April-May Twins are Back

[8-Ball]

I'm afraid the early season Twins are back. You can just see it in their body language in the field, their approach at the plate and the way they are running out grounders, etc. Now I heard that my boy Lohse is back in the rotation, and Silva is stinking up his second start in a row. I have NOT jumped off the bandwagon, but this is not looking good at all, me boys. 8-Ball.

[friendlyfisher]

Im already sick of watching Tori Hunter swing at the first pitch and grounding out(asuming no one is on first otherwise it would be two outs) time after time, is he capable of taking a pitch once in a while?

[8-Ball]

I hear ya. The other thing I was going to add is even though it has only been 3-4 games, the pitching staff is back to giving up 3 or 4 runs early which forces the issue with the likes of Hunter, Cuddy and the rest of them to come out swinging and falling behind in the count-easy prey to striking out and swinging at bad pitches to protect the plate.

[Born2Fish]

I'm not to sure i'd say that the Twins are startin to slide like earlier in the season. Personally I think that we all got used to the hot streak they were on and anything less than that makes us think oh great here it goes again. They are going to win some and lose some. But remember that we still have our tremendous pitching (minus a few flakes in the rotation) and above average defense. And I would LOVE to see Hunter take a pitch or 2 and stop swinging at balls that are almost over his head. He swings like he's tryin to take every pitch out of the park. And as we have seen this year it isn't working very well.

[8-Ball]

I'm just saying it has the similarities to the first two horrible months of the 06 season. We need a good outing from our two lefties Sat/Sun to get back on track. They were lucky to get the one win in KC-it was handed to them on a silver platter. Should have been swept. Either way, I will keep watchin and listening...

[Willy]

The young guys are still hitting pretty good. Morneau has been an animal at the plate lately. Looks like he is finally turning into the player that we need in the middle of the lineup. Now that he has FINALLY figured out how to take pitches and not try to pull everything. He is flat out dangerous to pitch to. Mauer is Mauer, Kubel is here to stay, and Cuddyer if he can be patient, is a good hitter too.

The rotation overall is good, but I'm sick of Silva. He skated through the first couple years he was here always having guys on and getting the double play balls. This year, it isn't happening, he is throwing cream puffs and it is like batting practice to MLB hitters. He always did get hit, even during his good years he always had a BAA(batting average against), that was over .300.

[buzzsaw]

All it is is the bottom of our pitching staff bites! We have two absolute freaks of nature and then an okay at times Radke, a lost soul in Silva and a HUGE question mark in the 5 hole! Pitching wins titles, we are not deep enough at this position to have any consistancy over a six month season and thats why we'll probably end up in third place. I love the young bats we have in Mauer, Morneau & Kubel... Bartlett might be good as well... but we will need to add two good pitchers next year and the only way to do that will be by trading away Torri and his large salary. Were on the right track, Terry Ryan knows his stuff and will attempt to right the ship.

[Stratosman]

You hit it on the head there... getting rid of that salary is the key, we are wasting our money on him right now.

[Born2Fish]

I'd have to agree on that too. Hunter could be replaced by another player. Yeah he has excellent defense out there in center...But I feel he is a liability at the plate. I say trade him to Florida for the D-Train!

[buzzsaw]

Thanks guys, sometimes a morning Bloody Mary puts my mind in the correct state of thinking. It's been interesting lately, we'll just have to wait and see how the second half unfolds.

[34inwalleye]

Quote:

---

I'd have to agree on that too. Hunter could be replaced by another player. Yeah he has excellent defense out there in center...But I feel he is a liability at the plate. I say trade him to Florida for the D-Train!

---

If your going to that trade why not throw in Cabrera with the D-Train.

I agree... Get whatever you can for Hunter, Stewart, Lohse.

[Bobby Bass]

Yup we should get rid of mauer while we are at. He's hot right now trade him away at the break for maybe another catcher and a draft choice, Hunter can go bye bye to. We don't need his 5 gold gloves, clubhouse leadership. Ya they are all washed up they won 20 plus games and you can see on tv that they are all washed up. Lost three games and let's write the rest of the season off. O wait they shut out Texas tonight, Hunter hit a home run actually the first and only run needed tonight, Mauer went 0-4 the kid did not have his best stuff and they still won.. Could they win another game? or maybe two?......the saying goes.. everyone wins 50 and everyone loses 50 it's what you do in the other 62 just as the world is not going to end with losing 3 no one rolled over when they won 10 in a row. Lets wait till Sept. before we decide to put a fork in them..

[8-Ball]

I did not put a fork in them and never in a million years would suggest getting rid of Mauer. Get real. Read the initial post, if that is what you are responding to.

[buzzsaw]

Bobby, Bobby, Bobby... settle down, it's about economics in a small market and making what money we have work towards the positions we need filled to get to the top. Torri is a huge dent on the cap as is Radke and if you take one or both of them off the books it free's up cash for the new guys to have extended contracts (Liriano, Kubel, Morneau, Bartlett, Mauer etc) as well as going out into free agency with some extra cash to try and shore up what they need in the pitching area. Or are you suggesting that the Twins pitching staff is DEEP enough to win the division? If thats your point go ahead and make THAT call. I'd say I don't agree, but I'm probably the only one in the entire world that thinks that way.

[SledNeck]

Silva needs to go.

[Bobby Bass]

Guys..... My post is totally in jest, yes I read the previous posts. I understand the market that the Twins play in I understand the Twins approach to the game which is old school. Developing players and promoting them through the system. This has brought the Twins not one but two world series rings. The market and the team management will never let the Twins buy a ring like the Yanks. If you look at pitching records a pitcher with a .500 or better record is a keeper. A outfielder who can catch the ball and bat .280 is a keeper. Trade Hunter/Radke just what do you think you are going to find out there? Just like a used car, you get rid of it because it has a problem. better to know your problems then discover new ones. As for Hunter swinging wildly at pitches, have you ever stood in the box with 90mph coming in? easier as a fan to complain cuz you don't have to do it. I worked at a college and they had a kid who could toss in the low 90's for the heck of it I got in the box for the experience. I have a good eye and good reflexes. Lets just say I have great respect that he hit the glove and not me. Never saw them coming after they left his hand till they hit the mitt.. I always wonder how you can be a bad pro when you are the best of the best coming out of college.

[Stratosman]

What everyone is saying is that hunter is not worth the $$ he is being paid, simple as that. Free that money up for another pitcher which we obviously need in the 4-5 spots in the rotation...Twins winning or not has no bearing on my thoughts on Hunter. He is a .260 batter that hits nothing but solo homers and inning ending double plays. Aside from a couple starting pitching problems, which every team seemingly has, we are still in good shape. We can't help that we are in the toughest division in baseball.

[Mitty]

Gee guys I was saying this same thing back in the middle of may if you look in the archives and I was getting nothing less than getting my head knocked off loks like some of you guys punch your keypads before you think.Hunter is not worth what hes getting paid yes with Beachballer retiring and getting rid of Hunter only Terry Ryan could screw things up then.

[Stratosman]

I've said this all year as well.