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Kirsten Brown

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Blog Entries posted by Kirsten Brown

  1. Kirsten Brown
    Originally posted at k-bro's baseball blog
     
    The family and I went on yet another baseball-themed long-weekend trip, this time to beautiful Kansas City. And like every family trip we've ever been on, the weather was really hot.
     
     
    The Weather:
    Yeah, it's summer, and I'm fully aware that Kansas City knows how to do hot, but man, that heat was something else. Additionally, the whole area is suffering a devastating drought. So even though the lack of humidity makes for a dry heat, it also allows for the temperatures to raise to record numbers. Whew.
     
     
    The dry conditions are remarkable. The ditches along the roads have no grass or wildflowers, only short stubbles of kindling. It looks like an errantly-thrown lit cigarette would cause serious problems.
     
     
    Oh, and the heat also caused some engine trouble both on the way there and on the way home. Nothing serious, just an inconvenience. But not really fun when we were excited to reach our destination.
     
     
    The Barbecue:
    On the recommendation of a tweet from the Star-Tribune's La Velle E. Neal III, we decided to give Oklahoma Joe's a try. We went to the "original" location, which is attached to a really tiny gas station that, for some reason, also had a huge selection of frolfing (frisbee-golfing) discs.
     
     
    It was two o'clock in the afternoon, and we still had to stand in line about 45 minutes.
     
     
    It. Was. Worth. It.
     
     
    I ordered a "Z-man" sandwich: brisket, melted smoked provolone, a few huge onion rings, and sauce on a kaiser roll. Oh. Emm. Gee! It was the best sandwich I've ever eaten. My husband, who is pretty selective about barbecued ribs, just loved them. The fries were very good as well. The coleslaw is fair, but I'm pretty fussy about that. The dirty rice was meh (my husband makes it way better).
     
     
    I've heard that the "burnt ends" of brisket are amazing, but, alas, they were out.
     
     
    Add this place to your bucket list.
     
     
    The Museum:
    Speaking of bucket lists, visiting the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum has been on mine for awhile. We've been to KC a number of times, and this time I demanded (well, ok, asked nicely) to allow time to visit.
     
     
    It's a small-ish museum, but it's packed with lots of great stuff. And while the hardships that African-American players faced during segregation are discussed, the talent of these great players is the focus.
     
     
    The best part was the "Field of Legends," bronze statues of the Negro Leagues superstars.
     
     
    I enjoyed my experience there and I'm proud that I can cross this off my bucket list.
     
     
    There is also a Jazz museum next door, but, regrettably, we didn't have time to visit.
     
     
    The Bobblehead:
    Speaking of the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum, Saturday's Royals/Twins game was played in its honor. You may have seen the throwback uniforms the teams wore: the Royals in Kansas City Monarchs uniforms and the Twins in St. Paul Gophers (referred to in the museum as the "St. Paul Black Gophers") uniforms. The St. Paul Gophers weren't officially part of the Negro Leagues; the team dissolved before the league was formed. There were no official Negro League teams from Minnesota.
     
     
    In addition, the stadium giveaway was an awesome bobblehead doll of Buck O'Neil. Buck was a former KC Monarchs player and manager, the first African-American MLB coach, a great ambassador for the Negro Leagues and all of baseball, and a great Royals fan.
     
     
    Here he is:


    Isn't he great?
     
     
    The Game:
    We only wanted to go to one game, so we chose Saturday's. We wanted to have an evening around the campfire on Friday, which, due to the drought, turned out to be an evening around the radio.
     
     
    We tailgated a bit before the game, which was fun, even though it was pretty hot. We met some nice college-aged Royals fan guys. I've always liked Royals fans; they're quite friendly.
     
     
    As far as the actual game: the Twins were terrible. The Royals were not.
     
     
    Enough said.
  2. Kirsten Brown
    Originally posted at k-bro's baseball blog

    We're fully aware, now that the All-Star break is over, that the non-waiver trade deadline is looming (I hate the "looming" cliche -- it makes me think of a big shadow of a ghost looming with the players rumored to be traded cowering against the wall a la Scooby Doo).
     
     
    Last season, the Twins did very little at the trade deadline. This year should be different; the Twins will most likely move a guy or two before the end of the month. What's different about this year:
     

    There's a new (old) boss in town. Terry Ryan isn't historically known for making a ton of moves mid-season, but it seems like he's way more likely to let some guys go for a profit than Bill Smith was. I always got the sense that Smith made decisions with his emotions rather than his logic.
    There are new playoff rules. Now that there are two wild card teams in each league, there are more "on the bubble" teams vying for playoff spots. Many of those teams are just a good player or two away from making a nice September run. So there may be more interest than there was previously.
    There are new free agency rules. With the new collective bargaining agreement, the only way teams can receive a draft pick for losing a player in free agency is to offer him a one-year contract worth at least the average of the top 125 salaries in the MLB (which figures to be about $12 million this year). So the Twins may be more willing to trade pending free agents so that they can get something out of letting him go.
    2011 happened. Last season at the end of July, the Twins were enjoying a nice little hot streak. Because they were only one year away from a playoff appearance, everyone was a little deluded into believing that they could turn things around. Well, we're all lucid now; we understand how bad things really are and that this team needs young help all up an down the organization. They can't afford to think about improving for 2012; they need to think about improving for 2013 and beyond.

     
    So, yeah, it really looks like we'll say goodbye to some of our guys in the next few weeks. It could be anybody, too -- Joe Mauer, who has a no-trade clause, and Ryan Doumit, who just signed an extension, are probably the only exceptions. It's important to realize that trading away anybody isn't likely to render huge immediate improvements; this would be all for strengthening the organization for the future.
     
     
     
    Let's hit a few of the top names:
     

    Fransisco Liriano (pending free agent). It seems bizarre that a team that so desperately needs quality starting pitching is willing to part with a guy who looks like he's found his mojo, but trading him actually makes sense if the situation is right. Offering him a $12 million contract (that he would have to decline) just so the Twins can get a draft pick might be a bit steep for their budget (because he just might accept it), so he's likely a goner anyway. The Twins may be able to net a nice prospect or two for him. Of course, this risk is that once he's gone, he'll turn into Cy Young.
    Matt Capps (pending free agent). Capps has been better than his reputation with Twins fans would suggest. He's freshly back from a minor shoulder injury, so he has a couple of weeks to shake off the rust and impress some scouts. Actually, he's back on the DL with shoulder soreness, and he's not due get off the DL until after the deadline.
    Carl Pavano (pending free agent). Yeah, his shoulder injury must be pretty bad because after six weeks on the DL he has yet to throw off a mound. It really doesn't seem like he'll be back with the team before the deadline (although he could still be traded after July 31, but he would have to pass through waivers first). Considering his age, his injury history, and the extent of this most recent injury, it's unlikely that there will be any team interested.
    Denard Span (signed through 2014, team option in 2015) or Ben Revere (under team control through 2017). If there any teams out there looking for left-handed lead-off outfielders, the Twins have two. Span has the benefit of experience and has a little more power, and Revere has the benefit of youth and speed. Both also have the benefit of being contractually inexpensive, which would interest potential trade partners. However, the Twins have the upper hand in that there is no harm in keeping them the rest of the season to perhaps trade in the off-season, so they can ask for a lot in return. Of the two, it makes more sense to trade Span as he's 28 and has likely at or near his career peak; Revere is still valuable for the future.
    Justin Morneau (signed through 2013). About two weeks ago, it didn't seem like Morneau was a trade target at all with his inability to hit left-handed pitching and everything, but he's recently turned things around and is looking good. Teams may shy away from him due to his injury history and high salary. Again, there's no particular hurry to trade him yet this season, so the Twins will likely keep him.
    Josh Willingham (signed through 2014). Willingham has been one of the few bright spots in the Twins batting order this season, which would make him quite attractive to a number of teams. However, Terry Ryan has intimated in interviews that he's not particularly interested in trading Willingham. Of course, if someone calls and offers a huge haul of prospects for him, Ryan should listen. But it would have to be a haul to be worth it.
    There could be others, too.

     
    All this should make an interesting trade deadline. I just hope it's not a terribly sad one.
  3. Kirsten Brown
    Originally posted at k-bro's baseball blog
     

    http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ceNibDT2jXU/UASyUE-2juI/AAAAAAAACAQ/wzgG81RJeLE/s200/waterballoons.PNG

    I was listening to the news Sunday night as I was getting ready for bed, and between brushing my teeth and putting moisturizer around my eyes, I heard the sports guy talking about how glum the Twins clubhouse is lately. He said something about the mood there being the worse its ever been and that everyone is just demoralized.
     
     
    It's hard to blame them. All this losing is hard for me to take sitting here in my comfy living room; I can't imagine what it's like for the guys who actually want to take pride in their profession.
     
     
    I imagine that they're all cranky and secretly trying to figure out ways to throw stuff at each other. The hitters are thinking mean thoughts about the pitchers, and the pitchers are thinking mean thoughts about the defenders. All these repressed feelings are likely to cause a lot of clinched jaws and stress headaches.
     
     
    Also factor in this awful heat. These guys are wearing polyester clothes (with long pants, undershirts, and socks) and doing physical activity in air that feels like nacho cheese in a crock pot. Ick.
     
     
    These guys need something to cheer them up right quick. The fans won't have any fun unless the players have some fun.
     
     
    I propose that we line up all the guys out in the outfield, arm each one with a super-soaker squirt gun and a bucket of water balloons, and tell them to have at it. Francisco Liriano can nail Denard Span and Josh Willingham can shoot Brian Duensing to get things going, and there you have it. Aggressions will be released. Tempers, and bodies, will be cooled. Fun will be had. Outfield grass will be watered. Win win. They should sell tickets; I'd buy one.
     
     
    Or...they could do what they did Monday night and score seven runs in the first inning of a game that counts. But, like, every day.
  4. Kirsten Brown
    Originally posted at k-bro's baseball blog
     
    We all know how crazy the Twins starting rotation has been this season. The club keeps moving guys around hoping to replace those who are hurt or ineffective. And it keeps happening because guys who are given a chance aren't always making the best of it. All these moves remind me of a metaphor that TwinsGeek John Bonnes likes to use: moving deck chairs on the Titanic.
     
     
    It's an intriguing phrase that perfectly describes the frustrating situation.
     
     
    I wondered what exactly that would look like. So here is my graphical schematic of the Twins moving deck chairs:
     
     

    http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-2KKPozBdpNY/T_ug6rmJkjI/AAAAAAAAB_c/uOYPJ9hTn_I/s640/titanicchairs.PNG

     
    Look again at Cole De Vries. Poor guy -- started in AAA, called up 5/22, sent down 6/7, back up 6/30, back down 7/1, back up 7/3. I wonder if he even bothers to unpack his suitcase.
  5. Kirsten Brown
    Originally posted at k-bro's baseball blog
     

    http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-TxaYgroHa88/T_Dv3YH237I/AAAAAAAAB8c/-UCGY6CQlR0/s200/photo%2812%29.JPG
    The family and I took a nice little vacation to Beloit, WI, to catch some minor-league ball and get a glimpse of some future Twins. We attended games on two steamy evenings, Friday and Saturday.
     
     
    The Snappers, the Twins Class A affiliate, are a pretty typical minor-league team. There are several features of the experience that are common throughout the minor leagues, and these features are what makes the minor league experience great. There are always the couple of uber-fans who show up first to every game, know every thing about every player, and keep score of every play in their own scorebooks. There is also the guy who brings a trombone so he can play a tiny ovation for each player as he's announced. Every minor-league park also features an auto-glass message for every foul ball that leaves the park (the parks are small, so the risk of a foul ball actually breaking a car windshield is pretty significant). There are always between-inning sponsored games and hijinks where fans actually get to go on the field and compete for coupons or tickets to future games. Also, every employee you see holds four or five jobs (the roving announcer for the hijinks is also on the grounds crew). Oh, and don't forget the scouts -- the entire section behind home plate is filled with men, dressed in business casual attire, armed with notebooks, iPads, and radar guns. The atmosphere is cozy, fun, laid back, and a little goofy.
     
     
    [TABLE=class: tr-caption-container, align: center]

    [TD=align: center]http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-VEGQ0qDHfTY/T_D0fE-EjCI/AAAAAAAAB9M/IrNKB5hqqYY/s400/photo%2810%29.JPG
    [/TD]


    [TD=class: tr-caption, align: center]The best seats in the house are only $7.50 and beers are only $3.50
    [/TD]

    [/TABLE]
     
    The Snappers hosted the Clinton Lumberkings, the Seattle Mariners single-A club.
     
     
     
    [TABLE=class: tr-caption-container, align: center]

    [TD=align: center]http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-NjpD14ex-xQ/T_D4YqEX23I/AAAAAAAAB98/Of4PHZVP8wU/s320/photo%2811%29.JPG
    [/TD]


    [TD=class: tr-caption, align: center]Friday's lineup
    [/TD]

    [/TABLE]
     
    On Friday, Steven Liddle (nephew of Twins 3rd-base coach) homered to start the scoring, but the Snappers fell 6-3 in the drizzly rain.
     
     
     
    Saturday's game was a defensive umm... challenge... for the Snappers, and despite a rally in the ninth, they lost 10-5. But the fireworks afterwards were nicely done.
     
     
    Of course, I was most interested in scouting the Twins top prospect, Miguel Sano. It's easy to tell that he's special. The ball just sounds different coming off his bat; when he gets a hold of one, he gets a hold of one. He homered on Saturday, and the ball cleared not only the fence, but also the scoreboard. Wow.
     
     
    But, as good and special as he is, I can also see why the Twins haven't promoted him to Fort Myers yet. He simply isn't ready. He strikes out a lot, and his defense isn't there yet. They shouldn't promote him until he dominates this level, and he's not far, but not quite there.
    [TABLE=class: tr-caption-container, align: center]

    [TD=align: center]http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-yd2_XIWvrl4/T_EBG4NvtBI/AAAAAAAAB-s/gy8FlpviqpM/s400/photo%289%29.JPG
    [/TD]


    [TD=class: tr-caption, align: center]Sano on deck
    [/TD]

    [/TABLE]
     
    All in all, despite the losing, the Snappers gave us a great time, and we all felt it was worth the drive.
     
     
     
    ~~~
    If you happen to travel to Beloit to catch the Snappers, I also recommend you visit Historic Auto Attractions museum in nearby Roscoe, IL. It's so much more than a car museum; it's more of a collection great historic artifacts. It includes a large presidential exhibit, with a special area for the Kennedys. There are also a bunch of cool cars.
     
     
    It's in the middle of nowhere, but it really cool. http://historicautoattractions.com/
     
     
    (Note: I mention this because I liked it; they didn't give me a discount or anything to blog about it.)
  6. Kirsten Brown
    Originally posted at k-bro's baseball blog
     

    http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-VhO3HOnh3Ek/T-kRGZaRzsI/AAAAAAAAB7s/1X1Bs0Em1Y4/s400/cappsshoulder.PNG
    The Twins have placed RHP Matt Capps on the 15-day DL with right shoulder inflammation. He had a MRI on Monday, which indicated that there is no damage, just inflammation, and it sounds like he's going to have a cortisone shot this week.
     
     
    Left-handed pitcher Tyler Robertson was recalled to take Capps' roster spot. Gardy said that he will use LHP Glen Perkins and RHP Jared Burton, as matchups dictate, as the closers. With lefty Brian Duensing now in the rotation, Robertson will be used as the LOOGY (lefty one out guy).
     
     
    So, let's recap Capps' last week or so. He pitched on June 15th against the Brewers in a tie game and lost the game, though it was on an unearned run. The next day, he mentioned that his shoulder was sore, so the Twins shut him down for a week to let it heal. Then, about Friday or so, it sounded like he was getting kind of impatient with the resting thing. Actually, the way I read it, it seemed like he was getting kind of snippy. Then, he backed off and said he understood. Then, the Twins found a nice, low-pressure situation on Saturday. He looked horrible, but he said he was only rusty, and he was pretty encouraged with the outing. Then he woke up Sunday morning, and it hurt again. Finally, the Twins got serious and put him on the DL.
     
     
    The whole idea of the DL -- its entire reason for existence -- is for the team to get a replacement man while the injured player heals. It's completely intended to protect the team so that all 25 men on the roster are truly available as needed. Sure, giving a banged up guy a day or two rest is pretty common, and totally expected. But if a team is committed to giving a guy a full week's rest, it may as well fill out the paperwork, make a phone call to the AAA club, and do it right. It takes pressure off the injured player to try to get out there before he's ready, and it takes pressure off his teammates who have to fill his void.
     
     
    So, the Twins unwillingness to put Capps on the DL when he first experienced the inflammation is beyond me. And because they let him try to pitch on Saturday, the whole "retroactive to June 15th" thing is gone. So now the earliest he can come back is July 9.
     
     
    What's going on here? Did Capps under-report the extent of his pain? Probably. Do the Twins over-value being gutty and playing through the pain? No doubt. Did the medical staff mess up? Well, ...
     
     
    It's frustrating that not only are so many players getting hurt, but the Twins also don't seem to be able to handle the ones who do correctly.
     
     
    Also, I really don't believe Gardy will stick with the "closer by committee" scheme for more than a game or two. He's too in love with the idea of having an assigned closer.
  7. Kirsten Brown
    Originally posted at k-bro's baseball blog
     
    Hi. It's been a while. Nothing like a busy-at-work-busy-at-home lifestyle to put a dent in one's blogging ambitions. But anyhoo...
     
     
    I have a few thoughts.
     
     
    My thoughts on Ben Revere
    How much fun has Benny been to watch lately? The plays in the outfield, the improved hitting, the smiling, the adorableness, the little chicken wing thing he does in the batting box, the plays in the outfield ...
     
     
    I was excited about him last year, but this year I'm even more so. This is his year, and he's blossomed into a full-fledged big leaguer. Sure, his throwing arm still isn't stellar, but his outstanding range pretty much makes that issue moot. Nobody's perfect.
     
     
    The thing is, every time Benny shows off how capable he is at being big-league outfielder, the closer Twins fans are to trading Denard Span. Denard's value as centerfielder and lead-off man is at an all time high. And there are plenty of contending teams that could use his services to help them toward the playoffs.
     
     
    This season is already lost for the Twins, and they have many needs to begin a rebuilding project. And as much as I would hate to see him go, Denard could fetch some much-needed pitching prospects. Benny gives the Twins the confidence to move forward with that plan.
     
     
    My thoughts on Brian Dozier
    After a nice hot spell, Brian has cooled off -- both offensively and defensively. Ok, he's a rookie, and other teams probably have started figuring him out. It happens.
     
     
    The Twins seem content to just let him be and figure it out on his own. I'm ok with that.
     
     
    But it does make me wonder: why am I ok with Dozier hanging around until he works out the kinks, but last year I had run out of patience with Nishioka quite quickly? I don't really have a good answer. Maybe it's because Dozier has been a little better (.247 ba/ .263 obp/ .340 slug) through 37 games than Nishi (.228/ .291/ .260), but he's not recovering from a devastating injury either. And Dozier's fielding percentage through 37 games (.956) is worse than Nishioka's for 66 games (.961) (I couldn't find defensive game splits, so I couldn't see how Nishi was doing at 37 games). So, really, Dozier isn't a super huge improvement.
     
     
    But why was I so quick to ship out Nishioka, but I'm still rooting for Dozier? I guess perception is a lot of it -- Nishi just looked lost and confused but Dozier has continued to look confident even while struggling. Also, Dozier did show some flashes of brilliance while I don't really remember seeing that with Nishioka. It could be that my patience was worn so thin last year that my standards are lower this year.
     
     
    I don't know. But I believe Dozier will work things out and get back to that awesome player I saw a few weeks ago. I hope it happens soon.
     
     
    ~~~
    Injury and Transaction Updates
     

    http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-VQQzG1Z6hW4/T9_uq2jufRI/AAAAAAAAB64/7oHo-PTJ1r8/s400/waltersshoulder12.PNG
    6/14 -- The Twins placed RHP JP Walters on the DL with shoulder inflammation. No further word on his recovery timetable.
     
     
    Lester Oliveros was recalled to take Walters' roster spot.
     
     
    6/16 -- Lester Oliveros was optioned to AAA Rochester and Liam Hendriks was recalled.
     
     
    I hope Lester didn't pack a whole lot.
  8. Kirsten Brown
    Originally posted at k-bro's baseball blog
     
    So, I didn't really get a chance to pay much attention to this series. I was kind of busy with the "having a life" thing -- watching my kid play baseball, improving my golf game (this is a hilarious statement if you've ever seen me golf), etc. But I was able to check in from time to time, so I'm not completely lost
     
     
    Some notes:
     

    Seems to me that the best starting pitching performance of the series (Liriano's) was the one that resulted in a loss. But it was good to seen Frankie pitching better.
    I think Jared Burton wants us to love him.

    ~~~

    http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-h8BzHIhGLEE/T9FUXCVPq5I/AAAAAAAAB6I/fc8jsuDowjE/s400/pavanoshoulder.PNG
    The Twins have placed RHP Carl Pavano on the 15-day DL retroactive to June 2 with what they're calling a right anterior capsular strain. Wow, that's a mouthful; let's break it down.
     
     
    Right means, well...your other left? Anterior means front. The capsule is a static group of ligaments in the shoulder that stabilize the joint. I guess strain means that it hurts.
     
     
    Pavano's been bothered by this most of the season, and the Twins have decided to shut him down for a little while to let it heal, and have him start a throwing program sometime in the future.
     
     
    I've tried to do some reading on the injury, but I can't really get a sense of how long he'll be out.
     
     
    Nick Blackburn was activated off the DL (quad strain) to take Pavano's roster spot.
     
     
    ~~~
    When Baseball and Bad Spelling Collide
    I haven't done this little segment in a long time. In fact, it's been so long that I kind of forgot I used to do it. Until I saw this from Wednesday's game:

    http://c0014334.r32.cf1.rackcdn.com/x2_cd07faf
    Oh, poor Jeff Manship. It's not like it's a hard name like Mastroianni or even Parmelee.
     
     
    And according to Rhett Bollinger from MLB.com:
     
     


    Manship said he had no clue his jersey was misspelled when he went out to the mound. #Twins
    — Rhett Bollinger (@RhettBollinger) June 7, 2012
    and
     
     


    Manship added guys were laughing at him when he was warming up in the bullpen but he didn't know why. Burton said they all knew. #Twins
    — Rhett Bollinger (@RhettBollinger) June 7, 2012
    It seems like Mr. Mansihp ... er, Manship, has some getting even to do.
     
     
    ~~~
    On Thursday, the Twins optioned pitcher Cole De Vries to AAA Rochester and recalled first baseman Chris Parmelee. Due to a favorable line up of off-days, the Twins don't need a 5-man rotation for a while, so this gives De Vries a chance to hone his skills at a more appropriate level.
     
     
    And Parmelee has been smacking the ball around in AAA, so it's time to give him another chance in the bigs.
  9. Kirsten Brown
    Originally posted at k-bro's baseball blog
     
    Another series win! We all could get used this, right? There's nothing like winning to make everyone all confident and happy.
     
     
    A couple of notes:
     

    I think that my buddy Brian Dozier needs a day or two off to clear his head a little. It seems like he's scuffling a bit, especially with his glove. I think he'll be fine, though.
    Did you see that sick Ben Revere catch on Saturday? That perfect somersault in the outfield with a catch in the middle of it? I was impressed that he held on to the ball and perfectly tucked in his head. He almost stuck the landing, too.
    I really like watching Glen Perkins pitch.
    I'm also beginning to warm up to Matt Capps' pitching, too. We still need to work on that whole trust thing, but we're getting there.

    ~~~
    It's really nice to see Scott Diamond succeeding. The Twins really need to have some stability in the rotation, and he's been a nice cornerstone.
     
     
    The rotation has been weakest part of the Twins season. The offense usually does enough to win most games, and the bullpen has actually been a pleasant surprise. But, oy, the rotation...
     
     
    When many baseball analysts and columnists talk about pitchers, they refer to them as a "number one starter," "number two starter," etc. on down the line to "number five starters." A number one starter is generally considered an "ace" (think Verlander, Sabathia, or Gonzalez), and a number five starter is generally considered to be just good enough to keep his job as a starter.
     
     
    Some analysts use the stat WAR (wins above replacement) to make that determination. WAR is a long, convoluted formula, and there is even disagreement over which formula is more accurate (two respected statistical websites, Baseball-Reference.com and Fangraphs.com, each have their own definitions), but "replacement" level (a player with a WAR of 0) is generally considered a good AAA player who is ready to break into the big leagues. A positive WAR means a guy is helping his team win; a negative WAR means he's costing his team wins.
     
     
    So I decided that I wanted to suffer a little and look up the WAR values for the Twins current rotation (I use B-R.com's).
     
     
    First, let's take a peek at the aforementioned Verlander (+3.2), Sabathia (+2.0), and Gonzalez (+2.4). This is what aces look like.
     
     
    This is what the Twins look like:
     

    Carl Pavano: -0.9
    Francisco Liriano: -1.1
    Scott Diamond: +0.7
    PJ Walters: +0.5
    Cole De Vries: -0.1

    So, yeah, at slightly above replacement level, or a number five starter on any other team, Scott Diamond is currently the ace of the staff.
     
     
    ~~~
    MLB's Rule 4 amateur draft is Monday evening. The Twins have the second overall pick; they haven't picked this high since they drafted Joe Mauer in 2001. They also have six of the top 100 picks. Needless to say, this is an important draft, and the Twins had better get it right.
     
     
    I haven't really been following any of the draft prospect, so I have no insight or legitimate opinion on the matter. But I am interested to see how it goes.
     
     
    A lot of the experts have been saying that this draft class isn't as spectacular as recent years; there are no Stephen Strasburgs or Bryce Harpers this year.
     
     
    But there are two guys that the experts keep talking about: RHP Mark Appel from Stanford University and OF Byron Buxton from Appling County, HS (in Georgia).
     
     
    All the rumors on Twitter indicate that the Astros will take Appel with the first pick, so he probably won't be available for the Twins.
     
     
    I googled Buxton, and he seems pretty cool -- five tool guy: speed, throwing, fielding, hitting, and hitting with power. Plus, his nickname is Buck. So, I'm going to go ahead and hope the Twins pick him.
     
     
    I know that the Twins already have an abundance of outfielders, and they really could use more pitching, but the key to a good draft is to choose the best available player, not necessarily the player the team needs most.
     
     
    Besides, some decent pitchers will probably fall to the later picks.
     
     
    No matter what, I hope the Twins don't mess it up. The problem is: we won't know how well it went for, like, four years or so.
     
     
    ~~~
    Injury Watch and Updates
    Carl Pavano left Friday's game early, clearly suffering some more discomfort in his shoulder. He has returned to Minneapolis and is scheduled to have another MRI on Monday. Things don't sound hopeful that he'll be able to avoid the DL.
     
     
    Joe Mauer left Sunday's game a bit early because he slightly sprained his thumb. He insisted after the game that it's no big deal and he'll be fine.
     
     
    Kyle Waldrop, who was put on the DL at the end of spring training, was activated as assigned to AAA Rochester.
  10. Kirsten Brown
    Originally posted at k-bro's baseball blog
     
    A SWEEP! A real, honest to goodness, three-game sweep! A fun come-from-behind win! An even funner walk-off win! And a strong-pitching-performance win! Yay, winning!
     

    http://minnesota.twins.mlb.com/min/images/history/y2010/120x120_logo_1987_m.jpg

    And all these wins came with the classic "M" caps. So you know that we'll be seeing more of them. I like the "M" logo and all (even though I still prefer the "TC" logo), but I do worry about unilaterally embracing a throwback item; last year was the old cream uniforms, and we all know how that went. But, as Crash Davis said, "respect the streak," so they may as well go with it for a while.
     
    A couple notes:
     

    Josh Willingham wants each and every one of us to love him.
    A note to Mr. Revere: Benny, honey, every one already pretty much loves you because you're fast, and scrappy, and smiley and all, but really, you need to work on that bunting thing. Seriously. I know bunting is hard, but dude...
    If I were to give this series a title, it would be "Building Pitchers' Confidence"

    ~~~
    In the movie Moneyball, Oakland A's General Manager Billy Beane (Brad Pitt) said something like (I'm paraphrasing here, I don't really remember the quote word for word, and I tried to look it up on IMDb, but I couldn't find it, and I don't feel like putting the DVD in and waiting to hear it again, and it might have really been said by Jonah Hill's completely fictional character, so just go with me here)... "How do you win ballgames? By scoring runs. How do you score runs? By getting on base."
     
    Ha!
     
    So on Tuesday, Cole De Vries allowed a bijillion A's to get on base. Not one of them scored runs. And ultimately, they didn't win the game. So there.
     
    Ok, I know, that game was more of a fluke-fest than a commentary on on-base percentage, but it also demonstrates how truly bad Oakland's offense really is.
     
    I suppose I shouldn't get too gloat-y about the sweep, huh?
     
    ~~~
    Notes
    Jason Marquis signed with the San Diego Padres.
     
    Erik Komatsu cleared waivers has been returned to the Washington Nationals.
     
    Phil Dumatrait, who has spent the season in AAA Rochester, has decided to retire. He's been battling a shoulder injury all year. The Twins released him rather than have him complete retirement papers so he can sign with another team if he changes his mind after a while.
  11. Kirsten Brown
    Originally posted at k-bro's baseball blog
    On Friday when the Twins were beating up on the Brewers, for as much as I was enjoying the production, I was thinking to myself that they should save some of their hits for another day when they needed them. It's a cliched joke, I know, but considering how shaky this season has been, I worry about such things.
     
     
    But I'm reasonably pleased that the Twins still took the series, and things have been looking less glum. And, yeah, Sunday was pretty ugly; fortunately it only counts as one loss.
     
     
    A few notes about the series:
     

    After the game on Mother's Day, Trevor Plouffe cut off his flowing long hair for charity. It's a great story. Before then, he hadn't hit any homeruns; since then he's hit three, including the game-winner in extra innings on Saturday. Maybe his bangs were in his eyes. Maybe all that hair made his helmet too tight. Maybe he's more aerodynamic now. Whatever -- keep it up, Trev.
    I think Matt Capps's new pitch -- it's a splitter / chageup combo that he calls a "splange" -- is flirting with me. I think it's kind of sexy.
    I thought it would have been safe to take a nap on Sunday afternoon when the Twins were down 11-2. I was more than a little annoyed that no one woke me up when Drew Butera pitched the bottom of the 8th.
    I don't think Jason Marquis wants any of us to love him.

    ~~~
    The Twins are sure handcuffed when it comes to dealing with their struggling pitchers. Hendriks was sent down to Rochester, Liriano was sent to the bullpen, and Blackburn was placed on the DL. Pavano has been fighting discomfort in his shoulder, and even though he looked pretty good on Saturday, the Twins would like to push his next start back a day. And then there's Marquis.
     
     
    The Twins are running out of options to fill in while the starters get on track. Swarzak could have made a spot start on Thursday to allow Pavano an extra day, but he pitched a ton on Sunday in relief of Marquis. Duensing could do it too, but it seems like he's been used a lot out of the pen lately.
     
     
    So, the Twins are stuck praying that batters haven't figured out Diamond and Walters yet, and then, after that, who knows? Liriano? Duensing? Call up Hendriks again? Someone else? Oh, and there still isn't anyone to replace Blackburn.
     
     
    Gardy said earlier this season that he can't replace the whole starting staff. But, man, he might have to. It's a bummer that it's come to this.
     
     
    ~~~
    Injury updates:
    Carl Pavano received some extra treatment on his shoulder earlier this week, and was able to make his start on Saturday. He was pretty effective, and his velocity seemed better that it had been. The Twins still want to push his next start to Friday to let his shoulder get back to normal.
     
     
    According to Sports Illustrated, Ryan Doumit tweaked his calf muscle last week by leaping in the air celebrating a win. I didn't know that's how it happened. Anyway, I think he'll be fine. By resting for the most part during National League play (he did make a pitch-hitting appearance on Saturday, walked and got pulled for a pitch runner), plus the off day on Monday, he should be good to go again soon.
     
     
    It was good to see Denard Span back in the lineup.
     
     
    ~~~
    Tweet of the series:
    We've all seen Drew Butera make strong throws from behind the plate. I guess he carries that skill to the other side of the battery as well. From blogger, and noted stat-head, Parker Hageman:
     
     


    @drewbutera hit 94.4 mph on the radar gun today pitching. Sick nasty filth. brooksbaseball.net/pfxVB/pfx.php?…
    — Parker Hageman (@OverTheBaggy) May 20, 2012
     
    He links to the Brooksbaseball.net site that tracks Drew's pitching performance. Cool stuff.
  12. Kirsten Brown
    Originally posted at k-bro's baseball blog
     
    http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Ena_kXOS54A/SNxatC0DMxI/AAAAAAAAAfs/ch91nmL3DHw/s200/broom.JPGI know it was another short series, and I know the wins weren't pretty, but it still counts as a series sweep, so I'm breaking out the broom, mostly because there's a real chance that I won't be able to break it out any more the rest of the season.
     
     
    Some notes from the series:
     

    Hits. Hits. Hits.
    Taking advantage of errors.
    Who's this Trevor Plouffe? I like this Trevor Plouffe. To be clear, I like this homerun-hitting Trevor Plouffe.
    Brian Dozier keeps flirting. I think I have a crush on him.
    I think the entire bullpen is flirting with me.

     
    ~~~
    After Wednesday's game, the Twins announced that Ryan Doumit was going on the DL with a right calf strain. They also mentioned that Nick Blackburn was hurting as well. They called up OF Ben Revere to take the roster spot.
     
    Wednesday morning, Doumit had an MRI and it revealed that the strain wasn't serious. So, because Ben was already on his way, the Twins decided to place Blackburn on the DL instead.
     
     

    http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-nux0Sef5k74/T7W3YoRRddI/AAAAAAAAB5Q/YKtk_IxfxhI/s400/blackburnquad.PNG

    The Twins have placed RHP Nick Blackburn on the 15-day DL with a left quad strain.
     
    Blackburn reported a stabbing pain in his leg in his last two starts. His performance during those starts proves the point.
     
    It's unclear who will be used to start in his place. They can skip his next scheduled start because Monday is an off day.
     
    I just hope that Doumit's "mild" strain is really just that and the Twins don't have to put him on the DL in eight days.
     
    Other injury updates:
    Denard Span sat out both games of the series with a tight hamstring.
     
    Matt Capps was unavailable Wednesday due to a sore arm. He pitched on Thursday, and he was fine.
     
    ~~~
    Tweets of the series
    On Thursday, Glen Perkins came in to the eighth inning with a one-run lead and served up two walks before snapping out of it and getting Prince Fielder to strike out and Delmon Young to hit into a double play. Whew.
     
    After the game, he tweeted:

    You guys weren't nervous, were you?? #Twins
    — Glen Perkins (@glen_perkins) May 17, 2012
    Heh.
     
    Even funnier was Brian Duensing's reply:

    @glen_perkins someone was. At least it smelled like it in the pen
    — Brian Duensing (@BrianDuensing52) May 17, 2012
     
     
    And funnier still was Matt Capps's addition:

    @BrianDuensing52 @glen_perkins yea that's my bad
    — Matt Capps (@MattCapps55) May 17, 2012
     
     
    How mature.
  13. Kirsten Brown
    Originally posted at k-bro's baseball blog
     
    Short series; short recap; short paragraphs.
     
     
    Men left on base.
     
     
    Leaving pitches up.
     
     
    Shin-Soo Choo.
     
     
    Homerun.
     
     
    Homerun.
     
     
    Homerun.
     
     
    Grounding into double play.
     
     
    Grounding into double play.
     
     
    Grounding into double play.
     
     
    Grounding into double play.
     
     
    Groan.
     
     
    ~~~
    Injury update
    After Tuesday's game, Justin Morneau was activated off the DL. He's been swinging in batting practice for the last couple of days. The Twins optioned Chris Parmelee to AAA, so that means Justin will be back at first base.
     
     
    Carl Pavano's shoulder is still bugging him, even though he seems committed to keep pitching through it. He's going to hang back in Minneapolis while the team travels to Detroit so he can do some more work with a soft-tissue specialist. He'll meet the team in Milwaukee before his next scheduled start. I admire his willingness to play through this. He's not really helping the team, but he's certainly not hurting it. And it's not like he's blocking anyone who could do a better job.
     
     
    Denard Span was held out of the lineup on Tuesday due to a tight hamstring. It didn't sound serious.
     
     
    ~~~
    Tweet of the series
    ESPN1500 writer and radio personality Phil Mackey had this little nugget of information after Tuesday's game:


    Holy crap. Derek Lowe threw 127 pitches today and 115 of them were sinkers. He threw the SAME pitch 115 times!
    — Phil Mackey (@PMac21) May 15, 2012Way to learn how to make adjustments, Twins.
  14. Kirsten Brown
    Originally posted at k-bro's baseball blog
     
    After a truly awful, embarrassing effort by the Twins on Thursday, they got it together and acted like a big league team the rest of the series. A split of a four-game series against a pretty good team isn't bad, and Saturday's loss was at least somewhat respectable (if there is such a thing as a "respectable loss").
     
     
    A few notes:
     

    Brian Dozier keeps flirting with me. I was happy for him for his first big league homer, and his defense makes me smile.
    Scott Diamond is flirting with me too. Another super-duper-quality start out of him.
    Speaking of Scott Diamond, there is one drawback to him pitching well: all the reporters use some kind of lame "Diamond/gem" play on words. Yeah, we get it.
    I've been pleased by Matt Capps performances lately.
    Speaking of Matt Capps: the lame name play on words trick applies to him too (Capps off the game, et. al.), but maybe not to the Diamond extent.
    PJ Walters didn't look too bad on Saturday. Too bad the Twins decided to be really good at leaving men on base that day.
    I don't have a problem with Willingham's defense lately.

    ~~~
    Mother's Day weekend was very nice for me. I took my mom and a couple of friends to the Twins game on Saturday, and we had a unexpectedly great time. We were treated especially well, and we loved it despite the loss.
     
     
    Sunday was fun; I had the Twins game on the TV in the garage as I planted my flowers around the yard. My kids treated me like a queen. And the Twins won!
     
     
    I've got a good life, and I'm grateful for it.
     
     
    ~~~
    Injury watch
    Justin Morneau hopes to begin swinging a bat again soon and try to return soon.
     
     
    Carl Pavano's velocity is noticeably lower this season. He had an MRI recently, apparently to see if there was an obvious cause. It's unclear if he's suffering any pain or discomfort. The MRI revealed some inflammation and a strain to the interior shoulder capsule (the front of the shoulder). He still plans to start on Monday, but I'm sure the long-relief guys have been put on alert. If things don't go well, he said he'll try a cortisone shot.
     
     
    Scott Diamond took a line drive off his shoulder area during Sunday's game, but he remained in the game and pitched well. He might feel it in the morning.
     
     
    Kyle Waldrop, who was placed on the DL (strained UCL) during Spring Training, has begun a rehab stint in Fort Myers. He'll need a few more starts before he's activated; the Twins will decide at that time where he'll report (I predict AAA at first).
  15. Kirsten Brown
    Originally posted at k-bro's baseball blog
     
    Turns out the only guy who can breathe some life into the Twins' anemic rotation is a rookie. In fact, Scott Diamond is so magical, he even breathed some life into the Twins' hitters too. Alas, his magic only lasted one night.
     
     
    Some notes on the series:
     

    I'm so happy that the Twins are done with the Angels, and more specifically Albert Pujols. I love Albert, I really do, and I'm happy that I can start rooting for him again, but, lord, I'm tired of all the broadcasters trying to break down his swing. I don't care why he's struggling; I can't do anything about it anyway. He's Albert Freaking Pujols -- he'll figure it out. And I'll be cheering him on.
    I think Scott Diamond wants me to love him. Also Jared Burton.
    I'm not sure yet, but I think Brian Dozier is trying to make a case to get me to love him, too. Also Anthony Swarzak.
    Apparently, all the boys think that growing creepy mustaches paves the the path to victory. So far I've noticed Ryan Doumit, Carl Pavano, Trevor Plouffe, and I think Willingham (it's hard to tell). Also, Jamey Carroll had a classic truck driver 'stache for one day.


    http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-v21KzwNzVG0/T6xki18ZnFI/AAAAAAAAB4Y/bpAk5AhfwYw/s320/jameycarrollstache.jpg


    I have my doubts that the ugly 'staches are actually effective.

    ~~~
    Roster moves
     
     
    The Twins made a few roster changes after the Angels series. I'll try to explain; try to keep up.
     
     
    The Twins have optioned Danny Valencia to AAA Rochester. He hasn't been hitting well at all (he has 23 strikeouts to only one walk this season), and his defense could still use a little work. I'm sure he'll be back soon enough. They called up OF Darin Mastroianni to take his roster spot.
     
     
    The Twins have also designated LHP Matt Maloney for assignment. They purchased the contract of PJ Walters to replace him. They've also moved Francisco Liriano to the bullpen.
     
     
    Mastrioanni came to the Twins in February when the Twins claimed him off waivers from Toronto. In Rochester, he was batting .283/.341/.345. He's 26.
     
     
    Walters was signed in December to a minor-league contract. I honestly don't remember seeing him in spring training. He pitched .270 in AAA. He's 27. He'll start on Saturday.
     
     
    ~~~
    Injury watch
    Denard Span missed a game during Angels series, a day after he ran into the outfield wall making a catch. Gardy said that he had planned to give him the day regardless. Span is fine and has been back to play.
    Josh Willingham also missed a game. It was originally reported as flu-like symptoms, but then it was amended to a skin thing near his lip. I don't think I want to know what it really was. He's fine and playing as well.
     
     
    Justin Morneau had another opinion on his wrist by a specialist in Cleveland. He offered the same diagnosis -- post surgical swelling and soreness. Justin got a cortisone shot. He hopes to be ready to play again next week.
  16. Kirsten Brown
    Originally posted at k-bro's baseball blog
     
    Remember back in late April when the Twins faced the Red Sox and Royals and lost like 6-7 and I said "if you score six runs, you ought to win the ballgame" (well, I didn't actually say it so you could hear it, but my husband heard it, so just work with me here)?
     
     
    I miss those days.
     
     
    The Twins have officially become "that" team. You know, the team that all other teams, even if they're bad teams, look forward to facing because they know they'll win the series.
     
     
    "That" team starts trading off all their good players. Yup...no one wants to be a fan of "that" team.
     
     
    Home stand coming up; let's hope that helps.
     
     
    ~~~
    Injury Report

    http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-MRRi2g0hcVw/T6cpZXg95GI/AAAAAAAAB38/xCSK5P4OEqs/s400/morneauwrist_12.PNG
    The Twins have placed Justin Morneau on the 15-day DL, retroactive to May 1, with soreness in his surgically-repaired wrist. I'm about 90% certain that it's his left wrist, even though the Twins transaction report on their website, and several news outlets, say that it's the right wrist. He had surgery on his left wrist during the off season. I'm going with left wrist. Justin, if you're reading, can you verify?
     
     
    It's not such a huge problem to put Justin on the DL; everyone wants him to get healthy. We all get that surgery is a trauma to the body, and sometimes the body fights back during the healing process. We're all also hoping that it's just that -- healing -- and that it's not something that requires re-doing. Putting Justin on the DL was the right move.
     
     
    The wrong move, however, was waiting until Sunday to make the move. The whole point of the DL is the ability to call up another man to replace the injured player. It's entire reason for being is to make sure teams aren't short-handed when someone gets hurt. So, every day the Twins waited to put Justin on the DL was a day they were short-handed. And with a 13-man pitching staff, their bench was already thin. It's never a good day when the entire available bench is comprised of Drew Butera.
     
     
    This isn't the first time that the Twins have gotten burnt by waiting. It happened several times last year. It may have been a little forgivable last year, because the Rochester team had been so ravaged by the number of DL stints by the big league club, there was no one left to call up at times. That is not the case right now.
     
     
    Here's a tip for the Twins: if you deem it necessary to fly a player back to Minnesota to have a specialist evaluate what hurts, it's probably necessary to put him on the DL. That day.
     
     
    ~~~
    Roster Moves:
    The Twins claimed OF Erik Komatsu off waivers from the Cardinals. St. Louis acquired Komatsu as a Rule 5-draftee from the Nationals. Rule 5 rules still apply: he must remain on the big league club for the rest of the season. If the Twins want to send him down, he must go through waivers, and if he clears them, a trade must be made with the Nationals in order to keep him. The Twins designated OF Clete Thomas for assignment to make room for Komatsu. Thomas has cleared waivers and will report to AAA Rochester.
     
     
    The Twins have purchased the contract of INF Brian Dozier to replace Justin Morneau on the 25-man roster. Dozier's line is .276 BA / .339 OBP / .371 SLG in AAA Rochester this season.
     
     
    The Twins have optioned RHP Liam Hendriks to AAA Rochester and have called up LHP Scott Diamond. Diamond's stats in Rochester are: 2.60 ERA, 1.212 WHIP, and 3.71 K/BB ratio.
     
     
    Sean Burroughs has cleared waivers and has accepted the assignment to AAA Rochester.
  17. Kirsten Brown
    Originally posted at k-bro's baseball blog
     
    Oy. That was a punch in the gut. Followed closely by a knockout punch to the jaw.
     
     
    There's no need to go into detail about how awful that was. Not only has the starting pitching failed to improve to a satisfactory level, but now the offense has taken a break from acceptability. Let's hope that a day off in beautiful Seattle helps matters. Although we all said that for the last off day...
     
     
    Just keep fighting.
     
     
    A few notes:
     

    I don't think Clete Thomas wants us to love him anymore. At least hes' not acting like it. Guys who want us to love them don't strike out 15 times in 28 at-bats.
    If anyone needs some time away, it's Gardy. He'll get to miss the Seattle series to attend his daughter's college graduation. Maybe hanging out with his family and forget about baseball for awhile will add a new spring to his step.
    I think I know why Albert Pujols didn't hit any homeruns during the Twins' visit -- it's kind of hard to swing a bat with Roy Smalley's lips firmly placed on his butt. Ok, I exaggerate, but Roy really, really needs to use fewer words. And he really, really needs to stop saying "really, really." I never thought I'd say so, but I'm really, really looking forward to Bert coming back.

    ~~~
    It's been well-documented that I love excellent pitching. Few things in life exhilarate me more than a well-spun no-hitter, or even a beautiful shut-out, except when my team is on the received end. Normally, when an historic pitching happens, I'll buy that man a beer. But not for Jered Weaver; not today. I'm just too sad.
     
     
    In fact, there may have been tears flowing in my house right after Torii caught Casilla's fly ball for the final out on Wednesday. Real tears. (In my defense, three day's worth of frustrating west-coast games leads to sleep deprivation, and sleep deprivation usually leads to over-the-top emotions.)
     
     
    Clearly, I'm not the only one who's upset. I didn't stay up late enough to see Gardy's post-game interview, but all the reporters say that he was raging. Who can blame him? It's his job to get these guys to play well enough to win, and, for whatever reason, they're just not doing it.
     
     
    A lot of fans believe that perhaps Gardy should be fired in the face of this debacle. I don't agree with that sentiment, mainly because I don't see how it would help. Who would they get to replace him? The problems feel deeper than just the manager. This is a team comprised mostly of replacement-level players, but even so, they need to own their work ethic. The team needs a shake up, but I don't think firing the manager is the ticket. Especially with no clear successor in mind.
     
     
    Unfortunately, however, is that this is beginning to look like another "great sucking period" -- like the '90s. And there's not much anyone can do about it in the immediate future. Thus, we're all very rage-y. Or sad.
     
     
    So, no, Jered Weaver, you'll not be getting a beer from me, even though you deserve one. Sorry. Perhaps a nice Phillies or Cardinals fan out there would be willing to do so in my place.
     
     
    ~~~
    Injury watch
    Justin Morneau left Monday's game early due to soreness in his surgically-repaired wrist. He flew back to Minneapolis to have it checked out. Fortunately, it sounds like it's just some fluid build up and swelling. He's still day-to-day.
     
     
    Danny Valencia sat out on Wednesday with tightness in his back. He should be fine.
     
     
    Joe Mauer's leg is still pretty sore from taking a foul ball off it during last series. He's been limited to DH or first base duties for a few days.
     
     
    ~~~
    Roster moves
    With Joe Mauer unable to catch for a few days, the Twins really needed a third catcher for a while. Drew Butera has been recalled to the Twins. Infielder Sean Burroughs has been designated for assignment to make room for him.
  18. Kirsten Brown
    Originally posted at k-bro's baseball blog
     
    Sometimes a baseball team loses games, and sometimes it refuses to win. And this series showed us perfect examples of both.
     
     
    Tuesday's game was a genuine clunker by the Twins. It happens. No biggie.
     
     
    Monday's and Wednesday's games, however, were totally winnable. And the Twins...didn't.
     
     
    As much as leaving men on base drives me nuts, that's not the Twins' biggest problem. Obviously, the starting pitching is in a shambles.
     
     
    We all knew that the problems weren't going to be all fixed this season, but, man, this it getting hard to watch.
     
     
    But rather than whine and puzzle about the whole thing, I think I'll try to come up with some positive baseball things to remember about the series.
     
     
    How about those awesome defensive plays, on Monday? Denard in the outfield, and then Carroll to Plouffe to Morneau in the infield. Hot.
     
     
    Wednesday featured a really fun rally and almost made up for a bad start. And the bullpen was amazing.
     
     
    So let's hope the starting pitching gets it together. If they can do that, the rest of it will fall together
     
     
    ~~~
    Obviously, like the rest of us, Gardy is very frustrated with the starting pitching. Clearly he's tired of answering questions and criticisms about it. Probably because he's out of ideas.
     
     
    I love Gardy's witty retorts in interviews, and his latest one is probably my favorite, even though he probably didn't mean it to be.
     
     
    He said with exasperation, "we can't go out and buy people. We've got to make this work. I can't rub a bottle to make somebody pop out."
     
     
    So what if he could invoke a pitcher-genie from a bottle? Who would it be? Would it be a genie who could actually pitch, or would it be a genie who could magically fix the guys Gardy has? Are there only three wishes, or is this the Barbara Eden-type genie who just blinks magic whenever?
     
     
    So many questions. If you happen to run across a magic bottle next time you're antiquing or garage-saleing, pick it up and send it to the Twins.
     
     
    Or maybe he just needs a bottle of good Scotch.
     
     
    ~~~
    Injury watch
    Chris Parmelee was hit in the head with a pitch on Wednesday. It was a very scary moment because he dropped to the ground right away and stayed down for quite a while. On Thursday, the Twins reported that he's doing better and he's listed as day-to-day. I certainly hope he'll be ok soon.
     
     
    ~~~
    Roster moves
    Josh Willingham was placed on paternity leave to be with his wife, Ginger, for the birth of their third son. And from the picture that Ginger posted on her twitter account (@gjwillingham), it looks like everyone is happy and healthy.
     
     
    Ben Revere was called up to take Willingham's roster spot. And it sounds like he'll be given every opportunity to stick -- Terry Ryan and Gardy told him they didn't know how long he would be staying and it could be the rest of the season.
  19. Kirsten Brown
    Originally posted at k-bro's baseball blog
     
    Yeah, this series could've been uglier, but it wasn't pretty.
     
     
    Friday's game was nice and smooth on all levels -- Matt Capps even delivered an uninteresting save for smiles all around.
     
     
    Saturday's game was a fun pitchers' duel -- until a really ugly sixth inning. And the Rays had smiles all around.
     
     
    Sunday...ugh. Just...ugh!
     
     
    Notes from the series:
     

    I think the brief love affair with Clete Thomas may be cooling off. Turn out he strikes out a lot. Like, a lot a lot. So, while hitting a home run in his first game as a Twins was totally crush-worthy, strike outs are a total turn-off. Ew.
    Don't look now, but I think Joe Mauer is healthy. So is Denard Span. They've both played in all 16 games so far this season (along with Josh Willingham and Jamie Carroll).
    Nice job Josh Willingham on his 15-game hitting streak, tying with Kirby Puckett as the longest to start a Twins season. Too bad he couldn't extend it on Sunday. And, as the cliche goes, he can start a new one tomorrow.

    ~~~
    Memories of Kyle Loshe
    Francisco Liriano has me remembering back to 2006 -- the days I would shudder whenever Kyle Lohse took the mound for the Twins. I was so relieved when they traded him to the Reds. And, now he's doing all right for himself with St. Louis.
     
     
    Liriano has a ton of talent, but Twins staff continues to struggle to get through to him -- similar to Lohse.
     
     
    Sometimes a different coaching staff has success with a guy with a strong head. I'm just sayin.
     
     
    ~~~
    Injury Watch
    Justin Morneau took a nasty foul off his foot on Wednesday, so the Twins are being extra cautious about having him return to first base. It's probably pretty sore. Hopefully it'll feel better soon.
     
     
    ~~~
     
    Roster Move, Sort Of...
    After Luke Hughes was designated for assignment by the Twins last week, we was claimed off waivers by the Oakland A's. Best of luck to him.
  20. Kirsten Brown
    Originally posted at k-bro's baseball blog
     
    Did you know that it was possible for the Twins to win multiple games at Yankee Stadium? During the same year? The same series?
     
     
    I bet you thought that only happened in video games. But it really happened. Really.
     
     
    Not only did the Twins exceed expectations with this series, they also made it fun to watch. All the hitting is great. I like a lot of Twins hitting. Keep hitting, Twins. And if you want me to pick which kind of hitting I want, I'll take more of the homeruns, please.
     
     
    Defense -- solid. I don't care what you say, Jamey Carroll is cool.
     
     
    Yeah, the starting pitching was pretty shaky, but I liked how Carl Pavano and Jason Marquis outwitted their own demons and figured things out. Now they just need to teach the other starters how to do that. And then they all need to learn how not be shaky in the first place. Baby steps.
     
     
    And the bullpen was actually pretty good. Although, I think Matt Capps should hand out oxygen masks and defibrillators to fans with every save opportunity.
     
     
    Is it too soon to believe that the Yankee Stadium gremlins that have bothered the Twins that past decade-plus are finally getting old and weak?
     
     
    ~~~
    How Do We Fix Liriano?
    Francisco Liriano is back at doing his inconsistent pitching thing. In fact, his pitch selection and execution have been so aggravating, we should begin wondering if he's doing this on purpose or something. Is it his mechanics? Is it his head? Is it his arm? Is it the coaching?
     
     
    We've been asking these questions for years, pretty much ever since he returned from his Tommy John surgery in 2008.
     
     
    Unfortunately for him, he's on his last chance with the Twins. He's due to be a free agent after this season, and he may wind up sucky-pitching himself out of nice contract.
     
     
    And, unfortunately for the Twins, there aren't many options to deal with him. They can't really send him to the already full bullpen because they don't really have any other starters to replace him with. I guess they could try to trade him, but frankly, I don't think they'd really get anything valuable for him. And I'm pretty sure they've already tried all they can to fix him.
     
     
    He just makes me want to walk up to him, grab his shoulders, and shake him. Then flick him on the forehead.
     
     
    ~~~
    Injury Updates
    So, after Scott Baker assured everyone that the surgery he was having on his flexor tendon had nothing to with his ulnar collateral ligament, he wound up having to have that ligament replaced after all...in other words, he indeed needed Tommy John surgery.
     
     
    It turns out that Tommy John surgery was kind of always a possibility. If it hadn't been, the doctor and his team would have performed the flexor tendon procedure arthroscopically. However, they did a full-on, cut him open operation in case they found a surprise in there, which they did.
     
     
    I'm not so annoyed with the misdiagnosis. It happens. As great as MRIs are for visualizing tissue structures, they are still only pictures. Sure, there are ways to render the images to make things easier to see, but they're still only pictures. If the ligament damage was hiding, it's not like the doctor can go inside the picture and move things around to get a better look; he actually has to go inside the patient and move things around.
     
     
    No, the misdiagnosis isn't so bothersome. It's the fact that no one seemed to take this injury too seriously for two years now. Especially lately. As Baker was pitching a rehab game during Spring Training, Rick Anderson and Gardy were calling him out telling him he should "air it out" more.
     
     
    It's particularly bad timing for Baker because of his whole contract status. The Twins have that $12.5 million option on him for 2013, and that's way too much money for him. So, he'll hit free agency while still rehabbing from Tommy John surgery. Not exactly a recipe for a fat contract.
     
     
    In other injury news, Glen Perkins missed a couple of games with a sore arm, but he seems to be fine now. Also, Nick Blackburn missed a start with a sore arm, but he's hopeful to make his next one.
     
     
    ~~~
    Roster Moves
    It's great news that Jason Marquis's daughter is getting better. So Marquis was able to finally join the Twins and make his first start. He had been pitching at AA, so they technically had to call him up.
    In order to make room on the 25-man roster, the Twins designated Luke Hughes for assignment. Since Hughes is out of minor-league options, they have to pass him through waivers if they want to send him to AAA. They may also release or trade him. They have 10 days to decide.
     
     
    I feel really bad for Luke. When Spring Training broke, he tweeted how happy he was that, after 10 years, he finally landed on a big league Opening Day roster. Now in the last few days, he's tweeted how surprising and strange this whole thing is. I hope he lands somewhere and has a great season.
  21. Kirsten Brown
    Originally posted at k-bro's baseball blog
     
    So much for the Texas Rangers not being able to win in Target Field. Prior to Friday, the Rangers were 1 - 9 in Target Field.
     
     
    Looks like they got over whatever was bothering them.
     
     
    The Rangers didn't really blow the Twins away; the Twins failed to capitalize.
     
     
    Key Notes from the Series:
     

    That relay play on Sunday by Thomas to Casilla to Mauer to mow down Adrian Beltre at the plate was a thing of beauty. I love things of beauty created by the Twins; I want more of them.
    I'm glad that Joe Nathan received a warm, but not overwhelming, reception as he came out to pitch the ninth on Saturday and Sunday. I didn't attend the games, and I'm not sure how I would've reacted (I gave a standing ovation to Mike Redmond when he came to Minnesota as an Indian -- the only person in my section to do so but I didn't care). But I'm not sure that I'd be terribly excited to cheer for Joe, because the Twins really needed a rally. I probably wouldn't done anything.
    I don't like Glen Perkins any more. (That's not true. I think I jinxed him when I said that I thought he wanted me to love him, so I figured I'd try to reverse it...just don't tell the baseball gods.) I wonder if we need to be concerned about him because he just doesn't seem like himself.
    Liriano. What the hell?

     
     
    ~~~

    http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-vfmS200cBEQ/S-R8IYAhfVI/AAAAAAAABTM/-vonFwRdEco/s320/stranded.jpg

    A Case for Clutch -- My Aggravation with Men Left On Base
    A common debate in my household is whether there is really such a thing as a clutch hitter. I am quite adamant in my belief that the idea of a "clutch hitter" is a myth. There is no such thing as clutch.
     
     
    Yes, I agree that there are timely hits that make a baseball game exciting, but they're just that -- timely. While it's true that hitters change their approach a bit depending on the situation (score, inning, number of outs, and count), there is really very little affect on the outcome. A good hitter will likely have the same result in "clutch situations" as he would in regular situations. If a hitter really could "turn on a switch," he'd have it on all the time. Guys want to get hits every time they come to the plate -- or at least they should (unless they've been asked to sacrifice, which is a rant for another day). I wouldn't want a guy on my team who was only a good hitter if there were men on base.
     
     
    With all that being said, after the Twins left 15 (!) baserunners stranded during Saturday's game, I'm pretty much begging for clutch.
     
     
    ~~~
    Roster Update
    The Twins claimed OF Clete Thomas off waivers from the Detroit Tigers. Gardy wasted no time putting him in the lineup, and Thomas wasted no time making an impression by hitting a big homerun.
     
     
    Scott Baker was moved to the 60-day DL to make room for Thomas on the 40-man roster, and Ben Revere was optioned to AAA to make roomon the 25-man roster.
     
     
    I've gotta admit that I'll miss watching Ben Revere play, but I do understand the reasoning. He's too young to be sitting here and wasting away on the bench, and he needs to become a better batter before he can play every day here. Consider this an investment in his future.
     
     
    ~~~
    Injury Watch
    Nick Blackburn left Saturday's game early after experiencing discomfort in his shoulder. He had an MRI, which came back normal. The Twins are calling it a cramp. Let's hope so.
  22. Kirsten Brown
    Originally posted at k-bro's baseball blog
     
    The Twins have completed two series now, and after completely embarrassing themselves from the gate, they've rallied to make their record somewhat more respectable.
     
     
    I'm going to ignore the Orioles series because, frankly, I was unable to pay a lot of attention to it. I had to watch the three games in bits-and-pieces. Apparently, I didn't miss much.
     
     
    I was lucky enough to attend the Twins home opener. I was happy to be back at Target Field, even though I didn't partake in any of the new food items (I stuck with a good old reliable brat). I did partake in some delightful hot chocolate. Twice. Because it was damn cold.
     
     
    Here's a picture I took from our new season ticket seats.
     
     

    http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Gigi7wSwmw8/T4d-nq13jOI/AAAAAAAAB1I/0s6H4bWTb40/s400/openingday.PNG
    It was fun to see the 2006 Division Champ Twins throwing out the first pitch, especially Brad Radke, but as you can tell from the picture, I didn't really get a good look. I did, however, get enough of a look at the actual game. It wasn't my favorite.
     
     
    What is my favorite? Twins wins, of course. And, I was beginning to get a nagging feeling that that they didn't remember how to do that. I'm so glad that they didn't forget.
     
     
    Notes From the Series:
     

    I'm glad to see Justin and Joey finally hitting. Things are exciting when they're both in the lineup and hitting well.
    I think Josh Willingham wants me to love him; that's why he keeps hitting all those huge homeruns. I'm also not too worried about his defense; I think he'll get better at that.
    I also think that Glen Perkins wants me to love him. Did you see how he made a fool out of Albert Pujols? O...M...G...
    I wish that Matt Capps wanted me to love him. I'm trying as hard as I can to give him a chance, but he's making it really hard. He's serving up way too much interesting.
    I can't think of anything bad to say about Chris Parmelee. Not that I want to or anything, but I just thought I'd note that. Keep it up, rook.

    ~~~
    Jeff Gray Knows How to Win
     
     
    Right-handed reliever Jeff Gray leads the club in wins. In fact, he has all of them.Well, both of them.
     
     
    And the amazing fact is that his combined pitch count for his two wins is ... three. He earned the win on Wednesday after recording an out with a single pitch. On Thursday, it took him twice as many pitches to complete the same feat.
     
     
    Obviously, the Twins batters sitting in the dugout while he's on the mound are so inspired by his efficient pitching that when they finally come to the plate, they are compelled to take the lead and not let go.
     
     
    Or, it could be that the pitchers' win stat is really dumb.
     
     
    ~~~
    Injury Update

    http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-JP9ifkSkaOs/T3pgPBNhhiI/AAAAAAAABzc/rDA0OIYtfSc/s320/bakerarm12.PNG
    Scott Baker announced that he will have surgery to repair his flexor pronator tendon, an injury that has been bothering him since last season.
     
     
    This is not the same injury that requires Tommy John surgery. That is a ligament replacement. This is a tendon.
     
     
    Ligaments connect bone to bone; tendons connect bone to muscle. Also, tendons communicate with the brain causing the muscles to react. This particular tendon allows the forearm to rotate while the arm is flexed (imagine flexing your arm, keeping your shoulder and elbow still, and rotating your palm).
     
     
    The recovery time for this is likely to be six months, so his season is over. And his tenure with the Twins is likely over too. The Twins have a team option on his contract for 2013, but it's for $9.25 million, which is probably too spendy for a guy just coming off a significant injury. So he'll be a free agent trying to convince teams he's fine. Bummer.
  23. Kirsten Brown
    Originally posted at k-bro's baseball blog
     
     
    http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WuqEJmvcnRs/T4Td2E-4CiI/AAAAAAAAB04/GZ7P4vkCcJQ/s320/keepcalm.PNG
     
    So, the Twins have had a bit of a tough go of the start of the 2012 season, huh? And, apparently, there's nothing like going winless for the first four games to divide the fans.
     
     
    The optimists insist that four games is too small a sample size to get too worked up about yet, and the pessimists see that all the flaws aren't being fixed. And each side keeps insisting that the other is nuts.
     
     
    Who's right?
     
     
    Well, both.
     
     
    After suffering through a despicable 99-loss season, fans are understandably eager to see signs of improvement. Spring Training may have had some glimmers of promise, but many of those glimmers have snuffed out now that the season is here. Batters are still banging the ball into the ground for outs. Defenders are still fumbling about. Pitchers are still serving cookies. It's hard to find anything to hope for.
     
     
    However, with 158 games left in the season, there is still plenty of time to make adjustments and improvements. The health is better. Certain positions are better. It won't take much for a few key guys to find their groove. The luck is certain to change soon.
     
     
    I guess the real picture is somewhere in the middle. It's important to remember that, while the mess of 2011 won't likely be completely solved in one year, the playoff teams aren't so far away that there's no going back.
  24. Kirsten Brown
    Originally posted at k-bro's baseball blog
     
    http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-EdUmS4y5E6M/T35GUj_6A_I/AAAAAAAAB0M/6aPUzXGiHmQ/s200/happy.PNG
    Happy New Years' Eve, Twins Fans!
     
     
    Tomorrow at 2pm Twins Territory time, Denard Span will dig in the batters' box at Orioles Park at Camden Yard against RHP Jake Arrietta and begin the 2012 Twins season.
     
     
    And it's been a looong time coming. We all endured a long, cold off-season trying to remove the stench of the 2011 season from our collective memories.
     
     
    But now that's over. Now, ... today, ... none of that matters. We get to be excited. We get to be optimistic. We get to be confident.
     
     
    Today, we don't worry about records, or injuries, or errors. We don't fret about bobbles or blunders. We don't even consider that our hearts may get broken.
     
     
    Today, we think that anything can happen. We dream of great things.We hope for the best.
     
     
    Today, it doesn't matter that the experts don't expect much of this team.
     
     
    Today, ... we believe.
  25. Kirsten Brown
    Originally posted at k-bro's baseball blog
     
    The Twins 25-man roster has been set, and I'm pretty excited about it. However, there are some surprises (at least for me) on it. Namely:
     

    There are only two catchers on the roster and neither of them are named Drew Butera. We all know that Gardy loves having three catchers on hand in the miniscule chance that one of them gets hurt while the other one is the DH, or something like that. But no more of that. Joe Mauer needs to stay healthy and Ryan Doumit will get his at bats as a bench catcher, first baseman, and outfielder. The Rochester Red Wings will enjoy the talents of Drew Butera.
    Justin Morneau is not the Opening Day first baseman. After what I'm sure was much thought, reflection, and deliberation, Justin decided that it would be in his and the team's best interests for him to be a full-time designated hitter, at least for awhile. And it looks like Chris Parmelee will be up to the task to be a decent first baseman, jumping up from AA last season and sticking.
    It looks like Jason Marquis will start the season on the Bereavement List (3 to 7 days). He's been away from the team for a couple of weeks to see to his daughter who was seriously hurt in a bicycle accident. Fortunately, her condition is improving and he will be able to rejoin the team in time to break camp. However, since he's been away a pretty long time, he's probably not stretched out enough to start a game for awhile. A combo of adding Liam Hendriks and using a four-man rotation for awhile should allow Marquis enough time to catch up.
    A couple of non-roster invitees actually made the roster: infielder Sean Burroughs and RHP Jared Burton. That had to be cool for them.
    And the Twins have already invoked the Disabled List. Maybe this is a good thing -- last year, the Twins proudly didn't use the DL coming out Spring Training, only to use it eleventy-billion times during the season. Maybe using it a little before the season will be a good sacrifice for the actual season. Or something.

    And since I brought up the DL, you know what that means...
     
     

    http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-JP9ifkSkaOs/T3pgPBNhhiI/AAAAAAAABzc/rDA0OIYtfSc/s400/bakerarm12.PNG
    RHP Scott Baker has been placed on the 15-day disabled list, retroactive to March 26th, with tendonitis of his right elbow.
     
     
    Baker's elbow has been troublesome for awhile now. He missed 58 days last season with a forearm flexor strain. I don't know if this tendonitis is related, but I wouldn't doubt it.
     
     
    It sounds like he may back as soon as he is eligible and that the Twins are being cautious. They have the luxury early in the season, with a lot of off days, to do without him for a little while.
     
     

    http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-4xSglVHl2s8/T3poFJXQH4I/AAAAAAAABzo/C4yHk8VayCw/s400/waldropelbow.PNG
    RHP Kyle Waldrop has been placed on the 15-day disabled list, retroactive to March 30th, with a right elbow strain.
     
     
    This must have been crushing news to Waldrop, who was having an excellent Spring Training and was set to break camp in the majors.
     
     
    His injury doesn't sound serious, and again, it seems as if the Twins are being extra cautious with him.
     
     
    It's unclear whether he'll be added to the 25-man roster once he's healthy, but there's no reason to believe he won't be.
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