Doctor Detroit
Please remove your headgear
Wooderson is only a fan when the Twins win. He just ignored the game Thursday, right now the Twins are 47-0. HTH.
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***OFFICAL MINNESOTA TWINS 2010 THREAD*** (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter Dungeon Master
- Start date
Limp Ditka
Footballguy
Wooderson
Fight The Power
You just can't let it go. I've stayed out of the Tigers thread and thought maybe you were doing the same by staying out of this thread. Or at least just sticking to baseball talk. Look back on the past few years I started the Twins thread the last few years. So how you can say I'm only a Twins fan when they are winning is plain stupid.Look back a few post. The Twins were playing bad and some Twins fans were down I was saying don't give up on them yet. DD it was nice not talking to you for a few months and I thought maybe you had grown up but I guess not. Unless it's talk about actual baseball and not he's not a fan because.... I think I will go back to cheering on my Twins like I have since I was kid.
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Wooderson
Fight The Power
When I looked I was thinking it was only a 3 game series.
Doctor Detroit
Please remove your headgear
Yeah, you started it and then didn't post in it for three months when things weren't going well. Did you forget about that?
Thanks Woody. You know there is an ignore function right? However it won't work on posts that you write, which is unfortunate for you. 
Fixed
Wooderson
Fight The Power
Why? Why be such a internet A hole. PatheticYeah, you started it and then didn't post in it for three months when things weren't going well. Did you forget about that?Fixed
Gopher State
Footballguy
Crain credits Rauch
After recording his first save since 2006 on Friday, Crain credited Rauch for some advice that helped turn around his season.
Crain posted a 7.31 ERA in his first 16 games, but in his past 22 appearances, he has an 0.86 ERA with 20 strikeouts in 22 innings.
"After watching me throw in the bullpen one day, [Rauch] told me that I was rushing towards home plate," Crain said. "And ever since then, I've stayed back. I've been a lot better, a lot sharper, and able to throw all my pitches for strikes."
Crain had been getting the same advice from pitching coach Rick Anderson and Gardenhire.
"For some reason when Rauch said it, it kind of clicked," Crain said.
As Gardenhire joked, when Crain heard it from Rauch, "It came from a higher authority, a lot higher authority, like 6-foot-9."
After recording his first save since 2006 on Friday, Crain credited Rauch for some advice that helped turn around his season.
Crain posted a 7.31 ERA in his first 16 games, but in his past 22 appearances, he has an 0.86 ERA with 20 strikeouts in 22 innings.
"After watching me throw in the bullpen one day, [Rauch] told me that I was rushing towards home plate," Crain said. "And ever since then, I've stayed back. I've been a lot better, a lot sharper, and able to throw all my pitches for strikes."
Crain had been getting the same advice from pitching coach Rick Anderson and Gardenhire.
"For some reason when Rauch said it, it kind of clicked," Crain said.
As Gardenhire joked, when Crain heard it from Rauch, "It came from a higher authority, a lot higher authority, like 6-foot-9."
Gopher State
Footballguy
Four run rally in the 9th to beat the SOX
History made first walk off win at Target field, and against Chicago
I don't think anyones hotter then Young right now
3 out 4 vs Ozzie and crew
History made first walk off win at Target field, and against Chicago
I don't think anyones hotter then Young right now
3 out 4 vs Ozzie and crew
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Wooderson
Fight The Power
Four run rally in the 9th to beat the SOXHistory made first walk off win at Target field, and against Chicago
I don't think anyones hotter then Young right now3 out 4 vs Ozzie and crew
I have it on DVR going to be fun to watch.
Frostillicus
Footballguy
2 out of Baker/Slowey/Blackburn need to get it figured out if they're going to make the playoffs. I've given up on Blackburn, so it's up to the other two.
Gopher State
Footballguy
The Twins have improved after the All-Star break in five of Ron Gardenhire's previous eight seasons as manager -- each of the five times they've won the division.
Fun fact for the day about the TWINS
Fun fact for the day about the TWINS
Wooderson
Fight The Power
1B Justin Morneau reported to team trainers Saturday that his post-concussion symptoms had improved but the team still recommended that he stay home. Morneau was absent for the final three games of the White Sox series and is scheduled to be reevaluated Monday.
Need to get him back in the lineup. I didn't think he would be out this long when it first happened.
Need to get him back in the lineup. I didn't think he would be out this long when it first happened.
Frostillicus
Footballguy
You've got to be kidding me.
Wooderson
Fight The Power
No I'm not.When it first happened it didn't look like it felt good but I didn't think he would be out this long. After the reports yeah I can understand with him having headaches and such he will miss some time.I wasn't able to tell he would have these kind of problems moments after the injury.
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Gopher State
Footballguy
Brian Duensing (FSY) (3-1), who could be in Minnesota's rotation before long, allowed seven hits and one earned run in four innings to get the win. His ERA dropped to 1.67.
Twins need to make the move to get Duensing into the starting line up, send Blackburn to AAA
Twins need to make the move to get Duensing into the starting line up, send Blackburn to AAA
Limp Ditka
Footballguy
I ####### hate Scott Baker
Wooderson
Fight The Power
1B Justin Morneau (concussion) is unlikely to be activated before July 26, according to manager Ron Gardenhire. Morneau will be eligible to come off the disabled list Friday, but he is still experiencing some post-concussion symptoms, Gardenhire said. Morneau, who is hitting .345 with 18 homers and 56 RBI through 81 games, missed a trip to the All-Star Game due to his condition.
(Yahoo! Sports)
(Yahoo! Sports)
Frostillicus
Footballguy
Me too.
Gopher State
Footballguy
Reliever Anthony Slama, with a 1.71 ERA and 17 saves at Class AAA Rochester, is finally on his way to the Twins after dominating the International League and pitching in the All-Star Futures game.
Looking forward to see if this kid is as good at the major's as he was at AAA
Looking forward to see if this kid is as good at the major's as he was at AAA
Gopher State
Footballguy
Talks are heating up about the Twins trading for either Dan Haren from AZ or Ted Lilly from the Cubs. Anyone would be an upgrade over Baker/Blackburn.
Frostillicus
Footballguy
Everything I'm reading says that Haren is basically out since it will take a monster offer to get him and you're taking one a bunch of salary for the next three years.Personally, since he is signed for the next three years, he's young, and he would come in and be the #1 starter, I'd be willing to give up quite a bit to get him. I have the feeling that even with the new ballpark and a bigger revenue stream, the team still isn't wired that way.
Gopher State
Footballguy
You might be right about Haren, but I think Lilly can be had. Lilly's only fault is his fast ball tops out at about 87 mph, but he knows how to pitch, but he might be to much like a Baker/Blackburn type.
Gopher State
Footballguy
Rotation vs. Orioles has openings
By JOE CHRISTENSEN, Star Tribune
With the Twins contemplating rotation changes, they tipped their hand a bit Tuesday with the pregame notes that get distributed to the media.
Here's how the Twins listed their probable pitchers for this week's series at Baltimore: Carl Pavano (Thursday), TBA (Friday), Scott Baker (Saturday) and TBA (Sunday).
Francisco Liriano will pitch Wednesday's series finale against Cleveland. The two unlisted starters were Nick Blackburn and Kevin Slowey.
Twins manager Ron Gardenhire declined to say if Slowey was pitching for his job Tuesday, but he helped his case, leaving in the sixth inning with the bases loaded and the score tied 1-1.
Jesse Crain gave up a two-run single to Shelley Duncan, and those two runs were charged to Slowey, who went 5 2/3 innings, allowing three runs on six hits with one walk and seven strikeouts.
"We'll talk about [the rotation] later," Gardenhire said. "Good effort by Slowey. I'm really happy for the kid."
For a quality start, a pitcher must go at least six innings and allow three or fewer runs. Slowey has done that in only five of 19 starts this year, but he sounded encouraged.
"It was a good start for me," Slowey said. "But there was an opportunity to make it a great start, and I couldn't get the job done."
Lefthander Brian Duensing, who pitched four innings in relief of Blackburn on Sunday, is lined up to take Blackburn's place in the rotation Friday if the Twins decide to go that way. Blackburn has a 6.53 ERA (compared to 4.94 for Slowey) but has seven quality starts in 18 attempts.
Morneau update
Justin Morneau saw Dr. Steven Morgan at the Minneapolis Clinic of Neurology on Tuesday. General Manager Bill Smith said, via e-mail, that Morneau continues to make progress from the concussion he suffered July 7 in Toronto, but the first baseman is not ready to resume baseball activities and will not travel with the Twins to Baltimore after Wednesday's game.
Etc.
• Jon Rauch told Gardenhire he was ready to pitch one day after taking a hard smash from Trevor Crowe off his left ankle, but Gardenhire said he wanted to give Rauch a night to recover.
• In lieu of surgery, reliever Clay Condrey has decided to undergo platelet-rich plasma (PRP) treatment in his right elbow next Tuesday. The PRP treatment can stimulate the healing of his flexor forearm muscles, but the estimated recovery time is still three months, which means he's out for the season.
• Infielder Alexi Casilla (right elbow surgery) is expected to come off the disabled list Thursday and join the Twins in Baltimore. Gardenhire said the corresponding move likely will involve a pitcher, since the team has 13 of them on the 25-man roster.
• Anthony Slama, who was promoted from Class AAA Rochester, had a flight delay Tuesday but was in the bullpen early in the game. Slama has what Gardenhire calls "a little funky angle" to his pitching motion, which helped him post a 1.71 ERA with 17 saves for Rochester, while holding opponents to a .164 average.
• There's been a time change for the July 31 game between the Twins and Mariners at Target Field. Originally scheduled to start at 3:10 p.m., that game will now be played at 6:10 p.m.
Twins need to change the starting pitching either by trade or bring someone up
By JOE CHRISTENSEN, Star Tribune
With the Twins contemplating rotation changes, they tipped their hand a bit Tuesday with the pregame notes that get distributed to the media.
Here's how the Twins listed their probable pitchers for this week's series at Baltimore: Carl Pavano (Thursday), TBA (Friday), Scott Baker (Saturday) and TBA (Sunday).
Francisco Liriano will pitch Wednesday's series finale against Cleveland. The two unlisted starters were Nick Blackburn and Kevin Slowey.
Twins manager Ron Gardenhire declined to say if Slowey was pitching for his job Tuesday, but he helped his case, leaving in the sixth inning with the bases loaded and the score tied 1-1.
Jesse Crain gave up a two-run single to Shelley Duncan, and those two runs were charged to Slowey, who went 5 2/3 innings, allowing three runs on six hits with one walk and seven strikeouts.
"We'll talk about [the rotation] later," Gardenhire said. "Good effort by Slowey. I'm really happy for the kid."
For a quality start, a pitcher must go at least six innings and allow three or fewer runs. Slowey has done that in only five of 19 starts this year, but he sounded encouraged.
"It was a good start for me," Slowey said. "But there was an opportunity to make it a great start, and I couldn't get the job done."
Lefthander Brian Duensing, who pitched four innings in relief of Blackburn on Sunday, is lined up to take Blackburn's place in the rotation Friday if the Twins decide to go that way. Blackburn has a 6.53 ERA (compared to 4.94 for Slowey) but has seven quality starts in 18 attempts.
Morneau update
Justin Morneau saw Dr. Steven Morgan at the Minneapolis Clinic of Neurology on Tuesday. General Manager Bill Smith said, via e-mail, that Morneau continues to make progress from the concussion he suffered July 7 in Toronto, but the first baseman is not ready to resume baseball activities and will not travel with the Twins to Baltimore after Wednesday's game.
Etc.
• Jon Rauch told Gardenhire he was ready to pitch one day after taking a hard smash from Trevor Crowe off his left ankle, but Gardenhire said he wanted to give Rauch a night to recover.
• In lieu of surgery, reliever Clay Condrey has decided to undergo platelet-rich plasma (PRP) treatment in his right elbow next Tuesday. The PRP treatment can stimulate the healing of his flexor forearm muscles, but the estimated recovery time is still three months, which means he's out for the season.
• Infielder Alexi Casilla (right elbow surgery) is expected to come off the disabled list Thursday and join the Twins in Baltimore. Gardenhire said the corresponding move likely will involve a pitcher, since the team has 13 of them on the 25-man roster.
• Anthony Slama, who was promoted from Class AAA Rochester, had a flight delay Tuesday but was in the bullpen early in the game. Slama has what Gardenhire calls "a little funky angle" to his pitching motion, which helped him post a 1.71 ERA with 17 saves for Rochester, while holding opponents to a .164 average.
• There's been a time change for the July 31 game between the Twins and Mariners at Target Field. Originally scheduled to start at 3:10 p.m., that game will now be played at 6:10 p.m.
Twins need to change the starting pitching either by trade or bring someone up
Gopher State
Footballguy
Duensing replaces Blackburn in rotation; Gardy to miss game
by Joe Christensen
Brian Duensing will replace Nick Blackburn in the Twins starting rotation and start Friday against Baltimore, with Blackburn moving to the bullpen, the team announced today.
"Obviously we couldn’t keep doing what we were doing," pitching coach Rick Anderson said. "We needed to shake it up a bit. I think this is a good move for [blackburn] probably more than anyone."
Blackburn took it well, saying he knew it had to be done because he was hurting the team.
Now we just need to get Baker out of the rotation
GO TWINS
by Joe Christensen
Brian Duensing will replace Nick Blackburn in the Twins starting rotation and start Friday against Baltimore, with Blackburn moving to the bullpen, the team announced today.
"Obviously we couldn’t keep doing what we were doing," pitching coach Rick Anderson said. "We needed to shake it up a bit. I think this is a good move for [blackburn] probably more than anyone."
Blackburn took it well, saying he knew it had to be done because he was hurting the team.
Now we just need to get Baker out of the rotation
GO TWINS
Gopher State
Footballguy
Young has a team-high 67 RBI. Coming into Wednesday's game, his 48 RBI since May 21 were the second most in all of baseball behind Milwaukee outfielder Corey Hart's 50.
Can you say smoking hot Mr. Young
Can you say smoking hot Mr. Young
Gopher State
Footballguy
Carl Pavano walked one, struck out four and gave up five hits in a complete-game shutout vs the O's tonight. Plus Delmon Young went 2-for-4, including a three-run double. Nice win by the Twins. Pavano comes through again
Doctor Detroit
Please remove your headgear
Man I wish I would have drafted him this year. Almost did.Carl Pavano walked one, struck out four and gave up five hits in a complete-game shutout vs the O's tonight. Plus Delmon Young went 2-for-4, including a three-run double. Nice win by the Twins. Pavano comes through again
Frostillicus
Footballguy
He's just sick right now, and the way he's doing it is really fun to watch. He's striking out nobody, but every pitch is on the black and at the knees. He's throwing every pitch exactly where he wants to, and players can't just sit and wait for a mistake because everything is a strike, but strikes that a batter can't get good wood on. Really fun to watch.I'm still expecting one game here where he gives up 7 runs in 2 innings or something, but I've been waiting for that for a month, so maybe he's just locked in permanently.Doctor Detroit said:Man I wish I would have drafted him this year. Almost did.Gopher State said:Carl Pavano walked one, struck out four and gave up five hits in a complete-game shutout vs the O's tonight. Plus Delmon Young went 2-for-4, including a three-run double. Nice win by the Twins. Pavano comes through again
Gopher State
Footballguy
Pavano threw his fifth complete game of the season Thursday night in Baltimore, making him 12-6 with a 3.26 ERA. In 20 starts this season, he's thrown 143 2/3 innings (third most in the American League) and has an opponents' batting average of .237. Pavano keeps outperforming his ability, of course he is a free agent after this year, so he's playing for the money.
Gopher State
Footballguy
A steal of a deal
Last update: July 23, 2010 - 12:50 AM
Minneapolis Star & Tribune
Carl Pavano, considered an overpaid bust during his four years with the Yankees, has been a bargain this year when the veteran righthander is compared with some of baseball's richest starting pitchers (salaries, statistics for 2010):
Carl Pavano, Twins: $7 million
12-6, 3.26 ERA, 143 2/3 IP, 126 H
CC Sabathia, Yankees: $23 million
13-3, 3.18 ERA, 144 1/3 IP, 127 H
Johan Santana, Mets: $21 million*
7-5, 2.87 ERA, 135 IP, 119 H
Barry Zito, Giants: $18.5 million
8-5, 3.45 ERA, 130 1/3 IP, 113 H
John Lackey, Red Sox: $18 million
10-5, 4.36 ERA, 128 IP, 144 H
Carlos Zambrano, Cubs: $17.875 million
3-6, 5.66 ERA, 55 2/3 IP, 69 H (in minors)
A.J. Burnett, Yankees: $16.5 million
7-8, 4.99 ERA, 110 IP, 117 H
Roy Halladay, Phillies: $15.75 million*
10-8, 2.40 ERA, 154 IP, 144 H
Jake Peavy, White Sox: $15 million
7-6, 4.63 ERA, 107 IP, 98 H (out for season)
* Pavano beat both Santana and Halladay head-to-head earlier this season.
Last update: July 23, 2010 - 12:50 AM
Minneapolis Star & Tribune
Carl Pavano, considered an overpaid bust during his four years with the Yankees, has been a bargain this year when the veteran righthander is compared with some of baseball's richest starting pitchers (salaries, statistics for 2010):
Carl Pavano, Twins: $7 million
12-6, 3.26 ERA, 143 2/3 IP, 126 H
CC Sabathia, Yankees: $23 million
13-3, 3.18 ERA, 144 1/3 IP, 127 H
Johan Santana, Mets: $21 million*
7-5, 2.87 ERA, 135 IP, 119 H
Barry Zito, Giants: $18.5 million
8-5, 3.45 ERA, 130 1/3 IP, 113 H
John Lackey, Red Sox: $18 million
10-5, 4.36 ERA, 128 IP, 144 H
Carlos Zambrano, Cubs: $17.875 million
3-6, 5.66 ERA, 55 2/3 IP, 69 H (in minors)
A.J. Burnett, Yankees: $16.5 million
7-8, 4.99 ERA, 110 IP, 117 H
Roy Halladay, Phillies: $15.75 million*
10-8, 2.40 ERA, 154 IP, 144 H
Jake Peavy, White Sox: $15 million
7-6, 4.63 ERA, 107 IP, 98 H (out for season)
* Pavano beat both Santana and Halladay head-to-head earlier this season.
Gopher State
Footballguy
Delmon Young's .400 batting average this month is tied for second in the majors behind San Francisco's Buster Posey (.438).
Young is really coming on at the right time
Young is really coming on at the right time
Frostillicus
Footballguy
Too bad everybody else sucks.Delmon Young's .400 batting average this month is tied for second in the majors behind San Francisco's Buster Posey (.438).Young is really coming on at the right time
Gopher State
Footballguy
With Hudson most likely heading to the DL. The Twins will have to call up either Trevor Plouffe who has 15 homers at Rochester but is primarily a shortstop, or our old friend Brendan Harris who is batting .368 over his past 10 games with one homer at Rochester. Here's to the Twins calling up Plouffe, I seen enough of Harris to last a lifetime.
Gopher State
Footballguy
Sid Hartman: Twins' popularity sky high both at gate and on TV
The Twins rank third in baseball at percentage of seats sold, and their cable television rating is second.
The Twins already have passed the 3.15 million mark in total ticket sales for the inaugural season at Target Field, according to team President Dave St. Peter.
To date, Twins attendance is up 44 percent over last season, easily the largest increase in the major leagues. That's not a surprise as they are the only team in a new stadium this year.
The Colorado Rockies are the only other major league team with a double-digit increase from last year. Attendance around the major leagues as a whole is down 3 percent vs. a year ago.
But the interest in the team extends beyond the turnstile count. Through the first 12 weeks of the season, the Twins have an average cable rating of 7.9 on Fox Sports North, the second in the majors only to the St. Louis Cardinals (9.7). Twins cable ratings are 28 percent higher vs. a year ago.
The Twins are sixth in the major leagues in average attendance at 39,519 per game, behind the Yankees, Phillies, Dodgers, Cardinals and Angels. But in terms of percentage of seats sold at the stadium the Twins are third in baseball at exactly 100 percent of seats sold per game. They are behind the Phillies (103.5 percent) and Red Sox (100.9) who, like the Twins, have been able to sell above capacity through standing-room only tickets.
The Twins intend to commence the 2011 sales renewal effort in August. Certainly, they should have little difficulty selling the tickets given the response to the first year at the ballpark. It's amazing that the Twins are having sellouts virtually every single game at Target Field.
The Twins rank third in baseball at percentage of seats sold, and their cable television rating is second.
The Twins already have passed the 3.15 million mark in total ticket sales for the inaugural season at Target Field, according to team President Dave St. Peter.
To date, Twins attendance is up 44 percent over last season, easily the largest increase in the major leagues. That's not a surprise as they are the only team in a new stadium this year.
The Colorado Rockies are the only other major league team with a double-digit increase from last year. Attendance around the major leagues as a whole is down 3 percent vs. a year ago.
But the interest in the team extends beyond the turnstile count. Through the first 12 weeks of the season, the Twins have an average cable rating of 7.9 on Fox Sports North, the second in the majors only to the St. Louis Cardinals (9.7). Twins cable ratings are 28 percent higher vs. a year ago.
The Twins are sixth in the major leagues in average attendance at 39,519 per game, behind the Yankees, Phillies, Dodgers, Cardinals and Angels. But in terms of percentage of seats sold at the stadium the Twins are third in baseball at exactly 100 percent of seats sold per game. They are behind the Phillies (103.5 percent) and Red Sox (100.9) who, like the Twins, have been able to sell above capacity through standing-room only tickets.
The Twins intend to commence the 2011 sales renewal effort in August. Certainly, they should have little difficulty selling the tickets given the response to the first year at the ballpark. It's amazing that the Twins are having sellouts virtually every single game at Target Field.
Limp Ditka
Footballguy
Now with larger font and bolding to emphasize my hatred.
Gopher State
Footballguy
Delmon Young went 4-for-4 with a two-run homer and 3 RBI. It's official no one is hotter then Young right now. If Delmon keeps this up we be saying MVP come October.
Baker gets the win, but I still think he should be pitching at AAA
Nice win tonight, and with the Sox losing it makes it that much better.
Baker gets the win, but I still think he should be pitching at AAA
Nice win tonight, and with the Sox losing it makes it that much better.
Frostillicus
Footballguy
I have no idea what is going on with Delmon, but I'm liking it.
Gopher State
Footballguy
The Twins left fielder has seen a dramatic improvement over last year, applying himself to become a better hitter.
By SID HARTMAN, Star Tribune
The hottest hitter on the Twins roster is Delmon Young who is batting close to .400 in July, and at this pace the left fielder could drive in a career-high 119 runs.
Young was 4-for-4 Saturday night, including a home run and three RBI.
Young's 57 RBI since May 21 through the last homestand are the most in baseball. The big surprise is the big change in his statistics from last year.
As of the last homestand against Cleveland, Young was fifth in the league in RBI with 73, ninth in average at .316., 18th in slugging percentage at .511 and tied for sixth with 28 doubles.
Compare that to last year at the same time, when Young was tied for 100th with 27 RBI (former Twin Adam Everett, now with the Tigers, also had 27), didn't have enough bats to qualify for batting average and slugging, and was hitting .270 with a .353 slugging percentage.
Twins hitting coach Joe Vavra was asked to explain the big change in Young in one year.
"He doesn't have the head-shoulder drop any more," said Vavra, who has worked hard with Young. "His head's not moving, he's [keeping] a firm front side. So he's kind of putting it all together, which is a good thing to see."
Vavra added: "He came into spring training on a mission. He had that weight drop, and he was on a mission to clean up some things that he needed to do, and he did."
Vavra said that there isn't a day this season that he doesn't work with Young.
"Well it's consistent; it's an every day occurrence," Vavra said. "We go out in that cage every day, and we try to solve issues and problems that come up. He listens real well, he tries different things, but he's his own guy. He gets out there and does what he thinks is going to help himself to be successful, and he takes what we do in the cage and it's all on him then."
Unlike last season, Young isn't swinging at balls out of the strike zone as much.
"He's keeping his head still -- even the ones that are out of the zone he's hitting pretty well," Vavra said. "He's learning how to turn that field around. This field plays too big opposite field, and he's learning how to turn it around and go to the close side. He's a pretty smart player when it comes down to knowing what to do, and just getting his body in position to let his hands work is the key."
When the Twins gave up one of their top pitching prospects in Matt Garza and a solid shortstop in Jason Bartlett to obtain Young and utility infielder Brendan Harris in 2008, the second-guessers were screaming that the Twins got robbed when Young and Harris struggled.
It's a different story in 2010. Harris is in the minors, but Bartlett is hitting just .238 and Garza is 10-5 but has a mediocre 4.36 ERA.
Hardy hot
Twins shortstop J.J. Hardy was hitting well before the Twins left on their road trip to Baltimore. He was hitting .400 since the All-Star break (12-for-30) with five runs, three doubles and four RBI. His 12 hits were tied for sixth in the American League since the break. The Twins are 21-15 when he gets at least one hit and 12-3 when he gets an RBI. The Twins are 30-21 when he starts at shortstop and 22-25 when somebody else starts.
Relief pitcher Jesse Crain had an ERA of 5.47 on June 5. Before Saturday's game he had a 2.04 ERA in 15 appearances and now his overall mark is 3.43.
By SID HARTMAN, Star Tribune
The hottest hitter on the Twins roster is Delmon Young who is batting close to .400 in July, and at this pace the left fielder could drive in a career-high 119 runs.
Young was 4-for-4 Saturday night, including a home run and three RBI.
Young's 57 RBI since May 21 through the last homestand are the most in baseball. The big surprise is the big change in his statistics from last year.
As of the last homestand against Cleveland, Young was fifth in the league in RBI with 73, ninth in average at .316., 18th in slugging percentage at .511 and tied for sixth with 28 doubles.
Compare that to last year at the same time, when Young was tied for 100th with 27 RBI (former Twin Adam Everett, now with the Tigers, also had 27), didn't have enough bats to qualify for batting average and slugging, and was hitting .270 with a .353 slugging percentage.
Twins hitting coach Joe Vavra was asked to explain the big change in Young in one year.
"He doesn't have the head-shoulder drop any more," said Vavra, who has worked hard with Young. "His head's not moving, he's [keeping] a firm front side. So he's kind of putting it all together, which is a good thing to see."
Vavra added: "He came into spring training on a mission. He had that weight drop, and he was on a mission to clean up some things that he needed to do, and he did."
Vavra said that there isn't a day this season that he doesn't work with Young.
"Well it's consistent; it's an every day occurrence," Vavra said. "We go out in that cage every day, and we try to solve issues and problems that come up. He listens real well, he tries different things, but he's his own guy. He gets out there and does what he thinks is going to help himself to be successful, and he takes what we do in the cage and it's all on him then."
Unlike last season, Young isn't swinging at balls out of the strike zone as much.
"He's keeping his head still -- even the ones that are out of the zone he's hitting pretty well," Vavra said. "He's learning how to turn that field around. This field plays too big opposite field, and he's learning how to turn it around and go to the close side. He's a pretty smart player when it comes down to knowing what to do, and just getting his body in position to let his hands work is the key."
When the Twins gave up one of their top pitching prospects in Matt Garza and a solid shortstop in Jason Bartlett to obtain Young and utility infielder Brendan Harris in 2008, the second-guessers were screaming that the Twins got robbed when Young and Harris struggled.
It's a different story in 2010. Harris is in the minors, but Bartlett is hitting just .238 and Garza is 10-5 but has a mediocre 4.36 ERA.
Hardy hot
Twins shortstop J.J. Hardy was hitting well before the Twins left on their road trip to Baltimore. He was hitting .400 since the All-Star break (12-for-30) with five runs, three doubles and four RBI. His 12 hits were tied for sixth in the American League since the break. The Twins are 21-15 when he gets at least one hit and 12-3 when he gets an RBI. The Twins are 30-21 when he starts at shortstop and 22-25 when somebody else starts.
Relief pitcher Jesse Crain had an ERA of 5.47 on June 5. Before Saturday's game he had a 2.04 ERA in 15 appearances and now his overall mark is 3.43.
Wooderson
Fight The Power
I hope Young can keep this up. It's been great. 2 games back now would love to get back on top soon. I always felt Ozzie managed better when they were in first. If the Sox fall out of the lead will get questioned and could explode at any moment.Go TwinsGopher State said:Delmon Young went 4-for-4 with a two-run homer and 3 RBI. It's official no one is hotter then Young right now. If Delmon keeps this up we be saying MVP come October.Baker gets the win, but I still think he should be pitching at AAANice win tonight, and with the Sox losing it makes it that much better.
Gopher State
Footballguy
I hope Young can keep this up. It's been great. 2 games back now would love to get back on top soon. I always felt Ozzie managed better when they were in first. If the Sox fall out of the lead will get questioned and could explode at any moment.Go TwinsGopher State said:Delmon Young went 4-for-4 with a two-run homer and 3 RBI. It's official no one is hotter then Young right now. If Delmon keeps this up we be saying MVP come October.Baker gets the win, but I still think he should be pitching at AAANice win tonight, and with the Sox losing it makes it that much better.
Gopher State
Footballguy
Great win today for the Twins, especially with the M & M boys out of the line up and no O-Dog.
Youngs batting average 322 and another HR today. Young has 58 RBIs since May 21, most in the majors. Young is hitting at a unreal pace. If he keeps this up he could be a candiate for the MVP.
3 of 4 wins on the road is what the Twins really needed. Even if it is against the O's
Youngs batting average 322 and another HR today. Young has 58 RBIs since May 21, most in the majors. Young is hitting at a unreal pace. If he keeps this up he could be a candiate for the MVP.
3 of 4 wins on the road is what the Twins really needed. Even if it is against the O's
Wooderson
Fight The Power
It was a great win. Couple that with another Sox loss. And the Twins could be tied for first Monday night.Go Twins
Frostillicus
Footballguy
Apparently never. He's going for the record for longest time out after a knee to the head.
Gopher State
Footballguy
The Minnesota Twins aren't done seeking pitching help yet.
There were strong indications on Monday afternoon the Twins had zeroed in on a trade with the Toronto Blue Jays and that, while nothing is finalized, a deal could come together quickly.
The target of the talks wasn't known, but Toronto has several arms who could be available -- a list that includes relievers Scott Downs, Jason Frasor and Kevin Gregg and perhaps starter Shaun Marcum.
Downs, 34, would bring the left-handed arm the Twins sorely need after moving Brian Duensing to the starting rotation. He has a 2.41 earned-run average in 41 innings over 46 appearances this season.
But the Blue Jays reportedly are asking for an elite prospect in return for Downs, and that lowers the chances the Twins -- who balked at sending outfielder Aaron Hicks to Seattle in a potential Cliff Lee deal -- would be willing to make the move.
The Twins were believed to be interested in Frasor, who turns 33 next month, when deciding how to replace injured closer Joe Nathan during spring training. The right-hander lost the Blue Jays' closing job earlier this season, however, and he allowed two runs in two-thirds of an inning Sunday to raise his ERA to 4.66 in 38 2/3 innings.
Both Downs, who is making $4 million this season, and Frasor ($2.65 million) can become free agents after the season.
Gregg, 32, replaced Frasor as closer and has 23 saves with a 3.72 ERA in 39 appearances. His salary is $2 million and he has options the next two seasons.
A potential darkhorse is Marcum, 28, who had Tommy John surgery in 2008 and didn't pitch in a major-league game in 2009. He's come back to go 9-4 with a 3.36 ERA in 19 starts this season, striking out 97 with 28 walks and a 1.212 WHIP.
Marcum is making $850,000 and still is two years away from free agency.
The Blue Jays also have some position players who could be available, but the Twins primarily have been seeking upgrades on the mound.
The non-waiver trade deadline is Saturday.
Tom Pelissero is Senior Editor of 1500ESPN.com
There were strong indications on Monday afternoon the Twins had zeroed in on a trade with the Toronto Blue Jays and that, while nothing is finalized, a deal could come together quickly.
The target of the talks wasn't known, but Toronto has several arms who could be available -- a list that includes relievers Scott Downs, Jason Frasor and Kevin Gregg and perhaps starter Shaun Marcum.
Downs, 34, would bring the left-handed arm the Twins sorely need after moving Brian Duensing to the starting rotation. He has a 2.41 earned-run average in 41 innings over 46 appearances this season.
But the Blue Jays reportedly are asking for an elite prospect in return for Downs, and that lowers the chances the Twins -- who balked at sending outfielder Aaron Hicks to Seattle in a potential Cliff Lee deal -- would be willing to make the move.
The Twins were believed to be interested in Frasor, who turns 33 next month, when deciding how to replace injured closer Joe Nathan during spring training. The right-hander lost the Blue Jays' closing job earlier this season, however, and he allowed two runs in two-thirds of an inning Sunday to raise his ERA to 4.66 in 38 2/3 innings.
Both Downs, who is making $4 million this season, and Frasor ($2.65 million) can become free agents after the season.
Gregg, 32, replaced Frasor as closer and has 23 saves with a 3.72 ERA in 39 appearances. His salary is $2 million and he has options the next two seasons.
A potential darkhorse is Marcum, 28, who had Tommy John surgery in 2008 and didn't pitch in a major-league game in 2009. He's come back to go 9-4 with a 3.36 ERA in 19 starts this season, striking out 97 with 28 walks and a 1.212 WHIP.
Marcum is making $850,000 and still is two years away from free agency.
The Blue Jays also have some position players who could be available, but the Twins primarily have been seeking upgrades on the mound.
The non-waiver trade deadline is Saturday.
Tom Pelissero is Senior Editor of 1500ESPN.com
Frostillicus
Footballguy
I can't see any reason why Toronto would trade Marcum, and I don't have much interest in any of the relievers unless they can be had for pretty cheap.Gopher State said:
