Minnesota Twins Blogs

The Minnesota Twins are looking to improve their dismal starting rotation numbers in 2012.

Last season, the Twins starters combined to post the third-worst ERA (4.64), while also striking out just 617 batters in 961 innings-pitched.

Continue reading "Twins Sign Jason Marquis to 1-Year Deal"

Chicago White Sox pitcher Zach Stewart threw a 1-hitter in blanking the Minnesota Twins, 4-0 in the second game of a day-night doubleheader.  Stewart retired the first 21 batters he faced, a perfect game for 7 innings, until Danny Valencia hit a double to lead off the 8th inning for the Twins.  Stewart kept his composure and retired the next six hitters he faced for a 1 hitter in a terrific outing tonight.  Stewart was almost unhittable.  Where was that pitching in the Detroit series?

Continue reading "Almost Perfect Game for Stewart"

There is good news an bad news if you are a long-time Chicago White Sox fan.  The good news, the White Sox moved into 2nd place ahead of the Cleveland Indians by a half game when the Sox won and the Indians lost on Sunday.  Now, the bad news, the Sox face Minnesota Twins, who have the Sox's number in recent years.  The last time they played, the Sox swept the Twins in Minnesota.  The Twins will be seeking to return the favor.

Continue reading "Sox Still Alive After Seattle Sweep"

Major preps for the Derby, one with a huge favorite, the other with many who could vie for the role.

11TH RACE OAKLAWN PARK 04/16/2011 1 1/8 GRADE 1 ARKANSAS DERBY

PROJECTED ORDER OF FINISH:

Continue reading "Bluegrass and Arkansas 2011"

Congratulations to the San Francisco Giants, who are World Champions for the first time since moving to the west coast more than 50 years ago.  Their last title in New York came in 1954, when Willie Mays made “the catch” that will be played on highlight reels forever.  The Giants came unbelievably close to not even making the playoffs this year, but the fans who claimed that watching their team was “torture” are now the happiest fans in baseball.

Continue reading "A new champion is crowned"

Postseason sweeps are great if your team comes out victorious, but for the fan who just wants to see a good series because his team is already done for the year, sweeps make October less exciting.  The Phillies and Yankees outplayed their first-round opponents so it was no surprise that the Reds and Twins failed to win a single game, but the other two division series were more fun to watch.  Additionally, the League Championship Series in both the AL and NL will last a minimum of six games, which is how it should be.  A postseason series that features one team in complete control over the other is like a boxing match in which one fighter KO’s the other in the first round, but then fights him again the next night and does it all over again.  A series that goes the distance (or a game shy of it), on the other hand, is good for ball.

Continue reading "Longer series are good for ball"

While the fans in Cincinnati, Atlanta, and St. Petersburg may not have appreciated it, nearly every game played so far this postseason has featured a dominant pitching performance.  Roy Halladay no-hit the Reds, Tim Lincecum shut out the Braves on just two hits while striking out 14, and C.J. Wilson and Cliff Lee combined to hold the Rays to one run in 13.1 innings.  Lee displayed his talents during last year’s World Series, earning both of the Phillies’ wins over the Yankees, but Halladay, Lincecum and Wilson were all making their postseason debuts, and not one of them showed any sign of butterflies.

Continue reading "Playoff newcomers show the baseball ..."

The Minnesota Twins are on the verge on taking their second straight game against the Chicago White Sox and their win will put them in a commanding lead in the AL Central.  The Twins are winning 8-2 late in the game, and with the victory, the Twins will take an 8 game lead.  The Twins are red hot and the Sox are not.  Chicago had their chances in recent weeks but lack of hitting in key situations and the failure of starting pitching, one of the Sox's strengths earlier this season, combined to send Chicago packing.  The final two weeks of the seaon are an after-thought.  And, there may be some fall-out or shakeups in the Sox roster. 

Continue reading "ChiSox Losing to Twins and Hopes Fade"

The Minnesota Twins came to town and roughed up starter John Danks and were leading the Chicago White Sox late, 5-3 tonight.  It doesn't look good.  Chicago trails the Twins by six games and basically need a sweep to have a fighting chance down the stretch of the season.  If the Sox come out of this trailing by more than six, you can wave goodbye to any post-season chances.  Let's face it, the Twins may be the better team.  The Sox are good but the Twins are better.

Continue reading "It Looks Tough For White Sox"

Albert Pujols and Joey Votto are having monster seasons.  Not only are the sluggers leading their teams in the playoff hunt – the Cardinals are 1.5 games back in the Wild Card race while the Reds lead the NL Central – but Pujols (.321, 34 HR, 93 RBI) and Votto (.326, 31 HR, 90 RBI) are the top two National Leaguers in each of the Triple Crown categories.  Both have strong cases for the MVP award, but if either one wins the first Triple Crown since Carl Yastrzemski in 1967, it would be awfully hard for the voters not to choose him as the league’s Most Valuable Player.

Continue reading "Pair of Triple Crown candidates duel it out"

Well, it wasn't J.J. Putz's fault, he wasn't in the game. It was Matt Thornton, who owns a blazing fastball, who pitched the bottom of the 10th and Jim Thome hit one a mile to send the Sox to a heart-breaking loss, 7-6.  Thome hit a 2 run homer in the last of the 10th inning to give Minnesota a 4 game cushion in the AL central.  Time is running out on the Sox.

Continue reading "Thome's Blast Sinks Sox in 10, 7-6"

Where is Bobby Jenks when you need him?  The Chicago White Sox lost two tough games to Detroit, both in the late innings over the weekend, to fall 3 games behind the hot Minnesota Twins.  The Twins are a good team.  You have to play well to beat them, and the Sox haven't figured out how to do it against them.  Their upcoming series will be telling.

Continue reading "Bullpen Falters, Sox Drop 3 Games Behind Minnesota"

The Chicago White Sox were close to winning a game up in Minnesota, where gettings wins is as rare as finding gold coins in the street.  They led 6-3 going into the 9th inning and closer Bobby Jenks and Sergio Santos played "Who wants it more?"  The Sox seemed to say "We don't want to salvage a split" and slip away with a 2 1/2 game lead over the Twins, their nemesis in recent seasons. 

Continue reading "Sox Have To Shake Off Tough Loss"

With All-Star rosters set to be announced this weekend, I’m hoping that fans made good decisions in for whom to cast their final ballots.  While voting began not long after spring training ended, the true All-Stars have revealed themselves over the entire first half of the season.

Continue reading "Who's on first at the Midsummer Classic?"

Though it was overshadowed by Armando Galarraga’s nearly perfect game, Ken Griffey Jr. announced his retirement on Wednesday, marking the end of a historic career.  Griffey’s various injuries over the last 10 years prevented him from breaking the all-time home run record, but The Kid will still go down as one of the very best of his era.  He was a 13-time All-Star (including 11 in a row) and totaled 2,781 career hits, 630 homers (good for 5th all-time) and 1836 Runs Batted In.  He won 7 Silver Sluggers and an MVP Award, and his 10 Gold Gloves tie him for third-most among outfielders; he won them in consecutive years.  Known for his sweet swing, tremendous defense in center field, and contagious smile, Griffey will take his place in Cooperstown before we know it.

Continue reading "Junior hangs 'em up"

Ok, so it was only a two game series. At this point in the season, the Sox's will take whatever sweeps they can.

 Lester was efficient. He threw just over 100 pitches by the 9th inning, and there was no sign that even that effort had taxed him. His fastball still registered at 96  in the 9th. Allowing just one earned run, Lester took it upon himself to ensure that the bullpen will now be very well rested for its trip to the National League.

Continue reading "Sox sweep Twins"

I'm currently listening to Terry Francona on the Dale & Holley show fence with those hosts about Ortiz's productivity. Folks really don't learn, I guess. I would rather talk about how the Sox now have an official losing streak when playing the opening of an opponents ball park. Honestly, it's just absurd. Sooner or later, Ortiz is going to remember how to be Grimace, the hulking force that crushed balls into right center, or pulled them deep into the right field seats. That's if he can still do those things. If he can't, well, there are a little less than three weeks left in April. If Ortiz is still going to strike out looking at balls he should be protecting the plate on regardless of whether it was just enough off the plate to be a ball, then he probably will start platooning with Lowell. I don't think he'll be outright benched, but even Francona's loyalty will last so long. Papi, I have the solution to all your problems. Swing the bat. Don't check swing the bat. Swing the bat like you want to hit the ball, not like you're at the plate just struggling to stay alive.

Continue reading ""

After their playing careers are over, Derek Jeter and Mariano Rivera will undoubtedly be elected to the Hall of Fame in their first year of eligibility, but will teammate Jorge Posada join them in Cooperstown?  Yankee fans may feel differently, but the truth is that if Posada retired from baseball today, he would not belong in The Hall.  His credentials include five trips to the All-Star Game, five Silver Slugger awards, 243 home runs, and five seasons with 90+ RBI’s, as well as having caught the perfect game thrown by David Wells in 1998.  Arguments against Posada’s candidacy are that he is not a strong defensive catcher, has only once batted over .300 (.277 career average) and his 1,488 career hits do not make him stand out among his catching peers.  Despite 11 career playoff home runs, his postseason line (.239/.351/.384) is sub-par for a catcher known primarily for his hitting.

Continue reading "Third member of Yankee trio not a lock for Hall"

Hello Everyone,

Sorry I've been absent for a few days.  There really wasn't that much to report or discuss.  However, that has changed in the last 24 or so hours as the annual Winter Meetings are underway.  First, the Twins offered pitcher Carl Pavano arbitration as I said earlier and as of last night he has accepted this offer which essentially means he will be in the Twins rotation in 2010.  To make room for Pavano on the 40 man roster, the Twins designated pitcher Boof Bonser for assignment or release which means he will either be released by the Twins and be with another club for this coming season or he will start the season in the minors. 

Continue reading "Action starting to heat up in free ..."

Hello Everyone,

The Twins announced yesterday they've offered arbitration to only one of their pending free agents, pitcher Carl Pavano.  They've declined to do so with third baseman Joe Crede, pitcher Ron Mahay and shortstop Orlando Cabrera.  Cabrera had a clause in his contract that stated that whatever team he was on was to not offer him arbitration.  These moves were pretty much expected and does not mean that Pavano will for sure be back with the Twins, nor does it mean those not offered arbitration will be back or not be back.  All it really means is this, one if Pavano accepts the Twins offer, he could be back, but if he signs elsewhere, the Twins get a draft pick from the team that signs him.  If he does not, then he could still come back if they come to another type of contract agreement but if he doesn't and signs with another team, the Twins get nothing.  For those that were not offered arbitration, if they sign elsewhere, the Twins get nothing in return. 

Continue reading "Twins offer arbitration to Pavano, ..."

Hello Everyone,

I don't have a ton to say today, basically because there hasn't been much going on in the world of baseball lately.  I mean, if you really want, I can break down the Blue Jays acquisition of Alex Gonzalez but I'm guessing you all would be in a coma by the end of that!

Continue reading "First ten days of free agency a real yawn fest"

Hey Folks,

The results are in and yes, as expected, Twins catcher Joe Mauer has been named the American League MVP receiving 27 of 28 first place votes.  To read more about this, check out this story:

Continue reading "It's official, Mauer named MVP"

Hey All,

Hope your Monday is going well.  For those not aware, today is the day we find out who wins the American League MVP award.  The main contenders appear to be Derek Jeter and Mark Teixeira of the New York Yankees and Joe Mauer of the Minnesota Twins. Mauer is said to be the odds on favorite.

Continue reading "AL MVP Vote to come today. Why Mauer ..."

Hey all,

Managers Mike Scioscia of the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim and Jim Tracy of the Colorado Rockies were named the Managers of the Year in the American and National Leagues respectively today.  Ron Gardenhire of the Twins and Tony La Russa of the St. Louis Cardinals finished second in the voting in the respective leagues.

Continue reading "Angels' Scioscia, Rockies' Tracy ..."

Hey Everyone,

Not sure who is out there but hopefully someone is! 

Continue reading "A new shortstop and new uniforms!"

Braves manager Bobby Cox announced this week his plans to retire after the 2010 season and to immediately take on a consulting role with the team.  Cox has won 2,409 games as a manager and is fourth all-time in the category, behind only Connie Mack (3,731), John McGraw (2,763) and current Cardinals manager Tony La Russa (2,550).  Cox has five pennants and one World Series title to his name, and won the Manager of the Year award four times.  Under his leadership, the Braves have won 100 games six times.  The next manager of the Atlanta Braves will have big shoes to fill.

Continue reading "Bobby Cox has one more season in him"

The New York Yankees have cruised through the 2009 baseball regular season, destroying teams with their 9 slugger deep line-up that includes not one player having a bad year. While every hitter is having varying degrees of success, not one man in that line-up is performing below their norms (save for mighty A-Rod, who's injury has slowed him down a bit to the tune of

Continue reading "Joe Girardi- Let the Force Be With You or Else."

Sunday August 16, 2009 following their 4-3 loss at Texas, is the first time since April 21st that the Red Sox do not have a share of the wild-card or AL East lead.  Does this mean that Red Sox nation should give up hope for the playoffs or a world series birth this year?  Probably not.  However, they should.  Sorry Red Sox fans and band wagoners, your team simply is not going to make the playoffs this year with the emergence of the Rangers pitching staff and the dominance of the Yankees offense.

Continue reading "Boston Red Sox to MISS Playoffs in '09"

The Minnesota Twins and Milwaukee Brewers are locked in a border battle of non-epic proportions.  Compared to the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox rivalry, we are the two douche-bags on the play ground yelling about an ill-advised Magic the Gathering card throw.  

Continue reading "Jason Kubel's White Rocket"

Deciding to sit among baseball fans, I wanted to be in the competitive environment of a major league stadium.  My fraternity brothers are eclectic and both sides of the boarder.  Wisconsinites mingle freely on Minnesota soil.  I sat down just in time to see nervous eyed Carlos Gomez bat lead off. 

Continue reading "Twin’s Verse Brewers 1st Inning ..."

The Twinkies seem solid.  The 10 year life shelf of real Twinkies in the grocery store doesn’t work with our ball club.  They flash good and bad at anytime.  They might make on the shelf for about 2 days then implode.  Yet with 10 runs they are undefeated.  

Continue reading "Minnesota Twin's Joe Nathan & Jason ..."

He's been a Yankee killer for the past few years. He is a big hero up in Boston. Big Papi, yeah! What's been going on with David Ortiz? Bill Simmons wrote an article in the June 15 issue of ESPN the Magazine that will please Yankee fans everywhere. He's been slumping big time. Mr. Simmons compared him to Clark Kent in Superman II when he lost his powers and ended up getting beat down by a bully. He also said that in a game against the Twins that Big Sloppy couldn't even keep up with a 89 mph fast ball. Red Sox fans are even jokingly saying that they need to mail him some HGH. Well, they can do that all they want because it looks like Big Papi has become Big Sloppy.

Continue reading "Scouting the opposition: "Big Sloppy" ..."

Turning on Sportscenter and seeing a Twins story mentioned brightens my day.  It reminds Minnesotans that we are not forgotten in the quiet AL Central.  It’s good when they talk about our winning and not just the new stadium.  That stadium will make us famous next year regardless of our record.  

Continue reading "Sportscenter Covers Minnesota Twins ..."

Minnesota Twins Shortstop Nick Punto provides relief to his team injured.  Thank Manager Gardenhire for deciding to stop the bleeding.  There hasn’t been progress this season for Nick Punto.  He is batting his worst AVG ever and holds one of the worst On Base Percentages in MLB.  

Continue reading "Drop Nick Punto & Keep Alexi Casilla"

Lester started out this season 2-0 with under a I.00 ERA. Since then, he is now 3-5 losing his last 4 in a row including last night. I think he is healthy because in these last losses he pitched a great first 4 innings with at least a strikeout an inning. But all four games when it gets to the fifth inning it's like the other team can now read him (or he is not the same pitcher?) and know what's coming and they end up beating the Sox. Last night was the same old thing: the Red Sox ended this game with more hits (9-7) and had a lead for Lester heading into the 5th, 1-0. Then Lester fell apart again allowing 4 hits, 2 walks, a huge homerun for Morneau, and 5 earned runs --all in that 5th inning.  I don't really get it. Lester is a strong pitcher and the other batters must just be getting used to his fastball or something, because that's a deadly inning.Last night the 5 runs would be all the Twins would need.  The Twins win this one 5-2 and you have to give the Twins and pitcher Blackburn credit as he pitched a strong 7 innings, 1 earned run and 7 strikeouts. He did allow 8 hits, but the Sox could only capitalize once (they capitalized big time, though, with the only men they really had on base). The Red Sox also did try a new lineup, which I don't think really worked, but they had Ellsbury then Pedroia as usual, then Drew,Youkilis, Bay, then Big Papi batting in the 6 spot, weird, then Variteck, Bailey (in for Lowell who had the day off), then Lugo. I personally think Bay should be 4 and Drew or Lowell at the five, but just as long as we are hitting we will be OK and in last night's loss, even with the switched lineup, we still out hit them -- just not hits at the right time and that's baseball. So we go again tomorrow against these same Twins and it will be Dice-K (coming off the injury last week and pitched well in comeback vs Yankees but still 0-2) versus Slowey (6-1). This is Dice's second start since DL so this should be a good battle you don't want to miss!! Go Sox; gametime 8:10!!

Continue reading "Red Sox and Lester: Same Old Same Old"

There was a previous blog about Joe Crede and given the Twins effort to bring him in, maybe they are looking to compete now, versus 2-3 years from now?   Am in total agreement there.  Although from the box score and an error or two in the field, this Twins fan will reserve his opinion until later in the season about whether it was worth it.  So far, so good....I will say that the Twins starting rotation has been very impressive and Liriano has shown up once again.  It would seem he is arriving at the form he was at before getting hurt a couple years back  Keep it up Liriano, great work....Also, Joe Nathan needs to maintain if not raise the bar maybe a bit....he is looked at as one of the premier closers, but isn't closing like it just yet...I know it's early, so I will back off on that negativity.....GO Joe!!!

Continue reading "Twinkies outlook and Manny"

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Continue reading "Twins rally to top Mariners in the ..."

It’s Day Two of The Sports Don’s 2009 Baseball Preview, and I present perhaps the toughest division in baseball to predict. The American League Central could finish in any order, and I wouldn’t be the slightest bit surprised. And yes, that includes the upstart Kansas City Royals winning the division for the first time since 1985 when George Brett was 32, and the Royals defeated the St. Louis Cardinals in the World Series.

Continue reading "The Sports Don's 2009 AL Central Preview"

February 21, 2009 – By signing Joe Crede, the Minnesota Twins have signaled to everyone in baseball that they believe they can contend for a World Series Title this season.  The club finished 2008 with an 88-75 record and narrowly missed the postseason by virtue of a one-game-playoff loss to the Chicago White Sox.  The Twins were successful despite suffering some key injuries.  Now with a healthy roster and established starting rotation, the organization is indicating that it’s ready to contend by signing the big bat they’ve been missing for so long.

Continue reading "Signing Crede Signals Twins Intent ..."

While A-Rod has allegedly came clean, this Twin's fan thinks the Yankee's are almost under too much pressure to win now.  If they struggle & are not in 1st place by at least the all star brea

Continue reading "A'Rods effect..."

This off-season has ultimately been a poor one for the Twins. From the terrible Pat Neshek news, to failed trade attempts and failed free agent signings, the Twins have missed out on a great opporunity to improve their team in what is a very watered down market in terms of dollars. The weak corner outfield market really hurt the Twins, since they were undoubtedly looking to trade either Michael Cuddyer or Delmon Young. Personally, I don't think the Twins did anything wrong by passing on both Casey Blake and Ty Wigginton. Neither player strikes me as a very good hitter, and while Wigginton's numbers look good on the surface, they are very misleading. I'll get into the exact stats and explanations of those stats sometime this week, but for now just trust me that his Home/Road splits are terrible, and leaving hitter friendly Minute-Maid Park should cause Wigginton's numbers to come crashing back to earth regardless of where he goes. (Unless the Rockies sign him, which won't be happening.) The team also failed in not signing at least one solid reliever when their bullpen is clearly the team's biggest weakness. With relievers like Jeremy Affeldt, Brandon Lyon and others signing for very reasonable deals, it's frustrating to see that the Twins haven't made a move yet.

Continue reading "A Failed Off-Season And Kubel's Extension"

Can you feel it?

Pitchers and catchers report in less than a month. The World Baseball Classic is upon us.

Can you feel it?

Many of the mega contracts have been finalized, while a handful of others are still in the works.

Continue reading "Astros Payroll: Design on a dime"

With just a month to go before pitchers and catchers report to Spring Training, the Twins have been very quiet so far this off-season.  Despite attempts to add a veteran third baseman and bolster the bullpen, the only move they've made at the Major League level has been the signing of Nick Punto to a two-year contract.  While many Twins fans have been clamoring for the club to make a big trade or free agent acquisition, I've been pretty happy to see the team basically stand its ground.  There are several reasons I feel this way.

Continue reading "Twins Have Done Little This Off-Season ..."

I am REALLY looking forward to the coming Royals season--call it blind optimism, but I think this team has a shot this year. Moore is putting together a team with a little more pop, while still building a pitching staff that will continue to improve....

Continue reading "Are We Pumped about the 2009 Kansas ..."

When spring training is barely 2 months out for pitchers and catchers, I think we need to take a look at what type of damage the NYY have done to the game.  From a competitive standpoint and players playing with heart versus how they should perform based on their contracts?  I don't think there is a lot of damage done.  From a standpoint of how expensive it is now going to get for baseball fans to go see a game?  I think there has been substantial damage done.  It is now impossible for a father to take his children to a pro ballpark, get good seats, maybe a souevineur or two, and something to drink and nibble on for less than $100.  Also, the extravagence of these new ballparks is also driving the cost of players up up and up.  I do think it should be noted though, that just because someone is making $250 Million over 10 years doesn't mean they are also a lock to produce.  I hate to use A-Rod as an example, but it really is the perfect one.  He is being paid collosal amounts of money for his talents, potential, and services by the NYY.  Moreso, he is being paid to bring a World Series ring back to the Bronx.  He has been there a number of years now and since his arrival, the NYY have not won the BIG one.  Another example of going after the money versus going after what a player's heart is telling them to do is CC Sabathia.  It was WELL documented that his conviction and intent was to sign with a Left Coast team.  He was being courted by the the LAA and Dodger Blue.  They were both offering 7-8 years and in the $100 million range.  The Brewers also stepped to the plate with that caliber of offer and let's face it, roster wise, they are as competitive right now as any team to make a "Series" run.  Let's be honest here; how many of us would be able to spend $100 million dollars in our lifetime as long as we don't live the life of extravagence that so many do when they run out of money.  CC went to the highest bidder, plain and simple and showed his stance of wanting to play on the Left Coast was a ploy to drive up his value to get the optimal dollar possible.  Now, if the NYY don't hit "The Series" within the 1st 3 seasons of his being there, the skeptics will return and we will revisit all this again.  I just wish the athletes would not be fake about what their really looking for.  MONEY!!     Mark Teixerea, makes me wanna throw up to be honest, rather his agent does.   These agents are all about driving up the price of how much it costs for Dad's out there to take the son or daughter to a game.  With the price of pro athletes soaring, of course the prices the clubs charge to go to watch them will soar too.  I guess we'll see how it all pans out?  Go Twins for staying business smart and still remaining competitive!  That ROCKS!

Continue reading "MLB parity & greed versus allowing competition"

This could be a short post.  No, no one will bite and claim Bobby Crosby and his $5.25 million contract.  For the sake of completeness, though, let's run through who might conceivably pick up Crosby. 

Continue reading "Bobby Crosby on Outright Waivers...Will ..."

Part Four:  The Maestro

           Has Omar Minaya been a good general manager of the New York Mets?  Well, for one, he didn’t trade Scott Kazmir for Victor Zambrano.  No, when he traded the Mets’ top prospects, he got a much better return—Johan Santana anyone?

Continue reading "In The Aftermath Of The Collapse ..."

With the regular and postseason over, and the hot stove not quite on fire just yet, it’s a perfect time to pick my regular season award winners for the 2008 season.  Here are my MVP picks.

Continue reading "MVP Award Picks"

A big thanks to everyone who participated in the "Inbound Link Contest".  We have a winner!  A big congratulations go out to Marija.  Thank you for all your hard work on this.  While we had a lot of people participate, Marija was able to win with only 4 links!  So it wouldn't have taken a lot to win this contest!  We'll be having another contest soon so stay tuned.

Continue reading "Inbound link contest winner announced!"

After the way the Twins lost Tuesday, you had to wonder if they would end up demoralized against the Yankees, who have always manhandled them.

Nope. The Twins got a great start from Kevin Slowey, and Delmon Young's three-run jack was the difference in the team's 4-2 win.

Continue reading "Twins take rubber game vs. Yanks"

  I picked up on this one late; like into the 7th inning, and the Boston Red Sox were down 15-14. 15-14!???!!!. What the heck had I missed? Well, for one thing, a 10-run first inning for the Sox that included two homeruns by Ortiz, an 8-run 5th inning for Texas, followed by a 5-run 6th inning that put them ahead and set the stage for what could easily have been the most embarrasing Red Sox loss of the year. As it turned out, thanks to Kevin Youkilis, it was a 19-16 win that temporarily inched them one-half game closer to the Rays, who were in the process of a minor struggle versus Oakland when the Sox concluded their 4-hour marathon.

Continue reading "Boston Red Sox in an (almost embarrassing) ..."

A great followed just a day after a terrible loss.

On Sunday the Twins kicked away a game it appeared to have in hand, and loss in extra innings, 5-4 to the inept Royals.

On Monday, new father Glen Perkins pitched one of the best games of his life and the Twins shut out the Yankees, 4-0. It was the first time the team had shut out the Yankees at the Metrodome since June 24, 1996.

Continue reading "Huge win for Twins propels them into first"

The Mariners announced today that Jarrod Washburn has cleared waivers, meaning he can now be freely traded to whatever team wants to take on his massive salary. There's no real surprise here, as it's doubtful any other team would want to take on his bloated $9.85M salary. So the failure of Seattle to deal him before the deadline isn't so awful, except that his value seemed to have peaked at that point for a couple of reasons: (1) he'd pitched really well to that point (4 ER in 19.2 IP in the three starts before the deadline, (2) his value diminishes with each day that passes, since that means less time he can spend with a contending team (e.g., the Yanks) starved for starters, which leads to (3) the team in question being more likely to go in another direction.

Continue reading "Washburn is ready to move"

Finally the Twins grabbed a lead in Seattle they could keep, thanks to rookie Denard Span.

This game was pretty much all about Span. He was three for five with four RBIs and caught a ball that would have gone yard and given the Mariners the lead.

Continue reading "Twins salvage final game in Seattle"

    The Mets limped home from a disappointing 1-5 road trip with a slew of injuries.  Marlon Anderson and John Maine were put on the DL over the weekend and Billy Wagner joined them today with a strained left forearm.  Ramon Castro is still shaken up from the bizzare home plate collision on Saturday, and is listed as day-to-day with a sore ankle.  Rather than make any external moves, the Mets have turned to their farm system for help.  Although for the time being Jerry Manuel says he will use a bullpen by committee in the ninth inning, Eddie Kunz, the heir apparent to Billy Wagner, is on the major league squad and may get some looks in the closer role over the next two weeks while Wagner is out.  Daniel Murphy, who was a third baseman in the minors but requested some work at second base and the outfield--a smart move, considering David Wright isn't going anywhere anytime soon--is getting the start in left field tonight agains the Padres.  The Mets really love the way he hits, so he could be a fixture at the major league level for the remainder of the season and perhaps into the future.  And rumor has it that the Mets are considering calling up Jon Niese to make a few starts in Maine's stead.

Continue reading "Mets Look to Bounce Back at Home"

In last night's game, we got to see why Raul Ibanez is a valuable commodity, even to a flailing team like the Mariners, and beyond even the good-but-not-great numbers he puts up. During the seventh inning, when Ibanez had a chance to take a swipe at history, with his team already ahead three runs in a game amid season that's lost virtually any meaning, he put his team first.

Continue reading "Raul and the Blowout"

There's been another remarkable development in what is turning out to be a memorable season.  After knocking on the door for a few weeks, the Twins have overtaken the Chicago White Sox for first place in the AL Central. 

Continue reading "In First, In August"

It's hard to imagine how Sunday could've gone better than it did for the Twins.

With a win over the Indians, 6-2, and a White Sox loss, the Twins are in first place for the first time in what seems like forever.

Continue reading "Twins in first place after beating Indians"

For the first time since May 13, the Minnesota Twins--the team that stood pat during the recent Trade Deadline Sweepstakes--assume first place in the NL Central today.

Chicago had been waiting for its bats to heat up all season, and both Swisher and Konerko have had a few streaks of hot hitting, but they couldn't get the whole team hitting at the same time. So they grabbed Ken Griffey, Jr., a move that was part consummation of a long-time love affair with Junior by GM Kenny Williams and part best-choice trade.

Continue reading "Twins in First"

In my opinion, its only one game, and im not too shocked, but it got me thinking...are managers like Gardy bad for the game? In my opinion, no. He is fiery yes, but I wouldnt call him unreasonable. He has never come close to making a spectacle of himself like that minor league manager a while back, i believe the hat-kicking fiasco was the farthest i think i have seen him go. Whenever I have seen him come out to argue a call, I have always agreed with him, at times i have been nearly as mad. The call the other night that led to the hat-kicking and fans throwing things was a horrendously bad call. I saw that, everyone I was watching the game with saw that, and obviously Gardy saw it. I dont think you can blame what followed his ejection on Gardy. Our fans...Minnesota fans...of all sports, at all levels...need little provocation to act like morons. (See the Hockey riots at the U of M when they won the Championship). I thought it was funny, and hopefully, but doubtfully, it will serve as a small wakeup call to Umpires to open their damn eyes. This whole thing about instant replay is rediculous. I have a better idea, give the umpires glasses or fire them all and hire people that can do the job better. Baseball has been around for what, 130 years? This problem hasnt been this bad for 130 years, or even five years. It seems like in the last year or two, umpires have gone blind. Fix that problem before you go to the video tape folks.

Continue reading "Gardenhire Suspended"

You're chasing the top team in your division. They come to town for a four-game series. You must win three of four at least.

That's just what the Twins did by winning 10-6 on Thursday. But it was the way they did it that's so hopeful for the Twinkies.

Continue reading "Twins come back, take three of four from Sox"

Most people would say the surprise team of the year in baseball is the Rays. The Twins are a close second.

This series against the White Sox is crucial. After this, they play only one more series. This is the team the second-place team must catch up.

Continue reading "Twins come back to knock off Sox"

The Twins have had some disastrous series this season, and none was worse than the one in Yankee Stadium a few days after the all-star break. Fans might be forgiven for thinking the Twins were playing themselves out of contention.

Continue reading "Twins gather momentum before key ..."

    A day after the Mets' bullpen acted out a microcosm of the final 17 games of 2007, Billy Wagner was back on the mound with a three-run lead in the ninth inning on Wednesday, and Mets fans could not be happier.  Wagner's save in the 6-3 victory not only sealed the win and moved the Mets back into a first place tie with the Phillies, but it also put the minds of many a Mets fan at ease, knowing that the true closer is once again available to pitch.  After the game Wagner said he looked better than he felt, but hopefully he continues to feel well enough to pitch 1-2-3 ninth innings.

Continue reading "Billy Wagner Never Looked So Good"

In a move to try and Keep Posada's bat in the lineup down the stretch, he will not be having season-ending surgery as of now, even though he will eventually need it. 

He is eligible to come back off the DL on Aug. 6....Looks like he will be the full-time DH with MAYBE  few games at first-base sprinkled in.  That obviously means Johnny Damon will have to play in Left close to full-time.

Continue reading "BREAKING NEWS: No surgery for Jorge Posada"

Nice, comfortable win last night to open the series against the Twins last night...Hopefully we can keep it going tonight.

 Just one thing...The Yanks can't be fooled when it comes to the pitching.  Sidney Ponson has pitched alright...but hsa mainly been pitching the right game at the right time...12 runs last night and he also started the game against Texas when the Yanks scored 18....WE NEED TO GET ANOTHER PITCHER.

Continue reading "4 and counting!"

So the Rangers finally beat the Twins. How many hits did they muster?

Uh, three. One of them was a homer by Taylor Teagarden (who?), and that was all Texas needed to win 1-0 at the Metrodome on Sunday.

Continue reading "Rangers arrest Twins' streak"

I figured maybe the Twins were due for a bad game after such a great game Friday shutting out the Rangers. Boy, was I wrong -- but then just about everyone's been wrong about the team this wrong.

Continue reading "Twins torment Texas"

Shut out the Rangers? Are you kidding?

Yes, the Twins tamed the Rangers' great hitters -- four of whom were in the All-Star Game, including Josh Hamilton -- and shut the team out for the first team this year. The Rangers were the last team to be shut out in the 2008 season.

Continue reading "Twins gun down Rangers, 6-0"

To try and motivate our bloggers to get inbound links we're going to have a contest to see which blogger can get the most inbound links to their blog. The contest begins now and ends July 31st, 2008. To be entered in to the contest all you have to do is go out and get as many websites to link to your blog as you can and at the end of the month send us an email listing all those links. All links must be active from August 1st through August 7th when we'll be judging the entries - a winner will be announced on August 7th. All entry emails must be received by Midnight on July 31st, 2008. You can email them to sportsfan@nbabasketballonline.com

Continue reading "Inbound link contest - Win $100!"

Brendan Harris, moved from third to short to replace the injured Nick Punto, continued to swing a hot bat to lead the Twins over the Tigers on Saturday, 6-5.

Harris went three for three, homered and drove in four runs to lead the Twins, who have won three straight over Detroit after being swept at Fenway Park in Boston.

Continue reading "Twins top Tigers again"

I am glad it was July 11th. Having that free 7.11 oz slurpee was a blessing in the summer heat. Lets go over what has happened on 7/11.

Football: Brett Favre wants his release. This is an interesting story. I never put pen to paper on this, but I always maintained (as did Tony from PTI) that Favre would be back for the season. Favre wants to play, but the Packers want to move on. What to do, what to do? If I am Favre, the first teams I look at are Minnesota and Baltimore.

Continue reading "A Day In Review: 7/11"

Many Twins fans were probably thinking "Here we go again" when the Twins fell behind Thursday.

The Twins were down 6-2 to a tough Tigers team playing at home. I heard the scored on the radio and thought, "Oh, no, they're going to be out of the race before long."

Continue reading "Gut check for Twins"

    Another day brought another win for the Mets this afternoon, as they ran their season-high winning streak to six straight.  Fernando Tatis snapped a 3-3 tie in the seventh inning with his fourth home run of the year, and his second go-ahead shot in the last five days.  The bullpen was lights out for the third straight day and hasn't allowed a run since almost giving back a 10-1 lead on Monday in Philadelphia.  The sweep of the Giants was the Mets' first such feat since they took three straight from Washington from April 15-17, unless you count the three-game series at Yankee Stadium that was started in May and finished in June.  The Phillies rebounded from a 2-0 loss in St. Louis on Tuesday to beat the Cardinals in two straight, so the Mets are currently 1.5 games out of first place heading into a three-game series against Colorado this weekend.

Continue reading "Dust Off Your Brooms, Tatis Comes Through Again"

           Hey, Sox Fans, how’s it been goin’? Been a while. . .

            I’ll be honest with you, following the Red Sox on a daily basis can turn into a full-time job, and this doesn’t even include the other teams you tend to watch as they jockey with the Sox for position. Just got out of the habit of writing about them.

Continue reading "The Boston Red Sox at mid-season ..."

The series against the Tigers began badly for the Twins, losing a close one. But they took the final two games in the series, taking the finale in a laugher.

Nick Blackburn pitched seven innings of three-hit ball, and Jesse Crain and Boof Bonser completed the shutout against a team that had been hitting above .300 lately.

Continue reading "Twins cage Tigers, win 7-0"

Twins fans should breathe a sign of relief. They proved Tuesday that they can beat the Tigers.

How often? We'll find out.

Craig Monroe's three-run homer in the fourth inning was the biggest blow in the game. Monroe played several years for the Tigers and had plenty of motivation for this series against the team that gave up on him.

Continue reading "Twins tame Tigers"

The 2008 Twins Season was bumping along much as I had anticipated until about two weeks ago.  Then this young team went on a tear and won 13 of 15 games.  I was shocked.  Despite an inexperienced rotation, a slew of new position players and Michael Cuddyer being injured for much of the year, the Twins have played fantastic baseball during the second half of June.  Now, half way through their schedule, you've got to say that this team is in the mix in the AL Central.  Wasn't this suppose to be a rebuilding year?  I think you've got to give a lot of credit to the Twins management for somehow putting together a competitive team.

Continue reading "Time To Give Twins Management Their Due"

You can't ask starter Glen Perkins to do more than he did. Against the potent Tigers, he allowed just two runs in six and one third innings.

But the bullpen let the team down, giving up three runs as Detroit came back to win, 5-4. It was a tough loss that put the Twins two and a half behind the White Sox, who beat Cleveland, and only two and and a half over the Tigers.

Continue reading "Bullpen lets Twins down"

Most people would've said Kevin Slowey vs. Ben Sheets would be a pitching mismatch. They were right.

But few would've predicted that Slowey would be the dominant starter and Sheets would prove vulnerable.

Continue reading "Twins back on track"

Sometimes you just run into a pitcher who's in such a zone that you don't have a chance.

That was the case Saturday for the Twins as Manny Para and the Milwaukee Brewers ended a 10-game winning streak. The Twins had only three hits, and their only run came when Jason Kubel hit a homer with two outs in the ninth. That was against Mitch Stetter -- Parra pitched seven scoreless innings and gave up only two hits.

Continue reading "Parra unhittable as Twins' streak ends"

You might have been forgiven if you gave up on the Twins on Friday night. They were down 6-3 to a strong Milwaukee team. Twins starter Nick Blackburn wasn't great -- he was chased early.

The Twins had to win in a way they're not used to -- hitting homers. Joe Mauer's power in the eighth inning, only his third of the year, was the decisive blow in the 7-6 Twins win. It was the third Twins' homer of the game -- Alexi Casilla and Jason Kubel went deep as well.

Continue reading "Another day, another comeback win for Twins"

The Twins, after beating the Padres 4-3 on Thursday, have won more game in a row than they have since they went on a huge roll two years ago.

During the streak, the Twins have outscored opponents 56-19, and their starters have gone 8-0 with an ERA of 2.17. Wow.

Continue reading "Twins extend win skein to nine"

Twins fans might be getting a case of deja vu now. And they're probably feeling pretty good about it.

The team's recent resurgence is starting to look a lot like the one in 2006, when it went on a tear and won the AL Central crown on the last day of the season. (Let's just forget the horrible playoff series against Oakland.)

Continue reading "Twins top Padres for eighth straight"

Trevor Hoffman is the career saves leader with 539. But the more important statistic this year is home runs -- he's given up five in 26 innings. Last year he gave up only two jacks in 57 and one-third innings.

Continue reading "Twins top Padres on late homers"

This is getting serious.

The Twins have swept two consecutive interleague series at home, finishing off the Diamondbacks after squishing the Nats. The team is third behind the Yankees and Athletics in interleague wins with 115 to those two teams' 119.

Continue reading "Twins, on a roll, beat Arizona for sixth straight"

Interleague play has been good to many American League teams over the years, but perhaps none more so than the Twins.

Two years ago, the Twins' rise started with interleague play, and perhaps history is repeating itself.

Continue reading "Twins win fifth in row"

The Twins extended their winning streak to four today with a 7-2 win over Arizona and drew closer to the White Sox, who were beaten by the Cubs.

Minnesota scored six runs in the third inning and rode a good performance by Scott Baker, whose ERA improved to 3.47. The young Twins pitchers have done well at home -- now they need to show they can do the same on the road.

Continue reading "Twins unrattled by Diamondbacks' visit"

Tough to top the Cubs' huge win against their intercity rival Friday.

Late homers by Aramis Ramirez, one in the seventh and the winner in the ninth, proved decisive in the 4-3 win. Kerry Wood pitched the ninth to get the win.

Continue reading "Cubs come back to tear Sox"

Home sweet dome.

The Twins returned to the Baggie Dome and had little trouble with Washington, winning the final game Thursday, 9-3 over one of the worst teams in the major leagues. Minnesota's now 37-36, finally getting over the .500 hump.

Continue reading "Twins break out broom"

The Twins must wish the Nationals were in the AL Central so they could play them more often. The Twins win Wednesday night, 11-2, with good games from starter Kevin Slowey, center fielder Carlos Gomez, and the MM boys, Joe Mauer and Justin Morneau.

Continue reading "Twins swat Nats again"

It's tough to be real enthusiastic about Tuesday's 2-1 win over the hapless Washington Nationals of the National League.

Sure, the Twins won, 2-1, and Livan Hernandez had a decent outing after being horrible recently. But they should win all their interleague games. The Nats are terrible.

Continue reading "Weak Twins eke out win"

The Twins' two-game road winning streak is history as Mike Cameron's two-run jack lifted Milwaukee to a 4-2 victory.

Scott Baker was the loser, but he pitched pretty well, allowing just three runs -- including the Cameron homer -- in six innings. The bullpen was a problem, with Boof Bonser allowing a run (and getting just one guy out). Way to go, Boof. Bonser's ERA is 6.45 and Brian Bass's is 5.28. Keep a watch on those two guys -- they might be headed for the minors. Especially Bonser.

Continue reading "Brewers tap Cameron for win"

Write this down on your calendar, boys and girls. The Twins won their second game in a row, 9-4 over the Brewers in extras.

When, you ask, did they last achieve this stupendous feat? June 1-2, when the they took the final two games in the home series with the Yankees.

Continue reading "Twins hoist a few after beating Brew Crew"

The Twins have often gotten well during interleague play. That was the case two years ago when the Twins were eight games under before an incredible turnaround.

Tonight they ended their losing streak against Milwaukee, stomping the Brewers 10-2. Kevin Slowey had a strong outing, striking out eight and getting two hits, Justin Morneau and Alexi Casilla had three RBIs each and Joe Mauer and Jason Kubel had two hits each. Delmon Young had three hits.

Continue reading "Twins end losing streak"

It's hard to be optimistic about this year's Twins. Last week, after beating the Yankees on ESPN, they were three games over .500 and within striking distance of the White Sox. Now the team's three games under .500 and are about to be passed by Cleveland.

Continue reading "Twins sinking fast"

The Twins beat a banged-up Indians team Wednesday, hitting starter Paul Byrd hard in an 8-5 victory.

Nick Blackburn had a strong outing, but once again the Twins bullpen showed cracks in the armor. Boof Bonser and Dennys Reyes nearly gave away the game, but Jesse Crain and Joe Nathan preserved the lead and the win.

Continue reading "Losing streak finally over"

A week ago the Twins were nipping at Chicago's heels.

Now they're only a game up on the Indians, who appear headed upward as the Twins descend. C.C. Sabathia, who's pitched reasonably well but gotten little support, shut out Minnesota 1-0 on Tuesday. Scott Baker pitched a terrific game but wasn't quite as good as Sabathia.

Continue reading "Time to trade?"

Friday the Twins lost to the White Sox, 10-6.

Saturday it got worse: The Twinks were drubbed, 11-2.

You'd think it wouldn't get any worse than that. But at the moment, the Sox are socking it to the Twinkles, 12-2 in the seventh.

Continue reading "Help Wanted"

The Twins have lost two of three and are showing signs they might not be able to stay in the race in a weak division.

The bullpen lost a home game against the Orioles, with Brian Bass losing the game after Scott Baker had pitched so well. Bass had a 5.30 ERA and it's worrisome that the bullpen has shown cracks. Losing Pat Neshek was a big blow.

Continue reading "Sliding"