... or, Grief After Losing My Baseball Boyfriend
If you spend any time at all watching, listening to, reading about, writing about, or talking about baseball, it's because you love the game. Otherwise you wouldn't bother investing your time and efforts. And, if you love the game, there's something associated with it that on some unknown level makes you love it more each time you experience it.
Some fans enjoy looking up and figuring out stats and comparing players and situations and such. Some fans enjoy well-executed aspects of the play itself -- a nice curveball or slick double-play. Some fans love a winning team.
I love all those things too. However, as is true with many fans, my imagination has truly been captured by a few individual players -- most significantly by Michael Cuddyer.
I tend to really like most of the players on the Twins, but every once in a while a player is just a bit more likable than the rest. And I usually don't know exactly why that is.
I first noticed my fascination with Cuddy in 2002 when he was in that up and down between the majors and AAA stage. I could never explain it, but I always just rooted for him and I was always a sad when he got sent back down.
Of course, as the years went on, I liked him more and more. I grew to appreciate his poise, personality, and play -- especially that cannon of a right arm. Oh, and the dimples were pretty easy to like too. I always enjoyed reading stories about his magic tricks, how he volunteered his time and efforts to the community, and how during the last few spring trainings he bought the whole team t-shirts with inspirational sayings. His clubhouse leadership may not have helped the team in 2011, but at least he tried.
I especially loved how he treated fans at events such as Unplugged and TwinsFest. He was a prince to my mom and me for a photo opportunity.
In addition to being a good person, he is also a good baseball player and a fun one to watch. And the game could certainly use more players who share his team-first attitude and his willingness to play wherever needed.
These sorts of "intangibles" (as the media like to say) may or may not help a team win, but they do a lot toward enriching the fan experience. In fact, I'd argue that that kind of goodwill is a necessary component to retaining a fan base. People like to genuinely like the players they're rooting for, and they have every right to feel a bit punched in the gut when their favorite guys move on.
Logically, I understand that his leaving may be best for the Twins, considering the amount of money he's receiving from the Rockies and the draft picks the Twins will get in return. And I'm glad the Twins already procured his replacement in Josh Willingham, who, by all accounts, is Cuddyer's statistical equal (well, except for his arm). I will definitely give Willingham every chance to win me over, but he'll never be Michael Cuddyer.
None of this is to say that I'm angry that Cuddy left. I'm not. He's more than earned the right to make the decisions regarding his career. I truly wish him the best in Colorado, and I'll always root for him.
Being a fan of Michael Cuddyer made me love baseball more than I already would have, and I'm really going to miss that.
Showing posts with label Cuddy. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Cuddy. Show all posts
Friday, December 16, 2011
Sunday, December 11, 2011
Quick Notes: Dec. 11
Hi. It's been a while. Sorry.
The winter meetings are now over, and while some other teams made some big splashes, the Twins also made a couple quiet moves.
Twins Catch a Florimon
The Twins claimed shortstop Pedro Florimon Jr. from the Baltimore Orioles. He'll likely be assigned to Rochester, but he is on the 40-man roster. And, yes, his name totally makes me think of Pokemon.
Slow-ride Out of Town
The relationship between Kevin Slowey and the Twins was quite rocky in 2011, so the Twins ended it by trading him to the Rockies, initially for a player to be named later. Ultimately, the Twins received RHP Daniel Turpin.
It's hard to fully understand what caused the rift between Slowey and the organization. A few media members have expressed their disdain for Slowey, but I can't believe that it's 100% his fault. Phil Mackey of 1500ESPN has a well-written, balanced article that explains the decline on both sides.
Turpin has been assigned to Rochester.
Re-Capps'd
The Twins re-signed closer Matt Capps on a one-year deal with an option year. If Capps signed with another team, the Twins would have received a draft pick, but the Twins really wanted him, and they got him.
I wish I could have the guts to say that I'm unhappy about this. However, I believe that disliking players on my team is bad luck. And, since, as it usually is true with closers, as he goes so goes the team, so I'll just shut up about it and wish him all the best.
Now...to find a way to scrub the memory of all those blown saves in 2011...
Twins Select What's-his-name in the Rule 5 Draft
The Twins selected RHP Terry Doyle from the Chicago White Sox. Doyle's given first name is John, and that's the name the reporters first used on Twitter when the selection happened, so there was a bit of confusion of who the Twins actually got.
As with any Rule 5 draftee, he must make the 25-man roster for the entire season, or he must be returned to his original team or a trade must be made.
Hearty Congratulations Times Two!
Michael Cuddyer and his wife Claudia recently delivered twin girls. Here's the picture he posted on Twitter.
Joe Mauer is officially engaged to his girlfriend Maddie Bisanz.
Best wishes to all of them!
The winter meetings are now over, and while some other teams made some big splashes, the Twins also made a couple quiet moves.
Twins Catch a Florimon
The Twins claimed shortstop Pedro Florimon Jr. from the Baltimore Orioles. He'll likely be assigned to Rochester, but he is on the 40-man roster. And, yes, his name totally makes me think of Pokemon.
Slow-ride Out of Town
The relationship between Kevin Slowey and the Twins was quite rocky in 2011, so the Twins ended it by trading him to the Rockies, initially for a player to be named later. Ultimately, the Twins received RHP Daniel Turpin.
It's hard to fully understand what caused the rift between Slowey and the organization. A few media members have expressed their disdain for Slowey, but I can't believe that it's 100% his fault. Phil Mackey of 1500ESPN has a well-written, balanced article that explains the decline on both sides.
Turpin has been assigned to Rochester.
Re-Capps'd
The Twins re-signed closer Matt Capps on a one-year deal with an option year. If Capps signed with another team, the Twins would have received a draft pick, but the Twins really wanted him, and they got him.
I wish I could have the guts to say that I'm unhappy about this. However, I believe that disliking players on my team is bad luck. And, since, as it usually is true with closers, as he goes so goes the team, so I'll just shut up about it and wish him all the best.
Now...to find a way to scrub the memory of all those blown saves in 2011...
Twins Select What's-his-name in the Rule 5 Draft
The Twins selected RHP Terry Doyle from the Chicago White Sox. Doyle's given first name is John, and that's the name the reporters first used on Twitter when the selection happened, so there was a bit of confusion of who the Twins actually got.
As with any Rule 5 draftee, he must make the 25-man roster for the entire season, or he must be returned to his original team or a trade must be made.
Hearty Congratulations Times Two!
Michael Cuddyer and his wife Claudia recently delivered twin girls. Here's the picture he posted on Twitter.
Joe Mauer is officially engaged to his girlfriend Maddie Bisanz.
Best wishes to all of them!
Sunday, November 6, 2011
Quick Notes: Nov. 6, 2011
Catching up with the week's events and news:
Welcome Gray and Maloney
The Twins did not take long at all to keep with their long-standing tradition and signed, not one but two, pitchers I've never heard of. RHP Jeff Gray from the Seattle Mariners and LHP Matt Maloney from the Cincinnati Reds join the Twins 40-man roster. I expect both these guys will have to compete in Spring Training for bull pen spots on the 25-man roster.
You're Staying Put, Mr. Radcliff
The Baltimore Orioles requested permission from the Twins to interview Vice President of Player Personnel Mike Radcliff for their open General Manager position. The Twins declined, which kind of goes against what they usually do. They don't typically deny permission for people to interview for promotions. I joked on Twitter that Radcliff didn't want to go to Balitmore and begged Dave St. Peter to get him out of it. I don't really believe that. I suspect the reality is that after a 99-loss season, the Twins can ill afford to lose key personnel when they have so much work to do. Bill Smith really needs to keep all the help he can.
Welcome Back, Krivsky?
Speaking of surrounding Bill Smith with help, the Twins are trying to bring back former assistant GM Wayne Krivsky. Krivsky was the GM for the Reds, and worked in the Orioles and Mets front offices.
Our Old Friend Jim
Former Twin Jim Thome signed a one-year deal with the Philadelphia Phillies. I'm happy for him that he was able to sign on with someone so quickly. I suspect that he'll be used mostly as a bench pinch-hitter (just like Matt Stairs -- able to randomly come off the bench and hit a go-ahead home run), but I did read somewhere that he's going to work on fielding first base this off-season so he can fill in from time to time.
So, hmm. Thome played for Cleveland at the end of 2011, and will play for the Phillies in 2012. Those are the first two teams he played with. Do you think he's doing a reunion tour of his former teams? White Sox next, the Dodgers for like 15 minutes, then back to the Twins. I could live with that, but I think I'd prefer it if he just skipped the White Sox part.
And the Phillies May Not Be Done
The latest rumor is, now that the Phillies locked up Thome, they're going hot and heavy after Michael Cuddyer. I don't want that to happen. Nope, not at all. So I'm not going to stress about it too much until he actually signs his name on someone's dotted line (be forewarned: there will be a tirade in this space if he signs with anyone other than the Twins).
However, I can certainly understand the Phillies' interest in Cuddyer. Their first baseman, Ryan Howard, blew his Achilles tendon on the last plate appearance of the NLDS and will likely be out a huge portion of the 2012 season. So the Phillies need a right-handed bat who can play first base but isn't really exclusively a first baseman (so he can play somewhere else when Howard comes back). And the Phillies may make sense for Cuddyer too. For one, I expect Jim Thome to be somewhat relentless texting him begging him to come. And Cuddy is apt to sign any early offer as long as it's fair since he wants to have it all figured out before his wife delivers the twins they're expecting (due in December). Plus, he kind of hinted that he wants to play for a winner (and really, who doesn't?).
Quick Movie Review -- Moneyball
I finally got around to seeing Moneyball. I went in with pretty low expectations because many baseball writers kind of panned it. I liked it, but I didn't love it. I thought Brad Pitt was very good; I wasn't so impressed with Jonah Hill (he takes looking star-struck, nerdy, and nervous to new levels). It had good parts, but it also slow parts (gotta expect slow parts; it is a movie about baseball stats after all).
If you haven't seen it yet, don't pay full price, or, better yet, wait for the DVD (there's nothing really big-screen-worthy about it anyway).
Welcome Gray and Maloney
The Twins did not take long at all to keep with their long-standing tradition and signed, not one but two, pitchers I've never heard of. RHP Jeff Gray from the Seattle Mariners and LHP Matt Maloney from the Cincinnati Reds join the Twins 40-man roster. I expect both these guys will have to compete in Spring Training for bull pen spots on the 25-man roster.
You're Staying Put, Mr. Radcliff
The Baltimore Orioles requested permission from the Twins to interview Vice President of Player Personnel Mike Radcliff for their open General Manager position. The Twins declined, which kind of goes against what they usually do. They don't typically deny permission for people to interview for promotions. I joked on Twitter that Radcliff didn't want to go to Balitmore and begged Dave St. Peter to get him out of it. I don't really believe that. I suspect the reality is that after a 99-loss season, the Twins can ill afford to lose key personnel when they have so much work to do. Bill Smith really needs to keep all the help he can.
Welcome Back, Krivsky?
Speaking of surrounding Bill Smith with help, the Twins are trying to bring back former assistant GM Wayne Krivsky. Krivsky was the GM for the Reds, and worked in the Orioles and Mets front offices.
Our Old Friend Jim
Former Twin Jim Thome signed a one-year deal with the Philadelphia Phillies. I'm happy for him that he was able to sign on with someone so quickly. I suspect that he'll be used mostly as a bench pinch-hitter (just like Matt Stairs -- able to randomly come off the bench and hit a go-ahead home run), but I did read somewhere that he's going to work on fielding first base this off-season so he can fill in from time to time.
So, hmm. Thome played for Cleveland at the end of 2011, and will play for the Phillies in 2012. Those are the first two teams he played with. Do you think he's doing a reunion tour of his former teams? White Sox next, the Dodgers for like 15 minutes, then back to the Twins. I could live with that, but I think I'd prefer it if he just skipped the White Sox part.
And the Phillies May Not Be Done
The latest rumor is, now that the Phillies locked up Thome, they're going hot and heavy after Michael Cuddyer. I don't want that to happen. Nope, not at all. So I'm not going to stress about it too much until he actually signs his name on someone's dotted line (be forewarned: there will be a tirade in this space if he signs with anyone other than the Twins).
However, I can certainly understand the Phillies' interest in Cuddyer. Their first baseman, Ryan Howard, blew his Achilles tendon on the last plate appearance of the NLDS and will likely be out a huge portion of the 2012 season. So the Phillies need a right-handed bat who can play first base but isn't really exclusively a first baseman (so he can play somewhere else when Howard comes back). And the Phillies may make sense for Cuddyer too. For one, I expect Jim Thome to be somewhat relentless texting him begging him to come. And Cuddy is apt to sign any early offer as long as it's fair since he wants to have it all figured out before his wife delivers the twins they're expecting (due in December). Plus, he kind of hinted that he wants to play for a winner (and really, who doesn't?).
Quick Movie Review -- Moneyball
I finally got around to seeing Moneyball. I went in with pretty low expectations because many baseball writers kind of panned it. I liked it, but I didn't love it. I thought Brad Pitt was very good; I wasn't so impressed with Jonah Hill (he takes looking star-struck, nerdy, and nervous to new levels). It had good parts, but it also slow parts (gotta expect slow parts; it is a movie about baseball stats after all).
If you haven't seen it yet, don't pay full price, or, better yet, wait for the DVD (there's nothing really big-screen-worthy about it anyway).
Thursday, September 29, 2011
Well, That's That
For a season that focused so much time on remembering the past, 2011 was certainly forgettable.
Fans had the chance to fondly look back on the great careers of Harmon Killebrew, Bert Blyleven, and John Gordon and to celebrate the 1991 World Series team.
We also got to celebrate some great personal achievements: Jim Thome's 600th home run, Francisco Liriano's no-hitter, Michael Cuddyer's All Star Game selection, Joe Nathan's 255th save for the Twins record, Ben Revere's 32nd stolen base for the Twins rookie record.
All these things were terrific, and I really enjoyed them. I'm just sad that there weren't many other chances to cheer.
I'm grateful I chose to go to Wednesday's game. I wanted to say goodbye to the season. I'm grateful that the Twins played well for me and avoided that 100 loss thing. Sure, 99 losses is still a hella lot of losses, but it ain't 100.
I love that the 2011 debut of the Pavanostache resulted in such a fine performance. I hope Carl finally realizes that the 'stache is magical and that he's a much better pitcher with it than without it; add "keep the 'stache, Carl" to my 2012 Wish List.
I'm also grateful that I got one last chance to say goodbye to my two baseball boyfriends: Joe Nathan and Michael Cuddyer. I gave Cuddy a standing ovation during his final plate appearance. I'm a bit bummed that I didn't have the same opportunity for Joe Nathan, but I totally understand -- the power of the 'Stache was too strong for that kind of sentimentality. However, when Joe grabbed some mound dirt after the game was over, I lost my composure...I was inconsolably sniffly. I guess he doesn't think he'll be back. Sad.
So, after the playoffs and World Series try to distract us for a little while, we're faced with one of the strangest off-seasons the Twins have had in a while. They simply have to fix this.
It's a fact that some of the guys I saw play on Wednesday will be wearing different uniforms in 2012 -- some back to the minors; some with other organizations. I sincerely wish them all the best.
For the guys who will be back, I sincerely wish them the best, too. They all need to be healthy and ready to go for Spring Training.
And I'm already looking forward to pitchers and catchers reporting!
~~~
I hope that the playoffs provide at least half the excitement that the two wild card races did. Wow, huh?
I don't like to make predictions for post-season play, but I do like to pick rooting interests. So here we go:
Have fun with the small portions of baseball left for the year. The off-season can be kind of fun, but it doesn't keep me warm at night like actual baseball games do.
Fans had the chance to fondly look back on the great careers of Harmon Killebrew, Bert Blyleven, and John Gordon and to celebrate the 1991 World Series team.
We also got to celebrate some great personal achievements: Jim Thome's 600th home run, Francisco Liriano's no-hitter, Michael Cuddyer's All Star Game selection, Joe Nathan's 255th save for the Twins record, Ben Revere's 32nd stolen base for the Twins rookie record.
All these things were terrific, and I really enjoyed them. I'm just sad that there weren't many other chances to cheer.
I'm grateful I chose to go to Wednesday's game. I wanted to say goodbye to the season. I'm grateful that the Twins played well for me and avoided that 100 loss thing. Sure, 99 losses is still a hella lot of losses, but it ain't 100.
I love that the 2011 debut of the Pavanostache resulted in such a fine performance. I hope Carl finally realizes that the 'stache is magical and that he's a much better pitcher with it than without it; add "keep the 'stache, Carl" to my 2012 Wish List.
I'm also grateful that I got one last chance to say goodbye to my two baseball boyfriends: Joe Nathan and Michael Cuddyer. I gave Cuddy a standing ovation during his final plate appearance. I'm a bit bummed that I didn't have the same opportunity for Joe Nathan, but I totally understand -- the power of the 'Stache was too strong for that kind of sentimentality. However, when Joe grabbed some mound dirt after the game was over, I lost my composure...I was inconsolably sniffly. I guess he doesn't think he'll be back. Sad.
So, after the playoffs and World Series try to distract us for a little while, we're faced with one of the strangest off-seasons the Twins have had in a while. They simply have to fix this.
It's a fact that some of the guys I saw play on Wednesday will be wearing different uniforms in 2012 -- some back to the minors; some with other organizations. I sincerely wish them all the best.
For the guys who will be back, I sincerely wish them the best, too. They all need to be healthy and ready to go for Spring Training.
And I'm already looking forward to pitchers and catchers reporting!
~~~
I hope that the playoffs provide at least half the excitement that the two wild card races did. Wow, huh?
I don't like to make predictions for post-season play, but I do like to pick rooting interests. So here we go:
- I like the Cardinals to beat the Phillies (I consider the Cards my NL team),
- I like the Brewers to beat the Diamondbacks (I know more about the Brewers),
- I like the Tigers to beat the Yankees (for obvious reasons), and
- I'm torn between the Rangers and the Rays -- but the Rays have the slight edge (I like their story, and I love Joe Madden).
Have fun with the small portions of baseball left for the year. The off-season can be kind of fun, but it doesn't keep me warm at night like actual baseball games do.
Saturday, September 17, 2011
C'mon! Enough Already! (Injury and Illness Update)
Good grief! I don't know what the Twins did to piss off the injury and illness demons, but they had better figure it out and correct it really quickly before things get any more serious.
Let's take inventory, shall we:
We already know that Nick Blackburn's season is over.
Joe Mauer's season is over. He has been diagnosed with "mild" pneumonia, and he needs to rest for two weeks -- which will take up the rest of the season. Mild pneumonia, often called "walking" pneumonia, is the least serious of the pneumonia infections, and it usually doesn't require hospitalization. This is not to say that Joe's not miserable. Pneumonia of any strain is an infection of the lungs. He can probably walk around and do some light activity, but he's got a bad cough and probably has a hard time catching his breath when he runs.
Tsuyoshi Nishioka's season is over. He has a nagging oblique strain that just doesn't seem to be getting better, so the Twins shut him down. According to LaVelle E. Neal of the Star Tribune, the Twins have sent him on his way with instructions for an off-season workout program.
Justin Morneau's season is most likely over. He's still fighting concussion symptoms and now he's got the flu. The concussion symptoms are quite worrisome because they reappeared after he made a somewhat routine play attempt at first base. This article by Jeff Passan of Yahoo! Sports explains just how scary and frustrating Justin's situation is.
Jason Kubel's season is most likely over. The foot injury he suffered earlier in the season has flared up again, and he's in quite a bit of pain. He'll have it looked at more during the off-season.
Denard Span's season might be over. He also can't shake off the concussion symptoms and migraines.
Scott Baker is still on the DL with a forearm strain. He hopes to be able to pitch out of the bullpen soon.
Alexi Casilla is still on the DL with a hamstring strain. He hope to be able to play before the end of the season.
Danny Valencia has the flu.
Ben Revere just got over having the flu.
Brian Duensing just got over having the flu.
Fransico Liriano pitched two innings out of the bullpen on Saturday. So that's good news.
~~~
Since we're talking about injuries and whatnot, here's Michael Cuddyer's paper doll:
Michael Cuddyer missed several games in August due to a sore neck. Then when he came back from that, he was promptly hit in the wrist by a pitch.
He played the day after he was hit by the pitch after verifying with medical staff that playing wouldn't damage it further and all he needed to do would be manage the pain.
This, of course, riled up columnist Jim Souhan, who praised Cuddyer's toughness (kind of omitting the fact that he missed time from the neck the week before) and used him as an example to prove that Joe Mauer is soft. Cuddyer, of course, wasn't able to play particularly well with the sore wrist.
Of course, all that put some bloggers and fans into a small snit (Souhan puts people into snits pretty regularly). A lot of folks (not wrongly so) kind of used him as an example that playing hurt is not necessarily a good option.
Once rosters expanded, Cuddyer missed some time to get the wrist feeling better.
I don't think it mattered too much either way whether he played hurt or not. He played when the team despirately needed warm bodies, and it wasn't like his poor play blocked anyone else from getting a chance. Then, when there were warm bodies, he sat. No problem.
Let's take inventory, shall we:
We already know that Nick Blackburn's season is over.
Joe Mauer's season is over. He has been diagnosed with "mild" pneumonia, and he needs to rest for two weeks -- which will take up the rest of the season. Mild pneumonia, often called "walking" pneumonia, is the least serious of the pneumonia infections, and it usually doesn't require hospitalization. This is not to say that Joe's not miserable. Pneumonia of any strain is an infection of the lungs. He can probably walk around and do some light activity, but he's got a bad cough and probably has a hard time catching his breath when he runs.
Tsuyoshi Nishioka's season is over. He has a nagging oblique strain that just doesn't seem to be getting better, so the Twins shut him down. According to LaVelle E. Neal of the Star Tribune, the Twins have sent him on his way with instructions for an off-season workout program.
Justin Morneau's season is most likely over. He's still fighting concussion symptoms and now he's got the flu. The concussion symptoms are quite worrisome because they reappeared after he made a somewhat routine play attempt at first base. This article by Jeff Passan of Yahoo! Sports explains just how scary and frustrating Justin's situation is.
Jason Kubel's season is most likely over. The foot injury he suffered earlier in the season has flared up again, and he's in quite a bit of pain. He'll have it looked at more during the off-season.
Denard Span's season might be over. He also can't shake off the concussion symptoms and migraines.
Scott Baker is still on the DL with a forearm strain. He hopes to be able to pitch out of the bullpen soon.
Alexi Casilla is still on the DL with a hamstring strain. He hope to be able to play before the end of the season.
Danny Valencia has the flu.
Ben Revere just got over having the flu.
Brian Duensing just got over having the flu.
Fransico Liriano pitched two innings out of the bullpen on Saturday. So that's good news.
~~~
Since we're talking about injuries and whatnot, here's Michael Cuddyer's paper doll:
Michael Cuddyer missed several games in August due to a sore neck. Then when he came back from that, he was promptly hit in the wrist by a pitch.
He played the day after he was hit by the pitch after verifying with medical staff that playing wouldn't damage it further and all he needed to do would be manage the pain.
This, of course, riled up columnist Jim Souhan, who praised Cuddyer's toughness (kind of omitting the fact that he missed time from the neck the week before) and used him as an example to prove that Joe Mauer is soft. Cuddyer, of course, wasn't able to play particularly well with the sore wrist.
Of course, all that put some bloggers and fans into a small snit (Souhan puts people into snits pretty regularly). A lot of folks (not wrongly so) kind of used him as an example that playing hurt is not necessarily a good option.
Once rosters expanded, Cuddyer missed some time to get the wrist feeling better.
I don't think it mattered too much either way whether he played hurt or not. He played when the team despirately needed warm bodies, and it wasn't like his poor play blocked anyone else from getting a chance. Then, when there were warm bodies, he sat. No problem.
Thursday, August 25, 2011
Short Notes
And by "short," I mean: terse, tense, curt, crabby, rude. Which I am. And I'm unapologetic.
Jim Thome has been traded to the Indians for a player to be named later. And, I'm sorry, but I just can't get over being upset about this. I'm not mad at Big Jim at all; I'm mad that it came to this. I hate that the Twins are in a position to shed players, and I especially hate that the Twins put themselves in the position that a great player like Jim Thome simply deserves better.
I am very grateful to have been able to watch him play in a Twins uniform and lead this team for these last two season. It was a real treat to watch him step into the box late in the game and watch the pitcher shake in his boots. Many Twins fans agree that some of the best memories of Target Field's short history involve the great Jim Thome. And no one can take that away from us.
I sincerely wish the very best for Jim. This move might be a harbinger of a farewell tour for him. I hope the Indians' fans love him as much as they did years ago. And I really want him to hit a few more home runs -- I don't even care if they're off the Twins.
~~~
The Twins lost a four-game series to the Orioles. Let me clarify that statement a bit...
The Twins, with sucky pitching and even suckier batting, lost four games in a row at home to a team that has the worst road record in the league (I think that statement is true; I'm in no mood to verify it).
I sincerely hope that after Thursday's game, Gardy flipped every buffet table over, tossed some baseball bats into the showers, and threw a loud, good old-fashioned, Hulk-smash snit...no, outright fury. And then, I hope he made each and every one of the players clean it all up until the clubhouse attendant was satisfied. And then, I hope he made each and every one of the players give the clubhouse a generous tip for his trouble. Because something, anything, has to be done to grab their attention.
These guys are clearly not trying and it's hard to imagine that they even care. I suppose that it's hard to go to work every day knowing that your beginning of the year goals simply won't be met. Baseball is supposed to be filled with failure, but, jeez, not this much failure.
Whatever happened to the Joe DiMaggio philosophy on playing hard? -- "There is always some kid who may be seeing me for the first or last time, I owe him my best."
More of that "my best" stuff, and less of whatever the hell they've been doing the last month.
~~~
DL Report: Another repeat injury.
The Twins have placed Francisco Liriano on the DL with left posterior (back) shoulder strain. He was taken out of Thursday's game after two innings in which he was quite ineffective.
This is probably the same injury he suffered back in May. However, because Anthony Swarzak, who was scheduled to start Friday's game, had to pitch 3.1 innings on Thursday, and there wasn't anybody else they could plug in for Friday's start, the Twins were probably quick to put Liriano on the DL so they could call someone up right away (run-on sentence much?). Scott Diamond has been recalled to take his place.
Other DL Updates:
Baker is throwing. Casilla is running.
Blackburn only has some swelling in his arm that happens to be pinching a nerve, so some rest should help that.
It's likely that Jason Repko will be activated to replace Thome's spot on the roster, but an official announcement hasn't been made yet.
Joe Mauer was out on Thursday with a stiff neck. He says that he has a hard time looking left and right
Tsuyoshi Nishioka was still out Thursday with a sore back.
On Wednesday, Michael Cuddyer got hit in the wrist by a pitch. It hit so hard, you could hear it on the TV broadcast, and it dropped him immediately. He said later that he was sure it was shattered, but x-rays and an MRI came back negative. He played on Thursday. However, I imagine that it is still sore and it might bother him for a few days.
Jim Thome has been traded to the Indians for a player to be named later. And, I'm sorry, but I just can't get over being upset about this. I'm not mad at Big Jim at all; I'm mad that it came to this. I hate that the Twins are in a position to shed players, and I especially hate that the Twins put themselves in the position that a great player like Jim Thome simply deserves better.
I am very grateful to have been able to watch him play in a Twins uniform and lead this team for these last two season. It was a real treat to watch him step into the box late in the game and watch the pitcher shake in his boots. Many Twins fans agree that some of the best memories of Target Field's short history involve the great Jim Thome. And no one can take that away from us.
I sincerely wish the very best for Jim. This move might be a harbinger of a farewell tour for him. I hope the Indians' fans love him as much as they did years ago. And I really want him to hit a few more home runs -- I don't even care if they're off the Twins.
~~~
The Twins lost a four-game series to the Orioles. Let me clarify that statement a bit...
The Twins, with sucky pitching and even suckier batting, lost four games in a row at home to a team that has the worst road record in the league (I think that statement is true; I'm in no mood to verify it).
I sincerely hope that after Thursday's game, Gardy flipped every buffet table over, tossed some baseball bats into the showers, and threw a loud, good old-fashioned, Hulk-smash snit...no, outright fury. And then, I hope he made each and every one of the players clean it all up until the clubhouse attendant was satisfied. And then, I hope he made each and every one of the players give the clubhouse a generous tip for his trouble. Because something, anything, has to be done to grab their attention.
These guys are clearly not trying and it's hard to imagine that they even care. I suppose that it's hard to go to work every day knowing that your beginning of the year goals simply won't be met. Baseball is supposed to be filled with failure, but, jeez, not this much failure.
Whatever happened to the Joe DiMaggio philosophy on playing hard? -- "There is always some kid who may be seeing me for the first or last time, I owe him my best."
More of that "my best" stuff, and less of whatever the hell they've been doing the last month.
~~~
DL Report: Another repeat injury.
This is probably the same injury he suffered back in May. However, because Anthony Swarzak, who was scheduled to start Friday's game, had to pitch 3.1 innings on Thursday, and there wasn't anybody else they could plug in for Friday's start, the Twins were probably quick to put Liriano on the DL so they could call someone up right away (run-on sentence much?). Scott Diamond has been recalled to take his place.
Other DL Updates:
Baker is throwing. Casilla is running.
Blackburn only has some swelling in his arm that happens to be pinching a nerve, so some rest should help that.
It's likely that Jason Repko will be activated to replace Thome's spot on the roster, but an official announcement hasn't been made yet.
Joe Mauer was out on Thursday with a stiff neck. He says that he has a hard time looking left and right
Tsuyoshi Nishioka was still out Thursday with a sore back.
On Wednesday, Michael Cuddyer got hit in the wrist by a pitch. It hit so hard, you could hear it on the TV broadcast, and it dropped him immediately. He said later that he was sure it was shattered, but x-rays and an MRI came back negative. He played on Thursday. However, I imagine that it is still sore and it might bother him for a few days.
Monday, August 22, 2011
DL Report: Nick Blackburn
The Twins are just piling on names to the Disabled List. With this latest addition, they've now used the DL 23 times. I wondered if that was a record, so I asked the only people I knew would have an answer: Twitter. My Twitter buddy Dan Wade (@dwade), who contributes to Sports Illustrated's Under the Knife fantasy sports column, came back with an answer. Turns out that the Twins are close to the lead for DL transactions, but, in fact, the Dodgers have 24. So, at least there's that. For now.
The Twins have placed Nick Blackburn on the 15-day DL with a right lateral forearm strain. He was taken out of Sunday's game in the second inning after having absolutely no command.
I'm kind of having a hard time figuring out exactly what hurts. "Lateral forearm" is kind of nondescript. In his interviews with the media, he describes it as a sharp pain near the top of the forearm near the elbow. I'm no expert by any means, but I've had that sharp pain in that location...tennis elbow (or, more classily referred to as: Lateral epicondylitis). At any rate, Blackburn didn't seem to think it was terribly serious, but he is scheduled to have more tests and such on Tuesday.
Anthony Swarzak has been added to the rotation and will pitch Friday in Blackburn's place. Right-handed reliever Lester Oliveros, acquired as the "player to be named later" in the Delmon Young trade, has been recalled to take Blackburn's roster spot.
~~~
Also watching:
Justin Morneau has been out for two games so far after fouling a pitch off his right foot on Saturday. X-rays were negative, but if it's still sore tomorrow, he'll have an MRI.
Tsuyoshi Nishioka has missed three games due to back spasms.
Other Updates:
Michael Cuddyer returned to play on Monday after missing a handful of games with a sore neck.
Denard Span won't be with the team for awhile. He's been sent home to rest.
I'm kind of having a hard time figuring out exactly what hurts. "Lateral forearm" is kind of nondescript. In his interviews with the media, he describes it as a sharp pain near the top of the forearm near the elbow. I'm no expert by any means, but I've had that sharp pain in that location...tennis elbow (or, more classily referred to as: Lateral epicondylitis). At any rate, Blackburn didn't seem to think it was terribly serious, but he is scheduled to have more tests and such on Tuesday.
Anthony Swarzak has been added to the rotation and will pitch Friday in Blackburn's place. Right-handed reliever Lester Oliveros, acquired as the "player to be named later" in the Delmon Young trade, has been recalled to take Blackburn's roster spot.
~~~
Also watching:
Justin Morneau has been out for two games so far after fouling a pitch off his right foot on Saturday. X-rays were negative, but if it's still sore tomorrow, he'll have an MRI.
Tsuyoshi Nishioka has missed three games due to back spasms.
Other Updates:
Michael Cuddyer returned to play on Monday after missing a handful of games with a sore neck.
Denard Span won't be with the team for awhile. He's been sent home to rest.
Thursday, August 18, 2011
DL Report: Denard Span -- He Wasn't Really Better
Unfortunately, brain injuries are hard to treat, and even harder to predict. Throw in adjustments to medications, a predisposition to vertigo, and a lot of travel, and a regression is bound to happen.
The Twins have placed Denard Span on the 15-day DL, retroactive to August 14, with migraine and vertigo symptoms. He says that he feels like he did when he suffered vertigo back in 2009. He also reported that he and the trainers have been trying to adjust his medications. Because his concussion is located in the part of the brain that handles balance, he's just not feeling very steady at all. There's a chance he may need to visit the specialist in Pittsburgh he saw before. Unfortunately, this may end his season, especially with the Twins out of playoff contention. There's no reason to bring him back until they're 100% certain that he's 100% well.
Luke Hughes was called up from AAA Rochester to take Span's roster spot. Unfortunately, Hughes got a little lost in the airport, and he missed his flight. He did finally arrive mid-game Thursday.
I have no idea why the paper doll has that black squiggly thing around it. When I copied from the first time I made it, it didn't have that. It's late, and I don't feel like cleaning it up. I figure it kind of represents the fog that's following Denard.
~~~
Also watching:
Michael Cuddyer is still suffering a pain in the neck. He had an epidural shot and hopefully it'll feel better in a day or two.
Matt Tolbert has a sore wrist and can't swing a bat. He felt something during batting practice a couple of days ago.
~~~
Hence:
Three guys were unavailable plus Jason Kubel was away tending to a family matter. All this added up to only two guys able to play the outfield. Insert Joe Mauer in right field. And until Hughes arrived, there was no one on the bench. It would've been simultaneously awesome and awful if Drew Butera had gotten hurt. Joe comes in to catch, and one of the starting pitchers goes out in right? Too ridiculous to even hold in my brain.
Luke Hughes was called up from AAA Rochester to take Span's roster spot. Unfortunately, Hughes got a little lost in the airport, and he missed his flight. He did finally arrive mid-game Thursday.
I have no idea why the paper doll has that black squiggly thing around it. When I copied from the first time I made it, it didn't have that. It's late, and I don't feel like cleaning it up. I figure it kind of represents the fog that's following Denard.
~~~
Also watching:
Michael Cuddyer is still suffering a pain in the neck. He had an epidural shot and hopefully it'll feel better in a day or two.
Matt Tolbert has a sore wrist and can't swing a bat. He felt something during batting practice a couple of days ago.
~~~
Hence:
Three guys were unavailable plus Jason Kubel was away tending to a family matter. All this added up to only two guys able to play the outfield. Insert Joe Mauer in right field. And until Hughes arrived, there was no one on the bench. It would've been simultaneously awesome and awful if Drew Butera had gotten hurt. Joe comes in to catch, and one of the starting pitchers goes out in right? Too ridiculous to even hold in my brain.
Saturday, August 13, 2011
DL Report: Jason Repko...Whatever
Ok, I should have done this yesterday, but I was busy until after the game, and then by then, I was so pissy, I kind of forgot. Besides, it seems kind of shady, so waiting a day isn't a big deal.
The Twins have placed Jason Repko on the 15-day DL, retroactive to August 11th, with left shoulder bursitis. This announcement completely came out of nowhere. However, he's a bench player, so it's not like he missed any starts that we could notice. He could have been in agony for days, and we were totally oblivious to it.
Bursitis is inflammation of the fluid-filled (bursa) sac that's between tendons and bone.
I think one of the 57 beat writers I follow on Twitter said something about that Repko had and MRI, and that's when they found the bursitis. I'm pretty sure if they did an MRI on me, or you even, they'd find bursitis. I just find it rather convenient that he suddenly is hurt right when Justin Morneau is ready to be activated. I'm not sayin'...I'm just sayin'. It sounds like someone didn't want to be sent to AAA.
~~~
Other Updates:
Friday marked the triumphant return of Justin Morneau. Ok, "triumphant" may be a smidge strong -- he went 0 for 4, but it's sure swell to have him back with the team. He swaps spots on the roster with Repko.
Alexi Casilla was also activated on Friday. Trevor Plouffe was optioned to AAA Rochester to make room.
Also Watching:
Gardy was quite excited to finally write up the opening day lineup on Friday's lineup card, but, alas, it was not to be. Michael Cuddyer felt a pop in his neck during batting practice. Reportedly on his last swing of the session. Because that's how things roll with this year's Twins. Everyone is hoping that it's minor and he'll be ok after a day or two off.
Also under the "that's how things roll with this year's Twins" category, Casilla tweaked his hamstring -- yeah, the same hamstring that supposedly just healed -- in the seventh inning of Friday's game -- yeah, the same game that he was just activated for. So, yeah....
The Twins have placed Jason Repko on the 15-day DL, retroactive to August 11th, with left shoulder bursitis. This announcement completely came out of nowhere. However, he's a bench player, so it's not like he missed any starts that we could notice. He could have been in agony for days, and we were totally oblivious to it.
Bursitis is inflammation of the fluid-filled (bursa) sac that's between tendons and bone.
I think one of the 57 beat writers I follow on Twitter said something about that Repko had and MRI, and that's when they found the bursitis. I'm pretty sure if they did an MRI on me, or you even, they'd find bursitis. I just find it rather convenient that he suddenly is hurt right when Justin Morneau is ready to be activated. I'm not sayin'...I'm just sayin'. It sounds like someone didn't want to be sent to AAA.
~~~
Other Updates:
Friday marked the triumphant return of Justin Morneau. Ok, "triumphant" may be a smidge strong -- he went 0 for 4, but it's sure swell to have him back with the team. He swaps spots on the roster with Repko.
Alexi Casilla was also activated on Friday. Trevor Plouffe was optioned to AAA Rochester to make room.
Also Watching:
Gardy was quite excited to finally write up the opening day lineup on Friday's lineup card, but, alas, it was not to be. Michael Cuddyer felt a pop in his neck during batting practice. Reportedly on his last swing of the session. Because that's how things roll with this year's Twins. Everyone is hoping that it's minor and he'll be ok after a day or two off.
Also under the "that's how things roll with this year's Twins" category, Casilla tweaked his hamstring -- yeah, the same hamstring that supposedly just healed -- in the seventh inning of Friday's game -- yeah, the same game that he was just activated for. So, yeah....
Sunday, August 7, 2011
Nothing Can Come of Nothing -- Cuddyer Contract
I'm mad. And hurt. And distraught.
This emotional outpouring has nothing to do with the recent lousy play of the Twins, although I've done my fair share of ranting lately. I've swore so much at my television over the past several days, I fully expect it to send me a bill to reimburse it for all the psychotherapy it needs. But, despite my numerous R-rated rantings, I'm really only frustrated. This isn't our year and it sucks, but I'm not terribly upset about it.
No, instead, I'm boiling at Bill Smith. He simply hasn't put together a good team, and has done very little to repair that fact. And I fear he'll mess it up for 2012. I'm specifically upset about how he's handling Michael Cuddyer. Or, should I say "mis-handling"?
Now, I'm not usually one to criticize Smith, but the realization that the real franchise player might not come back next year is beginning to set in (no, folks, I'm sorry to say that Joe Mauer is not the franchise player). In fact, this article from the PiPress that says the Cuddy is "committed to test the free agent market" feels like a Cuddyer-thrown baseball to the chest. True, the organization recently offered him an extension that he doesn't want to consider right now.
I'm not mad at Cuddyer for being interested in free agency. He's having an outstanding year, and I'm sure there will be plenty of teams taking turns to talk to him. This will likely be his last multi-year contract for significant money. At 32, the all-star's value is at its highest right now, but I have doubts the Twins will, or even can, give him what he deserves.
It is promising that Smith made an in-season offer to Cuddyer; the team doesn't usually worry about contract stuff during the summer. They say that doing so shows that they're committed to re-signing him. But the offer was kind of like a weather balloon -- intended only to gather information and not really do anything more than that.
Cuddyer's value to the team is unmatched. He's obviously quite versatile in the field, but he's also the player-leader in the clubhouse. He's good to the press, the community, and the fans. His team-first attitude is an excellent model for everyone around him. The Twins would be less without him.
So here I am, reading articles and getting worried and then mad, and all this could have been avoided if Smith would've just extended Cuddyer's contract last off-season. The organization has always expressed its high regard for Cuddyer, but the decision to wait probably cost the Twins a lot. When this season is over, he'll be the star, and the Twins will be just one of many autograph hounds trying to get his attention.
Cuddy says he's not mad that the Twins didn't call with an offer last off-season -- he's not going to say anything different. But I have to wonder if he doesn't feel slightly snubbed. So, another team is going to swoop in, offer him a ridiculous contract that the Twins won't be able to match, and he'll be gone.
A reasonable offer last December could've prevented all this, and I'm mad that didn't happen. Inaction then will lead to regrets later.
This emotional outpouring has nothing to do with the recent lousy play of the Twins, although I've done my fair share of ranting lately. I've swore so much at my television over the past several days, I fully expect it to send me a bill to reimburse it for all the psychotherapy it needs. But, despite my numerous R-rated rantings, I'm really only frustrated. This isn't our year and it sucks, but I'm not terribly upset about it.
No, instead, I'm boiling at Bill Smith. He simply hasn't put together a good team, and has done very little to repair that fact. And I fear he'll mess it up for 2012. I'm specifically upset about how he's handling Michael Cuddyer. Or, should I say "mis-handling"?
Now, I'm not usually one to criticize Smith, but the realization that the real franchise player might not come back next year is beginning to set in (no, folks, I'm sorry to say that Joe Mauer is not the franchise player). In fact, this article from the PiPress that says the Cuddy is "committed to test the free agent market" feels like a Cuddyer-thrown baseball to the chest. True, the organization recently offered him an extension that he doesn't want to consider right now.
I'm not mad at Cuddyer for being interested in free agency. He's having an outstanding year, and I'm sure there will be plenty of teams taking turns to talk to him. This will likely be his last multi-year contract for significant money. At 32, the all-star's value is at its highest right now, but I have doubts the Twins will, or even can, give him what he deserves.
It is promising that Smith made an in-season offer to Cuddyer; the team doesn't usually worry about contract stuff during the summer. They say that doing so shows that they're committed to re-signing him. But the offer was kind of like a weather balloon -- intended only to gather information and not really do anything more than that.
Cuddyer's value to the team is unmatched. He's obviously quite versatile in the field, but he's also the player-leader in the clubhouse. He's good to the press, the community, and the fans. His team-first attitude is an excellent model for everyone around him. The Twins would be less without him.
So here I am, reading articles and getting worried and then mad, and all this could have been avoided if Smith would've just extended Cuddyer's contract last off-season. The organization has always expressed its high regard for Cuddyer, but the decision to wait probably cost the Twins a lot. When this season is over, he'll be the star, and the Twins will be just one of many autograph hounds trying to get his attention.
Cuddy says he's not mad that the Twins didn't call with an offer last off-season -- he's not going to say anything different. But I have to wonder if he doesn't feel slightly snubbed. So, another team is going to swoop in, offer him a ridiculous contract that the Twins won't be able to match, and he'll be gone.
A reasonable offer last December could've prevented all this, and I'm mad that didn't happen. Inaction then will lead to regrets later.
Sunday, July 31, 2011
Neither a Buyer Nor Seller Be
The non-waiver trade deadline has passed, and the Twins have nothing to show for it. Nothing. However, that's not to say that Bill Smith and his boys weren't busy. It just means that they were probably stubborn.
The loudest buzz of the weekend surrounded Denard Span going to the Nationals for right-handed reliever Drew Storen. From what I gathered through sorting through hundreds of tweets on the topic, Washington pushed hard for Span, but his value caused Smith to ask more than what they were willing to give up. It hard to tell exactly how close this deal actually was; all the news came from the Nationals' side, and the Twins, as usual, were very secretive.
Storen's a good pitcher, and he would have been a very nice addition to the Twins' struggling bullpen, but Span is just too valuable to let go unless the return package blows everyone away. Span is a great on-base guy (an important asset for a leadoff hitter), hits for average, has some power, and his defense gets better every year. Plus, he's under contract at a reasonable price until 2014 (with a team option in 2015). He's a good clubhouse guy with a great attitude; he tends to let adversity fire him up rather than bring him down. There were also indications that his teammates would have been upset if he was traded.
This whole thing must have weighed on his mind as he read his name all over Twitter. He sent out a few tweets indicating that he hoped to remain a Twin and how much he appreciated the fan support. On Sunday evening, he expressed his relief and gratitude again. I certainly hope he can move on from all this chaos cleanly with no regrets or hard feelings.
Jason Kubel, Michael Cuddyer, and Kevin Slowey's names were also thrown around as trade candidates, but I never got the feeling that anything was serious or eminent with them. It seems that the Twins still consider themselves contenders, and Kubel and Cuddyer will be important pieces in achieving that goal.
Turns out, it's probably also wise that they hung on to Kevin Slowey. The rotation is scuffling, and the Twins may need him to take over for someone. Also, there is still a chance that he could be traded through waivers in August.
Not giving away helpful pieces is well and good and all, but the Twins didn't gain any helpful pieces either. Which is disappointing. There are wide holes in the bullpen and middle-infield that could use some quality help. The starting pitching is also leaving a lot to be desired lately. I wonder if all this focus on Span cost the Twins some opportunities to target other players.
Fortunately, it's still possible to acquire some guys; they just have to clear waivers first (and there are ways to get around that, too). Remember, Carl Pavano was added in August of 2009, and that worked out pretty well.
~~~
DL Update:
Denard Span has been activated from the DL after being out since June 9 with a concussion. He will meet up with the team in Anaheim and is scheduled to start Tuesday (Monday is an off day for the team). Infielder Luke Hughes was sent down to AAA Rochester (again!) to make room.
Justin Morneau might start a rehab assignment this week.
~~~
Don't forget to enter for the 1991 World Series Collector's DVD Set drawing. The deadline is Sunday night, so this is your last chance. I'll execute the drawing, with one of my kids, sometime after dinner on Monday (it is supposed to be taco night, so, you know, priorities).
One entry per person, so enter now if you haven't already. Just let me know any way you know how.
The loudest buzz of the weekend surrounded Denard Span going to the Nationals for right-handed reliever Drew Storen. From what I gathered through sorting through hundreds of tweets on the topic, Washington pushed hard for Span, but his value caused Smith to ask more than what they were willing to give up. It hard to tell exactly how close this deal actually was; all the news came from the Nationals' side, and the Twins, as usual, were very secretive.
Storen's a good pitcher, and he would have been a very nice addition to the Twins' struggling bullpen, but Span is just too valuable to let go unless the return package blows everyone away. Span is a great on-base guy (an important asset for a leadoff hitter), hits for average, has some power, and his defense gets better every year. Plus, he's under contract at a reasonable price until 2014 (with a team option in 2015). He's a good clubhouse guy with a great attitude; he tends to let adversity fire him up rather than bring him down. There were also indications that his teammates would have been upset if he was traded.
This whole thing must have weighed on his mind as he read his name all over Twitter. He sent out a few tweets indicating that he hoped to remain a Twin and how much he appreciated the fan support. On Sunday evening, he expressed his relief and gratitude again. I certainly hope he can move on from all this chaos cleanly with no regrets or hard feelings.
Jason Kubel, Michael Cuddyer, and Kevin Slowey's names were also thrown around as trade candidates, but I never got the feeling that anything was serious or eminent with them. It seems that the Twins still consider themselves contenders, and Kubel and Cuddyer will be important pieces in achieving that goal.
Turns out, it's probably also wise that they hung on to Kevin Slowey. The rotation is scuffling, and the Twins may need him to take over for someone. Also, there is still a chance that he could be traded through waivers in August.
Not giving away helpful pieces is well and good and all, but the Twins didn't gain any helpful pieces either. Which is disappointing. There are wide holes in the bullpen and middle-infield that could use some quality help. The starting pitching is also leaving a lot to be desired lately. I wonder if all this focus on Span cost the Twins some opportunities to target other players.
Fortunately, it's still possible to acquire some guys; they just have to clear waivers first (and there are ways to get around that, too). Remember, Carl Pavano was added in August of 2009, and that worked out pretty well.
~~~
DL Update:
Denard Span has been activated from the DL after being out since June 9 with a concussion. He will meet up with the team in Anaheim and is scheduled to start Tuesday (Monday is an off day for the team). Infielder Luke Hughes was sent down to AAA Rochester (again!) to make room.
Justin Morneau might start a rehab assignment this week.
~~~
Don't forget to enter for the 1991 World Series Collector's DVD Set drawing. The deadline is Sunday night, so this is your last chance. I'll execute the drawing, with one of my kids, sometime after dinner on Monday (it is supposed to be taco night, so, you know, priorities).
One entry per person, so enter now if you haven't already. Just let me know any way you know how.
Monday, July 4, 2011
A Few Holiday Weekend Quick Notes
I hope you had a wonderful long Independence Day weekend. I sure did; it couldn't have been more perfect. I went to Friday's game, which was a lot of fun (even the rain delay was interesting). Then I spent the rest of the weekend at the lake where the weather was perfect. Boating, eating, resting, and a little drinking. Very nice. The only wrinkle was when Matt Capps vomited all over the Twins' 3-run lead on Saturday.
A few notes:
A few notes:
- Friday was my first time in the Metropolitan Club at Target Field. I highly recommend the horseradish encrusted walleye. And the Yukon gold mashed potatoes. And the spinach ravioli with asparagus and portobello cream sauce. And...well, everything.
- The rain that came over Target Field on Friday night was pretty cool. The first storm was quite windy, and the poor grounds crew guys were hustling their tails off to get, and keep, the tarp down. They threw everything heavy they owned on it to keep it from blowing away: bags of fertilizer, the things they use to drag the infield dirt, hoses, carts, whatever. When the second storm blew in, it was actually awesome. There was a distinct edge to the storm, and when the edge came across the bank of lights, the optical illusion made it look like a wave crashing over the park. The crowd ooooh'd and aaaaaah'd over it. This picture doesn't do justice to it:
- The grounds crew is amazing. It was actually pretty interesting watching them work. You know how Target Field brags about capturing and recycling rain water? It's true -- at least the capturing part. There is a drain near third base, and the manipulate the tarp so that all the water goes there. Then they squeegie all the water into the drain. It looked like there may have been other drains along the warning track as well. Fifteen minutes after the rain stopped, it looked from the stands like the field was never wet.
- Jim Thome. Home run. 'Nuf said.
- Even though the rain delay made it a late night, the fireworks after the game were pretty cool.
- How tired are we of Matt Capps? I've never been a huge fan of his, mainly because Joe Nathan is my guy and I'm emotional about the whole closer situation. Earlier in the season, Joe Nathan took himself out of the closer role after only two blown saves. Capps has now blown six saves, and he got bent because Gardy pulled him after giving up two hits on Sunday, a day after blowing a three-run lead. Not cool. The trouble with Capps is that he doesn't have an overpowering fastball and he doesn't really strike out a lot of people. He's a contact pitcher, and contact pitchers can get hit around sometimes. Not really the best closer material, if you ask me. I'm not saying he's a bad pitcher, just not a good closer.
- So, was it a sign of progress when Gardy pulled Capps and put in Glen Perkins on Sunday? Is he going to start using the best pitcher for the situation in the ninth instead of managing to the "Save for the Closer" philosophy? I have my doubts. He's always seemed to me to be a big the-closer-and-only-the-closer-pitches-the-ninth type guy. Is it time he re-visit his idea of closer by Capps/Nathan committee plan he had after spring training? I think so, but again, I can't speak objectively about any of it.
- Here's how I forgot about the whole closer mess -- on the pontoon:
- I'm so happy that Michael Cuddyer was named to the All-Star Game. I hope he has fun with it. I think it's funny that he doesn't know which glove to bring, so he'll just bring them all.
- Jim Thome. Home run. Again.
- Gardy looked like a genius on Monday by putting Danny Valencia at DH and Danny responds by hitting a three-run home run.
- Complete shut outs are hawt. That makes Brian Duensing all the hawt. Even though he had to do a little "character building" in the first couple innings.
Wednesday, May 25, 2011
Shuttle Plane: MSP/ROC
First of all, I just want to kiss Nick Blackburn fully on the lips. Oh, and I think he pitched pretty well on Tuesday, too. Complete games are hawt!
Oh, and I want to give Matt Capps a time out. A time out in my house consists of sitting on the floor holding a folded-up washcloth against the wall with your forehead until I'm not mad anymore. It's hell; just ask my kids (although, if they were really tired, they'd just fall asleep that way). And Capps isn't the only one; he's just the only one I can think of right now. I have plenty of washcloths to go around.
~~~
Kevin Slowey is hurt again (more about that in a bit). This sure changes things with his "traaaade meeee, traaaade meeee" dilemma (check out what I wrote about it over on From The Third Baseline). Instead of sending him down to AAA to get stretched out to start, the Twins placed him on the DL and will call up another pitcher.
So, all this moving of guys back and forth between Rochester and Minneapolis made me think that the Twins should just invest in a commuter plane. Just run it every-other day; someone will need it.
See what I mean?
Some serious frequent-flyer miles for some of these guys. And it's only May.
~~~
DL Report:
At least this time I didn't have to make a new paper doll; I just had to move the boo-boo on one I had.
RHP Kevin Slowey has been placed on the 15-day DL, retroactive to 5/21, with strained rectus abdominis. This is a pair of muscles that go from the sternum down alongside the belly-button -- the "6-pack abs" muscles.
He had an MRI with the team physician a few days ago, and that showed nothing. He, or maybe the Twins, requested a second opinion (I have varying reports). A specialist gave him the diagnosis.
The recommended course of action is 7-10 days rest and ice.
No one has yet been called up to take his spot; many are speculating that it will be RHP Jim Hoey.
Updates: (info from StarTribune)
Tsuyoshi Nishioka is continuing his rehab, and could start playing in games as early as Friday.
Jose Mijares threw a bullpen session on Wednesday, and could pitch in rehab games this weekend.
Joe Mauer has been DHing in rehab games and felt good running the bases. Oh, and now there is a timetable for his return, but Gardy isn't telling anyone what that is. So, it's a super-secret timetable.
Also watching:
Michael Cuddyer has been out for a couple of games with a sore hip, but he was available to pinch-hit on Wednesday. Thursday's an off-day; he should be ready to go on Friday.
Matt Capps has a sore forearm, probably from overuse his last few outings. He's day-to-day.
Oh, and I want to give Matt Capps a time out. A time out in my house consists of sitting on the floor holding a folded-up washcloth against the wall with your forehead until I'm not mad anymore. It's hell; just ask my kids (although, if they were really tired, they'd just fall asleep that way). And Capps isn't the only one; he's just the only one I can think of right now. I have plenty of washcloths to go around.
~~~
Kevin Slowey is hurt again (more about that in a bit). This sure changes things with his "traaaade meeee, traaaade meeee" dilemma (check out what I wrote about it over on From The Third Baseline). Instead of sending him down to AAA to get stretched out to start, the Twins placed him on the DL and will call up another pitcher.
So, all this moving of guys back and forth between Rochester and Minneapolis made me think that the Twins should just invest in a commuter plane. Just run it every-other day; someone will need it.
See what I mean?
~~~
DL Report:
At least this time I didn't have to make a new paper doll; I just had to move the boo-boo on one I had.
He had an MRI with the team physician a few days ago, and that showed nothing. He, or maybe the Twins, requested a second opinion (I have varying reports). A specialist gave him the diagnosis.
The recommended course of action is 7-10 days rest and ice.
No one has yet been called up to take his spot; many are speculating that it will be RHP Jim Hoey.
Updates: (info from StarTribune)
Tsuyoshi Nishioka is continuing his rehab, and could start playing in games as early as Friday.
Jose Mijares threw a bullpen session on Wednesday, and could pitch in rehab games this weekend.
Joe Mauer has been DHing in rehab games and felt good running the bases. Oh, and now there is a timetable for his return, but Gardy isn't telling anyone what that is. So, it's a super-secret timetable.
Also watching:
Michael Cuddyer has been out for a couple of games with a sore hip, but he was available to pinch-hit on Wednesday. Thursday's an off-day; he should be ready to go on Friday.
Matt Capps has a sore forearm, probably from overuse his last few outings. He's day-to-day.
Thursday, April 21, 2011
Twins at Orioles: Better?
Recap:
Monday: Twins 5 - O's 3
Tuesday: Twins 0 - O's 11 (!)
Wednesday: Twins 4 - O's 5
Thursday: Twins 3 - O's 1
Obviously, winning is more fun than losing. Bit by bit, being a Twins fan is becoming more fun. We're all getting tired of telling our friends "it's only April," but it's still a true statement. Aside from the ugly blowout on Tuesday, I think the Twins played well considering the roster is pretty thin right now. Things will get better once everyone is healthy again, right? Right?
Right?
Please tell me I'm right...
High Fives:
Scott Baker -- pitched magnificently on Thursday
Michael Cuddyer -- 2 homeruns
Drew Butera -- 3 RBI on Monday
Jim Thome -- #591
~~~
DL Report: Updates
Tsuyoshi Nishioka's rehab on his broken leg is progressing nicely. He's in Minnesota riding a stationary bike and running a underwater treadmill. He's on schedule to return in four to six weeks.
Joe Mauer is also back in Minnesota working to regain strength after suffering the flu and also to get his legs into baseball shape. Kelsie Smith of the Pioneer Press has a nice article about him.
Kevin Slowey threw a bullpen session last weekend with positive results and will probably throw another one this coming weekend when the Twins come home. After that, he'll likely do a little rehab stint in AAA.
Justin Morneau is still sick. According to the tweets from the press folks, he's been in the bathroom a lot (I know, TMI). He's taken five bags of IVs, and was running a fever of 102 on Wednesday (which is why he was not available to pinch-hit). I don't even want to think about him having to ride the plane after Thursday's game. Yuck, yuck, yuck, yuck, yuck.
We're also watching Delmon Young. He's been out a few days with both the flu and soreness in his ribcage area. The flu is reportedly better, but he'll get (or already got -- not sure) an MRI to see what's going on in his side.
Monday: Twins 5 - O's 3
Tuesday: Twins 0 - O's 11 (!)
Wednesday: Twins 4 - O's 5
Thursday: Twins 3 - O's 1
Obviously, winning is more fun than losing. Bit by bit, being a Twins fan is becoming more fun. We're all getting tired of telling our friends "it's only April," but it's still a true statement. Aside from the ugly blowout on Tuesday, I think the Twins played well considering the roster is pretty thin right now. Things will get better once everyone is healthy again, right? Right?
Right?
Please tell me I'm right...
High Fives:
Scott Baker -- pitched magnificently on Thursday
Michael Cuddyer -- 2 homeruns
Drew Butera -- 3 RBI on Monday
Jim Thome -- #591
~~~
DL Report: Updates
Tsuyoshi Nishioka's rehab on his broken leg is progressing nicely. He's in Minnesota riding a stationary bike and running a underwater treadmill. He's on schedule to return in four to six weeks.
Joe Mauer is also back in Minnesota working to regain strength after suffering the flu and also to get his legs into baseball shape. Kelsie Smith of the Pioneer Press has a nice article about him.
Kevin Slowey threw a bullpen session last weekend with positive results and will probably throw another one this coming weekend when the Twins come home. After that, he'll likely do a little rehab stint in AAA.
Justin Morneau is still sick. According to the tweets from the press folks, he's been in the bathroom a lot (I know, TMI). He's taken five bags of IVs, and was running a fever of 102 on Wednesday (which is why he was not available to pinch-hit). I don't even want to think about him having to ride the plane after Thursday's game. Yuck, yuck, yuck, yuck, yuck.
We're also watching Delmon Young. He's been out a few days with both the flu and soreness in his ribcage area. The flu is reportedly better, but he'll get (or already got -- not sure) an MRI to see what's going on in his side.
Wednesday, April 13, 2011
Royals at Twins: Uptight
Recap:
Tuesday: Royals 3 - Twins 4 (10)
Wednesday: Royals 10 - Twins 5
Record: 4-7
Everybody is uptight. And the more the Twins lose, the more uptight they're going to get. It's time to relax and have some fun.
Well, the hitting is starting to come around. Cuddy had a great night at the plate on Tuesday by going 4-4. And on Wednesday, the Twins finally scored a run in the first inning. So that's something.
I'm getting worried about the starting pitching, and I'm really getting annoyed with the defense.
I don't really expect Duensing to repeat the fantastic season he had last year to the letter. But I gotta admit that I'm worried that he's overmatched, or at least he's feeling that way. I think that Gardy's naming him a starter so early in spring training may have put a lot of pressure on him. He's uptight; hopefully he can settle down and find a comfortable groove.
I'm more worried about Liriano. You can practically see how uptight he is. We all know how very good he can be -- it was just last year. But now he's tentative and meek. Gardy has been saying that he wants Frankie to worry less about strikeouts, and try pitching more to contact so he can go deeper into games. Which is fine, right up until his defense lets him down, and then he can't figure out what to do. At that point, all that "contact" turns into a bunch of "hits" and consequently, "runs." It's fairly well known that he's easily rattled -- "headcase" is a term that's thrown around a lot. Clearly he and Rick Anderson are tinkering, and he's still figuring out what he's trying to do. But asking him to pitch to contact when he has fill-ins for middle-infielders might be asking a bit much for someone who seems to get wigged out easily. Gardy needs to just let him pitch how he wants to pitch and Frankie just needs to learn how to relax and stop thinking. After all, in the wise words of Crash Davis, "don't think; it can only hurt the ball club."
Poor Frankie did have a lot of bad luck on Wednesday. With Tolbert playing short and Cuddyer playing second, he kind of didn't have much of a chance. There were a couple of plays I thought they should've made. I'm willing to cut Cuddy some slack -- he's truly filling in. But Tolbert was playing uptight and should know better -- he airmailed a ball in the first that probably unsettled Liriano from the get-go. Valencia also had a couple diving attempts both Tuesday and Wednesday that I thought maybe he should've made. Maybe I'm being a little tough on them, but I miss the days when the defense was excellent.
Anyway, I'm getting too uptight too. I need to relax.
~~~
I went to Wednesday's game. I got a chance to sit in those once-in-a-lifetime-you-can't-turn-them-down-because-you'll-never-get-a-chance-to-sit-there-again-ever seats. I also brought my nice camera. Needless to say, I may have taken a picture or two.
Tuesday: Royals 3 - Twins 4 (10)
Wednesday: Royals 10 - Twins 5
Record: 4-7
Everybody is uptight. And the more the Twins lose, the more uptight they're going to get. It's time to relax and have some fun.
Well, the hitting is starting to come around. Cuddy had a great night at the plate on Tuesday by going 4-4. And on Wednesday, the Twins finally scored a run in the first inning. So that's something.
I'm getting worried about the starting pitching, and I'm really getting annoyed with the defense.
I don't really expect Duensing to repeat the fantastic season he had last year to the letter. But I gotta admit that I'm worried that he's overmatched, or at least he's feeling that way. I think that Gardy's naming him a starter so early in spring training may have put a lot of pressure on him. He's uptight; hopefully he can settle down and find a comfortable groove.
I'm more worried about Liriano. You can practically see how uptight he is. We all know how very good he can be -- it was just last year. But now he's tentative and meek. Gardy has been saying that he wants Frankie to worry less about strikeouts, and try pitching more to contact so he can go deeper into games. Which is fine, right up until his defense lets him down, and then he can't figure out what to do. At that point, all that "contact" turns into a bunch of "hits" and consequently, "runs." It's fairly well known that he's easily rattled -- "headcase" is a term that's thrown around a lot. Clearly he and Rick Anderson are tinkering, and he's still figuring out what he's trying to do. But asking him to pitch to contact when he has fill-ins for middle-infielders might be asking a bit much for someone who seems to get wigged out easily. Gardy needs to just let him pitch how he wants to pitch and Frankie just needs to learn how to relax and stop thinking. After all, in the wise words of Crash Davis, "don't think; it can only hurt the ball club."
Poor Frankie did have a lot of bad luck on Wednesday. With Tolbert playing short and Cuddyer playing second, he kind of didn't have much of a chance. There were a couple of plays I thought they should've made. I'm willing to cut Cuddy some slack -- he's truly filling in. But Tolbert was playing uptight and should know better -- he airmailed a ball in the first that probably unsettled Liriano from the get-go. Valencia also had a couple diving attempts both Tuesday and Wednesday that I thought maybe he should've made. Maybe I'm being a little tough on them, but I miss the days when the defense was excellent.
Anyway, I'm getting too uptight too. I need to relax.
~~~
I went to Wednesday's game. I got a chance to sit in those once-in-a-lifetime-you-can't-turn-them-down-because-you'll-never-get-a-chance-to-sit-there-again-ever seats. I also brought my nice camera. Needless to say, I may have taken a picture or two.
Monday, April 11, 2011
Some Crappy Pictures from Sunday's Game
I do have a nice camera, but it's a brute and I kind of hate carrying it around. My husband was already carrying a backpack of jackets, rain gear, and food, so there wasn't any way he was going to carry it. So, I used my phone to take some pictures of Target Field on Sunday. The pictures are ok when I didn't zoom in; they're crappy when I did.
At any rate, here they are:
At any rate, here they are:
It was a hazy, humid, and breezy day at the park.
But the rain stayed away, so it was decent weather for baseball.
They have Thome Homer countdown. It was at 589 before the game.
They're also counting down games until Bert gets inducted into the Hall of Fame.
They honored the UMD Bulldogs National Hockey Champions. Congrats, guys!
Scott Baker delivering. It was probably a ball.
Cuddy playing second base. He did all right.
T.C. waiting until the end of the half-inning so he can get on the field and shoot some shirts.
Big Jim at the plate.
I hope these folks got circled by Bert.
Jumbo-tron proposal. Except this isn't the right couple. Oopsie. Poor Dustin and Miranda.
They're changing Jim Thome's homerun countdown to 590. His homer landed in the concourse area right below the countdown sign. Boom!
Ok, you tell me... Does this say that Young and Kubel "'stuck' out swinging"? We couldn't really tell from where we were sitting.
That's it. Maybe next time I'll bring my good camera.
Tuesday, March 8, 2011
Leaving Injury Island
I'm not an athlete. Clearly. So I can only imagine what it feels like for a competitive soul to sit there and recover from an injury while the rest of his team plays. The itching to get out there and perform must be nearly unbearable. Even missing a few days must suck; baseball players play baseball because they want to play baseball, not watch it. Being on the bench while healing must feel like being on a deserted island. A nasty, mean, ugly, miserable island.
Hearing about all the players dropping like flies during Spring Training kind of bummed me out. It got so bad one day that the Twins had to get special permission from the commissioner's office because they couldn't come up with the required five regulars to make a road trip. Not to mention, I was still bummed out about the hold-overs from last season.
So, it's been great to read accounts about guys, one-by-one, taking positive steps off that lonely island.
First, Joe Nathan has been showing great promise, with no setbacks, coming back from Tommy John surgery last year. All reports indicate that his velocity is good and his command is improving.
And then, the big news, Justin Morneau took his place at first base for the first time since July. If he feels ok over the next few days, it might be the beginning of the end of that nasty concussion. Although, I must say that I rather enjoyed watching my Twitter feed as he took the field -- Gardy had Chris Parmalee listed on the roster at first base, the sneaky devil. Not that I ever want Gardy to do that again...
Delmon Young played his first game after being out with turf toe. He walked in his two at-bats, but he ran from first to home reportedly without favoring the foot. This is encouraging.
The ginormous crater in the bottom of Michael Cuddyer's foot left from the wart removal is said to be healed over. Assuming all he feels is a little tenderness, it won't be long until he can run around on it. (If you haven't seen the picture of the said crater, look here for the photo he uploaded to Twitter -- not for those with weak constitutions.)
Joe Mauer is still out, but we keep hearing reassurances that he's just being cautious and taking things easy. As long he's ready on Opening Day, it's all good.
Even all the other minor nicks and bumps (Fransico's shoulder, Baker's elbow, Alexi's ankle, etc.) are kind of taking care themselves as the players shake off the off-season rust.
So, here's hoping that by April 1, 2011, that stupid Injury Island is truly deserted and all our guys are ready to play.
Hearing about all the players dropping like flies during Spring Training kind of bummed me out. It got so bad one day that the Twins had to get special permission from the commissioner's office because they couldn't come up with the required five regulars to make a road trip. Not to mention, I was still bummed out about the hold-overs from last season.
So, it's been great to read accounts about guys, one-by-one, taking positive steps off that lonely island.
First, Joe Nathan has been showing great promise, with no setbacks, coming back from Tommy John surgery last year. All reports indicate that his velocity is good and his command is improving.
And then, the big news, Justin Morneau took his place at first base for the first time since July. If he feels ok over the next few days, it might be the beginning of the end of that nasty concussion. Although, I must say that I rather enjoyed watching my Twitter feed as he took the field -- Gardy had Chris Parmalee listed on the roster at first base, the sneaky devil. Not that I ever want Gardy to do that again...
Delmon Young played his first game after being out with turf toe. He walked in his two at-bats, but he ran from first to home reportedly without favoring the foot. This is encouraging.
The ginormous crater in the bottom of Michael Cuddyer's foot left from the wart removal is said to be healed over. Assuming all he feels is a little tenderness, it won't be long until he can run around on it. (If you haven't seen the picture of the said crater, look here for the photo he uploaded to Twitter -- not for those with weak constitutions.)
Joe Mauer is still out, but we keep hearing reassurances that he's just being cautious and taking things easy. As long he's ready on Opening Day, it's all good.
Even all the other minor nicks and bumps (Fransico's shoulder, Baker's elbow, Alexi's ankle, etc.) are kind of taking care themselves as the players shake off the off-season rust.
So, here's hoping that by April 1, 2011, that stupid Injury Island is truly deserted and all our guys are ready to play.
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
Quick Notes: Mar. 2, 2011
The Spring Training games have started. It's still kind of early to really know much about anything, but it's certainly fun listening to live radio broadcasts of live pitching, batting, and fielding.
~~~
Justin Morneau is making good progress from his head injury, but he's still waiting to be cleared to play in games. Even though steady progress is good news, fans are still quite concerned. We all remember how Corey Koskie's career was cut short due to concussion symptoms, and no one wants a repeat of that. Concussions are so hard to predict and understand; there is no way to put a timetable on it. It is, after all, a bruise to the brain, and every bruise -- and every brain for that matter -- heals differently. Fans are also concerned about who would play if Justin can't. I think Cuddyer does just fine -- he's no superstar, but he's serviceable -- but there is no other depth at the position.
~~~
Speaking of Michael Cuddyer, he returned to the Twin Cities to have a pesky wart on his foot removed. He figured now would be a better time than, say, April. I've had nasty plantar warts, and let me tell you, they're painful. And gross. He said that there is a 60% chance that it's gone. Yeah, that's the thing about warts; they're like dandelions -- the root runs very deep, and if you don't get it all, it comes back. With attitude.
~~~
Speaking of feet, Delmon Young still hasn't played because he's got turf toe. Seriously? Turf toe? He's been in Fort Myers, what, fifteen minutes? And they don't even have turf. Actually, turf toe is pretty painful and isn't as silly as it sounds. He must've been working hard preparing for Spring Training, and over-did things a bit. I'm sure it's sore, but it shouldn't be too serious.
~~~
Joe Mauer had some sort of lubricant injected in his knee. I imagine it was the equivalent of the Tin Man's oil can. A couple of shots of 3-in-1, and he's good to go. Some folks are wondering if this should indicate that maybe he shouldn't be catching. I don't think it's a big deal. He had cartilage removed from that knee, so it stands to reason that it would need some maintenance every 3,000 miles.
~~~
If Nishioka turns out to be a good player, I think he'll quickly become one of my favorites. He seems to be a really fun guy. And it sounds like he and Alexi are developing ways to communicate with each other. Dan Gladden said something about that they're using their mouths to indicate who has it -- mouth open for one, mouth closed for the other. I just hope neither one of them suffers a serious head cold and has to breathe with his mouth open.We'd all hate a rhinovirus-induced collision.
~~~
Gardy announced that he fully expects to give Brian Duensing a spot in the starting rotation. Good for Brian; I kind of like him. With Liriano and Pavano already locked in, that leaves three guys for two remaining spots. I've gotta believe Baker gets a spot. So that leaves Kevin Slowey and Nick Blackburn to duke it out. Personally, I think Slowey's pitching style is more fitting for starting and Blackie would be all right in the bull pen. But, we'll have to see how things shake out in Spring Training. Or, they could just play rock-paper-scissors for the job.
~~~
Justin Morneau is making good progress from his head injury, but he's still waiting to be cleared to play in games. Even though steady progress is good news, fans are still quite concerned. We all remember how Corey Koskie's career was cut short due to concussion symptoms, and no one wants a repeat of that. Concussions are so hard to predict and understand; there is no way to put a timetable on it. It is, after all, a bruise to the brain, and every bruise -- and every brain for that matter -- heals differently. Fans are also concerned about who would play if Justin can't. I think Cuddyer does just fine -- he's no superstar, but he's serviceable -- but there is no other depth at the position.
~~~
Speaking of Michael Cuddyer, he returned to the Twin Cities to have a pesky wart on his foot removed. He figured now would be a better time than, say, April. I've had nasty plantar warts, and let me tell you, they're painful. And gross. He said that there is a 60% chance that it's gone. Yeah, that's the thing about warts; they're like dandelions -- the root runs very deep, and if you don't get it all, it comes back. With attitude.
~~~
Speaking of feet, Delmon Young still hasn't played because he's got turf toe. Seriously? Turf toe? He's been in Fort Myers, what, fifteen minutes? And they don't even have turf. Actually, turf toe is pretty painful and isn't as silly as it sounds. He must've been working hard preparing for Spring Training, and over-did things a bit. I'm sure it's sore, but it shouldn't be too serious.
~~~
Joe Mauer had some sort of lubricant injected in his knee. I imagine it was the equivalent of the Tin Man's oil can. A couple of shots of 3-in-1, and he's good to go. Some folks are wondering if this should indicate that maybe he shouldn't be catching. I don't think it's a big deal. He had cartilage removed from that knee, so it stands to reason that it would need some maintenance every 3,000 miles.
~~~
If Nishioka turns out to be a good player, I think he'll quickly become one of my favorites. He seems to be a really fun guy. And it sounds like he and Alexi are developing ways to communicate with each other. Dan Gladden said something about that they're using their mouths to indicate who has it -- mouth open for one, mouth closed for the other. I just hope neither one of them suffers a serious head cold and has to breathe with his mouth open.We'd all hate a rhinovirus-induced collision.
~~~
Gardy announced that he fully expects to give Brian Duensing a spot in the starting rotation. Good for Brian; I kind of like him. With Liriano and Pavano already locked in, that leaves three guys for two remaining spots. I've gotta believe Baker gets a spot. So that leaves Kevin Slowey and Nick Blackburn to duke it out. Personally, I think Slowey's pitching style is more fitting for starting and Blackie would be all right in the bull pen. But, we'll have to see how things shake out in Spring Training. Or, they could just play rock-paper-scissors for the job.
Sunday, January 30, 2011
Quick Notes: Jan. 30, 2011
But, since you were kind enough to stop by, I'll come up with a couple of things.
~~~
News Item 1: Kevin Slowey and the Twins avoided arbitration by agreeing to a 1-year, $2 something million contract.
~~~
News Item 2: The Twins picked up LHP Dusty Hughes off waivers from the Royals. In order to make room, they designated RHP Rob Delaney for assignment -- which means he had to pass through waivers in order to remain on the minor league roster -- who was promptly claimed by the Rays.
Ok. First of all, what is it with the Twins and guys named Hughes? Isn't he like the 17th one they've had in the last six years or so?
Secondly, I don't get this move at all. I can't figure out what the front office thinks their gaining by picking up a reject from the Royals. But, I don't really know much about this Hughes fellow, so I'll give him a chance. I just think it's dumb that they had to lose Delaney to get him.
~~~
News Item 3: Bert's number 28 will be retired by the Twins, now that Jesse Crain is gone and done using it. Huzzah!
~~~
News Item 4: The Twins are removing the pine trees that decorate the centerfield area of the stadium. Some of the batters were complaining that they couldn't see the ball due to the crazy shadows the trees cast during late afternoon and early evening games. Too bad; I thought the trees were pretty.
I hope they can transplant them to a suitable home, maybe around the plaza or someplace close by.
~~~
Ok, so Twins Fest. Due to other commitments -- well that, and the fact I failed to get some of those limited tickets in a timely manner, -- I was unable to attend. But I was absolutely captivated by following my Twitter feed. Many of my Twitter friends went and posted pictures. That was really fun; I'm glad they did. Several friends also posted pictures on Facebook; I loved them.
I also really appreciate how the Twins public relations folks really used Twitter to reach out to fans. It's so easy to conduct a quick interview with a player by recording it on an iPhone and then pop it on to Twitter. They did a number of those, and they were a ton of fun.
So between reading my friends tweets, seeing the Twitvids from the Twins, seeing a bunch of pictures on Facebook, and listening to the interviews on 1500ESPN on the radio, I didn't feel too sorry for myself for missing it.
~~~
Speaking of Twitter, it seems as if some of the players are embracing the social media craze and signing up. Denard (@thisisdspan) and Cuddy (@mcuddy5) have been on for a while, but recently have been reaching out more. Addtionally, Danny Valencia's (@dannyvalencia19) in -- probably the best thing to happen to Twitter, since, well, tweeting (don't believe me? just ask him). So if you're a Twitterer, be sure you're following these guys; it's a lot of fun.
If I had some words of advice for players on Twitter, they would be:
- Keep it real. We follow you because we really want to get to know you a little better. Go ahead and talk about whatever's on your mind -- music, television, movies, food, and of course, baseball.
- Keep it classy. Don't call out your teammates or coaches and don't disrespect your opponents. That kind of stuff might make for some entertaining Twitterbattles, it can also get blown out of proportion in a hurry. We'd hate for you to have to shut down because you pissed someone off. Best to take the approach of pretending that Gardy and your mom are looking over your shoulder with every tweet -- if you can't say it in front of them, don't say it at all. Keep things positive and fun, and you'll be all right.
- Keep a thick skin. There will be some jerks who forget that you are a real human being and will take out their (usually hypersensitive) frustrations out on you because you're there and say some mean things. Don't ever ever ever take this crap personally. These people are morons; don't forget that. Just shrug off their BS. (Oh, and a note to the knuckleheads who do that -- knock it off! You're not that smart and no one likes you.)
Now that Twins Fest is done, there's not much to do until Spring Training starts. I'll really surprised if the Twins' front office does anything between now and then, other than avoiding arbitration with Delmon and Francisco. I expect those to be one-year deals, but then they may work on contract extentions for both of them during Spring Training.
Sunday, November 7, 2010
Notes: Nov. 7, 2010
The free agency season has officially begun. Ten Twins were granted free agency, which is kind of a lot (only the Rays have more with 12).
Here are the guys we may not see in a Twins uniform any more:
~~~
On October 30, Charley Walters of the Pioneer Press reported that Michael Cuddyer had emergency appendectomy surgery two days prior. But, what's weird is, no one else reported it. Honestly, I looked.
Now, I'm not necessarily a fan of Shooter, but I would think a journalist who's spilled as much ink as he has wouldn't just make stuff up. So, I guess I believe him. But wouldn't you think that someone, anyone, would also mention it? Fifteen people told me about his little knee-cleanup surgery a couple of weeks ago, so I'm confused as to why it's not all over the usual outlets.
I guess everyone takes it to heart when Walters titles that segment of his column "Don't Print That."
And if it is true, Cuddy is a quick healer; he tweeted Sunday about taking his boy to the Wiggles concert. He even proved it with a picture. He looks good (yes, he always looks good; I mean healthy).
So, Cuddy honey, if you really did have your appendix out about 10 days ago, I hope you're well. And if you didn't, I still hope you're well, but I think you should openly mock and laugh at Charley Walters.
~~~
Allow me to give you an update on my crocheted scarf project. Turns out I'm pretty bad at judging size. Not only is it way to wide for my neck, it's also turning out to be way too long (it's a pattern, so I can't just stop). It's so big, it's suitable for Paul Bunyan. Or Jim Thome.
Hey, I have an idea...I'm totally willing to throw in this scarf-asaurus in any offer the Twins give to Jimmers. Big, strong sluggers have to keep warm, you know.
~~~
My birthday was this past week, and I finally got a Brad Radke jersey. Yay me! This is my first player jersey (the other one I have is plain). At least I know I can't bring bad luck to Radke's Twins career.
The notable part about this is that Radke jerseys are really hard to find. So, I'm very happy to get this.
~~~
Speaking of getting old, I take an unusual interest in players over 40. I looked them up to see their contract status and see how many of them were free agents. I guess it's kind of typical that a lot of them are free agents; older guys usually get only one-year contracts. Of the 15 active players in the MLB who are 40 or older, only three -- Tim Wakefield, Omar Vizquel, and Darren Oliver -- have contracts for 2011. Here's a breakdown:
** Russ Springer was not on my original blog post about the graybeards because he was likely sitting at home that day. He didn't sign with the Reds until mid-July.
So I'll keep track of these guys and see who gets signed, who retires, and who fades away....
Here are the guys we may not see in a Twins uniform any more:
- Crain
- Flores
- Fuentes
- Guerrier
- Hudson
- Mahay
- Pavano
- Punto
- Rauch
- Thome
~~~
On October 30, Charley Walters of the Pioneer Press reported that Michael Cuddyer had emergency appendectomy surgery two days prior. But, what's weird is, no one else reported it. Honestly, I looked.
Now, I'm not necessarily a fan of Shooter, but I would think a journalist who's spilled as much ink as he has wouldn't just make stuff up. So, I guess I believe him. But wouldn't you think that someone, anyone, would also mention it? Fifteen people told me about his little knee-cleanup surgery a couple of weeks ago, so I'm confused as to why it's not all over the usual outlets.
I guess everyone takes it to heart when Walters titles that segment of his column "Don't Print That."
And if it is true, Cuddy is a quick healer; he tweeted Sunday about taking his boy to the Wiggles concert. He even proved it with a picture. He looks good (yes, he always looks good; I mean healthy).
So, Cuddy honey, if you really did have your appendix out about 10 days ago, I hope you're well. And if you didn't, I still hope you're well, but I think you should openly mock and laugh at Charley Walters.
~~~
Allow me to give you an update on my crocheted scarf project. Turns out I'm pretty bad at judging size. Not only is it way to wide for my neck, it's also turning out to be way too long (it's a pattern, so I can't just stop). It's so big, it's suitable for Paul Bunyan. Or Jim Thome.
Hey, I have an idea...I'm totally willing to throw in this scarf-asaurus in any offer the Twins give to Jimmers. Big, strong sluggers have to keep warm, you know.
~~~
My birthday was this past week, and I finally got a Brad Radke jersey. Yay me! This is my first player jersey (the other one I have is plain). At least I know I can't bring bad luck to Radke's Twins career.
The notable part about this is that Radke jerseys are really hard to find. So, I'm very happy to get this.
~~~
Speaking of getting old, I take an unusual interest in players over 40. I looked them up to see their contract status and see how many of them were free agents. I guess it's kind of typical that a lot of them are free agents; older guys usually get only one-year contracts. Of the 15 active players in the MLB who are 40 or older, only three -- Tim Wakefield, Omar Vizquel, and Darren Oliver -- have contracts for 2011. Here's a breakdown:
- Jamie Moyer* (SP) -- free agent from Philadelphia Phillies
- Tim Wakefield (SP) -- 2011 contract with Boston Red Sox ($1.5 mil + incentives)
- Omar Vizquel (IF) -- 2011 contract with Chicago White Sox ($1.75 mil)
- Trevor Hoffman (RP) -- free agent from Milwaukee Brewers
- Matt Stairs (OF/PH) -- free agent from San Diego Padres
- Russ Springer** (RP) -- free agent from Cincinnati Reds
- Brad Ausmus (C) -- free agent from Los Angeles Dodgers
- Arthur Rhodes (RP) -- free agent from Cincinnati Reds
- Mariano Rivera (RP) -- free agent from New York Yankees
- Takashi Saito (RP) -- released from Atlanta Braves
- Jim Edmonds (OF) -- free agent from Cincinnati Reds
- Mark Grudzielanek (IF) -- released from Cleveland Indians
- Craig Counsell (IF) -- free agent from Milwaukee Brewers
- Jim Thome (DH) -- free agent from Minnesota Twins
- Darren Oliver (RP) -- 2011 option picked up with Texas Rangers ($3.25 mil)
** Russ Springer was not on my original blog post about the graybeards because he was likely sitting at home that day. He didn't sign with the Reds until mid-July.
So I'll keep track of these guys and see who gets signed, who retires, and who fades away....
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)