Wow, beat me to it! Good pick-up since well, he can't be any worse than our normal DHs.

Link to ESPN story:

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=2568201

I wonder who that player will be?

Article also mentions the Twins call-ups: including Alexi Casilla whom we got for JFC.

Not a bad pickup, depending on who the PTBNL is. Nevin has been decent with the Cubs (though he was comparatively terrible with the Rangers earlier this year).

Cant hurt. In addition to DHing, he can give Doc a break at 1b occasionally and let him DH too. I cant imagine the ptbn being more than a low-to-mid level prospect... might even be conditional based on Nevin's performance. Hey, didnt he get drafted ahead of Jeter? How many times do you get a chance to pick up a talent like THAT on Aug 31? ;)

My friends in Cubs land will be sad - he was their favourite player.
I don't think it's a horrible pick up - yes - it will be nice to let the Good Doctor have a small break once in awhile.

I bet the PTBNL won't be anyone too surprising - I don't know I guess we will see.

Much Love
Wonder Woman

This caught me off guard. The twins could certainly be better off because of this deal, and Nevin has got to be excited about suddenly being in the middle of a pennant race. Hopefully that will put a hot bat in his hands.

Frankly, if I were a Cub, I'd be excited about ANY change of scenery... I bet Nevin took all of about 15 seconds to pack his bag and head for the airport.

I vaguely remember a story about a player many years ago who got traded from one team to another and somehow ended up being his own PTBNL -- anyone else remember that?

OK, I just found it. Thanks to those indispensable bastions of the Internet, Google and Wikipedia.

Harry Chiti (November 16, 1932 - January 31, 2002) was a catcher in Major League Baseball. From 1950 through 1962, he played for the Chicago Cubs (1950-52, 1955-56), Kansas City Athletics (1958-1960), Detroit Tigers (1960-61) and New York Mets (1962). Chiti batted and threw right handed. He was born in Kincaid, Illinois.

Chiti was saved from baseball anonymity when he was notoriously traded for a player who turned out to be himself.

A competent defensive catcher with a great ability to handle the knuckleball, Chiti was only 17 years old when he broke in the majors with the Chicago Cubs, making infrequent appearances from 1950-52.

After two years in the military during the Korean War, Chiti returned to Chicago and handled the starting job in 1955, batting .231 with 11 home runs and 41 RBI in a career-high 113 games.

In 1956, Chiti shared catching duties with Hobie Landrith and was sent to the New York Yankees at the end of the season in an unknown transaction, being drafted by the Kansas City Athletics from New York in the 1957 Rule V. Chiti played with the Athletics from 1958-58. The next three years he was part of transactions between the A’s, Detroit Tigers, Baltimore Orioles and Cleveland Indians.

Eventually, in 1962 Chiti was purchased by the expansion New York Mets from Cleveland, then the Mets shipped him to the Indians for a player to be named later in the season. That "player to be named later" ended up being Harry Chiti.

In a ten-season career, Chiti was a .238 hitter with 41 home runs and 179 RBI in 502 games.

You hit the nail on the head, bob.

And, If anyone is actually sad that all we got for Romero was "some stupid A Baller" please raise your hand...

Just a little blast from the past..
http://mb3.scout.com/fanaheimangelsfrm1.showMessage?topicID=1710.topic

Casilla -- .318 AVG 50 SB's .385 OBP
Romero --- 7.07 ERA

Regarding Casilla, all I can say is that in his time here in Cedar Rapids (MWL affiliate of the Angels) in 2005, he hit well over .300 and stole bases like crazy. Seemed like a really great kid and I'm very happy to see him get a shot in September. Doubt he'll be used as much beyond a pinch runner (unless Castillo's ankle is really hurt bad), but he's definitely got wheels unlike anyone else in a Twins uniform this year.

Here's a scouting report on Nevin that seems pretty flattering:

http://msn.foxsports.com/mlb/playerScouting?categoryId=85823

Sure, he's big for a piranha, but he seems to have some sharp-toothed tendencies. Mr. B's favorite line from the scouting report: "...no one breaks up a double play with more enthusiasm."

It's a good move.

Casilla is about the right size to be a piranha, though, if not a little small. I hope LNP teaches him about the dangers of walking too close to certain pitchers, although I don't think any more come up on the schedule.

Then again, his performance this year indicates he always runs like people are chasing him, so he might be okay.

Re: Nevin

Thankfully he seems to have grown up from his juvenile tantrum days of AAA. The guy was hell on water coolers here back in the day. Damn, he was fun to watch back then...I thought he was going to be the next great 500 HR hitter from the hot corner.

For what it's worth... Mr. Nevin has played catcher at various times in his career, so this potentially gives Gardy the opportunity to put the Chairman and NBP in the lineup together. Just sayin'.

-ex

Wow. Well, I beat the ever-loving crap out of the idea of Phil Nevin about a month ago (click)..

Much better deal now, especially considering one month less of his monster salary to pay, plus since he can serve as a 3rd catcher on the bench it will allow Mauer to DH on his days off and get Redmond in the lineup more. I'm glad he cleared waivers, and I hope we didn't give the Cubs much for him.

All that said, I wish we'd gotten into the running for a pitcher, be it Wells or someone else.

wordsmith...I do remember that. I think MLB caught it tho and there were *g* penalties.

And I'm all for getting Redmond in the line-up more. He always seems to rise to the occasion.

exp, I dont think we have to be concerned about that 3rd catcher thing since the Twins also called up catcher Chris Heintz from Rochester.

TD, I suspect the Twins aren't paying a lot of his salary. The deal was Nevin and cash from the Cubs for the PTBNL, so the Cubs are clearly paying some of his salary. Which seems only fair since, as I recall, the Cubs got a boatload of cash from the Rangers along with Nevin when they picked him up in May. (Too lazy to do the actual research, so I'm just going from memory.)

Maybe it's just me, but the name "Phil Nevin" doessn't seem like a sporty, home run hitting kind of name. Sounds like the name of the weekend weather guy for some small tv station in Rheinlander, Wisconsin. ("Coming up after the break, Phil Nevin's Super Doppler Radar Forecast!") But if the guy can hit a few dingers and liven up our offense, it doesn't matter to me what we call him! Good Luck Phil, and welcome to Twins Land!

We got David Niven? I loved him as Phileas Fogg in Around the World in 8o Days. And he was great in Guns of Navarone. Not sure how much help he'll be on the field, but I bet he's a good clubhouse presence and a fascinating interview for the media-types. And he'll immediately become the best-dressed Twin.

What you say? Phil NEVIN? Um, nevermind...

Seriously, Nevin had some huge power numbers as a Padre. Maybe he can revisit those glory days as a Twin.

Congrats on getting Nevin. I'm just happy the Cubs got something for him. He'll fit in nicely as a DH for you. Just don't stick him in LF like Dusty tried to do. He's about as mobile as a sack of potatoes stuck in the mud.

As a Cubs fan I don't have much to cheer for these days, but I am pulling for the Twins to make the playoffs. Anything to not see the White Sux there again!

Last night SportsCenter said the PTBNL was one of our young catching prospects... they said his name, but I missed it.

Welcome, Nev. Hopefully, you'll do a lot better in that DH spot than Rondell or Kubes. Also, it's good to see that we've got a third catcher in our roster. Welcome, Chris. I don't have a nickname for you yet, but with the help of my fellow batlings, I'm sure we can think of something. May I ask what position Casilla plays? And may I ask who JFC is?

Dear Ms. Princess,

He can't be any worse, really. Casilla is a second baseperson, and shall be the second baseperson of the future. As for JFC, it is JC Romero. The F I shall let you figure out on your own.

Sincerely,
Batgirl

And I would also like to know what the PTBNL stands for...

And thank you, BG, for answering my questions so quickly. I commend you on your speed.

Dear Ms. Princess,

Player to be named later. Usually, that is a low level prospect.

Helpfully,
Batgirl

Princess, PTBNL is "player to be named later"

Helpfully,
JC (without the F, I hope)

Dang, that BG is on the ball this morning. Can't beat her (not that I would wish to).

PTBNL stands for "Player to be named later"

And that concludes our lesson for today.

See: Bull Durham

A level manager: Who are you?
Crash Davis: I'm the player to be named later.

It's funny because it's true.

Thanks, you guys. I knew I could count on you. :)

Oh sure, that's an EASY quote from Bull Durham... let's see you recite Crash's "what I believe" monologue! ;)

Yeah for a third catcher! Get NBP in as the NDH!

I also like the thought of Rondell White as a spot player instead of as do-or-die ass-bat roulette table. Nevin should get a lot of lineup time, and we should see a lot more of NBP in the stretch.

Not sure about the NDH (and I KNOW I'm not interested in being in the crowd if it happens), but this deal and the call-ups of Casilla and Heintz accomplish a couple of things that are a bit subtle perhaps, but could be important if the race stays tight.

Sure it means NBP or Mauer could DH, but I doubt that will happen much with Nevin on board. BUT... what it does mean is that if a situation comes up where a pinch hitter would be nice, it allows NBP (or Mauer if its his day off) to step up and pinch hit WITHOUT that person having to stay in the game or run the risk of running out of catchers in the event of a late game injury. It also means White's bat, with at least a chance of some power, is available as a pinch hitter. It means if the situation calls for a pinch runner late in a game, you've got one.. AND you've probably got a guy on the bench somewhere that can play the field as well if you've removed one of your regulars for that PR or PH.

Of course, all of this assumes that the pitching keeps games close enough that making moves can make a difference AND that Gardy would actually consider making a strategic move during a game. Neither is necessarily a given... but at least the tools are there.

Dear Mr.Crikket,

"I believe in the soul, the c...,the p... the small of a woman's back, the hanging curveball, high fiber, good scotch, that the novels of Susan Sontag are self-indulgent, overrated crap. I believe Lee Harvey Oswald acted alone. I believe there ought to be a constitutional amendment outlawing Astroturf and the designated hitter. I believe in the sweet spot, soft-core pornography, opening your presents Christmas morning rather than Christmas Eve, and I believe in long, slow, deep, soft, wet kisses that last three days."

I had to edit it a little bit =)
Can't tell you how many times I had to rewind the old video tape to get all that right back in the day - hurrah for DVD's and Closed Captioning

Much Love
Wonder Woman

PS - BG what happens if it rains all weekend in NY?? What will we do - I will be lost I tell you LOST (premiers OCT 4th)

[i]Can't tell you how many times I had to rewind the old video tape to get all that right back in the day - hurrah for DVD's and Closed Captioning[/i]

An even easier way for movie lines, song lyrics/title/artist and such (if you know at least a few of the words) is to just google, then copy and paste.

Franorama -
back when the movie came out - I didn't even have a computer - nor would I have thought to think of looking for it that way - besides what's the fun in Google-ing - when you can watch a scene or a movie over and over again =)

I'm still a little bit 'old school' ya know =)

Much Love
Wonder Woman

Nice job BG!

No more re-winding necessary these days. See http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0094812/quotes

... or click my nick.

As for possibilities of rain, I suppose it just wouldn't do any good to pray for rain 4 out of every 5 days until Cisco and/or Bradke get healthy, would it? In truth, I'm more upbeat about the series in NY now that I see the pitching matchups. It's not like the Yankees are trotting Whitey Ford, Ron Guidry and Dave Righetti out there this weekend either.

Ohhhh my apologies WW!!!! I mistakenly ASSUMED it was BG responding! Can you tell I'm running on fumes at the end of the week?

My apologies.

JC

I get all real life worthless when "Bull Durham" quotes start flying...I will now challenge myself to respond to all coworker inquiries with such quotes.

It could get a little dicey...and suggestive...but a fun Friday-before-long-weekend activity. By Tuesday, they'll have forgotten all about...most...of...them.

Batgirl would like to mention she had a poster of that movie, with that speech on it, up on her dorm wall in college. The poster may have excised some of the naughty bits.

BAT, I'm sure "The world is made for people who aren't cursed with self-awareness," will go over real well with the coworkers. Good luck.

Personally, I've been known to use, "You just got lesson number one: don't think; it can only hurt the ball club (replace with 'company')," more often than I probably should.

"Don't think, meat, just give 'em the gas"

BG,

Where oh where could you have found such a vintage poster a mere 2 years ago?

Sucking up before the weekend matchup,
YankeeFan

Dearest Mr. Fan,

Look. We need these games. You don't. The Sox are done, the Tigers are fading and you'll have home field advantage all the way through. We are still engaged in an epic battle with the forces of darkness--and who do you want to emerge? The Other Sox, for which there are no lovable bloggers with hearts of gold? Or the Twins. I ask you. So can we have at least 2 of 3 this weekend? Pretty please?

Sincerely,
Batgirl

Beeg,

I still say Boston's changed you. You and your Twins are above asking for other teams to tank. You used to simply declare that the Twins would win, and they would.

Now, rest assured that there is nothing that I want more than to meet again in the first round of the playoffs. Of course, there is nothing I want less than having to face Santana, Radke and Liriano in the first round of the playoffs. At least we can outhit the Soxes -- we certainly can't outpitch the Twins.

I am willing to deal though, and remain willing to hear all offers :) What would you give for a 3 game sweep -- pretend I can make it happen...

Dangerously coming close to receiving a "mitts off!" from BG,
YF

Dearest Mr. Fan,

Batgirl does not, in fact, reside in Boston, but two hours to the west, in the land of Amherst, where everything is peaceful and locally grown and the people are hale and hearty and only occasionally wear Sox hats.

At the very least, go easy on Silva tonight. He's fragile. Try to keep it under 5 home runs.

Sincerely,
Batgirl

BAKER! BAKER! BAKER!
Did Nutty get the call too?

--"Mr. B's favorite line from the scouting report: "...no one breaks up a double play with more enthusiasm."--

So...should we bat Nevin in front of Sweetcheeks?

To: Batgirl, JimCrikket, Wonder Woman, et. al.
Re: Bull Durham

"So is somebody going to go to bed with somebody or what?"

All great work suggestions! JC: I definitely work the "self-awareness" quote into live conversation at LEAST once a month. It's my personal fave.

I just spent a few minutes wandering the building asking randomly: "Who DRESSES you??" "Don't you think that's a little excessive for the Carolina Leagues??"

I should confess that I did the "Bull Durham" pilgrimage to North Carolina. Matts Saloon was so much fun...and in keeping with all things seen on the big screen...much smaller in person. The thing I remember most about the stadium was the fact my brother did not have to wait any amount of time in line for beer, but I waited 30 minutes for lemonade.

Beej,

Wouldn't be surprised to see Silva pitch a no-no tonight. You're not too far from Groton Mass, home of YankeeBrother and his wife and 3 kids, who learned early that "when you wear your Yankees shirt outside you get spit on!"

Life's early lessons for a 5 year old boy.

Is it game time yet?

YF

mongo: GREAT IDEA! (from your lips/fingers to Gardy's ears/eyes)

twayn: GREAT IDEA! (um... no additional comment here.. just like the idea strictly on principle)

BAT: GREAT IDEA! (tho I admit to living less than an hour from the Field of Dreams and have never been there... so my odds of making the Carolina pilgrimage are long, I suppose)

JC: I don't know if the stadium is still there...it might be. We were there during the supposed last season at that yard...but, if memory serves, logistics forced them to play part of the next season there as well.

I have not made it to the Field of Dreams site...yet. I keep hoping I'll get there before it goes away. It would be an easier summer target if there were MLB near by. My trips are usually prioritized by that criteria.

BG: I have a 5 ft x 8 ft poster of "For the Love of the Game" on my bedroom wall. It's beautiful, both as art and allegory.

Scootie Baker, eh? I like it.

Listening to the witty banter between YF and BG is quite entertaining. Keep it up. I would also like to calmly request to the Yankees that they arm themselves with heavy chain mail unless they would like to be devoured alive by pirahntas.

On second thought...DON'T wear any chain mail. The pirahntas are looking for something to eat, and I'm sure Yankees taste delicious. I would ACTUALLY like to ask the Yankees to please start sucking as of 6:05 PM Central Time.

I want a shirt that says Alexi is sexy

SI's quoting Batgirl's close personal friend! Yea! I loved this:

"The truth is, Mauer and Morneau have to have one of the highest-talent to-charisma ratios in Twins history," says Anne Ursu, who writes the off-beat and wildly entertaining Batgirl Web site. "This is not to say that they are in any way unlikable, they just are not exactly brimming with personality. There's this commercial featuring Mauer that gets played all the time for Land O' Lakes Milk and it sounds like some mid-pubescent boy is doing the morning announcements over the school PA. Yet both radiate a fundamental Minnesotan/Canadian decency that makes them very appealing."

Lovely! And lovely of the SI folk to be so discerning.

(click name for link)

Thanks for the link... and kudos to BG!

I'll go ahead and add the final paragraph of the article, with another BG quote (who is this Anne Ursu anyway? Some kind of close personal friend or sumthin?):

Batgirl admits that picking an MVP between the two depends on your interpretation of the meaning of the award. But, she adds, "How many players in baseball are actually better than Joe Mauer? It really is a marvel to watch him hit -- it looks like the height of human perfection, that all of evolution has been leading up to the moment where Joe Mauer puts bat on ball."

WOW Beeg... "height of human perfection"??? Sounds like someone's got a crush ;)

Well, I hate to burst bubbles here, but the Strib just delivered some bad news...

"Stress Fracture Found in Radke's Shoulder."

Click on name for link...do you honestly think the Twins can make the playoffs with the pitching they have now? The only certainty we have is Johan, Boof has been doing well, but who knows? Will Cisco get healthy? Ugh, my stomach hurts...but that might also be the chili I ate.

I don't have cable or radio; how is Silva doing? Pitching a gem, I suppose.

"gem". Um. No. Not exactly.

To be fair, it would have taken a shut-out type effort given the offensive ineficency. But it was hardly gemworthy...in any case.

Dear Kansas City Royals,
I love you.

Well, I also think that having Carlos pitch does not strike confidence in any of our hitters and we would have had to score quite a few runs to win anyway.

Ballgame over ! The Yankees Win ... THEEEEEEEEEE Yannkkeees WIN !

Normally I would follow up the above comment with a "Well, the Yankees should win every game with the payroll and bought players they have," but the fact of the matter is that the Marlins could've won tonight's game against tonight's Twins. Not only was the offense and pitching bad, but did they really have to drag the defense down as well?? I have decided tonight that I am never going to another Twins game at Yankee stadium, as they are 1-9 out of the games I go to. The only one game I got to see a Twins victory @ NY was the one Santana pitched in last year. I'm really sorry. I'll stop jinxing the boys.

Rumors of fading Tigers may be a tad premature. Their pitching has continued to range from good to dominant, and their bats have shown definite signs of reawakening from their August dormancy. Twelve hits and nine runs tonight in a beautiful shutout of the Angels. It would be unwise to assume the Motown cats will do a Cheshire Cat for the remaining weeks solely because they took a (somewhat extended) breather last month. I do hope the Twins concentrate on overtaking the Southside Psychos; nobody wants them in the playoffs, and they're within easy reach. But catching the Cats and taking the division? Well, it's possible, sure. But it ain't very likely.

Still, none of us would be fans if we didn't dream big. So pleasant dreams, Batfolk, and enjoy the final furlong. It's been a fun race so far, and the ending holds the promise of excitement aplenty.

God I love baseball.

Congrats to Alexi Casilla on getting on base his first major league at-bat, despite not being able to count to 4. In his defense, apparently I can't count to 4 either because I thought he had walked two pitches earlier.

And yay to all the MN fans who stayed until the end in the left field bleachers. We represented well, I think!

Finally, A-Rod has homered in all 3 Yankees games I've seen this year. With 2 tonight, that means he'll have an average of one per game I see for the year even after he doesn't hit one on Sunday and the Twins win. Yay optimism!

--"The Yankees Win ... THEEEEEEEEEE Yannkkeees WIN !"

Absolutely the most obnoxious statement ever made by a baseball announcer. And that includes all the garbage from Chicago's lovely team. I absolutely cringe every time I hear that. YUCK!!

(and hopefully the Twins can hit like the Royals for a couple games. Good grief--at least more than 1 run, pretty please!?)

BTW, if anyone wonders, I work Saturday at 6:00am. Believe me, it's the only way you'll find me at a computer this early!