Twins outlook

**IcSyU** · 08-26-2009, 09:20 AM

Originally Posted by shagcarpetjesus

Miguel Cabrera???? See me post above.

Hitting right now:
Cabrera
Teixiera/Morneau

Defensively:
Teixiera
Morneau
...............
Cabrera

Two best first basemen: Teixiera/Morneau

Cabrera is awful defensively imo. Teixiera and Morneau make their infielders look like all stars because they pick everything out of the dirt. Cabrera doesn't do much to help his infielders imo.

**jtd9046** · 08-26-2009, 09:25 AM

Originally Posted by IcSyU

Hitting right now:
Cabrera
Teixiera/Morneau

Defensively:
Teixiera
Morneau
...............
Cabrera

Two best first basemen: Teixiera/Morneau

Cabrera is awful defensively imo. Teixiera and Morneau make their infielders look like all stars because they pick everything out of the dirt. Cabrera doesn't do much to help his infielders imo.

Not trying to belittle you but that used to be the case with Cabrera, he's much much improved this year at 1B. Have you been able to see many Tiger games? I've been forced to watch a lot living in MI.

That being said, Cabrera does have better offensive numbers, but until late he was putting those HR and RBI numbers up in lopsided losses and wins. He was struggling big time in key positions all year. Looks like he might have turned the corner though.

**DolphLundgren** · 08-26-2009, 10:20 AM

So... even after all this, you're still stupid if you say the MVP is anyone not named Joe Mauer.

Twins have won 7 of 8 and are still 4.5 back. Gonna need another big run and a Tiger flop to win this thing.

**IcSyU** · 08-26-2009, 10:22 AM

Originally Posted by mjones34

I wish they had two awards:

1 for best overall player
1 for most valuable player to their team

Originally Posted by DolphLundgren

So... even after all this, you're still stupid if you say the MVP is anyone not named Joe Mauer.

Twins have won 7 of 8 and are still 4.5 back. Gonna need another big run and a Tiger flop to win this thing.

Best is not necessarily most valuable.

See solution above.

Originally Posted by jtd9046

Not trying to belittle you but that used to be the case with Cabrera, he's much much improved this year at 1B. Have you been able to see many Tiger games? I've been forced to watch a lot living in MI.

He's much improved, and he's still average at best at first base. I've watched each team in the majors a handful of times at the very least (thank you MLB.tv), and he's a very average infielder at best. There are some games he looks absolutely awful, and other times he looks like a Gold glover.

Didn't know now he has A-Rod syndrome where he can't hit to save his life in the clutch.

**jtd9046** · 08-26-2009, 10:25 AM

Originally Posted by DolphLundgren

So... even after all this, you're still stupid if you say the MVP is anyone not named Joe Mauer.

Twins have won 7 of 8 and are still 4.5 back. Gonna need another big run and a Tiger flop to win this thing.

Twins have gained 2-3 games this week alone. Still plenty of time if the Twins can continue to play good ball. At this point nothing could be called a 'flop' in this division. Tigers, Sox, and Twins all had opportunities to run away with the division, they just aren't good enough to do so.

Twins still have 7 left against the Tigers as well.

**Steve** · 08-26-2009, 10:26 AM

Originally Posted by DolphLundgren

So... even after all this, you're still stupid if you say the MVP is anyone not named Joe Mauer.

Twins have won 7 of 8 and are still 4.5 back. Gonna need another big run and a Tiger flop to win this thing.

They just need to keep winning series. They have to make up less than one game a week and still have 6 games left with the Tigers.

**mj4cy** · 08-26-2009, 10:29 AM

Twins have the top catcher, top 2 1st basemen, top 3 closer...pretty good for a small market team.

**IcSyU** · 08-26-2009, 10:29 AM

Originally Posted by jtd9046

Twins still have 7 left against the Tigers as well.

How many with the ChiSox? That's where the ChiSox can make up ground since one of them has to lose in each Twins/Tigers game...

**IcSyU** · 08-26-2009, 10:30 AM

Originally Posted by mjones34

Twins have the top catcher, top 2 1st basemen, top 3 closer...pretty good for a small market team.

They're a healthy Liriano of 2 years ago from having a really solid team. I'll actually be interested in seeing how they perform when they go outside next year. The only team in baseball built for indoors better than the Twins is maybe the Rays.

**jtd9046** · 08-26-2009, 10:34 AM

Originally Posted by IcSyU

How many with the ChiSox? That's where the ChiSox can make up ground since one of them has to lose in each Twins/Tigers game...

Twins:
vs Detroit 3 home, 4 away
vs CWS 3 home (next week), 3 away

Detroit:
vs CWS 3 home, 3 away

The Tigers finish at home with 4 against the Twins, and 3 against the White Sox to finish the season.

**mj4cy** · 08-26-2009, 10:59 AM

Just win series and don't get swept.

**Dryburn** · 08-26-2009, 11:00 AM

I have been a Twins fan since forever. Honestly, though, I am not too confident that they can win the division this year. Their offense is fine, and getting better with Casilla and Young seeming to finally come around a little, and even Gomez doing better than he had been. Plus, Punto has not been in the lineup for days, and that is always a good thing.

I just don't think they have the pitching this year. Right now 3 starters are out, and Blackburn appears to be another head case. The ones they have brought up from Rochester have not shown that much, and the bullpen is still inconsistent at best.

They still could win it because Detroit and Chicago are not that strong either. I don't see whoever wins the Central going very far in the playoffs at all.

Next year will be interesting. The five starters from this year back. Bonser back. Several starters from AAA that will have gained a little experience and exposure to MLB level of play. Pavano? Neshek will be back. Not to mention what they might do in the off-season with trades or whatever. Could be some really competition next year for the 5 starting slots plus filling the bullpen. Right now, the only solid ones in the bullpen are Nathan and Guerrier, although both of them have had their "moments" this year. Mijares has been solid lately, especially since Gardy is finally using him for more than one out. Keppel, Humber........please.

I think the Twins will keep it interesting, but just not sure they have the pitching to win the division this year.

**Bader** · 08-26-2009, 11:14 AM

Originally Posted by Dryburn

Next year will be interesting. The five starters from this year back. Bonser back. Several starters from AAA that will have gained a little experience and exposure to MLB level of play. Pavano? Neshek will be back. Not to mention what they might do in the off-season with trades or whatever. Could be some really competition next year for the 5 starting slots plus filling the bullpen. Right now, the only solid ones in the bullpen are Nathan and Guerrier, although both of them have had their "moments" this year. Mijares has been solid lately, especially since Gardy is finally using him for more than one out. Keppel, Humber........please.

I think the Twins will keep it interesting, but just not sure they have the pitching to win the division this year.

Blackburn's last outing was...better, it was a quality start for what that stat is worth. Hopefully the showings by Baker/Pavano help settle him down, the kid is a great pitcher. I say the team tries to pickup Ben Sheets off of the Brewers, won't happen but it'd be a great move for them.

I think that Duensing and Swarzak will develop if they're given the time.

Gardenhire said something along the lines of that he expects Blackburn Baker and Slowey to be in the rotation next season and go on from there. I really don't think Liriano can go 6-7 deep consistently anymore, but I truly hope he can find confidence in his other pitches. That slider is wicked but he can't throw it like he used to. Perkins just makes me angry, the way he handled his "injury" makes me want him gone. Who knows what happens with Pavano, he's certainly not the guy he was built up to be back when he signed with Evil Empire 1.0, but if the Twins can get him on a reasonable contract he's a veteran the lineup still needs.

And a pen of Neshek, Bonser, Dickey (I love the guy, and with an outdoor stadium his knuckler will actually move), Mijares, Guerrier, and Nathan would be a big improvement over what we've got going on right now.

**DolphLundgren** · 08-26-2009, 11:19 AM

Originally Posted by Bader

Blackburn's last outing was...better, it was a quality start for what that stat is worth. Hopefully the showings by Baker/Pavano help settle him down, the kid is a great pitcher. I say the team tries to pickup Ben Sheets off of the Brewers, won't happen but it'd be a great move for them.

I think that Duensing and Swarzak will develop if they're given the time.

Gardenhire said something along the lines of that he expects Blackburn Baker and Slowey to be in the rotation next season and go on from there. I really don't think Liriano can go 6-7 deep consistently anymore, but I truly hope he can find confidence in his other pitches. That slider is wicked but he can't throw it like he used to. Perkins just makes me angry, the way he handled his "injury" makes me want him gone. Who knows what happens with Pavano, he's certainly not the guy he was built up to be back when he signed with Evil Empire 1.0, but if the Twins can get him on a reasonable contract he's a veteran the lineup still needs.

And a pen of Neshek, Bonser, Dickey (I love the guy, and with an outdoor stadium his knuckler will actually move), Mijares, Guerrier, and Nathan would be a big improvement over what we've got going on right now.

I love a lot of what you said, but, IMHO, R.A. Dickey sucks. Sucks bad. He won't ever be effective as a major leaguer..not with the Twins, anyway.

**jdoggivjc** · 08-26-2009, 11:32 AM

I would love the idea of the Twins signing Ben Sheets. I wouldn't count on it because this is the Twins that we're talking about, but it would be nice if the Twins used the newly found revenue streams for something useful, say, such as adding some more talent to the team instead of lining the owner's pockets.

Truthfully, if past performance is an indicator, I wouldn't mind seeing Bonser going. I don't know what happened to this guy, but it's like one game he was promising, the next game he couldn't pitch anymore. The other guy I wouldn't mind seeing disappear is Jesse Crain. It seems like anytime this guy is brought in with a lead I can change the channel because I know what's going to happen, and it's not anything favorable for the Twins.