also available at www.SethSpeaks.net –
As I mentioned earlier this week, I took a little time off of work and decided to do the same with the blog. It is hard work to make myself not blog. But I’ve been able to do it, and it wasn’t as difficult as I thought it would be. Why? The Twins are making it really tough to want to write about them. Honestly, doesn’t it get more than a little frustrating? I know some people have the ability to complain and be really frustrated at the same things day in and day out. For instance, when Ron Gardenhire used to continue to play Jacque Jones against left-handed pitching. We could blog as many stats as we wanted about Jones’ inability to hit southpaws. We could whine about Jones’ inability to make adjustments. We could blame Gardy every time he put him in the lineup. In 2007, we could have written every day about why Nick Punto was still in the lineup. We still do the same thing. We can wax poetic about the Twins bullpen needs, and many have for two full seasons. We can whine about the Delmon Young/Brendan Harris for Matt Garza/Jason Bartlett deal every time Delmon Young makes a play in LF but looks funny. Every time Carlos Gomez take a mammoth swing to strike out or misses a cutoff man, or every time Philip Humber has a bad start in Rochester, or Kevin Mulvey’s one-game trial with the big league club or the slow progression of the still very young Deolis Guerra, we can complain about the package acquired for Johan Santana. We can question why Orlando Cabrera was the answer. Who knows? Maybe he will have his best six week period of his career and make Gomez and Alexi Casilla better. Maybe. We can wonder how it is possible that this team did not acquire any bullpen help at the trade deadline this year, or last year, or in the offseason. We can complain about how Francisco Liriano is still in the starting rotation (for now), or Glen Perkins. We can ask every day how R.A. Dickey, Jesse Crain and Bobby Keppel are big league pitchers while Juan Morillo, Rob Delaney and Armando Gabino toil in Rochester. We can question, again, why the team is so slow in promoting Anthony Slama despite complete domination. We can ask why he isn’t in Rochester. We can also ask why he isn’t in Minnesota. We can complain about Bill Smith. We can complain about the Pohlad family. We can wonder why this team did not learn from its mistake with Johan Santana. Santana wanted to sign an extension with the Twins a year before they had to trade him. Why hasn’t Joe Mauer been signed at this point?
We can complain all we want about all of the above situations. We all have. We will likely discuss all of these things again over the next months. If we’re honest, the situations will likely be the same in coming years. This is the Minnesota Twins. This is what they are, and what they are about. For the most part, I agree with many of their philosophies. I believe in building from within. I believe in not spending much money in the free agent market. I believe in making smart decisions and being competitive every year, rather than completely selling out and going for broke. I believe that anything can happen in the playoffs. I don’t believe in a salary cap and spending just to spend. I believe all decisions should be baseball decisions.
Simply put, I don’t have it in me right now to be upset, or really to feel anything. After the incredible disappointment of the trade deadline period, it’s just hard to have much energy left. I fully believed that this was a year that the Twins would actually do something, and something significant. Yes, Orlando Cabrera was a nice acquisition and has put together a few really good games to start his Twins tenure. But I have no answers for how the Twins did not make a move for a starter or a reliever or maybe even both. Yes, I saw what San Diego wanted for Heath Bell, and there is no way I would have met that request. There’s no way I would have dealt Danny Valencia for Michael Wuertz. And I knew that there was no chance of the Twins acquiring Roy Halladay. I think the Twins could have easily matched the package that the Tigers sent to Seattle for Jarrod Washburn. Cla Merideth had a bad outing against Boston last weekend, but he was acquired for nothing. I can’t imagine that Doug Davis or Jon Garland would have cost too much. Again, I’m at a loss, but I don’t want to write about it every day.
I am a Twins fan through and through. I am a Twins fan whether they win or lose, whether they are good or bad. But that makes it tough, doesn’t it? I mean, this team is not bad. There is some good talent on this team. That said, this team is just not good. There are way too many holes to consider this team a serious threat. It is hard to admit that. It really is. And I’m the optimistic Twins blogger, right? Yet this team is just 3.5 back in the AL Central. How is that even possible? Oh yeah, the whole AL Central is brutal. The three other playoff teams will likely be the Angels, Yankees and Red Sox. The Twins are just 6-17 against those three teams in 2009.
So, although from time to time, these topics will come up again on this site, excuse me for just not being able to dwell on any of them too much. In fact, reading about these subjects is excruciating. I don’t think that makes me less of a Twins fan at all. I’m still a huge Twins fan and always will be. However, times like this remind us all of what our real life priorities should be. It reminds us that sometimes we just need to step back from it. If you’re feeling a little frustrate, bitter and nearing the stage of anger, maybe the best thing to do is just to take a little time. Don’t watch a game. Go to a movie. Clean your home. Go to the zoo. Do something.
Oh, I almost forgot. The Twins and Francisco Liriano lost 8-1 to revamped Cleveland last night. Good times!
MINOR LEAGUE REPORT
Wednesday – SethSpeaks.net Hitter of the Day – Michael Gonzelez, GCL Twins
Wednesday – SethSpeaks.net Pitcher of the Day – Bobby Lanigan, Beloit Snappers
ROCHESTER REPORT
Wednesday –Rochester – No Game Scheduled.
ROCKCAT RECAP
Wednesday – New Britain 4, Erie 6 – Mark Grudzielanek had two of the Rockcats’ five hits in this game. He also had two of the team’s errors that meant five of the six runs allowed were unearned. Frank Mata started and gave up three unearned runs on two hits in five innings. He walked one and struck out five. Kyle Waldrop threw the next two innings. He gave up two runs (1 earned) on two hits. Ryan Mullins gave up an unearned run on a hit and a walk in just 0.1 innings. Anthony Slama came in to get the final two outs. Luke Hughes hit a three run homer and drove in another run with a sacrifice fly.
MIRACLE MEMOS
Wednesday – Ft. Myers 6, Charlotte 7 (12 innings) – Steven Hirschfeld had another quality start. The righty went the first six innings and gave up just two runs on five hits. He walked one and struck out seven. Dakota Watts continues to show why he should still be on the other side of the parking lot .He walked three and got just one out. All three runs scored. Matt Williams gave up a hit to score those runs but then got the final two outs of the sixth inning. Loek Van Mil gave up a run on two hits and three walks in two innings. Blair Erickson threw two shutout innings despite giving up a hit and three walks. Henry Arias gave up a run on four hits in 0.1 innings for the loss in the 12th. Mark Dolenc went 3-5 with a walk, his 16th double and fourth home run. Ben Revere went 3-6 with his 34th double. Estarlin de Los Santos was 2-5 with his eighth double and seventh stolen base. Chris Parmelee was 2-6 with his 21st double. He also struck out four times. Evan Bigley added his third home run. Alejandro Machado, who could be with the Miracle through the playoffs, went 1-2 with his first double.
SNAPPERS SNIPPETS
Wednesday – Beloit 7, Peoria 1 –Bobby Lanigan had a second consecutive great start. The righty went 8 innings and gave up just one run on four hits and a walk. He struck out six. Michael Allen pitched a scoreless inning, striking out two. Angel Morales continued his hot stretch. He went 2-3 with his 10th home run. Aaron Hicks was 2-4. Ozzie Lewis was 2-4 with his 18th double.
E-TWINS EXTRAS
Wednesday – Game 1 – Elizabethton 1, Johnson City 3 – Martire Garcia gave up three runs on six hits in five innings. He walked none and struck out four. Ben Tootle struck out one in a perfect inning. Josmil Pinto 3-4 with his ninth double. Michael Gonzalez went 2-3.
Wednesday – Game 2 – Elizabethton 5, Johnson City 6 – Tom Stuifbergen started the second game. He went just four innings and gave up six runs (4 earned) on eight hits and a walk. He struck out one. Matt Tone went two perfect innings with two strikeouts. Brian Dozier went 3-5. Michael Gonzalez was 2-3 with a walk and his seventh double. Paul-Michael Klingsberg hit two doubles (fifth and sixth) in four at bats. Chris Herrmann went 2-4. Herbert Lara hit his third homer.
GCL TWINS GOINGS ON
Wednesday – GCL Twins 9, GCL Red Sox 4 – Nick Lockwood led with offense, going 3-3 in this game, but he had plenty of help too. Jhon Arias went 2-3 with a walk. Nick Freitas was 2-3 with a walk and his third double. Hyeong-rok Choi went 2-5 with his second homer. Daniel Santana was 1-4 but hit his first homer, a grand slam, and drove in six runs. Michael Tonkin started and gave up three runs (2 earned) on four hits and a walk in four innings. He struck out five. Edison Alvarez went the next two innings and gave up just an unearned run. Zach See struck out four in two shutout innings. Andrei Lobanov struck out the side in his perfect inning.
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SethSpeaks.net 
Good post Seth.
I think it’s getting to the point where the Twins have to start thinking about tossing in the towel and looking ahead to next year. Bring up guys like Slama, Delaney, Gabino, etc now. Keppel is getting completely punished out there. Every ball hit off him is WELL hit. Dickey has been getting slashed around pretty good too.
But that’s not to mean to give up on this year necessarily. I think we’ve all been waiting for that magical hot streak to come – like it did in 2006, and even last year to an extent – but it’s just not happening. This team is mired in mediocrity. And for once, in probably this whole decade, pitching is the main culprit, not hitting. But bringing in a couple of fresh arms from AA/AAA has to be better than what we are doing now.
I am glad though that Gardy has finally given Gomez the starting job. It was really long overdue. His defense is invaluable, and when he hits, it’s exciting. And maybe the addition of Cabrera will help put him over the top, who knows. It sounds like he’s already having a positive impact on him. One of the stats last night showed Gomez hitting like .315 since the series before the all-star break. Despite what a lot of Twins fans may think (particularly strib commentators) his ceiling is still way high, and he’s still young enough to continue making adjustments.
Hey Seth, couldn’t agree with you more. The handling of the team/franchise is absurd. Young relievers with potential continue to rot away in Minors while we leave Dickey, Keppel, and other AAA roster fillers in the bullpen.
What bothers me more is that Punto still in the lineup. If he was Mike Lamb of a year ago he would already be cut.
Therefore, I am boycotting watching/going to any Twins game where Nick Punto is in the starting Lineup. If he is in the lineup I believe management is not putting the best team on the field.
“There are way too many holes to consider this team a serious threat.”
This team is 3 games out of first place and the two teams ahead of it also have “too many holes”. The Twins had Liriano last night, Detroit got similar results from its new acquisition, Jarod Washburn.
So an interesting question. Would you have dealt Liriano straight up for Washburn? You would have given up Liriano’s likely ceiling for the likelihood that Washburn would do better over the next two months. Neither of those is guaranteed of course. Liriano may be better than Washburn the next two months or he may never be worth anything. I think that is the kind of deal teams make that are perpetually out of the pennant race.
“There’s no way I would have dealt Danny Valencia for Michael Wuertz.”
That is the kind of deal the Twins should make. Valencia is almost 25 years old and just reached AAA where he is now struggling mightily. Wuertz would have slotted in as real alternative to Guerrier in the 8th inning.
“Cla Merideth had a bad outing against Boston last weekend, but he was acquired for nothing.”
No, he wasn’t acquired for nothing. He cost Boston something, probably more than Merideth is worth. Bad pitching is often cheap. This is kind of a silly complaint. Bobby Keppel has had some bad outings too. He cost the Twins nothing and they have already got more out of him than Boston is likely to get out of Merideth.
I think those three deals define the actual choices at the deadline better than the imagined trades of fans. Do you deal Liriano for Washburn, Valencia for Wuerts or do you pick up a guy like Merideth on the cheap and hope you get lucky.
I think the Twins, rightly, decided that if they were going to hope to get lucky it might as well be with the guys they have. There is a lot of baseball left before we will know the outcome.
I believe Meredith was actually acquired by Baltimore, not Boston. He pitched AGAINST Boston. And Meredith still has plenty of upside as opposed to the 30-some year old utility infielder that San Diego acquired in return. Think of it as if we had traded them Alejandro Machado.
How can you even compare Cla Meredith to Keppel? Do you even watch baseball?!?!
“Meredith still has plenty of upside”
The Twins weren’t looking for “upside” at the deadline, they were looking for immediate help.
“Think of it as if we had traded them Alejandro Machado.”
Machado is only 27, is a middle infielder and has 5 major league at bats in which he got one hit. Salazar is mostly a corner infielder who had hit over .300 over the last two years with decent power. I doubt the Padres wanted Machado, they did want Salazar and they clearly wanted to get rid of Merideth. It doesn’t really matter whether you think Machado is comparable, I doubt the Padres did and that is the only opinion that matters.
Its not surprising they gave up on Merideth since opponents have been hitting close to .300 against him the last three years, well over that this year.
My point in comparing him to Keppel was that you don’t have to give up anything to get bad pitchers. And Merideth has been a bad pitcher this year.
Seth, I reached that point just before the deadline. I feel for you, man. You put a ton of effort into your trade deadline book, and then they went out and did what they always do, nothing much.
I’ll make a deal with you: I’ll not post my thoughts on the TWins themselves on this site, and mostly ask and talk about the minors, the rest of the year. But, I’ll only do that if you pick a player or two a week to concentrate on from the minors. Maybe we need to just look down on the farm, and hope for the future. Maybe we’ll get lucky and the Twins will get lucky for a while….and when we look back up, things will be better.
I’ll make a deal with myself, you don’t need to do anything. On this site, I’ll refrain from the same old same old….
Seth, is Manship not even an option for getting a look this year? I’d think we’re almost at that desperation point for starters, and he’s actually been doing pretty well in Rochester, no?
It’s ahrd work being a general manager.
It’s harder yet being a manager.
The coaches, also, don’t have an easy life.
Players play agaisnt other players. Have good days, bad days.
Baseball is definitely a team sport.
Adding or subtracting someone can help a team or hinder a team (seen both with the Twins, even in the past few seasons).
If the current players played like they did last season, where would the Twins be today. But last season could’ve been this season, too.
It’s great talking about real people, the players, like pieces in a game puzzle. That’s why Fanatsy Baseball was created. So us fans can pretend to know much more than the bosses of abseball.
But baseball is human beings, weather, stadiums, match-ups. Someone has to win, someone ahs to lose. Someone has to make 24-27 outs in each game. The ball still ahs to be thrown over the plate.
As of today, one game under .500 and still in the hunt. 30 or so games with central division opponents. The Twins control their own destiny.
Wodnering WHAT the starting staff should look like.
Wondering WHO will be the next bullpen guys.
Wondering IF Grudzielanek will fill that empty line-up hole.
Wondering HOW Delmon Young stands sitting on the bench (okay, he sits on the bench, not stands).
Wondering WHY the Twins win by multiple runs one day and get their butt kicked the next.
Happy that Twinsville is one of the better draws in baseball this year (or, at least, attendance has increased comapred to most other teams).
Still two months of baseball. I’m still excited when I just watch the game and don’t give a lot of thought to baseball politics!
I’m not asking anyone ot refrain from anything on my site… I just wonder why people choose the same topics to discuss every day. I mean, I know why, because many of them are valid every day. But life is too short to let it be all-consuming. I just don’t get the need to pile on.
As for the list of topics I mentioned in the first paragraph. Those are just topics that seem to be talked about every day. Some I agree with strongly. Others I just agree with. some I disagree with. I just don’t know how people have the energy to be bitter and angry every day.
No, I wouldn’t trade Francisco Liriano for Jarrod WAshburn and would never advocate that. However, the Twins could use a starter, Washburn has been good this year, the price for him was pretty similar to a Brian Duensing/A-Ball starter package that you would have to consider.
JonM – I’m not encouraging anyone to boycott anything. I hope that’s not how this came across. We’re all Twins fans and want them to do well. We are all die-hards who will continue to watch them through thick and thin and mediocrity. Just sometimes, maybe we all need a day off?
Well put, Rosterman. Well put.
Topper – as for Manship. I think he’s doing what he needs to do. He’s doing alright in AAA and progressing nicely, making adjustments to each level. He could be a September recall guy. I mean, he’ll have to be added to the 40 man roster after the season, so adding him during this season will not be a problem.
Seth, I didn’t take it that way at all. It’s more of an offer, so I don’t add to your, or anyone else’s, fatigue. I challenged myself to stop talking about Delmon, and I succeeded. Now I’m challenging myself to talk about the future on this site.
As for your point about piling on, I agree. It’s why I did stop talking about Young. Everything I needed to say, I’d said. I was repeating myself. I was getting annoying and boring. I’d guess that if I went back and re-read my way too many posts here and on other sites, I’d realize I’d gotten that way about the team in general (not playing Harris, for example, and the treatment of Slama and Delaney and signing never-was, or has been, players). I’m certain I’m not adding anything fun to the conversation at this point.
And, I know it’s not my blog, but I also just feel the need to type a ‘cleansing breath’ type message, so there it is.
“the price for him was pretty similar to a Brian Duensing/A-Ball starter package that you would have to consider. ”
That is your evaluation, but I suspect the Mariners might consider Swarzak more equivalent to French, a 23 year old who was already showing some success in a major league rotation. Of course, that would mean Liriano was still in the rotation along with Washburn.
This is just another version of the “something for nothing” trade everyone thinks the Twins should make. They pick some players they aren’t really convinced will be major contributors to the Twins now or in the future and try to trade them for immediate help. It doesn’t work that way. Other teams want players that are likely to contribute at the major league level, not the Twins rejects.
Just to clarify that last post. I Duensing had been in the rotation over the last month and made 4 or 5 major league starts with an ERA under 4, no one would be proposing trading him for Washburn. The Tigers gave up a 23 year old pitcher who had done just that.
Twins=Timberwolves.
We are all Twins fans but the reality is there hasn’t been a solid move for quite some time (talking O Cabrera right now doesn’t qualify). I don’t think Bill Smith or Ron Gardenhire has taken any of these problems on their shoulders. I think Smith’s status as GM is going to hinge on Mauer’s contract – he leaves, Smith is done. He wets down his league and gives him too much, we have to shot at signing anyone. Once again, Smith is done. He has one crack to get the $ right.
Don’t kid yourselves for 1 minute. Any one of us would take $150 million over $100 million any day of the week – even if it means moving for a while.
This team just reaks. It’s stale. No life. No passion. Manager’s words are falling on deaf ears.
Good luck Billy!
“There is some good talent on this team. That said, this team is just not good. There are way too many holes to consider this team a serious threat. It is hard to admit that.”
I think the front office realized this and decided not to give up significant prospects to plug two or three of the many holes on this team. I believe that was the smart thing to do, although it is very unpopular.
Hang in there Twins fans! It seems that last August (especially that nightmare road trip to Seattle) was when fatigue and stress turned the Twins blogosphere especially toxic and negative. With the division so weak and the Twins remaining schedule so favorable, they’ll be in this race to the end in spite of their many flaws.
I think you make a very good point in regards to “same old same old”. It seems like at times people will force themselves to watch the games even when it becomes apparent they are having absolutely no fun doing so.
Which leads me to wonder…why? Why let yourself get worked into such a furious anger over something like Punto or the bullpen when there’s honestly nothing you can do?
This is why I miss sites such as BatGirl. Even when times were tough, she’d always be able to find a way to brighten things up (even if it was Twins Hottest Chick). And I think that levity is what’s missing from most Twins discussions these days.
At the end of the day, it’s truly just a game…with zero impact on our everyday lives. I know for some people there’s an emotional attachment, but all of the repetition is turning into burnout for a LOT of the community.
Baseball has always and will always be an entertainment industry. And as with any other entertainment outlet…you don’t keep partaking if it stops entertaining you.
If someone doesn’t understand a topic very well, or if their understanding is very one-dimensional, they probably don’t have that much to say. These are the folks who are most likely to repeat a mantra that they feel is not likely to be challenged, as a challenge will expose their limitations. So it’s not piling on, it’s just being safe, and pushing one’s knowledge to the limits.
And then others read it and take it as Gospel, so they parrot the original views. More people read it and think it must be some sort of universal truth, as none of them have the knowledge to question it, or the self-confidence to openly dispute it.
In essence, the less you know, the more likely you are to repeat what little you think you know. I’m not saying that applies to any one here. I’m just saying that is what happens sometimes, in some places.
I hate to say this but the Twins are done. They are not going to the playoffs this year and I would not make any trades to further deplete the farm system. I would bring up Slama, Delaney, and Morillo and get rid of Dickey, Keppel and Crain and see if they are going to be able to help us next year. With Neshek, Bonser, and Slowey coming back and if they can get Cabrera signed to a reasonable contract the Twins should be one of the favorites going into next year. I just don’t want to see them wasting their assets on a dead horse this year.
Travis,
I agree that the Twins shouldn’t expend assets to try to fix this team, and any solutions have to come internally (unless they can land someone like Garland or Davis by giving up more cash than prospects).
The Twins aren’t great, and they aren’t playing well right now. But to say they are “done” is just a silly knee-jerk reaction. They’re 4.5 games out with 54 to play including a ton of games against the teams they are chasing–they aren’t done by a long shot.
I agree with travis. One of the excuses for not bringing up players is they don’t have experience, we need players with experience. Well, now is the time for some of those guys to get experience (and they can’t be worse – whether you give up 3 runs in an inning of work, or 10, it doesn’t really matter that much usually for a reliever).
I don’t say this because I am sure the Twins are done (though I think they are), I say this becasue these guys are wasting their arms in the minors, and the guys they would replace just aren’t very good. It won’t hurt the team, it might help the team, and MOST IMPORTATNLY, it would give them information they can use going into next year (that is, they’d have more of an idea if those guys can pitch in the majors or not).
If you wait for the roster to be expanded, Gardy will keep running the same guys out there (because they are the vets, so they must be more prepared to pitch, no matter how effective they are or are not).
Seth, I find it interesting how some are ready to give up on Crain. While he hasn’t done what was expected this year, I remain hopeful that he still has a future. Now if he isn’t improved by early next eyar, then it may be time to cut bait. I also find it interesting that many of those same people believe that our bullpen will be better next year because Pat is back. Now I am as hopeful as the next guy that Pat comes back and by summer is the short reliever we remember and pray for. The fact is he is also coming back from a major injury and we don’t have a clue if he also will ever be the “stud” we once knew.
“they can’t be worse”
No how many times that gets repeated, it still isn’t true.
“they’d have more of an idea if those guys can pitch in the majors or not)”
This is another cliche that isn’t true. They may well already have a pretty good idea whether these guys can pitch in the major leagues, which is why they aren’t pitching in the major leagues. You don’t necessarily have to test guys to know they aren’t going to get major league hitters out or that they can’t hit major league pitching.
I agree with roger on Crain and Neshek.
I won’t answer TT, as I’d be breaking my rule about not repeating myself over and over…
1. Casilla’s head is spinning and needs to wait until next year to try to compete. Pray Grudz gets back to last year’s form quickly.
2. Punto = utility player
3. J.Morales cannot take Redmond’s spot soon enough.
4. Keppel and Dickey need to be replaced. Give Gabino and Delaney a chance even if they’re not quite ready.
5. Valencia’s struggles for the past few weeks is troubling.
Hi Seth,
I just got back from a road trip to Beloit. It was quite refreshing to get away from all the negative stuff surrounding the Twins these days and watch the prospects. Great fun to see Aaron Hicks hit a grand slam and Angel Morales a 3-run HR! Ramon Santana made a couple terrific plays at third base. Bobby Lanigan had a no-hitter going through 5 innings. Good times!
because you’ve never beaten a dead horse, seth. riggggght.
act all high and mighty. but the fact is that just because you’re sick of it now, that doesn’t mean you haven’t done it in the past.