The Bleacher Bums: June 2006 Archive

Closed circuit to the first base ump

Posted at 9:43 AM on June 1, 2006 by Ben Tesch

Not that it mattered much, but remember Liriano's only "hit"? Wow. Safe, by a fairly obvious margin. That's a fairly routine call, buddy. Don't start acting like those replacement umpires in single-A.

The St. Petersburg Rays of Tampa Bay

Posted at 9:47 AM on June 1, 2006 by Ben Tesch

Devil Rays name change likely delayed until 2008
Apparently the Devil Rays are interested in changing their names: partly to take the "devil" out of their name, but also possibly including St. Petersburg in their name, since that's where they actually play their baseball. The deadline was yesterday, and they didn't want to rush their decisions, so they will probably wait a year or two to figure everything out within a decent timeframe.

I could be mistaken, but isn't St. Petersburg already sort of "included" in their name? Isn't that why they're called Tampa Bay instead of just Tampa? Wouldn't it make sense to stick with a theme? Got any name "suggestions" for the team?

What a Woot!

Posted at 2:20 PM on June 1, 2006 by David Zingler (2 Comments)

Here that whirling sound? Listen more closely...still don’t hear it...well, that is Joe Bauman spinning in his grave. Bauman, who passed away in 2005, once hit 72 homeruns in a single minor league season, yet never was able to crack a big league roster. Why am I bringing this up? Well, it looks like the Twins are set to demote Scott Baker and fill his roster spot with – get this – Shawn Wooten and his .218 Triple A batting average.

According to the Star Tribune, the team likes Wooten because he can catch and play first base. His addition would allow Ron Gardenhire to continue using both Joe Mauer and Mike Redmond in the line up without risking losing the DH if either catcher is injured. While that logic seems sound, Wooten is nothing more than a warm body who looks destined to become the 2006 version of Corky Miller.

Update: The Twins apparently came to their senses and decided to re-call Terry Tiffee rather than Wooten. Gardenhire correctly said Tiffee, who was hitting .298 at Rochester, "deserved" it more. Joe Bauman can rest, for now...

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I've heard this story before.

Posted at 11:32 PM on June 1, 2006 by Josh Lee (1 Comments)

Boof Bonser managed to hang with Oakland's Barry Zito for seven innings. Boof showed good control, threw lots of strikes, and didn't walk a batter. He only made a few mistakes, but unfortunately, those mistakes led to four runs on three homers. Combine the solid-but-dinger-prone pitching with a complete absence of run support, and this year's Boof Bonser starts to look suspiciously like last year's Brad Radke. I'm still not sure what to make of this year's Radke; perhaps he'll give us some hints on Saturday.

Or perhaps Terry Tiffee will help to turn this road trip around, although that's about as likely as Tony Batista sprinting through foul territory to chase down a foul ball. Since that's exactly what T-Phat did tonight, though, there's hope yet! Right?

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Draft day

Posted at 10:11 AM on June 2, 2006 by Ben Tesch (1 Comments)

Apparently one of the great sports non-events, the amateur baseball draft is on Tuesday. Let's just hope either MLB or ESPN doesn't try to turn this kind of thing into a spectacle like the NFL draft, where some Mel Kiper baseball spinoff touts the intangibles of people you have never heard of and will never hear of again.

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Winning weather

Posted at 1:27 PM on June 2, 2006 by Ben Tesch

The Weather Channel has some interesting baseball related tools I ran across recently. Not only can you see what the weather will be like for all the day's games, but you can also see how your team has fared under different weather conditions. The graphs are misleading (it looks like they're better at night, but it's just total wins, and since they play more at night, every team's graph looks the same) but there's still some interesting info in there... somewhere.

Off Day News: Manicure injury will cost Santana 6-8 weeks

Posted at 8:36 AM on June 5, 2006 by David Zingler (2 Comments)

SEATTLE – Twins ace Johan Santana will miss 6-8 weeks after a freak accident that occurred during his weekly manicure. Thus far, Santana and the Twins remain mum on the details of this embarrassing incident.

“Johan hates getting his nails done on the road,” a teammate explained. “He decided to put off the pedicure until we got back from the road trip, but just couldn’t tolerate his unkempt fingernails any longer. Torii (Hunter) recommended a place that he uses (in Seattle), but unfortunately it didn’t work out for Johan.”

Manager Ron Gardenhire was less diplomatic, “Next thing you know these guys will come in with painted nails,” the old school skipper complained. “Things like this make me wonder if I am getting too old for this.”

Team doctors expect a full recovery, but the injury comes at a crucial time for the Twins as they struggle to remain on the fringe of contention. “It’s definitely a major blow,” Gardenhire said of the former Cy Young winner’s injury. “We’ll need everybody to step it up.” The manager added that banished starter Kyle Lohse is an option to replace Santana in the rotation.

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Gardenhire mad! Gardenhire smash!

Posted at 10:19 AM on June 5, 2006 by Ben Tesch (1 Comments)

Manager frustrated by Twins' poor play
At least I'm not the only one. Four runs in four games? Yeah, no good. Only allowing 12 runs in those same four games? Not too bad, but Boof and Silva need to learn to keep it in the park.

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Check your heater

Posted at 9:41 AM on June 6, 2006 by Ben Tesch

Wired's gadget blog Gear Factor points us to the potential Father's Day gift of a digital speed-sensing baseball so you can see how fast you're throwing.

I actually remember owning this as a kid, but a more simpler version — you couldn't put in the distance, so it was fairly inaccurate, so the game became more of "how high can you make the numbers on the ball go" and involved very little actual ball throwing. It didn't last very long, because it was either a) a piece of crap, or b) I wore it out from its "unintended usage".

Draft underway

Posted at 1:22 PM on June 6, 2006 by Ben Tesch

The baseball draft is underway, and you can follow along on mlb.com.

With the 20th pick in the 1st round, the Twins selected Chino Hills High School (CA) right fielder Chris Parmelee:

A smooth left-handed swing provides line drives now and presents the kind of power potential scouts like. His arm may play in right field and he's a good baserunner, but the bat is what will get him drafted.

With the 64th pick, the Twins selected Joilet Catholic Academy (IL) left fielder William Benson:

He has a power-speed combination that excites scouts. A football star as well, his interest lies on the diamond. He's raw, but projectable.

More picks:
#96: Tyler Robertson - LHP - Bella Vista High School (CA)
#119: Whitney Robbins - 1B - Georgia Tech
#126: Garrett Olson - 3B - Franklin Pierce College
#156: Devin Shepherd - RF - Oxnard High School (CA)

Ridiculous All-Star voting

Posted at 4:05 PM on June 6, 2006 by Ben Tesch

So, apparently while Jeter (possibly deservedly) is leading the All-Star voting as we speak, the rest of the leading lineup is kind of ridiculous:

C - Jason Varitek
1B - David Ortiz
2B - Robinson Cano
SS - Derek Jeter
3B - Alex Rodriguez
OF - Manny Ramirez
OF - Johnny Damon
OF - Vladimir Guerrero

Doing a rudimentary midwest-educated round-up: Sox, Sox, Yanks, Yanks, Yanks, Yanks, Sox, Yanks, Angels. Perhaps we need to adjust All-Star voting with a market size factor?

Evil numbers.

Posted at 11:56 PM on June 6, 2006 by Josh Lee (2 Comments)

I spent most of tonight's Twins game scanning the box score for any interesting numbers with "6"s in them, until it occurred to me that you are probably as enthusiastic about another spoooooky 6/6/06 coincidence as I am, i.e., not at all. So here are some other numbers from the Twins' 4-2 loss to the Mariners:

3: The number of pinch-hitters Gardenhire sent to the plate in the 8th and 9th innings: Tiffee for White, Punto for Castro, and Luis Rodriguez for Batista. This is what is known in technical terms as "shuffling the deck chairs on the Titanic."

4: The number of hits that Joe Mauer got tonight, in 4 at-bats. (4-for-4? 4-4-4? Spooooky.) And Derek Jeter still leads all shortstops in All-Star voting.

5: The number of innings it took for Scott Ullger to finally wave a runner home, despite the sinking feeling that must come with the knowledge that any time a Minnesota runner holds up at third, he will inevitably be stranded there.

Oh man, now I have that crazy song stuck in my head again.

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The beam in your eye

Posted at 9:43 AM on June 7, 2006 by Ben Tesch (3 Comments)

This is from April 2005, but it still interesting and relevant:

If steroids are cheating, why isn't LASIK?
A month ago, Mark McGwire was hauled before a congressional hearing and lambasted as a cheater for using a legal, performance-enhancing steroid precursor when he broke baseball's single-season home run record.

A week ago, Tiger Woods was celebrated for winning golf's biggest tournament, the Masters, with the help of superior vision he acquired through laser surgery.

What's the difference?

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Seagull hit by pitch

Posted at 11:12 AM on June 7, 2006 by Ben Tesch

Bird Struck Out at Ballgame
Seagull beaned by a baseball, flies away during minor league game. There's even video. The bird should probably be thankful it was minor league ball and not Randy Johnson pitching.

Leaded or unleaded

Posted at 2:17 PM on June 7, 2006 by Ben Tesch (1 Comments)

Big steroid news today. Relief pitcher Jason Grimsley has been busted by the feds and had his home searched, after admitting he -- and a "boatload" of other players -- use illegal performance-enhancing drugs, such as HGH, amphetamines and steroids. I found this particular paragraph to be a gem:

He added that amphetamine use was prevalent in pro baseball, and that it was placed in coffee in clubhouses -- marked "leaded" or "unleaded" to indicate which pots contained the drugs.

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Sleepy, sleepy, AWAKE! Sleepy.

Posted at 1:11 AM on June 8, 2006 by Josh Lee (1 Comments)

After Torii Hunter ran right past Scott Ullger's "hold" sign to get tagged out at home (disclaimer: any complaints about Ullger's overcautiousness should not be misconstrued as encouragement to ignore a coach's instructions), I said to myself, "It's not just going to be an ugly loss; it's going to be a long, slow, ugly loss." On the west coast, no less.

I honestly don't know why I stayed awake as long as I did, with the Twins nursing a five-run deficit and working their usual runner-stranding schtick. By the time Joe Mauer walked Juan Castro in for Minnesota's first run of the 8th inning (is there any slower way to score a run?), I was tired and punchy enough to say to myself, "hey, all we need now is a grand slam to tie the game!" And after a pitching change and a pop-up by Torii, Michael Cuddyer came on and made my idle mumblings a reality, hitting a grand ever-lovin' slam to tie the game at 9-9, prompting me to waggle my arms around and do a little dance around the apartment.

After a big hit like that, I just had to stay awake until the end, no matter how painfully long it might take. Sadly, while Cuddy's slam was the biggest hit of the game, it wasn't enough to overcome five Seattle home runs, including Carl Everett's walkoff in the bottom of the 11th. I'd be more disappointed if I wasn't in such a hurry to scurry off to bed.

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Links for the weekend

Posted at 3:29 PM on June 9, 2006 by Ben Tesch

Retooling for 2008
Nathan Gau sends in his take on what kind of team the Twins might be taking into the new stadium in 2010, and the years leading up to it. He covers what spots we'll need to fill, and what minor leaguers could fit the bill.

The fascinating world of switch-hitters
It is hard enough to hit a baseball, yet nearly one in five batters in the major leagues tries to hit a baseball from two sides of the plate. They are switch-hitters, and they all have a story about how and why they decided to turn around and hit from both sides.

Active Players In R.B.I Baseball, Tecmo Bowl, & Tecmo Super Bowl
Currently, Roger Clemens and Julio Franco are the last active players who were featured on R.B.I. Baseball. While Clemens has yet to officially pitch a major league game this year, it will happen in a few weeks after he is done warming up in the minors. Julio Franco, while only having 34 at bats this season is batting over .320! Not bad at all for a 47 year old.

Twins waiting on ballpark authority
Twins president Dave St. Peter said Friday that the club will begin looking at design details over the next two-to-three months, but must wait for Hennepin County to form a new ballpark authority, which will be within the next couple of weeks.

Twins' poor record no mystery

Posted at 10:36 AM on June 11, 2006 by David Zingler (3 Comments)

In today’s Star Tribune Sid Hartman calls the Twins 27-34 record a “mystery”. Jacque Jones is the only subtraction from 2005 and that is negated by Luis Castillo’s addition, he concludes. Plus, Joe Mauer is hitting .100 points higher than he was last year at this time, the local legend adds.

Then Mr. Hartman ends with this baffled conclusion:
“What happened to this team? Nobody has come up with the answer..."

Who has he asked?

The answer is obvious: 6.17, 7.73 and 9.22.

Those are the ERAs of Brad Radke, Carlos Silva and Kyle Lohse.

Next time you’re confused Sid, send me an e-mail -- I’d be happy to help.

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Past and Present.

Posted at 6:28 PM on June 11, 2006 by Josh Lee (1 Comments)

Aside from Cuddyer's second grand slam in two weeks, last night's Twins game was a pretty grim affair. Carlos Silva had a tidy three-pitch inning in the 4th, but that was just a teasing little reminder of how efficient he was last year, as the rest of his six-inning, ten-hit, five-run start was kind of a mess. Kyle Lohse wasn't much better: He celebrated his first appearance since being recalled from AAA by hitting Baltimore's Brandon Fahey with a pitch, then gave up three runs to ensure that the rally that was about to begin would not be enough to get over the hump, and by "hump," I mean "butt-whooping." Why Gardenhire felt the need to leave Lohse out there for three innings is beyond me.

Today's game, on the other hand, went about as smoothly as yesterday's didn't. Francisco Liriano gave exactly the kind of performance one needs to wash the bad taste of poor pitching out of one's mouth. Tallying one hit and six strikeouts in seven innings, it was the kind of game where the pitcher is off the mound before you even realize that he's gotten started. And even though Joe Mauer was only 1-for-4, and Cuddyer struck out four times, and Gardenhire got ejected for arguing one of those strikeouts, Justin Morneau's two-run homer was plenty enough to give the Twins a winning lead.

Silva and Lohse are the past we'd like to leave behind. Liriano, Mauer, Cuddyer, and Morneau are the present we'd like to build around.

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Mauer slogans

Posted at 9:48 AM on June 13, 2006 by Ben Tesch (1 Comments)

In honor of Joe Mauer being the AL Player of the Week with his ridiculous hitting (or non-hitting, in the case of walks), Batgirl is sponsoring a Mauerist propaganda slogan contest. Apparently, the Twins Territory™ campaign is doing quite well in advertising circles, but I have a feeling this contest will be even better.

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No more batphone?

Posted at 3:47 PM on June 13, 2006 by Ben Tesch

Wrigley Field Dugouts Go Wireless
Wrigley Field, the last big league stadium to install lights, will be the first to go wireless. Starting Tuesday, when Chicago Cubs manager Dusty Baker needs to communicate with his bullpen during games, he'll call on a wireless handset designed by Motorola rather than reach for the corded phone on the dugout's back wall.

5 reasons to get off the ledge....

Posted at 4:51 PM on June 13, 2006 by David Zingler

Watching the starting pitching implode, Rondell White hit .190 and Tony Batista play defense has caused Prozac prescriptions to triple in "Twins Territory", so here are 5 things to feel good about....

1. The M&M boys are coming into their own.
Joe Mauer, with his .386/.448/.538 batting line, will make two trips to Pittsburgh this season, while Justin Morneau is on pace for a 30+ homer, 100+ RBI season.

As Mauer has steadily progressed, the ride hasn’t been so smooth for his Canadian counterpart. Morneau seems to have turned the corner however, as his average has been on a steady climb from .202 on May 6 to .255 today.

2. Francisco Liriano
Thrown into the starting rotation as much by necessity as promise, Liriano’s emergence has been the most exciting development of this often frustrating season. With a 5-1 record and 2.10 ERA thus far, the big Dominican should contend for Rookie of the Year this season and possibly a Cy Young in years to come.

3. Radke will not eat up an inordinate amount of the team’s payroll after this year.
Brad Radke will always have a special place in our hearts for sticking it out all of those lean years and helping pitch the franchise back into prominence, but his production in recent years has gone from a touch better than mediocre to awful this season. Enjoy retirement with your millions of dollars and ex-cheerleader wife, Brad -- you’ve earned it!! (I guess.)

4. Kubel is healthy and ready to contribute.
Jason Kubel’s devastating knee injury in the Arizona Fall League following the 2004 season was a major blow to an organization that heavily relies on young, cheap, homegrown talent.

After missing all of 2005, the 24-year-old minor league superstar proved healthy enough to crack the opening day roster this spring, but floundered in limited playing time early on and ended up at Rochester. Now he’s back and is showing glimpses of his potential. Kubel definitely a player to keep an eye on this year.

5. Rincon is rare bright spot in bullpen.
Admit it, when Juan Rincon was suspended for steroid use last year, you wondered if his stellar numbers were an aberration. Wonder no more.

In in team leading 29 appearances, the right-hander has posted a sterling 1.71 ERA along with a 2-0 record, 8 holds and 1 save. Let’s hope he gets some well deserved All Star consideration.

Legendary.

Posted at 10:50 PM on June 13, 2006 by Josh Lee (3 Comments)

"Schilling versus Santana" sounds like Old English for "epic pitchers' duel," so naturally, I approached tonight's game with suspicion. "Surely," I thought, "a meeting between The Bleeding Sock and El Presidente could never live up to our expectations, because our expectations involve some kind of apocalyptic battle between giants, lightning flying off the mound, batters left scarred and weeping." It takes some pretty amazing pitching to inspire purple prose like that, and as good as these guys are, I wasn't going to hold my breath for a tell-your-grandkids-about-it kind of game.

As it turns out, I could breathe easy, because for eight innings, Santana and Schilling battled like Beowulf and Grendel. Boston's ace kept Minnesota firmly under wraps, inducing groundouts and double plays and making the Twins look a little foolish, even without Rondell White in the lineup. Johan Santana, on the other hand, simply owned the Red Sox, racking up 13 strikeouts, including the 1,000th "K" of his career. Jason Varitek looked like he might break things open with a homer in the top of the 7th, but Michael Cuddyer balanced the scales with a dinger of his own in the bottom of the inning.

After pitching each other to a draw through eight innings, though, both pitchers tired and had to withdraw from the fray, giving way to their respective bullpens. If the hitters thought that they'd have it any easier, though, they were quickly reminded that while guys like Papelbon, Nathan, and Rincon might not have any epic poems written about them, they can still get Coco Crisp and Luis Rodriguez out without breaking a sweat.

Then Gardenhire put Jesse Crain in to pitch the 12th inning, and he promptly booched it, allowing the Red Sox to load up the bases and slip a run across. With the Twins' backs to the wall in the bottom of the 12th, Mauer struck out, Cuddyer was hit by a pitch, Morneau hit a ground-rule double, and Torii was intentionally walked to load the bases. Then Jason Kubel came up to bat, decided that pitching had defined this game for long enough, and hit a walkoff grand slam to right field. Minnesota Twins 5, Boston Red Sox 2. Be sure to tell your grandkids about it.

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Batista experiment over

Posted at 9:19 AM on June 14, 2006 by Ben Tesch

Third basemen with range all over the country are rejoicing, as the Tony Batista experiment appears to be over for now, as he was optioned to AAA Rochester, and the Twins brought shortstop Jason Bartlett back up. The idea of playing developing young guys is what the Twins are all about, and may prove fruitful for the future. Heck, it may starting providing dividends sooner than that.

RonDL on the way out as well?

Posted at 1:05 PM on June 14, 2006 by Ben Tesch (3 Comments)

Twins losing patience with struggling DH

The Twins have given Rondell White every opportunity to prove himself as their designated hitter.

But with White hitting only .190 and being the only regular DH in the American League with no home runs, the organization no longer can be patient.

"It just isn't working out," general manager Terry Ryan said. "(Manager Ron Gardenhire) has gone with Rondell a long time, and there are consequences when you don't produce. All of us are accountable; I am, and he is."

Ryan said Monday a move regarding White was not imminent, but now could be the opportune time for the Twins to part ways with the 14-year veteran.

A roster decision looms in the next week, perhaps even this weekend when the Twins open a three-game series Friday in Pittsburgh. Left fielder Shannon Stewart, who has been sidelined more than three weeks with plantar fasciitis in his left foot, should be ready to come off the disabled list during the upcoming six-game interleague road trip.

After this week's three-game series against Boston at the Metrodome, the Twins will not need a DH again until June 23.

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The JOY of Youth!!!!

Posted at 9:29 AM on June 15, 2006 by David Zingler (8 Comments)

Although it’s only been a three game winning streak and the team is still double digit games out of first place, there seems to be a real sense of optimism about the Twins. The main reason for that is youth. Justin Morneau (25) is finally looking like the power hitter we’ve been waiting for since Bill Clinton’s first term (how about hitting him clean-up??), Joe Mauer (23) is becoming the 21st Century version of Kirby Puckett, Jason Kubel (24) looks like an everyday player with a high ceiling, Jason Bartlett (26) has replaced Tony Batista on the roster and last, but not least, Francisco Liriano (22) is pushing Johan Santana to another level (if that’s possible).

Santana meanwhile, at 27, is hardly an old man and Michel Cuddyer (also 27) is finally showing us why he was a #1 draft pick and top prospect. So, let’s dump Rondell White, trade Shannon Stewart, shop Torii Hunter and let the kids play. These Twins are all about the future – with Stewart, Hunter and Brad Radke’s sizable salaries likely off the books next year, Terry Ryan should have a little money to play with this off-season. Oh yeah and, if you haven’t already heard, there’s also a new stadium on the way...

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Demoted for an out

Posted at 10:47 AM on June 15, 2006 by Ben Tesch

Report: ChiSox rookie demoted for not hitting Blalock
White Sox rookie pitcher Sean Tracey got into hot water with his manager Ozzie Guillen -- for getting an out.

Tracey was summoned to start the seventh inning and got Hank Blalock to ground out, but getting an out might not have been the reason Tracey was brought into the game. White Sox catcher A.J. Pierzynski was hit by two pitches in the game and a source told the Chicago Sun-Times that Tracey was told to hit Blalock as retaliation. Tracey threw two inside pitches to Blalock before getting him to ground out.

After getting the out, Tracey was removed from the game. Guillen slammed a water bottle to the ground when Blalock grounded out and the manager then brought Agustin Montero into pitch. Guillen was then seen in the dugout barking at Tracey, who pulled the collar of his jersey over his head.

Letting them play.

Posted at 11:28 PM on June 15, 2006 by Josh Lee (1 Comments)

Batista's gone, and now so is Juan Castro. I suspect that if a team came along and offered a prospect for Rondell White, Terry Ryan would probably be willing to listen. When your team decides to start dumping veterans and let the kids play, that usually means that the towel has been thrown in for the year, and that the priority for the club has shifted from winning to development. It usually follows that the priority for the fans must shift accordingly, from looking for immediate gratification (and being disappointed) to looking for signs of life, signs that your feckless young players might someday develop into real professional athletes. This usually leads to statements like: "Well, we lost by six runs, but we only committed three errors!" It's all about seeing the glass as one-quarter full.

But not with this group of kids. Liriano, Cuddyer, Kubel, Bartlett: all the players we've been waiting for are here, and it doesn't look like they're going to get yo-yoed up and down between the majors and minors anymore, because putting them into the game is not so much an act of resignation as it is of straight-up improving your team. Case in point: tonight's 5-3 win over the Red Sox. The Twins had the lead, but there was an annoying paucity of grand slams, and Carlos Silva had to cut short one of those quietly efficient games we loved him for last year, leaving the mound with hamstring problems in the 7th. Then the Red Sox started chipping away at the Twins' lead, even after Nathan came on to bid for a two-inning save. Two weeks ago, I would have been biting my nails down to the quick, a feeling of dread twisting my gut into knots. Tonight, though, my gut was strangely calm; I was actually confident that Minnesota would be able to fend of a Boston rally and complete the series sweep. And they did! They even added an insurance run in the bottom of the 8th, and when's the last time you saw that happen? It's like watching a whole new team, one that actually hits strike pitches and attempts to defend on the left side of the infield.

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Bush addresses Twins roster moves

Posted at 10:04 AM on June 16, 2006 by David Zingler (2 Comments)

In between a trip to Baghdad and those pesky news conferences, President Bush took time out to address the Twins infield situation:

“A wonderful moment in the history of liberty occurred quietly in Minnesota this week. The left side of the Twins infield was liberated from the brutal regimes of Batista and Castro.

"Jason Bartlett offers a new hope for Twins fans and while the third base situation is still unsettled, the franchise has banished Batista and his unnatural batting stance. It is important that the Twins ‘stay the course’ and not ‘cut and run’ by signing a stop-gap veteran like Bret Boone.”

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Vote Joe

Posted at 5:29 PM on June 16, 2006 by Ben Tesch

Twins launch All-Star vote campaign for a favorite son
The Twins catcher, who leads the Major Leagues in hitting at .376, is nowhere near first in the voting for the American League's All-Star team. This is what is considered a (relative) travesty.

Looking for rain over our parade.

Posted at 8:56 PM on June 18, 2006 by Josh Lee (1 Comments)

When I think about the Twins, I usually spend my time looking for silver linings in the clouds, but the team has been playing so well lately that I've had a hard time finding any clouds to look for linings in. The hitters took seven innings to get anything going against the Pirates today, but once they did, they piled onto the hapless Bucs to cruise to an 8-2 victory behind Johan Santana's usual fantastic pitching. Minnesota is now riding a seven-game winning streak and has finally -- finally! -- clawed their way back up to a .500 record. The Twins' batters are making it look easy at the plate, drawing walks and hitting dingers like they're going out of style; Jesse "No, Really, I'm OK" Crain and Kyle "My Trade Value Goes Up A Little Every Day" Lohse have looked good in recent appearances; Nick "Let's Get Fired Up" Punto has an on-base percentage of .405 in June, for goodness' sake; is there anything wrong with this team right now?

If I were really looking for something to worry about, I suppose I could pick on Boof Bonser, who lasted only 3 1/3 innings on Saturday before giving way to the bullpen. Honestly, though, the poor kid already looks nervous enough on the mound; he probably doesn't need some mean ol' blogger telling him that he could use some more seasoning at AAA (cf. Scott Baker) so that he can pitch his way out of a jam without panicking. But the Twins probably aren't going to swap out Bonser for Baker any time soon, and I'd be awfully surprised if Lohse got another chance to start, so unless Terry Ryan can find another surprisingly serviceable and cheap veteran floating out there (cf. Rick Reed, Terry Mulholland), it looks like Bonser's going to have to learn on the job.

Honestly, though, when "the fifth starter looks kind of raw" is the biggest complaint you have about your team, things are going pretty well.

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iPitch, uSwing

Posted at 9:34 AM on June 19, 2006 by Ben Tesch

Video to go: Rockies using video iPods to study swings, hitters
Three hours before a start against Florida, Colorado Rockies pitcher Jason Jennings sits in front of his locker, puts on his headphones and stares at his video iPod.

He isn't watching the latest Coldplay video or catching up on an episode of "Alias" as a way to relax before the game.

Jennings is doing some last-minute cramming: The Rockies' video staff has downloaded every Marlins hitter into his iPod, and Jennings is figuring out how to pitch to them. He watches frames of himself delivering the pitch, followed by the result of the play. Everything else is weeded out.

Is Kirby Puckett overrated?

Posted at 11:44 AM on June 20, 2006 by David Zingler (13 Comments)

In the past few months, we’ve all been engulfed in a wave of Kirby Puckett nostalgia. We’ve rehashed his on-field heroics, glossed over his off-the-field transgressions and generally celebrated his life. During a few of my Torii Hunter-related posts however, a reader who has offered a new take on the Twins legend – that he is overrated.

“Wait a second,” the reader commented on May 9 when I scoffed at Puckett/Hunter comparisons. “Torii's hit a homerun every 24 at bats, compared to every 35 for Kirby's career. He's stolen more bases per game than Kirby, which is even more interesting considering he doesn't get on base nearly as much as Kirby did. Both players drove in one run for every 6.6 at bats. They both walked roughly 40-50 times per year, and Torii normally strikes out 10-15 times per year more than Kirby did. Either Kirby Puckett is the worst player to join the Hall of Fame, or Torii Hunter would be a shoo-in for the Hall of Fame if only he had averaged 8 more hits per month.”

Interesting, but is it valid? The per-at-bat statistics are surprising, but Hunter’s will surely drop as he ages. The same could be said for his base stealing numbers. Their walk totals are similar, but Puckett never struck out a 100 times in a season while Hunter has passed that dubious mark four times already (topping out at 125 in 2001). Puckett’s career average of .318 meanwhile, nearly tops Hunter’s career on-base-percentage of .321 (Kirby’s OBP is .360, Hunter was a .267 hitter entering this season). The reader’s last assertion is that Hunter would be a Hall “shoo-in” for the Hall if he compiled eight more hits per month. While eight hits a month may sound trivial to some, it is the equivalent of 48 hits a season, and that is the difference from mediocrity to stardom.

Time made the reader even bolder, possibly for dramatic effect. “Kirby Puckett's numbers look an awful lot like Placido Polanco's” he commented last week. “Just because there hasn't been a good hitter in Minnesota since the 70s doesn't make Puckett anything more than a pity-choice for the HoF.”

There is no doubt that the Hall of Fame voters gave Puckett the benefit-of-the-doubt because of the tragic manner in which his career ended. His nice guy image also assuredly helped. But, at age 35, Puckett had compiled 2,304 hits and it’s not much of a stretch to think that he could have played to age 40 or longer as a DH and reached the 3,000 hit plateau. That, of course, is one of the most time tested Hall benchmarks.

(On a side note, the Polanco comparison seems outlandish. He is a .300 career hitter, but has hit more than 9 homeruns in a season only twice. Baseball-Reference lists Don Mattingly and Cecil Cooper as the players most similar to Puckett).

The point of this is not to chastise a loyal reader, but rather examine his seemingly radical, but not without merit, argument. After all, it does take guts to rip Kirby in this climate. Are there others out there who think he may be on to something?

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When to run, when to trot.

Posted at 11:06 PM on June 20, 2006 by Josh Lee (1 Comments)

One of the interesting things about the Twins' recent hot streak is the way in which every aspect of the team's game has improved. Ditching two of the worst infielders in the majors was bound to improve the defense, and the granting of regular playing time to Kubel, Bartlett, etc. has given the hitting a boost. The surprise is how much smarter the Twins seem to be on the basepaths. A few weeks ago, the Twins couldn't figure out when to run and when to hold up, and were as good at getting picked off as they were at stranding runners. In tonight's game against the Astros, the Twins did leave nine on base, but some heads-up baserunning in the 9th (a stolen base by Castillo, Mauer beating out a double-play throw) allowed them to take the lead on a wild pitch by Houston reliever Brad Lidge.

The Twins turned out to need that run, too, as Joe Nathan racked up his first blown save of the season, giving up a home run to Preston Wilson. On the first pitch of the 10th inning, though, Justin Morneau decided that while small ball is nice, the long ball is what the chicks dig, and knocked a homer of his own out to left to give the Twins a 5-4 win. Eight straight wins; whatever backwards-cap wearing, jersey-non-washing superstitions the team (or its fans) are riding, now is clearly not the time to stop.

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Twins All Star prospects...

Posted at 8:35 AM on June 21, 2006 by David Zingler (2 Comments)

Joe Mauer, C: 378/.446/.524
The case for: Mauer is a virtual lock to make the team, although not as a starter - you have to play in New York or Boston to receive that honor.
The case against: There's not much of one, but his power numbers could be better.
Odds: 95%

Justin Morneau, 1B: .270/.326/.536, 17 HR, 57 RBI
The case for: A recent hot streak has catapulted Morneau into the league leaders in homers and RBI.
The case against: The slow start and lack of reputation will likely cost him, although an injury or two could open the door.
Odds: 55%

Luis Castillo, 2B: .285/.350/.360, 25 RBI, 6 SB
The case for: This is a weak position and Castillo has been an All Star before.
The case against: Nothing really jumps out about his numbers.
Odds: 25%

Johan Santana, SP: 7-4, 2.87 ERA, 109 SO/ 16 BB, 1.00 WHIP
The case for: He’s the best there is.
The case against: Low win total could unfairly hurt, but I doubt it.
Odds: 95%

Francisco Liriano, SP: 6-1, 2.16 ERA, 67 SO/ 17 BB, 1.10 WHIP
The case for: Look at his numbers – he’s dominant.
The case against: He’s new to the scene and Santana’s selection could shy Ozzie Guillen away.
Odds: 60%

Juan Rincon, RP: 2-0, 1.47 ERA, 10 holds, 1 Save, 1.17 WHIP
The case for: He’s among the best set-up men in the game.
The case against: Set-up men rarely make the All Star team.
Odds: 33%

Joe Nathan, RP: 5-0, 2.10 ERA, 10 Saves, .77 WHIP
The case for: He’s been dominant when given chances and is a two time All Star.
The case against: Although unfair, his low save total will cost him.
Odds: 25%

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By the numbers

Posted at 3:15 PM on June 22, 2006 by Ben Tesch

Baseball Smarts: The Best Percentage Players in the Game
In the New Historical Baseball Abstract, Bill James suggests a method for measuring baseball intelligence, by factoring stolen base percentage, fielding percentage, strikeout-to-walk ratio, and overall walk rate.

Ten Things I Didn't Know Last Week
The first part of this article graphs the salary vs. performance of MLB's bullpens. The Twins seem to be getting good bang for their buck.

Twins sign first-round pick Parmelee
This falls in the "no numbers" category: The Twins don't release the contract terms of draftees, apparently. But The Kid is signed, which is good.

Game tonight

Posted at 4:12 PM on June 22, 2006 by Ben Tesch

I haven't heard much about it on any sports media, but apparently there's a game tonight with a bit of a pitching matchup. Francisco Liriano will take the hill against some guy who just signed with the Astros, who has 0 (zero!) wins this season. I think he just got called up from the minors or something. Care to make a game prediction?

Barry Bonds: Washed Up?

Posted at 8:09 AM on June 23, 2006 by David Zingler (3 Comments)

He's always in the news for something, whether it is steroid related controversy or coverage of his ongoing desecration of baseball’s homerun records, but has anyone noticed that Barry Bonds is really not that good anymore?

Currently, the Giants slugger is hitting .244/.456/.487 with 10 homers and 30 RBI. Sure his .456 OBP is phenomenal, but that just leaves me wondering why pitchers are walking a guy hitting .244 and slugging .487 so frequently. Those numbers would rank 167th and 64th in the majors if he had enough plate appearances to qualify. You have to think NL hurlers will start challenging Bonds as the season wears on.

This is a guy who is making $20 million this season, can’t play everyday, is a liability on defense, a headache in the clubhouse and attracts a lot of unwanted attention. Is Barry Bonds even worth keeping around these days (especially in the NL)?

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The Torii conundrum

Posted at 9:36 AM on June 26, 2006 by Ben Tesch (9 Comments)

Jayson Stark of ESPN brings up the topic that everyone around here knows has been hanging over our heads: What to do with Torii Hunter.

Keep him and try to catch the Tigers or White Sox (or both)? Or trade him and think about some other year, some other playoff charge in a season to be named later?

But even if they keep him, even if they don't trade him in the next month-and-a-half, their debate won't be over.

Within 10 days of the World Series, they have to make another decision:

Pick up Hunter's $12-million option for next year? Or buy him out for $2 million and let him slide down a free-agent escape hatch? Or there's Option No. 3 -- negotiate a new deal that locks him up until their new ballpark opens in (gulp) 2010?

So what will they do? What should they do? They have to keep him around. Except they can't possibly keep him around. What do they do? What would you do?

My initial reaction would be to keep him, at the very least through the next season. Sure, he's not the greatest in all aspects, but he's the right guy in the clubhouse, and I don't see any better options available for an already shallow outfield corps. It also would be a terrible business/marketing move by a team in need of fans and goodwill. Your thoughts?

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Why can't the Twins play in the NL?

Posted at 10:17 PM on June 26, 2006 by Josh Lee (2 Comments)

Beating up on the Astros and Cubs is nice, but they're hardly the best the National League has to offer. You might think that the NL West-leading Dodgers would provide more of a challenge than Derrick "Just Back From Injury" Lee, Mark "Just Back From Injury" Prior, and Roger "Just Back From the Great Beyond" Clemens. You might be wrong. The Twins piled onto L.A.'s Chad Billingsley to cruise to an 8-2 win and show me what a raw rookie pitcher really looks like.

Along the way, Nomar Garciaparra went 2-for-4. Joe Mauer took one look at the NL's best batting average, made a little "pshaw" noise, and went 4-for-5 with five RBIs. Have you used up all your All-Star votes yet?

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The origin of rookie

Posted at 1:58 PM on June 27, 2006 by Ben Tesch (2 Comments)

How did the name "rookie" originate for first-year players?
Although the term "rookie" is used mostly to describe first-year athletes, it can refer to anyone new on the job. There are rookie cops, rookie rodeo clowns, even rookie presidents. You name the occupation, and odds are it's got rookies in way over their heads.

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Morneau Makes Good

Posted at 10:18 PM on June 27, 2006 by David Zingler

On May 3, Justin Morneau was hitting .214 and reaching base at a .275 clip, but he told us he'd be "all right". Coming off a disappointing 2005 season, there was reason to doubt the young first baseman (admit it, you know you did). In the last month with however, he's made legions of believers.

"I am having better at-bats, feeling better at the plate, we've been hitting as a team and there's been guys on base - that kind of stuff," Morneau explained.

Many in the media have explained Morneau's transformation by pointing out his new found tendency to hit the ball to the opposite field. He however, dismisses that logic, "When I am seeing the ball well, that's what I do," he commented. "When I am not seeing the ball well, I foul balls off and get in the hole. The only thing that is different (during this stretch) is my average. My RBIs have been there all year and my homeruns have been decent, (but) they've been a little better this month."

Morneau did however, credit new hitting coach Joe Vavra for playing a part in his recent success. "He's always positive, keeps it simple, keeps track of each guy, puts you into a routine and gets you feeling comfortable," the young slugger said of the rookie coach. "I knew him (from the minors), so I was comfortable with him coming in, he knows his stuff and, obviously, I am pretty happy with the way it's going right now."

Although he's aware his latest power surge has moved him high up the league's homerun and RBI leader boards, Morneau says he isn't one to comb over his statistics. "I look when (the stats) are on the screen here," he admitted, "but it doesn't matter what you're doing (individually), what matters if you are in the playoff race or not."

Sitting with 19 homeruns, 63 RBI and a suddenly solid .281 batting average, the big Canadian is suddenly receiving some late All Star consideration. "Yeah sure," he responded, when asked if he thinks about the showcase game. "I am in a tough competition, (it's in) a National League park and they don't have to deal with the DH. It's nice to be thought of (though), last year there wasn't any talk of it. Maybe next year - if I don't make it this year...there'll be a little more (recognition) and I'll find a way to get there. That's more personal stuff though - individual recognition - right now all we?re worried about is catching the Tigers and White Sox."

Last spring Morneau and Joe Mauer were prematurely tabbed the new "M&M Boys", but this year both are doing their best to validate that seemingly unfair comparison. Along with their strong play, the two are roommates al la Roger Maris and Mickey Mantle in 1961.

Although you won't catch the pair whistling the "Andy Griffith" theme song, Morneau says the two young stars lead a fairly bland lifestyle, "Our house is pretty boring, we don't really do a whole lot," he explained. "We just pretty much get up, come to the park, go home, watch TV and go to bed. On an off day we'll have a BBQ or something, but it's nothing (real exciting)."

He went on to add that their house was "pretty clean", but gave the credit for that to the maid. "When we go on the road and come back it's clean," the first baseman laughed.

One thing the maid won't touch right now is his hat. Not wanting to tinker with the cosmic forces behind the Twins strong play this month, Morneau has allowed his headwear to reach a near toxic level, "It smells," he confessed. "It is starting to smell like my hockey jersey, (but) I won't change it now, that's for sure. Not because of me (though), because of the team...I am kind of superstitious about little things like that."

There are some more adult concerns in the back of Morneau's mind, however. Because he has been designated as a "Super 2" player (he is in the top 17% in service time among players with under 3 years of major league experience), the budding star is eligible for arbitration at season's end and will likely receive a substantial raise from his current $385,000 salary. But don't ask him about that right now, "We'll cross that bridge when we get there," Morneau bluntly stated. "We still have three months left in the season."

The Eastern-most in quality and Western-most in flavor

Posted at 9:43 AM on June 28, 2006 by Ben Tesch (1 Comments)

Thomas G. Arthur, inventor of the Dodger Dog, dies at 84
Thomas Gregory Arthur, the baseball stadium concessionaire whose foot-long Nathan's knockoff came up short and became the beloved Dodger Dog, died June 8 of a heart attack in St. Louis, his son said. He was 84.

According to the National Hot Dog & Sausage Council, Metrodome patrons rank 8th in the league for eating hot dogs, with a 2005 total of 850,000. We ate 883,500 in 2004 but were still ranked 8th. Dodger Stadium patrons still lead the pack at 1.6 million dogs a year, most likely because of the original Dodger Dog. Go get a dog, for Mr. Arthur. (July is also National Hot Dog Month!)

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Pass the butter

Posted at 2:53 PM on June 28, 2006 by Ben Tesch

The Twins are on a roll. I don't think I've seen this kind of offensive display by this team, ever. Mauer almost got up to .400 in just the one series! The pitching is getting ridiculous as well. I'm starting to wonder if Rincon didn't purposely give 'em the old bait-and-switch by giving up 3 runs so Joe Nathan could come in and strikeout the side.

Off Day News: Bonds confesses to using Flintstone Chewables

Posted at 9:01 AM on June 29, 2006 by David Zingler (6 Comments)

SAN FRANCISCO - In a tear-filled press conference, Giants slugger Barry Bonds admitted that he began ingesting large amounts of Flintstone Chewable Vitamins prior to the 2000 season in hopes of boosting his homerun totals.

“Now you guys can finally put this whole thing to rest,” an emotional Bonds told the media yesterday. “It’s embarrassing for a grown man of my stature in this macho environment to admit to using a product designed for 2-3 year olds. I hope you’re happy – the witch hunt is over!”

Bonds later claimed that he did not initially refute the steroid rumors because he thought they made him seem “bad ass.” “At first, I thought the steroid accusations were good – that they would throw you guys off the scent, but then the thing just got out of control. My kids were taunted at school, they would come home crying – do you people know what that is like? I had to come clean; I had to be able to live with myself.”

Too embarrassed to purchase the vitamins himself, the 7-time MVP sent his personal trainer and former BALCO employee, Greg Anderson, to stock up. “In the beginning, I would send him to WalMart where he would load up a shopping cart,” Bonds explained. “But eventually it got so out of hand that we were buying them wholesale – by the pallet.”

Bud Selig meanwhile, said he was pleasantly surprised and relieved by Bonds’ unusual confession, “I am delighted that some of games’ most sacred records are safe,” the commissioner explained. “As a result, I have called off the Mitchell investigation and am looking forward to Barry’s spirited chase of Henry Aaron’s record.”

Upon hearing of Selig’s announcement, Bonds replied, “Yabbadabbadoo!”

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More than TV revenue?

Posted at 1:04 PM on June 30, 2006 by Ben Tesch

Joy in Mudville.com: How the Web can help even the poorest team win a pennant
The article lays out a nice pipe dream that eventually what MLB is selling will be consumed differently, and that it might go on to strengthen the offerings of all involved.

Most fans don’t realize that team inequality is essentially a consequence of technology. The rise of cable TV allowed the Yankees and Red Sox to reap huge amounts of revenue from local broadcasting rights and eventually to go into the TV business themselves, creating their own networks to generate even more cash. Cable networks and traditional media companies even bought their own teams to televise on their airwaves. Thanks to its acquisition of media mogul Ted Turner’s empire in 1996, Time Warner owns the Atlanta Braves. Baseball is ruled by a TV-powered oligarchy.

Juiced, rested, and ready

Posted at 1:14 PM on June 30, 2006 by Ben Tesch

The travelling sideshow that is Jose Canseco is back! He has apparently signed with the San Diego Surf Dawgs of the Golden baseball League. Yes, this is the same team that Rickey Henderson played for last year. Yes, this is the same guy who just wrote a book accusing particular people of using steroids, and has admitting using them himself. Yes, he is also planning to pitch. Wow.

Cuddyer's persistence pays off....

Posted at 8:20 PM on June 30, 2006 by David Zingler (1 Comments)

In this Budget Ball era of Twins baseball, the franchise has been able to consistently field a winning team despite a high rate of roster turnover. As a result, Micheal Cuddyer has quickly become one the most veteran members of the team. Although it may surprise some, the 27-year-old trails only Torii Hunter among everyday position players in seniority.

“I am more comfortable, I guess you could say,” Cuddyer said of his unlikely veteran status. “I feel like I can be one of the leaders rather than just somebody who is on the team. I feel like I can make an impact and help guys rather than just kind of going about my business by myself.”

The Virginia native’s tenure with the team could hardly be described as smooth, however. A 1st round draft pick out of high school in 1997, Cuddyer became one of the top hitting prospects in baseball by 2001 and looked to be on the fast track to major league stardom. It didn’t work out.

Drafted as a shortstop, he split time in right field with Bobby Kielty and Dustan Mohr from 2002-2003 in between stops at Triple A. In 2004, Cuddyer finally stuck in the major leagues, but was used in a utility role. With the departure of Corey Koskie, the former top prospect was anointed as the Twins new third baseman in 2005, but couldn’t hold down the job.

In what must have seemed like a case of déjà vu, Cuddyer found himself back in a jumbled right field situation at the dawn of this season. “I knew I was going to be the outfield coming into spring training, but I didn’t know if I was going to have a chance to play everyday or not,” the upbeat right fielder explained. “So I just went out and tried to work, continue to get better, hoped a spot would open and it did.”

Despite his naturally optimistic nature, not even Cuddyer could have envisioned that he would be the Twins everyday clean-up hitter as July begins, “No, I didn’t expect it, but you take things in stride,” the 2001 Twins Minor League Player of the Year admitted. “I am excited to have the opportunity to be out there in the four hole everyday and trying to help us win -- right now we’re doing it.”

While the 2005 season was regarded as bust for the former third baseman, Cuddyer said the campaign wasn’t entirely lost, “It’s a little easier to sleep at night (this year),” he joked. “Last year was kind of frustrating, it wasn’t how I would liked to have gone about my business, but at the same time I was able to learn from it. Now I am ready to take advantage of this opportunity.”

Like Justin Morneau, Cuddyer gives credit to rookie hitting coach Joe Vavra for his increase in production (.272/.373/.513, 11 HR and 44 RBI as of June 30), “The main thing about (Vavra) is that he’s been positive,” the 6-year veteran pointed out. “No matter if you are swinging the bat well or swinging the bat bad, he still remains positive and still says that he believes in you...we’ve been able to feed off that positivity and have gone out there believing in ourselves.”

You get the sense that Cuddyer finally feels comfortable, having carved out a niche with the Twins. Gone are the days of swapping gloves and nervously checking the line-up card, “I’ve got the one outfielder's mit and a first baseman’s mit because I’ve played out there a couple times,” he said, giving an inventory of his locker. “All of the other gloves are still underneath -- I’ve still got ‘em, they’re just not at the top of my locker anymore.”

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