stringer bell

It is pretty easy to look flat when you only get three baserunners through eight innings and are behind by 3+ runs from the second inning on. Momentum will be Wednesday's starter. After reading Parker's article, I feel a bit more positive about Hunter's presence in the lineup. I am less than happy about his post-game presser.

In the traditional view of steroid users, I think Ervin Santana would be an unlikely candidate to be a steroid user. My brother and I both commented about how slight he is (in person), which is not the typical view of steroid user (Bonds, A-Rod etc). On closer examination, and considering the properties of the steroid he used, it makes more sense that a 30-something pitcher with a UCL injury might use something to deal with recovery from stress on the UCL. I agree that 100% of the blame needs to be laid on the doorstep of the abuser. It has become the accepted response to issue a non-denial denial or more accurately an non-admission admission of guilt. I wish he would just tell the truth, but there is acceptance of such statements.

I am not enamored with any of the Twins LH relief options (other than the closer), none seem to shut down left handed hitters and none throw that hard. That includes all the guys in AAA, including Darnell and Dean.

Yes, Cuddyer has graded out among the poorest defenders in the outfield year after year. Yet, when he left the Twins he got a pretty big contract and now he is making 8 figures as a free agent signee with the Mets.

Agreed he should be fined and that he went over the line. If he would have just said "Joe West was wrong", he probably would have been fined anyway. He went beyond that and it probably does away with all doubt.

I just installed a new browser. I want to see if it continues to provide the same problems the old one did. Still doesn't skip spaces when a new sentence is started. Maybe I can quote easier. Back on topic, I haven't been happy with what I see is the one season-long move of Arcia to left field. If the Twins could have signed Cuddy to play left--and he doesn't suffer more disabling injuries--he would be the better choice.

In looking at the replay, it was certainly debatable that Hunter swung. Watching from the center field camera, I thought he swung at the pitch. Some have built up some animosity toward Joe West, for pretty good reasons, but he wasn't totally in the wrong. He saw Torii swing when it looked like he checked, he makes more bad calls than most umps.

36 year old Michael Cuddyer is going to be a regular left fielder for the Mets. The Mets incumbent OFs are perceived Gold Glove candidate Juan Legares and former Detroit and Yankee CF Curtis Granderson. Granderson played right last year for the Mets and offered to play left to accommodate Cuddyer. Manager Terry Collins is going with Cuddyer in left and Granderson in right. Would the Twins do this? History says no. If Cuddyer was willing to play left, I would have rather had him than Torii, but that is just me.

There are plenty of unanswered questions in the Santana case. Probably the least likely thing is that he unknowingly took steroids. The biggest question going forward is whether this drug was used to deal with his UCL injury. If it was, the chances that he will be able to pitch well without surgery would take a dramatic drop.

Chew--last spring (post-surgery) I stood right next to Sano during a game. All the Latin players came over to him to say hello and he was enjoying the company. I noticed the chew right away and he "refreshed" a couple of times. Sano sure looks in shape to me, but I suppose it is a relative term. The question that looms is "how big a guy can play third?"

I sit right behind SwainZag on the Gibson bus. I have thought since his TJ that he could develop into the type of ace that Webb was or perhaps become Doc Halladay lite. These findings further increase my hope. Gibson also will get himself a few outs from his athleticism off the mound. He seems to make more good plays covering first than the rest of the staff combined.

As long as the corner OFers hit like corner OFers.

I really don't hate the jerseys, but they should never wear them when they play Boston or Cleveland.

Versus left handers any of these guys should sit in favor of Escobar: Arcia, Vargas, Mauer, Schafer, and I will add Santana because I am predicting his RH batting split will fall off big time.

Not exactly crisp defensively.

Halsey, I met you, what, ten days ago and I've been sick since. Who got who sick?

Gibson would make a pretty good defensive 1b!

That's better Trevor.

I think stability will improve the OF defense. The Twins must have had at least eight guys start more than ten games in the outfield. Many of them didn't belong.

Will Napoli homer again? Will insects fly out of the forest that passes for a beard?

Halsey, is it me or are the goal posts always moving away? To (partially) quote Danny Glover, "I'm too old for this "stuff".

I wrote a long time ago that this spring Pelfrey is both fully healthy and fully recovered from TJ surgery and I don't think that is really a redundancy. He has spent two wasted years with the Twins and he could be a serviceable starter, perhaps as much as a #3. The problem is that so much of the team is populated with low-upside long shots. Some may pan out, but the net gain is small especially for the dollars expended.

Last year, Escobar was excellent vs. LH pitching, not so much vs. RH pitchers. He certainly should be on the field somewhere when the opposition starts a left hander. He only had an OPS of .654 against RH pitching, that is lower than every starter for that split. EE didn't have such dramatic splits until last year and his overall approach suggests to me that he'll normalize those splits. While it is unlikely he will start every day in the beginning of the year, if his splits close up and someone disappoints, I think he will get close to 500 PAs. It is hard to believe that he doesn't have a more regular role at this point, but there are reasons why other guys should start, at least against right handed pitching.

I have been bravely optimistic about the Twins this spring. They had several players exceed expectations last year and have a wealth of talent at the top two levels of their minor league system. I have rolled with and even defended the decision to go with a failed prospect and a guy who signed a minor league contract as the Opening Day center field options. I have been willing to give the benefit of the doubt in the selection of the final five players or so to the roster, despite the decision seemingly unerringly going with lower-upside, older players. Each decision was met with skepticism and snark, and I couldn't be critical of the skeptics because there seemed to be too flimsy a case to be made for each succeeding roster choice. Now comes the Santana Suspension and the moves of giving Mike Pelfrey a spot in the starting rotation and adding Aaron Thompson to the 25-man roster. If all of the earlier moves hadn't played out with the same result (upside sent packing, questionable older player/veteran getting a less than deserved shot) I might be able to defend the most recent announcements. Can't do it--gotta walk away and wait for the silver lining to appear. All hope is lost. I realize there are far more important things than a baseball team in flyoverland. People suffer terrible fates every day and suffer real loss. I also realize baseball isn't reality--A-Rod is getting paid, utility infielders make more than anyone in my home town, and questionable characters are heroes to kids and adults across the country and the world. Baseball and the Twins have provided me with entertainment and hope when times got tough. Right now they offer only dismay, disappointment and (predictions of) doom. When the real games start and the Twins win a few, I'll feel better about this. I had similar feelings last May when the Twins were using their Rochester infield as their starting outfield. I hope it gets better soon, but maybe this summer I can play a lot of golf. Time will tell.

We don't know how long Santana has used steroids. We do know he will now be a suspect if he performs well and will be castigated if he performs poorly. I am sure he will be next to untradeable after this.