Spring Training - Game 11 - vs TB - 3/12/12

Twins head to Port Charlotte to play the Rays yet again... Here's the lineup with a rare Joe Mauer sighting on the road in spring training!

Ben Revere CF
Brian Dozier SS
Joe Mauer DH
Chris Parmelee 1B
Ryan Doumit C
Trevor Plouffe LF
Sean Burroughs 3B
Luke Hughes 2B
Rene Tosoni RF

Pitching: Carl Pavano, Jason Bulger, Scott Diamond, Phil Dumatrait, Liam Hendriks, Glen Perkins, Tyler Robertson, Daryl Thompson

Bench: Danny Lehmann, Danny Rams, Chris Herrmann, Aaron Bates, Ray Chang, Mike Hollimon, Oswaldo Arcia, Darin Mastroianni

Denard Span is out with a stiff neck again. Span is becoming a Stiff............Ever since the Twins bought out his arbitration years he has been injured. Phil Mackey keeps telling everybody his contract is very managable and dirt cheap. I would agree with that statement if Span played more than 80 games a year. He has been as injury prone as Mauer & Morneau over the last seasons. Imagine that, this is when he signed his 4-year contract!! Starting to think the Twins missed their chance to unload him to Washington for an elite reliever like Drew Storen. I was against the trade but at some point you have to show some heart and play through some aches and soreness. I still think Ben Revere will be a very good player and should be in CF. Span is coddled by Gardy and Revere just shows up to play anywhere with a smile on his face.

How many regular season games has Span missed with injury in 2012?

Jason Bulger on the hill today attempting to get his ERA sub-70.00...

Seth,

The season has not started yet. Span missed 101 games over the last two years. He played hurt during the second half of 2010 and deserves credit for being tough. However, I bet Revere won't ask for a day off or miss time due to injuries.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Fanatic Jack

Seth,

The season has not started yet. Span missed 101 games over the last two years. He played hurt during the second half of 2010 and deserves credit for being tough. However, I bet Revere won't ask for a day off or miss time due to injuries.

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Not sure how to predict if someone will get hurt or not... Revere has missed time for various injuries throughout his minor league career too.

I've never liked that contract and now it looks even worse. But I'm still optimistic Span will have a good 2012. His injuries last year were legitimate and it's not like he hasn't shown toughness in the past. I dont blame Span for his injuries; I blame the Twins for along term deal in which they got very little discount.

Plus, it's spring & Span had looked very aggressive so far. Let's get him healthy.

John,

Span is a tremendous player when he is healthy and that's a fact. However, sitting out two spring training games because of a stiff neck is pretty funny. Let's be totally honest, Gardenhire has coddled Span, Mauer, and Morneau so much all they have to do is say they are sore and they get a day or two off. No other manager walks through the clubhouse before a game and asks people if they want to play. The great ones (Scioscia, Madden, Leyland, and Ozzie) would never do that. It's time for a change!!

Jack,

Spring training is the time to sit out with minor injuries. You don't want to play through them and turn them into major injuries. I don't really mind your continual doom and gloom/Gardy can't do anything right shik, but you could temper in a little common sense.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Fanatic Jack

Denard Span is out with a stiff neck again. Span is becoming a Stiff............Ever since the Twins bought out his arbitration years he has been injured. Phil Mackey keeps telling everybody his contract is very managable and dirt cheap. I would agree with that statement if Span played more than 80 games a year. He has been as injury prone as Mauer & Morneau over the last seasons. Imagine that, this is when he signed his 4-year contract!! Starting to think the Twins missed their chance to unload him to Washington for an elite reliever like Drew Storen. I was against the trade but at some point you have to show some heart and play through some aches and soreness. I still think Ben Revere will be a very good player and should be in CF. Span is coddled by Gardy and Revere just shows up to play anywhere with a smile on his face.

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I've also heard that Span kicks small puppies and runs a dog fighting ring.

Yes, Span missed 92 games in 2011, but he played 153 games in 2010 and 145 in 2009. The last time I checked both of those numbers were considered larger than 80.

Note: I might have made up the part about the puppies and dogs, so I could sound as preposterous as Jack.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Fanatic Jack

John,

Span is a tremendous player when he is healthy and that's a fact. However, sitting out two spring training games because of a stiff neck is pretty funny. Let's be totally honest, Gardenhire has coddled Span, Mauer, and Morneau so much all they have to do is say they are sore and they get a day or two off. No other manager walks through the clubhouse before a game and asks people if they want to play. The great ones (Scioscia, Madden, Leyland, and Ozzie) would never do that. It's time for a change!!

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While I agree Gardy does coddle guys a bit too much, its a double edged sword. How many teams (eg. Det or Bos), have had seasons where they were "supposed" to go really far and just end up getting marred by injuries and destroying their seasons because guys didnt get proper rest.

So . . . has the game started?

0-0

Dozier has a triple and broken bat single. Pavano has been sharp(very sharp compared to Blackburn's 'sharp' yesterday).

Revere has 2 grounders to 2nd, one for a double play.

Some notes from a friend of mine watching the kids in FM today scrimmage:


Watching the Twins minor leaguers play against each other.

First inning. Goodrum walk and SB. Doesn't score. Kepler grounds out to end inning. Boer and Bashmore pitching. TK barking orders
Grimes single. Rosario fly out. Grimes CS with Sano up.
Sano playing third. Looks big. Has a nice arm.
Grimes error at SS on bad hop. Rosario E at second on bad play. Boer gets K to end inning.
Sano grounds hard to second on 1-2 pitch after TK yells to go up the middle. No score. Bashore looks decent.
Goodrum works another walk. Rosario makes a nice play up the middle for a force out.
R. Jimeniz k's to end inning
Kepler with a nice line drive single to left off of lefty. Good swing.
Kepler SB
Rosario flys out deep into the wind in CF. Sano pops to short. Goodrum looks smooth at short on a ground ball. Saw A. Morales fly out on the field next to me.

1-0 Rays. RBI single by Jennings, Revere can't throw the runner out, throw cut off and relayed.

Doumit can't throw out Jennings on a pitchout, high throw.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Mr. Ed

Some notes from a friend of mine watching the kids in FM today scrimmage:


Watching the Twins minor leaguers play against each other.

First inning. Goodrum walk and SB. Doesn't score. Kepler grounds out to end inning. Boer and Bashmore pitching. TK barking orders
Grimes single. Rosario fly out. Grimes CS with Sano up.
Sano playing third. Looks big. Has a nice arm.
Grimes error at SS on bad hop. Rosario E at second on bad play. Boer gets K to end inning.
Sano grounds hard to second on 1-2 pitch after TK yells to go up the middle. No score. Bashore looks decent.
Goodrum works another walk. Rosario makes a nice play up the middle for a force out.
R. Jimeniz k's to end inning
Kepler with a nice line drive single to left off of lefty. Good swing.
Kepler SB
Rosario flys out deep into the wind in CF. Sano pops to short. Goodrum looks smooth at short on a ground ball. Saw A. Morales fly out on the field next to me.

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Thanks for this. Goodrum and Kepler are really intriguing.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Mr. Ed

1-0 Rays. RBI single by Jennings, Revere can't throw the runner out, throw cut off and relayed.

Doumit can't throw out Jennings on a pitchout, high throw.

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I want to not hear anymore about Revere playing CF on a regular basis. He has a second baseman's arm and it is a problem with the organization that they never converted him (essentially flopping IF/OF with Plouffe, who is a much more atrocious example of the Twins somehow dropping the ball about defense in the minors)
.

Doumit throws out a baserunner in the 4th

1-0 TB

Pavano 4IP 3H/R/BB/3K

You can always count on Farnsworth to make things interesting.

Hughes scores on infield hit by Revere,throwing error on Farnsworth.

Revere stole 2nd and moves to 3rd on another throwing error.