2007 Minnesota Twins

[packerboy]

Thankfully the season is only 6 days away and we can figure some things out then.

[/quote]

That nonsense. We arent going to figure anything out.

Chrisk will be posting every other day that we should sign another pitcher and, if possible, coax his hero Radke out of retirement.

ER and boblee will push to resign Brett Boone.

IS and PB will beg for a hitter so they can hit the Boofin ball and score some runs so their pitchers dont always have to pitch with no margin for error.

Blue Breeze will a say that everything is OK and there is no way to improve the club wihout spending too much money.

So let the games begin.

[Irishmans Shanty]

Ozzie didn't like McCarthy that is why they dumped him. Things have come out about McCarthy since he left town and let's just say he and his manager clashed about how to approach the game.

Ozzie is only on this alleged hot seat because of his mouth and verbal wars with Buck Schowalter or former players. Kenny Williams loves Ozzie between the lines. Ozzie is the big reason Ordonez wasn't re-signed and why Lee was traded in the same year. They gave up a ton of HR's and RBI's and the core of their franchise because Ozzie felt they were lazy. Then went out a won a World Series with Ozzie's changes.

Ozzie isn't on the hot seat because of wins and loses. He's on the hot seat because of his mouth. Ozzie greets friends infront of reporters with hot mics by calling them effing child mol....ers.

Ozzie has said to a roomfull of colleged educated people who are lucky to be making a 1/15th of his salary, "I'm doing pretty well for not graduating high school." The point is, Ozzie will say and do what he wants. If he gets fired, he doesn't care. He can go elsewhere with his ring or back to Venezuela and become royalty. Like the other Latin baseball star of Chicago once said "Beiszball bin bery bery to goo to mi."

[boblee]

Bret Boone is my least favorite player to ever wear a Twins uniform.

[State Champ 97]

Bret Boone is my least favorite player to ever wear a Twins uniform.

Tommy Herr ranks right up there for me.

[Govs93]

Bret Boone is my least favorite player to ever wear a Twins uniform.

As far as I'm concerned, it's a tight race between Boone and Tommy Herr, with Tommy Herr leading by a nose simply because he cried like a girl on his way here.

[Govs93]

Sounds like Joe Mauer played a minor league game yesterday and hit a double and a homer.

Good news.

[EREmpireStrikesBack]

Sounds like Joe Mauer played a minor league game yesterday and hit a double and a homer.

Good news.

Hell, lets just leave him on our AAA team so that they can win a title this year.

[boblee]

Any word on Punto down there?

[Govs93]

C.C. Sabathia just got pulled from the Indians' game after 2 pitches. He got hit in the left arm on a liner up the middle.

Hate to see anybody get hurt but... more good news!

[boblee]

To answer my own question, Punto will play down there on Friday.

[Irishmans Shanty]

C.C. Sabathia just got pulled from the Indians' game after 2 pitches. He got hit in the left arm on a liner up the middle.

Hate to see anybody get hurt but... more good news!

Too bad the Twins don't open with the Tribe, maybe they'd miss Sabathia.

[Govs93]

Garza sent down, Silva stays.

Cross yer fingers.

[boblee]

That hurts.

[Bash Brother]

Garza sent down, Silva stays.

Cross yer fingers.

D'OH

[EREmpireStrikesBack]

[State Champ 97]

It sounds like they are going to give Silva the first three starts, which will take them to the middle of May due to the schedule, and have Garza start in AAA. Garza will be here by June first. Silva will be in the bullpen.

[Govs93]

It sounds like they are going to give Silva the first three starts, which will take them to the middle of May due to the schedule, and have Garza start in AAA. Garza will be here by June first. Silva will be in the bullpen.

I'm a little confused as to what the roatation order is actually going to be.

Santana threw yesterday so that he's in his 4 day rest routine and ready to go on opening day, but Silva is throwing today... they aren't going to really use him at #2, are they?! How does the rotation get juggled for the last 3 games of spring?

[packerboy]

They used quite a lot of ink today on the Silva/Garza decision.

TR claims that the decision is all about whats best for Garza and the Twins, long term.

I think it has a lot to do with the fact that they spent money on Silva and dont want to see it flushed down the toilet.

Id be surprised if Silva does well. If(when) he gets shelled, what will they do?
The answer cant be "call up Garza" . Remember, we want him to develop in AAA.

But wait, they called him up last year........

Unless thay are committed to Garza being in AAA for a good chunk of the season regardless of what Silva does, ole packerboy is confused.

[boblee]

This is what I have heard...

Santana
Bonser
Ortiz
Ponson
Silva


Silva will be skipped the first time through.

[ChrisK]

I can't say I'm shocked that they kept Silva, I think packerboy's right, if they weren't paying Silva $4.35 million Garza would be in the majors. Let's hope the bats are working for the Twins when Silva pitches in April.

I really don't know what the Twins were thinking spending money on Silva, they didn't have to pick up his option. It sounds like Ponson has been pitching well in Florida and Ortiz should be an adequate 3rd or 4th pitcher, it seems like they could've picked up another pitcher like these guys both of whom together will cost the Twins less than Silva. Maybe they would've had a little extra money to throw at one of packerboy's precious hitters.

I think Silva will be this year's Kyle Lohse, without the attitude. Anyone taking bets on how long he'll last before he's shipped off to the Twins' farm club in Cincinnati?

After Garza replaces Silva, I think the starting rotation will be OK, unless Ponson stumbles into the wrong bar or someone's arm falls off. They could still use Radke though (that was for packerboy )

[goldy313]

I agreed withthe logic that Silva will only get 3 starts in the next 40 days or so and Garza needs the regular work to improve. Bullpen sessions aren't going to help Garza develop as much as actual games and live batters. Silva has, in my estimation, 3 starts to prove he belongs in the starting rotation. Thata's about what he deserves, if he flounders in 2 of the 3 and Garza looks good and assuming no injuries I bet Garza is up and Silva down or released. After all RHP who can't keep the ball down are a dime a dozen, his market value won't be much if can't pitch again this season.

Though tonight Silva has a good line through 5...5IP, 2H, 0R, 0ER, 0W, 2K

[boblee]

They won't release Silva. That's throwing too much money away.

[Irishmans Shanty]

Anyone taking bets on how long he'll last before he's shipped off to the Twins' farm club in Cincinnati?

After Garza replaces Silva, I think the starting rotation will be OK, unless Ponson stumbles into the wrong bar

Well ChrisK, I won't bet a conundrum on it, but I'll go against the grain this evening and say Silva will be the big surprise this spring. I reserve the right to change my mind tomorrow but Silva did shut out the Reds for five frames this evening.

As for Ponson stumbling into the wrong bar, maybe the Twins can assign a lifecoach to him just like a certain NHL club did for Theo Fleury a couple of years ago. The lifecoach, who was paid quite well in the eyes of a public school teacher, was released soon after he allowed his subject to create a disturbance in a Columbus strip joint.

[Govs93]

This is what I have heard...

Santana
Bonser
Ortiz
Ponson
Silva


Silva will be skipped the first time through.

That's what I was hoping, and that appears to be the case. The probable pitchers for the Baltimore series are posted here. Silva is either 4 or 5 - presumably 5.

[ChrisK]

Well ChrisK, I won't bet a conundrum on it, but I'll go against the grain this evening and say Silva will be the big surprise this spring. I reserve the right to change my mind tomorrow but Silva did shut out the Reds for five frames this evening.

Although I've done little but bash him I do hope Silva does well this season. I'm still reeling a little from the horrors of watching him pitch last year so it will take some good starts to stop me from covering my eyes when he goes out there. It sounds like his start against the Reds has the Twins reconsidering his spot in the rotation, but they should keep in mind that the good start came against one of the weaker teams in the NL.

And you are wise my Irish friend to not put a conundrum on the line even if you're sure of your bet. It got really hard at the end of the season to work it into my posts. It was funny though when someone got on my case for putting the word in all my posts.

I see that the D-Backs picked up Durbin. He had an awful spring but is coming off an arm injury, it'll be interesting to see how he fares. I'm hoping the veteran lefty they sent down, Mike Venafro, stays with the team and goes to Rochester, but he had a great spring and there's always a market for lefties with a pulse.