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Ghengis, my condolences on the Twins demise this fall; I was rooting fer ya.
Thanks Mike, they'll reload this winter (perhaps Konerko) and give it another shot. The future's so bright we gotta wear shades. Zip-pee-do-dah, Zip-a-dee-ay.
Will the Mminnesota Twins Make a Comeback to Win the Central?
Right now the Twins are 7 games back from 1st place. It seems like they're starting to figure things out and are working hard. I think the Twins' awful start put them way back, they would be a real contender if they hadn't lost those early games. Anyway.... your thoughts?
Despite the mini-surge of late I'd still have to give them a letter grade of D. But hey, a month ago it would have been an F. I'd rank the pitching at 3, but only that high because the bullpen has been better than I expected. The starting rotation is a mess, and they don't have anything resembling an ace. The young guys, especially Diamond, have shown some promise, but I need to see a little more, especially once the league starts to figure them out.
On the other side, I'd also rank batting at 3. Mauer has been getting some boos lately and I think he deserves it. It's not that he's a bad player - clearly he isn't. It's that at $23 million he needs to be a superstar, not a table setting singles hitter on pace to break the record for hitting into double plays. If his contract was $12M/year then I've got no beef. But at $23M he's preventing the team from getting another chip so he needs to produce like a star. I've got nothing but good things to say about Willingham, and his contract is a bargain. I know we just drafted the second coming of Willie Mays (yes - I actually saw some commenter compare Byron Buxton to Willis Mays, and I actually think he was serious). But I'll just say, wait five years and then get back to me on that.
I'm annoyed that the team made no serious effort to sign any notable free agents last winter. I'm not saying they should have or could have gone after the very top guys, but when the cupboard is this bare I think they could have at least taken a shot at some mid level guys. I was willing to put up with the whole little-engine-that-could stuff while they were in the Metrodome, but with the new ballpark, 3M+ fans each season and some of the highest ticket prices in the majors I'm expecting more.
Hudson Boyd, the Twins' top draft pick in 2011, is raising eyebrows here in the Appy League. He has allowed 4 earned runs in 6 starts with 3 of those in one game. Since that one bad outing, he's pitched 20+ scoreless innings. So far: 29 IP, 20 K's, 11 walks, 1.24 ERA. Apparently the pitchers are limited to 6 innings per start.
I look forward to seeing how Boyd does at the next level.
On the other side, I'd also rank batting at 3. Mauer has been getting some boos lately and I think he deserves it. It's not that he's a bad player - clearly he isn't. It's that at $23 million he needs to be a superstar, not a table setting singles hitter on pace to break the record for hitting into double plays. If his contract was $12M/year then I've got no beef. But at $23M he's preventing the team from getting another chip so he needs to produce like a star. I've got nothing but good things to say about Willingham, and his contract is a bargain. I know we just drafted the second coming of Willie Mays (yes - I actually saw some commenter compare Byron Buxton to Willis Mays, and I actually think he was serious). But I'll just say, wait five years and then get back to me on that.
The Twins were in a no-win situation.
Joe Mauer is an old man physically and will likely spend a portion of each year on the disabled list It would have been smart for the Twins NOT to resign him to a long term contract and to invest the money on other free-agent acquisitions.
If the Twins had not signed him, the faithful would have screamed bloody murder and started talking about Cal Griffiths again - you know, those "cheap bastards."
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Will the Mminnesota Twins Make a Comeback to Win the Central?
