Pretty Please Gardy?????

[Scott K]

Youngs got it going now, even Gardy has to start thinking its time to move him upto the 2-5 spot.

[PierBridge]

Sounds reasonable......just not yet Grass-hopper...

Problem is just about everybody ahead of him is slumping a bit.

[SledNeck]

not too many people left who still want to have cuddy batting 5th, hes garbage right now

[greebs]

Some could even argue that Mauer because of being a catcher contributes to his team even less than a shortstop or 3rd baseman. Joe played 15 less games last year than some of the other starters on the Twins roster. If your team loses the division by 1 or 2 games wouldn't it be likely that if your best offensive player could have played an extra 15 games that he might have helped you win 1 or 2 of them?

you could also argue that Mauer having non-catcher type hitting ability allows the team to get by with a piranha type player to play 3b which is traditionally a player that has some punch with the bat plus he's a player that has value to the owners of the team have profitable years. Like every job, it comes down to what an employee's value is to the employer more than it is how hard one works.

by our common working man standards there's no way hardly any professional sports athlete deserve what they get paid. next year Joe will get paid almost $150,000 each and every game of the season whether he even plays or not. Even if he bats .600 for the season and hits 50 homers, he's still grossly overpaid by common man standards. Doubt there's too many of us that make $150k or even close to that in an entire year. I'd say Mauer is getting paid what he's getting paid for the sole reason that it kept the yankees from paying him probably an even higher amount and it kept him on the team.

[SledNeck]

Cuddy might need glasses. That strikeout with mauer and morneau on was UGLY

[Big Dave2]

you could also argue that Mauer having non-catcher type hitting ability allows the team to get by with a piranha type player to play 3b which is traditionally a player that has some punch with the bat plus he's a player that has value to the owners of the team have profitable years. Like every job, it comes down to what an employee's value is to the employer more than it is how hard one works.

by our common working man standards there's no way hardly any professional sports athlete deserve what they get paid. next year Joe will get paid almost $150,000 each and every game of the season whether he even plays or not. Even if he bats .600 for the season and hits 50 homers, he's still grossly overpaid by common man standards. Doubt there's too many of us that make $150k or even close to that in an entire year. I'd say Mauer is getting paid what he's getting paid for the sole reason that it kept the yankees from paying him probably an even higher amount and it kept him on the team.

I certainly don't disagree with any of what you said, I understand why great players get paid what they do but the argument started out comparing different players statistically and the stats show that Cuddyer's offensive numbers are not all that far behind the best hitter in the game.

I also understand that catcher is not normally an offensive minded position but what I am saying is that having a big money catcher may be a detriment in some ways because there are about 15 or so games that he cant help your team that a good 3rd baseman for instance could. 15 games might not sound like much over the course of a season but if your team misses out on the playoffs by 1 or 2 games you would have to think that a marquee all star player may have helped you win 1 or 2 of those games.

[PierBridge]

That'd what's great about baseball Dave you just never know what to expect or who's going to come through. Sometimes its the stars sometimes it's others.

Who woulda thunk Michael Cuddyer would be the BEST hitter in MLB baseball last year during the most important time of the year and carry us to the play-offs...

Insert junior-high-ish imature one line cheap shot from Sledneck here................................ LOL!

[Coach1310]

[quote=PierBridge

Who woulda thunk Michael Cuddyer would be the BEST hitter in MLB baseball last year during the most important time of the year and carry us to the play-offs...

[SledNeck]

That'd what's great about baseball Dave you just never know what to expect or who's going to come through. Sometimes its the stars sometimes it's others.

Who woulda thunk Michael Cuddyer would be the BEST hitter in MLB baseball last year during the most important time of the year and carry us to the play-offs...

Insert junior-high-ish imature one line cheap shot from Sledneck here................................ LOL!

best hitter?

Kubel had a better season

[Big Dave2]

best hitter?

Kubel had a better season

How do you figure?

Cuddy scored 20 more runs than Kubel.

Cuddy had more hits, more triples and more HRs than Kubel.

They had almost the same amount of doubles.

Kubel had only 9 more RBI despite batting in the cleanup spot.

Cuddy also played in the most number of games of any Twins Player, now thats Value!

[SledNeck]

How do you figure?

Cuddy scored 20 more runs than Kubel.

Cuddy had more hits, more triples and more HRs than Kubel.

They had almost the same amount of doubles.

Kubel had only 9 more RBI despite batting in the cleanup spot.

Cuddy also played in the most number of games of any Twins Player, now thats Value!

Kubel= much higher BA + OBP less strike outs

If Cuddy's season was so stellar, you figure he wouldnt have the 4 best statistical season on the Twins in 2009

[Big Dave2]

Averages are meaningless when determining the value of a player. There are guys that had 2 at bats for the season and batted 1 for 2 for a .500 average. Does that mean said player had a better year than Joe Mauer?

The numbers above don't lie about production.

[greebs]

no doubt cuddy had a great september last year. what has happened to him since then? not sure if it's true but someone on star trib site posted that he's got the worst risp averages in all of mlb. not sure where you'd find that kind of a stat but I believe that he as the worst on the twins for averages with risp other than those couple players who haven't batted many times yet yet gardy trots him out there every night in the same lineup spot.

it's getting close the the point where not only should he not be batting 5th but you also have to wonder why he even plays against right handed pitchers every game. one could make the argument that kubel should play left and thome dh whenever they face rh pitching until he starts picking it up. putting him at 3b isn't all that great right now either because his batting is no better than the other piranha options they have on the roster and the piranhas play better defense.

[Coach1310]

no doubt cuddy had a great september last year. what has happened to him since then? not sure if it's true but someone on star trib site posted that he's got the worst risp averages in all of mlb. not sure where you'd find that kind of a stat but I believe that he as the worst on the twins for averages with risp other than those couple players who haven't batted many times yet yet gardy trots him out there every night in the same lineup spot.

it's getting close the the point where not only should he not be batting 5th but you also have to wonder why he even plays against right handed pitchers every game. one could make the argument that kubel should play left and thome dh whenever they face rh pitching until he starts picking it up. putting him at 3b isn't all that great right now either because his batting is no better than the other piranha options they have on the roster and the piranhas play better defense.

I'm with you on this one. I've been telling people this for a month. Not so much because I don't want Cuddy in there, but because Thome needs more AB's..... I know they said he was coming as just a pinch hitter, but he needs some more at bats....

[SledNeck]

no doubt cuddy had a great september last year. what has happened to him since then? not sure if it's true but someone on star trib site posted that he's got the worst risp averages in all of mlb. not sure where you'd find that kind of a stat but I believe that he as the worst on the twins for averages with risp other than those couple players who haven't batted many times yet yet gardy trots him out there every night in the same lineup spot.

it's getting close the the point where not only should he not be batting 5th but you also have to wonder why he even plays against right handed pitchers every game. one could make the argument that kubel should play left and thome dh whenever they face rh pitching until he starts picking it up. putting him at 3b isn't all that great right now either because his batting is no better than the other piranha options they have on the roster and the piranhas play better defense.

Great post. Another person that GETS IT.

Seems to be we are in the majority.

[PierBridge]

I'm pretty sure the people who voted for the AL MVP knew who had the better year between the two...LMAO at Sledles... Cuddyer was the BEST hitter in Baseball the last half of the season and Crushed Kubel who had GREAT year in EVERY category offensively. Kubell was ice and Cyder was clutch.

Sorry you 3 "sledle,fish58, greebs" were the only Twins fans who didn't enjoy it are continuing to be poor sports.

Again we understand Sled is going to act like a two year old based on how Cuddyer shoved Crow down his throat last year. I expect better out of you Greebs.

And frankly Greebs your smart enough to understand how baseball works and ALL players go through Slumps like Cuddyer, including A=Rod and Texiera and Mauer.

For the non poor sports in the thread Gardy commented today in St Paul Pioneer press on why he hasn't moved Young and isn't going to he basically did the same with AJ....LOL...in a nutshell if you are producing like that there wouldn't be any reason to make the move.

[Getanet]

Yeah, Gardy was on the radio the other night saying the same thing. Pick your cliche, If It Ain't Broke Don't Fix It; Don't Mess With Success...

He said it all boils down to not messing with his comfort zone. I wouldn't be opposed to testing it, but I'm not one to second guess Gardy. He's in the discussion of Manager of the Year basically every year for a reason.

Can't wait to see how we fair against Johan tomorrow.

[PierBridge]

If 32 HR's 94 RBI's 75 extra base hits a .520 SLG percentage and hitting over .300 in the playoffs plus finishing 21st out 500 players in the AL MVP voting is just a good month I'll have to disagree a bit der Greebs.

It was a monster year that surprised most of us. Cuddyer is a 270 lifetime hitter with decent power and good glove plus the ability to play multiple positions...he had a monster year for an average MLB outfielder.

Just admit that and we'll move on!

[PierBridge]

[Coach1310]

It probably will never happen, but if it continues the way it is, what is more uncomfortable for Gardy?? Cuddy stranding runners while Delmon keeps producing or his issue with writing any name buy Cuddyer in the 5 spot. It is getting to the point where you have to think about it..., but I hope Cuddy snaps out of it and Young keeps hitting, then we have the best of both worlds.

[PierBridge]

I couldn't agree more Coach.

He's one of the many slumping hitters we have right now. I was just giving you some of the reasons why you wouldn't make the move 3 weeks ago when they both had about the same average.

He's slumping immensely and it bothers me too but it baseball and it happens to everybody!

[SledNeck]

How is leaving cuddy where he is working out for the twins now?

[blue_healer_guy]

Just joined this thread and although i like cuddy, seem to be the same mancrushers here who like cuddy that like punto and gardy. 2 words, minnesota nice.

[Coach1310]

Mancrushers.... yes and no.

Cuddy is a decent player and has done some good things for us, but in my opinion is hitting in the wrong spot right now.

Punto is very, very valuable to the Twins. You can't expect him to hit 300, but his ability to play so many positions and basically at a gold glove level is really hard to find. I don't love Nicky, but I'm glad he's here.... but if we could get Jeter for him, send him on his way

Gardy.... it is pretty hard to argue with what he has done. I know Kelly won two World Series, but at least Gardy is worth listening to, heck he acutally talks unlike Kelly. He has mancrushes on certain guys, but for the most part he had done well.... although I don't see it being that hard to manage a ball club... up by a run after 7 go to Guerrier or a lefty for a hitter, then to Rausch... down one in the 8th with a guy on second and Tolbert coming to bat, pinch hit Thome... most of it isn't rocket science.... but he does get his guys to play for him and to me that is the biggest part of being a manager...

[Big Dave2]

Just joined this thread and although i like cuddy, seem to be the same mancrushers here who like cuddy that like punto and gardy. 2 words, minnesota nice.

Same haters too.