Mid-Season Awards

NL Rookie of the Year: Tommy Hanson, ATL
He hasn't been up that long but he has lived up to the hype so far. In 7 starts he has gone 4-0 with a 2.85 ERA and 25 K in 41 innings.
Runner-up: Colby Rasmus, STL

NL Cy Young: Tim Lincecum, SF
Lincecum gets the nod over Haren because he is on a superior team and the number of strikeouts. He has had a great follow-up to last year going 10-2 2.33 ERA 149 K.
Runner-up: Dan Haren, ARI

NL MVP: Albert Pujols, STL
There is no debate regarding this award. He could not play the second half and he would still get votes for the award. He is on pace for the best year of his career with .336 32 HR 85 RBI. Those are full-season numbers if you are lucky. He is a virtual lock for his 3rd MVP Award.
Runner-up: Prince Fielder, MIL

AL Rookie of the Year: Andrew Bailey, OAK
The AL Rookie Award race has been a little disappointing with David Price and Matt Wieters getting off to slow starts. My money is that one of them will have a big second half and win the award but for the first half it goes to the Oakland closer who has a 2.03 ERA and 57 K in 48.7 IP. He is the Oakland representative in the All-Star game.
Runner-up: Rickey Romero, TOR

AL Cy Young: Zach Greinke, KC
He hasn't pitched as well lately and may not hold on to the award over the full year but he still had an awesome first half going 10-5 2.12 ERA 129 K. He should have more wins but he is a Royal.
Runner-up: Felix Hernandez, SEA

AL MVP: Justin Morneau, MIN
This is the toughest award to call. It depends on what you are looking for in an MVP. There are almost 10 candidates who could legitimately win this award. The factors I used to decide this is a player producing runs with a good average. This lead to Justin Morneau. All the attention is paid to Joe Mauer but Morneau is quietly a Triple Crown threat. He is tied for 2nd in HR, 2nd in RBI and 11th in AVG going .311-21-70. Mauer will likely keep him from winning the Triple Crown and will steal votes from him but he does it all for the Twins.
Runner-up: Jason Bay, BOS

Twins Mid-Season Projections

With the mid-way point of the season upon us it is a good time to project the Twins final stats if they have a second half like the first half. In some cases that would be a good thing and in other a disaster. Here are the current projections for your Minnesota Twins:

Joe Mauer: .390 28 HR 90 RBI
If anyone expects these to be his final numbers they are stupid. He had a once in a lifetime May and came back to reality in June going .353-3-11. While he may not put up those numbers he is well on his way to his 3rd batting title and has been healthy since coming back in May.
Second Half: May reach 20 home runs and may bat .350 but will not be able to repeat first half stats.

Justin Morneau: .320 40 HR 134 RBI
A lot of attention has been paid to Mauer and his prowess, but what is getting lost in the shuffle is Morneau is having one of his best years and another MVP-caliber year. He has typically lost a little power in the second half so I don't see 40 home runs happening but I do see .320 average and 130 RBIs.
Second Half: May see a dip in power with around 30-35 home runs but the production should still be there.

Jason Kubel: .300 26 HR 84 RBI
Now that he is four years removed from his knee injury he has finally reached the potential the Twins saw in him when went .300-2-7 as a September call-up in 2004. It could be argued that he is the most productive DH the Twins have had.
Second Half: As long as he doesn't face too many lefties he is right on target.

Michael Cuddyer: .280 26 HR 90 RBI
After an injury filled and disappointing 2008, there were many fans (including me) who thought he should be the odd man out in the outfield. He has proved them wrong by returning to 2006 Michael Cuddyer.
Second Half: If healthy he can reach projections.

Joe Crede: .230 24 HR 72 RBI
He was brought in to be the power source and be 2nd on the team in home runs. He is currently 5th on the team but has not been a disappointment at all. There isn't anyone who would argue that he is a significant upgrade from Brian Buscher. He has provided just what the Twins hoped he would provide.
Second Half: He could get really hot and hit near 30 home runs or go and the DL and not do anything. I think he will end up .240-26-80.

Denard Span: .288 8 HR 52 RBI 26 SB
He has had some issues with dizzy spells but he has shown that last year was not a fluke. He is the ideal leadoff hitter. He is patient, doesn't strike out and has speed.
Second Half: If the dizzy spells don't come back I could see a big second half for him with him batting around .300.

Brendan Harris: .274 8 HR 44 RBI
Everyone seems to be praising him for his contribution this year, but in his last year with Tampa he went .286-12-59 and he wasn't batting in front of Mauer and Morneau. Yes, he is our best offensive option in the middle infield but that isn't much of a claim on this team.
Second Half: He should get plenty of at-bats and he should be able to duplicate 1st half and hopefully better.

Delmon Young: .264 6 HR 48 RBI
Those who were disappointed with last years (.290-10-69) have been truly disappointed this year so far. Yes, he dealt with the loss of his mother but the production has been brutal. Has actually shown some signs of improvement recently with 6 extra base hits in his last 8 games compared to 3 extra base hits in his previous 44 games.
Second Half: It is almost impossible for him to not do better than his first half. The Twins aren't asking much from their #7 hitter, just hoping that he will provide some power and run production.

Carlos Gomez: .224 2 HR 24 RBI 14 SB
This has been a lost season for the 23 year old so far. He has become the 4th outfielder. He is on pace for only 348 at-bats compared to 577 last year. They need to figure out how to use him better because he is never going to realize his potential on the bench. It only makes him try to do more in his at-bats.
Second Half: Barring an injury, I don't see a lot of at-bats coming his way especially if Delmon starts to produce. His talent is being wasted.

Nick Punto: .217 0 HR 32 RBI 14 SB
Yes, he is good defensively but he is absolutely worthless at the plate. He has 4 extra base hits. Only the Twins would have a career .250 hitter with 11 career home runs in 2,018 at bats as an everyday infielder.
Second Half: More of the same.

Matt Tolbert: .184 2 HR 22 RBI
It is bad enough to have one Nick Punto, but this team has two of them with Matt Tolbert. He is simply not a major league infielder.
Second Half: Twins having to be hoping that Casilla turns it around so they can send Tolbert back to Rochester.

Other projections not worth commenting on:
Alexi Casilla: .180-0-10
Brian Buscher: .198-4-18
Mike Redmond: .229-0-8
Jose Morales: .350-0-4

Fourth Strike Studs and Duds of the Month

I have done away with the Power Rankings at least for now as it took more time than I wanted to spend debating who is better between the Rockies and the Astros. I still would like to name my studs and duds of the month of May.

Stud Hitter of the Month: C Joe Mauer, MIN
Stats: .414 11 HR 32 RBI .500 OBP
Honorable Mention: Mark Teixiera NYY, Justin Morneau MIN, Carl Crawford TB

Stud Pitcher of the Month: Zack Grienke, KC
Stats: 3-1 46 IP 1.57 ERA 44 K 3 CG
Honorable Mention: Justin Verlander DET, CC Sabathia NYY, Roy Halladay TOR

Dud Hitter of the Month: OF Jordan Schafer, ATL
Stats: .158 0 HR 5 RBI 40 SO in 101 AB
Dishonorable Mention: Garrett Atkins COL, Chris B. Young ARI, Mike Fontenot CHC

Dud Pitcher of the Month: Daniel Cabrera, WAS
Stats: 3 Starts 15.2 IP 8.04 ERA 7 K 18 BB 22 HA
Dishonorable Mention: Scott Kazmir TB, Ervin Santana LAA, Armando Galarraga DET

My All-Metrodome Team

Here is why and how I filled out my All-Metrodome team ballot:

First Base: Justin Morneau

This is the hardest position to choose. It is known and widely assumed that Morneau will put up better career numbers than Kent Hrbek, but that is not what this is about. I think Hrbek will win the position because he is a Minnesotan who was on the 2 World Series teams and somehow has his jersey retired despite no possibility of going to the Hall of the Fame. I chose Morneau because while Hrbek was a key component on his teams, Morneau is a better hitter and fielder and has 1 MVP and could have easily won a 2nd. Runners-up: Kent Hrbek and Gene Larkin

Second Base: Chuck Knoblauch

Became a joke at the end of his career but he was the AL Rookie of the Year in 1991 and was a multiple All-Star as a Twin. He also lacks any real competition at the position with utility player Runners-up: Al Newman and Steve Lombardozzi.

Shortstop: Greg Gagne

This is a no-brainer decision. Was on both World Series teams. While he lacks outstanding statistics as a .254 career hitter with little power he win based on longevity and lack of competition. Runners-up: Cristian Guzman and Pat Mears.

Third Base: Gary Gaetti

Won 4 Gold Gloves as a Twin and hit over 30 home runs in '86 and '87. Was a crucial player in the 1987 World Series team. Runners-up: Scott Leius and Corey Koskie

Catcher: Joe Mauer

The Golden Boy should easily win this position. Already at such a young age has two batting titles and one Gold Glove. He will also benefit that neither World Series team had an outstanding catcher and Pierzynski is currently hated by Twins fans. Runners-up: Tim Laudner and A.J Pierzynski.

Outfielders: Kirby Puckett, Torii Hunter, and Tom Brunansky

It is kind of surprising on how easy it is to pick the outfield. Puckett and Hunter are locks for their defense and being the face of the team for many years. The only debate is Gladden or Tom Burnansky. Burnansky had the much better career but Gladden might get some votes just on the memory of him scoring the winning run in the '91 Series and his role as the team's radio announcer. Runners-up: Dan Gladden, Shane Mack and Matt Lawton

Designated Hitter: Chili Davis

This position is kind of a joke and it should really be filled by the loser of the Hrbek - Morneau race. I don't think Davis will win the position with home-town players Molitor and Winfield on the list but this isn't who is the best player but who was the best as a Twin and Molitor and Winfield were in the twilight of their careers on terrible teams. David Ortiz also turned into a good player but that was in Boston not here. Davis was only on the team for 2 years but played a very vital role on the '91 team hitting .277-29-93. Runners-up: Paul Molitor and David Ortiz

Starters: Frank Viola, Johan Santana, and Bert Blyleven

This is a very hard position to only choose 3 players. Viola and Santana are locks with 3 Cy Youngs between them. Then it gets hard to pick one out of Blyleven, Brad Radke, Kevin Tapani and Jack Morris. Morris was only here one year but it was one hell of a year, Radke was the face of many terrible Twins teams and also some of the early success in the 2000's, Kevin Tapani was the best pitcher in '91. I went with Blyleven despite that his best years with the Twins were at the Met the first time around. He helped win the '87 title and he is the best pitcher overall (it is a travesty he is not in the Hall of Fame) and I really enjoy him as the Twins Color Commentator. Runners-up: Brad Radke and Kevin Tapani

Relievers: Rick Aguilera and Joe Nathan

Rick Aguilera is a lock as the stud closer from 1989 to 1999 with 3 All-Star appearances and twice had over 40 saves. Joe Nathan is more debatable. Jeff Reardon was a great closer for the '87 team but was only here for 3 seasons. Guardado was a good closer on the early 2000 teams but was never overwhelming. Joe Nathan gets the nod because he is one of the most dominating closers in the game today. In 6 years he has made 3 All-Star appearances and 203 saves. Runners-up: Jeff Reardon and Eddie Guardado.

Manager: Tom Kelly

If anyone does not vote for Tom Kelly they should have the rest of their ballot voided. He won 2 World Series and led the team for 16 of the 27 seasons at the Metrodome. Runner-up: Ron Gardenhire.

The Joe Mauer Lineup Conundrum

We are all looking forward to the return of Joe Mauer next weekend, but his return will pose an interesting question on how to structure the lineup. Jason Kubel and Justin Morneau have been far and away our two best hitters so far batting back to back. If you are to put Joe Mauer in front them then you have three left-handed hitters in a row. That is not something any manager likes to do although Philadelphia is currently doing it with Utley-Howard-Ibanez. I don't think that is something Gardenhire would like to do but the question is whether he even has a chance.

One option is to bat Mauer 2nd and put a righthander in the 3 hole. The problem is Mauer does not like batting second and who do you put in the 3 hole. This would be the solution if Cuddyer, Crede or Young were hitting well but they are all around the Mendoza line. The other option is to put a righthander between Morneau and Kubel but then you have the team's rbi leader batting 6th in Kubel and I don't think the Twins want to break up Kubel and Morneau.

I don't think the Twins currently have a choice but to bat them in a row, at least until a right hander starts to hit consistently. I also think it can work because they all do hit left-handed pitchers reasonably well. Mauer is a .300 hitter in his career against lefties, Morneau is only .261 against lefties for his career but hit .284 last year and is actually hitting .417 so far this year, and Kubel is 3 for 8 so far this season against lefties.

It is not ideal but I think the Twins don't have a choice since the three are their best hitters. I think this is what the lineup will look like when Mauer returns.

RF/LF Denard Span
2B Alexi Casilla / Brendan Harris
C Joe Mauer
1B Justin Morneau
DH Jason Kubel
3B Joe Crede
LF/RF Delmon Young / Michael Cuddyer
SS Nick Punto
CF Carlos Gomez

The Beast that is Justin Morneau

I thought I would do a post professing my love for Justin Morneau since I don't think he gets the attention and praise he deserves. This was brought up by Peter Gammons on the Mike and Mike Show today. He listed Joe Mauer as one of the players he would like to build a team around. Mauer is good and yes two batting titles is impressive but I would rather build the team around Justin.

We have seen in these 3 weeks what this team would look like without Mauer and while it isn't that good this team is functioning. Imagine this team without Justin Morneau in the middle of the lineup. It should be noted that we can only imagine since he has yet to get injured for a significant period of time. Who would hit for power? Who would be a threat? Who would drive in the runs?

Morneau has driven in over 100 rbi's for three consecutive seasons, and while we take that for granted Kirby Puckett went over 100 rbi's only three times in his career. Kent Herbek only hit over 100 rbi's once in his career. If he gets over 100 rbi's this year he will do something Harmon Killebrew never even did. In those 3 years he has driven in 370 runs. Only Alex Rodriguez and Ryan Howard have driven in more runs in that time. He drove in more runs as such stalwarts as Albert Pujols, Vladimir Guerrero, Manny Ramirez and David Wright.

He has hit over 20 home runs four straight years and was the first Twin to hit over 30 home runs since Hrbek in 1987. In the last three years he has hit 115 doubles and 88 home runs. It is also forgotten that he is one of the best defensive first basemen in the game and should win multiple Gold Gloves before he is done. I know winning batting titles is special, but I would take Morneau's bat and the assurance that he will be in the lineup every day over Joe Mauer's .330 all single average any day.

Two Week Assumption of Twins Players

Here is a list of some position players and starters and how they have fared so far this year. A lot have room for improvement and only Perkins and maybe Kubel are playing out of their league.

• Denard Span: .300 1 HR 9 RBI 3 SB .397 OBP. He is the prototypical leadoff hitter. I was worried about him regressing, but he takes professional at-bats every single time. He should be exempt from the outfield rotation and leading off every game.
• Alexi Casilla: .196 0 HR 2 RBI 0 SB. He has struggled hitting from the right side, but he has fully come into his own playing second base. With his compact swing and speed, I am not worried about his offense yet. He will benefit a lot from having Mauer bat behind him.
• Justin Morneau: .321 2 HR 9 RBI. Same old, same old. Simply a professional hitter. He is currently on pace for .321-23-104. He is guarenteed to get at least that but should end up even better.
• Jason Kubel: .333 2 HR 12 RBI. Surprise give this guy at-bats and he produces. While his average is likely to drop, there is no reason if he gets plenty of at-bats in the 5 hole once Mauer gets back that he doesn't go .285-25-100.
• Michael Cuddyer: .235 1 HR 5 RBI. Gardenhire loves this guy symbolized by him only sitting one game so far. Why he is not platooned more I have no idea. He takes a lot of bad at-bats. It is too bad that both him and Delmon Young are right handed or else the rotation would be solved.
• Joe Crede: .175 1 HR 3 RBI. A disapointment so far. Very good defensively, but with Buscher and Harris hot so far, I wouldn't mind him sitting a few games. He should hit better once he settles into this team.
• Delmon Young: .212 1 HR 7 RBI. He is oft-maligned and took absolutely terrible at-bats swinging at every pitch. When he gets patient and takes pitches he has more success. He is better than Cuddyer if he does not force it at the plate.
• Carlos Gomez: .200 0 HR 1 RBI 2 SB. He definitely has been more patient at the plate and it is a shame it has not paid off yet. To show how important he is to the offense he has reached base 9 times with 7 hits and 2 walks and he has scored 5 times. He is also the best defensive centerfielder in the AL, he may struggle at times but he should be in the lineup close to every game.
• Brendan Harris: .407 1 HR 2 RBI. He has settled very well into his role as a bench player. He deserves to get spot starts for Casilla, Punto, and Crede. They need to use his bat while he is hitting so well, because it is not likely to last.
• Glen Perkins: 1-1 1.50 ERA 12 K. He is off to a great start and should be 3-0 but has gotten little offense behind him. He may not continue to be an ace but he looks to be a very solid starter and not the #5 starter that he came into the season as.
• Francisco Liriano: 0-3 5.09 ERA 11 K. He just can't seem to break through. In the Seattle start he was undone by a few bad pitches and someone golfing a shot out. In Chicago he was undone by a small strike zone and unraveling in one inning due to not getting calls. He seemed to be closer to reaching his potential by holding the hot Blue Jays to 1 run in 7 innings. He is still the best pitcher on this team.
• Nick Blackburn: 0-1 5.71 ERA 5 K. He is skirting the fine line between Derek Lowe and Carlos Silva. Batters are batting .310 against him. He can give the team innings but he worries me a lot because you can not continue to succeed being that hittable.
• Kevin Slowey: 2-0 5.89 ERA 12 K. Had an absolutely terrible start against the Blue Jays but fared much better against the Angels. He is the type of pitcher who needs to outsmart instead of overwhelm and he has yet to do so this year.
  

Welcome to the 2009 Season Twins Fans

At roughly 9:55 pm on Tuesday, April 7th, The Twins 2009 season officially started. The problem is that they had played 17 innings that counted before that. Those 17 innings were filled with feeble at-bats and pitchers getting knocked around by a 39 year old Ken Griffey Jr. and Endy Chavez. It was brutal to watch and the Twins were as flat and lifeless as the fans. Then it happened, Gomez who already is taking much better at-bats coaxed a walk out of Brandon Morrow. Morrow then lost all control walking Kubel and Buscher (by the way I was suprised Gardenhire pinch hit for Punto). The Mariners brought in Miguel Batista but that was to no avail as Denard Span used his blazing speed to leg out a infield single and Alexi Casilla lined a single to center bringing in the tying and winning runs. In a single moment, Twins fans were reminded all over again why they love the Minnesota Twins. The question is now whether the Twins can play a full nine inning game. They should have a good chance of doing so against Carlos Silva tonight.

Way Too Early Reactions to the 2009 Twins

• Span does not look like he will regress into a AAA player. He just gives a quality at-bat every single time and with his speed gets a lot of hits he has no business getting. He is a very good lead-off hitter.
• Casilla and Punto might be the best double play combo in the league. They have looked very solid so far making a few amazing double plays.
• Gomez looks a lot better at the plate. He still takes a few bad swings but it isn't three in a row. He should have a much better year this year.
• Morneau looks off to another slow start. He didn't get a hit until his 5th game last year. He may start slow until Mauer gets back but he is still a lock for .290-20-100 at least.
• Crede may not be off to a quick start but him in the lineup is much more dangerous than Brian Buscher. He can hit a home run on any pitch. Buscher can hit a single on any pitch.
• Allowing opponents to bat .300 against him may catch up to Blackburn this year, I don't think he will be Silva bad but his ERA might be closer to 5.00 than 4.00.
• Jose Morales has not looked like a MLB player so far. I thought he could be a surprise and provide some offense but his at-bats so far have been brutal with 3 strikeouts in 4 at-bats. Did you know that he is actually older than Joe Mauer by two months. It seems like Mauer has been around for ever but he only turns 26 on April 19th.
  

The first two games have not screamed AL Central Champs but some of that can be attributed to Felix Hernandez and Erik Bedard who are no slouches and could both win a Cy Young sometime in their careers. These next two games against sub-standard pitching should give us a better look at just where the offense is at.

#7 Minnesota Twins

Minnesota Twins
Last Year: 88-75 2nd in AL Central
This Year: 1st in AL Central



Last year the expectations were low. They had lost Johan Santana and Torii Hunter. The pitching rotation had limited experience and the lineup had a lot of youth with Carlos Gomez leading off. They surprised a lot of people by playing well all summer. They just missed out on the playoffs by losing a coin flip and then losing the tiebreaker 1-0 to Chicago. They had a very quiet winter until they signed Joe Crede in February to shore up the hole at 3rd base. This team has the youth, speed and ability to take the next step and win the division for the 5th time in 8 years.

Opening Day Lineup w/Projections
RF Denard Span .286 7 HR 54 RBI 27 SB
2B Alexi Casilla .274 7 HR 61 RBI 17 SB
DH Jason Kubel .276 24 HR 86 RBI
1B Justin Morneau .308 32 HR 134 RBI
3B Joe Crede .254 24 HR 79 RBI
LF Delmon Young .296 17 HR 77 RBI
C Mike Redmond .280 0 HR 27 RBI
SS Nick Punto .272 2 HR 34 RBI
CF Carlos Gomez .267 11 HR 66 RBI 41 SB

Other Players
RF Michael Cuddyer .271 15 HR 73 RBI
C Joe Mauer .317 9 HR 72 RBI

Rotation
RHP Scott Baker 13-6 3.67 ERA 148 K
LHP Francisco Liriano 15-7 2.93 ERA 171 K
RHP Kevin Slowey 11-8 3.92 ERA 132 K
LHP Glen Perkins 12-9 4.24 ERA 98 K
RHP Nick Blackburn 12-10 4.15 ERA 104 K

CP RHP Joe Nathan 1.40 ERA 41 SV 77 K

Best Case Scenario: Joe Crede stays healthy and is an All-Star Third Baseman. Joe Mauer get healthy and stays healthy contending for a third batting title. Span and Casilla don't regress off of surprise success last year. Young and Gomez continue to mature and develop. Liriano builds off his second half success last year and returns to the dominant starter he was in 2006. The bullpen becomes the typical Twins bullpen again instead of the mess it was down the stretch last year. The team cruises to an AL Central title and gets to the ALCS.

Worst Case Scenario: Span and Casilla regress becoming .240 hitters, Joe Mauer never gets fully healthy and Redmond gets 300 at-bats. Crede's back flares up leaving the Twins to need Buscher to play every day. Gomez still can't settle down and swings at anything thrown to him. Liriano's arm troubles spark up again. The bullpen is a mess and can't get the lead to Joe Nathan. This team finishes around .500 and 3rd in the AL Central.

Player Most Important to Success: Francisco Liriano. Liriano was absolutely dominant in 2006 outpitching Johan Santana who won the Cy Young that year. He then went down with Tommy John surgery and missed 2007. He was rushed back before he was ready in 2008 and was crushed. It is often forgotten that when he came back from AAA in July he went 5-1 with an ERA of 3.02 in his last 10 starts. It is typically said that you don't get fully back from Tommy John until the second year. He has pitched very well this spring and looks to be ready to claim back his crown as The Franchise. The Twins rotation is full of good pitchers who give you a chance to win but Liriano is the one pitcher who can win a game for you. That is something you need especially if you hope to do something in October. Other players: Joe Mauer, Delmon Young, and Denard Span.

Outlook: Before the signing of Joe Crede there was little hype surrounding this team which I did not get. This was a very young team that was returning everyone from a team that won 88 games. If Mauer comes back and Crede stays healthy this should be the best Twins lineup they have had since 1991. They have 5 pitchers who are all capable of giving the team a quality start. One thing they need to do this year is pitch deeper into the game so the bullpen doesn't get as taxed as it did last year. They have some possible issues. Span and Casilla were pleasant surprises last year that might turn out to be one year wonders ala Lew Ford and Luis Rivas. This team can hold up for a little while without Mauer but they won't be able to go for an extended amount of time. This team also still has bullpen issues that were not addressed especially if Jose Mijares doesn't do anything this year. This team should definitely contend for the division title and win it but the question is whether this team can compete with the AL East and be more than a sweep in the ALDS. This still should a fun year for Twins fans and it is a shame it still has to be spent in the Metrodome.

WBC Preview (Part 1)

Early Thursday morning the second World Baseball Classic will begin in Tokyo. While it is not on the level of the World Cup or Olympic Hockey, it is certainly better than Olympic Basketball. The idea is good in theory but the main problem lies in that the pitchers are not allowed to go all out and there are some great players who are not playing due to injury or because of their MLB team. That said it is still exciting because there are a lot of talented teams, players and there are no overwhelming favorites like USA basketball or Canada hockey. It is a 16 team tournament and there are 8 teams with legitimate teams that conceivably win the Classic. I have ranked the talent level of the teams 1-8. Part 1 is teams 5-8.

8. Canada
Pool C
2006 Result: 2-1 Lost tiebreaker in Pool B to Mexico and USA
Probable Lineup:
2B Pete Orr
C Russell Martin
CF Jason Bay
1B Justin Morneau
DH Joey Votto
LF Mark Teahen
RF Matt Stairs
3B Corey Koskie
SS Chris Barnwell

Notable Pitchers: Jesse Crain

Assets: They have a pretty formidable middle of the lineup with a lot of power
Issues: Lack pitching, poor middle infield and left-handed heavy lineup (Martin, Bay and Barnwell only righties).
Outlook: They were hurt by some notable pitchers not participating such as Erik Bedard, Adam Loewen, and Jeff Francis. Lack of any pitching and the fact that they are in the toughest pool will be their downfall as they are likely to finish third in Pool C.

7. Mexico
Pool B
2006 Result: 3-3 Lost in 2nd Round Pool
Probable Lineup:
SS Jerry Hairston Jr.
2B Edgar Gonzalez
1B Adrian Gonzalez
3B Jorge Cantu
C Rod Barajas
LF Scott Hairston
RF Karim Garcia
DH Freddy Sandoval
CF Alfredo Amezaga

Notable Pitchers: Oliver Perez, Luis Ayala, Jorge Campillo, Joakim Soria

Assets: Very good closer in Soria and two good hitters in Adrian Gonzalez and Cantu
Issues: Not a lot of speed, poor outfield and lack of pitching depth
Outlook: Not an overly impressive team but in an easier Pool and it is in Mexico so they should advance to the second round but end there.

6. Puerto Rico
Pool D
2006 Result: 4-2 Lost in 2nd Round Pool
Probable Lineup:
2B Felipe Lopez
SS Mike Aviles
CF Carlos Beltran
RF Alex Rios
1B Carlos Delgado
DH Geovany Soto
C Yadier Molina
LF Bernie Williams
3B Ramon Vazquez

Notable Pitchers: Ian Snell, Jonathan Sanchez, Javier Vazquez, JC Romero

Assets: Very Good Middle of the Lineup
Issues: Lack Pitching Depth, Bernie Williams, lackluster middle infield
Outlook: Has some big talent in Beltran, Rios and Soto but Delgado is a little old and Bernie Williams is way to old. Don't have the depth of the more elite teams but should finish similar to 2006.

5. Cuba
Pool B
2006 Result: 5-3 Lost in Final to Japan
Probable Lineup:
I have no idea
Notable Pitchers: No idea
Cuba is the great unknown in the tournament. Unlike other Caribbean nations ther players are not allowed to leave and they all play for the national team. They get a bonus because they are a team that has been together for years and is training for this event. They also have talent. Cuba players that do defect ususually are impact players in the MLB. Alexei Ramirez was on the Cuba team in 2006. Other notable players from Cuba are Jose Conseco, Yunel Escobar, Livan Hernandez, Orlando Hernandez, Tony Oliva, Rafael Palmeiro. The talent is there I just have no idea where it is. The reason why they are not ranked higher is that the talent they have is not as well developed as a major league vetren. They may have a player with All-star talent but they are not All-stars. The team with mostly the same players just finished second at the Bejing Olympics. They did however beat the USA team 10-2 but that team did not have Dustin Pedroia and Chipper Jones.

Thursday Ranting

I don't know whether it is due to the blizzard while it should be spring or not but I'm in the mood for a good ol' rant so here we go:

• Now this may be because I was laid off from the Minnesota Daily over the summer and they have also been jerking around my buddy in the sports department but the paper is delving into an absolutely sub-par student paper. It is poorly written and the students are just there to be paid and put it on their resume. They proved my point today with an article about how the reason for the Gophers energy on Sunday was the return of one Kevin Payton. Without the Daily I would not have known that the reason for the stingy defense and effort was due to the guy who came in the final minute and has yet to score this year. The title is even worse. Gophers feeling energized as Payton returns to the floor. He is never on the floor unless they have a 20 point lead or it is warm-ups. The argument the article makes is that he talks and is a vocal leader. Anyone can talk. Maybe the Gophers should get Chris Tucker to practice with them. He is probably just as good at basketball and he does a lot of talking. I guess if we are playing in March we all have Kevin Payton to thank.

• On the Star Tribune the Twins beat writer posted the lineups for the Twins opening spring game against Boston. Here is a sampling of some of the comments:
  
• I don't like Cuddy batting 4th not high enough average
• Why is LNP (Nick Punto) batting 2nd and why is Cuddy in RF?
• You still want a leadoff-type hitter to lead off and a cleanup-type hitter to hit cleanup. So why bat Morneau third? ST is to make guys comfortable. Why screw with his routine?
• The idiot (Gardenhire) just couldn't resist but to bat Punto 2nd

• I do not get the Twins fans who seem to only be fans to complain. I'm not saying I love everything the Twins did but why search for reasons to complain. Punto and Morneau were batting higher to get more at bats before they leave for the WBC. One poster was adamant we were screwing with Morneau by batting him 3rd instead of clean-up. First off he won MVP hitting 5th so I think he can hit anywhere in the lineup. He also didn't complain about Nathan pitching in the 4th. Spring Training wins and losses mean actually nothing and to complain about the lineup means you need either a girlfriend, a job, or a hobby. The complaints about Gardenhire I also don't get. The Twins have won 4 division titles in his 7 years as coach. 2007 is the only year they finished below .500 at 79-83. If you respond but we expect more than you are an idiot. We have had the most consistent success this decade by a team not in New York or Boston. He is coming off a season in which he took a team predicted to finish 4th or 5th in the division, losing Santana and Hunter. He finished with 88 wins for a team that finished last in the AL in home runs and had Scott Baker as the elder statesman on the starting pitching staff. The Twins consistently do better than projections or pre-season picks except for maybe the 2007 season. This team is young, fast, and has probably the best line-up they have had under Gardenhire. So please say the bitterness and armchair managing until at least June.

That helped for awhile I'm sure after the Gophers come out flat against Illinois I will be in the mood for more ranting. We shall see.

A Buffet of Twins News

• The Twins have before anyone has even pitched an inning in Spring Training announced the starting pitching rotation for 2009. It follows as Scott Baker, Francisco Liriano, Kevin Slowey, Glen Perkins and Nick Blackburn. The only suprise is the order with Blackburn pitching 5th but that truly does not matter in the scheme of things.
• Boof Bonser is going to have exploratory surgery to try and find why his shoulder is bothering him after they found no structural damage in the MRI. He will not be headed north with the club to start the year and depending on what they find he could be out longer. This clears room for Phil Humber to make the roster or even room for Juan Cruz. It is possible we never see Boof in a Twins uniform again.
• Baseball America has released its Top 100 prospects for 2009 and 3 Twins made the cut. Aaron Hicks was #39, Ben Revere was #59 and Wilson Ramos was #71. The Twins also had 3 last year with two of them being Carlos Gomez and Nick Blackburn. The top prospect is catcher Matt Wieters of Baltimore with David Price the pitcher for Tampa Bay a close 2nd.
• The final rosters have been announced for the World Baseball Classic. I will do a preview of the Classic next week but the rosters include many Twins. Here are those who will participate: Joe Nathan (USA), Justin Morneau (Canada), Nick Punto (Italy), Jesse Crain (Canada) and Luis Ayala (Mexico). There are also plenty of Twins prospects on rosters. They are: Carlos Gutierrez (Puerto Rico), Luke Hughes (Australia), Robb Hein (South Africa), Tom Stuifbergen (Netherlands), Liam Hendriks (Australia), James Beresford (Australia) and Daniel Berg (Australia).
  
• Some thoughts about the rosters. I enjoy the World Classic but I am glad that players such as Mauer, Liriano and Mijares decided not to participate. All three need to be in camp to help us in the upcoming season. It will be hard not to root for Justin Morneau if Canada plays the USA. Also, looking at the rosters I do not get why the Twins seem to be picking up a lot of Australian players. They have 4 guys on the team and I dont't get it. I can't think of one Australian player who has ever contributed in the MLB. The rosters also show the discrepency between countries. On the Dominican Republic team Carlos Gomez and Casilla don't make the team because Robinson Cano, Moises Alou and Hanley Ramirez are there and then Twins prospects I have never heard of like Tom Stuifbergen (turns out he was a relief pitcher on our Rookie team last year) are starters for another team.
• Before I go I need to mention that the Twins Spring Training season gets underway tommorrow as they face Boston at 6:05. Glen Perkins will take the mound and no Joe Crede will not play tommorrow. The Twins have stated his first game will be Friday. The main interesting note is Wilson Ramos will see some time at catcher tommorrow.