DaveW

So how about you actually follow through on this project? Things have been better on the smilie department lately, but I think we need to increase the smilie options, some I suggest: :gay: :swing: :hammer: :thepinkguyblowingsmoke: :Ben Revere Smile: Also lets up the rate to 10. Thank you for your time. Sincerely, Twindsdaily/BYTO Smilie Committee president

Here's a thought...why don't you look them up? I looked on the Rochester website and they don't break out starter versus reliever stats. Do you know of a site that does? P.S. I noticed your location, I graduated from U of A in 1975. Great school! And Tucson is 100 times better than Phoenix (where I live). Don't mind USAChief, he is just goting through menopause these days As far Manship not getting a chance to start for the Twins, I would have to think if the Twins even thought he had a slight chance to stick as a major league starter they would have given him a shot...i mean look at some of the guys we ran out on the mound this year

Assuming Sano, Arcia, Rosario, Gibson, Berrios, Walker and Buxton are all untouchables, I think to land trout you have to start with Benson, then add in Whimmers, Florimon and Goodrum to get the Angels interested.

I think we would have to include another top prospect, like Swarzak.

I'm going to give you the benefit of the doubt here, Dave, and assume this is snark. Obvious snark, but a first base coach sometimes does help a runner decide if they should go for 2 or stay with a single (depending on the OF's arm, how far back they were playing etc etc)

I look forward to Ullger sending dozens of Twins to 2nd base only to get thrown out by 30+ feet.

I'm more curious of that .655 and .644 OPS in two of the past 3 seasons. Also I'm not a fan of signing idiot homophobes to this team. The Twins MI OPS'd .590 last year. His DOWN years look pretty damn good imo. Oh yay, no we are back to the "well X player is better then Nishioka, or Y player is better then Butera" argument. Would escobar be better then what the Twins have in house? Highly likely, but they need to be aiming higher and better. Plus like I mentioned, I personally would prefer they not sign some moronic homophobe.

I'm sure he could have found another gig in baseball, I imagine he just wanted to stick with the Twins at this point? I mean, the guy is still going to be pulling in a real nice 200k+ salary and still will be a big part of the day to day coaching staff.

I REALLY like it, Vavra IMO didn't do a bad job, so having him still on the staff (in a lesser role) is still nice. Steinbach is a suprise as well, didn't see that one coming.

Pass on Grienke, too much baggage and I wouldn't trust him in the playoffs, plus he would cost a fortune to sign.

I'm more curious of that .655 and .644 OPS in two of the past 3 seasons. Also I'm not a fan of signing idiot homophobes to this team.

Metrodome payroll changed to Target Field Payroll. This has nothing to do with payroll. The Twins had in house options superior to all of those players. Maybe... But the Twins musta felt differently about the in house options at the time. And the 4 players you mention were attempts at bargain value during a time when the Twins were quite serious about bargain shopping. You and I have a very different definition of the word "bargain." Yeah we must... For me personally... It's a lotta money but I think I pay too much at Starbucks. For a MLB club... Those signings are like shopping at Woolworths. However... Bargains or not... The definition isn't that important. I think payroll constraints from the dome days and the need for power led to rolling the dice on Monroe and flying to Japan to bring back Batista. Everett was released by Houston and could play a few positions. He was defense... He was never expected to hit. Its more important to point out that Batista sucked in 2006 but the Twins won 96 games and the Central title. 3rd best record in baseball. The Tigers finished a game behind and won the ALCS that year. Starting in LF was a guy named Craig Monroe who hit 5 playoff home runs in 2006. Everett and Monroe sucked in 2008 but the Twins won 88 games and tied for the Central top spot losing that one game playoff to the Sox. The mistakes didn't hurt em that bad and personally I remain under the assumption that occasionally you sign crap with the best intention. Not just the Twins but every team. I think asking for the assurance you want to throw at TR Is like asking for assurance that every restaurant you try knocks your socks off... Every tie for X mas is exactly your color and style. Demanding to walk through this life with no disappointments whatsoever. It doesn't happen to us... we aree not perfect so why would you expect that kind of perfection from others. Congrats on a great 2006 season. AL title... 3rd best record in baseball but I'm sorry you have to hang for that Tony Batista signing. Any last words? Do you have any kin to contact? The Twins were good in 2006 because of guys like Santana, Liriano, Mauer, Morneau, Hunter, etc etc guys who had come up through the Twins system more or less (yes Liriano and Santana were pick ups/trades but still developed in the minors) that doesn't excuse the fact that they wasted money in free agency on crappy veterans everyone knew would fail. Hell, I am as big of a Ryan apologist as they come and I think he did a pretty solid job last off-season, but even the Jason Marquis signing reeks of Batista/Ortiz/Hernandez, hopefully Marquis was the last of these type of signings.

The problem with Escobar IMO is he just isn't very good, is he better then what we have? Probably, but he isn't a good enough player to deal with the headaches. That thing he did with his eye black was one of the more dumb things I have heard an athlete do in quite some time. In 2011 he had a nice season no doubt, but his .644 and .655 OPS surrounding that season has me a bit skeptical, he is however a slick fielder, just to much baggage IMO, maybe if the Twins are in the hunt around the deadline you trade for him, but bringing him in to be the starter from day 1 seems like a mistake to me.

you think because a person doesnt like management or ownership , or if a person expects more then what the twins will do they should change teams???? hears a little tip , if you dont like what he writes dont read it ....but most learned fans whos noses arnt attached to management rear end know its time for new blood, as for trading for a shortstop why go after a 29 year old if we are not going after 2 front of the rotation pitchers? it will be plain to see if the front office wants to win or just wants to send up a smoke screen by what they pursue if pitching.....if its 2nd and 3rd tier inning eaters why sign a 29 year old when he will be retired before we have a decent starting rotation? well eye certinley cant' arguu wit tht logic...

Thrylos is the cancer killing this forum.

what do you think the vikings record will be this year? Thursday against TB is a win, and home vs Det is a win, which means we should be at least 7-3 going into our last 6 games. I think 10-6 is where we end up, maybe 11-5

Ponder looked like dog **** today, but some of the play calling was head scratching to say the least... The secondary was damn impressive today though!

Was razzing ya more about the homerism. 5-2 baby!!!

Not to nitpick but this should prob go in the minor league thread.

Well, if we let him do that, it would make the rest of the articles look like award-winning stuff. Haha this is true, but to be fair I have never claimed to be a writer nor have desired to ever write a blog, I have the spelling/grammar skills of a 10 year old.

One suggestion: Why not have people start blogging about other Minnesota professional sports? There aren't many good places to discuss the Vikings on the web, Purplepride is decent but the forum is slow, Rubechat is a cesspool, I bet if we got two-three people writing about the Vikings that could become very interesting, ditto with Wild Hockey and the T-Wolves.

As someone who lives in NYC, I can assure you about half the people in this city absolutely despise the Yankees and their fans. I took my girlfriend to a yankees vs Twins playoff game about three years ago when we first started dating and we were both hit with beer bottles for having the audacity of wearing a Twins jersey into Yankee stadium. Later one drunkard had his 7 year old son come up to us, flip us off and say "The Twins ****ing suck", my buddy who was on the other side of the stadium actually got sucker punched by a Yankees fan when he was walking to the bathroom. That's all you really need to know about Yankee "fans" Since then she refuses to goto any sporting events in NYC and frankly I can't really blame her. That's funny. I found the Yankee fans to be a little disappointing in regards to taunting when I have been there. The old Yankee Stadium was more animated and exciting but the new Yankee Stadium was about the most depressing place I've ever been to. That place is horrid. Regular season games aren't to bad, but the playoffs seem to bring out all the ****bags.

The Tigers are not a good model, they barely won a terrible AL Central, and most of that was due to the Chicago White Sox completely falling apart down the stretch. They barely beat the A's and then faced a Yankees team that decided to forget how to hit. I mean I am happy for the Tigers, but that are in some deep crap in the coming years. Also, Delmon sucks, 4 good games doesn't make up for a TERRIBLE season.

plz start new thread jewscott

Also even more interesting, this seems to be the beginning of the end for the Yankees, don't be shocked if they more or less have to go into a rebuilding phase over the next 3-4 years. Steinbrenner has already said he wants payroll to come down to $189 million by 2014. Keep in mind the Yankees payroll this year is $210mm and they have a ton of big contracts on the book in 2014 such as: A-Rod: 26 mil+HR bonuses CC: 23 mil Tex: 23 mil They are going to give Cano a huge Pay day this off-season as well, so he should be making close to 20 mil a year as well. So more or less you have $89 mil left to spend. Swisher will be gone (unless they want to over pay him), Granderson will be a FA by then and would be due a hefty payday, Jeter prob won't be back then, Rivera will be gone, Hughes will be a free agent. The only real "talent" they have that won't be overly expensive will be Gardner, Nova, Robertson and Pineda. In addition their farm system isn't exactly robust currently. We could be seeing a couple ugly years coming up for the Yanks