Fanatic Jack Talks Twins

My Favorite Baseball Flicks.

2012-02-03T00:33:00.001-06:00

1. The Natural
This film tells the story of Roy Hobbs, a talented young player who is shot in the prime of his life by an obsessed fan. He comes back to play one season for the New York Knights as a middle-aged-rookie. Hobbs and his magical bat "Wonderboy" help turn around a losing team for Pop Fisher despite a clash with the owners. It is based on a novel by Bernard Malamud and the real life of Eddie Waitkus who was shot by a woman named Ruth Ann Steinhagen in 1949.

2. Pride of the Yankees
This movie is about Yankee great Lou Gehrig played by Gary Cooper and made in 1942. It depicts a shy over-protected boy who plays baseball for the New York Yankees instead of becoming an engineer like his mother wanted. He finds great success on the ball field as a player and in his personal life when he marries Eleanor Twitchell. He is nicknamed the Iron Horse for playing in 2,130 consecutive games before his career his cut short by Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis.

3. Major League
New Cleveland Indians owner Rachel Phelps puts together a horrible team hoping they will lose enough games so she can move the club to Florida. When the players find out what is going on, they rally together in protest and start winning.

4. 61
This film is about the home run race of 1961 between the popular Mickey Mantle and the introvert Roger Maris. It was directed by actor Billy Crystal. The M & M boys play for the New York Yankees and try to eclipse Babe Ruth's single season home run record. Everyone wants Mantle to break the record but Maris emerged from the shadows to outdo him. Maris struggles with the attention and pressure of playing in a big city like New York.

5. The Rookie
A very under-rated movie cracking my top five list. Dennis Quaid plays the troubled Jimmy Morris a high school teacher and baseball coach in Big Lake Texas. He makes a promise to his players to try out for a professional team if they win the district championship. At 35 years old he tries out for the Tampa Bay Devil Rays and discovers he can throw a fastball 98 MPH. He signed a minor league contract and played two seasons with the Devil Rays before he retired. This movie is based on a true story and the writers do an outstanding job of keeping everything accurate.

6. Field of Dreams

7. Bull Durham

8. A League of Their Own

9. For Love of the Game

10. Fever Pitch

11. Little Big League

12. The Babe

13. Cobb

14. Eight Men Out

15. The Bad News Bears (Original in 1976)

16. The Sandlot

17. The Stratton Story

18. Angels in the Outfield (Film in 1994)

19. Moneyball

20. Mr. 3000

Best Documentary is Baseball by Ken Burns.

Tell me what you think and let the debate begin. Please feel free to leave me any comments because your opinion matters to me.

Live Twins Chat.

2012-01-19T17:37:00.000-06:00

Twins Chat

Twins Sign Joel Zumaya.

2012-01-18T19:29:00.002-06:00

The Twins signed right-handed reliever Joel Zumaya to a one-year major league contract after he passed a physical examination today. The deal is worth between $800.000 to $1.7 million and the team can option out of his contract at spring training if things do not work out. Zumaya came up when he was 21 years old but has only thrown 209.2 IP with a 3.05 ERA in six seasons because of injuries. He was once thought to be the future closer of the Detroit Tigers because his stuff was so devastating. He suffered a fracture to his right elbow back in June of 2010 at Target Field and has never recovered. General Manager Terry Ryan is trying to catch lightening in a bottle because Zumaya ia a low-risk, high-reward type of player. Scouts from twenty different teams watched Zumaya throw between 92-94 MPH during a workout in December 2011. Please feel free to leave me any comments because your opinion matters to me.

Notable Changes.

2011-12-25T10:19:00.002-06:00

Merry Christmas to everyone in Twins Territory!! As some of you might know, I pay particular close attention to the jersey numbers worn by the players and have been known to buy a few of them myself. No matter what happens on the field the name on the front is always more important than the one on the back. I have a few good sources who shared some information with me and it was confirmed by the Twins President on Twitter over the last week. Here are some notable changes taking place for a few of the players in 2012.

Jamey Carroll will wear jersey No. 8.

Ryan Doumit will wear jersey No. 18.

Josh Willingham will wear jersey No. 16.

Jason Marquis will wear jersey No. 21.

Update: Joel Zumaya will wear jersey No. 54.

Danny Valencia will switch from No. 19 and now wear jersey No. 22.

Most people probably find the above changes boring but it has not been posted anywhere as of yet. I can't imagine anything worse for fans who buy a jersey only to watch a player change their number or leave the team as a free agent. This happened to many people when Justin Morneau switched from No. 27 to 33 and for me when Carlos Gomez was traded. Please feel free to leave me any comments because your opinion matters to me.

Welcome to Kmart!!

2011-12-23T08:36:00.001-06:00

When GM Terry Ryan took over in November he said payroll would be close to $100 million. This sent shock waves through Minnesota because it meant payroll would be slashed by $15 million. How can a team with a brand new ballpark built by taxpayers, and sellouts every night, think about cutting payroll? The simpliest answer is the Pohlad family is C-H-E-A-P!! They are raking in money since moving into Target Field and are more interested in making a buck than putting a winning product on the field. This is probably the main reason why Ryan was brought back because nobody can save or stretch a dollar like him. The Twins decided not to re-sign three very popular players Nathan, Cuddyer, and Kubel. However, Ryan countered the losses by spending less money to sign Capps, Carroll, Doumit, and Willingham. Up to this point everybody in Twins Territory was feeling pretty good about the 2012 season. Just get some quality pitching and everything will be ok.

The Twins followed the flashing blue light to aisle 6 at Kmart and signed pitcher Jason Marquis to 1-year deal worth $3 million. Marquis is a groundball pitcher who can't strikeout anybody. He has a career 5.2 K/9 ratio and his fastball tops out at 89 MPH. Marquis was also hurt last season and reminds fans of the glory days when Ramon Ortiz, Sidney Ponson, and Bob Tewksbury took the mound every 5th day. The only problem with this accessment is all of the above pitchers are better than Marquis. The Twins failed to get a starter needed to bolster a bad rotation and to make matters worse have done nothing to address the bullpen. The good news is at least the Pohlad family saved some money for Christmas. The front office continues to say they are trying to compete in 2012 but that appears to be impossible. Like they say at Kmart "Shop Smart. Shop Kmart." Please feel free to leave me any comments because your opinion matters to me.

Willingham Signs with Twins is Cuddyer Next?

2011-12-15T17:01:00.003-06:00

The Twins signed free agent outfielder Josh Willingham to a 3-year, $21 million contract after he passed his physical Thursday morning. The deal has one incentive worth an additional $1 million in 2014 if he makes 525 or more plate appearances in 2013. He is expected to play every day and be a middle of the lineup run producer if he stays healthy. Willingham hit .246/.332/.477 with 29 HRs and 98 RBIs in 2011. The only concern is his batting average slipped a few points and he struckout 150 times. It is unknown where he will play in the outfield at this time.

The reason it's unknown is because the Twins have not closed the door on re-signing Michael Cuddyer. The front office is hopeful it can persuade him to return to the only team he has ever played for. The Twins made a 3-yr, $25 million contract offer to Cuddyer back on December 6th and still have not heard back from him. It is reported the Rockies have also offered him a 3-year deal worth more money and he has not spoken to them either. There are a few other teams interested in Cuddyer like the Phillies, Mariners, and Reds but none of them have made official offers. I would have to think that Cuddyer will make his decision soon.

We were told by GM Terry Ryan the payroll would be around $100 million for 2012. The Twins are at $96 million after signing Willingham and they still need substantial pitching help. I just don't see how the team can afford to take on another $8-10 million a year for Cuddyer and upgrade the pitching staff too. I believe there has been a public outcry from fans to keep Cuddyer and management is trying to rectify it by keeping their contract offer on the table. When he signs elsewhere they can say "We love Cuddyer and wanted to keep him." However, maybe Cuddyer gives fans an early Christmas present and accepts the offer to return to Twins Territory.

Update: Michael Cuddyer agreed to a 3-year deal worth $31.5 million with the Colorado Rockies on Friday morning. I would have liked him to re-sign with the Twins but not for that kind of dough. The Rockies are insane!! Please feel free to leave me any comments because your opinion matters to me.

Mijares, Hoey, and Cuddyer.

2011-12-12T20:41:00.005-06:00

The Twins non-tendered LH reliever Jose Mijares on Monday and he becomes a free agent. I believe management got tired of dealing with Mijares about his weight, attitude, and inconsistency on the mound. Let's also not forget Mijares reported late for spring training two times in the last three years. He went 0-2 with a 4.59 ERA in 49 IP during the 2011 season. The most troubling statistic was his K/9 ratio fell from 7.7 to 5.5 and his BB/9 numbers went from 2.5 to 5.5. This move was surprising to me because Mijares was only set to make about $1 million in arbitration at the most. However, the team has many LH relief options in the bullpen with Perkins, Duensing, and Scott Diamond.

The Twins placed RH pitcher Jim Hoey on waivers and he was claimed by the Toronto Blue Jays. Hoey was thought to be the key player received from the Orioles in the J.J. Hardy trade in 2010. He struggled in 2011 going 1-2 with a 5.47 ERA in 24.2 IP. Hoey had a 95-96 MPH fastball but never developed a second pitch to go along with it. Considering the offensive season Hardy (30 HRs and 80 RBIs) had in Baltimore it's safe to say this trade was a disaster. The team also optioned new acquired shortstop Pedro Florimon back to Rochester. There are now three open spots on the active 40-man roster with more moves coming.

The Twins are still waiting for Michael Cuddyer to make a decision on the contract offer (3-yrs and $25 million) they made to him last Tuesday at the winter meetings. The only other team in the mix for Cuddyer are the Colorado Rockies but it's uncertain if they have made an official offer. I really have no idea what to expect here or why this is taking so long. Either Cuddyer's agent is trying to drive the price up or he just does not want to come back to Minnesota. His return looks questionable at best right now. Clearly other teams have no interest in paying that much money for a slightly above average corner outfielder. I would like the Twins to sign free agent outfielder Josh Willingham because he is cheaper and a better player. To miss out on both right-handed hitters would be a very tough pill to swallow. Please feel free to leave me any comments because your opinion matter to me.

Matt Capps to Re-sign with Twins.

2011-12-05T19:22:00.004-06:00

Matt Capps will sign a one-year, $4.5 million deal to stay with the Twins pending a physical. The deal includes a $6 million option for 2013 and a $250.000 buyout. He will be forever linked as the player that cost the club stud catching prospect Wilson Ramos. He came to Minnesota at the trade deadline in 2010 and was thought to be the final piece the team needed to make a deep playoff run. Capps was awesome in the second-half going 2-0 with a 2.00 ERA in 27 IP. Unfortunately, he never even had a save opportunity in the playoffs as the Twins were swept again by the Yankees in the first round. Last winter Capps was offered arbitration and signed a one-year contract worth $7.15 million. Most fans were furious about spending so much money on a setup man. The 2011 season was a unmitigated disaster for Capps as he went 4-7 with a steep 4.25 ERA in 65.2 IP. He had a career high 9 blown saves and was booed on a regular basis at Target Field. The most troubling statistic for me was his SO/9 ratio slipped from 7.0 to 4.7. After the season ended it leaked out Capps had been pitching with a forearm strain. He was also moved around a lot last year in the bullpen and never settled into one specific role. Hopefully Capps will be healthy in 2012 and have a bounceback season.

Earlier in the day the Twins claimed shortstop Pedro Florimon from the Baltimore Orioles and placed him on their 40-man roster. There are many rumors floating around in Dallas about the Twins. Please feel free to leave me any comments because your opinion matters to me.

Pitching Help Wanted.

2011-11-30T00:13:00.002-06:00

Please join me for another edition of Twins Talk tonight on BTR from 9:00-10:00 P.M. The show will include special guests Jim Crikket of Knuckleballs and Andrew Bryz-Gornia of Off The Mark . We will discuss team payroll, free agents, MLB winter meetings next week, and the need for pitching help.

Triumphant Return.

2011-11-22T20:34:00.003-06:00

I am officially back at Blog Talk Radio after being gone for almost ten months. I will broadcast live Wednesday nights from 9:00-10:00 P.M. keeping my original time slot. Please join me tomorrow for my triumphant return with a 90 minute edition of Twins Talk. Special guests will include Seth Stohs of SethSpeaks and John Bonnes of the TwinsGeek. I encourage all listeners to get involved and ask questions. Please feel free to leave me any comments because your opinion matters to me.

Joe Nathan Leaves.

2011-11-22T00:00:00.000-06:00

Joe Nathan agreed to sign a two-year deal worth $14.5 million with the Texas Rangers. The contract has a team option for 2014. Nathan had a $12.5 million team option with Minnesota for 2012 but it was declined. Nathan was traded to the Twins on November 15, 2004 from San Francisco along with pitchers Francisco Liriano and Boof Bonser for catcher A.J. Pierzynski. This might be one of the most lopsided trades in MLB history. Nathan went 24-13 with a 2.16 ERA, 260 saves (club leader) in seven incredible seasons with the Twins. He also made the All-Star team (2004, 2005, 2008, 2009) four times. I feel like a big part of the Twins just died and went south to Texas. Good luck Joe and Happy 37th Birthday!! Please feel free to leave me any comments because your opinion matters to me.

Twins Sign Ryan Doumit.

2011-11-18T16:40:00.002-06:00

The Twins have agreed to sign Ryan Doumit to a one-year, $3 million deal with incentives. The contract will be finalized after he takes a physical exam. Doumit is only 30 but has struggled to stay healthy at times. This is most likely the reason why the Twins managed to get him so cheap. Doumit is a switch hitter with power from both sides of the plate. He is a career .271/.334/.442 hitter with 67 HRs and 266 RBIs in 7 seasons playing for the Pittsburgh Pirates. He was a Type B free agent and it is unknown if the Twins will have to relinguish a draft pick yet. The best thing about this signing is the versatility of Doumit. He can play multiple positions including catcher, 1B, right field, or DH. He is not a very good defender but makes up for it with his stick. Make no mistake about it, this was an insurance policy for the health of Mauer and Morneau. Nobody really knows what to expect from either of them in 2012.

Today was the last day to add minor league prospects to the 40-man roster or risk losing them in the Rule 5 draft. The Twins added RH pitcher Carlos Gutierrez, outfielder Oswaldo Arcia, and LH pitcher Tyler Robertson to the roster and removed RH pitcher David Bromberg. The Twins also signed former Angels reliever Jason Bulger to a minor-league deal. It was a busy day in Twins Territory. Please feel free to leave me any comments because your opinion matters to me.

Twins Agree to Sign Jamey Carroll.

2011-11-11T17:17:00.006-06:00

The Twins agreed to sign middle infielder Jamey Carroll to a two-year contract worth $6.75 million. There is a $2 million vesting option for 2014 if Carroll receives more than 400 at bats in 2013. The deal is expected to be announced after he passes a physical exam. Carroll is one of those players who is often overlooked by many baseball people. However, he is a career .278/.356/.348 hitter and also a very solid defensive player. He will be an immediate upgrade for a club desperate to shore up their infield defense. Carroll turns 38 in February but has only been put on the disabled list once (2009) in ten seasons as a professional player.

Carroll is projected to be the starting shortstop but might be better suited to play second base. Either way it is guaranteed Carroll will bat 2nd in the lineup because he is an on base machine (Lifetime .356 OBP). The one thing to remember is he is just a stopgap until a younger player takes over. My guess is Brian Dozier will be the starting shortstop in 2013 because he is loved by the organization. This was a solid move and it leaves the team with plenty of money to spend on other needs. This is the typical veteran signing by Ryan and it's only the beginning. Please feel free to leave me any comments because your opinion matters to me.

Interview with Twins President.

2011-11-09T07:32:00.000-06:00

I co-hosted Inside Pitch last night with Dez Tobin and we interviewed the Twins President Dave St. Peter. You can listen to the episode here at 612 Sports.

Smith Fired as GM and Replaced by Ryan.

2011-11-07T16:09:00.011-06:00

Bill Smith was fired today as general manager of the Twins and replaced by Terry Ryan on a interim basis. Christmas has come early to Minnesota because the genius is back!! This move is a complete shocker to most fans and seemed to come out of nowhere. The reason given by President Dave St. Peter in the press conference this afternoon was "Philosophical differences." Smith took over for Ryan on September 13, 2007 but is responsible some of the worst trades (Santana, Young, Hardy, Ramos) in team history. The most troubling decision for me was refusing to trade future free agents (Cuddyer, Kubel, Nathan, Capps) at the trade deadline in July. They could of received a nice package of prospects but instead Smith decided to hold on to them. Although nobody in the front office wants to admit it, these moves clearly set the organization back many years.

The Twins are at a critical juncture in the off-season with free agency having started and the winter meetings December 5-8 in Dallas, Texas. The team has to fill several holes, some created by Smith, at shortstop, catcher, starting pitcher, and bullpen. One thing we don't have to worry about is Terry Ryan making many bad trades like Smith. I wrote a post back in August comparing their resumes. You be the judge?

2012 Off-Season Blueprint.

2011-10-29T00:28:00.040-05:00

The 2011 MLB season is officially over with the St. Louis Cardinals winning their 11th World Series in team history. Although it is very depressing baseball will not be played for the next four months, at least it closes the book on one of the worst seasons ever for the Twins since moving to Minnesota in 1961. The front office has their work cut out for them if the team has any chance to compete in 2012. Here is my off-season blueprint for a club with many holes to fill and about $30-35 million to spend.

- Decline the $12.5 million option on closer Joe Nathan (Already done) and try to resign him for less money. I would not offer him more than a 2-year deal worth $12 million. There are many closers on the market and Nathan turns 37 in November. Glen Perkins proved this year he is ready to be the future closer.

- Let Matt Capps leave without offering him arbitration. I defended Capps in the past but not anymore. I can't believe we traded catcher Wilson Ramos for him.

- Offer Michael Cuddyer arbitration and he will reject it. Another team will sign Cuddyer and the Twins will get two number one draft picks as compensation for him being a Type A free agent. Just because he is a right-handed hitter and provides some leadership does not justify signing him to an inflated 3-year, $30 million deal. He will be 33 in March and is just not worth that kind of money.

- Offer Jason Kubel arbitration and pray he accepts. Otherwise sign him to a 3-year, $21 million deal with extra incentives added in for games played, home runs, and RBIs. Kubel is only 29 years old and is entering the prime of his career. He has much more power than Cuddyer and is a better overall hitter.

- Offering LH pitcher Francisco Liriano arbitration is an absolute no brainer despite him making between $5-6 million. I would make one last attempt to sign him to a 3-4 year deal. He had a terrible 5.09 ERA in 134.1 IP and would come cheaper than last year. I really believe the coaching staff (Anderson and Gardenhire) messed this talented young kid up by telling him to pitch to contact. Can you imagine what a good pitching coach like Dave Duncan could do with him.

- I would offer LH reliever Jose Mijares arbitration considering it will only cost about $1 million. He had a inconstent season with a high 4.59 ERA in 49 IP. He is still only 26 years old and has some upside. Control and weight continue to be his biggest challenges.

- Offer starting pitcher Kevin Slowey arbitration and try to trade him. There has to be some team willing to give you something decent in return for him. A change of scenery would benefit both Slowey and the Twins.

- Alexi Casilla and Glen Perkins should and will be offered arbitration. Casilla had a terrible start but bounced back nicely before being injured in July. Perkins dominated hitters for much of the year as the setup man with a 96-97 MPH fastball. He will be the closer if Nathan does not return.

- Let Jason Repko, Matt Tolbert, and Phil Dumatrait all leave as free agents (Already done). None of these players are big losses and it will save the team about $2.3 million.

- Sign one of the free agent starting pitchers.
1. LH Mark Buehrle (Tops my wish list).
2. LH Erik Bedard
3. RH Hisashi Iwakuma
4. RH Edwin Jackson

- Sign two of the free agent relief pitchers.
1. RH Michael Wuertz (#1 target).
2. RH Frank Francisco
3. RH Francisco Rodriguez
4. RH Dan Wheeler (If $3 million option is declined by Boston).
5. RH Jon Rauch (If $3.75 team option is declined by Toronto).
6. RH Chad Qualls (If $6 million team option is declined by San Diego).

- Sign one of the free agent middle infielders.
1. 2B/SS Ramon Santiago (Undervalued).
2. SS Cliff Barmes
3. 2B/SS Nick Punto
4. SS Alex Gonzalez
5. 2B Mark Ellis
6. 2B/3B. Jack Hannahan (If declined arbitration by Cleveland).
7. SS. Yuniesky Betancourt (If $6 million team option is declined by Milwaukee).

- Sign one of the free agent catchers.
1. Jose Molina (If Shopach is not available).
2. Ramon Hernandez
3. Rod Barajas
4. Kelly Shopach (If $3.2 million team option is declined by TB).

-Possible trade candidates.
1. RHP James Shields ($7 million team option will be picked up by TB and could be traded).
2. LHP Wandy Rodriguez (Expensive).
3. LHP Jonathan Sanchez (Will be tendered and possibly traded).
4. C Miguel Oliva (Very good defensive catcher with power).
5. 2B/SS Jed Lowrie (Boston wants too much in return).
6. SS Brendan Ryan (Great defensive player).
7. RHP Drew Storen (Could Span for Storen talks start up again?).

This is a very critical off-season for the Twins. I have trouble seeing the current GM Bill Smith making the right moves and turning this thing around in one year. Anything is possible but a wise person has to think maybe 2013 or 2014 might be a more attainable goal for the team to reach. Feel free to leave me any comments because your opinion matters to me.

Not Spantastic!!

2011-10-09T14:56:00.001-05:00

Denard Span was drafted in the 1st round (20th pick) of the 2002 amateur draft by the Minnesota Twins. He was considered to be the future centerfielder and replacement for Torii Hunter. He struggled in the minors so much at times the team actually traded Johan Santana for a deal centered around the gregarious enigma Carlos Gomez. Span just missed making the roster out of spring training in 2008 and actually cried when he was sent back to Rochester. One week later he was called up because of a injury to Michael Cuddyer and made his professional debut against the Kansas City Royals on April 6. He surprised everybody with his discipline at the plate, on base skills, and his tremendous athletic ability in the outfield. Span endured one more small setback when he was sent back to Rochester but by the end of May he was in the lineup everyday.

Span put up some great numbers hitting .294/.387/.432 with 18 stolen bases in only 93 games. He followed up a fantastic rookie season by hitting .311/.392/.415 in 145 games during 2009. The Twins were so impressed with Span they signed him to a 5-year, $16.5 million contract on March 13, 2010. The deal includes a $9 million team option for 2015. The front office looked brilliant for buying out his arbitration years at a bargain price. Span was only 26 years old and looked like the leadoff hitter for the forseeable future. However, just like Mauer and Morneau, Span is the latest player to halt his production once he gets paid big money.

Span got off to an incredible start in 2010 but stuggled after he ran into second baseman Orlando Hudson on May 30th against the Texas Rangers. He finshed the season hitting .264/.331/.348 in 153 games. He also lost his concentration on the base paths and was picked off 9 times. In other words he was picked off in about 3% of his stolen base opportunities. I heard every excuse imaginable during the winter about Span's diasterous second-half. He had bad luck, the grass at Target Field slows down ground balls, he had a mechanical flaw in his swing, or he was just too tentative. Whatever the reason most people anticipated improvement in 2011.

Span got off to a hot start in the first two months of 2011 and his past issues looked like a distant memory. He was injured on June 3rd in Kansas City when he collided with catcher Brayan Pena trying for an inside the park home run. Span missed most of the next four months with concussion symptoms. He returned to the lineup on August 2nd and went 2 for 35 (.057) in nine games before being shut down by the training staff. Span played better in a few meaningless games late in September but it's really unknown what to expect from him moving forward.

Span was clearly not happy when his name surfaced in rumors near the trade deadline in July. There was speculation he would be traded to Washington for closer Drew Storen. I was elated when a deal did not happen but now am not so sure. The one silver lining was the development of the very exciting Ben Revere. Revere provided the team with speed in the leadoff spot and highlight reel catches in centerfield. I still question Span's toughness as he routinely asked for days off after being activated from the disabled list. If the team decides to retain either Cuddyer or Kubel, Span might become expendable. The only problem is finding a team willing to trade for him with his injury concerns. When healthy, Span is one of the best leadoff hitters in the game. Fans have to wonder if we will ever see that player again. Please feel free to leave me any questions because your opinion matters to me.

Rochester Patsies.

2011-09-11T09:22:00.001-05:00

The Twins fired Rochester Manager Tom Nieto and hitting coach Floyd Rayford on Friday after back-to-back 90-loss seasons. The Red Wings went 102-186 under Nieto in two seasons and he replaced Stan Cliburn. The good news is pitching coach Bobby Cuellar was retained. There have been some people who argue Cuellar should be promoted. He taught Johan Santana his devastating changeup as pitching coach for the Edmonton Trappers and has worked with other big names like Pedro Martinez, Randy Johnson, Carl Pavano, and Javier Vazquez.

I don't have a particular problem with these moves but am left to ponder what is next. Who will be the next scapegoat Joe Vavra or perhaps Rick Anderson? Everybody already knows Bill Smith and Ron Gardenhire will be back next year although their records should scream change to most people. This is why Nieto and Rayford are nothing more than patsies. It gives ownership a chance to divert your attention away from the real issues. GM Bill Smith has made too many bad decisions since taking over in 2007 and manager Ron Gardenhire has lost control of his team at times this season. The problems go back all the way to spring training. Gardenhire decided to let all his star players (Mauer, Morneau, Cuddyer, Kubel, Young, and Thome) treat spring training like it was a vacation. When asked about it at the time he said his players don't need many at bats to get ready for the season and arrogantly pointed to Joe Mauer in 2009. Now after a disasterous season, with too many injuries, Gardenhire requested three more days be added to spring training in 2012.

I also believe Scouting Director Deron Johnson has been very ineffective since taking over in 2007. The minor league system has really suffered because of some questionable draft picks. Losing Mike Radcliff has hurt a team that prides itself on developing young talent. The Twins need to make a bold statement to fans and loyal season ticket holders in the off-season. Firing a minor leaguer manager and his hitting coach after two bad seasons, when there is absolutely no talent in the system, just does not do it for me. We have all heard the saying stuff rolls down hill. Well this is certainly the case in Twins Territory and the wrong people are keeping their jobs. Doing the same thing over and over again with no results is the definition of insanity. Please feel free to leave me any comments because your opinion matters to me.

Terry Ryan a Quiet Genius.

2011-08-14T23:44:00.009-05:00

The Twins hired Terry Ryan to be the scouting director in January, 1986. He had six seasons of experience as Midwest scouting supervisor with the Mets before coming to Minnesota. He was promoted to vice president of player personnel on September 23, 1991. Ryan was responsible for scouting and evaluating all the talent in the majors. Ryan was named the fourth General Manager in team history on September 13, 1994 and took control of the entire baseball department. He sadly stepped down as GM after thirteen years on September 13, 2007 but still works with the team as an adviser and scout. Let's take a look at some of his most impressive accomplishments.

1. On 07-06-95 Rick Aguilera was traded to the Boston Red Sox for Frank Rodriguez and a PTNL. The Twins resigned Aguilera on 12-11-95.

2. On 07-07-95 Scott Erickson was traded to the Baltimore Orioles for Scott Klingenbeck and a PTNL.

3. On 07-31-95 Kevin Tapani and Mark Gutherie were traded to the L.A. Dodgers for Ron Coomer, Greg Hansell, Jose Parra, and Chris Lathem.

4. On 08-29-96 Dave Hollins was traded to the Seattle Mariners for David Ortiz.

5. On 08-20-97 Roberto Kelly was traded to the Seattle Mariners for Joe Mays.

6. On 02-06-98 Chuck Knoblauch was traded to the New York Yankees for Christian Guzman, Eric Milton, Brian Buchanan, and Danny Mota.

7. On 05-21-99 Rick Aguilera and Scott Downs were traded to the Chicago Cubs for Kyle Loshe and Jason Ryan.

8. On 12-13-99 Jared Camp was drafted first overall in the Rule 5 draft and traded to the Florida Marlins for Johan Santana who was selected second in the Rule 5 draft.

9. On 09-09-00 Hector Carrasco was traded to the Boston Red Sox for Lew Ford.

10. On 07-31-01 Matt Lawton was traded to the New York Mets for Rick Reed.

11. On 07-12-02 Brian Buchanan was traded to the San Diego Padres for Jason Bartlett.

12. On 07-16-03 Bobby Kielty was traded to the Toronto Blue Jays for Shannon Stewart and Dave Gassner.

13. On 11-14-03 A.J. Pierzynski was traded to S.F. Giants for Francisco Liriano, Joe Nathan, and Boof Bonser.

14. On 12-03-03 Eric Milton was traded to the Philadelphia Phillies for Carlos Silva, Nick Punto and Bobby Korecky.

15. On 07-31-04 Doug Mientkiewicz was part of four-player trade that sent him to the Chicago Cubs for Justin Jones.

16. On 12-02-05 Travis Bowyer and Scott Tyler were traded to the Florida Marlins for Luis Castillo.

17. On 12-09-05 J.C. Romero was traded to the L.A. Angels of Anaheim for Alexi Casilla.

18. On 07-30-07 Luis Castillo was traded to the N.Y. Mets for Drew Butera and Dustin Martin.

Now Terry Ryan is not infallible and made some mistakes as GM of the Twins. He failed to sign number one pick Travis Lee in 1996 and released David Ortiz after the 2002 season because he had struggled with injuries. Parting with Ortiz was really the only bad roster decision Ryan ever made and there is no doubt it will haunt Twins fans forever. He did sign washed up veteran players like Rondell White, Tony Batista, Juan Castro, and Ruben Sierra towards the end of his tenure. However, all these moves were made because he had one of the lowest payrolls in MLB to work with. I challenge anybody to find a bad trade Ryan has ever made. Now when you compare Ryan's body of work to the current GM Bill Smith, it's like comparing a brand new Chevrolet Camaro to a Ford Pinto. Let's take a closer look at some of Smith's trades.

1. On 11-28-07 Matt Garza, Jason Bartlett, and Eduardo Morlan were traded to the Tampa Bay Rays for Delmon Young, Brendan Harris and Jason Pridie.

2. On 02-02-08 Johan Santana was traded to the N.Y. Mets for Carlos Gomez, Philip Humber, Kevin Mulvey, and Delois Guerra.

3. On 08-25-08 Mark Hamburger was traded to the Texas Rangers for Eddie Guardado.

4. On 07-31-09 Tyler Ladendorf was traded to the Oakland A's for Orlando Cabrera.

5. On 08-07-09 Yohan Pino was traded to the Cleveland Indians for Carl Pavano.

6. On 08-28-09 Kevin Mulvey and cash were traded to the Arizona Diamondbacks for Jon Rauch.

7. On 11-09-09 Carlos Gomez was traded to the Milwaukee Brewers for J.J. Hardy.

8. 12-10-09 Boof Bonser was traded to the Boston Red Sox for Chris Province.

9. On 07-29-10 Wilson Ramos was traded to the Washington Nationals for Matt Capps.

10. On 08-27-10 Loek Van Mil was traded to the L.A. Angels of Anaheim for Brian Fuentes.

11. On 12-09-10 J.J. Hardy and Brendan Harris were traded to the Baltimore Orioles for Jim Hoey and Brett Jacobson.

12. On 12-16-10 Jose Morales was sent to the Colorado Rockies for Paul Bargas.

13. On 08-15-11 Delmon Young was sent to the Detroit Tigers for Cole Nelson and a PTBNL.

You can sugarcoat it anyway you want but the Twins desperately need a change in their front office and fast. It is not just bad trades that have hurt the Twins but also our minor league system is in shambles. Can you imagine what Terry Ryan could do with a payroll of $120 million. It gives me shivers up and down my spine just thinking about it. Terry Ryan is a quiet genius and the team needs him back in charge of baseball operations. Please feel free to leave me any comments because your opinion matters to me.

Update: A pretty active day in Twins Territory!! Not only did outfielder Delmon Young get traded to the division rival Detroit Tigers, but Jim Thome hit two home runs to put him at the elusive 600 mark for his illustrious career. Thome is only the 8th player in MLB to accomplish this feat. The Twins won the series opener 9-6 and all three first round draft picks (Levi Michael, Travis Harrison, and Hudson Boyd) signed before the deadline.

Scouts Have Struckout with #1 Picks.

2011-08-08T00:50:00.009-05:00

The Twins were routed today 7-0 and swept by the Chicago White Sox for the first time in Minnesota since 2004. There are glaring weaknesses staring the team right in the face and they have five players becoming free agents at the end of the year. One thing this agonizing season has shown everybody is the tremendous lack of depth in their organization at the minor league level. The reason for this is the scouts have struckout with many of their number one picks over the last ten years. Deron Johnson is in his fourth season as the scouting director and has been with the team since 1994. Johnson and his staff work very hard but have made too many critical mistakes evaluating and drafting talent. Here is a look back at the players drafted number one by the Twins in the last decade.

Levi Michael #1 pick in 2011 (30th Overall). The Twins got the best of both worlds with Michael as he fills a postion of need and is very talented. He hit .310/.440/.520 with 27 home runs and 40 stolen bases in three years at North Carolina. He was drafted as a shortstop but is athletic enough to play anywhere in the infield. I believe everybody knows the Twins track record for drafting at this position. The last successful starting shortstop drafted was Zoilo Versalles in 1959 when the team was still in Washington. Players like Roy Smalley, Greg Gagne, Christian Guzman, Jason Bartlett, Nick Punto, Orlando Cabrera, and J.J. Hardy were all acquired in trades.

Alex Wimmers #1 pick in 2010 (21st Overall). His 2011 debut was a nightmare as he walked the first six batters, had three wild pitches, and was unable to record a out in the first inning. He was a strike throwing machine in college but for whatever reason has lost his command. He showed signs of returning on Saturday by throwing four shutout innings to earn his first save for Fort Myers. I'm not sure he will return to elite prospect status but he is still only 22.

Kyle Gibson #1 pick in 2009 (22nd Overall). He did not look like the same pitcher this year with a steep 4.81 ERA in 95.1 IP at Rochester. He has yet to throw over 160 innings in the minors and struggled to stay healthy in college. The once promising season could turn to heartbreak if he needs Tommy John surgery. This means he would not pitch again until 2013 and it would be a huge setback.

Matt Bashore #1 pick in 2009 (46th Overall). He is the typical tall, soft throwing lefty with average stuff the team seems to love. He threw two innings for Elizabethton and was shut down because of elbow problems in 2009. He had Tommy John surgery and missed the entire 2010 season. He is back pitching for Elizabethton in 2011 and has a 4.26 ERA in 12.2 IP. He has a 89-93 MPH fastball but lacks a secondary pitch.

Aaron Hicks #1 pick in 2008 (14th Overall). He has failed to live up to the expectations that go along with being a five-tool player. He is a switch hitter but really struggles from the left side of the plate. He has shown very limited power and is hitting .242/.348/.373 at Fort Myers. He is a very streaky hitter but still has a tremendous amount of potential. Most bloggers have deemed him the next can't miss kid, but I remain cautiously optimistic.

Carlos Gutierrez #1 pick in 2008 (27th Overall). He was drafted as a starting pitcher but moved to the bullpen late last year. He is back with Rochester for his second season and still learning at 24. He has a high 3.81 ERA in 49.2 IP and a SO/9 ratio of 7.1. Gutierrez had Tommy John surgery in 2006 so that could be a problem in the future. He does manage to produce a lot of groundballs when he is effective.

Shooter Hunt #1 pick in 2008 (31st Overall). He has been a complete disaster with a career 7.02 ERA in 180.2 IP in the minors. His control has always been the overwhelming issue for his lack of success. He has a earth shattering 15.2 BB/9 rate in 2011. He will never make it to New Britain unless something drastic changes.

Ben Revere #1 pick in 2007 (28th Overall). This pick has a chance of being a real winner if Revere continues to develop. He is only 23 years old and is playing almost everyday in the outfield for the Twins. He has hit at every level in the minors and can steal bases at will. He needs to get on base more consistently to put pressure on other teams. He only had 547 plate appearances between New Britain and Rochester before being called up. Other scouts criticized the Twins for drafting Revere in the first round but they might end up eating those words.

Chris Parmelee #1 pick in 2006 (20th Overall). This pick could end up working out for the Twins. It looked pretty bad three years ago but Parmelee has really worked hard to cut down on his strikeouts and make better contact at the plate. He is only 23 and in his second year at New Britain. He is hitting .283/.368/.444 with 11 HRs and 69 RBIs in 489 plate appearances. Parmelee has been moved all around the diamond but looks most comfortable at first base. He has only 3 errors in 84 games and could be the replacement for Justin Morneau if he does not resign.

Matt Garza #1 pick in 2005 (25th Overall). Garza only pitched two seasons for the Twins before being dealt to Tampa Bay in 2007. It's safe to say the front office made a huge mistake trading him for the erratic Delmon Young. Garza has a career 3.94 ERA in six seasons and has thrown over 854 innings. He is the definition of a workhorse and we are left to wonder what might have been.

Henry Sanchez #1 pick in 2005 (39th Overall). He was once thought to be the future cleanup hitter for the Twins but never made it past Beloit in his five minor league seasons. He battled injuries and was suspended for violating the leagues drug policy in 2009.

Trevor Plouffe #1 pick in 2004 (20th Overall). He was all but handed the starting shortstop job earlier in the season but could not make the routine plays defensively to keep it. He was sent back to Rochester where his bat came alive. He was recalled in July and will be used as a utlity and bench player. He can hit for some power but most likely will never be an everyday player in the majors.

Glen Perkins #1 pick in 2004 (22nd Overall). He has been up and down throughout his short six-year career and was almost released this spring. He has worked as a starter and in the bullpen. He was put in the 8th inning setup role this year and has excelled. He has a 1.85 ERA in 43.2 IP with an impressive 9.9 SO/9 ratio. He looks like a brand new pitcher with his fastball touching 95-96 on the radar gun. This unexpected turn around is amazing and has been fun to watch.

Kyle Waldrop #1 pick in 2004 (25th Overall). It's very tough for me to say anything negative about Waldrop because he has never been given an opportunity with the Twins. He has a career 3.65 ERA in seven minor league seasons and is not on the Twins 40-man roster. Not sure why Waldrop has not been given a shot considering all the bullpen problems the team has had this year. He has nothing else to prove at Rochester and deserves to be called up.

Matt Fox #1 pick in 2004 (35th Overall). He spent six years in the minors before being called up to make his professional debut on September 3, 2010 against the Texas Rangers. He was sent back down to Rochester and claimed off waivers by Boston in September. He is currently pitching in the Red Sox farm system.

Jay Rainville #1 pick in 2004 (39th Overall). He was considered the next great power pitcher who drew comparisons to Roger Clemons. He struggled with injuries to his right shoulder and never really recovered from season ending surgery to repair a nerve problem in 2006. He went 37-31 with a 4.08 ERA in five minor league seasons. He retired on August 14, 2009 at the young age of 23. Add Rainville to the long list of pitching prospects that were total failures.

Matt Moses #1 pick in 2003 (21st Overall). He was thought to be the third baseman of the future when he was drafted. He struggled with injuries including a stress fracture to his lower back in 2004. He never developed the kind of power production expected from him. He played seven seasons in the minors with career statistics of .249/.304/.374 with 47 HRs and 310 RBIs. He retired at the age of 24.

Denard Span #1 pick in 2002 (20th Overall). He was drafted to take over for centerfielder Torii Hunter and made his debut in 2008. He has been fantastic in four years with a career .287/.364/.388 with 73 stolen bases and 285 runs scored. He has provided the team with solid defense up the middle but needs to stay healthy.

Joe Mauer #1 pick in 2001 (1st Overall). I remember being furious with the Twins for taking the hometown kid instead of ace pitcher Mark Prior. The scouts hit a home run with this pick as Prior only lasted five seasons and retired with injury problems in 2006. Mauer has a career line of .325/.404/.472 with three batting titles and one MVP in eight seasons. The only knock on Mauer has been his ability to stay healthy. If he moves out from behind the plate on a permanent basis in 2012 he should bounce back from a terrible season.

Adam Johnson #1 pick in 2000 (2nd Overall). Johnson pitched in nine games and played just two years with the Twins. He had a 1-3 record with a 10.25 ERA in 26.1 IP. He was released in 2005 and never pitched again in the big leagues. He might be the biggest bust in Twins history.

Aaron Heilman #1 pick in 2000 (31st Overall). The Twins were unable to sign Heilman and he entered the draft again in 2001. The New York Mets selected him with the 18th overall pick. He has been a very durable relief pitcher throughout his nine-year career with a 4.40 ERA in 630 innings.

There were 21 number one picks drafted from 2000-2011 and as of right now only (Garza, Perkins, Span, and Mauer) are sure things. I am encouraged by the recent play of (Revere, Hicks, Gutierrez, and Parmelee) but it's way too early to know how they will turn out. I refuse to add Gibson and Wimmers to the encouraged list because both have suffered huge setbacks. I guess you could put them in the unknown category for right now. This means unequivocally that 11 number one picks were busts. It also helps clarify why the minor league teams lack depth and are so bad. The Twins need to rectify this problem if they want to get back to their winning ways. Please feel free to leave me any comments because your opinion matters to me.

A Little Less Talk and a Lot More Action.

2011-08-01T12:39:00.003-05:00

The Minnesota Twins decided not to make any moves before the trade deadline and accomplished nothing. The Twins are seven games back in the A.L. Central divison, eight games below .500, and failed to take action while the three teams ahead of them all improved. Let's start with the good news. It was reported all weekend the Washington Nationals and the Twins were discussing the framework of a deal centered around Denard Span and closer Drew Storen. The Twins were not shopping Span but Nationals GM Mike Rizzo had him at the top of his wish list. Rizzo tried hard to pry Span away from the Twins but in the end could not put together a good enough offer to complete the deal. The Twins would have needed to get Storen and at least two quality players in return for the best lead-off hitter in the game. Span has a career line of .289/.366/.391 in four years with the Twins. I am thrilled this trade did not take place and give Smith some credit for holding his ground. I am also happy the team did not sell low on pitcher Kevin Slowey because he has good stuff and deserves another chance to revive his career. It might not be much too longer as Nick Blackburn continues to struggle in the starting rotation.

Here is the bad news. The Twins starting rotation and bullpen are a mess right now. The team ERA is 4.37 which ranks 26th out of 30 teams in all of MLB. The defense is a complete disaster ranking 25th with a .981 fielding percentage. We have all heard before that pitching and defense wins championships, but right now the Twins have neither. The Twins have five players (Cuddyer, Kubel, Thome, Nathan, Capps) who are free agents at the end of the year and most of them will not be back. Why not trade a couple of those players for prospects who can help out in the future. Just because Span and Morneau are coming back from the disabled list it does not mean anything. We need pitching and middle infield help. This staying put philosophy is about as moronic as a politician voting present on every major bill because he does not want to take a position on it. The team is not good enough to win this year and the front office knows it. The organization should be ashamed of themselves for trying to sell it off to fans as trying to win. The truth is the Twins would be in first place if Smith would have done an adequate job in the off-season.

Live Twins Chat.

2011-07-31T18:46:00.000-05:00

Twins Chat.

Second-Half Surge!!

2011-07-13T09:06:00.001-05:00

The Twins had almost everything go wrong for them in the first-half of this season. They got off to a very slow start being shelled by Toronto 13-3 on opening day and really have never recovered. The team hit rock bottom on June 1 falling to 17-37 and 16.5 games back in the A.L. Central. They have watched starters Joe Mauer, Justin Morneau, Delmon Young, Jason Kubel, Jim Thome, Denard Span, Tsuyoshi Nishioka, Joe Nathan, and Glen Perkins all miss significant time with injuries. Too many late inning leads have slipped away from them with a cast of unproven arms in the bullpen. The Twins were forced to callup inexperienced players like Ben Revere, Luke Hughes, Trevor Plouffe, Rene Tosoni, Rene Rivera, Anthony Swarzak, Phil Dumatrait and others to help out. However, through all the adversity the Twins have faced this season they find themselves only 6.5 back at the All-Star break. It is time for a second-half surge!!

You could say the hometown nine have other teams in their division right where they want them. The Twins have always been a better second-half team under skipper Ron Gardenhire. The three teams Minnesota needs to worry about down the stretch are Cleveland, Detroit, and Chicago. The Indians have come down to earth after their red hot 30-15 start. The Tigers are a formidable opponent with a deadly combination of great pitching (Verlander/Scherzer/Valverde) and power (Cabrera/Martinez/Ordonez). The knock on manager Jim Leyland is his teams always fall apart in August and September. The White Sox have too much talent on their roster for them not to compete. Manager Ozzie Guillen may take a beating in the press but he is a terrific manager and won it all in 2005. The bottom line here is as bad as the Twins have played, they still are in position to make the playoffs. If they are serious about making a second-half surge they must improve their roster at the trade deadline. We will discuss this in upcoming posts. Please feel free to leave me any comments because your opinion matters to me.

Deplorable!!

2011-06-28T13:25:00.004-05:00

I can accept another six-game losing streak by the Twins, a 32-45 record in the A.L. Central, a ugly 15-0 loss to the Dodgers where the pitching staff gave up 25 hits and 15 runs, 2-3 errors every single night on routine plays, younger players looking completely lost at the major league level, and of course all those injuries. However, what can't be tolerated or allowed to continue is the veteran players apathetic attitude toward what is happening on the field in 2011. Last night in the 9th inning Mauer, Morneau, and Capps are seen in the dugout laughing and joking around with each other. The team is getting the crap kicked out of them and our best players think it's funny. I find this simply deplorable and am stunned the coaching staff allowed it to happen. Mauer, Morneau, and Capps are three of the main reasons why this team is 13 games below .500. Maybe if these guys stayed healthy and focused more on being productive team leaders, instead of telling the latest knock knock jokes the team would be in contention.

Now everyone knows the 2010 manager of the year is my least favorite person in Twins Territory. However, I have actually defended Gardenhire this season saying GM Bill Smith deserved most of the blame for letting our entire middle infield (Hardy/Hudson) and bullpen (Guerrier, Crain, Rauch, and Fuentes) leave as free agents. Last night's sorry episode in the dugout was the final straw for me. Gardenhire has lost control of his star players and it's really embarrassing. When Joe Mauer was placed on the disabled list he basically dictated his own rehab schedule and came back when he was ready. Mauer has also publicly refused to switch positions because he cares more about himself than the team. The proper thing would be for Gardenhire to have a closed door conversation with Mauer and lay down the law. We all know this won't happen because Gardenhire wants to be friends with the players instead of their coach. There is no way this stuff would of ever happened under Tom Kelly. About one month ago Gardenhire said on his Sunday talk show he did not want to DH Delmon Young because it would upset him.

Many people including myself have said Gardy's hands are tied because of all the injuries the team has had this year. I just don't buy into this method of thinking anymore! Mauer, Nishioka, and Thome are all back and the team is still losing. The truth is the team is way too soft and they got this way because of the country club approach for the last ten years. The Twins need a manager who can work with young players and keep the veterans in check. His name is Paul Molitor and he is available at the present time. Molitor was asked recently if he was interested in coaching again and he said "Yes." This is the change the team needs to make if they sincerely want to contend again. Please feel free to leave me any comments because your opinion matters to me.

Bill Smith Responsible for This Mess.

2011-05-07T22:45:00.007-05:00

I was at TwinsFest in January with fellow blogger Seth Stohs and met GM Bill Smith for the first time. He is a very affable man and spoke to us openly for about ten minutes about the makeup of the Twins 2011 roster. This conversation left a positive impression on me and also makes it very difficult to write this article. When you look at the 12-19 record it would be very easy to blame the players or even manager Ron Gardenhire for the disastrous start to the season. However, looking back to October 2007 when Bill Smith took over as GM of the Twins, he is completely responsible for this mess because he does not know how to evaluate talent.

Smith felt the pressure immediately with Torii Hunter becoming a free agent and starting pitcher Johan Santana one year away from leaving as well. I still believe Terry Ryan resigned as GM because the owners did not want to spend the money to keep Hunter and Santana around. These two players were drafted by Ryan and losing them both caused him too much anxiety. Hunter signed a mammoth five-year deal, worth $90 million with the Angels on November 22, 2007. Smith made his first big splash just one week later trading Matt Garza, Jason Bartlett, and Eduardo Morlan to Tampa Bay for Delmon Young, Brendan Harris, and Jason Pridie. At first glance, this trade looked like a good deal for the Twins but sometimes looks can be deceiving. The Twins gave up a good young pitcher and a starting shortstop who we still have not replaced. Young has had only one good season and failed to live up to all the expectations of being the 1st overall player selected in the 2003 amateur draft. To make things worse he was recently put on the 15-day disabled list because of an oblique strain. Rumor is he told the coaching staff he could not get loose after hitting 420 foot shots in batting practice because he did not want to play in the cold.

Smith then turned his attention to two-time Cy Young winner Johan Santana. Smith understood he had to trade Santana before spring training started in 2008 if he wanted to get anything good in return for him. He also contemplated just keeping Santana for the last year of his contract and taking two number one draft picks as compensation. Smith's inexperience really hurt him when he was negotiating a trade for Santana. It really is unknown exactly what offers were actually on the table? Smith was offered a package of Jon Lester, Coco Crisp, Justin Masterson, and Jed Lowrie by the Red Sox and turned it down because he wanted Jacoby Ellsbury instead of Crisp. We know this deal was offered at the winter meetings because the two teams actually exchanged medical records on Lester. It was reported the Yankees offered Phil Hughes, Melky Cabrera, and two prospects but Smith turned it down because Ian Kennedy was not included in the deal. Smith waited until February and really had no choice but to trade Santana to the Mets for prospects Carlos Gomez, Phil Humber, Kevin Mulvey, and Deolis Guerra. There is no doubt about it this is the worst trade in franchise history.

Smith has made some good moves for the Twins during his tenure. He picked up several key players at the trade deadline in 2009. He first acquired shortstop Orlando Cabrera from Oakland for prospect Tyler Ladendorf. His best all around trade was when he picked up veteran pitcher Carl Pavano for PTBNL Yohan Pino in August. He also traded pitcher Kevin Mulvey to Arizona for RH reliever Jon Rauch. Smith continued his success in November when he traded the erratic outfielder Carlos Gomez to Milwaukee for shortstop J.J. Hardy. He brought back pitcher Carl Pavano on a one-year deal to anchor the staff after offering him arbitration in December. He signed Jim Thome to a dirt cheap $1.5 million deal and added second baseman Orlando Hudson in 2010. Smith dealt catcher Wilson Ramos and prospect Joe Testa to Washington for closer Matt Capps at the trade deadline in 2010. This might be the most controversial trade to date for Smith especially with Mauer injured again.

You might ask yourself how did things go so wrong for Smith after two really good years as GM? Money is part of the problem. The owners have said they will continue to spend an average of 50 percent of its revenues on payroll. Joe Mauer is paid $23,000,000 in the first of an eight-year deal and Justin Morneau is making $14,000,000 this season. Neither one of these contracts look that bad if the two are producing on the field. However, Joe Nathan at $11,250,000 and Michael Cuddyer at $10,500,000 is a crime. Both of these players should be arrested for theft.

When it comes to evaluating talent Smith has a lot to answer for. He traded J.J. Hardy to Baltimore in December 2010 for minor league relievers Jim Hoey and Brett Jacobson. Everyone knew it was a salary dump but Smith defended the move saying he believed Alexi Casilla was ready to be the starting shortstop. He won the claim on Japanese player Tsuyoshi Nishioka and signed him to a three-year deal to take one of the middle infield spots. He let second baseman Orlando Hudson leave as a free agent and this was a tremendous mistake. Hudson was not only solid at the plate and in the field but also filled the 2 hole in the batting order. Smith traded backup catcher Jose Morales to Colorado for LH pitching prospect Paul Bargas. Bargas has since been diagnosed with brain cancer and his career is most likely over. Smith watched four of his bullpen arms (Fuentes, Crain, Guerrier, and Rauch) leave as free agents and never attempted to resign any of them. The Twins have tried to fill those spots with Dusty Hughes, Jim Hoey, Alex Burnett, Joe Nathan, Jeff Manship, and Glen Perkins. Only Perkins has worked out and there is no telling how long that will last.

The minor league system is really embarrassing and lacks quality depth at several positions. The Rochester Red Wings and New Britain Rock Cats were terrible in 2010 and both lost over 95 games. This probably would explain why the Twins signed fifteen veteran players to bolster both minor league squads. The truth is our farm system is just not very good anymore. Sure there are some people who say it's because the team has been competitive for the last decade and does not get high draft picks. This idea does not seem to hurt the Boston Red Sox who keep rolling out real good prospects year after year like an assembly line. The truth is injuries have forced the Twins to play Steve Holm, Rene Rivera, Luke Hughes, Rene Tosoni, Trevor Plouffe, Ben Revere, Anthony Swarzak, Jeff Manship, Jim Hoey, and Alex Burnett. Unlike the past, none of the above players have a real high upside and can produce at a consistent level. Smith went into this season unprepared and without any real backup plan. As the Twins continue to struggle Smith has not made one legitimate move to bolster the roster because he would have to admit he was wrong. Please feel free to leave me any comments because your opinion matters to me.

Liriano Tosses No-Hitter in Chicago.

2011-05-03T22:56:00.012-05:00

Southpaw Francisco Liriano tosses a no-hitter Tuesday night in Chicago to beat the White Sox 1-0. It's hard to believe the no-hitter was the first complete game of his career and the fifth in franchise history since moving to Minnesota in 1961. The last player to throw a no-hitter for the Twins was Eric Milton against the Angels on September 11, 1999. Liriano walked six batters and threw 123 pitches in the game. The defense bailed him out of jams each time before things got out of control. The infield turned three double plays, Span made a great running catch in the 4th, Valencia with an unbelievable backhand stop and throw in the 7th, and Morneau managed to somehow scoop a low throw by Tolbert in the 9th. The one intriguing factor is Liriano was pitching to keep his job in the starting rotation. Liriano was told by manager Ron Gardenhire he would be replaced by Kevin Slowey if his problems on the mound continued. I think it's safe to assume his job is safe!!

Jason Kubel supplied the only run of the game in the 4th inning when he connected for his 3rd homer of the season. The offense only had six hits and went 0-3 with RISP. The offense continues to be one of the worst in MLB. The win helped the struggling Twins break a six game losing streak and hopefully turn their season around. It appears as if Jim Thome and Jason Repko are going to be put on the 15-day DL and Trevor Plouffe and Ben Revere will be promoted. Injuries just continue to hamper the Twins this year. My bold prediction is Revere will be with the Twins the rest of the year. He is a perfect #2 hitter behind Span, gets on base, can steal bases, and has a great glove. Please feel free to leave me any comments because your opinion matters to me.

Royals Pound Twins 11-2.

2011-04-30T21:59:00.012-05:00

They say misery loves company, but right now the Twins are all alone at the bottom of the A.L. Central with a 9-17 record. The record is the worst in all of MLB sharing the honors with the San Diego Padres. The Twins finished the month of April with a humiliating 11-2 loss at the hands of the Kansas City Royals. The Twins have had one of the worst Aprils in franchise history. The conventional wisdom of the front office and coaches would be to use injuries as an excuse for the bad start. However, it seems rather logical to point out the team was horrible for the first week of the season before injuries stacked up like fire wood. There are so many things wrong with this team right now it's frightening. Manager Ron Gardenhire had the gall to tell his players they are 0-0 starting tomorrow. This might be the dumbest thing he has ever said in a press conference. Let's pretend for a second this statement would matter at all to the players. It does not change anything!! The cold hard truth is there are serious problems and the team needs real solutions not corny statements. Change needs to take place soon to save this sinking ship. Here are some changes that need to be made soon to save the season.

1. Fire hitting coach Joe Vavra. The Twins right now are one of the worst offensive teams in MLB. They are 30th with 54 extra base hits and 11 home runs. They are 29th with a .322 slugging percentage and only 82 runs scored. I keep waiting for the middle of our lineup to drive the ball instead everything is hit on the ground. Hire Paul Molitor or Rod Carew so we can see some big hits with RISP and more long balls. I believe it was Torii Hunter who said when Vavra was hired "How is this guy going to help me."

2. Scrap the Alexi Casilla experiment at shortstop. He has cost the team two games now because his defense is so inconsistent. Casilla has all the talent to be a good player but a head full of bad wiring. He reminds me too much of Luis Rivas when he is on the field. Callup Trevor Plouffe immediately and put Casilla on the bench. Send Matt Tolbert down to Rochester and leave him there. I will admit Nick Nelson was right losing J.J. Hardy at shortstop was a bad move. I still believe Orlando Hudson leaving was huge mistake as well.

3. Trade outfielder Delmon Young for middle infield or pitching help. Young took batting practice on Wednesday and was hitting long home runs in batting practice. He then went and told Gardenhire he was unable to get loose causing him to be placed on the 15-day DL. The truth is Young did not want to play in the cold weather. Young was a cancer in the Tampa Bay clubhouse but has been a model citizen since coming to Minnesota. However, if this information is true he needs to be sent packing. Young might never have more value right now and is a free agent after the 2012 season. Move Jason Kubel to left field and let him start every day out there until Ben Revere is ready to be called up.

4. Move Michael Cuddyer back to right field and let Luke Hughes take over at second base. Cuddyer is much better defensively in right field than at second base. I also believe his offensive statistics may improve with him not moving around all over the field. I would like to see Luke Hughes get more at bats until Tsuyoshi Nishioka comes off the disabled list. The offense has been very bad but Hughes stick has come to life lately. Besides Hughes has made all the plays at second base and is better than Cuddyer at the position.

5. Move Kevin Slowey into the starting rotation and put Nick Blackburn in the bullpen. Slowey is a better starting pitcher and could really help the back end of the rotation. Blackburn has struggled lately to find his sinkerball and reminds of Joe Mays after he signed his big contract. Let's hope he finds a way to pickup his game because he would be a valuable asset no matter the role.

6. Sign a more established veteran catcher. I still believe the Matt Capps for Wilson Ramos trade was a good deal. We gave up a good prospect but replaced him with a 26 year-old closer. Hopefully the front office has enough sense to sign Capps to a long term deal after this season. Trading Jose Morales for LH reliever Paul Bargas was a huge mistake. We cannot continue to try and get by with Drew Butera and Steve Holm because they are both terrible. Everyone wants Joe Mauer to make a fast recovery because he is missed but this club needs a better backup option.

7. Trade for another relief pitcher. The Twins continue to lose games late because they have nobody they can trust in the late innings. Obviously GM Bill Smith was wrong to think he could replace four veteran arms (Guerrier, Rauch, Crain, Fuentes) with unproven arms. Put Joe Nathan on the 60-day DL and fill his spot in the bullpen. Right now Nathan cannot be trusted in any situation and it's a complete waste of a roster spot.

I'm not a big fan of Ron Gardenhire but the Twins terrible start is not all his fault. GM Bill Smith is responsible for letting middle infielders Orlando Hudson and J.J. Hardy leave. He also failed to replace one of the four middle relievers that left as free agents. The front office and coaching staff keep telling us not to panic but the Twins are already nine games back and getting worse every game. Please feel free to leave me any comments because your opinion matters to me.

Spreading Optimism in Bizarro World.

2011-04-17T05:22:00.013-05:00

I am the last person anyone expects to be optimistic about Twins baseball after a 4-10 start to the season, but will give it my best shot. Minnesota sports fans have endured a long cold winter watching the Vikings, Wild, Timberwolves, and Gophers underachieve at very high levels. The Twins have been the one team everyone has counted on for the last decade to be successful. Almost like a old, comfortable, reliable sweater you wear on chilly days. Only fourteen games into the 2011 season fans are already jumping off the bandwagon and ready to declare a national emergency. When you look up at the standings and see Kansas City and Cleveland atop the A.L. Central division it feels strange. Maybe for just a short time we have entered a bizarro world. However, it is only April and one month of good baseball does not win division titles. There is still plenty of time to get this derailed Twins train back on track moving in the right direction. Here are some reasons why I'm spreading optimism in bazarro world.

1. The team is hitting a meager .234/.284/.310. They lead all of MLB with the lowest amount of extra base hits (27), home runs (4), and runs scored (1). Does anybody really believe this is going to continue for another six months? When Mauer, Morneau, Thome, Young, and Cuddyer get hot they can carry a team for weeks.

2. Despite all the hitting woes the starting pitching has looked pretty good. Pavano, Blackburn, and Duensing have had two good starts and Baker yesterday looked fantastic. The big question mark is Francisco Liriano who is 0-3 with a 9.42 ERA in 14.1 IP. Liriano traditionally feels more comfortable as the weather warms up and is very talented. There is every reason to believe he will turn it around and lead this staff. Other great pitchers like Verlander and Lester often start the season slow only to rebound.

3. The team has committed nine errors this season which is uncharacteristic of Twins baseball. The Twins have a very slow outfield with Young and Cuddyer at the corner positions but catch everything they get to. I think we can assume Jason Repko will become a late inning replacement for one of the two and Ben Revere should see some action in September. The middle infield will get much stronger when Tsuyoshi Nishioka returns to second base from the disabled list.

4. I'm not going to use injuries as an excuse for poor play but the team has had some bad luck. On April 7, second baseman Tsuyoshi Nishioka breaks his left fibula in New York when Nick Swisher takes him out with a slide. On Thursday catcher Joe Mauer gets put on the disabled list with bilateral leg weakness and his status is unknown until Monday when he will be examined by doctors in Baltimore. Middle reliever Kevin Slowey is dealing with shoulder bursitis and should be back from the DL on April 20. If the team can get everyone healthy and stay healthy they should be fun to watch in the upcoming months.

5. The bullpen has actually been better than expected. Take away Nathan and Capps two most recent meltdowns in Tampa Bay and things have not been so bad. Slowey, Perkins, Mijares, and Hughes have been pleasant surprises early in the season. However, Jeff Manship and Joe Nathan have been complete disasters. I see Manship being replaced by hard throwing pitcher Jim Hoey rather soon, but Nathan is a bigger problem. The team is not going to option him back to Rochester or release him. The only thing they might be able to do if he continues to struggle is put him on the disabled list. Either way Matt Capps needs to take over the closer role. This is my biggest area of concern right now.

6. GM Bill Smith has shown a willingness to make trades in the past to improve the team before and after the trade deadline. I would not be surprised at all to see the team add a relief pitcher or middle infielder to the roster. One player to keep a eye on is Mets shortstop Jose Reyes. If Alexi Casilla continues to struggle it would not shock me to see the Twins try to trade for him. They have loved Reyes for years and wanted him included in the Johan Santana deal.

Take all the above reasons into account and things don't look so gloomy. I must admit watching two walk-off wins by Tampa Bay in three days is tough to take. I can guarantee things will get better and by September this four-game losing streak will be forgotten. I guess we have to serve a little time in bizarro world before things get back to normal. Please feel free to leave me any comments because your opinion matters to me.

Twins vs Rays Lineup Card.

2011-04-14T16:06:00.004-05:00

Minnesota Twins 4-7

1. Denard Span-CF

2. Michael Cuddyer-2B

3. Justin Morneau-1B

4. Jim Thome-DH

5. Delmon Young-LF

6. Jason Kubel-RF

7. Danny Valencia-3B

8. Drew Butera-C

9. Alex Casilla-SS

Carl Pavano-P

Tampa Bay Rays 3-8

1. Sam Fuld-LF

2. Johnny Damon-DH

3. B.J. Upton-CF

4. Felipe Lopez-3B

5. Ben Zobrist-2B

6. Matt Joyce-RF

7. Dan Johnson-1B

8. John Jaso-C

9. Reid Brignac-SS

James Shields-P

This might be the most ridiculous lineup manager Ron Gardenhire has ever put out in his career. Let's just pretend we believe Joe Mauer is really sore on a day Carl Pavano happens to be pitching. I have some ocean front property in Arizona if you believe that one!! He has Michael Cuddyer batting in the #2 hole and playing second base. Some people like me have a problem with Cuddyer being on the field at all with young Luke Hughes on the bench. However, having Cuddyer bat 2nd in the lineup makes absolutely no sense. Cuddyer has no speed, can't hit to save his life, and has a career OBP of .342. I hope fans keep track of all the bone-headed decisions Gardenhire continues to make on a daily basis. The ship is sinking fast but who cares as long as Cuddyer plays every day. Please feel free to leave me any comments because your opinion matters to me.

Athletics vs Twins Lineup Card.

2011-04-08T13:07:00.004-05:00

Oakland Athletics 2-4

1. Coco Crisp-CF

2. Daric Barton-1B

3. David DeJesus-RF

4. Josh Willingham-LF

5. Hideki Matsui-DH

6. Kurt Suzuki-C

7. Mark Ellis-2B

8. Kevin Kouzmanoff-3B

9. Cliff Pennington-SS

Brett Anderson-P

Minnesota Twins 2-4

1. Denard Span-CF

2. Joe Mauer-C

3. Justin Morneau-1B

4. Delmon Young-LF

5. Michael Cuddyer-RF

6. Jim Thome-DH

7. Danny Valencia-3B

8. Luke Hughes-2B

9. Alexi Casilla-SS

Carl Pavano-P

What a beautiful day to open up year #2 at Target Field. It is about as warm as it gets in April for Minnesota at this time of year. I was rather impressed with manager Ron Gardenhire for moving Joe Mauer up to the 2nd spot in the batting order and starting Luke Hughes. Go Twins!! Please feel free to leave me any comments because your opinion matters to me.

Bullied in the Bronx Again!!

2011-04-04T21:21:00.013-05:00

The Twins continue to get bullied in the Bronx as they lose to the New York Yankees 4-3 again!! It is quite amazing the way every blogger and fan out there will just shrug off another loss as no big deal. This game and series is a huge deal because it sets a precedent for the remainder of the season. The Twins offense was given plenty of good fast balls to hit all night long by Nova, Chamberlain, and Soriano and could not turn on one of them. I find it rather amusing earlier in spring training we were told that Mauer, Morneau, Young, Cuddyer did not need extra at bats. They could step right in when the season started and turn it on like a switch. They of course used Joe Mauer's 2009 season as a prime example. Now that these guys are not hitting their weight the coaching staff uses not enough plate appearances as an excuse. Which one is it you can't have it both ways? The bottom line the lame excuses need to stop and the team needs to find a way to get over this hump. However, it will never happen until Gardenhire and his staff are gone. His terrible record of 6-31 lifetime at Yankee Stadium continues to be the joke around MLB.

Starting pitcher Scott Baker was lit up like the sky on the fourth of July in the first two innings. The optimistic fan will say he calmed down and pitched pretty good completing six innings. Those fans of course are absolutely out of their minds if they really believe it. After the Yankees scored four runs this game was over. The Twins had no chance of winning and at times it looked like the Yankees were not even trying. I have written about the mediocrity of the starting staff before but apparently people still don't get it. The front office continues to be fascinated with pitch to contact pitchers. Every single pitcher we have in the starting rotation and bullpen is a pitch to contact pitcher, except for Francisco Liriano. We already know the team has no intention of keeping Liriano around after 2012. I predict more beatings in the future from American League east and west teams until we get some hard throwers. The team philosophy will not change but until it does we will continue to hear "They battled hard and came up just a little bit short." I wonder if Paul Molitor would make the same excuses in his press conference after a loss. I would sure love to find out.

A Pitching Platoon.

2011-03-31T21:07:00.010-05:00

The Minnesota Twins start the 2011 season tomorrow night in Toronto against the Blue Jays. They have assembled a very deep lineup capable of scoring runs in bunches. However, in the past the team has always used pitching and defense to win games. This year that motto might have to be altered a bit because of some questionable pitching. The Twins bring back the same starting rotation except for Duensing and Slowey switching spots. The bullpen is missing Matt Guerrier, Jesse Crain, Jon Rauch, and Brian Fuentes. My hope was the front office would improve in these two areas of concern but instead it will try to once again fill from within. Here is a complete breakdown of the twelve pitchers on the 25-man roster.

The Starting Rotation

Carl Pavano waited until January 19 before he signed a 2-year deal worth $16.5 million to stay with the Twins. He led the team with 17 wins, 221 IP, and 7 complete games. He was the workhorse of the staff and often times saved a tired bullpen by going deep into the game. He has reinvented himself in Minnesota with poise and control now that he can't overpower hitters with a 96 MPH fastball. Most people think he is unlikely to repeat his 2010 numbers but the truth is he does not have to. He is a proven veteran and gives the Twins a chance to win every time he takes the mound. Can he remain healthy and chew up another 200 plus innings?

Francisco Liriano is entering his fourth season back since having Tommy John surgery on his left elbow. It may have taken him longer than most but it was worth the wait. Liriano looked like the 2006 version we fell in love with as a rookie. He went 14-10 with a 3.62 ERA in 191.2 IP last season. He also recorded 201 strikeouts and looked dominating at times. He was awarded with the 2010 comeback player of the year. He has the stuff to be a #1 pitcher but his mental makeup needs some fine tuning. Can he make the adjustments necessary to improve or was last year as good as it gets?

Nick Blackburn had the worst season of his young career in 2010 and was demoted to Rochester in July. He struggled with pain in his right elbow for much of the season but never made excuses. He went 10-12 with a steep 5.42 ERA in 161 IP. This was the first time in three seasons he did not break the 200 inning threshold. He had minor surgery on his right elbow in the off-season and looked good in spring training. Can Blackburn return to form with his sinkerball or is he destined to be the next Carlos Silva?

Brian Duensing has been extremely impressive in what ever role he has taken with the Twins. He will become the second lefty in the starting rotation this season. On paper his numbers look great but those can be deceiving. He was a combined 10-3 with a 2.62 ERA in 130.2 IP in 2010. He is a strike throwing machine but lacks the raw stuff to put hitters away. He is most effective when he keeps the ball down and induces ground ball outs. If he could somehow improve on his 5.39 K/9 ratio it would make him a more complete pitcher. Can he take his game to the next level or have we seen the best he has to offer?

Scott Baker was a huge disappointment in 2010. He started the season as the opening day pitcher in Anaheim and that might have been his biggest accomplishment. He had a 12-9 record with a high 4.43 ERA in 170.1 IP. He suffered from a sore right elbow and had minor surgery to remove bone chips during the winter. I have watched him throw this spring and he looks pretty impressive. It seems like year after year we keep waiting for Baker to put it all together. At some point the 29 year old right-hander has to live up to his potential or he will be gone after the 2012 season. Will he rebound this year or fall deeper into oblivion?

The Bullpen

Joe Nathan was one of the best closers in MLB until he injured his right elbow last March. He is returning from Tommy John surgery after being out only one year and will again assume the closer's role. Nobody really knows what to expect from him as he had a less than stellar spring with a 9.72 ERA in 9 games. His arm does appear to be healthy and that is encouraging news to a depleted bullpen. Can Nathan be a difference maker at the back of the bullpen or are his best days behind him?

Matt Capps was a terrific acquisition before the trade deadline in July 2010. It may have cost the team a good prospect like Wilson Ramos but was worth it. Capps did everything the team could have asked and more down the stretch. Fans complained at paying him $7.15 million in arbitration but he saved 42 games between Washington and Minnesota last year. He will be the primary setup man in the bullpen and is a terrific insurance policy in case Nathan struggles. The only question to ask is will the Twins sign the 26 year old Capps to a long-term deal?

Jose Mijares battled nagging injuries to his elbow and knee in 2010 but still enjoyed a modest campaign. He had a 3.31 ERA in only 32.2 IP. The most intriguing thing about Mijares is his ability to get hitters out from both sides of the plate. He arrived to spring training on time and his weight did not appear to be an issue like in the past. Mijares has great stuff but has never quite lived up to expectations. He is only 26 years old entering his third full season as a relief pitcher. Can he stay focused for an entire season and quiet his critics?

Glen Perkins was a number one draft pick by the Twins back in 2004 and has been a tremendous disappointment. His best season was in 2008 as a starter when he went 12-4 with a 4.41 ERA in 151 IP. He has been hampered with shoulder injuries and has been unable to keep his career on track. Left-handed batters are hitting .319/.393/.447 and right-handed batters are hitting .289/.326/.475. These career numbers make him a bad candidate for the bullpen but he is out of options. Can he prove everyone wrong and contribute?

Dusty Hughes was claimed off waivers from the Kansas City Royals on January 26. He went 1-3 with a 3.83 ERA in 56.1 IP last season. He throws four quality pitches and is capable of being more than just a situational lefty out of the pen. He won a job out of spring training because he did not give up a run in 12 IP. At first glance this looked like a ridiculous signing but it could turn out to be a steal. Does Hughes have the ability to make us forget about losing Craig Breslow?

Kevin Slowey was told he will start the season in the bullpen. He went 13-6 with a high 4.45 ERA in 155.2 IP as a starter in 2010. He has great control and could really help stabilize the middle innings for the Twins. I still believe Slowey is better suited to be a starting pitcher but someone had to be the odd man out. He has struggled with injuries throughout his career but the move could help to keep him healthy. Will Slowey make a smooth transition or resist change?

Jeff Manship will finally get a chance to prove that he belongs in the big show as a relief pitcher. He has a career 5.49 ERA in 60.2 IP the last two years with the Twins. He has a great downward angle to his pitches and has the makeup to be successful. Manship did not put up great spring training numbers with a 5.02 ERA in 14.1 IP. He might have a short leash with Jim Hoey and Kyle Waldrop waiting for their chance in Rochester. Can Manship be the next Matt Guerrier?

The 2011 season will depend on how successful these twelve pitchers are for the Twins. I imagine their will be some changes made but the question is how many will it be. You also can never predict injuries so health will be a big concern as well. Feel free to leave me any comments because your opinion matters to me.

Live Twins Chat.

2011-03-28T21:28:00.001-05:00

Twins Chat.

Live Twins Chat.

2011-03-21T20:23:00.001-05:00

Live Twins Chat

Neshek is Gone!!

2011-03-20T16:30:00.015-05:00

Trying to figure out how the front office thinks is like believing you can get rich selling Amway products. It just does not make any sense. Add relief pitcher Pat Neshek to the long list of confusion this winter. It was reported this afternoon on Twitter by Neshek himself, he was claimed off waivers by the San Diego Padres. Neshek made his debut in 2006 and was great in his first two seasons. His funky side-arm delivery made it tough for hitters to see the ball out of his hand. Neshek had a 2.68 ERA in a 107.1 IP with the Twins. He injured himself on May 9, 2008 against the Chicago White Sox and had Tommy John surgery in November. He missed all of the 2009 season and struggled to get back his velocity in 2010. He had a 4.35 ERA in 41.1 IP last season between Fort Myers and Rochester. Neshek leaves the Twins with an 11-6 record and a 3.05 ERA in a 129.2 IP.

What makes this move so hard to accept is Neshek had one option to the minors left. If he was struggling so bad in spring training the coaching staff should of taken him aside and told him he was going to Rochester for the season. However, just like with LH pitcher Craig Breslow the team decided to put him on waivers and take their chances. Breslow has been fantastic in Oakland with a 2.80 ERA in 129.3 IP since leaving Minnesota. Coincidentally, the Twins have been searching for a second lefty in the bullpen since Breslow departed. Neshek is only 30 and still has plenty of upside. The team might have thought he was not progressing fast enough but they also thought the same thing about Liriano his third year back from surgery.

My last point is the most valid of them all. Why would the team be willing to lose Neshek and keep lefty Glen Perkins? The team has plenty of LH options for the bullpen and Perkins should not be one of them. His best season was in 2008 when he went 12-4 with a high 4.41 ERA in 151 IP. He has struggled with injuries and the last two years have been a complete disaster. Most relievers are used in late inning situations but with Perkins this is a huge problem. Perkins has trouble getting left-handed batters out as opponents are hitting .319/.393/.447. He also has not had any luck against right-handed batters as they are hitting .289/.326/.475. His career numbers are terrible and make him a bad candidate for the bullpen. I understand Perkins was a number one draft pick in 2004 and is out of options. I sure wish the front office would have showed the same consideration for Neshek who had one option left. Please feel free to leave me any comments because your opinion matters to me.

Live Twins Chat.

2011-03-14T21:01:00.001-05:00

Twins Chat

Francisco Fever.

2011-03-04T08:41:00.014-06:00

There has been a lot of talk in the last month about the Twins possibly trading starting pitcher Francisco Liriano. Although I have not been willing to engage others about this subject, the rumors will not go away. Speculation exploded into the papers like a nuclear blast back on February 10th when Twins beat writer Joe Christensen of the Star and Tribune wrote an article saying trading Liriano was not just crazy talk. This article caught everyone in Twins Territory by surprise including the team itself. The disturbing information revealed said the Twins spoke to Liriano's agent about a long-term deal and were told negotiations start at three-years and $39 million. This information was down-played after the article circulated but was probably true. Christensen is a very reputable journalist and is not going to write something that is untrue just to stir things up. The rumors eventually calmed down when spring training started and fans like myself could breath normal again.

Then out of nowhere it was reported last week by Bob Nightengale of the USA Today the Twins and Yankees were talking about a possible trade involving Liriano before opening day. The panic began to mount again among Twins fans like a volcano before it erupts. You have to admit where there is smoke there is fire. I believe the two teams have discussed a possible trade regarding Liriano. This makes sense if the Twins believe they cannot sign Liriano to a contract extension. Liriano might never have more trade value than he does right now. The team would only pull the trigger on a deal if they received the right players in return. The Yankees are not the only trade option for the Twins but they might be the most desperate. It would at least behoove GM Bill Smith to pickup the telephone and call the St. Louis Cardinals. Their pitching staff has been decimated with injuries and top pitching prospect Shelby Miller or Colby Rasmus would be a quality return for Liriano.

Liriano continues to infuriate the Twins front office and coaching staff with his inconsistent, head scratching work ethic. His work ethic or lack of one leads to injuries and is the main reason he has never pitched over 200 innings at the big league level. When Liriano was added to the starting rotation in 2006 he was dominating. People believe it was his violent delivery that injured his left elbow but a more probable explanation was his failure to do anything between starts. Liriano was given the entire winter off this year by the Twins so his arm would be fresh and healthy in spring training. Liriano showed up for camp with tendinitis in his left shoulder and admitted he did not do his shoulder exercises. Liriano has the talent to be a ace for the next 5-7 years but without the work ethic he will never be more than a average pitcher. I have criticized Liriano in the past but believe the Twins would be out of their minds to trade him now. However, when you take into account Liriano's past injuries, his work ethic, and he wants Fort Knox to sign a contract extension, trading him seems very plausible. Feel free to leave me any comments because your opinion matters to me.

TwinsFest Recap.

2011-01-30T21:38:00.013-06:00

I know this blog seems a little negative and can be overly critical at times. Well maybe a little negative is putting it rather nicely but either way you get my drift. I can be overbearing and very condescending when referring to the front office and their ability to spend money on player personnel. However, this weekend at TwinsFest was an eye opening experience for me and really helped me to view this organization differently. There is one word to describe the Minnesota Twins Baseball Club from top to bottom and that is C-L-A-S-S. Let me recap my TwinsFest weekend so you can understand what I'm talking about.

Friday January 28, 2011. My wife and I arrived at the National Sports Center in Blaine around 3:00 P.M. There was a long line outside the Schwan Center waiting for Joe Mauer and Jim Thome. Mauer was scheduled to sign autographs first and then Thome. I ran into Topper Anton of Curve for a Strike outside and we spoke for about five to ten minutes. The doors opened and let the first 400-500 people inside. The rest of the people in line were left outside to battle the cold. Fans waiting became inpatient as the line did not move for 2 1/2 hours after the doors opened. There were rumors people inside were jumping into line for Jim Thome after Mauer signed their item. This rumor was later confirmed to be true and was the only negative in a otherwise positive weekend. I ran into my ticket agent later in the evening and he said the team had limited options on where to host the event on such short notice.

Saturday January 29, 2011. I arrived at TwinsFest around 9:00 A.M. and entered the main building where all the tables were set up. I walked around and met up with Seth Stohs of Seth Speaks after he arrived. We were taking in the atmosphere and noticed GM Bill Smith walking past us. We greeted Smith and he spoke to us for about ten minutes. I asked Smith about a Liriano extension and he said "the team will go year to year with him because of injury concerns." He stated "it could end up costing the team a lot of money but they prefer to be cautious." I asked Smith about the depleted bullpen and if they will sign a reliever. He feels the team has enough options in the minors to make it work. He specifically mentioned how happy the Twins were to get LH pitcher Scott Diamond in the Rule 5 draft and Atlanta hated to lose him. I asked Smith if he was sick of the Justin Morneau questions and he said "they want to get it right with him one time so there are no problems." It was clear to me he cares about the future of Justin Morneau and is not willing to rush him back until he is ready. Smith was a very nice man and really impressed the hell out of me. We met up with Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN and Cody Christie of Nodak Twins Fan before noon. The whole day was a lot of fun but extremely exhausting.

Sunday January 30, 2011. I went to TwinsFest with my father-in-law and arrived at about 9:35 A.M. We entered the main building and walked around. I observed on two separate occasions the owner Jim Pohlad walking around by himself. He is a very quiet man and blends in with a crowd quite well. I greeted him by saying hello and left him alone. He definitely is not as outgoing as GM Bill Smith and did not strike up a conversation with me. I remember thinking to myself that Pohlad is worth $3.6 billion and is walking around by himself at TwinsFest. Most team owners or CEOS have about 10 people following behind them kissing their behinds. Yet it was evident to me the Twins from the top down don't do business that way. Everybody has a role to fill and nobody is seen as more important than anybody else. Most of the players drafted or brought into this organization share the same philosophy.

To recap this weekend gave me a first hand view of what makes the Twins such a class organization. How many fans can say they spoke with the GM for ten minutes or greeted the owner walking around by himself. These events don't even take place in New York or Boston because the egos are so out of control. I ran into Andrew Bryz-Gornia of Off The Mark on all three days and we spoke with each other briefly. The next stop for the players is spring training in Fort Myers, Florida. Remember to vote in my poll. Please feel free to leave me any comments because your opinion matters to me.

Carl In Charge.

2011-01-19T19:59:00.011-06:00

The Twins re-signed free agent pitcher Carl Pavano to a two-year, $16.5 million dollar contract. GM Bill Smith looks like a genius playing the waiting game with agent Tom O'Connell and winning big time. Pavano was offered arbitration and would have received about $10-11 million as a Type A free agent if he had accepted. He instead declined arbitration after watching LH pitchers Ted Lilly and Jorge De La Rosa receive very lucrative deals longer than one year. The strategy backfired as teams were not willing to offer 2-3 years with Pavano. My guess is people have not forgotten the injury problems he had in New York after signing an expensive four-year deal. The Twins get their workhorse back for $8 and $8.5 million over the next two seasons and did not give up a third year. This was a nice signing for the Twins with spring training only a month away but they still have work to do. Please feel free to leave me any comments because your opinion matters to me.

Jim Thome Returns.

2011-01-14T22:22:00.006-06:00

Jim Thome signed a one-year, $3 million dollar contract, with the Twins on Friday ending months of speculation. It would appear he has put the team on the scoreboard this winter without swinging his mighty bat. The Twins had a need for a bench player who could hit and nobody does that better than Thome. There is no doubt he left more money on the table in Texas to return to Minnesota. This is one of many reasons why James Howard Thome is the classiest player in the game today. The chase for 600 continues in 2011 coming soon to a ballpark near you.

Bert Belongs.

2011-01-05T07:30:00.011-06:00

Update: Bert Blyleven was elected into the National Baseball Hall of Fame with 79.7% of the votes. He missed induction last year by just five votes and came up with a few more this time around. Second baseman Roberto Alomar received 90% of the votes and is the only other player going into Cooperstown in 2011. Bert you have been circled!!

A new year brings forth hope and another opportunity for great players to be enshrined into the Baseball Hall of Fame. A player gets elected when he receives a minimum of 75% of the votes from the Baseball Writers Association of America. The BBWAA is a professional organization made up of baseball journalists writing for daily newspapers, magazines, and qualifying Web sites. All writers with 10 years of membership in the BBWAA are eligible to vote for the Hall of Fame. The writers have failed for the last thirteen years to do the right thing and elect pitcher Bert Blyleven into this exclusive class. This will be his fourteenth year trying to get elected and he only has one year of eligibility remaining. The voting process has turned into a popularity contest where inferior players from big market teams like the Yankees, Mets, Red Sox, or Dodgers are rewarded and the worthy candidates like Mr. Blyleven are left out in the cold.

Blyleven is the perfect example of what happens to somebody who puts up superb numbers playing for small market teams. Nobody wants to admit this ever happens, but explain to me why Blyleven and Tony Oliva are not in Cooperstown. The reason is simple because they played for the Minnesota Twins. This may sound too bleak or paranoid for the average fan but what other explanation makes sense. Blyleven had a 287-250 record with a 3.31 ERA in 22 seasons. He recorded an unbelievable 4,970 IP, 3,701 strikeouts, and 60 career shutouts during his remarkable career. The knock on Blyleven by the writers is he only won 20 games once (1973), did not win a CY Young Award, and never surpassed the 300 win total. The reason why this happened is he played for some terrible teams throughout his career. Blyleven played for five different teams (Twins, Rangers, Pirates, Indians, and Angels) and endured a total of ten losing seasons. However, he was the definition of a workhorse and threw over 200 innings 16 times. He also helped anchor pitching staffs that won the World Series in 1979 with Pittsburgh and in 1987 with Minnesota. Blyleven has the necessary statistics worthy of election into the Hall of Fame.

According to Arjuna Subramanian of the Washington Times, "Thanks to his deadly curveball, the greatest of all-time, Blyleven was one of the best control pitchers ever, recording a minuscule 2.4 BB/9 rate, better than hall members Tom Seaver, Catfish Hunter, Bob Gibson, and many others. Blyleven gave up a lot of home runs, but gave up fewer than hall of famers Don Sutton, Ferguson Jenkins, and Robin Roberts, while playing about two seasons fewer than each pitcher. He also threw 60 shutouts, more than Gibson, Steve Carlton, and Juan Marichal." He was also a great leader in the clubhouse and kept everybody loose with his never ending pranks. The writers have a chance to rectify things today and put Bert in Cooperstown where he belongs. Please feel free to leave me any comments because your opinion matters to me.

Dazed and Confused.

2010-12-20T17:09:00.016-06:00

Most fans like myself are concerned about the lack of action taken this off-season by Twins GM Bill Smith. The team enjoyed a terrific inaugural season at Target Field that ended prematurely with another three-game sweep to the damn Yankees. We all hoped the goal would be to assemble a roster that could advance past the first round of the playoffs and get to the World Series. Here is what the Twins have accomplished so far this winter. They lost ten players to free agency and have failed to resign any of them yet. Starting shortstop J.J. Hardy and Brendan Harris were traded to Baltimore for two unproven minor league relief pitchers. I defended the move because Hardy is a stiff and it appeared the money saved would be invested elsewhere. On Thursday backup catcher Jose Morales was traded to Colorado for minor league reliever Paul Bargas. This leaves Drew Butera as the only backup to Joe Mauer. So if Mauer gets injured, we are stuck with Butera starting behind the plate in his absence. The Twins won the bidding process in November and signed Japanese middle infielder Tsuyoshi Nishioka on Saturday to a three-year deal. I would like to point out to everyone that with less than two months until spring training the biggest free agent acquisition is a unproven middle infielder who is fast. I am just not sure what the overall direction of the team is anymore?

The Twins have a giant hole in the starting rotation. They want Carl Pavano back and continue to wait until his price comes down. I would love to bring Pavano back but how long can the team afford to wait for him. They have to make a decision soon about the starting rotation and move on to other problem areas. The Twins desperately need another middle infielder not named Nick Punto, who could serve as an insurance policy if Casilla or Nishioka fail to live up to the hype. The biggest area of concern right now is the bullpen. The Twins lost five capable arms (Guerrier, Crain, Rauch, Fuentes, Mahay) and have not done anything to replace them. Joe Nathan and Pat Neshek are expected back but both are recovering from Tommy John surgery. Jim Hoey was one of the pitchers received in the Hardy trade and has struggled to stay healthy himself. Alex Burnett was successful last season but very inconsistent at times. The Twins will give minor league players like Glen Perkins, Anthony Slama, Rob Delaney, Carlos Gutierrez, and Kyle Waldrop an opportunity to fill any remaining spots. To believe the above minor league pitchers can find success professionally because their numbers were good in Rochester or New Britain is troubling to say the least. This makes about as much sense as the Twins signing me to play right field because my statistics were good on the company softball team. They have to explore other options (trade or free agency) to improve the bullpen.

As of right now the Twins have a new and unproven middle infield, a terrible starting rotation, a depleted bullpen with injury concerns, and a bench made up of Repko, Tolbert, and Butera. The front office appears to be more concerned with adding depth at the minor league level than strengthening the Twins roster. The team is headed for a 4th place finish if things don't change soon. Just check out the Cleveland Indians Roster because they have a better overall pitching staff right now than the Twins. This lack of action by GM Bill Smith has left me feeling dazed and confused. Please feel free to leave me any comments because your opinion matters to me.

Disecting the Hardy Trade.

2010-12-10T21:42:00.007-06:00

Shortly after the Twins were eliminated from the playoffs A-G-A-I-N by the Yankees it was reported the manager wanted to add more speed to the lineup. Most people immediately hoped the outfield defense would be improved but instead the middle infield was targeted for change. It made sense to give Alexi Casilla another shot to start at second base with O-Dog leaving as a free agent. The Twins surprised everyone when they won the bid to negotiate with Japanese infielder Tsuyoshi Nishioka. Most fans were thrilled with management for being so creative and willing to spend money to improve the team. Nobody could have imagined our starting shortstop would be traded just twelve days later because of money. Anyone who reads this blog knows that negative comments fly around quite frequently when referring to GM Bill Smith and skipper Ron Gardenhire. However, trading J.J. Hardy, Brendan Harris and $500.000 in cash to the Baltimore Orioles for relief pitchers Jim Hoey and Brett Jacobson is not a bad deal. Here are five reasons why this trade looks good to me.

1. The last two years for J.J. Hardy have been a disaster. He was so bad for Milwaukee in 2009 they sent him down to the minors and started rookie Alcides Escobar in his place. He hit .229/.302/.357 with 11 HRs and 47 RBIs in 115 games. The Brewers decided to sell low on Hardy and traded him to Minnesota for centerfielder Carlos Gomez. Yes, he was so bad that he was traded for Gomez!! Hardy started out strong for the Twins in 2010 but hurt his left wrist on May 5 sliding into third base. He hit .268/.320/.394 with a career low 6 HRs and 38 RBIs. He played solid defense at shortstop but committed 11 errors. Hardy has been unable to duplicate the success he had in 2007 and 2008 playing for the Brewers. Most fans believe Hardy is not injury prone but the numbers don't lie. He has played 672 games in 6 seasons and that is a average of only 104 games a year. These numbers have been consistent throughout his career and will only get worse as he ages. So take into consideration he is a better than average shortstop with good range, erratic arm, slow feet, an average hitter with diminished power, and is a free agent after 2011. The time to trade Hardy was now if you wanted to get something in return. I have never seen so much love given to player who defines the word underachiever.

2. The front office managed to include the contract of infielder Brendan Harris in the trade. This was a great money saving maneuver that will save the Twins $1.75 million. Harris was taken off the 40-man roster in 2010 and cleared waivers. He has played for the Rochester Red Wings ever since being demoted and was unlikely to see any action in 2011. It is possible Harris could have been taken in the Rule 5 draft but having him included in this deal was brilliant.

3. The Twins get hard throwing relief pitchers Jim Hoey and Brett Jacobson in return. My understanding is Jim Hoey was the key player in this trade for the Twins. Hoey is coming off major shoulder surgery in 2008 and should be fully recovered. He posted a 3.25 ERA in the minors (AA and AAA) and struckout 70 batters. He also walked 34 batters in 52 2/3 IP so control is a big concern. He throws a 95-96 MPH fastball, a slider, and changeup. The other pitcher is right-handed reliever Brett Jacobson. Jacobson was 8-1 with a 2.79 ERA last season for the single A Frederick Keys. He throws a 95-98 MPH fastball, curveball, changeup, and slider. He shows great mound presence and should pitch for the New Britain Rock Cats in 2011. These two pitchers add depth to a depleted bullpen that could lose up to five relievers in free agency.

4. Trading both Hardy and Harris frees up about $8.5 million to sign other players. Those other players are Carl Pavano and Jim Thome. Pavano is looking for a 3-year deal worth $30-33 million and is waiting until Cliff Lee signs to make a decision. He had an outstanding year going 17-11, with a 3.75 ERA, in 221 IP. Pavano might not duplicate his numbers from last year but has proven himself to be a innings eater when healthy. The Twins would have a difficult time replacing Pavano if he signs with another team. Jim Thome is another player the Twins would love to bring back. The problem with Thome is he might want more money and an extra year added to his contract. The team desperately needs a right-handed hitter off the bench so it should be interesting. Even if the Twins don't sign Pavano and Thome the money can be spent on their replacements.

5. The new middle infield will probably be Alexi Casilla at shortstop and Tsuyoshi Nishioka at second base. Most fans are very frightened at the thought of Casilla given another opportunity to start. I would like to go on record as saying "He will be fine." Casilla is only 26 and has matured a lot since being called up at 21. He has tremendous range at shortstop and a rocket for a arm. He has the ablity to hit for average and steal some bases. The big concern for Casilla is his ability to stay focused on the game. Nishioka is a complete unknown to me but I have faith in our scouts. Japan players are hard workers and are driven to be successful. Nishioka would appear to have all the skills necessary to be a solid everyday player. The Twins system is always bigger than their players. The team has found success in the past six seasons with the following double-play combinations.

1. Hardy-SS/Hudson-2B in 2010.

2. Cabrera/Punto-SS/Casilla/Punto-2B in 2009.

3. Everett/Punto-SS/Punto/Casilla-2B in 2008.

4. Bartlett-SS/Castillo-2B in 2007.

5. Bartlett-SS/Castillo-2B in 2006.

6. Castro/Bartlett-SS/Punto/Rivas-2B in 2005.

Fans need to take a leap of faith and believe in the system. I mean this was not the Johan Santana trade!! Please feel free to leave me any comments because your opinion matters to me.

Twins Chat

2010-12-05T17:47:00.002-06:00

The MLB Winter Meetings will start tomorrow in Lake Buena Vista, Florida. The Minnesota Twins are usually pretty quiet at the annual meetings but that could change this year. The Twins roster has holes in the starting rotation and bullpen because of free agency. It is possible GM Bill Smith might make a trade or two but don't expect any big name acquisitions. I will be hosting another Live Twins Chat at 9:00 P.M. as we all prepare for what should be an entertaining week.

Twins Chat.

Three Players Decline Arbitration.

2010-12-01T09:29:00.011-06:00

The Twins offered arbitration last week (November 23) to Carl Pavano, Jesse Crain, and Orlando Hudson. Last night all three of those players declined arbitration as expected and elected to become free agents. The team could get as many as four additional picks in the upcoming 2011 draft if they sign with other teams. It is still possible for the Twins to re-sign any of the three players but that appears less likely to happen now. Here is a complete breakdown of these players.

Carl Pavano- He had a fantastic season going 17-11, with a 3.75 ERA, in 221 IP. The Twins would love to bring him back but he wants a three-year deal in the area of $30-33 million. This is too much money to pay for a pitcher who turns 35 in January and had one of the best years of his career. He is a Type A free agent and the Twins will receive two draft picks from the team that signs him. The Nationals, Astros, Rangers, Rockies, and Marlins have been reported to have interest. However, the Rockies and Marlins just signed pitchers and the Rangers are in pursuit of LH Cliff Lee. The Twins still have a chance at him returning.

Jesse Crain- He had a low .304 ERA in 68 IP and was easily the best reliever in the second half. The Twins want him back but can't afford him. I have heard people refer to him as the number one priority this off-season. I could not disagree more with this assessment. Crain is only 28, but has been very inconsistent in his seven year career with the Twins. When you look at his statistics, he only had one good season before 2010 and that was back in 2005. He had major shoulder surgery in 2007 and appears to finally be healthy. He is one of the most coveted relief pitchers in MLB with as many as nine teams after him. He is a Type B free agent and the team will receive a draft pick if he leaves. All aboard!! Next stop, Crain-Wreck!!

Orlando Hudson- He hit a solid .268/.338/.372 and was a nice addition batting 2nd in the lineup. He also provided very strong defense and only committed 8 errors in 637 chances. Tsuyoshi Nishioka will take over at 2nd base for Hudson in 2011. Hudson was never expected back and it surprised many when he was offered arbitration. It appears the two had an agreement in place before arbitration was offered. Hudson is a Type B free agent and the team will get a extra pick for him leaving. I am not sure why so many teams dislike Hudson so much.

The Twins have until tomorrow to offer contracts to nine players who are eligible for arbitration and under team control. The players are J.J. Hardy, Delmon Young, Alexi Casilla, Jason Repko, Francisco Liriano, Kevin Slowey, Matt Capps, Pat Neshek, and Glen Perkins. The team is expected to tender contracts to all of the above. However, it would not surprise me if a few of these players were tendered and then traded. Please feel free to leave me any comments because your opinion matters to me.

Twins Chat

2010-11-28T18:48:00.001-06:00

Live Twins Chat

Get to Know Tsuyoshi Nishioka.

2010-11-27T13:09:00.019-06:00

There are certain dates in Minnesota Twins history fans remember vividly like they happened yesterday. The first Twins game played on April 11, 1961. The crushing 2-0 loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers in Game 7 of the 1965 World Series on October 14, 1965. The first Twins game played in the H.H.H. Metrodome on April 6, 1982. An amazing 4-2 win against the St. Louis Cardinals in Game 7 of the 1987 World Series on October 25, 1987. A thrilling 1-0 win against the Atlanta Braves in Game 7 of the 1991 World Series on October 27, 1991. The day Kirby Puckett announced his retirement on July 12, 1996. The most recent memory would be the first regular season game played at Target Field on April 12, 2010. You can now add November 26, 2010 to this growing list of historic dates.

The day after Thanksgiving is commonly referred to as Black Friday but maybe it should be called "Twins Peak." The organization reached new boundaries when the Chiba Lotte Marines of Japan announced the Twins submitted the highest bid for middle infielder Tsuyoshi Nishioka. The bid was for $5 million and the Twins have 30 days to negotiate a contract with him. The Twins would get their $5 million posting fee back if for some reason they can't reach a deal. Signing Nishioka is not a sure thing, just look at what happened with the Oakland A's and Japanese pitcher Hisashi Iwakuma. However, it seems highly implausible to think the Twins would outbid teams like the Boston Red Sox and then not sign Nishioka. This is the first time the Twins have went to the continent of Asia for a Japanese player. The management has to be applauded for being so creative to improve the team.

Tsuyoshi Nishioka is only 26 and can play either second base or shortstop for the Twins. He won Gold Gloves at both positions while playing for the Chiba Lotte Marines in Japan. He has very good range and an above average arm. The Twins have already said Nishioka would play second base for them. He is switch hitter and won the Pacific League batting title last year hitting .346. Nishioka has averaged 20 stolen bases or more for the last six years and would immediately add speed to the lineup. The only concern with Nishioka is his ability to adapt at the Major League level. Let's hope this will not be a huge issue for him to overcome.

The writing would appear to be on the wall for shortstop J.J. Hardy. The Twins have until December 2 to tender him a contract or he becomes a free agent. I can guarantee the Twins will keep Hardy and try to trade him for some pitching help. Hardy would be the most attractive free agent shortstop on the market if they non-tendered him. The Twins gave up Carlos Gomez in a trade to acquire Hardy and do not want to lose him without getting something in return. Alexi Casilla would be the replacement for Hardy at shortstop if he does not return. Will the double-play combination in 2011 be Casilla/Nishioka or Hardy/Nishioka? We should find out soon as the roster starts to come together. Please feel free to leave me any comments because your opinion matters to me.

Gardenhire Wins MOY Despite Playoff Woes.

2010-11-17T17:04:00.015-06:00

Ron Gardenhire was named A.L. Manager of the Year by the Baseball Writers of America this afternoon. This is the first time he has won the award in nine years with the Minnesota Twins. He had previously finished in second place five different times without winning. Votes were cast by the writers before the season ended and that has direct impact on who is selected. Apparently, I am the only Twins blogger with enough gumption to say voting should take place after the season has concluded. Gardenhire has lost 12 consecutive playoff games, a 6-21 post season record, 18-57 lifetime against the Yankees, and is in the worst division in baseball. I could have managed the team to a division title with the talent on their roster. Oh and let's not forget before Gardenhire is crowned king of the world, the Twins were swept in the first round by the New York Yankees A-G-A-I-N. The team looked timid and scared throughout the entire series. The fear factor continues to plaque the Twins because Gardenhire provides no real leadership to his players.

Making the case for manager Ron Washington is real easy. The Texas Rangers had a much smaller payroll ($55 million), a tougher division, the hellish summer heat, and play where football is worshipped. They also clobbered the Yankees in the A.L. Championship and went to their first World Series. Evidence would support that Washington overcame more adversity and should have won the distinguished award. This award should not be given for lifetime achievement but for who is the best manager. Major League Baseball should be ashamed of itself for allowing this tragedy to continue every year.

Gardenhire can display the new award in his den but Bruce Bochy gets to wear the hardware on his finger. Why Gardenhire continues to get praise and glory for losing in the playoffs is baffling to me. Everyone seems to have forgotten about the humiliating way the Twins were beaten by the Yankees. Gardenhire would be standing in the unemployment line in any other market except the land of 10,000 lakes. He is the skipper of the biggest bunch of under-achievers in Twins history. Please feel free to leave me any comments because your opinion matters to me.

Payroll Will Go Up.

2010-11-11T12:41:00.003-06:00

The Minnesota Twins announced yesterday they would spend an additional $4-6 million on improvements at Target Field. The improvements include adding a second scoreboard in right-field, a 100-foot LED tower, more Kasota stone, upper deck heat lamps, Wi-Fi Internet service, food vendor options, and another bronze statue. These will be fine additions to what is already the best ballpark in Major League Baseball. However, many fans like myself have asked the question what about payroll? Well that question was answered today by team president Dave St. Peter who said "The payroll is going to go up." He declined to comment on how much the team would spend on payroll but it definitely is a good sign. The Twins payroll was at $101 million in 2010 and there is a good chance it could go up to about $120. The Twins management have many decisions to make this winter with 10 free agents and possible non-tender candidates. Maybe it is a bit premature to say what will happen but keep your fingers crossed. Please feel free to leave me any comments because your opinion matters to me.

Happy Halloween!!

2010-10-30T21:11:00.006-05:00

The Minnesota Twins should have a Halloween party at Target Field and dress up like the above Wizard of Oz characters from the famous movie. Justin Morneau lacks the courage to play after taking a knee to the head so he could be the cowardly lion. The often injured Joe Mauer seems to play with no heart at all when on the field and would be the perfect tin man. Ron Gardenhire never seems to make the right decisions late in a game and could be the scarecrow because he has no brain. Please feel free to leave me any comments because your opinion matters to me.

Challenging Roster Decisions.

2010-10-25T01:29:00.007-05:00

The Minnesota Twins finished the 2010 season with a payroll just above $100 million and have not disclosed what it will be in 2011. My best educated guess is the payroll might increase about $5-10 million at the most. Payroll should increase with Target Field being packed every night and season ticket prices going up. Management has many questions to answer and it should be a very busy off-season. The Twins have 10 free agents, 2 players with club options, and several possible non-tender candidates. Here is a complete breakdown of the challenging roster decisions.

Carl Pavano- When he accepted arbitration last year in December for $7 million fans were unsure what to expect from him. He had a fantastic season going 17-11, with a 3.75 ERA, in 221 IP. He turns 35 in January and should receive many multi-year contract offers on the open market. The Twins will offer him arbitration because he is a Type A free agent and will receive two first round draft picks if he rejects it. There is a chance he would accept and receive about $10 million to return on a one-year deal. This is a win/win situation for the Twins.

Orlando Hudson- This was a terrific signing in February to complete the roster. He hit a solid .268/.338/.372 and was a nice addition batting 2nd in the lineup. He also provided very strong defense and only committed 8 errors in 637 chances. He will be a Type B free agent and will not be back next season. The Twins will save the money and give Alexi Casilla another shot as a starter. Casilla has the talent to be just as productive as Hudson but remains a huge question mark.

Jim Thome- He was the best bargain in MLB at $1.5 million dollars. He hit .283, with 25 HRs, and 59 RBIs, in 340 plate appearances. The Twins would love to bring him back but will have to compete with other teams to make it happen. He is 39 and would be brought back only as a bench player. The team has a bigger need for more right-handed hitters and he just does not fit into the equation. Unfortunately, the future Hall of Famer will hit his 600th home run in a different uniform next season.

Jesse Crain - He started out slow again and was close to being released in the middle of June when he turned it up a notch. He had a low .304 ERA in 68 IP and was easily the best reliever in the second half. He provides a power arm out of the bullpen and has the ability to strikeout hitters in any situation. He improved in that category with 68 K's last season. He is projected to be a Type B free agent and will command $3-5 million a year. He wants to explore the market and would like the opportunity to be a closer. He is as good as gone unless something drastic happens. The good news is we don't have to endure anymore Crain-Wrecks.

Matt Guerrier- The most consistent late inning relief pitcher for the Twins since 2007. He went 5-7, with a very respectable .317 ERA, in 71 IP. He was 3rd in the A.L. with 74 games played and never seems to get the credit he deserves for being ready to go when called upon. He is a groundball pitcher but occasionally can strikeout hitters with his great curveball. He is a Type A free agent who will command between $4-5 million a year. The Twins will offer him arbitration to receive the two first round draft picks. This is a big gamble because they don't want to get stuck with an expensive one-year deal.

Jon Rauch- He did a nice job filling in for the injured Joe Nathan as the closer in the first half and recorded 21 saves. He went 3-1, with .312 ERA, in 57.2 IP. He is not expected to command big money as a free agent but the Twins have cheaper options in the minors.

Brian Fuentes- He was another great addition to the bullpen late in the season. He gave up no runs in 9.2 IP and dominated LH hitters. He is a Type A free agent and will garner interest from many teams. He has said he wants to return to the closer role and will have no problem finding a taker. The Twins can't afford him with both Nathan and Capps on the roster. However, I would non-tender Capps and bring him back.

Ron Mahay, Randy Flores, and Clay Condrey- These three middle relief pitchers should have never been signed by the Twins this season and none of them are expected back. They will all become free agents and become another team's problem.

Jason Kubel- He is the most underappreciated player in the lineup. He had a down year after a breakout season in 2009 and still struggles against LH pitchers. He hit .249/.323/.427, with 21 HRs, and 92 RBIs. He also played 98 games in the outfield and only committed 5 errors in 181 chances. He performs better when he is in the everyday DH role. He has a $5.25 million team option that will be exercised and the team should think about signing him long term.

Nick Punto- He was hampered by injuries during the season and lost his starting job at third base to rookie Danny Valencia. The two-year deal he signed might be the worst contract in Twins history and it contains a $5 million team option for 2011. The team will most likely exercise the $500k buyout and let him walk as a free agent. They have Matt Tolbert or Trevor Plouffe who can take his place on the roster.

J.J. Hardy- He only played in 101 games because of nagging wrist injuries. He hit .268 but brought none of the expected power from his Milwaukee days. He was great defensively with a strong arm that can be erratic at times. He made $5.1 million in arbitration and could get around the same in 2011. He is a possible non-tender candidate because of the hefty price tag he brings. If he gets cut loose he becomes the top free agent shortstop on the market. I think he gets brought back because they have no real replacement for him.

Matt Capps- He saved 42 games as the closer, with a low 2.47 ERA, in 73 IP for the Nationals/Twins. He is due to make between $7-9 million in arbitration and will be one of the most expensive mediocre relievers in MLB. GM Bill Smith said the reason why he traded for Capps was because he had one year left on his contract. The Twins will keep Capps but they should non-tender him and sign Brian Fuentes.

Glen Perkins and Pat Neshek- Both players are candidates to be non-tendered but it seems unlikely because they are young, cheap, and talented.

The Twins have some difficult decisions to make this winter that is for sure and you can't rule out the possiblity of a big trade or two. Do you know what happens to a veteran team that let's all the above players leave? They become the Cleveland Indians!! Please feel free to leave me any comments because your opinion matters to me.

Undisputed Facts!!

2010-10-09T21:29:00.017-05:00

Kathy Willens-AP

The Twins 2010 season ends with an embarrassing 6-1 loss to the New York Yankees again. The offense was horrible in the series going 2-18 with RISP and the pitching was not much better. The team looked flat and scared throughout the entire series. The question you have to ask yourself is what's next after another dreadful performance in the playoffs? Manager Ron Gardenhire has a 803-656 record with the Twins since becoming manager in 2002. He has won six division titles in nine years and could win the American League manager of the year award. Here are five Undisputed Facts why he should be fired immediately.

1. The Twins are 18-57 against the N.Y. Yankees since 2002.

2. The Twins are 6-21 in six post season appearances.

3. The Twins have been swept in the last 3 division series (2006, 2009, 2010).

4. The Twins have lost 12 straight playoff games and have not won a single contest since the 2004 ALDS.

5. The Twins have lost the last 11 straight playoff games in the Metrodome/Target Field and have not won at home since 2002. What happened to home field advantage?

The bottom line is these numbers are simply unacceptable but in the heart of mediocrity everyone sings his praise. Why is everyone satisfied with just getting to the playoffs? We have been to the post season six times and only advanced once. Ron Gardenhire has set this organization back ten years and should resign while he still has some dignity left. He would have been fired years ago in any other market but in Minnesota he is thought of as a great manager. Paul Molitor would be a great baseball mind to have in charge of these young players who don't believe in themselves. Please feel free to leave me any comments because your opinion matters to me.

A Great Motivator!!

2010-10-06T10:35:00.005-05:00

The above photo was on the front page of the New York Daily News on Monday after it was announced the evil empire would play the Twins in the ALDS. The photo was put up on the bulletin board in the Minnesota clubhouse and should serve as a great motivator for the players. It should also serve as a reminder of how much disrespect the newspaper writers and television analysts have for this team. The Twins may be a huge underdog in this series but that is usually when they play their best baseball. Please feel free to leave me any comments because your opinion matters to me.

Deafening Silence!!

2010-09-28T21:27:00.012-05:00

(AP Photo/Ed Zurga)

The Twins clinched the American League Central division one week ago in Target Field against the Cleveland Indians. Since wrapping up the division the team has fallen on hard times going 1-5 and all but conceded home field advantage for the playoffs. The pitching staff has surrendered 46 runs during a five-game slide. How does a club go from celebration to dejection in a period of one week? The most embarrassing part is they have lost to a Triple AAA lineup in Kansas City twice, including a 10-1 thumping tonight. Does anyone really believe the Twins have a chance of beating the Yankees or Rays in the first round and advancing? Let's be honest and put our big boy thinking caps on to discuss this issue.

The Twins don't match up well against the Yankees and have been their human punching bag for the last decade. Under manager Ron Gardenhire the Twins are 18-54 lifetime against the Yankees and were eliminated from the playoffs in 2003, 2004, and 2009 by them. The Rays on the other hand may be more athletic but still remain a better match up for the Twins. The big difference is the Rays have a deeper rotation and that creates many problems for the Twins. The end result will lead to the Twins most likely being eliminated in the division series. Any chance of Minnesota beating both teams and going to the World Series is equivalent to me winning the lottery. Ron Gardenhire may win A.L. manager of the year but needs to be held accountable if the team does not advance to the second round of the playoffs. Please feel free to leave me any comments because your opinion matters to me.

Twins Clinch Division.

2010-09-22T10:38:00.012-05:00

(AP Photos/Jim Mone)

The Twins clinched the American League Central Division by beating the Cleveland Indians 6-4 at Target Field. This might have been the most impressive win all season because it involved a dramatic 8th inning comeback. The Twins were down 4-2 going into the 8th when the offense erupted to score 4 runs on 5 hits and take the lead. Closer Matt Capps shut the door in the 9th with a 1-2-3 inning and reduce the magic number to 1. Most of the 39,580 fans left Target Field knowing the White Sox were losing to Oakland 5-1 in the 6th inning. However, a handful of fans did stay and celebrate with the team when the White Sox lost 7-2.

(AP Photo/Jim Dietz)

Ron Gardenhire recorded his 800th career win and 6th division title in nine years as the manager of the Twins. There is no doubt Gardenhire has been a great manager during the regular season but he still has a lot to prove in the playoffs. Gardenhire is 6-18 lifetime in the playoffs and his team has been swept in the last two division series (2006 and 2009) they played in. Ask yourself one question before you get all starry eyed about Gardenhire, would you rather win 6 division titles or 1 world series championship? I would pick the 1 world series championship every day of the week and twice on Sunday. Gardenhire needs to keep his team focused during the next two weeks and get home field advantage for the playoffs. It all starts this afternoon against Cleveland in the last game of the series before a six game road trip. Go Twins!! Please feel free to leave me any comments because your opinion matters to me.

Showdown in Chi-Town.

2010-09-14T00:26:00.006-05:00

As a die hard baseball fan in Minnesota there are two things you root for growing up on the northern plains of the mighty Mississippi. You root for the Twins to win and the Chicago White Sox to lose. I sometimes get more satisfaction from watching the White Sox lose because of my deep seated hatred for them. The two teams have developed a rivalry over the years and it seems to get better with time. The Twins hold a six-game lead in the division and have been great in the second half. As we prepare for the showdown in Chi-Town here are my reasons to H-A-T-E the White Sux.

1. September 30, 2008. Jim Thome hit a solo home run in the 7th inning off Nick Blackburn to beat the Twins 1-0 in Game 163. The Twins were eliminated and Chicago won the A.L. Central. I am sure glad Thome is on our side now!! The Twins had a better record against the White Sox but lost a coin flip forcing them to play this game on the road.

2. July 27, 2004. Torii Hunter collided with Chicago catcher Jamie Burke to score on a sacrifice fly in the 8th inning. The Twins won 6-2 but the collision at home plate sparked controversy and fueled a rivalry.

3. May 27, 2007. A.J. Pierzynski hits into a inning ending double play and stepped on Justin Morneau's foot at 1st base. Earlier in the game Pierzynski had done the same thing and just missed stepping on Morneau's foot. The Twins won 10-4 but Pierzynski really infuriated a lot of people with his dirty tactics.

4. Ozzie Guillen has been the manager of the Chicago White Sox since 2004 and has done a terrific job. He has won two A.L. Central Division Titles (2005 and 2008) and one World Series Championship in 2005. He has a very good overall record of 591-525 and is not afraid to call his players out when things are going bad. He called the Twins a bunch of Piranhas in 2006 and publicly criticized pitcher Nick Blackburn in 2008.

5. Ken (Hawk) Harrelson has been the lead television broadcaster for the Chicago White Sox since 1990. Harrelson does not like the Twins and enjoys criticizing them every chance he gets. However, he makes this list because of his annoying phrases like "Get on back there stretch" and "You can put it on the board..YES."

As long as the Twins don't get swept in this series they will be in great shape. They would maintain a five game lead and make it near impossible for the Sox to catch them down the stretch. Please feel free to leave me any comments because your opinion matters to me.

Too Many Questions and not Enough Answers.

2010-09-03T09:08:00.005-05:00

Most fans refuse to say anything negative about the Minnesota Twins because they are in first place. However, last night was a devastating loss and one that showed how vulnerable the team is at times. The White Sox may be 3 1/2 games out in the A.L. Central division but have much better pitching and a easier schedule the final two weeks of the season. Right now the Twins have too many question marks and not enough answers.

1. Why did the Twins organization lie to us and make most ignorant fans believe Justin Morneau would come back this season? His career might be in jeopardy so why can't the Twins just be open and honest about it?

2. Why in the world would you trade for relief pitcher Brian Fuentes if he has a bad back?

3. Why does Matt "Gopher ball" Guerrier continue to be used in the 8th inning? I thought Gardenhire said he would be used earlier and in less innings so his arm would stay fresh.

4. The Twins added Capps and Fuentes to bolster the bullpen but what about the rest of the staff? The truth is does any fan really trust Jesse Crain, Matt Guerrier, or Randy Flores in critical situations? The answer is an emphatic NO.

5. Why is Nick Blackburn back in the big leagues? His sinker ball does not sink and he gave up a home run to Gerald Laird (.205 hitter) last night. One good outing in two months against the mighty Mariners does not prove anything to me.

6. Why is Span starting in centerfield these days? He has struggled all year and Jason Repko is a upgrade defensively. Span went 0-6 last night with a walk. One time on base in 7 AB's is not what was envisioned when he was signed to a 4-year deal.

7. Why is J.J. Hardy not on the DL? He can't make a throw to first base without bouncing the ball off the ground and can't hit as well. Sure glad we gave up Gomez for him and did not sign Orlando Cabrera. Where are all the bloggers defending this move now.

8. Why do Twins fans have to live by scoreboard watching every year down the stretch? Instead of backing into the playoffs like 2006 and 2009 why can't they win the division outright? Maybe they are not as good as everyone thinks.

9. Will Gardenhire use injuries as a excuse if the team falls out of first place and fails to make the playoffs? The Sox have lost Beckham, Putz, Thornton, Peavy and they are not making excuses.

10. If the Twins do make the playoffs does anyone believe they will advance past the first round? The one thing that is very obvious over the last two weeks is the team can make mistakes against bad teams and get away with them but against good teams like the Yankees, Red Sox, Rays, and Rangers they will not. Fans are going to have to accept this team has failed to live up to expectations yet AGAIN.

11. Why can't this team hit home runs at Target Field? Other teams do not seem to be intimidated of Target Field so why are we? You think this is maybe a mental laspe?

12. When you have September call ups the whole idea is to replenish your bullpen and rotation? Why were Slama, Delaney, Burnett, and Neshek not called up to help. Now we have to rely on Matt Fox a kid who has zero chance of being successful.

These are some problems that need to be addressed, but the answers will be tough to find because there is no leadership. Please feel free to leave me your comments because your opinion matters to me.

Punchless in Seattle.

2010-08-29T21:36:00.010-05:00

John Froschauer-AP

The Twins were punchless in Seattle as they dropped the final game of the series 2-1 to the Mariners. Carl Pavano pitched another great game giving up 2 runs on 5 hits in 7.0 innings but was tagged with the loss. Pavano might have twenty wins this season if the offense ever provided him with proper run support. It was not a very good week for the Twins as they finished up a seven-game road trip by going 3-4. I can understand losing three out of four against the Texas Rangers because they are a very good team and weather conditions are less than perfect. However, Seattle should have been swept easily but the meager offense had other ideas. The Twins scored a total of 2 runs on 12 hits in the last two games against mediocre pitchers. Now the manager continues to make excuses by saying his players are "worn out" but the bottom line is they missed out on a great chance to put another nail in the coffin of the Chicago White Sox. The Twins appear content with letting the White Sox hang around and it could end up costing them in the end. The Mariners are a team you have to sweep if your are serious about making the playoffs.

Ted S. Warren-AP

Although the team did not play very well this week on the field, it was a tremendous week off the field for the front office. GM Bill Smith claimed LH reliever Randy Flores off waivers from the Rockies on Wednesday. Flores is 35 and posted a 2.96 ERA in 27.1 innings before being designated for assignment. The big news came Friday when it was announced the Twins acquired LH reliever Brian Fuentes from the Angels for a player to be named later. Fuentes is also 35 and has a 3.52 ERA in 38.1 innings this season. Left-handed batters are hitting .132 against him this season and he has converted 23 saves in 27 opportunities. This move strengthens the bullpen and gives the team two power arms (Capps and Fuentes) in which to chose from in late inning situations.

The Twins will enjoy a day off tomorrow before starting a nine-game home stand on Tuesday against the Detroit Tigers. The team will start September with at least a four-game lead in the A.L. Central and they really need to stay focused during the last month. It looks like the White Sox have acquired Manny Ramirez and for some reason that scares the HELL out of me. Ramirez is a giant headcase but can make a difference down the stretch offensively. Please feel free to leave me any comments because your opinion matters to me.

Baker Shuts Down Angels with Heavenly Performance.

2010-08-23T00:01:00.016-05:00

Tom Olmscheid - AP

Twins starter Scott Baker has been about as consistent as the wind this season blowing in all different directions. Sometimes he is brilliant and other times he has struggled to hold big leads given to him by the offense. On Sunday night, with a national television audience watching on ESPN, he dominated the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim giving up just 5 hits and no runs in 7.0 innings of work. Baker entered the game 0-5 with a 5.82 ERA in eight career starts against the Angels. He chose the perfect time to have his best outing of the year and pickup his first win against the Halos.

Tom Olmscheid - AP

Mound opponent Jered Weaver was equally effective until the 5th inning when the offense erupted and scored four runs. Danny Valencia led off the inning with a monster shot (422 feet) to left and put the Twins up 1-0. Orlando Hudson then hit a triple off the right-field wall with two outs, and Joe Mauer and Jason Kubel each walked to load the bases. Michael Cuddyer had a terrific nine-pitch at bat that ended with a double to the gap in left-center for a 4-0 lead. Crain and Capps shut the door in the final two frames to thwart any late inning comebacks by the Angels.

I must admit the Twins proved me wrong again by beating a very good pitcher and winning their first season series against the Angels since 2002. The Twins finished the homestand with a 7-2 record and pushed their lead up to five games in the A.L. Central. The team will head out on a seven-game road trip starting with four games against the Texas Rangers. The games against Texas are very important because the division winner with a better home record at the end of the season gets home field advantage in the first round of the playoffs. If the season ended today the Twins would host the Tampa Bay Rays in the division series. Nick Blackburn was called up from Rochester and will square off against right-hander Rich Harden on Monday night. Go Twins!! Please feel free to leave me any comments because your opinion matters to me.

Twins Beat Sox and Take Over First Place.

2010-08-12T23:38:00.008-05:00

(AP Photo/Charles Cherney)

The Twins head home in first place after a gritty 6-1 win in Chi-Town. Francisco Liriano had never won a game on the southside until tonight but it was anything but easy. He went 5 2/3 IP giving up one run but had to work through bases loaded jams in the 1st, 5th, and 6th to get the win. Relief pitcher Matt Guerrier came into the 6th and managed to record the final out by getting Alexi Ramirez to pop out. The White Sox went 2-10 with runners in scoring position and left twelve men on base. The offense was held in check by Sox right-hander Gavin Floyd for 6 2/3 innings. The only mistakes Floyd made were a solo shot to Orlando Hudson in the 1st and a big three-run jack to Jason Kubel in the 7th to put the game out of reach. The Twins also took advantage of defensive miscues by Chicago scoring runs on a error by A.J. Pierzynski in the 2nd and a balk by Floyd in the 3rd.

(AP Photo/Charles Cherney)

The White Sox won 20 of 22 games at U.S. Cellular field and had not lost a series at home since the first week of June against the Cleveland Indians. The Twins were coming off a 6-1 loss on Wednesday night where they played terrible defensively so it was unknown how they would respond. They end up going 6-4 on this road trip and are an impressive 12-5 in their last seventeen games away from Minnesota. The Twins will play their next nine games at Target Field starting tomorrow night against the Oakland Athletics. They will battle left-hander Gio Gonzales of the A's and send right-hander Carl Pavano to the mound looking for his 15th win of the season. Please feel free to leave me any comments because your opinion matters to me.

Twins vs Indians Lineup Card.

2010-08-07T16:12:00.003-05:00

Minnesota Twins-61-49

1. Denard Span-CF
2. Alexi Casilla-2B
3. Joe Mauer-DH
4. Delmon Young-LF
5. Jason Kubel-RF
6. Michael Cuddyer-1B
7. Danny Valencia-3B
8. J.J. Hardy-SS
9. Drew Butera-C

Carl Pavano-RHP

Cleveland Indians-47-63

1. Michael Brantley-CF
2. Asdrubal Cabrera-SS
3. Shin-Soo Choo-RF
4. Shelley Duncan-DH
5. Jordan Brown-LF
6. Matt LaPorta-1B
7. Luis Valbuena-2B
8. Jayson Nix-3B
9. Chris Gimenez-C

Fausto Carmona-RHP

The Twins are coming off a disappointing loss to the Indians who have moved so many starting players lately they resemble a minor league team. Left-hander Francisco Liriano pitched poorly but still only gave up 4 runs in 4.2 IP. The bullpen deserves all the blame for this one as they were unable to hold serve after the Twins tied up the game in the 9th inning. The bullpen relinquished 6 runs in the 8th against Tampa Bay two days ago and 3 runs yesterday to Cleveland. Right now Matt Guerrier, Jose Mijares, Ron Mahay, and Jon Rauch are just not very dependable and that could be a big problem down the stretch.

Entering the game tonight the Twins offense has literally owned Cleveland starter Fausto Carmona. Carmona is 0-5 with a 10.41 ERA in his last six starts against the Twins. However, Pavano has struggled in his last two starts and is 1-1 with a 3.05 ERA in three career starts against the Tribe. The Twins need to win the last two games of this series before heading to Chicago. Please feel free to leave me any comments because your opinion matters to me.

Twins Trade for Closer Matt Capps.

2010-07-29T22:54:00.012-05:00

GM Bill Smith shocked everyone in Twins Territory by trading top catching prospect Wilson Ramos and LH reliever Joe Testa to the Washington Nationals for closer Matt Capps and $500.000 in cash. This deal looks like the front office sold low on Ramos who is ranked 58th among MLB prospects by Baseball America. Ramos has struggled at Rochester this year hitting .241/.280/.345 with 5 HRs and 30 RBIs. His defense has remained solid throwing out 19 runners in 38 stolen base attempts. The bottom line is Ramos has been injured a lot in the minors and nothing is guaranteed with prospects. Although Ramos has looked good at times he was expendable with three catchers currently on the 25-man roster ahead of him. It is possible the Twins might have received more for Ramos in the future but the team is trying to win now. Relief pitcher Testa is 1-4 with a 8.25 ERA in 24.0 IP at New Britain this season and might never make it to the show.

Right-hander Matt Capps is a solid closer and immediately bolsters a staggering bullpen that lost Joe Nathan to season ending elbow surgery and Brian Duensing to the starting rotation. Capps is only 26, entering the prime of his career, and was selected to his first All-Star game in 2010. He is 3-3, with a .274 ERA, and has converted 25 of 30 saves in 46.0 IP. He is owed another $1.3 million this season and is arbitration eligible in 2011. The trade also gives the team a backup plan in 2011 if Joe Nathan is unable to recover from T.J. surgery. Jon Rauch saved 21 games in 25 opportunities and will be moved back to the setup role. It should be interesting to find out who is removed from the 25-man roster once Capps is added. I believe this is a good deal for the Twins and posted a entry on 03-28-10 telling everyone how the Twins bullpen was their Achilles heal.

I really just don't understand the uproar by fans regarding this trade. The front office was smart enough to know they needed a better closer than Jon Rauch and this trade has accomplished that. Matt Capps upgrades the bullpen and yes it came at the price of a good prospect. However, I trust the scouts in this organization and believe they might have seen something in Ramos and felt this was the time to trade him. Fans like myself thought the Twins were stiffed in the Delmon Young trade, but nobody is saying that anymore. This move could blow up in Smith's face but at least he was aggressive enough to take a chance. I hope the front office has not given up on trying to pickup a starter before the trade deadline. The Twins come home to Target Field riding a five-game winning streak and take on the slumping Seattle Mariners who were just swept by the Chicago White Sox. Please feel free to leave me any comments because your opinion matters to me.

The Delmonator.

2010-07-18T19:05:00.015-05:00

AP Photo/Jim Mone

Most fans like myself were very excited when GM Bill Smith traded for outfielder Delmon Young in November 2007. Young was only 22 at the time and one of the most highly coveted prospects ever to come through the minor leagues. He was essentially viewed as a "can't miss kid." The team knew they were going to lose Torii Hunter to free agency and were willing to depart with pitcher Matt Garza and shortstop Jason Bartlett to acquire him. The trade with the Tampa Bay Rays looked like a pretty one sided deal after they went to the World Series in 2008 and Young struggled his first two years in Minnesota. However, most people can't say that anaymore as Young is having a breakout season and just missed being selected to the All-Star team. Young came up with two more clutch hits on Sunday afternoon to propel the Twins to a come from behind victory at Target Field against the rival Chicago White Sox. Young got the scoring started in the 2nd inning when he crushed a first pitch breaking ball over the left field fence to make it 2-0. He came to the plate in the 9th inning with the bases loaded and no outs when he lined a RBI single to center to even the score at 6-6. A bad throw by Alex Rios allowed Michael Cuddyer to score the winning run and give the Twins a 7-6 win in dramatic fashion.

Jed Jacobsohn/Getty Images)

Young worked hard in the off-season and shed thirty pounds before the start of spring training. His dedication has paid off with tremendous results on and off the playing field. After only 85 games Young is hitting .308/.344/.505 with 11 HRs and a team leading 63 RBIs. He has already matched his production totals for all of 2008 and 2009 with the Twins. Young is hitting .402 with 2 HRs and 48 RBIs with RISP to lead all American League hitters. One other statistic worth mentioning is that Young has tightened up his defense in left field and has only 3 errors and a .981 fielding percentage. There is no doubt he can make things adventurous defensively but he has a great arm with 6 assists and teams think twice before taking an extra base on him. This transformation has taken place because he is maturing and has really embraced the team concept. What is best for the team comes before what is best for Delmon Young. He has the potential to be a superstar and the Twins should consider signing him to a long-term deal.

The Twins open up a three game series with the Cleveland Indians tomorrow night at Target Field. Left handed pitcher Aaron Laffey will start for the Tribe and Scott Baker will try to bounceback from a poor outing last time out. Baker has tendinitis in his right elbow and it will be interesting to see if that affects him at all on the mound. Go Twins!! Please feel free to leave me any comments because your opinion matters to me.

Fire Gardenhire Now!!

2010-07-07T22:33:00.014-05:00

A few weeks ago manager Ron Gardenhire became upset at reporters when he was asked tough questions concerning the team and he responded by saying "Were in first place guys." Well Gardenhire can't say this anymore as his team just moved into third place in the division and are fading fast. Gardenhire has used every excuse in the book for the last two months of poor play and has not shouldered any of the blame. At one point in early June the Twins had a 4 1/2 game lead in the A.L. Central and looked like they were going to run away with the division. However, Gardenhire is responsible for not putting the Tigers and White Sox away when he had the chance. How many times this season have the Twins had an opportunity to sweep an opponent only to field their minor league lineup in the last game of the series. Our great manager was content with just winning the series instead of going for the sweep.

The terrible play continued last night in Toronto as the Twins fell to the Blue Jays 6-5. Starting pitcher Kevin Slowey went 6.1 IP and gave up 5 runs on 9 hits. Slowey was handed leads in the 4th, 5th, and 7th but was unable to hold them. Slowey gave up two long balls that included a inside the park home run to Jose Bautista. Relief pitcher Matt Guerrier entered the game in the 7th with a runner on third and gave up a sacrifice fly to Alex Gonzalez and a double to Vernon Wells. The big mistake by Gardenhire was made when he allowed Slowey to come back out for the 7th inning. The lack of game management has cost the team victories all season long. Francisco Liriano was taken out of Saturday's game against Tampa Bay when he was at 103 pitches and looked dominant. The very next day Blackburn starts to struggle in the 7th inning and is at 103 pitches with the bases loaded. Instead of taking Blackburn out of the game he allows him to pitch to Evan Longoria. The end result is a two-run single to break the game open. Gardenhire often times defies logic with his head scratching decisions and is not a very good situational manager. It is almost like he shoots from the hip by ignoring statistics and hopes it works out for him.

The one positive thing you have always been able to say regarding Gardenhire is he does more for less than anybody in the business. Wait a minute, GM Bill Smith traded for J.J. Hardy, signed Orlando Hudson, Carl Pavano, and Jim Thome so that excuse goes out the window. Reality tells us this team is tremendously talented but has played terrible for the last two months. Lack of clutch hitting with the bases loaded, poor infield and outfield defense (despite misleading error total), and 35 outs made on the base paths have led to a collaspe before the All-Star break. The one thing that absolutely mystifies fans like myself is the lack of changes being made to shake things up. Why is Michael Cuddyer still batting 5th or 6th in the batting order when he looks like he is swinging a garden hose at the plate? Why is Delmon Young the most improved hitter and RBI leader batting 8th? Why is Brian Duensing not added to the starting rotation and Slowey or Blackburn removed? Why do we continue to watch Ron Mahay and Matt Guerrier struggle in the bullpen when we have capable arms in the minors like Kyle Waldrop, Anthony Slama, and Pat Neshek. The lack of urgency makes me sick to my stomach.

I believe something drastic has to change so if your listening Bill Smith "Fire Gardenhire now." I might be just a dumb blogger according to Gardenhire, but there is no doubt this team might be the most disappointing in Twins history. There is no way we should trade away our top prospects for three months of Cliff Lee. The team should seriously consider becoming sellers not buyers at the trade deadline. Please feel free to leave me any comments because your opinion matters to me.

Rauch Chokes Again.

2010-07-01T23:01:00.016-05:00

We were told by Twins management that the team was strong enough to overcome the loss of Joe Nathan after a season ending injury in spring training. When Jon Rauch was named the closer most fans raised their eyebrows but our fearless manager told us he had the mental makeup to be successful. Going into tonight's game Rauch had blown three saves and the offense had bailed him out each time by finding a way to win in extra innings. The Twins played a fantastic game and forged ahead in the 8th inning by doing the little things. Mauer led off the 8th with a double and Morneau moved him over to third with a deep fly to center field. Kubel took a two-strike pitch and hit a sacrifice fly to right field to score Mauer and the Twins took a 4-3 lead. Rauch entered the game in the 9th looking for his 18th save and managed to get the first two hitters out. He then gave up a single to speedster Carl Crawford and a double to Evan Longoria. Crawford hustled around the bases to score the tying run and to quote Gardy "There you have it." The Twins missed out on a chance to win a game because their closer is just not good enough.

Things got worse when relief pitcher Matt Guerrier came out in the 10th inning and gave up a single to Reid Brignac and hit Kelly Shoppach with a pitch. Willy Aybar singled to left center and Brignac scored making it 5-4. Shoppach tried to advance to third on the play and was tagged out by Michael Cuddyer but third base umpire Alfonso Marquez called him safe. Replays showed Shoppach was clearly tagged out and manager Ron Gardenhire was ejected for arguing the call. This call shows the need for instant replay to be expanded in MLB. Rauch has been better than expected this season but has lived dangerously his last few outings. He gives up too many hits and base runners. This one cost the team a W and is by far the most frustrating loss of the season.

Lost in everything is the outstanding performance of left fielder Delmon Young. Young went 2-4 with a RBI double in the 2nd and a solo home run in the 7th to tie the game 3-3. He also made a great throw in the 4th inning to nail Matt Joyce at home plate and get Pavano out of a jam. He came up big against his former team until Rauch choked this one away in the final frame. The Twins have three more games at home against the Rays and head out on the road to take on Toronto and Detroit before the All-Star break. The Twins most likely will not stay in first place and should consider becoming sellers instead of buyers at the trade deadline because they are a complete F-R-A-U-D. They continue to struggle against the elite teams like the Yankees, Red Sox, Angels, and Rays. Please feel free to leave me any comments because your opinion matters to me.

Pavano Delivers a Gem to Beat the Mets.

2010-06-26T18:47:00.027-05:00

Nick Laham/Getty Images North America

One of the best moves GM Bill Smith made this past winter was to offer starting pitcher Carl Pavano arbitration. Pavano was traded to the Twins in August of 2009 and immediately provided a veteran presence to the starting rotation. When Pavano accepted arbitration in January the team knew what they were getting in return for their $7 million dollar investment. A consummate professional who knows how to pitch in every situation. Pavano beat the New York Mets 6-0 on Saturday afternoon in Queens with a three-hit complete game shutout. Pavano has proven to be a workhorse and helped snap a four-game losing streak with one of the best starts of his career. The funny thing is last Sunday in Philadelphia he also pitched a complete game giving up only one run. Pavano has pitched back-to-back shutouts in the last week. Let's hope Baker, Blackburn, and Slowey were taking notes during his latest masterpiece. Pavano attacks the hitters by throwing strikes but is very careful with his pitch selection. He is constantly mixing up his pitches and keeps the opponent off balance by changing speeds. Pavano has turned into a professor at understanding what a pitcher without overpowering stuff needs to do to be successful at this level. Twins management should start working on a contract extension to keep Pavano in Minnesota after this season because he will be a free agent.

The Twins offense jumped all over former ace Johan Santana by scoring four runs in the 1st inning. Orlando Hudson started things with a double to deep center and Joe Mauer drove him in with a RBI single making it 1-0. Mauer moved to second on a balk by Santana and Michael Cuddyer walked. Jason Kubel laced a double down the left field line staying just fair and bouncing into the stands for a 2-0 lead. Delmon Young continued his amazing June by hitting a double to the gap in left-center and before you could blink it was 4-0. The Twins added runs in the 4th on a RBI double by Denard Span and one in the 8th on a solo home run by Jason Kubel. The Twins offense scored six runs but only needed one the way Pavano pitched.

The Twins finish what has been a long nine-game road trip tomorrow afternoon with the rubber game of the series. Right-hander Scott Baker will look to rebound after a poor start against Milwaukee on Tuesday night. He will lock horns with left-hander Jon Niese of the Mets. The Twins activated lefty reliever Jose Mijares and optioned Jeff Manship back to Rochester after the game. Please feel free to leave me any comments because your opinion matters to me.

Baker Blasted by Brewers.

2010-06-22T23:03:00.004-05:00

AP Photo/Darren Hauck

I have said for years that pitching and defense wins championships at any level in baseball. After watching the atrocious starting pitching over the last week for the Twins one thing has become obvious to me, this team needs serious help. By far and away the most consistent starting pitcher this year has been Carl Pavano. The problem is Pavano can't pitch every day and the team needs the other four guys to do their part. Nick Blackburn has been shelled in his last three outings because his sinker ball does not sink. Kevin Slowey has been unable to make it through two innings in his last two starts. Francisco Liriano got hit hard in the 1st inning against Colorado and it ended up costing us the game. Scott Baker had the best start of his career last time out against the Rockies and followed it up by getting blasted by the Brewers tonight. Baker was handed a three-run lead and went out and gave it back in the 4th inning. Once again he looked uneasy and scared as he left meatballs up and over the plate. I am so sick and tired of watching this coward pitch because he can't hold a lead to save his life. He is without question a big disappointment this season and the team should consider trading him while his value is still high. Hey Billy are you listening, trade for Roy Oswalt or Cliff Lee and get rid of Baker

I am boarding the Twins Train tomorrow morning and traveling to Milwaukee to watch the last two games of this series. I was hoping to see a Twins sweep but that is impossible now after the loss tonight. I would not be surprised at all to see the Brewers sweep the Twins. I really thought the Twins would start a long winning streak after taking the last two games in Philadelphia but lack of killer instinct continues to plaque this club. The Twins have done this all year with the longest win streak stuck at a measly five games. The team has played .500 baseball since May 1 and their lead in the A.L. Central has shrunk to 1 1/2 games by Detroit and 4 1/2 games by Chicago. I will be hosting another edition of Twins Talk tomorrow night at 10:00 P.M. live from Milwaukee. Topper Anton of Curve for a Strike will be running the switchboard and taking calls in my absence. Please feel free to leave me any comments because your opinion matters to me.

Twins vs Phillies Lineup Card.

2010-06-20T11:40:00.007-05:00

Minnesota Twins-39-29

1. Denard Span-CF
2. Orlando Hudson-2B
3. Joe Mauer-C
4. Justin Morneau-1B
5. Michael Cuddyer-3B
6. Jason Kubel-RF
7. Delmon Young-LF
8. Nick Punto-SS
9. Carl Pavano-P

Phildelphia Phillies-35-31

1. Shane Victorino-CF
2. Placido Polanco-3B
3. Chase Utley-2B
4. Ryan Howard-1B
5. Jayson Werth-RF
6. Raul Ibanez-LF
7. Brian Schneider-C
8. Wilson Valdez-SS
9. Roy Halladay-P

The Twins had a fantastic five run comeback in the 9th yesterday to beat the Phillies 13-10 in extra innings. Let's hope this served as a wakeup call to the struggling offense that they can swing the bats with anybody in MLB. I know Halladay is on the mound today but he can be beaten. The key to winning the rubber game of the series for the Twins is starting pitcher Carl Pavano. The Twins desperately need him to go deep in the game and give the depleted bullpen some rest. Go Twins!! Please feel free to leave me any comments because your opinion matters to me.

Twins Fail to Sweep Again.

2010-06-17T21:41:00.012-05:00

AP Photo/Andy King

The Twins missed a chance to sweep the Colorado Rockies on Thursday afternoon as they lost 5-1 on Gardy get away day. This was the ninth time in eleven attempts the team has failed to sweep their opponent. Once again fans had to be upset with the lineup card as catcher Joe Mauer did not play because manager Ron Gardenhire said "He was banged up." Mauer must have been really sore after hitting into all those double plays and chasing down past balls. No need to worry because automatic out Drew Butera took his spot in the lineup. This game was over before it started as all anybody in Minnesota seemed to talk about was starting pitcher Ubaldo Jimenez. This coupled with the fact that Francisco Liriano gave up three runs in the first inning made for a miserable day at Target Field. The weak offense had no problem listening to all the hype scoring only one run against Jimenez. They had runners on base in the first eight innings but hit into three more double plays ending rallies. The Twins now lead all of MLB by grounding into 78 double plays.

I understand the team is playing without Hardy and Hudson in the lineup but players like Mauer, Morneau, and Cuddyer need to step up and produce more for them. I mean Kubel and Young can't carry the load offensively in every game. The Twins went 5-4 on their homestand and now head out on a rough nine game road trip (Philadelphia, Milwaukee, New York) to complete interleague play. The Twins got off to a fast start this season but have faded fast in the standings. Here is a monthly breakdown of how the Twins have played in 2010.

April- 15-8

May- 16-12

June- 7-8.

The Detrot Tigers continue to roll as they won their sixth game in a row and now trail the Twins by only 1 1/2 games in the A.L. Central. If the offense can't score more runs the club could return home in second place. I guess rock singer Bob Dylan said it best "The Times They Are a-changin." Please feel free to leave me any comments because your opinion matters to me.

You Cannot be Serious!!

2010-06-13T19:48:00.014-05:00

AP Photo/Tom Olmscheid

Anybody who watched this three game series with the Atlanta Braves at Target Field and thinks the Twins can compete with the elite teams in MLB should have their heads examined. Just walk down to your local hospital and check yourself in for a psychological examination. I am sure they will have you admitted and taking blue pills in no time at all. The Mediocre Twins were shelled in the rubber matchup at Target Field 7-3 and the game was not as close as the score suggests. Kevin Slowey gave up 4 runs in the 1st inning and served up meatball after meatball to the Braves hitters. Sundays are commonly being referred to in Minnesota as "Gardy get away day." The reason for this is obvious when you sift through the names in the lineup. The lineup consisted of Punto and Plouffe batting in the first two spots and Harris and Butera batting in the last two. So with a day off tomorrow Gardenhire decided it was more important to rest Span and Mauer (defensively) instead of winning a series. The team is already without key infielders Hudson and Hardy and Gardenhire expected them to win without two additional starters.

The offense continues to struggle against no name pitchers as they were shut down and nearly shut out by right-hander Kris Medlen making his 11th major league start. I am quite certain we will be told they ran up against great pitching. This is what we heard after the Twins were shut down three consecutive games in Seattle. Where are the mighty Mariners now you may ask? Well they continue to get crushed by everybody except the Twins. The starting pitching staff has been too inconsistent all season with Baker, Blackburn, and Slowey. However, starting pitching has not been the problem, it is the inability to hit with runners in scoring position on a regular basis. Some people believed this problem would even itself out over an entire six month season but they are incorrect. I believe manager Ron Gardehire should cut people a check for money spent on this game. I mean for goodness sake, at least give your team a shot to win a game. You can't put out a junior varsity lineup against a good team like Atlanta and expect to win. In the words of tennis legend John McEnroe "You cannot be serious."

I was criticized by Star and Tribune writer Howard Sinker a few weeks ago in his column "Whine, whimper, throw a tantrum" on 06-01-10. I have not responded because it has been a very busy and hectic couple of months for me. Sinker is a very good writer and the bankrupt Star and Tribune should employ more people like him. He is a refreshing journalist who offers a very appealing view on the Twins. I am not as optimistic as Sinker or other bloggers and do not pretend to be. I offer no apologies but challenge Sinker or anyone else to find something written here that is not true. The offense has looked terrible at times, our bullpen does blow leads, and the manager does make moronic decisions. I was told by a friend of mine "You are too invested in the Twins and should not care more about the decisions they make than GM Bill Smith." My friend is right, being a passionate fan who cares about this organization appears to be my curse. Please feel free to leave me any comments because your opinion matters to me.

Twins Select Pitcher Alex Wimmers with 21st Pick.

2010-06-07T20:22:00.011-05:00

The Twins selected right-handed pitcher Alex Wimmers from Ohio State University with the 21st overall pick in the 2010 MLB first-year player draft. Wimmers is strike throwing machine and will fit this organization perfectly. He has three good pitches (fastball, changeup, curveball) and posesses great control on the mound. He does not have dominating stuff and is considered a back of the rotation starter. However, Baseball America ranked the Twins farm system #6 overall based on scouting and development. The team has had terrific success recently with number one picks making it to the big show. Here are some good examples;

1. Michael Cuddyer (Great Bridge HS, Chesapeake, VA) was 9th pick in 1997.

2. Joe Mauer (Cretin Derham-Hall HS, ST. Paul, MN) was 1st overall pick in 2001.

3. Denard Span (Tampa Catholic HS, Tampa, FL) was 20th pick in 2002.

4. Matt Garza (Fresno State University, Fresno, CA) was 25th pick in 2005.

The Twins also have Ben Revere (2006) and Kyle Gibson (2009) that are very close to the majors and both were number one picks. This club has been very successful over the years at selecting the right players and former GM Terry Ryan deserves much of the credit. Please feel free to leave me any comments because your opinion matters to me.

Twins Clutch in Oakland.

2010-06-06T07:35:00.007-05:00

AP Photo/Ben Margot

This road trip had the words "Disaster" written all over it after the Twins lost three of four in Seattle to the pitiful Mariners. However, the resiliency of this team knows no boundaries and they proved it again Saturday night with a 4-3 victory against the Oakland Athletics. The Twins were forced to play without four starters in the lineup. Orlando Hudson and J.J. Hardy have sore wrists, Michael Cuddyer is on the bereavement list, and Justin Morneau had the stomach flu. The offense only scratched out seven hits against Oakland but it was enough to put four runs on the board. Francisco Liriano cruised through 7.0 innings of work giving up only 1 run and recording 10 strikeouts. Liriano should of got the win but Jesse Crain was unable to hold the lead in the 8th inning. The Twins battled back to score the go ahead run on a Matt Tolbert single in the 9th inning and Jon Rauch saved it.

Who is Hot: Delmon Young is the reason why the Twins won the first two games in this series against Oakland. He stepped up with key players out by delivering clutch hits when the team needed them most. On Friday his single in the 11th inning scored the winning run and yesterday he drove in three of the four runs scored. I think fans need to understand this kid is only 24 years old and he has the potential to be a great player in this league. I believe he lost his confidence after being traded to the Twins but it appears he has found it.

Who is Not: Relief pitcher Jesse Crain has been given every opportunity imaginable by the Twins to get on track and it still has not happened. Crain has a high 5.47 ERA in 24.2 IP out of the pen this year. Why the Twins refuse to designate him for assignment is baffling? Sure another team might claim him on waivers but who cares, he can't get people out! Crain cannot be trusted and he proved it again last night when he blew a two-run lead in the 8th inning. The Twins have many options at Rochester to fill the void if Crain were sent packing. Rob Delaney, Kyle Waldrip, or my personal choice Anthony Slama would all be better and cheaper options. Join the "Cut Crain-Wreck" campaign here. More details to follow.

The Twins have not swept the A's on the road since 1997 and have a great chance to accomplish it today. This would give them a respectable 4-3 record on the road trip before coming home. They will send right-hander Nick Blackburn to the mound this afternoon facing off against southpaw Gio Gonzalez. Go Twins!! Please feel free to leave me any comments because your opinion matters to me.

Twins vs Mariners Lineup Card.

2010-06-03T19:53:00.002-05:00

Minnesota Twins-31-22

1. Denard Span-CF
2. Matt Tolbert-2B
3. Joe Mauer-C
4. Justin Morneau-1B
5. Jim Thome-DH
6. Jason Kubel-RF
7. Delmon Young-LF
8. Danny Valencia-3B
9. Nick Punto-SS

Carl Pavano-RHP

Seattle Mariners-21-31

1. Ichiro Suzuki-CF
2. Chone Figgins-2B
3. Franklin Gutierrez-CF
4. Jose Lopez-3B
5. Milton Bradley-DH
6. Casey Kotchman-1B
7. Josh Wilson-SS
8. Rob Johnson-C
9. Michael Saunders-LF

Felix Hernandez-RHP

I wonder what excuses the offense will use tonight when they fail to score runs? I am almost positive we will hear something like King Felix was dealing tonight. This seems to be the case after getting shut down two nights in a row by the very average Jason Vargas and Cliff Lee. I have no trouble with Lee beating us but Vargas is not very good. He will have a 5.00 ERA before the season is over and his velocity tops out at 90 MPH. Seattle has one of the worst teams in baseball and the Twins are playing like these are throw away games in Rochester. You just have to wonder when this team is going to put it all together. Please feel free to leave me any comments because your opinion matters to me.

Rangers vs Twins Lineup Card.

2010-05-30T17:08:00.002-05:00

Texas Rangers-26-23

1. Elvis Andrus-SS
2. Michael Young-3B
3. Ian Kinsler-2B
4. Vladimir Guerrero-DH
5. Josh Hamilton-LF
6. David Murphy-RF
7. Justin Smoak-1B
8. Matt Treanor-C
9. Julio Borborn-CF

Derek Holland-LHP

Minnesota Twins-29-29

1. Denard Span-CF
2. Orlando Hudson-2B
3. Joe Mauer-C
4. Justin Morneau-1B
5. Michael Cuddyer-RF
6. Jason Kubel-DH
7. Delmon Young-LF
8. J.J. Hardy-SS
9. Nick Punto-3B

Scott Baker-RHP

The Twins have a tremendous opportunity to go 6-3 on this homestand before heading out west for a seven game road trip. They will have to sweep a very good Texas ballclub in front of a ESPN audience to get it accomplished. Go Twins!! Please feel free to leave me any comments because your opinion matters to me.

The Little Engine That Can't!

2010-05-27T03:43:00.008-05:00

The Twins have been known throughout Major League Baseball as "The little engine that could." A nice story about a small market team beating the odds to win it's division and make the playoffs. Once the team gets to the playoffs they struggle to compete with the big boys on the block who have more talented players and a much bigger payroll. The end result since 2002 is a first round elimination and a wait until next year approach. Well management did it's part this off-season boosting the payroll from $65.3 million in 2009 to $96 million in 2010. The end result is two more disappointing losses to the New York Yankees at Target Field on Wednesday. The Twins threw away two more great starts by pitchers Scott Baker and Francisco Liriano because the pathetic offense can't score runs. This power outage has been going on all season long and continues to get more dreadful as the season progresses. It does not matter who is up to bat in a critical situation because as a fan you just know they are going to fail. There is no killer instinct in this club and it all starts with the manager Ron Gardenhire. There also does not appear to be any sense of urgency as they continue to get humiliated by the Yankees, Red Sox, and any team with a winning record.

The Twins lost the first game 1-0 after Derek Jeter took reliever Brian Duensing deep on the 6th pitch after suspended play resumed. This would be all the run support the Yankees would need as the Twins offense went 0 for 7 with runners in scoring position and left 10 men on base. The Twins lost the second game 3-2 in what has been their trademark in recent years against the Yankees. The game was tied 2-2 in the 8th inning and the Twins had runners at 1st and 3rd with nobody out. Orlando Hudson hit a line drive up the middle and starting pitcher Andy Pettitte snagged it for the first out. Joe Mauer then hit into a inning-ending double play to kill yet another rally. Both players could not muster up a fly ball to score a run in what has become a never ending problem. The Yankees came up in the 9th inning and Nick Swisher hit a long home run to right field off relief pitcher Jon Rauch to win the game 3-2. Rauch continues to give up runs at an alarming rate and can not be depended on when the game is on the line. Rauch has now cost the Twins two games and it would have been three if you count Saturday's 9th inning meltdown against Milwaukee. What is perhaps even more disturbing is the inablity of the offense to hit home runs. The Twins have not hit a home run in eight consecutive games and of course they continue to blame Target Field. Well it would appear visiting teams do not share the same problem as the Yankees won both games using the long ball.

This team looks more and more like "The little engine that can't." Everyone will tell you not to press the panic button because it is a long season but at some point changes have to be made. The offense is terrible, our bullpen can't hold leads, and our manager is a moron. Most people would say you can't blame the manager for how the team is playing. However, three hours before the Twins were set to take the field against the Yankees Ron Gardenhire was giving a inspirational speech at Target Center instead of preparing his team to play two games. We have serious problems and we need serious people to solve them. I guess if you want to be optimistic about this season, we still have many games left against the Royals and Indians. Please feel free to leave me any comments because your opinion matters to me.

Yankees vs Twins Lineup Card.

2010-05-25T16:34:00.004-05:00

New York Yankees-26-18

1. Derek Jeter-SS
2. Brett Gardner-CF
3. Mark Teixeira-DH
4. Alex Rodriguez-3B
5. Robinson Cano-2B
6. Nick Swisher-RF
7. Juan Miranda-1B
8. Francisco Cervelli-C
9. Kevin Russo-LF

A.J. Burnett-RHP

Minnesota Twins-26-18

1. Denard Span-CF
2. Orlando Hudson-2B
3. Joe Mauer-C
4. Justin Morneau-1B
5. Michael Cuddyer-RF
6. Jason Kubel-DH
7. Delmon Young-LF
8. J.J. Hardy-SS
9. Brendan Harris-3B

Scott Baker-RHP

The Twins have struggled against the Yankees in the past and hope to change their luck playing at Target Field. They need good pitching, defense, and clutch hitting to be successful in this series. The pitching and defense have been solid but the clutch hitting has been atrocious. The Twins are 11 for 66 (.166 BA) with the bases loaded this season. The offense is content with taking walks but nobody can come through with runners in scoring position. J.J. Hardy was activated from the disabled list and is back in the lineup at shortstop. Trevor Plouffe will be sent down to Rochester to make room on the roster for Hardy. Go Twins!! Please feel free to leave me any comments because your opinion matters to me.

Kubel Serves Up a Winner.

2010-05-23T04:31:00.010-05:00

AP Photo/Jim Mone

Where would the Minnesota Twins be without clutch hitter Jason Kubel in the lineup? Last Sunday he hit a grand slam in the Bronx to end a 12-game slide against the Yankees and Saturday afternoon he served up a sacrifice fly to score Joe Mauer from third base for a 8-7 win over the Brewers in extra innings. There are some great hitters in the Twins lineup but clutch hits have been hard to come by with the bases loaded and runners in scoring position. Kubel has struggled and is only hitting .215/.340/.314 but has a flare for the dramatics. I believe Kubel should still be hitting 5th in the lineup behind Justin Morneau. Kubel hit .300, with 28 HRS, and 103 RBIs hitting 5th in the Twins batting order last season. This year manager Ron Gardenhire made the switch and Kubel has suffered because of it. The change has not benefited Michael Cuddyer either who has bounced into a MLB-high 12 double plays. We all know what happened to Red Sox slugger David Ortiz when Manny Ramirez was traded and it's a safe assumption to say this change has affected Kubel in the same way.

The Twins had a 6-2 lead going into the 9th inning yesterday and manager Ron Gardenhire threw it away. I thought bringing in Matt Guerrier to face Alex Rodriguez was stupid but this one tops that easily. The great skipper decided to bring in LH relief pitcher Ron Mahay for the 9th inning. Mahay gave up back to back singles to Jody Gerut and Alcides Escobar but stayed in the game. Mahay then faced catcher George Kottaras and walked him to load the bases with no outs. Mahay was taken out and Jon Rauch was brought in to try and shut the door. Rauch gave up three hits and before you could blink the Brewers had scored five runs for a 7-6 lead. My question is why did Gardenhire let Mahay pitch the 9th inning? Mahay has one job in the bullpen and that is to get out left-handed hitters late in the game. I understand why he did not want to use Jesse Crain but why Mahay. Rauch was warmed up, but because it was not a save situation he decided to go with Mahay instead. Rauch has not pitched much in the last week and needed the work to stay sharp. Whether the game is a save situation or not it should not make a difference. The clear choice would have been to go with Rauch who was the best pitcher available. Even a more disturbing decision was when Gardenhire had Jim Thome pinch hit for Trevor Plouffe in the bottom of the 9th inning and two runners on. Any logical skipper has to know a team will walk Thome to load the bases and face Nick Punto. It would appear yet again the Twins found a way to win despite their manager. I have said it before and will say it again Gardenhire could screw up a wet dream. He should not be managing in the big leagues perhaps little league is more his style.

The Twins prevailed thanks to the bat of Jason Kubel and the outstanding defense of Justin Morneau. I have called Morneau the "Heart and Soul" of the Twins and he earned the title yesterday. He went 3-5 at the plate and turned a double play in the 10th and 11th to prevent Milwaukee from scoring. The Twins will try for the sweep this afternoon with Carl Pavano on the hill. Go Twins!! Please feel free to leave me any comments because your opinion matters to me.

Bombs Away in Beantown.

2010-05-20T21:08:00.011-05:00

There were a lot of fans like myself that hoped the Twins would take a giant step forward and beat good teams on the road this year. There is no doubt about one thing, there may be some new faces on the roster, but it is the same old Twins in 2010. Minnesota lost their 7th straight game in Boston falling 6-1 and went 2-5 on what could be described as a disastrous road trip. The club was shelled in one game by the Yankees, Blue Jays, and Red Sox. If it were not for a miraculous grand slam by Jason Kubel on Sunday the road trip would look even worse. The Twins left town three games ahead of the Detroit Tigers in the horrible A.L. Central and now are tied for the division lead. The Tigers have impressed everybody by beating teams like the Yankees, Red Sox, and Angels. The Twins have been lucky playing losing teams like the Royals, Indians, and White Sox. It really does not matter if the Twins make the playoffs anymore because it is obvious they will get swept in the first round.

The offense managed just 4 runs on 12 hits for the short two-game series in Beantown. They tried to use the inconsistent strike zone of home plate umpire Mike Winters as a excuse yesterday and tonight looked helpless against LH pitcher Jon Lester. Just add Lester to the long list of pitchers who have looked like Cy Young against this terrible offense. Francisco Liriano has been just plain bad his last three outings. He gave up 5 runs in 4.2 IP and looked a lot like the pitcher we saw last season. Let me dissect this team and tell you my concerns.

Denard Span- Your job is to get on base and score runs. We have not seen much of that during this road trip. We have seen a lot of misplayed balls in the outfield this season. Where is Carlos Gomez when you need him?

Orlando Hudson Bad range at second base and real slow. I wish there was less talk and more action. We should of signed Felipe Lopez instead and saved money in the process.

Joe Mauer - Great player but where is the power? Needs to stop crying about his heel injury and be a team leader.

Justin Morneau- Having a great year but struckout 5 times in series against Boston. Struggles to get clutch hit with RISP.

Michael Cuddyer- He has hit into 12 double plays this year in 40 games. He needs a day or two off. A complete waste of the $10.5 million dollars he will get paid in 2011. He has no range in the outfield or speed on the base paths. He simply cannot hit a breaking ball to save his life.

Jason Kubel - He continues to struggle at the plate because he is not hitting behind Morneau in the lineup. Teams have stopped throwing him as many fastballs and he has failed to make the adjustment.

Delmon Young- He is only hitting .250/.304/.438 but looks more comfortable in left field. Let's hope this is his last year playing for the Twins. Ben Revere is almost ready and the team needs more range in the outfield and speed in the lineup. The key player received in the worst trade in Twins history!!

J.J. Hardy- Struggles to hit for average but has a stellar glove at shortstop. He is injured right now and the team really misses him in the lineup.

Brendan Harris He has no range in the field, very slow, and can't hit his weight. He would probably be a candidate to be released but the team just signed him to a 2-year $3.2 million contract.

Nick Punto- He has played terrific defense but is unable to hit. He continues to get thrown out on the bases and performs better as a utility player.

Jim Thome- He needs to be more of a bench player but has been very good in his limited role.

Scott Baker- He is 4-4 with a high 4.88 ERA but has pitched better lately. He needs to find a way to hold leads when the offense scores him runs. No killer instinct or bulldog mentality.

Francisco Liriano- He is 4-3 with a 3.25 ERA and looked outstanding in his first four games but has came down to earth. He is starting to look like he should be pumping gas in New Jersey rather than be a big league pitcher. Loses confidence and control too quickly.

Kevin Slowey- He is 5-3 with a 4.70 ERA but has been unable to get through 5-6 innings in his last three starts. He continues to be erratic and it's unknown if he will stay in the rotation for the whole season.

Nick Blackburn- He is 4-1 with a 4.63 ERA. He struggled early in the season but has made the adjustments. Solid pitcher who has come through in big game situations. New contract looks like money well spent if he stays healthy.

Carl Pavano- He is 4-4 with a 4.11 ERA and has been better than his record suggests. His ERA is high because he had two bad outings where he surrendered a lot of runs. He is worth every cent being paid and a great addition to this young rotation.

Jon Rauch- He has been great since taking over for the injured Joe Nathan. He has converted 10 of 11 save opportunities and has a 1.69 ERA.

Brian Duensing- Still has the stuff and makeup of a starter but has been awesome as a LH reliever in the bullpen.

Jesse Crain- He has been awful and should be released but the Twins management is stubborn and hard headed. How many more games is he going to cost us. He is a Crain-Wreck!!

Jose Mijares- He has been great in the past but his head is not screwed on right. Does not take take the game seriously and lacks the commitment necessary to be a dominant relief pitcher.

J.J. Hardy is not ready to come off the disabled list because his wrist is still bothering him. Jeff Manship was optioned back to Rochester and number one draft choice Trevor Plouffe will be called up to take his place. It will be exciting to watch Plouffe make his debut against Milwaukee this weekend. Go Twins!! Please feel free to leave me any comments because your opinion matters to me.

Kubel Slams Yankees to End Losing Streak.

2010-05-17T11:03:00.013-05:00

(AP Photo/Seth Wenig)

It was a typical series in the Bronx for Minnesota before a miracle took place that would leave everybody speechless. I have watched replays of the inning about twenty times and still can't believe it happened. The Twins had lost the first two games of the series and were down 3-1 in the 8th inning. The offense managed to load the bases against relief pitcher Joba Chamberlain and there were two outs. All of a sudden the centerfield fence opened up and in came the best closer that ever lived Mariano Rivera. The fans at Yankee Stadium were going crazy as Enter Sandman was being blasted on the loud speakers. The Twins rally appeared to be dead and gone because Rivera is "lights out" as a closer. Rivera was perfect this year having converted all seven opportunities and had not blown a save at home since 2007. Jim Thome stepped to the plate as the two future Hall of Famers squared off against each other. Thome managed to draw a seven-pitch walk and a run scored making it 3-2. Jason Kubel came to the plate looking to break out of a early season slump he was in. Kubel took the second pitch from Rivera that cut inside and blasted it down the right field line for a grand slam. Twins closer Jon Rauch struck out the side in the 9th inning and the Twins won 6-3. The victory ended a 12 game losing streak to the Yankees and prevented a sweep.

This miracle might not have been the parting of the Red Sea or water being turned into wine but the Twins will take it. All weekend the Yankees got the good bounces and breaks, but in baseball it only takes one miscue to cost you a game. The break for the Twins came off the glove of first baseman Mark Teixeira when Cuddyer hit a liner that should have been caught. However, when Rivera entered the game nobody in their right mind could have imagined what was about to unfold. After Kubel hit the grand slam it reminded me of a part in the movie Rocky IV. When Rocky punched Ivan Drago so hard in the eye he started to bleed and his trainer said "You cut him, you see, he's not a robot." The Yankees have seemed robotic at times with dramatic comeback wins and 27 World Championships but at least for one day they looked human like everyone else. I must admit it was nice to take the Yankees game and shove it right back in their smug faces. The Twins now leave town with confidence knowing they can win in the Bronx even if it takes scoring on Rivera to get it done.

The Twins travel to Canada to take on the red hot Toronto Blue Jays for a short two-game series starting Monday night. Kevin Slowey will take the mound in the series opener and will battle left-hander Dana Eveland of Toronto. Slowey is coming off a couple of bad outings where he has struggled to make it through six innings. Go Twins!! Please feel free to leave me any comments because your opinion matters to me.

Twins Take Another Beating in the Bronx.

2010-05-15T00:39:00.017-05:00

Bill Kostroun-AP

The Twins went to the Bronx trying to erase a ten-game losing streak the Yankees inflicted upon them last year, including a three game sweep in the playoffs. Manager Ron Gardenhire has already disgraced the state of Minnesota holding a distinct 16-51 overall record in New York since 2002. Yes, that is right it is not a misprint, the Twins are 16-51 against the Yankees under his expert tutelage. Don't worry fans because some day their fortune in New York is bound to change but it sure as hell won't be this day. The Twins continue to let leads late in the game slip away as they lose 8-4 to the Yankees. The offense took a 4-3 lead with a pair of two-out singles from Joe Mauer and Justin Morneau in the 7th inning. Scott Baker inexplicably took the mound in the bottom half and gave up a infield single to Francisco Cervelli, and a double to Derek Jeter that bounced off Baker's leg into right field. Brian Duensing relieved Baker and got Brett Gardner to fly out to left field. Duensing then intentionally walked Mark Teixeira to load the bases. Gardenhire came out of the dugout and motioned for right-hander Matt Guerrier to come in and face the best hitter on the planet Alex Rodriguez. Rodriguez had to be laughing all the way to the plate because he was 4-6 with three homers lifetime against Guerrier. Rodriguez took the second pitch and deposited over the left-field fence for a grand slam.

The question all fans have to be asking is WHY? Why in the world would you load the bases intentionally to face A-Rod. Gardenhire said in his press conference "We're always aware of numbers," Gardenhire said. "But Matty is our best right-handed reliever out there, setup guy, and that's who we had up in that situation. Sometimes you can't do anything about the numbers. Matty's gotta come in there, the bases loaded, and you got a right-hander up there, and he needs to make a pitch. He didn't make a pitch this time. We have all the confidence in the world in Matty, and sometimes, like I said, numbers aren't everything." This might be the stupidest statement ever made by a manager in the history of the game. Gardenhire basically said we look at numbers but have confidence in our guys to get the job done. I would argue you can't have it both ways!! If you use statistics to put out a lineup card, it only makes sense to use those numbers during the game in crucial situations. Guerrier facing A-Rod with the bases loaded is not a good situation and has a high probability of blowing up in your face like it did tonight. Just like a week ago when Blackburn came out for the 9th inning and gave up a game tying home run to Detroit. This organization will NEVER, EVER, EVER win anything as long as Gardenhire is calling the shots. I have said it before and will say it again, Gardenhire could screw up a wet dream.

The Twins will send left-hander Francisco Liriano to the hill tomorrow and he will face-off against mound opponent Andy Pettitte. Pettitte has owned the Twins throughout his career and is 4-0 with a 2.08 ERA this year. Don't expect the bleeding to stop anytime soon because this could be the start of a very long losing streak. Go Twins!! Please feel free to leave me any comments because your opinion matters to me.

Resourceful Twins Split Series with Birds.

2010-05-09T19:31:00.013-05:00

(AP Photo/Andy King)

(AP Photo/Andy King)

The Twins entered a four-game series with the Orioles on Thursday feeling good about their team after sweeping the Detroit Tigers. Baltimore came ready to play and shocked everybody by winning the first two games of the series. The resourceful Twins went back to the basics with great pitching, solid defense, and clutch hitting to win the last two and split the series with the Birds. Starting pitcher Scott Baker led the Twins to a 6-1 victory Saturday night giving up just one run in 8.0 innings of work. Nick Blackburn continued the familiar trend of quality starts by throwing 7.0 shutout innings on Sunday at Target Field. The end result was a 6-0 victory before a much needed day off on Monday. The team played today without the services of J.J. Hardy and Orlando Hudson in the starting lineup but it was not a problem for Harris, Casilla, Span, and Punto (8-9-1-2) who picked up the slack going a combined 10-15 and scoring all six runs in the game.

(AP Photo/Andy King)

The Twins open up a short two-game series on Tuesday against the Chicago White Sox before heading out on the road to face the New York Yankees. Joe Mauer appears healthy and is expected to be back in the lineup as catcher. This means Wilson Ramos will be optioned back to Rochester. The team still has nagging injuries to a few key players like Hardy and Hudson. We could see Matt Tolbert or Trevor Plouffe called up from Rochester if either gets put on the 15-man disabled list. The Twins are still short one reliever in the bullpen and need to make a decision on who will take Neshek's place. It should be a very interesting week in Twins Territory. Please feel free to leave me any comments because your opinion matters to me.

Game 2. Orioles vs Twins.

2010-05-08T17:08:00.002-05:00

Baltimore Orioles-9-21

1. Julio Lugo-SS

2. Nick Markakis-RF

3. Matt Wieters-DH

4. Miguel Tejada-3B

5. Ty Wigginton-2B

6. Luke Scott-LF

7. Adam Jones-CF

8. Rhyne Hughes-1B

9. Craig Tatum-C

Kevin Millwood-RHP

Minnesota Twins-19-11

1. Denard Span-CF

2. Orlando Hudson-2B

3. Justin Morneau-1B

4. Jim Thome-DH

5. Michael Cuddyer-RF

6. Delmon Young-LF

7. Nick Punto-3B

8. Alexi Casilla-SS

9. Drew Butera-C

Scott Baker-RHP

I am trying to stay positive after two losses to the worst team in baseball but this lineup does not help. Our offense has been struggling to score runs and Gardenhire fills out a lineup card with three automatic outs near the bottom of the batting order. If the Twins fail to get a split in this series after sweeping Detroit it would be a disaster. Go Twins!! Please feel free to leave me any comments because your opinion matters to me.

Game 1. Orioles vs Twins Lineup Card.

2010-05-08T10:56:00.004-05:00

Baltimore Orioles-8-21

1. Julio Lugo-2B
2. Adam Jones-CF
3. Nick Markakis-RF
4. Miguel Tejada-3B
5. Ty Wigginton-DH
6. Matt Wieters-C
7. Garrett Atkins-1B
8. Nolan Reimold-LF
9. Cesar Izturis-SS

Jeremy Guthrie-RHP

Minnesota Twins 19-10

1. Denard Span-CF
2. Orlando Hudson-2B
3. Justin Morneau-1B
4. Jim Thome-DH
5. Michael Cuddyer-RF
6. Jason Kubel-LF
7. Wilson Ramos-C
8. Brendan Harris-SS
9. Nick Punto-3B

Francisco Liriano-LHP

The Twins have struggled against Jeremy Guthrie in the past and the weather conditions are less than perfect. Let's hope today Liriano continues to dominate hitters and the offense shows up to play. Go Twins!! Please feel free to leave me any comments because your opinion matters to me.

A Target Field Rainout.

2010-05-07T14:15:00.006-05:00

The game between the Baltimore Orioles and your Minnesota Twins was postponed because of rain. The forecast for tonight is for the rain to continue with the possibility of it turning to snow. The Twins will have a day-night doubleheader on Saturday to makeup the game. Game times are at 12:10 P.M. and 7:10 P.M. If you had tickets for the game tonight they can only be used for the 7:10 P.M. game on Saturday against the Orioles. No exchanges or refunds will be allowed by the Twins. Rainouts and doubleheaders are something new for fans because Target Field was built without a roof. I did some checking and the last time a Twins game was cancelled because of rain was on September 20, 1980, at Met Stadium. The offense could use a day off to think about being shutout 2-0 by Orioles pitcher Brad Bergesen last night. Another great performance by starter Carl Pavano was wasted as the offense stranded 10 runners in the game. The Twins loaded the bases twice but could not come through with a hit. They are now hitting .148 (7-47) with the bases loaded this season.

UPDATE: Twins Talk tonight at 9:00 P.M. Seth Stohs of Seth Speaks will be one of my special guests on the show. I am still trying to find another guest. Please feel free to leave me any comments because your opinion matters to me.

Hardy is Clutch as Twins Tame Tigers.

2010-05-04T23:09:00.012-05:00

I have said it many times before but manager Ron Gardenhire could screw up a wet dream. I mean there is no logic behind any decision he makes EVER!! The Twins had a 3-2 lead over Detrot going into the 9th inning. Starting pitcher Nick Blackburn had only thrown 85 pitches but was coming back from emergency family leave and a sore elbow. Gardenhire stayed with Blackburn in the 9th inning and the end result was a solo home run hit by rookie outfielder Brennan Boesch on a 0-1 pitch to tie the game 3-3. Gardenhire like a stubborn old mule, left Blackburn in the game after he gave up a two-out double to Alex Avila. Lucky for Gardenhire he had J.J. Hardy to bail him out defensively. Ramon Santiago hit a sharp groundball in the hole, and Hardy roamed to his left to stop it from going into the outfield. Hardy noticed Avila rounded third base too far and rifled a throw to Punto. Avila headed towards home plate and was tagged out by Punto. Hardy came up in the bottom half with one out and tripled to deep center. He would score on a wild pitch by reliever Ryan Pery to end the game 4-3 in dramatic fashion.

I am very happy the Twins won but have a hard time trying to understand the decision making. Jon Rauch is the closer and should have been brought in to save the game. Gardenhire decided it was more important to have Blackburn go the distance instead of winning the game. This is not the first time Blackburn has been left in too long by Gardenhire and surrendered runs costing us a game. The Bottom line is Blackburn was running out of gas and Gardenhire was not smart enough to see it. You would never see the coaching staff from the Yankees, Red Sox, or Angels make a stupid move like this in a million years. I believe it is insult to your closer who was well rested and ready to go. Everybody wants to see a pitcher throw a complete game but in reality how often does it happen in baseball anymore? Sometimes it is a good idea for your starter to finish a game but not with a one-run lead. This is why bullpens are so valuable in the game today. The team will go for the sweep tomorrow afternoon at Target Field. Rick Porcello will face-off against mound opponent Kevin Slowey in the rubber match of the series. Please feel free to leave me any comments because your opinion matters to me.

Twins Shutout by Willis and Tigers 3-0.

2010-04-29T19:04:00.013-05:00

I called the Twins the biggest fraud in MLB earlier in the week and received some mixed reviews from people about it. The evidence is there but people refuse to accept it. The Twins did beat the Angels, Red Sox, and White Sox this season but none of those teams were playing good baseball when it happened. They managed to win series against the horrible Royals twice, and Indians once, but refused to put them away with a sweep. The team walked into Detroit with a 2 1/2 game lead and a chance to distance themselves from everyone in the American League Central. The end result was their first series loss of the year in miserable fashion against a very mediocre team. It all started last night when the Twins had a commanding 6-1 lead on the Tigers in the 4th inning and starting pitcher Scott Baker fell apart. Detroit stormed back to beat the Twins 11-6 and everybody blamed umpire Paul Emmel for a controversial call in the 6th inning. The bottom line is Baker, Neshek, and another Crain-WRECK were responsible for the defeat.

A very dejected squad took the field this afternoon in Comerica Park for the rubber match of the series. You knew the team was going to lose because the idiot manager held Mauer, Morneau, and Hardy out of the lineup. In other words, they would be forced to win with a minor league squad made up of players like Drew Butera and Luke Hughes. The Twins were shutout 3-0 in the series final and the offense looked pathetic. The team mustered only four hits against a very erratic Dontrelle Willis and for 6.0 innings made him look like a reincarnated version of Warren Spahn. Willis picked up only his 2nd career win in two years as a member of the Tigers. Minnesota wasted a great pitching performance by Carl Pavano who threw 8.0 strong innings and gave up 2 earned runs on 7 hits. The offense has failed to put it all together and when they do the starting pitching is terrible. When the starting pitching is good the offense has been unable to come up with clutch hits. This is a poorly managed team and yet every local analyst gives skipper Ron Gardenhire a free pass. Maybe we should all come to the conclusion this team is just not that good.

I may get blasted by everyone for writing this post but it is not just sour grapes after another disappointing loss, it is the truth. This team has some great players and they are all underachieving right now. These statistics may shock you.

Scott Baker with a 5.72 ERA in 28.1 IP (5 starts).

Nick Blackburn with a 6.85 ERA in 23.2 IP (4 starts).

Jesse Crain with a 7.20 ERA in 10.0 IP.

Pat Neshek with a 4.15 ERA in 4.1 IP.

Brendan Harris is hitting .196 with 1 HR and 4 RBIs.

Jason Kubel is hitting .206 with 2 HRs and 9 RBIs.

J.J. Hardy is hitting .218 with 3 HRs and 9 RBIs.

Delmon Young is hitting .233 with 2 HRs and 9 RBIs.

Denard Span is hitting .221 with 0 HRs and 8 RBIs.

Joe Mauer is hitting .342 with only 1 HR and 12 RBIs in 21 games. (Where did the power go?)

I would not be shocked if the Twins lost the series in Cleveland before heading home to Target Field. The team has looked very bad in back to back losses to the Tigers and now Kevin Slowey is being forced to start a day early because Nick Blackburn left the club for family reasons. Go Twins!! Please feel free to leave me any comments because your opinion matters to me.

The Biggest Fraud in MLB.

2010-04-25T19:17:00.010-05:00

The Twins are 13-6 and have won their first six series to start the 2010 season. A fast start and a beautiful new ballpark like Target Field has everybody smiling from ear to ear in Minnesota. Everything on the surface appears to be fine and dandy, but looks can be very deceiving. This team reminds me of a sign they put up when maintenance workers are on the street "proceed with caution." The Twins flashed signs of greatness right out of the gate by going 5-2 on the road against the Angels and White Sox. They came home and continued their good play by taking two out of three against the Red Sox. This is when the wheels fell off the track and they lost their killer instinct. They managed to take both series against the Royals and one against the Indians but missed opportunities to sweep. The Twins have not played any good teams yet and might be the biggest fraud in MLB. They play in the weakest division in the American League and have struggled to beat some real bad teams. Here are some valid reasons for people to be concerned.

1. The offense has not been very clutch and stranded 35 runners against the Royals this past weekend. The team is hitting .251 with RISP and .267 with two outs and RISP. They are 4-27 with the bases loaded with a very low .148 batting average. The four hits were 1 double and 3 singles which is pathetic. The Twins are hitting .268 with 8 HRs, 2 triples, 10 doubles, and 20 singles with the bases empty. I forgot to mention the offense leads MLB by grounding into 23 double plays. Right now Kubel (.169), Harris (.200), Hardy (.214), Span (.230), and Young (.245) are all struggling at the plate. The Twins better hope this turns around or it will be a very painful season.

2. The starting rotation has been very inconsistent at best. Sinkerball pitcher Nick Blackburn has been crucified in his last three outings. He has a steep 6.85 ERA in four starts and has complained about his right elbow being sore. I believe his health is a issue right now regardless of what the clueless training staff has said. I am so glad the Twins gave him a four-year, $14 million dollar contract extension. Can anybody say Jarrod Washburn!! Scott Baker has had two good starts and two bad ones. He has a high 4.81 ERA and you just never know what to expect from him. He is considered the ace of the staff but lacks a bulldog mentality, and never shines in big situations. Kevin Slowey has been hit hard at times and has 3.42 ERA in four starts. Slowey is more consistent than Baker but still a bit unpredictable for me. Liriano (1.29 ERA) and Pavano (4.24 ERA) have anchored this young staff early and have been pleasant surprises. Pitching and defense wins championships. Right now two good pitchers in a five-man rotation is not good enough to win anything.

3. The bullpen has been very good this year but can it continue. Matt Guerrier has been outstanding with a 0.79 ERA in 11.1 IP out of the pen. My biggest fear is he will be over-used and wear down as the season progresses. Jesse Crain-WRECK has a 7.36 ERA in 7.1 IP and continues to give up runs at a premium. The Twins need Jose Mijares to screw his head on straight and get healthy fast. Although Jon Rauch (2.00 ERA) has been good as the closer he is not the long term solution at a critical position. I believe the team needs to let Pat Neshek get more work in as he has impressed with a .000 ERA in 4.1 IP. Left-handers Ron Mayhay (0.00 ERA) and Brian Duensing (2.00 ERA) have made a big difference early on this year. Consistency and health are the two biggest concerns regarding the bullpen this season and it remains a question mark.

4. Target Field will continue to be the star in 2010. The problem is the ballpark does not appear at this time like it will relinquish many home runs. The ball will carry straight down the line to left or right field but tends to die in the power alleys and straight away center. With as many home run hitters as the team has on their roster it is not a good sign. The Twins have crushed balls that were nothing more than warning track fly outs after being knocked down by the wind. This could change as the weather warms up but with humidity in the air, don't count on it.

Fans may not like it hearing it but these are serious concerns right now for the Twins. The great thing about baseball is it can all change in a few days. The Twins travel to Motown to take on the Detroit Tigers at Comerica Park. Pitching matchup for Tuesday is Francisco Liriano going up against Justin Verlander in what should be a great game. This is an important series for both teams and should be fun to watch. Go Twins!! Please feel free to leave me any comments because your opinion matters to me.

Liriano Lassos Tribe in 6-0 Win.

2010-04-21T23:05:00.016-05:00

The Twins entered the 2010 season with some question marks regarding their very talented roster. The most commonly asked question by everyone was what should the team do with Francisco Liriano. Should he begin the season in the starting rotation or in the bullpen? This question was magnified a lot bigger after the team found out closer Joe Nathan would be lost for the year because of Tommy John surgery. Liriano had a terrific winter pitching in the Dominican Republic and told management he wanted to remain a starter. Management listened to Liriano and has been rewarded with two outstanding performances early in the season by him. Liriano was lights out for 8 innings as the Twins beat the Tribe 6-0. Liriano threw 19 first pitch strikes to the 30 batters he faced and only issued 2 walks. Liriano has only given up 10 hits, 4 walks, 0 runs, and has 14 strikeouts in 15 IP against Boston and Cleveland. The most important thing for Liriano was to have a couple of good starts to build up his confidence and now he has done so. Liriano is the x factor in the rotation, and gives the Twins that ace they have missed since Johan Santana left in 2008.

The Twins offense only needed six hits to beat left-handed pitcher David Huff. Jason Kubel and J.J. Hardy drew walks in the 2nd inning and scored on a pair of two out singles from Brendan Harris and Denard Span for a 3-0 lead. Michael Cuddyer hit a solo shot to right field in the 6th and added a triple in the 8th scoring Joe Mauer and Justin Morneau to give the Twins a commanding 6-0 lead. The Twins were patient at the plate again and walked 6 times for a total of 70 this season.

The Twins will take their third stab at a sweep tomorrow afternoon at Target Field. Scott Baker will take the mound for the Twins and square off against right-hander Mitch Talbot of the Indians. This will be the last home game for the Twins before they head out on the road. Please feel free to leave me any comments because your opinion matters to me.

Indians vs Twins Lineup Card.

2010-04-21T17:53:00.002-05:00

Cleveland Indians-6-7

1. Asdrubal Cabrera-SS
2. Grady Sizemore-CF
3. Shin-Soo Choo-RF
4. Austin Kearns-LF
5. Travis Hafner-DH
6. Mark Grudzielanek-2B
7. Jhonny Peralta-3B
8. Matt LaPorta-1B
9. Mike Redmond-C

David Huff-LHP

Minnesota Twins-10-4

1. Denard Span-CF
2. Orlando Hudson-2B
3. Joe Mauer-C
4. Justin Morneau-1B
5. Michael Cuddyer-RF
6. Jason Kubel-DH
7. Delmon Young-LF
8. J.J. Hardy-SS
9. Brendan Harris-3B

Francisco Liriano-LHP

The return of Mike Redmond to Minnesota!! Please join me for another edition of Twins Talk tonight at 10:00 PM after the game. Special guest will be Andrew Bryz-Gornia of Off The Mark. Please feel free to leave me any comments because your opinion matters to me.

Royals vs Twins Lineup Card.

2010-04-18T11:40:00.002-05:00

Kansas City Royals-4-7

1. David DeJesus-RF
2. Scott Podsednik-LF
3. Billy Butler-1B
4. Jose Guillen-DH
5. Rick Ankiel-CF
6. Alberto Callaspo-2B
7. Jason Kendall-C
8. Alex Bordon-3B
9. Yuniesky Betancourt-SS

Luke Hochevar-RHP

1. Denard Span-CF
2. Orlando Hudson-2B
3. Joe Mauer-C
4. Justin Morneau-1B
5. Michael Cuddyer-RF
6. Jason Kubel-DH
7. Delmon Young-LF
8. J.J. Hardy-SS
9. Brendan Harris-3B

Carl Pavano-RHP

The Twins will go for the sweep this afternoon at Target Field. It is a absolute magnificent day for baseball and should be fun for those lucky fans attending. Go Twins!! Please feel free to leave me any comments because your opinion matters to me.

Royals vs Twins Lineup Card.

2010-04-17T11:16:00.002-05:00

Kansas City Royals-4-6

1. David DeJesus-RF
2. Scott Podsednik-LF
3. Billy Butler-1B
4. Jose Guillen-DH
5. Rick Ankiel-CF
6. Alberto Callaspo-2B
7. Jason Kendall-C
8. Yuniesky Betancourt-SS
9. Willie Bloomquist-3B

Gil Meche-RHP

Minnesota Twins-8-3

1. Denard Span-CF
2. Orlando Hudson-2B
3. Joe Mauer-C
4. Justin Morneau-1B
5. Michael Cuddyer-RF
6. Jim Thome-DH
7. Jason Kubel-LF
8. J.J. Hardy-SS
9. Brendan Harris-3B

Nick Blackburn-RHP

It appears overweight and out of shape lefty reliever Jose Mijares is headed to the 15-man disabled list and Alex Burnett will take his place in the bullpen. The only problem is Burnett will not be here for today's game. The bullpen will be further depleted because of the absence of right-hander Pat Neshek who was given a cortisone shot in his middle finger and will not be available for a couple of days. Go Twins!! Please feel free to leave me any comments because your opinion matters to me.

Royals vs Twins Lineup Card.

2010-04-16T17:54:00.004-05:00

Kansas City Royals-4-5

1. David DeJesus-RF

2. Scott Podsednik-LF

3. Billy Butler-1B

4. Jose Guillen-DH

5. Rick Ankiel-CF

6. Alberto Callaspo-3B

7. Jason Kendall-C

8. Yuniesky Betancourt-SS

9. Chris Getz-2B

Zack Greinke-RHP

Minnesota Twins-7-3

1. Denard Span-CF

2. Orlando Hudson-2B

3. Joe Mauer-C

4. Justin Morneau-1B

5. Michael Cuddyer-RF

6. Jason Kubel-DH

7. Delmon Young-LF

8. J.J. Hardy-SS

9. Brendan Harris-3B

Scott Baker-RHP

The Twins have played some great baseball to start the season and won their first three series. They have typically always struggled against the Royals early in the season so let's hope this series is different. The weather conditions should be a factor for both teams tonight as it appears to be windy and the temperature will drop after the sun goes down. The toughest test of the year for the Twins offense as they face A.L. Cy Young winner Zack Greinke. Go Twins!! Please feel free to leave me any comments because your opinion matters to me.

Twins Open Target Field with 5-2 Win.

2010-04-13T22:34:00.014-05:00

April 12, 2010 will be remembered by everyone in Twins Territory as a day baseball in Minnesota, moved back outside for the first time since 1981. Festivities started early in the morning as FSN started their live coverage at 8:00 AM. A bronze statue of the great Kirby Puckett was unveiled by his son in front of Gate 34 on Target Plaza and the excitement was unbelievable. The gates opened at 12:00 and fans were allowed to watch the Twins take batting practice. Something you will not see again for the rest of the year. Former Twins Jim Kaat (1965 A.L. flag), Jim Perry (1969 Western Division flag), Bert Blyleven (1970 Western Divison flag), Frank Viola (1987 World Series flag), Jack Morris (1991 World Series flag), Eddie Guardado (2002 Central Division flag), Corey Koskie (2003 Central Division flag), Shannon Stewart (2004 Central Division flag), Brad Radke (2006 Central Division flag), Bill Smith (2009 Central Division flag) and Al Newman (TC flag) raised championship pennants in left-field to a thunderous ovation. The home opener at Target Field started a new ERA in Twins baseball and was everything fans could have hoped for as they beat the Boston Red Sox 5-2. The total attendance for the game was 39,715, but the paid attendance was 38,145.

The Twins scored two runs in the 1st with RBI singles by Michael Cuddyer and Jason Kubel to go up 2-0. Joe Mauer doubled home a run in the 2nd to make it 3-0. Mauer drove in another run in the 4th with a single and Jason Kubel christened the new park with a solo shot to right-field for the first ever home run at Target Field making it 5-1. Carl Pavano gave up only one run in 6.0 IP to win his second game of the year. The bullpen was equally effective going three innings and giving up one run. New closer Jon Rauch entered the game in the 9th to Wherever I May Roam by Metallica played on the sound system. He closed the door to a memorable day with his 5th save in as many tries and gave the Twins an opening day win. Many fans stayed around after the game amazed at this wonderful facility called "Target Field."

The Twins had an day off on Tuesday and will try for another series win this afternoon against the bean eaters from Boston. They will face RH pitcher John Lackey who is 7-5 with a 3.50 ERA in his career against the Twins, including the playoffs. Catcher Joe Mauer is 9 for 20 with two HRs against him. I will host another edition of Twins Talk tonight at 9:00 PM to discuss the past week. Topper Anton of Curve for a Strike will be back to co-host the show and Nick Nelson of Nick's Twins Blog will be my special guest. Go Twins!! Please feel free to leave me any comments because your opinion matter to me.

Twins vs White Sox Lineup Card.

2010-04-11T12:47:00.003-05:00

Minnesota Twins-5-1

1. Denard Span-CF
2. Orlando Hudson-2B
3. Joe Mauer-C
4. Justin Morneau-1B
5. Michael Cuddyer-RF
6. Delmon Young-LF
7. J.J. Hardy, SS
8. Brendan Harris-DH
9. Nick Punto=3B

Nick Blackburn-RHP

Chicago White Sox-1-4

1. Juan Pierre-LF
2. Gordon Beckham-2B
3. Carlos Quentin-RF
4. Paul Konerko-1B
5. Mark Kotsay-DH
6. Alex Rios-CF
7. A.J. Pierzynski-C
8. Alexei Ramirez-SS
9. Mark Teahen-3B

Mark Buehrle-LHP

The Twins have had an outstanding road trip and sweeping the Pale Hose on their own turf would really be sweet before the home opener in Target Field tomorrow afternoon. Mark Buehrle is a lefty they have struggled against in the past and they will need to score early to win this game. The offense has scored a lot of runs on this road trip but also have stranded way too many runners especially with the bases loaded. Go Twins!! Please feel free to leave me any comments because your opinion matters to me.

Bombs Away in Anaheim.

2010-04-09T07:51:00.018-05:00

Does anyone remember the 90's comedy show In Living Color. The show had the Wayans brothers and of course the not so famous comedian at the time Jim Carrey. Carrey portrayed one of the funniest characters in television history Fire Marshall Bill. During his famous skits the character Fire Marshall Bill would always talk about fire safety and use the words "a deadly combination" before blowing himself up. What looks like a deadly combination to pitchers right now is having to face offensive stars like Mauer, Morneau, Cuddyer, Kubel, Thome, Young, Hardy, and Harris. The Twins blasted three more bombs last night in Anaheim to beat the Angels 10-1 and leave town with their first series win since 2002. The team hit 9 home runs in 4 games against the Halos and left an impression that will not soon be forgotten. The only bombs going off for the Angels were the ones used by manager Mike Scioscia beginning with the letter F.

Kevin Slowey did not have his best stuff but only gave up one run through 5.1 IP. He managed to work out of jams in the first three innings without giving up a big hit and keep his team within striking distance. The bullpen (Neshek, Mijares, Crain, and Burnett) were outstanding throwing 3 2/3 scoreless blanks. The offense struggled to get anything going off RH pitcher Joel Pineiro until the 5th inning. Jim Thome led off with a double and Jason Kubel singled him home to tie the game. Brendan Harris then took a 1-0 fastball and deposited over the left field fence to give the Twins a 3-1 lead. Jim Thome hit a 3-run shot to right center in the 8th inning making it 6-1. It was Thome's 565 home run of his illustrious career and first as a member of the Twins. Delmon Young was put in the game as a defensive replacement for Kubel and hit a 3-run shot of his own in the 9th making it 10-1.

The Twins will head to Chicago for a three game series with the hated White Sox. Left-hander Francisco Lirano will make his much anticipated debut tonight at U.S. Cellular Field and his mound opponent will be lefty John Danks. Liriano did not make the trip to Anaheim and arrived in Chicago on Thursday so he would be completely rested for his start tonight. Go Twins!! Please feel free to leave me any comments because your opinion matters to me.

Twins vs Angels Lineup Card.

2010-04-08T19:27:00.002-05:00

Minnesota Twins-2-1

1. Denard Span-CF

2. Orlando Hudson-2B

3. Joe Mauer-C

4. Justin Morneau-1B

5. Michael Cuddyer-RF

6. Jim Thome-DH

7. Jason Kubel-LF

8. J.J. Hardy-SS

9. Brendan Harris-3B

Kevin Slowey-RHP

Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim-1-2

1. Erick Aybar-SS

2. Bobby Abreu-DH

3. Torii Hunter-CF

4. Hideki Matsui-LF

5. Kendry Morales-1B

6. Juan Rivera-RF

7. Howie Kendrick-2B

8. Maicer Izturis-3B

9. Jeff Mathis-C

Joel Pineiro-RHP

The Twins have played some great baseball and no matter the outcome of tonight they will leave Anaheim, California with no worse than a split against a very good Angels ballclub. I would love to see the offense crush Pineiro in his first game back as an American League pitcher and they appear to matchup well. However, pitching is the key to a Twins victory and them sneaking out of town with a series win. Kevin Slowey had a great spring training and tonight will be a true test for him to see how well he has recovered from wrist surgery. Go Twins!! Please feel free to leave me any comments because your opinion matters to me.

Twins vs Angels Lineup Card.

2010-04-07T19:33:00.002-05:00

Minnesota Twins-1-1

1. Denard Span-CF

2. Orlando Hudson-2B

3. Joe Mauer-C

4. Justin Morneau-1B

5. Michael Cuddyer-RF

6. Jim Thome-DH

7. Delmon Young-LF

8. J.J. Hardy-SS

9. Nick Punto-3B

Carl Pavano-RHP

Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim-1-1

1. Erick Aybar-SS

2. Bobby Abreu-RF

3. Torii Hunter-CF

4. Hideki Matsui-DH

5. Kendry Morales, 1B

6. Juan Rivera-LF

7. Howie Kendrick-2B

8. Mike Napoli-C

9. Brandon Wood-3B

Ervin Santana-RHP

The Twins will play game three tonight in Anaheim against the Angels. This is a great opportunity for Minnesota to show they can beat anybody in Major League Baseball. I will host a special 8:00 edition of Twins Talk tonight before the game. Special guest will be Seth Stohs of Seth Speaks. Please feel free to leave me any comments because your opinion matters to me.

Twins vs Angels Lineup Card.

2010-04-06T20:28:00.003-05:00

Minnesota Twins-0-1

1. Denard Span-CF

2. Orlando Hudson-2B

3. Joe Mauer-C

4. Justin Morneau-1B

5. Michael Cuddyer-RF

6. Jason Kubel-DH

7. Delmon Young-LF

8. J.J. Hardy-SS

9. Nick Punto-3B

Nick Blackburn-RHP

Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim-1-0

1. Erick Aybar-SS

2. Bobby Abreu-RF

3. Torii Hunter-CF

4. Hideki Matsui-DH

5. Kendry Morales-1B

6. Juan Rivera-LF

7. Howie Kendrick-2B

8. Brandon Wood-3B

9. Jeff Mathis-C

Joe Saunders-LHP

Another bad pitching matchup for the Twins with Nick Blackburn taking on the Angels in Anaheim. Blackburn has a career 0-3 record with a 5.72 ERA against the Halos. He also has a very large 9.72 ERA pitching on the road in Angels Stadium. The offense will face tough lefty Joe Saunders and will need to score some early runs to rattle his cage. It is only the second game of the season but the Twins need this one. Please feel to leave me any comments because your opinion matters to me.

Angels Continue to Beat Up on Twins.

2010-04-05T23:55:00.010-05:00

New faces in Minnesota this season have fans optimistic the club will take a step forward in 2010 and make a deep playoff run. The Twins got off to a bad start on opening day as they lost 6-3 to the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. The team has struggled for a long time against the Angels and tonight was just another major disappointment in a organization filled with underachieving stars. The names on paper look real good, but a decade worth of failures continue to stack up like firewood. You can throw another log on the fire as the pitching staff looked overmatched and the offense choked away several opportunities to score and break the game open. I believe the team will continue to get their brains beat in by the Angels, Yankees, and Red Sox until the players stop being intimidated and start playing with more confidence.

Scott Baker put up great numbers in spring training and on Monday night, in Anaheim, he showed everybody why those numbers mean nothing. He gave up 2 hits, 2 runs, walked 2 batters, and threw 31 pitches in the 1st inning. This is a culmination of what makes Baker tick. The inconsistent one does not have the heart or the bulldog mentality a number one starter needs to take the ball on opening day. Baker always seems to start the season slow and now is 0-5 lifetime against the Angels. No problem for Baker because he should rack up some wins when the Royals come to town. The final line for Baker was 4 runs, 5 hits, 3 walks, in 4.2 IP. Left-handed pitcher Jose Mijares surrendered solo shots to Hideki Matsui and Kendry Morales in the 8th inning to put this game away for the Angels. Mijares continues to struggle and should be sent down to Rochester immediately. Manager Ron Gardenhire should have brought in Pat Neshek to pitch to Matsui but he failed to make the move. This is just one of five thousand bad decisions he will make this season.

Despite a two-run shot by Delmon Young in the 2nd inning the offense was downright embarrassing. The Twins were 1 for 6 with runners in scoring position and left the bases loaded in the 6th and 7th inning. The expectations were this offense would put up some big numbers but it did not happen tonight. Jered Weaver and the bullpen held the Twins in check and picked up big outs when they needed them. The offense only managed seven hits and leadoff hitter Denard Span went 0-5 with 3 strikeouts. The Twins will send right-hander Nick Blackburn to the hill going up against southpaw Joe Saunders of the Angels as they try to even the series tomorrow night. Please feel free to leave me any comments because your opinion matters to me.

Twins vs Angels Lineup Card.

2010-04-05T20:51:00.006-05:00

Minnesota Twins 0-0

1. Denard Span-CF

2. Orlando Hudson-2B

3. Joe Mauer-C

4. Justin Morneau-1B

5. Michael Cuddyer-RF

6. Jason Kubel-DH

7. Delmon Young-LF

8. J.J. Hardy-SS

9. Nick Punto-3B

Scott Baker-RHP

Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim 0-0

1. Erick Aybar-SS

2. Bobby Abreu-RF

3. Torii Hunter-CF

4. Hideki Matsui-DH

5. Kendry Morales-1B

6. Juan Rivera-LF

7. Howie Kendrick-2B

8. Brandon Wood-3B

9. Jeff Mathis-C

Jered Weaver-RHP

At last opening day 2010 is here. The Twins have a tough schedule to start the season playing 4 games in Anaheim, 3 in Chicago, and 3 at home against the Red Sox. Let's hope the starting rotation holds up and the offense scores a lot of runs because this will take pressure off the bullpen. Go Twins!! Please feel free to leave me any comments because your opinion matters to me.