Rambling thoughts
By Tom Grout
May 23, 2008
-When it comes to lottery picks the Timberwolves have as much luck as I do buying the Powerball tickets. But does it really matter anyway? They will draft some guy named Abu Dabi Utu Johnson who graduated from some high school in eastern Montana who can’t shoot a basket but could nail a Jack Rabbit with a .22 from about 200 yards out.
Not that I’m pessimistic about the Wolves and their draft history, but other than Kevin Garnett, who have they drafted that has really produced for them. I mean somebody who was an All-Star. Even if they don’t have the number one or two pick they should be able to find somebody with that number three. But don’t hold your breath, I still think it will be this Johnson guy from Montana.
If by chance they do make a good draft pick, I think the Wolves are in the process of building a pretty good team. They have some players like Jefferson, Foye, Telfair, and Gomes who are a pretty good nucleous.
So please, Kevin McHale, do your research and get somebody who can actually play this game and will fit in with the young guys you already have.
-The Twins are going through middle infielders like I go through cheeseburgers. There can’t be many middle infielders left in their minor league system that aren’t hurt or all ready up with the big club..
All this means, of course, is when Nick Punto comes off the DL he will be starting someplace. I guess I shouldn’t be too hard on the Nickster because he can’t hit any worse than Adam Everett. Oh, I’m sorry, yes he can.
-We have the hockey and basketball seasons still going on, the baseball season is going on, and the football players are at mini camps. With all of that going on and having snow in May, it’s kinda hard to know what time of the year it really is.
-These debit cards are really a neat thing to have. I don’t have to carry around that checkbook or carry much cash. But don’t you think they should make all those debit machines at the stores all the same? Each one is different and I can never figure out how to run them. I also feel like a dunce when I ask someone how to do it.
When you come to sign that slip a lot of that paper is covered with some kind of coating and you can’t get the ink to go on it. Drives me crazy. If they don’t have the paper they have one of those things the UPS drivers have to sign. I don’t have good penmanship anyway, but when I try and write on those things it looks like some doctor or lawyer wrote it.
Good ramblings, Tom. I also loved your American Idol one. That one is a classic and very well thought out.
I, too, am so fearful that the Wolves will draft Abu Johnson. KFAN has talked recently how the NBA draft is such a craps shoot. They're drafting these kids (literally) after only one year of college ball. That one year could be an anomoly, or the player could be that good. Nobody truly knows what kind of NBA player they will be. Even so, drafting #1 doesn't necessarily get you a superstar. Jordan was drafted 3rd, Larry Bird 6th, McHale 3rd, so you see my point. The NBA really does bother me, though, and so I don't watch it anymore. But, being a sports fan, I find myself keeping informed of the Wolves blundering ways.
Poor Nickie Punto. He probably is one of the most talented fielders, but I have to leave the room when he bats. I had to do the same thing with Lew "Chopper" Ford when he was with the Twins.
If the Twins keep playing inept defense, I can see them shipping either Everett or Harris (or both) out. They'll keep Lamb because he is the better of the three and they really don't have any other option at 3rd base (other than "Chopper II" Punto). I'd be inclinded to send Delmon to the minors for a while to get a wake-up call. Cuddyer signs a huge deal and has been transforming into "Chopper III" and "Bricks for hands". He is way more talented than what he's showing. Anyhow....
Another rambling point that really has been bothering me is how these twin cities critics (i.e. Barriero) keep harping on Joe Mauer because he hasn't hit a home run yet. Big deal. I'll take a .300 hitter any day over a "chopper" or a "whiffer" or a "can of corn hitter".
I'm out. Have a great weekend everyone.
Tom –
[Sorry I didn’t get this posted to your Twins entry but I’m doing it now in three parts (there’s a word limit to what can be posted in comments). The first two entries will review where we’re at, the third will contain my lament.]
Its clear that the team’s flirtation with first place has less to do with team performance than with the struggles of Cleveland, Detroit and Chicago. The Twins have not yet shown themselves to be a playoff caliber team. They are fielding poorly, pitching poorly, and hitting poorly. Other than the lovable Texas Rangers, the Twins have committed the most errors and have the lowest fielding percentage of any team in the league. The only pitching categories in which the team is in the upper half of the league are fewest walks, and fewest hit batters. The staff is 9th (of 14 teams) in quality starts, 10th in strikeouts, 11th in batting average against, 12th in hits allowed, and 14th in hrs allowed. The hitters haven’t performed any better. While the team batting average is 4th in the league and 3rd in stolen bases, they are 12th in OBP, 10th in SLG, 11th in total bases, and get this – last in drawing walks.
The flip side is that the team broke camp with a rotation of one old innings-eater and a cluster of inexperienced arms, new players in 5 of the 8 starting positions, and a bullpen full of comeback guys. This team has been decimated with injuries – with DL trips by Cuddyer, Everett (2), Baker, Slowey, Neshek, Punto, Tolbert, and for all practical purposes, Liriano. And still, only 2 games back.
So what do we have? The same questions remain – what to do at short and third, what to do with Harris, how to sort out the rotation, and where to find some more power. And the team is no closer to answers. The sh*tty fielding stats are solely attributable to second, short & third - Tolbert, Everett, Harris, Punto and Lamm. Injury or no, I don’t think Everett is the guy for short, Harris isn’t the guy for second, and Lamm, bless his heart, is not the guy for third. The team can make do by rotating those guys, but playoff contenders are not built on make do arrangements. Lamm is looking like a great bench guy – 300 or so AB’s a year, and not a regular. Harris has a great bat, and if he hadn’t gone down, I think Gardenhoser was going to give him a real shot at 3rd. Casilla is an exciting guy at second, but geez, he was hitting .219 at Rochester, and while he seems much improved over last year, he’s still a project. Everett, give the man a basket of fruit, a new set of luggage, and a bus ticket. And as fun as Tolbert is to watch, he’s another Punto. We need one high quality guy in this mix that we don’t have.
[to be continued]
[continued]
In the outfield, Gomez is obviously a fine player with some exciting up-side. Cuddyer will presumably get his bat going at some point. And Young is doing what can reasonably be expected from him. He is playing good (but not great) defense, hitting reasonably well, and showing himself to be a quality all-around player with great base running and a great arm. It was clearly unrealistic to expect him to step into the lineup and be a 30 hr guy, although that may still be in his future. A great pickup was Monroe, and while I was against the move at the time, I was wrong. He’s hitting real well and getting better. His numbers so far project to a pretty impressive season. Kubel is still a question and is looking more and more like Randy Bush every day. That’s not bad, as long as we recognize what he can and can’t do for the team.
Morneau is off to a great start and looks to be the quality middle of the order guy we all expected. And Mauer is Mauer. He’s getting way too much crap for not hitting home runs. Maybe he will, maybe not, but he’s still one of the premier hitters in the league and a pleasure to watch.
Which leaves the pitching staff. Hernandez has been a great surprise and while he’s 6-2 now, he’s not going to be 18-6 in September. Just not going to happen. If he’s 12-12 I’ll be happy. We need Baker back, who may be the best of the lot, but that’s not a good injury that he’s got. Blackburn has proved to be a quality guy too. Bonzer seems destined for the pen, sooner or later. I think a year or two at set-up and he may make a great closer. Liriano may become a serviceable pitcher, but next year is a better time line for him to be a regular contributor. In the pen, Nathan is a premier closer. Neshek was the closer in waiting, and made a Nathan trade a real possibility. No more. That’s done. What’s left is uncertain progress of the come-backs. Rincon, Crain and Reyes, all once lights-out, are working to regain their dominance. No sure thing, that.
We’re going to see some great stuff on the field in the second half, I just hope we get some questions answered. Our young team is capable of streaks – both winning and losing. Should be fun.
Now for the lament, the rending of garments for what might have been. We parted with some serious talent in the off season, and I love the aggressive way that Billy Smith went at it, and the quality that he added to the team. All of that was premised on the idea that we had to fill a major hole in the outfield. Whatever we did, we had to get a center fielder -- Ellsbury, Cabrera, Crisp, and finally Gomez. And by trading Garza along with Santana we needed to inject some more young pitching into the system. Turns out we got a potentially great center fielder, and three guys that at least for now, are definitely minor league pitchers (Mulberry, Humvee, and Guera). And Young, who is a fine addition to the outfield – decent now, plenty of upside for years to come.
But with the benefit of hindsight, lets play “what if”. What if the Twins politburo knew then what we know now. At the all star break last year Denard Span, a high draft choice and previously blue chip prospect, was bumping along at Rochester riding a .238 batting average and no power. He had a decent spring training in ‘07, showing the team that he was a quality defensive center fielder with great speed, and a questionable bat. He was an excellent base runner who had trouble getting on base. Didn’t seem to be able to handle ML pitching. Then it started. His bat came alive. He busted the ball around the park the second half. Went to the Arizona fall league, knocked the cover off the ball. In spring training this year Span hit around .300, got on base a lot, scored a lot of runs, and played exceptional defense. Every other year he would have won the starting CF job. He had done everything the club asked of him and more. He earned the slot. Unfortunately for him, so did the electric Gomez. Sent to Rochester, Span has dominated the league, hitting .327, 4 hrs, 26 RBI’s, 12 stolen bases, and an unconscious .431 OBP.
So here’s the deal – what if the Brain Trust had decided that the team’s got CF covered with Span. All of the high value talent to trade – Santana, Garza, Bartlett, will go toward a premier bat, a top shelf third baseman, a proven middle of the order guy, a stud or two. Perhaps a 3 corner deal sending Santana to the Mets and Gomez, Mulver, Humberry, and Guera to Florida and Cabrera to the Twins. Span in center, Cabrera at third – I could live with that. Or Rolen? Or Longoria? Or Blaylock?
Now, we’ve got a wonderful Cf’er in Rochester, blocked by the next great thing, no third baseman, one stick short in the batting order, and oh, yea, Mumber and Hulvim somewhere in the middle of organizational conga line of pitchers. I really like Gomez. I really like Young. Monroe? Yes. But what might have been?
Wow!!
T-Dawg!
Comprehensive and in-depth!
Well done!!
Gold Star!
I don't know TDog. The piece was long enough to be written by politician or maybe a lawyer. I really think the Twins are rebuilding with the idea of remaining at least competitive while they complete the rebuilding. Why else would they have made the moves they did, like Lamb, Everett, and Monroe. I am really curious as what they will do in the next couple of off seasons. By the way the Twins would have never traded for Cabrera. I am also glad we don't have Blaylock or Rolen. Longoria maybe because he is young but they would not have traded him.
I think that most teams are rebuilding, to some extent, every year. Players just don't stay long in one place any more. We got Lamb, Everett, and Monroe because they were relatively cheap, and they can play OK. Not great... but OK. That's what you get when you don't have the $$$ to spend. Supposedly, the new stadium, and the revenue it will create, will allow the Twins to keep talent, and sign the bigger name FAs. I agree about Cabrera... maybe we'll see him on "The Biggest Loser" in a few years. ;-)
Just finished a nice extra inning win over KC. It's now the last week in May... I'm still optimistic about this year. Our outfield is as good as it gets, I think. Morneau and Mauer are All-Stars. Casilla really looks like a different player this year. Harris' BA stinks right now, but I like his ABs... and his D looks good, as well. Lamb is OK at third, but is inconsistent at the plate... but they say he has a good head for the game... whatever that's worth. ;-)
It's going to come down to starting pitching, as usual, and if Blackburn is for real, and if this is the Glen Perkins that we have been waiting for, and if Liriano can contribute in the second half... it could be good.
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