Please do not pitch Matt Guerrier in road games. How many games does he
have to blow for you to get the idea?

Please bench Adam Everett. He does make some decent plays on tough
grounders but can't make the routine play. He just cost the Twins a
victory in KC, although it's still tied in the 9th inning.

Also, in case you didn't notice, Gardy, Punto sucks again.

And please don't put Bass into games that are on the line.

"Dono Vox" <DonoVox@webtv.net> wrote in message
news:10291-489F5AC2-1306@storefull-3311.bay.webtv.net...
> Please do not pitch Matt Guerrier in road games. How many games does he
> have to blow for you to get the idea?

Come on... the road/home splits are ubiquitous -- up and down the Twins
just flat pitch and play better at home.

The more salient point is Guerrier's overuse -- he's been ineffective for a
while now, which is no surprise as he's on pace for setting career high in
appearances.

The domino effect of losing Neshek continues to reverberate...

BTW, the relief wasn't what really blew it for the Twins today... it was
the defense...

brink

To play Adam Everett instead of Brenden Harris is S-T-U-P-I-D. That
throw that cost the came was unreal. I looked up from what I was
reading, and saw Lamb leaping in the air. So I waited for the replay
thinking it was a tough chance. I was dumbfounded to see how routine
that grounder actually was. Wow.

I have a question. What happened to Bobby Korecky? He was a hero in
a game against Texas, in May, then was sent back down to Rochester.
Why's that? I'm thinking he'd be as good as Bass. He has 20 saves for
Rochester, and has a very good slider.

I don't see why Everett has to play the rest of the year, there are 3
spots to fill, 3rd, ss, 2nd. Punto, Lamb, Harris, Busher. That's 4
guys capable. Let them go the rest of the way. I'd release Everett,
and bring up Pridie for a defensive outfielder, then the Twins would
have the best defensive outfield in the league. Delmon can watch and
learn.

"Andy - Mpls" <aharcus@msn.com> wrote in message
news:5830b14e-dd03-41d7-8454-74f69b361710@56g2000hsm.googlegroups.com...
> To play Adam Everett instead of Brenden Harris is S-T-U-P-I-D. That
> throw that cost the came was unreal. I looked up from what I was
> reading, and saw Lamb leaping in the air. So I waited for the replay
> thinking it was a tough chance. I was dumbfounded to see how routine
> that grounder actually was. Wow.

It was a horrible throw. A sickeningly bad play. That said, he'd already
saved the Twins a run with a fantastic play earlier in the game. Does this
absolve him of the later misplay? No. But here's some perspective: what
was the last time Harris made an outstanding play at SS -- one that saved
the Twins a run? I honestly can't remember one. He doesn't make them
AFAIK. What was the last time he failed to make a play that Everett likely
would have, costing the Twins a run? Easy -- it happened 2-3 times in the
last game he played at SS, the "demotion" game. A well-deserved demotion, I
might add.

Harris is a much better hitter and I think makes a fine platoon buddy with
Buscher at 3B. He should also absolutely be pinch-hitting for Everett late
in games with the Twins tied or trailing -- esp with runners on. He's also
a great bat to have off the bench in any case.

>
> I have a question. What happened to Bobby Korecky? He was a hero in
> a game against Texas, in May, then was sent back down to Rochester.
> Why's that? I'm thinking he'd be as good as Bass. He has 20 saves for
> Rochester, and has a very good slider.

This is a great question -- I can't for the life of me figure out why they
haven't grabbed more pen help... Guerrier looks absolutely fried right now.
They'll be lucky if his arm doesn't fall off.

> I don't see why Everett has to play the rest of the year, there are 3
> spots to fill, 3rd, ss, 2nd. Punto, Lamb, Harris, Busher. That's 4
> guys capable. Let them go the rest of the way. I'd release Everett,
> and bring up Pridie for a defensive outfielder, then the Twins would
> have the best defensive outfield in the league. Delmon can watch and
> learn.

I know nothing about Pridie but if his defense is all y'all are hyping him
up to be, then I'm all for him.

Everett absolutely belongs with the team, he's the only plus defender at SS
the Twins have (in range, anyway) and I'm hoping his arm -- which is clearly
bothering him after that injury -- is going to get better.

You'll notice something consistent with my posts lately -- my singleminded
obsession with defense. I'm convinced it's the Twins' biggest problem right
now. It's the main difference between that trip being 5-1 and 3-3. The
hitting's been great... pitching OK not amazing but the defense is making
it seem so much worse than it really is.

Until further notice, I'm totally fine with Everett and Gomez continuing to
start at SS and CF because I'm sick of watching the Twins kick the ball
around.

brink

On Mon, 11 Aug 2008, brink wrote:

> You'll notice something consistent with my posts lately -- my singleminded
> obsession with defense.

I'm in general agreement with you. But singlemindedness can be taken
too far. Favorite Whipping Boy, Nick Punto, is back to being an under-
..200 hitter since the All-Star break. 5-for-39 in the month of August,
if I counted things up correctly. I don't know how much good defense
can make up for that.

--
John Gregory ashbury at skypoint.com http://www.skypoint.com/ tilde ashbury
Thought for the moment:
Everyone else my age is an adult, whereas I am merely in disguise.

John Gregory wrote:
> On Mon, 11 Aug 2008, brink wrote:
>
>> You'll notice something consistent with my posts lately -- my
>> singleminded obsession with defense.
>
> I'm in general agreement with you. But singlemindedness can be taken
> too far. Favorite Whipping Boy, Nick Punto, is back to being an
> under- .200 hitter since the All-Star break. 5-for-39 in the month
> of August, if I counted things up correctly. I don't know how much
> good defense can make up for that.

I didn't mention Punto, but now that you bring him up -- I'm not sure the
Twins have much better options at 2B right now. Harris? I'd be willing to
give it a try but I can't see his range being any better there.

Punto wasn't just on fire before his finger injury, he looked *great* at the
plate... his approach, his contact, not the least of which his results were
all as good as I've ever seen. Ever since he returned from that brief
injury, however, he's been terrible again. I think he's just a mentally
fragile player who seems to have the tools to be a good infielder but just
doesn't have the head for being consistent.

All that to say: the Twins better hope Casilla comes back soon, and healthy
enough to be a semblance of what we saw for the first few months of this
season.

brink

> On Aug 12, 8:51 am, "brink" <brinknos...@hotmail.com> wrote:

> All that to say: the Twins better hope Casilla comes back soon, and healthy
> enough to be a semblance of what we saw for the first few months of this
> season.


Punto has seen a market correction in his playing level.

The latest word on Casilla is he will be joining the Twins on their
road trip starting on the 21st in LA.

powrwrap wrote:
>> On Aug 12, 8:51 am, "brink" <brinknos...@hotmail.com> wrote:
>
>> All that to say: the Twins better hope Casilla comes back soon, and
>> healthy enough to be a semblance of what we saw for the first few
>> months of this season.
>
>
> Punto has seen a market correction in his playing level.
>
> The latest word on Casilla is he will be joining the Twins on their
> road trip starting on the 21st in LA.

It seems like more than just a market correction, he looks like a different
hitter. He wasn't as good as his 820 OPS pre-injury but he's not as bad as
his (guessing) 400 OPS post-injury.

I contend he's one weak-minded dude and it doesn't take much to screw with
his head.

brink