Cavalry Is Coming
I know we're still 5 games under .500 and up against Verlander tonight, and this team's not going to win a World Series. Nonetheless, just wanted to note that Kubel's on a plane right now, Baker's said to be starting Saturday, and Span should be coming home next week. All good things. We're gettin' the band back together, Justin Morneau.
Also, apparently Nishioka can actually hit at least a little bit, and Mauer seems to have remembered he's an MVP. And Nathan's getting more effective. And Valencia's improving. Things are looking at least a little bit up, finally. Time for a 9-game losing streak, I guess.
3 Comments:
Attended game last night for the 'L'. Uninspiring baseball, Verlander dominates us, that's OK. I am 0-2 this year as the last game was on BG's bday when the Dodgers hung 15 on us. Is it me? I don't think so.
Highlight of last night's game - The Captain Morgan Rum and Coke concession. Haven't seen this before but they have a way to mix the rum and coke in a dispenser making it the perfect cocktail everytime. Delicious, I had two.
MCA - I commented to DTK this morning that your boy Kubel is the hero tonight.
July 22, 2011 at 9:58 AM
Last night was a guaranteed loss (despite Jan's men's wearhouse-type guarantee to me prior to the game), so I'm not too hung up on it. The key is to take the next 3 (or at LEAST 2, so we don't lose ground). I really think Cleveland is done. Sizemore just had surgery and is out for 6 weeks, and their pitching is shaky. Twins are finally getting a full squad back on the field, and should continue to gradually make up ground.
Jan - did you put one leg up on the chair in front of you while drinking the captain morg-arita? Mustache, perhaps?
July 22, 2011 at 3:13 PM
So, I am struggling with coming to grips with the sad reality that this is a very mediocre baseball team. Jan and I lamented last night that the hardcore reality is, this is (and has always been) a team that is highly competitive and even dominating in a very bad division. I believe their lineup (when healthy) has a championship caliber capability. But the cold hard fact is, this pitching staff - top to bottom -- is mediocre at best. For many years now, we have heard the stats about how deep and successful this staff is (usually during the annual streaks of dominance of non-AL East teams). I don't know this for sure, and I am going to try to figure it out, but I would be willing to bet that in almost every case, we have a staff that has done quite well against teams below .500 and quite terribly againts teams that are better than .500.
So goes our lot in life. This team has been built to win divisions and not championships. Beat up on the bad, do well enough against the division leads, and never need to beat the good consistently. They've excelled at excellence in mediocrity.
For that reason, i believe, even afterth is disappointing home stand, they will end up three or four games back, and make a run eitehr way. But for them to be a serious contender, it's clear they need some pitching that is dominating. They have no one you can reasobably say is an Ace. An ace that you can feel confident can lead you to a win in any series anywhere. And they have no one in the bull pen you can reasonably say you are confident facing the 2-6 hitters on any team thhat is better than .500.
I think we need to start thinking of big moves - or a big move- on the pitching side. Otherwise, it's always going to be a strategy of anyteam can win on any given day - and sooner or later it will be us.
July 23, 2011 at 11:31 AM
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