Monday, March 21, 2005

Twins Notes

Former Twins

NCAA Picks

MORE EXCUSES

Good morning to everyone out there! Well, Friday I said that I would be updating the site throughout the weekend with articles that I read online and other thoughts. Well, starting Friday night, there was something wrong with my cable internet connection. I would have access for five minutes, and then I would lose it for a couple of hours. And then I would have it back for ten minutes and then I would lose it again. VERY frustrating and I can't explain it! So, instead of finding a lot of statistics and analysis today, there will simply be a lot of opinion. I was somehow able to have access long enough to check out the spring training box scores, and a few Twins notes.

If you're at all interested in the Minnesota state high school basketball tournament, be sure to check out BrentNet today. Brent went to the tournament and reports on it. I know I watched two of Braham's games on TV. In my mind, they are the best team in the state, even though they are a AA team in a state with four classes. There is no doubt in my mind that they would win the tournament even if there was just one class. According to USA Today, they are ranked 25th in the country. They have now won 58 straight games. Their closest game this year was an 11 point win. They beat a team from Compton, CA, by 12 points. They won the championship by 24 points over Crookston. They won this year by an average of 41 points. 6-7 junior guard Isaiah Dahlman could go to any college in the country that he wants to and has narrowed his choice to Boston College, Georgia Tech, Illinois, Iowa, Michigan State and Minnesota. He hopes to decide by this fall.

So again, I apologize for the short entry today, but please, e-mail me to just say hi or if you have any questions or comments.

TWINS NOTES

• Friday, the Twins split their squad with games against the Baltimore Orioles in Ft. Lauderdale and against the Reds in Ft. Myers. Against Baltimore, Kyle Lohse pitched to his 2004 standards. He went 4 innings and gave up 5 runs on 10 hits (2 HR). Jesse Crain went two innings. He gave up a run on three hits. JD Durbin's spring troubles continued. He went two innings. In his second frame, he gave up 3 walks and hit two batters. (yes, he was sent down to minor league camp after the game!) Offensively, the Twins were led by Andy Fox, who was 2-3 with a 2B and an RBI. Baltimore won 9-3. The Twins also lost to the Reds, 4-2. Carlos Silva got hit around a little bit too. In 5 innings, he gave up 4 earned runs on eight hits. Juan Rincon and Joe Nathan each pitched a scoreless inning. Eric Munson went 2-4 with an RBI. Torii Hunter also had a double.

• On Saturday, the Twins played the Reds again, and lost again, 4-1. Terry Tiffee went 2-4 with a homer. Lew Ford had an interesting stat line. He was 0-0 with two walks and a hit-by-pitch. Joe Mays was again the story as he went 5 innings without giving up a run. He gave up four hits and a walk while striking out three. Ryan Rowland-Smith got his first action during the actual part of a game. In 2 innings, he gave up a run on a hit and two walks. He did strike out three. Matt Guerrier took the loss by giving up three runs (2 earned) on three hits and a walk.

• Yesterday the Twins played the Tigers on Fox Sports Net. The Twins scored 7 early runs and held on for a 7-5 win. Michael Cuddyer went 3-3 with a homer. Mike Redmond was also 3-3. Joe Mauer was the DH and was 1-3 with a two-run double. Brad Radke looked good at times. In 5 innings, he gave up 4 runs on 8 hits. He didn't walk any, but struck out 5. Marcus Thames got him for 3 hits including two homers off Radke. CJ Nitkowski pitched a perfect inning. Joe Nathan had a curious inning in which he walked three but didn't give up a run. Willie Eyre pitched a scoreless ninth for the Save.

• The Twins wore green uniforms on St. Patrick's Day. Not a good look. At all!

• With Grant Balfour starting the season on the disabled list, there is an opening in the bullpen. I am starting to believe that the Twins may also start the season with Jesse Crain down in Rochester. That isn't to say that he won't be up within a couple of weeks. It would just allow him to get some confidence back after his slow start because of the hamstring injury. In other words, I think there are two bullpen spots available. At this point, my choices for those two spots would be... CJ Nitkowski and Willie Eyre. Both players are not on the 40 man roster, so a couple of guys would need to be dropped from the 40 man roster. Well, Michael Ryan likely will be lost. Maybe it would be possible to work a deal to send Ryan to Seattle for the right to keep Ryan Rowland-Smith and send him to New Britain. The other player dropped could be Corky Miller or Augie Ojeda.

• There is some talk of Scott Baker grabbing one of those spots. And while his performance in spring so far certainly warrants it, I don't think it would be a good thing. To me, Baker is a starting pitcher, and it bothers me when starters are called up and put into the bullpen. Also, Baker is not on the 40 man roster. Willie Eyre is and has been a reliever. His pitching warrants the spot. He has earned it so far.

• JD Durbin was sent down to the minors. I really, really hope that he is able to make the necessary corrections. His stuff and skill is so high and full of potential that you hate to see it become a Gasser or Ankiel situation. I still have confidence that he will get this worked out down in Rochester and will still contribute to the Twins in 2005!

• We're getting closer to getting a decision on what will be done with Michael Restovich. I mentioned last week that I wanted the team to trade him, for anything just because I think he can be very good, and I want to see him get that chance. He won't get that chance with the Twins. Right now, I prefer that the Twins keep Armando Rios as the 5th outfielder and a left-handed pinch hitter. First, I think he's better than Michael Ryan, who will also likely be gone (although he could probably pass through waivers). Rios could take Resto's spot on the 40 man roster.

• With the season opener two weeks away, it is looking more and more like Jason Bartlett will be the Twins opening day shortstop. I think I've been saying that should be the case since about last June, maybe earlier. Nick Punto and Juan Castro are also guaranteed roster spots.

• If that is the case, the Twins have just one spot available on the 25 man roster. That spot would likely go to either Eric Munson or Terry Tiffee. Although Munson certainly has more power potential, Tiffee is clearly the better overall hitter of the two. Tiffee is also a switch hitter. Another thing in Tiffee's favor is that he is on the Twins 40 man roster already, while Munson's inclusion on the roster would mean that someone else from the 40 man would need to be dropped.   

Any thoughts on the Twins? Please e-mail me.  

FORMER TWINS

Former Twins pitcher Tony Fiore was assigned to minor league camp by the Baltimore Orioles. Here are how former Twins did this weekend:

 

Friday

• Todd Walker, CHC, 2B, 1-3, BB

• Henry Blanco, CHC, C, 1-2, 2B, SF, R, 3 RBI

• AJ Pierzynski, CHW, C, 0-3, K

• Denny Hocking, KCR, 3B, 0-0, BB

• Damien Miller, MIL, C, 2-3, 2B, HR, R, RBI

• Rick Helling, MIL, P, 1 2/3 IP, 4 H, 4 ER, 2BB

• Dustan Mohr, COL, RF, 0-3

• Danny Ardoin, COL, C, 0-1

• David McCarty, BOS, LF, 0-2

• Casey Blake, CLE, LF/RF, 1-4, R, RBI

• Todd Jones, FLA, RP, 2 IP, BB, K

• Matt Lawton, PIT, RF, 0-3, BB

• Jose Offerman, PHI, 1B, 1-3, R, RBI

• Greg Myers, TOR, C, 0-2

• Cristian Guzman, WAS, SS, 1-3

• Doug Mientkiewicz, NYM, 1B, 1-2, SF, RBI

• Eric Milton, CIN, SP, 5 IP, 5 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, 1 K

Saturday

• Denny Hocking, KCR, 2B, 0-4, K

• AJ Pierzynski, CHW, C, 1-3, K

• Todd Walker, CHC, 2B, 0-4, E

• Bobby Kielty, OAK, RF, 2-4, HR, R, 5 RBI

• Quinton McCracken, ARI, CF, 0-1, R

• Greg Colbrunn, TEX, 1B, 0-2, K

• Chad Allen, TEX, LF, 0-4

• Damien Miller, MIL, C, 0-3, K

• Pat Borders, MIL, C, 0-1, K

• Henry Blanco, CHC, C, 0-3

• Midre Cummings, BAL, RF, 0-3, R, BB, K

• Chris Gomez, BAL, SS, 2-4, R, 3 RBI

• David McCarty, BOS, LF, 0-2, BB

• David Ortiz, BOS, DH, 0-3, K

• Casey Blake, CLE, LF, 1-2, R, 2 RBI, SF, K

• Sean Douglass, DET, P, 2 IP, 4 H, 2 ER, 0 BB, 1 K

• Jose Offerman, PHI, 1B, 0-3, K

• Cristian Guzman, WAS, SS, 2-3, R, 2 RBI

• Brian Buchanan, TB, 1B, 0-1

• Matt Lawton, PIT, RF, 0-3, K

Sunday

• Dustan Mohr, COL, CF, 1-3, HR, R, RBI, K, E

• Greg Colbrunn, TEX, 3B, 0-1

• Chad Allen, TEX, LF, 1-1

• Chad Moeller, MIL, C, 1-3, K

• Bobby Kielty, OAK, LF, 1-3, HR (off Jason Schmidt), R, 3 RBI, K

• Todd Walker, CHC, 2B, 1-4, K

• LaTroy Hawkins, CHC, RP, 1 IP, H, R, 0 ER, K

• Doug Mientkiewicz, NYM, 1B, 1-3, 2B, R

• Chris Gomez, BAL, SS, 0-2

• Brandon Marsters, BAL, C, 1-1

• Midre Cummings, BAL, SS, 0-2

• James Baldwin, BAL, P, 1 IP, 1 H, 1 ER

• Jose Offerman, PHI, PH, 0-0, BB

• Javier Valentin, CIN, 1B, 0-3

• Cristian Guzman, WAS, SS, 0-3

• Scott Erickson, LAD, SP, 6 IP, 7 H, 4 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 3 K

• Matt Lawton, PIT, RF, 1-2, R

• Jack Cressand, CLE, RP, 1 IP, 1 K

NCAA BRACKET PICKS

Below you will see the picks I made last week. Not so good. But then again, I can't imagine anyone doing real, real well at this point. I used to watch the March Madness games from start to finish. But I honestly didn't watch more than about 15 total minutes of the games this past weekend.

 

There isn't really such a thing as an upset, right? I disagree. Bucknell beating Kansas IS an upset. Georgia Tech and Wake Forest's losses are huge surprises. I had U Conn in the finals, and they're now gone.

 

Lets be honest, the best team doesn't always win this tournament. They rarely do. Every year, commentators discuss why there are so many upsets. You hear reasons like "it's because these guys all play each other every summer and there is a familiarity." Yeah, that's not it. More frequently, you will hear about parity because of so many of the top players from the top programs leave school early to go to the NBA. And maybe there is something to that. To me, all that does is tells me that the NCAA Tournament and NCAA basketball, in general, is watered down. The top teams usually end up being the big named schools that were able to retain the most players for the most years.

 

So, maybe I'm the only person in America who really isn't into this tournament? Or, maybe there are other reasons for it? Maybe it's because there are very few real 'name' players in college basketball? I just don't know. Do you have any thoughts? E-mail me.

 

Chicago Bracket:

Illinois, Texas, Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Boston College, LSU, Utah State, St. Mary's, Oklahoma St.

Illinois, Wisconsin-Milwaukee, LSU, Oklahoma St.

Illinois, Oklahoma St.

Illinois

Albuquerque Bracket:

Washington, Pacific, Georgia Tech, Louisville, Texas Tech, Gonzaga, Creighton, Wake Forest

Washington, Georgia Tech, Texas Tech, Wake Forest

Georgia Tech, Texas Tech

Georgia Tech

Syracuse Bracket:

North Carolina, Minnesota, Villanova, Florida, Wisconsin, Kansas, Charlotte, Connecticut

North Carolina, Florida, Kansas, Connecticut

North Carolina, Connecticut

Connecticut

Austin Bracket:

Duke, Stanford, Michigan St, Syracuse, Utah, Oklahoma, Iowa, Kentucky

Duke, Syracuse, Oklahoma, Kentucky

Duke, Kentucky

Kentucky

FINAL FOUR:

Illinois 64, Connecticut 58

What do you think? E-mail me.

And with that, thank you again very much for stopping by my site. I hope you enjoy what you read, but if you have any questions or comments on anything, please feel free to e-mail me. Have a great week!