High Cheez

Attitude is Everything

2013-06-15T11:12:00.004-05:00

The Minnesota Twins have had a ho-hum, go about your business but don't rock the boat type of attitude ever since they opened Target Field. It's the laid back, country club type of atmosphere where you go to hang out, take a few cuts in the cage and enjoy some baseball. Who cares if you win, right? They have the new field and the big contracts (Mauer, Morneau, Willingham) so what's the difference if they win games or not?

Ho-hum

Now, all due respect to Joe, Justin and Josh, as I know they work hard each and every day and deep down they do want to win. However, it's tough for a passionate baseball fan like me to see clips of them in the dugout and there's absolutely no emotion after they bounce out a double play ball. I mean COME ON!!

It seems to me like no one cares.

Gardy sits there and talks with Anderson (the only one he seems to converse with) and it looks like you could hear crickets in the dugout.

Seeing Eddie Guardado get his Twins Hall of Fame bid made me realize that the Twins miss a guy like him. They miss guys like A.J. and Hunter. Guys like Kirby and Hrbie. Guys like Bert. They had chips on their shoulders and weren't there just for the hell of it.

Right now there isn't a single soul on the team with any fire or personality to get everyone going. It's almost like they're robots. I'd hate to be in the clubhouse before and after games. I bet its like being on the golf course. Everyone is probably very courteous to eachother and they just go about their business in a quiet manner. Wouldn't want to bother anyone!

Seriously! If the Twins want to contend again, they need personality in the clubhouse. I miss a guy like Redmond who would walk around the clubhouse naked just to get a rise out of guys.

Wake up Twins!! Show some fire and passion.

Attitude is everything, and you won't win consistently without it.

Was this year's draft a good one for the Twins?

2013-06-11T08:00:00.001-05:00

Twins #1 pick Kohl Stewart

Pitching, pitching and more...catchers...?

The 2013 draft saw the Minnesota Twins doing some of the predictable by picking up a bunch of pitching prospects. It also saw some of the unpredictable with them going with some catching prospects as well.

It's obvious that the Twins need pitching as game in and game out, it seems to be their achilles heel as starters struggle to get through 6 innings.

RHP Kohl Stewart should help. He was selected with the #4 overall pick and was one of the top high school kids in the draft posting a 0.18 ERA! He's also been compared to pitchers such as Josh Beckett. Not bad!

Another pitcher by the name of Ryan Eades out of LSU was selected in the second round by the Twins. He's definitely a starter that has good stuff including a nasty curveball that gets batters out. The biggest blemish on Eades is that he underwent shoulder surgery while a senior in high school, but it appears that that is not a factor right now.

As the draft went on, more and more pitchers were selected with third baseman Dustin DeMuth thrown in for good measure. However, with the picks in the 3rd, 6th and 9th rounds, the Twins selected catchers Stuart Turner out of the University of Mississippi; Brian Navarreto, a high school kid from Florida; and Mitch Garver from New Mexico.

Looking at these guys, it's clear that none would be suitable replacements for Joe Mauer, so, why pick so many catchers?

For more info on the draft, please go to aarongleeman.com,

Getting Closer

2013-06-03T08:13:00.001-05:00

At 25-29 the Twins have sneaked their way into 3rd place in the Central. They currently stand at a full game ahead of the White Sox and 4 games behind the 2nd place Indians. I had predicted they would grab 3rd by the All-Star break, but now they're working ahead of that.

Diamond

It has been beneficial that they are facing bottom feeder teams, but hey, you need to take care of business against those teams and the Twins are certainly doing that.

The Twins are 7-3 in the last 10 games and have won 6 out of their last 7. Also good news, they've improved their previously ailing home record to 13-14. It's nice to see Target field being somewhat of an advantage for them as they've been knocking a lot out of the park.

Rookie Aaron Hicks has been a spark they've needed on offense. During the last 7 games, he's hitting .286 with 2 homers, a triple, and a handful of spectacular defensive catches.

Hicks

Scott Diamond improved his record to 4-4 on the season with a win versus Seattle yesterday. He allowed only 4 hits while giving up 0 runs in the Twins 10-0 victory.

Don't get me wrong, the Twins still have a lot of work to do and a lot to prove if they want to contend for the Central Division title. They play KC (23-31) next with Washington (28-29) and Philadelphia (27-30) to follow. They need to take advantage of playing these sub .500 teams because come the middle of June, they see Detroit, Chicago and Cleveland again.

Back to the 2 hole

2013-06-02T06:47:00.001-05:00

Joe Mauer returned to the number 2 spot in the lineup yesterday. Gardy says that's where he likes him to be. Check out the full article from the Pioneer Press right here: Chad Graff

#joemauerhitting#2

HIcks O Rama!

2013-05-29T22:10:00.001-05:00

Sam Deduno pitched 7 solid innings giving up only 1 earned run and Glen Perkins picked up his 11th save of the season as the Twins (22-28) beat Milwaukee 4-1 tonight at Target Field. The victory gives Minnesota its 3rd win in a row (all three against the Brewers).

But the real story has been the play of Aaron Hicks who slammed another home run tonight, his 6th on the season. Last night he robbed Carlos Gomez of a homerun and jacked one out himself to help the Twins to a 6-5 extra inning victory. In total against the Brewers, Hicks is hitting .385 with 2 homers and 2 doubles.

In the last week, since May 22nd, Hicks is hitting .286 with 3 home runs and one taken away. A lot better than his sub .200 season average.

Is Hicks finally starting to hit his stride? Bat him leadoff again, I say, while he's hot!

All I know is that it's nice to see the Twins winning...maybe we can play Milwaukee the rest of the year?

Click HERE to see Hicks robbing Carlos Gomez of a homerun

Fore!

2013-03-25T09:33:00.001-05:00

Aaron Hicks was officially named the Twins starting center fielder. Joe Mauer had a 6 RBI game. But you have to take a look at this clip of Sergio Garcia smacking a ball out of a tree! http://www.kfan.com/cc-common/news/sections/newsarticle.html?feed=104673&article=11104067

Groin Injury Giving Walters A Shot

2013-03-24T11:41:00.003-05:00

P.J. Walters

Samuel Deduno, who pitched extremely well at the WBC, suffered a groin injury during the championship game. He is expected to be out for only a couple weeks at most. This will give P.J. Walters a shot at starting today as the Twins take on the Tampa Bay Rays. However, even if Walters does well today, I still think that Deduno earned a shot at the 5th spot in the rotation with his play in the WBC.


Deduno at WBC

Last year, he showed that he is capable of pitching in the big leagues and even that he can overpower some hitters. The one thing the Twins saw that he needed to work on the most was his control as he walked almost as many batters as he struck out (57/53).

Walters last year was 2-5 for the Twins with a 5.69 ERA. Deduno was 6-5 with a 4.44. Both pitchers still need to prove they can be in the big leagues for a full season but right now, I'm hoping that Deduno comes back from that groin injury real soon.

Twins Trim the Roster

2013-03-22T11:23:00.006-05:00

The Twins made some cuts today. Most notable among them is outfielder Joe Benson. For more info, click on the link below for the Star Tribune report.

La Velle E. Neal III

Not the guy cut, but good for effect

Twins Forecast: Cloudy

2013-03-21T17:09:00.002-05:00

Cold Weather Carew

The Twins are set to open their 2013 season against the Detroit Tigers at home in front of a, hopefully, sold out crowd. Although the weather is 25 degrees outside my window right now, the 10 day forecast from Fox 9 News shows 54 degrees and cloudy with a chance of showers on April 1st.

This should offer some hope that the Twins will actually get this home opener in. However, after coming back to Minnesota from being in the 80's and sunny down in Ft. Meyers, 54 degrees will most likely make players succumb to turtlenecks and ear flap hats.

Ron Gardenhire is tight lipped about who will start on the mound, but all indications thus far point toward Vance "Vanimal" Worley getting the nod. Scott Diamond would've been the opening day starter, but he most likely won't be ready to go for another week or so. The umpires do allow the pitchers to blow on their hands during cold weather so if the "Vanimal" has a spit ball, this would be the time to bust it out.

If the rain and cold prove to be just too much for our sun baked club, no worries, the Twins were 3-0 in double headers last year.

Cinderella Season

2013-02-11T21:59:00.002-06:00

Just for fun I've put together some key stats from the 1987 World Series Champion Twins team.

85-77, 1st in West Division / 5th in AL

Getting TP'd!

Scored 786 runs, allowed 806 runs!

Batting:

Kirby

R - 786, 8th in AL

H - 1422, 13th in AL

HR - 196, 6th in AL

AVG - .261, 10th in AL


I wonder if he still has this shirt?

Pitching:

W-L % - .525, 5th in AL

CG - 16, Last in AL

SO - 990, 6th in AL

ERA - 4.63, 10th in AL

Hrbie!!

Individual Team Leaders

Batting:

AVG - Kirby Puckett - .332
HR - Kent Hrbek - 34
RBI - Gary Gaetti 109
SB - Dan Gladden - 25

Most Valuable Player, Batter - Kirby Pucket (3.9 WAR)

Pitching:

W-L - Frank Viola - 17-10
SO - Frank Viola - 197
SV - Jeff Reardon - 31
ERA Starter - Frank Viola - 2.90

Most Valuable Player, Pitcher - Frank Viola (7.8 WAR)

Sweet Music

Overall, by looking at these stats, it's amazing that this team did win the World Series. They were either average or below average in many categories. Being in the AL West played a huge factor because if they were in the AL East, they would've been in 5th behind the Yankees.

However, new uniforms, a new Manager, the Metrodome and an unwillingness to quit when their backs were against the wall propelled them to World Series victory. The 1987 Twins were the very definition of an "underdog" team because nobody gave them a chance. However, I'm sure that if you were to talk to any of the former members of that team, they would tell you that they knew they had something very special that year -- a Cinderella season indeed!

Twins: Questionable At Best

2013-02-09T14:44:00.002-06:00

With the Minnesota Twins season opener less than two months away, there are many question marks surrounding the team which has most people predicting a last place finish for the club. In all reality, they've made some moves this off season to bolster the pitching staff as well as their farm system but they didn't add any power, the middle infield is questionable at best, they're without a proven center fielder, without a proven closer and they don't have a pitcher dominant enough to be called an "ace".

Scott Diamond

It's difficult to be optimistic about their chances when they continue to make the same moves that have gotten them into the cellar in the first place. Picking up a couple back-of-the order starters in Kevin Correia and Vance Worley as well as using under-experienced position players such as Mastroianni and Dozier doesn't sound like a recipe for success to me. If fact, it sounds like more of the status quo.

One good thing is that Justin Morneau, Joe Mauer and Josh Willingham are all healthy and good to go but Mauer and Morneau will need to step up their offensive production, mainly homers and RBI's, if they are to have even a chance at scoring a lot of runs this season. Ryan Doumit could be a sleeper to hit 20/80 this year which would help Morneau and Willingham to have legitimate power behind them.

Darrin Mastroianni is literally being thrown into the starting center field position after the departure of Span and Revere. He has ability and range in the outfield but the biggest question mark will be his performance at the plate. Span and Revere were both marginally good at getting on base, stealing bases and setting the table for the RBI guys, but now they have a glaring need for a lead off and number 2 hitter. Mastroianni, Carrol?? Not so sure about that one.

Scott Diamond, after starting last season in the minors, will be the ace of the staff after being the most consistent pitcher last year. However, Diamond underwent minor surgery in December to remove bone fragments in his left (throwing) elbow. He still has some soreness and tenderness and is not throwing the best right now. The Twins are confident he will make a full recovery by opening day but it's a little discouraging to hear that he isn't recovering as well as he was hoping to this point.

Anthony Swarzak was messing around and broke a couple ribs last week which, for the Twins, could loom huge to start the season being that he's going to miss the first month and they need all the pitching they can get.

With all of these concerns facing the team this season, I think the biggest question mark that hasn't been addressed by Terry Ryan this off-season is the middle infield. It's going to be tough to pull out games in the late innings with an average second baseman and a minor league shortstop. Dozier will most likely get the start at short but he did nothing to impress last year as he was basically just a warm body. On any other team he would most likely find himself in the minors. Jamey Carrol is good but getting older and his range isn't what it used to be.

Trevor Plouffe could be solid at 3B and I think that a full season there would help him gain more confidence and consistency. His potential power is exciting as well and he could be another sleeper like Doumit to hit 20/80 this year.

Being a baseball fan, I am always excited with the beginning of new season as there is always hope that something magical could happen. Unfortunately, I'm not so sure this year is going to be that year for the Twins with so many question marks that still need answers.

Ok...Now What?

2012-12-09T21:05:00.002-06:00

Now with Revere and Span gone, the Twins are going to turn, most likely, to Darin Mastroianni to fill in as the starting center fielder and leadoff hitter. However, with only 78 major league games under his belt, the former 16th round draft pick, is not exactly what any major league team would be excited to call their game day starter in the #8 position.

He batted only .252 last season with 45 K's to just 18 walks and a .328 OBP. One bright spot however, is the 21 stolen bases which put him 2nd on the team behind Ben Revere's 40. So as long as he can get on base, he can make some things happen on the base paths. Mastroianni's defense isn't anything worth noting, however, and is a far cry from the glove work of Span or Revere.

Aaron Hicks

So what's the full time answer at center field? More than likely, the position will be open for 2008 first round draft pick Aaron Hicks. He put together a nice season in AA last year hitting .286 with 13 hr's and 61 RBI. He also hit 11 triples and swiped 32 bases to go along with a .384 OBP.

Defensively, Hicks is ranked as the top outfielder in the Twins farm system and has the best outfield arm. In high school he was clocked at 97 mph as a pitcher.

Of course, throwing a rookie in the starting lineup can always be a crap shoot, but if he's ready, Hicks could be a viable replacement to Span and Revere.

Span, Revere - Gone

2012-12-07T09:36:00.000-06:00

Former Twin Ben Revere

The Minnesota Twins are making some waves to say the least. After just recently dealing starting center fielder Denard Span to the Nationals, the Twins decide to trade their only existing center fielder away to the Phillies. Ben Revere will now be donning the Philadelphia pinstripes as their newest field general, and in return, the Twins get the be-spectacled, mohawk wearing, 6' 2" right hander Vance Worley plus Phillies top pitching prospect, righty, Trevor May (AA - 10-13, 4.87) as well as minor league RHP Ryan Pressly (A, AA - 7-5, 5.38).

It's easy to see what Twins GM Terry Ryan is focusing on this offseason and that's PITCHING! Of course Denard Span was traded earlier this week for a 6' 9" flame throwing minor league prospect called Alex Meyer, Nationals top pitching prospect, who strikes guys out at a 10.5 per 9 clip.

Former Twin Denard Span

Amid speculation that the Twins are scrapping the 2013 season by getting pitching "prospects", Terry Ryan said, "I don't think we are taking steps back. We are trying to take steps forward. I would understand if someone did equate it into taking a step back, [but] we aren't going to take a step forward until we get pitching."


New Twin Vance Worley

Ryan says there's plenty of money left in the piggy bank for free agents, but is that something they will be looking to spend on more pitching? Let's not forget the other gaping hole in center where Denard Span and sometimes Ben Revere once stood. Guys like Darin Mastroianni, Aaron Hicks and Joe Benson are the top choices as of right now to fill that void.

The More Things Change, The More They Stay The Same

2012-08-09T07:11:00.001-05:00

Okay...so I've taken a little hiatus, (some may call it writer's cramp, I call it summer vacation). But now I'm back and let's see...what have our beloved Twins done in the past month?

Twinkie

Well, last time I checked in, the Twinkies were in last place with a horrid 30-42 but managed to only be 7.5 GB.

Liriano was still on the team but I was predicting that either he or D. Span would be gone by the trade deadline.

Franchise player Joe Mauer was underachieving at best, Joe Capps just went on the DL and Willingham and Plouffe were tearing the cover off the ball with 15 HR's apiece.

My how things change in one month...or have they?

As of today, the Minnesota Twins are 49-62, 11.5 GB, but are no longer in last place as the KC Royals (47-63) have sucked worse. Liriano was shipped off to the White Sox, Joe Mauer has actually started hitting the ball well (.316), Plouffe has been on the 15 day DL with an injured thumb which sparked the call up and then trade of Danny Valencia, Willingham leads the team in homers with 29 (tying his career high) and RBI's with 83 (3rd in the AL), Ben Revere has been blazing up the base paths and is 3rd in the AL with 27 SB's, and Scott Diamond (May call-up) is still the ace with a 10-5 record and a very respectable 2.91 ERA.

If I've left anything out, like Nishioka's return to the lineup (0-12 with 3 errors in 3 games) it's probably not that relevant anyway.

Surprisingly, the offense has picked it up some, however, with pitchers in the rotation like Blackburn (4-7, 7.42) and Duensing (2-7, 4.46) they've barely managed to increase their winning percentage (.416 on 7/26 to .441 today).

Sammy Deduno

One bright spot, however, has been Sammy Deduno who, since being called up a few weeks ago, has started 6 games and is 3-0 with a 3.27 ERA. He's been a little wild (25 BB in 33 INN) but has been able to pitch himself out of jams. Bottom line, along with Diamond, Deduno gives the Twins a chance to win every time he takes the hill and really, that's all you can ask out of your starter.

The Twins are 5-3 in the month of August and have the day off today after finishing up a series win over Cleveland. They are back at Target Field on Friday taking on the Tampa Bay Rays (58-52) with Cole DeVries (2-2, 3.81) going up against Jeremy Hellickson (6-7, 3.43) at 7:10 CT. It's getting pretty late in the season to be thinking playoffs, huh? But with the Cleveland Indians only 2 games ahead of the Twins in the standings, a third place finish in the Central is well within reach.

Stay tuned for continuous Twins updates. Until next time, I will leave you with one of my favorite pics of Kate Upton. C ya!


The lovely Kate

No One Is Untouchable

2012-06-29T16:37:00.000-05:00


GM Guy

According to Twitter sources from AM 1500, Twins GM Terry Ryan has stated that no player is untouchable when discussing the trade deadline.

Huh?

This statement leads me to believe that he is just as frustrated as every other Twins fan with the way they've performed, or not performed, this season and to say it is a way for him to blow off some steam.

It's a very interesting comment to make, though, when it is widely thought that guys like Joe Mauer and Justin Morneau would be Twins for a long time to come.

It's no secret that the likes of Denard Span and Francisco Liriano are on the trading block as their stock has risen over that past few weeks.

But to say that no one is untouchable throws out the possibility that the current face of the franchise Joe Mauer could be gone by the end of next month.

What?

If that were the case, what would his real trade value be and who would take his huge contract despite the fact that he's been putting up non-superstar like numbers?


Underachiever Guy

These are questions that will be pondered by the media and will have to be answered by GM's around the league, but I would like to think that there are a few teams out there that would consider trading for the '09 AL MVP.

For now, what truly appears to be untouchable this season for the Minnesota Twins, are their chances of competing, much less winning the Central Division title.

Trade Deadline Looming

2012-06-26T12:39:00.002-05:00

With the trade deadline on the horizon, who knows what will happen. Liriano has definitely beefed up his value as has Denard Span and Joe Mauer. Although, I don't think that many teams would want to eat Joe's enormous contract, it's definitely something that Ryan should at least entertain, if he hasn't already.


Frankie High Cheese

I believe that either Span or Liriano will be gone by the deadline and between the two, Span would be the most likely to be dealt. The Twins need all the pitching they can get and dealing Liriano, especially since he's pitching well now, might not be the smartest move. Span could be replaced with Revere who's been hitting very well (.316) and leads the team in stolen bases with 14. Revere covers a little more ground in the outfield and is more of an explosive player than Span.

Span Man

Josh Willingham leads the team in home runs (15) and RBI's (49) and has been more than a solid off-season pick up. I'm hoping that Terry Ryan thinks we have a shot at winning in the second half of this season (especially with our division being so weak) and that he will keep Willingham around for the remainder of the year and possibly next year as well.

Sweeping the series against the White Sox would help Minnesota to gain some ground but in order for them to have a shot at competing in the division, they need more consistency in their starting pitching. It would be nice to see a trade made with Span to get an accomplished pitcher on the roster.

Matt Capps going on the 15 day DL is just more insult to injury for the pitching staff. The bullpen has been very surprisingly solid this year and has kept the Twins in a lot of games when the starter has left in the 3rd inning. Gardy said that there will be a "closer by committee" approach but Jared Burton has 2 saves in as many opportunities and looks to be the guy to fill the void for now.


Plouffy Dog

Trevor Plouffe has definitely made an impact since making his way into the Twins lineup. With 15 home runs, he's sharing the team lead in that category with Willingham, but has done it with far fewer at bats. Some are saying that he would be a good candidate for the home run derby at the All-Star game. Although it would be fun to see another Twin try to jack homers against the elite home run hitters in the league, it seems that swinging for the fences in that contest tends to mess up our guys' swings. So I, for one, hope that he doesn't go.

One thing to note as well: Jamie Moyer was released from Baltimore over the weekend. I know the dude is old, but I don't think it would hurt to give him a shot on the rotation. Just sayin'.


Old Guy

Gardy Just Wants .500

2012-06-26T10:08:00.001-05:00

The Minnesota Twins (30-42, 7.5 GB) will take on the Chicago White Sox (38-35, 0.0 GB) tonight at 7:10 CT with Liam Hendricks (0-4, 7.39) on the hill versus Gavin Floyd (5-7, 5.20).

Hendricks has been struggling to say the least with a 9.92 ERA over his last four starts and it's amazing that he is even in a major league rotation. Just goes to show you how much this Twins starting 5 is really rough this year.

The one thing the Twins have going for them is that Gavin Floyd has an 8 game losing streak against the Twins and he hasn't been pitching well as of late.

After coming off of a winning series against the Reds, Minnesota has some momentum and there's no better team to beat right now than the White Sox as the Twins can gain some ground in the division.

"We've got a long way to go here but (the White Sox are) in our division and leading our division, so it's a good start to win the first one," manager Ron Gardenhire told the team's official website. "Our goal is still just to get to .500 and we have a ways to go to get there."

Twins Notes

2012-06-19T11:53:00.002-05:00

The Twins have been playing better as of late but still sit in last place in the Central (8.0 GB) and continue to own the worst record in the AL at 26-39. Tonight at 6:05 CT they take on the Pittsburgh Pirates (34-31) with ace Scott Diamond (5-2, 2.13) taking on Kevin Correia (2-6, 4.43).

Joe Mauer may or may not be in the lineup tonight as he is suffering from a bruised right quadriceps. He has been hitting well lately with a .406 BA over the last 9 games. Joe is currently 2nd in overall voting for AL catchers with over 1.2 million votes and is trailing Texas catcher Mike Napoli who has over 2.2 million votes.

Trevor Plouffe has been homerless in two straight games after having hit one is four straight. He is leading the team with 14 homers and has been probably the most exciting Twin to watch as of late. Over the last 10 games Plouffe is hitting .371 with 10 homers. It will be interesting to see how he does after pitchers start to figure him out.

Scott Diamond is no doubt the ace of this stumbling, bumbling pitching staff which isn't saying much but, unlike any other pitcher in the rotation, he's at least fun to watch pitch. Diamond will be looking to bounce back after a loss to Philly where he went 6 innings and surrendered 4 ER. For any other pitcher in the rotation that would be a good outing but Diamond is looking to go deep into the ballgame tonight to give the tired bullpen some rest.

I still think that if the Twins are to make any move toward contention, they have to get an established ace pitcher which could involve trading the likes of Denard Span or Josh Willingham.

Cain Perfect, Should've Been A Twin

2012-06-14T10:29:00.000-05:00

Tonight's game versus the Phillies in the series finale will more than likely be rained out but I wanted to take this opportunity to just mention Matt Cain's perfect game last night and how the Twins passed him up in the 2002 draft.

Matt Cain celebrating his perfection

Cain was masterful last night throwing the first perfect game in Giants history and only the 14th no hitter for the franchise. He struck out a career high 14 batters and got some help in the field, particularly a leaping catch by LF Melky Cabrera and a diving grab by RF Gregor Blanco. With the win, Cain improved his record to 8-2 this year with a 2.18 ERA and 96 K's.

Back in 2002 Matt Cain was drafted 25th overall by the San Francisco Giants. It was the same draft that saw the Rays taking B.J. Upton (#2), the Royals went with Zack Greinke (#6), the Brewers took Prince Fielder (#7) and the Phillies nabbed Cole Hamels (#17).

The Twins held pick #20 that year and they chose OF Denard Span. Now the argument can be made that Denard was a good pick. He has produced at the major league level and is a very solid center fielder. His career WAR (wins above replacement) is a respectable 14.0 and his career BA is a good .286. Span has served as the Twins starting center fielder and lead off batter for the better part of the last 4 years so it's safe to say that he definitely wasn't a bust.

Now I know that hindsight is always 20/20 and MLB drafts are literally just a crap shoot. But I don't think I'm too far off saying that the Twins should've at least entertained the idea of taking Cain. 2002 was a good year for Minnesota. It was Gardy's first year as manager. They finished 1st in the AL Central at 94-67 and made it to the ALCS but you'll remember they lost to the Angels 4 games to 1.

Their pitching was fairly solid that year with Rick Reed leading the staff with 15 wins. Kyle Lohse and Eric Milton each had 13 wins, Radke had 9 and Johan Santana made the move from the bullpen to a starter and posted 8 wins. Joe Mays suffered injuries that year, pitched in only 95 innings and posted a rough 4-8 record with a 5.38 ERA. The Twins' team ERA that year was a not-so-good but okay 4.12.

Torii Hunter was the starting center fielder and had good numbers that year with a .289 BA, 29 HR and 94 RBI. Jaque Jones also roamed the OF that year and posted a .300 BA, 27 HR and 85 RBI. They were both young and fast and looked to be the anchors for the Twins outfield for years to come.

Even though the pitching staff, with the exception of Rick Reed, was very young at the time, and Milton, Radke and Mays pitched very well the year before, there were definitely question marks with a young Kyle Lohse and no established #5 starter. And who knew at that time that Johan Santana would go on to have the career he had. That being said, looking back it would appear as if the Twins needed pitching shored up more than the outfield, especially when they had guys like Michael Cuddyer and Bobby Kielty waiting in the wings. Therefore, it would've have been far fetched to select a guy like RHP Matt Cain with the 20th pick that year.

Now that's not to say that Cain has had HOF numbers but he has done very solid going 77-75 with a very good 3.28 ERA and 1181 K's over 1412.1 innings and would definitely be the ace of our staff right now. Denard Span is doing well this year as well, batting .293 with 16 doubles, but I think its safe to say that Cain is out performing him this year and with 8 wins, would be making a bigger impact on the team.

Now Span might have been the better player at the time, but Cain would've definitely filled some holes and, ultimately, would've been the better investment. Also too, that's not to mention that 3 other pitchers were picked inbetween the Twins #20 and the Giants #25 but, at least for me, it's fun (and sometimes depressing) to look back at past drafts and see who could've been on the Twins.

But the emphasis at draft time is always that you need to select the best player available at the time whether he fills any holes or not. And that's what makes me worried with this year's draft when they selected yet another outfielder in Byron Buxton and passed on what they needed with RHP Mark Appel.

Good for Cain and good for the Giants, but I will have to say this though, it would've been pretty nifty to have seen Cain pitch his masterful perfect game last night in the Minnesota Twins pinstripes instead of a San Francisco uniform. Just sayin'.

Unthinkable

2012-06-12T16:20:00.002-05:00

Who would've thought that going into tonight's inter-league game between the Minnesota Twins (24-35, 8.5 GB) and the Philadelphia Phillies (29-33, 8.5 GB) that they would both hold the same position in their respective divisions - dead last!

They couldn't have been any different to start the season as far as expectations go with the Phillies expected to compete for the division title and the Twins just trying to compete. But with All-Star's like Chase Utley, Ryan Howard and Roy Halladay all out of Philadelphia's lineup due to injury, those expectations are suddenly very hard to reach.

The Phillies have lost 8 out of their last 9 in their plummet to the bottom of the division. Meanwhile, the Twins have experienced an offensive surge from guys like Josh Willingham, Justin Morneau, Trevor Plouffe and Denard Span. That coupled with decent pitching from Scott Diamond, P.J. Walters and (lately) Francisco Liriano has led to the Twins winning 9 out of their last 12.

Nick Blackburn

As of today, however, both teams sit at 8.5 games out of 1st place and while the Phillies are just trying not to lose, the Twins seem to have some confidence and swagger, the likes of which they haven't experienced in a couple years.

Nick Blackburn (2-4, 7.75) will make the start for the Twins and is trying to turn his brutal season around. He pitched well against K.C. in his first outing back after shoulder soreness last Wednesday giving up only 2 runs in 5 innings. He said that he just went out there and tried not to think too much.

He will be facing a sometimes inconsistent Kyle Kendrick (2-5, 4.44) who has pitched well as of late but got clobbered by the Dodgers giving up 5 ER over 5.2 innings.

I'm thinking it will be a high scoring affair for both teams but let's hope for the Twins sake that Blacky's not doing any thinking out there at all tonight.

Twins Win Series

2012-06-11T10:14:00.001-05:00

Francisco Liriano

The Minnesota Twins (24-35) picked up their 4th series win in a row and have won 7 out of their last 10 but still sit in last place in the Central Division at 8.5 games behind the 1st place White Sox and are only 0.5 games behind 4th place Kansas City.

Alfonso Soriano doubled to left in the 1st to score Reed Johnson and put the Cubs up 1-0 right away against Francisco Liriano (1-7, 6.45) and the Twins. But Liriano settled down after that pitching strong through 5 innings He struggled in the 6th however, giving up 3 runs and wasn't able to finish the inning. Liriano ended up going 5.2 inn, gave up 4 ER and had 6K's.

The Twins bullpen didn't fare so well this time, though, as Jared Burton gave up 2 R, 1 ER and Anthony Swarzak allowed 2 ER to put the Cubs up 8-0 going into the bottom of the 9th.

Minnesota scored 2 in the 9th but the lowly Cubs, who hold the worst record in the Majors, held on to win 8-2.

Liriano pitched well, but proved he doesn't have the stamina to go deep into ballgames. It seems as though 5 or 6 innings is about it for him. Despite losing 2 games in June, his ERA this month is at 3.86 which is very promising for the sometimes erratic lefty.

Joe Mauer struck out 3 times in the game and said that he's glad that Ryan Dempster is in the National League so he doesn't have to face him again.

Dempster extended his scoreless streak to 15 innings and lowered his ERA to 2.31. He's been really the only bright spot for the Cubs this year.

The Twins take on the Phillies at Target Field Tuesday night at 7:10 CT with Nick Blackburn (2-4, 7.75) taking on Kyle Kendrick (2-5, 4.44).

2012 Twins Draft Results

2012-06-07T20:59:00.001-05:00

Here's a look at the 43 players the Twins took in the draft this year:

Byron Buxton, OF, Appling County HS, Baxley, Ga.
Jose Berrios, RHP, Papa Juan XXII HS (Puerto Rico) (Cuddyer-Colorado)
Luke Bard, RHP, Georgia Tech (Kubel-Arizona)
Mason Melotakis, LHP, Northwestern St
J.T. Chargois, RHP, Rice
Adam Walker, RF, Jacksonville
Zach Jones, RHP, San Jose St.
Tyler Duffey, RHP, Rice
Andre Martinez, LHP, Archbishop McCarthy HS, Pembroke Pines, Fla.
Jorge Fernandez, C, Colegio Hector Urdaneta, Yabucoa, Puerto Rico
Christian Powell, RHP, College of Charleston
LJ Mazzilli, 2B, Connecticut
D.J. Baxendale, RHP, Arkansas
Taylor Rogers, LHP, Kentucky
Alexander Muren, RHP, CS Northridge
Erich Knab, RHP, Carolina Forest HS, Conway, S.C.
Jake Proctor, CF, Cincinnati
Jarret Leverett, LHP, Georgia Southern
Will Hurt, SS, Lexington (Ky.) Catholic HS
Dalton Hicks, 1B, UCF
William LaMarche, RHP, Chabot
Jonathan Murphy, LF, Jacksonville
Zach Larson, CF, Lakewood Ranch HS, Bradenton, Fla.
Bo Altobelli, C, Texas Tech
Joshua Graham, C, Roseburg (Ore.) Senior HS
Travis Huber, RHP, Nebraska
Jose Favela, C, Franklin HS, El Paso, Texas
Joel Licon, 2B, Orange Coast College
Justin Jones, LHS, California
Jerad Grundy, LHP, Kentucky
Carson Goldsmith, RHP, Northwestern St.
Sean Hagan, LHP, St. John's
Bryan Santy, C, U Washington
Timothy Robinson, LF, Ocean View HS, Westminster, Calif.
Andrew Ferreira, LHP, Harvard
Kaleb Merck, RHP, TCU
Brian Haar, OF, San Diego
Jared Wilson, RHP, UC Santa Barbara
Brandon Bayardi, OF, UNLV
James Marvel, RHP, Campolindo HS, Moraga, Calif.
Austin Rei, C, Campolindo HS, Moraga, Calif.
Alex Liquori, OF, Whitewater HS, Brooks, Ga.
Brad Schreiber, RHP, Purdue

Mansihp?

2012-06-07T09:22:00.002-05:00

Justin Morneau was clutch again. A bases loaded single to center scored two and put the Twins up 3-2. They went on to win 4-2 over the Royals and claimed their 3rd series victory in a row.

Nick Blackburn (2-4, 7.75) gave up a 2 run homer to Yuniesky (huh?) Betancourt to left field on a 2-2 count, but that was it. Blacky said after that 1st inning he stopped thinking out there, trusted his stuff and just pitched. Great advice for any pitcher --just do it, don't think about it. He rolled from there completing 5 innings on 92 pitches. Not great, but good for Blacky.

The Twins bullpen threw 4 shutout innings in relief, including Matt Capps coming on for the save, his 14th. Capps appears to have his stuff working too as his fastball was hitting 95 on the gun and looked like it was actually rising. I remember Nolan Ryan threw a four seam riser, but not too many other pitchers have been able to duplicate that nasty pitch. I'm not comparing Capps to Nolan Ryan by any means but just saying that he looks like he's got his confidence back on the mound and his pitches are moving.

Joe Mauer was once again out of the lineup with a sprained thumb. He has not swung a bat since that last game against the Indians. The Twins have today off so I guess there's a chance he may be in the lineup on Friday when they take on the Chicago Cubs at Target Field. I said "a chance".

Jeff Manship, or should I say Mansihp, made his comeback appearance last night but had to wear a jersey with his name misspelled on it! He came on to pitch a scoreless 6th -- I say keep the name spelled that way. Mansihp seems to pitch better than Manship.

Despite winning 3 series' in a row, the Twins still hold the worst record in the AL at 22-34 and remain 9.0 games out of 1st place. They are still ahead of the Cubs (19-37) and the Padres (19-38), however, for worst record in the Majors.

Got to look at the positives, right?

Tune in to FSN at 7:10 CT on Friday for their series opener against the lowly Cubs.

Twins Update

2012-06-05T23:20:00.002-05:00

Tonight's Twins update is listed here on my other Twins blog at ProSportsBlogging.com.

Twins Are Rocking!

2012-06-05T16:20:00.003-05:00

The bats came alive last night for the Twins and Cole DeVries notched his first Major League victory as the Minnesota Twins (21-33) defeated the Kansas City Royals (23-30) 10-7.

Justin Morneau (10) and Josh Willingham (11) both hit 2-run bombs and Trevor Plouffe (7) added one of his own as the Twins were able to pile on runs to help their pitcher out. Ben Revere and Jamey Carroll each added 3 hits in a 12 hit fiesta.

DeVries went 5 innings and gave up 4 ER on 6 hits to put his season ERA at 4.20. He got into a little trouble in the 4th but just tried to keep in the zone and not get rattled. ''The whole thing is a blur,'' he said, ''to be honest with you.'' He said he doesn't even remember the last couple batters that inning. About the win - ''It feels awesome,'' said De Vries, a former undrafted free agent out of the University of Minnesota. ''It's something I've been waiting for my whole life.''

Joe Mauer showed up to the ballpark unable to play with a sore thumb and he is still listed day-to-day.

The Twins take on the Royals again tonight @ 7:10 CT with Francisco Liriano (1-5, 7.20) getting his second start back in the rotation. The Twins will face Bruce Chen (4-5, 4.86) a 13 year vet who has knocked back and forth between a starter and reliever in his career.

The Twins are on a bit of a roll lately having won 6 out of their last 7. A win tonight would be their third series win in a row and would move them to only 1.5 games behind K.C. for last place in the AL Central.