This is tough to take. This was the "easiest win" on paper. Pavano had beat the Tigers all year. It almost goes without saying that he was due for a clunker against them, and he chose the worst time to do it. He left the cookie jar open all night, and we all know how felines like cookies.
More concerning though is how the line-up has cooled off. Most notably, the bottom five batters. Two runs scored, three runs batted in. That's from all three games. Yes, that includes the until-Detroit heroic Michael Cuddyer. A couple more hits, some fewer unproductive at-bats from , and this could be an entirely different situation. As it is, the season could be over very soon.
The truth of the matter is that the Twins' have had a patchwork roster during the hot stretch that got them into the position they wanted. They did this with scrubs filling out half the line-up. The pressure was all on the Tigers, and they responded while the Twins' scrubs finally ran out of hits. The Tigers' scrubs clawed back to take control of the division they almost frittered away, and now only a choke of the most epic proportion would send the Twins to the playoffs. Assuming the Twins buy one more good outing out of a struggling pitcher and much more than one hit out of a collection of four stars, a has-been, and four career minor-leaguers.
It's a shame that the last series at the Metrodome might not mean anything, but it's impressive that any game is meaningful at this point. To come back and fall short is always disappointing, but it's good to have come back at all, especially with what the Twins' have had to work with.
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
(not) Playing the Match-ups
Ugh.
Duensing's magic has worn off, as he struggled through 4.2, giving up five. Of course the last two were not let in by him. Gardy chose to pull him for Mr. Bobby Keppel, who admittedly is better against right-handers, but when a pitcher isn't good, the match-ups don't matter. Keppel is a pitch-to-contact sinker-baller that walks his fair share of hitters, without striking out his fair share of hitters. In other words, his method of pitching (sinker, sinker, sinker) is not conducive to a bases-loaded situation. Anything can happen when a bat meets a ball, and rather than risking an error or hit, why not send in a guy who pitches righties more effectively (.215 vs .258 avg against), and can make batters miss? That's right, I'm endorsing Jesse Crain, at least to have pitched instead of Kepp Kepp. His skill-set matched the situation. Bob's did not match this or any situation.
It almost broke even in the end, as Jim Leyland failed to learn from his previous eighth inning against the Twins with Verlander on the mound. Already at 110 pitches on the night, Jim left his ace in there again, and the Twins rallied, again. Verlander lost his command, and the Twins started catching up to his fastball. It makes one wonder if the Twins could just take batting practice at his speed to adjust before the eighth inning. It was disappointing that Mr. "Chewie" Cuddyer couldn't continue his hot September, but Leyland turning over management duties to his pitcher let the Twins get close.
With much less drama, the Tigers' regained a crucial two-run cushion. Curtis Granderson is a case where the match-up makes all the difference. Grandstand bats one-seventy-eight against left-handers. He's hit two home runs against left-handers. If you ever throw a LOOGY (Lefty One Out GuY) at a batter, you throw it at Granderson. Gardy had his reasons I guess. Matty G hadn't pitched in awhile, and Mijares had already pitched in the afternoon game. Of course, those are superficial reasons. When you have a chance to keep a division-lead tying game within one run, you throw out all the stops. Mijares had warmed up in a previous inning. USE HIM. He only needs to get one guy, then Matt can clean up the rest.
Yet again though, Detroit gave back all that they took. Punto's deep line drive froze Granderson (much like a Mijares slider could have), allowing it to drop for an rbi double. The tying run was in scoring position and Denard Span came up to the plate. Unfortunately, Fernando "All But One" Rodney rarely allows the tying run, and Span's poke-fly ended the Twins' chances of a sweep.
But it did not end the season: Tomorrow Carl "Tiger Hunter" Pavano takes on E. "What's the 'E' stand for?" Bonine. Thursday is Scott "Surely Comerica Park is too big for him to give up a homer" Baker against Nate "85 mph" Robertson. Yes it's the rematch, and yes I'm banking on the Twins to do something against that bowling-ball fastball.
It's a moral victory, but of course, there are no moral victories at this point. Bonine better suck as much as he should.
Duensing's magic has worn off, as he struggled through 4.2, giving up five. Of course the last two were not let in by him. Gardy chose to pull him for Mr. Bobby Keppel, who admittedly is better against right-handers, but when a pitcher isn't good, the match-ups don't matter. Keppel is a pitch-to-contact sinker-baller that walks his fair share of hitters, without striking out his fair share of hitters. In other words, his method of pitching (sinker, sinker, sinker) is not conducive to a bases-loaded situation. Anything can happen when a bat meets a ball, and rather than risking an error or hit, why not send in a guy who pitches righties more effectively (.215 vs .258 avg against), and can make batters miss? That's right, I'm endorsing Jesse Crain, at least to have pitched instead of Kepp Kepp. His skill-set matched the situation. Bob's did not match this or any situation.
It almost broke even in the end, as Jim Leyland failed to learn from his previous eighth inning against the Twins with Verlander on the mound. Already at 110 pitches on the night, Jim left his ace in there again, and the Twins rallied, again. Verlander lost his command, and the Twins started catching up to his fastball. It makes one wonder if the Twins could just take batting practice at his speed to adjust before the eighth inning. It was disappointing that Mr. "Chewie" Cuddyer couldn't continue his hot September, but Leyland turning over management duties to his pitcher let the Twins get close.
With much less drama, the Tigers' regained a crucial two-run cushion. Curtis Granderson is a case where the match-up makes all the difference. Grandstand bats one-seventy-eight against left-handers. He's hit two home runs against left-handers. If you ever throw a LOOGY (Lefty One Out GuY) at a batter, you throw it at Granderson. Gardy had his reasons I guess. Matty G hadn't pitched in awhile, and Mijares had already pitched in the afternoon game. Of course, those are superficial reasons. When you have a chance to keep a division-lead tying game within one run, you throw out all the stops. Mijares had warmed up in a previous inning. USE HIM. He only needs to get one guy, then Matt can clean up the rest.
Yet again though, Detroit gave back all that they took. Punto's deep line drive froze Granderson (much like a Mijares slider could have), allowing it to drop for an rbi double. The tying run was in scoring position and Denard Span came up to the plate. Unfortunately, Fernando "All But One" Rodney rarely allows the tying run, and Span's poke-fly ended the Twins' chances of a sweep.
But it did not end the season: Tomorrow Carl "Tiger Hunter" Pavano takes on E. "What's the 'E' stand for?" Bonine. Thursday is Scott "Surely Comerica Park is too big for him to give up a homer" Baker against Nate "85 mph" Robertson. Yes it's the rematch, and yes I'm banking on the Twins to do something against that bowling-ball fastball.
It's a moral victory, but of course, there are no moral victories at this point. Bonine better suck as much as he should.
Wires Crossed
What's better than playoff baseball? Good playoff baseball.
This was a great game to watch. A "pitcher's duel" where neither pitcher looked entirely dominant, there were plenty of baserunners in seemingly every inning. Both Blackburn and Porcello are the types to allow hits, and lucky for both Detroit and Minnesota they got the outs they needed (both teams were a combined 3/21 with runners in scoring position). The Twins' bullpen is better on paper, and it was better on the field today.
Both offenses struggled where it counted. The Twins had some good sacrifices, but the suicide-squeeze in the top of the ninth was gut-wrenching. It was a calculated risk, with the hope to surprise, but a head-high fastball is nigh-impossible to get down. Unlucky, but I don't think it would have been too hard for Punto to intentionally push it foul, and live for another pitch. It appeared to be a huge swing in momentum, as with a lead off walk and sacrifice the Tigers had the winning run in scoring position. Yet the Twins kept to their horses, and Rauch pitched to hard contact, with Captain Jean-Luc Denard of the Starship Range running it down to preserve the tie.
The Twins tried to manufacture runs all day, rendering it ironic when Brandon Lyon's wild pitches gave them the lead in the tenth. O-Cab came through with his first hit of the game to create another threat after following through on the prior. A sacrifice-on-walk sandwich, and Delmon Young ate the leftover sacrifice for a what proved to be crucial two-run lead. Joe Nathan seemed to give up a home-run on everything in play after that Curtis Granderson pop, but they weren't, and Miguel Cabrera wasted his chance to play hero. After a long outing, Rauch probably won't be pitching tonight, but Nathan's pitch-to-contact save used only twelve pitches, few enough that he'll be able to go again tonight. Let's hope that's a good thing.
This was a great game to watch. A "pitcher's duel" where neither pitcher looked entirely dominant, there were plenty of baserunners in seemingly every inning. Both Blackburn and Porcello are the types to allow hits, and lucky for both Detroit and Minnesota they got the outs they needed (both teams were a combined 3/21 with runners in scoring position). The Twins' bullpen is better on paper, and it was better on the field today.
Both offenses struggled where it counted. The Twins had some good sacrifices, but the suicide-squeeze in the top of the ninth was gut-wrenching. It was a calculated risk, with the hope to surprise, but a head-high fastball is nigh-impossible to get down. Unlucky, but I don't think it would have been too hard for Punto to intentionally push it foul, and live for another pitch. It appeared to be a huge swing in momentum, as with a lead off walk and sacrifice the Tigers had the winning run in scoring position. Yet the Twins kept to their horses, and Rauch pitched to hard contact, with Captain Jean-Luc Denard of the Starship Range running it down to preserve the tie.
The Twins tried to manufacture runs all day, rendering it ironic when Brandon Lyon's wild pitches gave them the lead in the tenth. O-Cab came through with his first hit of the game to create another threat after following through on the prior. A sacrifice-on-walk sandwich, and Delmon Young ate the leftover sacrifice for a what proved to be crucial two-run lead. Joe Nathan seemed to give up a home-run on everything in play after that Curtis Granderson pop, but they weren't, and Miguel Cabrera wasted his chance to play hero. After a long outing, Rauch probably won't be pitching tonight, but Nathan's pitch-to-contact save used only twelve pitches, few enough that he'll be able to go again tonight. Let's hope that's a good thing.
Sunday, September 27, 2009
That was expected
Greinke's really good, Liriano is awful, and it was impressive that the bullpen even allowed the opportunity for a late inning comeback. Of course, since KC has so little opportunities for their all-star closer, they send him out for a two inning save. Saving Greinke's win is more important to the Royals than keeping their closer ready on consecutive days.
Detroit lost, so this was a missed opportunity no doubt, but the Twins were going to have to take three of four in Motown regardless. It's not the end of the world. The end of either the Twins' and Detroit's will be coming in the next four days.
Detroit lost, so this was a missed opportunity no doubt, but the Twins were going to have to take three of four in Motown regardless. It's not the end of the world. The end of either the Twins' and Detroit's will be coming in the next four days.
Yeah... that Bobby Wade guy...
Wow. I think this is how you develop bipolar disorder, because emotions could not have swung any faster. Institutionalize me baby, because my poles just doubled.
The Vikes got out to a halftime lead with a big run by AD, a great seam route for a touchdown by Sidney Rice, and a couple of field goals. The defense was dominant, knocking Frank Gore out of the game on the first play from scrimmage, and rattling Purple reject Sean Hill. The only blemish was their complete inability or unwillingness to cover Vernon Davis. He's not the only tight end to find success against the Vikings, as Robert Royal became the Browns leading receiver in week one. They've now allowed four TD passes, and three of those have been to a tight end. I hope Leslie has some tricks to shore that up, because it is their only perceivable weakness right now. It was good to see them return to their run-stuffing ways though.
So the Vikes lined up to pad their lead before the end of the first half, and holy ten-point-swing batman, my blood-curdling scream might have taken a few years off Bogey's (my dog) life. It hushed the crowd, and it fired up those gold-rushers in white. When the game resumed, they started to shut down the Viking passing game, which left AD no room to run. After a couple of flailing drives, Percy Harvin took the game into his own hands, returning the lead to the Vikings... which they coughed up two series later with Davis' second TD of the game.
The Vikings managed to drive to a fourth and four on the Niners' forty yard. And they punted. Regardless of the result (a net gain of twenty yards), they should have went for it. There was no guarantee of another drive into Niner territory. You have to take advantage of your opportunities.
Childress passed on that one, counting on his defense and stockpiled timeouts to give the ball back to his offense. It didn't look good. Favre on his own twenty, a minute-thirty-six, and no timeouts. Fans were already leaving the Metrodome, because they probably half-expected a kneel-down based on the passive, "don't lose" strategy the Vikes had shown in the past. These were the moments in which the Vikings had failed. Except T-Jack was gone.
This was the reason the Vikings allowed Brett Favre to skip training camp: for this moment. He had gotten them close once, and against all odds, he got them close again. On the last chance they had, he passed into triple coverage, allowing Greg Lewis to go up and seize the lead, with two seconds remaining. That's right, the Vikings won a game on a last second TD pass.
Childress made two right calls, passing on the fourth and four, and passing on Bobby Wade, who would not have made that play. Dare I say it? Childress is doing a half-decent job thus far. He (well, Brett Favre) made a difference this week. Now let's hope Brett's body doesn't fall apart.
BOO YA!
The Vikes got out to a halftime lead with a big run by AD, a great seam route for a touchdown by Sidney Rice, and a couple of field goals. The defense was dominant, knocking Frank Gore out of the game on the first play from scrimmage, and rattling Purple reject Sean Hill. The only blemish was their complete inability or unwillingness to cover Vernon Davis. He's not the only tight end to find success against the Vikings, as Robert Royal became the Browns leading receiver in week one. They've now allowed four TD passes, and three of those have been to a tight end. I hope Leslie has some tricks to shore that up, because it is their only perceivable weakness right now. It was good to see them return to their run-stuffing ways though.
So the Vikes lined up to pad their lead before the end of the first half, and holy ten-point-swing batman, my blood-curdling scream might have taken a few years off Bogey's (my dog) life. It hushed the crowd, and it fired up those gold-rushers in white. When the game resumed, they started to shut down the Viking passing game, which left AD no room to run. After a couple of flailing drives, Percy Harvin took the game into his own hands, returning the lead to the Vikings... which they coughed up two series later with Davis' second TD of the game.
The Vikings managed to drive to a fourth and four on the Niners' forty yard. And they punted. Regardless of the result (a net gain of twenty yards), they should have went for it. There was no guarantee of another drive into Niner territory. You have to take advantage of your opportunities.
Childress passed on that one, counting on his defense and stockpiled timeouts to give the ball back to his offense. It didn't look good. Favre on his own twenty, a minute-thirty-six, and no timeouts. Fans were already leaving the Metrodome, because they probably half-expected a kneel-down based on the passive, "don't lose" strategy the Vikes had shown in the past. These were the moments in which the Vikings had failed. Except T-Jack was gone.
This was the reason the Vikings allowed Brett Favre to skip training camp: for this moment. He had gotten them close once, and against all odds, he got them close again. On the last chance they had, he passed into triple coverage, allowing Greg Lewis to go up and seize the lead, with two seconds remaining. That's right, the Vikings won a game on a last second TD pass.
Childress made two right calls, passing on the fourth and four, and passing on Bobby Wade, who would not have made that play. Dare I say it? Childress is doing a half-decent job thus far. He (well, Brett Favre) made a difference this week. Now let's hope Brett's body doesn't fall apart.
BOO YA!
Saturday, September 26, 2009
The Grand Spanyon
Forgot to write about this yesterday, but I always prefer my domedogs with Denard. Lots of it. He took last night to erode the hazy landscape with a couple of hits, a walk, stolen base, and run scored before EXPLODING tonight with the biggest RBI, go-ahead triple in America. Granted, the Twins already should have had the lead on what looked like Cuddy's 31st homer of the year. It wasn't, and Joe Mauer, being the cautious type, made sure it wasn't caught before dashing all the way into the tag at home. Not often that Mauer costs his team a run in any way, much less by too cautious. Just not a good read by Joe. Luckily, Yuniesky Betancourt is a terrible defender, scoring the Twins' first run on a high throw, which allowed Brendan Harris to tie the game with a sac-fly. Threat over? No. A couple of dinks to load the bases later, and Mr. Spantastic cleared the bases with his tenth triple of the year. Amazingly enough, that would not be enough.
Admittedly, I ducked out before the sixth to see The Informant. It's good, go check it out. Anyway, Bakes was inconsistent, giving up back to back home runs to a couple of nobodies before settling down until the seventh, where Scott allowed a double which I assume was a pitch up, which is always the problem with him. The bullpen cleaned up well for the most part, but Spantasm's SIX RBI were really what shut the game up (get it? don't speak? no doubt?).
As everyone kept saying, this was a big game to win, bigger than usual. The Tigers won, and the Twins face Greinke tomorrow. They send out "Franchise," which will be a roller coaster. Here's hoping Ozzie Guillen's latest shameless moment inspires his team. Something tells me the real "Franchise" will not let his franchise be swept.
Admittedly, I ducked out before the sixth to see The Informant. It's good, go check it out. Anyway, Bakes was inconsistent, giving up back to back home runs to a couple of nobodies before settling down until the seventh, where Scott allowed a double which I assume was a pitch up, which is always the problem with him. The bullpen cleaned up well for the most part, but Spantasm's SIX RBI were really what shut the game up (get it? don't speak? no doubt?).
As everyone kept saying, this was a big game to win, bigger than usual. The Tigers won, and the Twins face Greinke tomorrow. They send out "Franchise," which will be a roller coaster. Here's hoping Ozzie Guillen's latest shameless moment inspires his team. Something tells me the real "Franchise" will not let his franchise be swept.
Friday, September 25, 2009
WhoaMG
Pavano continued to prove his worth by shutting down 8/9 Royals. Too bad they fielded all nine players, as Billy Butler continues to add another finger to the hand of good Kansas City players. Carl did his usual routine, allowing a few singles but limiting walks and mistakes. Except for two. 4 ER in 6 IP is not a good line, but aside from the high-caliber BB gun, the Royals didn't score a run. Carlvano kept the Twins in the game and deserved the win.
Tejada had good stuff. He struck out three and held the Twins to two hits. Yet the Twins strolled to six runs off of him. It was a rare show of patience from the Twins, as every single one of them seemed to have the plan to force Tejada to throw strikes, and he lost that ability in the fifth. I wish the Twins had that plan every night, regardless of the pitcher. Not every pitcher is as wild as Tejada, who is a reliever forced into starting duties, but as exemplified by Nick Punto's offensive turnaround, drawing walks can be a crucial skill. Bert spoke tonight of Nick's new-found ability to foul off tough pitches, forcing the pitcher into something a bit more hittable. It's a skill that could help more than a few players in the Twins' line-up (yes, even Michael Cuddyer), and if Nick Punto at an age 31 can learn it (or rediscover), Delmon Young, Carlos Gomez, and the rest of the Twins can learn it too.
Of course, guys like Cuddy don't need to rely on walks, because he has the power to drive himself home instead of relying on the top of the lineup to do it. The Twins' offense, with the recent hot streaks of Punto, Tolbert, and Young, has become very balanced: able to get on base with the bat or the eye, able to turn singles into doubles on the basepaths, and able to hit homeruns. Delmon pulled the ball for a homerun for what seemed like the first time this year (can anyone confirm this? I can't find such stats). I view that as good progress. I hope his hot streak continues. Of course, drawing a walk would be nice as well.
Two back, and the Twins face "DiNardo" tomorrow. No, Trey Hillman hasn't heard of him either.
Tejada had good stuff. He struck out three and held the Twins to two hits. Yet the Twins strolled to six runs off of him. It was a rare show of patience from the Twins, as every single one of them seemed to have the plan to force Tejada to throw strikes, and he lost that ability in the fifth. I wish the Twins had that plan every night, regardless of the pitcher. Not every pitcher is as wild as Tejada, who is a reliever forced into starting duties, but as exemplified by Nick Punto's offensive turnaround, drawing walks can be a crucial skill. Bert spoke tonight of Nick's new-found ability to foul off tough pitches, forcing the pitcher into something a bit more hittable. It's a skill that could help more than a few players in the Twins' line-up (yes, even Michael Cuddyer), and if Nick Punto at an age 31 can learn it (or rediscover), Delmon Young, Carlos Gomez, and the rest of the Twins can learn it too.
Of course, guys like Cuddy don't need to rely on walks, because he has the power to drive himself home instead of relying on the top of the lineup to do it. The Twins' offense, with the recent hot streaks of Punto, Tolbert, and Young, has become very balanced: able to get on base with the bat or the eye, able to turn singles into doubles on the basepaths, and able to hit homeruns. Delmon pulled the ball for a homerun for what seemed like the first time this year (can anyone confirm this? I can't find such stats). I view that as good progress. I hope his hot streak continues. Of course, drawing a walk would be nice as well.
Two back, and the Twins face "DiNardo" tomorrow. No, Trey Hillman hasn't heard of him either.
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
Whew
Don't you wish they were all this exciting?
Joe Nathan earned another tough save, putting all of us on the edge of our seats with repressed memories of his last blown save. Against the White Sox. Joe must have recovered his own repression, because he sandwiched Gordon Beckham and Paul Konerko onto the bases around AJ "Trade Bait" Pierzynski's strikeout to give the Sox a threat. Luckily, Alexei Ramirez sucks and got himself out quite handily. To be honest though, I almost enjoy these close, tough victories and saves than the blowout wins. I hadn't felt that tightness in the back of my throat for a while. I missed it. Almost.
Duensing looked on his way to an easy win, though it could have been worse. The Sox were hitting the ball hard... right into Twins' gloves. Brian's been pitching well, but he's also been getting lucky. Luck in this case means hard hit, blind balls that can't see a piece of leather right in front of them. All pitchers give up hits, because MLB hitters are the best. The timing of those hits represents the luck of a pitcher, which is why strikeouts are so important to advanced statistics. Outs on balls put into play have the risk of the falling to the ground, strikeouts lack that quality. Strikeouts with men on base/in scoring position are even more important. Because they avoid the risk that the ball will send those men home. Duensing didn't strike many out tonight, and the hits that he's bound to give up sooner or later, he gave them up at the wrong time. Especially that home run.
But the Twins kept swinging hot bats, so Duensing never surrendered the generous lead given to him. He came close, but managed to go long enough to spare at least part of the bullpen, which was bound to be tired from the night before. Thank heaven for off days, which will give the bullpen and Denard Span time to recuperate and the Tigers time to start losing. I continue to go against my better morals in saying Jermaine Dye's two home run night might be a good thing. If he heats up, the Sox have a much better chance of knocking off the division leaders. Because Cleveland doesn't really seem up to it.
Joe Nathan earned another tough save, putting all of us on the edge of our seats with repressed memories of his last blown save. Against the White Sox. Joe must have recovered his own repression, because he sandwiched Gordon Beckham and Paul Konerko onto the bases around AJ "Trade Bait" Pierzynski's strikeout to give the Sox a threat. Luckily, Alexei Ramirez sucks and got himself out quite handily. To be honest though, I almost enjoy these close, tough victories and saves than the blowout wins. I hadn't felt that tightness in the back of my throat for a while. I missed it. Almost.
Duensing looked on his way to an easy win, though it could have been worse. The Sox were hitting the ball hard... right into Twins' gloves. Brian's been pitching well, but he's also been getting lucky. Luck in this case means hard hit, blind balls that can't see a piece of leather right in front of them. All pitchers give up hits, because MLB hitters are the best. The timing of those hits represents the luck of a pitcher, which is why strikeouts are so important to advanced statistics. Outs on balls put into play have the risk of the falling to the ground, strikeouts lack that quality. Strikeouts with men on base/in scoring position are even more important. Because they avoid the risk that the ball will send those men home. Duensing didn't strike many out tonight, and the hits that he's bound to give up sooner or later, he gave them up at the wrong time. Especially that home run.
But the Twins kept swinging hot bats, so Duensing never surrendered the generous lead given to him. He came close, but managed to go long enough to spare at least part of the bullpen, which was bound to be tired from the night before. Thank heaven for off days, which will give the bullpen and Denard Span time to recuperate and the Tigers time to start losing. I continue to go against my better morals in saying Jermaine Dye's two home run night might be a good thing. If he heats up, the Sox have a much better chance of knocking off the division leaders. Because Cleveland doesn't really seem up to it.
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
Bucking the odds
Denard Span was out tonight, and is still day-to-day after experiencing symptoms. That put Carlos Gomez in the lead-off spot. Not the a winning strategy. Of course he then decides to draw a lead-off walk, and then score on Swing's home run. Delmon "Everything" Young's sac fly made it 3-0 and the rout was on.
Jeff Man(he's sinking the)ship thought otherwise, and after bumbling along for two innings, he gave lost the lead and his composure before giving way to Francisco Liriano, who seems perfectly comfortable cleaning up other pitchers' messes. Just not his own. He was pulled after giving up his billionth lead of the year. Franchise doesn't really fit in the bullpen right now. He doesn't fit in the rotation either, and neither does Manship. There's a reason Gardy's lined up the Detroit series to specifically avoid throwing Jeff out there in the most important series of the season.
The offense resembled the early-season, where everything came from long balls, doubles and home runs. Not the Twins' usual way, but effective nonetheless. And good thing too. This was probably the hardest win to come by against the Sox, and the Twins won. Here's hoping they can sweep this one tomorrow.
Something to consider: The Twins have six games against the Royals outside of the Detroit series, and Detroit has six against the White Sox. Two of those games will be against Zack Greinke. Advantage Detroit. It's still an uphill battle, especially with the level of crapitude to which the Sox have dumped. Maybe they'll snap out of it in time to pound Detroit. I can't believe I just rooted for the pale hoes.
Jeff Man(he's sinking the)ship thought otherwise, and after bumbling along for two innings, he gave lost the lead and his composure before giving way to Francisco Liriano, who seems perfectly comfortable cleaning up other pitchers' messes. Just not his own. He was pulled after giving up his billionth lead of the year. Franchise doesn't really fit in the bullpen right now. He doesn't fit in the rotation either, and neither does Manship. There's a reason Gardy's lined up the Detroit series to specifically avoid throwing Jeff out there in the most important series of the season.
The offense resembled the early-season, where everything came from long balls, doubles and home runs. Not the Twins' usual way, but effective nonetheless. And good thing too. This was probably the hardest win to come by against the Sox, and the Twins won. Here's hoping they can sweep this one tomorrow.
Something to consider: The Twins have six games against the Royals outside of the Detroit series, and Detroit has six against the White Sox. Two of those games will be against Zack Greinke. Advantage Detroit. It's still an uphill battle, especially with the level of crapitude to which the Sox have dumped. Maybe they'll snap out of it in time to pound Detroit. I can't believe I just rooted for the pale hoes.
Sleeping on it...
... and having done so, am still worried about the Span beaning. When he's hot, the Twins' offense clicks. When he's not (like on Sunday), they don't score runs. Unless O-Cab steps it up like he did last night. Denard's day-to-day, but I doubt he plays tonight. I just hope Gardy doesn't move Orlando "Swing" Cabrera into Span's spot.
There was a game played last night, but it was pretty unremarkable. Blackburn ran into little trouble, and the Twins took advantage of their opportunities. Hard to call any win at this point "ho-hum," especially against a despicable team with the most despicable announcer in all of baseball, but the Sox are out of it, and it's just the Twins taking care of business against an inferior club.
Tonight's matchup of Manship and Danks could provide some more drama. Especially if Jeff decides revenge is in order. Hopefully on Gordon Beckham.
There was a game played last night, but it was pretty unremarkable. Blackburn ran into little trouble, and the Twins took advantage of their opportunities. Hard to call any win at this point "ho-hum," especially against a despicable team with the most despicable announcer in all of baseball, but the Sox are out of it, and it's just the Twins taking care of business against an inferior club.
Tonight's matchup of Manship and Danks could provide some more drama. Especially if Jeff decides revenge is in order. Hopefully on Gordon Beckham.
Sunday, September 20, 2009
Minnesota wins 3 of 4
Jim Leyland's wisdom on the non-existence of pitching momentum held true, as Scott Baker couldn't build on Duensing and Pavano's success nor on his own personal run of effective pitching. He cruised through four innings, with an rbi double that Jason Kubel played into a triple marking Baker's only mistake. Until the fifth that is. The lead-off walk to Gerald Laird is what really hurt Scott. All the hits didn't help either. There was no doubt about any of those hits. Whatever the Tigers did to adjust, Baker was unable to respond.
I tried as hard as I could to avoid any Vikings updates, but wearing my AD jersey to the Twins game undid me, as everyone who saw it thought it best to spoil whatever surprise awaited in the DVR. You can imagine how I felt overhearing "10-7 Lions" and "Adrian Peterson fumble" from the loudmouths behind me.
The Twins batters responded as long as they could, but Nate Robertson (NATE ROBERTSON) stumped them with his 86 mph fastball. It was all they could do to scratch out a single run in separate innings. I had a feeling that Washburn being scratched would be a bad thing, and I think I was right. I can't imagine such a Cuddfire, Kubel noodle, and Spaneurysm all on the same day. I hope it doesn't happen in Chicago.
The tide turned after halftime, eerily similar to last week, as HalfDay found some daylight for the go ahead touchdown. The question still remains though: will the defense come up with those key turnovers against a quality offense? The 49ers aren't a powerhouse, but their running game exploded against the Seahawks. Maybe the Lions and Browns have underrated O-lines/RBs. I doubt it. For whatever reason, the Vikes' vaunted run defense just surrendered 129 yards rushing to THE LIONS. The Niners will be a real test for the entire team. We'll see if they're up for it.
Francisco Liriano plays the voodoo doll of the Twins season. As his (never good) fastball was crushed and the walks piled up, the Twins struggled in mediocrity. Then in August he really hit the wall, before falling off the map to the disabled list. Well he's back, just like the Twins' season. And just like their early season struggles, he gave the Tigers the breathing room to avoid the late inning heroics of the prior nights. The winning streak is over, but just as the Twins lost "momentum," they can gain it right back just as quickly.
I tried as hard as I could to avoid any Vikings updates, but wearing my AD jersey to the Twins game undid me, as everyone who saw it thought it best to spoil whatever surprise awaited in the DVR. You can imagine how I felt overhearing "10-7 Lions" and "Adrian Peterson fumble" from the loudmouths behind me.
The Twins batters responded as long as they could, but Nate Robertson (NATE ROBERTSON) stumped them with his 86 mph fastball. It was all they could do to scratch out a single run in separate innings. I had a feeling that Washburn being scratched would be a bad thing, and I think I was right. I can't imagine such a Cuddfire, Kubel noodle, and Spaneurysm all on the same day. I hope it doesn't happen in Chicago.
The tide turned after halftime, eerily similar to last week, as HalfDay found some daylight for the go ahead touchdown. The question still remains though: will the defense come up with those key turnovers against a quality offense? The 49ers aren't a powerhouse, but their running game exploded against the Seahawks. Maybe the Lions and Browns have underrated O-lines/RBs. I doubt it. For whatever reason, the Vikes' vaunted run defense just surrendered 129 yards rushing to THE LIONS. The Niners will be a real test for the entire team. We'll see if they're up for it.
Francisco Liriano plays the voodoo doll of the Twins season. As his (never good) fastball was crushed and the walks piled up, the Twins struggled in mediocrity. Then in August he really hit the wall, before falling off the map to the disabled list. Well he's back, just like the Twins' season. And just like their early season struggles, he gave the Tigers the breathing room to avoid the late inning heroics of the prior nights. The winning streak is over, but just as the Twins lost "momentum," they can gain it right back just as quickly.
Friday, September 18, 2009
Getting warmer
The XCel was kind enough to have the Twins game on a few monitors in the concourse, but that's not why you go to a hockey game. So I missed most of the exciting parts. And there were plenty after the fifth as well.
Like Jose Mijares cleaning up yet another mess. It seems to come too easy for that guy. He's been nigh-unhittable for a few weeks now. It's good that he's heating up, because let's be honest: Joe Nathan needs a break. He hasn't blown a save since the Disaster-that-shall-not-be-named, but he's allowed baserunners, a homerun, and lots of high blood pressure in saving seven straight chances. Most of the trouble has come with two outs as well. You know what that suggests? Fatigue. He lost his command after getting two quick outs, and then he hit a wall, falling behind and walking Alex Avila, before leaving a fat one for Curtis Granderson to smack into the baggie. He recovered to jam Aubrey Huff into the game-winning soft liner, but the concerns remain. His velocity is down, he's walking more batters, and it's driving us up the wall. I'm going to start balding if he goes in for a consecutive day tomorrow.
I'm just being a mizer though. Tonight was a great win, a necessary win. The Twins are stepping up and seizing the Tigers by the tail.
Like Jose Mijares cleaning up yet another mess. It seems to come too easy for that guy. He's been nigh-unhittable for a few weeks now. It's good that he's heating up, because let's be honest: Joe Nathan needs a break. He hasn't blown a save since the Disaster-that-shall-not-be-named, but he's allowed baserunners, a homerun, and lots of high blood pressure in saving seven straight chances. Most of the trouble has come with two outs as well. You know what that suggests? Fatigue. He lost his command after getting two quick outs, and then he hit a wall, falling behind and walking Alex Avila, before leaving a fat one for Curtis Granderson to smack into the baggie. He recovered to jam Aubrey Huff into the game-winning soft liner, but the concerns remain. His velocity is down, he's walking more batters, and it's driving us up the wall. I'm going to start balding if he goes in for a consecutive day tomorrow.
I'm just being a mizer though. Tonight was a great win, a necessary win. The Twins are stepping up and seizing the Tigers by the tail.
Wait... Minnesota has an NHL team?
It's an exciting time to be a Minnesota sports fan. The Twins are hot, the Vikings have a cake schedule, and both the Wolves and the Wild have new regimes who have already mixed things up. I've hesitated to write about the Wild because hockey is a unique sport, and I haven't followed it for very long. Whatever though, if people who know things about hockey have problems with what I write, tell me. I'm still learning.
Most of the mass media don't like the Wild's chances this year. It is their thinking that Jacques Lemaire was the only reason they contended for a playoff spot at all. Jacques is a good coach, no doubt, but to say a system is more important than the players is foolish. The organization is thin on young prospects sure, and the big league talent can't measure up to, say the Blackhawks or Red Wings, but they will not be a pushover. They weren't pushovers last year, and they've added several good players (Havlat, Sykora, Brodziak) and Brent Burns returning is a huge boon.
I went to their preseason game tonight, and they dominated play throughout. It was rare when the Blue Jackets had possession of the puck in the Wild's zone, and even rarer when they had real scoring chances. The Wild were aggressive in bringing the puck into the offensive zone, and though they did dump-and-chase, they actually made it to the puck. Last year, they rarely dumped to do anything besides change.
Their defense and penalty kill didn't suffer much by the Wild's new aggression. Both Columbus power plays were incoherent, with very little possession in the defensive zone. Perhaps the Blue Jackets have a poor power play, which very well could be the case. During both power play kills, the Wild created some short-handed chances. Clutterbuck's second goal came on a sweet feed from Brodziak as the power play expired. That's how you win in any sport: turning defense into offense (except baseball, because that's impossible).
And Backstrom is still really good. The Wild are going to be the same: good. And exciting to watch for more reasons than fandom.
Most of the mass media don't like the Wild's chances this year. It is their thinking that Jacques Lemaire was the only reason they contended for a playoff spot at all. Jacques is a good coach, no doubt, but to say a system is more important than the players is foolish. The organization is thin on young prospects sure, and the big league talent can't measure up to, say the Blackhawks or Red Wings, but they will not be a pushover. They weren't pushovers last year, and they've added several good players (Havlat, Sykora, Brodziak) and Brent Burns returning is a huge boon.
I went to their preseason game tonight, and they dominated play throughout. It was rare when the Blue Jackets had possession of the puck in the Wild's zone, and even rarer when they had real scoring chances. The Wild were aggressive in bringing the puck into the offensive zone, and though they did dump-and-chase, they actually made it to the puck. Last year, they rarely dumped to do anything besides change.
Their defense and penalty kill didn't suffer much by the Wild's new aggression. Both Columbus power plays were incoherent, with very little possession in the defensive zone. Perhaps the Blue Jackets have a poor power play, which very well could be the case. During both power play kills, the Wild created some short-handed chances. Clutterbuck's second goal came on a sweet feed from Brodziak as the power play expired. That's how you win in any sport: turning defense into offense (except baseball, because that's impossible).
And Backstrom is still really good. The Wild are going to be the same: good. And exciting to watch for more reasons than fandom.
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
Leyland right and wrong
There is momentum in baseball, and it comes in the batter's box. The Twins' finished their very important sweep of the Indians having scored eighteen runs. All of this after losing Morneau for the season. Everyone but Swing (Cabrera) and Everything (Young) got a hit or scored a run, showing some balance to the line up that's been lacking. Especially encouraging excludes the off-base duo, but includes Matt Tolbert (2-4 while working the count), Michael Cuddyer (3-4 with power while not working the count), and Jose Morales hopefully showing Gardy that he should always be in the lineup (2-3 with power while working the count). The bottom of the order has been a problem for the Twins all season, but now they're starting to turn it around (getting Casilla out of the line up is helping immensely). Not that the Twins needed a huge offensive day.
Nick Blackburn was great. Striking some guys out, getting a key double play, and working efficiently until an 11 pitch at-bat to end the Indians' frame in the sixth. He threw nothing but heat until the eighth pitch of the at-bat, something that's happened with Scott Baker as well. Blackbeard won the at bat on a fastball, but only because he had mixed in some off-speed stuff to throw off the hitter. Nick was on pace to go the distance, but after that battle, he gave up three hits (including a homer) before exiting. He pitched great over all. It's a shame he wore himself out of a shutout.
The bullpen was shaky, but made the necessary outs with men in scoring position. At least we know now that Jesse Crain is not to be used in the eighth inning. And that Matt Guerrier needs tomorrow's day off more than anyone.
Something named Bonine is pitching for Detroit tonight. Feel good.
Nick Blackburn was great. Striking some guys out, getting a key double play, and working efficiently until an 11 pitch at-bat to end the Indians' frame in the sixth. He threw nothing but heat until the eighth pitch of the at-bat, something that's happened with Scott Baker as well. Blackbeard won the at bat on a fastball, but only because he had mixed in some off-speed stuff to throw off the hitter. Nick was on pace to go the distance, but after that battle, he gave up three hits (including a homer) before exiting. He pitched great over all. It's a shame he wore himself out of a shutout.
The bullpen was shaky, but made the necessary outs with men in scoring position. At least we know now that Jesse Crain is not to be used in the eighth inning. And that Matt Guerrier needs tomorrow's day off more than anyone.
Something named Bonine is pitching for Detroit tonight. Feel good.
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
Is this momentum?
I highly recommend the Twins' annual internship/job fair. $30 at the door mean access to twenty or so local sports-related companies, from the four major pro sports to some minor league teams to different broadcast companies, most offering internships of some kind. Oh yeah, did I mention a $31 ticket to the game, and a free hot dog and soda?
It's hard to really follow the details of the game at the Dome, near the right field foul pole. No view of balls and strikes. So take everything I write with a grain of salt. That said, Scott Baker has changed a bit. He's started to figure out how to strike people out. By missing lots of bats. Ten swinging strikes in just 5.1 innings. That adds up to a little under a strikeout per inning. Which is well above his career average. Of course, the two walks in five is what comes of what seems to be a new approach for Baker. His three starts in September: 16 K, 10 BB, 18 IP. He's striking more guys out, but in the process is giving out more free passes. Surprisingly, neither of tonight's cost him. It was instead a series of hard hits. He had gotten lucky with some liners finding gloves, it was only a matter of time before the luck ran out.
The explosion of the night before was lacking, but the Twins took their traditional approach of doubles and well-timed singles to chip away at the Tribe lead, before O-Cab taxied one just over the left field fence to tie it up. The momentum had shifted, and the Twins took a much needed two-run lead in the next inning. Nathan needed some "let's go Joe" cheers before stranding the tying run on second.
Funny that as writing this, ESPN plays an interview of Jim Leyland saying "there is no momentum in baseball, there's only tomorrow's pitcher." Which sounds like sage wisdom. Blackburn's pitching the day game tomorrow. I hope he keeps the momentum in the park.
It's hard to really follow the details of the game at the Dome, near the right field foul pole. No view of balls and strikes. So take everything I write with a grain of salt. That said, Scott Baker has changed a bit. He's started to figure out how to strike people out. By missing lots of bats. Ten swinging strikes in just 5.1 innings. That adds up to a little under a strikeout per inning. Which is well above his career average. Of course, the two walks in five is what comes of what seems to be a new approach for Baker. His three starts in September: 16 K, 10 BB, 18 IP. He's striking more guys out, but in the process is giving out more free passes. Surprisingly, neither of tonight's cost him. It was instead a series of hard hits. He had gotten lucky with some liners finding gloves, it was only a matter of time before the luck ran out.
The explosion of the night before was lacking, but the Twins took their traditional approach of doubles and well-timed singles to chip away at the Tribe lead, before O-Cab taxied one just over the left field fence to tie it up. The momentum had shifted, and the Twins took a much needed two-run lead in the next inning. Nathan needed some "let's go Joe" cheers before stranding the tying run on second.
Funny that as writing this, ESPN plays an interview of Jim Leyland saying "there is no momentum in baseball, there's only tomorrow's pitcher." Which sounds like sage wisdom. Blackburn's pitching the day game tomorrow. I hope he keeps the momentum in the park.
Monday, September 14, 2009
Great win, but...
Pavano pitched a pretty good game, though he owes at least half of his quality start to the efforts of Denard Span. Spantasm doesn't seem to make as many big plays in center, with both of his highlights coming from right field. His metrics agree, as he saves 13.9 runs above average per 150 games in left, and saves 5.2 runs below average in center. UZR needs large sample sizes to be accurate, but this is the second year in a row that Denard's been below average in center. Now if Span could teach Gomez how to hit, we'd be in business.
The other side of the ball was... frustrating for most of the game. The Twins have a few players with the right approach: work the count, foul off or don't swing at pitcher's pitches. The rest of them hack away. Gomez, Young, Cabrera, and even Cuddyer sometimes throw away at bats, and it loses games. Cuddyer actually connects sometimes, so he's forgiven. And Gomez and Young are, well, young and purportedly still learning. Cabrera is old, and I hope he never returns to Minnesota. Especially because he's become a mentor to Carlos Gomez. Gomez needs a plan at the plate, but Cabrera's seems out of date. Delmon Young has supposedly started listening to Joe Vavra, and maybe he would show it with some playing time. Who knows what's going on with Gomez now, because he struck out on an off-speed pitch a horse's tail wouldn't swing at. Something needs to change, whether it's the coach or the player. Delmon Young and Carlos Gomez need to future-proof the line up for when Joe Mauer and Justin Morneau grow too old or too frustrated to play here.
Lucky for the Twins and their fans, Chris Perez had a bad night, splitting the sweet spot on Cuddy's bat to tie the game. Unlucky for the Twins and their fans, the Tigers managed some similar heroics against the same Jays relievers that stymied the Twins' heart last week. Still up in the air is whether it's good or bad luck that Justin Morneau is gone for the season. He's always been a good soldier, but he's been hurting more than helping for awhile now, since just about the same time that his back pain started. It's another key injury to a season full of them; it's a feat that the Twins have stayed in the race for this long.
Tonight's win was great, and could be the start of a good streak. Of course, the Tigers might be starting a streak of their own.
The other side of the ball was... frustrating for most of the game. The Twins have a few players with the right approach: work the count, foul off or don't swing at pitcher's pitches. The rest of them hack away. Gomez, Young, Cabrera, and even Cuddyer sometimes throw away at bats, and it loses games. Cuddyer actually connects sometimes, so he's forgiven. And Gomez and Young are, well, young and purportedly still learning. Cabrera is old, and I hope he never returns to Minnesota. Especially because he's become a mentor to Carlos Gomez. Gomez needs a plan at the plate, but Cabrera's seems out of date. Delmon Young has supposedly started listening to Joe Vavra, and maybe he would show it with some playing time. Who knows what's going on with Gomez now, because he struck out on an off-speed pitch a horse's tail wouldn't swing at. Something needs to change, whether it's the coach or the player. Delmon Young and Carlos Gomez need to future-proof the line up for when Joe Mauer and Justin Morneau grow too old or too frustrated to play here.
Lucky for the Twins and their fans, Chris Perez had a bad night, splitting the sweet spot on Cuddy's bat to tie the game. Unlucky for the Twins and their fans, the Tigers managed some similar heroics against the same Jays relievers that stymied the Twins' heart last week. Still up in the air is whether it's good or bad luck that Justin Morneau is gone for the season. He's always been a good soldier, but he's been hurting more than helping for awhile now, since just about the same time that his back pain started. It's another key injury to a season full of them; it's a feat that the Twins have stayed in the race for this long.
Tonight's win was great, and could be the start of a good streak. Of course, the Tigers might be starting a streak of their own.
Sunday, September 13, 2009
Just as Expected
So after the first half, I'm sure there were other fans besides me that were not feeling it. Not angry or sad, just numb. All the hype about Favre, the defense, and the improved special teams had turned into trailing the Cleveland freakin' Browns without giving up an offensive touchdown.
Speaking of special teams, what was up with the opening kick? It's the kind of aggressive play that Childress hates, and he only looked like an idiot for it, because without it the Brown lumps wouldn't have scored on the opening drive, and the halftime result would have been half as dubious. It was the first of a few special teams gaffes. The return game was ok, with a big return from Darius "D-Reyne" Reynaud (say goodbye to Jaymar "Inactive" Johnson). Kicking was another story.
I don't like saying it, but Chris Kluwe isn't a good punter. Chris leg go boom, Cribbs get lot of room. Guitar Hero outkicked the coverage, and voila, touchdown. On his next punt, he kicked it away from Cribbs... about 27 yards net. Jeff Feagles of the Giants can't kick it nearly as far as Kluwe, but he's able to limit the returns using accurate directional kicking. You know, subtlety and strategy, something Kluwe lacks. He ruined a splendid effort on defense and specials coverage.
Of course, the offense did pick up after the break. Adrian "All Day with a Bleeding Arm" Peterson did the heavy lifting. He's awesome. Favre took some sacks that he might've avoided as a young man, but he held onto the ball. In fact, the Vikes did not turn over the ball, taking advantage of Brady Quinn's Cutler-esque fumble and interception. The Purple shook off their first-half jitters, and took care of business against a bad team. Let's hope they do the same next week.
*Things to Eat*
1. AD AD AD AD AD AD AD
2. Percy Harvin
3. Turnovers
*Things to Puke*
1. Chris Kluwe
2. 4.4 yds/ Brown rush
3. Sullivan got schooled by Shaun Rogers
Speaking of special teams, what was up with the opening kick? It's the kind of aggressive play that Childress hates, and he only looked like an idiot for it, because without it the Brown lumps wouldn't have scored on the opening drive, and the halftime result would have been half as dubious. It was the first of a few special teams gaffes. The return game was ok, with a big return from Darius "D-Reyne" Reynaud (say goodbye to Jaymar "Inactive" Johnson). Kicking was another story.
I don't like saying it, but Chris Kluwe isn't a good punter. Chris leg go boom, Cribbs get lot of room. Guitar Hero outkicked the coverage, and voila, touchdown. On his next punt, he kicked it away from Cribbs... about 27 yards net. Jeff Feagles of the Giants can't kick it nearly as far as Kluwe, but he's able to limit the returns using accurate directional kicking. You know, subtlety and strategy, something Kluwe lacks. He ruined a splendid effort on defense and specials coverage.
Of course, the offense did pick up after the break. Adrian "All Day with a Bleeding Arm" Peterson did the heavy lifting. He's awesome. Favre took some sacks that he might've avoided as a young man, but he held onto the ball. In fact, the Vikes did not turn over the ball, taking advantage of Brady Quinn's Cutler-esque fumble and interception. The Purple shook off their first-half jitters, and took care of business against a bad team. Let's hope they do the same next week.
*Things to Eat*
1. AD AD AD AD AD AD AD
2. Percy Harvin
3. Turnovers
*Things to Puke*
1. Chris Kluwe
2. 4.4 yds/ Brown rush
3. Sullivan got schooled by Shaun Rogers
Thoughts before Kickoff
This is going to be an interesting season, regardless of how the Vikes finish. It's an opportunity to see how AD has expanded his game, and whether the coaches trust his growth. It's an opportunity to see how so many young receivers (Rice, Harvin, Johnson, Reynaud) can make plays behind the primary veterans. It's an opportunity to see if the defense's point-prevention (13th in the NFL) can match their yard-reducing prowess (6th in the NFL). It's an opportunity to see if Childress still has any respect in his locker room. And yes, it's an opportunity to see Brett Favre continue to look strange in purple.
Brett's effect on locker room chemistry is debatable. His reported speech to the guys has helped in that regard, and I think the chemical problems stemming from Favre's signing have been overblown for the most part. Everybody seems to like Favre once they get to know him, but then again the problems were never with Favre. They were with Brad Childress. He played it coy throughout the summer, continued with the "QB competition" (which T-Jack won, makes you wonder...) but allowed Favre to finagle his way out of training camp, which I think a 39-year old needs more, physically, than younger veterans. The wounds from that seem to be bandaged, but how about Bobby Wade's release?
He's been the leader in receptions for two years, and always seemed to be the guy on third down. Wade wasn't great, but he was solid despite having a couple of younger guys who could fill his role. Not to mention that he was liked in the locker room, and by fans. So they release him, piss off the locker room, for Greg Lewis. No you've never heard of him. Apparently, he's more versatile and makes the team "better." We'll see how that works when Childress tells the team to get "fired up," and the team asks him, "like you fired Bobby?" What I'm wishing for, if a super bowl run doesn't happen? Childress fired, Leslie Frazier promoted.
Brett's effect on locker room chemistry is debatable. His reported speech to the guys has helped in that regard, and I think the chemical problems stemming from Favre's signing have been overblown for the most part. Everybody seems to like Favre once they get to know him, but then again the problems were never with Favre. They were with Brad Childress. He played it coy throughout the summer, continued with the "QB competition" (which T-Jack won, makes you wonder...) but allowed Favre to finagle his way out of training camp, which I think a 39-year old needs more, physically, than younger veterans. The wounds from that seem to be bandaged, but how about Bobby Wade's release?
He's been the leader in receptions for two years, and always seemed to be the guy on third down. Wade wasn't great, but he was solid despite having a couple of younger guys who could fill his role. Not to mention that he was liked in the locker room, and by fans. So they release him, piss off the locker room, for Greg Lewis. No you've never heard of him. Apparently, he's more versatile and makes the team "better." We'll see how that works when Childress tells the team to get "fired up," and the team asks him, "like you fired Bobby?" What I'm wishing for, if a super bowl run doesn't happen? Childress fired, Leslie Frazier promoted.
Friday, September 11, 2009
No Rubio, no problem
I guess I'm not surprised that Rubio said no. If I remember correctly, at age 19 I had a hard enough time leaving my parents' house let alone leaving the country. Of course, I didn't have the potential to make a living making no-look passes to teammates and foes alike for millions of dollars whether I stayed in Spain or mainly in the plain. Rubio never seemed interested in coming here. Big surprise. The only thing nationally interesting in Minnesota is how David Kahn screwed up. Because that's what Minnesota sports franchises do.
Longtime reader (thanks mom) already knows what I think about Johnny Flynn's smile, not to mention he looked pretty fly in summer league. He already has a reputation for toughness, and as TrueHoop writes about his performance:
"Flynn communicates to his team on every offensive possession. He choreographs, directs, goads, and encourages. When teammates need to move from the weak to the strong side for an entry pass, Flynn barks out an order -- and he's almost always right. Flynn coughed the ball up seven times on Sunday against seven assists, but his management skills are there."
That gets me excited. We'll have to see how Al responds to the rook barking out orders, but seriously, he's not in a position to direct things on the court.
So I'm not worried about the teenager from Spain. Kahn's already signed enough depth at the 1. I'm more worried about the wings.
Longtime reader (thanks mom) already knows what I think about Johnny Flynn's smile, not to mention he looked pretty fly in summer league. He already has a reputation for toughness, and as TrueHoop writes about his performance:
"Flynn communicates to his team on every offensive possession. He choreographs, directs, goads, and encourages. When teammates need to move from the weak to the strong side for an entry pass, Flynn barks out an order -- and he's almost always right. Flynn coughed the ball up seven times on Sunday against seven assists, but his management skills are there."
That gets me excited. We'll have to see how Al responds to the rook barking out orders, but seriously, he's not in a position to direct things on the court.
So I'm not worried about the teenager from Spain. Kahn's already signed enough depth at the 1. I'm more worried about the wings.
Long Time, Little Change
Sorry for the delay, I'm sure that I've lost all three of the readership in the blog's absence.
The Twins' stars/offense are still in a slump (no, one home run from Justin does not break a slump). Over their past ten games they've averaged 3.2 runs. Luckily, they've only given up 3 during that time, so the damage hasn't been too severe. The missed opportunities have though. The Tigers have been just as inconsistent as the Twins, sweeping the Rays only to get swept by the Royals.
Normally a split of a four game series is pretty good. Especially in Toronto, where the Twins have historically struggled. But to start the sentence, with so little time to make up such a hefty margin, every time the Tigers lose can't be written off as "at least they're not losing ground." That kind of talk is for mid season, not September. Of course, it's optimism that has us still talking about the Twins.
Not after the six run disaster inning on Tuesday, and not after M and M and K went 1-2-3 on SEVEN STINKING PITCHES in the eighth in a one-run game did I give up on the Twins. Even after watching Nick Blackburn's long-distance mail in, I still think they have a shot, and I'll keep paying attention. At least until Sunday.
The Twins' stars/offense are still in a slump (no, one home run from Justin does not break a slump). Over their past ten games they've averaged 3.2 runs. Luckily, they've only given up 3 during that time, so the damage hasn't been too severe. The missed opportunities have though. The Tigers have been just as inconsistent as the Twins, sweeping the Rays only to get swept by the Royals.
Normally a split of a four game series is pretty good. Especially in Toronto, where the Twins have historically struggled. But to start the sentence, with so little time to make up such a hefty margin, every time the Tigers lose can't be written off as "at least they're not losing ground." That kind of talk is for mid season, not September. Of course, it's optimism that has us still talking about the Twins.
Not after the six run disaster inning on Tuesday, and not after M and M and K went 1-2-3 on SEVEN STINKING PITCHES in the eighth in a one-run game did I give up on the Twins. Even after watching Nick Blackburn's long-distance mail in, I still think they have a shot, and I'll keep paying attention. At least until Sunday.
Wednesday, September 2, 2009
All-Star Hurt
The Twins role players have been carrying them for the past couple weeks. During that time, Mauer's average has dropped more than 10 points, Morneau has two rbis, and Joe Nathan has now blown two saves, his ERA now above 2 for the first time all year. He's been visibly shaky his past few outings, but his last one on Monday gave a hint that maybe he'd found his control again. Guess not. For the first time this year, Gardy pulled Nathan in the ninth inning. Matt Guerrier, pitching for the third day in a row, gave up the game-winning hit, thanks to a short but accurate throw by Mr. Spantastic and a bobble by Marlboro Red (would another, more athletic catcher have made that play?).
The good thing to take away from this is Brian Duensing's performance. That's two starts in a row where he has struck out a batter per inning. With his stuff, he shouldn't be doing this, but he is anyway. Like today's opponent Mark Buehrle, Duensing is able to do less with more. White Sox hitters were constantly ahead or behind the ball. None of his seven strikeouts were looking. Generating swings-and-misses is a measure that advanced statistics measure pitchers by. Once he gets a few more starts, we'll see if these results are for real, but for now it's exciting to see what the D is doing. He deserved the win and then some.
Even the best of players have slumps, and Nathan has gotten out of plenty of jams in the past. Of course, he wasn't really in a jam in this situation. I'm not sure when the last time he gave up back to back homers was, but I'd bet money it was not with the Twins. Mauer came through with a double that allowed the Twins to take the lead, but Morneau has been stinking it up for most of August. Denard Span, Michael Cuddyer, and Jason Kubel are doing their best to give the Twins runs, but if they're going to catch the Tigers, the M and M boys will have to start playing to their reputations. Not to mention Joe Nathan finding his command.
The good thing to take away from this is Brian Duensing's performance. That's two starts in a row where he has struck out a batter per inning. With his stuff, he shouldn't be doing this, but he is anyway. Like today's opponent Mark Buehrle, Duensing is able to do less with more. White Sox hitters were constantly ahead or behind the ball. None of his seven strikeouts were looking. Generating swings-and-misses is a measure that advanced statistics measure pitchers by. Once he gets a few more starts, we'll see if these results are for real, but for now it's exciting to see what the D is doing. He deserved the win and then some.
Even the best of players have slumps, and Nathan has gotten out of plenty of jams in the past. Of course, he wasn't really in a jam in this situation. I'm not sure when the last time he gave up back to back homers was, but I'd bet money it was not with the Twins. Mauer came through with a double that allowed the Twins to take the lead, but Morneau has been stinking it up for most of August. Denard Span, Michael Cuddyer, and Jason Kubel are doing their best to give the Twins runs, but if they're going to catch the Tigers, the M and M boys will have to start playing to their reputations. Not to mention Joe Nathan finding his command.
Tuesday, September 1, 2009
Why'd they send him down?
Anyone else scare their sister by cursing loudly after Beckham's home run? Well me neither. It was the rare time where the Twins' setup platoon blew it. It was only their fourth blown save of the season, just as many as Joe Nathan, so they deserve some slack. Especially after both of them pitched yesterday. Gardy's bullpen decisions confuse me sometimes. Neither of them pitched a lot last night, but the amount that Ron uses these guys is frightening. He's had to, but now with Crain on the shallow end and the Rauch acquisition he doesn't. Jesse was sitting on twenty pitches, he could have feasibly pitched to another batter. Rauch could have come in earlier; could it really hurt to use a fresh setup-caliber pitcher as a setup man? Doesn't really sound like the Twins won tonight, does it?
But they did, thanks to a Brendan Harris hit, some sound baserunning by Nick Punto, a flailing Carlos Gomez, and Jose Morales. I can't pretend to know everything that separates an ok catcher from a good one. Defensively at least. With the bat though, Morales is Mike Redmond times five: better average, better power, and much younger. His lack of real power won't fly at other positions, but if he can stay behind the plate he could turn into a real good player. He already is in my book. Better than Redmond at least, but defense is something that's harder to quantify, so I may be wrong. At least we know that Morales can deliver a big hit, something Redmond cannot.
But they did, thanks to a Brendan Harris hit, some sound baserunning by Nick Punto, a flailing Carlos Gomez, and Jose Morales. I can't pretend to know everything that separates an ok catcher from a good one. Defensively at least. With the bat though, Morales is Mike Redmond times five: better average, better power, and much younger. His lack of real power won't fly at other positions, but if he can stay behind the plate he could turn into a real good player. He already is in my book. Better than Redmond at least, but defense is something that's harder to quantify, so I may be wrong. At least we know that Morales can deliver a big hit, something Redmond cannot.
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