Talking myself back into calm
Posted on September 17th, 2008 – 9:07 AMBy Howard
There are no words…
Well, yes, there are. It’s just that most of them are unfit to be muttered again after listening to the early-game meltdown in the car and then watching the late-game frustration when the Twins started flailing with the bats after pulling even and pulling ahead. Tom Mastny, with the 12-something ERA, “outduels” Joe Nathan, the closer who had never given up a walk-off homer until last night. The gods must be on meth.
I did my part…
I took this one worse than some of the others, I think, because I ordered postseason tickets yesterday. Seats in the Home Run Porch. I thought that was sending a message of belief, but my statement of faith obviously didn’t get to Cleveland. Or maybe it got misrouted to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Yeah, the Black Sabbath exhibit. Maybe Ozzy Osbourne comes outta the bullpen tonight, although at his age we’d be more likely to see him in Florida over the weekend.
Pulling apart the game…
I can’t in good conscience go there and pull out one blunder or poor performance over the others. Punto throws a ball into right field and later starts a double play that others wouldn’t have turned. Gomez makes an error, drives in three runs and brings me off the couch with that bases-loaded line drive — which turned into an inning-ending double play. It’s all a jumble and a mess, although 13 men left on base is the number that I keep staring at in the box score.
If there’s any doubt…
I’m not willing to go too deep into 2009 right now, but the thing I will judge Bill Smith on more than anything will be his ability to fix third base with a right-handed power hitter. The money is there to afford one, the talent is there to trade for one, the need is there to make this an unarguable truth of the winter to come. Watching a team make up for its flaws by hitting four home runs, as Cleveland did last night, makes you understand what another big bat could be doing for the Twins right now — and needs to be doing for them in the future.
I noticed the Royals…
Have won five games in a row. I hope that total reaches 10 by the end of the weekend and they can ambush the White Sox.
I have no time…
For comments like this one from last night’s game: “And for you comedy fans, stay tuned here for plenty of ‘it doesn’t matter how far we’re down, we have the White Sox here for 3 next week’ comments from the usual Twins apologists.” Yeah, we get into some pretty good rumbles with each other about who’s to bless and who’s the blame for all that’s going on. But most of the people who wander through Section 220 have been with this team for 151 games, and if they want to find glimmers of hope in the darkness, that’s fine by me.
Oh, yeah, who won the contest???
You all should go back to yesterday’s comments because the “mini-post” contest provided lots of entertainment — kind of like Johnny Cash at Folsom Prison, given what’s been going on lately.
But the judge has ruled: Third place goes to Jason for no other reason than his appreciation for my ability to work DeSean Jackson and Nick Punto into the same sentence. Second place goes to the people’s choice, Chris, for his contemporary reworking of the “Win Twins” song. (Also a big assist to Romer, which you’ll see a few comments below Chris, for his reworking of one awkward line.)
Honorable mention goes to The Situationer, who set the bar high with his entry early yesterday morning. And to Brandon J for his early-evening poetry. The judge highly recommends some of the entries that came in around 6 p.m. last night, especially the story of Dr. Don and his hunting dog. Go back and check ‘em out.
But the winner is… MudCat!!!! … for his reworking of another Minnesota anthem:
SKOL TWINKIES ! ! !
Skol Twinkies, let’s win this game!
Skol Twinkies, hope the Sox don’t do the same!
Go get a home run,
Then get some more runs,
Rock ‘em, Sock ‘em,
FIGHT, FIGHT, FIGHT ! ! !
Go Twinkies, run up the score!
T, DOUBLE-YOU, I, N, S! ! !
Skol Twinkies, LETS GO ! ! !
You all rule. Thanks for playing.
other people are here too
95 Responses to "Talking myself back into calm"
To get the day started - here are 3 haiku’s based on last night’s game.
Reyes chews his gum
gopher cheeks jiggle on face
sweat makes mud on mound
Betancourt is slow
fidgeting like John Rocker
Hurry up and pitch!
Punto makes mistakes
Tolbert is much better choice
Battles his tail off
Well Howard, you just relieved me of my blame. I thought I angered the Baseball Gods by starting to round up buddies who would want to go to a playoff game. You went as far as ordering tickets. The gods have spoken, and they decided it was bad karma. Just ask Patriots fans how the football gods came down on them when Bill Simmons wrote the 19-0 column. I’m just saying.
Howard - thanks for the honorable mention - I will go buy myself a ribbon.
Secondly, I think I am more a part of the Twins team than just a fan.
(Story time)
Last night I was playing softball, yes slowpitch, and I rounded second base to far and got forced into a hot box.
I was being pushed back to second by the third baseman who had the ball. I glanced towards second base and saw a small opening that I could dive into and maybe be safe. So, I channeled the best Punto head-first slide that I could do and dove towards second base.
However, instead of punto, I must have gotten Cuddyer, as I tore ligaments in my finger.
Serves me right, taking a head-first slide in softball…It’s all for the love of the game.
~Situ
Speaking of the Rock n roll HOF i have two songs that keep running through my head. Cindy Lauper singing “True Colors” and Paul Simon singing “Slip slidin away” those two songs sum it up for me.
Congrats to Mudcat.
Plunk, you could read all of War and Peace while Betancourt is on the mound. Wait, take that back, you could read all of War and Peace in between each of his pitches!!! MLB’s 35 second rule is a joke if they never fine this guy. Hasn’t Brian Runge ever been behind the plate when he pitches???? How the Tribe defense don’t bring their blankies with and sprawl out and take a snooze while he’s rocking back and forth is a modern day miracle!! LOL.
It was too good to be true that the Twins could keep up their outstanding BA with RISP. The ESPN guys called this back in mid-July, saying it would be hard for this team to continue to rely an ultra-clutch hitting, and we’re seeing that some to fruition now. It’s like we almost want it too bad, and we’re pressing big time. The way things are going, the series with the Sox won’t matter.
I hurt. I just flat-out hurt from the game last night. What a painful, miserable, awful way to lose. The team looked phenomenal working their way back, with smart at-bats, great hits, and patience. As soon as they took the lead, everyone tightened up and got sloppy again. Gardy included. He did a great job using the bullpen to keep the game close before throwing it all away with Eddie G. That HR from Sizemore was utterly predictable. I’m still optimistic for a miraculous run to end the season, but it’s getting harder to believe with each wasted opportunity.
now is when we are seeing the problems with having such a lack of power in the lineup
hitters are tired now and the opportunities to string together 4 singles in a row 5 or 6 times a day to make 6 runs is much harder to create a nice HR after 1 single is much better, just ask Indians or White Sox or any team that plays Twins lately
I feel like Andrew Jackson: win the popular but lose the electoral!! But hats off to Mudcat, his lyrics fit his song better than mine.
Also, thanks for the comments you guys. Also, props to Romer for helping alter the one line of lyrics that I should have done better. Your assist would make John Stockton blush!
Howard, I definitely think this should be a more regular thing. Doesn’t even have to include a material prize. It was fun reading the creativity displayed in forms of thoughts, songs, and haikus.
To celebrate second place, I’ll go home tonight, hang out with friends, and drink some SILVER bullets.
Let me be the first to start an LNP rant now that Howard’s contest is done. It was too late last night to post this on JC’s blog. It’s interesting to get an outside “impartial” analysis. On that botched throw from LNP to Tolbert at 2nd, the Cleveland announcers basically said he turned what should have been a definite out at 2nd, maybe not a GIDP, into a fiasco by trying to turn it into something spectacular by throwing off balance.
That pretty much sums up LNP. Gardy continues to get blame for continuing to put in a guy that even D&B quoted Gardy as saying that maybe LNP isn’t suited to starting every day (so why don’t you at least listen to yourself, Gardy?????).
There simply is no excuse for bringing Eddie into the game in the 8th with our 1 run lead. And, I like Eddie.
His ERA over the last 4 weeks, most of which is with us, is: 11.57. For the season, lefties are hitting .218 and righties .270 against Eddie.
Breslow’s ERA over the last 4 weeks is 0.93! For the season, lefties are hitting .200 and righties .225 against Breslow.
No excuse for the inexplicable pitching change. No logic. No excuse. Mind numbing.
Oh hindsight is fun isn’t it. Pitching change doesn’t work, manager is an idiot. Pitching change does work, bullpen pitches the way it should.
I blame the batters for this one. You say, “but they scored 9 runs, how can the lineup be to blame?” Good question. Here’s why. Runners left on base. I believe there were 3 innings that ended with the bases loaded. Where’s that killer instinct? Even Morneau was guilty of leaving runners on. The game should’ve been blown open in a few inning. Didn’t happen. I blame the lineup. I’m just sayin.
Howard the bullpen needs some nasty 7th and 8th inning relievers that can shut down opposing teams 3-4-5 hitters
Guerrier is not and never has been that guy and Nesek had a Brian Bass like ERA before he got hurt
Twin’s formula has always relied on a top notch bullpen.. in my mind that has to be fixed first.. with the payroll 15M less then last year and hopefully with LNP and friends coming off the books there will be more then enough money to fix the bullpen and take a stab at 3rd base
Roto - when a team needs 4 singles to score a run leaving piles of runners on base is what happens. Twin’s are no longer hitting at that “video game” like .313 w/RISP
Thanks for the mention, Howard. It’s a kick.
Rather than bitch about the Twins, I’ll bitch about the Yankees. A-Breu and A-Rod failed last night. And Cano remains a huge ??? So I’m grateful that Twins had no “Cano” this year. This is a good team.
But with only two meaningful games left in Yankee Stadium history, you’d think A-Rod, at least, would come with his “A” game. Looks like instead he’s in his playoff mode. LOL
Again, tomorrow’s Yankees game is on WGN. Send all your good and strong vibes to the Yankees.
I love beisball.
Hey Chris! You can add Al Gore - win the popular and lose the electoral. The Twins have much off season dealing and decisions to make. There is a small nucleus in the team -
* Baker
* Liriano
* Slowey
* Nathan
* Mauer
* Morneau
* Span
* Gomez
* Cuddyer (maybe)
The rest are all spendable and would like to see what you all have to say as to who would be on the “has to go” list.
beisbol….
Rotoblinders, first it isn’t hindsight.
Second, Gardy had already used several pitchers to get to this point. There is no assurance he won’t need several more in the next innings.
Pull Breslow, who has been outstanding for us, after he throws 2 pitches? Are you seriously defending that move? If it were to go to Nathan in the 8th, OK, I would agree to that. I would have scratched my head over going to Mirajes, but at least he has performed.
But, to go to Eddie or Reyes? Not a chance. I repeat there was no excuse for that move. There is no logic to support that move. It is without excuse.
That does not suggest I accept the other failures in the game. And, no where in my post did I blame the loss on Gardy. However, that move was clearly boneheaded, unnecessary, and without any logic to back it up.
Howard, have to run and be gone for a few hours but here’s a suggestion for an upcoming day:
Who should or should not be resigned (hint, hint, candidates include LNP and the Big Sweat, there’s enough fodder to run the blog for several days!) this winter? Seems to me that in addition to the pen and power and 3rd base, there’s a basic challenge to Gardy in who gets resigned or who does not. And that is who is considered the everyday lineup?
OK Romer, you got me. There’s enough rant to go around. But unfortunately Mr. Bonehead has 3 seasons worth of memories in my head…everything from the Whities Triple Play with LNP in the middle of it all the way and not just the boo boo he made on his very first day back from the DL this season.
I have to agree with every thing Carlos G said about everyday.
My big question is who was Gardy going to have close the game if Nathan didn’t blow the game? Korecky??? If he’s comfortable having Korecky close the game than why not use him instead of Eddie in the 8th???
Anyone else notice that our starters have been less than sharp since getting that extra days rest???
Maybe it’s time for Gardy to go to the three or four man rotation he plans to use in the post season should we make it.
WHAT DO YOU ALL THINK?
“has to go” list -
1)LNP 2.4M too much to waste
2)Reys 1M too much to waste again
3)1 of Boof or Guerrier need to be traded team doesn’t need to long relievers/mop up guys
Let me premise this by saying I think gardenhire is an idiot, but I have an open mind and will listen to reason. I have the same queston. Can one of you Gardy supporters please explain why gardy pulled LEFT HANDER breslow, who just got the 3rd out in the bottom of the 7th on 2 pitches, and replaced him with LEFT HANDER guardado to start the bottom of the 8th? Tired arm? no, 2 pitches in prior inning and 4 pitches for 2 outs in his prior appearance. Unless breslow was hit by a car between innings, I can find no rational reason for the change. Please, someone, explain this to me.
Maybe Gardy has a wager in Vegas against his own team?
SoCal may have the only plausible explanation.
must be a running bet - that would explain starting punto all the time as well.
You can add Breslow as a possible keeper.
Guardado is over the hill and Mijares and Korecky are part of the future with the Twinks. I have NEVER been a Kubel fan and still am not even with his above average 17 homers. He is not a keeper and is spendable.
Punto is a no brainer - HE GONE!
twins should go after fuentes of the rockies for 8th inning if he will accept that role. he may be set on being a closer somewhere though. they could have a competition between him and nathan for closer vs. 8th inning. maybe it would be good for nathan as he appears to have gotten too comfortable and lost his edge.
There is no excuse for pulling Breslow to go to Guardado in the 8th. None. I just cringed when they came back from commercial and Eddie was on the mound. With the way Mijares is throwing, Eddie should be 4th on the depth chart of our
lefty relievers.
Howard,
How’d you go about ordering playoff tickets already?
I thought they went on sale this weekend.
i had the exact same thought, why after only a few pitches bring eddie in for the 8th? it is the law of averages that the more relief pitchers you use the more likely one of them will have an off night (in our case a week or month). very strange move by gardy but not unexpected as he has done this often in the past.
go-go @ 10:02, you sum up my feelings perfectly!
“That pretty much sums up LNP. Gardy continues to get blame for continuing to put in a guy that even D&B quoted Gardy as saying that maybe LNP isn’t suited to starting every day (so why don’t you at least listen to yourself, Gardy?????).”
SoCal,
I would add Casilla to that mix. He’s done a great job (when completely healthy) at 2B this year, and I’ve heard arguments, both here and elsewhere, that he plays a better SS. I definitely agree with the rest of that list, but Breslow is worth more to us than Eddie G., both in age, and in $ value.
Strike that, I meant he’s worth more to us than Eddie G, and Big Sweat.
Small ball sucks! It won’t work in the playoffs where good pitching doesn’t allow multiple hit innings to score one run.Extra inning games are the same way. You need to get some pop in this lineup.
FIRE GARDY & VAVRA!!! I’ll bet Harris isn’t tired, he hardly gets to play anymore. Why the bleep have Punto in there? Sure he makes some good plays and some not so good too (see last night)I’d rather have Harris in there, at least has shown more power than LNP and his defense is okay.
On behalf of……. myself, I’d like to thank the Acedemy for this honor, and I promise not to forget the little people who helped make it happen.
PLAY BALL ! ! !
Howard,
re: Bill Smith, the litmus test for me is not whether he will go out and get a RH power hitting third basement, but whether he will re-sign Punto. If he does, he fails.
There is one interesting third baseman in the free agent market, and this is the former Gardy reject Casey Blake who would be a decent upgrade from what they have now. Beltre would be great, but Seattle is way too unstable to trade for him. I just don’t see too many RH hitting 3B out there in the market who can combine defense and power (maybe Rolen and/or Glaus but they are hurt more times than not). Cantu might be available but he would make Buscher look like a gold glover. Wiggington has ups and down and currently an up. There is just not much there unless Seattle changes its mind or something gets into the Cubs and want to trade Aramis Ramirez. I assume that the 3 young studs (Zimmerman, Wright, Longoria) would be untouchable
Beisbol-a-GO-GO, actually I wasn’t referring to you.
Next time.
:)>
as far as the bullpen goes, there are a lot of free agent set up men with the following the most notable:
Juan Cruz (R, 30) 2.70 ERA, 1.264 WHIP
Scott Downs (L, 32) 1.78 ERA, 1.146 WHIP
Brian Fuentes (L, 32) 3.38 ERA, 1.232 WHIP
Brian Shouse (L, 39) 2.84 ERA, 1.164 WHIP
Rafael Soriano (R, 28) 2.57 ERA, 1.143 WHIP
Dan Wheeler (R, 30) 2.69 ERA, 0.927 WHIP
If Smith picks a lefty (hopefully Downs) and a righty (hopefully Wheeler), waits to see what Neshek is doing and bringing him back slowly, getting rid of most of the current pen (Reyes, Guardado, Guerrier, Crain), and let Breslow, Perkins, Bonser, Delaney and Slama to fight it out for the rest of the spots, the Twins would be ok
Howard:
Third base is the least of the Twins worries for ‘09. Did anyone count the number of HRs given up in the last three games. 11, count them………11 home runs 18 of 21 runs off of homers.
Seems to me pitching and relief should be a priority.
I’m thinking of ‘09 because this year is done. Nice run for the youngsters but disappointing to be so, so close.
Moves by Bill Smith:
Trade to Tampa…advantage Tampa so far
Monroe- Thumbs down
Lamb- Thumbs down
Livan- Thumbs down
Guardado- Thumbs down
Not picking up Bradford- Thumbs down
Not picking up Hawkins- thumbs down
Everett- thumbs down
Harris- Thumbs down
Losing Hunter and Santana- Thumbs down this year, although perhaps beneficial in years to come with salary flexibility
Not trading for a 3B- Thumbs down
Any positive things he has done?
Emergence of Span and Casilla not his doing; I guess picking up Breslow could be considered a positive
I think the jury is still out on the Young for Garza trade. Better to take the long view on that one. Garza has more major league experience than Young and if you look at his numbers from last year, his rookie year, they are VERY good. ROY type numbers really. Even if Young ends up being a bust, the Twins were a team that looked like it needed offense at the beginning of the year, and Young was one of the best young players available at the time. I’m not going to fault Smith for that move. The Twins have never been the type of team thats going to go out and pay a lot of money for an established hitter. They are smarter than that. They try to get players when they are young (and cheap) and they have had an immense amount of success with young players. Veterans…. not so much. I thought at the time, and still think, the Young trade was a great move and I wouldn’t write it off yet just because his production has dropped off a little this year.
Now, a small tirade.
I was in the operating room at the births of each of my children. I was a house husband for a couple years and raised them.
The latter was WONDERFUL. The former was a medical operation. Maybe there were extenuating circumstances surrounding the Crain family’s childbirth, I don’t know.
But I am perplaxed Crain wasn’t available last night.
The real “event” in the newborn days is taking the baby home and watching him/her sleep in a beautiful new and darling room. And, of course, being able to do that day after day.
Why can’t a MLB player involved in a pennant race utilize the time of discharge (which could be bought off, I’m thinking) and take the baby home from the hospital, stay overnight, and catch a morning flight back to the team?
You don’t HAVE to miss two games. Yet, a reliever could pick a game he wasn’t to be available anyway.
Crain’s unavailability last night probably cost the game. And it’s very possible that last night’s loss may have cost the Twins the post-season.
We’ll see.
Howard Stinker is better…..
“Even if Young ends up being a bust, the Twins were a team that looked like it needed offense at the beginning of the year, and Young was one of the best young players available at the time. I’m not going to fault Smith for that move.”
My feelings exactly
romer
We don’t know the situation with the Crain family, so lets give him the benefit of the doubt.
I agree with saam and to say it may have cost us the pennant is just speculation as well.
I have zero problems with Crain being out for the birth of his child. Every employer is required to give paternal leave in similar situations.
However, to compare and contrast, not many employers give leave to attend a child’s high school graduation, like Gardy did earlier this year.
I would guess at some point, the law of averages would tip into the Twins favor with moves made by Smith. You would think some of his next moves will go right, don’t you?
Crain’s absence may have cost the Twins……………anything?
Get serious.
Crain had been pumping high octane gasoline on to the fire.
His absence gave us hope!
And losing last night cost nothing.
It just moved up the day of death.
Four days ago I wrote this:
Nor McAsh says:
September 13th, 2008 at 1:54 pm
Howard wrote: Yes, I think we’ll be able to call Francisco Liriano by his given name again. That’s “Franchise.” And, yes, I think the Twins handled his minors-to-majors transition just right.
Fine and dandy.
A little perspective, though:
Excluding his April starts, he’s faced KC, Oakland and Seattle twice each, and Detroit and Cleveland once each.
That’s two last place teams, a team that’s gone 16-36 in the past two months, and two division rivals that are battling for fourth place.
I like what I’m seeing. But I’m not convinced yet.
* * * * * * * * * *
Carry on…
Any positive things he has done?
I would say adding Breslow off the scrap heap was a positive.
I think it’s amusing how some people seem to think a GM can just snap his fingers or wave his magic wand and acquire every player his heart desires.
I have to ask: why does everyone want so badly for us to find a 3B? I have to admit I don’t see many games unless they’re on Armed Forces Network at night (I’m writing to you from sunny Iraq). But looking at Buscher’s stats online, if you extrapolate that out over a 600AB season, it would certainly seem that he’d be more than adequate. Or am I wrong? Please don’t answer on here as I rarely get access to the internet. I may be reached at TonyS2007@aol.com
Cheers!
Nor,
Point well taken. I may have gotten a bit carried away.
How about “Small Market Franchise”?
Check the Twins page on the web site for a podcast from LEN about wanting SMF to pitch against the White Sox next week.
Crain’s had better outings than Eddie, sid.
Howard you weren’t getting carried away. So he had one hiccup since his return big deal he is getting better with each start and I can’t wait to see what he does next year.
Anyone notice Luis R. is hitting .279 for SD. He’s on fire. We never should have let him go. And Lamb had his second hit for the Brewers last night. That matches the number of hits he had for the entire month of June for the Twins.
Does anyone else on here remember when Thigpen set the single season saves record? Unless my memory is playing tricks on me i recall him getting a lot of crap from the media for getting too many garbage saves that year. By garbage saves i mean coming into every game where there was a save opportunity regardless of how the pitcher he was relieving was doing. Boy times have changed.
There is a small nucleus in the team -
* Baker
* Liriano
* Slowey
* Nathan
* Mauer
* Morneau
* Span
* Gomez
* Cuddyer (maybe)
The rest are all spendable
You include Gomez but not Young?
I think it’s amusing how some people seem to think a GM can just snap his fingers or wave his magic wand and acquire every player his heart desires.
It’s more amusing to watch the people who demand the trades and then don’t make any suggestions until a player is picked up by another team (then he’s good) or picked up by the Twins (then he’s bad)
This is why I’m still baffled by the reaction to getting Eddie Guradado back. I remember thinking I was in Bizarro Land reading all the posts by people thinking this was a good pickup.
T:
I think he meant Cuddyer was spendable.
But I’m sure he meant Young was indispensible.
t: you have a good baseball mind, who do you think has value to trade and who do you think smith should attempt to get?
Punto MUST return. He is the captain and leader of this team…..Gardy knows it and so does the team. Not the M & M boys but Punto……His agent is working on new contract for 2-3 yrs with Twins. Take that to the bank. Punto IS the spiritual leader of this team.
BC — It was 1990, and I do remember Thigpen getting some grief. even without blogs to fan the flames! Washe supposed to turn em down?
As far as the Liriano thing goes, it was an opening for word play I couldn’t pass up.
Last year it seemed like getting rid of Castillo was the icing on the camel’s back. This year the turning point may be Eddy’s pitching.
Just my opinion.
But I’m the low man on the pecking pole.
Another power hitter at 3b would be nice, but it ain’t what torpedoed this season for the Twins. That honor goes to their bullpen and there can be no arguing about it. That should be the #1 priority in the off-season. Indeed, it should have been the #1 priority in June and July.
Thanks Howard and i like SMF has a good ring to it. The reason i brought up the Thigpen question is i’m still old school when it comes to closers and what K-rod did this year really isn’t that impressive considering his supporting cast. Definetly not worthy of an MVP but then i don’t think any pitcher should win.
BC of ND:
I heard a couple of others. Manny for National League MVP and Sabathia for NL Cy Young.
I had a just a little problem with that.
I don’t think Brad Childress subscribes to your concept of remaining calm…
Anybody read Jonah Keri’s column on ESPN.com today? More specifically, the comments. He is honestly trying to say that Morneau isn’t a top 10 MVP candidate, and that Mauer is a better candidate.
I think he is insane. Especially because his top 2 are Lee and Halladay. Pitcher!!! They have their own damn award. It’s called the CY Young. He also says Sizemore deserves it most out of hitters. Am I the only one who thinks he is way off?
Not at all roto if Justin had a consistent hitter behind him he would easly have about 20-30 more rbi’s. I like him if the Twins win and the same for Ryan Howard if the phils win both carry there teams.
Was in meetings all day today…I appreciate third place…I have to admit, my vote was for Chris’ “win twins” song as it was both creative and provided good commentary….
As for our guys DeSean and Punto….
Well, let me take it to this angle…
Today we found out just how much power NFL fans have. Chili benches T-Jack on the sole basis that his job is on the line and the fans want him to…there’s absolutely no way Chili could’ve have envisioned benching T-Jack, even after an 0-2 start, during the offseason. It was the fan pressure that caused him to cave….(fan pressure equals job pressure, fyi).
Meanwhile, no matter how much fan pressure we have on Gardy not to play Punto, he does it and gets away with it. This is a sad commentary on the lack of power we Twins fans have in this town…oh, and we were treated to a game-costing error by our guy last night (and no he didn’t make up for it by starting a dazzling double play later in the game).
That said, I agree with everything Howard said about keeping faith and seeing this thing to the end, come what may….I won’t repeat the “b” word, we all get the point…we saw it again last night.
And Howard…even though we may lack the same power as the crazed (and I would argue irrational) purple die-hards, I still urge you to keep trying!
No idea what the contract status is/willingness of respective teams to part with them, but a few names of 3bmen I’d like to see wearing the Twinkie Grey/blue. Atkins (Col); Cantu (FLA); Glaus (STL); Beltre (SEA). Mora I’m guessing could be had, considering the perpetually rebuilding Orioles only appear to be going backwards, but he strikes me as very streaky and has had health problems. Cantu is the youngest of the group at 26 and is only making 500k. Problem with him is, his track record is sketchy at best. After a couple of solid years with TB, he has been up and down between minors/majors with a handfull of teams. Now that he caught on with FLA this year, I don’t know whether they’d get rid of him either. The other three guys obviously will make a lot of money wherever they end up. Seems to me Atkins would be the best bet if he could be had and they were willing to spend the money on him. Colorado prob willing to part with him if the price is right considering their dissapointing season this year.
Atkins is hitting .235/.281/.386 this year away from Coors and .261/.329/.425 lifetime on the road. Furthermore, his fielding at 3B is sub par. I’d rather see Casey Blake before Atkins
He’s been good for LA, you think they’d part with him? Blake would be a nice pickup too… ex-twin even… nice minnesota-boy beard thing going on…
Howard sez: But most of the people who wander through Section 220 have been with this team for 151 games, and if they want to find glimmers of hope in the darkness, that’s fine by me.
Howard - we’ll just have to agree to disagree….feel free to encourage Twins fans to be delusional, meanwhile I’ll be down here on terra firma, assured in the knowledge that the Stinkies will win two or fewer games between now and the time they see Royal blue.
Justin,
Blake is a free agent
I would like to take this time to once again give Howard Sinker a big thank you for bestowing that honor on me. I excitedly showed my award winning masterpiece entitled “Skol Twinkies” to my wife this evening and, her comment on it was, “You wrote a song about Chewing Tobacco?” Skoal tobacco I suppose, I didn’t ask. I sent her out of the room.
How can you continue to manage our bullpen by situation rather than by the numbers? Stubborn, stubborn.
Guerrier has two times as many innings as Breslow.
Bass has two times as many as innings as Breslow.
But Breslow is a lefty. So Gardy’s sense of convention doesn’t allow him to face righties.
Breslow, 1.80 ERA and WHIP of .97.
Bass, 4.87 ERA and WHIP of 1.55.
Guerrier, 4.79 ERA and WHIP of 1.56.
This is why we are at risk of not making the playoffs. It is far and away the biggest reason.
So, T-mouse, Gardy is the biggest issue that this team is not successful… or am I reading you wrongly?
1-14 record since August 22nd in games decided by 3 runs or less. This team fell apart: biggest issues . . . bullpen and defense (I’d like to see the numbers for errors and unearned runs over this stretch), lesser issues . . . starting pitching petering out, coaching decisions and clutch hitting not what it was. Time to set a more realistic goal (85 wins?) and start thinking about next year. Good news is that ChiSox won’t last long in playoffs.
OBITUARIES
Twins Minnesota, 48, passed away after a recent sudden illness due to heart failure, travel fatigue, and the curse of Little Nicky Punto. Will be remembered for, at various times, significant scuffling, bouts of getting after it, and frequent battling their tails off.
Survivors include T.C. Bear and his wife Goldy Gopher, and amazingly, Carl Pohlad.
A bullpen is preferred in lieu of flowers.
Arrangements by John Gordon Funeral Services, ‘Touching ‘Em All’ for eighteen, correct that, nineteen years.
Bill,
I’m totally willing to cheerfully disagree with you. However, if you’d written that obituary yesterday, you might have won the dang contest.
At least I get to watch the Twins on ESPN on Friday.
Thrylos, I’m not a finger pointer. I think Gardy has done unbelievably well at certain aspects of the game. He is a genius well beyond me. But the numbers related to bullpen management show a real weakness on this team. You cannot throw Bass that aggressively, then drop him to the minors, then deal him to the Orioles for nothing…and conclude that the right decisions were made. They haven’t been.
My deeper fear is that this organization relied more on Terry Ryan than any of us yet know. That is a real long-term fear of mine.
Schwarzak, Manship, Buscher, and Ruiz for Beltre.
Too much? Don’t need up-and-comer starting pitching with the 5-core we have until 2011.
Howard, I mentioned this at LEN’s blog but in case you didn’t see it, do check out Bill Brimner’s OBIT submitted on that blog at approx. 10:30 last night. Even if he didn’t submit it for your contest I truly think he deserves a lifetime achievement type award for its creativity. Can’t tell you how hard I laughed especially the line about Pohlad.
Romer, didn’t catch your first post so didn’t realize you were just doing spellcheck!
Ya got a raincheck from me on that one! 
Bill Brimner says:
September 17th, 2008 at 10:06 pm
OBITUARIES
Twins Minnesota, 48, passed away after a recent sudden illness due to heart failure, travel fatigue, and the curse of Little Nicky Punto. Will be remembered for, at various times, significant scuffling, bouts of getting after it, and frequent battling their tails off.
Survivors include T.C. Bear and his wife Goldy Gopher, and amazingly, Carl Pohlad.
A bullpen is preferred in lieu of flowers.
Arrangements by John Gordon Funeral Services, ‘Touching ‘Em All’ for eighteen, correct that, nineteen years.
Brilliant, just brilliant. I needed a good laugh.
will they sprinkle the ashes on the new park?
Q1: Why does Gardy keep throwing Guerrier out there when he fails about every other time?
Q2: Can’t Stelly or somebody tell when Guerrier has no life on his pitches? He was lucky to get out of there just allowing two runs (one of which inherited), after coming in with two outs and a runner on second. It was apparent he had nothing from the first pitch he threw.
gobbledygookguy says: will they sprinkle the ashes on the new park?
Here’s a tip - I’d pass on the mini-donuts during the opening series.
kind of seems like our blog leaders, len 3, howard and joe have about as much left in the tank as the twins do.
