Links of the Day for 6/6/06

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It’s been so long since last we met and a lot has certainly transpired. Scott Baker’s been sent to AAA and Terry Tiffee has replaced him, the Twins’ offense has faltered and Brad Radke has remembered how to be a decent pitcher. The more things change, however, the more they stay the same—Johan is still dominant, Mauer is still raking the ball and the Twins are still mediocre despite those two. So what is a Twins fan to do? The answer, my friends, is simple—focus on the draft. Juan Castro can’t cause you to hurt yourself there.

• To that end, SportsIllustrated.com has a comprehensive look at the amateur draft tomorrow, with a mock draft and, for you cheaper sabermatricians amongst us, a free rundown of which type of prospects are most likely to pan out by Rany Jazayerli of Baseball Prospectus.com. If you’re curious, the mock draft has the Twins taking Chris Marrero, a third baseman from Monsignor Pace (Fla.) High with the twentieth overall pick. Hopefully, his “rare blend of baseball savvy and premium tools” can get him to the Show quickly so we can forget about the time we lost watching Tony “the Beer League Reject” Batista “man” the hot corner.



• Even if he does make it as quickly as Ryan Zimmerman, I don’t think it will matter who the Twins draft this year if the coaching staff remains the same. Gardenhire’s inexplicable ability to ruin prospects is just one of many reasons he needs to be canned before the Twins can be successful. If you want the rest, Aaron Gleeman and his commentors have compiled a pretty comprehensive list. And, if for no other reason, Gardenhire’s bi-weekly temper tantrums should be enough to convince the savvy Twins fan it’s time to find someone else.



• Finally, if the Twins manage to manufacture another loss out of a Liriano or Santana gem with bone headed base running, awful fielding and pathetic hitting, join me in my happy place. And if you haven’t felt the joy of opening a pack of cards in a long time, well, there’s always ebay.