By David Jensen
After one game, the Twins appear to be the team to beat in the American League. Livan Hernandez pitched 7 innings, giving up 2 runs on 7 hits to earn his first win as a Twin. Carlos Gomez went 2 for 3 with two runs and two stolen bases. Cuddyer drove the winning run. Even Jason Kubel got a hit. Then Neshek and Nathan dominated out of the bullpen to slam the door on the Angels.
Among the six newcomers to the starting lineup, Delmon Young went 2 for 4 with a run scored. Brenden Harris went 2 for 4 with two strikeouts and played a good second base.
Minnesota played a great game all around. The defense was stellar and the pitching was solid. They ran the bases agressively and stole four bases to set up opportunities in the early innings. I don't think I've seen a better opening day performance from the Twins. There is no way this will all come crashing down upon us.
Monday, March 31, 2008
2008 Predictions
By David Jensen
Before last season, I made predictions on the division races and playoffs. They turned out to be very poor predictions. So poor in fact, Jim Souhan might have done better. So I put some more thought into this years.
West - California
Wild Card-
Worst Record-
Surprise -
Disappointment-
Champion-
NL
Central- Milwaukee
West - Arizona
Wild Card-
Worst Record-
Surprise -
Disappointment-
Champion -
World Series
AL Central
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Miscellaneous
Team to go 100 years without winning a
world series- Chicago Cubs
Teams the national media won't give up on until September, even though they were out of it in May- Cincinnati, Chicago Cubs/White Sox, Houston, Atlanta and Oakland
Highest attendance- New York Yankees
Lowest attendance- Florida
Teams that won't need new stadiums- Yankees, Minnesota and Kansas City
Restraining orders filed by Bob Uecker- 3
Amount of Christmas presents Carl Pohlad will dump into
Lake Superior in tons-16
Times Tyler will be enraged by "Circle Me Bert" signs- 1377
Times Joe Morgan will go on at great length when someone does something that an eight year old little leaguer could have done just as well- 57
Soulless yuppies who will truly appreciate the Twins, the Metrodome and Baseball- 0
The Twins stadium project will face several more obstacles and construction will halt in late August.
Wishful Thinking
Fox will disband its sports division and Joe Buck will apologize to
Thursday, March 13, 2008
Stat Chat 3/13
Pitching Numbers:
Starters:
Starters:
- Boof is at 5.40, he has had two outings, looked okay against Boston, and bad against the Yankees. He has pitched five innings and give up four walks, and only has one strike out.
- Vet. Hernandez has pitched 3 games, pitched 9 innings, and has an ERA of 8.00. Lots of innings, but lots of runs.
- Slowey has a 8.10 ERA in 6.2 innings. He has given up 15 hits, and has 4BB.
- Liriano came back to pitch 3.2 innings has a 7.36 ERA, with only 2 SO. He also has 3 BB.
- Baker has had two solid starts 0.00 with 4 SO. However he is sidelined with back pain, may put him out to start the year.
Tuesday, March 11, 2008
Stat Chat
By Tyler Savage
Let's look at the newcomers
Let's look at the newcomers
- Delmon Young has had 22 AB, he has a .435 OBP, .545 SLG, .435 AVG. He is going crazy right now, but look out for this guys numbers this year.
- Craig Monroe not as many AB, .750 SLG, .375 AVG, .412 OBP. Hopefully we may have a DH.
- Gomez: .185 OBP, .292 SLG, .167 AVG. He has speed, but he needs to be on base to use it.
- Lamb: 13 AB this guys needs to stay healthy.
- Mauer: 14 AB
- Punto: .077 SLG and AVG.
- Kubel: .190 AVG, .292 SLG
Saturday, February 9, 2008
Bad Karma
Tyler Savage
Since Dave brought me back to watching the Twins in 2002, Twins fans have suffered some bad karma. The problem is that I can't figure out what we are doing that is so bad that is causing us to suffer so much. Here is a brief recap of our bad luck:
2002: Twins make it to the playoffs while facing contraction. The crowd at the Dome before game 1 of the ALDS is crazy. I literally thought that Dave was going to punch me because he was so excited (he bought 10 homer hankies before the game). Oakland starts the game by hitting an inside the park home run--the crowd was dead. We later get defeated by the rally monkey in LA.
2003: Roger Clemens and his steroids defeat us in the ALDS.
2004: The Twins blow a huge lead in game 4 of the ALDS against the Yankees and Ruben Sierra hits a grand slam to tie the game. Kyle Lohse throws a wild pitch to give the Yankees the lead in extra innings, leaving Scotty speechless.
2005: The Twins spend 162 games trying to figure out how Ruben Sierra hit a grand slam to tie game 4 of the ALDS.
2006: After one of the greatest comebacks in the history of sports, the Twins lose three straight games to Oakland in the ALDS. To make matters worse, none of the games were night games, the season ended and many of us did not even get to see it.
2007: This was another season where the Twins spent 162 games trying to get over what happened to them the year before in the playoffs. They also get rid of Luis Castillo, Tori Hunter, and trade Johan Santana for a box of Cracker Jacks and a celebrity's a-line tank top.
Twins fans need to find out how to get karma back on our side. There are only two more seasons left for the Twins to get to the World Series at the Dome. I want to finish 2009 with a game 7 World Series win, while seeing it from the seats, and helping Dave steal a toilet from the Dome in celebration...is that too much to ask?
Since Dave brought me back to watching the Twins in 2002, Twins fans have suffered some bad karma. The problem is that I can't figure out what we are doing that is so bad that is causing us to suffer so much. Here is a brief recap of our bad luck:
2002: Twins make it to the playoffs while facing contraction. The crowd at the Dome before game 1 of the ALDS is crazy. I literally thought that Dave was going to punch me because he was so excited (he bought 10 homer hankies before the game). Oakland starts the game by hitting an inside the park home run--the crowd was dead. We later get defeated by the rally monkey in LA.
2003: Roger Clemens and his steroids defeat us in the ALDS.
2004: The Twins blow a huge lead in game 4 of the ALDS against the Yankees and Ruben Sierra hits a grand slam to tie the game. Kyle Lohse throws a wild pitch to give the Yankees the lead in extra innings, leaving Scotty speechless.
2005: The Twins spend 162 games trying to figure out how Ruben Sierra hit a grand slam to tie game 4 of the ALDS.
2006: After one of the greatest comebacks in the history of sports, the Twins lose three straight games to Oakland in the ALDS. To make matters worse, none of the games were night games, the season ended and many of us did not even get to see it.
2007: This was another season where the Twins spent 162 games trying to get over what happened to them the year before in the playoffs. They also get rid of Luis Castillo, Tori Hunter, and trade Johan Santana for a box of Cracker Jacks and a celebrity's a-line tank top.
Twins fans need to find out how to get karma back on our side. There are only two more seasons left for the Twins to get to the World Series at the Dome. I want to finish 2009 with a game 7 World Series win, while seeing it from the seats, and helping Dave steal a toilet from the Dome in celebration...is that too much to ask?
Saturday, February 2, 2008
Minnesota Punked.
I think we are going to be okay here guys.
Here's how I see this playing out...opening day at the dome, Scott Baker is just about to throw out the first pitch when Ashton Kutcher pops up 0n the jumbotron and says, "Yo, Minnesota Twins fans...you got punked!"
and after a series of fireworks, Johan cuts his way out of the baggie and comes running out of right field to throw a perfect game and lead us to an undefeated season.
I think that this is the only logical explanation for this crazy trade.
Here's how I see this playing out...opening day at the dome, Scott Baker is just about to throw out the first pitch when Ashton Kutcher pops up 0n the jumbotron and says, "Yo, Minnesota Twins fans...you got punked!"
and after a series of fireworks, Johan cuts his way out of the baggie and comes running out of right field to throw a perfect game and lead us to an undefeated season.
I think that this is the only logical explanation for this crazy trade.
Betrayed
Or: Welcome to Edmonton
By David Jensen
I read the news today, oh boy. All winter, the Twins had us standing on the gallows, and this week, the trap door swung open. I read the text message from a reliable source in New York, but I could not believe what it told me. "Johan traded to Mets." My chest sunk and I became sick. Surely they wouldn't do that to us. This had to be a cruel joke. It didn't add up. Why now? Why to the Mets? Who for? Carlos Gomez? How many Cy Youngs has he won? Who else? Three prospects? I'd better wake up now, I must be late for work. But this was no nightmare, and sad confirmation soon slammed home.
Then I was blinded by a thin ray of hope. "Deal pending contract extension." The days wore on and I limped through the motions of life. Maybe they won't come to terms. Maybe Johan doesn't want to play in New York. Maybe the Mets will reconsider. Maybe he'll exercise his no-trade clause and come home and all will be forgiven. But that couldn't happen. If a trade is aborted, things are never the same. The front office would quickly find a new deal. Or Santana's play would suffer. Even if he made it to the end of the season in Minnesota, he wouldn't resign after being treated that way.
Then, last night, my source sent word. "6 yrs 137 million." I went numb. That moment was the closest I've ever came to forsaking the Twins. Worse than any strike. Worse than steroids. Worse than Rick Reed. It was a pain few fans feel. Most fans complain that players have no loyalty. They call the talk radio shows and bitch about Johnny Damon, Plaxico Burress and Jason Giambi going after the big money. But we Twins, Royals, Rockies and A's fans get no loyalty from our franchises. They give us empty talk and cliches about the future and how they'll "try everything in their power...", but nothing ever changes.
I suppose I should take comfort in the fact that Morneau and Cuddyer were just signed to long term deals. But isn't that what they promised us after they won their stadium fight in one of the great bamboozelments of all time? They said they needed it to sign bigger contracts. Sure they signed Mauer too, but all I can think about is how we lost Castillo, Hunter and Santana. It's fitting that days before the trade, the foundation for the new stadium was poured. Pohlad must have been waiting until they couldn't take it back before he pulled the trigger. Be careful Carl, It's a long way until opening day 2010.
By David Jensen
I read the news today, oh boy. All winter, the Twins had us standing on the gallows, and this week, the trap door swung open. I read the text message from a reliable source in New York, but I could not believe what it told me. "Johan traded to Mets." My chest sunk and I became sick. Surely they wouldn't do that to us. This had to be a cruel joke. It didn't add up. Why now? Why to the Mets? Who for? Carlos Gomez? How many Cy Youngs has he won? Who else? Three prospects? I'd better wake up now, I must be late for work. But this was no nightmare, and sad confirmation soon slammed home.
Then I was blinded by a thin ray of hope. "Deal pending contract extension." The days wore on and I limped through the motions of life. Maybe they won't come to terms. Maybe Johan doesn't want to play in New York. Maybe the Mets will reconsider. Maybe he'll exercise his no-trade clause and come home and all will be forgiven. But that couldn't happen. If a trade is aborted, things are never the same. The front office would quickly find a new deal. Or Santana's play would suffer. Even if he made it to the end of the season in Minnesota, he wouldn't resign after being treated that way.
Then, last night, my source sent word. "6 yrs 137 million." I went numb. That moment was the closest I've ever came to forsaking the Twins. Worse than any strike. Worse than steroids. Worse than Rick Reed. It was a pain few fans feel. Most fans complain that players have no loyalty. They call the talk radio shows and bitch about Johnny Damon, Plaxico Burress and Jason Giambi going after the big money. But we Twins, Royals, Rockies and A's fans get no loyalty from our franchises. They give us empty talk and cliches about the future and how they'll "try everything in their power...", but nothing ever changes.
I suppose I should take comfort in the fact that Morneau and Cuddyer were just signed to long term deals. But isn't that what they promised us after they won their stadium fight in one of the great bamboozelments of all time? They said they needed it to sign bigger contracts. Sure they signed Mauer too, but all I can think about is how we lost Castillo, Hunter and Santana. It's fitting that days before the trade, the foundation for the new stadium was poured. Pohlad must have been waiting until they couldn't take it back before he pulled the trigger. Be careful Carl, It's a long way until opening day 2010.
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