Don't Look Now...
but the Twins are in first place in the A.L. Central, and might still be tonight after The Gambler squishes them. This is of course meaningless, given that they're 15-14. We all know this isn't going to last with this offense, Detroit will scorch through July and August, Sabathia can't be as bad as he looks right now, etc., etc. Nonetheless, it is worth noting for posterity - we can look back in our old age and recall that the 2008, rebuilding year, Santana-less, Torii-less, Liriano-looking-terrible Twins were division leaders in May.
13 Comments:
Fellas, I am soaking it all in right now. If we're still in first a month from now, then it'll be time to get excited, but for the time being, this is enjoyable. It's nice to see the offense come around a bit...and a silver lining to a terrible first inning for Boof is that he settled down and absolutely shut down the tigers for the next several innings.
No question that the Tigers catch fire pretty soon, though. They have too much talent...
May 5, 2008 at 12:36 AM
I watched the first inning yesterday and threw up in my mouth. I spent the rest of the game in the yard on a beautiful Spring day with the radio on listening to Gordon and Gladden (and Black Jack Morris in the booth) call the game. That 7th inning was a fun one. "Ohhhhh my! Mauer hits a seeing eye single if there ever was one.")
Starting pitching is going to do us in but fun to watch for now (word is that Baker is hurt worse than he is letting on.) Leyland is apparently going to 'shake up' the Tigers after this last series, sounds like panic to me as he already did this once this year.
Can I just bitch for one second. So yesterday's comeback (second biggest in club history) was pretty exciting. You would think it more exciting than every other baseball game but a handful. However what does NBC's sports highlight package (before the 5pm hour) and what does ESPN lead with for AL baseball highlights? Yup - Yankees/M's and Red Sox/Rays. C'mon, the Twins/Tigers game was more exciting than either of those and it's not like we're the dregs of MLB either. Sorry just hate the f'ing 'Nation' (so lame) and the Yankees.
One more point - talked to some kid from Manhattan at a bar this weekend who was making his first visit to Minnesota. Classic New Yorker (grew up on the mean streets of Westchester.) We talked baseball (Yankee fan) and he said he was glad the Yankees didn't get Santana 'cause he loves Chamberlin and Ian Kennedy; I almost called him a liar to his face (have fun in AAA Kennedy.)
May 5, 2008 at 8:29 AM
By the way, the Tigers just cut Jacque Jones...any way we pick him up? Do we need him? We really need power-hitting infielders, not more outfielders. I just thought he might be a good mentor to Go Go and Delmon Young, and he could come at a very good price.
May 5, 2008 at 4:06 PM
BG - you aren't serious right? He is hitting .187. Yes, he does possess (check that, he possessed some power at the plate (he hit 5HR last year) but I never really missed him when he left. I think Go-Go, Kubel, Cuddy, Monroe, & Young are doing fine.
I know you miss the Soul Patrol but not sure this is the answer.
May 5, 2008 at 4:25 PM
Jacque Jones is just the kind of mentor Gomez and Young do not need. He's a good guy, don't get me wrong. But I think it's fair to assume bg's remembering the homer against the Yankees in the '04 playoffs the night after his dad's funeral, and forgetting all the three-pitch strikeouts that inevitably included flailing at a wild slider in the dirt. For him to take on the role of veteran to take notes on for our leadoff hitter, who's already got OBP/patience issues, would be a poor match, I'm afraid.
To jan's earlier point, why is it that EVERY team's fan base is now referred to as "________ Nation"? Is this something we all need to be copying? I swear no one was saying this before the '04 Series, and now it's everywhere. Although it would provide some unintentional, ironic humor if Florida State or Illinois fans were to use it.
May 5, 2008 at 7:31 PM
Anyone else surprise that Matt Lawton #50 was on that list?
May 6, 2008 at 1:36 PM
You guys got me...totally ridiculous comment by me. I got caught up in the nostalgia of the soul patrol and of Jones' occasional lead-off homers (and the aforementioned homer against the Yanks). For whatever reason, I fell in to the trap of assuming that any former player (besides Luis Rivas) was worth picking up, based on our sustained success from '02 - '06.
May 6, 2008 at 1:41 PM
I was surprised by everyone except #34.
George Brett was my favorite player as a kid growing up. They list Nomar and Jeff Bagwell as worthy of consideration along with Brett. In my mind Brett was in a whole different class than those two. He won batting titles in 3 different decades, hit .390 in 1980, won a world series ring and an MVP. Obviously, I am biased but am I off base?
May 6, 2008 at 1:58 PM
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May 6, 2008 at 2:11 PM
I left out that Brett, Nomar and Bagwell all wore #5. I forgot to mention Brett's 3000 hits.
May 6, 2008 at 2:18 PM
RTS- You also forget to mention that Brett routinely cheated with his liberal use of the pine tar...(I don't have to tell you guys how powerful pine tar is...I once made a superball out of pine tar..I bounced it one my driveway and it hit the sun)...I agree that Nomar isn't fit to pine tar Brett's bat... though, I think a better case can be made for Bagwell belong alongside of him... that guy was also pretty amazing: 2,150 games, 2,314 hits, 449 HRs, 1,401 walks, .408 OBP and .297 avg... and would have been better had his career not been shortned by arthritis.
Talk about competition at a number, Mr Pujols is also waiting in the wings at #5.....watch out Joe.
... and if I'm going to "the show" anytime soon, and #50 was already taken I'm going with #96 where I have to beat out Bill Voiselle!
May 6, 2008 at 4:19 PM
LH, if you love Bagwell so much, why don't you marry him? Better yet, why don't you do a 3-way with Bagwell and Biggio. Actually I kind of liked Biggio, he had that pinetar thing going on with his helmet.
May 6, 2008 at 6:26 PM
One last thing, how come the White Sox are never on WGN when they play the Twins? Gosh darn it!
May 6, 2008 at 6:27 PM
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