Wish List, Part V: Admit That Good-enough Pitching Isn't Good Enough

Why did the San Francisco Giants win the World Series last year? Why are the Tampa Bay Rays making a run at the AL East Wild Card spot?

Pitching.

Good pitching.

And good pitching is something the Twins lack. To be honest, the Twins have been lacking good, reliable, consistent starting pitching since Johan Santana was traded.

Of course, there are Twins with potential to be aces, but for one reason or another, none of them have fulfilled their promise.

Scott Baker probably has the best chance of becoming an ace pitcher, but frankly, he's been on the verge of becoming an ace for six years now. Six...years. He has a hard time staying healthy, and when he is healthy, he has flashes of inconsistency.

Francisco Liriano has the stuff to be an ace, but he doesn't have the head for it. He lacks the confidence he used to have, and he doesn't always make smart pitching decisions. He also seems to have a hard time staying healthy.

Carl Pavano isn't really ace material. He's been a tad more consistent than the others, but he's not performing like he did at the end of 2009 and all of 2010. Or maybe he is, but the sub-par defense behind him is making it harder on him.

Brian Duensing is better suited for the bullpen. Kevin Slowey may be better suited for the bullpen as well, but he doesn't want to go there. Nick Blackburn is only good in May and Game 163.

And on it goes.

The Twins have been getting away with good-enough pitching for the last few years. Ever since the Johan trade, the start of every season has started with the media predicting second or third in the division because "they just don't have the pitching." But, with all those gloom-and-doom predictions, the Twins found ways to squeeze good seasons out of their rotation. Unfortunately, the karma of getting by with a crew of three-, four-, and five-starters has caught up with the them.

Solving the problem, of course, is going to be a lot more difficult than me sitting here wishing for a solution. There isn't exactly a pitcher Genie lamp that Bill Smith rub and out pops an ace. There are a few good free agent pitchers available, but of course the really good ones will be expensive.

I'm in no position to speculate on which free agent or trade candidate the Twins should target. I'm pretty certain that neither Mark Beurhle nor CC Sabathia (if he opts out of his contract) will be getting any calls from the 612 area code. However, Smith and company must -- must -- resist the urge to pull one off the scrap heap (just say no to Livan!).

But if there were a pitcher Genie lamp, I'd wish for C. J. Wilson.

~~~

Since I mentioned Carl Pavano, here's his paper doll:

I find it a curious coincidence that the man who has the most infamous history of being injury-prone (pre-Twins), is the only starting pitcher to not go down at all the in the most infamous year of injury and illness.

He hasn't missed a start, and as far as I recall, he hasn't come out of a game because he got hurt. Although, we all worried about him hurting himself during some of the dugout rages he engaged in this season.

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.

Attracted to Pitching and Other Thoughts

I've never made it a secret that I love great pitching. Of course, I love it when our boys execute great hitting and running and scoring and all that. But when our pitchers go deep into games and keep the opponents from executing their own hitting and running and scoring, well, I get a little...um, flushed. Mmmmm, I love snuggling up with a great pitching performance.

Carl Pavano's complete game and Nick Blackburn's eight shutout innings were hot. Or, rather, "hawt." And the fact that it was the White Sox that they owned made it all that sexier. Rawr. It's totally cool to have a crush on both of them -- this is baseball love after all. In fact, I wouldn't mind if all the pitchers started flirting with me by pitching gems.

Ozzie Guillen made some funny comments after Thursday's game (I'll try to paraphrase, but I don't know if I'll do a good job because I never understand what he's saying anyway). He said that the Twins were a bunch of "sardines" and "circus midgets" and they still beat his team. I think his point was that all the big, burly boppers (Morneau, Mauer, Thome, Kubel) were gone and all that were left were the Revere- and Casilla-sized guys. And, like the piranhas of the past, the little ones earned Ozzie's respect ... and annoyance.

~~~

Transactions:

In order to make room for Tsuyoshi Nishioka, Glen Perkins, and Joe Mauer to come off the DL, the Twins had to move some guys to AAA. Dusty Hughes and Brian Dinkelman have been outrighted to AAA. This removes them off the 40-man roster so Nishioka and Mauer can be re-added. Chuck James was optioned to AAA for Glen Perkins.

~~~

Joe Nathan flew back to Minnesota from Fort Myers. He says he's ready to come back. Gardy wasn't convinced and wants him to report to Rochester for a rehab stint. Can you imagine that conversation? "Hey Gardy, I'm ready to go." "Uhhh...no, Joe, I think you need more time." "No, skip, really. I'm good." "No, Joe. You really need to get more pitches in." "Awww, c'mon skip, I don't wanna go to Rochester. Paleeeeeeese let me stay?" "Joe...now get your butt to Rochester and stop complaining." "Ooh-kay. Rats!"

~~~

Friday is Joe Mauer Day 2011! Even though there have been plenty of fans commenting on blogs and calling into sports talk show who are frustrated with his inability to play, most fans are really looking forward seeing him again.

He had a press conference on Thursday where he tried to explain the cause of his injury and why it took so long to return. He made it very clear that he did not have Lyme disease, or any other disease for that matter. He indicated that the rehab from his off-season knee surgery didn't go as planned, and his legs were weak because he was really suffering from post-surgical pain. Plus, the timing of that nasty flu bug probably didn't help any either, although Joe insists that his legs felt weak before he caught it.

Listing the injury as "bilateral leg weakness" was probably a mistake in retrospect. The Twins had to list something on the transaction, and since they didn't really know exactly what was wrong, that's what they wrote down. But doing so created a lot of unintentional angst among fans.

Folks understand things such as "broken fibula" or "strained oblique." "Bilateral leg weakness" doesn't mean anything at all except that both legs feel weak. Additionally, most fans also understand the cause of most muscle strains or tissue sprains -- there's usually an event to point to. Even Jim Thome's continuing back troubles are easy to figure out -- he's got a bad back and that's that.

However, when the ambiguous "bilateral leg weakness" was the announced disability for Mauer, most fans ran to the internet to look it up. And the internet wasn't particularly helpful. There are probably a million causes for bilateral leg weakness, and some of them are pretty scary. Which led many fans to believe that Joe and the Twins were hiding some serious condition. I can't tell you how many hits this blog received by people Googling "Joe Mauer Lyme Disease." I never said he had it; I merely listed several of the causes I found in my Googling to illustrate that the symptom could have meant anything.

At any rate, he says he's still not 100%, but he is ready to play. Welcome home, Joe.

The "Win" Stat

The series against the Angels pretty much sums up everything I hate about the "Win" stat for pitchers. I hate it so much, I usually won't acknowledge it when determining a pitcher's worth and I use stats that pitchers actually have some kind of control over such as WHIP or K/BB rate. (For the record, I do use ERA, even though it's flawed. It generally gives an accurate feel for how well a pitcher does, as long as he pitches enough innings to make it meaningful.) I believe that teams win games; pitchers just guide the team there.

This series paints the ridiculous picture of the Win stat is.

First, let's define the Win: if you're the guy who threw the last pitch before your team took the lead for good, you get a "W". If the other team ties or goes ahead after you come out of the game, you can't get a W. Oh, and if you're a starter, you have to pitch 5 innings or more in order to earn the W, but if you're a reliever, all you need is one pitch -- as long as your timing of that one pitch is good. Getting a Loss is easy -- you cough up the baserunner that turns out to be the go-ahead run, and that go-ahead sticks, you get the L. It's not so easy to get the W; it depends so much on the rest of the team.

Take Scott Baker for example. On Friday, he pitched brilliantly, going seven innings without giving up a run and leaving the game with a 5-run lead. He must have felt pretty good about himself as he sipped his Gatorade in the bottom of the 7th -- as well he should have. And then he probably choked on that Gatorade as he watched Alex Burnett, Dusty Hughes, and Jim Hoey parade through to piss away the lead. Scott Downs, who faced two batters, got the W because he happened to throw the last pitch before the half-inning when the Angels scored their sixth run. Scott went home with a homely "No Decision" for his efforts. That's all he deserved because he couldn't get his bullpen to pitch well.

On Saturday, both Anthony Swarzak and Jered Weaver sparkled as they pitched eight and nine scoreless innings, respectively. However, neither one would take home a W, as they simply couldn't make their teammates score runs. Alex Burnett got it, because he was able to will that winning run in the 10th. Fortunately for Swarzak, his No Decision wasn't as homelys as Baker's because at least his team won. Poor Hisanori Takahashi had to wear the L, and he wasn't even on the mound when the Twins went ahead.

Then Carl Pavano was going for his 100th career W on Sunday. This was his sixth try at that golden stat. Now, to be honest, in some of those tries, he didn't pitch well enough to actually earn that W. However, on Sunday, he probably did, except he just didn't have the ability to make his fielders behind him make routine outs. If he had, well, who knows.... But, instead, he takes home another ugly L.

~~~

DL Report:

The Twins have placed RHP Joe Nathan on the 15-day DL with elbow and forearm soreness. This is probably an expected condition as a result of his Tommy John surgery. The forearm flexor muscle has to be pulled apart during the ligament replacement, and can be easily irritated if the patient works very hard during rehabilitation, which Joe did. An MRI showed only inflammation, and no other damage, so he and the Twins are hopeful that two weeks' rest will do the trick.

(Don't worry, he's not as deformed as this paper doll suggests. I'm at the lake this weekend, and I'm borrowing my nephew's computer. It only has Paint for photo editing, and only one of those lame touch pad things for a mouse. This was way harder to do than it looks. Although the Popeye forearms and lack of wrists are kind of funny.)

The Twins purchased the contract of LHP Chuck James to replace Nathan. In order to make room on the 40-man roster for James, the Twins placed Tsuyoshi Nishioka on the 60-day DL. This transaction is paperwork-only as it does not change the expected return date for Nishioka.

Updates:

Matt Capps experienced some soreness in his forearm earlier in the week, but after resting a couple of days, he's fine.

Jose Mijares has been pitching in extended spring training games and could be activated Monday.

Joe Mauer is continuing to play in extended spring training games and increasing his activity. Gardy says he's doing and feeling well. As far as I know, the super-secret timetable for his return has still not been revealed.

Also watching:

Jim Thome needed a cortisone shot in his right shoulder that he tweaked while swinging hard on Saturday.

Francisco Liriano was pulled from Saturday's start due to shoulder soreness. According to ESPN1500's Phil Mackey, an MRI showed some inflammation and maybe a touch of tendinitis. They'll determine his status on Tuesday after his scheduled bullpen session.

A Little More Fun

Let me ask you something...which was more fun: the last three games, or the previous nine?

Ok, yes, obviously winning is more fun. However, I'm a little scared to admit that maybe the Twins turned a corner and are finally becoming the Twins we all know and love. Of course, I'd love nothing more to say that with all the confidence I have, but I'm not there yet. I mostly don't want to jinx it.

But there were things about the last few games I really liked seeing. Justin seems to be swinging the bat better. How much did you love that two-run homerun on Thursday? Off a lefty even? And he's swinging more like Justin, and less like a little leaguer.

Liriano looked good on Tuesday. It seems like every time we're all ready to give up on him and send him to the bullpen (or worse, send him packing), he pulls out a gem and makes us forgive him. I like that Francisco; the icky Francisco can stay away. He admitted that his shoulder (elbow?) had been bothering him, but he's feeling better now.

Pavano looked better on Wednesday than he had been. He still didn't really strike out very many, but he got outs when he needed them. So hopefully he's back to being the good Carl.

And how awesome was Nick Blackburn? More of the same, please.


It's only three games, but it's great how a little winning streak improves our attitudes.

Inter-league play next!

~~~

Injury update:

Jason Repko and Jim Thome might be able to re-join the Twins in time for their next homestand on Monday. Thome has had a number of plate appearances in extended spring training, and will have a few more this weekend. Repko is with the Rochester Red Wings.

Tsuyoshi Nishioka is suffering some pain as his fractured fibula, which is to be expected. He's working through it, and as a few days away from playing in games.

Jose Mijares had an MRI on his sore elbow and it showed no structural damage. He should be able to start throwing again soon.

And, Joe Mauer (remember him?), has flown to Florida and is working out there. LaVelle Neil from the StarTribune reports that his elbow and shoulder are feeling better. Which is odd, because he was put on the DL because his legs were weak. Apparently, according to an article by Jim Souhan of the StarTribune, the problem isn't that his legs are hurt so much, but rather it's one leg overcompensating for the other one that had knee surgery and then both legs overcompensating for a sore shoulder. Or something like that. I don't know; I don't think Joe knows. And, of course, there's no timetable for his return. Maybe that could be his mob name: Joey "No Timetable" Mauer.

Read and Follow Directions...

I don't have to tell you, it's not easy being a Twins fan lately. I'm sure, like me, you're being pounced on by anyone who knows you're a Twins fan demanding to know what's wrong. Everyone has questions. Everyone has answers too. Everyone wants to tell the Twins what to do and how to do it.

Well, it just so happens that I write directions for a living. I'm very good at telling people what to do. So, it's come to the point where my work life must step in to my baseball-fan life.

Instructions for fixing the Minnesota Twins. Please note that the following instructions are to be used under the supervision of trained professionals (not really, I just have to say that all the time).

1. Inspect the training staff: Of the six guys still on, or recently off, the disabled list, Nishioka is the only one whose injury doesn't seem to be from a lack of proper training or conditioning. Two oblique strains, a case of shoulder bursitis, a quad strain, and a mysterious bi-lateral leg weakness all seem to me to be potentially preventable. It's true that the cold, damp weather all over the country isn't helping matters any -- many teams are suffering through a lot of injuries (including both my fantasy teams). However, this isn't the first year that people have questioned the effectiveness of the Twins' training staff; last season, Pat Neshek openly criticized them for mis-diagnosing his hand injury. Improve the training and conditioning techniques or get a staff that can.
2. Review Justin Morneau: Gardy needs to sit down with Justin and have a heart-to-heart discussion with him and really figure out what's wrong. His offensive numbers are horrible (and well-documented), but he just looks over-matched in the batter's box. He swings and misses at pitches on the outer half of the plate -- pitches he used to hit, or at least foul off. Additionally, his defense is nowhere near what fans have come to expect. He simply doesn't make the nice scoops he usually does. He's thin, and weak, and clearly not himself. I commend him for trying to tough it out, but he's not really helping the team much in this condition. Unfortunately, due to the diminished capacity of the team as a whole right now, there isn't much anyone can do about it; he's a warm body and those are hard to come by. However, as soon as Young and Thome return from the DL, perhaps the Twins should consider giving Justin some more rest. A lot more rest. Like 15 days of rest. Oh, and just for kicks, check his vision and see if his LASIK procedure didn't take a step or two backwards.
3. Get on Carl Pavano's back: I know Carl's a veteran. I know the Twins signed him to a two-year deal. I know he's supposed to be the leader of the rotation. He stinks lately. He knows he stinks lately. He admits he stinks lately. Not only is his stinky pitching putting too much pressure on the hitters, but it's also putting too much pressure on the other pitchers. Granted, he's the type of pitcher who really needs a good defense behind him, and he doesn't really have that. However, he's walking too many guys and he isn't striking out anybody. Gardy and Anderson need to kick him in the pants.
4. Get off Francisco Liriano's back: It's pretty well known that Liriano can be a bit of a head case. It's also pretty well known that Liriano's real talent is as a strikeout pitcher. In order to be effective, he has to trust his stuff. But since the bullpen is so lame, the Twins want him to get outs using fewer pitches so that he can go deeper into games -- i.e. "pitch to contact." However, this strategy simply doesn't seem to work for him. It's as if the Twins are trying to force him into a mold that he simply doesn't fit into. They need to just leave him be, let him pitch the way he wants to pitch, build his confidence, and let him go. I think that if they let him strike out batters, he'll wind up walking fewer.
5. Figure out the shortstop position: Shortstop is considered the leader of the infield. Alexi Casilla has proven he's not leadership material. The Twins have now handed the job to Trevor Plouffe, but he's hurt and may land on the DL. Even if he's ok, he should have a pretty short leash -- I just don't think he's quite ready for prime time. It's time for Bill Smith to pick up the phone and get a decent rent-a-shortstop. Strength in the field, and in the batter's box, will go far to picking up this team.

~~~

DL Report:

Delmon Young and Jim Thome are headed to Florida to rehab. Thome had an MRI and it indicated that there was only a slight strain in a back muscle. He should be able to re-join the team as soon as he's eligible. Young needs a couple minor-league games, and he should be ready to come back.

Nishioka is also in Florida, rehabbing his broken fibula. He's working with Paul Molitor on fielding drills.

Also watching: Trevor Plouffe. He tweaked or pulled a hammy on Sunday. He's due to have an MRI on Tuesday to see if it's serious. 

Kelsie Smith of the St. Paul Pioneer Press has all the injury details.

As you know, Kevin Slowey is off the DL. Dusty Hughes was sent down to AAA to make room.

And, finally, Joe Mauer is getting stronger all the time. But, sing it with me -- you know the words, ♪♫ there's no timetable for his return ♪♫.

DL Report: Delmon Young

After not playing since April 18, and pulling himself out of Wednesday's lineup because he "couldn't get loose," Delmon Young has been placed on the DL with soreness in his left rib cage area. He was also a victim of that viral bug that's been plaguing the clubhouse, but he's reportedly over that.

It's unclear what the cause of the soreness is; it's possibly an oblique strain or a bone injury. He had an MRI a few days ago, and it came back ok. UPDATE: The Twins announced that it's an oblique strain.

The Twins are currently hurting for depth on the team, and since a double-header is scheduled for Thursday, it became necessary to fill in some gaps. The DL assignment is retroactive to April 19.

Rene Tosoni, a 24-year-old left-handed-hitting outfielder, will take Delmon's roster spot. He hit .286 avg/.329 obp/.500 slg with three HRs and six doubles in 19 games with AAA Rochester.

~~~

Also watching:

Carl Pavano has the flu. His scheduled Saturday start has been pushed back to Sunday.

Jim Thome was unavailable Wednesday due to oblique soreness.

Jason Repko felt tightness in his quad muscle, but was available if necessary on Wednesday.

~~~

Catching up with the others:

Joe Mauer is due to come off the DL on Thursday, but he won't be ready. There is no time table for his return. A rehab stint sometime in the future is likely.

Kevin Slowey has been pitching for the Fort Myers Miracle on a rehab assignment. On Saturday, he allowed one run on one hit and one walk in one inning. Rumor has it that he paid for the clubhouse spread for all the guys after the game. I last read that he was due to pitch again on Wednesday, but he didn't.

Tsuyoshi Nishioka is progressing on schedule.

~~~

Other transactions:

Due to the scheduled double-header on Thursday, and because he pitched in long relief on Wednesday (not very well I might add), Eric Hacker has been optioned to AAA Rochester. Anthony Swarzak has been recalled to replace him. Swarzak will start the evening affair on Thursday on only three days rest.

~~~

I suspect that after reviewing all this, Gardy will go home...and weep.

Twins at Blue Jays: Working out the Rust

Recap:
Friday: Twins a little - Blue Jays a lot (3-13)
Saturday: Twins 1 - Blue Jays 6
Sunday: Twins 4 - Blue Jays 3

Record: 1-2

 

There was a lot of rust for the Twins this series, but Sunday's win kept it from being a complete clunker.

Forgive me, I'm experiencing some rustiness. I haven't done a series recap in so long, I had to look up posts from a year ago to remember how.

Obviously, I'm not the only one who has some rust to work out. Pavano, Manship, D. Hughes looked very rusty. Liriano didn't look so sharp either.

It's hard to tell if Nishioka is suffering from rust or jitters. He's made some mistakes at second; some of them costly. I'm willing to give him a whole bunch of slack because he's got a lot to learn very quickly, but, man, some of those mental mistakes are hard to watch. I hope he's the type who learns from his mistakes and works hard to avoid them in the future. Anyway, I don't mean to be terribly critical; it's only been three games. I'm sure he'll settle in soon and be just fine.

Of course, the owner of the most rust was Joe Nathan. And understandably so. That save, which is his first since Oct. 3, 2009, was probably the most difficult, nerve-racking, excruciating, stressful, heart-thumping, nail-biting, prayer-inducing, hair-pulling, oh-my-god-Joe-just-get-him-out pleading performance I've ever witnessed. It very well could be a good thing it was that way. He had to have been extremely nervous, excited, and scared. And, though it wasn't a pretty save, he certainly earned it. It must have been a great boost to his confidence to face that challenge, stumble but not fall, and finally complete it mostly intact. All with Gardy believing in him enough to let him get that far (although you know he was done after that last batter). I'm sure Joe will be better next time. The only concern now is how his elbow feels after throwing that many pitches. Let's hope for the best, of course.

Another guy with more rust that the others is Justin Morneau. This series takes him back to the place where he suffered his season-ending concussion last year. He played in all three games, but DHed on Sunday. That's great progress. Unfortunately, he didn't his first hit until Sunday -- a broken-bat infield single. That's kind of amusing.

~~~

High Fives:

I've never really done this kind of thing before, but I may as well give some credit where credit is due. As long as the Twins aren't swept in a series, I'll try to figure out three players (or more, if I'm so inclined) who deserve a high-five.

1. Nick Blackburn. He was outstanding on Sunday. He pitched in and out with movement, and when the Jays made contact, it was weak. Well, except for Jose Bautista, but Nick's not going to be the last guy to give up a homerun to that guy.

2. Denard Span. He had a game-saving catch and a moonshot on Sunday. Plus, he's currently leading the team in batting.

3. Joe Nathan. Well, he earned a save. And by that, I mean, he really earned a save. Oh, if you watched the game on TV, did you notice how sweaty he was during the post-game interview? I guess he was a bit anxious.

Notes: Jan. 23, 2011

Wow. A lot happened over the last week.

On Monday, Matt Capps and Glen Perkins avoided arbitration and signed one-year contracts. Perkins signed for $700,000. Fine. He's cheap. He's left-handed. He's breathing. The Twins seem to have a bit more faith in him than I do. Whatever.

Meanwhile, Capps is getting $7.15 million. Yikes. That's a lot of money for a set-up guy. I understand that the Twins wanted some insurance for Joe Nathan as he recovers from elbow surgery, but, wow. The Twins must've thought that Capps would get at least that much money in arbitration, or else they wouldn't have offered it to him. Personally, I kind of would've liked to see them forget about Capps and re-sign Brian Fuentes in that role. Capps does have the benefit of being young, so that's good. He must have some spark that Bill Smith sees that I don't yet. But, I'm sure he'll be all right.

~~~

Speaking of Brian Fuentes, he signed with the A's. Sounds like he'll be a set-up guy for Andrew Bailey. The A's are really putting together a nice bullpen, which includes a number of former Twins: Grant Balfour, Craig Breslow, and now Fuentes.

~~~

On Thursday, the Twins re-signed Carl Pavano. Finally. For several weeks, in fact seemingly every week since the Twins offered arbitration in early December, we heard that Pavano would decide "by the end of the week." But, it was worth the wait; he'll be a Twin for two more years.

This deal had "meant to be" written all over it. The money is fair ($8 million this year, and $8.5 million next with a chance for an extra $500,000 based on innings pitched), and Carl really wanted multiple years. Not only that, he keeps saying in interviews that Minnesota is where he wants to be and that the Twins have a great bunch of guys. Even Jim Thome made sure he knew he should come back. He wants to be here and he's wanted.

Surprisingly, as the deal was nearing completion, word came out that the Yankees had been interested in him and even offered big money for his services. Surprising because the last time the Yankees wanted him, it didn't work out so well -- four years, nine wins, and lots of money is not a formula for love in NY. The manager, teammates, and fans grew quite weary of his injuries and apparent inability to heal and they came to believe he was a lazy bum. The Yankees and their fans demand nothing less than excellence, and they didn't get it with Carl.

Apparently, however, Brian Cashman believed in him and maintained an amicable relationship over the years. The Yankees are desperate for a reliable starting pitcher, and any other guy with Carl's credentials would've been a shoe-in. However, the actual Carl would've needed barrels of excellence in order to earn trust and be accepted; it would've been quite unfriendly there. Even now, with Carl nestled safely in the bosom of friendly Twins Territory, Yankee fans are, shall we say, venting their frustrations all over Facebook and Twitter as only New Yorkers can.

And even more surprisingly, Carl was willing to give it a try in New York, perhaps to quiet some lingering regrets. That is, until the Twins threw in a second year to their offer. Then the pieces fell into place. He seems genuinely happy to be back. And the fans kind of dig him too.

Here are some interview videos from FSN.

Notice the 'stache is gone? He admitted in an interview that if it does make a comeback, it has to be a surprise. I have no doubt that, come mid-season, when the team needs a rallying cry, a gimmick, a talisman, a 'Staches for Success campaign, it'll come out of hiding.

~~~

On Friday, Nick Punto signed with the St. Louis Cardinals. Too bad; I prefer him off the bench over Tolbert or Plouffe. Sure, there's no doubt our Little Nicky Punto divided Twins fans like no other player, but his defense was a lot of fun to watch. Sure, he didn't have the best batting average in the world, but his defense was a lot of fun to watch. Sure, he made some baserunning blunders, but his defense was a lot of fun to watch. Sure, he dove headfirst into first base, but...well, you get the point.

Good luck, Nicky. Oh and Cardinals fans, you'll appreciate his work ethic and hustle.

~~~

Off-season crocheting update:

Another scarf for the Scarves for Special Olympics Project.

Quick Notes: Jan. 2, 2011

Happy New Year, everyone! I really enjoyed the last two weeks of the year. I was able to spend some time with family while keeping things low-key and setting some time aside to relax. I hope you were able to do the same thing.

I'm about 97.6% certain that Bill Smith was able to do the same thing as well, because nothing is happening with the Twins. Ok, I don't really know that; he could be going on 3 hours of sleep and staffing the phones right this minute trying to complete 14 separate deals. Do you doubt that? Yeah, I doubt that too.

I'm crabby because I just want something to talk about and it's really boring that there isn't. *sigh*

~~~


Remember all those years when the Twins organization was trying to get the Minnesota legislature to chip in for a new ballpark and they kept trying to prove their point by griping about how crappy the Metrodome was? Well, the old Humpty Dump found a way to not only stick it to the Vikings for all their complaining, but it also figured out how to give the Twins one final "up yours". The air-less balloon that used to be the roof won't be fixed for a few months, not nearly in time for Twins Fest, scheduled for the end of January. Way to go Dome, that'll show 'em.

Fortunately, the Twins were able to relocate to the National Sports Center in Blaine. That's a nice big facility, but I really don't know if Twins Fest will be as grand there as it usually is. I'm sure it'll be fine, and it's great there is a place to go on such short notice.

Twins Fest is Jan. 28 - 30.

~~~

On Thursday, Dec. 30, I was one of a cast of thousands starring on Seth Stohs' SethSpeaks.net Weekly Minnesota Twins special 2-hour, year-end special podcast. Ok, there wasn't really a cast of thousands. It was more like a cast of 17. But, still, pretty impressive. We talked about our favorite memories of 2010, what we think of the off-season, and what we're looking forward to in 2011. It was a really fun show with a lot of great guests -- and me.

My favorite memory of 2010 was the Home Opener in Target Field. The park is one of the best in the majors, and I think it contributed to the success of the team in 2010. The crowd was full, and abuzz, nearly every game, and the players must've appreciated a nice field to play on and nice facilities to be in. I also like how they incorporated the great players and memories from the past throughout the park, from the photo murals all around in places like the Legends Club to the glass on the Metropolitan Club with a definite nod to old Met Stadium. I was glad to be there to help open it.

My thoughts around the off-season revolved largely around acquiring a veteran starting pitcher who can give us 200+ innings a season -- namely Pavano. I think that now that the bullpen features a lot of inexperience, an iron-man type starter who can go deep into games would be a valuable asset. I'd also like to see Jim Thome back in a Twins uniform because I like him and he makes me happy.

I'm looking forward to the return of Joe Nathan in 2011. I have a gut feeling that by June, our Joe will be the formidable Joe Nathan again. And I can't wait to see it happen.

So anyway, check out the podcast here. I come in at about the 34-minute mark, but I really encourage you to listen to the whole show; it was a lot of fun.

Also, listen and learn why my boss has put the kibosh on any designs I had on doing voice-over work.

Thanks, Seth, for inviting me to be on your show with all those other great guests and thanks for being a friend of this blog over the past year.

~~~

In the on-going, captivating saga of the crocheting I'm doing to spend the vast amount of time until baseball starts again, I present this cute little sock monkey I made.

Of course he's a Twins fan. We haven't decided on a name for him yet. Perhaps Hubert.

~~~

And finally, I'd like to express my prayers and good wishes for Harmon Killebrew. He announced earlier this week that he's battling esophageal cancer.

I don't remember too much about his playing days, but I always been aware of his presence with the team. Seems like he's always around during Spring Training, Twins Fest, and other events. He always seems so proud to be associated with the Twins, and Twins fans are grateful to have him around. My mom had the thrill of shaking his hand a few years ago at Twins Fest, and he was very gracious to her.

I hope Harmon, his family, and his doctors can find a way to get him through this battle and on to a full recovery.

Quick Notes: Nov. 28, 2010

This past Tuesday was the deadline for teams to offer arbitration to their Type A and Type B free agents. The Twins offered arbitration to Carl Pavano (Type A), Jesse Crain (B), and Orlando Hudson (B). They declined to offer arbitration to Matt Guerrier (A), Jon Rauch (B), and Brian Fuentes (B). Pavano, Crain, and Hudson have until this coming Tuesday to accept or decline the offer.

Some fans believe that Orlando Hudson has a "gentlemen's agreement" with the Twins to decline the arbitration just so the team can collect the draft pick. It's a fairly common thing, so I wouldn't be surprised. We'll see.

I'm most interested in what Carl Pavano does. It sounds like a lot of teams are interested in him, so if he doesn't accept, he'll have plenty of offers to consider. But I'm hoping that he likes the Twins so much that he'll accept, which buys the team time to come up with a multi-year deal.

I'm also interested in what will happen with Matt Guerrier. The Twins probably did him a favor by not offering arbitration. If they had, teams may have been unwilling to sign him since he's a Type A free agent. Having to give up a high-round draft pick may have been too costly to sign a middle reliever. So this scenario makes it pretty unlikely that the Twins will try to re-sign him. Too bad; I like him -- probably more than most fans do.

~~~

Late Thanksgiving night and early Black Friday morning, we heard that the Twins earned the exclusive negotiating rights with Japanese middle-infielder Tsuyoshi Nishioka. The Twins have to pay his team, the Chiba Lotte Marines, reportedly $5.3 million just to talk to him. The Twins have 30 days to come to an agreement, but since they're the only MLB team allowed to talk to him, there's no reason to believe that they won't sign him. If they can't sign him, they do get their damage deposit bid money back. Joe Christensen of the StarTribune has lots of great information about Nishioka and the whole process.

There are a few questions surrounding his potential signing. Will he play 2B or SS? Will this make a difference in whether the Twins offer JJ Hardy a new contract? What about Alexi Casilla and Matt Tolbert? (Ok, I was kidding about Tolbert.) And what if Hudson accepts arbitration?

Another pressing question is, how many different ways will Bert Blyleven pronounce his name? And how bad will Dan Gladden butcher it? Most importantly, what in the world will Gardy's nickname for him be?

Twins at Mariners: Hanging Out with Good People

Recap:
Friday -- Twins 6 - Mariners 3
Saturday -- Twins 1 - Mariners 0
Sunday -- Twins 1 - Mariners 2

Record: 75 - 56, 4 1/2 games ahead. Magic Number: 28

This series featured opportunities to hang out with some fun people and watch great pitching. All three starting pitchers this series were very good and very fun to watch (too bad the bats couldn't help Pavano a little more on Sunday).

On Friday night, Scotty was pretty impressive. It was nice to see him coast along.

Unfortunately, even though I directly requested that Randy Flores make a good first impression, he didn't. I didn't enjoy seeing the bases loaded with no outs.

Then, when Guerrier came out in that situation, I admit, I was pretty nervous. I love Matty, but I know he's been struggling a bit lately (perhaps overused? Again?). But, boy, did he ever cowboy-up -- foul pop and GIDP! Very hot.

Oh, and I guess I need to welcome Brian Fuentes. At least I know who he is. So welcome Brian. It was a funny story when I first heard the news of his claim. My husband and I were hanging out with our dear friends, and their son told me that the Twins got Brian Fuentes. I said, "no, no, no. That was Randy Flores a couple of days ago." Ha. I didn't find out until I got home that the young man was right. Which kind of predicted my new tendency of confusing those two names. Be warned, there's a very good chance if I say "Randy Flores" I mean "Brian Fuentes," or vice versa.

Or not -- I'll try to be careful.

~~~

Saturday I went to another great viewing party -- this time a combo effort by Sooze and TwinsCentric. It was a fun time hanging out with a bunch of great Twins fans and bloggers. I custom-made a t-shirt just for the event: the front featured my little logo girl, and the back said "Chicks Dig the Infield Fly Rule." Also, the famous k-bro k-brownies showed up with me. I think everyone's getting tired of them though; I had a hard time getting rid of them.

Nick Blackburn gave us an awesome game to cheer for, too. In fact, it was smokin' hott! Not only did he strike out Ichiro three times, he totally blew him away. Ichiro was totally over matched in his final at bat. When Gardy took Blackie out after he walked Chone Figgins, I admit that my heart was a little sad. It wanted him to get the CGSO. However, my head realized that bringing in Brian Fuentes in that situation was a good move -- this was exactly why the Twins got him. And he brilliantly struck out Russel Branyon. That's the first impression I liked to see.

~~~

Sunday morning, my family and I went to the State Fair. We did the typical fair things we always do: the Grandstand and Coliseum vendor booths, Ye Olde Mill, the Sky Glide, all our favorite TV stations' and radio stations' booths, bacon, milk, cookies, turkey sandwiches, lemonade, and the Twins booth.

Behind the Twins booth, they had a wiffle ball field set up. As I watched Tony Oliva pitch to little kids (cute!), I heard a voice I recognized. I turned around to see Bill Smith. He was chatting with some fans, so I shuffled his way. My guys wanted to go look at some Ford trucks (I don't know why), so they left, and I waited for Mr. Smith to finish with those other folks.

When it was my turn, he shook my hand and greeted me warmly. The first thing I said to him was, "so Brian Fuentes made you look like a genius yesterday." He said his wife said the same thing. Since no one else appeared to be waiting to talk to him, we hung out for quite a while. I told him I was really enjoying this season and that I was really happy that the team have some great guys on it -- we may have some stars like Joe Mauer and Justin Morneau, but they're not bratty stars like Carlos Zambrano. He said those kind of players don't stay on the Twins very long. We talked about how great Jim Thome is and how the fans seem to really like him. And he said that he really admires Michael Cuddyer because he's such a team-oriented player and that he's so willing to do what's asked of him (Cuddy's played six different positions this season). Bill Smith was very patient talking with this dorky fan and he's great to visit with. He's a really nice guy.

Later, Carl Pavano pitched a good game, -- a wild pitch and a slow outfielder as his only downfalls -- but it wasn't meant to be, I guess. Bummer.

Breaking Down Carl Pavano

Minnesota, Meet Carl. Carl, Meet Minnesota.

A little over a year ago, the Twins traded pitching prospect Yohan Pino for Carl Pavano. I figured this was another timeworn move to acquire "veteran presence" the Twins are always searching for. Visions of Ramon Ortiz, Livan Hernandez, and Sydney Ponson haunted me. To say the least, I was skeptical -- and I admitted as much when the trade happened. I found it odd that he made it through waivers, and Cleveland was willing to trade within the division. His numbers with Cleveland weren't great either -- 9-8 and 5.37 ERA and he missed some time with neck and shoulder soreness.

Part of my negativity toward him stemmed from the unfavorable depiction of him in Joe Torre's (ok, Tom Verducci's) book The Yankee Years. He had a horrible 4-year stint with the Yankees, where he was given a large contract, and due to injury and ineffectiveness, gave them very little return on investment. So a history of being injury-prone didn't do much to convince me this was a good move.

But, he had a reputation of having success against the Tigers. This was important as the drive towards the playoffs progressed.

Playoffs and Beyond

For the final months with the Twins, Pavano wasn't stellar, but he was solid. And he did have some success against those Tigers -- the Twins won two of the three times he started against them. He finished the season 5-4 with a 4.64 ERA. His contribution probably helped the Twins make up ground in the division.

But he really showed off his worth during the ALDS against the Yankees, but unfortunately, his efforts fell short due to no run support (7.0 inning pitched, 5 hits, 2 solo homeruns, 9 strikeouts).

So, as the off-season moved along, the Twins must have seen something they liked, because they offered him arbitration. Now it's common for teams to offer arbitration to their stud free agents in order to receive some extra draft picks if the player signs with another team. But, teams have to be careful what they wish for and can only really do that for players they wouldn't mind keeping; there's a chance the player will accept.

Pavano must have liked the Twins experience too, because he did accept. And then he did the national sports radio interview circuit, saying all the right things with the proper amount of enthusiasm for the club and the community. So, with a $7,000,000 contract, the Twins made him their fourth-highest paid player for 2010.

What Have You Done For Us Lately?

So far this year, that contract offer has seemed pretty savvy; he's having an excellent year. So far, he's 14-7 with a 3.28 ERA. But the most notable stat is the 5 complete games, two of them shutouts. The last Twin to have that many was Brad Radke in 2001 with 6.

However, in his last few starts, he's shown some signs of fatigue. The term "dead arm" has been thrown around the blogs and sports articles. But in his most recent start, he's shown a little more sharpness again. I think he'll be fine.

He's also become a good leader in the clubhouse. He's experienced a lot in the big leagues, from a World Series win with the Marlins to, well, the Yankee Years. And both he and Gardy have stated that he's not afraid to speak his mind. Which, to me, indicates that he's handing out praise and criticism to the younger pitchers as appropriate. I suppose he's kind of a peer-review pitching coach. I think that's exactly what the team needs.

Perhaps the Twins finally found the real "veteran presence" they've been looking for all along.

The 'Stache

Ok, we can't talk about Pavano without talking about the centerpiece of his season -- the oft talked-about 'stache. It seems as if he started pitching exceptionally since he started growing it, at the expense of his appearance. Is it coincidence, or is it some facial seven-locks of Samson thing? Of course, he's coy when he's asked about it. "It's just for fun," is all he'll say about it. But I tell you what, he's got to be superstitious about it. At this point, there ain't no way it's going away.

The Catcher

As a result of Pavano's outspokenness, he decided that Joe Mauer isn't the best catcher (gasp!) while he pitches. He claims that Drew Butera's smaller frame is less distracting and allows him to move side to side better. This annoys many fans and bloggers greatly because they consider Butera an offensive liability. Joe can DH on days Pavano starts, but that keeps hitters like Jim Thome out of the line up.

However, I don't think having Butera catch Pavano is a problem. Gardy has admitted on separate occasions that he is looking for ways to rest both Mauer and Thome an adequate amount to keep them fresh and healthy. Opportunity granted. And Mauer says he doesn't mind -- of course, he's Minnesota-nice, what else is he going to say?

But, I think the real reason Pavano wants Butera behind the plate is because he needs him there. Pavano is notoriously bad at holding on base runners, and opponents know it. This year, Butera is much better at gunning down potential base stealers than Mauer. Butera has a caught-stealing percentage of 44%, allowing only 14 stolen bases out of 25 attempts (catching 11). Mauer, on the other hand, has thrown out only 27%, allowing 36 of 49 attempts (getting only 13).

The Future

So if (a very big IF) Pavano continues at this impressive pace, and if (another very big IF) the Twins return to the playoffs, then the seven million is worth it. But then what?

Good veteran pitching is rare and special...and worth a lot of money. And, as a free agent, he'll probably draw interest from almost every team (well, maybe not the Yankees), which will likely drive up his value.

Of course the big question will be whether he can keep it up. Is 2010 a true indication of his ability, or an anomaly? What will a fair deal be? Will big money equal trouble again? With the Joe Mauer contract kicking in next year, what can the Twins afford? Will they even want to bring him back?

With all these questions, I guess it's best to focus on the present, and keep hoping for the best.

Twins at Orioles: Love Letters

Recap:
Thursday: Twins 5 - Orioles 0
Friday: Twins 2 - Orioles 3
Saturday: Twins 7 - Orioles 2
Sunday: Twins 10 - Orioles 4

Record: 53-46 1 game back

That was a nice series. Even the one loss didn't feel demoralizing -- it was more a matter of Jeremy Guthrie and Luke Scott having a good day than any of the Twins having a bad one.

Usually I don't like to pin my mood on the results of my team -- I do have a life after all -- but this series was so nice, it improved my already content state of mind. So nice, in fact, I'm compelled to to write a few short love letters.

Dear Carl Pavano: I love complete games. I love complete game shut-outs. You're pitching so excellently that you're beginning to remind me a little of my beloved, Brad Radke. Please keep up this level of excellence. 

Dear Ty Wigginton, Juan Samuel, Idiot Fan Running on the Field, and Orioles Security Staff: Thanks for the laughs. No, really. Your performances gave me a good chuckle.

Dear Brian Duensing: Nice work. Really. You did exactly what you were asked to do. You kept the team in the game, and you looked pretty smooth. Keep it up kid; you may have earned a permanent spot in the rotation.

Dear Joe Mauer: Hi. That homerun you hit was really pretty. You know it was. Do that again. A lot. Please.

Dear Anthony Slama: Welcome to the big leagues, kid. Tough break giving up that homer to Luke Scott. If it's any consolation, it's not really an awful thing to give up a dinger to him -- he's a good hitter. Just ask Scott Baker. Oh, and keep rocking those stirrups.

Dear O-Dog: Get well soon. Again. 

Dear Scott Baker: Hugs. That pitching performance was very solid. Way to go. You know how much I love good pitching. Keep it up; we're all rooting for you.

Dear Jason Kubel: Boom! Oh yeah! You loves you some grand slam action. Next time I see you, I'll buy the Gummi Bears.

Dear Kevin Slowey: There you go, pal. That's the kind of pitching we like to see. In fact, you were doing such a nice job, Bert accidentally called you Brad Radke. Keep it up, and I'll love you almost as much as I loved him.

And, most importantly --

Dear Delmon Young: I'm thunderstruck, and I like it. You are on one hell of a tear, and it's beautiful. I mean, look at you at the plate. Sure, you still swing at a lot of pitches, but you're not flailing. You're making contact, and hitting to all fields. And, that power...ooh la la. Also, when the cameras catch you on the bench, you seem all happy and fun and stuff. I like seeing that. Let's face it -- you're good. Please sustain this good mojo, because everyone is beginning to love you, including me.

Eternally yours,
k-bro

White Sox at Twins: Tracks and 'Staches

Recap:
Thursday -- White Sox 8 - Twins 7
Friday -- White Sox 4 - Twins 7
Saturday -- White Sox 2 - Twins 3
Sunday -- White Sox 6 - Twins 7 (! after a four-run rally in the bottom of the ninth)

Twins take series 3-1. Record: 49-43, 1.5 GB

What an encouraging series, huh? After gimping into the All-Star break, and then dropping the first one upon return, it was getting quite worrisome for Twins fans that we might be witnessing a derailment. I'm not quite sure it's safe to say they're back on the right track, but at least it seems as if they know where the right track is. It's a start.

But, just because this was an excellent series and the Twins gained some ground on the leaders, it doesn't mean there aren't concerns. It's going to be a bumpy roller-coaster ride if the Twins keep rolling with 2.5 good starting pitchers. Blackburn and Slowey have to, have to, pitch better than this. Blackie was a little better Sunday...well, until he wasn't. It's so frustrating, because we've seen them be very good not that long ago. They must be frustrated too, which probably isn't helping them pitch better. They're likely very aware they're on a runaway train...Phil Miller tweeted that Blackburn said that he doesn't know how long the team's going to put up with him making mistakes. The car is riding one rail...does it tip back on, or tip over?

Personally, I kind of think Blackie is more fixable than Slowey right now, but it's still a bummer because I really like both of them. I guess we fans just have to keep crossing our fingers and hoping for them to -- say it with me -- get back on track.

~~~

Remember how I said I wanted the Twins to develop a rallying cry? A motto, a scheme, a gimmick, anything to get fired up? Yeah, well I should have been more careful in what I wished for. It seems that Carl Pavano started something. And, his brainchild appears to be working -- for him anyway, but others have started trying it too. Unfortunately, it's so hideously ugly, it's almost disturbing.

Yep. He started the 'Staches for Success movement. At points during this past series, we saw Nick Punto, Drew Butera, Brian Duensing, and Nick Blackburn sport some pretty awful growths on their upper lips.

I'm not afraid to admit that I enjoy my fair share of ballplayer eyecandy. However, facial hair stylings that went out with platform shoes, silk disco shirts, and plaid bell-bottoms can certainly make the most handsome face make me shudder with dread (I'm looking at you, Blackie). But, I also grasp that if they believe the mustaches help, they really do help. And I really really enjoy Twins wins.

So, I'm torn. But, I guess if the ugly lip fur helps with some kind of good luck, I'll go with it. I may have to close my eyes on closeup camera shots of our boys, but I'll go with it.

Twins at Phillies -- Scoring, Styles, and Surprises

Recap:

Friday -- Twins 5 - Phillies 9
Saturday -- Twins 13 - Phillies 10 (11)
Sunday -- Twins 4 - Phillies 1

Twins take series 2-1
Record: 40 - 29

~~~

I wasn't able to watch Friday's and Saturday's games, but I was able to listen on the radio. It's kind of too bad I couldn't see them, because I would have seen a whole bunch of things that surprised me. I also would have seen a whole bunch of runs, some from some unlikely sources.

It's kind of funny that even though a lot of people say that the Twins have a National League-style of play (that is, they usually have a "get on, get over, get in", or station-to-station, approach), they executed one near-comeback that fell short, one actual comeback win, and one straight up victory using a mostly American League style. That is, they hit a lot of homers.

There were so many surprising things that happened in this series, I found myself shaking my head often. And sometimes laughing.

• The Twins starting pitching was a.w.f.u.l. for two games in a row. Both Blackie and Slowey have had their ups and downs, but to have such terrible starts in a row was very disconcerting. Blackie was so good in May, but his June has been a little shaky. On the flip side, Slowey was shaky earlier, but he got better and we all thought he had turned things around. But to see them both so bad during the same series was pretty surprising. I hope this was just a glitch for both of them, and they'll amend things soon. They need to address their consistency issues.
• Speaking of starting pitching, I was quite pleasantly surprised with Carl's gem on Sunday. When the Twins re-signed him, I was pretty much ambivalent. I knew he would bring experience to the rotation and that he's a capable pitcher, but I never really regarded him as ace-like. I didn't have any great expectations for him facing Roy Halladay -- he would have to be ace-like because the Twins weren't going to get many runs. I couldn't be happier to be surprised. It must be the 'stache. If he thinks it makes him pitch better, I suppose I can live with looking at it.
• How about those homers, huh? Now it's not terribly surprising that Morneau hit two during this series. It wasn't even all that surprising that Thome and Mauer each hit one, but it's been a while since they've done that and I had been wondering if they remembered how. Even Span's wasn't terribly surprising -- just nice. But Punto and Butera? Where did those come from? Especially Butera's because it was so important. Huge "no-way" factor with that one.
• Speaking of homers, I was a little surprised to hear that some Philly fans gave Thome a standing-o when he hit his. Well, I must say I was more impressed than surprised. With that homer, Thome has now hit one against all 30 teams. So I thought it was pretty cool that the smart baseball fans recognized a great baseball moment. And shame on the Philly writers and talk-show hosts who are scolding those fans. I would have done the same thing if the situation was reversed.
• Not only was I surprised that Justin was able to stretch a single into a double when Victorino tried to throw behind him as he rounded first and then Howard wound up hitting him in the back (not officially a double from a scorekeeper's perspective, but he did wind up on second base nonetheless), but I was also surprised that he actually planned that way (at least this article makes it sound like it). Really? Baserunners plan this kind of stuff? I thought it was dumb luck. Do they practice this? Do they have "get hit in the back while running to second" practice during spring training?

Oh, and finally, I really regret that I didn't get to see Jon Rauch batting, um...bunting, with two strikes, and succeeding.

Royals at Twins - Bits and Pieces

Recap:
Friday -- Royals 3 - Twins 10
Saturday -- Royals 5 - Twins 6
Sunday -- Royals 10 - Twins 5

Twins take series 2-1

~~~

So, it's been a crazy, but good, weekend. Between helping one kid get ready for prom, helping the other get ready for baseball try-outs, and preparing for dinner guests, plus all the regular weekend stuff like tidying up, laundry, groceries, etc., I've hardly had time to think, let alone watch baseball.

But I was able to catch bits and pieces of the games. So here is my blog post, in bits and pieces:

• Friday's game was a ton of fun
• Sunday's game was a ton of bricks
• Saturday's game just seemed dragging and difficult
• Like I'd really know for sure; I probably watched all of 7 pitches of Saturday's game
• It's a good thing Joe Mauer got a nice contract; he needs to add another room to his house for all the trophies 
• He received the Kenesaw Mountain Landis Memorial Award (the real name of the MVP award) 
• He received the American League Batting Title Award
• He received the Louisville Slugger® Silver Slugger Award
• He received the Rawlings® Gold Glove Award
• It was weird to see Greinke struggle
• It was frustrating to see Pavano struggle
• Yeah, I didn't really like to see Crain struggle either
• Or Blackburn
• Off day tomorrow, so all the pitchers can relax and get back into the groove
• I like Greinke, so it's ok if he's in a groove as long as he isn't facing the Twins
• I've said it before, and I'll say it again: I'm not a fan of leaving a million men on base
• Like leaving men on base is like the constant like teenage girl like upspeak of baseball
• The Twins took their first four series of the season
• That's something they've never done before
• I like that
• I want them to keep it up
• So did you hear about Ubaldo Jimenez? 
• Jimenez pitched the first no-hitter in Rockies' history
• Very cool
• Did you hear about Saturday's Mets-Cardinals game? 
• Mets won
• It took 20 innings
• It was a pitchers' duel
• Scoreless for the first 19 innings
• The Cardinals had to get creative with their pitchers
• Infielder Felipe Lopez pitched the 18th
• Outfielder/thirdbaseman Joe Mather pitched the 19th and 20th
• Mather also took the loss
• Pitcher Kyle Lohse (remember him?) played left field for three innings
• Catcher Yadier Molina caught all 20 innings
• Catcher Yadier Molina is catching Sunday night
• The Mets and Cardinals are, at this moment, tied in the 7th

That's all I got.

Hmm...

A few notes on a couple of things that kind of made me scratch my head.

The Twins signed all eight of their arbitration eligible players
This is good. I've heard that neither the teams nor the players want to go into the arbitration room. The team tells the player how awful he is so that they don't have to pay him as much money as he wants, and then when it's all done, they have to convince him how much the love him. Can't be good for anyone.

So it's great that everyone (JJ Hardy, Carl Pavano, Delmon Young, Pat Neshek, Jesse Crain, Matt Guerrier, Francisco Liriano all for one-year contracts and Brendan Harris for a two-year contract) signed so quickly -- all done on the very day when figures were exchanged. But it's curious that it was indeed that fast. The Twins and one other team (I forget which, Dodgers maybe?) were the only ones that had that many arbitration eligibles. So it would have been understandable if a few of them had taken a day or two.

Now, I haven't really followed Twins contract activities in the past, so I'm not sure about what to think of this. But I seem to remember when Cuddyer was arbitration-eligible, he and the Twins came to a "hand on the doorknob to the mediator's room" agreement.

So it seems odd to me that they'd knock off all eight in one swell foop. What does it mean? Are they opening the wallet freely? Are they just trying to get it over with and just saying "whatever" to whatever the players wanted? Were all the players extraordinarily reasonable with their demands? Huh?

The Twins are seriously interested in signing Jim Thome
Um, ok. The White Sox announced earlier this evening that they're not interested in him, so speculation is that he's deciding between the Twins and the Rays.

Now Thome's great. He's the kind of player you hate, only because he always beats you. I always like him a lot better when he's in the National League.

He's been described as the nicest guy in baseball. And that came from Mike Redmond -- after Thome cracked his skull when he forgot to hold on to his bat.

But, despite all that, the curious part is: why? We already have a left-handed, and much younger, DH in Jason Kubel. And it's not like we could put Thome out in the field to rest some guys.
I know the bench is a bit thin, but I seriously think they have other needs to address first. I don't know; bringing him in is like bringing beer to a wine tasting -- really good beer, but it still doesn't quite fit.


Ok, this is a no-brainer
The estimable Seth Stohs is planning a super-duper, action-packed, star-studded, pre-TwinsFest extravaganza podcast tomorrow (Tuesday) evening. Ok, I exaggerate, but it's still going to be great.

Follow this link to listen live: www.BlogTalkRadio.com/SethSpeaks

Here's his tentative schedule (Central Time):

8:00-8:05 – Introduction

8:05-8:20 – John Sickels

8:20-8:35 – Pat Neshek

8:35-8:50 – Joe Benson

8:50-9:05 – Carlos Gutierrez

9:05-9:10 – Catch Up

9:10-9:25 – Kyle Gibson

9:25-9:35 – Open

9:35-9:45 – Denard Span

9:45-9:55 – Jeff Manship

9:55-10:00 – Wrap-Up

Be sure to tune in; it sounds like an awesome show.

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.

Unpredictable, Eh?

I figured that the Twins would split the series with the Blue Jays, because that's how it seems to go with the stupid 4-game series. But game-by-game, my predictions were all wrong.

Recap:
Monday: Twins 6 - Blue Jays 3
Tuesday: Twins 3 - Blue Jays 6
Wednesday: Twins 4 - Blue Jays 1
Thursday: Twins 3 - Blue Jays 3

After Sunday's flat, lifeless performance on Sunday, the Twins were destined to do the same on Monday -- or so I thought. They actually played well and seemed to have fun.

Tuesday, Duensing took the mound. I've been so impressed with him, so I figured more of the same from him. And he didn't disappoint. Too bad the bullpen blew it.

Next up was Pavano vs. Halladay. Now, I'm totally willing to give Pavano every benefit of the doubt, but he's no Roy Halladay. However, Roy Halladay is Roy Halladay and he'd never lost to the Twins. But Pavano and the Twins' bats prevailed.

Thursday's day game featured Scott Baker, who's been great since the all-star break. Another W for sure -- or not. Scotty pitched ok, but the bats were lifeless again. Maybe everyone was looking forward to getting out of there as soon as possible because they knew it would take forever to get through customs.

~~~

Let me share some recent blog posts, from a couple of Sarahs, that I enjoyed:

• Sarah of Oh, It's THOSE Girls lists a bunch of reasons why we should go to Friday's game against the A's. I love the idea of laughing at them for wearing white shoes after Labor Day.
  
• Sarah-bug of la Beisbolista (a Cardinals blog) tells us how no one team has the best fans, they all do.

~~~

A great big thank you to all my blogging and Twitter friends who mentioned my food drive idea and encouraged their readers to pledge as well.

I really think it would be great if we all get to donate a bunch of food. Go Twins!

Oh, and I think it would be great if fans of other teams would pledge for wins by their teams too.