stringer bell

Schaefer gets the start in left. Let him play a game and get used to Target Field. I hope he gets on and steals a couple of bases.

Four years of mediocrity or worse is bound to take a bite out of TV and radio ratings. The Twins' strategy of going with mediocre veterans doesn't excite either the casual fan or the diehard. Adding exciting players with a future will help, but nothing will help more than winning.

Good for Hicks. He really needs the AAA time. I still am of the opinion that his bat will never play as a corner outfielder, but I have been wrong before. He's been swinging well at New Britain from both sides of the plate.

Actual talent in CF: The Twins have let go of Presley and Mastroianni, two guys that would qualify as 4th OF, who could cover center. They acquired and just recently traded Sam Fuld, another 4th OF, who did well for the Twins and netted them a guy who figures to get at least 50 starts for the Twins in the duration of his contract. They've suffered through the frustration of Aaron Hicks and seen one other prospect (Rosario) take a step back after serving a 50-game suspension. Their top overall prospect is a CF, but has missed over half a season with wrist injuries. That's quite a drain at one position. The answer has been converting a shortstop on the fly and now acquiring Schafer.

I read that Darnell had been optioned, not a huge surprise. That creates room for Schafer for now. I would presume they could recall Milone to start sometime next week. They would probably have to send out a pitcher. Of course, when Mauer returns that is another issue.

Overall, I like the move. Schafer has one major league skill for sure--he can steal bases. Even with bad instincts, he has to cover more ground than the Twins' regulars in left and right. If Schafer could manage to get on base enough, he could really help the team in a part-time role. If not, backup CF, PR and occasional corner defensive replacement.

I made a round trip to the Milwaukee area this weekend and caught much of the Twins' games from Friday and Sunday on the radio from the Chicago play-by-play. The duo of Ed Farmer and Darrin Jackson called the games, of course, overtly pulling for the White Sox. They provided plenty of nuggets, both positive and negative about the Twins. Here are some things I heard: They like the way Suzuki handles the pitching staff and think he calls a very good game. They were beside themselves when Suzuki kept getting hits against Sale. I believe it was Farmer who said that Suzuki likes to swing at the first pitch, when in fact he earlier went over a month without swinging at the first pitch in an at-bat. They thought the Twins used Sale's domination of them just a week earlier as motivation in the game Friday. Both guys were impressed by Vargas. In part, I'm sure, because of their strong series this weekend, Farmer and DJ had a lot of praise for Santana--live body, great speed, great approach at the plate. They pointed out Plouffe's doubles production and marveled at the Sox inability to get him out. They weren't overly impressed by the Twins' bullpen. Of course, the bully didn't have a great weekend. They thought that Darnell was hittable (he was) and mentioned his high changeups. They routinely questioned the umps' judgment. Finally, the play-by-play duo was very high on Gibson. They loved the sinker and also his mix of pitches. They spoke kindly of Gardy, as well. It is always interesting to hear an outside opinion. Obviously, their view is influenced by both who their audience is and who they want to win, but these two former players offer a lot more analysis than I hear on the Twins PbP.

Good one, Snepp! On the issue of Milone's service time, IIRC the major league season consists of 180 days. If Milone has been optioned for 26 days (since 7/5/14) my math tells me he is right on the cusp of losing free agency and if he were recalled on Sunday, that would put him below 2 years and 172 days, giving the Twins control of his services for another season.

Hicks is doing well. Does anyone know what happened to Rosario? He hasn't played in three or four games. BTW, Alex Wimmmers got the save. Is his future in the bullpen? I am still pulling for the guy. He has endured a lot of trials in his young career.

I found that stat incredible. Bremer listed the two guys that had pitched more in a season and not allowed an extra-base hit, one from the '20s and another from 1967. I hadn't heard of either one of them.

I continue to believe that Byron Buxton will be the Twins center fielder by June 15. He is the real thing. He's healthy and will play in AA and then the AFL. Actually, I won't be surprised if the OF isn't very mobile on the corners next year, but they should have a much better staff and a better offense.

Regarding the Trivia, I checked BB Ref and found the three ex-Twin left handers who won 10 or more games with the A's. I suppose we are thinking that Milone will be #4. The three: Mark Redmond, Kenny "the Gambler" Rogers, and Bill Krueger. I have had posting problems. I don't know if others have experienced the same, but I came up with a back door fix to make this posting.

If anybody cares, the Trivia Question was "name the pitchers who won double digit games for both the Athletics and the Twins". I will give the answer in five minutes if anyone wants to guess or research the answer. Hint: Three left handers.

Anybody get the Trivia Question? I used BB Ref, but I got it. Three pretty obscure players.

2-0. KC's got this! KC meaning Kevin Correia.

The Royals are reputed to have the best defense in the AL until they play the Twins! Hey, I couldn't even write my comment before they threw another one away!

I agree that the combo of "pitch to contact" pitchers combined with a team that has range-challenged corner infielders and a lot of flux in center field isn't fair to the pitchers and not a formula for winning baseball. I always look at total runs allowed versus innings pitched as a fairer version of "runs suppressed" than team ERA. Pitching and defense are intertwined. The combination for the Twins hasn't been great in the last four years. Both better pitching and better, more athletic defenders will improve the team statistically and in the standings.

Santana has exclusively played center field since returning from the disabled list, and IIRC, he's started all but one game. For the next 31 days, someone like Parmelee will be the backup center fielder, but it really doesn't matter now that the team has declared they aren't a contender. I wonder if Nuñez might not be a better alternative as a backup than Parmelee, but really it doesn't matter much at all. The center fielders are in the minors and their development is probably best served there.

Hey! I can even quote by clicking "Quote". Brock must have done something,

For those of us who haven't been able to quote, I just succeeded! I went to the "MultiQuote" option and clicked it and I was able to quote and reply.

Dozier sent to the woodshed for the baserunning mistake. Actually, Brian needs a day or two off. His OBP has sunk faster than his batting average and he's made more reckless mistakes in the past month than heads-up plays. The dog days hit him early. The lineup didn't get posted on mlb.com until very late. I wonder if Gardenhire wanted Vargas to be the DH, but could not go with it without seeing him in uniform. Suzuki gets a day off to celebrate his extension. Good for him. I can't say that the Twins' chances are very good tonight, but when things shake out, maybe there will be some fun in the last third of the season.

I saw it 100 times about Suzuki--"sign him or trade him"--well they signed him. Getting Milone for Fuld is a win even if Milone only performs like a fifth starter. Now, why in the world have the Twins not submitted their lineup? Are they waiting for Vargas to get to the park? Have they traded someone else (Correia, Hammer) or does someone have an injury and Gardenhire doesn't know if he can go?

Oakland gets a speedy left handed hitting outfielder with a good glove for a pitcher who doesn't figure in their plans for 2014. GOOD FOR OAKLAND. Minnesota gets a decent left handed starter for a player they claimed on waivers a few months ago. GOOD FOR THE TWINS. Tommy Milone will get a chance to be in the rotation for years on a team with six of the top 50 minor league prospects in baseball. GOOD FOR TOMMY MILONE. Sam Fuld will get a chance to play for one of the favorites to win the World Series. He has already earned himself a good arbitration number and if non-tendered will be pursued by many teams as a free agent. GOOD FOR SAM FULD. This is a trade where everyone wins today and it might pay off for all parties in the future.

Not a big fan of the move. I guess MLB GMs are smart enough to see a career year and candidacy for regression. The money is fair, to be sure, for a guy that earned an All-Star berth this year.

I think they want to see Darnell one more time as a starter. He seemed to pitch much better than his line and I don't think it will hurt to see him get one more shot and maybe leave Chicago feeling a little better about his stay with the Twins. I am excited to see Vargas. He'll strike out a lot, but heck everybody does. I saw him clobber a couple of ST homers that looked to go about 450 feet, one LH and one RH. It would be fun to see him put a couple in orbit in ChiTown.