Sherry Cerny

Starting today, I will be looking back at the five no-hitters thrown in Minnesota Twins history. I will attempt to rank them, but more importantly, it is fun and beneficial to take some time to remember some of the great moments in Twins history. It's the held breath before the last pitch, the arms wide open as the catcher runs towards the pitcher, and the roar of the crowd as they witness one of the most magical moments in baseball: the no-hitter. The no-hitter is one of the beauties of baseball and games that you never forget as a fan. The no-hitter is as much luck as talent, and there have been some great pitching talents to pass through the Twins pitching staff. There have been 314 No-Hitters since 1876. They are rare, about 1.2 per year (statistically). However, in 2021, we saw the most no-no’s in any season in MLB history, nine to be exact. With all the excitement of the no-hitters this season, it’s a perfect time to look into the Twins no-no’s. Just one year after moving from DC as the Senators to Minnesota as the Twins in 1961, the Twins recorded their first no-hitter. The Twins organization has gone on to experience four more no-hitters since, the last one ten years ago. I intended to write about the no-hitters in one article and rank them. However, the more I read about each game, I thought it would be fun to make a series out of the rankings. There is a lot that goes into a game to take into consideration as I considered ranking their quality, even more so when the game ends as a no-hitter or a perfect game. It’s not all luck. With many variables that go into a game's success. So let’s take a brief look at what factors I considered to decide how to rank the games. Opponent The opponent is essential. A stronger opponent will give a pitcher more trouble than a team that is hitting poorly, has a lesser coaching staff, and any luck at the plate. It doesn't make it easier - nothing about baseball is easy - it's just a different scenario with more challenges. Baserunners Allowed Since having errors, walks or a hit batter is likely in a no-hitter (unless it is a Perfect Game, something no Twins pitcher has done, yet), looking at these numbers could make one no-hitter score higher than another. A good defense will come to the pitcher's aid and how well they can get an out, a ground ball, and round out double plays is a large factor. How many pitchers pitched Fewer pitches to accomplish a no-hitter is undoubtedly preferred. The number of pitchers involved in a game makes a difference. In a game for the Yankees this past May, Corey Kluber pitched a no-hitter. The Cubs also tossed a no-hitter this season. Zach Davies started but three other pitchers followed to finish the game. A combined no-hitter is not the norm (though certainly more likely as today’s pitchers rarely go beyond six innings), but certainly, I wanted to take that into account. Home or Away The strength of the schedule is important. So sleeping in your bed and playing in your home stadium with your fans can be better than playing at the closest opponent's stadium. It is also better than traveling back two time zones after a double-header or late-night game. There are a lot of things that people don't think affect a team that genuinely does. I am sure that the east to west coast games are exhausting and play a part in the turn-out and how well the players play. Does home or away really make a no-hitter more or less likely? If so, I’m sure it’s nice to have the fans there. Did the pitcher hit? The DH came into the American League in 1973. Before then, Twins pitchers and their opposing pitchers had to hit. Since then, American League pitchers have had to deal with batters whose sole purpose is being a good hitter. In theory, that should make throwing a no-hitter much more difficult in the AL than NL. Unless a player like AL MVP Shohei Ohtani is on the team. He can dominate on the mound and at the plate. People who say baseball is boring may not have a clue how much goes into a game. The low-scoring games are some of the best games to watch. It is a battle of the pitchers and hitters, as well as t defense can affect the games we see. Based on the criteria above, I looked over the five no-hitters that the Twins had. All no-hitters are impressive, some more than others. As I reviewed box scores and numbers, the #1 ranked no-hitter to me was a no brainer. No-No Number 1: “Jittery” Jack Kralick - 1962 The Pitcher: Jack Kralick The Date: August 26, 1962 The Opponent: Kansas City Athletics The Stadium: Metropolitan Stadium The Pitcher’s Background and Story Jack Kralick was born in Youngstown, Ohio in 1935. His parents later moved to Michigan where he attended high school and eventually attended Michigan State University. He spent time bouncing between minor league teams and a semi-pro squad back home in Michigan. Later he was pursued by the Tigers, Yankees and Indians. Kralick however was more keen on the offer from the Washington Senators and made his debut in the Majors in 1959 with the Washington Senators, which would eventually become the Minnesota Twins. Jack Kralick went the distance in this game, a near-perfect game. It was the very first no-hitter for the “Minnesota Twins”. Kralick was described as a “loner,” a smoking machine, and was called “jittery” for his constant movement on the mound from twitching his feet to fidgeting with his belt. Even though he was seen as quiet and a recluse, teammate Rich Rollins said that he “got along well with everyone in the clubhouse and everyone got along with him while he was in Minnesota.” The Game It was a beautiful 78 degrees for this late August game, a day when one is almost disappointed that the game only lasted one hour and 57 minutes! That’s how quickly the pitchers turned and burned the line-ups. The Kansas City Athletics (now the Oakland Athletics) were a struggling team when they played against the Twins and eventually finished ninth in the AL with a record of 72-90. They certainly were not a strong team, but that’s not what makes this no-hitter my favorite no-no. Let’s review the rest of my criteria to see why it continued to impress me more and more. Only one Kansas City baserunner was allowed on base in this game. That is the lowest number of base runners among the five Twins no-hitters. The only runner came with one out in the ninth inning. “Jittery” Jack Kralick retired 25 batters and was two outs away from a perfect game before George Alusik walked. That just blew my mind. For a pitcher to get that far into the game with no other pitching maladies is just … awesome. The game ended with a foul-pop fly to first base. Because it was a decade before the Designated Hitter rule which came about in 1972 and was implemented in 1973 throughout the American League. All pitchers were also hitters. You pitched. You hit. Being able to hit was a requirement to play the game. In my opinion, it made teams stronger and more cohesive. Along with the no-hitter, Kralick also went 1-for-2 and had a sacrifice bunt.. Through the three seasons that he was with the Twins, the southpaw hit .173. During the 1962 season, his batting average was .202, definitely an asset to the Twins and the highest batting average of his career! 1962 was his last full season with the Twins. In early May of 1963, Kralick was traded to Cleveland in exchange for righty Jim Perry. Yes, the Jim Perry that is in the Twins Hall of Fame. I am excited to share more of the Twins no-hitters with everyone and see if you agree with where I ranked the games. Do you have ideas for this series? What do you think is important in a no-hitter? Is it talent, or just luck? Let me know below! With all of the no-hitters this year and speculation as to why they are happening, it’s fun to think about the potential for another Twins no-hitter sooner rather than later! I look forward to discussions! MORE FROM TWINS DAILY — Latest Twins coverage from our writers — Recent Twins discussion in our forums — Follow Twins Daily via Twitter, Facebook, or email View full article

Michael Rand wrote a Star-Tribune article three weeks ago on why Mitch Garver could be traded during the 2021 off-season. However, I wonder if the Twins have enough catching depth to deal Garver and rely on Ryan Jeffers and Ben Rortvedt (and Willians Astudillo if you, unlike the Twins staff, think he can be a catcher). The job of the catcher is physically demanding. It is certainly a position of attrition. Over the years, the body takes a beating. Squatting behind home plate in eight pounds of gear. Blocking balls in the dirt with the chest protector, or whatever body part gets hit. Throwing to the bases. Framing pitches. In addition to the physical demands, the mental part of the game, knowing the opposing batters, working with his pitcher, and the home plate ump. Often, the catcher is overlooked and under-appreciated. However, it is one of the most critical roles on the team. While the pitcher gets all the accolades, the catcher deserves a ton of credit for all he does before and during the games to help the pitcher. Even though Joe Mauer didn’t catch for years prior to his retirement, the Twins organization has not let us down by having solid players in the catcher position. While none may have been a "hometown hero," Mitch Garver has become a fan favorite. The 31-year-old baseball player has not slowed down since coming into the 40 man roster in 2017. Garver's age based on the way he recovers and plays is certainly not a factor - not only for him but for baseball in general. The catcher is typically the oldest position on the field - simply because it's hard to find a good catcher, and when you do, you sign them. The average age of a catcher has continued to change over the years. While 30 years old is in the 86th percentile of the age bracket for catchers, his predecessor would show that the average is just another statistic (Joe Mauer retired in 2018 at the age of 35, but was done catching at the age of 30). Garver has no intention of allowing his age to be a setback. Due to an IL stint early in 2021, Mitch Garver had two years in a row that weren’t nearly as good or productive as 2019. As if 2020 wasn't enough of a buzz-kill thanks to Covid-19, Garver was already suffering from an intercostal strain making his defensive play less than desirable. Twins Daily writer J. Cameron wrote a link on March 7th describing why 2020 was a poor season for Garver and 2021 wasn't as glamorous as 2019. However, he was undoubtedly poised for hitting the ball, still being one of the best hitting catchers in MLB. That came to a screeching halt on June 1st, while playing against the Orioles. Garver took a foul tip to the groin, putting the player on the IL and requiring surgery. The plague of injuries continued not only for Garver but the Twins. Garver had a successful emergency surgery and addressed the fans, thanking them for their well-wishes and prayers. Garver spent the next seven weeks? Rehabbing for St. Paul just before paternity leave. We got a glimpse of the 2019 Garver when he smacked a line-drive solo shot to left field off Detroit Tigers righty Reynaldo López in the second inning. He also lobbed a solo shot to center field off reliever Matt Foster in the fifth inning. To solidify his place in the lineup - for the first time in his career, Garver hit a grand-slam in the July 27th game - just his second game back after rehab - off pitcher Tyler Alexander 433 feet into left-center bleachers. Garver only played in 68 games, started out the season with the team as the starting catcher, but then left in June, had three separate stints in the Injured List, spent time on the paternity list, and still gave the fans and the front office a reason to cheer. With 243 plate appearances, the catcher hit 15 doubles, 13 homers and had 34 RBI. He was up above league average in OPS, slugging percentage and had a solid on-base percentage OBP. His max velocity averaged in the 86th percentile for 2021 among other catchers in the league. Garver had also not lost his touch behind the plate. He has a strong chemistry with the pitching staff that seems to be second to none. He understands the players at the plate, their strengths and weaknesses, and exploits them. He has greatly improved his pitch framing which gives his pitchers more strikes. His small defensive movements to frame the ball just enough to pull off strikes is pure magic. Garver finished at number 12 in the MLB framing leader board for 2021 despite playing just 68 games played. That may not mean a lot to everyone, and that's fine - but what it shows is that Garver is a catching mastermind and knows how to work the plate, umps, and batters, something that select few catchers seem to do very well. Chemistry is not easy to find between a catcher and pitcher, and it can affect how a game turns out. Rortvedt and Jeffers also have great chemistry with the pitchers, but they haven’t been around as long as Garver in the organization, giving him an edge. When Garver returned from both the groin injury, hand injury and paternity leave, the Twins games improved. Not to say Garver carried the team, as Byron Buxton also returned, but his return and position in the line up is an asset to the team. Ryan Jeffers, while younger, and defensively sound, does not show as much solidarity as Garver all around. Garver hopefully has years left behind the plate, but the other two catchers are not ready for the demand of a 162- game season. While Jeffers and Rortvedt have good defensive skill and offensive potential (especially Jeffers), now is not the time to trade Mitch Garver. If you were in charge, what would the Twins catching situation look like in 2022? Leave a COMMENT and start the discussion. MORE FROM TWINS DAILY — Latest Twins coverage from our writers — Recent Twins discussion in our forums — Follow Twins Daily via Twitter, Facebook or email View full article

As the offseason begins, Brent Rooker is certainly a candidate for the Twins DH job in 2022. He can also play in the corner outfield spots and first base in a pinch. Kyle Garlick made the 2021 Opening Day roster, but he's been almost forgotten since he didn't play in a game after June 8th due to injury. The Twins have not been afraid of change. They have not been afraid to move guys up and down from Triple-A St. Paul with regularity. There were copious amounts of injuries and other ailments. There were also a couple of trades. Following the trade deadline trade of Nelson Cruz, Brent Rooker was recalled. The Twins have depth in the outfield still. Kyle Garlick did what he was asked to do, which his produce against left-handed pitching. Rooker provided some power. It was a question last year at spring training, and again it doesn't make sense for both to be on the roster in 2022. There will be some tough decisions and this may be another one. Kyle Garlick came into the season securing a spot on the 26-man roster. He made the Opening Day roster. In April, he landed on the COVID-IL. That was just the start of the issues for the outfielder and pinch hitter. At the beginning of June, Garlick left with a groin injury and eventually needing surgery to repair a hernia and left him out for the remainder of the season. It is unfortunate for him because in his 99 at-bats with the Twins in 2021, he had eight doubles and five home runs. In 63 plate appearances against southpaws in 2021, he hit .271/.302/.576 (.878) with six doubles and four homers. By spring training, Garlick’s injury will presumably be better, but will he still be on the 40-man roster? He will turn 30 in January, but still can provide strong offense against left-handed pitching. That may be important with lefties like Alex Kirilloff, Trevor Larnach and Max Kepler in the outfield rotation. Garlick still has one option year remaining since he did not use one in 2021, so he could be stashed in St. Paul for additional depth. Brent Rooker's value to the team comes in the form of power and production and the plate. He has shown the power. Now he just needs an opportunity for regular playing time. At each minor league level, he initially struggled and within a couple of months he becomes incredibly productive. Can he do that at the big-league level? Rooker will be 27-years-old in 2022, not young, but certainly with room to continue growing. While Rooker is not a good defensive outfielder, his ability to play in the corners, and some first base, does give him value to the team. That said, Rooker has never had the typical lefty-righty splits. However, in 189 at-bats in 2021, he had 10 doubles and nine home runs. That is after he hit 20 homers in 62 games for the Saints. Versatility In March, Do-Hyoung Park wrote an article showing that Rooker may have already been preferred by management. While the two players have similar offensive productivity, Rooker stood out as the younger, more potentially dominant player: Indeed, one option, and the option I think would make sense, would be to try to trade Garlick, if there is any market for him. From a business standpoint (and yes, personal standpoint as a fan), there are better options with younger players who are ready for the big leagues. Rooker is more than able and prepared to remain on the 26-man roster. What do you think? Is Rooker ready, and should he remain on the big-league roster? What should the team do with Kyle Garlick? Could he have a role going forward? Leave a comment. MORE FROM TWINS DAILY — Latest Twins coverage from our writers — Recent Twins discussion in our forums — Follow Twins Daily via Twitter, Facebook or email View full article

Hi Everyone - I really like all the responses here and I am 1. really thankful you all took time to read it and 2. you left your honest thoughts. I am excited to continue my growth with writing and all of you!

The Twins season is over, but change to the roster is just starting. There are three things that the Twins are able to do to start the off season out right. (Editor's Note: Before we get started, join me in welcoming Sherry to the front page. This is her first promoted article. You have likely seen some of her writing on the Twins Daily blog pages. In her first front page article, she's got some ideas for the Twins front office.) After an arduous baseball season from the Twins, the fans are left with one question: “what’s next?”. We have all been asking ourselves that question since the Twins took a nosedive in May. Plagued with injury and ailment, the Twins limped through the summer trying to find their stride while also bringing up and sending down player after player. There seemed to be no relief. As players such as Josh Donaldson, Byron Buxton, Max Kepler, Luis Arraez, Mitch Garver, and Jorge Polanco healed and made their comeback so did the overall growth, demeanor and mindset of the team to finish out the season strong. While the Twins were nowhere near a run for the playoffs, let alone the Wild Card, they played as if they were and left the fans with a hopeful taste in their mouth as the season closed. So, what is next? There are a few things I can think of that will instantly make a difference. #1 No More Andrelton First things first, Andrelton Simmons' contract is officially up as soon as the World Series is complete! Let’s be honest, this was one of the worst Twins acquisitions, maybe not of all time, but for sure in the amount of time that I have been a fan, which is a fairly long time. I recall when the Twins gave him the contract, I was irate. I got blown to bits on Twitter for my “bad take” and he was a “gold glove winner”. (blah, blah, blah.) I am not an elite baseball mind, but I do have a serious appreciation for usable talent. Simmons was not that. Sure, on paper he looked good. His baseball-reference stats show that from 2016 through 2020 Simmons had a solid batting average. He was hitting .283 on average over those seasons, basically his tenure with the Angels. During those years he stayed above .250. As much as I didn't want to, I did count 2020 in the stats, but it was a shorter season, fewer games, so his batting average is going to look/be a little better. What caught my eye was his errors, he had 49 errors over four years. This year, Simmons was tied for sixth out of 22 shortstops in errors. I know that shortstops tend to make the most errors on the team, but I am not sure what made the Twins think that he was going to be anything but a train wreck. What made this even more frustrating was the fact that the Twins have players who could have played shortstop and got paid less. I am not advocating for Billy Beane baseball, but with assets like Jorge Polanco, Luis Arraez and Nick Gordon, it was really disappointing to have someone like Simmons in the line up, especially in the second half. It's a collective sigh of relief that Simmons is becoming a free agent. #2 Rebuild the Rotation Next... to the mound. The pitching (or lack thereof) has been the biggest thorn in the Twins' side. Thanks to trades and bold moves the Twins acquired some young arms that are going to be around for quite awhile if the front office plays their cards right. Joe Ryan, Bailey Ober, John Gant, Ralph Garza Jr, and Griffin Jax have breathed new life into the rotation, providing solid innings, more strikeouts and confidence that the front office may be actually understanding the assignment. The one thing that teams in the playoffs have is solid pitching. Having a good starting rotation and bullpen is important. There is less stress, leaving the line up to have enough energy to do their job and hit dingers. While there was a lot of anger due to trading Nelson Cruz, there has been less frustration with the pitching which came as a result of the trade. If there are going to be any changes in the rotation, acquiring at least two or three starters that they will leave in through the sixth inning would be beneficial. I am not sure what Rocco Baldelli and Wes Johnson thinks they are doing pulling guys in the sixth inning. This isn’t college baseball with a lot of depth. This is the big leagues, where guys are conditioned for longevity. The new guys that were brought in learned in a different system, potentially with different techniques and philosophies. Wes Johnson has not had a chance to them yet. The class of Free Agents looks like a platter for the next season and there is some amazing talent could be acquired, such as Zack Greinke, Clayton Kershaw Marcus Stroman, Noah Syndergaard, and Max Scherzer. While we all have differing opinions on who is less effective, any of these pitchers would be a good buy in a 2 or 3 starter spot while we look in house for our #1 starter. #3 Bring Back the Boomstick The third thing would be bringing back Nelson Cruz to finish beefing up the batting line up. Cruz will be a free agent after his playoff run with Tampa Bay. That was a trade that sucker-punch to the fan base. While I personally was sad to see him go, the trade was one that the front office could not pass up. The return is exactly what this team needed. I can’t imagine that bringing back Cruz was not brought up in the clubhouse prior to the trade, but the tears, hugs and words spoken by the team surrounding the trade mean his teammates would love for him to come back. He, like the rest of the squad, definitely struggled a bit in the beginning of the season. The 41-year-old has shown few signs of slowing down or falling apart outside a thumb sprain early in the season. Since being in Tampa Bay, he has continued to soar and could help get the Rays to the World Series. His presence with the bat and in the clubhouse are something you rarely find, and it may be a fight to get him back. We saw this with Miguel Sano. Nelson Cruz was a guiding force into Sano's performance with the bat, and it's one relationship that has created a life-long bond. In reality, Cruz’s numbers are too good to ignore, as well as his ability to bring a smile and cohesion to the clubhouse. His impact on Sano was so great that the day Cruz was traded, Sano honored him by wearing his pants in that night's game. “The pants brought Sano a little bit of luck. He went 1-for-3 with a walk, double and run scored in his Minnesota Twins’ 3-2 loss to the Angels” writes Jesse Johnson of USA Today Sports. One thing is for sure, Nelson Cruz has always been and will always be a class act, even going out of the way to meet the pitcher that took his place in the clubhouse. You can’t replace a person like that. These are just a few of the things that would help the team see not only a higher finish in the standings, but also the potential to return to the playoffs. I love the old adage - “Offense wins games, Defense wins championships." I believe it’s true. If the Twins would be able to get a solid pitching staff, a defense that was less messy, and consider bringing back Nelson Cruz, that would be a start to creating a winning team for the 2022 season. View full article

When the Twins brought on Andrelton Simmons, I was not impressed by the Gold Glove awards or the 10 Million dollar contract. Since coming to the team, Gordon has been a utility player that is able to cover portions of the infield, as well as, the outfield. With the season basically over, the Twins have been playing with a lot of the guys from the minors and with the rotation of talent that we keep seeing, Gordon could easily be a permanent fixture in 2022. Gordon certainly is not the savior, but compared to Andrelton Simmons, he has more potential for growth and certainly would not be as huge of a dent in the Pohlad’s wallet. Nick Gordon spent seven years in the minors. Since 2014 he has continued to climb the ranks since being a 5th overall draft pick. He wasn’t expected to go as far as he did, but he continued to work hard, and by 2019 was pulling a .298 average in Rochester. According to Matthew Taylor of Twins Daily, the second baseman suffered from Covid-19 which derailed his entire 2020 season. Prior to his illness, even if he didn’t move through the minors like others expected, he continued to work hard, improve his plate and field performance and his only hope was to make it to the majors, and make it he did. Nick Gordon had a slow start to the beginning of the season, like any minor leaguer would coming up to the Show, but he continues to grow and acclimate along with a few of his comrades. When he is brought up from St. Paul, he is able to cover 2B, 3B, SS, CF and LF. He is not a rock star at all positions, but he can cover them if need be. His performances at CF, 2B and SS show that his speed, agility and focus are an asset to this team. He has had 2 errors this season, one at 2B and one at 3B, but in comparison to Andrelton Simmons, his infield play is more accurate with Simmons garnering a 12-error season, where in a smaller sample, Gordon has had “0”. The more appearances Gordon makes, the more he improves. Gordon’s largest improvement, however, has been at the plate. He continues to impress and work hard and show why he deserves to be a part of the permanent roster. His discipline at the plate has created more confidence and is now hitting a solid .239. This week, on September 5th, the Twins were in a battle with Tampa Bay and the illustrious Nelson Cruz. Early in the game, Gordon doubled into helping himself score on a Jake Cave single in the 2nd inning. In the 7th, he singled in a line drive and stole second - pushing the Twins to tying the Rays. He wasn’t done though! Gordon, who affectionately would be called “Clutch” after hitting a single in the 9th in a two out rally bringing the Twins to a “W” over the Rays. In every situation - Gordon - would come up clutch for the Twins, solidifying why his presence on the squad would be an advantageous move for the Twins front office. The journey from the minors to the Show can be arderougus. Players like Gordon show how hard work and dedication to improvement can make your dreams a reality. With his exit velocity as impressive as his career trajectory, it’s safe to say that Nick Gordon would be a great addition to the roster with the Twins in 2022.

Not every player that makes it to The Show is going to be flashy, hit dingers every game and go slamming into walls to make a save. There are players that are the perfect addition to the team and make the chemistry what it is. The line-up works and makes plays in the outfield that keep a team in the game. Jake Cave doesn’t break the Twins wallet, and he does his job. He is worth more than his contract shows and fans keep sleeping on him. Jake Cave came swinging onto the Twins scene in 2018 and sealed his spot on the team in his first year with thirteen homeruns and 45 RBIs! He was on fire and 2019 was no slow down. Joining the team in hitting 307 homeruns that year to out hit any team in MLB. Cave has been an integral part of this team since suiting up and he hasn't slowed down in how hard he plays, swings, or dives for outfield balls. The Hampton native continues to defy the trade deadlines, and stays on with the Twins as a minimum salary player with a million dollar attitude. In 2020 Cave struggled a little at the plate, nothing that threw up red flags as the player continued to be a heavy contributor to the line up. When he is up at the plate he has a small lag in his timing, but you could tell early in 2021 that he was not able to rotate as far, move as fast or swing has hard and eventually it became a concern. Fans would say he is getting old, is average or washed out, but it was more than that and I refused to listen to the clamor of the haters. Cave finally disappeared from Minneapolis after feeling immense back pain for a consistent amount of time. The 28 year old center-fielder doesn’t give up. He thought he had a sore back sending him down to the IL, which ended up being a fractured disc due to stress and spent sixty days rehabbing in St. Paul. Over that time, he worked extremely hard to not only take the care needed to improve his back, but also to improve his swing. He batted 11-for-30 with a home run, a double, six runs and five RBI across eight rehab games. He continued to improve and is something that the Twins need to consider keeping around as a depth option in the outfield. His time in St. Paul showed that not only can he hit, but he is an asset at the plate the more he sees it. He has more than shown his worth covering down for players like Buxton, the other centerfielder who can’t seem to stay healthy or in the game. Jake Cave has shown up for the Twins every instance they have needed him without reserve, without complaint and with one-hundred percent effort. He has played every position in the outfield with ease and even been added to the line up as the DH to cover. In those three positions he has only had one error in 46 games that he has played this year in the Twins Club House. Since coming back in July, has continued to make progress at the plate with his August average at .186 even if he has gotten less at bat’s than any of the other players on the team. Jake Cave may not be a shiny-bomba-hitting-player, but he is clutch in the outfield and one of the more reliable players on the team. He continues to show up and do not only his job, but any job that is asked of him, even if he is not perfect. With the season coming to an end and while realizing baseball is a business, it would be bad business to get rid of Cave. The Twins are getting a player out playing his salary and you aren’t going to get dedication or hard work from another player like that and the beard doesn’t hurt either.

The Wall-Street Journal called him the ‘Ace’...That’s not a bad way to start your olympic debut, even if it is followed up with “and then got traded”. Happens to the best of us. Joe Ryan arrived in Tokyo just in time to find out that he was part of a trade where Nelson Cruz would be going to Tampa Bay and Ryan would be joining the Twins, a week later his team-mate would be joining him. Joe Ryan wasn’t expecting to wake up in Tokyo and get traded, as much as Twins fans probably didn’t realize that they would be losing Nelson Cruz, a beloved member of the Bomba-Squad. Baseball is a business and as a business that may be getting rid of the DH this was a great trade. When you go to look up Joe Ryan in Google, all you get is “Silver Medal Pitcher” or “Ace Pitcher of Team USA”, these are all good things if you just acquired said pitcher. I had the privilege of being able to see Ryan at a Durham/Tides game early in July and to say that Durham has some of the best pitching MAY be an understatement. That game was intense and the pitchers were on. Joe Ryan along with his long locks of hair carried the team to a win over the Tides with only one walk and one hit. He has a great command at the mound and control that I only wish some of our minor leaguers had. Ryan would more than likely be in the majors already had he not had to take 2020 off (luckily he was picked back up). He moved up quickly in 2019 going from single A to double A quickly. In the Olympic game against Japan, he kept them to one run and even though the ultimately lost the game, again Ryan’s command and confidence on the mound kept the game close and within reach. Japan’s pitcher unfortunately was just as good and shut out the United States. With trades, getting players from the Minors is stressful, you never truly know what you are going to get at that time. Even though it took four years after being drafted in 2014, in 2018 when he finally got his chance to play for TB in a summer series, it was all up from there. He is going to be the pitcher we wanted and thought Berrios was going to be for our team. We have been waiting for an ACE and I think that we will be seeing Ryan in the majors sooner rather than later and what a great day that will be!

If you get the movie reference, good for you! If you don't, rewind your life to 1995 and find the movie Liar, Liar. You are welcome. Onto Baseball! The Twins have made some really great moves in the trade season. While it brought some heart break for fans of players like Berrios and Cruz, it also brought in some pitching prospects that are going to be a great addition to the line up in terms of pitching, to include the pitcher from the Team USA Baseball Team that won silver in the 2021 Olympics, Joe Ryan. Our roster is continuing to improve, we can round out the team and safely secure our position in the 2022 season, hopefully as division leaders again. In order to do that, players that are dragging down the team like Simmons. Andrelton Simmons has not been worth the money that the Twins initially paid him to bring him in for the 2021 season. January 31, 2021 the Twins signed Simmons from Anaheim for $10.5 million dollars, a signing that most (this fan not included) Twins fans thought was a “great move” and “he’s a golden glove player”...the excuses kept coming. The trade deadline came and went and there were some really fun transactions, but one thing stood out, I was right about Simmons. We couldn’t get even a bag of balls for him based on his performance this season. The best thing for the Twins to do at this point is release him and bring up or retain talent that will fit the big moves we have made already this year. Simmons started out the year with coming down with Covid-19 which shut down our entire Club for two days and removed Simmons for the two week duration of the ailment. We don’t have anything to compare his performance to prior to coming down with Covid-19 but upon his return and since then he has struggled at the plate with a lackluster .219 average and more walks than RBI’s. Defensively he is average comparatively with other shortstops in the league but still not the best when you look at players who are making around his same salary. There are other players that can not only hang with him defensively, but can bring more hits to keep our offense doing their job and give the pitching a break. One player that stands out is one that we have brought onto our field from right across the river in St. Paul, Nick Gordon. Gordon not only has shown so much promise and improvement, he’s only actually played 12 games for STP while playing 37 games for the Twins and continues to be a permanent fixture. Gordon has a .250 batting average, continues to make great decisions at the plate, his fielding is where he is really showing that he can make a huge difference compared to Simmons. He has played 2B for most of his time here, but he has also taken on the shortstop positions, showing he is versatile when the team needs him to be. Bringing Gordon up from St. Paul in a market where there are shortstops that the Twins likely wouldn’t pay for would not only be the best decision for the club house but make the most sense financially. If the Twins were willing to spend a little more money for assets, two other great players they could work with are Carlos Correra from Houston and Javier Baez. Both would be fantastic acquisitions to the team. Carlos Correra is one of the best shortstops in MLB as far as I am concerned and he can rake at the plate. He has a discipline and swing at the plate that could be far more worth the money we are paying Simmons. Not only can he out hit Simmons, but his hustle at shortstop is one of the fastest. Fielding is bound to have errors and between Simmons and Correra the errors are within two, but the fielding percentage is better than Simmons over all. Javier Baez would be a FANTASTIC free agent choice if the Twins were to make a purchase here. He has 24 homeruns this season in comparison to Simmons' meager three and his .241 batting average while still lower than Nick Gordon’s is far better than Simmons. There are options that are ready to go, the Twins just have to bring their wallet to dinner. If we could acquire one of these two players, it would help our team exponentially.

Two steps forward, one step back. The Twins have had a horrible season and they keep getting worse. I actually am speechless as to how bad they have become. There are lots of theories, ideas, frustrations, and trade talk, but there is a silver lining in the storm that is the Minnesota Twins baseball season: Josh Donaldson. Josh Donaldson certainly has given us headaches since the beginning of the season. He left us in game one with a reoccurring injury that kept him out for weeks, and upon his return, he struggled at the plate, and also on the field. Injury or not, JD’s fielding has been something that needs serious improvement and has cost the Twins some serious defensive woes resulting in other teams getting runs. That doesn’t mean that he lost us the games, our offense needs to get better at the plate, but of his 112 chances, he had 36 put-outs. Comparatively, that’s not a terrible number considering other third basemen like Manny Machado have 34 and Jose Ramirez only has 4 more at 40. Third base is one of the harder positions to play in the MLB, but both Machado and Ramirez have more assists (84 and 86) to their team pushing them to being second in their leagues. With the Twins riding fifth place, Donaldson’s errors and lack of what would seem to me to be - a lack of full effort - is affecting the overall defensive performance of the team. Offensively, he is showing signs of improvement. That’s not saying much given the status of the team, however, it is saying something for the 6’1, 210-pound third baseman who has been encountering more strikeouts and walks this season than actual runs. April may have been an off month to him given his injury agitation in the first game, making his follow through not as solid as it could have been. I am not giving him a pass for his performance, just a little empathy. As one of the power hitters coming from the Braves, his batting performance has been disappointing since making the transition to the Twins. Donaldson sure hasn’t been worth the money that the organization has been paying into him, making trading him (hypothetically) nearly impossible, but not totally. Over the past two weeks, Donaldson has almost done a 180 from where he was not only at the beginning of this season, but last season. Even if he is getting an out, his swing is more consistent and he is making contact with the ball more than he did in April. He has managed to get on base more last month and into the first few games of June and get the Twins a few more runs bringing his average up to .256. In a time when the Twins are unable to secure wins against some of the worst teams in baseball, Donaldson seems to at least care about his offensive performance to bring in some runs. He is hitting in almost every game and leaving with no less than a single, double, RBI and lately homeruns, two alone in the June 3rd game against KC. It appears that Donaldson is finally comfortable with - or learning how to use - his swing. I no longer cringe when he comes up to bat. I understand that he may strike out, but I also have been impressed with the progress he has made while a lot of the team continues to digress. If he continues on this path, I would definitely like to see a little more “Rain” during the games.

I am loving this article. Not because of the trade talk, because I truly don't think the value of trade is truly worth it for the Brewers, but because I think Donaldson is coming along more and more and potentially could prove to be an asset if he keeps on this path he is on.

Sano has had a love-hate relationship with the Minnesota fans since coming on the scene in 2015, but I don’t believe that it’s because he is a bad player. Home runs are what are keeping the 6’4, 276 pound slugger in the line up, but nothing more than that. He has never been a consistent player whether on the line up or on the field. 2019 was one of Sano’s best years and he swung on a full 34 home runs as a beloved member of the “Bomba Squad”. Sano, for whatever reason, has continually been looked over by either the management or the ownership and it shows everytime he comes up to the plate. With hot streaks at the plate and streaks of looking lost, last year in 2020, Sano had a season high strike out of 90. Now that can be attributed to the shortened season and no spring training, but last year we really saw Sano struggling. His OPS reached .757 over all in 2020 and .923 the year before. It seems like the management either wasn’t willing to put in the time with him, or they were just good for the minimal hits they were getting, the RBI’s that seemed to really pull the team together. So why is the management overlooking Sano and his abilities? This season out of our 52 games, we have gone 16-21 with Sano in the line up and only 5-10 with him out. Which means we are losing more without him than we are with him. He is not the problem, as much as the fans probably see him as one, or the management is portraying him to look like one. So what will it take for the management to give Sano a legit chance? Sano doesn’t get as many games to play as others. In a post game interview Badelli stated that Sano would love to get all the at bat(s) but Willians is giving the team a little more of what they want and that Sano just wants what is best for the team. He also said that Sano is indeed getting help before the games and on the side. That tells me that they are just doing enough to honor his contract and not truly give him the help he needs to be successful. Sano does suffer from occasional injuries, but so do other players that seem to make the line up consistently. To say that Sano is overlooked is an understatement. We don’t know why the Twins organization seems to hold a grudge for Sano, but it’s evident that if they were to put in the effort to help him or baby him like they do other players such as Donaldson, Kepler or Willians, maybe we would see him be successful. He has the capability to be more than what we see at the plate, and he is great at first base, and worth the money that we are paying him, if the management would just give him the chance to be more than a part time player.

This year and last year MLB implemented new rules to keep the game “interesting” or “moving fast” for the newer fans, or for those who can’t sit still, I would guess. The new rule changes of adding a runner on second in extra innings and 3 batter minimum have certainly proven to be a struggle for the Twins. The Twins who have only won one game in extra innings this season, showing that it can move the game along, but it also leaves players at a disadvantage if the management is not going to use good game time decisions such as laying down a bunt to advance a runner. Poor management decisions make it hard to appreciate the new rules that MLB is implementing. MLB has been playing with the idea of moving the mound back to 6 feet 61 inches, something they have been playing with in the Atlantic League. They believe that this will reduce the strike outs, as well as the large numbers of homeruns, making more contact with the bat for base runs. This means a lot of change for not only the power hitters who will see the ball coming in at a lower velocity, but also the pitchers, who deal with a myriad of injuries and a tight strike zone. Moving the mound back is going to force pitchers across the league to re-learn their art, which also could increase injuries, less playing time between games, and command. The Twins pitching this year is something to be desired and 2021 is no exception. With a disgusting 4.66 ERA, 437 hits and 265 runs, command is something that the pitching is sincerely lacking. The pitching coach, who comes from a college background and lives and breathes sabermetrics is also part of the reason pitching is struggling. Wes Johnson, is of the mindset that leaving a starter in until the 6th leaving the inept bullpen to finish the game. Our bullpen simply cannot pull themselves together to finish out a game, when we have starters that can take us to the 7th or even 8th. With poor pitch coaching and managerial decisions, moving the mound back is only going to compact our issues. Until our team learns to control their pitches, a proposed mound change is not going to help us. The change would only allow batters to have more time to read our pitches and profit off of them, which the Twins cannot afford to give up, unless they can answer. Let’s hope that this idea of moving the mound back dies in the independent league and doesn’t make it into the majors. There would have to be some major restructuring in the Twins pitching department if this rule does become implemented, the Twins simply cannot afford anymore setbacks.

I know my writing is about as consistent as the Twins pitching, but that doesn’t mean that I am not watching. Watching and learning and understanding that baseball, as emotional as we get about it, is a business, and in a business you want to be the best that you can with the assets that you have. That’s why when you are hired at a job, if you are not doing the duties hired for, or continue to curtail off of them and get lazy, you will get fired, or in baseball’s instance, traded. The past few weeks we have seen a few changes, more hits, better defense, and a few more wins. Now, some of those wins are coming from other teams that are at our “level” (aka: a bad record), but as my husband says, “a win is a win”. He’s right, “A win is a win”, so let’s take a look at what has changed lately. If you don’t know, I will just tell you: injuries. Yes, you read that right, injuries are what are helping us. The Twins, in typical fashion have had a load of injuries that continue to plague us as we go throughout the season. I know that this is nothing new for any team, it’s the point of the IL, right? But let’s look at what that means for our Twins. Buxton, Donaldson, Simmons, Kepler, and now Jake Cave’s injuries are allowing for minor leaguers to come up to the show and give it a shot and take that shot they have. New guys joining our team on a consistent basis the past three weeks have been making dives on line drives and fly balls and getting homeruns like they were born to be on the Bomba Squad. Larnach has been one of those bright spots in our line up and in the left field. In the past three games, he has hit two homeruns and had four runs. One of those being his major league first HR on May 20th, and the flood gates of awesome opened up. Larnach continues to show us why he continues to stay on the active 26. Refsnyder is the diamond in the rough. The 30 year old has come out swinging, literally. Since May 15th, the former Texas Ranger has seen 33 at bats, which has led to 8 runs, 7 RBI’s and 2 homeruns. Definitely a great acquisition and has given the line up new life. I usually cringe when I see a player being traded and they are creeping into their 30’s, but there are a few, such as Refsnyder who continue to surprise teams and when they find their stride, watch out… Kiriloff, who has been with the 26 man since the middle of April, is great at first base and is a solid hitter. Kiriloff is young and has some room to grow, but he continues to improve each time he comes up, a solid hitter in dire situations, the 23 year old has four homeruns (two coming in one game against the Kansas City Royals) and only two walks in his 63 at bats this season. His RBI’s are what make him a great addition to the line up, he has ushered in fifteen RBI’s since April! If the Twins pitching could quit taking us into extra innings, imagine how 15 RBI’s could make a difference in our overall record. Baseball is a business. Baseball for us fans, means winning records, longevity into the playoffs, and hopefully a World Series win...or at least a chance. Emotionally, we love certain players, we all have our reasons, but at the end of the day, the owners, the fans and the coaches have an investment in these players and deserve a return on their investment. These three men have proven to be a huge improvement in our line up and in our defense, so maybe it’s time to make some permanent changes, ones that all of us would hate to see, but, we may need if we truly want to have a winning team.

I love this article about him. I have to admit that when he came to us I was a little worried about his age and he has proven over and over again at the plate that he is everything we didn't know we needed!

The month of April for the Twins felt like the entire 2020 year as we watched the Twins battle injury, Covid-19 protocols, and sluggish bats. It felt like the remaining six months of baseball were going to be long and painful, but nevertheless, we showed up. Whether it’s to cling to that last bit of hope, or to complain and feel validated in our complaint, we show up. Eventually the Twins also showed up, giving us the feeling that things are starting to finally come together. April 28th, the Twins or the management decided enough was enough and the team awoke. Since April 28th, we have been hitting .272 and have one four out of the five games. What’s been the change? Is it Simmon’s coming back to us? Donaldson finally hitting the ball and finding the zone, or Kepler getting back into his groove? A combination of all of it and finding chemistry behind the plate, young team members showing up, and defense makes a huge difference. Kenta Maeda, who last night (May 3, 2020) showed us that he is stronger than the demons that kept him from having a winning April. Last night, Kenta laid his demons to rest and gave us the fire we have been waiting for, 7 scoreless innings and a little more variety in his pitches. Kenta has been struggling and most of his pitches have been right over the plate giving the batter’s the perfect chance to hit dingers off the all-star. Maeda was the perfect puzzle piece to fit into the offense's game last night to bolster back. With Nelly, Buck, and Kepler in a slump, it left us to wonder if the Bomba Squad was dead, but like everything else this week, we have seen a complete 180 turn to the life of this team. The bats have been on fire, bombas are flying and the newest member of the team, Kiriloff is showing this team what he is capable of. Kiriloff seemed to have paved the way for the Bomba squad to find their mo-jo as he continued to rake in the homeruns and the others followed suit giving the Twins some of the best leads of the season. It’s early, I get it, it’s not a sprint, it’s a marathon, but if you can’t even get off the starting block, what are you doing? With the central division being as messy as it is, the talent the Twins have, we should not be second to last. I truly believe with the chemistry we have seen the past five games, we are fully equipped and capable to handle the sixteen day stretch of games. They will need all the strength, rest and power to get through this month. May the Force be with them….and May the Fourth be with you.

I certainly agree with you, I am hoping to see this change in the Twins, stays.

Thank you SO MUCH!!!

The Twins have had a tough go since leaving Detroit. With only two wins in the past eleven games, going into tonight this is a MUST WIN GAME. Yes, it’s the National league, YES, they are not playing in our division, but we are needing a win right now. The central league play and teams are messy at best and we can put ourselves in a spot where we can begin to come back and fight for the number one spot. Tonight we need to pull things together to get that W and be prepared for the Indians early next week, but we have a few things we need to fix if we are going to do that. JA Happ is going to be pitching tonight and over his past two games, he certainly hasn’t sucked, but he hasn’t been stupendous. He came out in the fourth against Detroit and against Boston, showing that once again the arms that are starting the games are built for longevity to get us through at least the 6th. The bullpen seems to be getting more of a workout again than necessary and the starters need to have a more solid performance or we will continue to exhaust our bullpen. We need to be more pragmatic about our hitting. Not every single hit needs to be a Bomba...it’s fun, don’t get me wrong. I am not a Bomba hater, that being said, our defense is saving us at times and our offense is lagging. We need to be hitting into the shifts and the gaps to get on base. One of our biggest downfalls is getting guys on base, and the big hitters coming in and trying for homers and leaving us stranded. We aren’t going to win games by striking out because we want to be heroes, just put the ball in play. {oh, and BUNT IN EXTRA INNINGS!} The defense is one of the better treasures of this team, even with the management making stupid decisions like pulling Donaldson who was doing just fine at third against the A’s. As much as I love having good utility players, it pains me to see such horrible decisions made by management in critical situations. That’s what spring training is for, not middle of the tenth, up by two with big hitters from the other team coming up. Buxton, while healthy, has made some incredible plays that would be great to be backed up with hits and runs. Simmons should be coming off the IL soon, but with Kep and Sano going onto the IL, we circle back to our training site and the need for calling up kids like Nick Gordon for the first time. I am curious to see what tonight brings for the guys. It’s pivotal in this early part of the season that we dig in, find our swing and make better managerial decisions if we intend to pull out of this slump and start contending for our place in the Division and American League standings.

After suffering a 4 day break in baseball for COVID 19 precautions, I had been looking forward to Tuesday night. It seems that the Twins while having a great cohesion had issues since day one. The Twins have played through Donaldson’s day 1 injury, missing Buck due to a stomach virus (jury is still out on that one) and Simmons stepping out for COVID protocol on April 14th, but the one thing the Twins still cannot seem to play through is their pitching. The double headers, late nights and early games gassed out our pitching to the point where Willians Astudillo would step into the pitching line up - in an already losing game - to the Angels showing his skills and fast pitch form to the MLB. Matt Shoemaker, a pitcher the Twins acquired in February 2021, was an all-star in his own right when he played in 2014 as a rookie. As reported by Do-Hyoung Park, Shoemaker has been struggling with an onslaught of injuries since 2017 and has been continuing to fall further down after 2019 when he tore his ACL. The Twins, fully expecting him to be healthy and the No. 4 contributor to the rotation, spent 2 million dollars on the 34 year old right hander, who barely had played any games since 2017. Shoemaker has only pitched in 2 games thus far for the Twins and neither were truly magical or anything that showed promise. His first game on the road in Detroit, where he pitched six innings and only one run got let in the 5th in the 22 batters he saw. He would take home the win in that game. In the next game against Seattle, he would pitch 5 innings and give up 4 runs and 7 hits leaving the game with an ERA of 4.09. The longer he stayed in the more damage that got done. Tonight, after sitting out for 9 days, the RHP would once again take the mound against the A’s. The Oakland A’s are barely over .500 - a game that could have been our first W on the road since April 7th against the Tigers - and get us back on track for what started out as looking like a winning season. Shoemaker came out and pitched 3.1 innings and in that time allowed two runs and had 67 pitches before Alcala came in as the relief pitcher in the 4th. The Twins would fall 7-0 in game one of a double header after a grand slam served up by Alcala, accompanied by the runners left on base from when Shoemaker was on the mound. Not the start to the night the team and the fans were looking forward to. In his first three games Shoemaker has continued to slide down hill. It may be just acclimating to the team, maybe it’s the 9 day rest...but the trend is showing that once again, the Twins took a chance on an arm that isn’t truly benefiting the roster and is leaving us with leaning on other utility players like Astudillo to come in and give us the outs we need. This “Shoe” just may not be the right fit.