|W|P|I can agree to a point, but moving Hunter would leave us with a HUGE hole in center field. Denard Span may be ready by mid season, but 2007 or even mid-2007 is more realistic. And if you thought finding a infielder who can hit was hard, finding a center fielder would be even harder. Remember, a number of teams wanted to move Soriano to center, because they already liked their second baseman.Oh yeah, forgot about Lew. Well, he probably won't put up a sub .700 OPS next season (or this season for that matter), but he's inferior to Hunter in every ability except maybe OBP. Perhaps we could move Ford for something. I don't know, its going to be a fun offseason.
I'm pretty sure I saw Kubel play in center when I visited Rochester last year. I don't remember too much, but I've read he has a good arm. Perhaps this lineup next year:
DH - Stewart
SS - Bartlett
C - Mauer
RF - A good Hitter
1B - Morneau
LF - Jones
CF - Kubel
3B - Cuddyer/Tiffee/Williams/L-Rod
2B - Punto/Cuddyer/L-Rod
A lot of lefties in a row I guess, but it should score runs. Then again, so should this:
Cheesehead Craig|W|P|Couldn't agree more SBG. It's been a nice run, but unless there is some radical philosophy change by Pohlad, then it's over. Time for Twins fans to jump off the bandwagon and become Brewers fans! Join on in to become fans of America's Team! Curt|W|P|How about Scott Ulger finding another job? Jones, Hunter, Morneau, Ford, and Rivas have all taken significant steps backward in the past couple years. I have no confidence in Ulger at all.Curt in Grand Forks
Brian|W|P|Reusse said it best this morning, "The Vikings' first exhibition game arrives in 12 days against Kansas City. You probably didn't need permission, but go ahead, citizens ... point 100 percent of your attention for the local pros in that direction." frightwig|W|P|What, people are expecting bigger things from the Vikings this year?! That disappointment will be there waiting for you when the leaves have fallen off the trees. There's no need to make a rush for it. Brian|W|P|FW: Thanks for the cannon fodder that I can use later this year :0 |W|P|I don't know much about prospecting players, but I did look at Cano's minor league stats a month or two ago and felt he is playing way over his head in the majors right now. Not that I actually know anything.Boone is released, when will the left shoe (TM) drop?
frightwig|W|P|COD, Tice is still the coach, they traded Moss for picks, their top rusher is suspended for drug use, their #2 rusher is the QB, the team had no Pro Bowlers last season, and the defense last season was 26th in points allowed and 28th in YPG. Why should you expect the Vikings to become a serious contender this year?| J.C. Twin | |||||||||
| AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | OBP | SLG | OPS |
| 53 | 3 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | .241 | .170 | .411 |
| Twins Second Half Record | |||
| vs. sub .460 teams | vs. .460 up to .500 teams | .500 to .540 teams | vs. teams above .540 |
| 0-0 | 4-4 | 0-0 | 2-8 |
| Wild Card | W | L | Pct | GB |
| Oakland | 58 | 46 | .558 | - |
| New York | 56 | 47 | .544 | 1.5 |
| Minnesota | 54 | 50 | .519 | 4.0 |
| Cleveland | 55 | 51 | .519 | 4.0 |
| Texas | 53 | 51 | .510 | 5.0 |
| Toronto | 53 | 51 | .510 | 5.0 |
| Baltimore | 51 | 52 | .495 | 6.5 |
SBG|W|P|Time Stamp: Minnesota over Boston Unknown|W|P|I like the Hunter column. I'm sorry to say that I unwittingly ripped you off without having read your article yet. I basically wrote the same thing: Hunter = overrated, Lecroy = underrated and looked at their MLVr and Rate2 as a barometer of exactly what they will do. We're on the same path. Nice work! |W|P|No mention of Mulholland putting yet another game in the books? I'm disappointed. SBG|W|P|I hate picking on the oldsters too much. It's not nice. Actually, I missed that part of the game.Lucy and I went out for dinner, (the question was how is everything tonight -- talk about an open ended question!!!!) and I missed the three run inning. Really, though the game was over early when the Sox scored three in the first three innings.
SBG|W|P|Time Stamp: Boston over the Twins |W|P|"LeCroy should have been taking Jacque Jones' spot in the lineup against lefties, but the manager doesn't see it that way. Had the manager been platooning Jones, this injury would have hurt a lot more. Then again, maybe the team would have had more wins at this point."This is exactly the point I think is important. Unfortunately now that Torii is out there's even a better chance that Gardo will be given a pass for his horrible line-up decisions.
I could get this particular picture everyday. Jags lies around like this all of the time.
Theo looking to do some travelling.
That's Elly's tongue, not her sore gumline. frightwig|W|P|Really, 11-12 pounds is within normal weight range for adult cats. Also, although feline leukemia is a terminal disease for many cats, it's a "death knell" only for about one-third of those diagnosed with the illness. One-third of cats with FLV are carriers of the virus but may live a normal, healthy life, and one-third of those diagnosed actually may kick the disease altogether. As long as the other cats in the house have been vaccinated, it should be safe to mix them with FLV cats, too. But I'm glad to hear that Elly is fine, aside from her gingivitus, so no worries! SBG|W|P|Lucy says Jags is "big-boned" and not fat! :)Thanks for the info on FLV. I am still a relative newbie on cat care.
frightwig|W|P|Yeah, Jags looks fine to me. Theo might be a little chunky for his size, but doesn't look bad. Unknown|W|P|Moss would like to point out that (in Moss' opinion, and after some thought on Moss' part) the official scorer got the errors correct on the little-league play. Mauer gets an error for missing the dribbling throw from Jones(?), permitting the runner to score, with Silva backing up. The throw by Silva back to Mauer at the plate did not result in any additional gain by the Red Sox, as the runner would have scored even without the errant throw. Thus, no error. Morneau backed up and threw cleanly to third, and then L-Rod proceeded to plunk Damon in the head. The second error goes to L-Rod for the throw, allowing Damon to score. An errant play can't be an "error" unless there is an advantage (i.e., an extra base or an extra out) gained by the other team. It's definitely frustrating knowing the locals should have had a better chance to win that game.
Oh, and in case the 'tool didn't get the memo the first twenty or thirty times:
YOU CAN'T BRING IN ROMERO WITH RUNNERS ON BASE!! PULL YOUR HEAD OUT OF THE TOOL SHED!
SBG|W|P|It's debatable I suppose whether Damon could have got to third. Nevertheless, it was a bad play.Ironically, it seems that Romero is about the only guy who comes into the game in this situation. That granny can't help his trade value.
SBG|W|P|Time stamp: Boston over Twins. Brian|W|P|SBG: Thanks for the SO, but I don't even come close to what you've been posting here lately. Awesome analytical work. Maybe I can come to you later in the Vikes season to do a retrospective piece on Vikes kickers throughout history and their percentage of FG's made when kicking in 35-degree or lower temps in December when the moon is full during a leap year.Just great pieces that I've thoroughly enjoyed. Keep it up! Maybe you could hire JC Twin to do some grunt work for you when he gets cut!
Heavy Critters|W|P|And I'd like to give BIG UPS! to my main man RUN and his dope home slice D to the M to the C in this year's smash hit, "Krush Groove"Word up to all my fly homies. Word is bond, yo. WORD IS BOND. Ain't no thing but a chicken wing.
Peace!
Bloody P
Comedy Club|W|P|speaking of things you haven't done in a while...what happened to pepper? SBG|W|P|I'll get the Pepper! thing going again, soon.COD -- Do I have a need for a washed up egomaniac? I'll check. Perhaps he can format some documents or something. :)
Bloody P -- Drop me an e-mail. I have an idea.
|W|P|And I'd like to send a shout out to you SBG! You've been writing some really good stuff recently. Sorry about my silence! Please know, however, that I am one of your billions of daily readers! Cheesehead Craig|W|P|I concur with Shane. You've hit a creative and analytical vein lately and it's been a pleasure reading it. You know, B-G calls her acolytes the Batlings, maybe we, your loyal followers, can be called the G-Strings?
SBG|W|P|No offense, CC, and thanks for the compliments, but I do not want to associate G-Strings with the demographic that regularly reads this page! :) Andrew|W|P|Are you saying you went to bed in the ninth? You couldn't have stayed up another 10 minutes? Geeze SBG, what were you thinking? SBG|W|P|I actually fell asleep before that. I went to bed and turned on the radio for a second and caught the ninth inning score. Andrew|W|P|I suppose I shouldn't be too critical. I missed innings 2-top of 5. Late night Tuesday. SBG|W|P|I missed the whole Rincon debacle. It was 6-0 when I went to sleep and 7-3 when I woke up and went to bed. SBG|W|P|time stamp. I posted here at about 5:30, but forgot to put a time stamp. Twins over Yanks. SBG|W|P|In the first inning, you see the lack of range of Captain October. Hunter hits a ball that Jeter has to dive for and can't make a play on.In the bottom of the first, Jeter hits the same ball and Nick Punto gets to it easily.
Of course, Jeter dove for the ball and he gets credit for getting dirty.
SBG|W|P|After leaving the bases full in the first AND the second, the Twins break through in the third. What a beautiful sight. Li'l Harmon doubling off the left field wall off a left fielder. That's a great sign that the kid might be snapping out of it.But then, J.C. Twin was thrown out at the plate by 30 feet. Did he run through a stop sign? Who would send him? I don't know the answer, but Bert said that Scotty Ullger was relying on a bad throw. Scotty, were you the guy that screwed up, or was it J.C. Twin?
SBG|W|P|God, Jeter is thrown out at the plate by plenty. The replay clearly shows that he was sent by his third base coach. So, the Yanks think they can run on Torii Hunter. That's funny.First things first. Odds for Wednesday's game: New York +125, Minnesota -135. If you haven't yet entered the contest, what are you waiting for?Back on July 6th, I took a poll about the Twins chances. I had written how the Twins had a very tough second half schedule. At that time, the average record of the teams that the Twins had to play over the last 76 games was .525. I posited that Cleveland for one team, was one that could make a run at the Twins, with their easy second half schedule. Then I asked this question:
This Twins team requires an infusion of savvy and confidence. [snip] Boone said all the right things -- even that he was happy to bat anywhere in the lineup. It's comforting to know he doesn't really think that way. The Boone wants to bat in the middle of the order. The Boone wants to rattle the ball off the big, white curtain. And that's the approach the entire team should take the rest of this season.On July 15, just 11 days ago, Souhan proclaimed that the Twins needed to play with Boone's attitude. Now, his attitude is a problem. Here's what I had to say about that trade.
[H]ere's my reaction to the deal. One, before the deal, I wasn't for it... the Twins need punch in the lineup and they don't need a washed up second baseman to stink it up. Now that the deal is done, I'll look at what possibly Boone could do for the Twins (the deal's "upside"). Boone could be re-energized by a change of scenery. Perhaps he'll regain some semblance of his pre-2004 form and provide a spark offensively, just like Shannon Stewart did in 2003. Of course, the 2003 Stewart didn't come to Minnesota carrying the baggage of steadily declining numbers. Perhaps Boone will provide some enthusiasm in the clubhouse. I have to believe that things have been a little down in the Twins lockerroom lately. Torii Hunter's little prank the other day smells like a guy who's really concerned about the overall mood. Gotta think everyone's down. Then again, Boonie was crying like a baby on TV the other day. Prozac, anyone? Perhaps settling the second base job will get Rivas out of the lineup permanently. With Punto playing short (have you seen Castro's numbers lately? .240/.262/.358/.620!!! Horrible!) and Rodriguez playing third (how about another deal!!!) the lineup might be a little better. I don't know. I don't see this moving helping a whole lot, unless Boone reverts to his former self. I'll be interested to see what the Twins had to give up in this deal because they decided to sign Jacque Jones and Luis Rivas instead of going after some real infielders in the off-season. In any event, Twins fans should look at that day (Jones and Rivas signings) as the day when Terry Ryan's winning streak in the off season ended.I was never for this deal. I really thought he was washed up. It was all about his performance on the field. He hasn't done it. Who cares if he is cocky or not. He has played like crap. If he had played great and been insufferable in the clubhouse, the fans would cheer his every move. It's really that simple. Now, it's about who they have to give up. I didn't say everyone should take his approach and eleven days later say that he didn't fit in. That was Top Jimmy. On that note, let's go to the charts. I'm tired of following this joker. The fourth biggest Has-Been in Twins history took the collar tonight.
| J.C. Twin | |||||||||
| AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | OBP | SLG | OPS |
| 44 | 2 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | .217 | .182 | .399 |
| Twins Second Half Record | |||
| vs. sub .460 teams | vs. .460 up to .500 teams | .500 to .540 teams | vs. teams above .540 |
| 0-0 | 0-0 | 4-4 | 1-4 |
| Wild Card | W | L | Pct | GB |
| New York | 53 | 45 | .541 | - |
| Oakland | 54 | 46 | .540 | - |
| Minnesota | 53 | 46 | .535 | 1.0 |
| Baltimore | 51 | 48 | .515 | 2.5 |
| Cleveland | 52 | 49 | .515 | 2.5 |
| Toronto | 50 | 49 | .504 | 3.5 |
| Detroit | 50 | 50 | .495 | 4.0 |
| Texas | 49 | 50 | .495 | 4.5 |
Unknown|W|P|Moss was fairly neutral on the Boone deal, because it was so low-risk. But it has turned out worse than Moss would have expected. Boone of course can't hit, but he can't find himself on the field either. Cut the strings, TR!![Moss wonders whether Boone can be the PTBNL in the deal...Moss thinks that has happened before.]
Cheesehead Craig|W|P|I'm making this prediction SBG, go ahead and bookmark this to throw it in my face later. The Brewers will end up with a better record than the Twins come end of season. Brett "Bee" Bonnet was the deathknell for the team. |W|P|It's my personal opinion, but Bret Boone boasting before he came gave us hope; we wanted to believe that good things could happen. Bret Boone being arrogant now is just annoying, because he has nothing current to back it up; good things have not happened. SBG|W|P|I'd like to be a fly on the wall in the clubhouse. Is this guy really spouting off after falling flat on his face? That's what I want to know.He knows the strike zone so well. He already has the respect of the umpires. He got a little upset the other night, when Dale Scott called him out on a pitch 8 inches inside. Real calm, Joe said to him: 'You know the game's not over yet, Dale.' Scott said, 'I don't umpire like that.' Joe nodded and said, 'You should take another look at that pitch. You'll see it was inside.' Nobody's mad, but Joe got his point across.It seems to me that perhaps the manager could take some lessons in dealing with people, especially umpires, from his 22-year old catcher. I'll be close to the computer tonight, so if you have a comment, leave it here. SBG|W|P|112241873366927454|W|P|Tough Choice|W|P|sbg@stickandballguy.com
SBG|W|P|Time Stamp: Yanks over Twins. |W|P|"I'll take the Yanks, if only because I think that Randy Johnson'll be able to keep the kiddies virtually hitless"... "virtually hitless"? Right now it's looking like he is going to literally keep us hitless. This is pathetic. PROTECT THE PLATE WITH TWO STRIKES! Good lord...
SBG|W|P|What has frustrated me about playing the Yanks for most of the last several years is that no matter how they are playing at the time we face them they always seem to crush us. It's been a little better the last two years, but not a lot. SBG|W|P|At least we've moved from the land of "literally hitless." A no-no for 5 2/3 innings.How about this? Johnson has 9 Ks through six innings and yet has only thrown 72 pitches.
frightwig|W|P|You know Ullger loves him because Mauer is like the straight-A student who sat in the front row and turned in top-notch work from day one, so he hasn't had to teach him anything; but even if every other kid in class is struggling, teacher can claim that star student as one of his own successes. You make a good point about the manager. If Mauer's quiet, mature way of talking to umpires is such a virtue, then by implication Gardy must be the example of what NOT to do. And if A.J.'s prickly personality really turned umpires against the team, as management claimed after he left, then how long before Gardy must be fired for the very same reason?
SBG|W|P|The fact that Ullger said these things was almost left off the page. But, hey, at least he made a positive statement about the kid in the paper, something that has been all too rare by a member of the Twins coaching staff. SBG|W|P|No runs, two hits. I guess that qualifies as virtually hitless. Cheesehead Craig|W|P|Taking Unit against the Twins was a no-brainer for me. Like you said SBG, the light-hitting Twins had absolutely no chance.With the J.C. Twin situation playing out even worse than I anticipated, I had a thought today for a column that requires a little research. But first some background. Pretty much everyone in the free world knows that the Boston Red Sox sold Babe Ruth to the Yankees, setting in motion the Yankees' dominance of baseball for most of the last 85 years. Not as many people know that Ruth returned to play for Boston. The Boston Braves that is. In 1935, at the age of 40, Ruth played 28 games for the Boston Braves, hitting .181/.359/.431/.790. For Ruth, an OPS of .790 was absolutely disgraceful. But, even worse was the .181 batting average, which was a more important number back then. Ruth's days with the Braves were a "hide your eyes" type of moment. The greatest player of his era, he was reduced to a has-been, wearing a uniform with which he was not familiar. Flash forward to 1973. Wille Mays, a proud Giant in New York and then San Francisco, returned to the New York Mets (actually he was traded in 1972). The Say Hey kid hit an abysmal .211/.303/.344/.647. Once the greatest center fielder, he was now lost in the field, a truly sad sight -- and in a Mets uniform. My own personal pain was in 1975. I saw in person my first Twins hero, Harmon Killebrew, playing for the Kansas City Royals. He got caught in a rundown between third and home and he just fell down and allowed the Twins player to tag him out. It was certainly hard to take. I sure didn't appreciate watching him suffer through a .199/.317/.375/.692 season either. With Boone in a strange uniform, looking like a shell of his former self, I decided to determine who were the biggest has-beens when they debuted with the Twins. (I already know the answer to the absolutely biggest has-been.) Here are the criteria. The player has to have played their first game with the Twins in their 35 year old season or later. I will rank the players in terms of their overall career value from one to ten and their abilities at the time the Twins acquired them from one to ten. Then I will multiply the two ratings to determine the biggest has-beens (as opposed to never-weres). First, the scales. In terms of the careers value, I will assign points using the following criteria:First Things First: The line for tomorrow: New York -200, Minnesota +180.
| Value | Description |
| 10 | One of the very best all time at their position |
| 9 | First Ballot Hall of Famer |
| 8 | Hall of Famer or Deserving Thereof |
| 7 | Reasonably Close to a Hall of Famer |
| 6 | Very Good Player for a Number of Years |
| 5 | Deserving All Star at Least Once |
| 4 | Starter Worthy at Some Point |
| 3 | Never More than a Role Player |
| 2 | Short Career |
| 1 | Cup of Coffee |
| Value | Description |
| 10 | An outright embarassment to their legacy (Reserved for HOFers) |
| 9 | Perhaps the worst player in the league |
| 8 | No discernable skills remaining no value whatsoever |
| 7 | Severely diminished - almost no value |
| 6 | Limited to special roles |
| 5 | Bench player |
| 4 | Border line every day player |
| 3 | Bona fide starter in the major leagues |
| 2 | All-Star Caliber Player |
| 1 | One of the very best in the game |
| Name | Value | Condition | Score | Comments |
| Steve Carlton | 10 | 10 | 100 | Carlton won 329 games in the majors and four Cy Young awards. Top five in strikeouts. One of the very best left handed pitchers of all time. But, by the time he came to the Twins in 1987, he was a total embarassment. He pitched in nine games in 1987, starting 7 and had a 1-5 record with a 6.70 ERA. Left off the playoff roster. Amazingly, he came back the next year and allowed 20 hits and 19 runs (18 earned) in 9 2/3 innings. He was beyond done, yet he refused to believe the obvious. His career ended when he was released on April 28, 1988. |
| Jesse Orosco | 6 | 9 | 54 | A very good player for a long time, Orosco pitched until he was the worst player in the league. He pitched for six different teams after the age of 42. Refusing to quit until they tore the uniform off his back, he pitched 4 1/3 innings in eight appearances(!). |
| Vic Wertz | 7 | 7 | 49 | Probably best known for hitting a 460 foot out in the 1954 World Series that was caught by Willie Mays, Wertz was a four time all-star and seven times was in the top ten in the league in home runs. His career OPS+ of 121 was nearly that of Kirby Puckett's (124). Ended his career with the Twins in 1963, hitting .136/.240/.341/.581 in 44 at bats. His condition may have been worse, but I never saw him play. He did hit .324/.357/.486/.843 in limited duty in 1962. |
| Bret Boone | 6 | 7 | 42 | Actually may not merit a 6 in value. He's not the worst player in the game right now, but he is severly diminished. His hitting and fielding woes merit him a big old seven and the fourth biggest has-been to debut with the Twins. |
| Tippy Martinez | 5 | 8 | 40 | Another flyer taken in 1988, the Twins quickly realized that he was going nowhere fast. Eight earned runs in four innings for the Twins spelled the end of his career. |
| Joe Niekro | 5 | 7 | 35 | Yet another experiment in 1987, he was absolutely dreadful, but became famous for taking an emery board out to the mound. |
| Don Baylor | 7 | 5 | 35 | Baylor was a one-time MVP, but nothing more than a bench player in 1987. Acquired at the trade deadline, he hit one home run for the Twins: but it was in Game 6 of the World Series. |
| Terry Mulholland | 5 | 6 | 30 | Yes, he was a starter for part of the year last year, but seriously, he's got very little value. Works hard, is wily, cagey, and he throws about as hard as I do. |
| Jose Offerman | 5 | 6 | 30 | Aaron Gleeman's favorite pinch hitter, he actually did okay last year. But with no defensive skills remaining and very little power, he was quite limited. |
| Dave Winfield | 9 | 3 | 27 | A first ballot hall of famer and one of the great all around athletes of his time, he was a bona fide starter (at DH) in the league when he arrived in Minnesota. But he was a shadow of his former self. Thus, his inclusion on this list as a has-been was warranted. |
|W|P|Good list.Honorable mention, though, has to go to Mike Trombley. I know it wasn't his Twins debut, but his "comeback" in 2002 is about the epitome of washed-up.
Brian|W|P|You won't find any sports story this good in that Commie paper, the STrib. And to think they get paid and you don't!
SBG|W|P|Ah, Mike Trombley. I see a vision of a grand slam in the rain. I see Mike Trombley causing Twins fans everywhere to curse out loud. It's all clear to me now.Yes, he was as washed up as washed up gets. He was also 35 when the Twins reacquired him. He failed to make the list only because of a technicality. A "9" on the condition and a three or four on the career value would have put him on the list.
amr|W|P|Thanks for remembering TJ Mulholland. I'd say your scoring was right on. I had never really heard of Offerman until he made the club last year.
frightwig|W|P|Well, it looks like Souhan is off the Boone Bandwagon. Did you see that hatchet job in the Strib today? Man, that was cold. I knew Boone was washed up even before he got here and didn't mind saying so; the day of the trade, I said Boone looked like an offensive downgrade on every in-house 2B but Rivas, and his defense this year was worse than all the in-house alternatives, too. But for a newspaper columnist to go from supporter of an acquisition to slicing the player to pieces in 2 weeks must be some kind of new record. SBG|W|P|Poor Jose Offerman! Over 1500 hits collected in obscurity! Probably best known for signing a four-year $20 million contract with the Red Sox in 1999 and then falling pretty much flat on his face. Did not play in the majors in 2003 (released by the Expos!! in spring training), but became that important left handed pinch hitter last year for the Twins.
SBG|W|P|Yeah, FW, I shook my head when I read that. |W|P|Armstrong surely is the greatest athlete ever. His domination of a sport as grueling as the Tour is unbelievable. We'll never see an athlete of his condition and determination in our lifetime. Simply incredible!Thanks for the post!
- Miller Man
Unknown|W|P|Hey Drew,How's everything at the salt mine?
Moss enjoyed your Gleeman-length essay on Mr. Armstrong and his accomplishments. Moss has a few random points, most probably not even relevant.
1) Those of us familiar with the Twin Cities' sports scene (and its bandwagon-hopping tradition) will recall that Greg Lemond (who does/did live in the Medina area) was the first American to win the Tour, and was equally amazing. He won his second tour after recovering from a shotgun blast to the chest! Just need to get the name out there...
2) Moss is amazed at how slim the margin of victory is in the Tour. Put in terms of distance, a four-minute advantage is in the neighborhood of a two-mile spread, over the course of 2k miles, between Armstrong and his nearest competitor. That is razor-thin -- just astonishing. That shows how good the competition is, and how tough it is to be consistently the best.
3) People (Drew being one -- a person, that is) say that Armstrong is the best biker ever. Moss is not sure that the point should be conceded. Armstrong only dominates one event, the Tour. To Moss' recollection, Mr. Armstrong has not fared well at the Olympics or in many of the other big-time events. Plus there are other forms of cycling, such as criterium (on city streets) and track racing (at velodromes). Obviously Armstrong is the best Tour rider ever, but it is not so clear-cut that he is the best cyclist ever. He's just the most visible, especially here in the States where cycling gets no attention whatsoever (except when Armstrong wins the Tour).
[One qualifier -- Armstrong very well could be the best cyclist in other events if he wanted to be, but he just hasn't demonstrated it.]
4) Moss shared a city (Austin, TX) with Mr. Armstrong for some time before his first Tour win. Moss has admired Armstrong's accomplishments for some time, but Moss' respect for Armstrong as a person has dwindled over the years.
Armstrong is something of a robot, even moreso than athletes who take flack for having no personality such as Pete Sampras. Moss wonders whether Armstrong even enjoys life at all.
Furthermore, Moss thinks that Armstrong is a bit of a sell-out in at least a couple ways. He trains only for the Tour, ignoring every other event, so that he can enjoy the glory that comes with winning the most presigious event. Moss also believes that Armstrong sold out his family life for fame and celebrity. He left his wife (who would not qualify as unattractive, BTW) for Sheryl Crow and the jet-setting scene in Austin (the Brad Pitts, Jennifer Anistons, and Matthew McConaugheys of the world). According to the ex (who stood by him through the cancer and subsequent fertility issues), Armsrong changed a great deal when he started winning Tours de Freedom. As a result, he turned his back on his wife and effectively his children. Moss isn't impressed by such actions.
5) Moss wonders why on one hand Drew is so impressed by Armstrong, whose dominance is due to his physical traits, while on the other hand he is not impressed by Shaquille, who Drew maintains has no talent that is not due to his physical traits. [Moss just throws out that point so SBG, an unabashed O'Neal lover, can mix it up with Drew.]
Anyway, that's about all Moss has to offer...
Unknown|W|P|After re-reading your post, Drew, the answer(s) to point 5 are obviously covered. Moss was just throwing it out there...But to put point 4 above into terms you used, Moss no longer thinks of Armstrong as "cool." He seems to have wanted to be cool too much, and as a result has sold out. And Moss really does wonder whether he enjoys life, and if not it is probably because he either does not like himself or has a chip on his shoulder.
Moss doesn't mean to go psychoanalytical, but Moss has read one of Armstrong's books and there are themes that come out in the story. For instance, it is Moss' opinion that Armstrong lacks humility in any form. He is so full of himself that he (if Moss remembers correctly) absolutely denies the possibility of a higher power, or that there was anything other than his own willpower that got him through the big C.
In short, Armstrong as a person leaves a bad taste in Moss' mouth. The athletic accomplishments speak for themselves, but Moss for one doesn't look at Armstrong as much of a role model and wouldn't care to buy Armstrong a drink.
Moss is just saying....
SBG|W|P|For those of you who don't know, Moss and Drew are co-workers of SBG. These types of discussions are not uncommon. That may explain why SBG enjoys discussing the blogging efforts of his fellow bloggers and why he's stunned by the ad hominem attacks leveled upon him by some of the followers and the writer of a certain site that was the topic of conversation here about a month ago.Moss and Drew have made no secret of their dislike of Shaq Daddy and Barry Bonds and have zinged me plenty of times of these topics. Likewise, I've zinged these guys a few times myself. It's all part of the fun.
Moss makes some good points about Armstrong relative to his personal choices. Lance may not be the nicest person, in fact he may be a real ass. But, any long term reader of this site knows full well that SBG divorces judgments of athletic prowess and achievement from personal worth. These are often mutually exclusive. Further, the picture painted by the media can be, at the very least, somewhat misleading. Which is not to say that I can speak authoritatively one way or the other about Mr. Armstrong as a human being. It's entirely possible that he's succumbed to the temptations of fame and celebrity. In fact, there is ample evidence to support that assertion. Nevertheless, his athletic achievements do stand out as unbelievable and yes, inspirational, especially when you factor in his bout with cancer, regardless of whether he is a cad.
One thing I've always had a hard time with is when athletes have been characterized as "robots." I've heard sportswriters complain that Bonds, Jordan, and Woods all seem not to enjoy themselves, all the while dominating their competition. I think that this is an unfair and somewhat absurd criticism. What some see as robotic, I see as supreme competitiveness. No doubt that that competitiveness has been what has driven these uniquely gifted individuals to achieve things that no other people have achieved. I would venture to guess that these athletes have suffered and sacrificed to attain their success and have enjoyed the competition a great deal, even if they don't show it.
Moss, three final points. First, Shaq Daddy is going to go undercover on you at some point in the future. Watch out! Never mess with the Diesel. Second, I threw out that ugly fish in my office. It was taking up too much space. Third, I've yet to see your first article here at SBG, the Online Magazine.
|W|P|I know just enough about the Tour to realize I know nothing. I believe folks who actually follow racing get a little tired of Lance. Sure, they're probably jilted because the competition isn't really a competition and Lance doesn't win other races. However, bike racing is actually a team sport and I think that is why those in the know hold Lance slightly lower in esteem than others. Biking nuts respect his athleticism and all, but the way the teams work they pull their leader along through much of the race and protect him from all comers as well. Basically, I think true fans get a tad bothered by the mainstream's lack of understanding of how the sport truly works.This coming from someone who just learned what a "pellaton" is this year.
Unknown|W|P|Your next lesson, bjhess, is that it is "PELOTON"!All in fun, Moss.
SBG|W|P|I think we are all awaiting your first article here at the magazine, Moss. Drew's got his pencil sharpened and ready to go! :) Unknown|W|P|Paul Allen on KFAN just compared Lance Armstrong's dominance in the Tour to Koboyashi's dominance of the hot dog-eating contest. Good stuff!! |W|P|you're naive if you think everyone else is doping and Lance is clean. If doping is for performance enhancement, then why would the one guy who's clean perform better than everyone who's dirty? It doesn't add up. frightwig|W|P|Shaq cannot hit a fastball, ride a bike through mountains, skate on ice, eat 50+ hot dogs in 12 minutes, make a free throw, or even drop a ball in a basket that is less than 3 feet above his head without travelling or knocking his defender to the floor. So why are we talking about Shaq again?
SBG|W|P|So why are we talking about Shaq again?I think more than anything we were talking about Shaq because he is part of an ongoing dialogue between three friends who like to jab the hell out of each other. Clearly, this post devolved from a little guest writing to a full out facial.
Moss, who is on baby leave, phoned me at work today regarding this post. I talked to Drew about it at least twice. I don't know if it entertained anyone else, but the three of us got a kick out of it.
frightwig|W|P|I'm just pulling your chain. Far be it from me to ever pass up a chance to mock Shaq. Nice column by Drew, btw.
SBG|W|P|fw -- our friend Moss has been a heavy commenter. I have given him access to post here... and nothing. He's apparently afraid to go on the record. frightwig|W|P|If SBG the Online Magazine could be the '80s Celtics, and you are Larry Bird, would Moss be M.L. Carr? Unknown|W|P|SBG is no Larry Legend, Moss assures you... SBG|W|P|I'm thinking Moss might be Greg Kite. |W|P|I don't know if I could handle an entire article written in the third person.| Player | Picks | Record | Points | |
| W | L | |||
| BEM | 5 | 4 | 1 | 295 |
| DEP | 6 | 4 | 2 | 200 |
| TWJ | 1 | 1 | 0 | 100 |
| GEB | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| FRW | 2 | 1 | 1 | -5 |
| AAC | 4 | 2 | 2 | -15 |
| CHC | 5 | 2 | 3 | -105 |
| TEB | 3 | 1 | 2 | -110 |
| ANM | 7 | 3 | 4 | -115 |
| AMR | 6 | 2 | 4 | -215 |
| SBG | 8 | 3 | 5 | -220 |
| RED | 3 | 0 | 3 | -300 |
| J.C. Twin | |||||||||
| AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | OBP | SLG | OPS |
| 41 | 2 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | .233 | .195 | .428 |
| Twins Second Half Record | |||
| vs. sub .460 teams | vs. .460 up to .500 teams | .500 to .540 teams | vs. teams above .540 |
| 0-0 | 0-0 | 4-4 | 1-3 |
| Wild Card | W | L | Pct | GB |
| Minnesota | 53 | 45 | .541 | - |
| Oakland | 53 | 45 | .541 | - |
| New York | 52 | 45 | .536 | 1.0 |
| Baltimore | 50 | 47 | .515 | 2.5 |
| Cleveland | 51 | 48 | .515 | 2.5 |
| Toronto | 49 | 49 | .500 | 4.0 |
| Detroit | 49 | 49 | .500 | 4.0 |
| Texas | 48 | 49 | .495 | 4.5 |
Unknown|W|P|Not only is Boone ineffective at the plate, he has been a disaster in the field. MANY missed plays. BTW, did SBG see the news about the Nat's GM publicly asking for Barry Larkin (who is even older than SBG) to come out of retirement to replace Guzman?? What a kick in the groin! But who did the scouting on that deal? What were they thinking?? Guzman was always unmotivated, so they gave him a relatively long contract for big bucks and took away virtually any motivation he may have had. Beauty.
SBG|W|P|Yeah, I saw that Larkin thing. Larkin's so old, he's older than me!!!! Sheesh. That's old. SBG|W|P|Time Stamp. Didn't realize how late it was, but I've not seen any action today yet. Cheesehead Craig|W|P|Once again you have reached the perfect blend of analysis and humor and thus have brightened our otherwise drab exisitence with your genius. SBG|W|P|It's now the fifth inning and it looks like I'm going down again today. I took the Twins because of the spread, but the way Lohse is getting knocked around here in the fifth inning, it looks like I'll take another hit in the contest. SBG|W|P|CC, I can't help myself. SBG|W|P|time stamp |W|P|I agree with you SBG. I went to college with Justin Verlander (tigers starter tonight) he is a fantastic pitcher, I just wish the twins had drafted him.| J.C. Twin | |||||||||
| AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | OBP | SLG | OPS |
| 34 | 2 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | .229 | .206 | .435 |
| Twins Second half Record | |||
| vs. sub .460 teams | vs. .460 to .500 teams | vs. .500 to .540 teams | vs. teams above .540 |
| 0-0 | 1-1 | 2-1 | 1-3 |
| Wild Card | W | L | Pct | GB |
| Minnesota | 52 | 43 | .547 | - |
| New York | 51 | 44 | .537 | 1.0 |
| Oakland | 51 | 45 | .531 | 1.5 |
| Baltimore | 50 | 45 | .526 | 2.0 |
| Texas | 48 | 47 | .505 | 4.0 |
| Cleveland | 49 | 48 | .505 | 4.0 |
| Toronto | 48 | 48 | .500 | 4.5 |
| Detroit | 47 | 48 | .495 | 5.0 |
SBG|W|P|Time stamp frightwig|W|P|Just about every year, the A's get off to a slow start. And then they come on like gangbusters starting in late June or July. I hoped that they might need a year for their young pitchers to settle in, but looks like they're ready to take charge now. A tip of the cap to Beane, once again. |W|P|Except, one could make a good case the reason Oakland is surging is because their pitching has been markedly better over the past 2 months.Scratch Justin Morneau from the list of candidates to get sent down today, when pitcher Scott Baker joins the roster. "We're not going to mess with Morneau," manager Ron Gardenhire said. "He looked like he had some good at-bats [Thursday]."Too late. You may not be sending him down, but by putting a ton of pressure on this struggling kid by speculating about it in the paper, you've already messed with him. So, what are the Twins going to do?
The Twins plan to send down outfielder Michael Ryan before today's second game. After Baker's start, he'll return to Rochester, and they plan to promote infielder Terry Tiffee.|W|P|112212624074065246|W|P|Too Late|W|P|sbg@stickandballguy.com
amr|W|P|Ryan seems a good choice. Comedy Club|W|P|I disagree. Ryan has been productive for a player constantly asked to come off the bench and pinch hit. His left handed bat was very helpful on the bench.I vote Gurrier.
Andrew|W|P|I'm not so sure about Guerrier. Thursday Guerrier pitched 3 scoreless innings. Unfortunately it seems with him you either get 2 or 3 good innings, or 1 not so good one. I like him as the first guy out of the bullpen. SBG|W|P|I left this without my coments because I didn't really know what to say other than I'm glad it wasn't Morneau, and since it wasn't why the hell did they talk about it in the paper?The Twins are really between a rock and a hard place on the roster right now. They can't send out Boone, and they aren't going to send out Castro or Punto. It's hard to send out L-Rod, considering that he's hitting better than any of these guys.
The other alternative was to send out Guerrier and keep Baker up for long relief. I fail to see how Tiffee is better than Ryan. There may be considerations such as the number of options they have with Guerrier that I'm not up on right now. But, Guerrier down and Baker staying up would have certainly been the lowest impact move, at least in my mind.
Andrew|W|P|I agree that the Twins are stuck in a tough place. The most likely candidate to be sent down is the guy who you'd want to send down the least. As for Tiffee, I think the organization did it for the sole purpose of shaking things up a bit. Tiffee helped last year when Koskie went down, so maybe they're hoping he can kick start the team again this year.UPDATE: No ODDS posted yet. I'll post in the morning.So, I'm perusing ESPN.COM and I read an article by Rob Neyer. The article started as follows:
Ron Gardenhire has been quoted recently suggesting the Twins miss catcher Henry Blanco. If only Blanco were still behind the plate -- or so the argument supposedly goes -- the Twins would be pitching better, and winning more games. Is this true?Now, maybe Neyer, who I have read and loved for years, thought up this column on his own. But, his analysis pretty much follows my own (without the "Are you fucking kidding me?" statement). Hey Rob, welcome to the site! Why don't you enter the contest??? Seriously, anyone who heard that RIDICULOUS statement could only come up with the same conclusion that I did. And here's Neyer's conclusion:
So Gardenhire misses Blanco, who's currently batting .176 in limited duty with the Cubs. Maybe Gardenhire's right. Maybe the Twins would be in better shape if Blanco had all those at-bats that are currently going to Mauer. Anything's possible. But in all sincerity, I will suggest that if I employed a manager who really believed such a thing, I would seriously consider finding a new manager.Rob Neyer is a fantastic baseball writer. His conclusion is right on. I think Gardenhire's profanity-laced tirade this week was an unqualified embarassment. However, his comments about Blanco and Mauer are far more embarassing. I really think that Terry Ryan should seriously consider showing this guy the door. Giambi Update: Tonight on Baseball Tonight, the crew were talking about Giambi and how he's been on fire, especially since July 4. Tim Kurkjian, who does NOT read this page (remember the old face of baseball article?) said that no one saw Giambi making a move. I refer you to my July 6 entry.
I was really thinking that this guy was about ready to take off. If only I hadn't put that qualifier in. Oh, and who thinks that we can trade J.C. Romero and plug Terry Mulholland in as the left-handed late inning guy?|W|P|112208735383156801|W|P|Billions, I tell you, Billions|W|P|sbg@stickandballguy.comAfter a very slow start, Mr. Giambi hit .310/.474/.431/.905 in June. In five games in July, he's hitting that .400/.550/1.133/1.683. He wasn't showing must pop (.431 SLG) in June (just 1 HR and five XBH in 58 At Bats), but since July 1, he's got 3 HRs and five XBH in just 15 at bats. I'm not saying he's ready to return to MVP form just yet, but he's played in nine straight games, batting 10/26 with 9 BB.
Let's put it this way. If Giambi starts hitting, the Yanks could make a run.
frightwig|W|P|What if they trade Romero and try Liriano as the primary lefty reliever? SBG|W|P|That's a possibility, for sure. I'm actually not against trading Romero and his contract.I just wish the old guy would retire.
Cheesehead Craig|W|P|You are the modern day Nostradamus, SBG. Your writing is like a jelly doughnut. We eagerly anticipate your arrival, then only crave more after you are gone. frightwig|W|P|Except after reading SBG, you don't have powder on your fingers and raspberry jelly all over your shirt. SBG|W|P|I'm not sure, FW, but I think CC does. :) Unknown|W|P|Gardenhire's tenure started with one bad decision (making Jones an everyday player) and has snowballed downhill ever since. Moss is afraid the team will never improve with the 'tool running the show.One of Moss' biggest frustrations is when he clings on to those bad decisions, like keeping Jones in the everyday lineup, sticking by Rivas for so long, and playing Stewart in the OF. (Not to mention his tendency toward bringing in Mulholland in situations where he is liable to give away any chance the team has to win (like last nite), or his tendency to bring in Romero with guys on base.)
[BTW -- does anyone else find it embarrassing how teams run with impunity on Stewart? They go first-to-third on singles right in front of him. Last nite, Jones almost threw out a guy from RF trying to go first-to-third, but Stewart didn't even make a throw to third.]
And then, on the other hand, the 'tool's ready to cut down Bartlett, Cuddyer, Ford, Morneau, or even MAUER while protecting the "veteran leaders" who are not producing (Jones, Hunter).
(Note to Gardentool: At this point, Joe Mauer is probably your only above-average position player!! Rent a clue!)
Moss has never been impressed with Gardentool, and has believed that the team's success was largely due to TK and TR, and Rick Anderson. Gardentool's inability to get the most out of his players is in such stark contrast to TK that Moss can't believe any of the local media have ever thought the 'tool was a good manager. As just a couple (of the numerous) examples, 1) 'tool sat Lohse and Rogers in the playoffs when they were key components of the pitching staff (Moss forgets which years); 2) 'tool played Cuddyer as a rookie in the playoffs over Dustin Mohr for no real reason; 3) Guzman and Rivas never learned to bunt or steal effectively, even though they were supposed to have "bionic" speed; 4) 'tool's completely incomprehensible managing in interleague play (e.g. Radke batting vs. Dodgers). Moss could go on.
Incidentally, Moss wonders whether the umps are starting to force calls against the Twins because of the 'tool. Moss hasn't watched much action lately, but when he has, there have been calls that are clearly wrong but are going against the Twins. Moss wonders if the disrespect isn't catching up to the 'tool.
It was a sad day for Moss when Gardentool got an extension, comparable to when Rivas was signed. TR, Moss begs you, please cut our losses and take the 'tool out to the shed!!
SBG|W|P|Moss, I'm finding it more and more difficult to disagree or offer any defense any more.I don't know about an umpiring bias, but I will say this. He's been tossed 20 times already in his career. I'm sure umpires, who are human beings, too, get sick of his act. Whether they allow that to cloud their judgment is a big leap, but if they have, the 'tool has no one else but himself to blame.
It's clear that his tirade earlier this week was completely uncalled for and absolutely embarassing. I laughed when he talked about calling up Bob Watson. I thought, don't bother calling, because Mr. Watson will be calling you on this one, 'tool.
First of all, here is tomorrow's line. Minnesota +115 Detroit -125. That's right, the Twins are the underdog. I have made a selection.Second, how damn good is Joe Mauer? He is getting on base, he is hitting the ball. True, he's had a couple of passed balls lately, but good God, he's just fabulous. Third, SBG is pulling for Justin Morneau. He's got the talent, he's got the skills. Justin, you have got to learn to adjust. Tonight was nice. 1-2 with three walks. I'm dead set against sending him down. I'm also against making his imminent demotion public. Did the Twins do this to Luis Rivas? No. But, for some reason, the 'tool has decided to put added pressure on Morneau. I'll never understand this. SBG's readers agree. Here are the poll results.
Cheesehead Craig|W|P|Your brilliance is like a lighthouse guiding us to shore. You have the knack of penetrating the darkness that is all around us and showing us the way. Plus, you're so sassy. Nick N.|W|P|Roy Halladay isn't really a very good example. He had a dead shoulder last year after pitching about 2,000 innings in 2003. Santana doesn't have any apparent injuries such as that, he just seems to be struggling with his command and consistency. frightwig|W|P|It is possible that Santana's arm is feeling tired after throwing about 240 innings (inc. playoffs) last year. He's never come close to carrying that kind of workload before--and of course tired pitchers tend to have problems with command and consistency.Update: Don't forget the line for today and the poll in the post below.This is perhaps the most unbelievable column I have ever read. Patrick Reusse is blaming the whole Morneau/Ullger situation on... the media? What? Says Mr. Reusse:
The Star Tribune and its easterly competitor both kicked off the 2005 season by giving large play to the M&M theme, promoting the idea that Joe Mauer and Justin Morneau soon could be providing a Midwestern flashback to the days of Mickey Mantle and Roger Maris.Now, we find Morneau slumping and fans are upset. They want Ullger's hide. Why? Because the media pumped Morneau up! I'm sure the Twins had nothing to do with that at all. Says the 'tool:
There were a lot of people convinced that Morneau was an established big-league hitter. He wasn't. He had a half-season up here. He's a young hitter, and that's what we're seeing right now.Yep, the Twins knew that Morneau really wasn't an established hitter. He was just a young kid... never mind that they traded away their starting first baseman last year for a single A prospect and installed Morneau in the lineup everyday. Never mind that he hit 41 home runs last year, including 19 at the big league level. Never mind that he slugged .536 in 280 at bats. The Twins knew he wasn't ready yet. Damn media... they just blew everything out of proportion. In a sense, though, the 'tool is right. He's a young kid. He needs coaching. He needs to have a staff of guys in there solving the problems. But, the 'tool has been floating a ton of excuses lately. He said the other day that Morneau hasn't been right since the beaning (of course, he pounded the ball right away after he came off the DL). Now, it's that the media put too many expectations on him. The facts are as follows: Morneau has been a huge prospect. He has torn it up all through the minors. The Twins handed him both a starting job at the major league level and installed him in the cleanup spot. Don't tell me that it was someone else that created these expectations. Get this kid right. Chimes in the "hitting coach" Scotty Ullger:
We haven't done the job offensively. I'm frustrated at times that we work on something, and the hitter seems to be in tune with it, and then it's not there in the game. I'm not going to let those frustrations show.Nope. You aren't going to let your frustrations show, but you are going to tell the world that it isn't your fault. Damn fans, they are being unfair with Scotty.
What's alarming is this: The demotion of Morneau at least has become a topic of discussion among the Twins brain trust, four months after he was being described in the Twin Cities public prints as one of the game's best young hitters. Unfortunately for Ullger, Twins fans believed what they read, and now they want the batting coach to take the fall for Morneau's flailing.I guess Mr. Reusse is inviting us not to believe what we read. Is it that your newspaper staff is full of liars and/or know-nothings? I'm sure the Twins said, "Hey, back off on the M&M thing. Morneau's not really ready." Yep. I'm positive that's how it was. Oh, by the way, it isn't just Morneau's flailing that's the problem. Look at the lineup. Who in that lineup has improved their hitting at the major league level? Jacque Jones? Torii Hunter? Luis Rivas (oops, sorry he's finally not in the lineup)? Michael Cuddyer? Anybody? Even though I am frustrated beyond belief with Morneau's struggles, I find it hard to say that his struggles alone are what has fans mad. It's also guys like Jones and Hunter, who have a lot of talent, but have never improved their plate discipline that get me mad. It seems to me that guys like this should have improved -- instead, they have stagnated. I'm not privvy to what goes on in the clubhouse and on the practice field, but the body of extrinsic evidence points to Ullger. Naturally, the 'tool thinks Ullger is doing fine.
Scotty Ullger's still out here at 2:30 every afternoon, working with hitters. Scotty is good at what he does. He's helped a lot of hitters, and he's going to help some of these guys when all's said and done.So, 'tool, he's helped "a lot of hitters." Name one. Better yet, why not make these types of positive statements about your young talent. I feel dirty. Here a couple of weeks ago, I was questioning the Twins Geek about his comments on the Strib writers. I guess I did qualify my comments with this statement. I doubt that Reusse is reading or being influenced by bloggers.|W|P|112196877187377164|W|P|What is Reusse Trying to Say Here?|W|P|sbg@stickandballguy.com
Cheesehead Craig|W|P|That article almost made me pee my pants it was so funny! You have a rare gift SBG and we are all just living in your world. SBG|W|P|Perhaps our next podcast can be about that very topic. Living in my world. Maybe a reprise of Pepper! would be the proper course of action. Unknown|W|P|A long-time proponent of a change in hitting coach (and in manager), Moss wonders: what is the down side of replacing Ullger? Certainly things can't get any worse, and maybe something might click for some of the hitters. The media seem to think that a change in the hitting coach is not the answer. Moss wants to know the risk. The Twins seem to be keen on low-risk, low-impact moves lately, so let's do it!
SBG|W|P|Moss, your brilliance has been sadly missing from this online magazine for some time. Welcome back!I also love the low-risk, low-impact line. :)
frightwig|W|P|I don't think it was entirely Flip Saunders' fault that Cassell/Sprewell plan fell apart this year, but did Reusse protest when Flip got the axe? When the Vikes fired Green, did Reusse cry, "Hey, Denny ain't the one running and blocking out there! He can't make Daunte and Moss play any better just because the media told you they were superstars!"But in the Twins organization, I guess management and coaches can't be held accountable for a lack of results on the field. Why is that? Is it because he assumes that every Twins prospect will be exposed as just another Dave McCarty until proven otherwise?
That must be it: he figures that Ullger can't be expected to turn lead into gold. Or else TK really did condition those guys to fear the consequences of questioning Twins coaches on anything.
|W|P|Just one question, and I am serious: Is there any recent former Twin, other than Ortiz, who has gone somewhere else and hit well? frightwig|W|P|Dustan Mohr actually had the best season of his career in SF last year, batting .274/.394/.437. Bobby Kielty struggled through injuries last year, but this season he's hitting a nice .287/.384/.421--his best numbers since 2002.Maybe Ullger can take credit for helping Pierzynski reach his peak potential in 2003, or maybe A.J. just had his natural career year at age 26. Even then, A.J. was never known for his sound plate fundamentals or pretty swing.
But I don't think the ultimate test has to be whether players did better after leaving the Twins, although the Ortiz case raises some questions. Guys like Kielty, Mohr, and Buchanan weren't expected to be stars. Dougie's bat was always erratic. Koskie is now past his prime, and the damage may already be done to guys like Guzman and Restovich.
I think it's more to the point to ask questions like:
When a club has an All-Star SS at age 23, why did he fall apart after the coaching regime changed?
When the club had 4 hitting prospects who were the envy of baseball a couple years ago, all of them close to breaking into the majors, and all of them subsequently did show flashes of their talent at the major league level, why did one wash out after getting just 129 PA's with the Twins, one is looking like a washout after getting jerked around every which way for the past few seasons, and one is being threatened with his third demotion to AAA if he doesn't shape up by Saturday afternoon?
When the club signed its All-Star CF to a big backloaded deal that will pay him $10m next year with an option for $12m in 2007, why did he regress rather than develop into the player TR expected Torii to become by now?
If these problems, and more, are not the fault of coaching at the major league level, then is Terry Ryan willing to admit that the farm system needs an overhaul?
I don't think the farm is the problem; and like Moss said, it would be easier and less costly to see what might happen by changing the Twins hitting coach first, anyway.
Here is the line on tomorrow's game... Minnesota -144, Detroit +134. I have made a selection. If you haven't yet entered, e-mail me your choice for tomorrow's game and get involved! For information on the rules of the contest, go here. For contest standings to date, go here.Next, I want to say a little something about the team in general. Hey boys, how about a nice 6-2 win! I'll take two dramatic ninth inning wins, but sheesh! the stress of it all. Seriously, maybe these couple of games will kick start the Twins. Maybe some late inning heroics will get Jacque Jones going on a regular basis. Maybe it will become contagious. I hope so. Once again, the real hero of the game was the starting pitcher. Today, it was Brad Radke. Seven innings. Five hits. Two runs. No walks. Five strikeouts. That, my friends, is the definition of a quality start. He gave his team a chance to win. Just like Lohse yesterday. And Silva the day before. And Mays the day before that. And Santana the day before that. And so on. And so forth. These five men are keeping the Twins from completely falling apart. One more thing about Radke. He's 6-9 with a 3.92 ERA. Last year at this time, he was 6-6 with a 3.82 ERA. About the same as last year. Now, to the topic of the night: Justin Morneau. I'm hesitant to criticize this guy... partly because I like him. He looks like a ball player. He's big and strong. Like just about everyone, I had pretty high hopes for him, witness the Li'l Harmon moniker. Here's what I wrote about him in the off-season.
Among AL first basemen with at least 250 plate appearances, Morneau was third in slugging percentage, behind only David "Papi" Ortiz and Mark Teixeira and just ahead of Carlos Delgado and Paul Konerko. Add in the NL and he's sixth, trailing Albert Pujols, Todd Helton, and Jim Thome. In other words, Li'l Harmon is playing with the big boys even at a young age. (By the way, Doug Mientkiewicz was last in the AL and second to last in the majors.) Along with his 19 home runs, Li'l Harmon hit 17 doubles. Nearly 1/2 of his 76 hits were for extra bases. Nice. Even with these lofty slugging numbers, there is room for improvement. Morneau simply doesn't get on base often enough. His batting average and on base percentage are right at the league average. He drew just 28 walks, which is about half as many as I would like to see. He also struck out 54 times, which isn't terrible, but is a little high. If Morneau had converted 28 of his outs into walks, his numbers would look like this: .302/.429/.595. This would leave Morneau with a 1.024 OPS and a GPA of .342. Having seen him bat often enough, I think he could have done this with a little more plate discipline, specifically by laying off fastballs that were up and out of the strikezone. In fact, if Morneau would lay off of the high strike, he probably would have even more impressive numbers than I projected. If pitchers were forced to keep the ball down, he would have had a lot more pitches that he could handle and drive. In 72 games at AAA this year, Morneau batted .306/.377/.615 with 22 home runs, 32 walks, and 47 strikeouts in 288 at bats. His major league numbers are not that far away from these numbers. Again, he did not walk a whole lot at AAA. In his minor league career, he walked 195 times and had 1867 at bats, virtually the same ratio of walks to at bats (.104:1) as he had at the majors this year (.100:1). This seems to indicate that he probably won't improve all that much. Let's hope he does, because if he does, watch out.One of the things that was apparent to me in the latter days of the 2004 season is that Li'l Harmon was having trouble with the strikezone. He was swing at pitches that were up and out of the strike zone. That had me a little worried, even though I was completely bullish on this guy. Another thing to note was that Morneau tailed off at the end of 2004. I attributed some of this to the hand injury he sustained when Sworn Enemy of the Twins CC Sabathia deliberately plunked him about the time that the Twins blew Cleveland's doors off last year. Flash forward to 2005. Morneau took one off the noggin in the first week of the season and went on the DL. I was quite concerned and said so here on this page. Never fear. Morneau came off the DL and started jacking pitches over the fence with regularity. I was quite pleased. Then, a funny thing happened on his way to 40 home runs. He absolutely stopped hitting. I look at 2004 and 2005 and I have come to this conclusion. Li'l Harmon is having difficulty adjusting to the adjustments that major league pitchers have made to get him out. He's got a ton of power, and he can hit balls in his wheelhouse. But, he apparently can't handle major league pitching when the guys on the mound figure out how to get him out. Let's just stop and think for a while. How f'n good are major league pitchers? They can take a guy like this, who has all the talent in the world and reduce him to a simpering pile of mush. Never, ever, underestimate the quality of play at the major league level. It is phenomenal. (Which is why I want to scream when people say that the St. Paul Saints is a viable alternative. No. Way.) Okay. Back to L'il Harmon. Over at Twins Territory, some have advocated that the Twins should send Justin down to the minors to get his confidence back. To which I say: No. Not unless the Twins trade for more infield help. Yes, he's been dreadful in July and completely toothless since the break. But, I think he will be able to fight through this and contribute in a way that no other replacement player that the Twins have right now could. And, if he can't, well then the Twins have found out this year that Li'l Harmon just isn't a major league hitter. Morneau has crushed minor league pitching. If he goes down there again, he'll probably do the same. But, the book up here won't change. He'll still have to come up here and hit against pitchers who know now how to get him out. He is going to have to learn how to hit up here. Let's face it. There are a lot of Twins bats that suck right now. Morneau's is just one more. I want the kid to break through and learn how to adjust. The only place I think that Justin Morneau can learn to hit major league pitching is right here -- in the major leagues. Update: Check out Reusse's column today. Hoo boy.
| J.C. Twin | |||||||||
| AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | OBP | SLG | OPS |
| 25 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | .192 | .160 | .352 |
| Twins Second half Record | |||
| vs. sub .460 teams | vs. .460 to .500 teams | vs. .500 to .540 teams | vs. teams above .540 |
| 0-0 | 0-0 | 2-1 | 1-3 |
| Wild Card | W | L | Pct | GB |
| New York | 51 | 42 | .548 | - |
| Minnesota | 51 | 42 | .548 | - |
| Baltimore | 50 | 44 | .532 | 1.5 |
| Texas | 48 | 45 | .516 | 3.0 |
| Oakland | 48 | 45 | .516 | 3.0 |
| Cleveland | 48 | 47 | .505 | 4.0 |
| Toronto | 47 | 47 | .500 | 4.5 |
| Detroit | 46 | 47 | .495 | 5.0 |
Heavy Critters|W|P|Don't knock the Saints, yo. Kevin Millar turned himself around there and J.D. Drew did a tour of duty. Not to mention Darryl "I love the crack" Strawberry before he signed on with the Yankees.The Saints have done a lot more good than harm to a lot of careers of would-be major leaguers. Hell, Leon Durham even played for a spell.
Plus, it's outside and the games are WAAAAY more entertaining than Twins games (not that I don't love the Twins).
Keep an open mind about the Northern League. If their season didn't start so late in 2004, Ricky Henderson was going to play for them.
Which reminds me, we should sign Henderson for the MLB minimum, and have him bat lead-off.
He'd bite, you know.
SBG|W|P|Hey BP -- How's it going? I've seen my share of NL games up in Fargo. It's entertaining and all, but for me, I want to see the best of the best! That's why MLB is my league of choice.
Henderson... I'd even cheer for him. Yeah, he sucks now. But, he's been a great character. 25 years of Rickey being Rickey. It could be a marketing campaign!
SBG
Cheesehead Craig|W|P|Another brilliant work of art you put forth SBG! We should send all the anti-SBGlings off to the minors so that they can get a reality check. I cannot wait for your next installment from the SBG-cave. SBG|W|P|CC, you are the biggest sycophant in my coterie. And I mean that with love.| Player | Game 1 | Game 2 | Game 3 | Total Score | |||
| Pick | Score | Pick | Score | Pick | Score | ||
| DEP | 0 | T | 100 | 0 | 100 | ||
| CHC | 0 | B | -105 | T | 100 | -5 | |
| AAC | T | -110 | 0 | T | 100 | -10 | |
| TEB | T | -110 | T | 100 | 0 | -10 | |
| FRW | 0 | B | -105 | 0 | -105 | ||
| AMR | T | -110 | T | 100 | B | -100 | -110 |
| SBG | T | -110 | B | -105 | T | 100 | -115 |
| ANM | 0 | B | -105 | B | -100 | -205 | |
Andrew|W|P|Nothing like bringing up the rear. At least I can take solice in the fact I lost 205 by having the Twins win. I think I'll keep picking against them until they lose, even if it means sacrificing myself in the contest. If it ain't broke, don't fix it, right? SBG|W|P|I'm right there with you. Lots of time left. SBG|W|P|Time stamp.Tomorrow's game: Minnesota -115 Baltimore 105 This is a noon start. I have made a prediction.
I was watching the game tonight and was writing down my thoughts in sort of a stream of consciousness mode. Some of the thoughts were pretty negative, so I thought I'd delete that mess and start over. It's getting late, and the Twins are battling in another close game. It's been frustrating to watch, because the Twins haven't been able to get over the hump. But, they have been in almost game. Sometimes I wish they'd just get blown out so I didn't have to put up with tough loss after tough loss. Tonight's no different. It's 2-2 in the ninth. I will have to say this. It is entertaining baseball. It's also quite frustating. The O's just got one in the ninth. Crain is on the hook. And then, and then, the Twins get a run in the wild bottom of the ninth! How about Joe Mauer. Two booming doubles, two stolen bases. The kid is absolutely the gem of this organization. Wait! The Twins get one more and win! I'll be goddamned. What a hard fought win! Let's go to the charts. J.C. has a four game hitting streak!
| J.C. Twin | |||||||||
| AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | OBP | SLG | OPS |
| 25 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | .192 | .160 | .352 |
| Twins Second half Record | |||
| vs. sub .460 teams | vs. .460 to .500 teams | vs. .500 to .540 teams | vs. teams above .540 |
| 0-0 | 0-0 | 1-1 | 1-3 |
| Wild Card | W | L | Pct | GB |
| New York | 50 | 42 | .543 | - |
| Minnesota | 50 | 42 | .543 | - |
| Baltimore | 50 | 43 | .538 | 0.5 |
| Texas | 48 | 44 | .522 | 2.0 |
| Cleveland | 48 | 46 | .511 | 3.0 |
| Oakland | 47 | 45 | .511 | 3.0 |
| Toronto | 46 | 47 | .495 | 4.5 |
| Detroit | 45 | 47 | .489 | 5.0 |
Cheesehead Craig|W|P|Oh SBG, you're so hilarious! This is one of your funniest posts ever! Thanks for bringing a smile to my face this morning. SBG|W|P|I post this comment for a time stamp. I made my pick last night but posted at 7:14, before I knew anything about the first inning. As of right now, the Orioles are up 1-0. Cheesehead Craig|W|P|Oh SBG, you're so sassy! SBG|W|P|I'm sass-say.Here is the line for tonight's game. Baltimore -105, Minnesota -105. I have made a selection.The bad news is that I picked Minnesota and lost, and now I'm at -110 points. The good news is, everyone else who picked also picked Minnesota and is at -110 points. If you enter the contest for the first time tonight, you are already ahead of me! Now it's time for our charts. A bunt single for J.C.! Woo hoo! That's working out pretty well!
| J.C. Twin | |||||||||
| AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | OBP | SLG | OPS |
| 21 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | .182 | .143 | .325 |
| Twins Second half Record | |||
| vs. sub .460 teams | vs. .460 to .500 teams | vs. .500 to .540 teams | vs. teams above .540 |
| 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 1-4 |
| Wild Card | W | L | Pct | GB |
| Boston | 50 | 41 | .543 | - |
| Baltimore | 50 | 42 | .543 | - |
| Minnesota | 49 | 42 | .538 | 0.5 |
| Texas | 47 | 44 | .516 | 2.5 |
| Cleveland | 48 | 45 | .516 | 2.5 |
| Oakland | 47 | 45 | .511 | 3.0 |
| Toronto | 45 | 47 | .489 | 5 |
| Detroit | 44 | 47 | .484 | 5.5 |
frightwig|W|P|Where can I get the current lines? SBG|W|P|I will post the line here every night. Tonight it is Baltimore +100, Minnesota -110. I will discuss the lines again tonight, including how I select the line.Game #1 of the New Contest: Baltimore +100, Minnesota -110. SBG has made a selection.Now it's time for our charts.
| J.C. Twin | |||||||||
| AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | OBP | SLG | OPS |
| 16 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | .176 | .125 | .301 |
| Twins Second half Record | |||
| vs. sub .460 teams | vs. .460 to .500 teams | vs. .500 to .540 teams | vs. teams above .540 |
| 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 1-3 |
| Wild Card | W | L | Pct | GB |
| Minnesota | 49 | 41 | .544 | � |
| NY Yankees | 49 | 41 | .544 | - |
| Baltimore | 49 | 42 | .538 | 0.5 |
| Texas | 47 | 43 | .522 | 2 |
| Oakland | 47 | 44 | .516 | 2.5 |
| Cleveland | 47 | 45 | .511 | 3 |
| Toronto | 45 | 47 | .489 | 5 |
| Detroit | 44 | 46 | .489 | 5 |
| Player | Season | Since May 1 | ||||||
| AVE | OBP | SLG | OPS | AVE | OBP | SLG | OPS | |
| Cuddyer | .259 | .336 | .384 | .719 | .283 | .363 | .428 | .791 |
| Punto | .254 | .321 | .382 | .703 | .258 | .312 | .367 | .678 |
frightwig|W|P|Good points on Mauer and Cuddyer/Punto. I have no question in my mind that Cuddyer is a better hitter than Nick Punto. The only reasonable excuse for preferring Punto is if you're opting for a steadier glove. But what is the team's bigger problem, the glove at 3rd base or the bats in the lineup? If you're going to use a utilityman at 3rd base to compliment the light sticks you're playing in the middle infield, you deserve what you get.
SBG|W|P|I agree. Cuddyer really struggled defensively. But, they need bats.I mentioned that Hunter hasn't been all that great outside of June. I'm hoping that he'll get hot and that his hitting will be contagious. Despite my recent negativity, I'm still a fan and I'm really hoping Hunter will catch fire.
Comedy Club|W|P|Yea, I heard Gardenhire on ESPN radio. He was asked what the difference might be between Johan's stellar second half and mediocre first half of this season, and he said, "Well, last season, he and Henry had a great rhythm and chemistry."There you have it, Joe Mauer is why Johan isn't the Cy Young front runner. Rediculous!