Don't Feed the Greed Guy

Jim, I suspect we follow baseball because its fun, we've made a personal investment in the game, and the outcome is never quite certain, like life. There are mirrors to politics, and business, and even religion that are enmeshed in the Great American Pastime. We mourn for the Killebrew family, or we cheer for Lew Ford's comeback, because we've followed these characters and their charming, heartbreaking and humorous stories. By chance, I happened to meet Rich Harden. I saw him take a break from his rehab in order to stand beside a family, when he was asked to be there for them at a solemn occasion. He's one of the good guys. So I will be following his story next season, to see if he can make the team. It intrigues me, and rekindles my admiration for the human spirit. The business side of me is intrigued by the multiple relationships and conversations between owners, general managers, former players who coach and manage in the pajama-like uniforms of the players they lead, prospects, superstars, and the rest. This season, a day-trip to Cedar Rapids will add even more texture to the convsersation. We get to eavesdrop on that conversation, buy a ticket to the game, and watch a budding prospect at shortstop react to a hard grounder, hit to his right. Our muscle memory from childhood kicks in as he goes deep into the hole, pivots, and launches a bullet throw to the first baseman's glove. That's a thing of beauty, and I wouldn't miss it for the world.

This is a feel-good story with a strong local connection. There's every reason to believe that Harden goes the way of Zumyaya. But, these are the low-risk, high-reward moves that small-market and mid-market teams must make to stay competitive. Maybe it's the Twins turn to get a little lucky. I had the opportunity to meet the family last year during Harden's rehab. He was in Minnie for a family event. La Velle also reported, "Harden remained in Minnesota after visiting the Twins this week. Why? His wife is from Bemidji and they recently bought property there." Injury-prone Harden gets shot with Twins | StarTribune.com His stats say that he's 6'1" and 195 lbs. I'd say he's closer to 5'10" and 180. It just goes to show that throwing a baseball isn't just about being big. He's one of 46 pitchers to strike out three batters on nine pitches. Classy guy, good family. I wish him the best.

Mauer is a lock. The true debate where he will rank all-time. These guys are asking the right questions. Here's a scenario where Mauer could be one of the top catchers, all-time: The Twins go 74-88 in 2013, and Morneau and Willingham are dealt just before the trade deadline for talent. Ron Gardenhire's contract is not renewed. Paul Molitor is named the new manager and introduces a hustling, up-tempo offense that jells with his young core of talented position players, bolstered by one more good draft. Buxton and Hicks exceed Span and Revere as outfielders, and Rosario, Michael, and Santana solidify the middle infield, Sano's glove catches up to his bat and his arm at 3rd base, and Chris Hermann spells Mauer as a fine defensive catcher. Arcia, or a gloveless Sano becomes a memorable Twins designated hitter... (Who was the last memorable designated hitter?? A New but Old Problem: Who Is the Twins' Designated Hitter? - Twinkie Town C'mon, we're due here!) Mauer develops into a catcher/coach of promising young pitchers (a talent that he hasn't displayed, to me...), and Terry Ryan is named Sweet Genius for trading to get Alex Myer and Trevor May. (Gibson, Berrios, Bard, Hendricks, Diamond? Pick three and they round out a very solid rotation.) The bullpen doesn't crash, and Glen Perkins emerges as a top-five closer. Mauer produces with a batting average that gradually decreases from .320 to .280 over the next six years. He stays healthy as the Twins go deep into the playoffs from 2015-2018, takes home some hardware. Six years of catching roughly 100 games a season takes its toll. Mauer retires when he's 35, and his contract expires after the 2018 season. He ends up coaching alongside his big brother, Jake, for many more years in the Twins organization. This is not just wishful thinking. Stranger things have happened, we just don't believe in them. After all, we are Minnesotans.

Okay, This is out of left field:p, but worthy of a conspiracy buff’s amusing post: Are the Twins headed to the National League? 1) We are stocking up on NL pitchers. 2) Target Field is a pitcher’s park. It wasn’tnecessarily built for the NL game, but the fact is that the park plays more like an NL venue. You can’t rebuild the park for the AL game, but you could change leagues… 3) Financially, Milwaukee and Minneapolis could benefit by splitting 21 games a year. 21 games of full stands. Right now MN doesn’t have a state-to-state rival. Kinda makes sense, right… How long did it take for Milwaukee to switch leagues, and Houston? Okay, I am ready for the naysayers to have me for Monday lunch. What say you?

Okay, This is out of left field:p, but worthy of a conspiracy buff’s amusing post: Are the Twins headed to the National League? 1) We are stocking up on NL pitchers. 2) Target Field is a pitcher’s park. It wasn’tnecessarily built for the NL game, but the fact is that the park plays more like an NL venue. You can’t rebuild the park for the AL game, but you could change leagues… 3) Financially, Milwaukee and Minneapolis could benefit by splitting 21 games a year. 21 games of full stands. Right now MN doesn’t have a state-to-state rival. Kinda makes sense, right… How long did it take for Milwaukee to switch leagues, and Houston? Okay, I am ready for the naysayers to have me for Monday lunch. What say you?

Only if we get something like this in writing: "I'd be thrilled to pitch out of the bullpen. If that's what I can do to help the Twins win. I'll do what ever Gardy and Andy want me to do. I just want to help..." Ain't gonna happen.

The biggest travesty is Jackie Robinson, at #52, between Rod Carew and Ernie Banks. His place, as a historic icon, is in the top 10. My other icon, Roberto Clemente is #33. Someday I hope Clemente's #21 hangs in every ballpark alongside #42. These two men made historic contributions, that exceeded their excellence on the field.

J-Dog, Absolutely right. No sarcasm. Check out Lester's seven year-average. Last year was a dropoff, but in 2010 he was 19-9 with a 3.25 era, and in 2011 he was 15-9 with a 3.47 era. Scroll down to his seven-year average. Jon Lester Statistics and History - Baseball-Reference.com Middlebrooks was injured as a rookie after 75 games and 267 at-bats, but a 162 game compilation of his 2012 statistics projects out to 32 home runs and 117 rbi's from the 3b position. Will Middlebrooks Statistics and History - Baseball-Reference.com With all that said, it's just fantasy. Mauer is staying in Minnesota with his newlywed wife, and family close by.

Hey all, Baseball is a form of theater. For example, we have our small-market Rebellion battling against The Evil Empire. These are the Meta narratives that we construct, in order to make sense and meaning out of a box score, or a trip to the ballgame with peanuts and Cracker Jacks with our children, or a beer with the guys. So, take a break from the Hot Stove League, and consider (don't ponder, us Viking fans have done enough of that!), consider the question of Jeter's 3000th hit, and one fan's response. What would you do? Click on the link below: Blog: RP Blog | Sports | Ethics | Returning Jeter?s 3,000th Hit Ball | The Responsibility Project by Liberty Mutual

Hey all, Baseball is a form of theater. For example, we have our small-market Rebellion battling against The Evil Empire. These are the Meta narratives that we construct, in order to make sense and meaning out of a box score, or a trip to the ballgame with peanuts and Cracker Jacks with our children, or a beer with the guys. So, take a break from the Hot Stove League, and consider (don't ponder, us Viking fans have done enough of that!), consider the question of Jeter's 3000th hit, and one fan's response. What would you do? Click on the link below: Blog: RP Blog | Sports | Ethics | Returning Jeter?s 3,000th Hit Ball | The Responsibility Project by Liberty Mutual

IF, if the Bosox and Twins did this, who could the Twins get for Mauer? I don't think it will happen, but I'd love to see Lester and Middlebrooks come our way. Hey, a guy can dream, can't he?

I'd have to agree with Ben B. I was at the game when Torii Hunter dove for Kotsay's sinking line drive--inside-the-park home run. We were sitting in center field, and had a perfect, if heartbreaking view of the whole play. The ball rolled to the wall, right below where we were sitting. But that wasn't quite as heartbreaking as when Calvin Griffith traded Butch Wynegar to the Yankees. He was my boyhood hero. Roy Smalley was traded to the Yanks that year, too, a month before Butch was sent packing. To this day, my two boys have been taught not to swear, unless the word is "damn." And then, it's only allowed if the next word from their mouths is "Yankees." All time, it would have to be game seven, 1965, when Sandy Koufax threw a three-hit shutout. My dad still thinks Koufax is the greatest pitcher, ever.

Hey all, Here’s what I don’t understand: let’s call it “throwing good money after bad.” Blackburn’s $5.5 million contract is bad money. The Twins still had—had money in their purses after dropping about $26 million in 2012 contracts that went off the payrolls or were traded away (Pavano, Baker, Liriano, Span, Nishi, Casilla). Now, by signing Correia, that’s down to $21 million. I expected to see a pitcher or two get Willingham money (3 years $21M), or Pavano money (3 years $23.5M) on a two year deal, or perhaps a three year deal, so $7-8M/year. This is where the market falls, excluding Greinke, at $23.5M/year over a six year contract. His contract is the anomaly: The Market [TABLE=class: cms_table] Pitcher age IP ERA YRs $/yr Peavy 31 219 3.37 2 14.5 Haren 32 176 4.33 1 13 Guthrie 33 181 4.76 3 8.3 McCarthy 29 111 3.24 2 7.75 Blanton 31 191 4.71 2 7.5 Iwamura 31 125 3.16 2 7 [/TABLE] Correia (age 32, 171 ip, 4.21 era) for 2 yrs and $ 5M/yr Available [TABLE=class: cms_table] Lohse 34 211 2.86 [/TD] Jackson 29 189 4.03 Sanchez 28 195 3.86 Dempster 35 173 3.38 Marcum 30 124 3.70 [TD] [/TABLE] I tried ranking the top twenty free agent starting pitchers who could hurl for the Twins for the next three years—with 2014 and 2015 being key contention years, they are all 35 or younger, with most being in that 29-31 range. Lots of room for debate here, but consider the money, and potential Willingham/Pavano size contract: My Top 20 1. Greinke 23.5M/yr,6 yrs 2. Lohse 3. Peavy 14.5M/yr,2 yrs 4. E. Jackson 5. McCarthy 7.75M/yr,2 yrs 6. Sanchez 7. Dempster 8. Marcum 9. Haren 13.5M/yr,1 yr 10. Guthrie 8.5M/yr, 2 yrs 11. Blanton 7.5M/yr, 2 yrs 12. Iwamura 7M/yr, 2 yrs 13. Baker 5.5M/yr, 1 yr 14. Saunders 15. Villanueva 16. Liriano 17. De La Rosa 11M/yr, 1 yr. 18. Coreia 5M/yr, 2yrs 19. Sheets 20. Marquis Bottom line, and this is about the bottom line: The Twins have room for one of the top five guys that are still on the market. They need a pitcher who can win 15 games for a 81-81 w-l season, vs. 8 wins for 73 & 89. A little Oriole's-type luck to steal 9 more w's. They needed to spend $3-4M more to make that happen. Instead they threw the $5M away, like Blackburn's $. That's throwing away good money, after bad.

Hey all, Here’s what I don’t understand: let’s call it “throwing good money after bad.” Blackburn’s $5.5 million contract is bad money. The Twins still had—had money in their purses after dropping about $26 million in 2012 contracts that went off the payrolls or were traded away (Pavano, Baker, Liriano, Span, Nishi, Casilla). Now, by signing Correia, that’s down to $21 million. I expected to see a pitcher or two get Willingham money (3 years $21M), or Pavano money (3 years $23.5M) on a two year deal, or perhaps a three year deal, so $7-8M/year. This is where the market falls, excluding Greinke, at $23.5M/year over a six year contract. His contract is the anomaly: The Market [TABLE=class: cms_table] Pitcher age IP ERA YRs $/yr Peavy 31 219 3.37 2 14.5 Haren 32 176 4.33 1 13 Guthrie 33 181 4.76 3 8.3 McCarthy 29 111 3.24 2 7.75 Blanton 31 191 4.71 2 7.5 Iwamura 31 125 3.16 2 7 [/TABLE] Correia (age 32, 171 ip, 4.21 era) for 2 yrs and $ 5M/yr Available [TABLE=class: cms_table] Lohse 34 211 2.86 [/TD] Jackson 29 189 4.03 Sanchez 28 195 3.86 Dempster 35 173 3.38 Marcum 30 124 3.70 [TD] [/TABLE] I tried ranking the top twenty free agent starting pitchers who could hurl for the Twins for the next three years—with 2014 and 2015 being key contention years, they are all 35 or younger, with most being in that 29-31 range. Lots of room for debate here, but consider the money, and potential Willingham/Pavano size contract: My Top 20 1. Greinke 23.5M/yr,6 yrs 2. Lohse 3. Peavy 14.5M/yr,2 yrs 4. E. Jackson 5. McCarthy 7.75M/yr,2 yrs 6. Sanchez 7. Dempster 8. Marcum 9. Haren 13.5M/yr,1 yr 10. Guthrie 8.5M/yr, 2 yrs 11. Blanton 7.5M/yr, 2 yrs 12. Iwamura 7M/yr, 2 yrs 13. Baker 5.5M/yr, 1 yr 14. Saunders 15. Villanueva 16. Liriano 17. De La Rosa 11M/yr, 1 yr. 18. Coreia 5M/yr, 2yrs 19. Sheets 20. Marquis Bottom line, and this is about the bottom line: The Twins have room for one of the top five guys that are still on the market. They need a pitcher who can win 15 games for a 81-81 w-l season, vs. 8 wins for 73 & 89. A little Oriole's-type luck to steal 9 more w's. They needed to spend $3-4M more to make that happen. Instead they threw the $5M away, like Blackburn's $. That's throwing away good money, after bad.

Parker, I read your article on the Strib site, and had to log in and thank you. This is an excellent piece of reporting on a journalist's short time frame. It includes video, fan-friendly anecdotes, and meaningful stats. Thanks for scooping us on "The Vanimal." Nice work.

Parker's lead on this article was Gardenhire's reaction to the Span trade: "They're trading my whole damn team." Wouldn't a Revere trade be the 'coup de grace' (death blow) to 2013 and a manager who doesn't have a contract extension? Is Terry Ryan throwing Gardy under the proverbial bus? The ONLY way that this could be good for Gardy is if a Revere trade could bring the Twins a top-of-the-rotation starter, not just a Class A phenom. Is "Bingo-Bango-Beno" with his light bat, really worth a top tier starter? My hunch? If Revere goes, it's curtains for Gardy. He "Sleeps With the Fishes" and Ryan stands alone.

Ladies and Gentlemen, 2013 will be another season to study the minor league box scores, and leave my transistor radio at home when I go fishing on the walleye opener, May 10, 2013, because the Twins will already be out of it. Here's my dream trip for 2013: July 5 or 6: Twins at Toronto Blue Jays July 6 or 7: Pawtucket at Rochester (Twins AAA) July 8 or 9: Cooperstown Baseball HOF July 10: East/WestAll Star Game at New Britan, CT (Twins AA) July 11: Trenton at New Britan (Twins AA) July 12-14: Twins at New York Yankees July 15: MLB Home Run Derby, at Citi Field July 16: MLB All-Star Game, at Citi Field (NY Mets) 658 miles (and another 229 to go see Baltimore, and Span's hometown team, the Washington Nats. and two more teams off the bucket list…) I'm glad for the move, and I will pay for the trip with the money I save by paying no more than $10 to see Twins home games.

Hmmm... The top eight make a rather tight grouping, which makes the bottom half of the projections far more interesting. Why do you think Sickels ranks five players in his top 25 that aren't mentioned by the other four fortune-tellers? Any idea, Seth? Thanks.

This is outstanding! Very clever...cleaver...mwahhahhahhha!

I see three glasses, my friends, stare with me into your computer screen and imagine not one, but three glasses... Pitching: Almost empty Defense: 1/2 full Offense: 3/4 full Pitching: We will need to gain two starters via trade or free agency, and hope that the mixed bag of Gibson, Devries, Deduno, Walters and Hendricks will distill into something that will fill out the back end of the rotation, and top off our glass. The bullpen will be fine. Defense is suspect up the middle of the infield. Plouffe is improving at third. The outfield is above average. Can Florimon, Dozier, or that guy we picked up in the Liriano Garage Sale solidify the defense? Not sure. Oh, for the likes of J.J. Hardy... as I wistfully stare into my glass not full... Offense: Perhaps the middle infield is where we can improve our offense too. It wouldn't take much to improve on Alexi Casilla's .279 on base percentage, Dozier was anemic, at .271 and Florimon is at .278 after 42 games with the Twins. Escobar has played in 48 games between Chicago and Minnesota, earning a slightly more respectible .285 OBP. This number should be over .300 for whoever occupies second and short. If the rest of the lineup can drive them in, then we'll be full to the brim... groan...

The Minnesota Twins enter the offseason saddled with the need to rebuild. As the Twins fan base begins to dwindle, and the shine seems to be coming off Target Field, questions arise about the M & M boys, andtheir long-term value in Minnesota. Both players are emerging out from under a cloud of befuddling injuries, so their long-term health is a question. Both players command a significant portion of team salary, so their combined value is a question. Joe Mauer is likely to increase his playing time at first base,raising questions about how two M’s can populate one position. Both players are leaving their twenties, and entering their thirties—Mauer is 29 and JustinMorneau is 31. Age begs the biggest unanswerable question. Will production and value decrease as these two Boys of Summer enter the midseason of their careers? Look to the East, across the St. Croix River for a possible answer in two of the greatest players to put on a Milwaukee Brewers uniform—Paul Molitor and Robin Yount. And while your gaze is turned in the direction of Wisconsin, keep looking over the horizon toward Cooperstown, NY. Both Yount and Molitor made it to the Hall of Fame because of their longevity, and their ability to remain healthy and productive over the second half of their careers. Yount nearly gave up baseball due tonagging injuries. He wanted to pursue a golfing career and briefly quit baseball. The first half of Paul Molitor’s career was a mess—injury and addiction troubled his life—and his statistical production is pockmarked with extensive gaps due to time spent on the disabled list. Milwaukee stuck with Molitor. His former cocaine addiction bears no resemblance to a concussion—except that both maladies carry a huge stigma, and recovery is wildly unpredictable. What the Brewers could control was where and when to play Molitor, and Yount. Dan Levitt and Doug Skipper recount the young Molitor’s first appearance in the Brewer’s dugout, “After the draft the Brewers invited their new phenom to Milwaukee County Stadium for the VIP treatment. While wearing a suit that was “way too big, I’m totally geekish,” Molitor met some of the players in thedugout. At one point he was sitting next to shortstop Robin Yount, only 22 years old but already in his fourth year as a starter. Veteran third basemanSal Bando stopped by and threw Yount an outfielder’s glove, telling him, “Well,I guess this will be your last year at shortstop, kid.” Molitor remembered acute embarrassment at the whole proceeding and just wanting to get away.” http://sabr.org/bioproj/person/f9d60ca6 Yount and Molitor would dance around the shortstop position. Both players showed versatility, as Molitor spent time at second base, and third. Yount would eventually move into center field. Molitor would become one of the most productive designated hitters in major league history. Bottom line?Milwaukee provided a flexible environment so that both Yount and Molitor could remain productive members of the team, at least for a while. Joe Christensen recently drew some comparisons between Mauer and Molitor. “Hall of Famer Paul Molitor, a fellow Cretin-Derham Hall product, dealt with criticism with the Milwaukee Brewers when injuries limited him to fewer than 120 games in five of his first 10 seasons. Molitor hasn't spoken to Mauer about this but said it was nice to prove he could stay healthy over the second half of his career.” http://www.startribune.com/sports/twins/171947481.html Perhaps Molitor should speak to Morneau, since Molitor andMorneau have perhaps more in common, injury-wise, than the tandem of Molitor and Mauer. Concussions and cocaine, once again, are worlds apart. But finding stability and hope over the second half of a major league career—that seems to be common ground for the these two M’s. Financial concerns would eventually undermine Molitor’s relationship with the Brewers. Molitor left Milwaukee and signed as a free agent with the team that had finished four games ahead of the Brewers the year before—the Toronto Blue Jays. Toronto would remain competitive, winning two World Championships, one with Molitor as the Series’ Most Valuable Player. The Brewers’ record, post-Mollie, would not climb above .500 for each of the next 14 seasons. In 1993, his first year in Toronto, Molitor placed second in the American League MVP vote, behind Frank Thomas. He would play for five more seasons. The following quote from Levitt and Skipper tells about his first year in Minnesota: “Molitor,the fourth oldest player in the league, appeared in a career high 161 of Minnesota’s 162 games for manager Tom Kelly. He batted .341, third in the American League behind Alex Rodriguez and Frank Thomas. He led the league in hits with 225—becoming the oldest player to ever lead the league in hits—drove in a career high 113 runs, and scored 99.” Do you suppose the Brewers could have used that sort of production? The Twins should not make the same mistake. The Twins and Brewers locked up Mauer and Yount as franchise players. The Brewers chose not to take that direction with Molitor. Will the Twins regret not making Morneau a lifelong Twin? These are the questions that only time can provide, but bloggers can still ask, all the same. Can anyone peer into their pouch of chewing tobacco tea leaves and offer an answer? Ps. If you have made it this far through this blog, you should REALLY make time to read the piece by Levitt and Skipper. Good research, good writing, great story!

The Minnesota Twins enter the offseason saddled with the need to rebuild. As the Twins fan base begins to dwindle, and the shine seems to be coming off Target Field, questions arise about the M & M boys, andtheir long-term value in Minnesota. Both players are emerging out from under a cloud of befuddling injuries, so their long-term health is a question. Both players command a significant portion of team salary, so their combined value is a question. Joe Mauer is likely to increase his playing time at first base,raising questions about how two M’s can populate one position. Both players are leaving their twenties, and entering their thirties—Mauer is 29 and JustinMorneau is 31. Age begs the biggest unanswerable question. Will production and value decrease as these two Boys of Summer enter the midseason of their careers? Look to the East, across the St. Croix River for a possible answer in two of the greatest players to put on a Milwaukee Brewers uniform—Paul Molitor and Robin Yount. And while your gaze is turned in the direction of Wisconsin, keep looking over the horizon toward Cooperstown, NY. Both Yount and Molitor made it to the Hall of Fame because of their longevity, and their ability to remain healthy and productive over the second half of their careers. Yount nearly gave up baseball due tonagging injuries. He wanted to pursue a golfing career and briefly quit baseball. The first half of Paul Molitor’s career was a mess—injury and addiction troubled his life—and his statistical production is pockmarked with extensive gaps due to time spent on the disabled list. Milwaukee stuck with Molitor. His former cocaine addiction bears no resemblance to a concussion—except that both maladies carry a huge stigma, and recovery is wildly unpredictable. What the Brewers could control was where and when to play Molitor, and Yount. Dan Levitt and Doug Skipper recount the young Molitor’s first appearance in the Brewer’s dugout, “After the draft the Brewers invited their new phenom to Milwaukee County Stadium for the VIP treatment. While wearing a suit that was “way too big, I’m totally geekish,” Molitor met some of the players in thedugout. At one point he was sitting next to shortstop Robin Yount, only 22 years old but already in his fourth year as a starter. Veteran third basemanSal Bando stopped by and threw Yount an outfielder’s glove, telling him, “Well,I guess this will be your last year at shortstop, kid.” Molitor remembered acute embarrassment at the whole proceeding and just wanting to get away.” http://sabr.org/bioproj/person/f9d60ca6 Yount and Molitor would dance around the shortstop position. Both players showed versatility, as Molitor spent time at second base, and third. Yount would eventually move into center field. Molitor would become one of the most productive designated hitters in major league history. Bottom line?Milwaukee provided a flexible environment so that both Yount and Molitor could remain productive members of the team, at least for a while. Joe Christensen recently drew some comparisons between Mauer and Molitor. “Hall of Famer Paul Molitor, a fellow Cretin-Derham Hall product, dealt with criticism with the Milwaukee Brewers when injuries limited him to fewer than 120 games in five of his first 10 seasons. Molitor hasn't spoken to Mauer about this but said it was nice to prove he could stay healthy over the second half of his career.” http://www.startribune.com/sports/twins/171947481.html Perhaps Molitor should speak to Morneau, since Molitor andMorneau have perhaps more in common, injury-wise, than the tandem of Molitor and Mauer. Concussions and cocaine, once again, are worlds apart. But finding stability and hope over the second half of a major league career—that seems to be common ground for the these two M’s. Financial concerns would eventually undermine Molitor’s relationship with the Brewers. Molitor left Milwaukee and signed as a free agent with the team that had finished four games ahead of the Brewers the year before—the Toronto Blue Jays. Toronto would remain competitive, winning two World Championships, one with Molitor as the Series’ Most Valuable Player. The Brewers’ record, post-Mollie, would not climb above .500 for each of the next 14 seasons. In 1993, his first year in Toronto, Molitor placed second in the American League MVP vote, behind Frank Thomas. He would play for five more seasons. The following quote from Levitt and Skipper tells about his first year in Minnesota: “Molitor,the fourth oldest player in the league, appeared in a career high 161 of Minnesota’s 162 games for manager Tom Kelly. He batted .341, third in the American League behind Alex Rodriguez and Frank Thomas. He led the league in hits with 225—becoming the oldest player to ever lead the league in hits—drove in a career high 113 runs, and scored 99.” Do you suppose the Brewers could have used that sort of production? The Twins should not make the same mistake. The Twins and Brewers locked up Mauer and Yount as franchise players. The Brewers chose not to take that direction with Molitor. Will the Twins regret not making Morneau a lifelong Twin? These are the questions that only time can provide, but bloggers can still ask, all the same. Can anyone peer into their pouch of chewing tobacco tea leaves and offer an answer? Ps. If you have made it this far through this blog, you should REALLY make time to read the piece by Levitt and Skipper. Good research, good writing, great story!

Cabrera wins the MVP if he locks up the Triple Crown and/or the Tigers make the playoffs. Trout wins if the Angels can claim a wild card spot, and the Twins continue to play spoiler, eliminating the Motor City Kitties from the postseason. Still the Tri-Crown is the trump card. One other thing to consider: Trout will already take home some hardwarde as the AL Rookie of the Year. The baseball writers may want to spread the wealth, figuring that Trout has a more time to add to his trophy cabinet. So, my money is on Miggy.

How about Bruno's in and Bobby's out in Boston? Brunansky spent four years with the BoSox., and Red Sox Nation (or Red Sox Clubhouse) is ready for a player-friendly coach.

I believe in being a student of good writing. Our local writers could learn some basic lessons on sports journalism from Mr. Keown. This article is balanced in perspective, meticulously sourced, and elegantly written. So often our local writers approach a deadline like Delmon Young attacks the strike zone. I like Jim, Joe, and Pat. Lavelle may be the best because his writing still reveals a love for the game. But they all could learn something more about working the whole count, a la Mauer, before just swinging at the first pitch. Sometimes they connect, but they are not elite writers. Keown is to writing what Mauer is to catching, fielding, hitting. You have to work at the craft. I would say that Keown exposed our local scribes' 2011 attacks on Mauer as being hasty and ill-timed. Now they look a little ridiculous for swinging at a pitch out of the strike zone. Danny B gave me my moniker, but he too has turned into a latter-day version of a Reusse Rant (by the way, has anyone else noticed how Patrick has softened over the years? He's getting back on his game). Barreiro needs to find the love of sports, once again, and turn back the page to his award-winning Strib days.