SethSpeaks:
No, although they are both 1B.
Joe Lis came up as a 23 year old in
1970 for 13 games with the Phillies. He spent parts of 1971
and 1972 with the Phillies. After that season, he was traded
with two other players to the Twins in exchange for Cesar
Tovar. He got 253 at bats in 103 games (96 at 1B) in 1973
for the Twins and hit .245/.325/.403 with 11 doubles, 9
homers and 25 RBI. It was the best year of his career. In
1974, he got zero extra base hits in 41 at bats for the
Twins at the start of the season. In early June, his
contract was sold to the Cleveland Indians and spent the
rest of that season and parts of two more with that team. He
got into 9 games with Seattle in 1970 and that was it.
Erik Lis was the Twins 9th round pick
this June out of the University of Evansville. He was one of
the 1B to play for the Appalachian League champions in
Elizabethton. In 49 games, he hit .315/.356/.577 with 12
doubles, 10 homers and 41 RBI. He is another one of the
Twins quality 1B prospects. It will be interesting to see
what he does next year at Beloit. At that point, we'll have
a better idea of the level of prospect he will be.
From Beth:
Do you expect
anything different from Guerrier next year--what do you think
his role will be? Or will he be traded?
SethSpeaks:
Well, that is a good question. Personally, I
thought that Guerrier was excellent last year in his role.
Many thought he should have changed roles, but there was no
reason to do that at that time. As a matter of fact, I
thought that should be the case for 2006 too. However,
seeing how good and how dominant he has been while pitching
in Venezuela, my thoughts have changed, but only slightly. I
think that he and Willie Eyre will compete with Francisco
Liriano for that 5th starting spot with the Twins. Eyre is
also dominating Venezuela this winter, as a starter after a
remarkable 2005 with Rochester. He is 5-0 with a 1.10 ERA
there. Both of these guys are beyond 'prospect' age and
could fill that roster spot temporarily, really holding it
down for a few weeks before Liriano is deemed ready.
I think that Guerrier will be given
that chance, and I think that he deserves it. If he does not
win that job, he absolutely deserves to re-take his role in
the Twins bullpen. Sure, he would still be behind Joe
Nathan, Juan Rincon and Jesse Crain in the pecking order,
but when those guys need a day off, Guerrier can be put into
more difficult roles and still be a possible innings eater,
along with Eyre. I was very impressed with Guerrier last
year as opposed to his few starts for the team in 2004. He
was hitting 92 with his fastball and had a sharp curveball.
As those pitches improve, so will Guerrier. I would not
trade him just to trade him.
From Beth:
Who do you think
is the most underrated Twin?
Who do you think is the most overrated Twin?
SethSpeaks:
Underrated by who? By the manager or GM? I have
to say Michael Cuddyer. They just don't seem to like him at
all, and I can not for the life of me figure out why. Also,
I thought that Gardy underrated what Luis Rodriguez was able
to do. He put together good at bats. His strikeout to walk
ratio is always excellent. His defense was solid at all
three infield positions. He was a far better option than
Nick Punto yet he would go a week in between games, or at
least at bats.
From Matt D:
Why do the Twins jerk Michael Cuddyer around
so much? After a rough first month or two, Cuddyer played very
well at 3rd base and became arguably the Twins most consistent
hitter (not saying much, I know). However, the Strib was
littered with quotes from Newman, Ullger, Gardy, or whoever,
that pretty much implied that "last night's loss was Cuddyer's
fault" numerous times. Then Terry Ryan would say ridiculous
things on his radio show, like how it seems like Cuddyer doesn't
hit well when he's playing 3rd base...he hits better when he
plays RF...etc etc etc. What's the deal?
SethSpeaks:
I think if we learned one thing about the Twins
this year... if anything went bad, it was Cuddyer's fault!
Seriously! He seemed to be the scapegoat for everything!
Well, he, Lew Ford, Justin Morneau and Jason Bartlett too.
It just seems to me that Gardy is going out of his way to be
like Tom Kelly in his approach with young players. In other
words, excessively (and I would argue unfairly) harsh. Even
Joe Mauer was the recipient of such criticism. I mean, I can
remember on at least three occasions Gardy saying that this
team somehow missed Henry Blanco, which was a joke!
But no one was criticized more than
Cuddyer. Yes, he got off to a bad start, but after April his
OPS was the best on the team, just ahead of Joe Mauer.
Defensively, he struggled in the first half with 13 errors.
He made some bad plays, no one is denying that. However,
with his arm and his range, he was getting to more balls
than Corey Koskie ever did and able to still make strong
throws.
Maybe it would be best to post just my
short answer to your initial question... I HAVE NO IDEA!
From Matt D:
Why does Shannon Stewart get a free pass for
terrible play from fans, coaches, management, and media?
SethSpeaks:
This is equally perplexing to me. Shannon Stewart
was not good at all. He was not the professional hitter that
he had been in previous years. His batting average was not
good. He showed no speed. Late in the season, I did an
analysis that showed that he was the league's worst leadoff
hitter. And his porous defense was a constant. Yet, you're
right. Gardy never said a negative word about Stewart, and
if anyone else tried to say something negative about him, he
would blame his injuries.
But it was not just Stewart that got a
free pass. Torii Hunter had three or four weeks where he led
the team's offense. Bert Blyleven continued to call him a
"streak-type hitter" but he had not had a good streak in
about two years. The rest of the season (when he was
healthy) was terrible offensively as ever. And even on
defense, where his skills have given him the reputation
needed to win a Gold Glove even in a season in which he
missed over 60 games, he was not performing nearly as well
as we were accustomed to. Jacque Jones hit under .250 and
again struggled mightily against lefties. His defense was
inconsistent and his throwing arm was, well, I don't even
know what to call it when one throw would hit the turf 25
feet from him and the next would soar well over its intended
target. Each also made a lot of the same mental errors in
the field and on the base paths that caused the wrath of
their manager. Yet these three were all above such
criticism, at least in the media, from their manager.
It has to be the term "veteran" that
gets them such a pass?! I really don't know. I don't think
that it is right at all!
From James Mathewson:
Most of the discussion on
Minor League Ball
and TwinkieTown centers on whom the Twins could send to convince
the Rangers to part with Hank Blalock. I thought Lohse and
Romero would be enough, but many people say it won't be. We
would need to part with Carlos Silva, for example. Is Blalock
worth a pitcher in Silva's class, even with Blalock's home/road
splits?
SethSpeaks:
I have been down on the Twins acquiring Blalock
all offseason, but I have been wrong, in a way. At first, I
was wrong because I thought there was no way that the
Rangers would trade Blalock. He just turned 26 and was an
All-Star in two of his three full seasons. In those past
three years, he has averaged 35 doubles, 29 homers and 97
RBI. He is also a very good fielder. The Rangers also were
smart in locking him up to a reasonable contract through his
arbitration years. Why would they trade him? And then
earlier this week suddenly, his name was in rumors.
I also noticed that against righties
Blalock would hit 2nd, but against lefties, he would hit 6th
or 7th. My assumption was that his lefty-righty splits must
be poor. I was right about that. In 2005, he hit
.291/.354/.464 against righties, but just .196/.228/.356
against lefties.
But, if you read
Aaron's column on
Tuesday, there was another disconcerting stat split of
Blalock's. His home versus road numbers showed that he hit
great in the hitter-friendly Ballpark in Arlington, but hit
"like Juan Castro" away from there. I would add that he hit
that poorly even with support in his lineup from Michael
Young, Alfonso Soriano and the great Mark Teixeira.
It makes acquiring him and assuming he
will play at an All-Star level a little scary. So, to get to
your question... I would trade Lohse and Romero to acquire
Hank Blalock, but would prefer to give them to Boston for
either Mike Lowell and cash or Kevin Youklis. I have no
problem trading Romero because he is a head case who needs
to go. Fact is, the Twins have needs on offense and have
cheap options for pitching, so the money which Lohse (and
his agent Scott Boras) would get through arbitration should
be better used. So yes, he should be traded as well.
Now, Silva is an interesting question
in its own right, and I thought I would spend some time on
it. What he did in 2005 was amazing, especially considering
his knee/meniscus injury that he pitched through all year.
His ERA, BB/9, BB/K, WHIP, and other numbers were great. I
know he didn't get many Wins, but GMs have to be smarter
than sports writers and know that Wins don't tell you how
well someone pitched.
However, there has to be some concern
by some about Silva. In his two years as a starter for the
Twins, his K/9 rates have been 3.37 and 3.39. Opponents hit
.310 off him in 2004 and .290 last year. Now, last offseason,
I was one of very few who was actually excited about what
Silva could do in his second full year as a starter. This
offseason, I am questioning whether it might be a great time
to trade him. His value may never be higher, and I think
that the Twins could get a lot for him. I would want more
than Blalock for him.
From Dewey Moede:
I sent you
the story of the Marlins who are dumping players
because of the stadium issue in Florida. The same will happen to
the Twins if there is not stadium vote this year. Time is
running out and Twins fans must let their voices be heard by
calling the Gov. office! (or so called Gov!)
SethSpeaks:
There isn't really a question here, but I think
that this article is very interesting and you should take a
few minutes to read it. I don't think that the Twins are in
any imminent danger. I think that the Marlins should move
first, probably heading to Las Vegas. Yes, Vegas would now
be considered a 'small market' but with its growth in the
last two decades as well as projections for continued
growth, it would be a viable community.
I also don't believe that Major League
Baseball wants the Twins to leave Minneapolis. The Twins
Cities population ranks in the mid-teens in terms of
audience. However, I continue to say that the Twins need a
new stadium in order to be able to compete for dollars. They
now receive little of their game fare (no $ for parking,
concessions or even box seats). I also don't think that
these people realize the economic impact that losing the
Twins could have on Minneapolis. Think about it. On 81 days
a year, between 15,000 and 35,000 people go to a Twins game.
They spend money at the Dome as well as sometimes in the
surrounding area. That is a lot of lost revenue for these
businesses. Also, think about the jobs that would be lost.
In one of the most recent proposals,
the Twins were going to pay for a huge percentage of a new
stadium. Tax payers in Hennepin County would have paid an
additional 3 cents on every $20 spent that would have gone
to the stadium. That is (literally) pennies! How this bill
did not pass, or even get a vote, is beyond me. I am
becoming increasingly frustrated (and almost lethargic) when
it comes to this topic. I am starting to wonder if the team
will ever get a new stadium. And, if they don't, I know who
I'll blame. If you are a Twins fan and want the team to
stay, check with your local representatives and find out
what their thought is on a new Twins stadium. Let them know
that it means a lot to you that this happens, and although
it should not be the only key issue in your voting decision,
let them know that their thoughts on this topic will impact
your vote in some way.
From Nick Herling:
Do you think the Vikings would’ve
had a chance to get to the Super Bowl if Culpepper was still
there? I know what your answer is going to be (NO), but I just
feel like they’re starting to gel as a team, and if Pepper was
there and they got into the playoffs playing well I believe they
would’ve had a chance. They do have the talent, or would’ve
with the Pepper man. BJ is ok, but I hate people saying they’re
better with him. That’s just ridiculous!
SethSpeaks:
Ah, a football question to break up things a
little bit. No, I don't think that the Vikings are a Super
Bowl team, even if Daunte was healthy. I did at the
beginning of the season but the slow start has certainly
curbed my enthusiasm. So many people want to praise Brad
Johnson for the team's three game win streak that brings
them to 5-5. I am a Brad Johnson fan. I think he can be very
good. But to think that he has had much to do with the
team's success the last three games is ridiculous. Really,
until the 2nd half of Monday night's win against the
Packers, the offense, led by Johnson, had done very little
to help at all. The Giants game was won because the team got
a defensive touchdown, a punt return TD and a kickoff return
TD. The offense had less than 150 total yards and only the
field goal at the end of the game. Brad Johnson had minimal
effect on that game. He also did very little the week before
in the team's win against the Lions.
There has been one common denominator
in the three Vikings wins; stellar play by the defense. That
is what the difference is. That is the sole reason for the
team's success. Yes, the offense moved the ball well in the
second half against the Packers, but let's not forget that
Mewelde Moore literally carried the load in that, at one
point running the ball on nine straight plays.
Culpepper is certainly not without his
faults. But some call him 'too dumb'. Were these same people
calling him 'too dumb' a year ago when he led the league in
passing and had single digits in interceptions? And you can
say that Randy Moss was there. Well, Moss missed most of six
games and Daunte was still great! If those people were still
saying such things, well, there must be some other reason.
One argument that I could, possibly,
maybe accept is this though... It is possible that once
Daunte was injured and out for the year, the rest of the
time started taking it upon themselves and stepped up,
Johnson included. In other words, I think that expectations
for Daunte were not only high by the media and fans, but
also by his teammates. With Brad Johnson at QB, the rest of
the team knows that they will get little from the offense
and that is why the defense has stepped up. If that is the
case, that shows a severe lack of professionalism by the
defense, but it would explain much!
That said, there is not a dominant team
in the NFC. Seattle and Dallas are good teams. The Bears
defense is remarkable. However, if the Vikings can find a
way to keep winning and get into the playoffs, they can take
their chances with any of the NFC teams for the right to
play the AFC champion and get crushed in the Super Bowl.
From Andy Haider:
According to your "free
agent watch", the only players that you would be
interested in signing are the following:
Bernie Williams for less than
$2 million / 1 year
Nomar Garciaparra for a $3
million + incentives / 1 year
Sammy Sosa $1 million minor
league
Bill Mueller $9 million / 2
years
Mike Piazza $2 million / 1 year
Was this a fair assessment?
SethSpeaks:
I still feel pretty good about those numbers. I
was just saying that is the range in which I myself would
try to sign these guys, not necessarily the type of deal
that they will likely receive. A couple of weeks later, I
may be willing to go up a little for Nomar to play 3B here,
but not a lot. I probably wouldn't go much higher on Piazza,
although my guess is that he will go for somewhere between
$5 and $7 million. Also, all five of these guys are either
Type A or Type B free agents, so if the Twins signed one of
them, they would lose a draft choice. Of course, if they
offer arbitration to Jacque Jones and he leaves, they would
receive a 1st round pick for him to even it out again.
From Nick Herling:
Of all the free agents out there,
who do you believe is the best fit for the Twins?
SethSpeaks:
My opinion changes on this so frequently. But as
of today, I think that the best for the Twins free agents
would be: 1.) Nomar Garciaparra, 3B, 2.) Bill Mueller, 3B,
3.) Frank Thomas, DH. However, when we continue to read of
players who could be had via a trade, those names become
interesting and I am sure that by next week, my opinion will
be new again. I really, really do not like Frank Thomas, so
his appearance as a top 3 tells you how poor I think this
free agent class is.
From Andy Haider:
Now assume that we do not trade any
existing major league talent. In my opinion, the only player on
your list that we might get for that price is Mueller. This
would still leave holes still at 2B, SS, and RF. I am all for
giving Bartlett another shot. I would like to see Cuddyer at
2B, although I am thinking that Gardy only wants him to play RF. Perhaps Kubel can start running again well enough to play the
outfield at some point 'early' in the season. This leaves the
following question ... how likely is it that we will win the
division next year with marginal improvement in the line-up (ie.
hope people revert to 'Expected' levels)??? A better year from Morneau and Stewart, and hopefully only below average production
from two of the following positions: 2B, SS, 3B, RF may get it
done with our pitching. I am probably more sold on this
approach than most, but do you think this can really get it
done?
SethSpeaks:
The Twins will be able to compete with anyone
just because of their pitching. I agree that the team does
not need to do anything drastic to become a legit division
contender, of course, assuming as you said, better years
from Morneau and Stewart and even Bartlett and guys to fill
in in the positions you mentioned. Yes, I think that they
can contend for awhile with their same roster (minus Jones,
plus a 3B free agent). If they are able to add a couple of
semi-significant bats, their odds obviously improve, but we
have to remember that we are now competing with the
Cleveland Indians and the Chicago White Sox. Both teams will
be very good. But again, with the Twins pitching, they will
always have a chance.
One more From Andy
Haider:
If not, we are forced into
trades. I would love to get rid of Hunter at his salary. Let's assume for our hypothesis that this is not possible. I think resigning Jacque Jones for one more painful year is
not out of the question (especially if we keep Hunter).
What do you think it would take
to liberate Adam Dunn from the Cincinnati Reds? How many of
those prized Single A pitching prospects must we give up? I
would hate to give up on any of them. Atlanta has
consistently won because of their pitching. When Radke
retires, Santana / Liriano become too expensive to maintain
as a percentage of overall budget ... we will absolutely
need to plug in from our minor leagues. We will never
compete with free agency offers on pitching. I don't want
to trade the next Liriano to get an AJ. It seems to me that
Terry Ryan is desperate to give some of these pitchers away
for some hitting in return. That scares me more than most.
SethSpeaks:
It would take a LOT to get Adam Dunn, as it
should. I am sure that they would first ask for Francisco
Liriano, and the Twins would of course say NO. They would
then ask for Scott Baker, and I know I would still say no,
although it would be a fair deal (the Twins would have to
add another midlevel prospect or two). As powerful as Dunn
is, I am not terribly excited to see him in a Twins uniform.
I like Adam Dunn. I appreciate his
willingness to take pitches and not go outside the strike
zone. My question would be: Who would pitch to him with the
Twins lineup? I think that he could come close to breaking
Barry Bonds walk records if he played for the Twins. I don't
think he would get 40 homers for the Twins. I personally
believe that he takes too many pitches at times and would
like to see him more aggressive.
So, as good as he is, or can be, I
don't know how much he would help the Twins lineup now, so I
would be hesitant to give up too much for him. Like with
Blalock, I would probably offer Lohse and Romero, or maybe
Lohse and Durbin or Bonser and see if they'll bite. I am
sure they wouldn't.
I agree. The Twins pitching has been
great. Santana will be around at least three more years.
Liriano and Baker should be around the next six years. But
Brad Radke is contemplating retirement after the season.
Carlos Silva's contract is up after this year. The Twins
will have to count on at least one more minor league guy in
2006, and I know there are plenty of options at AAA and AA
who should be ready, but depth is good, so I just don't want
the Twins to give up too much in any deal.
From Beth Miller:
Which of the
Twins prospects could be traded with the least negative impact
to the Twins?
SethSpeaks:
The depth right now is in pitching, both starting
and relieving. I would never trade Francisco Liriano. It
would take a blockbuster deal for me to trade Scott Baker,
Glen Perkins, Jose Mijares, Anthony Swarzak or Jay Rainville.
Other starting pitchers could probably be available in the
right deal just because they could be replaced by another
pitching prospect. The organization is loaded and would
adjust to losing one or two pitchers.
From Beth Miller:
If the Twins
don't make any trades this off-season, how do you think next
season will pan out? What would your line-up look like? What's
your ideal Twins starting rotation for next year?
SethSpeaks:
Interesting question, and of course much depends
on the health of Jason Kubel. But, again, I still think
that the Twins could compete because of their pitching. So,
let me answer that last question right away because it is easy.
My ideal starting rotation would be
Radke, Santana, Silva, Baker, Liriano.
My ideal lineup would be: Lew Ford (RF),
Shannon Stewart (LF), Joe Mauer (C), Torii Hunter (CF),
Justin Morneau (1B), Michael Cuddyer (3B), Jason Kubel (DH),
Luis Rodriguez (2B), Jason Bartlett (SS)
That is tough and shows that they do
need a bat or two. I was very impressed with L-Rod, and with
Bartlett's quality at bats. I think Cuddyer was fine at 3B
offensively and defensively. Ford is their best on-base guy,
aside from their best hitter Joe Mauer. Hunter splits up the
lefty and can provide some power. If Kubel is healthy, he
should be in the big leagues. He, Stewart and Ford could
alternate positions (LF/RH/DH). If Kubel is not quite ready, a guy like
Kevin West or Dan Matienzo, or more likely Alex Romero could
take that spot in the lineup.
Now, if you happened to see
my site on
Tuesday, I proposed a three-team trade with Twins, Yankees
and Marlins in which the Twins lost Torii Hunter, Boof
Bonser and Juan Castro and acquired Juan Pierre and Robinson
Cano. If that deal could happen, I'd love to see a lineup
of:
Juan Pierre (CF), Shannon Stewart (LF),
Joe Mauer (C), Michael Cuddyer (3B), Justin Morneau (1B),
Robinson Cano (2B), Lew Ford (RF), Jason Kubel (DH), Jason
Bartlett (SS).
Clearly that lineup would need a power
right-handed bat in the middle (I may be the only
person who still believes Cuddyer can be). But I love the
on-base skills of the top five hitters, and well, all but
Cano.
From James Mathewson:
Now that the Red Sox have both Lowell and
Youkilis, the Red Sox are rumored to be moving Youkiis to first
base. But I heard the Sox will land a big first baseman to
replace Millar, which means Youkilis will likely be available.
What would it take for us to get him? Boston needs bullpen arms.
Who would you part with to get Youkilis to play third?
SethSpeaks:
Again, I am not saying that I'm a huge fan of
Kevin Youklis, the Greek god of Walks. However, one of the
Twins biggest problems in 2005 was putting together quality,
professional at bats. Really, Joe Mauer, Lew Ford and Jason
Bartlett were about the only ones who did it last year. Kevin Youklis
has quality at bats. His numbers won't overwhelm, except for
his Isolated Discipline. Therefore, I would not break the
bank and give up terribly much for him. Baker and Liriano
would of course be out of the picture. Again, I would
probably trade Lohse or Romero for him, but likely not both.
My guess is that the Red Sox do have
the ability to move Youklis to 1B and could be just fine if
they did that. I think that they will try to make a killing
on a trade for Lowell or Youklis , and I hope the Twins
wouldn't play into that too much.
From Nick Herling:
This is the hardest question. What
is your all-time favorite movie? Mine is The Big Lebowski! I
absolutely love that movie! It’s the dude, and he abides!
SethSpeaks:
There are so many. I don't know if I have a
favorite. My favorite baseball movie is Bull Durham,
with Major League and Field of Dreams close behind. I love
comedies and rank The Jerk, Class Act, Van Wilder, Jay &
Silent Bob Strike Back and anything Adam Sandler is in right
up there. I also am more and more getting into thinking
movies. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind was a great
example.
From Beth Miller:
Given an infinite
amount of money to sign/trade for any one player (but the only
deal that could be made), who would you take?
SethSpeaks:
Infinite money, huh? What a wonderful concept!!
For that money, I want the best player in baseball. That is
Alex Rodriguez. I know, I hate to admit that. He deserves
the most money right now (subject to the health of Barry
Bonds who I would pick if it was a one-year deal). If I
needed to sign a guy for the next five years, I would likely
pick Miguel Cabrera. Top pitcher for one year or for five
years, for me, would be none other than that Twins Johan
Santana.
From Nathan
Pietruszewski:
Ok, most importantly,
what is the TWolves identity going to be this year? New coach
Casey stresses D, but I get the feeling this team likes to run
and that Casey is ok with that.
SethSpeaks:
I agree with you. I think that they want to run
and find ways to score easy baskets when possible. They
certainly don't seem to be real strong or consistent yet
this year with their half-court sets. That should come with
time, it is new to everyone. Defense is where they really
worked, and I think we've all seen that defense is what wins
in the NBA with the Spurs and Pistons the past few seasons.
The
identity of the Wolves is KG though. No question. As KG
goes, so goes the team. He sets the tone with his hard work
on both sides of the court. His unselfishness seems to rub
off on most of the players.
From Nathan
Pietruszewski:
I think the Wolves
are a bunch of good athletes, who just don’t quite fit together
yet. Your thoughts?
SethSpeaks:
KG is a great athlete. Other than he and probably
Rashad McCants, I don't know that many others fit as good
"athletes." I mean, of course they're great athletes. Every
NBA player is a great athlete. But for "great athlete" in
the NBA, I think vintage Vince Carter or someone like
Desmond Mason, and I don't think that the Wolves have those
types of athletes on their roster.
This
roster is not a fit yet, I don't know. There are the
offensive guys (Szczerbiak, Hudson, Frahm, McCants) and
there are the defensive guys (Hassell) , and KG is really
the only bridge in between. Griffin is good defensively but
likes to shoot from outside. Jaric is good on both ends, but
I still think he can be great, or at least better, on the
offensive side. What needs to happen is for a group of these
guys to figure out how they best can play together, and that
understandably does take much time. How much time determines
how much of a whole the team is in.
From Nathan
Pietruszewski:
CandyMan, is he for
real this year? Is he playing so well right now because he’s in
a contract year, or is it because his knees are finally healthy?
SethSpeaks:
I guess you could say that it is a little of all
three. I do think that he has the athleticism for a big man
to be a very solid NBA player. He'll never play well enough
to warrant his #1 selection, but he can be better than
average. He does seem to be healthy so far as I don't
believe his knees have given him any problems so far. Now, I
can't help but think that both of these previous statements
are very much related to the fact that it is a contract year
for Kandi. From the Wolves perspective, let's hope that he
keeps playing for a new contract and it helps the team win
more games!
From :
Will/should the
Wolves trade KG to rebuild? There has been a lot of talk about
it, not just on KFAN, but Charles Barkley also said they should
trade KG on TBS. My personal feelings are NO. KG is one of
those rare ball players who gives his all every day no matter
what (he’s played in some 250+ straight games) and he also does
and says all the right things off the court. The team needs to
build around him, which is going to be tough as long as Kevin
McHale is still in charge. He’s had some AWFUL draft picks and
deals.
SethSpeaks:
Kevin McHale is at fault for the team's roster.
No one else. It is unfortunate that one of the top 3 or 4
NBA head coaches lost his job last year because of it.
Hopefully this is the final season of his Wolves tenure.
However, I absolutely do not believe
that the Wolves should even consider trading Garnett. First,
he can not even opt out of his current contract and become a
free agent for over two years. So, there is no reason for
the Wolves to rush into anything.
Secondly, he is the face of the Wolves.
However, he is also a shining face for the entire NBA. Bring
those two last sentences together and there are nothing but
positives.
Third, what are the Wolves going to get
for Garnett? The two rumors we're hearing are: 1.) KG to the
Pistons for Rasheed Wallace and Darko Milicic and 2.) KG to
the Knicks for Penny Hardaway and Antonio Davis. In Deal 1,
the Wolves would get a talented head case and a young,
athletic former #2 overall pick who has averaged about .5
minutes a game over his 2+ year career with the Pistons. In
Deal #2, the Wolves would wind up $20-$25 million under the
salary cap next season because both of those guys' contracts
expire after this season. However, what free agent in his
right mind would want to sign up with the Wolves without
Garnett?
From Nathan
Pietruszewski:
There are also rumors
about StarBury coming back, your thoughts on that one?
SethSpeaks:
I've heard so many on both sides of this, but for
the most part, having Stephon Marbury on a roster is not a
good thing for anything related to "team." He could not
stand being second fiddle to Garnett here, so he asked for a
trade. He went to New Jersey, closer to his home, and they
wanted to rid themselves of him. They sent him to the Suns,
and now he is with the Knicks where he is doing nothing but
complaining. For all of his 20 point, 10 assist games, I
just don't think he is worth the headache.
Of course, I also keep asking myself...
how can such a selfish player continually end up with 7-10
assists a game!? Maybe there would be a way to make it work?
Why
Baseball Articles Needed... With Incentive!!