09 Season is here!!!!!

[nofishfisherman]

I don't miss Hunter, maybe he catches that ball but stealing a homerun is still a long shot at best. Maybe Gomez has a 1 in 10 chance at it while Hunter has a 1.5 in 10 chance, I still think Gomez will be able to run down far more balls then Hunter could even dream about at his age.

Maybe it was posted on here somewhere but I read an article where some stats guys calculated all outfields defense based on home many runs they either saved or cost the team based on defense. Gomez was 2nd overall with something like +18, meaning he saved 18 runs. Hunter was I believe somewhere around -2 meaning overall he actually cost the team runs. He might steal a home run once in awhile but Hunter is the past Gomez is the future.

[SledNeck]

Gomez has the talent to be a gold glove outfielder in the future

[fishyguy]

Maybe it was posted on here somewhere but I read an article where some stats guys calculated all outfields defense based on home many runs they either saved or cost the team based on defense. Gomez was 2nd overall with something like +18, meaning he saved 18 runs. Hunter was I believe somewhere around -2 meaning overall he actually cost the team runs. He might steal a home run once in awhile but Hunter is the past Gomez is the future.

That was me who posted that. Gomez was 2nd overall among center fielders at +17. Span was +15. Cuddy was even and Young was -11. If anyone is going to try to find a way to show Delmon should play in front of Cuddyer they should stay away from strikeouts and defense as that is exactly what Delmon needs to work on.

I have a feeling that whoever rides the bench more is going to be like a NFL backup QB. He will be the guy that everyone says could have done it better adn the most popular guy on the team with the fans. Take last night for example. Cuddy strikes out 3 times and everyone is clamoring for Young. Young may have done better but I believe he also has a pathetic lifetime average against Hernandez and I have seen Delmon strike out 3 times in a game more than just a couple of times.

Young was on the bench, Cuddyer was batting 3rd (yes I know Cuddy is not a #3 hitter) but I think it shows who Gardy trusts and who he does not. I gotta think Gardy knows a tad bit more than the most of us.

[pegleg]

Either Delmon or Cuddy will be gone by the trade deadline. Gardy is getting very "testy" already about being asked by the reporters who is going to start in the outfield before every game. Gardy will push for a trade because he is tired of it already after the first game.

[DonBo]

Everyone just relax a second. Take a deep breath. None of the 4 outfielders we have are going anywhere. They will all have roughly the same amount of AB's by the end of the year, barring injuries.

Cuddy got the start last night because he is a proven veteran and earned his opening night shot. Yes, he had some ugly at bats. So did most of the rest of the team. Hernandez is a great pitcher.

Look at it this way. We're tied for second place, 1/2 game out of first. I was at the game last night. Yes, I was dissapointed with the outcome but I'll be back again tonight cheering on the team as a whole, not just whoever Gardy decides to put out there while wondering why one of them is on the bench.

[The J-Man!]

1st thing I said after watching the replay... Hunter would've had it.

No doubt about it. I miss some of his defense but the list ends there.

There is NO WAY Torii Hunter even gets to that ball. Gomez was on a full sprint just to get there. Hunter is not that fast.

[greebs]

Not to try to stir the pot here but in comparing career stats, cuddy strikes out more frequently than young and when playing their natural position of right field, they have pretty similar defensive stats, albeit young only had one full season in rf.

I'll admit to not being a big cuddy fan and what I don't understand is that so many say that he's such a stud outfielder and young is so bad but it's young that's playing out of his natural position. If cuddy is such a stud fielder, wouldn't it seem that he would be the one that should play lf and would supposedly do better defensively?

Will young be the dh tonight against a lefty? Wouldn't think Kubel would dh against lefty.

Anyhow, no reason to get too shook up over one game. Go get em tonight.

[MOSSY]

cuddy plays right because of his arm. you play the strongest arm in right

[Double D]

Moving toward a different part of the game, I saw Ken Griffey Jr hit the longest home run I have ever seen in the Metrodome back in about 1989 or 1990. He got it up in right field and it landed about 6 or 8 rows up in the second deck. I was in awe. Last night's homer made me think of that again.

It seems like he is one person who will miss the Dome because he seems to have a good HR record there.

DD

[alwaysonthemove]

Remember when Hunter just started playing? Come on guys that was also a long run half of the center fielders never would of got that close

1st thing I said after watching the replay... Hunter would've had it.

No doubt about it. I miss some of his defense but the list ends there.

[fishyguy]

Not to try to stir the pot here but in comparing career stats, cuddy strikes out more frequently than young and when playing their natural position of right field, they have pretty similar defensive stats, albeit young only had one full season in rf.

I'll admit to not being a big cuddy fan and what I don't understand is that so many say that he's such a stud outfielder and young is so bad but it's young that's playing out of his natural position. If cuddy is such a stud fielder, wouldn't it seem that he would be the one that should play lf and would supposedly do better defensively?

Will young be the dh tonight against a lefty? Wouldn't think Kubel would dh against lefty.

Anyhow, no reason to get too shook up over one game. Go get em tonight.

Hey greebs,

Cuddy does strike out more frequently than Young but not by much. It is like comparing a 400lb guy and the 375lb guy and trying to decide who is fatter. They both strike out too much. Over the course of 500 AB's Delmon would have 95 K's and Cuddy would have 105. The point was that if anyone is going to use strikeouts or defense as the reason to bench Cuddy the solution should not be Young as you are only inserting a guy with the same issues and a lower career OBP and SLG %.

[alwaysonthemove]

Sled Neck I cannot believe you just said that. I totally agree there is so much untapped talent there with Go Go.

Gomez has the talent to be a gold glove outfielder in the future

[PierBridge]

Twins Win Twins Win Twins Win!!!!!!!

[zepman]

Great comeback...hopes this gets them on an early roll!!

[Scott M]

Wow, I just read about it. I turned on online realtime scoring and then shut it off when it mistakenly said the game was over. It was assuming Morrow got the save or something. Now I wish I would have turned the TV on.

[CNY Tim]

Flipped over to check out the end of your game after my Redbirds took care of business and what an exciting finish you guys had against the Mariners.

On another note...

Dennys Reyes looked great in his first appearance out of the St. Louis bullpen.

Congrats to Kyle Lohse on his first 09 victory...

[Mudcutter]

I did the same thing with gameday on the net, only to see final score pop up faster than what gameday would give

these games mean the same as those in sept.

the twins flat out stole one.

[greebs]

"Hey greebs,

Cuddy does strike out more frequently than Young but not by much. It is like comparing a 400lb guy and the 375lb guy and trying to decide who is fatter. They both strike out too much. Over the course of 500 AB's Delmon would have 95 K's and Cuddy would have 105. The point was that if anyone is going to use strikeouts or defense as the reason to bench Cuddy the solution should not be Young as you are only inserting a guy with the same issues and a lower career OBP and SLG %."

I hear ya. There ain't much difference between the two and I wanted to point that out to those thinking that young basically stinks and that cuddy is by far the superior player.

[Chode2235]

Went to the game last night. Not as many people as I thought there would be for it being the second night.

In Gardy's words most of the game was pretty "blah, blah" but it was great to see them scrap some runs in and win it in the 9th. I think they have the drive this year.

It was great to see Gomez take that walk too, I didnt think he could ever learn to look at a 3-2 pitch.

[Scott K]

It was a nice win by the Twins, but I couldn't understand why the Seattle coach left that pitcher in the game after the first couple walks. I see it more as Seattle lost the game.

[Jim Uran]

Yeah I went to bed around the end of the eighth inning, wasn't too impressed with much of anything except Span, he has had a couple good games now, Justin needs to wake the bats up, maybe he should call on joeboo or something.

[The J-Man!]

Gomez has the talent to be a gold glove outfielder in the future

He probably should have won a Gold Glove last year. He was better in the field than all 3 of last year's OF winners (Torii Hunter, Grady Sizemore and Ichiro).

[B. Amish]

Yeah I went to bed around the end of the eighth inning, wasn't too impressed with much of anything except Span, he has had a couple good games now, Justin needs to wake the bats up, maybe he should call on joeboo or something.

Span usually has good at bats, but stats lie sometimes. Span gets a couple hits off of dome choppers and Morneau rips the ball right at people and goes 0 for or gets hosed on a call at first base. Morneau is fine, just needs to find the holes.

[solbes]

I was so disgusted after falling behind 4-0 in the 4th that I changed the channel. I shouldn't have given up so easily. As sleepy as our bats have been, this come from behind win should give a little confidence.

[Gary Crichton]

Shame Shame on those who gave up early last nite. What a finish. I will say this if those 2 pitchers at the end were the stoppers for Seattle, they are in trouble.

Trivia question for you all. Something happened last nite that has not happened since 1968 or 40 years ago. What was it.

G.C.