Simply put, the Minnesota Twins dropped the ball.
If you believe that statement refers the fact that the Twins pulled the trigger on only one deal at the Trade Deadline involving Drew Butera, you could possibly be right. If you believe that statement refers to the fact that Justin Morneau wasn't traded at the deadline, you could also possibly be right. However, if you believe that statement refers to the fact that Morneau began the 2013 season WITH the Twins, and wasn't traded during the offseason, you absolutely would be correct!
As the clock ticked down to the 4pm Eastern deadline for non-waiver trades, there was speculation the Twins would deal Morneau, but no trade was finalized. Many in the Twins' media brigade attributed this to the lack of a market for the first baseman. In fact, a few concluded that Morneau's rankings among all Major League first basemen were simply just too low to warrant any substantial value in return. The only thing they all seemed to miss was that, frankly, any deal for Morneau shouldn't have been made at the Trade Deadline, but rather during this past offseason.
Surely, if you look at the numbers, many "experts" were correct. Morneau's numbers simply don't justify much for trade value. There were plenty of teams looking for a bat at the deadline, but few looking to offer up what the Twins were more than likely asking for. But therein lies the problem. The Twins waited far too long to ask for the level of talent they were looking for should they decide to deal Morneau. And, as a result, with visions of Delmon Young in their heads, they missed yet another opportunity to trade a player at their peak value.
After suffering the concussion he did during the 2010 season, it was almost an absolute certainty that Morneau would never again be the same player. With concussions being as prominent in sports as they are today, it truly is difficult to gauge who has come back from them successfully and who has not. Sure, there may have been players in the '70s, '80s, and '90s that suffered concussions and found themselves playing again, probably because they didn't realize what actually happened. But in today's game, there is a much bigger spotlight on them.
If the Terry Ryan were as intelligent a general manager as many Minnesota sports writers believe him to be, he would've realized that we, no doubt, would never see Morneau regain the same form that led him to the 2006 American League MVP. Taking that into account, the moment Morneau began to even resemble a glimpse of his former self, he should've been shopped to potential suiters immediately! That point was after his first full injury-free season since the concussion, which was his 2012 campaign. Knowing a contract would be looming after the 2013 season, Ryan never should have entered this year holding out hope that Morneau would once again become an MVP threat. Instead, he should have attempted to bolster the Twins' already poor pitching staff by finding a taker for Morneau, who at the end of last season ranked 16th in Avg, 13th in OBP, 18th in SLG, 19th in HR, and 16th in RBI among all Major League first basemen. Instead...by not pulling the trigger during the offseason, Ryan went into the Trade Deadline fielding calls about Morneau, who entering the morning of July 31st ranked 13th in Avg, 19th in OBP, 24th in SLG, 29th in HR, and 14th in RBI among first basemen. And to make matters more difficult, he was no doubt trying to trade the 2006 MVP, and not the 2013 shadow of that MVP.
All told, the Twins stand pat at the deadline with their current Major League roster, not addressing any needs, and putting themselves in a position to now have to negotiate a deal with Morneau come the 2013 offseason. Given their current rebuilding mindset, Morneau should've been dealt, if for no other reason than to give his playing time to a younger, up-and-coming potential replacement at first base, whoever that may have been. Instead, Twins fans will have to watch their "power-hitting" first baseman struggle to reach 15 HRs during the final two months of the regular season.
Showing posts with label Delmon Young. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Delmon Young. Show all posts
Wednesday, July 31, 2013
Thursday, May 3, 2012
Twins Can't Have Cake And Eat It, Too
It's really about time for the niceties to disappear. It's about time for some feelings to be hurt. More importantly, the sooner you get your hands dirty, the sooner you can clean them off again.
These are all things the Twins' front office needs to think about in the coming days if they hope to retain any shred of dignity they have left. Otherwise, they risk losing more than just 100-plus games. They risk alienating a fan base yearning to fill seats in a new ballpark while enjoying a winning culture. They also risk tarnishing a reputation of being a model franchise in a small market, competing annually on a budget far less than their top tier competition.
As many have pointed out in the past, what this organization seems to pride itself on are things like competing, rather than winning. When push comes to shove, the Twins seem to be the ones being pushed, rather than being the ones doing the shoving.
For the greater good of the franchise, sacrifices need to be made. Accountability must be held, at all levels.
In business, when success isn't being had, it is more often than not the line-level employees who hear the ridicule, feel the pressure, and are ultimately blamed for failure. It is often easier to change the pieces than to change the message, or start over. But when a supervisor continues to change those pieces, and the results continue to be the same, at some point, upper management must decide whether it truly is the pieces, or if it's the message being handed down to those pieces.
In the case of the Twins, the pieces have been changed. Players have been brought in, and players have been dismissed. New players have been brought in, and still others have been dismissed. And the fact remains that the results continue to be the same.
It's time for the front office to change the messenger.
For years, we have heard from many within the organization, and many close to it, than Ron Gardenhire is a "players' manager". We've heard that he never gets too up, and he never gets too down. He's an even-keel kinda guy who takes the good with the bad. We've heard that players love to play for him.
Sadly, I don't believe that is still the case.
When success is prominent, as was the case in 2009 and 2010, we hear great things about the coaching staff, mostly from the beat writers, but also from some front office personnel. Case and point, 2010; the year Gardenhire was awarded the Manager of the Year Award. We heard about what a great job Gardy did managing this team. We heard about his ability to "put the puzzle together" and win. We heard that, when Justin Morneau goes down 82 games into the season, on pace to win his second MVP Award, Gardenhire "made the right move" filling the first base hole with Michael Cuddyer, despite the fact that there really wasn't another logical option at that point. We heard about the ability of Gardy and his staff (hitting coach Joe Vavra, and pitching coach Rick Anderson) to "get the most out of their guys." Guys like rookie Danny Valencia (.311, 7 HR, 40 RBI in 85 Games), Delmon Young (.298, 21 HR, 112 RBI), Carl Pavano (17-11, 3.75 ERA), Francisco Liriano (14-10, 3.62 ERA, 201 K), and Kevin Slowey (13-6, 4.45 ERA).
On the flip side, over the last two seasons (2011 and thus far 2012), we've seen the Twins struggle more than at any time in recent memory, including the mid-to-late '90s. During those struggles, if we're being honest with ourselves, we haven't seen "accountability." What we've seen is subtle, quiet finger-pointing from those closest to the situation, from the coaching staff to the beat writers. We've been told things like: players aren't taking good at-bats, guys aren't getting into good positions out in the field, pitchers aren't throwing to their strengths, etc.
The question that should be asked is: If Gardenhire "made all the right moves" in 2010, and Anderson and Vavra were responsible for "getting the most out of their guys" during that season, why have the last two seasons been about the players' lack of discipline at the plate, or inability to focus on the mound, or the fact that the team was hit with a massive injury bug?
It appears evident that Gardenhire and his coaching staff truly feel that the players aren't performing up to the standards expected of them, rather than the fact that perhaps they have lost the ability to get those most out of those players. If even some of the players feel as though the full weight of this losing season is falling on their back, and that the coaching staff is unable to accept their part, then you've already lost them.
In order to show the players that it's not all their doing, the front office needs to show a bit of backbone. A change within the coaching staff must be made. That change, even if it is only one, will tell players that upper management doesn't feel like it's 100% your fault. It will also give players a fresh perspective and a new outlook on the way they approach each game.
At this point, failing to make that change just shows that you're not ready to get rid of some of the pleasantries, that you're still worried about hurting feelings, and frankly, that you'd rather have clean hands and a poor reputation, than dirty hands and optimistic future.
These are all things the Twins' front office needs to think about in the coming days if they hope to retain any shred of dignity they have left. Otherwise, they risk losing more than just 100-plus games. They risk alienating a fan base yearning to fill seats in a new ballpark while enjoying a winning culture. They also risk tarnishing a reputation of being a model franchise in a small market, competing annually on a budget far less than their top tier competition.
As many have pointed out in the past, what this organization seems to pride itself on are things like competing, rather than winning. When push comes to shove, the Twins seem to be the ones being pushed, rather than being the ones doing the shoving.
For the greater good of the franchise, sacrifices need to be made. Accountability must be held, at all levels.
In business, when success isn't being had, it is more often than not the line-level employees who hear the ridicule, feel the pressure, and are ultimately blamed for failure. It is often easier to change the pieces than to change the message, or start over. But when a supervisor continues to change those pieces, and the results continue to be the same, at some point, upper management must decide whether it truly is the pieces, or if it's the message being handed down to those pieces.
In the case of the Twins, the pieces have been changed. Players have been brought in, and players have been dismissed. New players have been brought in, and still others have been dismissed. And the fact remains that the results continue to be the same.
It's time for the front office to change the messenger.
For years, we have heard from many within the organization, and many close to it, than Ron Gardenhire is a "players' manager". We've heard that he never gets too up, and he never gets too down. He's an even-keel kinda guy who takes the good with the bad. We've heard that players love to play for him.
Sadly, I don't believe that is still the case.
When success is prominent, as was the case in 2009 and 2010, we hear great things about the coaching staff, mostly from the beat writers, but also from some front office personnel. Case and point, 2010; the year Gardenhire was awarded the Manager of the Year Award. We heard about what a great job Gardy did managing this team. We heard about his ability to "put the puzzle together" and win. We heard that, when Justin Morneau goes down 82 games into the season, on pace to win his second MVP Award, Gardenhire "made the right move" filling the first base hole with Michael Cuddyer, despite the fact that there really wasn't another logical option at that point. We heard about the ability of Gardy and his staff (hitting coach Joe Vavra, and pitching coach Rick Anderson) to "get the most out of their guys." Guys like rookie Danny Valencia (.311, 7 HR, 40 RBI in 85 Games), Delmon Young (.298, 21 HR, 112 RBI), Carl Pavano (17-11, 3.75 ERA), Francisco Liriano (14-10, 3.62 ERA, 201 K), and Kevin Slowey (13-6, 4.45 ERA).
On the flip side, over the last two seasons (2011 and thus far 2012), we've seen the Twins struggle more than at any time in recent memory, including the mid-to-late '90s. During those struggles, if we're being honest with ourselves, we haven't seen "accountability." What we've seen is subtle, quiet finger-pointing from those closest to the situation, from the coaching staff to the beat writers. We've been told things like: players aren't taking good at-bats, guys aren't getting into good positions out in the field, pitchers aren't throwing to their strengths, etc.
The question that should be asked is: If Gardenhire "made all the right moves" in 2010, and Anderson and Vavra were responsible for "getting the most out of their guys" during that season, why have the last two seasons been about the players' lack of discipline at the plate, or inability to focus on the mound, or the fact that the team was hit with a massive injury bug?
It appears evident that Gardenhire and his coaching staff truly feel that the players aren't performing up to the standards expected of them, rather than the fact that perhaps they have lost the ability to get those most out of those players. If even some of the players feel as though the full weight of this losing season is falling on their back, and that the coaching staff is unable to accept their part, then you've already lost them.
In order to show the players that it's not all their doing, the front office needs to show a bit of backbone. A change within the coaching staff must be made. That change, even if it is only one, will tell players that upper management doesn't feel like it's 100% your fault. It will also give players a fresh perspective and a new outlook on the way they approach each game.
At this point, failing to make that change just shows that you're not ready to get rid of some of the pleasantries, that you're still worried about hurting feelings, and frankly, that you'd rather have clean hands and a poor reputation, than dirty hands and optimistic future.
Monday, August 22, 2011
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?
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?
Monday, August 15, 2011
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.
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.
Wednesday, August 10, 2011
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.
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.
Monday, August 8, 2011
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:
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.
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.
Friday, August 5, 2011
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:
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.
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!
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.
Thursday, August 4, 2011
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!
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!
Monday, August 1, 2011
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.
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.
Sunday, June 26, 2011
Seriously, Who's Running The Show For The Twins?
The Twins have 86 games left in the season. It's a pretty good bet that means they only have 57 games with Joe Mauer in the lineup. Why? Because it appears Mauer needs to have a day off every third day. At first glance, it appeared that manager Ron Gardenhire was the responsible party for keeping Joe out of the lineup. To be honest, I'm not so sure it's not Joe himself.
I've been one of the biggest proponents of keeping Mauer behind the plate and not playing him anywhere else in the field. My rationale was simple: he was drafted a catcher, he's been one of the best catchers in baseball since he became a permanent starter, and he signed a huge mega-deal to play catcher. Simple as that. But extreme times call for extreme measures. With Justin Morneau hitting the disabled list earlier this week to have surgery on his neck, and Delmon Young landing on the DL Sunday morning with an ankle issue, the Twins had two open spots in their lineup.
The active outfielders on the roster going into Sunday's game against the Milwaukee Brewers were hitting a combined .235, and were only even that high because of the .292 batting average that Michael Cuddyer has put up. The starting lineup included Ben Revere, Michael Cuddyer, and Jason Repko in the outfield, and after a double-switch late in the game, Rene Tosoni was brought in to play right field when Cuddyer slid into the infield to play first base. Again, we all know my disdain for Delmon Young. I'm not shy about bringing that up. And yes, a couple of weeks ago, I suggested playing Jason Repko in place of Young in the outfield, because Young refuses to show up during a contract year and I thought the Twins needed a little shake-up in the lineup.
Today, I'm changing my tune a little bit. I still think Delmon Young is worthless in the outfield (and at the plate). But, I do believe they need a little shake-up in the outfield. And the person who might need to shake that outfield up is #7 himself. One problem, however, is that apparently Joe doesn't care to play anywhere else, as evidenced by his absence from the lineup on Sunday. A gaping hole in left field and another at first base, and yet Mauer sat for the second time in five days.
Correct me if I'm wrong, but wasn't the point of putting him on the 60-day disabled list to ensure that he was going to have enough strength in his legs to catch five or six games in a row and be effective doing so? I swear I heard the Twins saying they didn't want to bring him back too soon. But, it would appear that Mr. Mauer's legs are a little weaker than they should be, since he's continuing to take an abnormal number of days off. What's the definition of a "team player"? Clearly, right now, it's not Joe.
So, what does it take to get through to Mauer? This year, we've heard it all. We've heard that Joe and his "people" were the ones monitoring his rehabilitation from the off-season knee surgery he went through. If the Twins were taking the bull by the horns, so to speak, they would've started his rehab out much sooner, and we may have had him up to full speed by the end of spring training, as he should've been. We've heard that Joe is the one telling Gardenhire that he "needs a day off" when his manager asks if he's able to play. I guess the inmates run Gardy's asylum. Last time I checked, the manager was the one that filled out the lineup card, not the players. When you have a player on the roster like Michael Cuddyer, who is a fantastic clubhouse guy and seemingly willing to play any and everywhere you'd need him to play, someone like Joe Mauer appears to be more of a prima donna or a "diva" each and every day. Yet Mauer is the face of the franchise, and the name on the back of over 50% of the jerseys you see at Target Field. Hmm...makes you wonder some times.
When you add all the pieces together; injuries to both Morneau and Young, a day out of the lineup on Thursday, and the fact that the Twins were playing their final game in a National League ballpark, it would seem logical that the star player, the face of the franchise, and the supposed team leader would've made every effort to find his way into the lineup, even hiding himself in the outfield if he had to. Instead, his legs should be well rested to start the series against the Dodgers this week.
I've been one of the biggest proponents of keeping Mauer behind the plate and not playing him anywhere else in the field. My rationale was simple: he was drafted a catcher, he's been one of the best catchers in baseball since he became a permanent starter, and he signed a huge mega-deal to play catcher. Simple as that. But extreme times call for extreme measures. With Justin Morneau hitting the disabled list earlier this week to have surgery on his neck, and Delmon Young landing on the DL Sunday morning with an ankle issue, the Twins had two open spots in their lineup.
The active outfielders on the roster going into Sunday's game against the Milwaukee Brewers were hitting a combined .235, and were only even that high because of the .292 batting average that Michael Cuddyer has put up. The starting lineup included Ben Revere, Michael Cuddyer, and Jason Repko in the outfield, and after a double-switch late in the game, Rene Tosoni was brought in to play right field when Cuddyer slid into the infield to play first base. Again, we all know my disdain for Delmon Young. I'm not shy about bringing that up. And yes, a couple of weeks ago, I suggested playing Jason Repko in place of Young in the outfield, because Young refuses to show up during a contract year and I thought the Twins needed a little shake-up in the lineup.
Today, I'm changing my tune a little bit. I still think Delmon Young is worthless in the outfield (and at the plate). But, I do believe they need a little shake-up in the outfield. And the person who might need to shake that outfield up is #7 himself. One problem, however, is that apparently Joe doesn't care to play anywhere else, as evidenced by his absence from the lineup on Sunday. A gaping hole in left field and another at first base, and yet Mauer sat for the second time in five days.
Correct me if I'm wrong, but wasn't the point of putting him on the 60-day disabled list to ensure that he was going to have enough strength in his legs to catch five or six games in a row and be effective doing so? I swear I heard the Twins saying they didn't want to bring him back too soon. But, it would appear that Mr. Mauer's legs are a little weaker than they should be, since he's continuing to take an abnormal number of days off. What's the definition of a "team player"? Clearly, right now, it's not Joe.
So, what does it take to get through to Mauer? This year, we've heard it all. We've heard that Joe and his "people" were the ones monitoring his rehabilitation from the off-season knee surgery he went through. If the Twins were taking the bull by the horns, so to speak, they would've started his rehab out much sooner, and we may have had him up to full speed by the end of spring training, as he should've been. We've heard that Joe is the one telling Gardenhire that he "needs a day off" when his manager asks if he's able to play. I guess the inmates run Gardy's asylum. Last time I checked, the manager was the one that filled out the lineup card, not the players. When you have a player on the roster like Michael Cuddyer, who is a fantastic clubhouse guy and seemingly willing to play any and everywhere you'd need him to play, someone like Joe Mauer appears to be more of a prima donna or a "diva" each and every day. Yet Mauer is the face of the franchise, and the name on the back of over 50% of the jerseys you see at Target Field. Hmm...makes you wonder some times.
When you add all the pieces together; injuries to both Morneau and Young, a day out of the lineup on Thursday, and the fact that the Twins were playing their final game in a National League ballpark, it would seem logical that the star player, the face of the franchise, and the supposed team leader would've made every effort to find his way into the lineup, even hiding himself in the outfield if he had to. Instead, his legs should be well rested to start the series against the Dodgers this week.
Friday, June 10, 2011
Buyers Or Sellers? What Will The Twins Be?
The time is nearing again. Every year around this time in Major League Baseball, teams start deciding if they are going to be contenders that year, or if they want to start building for the next. Some teams have pipe dreams of being successful this year, others know they will be and just need to bolster a few spots on their roster in order to solidify themselves. And yet there are still other teams that are right on the edge of both. The Twins are one of those teams. Their track record says they're just a player or two away. Their 2011 start thus far says they may need to unload. My take is this: There's room for both competing and unloading. They just need to be careful doing it.
With the recent spurt of great play, winning seven of their last eight games, the Twins are showing that they're not quite ready to go away this year. They have an incredible mountain to climb, given their slow start, but have proven to have a team pedigree that can get the job done when it matters. That is, until the postseason. In reality, the Twins have their best mid-season acquisitions already in line, with the returns of Joe Mauer, Jason Kubel, Jim Thome, and Tsuyoshi Nishioka from the disabled list. With those main core players back, the Twins have the foundation to be the contender they usually are. This puts them in that category of just needing a player or two to solidify. Where it gets tricky is finding those players, and realizing that some of the players you have may need to be sent elsewhere to accommodate improvement.
As I look up and down the roster, the Twins have valuable commodities that other teams may want. Many would think these players would only be dealt if the team decides it's long out of the division race and they want to start building for the next couple of years. In reality, although some of these players have been integral parts of the competitive teams the Twins have put forth over the last couple of years, their stock may be on the down slope. And, in the tweeting words of LeBron James before Game 5 of the NBA Finals, "It's now or never."
1. Delmon Young - It's safe to say that I am not a Delmon Young supporter, as it seems these are growing fewer and fewer by the day. When the Twins acquired Young, his stock was up, coming off his best season with the Tampa Bay Rays. But, four years later, his improvement seems to have leveled off. His 2010 season was fantastic, by his standards. When the Twins needed clutch hits last year, many came off Delmon's bat. His upside a couple of seasons ago was that he was young and unpolished. Unfortunately, he's now aged a couple of years, and has shown signs that the unpolished nature of his game isn't going away. Would he still be valuable to a team in need of an outfield bat? Sure. His career .288 average would say that he's capable of putting the bat on the ball in getting it in play. His lack of heart and hustle, however, have made him an expendable piece, in my eyes.
2. Justin Morneau - Although Morneau has been a staple in the middle of the Twins order for the last few years, his post-concussion self seems to be a shell of what he used to be. If that's the case, do the Twins try and get some value for him now, or hold on to him until it's too late. When you look at his career stats, he appears to be a stud. When you compare him to other top first basemen in baseball, however, he appears to be nothing more than a suitable fixture at the position. This season, his average is way down, his power is way down, and his ability to hit in clutch situations is non-existent. All of this could be attributed to the injury bug as well, given the concussion mid-way through last season, and the minor ailments along the way (flu bug, neck, etc.). But is it possible that we're now seeing the real Justin Morneau, and that what we've seen before the concussion was the anomaly? The question is, can the Twins afford to wait it out to truly know for sure? Given the possible replacements to fill his spot at first base, both internally within the organization and throughout Major League Baseball, they might be wise to wait on this one.
3. Francisco Liriano - Since Liriano's no-hitter at the beginning of May, he is 1-2 with a 3.33 ERA in four starts. Considering he went into that game against the White Sox with a 9.13 ERA, it's safe to say he's been improving. In 21 innings pitched since the no-no, he has allowed only 15 hits, and has struck out 21. What has hurt Liriano this season, as well as seasons past, is his inconsistent control. His walk to strikeout ratio is almost flat (35/41). Even during the no-hitter, Liriano walked six White Sox, and was still able to overcome and pull off this historic feat. There is no doubting Liriano's ability, even after the arm injury a couple of seasons ago. He still has an incredible slider when he's on, and can still bring his fastball upwards of 95 miles per hour. Liriano may benefit from a change of scenery, but can the Twins afford to give up a starting pitcher? If they can continue to get starts like they have in Liriano's absence this past week from Anthony Swarzak, it's possible that the Twins could spin Liriano for a couple of stronger bullpen arms. Or, do they roll the dice on him this season, and hope that his last four starts are a sign of things to come?
4. Kevin Slowey - With starting pitching in baseball being at a premium, no matter the team, there will be takers for Kevin Slowey. Of the players the Twins are most likely shopping around, Slowey is probably the most likely to be moved this season. Although many thought Slowey deserved a spot in the 2011 starting rotation, perhaps ahead of Nick Blackburn or Scott Baker, the team moved him into the long-relief role in the bullpen, asking him to take that role and be the best at it. In doing so, Slowey's attitude began to deteriorate, and before long, he was seen by the team as a problem. Slowey has decent stuff, and should the Twins decide to deal Liriano, it would seem likely that a healthy Kevin Slowey would be the replacement in the rotation. His attitude and demeanor have soured the Twins on his ability, and that has unfortunately put Slowey at the top of the Twins' trading block. Look for Slowey to be dealt, regardless of whether the Twins are competing for the division come July or not.
5. Denard Span - This is probably my absolute least favorite option for a trade. I am a huge Denard Span supporter. I think what he's done for the Twins at the top of the order over the last two season has been outstanding. He's not going to hit for power like some center fielders do, but he's always hustling. There isn't a team in baseball that wouldn't appreciate a player like that on their roster. What's hurting Span is the emergence of Ben Revere as the Twins top outfield prospect. With all the injuries this season, especially that of Jason Kubel, Revere has had an opportunity to show what he can do at the Major League level. What the Twins are seeing is a potential Denard Span clone. An all-out hustling outfielder who can hit for contact, get on base, and put opposing teams on their toes. The biggest problem with this is that it makes Span expendable, at least in the eyes of some. For me, Span offers much more than just great defense, speed on the bases, and a .300-hitting lead-off hitter. Span's clubhouse presence appears to be a good one. He's always smiling, and always going 100% every day. That type of behavior seems to sometimes be a premium in baseball. Even if Revere is similar in nature, giving up on a guy like Span would be a mistake, regardless of what you could get in return. However, that being said, and with that type of player being coveted by many teams, his value could potentially be too high to pass up, and could possibly bring more talent to the team through a trade. Personally, Span is one of my favorite players to watch on this team, so I'm hoping they find other ways (i.e. trading Delmon Young) to get Revere into the lineup full time.
With the recent spurt of great play, winning seven of their last eight games, the Twins are showing that they're not quite ready to go away this year. They have an incredible mountain to climb, given their slow start, but have proven to have a team pedigree that can get the job done when it matters. That is, until the postseason. In reality, the Twins have their best mid-season acquisitions already in line, with the returns of Joe Mauer, Jason Kubel, Jim Thome, and Tsuyoshi Nishioka from the disabled list. With those main core players back, the Twins have the foundation to be the contender they usually are. This puts them in that category of just needing a player or two to solidify. Where it gets tricky is finding those players, and realizing that some of the players you have may need to be sent elsewhere to accommodate improvement.
As I look up and down the roster, the Twins have valuable commodities that other teams may want. Many would think these players would only be dealt if the team decides it's long out of the division race and they want to start building for the next couple of years. In reality, although some of these players have been integral parts of the competitive teams the Twins have put forth over the last couple of years, their stock may be on the down slope. And, in the tweeting words of LeBron James before Game 5 of the NBA Finals, "It's now or never."
1. Delmon Young - It's safe to say that I am not a Delmon Young supporter, as it seems these are growing fewer and fewer by the day. When the Twins acquired Young, his stock was up, coming off his best season with the Tampa Bay Rays. But, four years later, his improvement seems to have leveled off. His 2010 season was fantastic, by his standards. When the Twins needed clutch hits last year, many came off Delmon's bat. His upside a couple of seasons ago was that he was young and unpolished. Unfortunately, he's now aged a couple of years, and has shown signs that the unpolished nature of his game isn't going away. Would he still be valuable to a team in need of an outfield bat? Sure. His career .288 average would say that he's capable of putting the bat on the ball in getting it in play. His lack of heart and hustle, however, have made him an expendable piece, in my eyes.
2. Justin Morneau - Although Morneau has been a staple in the middle of the Twins order for the last few years, his post-concussion self seems to be a shell of what he used to be. If that's the case, do the Twins try and get some value for him now, or hold on to him until it's too late. When you look at his career stats, he appears to be a stud. When you compare him to other top first basemen in baseball, however, he appears to be nothing more than a suitable fixture at the position. This season, his average is way down, his power is way down, and his ability to hit in clutch situations is non-existent. All of this could be attributed to the injury bug as well, given the concussion mid-way through last season, and the minor ailments along the way (flu bug, neck, etc.). But is it possible that we're now seeing the real Justin Morneau, and that what we've seen before the concussion was the anomaly? The question is, can the Twins afford to wait it out to truly know for sure? Given the possible replacements to fill his spot at first base, both internally within the organization and throughout Major League Baseball, they might be wise to wait on this one.
3. Francisco Liriano - Since Liriano's no-hitter at the beginning of May, he is 1-2 with a 3.33 ERA in four starts. Considering he went into that game against the White Sox with a 9.13 ERA, it's safe to say he's been improving. In 21 innings pitched since the no-no, he has allowed only 15 hits, and has struck out 21. What has hurt Liriano this season, as well as seasons past, is his inconsistent control. His walk to strikeout ratio is almost flat (35/41). Even during the no-hitter, Liriano walked six White Sox, and was still able to overcome and pull off this historic feat. There is no doubting Liriano's ability, even after the arm injury a couple of seasons ago. He still has an incredible slider when he's on, and can still bring his fastball upwards of 95 miles per hour. Liriano may benefit from a change of scenery, but can the Twins afford to give up a starting pitcher? If they can continue to get starts like they have in Liriano's absence this past week from Anthony Swarzak, it's possible that the Twins could spin Liriano for a couple of stronger bullpen arms. Or, do they roll the dice on him this season, and hope that his last four starts are a sign of things to come?
4. Kevin Slowey - With starting pitching in baseball being at a premium, no matter the team, there will be takers for Kevin Slowey. Of the players the Twins are most likely shopping around, Slowey is probably the most likely to be moved this season. Although many thought Slowey deserved a spot in the 2011 starting rotation, perhaps ahead of Nick Blackburn or Scott Baker, the team moved him into the long-relief role in the bullpen, asking him to take that role and be the best at it. In doing so, Slowey's attitude began to deteriorate, and before long, he was seen by the team as a problem. Slowey has decent stuff, and should the Twins decide to deal Liriano, it would seem likely that a healthy Kevin Slowey would be the replacement in the rotation. His attitude and demeanor have soured the Twins on his ability, and that has unfortunately put Slowey at the top of the Twins' trading block. Look for Slowey to be dealt, regardless of whether the Twins are competing for the division come July or not.
5. Denard Span - This is probably my absolute least favorite option for a trade. I am a huge Denard Span supporter. I think what he's done for the Twins at the top of the order over the last two season has been outstanding. He's not going to hit for power like some center fielders do, but he's always hustling. There isn't a team in baseball that wouldn't appreciate a player like that on their roster. What's hurting Span is the emergence of Ben Revere as the Twins top outfield prospect. With all the injuries this season, especially that of Jason Kubel, Revere has had an opportunity to show what he can do at the Major League level. What the Twins are seeing is a potential Denard Span clone. An all-out hustling outfielder who can hit for contact, get on base, and put opposing teams on their toes. The biggest problem with this is that it makes Span expendable, at least in the eyes of some. For me, Span offers much more than just great defense, speed on the bases, and a .300-hitting lead-off hitter. Span's clubhouse presence appears to be a good one. He's always smiling, and always going 100% every day. That type of behavior seems to sometimes be a premium in baseball. Even if Revere is similar in nature, giving up on a guy like Span would be a mistake, regardless of what you could get in return. However, that being said, and with that type of player being coveted by many teams, his value could potentially be too high to pass up, and could possibly bring more talent to the team through a trade. Personally, Span is one of my favorite players to watch on this team, so I'm hoping they find other ways (i.e. trading Delmon Young) to get Revere into the lineup full time.
Tuesday, June 7, 2011
Does Delmon Young Even Want To Play Baseball?
When it comes to looking completely uninterested, no one seems to look the part better than Twins left fielder Delmon Young. Routinely, Delmon appears lethargic and apathetic in the outfield, as if he has something better to do than play the game. His fourth error of the season in left field on Tuesday night cost the Twins their only run allowed, an unearned run, and thus costing them a chance at their sixth victory in a row. It's time now for Ron Gardenhire to make the decision to sit Delmon for a while, and give Ben Revere an opportunity full-time in left field.
Injuries have depleted the Twins lineup all season thus far, but regardless, this level of play in the outfield by one of your better players cannot be allowed to continue. Many have questioned how Gardy is handling some of his star players, from Joe Mauer to Justin Morneau, and now even Delmon Young. But to allow misplays in the field as we've seen from Young this season is just condoning the behaviors. His lack of hustle isn't something typical of a Twins player, and needs to be addressed.
Delmon's bat was one of the things that helped the Twins take control of the Central Division last season. Without that bat, the Twins would've most certainly struggled, especially considering the injury to Justin Morneau which took him out of the lineup for the last half of the season. However, even a blind squirrel can find a nut every now and again. Although Delmon is a career .288 hitter, he has to be one of the worst .280 hitters of all time. Aside from 2010, his ability to be somewhat clutch at times has been almost non-existent. In this, his sixth professional season, he has a total of 60 career home runs. That's all. That's not a great total for someone supposedly with a lot of pop in his bat who has been an everyday player for the last five years. Something has to change!
Although the lineup as been a shell of its preseason self, Gardy can't let Delmon's play be allowed to continue just because he doesn't have as many options. With Jason Repko back and healthy now, and Ben Revere's emergence, the Twins have options to put Delmon on the bench. Making him the DH shouldn't be considered an option, either, given his performance at the plate thus far. The designated hitter is supposed to hit, that's his one and only job. Right now, Delmon can't even do that. He's struck out more times this season than he has hits. It's clear that Delmon is just going through the motions.
It's time for Gardy to send a message to Mr. Young. If you want to actually play, the spot is yours. Until you decide to show me that you're willing to put forth the effort to improve, we've got a spot right here on the bench for you. It's time to reward the people who want to be there, and cut bait with the ones that don't. With Delmon, we continue to hear the phrase "he's still young." When will people stop using this complete cop out of an excuse, and start holding him accountable for the poor preparation and poor play, and in all actuality, lack of hustle and heart? It's time for him to go.
Injuries have depleted the Twins lineup all season thus far, but regardless, this level of play in the outfield by one of your better players cannot be allowed to continue. Many have questioned how Gardy is handling some of his star players, from Joe Mauer to Justin Morneau, and now even Delmon Young. But to allow misplays in the field as we've seen from Young this season is just condoning the behaviors. His lack of hustle isn't something typical of a Twins player, and needs to be addressed.
Delmon's bat was one of the things that helped the Twins take control of the Central Division last season. Without that bat, the Twins would've most certainly struggled, especially considering the injury to Justin Morneau which took him out of the lineup for the last half of the season. However, even a blind squirrel can find a nut every now and again. Although Delmon is a career .288 hitter, he has to be one of the worst .280 hitters of all time. Aside from 2010, his ability to be somewhat clutch at times has been almost non-existent. In this, his sixth professional season, he has a total of 60 career home runs. That's all. That's not a great total for someone supposedly with a lot of pop in his bat who has been an everyday player for the last five years. Something has to change!
Although the lineup as been a shell of its preseason self, Gardy can't let Delmon's play be allowed to continue just because he doesn't have as many options. With Jason Repko back and healthy now, and Ben Revere's emergence, the Twins have options to put Delmon on the bench. Making him the DH shouldn't be considered an option, either, given his performance at the plate thus far. The designated hitter is supposed to hit, that's his one and only job. Right now, Delmon can't even do that. He's struck out more times this season than he has hits. It's clear that Delmon is just going through the motions.
It's time for Gardy to send a message to Mr. Young. If you want to actually play, the spot is yours. Until you decide to show me that you're willing to put forth the effort to improve, we've got a spot right here on the bench for you. It's time to reward the people who want to be there, and cut bait with the ones that don't. With Delmon, we continue to hear the phrase "he's still young." When will people stop using this complete cop out of an excuse, and start holding him accountable for the poor preparation and poor play, and in all actuality, lack of hustle and heart? It's time for him to go.
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