Brad Swanson

I like that, kind of an instant karma/deal with the devil scenario. You get to play for the winner, but we're going to take your career. Very creepy.

Originally posted at Kevin Slowey was Framed! I also wrote a summary of the Kevin Tapani trade earlier this week. You can find it here. An unhappy superstar hoping to rekindle the team success he achieved in his rookie season. A budding dynasty looking to add a couple final pieces to a Championship-level team. Later, batteries. You know what I'm talkin' about. The Trade: BREAKDOWN! The Minnesota Twins traded Chuck Knoblauch to the New York Yankees for Brian Buchanan, Cristian Guzman, Eric Milton, and Danny Mota. Knoblauch would play four up-and-down seasons with the Yankees, but would win three World Series Championships. He famously lost the ability to throw from second to first, and thus was no longer the overall excellent player he was in Minnesota. He was still an excellent offensive player in '98 and '99. Guzman became the Twins' starting shortstop in 1999, at the age of 21. He would remain in that role for six seasons and he was at times a very exciting player. Milton immediately entered the rotation and gave the Twins 165 starts over the next six seasons. He will also be the subject of one of these features in a few weeks. Buchanan debuted in 2000, showed some power, but was gone by 2002. Mota pitched 5.1 innings for the Twins in 2000 and was out of baseball after the following season. How did I feel at the time? Angry. The Twins had completed their fifth straight losing season and now they were trading their best player? What gives? After the '94 season, Kent Hrbek retired. After the '95 season, Kirby Puckett retired. In '95, the Twins traded Scott Erickson, Kevin Tapani and Rick Aguilera. It was adding up to be too much. I distinctly remember being very angry about this trade. Why make the trade? This trade was coming down the tunnel for quite some time. Knoblauch famously asked for a trade late in 1997, tired of losing, as evidenced in this article from the Star Tribune: "Finally, late in 1997, the Twins were swept in Kansas City, and on the long, depressing ride from the ballpark to the airport, Knoblauch called his agent and said he wanted a trade. 'I was just dejected,' he said. 'The losing got to me. I wasn't handling getting beat up on a pretty consistent basis.'" Tom Kelly clearly wanted him to stay, so he employed some reverse psychology: "When the request leaked to manager Tom Kelly, any vision of a graceful exit vanished, Knoblauch said. He remembers the manager suggesting to the media -- Kelly doesn't remember saying this -- that Knoblauch wanted out of Minnesota because he didn't think his teammates were good enough." "When TK made that statement, it was like a seismic shift, because he had a lot of control over the organization," Knoblauch said, seeming stunned, still. "I love him, looking back on everything, I do, but I just think people pay attention to what he says -- the people of Minnesota, the fans. And I think that's why there was so much hate or hostility toward me when I came back. He probably thought I was abandoning them ... but I just wanted to win." This explains his desire, but doesn't necessarily excuse it. Of course, if Kelly did say that, then he was being a lame-o. The Yankees were a match because they were trying to build a dynasty and had some impressive prospects. This LA Times article outlines how Terry Ryan felt right before the trade: "I think everybody involved would like to have that happen," Twin General Manager Terry Ryan said. "The Yankees would like to have that happen. I've said we would like to get this done as soon as we can. I think everybody in the organization would like to have this behind us." This was a difficult situation for Ryan. He had a superstar who publicly wanted out and not a lot of teams in the bidding. The Yankees were offering a good package (which included 3 million bucks, so you know that helped) and it was best for the Twins to get it done before the 1998 season started. According to this article from the New York Times, Knoblauch wanted to go the New York, so that worked out well: ''I think New York would be a great place to play,'' he said. ''When you open the season, you want to know you're going to be competitive and going to have the chance to win. I think if you ask any Yankee players right now, they'll tell you they got a chance to win. I think every player wants to have that.'' Of course, something clearly changed for Knoblauch when he started playing there. There is simply no way that his throwing issues weren't mental, and the biggest change from good throwing Knobby to bad throwing Knobby was the change of scenery. However, you can see why New York would be the choice of a player who wants to win. Analysis This was a fantastic trade for the Twins. They unloaded an unhappy player and acquired two six-year starters. Guzman did not develop as many had hoped, but he did provide good value at a premium position for over half a decade. The trade worked for the Yankees too. They got two very good offensive seasons from Knoblauch and he helped them win three straight World Series titles by filling a need on their team. He retired much sooner than anyone would have guessed, but did so with four Championships on his resume. So, the trade worked for both teams. Why did it hurt so much? Why do Twins fans still hate Knoblauch? Why is it possible that one of the greatest Twins of all time may never be enshrined in their Hall of Fame? No one likes to feel slighted. Knoblauch was smart enough to see that the Twins were not going to win anything significant in his career. He made a calculated and understandable decision to ask for a trade to a better team. He did what was best for Chuck Knoblauch, but he did it at the expense of the millions of fans he had in Minnesota. He never said anything bad about our State or the Twin Cities, but he certainly was not fond of the Organization by the end. He hurt his fans in Minnesota when he spoke the truth, mostly because it was a truth that we didn't want to face. I was angry with him when he was traded, but I understand things from his perspective now. The Twins were bad and they weren't getting any better. He did sign a contract with the team, but he also watched as that team shipped off many of his teammates in prior seasons, while they were under contracts the Twins agreed to. Loyalty goes both ways, and sometimes, it goes neither way. Who won the WAR? Knoblauch for the Yankees: 7.4 Milton for the Twins: 14.7 Guzman for the Twins: 7.5 Buchanan for the Twins: 0.3 Mota for the Twins: -0.1 WAR won by the Twins! One Sentence Summary If I ever saw Chuck Knoblauch on the street, I'd huck a battery at him; a battery of respect.

Originally posted at Kevin Slowey was Framed! I also wrote a summary of the Kevin Tapani trade earlier this week. You can find it here. An unhappy superstar hoping to rekindle the team success he achieved in his rookie season. A budding dynasty looking to add a couple final pieces to a Championship-level team. Later, batteries. You know what I'm talkin' about. The Trade: BREAKDOWN! The Minnesota Twins traded Chuck Knoblauch to the New York Yankees for Brian Buchanan, Cristian Guzman, Eric Milton, and Danny Mota. Knoblauch would play four up-and-down seasons with the Yankees, but would win three World Series Championships. He famously lost the ability to throw from second to first, and thus was no longer the overall excellent player he was in Minnesota. He was still an excellent offensive player in '98 and '99. Guzman became the Twins' starting shortstop in 1999, at the age of 21. He would remain in that role for six seasons and he was at times a very exciting player. Milton immediately entered the rotation and gave the Twins 165 starts over the next six seasons. He will also be the subject of one of these features in a few weeks. Buchanan debuted in 2000, showed some power, but was gone by 2002. Mota pitched 5.1 innings for the Twins in 2000 and was out of baseball after the following season. How did I feel at the time? Angry. The Twins had completed their fifth straight losing season and now they were trading their best player? What gives? After the '94 season, Kent Hrbek retired. After the '95 season, Kirby Puckett retired. In '95, the Twins traded Scott Erickson, Kevin Tapani and Rick Aguilera. It was adding up to be too much. I distinctly remember being very angry about this trade. Why make the trade? This trade was coming down the tunnel for quite some time. Knoblauch famously asked for a trade late in 1997, tired of losing, as evidenced in this article from the Star Tribune: "Finally, late in 1997, the Twins were swept in Kansas City, and on the long, depressing ride from the ballpark to the airport, Knoblauch called his agent and said he wanted a trade. 'I was just dejected,' he said. 'The losing got to me. I wasn't handling getting beat up on a pretty consistent basis.'" Tom Kelly clearly wanted him to stay, so he employed some reverse psychology: "When the request leaked to manager Tom Kelly, any vision of a graceful exit vanished, Knoblauch said. He remembers the manager suggesting to the media -- Kelly doesn't remember saying this -- that Knoblauch wanted out of Minnesota because he didn't think his teammates were good enough." "When TK made that statement, it was like a seismic shift, because he had a lot of control over the organization," Knoblauch said, seeming stunned, still. "I love him, looking back on everything, I do, but I just think people pay attention to what he says -- the people of Minnesota, the fans. And I think that's why there was so much hate or hostility toward me when I came back. He probably thought I was abandoning them ... but I just wanted to win." This explains his desire, but doesn't necessarily excuse it. Of course, if Kelly did say that, then he was being a lame-o. The Yankees were a match because they were trying to build a dynasty and had some impressive prospects. This LA Times article outlines how Terry Ryan felt right before the trade: "I think everybody involved would like to have that happen," Twin General Manager Terry Ryan said. "The Yankees would like to have that happen. I've said we would like to get this done as soon as we can. I think everybody in the organization would like to have this behind us." This was a difficult situation for Ryan. He had a superstar who publicly wanted out and not a lot of teams in the bidding. The Yankees were offering a good package (which included 3 million bucks, so you know that helped) and it was best for the Twins to get it done before the 1998 season started. According to this article from the New York Times, Knoblauch wanted to go the New York, so that worked out well: ''I think New York would be a great place to play,'' he said. ''When you open the season, you want to know you're going to be competitive and going to have the chance to win. I think if you ask any Yankee players right now, they'll tell you they got a chance to win. I think every player wants to have that.'' Of course, something clearly changed for Knoblauch when he started playing there. There is simply no way that his throwing issues weren't mental, and the biggest change from good throwing Knobby to bad throwing Knobby was the change of scenery. However, you can see why New York would be the choice of a player who wants to win. Analysis This was a fantastic trade for the Twins. They unloaded an unhappy player and acquired two six-year starters. Guzman did not develop as many had hoped, but he did provide good value at a premium position for over half a decade. The trade worked for the Yankees too. They got two very good offensive seasons from Knoblauch and he helped them win three straight World Series titles by filling a need on their team. He retired much sooner than anyone would have guessed, but did so with four Championships on his resume. So, the trade worked for both teams. Why did it hurt so much? Why do Twins fans still hate Knoblauch? Why is it possible that one of the greatest Twins of all time may never be enshrined in their Hall of Fame? No one likes to feel slighted. Knoblauch was smart enough to see that the Twins were not going to win anything significant in his career. He made a calculated and understandable decision to ask for a trade to a better team. He did what was best for Chuck Knoblauch, but he did it at the expense of the millions of fans he had in Minnesota. He never said anything bad about our State or the Twin Cities, but he certainly was not fond of the Organization by the end. He hurt his fans in Minnesota when he spoke the truth, mostly because it was a truth that we didn't want to face. I was angry with him when he was traded, but I understand things from his perspective now. The Twins were bad and they weren't getting any better. He did sign a contract with the team, but he also watched as that team shipped off many of his teammates in prior seasons, while they were under contracts the Twins agreed to. Loyalty goes both ways, and sometimes, it goes neither way. Who won the WAR? Knoblauch for the Yankees: 7.4 Milton for the Twins: 14.7 Guzman for the Twins: 7.5 Buchanan for the Twins: 0.3 Mota for the Twins: -0.1 WAR won by the Twins! One Sentence Summary If I ever saw Chuck Knoblauch on the street, I'd huck a battery at him; a battery of respect.

These articles are really great. I appreciate the level of research that is included. I would agree that keeping Correia is probably the way to go, considering the return he would likely demand.

Troy Glaus?

The more we learn about pitch framing, the more I begin to wonder the same thing. For a pitcher who needs to be very fine with his command, it would seem pitch framing would be especially important for Diamond. As you have pointed out in the past, Doumit rates as the worst catcher as far as pitch framing goes in the league, so getting him away from Diamond and letting Mauer frame for Diamond might make a big difference. Thanks for sharing the numbers!

Originally posted at Kevin Slowey was Framed! The Twins dropped two of three in their series against the Blue Jays and in the process, they dropped to eleven games below .500. The Twins are on a 70-win pace, which would be a huge improvement and a giant disappointment at the same time. Prior to the season, if you had told me the Twins were going to win 70 games, I'd have laughed so hard that my pants would have fallen down. I never wore belts. After the first third of the season, I had officially adjusted my expectations and pants. Now, I don't know what to think or what to wear in preparation. Here are a few thoughts I had from the Blue Jays series. Scott Diamond Scott Diamond was brutal on Sunday. He was brutal in the innings when he gave up runs and he was equally brutal in the innings when he didn't give up runs. After the first inning, I looked down at my dog and said, "Diamond doesn't have it today." He looked up at me, yawned, and went back to sleep. He was walking batters and he wasn't getting ground balls. Those two factors pretty much ruin a Scott Diamond start. He earned the right to be in the rotation last season, but that right is slipping away quickly. If he throws like this through July, I'd call up Liam Hendriks and see if he's learned anything new with Rochester. Mike Pelfrey Pelfrey got much better results compared to Diamond this weekend, but I thought he looked pretty awful as well. He didn't give up any runs and he wiggled out of some jams, but I thought that he was getting hit pretty hard and things could have been a lot different if a few balls had been hit into different locations. They weren't, so you have to credit Pelfrey with a good start. However, I'm not convinced that he is back on any sort of right track at this point. We'll see; I am always wrong, so that's a point in Pelfrey's favor. Brian Dozier Who the raspberries is this Dozier character lately? Here is Dozier's wRC+ broken down by month (100 is league average): April - 66 May - 38 June - 151 July - 184 My goodness. Dozier has been a great hitter for the past month or so. It's never really as simple as one stat, but here are Dozier's line drive rates in those same months: April - 22.8% May - 14.5% June - 20% July - 30.4% Bonanza! Just watching Dozier hit, you can see that he looks more comfortable and he is really laying into the hittable pitches that he gets. It's been fun to watch him succeed, as he has a winning smile and great head of hair. Oh yeah, and having a good second baseman is cool too. Joe Mauer and Glen Perkins Congratulations to two very deserving All-Stars in Glen Perkins and Joe Mauer. I'm sure they will read this, right? Mauer was a no-doubter, and was voted in by the fans. Perkins was selected because Jesse Crain was hurt. Perkins deserved it without being a replacement, but it's still cool that he has been honored. I hope he gets to pitch in the game. He's probably my favorite Twin pitcher since Johan Santana. Now that we have honored these Minnesota heroes properly, let's get to some madness! Random Photoshop http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-TrJ5I_NjV0w/UdoUsS4Gj6I/AAAAAAAAAv0/Ks34KTSWrQI/s320/denny+hockingbird.jpg What do you think? I call it "Denny Hockingbird." He has frosted feathers and frosted tips! If you like player heads on bird bodies, then make sure to check out my blog, Kevin Slowey was Framed!, on Thursday. I've got something special for you. Answering a Random Facebook Question Ugh. I'm not sure why I keep doing this. Going to the Twins Facebook page and looking through the comments is like repeatedly rubbing your face onto a dirty block of ice. Regardless, I found this gem and I have a decent answer for this "fan." Question - Sorry am a MN fan but don't see why? Perkins could see going but Joe? Pay him way too much! As not produced! Answer - He's the best catcher in the American League and it isn't really all that close. They already did pay him way too much, so you got your wish! Congrats! Two Twins make the All-Star game and most of the comments are about how undeserving Mauer is, how it doesn't matter because the team sucks and that more ex-Twins made it than current Twins. This is a Facebook "fan" page. I'm exhausted. Fun Stat Caleb Thielbar pitched two scoreless innings on Satuday, bringing his streak to 19.2 innings to start his career. Since 1916, only five pitchers have had longer streaks to start their career. Brad Ziegler has the record, at 38 innings. Here is the rest of the chart, with a list of players Thielbar still has to conquer: [TABLE=class: grid, width: 500] [TH=align: center]Rk[/TH] [TH=align: left][/TH] [TH=align: right]Strk Start[/TH] [TH=align: left]End[/TH] [TH=align: center]Games[/TH] [TH=align: center]IP ▾[/TH] [TH=align: center]H[/TH] [TH=align: center]R[/TH] [TH=align: center]ER[/TH] [TH=align: center]BB[/TH] [TH=align: center]SO[/TH] [TH=align: center]HR[/TH] [TH=align: center]ERA[/TH] [TH=align: center]Tm[/TH] [TD=align: right]1[/TD] [TD=align: left]Brad Ziegler[/TD] [TD=align: right]2008-05-31[/TD] [TD=align: left]2008-08-12[/TD] [TD=align: right]29[/TD] [TD=align: right]38.0[/TD] [TD=align: right]21[/TD] [TD=align: right]0[/TD] [TD=align: right]0[/TD] [TD=align: right]11[/TD] [TD=align: right]17[/TD] [TD=align: right]0[/TD] [TD=align: right]0.00[/TD] [TD=align: left]OAK[/TD] [TD=align: right]2[/TD] [TD=align: left]Fernando Valenzuela[/TD] [TD=align: right]1980-09-15[/TD] [TD=align: left]1981-04-09[/TD] [TD=align: right]11[/TD] [TD=align: right]26.2[/TD] [TD=align: right]13[/TD] [TD=align: right]2[/TD] [TD=align: right]0[/TD] [TD=align: right]7[/TD] [TD=align: right]21[/TD] [TD=align: right]0[/TD] [TD=align: right]0.00[/TD] [TD=align: left]LAD[/TD] [TD=align: right]3[/TD] [TD=align: left]Dennis Eckersley[/TD] [TD=align: right]1975-04-12[/TD] [TD=align: left]1975-05-25[/TD] [TD=align: right]11[/TD] [TD=align: right]23.1[/TD] [TD=align: right]12[/TD] [TD=align: right]1[/TD] [TD=align: right]0[/TD] [TD=align: right]12[/TD] [TD=align: right]20[/TD] [TD=align: right]0[/TD] [TD=align: right]0.00[/TD] [TD=align: left]CLE[/TD] [TD=align: right]4[/TD] [TD=align: left]Victor Santos[/TD] [TD=align: right]2001-04-09[/TD] [TD=align: left]2001-05-12[/TD] [TD=align: right]8[/TD] [TD=align: right]22.1[/TD] [TD=align: right]11[/TD] [TD=align: right]3[/TD] [TD=align: right]0[/TD] [TD=align: right]15[/TD] [TD=align: right]11[/TD] [TD=align: right]0[/TD] [TD=align: right]0.00[/TD] [TD=align: left]DET[/TD] [TD=align: right]5[/TD] [TD=align: left]Victor Cruz[/TD] [TD=align: right]1978-06-24[/TD] [TD=align: left]1978-07-29[/TD] [TD=align: right]13[/TD] [TD=align: right]21.1[/TD] [TD=align: right]9[/TD] [TD=align: right]0[/TD] [TD=align: right]0[/TD] [TD=align: right]14[/TD] [TD=align: right]21[/TD] [TD=align: right]0[/TD] [TD=align: right]0.00[/TD] [TD=align: left]TOR[/TD] [TD=align: right]6[/TD] [TD=align: left]Caleb Thielbar[/TD] [TD=align: right]2013-05-20[/TD] [TD=align: left]2013-07-06[/TD] [TD=align: right]17[/TD] [TD=align: right]19.2[/TD] [TD=align: right]5[/TD] [TD=align: right]0[/TD] [TD=align: right]0[/TD] [TD=align: right]7[/TD] [TD=align: right]17[/TD] [TD=align: right]0[/TD] [TD=align: right]0.00[/TD] [TD=align: left]MIN[/TD] [/TABLE] Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Play Index Tool Used Generated 7/7/2013. Who thinks he can get there? Fun Baseball Card from the past One of my all-time favorite baseball cards is this one: http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Dbn4xfoaB8k/UdoVB-l_CNI/AAAAAAAAAwI/_9gkuq8zi3Y/s320/gary-pettis.jpg Man, what charisma! It's a great card because of the story behind it. That is not Gary Pettis. It's his 15-year-old brother. If you can't tell that this is a child by looking at this image, then you don't know how old people look. The switch-a-roo is one thing, but the pose by the younger Pettis is the icing on the cake. Then, I found out that Topps decided to make a deliberate error card in their Archives set this year to memorialize this Pettis error. Here is the card, this time with Dylan Bundy's little bro: http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_6Ef59u4qQY/UdoVBm8AeGI/AAAAAAAAAwE/_GK4wHDi-fM/s1600/2013-Topps-Archives-Errors-Dylan-Bundy-215x300.jpg Pretty cool, Topps. The original, as always, is still the best. No one has the natural charisma of Gary Pettis' brother. Parting Thought I try very hard to remain non-controversial. However, it seems that when I applaud Joe Mauer for being great, it draws the most negative response. I guess I don't get it. The simple fact remains that the Twins will be a much worse team when Mauer isn't on it. He makes outs at a lower rate than anyone in Twins history. Here is the list of Twins with the highest career OBP (minimum 2500 plate appearances): Mauer - .404 Rod Carew - .393 Chuck Knoblauch - .391 Harmon Killebrew - .383 Matt Lawton - .379 Hey, Matt Lawton! The point is, Mauer is great. Sorry if that is too controversial for you. Have a great week, everyone!

Originally posted at Kevin Slowey was Framed! The Twins dropped two of three in their series against the Blue Jays and in the process, they dropped to eleven games below .500. The Twins are on a 70-win pace, which would be a huge improvement and a giant disappointment at the same time. Prior to the season, if you had told me the Twins were going to win 70 games, I'd have laughed so hard that my pants would have fallen down. I never wore belts. After the first third of the season, I had officially adjusted my expectations and pants. Now, I don't know what to think or what to wear in preparation. Here are a few thoughts I had from the Blue Jays series. Scott Diamond Scott Diamond was brutal on Sunday. He was brutal in the innings when he gave up runs and he was equally brutal in the innings when he didn't give up runs. After the first inning, I looked down at my dog and said, "Diamond doesn't have it today." He looked up at me, yawned, and went back to sleep. He was walking batters and he wasn't getting ground balls. Those two factors pretty much ruin a Scott Diamond start. He earned the right to be in the rotation last season, but that right is slipping away quickly. If he throws like this through July, I'd call up Liam Hendriks and see if he's learned anything new with Rochester. Mike Pelfrey Pelfrey got much better results compared to Diamond this weekend, but I thought he looked pretty awful as well. He didn't give up any runs and he wiggled out of some jams, but I thought that he was getting hit pretty hard and things could have been a lot different if a few balls had been hit into different locations. They weren't, so you have to credit Pelfrey with a good start. However, I'm not convinced that he is back on any sort of right track at this point. We'll see; I am always wrong, so that's a point in Pelfrey's favor. Brian Dozier Who the raspberries is this Dozier character lately? Here is Dozier's wRC+ broken down by month (100 is league average): April - 66 May - 38 June - 151 July - 184 My goodness. Dozier has been a great hitter for the past month or so. It's never really as simple as one stat, but here are Dozier's line drive rates in those same months: April - 22.8% May - 14.5% June - 20% July - 30.4% Bonanza! Just watching Dozier hit, you can see that he looks more comfortable and he is really laying into the hittable pitches that he gets. It's been fun to watch him succeed, as he has a winning smile and great head of hair. Oh yeah, and having a good second baseman is cool too. Joe Mauer and Glen Perkins Congratulations to two very deserving All-Stars in Glen Perkins and Joe Mauer. I'm sure they will read this, right? Mauer was a no-doubter, and was voted in by the fans. Perkins was selected because Jesse Crain was hurt. Perkins deserved it without being a replacement, but it's still cool that he has been honored. I hope he gets to pitch in the game. He's probably my favorite Twin pitcher since Johan Santana. Now that we have honored these Minnesota heroes properly, let's get to some madness! Random Photoshop http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-TrJ5I_NjV0w/UdoUsS4Gj6I/AAAAAAAAAv0/Ks34KTSWrQI/s320/denny+hockingbird.jpg What do you think? I call it "Denny Hockingbird." He has frosted feathers and frosted tips! If you like player heads on bird bodies, then make sure to check out my blog, Kevin Slowey was Framed!, on Thursday. I've got something special for you. Answering a Random Facebook Question Ugh. I'm not sure why I keep doing this. Going to the Twins Facebook page and looking through the comments is like repeatedly rubbing your face onto a dirty block of ice. Regardless, I found this gem and I have a decent answer for this "fan." Question - Sorry am a MN fan but don't see why? Perkins could see going but Joe? Pay him way too much! As not produced! Answer - He's the best catcher in the American League and it isn't really all that close. They already did pay him way too much, so you got your wish! Congrats! Two Twins make the All-Star game and most of the comments are about how undeserving Mauer is, how it doesn't matter because the team sucks and that more ex-Twins made it than current Twins. This is a Facebook "fan" page. I'm exhausted. Fun Stat Caleb Thielbar pitched two scoreless innings on Satuday, bringing his streak to 19.2 innings to start his career. Since 1916, only five pitchers have had longer streaks to start their career. Brad Ziegler has the record, at 38 innings. Here is the rest of the chart, with a list of players Thielbar still has to conquer: [TABLE=class: grid, width: 500] [TH=align: center]Rk[/TH] [TH=align: left][/TH] [TH=align: right]Strk Start[/TH] [TH=align: left]End[/TH] [TH=align: center]Games[/TH] [TH=align: center]IP ▾[/TH] [TH=align: center]H[/TH] [TH=align: center]R[/TH] [TH=align: center]ER[/TH] [TH=align: center]BB[/TH] [TH=align: center]SO[/TH] [TH=align: center]HR[/TH] [TH=align: center]ERA[/TH] [TH=align: center]Tm[/TH] [TD=align: right]1[/TD] [TD=align: left]Brad Ziegler[/TD] [TD=align: right]2008-05-31[/TD] [TD=align: left]2008-08-12[/TD] [TD=align: right]29[/TD] [TD=align: right]38.0[/TD] [TD=align: right]21[/TD] [TD=align: right]0[/TD] [TD=align: right]0[/TD] [TD=align: right]11[/TD] [TD=align: right]17[/TD] [TD=align: right]0[/TD] [TD=align: right]0.00[/TD] [TD=align: left]OAK[/TD] [TD=align: right]2[/TD] [TD=align: left]Fernando Valenzuela[/TD] [TD=align: right]1980-09-15[/TD] [TD=align: left]1981-04-09[/TD] [TD=align: right]11[/TD] [TD=align: right]26.2[/TD] [TD=align: right]13[/TD] [TD=align: right]2[/TD] [TD=align: right]0[/TD] [TD=align: right]7[/TD] [TD=align: right]21[/TD] [TD=align: right]0[/TD] [TD=align: right]0.00[/TD] [TD=align: left]LAD[/TD] [TD=align: right]3[/TD] [TD=align: left]Dennis Eckersley[/TD] [TD=align: right]1975-04-12[/TD] [TD=align: left]1975-05-25[/TD] [TD=align: right]11[/TD] [TD=align: right]23.1[/TD] [TD=align: right]12[/TD] [TD=align: right]1[/TD] [TD=align: right]0[/TD] [TD=align: right]12[/TD] [TD=align: right]20[/TD] [TD=align: right]0[/TD] [TD=align: right]0.00[/TD] [TD=align: left]CLE[/TD] [TD=align: right]4[/TD] [TD=align: left]Victor Santos[/TD] [TD=align: right]2001-04-09[/TD] [TD=align: left]2001-05-12[/TD] [TD=align: right]8[/TD] [TD=align: right]22.1[/TD] [TD=align: right]11[/TD] [TD=align: right]3[/TD] [TD=align: right]0[/TD] [TD=align: right]15[/TD] [TD=align: right]11[/TD] [TD=align: right]0[/TD] [TD=align: right]0.00[/TD] [TD=align: left]DET[/TD] [TD=align: right]5[/TD] [TD=align: left]Victor Cruz[/TD] [TD=align: right]1978-06-24[/TD] [TD=align: left]1978-07-29[/TD] [TD=align: right]13[/TD] [TD=align: right]21.1[/TD] [TD=align: right]9[/TD] [TD=align: right]0[/TD] [TD=align: right]0[/TD] [TD=align: right]14[/TD] [TD=align: right]21[/TD] [TD=align: right]0[/TD] [TD=align: right]0.00[/TD] [TD=align: left]TOR[/TD] [TD=align: right]6[/TD] [TD=align: left]Caleb Thielbar[/TD] [TD=align: right]2013-05-20[/TD] [TD=align: left]2013-07-06[/TD] [TD=align: right]17[/TD] [TD=align: right]19.2[/TD] [TD=align: right]5[/TD] [TD=align: right]0[/TD] [TD=align: right]0[/TD] [TD=align: right]7[/TD] [TD=align: right]17[/TD] [TD=align: right]0[/TD] [TD=align: right]0.00[/TD] [TD=align: left]MIN[/TD] [/TABLE] Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Play Index Tool Used Generated 7/7/2013. Who thinks he can get there? Fun Baseball Card from the past One of my all-time favorite baseball cards is this one: http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Dbn4xfoaB8k/UdoVB-l_CNI/AAAAAAAAAwI/_9gkuq8zi3Y/s320/gary-pettis.jpg Man, what charisma! It's a great card because of the story behind it. That is not Gary Pettis. It's his 15-year-old brother. If you can't tell that this is a child by looking at this image, then you don't know how old people look. The switch-a-roo is one thing, but the pose by the younger Pettis is the icing on the cake. Then, I found out that Topps decided to make a deliberate error card in their Archives set this year to memorialize this Pettis error. Here is the card, this time with Dylan Bundy's little bro: http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_6Ef59u4qQY/UdoVBm8AeGI/AAAAAAAAAwE/_GK4wHDi-fM/s1600/2013-Topps-Archives-Errors-Dylan-Bundy-215x300.jpg Pretty cool, Topps. The original, as always, is still the best. No one has the natural charisma of Gary Pettis' brother. Parting Thought I try very hard to remain non-controversial. However, it seems that when I applaud Joe Mauer for being great, it draws the most negative response. I guess I don't get it. The simple fact remains that the Twins will be a much worse team when Mauer isn't on it. He makes outs at a lower rate than anyone in Twins history. Here is the list of Twins with the highest career OBP (minimum 2500 plate appearances): Mauer - .404 Rod Carew - .393 Chuck Knoblauch - .391 Harmon Killebrew - .383 Matt Lawton - .379 Hey, Matt Lawton! The point is, Mauer is great. Sorry if that is too controversial for you. Have a great week, everyone!

Yeah, these trades were all pretty poor, although, Erickson specifically didn't seem to have a ton of value according to the old articles I read.

Yeah, I would have thought there would have been at least one notable success story. J.T. Snow wasn't bad, but hardly the type of hitter I hope Hicks becomes.

Originally posted at Kevin Slowey was Framed! Holiday Mailbag? Holiday Mailbag. I hope everyone had a fun and leisurely 4th. I kept it cool, just hanging out in my house and laying low. I watched the Twins game yesterday and I was saddened by Kyle Gibson's performance. I think he'll bounce back, but seeing him struggle was a good reminder that he is a rookie and there will be growing pains. Enough analysis, I'm here to answer questions from myself. Carlos Gomez is currently among the league leaders in WAR. The Twins had Carlos Gomez in their clutches. Did the Twins give up on Carlos Gomez too soon? Brad S., St. Paul, MN In a word - no. The Twins gave Gomez nearly 1000 at bats in 2008 and 2009 and he posted an OPS+ of 73. He was a great defender, but the Twins also had Denard Span, who could capably play center and produced as an offensive player. It's true that Gomez was only 23 when he was traded away, but the Twins did land J.J. Hardy for him, and Hardy has been a good shortstop for the past few seasons. Of course, the Twins did give up on Hardy too soon, but that is a completely separate issue. Gomez looked like a bust, couldn't hit a breaking ball to save his life, and seemed like a bit of doorknob as well. He's flourishing right now, but were the Twins really supposed to wait five season for that to happen? I think that's quite unfair. This was a make-or-break season for Trevor Plouffe. Would he show off the massive power that he demonstrated last June? Would his arm be accurate enough to play third? Could he post a decent OBP to go with all that SLG? To me, he looks much improved. He has hit well enough to boost his OBP and while he isn't hitting a home run every other day, he is providing above average power. His defense is still a bit shaky at third, but he isn't sailing quite as many throws as he had last season. Overall, I think that if he can stay healthy, he can be a positive contributor for the next few seasons. What are your thoughts on Trevor Plouffe? Thanks! Brad S., St. Paul, MN Trevor Plouffe loves America. Nick Blackburn started his second game of the season for the Gulf Coast Twins on Wednesday. Do you see Blackburn making another start in a Twins uniform? Brad S., St. Paul, MN It wouldn't surprise me, simply because he makes more money than anyone else in the current rotation and the current rotation has been a series of train wrecks occurring during earthquakes. However, he seems to be the same hittable Nick Blackburn in the Gulf Coast League. Through eight innings, Blackburn has given up nine hits to mostly children. If Blackburn can't dominate in the GCL, he has no business near the MLB. However, the Twins like Blackburn and they always have. If he puts together a good stretch in AAA (I assume he gets sent to AAA after he finishes his rehab), he might get a start or two with the big club. I don't think he would truly deserve them, but it would be a good story and a lot of fans would enjoy seeing him pitch. I wouldn't, but a lot of others would. What the H is wrong with the bullpen lately? Brad S., St. Paul, MN Brian Duensing isn't dominating lefties, so he pretty much has no value. Jared Burton is walking almost twice as many batters as he did last season. Josh Roenicke has a 3.25 ERA somehow, but he is walking nearly as many batters as he strikes out. Ryan Pressly isn't quite as good as his ERA, but he's been solid. On the plus side, Glen Perkins is outstanding and Casey Fien looks like a keeper. Caleb Thielbar will never allow a run. Mark that down, I am predicting that Thielbar will finish his career with an ERA of zero. If Burton can get back on track, the bullpen will be solid once more. If not, well that would be sad. Aaron Hicks is a much better hitter from the right side. Should the Twins make Hicks abandon switch hitting and focus on just batting right handed? Brad S., St. Paul, MN It's not that simple. Let's look at the issue: Issue - Aaron Hicks struggles as a left-handed batter. Solution - Aaron Hicks should only bat right-handed. Perhaps, but he hasn't hit right-handed against right-handed pitching since... well, middle school maybe? Now, we are asking Hicks to hit same-handed pitching for the first time in years, and to do it against MLB pitching? It's just not as easy as some are making it out to be. If you think that Hicks should learn to hit right-handed pitching from the right side, you are assuming that he is more likely to learn how to hit same-handed pitching after not doing so for years than he is to learn how to hit right-handed pitching as a lefty, which he has at least practiced for many years. Here's a really great article from Beyond the Box Score that shows just how rare a successful conversion for Hicks would be: BTB on Switch Hitting? Basically, it's not as simple as some seem to think it is and successful examples are few and far between. I say let him at least try to hit righties as a lefty for a couple seasons. If the evidence continues to mount, then it might be time to try something new. Are you warming on Sam Deduno and Clete Thomas? You have been a noted "hater" when it comes to these players. Brad S., St. Paul, MN Deduno, yes; Thomas, no. I don't think either guy is anything special, but Deduno doesn't stand to take playing time from anyone more deserving or young, while Thomas started in place of Chris Parmelee on Wednesday, which made my blood boil. Parmelee may be nothing special, but he at least has a chance to be something useful in the future. If this happens regularly, or if Thomas takes at bats from Aaron Hicks or Oswaldo Arcia, then I will lose my S altogether. There is simply no point in playing Clete Thomas unless you have to. He isn't good enough to change a game and he isn't young enough or promising enough to think that he can be anything more than a fourth outfielder. What happens with Darin Mastroianni comes back? I think Mastroianni is a better player and he is (slightly) younger. If Thomas is just a bench guy, then that works for me. If he is a consistent starter, then I just don't get it. Kyle Gibson made his MLB debut last weekend. Who will be the next impact prospect to debut for the Twins? Brad S., St. Paul, MN Does Josmil Pinto count? I could see Pinto getting a September call-up because he is on the 40-man roster and he's mashing at AA. He isn't a top 10 prospect, but he certainly looks interesting and he would be fun to watch. It could be Miguel Sano, but I think the Twins will use any opportunity to keep him in the Minors for just a bit longer. Alex Meyer is hurt and Trevor May has been inconsistent. Short of those guys, it almost would have to be Pinto. So, that is my answer, but if you think he is not an impact prospect, then I think Sano will be next, but in 2014. Thanks for all the questions, me. Have a nice weekend, everyone!

Originally posted at Kevin Slowey was Framed! Holiday Mailbag? Holiday Mailbag. I hope everyone had a fun and leisurely 4th. I kept it cool, just hanging out in my house and laying low. I watched the Twins game yesterday and I was saddened by Kyle Gibson's performance. I think he'll bounce back, but seeing him struggle was a good reminder that he is a rookie and there will be growing pains. Enough analysis, I'm here to answer questions from myself. Carlos Gomez is currently among the league leaders in WAR. The Twins had Carlos Gomez in their clutches. Did the Twins give up on Carlos Gomez too soon? Brad S., St. Paul, MN In a word - no. The Twins gave Gomez nearly 1000 at bats in 2008 and 2009 and he posted an OPS+ of 73. He was a great defender, but the Twins also had Denard Span, who could capably play center and produced as an offensive player. It's true that Gomez was only 23 when he was traded away, but the Twins did land J.J. Hardy for him, and Hardy has been a good shortstop for the past few seasons. Of course, the Twins did give up on Hardy too soon, but that is a completely separate issue. Gomez looked like a bust, couldn't hit a breaking ball to save his life, and seemed like a bit of doorknob as well. He's flourishing right now, but were the Twins really supposed to wait five season for that to happen? I think that's quite unfair. This was a make-or-break season for Trevor Plouffe. Would he show off the massive power that he demonstrated last June? Would his arm be accurate enough to play third? Could he post a decent OBP to go with all that SLG? To me, he looks much improved. He has hit well enough to boost his OBP and while he isn't hitting a home run every other day, he is providing above average power. His defense is still a bit shaky at third, but he isn't sailing quite as many throws as he had last season. Overall, I think that if he can stay healthy, he can be a positive contributor for the next few seasons. What are your thoughts on Trevor Plouffe? Thanks! Brad S., St. Paul, MN Trevor Plouffe loves America. Nick Blackburn started his second game of the season for the Gulf Coast Twins on Wednesday. Do you see Blackburn making another start in a Twins uniform? Brad S., St. Paul, MN It wouldn't surprise me, simply because he makes more money than anyone else in the current rotation and the current rotation has been a series of train wrecks occurring during earthquakes. However, he seems to be the same hittable Nick Blackburn in the Gulf Coast League. Through eight innings, Blackburn has given up nine hits to mostly children. If Blackburn can't dominate in the GCL, he has no business near the MLB. However, the Twins like Blackburn and they always have. If he puts together a good stretch in AAA (I assume he gets sent to AAA after he finishes his rehab), he might get a start or two with the big club. I don't think he would truly deserve them, but it would be a good story and a lot of fans would enjoy seeing him pitch. I wouldn't, but a lot of others would. What the H is wrong with the bullpen lately? Brad S., St. Paul, MN Brian Duensing isn't dominating lefties, so he pretty much has no value. Jared Burton is walking almost twice as many batters as he did last season. Josh Roenicke has a 3.25 ERA somehow, but he is walking nearly as many batters as he strikes out. Ryan Pressly isn't quite as good as his ERA, but he's been solid. On the plus side, Glen Perkins is outstanding and Casey Fien looks like a keeper. Caleb Thielbar will never allow a run. Mark that down, I am predicting that Thielbar will finish his career with an ERA of zero. If Burton can get back on track, the bullpen will be solid once more. If not, well that would be sad. Aaron Hicks is a much better hitter from the right side. Should the Twins make Hicks abandon switch hitting and focus on just batting right handed? Brad S., St. Paul, MN It's not that simple. Let's look at the issue: Issue - Aaron Hicks struggles as a left-handed batter. Solution - Aaron Hicks should only bat right-handed. Perhaps, but he hasn't hit right-handed against right-handed pitching since... well, middle school maybe? Now, we are asking Hicks to hit same-handed pitching for the first time in years, and to do it against MLB pitching? It's just not as easy as some are making it out to be. If you think that Hicks should learn to hit right-handed pitching from the right side, you are assuming that he is more likely to learn how to hit same-handed pitching after not doing so for years than he is to learn how to hit right-handed pitching as a lefty, which he has at least practiced for many years. Here's a really great article from Beyond the Box Score that shows just how rare a successful conversion for Hicks would be: BTB on Switch Hitting? Basically, it's not as simple as some seem to think it is and successful examples are few and far between. I say let him at least try to hit righties as a lefty for a couple seasons. If the evidence continues to mount, then it might be time to try something new. Are you warming on Sam Deduno and Clete Thomas? You have been a noted "hater" when it comes to these players. Brad S., St. Paul, MN Deduno, yes; Thomas, no. I don't think either guy is anything special, but Deduno doesn't stand to take playing time from anyone more deserving or young, while Thomas started in place of Chris Parmelee on Wednesday, which made my blood boil. Parmelee may be nothing special, but he at least has a chance to be something useful in the future. If this happens regularly, or if Thomas takes at bats from Aaron Hicks or Oswaldo Arcia, then I will lose my S altogether. There is simply no point in playing Clete Thomas unless you have to. He isn't good enough to change a game and he isn't young enough or promising enough to think that he can be anything more than a fourth outfielder. What happens with Darin Mastroianni comes back? I think Mastroianni is a better player and he is (slightly) younger. If Thomas is just a bench guy, then that works for me. If he is a consistent starter, then I just don't get it. Kyle Gibson made his MLB debut last weekend. Who will be the next impact prospect to debut for the Twins? Brad S., St. Paul, MN Does Josmil Pinto count? I could see Pinto getting a September call-up because he is on the 40-man roster and he's mashing at AA. He isn't a top 10 prospect, but he certainly looks interesting and he would be fun to watch. It could be Miguel Sano, but I think the Twins will use any opportunity to keep him in the Minors for just a bit longer. Alex Meyer is hurt and Trevor May has been inconsistent. Short of those guys, it almost would have to be Pinto. So, that is my answer, but if you think he is not an impact prospect, then I think Sano will be next, but in 2014. Thanks for all the questions, me. Have a nice weekend, everyone!

Great interview, thanks for sharing! My favorite part: Goodrum: Yeah, just get on base. That’s all I’m worried about is trying to get on base

Originally posted at Kevin Slowey was Framed! I also wrote about the two Rick Aguilera trades on Tuesday, you can read them here. Just one day after trading away Rick Aguilera, one of the more popular players on the Twins team, General Manager Terry Ryan's bloodlust was cresting and he was hungry for another trade. Who would be his next victim? The Trade: BREAKDOWN! The Minnesota Twins traded Scott Erickson to the Baltimore Orioles for Scott Klingenbeck and a player to be named later (Kimera Bartee). Erickson provided the Orioles with 16 good starts in 1995 and then threw over 900 innings for them from 1996 to 1999. His 1997 and 1998 seasons were particularly impressive, especially when you account for the high run scoring era. Bartee was nothing special, and fittingly, the Orioles drafted him from the Twins in the rule 5 draft after the 1995 season. Klingenbeck was no sure thing prospect, but I'm sure the Twins were hoping to get more than 77 innings out of him. He posted an 8.30 ERA in those innings, and I'm sure Twins fans were hoping they had seen fewer than 77 innings from him. How did I feel at the time? Well, first impressions fade slowly. For me, and for all Twins fans, the first impression of Scott Erickson was a dominant young starter who won 20 games in the 1991 Championship season, finishing second in Cy Young voting. In addition, he wore black socks. He was also sullen and often ornery. By the end, he seemed ready to leave Minnesota. I love Minnesota, so I was not sad to see him go. However, his side of the story is interesting and somewhat perceptive. Why make the trade? Erickson's quotes after the trade are pretty priceless. Here are some I found in an article from the Associated Press: "If we had made an effort to win, go out and get players and make it a lucrative place for free agents, none of this would have happened." It should be noted that Erickson gave these statements while sitting in his Jeep Cherokee. That certainly changes things as a Jeep Cherokee is a comfortable ride and you know he wasn't feeling anything but anger toward the Twins because his plush Jeep seats were keeping him comfortable and that famous Jeep suspension was about to give him a smooth ride. "I feel bad for the guys, it's like the organization has given up on the team. It's a joke." While I found many examples of Erickson being aloof and butting heads with team leadership, I did not find any mentions of actual clashes with teammates. I found some examples of teammates teasing him, but that can't be too surprising. He was kind of an odd duck. Dave Stevens wanted to weigh in, as he did after the Aguilera trade: "It's like a morgue in here." Well said. It was literally a bunch of dead bodies in refrigerators. Hyperbole aside, you can understand why Twins players were frustrated with these moves. Every athlete wants to win, and win now. When an organization trades a team's best reliever and a good starter within 24 hours, morgue analogies start to fly. It's a frustrating situation for players and fans. As for why each team chose to make this trade, The Baltimore Sun was kind enough to summarize each team's rationale. Cute! "Why this would make sense for the Orioles: Erickson long has been renowned for his great stuff, a sinking fastball that would translate into outs on the grass at Camden Yards. He's only 27, and could be a good fourth starter, behind Mike Mussina, Kevin Brown and Ben McDonald. Unlike David Cone, Kevin Tapani or Bret Saberhagen, he doesn't cost the Orioles a major prospect." We'll get to Tapani next week. This proved to be mostly correct, as Erickson was a good 4th starter and did not cost the Orioles a good prospect. I mean, Scott Klingenbeck, AMIRITE? However, he did not see better success in Baltimore, as Erickson posted a 103 ERA+ with the Twins and a 97 ERA+ with the Orioles. "Why this would make sense for the Twins: They want to reduce payroll, and Erickson makes $1.8625 million this year and is in line to make more next year. In addition, Erickson's days as an effective pitcher for the Twins may be over; he doesn't see eye to eye with manager Tom Kelly." Well, the Twins pretty much always want to reduce payroll, right? It's interesting but I have written about four Twins trades now and three were made for largely financial reasons. I'm guessing this won't be the last one either. Erickson's days as an effective starter were hardly over. Not seeing eye to eye with Tom Kelly makes sense because Erickson is very tall. Analysis Simple enough: Erickson didn't want to be here, The Twins didn't want Erickson to be here anymore and the Twins could save some money by jettisoning him and making him someone else's problem. If the Twins didn't want him, they should take what they could get for him, even if the return was literally a used diaper filled with sadness. I am willing to bet that the 900 innings that Erickson threw between 1996 and 1999 would have come in handy for the Twins. However, Erickson started having injury issues in the Willenium and was mostly done as a quality starter by age 32. Did Erickson have a point about the organization though? This was the mid-90s. These were truly awful Twins teams. The Front Office was not opposed to bringing in older veterans, especially if they had Minnesota ties. However, it never seemed that the team was willing to do what it took to be an actual contender. Perhaps they were trying, but simply failing. If that is the case, then Erickson is out of line. However, if the team was not fully committed to winning or building a winner, then Erickson's quotes only sting because they reflect the truth. He lived with the Twins in that era, we only watched them. Who won the WAR? Erickson with the Orioles: 13.2 Klingenbeck with the Twins: -1.6 (ouch) Bartee with the Twins: null WAR won by the Orioles! One Sentence Summary Scott Erickson may have had an abrasive demeanor at times, but he may have made some salient points on his way out of Minnesota as well.

Originally posted at Kevin Slowey was Framed! I also wrote about the two Rick Aguilera trades on Tuesday, you can read them here. Just one day after trading away Rick Aguilera, one of the more popular players on the Twins team, General Manager Terry Ryan's bloodlust was cresting and he was hungry for another trade. Who would be his next victim? The Trade: BREAKDOWN! The Minnesota Twins traded Scott Erickson to the Baltimore Orioles for Scott Klingenbeck and a player to be named later (Kimera Bartee). Erickson provided the Orioles with 16 good starts in 1995 and then threw over 900 innings for them from 1996 to 1999. His 1997 and 1998 seasons were particularly impressive, especially when you account for the high run scoring era. Bartee was nothing special, and fittingly, the Orioles drafted him from the Twins in the rule 5 draft after the 1995 season. Klingenbeck was no sure thing prospect, but I'm sure the Twins were hoping to get more than 77 innings out of him. He posted an 8.30 ERA in those innings, and I'm sure Twins fans were hoping they had seen fewer than 77 innings from him. How did I feel at the time? Well, first impressions fade slowly. For me, and for all Twins fans, the first impression of Scott Erickson was a dominant young starter who won 20 games in the 1991 Championship season, finishing second in Cy Young voting. In addition, he wore black socks. He was also sullen and often ornery. By the end, he seemed ready to leave Minnesota. I love Minnesota, so I was not sad to see him go. However, his side of the story is interesting and somewhat perceptive. Why make the trade? Erickson's quotes after the trade are pretty priceless. Here are some I found in an article from the Associated Press: "If we had made an effort to win, go out and get players and make it a lucrative place for free agents, none of this would have happened." It should be noted that Erickson gave these statements while sitting in his Jeep Cherokee. That certainly changes things as a Jeep Cherokee is a comfortable ride and you know he wasn't feeling anything but anger toward the Twins because his plush Jeep seats were keeping him comfortable and that famous Jeep suspension was about to give him a smooth ride. "I feel bad for the guys, it's like the organization has given up on the team. It's a joke." While I found many examples of Erickson being aloof and butting heads with team leadership, I did not find any mentions of actual clashes with teammates. I found some examples of teammates teasing him, but that can't be too surprising. He was kind of an odd duck. Dave Stevens wanted to weigh in, as he did after the Aguilera trade: "It's like a morgue in here." Well said. It was literally a bunch of dead bodies in refrigerators. Hyperbole aside, you can understand why Twins players were frustrated with these moves. Every athlete wants to win, and win now. When an organization trades a team's best reliever and a good starter within 24 hours, morgue analogies start to fly. It's a frustrating situation for players and fans. As for why each team chose to make this trade, The Baltimore Sun was kind enough to summarize each team's rationale. Cute! "Why this would make sense for the Orioles: Erickson long has been renowned for his great stuff, a sinking fastball that would translate into outs on the grass at Camden Yards. He's only 27, and could be a good fourth starter, behind Mike Mussina, Kevin Brown and Ben McDonald. Unlike David Cone, Kevin Tapani or Bret Saberhagen, he doesn't cost the Orioles a major prospect." We'll get to Tapani next week. This proved to be mostly correct, as Erickson was a good 4th starter and did not cost the Orioles a good prospect. I mean, Scott Klingenbeck, AMIRITE? However, he did not see better success in Baltimore, as Erickson posted a 103 ERA+ with the Twins and a 97 ERA+ with the Orioles. "Why this would make sense for the Twins: They want to reduce payroll, and Erickson makes $1.8625 million this year and is in line to make more next year. In addition, Erickson's days as an effective pitcher for the Twins may be over; he doesn't see eye to eye with manager Tom Kelly." Well, the Twins pretty much always want to reduce payroll, right? It's interesting but I have written about four Twins trades now and three were made for largely financial reasons. I'm guessing this won't be the last one either. Erickson's days as an effective starter were hardly over. Not seeing eye to eye with Tom Kelly makes sense because Erickson is very tall. Analysis Simple enough: Erickson didn't want to be here, The Twins didn't want Erickson to be here anymore and the Twins could save some money by jettisoning him and making him someone else's problem. If the Twins didn't want him, they should take what they could get for him, even if the return was literally a used diaper filled with sadness. I am willing to bet that the 900 innings that Erickson threw between 1996 and 1999 would have come in handy for the Twins. However, Erickson started having injury issues in the Willenium and was mostly done as a quality starter by age 32. Did Erickson have a point about the organization though? This was the mid-90s. These were truly awful Twins teams. The Front Office was not opposed to bringing in older veterans, especially if they had Minnesota ties. However, it never seemed that the team was willing to do what it took to be an actual contender. Perhaps they were trying, but simply failing. If that is the case, then Erickson is out of line. However, if the team was not fully committed to winning or building a winner, then Erickson's quotes only sting because they reflect the truth. He lived with the Twins in that era, we only watched them. Who won the WAR? Erickson with the Orioles: 13.2 Klingenbeck with the Twins: -1.6 (ouch) Bartee with the Twins: null WAR won by the Orioles! One Sentence Summary Scott Erickson may have had an abrasive demeanor at times, but he may have made some salient points on his way out of Minnesota as well.

It just depends on how much you value defense. Say for example that we used a 1-10 scale and rated Florimon's defense as a 9 and his offense as a 2. Then, we could similarly rate Sano's SS defense as a 2 and his offense as a 9. Isn't this a wash if defense is as important as offense? If you are arguing that offense is more important than defense, then I can see your point. I've seen Harrison play third and I can't see even a shred of a possibility that he could handle short.

Originally posted at Kevin Slowey was Framed! The Twins and Royals split a four-game series over the long weekend. It was an EPIC series! Well, it wasn't all that epic, but PHANTOM CAM made it a bit more epic. I'll be honest, I'd like to watch an entire game in PHANTOM CAM. Although, that would take a few years. Think of all we would see though! Here are some thoughts I have from the PHANTOM CAM series. Kyle Gibson I believe Kyle Gibson made his debut this weekend. Either that or Fox Sports North randomly decided to interview every single important person in Kyle Gibson's life for some other reason. I thought he looked great on Saturday. He kept the ball down, showed good fastball command and missed some bats. Even in the inning when he was touched for runs, he didn't really give up a lot of solid contact. In the end, he went six innings, only gave up two earned runs, struck out five and didn't walk a soul. He probably could have went out for the seventh, but it was nice to get him out of there with a successful quality start. I'm a fan. I think he's here to stay. P.J. Walters On the flip side, I think P.J. Walters might be on his way out. He had a few good starts after his call-up, but he simply isn't a quality MLB starter. His ERA is now over 6 and his peripherals are brutal. He's averaging fewer than five innings per start and that just wrecks the bullpen. Once Pelfrey's healthy, I see no reason to give him another start and no reason to keep him on the 40-man roster. I'd probably DFA him right now and bask in the roster flexibility. This may seem premature, but Walters also sports a 4.45 ERA in just about 600 AAA innings. He's not worth worrying about. Joe Mauer is done? Mauer was 0-15 in the Royals series, which means he needs to be released right now. There is a zero percent chance he ever breaks out of this slump. In fact, I hope he just decides to retire and save us all a lot of grief. If he could disappear from the public eye as well, I know I would appreciate it. Miguel Sano's #rig Lost in the recent hoopla regarding Byron Buxton's freaking dominance as a baseball player and human being is Miguel Sano's dominance as a baseball player and human being. Sano is slugging over .600 since his recent promotion, which is soul bossa nova. Jason Parks of Baseball Prospectus was in New Britain, getting an eyeful of Sano. Here is a particularly encouraging tweet from his visit: Sano is a much better athlete than people realize; run is 5+; glove will be at least 5; arm is 7; raw 8; hit 5; legit instincts as well — Jason Parks (@ProfessorParks) June 29, 2013 If Sano is an average runner, hitter and fielder, he will be a superstar. His power plays no matter what, but if he can hit, then it plays huge. In case you need more about his glove, read this: He will stick at 3B. He can play. RT @goonerwinitall: @ProfessorParks does he stick at third or move to 1b/dh? — Jason Parks (@ProfessorParks) June 29, 2013 Wowzers. The Twins have two budding superstars. What a time to be a Twins' fan. Here is some madness, just to balance out your excitement: Former Twin Update - Jason Marquis Since being released by the Twins last season, Jason Marquis is somehow 15 and 10, with an ERA just over 4. Not great, but certainly better than Mike Pelfrey, Vance Worley, P.J. Walters, and Pedro Hernandez this season. However, I wouldn't buy a San Diego Marquis jersey any time soon. This season, he has posted ratios of 5.9 K/9 and 5.0 BB/9. Those numbers suck. I wouldn't be surprised to see a line like this in the very near future: 1.2 IP, 9 H, 8 R, 8 ER, 2 BB, 1 K, L. He'll regress and it will be hard. Random Photoshop - Matt Harvey Dent http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-klfneFWm8IU/UdCstBdg9HI/AAAAAAAAAvc/KTTmmGPpn7o/s320/mattharveydent.png I'm not sure I can add much in the way of words. Fun Stat - Kyle Gibson's First Stat Line Kyle Gibson's final stat line from his first MLB start: 6 IP, 8 H, 2 ER, 0 BB, 5 K, W. Why is that significant? It's the only time a Twin has posted that line. Sounds crazy, but it's true. I used Baseball Reference's game index so it has to be true. Don't believe me? Here's your proof. Gibson's first start was both highly anticipated and somehow extremely historic/rare. Fun, but stupid. KWL Chart - Clete Thomas http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-voRTIb1neBM/UdCs-aYZVDI/AAAAAAAAAvk/Hao2BS-PDCg/s400/KWL+Thomas.png Poll Results Clete Thomas wins! The poll question: If you absolutely had to fight one of these players, who would you choose? Results: Josh Willingham - 2 votes (scaredy cats) Tyler Robertson - 10 votes Clete Thomas - 33 votes Mike Pelfrey - 11 votes The correct answer is Mike Pelfrey because he seems jovial and nice and might take it easy on you. The obvious answer seems to be Clete, but man does he have crazy eyes. I'm not sure what he would do in a fight. I added a new poll, please vote on the side of my blog, Kevin Slowey was Framed! Link to Something Good I said I appeared on a Yankees radio show with Ricky Keeler of Yanks Go Yard. We discussed a variety of topics and it was a load of fun. Click here to hear my nasal, shrill, crackly voice. You can listen to me slowly get more comfortable talking then try to make bad jokes at times. Parting Ways I wanted to write a short parody of Pearl Jam's Parting Ways to lead in to the Yankee series, but I am not creative and that song is mostly instrumental. Instead, here is a short poem: The Twins play the Yanks People love Tom Hanks November is for Thanks Some dudes pull pranks I suck at poems. Have a nice week, everyone!

Originally posted at Kevin Slowey was Framed! The Twins and Royals split a four-game series over the long weekend. It was an EPIC series! Well, it wasn't all that epic, but PHANTOM CAM made it a bit more epic. I'll be honest, I'd like to watch an entire game in PHANTOM CAM. Although, that would take a few years. Think of all we would see though! Here are some thoughts I have from the PHANTOM CAM series. Kyle Gibson I believe Kyle Gibson made his debut this weekend. Either that or Fox Sports North randomly decided to interview every single important person in Kyle Gibson's life for some other reason. I thought he looked great on Saturday. He kept the ball down, showed good fastball command and missed some bats. Even in the inning when he was touched for runs, he didn't really give up a lot of solid contact. In the end, he went six innings, only gave up two earned runs, struck out five and didn't walk a soul. He probably could have went out for the seventh, but it was nice to get him out of there with a successful quality start. I'm a fan. I think he's here to stay. P.J. Walters On the flip side, I think P.J. Walters might be on his way out. He had a few good starts after his call-up, but he simply isn't a quality MLB starter. His ERA is now over 6 and his peripherals are brutal. He's averaging fewer than five innings per start and that just wrecks the bullpen. Once Pelfrey's healthy, I see no reason to give him another start and no reason to keep him on the 40-man roster. I'd probably DFA him right now and bask in the roster flexibility. This may seem premature, but Walters also sports a 4.45 ERA in just about 600 AAA innings. He's not worth worrying about. Joe Mauer is done? Mauer was 0-15 in the Royals series, which means he needs to be released right now. There is a zero percent chance he ever breaks out of this slump. In fact, I hope he just decides to retire and save us all a lot of grief. If he could disappear from the public eye as well, I know I would appreciate it. Miguel Sano's #rig Lost in the recent hoopla regarding Byron Buxton's freaking dominance as a baseball player and human being is Miguel Sano's dominance as a baseball player and human being. Sano is slugging over .600 since his recent promotion, which is soul bossa nova. Jason Parks of Baseball Prospectus was in New Britain, getting an eyeful of Sano. Here is a particularly encouraging tweet from his visit: Sano is a much better athlete than people realize; run is 5+; glove will be at least 5; arm is 7; raw 8; hit 5; legit instincts as well — Jason Parks (@ProfessorParks) June 29, 2013 If Sano is an average runner, hitter and fielder, he will be a superstar. His power plays no matter what, but if he can hit, then it plays huge. In case you need more about his glove, read this: He will stick at 3B. He can play. RT @goonerwinitall: @ProfessorParks does he stick at third or move to 1b/dh? — Jason Parks (@ProfessorParks) June 29, 2013 Wowzers. The Twins have two budding superstars. What a time to be a Twins' fan. Here is some madness, just to balance out your excitement: Former Twin Update - Jason Marquis Since being released by the Twins last season, Jason Marquis is somehow 15 and 10, with an ERA just over 4. Not great, but certainly better than Mike Pelfrey, Vance Worley, P.J. Walters, and Pedro Hernandez this season. However, I wouldn't buy a San Diego Marquis jersey any time soon. This season, he has posted ratios of 5.9 K/9 and 5.0 BB/9. Those numbers suck. I wouldn't be surprised to see a line like this in the very near future: 1.2 IP, 9 H, 8 R, 8 ER, 2 BB, 1 K, L. He'll regress and it will be hard. Random Photoshop - Matt Harvey Dent http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-klfneFWm8IU/UdCstBdg9HI/AAAAAAAAAvc/KTTmmGPpn7o/s320/mattharveydent.png I'm not sure I can add much in the way of words. Fun Stat - Kyle Gibson's First Stat Line Kyle Gibson's final stat line from his first MLB start: 6 IP, 8 H, 2 ER, 0 BB, 5 K, W. Why is that significant? It's the only time a Twin has posted that line. Sounds crazy, but it's true. I used Baseball Reference's game index so it has to be true. Don't believe me? Here's your proof. Gibson's first start was both highly anticipated and somehow extremely historic/rare. Fun, but stupid. KWL Chart - Clete Thomas http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-voRTIb1neBM/UdCs-aYZVDI/AAAAAAAAAvk/Hao2BS-PDCg/s400/KWL+Thomas.png Poll Results Clete Thomas wins! The poll question: If you absolutely had to fight one of these players, who would you choose? Results: Josh Willingham - 2 votes (scaredy cats) Tyler Robertson - 10 votes Clete Thomas - 33 votes Mike Pelfrey - 11 votes The correct answer is Mike Pelfrey because he seems jovial and nice and might take it easy on you. The obvious answer seems to be Clete, but man does he have crazy eyes. I'm not sure what he would do in a fight. I added a new poll, please vote on the side of my blog, Kevin Slowey was Framed! Link to Something Good I said I appeared on a Yankees radio show with Ricky Keeler of Yanks Go Yard. We discussed a variety of topics and it was a load of fun. Click here to hear my nasal, shrill, crackly voice. You can listen to me slowly get more comfortable talking then try to make bad jokes at times. Parting Ways I wanted to write a short parody of Pearl Jam's Parting Ways to lead in to the Yankee series, but I am not creative and that song is mostly instrumental. Instead, here is a short poem: The Twins play the Yanks People love Tom Hanks November is for Thanks Some dudes pull pranks I suck at poems. Have a nice week, everyone!

That's awesome, I looked him up and he had some crazy stats. Thanks for the suggestion!

I'd make the trade too, as a rational adult. It was a huge return. My Grandma was really bummed too.