Twins

Froggy Doo

Filed under: Twins

This genius bit is from today's Charley Walters column:

Ex-Twins pitcher Scott Erickson and his wife, Lisa Guerrero, will be in town this weekend to promote a movie they have produced, "A Plumm Summer," about a TV puppet named Froggy Doo who is "frog-napped" instead of kidnapped.

Apparently this is a real movie. Henry Winkler's in it. No word on whether Erickson's old pal Sidney Ponson is part of the production

Posted by Paul Demko at April 8, 2008 5:10 AM | Comments (0)

 

So Long, Santana

Filed under: Twins

USA Today and ESPN are reporting that the Twins have agreed to trade two-time Cy Young award winner Johan Santana to the New York Mets.

Show him the money. Photo by Nick Vlcek.

The deal is subject to Santana waiving his no-trade clause, but it appears he's ready to OK it. The Twins, whose 4-year, $80 million offer Santana rejected earlier this off-season, will receive four prospects. If the transaction goes through, the Twins bounty includes highly regarded outfielder Carlos Gomez, and pitchers Phil Humber, Deolis Guerra and Kevin Mulvey. Although none of these prospects is considered to be the Mets' best, they are thought to be pretty good bets. Only Humber and Gomez have Major League experience, and it's scant-- 58 games for Gomez and five for Humber.

Perhaps trading Santana was a foregone conclusion (ESPN has been referring to this off-season as the 'Santana Sweepstakes'), but losing an established, well-liked player, one of perhaps four players that would bring national attention to the Twins, is going to be hard to absorb after the loss of veteran center fielder Torii Hunter.

Posted by Ben Palosaari at January 29, 2008 4:20 PM | Comments (3)

 

In January, a Dome For Baseball Makes Good Sense

Filed under: Twins

Tucked neatly inside a busy weekend theater schedule for me was a visit to the upended doggy bowl we affectionately call the Metrodome (or just Metrodome, if you work at KFAN) for TwinsFest 2008. Luckily, a visit to the Twins' web site the night before warned me about what to expect.

For starters, I was able to disappoint my son at home rather than in public (which is always preferable). His Rod Carew glossy and Justin Morneau cards were going to stay at home unsigned, because the event charged for autographs at rates that went as high as $25 for Hall of Famers. (I learned after I got there that the proceeds went to charity, which is fine, and the sight of hollow-eyed memorabilia hounds clutching bats and balls in long lines for signatures clued me in to the logic of the thing.)

Collecting autographs, in other words, is great fun for the grade-school set and moronic otherwise, so we looked for our fun elsewhere. Stepping down to the field, for starters, we saw a great horde of folks (perhaps inspired by the Morneau/Cuddyer signings of the day before) milling about while gibberish intermittently erupted from the PA system. I looked up at the big screen above and was confronted by the sight of my own bleary mug; a camera was capturing everyone walking in, though Bert-circling wasn't part of the deal.

U of M ballplayers pitched in a pen to kids in a home run derby, and fresh-faced minor leaguers signed whatever was put in front of them. I spotted Hall of Famer Bob Feller at a table looking elderly but stately (oddly, I got a signature from him about 30 years ago in a minor league game in Ohio. Guess we're due to meet again in 2038). From there we waded across a sea of people to baseball's perpetual preoccupation after balls and strikes: commerce.

Turns out TwinsFest is the most vast sports card and paraphernalia show you'll probably ever come across. Which was pretty much useless to me, but I had a seven year-old boy in tow, so things were golden. I walked around buying one-dollar packs of random cards packaged in brown paper, laying them on my son for opening once we got home. My son elevated his consciousness several steps toward Nirvana, a fine reminder really of why watching grown men bat and pitch remains such a happy diversion well into adulthood.

We came upon Chuck Foreman, the Vikings great having brashly rented a table to hawk bobbleheads of himself; the immortal running back gave a chortle when asked what exactly bobbleheads did, lolling his skull around by way of demonstration. Kent Hrbek was there, raising money for charity, looking immense, and generally being very amiable to all the passersby who wanted to chat him up. And, on the way out, we came upon a traveling Hall of Fame exhibit; I was unaccountably awed by the glassed-in sight of Lou Gehrig's jersey and cap, a quasi-religious relic. Ty Cobb's fielder's glove, on the other hand, looked tiny and ridiculous (no wonder he was so ill-tempered, he probably had hairline fractures running all through his hand).

Finally the money ran out, the soda got downed, and it was clearly time to vacate. A long line snaked around the concourse for the signature of some old-time great, but we didn't bother to find out who. The game, after all, is bigger than any single player. Which my son pointed out to me before we hit the revolving door.

"They need to paint over that," he said, pointing to a fine portrait of Torii Hunter on the wall by a concession stand. And he was right.

Posted by Quinton Skinner at January 28, 2008 10:26 AM | Comments (3)

 

Twins acquire Craig Monroe; occasional wailing breaks through the yawns

Filed under: Twins

I heard a bad joke last night that makes me think of yesterday afternoon's acquisition of Craig Monroe by the Twins -- which, to be fair, is actually itself a bad joke.

The joke goes like this. A physicist, a chemist, and a statistician walk into a bar. Shortly thereafter, they see that there is a fire in the wastebasket. While the other patrons run out, the physicist says, "We have to cool down the materials so that their temperature is lower than the ignition temperature; then the fire will go out!" The chemist says, "No! Let's cut off the supply of oxygen; that way, the fire will go out due to lack of one of the reactants!"

Then they notice that the statistician is moving around the bar, starting other fires. "What are you doing?" they cry. Says the statistician: "Trying to get an adequate sample size."

This is not, you will note, funny. But neither is the trade, which makes me also want to start fires. And the joke holds a clue as to why I'm reaching for matches.

Craig Monroe is a player with one skill. He hits for some power. By "some," I mean he has a career .446 slugging percentage, a pedestrian number for a corner outfielder. He doesn't get on base, doesn't play good defense, and doesn't play a position where talent is scarce.

Sure, the Twins didn't give up much -- the vaunted "player to be named" -- but this is a player who was likely to be non-tendered, a guy who doesn't do much more than fill a spot for you. Oh, yes: he also takes up roughly $5 million in payroll, and he'll be paid to deliver production that we might charitably call replacement level.

I'd rather the team acquire the rights to the canon of Bill Monroe. He wouldn't hit as much, but he wouldn't curtail pursuit of other free agents, and we'd get to listen to bluegrass all season.

So why bring Craig Monroe in? As the Strib's Joe Christensen notes, "Monroe has been a notorious Twins killer throughout his career, batting .322 against them with 13 home runs in 283 at-bats. He has batted .304 in 35 career games at the Metrodome." Basically, he's killed Minnesota during a few trips here, and that makes him look better than he actually is.

This is where the team is starting fires like the statistician in the joke. The existing sample that tells us Monroe is not a major league starter isn't enough -- let's run him out there some more, just to be sure.

See, it's fundamentally a sample size issue. Do you believe the 200+ at bats he's had against the Twins, or the 2000+ other at bats elsewhere in the majors? Yeah, the Dome's a better place to hit than Detroit, but 35 games is nothing as far as evidence of production goes. Also recall also that Monroe turns 31 in February. We ought to expect a decline from a player of his skill set.

Moves like this -- for middling, veteran talent -- don't help most teams. Winning teams usually fill rosters will players of rare skill (for which they pay a premium) and young, inexpensive talent that has room to improve, thus freeing up money to pursue the top-tier category of players. Players like Monroe aren't young enough that we can reasonably expect them to get better, cost more than younger talent, and are freely available in the minor leagues or on the waiver wire (which is why most people think he was about to be non-tendered).

The one level this trade might make sense on is if the Twins think acquiring Monroe will help them re-sign Torii Hunter, since the two are friends. Re-signing Hunter would be a bad idea, too, a topic I'll tackle in a later post, but the larger point is that moves should make sense for their own sake.

This one doesn't, whether you ask a stathead or a scientist.

Posted by Jeff Shaw at November 14, 2007 7:03 AM | Comments (0)

 

Swept, and That's All

Filed under: Twins

Things didn't go so well this afternoon. Before an announced crowd of almost 14,000 (though any observer could see that there were fewer cranks than that), the Twins were swept by the Cleveland Indians, losing 6-2. The Tribe has won 16 of their last 20, boasts a lineup that is dangerous from top to bottom, and have sent a message to the Central in the clearest possible terms: this year's division title goes through them. To the rest of the league: see you in October.

Scott Baker wasn't quite as dominant as his last outing, giving up 3 runs off 3 hits and 2 hit-batsmen in the 1st before recording a single out (after 27 pitches!) One fellow scribe grumbled, "this ain't the Kansas City lineup, kid." True, so true. But give the kid credit. After that horrendous start he settled down, struck out the next 2 batters and induced a ground-out to end the inning and keep the damage at bay. The Indians didn't score on Baker after that. And if you want to point out that Baker didn't have a single 1-2-3 inning, I would counter with the fact that through 5 full, he had but 1 fly out to 8 ground outs and 6 K's (though that might be different if 1 of the 4 towering doubles had been caught--then again, the score'd be different, too). Not too shabby. That he never lost his composure is one of many signs that this kid's going places.

Nick Blackburn came in and worked 3 innings, 2 of them perfect, and struck out 3 himself. True, things fell apart in the 9th, as what was a close 3-2 ballgame suddenly turned into an insurmountable 6-2 lead, all off a number of hits and walks, including touching the usually untouchable contortionist Pat Neshek for a double and a single, and that was all she wrote.

Offensively, Brian Buscher went 2 for 4. Nick Punto went 1 for 3, raising his average exactly 1 point, to a gaudy .198.

So that's what you get in September. A near-empty house where the cry of the hecklers echo across the turf, Scott Baker showing us his mettle, the kid Blackburn warming up to the big leagues, and a preview that perhaps the newest Central Division team to waltz into the World Series might just be the Cleveland Indians. If you're lucky, you'll sit around pondering the future with your fellow fan, and enjoy an afternoon out of the relentless heat.

Posted by Peter Schilling Jr. at September 5, 2007 3:13 PM | Comments (0)

 

When the Present's This Ugly, Might As Well Look to the Future...

Filed under: Twins

It was certainly a struggle today. C. C. Sabathia ripped through the Twins line-up, scattering six moribund hits over his eight innings... though four of those were from one player. Although Johan Santana has certainly seen better days, giving up four runs in today's 5-0 loss, the Indians didn't have a big inning, not once. In fact, they gathered their nine hits one inning at a time. A walk here, a key hit there, a home run one inning (Santana's 30th), and that was all she wrote. The 13th shutout against the Twins, the league record. Sigh.

So let's look at Alexi Casilla, who had a great game. Batting leadoff, he was the man of four hits in as many at-bats. Though he could have worked the count a bit better, with 4, 4, 3, and 2 pitches in at-bats in innings 1, 3, 5, and 8 (respectively), against Sabathia, that's noteworthy. For one day we can sit back, perhaps a bit stunned by the nitrates in our many hot dogs and raise our overpriced beers in salute to the future second baseman.

Or how about Robert Nicholas Blackburn, Nick to fan and foe alike. Why, this youth sauntered up to the mound in the ninth and made his Major League debut. Fresh from Rochester, he is, now that the Red Wings were eliminated from their playoffs (the sadness is far and wide, apparently). Nick threw all of six pitches. Three up, one a hit, then a sweet double play, and then another quick out. Not much to go on, but hey, it's a start, and something to give us beleaguered fans some hope to chew on.

A crowd of just over 24K was on hand to watch this lugubrious game on a pleasant afternoon that might have been better spent on the yard, at the fair, riding a bike, anything. But they were there all the same, to watch Nick Punto's batting average drop yet again (0-3), to watch Santana drop to 0-5 against the Indians this year, but also to remind themselves of the ups and downs of this cruel sport. A win today would not have meant a last-ditch effort to make the playoffs. Today's fans knew better. They were there to watch a ball game, plain and simple, and seek out some hope for the future.

Posted by Peter Schilling Jr. at September 3, 2007 3:44 PM | Comments (0)

 

The Shreveport Slinger

Filed under: Twins

Wow. I mean, like wow! Scott Baker came within three outs of throwing a perfect game last evening against the Kansas City Royals. Moseying to the mound in the ninth, the kid showed nothing that resembled a man with a belly full of butterflies. Right away, he walked a guy and gave up a hit, the perfect game and no-no was over, but it didn't matter. This kid is on fire, and the future of the Twins pitching staff seems assured. This is what Minnesota baseball in September is about this year: gazing into the crystal ball and liking what you see.

Smilin' Scott Baker, the Shreveport Slinger: 8-6 with a 4.09 ERA. Now, you might argue that it's just one game, the kid was lucky, somehow. I say bunk. Consider the night of July 30 of just this year. Maybe it's the Royals he's feasting on. No matter, for one month ago, Scott Baker punched the clock on the Kansas City lineup, pitching seven perfect innings, giving up but two hits (in the fourth) and taking a 3-1 win. Had Gardy left him in, I don't doubt he would have 8 perfect innings like yesterday.

So let's not beat around the bush. Santana, Baker, Garza, Bonser and Liriano. I'll take that over anyone in the Central, any day of the week. If we can get just half of Liriano's charm from last year, that's pretty God-damned good. I say this: let Silva and his nearly $5 million clam contract (which will undoubtedly be more next year), trade Joe Nathan (and install the fabulous Neshek), and get some bats. With a few wily trades (please, a big bat), the Twins could give Cleveland or Detroit a run for their money.

Posted by Peter Schilling Jr. at September 1, 2007 11:21 AM | Comments (0)

 

Let's All Go Ask Some Tough Questions Tonight

Filed under: Twins

As I wrote in my City Pages A-List entry, tonight is the official groundbreaking of the forthcoming Twins Stadium. Needless to say, it's only going to remain "Twins Stadium" until old Carl gets his many millions from whatever corporation showers him and his minions with more cash. Target Field? General Mills Stadium? Taxpayer Park?

It behooves Twins fans to attend this silly little bread-and-circuses gathering, if only to express rampant disbelief at the Twins handling of the thing. First they rammed it through the legislature, using political slight of hand like I've never seen in this state (including getting a no taxes Governor to approve), and then didn't even bother to buy the damned land. Now that there's a stadium definitely on its way, they're upset that the landowners want more money? You think?

Wonder, too, whether there will even be a decent team on the field when it opens in two-and-a-quarter seasons. The Twins made so many promises and threats in the long journey to the new digs, promises that were outright lies and that are proving to be outright lies. Such as that they'll be contracted (no evidence ever existed that that would happen), that they were going to move (where?), and that the stadium would generate enough income to finally make the Twins competitive (which flies in the face of recent years' performance). Today's program, which will highlight the history of the team, will no doubt ignore or gloss over the fact that the Twins already pulled the plug once, jerking themselves from Washington, D.C. because their owner thought there were way too many African-Americans fouling up his stadium (this is also repeated in numerous baseball histories outside of Wikipedia, including Brad Snyder's magnificent Beyond the Shadow of the Senators).

The stadium's a done deal, but it is using public funds, and as such is a part of public policy, which therefore makes tonight's soiree both a celebration and a forum for protest and debate. The Save the Met guys are going to be there, marching with a banner that asks us to, well, save the Met, as well as proclaiming that "We Was Right All Along". More importantly, however, is the rest of us asking for accountability, at the very least (the very least) to a management team that has been handed this golden calf but has done very little this year to put a competitive team on the field this year. How many of today's players are even going to be around when this thing is finished? And what kind of team are we going to see in three years? Will the stadium open with the warm glow of the '08 or '09 champion? Or will it open under the dark cloud of a program that never met its full potential, and is struggling to rebuild?

Posted by Peter Schilling Jr. at August 30, 2007 9:53 AM | Comments (0)

 

Can't We Just Agree That The Season's Over?

Filed under: Twins

Look: it doesn't matter that the Twins came into Cleveland with a five game win streak under their belts. If there was momentum, the Indians didn't feel it. After all, four of those victories were against an Orioles team that is nearly as woeful at the plate as the Twins, but also lacks our depth in the arms department. As if to really drive the point home that we are floundering, Cleveland bludgeoned the Twins 8-3, turned a triple play (a wonderful thing), while across Lake Erie and up the Detroit River the Tigers thumped the suddenly vulnerable Yanks 16-0.

What bugs the living tar out of me is that the Twins go through these streaks, keeping hope alive amongst their gullible fans. Yes, the Twins were but 5.5 games behind the Indians before the series (never mind that they aren't anywhere close to the Wild Card spot), but who cares? There is a big, fat difference between a five game winning streak that's plump on victories against the Orioles and one that's come against Cleveland or Detroit. You can say they're "hanging in there" all you want, but the supposedly surmountable distance betwixt third and first in the Central is due more to the Indians and Tigers than the Twins.

For the last time: it ain't gonna happen.

Dark days are soon upon us, if you like kids: September typically sees a decline in attendance, in part because responsible parents don't haul their kids to night games with school the next day. If you don't like the urchins and their enthusiasm, than the mausoleum we call the Dome will be just the place for you.

Despite this, there's still excitement to be had. A team whose season is over can provide fireworks by playing the spoiler. Maybe the Tigers and Indians will be locked in an epic battle until the very end, and we'll be a part of the equation. Maybe we'll see another triple play, this time one we turn. Maybe Santana will toss a no-hitter (don't forget, the last Twins no-hitter came in the merry month of September, when Eric Milton shut down the Angels in 1999). Someone might hit for the cycle, steal home, whatever. This is when the true fan shows her colors, and comes out to watch the thrilling futility.

Posted by Peter Schilling Jr. at August 28, 2007 9:09 AM | Comments (0)

 

Is Winning Losing (Part II)?

Filed under: Twins

Well, the Twins certainly asserted themselves mightily today, beating the Seattle M's 8-4 after a 7-run first inning. The initial frame included a grand slam by one Michael Cuddyer. The game got so out of hand that Dan Gladden and Jack Morris started yakking about anything and everything (though they do this in tight games as well). In the gabfest Gladden mused about young players coming up and going down to Rochester, and stated that Terry Ryan sometimes agonizes over calling up the better prospects because it might hurt the farm clubs during a tight pennant race. Which only makes this scribe say: Huh?

So now we've reached this level of the game. Terry Ryan, so-called genius GM, worrying about the minor league clubs and their fan base. Awesome. Apparently, it is perfectly cool for the owner of the major league club to spend years threatening moving the team or contracting it altogether. But hey, when the club's hurting in the pennant drive, why the fuck bring up a guy who might help, because you know the Rochester Red Wings are on the edge of a pennant themselves.

Fuck that. I don't even know who in the hell these guys were referring to, since I don't know of any Twin in upstate New York who could lift these guys out of the quagmire. Maybe he was looking back at the hesitancy of bringing up Matt Garza, and other arms. I don't know. I do know that Ryan's hands are tied, financially (though not that much, according to Reusse's recent column I mentioned in the last blog). I know he works for a "small market" team that plays in the dome and they have a full time staff that roams the city streets collecting aluminum to make ends meet. I know that they refuse to spend money or trade the excess of arms for a good bat, thus relegating themselves to above-.500 mediocrity that has become the norm of both AL and NL Central Divisions. What I don't need are such shitty excuses. If you live in a minor-league town, you come to terms with players leaving for the big league club. In fact, Mr. Ryan (or Mr. Gladden, if you quoted out of context or were just speculating on a hypothesis), watching a young player develop and leave for the bigs is part of the charm of following the minors.

Posted by Peter Schilling Jr. at August 22, 2007 3:24 PM | Comments (0)

 

Is Winning Losing?

Filed under: Twins

Since there is virtually nothing to be written about last night's 9-4 bludgeoning at the hands of the Seattle Mariners, let's ponder instead Patrick Reusse's column of August 19. Mr. Reusse looks to be examining, and perhaps explaining, the challenges of being Terry Ryan, the Twins highly regarded GM. Reusse writes: "Baseball is the only sport in this country where the triumph is in the pursuit as much as in the ultimate result." Although there's some truth to that, it's depressing when that appears to be your team's core philosophy.

Reusse goes on to show how, in baseball, the regular season is prized much more highly than in other sports, an observation that I couldn't agree with more. Hockey and basketball and football make the postseason so important that it comes at the expense of the regular season (especially in hockey, where teams with losing records often make it to the playoffs). Then comes the fun part: the Twins, Reusse points out, have had "praiseworthy achievement" over the last few years, putting together a string of six seasons in a row with a winning record, which surpasses any other time in their relatively short history (though Washington might not have fared any better).

Young Jim Pohlad says that the consecutive losing streak prior to this recent successes were "dark days", and that we won't see such sustained mediocrity under Terry Ryan. Reusse concludes his piece with this: "Staying consistently competitive. That's the goal here. If that leads to another run to the World Series, hallelujah, but avoiding a return to the dark days seems to carry equal importance with today's Twins."

So there's your $10,000 question: is it better to have stretches of lousy seasons and one or two that lead to a World Series berth, or merely not to fall below .500 over a long period of time? Perhaps I'm unique in my interest in baseball, but I'd rather have a World Series and then junk (though of course I wouldn't mind both, Yankee-style). So while I definitely want to see my team win, do I really care if they end up in second and third place years and years in a row? Not really.

Personally, I've not been as enamored of the Twins golden years as the rest of the world. To me, there have been two dazzling seasons in the past six years: 2001 and 2006. In '01, the year the Twins didn't make the playoffs, they had established themselves as an up and coming team after all those years of being plain lousy. Frankly, they were a spectacular entertainment that season. That season was filled with come-from-behind victories, the neck-and-neck rivalry with the Indians, and the Twins incredible fall in the second half. That's a hell of a ride. '06 was the same, except reversed. But the other Central Division Championships and their third place finish in '05? The years with virtually no competition (the White Sox were a poor rival, at best), or being completely outplayed ('05) and things wrapped up by early September... well, that's not much fun in my book.

I look back at the 1987 Detroit Tigers as a great example of spending for the now. THe Tigers pulled the trigger that year, and were rewarded with a playoff berth, which meant a great deal more then, with only one round of playoffs, than today. Now it's been written that the Tigers trade of John Smoltz to the Braves for Doyle Alexander goes down as one of the worst in history. I find that to be an idiotic, coldhearted response. The Tigers would not have won anything in '87 without Alexander, and Smoltz alone would not have revived the Tigers fortunes in the 90s (and early '00s, however you say that). The Tigers gave up part of their future for 1987, a year that will live with Tigers fans their whole lives. I'd rather have '87 over years of moderate success in the 90s... if you could even ask Smoltz to shoulder that load, which I don't think you can.

So I find it somewhat alarming to hear our premiere sportswriter posit that the Twins management doesn't consider winning the World Series their primary goal. Ask yourself this question, Twins fans: if you could know that the Twins could trade for the player that would shoot them into the postseason this year, and perhaps take them to the Series, at the cost of five years of sub-.500 play, would you take it? Or put it another way: in twenty years are you going to be celebrating the division-champion Twins of the last few years? I know that trading for the right bats doesn't guarantee anything. Staying put, however, guarantees only mediocrity. Even if it's got a winning record.

Posted by Peter Schilling Jr. at August 21, 2007 1:32 PM | Comments (0)

 

Tightrope Walking

Filed under: Twins

Johan Santana broke the all-time Twins single-game strikeout record, fanning seventeen Rangers. As usual, a great pitching performance had to be a tightrope walk over rusty razor blades, broken glass, and spikes, since the offensive half only scored a single run.

Bill Veeck once said that "One of the great myths by which we live is that the 'real' baseball fan loves a 1-0 game and abhors a 'sloppy' 8-6 game. Even the most cursory studies show that fans love 8-6 games and are bored to death by classic 1-0 pitchers battles."

Now, I don't think Veeck's entirely right. I personally love to see a pair of great pitchers go toe-to-toe, mano a mano, and parry like champion fencers on the Harvard yard now and again. What's dull as hell are these 1-0 games over and over again. Not to mention the 1-0 pitcher's duel between Johan Santana--arguably one of the greatest pitchers ever to take the mound--and Kevin Millwood, who was once a very good pitcher and, while still decent, shouldn't hold a team like this one to four hits and a measly run.

But this has been the case all year. Like the Japanese, the Twins seem to be playing in an effort to avoid making the opposition lose face. This weekend, we took two of three, but were outscored 6-3, winning a pair of one-run contests that forced both Carlos Silva and Santana to be at the top of their game, the whole damn game. Against Texas, one of the worst teams in baseball. These acrobatics have gotta wear a man down.

Posted by Peter Schilling Jr. at August 19, 2007 4:12 PM | Comments (0)

 

We Stink Awesomely

Filed under: Twins

See, "Two-i" Torii Hunter barked at the Twins recently. "You stink," he told everyone in the clubhouse, an oddly mild thing to say to a bunch of grown men. I don't know if Minnesota Parent had a beat writer in attendance, but that's what Torii said. Today, after he pretty much won the game all by himself, he added, "We stink... though awesomely."

When your team is pretty much out of the playoffs and wearing their spoiler caps, and manages to throw a wrench into the Mariners wheelhouse by winning 6-1 to take the series two out of three, well, that's fine by me. Even finer is when one fellow, in this case Two-i, drove in the go-ahead run in the eighth, and then blasted a grand slam in the ninth to put it away. Who'd a figgered?

See, "Two-i" Torii Hunter barked at the Twins recently. "You stink," he told everyone in the clubhouse, an oddly mild thing to say to a bunch of grown men. I don't know if Minnesota Parent had a beat writer in attendance, but that's what Torii said. Today, after he pretty much won the game all by himself, he added, "We stink... though awesomely."

You could say that. Then again, I might say the Arizona Diamondbacks--who have given up more runs than they've scored, yet sit in first place--deserve that description more than we do. (Or the '87 Twins for that matter.)

Yep, the Twins beat the surging Seattle Mariners, perhaps the most exciting team in the American League right now. Bopped 'em good last night, kept it tight today until the very end of the damn game. Yesterday it was Matt Garza keeping the bats cool, today it was Scott Baker. Yesterday, there was lots of firepower, today there was just enough. Yesterday, it was Jason Bartlett shooting the fireworks. Today, it was Rondell White knocking his first over the fence and then Torii finishing the game off in style.

So I agree that today's Twins are awesome. Friday, maybe I'll say they just stink.

Posted by Peter Schilling Jr. at August 15, 2007 8:43 PM | Comments (0)

 

Doom and Gloom

Filed under: Twins

The Twins lost late last night 4-3 in the ninth inning, when Seattle's Richie Sexson smashed a homer off Matt Guerrier. This drops us to 1-6 on this road trip, and is beginning to make me think that perhaps our intrepid GM Terry Ryan is a genius. Perhaps he alone knew that if he paid the big bucks for a slugger, why it'd be like luring a saber-toothed tiger into a tar pit. One bat wasn't going to jump-start this sorry group.

Granted, the Twins played a decent pitcher in Felix Hernandez. Then again, this is a strange land called Major League Baseball, so it might behoove the local nine to understand that, now and then and even for stretches of time, you face decent pitching.

That's OK, that's OK--the last series we averaged two runs a game, and this series we're already up to three runs! Pathetic, I say. Soon, the Twins overburdened pitching staff is bound to collapse, and when it does, things will get even uglier. Which is hard to believe. So let's give a big cheer to the Detroit Tigers and Cleveland Indians for keeping this a race, and making the Central Division, once the cream of the crop, suddenly looking beat-up... and beatable.

Posted by Peter Schilling Jr. at August 14, 2007 9:41 AM | Comments (0)

 

Fireworks! (Sparklers, whatever...)

Filed under: Twins

With bats ablaze, the Minnesota Twins erupted for two whole runs today in Anaheim Stadium, losing a close game 6-2. As if awoken from a deep, deep, deep, deep slumber, our Twins, once written off, once derided for their inability to score, actually blasted two runs per game--you read that right--in this visit with the Los Angeles Angels of Disneyland. Had their pitching staff actually done their job, and shut out the Southern Californians on three straight days, this weekend might have been radically different.

"It's not Disneyland in here right now," Ron Gardenhire moped afterwards. Au contraire--a theme park is what you make of it. For the California Angels, taking three straight while holding your opponents to two runs per is a day in the sun with Mickey. After the game it was revealed that the Twins have scored only 87 times since the All-Star break, worst in the league. That means that Kansas City and Tampa Bay are scoring more runs, even though we have the reigning MVP and batting champeen, both of whom are Silver Sluggers. Which one might assume meant that they could slug. The ball, that is.

"We know these guys are good pitchers," Torii complained, yet this fails to explain the demeaning losses to the Kansas City Royals, who are not going to win any Cy Youngs this year. "It's tough to swallow," he said, referring to either the three losses or the two runs. I'm certain that he had a good cry in private, since he went 2 for 11 with a walk and a pair of K's. It matters not--he's still doing well enough to land a fat contract somewhere else in New York or Los Angeles.

So be it, so be it. If the Twins are going to get shut out as often as they do, then I think it behooves fans to gush whenever we can get one, or even two across in a game. Don't worry about what the other teams do, like, say, score six or seven... let's marvel at the sacrifice flies, and let other people whack their thundersticks over towering home runs. This is Twins Territory, and in Twins Territory two runs is enough.

Posted by Peter Schilling Jr. at August 12, 2007 10:43 PM | Comments (0)

 

That'll Do, Pigs. I guess.

Filed under: Twins

Whoa. Scott Baker is looking just great, isn't he? Today, in the Twins 1-0 victory o'er Cleveland, the kid from Shreveport went 8 innings, gave up 4 hits and 2 walks, with 4 Ks. That means that in his last two starts he's gone 16 innings, given up 1 earned run, 6 hits and a pair of walks, and struck out eleven. No homers. A couple of wins under his belt. Whether this is good luck stretched over a couple days or not, that's ace material.

There's more good news... I guess. As Dick Bremer pointed out repeatedly, the Twins have watched their 9 game deficit for the Central Division title get cut to 4.5 in roughly ten day's time. That's the good news. However, they're also just 12-10 since the All-Star break, which really sucks. Perhaps that's this team needs to do to get to the World Series: emulate the 1987 club, that mediocre club that gave up more runs than it scored, and went on to beat superior teams in the playoffs and World Series.

Sorry if I can't get more excited about the Twins cutting their lead in half and remaining in the hunt thanks to the inability of either Cleveland or Detroit to put this thing away. Of course, the difference between the '87 Twins and the '07 Twins is that their pitching and hitting seem reversed: this club's got the arms, that club had the bats. Whatever. At this rate, the Twins will back into the playoffs, take the thing, and then in two decades eager fans will shell out big bucks to watch the highlights of today's game on DVD. At least you'll get a pair of great pitcher's duels, both of which involve the young Mr. Baker. There's worse entertainment, I suppose.

Posted by Peter Schilling Jr. at August 5, 2007 3:41 PM | Comments (2)

 

The Shake-Up

Filed under: Twins

One would be tempted to see today's trade of Luis Castillo to the Mets for a future back-up catcher and no-hit centerfielder as form of concession. One might think that the Twins are cutting bait and acknowledging that the Tigers, Indians, and the rest of the pack in between them and the wild card spot can't be overcome. But tonight, the Twins appeared inspired by the trade, and with Scott Baker on the mound--who, had it not been for the first two batters in the fourth inning, threw a perfect game--we beat the red hot Kansas City Royals 3-1.

Jason Tyner was penciled in at lead-off and did his level best to help the crowds forget there ever was a Luis Castillo, going 3 for 4, just a home run shy of the cycle, and scoring twice. Joe Mauer shrugged off his slump, with a pair of hits and knocking in all 3 of the Twins runs. Why it was easy to forget that Justin Morneau went 2 for 3 with a walk, but didn't score (or send in any runs).

But praise the Lord, Scott Baker was awesome. He faced only one extra batter in his 8 innings, and seemed to get more and more efficient as the game wore on. Outside that fourth inning, the guy didn't throw more than 14 pitches an inning. Later, in the locker room, the kid from Shreveport fiddled nervously with a scrap of paper and did his best to answer questions. Was this his best game? Results-wise, yes. How did you feel about the trade? Well, it's sad, but it's also a business.

And so it is. Of course, I'd be a dad-blamed hypocrite, not to mention a candidate for whatever medicine they're giving manic-depressives, if I started yakking about how the Twins are going to turn it around now. Luis Castillo's trade might spur these guys to start winning, but it also might just end up being a good thing only for Luis Castillo, provided the Mets can hold off Philly and the Braves. Other teams have to lose, too, you know. But that's the beauty of this wicked sport--follow it long enough and your team, good or bad or downright awful, will reward you with magnificent games like this one. For now, that's enough.

Posted by Peter Schilling Jr. at July 30, 2007 10:04 PM | Comments (1)

 

Sledgehammer

Filed under: Twins

Well, I think it's safe to say that Carlos Silva won't be winning the Cy Young award this year, either. With a 2-1 score going into the sixth inning, it looked as if the Twins were heading into yet another close loss, and another tough break for Mr. Silva, who would be having a good year were it not for some run support. Then came the sixth. Perhaps the only good thing to say about the circus-sized sledgehammer that fell on the Twins in the Blue Jays eleven-run inning is that it prevented us from yet another one-run loss. And at least after five or six runs crossed the plate, fans here and abroad could turn off their radios and televisions and actually enjoy the afternoon.

This was ugly, folks. Ugly. Most of the damage occurred with timely hits and doubles, good eyes latching onto hanging pitches and pushing them into the outfield. Take away Gregg Zaun's homer (and its three runs) and you're left with four doubles and a triple, three of which scored runs. Ugly, ugly, ugly.

On the plus side, Justin Morneau went 2 for 3, so this Canadian slump is pretty much done for, plus it's good to see the guy getting good wood on the pill. Additionally, Joe Nathan didn't pitch, so he didn't get boxed around, which is good if he's up as serious trade bait, which is starting to seem oh-so attractive. Dangle the man, Mr. Ryan! Glom some future hitters! '07 is a bust, but 2008 could be ours with the right players...

Posted by Peter Schilling Jr. at July 25, 2007 3:46 PM | Comments (0)

 

Clocked

Filed under: Twins

Jesus, there's not much to say about that game, is there? 7-0, the Jays running rampant over the beleaguered Scott Baker. These things happen. If we were in a tight pennant race (division race... whatever), this day might be chalked up to luck--both the Tigers and Indians lost, and Kansas City has ceased breathing down our necks for fourth place. I mean, really, these are the games that make sportswriters and fans shake their heads. Is Dustin McGowan really that good? Are we that bad? These are the Blue Jays, for Christ's sake, and we're on the verge of being swept.

The Twins, I'm told, have not sent a runner across the plate in a dozen innings. Did I mention these are the Toronto Blue Jays. And that it's not 1992?

Even Pat Neshek got his clock cleaned. A dozen Twins left on the bases. OK, so Rondell White got a pair of hits. Good for him. Still, these games leave me queasy.

They call this sort of thing a roller-coaster ride. Win four, lose three, win two, lose three. Except roller-coasters aren't so predictably hilly--there's often twists and turns as well. Like, it would be a nice twist if the Twins won the last game and then went on a streak against Cleveland. But I'm dreaming, just hoping for an August and September that won't drain the soul of this baseball fan.

Posted by Peter Schilling Jr. at July 24, 2007 11:13 PM | Comments (0)

 

Over and Out... (Part Deux)

Filed under: Twins

Tonight, the Minnesota Twins fought the Toronto Blue Jays unsuccessfully, losing 6-4. Tonight, Justin Morneau broke out of his Canadian slump, going 2 for 4 with 3 RBI. Tonight, the Minnesota Twins baserunning circus was in full swing, as Jason Tyner and Nick Punto, standing at the corners in the fifth, got swept away in a baffling 3-2-5-6 double play. And tonight, the normally dominant Johan Santana struck out 4, gave up 6 earned runs, and was taken deep 4 times, count e'm, 4 times (twice by Frank Thomas). And in doing so, the ace of the staff, perhaps the best pitcher in baseball, has conceded this year's Cy Young Award.

As I wrote before in this blog, Johan needs to win at least 18 games in order to win the Cy Young award, no matter if he strikes out a thousand batters and pitches two perfect games this season. No pitcher has won the thing without those dozen-and-a-half notches on his belt, save relievers and the lucky souls in strike years. After this evening's mess, Santana's won-lost record is 11-8, and he has 12-13 starts remaining. With the pair of losses in his last two outings (one of which was the hard-luck 3-2 defeat against Detroit), Johan won't make the grade this year. Not at all.

As is becoming the norm this year, it looked as if things were going to turn around magically. It seemed as if writing off this team had suddenly inspired them to win. Everyone, myself included, were grumbling at the All-Star break, and then, Presto!, they sweep the A's. After I wrote my piece a month ago, where I pointed out Santana's probable inability to win the Cy again, whoops! he spins off five wins in a row. But this year's script has everything magically turn to shit just as suddenly as it had turned to gold. We could still win this series, for sure. But the division was gone last Thursday; this year's Cy went tonight.

Posted by Peter Schilling Jr. at July 23, 2007 10:46 PM | Comments (0)

 

Over and Out...

Filed under: Twins

So the Minnesota Twins lost their third game in a row to the division leading Detroit Tigers. What now? 9 games out at this point, pretty much the same as last year. Unfortunately, the optimists' club is looking at one year ago, when the Twins were still 9 games behind the Tigers. Of course, they were on a serious roll, winning most of their games as opposed to sweeping one team and being swept by the next. I say 'unfortunately' because looking to the past is the only thing that's keeping this club from moving forward. This season's over.

I'm for moving forward, hoping to sell off parts and bringing in others to shore up this club for next year, or perhaps sitting on the cash to buy a decent slugger at third or the DH. The difference between this year and last is that the Tigers will not fold as they did last season and Cleveland (and Seattle and, suddenly, the Yankees, who are tied with us in the Wild Card race) stand between here and a postseason berth. A few pundits have weighed in on this subject, most notably (in my mind), The Rake's Brad Zellar (scroll down), who argues for dumping Johan Santana. His arguments are sound, if not intriguing and entertaining to ponder. I don't like it from a sheer entertainment perspective, because I love great pitching and Johan is the best in the business now, and probably will be for a long time. Zellar suggests that pitchers don't usually last long, and that's true, but it's also true that some (Clemens, Nolan Ryan) last very long. Keeping Santana is a risk I'd be very willing to take.

I also wholeheartedly agree with Zellar about dumping Hunter and Joe Nathan, although I'm frankly irritated because I wanted to write this myself as if I were the first person to come up with this notion, and I still think I am because it's well known that this guy can be psychic. Anyway, with the depth of pitching the Twins have, it is the height of stupidity to me not to unload some of it for a few bats. Terry Ryan's been called a genius, and I have to disagree, and quite strongly. He's smart, and a great GM. But I look at Dave Dombrowski, with Detroit, and I see a guy who develops talent and also buys it, trades for it, and creates a balanced team. The Tigers may have more money, but the Twins are getting their stadium, and it's time to show some goodwill for that. Ryan is incapable of doing so either because he's limited by the Pohlads or because he's intent on staying true to his philosophy. This might also be called 'stubborn' when such a philosophy fails. And I believe this is failing.

To summarize: trade Hunter. Trade Nathan. Trade some minor league pitching. Get some bats in the DH hole and third base. We cannot rely on Rondell White or Nick Punto anymore. Of course, this is all mere fantasy, but it's worth hoping for. The Central Division is not getting weaker; in fact, it's getting stronger. Are the Twins going to settle for being the best third place team in the league forever?

Posted by Peter Schilling Jr. at July 19, 2007 4:33 PM | Comments (3)

 

Whiffle Bats

Filed under: Twins

How does Matt Garza lose with this line?

7 IP, 3 hits, 0 ER, 1 R, 3 K

I guess by facing Nate Robertson, whose line is as follows:

7IP, 3 Hits, 0 ER, 0 R, 5 K

Our young gun versus a guy whose arm had gone "tired" and was on the DL for 15 days or more. The team with the best road record against a club that has typically won the lion's share of its games in the cozy confines of the Dome. One team trying to get back to the World Series it lost a season ago; the other desperately hoping for a repeat of its valiant come-from-behind title, and then marching into the fall classic instead of falling short.

Over 31K watched last night's little gem, one whose loss I simply cannot lay on the shoulders of the Twins, any more than I can blame the Detroit Tigers for failing to put more than one fellow across the plate. This was a pitchers' duel, ladies 'n' gents, and a good one. It tells us that perhaps the Twins are not in need of an arm anymore. Would another bat have done the trick last night? Probably not, at least in this game. Our one great chance came in the bottom of the sixth, with two men on and one out. That failed because Mauer and Cuddyer flopped, each striking out and forcing Tigers pitcher Nate Robertson to have conniption fits of joy. But a big bat, say in the DH spot, might have uncorked a homer, or got something started. Then again, maybe not. Even Gary Sheffield was hamstrung last night.

Today's game is pivotal: if the Twins can't take a game against their rivals with the best pitcher in baseball, then I say the season's over.

Posted by Peter Schilling Jr. at July 18, 2007 10:14 AM | Comments (1)

 

That'll Do, Pig. That'll Do...

Filed under: Twins

According to a now nearly week-old Strib feature, the Twins need only to come up with some sort of snappy slogan to slap on t-shirts in order to get this club going. I'm in Michigan as I write this, visiting the folks, so maybe the Twins figured one out before taking this four game series from the A's, who are no slouches. If not, I'm happy to suggest my own. We've had piranhas (just awful), and that odd Smell 'Em, which I still don't quite get and certainly don't appreciate, and now I'd like to propose pigs. Not grunty, stinking pigs whose guts and other unmentionables eventually make up the thousands of Dome Dogs we happily consume, but the come-from-behind piglet the world knows as Babe, but Farmer Hoggett knew simply as "Pig".

This is a definite stretch, but hear me out: Pig was a cutie, which the lamented Bat-Girl would appreciate, and he did great things in spite of himself. Being a piglet, he was young, like our Twins. And, really, the great thing he did wasn't saving anyone's life, or rescuing a damsel, or keeping a sinister bank from repossessing the farm. No, "Pig" won a contest that he wasn't supposed to win, in grand fashion.

This is what I would like to see the Twins do--win the World Series, in grand fashion.

I'm a movie fan, and thought that Babe was an excellent film. There are many occasions where I'm at a loss as to why my mind goes where it goes, but then again, I'm no worse than Ozzie Guillen--and my language isn't as foul. For whatever reason, when the Twins won yet another close game yesterday, I could think only of Hoggett's warm phrase "That'll do, Pig. That'll do." Because a four game sweep will most certainly do. If we can just get our heads together to beat my hometown fave Tigers, well, that, too, will do.

Posted by Peter Schilling Jr. at July 16, 2007 6:40 AM | Comments (1)

 

Bully!

Filed under: Twins

OK, now that was a good game. You had Frank Thomas (The Tank Engine) blasting his 500th home run, and the Twins won anyway. Our boys fell behind quickly in the first and then, nonplussed, shut the lid on the Blue Jays in commanding fashion, playing small-ball and Earl Weaver style basher-ball to come back and win 8-5. And that's just awesome.

Now, I'll be the first to admit that I've been a grouch about this Twins team. They have failed to live up to my always excessive expectations and probably will continue on this path no matter what they do shy of a World Series triumph. But games like today's do raise my spirits considerably, and that's because there's hope. A well played game is a joy forever in this sport, but if your team's the Kansas City Royals and the season's over by June, well, a good game goes only so far. Grim reality comes crashing down after the last out, just as sure as the sun disappears every day. That the Twins have a chance this season--and they do, in spite of all my pessimism--makes today's comeback that much more exciting.

It looked bad from the start, though. Carlos Silva gave up Thomas' historical blast, which put the Jays up 4-0 right away. The Twins scored a run quickly in their half, put two more on with one out, and then the heart of the order stranded them. Uh-oh, I thought, and remembered that Silva was in his usual mess--no pitcher in the AL has worse run support than poor Carlos. Four runs seemed daunting.

But the Twins shook off the first inning and went to work. The Jays made errors and we took advantage of them. Jason Bartlett smacked a surprising home run, was hit by a pitch, reached base every at-bat, stole a base and scored a pair of runs. Torii, not to be outdone by the Big Hurt (or Bartlett for that matter), cracked a pair of homers himself, and knocked in three RBI. Outside that first inning, Silva threw six full and gave up only three hits, a walk, and struck out five in that time.

My favorite moment came in the fifth, when Minnesota, down by a pair, opened up the game and went ahead 7-5. Tyner began the rumpus with a sharp single, and then Bartlett stepped to the plate. Now, it seems to me that Gardy would typically let this pirahna lay down a sacrifice bunt, a strategy I absolutely hate, but one that's popular (the Twins are tied for fourth in this category). Now, I don't know if Gardenhire was still stunned at Bartlett's sudden power surge just two innings earlier, but the guy never even showed bunt. Instead, he belted a liner into right which sent Tyner to third and got the ball rolling on what would be a four-run inning.

Homers, stolen bases, key hits, great pitching... oh, yeah, and in the ninth, with the game out of reach and Joe Nathan working his magic, both Frank Thomas and manager John Gibbons were ejected. So the Big Hurt started the game making history, and ended it by getting tossed on his ear. What more do you want?

Posted by Peter Schilling Jr. at June 28, 2007 12:02 PM | Comments (30)

 

Battle of the Also-Rans

Filed under: Twins

The Toronto Blue Jays and The Minnesota Twins, wrestling for possession of fourth place in the Wild Card race (with the mighty Oakland Athletics), were like a pair of samurai this evening, each desperately trying to push the other out of the chalk ring without success. Behold: Scott Baker and Shaun Marcum pitched very good games and watched as their respective clubs could only score a run apiece. Baker's was a particularly impressive performance, going seven full innings, giving up a run and striking out nine. This type of performance should be rewarded with a Win for the young hurler, right? Not in Twins Territory...

You can get all thrilled to pieces that the Twins have their seventh walk-off victory of the season, after Jeff Cirillo, pinch-hitting in the twelfth fucking, inning looped a single into center to score Mike Cuddyer from third. You could roar with delight when Jason Kubel drew a tenth inning walk that amounted to nothing. When your team's not scoring, when the opponent's not scoring (and you know in your gut they should), you'll take what you can get. You may marvel at the pitcher's duel unfolding on the field, but deep down you're feeling cheated.

I say the duel was decent, nothing more. True, Baker was magnificent. When Vernon Wells (a Twins killer if ever there was one) doubled to open the fourth and end a no-hit bid, Baker never lost his composure. With Wells standing at the keystone, the kid from Shreveport induced a pop-up and struck out the next two. So that was good.

If only we could've scored. Because this Shaun Marcum, who is excelling as a starter for the Jays (3-0, 2.26 as a starter), seemed to be given some help with his dubious magic by some serious hacking on our part. No Twin saw more than five pitches per at-bat through seven innings, and none took a Jay pitcher to a full count until the tenth inning. Granted, there weren't many strikeouts, so at least we got some wood on the ball. But that's cold comfort.

The Twins can't ask guys like Scott Baker to do a whole heck of a lot more. If they insist on playing small ball, well, that involves piranhas nibbling on opposing pitchers with plate appearances swollen with high pitch counts. Instead, we get an extra-inning game that should have been finished in the regulation nine. Neither team looked like a contender tonight.

Posted by Peter Schilling Jr. at June 26, 2007 7:18 PM | Comments (2)

 

Night Of A Thousand Blunders

Filed under: Twins

The heroes of tonight's game were Vernon Wells of the Blue Jays (a homer, three hits and three RBI) and Mike Redmond (two hits and a pair of RBI) for the local nine in the Twins 8-5 loss. As for the goats, I say, what goats? Tonight, we got slapstick all over the place!

Yes, it was the Marx Brothers against the Keystone Kops, as both the Twins and Blue Jays duked it out to see who would make the most errors and outright blunders through nine. Both teams could have worn Keaton's big shoes and goofy hat, leaned precariously on Chaplin's cane, and bugged their eyes out with all the verve of Harold Lloyd dangling off a clock face. It was that kind of night. Consider:

Second inning and Torii Hunter has yet another of his baserunning exploits, bolting for second before the Jays Roy Halliday threw to his catcher. For whatever reason, Halliday didn't turn quickly enough, fired to first instead, and Torii had a stolen base in spite of himself. He would later score on Redmond's single.

In the third, Mike Redmond couldn't hold onto a called third strike and then fired to first base for the easy out... where Jeff Cirillo, having just announced yesterday that this season would be his last, let the ball carom off his glove, as Toronto's John McDonald sped to second. He was sent home by a long, long homer on the part of Vernon Wells, and the score was 2-0.

Fourth inning and Torii races to deep center on an Aaron Hill blast. In typical Mack Sennett style, he overruns the ball, pirouettes, stabs at the pill as it falls and catches the damn thing at his waist. It could only have been better if Torii fell into a trough of wet concrete or plopped onto giant cake or custard pie.

The topper in the top of the fifth: Matt Stairs lines to Cuddyer, who then tries to catch Vernon Wells off first. But the throw is off by a few inches, and it bounces recklessly past Cirillo. Now, in a normal game played by the professionals of Major League Baseball, the batter will advance only if there's no one backing up the throw, yes? That's the plan, but the best laid plans of mice and Twins often fall prey to some terrific hijinks, as the ball then squirted past a fumbling Kevin Slowey, and then dribbled under the glove of a diving Mike Redmond before resting innocently against the backstop. How often do you see a throw go on past three players? Only in the comedies, my friend, only in the comedies.

In the bottom half of the same damned inning, Roy Halliday threw a wild pitch that scored not one, but two Twins while Halliday looked on, helpless. In his dive to score, Castillo looked as though he landed on his cup first and skidded past home on the thing before he came to a grinding halt and grabbed at his crotch.

Think you can get these laffs at Vikings or Wild game? Hell no! Baseball is the sport of kings and clowns. Always has been, always will be...

Posted by Peter Schilling Jr. at June 25, 2007 8:38 PM | Comments (0)

 

Taking Care of Business

Filed under: Twins

Here's a question for you: what do Jason Bartlett, Jeff Cirillo, Nick Punto, Lew Ford, Jason Kubel, Luis Rodriguez, and Jason Tyner all have in common?

Answer: They're all hitting worse than Johan Santana!

B'dum, dah! Hey, all right, well, that's more of a lame joke than a collection of statistics that actually mean anything. Really, who knows how well our ace would hit if he were batting every day, or even every fifth game. But Santana, as if thinking, "Hell, this is my opportunity to actually give myself a 'W'", drove in a run on a triple in the second inning of today's 7-4 victory over the Florida Marlins. 'Twas his first triple ever, it was, and with that one hit in three at bats, Johan brought his average to .286, which bests the regulars listed above. More importantly, at the time the game was locked at a single run and the way things have been going this season, and that might have felt a bit daunting. But Santana did not need to exert himself in the turgid Miami heat, as the rest of the Twins, and especially Mighty Joe Mauer (who belted a pair of homers, increasing his total 200%), pushed enough men across the plate to give Santana yet another win. Ten more to go, and the guy might actually win the Cy Young.

The heat was stifling, or so they said on the radio, so much so that Michael Cuddyer became incensed over a call and was tossed. Later, the ump seemed a bit discombobulated by the humidity, and his calls were being questioned by the guys in the booth--and many players as well when the game was over. Joe Nathan commented on this, saying in essence that it's not up to him to determine balls and strikes, but he acknowledged that it was pretty steamy out there.

So now the Twins return to the air-conditioned splendor of the Metrodome for a four game set against the Toronto Blue Jays, currently but a game and half behind us in the Wild Card race. With today's win we're 38-35, exactly the same record as one year ago--and yes, I'm aware that we're but six and a half back of the Tigers instead of ten behind (as last year). But I'll feel a lot better if the wins start coming in bunches, instead of scattered about. It's not enough to say the Blue Jays are a team we have to beat... at this point, we have to beat everyone as often as possible. That's what championship-calibre teams believe.

Posted by Peter Schilling Jr. at June 24, 2007 3:31 PM | Comments (0)

 

To Trade or Not to Trade? It's Not Really a Question...

Filed under: Twins

By now every Twins fan worth his salt (and any that come here for their news) should have read the Blotter post or heard that Torii Hunter spouted off to the New York Daily News about trade rumors. He added that he'd love to be in New York, or Boston, to play in what old friend David Ortiz called the "Super Bowl" of baseball (and that, in my mind, is the epitome of damning with faint praise). Local pundits are all weighing in; I might as well join the fray.

What do I want? I want Torii to stay because he's having an awesome year. I want Carl Pohlad to open his purse strings and make the team better. Despite his minions' complaints, the aged one is making money hand over fist, both from his numerous business affairs, and from the Minnesota Twins. I'll spell it out for you: there is no evidence whatsoever that the Twins have lost money recently. Or ever. A few years back there was a MLB Blue Ribbon Panel report (meaning, I guess, that it's important, not that it's sponsored by the famous beer) that showed that all the teams that didn't have new stadiums were going broke, and that the Yankees were rich. It was utter bullshit, totally unsubstantiated by any facts.

I mention this because I think it's obvious that the Twins do have money to spend, and I wish they'd keep "Spider-Man" (as the NY papers called Torii), get Sammy Sosa from the Rangers for some money and a few arms in the minors, and maybe a third baseman who can plug the ball well. And then I wish they'd really contend. I think they would with a few big-name additions, like Sosa.

You know what else I wish? Why, I wish that Torii Hunter might say "I really love Minnesota, would love to win a championship with the team, and the other night I was out driving around and realized how grotesque it is that I'm making all these millions while teachers and policemen and firefighters and nurses struggle to stay afloat. So I'll play here for whatever the Twins can afford."

We all know that ain't ever going to happen. In fact, we really know, deep down, that none of these rumors are going to pan out at all. The team you see now is pretty much the one you'll see at the end of September.

Our paradigm is as set in stone as the Ten Commandments. With the Minnesota Twins that means we claim poverty and try to win with players coming up through the minor leagues. Terry Ryan probably won't trade Hunter; he won't bring anyone in; things will remain roughly the same year after God-damned year. Maybe once in awhile he'll get lucky and get a guy like Shannon Stewart, a fellow who comes for cheap, helps out a bit, and looks so much better than he really is that he gets a few MVP votes (which was pretty amazing when you think about it.) It's exciting watching the new talent grow--grant the Twins a flair for making each season seem promising. And this is a much better model than, say, the Baltimore Orioles practiced over the last decade, throwing good money after many bad players.

Like every year, trade rumors mean little or nothing here in Minnesota (and elsewhere, really--when do they ever meet reality?). Chucking Hunter might just shake up the team, and make them realize their jobs are always on the line--firing Gardy if they don't produce might also work. But that's not our M.O. When it comes to moving the excess of minor league players the Twins grow, when it comes to buying a free agent or taking a risk on an aging big-bopper, complacency rules in Twins Territory. No matter what your wish, you can bet that the Twins will be sitting on their hands come the trading deadline.

Posted by Peter Schilling Jr. at June 21, 2007 9:28 PM | Comments (0)

 

Let The Man Hit!

Filed under: Twins

Oh, so briefly: a preview of Michael Moore's Sicko kept me from tuning into the ballgame tonight. Tho' I have to admit the radio would seem like cold comfort for not giving me the vision of Burt Blyleven getting his mane sheared. You just can't beat that, can you?

So the Twins took yet another game from the long-suffering Mets, leaving me somewhat thrilled and also feeling like I'm being abused somehow. Can't quite put my finger on it. Maybe it's the fact that we take a series from a first place team, and yet it still lacks that triumphant flair. After all, we lost recently to the fucking Nationals, who were utterly creamed by the Tigers. Now we're going to Florida, and who knows what the hell's going to happen there, right? By all accounts we should win that one, but we'll probably get swept, the way this season's going.

Having missed this game to watch what should rightly be considered Moore's best film (shut the hell up, you say; you're right, this is a baseball blog), I turn instead to the box score. Here in the senior circuit, the summary's a bit more chaotic, what with the relievers being taken out for pinch hitters. Anyway, Scott Baker had a nice little night on the mound, lowering his ERA a half run (from 7.33 to 6.75), striking out three times as many batters as reigning Cy Young winner Johan Santana did in his last outing, but failing to get a single hit in one of his rare at-bats. Which, of course, is just fine.

But I will say this: does Pat Neshek, who has possibly the most unique delivery of any pitcher in the majors, have an equally bizarre batting stance? Let the guy hit when the game's out of reach in Florida, I say. Not that he had the opportunity tonight, but still, I bet the guy's as much of a freak at the plate as he is on the mound...

Posted by Peter Schilling Jr. at June 20, 2007 11:45 PM | Comments (0)

 

Slapstick!

Filed under: Twins

The great silent film comedian Buster Keaton never broke a smile in his movies. Nor, however, did he bust out weeping at his fate, which was usually cruel, but always comic. In his films, Keaton lost his true loves, couldn't find work, fell from skyscrapers eluding police, watched his house torn apart by a train, tried his damnedest to kill himself (to no avail), sailed a leaky homemade ship into the maw of a storm, and slid head over heels into home plate only to land two feet shy of scoring. Buster took his myriad hits square on the noggin, ass flying out from under him, feet in the air, and then stood up, brushed himself off, and went right on trying. It was no wonder baseball was his favorite game.

After tonight's contest, which the Twins lost 8-1 (with only five hits), your radio home of the Twins, KSTP, seemed to fall utterly apart, as if part of some Keaton comedy. First, our boys in the booth lost after-game interviewee (and first base coach) Jerry White somewhere in the guts of Shea. Then Kris Atteberry, who hosts what's called the Post-Game Download sounded utterly dispirited, mumbling about the vanishing White, mumbling that the Mets have lost 11 of 13 and that "the Twins were just what they needed" and then, best of all, mumbling that there really weren't many highlights to keep you listening after the ads. But he soldiered on, he soldiered on...

Now, every once in awhile, a team just loses. The slapstick in question wasn't on the part of the Twins themselves, who simply got knocked on the noggin. I've been grousing about the Twins for quite a few weeks now, but tonight they were fairly patient at the plate, which has not always been the case, and my usual peeve. Too often tonight, the Twins hit 'em right at hungry Mets, and that's not really anyone's fault. They made a number of dandy defensive plays, robbing the Mets of even more runs. The pitching, outside of Juan Rincon, was decent. My last post noted that the Johan's been the victim of the bad-luck, no-hit Twins with his 6-6 won-lost record; well, Carlos Silva's 4.20 ERA doesn't necessarily warrant a 4-8 won-lost record, either.

So maybe I'm getting soft or feeling charitable, but tonight I'm not loathing the Twins for letting Silva give up just four runs and take the loss. It was a nice cool night and I discovered that the Twins are great to listen to while the wife watches Buster Keaton's The Navigator on television, and the breezes calm the cats in the windowsills. Sometimes, all you can do is listen to your team hit the proverbial banana peel, and wait for them get back up again. The season's too damn long not to laugh at failure.

The Twins, as Kris Atteberry again mumbled--and not without a sense of tired, almost existential despair--now sit at 34-34, exactly the same record they had exactly one year ago. Now, the aforementioned cat-calming breezes only go so far, as I couldn't help noting that the 34-34 record last year was a marked improvement over the prior months, while this year's break-even record isn't so hot. Also, I have to point out the obvious, and that's that the Twins didn't simply fall 6.5 games behind Cleveland, and 5.5 games back of the Tigers. They are all those things, but also fifth place in the Wild Card race--behind the Tigers, Oakland, Seattle (what?) and Yankees, and but a game ahead of Toronto. So it's not so much that the Tigers cough up their lead as last year--the Twins have to win, and everyone else has got to lose as well. Still think that's going to happen?

Posted by Peter Schilling Jr. at June 18, 2007 8:50 PM | Comments (0)

 

The Bad News About the Best Pitcher in Baseball

Filed under: Twins

So I'm going to rain on the parade again...

I don't have to tell you to check out G.R. Anderson's Jr., esq., superior article on Johan Santana. If you venture this way for some opinion about the noble sport, well, then you no doubt check out the longer, well-written and researched stories in this paper, too. At least I hope you do.

But I have to say that G.R.'s piece left me feeling kinda sad, especially after last-evening's troubling victory. Troubling? Yes, troubling. You might ask: how could an awesome comeback against a very-good Braves team, where the Twins flailed against their ace, went down by two runs, and then popped back in the ninth to win it 3-2 possibly trouble you?

Well, that game troubles me because it affects the subject of the aforementioned article. G.R. asks this question to open the story: "Does he (Johan) have a third Cy Young up his sleeve?"

Personally, I don't think he does. Of course, I'm about to tell you why. The reason is because Johan Santana--whom G.R. rightly posits is the best pitcher in baseball, a rarity, a once-in-a-generation hurler--won't win the Cy Young because the Cy Young is all about looking at a pitcher's statistics, determining who is the cream of the crop, and then weighing his won-lost record so heavily that that's what cops the prize. And I'm not certain our man is going to win twelve of his next twenty starts. Which is what he needs to win that coveted award.

Let's suppose Santana has his typical year--pretty good at the beginning, and then amazing in the second half. I don't say that it could happen, I'm sincerely believing that this will happen. Santana is showing no signs that he's not going to blast through this year like he has in the past. The guy's remarkably consistent, and even this year, he's looking good. Check out these stats (after fourteen starts):

In 04, Johan was 4-4 with a 4.84 ERA.
05, our ace was 7-2 with a 3.32 ERA.
06, 6-4 with a 2.99 ERA.
And this year, 6-6 with a 3.19 ERA.

What's amazing to me about those numbers is that in 05, the year he should have won his second Cy Young, he had the best won-lost record (at this point) in this span. So this year, Mr. Johan Santana, with his 6-6 won-lost record, his 3.19 ERA, his 105 K's (don't know if that's before or after last evening's contest) might just watch his next Cy young go 'poof', all because of his record. The guy's but one loss away from matching the most losses in a seaon... which was 16-7 in 2005, the year he lost out to Bartolo Colon, who didn't deserve the award. I mean, there's no comparison: Colon won more games than Santana. But Santana had a better ERA, more strikeouts, same number of walks, more innings pitched, better opponent batting average and OBP, and so on and so on. He beat or tied Colon in every category... except wins. Which is really out of the pitcher's hands.

Johan has roughly twenty starts left to the season. If history is our guide, he'll need to win at least twelve of those to win the Cy--no starting pitcher in the American League has won a Cy Young with less than eighteen victories (not including the strike-shortened 1994 campaign). Ever.

Santana's going to have another marvelous season to be sure, but grabbing twelve wins out of the next twenty starts is not something he controls entirely. The Twins bats have as much to do with his next Cy. Can they help him win his third?

Posted by Peter Schilling Jr. at June 15, 2007 10:26 AM | Comments (0)

 

Tough Cookies

Filed under: Twins

I just don't fucking get it. It's one thing for the Twins to lose to the Angels and the A's in California; it's another thing altogether for them to lose to the Washington Nationals, the worst team in the National League (and probably both leagues, if we're honest) at home. At home!

Saturday, as you should be pretty damned well aware of now, they lost in monumental fashion. Oh, it was only 3-1. We had but a pair of hits. Great pitchers duel, yes? Er, no.

In what appeared to be a not-so-daring act of capitulation, the Nats threw former Twins farmhand Levale Speigner on the mound against Johan Santana. Speigner who? Why, this youth was left unprotected in the Rule 5 draft by the Twins, was plucked by the D.C. crew, and, thanks to MLB rules, had to be on the Nationals major league roster. He entered the game with an ERA above 14. 14.44 I think it was, but I could be wrong and I'm too bewildered and angry to look it up.

A fourteen run ERA. Think about that for a minute. If this dude took the mound for nine full, then the Nationals would have to score fifteen fucking runs to win a game. And yet, on Saturday, on a game the Twins could have, and should have, won, he limits the Twins to two hits. Wow.

This is important news because it was pretty much a year ago this weekend that the Twins began their amazing turnaround. At game 59, we were 26-33, eleven back from the surprising Tigers. With Baltimore in town, we took two of three, and began a streak of 20 wins in 22 games.

I don't care about Sunday's victory, because winning one of three against the Nationals would be a disgrace even for the St. Paul Saints. We looked lousy in two games, mediocre against mediocrity in the third. Raise your hands if you think a comeback'll happen this year. If your hand's up, go stand in a corner, face to the wall, with the Hold Steady's "Take Me Out to the Ballgame" looping for an hour. With that penance out of the way, maybe reality will finally sink in. For losing two of three to the Nationals, the fucking Nationals for Christ's sake!, and getting a pair of hits off a kid with a fourteen run ERA, well, it don't look good. It just don't look good...

Posted by Peter Schilling Jr. at June 10, 2007 3:12 PM | Comments (1)

 

There You Go, Kid

Filed under: Twins

Well, if that don't beat all. Kevin Slowey went five innings and gave up four earned runs, but gol-dinged bust-it if he didn't get the 'W'. Little Nicky Punto and Jason Bartlett each hit a home run--their first of the season! Joe Nathan got lucky save number 13, and Pat Neshek, well, jeez, the guy is awesome.

After today's 8-5 victory over the Los Angeles Angels, Neshek's probably got enough material for his blog. I said earlier that Mike Redmond's the coolest Twin this year--I was wrong. Between Neshek's crazy delivery, his outsanding success and his blog, well, the world of Minnesota baseball is divided between Redmond and Neshek.

So it was a banner day for the youths. First home runs, first victories, everyone on the same page. The Twins finally won a game in the cozy, comfy confines of Angel Stadium. That's how you do it, boys, that's how you do it. Some production at the top, bottom and heart of the order. Now we get to come on home and batter the not-so-incredible Washington Nationals. So there's hope. Yeah, God damn it, there's always hope until mid-September. Then it usually turns to dried bat guano.

I doubt there's any tears about today's Angels loss in the fair city of Anaheim. The Mighty Ducks, who get their name from what is rightly considered one of the classic trilogies of world cinema, have finally won their first Stanley Cup, giving hope to all the young boys who spend their winters shooting pucks in the backyards that their doting parents flooded and watched freeze. Of course, since Anaheim doesn't really have a downtown (and therefore no major center where fans can gather and watch their team hoist the trophy), the Ducks will probably resort to what the Angels did in '02, namely, have a rally in the parking lot of the stadium, and then a parade in Disneyland. It only costs $45 to watch the latter. But it was free to stand in the parking lot.

To paraphrase Vonnegut (in Slapstick): Good for them.

Posted by Peter Schilling Jr. at June 6, 2007 10:26 PM | Comments (0)

 

One Step Forward, Two Steps Back (Theme to "Those Darn Twins!")

Filed under: Twins

The good news about this weekend's series with the Oakland A's is that our pitching staff, ranked fourth in the league, gave up only seven runs in three games.

The bad news is that we faced the best staff in the league, and scored only five runs, losing two of three.

The good news is that Kevin Slowey, up from Rochester, New York and looking very much like some kind of meditative cowboy, threw, in his major league debut, six strong innings and gave up but a run.

The bad news is that that gutsy performance didn't give him a win. It took the Twins ten damned innings to squeeze out a victory, and credit went to Pat Neshek.

The good news is that, in game two, Carlos Silva threw a complete-game gem, giving up but a run and scattering five hits.

The bad news is that, once again, we couldn't score. Not even a run, so Silva got caught in the tangled web of defeat. Which really, really sucks.

The good news is that in the third game Johan Santana took the mound and... oh for God's sake, it's obvious where I'm going with this. Our ace wasn't pretty, gave up four runs (and an equal number of walks!), and we scored two. You do the math.

There's an old saw in baseball that says that "good pitching beats good hitting", and that's generally true. Unfortunately, the Twins proved that there's often times when an adage must be expanded. Here, it was "good hitting beats bad hitting if the pitching's roughly the same." So it went this weekend in the cavernous home of the Oakland Athletics. Twenty-three stranded runners this weekend, five fucking runs. You can't win anything that way, in the majors, the minors, or an after-work beer-and-burgers league. Oh, it's not as if the Athletics were dominating--far from it. Their hitters looked fairly creaky, after all, not scoring much themselves. Do either one of these teams want to make the playoffs this year? They sure aren't acting like it.

God damn, this was a teeth-gnashing weekend. Pitching due