Wednesday, August 23, 2006
Uh-O's
Good morning everyone! Not a lot to report. Just some thoughts on last night's Twins loss, some further Twins thoughts, and as always, the Minor League affiliate's updates. So, let's get right to it.
Well, Carlos Silva gave up six runs on ten hits and two walks in jus 5.1 innings. He also struck no one out. They say that solo home runs don't really hurt you. Well, five solo home runs probably have a tendency to hurt just a bit! The Twins offense had four hits in their first six at bats, but then they didn't have another hit until the ninth inning. Rookie Nick Markakis hit three homers, and rookie Adam Loewen (he of the 6.12 ERA coming into the game) gave up just one run over eight innings to lead the O's to the win. The piranhas (or Paronta's, as Bert Blyleven would say) combined to go 1-13 in the game.
However, we can find a few glimmers of hope from this game if we really try:
The relief work done by Willie Eyre. The Twins rookie reliever went the final 2.2 innings. He gave up just one hit and walked one in the shutout innings. The shutout innings aren't as important as just the innings. What he did to stop the O's offense allowed the rest of the Twins relievers to have another day of rest. In his last nine outings, he has given up four earned runs in 17 innings (2.12 ERA) with a 0.94 WHIP. In his last seven games, he has given up two earned runs in 13 innings (1.38 ERA) with a 0.77 WHIP.
Joe Mauer had two hits including an RBI triple.
Most importantly, Francisco Liriano was pain-free when he played catch with Rick Anderson from just 60 feet away. Of coure, how he feels today will probably go a long way in determining when he will come back.
That might be it for positives from the game last night. But, if you really, really want to dig for one more, I can help you. If you want something to feel good about from last night's game. If you really need something to take away from the game last night so that you don't feel like you wasted a couple of hours, I've got one thing for you:
On Sunday, in one of my Fantasy Baseball Leagues, I picked up both Nick Markakis and Adam Loewen.
Now, if you think I am just being arrogant and that I need to be brought back down:
I also picked up Astros rookie Jason Hirsh, and last night he gave up seven runs on nine hits and five walks over just 2 2/3 innings against the Reds. I played him and left Justin Verlander on my bench. Verlander has really struggled in his starts since he skipped a start earlier in the month. On Monday, Verlander threw seven innings and gave up just one run on five hits and two walks. Oops!
To add insult to injury in that Reds/Astros game, former Twins pitcher Kyle Lohse threw eight shutout innings. The funny thing is that there are still people out there who will claim that the Twins should have kept Lohse! Is Lohse for real... or is it just a weaker NL... or just a change of scenery?
Speaking of former Twins, how come no one is talking about why the Twins didn't try to trade for Corey Koskie now? He hasn't played since July 6th because of post-concussion syndrome.
A few more Twins notes:
I have to start out with a few gems from Stick & Ball Guy:
I have always felt like an apologist for Brad Radke. Even on the site I have had to back him several times to people who call him "just a .500 pitcher" or something ridiculous like that. Instead of throwing out such quotes, check out the numbers... Is it possible that Brad Radke is the greatest Twins pitcher in their 45 year history? The guy who comes in at #4 isn't too bad either!
VORP (Value Over Replacement Player) is a very telling statistic. It takes the value of the players, but also takes position into account. Check out which Twins players gave the most value to the team this year. I am guessing that the top few are of no surprise to you, but you may be interested to see how the other ratings work out.
Aaron Gleeman took a look at the updated WPA (Win Probability Added) stats for the Twins season. It is pretty obvious that the top five would be Joe Nathan, Justin Morneau, Francisco Liriano, Johan Santana and Joe Mauer (with Juan Rincon just behind). The bottom five is probably fairly obvious as well with Rondell White, Carlos Silva, Torii Hunter, Kyle Lohse and Juan Castro pulling up the rear. So, excuse me while I take the Lohse with the Reds success in stride and am not at all worried about Castro's occasional success with the Reds. Excuse me for not wanting to waster $12 million in a small market for Hunter.
We all spent plenty of time bashing Twins manager Ron Gardenhire early in the year. I still can't say that he is a great in-game manager, but if we were going to bash him when things were bad, we have to point out the good when things are going well too. Nick & Nick did just that yesterday. Where I think that Gardy is a good manager is keeping things on an even keel. It used to annoy me to no end when Tom Kelly would use that cliché, but there is certainly a lot to the statement. It is the best way to go about things. One game at a time. Bust your tail. They are clichés, but when the team actually goes about their business and does those things, it is for the good!
Brad Weiss posted his updated Top 30 Twins prospects over at scout.com. He doesn't rank them by prospect status, but instead by production. Of course, you can discuss that list and plenty of other Twins topics on their Hardball Forum.
Does anyone else get tired of listening to Cubs fans whine? I sure do. They complain about Prior and Wood getting injured all the time. They blame Dusty Baker (who deserves a lot of blame!). They forget that these guys are hurt every year, yet who has the GM given Baker to help him get past that? But the worst thing is how the Cubs fans thought that LaTroy Hawkins was so 'bad.' In his first year with the Cubs, Hawkins went 5-4 with 25 saves and a 2.63 ERA. Is that bad? The fact is that LaTroy is the poster child for those who believe that not everyone can be a closer. There are probably some, like Hawkins, who are great in relief, but just don't do well closing. But used in the right situations, Hawkins can (and has been) a great set up man!
Be a scout! TangoTiger has set up a site in which you can help grade the players from your favorite team. He thinks that those who watch a team (and its players) consistently happens to know things about a player that the stats don't say, or they verify such things. So, check out his site and be sure to post your thoughts on the Twins players.
If you're looking for some extra reading, check out my AL Central Hitting Projections and then my AL Central Pitching Predictions. Some are pretty decent. Some... not even close!
The Mets acquired Shawn Green from the Diamondbacks yesterday. It is funny to me that people want him and his contract. He has not been good since 2002. He's a league average outfielder at best, certainly not a difference maker!But, good for them, I guess.
Any thoughts on the Twins, send me an e-mail, or leave some Comments below.
Here is a quick look at the upcoming pitching matchups for the final two games in Baltimore against the Orioles..
Wed - 6:05 - Matt Garza (0-2, 11.74, 2.22, .382) vs Rodrigo Lopez (9-12, 6.03, 1.55, .305)
Thurs - 6:05 - Boof Bonser (2-4, 5.51, 1.48, .294) vs Kris Benson (10-9, 4.63, 1.37, .276)
Any thoughts on the series, please let me know! Send me an e-mail, or leave Comments below.
SethSpeaks Player of the Day - Alex Romero, Rochester Red Wings
SethSpeaks Pitcher of the Day - Jay Sawatski, New Britain Rockcats
If you have any thoughts on the Twins system, please e-mail me.
ROCHESTER REPORT
Tuesday - Red Wings 4, Syracuse 3 (10) – With two outs in the bottom of the 10th inning, Alex Romero singled in Garrett Jones with the game-winning run. Romero was 2-4 with a walk. Scott Baker started and gave up three runs (2 earned) on nine hits and two walks in 6.1 innings. Matt Ford struck out the only batter he faced. Beau Kemp went 2.1 shutout innings. Bobby Korecky pitched a scoreless top of the 10th to record his fourth win.
NEW BRITAIN NEWS
Tuesday - Rockcats 1, Connecticut 3 – Adam Harben started and did well. In six innings, he gave up three runs (2 earned) on six hits and two walks. He struck out eight! Jay Sawatski gave up just one hit over the final three innings. The Rockcats managed just two hits in the game. Trent Oeltjen had an RBI triple.
FT MYERS MEMOS
Tuesday - Game 1 - Miracle 0, Clearwater 7 - Kyle Aselton started this game and gave up five runs (4 earned) on seven hits and three walks in 3.2 innings. Ryan Callahan went the final 3.1 innings and gave up two runs (1 earned) on five hits and a walk. The offense had just five hits on the game. Deacon Burns went 2-3.
Tuesday - Game 2 - Miracle 4, Clearwater 3 - In Game 2, Oswaldo Sosa started and gave up three unearned runs in five innings to improve to 3-0 with a 1.61 ERA. He gave up four hits, walked two and struck out six. Danny Powers went the final two innings and gave up just two hits for his seventh save. Brock Peterson went 2-3, and Trevor Plouffe and Justin Arneson each hit their third home runs and drove in two runs. Brandon Roberts stole his 47th base.
BELOIT BITS
Tuesday - Snappers – No Game Scheduled.
ELIZABETHTON UPDATE
Tuesday - E-Twins 3, Princeton 1 – Jose Lugo gave up a run on three hits and three walks in six innings. He struck out six on his way to his seventh win. Matt Fox went two shutout innings before Danny Hernandez struck out two in his perfect inning for his 17th save. Danny Santiesteban went 2-4 with his 13th double. Danny Valencia also was 2-4.
Do you have any further thoughts on any Twins prospects, minor leaguers, or these summaries? I would love any input, or ideas to make it better. Thanks! E-mail me, or also feel free to leave comments below.
Let me know what you think. Send me an e-mail, or let's talk about it in the Comments here. That is it for today!
|