Minnesota Twins

Hillfan · Post by **Hillfan** » Tue Jul 26, 2005 10:53 pm

Well Boone's defense hasn't impressed me a ton. I'm sure Soriano could do just fine if he's worked with. Strikeouts happen with him, true, but look at the stats: .284 avg, 25 homers, 68 RBI, 68 runs, 12 SB. Those are numbers that haven't been made by a Twin in a long time. If we can get him, then take it no doubt. Edited by: <A HREF=http://p074.ezboard.com/bmnhs.showUserP ... Hillfan</A> at: 7/26/05 10:55 pm

goldy313 · Post by **goldy313** » Tue Jul 26, 2005 11:09 pm

Soriano has 13 or 16 errors, a team like the Twins can't afford his salary or his errors. If he would be happy DH'ing I'd say go for it, but otherwise pass on him. I believe he's a free agent at the end of the year, so maybe salary wouldn't be an issue. The Boone experiment needs to end, now. Might as well get a young guy some at bats and experiance. If they get swept by the Yanks, it will all be irrelevent anyhow seeing as the trading deadline is Sunday. The A's are hot the Twins aren't. I don't think 1 bat will make enough of a difference when too many Twins look lost up there at the plate. Morneau, Boone and Ford can't seem to hit a beach ball right now. As for the Boone deal being an embarrassment....29 teams passed on him for a reason, hind sight is 20/20 but it looks like Ryan was desperate. Boone was cheap, no real prospects and little money spent. Guys on the cheap....Maybe Rob Mackowiak from the Pirates, a .270 hitter that plays 2b/3b. Or Shea Hillenbrand from Toronto, he's backing up 1b/3b now, the Twins are desperate for production at both and the Jays could really use a set up man. Edited by: <A HREF=http://p074.ezboard.com/bmnhs.showUserP ... oldy313</A> at: 7/26/05 11:42 pm

packerboy · Post by **packerboy** » Wed Jul 27, 2005 8:13 am

I think it is an embarassment. A team is(was) in contention and in need of some offense and thats what they come up with? He shows up and Gardy asks him "Where do you want to hit..2nd or 3rd?" He is now batting 7th and has hit under .200 since his arrival. As far as Soriano goes, I think one bat could make a difference when a team pitches a well as they do. Money is no object if Mays is part of the deal because he is making about the same as Soriano (over 7 million.) When you compare what is possible and what other teams have done with the Boone deal....... really weak.

Hillfan · Post by **Hillfan** » Wed Jul 27, 2005 9:08 am

<blockquote>Quote:<hr>I think one bat could make a difference when a team pitches a well as they do.<hr></blockquote> I'll agree with that, especially since it's Soriano. If we were to do a multiplayer deal and got a couple of decent hitters out of it then I'd say that would help just as much. I really think the deal needs to get done within the next couple of days. I don't want the Twins to wait for the last minute and get jipped or something.

Hillfan · Post by **Hillfan** » Wed Jul 27, 2005 9:15 am

Oh by the way, I almost forgot. I'll be the first to say Boone watch is over with, or should be pretty soon here.

packerboy · Post by **packerboy** » Wed Jul 27, 2005 9:33 am

No way Hillfan. As painful as it is, you have to continue with the watch. Well, whatever they do or dont do personel wise, tonight might be a big game. They are reeling and what does a team need when that happens? Thats right, Bret Boone. No, just kidding......a stopper. Who is startin tonight? Johan. Part of their problem this year is that he has been a mere mortal. They need him to shut down the Bronx Bombers tonight. Lets go.

ChrisK · Post by **ChrisK** » Wed Jul 27, 2005 9:43 am

I would argue that it's more of an embarassment to start the season without an adequate infield. The Twins should have made a move in the offseason to bring in a decent veteran infielder with some hitting acumen. Boone was worth a shot as you never know if a change of scenery will provide a spark. It's time to pull the plug on him though. Soriano is signed through next year, but apparently could make $10 million next year. As I understand it, the Twins would probably release him rather than paying the 2006 salary though I'm not sure how that works because I thought MLB salaries were guaranteed. Anyway from what I'm reading, it doesn't look like it matters because the Rangers haven't bitten on any trade offers. You're right Packerboy, Santana needs to step up. Radke pitched OK last night, but Johnson had his way with the Twins lineup. Tonight they face a potentially washed up Al Leiter, if Johan can shut down the Yanks he might actually receive some run support tonight.

Newguy99 · Post by **Newguy99** » Wed Jul 27, 2005 10:16 am

The Twins better find some consistency soon or else they will be going home early this year. Come on Twinkies!

packerboy · Post by **packerboy** » Wed Jul 27, 2005 10:17 am

I agree with your first paragraph Chris but I think whether its the way they started or the Boone deal, its all the same. Lets experiment with Jason Bartlett at short and Cuddyer at 3rd. Lets experiment with 2 rookies hitting 3 and 4 and see what kind of offense we get. Oh, that dosent work so lets experiment with Boone. It will all be real cheap. Its one bleepin experiment after another and it has been all year. I realise a lot of it has to with economics. But, we did have pitching to trade in the offseason and didnt. OK, we over estimated our ability to score runs,... that happens. Now, fix it.

EREmpireStrikesBack · Post by **EREmpireStrikesBack** » Wed Jul 27, 2005 8:57 pm

Good win for the Twins tonight! Boone made some very nice defensive plays, but didn't do much at the plate yet again. Rincon and the relief team made it closer than it needed to be, but a win is a win and there is no way they should ever lose to Al Leiter with Johan on the mound. And yes, I was cheering for the Yankees <img src=http://www.ezboard.com/images/emoticons/glasses.gif ALT="8)"> Elk River AA State Champions- 2001 Boys & 2004 Girls

Hillfan · Post by **Hillfan** » Wed Jul 27, 2005 9:16 pm

Packerboy, I'll stay on it, after all it's my deal: Boone watch- 0-3 tonight (now 8-47, .170 avg, ouch.) <blockquote>Quote:<hr>Good win for the Twins tonight! Boone made some very nice defensive plays<hr></blockquote> The win, yes I'll say a good night. -Jones connected for a 2 run shot. -Stewart had a 2 out, bases loaded single that scored 2 -Justin Morneau had an RBI double and solo homer (2-4 night) Johan Santana did well tonight, and so did Nathan who went 1 1/3 innings. Now, the other part of that quote. Boone played fine in the field, but in the 8th tried to do a little too much on a 2 run error. Whoever didn't see the game, here's what happened. The bases were loaded for Tino Martinez against Rincon. Martinez hits a grounder between 1st and 2nd. Boone had a great range, but made the mistake of throwing while moving and turning. All he had to do was quickly plant himself to get the below average running Martinez out. I was a little frusterated (well, not as much as Gardy). We'll see what happens to Boone. As of now I'd say goodbye to him. That bat of his has dropped down even more since his arrival to the Minnesota clubhouse. Edited by: <A HREF=http://p074.ezboard.com/bmnhs.showUserP ... Hillfan</A> at: 7/27/05 9:18 pm

EREmpireStrikesBack · Post by **EREmpireStrikesBack** » Wed Jul 27, 2005 9:19 pm

<blockquote>Quote:<hr>but in the 8th tried to do a little too much on a 2 run error<hr></blockquote> I'm sorry, but I totally disagree with that. I think Morneau could have and should have made that play. He does that pick type of thing all the time and just didn't look to be in position when the throw came at all. And I don't think Boone had enough time to set, the play was pretty close as it was because he had to go quite a distance to get that ball. <img src=http://www.ezboard.com/images/emoticons/glasses.gif ALT="8)"> Elk River AA State Champions- 2001 Boys & 2004 Girls

koren808 · Post by **koren808** » Wed Jul 27, 2005 10:21 pm

At least it looks like Morneau is breaking out of his slump. Boone is done. Thats obvious. Too bad Randa got traded, he would have been a nice pickup. How about this as a possible trade? I read this on another message board, and I like the idea, though it doesn't necessarily improve our O. We trade Lohse and Romero to Florida for Burnett and Lowell. Lowell will give us a minor boost to the O, and Burnett adds to an already stellar staff. If we land Burnett, this is our rotation: 1. Santana 2. Burnett 3. Radke 4. Silva 5. Mays Plus, though Romero is a good reliever, the Twins are stacked there. Nathan, Rincon, and the Crain Train are already better than Romero, plus the rest of our good relievers are young. Also, we can call up Francisco Liriano to replace Romero, who may be the best of them all. Don't forget we get Balfour back next year as well. We don't really need JC. Lowell, like I said, isn't the greatest hitter anymore, but I trust him a lot more than Cuddyer and Boone (put Punto in over him). If we land Lowell, look how are lineup could become more solid: 1. Stewart, LF 2. Punto, 2B 3. Mauer, C 4. Hunter, CF 5. Jones, RF 6. Morneau, 1B 7. Ford, DH 8. Lowell, 3B 9. Castro, SS Not a terrible lineup, as you can see. ------------------- "75 percent of the world is covered by water. The rest is covered by Smoot." --Fred Smoot

EREmpireStrikesBack · Wed Jul 27, 2005 11:41 pm

I totally agree. Only bad thing is Lowell's huge contract, but I don't see why he can't get back on track. He's not 37 like Boone and I think he could at least do half decent. If not, then the huge contract would totally suck and be really hard to get rid of. <img src=http://www.ezboard.com/images/emoticons/glasses.gif ALT="8)"> Elk River AA State Champions- 2001 Boys & 2004 Girls

ChrisK · Post by **ChrisK** » Thu Jul 28, 2005 7:12 am

My initial reaction was that this would be a terrible trade for the Twins; however, I see that Lowell might be coming out of his funk, he's raised his average almost 20 points since July 1st. They'd be getting more talent in this trade than any of the other options proposed so far, but would be taking on a big risk with Lowell if he doesn't work out. If Bill Mueller is the best option out there it might be worth the gamble, but Ryan would take some major heat if Lowell turns out to be Bret Boone II. Ryan isn't a gambling man so I don't see this happening but it's an intriguing option.

Hillfan · Post by **Hillfan** » Thu Jul 28, 2005 9:26 am

We'll see what happens with these trades. Any day now <img src=http://www.ezboard.com/images/emoticons/eyes.gif ALT=":rolleyes"> Yeah I'll agree ER, Morneau probably should have had that. I watched the slow replay later on though and saw that Martinez still had a good distance before he'd reach first base. I thought Boone could have at least stopped himself in that period and just tossed to first, but I suppose it was a quicker play than replay....

packerboy · Post by **packerboy** » Thu Jul 28, 2005 11:38 am

Its too bad you cant split it and give them each 1/2 an error. Boone made a bad play and Morneau didnt pick him up. It was good win even if it wasnt pretty. The Strib is calling it an ugly win but there were some real positives. Santana was great, Hunter made a nice throw, and eventually they did get some timely hitting. Lets build on that. Lets go.

packerboy · Post by **packerboy** » Thu Jul 28, 2005 12:18 pm

I know its a sore spot but this cant go on. As I said initially, I had some real reservations about getting Boone but honestly, I didnt think it would be this bad. Holy, moly. A while back, after he had gone 4 for 25, I posted that 8 for 50 is more likely than a return to form. But I really didnt think thats what he would hit. What are they waiting for?

goldy313 · Post by **goldy313** » Thu Jul 28, 2005 1:22 pm

The other thing is what in heck is Ford doing as a DH? 0-6 last night and hitting .250, he has little pop in his bat right now. He's in a 2-30 slump the past 10 games. 2-30, you could bat a stinking pitcher at DH and get better numbers. Lecroy, maybe even Redman is being wasted on the bench. Down 6-3 in the 8th, both Boone and Ford are out of the line-up today.

ChrisK · Post by **ChrisK** » Thu Jul 28, 2005 9:41 pm

Packerboy, it sounds like the Twins are ready to pull the plug on the Boone deal, he may be gone by the end of the weekend. Goldy, I've been saying the same thing, Ford is just been terrible this month and hasn't been close to what he was last season. I hope he wasn't a one year wonder, but it's looking that way. Apparently LeCroy is bothered with gout right now so Gardenhire's been keeping him out. If the Boston bats come alive, the series this weekend could get ugly. In regards to the Lowell and Burnett situation apparently both the Orioles and White Sox had deals in the works that fell through because they wanted the Marlins to pick up half of Lowell's $18 million. From what I saw the White Sox were offering a minor league pitcher and a middle reliever so the price in terms of players may not be high but if any team makes that trade it sounds like they'll have to come up with some cash. In other words, hell will freeze over before the Twins make that deal.

goldy313 · Post by **goldy313** » Thu Jul 28, 2005 9:58 pm

Gout???? I think my 86 year old grandma has the same thing before it rains...... TSN reports the Twins are close to getting 2nd/3rd baseman Jorge Cantu from the D-Rays. (.287, 15 hr's, 64 rbi's) They don't say what the Twins are going to give up though. I hope not Baker, I figure Mays and Loshe to be gone after this year and a rotation of Santana, Radke, Silva and Baker could be nice.

Hillfan · Post by **Hillfan** » Thu Jul 28, 2005 10:26 pm

Thanks for the info goldy. Boy it wouldn't be bad to get a guy like Cantu, who is also young. He has a future ahead of him I'd say... <blockquote>Quote:<hr>I hope not Baker<hr></blockquote> Don't worry goldy, Baker is off limits <img src=http://www.ezboard.com/images/emoticons/happy.gif ALT=":D">

Hillfan · Post by **Hillfan** » Thu Jul 28, 2005 10:32 pm

I almost forgot, BOOOOOONE watch: A rest on the bench in the Twins' 6-3 loss to the Yanks. Cmon Twins, lets at least go 2 out of 3 in Boston. Let's get a spark!

ChrisK · Post by **ChrisK** » Fri Jul 29, 2005 7:57 am

Yes, Goldy, gout. The scourge of 80 year olds everywhere. From Ken Rosenthal's 'Inside Dish': "The Twins expressed interest in Blue Jays third baseman Shea Hillenbrand but were told he was unavailable; Jays G.M. J.P. Ricciardi could attempt to sign Hillenbrand to an extension instead. The Twins also are looking at Devil Rays second baseman Jorge Cantu, an offensive player whose defense is described by one scout as "Soriano-ish." The Rays might consider finding another second baseman next season, moving Cantu to first and playing Julio Lugo at short and B.J. Upton at third. . . " Hillenbrand is unavailable? Right now the Jays have three guys who can play third, Koskie, Hillenbrand and rookie Aaron Hill. Hillenbrand is playing first and DHing right now with Koskie back and with Halladay out they've got one starter with an ERA under 4.60 (the Twins have two pitchers with an ERA over 4.60), they couldn't use pitching? Maybe they feel they got fleeced in the Stewart deal and don't want to trade with the Twins again. Sounds like the Twins would give up some defense with Cantu, but if he can provide some pop it might be worth it. He's another young player so it seems like this is more a deal for the future than one that will help them a lot right now. They need a good veteran hitter to settle the younger hitters down and get quality at bats. Then again the team has not been playing well enough to make the playoffs so maybe they should be making a move for the future. Edited by: <A HREF=http://p074.ezboard.com/bmnhs.showUserP ... >ChrisK</A> at: 7/29/05 8:00 am

packerboy · Post by **packerboy** » Fri Jul 29, 2005 8:12 am

ChrisK, I hope you are right about Boone being gone. Thats the 3rd game he has been "rested" since he has been here. This team has enough good ball players to be well above .500 but it doesnt have enough offense to really contend. Maybe there is no way to fix that this year. Its funny how things go in cycles. The good Twins teams were always known for their offense.Killebrew, Allison, Oliva, Mincher, Hall, Carew,and more.Then the Pucket, Hrbek, Gaetti years.Pitching was OK but when you talked Twins..you talked offense. Now, we cant hit a beach ball but pitch like crazy. Need to put the two togther. Speaking of the Vikings.......

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