Is Our Answer Steroids?
We're getting fucked by the juice ban.
Reading this article by Reussie, he makes some good points about holding on to what we have, but this points out the very real problem this organization has. They say you dance with the shoes that got you here, but these shoes are shitty British Knights. They were stylish, sort of, once. But When you look at all the options, i'm starting to feel like the only hope (if we can't go steal or buy new shoes) is for the shoes we have to get repainted to look like Nikes. Point is, we need guys who suck to become better, and that means juicing.
Look, I have a frequent rider pass on the Get Excited About Any Good News train that runs between 94 and 35 and circles our stadiums carrying us on a never ending feedback loop of ball punches. But, we have to figure out some way to not be trapped -- the latest "resurgence" is fun to watch, it's also sort of not a resurgence, and is sort of only relevant because our division is so embarrassing. We have to be honest that this team, with this pitching, is not a contender (probably for anything - as even with the latest Iraq like surge, we are still the second worst team in baseball) especially when we think about actually contending in the playoffs. Yes, anything can happen. But hoping to beat the best isn't the same thing as trying to be the best. This staff is the worst in baseball by far, and the worst in team history. Thats not much to hang your hat on. Unfortunately, we don't have much to trade, and it's not clear we have much in the wings. And besides Buck, consensus is the draft was worthless for everyone. But we can hope. My only point is, we can't let this non-resurgnece resurgence against bad teams take our eye off the ball that this is not the team we want to watch for the next 5 years. We can't trade guys to get the same player back with a different number but a year younger and a pitching machine thrown in, but we need to not be wedded to protecting 95 losses either. I don't know. I just know that Justin Morneau and Joe Mauer playing in 85% of the games doesn't mean jesus is coming back, and it doesn't get you 90 wins when your "Ace" is, well, who is our ace?
Reading this article by Reussie, he makes some good points about holding on to what we have, but this points out the very real problem this organization has. They say you dance with the shoes that got you here, but these shoes are shitty British Knights. They were stylish, sort of, once. But When you look at all the options, i'm starting to feel like the only hope (if we can't go steal or buy new shoes) is for the shoes we have to get repainted to look like Nikes. Point is, we need guys who suck to become better, and that means juicing.
Look, I have a frequent rider pass on the Get Excited About Any Good News train that runs between 94 and 35 and circles our stadiums carrying us on a never ending feedback loop of ball punches. But, we have to figure out some way to not be trapped -- the latest "resurgence" is fun to watch, it's also sort of not a resurgence, and is sort of only relevant because our division is so embarrassing. We have to be honest that this team, with this pitching, is not a contender (probably for anything - as even with the latest Iraq like surge, we are still the second worst team in baseball) especially when we think about actually contending in the playoffs. Yes, anything can happen. But hoping to beat the best isn't the same thing as trying to be the best. This staff is the worst in baseball by far, and the worst in team history. Thats not much to hang your hat on. Unfortunately, we don't have much to trade, and it's not clear we have much in the wings. And besides Buck, consensus is the draft was worthless for everyone. But we can hope. My only point is, we can't let this non-resurgnece resurgence against bad teams take our eye off the ball that this is not the team we want to watch for the next 5 years. We can't trade guys to get the same player back with a different number but a year younger and a pitching machine thrown in, but we need to not be wedded to protecting 95 losses either. I don't know. I just know that Justin Morneau and Joe Mauer playing in 85% of the games doesn't mean jesus is coming back, and it doesn't get you 90 wins when your "Ace" is, well, who is our ace?
8 Comments:
When we own this team, the following memo will be issued by me to the rest of you.
To: FTLOSBW Twins Ownership Group
From: Jan
Memo: Starting pitching
Payroll at $100M with the talent on the field. I vote we add another $100M in buying 3 starting ace pitchers and another slugger. All in favor say nothing, the aye's have it.
June 15, 2012 at 9:27 AM
Reusse is a boob, but he hits on an interesting topic here: Mauer and Morneau. How badly are these guys really hurting us? If Morneau is healthy and playing, he is valuable...and he has been doing his part this season. Mauer is a bit expensive relative to his numbers, but he hasn't been an albatross on the field. The problem is in the salary tied up between the two of them, which likely prohibits the front office from adding pitching. What's the solution? Well, we can't trade Mauer, so trading Morneau probably has to happen, particularly if he has some value. I don't know how many years he has left on his current deal, but I would think some team (e.g. the Nats or someone making their first real pennant push in years) would be willing to part with some young talent in exchange for a veteran guy like him.
June 15, 2012 at 3:42 PM
P.S. I like the FTLOSBW ownership strategy. Sounds sort of like the Steinbrenner strategy...
June 15, 2012 at 3:43 PM
P.S. I like the FTLOSBW ownership strategy. Sounds sort of like the Steinbrenner strategy...
June 15, 2012 at 3:43 PM
Morneau can't be traded for anything representing value due to the concussion issue. So, yes, we're somewhat stuck. Agreed with BG re: Mauer - Jesus, people are hard on the guy. He's hitting .314 as a catcher and driving in runs at a good clip for having so few opportunities. Is he making too much money for that? Yes, but he's got the highest OPS in the AL amongst catchers, too.
It's the pitching that blows right now, and has for the last couple seasons. We can and should shop Span and Willingham (or even Plouffe after the month he's had), but that's not going to be enough to rebuild our staff. One could make the case that the entire staff should be dumped and replaced by next year.
Was at the game Saturday. Observations: Morneau had a terrible game but gave my kid a ball, so you'll all know why I defend him to the death in any thread from here on out. Revere, if he learns enough plate discipline to get his .OBP up toward .400, can be a longterm centerfielder in the majors (this is why I think we could try to trade Span for pitching). I didn't see a single pitcher throw that I'd care if they weren't on the roster next week. Target Field is the bomb. Ryan Braun - "fraud" as BG aptly put it - can nonetheless hit the ball, and hard.
June 18, 2012 at 4:46 PM
Oh, unrelated thought not deserving of its own post.
First impression of Webb Simpson, having watched the end of the U.S. Open last night: Good golfer, deserving champ, godbothering prick. There are a million ways to handle the birdcalling fool who jumps in front of the camera that would reflect better on you than "Enjoy the jail cell, pal." What a dick. How about a fucking laugh? Maybe say that was pretty impressive and invite the guy to teach you how to do that later? Say something like "I don't know which had longer odds - that happening or me winning" or "I have a feeling he'll regret that in the morning, assuming he remembers it." If you're really just thrown off by the whole situation, give a chuckle and a simple "Well, that's something you don't see every day, Bob." You just won the freaking U.S. Open; how about a little mirth?
No - we get "Fuck you, I just won a million dollars, I hope you endure misery." Even Tiger wouldn't say something that dickish on camera. He came off like the self-absorbed, entitled prick frat guy in every movie about college ever made.
I was actively rooting for McDowell to win after hearing Simpson's locker room interview, anyway, but this sealed the deal for me. Nice sweater, douche.
June 18, 2012 at 5:20 PM
MCA - love the Simpson rant. Mrs. BG couldn't get over how ridiculous the sweater looked. That dude pretty much oozes southern frat guy (and I believe he attended one of the most annoying schools I've ever visited: Wake Forest).
Did you hear how Bob Costas followed it up? Even worse! "the Gendarmes are handling that guy now"...HUH? How about "the authorities" or "the SFPD"??? What is this, the French Open? He just flew over the heads of 95% of his audience, simply by trying to keep up with the douchiness!
Graham McDowell definitely comes across as a cool guy that you'd want to go boozing with.
June 18, 2012 at 8:00 PM
You could say that about pretty much the entire European Ryder Cup team, and you could say pretty much everything I said about Simpson re: most of the American Ryder Cup team.
I'll be attending this fall at Medinah, and I honestly don't know if I'll be rooting for the U.S. team. Hard core bible thumping in lockstep with aggressive dullness and entitled arrogance with a garnish of unself-aware semi-ignorance is not an attractive combination. I barely follow this stuff, but I have solid loathing built up for most of the young generation of American golfing stars. That includes Bubba (a little bit of a love/hate - I really wish he had a boring, traditional game so I could hate him unreservedly), Ricky Fowler (nice fucking haircut, Bieber. Oh, and your pants are on fire), Hunter Mahan (positively oozes the very essence of dork), and now Webb Simpson. Throw in Jason No Discernible Personality Dufner, his twin, Dustin Johnson, and Napoleon Douchebag Zach Johnson and you've fully half the U.S. Ryder Cup team comprised of Stepford Wives with their shitnozzle sunglasses perched above their cap rims. I mean, it really can't be overstated how wingnut-lovin', ignorant frat boy, IGMFY these guys come off as. Tom Lehman acolytes, all of them.
Oh, and the captain? Davis Ralph Lauren Love Myself Three Times, King of The Entitled Dweebs. Make it stop.
June 19, 2012 at 12:10 AM
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