Twins Scoring Drought

boblee · Post by **boblee** » Sun Apr 16, 2006 3:44 pm

Games getting closer. 5-2 Yanks after 5 Grand Rapids-2006 State Runner Up

sterfry9 · Post by **sterfry9** » Sun Apr 16, 2006 5:13 pm

they got on a little roll when they got home.....takin 2 of 3 from the yanks cant complain

Blue Breeze · Post by **Blue Breeze** » Sun Apr 16, 2006 5:22 pm

Great for the team to get back to .500. It looked like an ominous task heading into the week. Another incredibly tough week with the Angels coming into town and then off to Chicago for 3 with the White Sox. Fortunately after that the schedule lightens up a bit. I will take 3 of 6 this week and then hopefully rack up some wins against the lesser teams of the AL.

Irishmans Shanty · Post by **Irishmans Shanty** » Sun Apr 16, 2006 8:50 pm

I was wrong. One week ago I said the Twins would not return to .500 again. GREAT homestand so far, however, .500 won't win the division. Five years ago the Central was soft, 15 over would win the division, this year, you better be 4 over each month just to have a sniff. Twins need to take 2 of 3 from Angels, @Chi, @KC, and @Det to finish the month. With the Twins resting Monday, you may want to scratch your baseball itch by catching the Joe Mays beating at Comiskey tomorrow night. Don't look for his 12.86 ERA to do the Twins any favors by slowing the Sox. Ch. 740 on your DirecTV extra innings package for those interested. Twins current scoring drought sits at 1 and 1/3rd innings.

packerboy · Post by **packerboy** » Mon Apr 17, 2006 9:25 am

Yah, great job Radke. The team needs its 9 milion dollar man to get the sweep and he gives up 6. Trade him for what you can get , sign another hitter with the 9 mill you save, put Liriano in the rotation and put packerboy out of his misery.<img src=http://www.ezboard.com/images/emoticons/laugh.gif ALT=":lol"> PS to ChrisK, is that the balance you were talking about? Edited by: <A HREF=http://p100.ezboard.com/bmnhs.showUserP ... ckerboy</A> at: 4/17/06 9:28 am

goldy313 · Post by **goldy313** » Mon Apr 17, 2006 10:39 am

Radke did stink, but no worse than Santana was Saturday. As for getting a hitter, many thought White would be an answer, but for 2.5 million the Twins have gotten less than nothing so far. He bats 4th with the 3 guys in front of him all hitting over .300 and he has 2 stinking RBI's? He looks awfully similar to the horrid Brett Boone experiment of last year. Maybe Sierra will be better. I'm just saying finding a slugger is a crap shoot and inning eating pitchers aren't that common. And the Twins have a very poor track record of getting any sluggers through the open market the past 20 years, possibly Don Baylor being the lone exception.

Irishmans Shanty · Post by **Irishmans Shanty** » Mon Apr 17, 2006 11:15 am

Don't forget the key Pat Putnam signing during the backside of the '84 campaign.

Blue Breeze · Post by **Blue Breeze** » Mon Apr 17, 2006 11:25 am

Does Butch Huskey not qualify?<img src=http://www.ezboard.com/images/emoticons/eek.gif ALT=":eek">

packerboy · Post by **packerboy** » Mon Apr 17, 2006 11:45 am

Yah, and what about more recently with Pat Borders<img src=http://www.ezboard.com/images/emoticons/roll.gif ALT=":rollin"> <img src=http://www.ezboard.com/images/emoticons/laugh.gif ALT=":lol"> <img src=http://www.ezboard.com/images/emoticons/roll.gif ALT=":rollin"> goldy, They dont even try. They never have. If they did,theyd get mixed results just like everyone else. They should have signed Thome 3 years ago and traded Radke. He would have been a perfect fit in that park. PS. why not 1. Castilo 2.Mauer 3. Stewart ? Edited by: <A HREF=http://p100.ezboard.com/bmnhs.showUserP ... ckerboy</A> at: 4/17/06 11:50 am

boblee · Post by **boblee** » Mon Apr 17, 2006 12:34 pm

<blockquote>Quote:<hr>Radke did stink, but no worse than Santana was Saturday<hr></blockquote> WRONG-Santana was MUCH better. Twins are fine folks. They are 6-6, after starting 1-5. They are playing VERY good teams, such as Cleveland, New York, and Oakland. The lineup is fine, White will hit. Don't get worked up. We are only 1 game back after all. Grand Rapids-2006 State Runner Up

ChrisK · Post by **ChrisK** » Mon Apr 17, 2006 12:35 pm

I was wondering how long it would take for packerboy to comment on Radke's start. He needs to get his changeup working, once he does he'll be fine. White's a .289 lifetime hitter so I have to think he'll come around eventually. Gardy's not doing him or the team any favors by keeping him batting 4th though. And no question Thome would have been a perfect fit for the team when he was a free agent.

goldy313 · Post by **goldy313** » Mon Apr 17, 2006 12:41 pm

I agree, they don't try, and to add to that say they didn't have Radke and his 9 million salary does anyone really believe old Carl would spend that money elsewhere? Probably Mauer doesn't hit second because he doesn't run as well as the other two, and Stewart is a proven leadoff man, that's where he's hit his entire career. Why mess with him, especially in a contract year. If Sierra can come in and give the Twins a legit clean-up hitter and Morneau keeps on like he's been doing the Twins will be fine power wise, while not the Yankees, they'll certainly be well above average 1-7 in the line up.

Blue Breeze · Post by **Blue Breeze** » Mon Apr 17, 2006 12:43 pm

Boblee is always the voice of reason. I have heated debates the last couple weeks about them, mostly because of people overreacting to the first two weeks of a 6 month season. For starters, White will find his stride. He has always been productive when healthy and will be for the Twins. It's fortunate that we are 1 1/2 out and our 4 hitter is batting under .100. A friend the other day also argued with me that Castro could hit over .300. He has had a great start, and his defense is unparalleled, but he is a career .230 hitter and for him to hit over .250 would be considered a success. Santana will be fine, all WBC starters are struggling, and he is notoriously a slower starter until he starts dominating in June. Pitching still isn't there, but we are right in the thick of things.

goldy313 · Post by **goldy313** » Mon Apr 17, 2006 3:03 pm

Santana on Saturday night....6.1 IP, 8H, 4ER, 2BB, 4K. Radke on Sunday....6.0 IP, 10H, 6ER, 0BB, 1K Santana pitched 3 solid innings then was pounded in the 4th- 6th, but luckily the balls were hit right at people, I was suprised Gardy sent him out there in the 7th. Both were very bad, neither have looked good in 3 starts, aside from an inning or two per game. Castro's never been an everyday player and that will always adversely affect your stats. This year he will be an everyday player and with his speed and playing 81 games in the Dome he could hit near .300. Edited by: <A HREF=http://p100.ezboard.com/bmnhs.showUserP ... oldy313</A> at: 4/17/06 3:06 pm

Blue Breeze · Post by **Blue Breeze** » Mon Apr 17, 2006 3:37 pm

I agree, not playing everyday has definitely been detrimental to his numbers. Perhaps a full season can bring out the best in him, but I don't think he is a .300 caliber hitter. I hope I am wrong, cause he does handle the bat well and play Gold Glove defense, but his bat is not .300 quality. If he approaches this number, I will be the first to come on here and pat you on the back Goldy, cause that would be quite a prediciton.<img src=http://www.ezboard.com/images/emoticons/wink.gif ALT=";)">

Irishmans Shanty · Post by **Irishmans Shanty** » Mon Apr 17, 2006 10:21 pm

Anyone who believes Juan Castro is a .300 hitter is just having words fall out of their mouth in hopes of creating a confrontation. If Castro hits closer to .300 than .200, regardless of whether he plays 70 games or 150, I'll buy season tickets to the Lynx. And trust me, I don't want to do that. I don't think Castro could hit .300 for the New Prague Orioles. Radke and 9 million is an outrage, but it is understandable with how contracts are structured today. Last year the Twins signed Radke at about 17 million over two years. What free agent bat could they have signed at that price, he goes by the name No One. Any descent free agent is going to get 4-5 years, at least the ones we are thinking of to secure the middle of the order. Last year, Thome would have required 4 years and 48 million. With the final year being worth 15. Let's be honest the Twins don't have those $'s. The Twins can't risk having 15 million in a 40 year old slugger sitting on the 60 day in '09. Face it, the Twins will have to hope they strike lighting in a bottle with older veterans working on a modest 1 or 2 year deal, as in a Sierra, White, or Batista. How good would Hideki Matsui have looked in a Twins uniform this year? They could have had him at Radke's salary THIS year...but between '07-'09 they would be on the hook for another 40 million. If Radke's blows this year, so be it, but the saving grace is they don't owe him anything beyond this year. The only way the Twins get the big thumper they need is if they grow it themselves. They had him, he now goes by Big Poppy. They hope they have him now, he goes by Morneau or Mauer. Twins management can only hope that Morneau and/or Mauer become 12 million/year players that will sign extentions while they are much cheaper.

Blue Breeze · Post by **Blue Breeze** » Mon Apr 17, 2006 10:34 pm

<blockquote>Quote:<hr>I'll buy season tickets to the Lynx.<hr></blockquote> You're almost forcing me to root against Castro now, I wouldn't wish that fate on anyone. If you look at where elite sluggers reside (New York, St. Louis, Chicago, Los Angeles, Texas, Boston), you'll notice all those teams are big market and can spend in free agency for them. Only Teixera of Texas and Pujols in St. Louis were homegrown products. With the premium put on the home run in recent years, everybody is throwing around their checkbooks to try to get a 40 HR guy. If, and this a big if, the Twins get a stadium, they will be able to spend more freely. Santana, Liriano, Mauer, Morneau, could all be locked up to long term deals somewhere in market value, and the Twins with their good player development and excellent scouting could become an even bigger factor in the AL. If not, it will be nearly impossible to keep all those young, core players. It would make sense for Mauer to stay since he is a hometown kid and seems fairly humble and not money-hungry, but for the rest it would be tough. The stadium is the key to holding this team together, unless they end up making the move or dealing with contraction.

ChrisK · Post by **ChrisK** » Tue Apr 18, 2006 9:32 am

Here's an article on the top five worst and best contract deals in baseball: <a href="http://msn.foxsports.com/mlb/story/5480 ...  Radke didn't make it. I'll agree with the Shanty on Castro, if he hits above .250 the Twins'll be lucky. However, he's on the team for his glove and if the rest of the lineup is hitting it won't matter. I wouldn't look for Sierra to change the world or anything, but it will be nice to have a veteran switchhitter on the bench. He only hit .229 last season though, let's hope this isn't another Bret Boone. Where's hillhockey to do a Sierra-watch? This is a good omen though, here's Sierra's career numbers through 2005 via Baseball-reference.com: <a href="http://www.baseball-reference.com/s/sie ...  And at the bottom, under 'Similar batters through age 39', the first name that comes up? Don Baylor.

boblee · Post by **boblee** » Tue Apr 18, 2006 10:28 am

Juan Castro is going to hit 290 this year. He learned to drive the ball the other way, that will pay off hugely in the end for him and the Twins. Grand Rapids-2006 State Runner Up

Wild4hockey · Post by **Wild4hockey** » Tue Apr 18, 2006 2:01 pm

<blockquote>Quote:<hr>Juan Castro is going to hit 290 this year.<hr></blockquote> For a career .232 hitter to all of a sudden spike to .290 would really surprise me. Castro has never hit above .260 and he has only had one season of over 300 AB. He will probably see approx. 400AB this year and will hit more like .240. His numbers are not very good and he is old in baseball terms (34). The twins really missed the boat on Soriano last season, hopefully they can lure him out of Washington and into Minnesota. Unless Mauer and Morneau have big years the Twins will finish 3rd. Morneau has shown some good pop and Hunter is off to a great start. As for Radke, please retire after the end of the year. The Twins would be much better off with Liriano in there than Radke. I am sick of watching Radke give up hit after hit. Within three years Liriano will have won a CY young. Edited by: <A HREF=http://p100.ezboard.com/bmnhs.showUserP ... 4hockey</A> at: 4/18/06 2:01 pm

ChrisK · Post by **ChrisK** » Tue Apr 18, 2006 2:57 pm

I'll stand corrected but my recollection is that Liriano was one of the players the Rangers wanted for Soriano. Soriano would have to play the outfield for the Twins, I don't think they could tolerate his defense at 2nd. There's still an offensive hole in right field unless Ford or Cuddyer catch fire, but I think it's too early to start talking deals. This organization has to start doing a better job of producing major league hitters. The reason Radke has been knocked around this season is his changeup isn't working yet. I haven't seen Santana pitch so far this year, but it sounds like he might be having the same problems though not as bad. Both of these guys have worked through things like this before so they deserve the opportunity to get it going again. On the other hand, Kyle Lohse has done little to suggest that dramatic improvement is around the corner. He should be on a short leash this year especially with a pitcher of Liriano's caliber waiting in the wings.

Blue Breeze · Post by **Blue Breeze** » Tue Apr 18, 2006 3:11 pm

I agree with all points made by Chris K. And you're correct, Liriano was the prominent name mentioned in the Soriano deal, but I think there are only a handful of players the Twins would trade Liriano for, and none of those players are on the market anyway. Lohse or Baker could have been dealt for Hank Blalock, but the organization didn't deem that trade worthy. Radke will be fine. He is not going to win a Cy Young, but he will be right around the 13 win, 4.00 ERA mark. His changeup is not there, and once it gets there he will be vastly improved. He has always given up home runs, so that's not a concern. If Liriano is replacing anyone, it's Lohse. Somebody who has shown potential but doesn't seem to be mentally capable of pitching himself out of jams and being an important part of the rotation. His last start was a positive step, but he needs more consistency. Santana will be fine, I will almost guarantee at the end of the year he will be in the Top 3 for Cy Young voting, barring a major injury. The WBC really has ruined the starts for pitchers, and it could be a month before these guys are back to normalcy. If I had to choose, I would make Kubel my everyday right fielder. He has some pop, a pretty good eye, good stroke, and a cannon for an arm. Ford's 2004 season was an aberration and he will never be an everyday player. Cuddyer has gotten opportunities to play everyday and never thrived.

Irishmans Shanty · Post by **Irishmans Shanty** » Tue Apr 18, 2006 6:45 pm

It took a couple weeks, but I have found my new whipping boy now that LeCroy is gone. The winner is... Torii "$10.75 million" Hunter. Hunter plays hard, is likeable in comparison to most Vikings and T-Wolves, and has 5 gold mits to back up his defense prowess. Nevertheless, I need some offense at that salary. .243, 19, and 72 will not satisfy me this year. Torri quit complaining publicly about managment not building offense around you, you have been around long enough to know that the franchise picked you to be their big money guy. Look around, who's left? AJ gone, Jones gone, Mientkwtz gone, Guzman gone, Koski gone, Rivas gone, Blake gone, Milton gone, Guardado gone, Hawkings gone, Kielty gone. And another thing, be a leader, maybe Morneau had it coming but you can't punch teammates. Can anyone see Puck labeling a young Gene Larkin back in the day? I didn't think so. Torri, next year you will have a nice salary and plenty of offense around you in NY, California, Chicago, St Louis, or Boston, if you hit the way you have in your career so far, you will get abused by your fans. Thus, enjoy the last year of passive, fun loving fans digging your smile and your defense because next year you will need to hit as well as catch.

Wild4hockey · Post by **Wild4hockey** » Tue Apr 18, 2006 6:58 pm

<blockquote>Quote:<hr>AJ gone, Jones gone, Mientkwtz gone, Guzman gone, Koski gone, Rivas gone, Blake gone, Milton gone, Guardado gone, Hawkings gone, Kielty gone<hr></blockquote> I agree with almost everything you say about hunter. He needs to hit better, and you are correct that will not be tolerated in those other baseball towns. But my question is about these players you listed, they all suck. With the exception of koski, AJ and Guardado the rest have all been busts as they moved on. Perhaps the biggest was Milton. As for Rivas that guy was horrible. The twins are a team that can compete with anyone the past week has told us that, but they need to trade some pitching to get a guy who can help carry a team.

Irishmans Shanty · Post by **Irishmans Shanty** » Tue Apr 18, 2006 8:26 pm

When it comes time for management to allocate dollars for an upcoming season, it is a crap shoot on how players will perform in the future. The Twins have chosen to let players who were performing well to walk. AJ, Hawk, Guzman, Milton, Koski, Jones, and Guardado all got them to the post-season and gave us a few wins and hope they could advance. Re-signing any of the above for their fair market value could have been justified. The Twins passed on all except Hunter, he got the dough all the rest were denied. The Twins should have dealt Hunter after '04. Why? It is always better to trade someone a year early than a year late. After '04 Hunter's stock couldn't have been higher. Hunter hit the Bronx bomb in the 10th of game two, probably the greatest hit in franchise history that no one will remember. He at the time was unquestionably the best defensive centerfielder around, he had two years left on his deal. He was the leader of a contender who cared and always played hard. Since of '04, he has missed half of one-season, fought with teammates he is supposed to be leading, and hitting .230 while accounting for nearly 18% of the payroll.

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