SpinnesotaGirl

Francisco Liriano needs to miss two starts to clear his head, Carl Pavano needs a couple extra days rest to fix his velocity. Between those two pitchers and the others in the rotation that have had injuries and needed extra time off, the Twins' rotation has started coming apart at the seams...and it is only April 30th! With the front office not looking (or even pretending they are looking) to bring in some new faces, I am not entirely sure how the rotation expects to survive the season. A few different theories have come to mind... 1. The rotation continues to rely heavily on the bullpen to save their hides. This is the current line of thinking in the clubhouse it seems. Thank goodness the bullpen has been solid in most of their appearances however, it can't last forever. The bullpen broke down last year after the starting pitchers floundered amidst injuries and putrid pitching. The 2011 Twins bullpen did what they could but their arms could only hold up the starters for so long. The 2012 bullpen has been doing their job but the weight that is placed on them by short starts and poor starts will be the straw that breaks the camel's back again this year. 2. The front office finally brings in some help. And by that I mean quality help. This, of course, is the most unlikely scenario and is definitely wishful thinking. The Twins rotation as it currently sits is not going to win many games. With an ERA of 7.43 and having surrendered 120 runs already this season, the Twins may need to look outside of their organization. I know, scary proposition for them. Pulling pitchers up from the farm system isn't going to get the Twins back into contention. The 2012 campaign is already looking dismal as the Twins are on pace to lose 98 games after falling to 6-15 after the series with the Kansas City Royals over the weekend. The front office is going to have to dig into their pockets if they want fans to keep buying tickets. No one wants to see a team that bleeds runs before our team even comes up to bat. 3. When all else fails, fake an injury. Barring no help from a trade and if the pitchers continue to struggle even after their new rest schedule, don't be surprised if it suddenly comes out that our pitchers are injured. Those announcements seem to come at just the right time from the Twins organization. Here is an idea, stand up and say "Yeah, I'm having a bad year. I still want to go out there and pitch. I want to help my team win." If you aren't hurt, why are you asking or accepting more time off from the rotation. This just baffles me. I have no doubt that come season's end, there will be a handful of announcements about how our starters were hurt so that is why they pitched poorly. Take a cue from Matt Capps' 2011 season. Yes, he didn't pitch very well however he kept going out there and taking the ball for the injured pitchers and pitch through some arm problems of his own. Hats off to him, I wish the rest of the pitching staff would see that and follow suit instead of turning tail. While this post is relatively negative and critical of the Twins pitching situation, I do not see many positive things coming from our starters. I am sure Twins fans are thoroughly aware of this next fact but I still want to throw it out there: Do not count on the Twins front office to make any marked improvements over the pitchers we have or even with how the situation is being handled. Their mantra has always been to do just enough to keep the fans buying tickets. Here is a radical idea: send the organization a message that just because they got their new stadium, doesn't mean they stop caring about the team we put out there. If you feel strongly enough about it, don't go watch the team that puts less-than-passionate pitchers on the mound and then covers for them when they perform poorly. That's all for this soapbox.

I agree. I feel like there is no plan in place for the future of the rotation. Too much flying by the seat of our pants going on here.

Nice article! As you mentioned, I sure hope the Twins' staff are taking a look at his mechanics. We need him firing on all cylinders!

With pitcher Scott Baker out for the 2012 season with upcoming Tommy John surgery, the Twins are now down to just Carl Pavano, Jason Marquis and Francisco Liriano remaining from their original starting rotation. Marquis is slated to make his Twins debut against the Yankees today after missing the first part of the season so be with his daughter as she recovers from a bicycle accident and Liriano is fresh off a dismal 2.1 inning start that saw the Twins fall 8-3 in New York on Tuesday night. While the Twins do have pitchers to fill the gaps (Anthony Swarzak and Brian Duensing), the problem with the rotation needs more than a temporary fix and I believe it may actually have started back in spring training. The injury to Scott Baker is just the most recent in a line of Twins pitchers who have been placed on the DL in this short season. Joel Zumaya was lost for the year, also to Tommy John surgery. Nick Blackburn will miss his next start (and who knows how much more time after that) because of shoulder issues and Glen Perkins was recently shelved due to forearm tenderness. This, after an outing in which Perkins surrendered the lead during an 8th inning letdown, seemed somewhat conspicuous considering the outcome of the 4-3 loss to the Rangers but that is another story all on its own. The moral of the injury story this year for the Twins seems to be the training that the pitchers are receiving. I know that I am not the only fan out there who has considered this fact. Many Twins pitchers seem to experience gnat bite injuries that tend to keep them out of the rotation for much longer than would seem necessary. Stiffness there, tenderness there, throw in a discomfort to keep things interesting. Of the four players currently listed on the disabled list for the Twins, each one is a pitcher. This may beg the question of why our pitchers seem to have a durability problem. The longevity of the starting rotation has been a long documented issue but couple the constantly (and irritatingly) short starts with the seemingly injury prone staff and the Twins have a big problem. Stamina is definitely lacking as is the before mentioned durability. I want to ask the question, and many people have already asked it, what is going on during spring training with these pitchers? Why is the pitching staff having these problems when other teams do not? Something may need to change in the training of our pitchers starting with the mentality that they can go longer than 5 innings without falling apart and in the physical strength training. Since spring training is over and gone, the "retraining" of the Twins' pitchers will have to wait until next spring. For now, the Twins need to find a pitcher or pitchers to come into the rotation this year. It is pretty safe to say that the Twins won't be (shouldn't be) exercising Baker's option after this season seeing as he won't be throwing a single pitch this year. Fans have probably seen Baker in a Twins uniform for the last time. That being said, the Twins really need to seek out a starting pitcher either via trade or the waiver line. Of course, a trade would be preferable. Minnesota has a plethora of outfielders, as always, and prospects in the minors that could be dealt in order to land a solid starter. The problem is, and has been, the unwillingness for the club to spend money to upgrade. One might ask, "what about all the money they spent on Mauer and Morneau?" Yes, the team did spend a good deal on those two however the Twins have never really been willing to spend the money it would take to bring in someone from outside the organization to make an immediate impact. In past seasons, the Twins have made a show of "going after" some free agents. Showing just enough to the fans to make us think that they are trying and to give us hope that they'll do it. I stopped believing those headlines years ago. I do think this is the time to go out and get a good starting pitcher. Yes, it will probably cost money, money the Twins' organization grips with a tenacity equaling an alligator's grip on it's prey. The Twins' pitching rotation has lacked a true ace since Johan Santana departed for New York and truly needs someone who can be counted on as a work horse. Carl Pavano was that pitcher before he left the Marlins for the Yankees. He still pitches a good amount of innings each year but he lacks the punch and pizzazz that the rotation sorely needs. Liriano shows flashes of brilliance but he can't replicate his results with any consistency. Minnesota needs some new blood in the rotation. If it were in my ability, I would ask Terry Ryan to consider looking to make a trade. I won't even begin to venture an opinion as to who they could shop but his team needs this. The offense for the Twins will come along. There have been some great innings put together by the bats but the pitching can't hold the lead. Looking within the organization isn't enough any more, not with the revamped American League Central. The Twins are going to need to dig deep and bring in some help.

With pitcher Scott Baker out for the 2012 season with upcoming Tommy John surgery, the Twins are now down to just Carl Pavano, Jason Marquis and Francisco Liriano remaining from their original starting rotation. Marquis is slated to make his Twins debut against the Yankees today after missing the first part of the season so be with his daughter as she recovers from a bicycle accident and Liriano is fresh off a dismal 2.1 inning start that saw the Twins fall 8-3 in New York on Tuesday night. While the Twins do have pitchers to fill the gaps (Anthony Swarzak and Brian Duensing), the problem with the rotation needs more than a temporary fix and I believe it may actually have started back in spring training. The injury to Scott Baker is just the most recent in a line of Twins pitchers who have been placed on the DL in this short season. Joel Zumaya was lost for the year, also to Tommy John surgery. Nick Blackburn will miss his next start (and who knows how much more time after that) because of shoulder issues and Glen Perkins was recently shelved due to forearm tenderness. This, after an outing in which Perkins surrendered the lead during an 8th inning letdown, seemed somewhat conspicuous considering the outcome of the 4-3 loss to the Rangers but that is another story all on its own. The moral of the injury story this year for the Twins seems to be the training that the pitchers are receiving. I know that I am not the only fan out there who has considered this fact. Many Twins pitchers seem to experience gnat bite injuries that tend to keep them out of the rotation for much longer than would seem necessary. Stiffness there, tenderness there, throw in a discomfort to keep things interesting. Of the four players currently listed on the disabled list for the Twins, each one is a pitcher. This may beg the question of why our pitchers seem to have a durability problem. The longevity of the starting rotation has been a long documented issue but couple the constantly (and irritatingly) short starts with the seemingly injury prone staff and the Twins have a big problem. Stamina is definitely lacking as is the before mentioned durability. I want to ask the question, and many people have already asked it, what is going on during spring training with these pitchers? Why is the pitching staff having these problems when other teams do not? Something may need to change in the training of our pitchers starting with the mentality that they can go longer than 5 innings without falling apart and in the physical strength training. Since spring training is over and gone, the "retraining" of the Twins' pitchers will have to wait until next spring. For now, the Twins need to find a pitcher or pitchers to come into the rotation this year. It is pretty safe to say that the Twins won't be (shouldn't be) exercising Baker's option after this season seeing as he won't be throwing a single pitch this year. Fans have probably seen Baker in a Twins uniform for the last time. That being said, the Twins really need to seek out a starting pitcher either via trade or the waiver line. Of course, a trade would be preferable. Minnesota has a plethora of outfielders, as always, and prospects in the minors that could be dealt in order to land a solid starter. The problem is, and has been, the unwillingness for the club to spend money to upgrade. One might ask, "what about all the money they spent on Mauer and Morneau?" Yes, the team did spend a good deal on those two however the Twins have never really been willing to spend the money it would take to bring in someone from outside the organization to make an immediate impact. In past seasons, the Twins have made a show of "going after" some free agents. Showing just enough to the fans to make us think that they are trying and to give us hope that they'll do it. I stopped believing those headlines years ago. I do think this is the time to go out and get a good starting pitcher. Yes, it will probably cost money, money the Twins' organization grips with a tenacity equaling an alligator's grip on it's prey. The Twins' pitching rotation has lacked a true ace since Johan Santana departed for New York and truly needs someone who can be counted on as a work horse. Carl Pavano was that pitcher before he left the Marlins for the Yankees. He still pitches a good amount of innings each year but he lacks the punch and pizzazz that the rotation sorely needs. Liriano shows flashes of brilliance but he can't replicate his results with any consistency. Minnesota needs some new blood in the rotation. If it were in my ability, I would ask Terry Ryan to consider looking to make a trade. I won't even begin to venture an opinion as to who they could shop but his team needs this. The offense for the Twins will come along. There have been some great innings put together by the bats but the pitching can't hold the lead. Looking within the organization isn't enough any more, not with the revamped American League Central. The Twins are going to need to dig deep and bring in some help.

Nine games into the season, the Minnesota Twins sit with a record of 2-7. This is second only to the San Diego Padres who hold a record of 2-8. After pulling out two wins against the Los Angeles Angels, the Twins were swept by the high powered Texas Rangers in three games. Two steps forward, three giant flops back. Is there a method to this madness? The blame game has been in full tilt already this season ranging from blaming the lack of home runs on the stadium design (Jim Thome sure didn't have a problem blasting home runs to right field) to the lineup just not clicking yet. While that makes for some laughable articles to be sure, what it comes down to is the Twins need to get serious. A weekend article in the Pioneer Press by Tom Powers (Storm clouds forming early over Twins) begged the question of "when will the Twins stop screwing around?" Excellent question Tom! Yes, this is only April. Yes, the season lasts into September. However, how long before the players, the manager and the executives start to take their predicament seriously? This isn't just a early season drought. The Twins are headed for real trouble in 2012. The first step to getting serious is to take a hard look at the lineup. Who is performing and who is not? There are a handful of Twins that seem to be on a "scholarship program" of sorts. Manager Ron Gardenhire definitely has his favorites that seem to get more chances to make it in the majors than an other team would have afforded them. At the top of the scholarship list is second baseman Alexi Casilla. Casilla is hitting .190 so far this season and has batted .251 in his young career. However, the second baseman has only shown flashes of what his potential is said to be. A notoriously slow starter, Casilla does seem to be able to rebound in the batting department but only for limited amounts of time. Casilla put up strong numbers in his Dominican League play over the winter with a .336 batting average but that can hardly compare to major league pitching. Casilla also had a strong spring but, as is common with him, has started the regular season hitting below the Mendoza line after hitting .438 this spring. Couple this with his mental lapses that he has in the field and this makes for a player who may need a scenery change. The Twins have Brian Dozier waiting in the wings, this may be the time to put him into place in the infield. In fact, the Twins have several prospects who are playing out of their minds and are just waiting for their shot at the big leagues. Someone may need to light a fire under these veterans to get them going. Another step towards getting serious about the 2012 season is to start having some accountability. While the Twins have a reputation of having a "nice clubhouse" as far as personalities and procedure, it might be time to get tough. Call out the player who needs to work on something, send a message to the bullpen that they need to do their job. Act like this is the major leagues and stop calling your players by nicknames, Mr. Gardenhire. Let the starting pitchers know that they are on notice. Every time their shoulder "stiffens up" or they "don't feel comfortable" doesn't mean they need to leave the game. Do you see the likes of Roy Halliday, Cliff Lee, Justin Verlander and others constantly leaving the game in the 5th and 6th innings? No, you don't. Sometimes getting through a tough spot means you need to leave your pitchers out on the mound and make them learn how to push through. They won't learn if they don't get the chance to do it. This Minnesota Twins team was touted as an "upgraded version" to the 2011 squad by Terry Ryan. Once again, fans and this author can see one of two things: 1. Ryan lied to us or 2. The Twins are underachievers. On paper, the current mix of players does indeed appear to have stronger numbers than last year, even with the absence of Michael Cuddyer and Jason Kubel in the middle of the lineup so it is unlikely that Ryan blatantly lied but it does beg the question of whether or not the Twins are living up to their potential or not...the first nine games definitely say that they are not. Joe Mauer and Justin Morneau as the #3 and #4 hitters in the lineup must start producing if the Twins hope to win any games. The series against the Rangers once again had the "M & M" boys popping out with bases loaded and grounding into double plays with runners on. Morneau is not catching up to pitches as he used to and Mauer just isn't getting the job done when it counts most. As the veteran leaders, these two need to step up more than ever. Fans cannot and will not accept seeing their two highest paid players continuing to fail at what they are being paid to do--driving in runs. Thank goodness for Josh Willingham as he has accounted for almost one quarter of the Twins' 28 runs this year (Willingham has 7 RBI). Mauer and Morneau need to prove that they are worth the money their contracts say they are. If they don't, the Twins should probably start to shop Morneau to trade him before the all-star break. Sadly, many fans have started to wonder what the point is in even watching the games any more. Promised a better team this season, Twins fans have been given another ragtag group of players that can't seem to and don't care to get it together as a team. As in a previous blog by this author, there still seems to be no passion in the Twins' play. As Tom Powers said in his article, base running has gone from aggressive to station-to-station running. The Twins lack the speed and apparently the desire to do any damage on the base paths. Also, the Minnesota Twins need to make some adjustments to their starting rotation that seems to have the durability of a wet paper bag and also to the everyday lineup. Dear Mr. Gardenhire, please let go of your obsession with the Mauer/Morneau tandem back to back in the lineup. Make Mauer the #2 hitter, Morneau #3 and Willingham #4...shake it up! Either that or at least get Morneau to the #5 spot and Willingham to the #4 slot. Joe Mauer is not a #3 hitter, never has been and never will be. While it is only April, this has already been a long season for Twins fans. While hope springs eternal, this author has learned that even though the Twins' front office says they are making improvements it isn't necessarily true. They will say anything to sell tickets. Even if the team says they will make the necessary changes they need to this season, take it with a grain of salt. To borrow from the Aeneid, beware of Greeks (Twins) bearing gifts. Originally posted on author's website: http://wp.me/p234Gt-19

Nine games into the season, the Minnesota Twins sit with a record of 2-7. This is second only to the San Diego Padres who hold a record of 2-8. After pulling out two wins against the Los Angeles Angels, the Twins were swept by the high powered Texas Rangers in three games. Two steps forward, three giant flops back. Is there a method to this madness? The blame game has been in full tilt already this season ranging from blaming the lack of home runs on the stadium design (Jim Thome sure didn't have a problem blasting home runs to right field) to the lineup just not clicking yet. While that makes for some laughable articles to be sure, what it comes down to is the Twins need to get serious. A weekend article in the Pioneer Press by Tom Powers (Storm clouds forming early over Twins) begged the question of "when will the Twins stop screwing around?" Excellent question Tom! Yes, this is only April. Yes, the season lasts into September. However, how long before the players, the manager and the executives start to take their predicament seriously? This isn't just a early season drought. The Twins are headed for real trouble in 2012. The first step to getting serious is to take a hard look at the lineup. Who is performing and who is not? There are a handful of Twins that seem to be on a "scholarship program" of sorts. Manager Ron Gardenhire definitely has his favorites that seem to get more chances to make it in the majors than an other team would have afforded them. At the top of the scholarship list is second baseman Alexi Casilla. Casilla is hitting .190 so far this season and has batted .251 in his young career. However, the second baseman has only shown flashes of what his potential is said to be. A notoriously slow starter, Casilla does seem to be able to rebound in the batting department but only for limited amounts of time. Casilla put up strong numbers in his Dominican League play over the winter with a .336 batting average but that can hardly compare to major league pitching. Casilla also had a strong spring but, as is common with him, has started the regular season hitting below the Mendoza line after hitting .438 this spring. Couple this with his mental lapses that he has in the field and this makes for a player who may need a scenery change. The Twins have Brian Dozier waiting in the wings, this may be the time to put him into place in the infield. In fact, the Twins have several prospects who are playing out of their minds and are just waiting for their shot at the big leagues. Someone may need to light a fire under these veterans to get them going. Another step towards getting serious about the 2012 season is to start having some accountability. While the Twins have a reputation of having a "nice clubhouse" as far as personalities and procedure, it might be time to get tough. Call out the player who needs to work on something, send a message to the bullpen that they need to do their job. Act like this is the major leagues and stop calling your players by nicknames, Mr. Gardenhire. Let the starting pitchers know that they are on notice. Every time their shoulder "stiffens up" or they "don't feel comfortable" doesn't mean they need to leave the game. Do you see the likes of Roy Halliday, Cliff Lee, Justin Verlander and others constantly leaving the game in the 5th and 6th innings? No, you don't. Sometimes getting through a tough spot means you need to leave your pitchers out on the mound and make them learn how to push through. They won't learn if they don't get the chance to do it. This Minnesota Twins team was touted as an "upgraded version" to the 2011 squad by Terry Ryan. Once again, fans and this author can see one of two things: 1. Ryan lied to us or 2. The Twins are underachievers. On paper, the current mix of players does indeed appear to have stronger numbers than last year, even with the absence of Michael Cuddyer and Jason Kubel in the middle of the lineup so it is unlikely that Ryan blatantly lied but it does beg the question of whether or not the Twins are living up to their potential or not...the first nine games definitely say that they are not. Joe Mauer and Justin Morneau as the #3 and #4 hitters in the lineup must start producing if the Twins hope to win any games. The series against the Rangers once again had the "M & M" boys popping out with bases loaded and grounding into double plays with runners on. Morneau is not catching up to pitches as he used to and Mauer just isn't getting the job done when it counts most. As the veteran leaders, these two need to step up more than ever. Fans cannot and will not accept seeing their two highest paid players continuing to fail at what they are being paid to do--driving in runs. Thank goodness for Josh Willingham as he has accounted for almost one quarter of the Twins' 28 runs this year (Willingham has 7 RBI). Mauer and Morneau need to prove that they are worth the money their contracts say they are. If they don't, the Twins should probably start to shop Morneau to trade him before the all-star break. Sadly, many fans have started to wonder what the point is in even watching the games any more. Promised a better team this season, Twins fans have been given another ragtag group of players that can't seem to and don't care to get it together as a team. As in a previous blog by this author, there still seems to be no passion in the Twins' play. As Tom Powers said in his article, base running has gone from aggressive to station-to-station running. The Twins lack the speed and apparently the desire to do any damage on the base paths. Also, the Minnesota Twins need to make some adjustments to their starting rotation that seems to have the durability of a wet paper bag and also to the everyday lineup. Dear Mr. Gardenhire, please let go of your obsession with the Mauer/Morneau tandem back to back in the lineup. Make Mauer the #2 hitter, Morneau #3 and Willingham #4...shake it up! Either that or at least get Morneau to the #5 spot and Willingham to the #4 slot. Joe Mauer is not a #3 hitter, never has been and never will be. While it is only April, this has already been a long season for Twins fans. While hope springs eternal, this author has learned that even though the Twins' front office says they are making improvements it isn't necessarily true. They will say anything to sell tickets. Even if the team says they will make the necessary changes they need to this season, take it with a grain of salt. To borrow from the Aeneid, beware of Greeks (Twins) bearing gifts. Originally posted on author's website: http://wp.me/p234Gt-19

After dropping the home opener 5-1 to the Angels, the Twins find themselves as the only American League team without a win this season. Yes, it has only been 4 games. Twins manager Ron Gardenhire is quick to remind the media and fans of that however, is it too early to panic? This author thinks that the panic button should be pushed and pushed hard right now. In 2011, the Twins began the season 1-3 on their way to a 63-99 record. While a team’s record through 4 games is hardly indicative how the season will go, there are other reasons to be concerned for the Twins already. The main Twins website at www.twinsbaseball.com featured an article today entitled Twins stymied by Wilson, drop home opener. Solid article followed by fan/reader commentary that spelled out perfectly the reasons why it is time to panic. One reader’s comments concerning the lack of passion being shown by the players particularly stood out. There is no urgency in the eyes and demeanor of the players in the field nor coming from their manager. If you hit a ground ball in the infield, you run it out with everything you have. You never know if they will throw the ball away or the first basemen will drop it. The starting pitchers look complacent and act as though they’re just trying to make it through their start so they can sit down again and watch. Playing with passion would mean going all out on every pitch, being fired up and getting on your team when they aren’t playing well. The Twins haven’t exhibited one ounce of passion yet this year. One would think that they would be excited to be on the field again??? Maybe there is a reason why they aren’t. The Twins’ offense sputtered again last night, this time against C.J. Wilson. The Twins recorded no fly ball outs through 8 innings in the home opener. For 4 straight games, Minnesota has been beating the ball into the ground with nary a batter appearing to want to drive the ball. Justin Morneau and Josh Willingham have been driving the ball well in the early on however they are the only ones. Where does the blame lie for the stagnant offense? Gardenhire says that things “aren’t clicking” yet for everyone. Well no kidding. What is the problem? Some fingers have begun to point at Joe Vavra however the blame should not rest on him alone. Many fans have commented on the fact that Twins’ hitters are not trying to hit the ball hard, preferring to hit for contact rather than being aggressive and getting an extra base hit…or even just getting the ball off the ground in the Twins’ case. Passive approaches at the plate are not going to win the Twins many games this year. Big swinging clubs such as the Detroit Tigers and the Chicago White Sox will wipe the floor with the Twins if their approach doesn’t change. The Twins need to be aggressive at the plate–swing at the first pitch if it is down the middle (Joe Mauer!), look to drive the ball (Denard Span!). Something needs to change in the offensive approach for the Twins, their lackadaisical hitting isn’t going to win them any support. The fans need something to look forward to when watching games. Happy fans buy tickets. Angry fans don’t. This was originally posted on author's website at http://spinnesotasports.wordpress.com/.

After dropping the home opener 5-1 to the Angels, the Twins find themselves as the only American League team without a win this season. Yes, it has only been 4 games. Twins manager Ron Gardenhire is quick to remind the media and fans of that however, is it too early to panic? This author thinks that the panic button should be pushed and pushed hard right now. In 2011, the Twins began the season 1-3 on their way to a 63-99 record. While a team’s record through 4 games is hardly indicative how the season will go, there are other reasons to be concerned for the Twins already. The main Twins website at www.twinsbaseball.com featured an article today entitled Twins stymied by Wilson, drop home opener. Solid article followed by fan/reader commentary that spelled out perfectly the reasons why it is time to panic. One reader’s comments concerning the lack of passion being shown by the players particularly stood out. There is no urgency in the eyes and demeanor of the players in the field nor coming from their manager. If you hit a ground ball in the infield, you run it out with everything you have. You never know if they will throw the ball away or the first basemen will drop it. The starting pitchers look complacent and act as though they’re just trying to make it through their start so they can sit down again and watch. Playing with passion would mean going all out on every pitch, being fired up and getting on your team when they aren’t playing well. The Twins haven’t exhibited one ounce of passion yet this year. One would think that they would be excited to be on the field again??? Maybe there is a reason why they aren’t. The Twins’ offense sputtered again last night, this time against C.J. Wilson. The Twins recorded no fly ball outs through 8 innings in the home opener. For 4 straight games, Minnesota has been beating the ball into the ground with nary a batter appearing to want to drive the ball. Justin Morneau and Josh Willingham have been driving the ball well in the early on however they are the only ones. Where does the blame lie for the stagnant offense? Gardenhire says that things “aren’t clicking” yet for everyone. Well no kidding. What is the problem? Some fingers have begun to point at Joe Vavra however the blame should not rest on him alone. Many fans have commented on the fact that Twins’ hitters are not trying to hit the ball hard, preferring to hit for contact rather than being aggressive and getting an extra base hit…or even just getting the ball off the ground in the Twins’ case. Passive approaches at the plate are not going to win the Twins many games this year. Big swinging clubs such as the Detroit Tigers and the Chicago White Sox will wipe the floor with the Twins if their approach doesn’t change. The Twins need to be aggressive at the plate–swing at the first pitch if it is down the middle (Joe Mauer!), look to drive the ball (Denard Span!). Something needs to change in the offensive approach for the Twins, their lackadaisical hitting isn’t going to win them any support. The fans need something to look forward to when watching games. Happy fans buy tickets. Angry fans don’t. This was originally posted on author's website at http://spinnesotasports.wordpress.com/.