Twins Bull (pen)

While preparing for a Mother's Day cookout yesterday, I had the Twins game on the radio most of the afternoon. Now, I absolutely love good pitching in baseball. I'd much rather watch a well-pitched 2 -1 baseball game that lasts two hours than a 10-6 tilt that lasts four and a half hours. So yesterday was my kind of game.

For seven innings.

For seven innings, Nick Blackburn breezed through the Seattle lineup. Blackburn needed only 99 pitches to complete seven shutout innings. Then, after those grueling 99 pitches, Ron Gardenhire decided to remove Blackburn for his so-called 8th inning specialist, and hamburger lover, Jose Mijares. The dreaded pitch count, you know. At this point, I felt a little sick to my stomach, sensing impending doom. Sure enough, Mijares walked the first batter on four pitches. A very bad sign because, as the Metrodome scoreboard warns, "Walks Will Haunt." After the walk, the next batter and future Hall-of-Famer Ken Griffey Jr., proceeded to hit a ball so hard that it almost took out one of those vampire seats in right field. Home Run. Suddenly, before Blackburn even had a chance to sit down and spit some sunflower seeds, it's 2-2. His victory was gone.

Back to the game - Mijares is now out, Jessie Crain in. This is like pouring gasoline on a forest fire. How did he do? Three batters, three hits, two more earned runs. Crain out, Craig Breslow in. The good news about Breslow is that he is now walking less batters than earlier in the year. The bad news is that those batters are now hitting home runs. Breslow serves up a dinger, and it's suddenly 5-2 Seattle. The Twins go on to lose 5-3. So much for excellent pitching. And on top of it all, I was late for the Mother's Day cookout.

We're now about 5 weeks into the MLB season, and some things are becoming apparent about the 2009 Minnesota Twins. There are constants such as Joe Mauer and Justin Morneau. There are some pleasant surprises such as Michael Cuddyer's ability to drive in runs and Denard Span's overall game. A couple of things have sucked, however. One has been the play of 2B Alexi Casilla (sent down to the minors), and, of course, The Bullpen.

If the Twins can get to their closer Joe Nathan, they typically will win the game. Getting to Nathan, however, has been the problem. Other than Nathan, the bullpen has been terrible. Check out these stats from four of the MAIN bullpen pitchers:

Jose Mijares - 0-1, 6 IP, 6 hits, 2 blown saves, 4.50 ERA,
Jesse Crain - 1-1, 8 IP, 6 hits, 7 ER, 7.88 ERA
Craig Breslow - 0-1, 10.2 IP, 8 hits, 8 ER, 6.75 ERA (This. Is. Terrible.)
Luis Ayala - 1-1, 15.1 IP, 21 hits, 8 ER, 4.70 ERA

Wow. Having seen a good portion of the games these guys pitch in, I can tell you that this is giving me a facial tick. I'm getting whiplash from watching all of the line-drives being blasted by opposing batters. This is shades of Ron Davis. This is the kind of stuff that led to my pointed corneas.

Three things have become apparent to me. One - I've been lucky to watch some pretty good Twins bullpens throughout the years, and I started to take the bullpen for granted. Two - I totally agree with Bert Blyleven that pitch counts are overrated. And Three - when this season is over, and if the Twins miss the playoffs, the bullpen will most likely be to blame. The starting pitching for the Twins has not been great, but they are starting to pitch much better. I believe that Baker, Liriano, Perkins, Slowey and Blackburn will be OK when all is said and done this year. They might not have many wins, however, if the bullpen continues to fail.

The time has come, I believe, to consider a trade to bring in some bullpen help. The time has come to offer one of the outfielders up as trade bait to attract some relief pitching. Denard Span is untouchable, however. Cuddyer is a good RBI-guy and great clubhouse leader so I wouldn't trade him either. Carlos Gomez was part of the Johan Santana trade and has some "upside," so he isn't going anywhere. This leaves - Delmon Young. Young is a classic underachiever, a defensive liability, and doesn't fit into the Twins "way."

The time has come for the Twins to shop Delmon Young for bullpen help. I would think that there is a team out there who would give up a pretty good pitcher for Young, who is a talented hitter.

So, let's go Bill Smith. What are you waiting for?

Jeff

Some Thoughts.....

Saturday morning musings....

1. Joe Mauer Returns. You may have heard through certain media outlets that Twins All-Star catcher and two-time batting champion Joe Mauer returned to the Twins after a month off due to an injury. Despite what certain critics think, the return of Mauer immediately transforms the Twins into a better team. On his first swing last night, he launched a home run to the opposite field, for Cliff's sake. Now, Mauer will most likely never be a power hitter, but his patience at the plate and ability to get on base will force opponents to pitch to Justin Morneau and Jason Kubel rather than pitch "around" them. Their RBI's should skyrocket. Mauer's calling of the game as a catcher and ability to throw out baserunners changes the defensive make-up of the team. With the young (and gifted) Jose Morales catching, opponents ran all over the Twins. That will stop with Mauer. On top of all of this, he sure is cute, right gals? A good day for Twins fans.

2. Vikes draft Percy Harvin. Time to buckle up, folks. It's going to be another strange ride with the Minnesota Vikings. In yet another surreal Vikings draft last week, the team selected talented, but "troubled," receiver Percy Harvin. Head Coach Brad Childress likes to preach about his "Culture of Accountability," and drafting only "solid characters." This only goes so far, however, if you are not winning playoff games, selling tickets and failing at obtaining new a new stadium. When that tsunami occurs, it is time to draft "talent," if it comes in the way of a dope-smokin' moron. It happened with Randy Moss, Onterrio Smith and now Harvin. Now, I will admit that Moss transformed the Vikings into a better team, and was initially a hit with the fans. We all know how it ended, however. It seems like these "troubled" players walk the "straight and narrow" for a little while, but the "troubled" part of their personality eventually rears it's ugly head. We'll see with Percy Harvin. I'm willing to give him the proverbial "benefit of the doubt," but I've got bad vibes. It's the Vikes, after all. Keep him off of boats on Lake Minnetonka. Keep him out of downtown Minneapolis. Have someone on the team (not Bryant McKinnie) follow him around. Maybe even an ankle bracelet.

By the way, we're off to a bad start. Harvin was a no-show at rookie camp, and everyone assumed he was AWOL - probably high as a kite at some strip club. It turns out, however, that he was severely dehydrated and admitted to an Atlanta hospital. He we go.......

3. Favre in Purple? Here we go again. Brettfavre has retired "for real" this time, but has asked for his unconditional release from the Jets and reportedly hired a personal trainer. Brad Childress has admitted "there will be Favre talk." Kind of strange. Look, as a Vikes fan, I have to admit that I would love to have Favre quarterback the team because he is better than both T-Jack and Sage. Also, if Favre played for the Vikes, we wouldn't have to worry about any TV blackouts. Just for the inevitable interest, I hope it happens.

I have one important question, however - if Brettfavre "unretired," would John Madden "unretire?" I think we all know the answer to that.

4. Swine Flu, the Scourge of the 1970's, is Back. I also have a question about swine flu - do those masks really do anything? I don't know about that, but apparently even the swine flu can be made into a political issue. Minnesota Representative Michelle Bachmann has recently pointed out that the last time the country had a swine flu outbreak, it was under Democratic President Jimmy Carter. Not that she was blaming him, mind you. One minor detail - the swine flu outbreak in the 1970's actually occurred under Republican President Gerald Ford. Crap like this is reason # 1,267 why I am a man without a political party.

That's all for now.

Jeff

Belated Review - Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit. And Taco Bell.

Last Wednesday, CR and I ventured down to the Turf Club in St. Paul for a rare mid-week concert experience. Jason Isbell and his new band, the 400 Unit, were playing a show in support of their new album. Opening for Isbell, from Nashville, Tennessee, was Steve Earle's son Justin Townes Earle. Can't pass that up - even on a Wednesday night. Even with THE CHECK the next day.

Jason Isbell, as you may know, is a former member of the southern alt-country band Drive By Truckers. Isbell, along with Patterson Hood and Mike Cooley, combined to make the Truckers into a kind of "three-headed monster," but decided it was time to leave the band to pursue a solo career. Now, Old Man Thompson doesn't make it out too often, so I was seriously looking forward to this show.

Oddly enough, after all these years, this was the first time I had ever been in the Turf Club. Seeing a show there is kind of like seeing a show at Old Home in Eau Claire. And I mean that as a compliment. You can basically get within a few feet of the band and still have easy access to the bar at all times. Perfect for a show like this.

Justin Townes Earle opened the show, and his set hearkened back to the days of Hank Williams Sr. and Buddy Holly. Earle played guitar along with a side-kick on harmonica, accordian and ukulele (not all at the same time). Even though he is the son of Steve Earle, Justin plays more old-style tunes than his dad. His southern twang and demeanor, plaid shirt and slicked back hair made it seem like 1954 at the Turf Club. The crowd was brought back to more modern times however, with his rendition of the Replacements "Can't Hardly Wait." All in all, a very solid effort by Justin Townes Earle.

Isbell and his band took the stage after Earle, and kicked off a more straight-forward electric, twangy rock 'n' roll show. I wish I could recollect the first song he played, but I can't. His second song, however, was a great version of "Dress Blues," an ode to a buddy of his from Alabama who was killed in Iraq. I also noticed, about this time, the bottle of Jack Daniels that Isbell opened and placed near the drums. He took very liberal swigs from the bottle throughout the show, once proclaiming "I bet you guys think this is sweet tea. I love sweet tea." Nod-nod, wink-wink.

Isbell played a great mix of tunes from his excellent first solo album, "Sirens of the Ditch" and his new album with the 400 Unit. One of my favorites from the new album is the "cry in your beer" tune "Cigarettes and Wine" which he played last Wednesday. Another highlight from the evening was the new song "Sunstroke." Isbell also mixed in some old Truckers favorites such as "Outfit" and "Declaration Day." The band ended the show (after 3 hours of music) with covers of the Talking Heads "Psycho Killer" and Tom Petty's "American Girl." And oddly enough, the bottle of Jack Daniels - I mean "sweet tea"- on stage was empty.

If you haven't heard Isbell's new album, it is outstanding. He remains true to the sound he had with the Drive By Truckers, but has moved slightly away from the darker topics he touched on with the Truckers towards more "Petty," even "Mellancamp" sounding tunes. It's good stuff.

Lastly, CR and I found out after the show that you can't walk up to Taco Bell drive-thru and buy tacos after hours. You have to be in a car. And only the drive thru is open after hours - a total catch 22. Even if you walk over to the big menu and speak into the microphone, they won't sell to you. Then, if people a mini-van who have been watching this scene unfold drive up and offer to buy food for you, Taco Bell won't sell to the mini-van if they think the tacos are for the "walk-up guys (me and CR)." Then, they really won't sell to the mini-van if the mini-van driver curses out the drive-thru gal. But - if everyone leaves and the mini-van driver's wife goes though the drive up alone, Taco Bell will sell to her. Thank God for that. We got some tacos.

You learn something every day. All in all, a very good night.

Jeff

Lemaire, Risebrough Gone. Sid Mad.

It's amazing how fast things can go to hell in a hand basket. Just one year ago, the Minnesota Wild won the Northwest Division for the first time in their existence and earned their highest-ever playoff seed. The Wild then proceeded to lose in the first round of the playoffs to Colorado to prematurely end their 2007-08 season. It's been a shit-storm ever since. Brian Rolston and Pavol Demitra left via free agency, Marian Gaborik got injured and missed most of the 2008-09 season and the Wild missed the playoffs for the first time in 3 years. Then, Head Coach Jacques Lemaire stepped down and, surprisingly, General Manager Doug Risebrough was fired.

No official reason was given for Risebrough's firing by owner Craig Liepold, but there were certainly questionable draft choices, the inability to complete trades to improve the team, and the inability to sign Gaborik to a long-term contract. There were also rumors that Risebrough was awful to work for and that many players hated him (i.e. the inability to sign Gaborik to a long-term contract).

I must admit that I have no idea if these moves will pay off with a more successful hockey team. For an expansion team, the Wild has had a nice run, making the playoffs 3 times in 8 years along with a division championship. And "change for the sake of change" is not always good (see Minnesota Timberwolves). The Wild just could not "turn the corner" under Lemaire and Risebrough, however, and become a team that consistently makes the playoffs and wins playoff series. In a hockey-mad place like Minnesota, that is demanded by the fans. Even the North Stars consistently had nice playoff runs. I also have to admit that I am excited about the prospect that the Wild will (must) now move in a different direction. I'd like to see them hire a coach and GM who will implement a more open, offensive style of play. I'd also like to see the team draft more North American (American and Canadian, maybe even some Minnesotans!) players and move away from the European, non-physical, style of play they had under Lemaire and Risebrough. I was sick of seeing their goalies get roughed up and no defensemen come to their aid. I think these types of moves will keep the fans happy and the sellout streak at the X alive. The most important thing in the long run, however, will be "wins." It will be interesting to see what happens.

Lastly, I have to bring up Sid's column today in the Star Tribune in which he lambasts Craig Liepold for firing Risebrough. Sid calls Risebrough "one of the best executives in hockey" He goes on to rip Liepold by saying "...the johnny-come-lately owner of the Wild must not be informed of all the great things that Risebrough did, taking over an expansion club and making it pretty competitive from the start."

Now, as we all know, Sid is entitled to his own opinion and has always been known to take the side of the "current establishment" with local teams. If Sid had his way, Jimmy Rodgers would still be coaching the Timberwolves. However, if you really want to know the motivation behind today's Sid column, here is the only passage you have to read:

"If I were Timberwolves owner Glen Taylor, I would jump for joy, because with Lemaire and Risebrough gone and Gaborik likely gone as well, the Wild figures to be in decline, while the Wolves -- with three first-round draft picks and a young team that will get better -- will have a better chance to compete for the fan's dollar."

There you go. Sid is such a Minneapolis guy, he has never gotten over the fact that St. Paul, and not Minneapolis, landed an NHL team. He is still upset that the Winnipeg Jets did not move to the Target Center in Minneapolis and that St. Paul did the political heavy-lifting to not only land an NHL expansion team but build the state-of-the-art Xcel Energy Center. And while this was happening, the Minneapolis-based Timberwolves (who I wish no ill-will) fell flat on their face and play at the outdated Target Center before 500 people.

If Sid thinks that the Timberwolves, with their "three first-round draft picks and a young team who is going to get better (insert own jokes here)," is going to steal fans from the Wild and the Xcel Energy Center, it may be time for him to call it quits. That simply is the most ridiculous and sad statement that I have ever read. If the Wild start losing, they certainly run the risk of losing fans - no question. Hey those tickets are expensive. But they certainly will not rush down to Target Center to see the Timberwolves, in rebuilding phase #45, take on Oklahoma City. No way.

What the Wild has to watch out for in the near future (2010) is their ticket-buying base to the Minnesota Twins in Target Field and even the Minnesota Gophers in the new TCF Stadium. And that includes the ticket-buying fan writing this post.

Peace,

Jeff

Possible 2010 Twins Uniforms

There was an interesting article in yesterday's Star Tribune about possible changes to the Twins uniforms when they open their new ballpark in 2010. Now, I am usually not a fan of a team changing uniforms every few years (Timberwolves) or just for the hell of it (Vikings - horrible), but the Twins have worn their current uniforms since 1987, and opening a new ballpark is probably a good time to make a change. It sounds as if changes will be made, so here are my recommendations, just in case Jerry Bell and Dave St. Peter are reading this (no question they are). As you will be able to tell, I am definitely "old school" when it comes to baseball uniforms. I believe in "back to the future:"

1. Hats. Go with dark blue (or black) only for both home and away games with the "TC" logo. That logo is fantastic. Drop the road "M."

2. Batting Helmets. Either all black with the "TC" logo or the 1970's "Butch Wynegar special."

3. Home Uniforms. All home uniforms must be white. I prefer the old school 1960's uniforms with the black and red "Twins" script. I like the pinstripe for home uni's. The Minneapolis-St. Paul "shaking hands logo" HAS to be on the sleeve. I will lose my mind if they don't retain that logo. I will also lose my mind if they don't GET RID OF THOSE RIDICULOUS SLEEVELESS 3rd JERSEYS." They. Are. Horrible. They should simply copy this:

4. Road Uniforms. Road uniforms must be gray. I would ditch the pinstripes and go with solid gray with a red and black "Minnesota" script across the front (instead of Twins like below).

5. Shoes. White. No - just kidding. Black.

So there you go. There are my hopes for a 1960's look when the Twins move back outside in 2010. What do you think? Back to the 1970's Hosken Powell "powder blue" road uniforms?? Let me know.

Jeff

Saved From Ourselves - Again

Over the years, certain past and present Euphorian members of the St. Paul City Council (Dave Thune) have been know to drive me a little crazy. There has always been, in my opinion, an "I know better than you, but don't worry I'll take care of you" mentality from The Council. If it weren't for The Council, we might have a beautiful Twins ballpark in St. Paul, but that would have been detrimental to The Kids. That is another story, however, and a ballpark is being built in Minneapolis so The Kids over there will suffer.

Speaking of The Kids, they have actually saved us from ourselves with the help and infinite wisdom of the St. Paul City Council. Check this out from today's Star Tribune:

Candy smokes and cartoon character lighters will no longer be allowed to be sold in St. Paul.

The City Council voted unanimously Wednesday to approve an ordinance that bans the sale of "imitation tobacco products" and "novelty lighters." The ordinance will take effect in about a month.

St. Paul might be the only U.S. city to ban both the fake tobacco products and lighters.

Thank the Lord. I, personally, have spent many a-night tossing and turning with worry over the availability of candy cigarettes. They are an absolute scourge and lead to meth addiction. No question. How did this decision from The Council come about? More from the Star Tribune:

The ordinance was championed by a group of St. Paul teenagers working with the Association for Nonsmokers-Minnesota, which educates youth groups and individuals who want to lobby for anti-tobacco policies.

The teens expressed concern that candy cigarettes and toy-like lighters would glamorize tobacco use and lead children to smoke later in life.

In other words, if The Kids start with candy cigarettes early in life they are destined to choke down real heaters later in life. No question. The time has come, then. to BAN the dreaded candy cigarettes to save The Kids.

Now, I'd like to clarify something. I don't smoke. Smoking is pretty stupid. It's horrible for you, makes you smell and is expensive. Plus, smoking and Zocor do not mix. Smoking and Thompson family history do not mix. If I smoked, I might as well jump off the High Bridge because the end result would be the same for me. And smokes are like $7 bucks a pack now. While we're at it, I'd also like to clarify something else:

If candy cigarettes led to actual smoking, I'd be the Marlboro Man.

Look, when I was a kid I bought candy smokes at Ben Franklin (next to Thriftway) like they were going out of style. All brands. You know - the ones that tasted like chalk with the red end. I even bought (gasp!) bubble-gum cigars. I faked like I was smoking them before eating them, too. This was in the beautiful 1970's, however, not the hysterical 21st century. Nobody freaked out.

I'd also like to clarify something else. It is my job as "dad" to explain to my children the ills of smoking. Their last name happens to be "Thompson" too, so they share the same genes with me. It is my job to share the "cost-benefit" analysis of smoking with my family and then, when they are old enough, it's their time to weigh the "cost-benefit" analysis and decide for themselves. It is NOT the job of the St. Paul City Council and a bunch of kids to ban every last product that is bad for humans. This is how we in Minnesota get a rap for being a "nanny state." You know - "you rubes don't know what the hell is going on so we'll sort it all out for you." Thanks Dave Thune! I'm surprised I made it this far!

What's next on the "to ban" list - hamburgers? French fries? Frisbees? BEER???

I must have a moment to reflect after that last horrific vision. Banning beer - that would be unspeakable.

But it's possible. Let's face the facts - booze is not all that good for you. Better keep that on the down-low, The Council could be listening. What is on your list of hobbies that doesn't happen to be good for you that the St. Paul City Council could "help you out" with?

Scary.

Jeff

3rd Annual Blog Baseball Predictions

It's that wonderful time of year once again - the beginning of the baseball season. Opening Day for the Twins is Monday against Seattle. The approach of Opening Day means it is also time for the 3rd Annual What Jeff Thinks baseball predictions. I usually just predict the American League Central outcome and some other little tidbits about the upcoming season. Here are my 2007 predictions and here are my 2008 predictions. Here is how I thought the AL Central would shake out in 2008, compared to how it actually fared:

2008 Prediction:
1. Detroit: 98-64
2. Cleveland: 92-70
3. (Hated) Chicago: 86-76
4. Minnesota: 74-88
5. Kansas City: 71-91

2008 Actual:
1. (Hated) Chicago: 89-74
2. Minnesota: 88-75
3. Cleveland: 81-81
4. Kansas City: 75-87
5. Detroit: 74-88

Now if you notice, my predictions were, once again, way off. Especially on Detroit. But who would have guessed the Twins and Chicago would have to play a 163rd regular-season game? This is reason #456 why I don't gamble. If my baseball predictions were my golf game, I'd quadruple-bogey every hole (which is not that far off from reality - bad example). But, predicting the season is a hell of a lot of fun, so here we go again. Here are, without a doubt, the final standings to the 2009 American League Central Division:

2009 AL Central Prediction:
1. Cleveland: 92-70
2. Minnesota: 89-73
3. (Hated) Chicago: 84-78
4. Detroit: 76-86
5. Kansas City: 75-87

I have to admit that, because I am usually wrong on my predictions, this is a bit of reverse-psychology. I am hoping that my prediction of a resurgent Cleveland Indians squad actually puts the HEX on them like it did to the Detroit Tigers last year. (sorry dools). I actually think that the Indians are going to be pretty good this year and while the Twins will be very competitive, I have bad vibes about how this season is starting. Here are the things that are giving me bad vibes:

A. Joe Mauer's sacroiliac.
B. Scott Baker's shoulder.
C. Jose Mijares's fat.

Here are a couple of other predictions for the year - the New York Yankees, despite their $600 gazillion-dollar payroll, will NOT make the playoffs. The Chicago Cubs will once again win their division but lose in the first round of the playoffs. I also think Tampa will fall back to the pack after their amazing year last year. Once again, my surprise team will be the Cleveland Indians.

One thing is for sure - this will be the Twins last year inside the Dome. Amen to that.

What are your predictions for the 2009 MLB campaign?

Jeff