The most common meaning of the acronym BYOB is of course bring your own bottle.  Let me take this time and space to suggest an alternate meaning to this same acronym.  I suggest in honor of the Minnesota Twins bullpen that BYOB now mean "Be Your Own Bullpen."  Tonight's game was a disgusting example of why the starters need to BYOB.  Scott Baker pithces his heart out for seven shutout innings.  In the eighth, he turns it over to the bullpen and before even one out was recorded, we had used three pitchers and given up three runs!  Just disgusting.  I'm not sure why we let Rauch, Gurrerier, and Crain leave but I bet the starters are missing them now if no one else is. 

MEMO:  Attention Twins' Starters, get prepared to BYOB! 

After nearly two months of the season, I am convinced that this season is going to be a lost cause.  We have too many injuries, are now relying on too many men who belong in the minor leagues, and have an awful lot of players who are underacheiving.  So, I guess my topic for this post then is when the trade deadline rolls around and there are teams desiring rental players for their respective playoff runs are we going to be sellers???  Being brutally honest, we are going to get mostly minor league prospects in return for our selling and probably not much by way of MLB ready contributors.  So, let's throw around some ideas of who we might be selling, if we are even selling at that point of the season. 

Justin Morneau-  I am not a huge fan of dumping him at this point.  He is not healthy, and not having a good season at all thus his value would be lower than what he really worth. 

Denard Span-  I think Sapn would fetch some good soild prospects in return.  He is having a great year and has a strong skill set.  I like Span an awful lot and would miss him if we sold him, but I think that we have some good enough minor leaguers that can step into CF and fill the void. 

Carl Pavano-  Somewhat like Morneau, having a poor year but without the higher ceiling.  I feel like a contender would consider adding him as a third or fourth starter for a playoff run.  Not sure what kind of return he would bring? 

Mike Cuddyer-  I see him as a poor man's Span.  Not a good a skill set and older.  Just the kind of guy a contender would add to an already strong lineup. 

Matt Capps-  If a team needs a closer, they may overpay for him.  Not having a good numbers year though.

I'll make a bold statement here to start this post... this year's Twins team is pretty bad!  Looking at the standings, one will see that we are undoubetly the worst team in baseball.  It's really not even close.  The Houston Astro Baseball Club leads us by an entire series.  I'd love to rant and rave about how bad we are, how the coaching is lacking, how the pitching doesn't cut it, or how the offense is so small it could fall out of a gnat's ass.  However, I think the Twins' problem is a lot more simple than that.  We have WAY TOO many guys on the roster that belong in the minors.  The group is currently doing a great job of proving that point for me.  I'll list a few, and I'm sure I'll forget some that belong on the list.  Luke Hughes, Alexi Casilla, Drew Butera, Steve Holm, Ben Revere, Jim Hoey, Fransisco Liriano (until he's healthy), and Joe Nathan (until he's healthy.)  With the exception on those last two, none of these dudes belong in the majors.  The only thing that could make this season worse is if the management gets fed up and fires Gardy.  He has been a helleva manager for years and he STILL IS a helleva manager.  This year's futility is certainly not his fault and I hope management is smart enough to realize that.  Perhaps the silver lining is that these minor leaguers get some seasoning this year that pays off down the road.

I don't think anyone would argue that Minnesota is probably the most disappointing team in the majors so far this young season.  That however will not be the focus of this post.  This post will instead focus on teams that have gotten off to surprising starts in a solid, positive way.  I have identified four teams that are off to much better starts than most people expected them to.  Choose the team you feel has surprised the most so far and throw a comment or two for us to see. 

Was I the only Twins fan that noticed that new Twins reliever (rumored setup man for Capps) Hoey was up in the zone the entire 1 1/3 innings that he pitched?  I am of course excited that he held some good Oriole hitters down and ultimately got the job done.  However, the fact that he continued to pitch some strikeout prone yet homerun happy hitters high in the zone bothers me.  This tactic I am afraid won't work very well once teams get more used to him, get a scouting report on him, and make the adjustments.  I am worried that a AAA callup is the best option we have setting up games in the eighth!  Is this our plan with him, or was this a once in a while thing?  By the way kudos to Nathan for giving up the closer spot freely, understanding that he was "just not right."  So far Capps looks pretty good, but are we going to be able to get the games to him?  Please tell me that Hoey is not our best option in this matter. 

Anthony Tolliver was quoted in the Kings vs Wolves recap as saying that "many players on this team do not bring effort every night."  He went on to say in the article that the entire team is responsible for Beasley's pouting early in the Kings game because they tolerate it and allow it to happen.  I think these are two different issues that need addressing seperatly.  First the issue of players on this team (Tolliver is an insider remember who goes to war with these guys each game) not bringing it every night.  I will attach a poll to see who you guys think are the worst offenders on that one.  Because I think Tolliver is right, there are guys who do not bring each and every game, and that is pathetic given the fact that these are professional athletes being paid millions.  Second, I am not sure that the team needs to feel guilty because Beasley thinks a few calls went against him. Like it or not, the NBA is a league that protects it's stars call wise, they have for years.  I hate this about the NBA by the way, a foul should be a foul regarless of who commits it and regarless of how many fouls the offender has.  Anyhow, Bealsey is a man who wears his emotion on his sleeve, is still young NBA wise, and isn't going to get the calls that starts get YET.  He may get their someday, but he isn't there yet.  So, I think Tolliver and the rest of the crew shouldn;t feel guilty for Beasley's behavior.  Beasley's mental development of being able to "get over" a bad call is going to be part of his maturity as a player and will help him take a huge step towards becoming a star player in the league. 

Just finished watching the God awful Kings versus Wolves game.  Did anyone else notice what I noticed during this horrific dispaly of professional basketball?  The further we got behind (especially in the fourth quarter) the more it seemed, to me at least, that many of the Wolves' players decided that by God they were going to get their shots up.  I'll give Beas a ton of credit for digging deep even to play at all, and yeah we miss Love when he's absent.  Back to my point, it was pretty disgusting to watch the players stop moving the ball and just casting up poor shots the further behind we got.  I think Luke has been a great addition and I like his contributions to our team, but sadly he seemed like one of the worse offenders today.  Anyone else notice these same things? 

Am I the only one to notice that Pekovic has played pretty well since he has gotten the starting nod here the last few games?  I have not been real surpised that he has put up decent scoring, grabbed some boards, and quite honestly beat the tar out of a few people physically.  What has surpised me quite a bit is that he is playing without fouling as much on defense.  It's almost as if he knows that with Darko out, he'll get more court time if he stays out of foul trouble.  He seems to be doing this without sacrificing effort on D as well.  So, he seems like an intriguing player for us.  Weigh on on the poll and with your comments.  Where do you guys see him fitting in for us long term.  I have limited the options to  starting center, solid backup, end of the bench, or irrelevant: he'll be gone in a couple of years.  If you see something else happening, state it in your comments.  Finally, what do you all think of the nickname Bunyan for him?  I kind of like it.

First of all, the NBA has lost a legend in the abrupt resignation of Jazz coach Jerry Sloan.  This is most definitly Utah's loss and quite possibly someone else's gain.  Perhaps the Wolves?  It was pretty ratty what actually happened to Sloan.  If you read some of the Jazz blogs, SLC newspapers, and Internet articles within the last six monthes or so, you'll see that a small core of players had an awful lot to with Sloan's decision.  I will stop short of saying that he was forced to step down, but I'll add this, it wouldn't surprise me in the least of that was actually the case in Jazzville.  So, here is the question... Will the Wolves make Sloan their next coach?  Further, if we pass on Sloan, will he coach again in the NBA?  I for one would be psyched if the answer to this question is yes.  There are no guarnetees as to how much success he would have in Sota, but one thing is for certain.  We Wolf fans would be treated night in and night out to a team on the floor that would give everything they have and would never underacheive.  Weigh in folks!

This post is going to be two fold.  First, at about the four minute mark of the third quarter Beasley was imbounding the ball and he had to call a timeout.  The only problem with this story is that Flynn was standing near midcourt open and asking for the ball.  Beas then calls the timeout, and you can just see the frusteration as Flynn walks to the huddle.  Rambis then confronts Beas about it during the timeout, and you can see Flynn still stewing about it.  So, what do you guys think, is there some problem between Flynn and Beas?  I have not noticed anything up to this point in the season that would suggest this, as a result maybe this is just an isolated incident.  By the way, this scene was caught on Altitude tv from Denver on the NBA package.  Second part of the post... Given the state of the Wolves this year and Beasley's recurring ankle problems, maybe the brass should shut him down until after the All-Star break.  We are not going anywhere and he is clearly not right on that ankle. Give this poor thing time to heal and get right I say so he can get back to being his slashing, aggressive self.  Weigh in, let's hear what you all are thinking.

Just finished watching the game versus Memphis.  Wow, this was a tough game to watch.  I don't think this type of team (fairly big and strong inside) is the best matchup for us.  Love and Darko were beaten down severely by Little Gasol and Zach.  Of course it hurt to not have Cool Hand Luke, but the problem I believe goes deeper than that.  In the presser, Love admits that the ball didn't seem to find him.  I perceive this as a slam on Flynn for not sharing the ball.  He just doesn't seem to move the ball very well.  However, I feel like effort was the bigger issue tonight.  Beasley gave a solid effort on the offensive end, but not on defense.  I am not sure I can name another player that gave much effort.  When we turned it over, they seemed to score.  That's effort because we loaf back on D.  So fellow Wolf fans, who did you see giving effort tonight?  Maybe Telfair.  That's the best I can do. 

Does anyone know what is up with  big Kosta Koufus?  He doesn't seem to see much burn (as Pete would say) anymore.  It seems like when we he does play, he does ok.  By no means am I saying that is an allstar or anything like that, but he seems to do allright.    What can you guys tell me about big KK?  Finally, is it just me, or does anyone else think that he looks pretty cool with that busted nose mask on his face?

I see that the Wolves' brain trust has hired former coach and supposed NBA guru Jim Lynam as a consultant to evaluate the team!  Now I not exactly sure what the hell a consultant is supposed to do, but I am going to take a wild stab that whatever he concludes will not excatly be rocket science.  In fact, I bet a group of us bloggers here from Canis Hoopus might be able to conclude some of the same things as this big shot consultant!  So, let's get to the heart of this Jim Lynam issue.  Does this mean that there is extra pressure now on the players or more likely the coaching staff since there is now a "new" set of eyes watching?  I'll take it a step further, could this be a signal to all interested that perhaps Coach Rambis should be worried and looking over his shoulder?  Weigh in on this fellow Woofie Fans.  Peace out from the AZ desert. 

After watching the past few weeks of T-wolves games, I have come to one conclusion.   We need to do something with Jonny Flynn.  The problem is I am not sure what our options are.  The team looks pretty competitive when Luke is on the floor, but man do they drop off when Flynn comes in.  I am really startingto think that we might be better off with Telfair getting the second string minutes.  I am serious.  So, here's the question:  what are the options?  May I list a few that seem reasonable.  1.  Let him sit and play Telfair.  2.  Can we send him back to the D-league to regain some confidence and play Telfair?  3.  Do we keep playing him and hope like hell that Rubio comes over next year to team with Luke?  4.  What about cutting ties with him right now?  He seems too young to do this and perhaps worth a second rounder dare I say it to a team desperate at PG.  5.  What about a trade?  I imagine his value is bottom of the barrel right now.  6.  What about this one, and I hate this one by the way because we have looked so much better in losing games this year than last year.  Do we just live with his growing pains and rehab pains and hope that he comes through it all?  I suppose there are more ideas out there that you northerns have (me being a MN fan from AZ) so let me have them.  What do you all think? 

What on earth is wrong with Nocioni?  Last night during the SAC game Hanny and Pete reported that he has zero interest in staying a King next year.  I understand that SAC is not bery good now, but they are young like us.  There time is around the corner, and from their games that I;ve see this year it looks like they let him do whatever the hell he wants to do.  Lots of freedom and little punishment when he goes to far past his zone.  I wonder why he doesn't want to stay?  Weigh in guys.

I have been on a ski vacation in Salt Lake City the last week, so I appologize for my absence.  So, my question is pretty simple this week.  Have the Wolves cashed in the chips for this season or are they still playing hard?  I have to say that it looked pretty poor against Phoenix and Utah.  I will further ask my fellow Wolfie fans that is they answer yes, the Wolves have given up for the season, who in particular is cashing in?  Finally, are there any players that are still giving it there all?   I will start by saying that Ramon Sessions sure had two horrible games.  Especially against the Jazz he made some passes that really stunk, and followed them up by showing zero hustle to get back.  I have been on his side all season, but pulling that crap knocks him down a notch or two.  So what you all think>\?

You guys have shot my idea of trying to get Dwayne Wade in free agency this summer before.  So, what I am asking then is if we have no shot (in your opinion) at getting Wade, then shoot me some names of guys that might work for us.  I would think that shooting guard is a positional need if we play Brewer at small forward.  I would also think that a small forward would be ok if we give Brewer his minutes at the 2 spot.  I persoanlly think that Brewer looks a little more comfortable at the 3 spot myself, but that's just my opinion.  So, my challenge is to give me some names that you guys think are reasonable. 

I have some rants to share with you all.  1.  Jim and Hanny commented that Darko and Sasha are great friends.  Does this mean that if we want to try to keep Darko, we have to keep Sasha too?  God, I hope not.  2.  Darko has looked pretty good in the few games we've had, what do you guys think it would take financially to keep him?  That is even if he wants to stay in the NBA.  It looks like our triangle is a good fit for him.  3.  Darko's defense has really made Hollin's defensive liabilities look more glarring than even before.  Anyone agree?  4.  Is it just me, or does Al look like he gives a helleva lot more effort on offense than defense?  5.  Is Al even capable of passing the rock out of the double team?  We had a name for guys like him that refused to pass outside, a BLACK HOLE.  I do like Al but would like to see him share the ball when he is well covered, and be less selfish.   

Can someone please exaplain to me why we are still paying Mark Blount a salary?  It is very clear to me anyhow, that the man is not going to play this year, at least in a Timberwolves uniform.  Is there seriously some reason financially or otherwise that we are still paying him?  I just see it as such a waste.  Does he have some value that I just do not know about?  He wasn't very good the first time we had him on our squad, and I am guessing that if can't give us some help at the 5 with this current squad we have, then he has minimal value.  Someone, please help me understand the Mark Blount puzzle.  Thanks.

I think you all need to have a blockbuster idea thrown into this site.  So, here is goes.  Dwayne Wade has declared that he is opting out this summer.  We have cap space this summer, so I say why not make a push at getting Wade.  I feel like a starting unit of Flynn, Wade, Brewer, Jefferson, and Hollins would be quite competitive.  Then you've got some very nice pieces coming off the bench in Love, Gomes, Sessions, possibly Wilkins.  Now that is a team that I think people could get excited about.  Now, here comes the crazy statement of the post; I think that the best thing Wade would bring is some sorely needed leadership.  Big Al and Flynn arer the closest we have to leaders, but they are A: not vocal enough, and B: too young.  All right, now tear up my post with negativity about no one wanting to come to Minny, Wade wanting to win now, and or the team not being good enough.  If we are truly rebuilding, then why not aim high?

I have a question for all of you Wolfies.  How can a bunch of young players play so inspired, energetic ball one night (NO) and so lethargic and listless the nect night (MILW)?  Do not tell me they were on a back to back.  We are young enough to sustain energy from night to night.  It didn't seem to bother the Bucks, who are older than us.  I see this lack of effort and energy as a serious problem.

All we T-wolves fans have heard the last few years is that the team is poising itself to make a huge splash in the free agent market this summer.  So, my question is this; who are some of the names that are out there that we may have a reasonable shot at aquiring?  It seems to me that we need a true 5 and a much better 2 guard.  I thinkl that Brewer is looking better at the 3 versus playing at the 2 spot.  So, guys and ladies, who are we in position to get?

Here is a thought.  How about starting Sessions for a while and letting Flynn play against second team guys.  I don't see this as a long term idea, but for a while it could be positive.  It seems like Flynn is hitting the proverbial wall and is admittitadly learning the triangle offense.  Perhaps this move would allow Sessions to play a few more minutes than he has been playing and at the same time, benefit Flynn by helping him A: learn from watching a veteran at the start of games, B:  play less minutes while he is hopefully catching his second wind, and C: gain some confidence playing against second stringers. What do they have to lose?