Paging Matt Garza

After another poor outing from Sidney Ponson, it's not hard to believe that his days as a Twins starter might be numbered. After the Twins bumped the lead to 4-2 in the 5th, things started going south, and by the end Sidney Ponson was only able to pitch 4.2 innings, giving up 6 runs. He only had 2 strikeouts and gave up 2 HR. To the Royals.

Everyone pitching after Ponson struggled as well, but it's still hard not to be disappointed at the effort. This bumps Ponson's ERA to 9.39, and that's with 2 of his starts coming against the Royals and Devil Rays.

Meanwhile in AAA, there are some options. Garza has been a little wild with his control, but he would certainly be in the mix. Kevin Slowey has pitched 11.2 scoreless innings so far this year. Scott Baker just threw 8 shutout innings on Friday night.

In the Majors, Glen Perkins is up with the team and is capable of starting. The options are there. If Ponson struggles like this again, will that be the end of the Ponson Experiment?

Twins deliver a shellacking

Ramon Ortiz is 3-0. Terry Ryan, you are a freaking genius. Seriously, is there anyone alive that would have thought Ramon Ortiz would be 3-0 with a 2.05 ERA after 3 starts? I'm just kind of shocked thinking about it. But in a good way.

Elsewhere, everything was working for the Twins. 10 XBH and 11 runs overall for the Twins, and I think they can live with that effort. The backbreaker was Torii Hunter's grand slam, the 7th of his career. In all honesty, I thought it looked like the pitch beforehand should possibly have been called strike 3, but it wasn't, and then Hunter made Weaver pay for the hanging breaking ball. He now leads the team with 12 RBI.

Right behind is Mike Cuddyer, who had 3 RBI himself. Joe Mauer hit 3 doubles, Jason Tyner had 3 hits, Jason Bartlett had 2 more hits... there were plenty of offensive stars. It was really a great all-around game. Great offense, great defense, solid pitching. Not much more you can ask for.

Wednesday night's game features Carlos Silva (with a 0.77 ERA) vs. Felix Hernandez (with a 0.00 ERA). If the Twins can put forth the same type of effort as they did on Tuesday, they could slow down Felix's short reign of terror through the AL.

Splitsville

I was out of town over the weekend, which is why I didn't write anything at all, but here are some of my thoughts from the weekend split with the Rays:

- I don't have the numbers to back me up right now, but doesn't it just seem like Joe Nathan is a lot less effective when he pitches in non-save situations? Not just this year, but last year as well. That was certainly the case in this series, as we know what happened yesterday, and he also got lucky to survive on Thursday.

- Throughout the 4-game series, the pitchers that had the best lines for the Twins were Sidney Ponson and Carlos Silva. The worst lines belonged to Johan Santana and Boof Bonser. Baseball is a funny game.

- I know why Gardy puts Redmond in the 3 spot, but it's still a really bad idea. Seriously, are Cuddyer-Morneau-Hunter going to really get messed up moving up one spot in the order for a day? I doubt it.

- Jason Bartlett uses a 3/3 day to get the averaged up to .214. Hey, you gotta start somewhere.

- Jason Kubel basically has to play everyday because of injuries to other guys, but that's a good thing. Now, even with an 0/4 day Saturday, he was back in the lineup Sunday and went 2/4 including a nice RBI double.

- You can't say enough about Matt Guerrier... the guy just gets the job done, no matter the situation. He's a great asset on this staff.

Is there anything better than a Walk-Off Homer?

If you ask me, no. Especially when its the Twins hitting it. That's what happened on Thursday, as Justin Morneau stepped up to start the 9th inning and jacked one the opposite way. He didn't even look like he hit it that solidly, he's just really good. Like really good.

But the big story of the night, of course, was the superb effort from Carlos Silva. 6.2 scoreless innings, lowering his ERA to 0.77. I never thought I would be typing that... Carlos Silva lowered his ERA to 0.77 on the year. He wasn't able to get the win because Juan Rincon wasn't able to hold the lead, but that doesn't make Silva's start any less encouraging.

I know it's very early, but you gotta love the starters so far. Ramon Ortiz has been excellent, Silva has a 0.77 ERA, and while Sidney Ponson didn't have great numbers, the stuff was there. So that's a lot more than I thought I would be saying about the rotation at this point.

Excellent pitching matchup Friday... Scott Kazmir vs. Johan Santana. Two of the best lefties in the game, which should make for a great matchup.

Ramon Ortiz has been the Twins best starter

Through 2 games, Ramon Ortiz has been everything the Twins hoped he would be and more. If you had bet in an Online Sportsbook before the season that after 2 starts Ramon Ortiz would lead the Twins in IP, ERA, WHIP, and have 2 wins, well, you're braver than I am.

Ortiz pitched 8 innings, giving up only 3 hits and 1 run, against perhaps the best lineup in the MLB in the Yankees. That puts him at 2-0 on the year with a 1.80 ERA. The strikeout rate could definitely stand to be higher, but as long as he can keep throwing with the excellent control he has displayed so far and keep the ball in the ballpark, well, there's a chance this might not be an aberration.

But this all looked like it would result in a no-decision for Ortiz until the bats finally got going in the 8th. The 3-4-5-6 showed why they can be so dangerous, as they each drove in a run. With Luis Castillo on 2nd, Joe Mauer singled and took 2nd base. After a wild pitch, Michael Cuddyer singled him in. Then Justin Morneau doubled down the line, and Hunter ended with another double to push the lead to 5-1.

This was fortunately enough for the Twins to at least win 1 game in the series, putting them at 5-3. Now the Rays come to town for a 4-game set. Game 1 of the series features Casey Fossum against Carlos Silva. In his first start he gave up 1 run in 5 innings... I think the Twins wouldn't mind a repeat of that.

Sidney Ponson Gets Shelled

Yes, shocking.

2/3 of the Trio of Horror pitched well in their debuts (Ramon Ortiz and Carlos Silva), but Sidney Ponson could not do the same, as the Yankees beat the Twins 8-2. Here was Ponson's line:

5.2 IP, 10 HR, 8 ER, 3 BB, 2 K

Yikes. Sadly, even if he had been excellent, it probably wouldn't have been enough to win, as the bats were mostly silent against Carl Pavano, as they could only muster 6 hits and 2 runs off of him in 7 innings.

Meanwhile, even with the 4-2 start and division lead, things aren't all good for the Twins. Injuries and ineffectiveness from many guys are putting a little bit of a damper on the quick start, but as Twinkie Town notes, it is pretty early.

Andy Pettitte vs. Boof Bonser in game 2 of the series... hopefully it's better than the first game.

Ramon Ortiz got a Win

Honestly, I didn't think I'd be able to say that much this year. I realize I still probably won't, but it was a great to see a great effort from Ortiz in his first game for the Twins. If he can give the Twins 7 IP and 2 ER on any type of consistent basis, well, Terry Ryan is even more of a genius than I thought.

Hitting wise, it was a good team effort. Everyone got on base at least once, and multiple players had 2 RBI. After a 2/4 game, Mauer is hitting .455 (which means nothing at this point, but still fun to point out).

What a great series for the Twins to start the year. On the broadcast they said that the first time the Twins were 3 games over .500 last year was when they were 38-35. That's crazy.

On a final note, I wasn't able to mention The Sabean Special last occurred last night. Boof wasn't able to get the win, but he started the game, and Joe Nathan finished it with the save. Always good to get one of those early on!

The Sabean Special Count: 1

Twins Win Season Opener

W: Johan Santana (1-0)
L: Erik Bedard (0-1)
S: Joe Nathan (1)

Johan Santana wasn't great (which tends to happen in April), but he didn't really need to be, as the hitting more than made up for it with a solid day leading to the 7-4 opening day victory.

It was a familiar script for the Twins... Santana with a win, Mauer with a hit, Morneau with a HR, the bullpen was great, and Nathan finished it off with the save. That's basically the way they won the Division last year, so it's not a bad thing to pick that up right where they left off.

The thing I was most impressed with was the hitting of Justin Morneau and Torii Hunter, each of whom hit a HR.

Last year, the thing that propelled Morneau's game (in my mind) was that he was so much better hitting against lefties, and so much better taking pitches and going with them the opposite way. Well, on the first two ABs for him he went the opposite way and got hits against a solid lefty, including a HR in the 2nd inning. If he can continue to do those things there's no reason why he can't improve upon last year's numbers, in which case, well, look out American League.

Game 2 of the season features Boof Bonser going against Daniel Cabrera... hopefully we can get our first Sabean Special of the season.

Cytana in the 1st

3 batters, 3 outs, 1 strikeout.

Baseball is back!

Opening Day!

As I type this, the first pitch will be in about 16 hours! Baseball is finally back!

Johan Santana vs. Erik Bedard.

My prediction:
Twins - 6
Orioles - 2

Twins Rotation Almost Set

With about a week left before the start of the season, things almost look to be set in the Twins rotation.

The top, of course, will be Johan Santana, the reigning Cy Young Award winner who is firmly established as the best pitcher in the world. After that, it gets a little fuzzy.

At this point, it looks like Boof Bonser will definitely be in the rotation, which is a good thing, because Boof was really solid at the end of last year. Joining him and Santana will likely be Ramon Ortiz and Sidney Ponson. Both were free-agent pickups, both have uninspiring track records. To be perfectly honest, if either of them develop into a reliable 5th starter, I'll be pleased.

After that, it gets even more fuzzy. It looks like the final spot will be either Carlos Silva's or Matt Garza. Silva is the "veteran" that has been getting hammered on the mound, Garza is the guy that has been pitching better, has much more talent and upside, but is young. If you can't tell, I think Garza should get the spot.

Last year Garza was one of the best Minor League pitchers around, and showed flashes of that at the end of the season. Silva, on the other hand, got consistently shellacked en route to an ERA above 6.

In Spring Training, it's been more of the same. Silva has an ERA above 11 in 16.1 IP, Garza has an ERA of 1.50 in 12 IP. When you put it all together, Garza seems like the no-brainer choice to make the rotation. Hopefully that happens.

Not dead, just sleeping

I know my posts have been scarce here lately, but I can explain. First off, I've been really busy with my other blog.

Secondly, I've been really busy with school and work... lots of tests, and more tests coming up!

Third, I just find it hard to write about baseball when it's not going on... most of my focus right now is on college basketball... I can write when I have stuff to write about (like the playing of the Twins), but when it's Spring Training, or the offseason, I'm just too busy.

So no worries, I'll be back in full swing once the season gets going... just a little scarce for now!

AL Central Preview: Chicago White Sox

The positional previews were a little boring, both to write and (I imagine) boring for the one or two people that might have skimmed them. So it's time to do something different before the start of the year, and that's to preview the other teams in the Central. Let's start with the Sox.

After a World Series title in 2005, 2006 was a disappointing year for the White Six even though they were in contention for the division and wild card throughout the year. With a taste of success a couple of years ago, the Sox will once again be one of the top contenders to get back to the top.

The middle of the lineup will once again be very potent. Jim Thome, Paul Konerko, and Jermaine Dye all had tremendous seasons at the plate in 2006, and the Sox would be happy if they can just get similar production from the trio. Joe Crede and AJ Pierzynski were also solid behind those guys in the lineup, and they help make the Sox offense so good.

But it's not all good for the Sox offense. Scott Podsednik and Darin Erstad are "gritty" players, but unfortunately they're not very good at getting on base a lot, which is what you need at the top of the order, especially with the mashers behind them. They should just focus on getting on base, and that's not really their games.

Next is pitching. While this is what carried them to the World Series in '05, it was their downfall in 2007. Starters like Mark Buehrle, Jose Conteras, and Jon Garland were all workhorses in 2005, which gave them great depth and consistency from the staff. All 3 suffered a dropoff in 2006. Javier Vazquez was not overly impressive in his first season with Chicago. Freddy Garcia (now gone) struggled as well. So they are counting on Buehrle, Contreras, Garland, and Vazquez to get back into form, and new guy Gavin Floyd to finally reach his potential. That's a big gamble.

In the end, I think the Sox will be a very solid team once again, but the division might be a little too tough. With the Twins, Tigers, and Indians joining the Sox, it is the best division in baseball, and I'm just not sure the Sox have the pitching to get through it.

Position Preview: First Base

With 2006 AL MVP Justin Morneau still here, the Twins seem to be in pretty good shape at 1B.

But while the power of Morneau is evident with his 34 HR and 130 RBI, that's just a piece of what makes him such a dangerous hitter. Last year he finally learned how to go with the ball and take it to the opposite field, and the results were staggering. His average finished at .321, over 80 points higher than his average the year before. He also became a more patient hitter, which led to OBP to finish at .375.

But even just looking at the offense is forgetting that he has developed into a very solid defensive first basemen. His height allows him to reach balls that get away from people up high, and he has become very adept at the scoop.

So put it all together, and Morneau looks like he will be in for another great year, and he has finally become a complete offensive and defensive player, and become the player the Twins have hoped he can be.

If he gets hurt (knock on wood), the majority of the playing time would probably go to Jeff Cirillo or Mike Cuddyer. I'll be writing more about them as we get into their normal positions, but just so you're aware, those are the backup options.

Positional Preview: Catchers

If I start these previews now, hopefully I'll be able to finish in time for the start of the season! So I'll start my positional previews with the Catchers.

First, there's Joe Mauer, of course. The man with the new $33 million deal. The reigning MLB Batting Champion. The man that I felt should have been MVP last season. Is there anything that Joe Mauer can't do?

As a 23 year-old catcher, all Joe Mauer did was win the Batting Crown, finish 3rd in the AL in OBP and 7th in the AL in SLG. And the man has not even found his power stroke yet. Seriously, he has an incredible eye at the plate, he's a good doubles hitter (which should develop into more HR power), and oh yeah, he's a Gold Glove caliber defender behind the plate. He's the best catcher in the MLB and should have another great year as long as he stays healthy.

Behind him, Mike Redmond was one of the best backup catchers in the MLB last season. In 179 ABs, he batting an astounding .341. Against lefthanders, he put up an astounding line of 443 AVG/467 OBP/543 SLG/1010 OPS. That's awesome, especially when you're talking about backup catchers, which usually more like Henry Blanco. Also, from all accounts, Redmond is great in the clubhouse, which makes him a perfect backup catcher.

So with Joe Mauer and Mike Redmond, the Twins catching position seems to be in very good hands going into the 2007 season.

Twins Sign Joe Mauer - 4 years, $33 million

Great deal!

The good news: Joe Mauer will definitely be a Minnesota Twin for at least the next 4 seasons.

The better news: The 4th year of this deal would have been his first year of free agency, meaning that unless something happens to Mauer (knock on wood) this is a great deal from a monetary standpoint as well.

With only Mike Cuddyer left as far as arbitration-eligible players, it was good to get one of the young stars locked up for a little longer-term rather than something like the 1-year deal for Morneau.

So great job Terry Ryan, congrats to Joe Mauer for becoming very rich, and congrats to all of us Twins fans for the privilege of watching Joe Mauer playing in a Minnesota Twins uniform!

Twins Ballpark Article

Got an email this morning with a link to an article that I thought was really interesting with regards to the Twins ballpark, suggesting that the two sides may not be all that close to a deal yet... anyway, I found it interesting:

The New Twins Park: A Big Roadblock at Home Plate

Joe Mauer TV Commercial

Minnesota and surrounding areas residents have probably seen this commercial, but I thought I'd post it because it's so awesome. It's the Joe Mauer commercial doing his beat Mean Joe Greene impersonation... but the moral of the story is that Joe Mauer is pretty much good at whatever he does.

How is Bert Blyleven still not in the Hall of Fame?

Just for giggles, I'm going to give you the stats of 2 pitchers... one is in the Hall of Fame and generally regarded by sportswriters as one of the best pitchers of all time. The other is not in the Hall of Fame.

Player A: 324-292 overall record (.524 winning %), 3.19 ERA (3.57 was the League ERA over the same time period), 112 ERA+, 1.25 WHIP, 5714 K in 5386 IP, 2.04 K/BB ratio, 3.07 postseason ERA

Player B: 287-50 overall record (.534 winning %), 3.31 ERA (3.90 was the League ERA over the same time period), 118 ERA+, 1.20 WHIP, 3701 K in 4970 IP, 2.80 K/BB ratio, 2.47 postseason ERA

As you probably guessed, Player B was Bert Blyleven, who is still not in the HOF. Player A is Nolan Ryan, certainly an excellent pitcher, but also one of the most overrated pitchers of all-time.

If you look closely, I'm not sure Ryan is a better pitcher than Blyleven. When Ryan was on, he was great (strikeout record, 9 no-hitters), but he also has thrown more BB than anyone else ever. Ryan has the lower raw ERA, but he did it in a time where ERAs were generally lower, which results in a better ERA+ (ERA in relation to the League with 100 as the average) for Blyleven.

In the end, Nolan Ryan was the better strikeout pitcher and gave up less HRs than Blyleven, while Blyleven had much better control while still maintaining good strikeout dominance (higher K/BB ratio than Ryan. Both were very dominant when they were on their game... Ryan had 61 career shutouts, Blyleven had 60.

But there should be no need for this discussion. Both guys belong in the Hall. So how is Bert Blyleven, one of the top 20 or 30 pitchers EVER not in the Hall of Fame yet? Your guess is as good as mine. Bottom line, Bert Belongs.

Happy New Year!

Obviously I haven't been here too much lately as its the offseason, I've been busy, and there's not a whole lot of Twins talk to go on. But anyway, hopefully you had a grewat 2006, and you'll have an even better 2007!

See you in a couple months (it's almost baseball season)!