The Twins have THREE players with expiring contracts. Justin Morneau, Mike Pelfrey, and Brian Duensing.
Pelfrey looked awful last night. Duensing was even worse in relief, and Justin Morneau who was always batting around .300 earlier this season has seen his batting average and production drop considerably in the last 3 or 4 weeks.
In other words, the Twins most in need of trading are currently some of their worst performers. Nobody wants them. Or if somebody IS interested, they aren't offering the Twins anyone of real value in exchange.
I'm not saying a trade or two won't be reached in the next few hours, I'm saying prepared to be disappointed no matter what the deal is. We'll lose veterans and get nothing in return, or worse, lose a good young player or two for a bunch of less highly prized prospects.
In any case, I don't think we'll see Morneau, Pelfrey, or Duensing in Twin uniforms next season.
IF we bring any of them back, it will probably be Pelfrey. He has been getting better as the season progresses and last night's game may have been a fluke rather than a new pattern.
Next month, waiver wire deals will start. That means we can pick up or release players that no one else wants anymore with minimal cost or effort. We got Pavano like that back in 2009. We may get someone like him again while dumping those who have already overstayed their welcome.
One last player of note, Ryan Doumit is having the worst year of his career as well so even though he has a year left on is contract, the Twins would like to dump him as well to clear regular roster space for Chris Hermann. So we MAY hear Doumit making a quick exit from the Twins as well.
AT this point, I don't care much either way. We're not good enough to get attached to anyone any more. Though I'd stop watching tomorrow if we traded Deduno.
Wednesday, July 31, 2013
Tuesday, July 30, 2013
Thoughts
Imagine waking up at two in the morning and choking on smoke. It's a burning, acidity smell, and it's so thick you start coughing. The house is filled with smoke and when you look out the window you notice the entire neighborhood is engulfed in it. What would you do? Most people would dial 911 and get out of the house. Or better yet, most should get out of the house FIRST and dial 911.
That reflex has been removed from my wife and I as it happens so many times in the summer that we rarely give it a second thought any more. We merely get up, close most of the windows, start a couple of exhaust fans in our two remaining open windows, and go back to bed.
The city of Seepy Eye banned burning garbage in town when I was a small child. Less than 5 years after that, it became illegal to burn leaves in the fall. The reason? Well the most obvious reason was the hideous choking smoke that went along with all of that burning of materials, especially in the fall.
Let's flash forward to modern America. One of the most heinous trends in recent history is the backyard fire pit. For some reason, the lesson of a generation ago has already been lost. The smoke that these things produce is enough to make neighbors want to kill their neighbors. (in self-defense of course, because the smoke they are delivering to us could be judged as attempted murder.)
Supposedly, these fire pits, which I shall now refer to as smoke pits, are regulated in such a way that folks don't have to worry about their use. The problem is that no body in our neighborhood follows any of the regulations relating to their use AND nobody (including the local police) takes the time to see that the regulations are being followed.
The rules are simple enough. The pit has to be off the ground, or if it's in the ground it has to have dirt or rocks surrounding it a good distance so that it can't accidently catch trees or grass on fire that are next to it. It also has to be a certain GOOD distance away from any permanent structures like garages, sheds, and houses. Other rules? Only wood can be burned in it. (No leaves or garbage) You must have someone in attendance at all times when you are using it, and (this is the biggy) you must extinguish it with water, completely and thoroughly, when you are done with it. I believe the ordinance mentions giving it a good soaking and staying with it awhile to make sure that all flames have been put out and that there is no lingering smoke.
So what do our neighbors do? And not just those who live right next to it, but within a couple of blocks of us. Most use it as a garbage burner throughout the year, and many burn their leaves in the fall. NONE of them have their burners more than a few feet from their garages or houses. Most leave them unattended frequently as they are going about their everyday tasks. (Sometimes forgetting about them completely as they drive off to run errands or visit.)
And RARELY, extremely rarely, does anyone put out the fire with a good soaking when they are done with it. Why? Because then it would take too much to start the fire again the NEXT night when they want to use it again. It won't light if its soaked from the previous night. Most just let their fires burn themselves out as they go to bed.
Now as anybody who reads this blog knows, I tend to exaggerate some to get my point across. The following stories are true and have happened in the last two years. The first one happened two nights ago. That was the 2 a.m. fire I talked about at the beginning of of this blog.
Another story? Our next door neighbor (at the time, she no longer lives there) would often get as drunk as she could and start a fire in her "makeshift" smoke pit. Some nights the flames from these fires would reach the bottom branches of her tree and start them on fire. This "pit" was basically just an open fire on the ground, about 5 feet from her garage.
She'd drink and sit next to it, getting up to dance once in awhile, and then leave it unattended as she went on another beer run into the house. We figured with all that beer she was also causing some long bathroom breaks, but there were long periods of time when she simply was not around. Now we're talking some serious flames here. She had dozens of wooden palettes that she acquired from work, and she put several on the fire every evening she had a fire. At the same time. The smoke produced was horribly thick, but the flames shooting into the air, into her tree and against the garage would have done many bon fire enthusiasts proud.
We didn't WANT to watch her do this every night, but figured it was an investment in protecting our house and our neighborhood. Finally, one night, we called the police. Her drunken fire had simply became too much of a neighborhood hazard.
They came. They talked to her. The flame was KIND of put out (it was still smoking and glowing) AND she had another huge illegal fire with beer a couple of nights later. And several more every week as long as she lived there. Remember I said there ARE regulations but there really is no one to regulate them. This is my prime example. The police drive by our neighborhood several times an evening, but NO ONE ever stopped to talked to her again. They could see the same fires raging without a call to them. But they didn't want to be bothered with stopping her without another call of complaint.
And that's my biggest issue with the pits. They are dangerous. They are smelly. But no one wants to stop the really bad ones, let alone check on them once in awhile. As a result we have neighbors risking their property and the property of the neighborhood over senseless fires that serve no real purpose. And I'm still trying to figure out what kind of a health threat some of these more dangerous garbage fires are causing to my lungs. And the lungs of the elderly who live in our neighborhood.
In a society that's against pollution and global warming I can't image how much extra smoke is being produced across America by these millions and millions of fires every single week. And people are "worried" about coal burning plants and cars that don't get 35 mpg? These fires aren't a small contributer. They may very well be a major contributor to the overall problem. Their are no filters. They can literally burn anything they want. AND it's open air burning, enough to make every neighborhood smell like like 1970's Los Angeles.
Worse? In the old days when we smelled smoke it was almost ALWAYS a house that really was on fire. Neighbors instantly looked out windows to make sure both they and their immediate neighbors were safe. That safeguard is now gone for everyone.
I can't help but think that the Bed and Breakfast that burned down in new Ulm last year could have been much less of a tragedy if people would have NOTICED the smoke instead of ignoring it thinking it was just another fire pit gone awry. You see, we've already been programed by these pits to think differently.
The solution? Ban the pits entirely. If you WANT a good campfire, go camping, and follow the rules there because they are enforced and you have less opportunity to be stupid.
But stop giving stupid people the right to be stupid with no restraint next to my house. What we are doing now isn't working and can't work because there is no way of having reasonable enforcement of regulations. In effect their is NO regulation, despite the ordinances on the books.
And that makes for very combustible situation.
That reflex has been removed from my wife and I as it happens so many times in the summer that we rarely give it a second thought any more. We merely get up, close most of the windows, start a couple of exhaust fans in our two remaining open windows, and go back to bed.
The city of Seepy Eye banned burning garbage in town when I was a small child. Less than 5 years after that, it became illegal to burn leaves in the fall. The reason? Well the most obvious reason was the hideous choking smoke that went along with all of that burning of materials, especially in the fall.
Let's flash forward to modern America. One of the most heinous trends in recent history is the backyard fire pit. For some reason, the lesson of a generation ago has already been lost. The smoke that these things produce is enough to make neighbors want to kill their neighbors. (in self-defense of course, because the smoke they are delivering to us could be judged as attempted murder.)
Supposedly, these fire pits, which I shall now refer to as smoke pits, are regulated in such a way that folks don't have to worry about their use. The problem is that no body in our neighborhood follows any of the regulations relating to their use AND nobody (including the local police) takes the time to see that the regulations are being followed.
The rules are simple enough. The pit has to be off the ground, or if it's in the ground it has to have dirt or rocks surrounding it a good distance so that it can't accidently catch trees or grass on fire that are next to it. It also has to be a certain GOOD distance away from any permanent structures like garages, sheds, and houses. Other rules? Only wood can be burned in it. (No leaves or garbage) You must have someone in attendance at all times when you are using it, and (this is the biggy) you must extinguish it with water, completely and thoroughly, when you are done with it. I believe the ordinance mentions giving it a good soaking and staying with it awhile to make sure that all flames have been put out and that there is no lingering smoke.
So what do our neighbors do? And not just those who live right next to it, but within a couple of blocks of us. Most use it as a garbage burner throughout the year, and many burn their leaves in the fall. NONE of them have their burners more than a few feet from their garages or houses. Most leave them unattended frequently as they are going about their everyday tasks. (Sometimes forgetting about them completely as they drive off to run errands or visit.)
And RARELY, extremely rarely, does anyone put out the fire with a good soaking when they are done with it. Why? Because then it would take too much to start the fire again the NEXT night when they want to use it again. It won't light if its soaked from the previous night. Most just let their fires burn themselves out as they go to bed.
Now as anybody who reads this blog knows, I tend to exaggerate some to get my point across. The following stories are true and have happened in the last two years. The first one happened two nights ago. That was the 2 a.m. fire I talked about at the beginning of of this blog.
Another story? Our next door neighbor (at the time, she no longer lives there) would often get as drunk as she could and start a fire in her "makeshift" smoke pit. Some nights the flames from these fires would reach the bottom branches of her tree and start them on fire. This "pit" was basically just an open fire on the ground, about 5 feet from her garage.
She'd drink and sit next to it, getting up to dance once in awhile, and then leave it unattended as she went on another beer run into the house. We figured with all that beer she was also causing some long bathroom breaks, but there were long periods of time when she simply was not around. Now we're talking some serious flames here. She had dozens of wooden palettes that she acquired from work, and she put several on the fire every evening she had a fire. At the same time. The smoke produced was horribly thick, but the flames shooting into the air, into her tree and against the garage would have done many bon fire enthusiasts proud.
We didn't WANT to watch her do this every night, but figured it was an investment in protecting our house and our neighborhood. Finally, one night, we called the police. Her drunken fire had simply became too much of a neighborhood hazard.
They came. They talked to her. The flame was KIND of put out (it was still smoking and glowing) AND she had another huge illegal fire with beer a couple of nights later. And several more every week as long as she lived there. Remember I said there ARE regulations but there really is no one to regulate them. This is my prime example. The police drive by our neighborhood several times an evening, but NO ONE ever stopped to talked to her again. They could see the same fires raging without a call to them. But they didn't want to be bothered with stopping her without another call of complaint.
And that's my biggest issue with the pits. They are dangerous. They are smelly. But no one wants to stop the really bad ones, let alone check on them once in awhile. As a result we have neighbors risking their property and the property of the neighborhood over senseless fires that serve no real purpose. And I'm still trying to figure out what kind of a health threat some of these more dangerous garbage fires are causing to my lungs. And the lungs of the elderly who live in our neighborhood.
In a society that's against pollution and global warming I can't image how much extra smoke is being produced across America by these millions and millions of fires every single week. And people are "worried" about coal burning plants and cars that don't get 35 mpg? These fires aren't a small contributer. They may very well be a major contributor to the overall problem. Their are no filters. They can literally burn anything they want. AND it's open air burning, enough to make every neighborhood smell like like 1970's Los Angeles.
Worse? In the old days when we smelled smoke it was almost ALWAYS a house that really was on fire. Neighbors instantly looked out windows to make sure both they and their immediate neighbors were safe. That safeguard is now gone for everyone.
I can't help but think that the Bed and Breakfast that burned down in new Ulm last year could have been much less of a tragedy if people would have NOTICED the smoke instead of ignoring it thinking it was just another fire pit gone awry. You see, we've already been programed by these pits to think differently.
The solution? Ban the pits entirely. If you WANT a good campfire, go camping, and follow the rules there because they are enforced and you have less opportunity to be stupid.
But stop giving stupid people the right to be stupid with no restraint next to my house. What we are doing now isn't working and can't work because there is no way of having reasonable enforcement of regulations. In effect their is NO regulation, despite the ordinances on the books.
And that makes for very combustible situation.
Monday, July 29, 2013
Little Things
The Twins lost yesterday but ONE play was probably the difference in the game. The bottom of the fourth would have ended with just one run scoring if the Twins had turned a relatively easy double play to end the inning. A slightly off throw, a drop by the first baseman, and before you know it, the Twins, are trailing 5-2 instead of it being a tied ball game heading into the fifth.
Since you can't assume a double play (though I'm starting to hate that rule more and more as well) no error was credited and Gibson was given all runs earned on his record.
That one play changed the outcome of the game.
That happens to teams with losing records more than it happens to winning teams.
In other news?
Recently acquired Greg Jennings can't keep his mouth shut about his former Packer teammates, especially Aaron Rodgers. Coach Frazier has told him to stop the bad-mouthing. Great. Just what we need, yet another wide receiver who is full of himself causing discontent and strife among the Vikings. We sure can pick 'em. And it's getting old.
Angels superstar Albert Pujols has been placed on the DL. He's most likely done for the season with a left foot injury. He really hasn't been that great since joining the Angels a couple of seasons back. He's been hobbled by injuries. This year he's hitting .258 with 17 homers and 64 RBI. Those are very average numbers for him even though most Twins fans would love to see any player on our squad have similar stats.
The U.S. men's soccer team won the championship of some big tournament yesterday. There were tons of initials in the name but I couldn't find anyone who spelled it out and I don't care for soccer enough to look it up. For soccer fans, it's a big deal. For the rest of us, meh.
With modern day baseball players being accused of drug use, the Hall of Fame enshrined three men yesterday who have all been dead for over seven decades. I have never heard of any of them. I'm not saying they didn't deserve it. I'm just wondering why if they weren't good enough the first 69 years after they died, why they suddenly would be good enough now. It's not like they had done anything lately to increase their chances.
The HALL is for the best, not those who are there to fill slots when no one else is available.
Since you can't assume a double play (though I'm starting to hate that rule more and more as well) no error was credited and Gibson was given all runs earned on his record.
That one play changed the outcome of the game.
That happens to teams with losing records more than it happens to winning teams.
In other news?
Recently acquired Greg Jennings can't keep his mouth shut about his former Packer teammates, especially Aaron Rodgers. Coach Frazier has told him to stop the bad-mouthing. Great. Just what we need, yet another wide receiver who is full of himself causing discontent and strife among the Vikings. We sure can pick 'em. And it's getting old.
Angels superstar Albert Pujols has been placed on the DL. He's most likely done for the season with a left foot injury. He really hasn't been that great since joining the Angels a couple of seasons back. He's been hobbled by injuries. This year he's hitting .258 with 17 homers and 64 RBI. Those are very average numbers for him even though most Twins fans would love to see any player on our squad have similar stats.
The U.S. men's soccer team won the championship of some big tournament yesterday. There were tons of initials in the name but I couldn't find anyone who spelled it out and I don't care for soccer enough to look it up. For soccer fans, it's a big deal. For the rest of us, meh.
With modern day baseball players being accused of drug use, the Hall of Fame enshrined three men yesterday who have all been dead for over seven decades. I have never heard of any of them. I'm not saying they didn't deserve it. I'm just wondering why if they weren't good enough the first 69 years after they died, why they suddenly would be good enough now. It's not like they had done anything lately to increase their chances.
The HALL is for the best, not those who are there to fill slots when no one else is available.
Sunday, July 28, 2013
Deduno
Another start, another win. Samuel Deduno is making it look easy. The only problem I had with yesterday's game is that it was not broadcast locally. FSN wasn't allowed to carry it because it was going against FOX's Saturday afternoon broadcast. That's usually not a problem because the regional broadcast for us would usually be the Twins game.
Except yesterday.
Since both the Mariners and Twins are flailing this season, Fox decided to give us a NATIONAL LEAGUE game with two contenders, the Reds and Braves, instead.
Deduno pitched one of the nicest games of the year for the Twins and Twins fans couldn't see it.
Baseball rules of broadcast are asinine. I pay quite a bit of money for the privilege of watching my team lose regularly. I hate it when I can't watch a game in which we have a reasonable chance of victory.
Between late games and no games, I haven't seen a lot of Twins action this week, and they are actually playing pretty well.
At least that's what I hear. I haven't gotten to witness much of it first hand.
Except yesterday.
Since both the Mariners and Twins are flailing this season, Fox decided to give us a NATIONAL LEAGUE game with two contenders, the Reds and Braves, instead.
Deduno pitched one of the nicest games of the year for the Twins and Twins fans couldn't see it.
Baseball rules of broadcast are asinine. I pay quite a bit of money for the privilege of watching my team lose regularly. I hate it when I can't watch a game in which we have a reasonable chance of victory.
Between late games and no games, I haven't seen a lot of Twins action this week, and they are actually playing pretty well.
At least that's what I hear. I haven't gotten to witness much of it first hand.
Saturday, July 27, 2013
NFL Thug Life
With no real news coming out of camp other than Adrian Peterson accusing lots of players of using PEDs while stating he himself was squeaky clean, I decided to launch a new feature to this blog:
NFL players who get in trouble with the their teams, their league, and the law.
Within the last couple of weeks or so, I present the NFL ON-GOING Hall of Shame:
July 26th: Jarvis Jenkins, Redskins, 4 game suspension PEDs.
July 22nd: Von Miller, Denver, 4 game suspension PEDs.
July 19th: Eric Wright, now on San Fran, but a Buc at the time, on a misdemeaner DUI charge.
July 18th: Wesley Saunders, Colts, 8 game ssupension on PEDs. His second offense in this area.
July 15th: Quentin Saulberry, Broncos, arraigned on DUI from a May offense.
July 11th: Alfonso Dennard, ANOTHER Bronco, DUI.
July 10th: Kaluka Maiava, Raiders, arrested for assault.
NFL players who get in trouble with the their teams, their league, and the law.
Within the last couple of weeks or so, I present the NFL ON-GOING Hall of Shame:
July 26th: Jarvis Jenkins, Redskins, 4 game suspension PEDs.
July 22nd: Von Miller, Denver, 4 game suspension PEDs.
July 19th: Eric Wright, now on San Fran, but a Buc at the time, on a misdemeaner DUI charge.
July 18th: Wesley Saunders, Colts, 8 game ssupension on PEDs. His second offense in this area.
July 15th: Quentin Saulberry, Broncos, arraigned on DUI from a May offense.
July 11th: Alfonso Dennard, ANOTHER Bronco, DUI.
July 10th: Kaluka Maiava, Raiders, arrested for assault.
Another Great Game
I went to bed in the fourth. The game was zooming along with both Diamond and Hernandez doing some major pruning of batters.
Fast-forward three hours. Chris Colabello hit a two-run homer with no one out and a runner on first in the top of the THIRTEENTH inning. Perkins, being his recently shaky self, gave up a run in the bottom of the thirteenth, but was good enough to pick up his 25th save of the season.
Pleasant surprise? Diamond pitched very well. He has NOT done that recently, but last night he was superb. (Not to start any controversy or anything, but young arms like Gibson and Diamond appear to be pitching much better when Mauer is not their catcher...)
Another pleasant surprise? The Twins had Colabello swing away with no one out in the thirteenth. The Twins ALWAYS bunt in that situation. Remember how a couple of days ago I said that Gardy was a dinosaur who ALWAYS takes the "classic" approach to every singe situation? Last night he proved me wrong. That might be the reason Colabello got such a great pitch to whack out of the park. Something unexpected like that was the difference in the game.
Still a little bummed that these great games don't get over until 1 in the morning. I can't imagine what it's like for a Boston or New York fan who must stay up until 2 a.m. to see the endings to some of these games.
I'm really not sure why the west coast games couldn't start an hour earlier. Sure, the fans would be FORCED to eat their evening meal AT the ballpark, but since nearly everyone eats AT the ballpark anyway I'm not sure why games couldn't be earlier.
I'll put that item of business in my top five things to do when I become the commissioner.
Great pitching. Power when it was needed. A Twins win. It's hard to play a game better than that. Yeah, I guess I'm still a Twins fan. I'm still wondering WHO the Twins will be able to trade before the deadline. Many have mentioned to me that it's possible no other team WANTS what we have.
Sure, they'll gladly take players off our hands at bargain rates, but our only hope of a good trade may be Perkins. And even his stock has went down since the all-star break.
An afternoon game today. IF it's good I may decide to watch all of it. Deduno is pitching, so I am hopeful.
Fast-forward three hours. Chris Colabello hit a two-run homer with no one out and a runner on first in the top of the THIRTEENTH inning. Perkins, being his recently shaky self, gave up a run in the bottom of the thirteenth, but was good enough to pick up his 25th save of the season.
Pleasant surprise? Diamond pitched very well. He has NOT done that recently, but last night he was superb. (Not to start any controversy or anything, but young arms like Gibson and Diamond appear to be pitching much better when Mauer is not their catcher...)
Another pleasant surprise? The Twins had Colabello swing away with no one out in the thirteenth. The Twins ALWAYS bunt in that situation. Remember how a couple of days ago I said that Gardy was a dinosaur who ALWAYS takes the "classic" approach to every singe situation? Last night he proved me wrong. That might be the reason Colabello got such a great pitch to whack out of the park. Something unexpected like that was the difference in the game.
Still a little bummed that these great games don't get over until 1 in the morning. I can't imagine what it's like for a Boston or New York fan who must stay up until 2 a.m. to see the endings to some of these games.
I'm really not sure why the west coast games couldn't start an hour earlier. Sure, the fans would be FORCED to eat their evening meal AT the ballpark, but since nearly everyone eats AT the ballpark anyway I'm not sure why games couldn't be earlier.
I'll put that item of business in my top five things to do when I become the commissioner.
Great pitching. Power when it was needed. A Twins win. It's hard to play a game better than that. Yeah, I guess I'm still a Twins fan. I'm still wondering WHO the Twins will be able to trade before the deadline. Many have mentioned to me that it's possible no other team WANTS what we have.
Sure, they'll gladly take players off our hands at bargain rates, but our only hope of a good trade may be Perkins. And even his stock has went down since the all-star break.
An afternoon game today. IF it's good I may decide to watch all of it. Deduno is pitching, so I am hopeful.
Friday, July 26, 2013
Biogenesis and OTHER Sports
The whistle-blower who started the Biogensis frenzy that baseball is now sorting through says there are still other baseball names that have not yet been named and that there are other players from other SPORTS that have not been named as well.
There's got to be a lot of major league players from an awful lot of sports quaking in their boots right now.
Though I'm still not sure why the whistle-blower, whose name I shall not mention, is allowed to share this stuff with ESPN and others when HE had a job that required him to keep confidential information confidential.
He's enjoying his celebrity moments right now and that seems odd, because at the very least he should be arrested and prosecuted for revealing things that are illegal for him to reveal.
Though NFL players seem to be clean in this particular scandal, there were a lot of other sports mentioned. The list includes athletes from the NBA, NCCA, Professional boxing, tennis, and MMA.
Again NONE of the players that may be mentioned have done anything illegal, BUT they may have violated some of their own sports guidelines.
It's sad that we have to differentiate this. The whistle-blower who is being praised as a hero, did many illegal things. The players who are waiting to have their names illegally leaked to the media, did nothing illegal.
We do have our priorities screwed up as a country. I just think someone has to point that out once in a while.
Just so you know, I do believe that any athlete who violated a code of conduct that was required of him, did indeed do something wrong. It's just that in doing wrong, he did nothing illegal. People do wrong things all the time. We all do. But most folks don't do illegal things all the time. I'm hoping that we can continue to see the difference. Wrong is wrong, but illegal is punishable by society.
There's got to be a lot of major league players from an awful lot of sports quaking in their boots right now.
Though I'm still not sure why the whistle-blower, whose name I shall not mention, is allowed to share this stuff with ESPN and others when HE had a job that required him to keep confidential information confidential.
He's enjoying his celebrity moments right now and that seems odd, because at the very least he should be arrested and prosecuted for revealing things that are illegal for him to reveal.
Though NFL players seem to be clean in this particular scandal, there were a lot of other sports mentioned. The list includes athletes from the NBA, NCCA, Professional boxing, tennis, and MMA.
Again NONE of the players that may be mentioned have done anything illegal, BUT they may have violated some of their own sports guidelines.
It's sad that we have to differentiate this. The whistle-blower who is being praised as a hero, did many illegal things. The players who are waiting to have their names illegally leaked to the media, did nothing illegal.
We do have our priorities screwed up as a country. I just think someone has to point that out once in a while.
Just so you know, I do believe that any athlete who violated a code of conduct that was required of him, did indeed do something wrong. It's just that in doing wrong, he did nothing illegal. People do wrong things all the time. We all do. But most folks don't do illegal things all the time. I'm hoping that we can continue to see the difference. Wrong is wrong, but illegal is punishable by society.
Correia Clobbered, Let's Talk Vikings Instead
I didn't mention training camp opening YESTERDAY because nothing really HAPPENS on the first day.
Players arrive.
That's it.
But today is different. Today practices start, even if they are basic walkthoughs, players will be on the field. The weather the next few days should be pretty cooperative as well. Last year when we went to the workouts it was so hot that it wasn't even pleasant to sit and watch them. The next few days the temperatures are suppose to be incredibly cool. Around 70 today, maybe as low as a record 48 tonight, the players should have some great moving around weather.
The Vikes did sign their first three draft picks yesterday, so everything appears in order. The new union agreement stops rookies from demanding more money than established pro-bowlers so that's a step in the right direction.
Interesting football note from yesterday: Percy Harvin hurt is hip in some light practices last week. IF it's a torn labrum as suspected, he could be out a while. There's even a chance that surgery could be required and he may miss the coming season entirely.
He's Seattle's problem now.
Players arrive.
That's it.
But today is different. Today practices start, even if they are basic walkthoughs, players will be on the field. The weather the next few days should be pretty cooperative as well. Last year when we went to the workouts it was so hot that it wasn't even pleasant to sit and watch them. The next few days the temperatures are suppose to be incredibly cool. Around 70 today, maybe as low as a record 48 tonight, the players should have some great moving around weather.
The Vikes did sign their first three draft picks yesterday, so everything appears in order. The new union agreement stops rookies from demanding more money than established pro-bowlers so that's a step in the right direction.
Interesting football note from yesterday: Percy Harvin hurt is hip in some light practices last week. IF it's a torn labrum as suspected, he could be out a while. There's even a chance that surgery could be required and he may miss the coming season entirely.
He's Seattle's problem now.
Thursday, July 25, 2013
Ranting About the Game
Now that the niceties are over its time to unleash my fury on major league umpires.
When Justin Morneau popped the ball up in the infield in the ninth inning, the pop fly rule should have been called because it was a ball that could have been caught with "ordinary effort."
The full rule? “An infield fly is a fair fly ball (not including a line drive nor an attempted bunt) which can be caught by an infielder with ordinary effort, when first and second, or first, second and third bases are occupied, before two are out. The pitcher, catcher and any outfielder who stations himself in the infield on the play shall be considered infielders for the purpose of this rule.”
I don't know how an experienced MLB umping crew could blow that call. It wasn't a line drive. It wasn't a bunt, it was popped in the air, and the pitcher could have easily caught the ball.
The Twins might not have done anything else to score that inning, but the umpires robbed the Twins of an opportunity to score a run or two there.
I've said it before and I'll keep saying it. Officials determine the outcome of games more than good plays or great players.
And at the major league level, it does not have to be that way.
At that level getting the call RIGHT should be more important than getting the call quickly.
To put it in the more common vernacular: "We was robbed."
When Justin Morneau popped the ball up in the infield in the ninth inning, the pop fly rule should have been called because it was a ball that could have been caught with "ordinary effort."
The full rule? “An infield fly is a fair fly ball (not including a line drive nor an attempted bunt) which can be caught by an infielder with ordinary effort, when first and second, or first, second and third bases are occupied, before two are out. The pitcher, catcher and any outfielder who stations himself in the infield on the play shall be considered infielders for the purpose of this rule.”
I don't know how an experienced MLB umping crew could blow that call. It wasn't a line drive. It wasn't a bunt, it was popped in the air, and the pitcher could have easily caught the ball.
The Twins might not have done anything else to score that inning, but the umpires robbed the Twins of an opportunity to score a run or two there.
I've said it before and I'll keep saying it. Officials determine the outcome of games more than good plays or great players.
And at the major league level, it does not have to be that way.
At that level getting the call RIGHT should be more important than getting the call quickly.
To put it in the more common vernacular: "We was robbed."
Pelfrey Outstanding, Weaver Better, Brother Best
My wife and I had the unique opportunity to "share" yesterday's game through Facebook.
My brother and his family attended yesterday's Twins game. Being from California, that makes sense. My wife and I took the day off yesterday and watched the last half of the game in one of the most enjoyable ways we have ever experienced baseball.
My brother and my wife "Facebooked" comments about the game back and forth to each other for about an hour. The Twins may have lost, but it was a great game to watch. Both Pelfrey and Weaver put on a great performance.
But spending time with my brother that way was even better.
Hi MYRON!
(and say hi to everybody else out there as well.)
My brother and his family attended yesterday's Twins game. Being from California, that makes sense. My wife and I took the day off yesterday and watched the last half of the game in one of the most enjoyable ways we have ever experienced baseball.
My brother and my wife "Facebooked" comments about the game back and forth to each other for about an hour. The Twins may have lost, but it was a great game to watch. Both Pelfrey and Weaver put on a great performance.
But spending time with my brother that way was even better.
Hi MYRON!
(and say hi to everybody else out there as well.)
Wednesday, July 24, 2013
Unbelievable
Why is it the BEST games of the season seem to happen during west coast games when most are already in bed?
The Twins won by SEVEN runs last night in EXTRA innings. I have no idea how often a baseball team wins by that much in "OT" but it's got to be much rarer than a perfect game.
Joe Mauer couldn't catch last night because his wife was in labor (with TWINS of course.) Recently recalled Chris Hermann coaxed a good six innings out of rookie Kyle Gibson and then belted a grand slam in the 10th as part of a 7 run inning.
Wow. Time to watch the highlight reel a few more times today.
I actually watched the game into the fifth last night because it was both good and close, but sleep overtook the game.
I awoke this morning to the cool news of a fantastic 10th inning.
Perkins got the win despite blowing the save in the 9th. Perkins has looked shaky since the All-Star game but last night the ceiling collapsed when he walked in the tying run with the bases loaded and one out. Fortunately for the Twins, the next batter grounded into a double-play.
The cool thing? Hermann was Gibson's regular catcher in the minors this season so the two know each other really well. That might have been one of the reasons Gibson looked so good again last night.
Afternoon game today. I'm hoping they do well enough to make it worthwhile viewing.
The Twins won by SEVEN runs last night in EXTRA innings. I have no idea how often a baseball team wins by that much in "OT" but it's got to be much rarer than a perfect game.
Joe Mauer couldn't catch last night because his wife was in labor (with TWINS of course.) Recently recalled Chris Hermann coaxed a good six innings out of rookie Kyle Gibson and then belted a grand slam in the 10th as part of a 7 run inning.
Wow. Time to watch the highlight reel a few more times today.
I actually watched the game into the fifth last night because it was both good and close, but sleep overtook the game.
I awoke this morning to the cool news of a fantastic 10th inning.
Perkins got the win despite blowing the save in the 9th. Perkins has looked shaky since the All-Star game but last night the ceiling collapsed when he walked in the tying run with the bases loaded and one out. Fortunately for the Twins, the next batter grounded into a double-play.
The cool thing? Hermann was Gibson's regular catcher in the minors this season so the two know each other really well. That might have been one of the reasons Gibson looked so good again last night.
Afternoon game today. I'm hoping they do well enough to make it worthwhile viewing.
Tuesday, July 23, 2013
Ryan Braun
He didn't get away with it. Ryan Braun got off with a technicality the last time he was caught using banned drugs. This time he's serving the penalty due to his association with Biogenesis.
He'll serve a total ban of 65 games and lose over $3 million in salary. This will officially be his "first strike."
I think baseball did the right thing. And I am anxious to see how Braun performs as a player next season without the assistance of his favorite performance enhancers.
I'm also anxious to see who gets nailed next in the Biogenesis scandal. Braun didn't protest this time. I believe that's why the penalty imposed was lighter than some expected. I'm guessing that's what baseball will do on a case by case basis with the other players on the list. They'll find a sweet spot that both the player and baseball can compromise on and agree with.
And players not yet caught will become more sneaky in the future.
He'll serve a total ban of 65 games and lose over $3 million in salary. This will officially be his "first strike."
I think baseball did the right thing. And I am anxious to see how Braun performs as a player next season without the assistance of his favorite performance enhancers.
I'm also anxious to see who gets nailed next in the Biogenesis scandal. Braun didn't protest this time. I believe that's why the penalty imposed was lighter than some expected. I'm guessing that's what baseball will do on a case by case basis with the other players on the list. They'll find a sweet spot that both the player and baseball can compromise on and agree with.
And players not yet caught will become more sneaky in the future.
Dedunno, Thomas, and Perkins
So how do the Twins win when perennial All-Star, Joe Mauer gets on base FOUR times (including three more hits) BUT doesn't drive in any runs OR score any runs in the process?
They rely on the three guys in the headline, that's how.
Samuel Deduno has become my favorite Twin. On a team where mediocre is a goal you hope to achieve someday, Deduno stands out as a young man ready to be the Twins next ace. When he's starting, you know going in that you have a real chance to win the game. I don't feel that way about any other Twins pitcher. He's also a joy to WATCH pitch.
Clete Thomas has been around for awhile. He's never been given any real opportunity to start regularly anywhere, but there's something about him that I continually admire. His defense is sound. He takes pitches. He has a fire. And last night he won the game for us. His two run homer was the difference in the game. Or if you will, his home run grabbing over the wall catch in the eighth won the game for us. On offense AND defense last night HE WAS THE MAN.
Perkins should be happy Clete was in there as well. Perkins currently has a 19 plus innings scoreless streak going. It continues because of Thomas' homerun stealing catch.
I went to bed early last night and missed the entire game. But those highlights from last night's game will be watched a few more times before the day is over. This IS the kind of game that keeps your interest up when the season has already went decidely south. These are players that keep you smiling.
And we have to figure out a better place in the lineup to put Joe Mauer...
They rely on the three guys in the headline, that's how.
Samuel Deduno has become my favorite Twin. On a team where mediocre is a goal you hope to achieve someday, Deduno stands out as a young man ready to be the Twins next ace. When he's starting, you know going in that you have a real chance to win the game. I don't feel that way about any other Twins pitcher. He's also a joy to WATCH pitch.
Clete Thomas has been around for awhile. He's never been given any real opportunity to start regularly anywhere, but there's something about him that I continually admire. His defense is sound. He takes pitches. He has a fire. And last night he won the game for us. His two run homer was the difference in the game. Or if you will, his home run grabbing over the wall catch in the eighth won the game for us. On offense AND defense last night HE WAS THE MAN.
Perkins should be happy Clete was in there as well. Perkins currently has a 19 plus innings scoreless streak going. It continues because of Thomas' homerun stealing catch.
I went to bed early last night and missed the entire game. But those highlights from last night's game will be watched a few more times before the day is over. This IS the kind of game that keeps your interest up when the season has already went decidely south. These are players that keep you smiling.
And we have to figure out a better place in the lineup to put Joe Mauer...
Monday, July 22, 2013
Too Much
I don't want to talk about the Twins loss and more trade rumors today.
So I won't.
Instead I'm going to talk a little bit about the British Open. While waiting to go to church yesterday morning, I turned on the TV hoping to catch a few baseball highlights before taking off. ESPN was broadcasting the British Open instead so I figured I'd watch a little golf.
I didn't watch it long because of their "new improved" way of showing tee shots. As soon as the golfer hit the ball, a blue graphic arrow was superimposed over the ball showing it's flight path.
WHAT?
One of the few things I've liked about watching golf over the years was seeing that shot WITHOUT the graphics. Even in the old days before HD television I could see the shot well enough to follow its path. It was FUN to see that ball get up and MOVE. With my HD television I was really looking forward to seeing the ball's trajectory.
Except they didn't show it.
I watched the next guy's tee off too, hoping that it was an occasional thing to "add" to the viewing experience. NOPE. Big blue ball path, immediately. Again. And they never showed any replays of the shot without the graphic either.
This reminded me a lot of the failed NHL experiment years ago where they had a trailing graphic following the puck all over the ice so you could "see the movement of the puck" as it went from player to player. Thankfully, that didn't last long. As bad as hockey is to watch, that made the game completely unwatchable.
I wasn't alone in that assessment because it didn't take hockey long to can the entire experiment. Those who followed the game, had no problem following the puck. And hockey went on just lke it used to.
I hope the same thing happens with golf. Even if you can't always follow the ball when it's hit from the tee, the blue graphic is not in any way an improvement. It makes the game itself look like a computer simulated tutorial.
I'd rather watch the Twins get slaughtered than watch that. And I turn the TV off when the Twins are getting slaughtered.
So I won't.
Instead I'm going to talk a little bit about the British Open. While waiting to go to church yesterday morning, I turned on the TV hoping to catch a few baseball highlights before taking off. ESPN was broadcasting the British Open instead so I figured I'd watch a little golf.
I didn't watch it long because of their "new improved" way of showing tee shots. As soon as the golfer hit the ball, a blue graphic arrow was superimposed over the ball showing it's flight path.
WHAT?
One of the few things I've liked about watching golf over the years was seeing that shot WITHOUT the graphics. Even in the old days before HD television I could see the shot well enough to follow its path. It was FUN to see that ball get up and MOVE. With my HD television I was really looking forward to seeing the ball's trajectory.
Except they didn't show it.
I watched the next guy's tee off too, hoping that it was an occasional thing to "add" to the viewing experience. NOPE. Big blue ball path, immediately. Again. And they never showed any replays of the shot without the graphic either.
This reminded me a lot of the failed NHL experiment years ago where they had a trailing graphic following the puck all over the ice so you could "see the movement of the puck" as it went from player to player. Thankfully, that didn't last long. As bad as hockey is to watch, that made the game completely unwatchable.
I wasn't alone in that assessment because it didn't take hockey long to can the entire experiment. Those who followed the game, had no problem following the puck. And hockey went on just lke it used to.
I hope the same thing happens with golf. Even if you can't always follow the ball when it's hit from the tee, the blue graphic is not in any way an improvement. It makes the game itself look like a computer simulated tutorial.
I'd rather watch the Twins get slaughtered than watch that. And I turn the TV off when the Twins are getting slaughtered.
Sunday, July 21, 2013
Twins Win AGAIN, Plus Unusual Box Score
Morneau, Mauer, and Perkins were busily trying out for the rest of the league yesterday. The Twins are hopeful that the three can keep demonstrating their wares for a few more days so that Minnesota can get maximum trade value for the three. (Yes, we ALL know that Mauer has a no-trade clause, but he'll be happy to leave when the Twins dump all of their talent for young prospects and draft picks.)
Doumit's trade stock dropped early as he had two chances to deliver with men (Mauer, Morneau) on base in innings one and three and failed to come up with a hit. He got a big RBI later, so league folks who are watching should still see his value.
The Twins managed another 3-2 come from behind victory last night in the process. That gives them four wins in a row for a season that's going nowhere. The sweeter part of the win is that we beat Cleveland again and the Indians are battling the Tigers for the division lead. If you can't battle for the pennant yourself, you can always play the spoiler for someone else.
Enough on the Twins and the trade deadline looming.
I saw an interesting box score last night and at first thought it was a mistake. It wasn't. Seattle beat the Astros last night 4-1. The interesting stat? The Mariners scored FOUR runs on just ONE hit.
It's not often that a team WINS with just one hit on the scoreboard, that they won going away is pretty humorous. Only a team as bad as the Astros could figure out how to get killed when your pitcher only gives up one hit.
Seattle struck out 15 times. Had just one hit. And still won 4-1.
That's a box score that deserves to be enshrined in the hall of fame.
Doumit's trade stock dropped early as he had two chances to deliver with men (Mauer, Morneau) on base in innings one and three and failed to come up with a hit. He got a big RBI later, so league folks who are watching should still see his value.
The Twins managed another 3-2 come from behind victory last night in the process. That gives them four wins in a row for a season that's going nowhere. The sweeter part of the win is that we beat Cleveland again and the Indians are battling the Tigers for the division lead. If you can't battle for the pennant yourself, you can always play the spoiler for someone else.
Enough on the Twins and the trade deadline looming.
I saw an interesting box score last night and at first thought it was a mistake. It wasn't. Seattle beat the Astros last night 4-1. The interesting stat? The Mariners scored FOUR runs on just ONE hit.
It's not often that a team WINS with just one hit on the scoreboard, that they won going away is pretty humorous. Only a team as bad as the Astros could figure out how to get killed when your pitcher only gives up one hit.
Seattle struck out 15 times. Had just one hit. And still won 4-1.
That's a box score that deserves to be enshrined in the hall of fame.
Saturday, July 20, 2013
Twins Win Third Straight, Stark Done
My wife and I went to Sigel last night to see what ended up being Stark's last game of the season. Stark outscored Sigel 4-1 in SIX of the innings last night.
The problem is that the fifth inning looked an awful lot like a Mike Pelfrey fifth inning for the Twins earlier this season.
Stark's pitcher last night was actually pretty good. I won't mention his name so that I don't embarrass him, but I know him as the kid who bags my groceries at the local grocery store. I went to high school with his dad, and I play basketball with him occasionally in the park. He's a good athlete.
BUT, he also has a tendency to get tired because he throws hard, and when he gets tired he starts trying to throw even harder and as a result he gets pretty wild...
...and then the roof caves in. He pitched four very good innings last night and I was surprised (and a little worried) to see him come back out in the fifth. I don't think he's pitched more than four innings in a game all season. Stark has a couple other pitchers who are very good as well. Since they pitched against Sleepy Eye on Monday, I guess the coaches decided to let this starter try for a fifth inning.
That was a bad decision by the coaches. To make a long story short, Sigel scored 6 runs in the fifth. A very good 4 inning performance was wasted and Stark ended up losing 7-4.
I don't blame the pitcher. He gave everything he had for four innings. He simply had nothing left to give them in the fifth. The sad thing is that the starter of Monday's game finished up the last inning for Stark and he had no problems at all. I sure wish they would have brought him in an inning sooner. I'm pretty sure the outcome would have been very different.
Oh well, Stark ended up the season on a high note either way. They ended up winning two of their three playoff games and finished above .500 on the season. I think they won just ONE game all last season so they have improved, as a team, quite a bit. Now it's time for the coaches to pay a bit more attention to their players and see their tendencies. Everybody learns together at this level.
But, speaking of Mike Pelfrey...
Despite Gardy's best efforts to destroy this man's confidence by having him pitch too late into the game in the early weeks of the season, Pelfrey is giving us very good outings almost every time out now. Last night he left the game in the sixth, trailing 2-0.
The Twins rallied late to pull off the 3-2 win.
It's hard for me to get excited about individual performances right now because almost anybody could get traded over the next couple of weeks.
At the same time, Pedro Florimon certainly had a good game Friday. Three more-or-less spectacular plays in the field, with a hit, a walk, and two runs scored on offense.
His play yielded this Trevor Plouffe line about Florimon's defense: "I never realized how bad I was at shortstop until I watched someone like him."
I hope that the Twins try SIGNING Pelfrey to a long-term deal, at this point, instead of trading him. The problem is that other teams need a dependable starter who can give you 5 or 6 innings of pitching, and the Twins only signed Pelfrey to a one-year deal at the beginning of the season because of his Tommy John surgery.
I think Pelfrey and his agent know that his value is going up as the season progresses and the Twins are probably not even thinking of re-signing him. He's got to be traded or we lose him to free agency.
Bummer.
Oh well, we're all waiting for the trades to begin. I'm just wondering how many players on the 40 man roster we're going to lose in the next couple of weeks. It could be and awful lot of them.
The problem is that the fifth inning looked an awful lot like a Mike Pelfrey fifth inning for the Twins earlier this season.
Stark's pitcher last night was actually pretty good. I won't mention his name so that I don't embarrass him, but I know him as the kid who bags my groceries at the local grocery store. I went to high school with his dad, and I play basketball with him occasionally in the park. He's a good athlete.
BUT, he also has a tendency to get tired because he throws hard, and when he gets tired he starts trying to throw even harder and as a result he gets pretty wild...
...and then the roof caves in. He pitched four very good innings last night and I was surprised (and a little worried) to see him come back out in the fifth. I don't think he's pitched more than four innings in a game all season. Stark has a couple other pitchers who are very good as well. Since they pitched against Sleepy Eye on Monday, I guess the coaches decided to let this starter try for a fifth inning.
That was a bad decision by the coaches. To make a long story short, Sigel scored 6 runs in the fifth. A very good 4 inning performance was wasted and Stark ended up losing 7-4.
I don't blame the pitcher. He gave everything he had for four innings. He simply had nothing left to give them in the fifth. The sad thing is that the starter of Monday's game finished up the last inning for Stark and he had no problems at all. I sure wish they would have brought him in an inning sooner. I'm pretty sure the outcome would have been very different.
Oh well, Stark ended up the season on a high note either way. They ended up winning two of their three playoff games and finished above .500 on the season. I think they won just ONE game all last season so they have improved, as a team, quite a bit. Now it's time for the coaches to pay a bit more attention to their players and see their tendencies. Everybody learns together at this level.
But, speaking of Mike Pelfrey...
Despite Gardy's best efforts to destroy this man's confidence by having him pitch too late into the game in the early weeks of the season, Pelfrey is giving us very good outings almost every time out now. Last night he left the game in the sixth, trailing 2-0.
The Twins rallied late to pull off the 3-2 win.
It's hard for me to get excited about individual performances right now because almost anybody could get traded over the next couple of weeks.
At the same time, Pedro Florimon certainly had a good game Friday. Three more-or-less spectacular plays in the field, with a hit, a walk, and two runs scored on offense.
His play yielded this Trevor Plouffe line about Florimon's defense: "I never realized how bad I was at shortstop until I watched someone like him."
I hope that the Twins try SIGNING Pelfrey to a long-term deal, at this point, instead of trading him. The problem is that other teams need a dependable starter who can give you 5 or 6 innings of pitching, and the Twins only signed Pelfrey to a one-year deal at the beginning of the season because of his Tommy John surgery.
I think Pelfrey and his agent know that his value is going up as the season progresses and the Twins are probably not even thinking of re-signing him. He's got to be traded or we lose him to free agency.
Bummer.
Oh well, we're all waiting for the trades to begin. I'm just wondering how many players on the 40 man roster we're going to lose in the next couple of weeks. It could be and awful lot of them.
Friday, July 19, 2013
A New Reality Show Idea
There's so much awful stuff on TV. Here's something that would be fun for smug sports fans to watch, though. Washed up superstars who are going broke get paid to have...
I'll let the picture (and its caption) finish the thought.
I'll let the picture (and its caption) finish the thought.
Thursday, July 18, 2013
Should the Twins Trade Perkins?
Or if you like, does a team that's going to lose an average of 90 games or more for 4 or 5 straight seasons NEED an elite closer?
The clear answer is NO they don't need him. He has more trade value than any player on the roster right now and they only use him a few innings a week. There are a few contending teams in the league that would give us some incredible young prospects for his arm TODAY if we asked.
The southpaw has emerged as one of the most dominant relievers in the game and his value has never been higher. In addition to carrying the vaunted "proven closer" label, Perkins ranks 14th among MLB relievers in ERA (one spot ahead of Mariano Rivera), seventh in xFIP and 15th in K/9 rate. His contract is extremely team-friendly -- perhaps the best in baseball for a high-end closer.
In other words, he offers the best deal around for teams looking for a great closer.
I can't believe how much I'VE jumped on the Perkins bandwagon since he became the set-up man to Joe Nathan a few seasons back. I dreaded the possibility that this guy would be our 8th inning man. Between arm trouble and an average fastball, I couldn't believe he was still on the team. As a starter he was inconsistent at best.
But something wonderful happened after his recovery from surgery. His speed increased. His control was spot on and ... AND... he learned to really mix up his curve and fastball. Suddenly he was the best set-up man in baseball, and when Nathan left, no Twins fan I know of had a problem with him becoming our closer.
That he was a Minnesota boy who had a nice college career at the U of M just made him more appealling.
But sadly, a team as bad as the Twins are right now simply are wasting Perkins value if they continue to hold on to him. And IF he develops injury problems again, his value to the Twins will become absolutely worthless.
The Royals had a similar situation with their sensational closer, Joakim Soria, a couple of seasons ago. He was great. The Royals were awful. They decided to keep him. He got hurt. That decision killed the Royals. They could have had half a dozen good to great players for that arm of his and instead they ended up with nothing.
Since Perkins has a long-term deal already in place with the Twins, more teams would be willing to part with their elite young talent to get him. It's not like they are going to lose Perkins to free-agency at the end of the season.
IF the Twins trade Perkins, and they should (even though I hate the idea it's good for the team's future) look for the Twins to trade off tons of other players as well, getting even more prospects that will be ready to play in a year or two at the major league level.
Once you trade ONE guy, you're kind of committed to trading EVERYBODY of real value KNOWING that you're not going to make a run for the pennant anytime soon anyway.
Those types of trades will also make it easier for Joe Mauer to jump ship as well. He wants to play on a contender as badly as anyone. Trading everyone else will also give us the opportunity to unload Mauer and his huge contract that's killing us financially as a franchise.
Look for a very different Twins ball club next season. And look for a new manager to lead the charge as well. If we are cleaning house, we may as well do it right.
Maybe we'll get a guy who sees the value of using all our pitchers in a three inning rotation that doesn't depend on starters. I have hope right now. When we are this bad, we have no where to go but up. New managers are much more willing to try out new ideas. Dinosaurs like Gardy will never change. And I don't want to wait for the world to rotate around dinosaurs.
The clear answer is NO they don't need him. He has more trade value than any player on the roster right now and they only use him a few innings a week. There are a few contending teams in the league that would give us some incredible young prospects for his arm TODAY if we asked.
The southpaw has emerged as one of the most dominant relievers in the game and his value has never been higher. In addition to carrying the vaunted "proven closer" label, Perkins ranks 14th among MLB relievers in ERA (one spot ahead of Mariano Rivera), seventh in xFIP and 15th in K/9 rate. His contract is extremely team-friendly -- perhaps the best in baseball for a high-end closer.
In other words, he offers the best deal around for teams looking for a great closer.
I can't believe how much I'VE jumped on the Perkins bandwagon since he became the set-up man to Joe Nathan a few seasons back. I dreaded the possibility that this guy would be our 8th inning man. Between arm trouble and an average fastball, I couldn't believe he was still on the team. As a starter he was inconsistent at best.
But something wonderful happened after his recovery from surgery. His speed increased. His control was spot on and ... AND... he learned to really mix up his curve and fastball. Suddenly he was the best set-up man in baseball, and when Nathan left, no Twins fan I know of had a problem with him becoming our closer.
That he was a Minnesota boy who had a nice college career at the U of M just made him more appealling.
But sadly, a team as bad as the Twins are right now simply are wasting Perkins value if they continue to hold on to him. And IF he develops injury problems again, his value to the Twins will become absolutely worthless.
The Royals had a similar situation with their sensational closer, Joakim Soria, a couple of seasons ago. He was great. The Royals were awful. They decided to keep him. He got hurt. That decision killed the Royals. They could have had half a dozen good to great players for that arm of his and instead they ended up with nothing.
Since Perkins has a long-term deal already in place with the Twins, more teams would be willing to part with their elite young talent to get him. It's not like they are going to lose Perkins to free-agency at the end of the season.
IF the Twins trade Perkins, and they should (even though I hate the idea it's good for the team's future) look for the Twins to trade off tons of other players as well, getting even more prospects that will be ready to play in a year or two at the major league level.
Once you trade ONE guy, you're kind of committed to trading EVERYBODY of real value KNOWING that you're not going to make a run for the pennant anytime soon anyway.
Those types of trades will also make it easier for Joe Mauer to jump ship as well. He wants to play on a contender as badly as anyone. Trading everyone else will also give us the opportunity to unload Mauer and his huge contract that's killing us financially as a franchise.
Look for a very different Twins ball club next season. And look for a new manager to lead the charge as well. If we are cleaning house, we may as well do it right.
Maybe we'll get a guy who sees the value of using all our pitchers in a three inning rotation that doesn't depend on starters. I have hope right now. When we are this bad, we have no where to go but up. New managers are much more willing to try out new ideas. Dinosaurs like Gardy will never change. And I don't want to wait for the world to rotate around dinosaurs.
Wednesday, July 17, 2013
Baseball
The American League won last night in what turned out to be a well pitched contest. Mariano Rivera got the MVP based on one inning of good relief and a lot of sentimentality.
I only watched a couple outs here and there. I saw that Nathan got the save and Mauer got a hit, but overall, the thrill of the game has left me over the years. Yes, the winner gets home field advantage in the World Series, but we all know that doesn't matter much when you are a Twins fan.
The Bigenesis case is making more news nation-wide than the All-Star game.
It seems that figuring out HOW to give suspensions for those who look like they've done something wrong is going to be more difficult than expected. The current player agreement only allows for 50 and 100 game suspensions, and then a lifetime ban from the game IF the players fail a drug test. The problem is that none of the 20 or so players being investigated failed a drug test (okay, except for Ryan Braun... but that's a whole story in itself.)
SO that means the commissioner's office is going to have to figure out how to penalize players who didn't do anything specifically wrong, just generally wrong on principle. And then get the players union to agree to those penalties after all the appeals are exhausted. The commissioner does have leeway in these circumstances but there has been no precedent. Treading in new water is making everyone a bit nervous.
Since the players in question may have been using drugs not yet banned or tested for, they could and should have a legitimate issue with any kind of penalty imposed. They could also argue that many other players are doing the same thing and that baseball doesn't know about it because there were no whistle-blowers at other sports treatment facilities. In other words, because testing isn't done and because certain drugs aren't banned, they really aren't doing anything wrong at all.
The commissioner feels something needs to be done so that Washngton "leaves then alone" and civil libertarians are trying to figure out why Washington is involved in any of this at all in the first place. Rights are being trampled for the sake of perceived "purity" in the game. A purity that has never really existed.
It's a mess. And I don't think that anything anyone does is going to make the situation any better. When you pay players millions of dollars a year to perform at their highest level, some of those players are going to invest some of that money into becoming better players so that they can maintain those million dollar paydays. Investigations like the Biogenesis situation are simply going to lead players to investigate more complicated ways of hiding potential performance enhancing "techniques." The cat and mouse chase will continue forever. Too much money is at stake for the chase to ever end.
Meanwhile, players with doctor's prescriptions, who have "ADD" get drugs that help them concentrate better than everyone else on the planet. It gives them an unfair advantage and its a proven performance enhancer (just ask the hundreds of thousands of college students who take them to pass tests). These drugs, the ones that REALLY enhance performance are legal and widely used by MLB players.
Since baseball is "90% mental" according to anyone who has played the game, it's hard for me to see why some players are allowed this advantage.
In effect, players who can't concentrate are allowed to take performance enhancement drugs that have horrible long-term consequences, but players who are at a physical disadvantage can't take supplements that will help them perform better physically. Supplements that may have no real long-term health concerns.
We live in a society where drugging kids to "help" them is the norm, so when players do the same thing we look the other way. Something is really wrong here. And the roots to that problem have nothing to do with players who are visiting places like Biogenesis.
I only watched a couple outs here and there. I saw that Nathan got the save and Mauer got a hit, but overall, the thrill of the game has left me over the years. Yes, the winner gets home field advantage in the World Series, but we all know that doesn't matter much when you are a Twins fan.
The Bigenesis case is making more news nation-wide than the All-Star game.
It seems that figuring out HOW to give suspensions for those who look like they've done something wrong is going to be more difficult than expected. The current player agreement only allows for 50 and 100 game suspensions, and then a lifetime ban from the game IF the players fail a drug test. The problem is that none of the 20 or so players being investigated failed a drug test (okay, except for Ryan Braun... but that's a whole story in itself.)
SO that means the commissioner's office is going to have to figure out how to penalize players who didn't do anything specifically wrong, just generally wrong on principle. And then get the players union to agree to those penalties after all the appeals are exhausted. The commissioner does have leeway in these circumstances but there has been no precedent. Treading in new water is making everyone a bit nervous.
Since the players in question may have been using drugs not yet banned or tested for, they could and should have a legitimate issue with any kind of penalty imposed. They could also argue that many other players are doing the same thing and that baseball doesn't know about it because there were no whistle-blowers at other sports treatment facilities. In other words, because testing isn't done and because certain drugs aren't banned, they really aren't doing anything wrong at all.
The commissioner feels something needs to be done so that Washngton "leaves then alone" and civil libertarians are trying to figure out why Washington is involved in any of this at all in the first place. Rights are being trampled for the sake of perceived "purity" in the game. A purity that has never really existed.
It's a mess. And I don't think that anything anyone does is going to make the situation any better. When you pay players millions of dollars a year to perform at their highest level, some of those players are going to invest some of that money into becoming better players so that they can maintain those million dollar paydays. Investigations like the Biogenesis situation are simply going to lead players to investigate more complicated ways of hiding potential performance enhancing "techniques." The cat and mouse chase will continue forever. Too much money is at stake for the chase to ever end.
Meanwhile, players with doctor's prescriptions, who have "ADD" get drugs that help them concentrate better than everyone else on the planet. It gives them an unfair advantage and its a proven performance enhancer (just ask the hundreds of thousands of college students who take them to pass tests). These drugs, the ones that REALLY enhance performance are legal and widely used by MLB players.
Since baseball is "90% mental" according to anyone who has played the game, it's hard for me to see why some players are allowed this advantage.
In effect, players who can't concentrate are allowed to take performance enhancement drugs that have horrible long-term consequences, but players who are at a physical disadvantage can't take supplements that will help them perform better physically. Supplements that may have no real long-term health concerns.
We live in a society where drugging kids to "help" them is the norm, so when players do the same thing we look the other way. Something is really wrong here. And the roots to that problem have nothing to do with players who are visiting places like Biogenesis.
Tuesday, July 16, 2013
Davis, Cespedes, Harper, and Stark
I missed most of the Home Run Hitting contest last night, My wife and I decided to take in another Stark Junior Bi-county baseball game instead. They played n Sleepy Eye so we walked to the game.
The last time they played Sleepy Eye, I had a pretty long blog about how they needed to practice more. They were just killed by a much better ball club. Since that blog, they've become a totally different team. More than anything they just seem to be paying more attention to what they are doing out there.
Last night was the second round of the playoffs for them. They had a huge lopsided win at Stark on Friday night so we decided to see how they'd play against mighty Sleepy Eye again last evening. I was shocked and impressed at the same time. The final was 10-4, but this time it was Stark that looked like the team that belonged there.
It was probably the most fun that I've ever had as a spectator at a live sporting event. Because of the win, there will be another game for them this coming Friday. The opponent, time, and place are yet to be determined, but there's a pretty good chance we'll be there watching.
After getting home last night I still had time to watch a bit of the Home Run Derby. Davis looked good, but he wasn't good enough to win. Bryce Harper had a good night as the best in the National League, but he didn't compare to the Oakland A's Yoenis Cespedes. No one compared to Cespedes last night. Yoenis hit more homeruns in the FIRST round than everyone else hit in their first TWO rounds.
He then hit more than Harper in the final round while still having five outs left when he won the whole thing.
I actually had no idea who he was when I saw him. He wasn't even an All-Star, but he was simply brought in for the contest. As a second year man, imported from Cuba, I'm sure we'll hear more from him in the future.
With both Harper and Cespedes doing well last night, it looks like baseball is continuing to produce stars for the future. That's pretty satisfying in itself.
Seeing Stark win last night shows me that kids still love the game as well. That's even more satisfying. Baseball is alive and well in America. Even if professionally it's pretty much on life support here in Minnesota.
The last time they played Sleepy Eye, I had a pretty long blog about how they needed to practice more. They were just killed by a much better ball club. Since that blog, they've become a totally different team. More than anything they just seem to be paying more attention to what they are doing out there.
Last night was the second round of the playoffs for them. They had a huge lopsided win at Stark on Friday night so we decided to see how they'd play against mighty Sleepy Eye again last evening. I was shocked and impressed at the same time. The final was 10-4, but this time it was Stark that looked like the team that belonged there.
It was probably the most fun that I've ever had as a spectator at a live sporting event. Because of the win, there will be another game for them this coming Friday. The opponent, time, and place are yet to be determined, but there's a pretty good chance we'll be there watching.
After getting home last night I still had time to watch a bit of the Home Run Derby. Davis looked good, but he wasn't good enough to win. Bryce Harper had a good night as the best in the National League, but he didn't compare to the Oakland A's Yoenis Cespedes. No one compared to Cespedes last night. Yoenis hit more homeruns in the FIRST round than everyone else hit in their first TWO rounds.
He then hit more than Harper in the final round while still having five outs left when he won the whole thing.
I actually had no idea who he was when I saw him. He wasn't even an All-Star, but he was simply brought in for the contest. As a second year man, imported from Cuba, I'm sure we'll hear more from him in the future.
With both Harper and Cespedes doing well last night, it looks like baseball is continuing to produce stars for the future. That's pretty satisfying in itself.
Seeing Stark win last night shows me that kids still love the game as well. That's even more satisfying. Baseball is alive and well in America. Even if professionally it's pretty much on life support here in Minnesota.
Monday, July 15, 2013
Twins Take Series in New York, Beat Sabathia!
The Twins had not won a series in New York against the Yankees since 2001. They had not beaten Sabathia since 2007. And even though it looks like they killed the Yankees yesterday with that 10-4 score, anybody who watched the game would have to admit the Twins were way more lucky than good.
Justin Morneau had three hits yesterday that would best be described as gifts. Though the Yankees obviously misplayed some balls yesterday, fans who aren't too critical would have to say the ball took a lot of weird bounces as well. Gibson got his first win at Yankee Stadium, but he was in serious trouble in every inning but the fifth.
Just so you know, I'm not complaining. Taking two out of three from the Yankees is always a big deal, especially for Gardy. He's never won a series against them in New York and he's been with the Twns a very, very long time.
The best part is that the Twins now get to reset at the All-Star break. Oswaldo Arcia, Chris Parmalee, and Eduardo Escobar have already been sent back to Rochester. Infielder Doug Bernier and catcher/outfielder Chris Herrmann are being brought up. First baseman/outfielder Chris Colbello, who is having an outstanding year for Rochester is expected to be brought up after the Triple A all-star game as well.
There's still tons of speculation that the Twins will be unloading a few guys in trades after the break. Morneau and Doumit are mentioned most so it makes sense that we're bringing up Colbello and Hermann.
The Twins don't want to make offers to either after Morneau or Doumit after the season, so we'll probably settle for some pitching prospects. Again San Francisco and San Diego are mentioned most in the rumors, but the Twins, who have completely given up on this season, will be willing to trade just about anybody to reduce salaries while getting prospects.
I'm okay with that. It's not like they are one pitcher or infielder away from winning it all in the foreseeable future. I hate rebuilding years but we all saw it coming when the Twins decided that Joe Mauer was worth $25 million a year AND they got Target Field.
We'll be a Triple A ball club for years to come. And I'm pretty sure Gardy will not be along for the ride.
I might not be either. But that's a whole different story.
Justin Morneau had three hits yesterday that would best be described as gifts. Though the Yankees obviously misplayed some balls yesterday, fans who aren't too critical would have to say the ball took a lot of weird bounces as well. Gibson got his first win at Yankee Stadium, but he was in serious trouble in every inning but the fifth.
Just so you know, I'm not complaining. Taking two out of three from the Yankees is always a big deal, especially for Gardy. He's never won a series against them in New York and he's been with the Twns a very, very long time.
The best part is that the Twins now get to reset at the All-Star break. Oswaldo Arcia, Chris Parmalee, and Eduardo Escobar have already been sent back to Rochester. Infielder Doug Bernier and catcher/outfielder Chris Herrmann are being brought up. First baseman/outfielder Chris Colbello, who is having an outstanding year for Rochester is expected to be brought up after the Triple A all-star game as well.
There's still tons of speculation that the Twins will be unloading a few guys in trades after the break. Morneau and Doumit are mentioned most so it makes sense that we're bringing up Colbello and Hermann.
The Twins don't want to make offers to either after Morneau or Doumit after the season, so we'll probably settle for some pitching prospects. Again San Francisco and San Diego are mentioned most in the rumors, but the Twins, who have completely given up on this season, will be willing to trade just about anybody to reduce salaries while getting prospects.
I'm okay with that. It's not like they are one pitcher or infielder away from winning it all in the foreseeable future. I hate rebuilding years but we all saw it coming when the Twins decided that Joe Mauer was worth $25 million a year AND they got Target Field.
We'll be a Triple A ball club for years to come. And I'm pretty sure Gardy will not be along for the ride.
I might not be either. But that's a whole different story.
Sunday, July 14, 2013
Deduno SHINES at Yankee Stadium
Let's face it, there's not a whole lot to celebrate this season if you still consider yourself a Twins fan. Yesterday the Twins managed only their second win in the last 14 games.
BUT in a season where wins are becoming as rare as a good action movie, Twins fans can still celebrate the individual performances of some of their brightest stars. Yesterday, Samuel Deduno showed, at hallowed Yankee Stadium, that he has what it takes to be one of the best pitchers that the Twins have seen in an awfully long time.
Even his recent "disapponting" performances haven't been bad. It's more a case of the Twins line-up consistently being unable to hit against the superior pitching staffs of the Yankees, the Rays, and the Jays.
In a season where there simply is not much to smile about, Sam Deduno got me to smile. That three of his teammates decide to hit homeruns certainly helped. It's still a team game after all.
Other baseball news? Tim Lincecum threw his FIRST career no-hitter yesterday. Most thought his better days were already behind him. Though still relatively young, he's been over-throwing for so many years now that most questioned his ability to pitch an entire game. Yesterday it took him 148 pitches to accomplish the task. That's an awful lot of pitches in this day and age. Here's hoping his arm stays healthy enough to pitch for many more years.
Chris Davis hit homerun number 36 yesterday. That's a fantastic number for this point in the season.
I still enjoy baseball but I'd be enjoying it more if the Twins would play like they did yesterday more often.
BUT in a season where wins are becoming as rare as a good action movie, Twins fans can still celebrate the individual performances of some of their brightest stars. Yesterday, Samuel Deduno showed, at hallowed Yankee Stadium, that he has what it takes to be one of the best pitchers that the Twins have seen in an awfully long time.
Even his recent "disapponting" performances haven't been bad. It's more a case of the Twins line-up consistently being unable to hit against the superior pitching staffs of the Yankees, the Rays, and the Jays.
In a season where there simply is not much to smile about, Sam Deduno got me to smile. That three of his teammates decide to hit homeruns certainly helped. It's still a team game after all.
Other baseball news? Tim Lincecum threw his FIRST career no-hitter yesterday. Most thought his better days were already behind him. Though still relatively young, he's been over-throwing for so many years now that most questioned his ability to pitch an entire game. Yesterday it took him 148 pitches to accomplish the task. That's an awful lot of pitches in this day and age. Here's hoping his arm stays healthy enough to pitch for many more years.
Chris Davis hit homerun number 36 yesterday. That's a fantastic number for this point in the season.
I still enjoy baseball but I'd be enjoying it more if the Twins would play like they did yesterday more often.
Saturday, July 13, 2013
Chris Davis Hits His 35th Homerun
At this pace, he''ll never catch Bonds or McQwire, but I'm still hoping he can beat Ruth and Marris. The standard is still 60 because no one will ever accept the steroid era totals. Of course now we're in the HGH era so Davis and everything HE does will also be suspect. EVERYBODY will be suspect from now on.
On a related note, super agent Scott Boras is upset about MLB and the all the Biogenesis leaks. And others are FINALLY starting to see his point. The MLB collective bargaining agreement has drug testing and findings listed as totally confidential. That way players who are SUSPECTED of breaking the rules, when it comes to performance enhancing drugs, will be given ALL of due-process (a hearing, investigations, rulings and appeals) before their names are even MENTIONED to the media, and that's ONLY if the player is found GUILTY beyond reasonable doubt by all of those doing the investigation. Otherwise, his name will NEVER be mentioned to the public or media. EVER.
The ONLY way the players association AGREED to drug testing in the first place was that baseball had to keep every little part of the investigation confidential.
The problem is that NONE of the recent investigations, including the recent Biogenesis fiasco, have been in the least least bit confidential. No, baseball isn't responsible for the "whistle-blowers" who always leak the information to the media, but baseball HAS created the witch-hunt that causes these whistle-blowers to protect themselves in exchange for testimony against their employers and suspected players.
That baseball CONFIRMS these lists and works without any confidentiality, publicly, after the leaks IS their fault. If nothing else they, according to the agreement, should treat every name on that list as INNOCENT until each investigation for each individual is completed. That AT LEAST would be in the spirit of the agreement.
HOW would baseball do this? It would be as simple as THIS statement.
"Many players have been implicated in the latest prohibited drug scandal, however MLB does not consider the leaks by any of these whistle-blowers to be anything more than criminals seeking to hide their own shadowy roles and involvement in the matter at this point. Until we have completed our own thorough investigations of the matter, ALL players listed will be considered fully innocent until proven otherwise. We will most certainly NOT confirm any lists that these shady individuals have released to the media, and we ask that the media not share this list or any other future lists until such time as we can finish our investigations.
The named players have families and reputations at stake and we will not be participants in defiling those reputations in any way by what amounts to rumors and hearsay at this point. Each of these players is a welcome part of MLB until convincingly proven otherwise.
We obviously take banned substance use very seriously, but accusations like this occur all the time when players are in the spotlight at this level. Please do them and us a favor by stopping the speculation. None of the facts have been determined at this point."
If BASEBALL doesn't start acting this way, players, collectively, as part of the union demands, should just stop agreeing to the drug testing. Rights and privacies are being violated, not because some players are doing something ILLEGAL, but because they MAY be doing something baseball PREFERS they not do. Let's never lose sight of that. You, me, and average Joe Citizen could be taking nearly ALL of the drugs mentioned, under a doctor's supervision, and NOT be doing anything illegal or immoral. Lives should not be ruined based on rumors spread by criminals. Especially when the drugs being mentioned are not something that could ever send you or I to jail.
On a related note, super agent Scott Boras is upset about MLB and the all the Biogenesis leaks. And others are FINALLY starting to see his point. The MLB collective bargaining agreement has drug testing and findings listed as totally confidential. That way players who are SUSPECTED of breaking the rules, when it comes to performance enhancing drugs, will be given ALL of due-process (a hearing, investigations, rulings and appeals) before their names are even MENTIONED to the media, and that's ONLY if the player is found GUILTY beyond reasonable doubt by all of those doing the investigation. Otherwise, his name will NEVER be mentioned to the public or media. EVER.
The ONLY way the players association AGREED to drug testing in the first place was that baseball had to keep every little part of the investigation confidential.
The problem is that NONE of the recent investigations, including the recent Biogenesis fiasco, have been in the least least bit confidential. No, baseball isn't responsible for the "whistle-blowers" who always leak the information to the media, but baseball HAS created the witch-hunt that causes these whistle-blowers to protect themselves in exchange for testimony against their employers and suspected players.
That baseball CONFIRMS these lists and works without any confidentiality, publicly, after the leaks IS their fault. If nothing else they, according to the agreement, should treat every name on that list as INNOCENT until each investigation for each individual is completed. That AT LEAST would be in the spirit of the agreement.
HOW would baseball do this? It would be as simple as THIS statement.
"Many players have been implicated in the latest prohibited drug scandal, however MLB does not consider the leaks by any of these whistle-blowers to be anything more than criminals seeking to hide their own shadowy roles and involvement in the matter at this point. Until we have completed our own thorough investigations of the matter, ALL players listed will be considered fully innocent until proven otherwise. We will most certainly NOT confirm any lists that these shady individuals have released to the media, and we ask that the media not share this list or any other future lists until such time as we can finish our investigations.
The named players have families and reputations at stake and we will not be participants in defiling those reputations in any way by what amounts to rumors and hearsay at this point. Each of these players is a welcome part of MLB until convincingly proven otherwise.
We obviously take banned substance use very seriously, but accusations like this occur all the time when players are in the spotlight at this level. Please do them and us a favor by stopping the speculation. None of the facts have been determined at this point."
If BASEBALL doesn't start acting this way, players, collectively, as part of the union demands, should just stop agreeing to the drug testing. Rights and privacies are being violated, not because some players are doing something ILLEGAL, but because they MAY be doing something baseball PREFERS they not do. Let's never lose sight of that. You, me, and average Joe Citizen could be taking nearly ALL of the drugs mentioned, under a doctor's supervision, and NOT be doing anything illegal or immoral. Lives should not be ruined based on rumors spread by criminals. Especially when the drugs being mentioned are not something that could ever send you or I to jail.
Friday, July 12, 2013
Pelfrey Okay in Loss. Other Options
P.J. Walters, having been designated for assignment, is now in baseball
limbo. He's not officially in the Twins organization, but if nobody
claims him on waivers, he can be outrighted to Triple A.
At the moment, the Twins' rotation features, in alphabetical order, Kevin Correia, Sam Deduno, Scott Diamond, Kyle Gibson and Mike Pelfrey.
At the moment, the Twins' rotation features, in alphabetical order, Kevin Correia, Sam Deduno, Scott Diamond, Kyle Gibson and Mike Pelfrey.
Considering that there's about half the season yet to play, the odds are that bunch will change. If Walters isn't a candidate to move back into the rotation, who is?
The possibilities include:
Pedro Hernandez
Status: 40-man roster, pitching in RochesterComment: Hernandez has made seven starts in the majors for the Twins (3-1, 5.54) and six for Rochester (2-2, 3.60). If he has a major league career ahead of him, it's probably as a relief pitcher. He'd be a safe place-holder, but that's all.
 |
| Cole De Vries was 5-5, 4.11 in his time with the Twins in 2012. |
Cole De Vries
Status: 40-man roster, pitching in RochesterComment: The Minnesota native would have opened 2013 in the major league rotation but ran into arm issues. He's made nine starts in Rochester and has gone 3-4, 8.16, with just 19 strikeouts in 43 innings. Hard to see him being close to a callup.
Liam Hendriks
Status: 40-man roster, pitching in RochesterComment: The Aussie opened with the big club and went down quickly. He dominated the International League last year but has fallen off this year (1-6, 5.05). His status isn't high.
Vance Worley
Status: 40-man roster, pitching in RochesterComment: He's 5-3, 3.81 since his demotion, which looks pretty good compared to his fellow 40-man roster mates. But it comes with just 30 strikeouts in 52 innings. I do expect him to return to the major league rotation this year, but that's more because of what the Twins have invested in him than because he's earned it.
 |
| Minor league veteran Andrew Albers pitched for Team Canada in the WBC. |
Andrew Albers
Status: Not on the 40-man roster, pitching in RochesterComment: Lefty from Canada, he was just named to the IL all-star team (8-3, 3.00 with 86 K in 99 innings). He's 27 and has spent more time in his career in relief than starting, but he's been a fixture in the Red Wings rotation and is having a fine season. I don't see him as a likely long-term rotation candidate.
Logan Darnell
Status: Not on the 40-man roster, pitching in RochesterComment: Another lefty, he has made one start for the Red Wings after a strong first half with Double A New Britain (6-6, 2.61). He's 24, and this is by far his best minor league performance. Probably behind Albers in terms of getting a chance.
 |
| Nick Blackburn: Forgot he was still around, didn't you? |
Nick Blackburn
Status: Not on the 40-man roster; on rehab assignment in the Gulf Coast LeagueComment: He makes the list only because he's getting $5.5 million this year, which I believe makes him the Twins' highest-paid pitcher. He's gotta do something in the minors before the Twins will consider letting him try to earn some of his pay in the majors, and I don't think it's real likely. No future benefit from his return; the Twins won't exercise his $8 million option for 2014.
Alex Meyer
Status: Not on the 40; currently on disabled listComment: Was shut down with a shoulder issue last month; the Twins say there's no structural damage, but caution is being exercised anyway. Probably the best pitching prospect in the organization, he's 3-3, 3.69 in Double A New Britain with 73 strikeouts in 61 innings. Won't get a callup this year. (Came to Twins in the Denard Span trade.)
 |
| Trevor May came to the Twins in the Ben Revere trade. |
Trevor May
Status: On the 40, pitching in New BritainComment: Some good signs from May as he repeats Double A (6-5, 3.98 with 93 K in 95 innings). The control is improving, although his season walk rate (3.9 BB/9) is still too high. He might be a September callup, since he's already on the 40, but he's not going to be yo-yo'd up and down. Expect patience with him.
(Thanks to Ed for all of this.)
Thursday, July 11, 2013
Consistency
I watched a bit of last night's game. I stopped long before the predictable finish. If you LIKE watching lots of strikeouts from both teams, last night was your night to shine. If you think that the Twins no longer have any clutch hitters, last night would be your exhibit A at their trial.
But I have no desire to talk Twins right now. Instead I'd like to talk about consistency standards in major league baseball compared to other sports. Or more specifically, major league BASEBALLS compared to the balls used in golf.
Baseball has extremely defined standards about the production of THEIR baseballs, from how they are manufactured all the way to the conditions in which they are stored before they are used as game balls. They do that to make sure that every home run leaving their ballparks, for all practical purposes, has an identical ball being used. No one is going to break the all-time home run record with "new and improved" balls.
Let's switch to golf as a different example. Though all official balls are tested, none have to be identical. They only have to fall into a "range of distance" based on testing. They do this because many golfers use the ball of their sponsors and all sponsors (brands) manufacture balls to their OWN standards.
It gets even better for the weekend duffer. You can actually use clubs and balls that are banned by the PGA if you want a driving distance advantage over your friends.
Most golfers know this, but recently someone cut some golf balls in half just to SEE if they could notice any real difference in the way balls look inside.
The following picture is the result.
It makes me appreciate the standards of Major League Baseball so much more.
But I have no desire to talk Twins right now. Instead I'd like to talk about consistency standards in major league baseball compared to other sports. Or more specifically, major league BASEBALLS compared to the balls used in golf.
Baseball has extremely defined standards about the production of THEIR baseballs, from how they are manufactured all the way to the conditions in which they are stored before they are used as game balls. They do that to make sure that every home run leaving their ballparks, for all practical purposes, has an identical ball being used. No one is going to break the all-time home run record with "new and improved" balls.
Let's switch to golf as a different example. Though all official balls are tested, none have to be identical. They only have to fall into a "range of distance" based on testing. They do this because many golfers use the ball of their sponsors and all sponsors (brands) manufacture balls to their OWN standards.
It gets even better for the weekend duffer. You can actually use clubs and balls that are banned by the PGA if you want a driving distance advantage over your friends.
Most golfers know this, but recently someone cut some golf balls in half just to SEE if they could notice any real difference in the way balls look inside.
The following picture is the result.
It makes me appreciate the standards of Major League Baseball so much more.
Wednesday, July 10, 2013
MY Pitching Idea IS Being Considered and Looked At
Thanks to my California brother for sending me this link.
I've been saying it for years. Others are starting to take notice:
http://www.thepostgame.com/blog/eye-performance/201307/mlb-pitching-tom-house-frank-jobe-pitch-count-arm-stats-elbow-shoulder
I've been saying it for years. Others are starting to take notice:
http://www.thepostgame.com/blog/eye-performance/201307/mlb-pitching-tom-house-frank-jobe-pitch-count-arm-stats-elbow-shoulder
The Lighter Side
Years of losing can cause frustration in a dedicated sports fan. Such was the case recently when a Cleveland Browns fan died. He caused quite a stir locally when his last request demonstrated that frustration.
Tuesday, July 9, 2013
Twins Lose
I'm not enjoying this much anymore. With the recent surge in power, Morneau is making it easier for the Twins to trade him, though.
Monday, July 8, 2013
Doctor Who Having A Much Better Season Than The Twins
Diamond had a rough outing, including a total meltdown by the fifth.
Doctor Who, season five, is still rolling along strong. Episodes 12 and 13 last night were as good as any television shows I've seen in a long while.
Hoping to finish the season sometime this week. Will probably be "missing" the Twins while doing so.
Doctor Who, season five, is still rolling along strong. Episodes 12 and 13 last night were as good as any television shows I've seen in a long while.
Hoping to finish the season sometime this week. Will probably be "missing" the Twins while doing so.
Sunday, July 7, 2013
Pelfrey!
You know the pitching staff has been bad lately when you're actually anticipating the return of Mike Pelfrey to the rotation.
Mike had been pretty good just before he got hurt a couple of weeks ago. If not for Gardy's obsession of making him go more than 5 innings in each start, he might have a winning record at this point.
I wasn't planning on watching yesterday's game, but I turned it on in the bottom of the fifth to see how things were going. Since the Twins were winning 3-0, I decided to keep watching for a while. Dozier made it 6-0 with his huge 3-run homer in the seventh. I watched it into the ninth.
What I saw was great. Knowing the Twins play at Toronto about as bad as they play at New York made the game even better.
I probably won't get to see much of today's game because of another afternoon picnic, but I am anxious to see which Scott Diamond will show up and pitch for the Twins. I don't have a handle on this guy yet. His record and current ERA make it hard for me to see the potential everyone else seems to see.
For those who read yesterday's blog, I have an update for you. We've finished the first 6 episodes of Doctor Who, season five. Unbelievably great show. Really looking forward to more, though I'm not sure when we'll get the time to watch.
Mike had been pretty good just before he got hurt a couple of weeks ago. If not for Gardy's obsession of making him go more than 5 innings in each start, he might have a winning record at this point.
I wasn't planning on watching yesterday's game, but I turned it on in the bottom of the fifth to see how things were going. Since the Twins were winning 3-0, I decided to keep watching for a while. Dozier made it 6-0 with his huge 3-run homer in the seventh. I watched it into the ninth.
What I saw was great. Knowing the Twins play at Toronto about as bad as they play at New York made the game even better.
I probably won't get to see much of today's game because of another afternoon picnic, but I am anxious to see which Scott Diamond will show up and pitch for the Twins. I don't have a handle on this guy yet. His record and current ERA make it hard for me to see the potential everyone else seems to see.
For those who read yesterday's blog, I have an update for you. We've finished the first 6 episodes of Doctor Who, season five. Unbelievably great show. Really looking forward to more, though I'm not sure when we'll get the time to watch.
Saturday, July 6, 2013
Life is Good Even When the Twins Aren't
I did decide to skip the last two Twins games.And based on the scores and what happened I'm thinking I made the right decision.
On July fourth, I had a fantastic day. For lunch we went to my Aunt Maybelle's place and had a fun July 4th meal. We took our neighbor's dogs for a long walk in the afternoon (he's recovering from cancer surgery and he needs the help). Later that evening, we got together with friends from church to have a nice Fourth of July supper that included pork shoulder cooked all day on a smoker (wow, that was amazing), and some of the best potato salad I've had in my life. ( I won't say it was better than my mom's, but it was the best I've had since she passed away.)
The evening was topped off by tons of (legal) fireworks and all we could eat root beer floats and ice cream.
Yesterday we went to Despicable Me 2 with another friend. No it's not as good as the original, but it was still extremely funny, I actually heard adult guys squealing like little girls in the theater during some of the more hilarious scenes.
Afterwards we tried out the $1.04 chicken sandwiches at Burger King. I ordered two each thinking they'd be small. I was WRONG. These were the biggest $1 chicken sandwiches I have ever seen. IF you're looking for a HUGE deal for your family this weekend, the deal runs through Sunday. Even better? Ice cream cones were just 50 cents. You could feed a family of 6 for less than $10!!!
I missed the Twins games the last two days, but I sure didn't miss the Twins. We're looking forward to doing something other than watching the Twins today as well. Perhaps a Doctor Who marathon. Another friend gave us the DVD set for season 5.
That's sounds way better than another Twins loss. It even sounds better than a Twins win at this point.
Doctor Who it is.
And another long walk with the dogs.
On July fourth, I had a fantastic day. For lunch we went to my Aunt Maybelle's place and had a fun July 4th meal. We took our neighbor's dogs for a long walk in the afternoon (he's recovering from cancer surgery and he needs the help). Later that evening, we got together with friends from church to have a nice Fourth of July supper that included pork shoulder cooked all day on a smoker (wow, that was amazing), and some of the best potato salad I've had in my life. ( I won't say it was better than my mom's, but it was the best I've had since she passed away.)
The evening was topped off by tons of (legal) fireworks and all we could eat root beer floats and ice cream.
Yesterday we went to Despicable Me 2 with another friend. No it's not as good as the original, but it was still extremely funny, I actually heard adult guys squealing like little girls in the theater during some of the more hilarious scenes.
Afterwards we tried out the $1.04 chicken sandwiches at Burger King. I ordered two each thinking they'd be small. I was WRONG. These were the biggest $1 chicken sandwiches I have ever seen. IF you're looking for a HUGE deal for your family this weekend, the deal runs through Sunday. Even better? Ice cream cones were just 50 cents. You could feed a family of 6 for less than $10!!!
I missed the Twins games the last two days, but I sure didn't miss the Twins. We're looking forward to doing something other than watching the Twins today as well. Perhaps a Doctor Who marathon. Another friend gave us the DVD set for season 5.
That's sounds way better than another Twins loss. It even sounds better than a Twins win at this point.
Doctor Who it is.
And another long walk with the dogs.
Friday, July 5, 2013
Thursday, July 4, 2013
Walters Falters in Sixth
P.J. had five good innings last night.
Sometimes I think Gardy should just be satisfied with a struggling pitcher's success and just get him out of there with the lead. But no, it all came crashing down in the sixth, and Walters ended up giving the Yankees their only three runs of the game before recording a single out in the sixth.
And we lost 3-2.
P.J. probably lost his job last night, and Gardy did nothing to help him save it.
Gibson pitches this afternoon, but I'm so sick of Gardy and the Twins right now that I may just skip the entire game. Why wreck a beautiful fourth of July with a horrible Twins game?
C.C. Sabathia picked up his 200th win last night for the Yankees. It wouldn't surprise me if half of those wins were against the Twins. I think Jimmy Carter was still in office the last time we beat him.
Sometimes I think Gardy should just be satisfied with a struggling pitcher's success and just get him out of there with the lead. But no, it all came crashing down in the sixth, and Walters ended up giving the Yankees their only three runs of the game before recording a single out in the sixth.
And we lost 3-2.
P.J. probably lost his job last night, and Gardy did nothing to help him save it.
Gibson pitches this afternoon, but I'm so sick of Gardy and the Twins right now that I may just skip the entire game. Why wreck a beautiful fourth of July with a horrible Twins game?
C.C. Sabathia picked up his 200th win last night for the Yankees. It wouldn't surprise me if half of those wins were against the Twins. I think Jimmy Carter was still in office the last time we beat him.
Wednesday, July 3, 2013
Another Day, Another Collapse Against the Yankees
Willingham is out Hicks is back, and as to what happened yesterday. I simply don't want to talk about it.
Gardy can't beat the Yankees.
So what do I want to talk about?
I liked the show "24" a lot and I am super excited it's coming back. I like the basic premise of Mission Impossible. Basically people WITHIN the government do things they are not legally allowed to do to "keep America safe." If they get caught the government "disavows any knowledge of them or their actions."
The problem is I know, we all know, that people like this really do exist in real life. I haven't quite decided yet if these real-life individuals are patriots and heroes or the ultimate vigilantes.
Former NSA contractor Edward Snowden is running from the U.S. government because he leaked top-secret information to the press last month. He said he was morally obligated to release the information because it was the right thing to do and that people needed to know what he knew.
I have no problem with people following their conscious. In fact, I encourage everyone to do what they "know is right" as often as they can. The problem is that Snowden released the information and then ran like a coward instead of facing the consequences of his decision. He, in effect, wanted to break the law and then not be punished for breaking the law. As a result I have no problem calling THIS man a traitor. IF he would have stayed and taken his punishment like a man, my feelings about him would be considerably different.
In other words, and this is very important, you should be willing to die for what you truly believe in. If you want to be the whistleblower that deliberately breaks security laws, then you better be prepared to suffer the consequences if others think what you did was wrong. If you think betraying your government by releasing classified information is right, then you've lost the right to keep yourself protected by that decision.
In a related story, it's been discovered that the NSA director lied to Congress. When they asked him if the NSA keeps the e-mail and voice messages records of "millions of Americans" he told them the NSA does not do that. The problem is that they do and now we all know it.
Now HERE'S the dilemma, (quick side note, it's not spelled dilemna, look it up.) the NSA security head could not tell Congress the truth without divulging classified information. In other words, Congress asked him a question in which he legally was not allowed to tell the truth.
This is the insane world we live in. Congress regularly calling everyone in to testify about just about everything from steroid use in sports to gun control has given THEM the perception they have more power than they really are allowed to have. And it results in all sorts of insane mandates and discoveries. Oftentimes government HAS to keep its secrets. Not everything is open to public consumption.
But we should never trade our freedom for perceived safety.
I'm not wise enough to know where to draw the line. I just know that at least a couple of people have probably crossed it recently.
Gardy can't beat the Yankees.
So what do I want to talk about?
I liked the show "24" a lot and I am super excited it's coming back. I like the basic premise of Mission Impossible. Basically people WITHIN the government do things they are not legally allowed to do to "keep America safe." If they get caught the government "disavows any knowledge of them or their actions."
The problem is I know, we all know, that people like this really do exist in real life. I haven't quite decided yet if these real-life individuals are patriots and heroes or the ultimate vigilantes.
Former NSA contractor Edward Snowden is running from the U.S. government because he leaked top-secret information to the press last month. He said he was morally obligated to release the information because it was the right thing to do and that people needed to know what he knew.
I have no problem with people following their conscious. In fact, I encourage everyone to do what they "know is right" as often as they can. The problem is that Snowden released the information and then ran like a coward instead of facing the consequences of his decision. He, in effect, wanted to break the law and then not be punished for breaking the law. As a result I have no problem calling THIS man a traitor. IF he would have stayed and taken his punishment like a man, my feelings about him would be considerably different.
In other words, and this is very important, you should be willing to die for what you truly believe in. If you want to be the whistleblower that deliberately breaks security laws, then you better be prepared to suffer the consequences if others think what you did was wrong. If you think betraying your government by releasing classified information is right, then you've lost the right to keep yourself protected by that decision.
In a related story, it's been discovered that the NSA director lied to Congress. When they asked him if the NSA keeps the e-mail and voice messages records of "millions of Americans" he told them the NSA does not do that. The problem is that they do and now we all know it.
Now HERE'S the dilemma, (quick side note, it's not spelled dilemna, look it up.) the NSA security head could not tell Congress the truth without divulging classified information. In other words, Congress asked him a question in which he legally was not allowed to tell the truth.
This is the insane world we live in. Congress regularly calling everyone in to testify about just about everything from steroid use in sports to gun control has given THEM the perception they have more power than they really are allowed to have. And it results in all sorts of insane mandates and discoveries. Oftentimes government HAS to keep its secrets. Not everything is open to public consumption.
But we should never trade our freedom for perceived safety.
I'm not wise enough to know where to draw the line. I just know that at least a couple of people have probably crossed it recently.
Tuesday, July 2, 2013
Jared Burton Has Another Collapse
The Twins had a 4-3 lead going into the eighth inning last night. Jared Burton, the guy who USED to be our eighth-inning guy, promptly gave up three runs on three hits in ONE-THIRD of an inning. The Yankees went on snap their five-game losing streak winning 10-4. And Buton's record dropped to 1-6 on the season.
Another day, another abysmal pitching performance. Diamond wasn't great last night, but he was solid enough to get out of a couple jams and he did leave with the lead, giving up just TWO earned runs in a little over 6 innings. In other words he pitched well enough to get the win.
The Twins once sure fire bullpen, the bullpen with the best ERA in the A.L., is starting to wear out and wear thin. It's probably the result of three months of overuse and starting pitching inepitude that I've labeled "Worley-itis." I predicted this would happen a couple of weeks into the season.
Seeing it come to fruition gives me no joy. Knowing it was coming still did not prepare me to experience it. Our starting pitching is now much better than when the season started but our worn out bullpen is going to start costing us the games that we should now be winning.
And why did it have to happen against the Yankees? They aren't that good this season.
Something NEEDS to be done about Burton and his continual failures. Gardy will probably do something in late August. He gave Worley two months of abject failure before making a change.
There's no sense in doing anything rash. Gardy is too old-school for that.
Another day, another abysmal pitching performance. Diamond wasn't great last night, but he was solid enough to get out of a couple jams and he did leave with the lead, giving up just TWO earned runs in a little over 6 innings. In other words he pitched well enough to get the win.
The Twins once sure fire bullpen, the bullpen with the best ERA in the A.L., is starting to wear out and wear thin. It's probably the result of three months of overuse and starting pitching inepitude that I've labeled "Worley-itis." I predicted this would happen a couple of weeks into the season.
Seeing it come to fruition gives me no joy. Knowing it was coming still did not prepare me to experience it. Our starting pitching is now much better than when the season started but our worn out bullpen is going to start costing us the games that we should now be winning.
And why did it have to happen against the Yankees? They aren't that good this season.
Something NEEDS to be done about Burton and his continual failures. Gardy will probably do something in late August. He gave Worley two months of abject failure before making a change.
There's no sense in doing anything rash. Gardy is too old-school for that.
Monday, July 1, 2013
Correia Continues to Disappoint
It wasn't just Correia that was bad yesterday. Even though he gave up 5 earned runs in 5 innings, he was not the losing pitcher. The problem wasn't just relief pitching either, though it stunk up the joint. The problem was a combination of bad pitching AND not thinking on defense. Though there were no official errors by the Twins in the game, the Twins defense made a mockery of fundamentals. You NEED to hit the cutoff man when runners are threatening to score. A bang-bang play at the plate and an easy out is the difference between ignoring your cutoff or doing the thing every player is taught at every level.
Taking your time to throw out a speedy runner heading to first is also a no-no. Hurrying a throw when he is the SLOWEST (Butler) runner in baseball is equally stupid. Three mental errors. Three earned runs that did not have to score led to a 9-8 loss.
David Lough had a great game for the Royals going 4-4 with three doubles and a home run. But we didn't have to lose just because he had a great game. We lost because fundamentals were absent. That and the pitching was just terrible.
A cool thing? Justim Morneau passed Kirby Puckett on the all-time Twins home run list. He now has 208.
The telling stat? The Twins left NINE runners stranded. Again.
Taking your time to throw out a speedy runner heading to first is also a no-no. Hurrying a throw when he is the SLOWEST (Butler) runner in baseball is equally stupid. Three mental errors. Three earned runs that did not have to score led to a 9-8 loss.
David Lough had a great game for the Royals going 4-4 with three doubles and a home run. But we didn't have to lose just because he had a great game. We lost because fundamentals were absent. That and the pitching was just terrible.
A cool thing? Justim Morneau passed Kirby Puckett on the all-time Twins home run list. He now has 208.
The telling stat? The Twins left NINE runners stranded. Again.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)