Power Shortage
By Tom Grout
May 28, 2008
Is there a power shortage going on at the Metrodome with the Twins? A lot of people talk about it and they had some articles on it in the Star Tribune the other day.
The Twins are near the bottom of the league when it comes to hitting home runs this season. I realize to some out there it doesn’t matter and as I read the articles in the Star Tribune some of those people who don’t care are the players themselves.
Patrick Ruesse had a fun article next to the power shortage one where he thanked Jason Kubel for hitting a grand slam because it brought back memories of days gone by of the Twins. As a Twins fan from day one, I was brought up on a team that could hit the long ball. In 1962 the Twins had 8 players who had 11 home runs or more and in 1963 the Twins had 8 with over 10 with three of them hitting over 30 home runs.
I realize those two years were a long time ago so let’s get more recent. In 1987 there were 7 players with 10 or more and 3 with 30 or more. In 2004 there were 9 with 10 or more.
I know one persons idea of power and another person’s idea may be different but I think we can all agree that the current Twins look anemic when it comes to home runs. Usually the power guys in your lineup are your corner outfielders, your first baseman, and your third baseman. Our first baseman, Justin Morneau, is doing his part as he has connected for 8 home runs so far. But from the other three positions we have a grand total of 2. Throw in the 6’5” catcher we have and the total remains at 2.
This isn’t the only year we have had trouble with the home runs, as through the 90’s the Twins struggled with the long ball as well. The strange part of that is that this was during the steroid era. So either our guys were just plain good guys or nobody told them about the stuff. Actually the Twins didn’t have the players in the 90’s who hit home runs, this year we have been led to believe they did.
Michael Cuddyer has it 10 or more in the last four years but this year he has one. Mike Lamb has it 12 or more four different times as a part time player, this year he has one. Delmon Young hit over 20 home runs 3 times in the minor leagues and hit 13 last year, this year he has yet to hit one.
So are these guys considered power hitters or are they just some hype? If they are not power hitters should we be shifting our emphasis to speed like we have with Carlos Gomez and Alexi Casilla? Oh, by the way, these two speed guys have a total of 6 home runs between them. Maybe Denard Span should be inserted in the lineup instead of Cuddyer for a speedier outfield and team. Maybe he would even have 2-3 home runs by this time and may be hitting over .300.
In my opinion, Cuddyer should be hitting between 15 and 20 home runs for a season, Delmon Young should be between 15 and 20 and Lamb should be between 10 and 15. Even though the season is only two months along, Cuddyer and Lamb project to have 4 home runs and Young 0 home runs at the end of the season. That is pathetic. I don’t think I am asking for too much.
The worst part of this is the players, according to the Tribune article, really don’t care. They say as long as we are winning it doesn’t matter. One game over .500 may be considered winning I suppose, but most teams who win consistently hit more home runs than the Twins are on a pace to hit. Young is becoming known as a player who listens to very few people. The article said the Twins are trying to get him to take the inside pitch and drive it to left and in batting practice he does so and hits a lot of homers, but in the game he takes that inside pitch and try’s to hit it to right field. He says it’s easy to hit batting practice home runs, and I suppose it is, but you would think he would have at least hit one home run in a game by now.
The Twins organization has been known as the place where power hitters go to die. Just ask David Ortiz. I’m not sure what the problem is, whether the team doesn’t teach or promote it or whether the players themselves just aren’t cut out to hit home runs.
Whatever the reason, this Twins fan is frustrated about it, and yes maybe I have been spoiled by Twins gone by.
Tom --
Another interesting posting. I don't think the Twins quoted in the paper would be doing anyone any favors by publicly criticizing their teammates for low homerun production.
You're right, the team homerun numbers at this point don't project well over an entire season. We expected more from Cuddyer and Lamm. We hoped for more from Young & Mauer. But there is a lot of season left & I'm not ready to cash in our roster for 8 Dave Kingmans.
When you get a chance, how about a posting on the way that closers are being coddled these days?
Tom -- Other than a couple of years ago, when is the last time the Twins had anything that resembled a power-hitting lineup? 1987?
The whole steroids era completely passed the Twins by and this year is no different. Why? Because the Twins don't teach power hitting. They teach "station to station" hitting. Look at what Ortiz did when he left the Twins and went to a team that told him, "You really should be hitting about 40 home runs or more a year." He started hitting 40 home runs a year.
Joe Mauer will never be a power threat as long as he's in a Twins uniform. Justin Morneau should be hitting more HRs. Delmon Young should at least have "a" home run by now, if not 10. Same with Cuddyer. But that's not how they're being taught. Keep in mind. Their current hitting coach had maybe two or three home runs in his career, including in the minors. I wouldn't mind seeing the Twins get someone like Gary Gaetti as their hitting coach so our guys can start swinging for more long balls.
On the flip side, if they're going station to station and still winning games, I guess that's OK too.
Agreed. The Twins teach contact first. If you sit on an inside pitch, looking to pull it... you are going to look bad on the outside offspeed stuff. Hitting then becomes a guessing game. The Twin's approach is to stay back, and drive the ball where it is pitched. Morneau can do this, and still get his homeruns... hence the decent average, and HR numbers. He is so strong, has solid mechanics, and is quick on the inside pitch. Now, if you watch Young and Cuddyer, they're looking to cover the plate, but when a pitch gets in on them, they are handcuffed. They don't seem quick enough to react on the inside pitch, so, to be ready for that inside pitch, they would have to "guess", and commit early to getting that bat head out there. Of course, then they look horrible on that slider on the outside corner... then they get chewed on by the manager...etc, etc.
My opinion is, for some players, you just have to tell them it's OK if you look bad sometimes, and strikeouts are OK too... just look for that pitch, and yank it. Ortiz is a great example... it was obvious that he had tremendous power when he was here... even though he was oft-injured. But, you could see that he was told to "go with the pitch".
So, the question remains... hit for average, or hit for power. Very few can do both. A choice has to be made, and the Twin's choose average. It would be fun if they would pick at least one guy on the team, and say "hey, let 'er rip, and let's see what happens."
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