Twins manager Ron Gardenhire and Twins general manager Terry Ryan have been universally praised by their peers for the good work they have done with the ballclub since 2002. Their good work has started a renaissance period of three playoff years prior to last year after years of losing in the mid-to-late nineties. Successful people are also prone to making mistakes. The decision making of both men is part of the reason why this team has not had a good season so far. Managerial mistakes and personnel mistakes have just affected this team in losses.
Category: MLB
MLB
The Minnesota Twins were handicapped as the favorites to win the World Series last year by baseball writers such as ESPN’s Jayson Stark and Newark Star-Ledger’s Dan Graziano. There was a good reason for that. They had the pitching and they had young hitters that were ready to break out in Joe Mauer and Justin Morneau. Mauer and Morneau were so good that they were pegged as the Midwest Version of Mickey Mantle and Roger Maris by the Star-Tribune and the Pioneer Press. Twins fans had every reason to be optimistic with the pieces in place. Unfortunately, it did not work out as Mauer and Morneau went through a rough first full season. Twins offense was anemic all of last season as the pitchers were forced to throw shutouts to even have a chance to win. This year is a different story. The hitters have finally played to their potential which is the big reason why the Twins are playing very well these last few weeks.
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Home-Field Disadvantage
Place your votes and punch your ballots. Right into sheer lunacy.
I’m guilty. I just max-voted for A.J. Pierzynski on MLB.com.
25 times, I clicked on the circle next to his name and hit the “Vote Now!” button at the bottom of the page. You can also count 13 votes for Nomar Garciaparra and 12 for Billy Wagner on the National League side of my online ballots.
After all, I’m a baseball fan, and the All-Star game is my chance to point and click my way to the definition of fanatical support for my hometown team and favorite players across both leagues.
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Dance to the Music – Teams Edition
by Matt Wells
Recently, I wrote an article giving songs to some of the starting pitchers of today’s game. Josh Towers, the now-demoted Oliver Perez, and the now-promoted Jered Weaver were just some of the names who were in sync with the songs I chose from my playlist.
So, we got relievers who enter the game to their choice of music. We got some starters who had some songs hand-picked for them by me. What about the teams? (This time, I’ll go outside my playlist for a few of the songs.)
The Yankees have a song (“Here Come the Yan-kees”). The Mets have a song (“Meet the Mets”). What about some of the other teams? What songs can I give them? Read on….
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Brave New World
If Bobby Cox and John Smoltz have anything to say to each other after 17 years with the Atlanta Braves, it’s probably something like, “Let’s get the hell out of here.”
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Welcome to Boston- Coco
Coco Crisp officially became a member of the Red Sox in the eigth inning of Boston’s 4-2 win over the New York Mets. Crisp stole the show starting in the bottom of the seventh.
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Echoes in the Dark by Matt Waters
There exists a thin line between purity and putridity, and in stepping over it we merely reveal our humanity, a practice par for the course in a world that often confuses greatness and excess.
With the US Open, Stanley Cup, NBA Playoffs and Draft, and College World Series in the rearview mirror, and the World Cup finals nearing, Major League Baseball can have the undivided attention of sports fans… that is, until NFL training camp starts.
Whether you see the baseball season as half over or still having half to play, we are at the half-way point, which means it’s time to hand out some mid-season awards and recognitions. Meaningless, of course, but fun, nonetheless.
* Brett Myers beating his wife
* Good ‘ole Cholly Manuel managing like he had a frontal lobotomy prior to the season
* Leadoff extraordinaire, self proclaimed “J-Roll”, and his .300 on base percentage
* Untouchable “Super Phenoms”, Gavin Floyd and Cole Hamels, and their 5.00+ MLB ERA’s
* Pat Burrell and his 12 pack of Sam Adams that is super glued to his hip
* Bobby Abreu’s defense
* Waiver wire dynamo Rick White
* Losing Streaks by the half dozens
Folks – this is just the past two weeks in the life of the “Worst Franchise” in all of professional sports. Period. This is actually an improvement from the last decade or so when Ed Wade would be looking to move Bobby Abreu for some middle relief help by this point.
Charlie’s 2006 Band of Losers is “Par for the Course” in Phillies Land
Jose Reyes has been one of baseball’s hottest hitters over the past few weeks, but it was a play that he made wihout his bat (or his glove) that shows me how far he has come…