Bring on the new Twins. Trade Torii. Cuddy stinks. I hate Lewwww!

What a difference a day makes!

Total hits: 9

Castillo: 3
Batista: 3
White: 2
Cuddyer: 1

It's a good thing we made some offensive acquistions over the offseason, eh?

Castillo (or Castino as Bert says) has been nothing short of amazing. I hope he didn't injure himself on his last hit today.

The Twinkies didn't go down without a fight though. In the ninth L-Rod's ball got an unlucky hop off the mound for an out and the Chairman hit a "laser" to Twin killer Kennedy. T-Phat did his thing and got to second before... well, umm... we all have days like that Torii. Shake it off and get ready for the B-sox. If we finish these first 18 games at 8-10 or 9-9, that'll be swell. Tough schedule, but they've hung in there with the big boys.

Wow. That's something, RD.
Gordo also said that the Twins were batting .311 during this home stand coming into today's game.

holdover?

Good closing observation. I know that following Aaron "Glumboy" Gleeman (truly sorry about your extremely cute dog) and the stat nerd party line, we're all supposed to pile on Batista, but so far I've enjoyed watching his at-bats. I don't even mind his fielding, although his soft tosses to first are slightly too thrilling. More than anything, though, I like having a reason to yell "C'mon Tony!" to a Minnesota Twin.

Might want to consider their play in the field as well though. Justin and Lew both had some pretty nice plays, and Castillo continues to show why we're soon going to be referring to him as a former Gold Glove second baseman.

I think the goat suit has to go to Gardy, though. Demoting Crain to middle relief might have been justified, but trying to get three innings out of him was just dumb.

Personally, I'm really tired of seeing AssBatista flop like a fish after groundballs that any real 3B would grab without moving.

His hitting? Won't last. He's a strikeout artist.

I agree, RD. I said to my roommate before the season started after looking at the schedule, "If we can make it through those first 6 series with a .500 record, I would be more than happy. It looked in jeopardy there after the first 2 series, but thanks to the A's and the Yanks, we might come out OK yet... Bring on the BitchSox!

"Caution: Jesse Crain can't keep blowin' up and expect to be a key member of the bullpen. RD wondered why Gardy turned to him for a third inning when he could have asked Liriano and Rincon to handle a few batters apiece."

listen to yourself, RD! cripes sakes. remember last season, when Jesse Crain had some ridiculously low ERA almost to the All Star break? it was .89 or something. that wasn't a fluke. he's a good pitcher, and he's not going to keep giving up two runs every other appearance. I have faith in him.

and honestly, he's not a three-inning pitcher. what the hell do people expect when a pitcher gets left in too long? he's a set-up guy, not a long relief guy like Shaggy.

I agree - Crain's been a closer throughout college and the minors. He's not even used to having his uniform on in the third inning, much less pitching.

I had the .500 thought after 18 games too. However, if someone would have told me were going to score more than 75 runs in our first 15 games, I would've assumed we'd be about 11-4. Add in all the comeback victories we've had and its clear our starters have not been as good as advertised (cept Baker). It's too early for me to be worried about this, so I'm going with the 'we've not yet begun to pitch' attitude. Just you wait mlb...

Come on Johan. Sit them down in Chitown.

Geez, we got more bi-polars then a magnet factory in here.

I gotta say RD's list of "cautions" fall more under "known issues" then "WTF?!". With the exception of Crain, I honestly took all the other ones as expected (yes, including a declining Radke). As for Jesse, I think he showed too much talent and toughness last year to not adjust eventually.

As for the "hopes", some of those have been some really nice suprises to me. Especially our infield defense. I was afraid T-Phat would still be tripping on his Kimono at this point.

Please don't make me stop reading the comments section early this year. If you drink all the Kool-Aid now there won't be any left when something actually bad happens.

Well, maybe not, people always seem to able to find more Kool-Aid.

the Kool-Aid's the fun bit.

There was a moment early on when it looked like everything was going to be a complete disaster and it's not. What's good is legitmately good and what's bad has the potential to improve. There's nothing to suggest the Twins won't be there or there abouts come September, and that's a nice feeling to have.

sometimes you win, sometimes you lose, sometimes it rains, except if you're indoors when it doesn't rain, obviously

think of me Sunday morning as you wake up, I'll be about two thirds of the way through the London Marathon.

peace and joy

D

The hits from new guys; after last year what was needed was non-ass bats. And those needs have actually been addessed, hopefully it will rub off, and end to bad habits.

*nods to Dan and puts down his cup*

Good luck on Sunday! You should come do the Twin Cities Marathon some day. I'll watch ;-)

I'd classify the entire pitching staff - save Liriano and Rincon (Nathan and Eyre are too soon to call) - as a "caution". They have been painful to watch. This weekend is "our" top 3 vs. Chicago's top 3 and, unlike how I would have predicted just two-three weeks ago, not really confident in any of them right now.

TF,

might just do that. Of course I will be running in a red sox cap; can't have everything

D

TF:

*nods to Dan and puts down his cup*

Perhaps you have more in common with Scott Baker than you realize...

Helpfully,
YF

Let's have a riot in The Cell. C'mon Torii, put a shoulder into your old friend, A.J.

RD, as for having to follow the game on the GameDay feature in mlb.com rather than actually watching it, all I can say is "welcome to my world." I, too, have mastered the "quick toggle" at work. The good news is that since the local cable outfit down here "south of the border" in Iowa picks up the Bitch Sox network, I finally get to see a few games on the tube (though I fully expect to have to punch the mute button early and often).

My only real concern with your 'hopes and cautions' is this particular line: "In addition to the hitting braintrust of Vavra/Oliva/Carew, RD hopes the veteran bats (Sierra, Castillo, T-Phat!, Stewart) can offer wise counsel."

Now, count me as one who's pretty satisfied with Batista's contributions so far as well, but I'm REALLY not ready to suggest anyone go to him for 'wise counsel' on the art of hitting. The first time we see Ford or Cuddyer standing at the plate with his feet pointing in the wrong direction, I'm blaming YOU!

Perhaps this is just me, but shouldn't Hunter be wise enough where HE should be offering council at this point? Am I the only one who finds the fact that our centerpiece veteran still requires counciling on how to have a good at bat a tad troubling? Morneau I can understand, he's just a kid. But Hunter? Frankly I expect more from the team's highest paid and "best" player.

Speedy

Give 'em heck, bro!!!

We have to take the Chicago series. We're a good hitting ballclub right now, and with the exception of the series in KC the Bitches have appeared to mostly win by outslugging their opponents.

My only concern is that Santana, Radke, Silva may still not be in their grooves, and we could be in for yet another set of come from behind games.

KC, Detroit, Mariners could be a big boost in confidence (and record) but it all depends on what they do in Chicago. It's really going to be the mood setter for this road trip.

"Now, count me as one who's pretty satisfied with Batista's contributions so far as well, but I'm REALLY not ready to suggest anyone go to him for 'wise counsel' on the art of hitting. The first time we see Ford or Cuddyer standing at the plate with his feet pointing in the wrong direction, I'm blaming YOU!" -- JCrik

JimCrikket wins the "CokeSpit(TM) and a Smile" line of the morning. But just cuz a guy looks like my neighbor's 6-year-old when he grabs a bat doesn't mean he has nothing to offer about the mental side of the game. "Stay cool, stay calm, good will happen." RD's also heard from sources that T-Phat's! locker has some very Jobu-like amulets (Pedro Cerrano as T-Phat?) that could help anyone shake off a slump. And RD can't wait for Lewwwwww and T-Phat! to appear together at one of those "Twins Unplugged" things.

Also, with Jesse Crain, he's been rocked bad at times when he HASN'T gone into a third inning, and baseball is filled with guys who had a fabulous season and then, for whatever reason, lost touch with their excellence. As noted, RD also wondered what he was doing going out for a third inning on Thursday. RD hasn't given up on Crain, but he's not ready to offer up the unconditional "he'll snap out of it" that I am with El Presidente and others.

RD knows that shades of gray sometimes set people off when they see a particular issue in black-and-white. Lord knows, ol' RD has his hot buttons. But RD totally appreciates that Batgirl's commenters are a resilient bunch who can have their pet issues and also have their peers doubled over in laughter.

Comment on!

May I say that I prefer Cuddyer's defense in right field? Lewww is full of energy, but sometimes it seems he tries too hard. (I never trust Cuddyer to bat in April. It's just Not Done. Even if he has hit two homers.)

Also, you can blame me for Torii's strike-outs. I personally watched 11 of his 12 strike-outs this year. And I've "only" been 6 of the 15 games.

A good sign for tonight? My computer's desktop image, which automatically picks randomly between maybe 40 or 50 different pictures, settled on a photo of El Presidente mid-delivery today.

"Torii Hunter isn't gonna continue striking out at this pace."

Um, you sure about that? I mean, I like Torii as much as the next person, but he does seem to have an inordinate love of striking out on high fastballs and sliders in the dirt. And there's the untimely GIDP habit that I'm hoping he breaks this season.

On the bright side, I'm thoroughly pleased by both Lew and Cuddy so far this year. Sure, Mike's average isn't where I'd like it to be, but he looks good out there (I agree with you, JustBeth), and I remain convinced that this is the year he fully realizes his potential, and I remain committed to him as my NSMC. The guy does magic tricks for children, for the love of Pete! And unless Torii decides to take a significant pay cut to stay here, we're going to have to start getting used to Lew as our CF (those Erstad rumors are just weird), and while it'll hurt to lose Torii (especially in the clubhouse), I think Lew will acquit himself most admirably.

Oh yeah, and Kyle's still a worthles fraggle rockin' Headcase (that's headcase with a capital H). I'm happily looking forward to the day later on this summer when keeping Liriano in the bullpen any longer just seems absurd and Kyle is traded for prospects. Ahhhh, sweet prospects.

Also, I'm sick and tired of defending Crain to naysayers and then watch him implode. I think the excuse of "he's used to being a closer, this is too hard for him mentally" is a load of horsepucky. My HS football coach loved the truism, "Big players make big plays," and I believe firmly in its corollary, "Big players make big plays whenever they're called on to make them, not just in the 9th inning because that's what they're used to." What I love about baseball is that EVERY MOMENT has a chance to change the game, whether it be an electrifying strikeout, homerun, patient walk, or stolen base. While the 9th inning is obviously more high-tension, EVERY MOMENT in baseball is an opportunity to be clutch. When you're facing Vlad Guerrero in the middle of a tie game in front of the home crowd, is your argument really that you couldn't handle it because there wasn't enough pressure on you?

I'm sure I'm overreacting to a couple irritating situations early in the season, but hey, what would baseball be if we didn't wildly overreact and make sweeping pronouncements in April?

" On the bright side, I'm thoroughly pleased by both Lew and Cuddy so far this year. Sure, Mike's average isn't where I'd like it to be, but he looks good out there (I agree with you, JustBeth), and I remain convinced that this is the year he fully realizes his potential, and I remain committed to him as my NSMC.

Me too Chris--also remember DJ Cuddles always gets off to slow Aprils--thats why the walk-off was so nice.

I also wonder why Crain was left out there for 3 innings--guess that means that he wont get many shots against the Bitch Sox.

DAM

Great pitching match ups this weekend, should be fun. What's wrong with Johan "the devil" and his change up? It will be nice for the twinkies to get a look at those WORLD SERIES CHAMPION banners. They had their chance, glad to see someone from the Central step up in the playoffs.

is anyone else pumped by the news from the bloomington meeting last night? right now im in denmark studying abroad so i dont get my twins tv fix, but the way the trib and some of the tv stations make it seem, the feeling for a new ballpark is postive. could the the day my dreams finally come true be fast approaching? please mn state govt, please get something done this year.

ps i hate the white sox, especially ozzie. can someone explain to me why the national media sucks him off so much? also, please make coheirent sentences, thank you.

perhaps it's because he's a really good manager?

Lay off Jesse Crain. Everyone goes through rough patches and this is his. Deal with it. He's earned the benefit of the doubt. (Can we possibly not be so frigging negative in APRIL??)

JimCrikket, doesn't your cable company carry MLB Extra Innings?

Yo, LA Sox Fan. The Twins know a thing or two (well, two exactly) about World Champion banners. And ours didn't come 137 years apart. We don't have to come to the south side of Beirut to see championship banners, thank you very much.

Oh, and Ozzie is loved by the national media because he says off-the-wall, looney-tunes stuff in painfully fractured English. (The national media loved Tony Pena once, too; where is he now?) Him being a good manager (and he is) just means more average people are paying attention.

Laurie. No. I tried. I'm also looking in to changing cable companies. The question is whether I really want to torture myself by watching all those games.

adidasman, you're being a bit tough on the BitchSox Fan... after all we all know the BSox WOULD have hung a banner as recently as 1919 except that... well.. you know... they didn't really WANNA win it.

Jim, you can also get it on satellite... ;-)

I am so pumped for this weekend. I want this series. It seems most White Sox fans expect easy wins against us and I read in a board where most White Sox fans expect us to be in last place with 109 losses so here's hoping we can earned some sort of respect.

Oh and if Buherle or any Sox pitcher throw at our hitters, I hope we throw them right back unlike last year.

I don't blame anyone for being concerned on Jessie here. He tends to struggle in big spots. This goes back to last year. This was typical Jesse. He just can't seem to get the final big out here. He pitched well, but then just imploded. Maybe Gardy left him too long. Still don't blame Jesse for this loss. No one played well. The hitters were horrible and Scott did not look great either.

I can only speak for this White Sox fan, but I fully expect a knock 'em down, drag 'em out 3 games. I expect to see some awesome pitching on both sides and I would be surprised to see more than 7 runs total in any single game. I am VERY interested to see whether or not the Sox are the cure for what ails El Presidente...

Laurie, the satellite option is looking better and better. If this road trip goes well, I may have to take that plunge.

I'm a sick man with very weird priorities.

JimC,

We're with you on your priorities, which are NOT weird. Once upon a time, many years ago, RD and some buddies got a hankering to watch the finals of the Minnesota state high school hockey tournament. Only trouble was, we were in Orlando, Fla. One member of our posse knew someone at a TV station in Orlando, who happened to be from Minnesota. We called, we drove over to a nasty part of Orlando, went through the side door of the local ABC affiliate and watched the game on satellite -- with everyone but the ex-Minnesotan at the station wondering who the loonytunes were who came in through the side door. Get the dish! That way, any Batlings coming through Iowa will know s/he has a place to watch the Twins. Best, RD

Jim, I've had Extra Innings since 1998 and I couldn't imagine life without it. It's even better on satellite than cable (I had satellite for the first 3 years) because you get the pregame and postgame. On cable, it's the game only. The guys are high-fiving after the final out and you're cut off.

If you can afford it, or are able to cut some other stuff out (you know, like food) so you CAN afford it, go for it. You will be glad you did. If it makes you feel any better, I am a sicker woman with weirder priorities. And let's just leave it at that for now, shall we? ;-)

Leslie, try as I might, I can't remember a whole lot of "imploding" by Jesse last year. So I figured I'd double-check that the stats agree with what I remember as a fine season by young Mr. Crain.

79.2 IP, 24 ER, 6 HR, 1.13 WHIP, .219 opponents' BA.

Know what? I've seen worse. ;-)

RD and Laurie, I think you've about got me talked in to it. A sweep of the BitchSox will pretty much seal the deal. Of course, if I'm going to do the satellite thing, I almost HAVE to get a new TV, don't I? (If that doesn't guarantee visits from nomadic Batlings, I don't know what will.)

Ah well... food's over rated anyway.

Some time we'll have to discuss just how mutual our sicknesses and weirdnesses are, but for now, it's game time!

Why would you need a new TV? Unless you have a 12-inch black and white or something. Or is this one of those "gee, guess I'll be needing a BRAND NEW TV and a MASSAGING RECLINER if I'm going to do this right..." kinda things?

No, the 27" TV is perfectly functional... but it seemed like a good excuse to upgrade (can always move the current model to the bedroom, right?)

and hmmmmm hadnt thought about the recliner thing... but now that you mention it...

I'm with you, buddy. And I think satellite now requires high-def TVs, preferably plasma...

I had heard that. Ah, what's another grand or two? Looks like a Best Buy run on the horizon.

You're not the first man I've led astray, and you won't be the last.

I've never been led anywhere I didn't want to go in the first place ;)

Well as long as the Twins are at the end of the road... it's a worthwhile trip. :-)

JimC, Laurie:

Get a room with that dish! ; )

Best, RD

Whaddya want, we're the only ones here! Everyone else is choosing to have a life tonight. I'm choosing to advance the cause of Twins baseball by subtly (haha) nudging a fellow Batling toward the light and away from GameDay.

I regret nothing.

Laurie: Jesse had an okay season. He imploded a lot in August and September though. Well we have seen worst like J.C. Romero finding ways to implode and all so yeah.

Are you from the City or Upstate NY? I am from Bergen County here in NJ.

have people forgotten that Jesse was a ROOKIE last year? this is his second full season in MLB. give him a break.

I agree. I think Jesse was terrific last year. This year, well, he's no worse than anyone else. So far not a good year for Twins pitchers all-around. Leslie, I am from the city (Queens).

Twins-In-Exile Update:
Rumor has it that the Cubs are looking to trade for former Twin and former Cub first baseman Doug Mientkiewicz of the Siberia Royals.

This should be good for all parties, if true -- the Cubs need a first baseman badly with Derrek Lee out, and M-12 badly needs to be on a half-decent team.

Also, would like to thank Torii Hunter and Lewwwwww Ford for being 2 of the best 3 players on my fantasy team.