tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-44556394051009041742023-11-16T08:40:50.930-08:00Eisenhower McSteele's Minnesota Twins Re-Education CenterA daily blog that provides a different way to look at the Minnesota Twins, led by their own Captain Kangaroo, Ron "The Brain" Gardenhire, compliments of the manic mind that is Eisenhower McSteele.Eisenhower McSteelehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13210003626175156955noreply@blogger.comBlogger161125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4455639405100904174.post-28615087135711270942010-04-15T08:33:00.000-07:002010-04-15T08:57:07.703-07:00APRIL 14, 2010 -- BOSTON 6, MINNESOTA 3<div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc5rhVmUOIBy3KImds0kqBUsGXjgK667U8KFG2Pa2ujZ_4R5ztB5WMRCvR1Rsf8EVXs94qtTpn67umQV1TSLm02FaKX10J8Vzs3wmHr99mil1bjeow7TwBUeMbdLtHQyz3nhM_1irVvRNE/s1600/pedroia.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 206px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 282px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5460393625013522386" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc5rhVmUOIBy3KImds0kqBUsGXjgK667U8KFG2Pa2ujZ_4R5ztB5WMRCvR1Rsf8EVXs94qtTpn67umQV1TSLm02FaKX10J8Vzs3wmHr99mil1bjeow7TwBUeMbdLtHQyz3nhM_1irVvRNE/s400/pedroia.jpg" /></a>The first weather-affected game goes against the Twins, as the Red Sox get the clutch hits and take the middle game of the three-game series. The Twins offense was dreadfully pathetic, as they couldn't come up with the big hit all game long. The key at-bat in the game came in the seventh inning, when the Twins loaded the bases with two outs. Boston was up a run at 3-2 and brought in Hideki Okajima to face Justin Morneau. Morneau, predictably, <em>popped up -- </em>just about as pitiful of an at-bat as you could come up with. Jesse Crain then returned to his old self in the top of the eighth by surrendering three insurance runs to effectively put the nail in the coffin. Those three runs were driven in by none other than Jeremy Hermida, no doubt the weak link in the Boston lineup. What Crain's history will tell you is that when he struggles, all that he can figure out to throw is a straight fastball, and that's when bad hitters like Hermida can feast on Crain. Many people were expecting big things from Crain this year, but I'm pretty skeptical. The only big thing I see from Crain in 2010 is his ERA (hey-o!). Worth mentioning as well is Michael Cuddyer's fly-out to end the game. He represented the tying run and of course failed to deliver. His home run in the eighth was classic Cuddyer -- a meaningless homer that pads the stats and looks good on his baseball card. If he would ever hit a homer that would actually <em>mean </em>something...<br /><br /><div>Kevin Slowey pitched poorly, barely getting through five innings and obviously struggling to pitch<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9ByuCYWLStpJlFQEU2VP2znZ2vSRnQH3wTxyX-0qU5Fw6UbazCg_IXaW0PtrhXSE06tewzWsGASBxEoZKidRx6P7GaKjfe_KOQlN5u69fr3VRGFCjM3GDDcReSBPhMX7NhyuC8zEDZU6D/s1600/slowey.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 195px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 269px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5460393690008718818" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9ByuCYWLStpJlFQEU2VP2znZ2vSRnQH3wTxyX-0qU5Fw6UbazCg_IXaW0PtrhXSE06tewzWsGASBxEoZKidRx6P7GaKjfe_KOQlN5u69fr3VRGFCjM3GDDcReSBPhMX7NhyuC8zEDZU6D/s400/slowey.jpg" /></a> through the weather. As mentioned before, Crain's terrible outing put a stain on the bullpen's overall impressive start to the season, and they'll be getting some help in the form of Ron Mahay, who was called up from extended spring training. Alex Burnett drank his cup of coffee and he's back to Rochester and will likely sink into Twins oblivion. The Mahay call-up has everything to do with Jose Mijares, who's looked as good as a pregnant woman on roller skates so far this year. As Hank eluded to yesterday, to see Ron Gardenhire put Brian Douchebag late in the game for multiple innings is a plan waiting to backfire. Mahay's endurance is questionable, however -- he's always been a lefty to face a batter or two; certainly not full innings. In a sense, the Twins got an emergency pinch-hitter, too. Some may be surprised to hear that Mahay first broke into the big leagues as an outfielder for the Red Sox. His numbers translate to a Nick Punto-esque kind of career at the plate, so it's a great thing that he turned out to be left-handed, because he's made quite a career for himself out of pitching exclusively to left-handed batters. </div><br /><div>Just as a quick sidenote, we are officially <em>nine </em>games into the season (that's 153 to go!) and Dick Bremer is already in pennant chase mode. In the middle of Wednesday's game, he was giving all-too-frequent-for-the-middle-of-April updates on the Kansas City-Detroit game, saying that it'd be a "good thing" if the Royals were able to beat the Tigers. <em>Dude, it's APRIL. </em>Last season is over -- there is no need to keep us apprised of the Tigers. For all we know, the Royals might be the team to catch this season -- it wouldn't be good for the Twins if KC won then, would it? Just do me a favor Dick: give it fifty games at least before you start blowing shit out of proportion. 50 games. That's all I ask.</div><div> </div><div><span style="font-size:78%;">Photos: AP/Andy King</span></div></div>Eisenhower McSteelehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13210003626175156955noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4455639405100904174.post-5497759193484490262010-04-13T08:35:00.000-07:002010-04-13T09:34:52.153-07:00APRIL 12, 2010 - MINNESOTA 5, BOSTON 2Hello folks, Hank Rickenbacher checking in. Well, my son Henry gave me and Betsy tickets to Opening Day as a birthday present, so yours truly was at the Target Field for yesterday's festivities. Before we get to the game, I thought you folks would like a "Rickenbacker Review" of the Target Field.Now let me just say, I don't know why the Twins ever left Met Stadium for a football stadium named after a hippie. What was wrong with the Met? And I remember all the hype about the Metrodome before that place opened, and look how that turned out. So when I heard all the hubbub about the Target Field after two practices, I thought, let's not put the horse before the apple cart here. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN0jvlbhOLw08Lcz9H35GTIcx4410d9NbmdWUUZzAHcnAYTqzccc9ikIBbScqHFWqDxGfPCTC0_M475ChR27n7Y82UjyC9aG10r643CY9307j8cXASNLWeAz8jBqza10_FUb_h4f-sQdRR/s1600/TwinsNewTargetFd82909ap.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5459648492233423954" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 212px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN0jvlbhOLw08Lcz9H35GTIcx4410d9NbmdWUUZzAHcnAYTqzccc9ikIBbScqHFWqDxGfPCTC0_M475ChR27n7Y82UjyC9aG10r643CY9307j8cXASNLWeAz8jBqza10_FUb_h4f-sQdRR/s320/TwinsNewTargetFd82909ap.jpg" border="0" /></a> <div><div><br /><div>Well, I don't want to be a drain on the old parade here, but let's just say the Target Field isn't perfect. I mean, it's a nice looking park and all, and for all the tax money they spent on the place it better be. But after the drive Betsy and I were hungry enough to eat a pony, so we got in line at one of the concessions. Of course all the kids in front of us had to use their debit cards and the debit card machine wasn't working, so we waited thirty minutes just to order. What happened to good old fashioned green backs? Anyway I ordered a hot dog and they said they didn't have any hot dogs at that stand. You could've rolled me over with a feather. A baseball game, and I couldn't get a hot dog. Betsy, bless her heart, ordered us cheeseburgers, but they tried to charge us nineteen dollars for the two of them. Like heck I was paying that for two cheeseburgers, so we just left and found our seats.</div><br /><div>Of course we had to get the seats in front of the four loudmouth Boston kids who watched about three pitches of the game total and babbled on and on with those mobile phones instead. Betsy said if I let them get to me, they'd win. Well I'm no loser, but let me just say I don't want to talk about those Boston kids anymore. Except that those punks could have used about five bars of Lifeway to clean out those mouths, good Lord, and I let 'em know it too.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglv06EHfjVpeLwz9Ny5fdejgCsivo6EI9lIxPCkdjEdaxTosFW9fxwb__6kewUrC5WZ4zROKy4yitdN_qXBHqFucaSBYFe7q33UpxRF6oyumPEikwFJbKs_V17OujR3FZuYt_rSRPESmow/s1600/resized_4c769994_0227_49b8_82ce_f8fb49513bab.jpeg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5459648917812183298" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 300px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglv06EHfjVpeLwz9Ny5fdejgCsivo6EI9lIxPCkdjEdaxTosFW9fxwb__6kewUrC5WZ4zROKy4yitdN_qXBHqFucaSBYFe7q33UpxRF6oyumPEikwFJbKs_V17OujR3FZuYt_rSRPESmow/s320/resized_4c769994_0227_49b8_82ce_f8fb49513bab.jpeg" border="0" /></a><br />Well after all that there was still a game to be played, and that’s why I made the trip down for my first game since 1981, because I have high hopes about this team. And I’ll say it was a good game for this Twins fan. Pavano pitched 6 strong innings, outdueling the Lester kid from Boston. I for one was not impressed with this “Lesser” fellow. He started his outing with a walk, and after hits by Hudson, Cuddyer, and Kubel he was down 2-0. Later, Punto turned his monthly hit into a run, and a lucky hop off the bag on a patented Mauer grounder led to another run. In the 7th Kubel hit the first moon ball in the Target Field and even landed one section from me and Betsy.<br /><br />The Twinkies showed some swagger Monday which was refreshing since they usually play frightened against the Big Boys. They smacked the ball around, came inside with some pitches (though with the feminine way that Youklis kid holds the bat, I’d throw at<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5DLvnDcCO042tf8MMM12jE0_78b6i7peMTFEtnQYRnGXRdBOi0Tx_ueXRMBHyna90-M24IeZei-PvxLKLpCkz3QscCShqeGhZB7n-wcWEPYHXPC-jaU37YCQqqn_NeGiMnK9aJs1FOlCQ/s1600/AP100412030569.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5459649763005312978" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 286px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5DLvnDcCO042tf8MMM12jE0_78b6i7peMTFEtnQYRnGXRdBOi0Tx_ueXRMBHyna90-M24IeZei-PvxLKLpCkz3QscCShqeGhZB7n-wcWEPYHXPC-jaU37YCQqqn_NeGiMnK9aJs1FOlCQ/s320/AP100412030569.jpg" border="0" /></a> him too), and generally acted like they were the better team. Gardenhire tested the limits of cockiness when he trotted out Brad Duensing for the 7th and then to start the 8th too! If that kid gets you three 7th inning outs against the Red Sox, you thank your lucky stripes and have a good chuckle about it later. You don’t tempt fate by sending him out there again! Thankfully the joke ended with a screaming double from one of the Beantowners, and from there it was Guerrier and Rausch to close things out.<br /><br />All and all, a decent visit to the new park. I suppose I would go back, but I’ll plan on having Betsy pack some ground ham sandwiches for us, because nineteen dollars for two cheeseburgers is criminal. The Twins are back at it Wednesday at noon, Slowey vs. Lackey. Hammering Hank, signing off.</div><div></div><div><span style="font-size:78%;">Photos: (1) & (2) - AP/Ann Heisenfelt; (3) AP/Paul Battaglia</span></div></div></div>Hank Rickenbacherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02453101665282261529noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4455639405100904174.post-31476209034526667282010-04-12T10:03:00.000-07:002010-04-12T10:21:35.716-07:00APRIL 11, 2010 -- CHICAGO 5, MINNESOTA 4<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFNo4-PT6cRrqX7ZXhv_uLXIXxowxxSu-oT3AovJZenM-2RMvIPqp4yNfc0W4FgOQ3AJDMEiClbVIQomEnIf3yXwF7DF3vRoQHcP1BpOVbLEaGVFsx69KSz4LDidfc0ydtOGjWJUdhhtL5/s1600/blackburn.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 180px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 251px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5459302093176105394" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFNo4-PT6cRrqX7ZXhv_uLXIXxowxxSu-oT3AovJZenM-2RMvIPqp4yNfc0W4FgOQ3AJDMEiClbVIQomEnIf3yXwF7DF3vRoQHcP1BpOVbLEaGVFsx69KSz4LDidfc0ydtOGjWJUdhhtL5/s400/blackburn.jpg" /></a>The Twins find a way to lose on Sunday, barring them the chance of entering their new ballpark on a six-game winning streak. Nick Blackburn was in continuous "lets-give-up-the-lead" mode all day long, as he surrendered three home runs to the White Sox. Paul Konerko's two-run shot in the first was at least hit by a guy who you expect to go deep. Blackburn giving up homers to the likes of Mark Kotsay and Gordon Beckham, however, are not. If you want to win, you've got to get guys like Mark Kotsay out <em>every time at bat</em>, and certainly you don't give up home runs against them. But Sunday was not without its share of goats. There's Ron Gardenhire for putting Nick Punto in the starting lineup. Punto's double-play grounder early in the ballgame was crucial, as the Twins were threatening to make it a short day for Mark Buehrle. So predictable was Punto's failure at the plate that it made Brendan Harris' walk in the previous at-bat look genius. But Ron Gardenhire is a goat of <em>every </em>Twins loss; what makes the Twins unique is how often the spread around the love, so to speak, in terms of losing ballgames.<br /><br /><br />Scott Ullger has to be one of the stupidest men working in the major leagues. That's saying something, because not many m<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrHKCUdrVdBrgkGU87kUpzlYvvoTjuIgLT-TiZLrZg7gF-q75huRlpJo6yzI-ag7qcxCral1via-22aJSy2EpoMFil9OOmDEprh-_8MpDaNR7rHinI5ykguV5Szwqb_ZMWm2AzJ3bJz6cI/s1600/hardy.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 277px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 310px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5459302197597265858" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrHKCUdrVdBrgkGU87kUpzlYvvoTjuIgLT-TiZLrZg7gF-q75huRlpJo6yzI-ag7qcxCral1via-22aJSy2EpoMFil9OOmDEprh-_8MpDaNR7rHinI5ykguV5Szwqb_ZMWm2AzJ3bJz6cI/s400/hardy.jpg" /></a>embers of the Twins management are going to get into Mensa anytime soon. But the game ended so pathetically that Scott Ullger must be chided for his ultimate stupidity in the ninth inning. With J. J. Hardy at first base and two outs, pinch-hitter Jim Thome doubled off the wall in left field. Hardy of course was off with the crack of the bat, but had not quite made it to third base when the ball was relayed to the infield. What does Ullger do? <em>He sends Hardy</em>, and he's thrown out by forty-five feet. I realize that you want to make things happen, Ullger, but my God -- that was absolutely pathetic! It's true that Nick Punto was the on-deck hitter, likely to be replaced by a pinch hitter (though with Ron Gardenhire, you might very well see Punto hitting for himself in that theoretical situation -- or he'd send up Alexi Casilla). Maybe that was what motivated Ullger to make such a stupid decision. And in the post-game interview, it was suggested that perhaps Hardy made the decision to go on his own. Either way, the third-base coach needs to do his job there. Hardy doesn't have eyes in the back of his head, and Ullger has a clear view of the play. Who knows what would have happened if Hardy would have rightfully stayed at third, but at least don't make it look <em>that </em>pathetic.<br /><br /><br />Now the Twins return home for the first time, and for the first time since 1981, the Twins will be playing outdoors in their home whites. Tomorrow, readers will be treated with co-blogger Hank Rickenbacker, who will have a report from the game. It's the first game that Hank's attended since the old Met, and he'll be able to give us a full report on Target Field as well as the Red Sox-Twins game. Looking forward to it Hank!Eisenhower McSteelehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13210003626175156955noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4455639405100904174.post-2081430546090437452010-04-11T08:29:00.000-07:002010-04-11T08:45:36.003-07:00APRIL 10, 2010 -- MINNESOTA 2, CHICAGO 1<div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDJgJJ1l_ONJI-eSUDY91lMHkxUieBTcFGTScz5MX2vTIp3JeZzJriTlw3YijP76ZVnJy3Pr3727Z71iYDytVYFVa4iEh5WUiYxbp3b3Vn28wwAvBWDm0cdP680Udv0jv7rh7yd2Z8aS6T/s1600/rauch-thome.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 249px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 228px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5458906287966161954" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDJgJJ1l_ONJI-eSUDY91lMHkxUieBTcFGTScz5MX2vTIp3JeZzJriTlw3YijP76ZVnJy3Pr3727Z71iYDytVYFVa4iEh5WUiYxbp3b3Vn28wwAvBWDm0cdP680Udv0jv7rh7yd2Z8aS6T/s400/rauch-thome.jpg" /></a>The winning ways continue in Chicago, as Jason Kubel bails out the rest of the lineup by smashing a two-run home run for the lone Twins scores of the game, and Scott Baker pitches well enough to pick up his first victory of the season. For the majority of seven innings, the Twins were handcuffed by White Sox retread fifth-starter Freddy Garcia, who has been reduced from the sometimes-dominant pitcher he once was for the Mariners and Chisox to a slop-throwing Quadruple-A pitcher who probably would be a better fit with his neighborhood beer-league softball team. Instead, the Twins looked baffled by Garcia, which is truly pitiful, but not as pitiful as the White Sox lineup, which appears to have lost nearly all of its potency that it had for years. But Kubel did the job, and the bullpen preserved the lead, including Jon Rauch, who picked up his fourth save of the season with relative ease.</div><div><br /> </div><div>Ron Gardenhire cannot escape the long arm of the MTRC, however, for his mismanagement in the top of the eighth <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj201ojmVJ3-KTrmDtMi69BcJUZv0AMWlVSdLXOtO1ODJkgk6nCrh_IOB7lEp00lCDkOB0RV5gjp3dyTitaiex9nFP6FWTYclultLMI0PS2WNTpZ-PU3C4UzArKhyRfyE1VrWolKtaXOfSZ/s1600/casilla.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 261px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 260px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5458906367428945266" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj201ojmVJ3-KTrmDtMi69BcJUZv0AMWlVSdLXOtO1ODJkgk6nCrh_IOB7lEp00lCDkOB0RV5gjp3dyTitaiex9nFP6FWTYclultLMI0PS2WNTpZ-PU3C4UzArKhyRfyE1VrWolKtaXOfSZ/s400/casilla.jpg" /></a>inning. The Twins had the bases loaded and nobody out and Michael Cuddyer at the plate. Ozzie Guillen brought in reliever Scott Linebrink to pitch to Cuddyer, who predictably didn't get the job done. Cuddyer's one of the most un-clutch hitters around, and whenever there are runners in scoring position, Cuddyer seemingly always either pops up or strikes out. Cuddyer's patheticness cannot be attributed to Gardenhire. But the next at-bat absolutely must. <em>Gardenhire let Alexi Casilla hit</em>. Casilla, who had entered the game for basepaths-clogging Jim Thome an inning before, remained in the game as the DH <em>and hit for himself</em>. WHY? We're not quite sure why any person -- it doesn't even care how much they know about the game of baseball -- would let a guy like Alexi Casilla hit in that situation. What Gardenhire would probably tell you is that they didn't have any left-handed hitting options to face Linebrink, so Casilla was the best matchup for the situation. This, of course, is a self-defeating prophecy, as Casilla is as much a left-handed batter to be taken seriously as I am the star of the next Real World. You might as well put a lamp shade in the batter's box when Casilla's turn in the order is up. Of course, Casilla struck out, and the Twins failed to score after loading the bases with no outs. In a different game, when you're actually facing a quality opponent, that kind of managerial blunder <em>costs you games</em>. And when you're in a tight division that has necessitated the playing of a 163rd game the last two seasons, <em>one game makes the difference</em>. Because Gardy got off the hook with this move, expect it to happen again -- and expect it to backfire big time.</div><div><br /></div><div>Like most successful seasons, the Twins are winning <em>in spite </em>of Ron Gardenhire's best efforts to lose the game. We'll see if the Twins can complete the sweep on Sunday, with Nick Blackburn facing Twins nemesis Mark Buehrle.<br /></div><div><span style="font-size:78%;">Photos: (1) AP/Paul Beaty; (2) AP/Jim Mone</span></div>Eisenhower McSteelehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13210003626175156955noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4455639405100904174.post-85016480329241734672010-04-10T08:38:00.000-07:002010-04-10T09:01:46.106-07:00APRIL 9, 2010 -- MINNESOTA 4, CHICAGO 3 (11 innings)<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw-e3CdZhrHb8OmvsUWNP5BGMns5q_xbUMD-xWTbVNRSjQTfMjBxKvNkPnRhJpNayhU3-XkqbjOwZBPD8BvByr_DbgdtyZpP3HURyE0i2HAQwkhPwfMI8INudao09TK0GgpLRe94kqgt-D/s1600/hardy.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 259px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 225px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5458539152181528274" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw-e3CdZhrHb8OmvsUWNP5BGMns5q_xbUMD-xWTbVNRSjQTfMjBxKvNkPnRhJpNayhU3-XkqbjOwZBPD8BvByr_DbgdtyZpP3HURyE0i2HAQwkhPwfMI8INudao09TK0GgpLRe94kqgt-D/s400/hardy.jpg" /></a>The Twins continue their winning ways on their season-opening road trip, pulling out an extra-inning victory from the hands of the White Sox, who squandered plenty of chances to win the game. J. J. Hardy, suddenly the Twins' #3 hitter, won the game with a two-out single in the eleventh, prompting many fans to scratch their heads and try to remember the last time a Twins shortstop had hit third for this team. Is never the right answer? Certainly the last few years have featured offensive black holes at short stop, but it's almost surprising that Ron Gardenhire <em>didn't </em>put Nick Punto in the #3 hole for at least one game. The way Gardy'd justify it would be worth it -- to say that he had good numbers against a certain pitcher and that he's an "igniter" anyways. He came close enough last year when he had the balls to put Punto in the #2 hole "protecting" Joe Mauer. But, with Hardy, the Twins actually <em>have </em>a major-league ballplayer in the starting lineup. Add Orlando Hudson to the mix, who, although he's having a rough start to the season at the plate, is another bona fide professional, and you get to see how much an improvement the 2010 team is over last year's sad-sack loser version which featured thoroughbred Double-A talent in Carlos Gomez, Alexi Casilla, Matt Tolbert, Nick Punto, and others <em>as key parts in the everyday lineup. </em>The 4-1 start is an early indication that this team is leagues better than last years, and it has absolutely <em>nothing </em>to do with Ron Gardenhire, folks. It's not like Ron Gardenhire has the ability to coax quality at-bats out of the newcomers. Here's a guy who took good players (see Ortiz, David) and nearly sucked the life out of them. No, the thanks should be in order to Bill Smith, who's suddenly earning his keep after sleepwalking through the first few years on the job.<br /><br /><br />Scott Baker will make his second start on the road trip, facing Chisox retread Freddy Garcia. Joe M<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1NFnEf6Tv09-L5a5f-eoQa365EncG533ljMoQDyxqbHP_-tBwIIb8OPtspp0eNTLtazKWGeEiVc1t6zMenVkP2hRGLw-anS086nb2bTr22AL-dKorBN1f8LAsp380HpGoZJuV3OkwVYcU/s1600/butera.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 169px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 229px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5458539230945198482" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1NFnEf6Tv09-L5a5f-eoQa365EncG533ljMoQDyxqbHP_-tBwIIb8OPtspp0eNTLtazKWGeEiVc1t6zMenVkP2hRGLw-anS086nb2bTr22AL-dKorBN1f8LAsp380HpGoZJuV3OkwVYcU/s400/butera.jpg" /></a>auer will be back in the lineup Saturday after sitting in lieu of Drew Butera, who only struck out in <em>all three of his at-bats</em> on Friday night. Like father, like son -- Drew's dad Sal was an offensively-challenged backup catcher in his own right. With Butera and Casilla taking up roster spots, Gardenhire has at least set his quota at two minor-league players on the 25-man major league roster (never minding pitcher Alex Burnett, who's serving as an injury replacement for Clay Condrey). Like himself, Ron Gardenhire has a fond spot in his heart for undeserving players in the big leagues. The big difference, however, is that when Gardenhire played himself, he played on a terrible New York Mets team that had nothing to play for anyway (interestingly, once the Mets started to get good in the mid-80s, Gardenhire was waved bye-bye). Nowadays, Gardy helms a competitive team that can't afford to lose games due to minor-league talent clogging up the roster. It was sure cute, though, to see those three pathetic at-bats from Drew Butera on Friday. Cute.<br /><br /><span style="font-size:78%;">Photos: (1) AP/ Nam Y. Huh; (2) AP/Steven Senne</span>Eisenhower McSteelehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13210003626175156955noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4455639405100904174.post-4121895869876658942010-04-09T15:39:00.000-07:002010-04-09T16:14:15.296-07:00APRIL 8, 2010 -- MINNESOTA 10, LOS ANGELES 1<div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqkgFYmKVncDbHZobUUOjbz5TOvEko5GrQE9ZmVsx9B6KNHpIP0LtURtzVqz9oGjkBHq0KMLYM-gbWmsvTxf-u6yZ9qGn_melCnpWgQZujUw3FzHc4dB02zxAddBofUml9vLyM0gWor5ZE/s1600/thome-cuddyer.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 299px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 202px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5458279011004397154" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqkgFYmKVncDbHZobUUOjbz5TOvEko5GrQE9ZmVsx9B6KNHpIP0LtURtzVqz9oGjkBHq0KMLYM-gbWmsvTxf-u6yZ9qGn_melCnpWgQZujUw3FzHc4dB02zxAddBofUml9vLyM0gWor5ZE/s400/thome-cuddyer.jpg" /></a>The Twins open a can of whoop-ass on the perenially-competitive Angels, taking three of four in the season-opening series. The surprising thing about the series was not that the Twins hit the cover off the ball for the majority of the four games, nor was it the somewhat-surprising fact that the starting pitching fared pretty well. What surprised me the most was how lackluster and imminently beatable the Angels looked. Their pitching is going to win them plenty of games, but their lineup has some major holes. Who knew losing Chone Figgins would hurt the ballclub this much? Torii Hunter anchors the lineup, and we all know too well what Hunter could do to a promising rally when he consistently failed in the clutch in a Twins uniform. Either way, the Twins looked impressive in this series on most sides of the diamond.</div><div><br /> </div><div>What was frustrating to see was the Twins' first inning performance against Angels starter Joel Pineiro. After Joe Mauer doubled Orlando Hudson to third base with one out in the first, Pineiro got Justin Morneau and Michael Cuddyer to strike out to end the threat. The Cuddyer at-bat is a given, as Cuddyer rarely delivers big hits in the clutch, but the Morneau strikeout is somewhat troubling. Usually, when you're facing premier teams such as the Angels, <em>you need to drive in guys on third base with less than two ou<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRh0nrtNQP_9cwejs1TKmEAR7FhIleGrRhYeqhO-z98ZCfiA6yYGTXRkCL6csQ1bGkn6jzZSHi_z2vr-d2CnhtsFzZgjwWTYS56h1hbscwXAaBcCpLD7oIkNuVL8aJlKg6SEeBTiq2MAUZ/s1600/seldom.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 275px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 221px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5458279107699460050" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRh0nrtNQP_9cwejs1TKmEAR7FhIleGrRhYeqhO-z98ZCfiA6yYGTXRkCL6csQ1bGkn6jzZSHi_z2vr-d2CnhtsFzZgjwWTYS56h1hbscwXAaBcCpLD7oIkNuVL8aJlKg6SEeBTiq2MAUZ/s400/seldom.jpg" /></a>ts in order to have a chance to win the game</em>. You NEED to, no questions asked. What exacerbates the fact that the Twins failed at this rudimentary part of the game is the fact that one of their best players did it. Sure, if Nick Punto or Alexi Casilla or a pitcher gives three half-assed waves of the bat at terrible pitches in the same situation, we at least wouldn't be surprised. With a former MVP, however -- your clean-up hitter, mind you -- <em>those situations MUST be productive</em>. It's unacceptable for Justin Morneau to fail to get the run home there, and though the rest of the lineup bailed out Morneau, it's not going to be everyday that guys like Brendan Harris and Seldom Young hit home runs to provide the bulk of the scoring.</div><div><br /></div><div>Jim Thome also homered for the Twins, and although that's a sight that Twins fans should be used to (the guy's hit fifty homers <em>against </em>the <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidUL9lIwcgIY6bsptj8Fa-EnoxvkmWCr7M_IJoe8fN06JlFXWahost9JlLTW7hmq5rexF0KxhCM9DwPV_7gj5m4nGta6hQGKYSLfxncV3pJONcrfdOViRZgM93gse6QjvMJLhF57VESDea/s1600/thome.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 154px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 206px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5458279427899727186" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidUL9lIwcgIY6bsptj8Fa-EnoxvkmWCr7M_IJoe8fN06JlFXWahost9JlLTW7hmq5rexF0KxhCM9DwPV_7gj5m4nGta6hQGKYSLfxncV3pJONcrfdOViRZgM93gse6QjvMJLhF57VESDea/s400/thome.jpg" /></a>Twins, for crissakes), don't think that this will be a regular occurance when he plays for the Twins. Here's my bold prediction of the week: Jim Thome will end up with less than 100 at-bats for the Twins this season. I'm predicting that his line, at the time the Twins finally release Thome in mid-June, will read something like this: 89 at-bats, 19 hits, five home runs, and 33 strikeouts. Thome will be Tony Batista-esque in his short-lived stint with the Twins, and once it becomes apparent that he cannot deliver bloop hits to the opposite field (the hitting approach so prized by Ron Gardenhire and Joe Vavra), the team will jettison him in favor of the more versatile player in Matt Tolbert. Here's hoping I'm wrong, that Thome will hit so well that they bench Seldom Young and he ends up hitting 30 home runs -- sorry, but I see the former scenario much more likely.</div><div><br /><br /></div><div>Now the Twins are off to the South Side to face the White Sox. Tonight will be interesting, as Francisco Liriano takes the hill for the Twins. Ron Gardenhire would be wise to have a short leash on Liriano, not only in this game but also in terms of his status as a starting pitcher. After struggling so mightily with elementary things like command and mound presence, Liriano's career very much hangs in the ballots in the early season here. He opposes Chisox southpaw John Danks.</div><div> </div><div><span style="font-size:78%;">Photos: (1,2) AP/Francis Specker; (3) AP/Nam Y. Huh</span></div></div>Eisenhower McSteelehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13210003626175156955noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4455639405100904174.post-90078880675574130142010-04-08T13:42:00.001-07:002010-04-08T13:53:30.173-07:00APRIL 7, 2010 -- MINNESOTA 4, LOS ANGELES 2<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCy91DZ3hje07S4w5OE9M_OJcDnKsoC_VbaTkV-RPmXwXECgEdtfnPb-miMiK6MJA1jKMGDGepIDrukGo63e07Ud0CRZqCWXJbDT4fBS_b4v8uMeSWQvsAES3H8IgOo2bp1_a-I75pdE8-/s1600/hardy.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 210px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 249px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5457872283819668610" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCy91DZ3hje07S4w5OE9M_OJcDnKsoC_VbaTkV-RPmXwXECgEdtfnPb-miMiK6MJA1jKMGDGepIDrukGo63e07Ud0CRZqCWXJbDT4fBS_b4v8uMeSWQvsAES3H8IgOo2bp1_a-I75pdE8-/s400/hardy.jpg" /></a>Quick write-up today, as I'm entering headlong into the start of bee season. Justin Morneau and J. J. Hardy both hit home runs for the second consecutive game, and Carl Pavano's solid start clinches at least a split in the season-opening series in Anaheim. This is surely a good thing, as the Angels are a difficult draw to open the season, and playing in Anaheim has not been fun for the Twins the last few years. As long as they get pitching, the Twins are going to be in a lot of games this season. The what-ifs in the staff -- Blackburn, Pavano, and Liriano -- are usually so inconsistent that it's hard to tell from inning to inning what kind of pitcher you're getting. Pavano's next start may be absolutely dreadful, and it may go something like his performance on Wednesday. Either way, the Twins will take it, and rest easy in the fact that they won't begin the season behind the eight-ball.<br /><br /><div>Jon Rauch picked up his second straight save, surrendering a me<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPsK4lqkHc8RGMauvtylAkRrMvG8R_54Ar8X8f2JeDr0-8qLDKI8vgt2fZs5s1zJXmyLRkenbbDUbHO38kAg_h3iFyWT1Skzha1i-3pWbrD2E2zsTtxBGWRxfFakyXN7nIci94kDhL7_Yz/s1600/rauch.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 189px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5457872360711491538" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPsK4lqkHc8RGMauvtylAkRrMvG8R_54Ar8X8f2JeDr0-8qLDKI8vgt2fZs5s1zJXmyLRkenbbDUbHO38kAg_h3iFyWT1Skzha1i-3pWbrD2E2zsTtxBGWRxfFakyXN7nIci94kDhL7_Yz/s400/rauch.jpg" /></a>aningless run in the ninth inning and retaining the victory for the Twins. Coming into a three-run game with three outs to get -- <em>and </em>getting credited with what is perceived to be a big-time statistic...wow! The joys of being a major-league closer. Seriously, if you blow a three-run lead with one inning to play, you don't deserve to be in the big leagues, much less a "closer." I've said before that this is one rule change that I'd impose if I were commissioner for a day. I'd narrow the save margin to a two-run lead, because frankly that's not that great an accomplishment to earn a save after holding a three-run lead. This is why Rauch will do a stupendous job in the closer's role -- anyone can, really. With the Twins slated to reach 90 wins, Jose Mijares could rack up 30 saves easily. Hell, Brian Douchebag could. Jeff Manship could do it from Triple-A Rochester. Keep piling them up, Jonny!</div><div></div><div><span style="font-size:78%;">Photos: (1) AP/Andy King; (2) AP/Steven Senne</span></div>Eisenhower McSteelehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13210003626175156955noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4455639405100904174.post-78995379977598107322010-04-07T11:55:00.000-07:002010-04-07T12:29:45.269-07:00APRIL 6, 2010 -- MINNESOTA 5, LOS ANGELES 3<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi68vTC2JmWhgShaFZPzeUM-LSRrPDblDu9lx2BZ37QkEbGbs-vae6doimO-imf0A4tOii6hK6KeXL32s39GIpjWlcIEbJRu6oDQQEkZqipW3W5mHhe955W9I0mBh_S95aauB95-SEos3pu/s1600/blackburn.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 180px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 249px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5457479016314911810" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi68vTC2JmWhgShaFZPzeUM-LSRrPDblDu9lx2BZ37QkEbGbs-vae6doimO-imf0A4tOii6hK6KeXL32s39GIpjWlcIEbJRu6oDQQEkZqipW3W5mHhe955W9I0mBh_S95aauB95-SEos3pu/s400/blackburn.jpg" /></a>The Twins ride the power of three home runs and, after a shaky start, Nick Blackburn settled down and pitched into the seventh inning, notching the first victory of the season for the Twins. Three first-inning runs proved to be the difference in the ballgame, as Joe Mauer's two-run home run provided the spark the Twins needed, and Justin Morneau and J. J. Hardy also hit their first home runs of the season. With Ron Gardenhire forced to leave the ballgame because of "flu-like symptoms," one of the drones had to fill in, in this case Scott Ullger, who proceeded to make the same ticky-tacky managerial moves that has come to be expected from The Brain. A computer could very well manage this ballclub, as Gardenhire has become merely mechanical in his in-game management.<br /><br /><div></div><div>Brian Douchebag got a key out in the seventh, making fans across the upper Midwest wonder why Brian Douchebag is asked to get key outs in the s<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOFXht_LEeq-GBrrjuVcei0THPvYcTG2wPp7cn9do-4SgqZLpt-8fVp9NZC3slDVkW48RGn6HG0S6EZLeG7Fj5vnK2Q9ok_Gkhlw9TuIuFraPs5fbpiOhtsEveWqVjVNPe5kCjrHlKKWP-/s1600/gardenhire.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 320px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 247px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5457479387247525506" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOFXht_LEeq-GBrrjuVcei0THPvYcTG2wPp7cn9do-4SgqZLpt-8fVp9NZC3slDVkW48RGn6HG0S6EZLeG7Fj5vnK2Q9ok_Gkhlw9TuIuFraPs5fbpiOhtsEveWqVjVNPe5kCjrHlKKWP-/s400/gardenhire.jpg" /></a>eventh inning. Matt Guerrier pitched a clean eighth which prompted Dick Bremer to personally induct Guerrier into the Hall of Fame, and Jon Rauch mowed down the Angels in the ninth, the first of many saves Rauch will pick up that Joe Nathan couldn't have done any better. As I've said before, the closer's job is perhaps the most overrated role in all of professional sports, and actually (don't jump out of your chair or anything) the Twins might be better off <em>without </em>Nathan in the ninth, for the simple reason that Ron Gardenhire classically <em>underused </em>Nathan. Maybe Gardy will be more apt to go to Rauch in the eighth inning, something that was anathema when Nathan was healthy. Gardenhire constantly babied Nathan and, as a result, lost more games in the eighth inning because he refused to put his best pitcher in the game. If anything, Rauch is a more durable reliever, and he could go for a two-inning save with relative ease. Of course, that won't happen with Ron Gardenhire managing this group or any group for that matter. When you struggled to play baseball successfully, as Gardenhire's brief playing career indicates, your talent appraising skills aren't the best, and real talent is something to be feared. How else do you explain the consistent benefit of the doubt given to slugs like Nick Punto and Matt Guerrier? Anyways, Rauch is guaranteed to get 30 saves. With any luck and a good offense that will provide Rauch many save opportunities, he could get 60 saves. <em>That's </em>why the closer's position is so overrated. Frankie Rodriguez had a terrible season with the Mets last year after setting the record for saves in 2008 -- a worse team and a lack of luck cut Rodriguez's saves in half in one season's time.</div><br /><div>Carl Pavano toes the rubber tonight for the Twins, and like Blackburn, Pavano's a guy to keep your eye on. His stuff is eminently hittable, and he wasn't all that good last season with the Twins (don't believe what Dick Bremer will tell you -- Pavano was average at best after joining the ballclub). In an interesting irony, Pavano is currently on track to pitch the home opener, which means that he would have started the final game in Metrodome history and the first game in Target Field history. If that happens, that'd be a nice factoid for uncles to spring on unsuspecting nephews for Christmas gatherings aplenty in the future.</div><div></div><div><span style="font-size:78%;">Photos: (1) AP/Jae C. Hong; (2) AP/Ann Heisenfelt</span></div>Eisenhower McSteelehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13210003626175156955noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4455639405100904174.post-87862151704007199672010-04-06T10:07:00.001-07:002010-04-06T10:31:25.939-07:00APRIL 5, 2010 -- LOS ANGELES 6, MINNESOTA 3<div><a href="http://media.cleveland.com/tribe_impact/photo/justin-morneaujpg-6fafb3923f7b0475.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 243px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 337px; CURSOR: hand" border="0" alt="" src="http://media.cleveland.com/tribe_impact/photo/justin-morneaujpg-6fafb3923f7b0475.jpg" /></a>With a group of newly acquired players and a brand-spanking new set of road uniforms, the 2010 season got of to an inauspicious start, as the Twins channeled their April-through-mid-September performance of last season in kicking off this year's campaign with a disappointing 6-3 loss to the Angels. I will say that the opener did not <em>feel </em>like a season opener one bit -- it felt as if it were a mid-season game, and for that I will give both teams credit for not looking rusty. It also felt like a mid-season game for the Twins in the respect that their patheticness in not producing clutch base-hits appeared to be in mid-season form. The Twins didn't get a clutch hit in the late innings from their big stars, and the team went a true-to-form 1 for 6 with runners in scoring position. In probably the biggest at-bat of the game, Justin Morneau hit a scorching line-drive to first base with two outs and the bases jacked in the seventh, one inning after Seldom Young ended the sixth with a bases-loaded flyout. Also in mid-season form: the bullpen surrendering key insurance runs late in the ballgame to stretch a one-run deficit to a three-run deficit. Jose Mijares gave up two solo home runs in the eighth that pretty much sealed the deal for the Angels. Mijares is quickly becoming a left-handed version of Matty Guerrier and Monday's opener may be a harbinger of things to come in 2010.<br /><br /><div>Scott Baker pitched poorly in the opener, staying consistent in that he neared the 100 pitch count in the fifth innin<a href="http://images.dailyradar.com/media/uploads/ballhype/story_large/2009/03/10/scott_baker_t1.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 193px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 252px; CURSOR: hand" border="0" alt="" src="http://images.dailyradar.com/media/uploads/ballhype/story_large/2009/03/10/scott_baker_t1.jpg" /></a>g before getting lifted. Falling behind hitters all game long, Baker put the Twins in an early hole after surrendering two runs in the first inning. Baker is like Johan Santana in the respect that it will take Baker a month or two before getting into his groove. Santana classically struggled in April before getting into lock-down mode once the second half of the season started. Now, Baker's second-half success isn't nearly the same as Santana's post-All Star Game domination of the league, but historically Baker's been much better in the latter half of the season. With the Twins having a tough early schedule, having a struggling Baker may sink the Twins into a deep hole in April. Surely his approach of "let's get behind every hitter I face and lack poise and confidence at every step of the way" is a loser's mentality, and for the Twins to go to Baker on Opening Day, telling the league he's the best we have -- that's a "gulp" moment if I've ever seen one.</div><br /><br /><div>Now it's Nick Blackburn's turn in the rotation, and out of all of the pitchers on the starting staff, I have concerns that Blackburn's sinker is going to flatten out this season and hitters will start to drill his pitches with consistent authority. This is a guy who gives up a ton of hits but seems to avoid big innings because he doesn't walk many batters. That control might come back to harm him, as he can't blow away anybody with pure stuff, and hitters may just sit back and wait for a hittable pitch to drive out of the ballpark. We'll get a good indication of how Blackburn's going to be tonight as he faces a patient team in the Angels. They certainly aren't free swingers, and they're the type of team that Blackburn could easily get shelled by. Joe Saunders goes for the Angels.</div></div>Eisenhower McSteelehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13210003626175156955noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4455639405100904174.post-89538640786071853942010-04-02T15:41:00.000-07:002010-04-02T17:26:31.699-07:00Opening Day Roster Announced<div><a href="http://minnesota.twins.mlb.com/images/2006/12/20/eZEd2mKN.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 275px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 235px; CURSOR: hand" border="0" alt="" src="http://minnesota.twins.mlb.com/images/2006/12/20/eZEd2mKN.jpg" /></a>Ron Gardenhire made a couple of noteworthy announcements over the past few days regarding the 2010 roster. First, he announced that Nick Punto will be his regular third baseman, ending speculation that Brendan Harris would platoon with Punto at the hot corner. This, of course, is a potentially disastrous move that could end up costing the Twins valuable runs and, hence, victories down the road. One failproof tenet that people should learn here at the MTRC is that <em>Nick Punto will do everything in his power to lose baseball games for the Twins</em>. Punto defenders are usually quick to point out his defensive prowess, but Punto's glove can betray him just as easily as his bat always does. Of course, Brendan Harris is far from a viable upgrade at third, but in comparison to his competition, Harris suddenly looks like Brooks Robinson next to Punto. Alas, Harris will ride the pine for the time being. Most clubs (well-managed ones, at least) would confront the situation by at the very least giving one player the job on a earn-your-keep basis; if you're not producing, you're going to be replaced. Yet, Ron Gardenhire has been through a <em>five-year trial period </em>with Punto and has <em>loved </em>what he has seen (i.e., .210 production at the plate and an average glove). So even if Punto goes out there and hits a buck-forty with ten errors through April, he's likely to keep his job until he gets injured or retires or dies. In many ways, he's like a Supreme Court justice -- job security is a given for a guy like Punto on a Ron Gardenhire-run team.</div><div><br /> </div><div>Secon<a href="http://www.azcentral.com/i/sized/0/4/7/e298/j350/PHP49A1B58960740.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 298px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 211px; CURSOR: hand" border="0" alt="" src="http://www.azcentral.com/i/sized/0/4/7/e298/j350/PHP49A1B58960740.jpg" /></a>dly, Gardenhire has given the closer's job to Jon Rauch instead of a closer-by-committee approach that he hinted at last week. As a closer, Rauch reeks of a Ron Davis type, one that blows saves in epic fashion. Like Davis was, Rauch is a more than serviceable bullpen asset in a set-up role; replace Davis' Coke-bottle eyeglasses with Rauch's one-of-a-kind neck tattoo, and the similarities continue. At least Rauch isn't Matt Guerrier, but the chances that Ron Gardenhire would prefer losing games in the ninth inning with Guerrier were slim anyways; Gardenhire has proven that Guerrier is a much better pitcher to plug in there when Gardy is in the mood for blowing eighth-inning leads. Consistency in stupidity is a motto that Ron Gardenhire has always employed, and with the roster already undergoing a major change (Nathan's injury), Gardy was certainly hesistant to continue to shake up an already crappy bullpen. In a mild surprise, Pat Neshek made the club out of spring training, but his effectiveness will be questionable considering he's coming off a lengthy rehabilitation from Tommy John surgery and his mechanics leave something to be desired in the first place. Guys like Jose Mijares and Clay Condrey and Brian Douchebag will be "relied" upon to get late-inning outs, too. In short, the bullpen will again be a headache in 2010, and their troubles are exacerbated with the glaring absence of the lone consistent arm, Joe Nathan.</div><div><br /></div><div>Gardenhire's love-fest with Alexi Casilla will continue for at least the beginning of this season. This move to have Casilla occupy the final roster spot is supremely confounding, but the other options -- Matt Tolbert, Jacque Jones, et al. -- barely sound better. The thing that is so frustrating is that Casilla has done absolutely nothing to deserve winning the spot. He was atrocious in all three of his call-ups last season, played pathetically in winter ball and his average was hovering in the .150 range during spring training. Add to the fact that Drew Butera won the job as Joe Mauer's backup catcher -- not Jose Morales, not Wilson Ramos, who perhaps deserved the job based on spring training performance -- and Gardenhire's final roster spots are a confusing mess. But hey, it's not like we're surprised at this sort of tomfoolery. Leave it up to Ron Gardenhire to turn simple talent appraisal into an unfunny joke.</div><div> </div><div>Look for complete 2010 predictions Sunday.</div>Eisenhower McSteelehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13210003626175156955noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4455639405100904174.post-79166077606871580422010-03-23T19:11:00.000-07:002010-03-24T10:27:04.516-07:00MTRC Relaunch...We're Back in Business, People.After a lengthy hiatus, I'm proud to announce that the Minnesota Twins Re-Education Center is going to be a go for the 2010 season! Like many nowadays, the MTRC was not immune to the tough economic times besetting the country currently, but thankfully a few of my most loyal supporters came through in a big way to provide the funding to maintain this site. So, to Donna, Terry, Hank, and Betsy, a big THANK YOU is graciously extended. As many of you know, the apiary business has not turned out to be an adequate source of part-time cash, and even with my Roth IRA not totally tanking, I needed to tend to the more important things over the winter; hence, the MTRC essentially shut down for a few months. But those four wonderful folks mentioned above wanted to see the MTRC return for this season and paid for that privilege. Our mission statement for 2010: Bigger and better this year. Hank Rickenbacher, who many of you voiced positive responses following his guest gig at the end of last year, has agreed to step into an elevated role for this season. You'll still be mostly hearing from me, b<a href="http://www.babble.com/CS/blogs/strollerderby/mister-rogers.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 192px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 202px; CURSOR: hand" border="0" alt="" src="http://www.babble.com/CS/blogs/strollerderby/mister-rogers.jpg" /></a>ut Hank will be featured here on something like a weekly/bi-weekly basis. I, for one, am excited to welcome Hank to the full-time staff here. Like hell I'd ask Mr. Rogers to be my neighbor -- I'm blessed to have Hank and his lovely wife Betsy (who makes the meanest oatmeal-raisin cookies, by the way) live so close by.<br /><br />Now to get to the stuff you're hear to read about...<br /><br />A secondary reason that I was resistant to relaunching the blog for the 2010 season was that I thoug<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRBKoA7ZNV9OuWT60_4aKf3aG7isKsKokqtjDCS_JJ2InNVX310h25GKReu8aQQ65ul6noDrnGPuF2HqlNGdpKyZqTpc7mXKSheDGyVY1uiJgRasacqxABQBVwVB5iUT0ipU_5SZBVkju7/s1600/hudson.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 190px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 262px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5452250582594283378" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRBKoA7ZNV9OuWT60_4aKf3aG7isKsKokqtjDCS_JJ2InNVX310h25GKReu8aQQ65ul6noDrnGPuF2HqlNGdpKyZqTpc7mXKSheDGyVY1uiJgRasacqxABQBVwVB5iUT0ipU_5SZBVkju7/s400/hudson.jpg" /></a>ht the Twins weren't going to be as underachieving (and, hence, having the potential for a hilariously pessimistic blog) as last season. They made some good moves in the offseason -- <em>great </em>moves if you count who <em>won't</em> be on the 2010 roster ([cough] Carlos Gomez [cough]). The middle of the field is greatly strengthened for 2010 -- J.J. Hardy provides a much-needed offensive spark at shortstop, and Orlando Hudson was almost <em>too </em>shrewd a move for the front-office to make; you'd think they'd prefer having Matt Tolbert sucking up scoring opportunities in the 2 hole like it's nobody's business. Add Denard Span playing center field full time (like he should have been for the past two seasons) and a locked-up Joe Mauer -- that's a potent combination down the middle. The Twins' other "significant" moves over the offseason were pretty humdrum -- the Jim Thome signing still confuses me, as I don't see him getting all that many at-bats, but at least he'll be a home run threat off the bench, and Clay Condrey might as well be a Matt Guerrier in disguise. At least Condrey's presence will give Ron Gardenhire one more serviceable option to blow leads in the seventh and eighth innings.<br /><br /><br />That's a good segue to the biggest news for the Twins since they opened spring training in Fort Myers, the Joe Nathan situation. Nathan's done for the 2010 season, a<a href="http://fullcountpitch.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/02/joe-nathan.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 194px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 194px; CURSOR: hand" border="0" alt="" src="http://fullcountpitch.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/02/joe-nathan.jpg" /></a>bout to undergo Tommy John surgery, seemingly dealing a devastating blow for the Twins in the bullpen. Sure, Nathan's a great closer -- right up there with Mariano Rivera in my book in terms of the best closers in the game. But we're talking about a <em>closer </em>here for crissakes -- someone who pitches one inning a game maybe three times a week. As lights out as Nathan can be, let me say it here -- <em>he is replaceable</em>. For any other team in the league and any other manager, Nathan's absence can be overcome through a little roster tinkering and a little inspiration and coddling by the coaching staff. But we're talking about the Tweedledee-Tweedledum regime of Ron Gardenhire and Rick Anderson here. Here's a pair of clowns who didn't know how to manage a pitching staff <em>with a healthy Joe Nathan</em>. Now that you take the all-star stopper out of the mix, I'd just as soon suspect Ron Gardenhire is going to dictate his relievers' appearances by drawing names out of a hat.<br /><br />W<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzmqsaPdL3szPA4f6nebw84uzSbpvbMYG7oJYQQMeKgQ1BSkE4zIzN_RrFNtwpGgBQS7Xagc-dGXjf_ZE4Akq3TRjV1-4DpyCESuB4lsdP3OGNDYxuAzR9q1I_gg2KuW_ubBgruInVCOeM/s1600/liriano.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 169px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 233px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5452251108520940050" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzmqsaPdL3szPA4f6nebw84uzSbpvbMYG7oJYQQMeKgQ1BSkE4zIzN_RrFNtwpGgBQS7Xagc-dGXjf_ZE4Akq3TRjV1-4DpyCESuB4lsdP3OGNDYxuAzR9q1I_gg2KuW_ubBgruInVCOeM/s400/liriano.jpg" /></a>hat the Twins should be doing right about now is exploring outside options. It can be a blessing that Nathan's injury occurred before the season, as it could give them some time to address the issue before the games counted for real. But let's be honest -- Bill Smith already went over budget when he signed Hudson for $3.5 million, and then he signed Mauer for his deserved extension. Do you think Smith is ready to pony up another few million to add a Heath Bell (the best choice) or a Kerry Wood (a distant #2 option)? Doubtful at best. Most likely the Twins will turn to in-house options [gulp] Jon Rauch, Matt Guerrier, and the like. Francisco Liriano's name has been bandied about in regards to the closer's job, and I for one would welcome Liriano in that capacity if they are going to go with an in-house replacement. He probably doesn't have the meddle to handle the stress that comes with the job, but Liriano usually unravels after two or three innings in his starts -- meaning that his first inning or two is usually solid. That being said, he's probably a LaTroy Hawkins in the making, and I doubt that Ron Gardenhire would want to throw Liriano in that position to start the season, even if he was their best candidate (Gardenhire, of course, struggles making talent-based decisions [see Punto, Nick]).<br /><br />Either way you think about it, the closer's job is definitely replaceable. Even a pitcher with a solid 3.00 ERA is going to give up a run every three innings, and you just hope that that run is surrendered when the team is up by more than one run. And it's not like Joe Nathan was rock solid all the time -- his playoff record is, well, checkered at best (see the 2004 and 2009 playoffs against the Yankees), and his blown saves down the stretch in 2008 were a major reason the team didn't qualify for the postseason that season. A big loss, for sure, but one that can be overcome.<br /><br /><span style="font-size:78%;">Photos: (1) </span><a href="http://www.babble.com/"><span style="font-size:78%;">www.babble.com/</span></a><span style="font-size:78%;">; (2, 4) AP/Steven Senne; (3) </span><a href="http://www.fullcountpitch.com/"><span style="font-size:78%;">www.fullcountpitch.com</span></a>Eisenhower McSteelehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13210003626175156955noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4455639405100904174.post-55100301531680601712009-11-12T09:53:00.001-08:002009-11-12T10:53:27.314-08:00NOVEMBER 12, 2009 -- Carlos Gomez is out of the Doghouse!...And Post-Season AwardsGreetings all of you in Twinsland. It's been a while since I've posted here at the MTRC, but I have to admit -- I relished the month away from the blog, a month in which I thought about the disastrous Twins very rarely. Bums like Ron Gardenhire and Nick Punto are but a distant memory at this point in my mind, which is refreshing. I only have about four months here before I get to hear those names again.<br /><br />After the Twins' predictably pathetic showing in the playoffs against the Yankees, I watched the other playoff games sparingly. I tried m<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2cbLieMoz4EK2A5a5gUeTxu6zjc1FegsOQNZ5TrUkgZthtcSgS7nRVCgFn7KmSz2cL9EddYc5o8WtS-xZiJL5LgrVyBMkwKWua8khDuhFJycmUT7E_DoYWn4RNv-lSUv-WBM-b-2KWOEW/s1600-h/yankees.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5403290063956888370" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 183px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 234px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2cbLieMoz4EK2A5a5gUeTxu6zjc1FegsOQNZ5TrUkgZthtcSgS7nRVCgFn7KmSz2cL9EddYc5o8WtS-xZiJL5LgrVyBMkwKWua8khDuhFJycmUT7E_DoYWn4RNv-lSUv-WBM-b-2KWOEW/s400/yankees.jpg" border="0" /></a>y best to watch some of the ALCS between New York and the Angels, but man, oh, man -- MLB has <em>a lot </em>to work on if it wants to retain its fan base. Soooooo boring! Game 2 of the ALCS was the worst. Whenever I tuned in to try to watch a bit of the game, Jose Molina was running out to the mound -- <em>eight times in one inning </em>-- to talk to A.J. Burnett. The games moved at a snail's pace, and just weren't fun to watch. Worst of all, the Yankees had to win the whole thing, though rooting for the Phillies isn't exactly great either. It turned out to be a Big Spender's version of the playoffs, with four teams with bloated payrolls playing in the League Championship Series'. And it was because I thought that the Tigers had a better chance than the Twins of beating the Yankees (Detroit actually <em>won a game </em>against New York during the season) that I thought the Twins' late-season charge was unfortunate on two levels: not only would the Yankees be able to beat the Twins in their sleep, but the Twins' season would suddenly be remembered as a success, and thus key offseason moves that need to be made in order to improve the team wouldn't be made.<br /><br />But one move has been made that is of significance: Carlos Gomez is going to the Brewers for shortstop J.J. Hardy. Now, let's be fair here -- Hardy had a <em>terrible </em>200<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmQ60uVocjDJwOOXNEaqYe4c0R6SQIchMI15DXPIr8Zc9K9_3UKpDfNF5D3zNRe4AWlGycRCyhbU9vXh8AKMdWb8Q7dt999DZfLnpM1J2xbrTloBEz_potZON8QfE-NZFD5pAdAB-_7nj4/s1600-h/hardy.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5403290572693996514" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 142px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 176px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmQ60uVocjDJwOOXNEaqYe4c0R6SQIchMI15DXPIr8Zc9K9_3UKpDfNF5D3zNRe4AWlGycRCyhbU9vXh8AKMdWb8Q7dt999DZfLnpM1J2xbrTloBEz_potZON8QfE-NZFD5pAdAB-_7nj4/s400/hardy.jpg" border="0" /></a>9 season, one in which he was sent down to the minor leagues because he was so bad. But, considering the Twins used Nick Punto for the majority of the season there and then turned to an over-the-hill Orlando Cabrera down the stretch, Hardy will give the Twins a shot in the arm at the shortstop position. He's young, a terrific fielder, and, when he's on, an above-average bat for his position. Hardy's acquisition means that Cabrera won't be back, which is a great thing. I had a bad feeling that Cabrera's play down the stretch would have led to a two-year extension from the front office, but, for once, the Twins do the right thing and give Cabrera his walking papers.<br /><br /><br />More importantly, Carlos Gomez is gone. Talk about <em>FANTASTIC NEWS! </em>I will finally say goo<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitrRRDbIVbQXibb7M-5YzEoVCFxDW29L6nHCx6vdC4wWGPHnQE-Au1J0bFH5AI8J6vXxn6TH6_zOqmszGMoHc5a-I8GhJILNbfN3ZimfVebDXyiBZ4xY9O1yyk70dRIurkXj9AT6w7jZBu/s1600-h/gomez.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5403290352736393842" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 137px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 166px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitrRRDbIVbQXibb7M-5YzEoVCFxDW29L6nHCx6vdC4wWGPHnQE-Au1J0bFH5AI8J6vXxn6TH6_zOqmszGMoHc5a-I8GhJILNbfN3ZimfVebDXyiBZ4xY9O1yyk70dRIurkXj9AT6w7jZBu/s400/gomez.jpg" border="0" /></a>dbye to the one player that I think is the barnone stupidest human being to put on a baseball uniform. I've <em>never </em>seen a player that is so, so demented in the head; and what's worse, I've never seen a manager so demented in the head that's so delusional as to <em>play the truly moronic Gomez on a near-daily basis for the better part of two seasons</em>. Yeah, we're talking about Ron Gardenhire, who put faith in the idiotic Gomez that he could "get the job done." Probably the fastest player the team has had since Otis Nixon, Gomez turned out to be the absolute worst baserunner possible, utilizing that speed by making overly-aggressive baserunning blunders (see Game 2 of the ALDS). And at the plate, Gomez looked like a parapalegic pregnant woman whose water just broke. This being said, Milwaukee will probably start Gomez in the minor leagues (where he belongs) and he'll learn baseball from the school of hard knocks, and develop into a fine National League ballplayer. For the Twins, it leaves just the maybe-he-will-or-maybe-he-won't-pan-out Deolis Guerra as the lone remnant of the disastrous Johan Santana trade of 2008. Hardy is now an offshoot, of course, and the jury's still out on whether he can recover from a poor 2009. But using the failsafe rubric of "well, he's a lot better than Nick Punto," Hardy's sure an upgrade at the shortstop position.<br /><br />POSTSEASON AWARDS<br /><br />Next week the baseball writers' awards will be announced, and I thought it might be fun to do a little prognosticating on this site. Not that my words count for anything, but here we go:<br /><br />AL ROOKIE OF THE YEAR<br /><br />1. Rick Porcello, P, Detroit<br />2. Elvis Andrus, SS, Texas<br />3. Gordon Beckham, 3B, Chicago<br /><br />I do think Andrus is going to get the award, as his defense and surprising offense helped Texas stay in the race for much longer than they were expected to. And everyday players always seem to have the edge in Rookie of the Year voting, especially when there's not a runaway rookie pitcher among the contenders. But Porcello's performance in Game 163 sold it for me. Here's a 20-year-old who showed his meddle bigtime in the biggest game of his life. He ended the season as a more-than-comparable #2 man in the rotation behind the Tigers' stellar ace Justin Verlander.<br /><br />NL ROOKIE OF THE YEAR<br /><br />1. Chris Coghlan, OF, Florida<br />2. J.A. Happ, P, Philadelphia<br />3. Tommy Hanson, P, Atlanta<br /><br />Happ and Hanson are both good candidates to win the award, as they both produced 10+ wins and sub-3.00 ERAs. Coghlan, however, is a perfect Rookie of the Year winner -- one who comes out of nowhere, quickly secures a starting spot, and hits the ball with authority. Does anybody realize he finished <em>sixth </em>in the NL in batting with a .321 average? I had to look that one up twice.<br /><br />AL MANAGER OF THE YEAR<br /><br />1. Ron Washington, Texas<br />2. Don Wakamatsu, Seattle<br />3. Jim Leyland, Detroit<br /><br />Yeah, you were thinking that <em>I </em>was going to put Ron Gardenhire on this list? There have been rumors that a Manager of the Year award for Gardy was in the offing, but I just don't see it. You play like absolute doggie do-do for five and a half months and then play good for two weeks, and you're the best manager in the league? Puh-lease. The Twins were predicted to run away with the Central in 2009; Managers of the Year are usually those managers who take bad teams and turn them into a surprise contender. How Ron Washington was able to get almost 90 wins out of that pitching staff is truly a credit to his managing. And Wakamatsu inherited a messy Mariner team that lost 100 games in 2008 and turned in a winning season in his rookie year as manager.<br /><br />NL MANAGER OF THE YEAR<br /><br />1. Jim Tracy, Colorado<br />2. Bruce Bochy, San Francisco<br />3. Tony LaRussa, St. Louis<br /><br />No contest here. Tracy's the runaway winner in this race, as he took over for the Rockies in late May when Colorado was 10 games under .500, and directed them to a 74-42 finish and the wild-card. Bochy's Giants were a mild surprise, too, in the suddenly ultra-competitive NL West, but it should be a unanimous victory for Tracy.<br /><br />AL CY YOUNG<br /><br />1. Zach Greinke, Kansas City<br />2. Felix Hernandez, Seattle<br />3. Justin Verlander, Detroit<br /><br />This <em>should </em>be a runaway Cy Young for Greinke, but sadly his 16 wins will make the race a close one, and might cost him the award. Those that think that C.C. Sabathia should win the award are those with the typical East Coast bias; Greinke was far and away the best pitcher in the league, and if Greinke was on a team other than the hapless Royals, he would have won well over 20 games. Hernandez is deserving to win the award in any year that didn't also feature Greinke's brilliance. Still, I wouldn't be surprised to see Sabathia win the Cy.<br /><br />NL CY YOUNG<br /><br />1. Adam Wainwright, St. Louis<br />2. Chris Carpenter, St. Louis<br />3. Tim Lincecum, San Francisco<br /><br />Both Carpenter and Wainwright are deserving of the award, and I feel that this race might be like the Academy Awards in a bit; Carpenter (and Lincecum, for that matter) has won the award already, and Wainwright hasn't. It's kind of like when Kate Winslet won Best Actress last year even though Meryl Streep could out-act Winslet in her sleep -- it's just that Meryl's won before and Winslet's been perennially stepped on by the Academy. So, for better or worse, it's Wainwright this year, though Carpenter might pick up his second Cy, as a kind of comeback-player of the year plus Cy Young combo prize.<br /><br />AL MVP<br /><br />1. Joe Mauer, Minnesota<br />2. Miguel Cabrera, Detroit<br />3. Mark Teixeira, New York<br /><br />This one shouldn't be close, either, but like Greinke, Mauer resides in small-market-ville, and when East Coast voters pulled the lever, it was probably hard for them not to go for Teixeira or Derek Jeter, who people think like <em>should </em>win an MVP, because he somehow like deserves one for his Hall of Fame resume (yeah, right). Look at the numbers -- Mauer is on a different planet than everybody else, and should have won the award in 2006, too. It's time to give Mauer his comeuppance, Winslet-style.<br /><br />NL MVP<br /><br />1. Albert Pujols, St. Louis<br />2. Hanley Ramirez, Florida<br />3. Andre Ethier, Los Angeles<br /><br />Pujols is like the FDR of the National League -- if his name is on the ballot, he's going to win. Between Pujols and Mauer, it's a hard choice selecting the best player in the game. Clearly Pujols is the class of the NL, but don't soon forget about Ramirez. He'll win an MVP one of these years, as he's quickly becoming one of the best all-around players in the league. I wonder how long Florida gets to hang onto him...<br /><br />READER MAIL #2<br /><br />Send in your questions and comments to me at <a href="mailto:eisenhowermcsteele@gmail.com">eisenhowermcsteele@gmail.com</a>. I plan on doing a Hot Stove-themed version of reader mail, so send me your suggestions on how to improve the club. Put yourself in Bill Smith's shoes for a day -- play general manager!<br /><br /><span style="font-size:78%;">Photos: (1) AP/Peter Morgan; (2) AP/Morry Gash; (3) AP/Steven Senne</span>Eisenhower McSteelehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13210003626175156955noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4455639405100904174.post-60934754666347409292009-10-12T08:46:00.000-07:002009-10-12T09:15:20.225-07:00OCTOBER 11, 2009 -- NEW YORK 4, MINNESOTA 1<div><div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggPEQUv2TDKpNqYWHy8LRaOId2DtLBpz84S5nR-O8iOw26RMQSDLgqoEsGEndbz-1VKMQl2L6j2FSPwy38XRfcY4vaGDzWegpI1KENpS6fXwmwp3QIBo3-FKZghTnidLUgg_RhFZUZ50B9/s1600-h/yankees.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5391746471407698018" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 304px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 185px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggPEQUv2TDKpNqYWHy8LRaOId2DtLBpz84S5nR-O8iOw26RMQSDLgqoEsGEndbz-1VKMQl2L6j2FSPwy38XRfcY4vaGDzWegpI1KENpS6fXwmwp3QIBo3-FKZghTnidLUgg_RhFZUZ50B9/s400/yankees.jpg" border="0" /></a>What a shocker folks -- the Twins drop three straight against the Yankees, and go down with hardly a whimper against the Evil Empire. If you're keeping track at home (which I am), that's <em>nine straight postseason losses </em>for the Twins under the Ron Gardenhire regime, and that's only a part of eight straight losses <em>at home </em>in the playoffs. The last Twin to win a playoff game at the Metrodome was none other than <em>Joe Mays</em>, whose gem in the first game of the 2002 ALCS against the Angels stands as the last home victory for the Twins in the Metrodome. This run of postseason futility that the Twins are experiencing is just a perfect example of what the priorities are here in the Twin Cities. Playoffs are gravy to Ron Gardenhire, and he apparently just doesn't care if they win or lose in the playoffs. They're just happy to be there. And this philosophy has translated to an abysmal, <em>embarrassing </em>6-18 mark in the playoffs under Gardenhire. Considering this, <em>what's the point of even winning the division? </em>If you're just going to play like bird droppings in the playoffs, why tease your fans to think that you actually might win something of actual significance? But no. Winning the perennially weakest division in baseball is hotdish for Ron Gardenhire. It makes me sick to my stomach. This is why I was pessimistic about the Twins hot stretch -- because it gives the illusion that this season was a success. Dude -- you've won the division five times in eight years. Why not try a more challenging goal? I think that winning the division was a <em>bad thing </em>for the Twins, as they'll use the division title as proof that they don't need to improve their ballclub for 2010. In reality, this team should be shaken up, but we know any real change (i.e. canning Ron Gardenhire) will <em>never </em>happen. </div><div><br /> </div><div>The Twins seem to be embodied (at least to those observing the team from a national level) by Nick Punto -- that scrappy, "hard-nosed," talent-deficient excuse for a ballplayer -- and that's really hard for me to accept. Punto may have had some of the best offensive numbers for the Tw<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgymHOqK4FsSjX6tYCt5FDEIC_Q4kwrjk6Z7Cc2D4_TYCRiZ9CVEwk95mO1udh9evqNax37MKwQNQRh36VshkKJba_N174N9WXdvi6Kr5QDQTxqwUwgp7BcMxcNxAoxQU1a5461kLqIzbIF/s1600-h/puntostupid.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5391746712290578002" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 300px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 198px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgymHOqK4FsSjX6tYCt5FDEIC_Q4kwrjk6Z7Cc2D4_TYCRiZ9CVEwk95mO1udh9evqNax37MKwQNQRh36VshkKJba_N174N9WXdvi6Kr5QDQTxqwUwgp7BcMxcNxAoxQU1a5461kLqIzbIF/s400/puntostupid.jpg" border="0" /></a>ins in the three-game sweep, as he went 4 for 9 at the plate, but he was there in the eighth inning to put the nail in the coffin that was the Twins season. His baserunning blunder cost the Twins the season, and is yet another example of why this man has no business being a Single-A player, much less a starting player on a playoff team. For some reason he thought that Denard Span's chopper over the mound went into the outfield, and of course he wasn't looking at his third-base coach to see if he should score -- barreling around third was Punto, and Derek Jeter smartly threw home to force Punto to return to third, but he returned too late, and instead of having runners at first and third and nobody out (the Twins were down 2-1 at the time), Punto ran his team out of their season. What I said to myself after that predictable boner was "Nick Punto is the stupidest player in franchise history. Nick Punto is the stupidest player in franchise history." As far as mantras go, that one caught on pretty quick. Seriously though -- the fact that this guy has <em>any </em>words of praise go his way is gut-wrenchingly pathetic. I'm shaking my head in shame right now, having to be a fan of a team that plays Nick Punto on a regular basis. I was thinking about this hard-to-accept fact, too: <em>Nick Punto's played here for six years. SIX YEARS. </em>And he'll be here for probably another six. At the end of his career, he's going to be one of the longest-tenured Twins in franchise history. <em>Why? </em>As Tracy Chapman once sang, Give me one reason, Ron Gardenhire, why Nick Punto is on a major-league roster. </div><div><br /></div><div>I'm done with this team, finally, for this season. Let m<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiczoNXhyphenhyphenJOZWJ6BJ4J5PHII5-jPt-3djYtcsGamJSRiBPqSlan16_47vZCW2DthQS_x2y92DjBwkw-E1_GvQbrTvKa5zV3dcYqPAtcAdBwfsR4Ozj51nJT_IHp3Tb9G9jQnsZRLvJs4wF3/s1600-h/gardyoyvey.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5391746913814388690" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 293px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 184px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiczoNXhyphenhyphenJOZWJ6BJ4J5PHII5-jPt-3djYtcsGamJSRiBPqSlan16_47vZCW2DthQS_x2y92DjBwkw-E1_GvQbrTvKa5zV3dcYqPAtcAdBwfsR4Ozj51nJT_IHp3Tb9G9jQnsZRLvJs4wF3/s400/gardyoyvey.jpg" border="0" /></a>e tell you -- it was a maddening adventure to document this sad-sack bunch of characters for nearly six months. I know I'm in the minority when it comes to ragging on guys like Ron Gardenhire, but I've found that the Re-Education Center has been amazingly therapeutic for me. In the past (and especially in 2008) I was unable to contain my rage when I watched the Twins. Often I'd bang a fist on my coffee table in frustration and shout obscenities at the TV screen. But once I started this website, I found it much easier to accept the Twins' patheticness. Now when I watch the games, I find t<a href="http://www.cinemablend.com/images/sections/3361/3361.jpg"><img style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 187px" alt="" src="http://www.cinemablend.com/images/sections/3361/3361.jpg" border="0" /></a>heir errors and futility comedic and humorous, and I look at Ron Gardenhire as if he were one of the Keystone Kops of the early silent movies. The guy is such an Andy Kaufman joke -- not at all funny, a little creepy, definitely pathetic, and tragic at the same time. I will go to my grave saying that Ron Gardenhire is the worst manager I've ever seen in my life, and I will continue to say that on this site. By putting faith in guys like Carlos Gomez and Nick Punto, Ron Gardenhire lost this series before it even started. It reminds me of a Modest Mouse album title of a few years back: <em>We Were Dead Before the Ship Even Sank</em>. If there's anything that sums up the 2009 Twins, it's that right there. </div><div><br /></div><div>It was a blast to do this, and I thank everyone who put in their two cents. Whether you agreed with me or not, I appreciate those who took the time to support this site. I'll keep it updated every once in a while in the offseason (I do plan on doing a 2009 Season Wrap-Up and Postseason Awards sometime within the next week) and I'm considering doing this again next season. I really enjoyed what my neighbor Hank Rickenbacher did when he had the reins, and I'd like to hear more from him next season. If you have any suggestions on how to make the MTRC better, I'd love to hear from you. And I'd like to do another segment of Reader's Mail, so feel free to get questions and comments in to my e-mail: <a href="mailto:eisenhowermcsteele@gmail.com">eisenhowermcsteele@gmail.com</a>. Thanks again everyone!</div><div><br /></div><div><span style="font-size:78%;">Photos: (1) AP/Jim Mone; (2) AP/Kathy Willens; (3) AP/Charlie Neibergall; (4) </span><a href="http://www.cinemablend.com/"><span style="font-size:78%;">www.cinemablend.com</span></a></div></div></div>Eisenhower McSteelehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13210003626175156955noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4455639405100904174.post-42294457626106920582009-10-10T07:37:00.000-07:002009-10-10T08:18:37.375-07:00OCTOBER 9, 2009 -- NEW YORK 4, MINNESOTA 3 (11 innings)<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdatk9vmJOVKk7H5se4QYgOVXPaZ0Z7PKxJ2M51gnDPbweKBWQ-dIYka_MjsS7YZB4fa5bXBL5buAb974XeDlm4A_UT-whCxmoVGkClqkhEKy39efZIvu0TdiHLRiLhOl6HTB0M_Cu-HVm/s1600-h/nathaninnewyork.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5390987890927577986" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 210px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 265px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdatk9vmJOVKk7H5se4QYgOVXPaZ0Z7PKxJ2M51gnDPbweKBWQ-dIYka_MjsS7YZB4fa5bXBL5buAb974XeDlm4A_UT-whCxmoVGkClqkhEKy39efZIvu0TdiHLRiLhOl6HTB0M_Cu-HVm/s400/nathaninnewyork.jpg" border="0" /></a>Wow. Unbelievable. As I've said before, you can't lose these games unless you try, or unless you're just in a new category of "pathetic" that I'm just unaware of. Leading 3-1 going into the botom of the ninth, Joe Nathan gives up a single and a mammoth home run to Alex Rodriguez to give up the lead, and then Mark Teixeira comes back in the 11th inning with the game-winning homer off Jose Mijares. Ron Gardenhire didn't do anything <em>during </em>the game that lost the game outright; rather, it was his filling out the lineup that lost the game for the Twins on Friday. I think I thought out loud at least three times as to <em>why </em>Carlos Gomez is even on a major-league roster, much less in the starting lineup in a <em>playoff game</em>. The guy is such absolute doggie do-do that it's hilarious that people actually give the Twins a chance in this series. If I would have known that Gomez would have played Friday, I might as well have just slept through it. Unbelievable that Ron Gardenhire is <em>that </em>stupid. Manager of the Year my ass.<br /><br /><br />What's even funnier than that is that Brendan Harris propelled the Twins to what would have bee<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsjDyq-QYuRic2h4SE-sqFnQXfEzt7Lh4vHpxBGegOgaO1XEB4YO1dtUFTjC_QoDWJYp_6mbaldvlrSnUN81RqPXkp06oVYpaVnBVHo370cIOxQyb76w-GoOyjvNF3vbHSClXg7WcuptdH/s1600-h/harrisdouble.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5390988126254063458" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 199px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 224px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsjDyq-QYuRic2h4SE-sqFnQXfEzt7Lh4vHpxBGegOgaO1XEB4YO1dtUFTjC_QoDWJYp_6mbaldvlrSnUN81RqPXkp06oVYpaVnBVHo370cIOxQyb76w-GoOyjvNF3vbHSClXg7WcuptdH/s400/harrisdouble.jpg" border="0" /></a>n a win, and Harris wasn't even in the starting lineup -- Matt Tolbert was, of course. <em>It had to take a pulled muscle to get Tolbert out of the game</em>, and there was Harris, providing the go-ahead triple in the sixth, the key hit to set up the two-run eighth for the Twins, and chipping in on defense with a miraculous Web gem later in the game. The bottom three guys in the Twins lineup -- Gomez, Tolbert, and Punto -- that's Washington Nationals "bad", Pittsburgh Pirates "bad." And you still should have won the game -- unreal. I'll give Punto props, as he delivered a clutch two-out hit in the eighth to put the Twins on top (that hit will probably keep him around for another four years). But I'm <em>not </em>giving Ron Gardenhire props, who I hope was joking when he told TBS reporter/snappy dresser Craig Sager that Punto was "the second best athlete on the team" next to Joe Mauer. That quote prompted me to look up the word 'athlete' in the dictionary, because I don't think Gardy and I are on the same page so to speak. Here it is from dictionary.com:<br /><br /><br />ath⋅lete <br />–noun<br />a person trained or <strong><em>gifted</em></strong> in exercises or contests involving physical agility, stamina, or strength; a participant in a sport, exercise, or game requiring physical skill. (my emphasis)<br /><br /><br />OK -- so it doesn't necessary say they have to be <em>good </em>at sports, but merely a participant. But using the modifier "second best" implies that they <em>are </em>good at a particular sport, which just seals the deal -- Ron Gardenhire is the most idiotic, demented, <em>insane </em>man in the game of baseball. If you can hit .220 and play average defense, kids, you're a <em>gold medalist </em>in one man's book. Wow.<br /><br /><br />Let's get back to Gomez, who was the clear goat in the game. The guy can flat out fly, which was apparently the reason (defense, Gardy'd say, too) that he is even on the postseason roster. Yet Gomez is one of the absolute <em>worst </em>baserunners I've ever see<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLltr7wYo5_9pkrwiVIUiRPh9ULzwVUcFUO_Nziil700WhhLevEoqtybg6dDjgfdiwpdAR8FwSytUpdpoU6XQsSA1phTsOovo0XLXK4OLygqr2YJpOzOCRDyuraqJoSYHNTjyYTD8pNf1i/s1600-h/gomezisanidiot.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5390988448649221298" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 258px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 202px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLltr7wYo5_9pkrwiVIUiRPh9ULzwVUcFUO_Nziil700WhhLevEoqtybg6dDjgfdiwpdAR8FwSytUpdpoU6XQsSA1phTsOovo0XLXK4OLygqr2YJpOzOCRDyuraqJoSYHNTjyYTD8pNf1i/s400/gomezisanidiot.jpg" border="0" /></a>n in my life, and that stupidity cost the Twins a run in the fourth inning. Tolbert actually came through with a hit off Yankee starter A.J. Burnett, sending Seldom Young home with the first run of the game. <em>But wait -- </em>Gomez tripped over his own shoes rounding second and was tagged out trying to go back to second before Young touched home plate, thereby nullifying the run scoring. Just an idiotic turn of events there -- Gomez should be <em>trotting </em>into second base and planting himself there. You're not going first to third there in a million years (I suppose the moronic Gomez probably thought he could), and at the very least, force a run-down so you ensure that the run scores. That blunder was basically the difference in the game, as Gomez proved to everyone, this time on a national scale, that he doesn't belong in the big leagues. But at least Gomez acknowledged his error in a postgame interview, offering his apologies by saying it was "my bad." Oh, OK. I needed <em>that</em>, Carlos.<br /><br /><br />But that wouldn't be enough for a guy who sucks as bad as Gomez. He had to come through again in the 11th inning, when the Twins started the inning with three straight singles. Seldom Young line<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitPszZdndAZkedwexcnsZJh6_j7YMvlA0yRXm8pdc333fBLDUYZFcb8PpyPoSz36NEp0JYzIyaw5uXEn6s8WG1Fa__nxMiYmLnAx_kapK6EWZPaIJnOzdxb-dlspmi1l5Vv2gzCDIU9yGC/s1600-h/gomezhit.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5390988679936899154" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 279px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 192px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitPszZdndAZkedwexcnsZJh6_j7YMvlA0yRXm8pdc333fBLDUYZFcb8PpyPoSz36NEp0JYzIyaw5uXEn6s8WG1Fa__nxMiYmLnAx_kapK6EWZPaIJnOzdxb-dlspmi1l5Vv2gzCDIU9yGC/s400/gomezhit.jpg" border="0" /></a>d out on the first pitch he saw from reliever David Robertson; that's to be expected from Seldom. <em>Then Ron Gardenhire has Carlos Gomez hit for himself</em>. Huge mistake, Gardy. I'll quote myself from <a href="http://mntwins-reeducation-center.blogspot.com/2009/06/in-doghouse-carlos-gomez.html">my Doghouse post </a>on Gomez that I wrote way back in June: "This is what Gomez means to me: if the Twins are down by a run in the late innings and the tying run is on third base with one out, Gomez is the last hitter I want at the plate. I'd rather have a pitcher at the plate -- Kevin Slowey, Nick Blackburn, Joe Nathan, hell, even Nick Punto. Gomez folds in the clutch like it's nobody's business, and it's the listless hitting approach and non-existent instincts that make him a Doghouse Denizen for life." Pretty much the same scenario, except that the Twins were tied and would have gone ahead if Gomez can just get the ball in the air. Nope. Instead, he takes one of the most pathetic swings I've ever seen in my life and taps out to first base, and Teixeira throws home to force the runner. Harris flew out after Gomez, and Teixeira would end the game leading off the bottom half of the eleventh. Hooray, Ron Gardenhire! That stroke of managerial prowess lost you another game in the Bronx!<br /><br /><br />I would like to add that right field umpire Phil Cuzzi delivered one of the absolute <em>worst </em>calls I've ever seen in my life in the eleventh, such a bad call that it makes Mike Muchlinski's infamous home-plate call to end the Oakland Disaster look like <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_AEuE3wBkCtbDahnBMtWeWHawd6tg_OXPuYPrwQ84AuHCO97w8CYod7PQz5qwiiK7kCyJTd5ysQ_noULU0dq2pPC_j4vgKDS42zaSS3aObR7GZEYNWI1MYHfMeAw1zMsiLh3l3FyXlzRH/s1600-h/cuzzi.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5390989162288523698" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 303px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 184px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_AEuE3wBkCtbDahnBMtWeWHawd6tg_OXPuYPrwQ84AuHCO97w8CYod7PQz5qwiiK7kCyJTd5ysQ_noULU0dq2pPC_j4vgKDS42zaSS3aObR7GZEYNWI1MYHfMeAw1zMsiLh3l3FyXlzRH/s400/cuzzi.jpg" border="0" /></a>a great call. I've always wondered why MLB has outfield umpires in the playoffs; it seems to me that it just means that two more umps can get the calls wrong. Cuzzi is <em>literally </em>fifteen feet away from watching Joe Mauer's fly ball land at least two feet fair and he calls it foul. What's more, outfielder Melky Cabrera <em>touched the ball with his glove! </em>The guy is planted stationary on the field watching nothing but the foul line, and he still gets it wrong. It's just like Richie Garcia's vomit-inducing call in the '96 ALCS when he said that Jeffrey Maier didn't lean over the fence and turn a fly ball into a home run -- <em>the only thing that these outfield umps can do is screw up calls. </em>Now, a lot of people are going to look at that call and do a Gardy and blame the loss on the umpires, but it's hard to tell what would have happened if Mauer had been on second base. Jason Kubel probably would have been trying to "get the guy over to third," i.e. pull the ball on the right side of the infield, and who knows if he would have gotten a hit or not. It likely would have still been up to Seldom Young and Carlos Gomez to blow it in the clutch. And there's no excuses to leaving <em>SEVENTEEN </em>guys on base. But Phil Cuzzi -- jeez, are you that much a Yankee fan or are you simply blind?<br /><span style="font-size:78%;">Photos: (1,3) AP/Julie Jacobson; (2,4) AP/Kathy Willens; (5) Reuters Pictures</span>Eisenhower McSteelehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13210003626175156955noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4455639405100904174.post-15819317697490186332009-10-08T07:47:00.000-07:002009-10-08T08:10:11.620-07:00OCTOBER 7, 2009 -- NEW YORK 7, MINNESOTA 2<div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpmzVYJ9nEim2qD88QpA51Gvostl5RVXJbCBputZW7IobRxOva4ZUbdgLA3wgq5xfNIEvRsia6YwVvEdkeA9q8iuDeFUAMMjCx0I0B22g52St3b_0QED1FJDXn2Bp1RMVh_y1xksHsBt_3/s1600-h/jeter.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5390246177467837762" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 258px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 203px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpmzVYJ9nEim2qD88QpA51Gvostl5RVXJbCBputZW7IobRxOva4ZUbdgLA3wgq5xfNIEvRsia6YwVvEdkeA9q8iuDeFUAMMjCx0I0B22g52St3b_0QED1FJDXn2Bp1RMVh_y1xksHsBt_3/s400/jeter.jpg" border="0" /></a>Butt-kicking #1 goes pretty much as planned on Wednesday night, as Brian Duensing can't get out of the fifth inning before taking his team out of the game, and the offense can't provide that clutch hit when it needed it. This game was very much a return to a simpler time, namely May of this year, when the Yankees laid a four-game sweep at the hands of the Twins using the same formula. The Twins did get ten hits -- six of them in the first three innings -- but were 1 for 9 with runners in scoring position. One of their runs came on a passed ball, and the other due to a Michael Cuddyer single. And the Twins had a 2-0 lead in this game, but like so many contests against the Yankees, their lead was extremely short-lived. It lasted a whole three batters, as Douchebag surrendered a game-tying blast off the bat of Derek Jeter in the bottom of the third. Nick Swisher's double put the Yankees up for good in the fourth, and Hideki Matsui clocked a mammoth home run off Francisco Liriano (on the postseason roster for some reason) to put the game out of reach in the fifth. </div><div><br /> </div><div>One of the biggest plays in the game may have been in the top of the first inning, when Denard Spa<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq0iIN5i5B5EaKBKZpl2ewxuG9VZFGKY6MNd4Xl3MQo4qgYxoJ94Z_5LYxK9AI-w24eRrXNIgkwiI3Lw6wKiQCyOTNI1DlMUVDw9FcNfEY29zudpLgPkIErZ4x8ltQ6lnVspUBrE_eVLAy/s1600-h/mauerstrikeout.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5390246255067758514" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 208px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 233px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq0iIN5i5B5EaKBKZpl2ewxuG9VZFGKY6MNd4Xl3MQo4qgYxoJ94Z_5LYxK9AI-w24eRrXNIgkwiI3Lw6wKiQCyOTNI1DlMUVDw9FcNfEY29zudpLgPkIErZ4x8ltQ6lnVspUBrE_eVLAy/s400/mauerstrikeout.jpg" border="0" /></a>n led the game off with a double off C.C. Sabathia. Orlando Cabrera failed in his opportunity to get Span over to third, but Span ended up on third due to a passed ball, but Joe Mauer struck out and Cuddyer flew out, giving the Yankees and everybody else watching a good idea of what was about to come. Frankly, nothing about the Twins' failing in the clutch was surprising when you know how Ron Gardenhire manages his teams against New York. As I've said before, with Gardenhire being absolutely <em>owned </em>by the Yankees, he's of the mindset that the Twins have to play a perfect ballgame when they play them. It's pins and needles baseball whenever the Twins face the Yanks, and that's a philosophy that probably loses more games than it would win them. Every failed opportunity is thus magnified, and momentum swings are that much more apparent. The same thing happened in the seventh inning, when the Twins were already down by four runs. They had runners on second and third with one out, but <em>again</em>, Span flew out weakly to the outfield, not nearly deep enough to score the run, and Cabrera struck out pathetically to end the threat. How were the Twins able to win 17 out of their last 21 ballgames? <em>By getting clutch hitting</em>, and that simply didn't show up on Wednesday night.</div><div><br /></div><div>They were also driven to win the division by some pretty good starting pitching, and that, too, didn't appear to be the case with Brian Douchebag on t<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQKVO27DpKzYQM92JO6nfptjDEjzA68u_QIXnMVndrgIi7lgu3k88j7pZWAaSpf4QoZRFW-AUXhgSVWA0vgovAjF46iRPMSyR9ZO9w800p8OGxmeQiAvwtY_gkRMhz-IcnCmY9AGwYWGCx/s1600-h/duensingGame1.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5390246404319641378" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 205px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 255px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQKVO27DpKzYQM92JO6nfptjDEjzA68u_QIXnMVndrgIi7lgu3k88j7pZWAaSpf4QoZRFW-AUXhgSVWA0vgovAjF46iRPMSyR9ZO9w800p8OGxmeQiAvwtY_gkRMhz-IcnCmY9AGwYWGCx/s400/duensingGame1.jpg" border="0" /></a>he mound. Some people had been saying that, hey, the Yankees had never seen Duensing before, so maybe that's a good thing. What I'm struggling to understand is Ron Gardenhire's logic in starting Duensing. His regular turn in the rotation would have been last Saturday against the Royals, but Gardy pushed up both Nick Blackburn and Carl Pavano to start those two games, probably because he'd want his best pitchers to pitch in important ballgames. <em>But then he lets Brian Duensing start the first game of the playoffs? </em>This is a perfect example of the demented ideology that Ron Gardenhire has instilled on the team. It's more important for Gardy to win the division <em>than to win something of real importance, </em>say a World Series. Their goal every year is <em>only </em>to with the Central, and as we saw on Wednesday, the playoffs are simply "gravy" to Ron Gardenhire. That's why he couldn't care less if Duensing pitched or not -- hell, I wouldn't be surprised if Jeff Manship starts Game 3. How are games against Kansas City more important than playoff games against the Yankees? If it was up to me, I would have thrown Blackburn in Game 1 on three days' rest, and then countered with Pavano in Game 2. There's no excuse for Brian Duensing to be on the playoff <em>roster</em>, much less pitch the pivotal Game 1 in the playoffs. But, as we all know (and accept, which is the difficult part), mediocrity is just fine with us Minnesotans, and we're just happy to be in the playoffs. Except me -- I'd actually want to see us win a <em>real</em> title, and I won't accept anything less. Anything less is a tease, plain and simple.</div><div> </div><div><span style="font-size:78%;">Photos: AP/Julie Jacobson</span></div></div>Eisenhower McSteelehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13210003626175156955noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4455639405100904174.post-45826761704285853432009-10-07T07:14:00.000-07:002009-10-07T07:36:17.350-07:00OCTOBER 6, 2009 -- MINNESOTA 6, DETROIT 5 (12 innings)<div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxG4Cd5gh90RcLM7FGrl9l27k0R38e3PpAeGOblcml5RLR1N2xDM5biiZLRbu2sw3_-B5o_N157RQgd-CGIpy8C07NHBs9WMaE13f_P36ZiF8vUhH7qE30ZPXrZk6MoneRO1y0w7L2-6Xh/s1600-h/goingapeshit.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5389866172348504914" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 291px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 211px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxG4Cd5gh90RcLM7FGrl9l27k0R38e3PpAeGOblcml5RLR1N2xDM5biiZLRbu2sw3_-B5o_N157RQgd-CGIpy8C07NHBs9WMaE13f_P36ZiF8vUhH7qE30ZPXrZk6MoneRO1y0w7L2-6Xh/s400/goingapeshit.jpg" border="0" /></a>I've got to tell you guys -- with a little salt and pepper, crow <em>actually </em>doesn't taste that bad. I'm more than happy to eat a little crow, however, after the Twins completed their miraculous comeback to win the Central Division title (or, as Ron Gardenhire calls it, the Holy Grail). In many ways Tuesday's tiebreaker was a whole lot like the majority of Twins games -- plenty of missed opportunities by guys that are deservedly in The Doghouse, some lucky breaks that go the Twins way, and in the end a Doghouse Denizen gets the game-winning hit. I kind of saw Alexi Casilla's game-winner coming, as he had failed to score the winning run a few innings before due to his stupidity; granted, that was on a Nick Punto sacrifice fly, and at least God has a sense of humor, or at least good sense, because Nick Punto just <em>cannot </em>win the biggest game of the season for the Twins. All in all, it was a whale of a game, and now they get to go to the Bronx and throw Brian Duensing to the wolves. I've heard it all been said -- "anything can happen in October" -- but a Twins win over the Yankees here would be nothing short of apocalyptic. Whatever. Go get 'em, Douchebag.</div><div><br /> </div><div>I had the pleasure (I guess) of watching most of the second half of the game at a local watering hole, an<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh52tvZ9FL24-tj4S3uuEYmx530eSwPiurpHtdgpfxXJNqU6_cBiFf9ZN8bA3AYp6EnVEnJU8kz_Gfv3wtXAjUx64nQwT4Rv7lL2amES1rM5wtAUs9fFJU6JGVfjOF5rKcd-JvSS-bzowNx/s1600-h/Punto.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5389866403613073970" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 266px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 229px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh52tvZ9FL24-tj4S3uuEYmx530eSwPiurpHtdgpfxXJNqU6_cBiFf9ZN8bA3AYp6EnVEnJU8kz_Gfv3wtXAjUx64nQwT4Rv7lL2amES1rM5wtAUs9fFJU6JGVfjOF5rKcd-JvSS-bzowNx/s400/Punto.jpg" border="0" /></a>d it was there that I found some startling facts out about certain Twins fans. One, that some Twins fans actually <em>like </em>Matt Tolbert, which I thought was damn near impossible. I thought the only reaction any person could have regarding Matt Tolbert was that he was absolute garbage on the baseball diamond. Another was that a lot of people were surprised when Matty Guerrier delivered his most timely Matt Guerrier Special of the season. I predicted Guerrier would blow the lead once Orlando Cabrera put the Twins ahead in the seventh with his home run (everybody was just going nuts over Cabrera, saying that he'd been the biggest piece of the puzzle and the key for the Twins' turnaround!) and got some knowing glances once Magglio Ordonez promptly tied it off Guerrier in the eighth. These "fans" also weren't livid when Ron Gardenhire, in his infinite wisdom, burned his bullpen by the eighth inning and had to get two innings out of Joe Nathan, <em>then </em>had to turn to Jesse Crain and Bobby Keppel to preserve the tie. Crain gave up the lead, and the Twins were bailed out only because Ryan Raburn lost Michael Cuddyer's liner in the lights and misplayed it for a triple. Keppel gave up the lead, too, but umpiring saved the Twins big time in the 12th. With the bases jammed, Keppel clearly grazed Brandon Inge's jersey with a pitch, but home plate umpire Randy Marsh didn't see it that way, and that turned out to be the biggest call of the game, as Inge would force out a runner at home and Gerald Laird struck out to end the inning. As always, the Twins rely on a little bit of luck, both with their ballpark and the men in blue.</div><div><br /></div><div>I probably could go on further about the game, but let's just leave it at that. It was a terrific, exciting thriller that will go down in Metrodome lore. It's almos<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDyKQT89k5GxYfgW9KjM25JL-2E4Uf9uteJUJFSy2bf3QkW3DqaPGblkeaRtzEbiFR9UjSzth7vcSJTT_fnjWjWysRABINvjb1WsgejNGCykUoPxlQeqFq5o2xWpv-R3CDWbQ6yO6N2YPE/s1600-h/tolbert.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5389866564612086578" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 213px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 220px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDyKQT89k5GxYfgW9KjM25JL-2E4Uf9uteJUJFSy2bf3QkW3DqaPGblkeaRtzEbiFR9UjSzth7vcSJTT_fnjWjWysRABINvjb1WsgejNGCykUoPxlQeqFq5o2xWpv-R3CDWbQ6yO6N2YPE/s400/tolbert.jpg" border="0" /></a>t too bad that they have to get their butts kicked by the Yankees; if only <em>that </em>could be the swan song on the Teflon Treasure. As mentioned before, Duensing pitches today for the Twins at 5:07 local time, and he opposes Twins killer C.C. Sabathia. Sabathia's 13-8 with a ERA just about 3 in his career against the Twins, and he seems to pitch exceptionally better when there's something on the line. Like everybody says, anything can happen in October, and the Twins are hot. But as Tuesday's contest showed, the Twins' biggest problem remains the bottom of the order. How many times in the game did Matt Tolbert and Nick Punto come up with the game on the line? How many times did Ron Gardenhire <em>let those two slugs hit? </em>That <em>will </em>come back to haunt them against New York, <em>mark my words</em>. </div><div> </div><div><span style="font-size:78%;">Photos: (1)AP & Star Tribune/Brian Peterson; (2)AP/Tom Olmscheid; (3)AP/Paul Battaglia</span></div></div>Eisenhower McSteelehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13210003626175156955noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4455639405100904174.post-31409364128827100302009-10-04T21:21:00.000-07:002009-10-04T21:38:28.129-07:00OCTOBER 4, 2009 -- MINNESOTA 13, KANSAS CITY 4<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmhtSH1QwuklgoK2FDy5KXPEgrOS62eUrqFVo2QN55POIVczuESRRSyfLWv-G9xDQSPd8yK0VuCX_dzHin2rioAB4K0pKdYeIWlRQcCKnDMRqaJ18pOzG0k5esCSoHWLQxwg6dM-NpbII0/s1600-h/kubes.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5388970199859610290" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 201px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmhtSH1QwuklgoK2FDy5KXPEgrOS62eUrqFVo2QN55POIVczuESRRSyfLWv-G9xDQSPd8yK0VuCX_dzHin2rioAB4K0pKdYeIWlRQcCKnDMRqaJ18pOzG0k5esCSoHWLQxwg6dM-NpbII0/s400/kubes.jpg" border="0" /></a>The Twins' win on Sunday clinches a tie for the division title, and with the Tigers' win over the White Sox, for the second straight season the Twins will play in a one-game playoff for the right to go to the postseason. Before I continue, I would like to first thank my good neighbor "Hammerin'" Hank Rickenbacher, who graciously stepped in for me at the last second while I attended to a medical emergency. No need to worry about me -- it just so happened that a young person down in Iowa was recently stung by a nasty swarm of bees and the people down there needed an apiarist's knowledge as to containing the bees. To make matters worse, I knew the victim of the attack, and I felt compelled to drop everything (even during a pennant chase) and drove down to just outside of Dubuque. The one thing about apiary science that drew me to that field was its unpredictability, and it's the one thing that keeps my retirement only half-serious. I'm happy to report that all is well with the person affected by the bees, and I'm back here with a hive of those pesky suckers and I'm going to do a little research that just might be slacked on if there's some postseason whoopin' that the Yankees need to get to later this week. But anyhows, thanks a bunch Hank for the yeoman's work on the site.<br /><br /><br />As has been the case lately, the Twins' offense took control early, as they jumped on Royal starter Luke Hochevar with two home runs in the first inning. Jason Kubel would add a second three-run home run (I think that's the second time this season t<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn8GZFIzF-OrZi0JHvrAL84YfCh9DBf9mNSa97O3tKAEwmQ1NESRm-Ifbh9QxYxAMjblmBbN_vGy7tRt5EtAf0hhyLytOhyphenhyphenIQCVzstgQk_VyAom4a2_3Ss2tFDKW2-_q3z3NzL8icbpAlw/s1600-h/seldomhr.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5388970350200440962" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 191px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 260px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn8GZFIzF-OrZi0JHvrAL84YfCh9DBf9mNSa97O3tKAEwmQ1NESRm-Ifbh9QxYxAMjblmBbN_vGy7tRt5EtAf0hhyLytOhyphenhyphenIQCVzstgQk_VyAom4a2_3Ss2tFDKW2-_q3z3NzL8icbpAlw/s400/seldomhr.jpg" border="0" /></a>hat Kubel's had a game in which he's hit two three-run blasts) and Seldom Young would also notch a second home run. Carl Pavano and the middle relief let KC inch back into the game, getting within four before the Twins blew it open in the later innings. So Sunday's game against the Royals <em>will not </em>be the Metrodome's swan song for major-league baseball, as at least one more game will be played there: Tuesday, 4 PM, Scott Baker vs. Rick Porcello. Imagine, for a second, if you're Porcello, who's 20 years old, one year removed from Single-A ball and pitching for the Tigers in the 163rd and potentially final game of the season. That story aside, the Twins are playing hot and the Tigers have languished for three weeks; not to mention the obvious home-field advantage that the Twins have. The Twins <em>should easily win Tuesday's game</em>. <em>Easily</em>. They've got their best pitcher on the mound opposing the Tigers' #3, their bats are clicking and they're at home. There's no reason to think that the Twins can't win, except for the fact that they're the '09 Twins, who are the baseball equivalent of a CD filler-song; something not good to stand alone on its own, but forgettable enough not to lament its brutality when surrounded by actual quality. In fact, it might be more memorable if the Twins <em>lost </em>Tuesday, as people would remember how favored the Twins were, only to lose. If they do drop the game, it'd probably be something pathetic like a 1-0 loss. Hmm, that sounds familiar...<br /><br /><span style="font-size:78%;">Photos: AP/Jim Mone</span>Eisenhower McSteelehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13210003626175156955noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4455639405100904174.post-49223971663154897282009-10-04T06:01:00.000-07:002009-10-04T21:40:59.235-07:00OCTOBER 3, 2009 -- MINNESOTA TWINS 5, KANSAS CITY ROYALS 4Good morning everyone. My name is Hank Rickenbacher. Unfortunately Howie is dealing with an emergency at the moment. Now don't get too worked up, everything will be just fine. But he could not watch yesterday's game, so he asked me, his neighbor for going on 22 strong years now, and also treasurer of the local social club we started together (Association of Recreational Cartographers, Apiarists, and Needlepoint Enthusiasts), to put up this internet blog today. Old Howie says I'm quite the carmudgeon but my dear wife Betsy likes to say it's just that every now and then I wake up on the long side of the bed, especially when it comes to my beloved Twins.<br /><br />And what an interesting time to be a Twins fan. Yesterday they were going up against Zack Greinke, one of the best young pitchers in the division. (I've noticed a lot of young bucks are named Zack these days.) The Twins needed to win to put pressure on the Tigers, who were playing the dysfunctional White Sox later in the day. Things were looking bleak. But as Mickey Mantle once said, it isn't quite over unless the fat lady is singing. And the fat lady is quiet as a doornail today.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4RtKLNiv0vZhpJm-dikp6R5amVSKypPknOVNXtcFRu7jUe2RWTUmn61U0-191VnAtFG4aqklqUjY8g9jj4nWe49p6TBa-IdIrX8QdKO2VLPtTMY_OZLqrjcgsp-5ipi8X-UfcVIbus6k/s1600-h/200910031814656745684-p2-660x660.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5388743432212924162" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; WIDTH: 232px; CURSOR: pointer; HEIGHT: 225px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4RtKLNiv0vZhpJm-dikp6R5amVSKypPknOVNXtcFRu7jUe2RWTUmn61U0-191VnAtFG4aqklqUjY8g9jj4nWe49p6TBa-IdIrX8QdKO2VLPtTMY_OZLqrjcgsp-5ipi8X-UfcVIbus6k/s320/200910031814656745684-p2-660x660.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Nick Blackburn continues to emerge as the closest thing to a big-game pitcher (or player) the Twins have. If only he could be consistent all year we might have a true ace on our hands. He outdueled Greinke to the tune of four hits and two runs over seven. Of course after giving up a double in the eighth to Miguel Olivo, Gardenhire yanked Blackburn before the line drive even hit the carpet. Talk about knee jerk (though no one should ever give up doubles to Miguel Olivo).<br /><br />Up until that point Blackburn had given up just a lone moon ball to somebody named Jacobs that is apparently Kansas City's cleanup hitter. The score was 4-1 thanks to a four-run sixth for the Twins, an inning which serves as devastating verification of the first rule of pitching in the major leagues: DO NOT WALK NICK PUNTO. Ever, ever, ever. I could practically hear snickers coming from the Twins dugout. Fast forward to two outs and Punto on third, and Mauer rips a screamer to right for a 1-0 lead. (I know this won't make me many friends, but it's about time Mauer got a clutch hit.) Even though the broadcasting geometry fanatic Bert Blyleven was sure this would be enough to win the game with the way Blackburn was throwing, Mauer's hit was only the tip of the icebox. With a bases-clearing double (an assist must go to Royals right fielder Teahen, who took a line as if he wanted to hug the center fielder instead of catch the ball), Delmon Young now has more RBIs in the last two games than in his entire Twins career. Now, I don't want to promote violence or anything, but the Twins may want to get an opposing pitcher to throw at Young again as in Detroit, as it seemed to wake him up from the 2-year nap that has been his Twins career.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjl7xvLyyHtuxOH8WXCG637jdj7LasnLSJCIFzI8t00N_YBao0y_tT9vfYQgXWTuyH0lrGPckpgeEJgmwO4VZAM4NFa6t5yP0bnfljf46GC_fPGlKxXTWE3rsXrtBaGaOvuML9ZhiS6Mk/s1600-h/200910031715621165536-p2-660x660.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5388743189308330562" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; WIDTH: 193px; CURSOR: pointer; HEIGHT: 225px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjl7xvLyyHtuxOH8WXCG637jdj7LasnLSJCIFzI8t00N_YBao0y_tT9vfYQgXWTuyH0lrGPckpgeEJgmwO4VZAM4NFa6t5yP0bnfljf46GC_fPGlKxXTWE3rsXrtBaGaOvuML9ZhiS6Mk/s320/200910031715621165536-p2-660x660.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />The lead of course did not last as Mijares got back at his teammates for calling him out after Thursday's melee by promptly giving up a moon ball to the light hitting Alex Gordon, undoubtedly the longest ball that kid has ever hit, probably by double.<br /><br />I had a bad feeling about where this game was going, but in the bottom of the eight Cuddyer hit a nice home run and the Twins won 5-4. Good win, but I don't think the Twins can count on Young to carry them for another game. Cabrera was the only other Twin with 2 hits, and while he's a nice player he isn't going to make anyone forget Zoilo Versalles any time soon.<br /><br />So today is the last game at HHH Metrodome. And let me say good riddens. I for one have not been to a Twins game since they left the Met. I don't think Wilbur Doubleday intended for the national past time to be played indoors. Plus Humphrey was a yes man and soft on everything, and I don't know why we should name ballparks after him. I told Betsy I'd never go to the Metrodome as long as it was named after that hippie, and it looks like I made it. I'm looking forward to next year, or rather next June 20th, as that's about the only time the weather will make it worth going down to Target Field. Although with all the crime and drugs and littering in Minneapolis, I'm not sure I'll make it to the new ballpark either.<br /><br />The Twins go for the sweep today. With the Tigers loss last night, the Twins just need to win to ensure a playoff on Tuesday. They are going to trot out Carl Pavano on three days rest, while the Royals will throw Luke Hochevar. Game time is 1:10. Thanks to Betsy for the help and to Howie for the chance to do this. Here's hoping the big guy will be back tomorrow.<br /><br /><span style="font-size:78%;">Photos: (AP Photo/Jim Mone)</span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4455639405100904174.post-50877626116060306032009-10-03T06:12:00.000-07:002009-10-03T06:35:14.294-07:00OCTOBER 2, 2009 -- MINNESOTA 10, KANSAS CITY 7<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjamtn44iQ4jyBqDfMeajLU47o4xXHAOaaV1xC49S36xWOCloeLfuk2LcU2tJZvCuPm954zBNuvfgGT0BCHwTECrWEcBRT6s6zMd0bpO_vOvwk4RhZDuun-nzqdguwsxd6sE_XIc661Z1vb/s1600-h/nathansavesit.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5388366102068086274" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 299px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 184px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjamtn44iQ4jyBqDfMeajLU47o4xXHAOaaV1xC49S36xWOCloeLfuk2LcU2tJZvCuPm954zBNuvfgGT0BCHwTECrWEcBRT6s6zMd0bpO_vOvwk4RhZDuun-nzqdguwsxd6sE_XIc661Z1vb/s400/nathansavesit.jpg" border="0" /></a>They wouldn't be the 2009 Twins if they don't let a game against the 95-loss Royals in which they led by <em>ten runs </em>get far too interesting, as Kansas City scores the final seven runs in the ballgame but still loses by three. It was all probably a ploy to allow Joe Nathan to break the Twins' single-season saves record with his 46th save of the season, one-upping ex-Twins great Eddie Guardado's mark set in 2002. Though it got much too tense than it should have late in the ballgame, a win's a win, especially considering that Jake Peavy went out for the White Sox and totally dominated Detroit, and the Twins are still alive and kicking, one game out with two to go. If the Twins are to win both games against KC (a tough task considering they've drawn Zach Greinke today), Detroit will have to also win out to take the division without a one-game playoff. The scenario is so eerily similar to 2006, when the Tigers struggled for the last month of the season and limped into the playoffs while the Twins had been the hot team, getting into the playoffs on a high. As things often go, those patterns didn't stay true to form, as Detroit was the team that turned it on in the playoffs, getting to the World Series, and the Twins' season, which for all intents and purposes had ended on the last day of the regular season considering the lack of effort they gave forth in the ALDS against Oakland, was a stupendous flop for me. If the Twins win the division, they're going to celebrate their asses off, and then likely play some of the most embarrassing baseball anyone's ever seen against the Yankees. The biggest problem of this franchise is its mindset -- that a Central Division title is the end-all goal. That mindset owes a <em>whole </em>lot to its major endorser -- Ron Gardenhire.<br /><br /><div>As for Friday's contest, it appeared that the game was over by the second inning. Royals starter Lenny DiNardo was knocked out early after surrendering a Seldom Young grand slam in the first inn<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjICnj406xhc74YKak5A79kUb_cXy3UgbWMImft6pQJ_tZ8um053VJTG8mjPH0go2G-TatLs6L7GegAB6Orw407uO4z5LOhi17B_BL7DEZY-p1FO7nlRZFUzuwd9HHHro61Lc0vFlJwGEn/s1600-h/seldom'sgrandsalami.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5388366246917872594" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 273px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 174px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjICnj406xhc74YKak5A79kUb_cXy3UgbWMImft6pQJ_tZ8um053VJTG8mjPH0go2G-TatLs6L7GegAB6Orw407uO4z5LOhi17B_BL7DEZY-p1FO7nlRZFUzuwd9HHHro61Lc0vFlJwGEn/s400/seldom'sgrandsalami.jpg" border="0" /></a>ing, among six hits he gave up in an inning-plus of work. Jason Kubel notched his 25th home run of the season in the 4th inning, and the entire Twins offense was clicking. In a trip back to simpler times, every Twins starter had at least one hit <em>except Nick Punto</em>, who so often loves being the exception to the rule offensively. Even Matt Tolbert got two hits, making it that much more possible that Ron Gardenhire decides to have a little more confidence in the Punch-and-Judy-meister. Jeff Manship got his first major league win, silencing those doubts as to why a guy who's pitched like regurgitated pumpkin seeds in the big leagues is pitching with the season on the line. The bullpen made it interesting, as always, as the vaunted combo of Crain-Mahay-Keppel allowed the Royals back in the game. On a side note, <em>why </em>is Bobby Keppel in the major leagues? This guy is such absolute garbage is hard to understand how he could make the St. Paul Saints or the Wichita Wingnuts, let alone a major-league roster, <em>let alone a "contending" major league club</em>. Remember the Oakland Disaster? The one game the Twins will look back on after this season and say, "why couldn't we keep a ten-run lead against a last place club?" Well, Keppel was a big part of that, and that question was nearly asked again on Friday, but luckily for the Twins, they held on, and, like Maxwell House, they're in it 'til the last drop.</div><div></div><div><span style="font-size:78%;">Photos: AP/Jim Mone</span></div>Eisenhower McSteelehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13210003626175156955noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4455639405100904174.post-73262109986018844502009-10-02T07:23:00.000-07:002009-10-02T07:38:26.207-07:00OCTOBER 1, 2009 -- MINNESOTA 8, DETROIT 3<div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIq9mMpmTVocnfmT6M1RriNPFHb-P9l0Ymq4DbucVVmzDVvxs6fhGqvVs0WI6YIzky4zS0ycJRNFtba92yyI7qwVNJriNunpuFwZ1B2b-furvDBx34LY6jmOgL-M8BYaVdpwYCZmwI5Stn/s1600-h/seldom-gardy.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5388011681268055234" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 204px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 249px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIq9mMpmTVocnfmT6M1RriNPFHb-P9l0Ymq4DbucVVmzDVvxs6fhGqvVs0WI6YIzky4zS0ycJRNFtba92yyI7qwVNJriNunpuFwZ1B2b-furvDBx34LY6jmOgL-M8BYaVdpwYCZmwI5Stn/s400/seldom-gardy.jpg" border="0" /></a>Scott Baker and the Twins stave off elimination for one more day, as they beat the Tigers in a messy affair that featured a bench-emptying non-skirmish over some hit batsmen. Baker was classic Baker, throwing 105 pitches to get through five innings, but it was good enough as the Twins bats were alive against Nate Robertson and the Tigers. Thirteen hits were spread throughout the Twins lineup, including three by Seldom Young and two by Nick Punto. Orlando Cabrera busted the game open in the eighth with a bases-clearing double that extended the lead from 4-1 to 7-1. For the Twins to win a game in which they committed <em>four errors </em>in the field is miraculous in its own right. All in all, it was a sloppy game, but one in which the Twins absolutely needed to win, and the tease will continue until the final weekend of the year.</div><div><br /> </div><div>The scenario is this: if the Tigers can merely take two out of three this weekend playing against the White Sox at home, they're in the playoffs, no matter what the T<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjK8S-cXmp9ADQnha3v4MdGDnbv9p_1nMNlogh6KZYzS4iB4ylVD7eRqYRpvIt0RWnNIedpSK7dr35jCGZifmyjMGzzcdyXZICuHVq4BHx2hxfVm7JHGH320c41_rI8aGqyhDPJRH2bTef/s1600-h/cabrerra.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5388011837155873954" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 236px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 156px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjK8S-cXmp9ADQnha3v4MdGDnbv9p_1nMNlogh6KZYzS4iB4ylVD7eRqYRpvIt0RWnNIedpSK7dr35jCGZifmyjMGzzcdyXZICuHVq4BHx2hxfVm7JHGH320c41_rI8aGqyhDPJRH2bTef/s400/cabrerra.jpg" border="0" /></a>wins do. The Twins need to win at the very least two games against Kansas City and hope that the Tigers either get swept or win one game. The problem is for the Twins that Zach Greinke pitches on Saturday, and the way the Twins' bats were not producing in pressure situations against Greinke last Sunday, it's going to be extremely tough for them to win that ballgame. So if you can assume that Greinke will lead the Royals to victory on Saturday, that means that the Twins must hope that the White Sox sweep the Tigers. Hey, it's happened before -- remember 2006, when the Twins won only one game against the Sox in the last series of the year, but still won the division thanks to the Royals sweeping the Tigers at Comerica? And Jake Peavy pitches tonight against Detroit, and he shut them down with relative ease last week. So the Twins have a chance, and the last series at the Metrodome will have at least <em>something </em>on the line for the many fans that will choose to attend. It will be a little different scenario than in 1981, when the Royals helped turn out the lights at Metropolitan Stadium. In those days, guys like Hrbek and Gaetti were just getting their first taste of the bigs, while veterans like Pete Mackanin and Rob Wilfong got the majority of the playing time. Nick Punto would've fit right in on <em>that</em> squad.</div><div> </div><div><span style="font-size:78%;">Photos: (1) AP/Duane Burleson; (2) AP/Paul Sancya</span></div>Eisenhower McSteelehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13210003626175156955noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4455639405100904174.post-62226213142018267492009-10-01T08:31:00.000-07:002009-10-01T08:50:18.825-07:00SEPTEMBER 30, 2009 -- DETROIT 7, MINNESOTA 2<div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzawGQHerAtzdMc83aAIkk3M53pg3_gpZJtD9QoeSQ_78ojFQmwZBykXYl3Q5UcOUtyIOaOcQra5HR9n5pCWu5sDKwR_aYpAgLwy0ESB1okqR96IgjenEkPUY5mc_2m80rQ7S0eAyNpo3C/s1600-h/pavano.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5387659035739673954" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 221px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 292px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzawGQHerAtzdMc83aAIkk3M53pg3_gpZJtD9QoeSQ_78ojFQmwZBykXYl3Q5UcOUtyIOaOcQra5HR9n5pCWu5sDKwR_aYpAgLwy0ESB1okqR96IgjenEkPUY5mc_2m80rQ7S0eAyNpo3C/s400/pavano.jpg" border="0" /></a>The Twins are now on the brink of elimination, thanks to a pitiful hitting performance off spot starter Eddie Bonine and terrible pitching by Carl Pavano. After scoring two runs off Bonine in the first on four hits, Jose Morales grounded into a double play, knocking the wind out of the Twins' sails and serving the Tigers really well. Bonine was on the ropes in the first, and had Morales delivered a hit it likely would have ended the night for the Tiger pitcher. Instead, he keeps the damage to a minimum and then watches his offense come back on Pavano and the Twins. The second inning was a classic Detroit hit parade, as Pavano gave up two singles and a walk before back breaking hits by Brandon Inge and Ramon Santiago gave the Tigers a 4-2 lead. The real nail in the coffin came in the fifth, when Magglio Ordonez cleared the gap with a double that extended the lead to 7-2 and effectively put the Twins away. For all the "good" that Pavano has given the Twins -- just listen to Bremer and Blyleven laud Pavano as if he were the second coming of Johan Santana -- he's been supremely average with the Twins, going 4-4 with a 4.50 ERA. Granted, when you have yuksters like Francisco Liriano and Glen Perkins in the rotation before Pavano came over to the Twins, you'll sure as heck take those middling numbers. But when it counted, Pavano failed miserably, and if that was his last start as a Twin, <em>"au revoir</em>."</div><div><br /> </div><div>Th<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_nRNpK6t9XpDwRN85Sio-adAGBUZ1xdThitzc-XsGo9HKNe_Ss53EI-tWVPOfHLHS9bAhDVCWKTxuDzYxpYXy4um1A5myjtALDuTFx2IEbIZqzUagZmqBbptsE7hVOH2wXCv1PsP3UL8i/s1600-h/puntofrustrated.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5387659212864885378" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 171px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 228px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_nRNpK6t9XpDwRN85Sio-adAGBUZ1xdThitzc-XsGo9HKNe_Ss53EI-tWVPOfHLHS9bAhDVCWKTxuDzYxpYXy4um1A5myjtALDuTFx2IEbIZqzUagZmqBbptsE7hVOH2wXCv1PsP3UL8i/s400/puntofrustrated.jpg" border="0" /></a>e Twins' backs are officially against the wall, as they sit three games back with four to play. Thursday's game is an absolute must-win, and in all reality they need to win out while the Tigers need to win no more than one more game. In other words, the Twins have a 4% chance of winning the division, according to the <a href="http://espn.go.com/mlb/standings">ESPN number crunchers.</a> But at the very least, their win on Tuesday clinches a winning season for the Twins, which was something that looked bleak a few weeks ago. After the season I plan on doing a season summary of the Twins and I'll express more there, but what I think is the real tragedy here is that the last two weeks are going to make the previous five and a half months seem insignificant. People are going to remember the 11-2 run and, because of that, consider the season a success, yet another example of the Twins "always being there at the end." It's <em>that </em>sort of thinking that needs to be re-educated, as I think the Twin Cities are the <em>only </em>market in the country that accepts this sort of second-place mediocrity. More to follow next week.</div><div> </div><div><span style="font-size:78%;">Photos: AP/Paul Sancya</span></div>Eisenhower McSteelehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13210003626175156955noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4455639405100904174.post-70932511675337206112009-09-30T07:26:00.000-07:002009-10-01T08:52:03.747-07:00SEPTEMBER 29, 2009 -- MINNESOTA 3-5, DETROIT 2-6<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwABNQmSua5yP_q_FRLIOUlRZKNRMioLFkWtHd-ThnkeCg3OwDklVcMMCRdgsGSzI2PRWPMA5ZZz_hGsk5YRxIdMn1KEDkrUFejp4Tu4h5nv3irMUEy7ghRzFdIOYhV37l-84GIQVSegul/s1600-h/Casilla.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5387270623576757234" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 212px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 285px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwABNQmSua5yP_q_FRLIOUlRZKNRMioLFkWtHd-ThnkeCg3OwDklVcMMCRdgsGSzI2PRWPMA5ZZz_hGsk5YRxIdMn1KEDkrUFejp4Tu4h5nv3irMUEy7ghRzFdIOYhV37l-84GIQVSegul/s400/Casilla.jpg" border="0" /></a> The Twins and Tigers split the twinbill that was prompted by Monday's rain showers, and unfortunately the Twins open play on Wednesday in exactly the same position that they did on Tuesday. Frankly the Twins were lucky to get a split, as they nearly lost the first game all by themselves (namely Mr. Nick Punto). It's ironic that the play from guys like Tolbert and Punto have not been May-esque, i.e. they haven't been <em>losing </em>games consistently like they've done most of the season (or their careers for that matter). What's worse is that this two week stretch of decent play from these guys has made Ron Gardenhire believe that they can be trusted in huge situations. When the season's on the line, Nick Punto will show his true colors, and that wasn't more evident in the ninth inning of the first game, when his suicide squeeze turned out to be one of the most pathetic "ploys" by a "contending" team I've ever seen. It failed miserably for Gardy and company, and if not for a great catch by Denard Span in the bottom of the ninth, the Twins wouldn't have had the opportunity to win it in extra frames.<br /><br />And then the nightcap, where Brian Duensing reverted back to his Douchebag status, at least for 4 and 2/3 innings, when he graciously put the team in a 5-0 hole. The Twins clawed back, getting b<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6oKiJ1mI_jtpZotDlh8Hf9zB2AsEAH64WwugiKK7kWgYLtvmDguLXXIOqafBk-TJGbrwOy-b8xzCSoirm9OK-uRTRxFXtLsW5a-VNVhl5d7khAN2x5bnbKIVA2_h-w_AObDft6Iv4lMun/s1600-h/verlander.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5387270775710372898" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 184px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 244px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6oKiJ1mI_jtpZotDlh8Hf9zB2AsEAH64WwugiKK7kWgYLtvmDguLXXIOqafBk-TJGbrwOy-b8xzCSoirm9OK-uRTRxFXtLsW5a-VNVhl5d7khAN2x5bnbKIVA2_h-w_AObDft6Iv4lMun/s400/verlander.jpg" border="0" /></a>ack to 5-4 against Tigers ace Justin Verlander, but still could not afford the big hit in the big situation. Jim Leyland, to his credit, kept his ace pitcher in for the pressure situations. For the second time this month, he let Verlander pitch into the eighth inning against the Twins when his pitch count was over 120, something that Ron Gardenhire would probably have a heart attack <em>just thinking about</em>. Verlander got the strikeouts in the clutch situations, and certainly deserved to win. The game was still within reach, however, until Matty Guerrier came in to "hold the fort" down in the eighth, and he gave up that oh-so-important insurance run compliments of a Curtis Granderson home run. Sure enough, the Twins rally to get one run in the top of the ninth (ironically, on a fly ball Granderson misplayed for a double). Guerrier hasn't pitched much of late and the least he can do is get three guys out to protect a one-run deficit. But we all know that Guerrier late in the season <em>loves </em>to suck, so this was a fitting performance from a terrible reliever.<br /><br />I'm not willing to forget that ninth inning quickly, either, when Ron<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsFxDrmqClqfwVeyTDpL1EK8YopmmIqrYBax8kqRaRYqT06qJT0m-atPgw4dxP-UXlGzxbSYNrwcB1CBk87BT4BuzTZtrdA0lqPHJ8bweg9reqxFxHeg8gLbyaIglE_CuOhhSf834FQOak/s1600-h/cab-punto.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5387270990549918306" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 187px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 204px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsFxDrmqClqfwVeyTDpL1EK8YopmmIqrYBax8kqRaRYqT06qJT0m-atPgw4dxP-UXlGzxbSYNrwcB1CBk87BT4BuzTZtrdA0lqPHJ8bweg9reqxFxHeg8gLbyaIglE_CuOhhSf834FQOak/s400/cab-punto.jpg" border="0" /></a> Gardenhire, in his infinite wisdom, allowed Tolbert and Punto <em>to hit for themselves </em>against Tiger closer Fernando Rodney. Punto was up there and his fly ball to Granderson was nothing more than a medium-deep drive to center that Granderson misplayed. In other words, Gardenhire was willing <em>to end the game with Nick Punto at the plate</em>. Yeah, both players have been playing better and they're no longer flirting with the Mendoza Line. <em>But the fact remains is that both players are still pathetic excuses for a major league baseball player. </em>Tolbert's hitting a paltry .223, and Punto's .232 average is certainly peckish. You've got guys on the bench that, while they're not all that great (Buscher and Harris come to mind immediately), they're not in the league of futility that those to "ballplayers" belong in. But if you ask Ron Gardenhire, I <em>guarantee </em>he'll tell you that a major reason the Twins have gotten back in the race is because of Punto and Tolbert hitting "like they're capable of." This is who we're dealing with, people. A man who has faith in Nick Punto.<br /><br />The Twins get to face the Tigers' version of Douchebag (or would it be Manship?) in Eddie Bonine tonight, but let's not forget that Bonine took a no-hitter into the sixth inning in his last start against the White Sox before finally giving up a few runs. Carl Pavano's been great against the Tigers this year, and expect Dick Bremer to mention <em>that </em>about fifteen times before 6:30. For all intents and purposes, the Twins need to win the last two games to have a realistic shot at the division. Something tells me that this has all been one big tease.<br /><span style="font-size:78%;">Photos: (1) AP/Paul Sancya; (2,3) AP/Duane Burleson</span>Eisenhower McSteelehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13210003626175156955noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4455639405100904174.post-8092213344296266402009-09-28T07:25:00.000-07:002009-09-28T07:39:22.685-07:00SEPTEMBER 27, 2009 -- KANSAS CITY 4, MINNESOTA 1<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqm7k0nCd3dfLad4OHtvWpqhOhfTe6rY6zg1a85NqR5eeurJcAhCc8ErY-KFVranKY4GKa70HBAMcWdPhGxSY9tu1yMeTF_Bh_R58-gcQxGqu11JlhBwQ2seq7g7-APdDUea0OGQ83O5Lo/s1600-h/greinke.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5386527551236591186" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 209px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 284px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqm7k0nCd3dfLad4OHtvWpqhOhfTe6rY6zg1a85NqR5eeurJcAhCc8ErY-KFVranKY4GKa70HBAMcWdPhGxSY9tu1yMeTF_Bh_R58-gcQxGqu11JlhBwQ2seq7g7-APdDUea0OGQ83O5Lo/s400/greinke.jpg" border="0" /></a>The Twins revert back to their old ways, i.e. they go an incredible <em>1 for 14 with runners in scoring position </em>against Zach Greinke and the Royals. What's funny is that the Twins were handling Greinke as good as any team has been, but when it came down to getting the clutch hit at the right time, the Twins were out to lunch. It sure didn't help that Francisco Liriano's "start" didn't go over too swimmingly, as he didn't even last two innings after giving up a three-run home run to arguably the worst player this side of Nick Punto, Yuniesky Betancourt. The Twins failing in the clutch is nothing new, of course, but what is notable is that the guys who really choked were the big boys -- Mauer and Kubel, to be precise, who both struck out in the third inning with the bases loaded. The Twins had a <em>bevy </em>of chances, and though Greinke is a superb pitcher and was able to work out of most of the jams, the Twins must take responsibility of losing what turned out to be a winnable game. It hurts even more when you see that the Tigers lost their game in Chicago; with both teams losing, the gap between the Twins and Tigers is still two games.<br /><br /><div>The Twins now travel to Detroit for the "Showdown in Motown," or whatever overhyped moniker they choose to attach to the series. If the Tigers win the series, they win the division, and in all reality the Twins need to take three out of four<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkOyAMsH32M4-RSSGwBXF4-oTdKLXRgQblUho4YX5Kq5evpx3sPwwf6edzR-R_MkWXv9zD3hhkDbd7tj0zsUkkJpJoCF5zI8_wozuIqRH7_oaIpEe0fs68k0XrBKHg7coTgWglaqkJo9I8/s1600-h/kubelbatslam.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5386527746342664706" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 179px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 216px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkOyAMsH32M4-RSSGwBXF4-oTdKLXRgQblUho4YX5Kq5evpx3sPwwf6edzR-R_MkWXv9zD3hhkDbd7tj0zsUkkJpJoCF5zI8_wozuIqRH7_oaIpEe0fs68k0XrBKHg7coTgWglaqkJo9I8/s400/kubelbatslam.jpg" border="0" /></a> to make it interesting. A split would mean that the Twins would have to basically hope for a miracle to win the division. The way the pitching matchups line up, it would appear that the Twins would catch a break or two; Eddie Bonine and Nate Robertson are both slated to start games in the series, and they're not exactly intimidating hurlers to face. To give the Twins credit, they have made this series relevant, which is noteworthy when you consider that on Labor Day the Twins were seven games behind the Tigers. But the season still cannot be anything but a huge disappointment if the team doesn't finish in first place. For most teams, of course, the World Series is the ultimate goal, but in Twins Territory, winning the Central Division appears to be the holy grail, which would help to explain the Twins' pathetic showings in the playoffs in this decade (nothing left to play for, since the "goal" has been achieved). Here's to the Twins making it interesting in the Motor City.</div><div></div><div><span style="font-size:78%;">Photos: AP/Ed Zurga</span></div>Eisenhower McSteelehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13210003626175156955noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4455639405100904174.post-67697832087263582742009-09-27T08:31:00.000-07:002009-09-27T08:49:28.137-07:00SEPTEMBER 26, 2009 -- MINNESOTA 11, KANSAS CITY 6<div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiWx5lrbAvz9eiWIeqfzRXFboH0CulQCnvlm5l5OshhlEZmLpXk0X9jLVWG652F_G8pFLjHHsPx4urGzJLSh-5LKKwsuf8p6oS7blmv60bJbAbNyvThWtEisDiNNQD7CmzT0fk6iwBDJkp/s1600-h/span.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5386174594471521202" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 216px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 270px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiWx5lrbAvz9eiWIeqfzRXFboH0CulQCnvlm5l5OshhlEZmLpXk0X9jLVWG652F_G8pFLjHHsPx4urGzJLSh-5LKKwsuf8p6oS7blmv60bJbAbNyvThWtEisDiNNQD7CmzT0fk6iwBDJkp/s400/span.jpg" border="0" /></a>The Twins continue their hot streak, as Denard Span carries the team to its eleventh win in its last twelve games. There really needs to be more extolling of Span's value to this team, as I think he should be considered as valuable to the Twins' success than Mauer or Morneau is or was. <em>From the leadoff spot, </em>Span goes 4 for 5 <em>with six RBIs</em>, doing more than just setting the table for the Twins offense. He's putting dinner on the table and doing the dishes too -- in other words, he was like a 19th-century housewife on Saturday. Span was one of the major reasons that the Twins were as close as they were last season, doing everything that Carlos Gomez could do and a whole lot more. He's now got the eighth-best batting average in the AL <em>and </em>he's on the leaderboard with his stellar .393 on-base percentage. Quite simply, the Twins wouldn't even be close without Span, <em>especially </em>considering the cavity that the 2 hole has been all season long. </div><div><br /> </div><div>Scott Baker struggled early, giving up two home runs to the Royals in the second inning, but then settled down and pitched into the seventh inning, notching his fourteenth win on the <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhz3ulIEEDJ-Di__rgVZdzYQU-gTe4qXegze-JZiwTFNwJQjOmewhgKMW6Cc2krVX5vgxhGoO8OfFqVJpM207g1NnBVNx3amPCFOK191uKc5hAgUkufxQJsqty2A_1c5o1Aq4DIx2Y2RgU4/s1600-h/Baker2.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5386174722801004754" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 295px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 200px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhz3ulIEEDJ-Di__rgVZdzYQU-gTe4qXegze-JZiwTFNwJQjOmewhgKMW6Cc2krVX5vgxhGoO8OfFqVJpM207g1NnBVNx3amPCFOK191uKc5hAgUkufxQJsqty2A_1c5o1Aq4DIx2Y2RgU4/s400/Baker2.jpg" border="0" /></a>season. The key play in the entire game was in the top of the fourth inning, when the Royals' patheticness shone through, when their version of Orlando Cabrerror, Yuniesky Betancourt, committed an error that directly led to four runs scoring. Instead of getting out of the inning ahead 2-1, Lenny DiNardo and the Royals were down 5-2, the big hit coming on Span's bases-clearing triple. Again the opponent's futility opens the door for the Twins to take advantage. The thing is, nowadays the Twins are capitalizing on those mistakes, whereas just a few weeks ago they would have let them slip through their fingers. The Twins are actually <em>fun </em>to watch right now, and they'll give Zach Greinke a run for his money this afternoon. The way the Twins' bats are swinging right now, they might be able to hit Bob Gibson. Francisco Liriano doesn't strike any fear in anybody right now, however, and the Royals will be glad to see him.</div><div> </div><div><span style="font-size:78%;">Photos: AP/Ed Zurga</span></div>Eisenhower McSteelehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13210003626175156955noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4455639405100904174.post-2859434980611739942009-09-26T08:17:00.000-07:002009-09-26T08:31:46.485-07:00SEPTEMBER 25, 2009 -- MINNESOTA 9, KANSAS CITY 4<div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCaWL-RTwHMSGPLaopIynnj_8GQOBJLL6CtKp7MzyEUVze1C23ee8BDEnutO_8IZzTphH-IiAkPeGx_bSgbL7ohFbRxudQCnYmJwNrOkwtzJ12amoLUCGzbJzmy8dwzXLQvU5n2Qp-ATXg/s1600-h/Cudd.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5385798792270556162" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 206px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 265px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCaWL-RTwHMSGPLaopIynnj_8GQOBJLL6CtKp7MzyEUVze1C23ee8BDEnutO_8IZzTphH-IiAkPeGx_bSgbL7ohFbRxudQCnYmJwNrOkwtzJ12amoLUCGzbJzmy8dwzXLQvU5n2Qp-ATXg/s400/Cudd.jpg" border="0" /></a>You know you're going good when you score four runs in an inning and get exactly <em>one hit </em>in that inning. That was precisely the case Friday night against the lowly Royals, and it led to the relatively easy 9-4 win against Kansas City. Orlando Cabrera had the lone hit of that fifth inning -- a single to right field -- and then the Twins took <em>three consecutive walks with the bases loaded</em>, just a sampling of the five free passes the Royals surrendered in that inning alone, and eight walks altogether on the evening. Considering that the Twins were facing <em>that </em>kind of talent, you damn well better win the ballgame, and with the Tigers losing to the hands of Jake Peavy and the White Sox, the gap is narrowed again to two games. Michael Cuddyer hit his thirtieth home run of the season (who woulda thunk it?) and Seldom Young added an inconsequential dinger in the ninth (who <em>really </em>woulda thunk that?) to help propel the offense, and Carl Pavano won his fourth game as a Twin, going six innings that would have been great had it not been for two Billy Butler home runs. It really doesn't matter how the Twins do it at this point in the season -- as long as there are wins, the improbable comeback can live for another day. </div><div><br /> </div><div>Saturday's game has a whole lot of importance <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyiJ99g7bs3ko80S_ivOeAPlVIH7KS1_k1PG2pZQW_RYDM8qIaelT3TZIVRQF07ls45onnXIbEDJ1Du4y8cAG9y674EFimJpdIUyEdNXsUwAPp8lCNWmn1CSuDFxkqmO6HOs6kqH-9oGQP/s1600-h/bake.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5385799022253461986" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 186px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 226px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyiJ99g7bs3ko80S_ivOeAPlVIH7KS1_k1PG2pZQW_RYDM8qIaelT3TZIVRQF07ls45onnXIbEDJ1Du4y8cAG9y674EFimJpdIUyEdNXsUwAPp8lCNWmn1CSuDFxkqmO6HOs6kqH-9oGQP/s400/bake.jpg" border="0" /></a>attached to it, what with the fact that Zach Greinke, who has arguably been pitching better in the last month than he was in April and May (and that's really saying something), is pitching on Sunday afternoon. As long as the Twins don't completely lose it before they get to Detroit on Monday, they'll have a chance, and that's better than what they could have said just two weeks ago. Scott Baker has cooled off considerably since his 10-1 stretch that he compiled from June through August, and he's actually pitched pretty poorly as of late. He's the only Twins pitcher to lose a game since the 12th of September, and that was the finale of the Tiger series that may end up being the costliest loss of the year. Sure, his mound opponent is the retread Lenny DiNardo, the owner of some pretty ugly 2009 numbers and some pretty humdrum career marks, but the big key in Saturday's game is Baker. If the Twins lose, it's because Baker again lost all that mound presence that we all know he can show, and starts nitpicking with his pitches. Let's hope Baker hasn't lingered on Sunday's pathetic start and he can put up some zeroes for the Twins tonight.</div><div> </div><div><span style="font-size:78%;">Photos: (1) AP/Charlie Riedel; (2) AP/Paul Battaglia</span></div>Eisenhower McSteelehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13210003626175156955noreply@blogger.com0