Riverbrian

lol... I think they are over-reacting in New York and Boston. Those fans can't handle one game losing streaks. On the other hand... Us Twins Fans... Well we can use some feeling good and I hope it comes soon.

You can bet on Doumit C and Mauer 1B... As for Hughes... Yeah... Why not. Give Burroughs some time at 3B as well.

I meant playing IN with two outs and runners on 2nd and 3rd.

Why was Velencia playing with two outs?

Defense! How can you not defense it?

Liriano battled back. Now will the Twins?

Sure he would have. He is taller.

lol... Traded for Humber and Mulvey

Jeez... I wish I wouldn't have used the word polar!

Revere... That's a ball player. Now send him.

It has too be hard for the Twins brass. Liriano has been so polar over his career.

Liriano in a word... Encouraging.

Arrieta and now Hunter look like Palmer and McNally thus far

I have been to: Safeco in Seattle AT&T in San Fran Kaufman in Kansas City Rangers Ballpark in Arlington Progressive in Cleveland Miller Park in Milwaukee Rogers Center in Toronto Old Comiskey in Chicago Old Tiger Stadium in Detroit Old Yankee Stadium in Da Bronxs. Target Field In Minneapolis and the Metrodome and The Met in Bloomington. Not an extensive list but from these: AT&T is the best by far. There is not a bad seat in the house. You can see it was a curve all from right field. The bay, location and design are top notch. 2nd best was Kaufman. Love the fountains and the overall experience and the way it just sits there as you drive by it on the interstate. Old Tiger Stadium was cool. Rowdy fans and atmosphere is why it is 3rd. The worst the Metrodome by far. Can't believe the greatest team in baseball called that place home. Safeco and the Rogers Centre were nothing to write home about either.

Im sure you are right. I'm pulling for the kid. However, In his mind, he has to be in quite a nerve wracking portion of his career. Seeing a future rotation spot in his grasp. He strings decent starts together with this open window and He may not go back down to AAA. He had to be chomping at the bit for Sunday and What a great opponent in Baltimore to start that window of opportunity. Now he gets the Rangers or Angels if Gardy tinkers a little. Tough break.

I feel just awful for him. Can you imagine how he must have been looking forward to Sunday. Only to get knocked out by a bad crab or something.

I'm sure Gardy is just setting up an early season rotation with this bunch. Just like Football Offensive coordinator scripting his first 10 or 20 plays. Gardy probably has it planned for a month or so getting looks and moving them around. Just guessing but I think it's likely that Mauer will be at 1B tomorrow and Doumit will be behind the plate. Parmelee will be on the bench and Plouffe will be in RF.

A couple of things #1 I don't care if Doumit dropped that ball in RF. It proves nothing and isn't related to my personal point. On the subject of Doumits defense. He's a career .271 who routinely hits double figures in dingers and his primary position is catcher. If he could play defense at all. Those numbers are worth money at the C position. He can't play defense and that is why he has failed to hold a starting job with the Pirates who have been one of the worst teams in baseball. It's not like Doumit had to beat out Johnny Bench for a job. As an OF. He's a career .271 hitter who can maybe hit 20 dingers if he stays healthy. Guess what if Doumit and Plouffe are the RF tandem. You have already sacrificed offense. So... You better be able to go get it in the field. #2. I hope you are not implying that we have a 2004 version of Manny Ramirez in this current Twins lineup. If we have someone who hits like that. Yeah go ahead and let the ball scoot through the gaps for extra bases on occasion. I don't see any of the current Twins OF candidates hitting .300 plus with 40 home runs. We don't have that... of course that could just be my opinion. Maybe Plouffe will go nuts. #3. Using your World Series point. Need I remind you that the hated White Sox won the 2005 World Series with Scott Podzednik and beat the Astros with Willy Taveres. #4 maybe it's once a week or twice a week or 5 times a week that OF defense comes into play. Please also consider that it's about 27 weeks in a baseball season. Clamoring for the guy who will hit 14 homers is a round tripper every two weeks. #5 when in doubt... Take the guy with world class speed and career .300 average in the minors. The twins have tons of players capable of 15 homers with regular at bats. Unfortunely the majority of them are capable of hitting south of .250.

If you double Plouffes home run production using simple math. Don't conveniently forget to double his strikeout total. That would be 71 k's to 135 to 145 and that .238 average looms large. Has Revere earned a job with Angels... I'd say no but he was a spark plug last year and he earned it with the Twins.

First off... Seth I read your stuff all the time. Keep up the good work. I appreciate what you do immensely. 2nd... you of all people should know that a career .326 hitter in the minors is not an offensively liability. To assume Plouffe is a better offensive option because he may hit 10 homers is someplace I can't go. 3rd... Talking about Revere's arm is fair game. Everything else is a ballplayer. 34 steals last year and a decent average. Now just teach this 5 8 guy to draw a walk and look out. He's a kid with wonderful potential. Play him. He earned the LF job.

Here is something that has to stop right now. Gardy has an irrational fear of running out of catchers during the course of a game or losing the DH spot if Mauer has to leave the DH and put the pads back on... due to injury or ejection. Umm... Everytime Butera swung a bat last year. It was no better then letting Blackburn hit. Once you let Butera swing a bat and I mean once. You can't act like losing the DH spot for an inning or two... due to mid game catcher injury is a death blow. Mauer or Doumit will have to DH sometime this year to keep their bats in the lineup. Go ahead and close your eyes and roll the dice Gardy. Just remember you can pitch hit for a pitcher when his turn comes up in the rare instance its necessary. It will be OK. Let's not beg Terry Ryan to call up that 3rd catcher who will rarely play. By the way. Thanks for the division titles. Go get em this year.

If batters don't swing and miss...you have to catch the ball. Do you really like the odds of that with Willingham and Doumit both in the OF. A big Target field OF for half the games. This park and pitching staff demands speed and defense.

The only thing that makes sense was Doumit to RF based on Morneau to DH and therefore Willingham to LF. Burroughs making the team took out Towles and that means the backup catcher cant DH. Either way... Grady just benched a guy in Revere who could steal 50 bases.

I'm Optimistic like every year at this time. Pitching is a little worrisome and I still don't understand why Willingham can't play RF. I liked the lineup with Revere starting in LF. His speed and defense is a plus. Yeah the arm thing but we will need guys who can go get it in the OF. We have pitch to contact pitchers.

I fail to understand why Willingham can't play RF. Revere in left... Doumit DH, 1B, C rotation. Hughes 2B and Casilla at SS. Carroll Util and Morneau and Mauer. A little speed And a little power. It's a good looking lineup. Of course pray for health that would help.