Twins 34-34 on 6/18

[Irishmans Shanty]

.But I think they need to modify that approach when the situation presents itself. .

Thank you Packerboy. The name of the thread is 34-34 on 6/18. That was only a month ago but the win column has ballooned by 23 since then, the circumstances are different now. One stated earlier today something to the effect of, we don't need to make a move just because the White Sox will. This has nothing to do with the White Sox, it has to do with the fact that the TWINS need to build a bench and some depth. Soriano, Abreu, or Lee aren't coming, this is Minnesota for gosh sakes, furthermore I don't think they need that type of guy. What the Twins need to add is a Tony Grafanino, Matt Stairs, Reggie Sanders, Casey Blake, Jeromy Burnitz, or Kevin Millar type player. The Twins don't need a starter. For Twins' standards, Burnitz, Sanders, and Millar would be very expensive in fulfilling a reserve role for the Twins, but for the short term it is a wise investment. As Packerboy says, the situation now presents itself.

Enough trade talk, let's focus on the game that is only 2 hours away. I believe Johan and the Stix can relax and let it fly. Radke, Cuddyer, and Mauer did the heavy lifting last night by eliminating any chance of a Sox sweep. All the pressure now goes to the third base dugout where it will remain the rest of the series. If Johan can keep the ball in the yard and avoid the 2 & 3 Run bombs, the Twins shall put another gash into the Sock Wild Card lead.

[jimjackjohnmmmm]

Gotta love the end of our lineup, these guys never cease to amaze. Who would have EVER thought we would be one game back of the wild card..this is so much fun.

[Irishmans Shanty]

Sox fans' discussions about their team's current state of affairs must be similar to the Germans as the Americans were crossing the Rhine back in 1944-45.

Fun stuff, right now. Great efforts from Cuddyer, Bartlett, and Santana last night. Each day it is somebody new stepping up and doing something great to make a difference. As I called for back in May, we don't need one guy doing all the lifting, everybody take a turn.

Last night it was the defense answering the bell. Cuddyer throwing out Iguchi in the 6th, Cuddyer snagging A.J.'s looper in the 9th, and Bartlett's play on Podsednik in the 8th all affected the outcome in favor of the Twins.

Key Stats through Game #2
-Sox have 4 HR's, 3 solo shots, Sox lead league in Homers, they will get them but you have to minimize the damage
-Sox have SO 24 times in 54 outs, balls not in play have no chance of hurting you
-Twins have 3-Run Homers in two consectutive games, Twins did not have anything better than a 2 Run HR since Hunter's slam on 6/28
-Twins Bullpen has 6 shutout innings

[packerboy]

I cant take it...... and it is just getting started. 2 more months of this?

If they keep this up, I will be in the cardiac unit by Labor Day.

jimjack said it best...this is so much fun.

I am old enough to remember 1967. As far as I can recall, that is the only real down to the wire pennant race the Twins have ever been in. They lost to the Red Sox on the final day. A win would have put them in the World Series for the second time in 3 years. The White Sox were also involved in that race with a colorful manger..... a lot like Ozzie.

Anyway, this year has all the makings of a 1967 for the wild card. The Sox are struggling but they are too good a team to go away. The Yankees are.....well, the Yankees.

The Twins look like they have found a team,even if they had to sort of stumble into it , and they are playing outstading baseball.

Yup, this is so much fun.

[Irishmans Shanty]

For now, let's forget Detroit and the division. How many wins will it take to get the Wild Card?

Recent History Says This;
2001: 102
2002: 99
2003: 95
2004: 98
2005: 95

Ave = 97.8 Wins

Because the AL is so competitive, I don't believe the Wild Card winner will get to or surpass the 100 mark. However it could be close.

I'll side with history and the numbers and say that 97 is what you need to get to.

[larsey]

Cardiac unit? You and me both packerboy!

We have one more to go tonight and I believe they will do it again. I believe the winning ways as of late is stronger and more catchie than anyone realizes and Silva will hurle his best game of the year. Will he dominate the way the F-Bomb would?...No, but he will throw to his full ability.

Who will be the offensive star/stars tonight? Mauer?...Morneau?...Castillo?...Does it really matter?

All I can think about is tonights game. I guess the the grill and the cool ones will be in play again tonight. If we take this series I may have to watch the Tiger's games from the hospital!

BTW, What hospital will you be in packerboy?

[ChrisK]

is the last year I had THIS much fun watching the Twins. The three division titles were a blast but I always had the feeling they were short a player or two. This year they have top of the line talent and some of the role players have come through big time, like Bartlett with the 3 run dinger last night. If they get the sweep today that will be huge. Like packerboy said they could lose their next ten, but this team just seems to be on a roll.

The point has already been made but I'll back it up, the only reason the Twins should make a move is to fill in a weakness on the team. I'm thinking if they do pick up anyone it will be a hitter, there just aren't enough available veteran pitchers out there. Maddux does not want to come to the AL, so he's out, Livan Hernandez might be a possibility if he's got anything left but I wouldn't give up a lot for him. Barry Zito's a good pitcher but he'll be a free agent. Gil Meche and Corey Lidle seem like the best fits at this point for the Twins. They're better than Silva but not by much. As far as hitters go, Kevin Mench intrigues me, he's relatively young, has some pop and the Rangers are looking to unload him.

And packerboy, it's AARON Boone that I'd like to have on the Twins, they need a 3rd baseman right?

The 1967 pennant race has to go down as one of the most exciting ever, packerboy's heart problems can be traced right back to that year. It looks like the cardiac units at local hospitals will be working overtime this year too.

[packerboy]

IS is right . The Wild card spot has to be the goal. Winning the division isnt realistic.

Souhan, once again, has plagerized us. He has a good column about adding a player or standing pat. He titles the article 'Best Twins tactic may be to do nothng' and then goes on to give examples of how the Baylor addition in 1987 helped them win and how they seemed a player or 2 short in the palyoffs in '03 and '04.

Anyway, a sweep today would be great. Silva needs to keep the ball down. If he gets rocked, I wonder if we wll see Garza soon.

[Stitch Lips]

Winning the division isnt realistic.

Don't kid yourself pac-man!! da twinkies are fer reel!! gist axe boozebuddy 'an his cohorts!

I buleeve wheeze stillz 'av twelve to thirsty-teen gamez left wit da tiggers.

75% win ratio should put us 'oer da edge.

Wheeze gotta avoidz a slump nowz 'an den doe.

wah!

mah-self stole dis frum lee.

ware's dat slappy guy deez days?

check out mah-self's excapades at last yeerz loon dance ... sum call mah-self "McFly" if yewz knowz watt mah-self meanz!!
http://groups.msn.com/MoondanceJam-GWS/documents.msnw

[Irishmans Shanty]

The answer is YES. If Silva's numbers read 4.1 inn, 13 hits, and 6 runs like they did last week in Cleveland, something will be done. Maybe it's Garza, maybe it's Guerrier, or maybe it's even Lohse. If Silva throws poorly today, I think the Jury can give this verdict, there are 3 chances in 4 that he will be bad. Continuing to run Silva out there is messing with a streak, and according to Crash Davis, "You never mess around with a streak."

[jimjackjohnmmmm]

I dont think the division title is totally out of reach. Kenny Rogers is falling apart in detroit (started the all star game) and like stitchy said, we still have a ton of games with detroit and if I were a twin, I would be looking for some pretty heavy payback. What a treat to wake up and find the twins and white sox on WGN. Livin in colorado so dont get to see any games.

[ChrisK]

Twins 7, Sox 4, this afternoon, the wildcard race is tied up, who woulda thought two months ago!

[sterfry9]

Harold Reynolds has been fired by ESPN. I wonder if it's for his involvement in the softball game at the All Star game?

IS where did you hear about this and when did this happen?

[Irishmans Shanty]

It came out yesterday. I heard it announced all day on a Chicago sports radio station. As far as I know, ESPN TV or radio has not issued a reason nor a statement. I didn't watch baseball tonight yesterday but I assume he was not there.

[Irishmans Shanty]

Well boys, enjoy the Sabbath tommorow, it's going to be your only day off for a while. Come Friday, you are looking at 17 consecutive days of Twins playoff stretch baseball. Therefore, get your cardiologist on speed dial, stock up on your beverage of choice, and get a fresh tank on your grills (if not using charcoal) because there will be no days off until mid August. Man baseball is great, I pity anyone who doesn't enjoy it, 23 of the next 24 nights we have a game.

[EREmpireStrikesBack]

SportsIllustrated.com article about Harold Reynolds getting fired from ESPN. http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2006/b ... index.html

[packerboy]

Well Stitchy, nice to hear from yewz. How is the summer goin up in Barnyard country? Any water left in the lakes?

There are 62 games left. IS says 97 wins the wild card. That means the Twins need to go 38-24. Doable but the Sox and Yanks can do it to. The Sox and Twins close the season with a 3 game series at the Dome. It may come down to that.

Stitchy nice hearing from you but da Tigers in baseball is just like dat Tiger guy in golf this year. Not gonna beat em. If the Twins did go 38-24 the Tigers would have to play under .500 the rest of the way. Thats like bettin that Tiger would blow a final round lead in a major.

As fas as da slappy guy goes, he is out tryin to be Tiger

[packerboy]

I will miss Harold Reynolds but its 2006 and you dont go around hugging women at the office anymore.

In the Strib today there is some discussion about Garza and whether he is ready. His manager says he is and TK says not yet. There are comments abot how the Twins dont want to rush anybody.

Whats Baker doing here then and why Bonser? Come on, we dont want to hear that crap. If he can upgrade the bottom of the rotation, put him in.

But I dont necessarily agree with you guys that the bottom is so bad. Sure, Silva is struggling and Baker is shakey but so are everbody's 4/5 guys. Thats the nature of the beast.

If the bottom of the rotation is so bad, how can they go 34-8?

Did Silva pitch well yesterday? In the abstract no but for the 4th starter..yes. He gave up 3, went 6 and turned it over to the hitters and the bullpen.

Last year they lose that game because they only score 2 or 3 runs. Remembr how many 4-3,3-2 games they lost last year?

But how good woud it be lookin if Silva regained his '05 form? Radke has, for now.

Lets see Garza, if just for the fun of it.

[ChrisK]

Did I read some positive words about Radke from packerboy?? I think someone may have hijacked his username, alert the authorities!

Seriously, the main reason I've advocated getting a starter is to get some insurance if Radke goes down. Silva did alright for a no.4 starter yesterday, but he'd need to pick it up if he becomes the no.3 starter.

I trust TK's judgment but I'd still like to see Garza up here, I mean he can't be any worse than what they've already tried, right?

[goldy313]

Do you really want to throw another rookie into a pennant chase? The Twins have been playing Russian Roulette and winning so far. I'd advocate getting a guy through trade rather than bringing up Garza, but with the deadline on the 31st it looks like the Twins will stand pat. It will be interesting to see how these young guys handle pressure filled games at Yankee Stadium and Fenway Park in September should they still be in the heat of the race.

[larsey]

CK is right, Silva did his job yesterday. He went 3 laps and gave up nothing. He lost Konerko in the 4th after having him down 1-2 to a lead off walk and then gave up the long ball to Dye. But, that was the only one. He got out of the 4th and gave one more scoreless inning. He did as good, if not better than expected. I also agree with the fact that if Radke goes down to injury, we will desperatly need a replacement. Silva, as we all know, is not that guy...especially late in the season like this. It would be nice to have another strong bat traded here but I think one more starter may be just a tad bit more important?

[packerboy]

Well goldy, why are the Twins in the thick of it?

It aint because of the veterans.

Its the Morneau, Mauer, Liriano, Bartlett, Kubel and Puntos that have put us here. It wasnt Stewart, Hunter, etc. Its been the young guys. The veterans Ryan signed have all fizzled except for Castillo and he hasnt done much with the bat.

So yah, Ill take Garza and give it a whirl. The sooner the better.

[Irishmans Shanty]

Well
There are 62 games left. IS says 97 wins the wild card. That means the Twins need to go 38-24.

This just in, and it is good news for Twins fans. My projection for the number of wins needed to get the wild card based on history are a bit off due to a faulty formula. I ran the numbers based on what the wild card winner had, not necessarliy what they needed. Since '01, an average of 92 wins beats the 2nd best non-division winning record in the AL.

Because the Yanks, Twins, and Sox are already around 59 victories, I will dispute history and say that 92 will not be good enough this year. However, I will lower the original estimation from 97 to 95.

Get your schedules out and see if you can find 36 more W's from here on out, if you can, the once improbable post-season will be a reality.

[goldy313]

Why are the Twins in the thick of it?

I don't believe it's because of the young guys, they have been a suprise and have preformed better than expected, but I put the bullseye on one guy more than anyone else; Ron Gardenhire. This team was an absolute mess at the end of May, after a brutal West Coast swing Morneau was threatend with demotion, Hunter was benched for a game, then a couple of the Veterens spoke their mind in a closed door meeting (sounds like Castillo, Redman, and Radke) and the team turned the corner. Once Gardy started holding guys accountable for their play things turned around. Once Radke made an open comment about lack of fundamentals and effort things turned around. You may not like Radke Packerboy, but he is a veteren and until someone takes the title away from him he still is their best big game pitcher, what he says along with guys like Hunter and Castillo carry weight. Morneau, Mauer, Punto, etc. aren't the leaders in the clubhouse and that's where the turn around started, not on the field, their play is just a reflection of what happened behind closed doors. You just don't flick a switch and go from a team that can't fundamentally do anything to what they're accomplishing now.

My prediction is that the Red Sox or the Yankees will get the Wildcard, leaving Minnesota and Chicago in a heated chase after the Tigers. The Tigers have even less experiance than the Twins in pennant races, the White Sox can't pitch, so I think it will come down to the last week of the season between the Twins and Tigers.

[ChrisK]

Goldy, I do respect your opinion, but I beg to differ.

Gardy might be part of it, but the reasons for the Twins' turnaround rest with Mauer, Morneau and Liriano. Mauer may be young, but he carries himself with the poise of a veteran and as the best young player, I'm sure his demeanor and work ethic influences the other young players. I've been as harsh a critic of Morneau as anyone, but both he and Mauer have elevated their games and reached their potential. Morneau has given the Twins the power hitter that they desperately lacked last year. Liriano has simply had one of the best rookie seasons ever, if he keeps up this pace he'll give Dwight Gooden a run for his money.

Ryan deserves some credit too, for not waiting too long to shake up the rotation and also Mike Cuddyer for bringing his play to a higher level. Radke had a horrible start but he's turned it around and the fact that he's pitching with a sore shoulder has to earn him some respect in the clubhouse.

I'd like to see the Twins deal for a veteran starter, but I don't see any options that look good. Remember that Detroit has a number of young pitchers and Kenny Rogers, who imploded in his last start and Chicago's having some issues, Buehrle has been ineffective of late. I think Garza would be a viable option to at least try, especially if no trades are worked out.