It's Time To Play...Whose Fault Is It Anyway?

It's been a head-scratching last week and a half for the Twins.  With the team losing its sixth consecutive game for the third time this season, many Twins fans have been at a loss for words.  We've been accustomed to blaming this dismal 2011 season on the barrage of injuries the team has fallen into, but to use that as an excuse is the coward's way out.  With what we've seen over the last 10 days, blame should be, not so much focused on the players, but more heavily on the coaching staff.

The Twins came back into the friendly confines of Target Field after a rough road trip, only to find the New York Yankees waiting for them in the third base dugout.  As usual, the Bronx Bombers laid waste to the hometown nine, beating them two out of three, ending the series with a 3-0 shutout.  Thankfully, or so it seemed, the Twins welcomed in the last place Baltimore Orioles for a four-game series, which, for all intensive purposes, should've been a chance for this club to save a little face and redeem themselves a little bit toward the end of this season.

That didn't happen.

The Twins were swept by the Orioles in a four-game series for the first time in their franchise's history.  Adding insult to (numerous) injuries, the Twins scored only one run in each of the four games.  After falling to the Detroit Tigers 8-1 in the first game of their three-game series on Friday night, that brought the total to five runs in six games (counting the final game of the Yankees' series).  Five total runs in 54 total innings.  Truly a sad state of affairs.

Sure, there were a few mental lapses in the field.  Of course, the pitching staff had its problems, namely Francisco Liriano, who landed on the disabled list with shoulder pain after pitching only two innings in Thursday's loss to Baltimore.  However, to score only one run in five consecutive games is down-right pitiful, and that can't be blamed on anyone but hitting coach, Joe Vavra.

As of August 26th, the Twins offense as been absolutely offensive:

• Rank 11th in Batting Average (.248)
• Rank 14th in Home Runs (81)
• Rank 13th in Runs Batted In (458)
• Rank 13th in Extra Base Hits (311)
• Rank 13th in On-Base Percentage (.306)
• Rank 12th in Runs (347)

Looking at those numbers, regardless of injuries in the lineup, is shameful.  Unfortunately, it appears that it's "OK" to produce that quality of play, given the lack of accountability.

Through July 20th, a total of four Major League hitting coaches had been relieved of their positions, including the American League West-leading Texas Rangers.  At the time of Thad Bosley's firing on June 8th, the Rangers ranked second in the American League in Batting Average (.264) and second in Home Runs (72).  The Twins currently have nine more home runs than Texas had...over two and a half months ago.  The Rangers' batting average at that time was almost 20 points higher than that of the Twins...for the entire season.

The Rangers let Bosley go primarily because it appeared that his message had been lost.  The players seemed to not respond to his coaching, and thus, a change needed to be made.  At the time, the Rangers held a 2.5 game lead over the Seattle Mariners, and had gone 7-3 in their previous 10 games, yet, manager Ron Washington felt that it was a move that would improve his team overall.  Fast forward to the here-and-now, and the Rangers hold a three-game lead over the Los Angeles Angels.

So, why is it that Joe Vavra remains untouchable, or more importantly, remains immune to accountability?  Other hitting coaches have been held accountable for their teams' poor performances, so why hasn't he?  The Indians, Dodgers, and Marlins joined the Rangers in dismissing their hitting coaches.  Some of them had even better numbers than the Twins do currently, but it wasn't good enough for those organizations to keep them around.  So, why is it good enough for the Twins?

Now, I'm not saying that it isn't difficult to coach players who are playing ahead of themselves.  The Twins have had to play a number of not-ready-for-prime-time players this season.  That's not something that's lost on me.  However, there needs to be a line drawn in the sand, and there needs to at least be some action taken to show the Twins' faithful fans that this isn't something that is "OK" or that will be tolerated.

Vavra may be one of the nicest guys in baseball, as has been said many times by a number of different people close to the Twins and their players.  But, just because you're a "nice guy" doesn't mean you're the "right guy" for the job.  The blame can not fall solely on the players themselves.  The definition of a coach, however, is to "train and instruct," or "give someone extra or private teaching."  When a team looks as undisciplined at the plate as the Twins have looked this season, some instruction and/or extra teaching seems like it would be necessary.

Scoring only one run per game in five consecutive games is embarrassing, and there's no two ways about it.  There are teams out there with far less talent than the Twins, namely teams like the Oakland A's or the Baltimore Orioles.  Those teams have better numbers; hitting for higher averages driving in more runs.  So, to say the reason is because the Twins don't have their best players in the lineup is a complete cop out, especially when lesser teams are making due with what they have.

What has always set the Twins apart from other teams is that they do things their own way, and don't always conform to the "norm" in baseball.  There's no greater example than the fact that, different from any other team, they refuse to make the necessary coaching changes, and decide to make it a "player issue".  The sooner they are honest with themselves, the sooner we can expect to be near the top of the American League again.

It's Time To Change It Up A Bit, Ron!

If you've been reading "The Sporting Mind" since I started blogging back in May, you know that I tend to not hold anything back with regard to the Twins.  There isn't a team I root for more in sports than the Twins.  I consider myself a die-hard fan.  The great thing about being a fan is that you're entitled to opinions.

Opinions can be about anything, really.  They can be about individual players or they can be about individual plays.  They can be about aspects of the team, or just aspects of the game itself.  Regardless of what the opinion is, we as fans are entitled to those opinions.  They may not be right, they may not be wrong, but what they are is our voice.

As with anyone who follows a team, you have players you really like and some you just don't.  If you've been reading this blog for a while now, you know that I was never a huge Delmon Young fan, and I'm definitely not pro-Tsuyoshi Nishioka.  I've been very hard on the likes of Joe Mauer and Justin Morneau, but have been very complimentary toward both Michael Cuddyer and Jason Kubel.  That being said, just because I might take issue with players like Mauer and Morneau doesn't mean I don't think either are good ball players, so let me be perfectly clear on that.

Now that I've gotten that out of the way...

As I watch the Twins' season quickly unravel, I start to wonder what the game plan actually is for these next six weeks.  The team has been so ravaged by injuries that it's been difficult to get a good grasp on what they actually have going forward.  Assuming the news on Monday that the Twins had placed both Kubel and Jim Thome on waivers means that neither will be back with the team next year, and assuming the Twins might not get anyone Major League ready in return should both be dealt, what do they have in store for DH and right field?  With Nick Blackburn hitting the disabled list on Monday as well, who might they give an opportunity to replace him in the rotation?  And, with the inconsistent play up the middle, might there be other options to fiddle with to try and put the pieces together to make a run next season?

It would be very difficult to get answers to all of these questions in just a few weeks.  Realistically, the team has no chance to climb back into the divisional race, which should provide Ron Gardenhire a unique opportunity to experiment a bit with what he does have.  As with any company, sometimes it's not so much about the personnel one has, but more about how that personnel is used and where that personnel is placed in order to get the most success from that individual.

So far this season, we've seen Cuddyer playing right field, first base, second base, and even pitch.  We've seen Mauer take his first ground balls at first base, as well as his first fly balls in right field.  Alexi Casilla made the move from short stop to second base, and Nishioka the reverse.  These are the types of alternatives Gardenhire needs to continue exploring.  Would Mauer potentially be able to play third base in the event he doesn't catch and Morneau is in the lineup at first?  Does Danny Valencia have the necessary range to be a short stop?  Might be worth a look.

Another thought would be to juggle the lineup a bit.  Looking through all of baseball, it's clear that the major run producers throughout the league find themselves hitting third, fourth, or fifth in their team's lineup.  Typically, these spots in the order are reserved for the big guns, the guys that hit the ball out of the park and drive in runs.  With the Twins, however, this isn't always the case.  Without taking away too much from Joe Mauer, it's evident that he is one of the best contact hitters in all of baseball.  Unfortunately for Twins fans, it appears both Mauer and the team are content with a high average, but little "production".  This isn't the type of hitter that belongs in the number three spot in the batting order.  Again, that's not to say he isn't a great hitter, just not a great hitter for that spot in the order.

Looking at Mauer's numbers this season, and understanding that he was hurt early on, it is a concern going forward, at least for this Twins fan.  If you compare the number of extra-base hits Mauer has and the frequency in which he has them to other hitters batting third in their respective lineups, you would see that he falls way behind the average.  Joe slugs something other than a single once in every 17.86 at-bats.  The top 20 run-producers (RBI's) in the American League average an extra-base hit once every 8.63 at-bats.  Seven (7) of those top 20 hit from the third spot in their lineup.  Those same 20 guys also average an RBI every 5.50 at-bats.  Mauer's average?  One RBI every 10.42 at-bats.  A high batting average is great, but it doesn't always translate to runs if the majority of those hits are singles.

Taking those numbers into account, it might be worth an extended five-week look for Gardenhire to see what either Cuddyer (an RBI every 6.9 at-bats) or Kubel (one in every 6.62 at-bats) could do in that number three spot in the order, and perhaps move Mauer down to either the fifth or sixth spot in the batting order.  If Denard Span is able to come back this year, and the Twins decide to play both Span and Ben Revere in the outfield, and bat the two of them first and second in the order, having either Cuddyer or Kubel hitting third might be a better thing, given their ability to hit more extra-base hits than Mauer.  If Span and/or Revere get on base with a single, it's difficult for them to score on a Mauer single, which has been the tendency for Joe this season, which explains his minimal 25 RBI output thus far.

So, let me hear from a few of you out there.  What are some other "experiments" you believe the Twins should try over the next few weeks to try and prepare themselves for an offseason of change?

Money Isn't The Only Difference Between The Twins And Yankees

With the exception of a few teams in baseball, such as the Red Sox or the Phillies, most teams think of themselves as being different than the Yankees because they don't spend as much money as the Bronx Bombers.  The Twins are no exception to that.  There are those Twins fans that believe they can't compete against the Yankees because their payroll is twice that of the Twins.  The money argument is a stale one, considering the success of teams like the Cardinals and Giants over the last couple of years.  The truth of the matter is that it doesn't have as much to do with the amount a player makes, but more with the talent he has and what the team does with it.  Right now, it doesn't appear the Twins have done enough with the talent they do have, and continue to feel sorry for what they don't have.

With the Twins now 13 games back in the Central Division, 2011 has quickly become a lost season.  Injuries ravaged the team from the start, and made it clear that if they were to succeed this season, it truly would be a total team effort.  For the most part, the Twins and their fans tend to be a bunch that lives in the past, rather than a bunch that looks at what's going on in front of them or in the future.  You'll hear statements such as, "we've won six division titles under Ron Gardenhire," or, "he's a three-time batting champion," or, "he was the MVP back in 2006."

It can be said that teams like the Twins or like the defending World Series Champion Giants have to make the most with what they have.  This is very true.  At the same time, teams like the Yankees and Red Sox do the same, making the most of the players they have, and in many cases, making them better than they were.  People can complain about them buying all the "great" players, but what matters is what those "great" players do for the Yankees when they're there.

A prime example of this is evidenced by the breakout season of Curtis Granderson.  Granderson was always a fantastic player for the Detroit Tigers, but seems to have taken his offensive game to a new level with the Yankees.  Upon arriving in New York, Yankees hitting coach Kevin Long worked with Granderson, an already proven big-league hitter, on his stance, calming his movements down at the plate.  The result has been noticeable, with Granderson leading the league in Runs, RBI's, and Extra-Base Hits, and currently sitting second in Home Runs.

What the Yankees don't tend to tolerate is mediocrity.  If a player isn't getting the job done, the Yankees will find a solution, either through a trade during the season, or the free agent avenue after it.  Yes, often times that requires the check book to come out.  But, what it does show, to both the Yankee players and their fans, is that the team is willing to do what it takes to win.

When the Yankees come to town, boos can be heard throughout the Twin Cities.  Those boos are for Alex Rodriguez.  Those boos are for Derek Jeter.  Those boos are for Nick Swisher.  Those boos are even for Mariano Rivera.  Sadly, those boos are incredibly misplaced.  OK, maybe the boos for A-Rod are placed pretty well.

When a team continues to allow its star player to average an extra-base hit in every 17.9 at-bats, that should be booed.  When a team allows its rookie shortstop to struggle immensely at the plate and in the field without even an attempt to find a better solution, that deserves to be booed.  When a team's "power-hitting" first baseman sits out a game because he fouled a pitch off his foot the night before, while his counterpart in the other dugout who fouled three pitches off his feet in one at-bat in that very same game plays, that should be booed.  When a team continues to accept mediocre-at-best performances from its starting rotation, as well as pathetic displays from its bullpen during important close games, that needs to be booed.

Just because a team comes into town with the willingness and desire to actually succeed, regardless of the financial cost, they shouldn't be booed.  They're doing only what we would want our own team to do, and that's be as competitive as possible.  If people think that booing the opposition for wanting to be the best is something that helps their own team, they're mistaken.  It really only shows how little respect those people have for the game.  If you're booing that, then you're accepting the very mediocrity that your own team continues to march onto the field, which only means that you can expect to continue seeing that level of mediocrity in the future.

But hey...you've won six division titles in the last 10 years, so, it's not that big a deal, right?

Is Thome's Accomplishment Being Under-Sold?

Barry Bonds, Hank Aaron, Babe Ruth, Willie Mays, Ken Griffey Jr., Alex Rodriguez, Sammy Sosa...and now, Jim Thome.  Those are the only eight members of baseball's 600 home run club.  It's not necessarily the most elite record there is.  After all, there are only two members of the 4,000 hit club (Pete Rose and Ty Cobb), only two members of the 2,000 RBI club (Aaron and Ruth), and only one member of the 1,000 stolen base club (Rickey Henderson with 1,406).  But when it comes to records in baseball, there has always been something special about those involving the long-ball.

Thome hit home runs number 599 and 600 on Monday night, to very little fanfare leading up to the feat.  When Derek Jeter got hit number 3,000 a few weeks ago, MLB Network cut into their programming to show every Jeter at-bat from 2,998 through 3,000.  ESPN ran story after story about what Jeter's accomplishment would mean, given no one had ever achieved 3,000 hits with the New York Yankees.  Even HBO got into the mix, airing a special only one week after Jeter reached the milestone about his quest to get there.

Yet, it seemed only fans of the Minnesota Twins were aware of how close Thome was to joining the "Elite Eight".  Some would say that the lack of emphasis on the 600 milestone had to do with the Twins' struggles this season.  Others would say that it's because Thome is playing in Minnesota, a smaller market, and as a result, Jeter playing in New York brought more attention.  A third suggestion is that the home run has lost its luster now that we're in the post-steroid era.

Regardless of the reason for such little hype, the baseball media, and fans alike, need to understand the significance of the accomplishment because it's conceivable we may not see such an accomplishment again.

Looking through the list of eight, we know that three have been directly tied to steroid use (Bonds, Rodriguez, and Sosa).  Taking that into account, that leaves only five considered to be "genuine" members of the club.  Suddenly, the club seems more elite.  Now, looking to the future, only one active player in the top 50 has a legitimate chance to reach the 600 milestone, and that player is Albert Pujols (currently with 437 homers).  Pujols, like Thome, is widely regarded as a guy who's "done it right" throughout his career.  Given his age (31) and the average number of home runs he's hit in each of his first 11 seasons (39.7 per year), it's assumed that Pujols will reach the 600 milestone sometime around the end of the 2015 season.  He would be 35 at that time, and would have a reasonable chance to overtake Bonds as the all-time home run leader by the time he's 40.

It's possible that Thome could be the second-to-last person to ever achieve that magical milestone, yet, the accomplishment seemed to fall by the wayside.  Looking at it all, it truly seems a shame that one of the true "good guys" in the game became one of the greatest sluggers of all time, and some people are still questioning whether or not he belongs in the Hall of Fame.  I think he deserves a little more respect than that.

With talk of realignment, the possible shortening of schedules to prevent November baseball, and cleaning up the game of performance-enhancing drugs, these types of records and accomplishments shouldn't be taken for granted.  There's nothing certain about Albert Pujols reaching the 600 club, albeit likely.  There's nothing to say that a young, up-an-coming slugger might not reach that mark in 15 more seasons.  However, as with anything in life, we just don't know.

Make sure Thome is getting the credit he's due.  More so than anything, he's earned it!

Bill Smith: Mr. "Better Late Than Never"

There's something to be said for hindsight.

I'm not one to play the stock market, but even when you gamble, knowing when to get out is the biggest challenge.  Get out too soon and you may miss a greater gain.  Get out too late and you may cost yourself more pain.  Get out just in time and you have the ability to reinvest or reallocate.

Sadly, I don't think I would ever want to take Bill Smith to Vegas any time soon!

Back in November of 2007, the Twins and Tampa Bay Rays pulled off a four-player trade, moving Delmon Young and Brendan Harris from Tampa to Minnesota, while sending starting pitcher Matt Garza and starting shortstop Jason Bartlett in the opposite direction.  It was a move thought to be somewhat of a new leaf being turned over by the Twins.  Delmon Young came with a little bit of baggage, a little bit of an attitude, and a lot of potential.  In Garza and Bartlett, the Twins were dealing one of their up-and-coming arms and a proven commodity at short stop.  Harris was somewhat of a throw-in to complete the deal, but was a solid utility player in his own right.

The Twins were hoping to catch a little lightning in a bottle with Young...hoping that the potential he had would find its way to the forefront and land them an All-Star caliber left fielder who could provide a little pop from the right side of the plate.

What they ended up getting was an average outfielder with very erratic tendencies at the plate and an even more erratic attitude toward improvement.  For an organization that has a reputation for building up young talent through an above-average nurturing environment, bringing in someone with questionable character and a lack of drive isn't exactly the recipe for success.  Bill Smith figured he'd give it a shot anyway.

With Monday's trade of Delmon to the Tigers in exchange for next to nothing (a Single-A pitcher and the ever-popular player-to-be-named-later), Smith has done nothing but prove he is that gambler that doesn't know when to leave the table.

In his first three full seasons with the Twins (2008-2010), Young averaged .291 with only 14 home runs and 80 RBI's.  Those numbers don't appear to be all that bad, until you realize that those averages were severely aided by Young's above-average 2010, in which he hit .298 with career highs in homers, RBI's, and doubles (21 / 112 / 46 respectively).  Without that stellar season, Young's numbers were nothing more than mediocre, given the expectations the Twins had for him.

What Smith should've done was to deal Young after his fantastic 2010 campaign when his value was at its absolute peak.  The fact that he assumed Young was still on his way up and that he could expect an even better year in 2011 was absurd thinking.  Although Delmon is only 25, this is his fifth full season in the big leagues.  If he hasn't gotten it by now, he never will.  Coming off his career year in 2010, Young has done nothing but disappoint in 2011, hitting only a mere five home runs and driving in only 33 runs in 309 at-bats.  For a team like the Twins, decimated by injuries this season, it would've been nice for a five-year veteran to take the reigns and be the go-to guy on the team.  With Delmon, they were just lucky they could pencil him into the lineup.

There's no question that unloading Delmon was the right thing to do.  The Twins will be a better team without him.  What's sad is that it took Bill Smith this long to realize what he had, or didn't have, for that matter.  Even sadder, the fact that we will no doubt see similar returns for the likes of Francisco Liriano and Justin Morneau, since it's pretty evident Smith missed his window for both of them.  At least we know one thing: we should be able to fill out the rest of our Single-A roster with what get from those future deals when they happen.

Stay Positive, Just Don't Get Your Hopes Up

It's pretty hard to stay upbeat when you're 13 games under .500 and nine and half games out of first place in the division, but getting too negative and uptight isn't good for anybody.

With what we've seen over the last three weeks from the Twins, there's seemingly been very little to be positive about.  Sure, they've started to get some of their injured players back (Span, Kubel), which is a plus.  Sure, they're closer is back in the saddle again, and throwing almost like he did before having Tommy John surgery.  But, there's nothing really positive about a team that considers itself a perpetual contender, to go over three weeks without winning a series against some of the better competition in the American League.

You'd be hard-pressed to find a more up and down Twins season than this 2011 campaign.  Most of troubles have been due to numerous injuries, which have ravaged the team.  The struggles, however, can't all be blamed on the injury bug.  Even with some of their bigger stars on the shelf, the Twins had players who'd had major league experience filling in.  They may not have been the most talented players, but guys like Matt Tolbert, Trevor Plouffe, and Drew Butera have all seen fairly significant time in the big leagues.  If we're honest about it though, the utilization of those players isn't totally to blame, either.

When a team is struggling at the plate, and is having a hard time getting runs on the board, it's absolutely vital that pitching keep them afloat.  Therin lies the key to the 2011 debacle.  With inconsistency in the starting rotation, a bullpen that couldn't maintain the minimal leads the offense was giving them, and a closer in Matt Capps whose fastball rivals that of some of the kids pitching in the Little League World Series this month, it's no wonder the Twins found themselves looking up at the rest of the American League Central.

The offensive struggles have come primarily from three sources: Tsuyoshi Nishioka, Joe Mauer, and Delmon Young.  Since returning from his leg injury, Nishioka has struggled mightily at the plate, proving that the Twins may have made a mistake, not just in signing him, but in not pursuing that which they already had in J.J. Hardy.  So far, Hardy is hitting .275 with 21 HR and 40 extra-base hits.  He currently has more extra-base hits than the primary Twins middle infield (Nishioka and Casilla) combined.  Hardy is making $5.85 million this year, with Nishioka making only $3 million, however, if you count the $5.4 million bid the Twins spent to just speak to Nishi, they're into him for over $8 million this year.  Hardy seems like the better investment at this point, wouldn't you say?

Mauer and Young have vastly underperformed this year.  Mauer is riding the injury excuse, at least for another couple of weeks, but with Young, what you see is truly what you get.  Both players were handled poorly during the offseason, with the Twins needing to take more of a hands-on approach with Mauer's rehab, and also a more aggressive approach trying to find a better home for Mr. Young.  The result has been a combined 5 HR's and only 30 extra-base hits.  And remember, J.J. Hardy has 40 himself.  I'm not sayin'...I'm just sayin'.

All is not lost, however.  The Twins do have some positive things to take from this season thus far.  Michael Cuddyer has shown this team that he truly does have the heart to be the team's leader, on and off the field.  Jim Thome is on the verge of making history with his 600th home run, which couldn't happen to a better guy.  Jason Kubel has emerged as the Twins' best overall hitter, hitting for both average and power.  Danny Valencia has shown some of the pop in his bat that the Twins expected when they called him up last year, sitting second on the team with 12 HR's.  Ben Revere came up and proved himself to be a tremendous fielding outfielder, albeit with a tremendously weak throwing arm.  And Glen Perkins has seemingly found himself a suitable role as the set-up man for Joe Nathan.

All of these things are very positive, and should be looked at as such.  If the starters can improve their performances, and the veteran hitters like Mauer and Young can help to produce a few more runs, coupled with the positives mentioned...there's no reason the Twins can't still make a run for the division crown.

I just wouldn't hold my breath.

Twins Have Some Tough Decisions Ahead

After the Twins left the field on Sunday following a 7-0 loss and three-game sweep to their arch-rival White Sox, it became clearly evident that this team is not ready to compete this season.  I know that sounds like I'm stating the obvious, but with a couple of promising weeks, it truly seemed like this team had turned the corner in June.  Given what we've seen over the past two weeks on the road, and then their return back to Target Field this past weekend, there is no question that they need to begin looking at 2012, rather than trying to look at the remainder of 2011.

The Twins need to focus on a couple key areas over the next six months.  In nor particular order:

• Figure out how to bring Michael Cuddyer back.
• Look at unloading a bit of salary, namely through Francisco Liriano, Matt Capps, and Delmon Young
• Make a decision on Tsuyoshi Nishioka
• Make a few lineup changes
• Find a way to bring in a front-line starter

With Cuddyer, the Twins need to find a way to bring him back to this team for the next couple of years.  There's no doubt his price tag has gone up, but given his value to this team, both on the field and in the clubhouse, it's imperative that they not lose the heart and soul of their team...AGAIN.  This happened before with Torii Hunter...not the greatest player they've had, but the face of the franchise and the best guy in the clubhouse.  Michael Cuddyer deserves to succeed in Minnesota, nowhere else.

Given their inability to perform this season, Liriano, Capps, and Young all need to find new homes, sooner rather than later.  Next season, the three combined will require about $20 million.  Their level of production this season warrants more along the lines of about $8 million.  Liriano lacks control, and doesn't seem to be paying much attention to Rick Anderson.  Capps lacks an overpowering array of pitches, which leads to him being knocked around all over the park.  Young is the biggest underachiever, having only one good season in 2010, and struggling at the plate in 2011.  The $20 million that would be occupied by all three would be better suited for other free agents.

The Nishioka experiment has been a failed one thus far.  Uncomfortable, over-matched, and lacking confidence.  Those adjectives are the most applicable to Nishi.  There seems to be a stigma with Japanese players that, once they're here, they have to remain in the majors.  Unless there's something we're not aware of in the contract that Nishioka signed with the Twins, there's no reason they shouldn't send him down to Triple-A for the remainder of the season to try and build up his confidence and comfort level with the American game.  What we're seeing right now is the equivalent of having a high-school junior quarterback into an NFL game.  It's too fast, everyone is too big, and the offenses run are far different than high school.  The same can be said for Nishi to the Majors.  The game moves faster, the players are bigger and more athletic in America, and the game has different nuances here than in Japan.  The better place for him to learn these things would be at the minor league level, as opposed to be thrown to the wolves at the Major League level.  If the Twins wish to turn the experiment into somewhat of a success in 2012, they need to consider this as an option, and not worry about hurting his feelings.

The last seven weeks of the season would be the perfect time to mess with the lineup, after all, what's the worst that could happen.  When you look at guys like Joe Mauer, Jason Kubel, Danny Valencia, and Delmon Young...would they be better suited hitting somewhere different in the lineup?  When the Twins get Justin Morneau and Alexi Casilla back, the lineup will probably look like this:  Span, Casilla, Mauer, Morneau, Cuddyer, Kubel, Valencia, Young, Nishioka.  There are a couple of issues, in my opinion, with this lineup.  The first is the third spot in the order, customarily held by Joe Mauer.  Again, we understand he's been hurt, but what people don't get is that Joe is not a third-spot hitter.  When you look around the Majors, the likes of Albert Pujols, Ryan Braun, Jose Bautista, Evan Longoria, Joey Votto, Adrian Gonzalez, Josh Hamilton, to name a few, are the guys you're seeing in the third spot in their respective batting orders.  Looking collectively at the other 29 guys in MLB this season hitting in the third hole, they sport the following numbers: .288, 16 HR, 57 RBI.  Joe's numbers this season: .286, 1 HR, 21 RBI.  Number three hitters should not be "table setters".  Those roles should be reserved for your lead-off and second hitters.  Joe's mentality at the plate is that of a table-setter.  His focus seems to be to get base hits, not to drive runners in.  If that's the case, then the Twins need to address the issue.  Either turn Mauer into an RBI guy, which means they should look at batting him 5th or 6th in the order, or have him be the single-slapping table-setter he seems to want to be and move him into the #2 hole permanently.  Coupled with that, why not put someone like a Jason Kubel or Delmon Young into the #3 spot in the order?  Kubel has been one of the better run producers on this club over the last couple of years, so maybe he is more fit for hitting third in the order.  Experimenting with the order now is the best time to do it.  If you happen to catch lightning in a bottle over the last seven weeks and make something happen...great.  If not, you've got a better understanding of what you can do next season with the guys you have.

With this weekend having been the reunion of the 1991 World Series Champions at Target Field, it brings to light a very glaring weakness the Twins have, and that is starting pitching.  What helped the '91 team succeed was the strength of their starting rotation, namely Jack Morris, Kevin Tapani, and Scott Erickson, who combined for a total of 54 wins during the regular season.  If the Twins' starters this season keep their current pace, they too will win 54 games this season.  The only problem: they're doing it with five starters, not three.  The "big three" in '91 won no fewer than 16 games.  The Twins might be lucky to have two 10-game winners this year.  The fact that the '91 team knew they had a great chance at winning every time those guys took the mound was crucial!  It's amazing what that feeling can do for a team.  With this team, you really have no idea what you're going to get.  Are you going to see the Francisco Liriano that blows people away, or are you going to get the one that walks six guys in four innings?  Are you going to get the Nick Blackburn that picks his spots and effectively works the strike zone, or are you going to get the guy that appears to be lobbing beach balls at opposing hitters?  When the offense doesn't have confidence in pitching, it brings a feeling of "how many runs are we going to have to score today in order to win?"  That's a feeling that won't get a team into the post season, let alone win a championship.  The Twins need to show a sense of urgency this fall and throughout the offseason, with regard to trying to land a front-line starter or two.  Yes, the bullpen has been a mess this season, but when you look at when the pen was at its collective best, it was in the month of June...when the starting rotation, for even a brief couple of weeks, looked dominant and had the ability to work deep into games. When they can't, the bullpen struggles.  The starters the team currently has, Carl Pavano included, seem to be inconsistent with what you're going to see.  Finding a true ace this offseason should be near the top of the Twins' "to-do" list.

Sadly, the team isn't far off from being a contender.  They've been down this road before.  They need to put together a game plan, and execute, no different than anything else.  If they can take care of a couple of these glaring issues, there's no reason this team shouldn't lock up the Central Division, and look towards playing into October next season.

Non-Identical Twins? I Think So.

With the Twins and their fans celebrating the 20 year anniversary of the 1991 World Series Championship team this weekend, it got me thinking a bit about the differences between that squad and the current incarnation of the team.  Interesting, really, but frustrating nonetheless.

When you look up and down the lineups, there are a few similarities, a few surprises, and a few no brainers.  To start with, let me call out a couple of issues before I continue:

• As I look at the 2011 Twins, I've considered the best lineup available for most of the season.  With the fact that Justin Morneau has been injured each of the last three seasons, I've taken him out of consideration at first base, since the Twins have done most of their winning over the last three seasons without him.
• I've chosen only one player from each position, despite the fact that there are a couple of instances (1991 third baseman and 2011 center fielders) where there has been more of a platoon due to injuries or what have you.
• I've taken only the best four starters from the 2011 team, since teams actually used only four-man rotations back in 1991.  God, I miss the good old days!

Catcher:  Brian Harper ('91) vs. Joe Mauer ('11)
    On paper, this seems like an obvious no brainer.  Joe Mauer is a three-time American League batting champion, and a former MVP.  He has been the face of this franchise since taking over as the full-time catcher almost seven years ago.  Brian Harper, however, had a grittiness to him that was unmatched.  A career .295 hitter, Harper hit over .300 as a Twin over the six seasons he played.  His stats during the 1991 season: .311, 10 HR, 60 RBI.  Mauer's stats this season: .293, 1 HR, 20 RBI.  EDGE:  Looking at just the season, it could be argued that the edge would have to go to Harper.

First Base:  Kent Hrbek ('91) vs. Michael Cuddyer ('11)
   With Justin Morneau hurt for the better part of the last three seasons, Michael Cuddyer has stepped into the first base role as if he'd played there his entire life.  Back in 1991, Kent Hrbek owned first base.  Getting him out of the lineup was a chore, just as it is trying to get Cuddyer a day off, regardless of the position he plays.  Hrbek was one of the vocal team leaders of the '91 team, and an obvious inspiration to many of his teammates.  Cuddyer could arguably be the glue that has held this 2011 team together, albeit by a thread.  Hrbek's stats in '91: .284, 20 HR, 89 RBI.  Cuddyer's 2011 stats: .301, 18 HR, 60 RBI.    EDGE:  Toss Up.  Both players were integral parts of their own teams.

Second Base:  Chuck Knoblauch ('91) vs. Alexi Casilla ('11)
   Chuck Knoblauch, despite his strange and erratic behavior later in his career, was probably one of the most important pieces of the '91 championship run.  As a rookie, he batted second for the Twins, and played outstanding defense in the field, making a terrific combination up the middle with Greg Gagne.  Speaking of erratic, Alexi Casilla seemed to have finally come into his own this season, maturing in a matter of weeks to be a solid fixture at second base, before recently getting coming up lame with a hamstring issue.  His impact to the team, however, is nowhere close to that of his '91 predecessor.  Knoblauch's '91 stats: .281, 1 HR, 50 RBI.  Casilla's stats in '11: .259, 2 HR, 21 RBI.  EDGE:  Easily Knoblauch, if for no other reason than the "deke" in Game 7.

Shortstop:  Greg Gagne ('91) vs. Tsuyoshi Nishioka ('11)
   Really, there isn't even a point in discussing this one.  Greg Gagne was an invaluable player for the Twins in the late '80's and early '90's.  His defense alone was something to behold, despite never winning a Gold Glove.  Tsuyoshi Nishioka has been the disappointment of disappointments, having what could arguably be the worst season for a Japanese position player in history.  Although"Nishi" broke his leg in the seventh game of the season, it has been clear that he's far from being a Major League-ready player, both in the field and at the plate.  Gagne's '91 stats: .265, 8 HR, 42 RBI.  Nishioka's stats in '11: .211, 0 HR, 14 RBI.  EDGE:  Gagne, without question.

Third Base:  Mike Pagliarulo ('91) vs. Danny Valencia ('11)
   Mike Pagliarulo was one of two third baseman used by the Twins during the 1991 season, with Scott Leius being the other.  Pags hit one of the biggest home runs in Twins postseason history in the '91 ALCS against Toronto, which helped the Twins best the Jays in five games.  Danny Valencia has shown in his first two seasons that he has the potential to be a great hitter for the Twins, displaying the ability to hit for average (as he did in his rookie year of 2010) and showing that he can also put the ball over the fence (as he is doing in his sophomore year).  Valencia's problems come in the field, where he leads the Twins with 15 errors.  Pagliarulo accounted for only 11 errors in 1991.  Pags' 1991 numbers: .279, 6 HR, 36 RBI.  Valencia's numbers in 2011: .244, 12 HR, 57 RBI.  EDGE:  Valencia.  If you combine Pagliarulo and Leius' offensive numbers in '91,  they hit 11 HR and drove in 56 runs.  Valencia has topped both.

Left Field:  Dan Gladden ('91) vs. Delmon Young ('11)
   Dan Gladden defined the Twins attitude, both in 1987 and in 1991.  His hard-nosed style set the tone for both teams, and it's no coincidence that the Twins' only two World Series titles came with Gladden leading the way.  Delmon Young continues to under-achieve, and shows a far more minimalistic effort than his 1991 counterpart.  It would be hard for anyone to confuse what Delmon does as "hustle", which is truly what defined Gladden.  Gladden's stats in 1991: .247, 6 HR, 52 RBI.  Young's 2011 stats: .266, 4 HR, 30 RBI.  EDGE:  The edge goes to Gladden, if for not other reason than his hustling double in Game 7, which ultimately led to Gene Larkin's bases loaded walk-off single in the 10th inning.

Center Field:  Kirby Puckett ('91) vs. Denard Span ('11)
   Truly, this isn't even a fair fight.  Kirby Puckett WAS the Twins.  Had it not been for Puckett putting the team on his back in Game 6, there never would've been a Game 7.  His amazing catch of a Ron Gant blast to left center, followed soon thereafter by his incredible walk-off home run to send the series to the best finale ever, single-handedly puts him on a pedestal above all others.  Denard Span has proven to be a terrific player for the current Twins, batting lead-off, getting on base, hustling, and playing great defense in center.  It's unfortunate, because no matter who you would put here, even Torii Hunter, Puckett wins out.  Kirby's numbers in '91: .319, 15 HR, 89 RBI.  Span's '11 stats: .284, 2 HR, 15 RBI.  EDGE:  Puckett, without a shadow of a doubt!

Right Field:  Shane Mack ('91) vs. Jason Kubel ('11)
   It's safe to say that Shane Mack could possibly have been the most underrated player on the entire 1991 championship roster, and that's not to take anything away from anyone else on the team.  His overall contribution that season was incredible.  Although he had a less than stellar World Series, the Twins couldn't have gotten to where they were in '91 without the likes of Shane Mack.  Jason Kubel has been the Twins' best player in 2011, when he's been healthy.  He's shown more discipline, great power, and far better range in the outfield than could've ever been expected.  Mack's 1991 statistics: .310, 18 HR, 74 RBI.  Kubel's '11 campaign: .307, 7 HR, 39 RBI.  EDGE:  Shane Mack, for his "out of nowhere" performance throughout the entire season.

Designated Hitter:  Chili Davis ('91) vs. Jim Thome ('11)
   The team's leader in home runs and runs batted in for the 1991 season, Chili Davis stepped into the DH role as if he'd been doing it for the club for years.  His bat in the lineup allowed players like Kirby and Herbie to see better pitches, and more than likely helped to contribute to the numbers Shane Mack put up as well.  Jim Thome is a class act, and is on the verge of an incredible accomplishment, hitting 600 home runs this season.  His health has been somewhat of a concern, with a couple trips to the DL this season.  All told, his career has been amazing, but his season thus far could've been a bit better.  Chili's numbers in '91: .277, 29 HR, 93 RBI.  Thome's '11 stats: .252, 9 HR, 30 RBI.  EDGE:  Chili Davis, despite the incredible career of big Jim Thome.

Starting Rotation:  Jack Morris, Scott Erickson, Kevin Tapani, Allan Anderson ('91) vs. Carl Pavano, Francisco Liriano, Scott Baker, Nick Blackburn ('11)
   The 1991 starting rotation featured three pitchers with more than 16 wins, capped by Scott Erickson's 20 win season.  Collectively, you knew you were getting a solid start from each of the top three guys, each and every time they took the mound.  The 2011 staff has shown nothing but inconsistency, led by Francisco Liriano.  When each member of the 2011 rotation takes the hill, you never know if you'll be getting a quality start, or if you'll have to dive into the bullpen by the fourth inning.  EDGE:  Clearly the 1991 staff, with a 20-game winner and an 18-game winner, not to mention the best pitching performance of all time in the World Series, Jack Morris's 10-inning shutout in Game 7.

Relief Pitching:  Notable names include: Carl Willis, Mark Guthrie, Steve Bedrosian ('91) vs. Jose Mijares, Glen Perkins, Matt Capps ('11)
   Considering the numerous blown saves given up by the 2011 bullpen, it's safe to say that the better of the two bullpen staffs goes to the 1991 team.  EDGE: 1991 Twins

Closer:   Rick Aguilera ('91) vs. Joe Nathan ('11)
   The Twins' all-time save leader for now, Rick Aguilera was a sure-fire lock when he came into games.  Part of the reason the starting staff succeeded as well as it did was in no small part because of Aguilera.  That being said, Joe Nathan is about to pass Aggy on the all-time Twins' saves list with his next saves.  The Twins struggled early on in 2011 when Nathan pulled himself from the closer's role after coming off Tommy John surgery in 2009.  Matt Capps had blown eight saves before Ron Gardenhire pulled the plug on him and put the ball back into Nathan's hands at the end of games.  Unfortunately, Aguilera's impact on the club is far greater than that of Nathan currently.  EDGE:  Rick Aguilera, although both men have set the standard for closers in Minnesota.

Manager:  Tom Kelly ('91) vs. Ron Gardenhire ('11)
   Considering Ron Gardenhire would probably not be managing the Twins had it not been for Tom Kelly bringing him onto the staff in 1991 to coach third base, I would say that the overall edge would have to fall with T.K.  His management style has often tried to be imitated, but rarely ever duplicated.  Gardenhire appears to be more passive, and as a result, seems to be late regarding certain moves.  EDGE:  Tom Kelly

There you have it.  As I said, on paper, you might actually think the 2011 Minnesota Twins would be far superior to that of their 1991 brethren, but as you look more in depth, the 1991 team had many things this current version does not.  Based on some of those things, it's no surprise why the Twins are celebrating the 20 year anniversary this weekend with such pomp and circumstance.  Hopefully, with a few tweaks to this current roster, Minnesota fans could see another magical run to the World Series trophy.

Twins Need To Admit Mistake And Move On

At the start of the 2011 season, there was a great deal of hype around the Twins' new second baseman.  He was a former batting champion, a gold glove winner, and was thought to be an incredible partner in crime for Alexi Casilla up the middle of the Twins' infield.

There was only one problem:  He hadn't played a single game in Major League Baseball.

The Twins signed Tsuyoshi Nishioka to a three year, $9.25 million contract to solidify the middle of the infield and the top of the batting order.  "Nishi" won the batting title in the Nippon Professional league in 2010 with a .364 average.  His ability to hit for contact, coupled with his speed, were great attributes the Twins were very excited about.

Unfortunately, although his first season with the Twins is only two-thirds of the way completed, it appears that the experiment thus far has been a complete failure.  Granted, Nishioka landed on the disabled list after only seven games after breaking his leg trying to turn a double play against the New York Yankees, but his overall performance thus far, both at the plate and in the field, has been sub-par at best.

There's no question that there is a huge difference in the game between the Nippon Professional League and that of Major League Baseball.  There has to be some type of learning curve, you'd think.

Looking at both past and present Japanese players who've made the transition to Major League Baseball, it's clear that Nishioka has fallen way behind that curve.  Projecting the rest of his 2011 season out, he will finish with the following line:

96 G, .209 Avg, 0 HRs, 28 RBI's, 4 SB's, 70 SO's, and 16 E's.

Excluding the likes of Ichiro Suzuki and Hideki Matsui, both of which had sensational debuts in their first full seasons, Nishioka has fallen far behind the numbers put forth by other comparable Japanese imports.  Take a look at the debuts of the Japanese position players who've made the transition to Major League Baseball.

Player                       Team       First Yr   Games   Avg   HR   RBI   SB
Tsuyoshi Shinjo       Mets           2001      123    .268     10      56      4
So Taguchi              Cardinals    2004      109    .291      3      25      6
Kaz Matsui              Mets           2004      114    .272      7      44      14
Tadahito Iguchi       White Sox  2005       135    .278     15     71      15
Norihiro Nakamura  Dodgers     2005       17     .128      0       3        0
Akinori Iwamura      Rays          2007      123    .285      7      34      12
Ichiro Suzuki            Mariners    2001      157    .350      8      69      56
Hideki Matsui          Yankees     2003       163    .287     16    106     2
Kosuke Fukudome    Cubs         2008       150    .257     10     58     12



When you look at these numbers, it's obvious that Nishioka appears very overmatched at the Major League level.  Aside from Norihiro Najamura in 2005, who was optioned to Triple-A by the Dodgers after only 17 games, and never played again in MLB, all other Japanese players have had what could be considered successful Major League debuts.  In the case of So Taguchi, it took three seasons for the Cardinals to give him a full-time shot at the big league level.

Many people have stated that we ought to give Nishioka a little break, that he needs time to adapt to the American-style.  There have been suggestions that he's struggling with the American strike zone, and with American umpires.  After breaking his leg, there was some thought that this gave the Twins the best opportunity possible to give him some extended time in Triple-A to hone his skills to the American game.

Sadly, these things not only haven't happened, but don't appear to be happening any time soon.  With every game, Nishioka appears to be more uncomfortable at the plate.  Twins broadcasters at one point even mentioned that in Japan, they "don't call many third strikes," which would explain why he's striking out looking as often as he is.  Regardless, he's apparent inability to adapt to the American game has only helped to negatively impact an already anemic-at-times offense.  Based on his numbers in Japan, the Twins had hoped to utilize his impressive speed on the base paths.  The only problem is that, they can't seem to find a way for him to get on base to put that speed to use.

Right now, with the Twins still hanging on to their playoff hopes by a very thin thread, it seems almost detrimental to the club to have Nishioka working through his apparent discomfort at the major league level.  Obviously, the recent hamstring injury to Alexi Casilla which has landed him on the DL has forced the Twins' hand yet again, but it may still be better for both Nishioka and the club if they perhaps option him to Triple-A to gain some confidence with the American game.  Looking at the alternatives, given Nishioka's current numbers, allowing someone like Trevor Plouffe another shot might be more beneficial.  With the Twins standing pat at the non-waiver trade deadline, it may also me something for the team to consider in possibly trying to offload the salary of someone like Kevin Slowey ($2.7 million) or Delmon Young ($5.375 million) in exchange for a veteran middle infielder, even if that player would only be with the team through the 2011 season.

If the Twins don't admit to themselves that their experiment with Nishioka is on the verge of being a complete failure, then it actually will be.  If they choose to swallow their collective pride and give the young man a chance to improve his confidence at the plate by giving him some reps in Rochester, then 2012 could be the Year of the Nishi!

Ladies And Gentlemen...Your Minnesota Vikings

For those that know me, you know how much of a Vikings fan I am not.  There's not a single thing I like about the home town football team, so much so that I think the Los Angeles Vikings sounds like a terrific name for an NFL franchise.  I've never lived anywhere other than Minnesota, so I must preface this by saying...this very well could be the case in other cities, but, I don't know that any other fan base in America drinks its team's Kool-Aid more than the Minnesota Vikings' fans.  With the 2011-2012 NFL season upon us after a long lockout, the talk locally has begun again about the local gridiron club, and, as always, it's far more optimistic than it is realistic.

Without Brett Favre heading up the offense this season, the Vikings were left with a huge question mark at quarterback.  A year ago, there were many people locally that thought bringing Favre back for a second season would've been a mistake, and that the Vikings should've made a play for then Eagles' quarterback Donovan McNabb.  It was known that the Eagles were interested in unloading the aging McNabb to make room for the younger Kevin Kolb, but the Vikings instead opted to send a couple of guys down to Mississippi to bring Favre back up to Minnesota.

Philly dealt McNabb to the Washington Redskins for the 2010 season, and, for a short time during the season, it seemed to be a decent fit.  That all changed toward the end of the season, when McNabb was benched in favor of Chicago Bears cast-off Rex Grossman.  Anyone with a working set of eyes and a reasonable amount of intelligence could tell that the overall situation in Washington wasn't favorable to McNabb.  There was no question his style clashed with that of head coach Mike Shanahan.  McNabb may have been getting older, but there was really no logical reason to move him out of the starting position, especially after signing him to a five-year, $78 million contract extension in November.

With the Vikings in need of a quarterback, knowing they wouldn't be bringing back the aging texter Favre, they drafted Christian Ponder out of Florida State in the first round of the NFL Draft, pegged by many knowledgeable NFL minds as the most overrated quarterback in the 2011 Draft.  They seemed somewhat confident that he was going to be "the guy" for them in the 2011 season, and those going forward.  They weren't comfortable with Joe Webb leading this team at the QB position, clearly, which explained the draft choice.  It was clear, however, that what the Vikings needed to do was sign a veteran quarterback to mentor the young rookie.

Instead, what the Vikings decided to do has left a few people very puzzled.  Instead of signing a veteran, they ended up trading for one.  That veteran was the one-year older Donovan McNabb.  Yes, the same McNabb that only a year earlier many Vikings fans clamored for, only now, he's "too old" and this move "makes no sense".  Then, you have those who actually believe that McNabb agreed to the trade so he could actually become Ponder's mentor at the QB position, and actually just turn the starting spot over to Ponder somewhere near the mid-point of the season.

All I can do is laugh.  I talked earlier about those with a working set of eyes and reasonable intelligence. Those same people are looking at this deal the way it should be viewed.  Sadly, those people aren't most of Viking Nation.  For Vikings fans thinking that McNabb accepted a trade to the Vikings in order to become a back-up quarterback and a mentor to Alex Smith, Part Two (Ponder), you're clearly the same delusional fans that believe this 2011 version of the Purple has substantially improved itself over it's 2010 predecessor.

After the most disappointing season of his career, if you think that the fire doesn't still burn inside McNabb to be a starting quarterback for the next three seasons, then you are sadly mistaken.  McNabb is an incredible competitor, and has been one of the most successful quarterbacks in the NFC over the last 10 seasons.  With that being said, and again, coming off such a horrendous season in Washington, there is no question in my mind that McNabb wants to prove to all the naysayers out there that he isn't washed up, and that last season wasn't the McNabb we can expect to see for the rest of his career.  This is a proud man that won't just fade into the background for a rookie quarterback to take his place half-way through a season.  It would probably be even more of a blow to his ego to be relegated to the back-up role in favor of Ponder than it was for him to sit back while Grossman lead the Redskins for their final three games last season.

I'm not saying that Christian Ponder won't make a good NFL quarterback.  He's not the type of guy, like a Peyton Manning, who you just know as soon as he leaves college that he's a game-changer.  When you look at the quarterbacks taken in the first round of the three previous drafts, only one currently isn't starting for his team, and that's Broncos quarterback Tim Tebow.  Otherwise, Matthew Stafford, Matt Ryan, Sam Bradford, Joe Flacco, Josh Freeman are all starting, with Ryan and Flacco starting right away their rookie seasons.  All signs point to these guys being the elite quarterbacks of their generation.  Will Ponder be in that category?  My guess is that he won't, but it's way too early to tell.  What I can tell you though is, if he will be one of the QB's in that category, he'll have to probably wait his turn for at least a full season.

Unwritten Rules Need To Be Erased

Every sport seems to have its "unwritten rules".  You know which ones I'm talking about.  The rules that say you can't run up the score, or that you can't steal a base when you're winning by a lot, or even that you have to "defend" a teammate by going after one on the other team.  Unwritten rules need to virtually erased!

Sunday afternoon, after Carlos Guillen of the Tigers stared him down following a no-doubter home run, Angels pitcher Jered Weaver, clearly upset by being shown up by Guillen, decided to pay him back by throwing the very next pitch almost into the ear hole of Alex Avila, the next Tiger hitter.  I've heard many people over the last 48 hours saying Guillen was completely wrong by admiring his handy work, rather than heading toward first base immediately, thus saying Weaver was entitled to either throw at the next batter, or to throw at Guillen when he got up next.  I have a better idea for Weaver:  Keep the ball off the center of the plate next time.

What drives me up a wall when it comes to professional sports are the "codes" or the unwritten rules that teams and players are supposed to abide by.  As far as I'm concerned, if you're being paid to play a game, anything goes.  Jered Weaver makes $7.37 million this year.  That ought to be enough money to keep someone from Carlos Guillen from driving the ball out of the ball park.  The fact that you couldn't accomplish that shouldn't give you the right to get ticked off and throw at the next guy, just to show both Guillen, and the Angels, that you mean business.  After the game, Weaver was quoted saying:

"He caught me in the All-Star Game (referring to Avila), and we gained a little respect for each other there. So I'm not here to hurt nobody. I just felt like I needed to prove a point.  I think if I wanted to hit him, I could have hit him. I just threw a fastball up and in and it got up and away. It probably looked a little worse than it was, but it was clearly about a foot or two over his head."

You were trying to prove a point?  What point was that?  You threw at a guy who you supposedly had gained a little respect for, not the guy who supposedly disrespected you.  And the pitch was only two feet over his head because he ducked down as it was nearing his helmet.  Seriously Jered, you might want to bring a box of Kleenex out to the mound with you in case someone decides to disrespect you with a five-hit game.

The troubling thing to me wasn't just the fact that Weaver decided to throw at Avila to avenge the home run Guillen hit.  The fact that a second unwritten baseball rule was supposedly broken later that game.  With Justin Verlander in the midst of his second no-hitter of the season, and the Tigers leading 3-0 in the top of the eighth inning, Erick Aybar of the Angels attempted to lead off the eighth with a bunt single.  How could he possibly consider bunting in a 3-0 game, especially off a guy who has no-hit kinda stuff?  How inconsiderate of Aybar, to try and break up a no-hitter with such a cowardly act, rather than try to reach base like a man and just get a hit.  Forget the fact that the Angels just needed base runners in order to try and come back.  He was probably more interested in showing up Verlander and preventing the no-hitter than he was trying to win the game.

Verlander was clearly upset after the inning, despite the bunt attempt resulting in an error on his own throw to first base, thus not breaking up the no-no.  Motioning to Aybar as he took the field in the bottom of the inning, Verlander indicated that the next pitch Aybar saw from him would be square in the middle of his back.  Kinda childish, actually.  Perhaps if the game were more than a grand slam away from being an Angels win, say maybe an 8-0 score, then I could understand the "cheapness" of what the Tigers and their fans considered Aybar's act of bunting to be.  But, that wasn't the score, and as far as I'm concerned, Aybar was doing everything in his power to keep his team in the game, not to bust up history in the making.

Professional athletes shouldn't be allowed to have "hurt feelings" in situations like this.  When an NFL team is leading 35-0 at half-time, that shouldn't mean that they take to strictly running the ball in the second half to preventing running up the score.  NFL teams pay their players quite well, actually, so, if a team is paying its defense $50+ million collectively to stop the other team's offense, then by God, they better be able to stop the other team's offense.  If they can't, then that's too damn bad.  Now, if we're talking high school, or even college, then we're talking about something different entirely.  But, we're not talking high school or college.  We're talking about professional athletes getting paid very lucrative professional contracts to perform.

The same could be said for baseball as a whole.  If a team is up by nine runs in the fifth inning, should that mean that the team leading shouldn't be allowed to steal bases?  Last I checked, Joe Mauer was making $23 million this year.  If a team is leading 9-0 and chooses to steal on him, and he can't throw the guy out, then that's tough luck for Mr. Mauer and the Twins.  Does that mean a hitter who drives a ball into the gap for a sure-fire double in a 12-2 game should hold up at first so he doesn't appear to be "rubbing it in"?  That's an absolutely ridiculous notion!

The sooner sports decide that the unwritten rules or the unwritten code aren't what keeps the game going, the better.  Is it embarrassing when your team gets shellacked by 10 runs?  Absolutely.  Is it any more embarrassing when they get beat by 15?  It shouldn't be, but for some reason, that's what we make it.  So...let's get these unwritten rules unwrittenly erased.

Twins Trade Deadline Opinion - Good Or Bad?

Hey folks.  It's been a couple of weeks since I've blogged, and after some time away, it's time to get back at it.

To start back in...I wanted to talk a bit about the MLB trade deadline that came and went Sunday afternoon.  More specifically, I'd like to discuss the activity (or lack of) of our Minnesota Twins.

As the 4pm eastern deadline neared, the Twins were rumored to be completing a trade which would have brought in Washington Nationals closer Drew Storen in exchange for starting center fielder and fan favorite, Denard Span.  When the deadline passed, Span remained a Twin, much to the satisfaction of almost all Twins fans, including myself.  Yes, the Twins have been in major need of a boost to the bullpen, but that bolstering should not have come at the expense of Span.  Afterall, what would the Twins have done with a third closer, with both Joe Nathan and Matt Capps already sitting out in the bullpen?

So, what was it that upset people more?  Was it the fact that the Twins were considering a trade of one of their brighter, young stars?  Was it the idea that they were try to acquire another closer from the Nationals, a year after sending top catching prospect Wilson Ramos to the Nats to get Matt Capps to close games for the remainder of the season?  Or, was it the simple reality that the team didn't pull off any kind of deal to either try and win this year, or to better themselves for the future?  My opinion?  It was all three.

Going in to July, I was of the mindset that the Twins had a couple of players who should've been shopped to teams, either those contending or those willing to take some expensive contracts off our hands, in order to either make a run at the Central Division title this year, or to prepare for another run next year.  Those couple of players were Kevin Slowey, Justin Morneau, Delmon Young, and Francisco Liriano.  Slowey has clearly fallen out of favor with the club.  Morneau has not played in a playoff game since 2006, with the Twins making two playoff runs each of the last two seasons without him.  Young continues to under-achieve, despite a 2010 season to which he finally played to his potential, but otherwise proves to be mediocre at best.  And Liriano, who appears to do nothing but flip a coin to decide whether he will pitch a good game or not, and lately, that coin has fallen on "not".  Yet, during the days leading up to the deadline, the names Denard Span, Michael Cuddyer, and Jason Kubel continued to be mentioned.

The Twins, in their current form, have the potential to compete for the division title, and even win it.  Where the Twins have fallen flat over the last two post seasons has been in the starting pitching department.  This season seems to be following suit.  Brian Duensing and Scott Baker have been the two steady hands in the rotation throughout July, although Duensing has struggled a bit since the All-Star break.  The other three starters, Carl Pavano (6.87), Nick Blackburn (7.45), and Liriano (4.01), have combined for a 6.08 ERA in the month of July.  It's no coincidence then that the overall team ERA has spiked from 3.08 in June to a pathetic 4.59 in July.  When the Twins cut their Central Division deficit from 16.5 games out of first place to six games out in the month of June, it was because of their starting pitching.  Now that they've faltered a bit in July, it's because of their starting pitching.  Yet, the only deal at the trade deadline that was close to being made was for a closer, not a starter?  Why doesn't that make any sense?

As strange as this may sound, the Twins will encounter a big problem later this month.  With Span returning from the disabled list Tuesday night in Anaheim, and Justin Morneau returning some time in the next couple of weeks, the team will have to start trying to figure out a way to get everyone the at-bats they need in order put the best lineup on the field.  The problem results from an overabundance of outfielders.

With Span back, they will have six (Span, Cuddyer, Kubel, Young, Ben Revere, and Jason Repko).  Given the injury situation, this hasn't been much of a problem over the last couple of months.  With Morneau out, Cuddyer has seen more time at first base than he has in the outfield.  With Span shelved, Revere has been able to prove himself as a very viable major league player.  Kubel being down allowed a few opportunities for Repko to see some action.  Until Morneau's return, Cuddyer will continue to spell him at first, which takes him out of the equation until then.  Given the production from Span and Kubel (pre-DL), Cuddyer's all-star year, and Revere's emergence, the logical choice to move should've been the under-performing Delmon Young.  With his salary only a shade over $5 million, the price tag would seem to have been affordable for many teams looking to add an outfield bat for a stretch run.  Unfortunately, there aren't many teams interested in a below-average fielding .264 hitter with only 2 home runs and a measly 27 RBI's this season, regardless of him costing them only a portion of his $5 million contract.

If they were going to make a move, the Twins needed to improve their pitching situation, both from a starting standpoint as well as a bullpen one.  It's understandable that in order to get something, you'd need to give something.  Packaging some combination of Slowey, Morneau, Young, and Liriano should've been enough to land both frontline and relief help to make a push towards the post season.  Unfortunately, the Twins didn't seem to pursue a trade, rather, let a team like the Nationals pursue them.  As fans, we're lucky the deal with Span never culminated.  We're unlucky, however, that our team's front office seems unwilling to seek improvement.