SB Nation User Blog: Jesse

Final In 16: Tigers 11, Twins 9

Jesse — Sat, 04 Jul 2009 05:26:34 -0000

More photos » by Tom Olmscheid - AP

about 9 hours ago: Detroit Tigers' Curtis Granderson, left, scores behind Minnesota Twins catcher Joe Mauer, left, during the third inning of an baseball game Friday, July 3, 2009 in Minneapolis.(AP Photo/Tom Olmscheid)

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Somebody had to win it, eventually.

I'm not really frustrated. Maybe I'm just too tired.

By the time Kevin Slowey finally retired Brandon Inge on strikes to end the top of the third inning, the Twins were down 6-0, and I wouldn't have judged you if you'd given up. An early, large lead that comes about through extra-base hits with runners on base is a really bad way to let things get away from you, but that's exactly what Detroit did to Slowey. They attacked him early, and it didn't matter if they were good pitches or bad ones the Tigers were going to get on base.

The Twins would respond with a couple runs of their own over the next couple of innings, including Delmon Young's third homer of the year, but heading into the bottom of the sixth the deficit was still five runs. Minnesota trailed 7-2 and it was getting late.

Which naturally meant the Twins would put up a five spot to knot the game at seven. Naturally.

Zach Miner, who had come on for Detroit starter Lucas French when the Twins were threatening in the fifth inning, kicked things off by giving up a solo shot to Joe Crede. Crede's 12th bomb of the season was an inside fastball, right in his wheel house, naturally ending up where almost all of Joe's shots go: the home run porch. Young singles (three hits on the night for Delmon), Nick Punto draws a walk, Denard Span triples and suddently it's a brand new ballgame at 7-5. Brendan Harris followed that up with a triple of his own before Joe Mauer scored him on a sacrifice fly to end the scoring, but Minnesota was born anew. Momentum had changed hands, and in a big way.

Over the next seven innings both Minnesota and Detroit would waste hits and walks, putting goose eggs on the scoreboard. The bottom of the eleventh found Span on third base, with Joel Zumaya walking both Mauer and Justin Morneau (intentionally), only to strike out Michael Cuddyer to end the threat. It would be costly.

In the 14th, after the Tigers plated one off R.A. Dickey, the Twins got it back when Mauer scored off a Cuddyer single. Morneau was stranded on third with one out though, with both Cuddyer and Young unable to come through.

Finally, in the 16th, with Dickey still on the mound for the Twins and Freddy Dolci riding it out for the Tigers, the branch finally snapped. A trio of runs gave the Tigers an 11-8 lead, off of a double and four singles. Minnesota would manage one in the bottom half of the inning, but the magic had to run out for somebody eventually. It did for the Twins.

Both of these teams had ample opportunities to win this game, both in and out of the standard nine innings, and it has to be said that after the Twins tied the game at seven it was their game to take. Minnesota had more chances to bring it home, even after the Tigers drew first blood in extra innings. You can't strand guys on third base with one out and expect to win.

Overall, both squads combined to use 15 pitchers, with 35 hits allowed.

Time for sleep, and then time to move on. See you all...well, THIS afternoon.

Stars of the Game
#3: Jose Mijares (2 IP, 3 K, .286 WPA)
#2: Denard Span (5-for-8, 3B, R, 2 RBI, .236 WPA)
#1: Justin Morneau (3-for-7, 2B, R, RBI, .356 WPA)

Game 81: Detroit Tigers @ Minnesota Twins

Jesse — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 21:51:17 -0000

First Pitch: 7:10pm CDT
TV: FS-N
Radio: Twins Radio Network
Know Thine Enemy: Bless You Boys

Starting Pitchers

	W-L	G	GS	CG	SHO	SV	BS	IP	H	R	ER	HR	BB	K	ERA	WHIP
2009 - Lucas French	0-0	2	0	0	0	0	0	3.0	0	0	0	0	3	3	0.00	1.00

French, Detroit's 23-year old southpaw rookie, is making his first career MLB start after a pair of relief appearances over this week. He's a fastball-slider-changeup guy, almost exclusively, but he's had a great year in triple-A this season: 81.2 innings, 3.16 FIP, great strikeout numbers and good control. As for what to expect tonight it's hard to say; he's always been good with the walks, but all the strikeouts are recent, but ultimately his level of success tonight will depend on his nerves. If he can (cliche alert) "stay within himself" he might be alright, but right now I have to believe he's ripe for the picking. Or hitting. Of course now I've said that, he'll own us...which is the last thing anyone should want. Owned by the French? No, thanks.

	W-L	G	GS	CG	SHO	SV	BS	IP	H	R	ER	HR	BB	K	ERA	WHIP
2009 - Kevin Slowey	10-3	15	15	0	0	0	0	87.2	108	44	43	14	15	71	4.41	1.40

Slowey's job tonight? Defeat the French. Kevin had been cruising for a while, racking up the quality starts (five in a row) until a little hiccup early in June. He came back with two more quality starts but was hit hard again his last time out, and suddenly all those hits look like they're taking their toll. The Tigers are on top of the division with a big target on their back, which means this is Slowey's most important start of the season so far. He'll need to step up and deliver.

Lineups

Tigers
Curtis Granderson, CF
Placido Polanco, 2B
Miguel Cabrera, 1B
Marcus Thames, DH
Don Kelly, LF
Brandon Inge, 3B
Josh Anderson, RF
Gerald Laird, C
Ramon Santiago, SS

Twins
Denard Span, LF
Brendan Harris, SS
Joe Mauer, C
Justin Morneau, 1B
Michael Cuddyer, RF
Joe Crede, 3B
Delmon Young, DH
Carlos Gomez, CF
Nick Punto, 2B

Keith Law On Twitter: Twins Sign Europe's Best Prospect

Jesse — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 21:47:31 -0000

Keith Law On Twitter: Twins Sign Europe's Best Prospect

German catcher Max Kepler has signed with the Minnesota Twins. Terms aren't currently disclosed, but Law's opinion of Kepler is a good one. We'll see what we can find out about Kepler over the coming days.

Twins Make Offer to Miguel Angel Sano

Jesse — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 22:42:45 -0000

Twins Make Offer to Miguel Angel Sano

It's been mentioned in the open thread, but according to LEN III, the Twins have reportedly made an offer to the Domincan prospect for around $3 million dollars. Age verification by MLB should be completed yet today.

International Signing Period Starts Today, Open Thread

Jesse — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 23:23:07 -0000

How involved will the Minnesota Twins get?

The biggest international signing of this season, at least for this season if not for the future, will be the inking of shortstop Miguel Angel Sano. You remember him, right? We've talked about him recently.

While the Pittsburgh Pirates are still currently the favorites to sign the young Dominican prospect, there've been no shortage of rumors about the Twins being the other front-runner for his services.

Will the Twins swoop in and nab him? Or will the Pirates find themselves a superstar-in-the-making? Stay tuned and find out, because one way or another it appears that someone will be paying a record-breaking signing bonus.

Twins Starters Picking Up Their Slack

Jesse — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 22:32:52 -0000

While Kevin Slowey is trying to shake out of his first slump of 2009, the other four starters are starting to put something together.

For Nick Blackburn it's all about maintaining what's been working all season long. For Glen Perkins it's about finding a groove after missing a little bit of time. But for Scott Baker and Francisco Liriano, it's simply about time. All four of these guys are putting together streaks of various lengths, and it's not surprising that their stretches have coincided with more competetive play from the team as a whole.

Scott Baker

On Tuesday Baker lasted just five innings, but he also allowed just one run, and it was the first time in seven tries that he didn't give the Twins a quality start. He's now got his ERA under 5.00 for the first time this year. In June, Baker was commissioned for six starts, and he racked up 39.1 innings, a 3.20 ERA and a 4-0 record if you're into that kind of thing. More telling, he's cut down on how often his opposition reaches base and increased his strikeout rates (35 K's in June). It always takes a little while to recognize trends in baseball, to see who can establish something and how they do it, but Baker is re-established. It's good to have him back.

Nick Blackburn

Captain Consistency has been doing it almost all year, leading the team in quality starts (12) and innings (107.1). It's now eighth quality starts in a row, with 58 innings amassed over that stretch. 22 strikeouts aren't great, and versus 13 walks the ratio isn't strong either but Blackburn's general control this year has been outstanding. His 2.02 ERA over these eight starts is a little unreal, but Nick's succeeding in spite of his peripherals, not because of them. He keeps the ball in the park and doesn't shoot himself in the foot, and as long as his fastball continues to sink and his defense picks him up, even if he's not as good as he's been the last month and a half he can still be an effective pitcher.

Glen Perkins

If it wasn't for May, Perkins would be having one helluva year. As it stands, it still isn't bad; he's been at his best since returning from the disabled list. That's just four starts but covers 27 innings, and a 2.67 ERA in spite of just nine strikeouts. He's allowed just one home run over that stretch, and just a pair of free passes, meaning that just like Nick he relies on hitters making contact the way he wants them to. There will always be questions of sustainability for guys like Perk who don't strike people out, but right now that doesn't matter. Glen has been great since returning from the DL, and he's giving his team a chance to win. That's what it's all about.

Francisco Liriano

Every game, every inning and every pitch is like a crap shoot with Cisco, or so it seems, but he was effective throughout June...if not efficient. His 3.77 June ERA has helped him start to get his 2009 line under a bit of control, pushing his yearly ERA under 6.00. He's struck out 30 in 31 innings over five starts, allowing just 27 hits. Sure, the 14 walks aren't a good thing and he can throw too many pitches, but he's been getting himself under a bit more control physically and mentally these last few weeks. The big innings aren't happening, at least in terms of runs, and that was the biggest source of Liriano's failings early in the year. What's best about Liriano is that if he can keep his mechanics under control, keep his elbow and shoulder where they're supposed to be and maintain a consistent release point, and just focus, these are numbers he can easily sustain.

Perkins Is Strong but Cuddyer Is Stronger, and the Twins Win Another Series

Jesse — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 21:27:30 -0000

More photos » by Ed Zurga - AP

2 days ago: Minnesota Twins catcher Mike Redmond, center, is helped to his feet by manager Ron Gardenhire, left, and a team trainer after he was injured during a baseball game against the Kansas City Royals in the fifth inning Wednesday, July 1, 2009, in Kansas City, Mo. Redmond left the game. (AP Photo/Ed Zurga)

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Royals give the Twins a couple runs, but even if they hadn't this one was going to Minnesota.

While the first inning was quiet, the second inning started with a bang. Michael Cuddyer took Gil Meche's first pitch of the inning and launched another line-drive home run into the left field seats of gorgeous Kauffman Stadium to give Minnesota their first run of the afternoon. It was the 12th of the year for Cuddles, and it's safe to say that at this point he's having the season we've wanted him to have since he lit up in 2006.

Meche did everything he could for the Royals. Six hits and five walks don't necessarily look good, but one of the three runs he allowed lays at the feet of Alberto Callaspo, whose Bill Buckner-like five-hole error allowed Joe Crede's routine grounder turn from a third out into a run. But none of Meche's walks scored, although Matt Tolbert's two-out walk in the sixth allowed Joe Mauer to step in and give the Twins their third run.

While Meche wasn't really bad, Glen Perkins was positively solid. He allowed ten hits but didn't walk a single batter, and the ultimate number is one. One, as in the number of runs he allowed. From the start he mixed up all of his pitches, only relying heavily on the fastball once his offense had spotted him a 2-0 lead. Kansas City did start to catch up with him a bit over the sixth and seventh, when they tallied half of their offensive hits on the day, but every time the Royals threatened Perk came back. The defense backed him up with a pair of double plays, and outside of Carlos Gomez over-running a fly-ball that had already bounced off the fence, there weren't any miscues made by the Twins.

The Royals? A different story.

In addtion to Callaspo's error in the third, the Kansas City bullpen ensured that any comeback attempt made by their offense would be as difficult as possible. After Robinson Tejeda struck out Gomez and Brendan Harris to kick off the top of the eighth, Denard Span singled and stole second base. Matt Tolbert followed that up with a single to score Span, advancing to second on the throw. With Justin Morneau having been removed the previous inning due to tightness in his groin, Tejeda did the smart thing and intentionally walked Mauer to set up the force at third. And then John Bale proceeded to walk two more, including Cuddyer with the bases loaded. By the time Roman Colon came on to get the final out, the Twins held a 5-1 lead with just six outs remaining for the Royals.

R.A. Dickey mopped up in the eighth and got two outs in the ninth, before a single and a walk brought up the man who could make it a two-run game with one swing of the bat. Ron Gardnehire did the right thing and brought in Joe Nathan to lock down the win, even if it was for a cheap one-out save, and Nathan did his job. David DeJesus slapped a hard grounder to Brian Buscher at first base, who took it himself to retire the Royals for the final time in the series.

Right now I haven't seen any updates on the guys who had to leave the game, but here's the run-down for how it looks as of right now.

Morneau left due to the sore groin. With an off day tomorrow and on Monday, the Twins have the luxury of keeping him in the designated hitter role over the weekend if they want to take it slow with him, unless it's something worse in which case he'll likely miss this series before Minnesota puts him on the DL retroactive to today. We should find out by tonight whether this is an issue or a non-issue.
Nick Punto left with more soreness in his back, and he was slow getting up after getting taken out while turning a double play at the end of the sixth.
Mike Redmond also was removed, taking a foul ball off his forearm. X-Rays are negative, but he does have a bone bruise. He'll be sore for a few days.

Stars of the Game
#3: Joe Mauer (3-for-3, R, RBI, 2 BB, .160 WPA)
#2: Michael Cuddyer (1-for-3, HR, 2 RBI, R, 2 BB, .155 WPA)
#1: Glen Perkins (7 IP, 10 H, 1 K, 0 BB, 1 R, .358 WPA)

Game 80: Minnesota Twins @ Kansas City Royals

Jesse — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 15:02:50 -0000

First Pitch: 1:10pm CDT
TV: MLB.tv
Radio: Twins Radio Network
Know Thine Enemy: Royals Review

Starting Pitchers

	W-L	G	GS	CG	SHO	SV	BS	IP	H	R	ER	HR	BB	K	ERA	WHIP
2009 - Gil Meche	4-7	16	16	1	1	0	0	92.2	96	49	44	6	36	71	4.27	1.42

Meche's been knocked around a bit his last two times out, and he's had a hard time during day games this year, so if you want to buy into splits a little bit we can hope the Twins are getting him at the right time. On the other hand, Meche is also a better pitcher against left-handed hitters, so take what it all means with a grain of salt. Before these last two outings, Meche was looking a bit more like the pitcher he's capable of being, throwing 16 shutout innings while striking out 17 and scattering just four hits per contest. This is the Meche we need to expect today.

	W-L	G	GS	CG	SHO	SV	BS	IP	H	R	ER	HR	BB	K	ERA	WHIP
2009 - Glen Perkins	3-4	11	11	0	0	0	0	67.0	70	35	35	7	14	34	4.70	1.25

Perkins is going to have to put up another solid performance if he wants to distance himself from the fans who believe it should be Anthony Swarzak taking the mound every fifth day, and not him. Still, he's been reliable since his return from the disabled list, and the Royals offense may not be the most accurate judge of how effective Perk can really be. If he can limit the walks again today and keep the ball in the park, he should be able to put up six or seven quality innings.

Lineup

Minnesota Twins @ Kansas City Royals

07/01/09 2:10 PM EDT

Minnesota Twins	Kansas City Royals
Denard Span - LF	David DeJesus - LF
Matt Tolbert - 2B	Willie Bloomquist - RF
Joe Mauer - DH	Billy Butler - 1B
Justin Morneau - 1B	Jose Guillen - DH
Michael Cuddyer - RF	Mark Teahen - 3B
Joe Crede - 3B	Alberto Callaspo - 2B
Mike Redmond - C	Brayan Pena - C
Carlos Gomez - CF	Luis Hernandez - SS
Nick Punto - SS	Mitch Maier - CF

Twinkie Town History: July 1

Jesse — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 10:29:27 -0000

June is already done and dusted for 2009, and the baseball season is halfway through its ownership of months for the regular season. For your browsing (see: wasting time at work) pleasure, we're looking back at what we were doing on the first of July in years past.

July 1, 2008: Relief Failure

Categorized by ERA+, looking at the Twins' top 20 relievers since 2001.

July 1, 2007: Castillo Redux

Cmathewson ponders Luis Castillo being called an All-Star, hoping the Twins choose not to re-sign him.

July 1, 2007: Vote for Pat!

With Justin Morneau, Johan Santana and Torii Hunter already on the All-Star team, Jon Marthaler encourages us to vote for Pat Neshek in the Final Vote Ballot.

July 1, 2007: Twins Aquire Garnett From Wolves

The Wolves were looking for suitors, and the Twins needed an athlete. As for what the Pups got in return, there's still no word on whether Glen Taylor has received the second part of his request. The Big Mac, it appears, was delicious.

July 1, 2006: Open Conversation, Projection Poll

Whose projections were most likely to hold up? Those projections are here. Note Jason Bartlett's great start, Nick Punto's best career season, Justin Morneau breaking out and Rondell White barely limping along.

All-Star Picks, 2009

Jesse — Sun, 28 Jun 2009 17:30:00 -0000

With the midway point of the season on the horizon, what better time to break into our first discussion of the All-Star game? Feel free to check who I selected in the 2007 and 2008 editions, but now it's onto the '09 team.

Catcher

Joe Mauer

#7 / Catcher / Minnesota Twins

Height: 6-5

Weight: 225

Bats: L

Throws: R

Born: Apr 19, 1983

	G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	BB	K	SB	CS	AVG	OBP	SLG
2009 - Joe Mauer	51	188	41	74	12	1	14	43	29	25	1	1	.394	.468	.691

There's really no other choice you can make, that's how good of a year Joe Mauer is having. Hell, he could be hitting 100 points less in each of the triple slash categories and he'd still be the American League's starting catcher. He's having the best year of his career to date, across the board. Nobody deserves to represent his league more than Mauer.

Previous Selections: 2 (2006, 2008)
Runner-Up: Mike Napoli, Angels

First Base

Kevin Youkilis

#20 / First Base / Boston Red Sox

Height: 6-1

Weight: 220

Bats: R

Throws: R

Born: Mar 15, 1979

	G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	BB	K	SB	CS	AVG	OBP	SLG
2009 - Kevin Youkilis	60	208	45	65	17	1	12	42	42	59	4	1	.313	.442	.577

First base was a hard decision, because there are a lot of guys tearing the cover off the ball (Miguel Cabrera, Justin Morneau, Carlos Pena, Victor Martinez, Mark Teixeira...and some lumberjack from Seattle). But Kevin Youkilis wins out not just because he can hit, but because he's not too shabby with the glove, either. And are you seeing the same on-base percentage number as I am? The man is a machine, and I've wished this before and I'll wish it again: I wish Youk played for the Twins so they could bat Mauer/Youkilis one/two. ~~Leonidas~~ Youkilis could play third base or designated hitter; whoever else we have now would need to take a breather. Awesome. Just awesome.

Previous Selections: 1 (2008)
Runner-Up: Russell Branyan, Mariners

Second Base

Ian Kinsler

#5 / Second Base / Texas Rangers

Height: 6-0

Weight: 200

Bats: R

Throws: R

Born: Jun 22, 1982

	G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	BB	K	SB	CS	AVG	OBP	SLG
2009 - Ian Kinsler	72	294	54	80	17	2	18	50	36	42	16	2	.272	.351	.527

Ian Kinsler is following up a great '08 campaign with yet another offensively successful season. He's already tied his home run total from last year, and hopefully he can stay healthy and hit the 130-games played mark. Texas doesn't have the offensive juggernaut it had last season, but that's not stopping Kinsler from topping a list of great candidates for the second base gig.

Previous Selections: 1 (2008)
Runner-Up: Aaron Hill, Blue Jays

Third Base

Evan Longoria

#3 / Third Base / Tampa Bay Rays

Height: 6-2

Weight: 210

Bats: R

Throws: R

Born: Oct 07, 1985

	G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	BB	K	SB	CS	AVG	OBP	SLG
2009 - Evan Longoria	72	268	45	82	24	0	16	63	32	69	2	0	.306	.384	.575

Then there's Evan Longoria, who's having quite a laugh over the idea of a "sophomore slump". The man has been an absolute monster, racking up extra-base hits like C.C. Sabathia racks up the pounds. Not only is he a beast with the bat, but he's pretty slick in the field as well (13.4 UZR/150). If you had to pick any third baseman in baseball to start your franchise with, considering his age you might have to pick him over A-Rod, wouldn't you? At least right now, he's that good.

Previous Selections: 1 (2008)
Runner-Up: Brandon Inge, Tigers

Shortstop

Jason Bartlett

#8 / Short Stop / Tampa Bay Rays

Height: 6-0

Weight: 190

Bats: R

Throws: R

Born: Oct 30, 1979

	G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	BB	K	SB	CS	AVG	OBP	SLG
2009 - Jason Bartlett	56	209	42	76	15	3	7	36	13	32	16	1	.364	.401	.565

Yes, that's right...Jason Barlett. Here you see him rocking the Josten's senior picture for the yearbook. This guy is raking at an unsustainable rate, if only because 28% of his BIP are line drives. He's always been pretty reliable as far as being a contact hitter, at least in terms of scoring good ratios with line drives, but this year he's actually hitting more fly balls than grounders. And that's a little bizarre. The result has been more power, and along with that .407 BABIP he's sitting pretty. Like I said, unsustainable, but respect must be paid. Here's to you, Mr. Bartlett.

Previous Selections: 0
Runner-Up: Marco Scutaro, Blue Jays

Left Field

Jason Bay

#44 / Left Field / Boston Red Sox

Height: 6-2

Weight: 205

Bats: R

Throws: R

Born: Sep 20, 1978

	G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	BB	K	SB	CS	AVG	OBP	SLG
2009 - Jason Bay	73	267	49	74	16	2	19	69	46	67	5	1	.277	.386	.566

Rumors keep swirling about the Red Sox signing Jason Bay to a long-term deal, but for whatever reason it hasn't happened yet. Maybe they're waiting for him to cool off so he won't be quite as expensive...y'know, save a cool million or two. Well, no sign of that happening either, just yet. Bay, rocking the mug shot after holding up a 711, is the guy every team wants as a left fielder. He walks a lot, he hits for great power and he has superb control of the strike zone. He's a stud.

Previous Selections: 2 (2005, 2006)
Runner-Up: Johnny Damon, Yankees

Center Field

Torii Hunter

#48 / Center Field / Los Angeles Angels

Height: 6-2

Weight: 225

Bats: R

Throws: R

Born: Jul 18, 1975

	G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	BB	K	SB	CS	AVG	OBP	SLG
2009 - Torii Hunter	68	247	50	76	16	1	17	56	30	43	12	3	.308	.385	.587

Torii Hunter is a handsome guy, so what's up with this shot? Either he just tasted some cheese that somebody made themselves and is trying really hard to be polite, or they snapped the shot right as he was trying to squeeze out a little air. Anyway, did you know Hunter was capable of this? After hitting roughly his career averages last year offensively, this season we're seeing him tear the cover off the ball once again. The walk rates are career-best, and he's not a big line drive guy, which basically tells me that it doesn't matter if Torii is hitting grounders, liners or flies...because he's just hitting everything hard. His UZR/150 is in the negative (-4.5) for the fourth year in a row, but when a center fielder can hit like he is this year that doesn't matter. He's making up for it. Good for you, Torii.

Previous Selections: 2 (2002, 2007)
Runner-Up: Adam Jones, Orioles

Right Field

Ben Zobrist

#18 / Right Field / Tampa Bay Rays

Height: 6-3

Weight: 200

Bats: B

Throws: R

Born: May 26, 1981

	G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	BB	K	SB	CS	AVG	OBP	SLG
2009 - Ben Zobrist	69	209	43	60	14	4	16	45	40	47	8	2	.287	.404	.622

Ben Zobrist? Freak of nature. Is isolated power is way up, his walks are way up, and one out of every four balls he hits in the air leaves the park. It's been an unreal year, and nobody could have predicted this. Even better, the man is an outstanding right fielder (22.5 UZR/150). What's there not to like? Sure, Jermaine Dye is having a fine season at the plate, but this one isn't even close. Hell, it's not even close compared to who came in as the runner-up.

Previous Selections: 0
Runner-Up: Ichiro Suzuki, Mariners

That's who I'm voting for. Who's on your ballot? Did I miss anyone?

Poll

SB Nation User Blog: Jesse

Final In 16: Tigers 11, Twins 9

Somebody had to win it, eventually.

Game 81: Detroit Tigers @ Minnesota Twins

Starting Pitchers

Lineups

Keith Law On Twitter: Twins Sign Europe's Best Prospect

Twins Make Offer to Miguel Angel Sano

International Signing Period Starts Today, Open Thread

Twins Starters Picking Up Their Slack

Perkins Is Strong but Cuddyer Is Stronger, and the Twins Win Another Series

Royals give the Twins a couple runs, but even if they hadn't this one was going to Minnesota.

Game 80: Minnesota Twins @ Kansas City Royals

Starting Pitchers

Lineup

Twinkie Town History: July 1

All-Star Picks, 2009

Catcher

#7 / Catcher / Minnesota Twins

First Base

#20 / First Base / Boston Red Sox

Second Base

#5 / Second Base / Texas Rangers

Third Base

#3 / Third Base / Tampa Bay Rays

Shortstop

#8 / Short Stop / Tampa Bay Rays

Left Field

#44 / Left Field / Boston Red Sox

Center Field

#48 / Center Field / Los Angeles Angels

Right Field

#18 / Right Field / Tampa Bay Rays

Which runner-up most deserves to usurp the selected starter?