SB Nation - R.A. Dickey

Happy birthday, R.A. Dickey

Adam J. Morris — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 19:30:27 -0000

More photos » by Charles Krupa - AP

8 months ago: Minnesota Twins starter R.A. Dickey delivers against the Tampa Bay Rays during a spring training baseball game in Port Charlotte, Fla., Wednesday, April 1, 2009. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)

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Happy birthday to R.A. Dickey, who turns 35 today.

Wow...he's old.

Thursday's Frosty Mug

KLSnow — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 14:22:47 -0000

More photos » by Jae C. Hong - AP

Jarrod Washburn: 2010 Brewer?

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Some things to read while testing the healing powers of bacon.

Jon Heyman is the latest to bring up the possibility that Jarrod Washburn could become a 2010 Brewer (as noted in Rumorville). Al says "he's been solid for far too many seasons to pretend he's not a good pitcher." With that said, he's also 35 years old and coming off surgery.

I'm having a hard time getting off the fence on this possibility. Obviously, Washburn's age and injury status would create the possibility that signing him could turn into a major mistake. With that said, his ERA in Seattle was never over 4.69, and when you adjust that for the NL he could very well be expected to post something in the 4.20-4.40 range next season. Giving him anything more than a two year deal would be a mistake, but to me he's worth considering in the short term.

Meanwhile, Jorge Says No! is still listing the Brewers as one of six teams that could trade for Gary Matthews Jr., but only if the Angels eat most of his salary. Every GM starts the offseason looking for players who are cheap and good: Trading for GMJ with the intent of playing him in center field would mean sacrificing the "good" part to get the "cheap."

Here's an unsubstantiated possibility I'll throw out there: The Mets are reportedly looking for a right-handed platoon partner for Daniel Murphy at first base next season. At first glance, Casey McGehee would make sense, as his versatility would allow him to fill in at other positions when he's not starting at first. Just a thought.

And while I'm out here on the rampant speculation train, View From Bernie's Chalet has a look at one potential Opening Day lineup for the 2011 Brewers. He presents a pretty encouraging possibility: A productive Brewer lineup with all eight position players under 30.

Earlier this week, the Milwaukee chapter of the BBWAA announced their postseason awards, but it's possible they didn't tell the whole story. Miller Park Drunk has the full list of awards presented.

By the way, to answer MPD's question: No, the Milwaukee BBWAA chapter isn't just the three writers from the Journal Sentinel. Six ballots were cast when voting on the awards: One of them was likely AP reporter Colin Fly, and I'm pretty sure the Madison Capital-Times and Racine Journal-Times also have active BBWAA members.

In the minors:

Bernie's Crew has short videos of the deliveries of three of the Brewers' top pitching prospects: Cody Scarpetta, Jake Odorizzi and Wily Peralta, if you haven't seen them before.
Baseball Intellect, at least partially spurred by this Battlekow interview, discusses Evan Anundsen's drop in velocity and the possibility that his high pitch counts in high school are to blame.
Baseball America has a report card for the Brewers' 2009 Draft. It's behind their pay wall, but Rattler Radio has several of the salient points.

Around baseball:

Astros: Outrighted catcher Chris Coste to AAA. Coste will be a minor league free agent.
Braves: Are expected to sign Tim Hudson to a three year contract extension worth $27 million.
Dodgers: Manny Ramirez exercised his $20 million player option to remain with the team next season.
Rays: Outrighted first baseman Chris Richard to AAA, making him a minor league free agent.
Rockies: Reliever Joel Peralta rejected an outright assignment to the minor leagues and will become a free agent.

Yesterday, Roguejim noted MLB Trade Rumors' Bad Contract Swap Meet. That's a good idea, but this one would be better TV: Dave Cameron of FanGraphs proposes the Bad Contract White Elephant. Clearly it's intended to be tongue in cheek, but I'd watch it.

Earlier this week, BCB endorsed the Phillies in the World Series, and we're off to a pretty good start. It appears not everyone got the memo, though: Ryan Grant is rooting for the Yankees.

I don't buy a lot of baseball books, but I gladly shell out the money for John Sickels' Baseball Prospect Book every year. It's easily my top resource for scouting reports on over a thousand prospects and it's great to have on hand when attending spring training or minor league games. I've probably consulted it 30-40 times in my work here during the 2009 season. Sickels is currently accepting pre-orders for the 2010 book, which help pay for its publication. If you're a minor league buff or just want to be one step closer to knowing what you're talking about when discussing prospects, I'd highly recommend picking up a copy.

Speaking of the minors, the Reds' decision to move spring training from Sarasota to Goodyear, Arizona has sent a ripple into the minor leagues: The Reds, who also own their Florida State League affiliate in Sarasota, are selling it to the Pirates, who intend to move it to their spring training facility in Bradenton. So, in one year's time the city of Sarasota may lose both their spring training presence and their FSL team.

On this day in 2002, Ned Yost was hired to manage the Brewers, and Ken Macha was named manager of the A's. We'll have more on Brewer managers later today.

Happy birthday to Dana Eveland, who pitched in 36 games as a Brewer in 2005 and 2006 and turns 26, knuckleballer and 2007 Nashville Sound R.A. Dickey,, who turns 35, and Narciso Elvira, who appeared in four games for the 1990 Brewers and turns 42.

Oh, and if you're feeling nostalgic, this description of Gabe Kapler's play should bring back some memories.

Drink up.

A Guide To Some Relevant Minor League Free Agents

Sam Page — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 15:00:27 -0000

More photos » by Jim Mone - AP

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In 2009, the Mets were bereft of minor league depth. It was painfully obvious looking at Buffalo's performance and it became a major issue when injuries struck. Despite what some claim, however, developing prospects is not the only way to build good farm systems. Often those fringe players that never quite breakthrough to the show are the most integral parts of a successful minor league team. So going off this list, here's some MiFA of interest:

RHP Phil Humber: I actually think Humber is a pretty bad pitcher, but need to mention him before everyone gets nostalgic. Humber was, of course, the former Mets top prospect out of Rice that was supposed to join Mike Pelfrey at the top of the Mets rotation eventually--that was, before he had Tommy John Surgery. Somehow included in the Johan Santana deal, Humber pitched really poorly for the Twins in AAA. The only real reason to bring him back would be a show of goodwill and sympathy from the Mets. Don't hold out hope for that lost potential.

IF/OF Wilson Betemit: The top-prospect-turned-super-sub Betemit probably has his best days behind him, even at age 28. He comes from the Mark DeRosa mold in that he has experience at virtually every position, but is good at none of them. And while he hasn't hit very well of late, his interesting blend of power and plate discipline and major-league track record could make him worth a flier at AAA. Personally, I might opt for better infield defense behind the Mets young developing pitchers, but few others on that list can claim being an average major league hitter over their career.

RHP Bryan Bullington: One of many infamous first round busts in the Pirate's recent draft history, this first-overall pick has some upside as a reliever. In 38 relief innings for Las Vegas last season, Bullington had a 43:7 K:BB ratio in 38.1 innings pitched. He also can be as a serviceable AAA starter, but any chance of him making the bigs is as a part of the bullpen. A good guy to have around.

LHP Brian Burres: A long-time Baltimore farm hand, Burres has the stuff to be a mid-rotation AAA guy and a #7 or 8 on an organizational depth chart. Sub-par control and a horrible 2008 with the Orioles will likely prevent him from ever earning another extended stay in the majors.

RHP R.A. Dickey:

Pros:

Went to my high school
throws the knuckleball
the only article I ever wrote for my high school newspaper was about him

Cons:

not as good as Tim Wakefield

Dickey is the rare pitcher who is seemingly improving with age. He started using the knuckleball full-time in 2007, a season in which he was the Pacific Coast League MVP. Last year he had modest success as a reliever with the Twins. Knuckleball pitchers are great because they can pitch a million innings without getting tired and because they throw the knuckleball.

3B/OF Joe Dillon: At age 33, Joe's showing some signs of decline, but with the way he's been jerked around between the majors and minors recently, I wonder whether it's genuine slowing down or just not getting settled in one place. He is one of those AAAA sluggers that makes minor league baseball fun to watch--three times in his minor league career he's had a 1000+ OPS. He's a pretty decent fielding thirdbaseman to boot. This year he was the "last man" on the Rays bench, and he could easily reprise that role with the Mets, or be big boost to the Bisons.

RHP Geoff Geary: Geary is a control-specialist reliever who has had some major league PT recently with the Astros and Phillies. He's not someone I want in the Mets bullpen, but Buffalo could use him.

OF Mitch Jones: .354, .320. Those two numbers are Mitch Jones' Isolated Power in the past two seasons. Sure, he played in a friendly home ballpark in Albuquerque, but a .651 SLG% travels. You could make an argument that Jones is better suited for a starting job on the Mets than Daniel Murphy or Jeff Francoeur.

LHP Royce Ring: Ya'll know Royce. Lefty with the funky motion. I'd take him back on a minor league deal, considering the state of the Mets' bullpen.

LHP Jon Switzer: He pitched pretty well for Buffalo out of the bullpen this year (3.85 tRA). He would be a solid re-sign.

1B Chris Shelton: Like a right-handed Chris Carter, Chris Shelton is another AAAA slugger the Bison's stagnant offense could certainly use. Last year with Tacoma, he OPSed .905 at age 29. With Chris Carter already here, however, he may be "blocked." And as you've probably suspected, I'd gladly platoon him with Murphy, Carter, or Ike Davis, if given the chance.

LHP R.J. Swindle: Of all the pitchers I've talked about so far, Swindle is easily the most desirable. He'll be just 26 next season and has fantastic minor league peripherals 9.0 K/9, 1.8 BB/9. He's got forgettable stuff: a low 80s fastball and curveball that is basically an eephus, but he's always put up great numbers and killed lefties. Chad Bradford II?

RHP Joe Nelson: The Rays signed Joe for $1MM after a fantastic '08 with the Marlins. He proved a bad investment with horrible command, but might be served well by a return to the NL East. The Mets were reportedly interested in him as a Major League piece last year, and at the very least would be a great AAA option.

C Guillermo Quiroz: A former top-50 prospect, Quiroz has evolved into a minor league catcher with a sterling defensive reputation, good pop, and poor on-base skills. Basically, he's Omir Santos. I am not even sure Omir Santos is even better than him. In fact, Omir Santos was the Orioles' AAA catcher when Quiroz was their Major League backup. That says more about how poor and ill-equipped for a starting gig Santos is, than how good Quiroz is. But if you're going to entrust Omir Santos with a roster spot, might as well keep his clone as a backup in AAA.

Tuesday's Frosty Mug

KLSnow — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 13:12:28 -0000

More photos » by Charles Rex Arbogast - AP

Prince Fielder, seen here checking under his jersey for another jersey, will likely be offered a long term contract by the Brewers this offseason, according to Jon Heyman.

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Some things to read while learning your costume's limitations.

Two more names have surfaced in the search for a new pitching coach: Former Arizona pitching coach Bryan Price and former Rays pitching coach Chuck Hernandez have both reportedly interviewed for the position this week (FanShot). Rick Peterson still appears to be the favorite, but Hernandez has worked with Macha before, and that fact seems to carry some weight for some reason.

It's widely accepted that Albert Pujols will win the NL MVP, but where will Prince Fielder finish? David Gassko of The Hardball Times has developed a system to predict the BBWAA's voting, and it predicts a third place finish for Fielder, behind Pujols and Ryan Howard. Meanwhile, Jon Heyman thinks the Brewers will attempt to sign Fielder to a long term deal this offseason.

USA Today has ranked the "shock wave" celebration following Fielder's walk-off home run on September 6 as one of their top ten highlights of the 2009 season. Certainly, it's a moment we'll remember for quite some time.

This is earlier than I normally do birthdays, but happy birthday to Trevor Hoffman, who turns 42 today. As Adam McCalvy notes, Hoffman will become the second oldest player in franchise history with his first appearance in 2010, and could pass Hank Aaron for first place by appearing in a game anytime after June.

Speaking of pitchers who should return next season, there's a new reason to join the Bring Back Seth McClung Facebook group. McClung has agreed to give an autographed ball to one randomly selected member of the group, to be chosen on Monday. Membership of the group more than doubled yesterday, but clearly we can do better. If you haven't joined yet, now is the time.

R.J. Anderson of FanGraphs has a look at Felipe Lopez, who is riding a career year into free agency for the second time. Anderson notes the differences between Lopez's 2005 and 2009 seasons.

We're just a few hours away from the start of the Arizona Fall League, as the Peoria Javelinas take on Ian Kennedy and the Surprise Rafters at 1:35 Central time today. Adam McCalvy has a preview of the AFL, complete with a link to this PDF of everything you ever wanted to know about the league, and this definition of a Javelina:

Here's something you won't find in that PDF: A javelina, according to the Arizona Game and Fish Department, is also known as a peccary, a medium-sized mammal that looks a bit like a pig. A terrifying, crazed pig.

Here are some other notes on the AFL:

As far as I know, none of the Brewer beat reporters will be in Arizona covering the AFL, but the Javelinas also feature prospects from the Seattle Mariners, and Geoff Baker of the Seattle Times will be in Arizona following them.
If Baker's coverage and ours aren't enough for you, you can also follow the AFL on Twitter.

Of course, the AFL isn't the only place where baseball is being played right now. The Nashville Sounds' website has a note on the 2009 Sounds playing winter ball in Venezuela. Hernan Iribarren's Cardenales de Lara defeated Adam Heether's Leones del Caracas last night, 7-1. Iribarren went 1-for-4 with a double and scored a run, while Heether went 0-for-3 with a walk.

Need a mental tune-up this morning? NoahJ wants to know how fast you can name the 39 players who appeared in a game for the Brewers this season. I did it with about four and a half minutes to spare, if you need a record to shoot for.

Oh, and if you haven't yet, you're running out of time to cast your ballot in Tangotiger's Fan Scouting Report. Even if you've already cast a ballot, you can stop by to rate some of the players that have recently been added, including Alcides Escobar.

If you've done both of those things and you're still looking for something to do, perhaps you should find a job? The Brewers are hiring an HR Coordinator.

Baseball America's Minor League Transactions include the first wave of players to become minor league free agents this offseason, and there's a bunch of former Brewers among them: Greg Aquino, R.J. Swindle, Glendon Rusch, R.A. Dickey and Joe Dillon. Also noted: The Brewers re-signed minor league free agents Jim Henderson (RP) and Patrick Arlis (C), but allowed Chris Duffy to become a free agent.

Elsewhere in the marketplace:

Intro to Sabermetrics 101 has a look at Carl Pavano, and why advanced metrics would imply he was better than his conventional numbers showed in 2009.
Jorge Says No! wonders if Jason Marquis' offseason asking price will go down now that he struggled down the stretch and had his start skipped in the NLDS last night.

Continuing their open search process, the Astros have released the names of the ten candidates for their vacant managerial position, and the list includes two former Brewer managers: Ned Yost, as expected, and Phil Garner, who would be entering his second tour of duty managing the team. Garner reportedly called to advocate for Bob Melvin, who coached under him in Milwaukee, but ended up as a candidate himself. The Astros, by the way, are not considering Willie Randolph.

It was a bittersweet moment at TBS headquarters last night, as the end of the final NLDS series meant they'll only get 13 of a possible 20 Division Series broadcasts, but that didn't keep them from celebrating the elimination of the last small market team. Of course, Hass Avocado is the true winner.

I wasn't exactly cheering on the Dodgers over the weekend, but when they won I was happy to see Mark Loretta playing a part in it. Loretta languished for years on some pretty terrible Brewer teams, so it's nice to see karma catching up with him.

I mentioned Trevor Hoffman's birthday above, but today birthday wishes also go out to Damian Miller, who turns 40.

Drink up.

Monday's Frosty Mug

KLSnow — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 14:39:22 -0000

More photos » by Morry Gash - AP

Ryan Braun, Jody Gerut and Frank Catalanotto celebrate after completing a sweep of the Pirates Sunday.

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Some things to read while waiting for a bartender.

The Brewers have a day off today to prepare for what might be their last opportunity to prove themselves relevant in the NL Central in 2009: A nine game stretch against the Cardinals, Giants and Cardinals again. Ken Macha says the Brewers have to be realistic about their position in the standings (which is why he's passing on the opportunity to skip a spot in the rotation this week), but also acknowledges that things could change if the Brewers can get hot this week and next. The Brewers are 23-24 this season against teams they'll see in September.

With roster expansion on the horizon, J.J. Hardy is expected to rejoin the team tomorrow, and we'll see if the issue with him blows over or boils over. Mike Seal, Hardy's agent, obviously appears to disagree with the decision to demote Hardy, but also called it "a shrewd move" by the Crew to send Hardy down and delay his free agency. J.J. Hardy's Nashville bio picture says a lot about his thoughts on the situation.

As you may have noticed, Hardy is swinging and missing a lot this season. In fact, he's also consistently failing to make weak contact: Plunk Everyone noticed that Hardy has the eighth lowest foul ball percentage in baseball. Jody Gerut, by the way, was tenth.

The Brewers are only expected to call a handful of players up from AAA, and they're expected to stagger the callups over the next few days. With that said, the Brewers also have three players getting ready to return from injury, as Corey Hart is getting ready to go out on a rehab assignment and Seth McClung and Jesus Colome both threw off a mound this weekend. If the Brewers call up six players from the minors and these three all return, they'll have 34 players on the active roster.

The Cardinals have opened up a ten game lead on the Cubs, and it's hard to imagine a scenario where they don't win the NL Central at this point. Murray Chass has a look at what happened to what was one of baseball's closest divisions a few months ago.

This race might be closer: With one month left to play, the Brewers rank 24th in wins in the 2000's. They're four games behind the Reds for 23rd, and 13 games ahead of the 25th place Tigers.

As hopes of contending in 2009 drift away, Doug Melvin is continuing to take a fair amount of heat for not assembling his roster differently, fair or unfair. Melvin responded to critics over the weekend, asking what they would have done differently. He's right, to a point: There weren't really any quick fixes available to the Brewers this offseason that would have dramatically improved this team. With that said, as many commenters have previously noted, Melvin was also responsible for the drafting and developmental strategies that left the Brewers with this hole in the first place.

Felipe Lopez had a rough weekend at the plate (2-for-17) but is continuing to try to play through a sore tendon in his foot. The most recent Elias rankings are out, and they have Lopez as a Type A free agent for the first time. If Lopez continues to struggle and the Brewers aren't careful with him, they could cost themselves a compensation pick next year by allowing him to play his way back down to Type B status.

The Brewers got a pretty good outing out of Jeff Suppan yesterday, as he gave up just one earned run in six innings and lowered his 2009 ERA to 5.20. In a world where we make near daily jokes about Sidney Ponson and Livan Hernandez, mgl wonders if Jeff Suppan is the worst veteran pitcher you never hear about. Meanwhile, Rob Iracane of Walkoff Walk says the Pirates, who couldn't beat Jeff Suppan, Manny Parra or Braden Looper over the weekend, will win the NL Central in 2011.

How much impact will Chris Bosio have on the Brewer pitching staff? Casa de Machado was at Thursday's game and saw Bosio doing some things with pitchers he never saw Billy Castro doing. The results haven't necessarily shown up yet, but that doesn't mean they won't.

Coaches are also working with Manny Parra to develop a cut fastball. As TheJay noted in this Fanshot, that's a bit of a philosophical switch from the past coaching direction.

In the minors:

Chris Capuano is taking one small step back up the ladder to the major leagues. Now that the season has concluded for the Arizona League Brewers, Capuano is moving up to Helena to get a few more innings in before the minor league season concludes.
Several Brewer farmhands are getting ready for the Arizona Fall League. Prospects Paradise has an AFL preview, and lists Zach Braddock, Lorenzo Cain and Jonathan Lucroy among the top prospects on the Peoria Javelinas.

I mentioned The Book Blog's Fan Scouting Report once before as an opportunity for you to weigh in on the defensive abilities of individual Brewers. I'll mention it again, because so far only 35 Brewer fans have added their opinions. Take a moment to do so today, if you're so inclined.

On Power Rankings, playoff odds and miscellany:

Baseball Digest Daily ranked the Brewers #17 in their ASTRO Rankings.
CoolStandings has the Brewers' playoff chances holding steady at .3%.
Justin Inaz of Beyond the Box Score ranked Jason Kendall as the 22nd best catcher of all time.

Last week I mentioned Trent Durrington's 34th birthday, but forgot to acknowledge that he was the last Brewer position player to pitch in a game, back in 2004. Recondite Baseball has updated the full list of the last position players to pitch for each team.

Around Baseball:

Angels: Acquired Scott Kazmir from the Rays for two minor leaguers and a PTBNL that could be Brandon Wood.
Astros: Placed reliever Alberto Arias on the DL with a hamstring strain.
Dodgers: Acquired Ronnie Belliard from the Nationals for a minor league reliever.
Indians: Acquired minor league pitcher Johan Pino as the PTBNL in the trade that sent Carl Pavano to the Twins.
Mariners: Placed Russell Branyan on the DL with a herniated disc.
Pirates: Signed Jorge Julio to a minor league deal.
Rangers: Signed Ryan Freel to a minor league deal.
Red Sox: Acquired Joey Gathright from the Orioles for a PTBNL or cash.
Twins: Claimed Ron Mahay off waivers from the Royals, acquired Jon Rauch from the D-Backs for a PTBNL and designated R.A. Dickey for assignment.

Today, they're reserved for making up rainouts, but at one point doubleheaders were a key part of the baseball schedule. Seamheads has a look back at September 7, 1903, when all 16 major league teams were scheduled to play two.

If you watched the Cubs play over the weekend, you might have seen Ryan Dempster trying on the new helmet MLB is promoting to help decrease head injuries suffered via HBP. Player reviews of the new helmets have been almost universally negative, but baseball is going to require all minor leaguers to wear them next season.

The Brewers had pretty good luck convincing draft picks to sign this season, including one player, fifth rounder D'Vontrey Richardson, who had to be convinced to give up football at Florida State. Jonathan Mayo has a look at the decision two sport athletes face.

Ever wonder what broadcasters do to prepare for games? Alyson Footer has the details and pictures.

Before you go any farther, take a moment today to be happy for what you have and to remember how quickly it can all go away: Jonah Keri has the story of a rollover car accident he somehow survived over the weekend. Keri is due to become the father of twins sometime in the coming weeks.

Apparently it's been a good week for harrowing experiences: Hal McCoy has the story of Aaron Harang and a Reds' equipment manager's drive from Pittsburgh to Cincinnati prior to Harang's appendectomy.

Hall of Very Good recently interviewed Jeff Cirillo, who spent many years as a Brewer position player and one day as an opposing pitcher. It's a good read.

Speaking of Jeffs, if you need a Jeff Sackmann fix, he's got three posts up on his personal blog previewing the US Open, which begins today.

On this day in 1996 the Brewers made a pretty good trade, sending Kevin Seitzer to the Indians for Jeromy Burnitz, who hit 165 home runs over six season as a Brewer. On this day in 2002, though, they made a pretty bad trade, sending Mark Loretta (who would go one to become a two time All Star) to the Astros for Wayne Franklin and Keith Ginter.

Happy birthday today to former Brewers Gabe Kapler (34), Hideo Nomo (41) and Tom Candiotti (52).

Oh, and with summer coming to a close, you're running out of opportunities to use your car as a dehyrdrator.

Drink up.

Twins Weekend Notes: Rich Harden, Brad Penny, September Callups

Jesse — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 00:20:36 -0000

Another weekend come and gone, and another series victory for the Twins. Let's hit some weekend highlights.

The Twins picked up Ron Mahay.
The Twins picked up Jon Rauch.
Joe Crede has finally hit the disabled list.
Yohan Pino was shipped to Cleveland to complete the Carl Pavano deal.
The Twins claimed Rich Harden. Lots of interesting stuff on that front over the weekend. Joe Christensen believes the Twins could pull something off without negotiating an extension, although "two people close to Harden" think a deal with Minnesota isn't likely. By now you probably know that Harden would be a type-A free agent after the season, has a string of arm injuries under his relatively young belt, and has pitched like a gang buster (whatever that means) since the All-Star Break.
In the same report, it sounds like Christensen essentially believes the Twins will exhaust options on the Harden front before committing money to Brad Penny. We've talked about that, too. Whatever happens, we should have a lot more answers by this time tomorrow night.
Tyler Mason at MLB.com says that Gardenhire's list of September callups will include Brian Buscher, Matt Tolbert and Anthony Swarzak. It also sounds like Gardy would like to see somebody called...let me check the name...Daniel Valencia?
John Perrotto of Baseball Prospectus believes the Twins will be using both Francisco Liriano and Glen Perkins out of the 'pen when they return, which should bolster that side of the pitching staff even more than it already has been. It would of course mean a spot could be found in the rotation for a Harden or a Penny.
Patrick Reusse somehow believes that the Twins had veterans they could have traded in order to bring in some minor league talent, but that their .500 record in a sub-par division has robbed them of that luxury. I don't know who those veterans could have been this year, unless you want to count R.A. Dickey, Sean Henn, Luis Ayala or...really, I don't know. Mike Redmod? Michael Cuddyer? Dynomite idea. The Twins have made a series of moves that have improved this year's club without mortgaging anything of definite value in the future. I'm not sure what the problem is here.

See you tomorrow!

The Morning After: Funny, when you think about it

Jon Marthaler — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 11:00:29 -0000

More photos » by Paul Battaglia - AP

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Step back for a second. Forget that you're a Twins fan, that you feel connected to the team, that you are happy when they win and sad when they lose and that other people feel this way and that, really, you're connected to all of the other people who feel happy when they win and sad when they lose.

Now think about this: the Twins made a trade at the deadline, but for a hitter. While division rivals traded for pitching, the Twins went for offense, which made sense, don't get me wrong. But the Twins decided to dance with what brung them, on the mound, figuratively speaking.

And here's what happened:

Friday they gave up 11 runs in 11 innings. Saturday they gave up 11 runs in nine innings. And Sunday, they gave up 13 runs in nine innings. Progressively worse throughout the weekend.

R.A. Dickey pitched in all three games. He pitched 4.1 innings, gave up only five hits, and three runs. He was in many ways, the star of the weekend on the mound for Minnesota. On Friday, Bob Keppel and Jesse Crain combined to give up six runs without getting an out. On Sunday, Glen Perkins pitched to five batters in the fifth inning, and retired none, all of whom scored.

Now step back again. Forget that the Twins are your team, or that baseball is your favorite summer sport, or that you were frustrated or dismayed by the weekend. Think about the Twins drawing over 110,000 fans this weekend. Think about how they failed to get pitching help in the offseason or at the deadline. Think about all the people (and I was among them) who went to the Dome this weekend, many possibly for the final time to watch the Twins, and who saw what appeared to be a bunch of beer-league rainbow tossers on the mound.

Honestly. It's funny. It's verging on hilarious. It's like seeing a video clip of a father pitching a baseball to his very young son on America's Funniest Home Videos, all the while knowing that Dad's about to take an unexpected line drive to the groin. You've seen it before. You've got a pretty good idea of what to expect. And even so, as dear father doubles over in pain, you laugh, because it is funny, not because it's painful for Pops but because it's well and truly hilarious.

At least, this is what I keep telling myself...

Angels Smear Twins Pitching All Over 35W & 94E Interchange

Jesse — Sun, 02 Aug 2009 10:22:24 -0000

More photos » by Paul Battaglia - AP

4 months ago: Los Angeles Angels' Sean Rodriguez is safe as he dives back to first on a pick-off attempt by Minnesota Twins relief pitcher R.A. Dickey during the sixth inning of a baseball game, Saturday, Aug. 1, 2009, in Minneapolis. The Angels won 11-6. (AP Photo/Paul Battaglia)

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As far as interchanges go, it doesn't get much worse.

After allowing 11 runs in extra-innings on Friday night, the Twins decided to break everyone's heart in regulation on Saturday and allow 11 runs in the allotted nine innings. It allowed everyone to get an earlier start on their Saturday night.

Orlando Cabrera's Debut

It wasn't a bad night for O-Cab. He looks good in a Twins uniform, although this might have something to do with the fact that I now compare everyone to Tony Batista and how he looked. It's a low bar.

At the plate he collected a pair of hits, scoring on a Justin Morneau single in the third and then plating Nick Punto in the eighth. His double in the third was a shot going the other way, slicing down the right field line and into the corner. Denard Span went from first to third, with Cabrera flashing some decent speed behind him. In the field he was largely as advertised, making four put-outs in four attempts. According to his THT stats, he made one play out of the two in his zone (not great), but he also converted a pair of outs outside of his zone (which balances it out a bit). He looked good moving to his left, and on his first play in the top of the first made a play on a tough hop as he ranged toward second base before making the throw to first.

Anthony Swarzak's Night

Everything he threw just wasn't good enough. It's harsh, but I can't lie; nine hits in three-plus innings on just 64 pitches looks more like batting practice than it does anything else. He struck out one (lucky guy, Bobby Abreu, although at least two of those pitches looked like balls to me), and to his credit didn't walk anybody. Although, well...he didn't have to. Nobody wanted to take a walk with all those pitches coming through the zone. Swarzak gave up a double and a triple in addition to his seven singles. But he didn't give up any of the three home runs. So we're ending on a positive.

Joe Saunders' Night

He was pretty much what I expected, which was a good thing. It was just unfortunate that the Angels hit Swarzak harder than the Twins hit Saunders.

Les Bullpenne

That's French for "the bullpen". R.A. Dickey (2.1 IP, 3 R, 1K, 3 BB, 1 HR) and Bobby Keppel (2.2 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 2 HR) couldn't keep it close. For the first half of the game the offense was keeping the Twins in it, and after five it was just 6-4. Dickey had just thrown a scoreless fourth (not counting the one Swarzak let in after two batters), although he did make it interesting; Dickey had also thrown a scoreless fifth. Then came that damn sixth inning.

Something named Sean Rodriguez singled, Chone Figgins walked, and then Maicer Izturis (yes, MAICER IZTURIS) decided that four home runs on the season wasn't enough, because five is his favorite number. With nobody out it was suddenly 9-4, and a game well within reach was suddenly a massive uphill battle.

Keppel's first two jobs were to get Juan Rivera and Kendry Morales. It went like this: strike-ball-ball-home run; ball-strike-strike-home run.

Joe Mauer

Joe was the only Twin who didn't get a hit on Saturday night. He also didn't walk. I guess even Joe can regress to the mean. Tears.

The Rest

Jesse Crain pitched a scoreless ninth, making him the only Twins pitcher to not allow a run. Morneau collected a trio of hits, including his 27th home run which made it 11-5. Carlos Gomez picked up another triple, and Mike Redmond joined Cabrera in the doubles club. Span, Cabrera, Morneau, Redmond and Punto all collected multi-hit nights.

Stars of the Game
Honorable Mention: Carlos Gomez (1-for-4, 3B, RBI, SB, .074 WPA)
#3: Justin Morneau (3-for-5, HR, R, 2 RBI, .057 WPA)
#2: Orlando Cabrera (2-for-5, 2B, R, RBI, .071 WPA)
#1: Mike Redmond (2-for-3, R, RBI, BB, .160 WPA)

The Dark Side
#1: Anthony Swarzak (3+ IP, 9 H, 6 R, K, -.511 WPA)
#2: R.A. Dickey (2.1 IP, 3 H, 3 R, 3 BB, -.062 WPA)
#3: Joe Crede (1-for-5, -.083 WPA)

Reassessment: What Is the Twins Biggest Need?

Jesse — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 23:00:10 -0000

With less than 24 hours to the trade deadline, it's a good time to see if you think the organization's priorities have changed.

Last week we asked this same question, with middle infield taking 45 percent of the vote. Bullpen followed with 30, rotation 18 and bench depth just four percent.

Middle Infield - Still no moves outside of Mark Grudzielanek, although both Orlando Cabrera and Marco Scutaro have been tied to the Twins.

Bullpen - Joe Nathan, Jose Mijares and Matt Guerrier and fine, and Jesse Crain has been better his last couple times out. Bobby Keppel has been a bit more vulnerable and R.A. Dickey's fastball is simply R.A. Dickey's fastball. Is this still one of Minnesota's biggest red flags?

Rotation - Kevin Slowey is down for the season, but Anthony Swarzak has been reliable in his absence so far. Scott Baker's season is starting to come under control, and outside of his last couple of starts Nick Blackburn has been a god-send. But if you can get a starter, whether it's just a reliable innings eater with whom you know what you're getting, or something a bit better, is this the move you make?

Bench Depth - When all of your middle infielders are hitting around the Mendoza line, you can't hide them on the bench. They have to start, and they hurt your offensive production. Even if it's just a hitter you can keep on the bench to step in and take a couple of plate appearances a week away from these guys later in the game, it'd be an asset this team doesn't have and one this team could use.

Poll

One more time: What's the Twins' biggest need?

Middle Infield

184 votes

Bullpen

67 votes

Rotation

120 votes

Bench Depth

9 votes

380 votes | Poll has closed

The Downward Spiral: Twins Drop Fourth Straight, Three In A Row to Angels

Jesse — Sat, 25 Jul 2009 23:56:36 -0000

More photos » by Lori Shepler - AP

4 months ago: Minnesota Twins starting pitcher Nick Blackburn (53) reacts after giving up a single to Los Angeles Angels' Howie Kendrick, that scores Mike Napoli, during the fourth inning of a baseball game in Anaheim, Calif., Saturday, July 25, 2009. (AP Photo/Lori Shepler)

Browse more photos »

Twins 5, Angels 11

There's something painful about every single loss in a situation like this, because every loss counts. And when they run together in the fashion that they have, it makes it just a little worse. This is not fun. Watching the Twins play the Angels, even though it's on their turf, there's really no question: the Angels are the better team.

Nick Blackburn was his old self for three innings. It was nine up, nine down, 41 pitches and no runs. No hits. No walks. The Twins even scored a pair in the top of the third for a 2-0 lead. Then the bottom of the fourth happens.

Chone Figgins homered, of all people, to lead off the onslaught. Maicer Izturis doubles, Bobby Abreu singles, Kendry Morales doubles, Mike Napoli singles. This makes it 3-2 in favor of the Angels. Then a double play, including a play on Morales at the plate to hold the score. Howie Kendrick singles in another run before Gary Mathews Jr. walks, and with the score 4-2, Angels, Blackburn is lifted. He couldn't do a single thing right in the fourth inning, and it all caught up to him at once.

R.A. Dickey came on to suck up the middle innings, per the 2009 Bullpen Handbook. Two singles, a home run by Izturis and another single later, and the Angels had thrown up a nine-run inning. Blackburn was charged with six of those runs, and it looked like just another game that the pitching staff somehow pissed away.

Jason Kubel's 18th homer in the third inning scored Joe Mauer. In the seventh, Kubel doubled in Denard Span for Minnesota's third run. Kubel scored on a throwing error and Brian Buscher singled in Michael Cuddyer for the third run of the inning, closing the gap to 9-5, but that's as close as it got.

Bobby Keppel threw two scoreless innings and Brian Duensing threw a scoreless seventh, but Jose Mijares let two more drop in the bottom of the eighth to make it 11-5. That's the score.

I know the Twins, and Ron Gardenhire, are interested in Orlando Cabrera. I also know the front office has been actively searching for bullpen help, particularly with the Blue Jays, Orioles and Athletics. But with the way this team is playing right now, so close to the deadline, I have to wonder if any move would be worth the trouble. Today's loss puts the Twins two games under .400, at 48-50, leaving them two games behind the White Sox but five games off the pace of the Tigers. The Twins are currently sixth in the Wild Card standings, behind Boston, Texas, Tampa Bay, Seattle and Chicago.

Right now I'm not sure where this team stands. But wherever it is, it's not a good place. Something needs to turn around and fast, or this season is going to slip away before the calendar turns to August.

Stars of the Game
#3: Bobby Keppel (2 IP, 2 H, 1 K, 1 BB, 0 R, .004 WPA)
#2: Joe Mauer (2-for-5, R, .028 WPA)
#1: Jason Kubel (3-for-4, 2B, HR, BB, 2 R, 3 RBI, .216 WPA)

Dudes You're Bumming Me Out
#1: R.A. Dickey: The game was already spiraling out of control, but you couldn't stem the tide when we needed you to.
#2: Nick Blackburn: Dude, you were just lit up in the fourth. Bad times.
#3: Michael Cuddyer & Justin Morneau: Stranded seven between the pair, with two hits, a walk and a run combined in nine at-bats. Sorry, guys.