By: Sam Hansen (Intern)
Twins third baseman Nick Punto appears to be headed to the disabled list for a sprained ankle that occurred in practice. Joining the company of star slugger Rondell White and the pride of Phi Psi in Jeff Cirillo, the Twins deep bench seems to be running thin.
Twins Skipper Ron Gardenhire seemed to be disheartened with the news, but I look at this as a positive time. Punto, one of last years spark plugs that shot us into the playoffs, has struggled this season. Batting well below the famed Mendoza line at .132, this time will be well spent figuring out what he is doing wrong.
To be a realist, all of this would have been a non-issue had the Twins listened to me a few years ago. The Twins drafted an Iowa star catcher by the name of Jeff Clement in the 12th round in 2002. He ended up going to USC because he asked for a few more thousand than the Twins were willing to pay, then became the 3rd overall pick in 2004 by the Seattle Mariners. Though he is not a household name, he is tearing it up in the minor leagues and is a great power threat with great defensive skills as well. You heard it here folks, he will be a star very soon. Twins fans could have had him behind the plate, and Joe Mauer could have been our 3rd baseman easing the stress on his knees. Thus, keeping him more fresh and giving him a better shot at hitting .400.
3 comments:
Remember that even a slumping everyday third baseman will help your team win. You have Rodriguez backing up 2nd 3rd and short, and you want to let him give those guys a day off every once in a while. Besides, Punto's mri was negative.
As far as waiting for this Jeff Clement guy? Trust me, that is a path you don't want the Twins to down. Watching the Brewers wait for guys has not turned out appallingly bad (praying this year), but waiting for guys is the best way to never see a winning club.
A slumping person at any position does not help you win games while he is in a slump! I never said Punto was a bad player. On the contrary, Punto's play will play a key role in how the Twins do this year. I believe that his return from his hiatus will be the beginning of his spark.
As far as the Brewers go, they suck because; they are from Wisconsin, they use to be owned by Bud Selig, they play in the NL Central, and they just suck.
The Twins have built a successful franchise on waiting on guys to turn out. In 2000, Johan Santana went 2-3 with an ERA of 6.49 over 89 innings. He only stayed with us that year because he was a rule 5 pick. I still remember wondering what T.K. was thinking putting him out there. He turned out good for us, along with most of our team. Torii Hunter wasn't great in the late 90's, but we waited on him and it turned out great. Even as late as September 11th, 1999 on Eric Milton's no-no against the Angels, it was Jacque Jones in Center with Hunter in left as they were not yet sure of who was better. You can wait on guys as long as it is not your whole team.
Yes it is good to get days off, but sometimes a small injury can get a guy on track again. In baseball, you win some, you lose some, and sometimes...it rains.
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