuddyer has been by far the most disappointing player on this squad so far. Even though it’s odd to have three lefties in a row, I will be interested to see how Kubel flourishes in the 5-hole and what effect that might have on an already hot-hitting Justin Morneau.
Don’t get me wrong, I still don’t think Kubel is the superstar-to-be that many on you have been dreaming about, but the guy has earned his due as a mainstay in this lineup for now–even more so than number 5, at this point.
On the down side, I have to say this…I went to both Friday and Saturday’s game (Note: this fact contradicts Pat Reusse’s oft-repeated claim that blog commenters aren’t paying customers), and I must say, Minnesota fans were thoroughly embarrassed by the presence of our Wisconsin counterparts. I know that statement is going to be met with a lot of angry dissention by many of you, but it’s a fact. We had more fans in the buidling (which is more than you can say for Gophers / Badgers games, usually), but they were louder and more organized. When the Brewers hit their HRs on Friday night, the place was very, very loud. By comparison, congrats to White Sox fans for showing up and not allowing Cubs fans to take over their ballpark.
Having said that, I have to say this for all of you haughty Wisconsinites (and transplants who wore your Brewers gear and drove home to Woodbury or Mapleton)…LET’S GO BREWERS…LET’S GO BREWERS…LET’S GO BREWERS…94-EAST…94-EAST…
There’s always next year, right Bernie? Wait…that excuse has been going on since 1982.
two good columns! Yes, Jason that includes you. Injuries? Well, “injuries are the judge of talent”. Forced changes include: Blackburn staying on the big club, Casilla called up, Buscher called back, and now? Hopefully Span can stick and when Cuddyer comes back, Monroe gets less at bats
Monroe has been a waste of money. He doesn’t get much playing time and when he does he usually stinks. Granted, maybe with more playing time his numbers will improve but he is an expensive bench warmer. Perhaps he can be packaged with someone in a trade in July.
Well, I was at all three games this weekend, Jason and I do disagree that the Brewer fans put Twins fans to shame. If starting a “Let’s go Brewers” chant occasionally (and getting drowned out immediately by Twins fans each time) is “more organized”, ok, whatever. But no way were they more appreciative of their HRs Friday night than Twins fans were of Mauer’s game winner. The stadium rocked when that went out. Yeah, Kubel’s meaningless HR with 2 out in the 9th on Sat was met with yawns, but big deal. And Sunday was ALL Twins fans!
I do agree Gardy has to get some credit for what the team has done. My observation is that he seems to have more success when he’s got a team with lower expectations going in to the season. He can relax… teach… cojole… challenge… whatever the situation calls for. But in seasons like last year, when there are some lofty expectations, I think he feels the pressure and when things don’t go quite right, he doesn’t react well. Again… just an observation.
Howard, I totally agree with your comments, particularly with regard to Punto. I’ve never been one of the “jump on ‘Little Nicky’” crowd because it just seemed wrong to constantly blame him for everything that was going wrong with the team. He seemed to be giving it whatever he had and almost trying too hard. Saturday, though, was just ugly. I was embarassed for him and it just seemed like he didn’t even want to be out there. I’m sure it’s not easy to come back after being out so long, and then sitting on the bench ever since being reactivated, but his head wasn’t even in the game… and that’s not like him.
I’ll be surprised to see the Twins reach that 89-win mark, but they are certainly making things interesting and fun to follow.
Crikket and I will disagree…it would be nice to tell yourself that they didn’t have a major presence at these games, but they did. The amount of cheering for the Brewers’ HRs on Friday was astonishing…and I don’t recall any being thrown back on to the field…hmm, wonder what that means…
By comparison, in watching and listening to the Cubs / Sox last night from U.S. Cellular…that place was pretty much all White Sox fans. There wasn’t any “Let’s Go Cubs” going on and the place was only loud when the Sox were making plays…all that, and the Cubs supposedly have one of the largest followings of any pro sports team.
And to describe the “Let’s Go Brewers” thing as occasional and immediately drawn out is not accurate….it popped up quite often, was very noticable…and even on Sunday when I watched on TV you could hear it and you could kind of feel Dick and Bert cringe and not mention it (other than one reference by Dick about how fans of both teams were getting into it).
Well, I’m sorry, but when you’re the perennial winner and your ballpark isn’t worth driving to….the opponent’s fans should not have that type of presence. So as much as it pains me, I will hand it to the ‘Sconnies from that standpoint…
My drum is getting worn out, but i’ll keep beating it, and say the reason the Twins are better is because we have a deeper bench AND Punto is not in the starting line-up. Think about it…not only did Punto suck last year, but Gardy also kept him in the two-hole pretty much all of last year. How insane! Honestly if Tolbert comes back, say bye-bye to Punto. He’s an idiot, and his antics showed everything about his character on Saturday. Does he make spectacular plays sometimes? Yes, but he plays like a complete spaz out there with such reckless abandon. Give me someone that is fundamentally sound that makes the plays without flailing around anyday.
And when the team has won 11 out of 12, I can deal with a leadoff batter who has a .295 OBP and more strikeouts than Morneau and Mauer combined — as long as I don’t see similar numbers at this time next season.
When a team wins, it doesn’t mean they can’t improve. I can’t see any reason not to move Gomez to ninth and push the rest of the lineup up one slot.
Gardy would quit if Billy Smith threatened to get rid of PUNTO, hmmmm…
Second or maybe last chance guys: Casilla, Buscher, now Span. You could also include Baker. Nothing is more toxic than the tag of “failed prospect”. I expect Span to do quite well in his stay here this time. In fact, I doubt that he’ll be optioned back to Rochester.
Overall, I would say that Young is the biggest disappointment on the Twins. He was thought to be a power hitter and he remains below the “Casilla line”. He has played a poor left field despite showing a great throwing arm and has been anything but an RBI machine. Things are looking better for “Young Mr. Young”, so perhaps left field won’t be a black hole in the second half.
I haven’t been a big Slowey fan, but the young man has been very effective and the Brewer lineup is full of sluggers.
Speaking of Brewers–I think where you were in the stadium would tell what percentage of Brewer fans were there. Obviously, the season ticket and partial season ticket sections would be Twins fans who purchased several Twins tickets. But the single and series purchases would have a heavy Brewer contingent–Upper deck and deep down the left and right field lines.
I was at Sunday’s game, and every “let’s go Brewers” chant I heard was immediately shouted down. Also, I saw an unbelievable number of Brett Favre jerseys in the crowd. I say let’s aspire to be intelligent baseball fans rather than noisy, drunken rubes who don’t even know what game they’re watching.
When Tolbert comes back Punto or Lamb will be gone, probably Punto.
I say let Gomez learn and develop into a leadoff hitter.. someone tell when this team had a real old fanshioned leadoff hitter? Gomez still does more for this team at the top even when he swings at a pitch in the dirt
Like Crikket, I was there. Jason, get off your couch and get to the game. You are wrong and Crikket is right as to the fans at the game.
I don’t think Span has any future with this team, even if he’s “turned the corner”
He’s a left handed OF, which they have in Kubel (who will be DHing once Cuddy gets back).
Span can’t “replace” Monroe unless he’s capable of hitting lefties. (Though to beat Monroe’s abysmal numbers is’nt really much of a goal)
I’d rather see Span get up here and prove himself in the bigs so he can be a STARTER elsewhere and bring us help where we need it more (3B for example)
Buscher’s doing an awesome job at 3B, but he’d be just as helpful off the bench if the Twins could get in a proven big league 3B.
The Twins’ hands are somewhat tied with guys like Punto, Lamb and Monroe not likely to bring back much value (if any).
So the Twins may seem like they have a lot of options as the deadline approaches, it’s not going to be as easy as we think/wish it will be.
They can’t just make a trade for the sake of making a trade. But they COULD do something with Lamb or even Punto for “addition by subtraction”.
Lamb out, Buscher to bench, clever trade for full-time 3B? That would be a sign to the players that they’re looking to bolster the lineup while not “punishing” guys like Buscher who are contributing, and aren’t afraid to admit mistakes (Lamb).
They COULD trade Cuddy if he’s healthy in time, but it runs the risk of sending the wrong message if they don’t play it smart. Because if it didn’t play out PERFECTLY as hoped the fans will jump on it as a “cheapskate” move and the players could react negatively as well.
And yeah, I watched Friday and Sunday’s games on the tele. The Brewer’s “fans” were making noise Friday but getting shutdown pretty quickly by the hometown.
Sunday? They didn’t get a chance to cheer.
I was at the game Saturday. And the only time the Brewers fans were winning out was once it got late into the game, but Gomez’s catch and Kubel’s homers lifted things up quickly. Otherwise the Twins fans still drowned out the chants through the early innings.
You guys are hilarious…no one’s going to back me up on this? Everyone is apparently okay pretending that Brewers fans didn’t have the place at times over the weekend?
Okay, case in point…Friday night they played that silly Dodge Ball game (the one that’s sooo old and tiresome), and the dude had a Brewers shirt on under his Twins jersey…and there was no booing! Now I understand the crowd not paying attention to that on the basis of boredome alone (I swear we have the worst between inning gimmicks in the majors), but I found that really odd.
Guys, for the love of God, admit that Brewers fans had a very noticeable presence at these games–one they should not have come close to. Like I said, I’ll hand it to them…all they have is something we had in 2000–a team that they hope will be on the brink of something special (plus, they’re are in the midst of an even longer playoff drought)…yet they show up and cheer hard…
I can’t believe the amount of delusion I’m hearing here…where was this passion at the ballpark? Honestly, no one is going to back me up on this point? You’re honestly going to pretend that Brewers fans did not have a presence at these games which went way beyond what a road team should have?
“Speaking of Gomez, there were people who were saying (with a stright face), that Jason Pridie should start the season in center field, that the Twins should sign Corey Patterson (who was available all spring) or that they should have gone after Mike Cameron over the winter. ”
They probably should have. While you may put up with a lead off hitter batting .263/.295/.370, the Twins shouldn’t. I was one of those people saying with a straight face that Span or Pridie should have started the season in center over Carlos Gomez, and I’m still saying it. Gomez needs to be in the minors. He still has a lot to work on.
I really believe that the Twins would be a better team with Span in center field, and if they had started with him in center from the start of the season, they could very well be in first right now, instead of 1.5 games back.
“I can’t believe the amount of delusion I’m hearing here…where was this passion at the ballpark? Honestly, no one is going to back me up on this point? You’re honestly going to pretend that Brewers fans did not have a presence at these games which went way beyond what a road team should have?”
You mean like Twins fans have at Brewers games?
There were a ton of Brewer fans there this weekend. They were loud at times. I will agree with you 100% there. However, I’m not stunned by it either. There are a ton of seats in the Metrodome. Easy for a team like the Brewers to bring a lot of fans with them.
As for the Dodge Ball thing, I agree - it is probably apathy.
In my opinion, the main reason that Gomez started the season in CF is due to the Twins Organization wanting to show the fans that we got something usable “right now” in the Santana trade. Gomez is a great talent and I love watching him play but wasn’t it a virtual ‘toss up’ between Span and Gomez near the end of spring training?
I will give Twins road fans a lot of credit…we made it noisy in K.C. and Milwaukee and my friend from San Diego said Twins fans were louder than Padres fans there, as well.
If Span does lay claim to a spot on the big-league roster, it should come at the expense of Bass or Bonser. There are good arguments for and against each of them, but the Twins need to make a decision. We don’t need two mop-up relievers.
I think Punto expected to be given his job back when he returned from injury. Like Castro before him, he now sees himself as an everyday player and he is seething inside to be sitting on the bench. And he will mope and whine his way off this team if he doesn’t change his attitude. ‘Cause, as long as Casilla, Harris and Buscher are playing this well, Punto will be a fill-in at best.
I saw it every time the camera panned to him in the dugout on Wednesday and Friday. He did not have the look of a happy cheerleader, pleased with his team’s success. He looked sour and dour, snarfing Copenhagen by the mouthful and spitting in disgust as his team won consecutively for the ninth and tenth times.
BTW, does he enjoy the heaters? Whenever he runs hard, you can see him straining for breath and coughing afterwards. After I saw him take a few dips in the dugout, I thought perhaps he only dips when he can’t have his smokes.
I was away at a wedding on Saturday, so I did not see what sounded like a miserable and mopey performance. But it sounds like he’s taken the sour and dour attitude on the field with him.
Hey, Nick, accept your role and enjoy your time with the team that has stuck with you and nurtured you through some of the worst baseball plays the franchise has ever seen. If you don’t, you will go the way of Batista, Castro, Ponson, Sierra, Cirillo, and Rincon.
Jason, There’s a HUGE difference between saying the Brewers fans “didn’t have a major presence” and making it sound like they took the place over. Of course they had a major presence and nobody has said they didn’t. They were all over the place, and they had a lot more to cheer about Saturday than Twins fans did. Sunday was exactly the reverse. Oh… and you really WEREN’T very observant, apparently, because one of the Brewer HR balls WAS thrown back out because I remember Delmon having to go get it and roll it over to the Ballboy by the bullpen.
I guess when your prediction regarding Kubel blows up in your face, it’s just natural to try to find something else negative to drone on about. But with the exception of Saturday when there was absolutely nothing for Twins fans to get excited about, the local fans have nothing to apologize for this weekend. It’s a regional rivalry and plenty of Brewer fans came across the river to attend. Big friggin surprise.
It’s called INTERLEAGUE play. The exact same thing happened to the Twins in 2006. Just wait until we have to start playing AL teams again.
good reasonable stuff today. nicky has been hearing his own press clippings for a few weeks with the fsn bunch, dick n bert going on about him taking the ss job back on a nightly basis dick seems to have a man crush on him. he should be happy to cash the big paycheck he gets and do the ultility job he is decent at.
we still live with the false expectations created by souhan and co. that young was a power hitter. 13 hr last yr is not a power hitter. he is not a power hitter anymore than mauer is, however, he may become one in time. imo if you continue to expect hr’s out of him you will continue to be disappointed.
the bad sign is we go 12-2 and we are still in 2nd and the tigers have gained on us. next couple weeks will tell if we are a serious playoff threat or not.
All I’m saying is the White Sox fans didn’t let the Cubs fans have any presence…and the Cubs are just across town and supposedly have one of the nation’s biggest fan bases….
You’re right…if one of the HRs was thrown back, I missed it…actually, come to think of it, I was in the bathroom during the HR that made it 6-3 Brewers…so it probably was that one…
Kubel prediction blew up in my face? I predicted 3-for-20, he went 6-for-20…I already said I was wrong and was more than happy to see Kubel have a nice series against the Brewers, particularly in light of Cuddyer’s regression and subsequent DLing…
Maybe I’m striving for too much, but I would like to think we could have a Metrodome that’s 90 percent Twins fans for these series…but, we have to remind ourselves, the Twins are not the Vikings.
As for Span, am I wrong to wonder why Darnell McDonald didn’t get consideration for this thing…McDonald is hitting .314 with 10 HR and 48 RBI…he’s had twice as many ABs as Span…I know Span is the ‘next-in-line’ so to speak, but if you’re talking about a 5-6-7 hitter type, maybe Darnell would be better suited–I highly doubt Span will hit near the top of the order, right? Either way, I do not view Span’s call-up and Cuddyer’s DLing as ‘tough luck’ for the Twins, as others have suggested…I view it as an opportunity to see if we can improve.
It’s easy to look back with 20-20 hindsight and criticize Monroe’s signing instead of getting someone like Cameron or Patterson. But at the time, Smith was pretty sure he was going to get an OF from Tampa and a CF in any potential Johan trade. He was looking for someone who could play regularly, if necessary, but who would more likely be the 4th-5th OF and part time DH… and be satisfied in that role.
Cameron wouldn’t even consider that and early in the off-season, I doubt Patterson would have either. (Sure, when nobody wanted him well in to the spring, he might have considered it, but Smith couldn’t wait that long to get someone signed.)
Yes, Span and Gomez were in a virtual dead heat all the way through Spring Training (and Pridie performed well there, too). Regardless of which guy the Twins kept to start the season, some fans were going to be happy and some would be critical that the wrong choice was made. But the worst choice would have been to keep them both and not have one or the other get regular playing time. Gomez had more potential to put butts in the seats in a year that most expected to be a rebuilding year, so it made perfect sense to keep him over Span.
Having Monroe around has meant Span could continue to play every day in Rochester instead of sitting on the bench most of the time in Minnesota.
While Cuddyer is out, assuming Span gets most of the time in RF, I really don’t care whether he hits 9 and Gomez continues to lead off or whether it’s reversed… nor do I think it matters much. You’ll have the two of them plus Casilla hitting before Mauer and Morneau at least 3 times each game and that should generate plenty of RBI opportunities.
Let me get this straight you guys are arguing over who has the better fans? Jason maybe part of the problem is the Twins fans have been spoiled by there recent success and are slowly morphing into Atlanta braves fans. Hell the braves can’t even sell out home playoff games how pathetic is that.
Re: Gomez … In a perfect world, he would bat ninth due to his horrible OBP and the ability to use a “double leadoff” lineup in the American League. Yet, since the rest of the lineup is swinging good and there’s no high-OBP option available with Casilla in the two-hole, he’s first. But what the heck, they’re hitting.
And Gardy, Harris is just fine where he is. Please leave him there.
However, I should echo what others have said as well … the Twins are done with the minor league portion of their schedule. We’ll see if they hit against real teams.
Jason, yes… if you expect Twins fans to fill so much of the Dome that it will be impossible for Brewer fans to get any number of tickets they want, that’s expecting too much.
US Bitchular Field seats about 5,000 FEWER than the Dome seats for baseball and there’s no argument that the Sox have a greater season ticket base. So yes, it’s a tougher ticket for Cubs fans to get Sox tickets than Brewer fans to get Twins tickets. And expecting fans to show up for 81 Twins games in numbers like the Vikings get for 8 games is being unrealistic.
I think the coaches saw enough of McDonald last year and in Spring Training to fairly evaluate him in comparison with Span both offensively and defensively. I do think this… if Gardy wanted a guy to come up and largely sit on the bench as a reserve OF and occasional pinch hitter, McDonald would have made more sense. The fact that he called up Span instead clearly means, to me anyway, that he intends to play him almost every day while Kubel goes back to a near-every-day DH. I don’t think they would have the confidence in McDonald to bring him up and just insert him in to the OF and middle of the order every day.
The bench needs to be like this:
Redmond
Span
Monroe
Macri
Punto
“but, we have to remind ourselves, the Twins are not the Vikings.”
What is that supposed to mean? Instead of having 1 brewers fan to every 4 twins fans we should have 1 packer fan to every 2 viking fans?
no Toby it means most people realize this fan base has Vikings #1 Twins are fighting with WILD for second
I went to a Brewers-Cardinals game at Busch Stadium in August 2006 and saw / heard plenty of Brewers fans. Keep in mind that it was the inaugural season in a beautiful new ballpark, the Cards were in between World Series runs and they have one of the best fan bases in all of MLB, drawing from 5-6 neighboring states. The Brewers travel pretty well, and as JimCrikket pointed out, the excess capacity of the Metrodome means there are plenty of seats for them to buy. It’s not a big deal.
Besides, every Twins game I’ve seen at Miller Park has been at least half Twins fans - probably more a couple years ago before the Brewers starting winning again.
Definitely a tough crowd. I’m just not sure what more this team was supposed to accomplish during IL play to make people happy. They took 2 of 3… twice… from the Brewers and swept everyone else during this stretch of interleague games. I guess that doesn’t mean much until you compare it with what things would be like if they HADN’T done that.
They could have won every series 2 games to 1 (certainly would have to be considered a “successful” result) and still would have been 4.5 games behind the Sox and only half a game ahead of the Tigers to begin the upcoming series with them. I can only imagine the criticism around here in that scenario. And if, God forbid, they had actually LOST one of those series, they’d have fallen behind Detroit. People would undoubtedly be in full blown “trade everyone” mode in that case.
July is going to be interesting, for sure. But they won two series with Milwaukee, who’s just about the closest thing to a typical AL Central type team that the NL has to offer. Should be fun to watch this month.
Jason, I usually agree with you but, gotta say, I was at Saturday’s game and every time the Brewers started up their chant, they were quickly drowned out by Twins’ fans booing them, myself included. We took some of our young nieces to the game and upon seeing some of the idiotic so-called Brewer fans in Favre jerseys, 1 of them scrunched up her face and asked: “Isn’t that a football jersey? Don’t they know they’re at a baseball game?”
Not saying there was not a healthy contingent of Brewer fans at the game, just saying I think they did not overwhelm or outshout the Twins’ fans.
LNP was just awful Sat. Do not agree with Gardy’s decision to have him bat 2nd and not put him 9th instead and just move the rest of the line-up up for 1 lousy game - certainly would not have hurt. When Mauer sprang up to gun the ball to 2nd, cocked his arm to throw, LNP was still standing a good 20′ from the bag shuffling his feet around. I think he must be in shock that the Skipper did not immediately reinsert him into the starting line-up like last time.
Good observations today Howard, still disagree with the Mauer batting 3rd thing though, but we agree to disagree.
Choosing Gomez over Span was arguably the most difficult decision of the spring. And I remember the competition being tight with Gomez having a great spring, and not assuming he would just be handed the position (I think it was great for both players). Now Span gets another chance, hopefully things break his way. I would love to see him as the fourth outfielder (get rid of Bass/Bonser and keep Monroe on the bench as a pinch hitter).
I think a lineup with some combination of Span/Gomez/Casilla in the 1st/2nd/9th slots in the order would be exciting. BTW, what is Gomez’s production like with RISP…seems like he comes through regularly in the clutch?
Kay, I likewise cringed and wanted to throw my Cuddy wind up doll onto the field when I saw No. 8 in the second spot of the batting order.
Instead, as the polite Twins fan that I am, I gave my wind up doll to a kid who wanted another one…
So assuming Span will be in the lineup tonight in RF what is the batting order going to look like? Are they going to put Kubel in the 5 spot or move Young there?
gotta keep Kubel in the 5-spot.
Span hits eighth or ninth
“I think the coaches saw enough of McDonald last year and in Spring Training to fairly evaluate him in comparison with Span”
McDonald couldn’t pass the “stink” test last year. He was pathetically overmatched and showed why he was abandoned by the Orioles, Indians and Devil Rays. He is a minor league “lifer” who will still be in AAA when Ben Revere and Aaron Hicks bypass in 2-4 years.
Denard Span and Darnell McDonald are currently at the top level that they both can succeeed - McDonald at AAA and Span at MLB.
“BTW, what is Gomez’s production like with RISP…seems like he comes through regularly in the clutch?”
Gomez is hitting .261/.309/.339 with men on, but an amazing .350/.418/.483 with runners on in scoring position.
While I’m far from a Delmon apologist, I have noticed that his offense is improving. His BA for June is .325, he’s hit two home runs and seven doubles in the month, he’s raised his slugging percentage by 43 points, and his OPS has jumped from .657 to .707. On the year, he’s walked 20 times (compared to just 26 all last year with Tampa Bay) and he’s striking out less than last year (51 K this year, 127 K last year). He suffered from a very slow start and probably from unreasonably high expectations, but his recent improvement is encouraging.
As for Craig Monroe, I agree we’re paying him too much, but he is third on the team in home runs with 7, behind Kubel and Morneau with 12 each, in limited at-bats. He’s hitting one out about every 18 at-bats, while Kubel’s going long once every 20 at-bats, and Morneau once every 26.5 at-bats. I like having that kind of power on the bench in close and late situations.
As for Gomez, he’s exciting and talented, but he also needs to make some improvements in his hitting approach. I’d like to see him shorten his swing the way Casilla has, and be a little more selective and strategic with the bunting. Gardy’s probably got him slated as our leadoff hitter for the next several years, but right now you could make a strong argument for having Casilla lead off for awhile until Gomez figures out the strike zone a little better.
Gomez -.263 BA, .295 OBP, .370 SLG.
Casilla -.313 BA, .360 OBP, .449 SLG.
good stuff there, twayn
3 lefties in a row isn’t conventional, but I think you want Kubel getting more at-bats than Young. I think the Twins envision Young as the eventual #5 hitter, but as mentally fragile as he seems to be, I’d leave him where he is for the time being.
Span has discovered the wonders of plate discipline this season, and he should lead off. Gomez should bat 9th until he learns the same lesson, especially with regard to sliders in the dirt.
Hey I was going to point out one other thing…does anyone else think that Joe Nathan has been snubbed by the Twins in their Vote Mauer / Morneau All Star campaign?
I agree with Howard’s evaluation of the infielders.
I see Casilla eventually ending up at SS. His excellent range and great arm, can be better utilized there. The move may not happen until 2009. Gardy won’t switch the youngster while the team is in contention.
For the more immediate future, I think Harris’ lack of range, will force Gardy to go with Punto at SS. Harris has fielded the balls he can get to, but too many balls are hit just outside his range. Punto also offers more base path speed, and gets on base better than Harris.
Jason you can’t vote for pitchers.
Nathan should be an All-Star but fans can’t vote for pitchers.
Between each half-inning yesterday the Twins showed videos of different players encouraging fans to vote for M&M. I cracked up when one of them also suggested that people vote for Cuddyer.
To get off the “who cheers loudest” discussion.
How about the Twins move Young to the three slot.His bat has been hot in June and has improved every month.The lineup could look like this:
Casilla S
.313/.360/.449
Mauer L
.321/.406/.442
Young R
.325/.345/.488 (June Stats)
Morneau L
.306/.368/.483
Kubel L
.267/.328/.473
Gomez can then bat 9th and when Cuddyer comes bat he can bat 6th. This also avoids the Twins having to bat three lefthanders in a row.
got it. Makes sense now.
I think the players vote for the pitchers so Joe has a good chance to make it in that way.
Jason,
You have to take into account that Brewers fans probably feel the same way that you do when the Twins play in Milwaukee. I’ve been a regular at Miller Park annually the past few years and the Twins fans drown out the Brewers fans every Friday and Saturday night of that series. Add to that, the fact that the Twins fans outnumbered the Rockies fans at Coors during that weekend (I was there) and it can be said that Twins fans will travel in well numbers for outdoor baseball.
I believe that the Brewers fan populus gets there turn, and finds solice for that matter, in turning the Dome into Wisconsin territory when they’re here.
Its a great fan rivalry and I wouldn’t trade it for anything.
For those who wanted McDonald instead of Span for power reasons:
Name SLG OPS BA
Span .481 .915 .340
McDnld .527 .902 .314
Not enough power difference to make a difference.
you have to be happy for span. he took it so hard in ST when gardy chose gomez to start in cf. he didn’t whine or cry (well actually he did cry), and instead went down to AAA and figured alot of things out. now the question is, if he succeeds at this level, how does the outfield play out, not only in 2008, but down the road? with gomez, young, cuddyer, and kubel all young and locks at their position, where does span fit in?? especially with the possibility (maybe remote) of bringing back monroe as a ph. do you trade one of those 5 for some help on the left side of the IF? what to do?
VOTE VOTE - for Morneau for the AL All Star Team!!! Vote as many times as you can!!!!
Another thought about Friday night:
Joe Mauer seems to be a revolving topic of conversation on these blogs as he produces excellent numbers, is solid defensively, yet is not perceived to be a “winner” or “leader” the way some of our leaders of the past have been (the Puckett’s, the Hunters-to a lesser extent, Carew, Killebrew, even Herbie…etc.). Well, Friday night was one of the few games I can remember Joe Mauer winning a game for Minnesota with a big hit (the other one that comes to mind off hand is the late Sep. series with K.C. in 2006 when Mauer went deep late in the game to help beat the Royals).
So my point is that was really good to see and I hope there is more where that came from. Because putting up impressive numbers is one thing (and let’s face it, the only numbers with Mauer that are overly impressive are his BA and OBP…maybe K/BB ratio), but proving yourself as a team leader and a winner is a whole different ballgame IMO.
Can anyone else share off hand (without looking it up) any games in his short career that Mauer ‘won’ for the Twins? And I’m not talking about the games in which he contributed (because we know there are a lot of those), I’m talking about the ones where you go home saying “Mauer saved us there”. It might be fun to go over those…
Those are good points, Jesse…yes, you feel at home at Miller Park as a Twins fan…
Still, I give them credit because our fandom is coming off the heels of recent success…the Brewers, as much as they have potential, still haven’t won anything to drum up the fan base. Of course that also makes the rivalry more fun from a Twins fan perspective.
Craig no doubt Punto should play every day he proved last yr he was an every day player and will hit for ave and get plenty of rbi. Plus he’s probably the best fielding ss in the majors.
were any of you who are making comments about the brewer fans vs. twins fans at any of the games in Miller Park?
It’s pretty much the same thing you are describing, but in favor of the Twins… also, Miller Brewery tour over that weekend 99.9% Twins Fans.
That’s the beauty of cheering for the road team in a rivalry series. Being as loud and obnoxious as possible in the other teams stadium no matter what your numbers is the goal.
With Span leading off, and Casilla batting second, the Twins will have players with speed, who are regularly on base, setting up Mauer and Morneau. This could become the best 1-4 in Twins history.
Looking at Punto mop the last week or so has been pretty pathetic. Monroe on the other hand has been a true professional on the bench, jumping up and down and high fiving teammates. Punto’s gotta go. You just cannot afford such a cancer in the team. I am sure that some contender is willing to give a breathing body currently in A ball for him. Macri would be fine as a replacement and would give an option at 3B while facing righties.
I just hope that Span will be mostly on the bench. You don’t change your lineup radically while the team is clicking.
The Cubs fans that overcame their fears and went to the Cell knew better than to cheer too loud. The Sox crowd is more like the old Blackhawks fans. The White Sox are Chicago’s working class team and the Cubs are for yuppies.
what the ….,
That was 2006, when Nick was especially good. Last season was an off-year, but he’s turned it around this season, and he should have a great second half with the Twins.
I wouldn’t call Nick one of the best SS in baseball, though he’s far superior to Harris.
Pete D, those are some pretty amazing RISP numbers for Gomez, considering what he does overall. I have to wonder if it’s not because he’s not screwing around with the whole “bunt for a basehit” thing with RISP like he does otherwise. Even if he’s just faking it to draw in the 3B, he’s giving away too many strikes, imo. I’d much rather see him swinging away more and taking his chances beating out throws from deep SS or deep 2B up the middle, rather than all the bunting. It would also make the bunting more successful if it wasn’t done so often that it’s expected.
Every Wisconsin/MN event I have ever been to…football, hockey, baseball…Wisconsin fans are MUCH louder. I am a lifetime Minnesotan but I have to speak the truth. They are some of the best fans in America. Nothing wrong with that…I appreciate the enthusiasm they bring. In general the MN fan is a bit conservative…in fact live music shows are much quieter here than anywhere I have seen them in America. Something to do with our culture that I cannot place.
With the possible exception of Lamb the Twins off season moves have shined this year, and even Lamb has contributed positively at times. Cassila’s development is great and Gomez is holding his own. Harris has started to really hit the ball better and Livan takes the pressure off the youngsters in the rotation. Bill Smith should be executive of the year if the Twins end up anywhere close to 85 or 90 wins.
Robimus,
C’mon man your joking, right? If Smith had not made a single move in the off-season, the Twins might be up 10 games up over the competition.
That’s right, Craig, because that 2007 lineup was much better than what we have now…
does punto have any trade value at all right now?
Lou, it’s the stoic Scandanavian background of many Minnesotans.
OMG! What about Adam Everet? The team should leave Punto on the bench. Harris has some pop in his bat and is doing a decent job at ss. Punto can be a late game defensive replacement, but Harris should definitely get the nod for now. Give D Young his due. He is getting more hits to the left side of the field which means hes pulling it, and hes getting key hits with men in scoring position. Besides his above avg arm, he is scary in the field. I wouldnt pencil him in for the next 5 yrs but right now he is on the ball.
Craig: “C’mon man your joking, right? If Smith had not made a single move in the off-season, the Twins might be up 10 games up over the competition.”
Thanks… it’s always nice to get the week off to a good start with a hearty laugh.
If Smith had not made a single move in the off-season, the Twins might be up 10 games up over the competition.
Let’s examine this argument:
If there were no moves (which includes not signing any free agents, not trading for Young and having Santana):
SP:
No moves:
Santana 7-7
Garza 6-4
Now:
Hernandez 8-5
Blackburn 6-4
Lineup (the differences):
Centerfield:
no moves Span .582 OPS
moves Gomez .665 OPS
SS:
no moves Bartlett .579 OPS
moves Harris .661 OPS
LF/DH (assumption is that with no moves Kubel would be the LF and Tyner wouldn’t have been released)
no moves: Tyner .333 OPS (on not fair 2007 .686 OPS)
moves: Young .707 OPS.
Am I missing anything? Would it be fair to compare Breslow to Cali?
Consider that Minneapolis is twenty-some miles from Wisconsin and even Hudson is now being considered a suburb of the Twin Cities. It’s natural that there will be a glut of Brewer/Packer fans in the Metrodome due to (a) easier access, (b) reasonably priced tickets and (c) condensed opportunity to view their team (three game series). A third or more of Wisconsin is closer to Minneapolis than Milwaukee.
I was in Milwaukee for the Twins/Brewer series for the past two years and there was a considerable (and loud) Twins contingent there as well.
I wonder why anyone would be suprised and/or indignant about any of this? Perhaps, simply because Brewer (and especially Packer) fans are admitted insufferable rubes?
Sure, I guess that’ll do it.
Let’s not give the cheesies more credit than they deserve. Many of them live (and “work”) in the Twin Cities. It’s also well known that you can get a ticket easily at Wrigley North (Miller Park).
Punto is like a caged tiger on the prowl needing to get in the game. Gardy has to find a way to play him even if it means benching a player producing. Smith needs to get his contract extension done!
Would it be fair to compare Breslow to Cali?
Let’s see…
Cali (2007) 21 IP, 22 H, 11 ER, 16 BB, 14 K, ERA 4.71, ERA+ 92.
Breslow (2008) 19 IP, 13 H, 3 ER, 7 BB, 17 K, ERA 1.47, ERA+ 273.
Breslow (Twins 2008) 10 IP, 3 H, 0 ER, 2 BB, 10 K, ERA 0.00, ERA+ Infinity.
Nope, not fair.
Jason I was busy this morning but you knew you’d hear from me right?
“Kubel prediction blew up in my face? I predicted 3-for-20, he went 6-for-20…”
It made you look like a putz. Especially when you were defending it mid week after the San Diego series.
20 AB 6 R 6 H 1 2 DBL 2 HR 4 RBI 4 BB
2 SO
.300 AVE .400 OBP .650 SLG 1.050 OPS
This gives a better picture of how well Kubel did in light of your prediction he would struggle.
And I’ve never proclaimed Kubel to be an All Star, but he’s on pace for 90 runs 90 RBI and 26 HR. Thats a pretty productive player.
span is a career .287 ave hitter in the minors so to expect him to out produce gomez may be asking a lot. he only has 31 ml ab’s so give him a chance and don’t expect what probably isn’t there. if he produces until after the all star break i’d be happy trading cuddy for kouzmanoff, and that will never happen. problem with him is he is as bad a fielder as buscher but we all want homeruns!!!
I have one word to explain why Brewer fans cheer louder: Meth.
Everybody over there is on the stuff. That includes fathers, mothers and children as well as the mangy pets that they stow away in tacked-together foul-smelling kennels back in the dumpy little towns they came from.
Sensible Minnesota folks would be inclined to call this collective addiction an epidemic and try treat it with clinics and counseling and what-not, but to do so one would have to ignore the long list of behaviors far more horrifying that Wisconsinites make clumsy attempts to hide when they come over here to enjoy the indoor plumbing.
Every Wisconsin/MN event I have ever been to…football, hockey, baseball…Wisconsin fans are MUCH louder read drunker. I am a lifetime Minnesotan but I have to speak the truth. They are some of the best read drunkest fans in America. Nothing wrong with that…I appreciate the enthusiasm read alcohol they bring. In general the MN fan is a bit conservative read sober …in fact live music shows are much quieter here than anywhere I have seen them in America.
“span is a career .287 ave hitter in the minors so to expect him to out produce gomez may be asking a lot.”
Carlos Gomez is a career .278 average hitter in the minors. Expecting Span to out produce Gomez, especially this year, really isn’t asking that much.
Recent performances mean more than A ball. So to give a guy’s average over his entire minor league career is misleading. Last June, the choice between Gomez and Span was obvious. Span looked like a player who would not ever make it to the majors. Gomez looked like a rising star. In one year, Span has closed the gap. While Gomez still looks like a rising star, Span looks like a solid major leaguer.
For the last 30 days, according to MLB:
17 Young .337
27 Mauer .326
33 Kubel .304
35 Morneau .301
36 Casilla .300
39 Cuddyer .294(plummeting?)
77 Harris .242
82 Gomez .226
Buscher is hitting .352, most if which happened in June and Macri hit .367
Maybe Gomez should sit for a while
Bass has had several good outings, including 2 in the last 7 days,4.1 innings,no runs. Why should he be removed?
So the Twins finished the minor league of their schedule? I guess that included the Brewers who were tops at 24-13(2-4 with the Twins) in the majors. The minor league part included victories over Sheets,Randy Johnson, Maddux, Webb.
Now that I am only posting for myself, Buscher hit .370 and Redmond hit .360 during the last 30 days but did not have enough AB’s to qualify in the MLB rankings.
BYE BYE
and Jake Peavy
JP, correct me if I’m wrong, but weren’t you the one who, after the first two games in San Diego, went with “If these games were being played at the Metrodome, Kubel would be 3-for-8 with 2HR?”. That’s why you heard me chime in…all I’m asking is for folks to be honest about this thing.
As I said, I have no problem with being wrong, especially in this circumstance, where, not only has Kubel excelled, but he apparently is going to have a shot to move up in the lineup…having said that, the dude is still hitting .267–not .300, as some on here would have us believe. Hey, I just hope he continues to take good ABs and gives pitchers a reason not to pitch around Morneau!
you just can’t admit you were wrong. you predicted a bad stretch for Kubel, it didn’t happen. man up and leave it at that.
you just can’t admit you were wrong without adding to it. you predicted a bad stretch for Kubel, it didn’t happen. man up and leave it at that.
Does anybody think Twins can get it done with an outfield of Young, Gomez, and Span? That scares me. Platoon the outfielders, play the hot hitters, and close your eyes during liners to the outfield.
“Does anybody think Twins can get it done with an outfield of Young, Gomez, and Span?”
Yes, if Blackburn, Slowey, Baker, Perkins and Livan can consistently get to the 7th and 8th inning with a lead.
i’ll take that!
I was reading the comments about the loud Brewer fans during the weekend series. On the other side of the coin, I went to two of the games at Miller Park and there was a huge contingent of Twins fans there as well. The media im Milwaukee and the fans complained just as loudly about the vocal fans from Minnesota in their ballpark.There is a huge difference however.Fans from Wisconsin come from as few a 12 miles away in Hudson.Most Twins fans make a major trek from Minnesota to Milwaukee and make a weekend of it.The bottom line is this: Tickets are available to anyone that wants to buy one and you can support your team as loudly as you want.I know Brewer fans around us were not happy when we cheered Twins hits, but it was all in good fun. That is the reson to go to a baseball game in the first place.
Maybe some of you more stats-minded folks could help out with a project I am considering launching which I think would bring great pleasure to some of the commenters on these blogs. I am thinking of calling it “Situationally-Adjusted Win/Loss Record,” and it is designed to more accurately reflect the quality of a ballclub than can be seen from the “raw” win/loss record. This would help avoid unfortunate occurrences such as an inherently weak team (e.g., the Twins) accidentally posting a winning record and appearing ahead in the standings of such fundamentally superior teams as Cleveland and Detroit.
Here’s what I am thinking: wins and losses would be “weighted” according to the quality of the opponents as well as other critical factors such as the manager’s ability to construct a lineup. For example:
**for American League teams, wins against National League teams would count as 1/2 a win
**wins in which the manager made unacceptable moves such as losing the DH or batting the backup catcher in the 3rd slot would count as 3/4 of a win
**wins in which the losing team hits more home runs than the winning team are reduced in value by 10% for each home run hit by the opposing team (e.g., if the opposing team hits four home runs and the Twins hit none, the Twins’ win becomes worth 60% of a win)
**wins in which Nicky Punto appeared in the starting lineup would count as 80% of a win, and losses in which he appeared at any point in the game would count as 1.20 losses
I’m sure there are other rules that we could devise to make sure that the best teams come out ahead.
Unfortunately, I lack the time and skills to go back and recalculate the season to date, but I am hopeful that this would restore the Twins back to their deserved place at the bottom of the division, as forecast by our more astute commentators.
SECTION:
I think you have very GOOD skills for calculating, and you could MAKE time!
The idea just sucks.
Tonight:
7 Buscher
8 Span
9 Harris
time at 1:48 — “Maybe Gomez should sit for a while”
Gomez has problems with his wrists. Give a start to Monroe in RF, Span in CF.
you just can’t admit you were wrong. you predicted a bad stretch for Kubel, it didn’t happen. man up and leave it at that.
It took him a year to admit that Lew didn’t have any business on the team, you think he’s going to back off his irrational hatred of Kubel that easily?
i like that idea romer
Is Cuddyer done in RF?
Since the ‘06 season Cuddyer has returned to being an average ballplayer, and now injury prone. In ‘06 he batted cleanup and hit aggresively (24 homers, 100+ rbi’s). Now he gives a lot of defensive swings, spraying the ball to right. Why has he turned into a different ballplayer? Is he preparing for his broadcasting career post baseball??? If Span plays well, maybe Cuddy will be in the same spot as Lamb. ??
If Span plays well, maybe Cuddy will be in the same spot as Lamb. ??
You mean third base? Might be worth a try.
no snepp i don’t think it will happen. i was expecting a “i was wrong” with nothing else added. instead he puts into the context of patting gardy on the back for his usage of Kubel. i was the one who said that about kubel and the dome, but only to illustrate the good at bats he was having against very good pitching, which subsequently showed in his 2 HR and very good week.
I, for one, hope Span does well. I would like to see him in left and Young in right. Young doesn’t look comfortable in Left and Span didn’t look comfortable in Right.
As for Young, he changed teams, changed positions, changed to a dome.
I don’t think he’s cuttin’ it. He’s maybe coming around, but I sure don’t like him riding the bench.
an observation on Cuddy. i don’t he’s got the plate coverage that he did in 2006. it seems to me that he needs to creep a little closer to the plate to do more damage on the away pitch.
i think you guys are overly optimistic on the impact that span will have. the guy has 31 AB in the majors. i loved what he did after being sent down to the minors, i hope he contributes but i’m not ready to call him the best outfielder we have like Craig has.
Peter … I meant that if Span plays well on this call up, Cuddy may lose his job, like Lamb has at 3B. Cuddy has been good in the clubhouse and Gardenhire loves him, but he certainly hasn’t been the same player since 2006.
I, too, hope Span comes up and turns it on like Casilla has. Put Young back in RF and let him find himself again. Ballplayers are delicate and don’t like being moved around (unless your name is Soriano -ha).
Somehow the Twins are finding a way to get it done. They’ve been great since they moved Boof to the bullpen.
JP, don’t you get it…it’s guys like you that inspire me to have the take in the first place….
He was 6-for-20…that’s .300…with 2 HR…it’s a good week, yes….but need I remind you that while I was wrong about Kubel for one week, guys like you have been wrong about him for months.
Namely, he is not the Mauer-like prospect we all thought he was. Turns out, he’s an average outfielder / DH. He’s hitting 50 points shy of Mauer for his career…yet we all talk like he’s a superstar in the making because he was as highly regarded as Mauer back when he was in the minors.
So again, I have no problem saying I was wrong about last week…but my take (the one that caused me to stir the pot enough to make the prediction in the first place), remains the same…which is, Kubel has to earn his stripes and Gardy understood this from the outset and has used him correctly pretty much the whole way…If he really was Mauer-like, then yes, I would understand the “Free Jason Kubel” mindset–the frustration about him having to share time early in his career.
And by the way, wasn’t it also you…or someone else…that advanced the ridiculous theory that it’s too early to tell if Kubel is going to be the next David Ortiz? Again, for me…it’s not too early to say that Kubel will never average 40+ HRs over a five-year span the way Ortiz has in Boston.
exactly right! kubel NOT ortiz. he can run AND field. not even close to the slugger ortiz is though………never will be.
and i like kubel.
LOL.
“it’s a good week, yes….but”
“I have no problem saying I was wrong about last week…but my take”
Who doesn’t get it?
No I didn’t compare Kubel to David Ortiz. A different poster.
guys like me have been wrong for months? Really? How did Kubel do for the entire second half of last year? And I maintain his current performance so far YTD, proves exactly what I’ve said since this all started last year. he is a productive player and deserves to be an automatic inclusion in the lineup. i’ve never ever compared him to Morneau or Mauer. i’ve used his minor league stats and the scouting on him to argue that he deserves(d) playing time. and my personal belief/prediction on his numbers for this year:
.280 AVE .340 OBP .480 SLG .820 OPS
90 runs 90 RBI 28 HR
I think Gardy has recently and will continue to make Kubel an automatic add to the lineup.
I agree that Kubel should be placed somewhere in the lineup each game. He’s shown enough overall to give him the oppt’y. Yes, he probably has the potential for more, but let’s let him get to .270 w/20 homers for the year before before the expect any more. He’s still on the way up — give him some time.
Jason,
…ridiculous theory that it’s too early to tell if Kubel is going to be the next David Ortiz?
I recall the post from someone else. I don’t think it compared Kubel to Ortiz as much as it suggested that it was “possible” that Kubel could develop into the type of hitter that Ortiz is, which is, of course, true but fanciful.
Interestingly though, the stats for Kubel and Ortiz at roughly the same point in their careers (with about 1,000 at bats) are strikingly similar (if not slightly in Kubel’s favor when extended to the ABs for Ortiz’s). Probably the types of numbers used by the poster to come up with the theory…
AB/HR/RBI/BA
Ortiz: 1,065/38/163/.265
Kubel: 941/35/140/.266
For all you fantasy players. ESPN daily notes: Waiver wire pick ups:
Hitters: Jason Kubel is officially hot: He has hits in 11 of his past 12 games, including four home runs, and a 9-to-13 strikeout-to-walk ratio reverses the trends he had in April (three walks, 20 strikeouts) and May (seven walks, 14 strikeouts).
Carlos
I also forgot who posted that on Ortiz vs Kubel. I think his point was that Kubel still had potential to develop even more. And that Ortiz took off when his pitch selection/recognition improved. The poster was then clear to state that only time would tell if Kubel developed into a Dave Kingman or David Ortiz. I guess only Jason read it as a “pro Kubel” post. I read it as an interesting comparison not a proof of what Kubel should/could/will become.
repeat - last 30 days Delmon .337,kubel .304.
BOTH PLUMMETING
Folks,
I posted the Kubel vs Ortiz comparison, based on the numbers that Kubel had in the majors so far and Ortiz had until he was 26…
June 26th, 2008 at 12:18 pm in Howard’s blog.
My point is that Kubel has more HR power than Ortiz at 26 years old. And that he needs to develop pitch selectivity to become an elite player like Ortiz and that the Twins should work with him on this
thrylos,
was that David Ortiz or Tito Ortiz?
The Twins FO correctly sacrificed defense to improve the offense.
They gave up Santana, Garza, Silva, Castillo, Bartlett, Tyner and Hunter.
As a result they went from 17 games out of first place to 1 1/2 games out of first.
Sometimes defense wins championships.
Sometimes defense leaves you 17 games out of first place.
Howard,
David
here:
http://ww3.startribune.com/blogs/sinker/2008/06/26/the-feeder-frenzy-continues/#comment-13749
sane,
agreed. There are 2 differences between last year’s team and this years’
a. The 2007 team lost a whole bunch of close (2 runs or less) games while the 2008 team is winning a whole bunch of them, especially with come backs
b. The 2007 team had a losing record against the division where the 2008 team has a winning record.
Both of them are results in improvements on the everyday lineups, the bench and (unlikely but true) the pitching staff.
I would add that the clubhouse is much improved this year. When your self-proclaimed leaders are continuously whining about team management and then they have what amounts to an open revolt when the team is just five games out, you’ve got clubhouse issues.
Anybody think Casilla relaxing is partly because our center fielder has welcomed him with open arms, as opposed to the previous center fielder, who threw Casilla under the bus, citing him as another example of the organization being cheap post Castillo.
Twins need to cut/trade Everette, Punto, Monroe and Lamb. Keep Buscher on 3b Move Casilla to SS put Tolbert on 2B and bring Macri back up and keep Span up
Everett won’t contribute this year, but keep the others for insurance. Twins have switched priorities from a rebuilding year with no expectations to a team looking for a high finish in the standings and a playoff run. May as well keep proven major leaguers around just for those reasons. Everybody’s really enjoying this season so far.
[…] others). I think there was something to the two-game sabbatical Nick Punto was given after his petulant and substandard return to action during the Milwaukee series the weekend before last. (You should know that, while […]
