Bark's Lounge

Willingham should stay in LF, but no doubt he has been great so far. He seems to be the 2nd player to conquer Target Field with his power, Thome being the only other. Keep it up Josh! To this point of the season you are looking like the best FA signing!

The AFL might have be a precursor to a more high octane result. Here's hoping to it!

Let's cut to the chase - Jim Bowden is an arrogant, self obsessed ball bag that has no business working in Major league baseball, let alone on a major sports reporting network. We should not have to hear or read his opinions on the Twin's situation or any other ball club. He is an opportunist who has taken advantage of 3rd world country baseball talents and looking back at his past photos from the early-mid 1990's, he dresses like a wanna be 1980's Jet-Set Millionaire (which he most probably is), he most definitely would be the perfect anti-hero in a 1980's John Hughes' Teen Film. He should never be a GM again and if any MLB team hires him in some front office capacity - integrity is not one of their prerequisites. Keep your collar up Jim - Let's rock to some "Flock of Seagulls" in your Frat House.

Let's cut to the chase - Jim Bowden is an arrogant, self obsessed ball bag that has no business working in Major league baseball, let alone on a major sports reporting network. We should not have to hear or read his opinions on the Twin's situation or any other ball club. He is an opportunist who has taken advantage of 3rd world country baseball talents and looking back at his past photos from the early-mid 1990's, he dresses like a wanna be 1980's Jet-Set Millionaire (which he most probably is), he most definitely would be the perfect anti-hero in a 1980's John Hughes' Teen Film. He should never be a GM again and if any MLB team hires him in some front office capacity - integrity is not one of their prerequisites. Keep your collar up Jim - Let's rock to some "Flock of Seagulls" in your Frat House.

Whew... glad to get that out of the way. This is how the Twin's are going to have to perform to win games. We will need to score 5+ runs for the most part to win a game, but at least Carl gave us some innings. The inside job by Bourjos was a knee to the nuggets, but what the heck, it all worked out. Kudos to Willingham and Parmelee for their big hits. I have been an opponent of the Willingham signing, not because I don't like him or his contract, but more so for philosophical reasons on how I think the club should transition from the shamples of last season. Willingham seems to be a good power fit at Target Field so far - as some have predicted. The HR tonight was a BOMB! Big Time hit by Parm (The kid can hit). Pavano gutted it out and Perkins looked great and it was nice to see Capps get the save without blowing one first (confidence). Nice Win... On to game 6.

Whew... glad to get that out of the way. This is how the Twin's are going to have to perform to win games. We will need to score 5+ runs for the most part to win a game, but at least Carl gave us some innings. The inside job by Bourjos was a knee to the nuggets, but what the heck, it all worked out. Kudos to Willingham and Parmelee for their big hits. I have been an opponent of the Willingham signing, not because I don't like him or his contract, but more so for philosophical reasons on how I think the club should transition from the shamples of last season. Willingham seems to be a good power fit at Target Field so far - as some have predicted. The HR tonight was a BOMB! Big Time hit by Parm (The kid can hit). Pavano gutted it out and Perkins looked great and it was nice to see Capps get the save without blowing one first (confidence). Nice Win... On to game 6.

I actually don't think Varva is a bad hitting coach either. He has overseen some great individual hitting seasons and his joining the Twins staff in 2006 coincided with Mauer, Morneau, and Cuddyers offensive emergence. Not to mention 2 of T-Hunt's better offensive years. Those 4 guys are talented players, but Vavra should get a little bit of credit for their performance. I posted the Vavra topic merely to see what angry/despondent responses would be posted. With the 4 game losing streak to begin the season it has started to feel like the French Revolution on this site. Hopefully the guillotines won't be brought out.

Let's say Joey V. gets the axe. Who takes over his position? Is Bruno called up from AAA? Or would it be Scott "Weirdo" Ulger to assume that position? I assume the latter, although I would be pro for the former. What's your take?

Let's say Joey V. gets the axe. Who takes over his position? Is Bruno called up from AAA? Or would it be Scott "Weirdo" Ulger to assume that position? I assume the latter, although I would be pro for the former. What's your take?

I agree with the majority that Target field is a fantastically beautiful modern facility with a nostalgic/old-time feel, but I am perplexed as to why they planned out the dimensions the way they did. Usually teams who have procured the financing to build a new ballpark build it around their star players and their strengths. I cannot remember if the Twin's were given the thumbs up to build the ballpark in 2006 or 2007, but at that time they at least knew Mauer's strength was as a gap to gap hitter and Morneau is a left handed hitting power hitter that when he is going good hits the ball to all fields, but can pull the ball very often also. They have made the ballpark way to difficult to hit out of the yard in the power alleys and right field is a nightmare for power hitters. Petco Park (Padres) has served as an example to not build super-pitcher friendly parks in a mid to small baseball market. No decent free agent hitter wants to sign a contract with them and they seemingly always have middling teams at best with pitchers who's stats don't really tell the story (Good Luck Matt Latos in the Great American Band Box). Do the Twins have a stubborn attitude about adjusting on the fly to accommodate their star players and strengths? Was it too late in the process to make the dimensions friendlier to their star hitters? They definitely did not have a star pitcher to accommodate as Santana was gone when he reached Free Agency and everyone knew that. What happened and what was reasoning behind the ballparks design? Unbalanced ballparks ruin the baseball enthusiast's realistic point of view, reasoning of the box score's end outcome and overall feeling that player performance cannot be judged by results, but by theory based upon a generic ballpark's dimensions. MLB should have standardized dimensions on how each team builds their ballparks. Based on Climate, Wall Height, and Length of the turf. Target Field is Astheticly beautiful, but in baseball fairness.... ugly.

I agree with the majority that Target field is a fantastically beautiful modern facility with a nostalgic/old-time feel, but I am perplexed as to why they planned out the dimensions the way they did. Usually teams who have procured the financing to build a new ballpark build it around their star players and their strengths. I cannot remember if the Twin's were given the thumbs up to build the ballpark in 2006 or 2007, but at that time they at least knew Mauer's strength was as a gap to gap hitter and Morneau is a left handed hitting power hitter that when he is going good hits the ball to all fields, but can pull the ball very often also. They have made the ballpark way to difficult to hit out of the yard in the power alleys and right field is a nightmare for power hitters. Petco Park (Padres) has served as an example to not build super-pitcher friendly parks in a mid to small baseball market. No decent free agent hitter wants to sign a contract with them and they seemingly always have middling teams at best with pitchers who's stats don't really tell the story (Good Luck Matt Latos in the Great American Band Box). Do the Twins have a stubborn attitude about adjusting on the fly to accommodate their star players and strengths? Was it too late in the process to make the dimensions friendlier to their star hitters? They definitely did not have a star pitcher to accommodate as Santana was gone when he reached Free Agency and everyone knew that. What happened and what was reasoning behind the ballparks design? Unbalanced ballparks ruin the baseball enthusiast's realistic point of view, reasoning of the box score's end outcome and overall feeling that player performance cannot be judged by results, but by theory based upon a generic ballpark's dimensions. MLB should have standardized dimensions on how each team builds their ballparks. Based on Climate, Wall Height, and Length of the turf. Target Field is Astheticly beautiful, but in baseball fairness.... ugly.

Here is something interesting about game 2 of the 2004 Division Series against the Yanks: CBS Sports’ Jon Heyman, the longtime Sports Illustrated baseball writer, talked to Hunter and Michael Cuddyer about the Yankees’ hold on the Twins. Hunter, while getting the situation slightly wrong (the Twins weren’t trailing by a run, the score was tied), said that someone on the bench was asked to pinch hit for Kubel but declined. On the bench at the time were catcher/first baseman Matthew LeCroy, who pinch hit later in the game; outfielder Lew Ford, who batted .299 in 154 games that season and started at DH the other three playoff games; and infielder Augie Ojeda, who didn't appear in the series. Either Torii is yackin' just to yack or something went unacceptably awry. I cannot see LeCroy refusing this assignment as he seemed to be a pretty good natured team guy. Augie Ojeda in his career was always fighting for a roster spot (don't see it). That leaves us with our formerly beloved Twins favorite Lew Ford. Is that smug lil' bugger the culprit of refusing to pinch hit? If T-Hunt isn't just running his lip and this did happen, he would be my guess. Thoughts?

Here is something interesting about game 2 of the 2004 Division Series against the Yanks: CBS Sports’ Jon Heyman, the longtime Sports Illustrated baseball writer, talked to Hunter and Michael Cuddyer about the Yankees’ hold on the Twins. Hunter, while getting the situation slightly wrong (the Twins weren’t trailing by a run, the score was tied), said that someone on the bench was asked to pinch hit for Kubel but declined. On the bench at the time were catcher/first baseman Matthew LeCroy, who pinch hit later in the game; outfielder Lew Ford, who batted .299 in 154 games that season and started at DH the other three playoff games; and infielder Augie Ojeda, who didn't appear in the series. Either Torii is yackin' just to yack or something went unacceptably awry. I cannot see LeCroy refusing this assignment as he seemed to be a pretty good natured team guy. Augie Ojeda in his career was always fighting for a roster spot (don't see it). That leaves us with our formerly beloved Twins favorite Lew Ford. Is that smug lil' bugger the culprit of refusing to pinch hit? If T-Hunt isn't just running his lip and this did happen, he would be my guess. Thoughts?