By Tyler Savage
The World Baseball Classic is just around the corner. I'm not against this event, here are my ideas to spice up the event:
1. Two teams from the US: the pros, and a college all-star team. Let's face it...the college teams are more cut out for this type of tournament. The pros take until June to get warmed up, the college kids have been practicing for months now. Also, think of the possibilities, what if the pro team had to play the college kids--would there be anything more worth using a personal day for? I don't think you can get more personal than that.
2. Opening round games need to be played in "authentic" ball fields:
I'd love to see a game from the Dominicans where it is played on a ratty old field where fans are on old wooden bleachers or banana boxes. The infield looks like gravel, and the baseballs are a fine shade of brown. All the players need to hit with the same bat (which may be made from a tree branch) and the left fielder may not play with a glove.
3. No night games.
4. Who gets to bat first? Simple, the two team captains come out with one bat, the team that bats first is the team whose captain's hand is on top of the bat's handle after alternating their hands from the bottom of the bat to the top.
5. Home plate is an actual pudding jar (if you know this reference I will be shocked).
6. Mandatory chatter from all players (who are miked up and can be heard on TV). Who wouldn't love to hear Tommy Lasorda in a dug out screaming: "Let's hear some Chatter out there!!" The down side to this...no one would want to hear A-Rod chatter, that would sound stranger than Joe Mauer's milk ads from the '06 campaign.
7. Rule change: if an MLB player gets injured, their team gets to choose a player from the Country of Cuba's National Team. The injured player will then become property of the Country of Cuba.
8. No players can go out to play until all of their homework is complete, and they have finished their dinner.
9. If you hit a homerun, you get the homerun.
10. No umps, teams regulate themselves. Thus creating arguments, rule changing, and someone going home-crying before the game is over-while yelling that they are coming back with their older brothers to get even.
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
Monday, February 23, 2009
Podcast part II
part II of the first show is now posted at the link below.
http://twinsbeatwriters.mypodcast.com/index.html
http://twinsbeatwriters.mypodcast.com/index.html
Sunday, February 22, 2009
PODCAST!!!
We now have a pod cast!
It had to be broken into parts:
here is the link to the first part:
http://twinsbeatwriters.mypodcast.com/index.html
It had to be broken into parts:
here is the link to the first part:
http://twinsbeatwriters.mypodcast.com/index.html
Thursday, February 5, 2009
Standing Still
David Jensen
We are now deep into the sports abyss. Pitchers and catchers report in less than 10 days, and the Twins have done next to nothing this offseason. They signed Punto, Kubel and Guerrier to contract extensions. There have been a lot of rumors floating around, but the only free-agent signed has been a groundskeeper. Unfortunatly it wasn't Kubel, who, for some reason, is the only DH on the 40-man roster. I can tell already that it's going to be a hell of a season.
We are now deep into the sports abyss. Pitchers and catchers report in less than 10 days, and the Twins have done next to nothing this offseason. They signed Punto, Kubel and Guerrier to contract extensions. There have been a lot of rumors floating around, but the only free-agent signed has been a groundskeeper. Unfortunatly it wasn't Kubel, who, for some reason, is the only DH on the 40-man roster. I can tell already that it's going to be a hell of a season.
Saturday, January 3, 2009
Not Another Yankee Freak Out
By TS
My freshmen year of college at DSU, I had a speech class in the spring semester. During this class, one of the students gave a speech on why baseball needed a salary cap. This student was a die hard Oakland A's fan, and that week the Yankees had signed Jason Giambi, and many people felt that they Yankees were going to win many championships. Six years later, Giambi is finally off of the Yankees' pay role, and they did not win a championship.
The Yankees have gone crazy again this off season and GM's and speech classes around the country have been filled with cries for a salary cap. However, is this time around any different? Are the Yankees going to run the field and win the title for the rest of mankind? If the last six years were any example, the answer is no.
The Yankees will be a very good team. However, there are three big reasons why the Yankees will not be a dynasty team. Steroids, farm leagues, and chemistry are three things that the Yankees do not have.
The first reason the Yankees are not going to be a dynasty is because the game has changed. Good teams today are teams that have upcoming youth that can stay healthy. Getting a huge free agent won titles in the past. However, how many of these players were on the juice? There is a lot of risk playing with older players who have already gotten their big payday. Jetter and A-Rod are getting older, will they be able to keep production up into their late 30's? This question will determine if they Yankees are on a different level.
A lack of minor league development is the second reason why the Yankees may be outdated. The Yankees should have taken half of the money they spent this off season and plugged it into their farm and scout systems. If you think youth development doesn't matter at the big leagues, consider the following:
The Chicago Cubs were owned by the Wrigley company in the early 1900's (hence the stadium name). Wrigley, the owner, decided early into his tenure that he did not want to pay any players without major league experience; he completely destroyed his farm system. Before this time, the Cubs were a championship ball team. One-hundred years later, the Cubs have yet to recover from the break down of their minor league system (which only lasted a few years). Are the Yankees in this much trouble? Probably not.
Chemistry is the last thing the Yankees need. This team is too business minded, it's amazing that Giambi's mustache was allowed last season. Let's not all freak out...this has happened before, and it will happen again. In the last six years, the Yankees signed Giambi, Pavano, A-Rod, The Big Unit, Johnny Damon, and Abreau. This system has failed, and it will fail again.
My freshmen year of college at DSU, I had a speech class in the spring semester. During this class, one of the students gave a speech on why baseball needed a salary cap. This student was a die hard Oakland A's fan, and that week the Yankees had signed Jason Giambi, and many people felt that they Yankees were going to win many championships. Six years later, Giambi is finally off of the Yankees' pay role, and they did not win a championship.
The Yankees have gone crazy again this off season and GM's and speech classes around the country have been filled with cries for a salary cap. However, is this time around any different? Are the Yankees going to run the field and win the title for the rest of mankind? If the last six years were any example, the answer is no.
The Yankees will be a very good team. However, there are three big reasons why the Yankees will not be a dynasty team. Steroids, farm leagues, and chemistry are three things that the Yankees do not have.
The first reason the Yankees are not going to be a dynasty is because the game has changed. Good teams today are teams that have upcoming youth that can stay healthy. Getting a huge free agent won titles in the past. However, how many of these players were on the juice? There is a lot of risk playing with older players who have already gotten their big payday. Jetter and A-Rod are getting older, will they be able to keep production up into their late 30's? This question will determine if they Yankees are on a different level.
A lack of minor league development is the second reason why the Yankees may be outdated. The Yankees should have taken half of the money they spent this off season and plugged it into their farm and scout systems. If you think youth development doesn't matter at the big leagues, consider the following:
The Chicago Cubs were owned by the Wrigley company in the early 1900's (hence the stadium name). Wrigley, the owner, decided early into his tenure that he did not want to pay any players without major league experience; he completely destroyed his farm system. Before this time, the Cubs were a championship ball team. One-hundred years later, the Cubs have yet to recover from the break down of their minor league system (which only lasted a few years). Are the Yankees in this much trouble? Probably not.
Chemistry is the last thing the Yankees need. This team is too business minded, it's amazing that Giambi's mustache was allowed last season. Let's not all freak out...this has happened before, and it will happen again. In the last six years, the Yankees signed Giambi, Pavano, A-Rod, The Big Unit, Johnny Damon, and Abreau. This system has failed, and it will fail again.
Thursday, January 1, 2009
Keep Your Pads On Gus
By TS
Sunday's Vikings' game against the Eagles will have an interesting twist; if Tarvaris Jackson starts out the game with a bad start, will Brad Childress put in Gus Frerotte? In his last three starts, Jackson has been playing fair football. His completions are up, his passing yardage is greater than or equal to 100 yards, and he is also scrambling for some great yardage. However, the Jackson offense has been shut down in the past, it is very possible the Eagles will hold the Vikings to minimal yardage in the first quarter. If this happens, Childress needs to put in Gus Frerotte, here is why:
Petterson is a better runner with Gus in the game:
Yes, A.P. had a 70+ yard touchdown run in the game against the Giants. His other runs were not the greatest. During the game, Fox showed all the yards Peterson got on each carry and it looked like this: 2,1,2,4,-1,78. The 78 is great, but the Giants were doing a good job shutting him down. With Gus in the game, the long ball was a bigger threat and teams could not tee off on A.P. Peterson was able to chip away 6 to 20 yard runs with consistency against teams. Nothing beats away a defenses' momentum like a long sustained drive down a field.
Shaiancoe is great, but Berrian is better:
Jackson playing has let Shainanoe shine in the offense. Jackson's short passing abilities have led to some big games for Shainancoe. The emergence of Jackson has also hurt Berrian's performance. Did anyone else see Jackson totally miss Berrian wide open for a touchdown in the Falcons game? That was the same type of play that Gus connected with Berrian in the Bears game to turn around the season (only Gus was passing out of the end zone). Ten yards to Shaincoe is good, but 99 to Berrian is better.
Go with who got you there:
Think back to 2001. The Patriots are in the playoffs, Brady hurts his ankle and Bledsoe comes in, and helps the Pats go to the Super Bowl. Does Bledsoe start in the Super Bowl? No, because the Pats were smart and went with the player who got them there over the player with the hot hand. When Gus took over the team they were 0-2, Gus has not played good, but the team has won while he was in charge.
Having Gus in the game would give a steady run game, bring back the long pass, and let him finish what he started. You can also bet that the Eagles have pulled last years film against the Redskins--why reinvent the wheel? The Jackson offense has been exposed in the past. If Jackson starts out poor, Childress needs to go to Gus.
Sunday's Vikings' game against the Eagles will have an interesting twist; if Tarvaris Jackson starts out the game with a bad start, will Brad Childress put in Gus Frerotte? In his last three starts, Jackson has been playing fair football. His completions are up, his passing yardage is greater than or equal to 100 yards, and he is also scrambling for some great yardage. However, the Jackson offense has been shut down in the past, it is very possible the Eagles will hold the Vikings to minimal yardage in the first quarter. If this happens, Childress needs to put in Gus Frerotte, here is why:
Petterson is a better runner with Gus in the game:
Yes, A.P. had a 70+ yard touchdown run in the game against the Giants. His other runs were not the greatest. During the game, Fox showed all the yards Peterson got on each carry and it looked like this: 2,1,2,4,-1,78. The 78 is great, but the Giants were doing a good job shutting him down. With Gus in the game, the long ball was a bigger threat and teams could not tee off on A.P. Peterson was able to chip away 6 to 20 yard runs with consistency against teams. Nothing beats away a defenses' momentum like a long sustained drive down a field.
Shaiancoe is great, but Berrian is better:
Jackson playing has let Shainanoe shine in the offense. Jackson's short passing abilities have led to some big games for Shainancoe. The emergence of Jackson has also hurt Berrian's performance. Did anyone else see Jackson totally miss Berrian wide open for a touchdown in the Falcons game? That was the same type of play that Gus connected with Berrian in the Bears game to turn around the season (only Gus was passing out of the end zone). Ten yards to Shaincoe is good, but 99 to Berrian is better.
Go with who got you there:
Think back to 2001. The Patriots are in the playoffs, Brady hurts his ankle and Bledsoe comes in, and helps the Pats go to the Super Bowl. Does Bledsoe start in the Super Bowl? No, because the Pats were smart and went with the player who got them there over the player with the hot hand. When Gus took over the team they were 0-2, Gus has not played good, but the team has won while he was in charge.
Having Gus in the game would give a steady run game, bring back the long pass, and let him finish what he started. You can also bet that the Eagles have pulled last years film against the Redskins--why reinvent the wheel? The Jackson offense has been exposed in the past. If Jackson starts out poor, Childress needs to go to Gus.
Monday, December 29, 2008
Nothing's Going to Stop us Now!
By Tyler Savage
The Vikings had a great opportunity the last two games--win and your in the playoffs. This is a scenario that usually gets fans excited; with the Viking's fans, this is not the case. I personally felt horrible about the Viking's chances against the Giants, and all the fans calling in on KFAN also felt the same way. Surprisingly, the Vikings won on Sunday, and they are going to the playoffs. So here is the point--if we want the Vikings to win, we have to have zero hope for them. If the hope train starts we are in big trouble. Here is what is likely going to happen:
1. The Vikings are going to kill the Eagles at home. Why? Because the hope has not started for the Vikings just yet. Fans are still timid, the Vikings have whispered that they loved us many times after screwing up, and we are sick of taking them back (I have already let them come back to my home after 3 late night bar calls). I honestly see the offense looking like a Juggernaut in this game and going for over 500 yards of total. The key to the hope train will be Tavaris Jackson going crazy in this game.
2. (option 1): This is the hard part, even with the huge win against the Eagles, the fans may not have much hope with the Vikings going on the road in the second round to face the Panthers. If this is the case, the Viks will roll over the Panthers.
(option 2): People get excited, and the real T.J. shows up. Hovan marches off the field and gets hit with chew (hey! how did he get back on the team?).
3. (if option 1 happens): The Vikings go into Giant Stadium 1 win away from the Super Bowl. Want to know what will happen: google 41-0 NFC Championship. If the Viks do make the Super Bowl, I could not tell you what will happen, I will then be back on the hope train and all hell will break loose.
The Vikings had a great opportunity the last two games--win and your in the playoffs. This is a scenario that usually gets fans excited; with the Viking's fans, this is not the case. I personally felt horrible about the Viking's chances against the Giants, and all the fans calling in on KFAN also felt the same way. Surprisingly, the Vikings won on Sunday, and they are going to the playoffs. So here is the point--if we want the Vikings to win, we have to have zero hope for them. If the hope train starts we are in big trouble. Here is what is likely going to happen:
1. The Vikings are going to kill the Eagles at home. Why? Because the hope has not started for the Vikings just yet. Fans are still timid, the Vikings have whispered that they loved us many times after screwing up, and we are sick of taking them back (I have already let them come back to my home after 3 late night bar calls). I honestly see the offense looking like a Juggernaut in this game and going for over 500 yards of total. The key to the hope train will be Tavaris Jackson going crazy in this game.
2. (option 1): This is the hard part, even with the huge win against the Eagles, the fans may not have much hope with the Vikings going on the road in the second round to face the Panthers. If this is the case, the Viks will roll over the Panthers.
(option 2): People get excited, and the real T.J. shows up. Hovan marches off the field and gets hit with chew (hey! how did he get back on the team?).
3. (if option 1 happens): The Vikings go into Giant Stadium 1 win away from the Super Bowl. Want to know what will happen: google 41-0 NFC Championship. If the Viks do make the Super Bowl, I could not tell you what will happen, I will then be back on the hope train and all hell will break loose.
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