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.

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.

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.

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.

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).

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).

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

According to LaVelle E Neal III, Brian is currently rehabbing in Ft. Myers and wearing a splint. He's out "indefinitely".

>I just wish I could come up with a nice list of pitchers where the reverse has worked in the Twins favor. Craig Breslow comes to mind. At least for a while.

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.

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.

Brian Adam Dinkelman - INF/OF Bats: left, Throws: right Height: 5'11", Weight: 195, Age: 28 Drafted by the Twins in the 8th round of the 2006 draft. 2011 stats: Roc: 127 games, .243 ba/.316 obp/ .324 slg, 90 strikeouts to 45 walks Min: 23 games, .301/ .346/ .315, 14 K to 4 BB 2012 stats to date: Roc: 7 games, .174/ .240/ .478, 8 K to 2 BB Dinkelman spent time with the Twins in June of 2011, but then was outrighted again soon after. He was added to the Twins roster again as a September call up. After the season, he was outrighted again and he chose free agency. In November, he signed a minor-league contract with the Twins and was a non-roster invitee to Spring Training. He was reassigned to minor league camp on March 31st. Dinkelman is currently on the 7-day disabled list, as of April 15th, with a sprained right hand.

Just so I'm clear...I'll take Brian Dinkelman. (I bet you figured that out, but I want to make sure I'm all official and everything.)

Is Brian Dinkelman still available?

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.