Twins Thoughts
NFL "EXPERT" Picks
Word Association with
Stick & Ball Guy
Good Morning everyone!
Before I get started, I want to thank Bill Ferris for doing a
Blogger Profile on me on his
BaseBlogging.net site.
Check it out here. From that, I have to thank
Brent Hanson of BrentNet
for helping me figure out how to post comments on my site. So, for
the first time today, you will be able to see and post comments
right on the site. OF course, you can still
e-mail me, but
I'm testing out the Comments concept.
Something a little bit different with this week's Q&A session. I
asked Stick
and Ball Guy (heretofore referred to as SBG) if he would be
interested in participating in a second Q&A. Last January, I had a
Q&A with SBG where he answered a
number of questions about himself and his site. You also remember
that on two occasions, I have participated in a game of Pepper! on
his site. In that game, he picks ten topics and I get 50 (or 60)
words on the subject. He does the same thing, and it makes for a
very interesting give and take. Nothing like reading a couple of
different perspectives on the same topic. So, in using that logic, I
thought it would be interesting for he and I to talk about the
Twins, Wolves and Vikings. We each answered a couple of questions on
each team, but the primary thing is that we talk about the players.
Instead of 50 words, we gave each other 15-20 words on each player.
It is kind of interesting to see that on some players we agree,
while on other players we completely disagree. So, let's get
right to it! (Below, you will find some Twins Thoughts, other
baseball thoughts and more)
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
If you
have any comments for me or SBG, please
e-mail me, and I
will try to answer your questions or forward them on to him and see
if we can get you an answer. Of course, you can always go to the
Stick and Ball
Guy's site and write him directly.
Let the
Debates Begin!
TWINS
Johan Santana -
SBG -
Best pitcher in the game
SS -
Best starter in the offensive league. Should have won the Cy
Young easily!
Brad Radke -
SBG -
Disappointing 2005. I think this will be his last year in a
Twins uniform. For me, he is the face of the franchise.
SS -
So consistent. He is the epitome of the veteran #2 starter. I
hope the Twins keep him and he retires as a Twin. That said, if
we can send him home in exchange for Carl Crawford, I believe I
would smile really big!
Carlos Silva -
SBG -
Bulldog. Pitched hurt all year. Was ticked when he spoke his
mind and was criticized for it. This guy was fantastic in 2005.
SS -
He’s tough! To do what he did on that knee was amazing. Twins
should trade him now!
Kyle Lohse -
SBG -
Good year. The manager’s door thing, bah. These things
happen. He’ll be a good pitcher for someone and hopefully the
Twins can trade him for value.
SS -
Twins can’t afford to keep him. As an ‘average’ starting
pitcher, they should be able to get something decent for him.
Joe Mays -
SBG -
On the one hand, he got his money. On the other hand, his
career got ruined by injury. Big waste of money for the Twins,
but not his fault.
SS -
Never
got it back. I hope some team gives him a shot and he can just
be healthy.
Francisco Liriano -
SBG -
I
hope people are patient. He may take some lumps.
SS -
The
phrase “reminiscent of Santana” is such a wonderful sound to the
ears of Twins fans. He’ll be great, just keep him out of the
bullpen!
Scott Baker -
SBG -
Nice job last year. Very nice.
SS -
Poised like
Radke, just throws harder and has better breaking pitches.
Joe Nathan -
SBG -
It seems to me that he’s a little streaky. I mean when he’s
getting hit, he’s getting hit. BUT, usually, he’s NOT getting
hit.
SS -
Should be mentioned in the same breath as Rivera, Lidge and
Wagner. Incredible stuff!
Juan Rincon -
SBG -
You have to wonder how he’ll respond this year.
SS -
Took awhile after the suspension, but he was lights out again
the last two months of the season.
JC Romero -
SBG -
It seems like he has million dollar arm and 50 cent head.
SS -
Knock. Knock. Who’s there?! Hopefully not JC Romero! Must be
traded. Change of scenery would be best for him and the team.
Jesse Crain -
SBG -
Throws hard, but no strikeouts is troubling. Not surprisingly,
the Twins’ defensive efficiency behind him was off the charts
great this year.
SS -
Can’t explain the lack of strikeouts when I see a fastball at
94-95, a slider at 88 and one of the sharpest curves in the
game!
Matt Guerrier -
SBG -
Did a surprisingly good job.
SS -
Vastly
underrated performer. I want him to get a Win. Could be #5
starter to start season, but should reclaim his 2005 job.
Terry Mulholland -
SBG -
You have to admire his longevity. I never want to criticize
him, because he’s so damned gritty.
SS -
He’s done a lot, for a long time. That type of pitcher has a
role on any team... pitching coach!
Boof Bonser -
SBG -
I
used to read a Giants blog called “Waiting for Boof.” It’s now
the McCovey Chronicles. We’re waiting for Boof, but I think
he’ll get a shot at some point in 2006.
SS -
Shocked that he didn’t get a September call-up. Could he replace
Radke in 2007?
JD Durbin -
SBG -
See JC Romero. Hopefully, he can get the gray matter aligned
this year.
SS -
Still could be so good. The arrogance just really caught up with
him when his control was lost. I’m agreeing on a move to the
bullpen.
David Gassner -
SBG -
AAAA
SS -
2nd lefty reliever, or Rochester starter for years.
Joe Mauer -
SBG -
Will he hit for power? That’s the question. That’s a lot
better question to ask than “will his knee hold up?”.
SS -
There is nothing to not like about him. Perfect swing. Perfect
approach at plate. Calls a great game and throws would-be
basestealers out. And still just 22!
Mark Redmond -
SBG -
Guess what. We DON’T miss Henry Blanco. Terrific backup.
SS -
Knew he was better than Blanco, but didn’t expect him to be that
good. Seems to display strong leadership skills.
Justin Morneau -
SBG -
I
don’t know what to think. I missed the mark by plenty last
year.
SS -
Disappointing 2005, but too strong a hitting background to give
up on him at this point. .280 with 35 homers in 2006? I’m
always a year ahead in my predictions.
Matthew LeCroy -
SBG -
I’d have kept this guy. He murders left handed pitching. His
salary wasn’t that high.
SS -
Solid contributor, but very one-dimensional and replaceable.
Actually, I would not be surprised if he comes back at a
discount.
Luis Rivas -
SBG -
It’s too bad for him that the Twins signed him last year. If
Guzman was worth $17 million to somebody, Rivas could have
gotten what, $7 million for a couple of years? Good luck with
that now. Oh, and it was too bad for us, too.
SS -
Ding… Dong… Rivas is gone! All Twins fans, throw your hands in
the air, and wave ‘em all around like you just don’t care!
Luis Rodriguez -
SBG -
Utility player on a team of utility players.
SS -
Great approach at the plate. Swings at strikes. Doesn’t
strikeout. Line drives. Should have played more 2B last year.
Nick Punto -
SBG -
If he never plays another game for the Twins, that’d be okay
with me. Not that I don’t like the guy, but he’s just not any
good. At all.
SS -
Did a GREAT job of proving that he is a decent second utility
player!
Jason Bartlett -
SBG -
If Punto could have 400 at bats last year, why couldn’t Bartlett? That is a question
that I think a lot of people would like answered.
SS -
Is Bartlett the next Cuddyer? Is he the guy that actually
doesn’t do too bad but gets blamed for everything? Great AB’s
and much better defensively than I thought.
Juan Castro -
SBG -
Another utility player. The two year deal shows that Ryan just
wasn’t thinking clearly on the infield last year. Is solid
defensively, though.
SS -
He
actually had a solid year in 2005… He was still horrible, but
good for him. Good defender with what he gets to, little range.
Michael Cuddyer -
SBG -
I
kind of like your idea that the Twins should trade him. I feel
bad for the kid. Has been a scapegoat in a lot of people’s
minds. Needs a change of scenery.
SS -
Mr. Ryan, please trade Cuddyer. If Cuddy’s gone and the Twins
still struggle, who will Gardy have to blame???
Terry Tiffee -
SBG -
Had that nice run at the end of 2004, but he’s not a major
league caliber baseball player.
SS -
He has to be asking himself what made him try to knock down
Pudge in a September game two years ago. Hasn’t been the same
since.
Glenn Williams -
SBG -
Wow. What a heartbreaker. It’s easy to criticize players, but
Williams reminds us that these guys are human beings with
dreams, like the rest of us. For him to work so long and hard
for a shot and then have it blow up like that, that’s pretty
tough.
SS -
Big bonus guy who kept working hard. What a start to his big
league career. It’s just so unfortunate that it ended diving
into 1B! I think he’ll be with the Twins out of training camp in
2006 though.
Shannon Stewart -
SBG -
I
like him. But, I’m afraid that it’s all downhill from here.
SS -
He had a horrible
2005 season. Worst leadoff hitter in league. 2006 is a contract
year, so I hope he can have a big year!
Torii Hunter -
SBG -
On the extremely short list of best defensive Twins ever. Too
bad that he hasn’t developed an offensive game to match his
prodigious defensive talent. He’s now heading along the
downside. I really hoped the Twins would trade him because he
could have brought some pieces to rebuild this broken offense.
Now that seems unlikely.
SS -
He
had his bi-annual good month this year, in June, but was
horrible as always other than that. Even his defense was worse
than usual. Then the injury. Then his complaints. Then the
punch. Then the post-season quotes! Please! Trade Torii!
Jacque Jones -
SBG -
My friend Moss can’t stand to watch him play. He has absolutely
driven me insane. If Hunter stays, he has to go. Can’t have
that much undisciplined hitting in the lineup. I think Gardy’s
installation of him in the leadoff spot and his refusal to
platoon him is his biggest failing as a manager.
SS -
Loved the big home runs and the smile. Hated his plate
appearances against lefties and the throws in the turf or into
the bleachers.
I definitely wish him well with Toronto, or St. Louis, or
Seattle, or whoever.
Lew Ford -
SBG -
I
think that the 2005 Lew Ford is the real Lew Ford. He can
really play in the field. He should have played in the outfield
last year all the time. He doesn’t have enough bat to DH.
SS -
Another of
Gardy's whipping boys. No, he wasn't as good in '05 as '04, but
he's no worse than that other CF!
Michael Ryan -
SBG -
Good luck Mike.
SS -
So many chances
because of one good month. Hopefully the Braves are good to him!
Jason Tyner -
SBG -
AAAA
SS -
Great speed. Gardy's kind of guy. I'm sure he'll make the team,
and Gardy will want to play him way too much!
Ron Gardenhire -
SBG -
Let’s put it this way. If he were managing, say, the Boston Red
Sox, he’d be the former manager.
SS -
Has his
favorites, that's for sure. He will not touch "TK's" guys at
all. Gets thrown out way too much! Needs to understand splits
(like lefties hitting against lefties, etc.)
Terry Ryan -
SBG -
I
think that he’s been a very good GM for this team in some
respects. Had a rough off-season last year and seems too
unwilling to trade prospects. But he’s been very good at
unloading expensive talent. Too loyal to Gardenhire. Should
have fired him.
SS -
I
really think he has done a good job for the most part in his
trades. Had the great deals before the 2004 season. The 2005
pick ups were not so great. Has his work cut out for him this
winter.
Carl Pohlad -
SBG -
I’m not sure he realizes this, but he can’t take it with him. I
love baseball more than money, which is why if I were 100 years
old, had his money, and had a baseball team right now, I’d be
spending a helluva lot more.
SS -
How much does he really still do? I think his sons make most of
the decisions. If he really wants to win, he'd step up.
How much lee-way should Ron Gardenhire
have in 2006?
SBG -
If I were the GM, the first time he lost a game, I’d fire
him. Is that being unreasonable? Seriously, I think this
team needs a new direction. But, since he is going to be
the manager, I’d let him fill out the lineup card. But, if
he pulls crap like not playing
Bartlett, I’d be in his office right
now and put a stop to that. By doing whatever it takes.
SS -
If
TR provides the players, Gardy has to start using them the right
ways. I understand that sometimes gut-feel is good, but
sometimes the "right" move is the right move! A bad start and he
should be gone, but I'm afraid he'll last the year.
Name three free agents that you would
like to see the Twins pursue?
SBG -
Frank Thomas – why not. He has to come cheap, but he is
worth a shot. Nomar?
SS -
Nomar Garciaparra, Bill Mueller, and how about Julio Franco or
Sammy Sosa?
TIMBERWOLVES
Kevin Garnett -
SBG -
Best Minnesota pro sports athlete of all time.
SS -
Most gifted, most unselfish athlete I've seen. Seems to be a
great teammate! Best all around player in NBA.
Wally Szczerbiak -
SBG -
Overpaid, but is a legitimate offensive threat on a team with
few of those. Can’t stand to watch him dribble.
SS -
Incredible
shooter. Needs to get 15 shots a game. Should never dribble.
Marko Jaric -
SBG -
Has shown some quick hands on defense. I don’t know. He
doesn’t do a whole lot for me.
SS -
I
still like this acquisition. May have overpaid, but it meant
ridding team of Sam Cassell, which is a good thing! Has a lot of
valuable skills and good size.
Trenton Hassell -
SBG -
His defense has been good.
SS -
Great defender two years ago. Average at best last year. OK this
year. Way overpaid. Should not shoot!
Michael Olowokandi -
SBG -
Clearly, he is limited. But, he’s been better, I think. Then I
look and see he’s shooting, what, 43%? For a big man that’s no
good. He just can’t power his way to the basket. But, at least
he doesn’t look dead out there this year.
SS -
Is
he actually playing well? Not really, but not bad for him.
Hopefully he can be traded for something decent!
Troy Hudson -
SBG -
Better. The guy was disastrous last year. No defense, streaky
offense. If Casey controls his minutes, he can be effective.
But, wow, way too much money.
SS -
He's doing OK again this year. Seems to be under a little more
control.
Anthony Carter -
SBG -
Plays hard. Not talented enough to play much, but he’s good in
very short spots.
SS -
Very solid veteran. Should probably play more minutes at the
point. Great distributor. It's hard to remember how good he was
with Miami in their heyday!
Richie Frahm -
SBG -
He’s no Fred Hoiberg.
SS -
A younger
version of Fred Hoiberg. Not as consistent, but then again,
neither are his minutes.
Ronald Dupree -
SBG -
It seems like I’m not watching when he’s playing. I haven’t
seen him play in about three weeks.
SS -
Who? Just kidding. He provides some fouls and effort.
Eddie Griffin -
SBG -
Worst offensive player on the team. Has no inside game. Can’t
shoot the three anymore. Blocks shots, but does he play good
defense?
SS -
I
just don't know what to make of him. He has long arms and a lot
of ability, but is any of it being used?
Mark Madsen -
SBG -
Worst offensive player in the league. But not worst on the team
because he knows enough not to shoot.
SS -
Every team needs
a
guy like this. He
may be is awful offensively, but he understands
that and knows what he can provide to the team.
Nikolaz Tskitischvili -
SBG -
Kept Ndudi Ebi off the roster.
SS -
I
would really like to see what he could do with some playing
time, but I guess I don't know who he would take minutes from.
Dwayne Casey -
SBG -
I
like what he’s done. It seems that the Wolves are more
defensive minded and that the ball goes through KG at crunch
time. I think he’ll prod this team to a playoff spot. Good
hire.
SS -
I've liked him
since first hearing him on the radio. The defense being preached
seems to be transfering into the game. Good discipline, and has
a good offensive system that gets KG shots.
Kevin McHale -
SBG -
Just look at the roster after KG. He did that. I have found
the team to be entertaining and I have hope, but the
expectations should be much higher with the best player in the
league on the team. I hold McHale responsible for ruining KG’s
prime.
SS -
Hall of Fame player, Hall of Shame GM. What has he done besides
get lucky with Garnett? The Joe Smith thing? Some horrid draft
picks? Terrible contracts? He should have lost his job, not Flip
Saunders!
Glen Taylor -
SBG -
Glen, you need to find a GM. You’ve spent on this team, you
refurbished the arena, you saved the franchise from Harv and
Marv. Now, go out and get a GM.
SS -
I wish he'd buy
the Twins. He gave the team the money to win. Worked for a year.
He did his part and continues to support the team.
Flip Saunders -
SBG -
I
liked Flip. He’s probably happier now. I hope he wins the
championship.
SS -
The scapegoat for the Wolves woes last year. He's a great coach,
and I'm glad he got the Detroit job. Maybe he'll get the respect
he should have got the whole time.
Lebron
James is arguably the best all-around player in the NBA right now (I
still say KG, but, it is close). He won’t turn 21 until late this
month. Michael Jordan was not a complete player until he turned 26
or 27. What is the ceiling for what James could do in his career?
SBG -
I
don’t think it’s fair to compare anyone to Jordan. That’s a pretty bright light.
Let’s just say this. If he doesn’t get hurt, if he doesn’t get
too full of himself, if he has the right guys around him, he
could end up in the pantheon right alongside Bird and Magic.
But, he’s going to have to win championships. One thing I don’t
like is that his assist numbers are down from 7.2 last year to
4.8.
SS -
Assuming health, he will be a better player than Jordan. I'm one
who doesn't believe in championships determining a player's
career. Karl Malone and John Stockton were great players who
made their teammates better, but didn't win. As long as James
keeps doing everything, he will go down as the best.
Outside of Kobe Bryant, who is the most
NBA's most selfish player? Carmelo Anthony or Stephon Marbury?
SBG -
‘Melo has been a whipping boy among my friends since his rookie
season. Stevie has shown tremendous ability to make teams worse
(or rather, they are better when he leaves), despite his
considerable talent. I’m going to go with Marbury only because
Anthony is still young and could learn.
SS -
Starbury... but not by much! And to think, there are a lot of
people who want him back in a Wolves uniform!
VIKINGS (25 words
per position)
The QB Situation -
SBG -
Johnson’s done a very good job. I don’t think Daunte will be
ready next year. That is very bad news, because he really is
the franchise player.
SS -
Daunte is the Franchise. We can just hope the he is sitting back
and seeing how Brad Johnson manages a game. The combination of
Culpepper's talent and skill coupled with the team's new
strategies could make him great!
The Running Backs -
SBG -
This team needs a running back badly.
SS -
I
guess I now understand why so many people don't think MeMo can
be a featured back. He's great, but always hurt. Bennett is ok.
Onterrio is a mess. Boy, Reggie Bush would be nice!
The Wide Receivers -
SBG -
Been a tough year. K-Rob has been a nice surprise. It looks
like Williamson wasn’t a bad pick compared to Mike Williams.
But that ain’t saying much. If Moss wasn’t banged up and
looking much older than ever before, I’d really be screaming.
But even so, not good.
SS -
I truly believed
Burleson was an All-Pro caliber receiver. I'm not saying he
won't be, but this year was bad. Just no consistent go-to
receiver.
The Offensive Line -
SBG -
Not a banner year, but look, they’ve played about 10 guys there
this year. Losing Birk didn’t help, and I wonder if he’ll be
back next year with the same ability.
SS -
They really do
miss Burk badly. But they have not been very good at all.
Penalties and no continuity have hurt. But again, since the
Culpepper injury, something has worked.
The Defensive Line -
SBG -
Pat Williams. Yes, sir.
SS -
They are playing
great considering Udeze missed most of the year and Kevin
Williams has been terrible. Pat Williams is a stud, and CJ
Moseley has been a great 6th round pick!
The Linebackers -
SBG -
Better than last year. Honestly, it’s kind of hard to say. The
defense got blown off the field against teams like Cincinnati. The last several games, who have
they played? Detroit twice, Cleveland and the Packers? These
teams suck and have no running game.
SS -
Keith Newman has been incredible, as incredible as Napolean
Harris has been horrible. But overally, they are not doing too
poorly.
The Defensive Backs -
SBG -
Smoot didn’t work out, but Sharper has. And Winfield has been
good again.
SS -
The DBs have been great. Smoot has the Steve Smith game, but
other than that, he's been great. Winfield is such a sure
tackler. Sharper is making big play after big play. Chavous,
B-Will and even Devonte Edwards. They're all getting the job
done!
Mike Tice -
SBG -
I
like Mike. He’ll be a good offensive coordinator someday.
SS -
I
thought he was gone after the Cincinnati loss, and for sure
after the Love Boat. But to turn around this situation is
nothing short of remarkable!
Rod Bzrzynski/Scott Studwell -
SBG -
Hard to say. They’ve been handicapped by the previous owner
quite a bit. Some of their free agent signings have been great
(Winfield, P. Williams). Then, there’s the comedy of draft
day. I would like to see one guy run the show.
SS -
Good signings
this year. They were held back so badly by Red McCombs, it's
hard to judge. They haven't done well on draft day, but some mid
and late round picks are doing well.
Zygi Wilf -
SBG -
I
am optimistic that he’ll return this team to respectability. I
think he’s going to be a good owner. The Red McCombs era was
disastrous. Wilf seems to really want to have a team that he
can be proud of. That’s the difference between a real estate
developer and a used car salesman.
SS -
Hopefully he'll
really do something about the Vikings bad public image. That
should be a priority, along with allowing the management and
coaches to do what they need to win.
In the end, how many wins will the
Vikings have? Will it be enough to make the playoffs?
SBG -
I
think they’ll win 9 games. They have St.
Louis and
Baltimore on the schedule and they should
beat those two teams. But, it’s not going to be enough. The
Bears will win the division and two of Dallas,
Tampa Bay and
Atlanta will pick be
the Wild Cards.
SS -
I think
that they'll lose to St. Louis, but then beat the Steelers and
Ravens. The Bears game won't matter to either team, so they'll
win. 10-6, and the 6th spot in the playoffs.
Will Mike Tice be the Vikings coach in
2006?
SBG -
No. Unless Zygi doesn’t have any money left.
SS -
I really think
that he will be back, unless they lose three out of their final
four.
And there you have it. A little
game of Word Association with SBG and Seth! I am sure that
you disagree with at least a few of these picks. Or maybe you just
agree with everything we said. Be sure to
send us an e-mail
and let us know what you think. And, be sure to head over to
Stick & Ball
Guy's site and bookmark it!
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