2012 Minnesota Twins Commentary

[powerchord86]

A fresh new season is upon us. Always exciting but it's not looking like it will be a big year for the Twins.

If they can stay healthy and maintain .500 I will be happy. :third:

 

[powerchord86]

Mauer is looking good. Morny looks alright too but we still have yet to see if he will be able to shake that nasty concusion for good. Hope for the best.

I am excited about newcomers, Willingham and Doumit. They look like they can handle themselves at the plate. Willingham will hopefully make up for what we lost in Cuddy and it will feel sooooo much better to see Doumit walking up to the plate instead of Butera when filling in for Mauer.

 

[buckamania]

PC - Mauer does look good physically. He's hitting the ball solidly, and where he's "aiming" it. From what I see this would indicate he should hit .320, or something around that. Does he have any power, is he even trying to hit the long-ball, or to at least drive it deep somewhere? That I cannot tell and don't expect to have an answer for until mid-season. He's the biggest guy on the team and should be able to hit for power as well as average, like Cabrera for the Tigers does. At $20 million, I expect Cabrera numbers from a Mauer and way more games played and at bats.

Which leads us to Morny. No way to tell if he's back right now. He made a nice stop on a "scorcher" down the 1b line last night, just like he used to do, that's a big positive for a guy with all those concussions. He never has hit well in ST, (I always predict his at-bats will be a 2-hopper to 2b!) He was always streaky in the regular season once it started, but when he was "on" he was fabulous! At first sign of trouble I put Mauer at first and make him earn his pay. Morny, take a seat!

Which leads us to Doumit. This guy might be a "beast" of a hitter this year. He swings with "bad-intentions" ever time. Teach him how to catch and be done with it! Let Morneau prove he's back physically before we annoint him 1b. That's what we're doing to Nishi. Morny's been gone nearly 2-yrs. I'm not letting "old time sake" keep him in the everyday lineup until he shows he's ready. Like I said, "when" he's on he's fabulous. I wouldn't wait too long on him.

So far: The Twins look very weak on the mound, average everywhere else, BUUTTTT, I am drinking a lot of beer with my posse so it is "possible" that I am missing something, here and there. Nonetheless, as our web-site "M.I.A.", jrs, would say, "GO TWINS!"

 

[powerchord86]

Sounds accurate even with the beer goggle handicap buck.

Possible bright spots in the lineup but the pitching is still ugly. :sad:

 

[buckamania]

Ah, the trusty "beer goggles", got a few pairs of them! The posse wanted me for this Thursday and Friday but I agreed to only one or the other. Probably, Friday.

I see Casilla had another good day at the plate today at the Rays field, that's just 30 miles from me. (That park was home to the Rangers until about 2002 or 2003. Then it sat empty until 2 yrs. ago when the Rays took it.) You know, the more I see of Casilla the more I see how young he really is. He may now just maturing into his best years both mentally & physically. Some guys never grow up until its too late. He's a good guy, I wish him well.

 

[powerchord86]

You might be on to something there with Casi. He has had enough experience now that he should be showing some maturity.

I know Carroll is up there in years but he sure still has some game in him. Love the way he works his at bats.

 

[powerchord86]

I'm hoping for a good year for Baker. He threw two hitless innings yesterday which is promising but too early to tell just yet. He had a decent season last year but unfortunately was hindered a bit by that injury bug that kept jumping around the clubhouse.

I always hope that Lirriano can get himself figured out but it never seems to materialize. He shows his bright spots but then falters terribly. It is a new year so I guess once again we just hope for the best.

 

[buckamania]

PC - I didn't hear what happened today, or even if they played, so I don't know who did what today.

I haven't seen much of Baker this year, just 2-innings against Boston last Friday. Apparently, he's looking ok, just from what I've read. I haven't seen Liriano at all but I'm sure he'll be "Francisco just being Francisco" again this year. I've seen Pavano a lot in practice and in game-action. He's 1-yr. older than last year, you know what that means! That new guy, Marquis(sp?) he looked pretty weak Mon. night against Boston, a few of the guys that followed looked pretty bad too. In a nut shell, I don't think the pitching is all that good. I certainly don't see 3 or 4, 15-game winners!

"Casi," as you put it, (great nick-name, by the way), was in my "semi" dog-house last year but he seems to be a whole different person this year. Assuming this is a good thing, wouldn't it be nice if a few other guys did the same thing and stepped their games up this year as well? That kind of stuff can jump-start a team. We'll see.

 

[powerchord86]

Yeah, I saw a little of Marquis pitching the other day and he was throwing almost every pitch in the dirt. Really making Mauer work back there. Earning that salary right?

 

[buckamania]

Good one, Mauer earning his salary! You're getting cleverer(sp?) in your old age, there, PC.

Someone must've P.O.'d jrs again, probably me. Once again I call upon you for some of your computer wizardry. Find that milk carton of yours and paste jrs. avatar on it with some sort of inscription like, "Have you seen this child?" That oughta bring him out of that deer-stand of his. May the "Schwartz" be with you!

 

[powerchord86]

 

[powerchord86]

 

[buckamania]

Good stuff! Too much free time, way too much free time!

 

[powerchord86]

Twins just locked Perkins up for a few more years. Good move.

 

[buckamania]

Just got back from today's game vs. the Rays....again! Talk about 2 weak-tit teams. It was scoreless until the top of the 9th when Hughes made a throwing error, maybe with 2-outs, that let in the winning run.

Morneau was hitless, I think Mauer was too. Doumit got a hit. Danny V. didn't. Casi didn't play. Nishi came in late and made an error on an easy grounder (again!) but it was scored as a hit. Yeah, right! We were howling. Liriano looked good, so did Hendricks & Diamond but it must be noted that the Rays didn't travel their hitting-stars down here. I mean, it is a 1/2 hr. bus-ride, which is an awful lot to ask of a millionaire ball-player these days.

Tomorrow we got the Cards at 1:05 pm. Used to be a hot ticket when they had Pujols. Still should be a sell-out. I fear it's gonna be one of those days for me as the main posse is showing-up with their beer-goggles on. A few just blew into town the other night and are itchin' to have fun. Gasoline on the fire. Woe is me!!

 

[powerchord86]

Just heard that Lirriano struck out 5 of 9 batters he faced. Nice.

 

[powerchord86]

Sounds like the Twins will carry three catchers. I am rooting for Towles to win the job for third stringer after Mauer and Doumit. I saw Towles crank two homers in one game at CBP in Philly a couple years ago when he was with the Astros. We were sitting in the family section and his wife was going crazy. It was pretty cool to see.

 

[buckamania]

Towles sounds good to me. Butera is just not MLB material at the plate, he's had his opportunities. Doumit will play other positions, just how well I'm not sure, but if Mr. Morneau doesn't come back a guy like Doumit is essential. Now, watch him lay an egg at the plate right away.

I erred in thinking Doumit got a hit yesterday, it was Willingham, who hasn't been tearing the cover off the ball so far. I don't know what to think of him so far. He's entitled to his chance, that's for sure

Liriano looked "real good" yesterday. That's a relief! Speaking of relief, our bull-pen is a real question mark . Where's Capps been? After the game today we go to a sports bar not far from the stadium. I'll look for Capps there. What the heck, I ran into Jack Morris there a couple years ago, maybe Capps has been hiding there. Btw, talk about an having intense aura about you! I can see why T.K. "beat cheeks" in Game 7 when Morris told him too! Later!!

 

[powerchord86]

Doumit will be doing a lot of DHing and will get some time behind the plate, first base and in the outfield.

Willingham knocked 29 HR's last year and had 98 RBI's. If he can get close to that again I would be happy.

As far as bullpen, I'm just glad Perkins is sticking around. I know a lot of people didn't like him after he filed a grievance in 09 and most figured he was on his way out. Good that they seem to have made amends and moved on. As far as Capps all I can say is close your eyes and hope for the best. Question marks indeed!

 

[buckamania]

Another weak effort at the plate for the Twins yesterday. Gardy was substituting freely which answers part of that but Mauer still hasn't done much, he went 0-3 yesterday. He did hit a nice liner to a perfectly positioned left fielder who barely moved to catch it. I noted that whenever Mauer was up the Cards shifted the OF's to the left side leaving a big gap in right-center that Mauer must have been oblivious to as never went for it. (Maybe he's playing 'possum with the league right now and will change his M.O. when the season starts.)

The Cards didn't bring their main starters. I really wanted to see Freese but he stayed home. Adam Wainwright looked pretty darned good coming back after major arm surgery, even if was only the Twins he was facing. I wish him the best of luck in his comeback. Jason Marquis looked "better" than his last effort but he always seems to be one bad pitch away from a train wreck. Did see Lance Berkman. He didn't do much, just 2-2! That dude has Hall of Fame written all over him!

The posse beat me up pretty good yesterday so in the interest of retaining my marriage to my beautiful bride, Lena, I'm gonna take a hiatus from Twins games until next Sat. when me & Lena travel to Jupiter, Fl to see the Twins play the Marlins. They are on the East Coast, north of West Palm Beach, approx. 2 1/2 hrs. from me. The posse is not invited to this one! Had a pair from Bismarck sitting in front of me yesterday. Sadly, they did not know you. I pointed out that you don't live to far from them but it was no good. Oh, well!

Later, bro!