GARDY>>>>> WHY????

[lawdog]

I won't second guess the Twins at this point. They do more with less than any team in professional sports. Gardy has 5 pennants in 8 years of coaching, he'd get my vote for manager of the year to bring this team a pennant with limited resources compounded by injuries.

As for the announcers, I honestly thought it sounded like a Yankee home team crew calling a national playoff game. What a pinstripe lovefest. The ONLY Twin that got any love from them was Mauer.

[greebs]

well I guess if not being satisfied with simply winning arguably the worst division in baseball by itself and doing nothing more is hating, guess I'm guilty of it. I guess I don't see what's so wrong with wanting a little bit more.

[Jim Uran]

Hey, be a hater! What ever floats your boat, if rippin on the Twins is what you like to do be my guest.

[HwthaMatt]

Lawdog, I totally agree with you on the announcers slanted angle. They gave a little love to Cabrera too.

A couple years ago when we played the Yankees in the playoffs, a buddy and I went out downtown and took the bus there. We got off the bus right in front of block E and practically walked into Jeter, Posada and Pettitte. We got into a little shouting match with them along the lines of "you suck were gonna kick your a**" and so on back and forth. I think they enjoyed it as much as we did. Unfortunately, they were right. Let's hope for a miracle.

[mrklean]

there isnt a team in sports i hate more then the yanks i cant wait till someday they just fold, the team just gets older every year lets hope it happens soon.

[harvey lee]

Problem is George will just go out and buy what he needs for players. The salary cap means nothing to george as he will just pay.

[PierBridge]

What Harvey said!

Liriano is far from done TJ surgery can take years to heal and he also needs to learn to pitch in a different way!

[SledNeck]

How long should liriano hold a roster spot while we wait for him to get his stuff back????????????????????

And the twins are not the worst team yo make the playoffs and the central is not the worst division in baseball. twins and the central beat up on the NL every year.

[Coach1310]

I think Grady did the right thing last night, knowing the score ofthe game, and giving the others int he bull pen a rest was a great idea. now there fresh for game 2, and can use anyone they need to

I have to disagree whole heartedly here(I'm speaking specifically of taking Deunsing out in favor of Liriano to face Matsui).... the score was 4-2..... now the feel of the game suggested it wasn't our day, BUT Mijares or Mahay pitching to 1 batter, with an off day coming up should not in the least bit keep them from pitching in a big spot. I guess I'm in the minority here, but unless the game in completely out of hand, you manage it to WIN today, not to set up tomorrow!

[nofishfisherman]

Mijares only pitched to one batter I believe on Tuesday so he was available. Just like Rauch (SP?) was available to pitch after pitching on Tues.

Really Nathan was the only guy who got extended a little, I believe most of there bullpen would have been available for at least a hitter or two knowing they had a day off coming.

[harvey lee]

I don't know if any of us are able to tell how far or how long any of the pitchers can go. I believe we can second guess Gardy all day but, he did get the Twins there when all said they couldn't.

To date, I believe he knows what he is doing. How many of us are that qualified or know the pitchers stamina well enough to say how long they can pitch or which one has done the best in the past against each hitter. They have records for this and we just second guess.

[analyzer]

When Liriano went in, I knew he was going to give up the run. He's our newest version of rick reed. The problem with Liriano this year, is he can't throw his slider for strikes, and the other teams know it. They lay off the breaking stuff, and wait for him to get behind in the count, and groove his fastball, which isn't overpowering. I don't necessarily think Liriano is done. I think after an injury, it takes some time to convince yourself you can let her rip.

Liriano is going to have to learn how to pitch, instead of just throwing it up there. Watching him this year, any time there was an error behind him, or any difficult situation, he'd get rattled and just start winging it. He has to learn to keep his composure, and figure out how to throw his slider for strikes. If he learns to throw a changeup, it'll make his fastball look faster too.

There are guys like Jamie Moyer that get guys out throwing 81 mph fastballs, and 60 mph junk. You don't have to be overpowering, just accurate location, and change speeds, and Liriano does't do a very good job of either.

I hate to say it, but in many ways, KC is closer to winning a World Series than we are. They have a really nice 1 - 2 punch coming along in Greinke, and Tejada. That Tejada guy, until he lost control in our game a couple fridays ago, was dominating some very good lineups. He's been giving up 3 hits per outing.

We do NOT have a #1 or #2 in our rotation. We have a bunch of #3's and #4's. If we grabbed Holiday and Cliff Lee, and Morneau was healthy, we'd have had a shot. But you just can't win a world series with a pitching staff that gives up 4 runs every game.

The twins did not play in a 1-0 game this year. We were in 2, 2-0 games, and 3, 2-1 games. Granted we had 17 games in which we gave up 2 runs, 16 games we gave up 1, and 6 shut outs. So about a 4th of our games we gave up 2 or fewer runs. But that's the type of pitching you need in the playoffs.

It was refreshing to have 5 guys in the lineup that were capable of hitting 20 or 30 homeruns and not have to win games 2-1, but every now and then (see today's Dodgers/Cards game) you need a guy that can go 8 and hold em to 1 or 2.

I think Blackburn, Baker and Duensing may be capable of that, eventually, they're just awfully young right now.

And I suppose we should cut them a break. I was flat Wednesday, and all I did was WATCH the detroit game. I can't imagine expending all that energy winning a very emotional game, and celebrating after at 11 pm at night, then catching a 4 am flight, east to NY, in a different time zone, and playing another game at 5pm. There are college football teams that win a highly emotional game, that are still flat a WEEK later!

OH, and it's not every day, you face a lineup with 7 guys that can hit 22 or more homeruns.

Can you imagine if this were our linup.

Mauer

kubel

Morneau

Mauer

Kubel

Morneau

Cuddyer

Cabrera

Span

That's about the extent of it.

Wait till we have to play the Angels, they had a lineup posted in August with 9 guys OVER .300 !!! The entire lineup was batting .300. I guess it was the first time in MLB history.

[Jim Uran]

I would have to disagree with that lineup, they only wish they had Mauer. They being the spankies of course, They have some Morneau's and Kubels but no Mauers!!!!!!!

[bassislife]

I think the big WHY?? with Gardy is.... WHY does he always bring in Nathan when the pitcher in front is doing great?? all Nathan has been doing lately is blowing our games! Its obvious he can't take the pressure!! Get rid of him, he's not worth 10 mill!! and is a poor excuse for a closing pitcher!! everybody in the league has been teeing off him the past 2-months!

[nofishfisherman]

You have to be kidding about Nathan. The dude has 47 saves this year. And when you have an era of 2.10 and its considered a down year for you then you must be doing something right.

He gave up a clutch HR for sure but he's one of the best closers in the game and you won't find a single manager in all of baseball to say anything to contradict that.

Who would you rather put in there in his spot if we got rid of him? Neshek has always been the popular choice but he hasn't played a game in 2 years so he out. Who else can you get that will save 47 games for you?

[DHanson]

I think the big WHY?? with Gardy is.... WHY does he always bring in Nathan when the pitcher in front is doing great??

I just talked to someone about this very thing. They asked me why Guerrier (spelling?) didn't stay in for the 9th after pretty much mowing down the yankees in the 8th?

It's a pretty valid point. To me, it could go either way. What if Gardy did let Guerrier pitch the 9th and he was the one to blow the game? There would be a lot more pi$$ed off fans if Guerrier blew it in the 9th rather than Nathan. You have to go to Nathan because his job is to close games. Not to mention, he is an all-star with good experience. Why it looked like he had a nervous breakdown out there is beyond me? He always looks nervous on the mound, but he usually still pitches pretty well. This time he couldn't find the strike zone early in the count to A-rod and it costed the Twins the game.

[bassislife]

If he would have left Guerrier in for 1 or 2 more batters, he and we would have known if it was time for Nathan to come in. But lately that Nervous Nellie can't pitch when the toaster is Hot! He just prooved he Can't do it in the big game, when it needs to be done! I think he's overrated and overpaid. I was @ that last detroit game, and if it wasn't for Cabrera robbing Ordoinas (spelling)? from that rocket hit to him and throwing out Granderson for a double play in the 9th, we wouldn't have made it this far. I'm just tired of the Closer blowing the games, just because that is what the team is paying for?? Gardy should have knew better then to let this Nervous Nellie in to a game that Guerrier had full control over. Look what happen to St.Louis the other night after they pulled there starter after 9 2/3 innings. They lost it because there closer sucks also!

[SledNeck]

Nathan hasnt been himself for over a month now. Hes worn out this year. The Yankees arent intimidated, especially at home and they proved it. The twins coaches are well aware of the current state of Joe Nathan, but rather than keep him out of the 9th inning, they'll continue putting him out there and say things like "hes one of the best in the game" and "we have full confidence in our closer"

[CRAZYEYES]

Evertime they put nathan in I get tense just watching him. He looks so nervous out there pulling his hat up and down and sweating like a pig. I don't know how he can be so burned out. He only pitches one inning a night maybe 2 or 3 times a week.

[AWH]

It's really easy to second guess after the fact and I don't blame Gardenhire one bit for putting Nathan out there in the 9th on Friday night. But when I saw the career numbers of Texeria and A-Rod against Nathan when he was warming up in the pen, I had a bad feeling. I would have kept Guerrier in there to face those two and then I would have brought Nathan in. But again, it's really easy to second guess. Nathan has been the best closer to ever play for the Twins. But he's turning 35 next month and his best years are likely behind him. He definitely hasn't been the same Nathan the last couple months. But unless they make a trade for a top notch closer in the off season there is no one in the Twins organization that can hold a candle to Nathan as a closer.

Aaron

[SledNeck]

It's really easy to second guess after the fact and I don't blame Gardenhire one bit for putting Nathan out there in the 9th on Friday night. But when I saw the career numbers of Texeria and A-Rod against Nathan when he was warming up in the pen, I had a bad feeling. I would have kept Guerrier in there to face those two and then I would have brought Nathan in. But again, it's really easy to second guess. Nathan has been the best closer to ever play for the Twins. But he's turning 35 next month and his best years are likely behind him. He definitely hasn't been the same Nathan the last couple months. But unless they make a trade for a top notch closer in the off season there is no one in the Twins organization that can hold a candle to Nathan as a closer.

Aaron

There wasnt a doubt in my mind that the yankees would get to joe nathan and eventually win the game. WHY? Cause a twins win would be to good to be true AND the yankees ALWAYS come back to beat us.

[zamboni]

Sled and I rarely agree, but yeah, the Yankees are definitely our Lex Luther. The Twins of modern day play remind me of the Indians in the movie "Major League"- they couldn't beat the Yankees and neither can we.

One thing I have yet to figure out about MLB playoffs is the Yankees had the best record in baseball, why don't they play the Wild Card team??? Technically the Wild Card team is in on default and should have to face the best team.

[harvey lee]

Nathan hasnt been himself for over a month now. Hes worn out this year. The Yankees arent intimidated, especially at home and they proved it. The twins coaches are well aware of the current state of Joe Nathan, but rather than keep him out of the 9th inning, they'll continue putting him out there and say things like "hes one of the best in the game" and "we have full confidence in our closer"

Again we agree Sled as they have used Joe up this eason.

[blue_healer_guy]

Because you NEVER play a team within your div. 1st round. Agree 100% with that. Dont want to play the yankees, win more games than them.

[JBMasterAngler]

The rule was put in to increase the chances of the yankees and red sox playing in the ALCS. That rivalry is worth more than the world series itself. It's a stupid rule! Can you imagine if they had that rule in the NFL?