Back to the way things should be
Posted on August 7th, 2008 – 8:14 AMBy Howard
Not that it was the sharpest game they’ve ever played, but at least the Twins left Seattle without getting swept. Nick Blackburn was as good as he needed to be and it was nice to see the bullpen put up three scoreless in the 7-3 win, with the help of Denard Span’s home-run saver on Beltre to end the seventh.
One thing that’s obvious: Michael Cuddyer’s eventual return will not be a reason to take at-bats away from Span, who also went 3 for 5 with 4 RBI and now has a .399 on-base percentage.
When Gardy to gets Cuddyer into the lineup, the outfield should look like this: Young-Span-Cuddyer or Span-Gomez-Cuddyer, with the current alignment remaining intact against some lefties with one of them as DH. Depth is good. Ask the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim and First Place in the AL West.
Another thing: Get some bullpen help.
That’s all for now. Look for a couple of posts this weekend as the Section 220mobile heads down I-35 to Kansas City. It’s a trip that’s destined to be if for no other reason than, for Friday’s game, we have seats in … Section 220!
205 Responses to "Back to the way things should be"
I’d use Cuddyer at DH vs lefties and keep the better defensive out field
Howard “Another thing: Get some bullpen help.”
only way for that to happen is to trade away Cuddy or someone else in the outfield..
I hope Gomez is ready for a demotion. With Cuddy coming back next week Gomez should lose quite a few AB’s. He is becoming frustrating to watch at the plate. I think the best lineup for the rest of the season is the Young-Span-Cuddyer OF with Kubel DH 90% of the time. I would still rather have Kubel DH against Lefties than have Gomez in the lineup.
Also headed down to KC.
Any Twins fans meet-ups down there? Any bars Twins fans usually take over?
Ya, Cuddyer doesn’t clear waivers….no way, and the others are even less likely.
Congrats Howard…I am vacationing in the Iowa Great Lakes this weekend or we surely would have made our second trip to Kaufmann Stadium this year–the best MLB park that I’ve ever been to! Enjoy the scoreboard.
I personally think Michael Cuddyer has to earn his way back into this lineup…I say give him some starts here and there to give off days to Go-go or Young, but simply handing him his RF job back is not the way to go. I would feel differently if Cuddy was earning his keep before the injury (an injury that I still don’t fully understand, by the way).
As for the game yesterday, watching FSN’s replay was worth it just to see the Denard Span catch again. Other than that, Kubel went 0-for-3 against a lefty starter (which probably puts him back in ‘Kubel in Moderation’ mode) and Morneau struggled again in front of his buddies (I imagine). KC should be more pleasant for our usual bats, let’s hope anyway.
Brendan Harris. The dude’s quickly earning a shot at that No. 2 spot in the lineup if you ask me…does anyone in the Howard Covenant prefer to keep you-know-who in that spot? Speaking of which, why wasn’t you-know-who bunting with a runner on first and nobody out in the 7th inning yesterday?
Finally, as promised, yet another shout out for Doug Mienkiewicz must be made. 2-for-4 yesterday with the RBI double that knocked out the Big Unit after a rather ballsy verbal confrontation between the two in June is putting your money where your mouth is, if you ask me. Dougie now is hitting .290 and he’s approaching 20 doubles. Not bad for a guy who was supposed to be mopping up clubhouse floors right about now.
Any chance Smith could land a quality bullpen arm through waivers?
Jason -
“I would feel differently if Cuddy was earning his keep before the injury”
I’ll post it again, because you obviously didn’t look the last time.
Cuddyer’s month of June - .291/.385/.481 in 91 plate appearances. What about that wasn’t “earning his keep”?
“Not bad for a guy who was supposed to be mopping up clubhouse floors right about now.”
Who in the world ever said that Doug Mientkiewicz should be mopping up clubhouse floors? No one ever suggested that Dougie Baseball was done - they suggested that he was expendable for this team. And you know what? He was.
wow…if you haven’t seen it already, go to the Twins’ website and watch the FSN Northwest highlight of the Span catch…it shows Beltre and the Mariner’s first base coach standing in complete shock…the announcers let out a collective “Oh…bleep” too….good stuff.
Pete D…check out his numbers with Boston / KC / Yankees…he just barely made the freakin Pittsburgh Pirates roster this year (easily their 25th spot on the roster) and was in no way expected to play everyday…that’s what I meant by my comment.
I took a road trip to Kaufmann stadium last August and it is a wonderful stadium. I’d say 30% of the fans there were from MN based on the cheering I heard and clothing I saw being worn. No sure of the bars there…but the Chuck E. Cheese is great!
Cuddyer has 1 hit in 6 AB with 2K against the Ironpigs yesterday as a DH. Unless he can prove that he can hit .350 at Rochester, he should not unsit Ruiz as the RH DH or Delmon Young as an outfielder unless he plays the OF in Rochester for a week or so, in addition to putting stellar numbers in AAA.
At this point I hope that someone claims him off waivers. The salary relief is worth more the Cuddyer for the Twins at this point.
With 3-4 other teams looking for relievers (esp. in the NL), and the current Twins record, their best bet would be an AL reliever. However, I think that only the like of Keith Foulke and Chad Bradford will left unclaimed before the Twins turn, and I am not sure how much of an upgrade that would be.
I think thrylos makes an excellent point about the salary relief.
Please, please, move harris to the two spot and demote Punto in the order.
“Any chance Smith could land a quality bullpen arm through waivers?”
probably not when every other team in contention needs bullpen help as bad or worse than the twins.
while cuddy doesn’t probably deserve to get his job back right away, gardy has shown he will do that when a veteran comes back from the dl.
cuudy probably would clear waivers because of his contract and the production he has had over the last 1 1/2 yrs does not live up to that amount of cash.
Cuddy deserves to get his job back. For sure. No reason to think Randy Ruiz, who finally put up some minor league numbers worth a callup, is a better option than Cuddyer. Not only is Ruiz a DH only guy, but he hasn’t proven anything. Cuddyer has at least proven he can hang with Big League talent, and he can play the field.
Without a doubt, you take Cuddy over Ruiz.
“Without a doubt, you take Cuddy over Ruiz.”
It’s not a question of Cuddy over Ruiz. It’s a questions of Cuddy over one of Span/Young/Gomez in the outfield.
Scott Eyre just got released from the Cubs… he USED to be good.
well, just DFA at this point, but on his way out anyway.
“It’s not a question of Cuddy over Ruiz. It’s a questions of Cuddy over one of Span/Young/Gomez in the outfield.”
That question also seems really easy - Gomez should be the one that gets bumped.
In the last two series Punto is batting .174. Gardy’s mantra is usually to slot players when they are hot. I do not understand his loyalty to NP. Plus he cannot bunt for his life.
Harris, on the other hand, was hitting .294 in July and is .409 in August.
I’m not convinced that Cuddyer should be playing everyday in the field when he returns, as Howard suggests. I know Cuddyer doesn’t make as many errors in the outfield, which has been frustrating in watching Young, but Young has a better zone rating and also has excellent arm strength. I think Cuddyer should mostly platoon with Kubel in the DH spot and jump into the outfield when Gomez needs a mental break.
Ruiz will get sent down when Cuddy returns…that much is almost a given.
But I don’t think you yank Young / Go-go / Span from the outfield…like I said, work Cuddy back in with spot starts…I think Gardy likes Go-go too much to remove him from the everyday lineup…
Gardy said last night that Span was his leadoff hitter and had earned his spot, so I wouldn’t look for that to change when Cuddy gets back.
IMO, when Cuddy comes back this is what we will see (for my purposes, I am using a 7 game week and 21 outfield spots per week):
Span 6 games a week in LF/CF/RF with Span getting a game off a week against a tough lefty
Gomez 6 games a week in CF
Cuddy 4 games a week in RF/LF (unless Span moves over those games) + more, see below
Young 5 games a week in LF
Kubel 0 games a week in OF (5-6 games a week at DH)
Total (Span 6 + Gomez 6 + Cuddy 4 + Young 5 = 21)
+ Cuddy gets a game every week or two at 1st base (thus ending the Lamb experiments there) and a game or two a week at DH
See… it’s not that hard to run a 4 man rotation through the OF and keep every one happy, rested, ready, and playing at their best opportunities.
re: Punto….I ask again, why was he not bunting in the seventh inning yesterday?
Punto wasn’t bunting, yet Harris was bunting in the 8th (when he eventually failed to get the bunt down he ended up hitting a two-run double).
That doesn’t make any sense to me…Punto should always be bunting when there is even a remote bunting situation at play.
And let’s not forget about Gomez’s value in the outfield. Sure Span is a great - excellent - glove, but Gomez’s zone rating is ridiculous. His speed is a huge plus in the outfield. To be perfectly honest, I think Young-Gomez-Span, despite their age and occasional mental errors, is the best defensive outfield in the league.
Sending Gomez down (possibly to AA) is the only move to make when Cuddyer comes back. He is simply not ready to play at this level. He needs to learn how to play defense, and his entire offensive game needs to be built from the ground up.
The OF defense has been tremendous and all the OF’s have been productive offensivly since the all star break. I wouldn’t want to remove any of them from the OF. Only thing that makes sense long term is to swap Span and Young. Span should be in the bigger OF and Young should be in right where he can use that arm.
Cuddy needs to be in the lineup and you can’t sit Kubel against lefties.
This is the reason why next year Cuddy needs to move to 3rd. Obviously way to late in the year to do it now.
My guess is Gardy will do this…
Against LHP Cuddy will DH and the OF will remain as is with Kubel sitting.
Against RHP Kubel will DH and Cuddy will play RF. Span will rotate between left and center giving both GoGo and Young days off.
Billy, I think you are underestimating Gomez’ fielding. Sure he has made a few mistakes but so has every other outfielder we have. Gomez has made some amazing catches and his range is incredible. Not sure if sending him down will do much defensively. Offensively, maybe, but not on defense.
punto wasn’t bunting because he can’t bunt. don’t you remember all his failed bunt attempts over the yrs?
Plunkton -
“Not sure if sending him down will do much defensively. Offensively, maybe, but not on defense.”
While his range is great, he takes some terrible routes on balls. He also doesn’t seem to be able to hit a cut-off man to save his life. Gomez has, in my opinion, a little bit more to learn about playing defense.
“re: Punto….I ask again, why was he not bunting in the seventh inning yesterday? ”
Because giving up outs isn’t a smart thing to do.
Pete, true about the cutoff man…and his throws aren’t entirely accurate either. I retract my original statement.
bad routes or not, he still gets to more balls then any OF in MLB. his throws can be wild, but experience at any level will improve that.
Could he improve in AAA? Yes…does he help this team win games now? YES
“Because giving up outs isn’t a smart thing to do.”
Then why is he in the lineup at all?
Punto is an awful situational hitter. I have lost count of the number of times he has been unable to lay a sacrifice bunt down or hit the ball to the outfield for a sac fly, Things a hitter of his makeup must be able to do on a regular basis. Harris should be number 2 until the return of Casilla (hopefully) or even Tolbert.
Why, exactly, does Cuddy deserve to be in the lineup?
“Then why is he in the lineup at all?”
That’s a good question. One I can’t answer.
Yes…does he help this team win games now? YES
No, he does not help the team win. He is among the worst hitters in baseball. No player that hits as poorly as he does helps a team, even if they are a great defender, which Gomez isn’t. He’s just fast.
Gomez is an automatic out and that is crippling the offense. He is not some sort of trancendent defender that can even begin to make up for that. He needs to be completely reworked in all facets of the game.
NOGO will not advance his MLB game experience in minors he needs MLB games
“Why, exactly, does Cuddy deserve to be in the lineup?”
Because he is a proven veteran right handed hitter with some power in a lineup that needs exactly that.
Is Gomez worth anything on the bench? If he’s not starting, I say send him to AAA until September. Then he can be our pinchrunner. Of course, this depends on how Cuddyer performs. And, if Kubel is at DH, who would be the 4th OF in this scenario? Punto?
“Could he improve in AAA? Yes…does he help this team win games now? YES”
While I’m not going to go as far as BillyHeywood, I will agree that Gomez isn’t helping the team win. Or, probably more correctly, isn’t helping the team win more than Cuddyer would. His defense is a plus, but his hitting has been pretty bad. I just don’t think the loss of defense if you move Span to center and put Cuddyer in right field is greater than the addition of Cuddyer in the lineup over Gomez.
Cuddyer had one year where his VORP was above replacement player. He should play, but so should Gomez and Young…. each brings a certain value. Ruiz back to AAA until Sept 1.
I guess I don’t get all the fuss over Gomez…we moved him to the 9-hole, which was the right move. The guy has hit in 11 of his last 12 games…he’s taking poor at-bats for sure, but you really think the minors would help him out?
11 of last 12 up until yesterday, I guess.
I think that Gomez is worth keeping up. He has hit (not so much now) and can bunt. Hitting the cutoff man is a coaching project. He is scarey on the bases and does cover a lot of territory in the outfield. Once Cuddy is back, I think he deserves his position back but I would not send Gomez down. He’ll play enough to learn in the bigs as he plays. He can help in too many ways to send down.
Interesting feature on FSN yesterday about how suddenly the Twins aren’t stealing any bases. Where the hell’s Dan Gladden when you need him? Someone needs to teach these guys how to run the bases and not get picked off, because if we lose that aspect of our game, we’re not going to be able to homer our way out of it.
“Cuddyer had one year where his VORP was above replacement player. ”
Cuddyer’s VORP has been positive every year since 2002.
Fortunately, the Twins have five players, once Cuddyer gets back, who “deserve” to be in the OF/DH lineup. I expect and hope that Gardy rotates them. Gomez will continue to improve, although not without episodic regression. He’s still so much fun to watch, blemishes and all, and he is a net contributor in my view. Depth is a nice problem to have. All of you who were singing Span’s praises before the season started: kudos. What a bunch of geniuses to anticipate that. I sure didn’t, so put me squarely in the camp of idiots like Bill Smith who don’t have a clue about baseball.
“but you really think the minors would help him out?”
For me, I want Gomez playing every day, somewhere. The Twins, however, are in contention and should put their best team on the field. I think the best team has an outfield of Young, Span, and Cuddyer, with Kubel at DH. So I send Gomez down to AAA.
A) I prefer to leave Punto in the 2 hole and let Harris continue to hit near the bottom of the lineup. I don’t want to see a black hole at the end of the lineup like last year. Harris is someone who can occasionally take advantage of the 5-6-7 hitters getting on base. Leave it alone.
B) Punto’s in the lineup because currently the Twins have only 3 middle infielders.
C) Count me as happy if the Twins RARELY sac bunt. It’s a rare situation that calls for intentionally making an out, IMO. You only get three per inning.
D) Let’s let Cuddyer get back to the major leagues, and prove he deserves a lineup spot, before we worry about at who’s expense that will be. I, too, think the Young-Gomez-Span outfield has as much range as any outfield in the majors, and while I agree that’s no reason to keep a poor hitter in the lineup, I’m not ready to throw that away on the mere HOPES that Cuddyer will be a better hitter than any of those three. If Cuddyer proves worthy of a spot, it probably comes at the expense of Gomez. I can live with that, but by then there’s no reason to send Gomez down for a week or two. He’d be back Sep 1st anyway.
E) Nobody’s “crippling” the offense. The Twins are 5th in the AL in runs scored, 6th in all of MLB.
gomez .257 ave, cuddy .252 ave. and anyone saying the rightfield defense will be the same has not been watching span play. he gets to a lot of balls cuddy doesn’t come close to.
let cuddy dh against lefties and spot starts and if he starts hitting the cover off the ball then make a change.
doesn’t anyone remember cuddy running around in circles with the balls flying over his head?
Because he is a proven veteran right handed hitter with some power in a lineup that needs exactly that.
let’s examine these statements:
Proven veteran
OPS+ Cuddyer
2004: 99, 2005: 97, 2006: 124, 2007: 111, 2008: 90
OPS+ Lew Ford
2003: 154, 2004: 113, 2005: 89, 2006: 57, 2007: 82
The similarities are obvious. Both players had a couple of above league average years with the rest of their careers being barely average. I do not remember anyone calling Lew Ford a “proven” veteran.
or an even better comparison:
OPS+ Craig Monroe
2003: 97, 2004: 116, 2005: 104, 2006: 99, 2007: 65, 2008: 82
Not many people cried when that “proven veteran” was released earlier this month
some power
AB/HR for Twins’ hitters this year:
Kubel: 20
Monroe: 20.6
Morneau: 23.9
Buscher: 41.7
Mauer: 51.4
Harris: 59.2
Casilla: 60.8
Span: 71.5
Cuddyer: 78
Punto: 80
Everett: 81
So this “power” hitter is hitting HRs this year at just a higher rate than the powerhouses Punto and Everett and at a 4 times less rate than the other “proven veteran power hitter” who nobody cried when released.
right handed hitter
with this I assume that you mean someone who hits LHP because this team as a whole has a problem in that.
OPS vs LHP (2008)
Cuddyer: .675
the players who would be affected by Cuddyer being at the team
Span: 1.025
Young: .684
Gomez: .717
Ruiz (AAA): .881
so all the players who will be affected are hitting LHP better than Cuddyer.
Again, why exactly, does Cuddy deserve to be in the lineup?
Numbers and data. No perceptions…
Why do we need to send Gomez down when we have a perfectly good lifetime minor leaguer, in Ruiz, who could be dropped to AAA. Once Cuddy comes back you move Span to center and Gomez becomes the back up outfielder at every position.
Plus with Gomez on the bench giving us a great late inning defensive replacement and pinch runner, think how often you well get to second guess Gardy’s managerial moves, which I know you all love to do.
Just re-read my last post, and didn’t mean to single anyone currently logged in as bandwaggonners regarding Span. But I recall rather vividly all the venom directed Span’s way, and we watched as he fell off of virtually everyone’s top 20 prospects list. It’s got to be a great feeling for him to be redeemed, and he has a persona that allows you to root for him. Nice story.
When will Tolbert be back? Punto has began his route back to his regular self. Casilla is hurt. Buscher has no defensive skills. Harris is shakey in the field.Lamb just sucks. Punto def finishes the year batting under .250
I think they will have Cuddy DH against lefties with Young/Gomez/Span in the outfield and then against RH they DH Kubel with Young/Span/Cuddy. They will rotate Gomez in here and there against RH to give someone a day off but he will be the odd man out.
Can’t believe the short memories on this blog. When Cuddyer starts smellin’ em with that first 2-run double against the evil empire next week you all will right back on his side.
Thrylos, while your post reads like a Bill James article, you really need to take Cuddyer’s numbers this year with a grain of salt considering he never really got a chance to get going in light of the limited playing time.
Any time Punto settles into a regular starting role he begans to SUCK. He is a good Utility player behind Tolbert next year and thats it. If the Twins give him a big contract I shoot myself.
JustinCB,
Cuddyer had 234 ABs this year. Compare that with the also underachieving Monroe’s 163 and Lamb’s 229, the overachieving Casilla’s 243 and Span’s 143.
I do not think that there is anyone who would use the argument that Monroe and Lamb did not have enough ABs this year to show that they were underachieving. Why use it for Cuddyer who had more ABs?
Five players to play four positions in the outfield and DH. Not a bad problem to have. Simply rotate them…..Span should be in CF. He is so smooth and much better at the plate than Gomez.
Ruiz back to AAA until Sept 1.
I agree with JustinCB, Thrylos, about how irrelevant it is to compare Cuddyer’s 2008 numbers to anyone’s. How do any of us know exactly why his numbers aren’t that great so far in 2008? And didn’t his production begin to improve just before he got hurt?
Numbers and data. No perceptions? Thank God the team is run by competent, perceptive people.
Also, the difference b/w Lew Ford and Cuddyer is they are players on two different trajectories. Ford had two decent seasons followed by a number of bad ones and was clearly on his way out of the majors. Cuddyer just had his best two years, both far and away more productive than Fords ever were, in 2006 and 2007 and he has been injured this year. No reason to think that he can’t sustain his momentum once he gets a chance to play consistently again.
JustinCB is absolutely right. Bending numbers to show that Cuddy is the same player as Lew Ford is shortsighted and irrational. Cuddyer has shown power when healthy and solid defense throughout his career. Last year was a down year, but he still put up 85 RBIs.
Like Howard said, this is a good problem to have. Cuddy, Young, Kubel, Gomez, and Span can all play and all start. As I see it now, the LA Angels are the team to beat, and if the Twins can follow their model of rotating OF, then I see success. They can continue to go with the hot bats, and when someone is slumping, they can gradually get it back without hurting the lineup for 4-5 straight days.
I’ve made this argument on here before… Cuddyer’s numbers this year are too far below what he’s put up the last couple of years to not give him the benefit of the doubt. He could have been playing through something, who knows. There’s no way the Twins are going to send him out the door without being sure that his numbers this year aren’t an aberration. When the Twins have a guy who just a two years ago put up over 100 rbi’s, and close to that just a year ago, no way the Twins give up on him over 200 at bats and change. With capable bats so scarce in this organization, you can bet the Twins give him every opportunity to regain his form.
You’re spot on, Rotoblinders, and we shouldn’t underestimate the damage that can be caused by all that speed. Kubel is a rocket.
thrylos98 -
Did you just compare Michael Cuddyer to Lew Ford? Wow. Let’s see why that’s pretty messed up.
Lew Ford’s 154 OPS+ came in a year when he had 73 at bats. That isn’t even worth mentioning. So Lew Ford had 1 good season, and the rest were poor. In fact, he was terrible in 2006. Cuddyer’s worst year has been this year - when he has had two hand injuries - and they are still better than all but one of Ford’s seasons. Also, the difference between an OPS+ of 99 or 97 and an OPS+ of 89 is significant.
Craig Monroe is a better comparison. However, an OPS+ of 65 is, again, terrible. And he still was worse than Cuddyer this year, with an OPS+ of 82.
The rest of your post used numbers from this year. Again, I’ll direct you to my post earlier in this same thread. Cuddyer’s month of June - .291/.385/.481 in 91 plate appearances. He had a bad month of May. It happens to players. But Cuddyer also has a career slugging percentage of .442, which, on this team, qualifies as ’some power’. He also has a three year OPS - 2005 to 2007 - of .850 against lefties.
So all of that is why Cuddyer deserves to be in the lineup. He really is a proven veteran right handed hitter with some power.
not to worry Cuddy will hurt his “fingers” juggling soon and this all will be cleared up
He’s going to be juggling some world series rings, and the season will be over at that point, so he’ll have all winter to recover.
I gotta say, dismissing stats, which are the only actual way to logically predict the future is mindboggling to me. Statistics are much, much better predictors than intuition.
“The rest of your post used numbers from this year. Again, I’ll direct you to my post earlier in this same thread. Cuddyer’s month of June - .291/.385/.481 in 91 plate appearances. He had a bad month of May. It happens to players.”
That’s where you lose me, Pete. Cuddy has been regressing since the beginning of last year…one hot spell in June can’t change that (and to be honest, I really don’t even consider hitting .291 in 91 plate appearances to be that much of a hot spell).
I think this conversation is worth having; it’s not a given that Cuddy should get his RF / 5th spot back.
Cuddy and Punto have the same ability to play many positions. Batting average is a bit better for Cuddy, less speed a stronger arm, and more power. Cuddy might be moving into the position of a older strong bench player, taking a role of providing punch in the lineup, and rest when someone else struggles. If he isn’t hot the first few days back up, he needs to sit. Lamb vs cuddy, lamb has to go.
Gomas needs to stay and play, he is a difference maker, and Young has improved. Don’t want to give up on any of them.
I don’t think anybody is dismissing stats here, quite the opposite. I just think that taking stats out of context can be misleading, and as was pointed out, you can support any argument with stats… you can even put up a (facial) comparison between Michael Cuddyer and …. ahem, Lew Ford.
“He’s going to be juggling some world series rings, and the season will be over at that point, so he’ll have all winter to recover.”
LOL someone has a great sense of humor!!!
Man, I love posts like JJ’s at 10:28AM. Felt like a Debbie Downer skit for a second. You know, there’s truth in every fact or point JJ made, but on balance, to have Harris, Punto, Buscher, and Lamb all “dragging the team down” while you excitedly await the return of Casilla and Tolbert…Kewl.
it is probably cut and dried, cuddy plays when he comes back just like punto played when he came back. it’s the way gardy manages, it would be out of character for him to change.
Gardy loves his “My Local Hardware Store” and PUNTO/Cuddy - they both have veteran clubhouse presence,grit,battle their tail off,get after it!!
Duaner Sanchez has reportedly cleared waivers. I wonder what it would take to land him from the Mets.
Cuddy earns his way back into everyday play just like Span did. But with this team’s luck I expect an injury to make things easier…
I don’t like that it’ll happen, but I expect it to happen.
Cuddy has been regressing since the beginning of last year…one hot spell in June can’t change that
Funny. Weren’t you just yesterday arguing for Dougie on the basis of his June and July numbers? Oh, and the fact he went 2-4 in a game.
C’mon Jason, which is it? Are we supposed to counterpoint your arguments with season stats or career stats? Can you at least give us a schedule so we can better predict when you’re set to flip-flop?
““He’s going to be juggling some world series rings”
At the VERY MOST, Cuddy would be juggling ONE World Series ring.
Outstanding juggler!
Juggling NO World Series rings?
Outstanding illusionist!
Additional Note: Cuddy is coming off his second hand injury of the year and hasn’t played in a meaningful game for a month.
The benefit of having the 3 (4 depending on how Kubel is used) OFs is that the Twins aren’t in a situation where Cuddyer has to get his swing back immediately or else the Twins are in trouble.
So Cuddyer can afford to come in his first few days off the DL and play a few games at DH (or RF provided it doesn’t bump Span out of the lineup…and it SHOULDN’T).
It’s just like people ripping on Gardy for putting Punto in the lineup for a few days immediately after getting off the DL.
Well DUH. A guy can’t earn his way back in the lineup without actually playing.
So Cuddy starts his first few games back, and depending on how things look they can adjust the platoon accordingliy.
One could argue that without qualitative information and intuitive thinking, statistics are useless as a predictor. Simplistic question to try to make the point: If a pitcher has an ERA of 3.75 in 2006 and 2007, what is his ERA going to be in 2008? Quick now, what’s the answer? Should be pretty easy to predict.
I’d say the OF should be
Young, Span, Cuddyer
or
Span, Gomez, Cuddyer
The odd man out should be Young. There are plenty of guys who can get a single and/or pop out on the first pitch.
Kubel needs to get as many ABs as DH as possible as well. Young should be our 4th OF. I get the feeling he has been treated w/ kid gloves all season b/c of his personality issues, well the Twins are in the race, no time to be kind the Twins have to be about winning games now.
Well, T…I’d feel better about Cuddy’s so-called “hot June” if June ended three days ago…
So, yeah, I do get to have it both ways…Dougie’s “hot June and July” consisted of hitting .375 and .327, respectively. That’s a little hotter…and he’s been playing everyday…so yes, there’s a difference.
But nice try.
T,
“It’s just like people ripping on Gardy for putting Punto in the lineup for a few days immediately after getting off the DL… A guy can’t earn his way back in the lineup without actually playing.
“IMO the ripping came when Gardy inserted Punto, while Harris was doing well, instead of waiting for Harris to struggle.
Cuddy’s return will be under similar circumstances, if Span/Young/Gomez/Kubel are all doing well.
I think Cuddy should get spot-starts only, until one of the four (inevitably) struggles.
I would put Cuddyer right back into the #5 spot. I think he has to be an everyday player. This is based on the fact that he has proven, historically, to be an above-average RBI guy. I think Span gets time at both LF and CF and should not lose any PT either. I would take some PT away from Gomez (mostly) and Young.
My take is based on what I think needs to happen if the Twins are to win the 2008 World Series. They will need Cuddyer back to his 2006 form, or at least provide some RH power. If he is back to 2006 form, perhaps the Twins can overcome their bullpen obstacles and maybe outscore the likes of Anaheim and Boston if need be for a game or two.
But personally, I don’t even think Cuddy had a “hot June”. He hit .291 with 1 HR and 13 RBI in 91 plate appearances….so what?
agreed, sane. And I can’t engage in the Gardy ripping at this point–he has this team one game out of first and it’s August 7–I’m pretty happy with that!
What Cuddy had was a hot series–as in the four game series against the Yankees–you take those four games away and things look pretty ugly for him, statistically.
But if Gardy’s willing to go with him based on past performances (i.e. 2006-2007), I guess we have to roll with that. I’d go wtih sane’s approach, though…spot starts until he shows us some pop.
“That’s where you lose me, Pete. Cuddy has been regressing since the beginning of last year…one hot spell in June can’t change that”
But one cold spell - May, when he hit .12/.273/.293 proves that he is regressing?
Is Cuddyer going to hit like he did in 2006 again? I don’t know. Perhaps not. But he has shown this year - by hitting the way he did in June - that he can put up numbers like he did last year. And that has value to this team. It would make him the best right handed hitter on the team.
Jason,
“I don’t even think Cuddy had a “hot June”. He hit .291 with 1 HR and 13 RBI in 91 plate appearances….so what?”
It might have been the start of a trend, ie.the beginning of an improvement slope that would have left all AL hitters in his wake…..or not.
But he WAS improving drastically after a slow start and one can hope his peak didn’t coincide with his injury.
I think the Cuddyer debate cannot really start until he plays a few healthy months (hopefully a season). It’s hard to tell if a player is regressing, if his bad numbers are when he is unhealthy.
Now if Cuddy comes back healthy and goes 140 games at a .240 clip, then I’ll agree. Until then, it’s all speculation. Speculating on stats a guy puts up at 80% just doesn’t cut it.
makes perfect sense to bench young .290 ave, .336 obp for the yr; .330 ave, .359 obp in july while cuddy is .252 ave, .324 obp for the yr and hasn’t played in over a month.
i agree with sane @ 11:27, let him work his way back.
If you give him spot starts, isn’t that kind of a chicken and egg thing? How is he going to get on track that way? Do you bench him for a week as soon as he goes 0-4? Sometimes that happens, even to very good players. You have to be able to make an assessment of how he’s doing before deciding the amount of playing time I would think. Thus put him right out there for a week (or more)and see what happens.
To me it comes back to what he is capable of, and what that makes the team capable of as a whole, not neccessarily just one guy’s OPS vs. another, for instance.
What does the complextion of the team look like with or without a healthy, up-to-speed Cuddyer vs. (Gomez, Span, Young, Kubel). They will be better in certain aspects and worse in others. To me you need his power in there, plus an outstanding arm in RF. I would sacrifice certain positive elements of Gomez’s game (primarily) to make that happen.
for the farm system watchers like me:
My man Shooter Hunt finally got roughed up last night for 6 runs in 3.1 innings. Seems he didn’t have any control on the night walking 5, and K-ing only 3.
Anthony Swarzak has had 2 solid outings for Rochester since being moved up to replace Duensing.
Carlos Gutierrez has given up 4 ER in 12.1 innings as a reliever for a 2.92 ERA so far at Fort Myers.
Aaron Hicks has continued his great start to his professional career with the GCL Twins, batting .320 with a .422 OBP, 3 HR, and 10 steals without being caught. also 2nd on the team in RBI with 21 in 32 games
7th round pick Daniel Osterbrock has K’d 32 in his last 3 starts pitching 20 innings and giving up only 4 runs. Including a 7 IP, 1 H, 12 K performance.
I too think Gomez could use a little time at AAA, he will be back up in September anyway. He has great range in the outfield, but his throws seem to be all over the place and he doesn’t always make good decisions on those throws. He needs to work on his hitting and his bunting. A few weeks on the farm would do him good.
“Carlos Gutierrez has given up 4 ER in 12.1 innings as a reliever for a 2.92 ERA so far at Fort Myers.”
so your telling me there’s a chance we could get a reliever from minors in the next few years
Well Span IS going to play everyday when Cuddyer comes back, that is not speculation, that is fact coming from the lips of Ronald Gardenhire. I wonder what the game plan will be next year when the OF’s at spring training are Young/Gomez/Span/Cuddyer and they are all healthy. Who will be the odd man out?
But personally, I don’t even think Cuddy had a “hot June”. He hit .291 with 1 HR and 13 RBI in 91 plate appearances….so what?
Mientkiewicz’s hot June and July combined - 0 HR and 12 RBI.
Would Freddy Garcia be willing to pitch out of the bullpen? Does he have anything left?
As far as the reliever market goes, Scott Schoeneweis (LHP, 3.02 ERA, 1.286 WHIP; due remainder of $3.6M 2008 and $3.6M 2009 - Mets) and Duaner Sanchez (RHP, 3.83 ERA, 1.277 WHIP; due remainder of $850K 2008- Mets) both cleared waivers per the Providence Journal
Either of those guys would be fantastic August pickups.
birdofprey says:
August 7th, 2008 at 11:18 am
One could argue that without qualitative information and intuitive thinking, statistics are useless as a predictor. Simplistic question to try to make the point: If a pitcher has an ERA of 3.75 in 2006 and 2007, what is his ERA going to be in 2008? Quick now, what’s the answer? Should be pretty easy to predict.
Exactly. Statistics do not guarantee future success - just like everyone’s 401K statements say. They are tools to be used (or not) at the discretion of whoever is making a decision. I think we lose sight of that at times.
Justin
Your kidding… right??? I would rather try out Graves before either of those guys
c’mon, ANYBODY is starting to look like an upgrade with this bullpen lately.
Those are fairly quality arms for post deadline, don’t you think?
I love the statistics argument it’s one of my favorites.
Dougie can’t comeback to the Twins - NO BACKSIES!!
FIRE,
“Carlos Gutierrez….”
”so your telling me there’s a chance we could get a reliever from minors in the next few years”
There’s a chance, but it probably won’t be Carlos Gutierrez. He is a past and future SP. He is/was a reliever while recovering from TJ surgery.
Graves isn’t looking too hot down there, his WHIP is over 1.6, ERA close to 6 and he isn’t striking out anybody. Barrett’s numbers look better, 70 k’s in 58 IP, whip close to 1.2, era just over 3.
With all of the ideas posted here, I can’t believe only one person suggested dumping Lamb when Cuddyer comes back. I’ve read moving Gomez and Young. How does Lamb help this team win any games? We have plenty of left handed bats and switch hitters. Lamb is horrific against lefties, and he was no replacement at 1st base for Morneau. Cuddyer can rotate for the outfield and 1st base. There are plenty at bats to go around for all 4 outfielders. But what exactly does Lamb bring to this team? Even with a right handed pitcher we still have Morneau, Mauer, Buscher, Span, Punto (switch hitter), and Kubel. 6 lefties against a righty. Is it worth keeping Lamb around? Not even close.
FIRE,
“there’s a chance we could get a reliever from minors in the next few years”
The relievers we get from the minors will probably “failed” starters, like Joe Nathan, Matt Guerrier, Dennys Reyes, Mariano Rivera, Rick Aguilera…….. we can hope.
I can’t believe only one person suggested dumping Lamb when Cuddyer comes back.
Why dump Lamb when they’ve got Ruiz sitting there?
sane any names you can throw at us of prospects that could be the next “good and juiced” version of the formerly known as Juan Rincon??
The equipment guy at Beloit has hung the correct jersey in every locker for 31 consecutive games. We need to call him up for the stretch run to guarantee the WS ring. Him, and Dougie Mientkiewicz. They’re equally important ingredients for success.
Buscher and Lamb are redundant. One is broccoli, the other cauliflower, neither very exciting.
“I can’t believe only one person suggested dumping Lamb when Cuddyer comes back.”
1) Lamb’s contract is expensive to dump.
2) Lamb may currently be the hottest LH hitter on the team against RHP’s.
3) Lamb is the EMERGENCY (5-alarm or worse!) catcher.
4) Lamb is calm under pressure for pinch-hitting against RHP’s. We have many youngsters who have (and will) wet themselves in a tough spot.
And when Ruiz wets himself, out come the tarps.
I just looked at Twin’s record breakdown against divisions:
AL Central - 12 games over
AL EAST - 8 games UNDER
AL WEST - 4 games UNDER
NL - 10 games over
“any names you can throw at us of prospects that could be the next “good and juiced” version of the formerly known as Juan Rincon??”
Anthony Slama (my choice), Rob Delaney, Jose Mijares (LHP), Alex Burnett (starter now, IMO future reliever), Zach Ward.
bird,
“And when Ruiz wets himself, out come the tarps.”
Hilarious!
He is 30-yrs-old, so an enlarged prostate may help the grounds crew react in time.
1. I don’t care about Lamb’s contract, I only care about winning.
2. I discount “hot” hitter when it is about 1 weeks worth of stats.
3. The “emergency catcher” excuse isn’t worth addressing.
4. I have yet to see Lamb come through huge when needed. OK, he got a hit once this year to win a game.
5. I’ll take Ruiz for now, unproven and all. I give Ruiz a chance to succeed or fail, while I have seen Lamb fail time and time again.
6. Once again, a pinch hitting left handed bat has proven unneeded on this team, while we are constantly short of right handed bats.
7. DUMP LAMB ASAP!
sane I notice Bobby Korecky is missing from your list???
My MR pitching candidates from the farm system that will be ready for 2009, in order:
Humber, RHP AAA
Mijares, LHP AA
Duensing, LHP AAA
Delaney, RHP AA
No facts, just guesses.
Yes, but Sane, he’s over 30, so he might wet himself prematurely.
Macloed,
“we are constantly short of right handed bats”
Only if Morneau, Mauer and Span didn’t hit LHP’s better than they hit RHP’s.
Kubel and Buscher also could turn that corner (maybe Kubel has if you believe Tuesday night) with their compact swings.
Maybe you preferred Monroe’s swing against LHP’s.
He was a RH “bat?”!
Little Nicky is the biggest head-case and clubhouse buzz-kill to hit MN since Dougie Baseball.
Dougie has a pretty wife.
bird,
I was concentrating on relievers.
FIRE,
“I notice Bobby Korecky is missing from your list???”
That was not accidental, although IMO he “could” help as a 6th or 7th guy in the bullpen.
the first time Dougie made a diving stop at 3rd he would hide the baseball and refuse to give it up..
Sane, so was I. Is it unthinkable to convert Humber and/or Duensing to relief in your view?
“Dougie has a pretty wife.”
Casy Daigle has a KNOCK-OUT wife!
And we need relief pitchers more than whatever-the-hell-it-is that Dougie does now.
bird,
“Is it unthinkable to convert Humber and/or Duensing to relief in your view?”
Humber SHOULD be a reliever.
Duensing will have to fail as a starter (ala Humber) first.
WHen Korecky was called up earlier, he showed grit, but does he have MLB stuff on a sustainable basis?
Sane, I thought the arguement was who to cut, not who plays everyday regardless of who is pitching? Morneau, Mauer, Span? They are not part of the arguement at all. I said people were suggesting sending down Gomez or Ruiz, or not playing Young. I say dump Lamb over any of those guys. And seriously, “Kubel and Buscher could turn that corner”? Well, you can crap in one hand and wish in the other, see which one fills up first.
Let’s call up the pretty wives of Dougie and Casey. We’re not getting past the first round anyway, not without Beltre.
4. I have yet to see Lamb come through huge when needed.
6. Once again, a pinch hitting left handed bat has proven unneeded on this team
Two days ago. TWO.
“I discount “hot” hitter when it is about 1 weeks worth of stats.”
In Mike Lamb’s case you can go with:
One week - HOT;
Three months - COLD (or washed-up)
Eight years - Solid MLB Hitter
Take your pick.
“Casy Daigle has a KNOCK-OUT wife!”
she’d probably do a great job in 8th inning relief, at least better than what we have now! sign her up when the olympics are over.
I missed it, which loss was it that Lamb came through huge on? I am sticking with my opinion that this team does not need Lamb more than we need the other players. Who do we send down or cut to keep Lamb? Who is Lamb more valuable than?
I have no problem with the Twins giving Lamb his shot. Well, he took it. And now the Lamb experiment can come to an end. Just like the Monroe experiment.
” I have yet to see Lamb come through huge when needed.”
Tuesday night in Seattle (or was it Monday night?), before one of the bullpen meltdowns.
Enough about Casey Daigle’s wife.
I have no interest in soft, smooth skin and large breasts.
So let’s send Ruiz back down.
You were right the first time, it was Tuesday. There was also the walk-off against Papelbon.
Mc,
“Who is Lamb more valuable than?”
By the time Cuddy is MLB-ready, Ruiz and Lamb will both get more opportunities to show who is hot and who is —-t!
Ok, Lamb got two big hits this year. Let’s talk about his 6 rbi in the last month, or his .067 batting average against lefties. All I’m saying is, I’d like to give other guys a chance over Lamb. Call me sentimental, but that big lug Ruiz has a warm place in my heart already. But seriously, I cringe everytime I see the bearded wonder come to the plate.
There was also the RBI triple over the weekend against Cleveland.
Didn’t Ruiz’s sister Rosie win the NYC Marathon?
MacLeod: http://minnesota.twins.mlb.com/media/video.jsp?mid=200808063264977&c_id=min
Pic through those and see if you find anything worth while.
Maybe I would feel better about Lamb if Gardy had the capability of yanking him when the opposing team brought in a lefty. I have never seen a hitter that lost or take worse swings in my life than when a lefty throws to Lamb. You can see the look on his face. “Please just throw me 4 balls”.
Mac,
I agree.
Even if we keep Lamb, the beard MUST be DFA’d.
i don’t want to get t started on money but lamb is owed 3m for next yr and an option for 09. doubt they would just write that off when buscher only has a little over 200 at bats and his career ave is the same as lambs. with his contract i think you have to try and get what you can out of him and he is better off the bench than what we’ve had in the past. buscher hasn’t had enough at bats and shown enough to throw all that money away, imo.
Ok Lamb lovers, who does Cuddyer replace instead of the bench warming .236 hitter that you have all fallen in love with while the Twins were losing 2 of 3 in Seattle. Or shall we spend more time reminiscing about Lamb’s one home run this year? I have now started to grow a beard, and will not shave until Lamb makes contact with a ball thrown from a left hander. He doesn’t need a hit, just foul one off. Or better yet, let’s remember the good times where Lamb was playing first base. Oh wait, he sucked at that also.
DO NOT call me a lamb-lover!
Oh!
Mike Lamb.
Never mind!
I don’t really like him.
But I do believe he is a hitter.
The Ruiz vs. Lamb thing is maybe a three-week argument. Cuddyer comes back. Tolbert comes back. Rosters expand. Casilla maybe comes back.
I’m guessing that the distribution of AB’s among Ruiz, Lamb, and Buscher is not a make-or-break event. Does that make sense?
I know Lamb’s contract is a big issue. I have been ignoring that fact, although the front office cannot. And Buscher is horrible against lefties also, not to mention that arm of his. But Buscher does appear to be a more solid hitter this year. I have also been ignoring Lamb’s career numbers, because Lamb appears to have turned an age where his skills have diminished greatly this year. Simply put, I think everybody else on this current roster has a bigger upside than Lamb. And, some other crazy team out there just might claim him, like Livan, and we’d be off the hook for that salary. Once again, I don’t give my decision based on the Pohlad’s wallet.
Twins Territory. Where men are men and Lamb is nervous.
i haven’t read anything that looked like lamb love. 3 weeks the rosters expand and 1 week cuddy comes back so more likely that riuz goes down for 2 weeks than the twins throwing away 3+ mill in cash!
i don’t like punto playing every day because his ave tends to drop the more he plays (last 2 weeks .216) but right now he is the best option we have at 2nd.
There is no question the Ruiz thing is completely unknown, I just wanted to be the first one on that bandwagon in case he takes off. Ruiz could go on a hitting terror, or he could strike out 17 times in a row. All I know is, Ruiz scores every single time he gets on base. Now how’s that for a small sample size?
correct if the Twin’s season hedges on who gets the most pixie sticks from among Ruiz, Lamb, and Buscher then the season is already doomed
“All I know is, Ruiz scores every single time he gets on base.”
You can’t coach speed!
You have it or you don’t!
Well, I didn’t really expect anybody to stick up for Lamb, let alone numerous people. I mean, come on, is he your brother-in-law or something? And if he is I would deny it if I were you.
Sane, LMAO. Another reason to keep Ruiz. Speed doesn’t go into a slump! Um, I’m completely disregarding Gomez here.
“is he your brother-in-law or something? And if he is I would deny it if I were you.”
I have no control of my sister!
You can pick your friends, but you can’t pick your family.
Only reason I like Lamb is it cuts down the tired old Punto-bashing.
Nice chatting, gentlemen. I’m going over to Joe’s blog for awhile.
Oh, and Sane, you CAN control your sister. Intervene. You’d have to be wasted to put up with that beard.
I have to leave also. So much time on Twins blogs while at work. I’m going to go look at Craigslist for a while.
i haven’t read anything that looked like lamb love.
You forget where you’re at gook. The only reason anybody would ever POSSIBLY not agree that ____ isn’t a blight on the planet due for termination is because they’re in love with said player.
Or related. 
And whatever the case, for everybody asking who goes down when Cuddy comes back. Uh, Ruiz. Duh. Are we seriously going to turn a career minor leaguer into some kind of Hero of Time for the Twins?
Lamb’s current “hot streak” is directly a result of the beard. The beard has to stay if Lamb stays.
June: 2 hits, 3 RBIs
July: 6 hits, 2 RBIs
August: 4 hits, 4 RBIs
The perception that he is on a hot streak is fed by the fact that he is sizzling compared to where he was in June and July. However, the facts say he is 4 for 9 in last 3 games and 5 for 15 in his last 5 games… and that’s a “hot streak”?
Lamb is expendable… but not counting on it. Ruiz gets a round trip ticket with his return coming a couple of weeks after Cuddy gets here. That’ll be fine. The 4 OFs and Kubes will be a good problem to manage.
The more interesting conversations are around trying to find minor league or waiver help for the bull pen.
Those who believe that Cuddyer should try to make the transition to 3rd because of the current situation, speak up loud and clear! Those of you who think it’s crazy because only Superman would be able to do it , I don’t want to hear it. The season is on the line. At least spot duty????
Lamb’s a much better hitter than his line this year gives him credit for. Indeed, his BABIP this year is fairly unlucky relative to batted ball type numbers (.171 on groundballs?) and that accounts for some largeish part of his lackluster production. He’s been swinging a good bat of late and I would absolutely not lose him when Cuddyer’s ready given how much I figure Gomez would benefit from a few weeks in Rochester (not that Bill Smith’s ego will ever allow it). Just before expansion, I’d take a long hard look at how Cuddyer’s doing. If he’s struggled badly, thrylos’s original point is a good one: put out the sniffers and see if that salary’s dumpable via waivers. Pridie is playing too well (and covers vast swathes of territory in the field), Gomez is GOING to be too good and Dustin Martin is getting too close to muck about with Cuddyer much longer if he’s not gonna get back to where he was (for a year). But he HAS to be given a chance as an everyday OF/DH starter if we’re gonna have any idea what his longterm outlook is going to be. Especially given that Gomez would be the one getting some of his pt right now.
Cuddyer is been given a chance to show what he can do in Rochester for a week or 2. It is early for a verdict but so far he has 1 hit in 2 games against the Ironpigs. I don’t think that this translates very well in the majors.
toby,
“Pridie is playing too well (and covers vast swathes of territory in the field)”
I’m not sure how big “vast swathes of territory” are, but on “Red Wings Squeeze Play”, Pridie can’t cover his own shadow. Gomez, Span, Martin, Roberts, Revere, Benson and Hicks should all be ahead of Pridie on the Twins CF depth chart.
All I know is Gardy better manage his ass off the next 7 weeks, because there are only a few players on this team that don’t have a major hole in their game. Expect to see about 4 hour games as Gardy changes pitchers every at-bat and sends about 8 pinch hitters into the game to get the “right match up”.
Mac,
9 starters, plus 8 pinch hitters on a 25-man roster, will cut back on the pitching staff.
Hey guys, I skipped past about the last 1/4 of the posts because it seemed to be the same things being said over and over again, so don’t know if anyone else has proposed this? I also feel like Cuddyer needs to earn his way back to a starting role since the Twins are still right up there in the AL Central WITHOUT him for most of the season so far. But has anyone thought of using him at RF in the Dome where he’s got that grab a bounce off the baggie and snag an ambitious runner at 2nd down to a science and the baggie wall isn’t real conducive to jumps like Span made yesterday? On the road let Span play RF on the strength of some of the spectacular catches he has made at other ballparks. I cannot imagine a scenario other than the Twins being swept if Cuddyer had been in RF yesterday for that Beltre near homer.
But again this is predicated on Cuddyer hitting reasonably well upon his return. If he doesn’t all bets are off. Of course we’re all just wasting our keystrokes because as sure as the sun rises each day, Ronald Gardenhire will play Punto and he will play Cuddyer.
P.S. Why oh why do we sac bunt??? Drives me crazy to see Gardy wanting Harris who has been hitting well lately lay down a bunt. Thank God he failed and just hit the ball well. I’ve enjoyed Randy Ruiz swinging with gusto. The Twins hate their hitters striking out even more than their pitchers giving up walks. And I’m saying this not because I don’t appreciate the damage either does to winning a game but because it’s nice once in awhile to see someone try to look like Adam Dunn, so please don’t jump all over my wish. 
Cuddy is starting tonight at RF and batting against the mighty Ironpics in Rochester (game starts in half an hour). I will keep updating his performance
that was batting 3rd
Brick, are you just saying you love lamb or do you really love lamb? How about carpet?
In his first AB in Rochester, Cuddy grounds into an inning ending double play. Rehab average at Rochester: .143
Second AB in Rochester, Cuddyer hits an RBI double. Rehab average at Rochester .250, 1 2B, 1 RBI
3rd AB in Rochester, Cuddyer doubles. Rehab average at Rochester .333, 2 2B, 1 RBI
That’s an interesting idea Beisbol. Just out of curiosity, what would the rest of the OF look like with Cuddy in RF?
Span/Gomez/Cuddy w/ Young DH?
+
Young/Gomez/Span w/ Cuddy DH?
But then where do you find ABs for Kubel?
4rd AB in Rochester, Cuddyer strikes out. Rehab average at Rochester .300, 2 2B, 1 RBI. Santos replaces him on the field.
What’s with all the Cuddy love?
thrylos98,
“Jack Hammer says:
August 7th, 2008 at 10:05 pm
What’s with all the Cuddy love?”
I’ll bet you did NOT expect to be accused of THAT!!!
sane,
nope, I wasn’t I guess people don’t bother to read up the threads…
(frankly Cuddy exceeded my expectations tonight. He had 2 hits against the Ironpigs…)
Once back at the Super8, Cuddy slips into his jam-jams, plays a quick game of Solitaire, and then drifts off to sleep peacefully.
Been working my butt off lately and haven’t had time to even check the blogs the last couple days.
Think I’ll probably be at the Sat and Sun games in KC, Howard… let’s hope it doesn’t rain. Can you believe they don’t even have a roof on that ballpark down there? Must have a cheap owner or something.
For anyone bashing Cuddyer, just remember this much: He’s hitting .347 with RIP. Only Morneau and Mauer are better. (Or even in the same league, for that matter.)
As for Gomez…we have a lead-off hitter. What we need to do is get right-handed extra base power into the line-up, a guy that can not only get on base but drive guys in. That’s Cuddyer.
The problem with Go-Go is that he’s been overhyped in that New York way since day one. He’s not all that good, and he’s light years behind Span in every facet of the game. His sole weapon is speed, and he rarely uses it anymore because his other handicaps prevent him from being in an optimum position to USE that speed.
This off-season, Go-Go needs to Go-Go, perhaps in a package for a 3B, and we need to pray that Cuddy can remain healthy until his contract is up. Michael is a good, smart right fielder with a rocket launcher for an arm. All in all, Span is a better CF than Gomez.
There’s no room for both Span and Gomez on a team that is serious about winning a World Championship. (And if they’re not serious, why the hell did they resign Nathan?)
Go-Go must go this off-season. Anything else is stupid management. Unload him while people still believe in his “potential.”
Lala72,
let me remind you of the following:
a. Gomez is 22 years old.
b. when Morneau was 22 he was called up in September and hit for a .226 average.
when Cuddyer was 22 he was in New Britain, same with Kubel. When Punto was 22 he was playing in Reading (Phillies AA affiliate). When Span was 22, he had a lower OPS in New Britain than Gomez has this year in the major leagues. And when Buscher was 22 we was playing mediocrely with the Hagerstown Suns (SF A team).
Please get a perspective…
Thanks for the updates on Cuddy thry. Any indication why he was pulled? I know FSN two nights ago were talking about how Cuddy’s being limited in ABs down at AAA…is that still the case?
I think that they do not want him to have more than 3-4 AB/ game. He played the field yesterday and that is encouraging.
I think there’s more to managing a team than just figuring out who to slot in where. I understand why it will be difficult to move Cuddy into the mix, but I think that, over a number of years he’s proven himself to be a quality major league outfielder; not a superstar, to be sure, but a good player. I’m guessing, too (I don’t know, none of us do, really)that Cuddy’s a good guy to have around, and there is something to the notion that getting hurt shouldn’t cost you your job- Wally Pipp notwithstanding. It’s my opinion that Cuddyer’s earned a spot as a regular (In fact I think that he was brought up at least a year after he was ready to play in the bigs)and part of managing just about everything is rewarding your good employees. Now, if they decide to move him in the offseason that’s defensible, but I think they need to find a place for him to play- 3rd maybe? Howard- have a sandwich at Gates’ for me this weekend!
For the remainder of the season, Gomez will play against LHP, with Cuddy or Young at DH. Gomez will play some against RHP, but his bat is very weak against them. If Gomez gets another 75 -100 AB, he should be very happy.
If the Twins did just one thing to help the team, it should be to keep Brendan Harris out of the middle infield. He can play there in a pinch, otherwise he should never be there.
Thought this is an interesting stat, and a different look at the performance of GoGo this season:
Justin Morneau leads the twins in hits with 134, which is sixth in the american league.
Next twins:
Delmon Young - 117, 26th in AL.
Joe Mauer - 114, 29th in AL.
Carlos Gomez - 111, 34th in AL.
Gomez has just about as many hits as Mauer. gomez has played 106 games, mauer 100 even. Now, I’m not trying to compare Gomez to Mauer necessarily(mauer has a 60/35 BB/K ratio while Gomez’s is 17/105). Can say that Gomez also batted leadoff, so he had more at bats maybe, but Gomez has 455 total Plate appearances, and Mauer has 426. In the grand scheme those are pretty similar. If were talking just ‘Hitting’ production, I think gomez is doin all right and on the right track. Just needs to take a cue from Denard Span and work hard on taking pitches to improve his chances at the plate.
Gomez also has only 11 fewer Total Bases than Mauer, and gomez has scored 59 runs which is good for scoring 46% of the time when he gets on with a hit or walk. Mauer has 68 runs, and scores 39% of the time when he gets on with a hit or walk. Again gomez bats before guys like Mauer and Mourneau, which has a lot to do with that, but I think its interesting.
I also might be reaching for a positive about gomez, but i thought I’d throw that out there.
TwinsNotesGuy I love that stat. Everyone thinks with Cuddy coming back that Gomez needs to sit down. I disagree. I think he should still be in center and the they should use the DH when they can. If they rotate between Kubel, Young, Span, Gomez and Cuddy, it can only help the twins.
Now, if we could get some help in the bullpen. I also agree that Harris should be kept at 3rd, he hits better there and does a better job in the infield. I never thought I would say this, but I would rather have Everett at short.
With 5 quality outfielders healthy, one of them always in the DH hole, the Twins have a very good thing going.
TNG: Some may end up taking that more as a way to bash Mauer.
I think Stacy (and others) have the right idea. Cuddyer can come back and split time in the DH role until the Twins are confident he has his swing back.
Then he can work his way into the OF and start rotating Young/Gomez/Span.
Cuddy will (for now) become the Monroe replacement. Hopefully he’ll be able to recover enough to get back into full time by the end of the year.
T- I think its more of a reflection on how many meat balls Mauer lets go by. I love his eye at the plate, but sometimes I’m begging him to swing or can’t fathom why he didn’t. I think he grounds out to 2nd so often because he lets too many good pitches go by and falls behind in the count sometimes. Which forces him to swing at ‘bad’ or ‘worse’ pitches than he’s already seen. He has a knack for not striking out, but having to swing at those ‘bad’ pitches from falling behind also results in not so good contact much of the time, resulting in those ground balls.
can anyone give me a reason why the twins shouldn’t give Alejandro Machado a chance to be the guy Casilla was in place of Everett?
Dude’s mashing .366 at Rochester with a .564 slugging percentage in 32 games, the same amount casilla played before being called up with his .219 avg.
ganderson–
Just got back from Gates. Time to nap in the sun.
I really don’t understand what everyone is worked up about.
The Strib Blogs declared the season OVER in the wee hours of Tuesday morning.
Watch the rest of the season or not. Since, it ain’t happening…who cares?
Regards,
