Quick Notes: Jan. 22

Tuesday was the deadline for teams and their arbitration-eligible players to exchange salary numbers. There were three arbitration-eligible players on the Twins roster: Francisco Liriano, Glen Perkins, and Alexi Casilla.

There were two others at the beginning of the off-season, but Kevin Slowey was traded to the Rockies (and then traded again -- more on that later), and the Twins declined to offer Jose Mijares a contract (and then he signed with the Royals).

The players are under contract for this year, but they're due raises, so they need to agree on the paycheck.

If the numbers are close, then the team and player generally finalize things right away -- Liriano (who will make $5.5 million) and Perkins ($1.55 million) did this. However, the Twins and Casilla felt like they were a little too far apart to settle right away.

Casilla wants $1.75 million, but the Twins are offering $1.065 million. So what next? They'll schedule an arbitration meeting and keep talking. They have all the way up until the start of the meeting, which will probably be scheduled for early to mid February, to meet somewhere in the middle. If they actually do sit down for arbitration, either Casilla's number or the Twins' will be his salary. There is no compromise in arbitration.

From all accounts, everyone wants to avoid arbitration. Both parties will sit before an independent arbitrator (not arbiter; I looked it up) and try to make their cases, which, I imagine, goes something like this:

Player: I'm awesome and I deserve the money.
Team: Weeellll...you're good, but we wouldn't say awesome.
Player: Yeah, but look at all these awesome things I did....
Team: No, but look at all these crappy things you did...
Player: I'm still pretty awesome.
Team: Not awesome.
Player: Yes.
Team: No.

And so forth until they're done, and then the arbitrator will decide one number or the other.

And after it's all done, the team will tell the player he'd better have an awesome year.

~~~

Kevin Slowey, whom the Twins traded to the Rockies early in the off-season, was traded again last week to the Indians. Poor Kevin didn't even make it as a Rockie long enough to go to their fan fest. In fact, I don't even think he's in the country yet after climbing Mount Kilimanjaro with R.A. Dickey.

And from the looks of things, the Rockies got a better player in return than the Twins did.

But the Indians were desperate. One of their starting pitchers, the right-hander formerly known as Fausto Carmona, is in some trouble with stolen identity and falsifying his age. He's not likely to get a work visa to come to the US anytime soon.

It's odd; I've always been intrigued by "Fausto Carmona," and, to be honest, a lot of it may have had to do with that magnificent name.

~~~

Joel Zumaya passed his physical. Welcome to my spreadsheet, Joel. Oh, and welcome to Minnesota, too.

~~~

Seth Stohs is a Twins blogger, and is probably the foremost expert outside the Twins organization on the Twins' minor-league system. He's a great supporter of all us Twins bloggers, and he always does great work.

Seth's 2012 Minnesota Twins Prospect Handbook is now available. I encourage you to buy one -- it's very reasonably priced. He always does a nice job writing it. If you don't really know much about prospects, this is a great resource every time one of those minor-leaguers gets called up. There are stats and such, but he also writes up a brief description of each prospect, so you get some background information every time.

I also encourage you to use his Handbook to become more familiar with the prospects. These guys work hard to move up the ranks, and it's kind of fun to follow their progress. They're the future of the Twins team; we should give them all the encouragement we can, if only from afar.

It's a must have if you're planning on going to Spring Training, or even if you're planning on listening to Spring Training games.

Visit Seth's website for info on getting his Handbook.

Quick Notes: Dec. 26

I hope everyone had a great holiday and you all were fantabulously spoiled. I was.

Goodbye Kuuuuuubes
Jason Kubel signed with the Arizona Diamondbacks. It was a strange signing for them because they already have a ton of outfielders and they don't need a DH. Perhaps they are hoping to trade one of the other ones or something.

I always admired and respected Kubes, and I appreciated his contributions, but I regret that I never really grew to love him like I did for some of the other Twins players. Maybe because he was so quiet and, well, bland. Maybe because he always looked like he was sneering. Who knows? And, no matter.

My favorite moment has to be his come-from-behind, go-ahead grand slam off Mariano Rivera to beat the Yankees.

The Twins will receive a sandwich round draft pick as compensation.

I sincerely wish him the best of luck in Arizona and I hope he wins over lots of great fans.

Marquis Signing
...but not so much of a "marquee" signing. (Bad pun. And not at all original. Sorry.)

The Twins have signed RHP Jason Marquis to a one-year deal. He's kind of an average pitcher who's spent his entire career in the National League (which generally features weaker hitting than the American League).

This is the actual conversation I had with my son:

Me: "The Twins have signed right-handed pitcher ..... (expecting him to guess someone)
mini-bro: "Oooh. Um. I don't know. Who?"
Me: "Jason Marquis"
mini-bro: "Why did you get my hopes up like that?"

Ok, he's probably not all that bad. His numbers and pitching style is much like Nick Blackburn's. Which will be just fine if both of them can put together more than 4 great starts in a row.

Why I Should Be Bummed Out About This Whole Michael Cuddyer Thing

... 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.

Now Who Am Going to Shout "No Interesting" To?

On Sunday I wished that my two baseball boyfriends wouldn't ruin my Thanksgiving morning by signing with other clubs on that day. So I guess it was polite of Joe Nathan to sign with the Texas Rangers on Monday.

But, I gotta admit that I still pretty bummed. Ok, really bummed. I know that I can say "no interesting" to whoever it is pitching in the ninth inning and driving me nuts, but it won't be the same. It'll never be the same.

His whole nervous pacing, huffing and puffing, and lip blowing routine is exactly why love watching him pitch. Plus, he always seemed like a great guy.

I know he wasn't his best after coming back from Tommy John surgery, but toward the end of the season, he was really improving. I'm fully convinced that his velocity and his slider will be back to 100% in 2012. So I was really hoping he'd sign with the Twins again.

I kind of knew when he took that dirt off the pitching mound after the final Twins game in 2011 that he didn't think he was coming back. Some of the beat reporters were kind of hinting that he was kind of hinting that he wanted to play for a winning team. I can't blame him for that. I wonder if the Minnesota's saves leader was really more disillusioned by the Twins than he was letting on. Of course, we'll never know; he's too classy to say.

I sincerely hope he has success in Texas. I'll never not like him, so I'm glad he made it easy on me and went to the team that captured my imagination the last two years.

Good luck, Joe. And remember ... no interesting; I'll be watching.

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).

2012 Wish List, Part VI: Take the Bullpen Seriously

Remember a year ago when one of the biggest gripes certain Twins fans could come up with was calling Jesse Crain "Crainwreck"? Remember a year ago when certain Twins fans were so fed up with Matt Guerrier they couldn't be bothered with pronouncing his name correctly?

Yeah...I wonder what those certain fans think about those guys now?

I miss them too.

I have to admit that the old cliche of you don't know what you've got until it's gone applies to me regarding the Twins bullpen of yesteryear. And as much I would love to have either one or both of those guys back, it's too late to rue the decisions of the past.

Too bad the present isn't much fun.

The current bullpen owns the worst cumulative ERA in all of baseball (4.53). The front office can't expect to win very many games when they can't trust the men at the back end of the game to preserve leads or, at the very least, keep the team close. Unfortunately, however, the front office has shown over the last few years that it doesn't worry too much about the state of the bullpen. Fans have been fed lines that everything will be ok with the guys we have for a while now.

We can't have Crain or Guerrier back (well, I suppose we could, but I doubt it). But that doesn't mean we have to be stuck with what we have.

Here's the plan I wish for:

Bring Nathan back. The Twins have a $12 million option to keep him one more year. That's pretty spendy; I don't see Bill Smith willing to pony up that kind of money. And frankly, that's too much for a relief pitcher. However, I would like the Twins to let him test the free agent market and then actively pursue him for less money. He turns 37 this off-season; his next multi-year contract will likely be his last. I can see him taking the security of more years and still make it affordable for the Twins.

Tender Glen Perkins another contract. I used to kind of hate him as a starter. I really like him as a set up man.

Find a new home for Kevin Slowey. His, um, philosophical differences with the team are simply too chaotic to overcome. He'll probably succeed elsewhere; he just doesn't fit with the Twins.

Put Anthony Swarzak and Brian Duensing back to the bullpen and keep them as middle-inning and long relievers.

Say good-bye to Phil Dumatrait, Jose Mijares, and Matt Capps. They simply don't pitch well enough and have proven that they can't be trusted. Maybe send Alex Burnett on his way as well.

Then, find good, reliable replacements. I like the promise that Lester Oliveros has shown, though I'm not sure he's really ready for the big leagues yet. He's only 23; let him earn a spot in spring training. Otherwise, make some trades and sign some new guys.

And maybe just make a quick phone call to Jesse Crain and Matt Guerrier.

~~~

Since I mentioned Matt Capps, here's his paper doll:

If I remember correctly, he was unavailable for a few games mid-season because he had some forearm soreness. Or was it shoulder? Elbow? I guess I can't remember correctly.

Anyway, he's the last one of the guys who were on the Opening Day roster.

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.

Adieu Delmon

I love Twitter. Without it, how else would I have found out that Delmon Young turned into a Tiger for a pitcher I've never heard of and a player without a name?

Ok, for real, Delmon Young was traded to the Detroit Tigers for minor-league LHP Cole Nelson and a player to be named later.

The Twins are in Detroit today preparing to face the Tigers this evening. Reportedly, Young was informed of the trade right before he boarded the team bus going to the stadium, so he was able to say goodbye to a few of the guys. He's batting third and playing left field for the Tigers.

Keeping up with Twitter also let me know how a lot a fans felt about the trade. Overwhelmingly, Twins fans are delighted he's gone. Many also agree that he should have been traded last off-season while his value was high. He was likly to be non-tendered this offseason, so even though the Twins really got very little, it's good they got something.

When Young was first traded to the Twins for the 2008 season, I was fairly optimistic. I had heard about his "anger management" issues, but I knew he was supposed to be a good hitter. A power hitter from the right side of the plate was just what the Twins needed.

However, that "good hitter" aspect never really panned out as expected. He struck out too much and too uglily. His defense was atrocious and never got better. His best year, 2010, he came into the season in excellent shape after losing about 30 pounds, but as the pounds came back, the athleticism left to make room. Additioanlly, there were hints that he had a less-than-stellar work ethic and attitude. By this season, I, along with most other Twins fans, was begging for him to be traded. It got to the point that the only thing I could find to like about him was the uniform he wore.

However, my disdain for him notwithstanding, I sincerely hope he is happy with his new opportunity.

Utility Guys and Shoes

I was thinking about Nicky Punto today. Mostly because I was wearing the shoes I compared him to on Nick Punto Day last year. I was thinking I should get rid of those shoes -- they are wearing out, -- but the shoes I was going to replace them with broke. Literally broke. In half. Both of them.You can't get good replacements these days.

Which is also true of utility players, I guess. Although I'm not aware of the current crop of potential bench-infielders to have literally broken in half. That would be unfortunate. But I digress.

I loved Nick Punto as a utility guy. Yeah, I didn't love that he was making $4.5 million to be a utility guy. But that role was perfect for him. But he's a Cardinal now. A Cardinal with a hernia.

So, who will be the bench infielder for Gardy this year? Take your pick of Matt "Tigger" Tolbert, Trevor "Error-boy" Plouffe, and Luke "Fireworks" Hughes.

Tolbert has the most major league experience, and, when spring training started, was the one everyone figured would come north. I call him "Tigger" because he's one of those guys who never stops bouncing around; seriously, have you ever seen him chew gum? It's cute for about ten minutes, then it's trying. I have a feeling Gardy feels the same way too. According to LaVelle E Neal of the STrib, he's still got a minor-league option left, so he's not completely a shoo-in. But he is reasonably fast and can pinch run whenever Jim Thome gets on base late in games.

Plouffe wasn't really impressive the few games he did spend in the major leagues (.146 BA! Yikes!). And he's been having a horrible spring. He's committed a team-leading 6 errors. And many of them seem to happen when Joe Nathan is on the mound. Not cool, Trev. Not cool at all. It's really hard to have a ton of confidence in him.

And then we have Hughes. When spring training started, he was just one of the lucky minor-leaguers who was invited to the big league camp. No one really expected him to do much more than get some experience. But he had different ideas. Seems like he hits a home run every other at-bat. It might be tempting to bring him up, but I'm not sure he's ready. Plus, he has a history of being injury-prone.

So, yeah, kind of slim pickings. Add to this that I'm not entirely comfortable with the starting middle-infielders. Nishioka will probably be ok, but he's still getting acclimated to MLB. But Gardy handed shortstop -- the position of leadership -- to Alexi Casilla. He could be brilliant; he could be brutal. No one knows. While I hope he'll be ok -- good grief, he's had enough experience by now -- I'm just not confident. I just hope he is.

Ok. So I doubt things are as bleak for the middle infield as I'm making them seem. But I won't be surprised if these guys give me indigestion just a little. I miss Nicky Punto.

And I need new shoes.

Quick Notes: Dec. 19

They Say Goodbye...
We can officially say goodbye to a few former Twins this week. Matt Guerrier signed with the Dodgers, Jesse Crain signed with the White Sox, Orlando Hudson is going to the Padres, and Jose Morales was traded to the Rockies for prospects.

I was hoping the Twins would be able to keep one of Guerrier or Crain to keep the bullpen strong -- preferably Matty. When Guerrier's signing was announced, I still held a little hope that the Twins could still snag Crain. But, alas, it was not meant to be. Those two have been pillars in the Twins bullpen for a lot of years, and it's going to be weird to not have either one of them around. I may have been critical of both their up-and-down tendencies, but by and large, they've been very, very reliable. Unfortunately, many fans seem to remember only certain bad days, especially against the Yankees (why, yes, I do remember when Guerrier gave up that grand slam to A-Rod, thanks for asking), but if folks would consider their entire bodies of work, they'd realize they were both very solid pitchers. The Twins will miss having them around.

Orlando Hudson announced on an XM Radio interview his agreement with the Padres, thereby scooping everybody (well, everybody in my Twitter feed) on any rumors about it. He will join former-Twin Jason Bartlett to staff the Padres' middle-infield.

I was quite surprised when I saw that Jose Morales was traded. At first, I was kind of bummed: I like his smile I figured that he's too good for what the Twins got in return. But then I realized that I was kind of doing that remembering only a certain good day (his MLB debut) thing and not considering his entire player profile (shame on me), and I changed my mind. He was out of minor-league options (which meant that if the Twins wanted to send him down, he'd have to clear waivers first, which wouldn't be likely) and they needed the space on the 40-man roster, so it wasn't such a bad trade after all.

I wish all them the best of luck. Well, maybe slightly less luck to Jesse Crain because he's a White Sox now and he's fair game for my rival ire.

~~~

And We Say Hello...

The Twins officially signed and introduced Tsuyoshi Nishioka (he says we can call him "Nishi"). I didn't see any of the press conference, but from everything I read, he seems like a good guy. I'm getting more and more excited to see him play, even if I'm cautiously optimistic. He said all the right things, and he seems to have some personality. Here's he and Gardy modeling the Justin Morneau "sluggies"...if this ain't personality, I don't know what is.

Photo courtesy of the Minnesota Twins

Welcome, Nishi.

~~~

Here's hoping you have a fabulous Christmas. Enjoy.

Indians at Twins - Gems

Recap:
Tuesday: Indians 1 - Twins 5
Wednesday: Indians 0 - Twins 6
Thursday: Indians 8 - Twins 1

Twins take series 2-1: That's FIVE consecutive series.

~~~

So you've probably heard the old saying "chicks dig the long ball." Well, not this chick. This chick digs wonderful, slow, knee-buckling curves and devastating, hard sliders. Ok, we're talking about baseball. Get your mind out of the gutter. Sheesh.

But anyway, I love, love, love excellent pitching. And it was a treat to see Slowey and Liriano pitch such terrific gems. I'll admit, Baker pitched a lump of coal, but fortunately for me, I was too busy at work to pay much attention.

Before Slowey's start on Tuesday, a lot of folks were worried because he struggled during his previous start -- it just seemed like he just wasn't clicking with Joe Mauer. But all those concerns were erased when he dialed in and mowed down the Indians' batters. He was confident and precise. Just amazing.

And before Liriano's start on Wednesday, a game I went to by the way, a lot of folks were concerned because, well, because he's Francisco Liriano, and he pitched well in his previous start and we always wonder if he can be good twice in a row. Well, he can and he did. It was a lot of fun watching him strike guys out and make them swing funny. What was even more impressive was that he didn't freak out when men got on base; he was able to wiggle out of his jams and come back out strong the next inning.

As far as Scotty's lump, well, let's hope he's got that out of his system and pitches a gem next time. I think he would have had a better day if he hadn't started out with a couple tough-luck calls.

~~~

Oh, and a side-note from Wednesday's game. When Mike Redmond came to the plate, I gave him a standing ovation. I was the only one in my section to do so, but I didn't care. I miss him, and it was good to see him. And, in good old Mike Redmond form, he got beat up by a few foul tips -- just like old times.

Seeing him again made me kind of wonder why I'm not reading as many personal-interest, fun stories about the players. Is it because everyone's writing so much about Target Field right now? Is it because it's still early in the season and no one's doing anything interesting yet? Or is it because the funniest, funnest, goofiest guy on the team isn't on the team any more? I don't know. But I sure wish someone could fill his shoes in that regard.

Short Notes - Jan. 17

On Friday, Mike Redmond signed with the Indians. I don't have a problem with this; in fact, I think it's a great scenario. He's still in the division, so we'll get to see him a bunch, but he's still on a team I can tolerate. As far as division rivals go, the Indians are slightly less lovable than the Royals, but miles more lovable than the Evil Ugly White Sox.

I'll have to be sure to get tickets for a day game after a night game when Cleveland is in town. Oh, and I'd better not hear any boos for him. If I do, each and every person who does will get a personalized stink-eye from me. I mean it.

I already said my goodbyes. Twins Geek and A Voice From Twins Territory have nice tributes.

-------

On a related note, Friday was a bad day for the Twins backup catcher contingency. Apparently, Jose Morales needs wrist surgery and will likely miss a chunk of Spring Training and won't be ready for the start of the season. Bummer. I hope Buetera is up to the task.

----

Did you notice that I did a little redecorating? Winter is beginning to bum me out (oh, you too? yeah, it sucks doesn't it?), so I added a handy countdown to Pitchers and Catchers Report.

I really, really wish I could go to Spring Training, but it's not possible this year. I am looking forward to reading reports and hearing about other fans' trips, so if you're going, please share.

Also, as if I don't have enough going on in the sidebar, I've added more. There are a few more blogs in the blogroll, and there's a new podcast section (scroll down a bit to see it). And please consider helping the Red Cross help Haiti.

If you're viewing this in a reader, be sure to click through and check out the new digs.

Short Notes - Jan. 11

Just a few quick thoughts on the Twins and baseball news over the past week.

Goodbye
Bobby Keppel is gone. He was released, and then immediately signed with a Japanese team. Good luck, Bobby. (And with that, that's the second time I initially typed "Booby" instead of "Bobby" and had to fix it. Perhaps my fingers reveal my true feelings of his pitching.)

Hello
To replace Booby (I just figured I'd go with it), the Twins signed Clay Condrey. They have a long tradition of signing pitchers I know nothing about. In fact, it's almost as if it's a contractual obligation. And with this, they've fulfilled their commitment. Just so long as it's not another Livan Hernandez/Ramon Ortiz/Sidney Ponson situation, I'll be ok with it. Welcome Clay.

Undies in a Bunch -- or Not
Right after Keppel got the axe, a rumor (which turned out to be true -- so it was a trumor {wow, sorry, I'm really tired, so lame jokes seem really hilarious to me right now}) started that the Twins offered a deal to Jarrod Washburn. A lof of the bloggers I know of aren't really a fan of that idea. I think it's a pretty silly offer; we've already got three mediocre lefties (Liriano, Perkins, Duensing), and they don't make that much money. Doesn't matter; he turned it down.

Cardinals News
Hey, the Cardinals signed Matt Holliday to a monster contract. This is significant not only because I'm a Holliday fan, and I kind of like the Cardinals (if I had to pick a NL team, it'd be the Cardinals), but also it be a blueprint for a potential Joe Mauer contract. Super-size it for Joey.

Speaking of the Cardinals
Ok, Mark McGwire admitted to steriod use. This is not a surprise, but it is sad. Speculation is speculation, and therefore, there's always a fine thread of hope that it's not real. But admission is real. I'm glad the truth is out; I do wish he'd admitted it sooner. But I'm still a fan of his, and I'm neither qualified to nor interested in judging him on this matter. 

Podcast Update
I've got a few more podcasts to add to my previous list.

• Travistalks Weekly Minnesota Sports - hosted by Travis Aune
• Baseball Prospectus Radio - hosted by Will Carroll
• And a special podcast, from my Twitter friend Lephio, Baseball e Musica from Italy. So if you know Italian, or want to learn it, check it out.
  

Greetings

Hi.

I just thought I'd check in with a recap of the developments of the last week.

Hello...again

First a Twin, then a free-agent, then a Twin again, Carl Pavano accepted the Twins' offer of arbitration. So he'll be around in 2010.

That's fine. He did well while he was with the Twins at the end of this season. And there's no reason to believe that he can't do more of the same. And I am quite impressed with his attitude -- he really seems to like Minnesota and he thinks he can help the team win. Cool.

However, I've got this feeling I just can't shake. It's not quite panic; it's not even really apprehension. I guess it's good old fashioned doubt. But I'm not really sure why. Maybe I'm worried about his history of injury. Maybe it struck me just how much Yankees fans really hate him (even he admits how much he hurt the team during his four years there). I don't know. But, whatever it is, for the sake of the team, I hope I'm wrong.

Good Bye

In order to make room for Pavano, the Twins had to remove someone from the 40-man roster tout de suite. And the unfortunate victim of all this hurried paperwork was Boof Bonser. He was designated for assignment to put Pavano on the roster, but then the Twins were able to complete a trade with the Red Sox for him. That's a bit surprising, because had Boston just waited until Saturday, they could've signed him as a free agent without giving up anybody.

I'll miss Boof. He always seemed like a fun guy. Plus, he's a charter member of my Cool Name Roster, and Minnesota's only representative. I hope he has a great stint with Boston.

Hello

So, in return for our beloved Boof, we get a Chris Provence. Ok. Don't expect to see him in the majors anytime soon. Apparently he has only one pitch -- a sinker. You can't really succeed in the majors with only a sinker. In fact, only one guy, Mariano Rivera, succeeds with basically one pitch. But that pitch is a cut-fastball that he can locate anywhere he wants. Plus, he does have other pitches in his file if he needs them. I'm pretty sure Rivera is greater than Provence. Which could explain why Boston wasn't too heartbroken to give him up for Boof.

Stay Awhile

The Twins tendered contracts to all their arbitration-eligible players (Crain, Guerrier, Liriano, Neshek, Young, Hardy, Harris, and then Pavano). This means they'll all be coming back next year. And, they'll all get raises. There were rumors that one or two would be non-tendered, which would've made them free agents, but that didn't happen.

So, that's that.

Sunday Sundries

A few thoughts about the goings on over the last week.

Twins traded Go-Go to the Brewers for Hardy? Wow! Did. Not. See. That. Coming.
So the biggest news of the past week was also the biggest surprise. First of all, I'm not used to trades happening before the first week of Post-Baseball is up. And, I figured if any of the Twins' extra outfielders were to be traded, it would've been Delmon.

On paper, I think it's a fair trade -- not really a blockbuster, but ok. Talent for talent; they needed an outfielder, we needed an infielder. I do think Hardy will be a decent player for the Twins, despite the fact he had a crappy season in 2009. And I'm glad that Span is now guaranteed to be the everyday center fielder. I'm also hopeful that Young will improve, knowing that he's the everyday left fielder.

It's a bummer that this ensures that Orlando Cabrera won't be with the Twins any longer. He was great while he was here. And I'll always be grateful to him for his Game 163 heroics. MNTwinsZealot has a nice tribute to him.

But I'm the most sad about losing Go-Go's spark, personality, fun, and fire. He would drive me nuts with his crazy swinging at balls on the ground, but I'd always forgive him because he was so luvable. Erin and Tricia have nice tributes. Godspeed, Speedy Go-Go.

And welcome J.J. Hardy.

k-bro and her mom go shopping - the salesperson win edition
On Friday, Mom and I stopped in the Minnetonka Twins Pro Shop to spend a little of my birthday money (thanks Auntie!) and we had a really nice time. The gal working there was so happy to see us -- probably because it was dead and she likely hadn't had any customers for a while. I do feel bad that I was the one who broke the Gomez news to her, because she seemed really bummed about it. But, otherwise, we had such a nice time talking baseball with her. She was super helpful in locating the items we were interested in. So Mom and I bought matching shirts. I know that sounds lame, but they're really sweet shirts, so we're cute.

But, as we were talking about buying tickets for next season, our new friend gave the info I needed: single-game tickets will go on sale at 5 pm on the Friday of Twins Fest (I can't remember if it's the 22nd or 29th of January -- sorry a quick glance at my Target Field calendar tells me it's January 29th). They'll be available by phone, on line, at the Metrodome (Twins Fest will still be at the Dome), and at the Pro Shops. She did make sure to tell me that it's subject to change and that I should keep checking the Twins website for info. So, I'm thinking about hanging out at the Pro Shop on that day.

k-bro and her mom go shopping - the sale fail edition
Mom and I decided to head to the Twins moving sale Saturday morning. We figured if we showed up at about 10:30, all the people who camped out would be in and we wouldn't have to wait.

Yeah. Riiiiight.

The line was long when we first got there; we were happy that the weather was nice. After waiting for about 20 minutes, I decided to see just how long the line was. So I walked. And I walked. And I walked all the way around the Dome. Yeah, the end of the line was about 20 feet away from the start of the line. I walked so long, Mom got worried. I asked the folks at the start of the line how long they'd been there. An hour and a half.

Forget that. We figured by the time we got in, all the good stuff would be gone anyway. And the irony that the piped in announcement said "a short wait may be required" was not lost on us.

So we went to the mall.

Two more years of Cuddy
So, in the time-suck that was the moving sale line, I learned via Twitter that the Twins exercized their 2011 option on Michael Cuddyer. Everyone standing immediately around me learned it too, since I kind of shouted it.

Yay!

And that's all I have to say about that.

The Newest Twins Commercial
Clever as ever.

Click here.

Friday Trip Report

My son mini-bro and I took a trip to the Dome on Friday. It was a successful trip; here is my report:

I got the tickets for free. Earlier in the week, I received an email out of the blue from a guy who is new to my company and who I hadn't met yet. He said he found out I was a Twins fan (how do people figure this out? I don't know -- it must be the Twins rug, posters, and other memorabilia I have in my cubicle) and he wanted to know if I could take his tickets off his hands. He didn't want any money; he just wanted me to have a good time. He's my new best friend.

We got there early and I received my sweet Justin Morneau fishing lure. Too bad I don't fish enough to know how to use it. Oh well, it'll have to find a home in my baseball shrine. Mini-bro was a little put off because he didn't get one. I told him it was only for people 18 and over, and he snarked, "what do they think I'm going to do...put it in my mouth?" Well, someone picked up the sarcasm gene from his mother.

The seats were great -- down along the first base line, right by the enemy bullpen catcher, 11th row. I was able to keep an eye on Justin's booty most of the evening. The fans around us were great; in fact, they were some of the most creative, but not overly rude, hecklers I've heard in a while. They kept me giggling the whole time.

Of course, everyone was buzzing about Joe Mauer and his triumphant return to the bigs. And, he did not disappoint. Our get-on-base guy decided to announce his presence grandly and homered on the first pitch he swung at. Everyone was both stunned and pleased. Nice work Joey.

But we can't forget Justin. After all, it was his fishing-lure day -- Joey can't hog all the attention. Because he's Canadian, Justin isn't going to complain, he's just going to quietly prove his point and let people draw their own conclusions. And he did, by doing one better and blasting a two-run homer after Joey drew a walk. And that's how you spell M&M. Oh, and most of the other batters had pretty good nights too (Cuddy hit a triple? Seriously?).

K-Slo was shaky, but the bullpen was awesome. And seeing Ponson stink so bad makes me wonder why teams bother giving him a chance.

One final plus: getting out of the parking ramp, and subsequently out of downtown, was easier and faster than usual. Good time all around.

Sorry I don't have any pictures. The camera was elsewhere for the weekend, and I knew my cell phone would take crappy pictures. Too bad I didn't become friends with the gal sitting in front of me. She took some great pictures, particularly ones of Justin's booty. I can't imagine why she would do that.

For Every Hello, There's a Goodbye

So it was fun to see our friend Barty again, but now he and his team are gone. And it wasn't such a bad visit -- at least for the hosts.

Recap:
Monday: Twins 1 - Rays 7
Tuesday: Twins 4 - Rays 3
Wednesday: Twins 8 - Rays 3
Twins take series 2 - 1

I like the Rays; in addition to Barty and Garza, they also have Evan Longoria, who is fun to watch and darned cute. They seem like a great team -- kind of Twins-like I guess. And anyone who can help keep the Yankees and Red Sox out of the World Series is A-ok in my book. So, now that they've left town, I wish them all the best of luck -- especially when they're playing our division rivals and those Yankees and Red Sox.

~~~~~~

Speaking of saying hello, guess who comes back tomorrow. Oh, you know.


Photo from Minnesota Twins website

But, that means we have to say goodbye to someone. And that's not so fun.

We might have to say goodbye to Jose Morales. That would be a bummer because in the short time he's been here, he's managed to wiggle his cute little butt into our hearts, what with all the hitting and the trying really hard to throw out runners and call good games.

Or we might have to say goodbye, at least temporarily, to Red-Dog. That would be a bummer because that would mean putting him on the DL, which is like an insult to him. He's been so good and fun and helpful that no one wants to insult him.

What to do...what to do...?

~~~~~~

Speaking of Red-Dog, he recently had an MRI on his shoulder, and he claims they found a Bud Light in there. I don't doubt it for a second. If anyone has a beer in his shoulder, it's him. In fact, I was able to obtain a peek at his results.



I'm just wondering what they'd find if they scanned his knee. Nachos?

~~~~~~

One more goodbye: the month of April. It wasn't bad; it wasn't great -- in fact, it was .500. Here's hoping saying hello to May leads to much better than that.

Ms Muse, Please Report to the Third Floor

O Muses, O high genius, aid me now!
O memory that engraved the things I saw,
Here shall your worth be manifest to all!
~Daunte; The Inferno, Canto II

So, my business card says I'm a writer, I author two blogs, and I like to keep my Twitter and Facebook updated...and I can't think of anything to write for any of it. I got nothin'. I feel like the "create" application has been uninstalled from my brain.

No wonder the classical authors respected the Muses. Can you imagine being in the middle of your epic and, all of a sudden, poof!, it's gone.

I tried looking back to my posts from a year ago for inspiration. That's about the time I made my awesome baseball-bead flip-flops. Maybe if I try to do a craft project, that'll get my creative juices flowing. Except ... I ... Can't ... Think ... Of ... Anything.

Maybe it's the weather. Oh, don't get me wrong, I'm grateful for the nice weather. It's just that I watch the mounds of snow give way to brown grass and mounds of sand and garbage. And I just know that my so-called seasonal allergies are primed to pounce any moment. No wonder T.S. Eliot was such a Danny Downer.

So, since I lack the ability to come up with any original thoughts on my own, I'll just knock off a few random bullet points. I've done it before; I'm not too proud to do it again.

• No news on the Joe Mauer Sacroiliac Watch. It's hard to tell if that's good news or bad news. Either the docs didn't find out anything they didn't already know, they're stumped, or it's something serious. Can we please just get this taken care of, please? xxcrossing fingersxx
• I saw that Lew Ford signed a minor league contract with the Rockies. Honestly, I figured Lew was out of baseball. I guess he's giving it another go. Go Lew, go.
• I'm so over March Madness. I know it hasn't even started, but I'm already bored with the whole thing.
• What's up with the more winning than losing of spring training games lately? I know, it's only spring training, and the games don't count, but that doesn't mean the boys shouldn't try to win.
• Kris Atteberry has been filling in for John Gordon or Dan Gladden on the radio the last couple of days. He's very good. In fact, I kind of hate to admit it, but I kind of like him better than Dazzle.
  

My Bubble Guy

Every spring training, the players fit into three categories: a) those who will very likely go to the majors, b) those who will very likely stay in the minors, and c) those "on the bubble."


I feel for the bubble guys. I'm sure most teams would like to be able to bring up more than 25 guys. In fact, I'm pretty sure Gardy would like to stock-pile all the relief pitchers and bench players he could. But he can't. So the bubble guys work their asses off so they can separate themselves from the other guys and look more like they belong in group "a" and less like they belong in group "b". I can totally relate - story of my life.

So, every spring training, I select one bubble guy that I root extra hard for. Someone catches my attention and I cross my fingers for him and say little prayers for him in hopes of giving him a boost.

Last year, it was Matt "Tigger" Tolbert. I liked him because I liked the idea of a guy who personified perpetual motion. And my support worked...well, until he got hurt.

This year my bubble guy is R.A. Dickey. I like the idea of having a knuckle-baller on the team. And I've seen a couple interviews with him, and he seems like a pretty cool guy.

So, R.A., keep working hard and I'll do my part. And hopefully, you'll be an "a" guy come April.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

So, hey, our boy Dennys signed with the Cardinals. Good luck, Big Sweat.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

When Bad Grammar and Baseball Collide: (I should just make this a semi-regular feature)

As I've mentioned before, I like to read FOXSport's rumor page to catch up on the goings-on around baseball. Last week, I stumbled on this gem:



Ok, a pitcher funning around with some radio guys usually isn't news-worthy, unless the pitcher pitches for the Red Sox. But, even a Red Sox pitcher funning about dyeing, i.e. coloring his hair, at a young age still isn't news-worthy. In fact, it's almost cliche (see A.J. Pierzynski late last season). However, funning about dying young might worry fans.

Sunday Sundries

Some miscellaneous things that piqued my interest this past week...

This has been making the rounds on the internet. Shelley was the first one to share it with me (in the comments of the last post):

C.C. Sabathia Smuggles Small Child Into Spring Training

I disagree. Anyone who's read Bat-Girl knows that he didn't smuggle a small child -- he just ate a scrappy middle-infielder. Has anyone seen LNP?

~~~~~~~~~~~~

So, one of my wishes came true.

Cubs Sign Koskie to Minor League Contract

Corey,
Like I said before, kick ass for Team Canada. Then, go ahead and kick ass in the remainder of Cubs' spring training and break camp with the big team.

I really want Corey to make it.

~~~~~~~~~~~

I purchased a first-baseman's glove for my son. At one point, I could be seen burying my face in said glove and taking a big whiff. I love the smell of new baseball gloves. I'm odd that way.

~~~~~~~~~~~

Speaking of former Twins...let's check in on free-agent signings.

Player	Status	Old Team	New Team
Dennys Reyes, RP	Free Agent (B)	Minnesota	--
Doug Mientkiewicz, 1B	Signed	Pittsburgh	LA Dodgers
Sidney Ponson, SP	Free Agent	NY Yankees	--
Kenny Rogers, SP	Free Agent	Detroit	--

Yay Dougie! Have fun in LA!

And some I forgot last time...

Player	Status	Old Team	New Team
Henry Blanco, C	Signed	Chicago Cubs	San Diego
Livan Hernandez, SP	Signed	Colorado	NY Mets
Luis Rivas, 2B	Signed	Pittsburgh	Chicago Cubs
Ramon Ortiz, SP	Signed	Japan	San Francisco

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Totally not baseball-related, but totally worth mentioning: have you ever had Pillsbury's Ready-To-Bake Shape Sugar Cookies? Aren't they the absolute best cookies you've ever had?!? They are beyond A. Maz. Ing! Now, I just need them to make baseball-shaped ones. Please? Pillsbury, are you listening?