Tagged: Twins
How About More Morales?
At this past Saturday’s game
versus the Astros in the Metrodome, Gardy used back-up catcher Jose
Morales in a tough, late-inning pitch-hitting situation in place of the
free-swinging Carlos Gomez. Morales proceeded to foul off pitch after
pitch until he eventually laced a double to left center and put the
tying run on second base. His solid at-bat gave the Twins a chance to
steal the game back from Houston.
It’s obvious that Gardy has
a lot of a faith in the bat of Morales, but after watching the
converted second-baseman behind the plate earlier this season, we all
saw what he can’t do and that’s throw out base runners. With 55
at-bats, this kid is hitting .364 and shows no sign that we’re
witnessing a fluke.
Nick Punto is hitting a mere .221 with an
on-base percentage of .312. Neither Alexi Casilla nor Matt Tolbert has
seen their average rise above the Mendoza line for any significant
length of time. So why can’t the Twins un-convert Morales and plug that
sexy bat back into second base? Has he forgotten how to play it or was
he never very good? (Really, if you know why they moved him, let me know. I can’t find that explanation anywhere.) Is he too slow? I don’t buy it as an excuse. The speed of Punto,
Casilla, and Tolbert doesn’t help the Twins when they use it mostly to
hustle from the batters box back to the dugout. Besides, there have been second basemen who did just fine without amazing wheels. Jeff Kent, anyone?
The Milwaukee
Brewers are a team that can put up some big, nasty numbers in that runs
column and it’s time that the Twins make the most out of the talented
bats in their lineup. Let’s see if Morales could be the answer at one
of our revolving door positions and get the team primed for that big
Detroit series next week.
Baseball Players Having Fun? Unacceptable!
You know it will happen again this fall. Each week Cincinnati Bengals fans (and opponents) will wait to see what kind of touchdown celebration Chad “I Make Up My Own Nicknames For Me” Johnson will perform. Ugh. I hate it.
Now don’t get me wrong. I’m not one of those old school guys who thinks that pro athletes shouldn’t display emotion or have a little fun now and then. But when something is that premeditated and done for personal self-promotion, I think it’s tacky.
So, that being said, did you see the hubbub over Aubrey Huff’s fist pumping yesterday? The story has it that the Orioles don’t care for Joba Chamberlain’s fist pumping displays when he pitches, so Huff declared to his teammates that he would do a little fist pumping of his own if he ever tagged one off of Joba. And so he did. I like it. Frankly, I see nothing wrong with Joba’s displays either. I don’t think he’s trying to show anyone up when he punches the air, he’s just letting out some intensity. I say that…and I’m a guy who’s ready to hate just about anything the Yanks say, do, or represent.
Now, I think I need to rate a couple of the displays we’ve seen in the past.
Lastings Milledge’s high fives to the fans.
I loved this one. He had no intention of showing anyone up. He was just a youthful guy showing his youthful enthusiasm. No harm done. Oh…and as a bonus he brought some of the fans into the game by slapping hands with them. I applaud that.
Jeffry Leonard’s “One Flap Down” Home Run Trot
Pathetic. It was a gimmicky thing he concocted to make himself stand out. I would have drilled him if I was a pitcher.
Manny’s Spontaneous High Five
Man-Ram makes a running catch and then runs up the wall and high-fives a fan while making the play before throwing the ball back in. Loved it. It was spontaneous, harmless, and gave that fan a little story for the rest of his life.
The Washington Nationals Cheer from the Bench
While this one was odd, I found that I liked it. Have you ever seen a college baseball game? The dugout is constantly chattering and cheering. Again, it just seems like the team is having fun and I can get behind that. If it rattled the pitcher, he is obviously a bit too soft.
Zambrano…ummm…Anytime
It’s fun to watch a guy like Big-Z pitch because he’s constantly boiling over with emotion. Anger, joy, frustration…they’re all right there on his face.
Smell ‘Em!
This little gimmick that was cooked up by Redmond a couple of years ago was just plain fun to watch. It’s purpose? It rallied the team together. I honestly wish we saw a lot more things like this (or the Ray’s team mohawks or the Cowboy Up Red Sox) in baseball.
In short, don’t stand at the plate and glare at the pitcher while your homer goes over the fence. Don’t yell at the third baseman when you run by so he drops the ball (Yeah, I’m talking to you A-Rod). Those are bush league moves. But it’s okay to have fun. It’s good for the team, the game, and the fans. After all, like Crash Davis said, ” So relax! Let’s have some fun out here! This game’s fun, OK? Fun goddamnit.” Well put, Crash.
The Head Game
A lot of my friends say that baseball is just plain boring. I guess I can see what they mean, but I can’t agree. They want constant action, big collisions, and athletes playing to the crowd like lead singers in a rock band. That’s just not baseball. Baseball is a head game. Half of what happens on the field is a direct result of the players being mentally ready for it before the pitch is thrown. What’s the situation? What if it’s a ground ball? A deep fly? How fast is that guy on second? How good is that left fielder’s arm? Every pitch of every game, the variables change and each and every player on that field needs to think about the situation at hand and be ready to react.
I love watching that.
My friends used to be a little ho-hum on Cal Ripken Jr. because he wasn’t making as many acrobatic play out there at short. Everything he did looked routine. Easy. The reason that it looked that way was largely due to his prowess with the mental part of the game. Ripken was in the right position to field the ball before the pitch was thrown.
Baseball is a game that gives hope to guys with moderate skills, but a good head for the game. (see: Eckstein, David) It has little patience for those who have the tools but don’t learn the rest. Of course I bring this up today because the Twins lost patience with Alexi Casilla…again. Does he have the skills to be a Major League ballplayer? Definitely! He has a great arm and speed to spare, but too often he’s not where he should be or simply doesn’t understand the variables of the play at hand.
I don’t think Casilla will be gone too long. He has too much to offer with those skills. It could be that he’ll need a change of venue or a different coach to ever really make that leap, but I think he’ll get there. In the mean time, I’m anxious to see what Tolbert can bring to the table. I’ve liked what I’ve seen from him in the past.
My All-Metrodome Team
Okay, okay. I know. I said I’d be a little more off the beaten path, but I’m still warming up! I’m sure every Twins blogger wants to take a crack at his or her own All-Metrodome team at some point. Without having dug in too far just yet, I can’t help but to think that it will be a fairly easy selection. Here we go.
Starting Pitchers:
Johan Santana – How many Cy Young winners have we really had?
Bert Blyleven – Put him in the Hall already!
Frank Viola – One of our all-time greats. You had to love Frankie-V.
Brad Radke – He was a rock for the team for many of the Dome’s years.
Jack Morris – Yeah, that’s right. I’ll add him in just for that one game if nothing else.
Closer
Rick Aguilera – I was ready to type Joe Nathan until I really looked at Agi’s stats. He
was a great closer for almost a decade in the Dome! Why don’t I remember
him better? Oh yeah, it was the 90’s.
Catcher
Joe Mauer – Two batting titles and stellar defense. Enough said.
First Base
Kent Hrbek – More homers and rbi than any other Twin during the Metrodome era. I think
Morneau is a better player and will have better career stats at some point, but
he’s not there yet.
Second Base
Chuck Knoblauch – Played in the 1991 Series and was solid, if a bit arrogant.
Third Base
Gary Gaetti – This one’s not even close. He was a stud at third for 9 years.
Shortstop
Greg Gagne – Guzman had potential, but Gags was at short for both World Series. Just a
solid, solid player.
Left Field
Dan Gladden – Maybe not the most spectacular player, but a gritty spark plug for both of
the World Series teams.
Center Field
Kirby Puckett – Greatest Twin of all time. Period.
Right Field
Tom Brunansky – I remember where I was the day he was traded. Tommy Herr? Nooooo!
Manager
Tom Kelly – I love Gardy, but 2 rings, baby. You have to give it to TK.
There you have it. Let me know if I’ve missed the boat on any in your opinion!
The Control Game
Twins fans remember it well. A fly ball would jump off of the bat of division rival’s bat and for a split second, it didn’t look good. But, when the television would switch shots to center field, you knew it would be okay. Torri was on it. Not only did he have scary-fast reactions to the ball when he roamed the Dome turf, he took the right angle and timed his leap. It was beautiful to watch. It was as natural as can be. And every bit of it was under control.
Control is a vital part of what we fans like to call the “Twins style of baseball.” Do the little things right. It means when it’s time to lay down a bunt, the batter can put it down in fair territory on the first or second try. It means hitting the cuttoff. It means pulling the ball when you need to move a runner over to third. Heck, it even means just throwing strikes, but that’s rarely an issue for our boys.
There are two ways that I suspect that we’ve drifted away from that part of “Twins baseball” lately. One is easy to see. I’ll give you a hint: Carlos Gomez. Wow. Talk about a kid with a mountain of physical ability but a complete lack of control. From tracking down flies to swinging out of his cleats, Gomez seems to be red-lining all the time out there. When Span made his way back to the bigs last season, that was what stuck out for me the most. he started playing the game under control. He waited for his pitch. He took controlled swings. He simply slowed down a bit.
Our esteemed manager is not without blame here either. In Sunday’s loss to the Indians, he made all the right moves until Span came to the plate in the ninth. Runners on first and second, no outs, and a very good bunter at the plate. Lay one down, take the double play out of the equation and you almost guarantee that Morneau has a shot at tying the game before it’s all said and done. I think Gardy wanted to ride the hot hand in Span and it seriously back fired.
Play the small ball. Play in control. That’s what keeps the Twins consistent and keeps us in the race every year.
Pitching Panic Button? Not Yet.
Last season’s success was fun. It was especially fun to see our staff of relative unknowns take the mound and blow away everyone’s expectations. So, as we geared ourselves up for this year, we had to wonder, “Can they do it again?” Liriano should be back to his awesome self. Baker? He’s a rock. It’s those other guys who still need to prove themselves.
Wait a second…
Baker is getting shelled after his comeback from injury? Liriano is getting lit up more often that birthday cakes at Chucky Cheese. Easily the most reliable guy the Twins have had on the mound is Glen Perkins. So is it time to hit the panic button? I don’t think so. First of all, I have faith in Rick Anderson. He seems to have a good eye for what his guys are doing wrong and helping them get back on track. But, with that being said, perhaps Baker should take a short stint at Rochester to get his mechanics back in order. R. A. Dickey could step in for a spot start or two in the meantime.
Our guys are only two games out of first place with an inter-divisional matchup coming up, so there’s no need to panic yet. If there’s one thing I’ve learned as a Twins fan it that Gardy and his staff know what they’re doing. They find a way to keep our boys in it. Just watch.
The All-Decade “We Got Rid of ‘Em” Team
I usually like to keep things positive, but just for kicks I thought I’d start out my blog with an All-Star team of sorts compiled of former Minnesota Twins. The criteria? The player had to be on the Twins major league roster at some point from 2000 – 08 and then move on to another team. It’s that simple. Well, it seemed like it would be simple, but as it turns out, the Twins haven’t really let as many great guys go as I had originally thought. So, without further adieu, I bring you my All-Decade “We Got Rid of “Em” Team.
Starters
Johan Santana – When a guy goes 16 – 7 with a 2.53 ERA for his new team and everybody wonders what in the heck is wrong…you know he’s in a class of his own. That being said, I think the trade had to happen and we haven’t begun to reap the rewards. If Gomez and just one of those pitchers in the minors work out, I’ll say it was a decent deal.
Matt Garza – 11 – 9 and a 3.70 ERA for a World Series team is enough to make the list. We knew he had the stuff but he just seemed a bit immature. He and Gardy never seemed to click too well, either.
Kyle Lohse – See “Matt Garza” except upgrade that Gardy relationship to pure dislike. It looks like Kyle’s found his groove in St. Louis. I always hoped he’d blossom with the Twins, but he just never got comfortable.
Kenny Rogers – What? Old Man Time? Yeah, 18 – 9 and 14 – 8 for the Rangers followed by a 17 – 8 season with the Tigers. Who knew he had that left in him? And, of course, lets not forget one very amusing smack down of a camera guy.
It’s a four man rotation…I refuse to put Carlos Silva or Livan Hernandez on here.
Catcher
A.J. Pierzynksi – You either love him or hate him and usually it’s completely dependent upon whether he’s on your team or not. I will always remember him best for getting a ridiculous number of two-strike hits by just flipping his bat at the ball. He’s a tough out who helps his team win…if he likes ’em. (Sorry, Giants!)
First Base
David “Big Papi” Ortiz – Okay, we all know he’s pretty much a DH, but first is another position that’s a bit thin and he’s a stud. Enough said.
Second Base
Luis Castillo – Another very thin position, but Castillo still has some game left in him. He’s a solid defender who can get on base and we don’t even want to throw batteries at him when he comes back to the Dome.
Third Base
Casey Blake – Oh boy. I think we missed out on this one. Since 2003 Blake has averaged about 20 HR and 60 – 80 RBI each year. He’s never spectacular, very consistent, and a great clubhouse guy. You can’t tell me that wouldn’t have been better than the revolving door we’ve had at the hot corner over the past…well, decade.
Shortstop
Jason Bartlett – He was a key cog for the Rays World Series run last year. He just does everything pretty well. I think he has Michael Young-type potential without quite as much power. He also gets bonus points for bringing ladies to the Dome with his baby-faced good looks. Thanks for that.
Middle Relief
J.C. Romero and Grant Balfour – They each helped their team to the Series last year by holding onto leads. Sure, J.C. got busted, but he still helped the Phils. I’m guessing someone is going to call me out on these guys.
Closer
Todd Jones – I couldn’t stand watching this guy pitch as a Twin. He just never seemed impressive to me at all and that’s not cool for a closer. But, that being said, he had 40, 37, and 38 saves consecutively from 2005 – 07. Somehow he was getting it done.
Outfield
Torii Hunter, Jacque Jones, Matt Lawton – Torii is a given. The other two didn’t do anything amazing after leaving Minnesota, but they at least put together a respectable year or two out there. I don’t recall Brian Buchanan doing that.
All right. Go for it everyone. Tell me who I missed. I’m sure there is someone who slipped through the cracks here. The upside to this list is that there are only a couple of these guys I wish we’d held onto. Otherwise, I think we have to admit that Ryan and Smith have done a pretty solid job.
Ty's Church of Baseball 