TwinsGuy55422

Yeah, that doesn't make sense to have Butera cathc or be in the lineup unless absolutely necessary. They could have had Doumit catch and Parmelee DH.

Very interesting lineup. Denard was due for a day off. Should be fun to see how Komatsu does in the lead off spot.

True. He can't be any worse than Clete Thomas and given that he is 4 years younger than Thomas and has put up excellent numbers in the minors without ever having played at AAA, he just might end up being a good player at the major league level.

Jamey Carroll tried to bunt for a hit early in the game. I'm not sure, but I think it was the 4th inning. He bunted it a little bit too hard to the third baseman, otherwise it probably would have been a hit.

Glad to see you're not in the "Gardy should skip his daughter's graduation or find a way to go without missing any games" crowd. That discussion was just ridiculous. I, too, think this time away could be good for all involved. Always enjoy reading your stuff.

That would be the natural thing to do.

Thanks for the update. 3 ER isn't too bad of a debut at a new level.

I know in the past he has had confrontations with players, probably many we haven't heard about. I remember one year when Kyle Lohse was "scuffling" Gardy had a sit down with him that resulted in Lohse punching a whole in something. Whatever heart to heart he had with Morneau part through the 2006 season sure did wonders as well. The guy clearly can get mad and hold people accountable. I think he needs to get back to doing with it with whoever needs it and not just guys that aren't in his club (i.e. Valencia).

100% agreed. If I was an owner and my manager wanted to blow off his daughter's graduation in order to prove his dedication to the team, I would wonder what kind of person I had hired. I find it interesting to watch someone back pedal after making a bold assertion that essentially blows up in their face.

I think it is much more likely that Mauer cares about the Twins and his childhood fanbase and was bound and determined to show them that he is healthy and ready to bust his butt for the team than wanting to increase his trade value.

Weaver is a great example of guy who benefits from a deceptive throwing motion. He doesn't blow people away with a mid 90s fastball but his ball has a way of sneaking up on hitters.

As much as I don't wish injury on anyone, this would be ideal for the Twins. A perfect scenario would be for Capps to get hot and a contender to unexpectedly lose a closer. Again, I don't wish injury on anyone but since these things are inevitable it could definitely be an opportunity to recoup some of the value lost through the ridiculous trade that brought him here.

Since the season is probably a lost cause, Gardy could also leave starters out there longer to eat innings instead of taking them out in the 3rd inning when they have already put us in a 6-0 hole. The chances of coming back from that type of deficit are so slim, it's probably better to least the starter out there to continue taking a beating and just eat some more innings.

Clete Thomas....C. He's done pretty much what you could expect, that being play pretty good defense and strike out a lot.

I agree that it's hard to pencil a guy into everyday action when his numbers are that bad. I just don't think his numbers would be that bad if he got consistent at-bats. I am not saying I think he will stick as an everyday major leaguer if given the at-bats, I just think it is worth finding out instead of giving crazy playing time to Clete Thomas.

My understanding of Smith's firing was that he thought 2011 was mostly about injuries and that we would be fine by getting people back to health and just tweaking things a little bit. Pretty much the opposite of rebuilding. I really don't get the arguments for firing Ryan. Everyone says he didn't do enough to address this or that, but with the restrictions that were put on him what more could he have done? There were too many poor decisions made while Ryan was away that left too many holes on this roster to fix them all in one offseason with the payroll restrictions put in place by ownership. People also argue that Ryan's last draft is why we don't have enough MLB ready talent at the AAA level. To that, I would say even the best GM can't get every draft right. It also doesn't help when the GM that replaces you trades away top prospects for marginal relief pitching (i.e. Ramos for Capps). I would also like to point out that Ryan didn't have control over how the players in his last draft were developed. Even if you draft exceptional talent, if the oversight of the farm system starts to erode under the new GM your prospects aren't going to develop properly. People also like to argue that Ryan has culpability for some of Smith's poor decisions because he one of Smith's advisers. I am sure Ryan gave advice when asked, but Smith's decisions were Smith's decisions. I don't think the Pohlad's would have fired Smith and replaced him with Ryan if Ryan was the driving force behind many of Smith's personnel decisions. That is enough of a rant about the Ryan issue. I don't think Ryan does everything perfect. But he does have a great track record as a GM/talent evaluator and given time I have faith that he can get the Twins back to being a model organization. It's just not going to happen over night and we need to accept that.

Just because he is not going to be at the series doesn't mean he doesn't want to be there. It means he has an important family event that takes precedence over 3 games in the grand scheme of a 162-game season. Did Gardy's daughter turn you down for a date or something because you sure seem to have it out for this family?

Why can't A and B go together. Just to be clear, I think Gardy has plenty of flaws. However, even if I thought he was the best manager in the history of professional baseball, I would still think it is okay to be away from the team for a FEW days for an IMPORTANT family event. I don't see how you can so vehemently argue that these two things can't go together. Essentially you're saying that if you are an important asset to your job, you always need to choose your job over your family.

Oh my gosh....I want to rip my hair out reading this stuff. Are you just trying to get a reaction like thrylos supposedly is or do really mean what you just typed? Accountability means facing the music for the results on the field. It does not mean you should have to make a 2-second cameo at your daughter's graduation so other people don't say you're "abandoning ship."

Agreed. I don't want cookie cutter answers, I want guys to say what is on their minds. In this case, he was asked a certain question and what he stated was a valid answer to that question.

Danny Valencia....D. I don't know what else to say about this guy. The guy clearly loves himself a little bit too much and could benefit from less time fixing his hair in the mirror and more time working on his game. He is extremely immature and needs to approach the game like a professional. If he would accept a little coaching, he could at least be a serviceable MLB 3rd baseman.

I sincerely hope that you do not have any children. I mean that with all due respect. On a side note, I am pretty sure that this will be a working vacation for Gardy. Do you honestly believe that he won't be in contact with the coaches, giving them input, and making plans for when he comes back?

Ainge definitely "battled his tail off."

One of my biggest problems with the way is this team is run is the inconsistent handling of players. You have a guy like Plouffe who has was a 1st round pick out of high school, has killed pitching at AAA, was willing to learn a new position, and then you don't give him consistent at-bats? The team is going nowhere this season. All you can hope for is get improvement out of young guys and to find out what you have with certain players. We are at the point with Plouffe where we need to know if can produce as an everyday player or just part ways with him. In a losing season such as this, why would you not get him as many at-bats as possible?

Hopefully he comes back rejuvenated and ready to lay down the law and think outside the box. I know sometimes a little break can do this. It may also give him some time to reevaluate whether he thinks he is the right man for the job long term.