Twins Band Director

Comeback, Pitching Staff, Marching Band

2009-04-18T09:37:00.005-04:00

Greetings, once again Twins fans. Yes, I do realize that it has been a good week and a half since I have blogged, and the MLB preview has been put on hold for a while. Yet, as we all know it, real life does catch up to us every once in a while that needs attention to. As a band director, my duties at work can keep me at school for quite some time. And since I arrange and compose a lot of the music that my band does play, it quite frequently happens that my days are swamped....I digress.....back to the regularly scheduled baseball blog....

Twins 11, Angels 9

In a game that was looking like it would have a few different outcomes, it finished off having one of the most likely ones of all. At first, it seemed like Nick Blackburn was going to finally give the Twins a much-needed solid start. After tossing 4 scoreless innings and allowing just 3 hits, Nick hit a rough patch in the 5th that saw the team's tenous lead evaporate. Four straight singles and a groundout saw the Twins quickly behind 3-2. However, Blackburn worked out of it, buckled down, and got three straight outs with runners in scoring position to finish off the frame. All said and done, Nick had a decent night, going 6.1 IP with 4 ER/R on 8 H. It would have been just 3 ER if Crain could have held any semblence of composure on the mound. After getting a quick first out, Crain would retire no more batters on the night, walking 3 and giving up 2 hits. You've got to question why the person who has set himself up to be the main 8th inning guy is being sent in during the 7th, especially after 2 straight games where he was used, but this is where the Twins' bullpen besides Joe Nathan stands right now...........trust nobody. After a disastrous 7th which saw the Angels go up 5, it was time to start packing it in for most Twins fans. For me, it was time to turn off the cel phone for the night, watch a few House reruns, and hit the sack. Hey, I have a big day ahead today. We're taking the kids to the Zoo! For the second time this year (the first being against the Mariners), I woke up to a present surprise in the morning. Just as LA had a big 7th inning, the Twins had an even bigger 8th inning. Cuddyer had an infield single, Crede walked, Redmond knocked one in, Punto walked, Denard doubled in a pair, Justin walks. The Twins are within 2 at 9-7 and then BANG! The roof is blown off with a BIG Jason Kubel Grand Slam. Good night everyone, drive home safely. Needless to say, the MVP of the game just might have been Jason Kubel. 4-5 with 5 RBIs and oh yeah, he hit for the cycle. He made a lot of people who predicted him having a breakout season look pretty good last night. The Troubled Staff

Right now, it appears that the strong suit heading into the season for Minnesota is now performing as its' weakest. Should we be worried right now?

Glen Perkins - 1.69 ERA, .207 BAA
Francisco Liriano - 5.09 ERA, .254 BAA
Nick Blackburn - 5.71 ERA, .310 BAA
Kevin Slowey - 7.94 ERA, .423 BAA
Scott Baker - 13.50 ERA, .313 BAA

Not quite that stat lines you want to see for a 'dynamic' young staff. However, we have to consider small sample size, as just 2 pitchers have tossed more than three games. There may be signs of turning it around as well. Liriano was very solid on Thursday, and Blackburn looked good last night. Slowey had a good spring, and once he gets a little more comfortable he should be very good. Perkins is already throwing well and has the obvious best numbers of the staff. Baker may take a few starts to get the rust out.

Once this staff gets a few consecutive good starts under their belts, they could begin rolling much like they did through the middle part of the season last year. Let's give it another month or two before worrying too much about the starting 5. Now, the bullpen is a different issue.

Marching Band

The band that I am the director of is actually doing a baseball themed show next season. The show will be featured around the movie music from The Natural. Check out the band's website when you can and listen to the arrangements the group will be playing in 2009.

2009 Preview: AL Central

2009-04-07T07:26:00.003-04:00

In part 2 of 6 of my Major League Baseball 2009 Preview, I take a look at the AL Central Division:

Minnesota Twins - For the first time since 2007, the Twins enter the season as one of the favorites to win the division. Minnesota returns almost all of their lineup and pitching rotation from 2008, a team that hit. 305 with runners in scoring position and posted the 3rd most runs in the AL despite a large lack of homerun hitting ability. Minnesota should be strong once again this year, with a lineup that carries the ability to get on base and advance. Denard Span, Alexi Casilla, Carlos Gomez and Nick Punto will be counted on to be on base for the bigger bats in the lineup. This Twins lineup does not boast a ton of homerun power, but it can spray the ball around the park and over the wall with Justin Morneau, Jason Kubel, a healthy Michael Cuddyer, and free agent pick up Joe Crede. The biggest offseason, and now in-season, issue for the Twins is the health of Joe Mauer. The all-star backstop continues to rehab his lower back in Florida as the team plays on. The team is targeting late April/early May as a return date, but there has been no specific timetable given for his return. The team is equipped to handle his absence in the short-term with good backup Mike Redmond taking a majority of the games, and Jose Morales taking over as backup. However, the longer Mauer and his ridiculous OBP is out, the more it will hurt the Twins. Minnesota has arguably one of the best young rotations in baseball with Scott Baker, Francisco Liriano, Kevin Slowey, Glen Perkins, and Nick Blackburn. Look for a nice year from Slowey and Perkins. If this ballclub continues to improve their young players, they will be at the top of the standings the entire year.
Chicago White Sox - Here you go, this is the bold prediction of the year. Many baseball pundits in the country have the White Sox as non-contenders this year, and it is easy to see why. They are an aging team that has shaky 4-5 spots in the rotation. That being said, I think they will be a contender all year. This lineup still features plenty of thunder with Paul Konerko, Jim Thome, Carlos Quentin, Jermaine Dye, and Alexei Ramirez. They have a few unprovens that are question marks in Josh Fields, Brent Lillibridge, DeWayne Wise, and Brian Anderson. However, with adequate seasons from some of those question marks, they will still be able to put up a lot of runs. The 1-2-3 in the rotation is solid with Mark Buehrle, Gavin Floyd, and John Danks. That combination will net this team a lot of wins this year, especially if they can keep the ball in the park a little bit more. What the Sox season ultimately comes down to is the success of the 4-5 starters, Jose Contreras and Bartolo Colon. I honestly think Colon will be done by June, but I wouldn't be too quick to dismiss Contreras from being a reliable #4 starter. If he can get a hint of success early in the year and stay healthy, he could provide a bit of support for the top 3.
Cleveland Indians - Just like there is a lot of hype surrounding the White Sox to plummet this year, there is equally if not more hype that the Indians will make a resounding bounce back this season (it is an odd year after all!). I'm not buying it. On paper, Cleveland has a nice lineup and pitching depth. Centered around a good 1-2 with Cliff Lee and Fausto Carmona, the Indians should be favored to win a lot of those games. However, with Cliff Lee magically transforming into Cy Young last year, and Carmona's rough year last year and limited track record before that, I am not convinced those 2 will provide as many wins as many are predicting. After those 2, the rotation become even more hittable, with Carl Pavano, Scott Lewis, and Anthony Reyes filling out the 3-4-5 spots. This lineup will have to score a lot of runs to support what could be given up by that rotation......and they will. With one of the games best hitters in Grady Sizemore, and good backup by Victor Martinez, Jhonny Peralta, Shin-Soo Choo, and Ryan Garko, the Tribe will put their fare share of runs up on the board. A healthy and effective Travis Hafner could really catapult this offense. However, they will not be able to match the ineffectiveness of their overall starting rotation, and Cleveland will have a tough time living up to their preseason hype.
Kansas City Royals - The Royals come in to 2009 without high aspirations of winning the division, but finally a hope that they can hang around with the rest of the division. The team has made some questionable decisions this offseason in acquiring Mike Jacobs from the Marlins for reliever Leo Nunez. However, I believe that is a sound pickup. Jacobs finally gives a strong bat to an otherwise unproven and power-depleted lineup. That is not to say that the Royals can't hit the ball out of the ballpark. They have good bats with Jacobs, Alex Gordon, Jose Guillen, and Bill Butler. They have guys who could break out this year in Gordon, Mike Aviles and Alberto Callaspo. The acquisition of Coco Crisp gives them another sound veteran who can play good defense and can still hit. Their rotation is getting stronger each year, anchored by Gil Meche and Zach Greinke. The Royals won't win the division, but don't be surprised to see them give a lot of headaches to other teams. Also don't be surprised to see them hop into 3rd place by the end of the year, either.
Detriot Tigers - Oh what a short, quick fall it has been for the team that many experts picked to win it all last year. The quickly aging Detriot team has a lineup that still has the potential of scoring a lot of runs, with stalwarts Magglio Ordonez, Miguel Cabrera, Curtis Granderson, Carlos Guillen, Placido Polanco, and Marcus Thames. This lineup should be able to post a lot of runs, if they can stay healthy (hey, they have Adam Everett!!). They are going to have to score a lot of runs this year to backup the worst rotation in the division. A collection of Verlander, Edwin Jackson, Zack Miner, Porcello and Galarraga will just simply be a tough go this year. Although I'm sure there will be games where there is a solid performance or two between Verlander, Jackson and Galarraga, I see this team doing a lot of catch-up throughout the year. Sheffield is gone, and the Tigers should be big players in unloading some older players around the trade deadline this year.

Next up: AL West.

2009 Preview: AL East

2009-04-06T07:42:00.004-04:00

This is a part 1 of a 6 part series previewing each division in the Major Leagues for the 2009 season. First up: the AL East.

Tampa Bay Rays - Tampa Bay shocked a lot of the baseball world in 2008 by winning the AL East title over the annual favorites and advancing to the World Series where they were defeated by the eventual World Champion Philadelphia Phillies. That team was solid throughout though not marked by many superstars. They showed solid defense, good pitching, and a well-balanced lineup. The 2009 version will provide much of the same. With a solid rotation anchored by James Shields, Scott Kazmir, and Matt Garza, the Rays again look built to make a good run in the very difficult AL East. The biggest edge that the Rays have over the other division powers is that they are still a young group that still has yet to hit their peaks. Look for improved years from Carl Crawford, Aki Iwamura, and Jason Bartlett, as well as a full season of Evan Longoria. Key free agent aquisition Pat Burrell will be an excellent right-handed bat addition to complement Crawford and Carlos Pena.
Boston Red Sox - The Red Sox enter 2009 being the first full season W.M.....without Manny. However, this team doesn't look like they will be affected too much by his absence, as they recieved an excellent underrated outfielder in Jason Bay to fill in his spot. However, with lineup staples like David Ortiz, 2008 AL MVP Dustin Pedroia, Kevin Youkilis, and J.D. Drew, the Manny absence can be absorbed as this is still one of the premier lineups in the American League. Boston boasts a nice rotation with Josh Beckett, Daisuke Matsuzaka and Jon Lester leading the charge, along with veteran knuckle-baller Tim Wakefield and offseason pickup Brad Penny filling it out. The thing that keeps Boston from winning the division in 2009 is their age. While most of the teams are getting younger, Boston returns an older lineup that unfortunately could be more injury-prone over the course of the season.
New York Yankees - The Yankees are being lauded by many to be 'back' this year after missing the playoffs in 2008. The Bronx team did what the Yankees usually do this offseason, absolutely obliterating the free-agent market for the biggest and best names out there. This year that spells out two top-of-the-rotation starters in CC Sabathia and AJ Burnett, and an MVP caliber first basemen in Mark Texiera. The Yankees rotation this year is pretty stacked, with CC, AJ, Chien-Ming Wang, Andy Pettitte, and Joba Chamberlain taking the ball every 5 days. On paper, this is the best rotation in the East. The lineup is also stacked, with regulars Texiera, Jorge Posada, Robinson Cano, Derek Jeter, Alex Rodriguez (eventually), Hideki Matsui, Xavier Nady, and Johnny Damon. This should be a team that scores a lot of runs. So why are they in 3rd? I am going to be going by the old theory that you cannot purchase team chemistry. The Yankees have so much individual talent, that it will be impossible for them not to win at least 85-90 games. However, its tough to take players from a bunch of different backgrounds, let alone do it in New York, and have them buy into a team concept when many are making at least $15 million this season. That is the challenge that Joe Girardi has in front of him. These boys can outright play, but do they have what it takes to get through the mental grinds of the long season in an extremely tough division?
Baltimore Orioles - The Orioles return a 'not-so-good' team to an extremely tough division. However, with each year, Baltimore is getting closer to figuring out what it might take to win eventually.....youth. The Orioles have removed themselves from the Sammy Sosa/Miguel Tejada days of big name-low upside aquisitions and are moving in the right direction of developing young, strong staples of the team. A solid but inconsistent lineup with Brian Roberts, Nick Markakis and Adam Jones should put Baltimore in contention of a lot of games in the East. However, their pitching staff is one glaring problem that the O's will have a tough time getting over this year. If the staff can perform above expectation, you might see a little surprise out of the O's this year.
Toronto Blue Jays - The Blue Jays are one of my teams that will be taking the biggest step back in 2009. The past few years, the Jays have been making some noise in the free-agent/trade market to fill their rosters to compete with Boston and New York with little results. In 2009 the team is another year older, with little to no improvements. The pitching staff will have a hard time repeating its previous successes with no Burnett. The lineup looks shaky at best, and will need improved years from Alex Rios, Vernon Wells and Scott Rolen

Due up tomorrow......AL Central.

Morneau, Good Cause, Preview

2009-04-05T08:10:00.006-04:00

As I return to the blog today, I want to take a quick time out to thank the people that have been checking my page out in the last week and a half. I realize that 200 visitors is not an extreme amount of traffic, but something I am very happy with. Now that things are settling down in my actual profession (more on why in a bit), I will be able to blog a little more. And isn't that perfect timing, it's right at the beginning of the regular season!!

Morneau Scare

Nothing worried me more this week than hearing on a very fuzzy ESPN 1000 station while I was driving home from band practice this week that the 'Twins' slugger Justin Morneau is now questionable for Opening Day.' Now this is the official station for the Chicago White Sox, so I thought maybe they were leaning a little more towards bad news for the Minnesota Twins. However, it was on the national 'Sportscenter' spot.

The absence of Joe Mauer, I feel, is something that the Twins can deal with short term. If Joe misses an extended period of time, than there is concern that Redmond and Morales will not be able to maintain the offensive efficiency that Mauer can provide. The absence of Justin Morneau, I feel, is also something that the Twins can deal with short term. Brian Buscher, Michael Cuddyer and Brendan Harris can fill in adequately at the position, and Buscher seems to have primed himself to have a good year. However, I think where the Twins will run into trouble is if/when they do not have either Morneau of Mauer in the lineup for ANY period of time. Once both hitters are removed, the lineup shifts from a strong hitting, decent power, and well-disciplined lineup to a moderate hitting, little power, and poor-disciplined lineup. Morneau and Mauer not only hit well, but hit well enough to provide the players around them with pitches to see so pitchers will NOT have to face them. An exciting thing heading into this season is that we might start seeing the same with Kubel, especially if he gets off to a good start.

Kids for a Good Cause

As I mentioned earlier, it has been a tough week to blog due to my duties as a band director (I also teach choir as well!). This week was our big preparation for our 3rd Annual Charity Concert. My students performed the music of Broadway and Film, and it was a great show! Here are the tunes that were on the program:

Give My Regards to Broadway
Memory (from Cats)
Any Dream Will Do (from Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat)
Castle on a Cloud (from Les Miserables)
Selections from the musical 'Oliver!'
The Theme to the Pink Panther
Best of Danny Elfman - Beetlejuice, Tales from the Crypt, Edward Scissorhand, The Nightmare before Christmas, Spiderman
The Pirates of the Carribean

I wanted to take this little blurb and just mention how proud I am of these kids from Crawford County. Together, we all raised over $1200 for Cancer Research. I know it may not seem like a lot to some people, but in a down economy and in a very poor county in southern Indiana, we actually exceeded the amount we raised last year. Great Job Kids!!!

Coming Up

This week I will do a little bit of a late jump onto the band wagon and will be doing a division by division preview/prediction. Stay tuned.....

Tough Decision, Perkins, Blackburn

2009-04-01T07:28:00.004-04:00

Harris, Buscher, or Tolbert?

Now that the Joe Mauer saga is subsiding to just the 'when will he be back' stage, a big topic for Twins' fans (and management) at the end of spring training is exactly who will take the two utility infielder spots. The team has a very nice problem here, as they have 3 very qualified candidates for those remaining two jobs in Brendan Harris, Brian Buscher, and Matt Tolbert. Let's take a look at the pros/cons to keeping them.

Brendan Harris - Harris came over to the Twins in the last offseason from Tampa Bay in the Delmon Young/Matt Garza deal, after bouncing around to several teams in his career. After a strong 2007 season batting .286/.343/.434 with 12 HR, he came to the Twins to fill the 2nd base opening vacated by the exit of Luis Castillo and the ineffective play of Alexi Casilla. However, his lack of range and inability to effectively turn the double play got him in Gardy's doghouse pretty quick, and he soon became an effective option of the bench, and later an effective 3rd base platoon option with Buscher after the Mike Lamb clinical trial. Harris possesses one of the more consistent bats of the three, and the most power as it stands right now. He has the ability to play at 1b, 2b, 3b and SS, which gives his stock a boost to make the team. What may be most important is that he is also out of options, giving the Twins the risk (and probability) of losing him were he not on the 25-man roster. Harris is also having a rather nice spring, batting .304(14-46)/.418/.413 with 1 HR, 2 doubles and 3 RBI. More impressively, he has walked 7 times while striking out just 5 times in 55 plate appearances. Prediction: Minnesota
Brian Buscher - Buscher has always had an interesting role with this ballclub. Picked up from the San Francisco Giants organization, Buscher headed to the Twins minor league affiliates and started raking, showing more power than he had previously shown. His 2007 season started in New Britain, and resulted with a major league call-up on July 27th. Since then he has been the 'maybe, maybe not' 3rd baseman for the Twins. The ballclub has been tentative to plant him in the position due to his developing defense and tendency of overthrowing the 1st baseman. To help his cause, Buscher has been learning different positions over the last few springs. He has played a good amount of 1st base this spring, especially with Morneau at the WBC for team Canada. As it stands right now, he is the primary 1st base back-up option for the ballclub. That could be extremely valuable, as spelling Morneau at times (unlike 2008) could lead to a stronger finish for the Twins slugger. Brian had a nice 2008 for the Twins (.294/.340/.390), although he hasn't brought much of the power he had in the minors with him (just 6 HR in 300 AB). Buscher has supposedly come to camp this year bigger and stronger, and is having an excellent spring, hitting .380 with 1 HR and 8 RBI's. He has also walked 9 times and struck out just 6. Prediction: Minnesota
Matt Tolbert - Tolbert is the most flexible and versatile defensive player of the three options for the bench. This gives Tolbert an edge over the other two as he can not only play the infield well but has experience in the outfield. However, with 5 guys to play the outfield already, I'm not sure that matters all too much as of right now. Tolbert had a nice rookie campaign in 2008 as he hit .283/.322/.389. He also stole 7 bases while being caught just once. Earlier in the spring, it seemed that this would be an easy decision, as Matt was toiling at .139/.222/.262 on March 21st. Since then he has been hitting the living fire out of the ball, going 11 for 22 with 2 HR and 6 RBI. He too has walked more than he has struck out (10/7). The jump in average and the surprising surge in power is making a very difficult decision for management, as he could provide excellent value both in terms of defense and offense. Unfortunately for him, the other two have solid track records and more major league experience. Prediction - Rochester.....first call-up.

Perkins and Blackburn Strong

With the exception of a few nasty starts from Baker and Liriano, it really seems like the rotation will be an extremely strong point for the Twins. This has been evidenced more the last two games with strong starts from Glen Perkins and Nick Blackburn:

Perkins (3/30 vs. Rays) - 6 IP 4 H 0 R 0 ER 1 BB 4 SO 0 HR 1.73 ERA
Blackburn (3/31 vs. Pirates) - 5 IP 3 H 2 R 2 ER 1 BB 2 SO 1 HR 2.57 ERA

Production like this from your 4-5 guys in the rotation looks very promising, especially with the excellent spring that Slowey has had, along with the proven track records of Baker and Liriano. If this rotation can stay healthy and consistent, it will indeed be one of the best in the league.

More Band Director Stuff

Check out this video of the Blue Devils Drum and Bugle Corps from Concord, CA. This is the other summer sport that I religiously pay attention to. I don't care if you are an instrumental music person or not.....these guys are amazing!

Slowey, Blog Notes

2009-03-30T13:35:00.006-04:00

The New Twins Ace?

Once again yesterday, Kevin Slowey pitched a very solid and nice game against the Saint Louis Cardinals, throwing 6 innings and allowing 2 ER on 8 hits while striking out 5 and (of course) walking nobody. This puts Slowey at a 2.21 ERA for the Spring with a fantastic 20-1 K/BB ratio. His Spring WHIP is a measley 0.85, and if you discount yesterdays start where he yielded 8 hits in 6 innings, he would have a 0.64 WHIP for the Spring.

It has been well set for a while now that Slowey will open as the teams #3 starter at the beginning of the season. However, there are many Twins bloggers as well as several national media pundits that feel that Slowey is poised for a breakout year. You can see the improvement over the last few years by taking a glance at a few of his stats:

ERA - 4.72 (2007), 3.99 (2008), 2.21 (Spring)
WHIP - 1.40 (2007), 1.16 (2008), 0.85 (Spring)
K/9 - 6.39 (2007), 6.91 (2008), 8.96 (Spring)
K/BB - 47-11 (2007), 123-24 (2008), 20-1 (Spring)

It will be interesting to see which way Slowey goes once the season starts. Baker and Liriano have been seperated into the 'excellent' category by the Twins brass, fans and media. While Blackburn and Perkins seem to have gotten the 'very good but not great' label. Slowey controls which of the two categories he will fall in with his performance this years. Hopefully, he will continue to improve and will be looked at as a '3rd Ace' in the rotation.

Blog Notes

Every week (I will try to keep it on Mondays), I'll take a peek around to what is going on within the Twins blogosphere:

Seth Stohs does a great write-up on the whether the Twins trade of Charles Nolte for Jason Jones could be an impact trade down the road. **And he mentions a great new blog for Twins fans to check out!!
Nick Nelson gives a nice preview and predictions for the American League.
Josh Johnson breaks down his views on how the outfield rotation be this year. He gives some nice reasons for and against all 4 candidates starting.

Frankie Goes to the Cleaners, Spring Break

2009-03-29T07:41:00.008-04:00

Red Sox 9, Twins 4

You know, it seems like every pitcher during Spring Training is allowed that kind of 'bad start' where nothing seems to go right. But you don't worry too much because it is Spring and you figure they will rebound. Usually you want it to be earlier in the Spring (or most of the Spring if you're Scott Baker), so you have time to rebound and make the adjustments you need to make before the regular season. This was Frankie's night last night, as he only lasted 3 innings and surrendered 7 earned runs via 3 home runs last night versus the Red Sox.

Should we be worried with a start this close to the regular season? The simplest answer would be 'no'. Liriano has been a very solid thus far this spring, allowing 3 runs or less in every one of his other starts, posting a 24-12 K/BB ratio in 24.1 innings for an 8.96 K/9 ratio. Very solid. Also, before last night, Liriano had allowed just 5 ER in 21.1 innings.

Farewell Spring Break

As I get ready to leave my freedom and deal with the future of America, I leave this tribute:

Twins-Marlins Review, BW3's, Aces Day, Cards Romp

2009-03-28T08:46:00.011-04:00

TWINS 16, Rays 2

It was a nice day for the Twins yesterday, as they absolutely battered the Rays in Fort Myers. The thing that leaps out at you the most is the huge crooked number the Twins put up in the runs column. Yet there were several nice things other than the final score that the Twins were able to take away from yesterday:

Power Strokes - It's not new to anybody that the Twin's offense will not rely on the long ball this year. However, yesterday's game did give us a glimpse of what this team could do if they could remain healthy/consistent. The heart of what will be the Twins batting order - Morneau, Kubel, and Cuddyer - all went yard yesterday in the thrashing. The Morneau homerun is just a continuation of the extremely hot hitting he has been doing since he got back from the WBC, including going 7-12 with 3 HRs and 6 RBIs over his last 4 games of Grapefruit League action.
Denard Gets Going? - Remember about a week ago when Denard finally had a few games where he racked up a few hits and everyone thought 'he's finally getting settled in'? Well, that has been far from the truth as of late, as Denard has toiled again lately, bringing his average down to a paltry .140 before entering yesterdays game. However, Span came up with some nice stats going 2-4 with 3 RBIs and 2 walks which brought his average up to a blazing .164. Perhaps, with a few more ABs in the spring, our minds can be put at ease trusting him as our main lead-off hitter.
Baker Solid - Perhaps one of the nicest things to see yesterday was a solid outing from Scott Baker. The guy who eternally looks like he is 11 years old had a nice 'quality start' line yesterday: 6 IP, 5 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, 2 SO, 1 HR. Of course you would like to see a few more K's and didn't want to see yet another homerun given up, but you'll take it over what he has been giving us. Plus, the Crawford homerun was a liner that just hooked inside the right field pole (ok, its still a homerun regardless!).
Good Relief -Brian Duensing, Matt Guerrier and Craig Breslow were able to come in and keep the Rays off the board with an inning each of shutout relief. It's getting safer to say that Duensing has an excellent chance of going north with the team, as he now stands with a 0.75 ERA this spring.

BW3's Offseason Twins Report

Enjoying Spring Break here in Indiana, the wife and I headed out for movie and dinner last night. Hit the late matinee showing of Haunting in Connecticut (much better than I thought it would be), and then proceeded over to Buffalo Wild Wings in Bloomington for some hot wings and beers......God bless wings.

When the wings came, the waitress asked 'Twins fan, huh?' Not too many people in Indiana really know what the heck 'TC' stands for on my gross, dingy hat that I am always wearing out. 'Yup,' I replied. She was from Minneapolis and a Twins fan as well who attended IU. Of course, any type of dialogue with the female gender makes the wife a little shaky, so we kind of ended the conversation there before I could get to top prospects, rotations, and how Delmon should play most every day this season.

Aces Not-So-WILD

Heckuva day yesterday if you like to catch the big name pitchers:

Justin Verlander 7 IP 2 H 0 R 0 ER 1 BB 3 SO 0 HR
Tom Glavine 4 IP 3 H 0 R 0 ER 0 BB 3 SO 0 HR
Gil Meche 7 IP 4 H 0 R 0 ER 1 BB 6 SO 0 HR
Dan Haren 7 IP 2 H 1 R 1 ER 0 BB 10 SO 1 HR
Roy Halladay 7 IP 4 H 1 R 1 ER 0 BB 4 SO 0 HR
Johan Santana 7 IP 4 H 1 R 1 ER 0 BB 6 SO 0 HR
CC Sabathia 7 2/3 IP 4 H 1 R 1 ER 0 BB 7 SO 0 HR
J Peavy 6 IP 2 H 0 R 0 ER 0 BB 7 SO 0 HR

With these performances, you can tell that the regular season is just around the corner!

CARDS ROMP

Normally I will not venture away from baseball, but just had to point out the ridiculous killing that the Louisville Cardinals put on the Arizona Wildcats in last nights Sweet 16 game. I had the feeling the the Cards would win, but that Zona would at least hang around a little while. The 39 point victory was the 3rd largest margin of victory in the round of 16 in NCAA history. Normally, I would not be too thrilled about Louisville, but they are the only local draw I got here this year (well, IU's SIX wins were very exciting!).

Hello Blogging World!!!

2009-03-27T15:22:00.001-04:00

Many days have gone by.....I awoke, I drank my cup of coffee, I put on my clothes, I took the long drive to work, and then I.........checked all of my regular baseball blogs to catch up with my favorite team and news in the world of baseball. I don't fancy myself as much of a writer, yet I do enjoy voicing my opinion about my favorite team......the Minnesota Twins. In this blog, you won't get too much 'fluff', but mostly just opinions and information about the Twins, their minor league affiliates, as well as some more of the interesting news around the sports world. I don't want to get too ahead of myself here, so onto some actually blogging stuff.

GOMEZ vs. OUTFIELD

As it stands right now, it seems like the Twins are set to go with Carlos Gomez as their 'most-of-the-time' center fielder, which places Denard Span as the roaming outfielder most of the time. Now, I love Gomez as much as the next guy and really do find his style of play to be exciting. The Twins brass has also been claiming how much he has improved his plate discipline. I hate to spin off a sentence without all too much research, or without looking into my crystal ball, but I will believe it when I see it.

Simply put, the difference between a winter league and spring training versus major league time has to be pretty significant. I see GoGo enjoying a season curve similar to what he had last year, but a little less dramatic: high at the beginning of the season, slump towards the middle, and then more effective towards the end where he 'figures stuff out'. I do not expect the slump to be as long or as dramatic as last year, though, which will probably put him around the .270/.310/.400 mark. Not bad for the bottom of the lineup. Add in 25-40 steals, and he is a very important part of this team.

However, the Twins should be wary of penciling him in almost daily as their main CF. Again, not so much that he will be a detriment to the team in his own right, but will be taking the spot of one of the other three more often than they will be taking his. I think Gomez should be viewed as the '4th OF' until we can see exactly what Michael Cuddyer can or can not still do. Use him as a starter 2 out of 5 games and as a valuable late inning pinch-runner. Heck, you can even pinch-hit him sometimes if the team feels his strike-zone control has improved that much.

HEY....I AM a band director

As a band director by profession, I will be posting a clip or two on a 'not-to-regular' basis (hey, it's still a BASEBALL blog) to share with the readers. Here is a clip of an arrangement of Randy Newman's music to the classic film, The Natural.