- Hockey fans in this state have gotten used to the reaction of the Canadian press every time the Wild manage to beat a team from Up North – it runs something along the lines of “that’s not hockey, the trap should be banned, Lemaire has ruined the sport, they’re so boring that our team was lulled to sleep, waaaaaaahhh.” Standard stuff at this point, and it’s no coincidence that the whining always comes loudest from Vancouver, where the Canucks seem to have frequent trouble with The Cult Of Jacques.
So why bring up that particular bunch of sour grapes on a baseball site, on a weekend in which the Twins finally earned a measure of respect from the mighty Yankee empire? Well, because of this. And this. Annnnnnd this. That, kids, is what you call a New York hat trick – all three tabloids whining in unison about not getting the calls. And lest you think this was a one-night bitch session, here’s how the NYC papers covered Friday’s Twin win.
Yup, you read it here first – Ed Montague is a one-man Yankee-wrecking crew, and he’s clearly either blind, retarded, or on the Minnesota payroll. Returning to reality: were some of Montague’s calls questionable this weekend? Sure, particularly the Castillo no-swing in the 9th inning on Saturday. But if the New York beat writers were actually interested in umpire quality (rather than in endlessly whacking beehives with sticks, which tends to be what passes for sports journalism in Gotham) they would also have noted that Jerry Layne’s bizarrely shaped and wildly inconsistent strike zone almost cost the Twins their ninth-inning comeback, that Posada’s tag of Morneau on Saturday was as phantom-like as Mauer’s tag of Posada on Friday, and that there is no team that benefits more from “superstar” calls than the Bombers. - Having grown up in small-town Pennsylvania (well within range of radio signals from both Philly and New York,) Intern Sam is all too familiar with the demented ravings of Yankees radio voice John Sterling. You know Sterling – he’s the bleating cementhead behind “Annnnd the Yankees win! THUH-UH-UH-UH-UH-UH-UH-UH Yankees winnnn!” He does this every time they win. And they win a lot.
Intern Sam spent his childhood assuming that New Yorkers must like this sort of foolishness, but this was before he moved to Minnesota and was informed that John Gordon had somehow managed to hold down a play-by-play job here for the better part of two decades despite the fact that nobody likes him and he can’t pronounce the word “Ibanez.” Anyway, it turns out that Sterling is regarded with some disdain in the Big Apple, and one of the Post’s veteran snipers laid into him this weekend for a couple of blown calls in the Twins series. - The PiPress’s baseball writers had an interesting conversation about MLB’s George Mitchell-led investigation into steroid use by Barry Bon… um, we mean, by any number of major leaguers who may or may not be threatening to break a beloved home run record. Jason Williams and Gordon Wittenmeyer agree that there isn’t much of a chance that the players are about to start ratting each other out to Mitchell, but GW believes that “anything that keeps the hammer down on this issue is important right now.” He may be right, but with Friday’s revelation that a second grand jury is now hearing evidence that Bonds perjured himself during the BALCO investigation, we tend to agree with Will Leitch over at Deadspin, who fears that “we’re really starting to veer dangerously toward ‘We Will Take Him Down At Any Cost’ territory.”
- Lost in the tumult surrounding Saturday’s dramatic comeback win was the increasingly damaging presence of Rondell White in the cleanup spot. In case you missed the game, Joe Mauer had the bat taken out of his hands twice in key situations, because Joe Torre (who is a fairly observant guy) knew he had the equivalent of the pitcher’s spot in the order due up next. White obliged Torre with a routine fly-out to center, and an awful-looking strikeout. (He also looked helpless with men on second and third and nobody out in the bottom of the ninth, when merely putting the ball in play would likely have tied the game.)
Despite White’s total ineptitude at the plate, Gardenhire has trotted him out in the cleanup spot for all twelve games the Twins have played, and in Sunday’s blowout loss (in which White went 0-for-4 with three strikeouts,) the crowd began to turn on him early. The booing reached a cascade by White's final at-bat, which is probably a good thing, simply because it puts pressure on Gardenhire to do something, anything, to alleviate the problem. There’s plenty of statistical evidence saying that batting orders don’t matter, but the simple fact is that White is now so bad that he’s costing Joe Mauer at-bats, and that cannot be allowed to continue if the Twins’ want their newfound offensive prowess to last. There might not be a need to bench him completely, but there is no longer any justification for putting his termite-infested bat anywhere but the bottom of the order. (Nope, there wasn’t a link anywhere in that rant. We’re just sayin’...) - Seth Stohs has the latest on the status of the Twins’ ballpark proposal – the next hurdle is the House Tax Committee, chaired by the Shoreview Republican known around the Capitol as “Dr. No,” and as you might expect, the good doctor has a crafty plan rather transparently designed to highlight public opposition to the Hennepin County sales tax. The Twins are pleading for fan support to counter the Krinkie offensive.
- Finally, continuing our series of links to local sports columnists who dazzle us with the blindingly obvious before pounding us over the head with brazen leaps of logic, ol’ Sid has been doing some thinking, and has come to the considered conclusion that Joe Torre is a pretty good baseball manager, and that most of his success is due to the endless patience and unwavering support of Sid’s close personal friend, George Steinbrenner. We’d like to share our favorite sentence of the column, but we just can’t decide between the simply preposterous (“I don't know of anybody more loyal than one Mr. Steinbrenner”) and the grammatically impenetrable (“To nobody's knowledge, [Torre] hasn't received a brain implant since he joined the Yankees, and he was just as smart a baseball manager then as he is now,”) so we’ll just leave y’all to sort through the swamp of Hartman’s prose on your own time. Have a good week…
Sunday, April 16, 2006
Links of the Day for 4/17/06
powered by Intern Sam
Friday, April 14, 2006
Links of the Day for 4/14/06
by Intern Sharkey
With a couple of suspicious suspects in town for the weekend, I’ve got steroids on my mind. And I’m not the only one.
Baseball’s ambassador, the Honorable Mister Barry Bonds, is in a spot of trouble. The Feds are coming after him for perjury, based on his grand jury testimony that he never “knowingly” used steroids.
So what do we do with his 700 home runs (and his 73, and Sosa’s run of 60s, and Big Mac’s 70)? Blink and Tipping Point author Malcolm Gladwell has an answer: unleash the forensic economists. The reader comments are worth a read, as is Gladwell’s follow-up.
If that doesn’t suit your tastes, maybe a teaspoon of democracy mixed with a pinch of mob rule will suit your palate. The good people at Juiced? Or Not? are putting it to a vote. Making the not-so-surprising Top Ten (at numbers 3 and 10) are our pinstriped guests of dishonor.
Of course, getting the feds involved doesn’t mean things will automatically clean up; their own track record is far from sparkling. But there are other mixes of baseball and politics as well. This Washington Post column about the fall of Tom DeLay contains another:
“In the meantime, Buckham had become DeLay's chief of staff. He eventually hired me as Tom's communications director and Tony Rudy as press secretary. But he was brutal in firing some of DeLay's previous staffers. His win-at-all-costs attitude played out in strange ways around the office. He ran a fantasy baseball league that he always seemed to win, even if it meant browbeating young staffers into trading their best players to him. He was also forceful in promoting the evangelical beliefs he shared with DeLay. There were times when he would gather the staff for prayer. And I must admit, at times we needed those prayers just to get through the grueling pace of the Contract With America.”
I can see it now: “Sure boss! A Pujols-for-Batista deal sounds great!”
And it wouldn’t be a Yankee-themed Links without an A-Rod contract reference, so here it is. Mr. March is making about $26 million this year, which happens to be nearly double the Marlins’ entire payroll.
But, $200 million is no match for league-minimum Scott Baker. The President is on the hill next; enjoy the game.
With a couple of suspicious suspects in town for the weekend, I’ve got steroids on my mind. And I’m not the only one.
Baseball’s ambassador, the Honorable Mister Barry Bonds, is in a spot of trouble. The Feds are coming after him for perjury, based on his grand jury testimony that he never “knowingly” used steroids.
So what do we do with his 700 home runs (and his 73, and Sosa’s run of 60s, and Big Mac’s 70)? Blink and Tipping Point author Malcolm Gladwell has an answer: unleash the forensic economists. The reader comments are worth a read, as is Gladwell’s follow-up.
If that doesn’t suit your tastes, maybe a teaspoon of democracy mixed with a pinch of mob rule will suit your palate. The good people at Juiced? Or Not? are putting it to a vote. Making the not-so-surprising Top Ten (at numbers 3 and 10) are our pinstriped guests of dishonor.
Of course, getting the feds involved doesn’t mean things will automatically clean up; their own track record is far from sparkling. But there are other mixes of baseball and politics as well. This Washington Post column about the fall of Tom DeLay contains another:
“In the meantime, Buckham had become DeLay's chief of staff. He eventually hired me as Tom's communications director and Tony Rudy as press secretary. But he was brutal in firing some of DeLay's previous staffers. His win-at-all-costs attitude played out in strange ways around the office. He ran a fantasy baseball league that he always seemed to win, even if it meant browbeating young staffers into trading their best players to him. He was also forceful in promoting the evangelical beliefs he shared with DeLay. There were times when he would gather the staff for prayer. And I must admit, at times we needed those prayers just to get through the grueling pace of the Contract With America.”
I can see it now: “Sure boss! A Pujols-for-Batista deal sounds great!”
And it wouldn’t be a Yankee-themed Links without an A-Rod contract reference, so here it is. Mr. March is making about $26 million this year, which happens to be nearly double the Marlins’ entire payroll.
But, $200 million is no match for league-minimum Scott Baker. The President is on the hill next; enjoy the game.
Thursday, April 13, 2006
On The Hill
The following is an excerpt from this weekend's Dugout Splinters in GameDay.
Friday: Mike Mussina (1-0 2.77 ERA)
Saturday: Jaret Wright (0-1, 4.50 ERA)
Sunday: Chien-Ming Wang (0-0, 5.91 ERA)
Friday: Mike Mussina (1-0 2.77 ERA)
- 2005: 13-8, 180.2 IP, 142 K, 4.41 ERA
- The 37-year-old battled elbow problems last year.
- Has a career record against the Twins of 137-1 with a –3.43 ERA. Roughly.
- His six year, $88.5 million dollar contract expires at the end of this year.
- In his eight career at-bats against Mussina, Rondell White has a five hits, including a home run.
- Heckling Tip - “Where’s the ring, Mike?” Came to New York to be the ace on a champion. After winning four in the five years before he arrived, the Yankees have won zero since.
Saturday: Jaret Wright (0-1, 4.50 ERA)
- Fun with numbers. Check these ERA:
2001: 6.52 ERA
2002:15.71 ERA
2003: 7.35 ERA
2004: 3.28 ERA - Guess which year he worked with former Braves pitching coach/demigod Leo Mazzone?
- After 2004, convinced that Wright is the ace they need in their rotation, the Yankees sign him for $21 million.
- 2005: 6.08 ERA (giggle.)
- This is his first start this year, after battling back spasms during spring training.
- Heckling Tip - “You’re nothing without Leo!” Or worship him for turning one decent year into $21 million.
Sunday: Chien-Ming Wang (0-0, 5.91 ERA)
- 2005: 8-5, 116.1 IP, 47 K, 4.02 ERA
- Rookie who did a nice job stepping in for injuries last year.
- Heckling Tip – Time to break out those Rodney Dangerfield impressions:
“Hey, Wang! What's with the pictures? It’s a parking lot! Come on!” or
“Ask Wang. He’ll tell you. We just bought property behind the Great Wall. On the good side!”
Daily Links for 4/14/06
by Intern PseudoFool
SBG looks at the Twins’ offense after 5% of the season—which is the margin for error on many surveys, but to SBG’s credit he’ll be doing this 20 times, so evidently it makes sense to do so right now.
After 5% of the season, are bloggers ready to eat some crow about Batista? Well for Aaron, not yet, evidently, and for Seth, maybe he didn’t dislike Batista so much after all. Speaking of Batista his, BB to HR ratio is 3 to 2.
When things aren’t going good, any single Twin is due for fury of ad hominem attacks; but for Ron Gardenhire, it becomes a matter of nomenclature: from cmathewson’s Gardenhoser to frightwig’s Gardenhoogle. And as long as we bash Garden(insert-easy-slap-to-end-name-here), let’s do so when his mistakes turn out to be beneficial as AdamOnFirst does over at Twinkie Town.
Non Sequitur Moments: Take a look at the Tagline for this movie, but don’t feel any encouragement. Elsewhere, Kyle Lohse was the first starter to earn a quality start through the first nine games. And Sean McAdam’s thinks the Twins are slowpokes.
Baseless Speculation for the Weekend: Twins take 2 of 3 from the Yankees (Mussina v. Baker, Friday; Wright v. Santana, Saturday; Radke v. Wang on Sunday); Rondell White gets his first multi-hit game; Batista hits one home run, takes one walk, but fails to get another hit; Castro goes 0-for-the series; one Twins’ starting pitcher makes into the 8th inning.
SBG looks at the Twins’ offense after 5% of the season—which is the margin for error on many surveys, but to SBG’s credit he’ll be doing this 20 times, so evidently it makes sense to do so right now.
After 5% of the season, are bloggers ready to eat some crow about Batista? Well for Aaron, not yet, evidently, and for Seth, maybe he didn’t dislike Batista so much after all. Speaking of Batista his, BB to HR ratio is 3 to 2.
When things aren’t going good, any single Twin is due for fury of ad hominem attacks; but for Ron Gardenhire, it becomes a matter of nomenclature: from cmathewson’s Gardenhoser to frightwig’s Gardenhoogle. And as long as we bash Garden(insert-easy-slap-to-end-name-here), let’s do so when his mistakes turn out to be beneficial as AdamOnFirst does over at Twinkie Town.
Non Sequitur Moments: Take a look at the Tagline for this movie, but don’t feel any encouragement. Elsewhere, Kyle Lohse was the first starter to earn a quality start through the first nine games. And Sean McAdam’s thinks the Twins are slowpokes.
Baseless Speculation for the Weekend: Twins take 2 of 3 from the Yankees (Mussina v. Baker, Friday; Wright v. Santana, Saturday; Radke v. Wang on Sunday); Rondell White gets his first multi-hit game; Batista hits one home run, takes one walk, but fails to get another hit; Castro goes 0-for-the series; one Twins’ starting pitcher makes into the 8th inning.
The Yankees are SO yesterday.
The following is an excerpt from this weekend's Dugout Splinters in GameDay.
In the late 1800’s, both Minneapolis and St. Paul had teams in the Western League, whose president was Ban Johnson. Johnson wanted to achieve major league status, so after the 1899 season, he changed his league’s name to the American League to give it a broader appeal. As part of that change, St. Paul moved to Chicago and became the Chicago White Sox.
In 1901, the American League declared itself a major league instead of a minor league, and several franchises in the Midwest moved to larger cities. You might be interested in where the Minneapolis team ended up. The following is from Stew Thornley’s latest book, Baseball in Minnesota: The Definitive History, published by the Minnnesota Historical Society Press:
“It is clear that the Kansas City team was transferred to Washington, a team that moved 60 years later to Minnesota, meaning that the Minnesota Twins actually have their roots in Kansas City. It is nebulous as to whether the Minneapolis team was moved or if it disbanded and a new team was formed from scratch. However, some sources indicate that the Minneapolis club moved to Baltimore for the 1901 season. Two years later this team move to New York and eventually became known as the Yankees. If the Minneapolis team was transferred rather than disbanded, it means the New York Yankees...had its roots in Minneapolis.”
So to summarize: “Yeah, we used to date. She was OK. Moved out east, I think. But now I’ve hooked up with some Twins.”
In the late 1800’s, both Minneapolis and St. Paul had teams in the Western League, whose president was Ban Johnson. Johnson wanted to achieve major league status, so after the 1899 season, he changed his league’s name to the American League to give it a broader appeal. As part of that change, St. Paul moved to Chicago and became the Chicago White Sox.
In 1901, the American League declared itself a major league instead of a minor league, and several franchises in the Midwest moved to larger cities. You might be interested in where the Minneapolis team ended up. The following is from Stew Thornley’s latest book, Baseball in Minnesota: The Definitive History, published by the Minnnesota Historical Society Press:
“It is clear that the Kansas City team was transferred to Washington, a team that moved 60 years later to Minnesota, meaning that the Minnesota Twins actually have their roots in Kansas City. It is nebulous as to whether the Minneapolis team was moved or if it disbanded and a new team was formed from scratch. However, some sources indicate that the Minneapolis club moved to Baltimore for the 1901 season. Two years later this team move to New York and eventually became known as the Yankees. If the Minneapolis team was transferred rather than disbanded, it means the New York Yankees...had its roots in Minneapolis.”
So to summarize: “Yeah, we used to date. She was OK. Moved out east, I think. But now I’ve hooked up with some Twins.”
Wednesday, April 12, 2006
The Daily Links for 4/12/06
by Intern Snarky
It's hard to ignore all off the chatter on the net about the bill for the new Twins' ball park. Below are links to a few columnists' recent thoughts on the bill. To help, I've summarized their opinion in the fewest words possible.
Joe Soucheray in the Pioneer Press (Pro)
Rationale: New ballpark = good. Female impersonators = bad. Hennepin County officials = very bad.
Nick Coleman in the Strib (Ambivalent)
Rationale: New ballpark = good. Stadium = Bad. The Pohlad = very bad.
Senator Belanger on MPR (Anti)
Rationale: Even the stadium that most deserves to be built, doesn't deserve to be built. Also, that stadium is not the Twins' stadium.
Sid Hartman in the Strib (Pro and feisty)
Rationale: The Pohlad (who is good) is the only thing keeping the Twins in Minnesota without a stadium. Unfortunately, The Pohlad is not immortal . . . . .yet.
The Greet Machine (Pro)
Rationale: New ballpark = so good I almost crapped my pants.
Say it ain't so Torii
In an interview with Jason Williams, Hunter says
"I want to win, I'm addicted to it. I'm sure there are people in this organization who want to win, but we're restricted. I would love to stay in Minnesota. I get treated fine here. This is my home. I grew up here. But if they don't want to win — I'm not talking about the front office, I'm not talking about the players, you know who I'm talking about (ownership) — then it's time to move on."
Glad to see we've put all that infighting behind us (sarcasm).
Seriously Torii, we want to win, it's just that losing is so easy. Admit it, you kind of like losing too. Besides, they wouldn't respect you in a big market town like we do. We even let you spell you name wrong. We think the extra "i" is kinda cute.
It's hard to ignore all off the chatter on the net about the bill for the new Twins' ball park. Below are links to a few columnists' recent thoughts on the bill. To help, I've summarized their opinion in the fewest words possible.
Joe Soucheray in the Pioneer Press (Pro)
Rationale: New ballpark = good. Female impersonators = bad. Hennepin County officials = very bad.
Nick Coleman in the Strib (Ambivalent)
Rationale: New ballpark = good. Stadium = Bad. The Pohlad = very bad.
Senator Belanger on MPR (Anti)
Rationale: Even the stadium that most deserves to be built, doesn't deserve to be built. Also, that stadium is not the Twins' stadium.
Sid Hartman in the Strib (Pro and feisty)
Rationale: The Pohlad (who is good) is the only thing keeping the Twins in Minnesota without a stadium. Unfortunately, The Pohlad is not immortal . . . . .yet.
The Greet Machine (Pro)
Rationale: New ballpark = so good I almost crapped my pants.
Say it ain't so Torii
In an interview with Jason Williams, Hunter says
"I want to win, I'm addicted to it. I'm sure there are people in this organization who want to win, but we're restricted. I would love to stay in Minnesota. I get treated fine here. This is my home. I grew up here. But if they don't want to win — I'm not talking about the front office, I'm not talking about the players, you know who I'm talking about (ownership) — then it's time to move on."
Glad to see we've put all that infighting behind us (sarcasm).
Seriously Torii, we want to win, it's just that losing is so easy. Admit it, you kind of like losing too. Besides, they wouldn't respect you in a big market town like we do. We even let you spell you name wrong. We think the extra "i" is kinda cute.
Tuesday, April 11, 2006
Dugout Splinter - Don't Know Much Philosophy
The following is an excerpt from the Dugout Splinters from GameDay for the Oakland Series.
Don’t Know Much Philosophy
by Twins Geek
Stop me if you’ve heard this someplace before.
A small market team, looking for a new stadium, has a multi-year run where they’re competing with the big guys. They make three straight playoff appearances, but fail to make much noise. More recently they’ve failed to make the playoffs, mostly because their division is so loaded.
The organization is poised to compete again this year, primarily because of a strong (and young) pitching staff with plenty of additional pitching in the minors. However, there are questions about their offense. Sure, they made some moves in the offseason, but they failed to acquire the big bat they really need, so they’re hoping they’ll see improvement across the board in their young hitters.
With similar payroll limitations and similar success stories, the Twins and Athletics have become icons for opposing philosophies about baseball. The Athletics have been hailed as the progressive thinking organization, embracing the sabermetric community and a trend towards brash young executive outsiders. The Twins have been portrayed as the antithesis of this philosophy, emphasizing traditional scouting and a stable organization of baseball lifers. The two organizations have been endlessly compared and contrasted, but mostly contrasted.
So why are the end results so much alike?
Don’t Know Much Philosophy
by Twins Geek
Stop me if you’ve heard this someplace before.
A small market team, looking for a new stadium, has a multi-year run where they’re competing with the big guys. They make three straight playoff appearances, but fail to make much noise. More recently they’ve failed to make the playoffs, mostly because their division is so loaded.
The organization is poised to compete again this year, primarily because of a strong (and young) pitching staff with plenty of additional pitching in the minors. However, there are questions about their offense. Sure, they made some moves in the offseason, but they failed to acquire the big bat they really need, so they’re hoping they’ll see improvement across the board in their young hitters.
With similar payroll limitations and similar success stories, the Twins and Athletics have become icons for opposing philosophies about baseball. The Athletics have been hailed as the progressive thinking organization, embracing the sabermetric community and a trend towards brash young executive outsiders. The Twins have been portrayed as the antithesis of this philosophy, emphasizing traditional scouting and a stable organization of baseball lifers. The two organizations have been endlessly compared and contrasted, but mostly contrasted.
So why are the end results so much alike?
The Daily Links for 04/11/06
by Intern Jimmy
Fitting Tribute: As befitting the legacy he left, Kirby Puckett will be in the minds and hearts of players and fans the duration of this 2006 season. As a tribute to his everlasting impact on Minnesota baseball, the Twins have emblazoned # 34 on their sleeves to serve as a constant reminder of Puck. In addition, the Metrodome unveiled its center field homage to our hero who prowled its turf-green pastures for 12 seasons.
Torii Hunter likes the added company, "I'm pretty excited now to go out there with that number, knowing he's going to be in center field with me." As the northern stars align, there's no doubt Kirby's spirit will imbue this special season with a little "Jump on my back" flavor. Piggy back ride anyone?
Youth To Be Served? For all the veterans the Twins added in free agency this off-season- Rondell White (34 years old), Tony Batista (32) and Luis Castillo (30), you'd think they were serving apple sauce and pudding on the charter flights. Turns out the senior movement isn't exactly in full bloom as the average age of the Twins remains a mature, yet rambunctious 27.9 years of age, the 2nd youngest team in baseball behind the baby Marlins, a full two years younger than the Twins at 25.9 years of age.
In a paradoxical twist, the Twins co-elder statesmen, Mike Redmond and Rondell White, both 34 years of age, are the youngest oldest players on their team. I just confused myself typing that last sentence. Of course, if Ruben "Fountain of Youth" Sierra is called up, he supplants Redmond and White as old man on the totem pole, the lone over-the-hill member of the roster.
If you couldn\'t guess, the geriatrics of their respective leagues are the Yankees (32.2) and Giants (32.3), who trot brittle-boned Bingo league lineups out on a daily basis.
Catching Up With...Jacque Jones: Departed Twin fan favorite Jacque Jones experienced quite the roller coaster of emotions in his first homestand with his new outfit. Stumbling out of the gate with an 0-13 start to the season, Jones heard his first boos from the Wrigley faithless after striking out thrice Saturday. As per his frustrating Twins tenure, Jones silenced his detractors Sunday with a 3-run blast, his 1st hit of the year, sparking the team to a sweep of the rival Cardinals. Cubs fans should grow accustomed to his beguiling ways, teasing greatness with his penchant for clutch hits, while pulling a Houdini act other times.
Opponent's Corner - Inside the Moneyball Mind: Ever since Michael Lewis' acclaimed best-seller hit bookshelves, the Moneyball method of structuring a front office has turned the baseball world on its head. The architect, Billy Beane, has spawned a new legion of general managers assessing talent utilizing the myriad offensive and defensive statistical analyses popularized by Bill James. Beane's keen sense of talent has vaulted the A's into the upper stratum of competitive teams despite maintaining a relatively subdued payroll. The premier Oakland fan site was privvy to an exclusive interview with Beane this offseason. If you've got the time, this insightful three-part Q&A runs the gamut on issues, including the difficult decisions a small market GM faces. Part 1. Part 2. Part 3.
Fitting Tribute: As befitting the legacy he left, Kirby Puckett will be in the minds and hearts of players and fans the duration of this 2006 season. As a tribute to his everlasting impact on Minnesota baseball, the Twins have emblazoned # 34 on their sleeves to serve as a constant reminder of Puck. In addition, the Metrodome unveiled its center field homage to our hero who prowled its turf-green pastures for 12 seasons.
Torii Hunter likes the added company, "I'm pretty excited now to go out there with that number, knowing he's going to be in center field with me." As the northern stars align, there's no doubt Kirby's spirit will imbue this special season with a little "Jump on my back" flavor. Piggy back ride anyone?
Youth To Be Served? For all the veterans the Twins added in free agency this off-season- Rondell White (34 years old), Tony Batista (32) and Luis Castillo (30), you'd think they were serving apple sauce and pudding on the charter flights. Turns out the senior movement isn't exactly in full bloom as the average age of the Twins remains a mature, yet rambunctious 27.9 years of age, the 2nd youngest team in baseball behind the baby Marlins, a full two years younger than the Twins at 25.9 years of age.
In a paradoxical twist, the Twins co-elder statesmen, Mike Redmond and Rondell White, both 34 years of age, are the youngest oldest players on their team. I just confused myself typing that last sentence. Of course, if Ruben "Fountain of Youth" Sierra is called up, he supplants Redmond and White as old man on the totem pole, the lone over-the-hill member of the roster.
If you couldn\'t guess, the geriatrics of their respective leagues are the Yankees (32.2) and Giants (32.3), who trot brittle-boned Bingo league lineups out on a daily basis.
Catching Up With...Jacque Jones: Departed Twin fan favorite Jacque Jones experienced quite the roller coaster of emotions in his first homestand with his new outfit. Stumbling out of the gate with an 0-13 start to the season, Jones heard his first boos from the Wrigley faithless after striking out thrice Saturday. As per his frustrating Twins tenure, Jones silenced his detractors Sunday with a 3-run blast, his 1st hit of the year, sparking the team to a sweep of the rival Cardinals. Cubs fans should grow accustomed to his beguiling ways, teasing greatness with his penchant for clutch hits, while pulling a Houdini act other times.
Opponent's Corner - Inside the Moneyball Mind: Ever since Michael Lewis' acclaimed best-seller hit bookshelves, the Moneyball method of structuring a front office has turned the baseball world on its head. The architect, Billy Beane, has spawned a new legion of general managers assessing talent utilizing the myriad offensive and defensive statistical analyses popularized by Bill James. Beane's keen sense of talent has vaulted the A's into the upper stratum of competitive teams despite maintaining a relatively subdued payroll. The premier Oakland fan site was privvy to an exclusive interview with Beane this offseason. If you've got the time, this insightful three-part Q&A runs the gamut on issues, including the difficult decisions a small market GM faces. Part 1. Part 2. Part 3.
Quick Correction
Yesterday, as I was scrambling to meet about three different deadlines for GameDay, I accidentally gave credit to the wrong web site for an excellent GameDay article about the historic year the Twins pitching staff had with their control. Andy Wink, the author, is the writer at Twins Killings. I really regret the brain cramp.
John
Yesterday, as I was scrambling to meet about three different deadlines for GameDay, I accidentally gave credit to the wrong web site for an excellent GameDay article about the historic year the Twins pitching staff had with their control. Andy Wink, the author, is the writer at Twins Killings. I really regret the brain cramp.
John
Monday, April 10, 2006
Trading Hunter
There I am, preparing for opening night of the baseball season. The last Grain Belt from the fridge is in one hand, the remote in the other, and I’m doing my pregame warm-up: watching Baseball Tonight as I take that first sip.
Followed by a pratfallish spit take. Harold Reynolds, you see, was doing a preview of players who may be moved at the trade deadline (because it’s never too early to talk trade deadline). The player he’s talking about is Torii.
I know what you’re thinking, and I don’t want to dwell on this either. It’s too early, and I think Reynolds is crazy if he thinks a Twins team that is even remotely in the race is going to trade Torii Hunter. But it’s worth noting that if the Twins are flailing as the deadline approaches, Terry Ryan is going to be asked about trading Hunter. A lot. And even if he isn’t, you can bet that other sportswriters in other cities are going to be talking about it a lot. So we might as well handle this thing head on.
There are reasons to trade Hunter. First, he is worth something in return, possibly something very good. Second, he’ll likely be leaving the Twins in the offseason regardless. Finally, moving him at the trade deadline would save the Twins approximately $5.5 million between his salary and the bonus they owe him at the end of the year. So this isn’t just crazy talk.
He’s also likely worth more to a large market team, because Hunter isn’t necessarily a free agent at the end of this season. Whichever team trades for him has a $12 million option on his contract in 2007, which isn’t so unreasonable considering Johnny Damon just received $13 million for four years from the Yankees. To a large market team who can afford that kind of contract, Hunter isn’t just a half-year rental player.
So which teams are most likely to be interested in Torii, and what would they need to offer the Twins? Let’s look at the top eleven (Why eleven? You’ll find out.) payrolls in the majors and see if we can find the best fit.
1. Yankees - They just signed Johnny Damon for four years and $52 million, though that doesn’t necessarily rule them out. Steinbrenner could switch gears if Damon were to suffer a career ending injury, or go 0 for 4 any given night. But it’s unlikely.
2. Boston - They’re a large market, with the second highest payroll in the major leagues. Unfortunately, they also just acquired Coco Crisp, who is much younger, much cheaper, and who put up Hunteresque offensive numbers last year, with fewer strikeouts. Unless he really struggles, they aren’t a great fit. And even if he is struggling a little, it’s unlikely they would be willing to give up a top prospect like Dustin Pedroia. A player like third baseman Kevin Youkilis might be had, but he’s 27, still isn’t showing any power, and will cease to be affordable fairly soon.
3. New York Mets – Carlos Beltran is under contract through 2011. Not even Omar Minaya would sign Hunter with Beltran on his roster, right?
4. Philadelphia – They also just acquired acquired a center fielder. You might have heard about a little trade that sent Jim Thome to the White Sox and nabbed Aaron Rowand. Rowand is under contract through 2007.
5. LA Angels - Hmmmm. Now this is intriguing. The Angels have the fifth largest payroll in the majors, traditionally emphasize defense, and are stuck with the offensive sieve that is Darin Erstad, whose contract expires this year. Plus, they have a second base and a shortstop who are among the top ten prospects in baseball. If they can stay close to the Athletics, you’re going to hear lots and lots of talk about a trade for Hunter from LA sportswriters.
There are six other teams to review, including one more that is every bit the match that the Angels are. The second half of this column is continued over at TwinkieTown.com, where I’m guest writing for Jesse while he’s out of town. If you miss any of the old bloggers from TwinsTerritory.com, you’ll find most of them over at TwinkieTown, so I hope you can stop by. (And I truly mean “can” instead of “will” since I am blocked from that site from work.) I’ll see you there.
There I am, preparing for opening night of the baseball season. The last Grain Belt from the fridge is in one hand, the remote in the other, and I’m doing my pregame warm-up: watching Baseball Tonight as I take that first sip.
Followed by a pratfallish spit take. Harold Reynolds, you see, was doing a preview of players who may be moved at the trade deadline (because it’s never too early to talk trade deadline). The player he’s talking about is Torii.
I know what you’re thinking, and I don’t want to dwell on this either. It’s too early, and I think Reynolds is crazy if he thinks a Twins team that is even remotely in the race is going to trade Torii Hunter. But it’s worth noting that if the Twins are flailing as the deadline approaches, Terry Ryan is going to be asked about trading Hunter. A lot. And even if he isn’t, you can bet that other sportswriters in other cities are going to be talking about it a lot. So we might as well handle this thing head on.
There are reasons to trade Hunter. First, he is worth something in return, possibly something very good. Second, he’ll likely be leaving the Twins in the offseason regardless. Finally, moving him at the trade deadline would save the Twins approximately $5.5 million between his salary and the bonus they owe him at the end of the year. So this isn’t just crazy talk.
He’s also likely worth more to a large market team, because Hunter isn’t necessarily a free agent at the end of this season. Whichever team trades for him has a $12 million option on his contract in 2007, which isn’t so unreasonable considering Johnny Damon just received $13 million for four years from the Yankees. To a large market team who can afford that kind of contract, Hunter isn’t just a half-year rental player.
So which teams are most likely to be interested in Torii, and what would they need to offer the Twins? Let’s look at the top eleven (Why eleven? You’ll find out.) payrolls in the majors and see if we can find the best fit.
1. Yankees - They just signed Johnny Damon for four years and $52 million, though that doesn’t necessarily rule them out. Steinbrenner could switch gears if Damon were to suffer a career ending injury, or go 0 for 4 any given night. But it’s unlikely.
2. Boston - They’re a large market, with the second highest payroll in the major leagues. Unfortunately, they also just acquired Coco Crisp, who is much younger, much cheaper, and who put up Hunteresque offensive numbers last year, with fewer strikeouts. Unless he really struggles, they aren’t a great fit. And even if he is struggling a little, it’s unlikely they would be willing to give up a top prospect like Dustin Pedroia. A player like third baseman Kevin Youkilis might be had, but he’s 27, still isn’t showing any power, and will cease to be affordable fairly soon.
3. New York Mets – Carlos Beltran is under contract through 2011. Not even Omar Minaya would sign Hunter with Beltran on his roster, right?
4. Philadelphia – They also just acquired acquired a center fielder. You might have heard about a little trade that sent Jim Thome to the White Sox and nabbed Aaron Rowand. Rowand is under contract through 2007.
5. LA Angels - Hmmmm. Now this is intriguing. The Angels have the fifth largest payroll in the majors, traditionally emphasize defense, and are stuck with the offensive sieve that is Darin Erstad, whose contract expires this year. Plus, they have a second base and a shortstop who are among the top ten prospects in baseball. If they can stay close to the Athletics, you’re going to hear lots and lots of talk about a trade for Hunter from LA sportswriters.
There are six other teams to review, including one more that is every bit the match that the Angels are. The second half of this column is continued over at TwinkieTown.com, where I’m guest writing for Jesse while he’s out of town. If you miss any of the old bloggers from TwinsTerritory.com, you’ll find most of them over at TwinkieTown, so I hope you can stop by. (And I truly mean “can” instead of “will” since I am blocked from that site from work.) I’ll see you there.
The Daily Links
Home Opener Edition
by Intern Thomas
The Twins continue their brutal early schedule with the home opener against the A’s, a popular preseason pick to win it all (Take it from a fan of 2005’s trendy pick—be afraid Oakland fans, be afraid). Brad Radke opens up against Danny Haren, the key pickup for the Athletics’ in the Mark Mulder trade. So what does Haren think about the A’s this year (and how does he get his Lost fix on the road)? Well, the best place is probably Haren’s Heat written by the shaggy righthander himself.
Have you ever seen a catcher throw left handed? Think about it for a second. I’ll bet you haven’t. The reason--there hasn’t been a southpaw behind the plate since Benny Distefano put on the gear for three games in 1989 for the Pirates. John Walsh has an in depth look at why Distefano is the most experienced southpaw backstop since the early 1900s at the Hardball Times.
If you missed it on SportsCenter, it appears that Darren Daulton has decided to make a run at Tom Cruise for the title of “Craziest Guy in America”. I’ll let the article speak for itself, but it looks like Daulton is just the latest member of the 1993 Phillies to fall from grace, following in the footsteps of Lenny Dykstra (admitting to steroid use) and John Kruk (analyzing baseball).
The Twins’ Blogosphere has a distinct ‘Cisco flavor today: Francisco Liriano is the only thing keeping Brad Zeller off the ledge over at Warning Track Power, Frightwig has some photographic evidence that might get Zeller up on that ledge anyway and Andy Wink at Twins Killings reminds us that they should have a pretty good pitching staff (even though it might not look like it right now).
Finally, if the Twins continue to hit like, well, like a team that likes to start three sub .300 OBP players, and Radke is having his normal 1st inning troubles, take a deep breath, grab a Budweiser and then take a virtual tour of the new Busch Stadium. And, if you’re as impressed as I was, you can get your plane tickets here and your tickets to see the new park here.
Home Opener Edition
by Intern Thomas
The Twins continue their brutal early schedule with the home opener against the A’s, a popular preseason pick to win it all (Take it from a fan of 2005’s trendy pick—be afraid Oakland fans, be afraid). Brad Radke opens up against Danny Haren, the key pickup for the Athletics’ in the Mark Mulder trade. So what does Haren think about the A’s this year (and how does he get his Lost fix on the road)? Well, the best place is probably Haren’s Heat written by the shaggy righthander himself.
Have you ever seen a catcher throw left handed? Think about it for a second. I’ll bet you haven’t. The reason--there hasn’t been a southpaw behind the plate since Benny Distefano put on the gear for three games in 1989 for the Pirates. John Walsh has an in depth look at why Distefano is the most experienced southpaw backstop since the early 1900s at the Hardball Times.
If you missed it on SportsCenter, it appears that Darren Daulton has decided to make a run at Tom Cruise for the title of “Craziest Guy in America”. I’ll let the article speak for itself, but it looks like Daulton is just the latest member of the 1993 Phillies to fall from grace, following in the footsteps of Lenny Dykstra (admitting to steroid use) and John Kruk (analyzing baseball).
The Twins’ Blogosphere has a distinct ‘Cisco flavor today: Francisco Liriano is the only thing keeping Brad Zeller off the ledge over at Warning Track Power, Frightwig has some photographic evidence that might get Zeller up on that ledge anyway and Andy Wink at Twins Killings reminds us that they should have a pretty good pitching staff (even though it might not look like it right now).
Finally, if the Twins continue to hit like, well, like a team that likes to start three sub .300 OBP players, and Radke is having his normal 1st inning troubles, take a deep breath, grab a Budweiser and then take a virtual tour of the new Busch Stadium. And, if you’re as impressed as I was, you can get your plane tickets here and your tickets to see the new park here.
Sunday, April 09, 2006
Links of the Day
for April 10, 2006
powered by Intern Sam
for April 10, 2006
powered by Intern Sam
- Last season's Twins collapse may not have hit any local blogger harder than Brad Zellar, who was sounding downright suicidal by late August. This year, The Rake's resident diamond mind is determined to stay positive, at least until the end of April, and is even offering "modest support for Tony Batista, who does not look nearly so fat as advertised." (Apparently, BZ's been reading Anne's exclusive interviews...) Of course, this entry was written before two of the three Cleveland games were played, so come Monday morning, Zellar may be singing a different tune.
- The Strib's baseball writers think Ron Gardenhire needs to be more patient with his young players and stop sending them to Rochester or changing their position in the field every time they look a bit overmatched. By way of evidence, they point to Milwaukee Brewers manager Ned Yost as a shining example of how to bring prospects along. That Gardenhire has frequently expected guys like Jason Bartlett and Michael Cuddyer to do too much too fast is a reasonable point, of course, but (as is grudgingly acknowledged in the article) the Milwaukee comparison is probably unfair, since Yost has been under absolutely no pressure to win for the last several seasons, while the Twins have been expected to contend even as they promote from within.
- There may not have been many high points in the Twins' first week of '06, but hey, things could be worse. Just ask the Texas Rangers, who got swept by Detroit, watched their newly acquired ace get absolutely hammered twice in a row, scored exactly zero runs against a 23-year-old rookie, and demoted a starting pitcher (and his brand new knuckler that doesn't) to the minors after one appearance. The truly scary part of all this is just how much the Twins are starting to resemble the Rangers of two or three years ago - a contending team that just can't ever quite put it together, prompting endless futile attempts to patch gaping holes with mediocre pick-ups.
- When Oakland comes to the Dome on Tuesday to open up the home season, you know they'll be loaded down with the kind of situational stats and advanced analysis that frequently allow Ken Macha to seem more than a step ahead of the "gut feeling" managers that populate most major league dugouts. But according to one Bay Area writer, the elephants have a whole new method for outfoxing the competition this year: just snap up the head cases other teams can't wait to get rid of for reasons that have little to do with on-field performance, and turn 'em loose.
- In an interview with MLB.com last week, Marlins president David Samson all but made it official that Jeffrey Loria's team will be getting the hell out of South Florida the moment alternate accomodations become available. Over at the Hardball Times, John Brattain breaks down Samson's reasoning (which Twins fans will find awfully familiar,) and finds it, well, unreasonable.
- Nearly lost amidst all the things the Twins did wrong this week was the impressive work turned in by über-rookie Francisco Liriano and middle reliever Willie Eyre. It remains to be seen whether Eyre's cutter (which looked solid in his first two appearances) will continue to fool major league hitters, but for a guy who almost didn't make the club out of spring training, Willie had a good week.
Welcome to GameDay!
The goal has always been the same - to live in a baseball town. The kind of town where there's information about the Rule V draftee in the paper. Or where people talk about the New Britain speedster at the local bar. Or where people debate if Torii should be batting fifth within the first five minutes of meeting someone. That's the definition of a baseball town, and that's where I want to live.
Since the beginning of TwinsGeek, there's been another group in town that shared that passion, but worked through a different medium. Many of you have read my glowing words about GameDay, the independent program that is sold outside Twins games. About a month ago, they asked me to join them as editor, writer and internet guy, and I agreed.
I cannot tell you how excited I am about joining forces with the GameDay guys. Gameday sells 30,000 programs per year and reaches casual Twins fans that this site and other blogs don't. The monthy issues will be packed like a Christmas stocking. For instance, this month's issue includes:
There was enough great stuff that I couldn't find room for my own stories in the issue, so you'll have to settle for my work in the Dugout Splinters (which will change with every home series).
TwinsGeek.com also reaches people that GameDay can't, so there are all kinds of plans for the web site, including somehow allowing people who can't make it to Twins games to download GameDay issues. We want this site to provide the baseball fans of Minnesota a reason to continue to explore that passion and share it with others. You can now reach this site either as TwinsGeek.com or MNGameDay.com, and I hope to be sharing lots of new features with you in the upcoming months. (BTW, if there's any functionality you would like to see on the site, please let me know in the comments below).
I know we're licking our wounds a bit after a disappointing start of the season. But as I wrote in the editorial below (which will also be in April's issue), this really is a great time to be a baseball fan in Minnesota. I hope you'll join me both here and at the ballgames to celebrate an emerging baseball town.
Maybe it’s the intoxicating southerly breeze of spring talking, but it sure seems like this a great time to be a baseball fan in Minnesota. The local nine just completed their fourth straight winning season. A hometown boy leads them. The farm system keeps churning out talent. (And yes, I’m frantically knocking on wood right now.) When this decade began, would you have dreamed that the Twins would be having this kind of success?
The revelry isn’t contained to the hometown team. It’s never been easier to connect with baseball fans in this football-dominated town. The internet is ripe with daily entries from Twins web bloggers from the statistical to the fanciful. Members of the local chapter for the Society for American Baseball Research are unearthing all kinds of great stuff about the history of baseball in Minnesota. The new outdoor ballpark is under construc – uh, hold it. Strike that for now. I guess we still have something to look forward to.
Oh, let’s not forget this neat little independent program that has been your constant companion as you attend games in our Teflon paradise. The one that won’t give you glossy pages with glossier stories. The philosophy of GameDay is the same in its fifth season as it was in its first:
1. Baseball is a beautiful game.
2. The more you learn and share about it, the more beautiful it is.
3. Baseball writing should reflect that.
Our content will also be the same it’s always been – objective, insightful and fun. But in the interest of sharing more, we’re no longer content visiting with you when you can come to games, or limiting our reach to the 30,000 fans that bought programs last year.
That’s why you can also stop by www.MNGameDay.com for your daily fix of all things baseball. Tomorrow’s entry might contain a roadmap to the web’s best Twins entries, or a preview of a Daily Splinter, or just a smarty-pants analysis of the latest Twins transaction. Every day will be a surprise, kinda like Ron Gardenhire’s lineup cards last year.
It’s been a tough off-season, starting with failed expectations and ending with a senseless death. The latter reminded us how much joy can be felt in watching someone do something they love. Well, there are a lot of people who love writing about baseball, and it’s your turn to feel their joy. You can start here, today, in this issue. And you can continue your journey tomorrow, whether or not you can make it to the ballpark
The goal has always been the same - to live in a baseball town. The kind of town where there's information about the Rule V draftee in the paper. Or where people talk about the New Britain speedster at the local bar. Or where people debate if Torii should be batting fifth within the first five minutes of meeting someone. That's the definition of a baseball town, and that's where I want to live.
Since the beginning of TwinsGeek, there's been another group in town that shared that passion, but worked through a different medium. Many of you have read my glowing words about GameDay, the independent program that is sold outside Twins games. About a month ago, they asked me to join them as editor, writer and internet guy, and I agreed.
I cannot tell you how excited I am about joining forces with the GameDay guys. Gameday sells 30,000 programs per year and reaches casual Twins fans that this site and other blogs don't. The monthy issues will be packed like a Christmas stocking. For instance, this month's issue includes:
- 34 About 34, an article about Kirby by Will Young
- Twins Pitchers Have It Under Control by the Twins Killings.
- A review of the life and death of Lyman Bostock by Jim Thielman, author of Cool of the Evening
- Trivia from Baseball in Minnesota: The Definitive History by Stew Thornley
- The Stadium Game - a gameboard that illustrates the path the stadium bill must take - by Shane Nackerud
- No. 1 in Your Program, an analysis of why Castillo should be batting leadoff by Kyle Eliason
- A preview of the 2006 Draft by Roger Dehring (who posts at Seth Speaks and TwinkieTown).
- A fantastic cover photo of Kirby from the the Baseball Hall of Fame collection.
There was enough great stuff that I couldn't find room for my own stories in the issue, so you'll have to settle for my work in the Dugout Splinters (which will change with every home series).
TwinsGeek.com also reaches people that GameDay can't, so there are all kinds of plans for the web site, including somehow allowing people who can't make it to Twins games to download GameDay issues. We want this site to provide the baseball fans of Minnesota a reason to continue to explore that passion and share it with others. You can now reach this site either as TwinsGeek.com or MNGameDay.com, and I hope to be sharing lots of new features with you in the upcoming months. (BTW, if there's any functionality you would like to see on the site, please let me know in the comments below).
I know we're licking our wounds a bit after a disappointing start of the season. But as I wrote in the editorial below (which will also be in April's issue), this really is a great time to be a baseball fan in Minnesota. I hope you'll join me both here and at the ballgames to celebrate an emerging baseball town.
Maybe it’s the intoxicating southerly breeze of spring talking, but it sure seems like this a great time to be a baseball fan in Minnesota. The local nine just completed their fourth straight winning season. A hometown boy leads them. The farm system keeps churning out talent. (And yes, I’m frantically knocking on wood right now.) When this decade began, would you have dreamed that the Twins would be having this kind of success?
The revelry isn’t contained to the hometown team. It’s never been easier to connect with baseball fans in this football-dominated town. The internet is ripe with daily entries from Twins web bloggers from the statistical to the fanciful. Members of the local chapter for the Society for American Baseball Research are unearthing all kinds of great stuff about the history of baseball in Minnesota. The new outdoor ballpark is under construc – uh, hold it. Strike that for now. I guess we still have something to look forward to.
Oh, let’s not forget this neat little independent program that has been your constant companion as you attend games in our Teflon paradise. The one that won’t give you glossy pages with glossier stories. The philosophy of GameDay is the same in its fifth season as it was in its first:
1. Baseball is a beautiful game.
2. The more you learn and share about it, the more beautiful it is.
3. Baseball writing should reflect that.
Our content will also be the same it’s always been – objective, insightful and fun. But in the interest of sharing more, we’re no longer content visiting with you when you can come to games, or limiting our reach to the 30,000 fans that bought programs last year.
That’s why you can also stop by www.MNGameDay.com for your daily fix of all things baseball. Tomorrow’s entry might contain a roadmap to the web’s best Twins entries, or a preview of a Daily Splinter, or just a smarty-pants analysis of the latest Twins transaction. Every day will be a surprise, kinda like Ron Gardenhire’s lineup cards last year.
It’s been a tough off-season, starting with failed expectations and ending with a senseless death. The latter reminded us how much joy can be felt in watching someone do something they love. Well, there are a lot of people who love writing about baseball, and it’s your turn to feel their joy. You can start here, today, in this issue. And you can continue your journey tomorrow, whether or not you can make it to the ballpark
Thursday, April 06, 2006
It's late, and I didn't get to see the game because I spent the night at the Mill City Museum, which is absolutely wonderful, especially for kids. Oh my gawd, is it worth the time (and the rather expensive ticket). Fortunately, some readers are doing the heavy lifting.
One of the unfortunate side-effects of writing every night is that I'm not spending time reading every night, which means I miss some awfully good stuff on the 'net. That's one reason why, a couple days ago, I asked for some volunteer interns to help with the site, and some very kind people responded. The first challenge I gave them was to give me 2-3 links that Twins Geek readers would like, and their original commentary about them. I got four very good entries, and it occurs to me that surfing around on these might make for a nice Friday afternoon. Here they are:
Jimmy's Picks
Counting Pennies: That's what it must feel like to George Steinbrenner, who once again won the prize for most exorbitant payroll in MLB with $194.6M, actually down $13.7M from last year's excesses. The Twins clocked in with a modest $63.4M, good for 19th highest and an increase of $7.2M from last year. Note the quick arc into the payroll stratosphere for Carl Pohlad and Terry Ryan, a stark difference from 5 years ago. Ah, what winning will do.
Three Twins cracked the list of the top 88 player salaries: Torii Hunter ($10.75M), Brad Radke ($9.0M) and Johan Santana ($8.75M). It's a good sign that defense and pitching still earn their keep, unlike the Evil Empire Yankees who throw dough around like a Bronx pizza pie maker. A whopping 9 Yanks, most old enough to run for President, make more than Hunter, including the top 3 salaries in baseball. Here's another cool link regarding payrolls, contracts and the mugshots of those who broker them.
Razzing the Opposition: It's anyone's guess how long the "honeymoon" lasts for the Blue Jays' double-play duo, so get your ribbing while the ribbing is good. In retaliation to a prank executed by SS Russ Adams and 2B Aaron Hill, ace pitchers Roy Halladay and A.J. Burnett exacted revenge on their teammates. I guess "turning deux" assumes a whole new level of meaning in Toronto, not that there's anything wrong with that.
Looking ahead to the Cleveland series, the Indians trot their new acquiree Paul Byrd to the mound to duel the Twins spring sensation, Kyle Lohse. In an odd twist of fate, this becomes Byrd's first start for the team that originally drafted him in 1991. Fret not Twins fans as this Byrd is a rare breed, rivaling the dodo in ugliness and adept at flying the coop once his feathery arm begins to molt. Case in point, after shocking the world with 17 wins for the Royals in 2002, he was ushered out for introducing this unconventional release. All kidding aside, it's never a good thing when you're joining your 7th team in 12 big league seasons.
Sam's Picks
1. Jim Souhan jumps in the wayback machine to tell us that Santana's problem Tuesday night was that the Blue Jays believe he tips his pitches. In other breaking news, Souhan has revealed that Bill Clinton is rumored to have a bit of a fidelity problem, and that Mark McGwire was once spotted in the parking lot of a GNC.
2. MLB.com reports (second item in the article) that Ruben Sierra isn't going to be coming north until the front office is convinced that his strained quad is healed enough for him to play the outfield as well as hit. No one seems to know how long that will take, and in the meantime, the Twins have to figure out how they're going to clear a spot for Sierra on both the 25-man and 40-man rosters, a problem that will likely need to be solved before the right field, third base, and shortstop situations have sorted themselves out. This, of course, is #624 on the list of reasons you should be glad you're not Terry Ryan.
3. Down in the bush leagues, the identical twins who have made New Britain, Connecticut a favored stop for Twins farmhands in recent years were promoted in the offseason. Stan and Stu Cliburn (please don't ask us which is which) are in Triple-A Rochester to continue their work as manager and pitching coach of the Twins' top farm club, after seven years with the Double-A Rock Cats. The Cliburn boys have a terrific reputation as developers of young talent, so it'll be interesting to see what they can do to keep players who've already made significant strides toward major league readiness (like Jason Bartlett and J.D. Durbin) from developing why-me syndrome as they look to get back to Minneapolis.
4. A lot of Minnesota mouths were left gaping last Sunday when New York Times baseball writer Murray Chass declared the White Sox to be "last year's news" and made the Twins his favorite to win the AL Central. At the time, we thought ol' Murray was just being a good guy, and doing his part to root for the underdog. But now we know he's nuts...
Thomas' Links
- Interested in finding out more about Pat Neshek, the man Patrick Reusse thinks is the leading candidate for the Twins’ setup role if the bullpen needs a shakeup? Well, who better to ask then Pat Neshek himself ? And even if you could care less about what Reusse thinks, you should still check out his site for his explanation of the best side arm motion to come out of Brooklyn Park.
- The season may have already started, but Third Base Line has assembled a veritable League of Nations of Twins’ bloggers (Batgirl, Seth of Seth Speaks, Twins Junkie, Hannah and Frightwig) to toss it around the horn with her to help preview the season. While Frightwig’s (Blogging at 1st Base) name isn’t long enough to need a School House Rock song in order to “Get to Know ‘Em”, Seth (Blogging at Short) does actually make the same nanananana sound while typing that Guzman used to make legging out a triple.
- Andrew Berg at Minnesota Baseball Central has an in depth look at the ramifications of the Twins decision to demote Jason “Actually has an OBP” Bartlett to the minors. And no, I’m not angry about that decision at all. Not…at…all…
Bryce's Links
Bloggers bask in the nauseating high of the Twin's first victory
- No resting on laurels for Will Young, he dissects the game using themagic of an excel spreadsheet. His analysis results in a stunningconclusion- Tony Batistas was NOT the game's MVP.
- Bat-Girl reveals the source of Radke's first inning woes, turns out it's Lew's fault.
- Aaron Gleeman gives his professional analysis of the game. One of the moreprofound observations is below:
"Late in the game Blyleven made a joke about his pubic hair, which Ibelieve is a first in Twins broadcasting history. The potential for thatsort of thing is why you should never turn the game off, even in a blowout."
In order verify this claim, I googled "twins" and "pubic hair" and cameup with 1,232,458 hits. I will spend the next months deep in research.
- Over in Canadia, battersbox laments the loss of the "good guys" to the"loveable twinkies." Those Canadians, even after humilation they arestill so darned friendly. Kind of makes you want to move there, if itwasn't for the whole sucky baseball team thing. Oh, and that Queen ofEngland thing.
Thanks to the new Twins Geek interns and to everyone for stopping by today. Have a great weekend, and we'll see you on Monday for the big announcement.
John
One of the unfortunate side-effects of writing every night is that I'm not spending time reading every night, which means I miss some awfully good stuff on the 'net. That's one reason why, a couple days ago, I asked for some volunteer interns to help with the site, and some very kind people responded. The first challenge I gave them was to give me 2-3 links that Twins Geek readers would like, and their original commentary about them. I got four very good entries, and it occurs to me that surfing around on these might make for a nice Friday afternoon. Here they are:
Jimmy's Picks
Counting Pennies: That's what it must feel like to George Steinbrenner, who once again won the prize for most exorbitant payroll in MLB with $194.6M, actually down $13.7M from last year's excesses. The Twins clocked in with a modest $63.4M, good for 19th highest and an increase of $7.2M from last year. Note the quick arc into the payroll stratosphere for Carl Pohlad and Terry Ryan, a stark difference from 5 years ago. Ah, what winning will do.
Three Twins cracked the list of the top 88 player salaries: Torii Hunter ($10.75M), Brad Radke ($9.0M) and Johan Santana ($8.75M). It's a good sign that defense and pitching still earn their keep, unlike the Evil Empire Yankees who throw dough around like a Bronx pizza pie maker. A whopping 9 Yanks, most old enough to run for President, make more than Hunter, including the top 3 salaries in baseball. Here's another cool link regarding payrolls, contracts and the mugshots of those who broker them.
Razzing the Opposition: It's anyone's guess how long the "honeymoon" lasts for the Blue Jays' double-play duo, so get your ribbing while the ribbing is good. In retaliation to a prank executed by SS Russ Adams and 2B Aaron Hill, ace pitchers Roy Halladay and A.J. Burnett exacted revenge on their teammates. I guess "turning deux" assumes a whole new level of meaning in Toronto, not that there's anything wrong with that.
Looking ahead to the Cleveland series, the Indians trot their new acquiree Paul Byrd to the mound to duel the Twins spring sensation, Kyle Lohse. In an odd twist of fate, this becomes Byrd's first start for the team that originally drafted him in 1991. Fret not Twins fans as this Byrd is a rare breed, rivaling the dodo in ugliness and adept at flying the coop once his feathery arm begins to molt. Case in point, after shocking the world with 17 wins for the Royals in 2002, he was ushered out for introducing this unconventional release. All kidding aside, it's never a good thing when you're joining your 7th team in 12 big league seasons.
Sam's Picks
1. Jim Souhan jumps in the wayback machine to tell us that Santana's problem Tuesday night was that the Blue Jays believe he tips his pitches. In other breaking news, Souhan has revealed that Bill Clinton is rumored to have a bit of a fidelity problem, and that Mark McGwire was once spotted in the parking lot of a GNC.
2. MLB.com reports (second item in the article) that Ruben Sierra isn't going to be coming north until the front office is convinced that his strained quad is healed enough for him to play the outfield as well as hit. No one seems to know how long that will take, and in the meantime, the Twins have to figure out how they're going to clear a spot for Sierra on both the 25-man and 40-man rosters, a problem that will likely need to be solved before the right field, third base, and shortstop situations have sorted themselves out. This, of course, is #624 on the list of reasons you should be glad you're not Terry Ryan.
3. Down in the bush leagues, the identical twins who have made New Britain, Connecticut a favored stop for Twins farmhands in recent years were promoted in the offseason. Stan and Stu Cliburn (please don't ask us which is which) are in Triple-A Rochester to continue their work as manager and pitching coach of the Twins' top farm club, after seven years with the Double-A Rock Cats. The Cliburn boys have a terrific reputation as developers of young talent, so it'll be interesting to see what they can do to keep players who've already made significant strides toward major league readiness (like Jason Bartlett and J.D. Durbin) from developing why-me syndrome as they look to get back to Minneapolis.
4. A lot of Minnesota mouths were left gaping last Sunday when New York Times baseball writer Murray Chass declared the White Sox to be "last year's news" and made the Twins his favorite to win the AL Central. At the time, we thought ol' Murray was just being a good guy, and doing his part to root for the underdog. But now we know he's nuts...
Thomas' Links
- Interested in finding out more about Pat Neshek, the man Patrick Reusse thinks is the leading candidate for the Twins’ setup role if the bullpen needs a shakeup? Well, who better to ask then Pat Neshek himself ? And even if you could care less about what Reusse thinks, you should still check out his site for his explanation of the best side arm motion to come out of Brooklyn Park.
- The season may have already started, but Third Base Line has assembled a veritable League of Nations of Twins’ bloggers (Batgirl, Seth of Seth Speaks, Twins Junkie, Hannah and Frightwig) to toss it around the horn with her to help preview the season. While Frightwig’s (Blogging at 1st Base) name isn’t long enough to need a School House Rock song in order to “Get to Know ‘Em”, Seth (Blogging at Short) does actually make the same nanananana sound while typing that Guzman used to make legging out a triple.
- Andrew Berg at Minnesota Baseball Central has an in depth look at the ramifications of the Twins decision to demote Jason “Actually has an OBP” Bartlett to the minors. And no, I’m not angry about that decision at all. Not…at…all…
Bryce's Links
Bloggers bask in the nauseating high of the Twin's first victory
- No resting on laurels for Will Young, he dissects the game using themagic of an excel spreadsheet. His analysis results in a stunningconclusion- Tony Batistas was NOT the game's MVP.
- Bat-Girl reveals the source of Radke's first inning woes, turns out it's Lew's fault.
- Aaron Gleeman gives his professional analysis of the game. One of the moreprofound observations is below:
"Late in the game Blyleven made a joke about his pubic hair, which Ibelieve is a first in Twins broadcasting history. The potential for thatsort of thing is why you should never turn the game off, even in a blowout."
In order verify this claim, I googled "twins" and "pubic hair" and cameup with 1,232,458 hits. I will spend the next months deep in research.
- Over in Canadia, battersbox laments the loss of the "good guys" to the"loveable twinkies." Those Canadians, even after humilation they arestill so darned friendly. Kind of makes you want to move there, if itwasn't for the whole sucky baseball team thing. Oh, and that Queen ofEngland thing.
Thanks to the new Twins Geek interns and to everyone for stopping by today. Have a great weekend, and we'll see you on Monday for the big announcement.
John
Wednesday, April 05, 2006
Twins 13, Buttermaker's Bears 4
Wait - that’s the team that is supposed to challenge the Red Sox and Yankees in the AL East this year? My gawd, at the end of that fourth inning that I thought ‘CCO might change their set bumper music to the William Tell Overture. I like our chances today now that we know Samantha isn’t going to be on the mound. Let's continue in the Bad News Bear Theme with a few Quotes and Notes.
Don't jump in Engleberg, you'll flood the valley.
John Gordon and Dan Gladden could not have been more dismissive of Benji Molina’s speed last night. First they went after him for a wild pitch that he let by and didn’t chase down quickly enough. Then, in the seventh inning, Molina’s groundout sounded something like this:
Gordon: Molina with a HIGH chopper off the mound. Liriano waits for it to come down and throws it to first…..
At this point, I’m wondering if the Twins are going to get the out, because Gordon dragged out that “HIGH chopper off the mound” like only Gordon can. His next nine words tell the story…
Gordon: And Molina only got about half way to first.
Well, we committed 24 errors, and their pitcher threw a no hitter against us, but there is some good news! Two of our runners almost managed to get to first base, and we did hit seventeen foul balls!
Tony Batista swinging on 3-0? Tony Batista has the green light on 3-0?!?
Crud, does that booger eating spaz make me want to puke.
Not only is Joe Mays pitching for someone this year. Not only is Joe Mays in the starting rotation for someone this year. But Joe Mays is seemingly the #2 pitcher on the staff this year. You can guess how that went.
You can take your apology and your trophy and shove it straight up your @$$!
You know all those quotes from Bradke last year where he would make some veiled reference to the runs that weren’t being scored in games he started? In today's paper, I want to see Shannon Stewart lamenting the strain the offense is feeling from having to rally from all these early game deficits. I think I would enjoy that.
Do you want to quit Tanner?
Crud no, I wanna play ball.
I continue to be impressed with Gardenhire's timing with relievers. Bringing in Liriano in the seventh inning was exactly the right move, and two innings and three strikeouts later he has that much more confidence. I think I’m going to get very excited about the bullpen this year.
Quick Reminder: There's a day game today (late edit: My bad. The game starts at 6:00) , but you can still get your baseball fix tonight. Stew Thornley is giving an illustrated presentation about his book Baseball in Minnesota: The Definitive History at the Mill City Museum. You can get more details here. I'll see you there.
Wait - that’s the team that is supposed to challenge the Red Sox and Yankees in the AL East this year? My gawd, at the end of that fourth inning that I thought ‘CCO might change their set bumper music to the William Tell Overture. I like our chances today now that we know Samantha isn’t going to be on the mound. Let's continue in the Bad News Bear Theme with a few Quotes and Notes.
Don't jump in Engleberg, you'll flood the valley.
John Gordon and Dan Gladden could not have been more dismissive of Benji Molina’s speed last night. First they went after him for a wild pitch that he let by and didn’t chase down quickly enough. Then, in the seventh inning, Molina’s groundout sounded something like this:
Gordon: Molina with a HIGH chopper off the mound. Liriano waits for it to come down and throws it to first…..
At this point, I’m wondering if the Twins are going to get the out, because Gordon dragged out that “HIGH chopper off the mound” like only Gordon can. His next nine words tell the story…
Gordon: And Molina only got about half way to first.
Well, we committed 24 errors, and their pitcher threw a no hitter against us, but there is some good news! Two of our runners almost managed to get to first base, and we did hit seventeen foul balls!
Tony Batista swinging on 3-0? Tony Batista has the green light on 3-0?!?
Crud, does that booger eating spaz make me want to puke.
Not only is Joe Mays pitching for someone this year. Not only is Joe Mays in the starting rotation for someone this year. But Joe Mays is seemingly the #2 pitcher on the staff this year. You can guess how that went.
You can take your apology and your trophy and shove it straight up your @$$!
You know all those quotes from Bradke last year where he would make some veiled reference to the runs that weren’t being scored in games he started? In today's paper, I want to see Shannon Stewart lamenting the strain the offense is feeling from having to rally from all these early game deficits. I think I would enjoy that.
Do you want to quit Tanner?
Crud no, I wanna play ball.
I continue to be impressed with Gardenhire's timing with relievers. Bringing in Liriano in the seventh inning was exactly the right move, and two innings and three strikeouts later he has that much more confidence. I think I’m going to get very excited about the bullpen this year.
Quick Reminder: There's a day game today (late edit: My bad. The game starts at 6:00) , but you can still get your baseball fix tonight. Stew Thornley is giving an illustrated presentation about his book Baseball in Minnesota: The Definitive History at the Mill City Museum. You can get more details here. I'll see you there.
Tuesday, April 04, 2006
Opening Night
What do you do on Opening Night? Watch baseball. AND talk baseball with a gathering of 30 to 40 Twins fans, which Bat Girl was kind enough to host at the Park Tavern in St. Louis Park. The game was, well, kinda disappointing really. I mean, you don’t make us wait 186 days for a baseball game and then make us watch a loss, do you? Do you?!?
But it was great fun nonetheless, primarily because it gave us a chance to talk baseball and then to talk some more baseball. In case you missed it, here were the top nine topics.
9. Juan Rincon – You can criticize Gardenhire, and god knows I have, but he does know how to handle a bullpen*. He found exactly the right time to bring in a reliever who needs to regain some confidence after coming back from an arm injury. He got him involved early in the season. He didn’t throw him right into the fire. It was a nice move, and Rincon’s 1.1 scoreless innings were a great building block.
Incidentally, on my way home, Rick Anderson revealed something interesting about the Rincon stint. He said that while Rincon was pitching, Anderson went into the clubhouse to watch it on TV. It’s not a mystery why. Anderson wanted to get a better feel for Rincon’s location and speed. It’s not often you hear a coach admit that we have a better view on our living room sofa (or Park Tavern bar stool) than they have from the dugout.
*Unless it’s the 12th inning in Game 2 of the ALDS in Yankee Stadium. Then he chokes.
8. The Boy™ – I still think the Twins might want to investigate replacing Wayne Krivsky with The Boy™ as a lead contract negotiator. This morning The Voice of Reason™ found herself saying to a six-year-old, “No. Thin Mints are NOT breakfast food.”
Nice work, son. When you’ve reached the point where you’re pressing for a concession that Girl Scout Cookies are the start of a nutritious breakfast, you’ve already won. Eat your heart out, Scott Boras.
7. Chili Davis –I have nothing to back this up, but Rondell White is going to have a monster year. He’s so reminiscent of Chili Davis, that it’s a bit eerie. While discussing this topic, Bat Girl’s close personal friend draws a sharp breath and admits that all she needs in life is another Chili Davis. Her husband is, mercifully, not around to hear this.
6. Jesse Crain gives up the long ball, ruining a potential Twins comeback. I’ve been in denial all offseason about his lack of strikeouts last year. I don’t see any reason to stop now. So stop talking. Go away. La-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la…..
5. The Chatty Chatty Princess™ – She big timed me last night and didn’t want to come to the party. Seems she’s getting too old for this silliness. I’m blaming it on this book she’s reading about this girl that gains confidence and stuff by resolving the problems of Greek gods. Stupid self-esteem. Someone’s going to pay for that.
4. Tony Batista – First, Batista hits his first homerun as a Twin. As soon as it goes out, everyone looks at Aaron. Aaron, meanwhile, looks around in the vain hope that nobody saw it. Heh, heh. Frightwig’s table and I decide we all need to leave some choice comments on Aaron’s site tonight. Good times.
3. Jason Bartlett – He’s not on the field. He’s not in the stadium. And yet that’s all anyone wanted to talk to me about. What’s the deal with Bartlett? Why didn’t they keep Bartlett? What’s going on?
You got me, but I’m not buying the leadership thing. For weeks, I wondered if there was something going on that we can’t know about – like they don’t like the way he’s conducting himself off the field, or in the clubhouse, or something. But that just doesn’t jive with everything I’ve heard about him, and everyone tonight was equally baffled.
Then Twins Talker gave us the rumor du jour, which is that the Twins wanted him to play winter ball, but he refused, and this is their way of sending him a message. That seems petty and small, but it would make sense with the code language that Gardenhire uses when talking about demoting him.
So the answer is that I don’t know, and Twins Talker doesn’t know, and I’m not entirely sure that the Twins really know. But we sure are talking about it a lot.
2. Opening Day – I found a new reason to continue my quest to make Opening Day an official holiday – because then people give you presents. TVOR came through big time with a small $.99 packet of pistachios. They should be to Opening Day what chocolate bunnies are to Easter.
1. Johan Santana - My guess is you’re going to read a lot of quotes today about how teams are going to struggle when they face Roy Halladay. That’s true, but the Twins scored three times tonight off of Halladay and had their own Cy Young candidate on the mound. The Twins didn’t lose tonight because of their offense. They lost because Santana left a slider up against Overbay and a change-up up against Molina. They lost because Santana made mistakes.
That isn’t totally unheard of for Santana early in the season. And it doesn’t mean a thing in the larger scheme of things. But don’t assume that last year’s story line was last night’s story line. It wasn’t.
Still, a nice night, and not a bad start to a new season. It’s good to be back. It is really, really good to be back.
What do you do on Opening Night? Watch baseball. AND talk baseball with a gathering of 30 to 40 Twins fans, which Bat Girl was kind enough to host at the Park Tavern in St. Louis Park. The game was, well, kinda disappointing really. I mean, you don’t make us wait 186 days for a baseball game and then make us watch a loss, do you? Do you?!?
But it was great fun nonetheless, primarily because it gave us a chance to talk baseball and then to talk some more baseball. In case you missed it, here were the top nine topics.
9. Juan Rincon – You can criticize Gardenhire, and god knows I have, but he does know how to handle a bullpen*. He found exactly the right time to bring in a reliever who needs to regain some confidence after coming back from an arm injury. He got him involved early in the season. He didn’t throw him right into the fire. It was a nice move, and Rincon’s 1.1 scoreless innings were a great building block.
Incidentally, on my way home, Rick Anderson revealed something interesting about the Rincon stint. He said that while Rincon was pitching, Anderson went into the clubhouse to watch it on TV. It’s not a mystery why. Anderson wanted to get a better feel for Rincon’s location and speed. It’s not often you hear a coach admit that we have a better view on our living room sofa (or Park Tavern bar stool) than they have from the dugout.
*Unless it’s the 12th inning in Game 2 of the ALDS in Yankee Stadium. Then he chokes.
8. The Boy™ – I still think the Twins might want to investigate replacing Wayne Krivsky with The Boy™ as a lead contract negotiator. This morning The Voice of Reason™ found herself saying to a six-year-old, “No. Thin Mints are NOT breakfast food.”
Nice work, son. When you’ve reached the point where you’re pressing for a concession that Girl Scout Cookies are the start of a nutritious breakfast, you’ve already won. Eat your heart out, Scott Boras.
7. Chili Davis –I have nothing to back this up, but Rondell White is going to have a monster year. He’s so reminiscent of Chili Davis, that it’s a bit eerie. While discussing this topic, Bat Girl’s close personal friend draws a sharp breath and admits that all she needs in life is another Chili Davis. Her husband is, mercifully, not around to hear this.
6. Jesse Crain gives up the long ball, ruining a potential Twins comeback. I’ve been in denial all offseason about his lack of strikeouts last year. I don’t see any reason to stop now. So stop talking. Go away. La-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la…..
5. The Chatty Chatty Princess™ – She big timed me last night and didn’t want to come to the party. Seems she’s getting too old for this silliness. I’m blaming it on this book she’s reading about this girl that gains confidence and stuff by resolving the problems of Greek gods. Stupid self-esteem. Someone’s going to pay for that.
4. Tony Batista – First, Batista hits his first homerun as a Twin. As soon as it goes out, everyone looks at Aaron. Aaron, meanwhile, looks around in the vain hope that nobody saw it. Heh, heh. Frightwig’s table and I decide we all need to leave some choice comments on Aaron’s site tonight. Good times.
3. Jason Bartlett – He’s not on the field. He’s not in the stadium. And yet that’s all anyone wanted to talk to me about. What’s the deal with Bartlett? Why didn’t they keep Bartlett? What’s going on?
You got me, but I’m not buying the leadership thing. For weeks, I wondered if there was something going on that we can’t know about – like they don’t like the way he’s conducting himself off the field, or in the clubhouse, or something. But that just doesn’t jive with everything I’ve heard about him, and everyone tonight was equally baffled.
Then Twins Talker gave us the rumor du jour, which is that the Twins wanted him to play winter ball, but he refused, and this is their way of sending him a message. That seems petty and small, but it would make sense with the code language that Gardenhire uses when talking about demoting him.
So the answer is that I don’t know, and Twins Talker doesn’t know, and I’m not entirely sure that the Twins really know. But we sure are talking about it a lot.
2. Opening Day – I found a new reason to continue my quest to make Opening Day an official holiday – because then people give you presents. TVOR came through big time with a small $.99 packet of pistachios. They should be to Opening Day what chocolate bunnies are to Easter.
1. Johan Santana - My guess is you’re going to read a lot of quotes today about how teams are going to struggle when they face Roy Halladay. That’s true, but the Twins scored three times tonight off of Halladay and had their own Cy Young candidate on the mound. The Twins didn’t lose tonight because of their offense. They lost because Santana left a slider up against Overbay and a change-up up against Molina. They lost because Santana made mistakes.
That isn’t totally unheard of for Santana early in the season. And it doesn’t mean a thing in the larger scheme of things. But don’t assume that last year’s story line was last night’s story line. It wasn’t.
Still, a nice night, and not a bad start to a new season. It’s good to be back. It is really, really good to be back.
Monday, April 03, 2006
Watch Out. The Light at the End of the Tunnel Might be a Semi.
Imagine you’re new to this world, you see a car for the first time, and someone asks you what makes it go. You might start with those spinning rubber tires. A little more inspection might point you to the wheels, and quickly afterwards to the spinning axle. Eventually you might happen upon the small explosions that lead to the power thrust of the pistons, but it would likely take some time.
I think we’re struggling with the same problem explaining the White Sox. For years, we watched their offense perform unevenly, and when they started to succeed, lead-off hitter Scott Posednick was viewed as the cause. During their playoff run, the majority realized that the real cause of their success was their pitching. I wonder if the story ends there.
The White Sox front office is paying enough to make you think it is. The White Sox starting rotation this year is making $44.25 million, and there isn’t one of them that would make less if they were to declare free agency. Think about that the next time you read how deep the Twins starting rotation is.
However, all that talent is judged a bit skeptically. The popular perception is that the White Sox starting rotation overachieved last year. Certainly if you look at each of the returning starters – Mark Buehrle, Freddy Garcia, Jon Garland and Jose Contreras – they each had career years. The question is whether or not there’s a reason they all had career years. The question is whether there is something we can’t see that was firing those pistons.
I'm afraid there is. The power stroke of the White Sox combustion engine might well be pitching coach Don Cooper. Cooper was named the Sox pitching coach at the end of the Jerry Manuel era, and the White Sox pitching has never been the same. Cooper worked with Esteban Loiaza as he developed from a non-roster invitee to the runner-up in the Cy Young Award in 2003. Freddy Garcia was a talented but enigmatic malcontent in Seattle, but with Cooper he’s pitched 228 innings with a 3.87 ERA last year. Jose Contreras was a punchline with the Yankees, but under Cooper’s tutelage, he posted a 2.96 ERA over the second half of last year. There’s also Jon Garland, and the bullpen which was built and rebuilt and rebuilt again until they mowed through the league’s best in October.
So before you start believing those preseason projections that have the White Sox regressing back to the mean, understand how projections work. Projections don’t know anything about wheels or axles or engines. They don’t know anything about cars other than that they go, and cars of a certain type with certain characteristics tend to go a certain distance. I'm afraid that actual mileage may vary, especially when the car has a strong engine.
Administrivia
"Take it easy. Take it easy. It'll all happen in time. This is the job. Don't wait for it to happen. Don't even want it to happen. Just wait - and see what does happen."
I've had some folks ask me about the "big announcement" that I promised a few weeks back. It will be on Monday, the 10th, just in time for the Twins opener. And yes, the timing is significant.
Who is the gopher's ally? His friend?
I'm toying with a new idea for this site, and I think I'm going to open the door to a little crowd participation.
I want an intern. Not an intern in the Clintonesque sense - The Voice of Reason would likely object, and so would roughly 108% of all possible interns. But someone to help out with some posting of links and such on the site. Qualifications include:
1. You have to visit Twins blogs, stories and forums on the 'net at least semi-obsessively.
2. You need a sense of humor.
3. You need to not suck as a writer.
4. You can spend at an hour or so a couple (week)nights per week working on the site.
If you're interested, send me an email using the link in the upper right hand corner and tell me why you should get the job. I'll go through the applications, come up with some sort of contest, and we'll see what we get.
Props
Congratulations Anne. Believe it or not, you deserve every bit of attention that comes your way.
Imagine you’re new to this world, you see a car for the first time, and someone asks you what makes it go. You might start with those spinning rubber tires. A little more inspection might point you to the wheels, and quickly afterwards to the spinning axle. Eventually you might happen upon the small explosions that lead to the power thrust of the pistons, but it would likely take some time.
I think we’re struggling with the same problem explaining the White Sox. For years, we watched their offense perform unevenly, and when they started to succeed, lead-off hitter Scott Posednick was viewed as the cause. During their playoff run, the majority realized that the real cause of their success was their pitching. I wonder if the story ends there.
The White Sox front office is paying enough to make you think it is. The White Sox starting rotation this year is making $44.25 million, and there isn’t one of them that would make less if they were to declare free agency. Think about that the next time you read how deep the Twins starting rotation is.
However, all that talent is judged a bit skeptically. The popular perception is that the White Sox starting rotation overachieved last year. Certainly if you look at each of the returning starters – Mark Buehrle, Freddy Garcia, Jon Garland and Jose Contreras – they each had career years. The question is whether or not there’s a reason they all had career years. The question is whether there is something we can’t see that was firing those pistons.
I'm afraid there is. The power stroke of the White Sox combustion engine might well be pitching coach Don Cooper. Cooper was named the Sox pitching coach at the end of the Jerry Manuel era, and the White Sox pitching has never been the same. Cooper worked with Esteban Loiaza as he developed from a non-roster invitee to the runner-up in the Cy Young Award in 2003. Freddy Garcia was a talented but enigmatic malcontent in Seattle, but with Cooper he’s pitched 228 innings with a 3.87 ERA last year. Jose Contreras was a punchline with the Yankees, but under Cooper’s tutelage, he posted a 2.96 ERA over the second half of last year. There’s also Jon Garland, and the bullpen which was built and rebuilt and rebuilt again until they mowed through the league’s best in October.
So before you start believing those preseason projections that have the White Sox regressing back to the mean, understand how projections work. Projections don’t know anything about wheels or axles or engines. They don’t know anything about cars other than that they go, and cars of a certain type with certain characteristics tend to go a certain distance. I'm afraid that actual mileage may vary, especially when the car has a strong engine.
Administrivia
"Take it easy. Take it easy. It'll all happen in time. This is the job. Don't wait for it to happen. Don't even want it to happen. Just wait - and see what does happen."
I've had some folks ask me about the "big announcement" that I promised a few weeks back. It will be on Monday, the 10th, just in time for the Twins opener. And yes, the timing is significant.
Who is the gopher's ally? His friend?
I'm toying with a new idea for this site, and I think I'm going to open the door to a little crowd participation.
I want an intern. Not an intern in the Clintonesque sense - The Voice of Reason would likely object, and so would roughly 108% of all possible interns. But someone to help out with some posting of links and such on the site. Qualifications include:
1. You have to visit Twins blogs, stories and forums on the 'net at least semi-obsessively.
2. You need a sense of humor.
3. You need to not suck as a writer.
4. You can spend at an hour or so a couple (week)nights per week working on the site.
If you're interested, send me an email using the link in the upper right hand corner and tell me why you should get the job. I'll go through the applications, come up with some sort of contest, and we'll see what we get.
Props
Congratulations Anne. Believe it or not, you deserve every bit of attention that comes your way.
Sunday, April 02, 2006
Back Where It Belongs?
All this energy calling me
Back where it comes from
It’s such a crude attitude
It’s back where it belongs
All this energy calling me
Back where it comes from
It’s such a crude attitude
It’s back where it belongs
- Cleveland Rocks
The White Sox weren’t the only AL Central team who has been waiting an interminable time for a Major League Baseball championship. Fifty-seven years have passed since Cleveland fans have had a World Series trophy back where it belongs. The last dynasty won six division championships and two AL pennants, but went O-fer in the World Series. More frustrating is that the new dynasty being built by General Manager Mark Shapiro is struggling the same way previous GM John Hart's did.
In the 90s, the Indians were literally a murderers row of offense, but lacked the key arms necessary to put them over the top. They never made the deal they needed for a #1 starter, despite aces like Curt Schilling and Randy Johnson being available. Meanwhile, their bullpen, while good in stretches, never showed the dependability that Tribe fans sought.
A decade later, history is repeating itself. Stacked with young offensive talent, Shapiro has sought to upgrade his pitching and failed. This year, the starting rotation certainly didn’t improve, and may have slid backwards. The bullpen, while it has plenty of solid arms, is anchored again by soft-throwing, 37-year-old Bob Wickman. He’s old enough that his first year as a closer was during the last Tribe dynasty.
The rotation is anchored by last night’s starter C.C. Sabathia, who was taken out of the game for what looks like a pulled stomach muscle. (The only surprise is that he found any muscle to pull there.) It isn’t hyperbole to say that there isn’t a team that would be hurt more by an injury to a starting pitcher than the Indians would be hurt by an injury to Sabathia. He’s their ace, he eats innings and he’s left-handed kryptonite to their division rivals. Plus, they haven’t acquired the arms they need around him.
Obtaining front line starting pitching can be difficult, but the same can’t be said for some of the offensive positions that have been left unaddressed. Last night Cleveland’s #2 hitter was Jason Michaels, a 29-year-old 4th outfielder that they obtained from the Phillies. He was starting in one corner outfield spot while the other was manned by Casey Blake, a 32-year-old who was best described as a “career minor leaguer” as recently as 2002. Blake was inadequate as a corner outfielder last year. Rather than replace him, they duplicated him.
The tragedy about Michaels and Blake starting in this lineup is that Cleveland is so strong offensively at defensive positions. Victor Martinez (C), Jhonny Peralta (SS) and Grady Sizemore (CF) are young, cheap and all-star caliber players. Two of the easiest positions to upgrade offensively and cheaply are the corner outfield spots, but Shapiro, for whatever reason, hasn’t made a move.
An outsider can only be so critical about non-moves, because sometimes there are not moves to be made. But two wide-open free agent seasons have passed, and the Indians have again been unable to find the last pieces of the championship puzzle. That may well have cost them a championship in the 90s, and a playoff spot last year. Another quiet offseason, combined with an injury to their most indispensable player last night, may mean another season wondering what could have been.
So find a place
Grab a spaceThe White Sox weren’t the only AL Central team who has been waiting an interminable time for a Major League Baseball championship. Fifty-seven years have passed since Cleveland fans have had a World Series trophy back where it belongs. The last dynasty won six division championships and two AL pennants, but went O-fer in the World Series. More frustrating is that the new dynasty being built by General Manager Mark Shapiro is struggling the same way previous GM John Hart's did.
In the 90s, the Indians were literally a murderers row of offense, but lacked the key arms necessary to put them over the top. They never made the deal they needed for a #1 starter, despite aces like Curt Schilling and Randy Johnson being available. Meanwhile, their bullpen, while good in stretches, never showed the dependability that Tribe fans sought.
A decade later, history is repeating itself. Stacked with young offensive talent, Shapiro has sought to upgrade his pitching and failed. This year, the starting rotation certainly didn’t improve, and may have slid backwards. The bullpen, while it has plenty of solid arms, is anchored again by soft-throwing, 37-year-old Bob Wickman. He’s old enough that his first year as a closer was during the last Tribe dynasty.
The rotation is anchored by last night’s starter C.C. Sabathia, who was taken out of the game for what looks like a pulled stomach muscle. (The only surprise is that he found any muscle to pull there.) It isn’t hyperbole to say that there isn’t a team that would be hurt more by an injury to a starting pitcher than the Indians would be hurt by an injury to Sabathia. He’s their ace, he eats innings and he’s left-handed kryptonite to their division rivals. Plus, they haven’t acquired the arms they need around him.
Obtaining front line starting pitching can be difficult, but the same can’t be said for some of the offensive positions that have been left unaddressed. Last night Cleveland’s #2 hitter was Jason Michaels, a 29-year-old 4th outfielder that they obtained from the Phillies. He was starting in one corner outfield spot while the other was manned by Casey Blake, a 32-year-old who was best described as a “career minor leaguer” as recently as 2002. Blake was inadequate as a corner outfielder last year. Rather than replace him, they duplicated him.
The tragedy about Michaels and Blake starting in this lineup is that Cleveland is so strong offensively at defensive positions. Victor Martinez (C), Jhonny Peralta (SS) and Grady Sizemore (CF) are young, cheap and all-star caliber players. Two of the easiest positions to upgrade offensively and cheaply are the corner outfield spots, but Shapiro, for whatever reason, hasn’t made a move.
An outsider can only be so critical about non-moves, because sometimes there are not moves to be made. But two wide-open free agent seasons have passed, and the Indians have again been unable to find the last pieces of the championship puzzle. That may well have cost them a championship in the 90s, and a playoff spot last year. Another quiet offseason, combined with an injury to their most indispensable player last night, may mean another season wondering what could have been.
So find a place
And yell and scream for more...
Twins Takes
It doesn't make up for leaving Jason Bartlett off the 25 man roster, but Ron Gardenhire should get some credit for bringing Jason Kubel (way) north to Toronto. Kubel showed everything he needed to show in spring training, but his injury gave the Twins had the excuse they needed to send him to Rochester. Bringing him instead of a a designated left-handed pinch hitter took some courage.
It will take more courage to play him regularly. They'll get their chance tomorrow night as they face hard-throwing right-hander Roy Halladay. That's exactly the kind of pitcher that Michael Cuddyer should be resting against, and exactly the kind that Kubel needs to face. It will be interesting to see if Gardnhire is willing to bench his starting right fielder for the better matchup on opening night.
And more courage will be necessary if Kubel thrives, and earns more playing time. And yet more will be necessary if Cuddyer also thrives and Batista struggles. The inclusion of Kubel on this roster was the right thing to do, but raises all kinds of possible headaches for the manager. It'll be fun to watch Kubel, and equally fun to see how Gardenhire handles all this.
Saturday, April 01, 2006
Leadership
It’s been a puzzle. Jason Bartlett received the lion’s share of games at shortstop at the end of last year. Terry Ryan said he wasn’t targeting shortstops during the offseason, because the Twins had Bartlett. And starting spring training, it was clear that the shortstop job was Bartlett’s to lose.
That changed several weeks ago. About the time that Juan Castro returned (injured) from the World Baseball Classic, manager Ron Gardenhire started dwelling on Bartlett’s miscues. And talking up Castro’s experience. Last week, just as Bartlett seemed to have the job won, a hamstring injury opened the door for more playing time for Castro. Yesterday, Jason Bartlett was assigned to Rochester, and Juan Castro was named the starting shortstop for Opening Day.
Does this decision significantly hurt the Twins? Probably not. Castro’s .230 career average and 610 career OPS* will likely cause Twins fans to plea for divine intervention, but Bartlett’s career average of .233 with a 630 OPS is hardly messianic. And while Bartlett has the intoxicating new prospect smell about him, don’t forget to check that odometer. He’s 26 years old, just a few months younger than Michael Cuddyer, who is hardly thought of as “young”.
It’s also encouraging that Twins management didn’t rely on the same excuse they’ve used in the past to keep Bartlett on the farm: his defense. We saw Bartlett’s defense at the end of last year, and while he might not be as fluid as Castro, his glove reaches an extra 8-10 feet across that artificial grass, especially up the middle. This spring, he only made two errors, while Castro made one error in five games.
Instead, there’s a new reason – Bartlett’s “leadership”. From the Star-Tribune:
“He’s a quiet kid,” Gardenhire said, “But in the middle you have to be vocal. You have to lead, and that’s what I told him you need to do. ‘You go down there and take control of the infield. You be the leader. Once you start getting that part of the game down, you’ll be more confident all the way around.’”
Gardenhire wants his shortstop to learn to be a leader. He wants the 26-year-old rookie, who has less than a year of major league experience, to learn to lead the nine-year veteran and two-time all-star that is playing on his right. And the new 10-year veteran and three-time all-star that is playing on his left. And Gardenhire wants him to learn how to do that in AAA. One might wonder exactly how long that will take.
One might also wonder whose leadership example the kid is supposed to emulate. Gardenhire just handed a job to a guy who performed poorly last season, batted .214 this spring, and missed about 80% of camp. He just demoted a guy who batted .382 (with an on-base percentage of .500!) and committed just two errors this spring and hastily worked his way back from injury. And he justified it with the most nebulous of reasons.
Add all that to the fact that Gardenhire specifically asked Terry Ryan to acquire Juan Castro a year-and-a-half ago, and it isn’t going to take a lot of imagination for the clubhouse to wonder if Gardenhire isn’t playing favorites. Given the rifts we saw last year between the veterans and younger players on this club, that’s hardly a message this team needs as a new season begins.
But it’s better than some of the other messages that this move whispers, such as “I don’t trust you guys”. Or “Performance doesn’t really matter.” If this is what qualifies as leadership on this team, Gardenhire might have done us all a favor by sending Bartlett someplace else – anyplace else - to develop those skills.
It’s been a puzzle. Jason Bartlett received the lion’s share of games at shortstop at the end of last year. Terry Ryan said he wasn’t targeting shortstops during the offseason, because the Twins had Bartlett. And starting spring training, it was clear that the shortstop job was Bartlett’s to lose.
That changed several weeks ago. About the time that Juan Castro returned (injured) from the World Baseball Classic, manager Ron Gardenhire started dwelling on Bartlett’s miscues. And talking up Castro’s experience. Last week, just as Bartlett seemed to have the job won, a hamstring injury opened the door for more playing time for Castro. Yesterday, Jason Bartlett was assigned to Rochester, and Juan Castro was named the starting shortstop for Opening Day.
Does this decision significantly hurt the Twins? Probably not. Castro’s .230 career average and 610 career OPS* will likely cause Twins fans to plea for divine intervention, but Bartlett’s career average of .233 with a 630 OPS is hardly messianic. And while Bartlett has the intoxicating new prospect smell about him, don’t forget to check that odometer. He’s 26 years old, just a few months younger than Michael Cuddyer, who is hardly thought of as “young”.
It’s also encouraging that Twins management didn’t rely on the same excuse they’ve used in the past to keep Bartlett on the farm: his defense. We saw Bartlett’s defense at the end of last year, and while he might not be as fluid as Castro, his glove reaches an extra 8-10 feet across that artificial grass, especially up the middle. This spring, he only made two errors, while Castro made one error in five games.
Instead, there’s a new reason – Bartlett’s “leadership”. From the Star-Tribune:
“He’s a quiet kid,” Gardenhire said, “But in the middle you have to be vocal. You have to lead, and that’s what I told him you need to do. ‘You go down there and take control of the infield. You be the leader. Once you start getting that part of the game down, you’ll be more confident all the way around.’”
Gardenhire wants his shortstop to learn to be a leader. He wants the 26-year-old rookie, who has less than a year of major league experience, to learn to lead the nine-year veteran and two-time all-star that is playing on his right. And the new 10-year veteran and three-time all-star that is playing on his left. And Gardenhire wants him to learn how to do that in AAA. One might wonder exactly how long that will take.
One might also wonder whose leadership example the kid is supposed to emulate. Gardenhire just handed a job to a guy who performed poorly last season, batted .214 this spring, and missed about 80% of camp. He just demoted a guy who batted .382 (with an on-base percentage of .500!) and committed just two errors this spring and hastily worked his way back from injury. And he justified it with the most nebulous of reasons.
Add all that to the fact that Gardenhire specifically asked Terry Ryan to acquire Juan Castro a year-and-a-half ago, and it isn’t going to take a lot of imagination for the clubhouse to wonder if Gardenhire isn’t playing favorites. Given the rifts we saw last year between the veterans and younger players on this club, that’s hardly a message this team needs as a new season begins.
But it’s better than some of the other messages that this move whispers, such as “I don’t trust you guys”. Or “Performance doesn’t really matter.” If this is what qualifies as leadership on this team, Gardenhire might have done us all a favor by sending Bartlett someplace else – anyplace else - to develop those skills.
Sunday, March 26, 2006
Option K
The Twins A, B, and C options in the bullpen haven’t exactly panned out this spring, so yesterday Ron Gardenhire announced that they’re skipping straight to option K.
There is only one pitcher in the Twins farm system who deserves the letter that denotes a strikeout, and that’s Francisco Liriano. Last year he struck out 33 batters in the 23.2 innings as a September call-up. And 112 batters in 91 innings in Rochester before that. And 92 batters in 76.2 innings in New Britain before that. For the mathematically challenged, that’s 237 strikeouts, which nearly matches the 238 strikeouts that Johan Santana rang up.
Oh, and Liriano’s just 22 years old.
So there isn’t a lot of point debating whether Option K belongs in The Show. He would be starting for at least 80% of the other teams in the major leagues, though it appears he won’t have that role for the Twins, given the depth of their starting rotation. Previously, it was thought that if he wasn’t starting in the majors, he would be starting in Rochester. That changed yesterday.
It changed because some of the Twins other options haven’t panned out. Faced with two open spots in the bullpen, they watched Gabe White retire, and they released Darrel May on Saturday. That essentially leaves minor leaguer Willie Eyre and southpaw Dennys Reyes, and there are plenty of questions about both. With Gardenhire’s announcement, it appears the Twins will move either Liriano or Scott Baker to fill one of those spots. It will probably be Liriano, in part because he’s left-handed, and in part because Baker earned that rotation spot last year and is viewed as more mature.
Some will get worked up about this decision one way or the other. Certainly, of the three options, having Liriano in the bullpen is probably the worst possible choice. Most appealing is Door 1, where they have him starting in the majors, developing into the overpowering talent they’ll need to win the division, or win in the playoffs. Door 2 is also a better option, where they send him back to Rochester, which keeps him working everyday while they delay his service time (and his price tag).
But the nice thing about this game show is that all of the prize packages are pretty damn nice. Door 3 gives the Twins a dominating arm the bullpen could use, and might need given the uncertainty about Juan Rincon’s health. It also gives Liriano the chance to show he belongs at this level, and to work everyday with pitching coach Rick Anderson.
But mostly, it gives Twins fans the chance to see one hell of a talented kid. It gives us, on any given night, the opportunity to watch the bullpen and see if the Twins will go with Option K.
The Twins A, B, and C options in the bullpen haven’t exactly panned out this spring, so yesterday Ron Gardenhire announced that they’re skipping straight to option K.
There is only one pitcher in the Twins farm system who deserves the letter that denotes a strikeout, and that’s Francisco Liriano. Last year he struck out 33 batters in the 23.2 innings as a September call-up. And 112 batters in 91 innings in Rochester before that. And 92 batters in 76.2 innings in New Britain before that. For the mathematically challenged, that’s 237 strikeouts, which nearly matches the 238 strikeouts that Johan Santana rang up.
Oh, and Liriano’s just 22 years old.
So there isn’t a lot of point debating whether Option K belongs in The Show. He would be starting for at least 80% of the other teams in the major leagues, though it appears he won’t have that role for the Twins, given the depth of their starting rotation. Previously, it was thought that if he wasn’t starting in the majors, he would be starting in Rochester. That changed yesterday.
It changed because some of the Twins other options haven’t panned out. Faced with two open spots in the bullpen, they watched Gabe White retire, and they released Darrel May on Saturday. That essentially leaves minor leaguer Willie Eyre and southpaw Dennys Reyes, and there are plenty of questions about both. With Gardenhire’s announcement, it appears the Twins will move either Liriano or Scott Baker to fill one of those spots. It will probably be Liriano, in part because he’s left-handed, and in part because Baker earned that rotation spot last year and is viewed as more mature.
Some will get worked up about this decision one way or the other. Certainly, of the three options, having Liriano in the bullpen is probably the worst possible choice. Most appealing is Door 1, where they have him starting in the majors, developing into the overpowering talent they’ll need to win the division, or win in the playoffs. Door 2 is also a better option, where they send him back to Rochester, which keeps him working everyday while they delay his service time (and his price tag).
But the nice thing about this game show is that all of the prize packages are pretty damn nice. Door 3 gives the Twins a dominating arm the bullpen could use, and might need given the uncertainty about Juan Rincon’s health. It also gives Liriano the chance to show he belongs at this level, and to work everyday with pitching coach Rick Anderson.
But mostly, it gives Twins fans the chance to see one hell of a talented kid. It gives us, on any given night, the opportunity to watch the bullpen and see if the Twins will go with Option K.
Monday, March 20, 2006
You're Gonna Like This
Got an invitation the other day that I thought I want to pass along. I think it's safe to say that you want to mark 7:00 on April 6th on your calendar.
Prepare for the opening of the baseball season with a look back at classic moments in Minnesota baseball history. Mill City Museum's monthly program series, "First Thursdays," continues with an illustrated presentation and book signing by Stew Thornley, author of the brand new book, Baseball in Minnesota: The Definitive History, from the Minnesota Historical Society Press. Visitors can also meet members of the St. Croix vintage baseball team in period clothing who will show off their equipment, explain how the vintage game differs from modern baseball, and highlight their upcoming season. Copies of the book Baseball in Minnesota: The Definitive History will be available for sale in the museum store.
Dates: April 6, 2006
Time: Thursday, 7 p.m.
Fee: $8 for adults, $6 for seniors and college students, $4 for children ages 6-17, free for children age 5 and under and MHS members.
This qualifies under the heading of "Books you're REALLY glad have been written", especially when it's written buy a guy who is as knowledgable as Thornley. This book doesn't just talk about the Twins, or the Minneapolis Millers. It covers the Virginia Orediggers from 1913, and that's 56 years after the first team it mentions. Am I mutant for liking to learn a little about the town teams that played as far back in 1857? Maybe, but Thornley makes it awfully easy to be a mutant. This isn't a text book.
Anyway, I'll likely be at the event, and I'll definitely be getting this book. You can find out more about the book here, and more about the Mill City Museum (in downtown Minneapolis) here. See ya there.
Got an invitation the other day that I thought I want to pass along. I think it's safe to say that you want to mark 7:00 on April 6th on your calendar.
Prepare for the opening of the baseball season with a look back at classic moments in Minnesota baseball history. Mill City Museum's monthly program series, "First Thursdays," continues with an illustrated presentation and book signing by Stew Thornley, author of the brand new book, Baseball in Minnesota: The Definitive History, from the Minnesota Historical Society Press. Visitors can also meet members of the St. Croix vintage baseball team in period clothing who will show off their equipment, explain how the vintage game differs from modern baseball, and highlight their upcoming season. Copies of the book Baseball in Minnesota: The Definitive History will be available for sale in the museum store.
Dates: April 6, 2006
Time: Thursday, 7 p.m.
Fee: $8 for adults, $6 for seniors and college students, $4 for children ages 6-17, free for children age 5 and under and MHS members.
This qualifies under the heading of "Books you're REALLY glad have been written", especially when it's written buy a guy who is as knowledgable as Thornley. This book doesn't just talk about the Twins, or the Minneapolis Millers. It covers the Virginia Orediggers from 1913, and that's 56 years after the first team it mentions. Am I mutant for liking to learn a little about the town teams that played as far back in 1857? Maybe, but Thornley makes it awfully easy to be a mutant. This isn't a text book.
Anyway, I'll likely be at the event, and I'll definitely be getting this book. You can find out more about the book here, and more about the Mill City Museum (in downtown Minneapolis) here. See ya there.
Sunday, March 19, 2006
Manager-Speak
That second base hit [Jason Kubel] got with a man on third, I said right away, ‘This young man is going to really, really make it interesting as we go along in spring.’ He's swinging pretty good, and he's moving good in the outfield. And let me tell you, if he's the best player out there, that's who will be playing out there."
That second base hit [Jason Kubel] got with a man on third, I said right away, ‘This young man is going to really, really make it interesting as we go along in spring.’ He's swinging pretty good, and he's moving good in the outfield. And let me tell you, if he's the best player out there, that's who will be playing out there."
- Ron Gardenhire
It isn't that the words the come out of a baseball manager's mouth aren’t the truth; they're just a different language. Let's call it manager-speak. That's because it isn’t the job of a manager to tell the truth. His job is to get the most out of his employees, which sometimes means protecting them from the truth, and sometimes that means motivating them with a lie, or at least a liberal interpretation of reality. Thus, manager-speak.
In this case, the reality is that unless someone gets hurt, there just isn’t room for Jason Kubel on the Twins 25 man roster. If Kubel were to win the right field job, Michael Cuddyer would need to occupy one of the five bench spots, so one of these guys is going to have to be cut: Juan Castro, Nick Punto (backup middle infielders), Lew Ford (4th outfielder), Mike Redmond (backup catcher) or Ruben Sierra (left-handed pinch hitter). Neither Gardenhire nor the Twins are going to give up any of them, and they certainly aren’t going to just cut Cuddyer.
The only semi-realistic option is that the Twins somehow sour on Jason Bartlett. That would allow Castro or Punto to start the season at shortstop, and open up a bench spot for Cuddyer. There haven’t been any rumors that this is the case, though in Saturday’s game, the Twins trotted out their expected lineup in the first through eighth spot, and it was Punto who batted ninth. That may provide the real message behind this quote, but that’s little comfort to Twins fans, since playing Punto or Castro regularly would likely negate any offensive gains that Kubel might provide.
Things don’t necessarily get better for Kubel once the season starts, either. There aren’t a lot of injuries that could happen during the season that would provide Kubel with an opportunity. An injury to Torii Hunter or Shannon Stewart just gives more playing time to Lew Ford. Justin Morneau is the only infielder whose injury would provide him playing time. Which means that Kubel’s chances for an impact this year are limited an injury to Morneau, Cuddyer or designated hitter Rondell White.
It doesn’t have to be this way. The Twins have gone out of their way to reduce their options by limiting Cuddyer from getting any work in the infield, where he could replace Tony Batista or Luis Castillo. They’ve claimed they’re trying to build up Cuddyer’s confidence at the plate, but all they’ve done is make it more likely that we see Kubel passed over for Luis Rodriguez or Terry Tiffee in a May call-up.
Tuesday, March 14, 2006
Bullpen Nostalgia
It's better to not get your hopes up. Because if you wanted to, you could really get carried away when talking about the Twins bullpen spots.
It's especially easy when one remembers the good old days. You know, when the Twins mostly sucked. When we were anxiously waiting for the development of Frankie Rodriguez or Shane Bowers into a staff ace. Spring always held such promise in those times. There was always room for that raw promising arm in the bullpen. There might be this year too. The Twins came into camp with two spots open, and Juan Rincon's questionable status may open up a third.
The difference this year is that the Twins are supposed to compete, and their manager is hesitant to trust rookies in that role. Or maybe he just doesn't want to "put that much pressure on a rookie". Or maybe that's just code for "hesitant to trust rookies in that role." The level of your cynicism probably determines the answer. Personally, I'll buy into the "Gardy as Protector" argument for awhile longer, provided it doesn't cost us any more 12th inning leads against the Yankees in the ALDS.
I'll also buy into the theory that the two remaining spots should be filled by a left-handed reliever and a long reliever. A solid (note the qualifier) left-handed reliever is valuable in a division that contains Jim Thome and Travis Hafner. I'm less convinced that we need a second long reliever, but it makes sense to protect those power setup arms during a (hopefully) extended season. Both roles have value for a team with playoff ambitions.
What I don't understand is why they can't be the same person. How many times will Matt Guerrier not be able to handle long relief duties by himself? And how many times will Gardenhire need a left-handed specialist on the very next night when he's got fireballers like Juan Rincon, Jesse Crain and Joe Nathan in the bullpen?
OK, that question is totally speculative, but the correct answer is three times, tops. And for that, I'd rather have another young power arm that can be groomed a bit in low pressure situations, so he can step in when one of the big guys goes down with an injury.
I suspect Willie Eyre fans feel the same way, but they probably shouldn't get their hopes up either. Eyre's seeing some time on the mound, but it's late in games after a couple of other relievers have had their shot. Both Justin Jones (who is left-handed) and Pat Nechek (a right-handed sidearmer who I favor) have recently picked up middle inning duties ahead of Eyre. If the Twins are toying with the idea of bringing someone up from the minors (or debating who might replace Rincon, god forbid), I doubt Eyre is at the top of their list.
And thanks to the World Baseball Classic, we likely won't know who is at the top of their list for another few days. It appears that Mexico (Dennys Reyes) and Venezuela (Silva, Santana and Liriano) will be knocked out in Round 2, so we'll start to get a better feel for the pecking order as they get worked into games.
But for now, I'll let myself get carried away, and daydream of that unknown kid, the one with the power arm and funky delivery, finding his way onto a plane north in a few weeks. Call it nostalgia for the bad old days, but I miss that dream a bit.
It's better to not get your hopes up. Because if you wanted to, you could really get carried away when talking about the Twins bullpen spots.
It's especially easy when one remembers the good old days. You know, when the Twins mostly sucked. When we were anxiously waiting for the development of Frankie Rodriguez or Shane Bowers into a staff ace. Spring always held such promise in those times. There was always room for that raw promising arm in the bullpen. There might be this year too. The Twins came into camp with two spots open, and Juan Rincon's questionable status may open up a third.
The difference this year is that the Twins are supposed to compete, and their manager is hesitant to trust rookies in that role. Or maybe he just doesn't want to "put that much pressure on a rookie". Or maybe that's just code for "hesitant to trust rookies in that role." The level of your cynicism probably determines the answer. Personally, I'll buy into the "Gardy as Protector" argument for awhile longer, provided it doesn't cost us any more 12th inning leads against the Yankees in the ALDS.
I'll also buy into the theory that the two remaining spots should be filled by a left-handed reliever and a long reliever. A solid (note the qualifier) left-handed reliever is valuable in a division that contains Jim Thome and Travis Hafner. I'm less convinced that we need a second long reliever, but it makes sense to protect those power setup arms during a (hopefully) extended season. Both roles have value for a team with playoff ambitions.
What I don't understand is why they can't be the same person. How many times will Matt Guerrier not be able to handle long relief duties by himself? And how many times will Gardenhire need a left-handed specialist on the very next night when he's got fireballers like Juan Rincon, Jesse Crain and Joe Nathan in the bullpen?
OK, that question is totally speculative, but the correct answer is three times, tops. And for that, I'd rather have another young power arm that can be groomed a bit in low pressure situations, so he can step in when one of the big guys goes down with an injury.
I suspect Willie Eyre fans feel the same way, but they probably shouldn't get their hopes up either. Eyre's seeing some time on the mound, but it's late in games after a couple of other relievers have had their shot. Both Justin Jones (who is left-handed) and Pat Nechek (a right-handed sidearmer who I favor) have recently picked up middle inning duties ahead of Eyre. If the Twins are toying with the idea of bringing someone up from the minors (or debating who might replace Rincon, god forbid), I doubt Eyre is at the top of their list.
And thanks to the World Baseball Classic, we likely won't know who is at the top of their list for another few days. It appears that Mexico (Dennys Reyes) and Venezuela (Silva, Santana and Liriano) will be knocked out in Round 2, so we'll start to get a better feel for the pecking order as they get worked into games.
But for now, I'll let myself get carried away, and daydream of that unknown kid, the one with the power arm and funky delivery, finding his way onto a plane north in a few weeks. Call it nostalgia for the bad old days, but I miss that dream a bit.
Sunday, March 12, 2006
Day Off
The Kirby thing should rest for a day. A lot of good was done this week, thought I wish it would have been done a couple of months earlier, when a prodigal son could still have come home. It'll have to do; it should rest. Like I hope he rests. Like I hope his family and close friends rest. Like I hope we all rest.
Thanks for stopping by. We'll see you tomorrow.
The Kirby thing should rest for a day. A lot of good was done this week, thought I wish it would have been done a couple of months earlier, when a prodigal son could still have come home. It'll have to do; it should rest. Like I hope he rests. Like I hope his family and close friends rest. Like I hope we all rest.
Thanks for stopping by. We'll see you tomorrow.
Thursday, March 09, 2006
Book Preview: Fantasyland by Sam Walker
The usual disclaimers apply: I'm not really much of a book guy. I'd almost always rather be out drinking. That's why you get a "preview" instead of a "review" - because there's about a 50% chance I'll never make it to the end of any given book. You've been warned.
One of the joys of March is getting jazzed up about the upcoming baseball season, and I've found this year's book for doing so. Fantasyland bills itself as "A Season on Baseball's Lunatic Fringe", which sounds about as interesting as...well, as listening to someone talk about their fantasy baseball league. Which is what this book is. Which would be torture. Why do I think I'm going to like book again?
Well, for starters, Twins Geek is mentioned. Or rather "TwinsGeek chatroom" is mentioned. They're referring to the old comments section that existed on the StarTribune.com web site and they're specifically referring to the debate that went on when Doug Mientkiewicz was traded in 2004. And that's why most Twins fan will love this book - it is packed with inside information about the 2004 Twins team.
That's the case for a lot of teams, because Sam Walker was a sportswriter for the Wall Street Journal who had never played fantasy baseball in his life, but was invited to play in Tout Wars, the premier fantasy baseball league in the world. And he is determined to win the damn thing, in part because he wants to see if his inside access to the world of baseball trumps the nerdy stat guys.
So he goes a little overboard. Like hiring a NASA scientist to crunch numbers. And an assistant to organize research. And renting an office as the "war room". And taking a hiatus from his job. And using his press access to interview GMs and scouts at the Winter Meetings. And players at spring training. And I'm only on page 49.
But the best part, as far as I can tell, is that he's determined to manage his team. And I don't mean deciding who is "starting" on his team. I mean sitting down with the players he drafted and trying to improve their approach at the plate. Or trying to talk their coach into getting them more playing time. Or trying to convince a GM to trade for one of his players because he'll be a starter on the new team. This guy had access and was determined to use it.
Since two of the players on his team are Jacque Jones and Doug Mientkiewicz, some Twins are featured prominently in the book. For instance, he tries to influence the Mientkiewicz trade. Remember when we kept wondering on this site why the Pirates would have any interest in Minky? This insight might help...
I mean, honestly, how great is that? And Mientkiewicz is a cameo compared to Jacque Jones. Jones looks over Walker's the roto handbooks during spring training when the roto books hated Jones. Walker drafted him anyway, presented him with a trophy for "player of the month" (for his roto team) and talked to Jones about his approach at the plate. He also watched Jones deal with the death of his father up close and found he was caring far more for these players on his team than he ever had as a disspassionate sportswriter.
So far, it's a fun ride, with a guy who is almost purposely going off the deep end, and mocking himself while doing it. I'll let you know if I find some more fun stuff, or you could just grab it yourself (and likely beat me to the punch).
The usual disclaimers apply: I'm not really much of a book guy. I'd almost always rather be out drinking. That's why you get a "preview" instead of a "review" - because there's about a 50% chance I'll never make it to the end of any given book. You've been warned.
One of the joys of March is getting jazzed up about the upcoming baseball season, and I've found this year's book for doing so. Fantasyland bills itself as "A Season on Baseball's Lunatic Fringe", which sounds about as interesting as...well, as listening to someone talk about their fantasy baseball league. Which is what this book is. Which would be torture. Why do I think I'm going to like book again?
Well, for starters, Twins Geek is mentioned. Or rather "TwinsGeek chatroom" is mentioned. They're referring to the old comments section that existed on the StarTribune.com web site and they're specifically referring to the debate that went on when Doug Mientkiewicz was traded in 2004. And that's why most Twins fan will love this book - it is packed with inside information about the 2004 Twins team.
That's the case for a lot of teams, because Sam Walker was a sportswriter for the Wall Street Journal who had never played fantasy baseball in his life, but was invited to play in Tout Wars, the premier fantasy baseball league in the world. And he is determined to win the damn thing, in part because he wants to see if his inside access to the world of baseball trumps the nerdy stat guys.
So he goes a little overboard. Like hiring a NASA scientist to crunch numbers. And an assistant to organize research. And renting an office as the "war room". And taking a hiatus from his job. And using his press access to interview GMs and scouts at the Winter Meetings. And players at spring training. And I'm only on page 49.
But the best part, as far as I can tell, is that he's determined to manage his team. And I don't mean deciding who is "starting" on his team. I mean sitting down with the players he drafted and trying to improve their approach at the plate. Or trying to talk their coach into getting them more playing time. Or trying to convince a GM to trade for one of his players because he'll be a starter on the new team. This guy had access and was determined to use it.
Since two of the players on his team are Jacque Jones and Doug Mientkiewicz, some Twins are featured prominently in the book. For instance, he tries to influence the Mientkiewicz trade. Remember when we kept wondering on this site why the Pirates would have any interest in Minky? This insight might help...
"Sad as I am to see one of my players shipped out, it also presents an opportunity. Reports say the two teams most interested in Mientkiewicz are the Red Sox, who would probably use him as an occasional defensive substitute, and the Pittsburgh Pirates, who would play him every day. In Rotisserie terms, I'd much rather see Mientkiewicz go to Pittsburgh, where he'll be a mainstay in the lineup.
At noon Sig and I begin to pore over the numbers, looking for some compelling and hertofore undiscovred reason why the Pirates should acquire our $12 first baseman, and after wading through all the lukewarm arguments, we strike pay dirt. Sig notices that the Pirates home infield is a difficult surface to play on. In fact, the the last two
seasons there were 42 percent more infield errors committed at Pirates home games than Pirates road games, which is the biggest deviation in baseball. Nonetheless, I notice that the Pirates' starting pitchers have a strong tendency to give up more ground balls than fly balls, and the bullpen is even more extreme. So not only do the Pirates have a bad infield surface, they've built a pitching staff that actually exacerbates the problem. If there's any team that needs a Gold Glove first baseman, it's this one.
Hanging up with Sig, I deal a number with a 412 area code.
"Dave Littlefield", a voice says."
I mean, honestly, how great is that? And Mientkiewicz is a cameo compared to Jacque Jones. Jones looks over Walker's the roto handbooks during spring training when the roto books hated Jones. Walker drafted him anyway, presented him with a trophy for "player of the month" (for his roto team) and talked to Jones about his approach at the plate. He also watched Jones deal with the death of his father up close and found he was caring far more for these players on his team than he ever had as a disspassionate sportswriter.
So far, it's a fun ride, with a guy who is almost purposely going off the deep end, and mocking himself while doing it. I'll let you know if I find some more fun stuff, or you could just grab it yourself (and likely beat me to the punch).
Wednesday, March 08, 2006
Was that so hard?
It doesn't take much to make me happy. Really, it doesn't.
Yesterday, Joe Christensen did. The STrib's Twins beat writer gave casual fans a little insight into why Brad Radke wasn't as dominant last year - he was hit very hard by left-handed batters. And I mean that literally. They slugged .517 off of him (including 22 of the 33 home runs he gave up), which means that Radke turned your average left-handed hitter into the Royals slugger Mike Sweeney. The same Mike Sweeney we openly lusted at the trade deadline last year.
It's nice to see that factoid in print, and even nicer to see that the Twins coaching staff and Radke are trying to change that. What would be really nice is to see it mentioned in a game recap, when Radke faces a very good left-handed hitter in a key situation, whether or not he succeeds.
The Beauty of Small Sports - Part I
I'm watching The Boy(TM) at his indoor soccer practice for kindergarteners and first graders. The practice includes playing Cops 'n Robbers, which is kind of like freeze tag. So after designating the kids who will be "it", one coach carefully explains that only half of the gym is in bounds. If they go to the other half of the gym, they'll be out and have to freeze. And then he lines up cones to show them the line they can't go across. And then he and three other coaches stand at that line with their arms outspread so kids can't cross it. And then he says "Go"!
And thirteen of the sixteen kids go charging over the line out of bounds.
Radke's Year
Don't look. What do you thinkRadke's ERA was at the end of last year? Off the top of my head, I would've sworn it was in the mid 3's because
1. The Twins whole pitching staff was very good and
2. Radke was robbed of a bunch of Ws.
Right? Those were the two stories of last season, right?
The answer is 4.04.
That's good, no question. 200 plus innings with an ERA of around 4 in the American League should be in the 12 to 15 games won range. That's a decent year for a #2 pitcher, which is what Radke is right now. But it's also not a #1 pitcher, and it's not even an outstanding #2 pitcher.
The Beauty of Small Sports - Part II
Finally, the kids get to play soccer, which means they form a mob around the ball for 30 seconds until it somehow squirts out to the other side of the gym. They lather, rinse, and repeat. It's not dissimilar to watching a swarm of gnats terrorize one small animal no matter where it darts to.
Midway through the "game", a janitor briefly left open the door to the equipment closet, and the ball squirted in like it was seeking refuge. None was found. A dozen frenzied children charged into the closet to kick the snot out of the poor cornered thing. It took at least a minute for a coach to wade through them and provide the hapless leather sphere a moment's respite.
It doesn't take much to make me happy. Really, it doesn't.
Yesterday, Joe Christensen did. The STrib's Twins beat writer gave casual fans a little insight into why Brad Radke wasn't as dominant last year - he was hit very hard by left-handed batters. And I mean that literally. They slugged .517 off of him (including 22 of the 33 home runs he gave up), which means that Radke turned your average left-handed hitter into the Royals slugger Mike Sweeney. The same Mike Sweeney we openly lusted at the trade deadline last year.
It's nice to see that factoid in print, and even nicer to see that the Twins coaching staff and Radke are trying to change that. What would be really nice is to see it mentioned in a game recap, when Radke faces a very good left-handed hitter in a key situation, whether or not he succeeds.
The Beauty of Small Sports - Part I
I'm watching The Boy(TM) at his indoor soccer practice for kindergarteners and first graders. The practice includes playing Cops 'n Robbers, which is kind of like freeze tag. So after designating the kids who will be "it", one coach carefully explains that only half of the gym is in bounds. If they go to the other half of the gym, they'll be out and have to freeze. And then he lines up cones to show them the line they can't go across. And then he and three other coaches stand at that line with their arms outspread so kids can't cross it. And then he says "Go"!
And thirteen of the sixteen kids go charging over the line out of bounds.
Radke's Year
Don't look. What do you thinkRadke's ERA was at the end of last year? Off the top of my head, I would've sworn it was in the mid 3's because
1. The Twins whole pitching staff was very good and
2. Radke was robbed of a bunch of Ws.
Right? Those were the two stories of last season, right?
The answer is 4.04.
That's good, no question. 200 plus innings with an ERA of around 4 in the American League should be in the 12 to 15 games won range. That's a decent year for a #2 pitcher, which is what Radke is right now. But it's also not a #1 pitcher, and it's not even an outstanding #2 pitcher.
The Beauty of Small Sports - Part II
Finally, the kids get to play soccer, which means they form a mob around the ball for 30 seconds until it somehow squirts out to the other side of the gym. They lather, rinse, and repeat. It's not dissimilar to watching a swarm of gnats terrorize one small animal no matter where it darts to.
Midway through the "game", a janitor briefly left open the door to the equipment closet, and the ball squirted in like it was seeking refuge. None was found. A dozen frenzied children charged into the closet to kick the snot out of the poor cornered thing. It took at least a minute for a coach to wade through them and provide the hapless leather sphere a moment's respite.
Tuesday, March 07, 2006
For those of you looking for the tribute to Kirby, it's below this one. You can also click here.
For the rest of you, time for a mailbag. These are actual letters from my readers. Except for those that I made up.
Ummm….didn’t you break up with me?
[Shiver.] Is it morning already? I remember deciding that we’d do a shot every time the bride and groom kissed, and I vaguely remember dancing to Careless Whisper, but I’m having trouble piecing things together after that. How did we end up at your place? And, ummm, how ya been? Good to see you again.
Should we be joking at a time like this? Should you be writing?
Absolutely not. If there is one thing that Kirby would not approve of, it’s jocularity in the face of tragedy. Or doing something you love when it is hardest.
So, the site is back?
Kinda. It’s not going to be TwinsTerritory.com, because for now it’ll just be me. And it’s really not going to be the old TwinsGeek.com, with a column length entry every day. It’s going to be a little more “bloggy” than in the past, with shorter takes, immediate reactions, snippets of longer stories and probably more non-baseball/family stuff than I’ve written about in the past.
Why is it going to be different?
Most of the column length baseball stuff is going to be done someplace else, and I’m not ready to tell you about that yet. Gimme a week, or at least a couple of days. I’m very excited about it – excited enough to get the site back up, which was nearly unthinkable just three weeks ago. And I’m not just excited for me. I’m excited for Twins baseball writers (and especially bloggers) overall. I’m giddy. Stay tuned.
Weren’t you supposed to email me or something when the site was back up?
I still will, but it wasn’t supposed to be back up yet. I was trying to work on it quietly until I figured out exactly how it was going to work. Then Kirby had his stroke, and there’s just no way you don’t write about that. I figured I'd be safe, since nobody knew it was really here. Then I visited the StarTribune.com’s Kirby page and saw a link to it.
For the record, I’m not very happy with that story. The five months of rust really show. I spent 36 hours struggling with what to write, hoping it would finish or at least capture the grieving process a bit. I kicked myself the whole next morning about what I should’ve said. That was the start of the grieving process, not the end. I think I’m going to take another stab at it soon, but it probably won’t be here.
Is The Addition™ done?
Depends on whom you ask. I say yes. The Voice of Reason™ says no. But it’s awfully close.
So I should stop back tomorrow for more Twins talk?
Probably. No promises – I really am trying to figure out what this site will be, and what I can handle. Or if there’s anything worth writing other than more about Kirby. We’ll see. But I sure hope you stop by and find out.
Ummm….didn’t you break up with me?
[Shiver.] Is it morning already? I remember deciding that we’d do a shot every time the bride and groom kissed, and I vaguely remember dancing to Careless Whisper, but I’m having trouble piecing things together after that. How did we end up at your place? And, ummm, how ya been? Good to see you again.
Should we be joking at a time like this? Should you be writing?
Absolutely not. If there is one thing that Kirby would not approve of, it’s jocularity in the face of tragedy. Or doing something you love when it is hardest.
So, the site is back?
Kinda. It’s not going to be TwinsTerritory.com, because for now it’ll just be me. And it’s really not going to be the old TwinsGeek.com, with a column length entry every day. It’s going to be a little more “bloggy” than in the past, with shorter takes, immediate reactions, snippets of longer stories and probably more non-baseball/family stuff than I’ve written about in the past.
Why is it going to be different?
Most of the column length baseball stuff is going to be done someplace else, and I’m not ready to tell you about that yet. Gimme a week, or at least a couple of days. I’m very excited about it – excited enough to get the site back up, which was nearly unthinkable just three weeks ago. And I’m not just excited for me. I’m excited for Twins baseball writers (and especially bloggers) overall. I’m giddy. Stay tuned.
Weren’t you supposed to email me or something when the site was back up?
I still will, but it wasn’t supposed to be back up yet. I was trying to work on it quietly until I figured out exactly how it was going to work. Then Kirby had his stroke, and there’s just no way you don’t write about that. I figured I'd be safe, since nobody knew it was really here. Then I visited the StarTribune.com’s Kirby page and saw a link to it.
For the record, I’m not very happy with that story. The five months of rust really show. I spent 36 hours struggling with what to write, hoping it would finish or at least capture the grieving process a bit. I kicked myself the whole next morning about what I should’ve said. That was the start of the grieving process, not the end. I think I’m going to take another stab at it soon, but it probably won’t be here.
Is The Addition™ done?
Depends on whom you ask. I say yes. The Voice of Reason™ says no. But it’s awfully close.
So I should stop back tomorrow for more Twins talk?
Probably. No promises – I really am trying to figure out what this site will be, and what I can handle. Or if there’s anything worth writing other than more about Kirby. We’ll see. But I sure hope you stop by and find out.
Thanks,
John
John
Monday, March 06, 2006
One of Us
Doing great things is not enough. Heroes are something more.
They need to be us.
Kirby was us, and more. A Midwest kid, from humble beginnings. A body type that few would envy. A youthful enthusiasm that should’ve faded but didn’t. Instead, the joy bubbled over, on and off the field. It transformed the pudgy kid into a superstar, the clown into a team leader, and the underdog into a World Series hero.
But it wasn’t the greatness that endeared him to us. It was the plainness. It was the humanity.
Unfortunately, humanity isn’t invincible, and Kirby wasn’t either. A Dennis Martinez fastball and an eye disease reminded us of that. Not that we accepted it. Despite his formal retirement, there would be annual rumors that Kirby was returning over the next four years. We were waiting for him to rise from the ashes.
All the ashes created were grime. Humanity also wrestles with some ugly demons. In 2002, we found out that Kirby did, too. Kirby’s dysfunctional love life became front-page news. His least proud moments became public record. Isolation followed, and there’s ample evidence that depression came soon after.
It isn’t clear he ever recovered. That’s also part of being human.
It’s two sides of the same coin. The humanity Kirby displayed after his career is exactly that which we embraced during his career. Doing great things is not enough. Heroes are something more. They need to be us. They need to struggle like we struggle, and still raise themselves, and the people around them, to greatness. They need to remind us that glory is still out there, and it’s waiting.
For us.
Like the old man and the sea, he was our DiMaggio. A man who became larger-than-life, that represented everything we wanted to be, damn near immortal.
Turns out that Immortals don’t last as long as they used to.
But that’s the point, isn’t it? Kirby never allowed himself to become that untouchable star. Instead, he was our friend, our neighbor, our son, our brother. He was human. That's why he touched us all. That’s why he was our hero.
He was us.
Doing great things is not enough. Heroes are something more.
They need to be us.
Kirby was us, and more. A Midwest kid, from humble beginnings. A body type that few would envy. A youthful enthusiasm that should’ve faded but didn’t. Instead, the joy bubbled over, on and off the field. It transformed the pudgy kid into a superstar, the clown into a team leader, and the underdog into a World Series hero.
But it wasn’t the greatness that endeared him to us. It was the plainness. It was the humanity.
Unfortunately, humanity isn’t invincible, and Kirby wasn’t either. A Dennis Martinez fastball and an eye disease reminded us of that. Not that we accepted it. Despite his formal retirement, there would be annual rumors that Kirby was returning over the next four years. We were waiting for him to rise from the ashes.
All the ashes created were grime. Humanity also wrestles with some ugly demons. In 2002, we found out that Kirby did, too. Kirby’s dysfunctional love life became front-page news. His least proud moments became public record. Isolation followed, and there’s ample evidence that depression came soon after.
It isn’t clear he ever recovered. That’s also part of being human.
It’s two sides of the same coin. The humanity Kirby displayed after his career is exactly that which we embraced during his career. Doing great things is not enough. Heroes are something more. They need to be us. They need to struggle like we struggle, and still raise themselves, and the people around them, to greatness. They need to remind us that glory is still out there, and it’s waiting.
For us.
Like the old man and the sea, he was our DiMaggio. A man who became larger-than-life, that represented everything we wanted to be, damn near immortal.
Turns out that Immortals don’t last as long as they used to.
But that’s the point, isn’t it? Kirby never allowed himself to become that untouchable star. Instead, he was our friend, our neighbor, our son, our brother. He was human. That's why he touched us all. That’s why he was our hero.
He was us.
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