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2013 Minnesota Twins Team Preview

February 28, 2013 by Leave a Comment

What the hell is this?

 

 

Not sure what picture I’m showing you above, but it appears to be friendly Minnesotans(?) – possibly twins, smiling and giving each other a hand hug.  Bad news guys, the Twins are not going to give you much to smile about, except the overwhelming flavor bomb you’ll get when you shove a jucy lucy in your cold weather thickened body.  Outside of Joe Mauer and (maybe) Josh Willingham, this team is void of any star power.  It feels like the Twins were on the verge several years and were trying to hang on too long in hopes of making a run.  It’s hard when a seriously tradeable chip is a homegrown hero who is impossible to trade.  This team is a long way away from the team that  stole won the 1991 World Series.

Let’s take a closer look at the Twins.

Major Off-Season Moves:

  • Acquired Vance Worley

The Twins traded their highest WAR player player in Denard Span and another talented OF in Ben Revere for what they hope will be a deep starting rotation of the future.  The only SP of note for this season is Vance Worley, who has been the “other” pitcher in Philadelphia behind Roy Halladay, Cliff Lee, and Cole Hamels.  Worley is no doubt talented and we’ll touch on the other pitchers later.  All small market teams will go through this rebuilding process, but it’s unfortunate when their “up” cycle doesn’t produce more than a spattering of playoff appearances.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Let’s take a look at the details after the jump. [Read more...]

Filed Under: 2013 Diamond Hoggers Season Previews, Minnesota Twins Tagged With: , , , , ,

Josh Willingham’s Sobering Sunday Swing

June 25, 2012 by Leave a Comment

So much can change with one moment. An entire season’s emotion can be directed in just one week. With Josh Willingham’s soul-crushing bomb off Aroldis Chapman yesterday (a 4-3 loss), the Reds dropped five of six contests this past week. I think for the first time I’ve started to question my beliefs in the 2012 Reds, if only just a little bit.

Baseball really has a way of sobering you. This was supposed to be a series that really got the Reds back on track. I saw the club exploding for offense at home against the patchwork Twins pitching staff. A sweep could easily have been hoped for but at worst I saw the Reds taking two of three and heading into another home series against the Brewers beginning today.

The Baseball Gods had other ideas.

What seems to be both funny and ironic about Willingham destroying a Chapman pitch into the seats is there’s probably no other guy around baseball that should be wearing a Reds uniform than Willingham. The Reds bypassed him in the off-season, allowing him to sign with a non-contender in Minnesota. He and Jay Bruce share the same agent, Sosnick & Cobbe. Tell me right now that Josh Willingham couldn’t have fit in beautifully in this current Reds lineup playing the outfield.

Instead, he stepped to the plate on Sunday to play the part of Darth Vader in baseball cleats. No one should have been shocked. And perhaps my cocky and invincible feelings about this Reds team were based too much off high-running emotions when things were going well.

A Major League baseball season is so much like life. While there are both high and low moments it’s important to never feel too comfortable. You never want to feel like too much is guaranteed or certain until you’re sure you’ve reached the end. Right now, I’ll admit that I don’t know what is going to happen with these Reds and while all along I’ve promised anyone who will listen that the Reds are going to the postseason, the truth is right now I really don’t know.

Dusty Baker is making managerial moves like he would like to be terminated. I walked into my house Friday night just in time to see Scott Rolen held at third base rather than scoring. I quickly received a barrage of text messages from friends watching the game berating Dusty’s lack of forethought to pinch run for the aging Rolen. That move cost us that game.

Don’t be surprised if the Reds get back on track tonight with a big win. It’s the way things go. But if they don’t, more doubt starts to creep in. If the Reds don’t deliver this season, they’ll waste the finest season of Joey Votto’s career just as they wasted an incredibly clutch two-run home run that should have went down as the game winner yesterday.

We can’t make time speed up so we can know how each chapter end. We just have to patiently see how it all plays out, with the characters taking on a different role in the novel each week and each night. As we ride along with them, it’s important to never allow ourselves to get too high. We can’t control anything, despite what outcomes we wish for.

Filed Under: Cincinnati Reds, Interleague Play, Minnesota Twins Tagged With: , , , ,

Trevor Plouffe’s Magic Carpet Ride

June 14, 2012 by Leave a Comment

The Minnesota Twins have a bright spot right now, sort of.

Trevor Plouffe, the 26 year-old renaissance man who entered this season with 10 career home runs went deep again last night off Cole Hamels. It was his 11th of the season and 10th in the last calendar month.

Plouffe has fantasy owners excited because he has played every position on the diamond except center field. Despite the .232 batting average at the press time of this post, he boasts a nice .829 OPS that plays well at shorstop and a few other spots.

April 2006 Chris Shelton says hello. Plus he’s a Minnesota Twin. You would probably have a better chance of scoring some fruit on the vine if you got involved in a pull of the date Ron Gardenhire will be fired.

There’s nothing else noteworthy in the Minnesota box scores this season (yes, even Scott Diamond hasn’t reached that yet). Congrats and all to Plouffe on his month of big league fame, but we don’t expect it to continue much longer. Still, there are players every year that jump off the page in terms of what Zips, Bill James, Marcel and other projection systems thought they would offer. It’s entirely possible that this is Trevor Plouffe’s dream season and he hits 30 long ones at a .230 clip while wowing those northerners up at Target Field until the Vikings return. What do we really know anyways?

Filed Under: Minnesota Twins Tagged With:

My Buddy MJ Lloyd Called the Jered Weaver No-Hitter

May 3, 2012 by Leave a Comment

Last night Jered Weaver threw a no-hitter, blanking the Minnesota Twins 9-0. He walked one and struck out nine.

The most amazing part of it as I watched it unfold was that one of my best buddies and resident Angels fan MJ Lloyd (of Halo Hangout and Off-Base Percentage) called it earlier in the day. Above are the text messages to prove it.

Read more about it at the OC Register Angels blog, and give MJ a shout out on twitter for his Nostradamus-like prediction. Well played my friend.

Filed Under: Anaheim Angels, History, Minnesota Twins, No-hitters, Twitter Tagged With:

Old man Jim Thome hits his 600th blast

August 16, 2011 by Leave a Comment

I got a text today asking me if I thought that Jim Thome was a Hall of Famer.

Are you kidding me? Of course he is. First ballot. He was a Hall of Famer 100 home runs ago. He’s dropped 600 bombs over the course of 20 years. His first homer came over 20 years ago, off Steve Farr at old Yankee Stadium.

His career has stretched across time. Across the  first baseball work stoppage in 1994. Across the ’95 Indians. Across rebuilds, managers, and GM’s. Most importantly, he’s kept on homering throughout the steroid era and from one clean era of baseball (Early 90′s) into the next (the present).

The guy is an anomaly. I remember seeing him hit a couple of bombs in the summer of 2001 back at Jacobs Field. That was his team. He left Cleveland–and we’ve since learned that it was to appease the player’s union–he never wanted to leave. He meant it, unlike LeBron James. He wanted to be in Cleveland for life. They were going to build a statue of the guy. Hell, they still might.

Last night he found a way to give he Indians a gift from afar, going deep twice in a crucial game against the team who holds the lead in the AL Central, the Detroit Tigers. The Twins won the game 9-6.

I don’t know if this is the last year that Jim Thome is a big leaguer. I would say it’s likely. But if it isn’t, how about one more ride in Cleveland to call it a career? I know that the town would welcome him back, and he could add to his budding legend with a few more blasts into the picnic area in center at Progressive Field.

Jim Thome has had a wonderful career. Last night was one of the last chapters, I’m just glad that I got to see this bunyan-esque figure play live a few times and say that I was a Jim Thome fan.

Filed Under: 600 Homerun club, History, Milestones, Minnesota Twins Tagged With:

The Francisco Liriano No-Hitter

May 4, 2011 by Leave a Comment

He might no longer be known only as ‘Lights Out’, but he’s now an immortal piece of baseball history. Last night, Francisco Liriano no-hit the Chicago White Sox. He did this against a team I told you would be one of the biggest offensive forces in the entire sport this year.

Liriano did it with the opposing pitcher on the mound being Edwin Jackson, a pitcher who joined the no-hit club last season. He threw 123 pitches, 66 for strikes, and walked six. The final out of the game was a liner from Adam Dunn into shortstop Matt Tolbert’s glove.

A few years back, Liriano looked like he was going to become one of the most dominating pitchers in the sport for a better part of a decade. As they so often do, dreams got derailed. But for one night Liriano was everything he’s ever been and then some, and he’s now part of history.

[Box Score]

Filed Under: Chicago White Sox, History, Minnesota Twins, No-hitters Tagged With:

American League Central 2011 Season Preview

March 28, 2011 by Leave a Comment

Leading up to the start of the 2011 Regular Season, Diamond Hoggers will preview each of MLB’s 30 teams . Today’s preview features the Chicago White Sox. Stay tuned as Diamond Hoggers previews every team division by division until the start of the regular season. We’re running out of time, so here is a preview of the American League Central. You’ll get the American League East tomorrow, so be ready on the fly. [Read more...]

Filed Under: Chicago White Sox, Cleveland Indians, Detroit Tigers, Kansas City Royals, Minnesota Twins Tagged With:

The Other Larkin

February 2, 2011 by Leave a Comment

When I was a kid and I saw the name ‘Larkin’ in the Minnesota Twins box score on some mornings, I thought that maybe Barry Larkin had a long lost brother out there playing for the Minnesota Twins. When you’re a kid, you think dumb things like that. I had these fantasies of the Reds trading for this other Larkin in this other league, re-uniting the Larkin brothers for some dominance in Cincinnati. [Read more...]

Filed Under: Hideous Ballplayer week, Minnesota Twins Tagged With:

Target Field Opens Today

April 12, 2010 by Leave a Comment
Target Field makes it’s long awaited debut today and the Twins will host their first outdoor ballgame in more then 50 years. Have you done your learning on Target Field yet?
For so many years this Twins team was built on hitting the ball on the ground in the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome and stealing bases. It will be interesting to see how this new era of Twins baseball goes.
Acclimating to the quirks and tendencies of this field will be a process for the Twins, so it’s unclear how much of an advantage they will hold in their new outdoor stadium, especially in the earlier games when cool weather might suppress the power that is shaping up to be this team’s hallmark.
It’s always fun to see how a new park plays and get that first glimpse of it. It’s good for baseball that the Twins have their new palace and the prince to run rampant in the place for the next several years in the form of Joe Mauer. It’s an exciting time to be a Twins fan.
And it’s even better to be Aaron Gleeman today, who is in the brand new press boxes at Target. Aaron is always a strong read on the Twinkies.
Filed Under: Minnesota Twins, Stadiums

Twins lock up Joe Mauer for 8 years

March 22, 2010 by Leave a Comment
Joe Mauer signing an 8-year, $184 million contract extension with the Minnesota Twins is good for the game of baseball.
The Twins are set to open Target Field on this Opening Day 2010, and this is just good mojo for the fans who will come out in the freezing temperatures and risk frost-bite to watch some baseball.
Aaron Gleeman has written about the Twins for a long time, and he re-iterates:
Target Field was built to give Minnesotans the pleasure of outdoor baseball after decades in the Metrodome, but also to increase revenue enough to support a competitive payroll capable of retaining star players nearing free agency. As a 27-year-old homegrown former No. 1 overall pick coming off an MVP season Mauer fits that bill as well as any player ever will, which is why the decision was a no-brainer for the Twins despite the incredible amount of risk involved.
Mauer leaves a possible $70 million on the table that he could have gotten from the Yankees, but I like this. I like it because sometimes the villans can’t buy the assets no matter the price. I like it because should a superstar like Mauer pop up in cities like Pittsburgh, Cincinnati, or Kansas City; maybe they won’t take the first ticket out of town.
That’s what this move means to me. Good for Mauer and good for the Twins. The little organization that could.
Filed Under: contract extensions, Joe Mauer, Minnesota Twins

Joe Mauer is your American League’s Most Valuable

November 23, 2009 by Leave a Comment

Joe Mauer took 27 of 28 votes to win the American League MVP Award unanimously, edging out Mark Texeira and Miguel Cabrera very easily. And rightfully so:

Mauer, the first catcher to lead his league in batting average (.365), on-base percentage (.444) and slugging (.587) in the same season, was listed first on all but one of the 28 ballots cast by two writers in each league city. He was second on that other ballot to score a total of 387 points, based on a tabulation system rewarding 14 points for first place, nine for second, eight for third on down to one for 10th.

Mauer, 26, is the only AL catcher to have won a batting title and the only one in either league to have won three of them. His .365 average, the highest by a catcher in major league history, surpassed his prior league-leading figures of .347 in 2006 and .328 in 2008. Mauer posted career-high totals in home runs (28) and runs batted in (96).

He did not start the season until May 1 due to a back injury and helped keep the Twins in contention for the division title following the loss to injury of first baseman Justin Morneau, the 2006 MVP and ’08 runner-up. Mauer batted .378 with two home runs and 14 RBI in the club’s final 21 games of the regular season.

Mauer was always a great hitter. This year, he added some serious power to his game. We got to enjoy his MVP type stuff on our fantasy baseball team. This past year will probably go down as the best that Mauer has in his career. We’re glad a goodfella like Joe won the AL’s most prestigious award.

At the end of the day, it’s nice to see those small and mid market teams bringing home awards like the Cy Young and the MVP award.

Filed Under: Joe Mauer, Minnesota Twins, MVP's
October 10, 2009 by Leave a Comment

Phil Cuzzi & crew admit they blew the call last night. “[He] saw the ball as foul, called what he saw,” Tschida said. “Afterwards, like any close play, we went in and we looked at it and it’s a clear indication that an incorrect decision was rendered.” [MLB Fanhouse]

Filed Under: evil empires, Minnesota Twins, MLB Playoffs, Phil Cuzzi, Umpires, Yankees

"Which way did he go? Which way did he go?"

October 10, 2009 by Leave a Comment

He’s an angry troll. He’s an awkward-bodied middle aged man who is running short on white hairs. He’s the father who shits in the toilet and stinks up the bathroom for the whole fuckin’ day. He’s the old guy in the gangbang.

And to be honest, it should be said that the Detroit Tigers would serve a lot tougher test for the Yankees then the Minnesota Twins have up to this point.

Filed Under: Minnesota Twins, Ron Gardenhire, trolls

Your Definitive 2009 Divisional Series Post

October 7, 2009 by Leave a Comment


Today is the day that the MLB Playoffs begin. The NLDS gets underway and so we’ve arrived at the time to make our picks. Last year, we were pretty much right all the way through; so pay attention to our picks because you’re likely to see things fall the way that we see them falling.
Truth is, while we picked the Yankees to win it all before the season started; we’re still undecided as to who will win the National League. So here goes.
Anaheim Angels vs. Boston Red Sox
The Angels have made a habit of getting to the ALDS and losing quickly. They haven’t had a memorable run in a long time. Let’s not forget that this is the same team who lost one of their teammates in Nick Adenhart early in the season; and they’re sure to get that storyline re-hashed for as long as they’re alive in the postseason. The Red Sox quietly snuck into the playoffs and to be honest–while they know how to win they’re an aging squad who is aging fast. We’re going to go with an upset of sorts here.
Prediction: Anaheim Angels 3 games to 1
Minnesota Twins vs. New York Yankees
You have a Twins team who battled all season long and into the final week (hell the final innings) just to be part of this postseason. They’re exhausted. The Yankees have been in coast mode for a long time. The Yankees are hungry and know what is at stake. They won’t settle for falling short yet another time. The Yankees are also deep and really don’t have an aparent weakness. There’s no way in hell that Minnesota can take this series, even if it is good to see Joe Mauer get some swings in the postseason.
Prediction: New York Yankees 3 games to 0
Los Angeles Dodgers vs. St. Louis Cardinals
The Dodgers are a much different team then back in 2004 when they took the Cardinals to the limit in the NLDS. The Cardinals are much different as well. Wainwright and Carpenter are tough customers. This should be a very good series once again, but in the end we like LaRusa’s mad scientist act over Joe Torre’s classy successful experience. Plus the Cardinals have the best player on the planet and he seems to shine brightest when the stage is lit.
Prediction: St. Louis Cardinals 3 games to 2
Colorado Rockies vs. Philadelphia Phillies
The Rockies are what we call ‘sneaky good’. They’re a very good team who just happened to run into the champions of the world. The Phillies aren’t as dangerous as they were last year, but they’re still a formidable opponent. In the end, we don’t think the Rockies have the pitching to keep up with the Phils. That Philadelphia lineup should eat them alive in what should be a very high scoring and exciting series if you aren’t a fan of pitchers duels.
Prediction: Philadelphia Phillies 3 games to 1
Filed Under: Anaheim Angels, Colorado Rockies, League Division Series, Los Angeles Dodgers, Minnesota Twins, Philadelphia Phillies, Red Sox, St. Louis Cardinals, Yankees
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