|W|P|I think Batista's been hearing all of the complaints about his range, so he went for the most obvious solution--get a bigger glove.
SBG|W|P|Mickey needed that thing to steal home runs over the plexiglass. Greek House|W|P|Bwahahahahahahaha.That is all.
Cheesehead Craig|W|P|You know what they say about a man with a big glove...Word verification: fwmfzogt. What SBG will exclaim with a mouthfull of nachos after Batista pops up for the 21st straight AB.
frightwig|W|P|The Strib story says Batista had "a respectable 2005 season that saw him hit .263 with 27 HR and 90 RBI."For the record, his full line was .263/.294/.463, 29 doubles, 1 triple, 27 HR, 90 RBI, 115 strikeouts, 14 DP, in 586 PA's. That's in a league that typically inflates power numbers. Hideki Matsui had a .692 SLG his last year in Japan; he has a .484 SLG in 3 years in New York. Some big HR sluggers in Japan are just AAA players or bit reserves for major league clubs in the US. It's just hard to believe that Terry Ryan finds much encouragement in that statline.
Hilarious pictures, though. Nice find, SBG. :)
SBG|W|P|I actually have (or had) a copy of that Hatcher card back in the day. When I saw that glove, I had to post a picture of that. |W|P|To be fair, the Japanese season is shorter (136 games) so you could add to Batista's counting stats a bit. And even though his rate stats still don't look good, I don't necessarily see them as evidence of a decline -- I imagine that for some players, adapting to Japanese baseball, not to mention Japanese society, is a difficult transition.In that light, Batista's Japanese season might actually be encouraging, in that he stayed healthy and maintained his usual production (or lack thereof, depending on your point of view). Which might further explain why they're handing him the 3B job sight unseen (although I still wish they'd take advantage of his non-guaranteed deal and give him some legit competition).
Nick N.|W|P|In response to spycake's remark:Although the Japanese season is shorter, Batista still got 559 at-bats, which is about on par with a Major League player (no one on the Twins had more than 551 last year). Therefore, I don't think you can really inflate the numbers at all. That said, if he could reproduce the production he had in Japan last year (.263/.298/.463), I'd be fine with that. That's not that bad at the bottom of the order, and we could use the home runs and RBI.
Unfortunately, I have trouble believing he is going to put up the same type of performance. The pitching in Japan is significantly worse than it is here - there's a reason Japanese pitchers have struggled in adjusting to the Majors.
|W|P|It really makes you wonder about the source of all the love for Batista in the Twins organization. I'm not as down on him as some, and am willing to give him a chance, but I don't get why they're so afraid to give him some competition. First we had Terry Ryan saying he wouldn't look at signing a third baseman because he had a commitment to Batista. Now we have Gardenhire, before any spring training games are played, saying that Batista already has third base locked up.I just don't get it. It's not like the guy is A-Rod. If they want to give him a chance, fine. It might work. Stranger things have happened. But it's sounding like he's going to get 500 at bats at third even if he hits .086. Is he blackmailing them or something? Can anyone explain this?
Word verification: xjolccdx. What I'm saying trying to figure this out.
frightwig|W|P|I think this is the first time I have ever heard of a club publicly guaranteeing someone a starting job before spring training starts, after signing him to a non-guaranteed deal. That's weird in its own right. Add in Batista's recent track record, both in Japan and his last couple seasons in the majors, and the situation becomes incomprehensibly bizarre. Even the GM's in Tampa Bay, Kansas City, Pittsburgh, and Colorado must be scratching their heads and wondering, what the hell? SBG|W|P|Is he blackmailing them or something? Can anyone explain this?Because I'm unable to explain it, I am going to attribute his sway over the organization as being a function of his big glove!
Cheesehead Craig|W|P|Saw that earlier, it's awesome. Best part was that they just didn't just give him the easy layup, he earned it all. |W|P|His shot would do mine (and Shawn Marion's!) proud.Two handed quick shot for the win.
-tootie
frightwig|W|P|Thanks for bringing that to my attention, SBG. Greatest "Rudy" story ever.Excessive bilirubin kills developing brain cells in infants and may cause mental retardation, physical abnormalities, or blindness. It is important that bilirubin in newborns does not get too high. When the level of bilirubin is above a critical threshold, special treatments are initiated to lower it. An excessive bilirubin level may result from the breakdown of red blood cells (RBCs) due to Rh blood typing incompatibility. (Mother is Rh negative [Rh-], father is Rh positive [Rh+], and fetus is Rh+; mother develops antibodies against the newborn�?s RBCs, which are destroyed.)So, that night, my mother went to the hospital and I went over to Brion with an "o" and CW's house and stayed over night. The three of us kids, sis, Putzer, and I were quite concerned. The next day, my brother the Mayor was born, and he was absolutely orange from the jaundice. The next several days were quite stressful and he eventually had a complete blood transfusion in an attempt to lower his bilirubin count. We were concerned that the Mayor would have problems. As it turned out, the Mayor was fine and didn't have any complications (I guess) from his illness. Now the Mayor is on the verge of turning 30. That makes me feel old because I changed a lot of his (cloth) diapers. He has always been a kid to me. As his older brother (11 years difference), I picked on him quite a bit. I don't think he liked being picked on all that much, but he had a good sense of humor and put up with it (plus, he paid me back big time). The Mayor is a smart guy and has some real talents that I don't possess. When I was a high school kid, my dad bought a car with an manual transmission. I had the darnedest time figuring out how to use that clutch. It was downright embarrassing. So, one day, I decided that I'd pick on the Mayor. I asked him if he wanted to drive the car around the block. He was pretty excited about that and I figured it'd be a good laugh. He'd never driven a car before, and he was about six or seven years old. He got behind the wheel, let out the clutch like a pro, the very first time he tried. The kid was smooth, real smooth. I just looked at him in disbelief. This seven year old kid could handle a clutch with no problem and I took seemingly forever to learn. I couldn't help but admire the kid. It reminded me of when he was four years old. He wanted to ride a bike, so I put him on the thing and he rode away without falling at all. The kid was so small that he couldn't fit on the seat. He sat on the bar and pedalled away. It was unbelievable. He had tremendous balance and skill when it came to things like that. The Mayor is a gregarious type of guy. He makes friends easily and is quick with a joke. The Mayor never went to college, but he works hard and he's constantly figuring out a way to make a few extra dollars here and there. Despite the lack of a college education, there's absolutely no question that he's very intelligent. He's got a sharp wit and has a lot of common sense (about some things). He doesn't just sit on his brains either. He's just 30 now, but he's already been the Mayor of SBGville for a couple of years. He's also the assistant Fire Chief. I suppose you could say that it's not that big of a deal, SBGville is pretty small. Maybe it's not. But, he has decided to serve. He thought the city needed a change. Instead of sitting on his ass and complaining, he's done something about it. He's been a good mayor and he takes pride in his job. Back in the day, I used to wrestle with him and I always won, because I was older and bigger. Then, one day I was studying in my apartment in Fargo for my final comprehensive exams for my graduate degree. The Mayor was seventeen and just finishing up his junior year in high school. He came up to see me and asked me if I wanted to wrestle. I should have known better. He'd been playing football and was a defensive lineman on a state championship team as a junior. I thought I could take him still. Boy, was I wrong. It seems that my little brother had been lifting and had become pretty darn strong. Plus, he probably outweighed me at the time by a good amount, maybe 20 or 30 pounds. Well, he tied me up like a pretzel. In one fell swoop, he paid me back for all the torture that I'd dished out over the years. In fact, I ended up hurting my back in that little wrestling match, and it has bothered me to this day. Of course, I deserved it. From that point on, whenever my brother wanted to wrestle, he'd grab me and I'd tell him in my sternest voice possible, "God damn it, don't you hurt me." I think that's why he'd grab me. He wanted to hear that. He'd laugh and let go. The Mayor got the last laugh there. It doesn't seem possible that that young kid is 30. He's got a two year old boy now who is the cutest thing you've ever seen. The other day he had some pre-school training and he was asked a bunch of questions and he got all the answers right, of course. When he was asked where his feet were, the boy answered, "In my shoes." Funny, just like his old man. The second kid is coming in the next couple of months. I'm looking forward to that day. Happy birthday, brother. It's been a great 30 years. I'm proud of you.|W|P|114100788523907668|W|P|Red Letter Day|W|P|sbg@stickandballguy.com
|W|P|Your lucky you didn't get the chicken wing or the figure 4 that was planned for you that night!!! frightwig|W|P|What was The Mayor called before he became the mayor of SBGville. |W|P|Is it odd that Mike Miller is my favorite player in the NBA?-tootie
SBG|W|P|Miller's a South Dakota boy, from Mitchell, I believe.Of course, the Wolves come back and win, which is odd. Is it a Ewing theory deal? Or was it that the Wolves were just better today. They had a good lead when KG got ejected.
|W|P|I have a couple buddies from Mitchell and they don't have a ton of great things to say about Miller. Most of all he was just plain stupid - because he had no reason to be educated. Basketball is a big thing in Mitchell. And I believe his dad was principal or superintendent or something - nice. (I could be way off on that last statement...looks like assistant principal.) Nick N.|W|P|I clapped when that weiner who had to be carried out on a stretcher after being glanced in the head by a basketball got booed by the Target Center fans. Even the announcers were making fun of him. I have to imagine they'll get in some trouble for that though. |W|P|Or maybe it's because I torched my friend with him for 41 points in NBA 2k6. Oh well, long live the great white hope!-tootie
|W|P|I live in a town 55 miles from Mitchell (close, by South Dakota standards), and have always thought there was a lot of envy of Miller in Mitchell. In high school, the team basically went through him, which now seems like an obvious good move, but wasn't always appreciated at the time. A fawning local press probably didn't help that situation, either. A lot of people didn't really think he was good enough to play major college basketball, and when he proved them wrong there, they didn't think he was ready to jump to the NBA, either. While he'll never be a superstar, I'd have to say he proved them wrong there, too.I've never met Miller, so it's quite possible that he's a jerk. But Mitchell is a small town, and while we like to see the small town boy make good, there are times we don't want the small town boy to make "too" good. I suspect this may color some people's judgment of him.
SBG|W|P|People who are really great are not always the best actors. Miller's in the NBA. That qualifies as great when it comes to the universe of basketball.I don't begrudge him anything at all. But, God, he flopped on KG. The right thing to do, but it was so damned obvious.
frightwig|W|P|According to the Channel 11 news, the Timberwolves insisted that the guy be taken out on a stretcher--like it was a legal protocol or something. I guess they were doing whatever they could to avoid or minimize a lawsuit. SBG|W|P|fw --I heard that today on Hartman's show. Hartman was saying that the owner of the tickets -- the victim was a friend of the owner -- reported that. Until I hear it directly from the Wolves, I'm skeptical. They don't cart people that get plastered by foul balls at Twins games out on a gurney.
|W|P|So, SBG, what do you think of the Rolling Stones? SBG|W|P|I was just playing around with my trial subscription to Rhapsody music service. This "playlist" is in fact "Get Yer Ya-Yas Out" the greatest live album of all time.I like the Stones, by the way. :)
Gilbert Arenas has had nights like the one LeBron James had against Washington. Arenas scored 26 points, and the Wizards shut down James in the second half in a 102-94 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers on Friday night. "We tried to pressure the ball, take him a little out of his game, and see if things might happen," Arenas said. "It's a real good win for us." James finished with 25 points, but went 0-for-8 from the field and 4-for-12 from the foul line in the second half as Cleveland dropped its second straight after winning three in a row. "I put all the blame on myself," said James, who came in averaging 35.8 points on 52 percent shooting over his previous five games. "It was a bad performance by me, simple as that." James missed his final seven from the line -- and was even booed in the final minutes. After missing a shot from the wing with 5 seconds left, he angrily ripped off his headband, threw it into the crowd and walked off the court. James said he "of course" heard the boos, adding, "If these fans want to boo me, it's on them."See, if my favorite team has the best young player in the game, a guy who is an MVP candidate, a guy who has lifted the franchise out of the depths of dispair, a guy who's averaged 35+ points a game over the last five on 52 percent shooting, a guy who could lead the team to championships (or could leave when his contract is up next year), if my team had that guy, I'd think twice about booing him when he's had a rare bad night. But, that's just me. One more thing. Vote in the Twins Poll in the Right Hand Column. Vote once a day until the end of spring training!|W|P|114087941390137614|W|P|I Don't Understand This|W|P|sbg@stickandballguy.com
I want to update the fans of Minnesota and the NFL community on my status with the Vikings. Mr. Wilf and I spoke by phone on 2/21/2006 and we each shared our concerns about my present situation. He told me that the Vikings have not yet spoken to other teams about trading me. I shared my disappointment with the lack of communication and the false reports about me demanding more money coming out of Minnesota. I have requested further talks so that we can explore options for the future. In the meantime, I have made a good faith gesture toward the organization by offering to move my roster bonus around if it will help clear more cap space to sign free agents. If I am not traded, I want to help coach [Brad] Childress make a serious run for the championship this year. With all of the discussion about me being traded or cut has helped me realize that the contract I have ran out of guarantees the day I was injured. Therefore each year they pay you to play is a gift. I expect that if there are no changes to my present contract then I should prepare for a year by year commitment. When I am ready to hit the field this year, wherever it may be, I plan on being better than ever and enjoying the ride.I have maintained here that DC has someone advising him behind the scenes, which I think has been helpful. Whether or not that's true, he's apparently come to the realization that he's not going to get more money. In fact, he'll be lucky if he doesn't get cut. So, he's willing to move his roster bonus to "help clear more cap space." I think that the chances of Number 11 remaining with the Purple have improved dramatically.|W|P|114073506982392029|W|P|Damage Control|W|P|sbg@stickandballguy.com
Nick N.|W|P|I'm very happy to see this. Prior to this whole fiasco, I considered Culpepper to be a model player and personality among the pricks like T.O. and the idiots like McNabb out there. I really hope the Vikes hang on to him and he can come back strong, either next year or in '07. He remains one of my favorite players. Unknown|W|P|Barriero quipped that Culpepper's knee must be just fine, because he did a quick and sharp 180. SBG|W|P|I'm a DC guy myself. I'm hopeful that he'll come back and be the QB he once was. The contract squabbles don't mean that much to me.Knicks Target Garnett Feb 23 - Some league executives suggested yesterday's deal for Steve Francis was part of a risky long-term strategy by Isiah Thomas to trade for Kevin Garnett this summer, reports Newsday. According to the newspaper, one NBA GM said Thomas sold Knicks owner James Dolan on a strategy to stockpile as many marketable assets as possible to make a play for Garnett, who has grown increasingly restless with the Timberwolves.First of all, I can't abide the thought of my guy KG playing for that moribund outfit. That is a thought too sickening to consider. I can imagine that I'd reconcile myself with the idea of him playing somewhere else, but there? That would be hellish for one of the real jewels of the NBA. Plus, exactly what could the Knicks possibly give the Wolves to compensate for the loss of KG? I don't see anything there that I want. John Hollinger wrote yesterday in the aftermath of the Orlando/New York trade that no one ever regrets trading with the Knicks. Well, unless the pieces change there, the Wolves could be the first team to feel buyer's remorse. Of course, as I've said before, "Rumor Central" is just that, a bunch of unfounded rumors. I'm not exactly losing sleep over anything posted there.|W|P|114073216356034187|W|P|Hell on Earth|W|P|sbg@stickandballguy.com
Greek House|W|P|This sounds like another one of those rumors started by a sports writer in a big city. Last summer it was the Lakers, a few years ago it was the Bulls. All of them are envious of Garnett and like to speculate. I can't really imagine a trade that would work either. I imagine it would involved the Wolves giving up KG and Jaric for Marbury, Francis, and Frye or something like that. |W|P|15 days until I step on a plane to Ft. Myers. Here's hoping Northwest pilots don't strike... |W|P|"I hope that as the season goes along, we can have more debates about things."If there's anything I've learned about baseball over the years, it's that there will never be a shortage of debates. :)
Cheesehead Craig|W|P|Sounds like someone is offically switching gears from NBA to MLB. Not that I blame you one bit SBG.Word verification: aerdl. The official name of all the lazy fly balls that will get hit this year.
|W|P|After a year of Minnesota agony which started with the Twins tanking last year, followed by the Vikings tanking, followed by the Wolves tanking it's been one train wreck after another. There is an element of "hope springs internal" to baseball and the ebb and flow of the season that's unlike the other sports. I love baseball because for months there's always tomorrow or the start of another fresh series. And hey, what's not to love about Johan on the mound every 5th day.Unlike football where the first few weeks can crush your hopes, there's nothing quite like a pennant race or when a team makes a late season surge. As much pessimism as I feel, it was good to hear LaVelle talk about Morneau maybe geting his "Canadian Club" on in the WBC and starting out on an incredible tear and just some general positive-vibe.
I hope Ryan's instincts were right, or at least I hope they act a little more decisively during the season if things go awry. Who knows, maybe there's a little magic in the air like in '87 or '91. Maybe there's some great baseball God that will smile on Brad Radke for hanging around during all those awful years and for giving the Twins a "hometown" discount. Maybe Lohse will sieze the day and win 20 just so he can take the Twins to the cleaners again. Maybe Hunter will get on a zany 162 game streak and fulfil the Kirby-like potential everyone thought he had. Maybe Shannon Stewart will rise from the ashes for one more great run or Tony Batista will mix in a salad and wallop 30+ homers. Maybe with Rivas gone for good the dark clouds will lift and the angels will sing.
Anyway - let's play ball!
|W|P|114064011355676591|W|P|You Can Go Home Again (Sort of)|W|P|sbg@stickandballguy.comThe Magic's timing is impeccable when one considers the names potentially available in 2007 -- forget about LeBron James and the other stars from the class of '03, since they'll sign extensions, but there's also Paul Pierce, Vince Carter, Dirk Nowitzki, Gerald Wallace, Chauncey Billups, Mike Bibby, Rashard Lewis, Antawn Jamison and Jamaal Magloire.
That's the same summer that the Magic will likely extend the deals of [Dwight] Howard and [Jameer] Nelson, and 2007 also probably represents Orlando's last opportunity to play the market for the next several years. Because of that, just dumping Francis' contract makes the deal a home run. What really puts it over the top, however, are two other things. First, Orlando didn't need to take any contracts back -- earlier reports had them accepting Maurice Taylor or Jamal Crawford. Second, how about this? Regardless of contracts, which player would you rather have three years from now -- Francis or Ariza? Sure, Ariza isn't much to look at right now, but he's also 20 years old, an outstanding athlete and is suffocating under his coach's iron grip. Before learning how to "play the right way" he had been one of the league's top rookies in 2004-05, even though he had just one year of college ball under his belt. Contrast that with Francis, whose best days are pretty clearly behind him and will have to make a major adjustment in order to become a complementary player. I'm not saying I'd plunk down 10 grand on an even-money bet that Ariza would be better in three years, but it's a closer call than you'd think. Considering the massive dollop of cap relief the Knicks gave the Magic, it's hard to believe the Knicks actually gave the Magic a player who might be comparable in quality. And get this? Even with all the problems Orlando has had, the Magic are four games ahead of the Knicks in the standings. Fortunately for Orlando fans, their management's willingness to be honest about their position in the world allowed them to pull off two great deals just before the trade deadline. With a front line of Howard and Darko Milicic, Nelson anchoring the backcourt, future talents like Ariza and Fran Vazquez, a lottery choice this spring and their pick of the free agent litter (remember, Florida has no income tax), the Magic are set for the future.
And the Knicks? They just seem set to spend more money.
|W|P|I'm waiting for Larry to put out a lineup of Francis, Crawford, Marbury, Jalen Rose and randomly chosen stiff. That would be cool. Heh hehheheheheheh. SBG|W|P|Apparently the Knicks primary function these days is to prevent Kevin McHale from being the biggest laughingstock in the league. |W|P|Random stiff: Q-Rich. Or hell, with that lineup, a token and-1 tour player. He'd fit right in.I envision the Knicks scoring 100 points on 15 or less assits at some point.
-tootie
SBG|W|P|I don't know about the 100 points, but the 15 or fewer assists seems to be a lead pipe cinch. Greek House|W|P|I was gonna make a joke about how McHale doesn't look so bad now, but SBG beat me to the punch. :) |W|P|I actually watched some of last night's events, too. My wife was a gymnast in high school, so naturally she goes nuts over figure skating. I can respect gymnastics a bit more since some of the stuff gymnasts do is pretty amazing and death-defying.I will say I was impressed with Sasha Cohen's performance for what it was. I will now go flush my eyes with hydrochloric acid.
frightwig|W|P|I hate the skating commentators even more than most baseball announcers. But as for watching attractive, graceful young women skate around in skimpy outfits, while getting the occasional opportunity to snicker at somebody's pratfall or ridiculous fashion sense, what's not to like, old man?I'll say it without apology, the ice dancing competition this week was more entertaining than anything I've seen the Wolves or Vikings do this season. Yeah, that's right! I'm telling it like it is. Given a choice again next weekend, I'd watch Tanith Belbin and the whole ice dancing soap opera rather than KG and the Wolves without thinking twice.
|W|P|Judging from Katarina Witt's NY Times editorial today, I'm thinking that she's pushing for the inclusion of pole dancing in the 2008 Beijing Gameshttp://www.nytimes.com/2006/02/22/opinion/22witt.html?ex=1141275600&en=a84b58558a9da29f&ei=5070&emc=eta1
My favorite lines: "when I won a gold medal in 1988 at the Calgary Games, my creativity and passion for skating came through in my program. I didn't just skate to "Carmen," I had the time to become Carmen. People remember my performance because of its balance between technical moves and emotion. I also had time between jumps to flirt with the audience and win it over."
|W|P|Well said, frightwig. I now regret missing ice dancing. Thanks a lot.(Oh, and HDTV is a definite plus in the judging of figure skating. )
|W|P|I'm a Billionaire, with a "B". I don't need to put up with this cr@p. McHale's my boy ya' hear and I'm tired of all this bellyachin'. Tell "Ashey" to go hang with his good buddy Barriero and get off my back. I think I'll go write a letter to my good buddy Sid. I guess that's what a guy has got to do around here to get some good press. Who do you think I am Mark Cuban? I don't give a rats behind about the fans. I can tell you this for sure, nobody's gettin' free tacos 'till all this negativity stops.Respectully,
G. Taylor
|W|P|I would say the organization, including Ryan, deserve to be hammered quite good by the media and fans if they quickly slip out of contention during the '06 campaign. Perhaps if more people stay away from the dome from and the games on TV they'll get the message that it's not acceptable anymore to be the cute little club "that could". This was at best an embarassing offseason by any standards. The simple fact they, a team who prides itself on defense, is willing to hand the keys over to a fat, out-of-shape hacker who wasn't good enough to hang in Japan and cash checks should tell you something.Also, if they fail, [what I am about to say has some element of tongue-in-cheek] Ryan should be held up there with McHale in terms of wasting these dominant pitching years by Santana, Silva and Radke. I think you are spot on that in areas where they should have been willing to gamble a little more with the unknown (Rivas) and moving others (Hunter) to make the team better.
It's sad to say, but for this organiation to be a legitimate contender it's going to take an ownership change - much like the Vikings were known too much for the skin-flint McCombs regime, Pohlad, Ryan & Co. are too tied to their own dogma and it's prohibiting them from seeing the forrest through the trees. I'm not aching to see Ryan gone, but I've gorwn a little tired of the "Opie Cunninham" schtick.
|W|P|I wouldn't be so harsh on TR, especially on this offseason (except maybe committing prematurely to Batista), but he deserves a lot of the blame for last year's mess. Tight budget or not, coming in with Rivas, Bartlett, and Cuddyer in your infield, and they all get benched within a month or two? That's poor planning. And relying on Punto and Castro as your Plan B options is tough. As much as Gardenhire may have benched people too early, TR didn't really give him much to work with last year.And I think the common fear this year is we have the same question marks at SS and 3B.
|W|P|Lohse or Koskie?Well, last year, Lohse was worth about 5 wins over replacement level, while Koskie was worth about 3. PECOTA has them projected to each be worth about 3 wins next year.
Sure, the Twins aren't deep at the corners, but it's not like their rotation is guaranteed to hang together for the whole season. Radke's shoulder (which isn't getting nearly enough attention thanks to the retirement talk) was bad enough last season that it could have been operated on, but he opted to not go for surgery. Who knows how that'll hold up? Silva's procedure was fairly routine, from what I understand, but there's still some uncertainty about his knee.
400 PAs from Koskie isn't going to make or break this team. If they have to endure a prolonged period where one of their minor league pitchers struggles to make the adjustment to the majors, they're done for sure, because this offense, even with Koskie, isn't going to score enough runs to make up for poor starts every fifth day.
Plus, if you're going to add anyone to the lineup, it shouldn't be yet another guy who can't hit left-handed pitchers. We don't know about Kubel yet, though left-handed hitters tend to have bigger platoon splits than right-handed hitters, but check out these numbers vs. LHP from last year:
Koskie: .211/.269/.312
Mauer: .225/.268/.246
Morneau: .201/.255/.331
And with Gardenhire's refusal to platoon guys, or even move them down in the order against LHP, we'd be making every left-handed starter in the league look like Sandy Koufax.
Nick N.|W|P|If the Twins had gotten rid of Kyle Lohse, their backup option when someone gets hurt (which is almost a certainly, for some length of time) would be Darrell May and Matt Guerrier, along with a bunch of totally untested guys who haven't had much success above Double-A, like Boof Bonser and JD Durbin. Then imagine if say Radke and Silva BOTH went on the DL for a while. You'd have to put two of those guys in the rotation. Ick.I'm with you that signing Batista and committing to him wasn't a great idea, but I honestly don't think it prevented us from acquiring other guys. There were no other good options, the free agent class sucked (no way we were paying 4 mil for Joe Randa) and other teams wanted too much in trades, as with Blalock. I refuse to believe that Ryan failed to pull the trigger on the Koskie trade simply because of some supposed commitment to Batista... something else happened there.
I thought it was a pretty good offseason overall. I think that Reusse and Souhan are WAY overly critical of it.
frightwig|W|P|Bottom line, the Twins had the worst offense in the AL last season, and Terry Ryan did too little to address the problem--partly because he was more concerned about avoiding a Worst Case Scenario with two rookies at the back of his pitching rotation than in fixing what really killed the team last year. Terry Ryan failed at his job this offseason, for the second winter in a row. Which is a shame, because he had a window of opportunity the last few years--but he just didn't know how to take the next step up.
The team this year will only go so far as Mauer, Morneau, Cuddyer, Kubel, and Bartlett are ready to take it; because it's going nowhere if the team needs Hunter, Stewart, Castillo, White, Sierra, and Batista to drive the offense. I'll hope for the best, but it's a shame that the GM has left it at that. He should have done more to improve that lineup around the kids.
|W|P|What's missing from all these idle criticisms of Terry Ryan is any evidence that he really could have done better. We can speculate about what trades may have been available, but it's tough to say exactly how much hitting we could have gotten by trading pitchers. And even if he's trading, that means he's giving up run prevention to improve to mediocre offense. All that would accomplish is making the 3-2 losses into 4-3 losses.Considering that he stayed basically status quo on pitching, TR had about $8M to improve the offense. He used $9M of that to upgrade the biggest hole in a big way by getting Castillo. I haven't heard anyone say that he overspent for Castillo. That leaves him about $4M to improve at 3B and DH. Given the insane prices that guys like Mueller and Randa were fetching on the market, TR decided to improve DH, where he was able to get a better hitter than anyone who was on the 3B free agent market. That left him with little money for 3B, so he brought in Batista on a flier to see what he looks like, and potentially for additional leverage in trades. The Batista move might wind up being a disaster, but that's in Gardy's hands now. If Batista's clearly bad, then Gardy can always keep status quo at 3B, and put Ford in RF, which might even be an upgrade over Jones.
There were too many holes to fill on the offense to expect much more progress than this. It was the worst offense in all of baseball last year, after all.
And for all TR talked about them being rookies, keeping Lohse has everything to do with the fact that pitchers get injured, and very little to do with Ryan's lack of confidence in Baker and Liriano. Check the last few years, and you can count on one hand the number of teams that made it through the season with 5 starters. Depth in starting pitching and growth from young position players was the only chance this team had to get the most out of what little offense there was to begin with.
|W|P|Saying the Twins did little to improve their offense is just plain wrong. Their weakest position last year was 2B. They added a former gold-glover who is an on-base machine. They also were weak at DH, and added a pure hitter. The only position they probably downgraded was 3B, but for the money they had they were able to dramatically improve over 20% (2/9) of the offense. Assuming increases from SS, 1B, CF (healthy Hunter), the offense should be significantly better than 05, without any sacrifice in pitching.And saying the Twins will only go as far as Mauer, Morneau, Cuddyer, Kubel, and Bartlett can carry them is funny to me, because to me it is like saying the Yankees will only go as far as Posada, Giambi, Sheffield, Jeter, and ARod will carry them. Duh.
Diggity Dino
|W|P|For the solid moves that were Castillo and White, though, TR left a gaping hole at third base, potentially even worse than when we broke camp last year. If Batista falters or gets hurt (very real possibilities, given all that we've heard about his recent performance and physical condition), we have NOTHING at third. We'd have to hurriedly move Cuddyer back there after benching him and disparaging his 3B play, or resort to Castro/Punto or Tiffee/Williams. And we still haven't addressed the SS hole, and we don't know any more about Bartlett than we knew last spring.I realize that on this budget, we can't fill every hole perfectly, but with the lingering question marks at short, TR should have bolstered 3B a little more than just take a flier on Batista. I guess we shouldn't *assume* that TR could have gotten Koskie back, but we also have yet to hear otherwise. T-Bat's non-guaranteed deal almost guaranteed in my mind that there would be more third base options brought in, and a legitimate competition for the spot. As it stands, it's Batista's job to lose, and he essentially has no one to lose it to.
We might have 2 lineup spots filled by utility infielders this year -- not as bad as last year, I suppose, but all of our other offensive chips (Mauer, Morneau, Stew, Hunter, RF-to-be-determined, new guys) will have to fall in place to make this lineup appreciably better than last year's abomination.
SBG|W|P|Yep, the Twins did improve their offense. But, did they do enough? The midpoint of PECOTA projections show an increase of about 30 runs. Assuming the exact same pitching performance, it means about 3 or 4 more wins. Is that good enough? In a word, no. frightwig|W|P|Dino, you're comparing the Twins youngsters to Posada, Giambi, Sheffield, Jeter, and A-Rod? Getting Castillo is OK, but he's a singles hitter on the wrong side of 30 who has already shown signs of leg problems and a decline in speed. Even if he does work out as a nice upgrade to the lineup this season, it will be negated by Batista's presence in the order.
Look, a team on a limited budget like the Twins can't afford some luxuries--like perhaps paying a #4 pitcher 7% of the budget so that a stud pitching prospect can be stashed at AAA "just in case guys are hurt." Or like paying 10% of the budget to keep an injury-prone and declining tablesetter in LF onhand to perform the same function you're paying 8% of the budget to the new 2B to do in the lineup.
The Twins just can't afford to stash ready young talent away for a rainy day. They can't afford to pay $11m for a pair of singles hitters. They can't afford to overpay for mediocre talent.
Given the club's budget limitations, I think the GM has to take a risk on at least one of his rookies to replicate Lohse's typical performance so that $4m could be applied elsewhere, and he should choose between giving $5m to Castillo or $6m to Stewart. If he does just those two things--and doesn't sign Batista and Sierra--he'd have around $12m (or 20% of his budget) to get a big bat, or a couple good ones, to protect Mauer and Morneau, either through trade or free agency. $12 million could buy a significant upgrading if applied intelligently.
Exactly how Terry Ryan might have freed up and spent that $12 million is his job to figure out and execute. It's his job to fix what sunk the team last year. Make all the excuses you want, he didn't get it done.
Worst offense in the league, and he brings in a redundant tablesetter with no pop, a good DH who tends to spend half his time on the DL, and an atrocious downgrade at 3rd base. Sorry, that's just a miserable failure. The GM is just hoping like the rest of us that we see breakthrough performances by the homegrown youngsters to save his bacon. Twins fans should expect better than that from the guy in charge of the show. If not, I guess you get what you deserve.
Nick N.|W|P|I can't believe how overly pessimistic you are frightwig. First of all, your criticism of Castillo is preposterous. Yes, he hits for low slugging percentage, but his job is not to rip home runs and clear the bases. His job is to get aboard for the other guys who can do that. Lambasting him for being a singles hitter is totally uncalled for. Being a singles hitter did not prevent him from helping the Marlins win the World Series in 2003. It's also unfair to claim that Stewart and Castillo are essentially the same player, or to claim that Stewart's contributions to the team are unimportant. Yes, he had a down year in 05, but his slugging percentage has regularly been .450+ throughout his career, which would suggest that he is more than just a "singles hitter." Are you forgetting that his play after being acquired in 2003 was one of the main reasons the team was able to make a push and reach the playoffs? He was terrific in 2004, and he just turned 31. I'm not ready to declare that he's done being a productive player or that he's overpaid.By the way, still waiting for any viable alternatives to Tony Batista at third base from any of you guys who are criticizing. What would you have gotten for $2m? The fear that Gardenhire will continue to start Batista all year while he gets on base at a .250 clip is irrational. Sure, Ryan promised he'd give him a shot. He also promised Bret Boone last year that he'd give him a shot and they dumped him after 14 games when he showed he couldn't get it done.
|W|P|I'm with Nick...It's not like the Twins needed major overhauls. What they need is Castillo and White to be solid. Then they need those young guys to perform. it's not impossible to think that 2 or 3 of them could bust out in their 2nd season. The Twins need to count on these guys.
You can criticize all you want, but what were the options? Trading Liriano or Baker for Blalock? No thanks! Signing Piazza for a few million for him to want to catch? No thanks! Signing Frank Thomas would would have been fairly cheap but there is no way he would have played more than about 25 games on the turf before being hurt? No thanks! Randa or Mueller for what they got? No thanks!
No, I don't like that Batista signing, but seriously, would Koskie be that much better when you factor in how much time he would miss and then you would be counting on Punto, Castro, Williams and Tiffee again? No thanks!
Could they have traded Lohse? Probably. But again, I agree with Nick. What happens when Radke needs a couple of starts off? What if someone else gets hurt? Now we've got Bonser, Eyre or Guerrier forced into some starts? They may be fully capable, but then people would criticize Terry Ryan for not having enough major league ready pitching.
Was it a big improvement by the offense? Maybe, maybe not. Of course the key to success this year will remain in Morneau and Mauer and Bartlett. Those other guys are just bit pieces. Were they the big names? No. But I would definitely rather have Rondell White than Piazza or Thomas!
With this pitching staff, a major overhaul was not needed. I'm also willing to give Mr. Ryan the benefit of the doubt. It's mid-February. Let's see how we feel about this in April, or June, or September.
SethSpeaks
|W|P|No, I wasn't comparing the Twins hitters to the Yankees hitters. I was just saying the statement that the ____ will only go as far as ____ will carry them, and then naming 5 of their top hitters is true for every single team in the league. If the Twins have a down year from Morneau, Mauer, Cuddy, Bartlett, etc. they will indeed struggle, but every other team would have the same problem. And I agree with Nick. I don't know what he should have done better. White is being critiqued for being injury-prone, but we should have gotten Koskie, who is in the same category, a worse hitter, and will be expected to play solid D every day. The only viable suggestion is trading Lohse, and I am not convinced we could have gotten much for him. Sure, another team would value a league-average innings eater, but would they value him so much as to give up a legitimate hitter? Saving some of his salary would have helped, but even with an extra $5 million, who would you have suggested we get instead? All things considered, the Twins pitching should be as good or better than last year (Baker replacing Mays, good depth in case of injury), and the offense should be better with another table setter, a solid clean-up hitter, a healthy Torii, and improvements from our young hitters (Bart, Kubel, Morneau). As SBG alluded, we don't know how much better they will be, but we were over .500 last year with the worse offense in the league, so predicting a wild-card caliber team at least isn't unreasonable.
Diggity Dino
|W|P|SethSpeaks said I'm with Nick...It's not like the Twins needed major overhauls. What they need is Castillo and White to be solid. Then they need those young guys to perform. it's not impossible to think that 2 or 3 of them could bust out in their 2nd season. The Twins need to count on these guys.
Yea but...as SBG points out, the midpoint on the PECOTA projections is an improvement of only 30 runs and roughly 3-4 more wins.
RonDL looks to be a good signing. Castillo should provide a significant upgrade at 2b. but I still think that putting Cuddyer at 2b and swinging a deal for a real 3b would have been a more cost-effective move. $4-5 million for Joe Randa doesn't sound so bad to me. He's worth at least two Nicky Puntos.
Castillo should help with the team's 10th-place OBP from last year, but do nothing for the team's 13th-ranked (next to last) SLG. Getting guys on base is great, but somebody still has to drive them in.
If you look at the data, 2nd base defense wasn't really the problem last year. Both fielding pct and "range factor" were above league averages for the position. The problem was the awful offense.
Nick N.|W|P|PECOTA projections are a fun tool, but I don't take them too seriously. PECOTA projections didn't anticipate Mike Lowell and Justin Morneau and other guys having such bad years in 05, and they didn't anticipate Derrek Lee and Brian Roberts and other guys having such great years. Sometimes guys just have down years, sometimes they just have big years. Our young players have not been in the league long enough to set career trends. Justin Morneau has had one great season, one terrible season. I don't think any prognosticator or mathematical tool can accurately predict what him and Bartlett and Mauer will be able to do this year.And $4-5m for Joe Randa does sound bad to me, very bad. He has put up decent numbers, but he's 36 years old. I'd much rather have Castillo and White.
No, the Twins probably will not have a great team SLG this year (though it will be better), but let's not forget that they don't really need to. They won the division three straight seasons in 2002-2004 without any big power hitters. If they make the playoffs again this year, it will be in the same fashion they did it in those seasons, with great pitching and enough hitting to win games.
frightwig|W|P|Nick, do you think the big problem in the Twins offense last season, or for the last 5 years and more, has been the lack of another singles hitter to set the table at the top of the lineup? Of course not. Then why was that the biggest budget expenditure of this offseason? Why is 18% of the budget being spent on two guys who are supposed to get on base ahead of the guys who couldn't drive in runners last year, anyway?I'm talking about prioritizing the budget and getting the biggest bang for our buck. If TR had made the necessary moves to maximize his spending capital, we wouldn't be talking about "well, who else could he get for $2 million?" We would have spent November and December looking forward to seeing who he could get with the $12-20 million the club had to spend.
Too much of the Twins budget is going towards peripheral parts, while the big needs of the lineup still remain unaddressed. That's the problem, and it's why we're probably looking at a repeat of last season.
In 2002-04, the offense was mediocre; but it did well enough to win a weak division because the lineup did enjoy some peak seasons from guys like Koskie, Jones, Hunter, Pierzynski, Stewart, and even the maligned Dougie. Who's driving the bus towards even mediocrity now? The offense last year wasn't mediocre, it was awful.
So what did the GM do about it? What did the GM do to improve his team by 10+ wins this year?
If Morneau & Mauer aren't ready to put up All-Star numbers in the middle of the order, if Cuddyer doesn't finally have his breakthrough season, and if Bartlett is replaced by Punto in the regular lineup by May, what would make anyone think that this team, with Torii Hunter and Rondell White batting in the cleanup spots, is going to overtake Chicago and Cleveland this year?
frightwig|W|P|Dino, while you're counting on Morneau, Bartlett, and Cuddyer to be amongst the Twins' 5 Best Players, keep in mind that you're talking about a young 1B who hit .239/.304/.437, a corner OF who hit .263/.330/.422, and a young SS who hit .241/.316/.335 while bouncing between the majors and AAA last year. Even Mauer still needs to show more power to pose a real threat in the #3 spot.My point is, the GM shouldn't be counting on those guys to drive the offense. If he's spending between 36-50% of his budget on veteran bats (just Hunter-Stewart-Castillo cost $22m), but it's all for nothing if his kids don't bust out big to lead the charge, then something is wrong.
Nick N.|W|P|The Twins' offense was mediocre in 2002-2004, and that was good enough to make the playoffs and compete there in each of those seasons. They made the ALCS in 02, and they sure as hell should have in 04. You're undervaluing a good table-setter. If Stewart and Castillo are both getting on at a solid clip, I fully believe they will be getting driven in. Mauer hit great with RISP last year, there just were never any runners to drive in because the Twins' got no production out of the 1 and 2 spots in the order. To say that that wasn't a problem and Ryan was wasting his money by addressing it is blatantly false. Mauer should improve his slugging percentage this season and White is a guy who has proven he can drive in runners.
The bottom half of the order is questionable, to be sure, but overall I don't think it's unrealistic to think that overall the lineup should at least return to mediocrity. And with a pitching staff that should be one of the best in baseball, I think that's enough to win at least 90 games.
And if you think that singles-hitting table-setters are worthless, it must really boil your blood to hear knowledgable scouts say that Denard Span is a great prospect and our center fielder of the future. He has 20 doubles and 2 home runs in almost 1000 minor league ABs.
|W|P|PECOTA projections are a fun tool, but I don't take them too seriously.Here's the problem, NickN: PECOTA is forecasting excellent seasons from Bartlett, Mauer, and Morneau, and strong years from pretty much every other hitter (except for Stewart and Batista):
http://p216.ezboard.com/fdtfcdtfcminnesotatwinsforum.showMessage?topicID=4596.topic&index=315
And even with that favorable projection, it's only likely to increase our runs scored total by 30, and thus our wins by 3 or 4. In order to exceed this, essentially the M & M boys will need to have breakout years and become RBI machines. Possible? Yes. Likely? Not after what we saw last season. Should a GM rely on that as the primary source of improvement for a league-worst offense? Definitely not.
I'm not as negative as some -- I think the Twins offense should be improved, and I like Rondell and Castillo. But 3B was not adequately addressed, especially given the lingering concerns at SS (among other positions). TR has set himself up for a repeat of last year's disaster.
SBG|W|P|I think I mentioned that PECOTA had the big years projected for the young guys awhile back. Without looking, I believe you are correct, spycake.Of course, any projection will get some guys wrong. But, on the average it could still do a good job. I'm not familiar enough with PECOTA to know how well it does. I think that we'll have to watch the old PECOTA projections vs. actual results this year and see how well it does.
frightwig|W|P|Nick, I didn't say that tablesetters are worthless. I said that by spending $5m on another tablesetter, and doing nothing else but bring in guys like Batista, White, and Sierra, the GM failed to address the main problem with the Twins offense in recent years--which is the lack of a consistent threat in the middle of the order. This popgun offense really doesn't need another expensive popgun.
I don't know of any "knowledgeable scouts" who think Span is a great prospect and our CF of the future, but it wouldn't bother me even if there are scouts who believe such things. People are entitled to their dreams. In my opinion, Denard Span's ceiling is probably as a 4th OF, or the next Tike Redman if he's lucky. We'll see who's right.
It would be interesting to see a list of players who became good, starting major league outfielders after hitting .289/.370/.344 through their first ~1,000 PA's in the minors (including .285/.355/.345 in the first good taste of AA pitching).
|W|P|The third option is totally ridiculous. You could throw a whole team of marginal players and it's not worth trading KG. The only way it's worth trading KG is if you can get two guys who are perennial All-Star caliber, but not MVP-caliber, like KG. Sure, the first-round picks would be nice, but there's not much certainty there like there is with someone like KG. |W|P|Fun with espn's trade machine!http://games.espn.go.com/nba/features/traderesult?players=209~255~264~623~997~998~353~387~496~2754~302~509~2782~366~897&teams=20~18~20~18~18~19~20~19~18~20~19~20~16~16~18
I think that'd do us some good.
-tootie
SBG|W|P|tootie, that'd definitely be a winner. |W|P|Shaq is fricken hilarious. The bounce pass between Yao's legs, the Kobe hug-foul, and the free throw followup dunk all made the room explode in laughter.Was a pretty good game too, although I was really REALLY unimpressed with Kobe, Parker, and Gasol.
|W|P|Oops, make that four moments: Shaq's dunk and chin up was funny too.-tootie
Greek House|W|P|I think the unis where supposed to be like retro-land-on-the-moon-technology-something style. I have no adjective to describe what I'm trying to say, so hopefully my long hyphenated-type-thing is adiquate. SBG|W|P|"I have no adjective to describe what I'm trying to say..."I'm going to go with ugly. :)
frightwig|W|P|Compared to some of the ice dancing costumes over on NBC, the unis weren't so bad. SBG|W|P|fw, that's what's called damning with faint praise. |W|P|Dennis Rodman? Are they joking?-tootie
|W|P|Reggie Miller? Are they joking? Reggie was a one-dimensional player. Rodman at least played defense early in his career, to go with the rebounding. 7-time first-team All-Defense and two defensive POY awards.
Reggie?? he was never considered even the SECOND best 2-guard at any point in his career (three-time 3rd-team All-NBA). Remember, he's contending with MJ, Drexler, and Mitch Richmond, plus the prime part of Penny Hardaway's career, Sprewell's best seasons, etc.
Walt Bellamy was a great player (20.1 ppg, 13.7 rpg, 7.8 FTA/g, 19.9 PER over 14 seasons) at an absolutely loaded position for most of his career (Wilt; Russell; Jerry Lucas; Willis Reed; Nate Thurmond; then Elvin Hayes; Kareem; etc). Highs of 31.6 ppg and 19 rpg as a rookie in 1962. 4 All-Star games (1962-65).
Connie Hawkins was a guy who should be considered one of the all-time greats, but is often forgotten because he got screwed out of a college career and blackballed by the NBA until he was 27, thanks to a gambling scandal in which he got smeared by zealous investigators.
Duncan, Garnett, McAdoo, Lanier and Dominique are no-brainers on this list. I'd take Iverson, Payton and (gaaag) Kobe to fill out the 10, but with apologies to Jason Kidd and a brief nod to Alex English.
I don't think Nash has done it long enough to merit inclusion in this list yet. He's been an elite player for about 5.5 seasons so far, but a "superstar" for only the last couple years. And certainly not LeBron, although he's got to be an obvious pick for the NEXT 10 in another decade.
"I haven't heard anything," coach Dwane Casey said Wednesday night, before his players and assistants scattered for four days of R&R. The Wolves will convene in Washington on Monday evening for their next practice. "As a matter of fact, I haven't talked to Kevin [McHale, vice president of basketball operations]. We've talked basketball drills, ideas. ... He's been a great ear to listen to and to help. But we haven't talked about this trade, that trade or anything like that in the past couple of days."Of course, Casey said the Wolves wouldn't be dealing a day before the seven player, 3 draft pick deal with Boston. What do the Wolves need? From the Strib:
With Troy Hudson possibly out for the season, this team is hurting for outside shooting, especially from three-point range. It also has that glut at guard, with far less depth in the frontcourt. And with first-rounders promised to the Clippers and the Celtics in coming years, getting a pick back might be a priority now.We have too many guards and we don't have anyone who can shoot. Our front line is thin. What don't we need, other than more huge contracts. Whither Eddie Griffin?
The 6-10 forward has gone missing almost as much as Jaric lately, starting 21 games in a row, then getting four DNP-CDs since Feb. 6. Griffin's name surfaced in a proposed deal for Clippers forward Chris Wilcox, until Wilcox was dealt to the Sonics. He's young (23), has good rebounding and shot-blocking instincts and is under contract for two more seasons at a reasonable price ($2.8 million average).I actually thought he was making more than that. With a $4.2 million trading credit left over from the last deal, the Wolves can trade for someone making $7 million and give them Eddie Griffin. I don't know who that would be, but it is worth noting. Package Jaric with Griffin and perhaps the Wolves can swap for a decent player and get one bad contract for Jaric's. Maybe they can get someone who fits the roster better. I don't know. I do believe however that there will be more introductions in the Wolves lockerroom by this time next week.|W|P|114021603981428003|W|P|Another Trade on the Horizon?|W|P|sbg@stickandballguy.com
Is this possible? Were the Twins really unwilling to split the difference last year and give him a relatively measly $125K more? Or is Lohse blowing smoke? Ryan's comment that he felt this wasn't a "midpoint case" leads me to believe that Lohse is telling the truth! Perhaps the Twins didn't come to terms because the Twins have never agreed to a contract with Lohse. And yet, he's still in a Twins uniform. Amazing.|W|P|114019473935323900|W|P|The Lohse Arbitration Case|W|P|sbg@stickandballguy.comLohse, who broke into the majors with the Twins in 2001, has never reached an agreement on a contract with Minnesota. Acquired as a minor leaguer from the Chicago Cubs in 1999, he made the Twins renew his contract before the 2003 and 2004 seasons, when he was a pre-arbitration player and had no negotiating power. Last year, Lohse and the Twins went to a hearing over a difference of $250,000, and the Twins had to pay him $2.4 million. Despite back-to-back 9-13 seasons, Lohse's salary this year will be 10 times what he made two years ago ($395,000). In most cases, the sides try to reach a midpoint agreement in order to avoid arbitration. Lohse said he told [his agent Scott] Boras in each of the past two years to agree on a contract if the sides reached the midpoint. "I don't want the world and Minnesota fans to think that Kyle was in any way pushing this situation," Boras said. "He was willing to settle."
Said Ryan: "I didn't consider this a midpoint case." Boras said he built Lohse's case, in part, around his lack of run support in 2005. Lohse was supported with an average of just 3.68 runs a game, fourth lowest in the American League. Boras compared last year's numbers with what Lohse did in 2002. The Twins scored an average of 5.98 runs for Lohse that season � ranking him 12th in the AL � and the right-hander finished with a 13-8 record. His ERA and innings pitched were almost identical in 2002 and 2005.
|W|P|This is the kind of mis-infomation type of writing that made me quit my Star Tribune subscription. It's written purely to get a negative reaction towards Lohse. The "10 times what he made two years ago", sentence is designed to do one thing; put a lable of "greedy and overpaid" on Lohse. Despite the fact that this happens to EVERY 5th YEAR PLAYER, ALL THE TIME.
And the line about Lohse "made the Twins renew his contract... when he was a pre-arbitration player" is a steaming pile of horseshit as well.
Will they write something like this about Mauer in two years??
No way. This is an agenda piece, it reads like someone from the Twins office wrote it, and it bugs me. Because 90% of the "fans" that read this now consider Lohse greedy and grossly overpaid.
[storms off]
grumble... grumble.
|W|P|It is Scott Boras that the Twins are dealing with here. I don't know if I'd want to agree to a contract with Boras if I thought I had a prayer of winning in arbitration. If nothing else, I'd do it just to make Boras work harder for his money and help take time away from him luring more clients from the ranks of high school and college baseball.Are there other Twins represented by Boras? I honestly am not sure, but I can't think of him being mentioned with any of our other guys...maybe ex-Twin J.C. Romero...maybe.
Nick N.|W|P|ubelmann, I believe Boras is Matt LeCroy's agent.Anyway, I thought $3.95 million was pretty reasonable for Lohse before, but when I see a guy like Jeff Weaver getting an $8.5 million contract, it strongly reaffirms that believe. How on EARTH is Weaver that valuable? He is almost 30, has a 4.44 lifetime ERA, and gave up 35 home runs in a pitcher's park last year. Granted, he is an "innings eater," but if those innings are not very high quality, what makes that so valuable?
The only reason that I can think of that the Twins would not want to negotiate a midpoint in this instance is that Ryan and Co. did not want to deal with Boras. Otherwise it makes no sense. If Lohse was willing to go to a midpoint, as he said, there is no reason we shouldn't have saved a couple hundred thousand bucks.
SBG|W|P|First of all, this is a Pioneer Press article.Second, I agree that the number for Lohse ($3.95 million) was quite fair and I said many times if I didn't write it here that Lohse would win. For the life of me, I can't believe (a) that the Twins didn't negotiate last year because of the small difference, and (b) that the Twins thought they could win this one.
I'm stunned.
|W|P|Not that it should matter, but Lohse is also the team's union rep. I've heard Dick Bremer make subtle insinuations about Lohse fighting with management in the past simply because he was "the union guy".-Will
|W|P|It makes me think the Twins need a breath of fresh air in the front office as well. While I think it's very positive to have a well-defined mission and position, it seems they have fallen into a predictable pattern of malaise concerning their financial predicament and are prone to making moves like this and collecting utility infielders.I think they could benefit by having someone like a young Theo Epstein, challenging the conventional baseball wisdom with a more in-depth sabermeteric approach.
I remember distintively watching some of the games verus Cleveland last year in awe of how scary the batting line-up was compared to the Twins. I just don't see guys like Rueben Sierra striking fear in the hearts of opposing pitchers.
|W|P|We don't have enough pitchers in the minor leagues? Or is he supposed to be the new Terry Mulholland?Why don't we just sign Bob Wells, Pat Mahomes, and Scott Stahoviak while we're at it?
-tootie
|W|P|Strike above statement, I thought it said the Twins just signed him. Anyway, why don't the Yankees just sign Mahomes, Wells, and Stahoviak while they're at it? -tootie
|W|P|I don't know that "challenging the conventional baseball wisdom with a more in-depth sabermetric approach" has resulted in success for anybody. There may be elements of this in Billy Beane's approach, but his success is still due primarily to good scouting and development, just like TR. And Theo Epstein? What exactly has he done sabermetrically with success in the major leagues? The organization got lucky with Ortiz, but I think that's more a result of coaching and circumstance. Other than that, the Red Sox approach has involved a lot of money. That's baseball conventional wisdom # 1 right there.Sabermetrics may make for some fun blogs and interesting reads, but I don't think it would makes any significant difference running a ML franchise. Terry Ryan is one of the best GMs in the game, even if he did sign Tony Batista.
|W|P|"And Theo Epstein? What exactly has he done sabermetrically with success in the major leagues?"Well, the Red Sox did win the World Series in 2004. Also, the team benefitted substantially from players brought in under Epstein's tenure: Schilling, Ortiz, Foulke, Mueller, Bellhorn, Millar, Williamson, Timlin, and B. Arroyo.
Epstein was working from a sabermetric paradigm when he made those acquisitions. You can attempt to chalk up a player like Ortiz to luck, but that 2004 offense was great because Epstein had the foresight to acquire high OBP players (Bellhorn, Mueller) and guys with power potential (Ortiz, Millar). Those players were all terrific for the Red Sox in 2004, and all those guys were acquired without much trouble. In fact, the three outside of Ortiz made a combined 5.89 million in 2004 (an average of 1.96 million) and Ortiz was originally signed for 1.25 million. Hard to even play the payroll card under those circumstances, as those players were all for the taking.
Because I am getting so many requests to comment about reported trade talks, I thought it best to make a clear statement that hopefully won't be misinterpreted. I have found over the years that 'people with knowledge of the situation' are usually the most ignorant, and 'anonymous sources' are usually synonymous with cowards who don't want to go on the record. My position has been and continues to be that I am focusing on rehabilitating my knee so that I can come back and play the game I love at the highest level. Until I hear different from Mr. Wilf or the new 'triangle of authority' at the Vikings I plan on playing quarterback for Minnesota. Trying to delve into speculation, innuendo, rumor or anything else of this nature would be a waste of energy. I choose at this time to spend my energy on getting healthy.While he fired his agent, it's good to see that Mr. Culpepper has a lawyer. 'Cause if that wasn't a lawyer writing the text of that e-mail, well, then, my name is Dante Barbuda.|W|P|114012511263328407|W|P|He Who Represents Himself...|W|P|sbg@stickandballguy.com
|W|P|"'Cause if that wasn't a lawyer writing the text of that e-mail, well, then, my name is Dante Barbuda."Actually, check out this part of the email...
"Until I hear different from Mr. Wilf or the new 'triangle of authority' at the Vikings I plan on playing quarterback for Minnesota."
I would hope that a lawyer, when proofreading a three-paragraph statement for what is almost certainly his wealthiest client, would catch that it should read "Until I hear differently from..." Either that, or I'm overestimating lawyers.
Also, if I was his lawyer, and I'm certainly not a lawyer, I wouldn't have him calling anyone ignorant or a coward in a public forum like that. Those sources close to the situation are likely people that Dante or his agent would have to deal with at some point in time, and it would a little more diplomatic not to call them out in public like that, or at least to use that specific wording.
Honestly, that email sounds to me like someone trying to make their writing sound official who has little experience in formal writing.
At least the thought behind the message is good. Dante should be putting his energy into rehab and not speculating on trade scenarios.
SBG|W|P|While the grammatical error is regrettable, I still believe that Mr. Culpepper's counsel wrote that e-mail. Of course, I could be Dante Barbuda. amr|W|P|SBG,You may be Dante, but the QB is Daunte.
-AMR
SBG|W|P|I knew that AMR and I can't believe I made that mistake. Sheesh! I'll fix it. |W|P|On the other hand, maybe the lawyer made an error in grammar on purpose so it would look like Culpepper had written it. You know how crafty those lawyers can be.The Knicks remain hot for Steve Francis, who shot 3-for-15 in Orlando's loss to Miami on Wednesday, and there are some in the organization who believe a late run at the eighth and final playoff spot in the East is not such an absurd notion. New York would have to finish 26-4 to end the season with a .500 record, but .500 might not be necessary to make the postseason.Philadelphia is in eighth place, one game under .500. The Knicks are 10 1/2 games out of eighth place with 30 to play (they are 22 games under .500). There are five teams between them and eighth place. Yet, some people think in the organization think they can make the playoffs? They basically have to run the table from here on out. They beat Toronto last night by two points, ending a 10 game losing streak and a 1-16 stretch. How can anyone think this team has a shot? If someone in the organization told me that, I could only print it to prove that the organization is completely delusional. Sheridan prints it pretty much at face value without commentary.|W|P|114010067213341702|W|P|Hoo Boy|W|P|sbg@stickandballguy.com
|W|P|I agree. Obviously.-tootie
SBG|W|P|For me, the interesting part was Peterson basically calling out the head coach on the Wolves broadcast. He's right, in my opinion, and I'm glad he said it. When a coach changes his rotations and the team starts to lose consistently, one would think the coach might consider revising his rotations. But, Casey hasn't, and I'm at a loss to explain why. |W|P|yea, what's up with that? The Twins fight Lohse over half a million (3.95 vs. 3.4)??? He's a league-average pitcher by ERA+ standards. Meanwhile, Milwaukee is giving a one-year, $4.5 million contract to a pitcher who is three years older and not much better in Tomo Okha.
This just seemed like undue expenditure on lawyers to me.
|W|P|To be fair, Ohka has had some really good seasons (and he wasn't helped by that bandbox park in Puerto Rico!). His career ERA+ is 114, while Lohse's is 94 (with a career-high of 105, or about equal to Ohka's worst full season so far, 103).I agree that Lohse's request salary wasn't unreasonable, though, and I wish the Twins could have settled with him this year.
Unknown|W|P|He asked if your wine complimented your meal? What exactly did it say?? That's some polite wine. (Isn't that about the same as asking how the food is tasting?? Moss is just needling you...Moss knows that it is a different word altogether.)
A nice post. Moss too appreciates good service, regardless of the type. And Moss hopes you and yours had a nice V-Day.
Feb 14 - The New York Post reported Sunday that Denver, Orlando, Portland and Seattle were interested in trading for Penny Hardway and his $15.7 million expiring contract. On Monday a league executive who spoke with Isiah Thomas told the newspaper that a fifth team is slowly emerging and could be the Timberwolves or Lakers. According to the newspaper, the Knicks and Lakers were discussing a deal of Hardaway for Lamar Odom, but the Lakers wanted Channing Frye and the Knicks rejected it. Reportedly, Thomas would have gone for it had the Lakers added rookie center Andrew Bynum."Rumor Central" is just that, rumor central. Most of the stuff that shows up there never happens. If the Wolves traded for Hardaway, they could maybe unload Griffin and Jaric. But, they'd likely have to throw in someone would could play, too, I would think. Frankly, I don't know how Isiah could justify that trade, and the deal doesn't bring the Wolves under the salary cap, but it would cut Glen Taylor's losses.|W|P|113996399911487696|W|P|Rumor Central|W|P|sbg@stickandballguy.com
|W|P|He's Isiah, he can't justify many of the moves he makes, and yet he keeps on making them. Though that would be a bit lop-sided, even for him.
I think either Jaric or Hudson should be activated in the next game and starting. I dislike them both, but Casey doesn't look like he's going to start Banks, and Carter can't do anything offensively....and neither can Madsen....and since there aren't options on the floor to leave Hassell open, neither can he.
-tootie
SBG|W|P|I don't think that Hudson can play with his ankle right now. I agree that Jaric should play. Right now, I'd start Banks, Davis, Jaric, Garnett, and Blount. |W|P|Ooooh right right the ankle. I had forgotten.Your lineup looks okay, assuming Jaric would seem less clueless as the shooting guard (and capable of shooting).
Also, we should at least give Frahm a fighting chance at getting his shooting touch in gear.
Otherwise, if we're going to wallow in suckitude, let's give Bracey Wright a chance to play at shooting guard.
-tootie
|W|P|Taken from DIME/Foxsports:"According to Minnesota's Anthony Carter, the team has only had one practice together since picking up Ricky Buckets and Co. from Boston."
Seriously? ONE practice for a losing team that just got 1/3 of its roster revamped?
-tootie
Greek House|W|P|I had heard that they hadn't had much time to practice since the trade, but I didn't think the situation was quite that dire.Despite the loss last night, the Wolves actually played really well. It was just that Toronto shot so well from beyond the arc. Of course at this point, a moral victory means very little. What would mean something is an actual victory.
| Player | 2005 | 2006 | VORP Improvement | ||||
| PA | EqA | VORP | PA | EqA | VORP | ||
| Jason Bartlett | 250 | 0.243 | 1.6 | 454 | 0.268 | 17.5 | 15.9 |
| Mike Cuddyer | 469 | 0.268 | 8.1 | 483 | 0.277 | 15.2 | 7.1 |
| Lew Ford | 588 | 0.262 | 7.7 | 559 | 0.275 | 14.6 | 6.9 |
| Joe Mauer | 554 | 0.289 | 34.7 | 577 | 0.291 | 33.9 | -0.8 |
| Justin Morneau | 543 | 0.259 | 0.2 | 580 | 0.288 | 20.9 | 20.7 |
The combined projected VORP improvement for these five players is 49.8. In other words, the rest of the team is projected to be 17 runs worse than last year. So much for the off-season moves to improve the team. Here are the VORP projections for the entire team.
| Player | PA | EqA | VORP |
| Jason Bartlett | 454 | 0.268 | 17.5 |
| Tony Batista | 285 | 0.242 | -0.2 |
| Luis Castillo | 590 | 0.275 | 24.1 |
| Juan Castro | 221 | 0.237 | 0.9 |
| Mike Cuddyer | 483 | 0.277 | 15.2 |
| Lew Ford | 559 | 0.275 | 14.6 |
| Torii Hunter | 492 | 0.281 | 19.9 |
| Jason Kubel | 156 | 0.285 | 7.6 |
| Joe Mauer | 577 | 0.291 | 33.9 |
| Justin Morneau | 580 | 0.288 | 20.9 |
| Nick Punto | 493 | 0.250 | 6.3 |
| Mike Redmond | 164 | 0.234 | 0.4 |
| Luis Rodriguez | 349 | 0.251 | 4.8 |
| Ruben Sierra | 137 | 0.244 | -1.5 |
| Shannon Stewart | 513 | 0.263 | 4.8 |
| Rondell White | 404 | 0.282 | 15.9 |
| Team | 6457 | 185.1 |
Christenson writes about the off-season acquisitions:
At the risk of starting an argument, Batista fills no hole whatsoever. However, Castillo and White are nice additions. Nevertheless, there's no doubt that the Twins will need the young guys. That means if Bartlett or Cuddyer struggle out of the gate the manager will have to have enough faith to let them play through their struggles. The alternatives are not pretty.|W|P|113988567047479894|W|P|Perception v. Reality|W|P|sbg@stickandballguy.comWhile it might have been met with a collective yawn from their fans, the Twins addressed their offensive holes by adding three former All-Stars: Luis Castillo, Tony Batista and Rondell White.
Nick N.|W|P|I will never understand how you could have possibly thought trading Hunter would have improved our offense for this year. I wouldn't put too much stock into PECOTA predictions. They provide an interesting mathematical metric for predicting what a player will do in a given season, but when all is said and done, they're not really much more accurate than making educated guesses.
That means if Bartlett or Cuddyer struggle out of the gate the manager will have to have enough faith to let them play through their struggles. The alternatives are not pretty.
It is almost a sure thing that Cuddyer will struggle out of the gate, as he does every year. The notion that the alternatives behind him are "not pretty" seems false to me. I think Lew Ford is a far superior option in right field, and Jason Kubel is reportedly at full strength. If Bartlett struggles, however, we are in trouble.
SBG|W|P|How is Lew Ford "far superior" offensively? Nick N.|W|P|I didn't say offensively, I said he was a better option in RF overall. He's a much better defender and he has more speed.But heck, I'll argue that Ford is a far superior offensive player as well. Ford's career line: .285/.363/.424. Cuddyer's: .260/.330/.428. Ford's .299/.381/.446 line in 2004 is far better than anything Cuddyer has done in his ML career. Sure, Ford regressed last year to .264/.338/.377, but Cuddyer only hit .263/.330/.422. Basically the same thing, except Cuddyer had more power (most of which came with the bases empty). I'm not even convinced Cuddyer is that much better of a power hitter, seeing as how he has never hit more than 12 HR in a season and Ford hit 15 in '04. Furthermore, Ford does not ground into nearly as many double plays, and he has better patience. Combine all that with the fact that Lew can steal a bag and lay down a bunt, and I'll take him over Cruddy in a heartbeat.
|W|P|Maybe it's just off-season optimism, but I think the Twins offense will be significantly better this year. Not a powerhouse, mind you, just better. I think they will be improved offensively at every position except third base and possibly right field (depending on how Kubel does.This, of course, counts on young players improving, and veterans bouncing back from off years. It may not happen, of course, but I think for most of them it is likely.
When you come down to it, nobody really knows. Projections can be fun to look at, but they often are wrong, sometimes wildly so. I look forward to the season starting, so we can stop guessing and see what we really have.
|W|P|I'm going on record with the following predictions for the '06 season:a.)The Twins will finish farther back than last year
b.)This will lead to more radical changes withing the basic structure of the team
c.) A serious rift will develop between the manager and the general manager
d.)The pitching will not be a strong as last year
MV
SBG|W|P|The PECOTA projections, as far as I can tell show some improvement (32 runs). I think this is a reasonable number, given the moves that were made. Of course, it would be foolish to take PECOTA numbers to the bank, but it is an attempt to look at things dispassionately.Given the way things have gone (Wolves, Twins, Vikings) I will admit to a negative outlook. But, I do believe the offense will be better, although "better" means still in the lower half of the league as opposed to the worst.
|W|P|PECOTA doesn't think too much of Shannon Stewart, eh? He's another wild-card for the Twins 2006 offense. I think we can be fairly confident about lineup spots 2 through 5, which couldn't be said last year. As long as two guys step up the claim the SS and 3B jobs, this team should be all right. Those will likely only be the 8 and 9 holes in the lineup anyway, but it will be important to finally solidify them. That consistency could get us back to over-shooting our expected W/L record again, which could put us back over 90 wins.And I think the pitching could be better this year too -- we're replacing Mays with either Baker or Liriano, and although our veteran LOOGY and long-relief options look pretty thin, I wouldn't be surprised if a rookie eventually took over those spots and succeeded. I certainly don't think our pitching "overachieved" last year -- our staff ERA was behind both Chicago and Cleveland. There's room for improvement on that side of the ball too.
|W|P|"This improvement is assuming a vast improvement for pretty much every young player with the exception of Joe Mauer."Young players generally improve. How much you consider vast is a different story, but the fact that PECOTA looked through its database, compared those guys to similar young players, and found that they should improve shouldn't surprise us that much.
Ford's EQA prediction is basically his career EQA, so I don't think that's so much a vast improvement on last year as last year being his worst year in a long time.
If we're going to properly compare Bartlett's VORP from last year to his projected VORP, you have to include his performance in the minors somehow. PECOTA changed their projection method this year to count a professional plate appearance as a professional plate appearance, so BP isn't making any kind of claim on whether Bartlett's PAs will come at the major league level or the minor league level. If you halve Bartlett's PAs for next season, you're talking about an increase in VORP of about 8 runs, which is less than a win. For a young guy who has shown really good OBP in the minors, has just had a taste of the majors, and is about to enter his prime, that seems reasonable to me.
Morneau's projection may be a hair on the extreme side, but if we look back over his career, last year looks to clearly be the outlier. If anything, what this projection says is that historically, there have been a lot of players like Morneau who have had a blcokbuster half-season (like Morneau's 2004), gone on to have a bad season (with some good indicators, like Morneau's ability to hit for HRs), and then continue to have success in the future.
If anything, I was hoping PECOTA would be a little more favorable towards some of our guys. If you get the time, I recommend looking at Mauer's 'stars and scrubs' chart on his PECOTA card. It's a thing of beauty.
SBG|W|P|The numbers I've shown are averages. Obviously, some will be better, some worse and PECOTA provides some information on that, which I'm not going to go through for every player. The point I'm making is that this team as constituted looks like a 720 run team. That's a whole lot better than 688. But even with the pitching performance that the Twins had last year that nets about 87 wins, which won't be enough.For that reason, my expectations are not too high for this team in 2006. Considering the way things have been going it'd be nice to be pleasantly surprised for once, instead of this constant unpleasantly surprised.
Nick N.|W|P|Was this just an oversight, or have you really never seen a Gophers football game at the Metrodome? Not that you're missing that much, as obviously the Dome is not a great venue for watching anything, but the Gophers have been fun to watch the last few years. SBG|W|P|Nope, that's not an oversight. The only Gopher athletic event I've ever seen is one hockey game. |W|P|Didn't we see a single A baseball game in South Bend at the Cove? Stanley Covaleski Stadium, home of the South Bend Sivlerhawks. Used to be a White Sox affiliate, now a Arizona Diamondback club.Leo
SBG|W|P|Thanks right, Leo, I forgot that! |W|P|Too bad about you never got to see a game in the old Memorial Stadium on the U campus. The Brickhouse had a great neighborhood feel and you were close to the action from just about anywhere. Or so it seemed to me.I also saw the Goofs get destroyed by the Rozier-Fryer-Gill Nebraska Cornhuskers back in 1983. (I grew up as a Cornhusker fan, so this was fun for me). For some reason, I remember it as 81-21, but the record says 84-13. And Minnesota had more possession time for the game. Like watching a high school team play an NFL team.
|W|P|what the heck. You're basically begging for the Peanut Gallery to chime in.MLB: Met Stadium (Twins; my dad tells me I saw Mickey Mantle bat; I was probably playing with my GI Joe or eating cotton candy rather than watching very closely); HHH (Twins); Yankee Stadium (duh); Fenway; New Comiskey; Wrigley; the Ted (Braves); Jack Murphy (Padres); Camden Yards (Orioles); Memorial Stadium (Orioles); Safeco Field (Mariners). Sadly, I have yet to get to an A's or Giants game.
NFL: RFK (Redskins, for a Monday Night game); Jack Murphy (Chargers); Candlestick (49ers); Soldiers' Field (Bearsss)
NBA: United Center (Bulls with MJ)
NHL: Met Center (North Stars, in a penalty-minute, record-setting game vs. the Secord/Savard Blackhawks); Capitol Center (Capitols)
Major College Football: Memorial Stadium (Goofers); HHH (Goofers); Memorial Stadium (Illinois); Kinnick Stadium (Iowa)
Small College Football: most of the MIAC schools plus a few in the Midwest Conference; UC-Davis
Major College hoops: the Barn; Assembly Hall (Illinois); Rupp Arena (UK)
CBA/College Baseball/College Hockey: none (unless you count club hockey at both Carleton and Illinois). But I did attend a number of Junior A games (1976 USHL national champion Austin Mavericks coached by future Olympic team coach Lou Vairo).
Minor League baseball: Raley Field (Sacramento River Cats). Does having beers across the street from Oldsmobile Park (Lansing Lugnuts) count?
SBG|W|P|what the heck. You're basically begging for the Peanut Gallery to chime in.You got that right. Nice list, brianS.
Andrew|W|P|I chimed in with its very own post at my place. Greek House|W|P|The only sporting arena I've been to outside of Minnesota is the Staples Center when I went to see Bulls vs. Clippers there last Spring.I've also been in both the upper deck and near courtside in the target center, which *feels* like two different stadiums.
Other than Staples, the only place I've been that isn't on your list (other than DIII sports) is Seibert Field to see a gophers baseball game. I've never been to an NHL game anywhere.
SBG|W|P|Andrew's place is here. Andrew|W|P|Right, thanks, I forgot that part. Cheesehead Craig|W|P|Most succinct Wolves post of the year. |W|P|This post followed an interesting path. Unfortunately for you, I'm going to go back to the Stallone portion. I shouldn't do this since I haven't seen the movie since it was in theaters, but I highly recommend Cop Land. You will (likely) enjoy. Unknown|W|P|Moss didn't know Sandra Bullock was in Demolition Man until this post. As SBG knows, though, it's not Sandra Bullock that gets Moss' award for worst actress. That distinguished award goes to the one and only Ashley Judd. Exhibit A -- A Time to Kill.
As for actors, Hugh Grant is there but put James Spader on the list of candidates as well.
But speaking of Joaquin Phoenix, have you not seen Gladiator? If not, get it on the list.
SBG|W|P|bj -- It's possible that not every Stallone movie is a clunker. I'll stick by my rule though unless there is strong evidence to the contrary.Moss -- Yes, Bullock was in Demolition Man and was almost impossibly bad. By comparision, she made Stallone look like Pacino in Godfather. I didn't know who she was before that, but she caught my eye there. Ashley Judd is HOT, HOT, HOT!!!!! (Inside joke there, readers.)
SBG|W|P|Interestingly enough, Cop Land was directed by James Mangold, who directed Walk the Line. And we've come full circle. |W|P|One Bullock film worth watching - although she's a bit player, is Crash. I believe it's the first time I've ever seen her act. Unknown|W|P|Moss seconds the comment about Crash. And she really does a good job in that role. (Of course she's playing a self-absorbed bitch, so...) Andrew|W|P|I took my girlfriend last weekend. 1) Johnny Cash is one of my most favorite singers ever and 2) Joaquin Phoenix is one of my favorite actors, so I was really psyched. We both loved it. Hope you and Lucy have as good a time as we did. SBG|W|P|We really enjoyed it. It was a fabulous movie. |W|P|The debacle....Casey needs to realize that he can't start two players (Madsen and Carter) who can't score to save their lives and a third (Hassell) who can only score if he's left alone for 15 foot baseline jumpers...which isn't as often when no one has to cover Carter and Madsen. Really, try to make it a LITTLE bit easier on Garnett and Davis in the scoring category.
-tootie
Unknown|W|P|When the hell do pitchers and catchers report??Mark Cuban never wants fans to avoid Mavericks games because seats are too expensive, so he decided to make good on a promise he made years ago. The owner said then that when his payroll became more manageable, he would pass the savings on to fans in the form of lower prices. On Thursday, he followed through. All seats in the upper level of American Airlines Center will be reduced in price for the 2006-07 season and for a special 10-game ticket pack, prices will be as low as $2 per game. The team is also increasing the number of tickets currently priced at $10 from 1,000 to 1,800, almost 10 percent of the building. "Our luxury tax is going to go way down for a variety of reasons, and we decided rather than sticking it in my pocket, we'll put it in the fans' pockets," Cuban said. "Those [seats] are the hardest to sell. But I never want to hear that Maverick tickets are too expensive. I'm just keeping my promise." Cuban said that selling out AAC is not becoming more difficult. But this is the first time such an extensive drop in prices has taken place. Tickets for $50 will be lowered to $48, $35 to $33, $19 to $18 and $10 to $9. In addition, all lower bowl seats will remain the same price next season.Yeah, the seats aren't great, but you can't do much for $2 these days. Hell, you can't do much for $10 these days. Kudos to Cuban for allowing at least some access to the NBA for the common man. Oh yeah, and he has a great team down there.|W|P|113960263586565810|W|P|What the World Needs is a $2 NBA Ticket|W|P|sbg@stickandballguy.com
Cheesehead Craig|W|P|With the high-quality video monitors also, doesn't matter too much how high up you are, you can still see the game. Cuban could go down as the greatest NBA owner ever if he keeps this genius marketing stuff up.The people in Dallas love this guy.
Greek House|W|P|There's a movie theater across the street from me that has tickets for $2, and $1 on Tuesdays!Tonight, my student ID is getting me into the Wolves game for $10. Woot!
|W|P|Wow. That Mark Cuban is... a reasonable man.It would be nice to see some competitive ticket discounting at Target Center. But we've got to pay Mad Dog somehow...
|W|P|Has he actually been selling out games consistently? the marginal cost of providing those upper-deck seats to consumers is near zero (basically, it's the additional cost of cleaning the stands and the bathrooms incurred from selling additional seats), but the marginal revenue is substantial -- parking and concessions.
Kudos to Cuban for holding the line/cutting prices on the more desirable seats. But something tells me that his revenue stream isn't going to be hurt by this.
SBG|W|P|brianS --You are probably right -- it probably doesn't make a whole lot of difference to his revenue stream... in fact, it may enhance it by bringing in people that wouldn't otherwise be able to afford it. Those people become fans and buy merchandise.
It seems simple, you know, like common sense. But, common sense isn't so common.
SBG|W|P|Oops, I didn't read your comment completely. Right, he's getting more revenue. It is a win-win. Plus, he may not be discounting season tickets for the prices that he's putting on the face.Nevertheless, he is putting a quality product and he alone is taking these steps. I think a cheaper Wild ticket would have been nice, you know, since they shut down an entire season.
The word from two sources is that the hockey team will earn about $20 million this year. However, the team has a debt of some $78 million, and the interest and other costs will eat up most of that profit.Where I come from, interest expense is deducted with every other expense from revenues to get the net profit. You can rest assured that no team is going to say we made $20 million but we have to service our debt from that profit. But, Sid will carry the water for them with that little tidbit of questionable veracity. The Wild have been playing decent hockey of late and it seems to me that a couple of middling veterans could have put this team in a position to be a real contender without burdening them down with a huge payroll. But, be patient fans. Next year, they'll make the plunge. Just like the sign on the roadside bar down in my in-law's neck of the woods -- free beer tomorrow.|W|P|113958641607045932|W|P|Wild for Sale?|W|P|sbg@stickandballguy.com
SBG|W|P|And here I thought it was billions. Victor|W|P|You know what's depressing, looking at this team and then imagining it with Sam Cassel starting at PG, with Banks coming off the bench as the change of pace, and Jaric far from our consciousness. That would be a legitimate playoff team, wouldn't it?And that's before you mention the first round draft pick we gave to the Clippers for the privilege of signing Jaric to a 5 year deal. Ugh.
Now that he has been benched, does Jaric still have any value to other teams? Can McHale trade him even if he wanted to? Regardless, McHale won't trade him because he is McHale's guy and he traded away Cassel and a 1st rounder for him, so he cannot admit that Jaric and that trade are complete flops.
amr|W|P|I got one of those Guard Dog watches. Real nice. I just wish I had a job that deserved such a heavy-duty timepiece. Cheesehead Craig|W|P|See SBG, I told you to change your logo, and now look, you made the news. You're welcome.
|W|P|So did the portion of your site that says "half-baked crap" get on the screen over the anchor's shoulder? SBG|W|P|bj: Yes, but you can't see it clearly.| Player | MIN | PTS | TS% | REB/40 | ASS/40 | PTS/40 | POS | DIST | GEN |
| Kevin Garnett | 46 | 21 | 48.8 | 15.65 | 5.22 | 18.26 | 25.5 | 1.20 | 0.98 |
| Ricky Davis | 44 | 33 | 51.4 | 6.36 | 4.55 | 30.00 | 33.73 | 1.66 | 1.08 |
| Trenton Hassell | 43 | 13 | 51.9 | 2.79 | 1.86 | 12.09 | 15.18 | 0.77 | 0.94 |
| Marcus Banks | 29 | 15 | 62.5 | 4.14 | 5.52 | 20.69 | 15.32 | 1.15 | 1.15 |
| Mark Madsen | 27 | 5 | 42.5 | 8.89 | 0.00 | 7.41 | 5.88 | 0.47 | 0.85 |
| Anthony Carter | 19 | 0 | 0.0 | 2.11 | 12.63 | 0.00 | 6.98 | 0.80 | 0.58 |
| Mark Blount | 13 | 0 | 0.0 | 3.08 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 2 | 0.33 | 0.00 |
| Justin Reed | 8 | 4 | 100.0 | 5.00 | 0.00 | 20.00 | 2 | 0.54 | 2.00 |
| Eddie Griffin | 7 | 0 | 0.0 | 5.71 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 1 | 0.31 | 0.00 |
| Rashad McCants | 4 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 3 | 1.63 | 0.00 |
| Team | 240 | 91 | 47.4 | 110.59 | 0.96 |
KG had an off night offensively, and he missed 10 of his last 14 shots. Ricky Davis had a decent night and his numbers were negatively affected by desperation threes at the end. He was aggressive on the offensive end. One wishes that KG would be that aggressive with the rock in his hand. KG had a big rebounding night and has been picking up his offensive rebounding as of late (15 in the last four games).
One has to wonder what the future holds for Marko Jaric. With two consecutive DNP-CDs, he's clearly out of favor. The fact is this. Jaric is not a point guard. He can't handle the ball, he can't penetrate as effectively as AC or Marcus Banks. With Ricky Davis and Trenton Hassell in place, he's not likely to break into the starting line up (is Hassell really better than Jaric?). With McCants playing better and Justin Reed showing that, at the very least, he can play with energy it seems that the lackadaisical Jaric will have difficulty getting out of the dog house. Will he be moved? I sure hope so.
Eddie Griffin got in last night almost by default. Madsen got a ridiculous 27 minutes. With Blount doing nothing again last night, the Minnesota front line is as thin as Twiggy's shadow.
Let's look at the numbers since the trade.
| Player | MIN | PTS | TS% | POS | REB/40 | A/40 | PTS/40 | DIST | GEN |
| Ricky Davis | 304 | 154 | 51.2 | 180 | 4.5 | 2.6 | 20.3 | 1.33 | 0.93 |
| Kevin Garnett | 303 | 160 | 63.8 | 154.56 | 13.1 | 3.7 | 21.1 | 1.15 | 1.16 |
| Trenton Hassell | 287 | 88 | 51.2 | 111.83 | 4.6 | 3.8 | 12.3 | 0.88 | 0.95 |
| Mark Blount | 174 | 57 | 55.9 | 61.95 | 8.7 | 0.7 | 13.1 | 0.80 | 0.95 |
| Marcus Banks | 177 | 83 | 59.0 | 89.28 | 2.9 | 5.4 | 18.8 | 1.14 | 1.11 |
| Eddie Griffin | 132 | 26 | 32.9 | 46.52 | 10.6 | 0.0 | 7.9 | 0.79 | 0.56 |
| Rashad McCants | 125 | 66 | 59.3 | 62.63 | 2.9 | 1.0 | 21.1 | 1.13 | 1.09 |
| Marko Jaric | 115 | 25 | 46.7 | 36.39 | 4.5 | 3.8 | 8.7 | 0.71 | 0.89 |
| Justin Reed | 99 | 37 | 55.1 | 43.59 | 4.0 | 1.2 | 14.9 | 0.99 | 0.89 |
| Mark Madsen | 95 | 8 | 37.2 | 16.42 | 8.4 | 0.8 | 3.4 | 0.39 | 0.57 |
| Anthony Carter | 66 | 15 | 42.0 | 27.78 | 1.8 | 10.9 | 9.1 | 0.95 | 0.97 |
| Troy Hudson | 41 | 5 | 25.0 | 16.64 | 4.9 | 7.8 | 4.9 | 0.91 | 0.62 |
| Ronald Dupree | 7 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.88 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.28 | 0.00 |
| Team | 1918 | 724 | 53.5 | 847.59 | 0.97 |
The Wolves have a slightly better TS% after the trade than before the trade. The Wolves are scoring 0.8 points fewer per game. Right now, it's hard to gauge the trade, but it's clear to anyone watching that the Wolves have gotten much more athletic and that Banks appears to be a real player. Those positives haven't translated into wins yet. Even with the new roster, last night's loss had a sickeningly familiar feel.
|W|P|113954448486487950|W|P|Checking In|W|P|sbg@stickandballguy.com Unknown|W|P|Moss thinks it's "sickeningly." SBG|W|P|How much do you charge for proofreading? Unknown|W|P|Same as for lawing. Bill's in the mail.Yours,
Moss
|W|P|A Twiggy reference? Have you been reading too much Souhan lately? SBG|W|P|jeff aBig Ouch on that one. :)
Greek House|W|P|Wolves are completely owning right now. Hopefully, they can keep this up.-GH
|W|P|and, of course, it doesn't keep up...I didn't see the game, just looking at a box score, but should Marcus Banks be starting? Also, are we on the verge of dumping Jaric? Please?
-tootie
Greek House|W|P|I'm wondering about Jaric too. I can see Casey benching him for a game to try and get him fired up, but two games makes me think something might be up. I was also frustrated that Casey kept Madsen in there near the end of the game. I know he's pissed at EG (we all are) but Madsen is just bad and shouldn't be in there near the end of close games.
|W|P|"but Madsen is just bad and shouldn't be in games."Corrected ;)
-tootie
Cheesehead Craig|W|P|I'll take Lebron. Much love and respect to KG, but for a big game, I'd go with LJ. |W|P|http://www.thefogofwork.blogspot.com/'nuff said.
Unknown|W|P|Moss thinks it's simple -- there's more money in a long career. It's a business, after all. |W|P|Even if you throw out money, career ending injury = quality of life decline. I don't want to hobble around the rest of my life just to win a Super Bowl, even less if I lose out on tons of money.-tootie
|W|P|Tootie wrote "Even if you throw out money, career ending injury = quality of life decline. I don't want to hobble around the rest of my life just to win a Super Bowl, even less if I lose out on tons of money."I vaguely recall survey data on this question with pro athletes, who overwhelmingly reported saying that they would trade years of lifespan in return for (specified, by sport) individual/team achievements.
Pro jocks really are different from the rest of us, and not just because they are richer. Mostly because they are young and think they will be young forever. I suspect the answers change dramatically for athletes who've had major injuries that permanently affect their quality of life.
I played Div. III college football briefly, with my career ending in part because of an injury that permanently affected my mobility and quality of life. Having lived the injury-shortened (albeit glory-free) part of the equation, I'd defintely take the long, injury-free career over the short, glorious career.
| STARTERS | MIN | PTS | TS% | REB/40 | ASS/40 | PTS/40 | POS | DIST | GEN |
| Anthony Carter | 14 | 10 | 80.6 | 0.00 | 8.57 | 28.57 | 10.19 | 1.57 | 1.18 |
| Ricky Davis | 44 | 18 | 49.5 | 4.55 | 0.91 | 16.36 | 23.53 | 1.15 | 0.79 |
| Kevin Garnett | 38 | 19 | 69.0 | 12.63 | 4.21 | 20.00 | 20.08 | 1.14 | 1.08 |
| Trenton Hassell | 41 | 15 | 60.9 | 6.83 | 9.76 | 14.63 | 19.62 | 1.03 | 1.11 |
| Mark Madsen | 22 | 1 | 26.6 | 5.45 | 0.00 | 1.82 | 3.88 | 0.38 | 0.26 |
| Justin Reed | 11 | 5 | 56.3 | 18.18 | 0.00 | 18.18 | 5.44 | 1.07 | 0.92 |
| Marcus Banks | 34 | 17 | 60.7 | 3.53 | 2.35 | 20.00 | 16.66 | 1.06 | 1.10 |
| Mark Blount | 7 | 2 | 100.0 | 17.14 | 0.00 | 11.43 | 2.0 | 0.62 | 1.00 |
| Rashad McCants | 29 | 16 | 88.9 | 1.38 | 0.00 | 22.07 | 10.0 | 0.74 | 1.60 |
| Team | 240 | 103 | 63.7 | 111.4 | 1.00 | 1.04 |
The DISTRIBUTION was remarkably even across the team. Like a broken record, KG's DISTRIBUTION number was too low, but when the team has a TS% of 63.7, it's hard to criticize. One thing that the Wolves didn't do well was protect the ball. They had 24 turnovers, which depressed the GENERATION numbers despite their good shooting. McCants had a great offensive game, with 16 points on only 10 POSSESSIONS. That's great.
Blount did nothing, playing only 7 minutes and collecting 4 fouls. Ricky Davis used the most POSSESSIONS, and was not efficient, with a GENERATION of .92 points per POSSESSION. Overall, the Wolves had a great shooting night and only a good efficiency because of all their turnovers. They did a nice job on the boards, with an ORP of 26.7 and an oORP of 22.5 for a DORP 4.2%.
Overall, this is a great win, the best of the year. And KG was huge down the stretch. Yeah.
|W|P|113928845196572554|W|P|I Do Not Believe What I Just Saw|W|P|sbg@stickandballguy.com |W|P|Why did we sign Madsen to a five year contract? And doesn't Banks remind you of Troy Hudson, except his shots go in more often?-tootie
Nick N.|W|P|Did not watch the game, but I heard KG put the exclamation point on the W by swatting a game-tying layup attempt by Marion into the crowd. I'm jubilant to hear that none of the team's three most disgusting players (Hudson, Jaric, Griffin) logged a single minute. Greek House|W|P|The game was exhilarating to watch, which is something I haven't said in a while. The Wolves looked like they were gonna lay another egg early, but the bench actually stepping in during the second quarter to same us, which is quite the change. Banks was outstanding again, and McCants looked like a real NBA player tonight. KG's block at the end really pumped up the team. It's good to beat a very good team on the road, hopefully we can keep the momentum going when we start our long homestand.As for the turnovers, I think a big part of the reason for a lot of them was that we were trying to push the ball up the court a lot more than usual. A turnover in those cases is fine as long as the risk/reward ratio is right. An 80% pass which will lead to an 80% shot is as good as a 64% shot in the half court. Granted, the Wolves made some bad plays in this regard, but hopefully this is part of the learning process. Hopefully the Wolves will continue to do this, but will become a bit more selective.
Unknown|W|P|Wouldn't it be nice if those players were sitting prior to a pending trade?? SBG|W|P|Moss, I was thinking the same thing. Hudson of course has a bum ankle. But Jaric and Griffin were available and not one minute logged. Cheesehead Craig|W|P|McCants is coming around. Shooting over 50% in his last 10 games and avg over 10 pts/game. He's becoming a viable 6th man. Victor|W|P|Hmmm. Trade pending, eh? Jaric and Griffin sitting, eh? I remember reading somewhere that Larry Brown wants Isiah Thomas to get him a backup PG and a shot-blocker. Hmmm. Very interesting. |W|P|I'd rather have AC start than Mark Madsen. AC is capable of dribbling and making a layup. I'm not so convinced Madsen can do either of those things, though I suppose he's worth keeping around for 5 years for his "hustle" and "grit." When hustle and grit are your two best attributes on the court, you suck at basketball. Mark Madsen SUCKS AT BASKETBALL. I'm not one for hyperbole, but I truly and honestly think the D-II point guard that graduated with me from high school could beat Madsen one on one.-tootie
SBG|W|P|I don't understand why the starters weren't Banks and Blount. Madsen and AC were abused early on the defensive end. SBG|W|P|Here's a no-brainer that I have been crying for. Chad Hartman said that Casey wants KG to take 20+ shots tonight. SBG|W|P|Amazingly, the Wolves are holding their own with McCants, Madsen, Banks, Davis and Reed on the floor. They are extremely small and athletic right now. |W|P|Is McCants going to be a player or not?Kevin will not take 20+, he would pass to the ref before he would do that. I feel sorry for him. He can't lead a team. I hope someday he get a chance like Big O, and lands with a superstar he can lean on.
SBG|W|P|Man, what a game. Wolves by one with 40 seconds left.A judge ruled Monday that the Minnesota Twins don't have to play in the etrodome beyond the 2006 season, increasing pressure on lawmakers to approve a stadium funding package this spring.I'm not surprised with this ruling. I wrote about this back on January 9th. My belief was that the Twins, who have not signed a lease since their 1998 agreement expired after the 2003 season, would win and that the Metropolitan Sports Facilities Commission didn't have much of an argument. I wouldn't say it was absolutely clear (I didn't know all of the facts surrounding the behavior of both the Twins and the MSFC), but I was pretty sure that the Judge would rule that the Twins would be considered to have a year-to-year lease. If you remember, it was the then long term lease that Judge Harry Crump ruled could not be violated in the ill-fated contraction attempt last time around. I doubt that MLB will try the contraction again, and I'm not sure that the Twins have a viable market to which it can move (I'd argue that New York area should have a third baseball team -- after all it has three hockey teams) but the Twins do have a lot more leverage in its negotiations. The Twins say that they want to stay.
Twins attorney Roger Magnuson said the team wants to stay. "The purpose of this was not simply to clear the way for getting out of town," he said. "The Twins have been trying every possible way to get a suitable venue." But the ruling makes clear, he said, that the lease is "freely terminable at the end of any season."I would imagine that the MSFC will appeal. However, for now, the Twins hold the upper hand in negotiations. I think that it will be interesting to watch the stadium issue going forward especially in an election year.|W|P|113927234064573519|W|P|Twins Win in Court|W|P|sbg@stickandballguy.com
Unknown|W|P|What a bunch of half-baked crap! Butch|W|P|mrma Really tired of refs deciding the out come of games, should have been 17 to 14 Seahawks, but thats the way it goes. Mrs. Butch said "it is kind of fun to watch the Rolling Stones" ha ha |W|P|"Really tired of refs deciding the out come of games..."Why do you even bother watching the NFL, then?
The officials made something like 5 bad calls that went against the Seahawks. If they spread those bad calls between both teams, it's something like 2 or 3 bad calls each. You've gotta figure the bad calls are going to be one-sided from time-to-time. If anything, this is why it's a bad idea to have a one game championship.
Nick N.|W|P|I skipped the half-time show, but heard from everyone that it was absolutely awful. You enjoyed it, SBG? SBG|W|P|I enjoyed what I heard of it. Music of course is subjective. I'm sure a lot of people enjoyed Britney Spears a few years back. I thought that was awful. Also, you can be sure that the Stones played live and it wasn't lip synched unlike a lot of acts that have performed at the Super Bowl in years past.
|W|P|"Also, you can be sure that the Stones played live and it wasn't lip synched unlike a lot of acts that have performed at the Super Bowl in years past."Who cares? They sounded awful. They need to be euthanized for their own good, before they turn 90 and release the worst record in the history of mankind (this will happen at the rate they're going).
-tootie
SBG|W|P|Here's what the Chukker said about the Stones (and he's no Stones fan):Considering that it was a 12-minute show performed inside a football stadium within the context of an unrelated sporting event, the Rolling Stones were considerably more than sporadically awesome. I know this is a clich� sentiment, but it's amazing how well their songwriting style translates to the idiom of live performance; even "Rough Justice" seemed like a $600 song. Ron Wood's soloing on "Satisfaction" was more organic than I would have possibly anticipated (considering they've now played that tune about 70,000 times), and Mick Jagger (who appears to have roughly the same percentage of body fat as Rod Woodson in 1989) can still somehow convince me to take him seriously as a competitive frontman, even though his band predates the existence of the Super Bowl. I couldn't really see Keef from where I was sitting, but I'm sure he was fine.
frightwig|W|P|Game sucked, pretty much decided by the refs. I think the Steelers' two best plays all day were both gadget plays. The Stones were OK, but it's kinda sad that the Bad Boys of '60s Rock are now chosen to play halftime at the Super Bowl because they're Safe and Corporate. I felt better later when I watched Blackburn beat down Manchester United, 4-3. Best thing on TV all day, next to the Disney World commercial.
SBG|W|P|fw:Yeah, I was disappointed that they agreed to do it. Then, the censors bleeped out words in two of the songs. Christ. It's a helluva depressing world right now.
Unknown|W|P|Moss loves the "Minnesota Mike" reference. Moss has never heard of him, so it leaves Moss to speculate whether it might be the esteemed Mike Tice. Nice work, our Patrick. |W|P|I expected some commentary on the "Stones" performance during the halftime show.My personal observation is that they deserve the "Souhan" treatment from you - but perhaps you have a different take.
Old Mick sounded like it, if you know what I mean.
SBG|W|P|If you see above, I barely heard it due to other people's interference.I'm a HUGE fan of the Stones. They'll NEVER get the treatment from me. That would be like me criticizing my mom for having gray hair. Not going to happen.
I suppose you could say that I'm not being objective. You may be right.
| Player | MIN | PTS | TS% | REB/40 | ASS/40 | PTS/40 | POS | DIST | GEN |
| Eddie Griffin | 20 | 4 | 40.0 | 12.00 | 0.00 | 8.00 | 7 | 0.73 | 0.57 |
| Justin Reed | 24 | 10 | 46.5 | 5.00 | 3.33 | 16.67 | 16.42 | 1.42 | 0.69 |
| Kevin Garnett | 30 | 15 | 50.8 | 14.67 | 2.67 | 20.00 | 17.42 | 1.20 | 0.94 |
| Marcus Banks | 32 | 5 | 23.0 | 3.75 | 6.25 | 6.25 | 14.53 | 1.94 | 0.57 |
| Mark Blount | 17 | 3 | 25.5 | 7.06 | 0.00 | 7.06 | 5.88 | 0.72 | 0.51 |
| Mark Madsen | 11 | 0 | 0.0 | 7.27 | 3.64 | 0.00 | 1.33 | 0.25 | 0.50 |
| Marko Jaric | 16 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.00 | 5.00 | 0.00 | 3.66 | 0.47 | 0.37 |
| Rashad McCants | 20 | 12 | 54.5 | 6.00 | 0.00 | 24.00 | 12 | 1.24 | 1.00 |
| Ricky Davis | 36 | 20 | 58.1 | 5.56 | 1.11 | 22.22 | 21.53 | 1.24 | 0.96 |
| Ronald Dupree | 7 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.88 | 0.26 | 0.00 |
| Trenton Hassell | 28 | 8 | 28.6 | 4.29 | 7.14 | 11.43 | 15.65 | 1.16 | 0.73 |
| Team | 241 | 77 | 41.2 | 116.3 | 1.00 | 0.77 |
| Player | MIN | PTS | TS% | REB/40 | ASS/40 | PTS/40 | POS | DIST | GEN |
| Mickael Pietrus, GF | 34 | 17 | 62.9 | 7.06 | 2.35 | 20.00 | 15.18 | 0.94 | 1.21 |
| Jason Richardson, SG | 30 | 23 | 67.3 | 9.33 | 1.33 | 30.67 | 19.41 | 1.36 | 1.22 |
| Troy Murphy, PF | 29 | 20 | 58.5 | 11.03 | 5.52 | 27.59 | 20.4 | 1.48 | 1.11 |
| Adonal Foyle, C | 24 | 8 | 100.0 | 6.67 | 1.67 | 13.33 | 5.33 | 0.47 | 1.63 |
| Mike Dunleavy, SF | 23 | 14 | 90.2 | 10.43 | 6.96 | 24.35 | 9.08 | 0.83 | 1.84 |
| Baron Davis, PG | 20 | 2 | 33.3 | 10.00 | 12.00 | 4.00 | 6.98 | 0.74 | 0.86 |
| Monta Ellis, G | 19 | 7 | 43.8 | 2.35 | 2.35 | 28.24 | 8.33 | 0.92 | 0.92 |
| Ike Diogu, FC | 17 | 12 | 76.1 | 2.50 | 0.00 | 10.00 | 8.88 | 1.10 | 1.35 |
| Andris Biedrins, FC | 16 | 4 | 50.0 | 10.00 | 0.00 | 4.00 | 4.00 | 0.53 | 1.00 |
| Derek Fisher, PG | 15 | 0 | 0.0 | 4.21 | 14.74 | 14.74 | 9.31 | 1.31 | 0.50 |
| Zarko Cabarkapa, F | 7 | 2 | 34.7 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 5.88 | 1.77 | 0.34 |
| Calbert Cheaney, GF | 6 | 0 | 0.0 | 11.43 | 0.00 | 11.43 | 1.00 | 0.35 | 0.00 |
| Team | 240 | 109 | 58.5 | 113.78 | 1.00 | 1.11 |
They generated 1.11 points per POSSESSION. That's Jordanesque. They had a TS% of 58.5. Off the charts.
The Wolves looked as bad as I have seen in a long time. Disgusting.
Update: From the Oakland Tribune:
|W|P|113911763721178633|W|P|No Good|W|P|sbg@stickandballguy.comAs for what took place on the floor, it was over early, as the recently reconstituted Timberwolves rolled over and played dead long before halftime.
The second quarter saw the Timberwolves go through one of the 12-minute-long slumps that Golden State has specialized in this season. Minnesota went a horrid 6-for-25 (24 percent) from the floor, and Golden State scored the last nine points before halftime � all from inside 4 feet against the Timberwolves' lackadaisical interior defense � to sprint out to their biggest lead of the night to that point, 56-37.
Ridiculously, as Trenton Hassell, Marcus Banks and Ricky Davis combined to brick 13 of 17 shots, Kevin Garnett didn't take a single field-goal attempt in the period. Garnett finished with a whisper-quiet 15 points.
Nick N.|W|P|Marcus Banks shoots 2/10. Justin Reed turns it over 5 times in 24 minutes. Mark Blount has three points. This trade still looking so rosey? Cheesehead Craig|W|P|Dude,How the hell do you come up with these stats? I'm completely confused.
We've got to have his passion, his hustle, his scrap. He didn't have that in the Detroit game. He didn't have that in the Boston game. Whatever the reason, the reasons are not important. We need him to compete and play with passion and to be a leader for our team. That's why we brought him in. He's our starting point guard until he loses his job. That's the thing about the NBA � you've got to compete, hold onto it. The main thing is the passion. It's not the points or the shots missed or whatever. It's just playing hard, getting up, challenging shots.Well, that leadership comment is so much mumbo jumbo (isn't Kevin Garnett the leader???) but it's clear that Jaric doesn't have a lot of passion for the game and it shows up in the numbers. The story on Jaric is that he's very passionate off the court (and apparently not picky). Perhaps he's resting on the court so as to be able to keep up his stamina. I don't know. But, it's clear that he's not the player the Wolves were hoping to get. The dramatic difference between Marcus Banks and Jaric is evident on the stat sheet and visually on the floor. Jaric might be starting games, but Banks is getting the minutes (see my post immediately below this one). Right now, Banks is the number one point guard on this team. I don't care who's starting. Alonzo adds the following:
Asked if Jaric has to show him something soon, Casey said: "Eventually everybody does. He does also if Marcus (Banks) continues to play well. We still have Troy (Hudson) and Marcus behind him. They're dying for playing time." Casey didn't mention Anthony Carter, which could have meant that Banks is the third (or possibly second) point guard behind Jaric. But Casey clarified his comments, saying Banks isn't the designated third point guard, a spot that had belonged to Carter all season before last week's trade that sent Wally Szczerbiak to Boston. The seven-player swap moved Banks to Minnesota. "We have four point guards who are very capable," Casey said.This article was apparently published before last night's game. Banks played 30 minutes, Jaric played 18, Carter played 4, and THUD played 3 against Portland and he had good numbers (see post below). Who do you think is the number one point guard at this moment in time? Considering that Banks has played more minutes than Hudson and Carter combined since the trade and only 17 fewer than Jaric despite missing two games because of his grandfather's death, do you think there's any debate about the pecking order right now? I like it. Casey should play Banks more and more to see what he can do. One more thing from Casey regarding Eddie Griffin and his three point shooting:
That's something we need out of Eddie, but his value to us has been his rebounding and his shot blocking.If Eddie Griffin doesn't take another 3-pt. shot the rest of the season, I'm sure that Mr. Casey will be happy. I know I will be.|W|P|113907608199993707|W|P|Casey Calls Out Jaric|W|P|sbg@stickandballguy.com
|W|P|Ruesse's comment on Saturday Sports talk:"Now we have a more athletic team that chokes away games in the 4th quarter."
Interestingly enough - Reusse blames Casey and Co. for the staff not running the offense through KG the last 6.5 minutes. He said, despite the knuckleheaded players it is up to the coaching staff to ensure the ball is in KG's hands.
Ol' Patrick says Casey can't coach offense. What do you think?
SBG|W|P|My answer to that question is in the post below.When the team had just Wally and KG as viable options, they should have been riding those horses. Instead, they were running post ups for Hassell and had guys like THUD shooting way too much.
I have to put some blame on KG for not grabbing this team by the throat and demanding the ball. And the coaching staff gets blame for not demanding the same thing.
SBG|W|P|To further reinforce my point about not riding Wally and KG I submit this.In 2003-04, KG had DISTRIBUTION of 1.47 and Sam I Am had DISTRIBUTION of 1.42. KG's GENERATION was only 1.05 and Sammy's was 1.09. In 2004-05, KG's DISTRIBUTION was 1.38. Why he was down to 1.31, I'll never understand. Maybe it is Casey.
Garnett fouled Blake, who made both his free throws to put Portland ahead 89-85 with 0.3 seconds left. After a Minnesota timeout, Marcus Banks' 3-point attempt at the buzzer was off. Asked why he didn't foul Blake earlier, giving Minnesota a better chance to at least tie it, Garnett took full responsibility. "I'm so locked in that I was thinking we had more time. I should have fouled earlier," Garnett said. "I'm thinking we had had him (Blake) trapped in the corner, but not thinking that he's sitting there waiting to be fouled with the clock running. It was stupid on my part."This doesn't cost the Wolves the game, and frankly it shouldn't have come to this. But the Wolves were horribly outrebounded (ORP 18.9%, oORP 36.3%, DORP -17.4%) and other than KG and Marcus Banks (6-10, 15 pts, 63.8 TS%) the team shot poorly. Today, I am looking more closely at the offense. We've talked about True Shooting Percentage (TS%) . I wanted to provide some data on how effectively the offense is being run. Below, I have added a chart similar to those that you have seen before. I have added three new columns, POSSESSIONS (POS), DISTRIBUTION (DIST), and GENERATION (GEN) in an attempt to show the offensive efficiency of the team. POSSESSIONS and DISTRIBUTION are based on John Hollinger's "USAGE." Hollinger uses USAGE to determine the number of possesions that a player uses and it is normalized to the league average based on the average number of possessions that happen in a game. What I have done here is calculate how many "possessions" each player used. Hollinger defines total possessions as following.
POSSESSIONS = FGA + .44*FTA + .33*Assists + Turnovers
Obviously, this is a little different from what you might consider a possession. But, we'll run with that. By that definition, the Wolves had 98.52 possessions last night. Actually, I counted about 87 possessions because they had seven offensive rebounds and 16 assists. Subtract 12.33 from 98.52 and you have 86.2. The 0.8 is attributable to the discount put on free throws. Over the long run, this works out. By counting each shot as a possession, the importance of DORP is put into play. So, I'm good with counting possessions in this way. The assist thing is useful for figuring out DISTRIBUTION.
DISTRIBUTION is the number of possessions a player uses divided by the number of possessions a team. Then that number is normalized by the amount of time that the player is on the floor. I then multiply by 5 (the number of players on the floor) to normalize the number to 1.00. In other words, if a team evenly distributed possessions to every player on the team, each player would have a distribution of 1.00. Of course, very few teams have a team full of equally talented offensive players, so the key is to have the more talented offensive players have higher distributions. However, due to the nature of the game, it is not optimal to have any one player's distribution to be too high.
DISTRIBUTION = 5*POSSESSIONS/(Minutes* Team POSSESSIONS)
GENERATION (GEN) is the number of points generated per POSSESSION. GENERATION is defined as follows.
GENERATION = (Points + .67*Assists)/POSSESSIONS
I chose .67 as a factor for assists because the POSSESSION calculation treats every assist as a third of a possession. I just multiplied by 2 and ignored the effect of an assist on a 3 point shot.
Anyway, here are the numbers from last night.
| Player | MIN | PTS | TS% | REB/40 | ASS/40 | PTS/40 | POS | DIST | GEN |
| Kevin Garnett | 44 | 27 | 88.8 | 13.64 | 3.64 | 24.55 | 18.52 | 1.03 | 1.60 |
| Trenton Hassell | 38 | 10 | 44.2 | 3.16 | 5.26 | 10.53 | 13.97 | 0.90 | 0.96 |
| Ricky Davis | 38 | 17 | 39.9 | 3.16 | 1.05 | 17.89 | 23.65 | 1.52 | 0.75 |
| Marcus Banks | 30 | 15 | 63.8 | 2.67 | 6.67 | 20.00 | 16.41 | 1.33 | 1.12 |
| Eddie Griffin | 25 | 0 | 0.0 | 8.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 3.00 | 0.29 | 0.00 |
| Mark Blount | 23 | 6 | 37.5 | 10.43 | 0.00 | 10.43 | 8.00 | 0.85 | 0.75 |
| Marko Jaric | 18 | 8 | 69.4 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 17.78 | 5.76 | 0.78 | 1.39 |
| Justin Reed | 11 | 2 | 20.5 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 7.27 | 4.88 | 1.08 | 0.41 |
| Rashad McCants | 7 | 0 | 0.0 | 5.71 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 2.00 | 0.70 | 0.00 |
| Anthony Carter | 4 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.00 | 10.00 | 0.00 | 2.33 | 1.42 | 0.29 |
| Troy Hudson | 3 | 0 | - | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 |
| Mark Madsen | 0 | 0 | - | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 |
| Player | MIN | PTS | POS | TS% | REB/40 | A/40 | PTS/40 | DIST | GEN |
| Kevin Garnett | 189 | 105 | 91.56 | 69.7 | 12.3 | 3.4 | 22.2 | 1.14 | 1.26 |
| Ricky Davis | 180 | 83 | 101.21 | 50.0 | 3.8 | 2.9 | 18.4 | 1.33 | 0.91 |
| Trenton Hassell | 175 | 52 | 61.38 | 55.2 | 4.6 | 2.3 | 11.9 | 0.83 | 0.96 |
| Mark Blount | 137 | 52 | 52.07 | 61.8 | 9.1 | 0.9 | 15.2 | 0.90 | 1.04 |
| Eddie Griffin | 105 | 22 | 38.52 | 32.8 | 10.7 | 0.0 | 8.4 | 0.87 | 0.57 |
| Marko Jaric | 99 | 25 | 32.73 | 50.5 | 5.3 | 3.6 | 10.1 | 0.78 | 0.95 |
| Marcus Banks | 82 | 44 | 42.77 | 65.7 | 2.0 | 6.3 | 21.5 | 1.23 | 1.23 |
| Rashad McCants | 72 | 40 | 37.63 | 61.3 | 2.8 | 1.7 | 22.2 | 1.23 | 1.12 |
| Justin Reed | 56 | 18 | 19.73 | 54.9 | 0.7 | 0.7 | 12.9 | 0.83 | 0.95 |
| Troy Hudson | 41 | 5 | 16.64 | 25.0 | 4.9 | 7.8 | 4.9 | 0.96 | 0.62 |
| Mark Madsen | 34 | 2 | 5.33 | 50.0 | 10.6 | 1.2 | 2.4 | 0.37 | 0.50 |
| Anthony Carter | 33 | 5 | 10.61 | 32.7 | 2.4 | 10.9 | 6.1 | 0.76 | 1.04 |
| Player | MIN | PTS | POS | TS% | REB/40 | A/40 | PTS/40 | DIST | GEN |
| Kevin Garnett | 1576 | 887 | 903.95 | 58.8 | 11.4 | 4.7 | 22.5 | 1.31 | 1.12 |
| Wally Szczerbiak | 1558 | 805 | 793.04 | 60.1 | 4.9 | 2.9 | 20.7 | 1.17 | 1.11 |
| Richie Frahm | 225 | 66 | 75.15 | 49.8 | 4.1 | 2.7 | 11.7 | 0.76 | 1.01 |
| Trenton Hassel | 1329 | 362 | 425.82 | 53.6 | 2.8 | 2.8 | 10.9 | 0.73 | 1.00 |
| Ronnie Dupree | 148 | 50 | 56.28 | 54.8 | 7.8 | 2.2 | 13.5 | 0.87 | 0.98 |
| Marko Jaric | 1357 | 412 | 577.88 | 48.9 | 4.0 | 6.2 | 12.1 | 0.98 | 0.96 |
| Troy Hudson | 753 | 337 | 393.76 | 48.7 | 1.6 | 1.9 | 17.9 | 1.20 | 0.92 |
| Anthony Carter | 326 | 84 | 126.86 | 45.7 | 4.3 | 5.2 | 10.3 | 0.89 | 0.88 |
| Rashad McCants | 448 | 193 | 249.89 | 46.6 | 4.7 | 1.5 | 17.2 | 1.28 | 0.82 |
| Eddie Griffin | 825 | 219 | 299.67 | 41.0 | 12.2 | 1.3 | 10.6 | 0.83 | 0.79 |
| Michael Olowokandi | 751 | 193 | 258.77 | 45.5 | 9.5 | 0.9 | 10.3 | 0.79 | 0.79 |
| Bracey Wright | 8 | 6 | 7.76 | 38.7 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 30.0 | 2.22 | 0.77 |
| Mark Madsen | 356 | 35 | 48.88 | 52.1 | 9.2 | 0.4 | 3.9 | 0.31 | 0.77 |
| Nikolas Tskitishvili | 13 | 3 | 6.88 | 30.7 | 6.2 | 0.0 | 9.2 | 1.21 | 0.44 |
| Team | 9673 | 3652 | 4224.59 | 52.7 | 0.99 |
Shaq: 1.55 and 1.47
Kobe: 1.53 and 1.64
frightwig|W|P|KG was hitting shots from all over, he couldn't miss. Yet, not only did he take just 13 shots in the game, he didn't get a shot in the final 6 minutes of the 4th quarter. Can you imagine a Bird or Jordan getting into that kind of zone and letting that happen to him?? SBG|W|P|No, but KG is a different animal. He's more Bill Russell than anyone else. Not a scorer. Doesn't have a scorer's mentality. Russell only averaged 15 points a game and is widely regarded as one of the top ten players in the history of the league. KG's offensive game is much better and he's a much better all-around player.The Stones will perform three songs in 12 minutes on Sunday, and the NFL is being predictably tight-lipped about what those songs will be. In an alternative utopia governed by aristocratic griffons, these songs will be "Star Star," "Sister Morphine," and "Jigsaw Puzzle."I'm somewhat ambivalent about the Stones playing the Super Bowl. I mean, I'll watch it, but somehow I thought that they were above that. But, if they actually played those three songs, it would be the most memorable Super Bowl moment ever.|W|P|113898216399406050|W|P|Chukker on the SB|W|P|sbg@stickandballguy.com
Status report: The departure of Wally Szczerbiak had the underpublicized short-term effect of placating Kevin Garnett, who plans to reassess his long-term commitment to the Timberwolves over the summer. Concerns: Marko Jaric has been a disappointment at point guard, and Troy Hudson's and Trenton Hassell's long-term contracts make them undesirable on the trade market. Most likely to be traded: Marcus Banks had 20 points and six assists against his former team when the Wolves defeated the Celtics, but it appeared to be a clear instance of showcasing. Banks was almost rerouted to Seattle for Flip Murray as part of the seven-player Boston-Minnesota deal, but the Sonics pulled out after Luke Ridnour was injured.I seriously doubt that the Wolves were "showcasing" a player in his first game with the team. But, he's right. Banks is probably the only guy with value. Since he makes so little, he probably needs another guy to go with him to make it a good deal. Huddy?|W|P|113898050375183782|W|P|Another Trade for the Wolves?|W|P|sbg@stickandballguy.com
Victor|W|P|Here's hoping that Seattle get desperate enough for a PG to want to trade for Huddle Formation and his outrageous contract. I like Huddy and all, but anything that comes back would be gravy, frankly, on top of dumping his contract. Greek House|W|P|I can't imagine packaging Hudson and Banks in the same deal. Mostly because they're both point guards. A package of Jaric and Banks seems more doable, since Jaric may still have value at the off-guard position for some teams.
At the same time, can you really see the Wolves wanting to trade Banks given that they've already given up two first round picks? Any trade of this nature would certainly have to bring a first round pick back to Minnesota.
I can't imagine two darker years for the Minnesota Vikings than trading Randy Moss one year and Daunte Culpepper the next. These are the most talented men to play their positions in the history of the franchise.|W|P|113897997055744719|W|P|Cris Carter on Daunte|W|P|sbg@stickandballguy.com
|W|P|If there is any truth to what Reusse wrote, via the quotes from Carter, it shows a rare glimpse of the human side of pro sports, outside of the cliche' human interest stories you normally see.With all the big money paid to these athletes and the pedestal on which ESPN and others set these guys upon, it's very easy to forget they are in fact human beings and not simply pieces of property.
Kudos to Reusse for another nugget. While Sid gets all the notoriety, it will truly be a sad day when Patrick hangs up the typewriter for good. He's head and shoulders above the remaining cadre of sports columnists in this market.
SBG|W|P|I don't always agree with Reusse, but I do agree with you that he's the best writer in town. amr|W|P|Did Carter just admit that he's not the best WR the Vikes have had? SBG|W|P|Not quite. He split a hair there and said the Moss was the most talented. He didn't say best. Unknown|W|P|Everyone knows Moss is Boss, baby."We have a guy who watches out for the locker room. Kevin Garnett makes sure that everyone feels integrated, on and off the court," [Mark] Madsen said. "