Minnesota Twins vs. Oakland A's is a total let down

For the first time in a long time, I have to say that I am embarrassed to be a Twins fan. While most of the time I can find the good in the ugly but after this week's series with the Oakland A's I just do not have it in me to be positive.

The bottom of this downward spiral came on Wednesday when the Twins lost to the A's 16-1... seriously, SIXTEEN to ONE. While I am upset with our batting which could have been better, many teams struggle to hit well on the road. What gets me is that we gave up 16 runs. And although the difference was not nearly as big on Monday, we gave up 14 runs.

It leads me to wonder, What were the pitchers doing?Clearly not their jobs, that is for sure. We could not even shut out one of the worst offenses in the league. Before this series the A's were ranked last in the American League in extra-base hits, home runs and slugging percentage. They had scored the 3rd fewest runs in the league and had been totally shut out 7 times.

But in 28 innings against the Twins the team that couldn't against everyone else, did against us...32 times. So today, I have nothing encouraging to say other than, What were they thinking. If the Twins don't pull the pitching together soon we can kiss any chance of postseason play good-bye and Twins Tickets are about to get a lot more affordable because what will be the point of going?

Minnesota Twins add pitcher #12 to the roster

With the baseball season just passing the half way mark, the Twins did some evaluating this week and made changes to the roster that most Twins fans thought were necessary for quite some time. Unlike most of the other ball clubs in the league for the past month the Twins have been playing with only 11 pitchers on the roster... which had proven not to be enough. Most fans and couch coaches would say that the bullpen looks tired and without any consistent depth the starters have been playing well into the game.

Yesterday, the Twins announced however that they would be sending catcher Jose Morales to Triple A-Rochester to make room on the 25 man roster for Kevin Mulvey. Twins general manager Bill Smith said, "This will be a long-relief role. So we need someone who can pitch multiple innings and he's certainly done that." In Rochester Mulvey has been 3-6 with a 3.93 ERA in 17 starts. He also has struck out 81 batters and walked only 31 in 103 innings.

This Twins fan is hopeful that with the addition of a pitcher some of the problems that plagued us early in the season will be behind us and going into the second half and hitting the road the extra depth in the bullpen for the pitchers will mean that not only will we have strong starts we will be able to pull it through to the 8th and 9th inning.

Francisco Liriano Disappoints…Again

Twins pitcher Francisco Liriano disappointed this Minnesota Twins Fan...AGAIN. Liriano is just not the super star starter he once was and the Twins Pitching Coached better realize that and make some changes. Liriano's ERA by inning: first, 0.00; second, 3.21; third, 7.71; fourth, 12.21. – what? 12.21 in only the fourth inning pitched? That’s nuts. Management needs to recognize that Liriano is now just a two inning pitcher and get him out of the Twins starting lineup.

"I'm real frustrated because every time I miss one pitch, it just changes the whole game," Liriano said. "I don't know what to do anymore. I think I've got to go out there and just pitch. That's all I can do."

Duh. Your job is to pitch, just do it, but do it well. Francisco Liriano needs to learn how to sustain his power – I think Ron Gardenhire and the pitching coaches are looking at as that Liriano makes one mistake and that shakes him, but I think it’s more like the one mistake mark is that Liriano can’t sustain his pitching power and then it just steadily falls after that.

Come on Twins – get it together! The AL Central is still wide open.

Minnesota Twins Road Trip

The Minnesota Twins are set to finish up the western part of their road trip today after playing three games against Seattle Mariners (won one, lost two) and then four games against Oakland A’s (won two, lost one so far) – the Twins need to win a few more games / series in order to advance in the AL Central right now. I know the rod trips are tough, but the Twins have got to play better . . . mostly PITCH better. The marathon road trip continues to Chicago Cubs territory for a weekend series before getting the Twins back to the Metrodome on Tuesday June 16th.


Clearly, the Twins know they have a pitching weakness – in the MLB Entry draft, 16 of the Twins' 31 picks have been pitchers – good!

Twins lose to Cleveland Indians at Metrodome

I can’t believe I have to write that headline, but it’s true the Minnesota Twins got socked last night 10-1 by the Cleveland Indians in front of the Metrodome home crowd.

Twins rookie pitcher Anthony Swarzak looked terrible in the third inning. I could have hit those pitches! The Indians may be at the bottom of the American League Central, but they are still major league hitters and they showed it against the youth of Swarzak.

Carlos Gomez and Indians pitcher Cliff Lee continued to jaw at one another all night. I say if Gomez wants to get under Lee's skin he needs to get a hit and get on base and stop the jaw jacking!

Same two teams at the Dome today, I wonder what will happen. Hopefully a Twins win. Scott Baker needs a good outing. Twins vs Indians at noon at the Metrodome. Wish I didn’t have to work.

Twins Game Winning Secret: Pitching

After a disappointing loss against the Milwaukee Brewers on Sunday, can the Minnesota Twins make a comeback? Twins fans seem to be asking themselves the same question lately, "how can the Twins make this comeback?" A question with a simple solution, find a new pitcher. Eisler Livan Hernandez (or just Livan Hernandez to the casual Twins fan) will start todays home game against Washington Nationals. With twelve different pitchers to choose from, has Rick Anderson (pitching coach) made the right choice by starting Hernandez? I would say a definite yes! Hernandez has thrown more strike outs than Joe Nathan himself. Hernandez will choose the Twins' fate on how the game against The Washington Nationals will go.

Twins Joe Nathan Contract

The Minnesota Twins inked closer Joe Nathan to a four-year, $47 million contract with a $12.5 million team option, $2 million buyout, for 2012. The Twins tore up this year’s $6 million contract and Joe Nathan will now earn $11.25 million each year of the contract beginning this season. Wow! That’s a lot of dough, but he is one of the best in the league. Nathan’s deal is less than Mariano Rivera's record-breaking three-year, $45 million deal, but more than many other closers in the MLB.

"I think it's a good fit," Joe Nathan said. "Dave Pepe, my agent, has always
said this organization is right for you ... it seems like you belong here."

Many critics say that this big contract just makes Nathan more “tradable” but this Minnesota Twins fan thinks the Twins made the deal to keep one of the best closers in the American League on the roster. I look forward to seeing Joe Nathan at the Metrodome this season! His new contract makes me want to buy Twins Tickets!

Francisco Liriano rumor

All of the papers and even this Minnesota Twins blog are certain that Francisco Liriano is going to be just fine and make a positive impact with the Minnesota Twins this year, but I heard a rumor from a reliable local sports guy that Liriano may not be up to par. Besides arriving late for Twins Spring Training, Liriano is 20lbs. over weight and has yet to throw a 90mph pitch. In fact the only person to attest to Liriano being able to throw 90mph after Tommy John surgery is his agent who “saw him do it in the Dominican Republic.” That rumor makes this Minnesota Twins fan nervous.

Well, Francisco Liriano will make his first Twins spring training start this Friday against the Boston Red Sox. My guess is Liriano will throw two to three innings, depending on his pitch count. Let’s hope we see some speed in those pitches!

Francisco Liriano Status

Ok, this Minnesota Twins fan must be living in a fantasy world. I had visions of Francisco Liriano swooping in to save the day and that at the end of this season, every Twins fan would be saying, “Johan who?”

But I read over at the PP that Twins Manager Ron Gardenhire sees it differently. In fact after reading Gardenhires comments regarding Francisco Liriano, I am not sure I want to buy too many Twins Tickets if I can’t count on a solid pitching rotation. Perhaps I am just being too emotional and I should wait until the completion of Spring Training to make my verdict on this year’s Twins pitchers. Let’s also hope Francisco can stay sober enough to make it through the season – remember that DUI charge that's holding him up.

Twins centerfield position debate should be second to Twins Pitching

It seems every one is anxious to determine who is going to be the Minnesota Twins centerfielder, but this Minnesota Twins fan still thinks that decision should take a back seat to who is on the Minnesota Twins pitching rotation.

I have heard several reports that youngster Carlos Gomez really wants the position, but he will have to battle Denard Span and Jason Pridie at the least to get the center spot. Looking over the 40 man roster…there isn’t a single player on there who has ever played the centerfield position full time in the MLB…it could be an interesting year.

Carlos Gomez Fact: Gomez signed withe the Mets when he was 16...do you suppose they had any child labor law issues??? hmmmm....

Boof Bonser on my radar

When looking through my Minnesota Twins blog, I can see I wrote a number of posts about Twins pitcher Boof Bonser, either I loved him or I loathed him. He was on my fantasy team last year and it helped me a few times because he was a bit of a dark horse and he had a few solid showings, but overall the season was not stellar for Bonser. This year will probably be no different…in regards to my articles, I mean, and my fantasy team, but I would expect Boof Bonser to be a better and more consistent pitcher.

Bonser has lost 20 pounds, and better to look at is always just better in this Minnesota Twins fan book, and he seems more mature and dedicated to his career. He is setting goals of pitching 7 or 8 innings instead of just 4 or 5. I guess time will tell, but I am glad to have Boof Bonser on my team!

Spring Training post-Santana era

The Minnesota Twins pitchers and catchers will be reporting for their first workout less than a week away (report: Feb 17th, practice: Monday Feb 18th) in Ft Myers, Florida. It’s hard to believe that Minnesota Twins Spring Training is so close. In this Twins post-Santana era, all eyes will be on left-hander Francisco Liriano and his health and performance. He says he is 100% ready to go, but coming back from such a tough injury it is often difficult to maintain that 100%. The biggest question will be, can Francisco Liriano make it through the entire Twins season healthy and ready to take down batters on a whim?!?! Time will tell...

Francisco Liriano is ready

With all the talk about Johan Santana staying or going, we must not forget Francisco Liriano is ready to stay and ready to pitch. He says his arm is strong. The Pioneer Press did a story on Liriano on Sunday and I think it was a reminder to Twins fans that we still have this “ace in the hole.” The PP answered questions surrounding Liriano’s return:

His velocity? "It's back. The past two weeks, I was (at) 95, 94 (mph)"
His endurance? "I'm throwing bullpens the same length as before surgery. I'm in shape."
His pitch selection? "I'm throwing all my pitches now. Sliders, changeups, everything - no problem."

Let’s go Twins…Is it Spring yet?

Will Twins get Phil Hughes?

If Twins pitcher Johan Santana goes, the Minnesota Twins will most likely receive Phil Hughes in a trade from the New York Yankees. Hughes is a 21-year-old right-hander who would make a fantastic addition to any pitching staff in the majors. He was 5-3 with a 4.46 ERA last season with the Yankees. The "ace" of the Twins pitching staff come opening day is still very much in the air! Hughes even has his own web site - this youngster reminds me a bit of our own Pat Neshek...

Santana in Florida joins Liriano

Johan Santana has arrived in Fort Myers, Florida to start his spring training workouts, but he still isn’t sure whose uniform he will be wearing come April. The Minnesota Twins are getting back Francisco Liriano this season from Tommy John surgery, but will he be enough to replace a Santana-sized void in the pitching rotation?

For Now, Santana is still a Twin, but he rejected the Twins four year, $80 million contract extension offer, meaning he wants to go elsewhere. If the Twins start the season with a one-two punch of Santana and Liriano like they had in 2006, they might have a hot start out of the gate, something that hasn’t happened for the Twins in recent years. This years Twins Spring Training should be interesting.

Carlos Silva to Mariners

There will be plenty of baseball players changing uniforms in the New Year and we can now add Carlos Silva to that list. Silva signed a four-year contract with the Seattle Mariners that will average $12 million a season. $48 million! Wow. Silva was 13-14 last season, but still managed to draw a high price tag from Seattle. The Twins reportedly offered him $18 million over three season or about $6 million a year – half of what Seattle paid. Half! I guess the market for free agent pitchers is crazy tight right now – wish I knew how to throw a good sinker!

The Twins will have to rely on the skills of Scott Baker, Boof Bonser, Francisco Liriano (finally back!) and Kevin Slowey to get them through next season. Is it spring yet? I am soooo tired of shoveling snow!

Mets looking at Carlos Silva

The Twins pitchers seem to be at the forefront of all Twins rumors (now that Torii is basically gone). It is rumored that the New York Mets are looking at Twins Pitcher Carlos Silva. The Twins probably won’t be able to afford him and it is rumored Silva could end up with a $40 million, four-year deal from the New York Mets or even the Chicago Cubs.

Twins Rumor Mill – Johan Santana

Word around the Twins baseball rumor mill is that the Twins will be forced to trade pitcher Johan Santana this winter because they can't afford the $140 million he would be expected to command over seven years as a free agent after next season. Johan has been the Twins “Ace” and has led the team in wins and strikeouts for several years – he will be irreplaceable for sure. I think I will have to scratch off the number 57 Twins jersey that’s on my Christmas list.

Francisco Liriano, Where Are You?

New Twins General Manager Bill Smith said Friday that he expects lefthander Francisco Liriano to contribute next season, based on his successful rehabilitation in Fort Myers, following Tommy John elbow ligament replacement surgery. Smith this week watched Liriano throw a bullpen session and came away thinking that Liriano, barring any setbacks, is ready.

"He is healthy and he is strong," Smith said. "He has been given the go-ahead to prepare for spring training as he normally would."

Liriano, who turns 24 this month, was 12-3 with a 2.16 ERA for the Twins in 2006 before damaging his left elbow late in the season. Liriano spent most of the year rehabbing in Fort Myers under the watch of Twins rehabilitation coordinator Lanning Tucker. Smith said Liriano has gone home to the Dominican Republic for the offseason but will return to Fort Myers in January and will work out with staff ace Johan Santana in preparation for Twins spring training.


This Minnesota Twins fan is looking forward to seeing the number 47 jersey of Francisco Liriano back on the mound.

Nathan’s ERA Great, But Closer Needs More Chances

Joe Nathan fantasy baseball owners have been frustrated all season long with the Minnesota Twins’ under use of their top-notch closer. It seems like Nathan doesn’t get as many opportunities to close out games when compared to other closers in the Central Division, partly because the Twins haven’t won as many games as the Detroit Tigers and the Cleveland Indians, but also partly because the save situations haven’t come up. Joe Borowski of the Indians isn’t anywhere near the caliber of pitcher Joe Nathan is, but somehow he has managed to gather eight more saves on the year. Todd Jones of the Tigers is another shaky closer, with an ERA near five, but he too is ahead of Nathan in saves with 27. Even Bobby Jenks, the Chicago White Sox bullish save man has six more saves than Nathan, and the White Sox are behind the Twins in the standings. Nathan is an extremely valuable player to the Twins, but his value can unfortunately only be measured by how much the Twins can use him. Joe Nathan is a definite fan favorite and the HHH Metrodome goes crazy when he takes the mound. Nathan can definitely help sell Minnesota Twins Tickets as long as he is in the game doing his job. Let's go Twins!