Results tagged ‘ Joe Nathan ’
Maybe This is the Team We Have
- Twinkies get their a**es handed to them by the Yankees in 10-2 loss
The Wild had just dropped
a must-win game against Colorado and had put forth one of their most
lackluster performances to date. The team had just lost seven of its
past ten games, and were just barely clinging to the slimmest of
playoff hopes, and had only managed to score one lousy goal against the
worst team in the Western Conference in a snoozefest of a game. When
asked why his team put forth such a piss-poor effort with so much on
the line, then-coach Jacques Lemaire replied:
“Maybe this is the team we have.”
And
this, ladies and gentlemen, is your 2009 Minnesota Twins. OK, maybe
they’re not as bad as last year’s Wild team, but they are pretty much
in the same boat. They haven’t won more than two games in a row since
May 24th, and their longest winning-streak of the season is only four
games. They are currently looking up at the Tigers and the White Sox,
even if it is only by 2.5 games. They will likely get swept at home by
the Yankees, and then have to deal with a red-hot White Sox team before
the All-Star break. The team could certainly use help in the bullpen,
and they could really use a middle infielder who can hit, but aren’t
likely to get anything done at the trade deadline. The Twins have
always preferred to sit on their hands and hope for the best, while
waiting to make their biggest moves during the offseason (if then).
And to be honest, I don’t have a great deal of faith in Bill Smith’s
ability to make trades. His track record so far has been pretty disappointing.
Twinkie Town did a good job breaking down Scott Baker’s horrible performance last night,
and it appears as though he’s still having problems with his
mechanics. His breaking pitches were flat, his fastballs weren’t as
fast, in short, it’s a miracle that he only gave up five runs against one of the most potent lineups in the American League. It had been suggested by some of the commenters
on the Star Tribune site that Baker was awestruck by the Yankee lineup,
that he felt intimidated by them, but I don’t think that was the case
at all. Scotty had actually been quite successful against the Yanks in
his career, going 2-0 with a 1.54 ERA (small sample size, I know).
Besides, Baker had the same issues in his last start in Kansas City, in
which he needed 117 pitches to get through five innings, and I doubt he
was awestruck by the Royals’ All-Star lineup. That the Royals only
scored one run against him says a lot about their offense (namely that
they can’t even buy runs at this point).
- In meaningless award news…
Justin Morneau has indeed declined an invitation
to defend his title in this year’s Home Run Derby, citing a need to
rest up for the second half of the season as his reason for choosing
not to participate. Joe Mauer hasn’t been asked, but Gardy thinks he would win it if he were.
Joe Nathan has been named the DHL Delivery Man of the Month. I mentioned in my previous entry
that Nathan is having one of the best seasons of his career, but I also
want to mention that he’s only walked one batter in his past 11.2
innings, while striking out 18. He’s given up only four hits
in that period. That’s about as good as it gets. No wonder
he’s the only reliever in the bullpen (and one of the few on the staff,
actually) who doesn’t give me heartburn.
- Stephane Veilleux signs with Lightning
I’m a little sad to see Steph go since he’s been with the team for so long, even though he was basically just a fourth-liner. He loved playing in Minnesota and being part of the Wild organization, even after they put him on waivers simply to prove that he wasn’t as valuable as he thought. Still, when rookie sensation Cal Clutterbuck pretty much took over his duties on the checking line, it was pretty clear that this would be Steph’s final season with the team. At least we will always have this:
Giving the Bullpen a Couple of Days Off
- Nick Blackburn pitches his third complete game of the season in Twins’ 6-2 win
However, even though Blackburn is putting up some of the best numbers of his career, it’s still way too early to declare him the team ace (or talk about extending his contract). He wasn’t much better than average last season, and his poor peripherals suggest that a good deal of his success this season is probably due to luck. Coming in to yesterday’s game, Blackie had a very good 3.10 ERA, but his 1.67 K/BB ratio and 2.3 BB/9 rate are at career lows. I wrote elsewhere that if those numbers don’t improve, he will likely finish the season with an ERA much closer to his 4.98 xFIP. The good news, though, is that some of his peripherals have indeed been improving. While his 1.80 K/BB ratio is still rather low, and he still gives up a lot of hits, his BB/9 rate has been steadily declining the past few months (from 3.08 in May to its current 1.00). A lot of it has to do with the fact that his fastball is nasty. The velocity tops out at around 91 mph but the movement on it has been absolutely filthy, and as long as he can sustain that kind of break on his fastball, his strikeout rate should start to improve. Blackburn will likely keep rolling through the second half of the season (and hopefully the playoffs).
- Twins once again send three representatives to the All-Star Game
Joe
Mauer, Justin Morneau, and Joe Nathan are all set to represent the
Twins in the ASG. Kevin Slowey probably had a good chance of joining
his teammates in St. Louis, if he hadn’t gone down with a wrist injury
(he is supposed to have an MRI on it today. UPDATE: it is just a strain. He was treated with a cortisone shot and should resume throwing in a few days). You could probably make
the case for Nick Blackburn too (Joe Nathan did), since he is sporting
a 2.94 ERA and 1.27 WHIP, but I have no problem with the likes of
Justin Verlander and Mark Buerhle getting the nod instead. I’m not
going to get into a huge debate over who got snubbed and who didn’t
deserve a starting spot, there’s already plenty of that on the
internets. I don’t think there are many glaring oversights on either
team, other than maybe Ian Kinsler and Torii Hunter (who should be
starting), and the ASG isn’t something I get all worked up about
anyway.
Justin Morneau has indicated
that he will probably decline an invitation to the Home Run Derby, if
asked. It’s probably just as well. His tendency to fade down the
stretch probably doesn’t have anything to do with participating in the
HR Derby, but why take that chance? Anyway, this way people won’t get
mad at him for beating a much-flashier superstar. Again.
Joe
Mauer is making his second consecutive start in the ASG, and his third
career appearance. Even after missing the first month of the
season, he’s still far and away the best catcher in the AL. Although,
5 of the 31 “greatest minds in baseball” think that Victor Martinez
should have been the starting catcher. That’s right, a guy batting
.303/.382/.506/.888 while making half of his starts at first base
deserves to be the starting catcher, while the guy batting .389/.465/.648/1.113
should be on the bench. Yes, let’s give all of the voting power to
these people, clearly the fans are too stupid to get it right.
Joe
Nathan is also quietly having one of the best years of his career. His
last blown save came against the Yankees on May 15th, and he hasn’t
surrendered a run since. Not an unearned run, not an inherited runner scoring,
nothing. His 2.40 xFIP, 6.14 K/BB ratio, 11.6 K/9 rate, and 1.9 BB/9
rate as well as 1.35 ERA and 0.750 WHIP are all at or near
career-bests. He’s been getting hitters to chase pitches outside the
strike zone a little more, which has made him extremely effective even
when he doesn’t have his best stuff.
Losing in Style
- Twins hit four homers and lose anyway
ZOMG, this is the most unclutchiest lineup ever!!!11!! I mean, for the most part, clutch hitting has a lot more to do with luck than skill. In general, even the greatest hitters will fail more often than not with runners in scoring position, that’s just how the game works. It sucks, it’s frustrating, but that’s just the way it is. Which is why I find this article in the Star Tribune so irritating. To suggest that the problem is that the Twins are relying too much on the long ball and not speed or sacrifice hits (i.e., Twins baseball) is ridiculous. The power hitters in the lineup have been remarkably productive, with Joe Mauer batting .421/.490/.738, Justin Morneau .324/.398/.524 (which is pretty good, considering that he’s been in a slump recently), Jason Kubel .315/.377/.546, and even Michael Cuddyer is starting to pick things up, hitting .281/.360/.518 with 10 homers. Joe Crede has been kind of an exception since he has a paltry .228 BA and .303 OPB, but he also has a .451 slugging percentage and is on pace to hit 20+ homers this year, so he isn’t really part of the problem, either. The real problem has been the lack of production from the bottom of the order, and it has been all season. The Twins certainly aren’t lacking speed in the lineup, with Carlos Gomez, Matt Tolbert, and even Nick Punto all threats to steal, but the three have struggled to get on base consistently. Delmon Young hasn’t been living up to his potential, either, batting .258/.286/.302 while looking horribly uncomfortable at the plate. The good news is that Gomez, Punto, and Young have all taken huge steps forward this month (Yes, even Gomez. He’s drawing more walks and isn’t swinging at so many pitches outside the strike zone, he just hasn’t had much to show for it in the way of results). The bad news however, is that all three are still barely replacement-level position players.
After tonight’s loss to Houston, the Twins have fallen back to the .500 mark and are three
games behind the Tigers. This time, the offense wasn’t the problem, since they hit four homers and scored five runs. No, this time it was the pitching staff, specifically the bullpen that fell down. The Twins had a 3-2 lead in the seventh, until Sean Henn came in to relieve Scott Baker. Henn surrendered three runs in the seventh (one was charged to Baker), including a two-run homer to pinch-hitter Jason Michaels, and was yanked in favor of Luis Ayala after recording only one out. I had written before that the pitching isn’t as bad as fans tend to think, and that’s true. But it hasn’t been that great, either. The starting rotation has started to settle down and pitch effectively, but the bullpen is still an issue. While Matt Guerrier and Joe Nathan have been as reliable as ever, and R.A. Dickey is settling into the long relief role, the rest of the ‘pen is simply a disaster waiting to happen. Ayala has been much more effective recently, but he pitches to contact and can’t really be used in close games with runners on base. Jose Mijares hasn’t been too bad, posting a 2.57 ERA in twenty-four appearances, but he’s also been suffering from control issues (his 1.70 K/BB ratio isn’t good) and is bound to get hit hard eventually. The Twins clearly need bullpen help, but so does pretty much everybody else in the league, which will obviously complicate matters at the trade deadline. Still, I guess we should be glad that our bullpen isn’t as bad as the Indians’. Yikes.
- Speaking of homers
Mauer hit his 14th of the season, setting a new career record, and it isn’t even officially summer yet. It was an opposite-field blast (of course) that had given the Twins a 3-1 lead at the time. Someday, opposing pitchers will figure out that it isn’t a good idea to throw him fastballs on the outside corner. Hopefully he’ll hit 20 homers before they do. Obviously, Mauer isn’t going to put up such Pujolsian numbers all season long, since the physical demands of being a catcher will catch up to him eventually. As of right now, though, Mauer is the most valuable player in the league, and it isn’t even close.
Milton Bradley = Greatest Outfielder Ever
Milton Bradley had a very tough day at work today. He lost Jason Kubel’s routine fly ball in the sun, which put two on with nobody out and set up a two-run inning for the Twins. Later in the same inning, he couldn’t field Michael Cuddyer’s line drive to right, playing a single into a run-scoring double. But, most hilariously, he also had a major brain fart on a Joe Mauer pop fly. Bradley forgot how many outs there were in the inning and threw the ball into the stands (hint: there was only one, Milton). Nick Punto scored easily and Brendan Harris was awarded third base. Personally, I think the play should’ve been ruled a home run. That ball went right into the stands! So what if Bradley was the one who threw it there? Bradley kind of redeemed himself by hitting a big two-run double in the sixth, cutting the Twins’ lead in half at that point. Unfortunately, he couldn’t redeem himself completely, allowing Delmon Young to rob him of the potentially game-winning hit in the eighth.
For Twins fans and Cubs haters alike, this was a great game. Joe Mauer hit his 13th home run of the season, a two-run blast that gave the Twins an early lead (and tied his career high set in 2006). Jason Kubel hit a solo shot in the ninth that extended the lead to 7-4, his tenth of the season. And Brendan Harris went 3-for-5 with an RBI and a run scored, which should help his case to be the starting shortstop (at least until Gardy realizes he isn’t a utility role player anymore). Nick Punto even hit the ball out of the infield a couple of times. I can’t remember the last time I wrote that.
Kevin Slowey was cruising along through the first five innings, allowing one hit and striking out nine Baby Bears. I guess he decided not to rely on the worst defensive outfield ever behind him. Slowey did start to fall apart in the sixth, when he surrendered three runs and cut the lead to only one run. None of that can be blamed on the defense though, all of those runs came on some very hard hit line drives (the outfield didn’t walk Mike Fontenot, either). The bullpen wasn’t great, but they managed to (barely) hang onto the lead for a change. Joe Nathan retired the Cubs in order to pick up his fourteenth save of the season in a very non-heart-attack inducing manner.
Ron Gardenhire gets a lot of criticism from fans for his management of the bullpen, especially his reluctance to use Joe Nathan in anything other than a save situation. And since the front office has consistently failed to put together a decent bullpen, the few reliable relievers on the staff get overworked (sometimes to the point of injury, see Pat Neshek and Jesse Crain). Case in point: Matt Guerrier. Matty G. had logged 28.1 innings coming in to today’s game (where he was asked to record the final out in the eighth) and had made three straight relief appearances, while Joe Nathan had only logged 23.1 and hadn’t worked since Wednesday. I realize that this is a national league ballpark, and the thought that Joe Nathan might come up to bat isn’t particularly appealing, but it was a save situation anyway and it makes sense to use Nathan since he’s had more rest. Guerrier was awful in the second half of last season, posting a. 8.88 ERA and 2.092 WHIP after the All-Star break, and a lot of it has to do with the fact that he was overworked. And with all of the innings he’s logged the past six seasons, it’s probably only a matter of time before he too ends up on the surgery list.
By the way, the best part of the game is that Wrigley was half full of Twins fans. Seriously, if Wrigley Field weren’t so distinctive, one would think the Cubs were the visiting team. Chants of “M-V-P!” and “Where’s Mark Prior?” whenever Joe Mauer came up to bat warmed even my icy cold heart. There was plenty of cheering whenever the Twins would score, or when Kevin Slowey struck out yet another Cub. There was also a lusty booing of Cub players, although I don’t think all of that was coming from Twins fans.
On a completely unrelated note, but because I find the idea so delightfully disgusting, here is former Toronto pitching coach Bob Miller discussing the fine art of spitting tobacco juice on umpires:
Run, Morny, Run!
- Joe Nathan blows save, Twins win anyway on the speed(!) of Justin Morneau
Closer Joe Nathan had his first blown save of the year when Ben Zobrist (Who really, really wants a starting job in the outfield. That’s a pretty good way to earn one) hit a solo homer to tie the game. This is the second homer Nathan has given up this year, the first was to Jim Thome in a non-save situation against the White Sox. It pains me to say this, but he will be 35 this year which means that Nathan is at the point in his career when closers tend to become more hittable. While I think he’ll still be reliable and will be well worth the money the Twins are paying him, he probably won’t be as dominant as he’s been in the past and I wouldn’t be surprised if his ERA climbs north of the 2.70 mark for the first time since the Twins acquired him from the Giants in 2003. Whether or not this leads to more blown saves will obviously depend a lot on the offense and how much run support they provide. Had the offense managed to capitalize on a few more of the scoring chances against James Shields last night, they would have had at least a two-run lead and Nathan would still have gotten the save even after giving up the home run. I just realized how dumb all of that sounds. And it’s not like I didn’t proofread before posting this, so I don’t really have an excuse. Sorry, dear readers, you deserve better than that.
Speaking of the offense, Justin Morneau once again provided most of it at the Metrodome last night. He got the scoring started right away in the first, with a two-run shot to left-center field, just beyond the outstretched glove of Carl Crawford. Morneau then drove in the winning run in the bottom of the ninth on a fielder’s choice with the bases loaded. Yes, you read that right, Justin Morneau of all people beat out a double-play ball to win the game (You can see video of Morny hustling down the line here. Not bad for a guy who runs like the tin man). Akinori Iwamura couldn’t handle the chopper to second (though, in his defense, that ball was hit really hard and certainly wasn’t an easy play to make), and couldn’t recover in time to get Morneau at first. And, at least for one more night, the Twins remain the only team in the league that is undefeated in one-run games.
Oh, and Francisco Liriano was pretty good last night too, scattering seven hits and giving up only two runs in 6.2 innings. He only struck out three batters, and gave up two walks, so he still struggled a little bit with his command, but was effective enough to shut out the Rays for the first five innings. Frankie was pulled in the seventh after he gave up back-to-back hits to put runners at first and second with two outs, but Matt Guerrier managed to retire B.J. Upton to end the inning with no damage done. Jose Mijares gave up a lead off walk to Carl Crawford (who then stole second), but then he settled down and struck out the next three batters he faced. Mijares has bounced back nicely from his awful spring training campaign, surrendering only one hit and one walk while striking out five since being called up last week. This is obviously very good news, since the Twins’ bullpen has been lacking a dominant reliever and were hoping that they could rely on Mijares after his stellar campaign in September.
200!
Well, it wasn’t pretty, but the Twins beat the Mariners again, 6-5, at the Dome. Joe Nathan notched his first save of the season, and his 200th save as a Twin (it’s his 201st career save), putting him within 73 of the mark set by franchise saves leader Rick Aguilera. Starter Kevin Slowey coughed up the lead twice, but the offense came through and scored six runs on eight hits off of former Twin Carlos Silva.
Justin Morneau ended his hitless streak right away in the first inning, launching a two-run homer into the upper decks in right field. The Twins have stopped measuring home runs at the Dome this year, but it’s probably safe to say that it traveled a good 425 ft. He also successfully stretched a single into an RBI double that tied the game after Kevin Slowey was roughed up in the fourth (Jason Kubel would later drive him in on a double and retake the lead). Denard Span also had a pretty good night, adding his own two-run blast in the third and drawing a walk. Joe Crede still doesn’t look very comfortable at the plate, going 0-for-4 with three strikeouts. It’s still early in the season, but I am a little concerned about his offensive struggles since he had such an awful spring.
Unfortunately, starter Kevin Slowey got hit pretty hard. He gave up five runs on nine hits in five innings, including a couple of two-run home runs to Russell Branyan and Jose Lopez. Slowey didn’t walk any batters and did record five strikeouts, but he was having some trouble locating his pitches. Most of the damage came in two big innings, the two-run blast he surrendered in the second and a three-run fourth (one of those runs scored on an uncharacteristicly wild pitch). After giving up the second home run to Lopez, Slowey settled down and retired the next seven Mariners and eventually got the win.
More importantly, though, the bullpen was given the slimmest of leads and, for once, didn’t blow it. Craig Breslow was a bit wild at first, and gave up a leadoff single, but he recovered and retired the next three batters he faced (and struck out Griffey, who he had walked in his brief appearance on Monday night). Jesse Crain was an effective bridge to Joe Nathan, retiring all but one batter he faced (he did walk Russell Branyan). His curve/slurve whatever you want to call it looked really filthy, and the hitters who saw it seemed to agree (lots of shaking heads and looks of absolute disbelief).
Apparently Joe Mauer’s rehab is progressing well, though he has yet to start running (on land, he has been running in a pool as part of his rehab). Even though he claims he’s only weeks away from returning to the lineup, I wouldn’t expect to see him back until May. It’s going to take him awhile to get back into game shape, though he’s been catching bullpen sessions and hitting off a tee. Meanwhile, Scott Baker might return to the rotation by next week. He is supposed to make a rehab start for the Ft. Myers Miracle on Friday, and how soon he rejoins the team depends on the results. Apparently he hasn’t been experiencing any stiffness in his throwing shoulder, which is obviously very good news. I’m not thrilled about having R.A. Dickey in the rotation for more than a couple of starts.
Oh, and Mike Redmond will apparently be the starting catcher today. Hopefully he’ll make it through the entire game without aggravating his groin injury or injuring something else.
Call an exterminator: the injury bug has bitten
- Scott Baker will start the season on the DL
First it was Joe Mauer and his aching back. Then Brian Buscher had a health scare. Delmon Young, Joe Crede, and Michael Cuddyer have all been struck with various hand injuries. Justin Morneau is battling stiffness in his back. And if all of that weren’t enough, now starter Scott Baker is going to start the season on the DL with stiffness in his right shoulder. It isn’t clear at this point how long he will be out, and he will be re-evaluated on Saturday, but things certainly aren’t getting off to a very good start for the Twinkies. Baker doesn’t think the stiffness is anything serious and would have preferred to pitch anyway, but the Twins have decided not to take any risks with their $15.25 million-dollar arm. In the meantime, Francisco Liriano has now been given the Opening Night nod opposite Seattle’s Felix Hernandez, and R. A. Dickey will take Baker’s spot in the rotation. With Baker going down, there is now an extra spot in the bullpen, so it looks like both Philip Humber and Brian Duensing will be coming north with the team.
The only real position battle left now for the Twins is the final bench spot. Brendan Harris, Matt Tolbert, and Brian Buscher have all been competing for the utility role, with Harris having somewhat of an edge because he’s out of options. The Tenth Inning Stretch has raised the intriguing possibility of Buscher being traded to the Cardinals, as Troy Glaus’ recovery from shoulder surgery isn’t going as well as expected. While I would be sad to see Buscher go, he isn’t the greatest defensive infielder and he isn’t the most versatile, either. Still, I would be kind of surprised if the Twins did move him. Joe Crede is hardly a sure thing at third, and the organization might be more apt to keep Buscher around simply to provide more depth.
Speaking of Liriano, he was effective in his brief start against the Red Sox. He was only allowed to pitch three innings, as he will be starting right away on Monday, and gave up two hits and a run while walking one and striking out three. He wasn’t struggling with his command like he was in his previous appearances, which is very good news. Well, it’s good news for the Twins and bad news for opposing hitters. Unfortunately, Brian Duensing wasn’t as effective in relief, giving up a two-run homer to Jason Bay. Luckily the offense was able to bail him out to the tune of seven runs on twelve hits, with Michael Cuddyer doing most of the heavy lifting.
By the way, The Answer Man has an interesting interview with Joe Nathan.
- Wait, Sidney Ponson has a job?
Remember all those nice things I said about the Royals? Yeah, never mind. They’ve decided that Sidney Ponson and Horacio Ramirez are going to be the fourth and fifth starters this season. Apparently Dayton Moore was so impressed with Ponson’s performance in the WBC that he thought the pudgy righty could be an effective major league starter, despite all of the evidence to the contrary. Horacio Ramirez is remembered very fondly on the South Side for being the worst reliever in Sox history. What either one of these two is doing in the starting rotation for a major league ballclub is beyond me, especially over the likes of Brian Bannister and Luke Hochevar. Perhaps it’s all part of of some elaborate, Major League-esque scheme to build the worst team in baseball and get out of their lease at Kauffman stadium.
Injury Updates
- Joe Mauer injury update:
Well, there’s no Mauer news just yet, but it appears that he and Joe Nathan have been cleared to participate in some light baseball-related activities:
Come to think of it, maybe this is how they both got injured in the first place.
There’s still no news. as of 9pm tonight. I’m starting to really get worried. The Star Tribune is reporting that the doctors and the FO are conferring over what to do, so it doesn’t look good. Oh Lordy, I’ve already suffered enough disappointment with teams from Minnesota this year. I certainly don’t need any more.
- Nick Punto should be fine, or at least his elbow will be
Apparently there isn’t anything wrong with Little Nicky’s elbow. Team doctors re-examined the X-rays he had taken in Toronto, and determined that nothing is broken. Most of the swelling has subsided in the joint, and is tentatively scheduled to start in today’s game against the Yankees. Little Nicky has gotten off to a very slow start this spring, with a .100/.100/.100 in ten plate appearances, and wasn’t very effective for Team Italy in the WBC, either (he was 0-for-12). Normally I wouldn’t be all that concerned about a guy’s performance in spring training games, but Punto gives me several reasons to worry. First of all, he’s thirty-one years old and probably reached his peak offensively last season (it was pretty much his career year, after all). As I have mentioned before, his bat has a tendency to get cold whenever he’s guaranteed a starting job, and he is now the everyday SS after signing that two-year deal in December. Obviously a lineup with Punto and without Mauer isn’t going to make opposing pitchers lose any sleep.
- What happened to Team USA?
Some of these WBC games have been very close nail-biters between some of the best pitchers in the world. This, however, was not one of them. The Puerto Ricans slaughtered the USA 11-1 in seven innings, after which the mercy rule was invoked and everyone was put out of their misery (including those of us who were watching this crap). So what went so horribly wrong? Well, apparently the American pitchers (Jake Peavy in particular) forgot how to record outs. And the American hitters forgot how to drive in runs, or even get on base. I guess the coaching was really bad, too. I mean, really, if your pitcher gives up six runs in two innings, shouldn’t you pull the guy?
The worst part about this whole thing is that Jake Peavy was shown up by Javier Vazquez. Who says Javy isn’t a big-game pitcher?
The United States now has the same record in round two as the Netherlands. Like their Dutch counterparts, the next game is do-or-die for the American team. Unlike the Dutch, however, the US was heavily favored to win this thing. Team Hollandaise wasn’t expected to win a single game, let alone advance to the next round, so what they have accomplished so far is pretty remarkable. Even if it is the end of the line. Another early exit from the WBC would be an embarrassment for the US team, though, and might kill any chance that the American public will actually start taking the tournament seriously.
- The
WildMild aren’t quite dead yet
Oh, they lost another must-win game at Dallas last night, but at least they showed some life for a change. Yes, they made a couple of bad plays that ended up costing them the game, but at least it was only two this time. For the most part they actually skated well. And they played with the sort of desperation a team that is, well, desperate to make the playoffs really needs. The Stars, who are also fighting for the last playoff spot, were just a little more desperate this time.
GM Doug Risebrough hasn’t been too happy with the team’s play as of late, either, and even said so yesterday. Of course, DR is the one who chose to do nothing at the trade deadline even though the team was clearly struggling. And he also let key contributors such as Brian Rolston walk without finding much in terms of a replacement. He was the one who decided to give jobs to unproven rookies like Colton Gillies (and guys who might as well be rookies like James Sheppard) who should really be in juniors right now and not getting their confidence shattered in the NHL. And he (probably) botched contract talks with the team’s leading scorer. So, you know, the players aren’t entirely to blame for this mess.
Despite dropping three straight OT games (apparently our boys don’t realize that an OT loss is still a loss), the Wild are not completely out of the Western Conference playoff picture. They are currently one point out of the eighth, and final spot (not that they really deserve a playoff berth, but that’s a different story). They have to play the second of back-to-back road games in St. Louis tonight. Ordinarily I would be glad to see the Blues on the schedule, since the Wild would most certainly win this game in the past. However, given the awful effort the team has put forth lately, I wouldn’t be terribly surprised if they lost. Again.
- Hey, at least somebody can win a game!
The Wolves beat the Bobcats 108-100 last night, which marks their 20th win of the season. Of course, they’re still 26 games below .500 and will most certainly finish with their fourth straight losing record, but at least they’ll probably surpass last year’s total of 22 wins. This win was just a little more satisfying because the Wolves may have just killed Charlotte’s playoff hopes. Way to go, guys! If you aren’t going to make the playoffs, at least you can take someone else down with you.
Sometimes it’s good to be a fan of a small-market team
The uproar over Alex Rodriguez and his bum hip has made me realize how nice it is to cheer for a team nobody cares about. Joe Mauer, Joe Nathan, and Boof Bonser have all had their share of ailments so far (some of them devastating), and yet the mainstream media has barely even noticed. While ESPN has been covering the A-Rod drama nearly 24/7 and obsessing over what Brian Cashman needs to do to ensure that the Yankees make the playoffs, we here in Twins Territory have had to keep up with the progress of our injured players through the local papers (both of them). The injuries to all of these players, like the injury to A-Rod, could potentially cost the Twins the season. But at least I don’t have to hear about it.
There is one other benefit to having little media coverage of your team: nobody cares if they lose. It’s true; the Twins could go on a 20-game losing streak (God forbid) and ESPN would barely even mention it. Could you imagine what it would be like if that were the Yankees or the Red Sox? tWWL would be in full-on panic mode, with all of their analysts talking nonstop about what kind of fire sale the team needs to have. They would spend hours agonizing over what went wrong, and calling for the firing of everyone in the front office. In some ways I kind of felt bad for Yankee fans last year. Every time I turned on the television, I had to hear about how they weren’t going to make the playoffs and that they were a laughingstock because they spent so much money to finish in third place. I can’t imagine Yankee fans really enjoyed having that thrown up in their faces all the time.
Oh, sometimes it can be difficult to be a Twins fan. You often have to watch your favorite players walk away once they become too expensive. But when you realize that Torii Hunter is getting paid $90 million to hit about 25 homers a season for the Angels, you appreciate the $7.2 million Jason Kubel even more. After awhile you tend to think of your favorite players as your children. It’s fun to watch them come up through the system and develop into well-rounded individuals, but eventually they have to grow up and leave the nest. You wish them well, but you know that it’s in the best interests of everyone involved if you just let them go.
Besides, you always have more babies at home to worry about.
I am not trying to disparage large-market teams in any way. Nor do I think the fans of such franchises should abandon their beloved teams and become Twins fans (though that would be nice. The Twins could always use more fans). I just don’t really want the Twins to ever have the sort of media coverage those other teams endure. I realize that the sort of unlimited financial resources these franchises enjoy comes from overexposure by the mainstream media, and I admit that sometimes I wish the Twins had that kind of money. Still, I don’t think I could take it if I had to hear about my teams’ shortcomings every time I turn on the friggin’ television. Obviously I don’t need any help getting all worked up over nothing.
- Twins shutout Reds 3-0
This game wasn’t all that interesting, either, except for the fact that Glen Perkins has been pitching well. I realize that it’s only spring training, but this is still good news. Perk was very inconsistent last year, to say the least, with September being his worst month by far. He didn’t make it past the fifth inning in any of his starts and was having trouble locating his pitches. Considering that he is projected to be the fourth starter (Blackburn has knee issues and the Twins want to take a conservative approach), he’ll have to start pitching more like he did in August.
And Jason Kubel had an RBI single, extending the good spring he’s been having so far.
- Joe Nathan Aching Shoulder Watch:
Nathan threw a full bullpen session the other day and reportedly feels fine, so I’m calling off the watch for now. He even said it himself: “I haven’t felt this good in four years”, whatever that means. Also, Nick Blackburn’s sore knee apparently isn’t bothering him anymore. The starting rotation doesn’t have much depth so this is obviously very good news. While Philip Humber or R. A. Dickey could potentially fill out a spot if necessary, whether or not they could do so competently is another matter. Anthony Swarzak and Rob Delaney look like very promising prospects, but the organization feels like they need more seasoning in the minors. The same could be said about Jason Jones (who will probably end up being a reliever, anyway). While I initially thought the Twins could probably get away with an eleven-man pitching staff, maybe there’s a need to carry twelve pitchers after alll.
Oooooh, I almost forgot. Our old friend Dennys Reyes, aka the Big Sweat, has signed with the Cardinals for two years and $3 million, plus incentives. Reyes was mostly used as a situational lefty during his time with the Twins, and he’s been a very good one at that. The Cardinals had one of the worst bullpens in the league last season (or so I’ve been told), and this signing gives them some much-needed depth at a reasonable price. He isn’t going to solve all their problems, though, since he tends to be shaky against righties and probably wouldn’t make a good closer.
- Wild defeat Sharks in OT, 4-3
This game is worth
mentioning because it is going to go down as one of the greatest in
franchise history. The Wild were down 3-0 in the middle of the second
period, after playing so terribly throughout the first. It looked as
though they were going to lose their fifth straight game and fall
completely out of the Western Conference playoff picture. I was about
to change the channel when captain Mikko Koivu deflected a shot into the net for the first goal, which ignited the unbelievable rally. Minutes later, defenseman Kim Johnsson found Pierre-Marc Bouchard all alone a the blue line, and he beat Brian Boucher over the shoulder for the second Wild goal. There was no stopping the Wild after that, as they kept pressuring the Sharks until they finally gave in.
Of course, Boucher inadvertently helped them out with some sloppy goaltending (and bad ice):
Zidlicky was simply trying to clear the puck into the offensive zone and head off to the bench for a change. He had no idea he’d scored until he saw his goal on the jumbotron. I doubt the Wild would’ve been able to stage such a comeback if Evgeni Nabokov were between the pipes, but I don’t care. This team hasn’t won a game since they beat the Blackhawks on Feburary 22nd at United Center. I will take a win of any kind at this point.
The Captain saved the best for last, though, when he scored the game-winning goal with a mere 20 seconds left in overtime:
http://wild.nhl.tv/team/embed.jsp?hlg=20082009,2,963&event=S.J816
Yep, that’s about how I reacted, too.
The Wild are now one point away from making the playoffs, with about 19 games left to play. I still don’t think they’re going to make it, but I’ll be happy if they just finish the season with a winning record.
Number 10
Ordinarily I would dedicate my latest ranking on the leaderboard to a person, but I decided to do something a little different this time. I have decided to give my #10 to an important date in Twins history: October 10, 1924. It was on this day that the then-Washington Senators defeated the then-New York Giants 4-3, clinching the franchises’ first World Series title. This series has been considered one of the most compelling of all-time, as most of the games were very close and two went into extra innings. It featured two of the best pitchers of that era: Walter “The Big Train” Johnson (who was pitching in the World Series for the first time in his 18 year career) and Art Nehf. This is also the only World Series title the Senators would win while they were in Washington, and they wouldn’t win another one until 1987 when they became the Minnesota Twins.
This game in particular was probably the most exciting of the series. It was very close, until the eighth inning anyway. The Senators would jump out to an early lead thanks to a solo homer by Bucky Harris in the fourth, but would give up three runs in the eighth. Washington would then answer back with two more runs in the bottom of the inning. Staff ace Walter Johnson then came in to pitch a scoreless ninth and send the game into extra innings. Johnson struggled in the series up to this point, having lost his previous two starts. He struck out 12 batters in game one, but also gave up four runs on fourteen hits while walking six in a twelve-inning loss. The Big Train didn’t fare much better in game five, giving up six runs on thirteen hits, four of which to Freddie Lindstrom, who would later inadvertently help Washington clinch game seven.
By the way, Johnson and Nehf pitched all twelve innings in game one. By themselves. I can’t imagine any pitcher being left in so long these days, a manager would be fired for that. Guys barely make it past the sixth anymore, and nobody would ever be left in so long during such a crucial game. Pitchers are too delicate and too expensive to work that hard anymore.
The Senators would have lost this game were it not for two crucial fielding
errors by the Giants’ third baseman Freddie Lindstrom. The Senators were down 3-1 in the eighth inning, and it looked as though the Giants were cruising to yet another championship title. Bucky Harris hit what should have been a routine ground ball to Lindstrom to end the inning, but the ball hit a pebble and hopped over the infielder’s head. Two runs came in to score and tie the game. Later, in the bottom of the twelfth inning. Earl McNeely hit what, once again, should have been a routine grounder to third, but the ball skipped away from Lindstrom and allowed the winning run to score.
Interestingly, this was also the final extra-innings World Series game played until game three of the 1991 Series, when the Twins lost to the Braves in twelve innings. The Twins might not make a lot of World Series appearances, but they sure like to make it interesting when they do. I guess you could say that Twins baseball hasn’t changed much in the past one hundred years or so, either. A couple of balls taking funny hops and a big blast is still pretty much the way the offense works to this day.
- Joe Nathan Aching Shoulder Watch:
Nathan threw a bullpen session earlier today and reportedly feels fine. There is no lingering soreness in his AC joint, so we can all stop worrying about our closer and get back to worrying about who’s going to pitch in front of him. And if the Twins are really seriously interested in Chad Cordero (NOOOO!!!!).
It doesn’t sound like there’s anything seriously wrong with his shoulder, more likely it’s his 70-innings-per-year average that’s starting to catch up with him. We’ve been spoiled here in Minnesota with such a durable and effective closer, and considering that our alternative is an Ayala/Crain/Breslow/Mijares closer committee, forgive us for getting a little nervous.
- Scott Baker was much better today, Twins defeat Puerto Rico 3-2
Baker wasn’t nearly as awful against Puerto Rico earlier this afternoon as he was in his first start against the Yankees. This time he only gave up three hits in his three innings of work, while recording two strikeouts and one walk. Actually, the pitching staff looked pretty good once again, with Anthony Swarzak giving up the only runs to Puerto Rico. Joe Crede finally got the start at third, and got his first hit as a Twin: a double that plated a pair of runs, giving the Twins the lead. Brian Buscher had an RBI single in the seventh to put the Twins on top again for good, and pitching prospect Ben Julianel closed out the ninth.
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