You missed Thome's 598th, but that's definitely all you missed.
119 thoughts on “August 5, 2011: Good Morning, Sleepyheads”
Following up on yesterday's discussion of players with the most teammates ever, JoePos tells me that M.S.* retired. There goes my ridiculous HOF plaque with the Twins winning the WS in 2014.
I hope that Thome goes from 599 to 600 quickly, because I don't want to miss it, but also don't want to keep following games like that.
Stat of the Day: Since June 2 the Twins are 34-22 and have outscored their opponents 249-244. So, we're pretty fortunate the Twins aren't 19 or 20 games under .500.
Take that, Pythagoris!
The Twins don't seem to screw around with close losses very often, I'll give them that.
Not lately. In April and May, they screwed around with every kind of loss imaginable.
Yeah, I try not to think about those months, as a rule.
Question of the Day: How long until the Twins send Nishioka to the minors, if at all? And, how long will it be before admitting it was a mistake and just letting Nishi go, if at all?
Never and not until middle of next year.
I hope they send him to the minors first, to at least give him a chance to get accustomed to the new country and everything before cutting ties. I don't think he's going to be a star over here, but I still hope that he could be at least league average.
I agree with this. I don't have a problem with the move to get Nishioka, but I do have a problem that their backup plan was basically Casilla or Tolbert. If only they had an above average shortstop who could hit and had good range who could play short while Nishi sorts himself out. If only.
Dick and Bert occasionally reference Hardy, and say "Well, it didn't work out for him here, but it's nice to see him get that extension in Baltimore..."
...how did it not work out for him here? How was he not the answer at shortstop?
he had a grating personality.
Dick 'n Bert never said he wasn't the answer at shortstop. And they didn't say it didn't work out for the Twins, only that it didn't work out for him. I don't see anything in their statement that doesn't agree with what we've been saying, just that they're saying it in a manner cloaked in company line.
How was he not the answer at shortstop?
He didn't run fast enough.
Hardy has been hitting well, but his defensive metrics have been declining over the last several years. He's no longer an above-average defensive shortstop and will most likely be below average in the next couple years. He certainly would have been better than what the Twins have gotten this year at shortstop overall but I don't think he would have been a good long-term answer at shortstop.
I think given the nearly annual turnover of the Twins' middle infield, the lack of better options in the minor leagues, and the scarcity of good shortstops available on the free agent market it would have been prudent to try to keep him around for this year and the next couple. I don't think he'd be a top 5 shortstop for that whole contract, but I mean, I'm getting pretty tired of seeing Matt Tolbert and Nishioka over there.
Only the Twins would use that as rationale to sign a younger shortstop who is already below average in the field and has the potential (at best) to be average with the bat.
That's more of a problem with the scouting than the rationale.
can they send him to the minors without exposing him to the waiver wire? I guess Im not sure about that for foreign players
Well, me and the family are off to visit my sister's family in Des Moines. The 4-hour car ride is not something I'm looking forward to right now.
I did thirty hours over two days a month ago. You've got this.
If you want tickets to the I-Cubs game tonight, let me know. I have a bunch I need to use.
I mentioned the tickets to my sister, and she throws out "they (the I-Cubs) suck." I'm tempted anyhow, but there's 10 of us. Do you know who they're playing?
They're playing Fresno. And they are kinda bad. And it's raining still. But every Friday is fireworks. I don't think I'm going anymore, but I can get you tickets if you need them.
The Yakima Bears were pretty terrible outside of CarGo, Mark Reynolds and a handful of relief pitchers while I was there, but it was always a fun atmosphere, whether I was the mascot that night or just slinging beer.
Yeah, it's been raining pretty much since about an hour after we got here. If the kids were more excited about it, I'd be all over it, but with six kids eight years old or younger, it would probably be more trouble than it's worth. Fireworks would've been cool, though. Thanks for the offer, MagUidhir!
No worries. Anytime you're in Des Moines, let me know.
I'll be doing a 12-hour drive to Tulsa on Sunday. Fun times.
Twayn, will this be your Last Trip to Tulsa?
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GXBYrp6Uzas
Not likely, too much family down there. We're setting our watches for Tulsa Time.
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iDmaolgc5Rg
So it's "24 Hours [to and] From Tulsa"?
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hkYRPumSU_8
I did 19 hours in one 21-hour period to go from northwestern Washington to SoCal.
Adam and I drove 23 hours straight from Des Moines to Phoenix. When we did it the second time we had the good sense to bring a 3rd person.
I did the 19 hours solo. Lots of caffeine and singing and bopping to music.
I did a two-day, 28-hour drive (Yakima to Blue Earth) solo. For me, it was all about books on tape. That kept me going.
My body tried so hard to shut me down for the night. "Stop at this motel. It's only two hours behind schedule. What's the difference?"
I'm doing a four-hour trip today, too, to visit my parents and my brother who's visiting from Virginia.
We're driving to Akron for a wedding next week. After spending time the previous two summers in Seattle and Denver, this is a bit of a letdown.
I put about a thousand miles on the rental car last week, what with the trips back and forth to Spamtown, and back and forth to my parents' cabin. But no more than ~5 hours in any one day. I am too old for spending a zillion hours straight in a car.
Was down in Albert Lea last weekend for in-laws anniversary celeb. Got in some upper 90F golf - quite humid and very fast, dry greens.
Matthew Wade Stairs will not go to the Hall of Fame. But he should definitely have a beer named for him.
I can get behind that. CT, get on it.
I'll review video of Stairs and try to formulate something accordingly.
Professional Hitter Pale Ale.
I'm thinking it should probably be something robust, yet one-dimensional.
Something extremely malty with hints of maple?
I was thinking more something that's really hoppy and packs a punch.
Stone IPA is really hoppy, one-dimensional and needs a better name. There it is.
I know one of the brewers at Stone. I thought the Pale Ale was better than most, though I am less impressed with the Leviathan Ale.
I know one of the brewers at Stone.
Rob needs to organize a West Coast caucus.
Stone's Vertical Epic series has been fantastic, and I am a fan of the Imperial Russian Stout and the Smoked Porter.
And Stone no longer likes Wisconsin, so they are unavailable here. We are a tough nut to crack.
aren't all non-millercoors products banned in wisconsin?
Huh, I thought a Stairs-themed beer would be a stout of some sort, but that's more wordplay than beer style.
I'm looking for volunteers to cover tonight's game recap and next Friday's game recap. We're heading out on vacation Sunday. I have to do laundry, mow the lawn front and back, get the van serviced, pay all the bills, etc., etc., etc., so I probably won't be watching tonight's game. I'm going to really need this vacation after doing everything that has to be done to go on vacation.
I can cover tonight's recap.
Thanks, bro.
*notices bS googling for images under "steaming pile" search*
I don't have access to MLB radio at home for the moment (until we purchase a new computer), so my re-cap will be driven by the game log.
No pressure or anything.
I'd keep an eye on Gameday, or there's liable to be a huge subtrefuge campaign to be wielded in the game logs.
subtrefuge campaign
You mean like Blackbrun and Dumatairt pitching a combined shutoutno-hitter ten-hitter? bS wouldn't possibly buy something that impossible, would he?
I see you also notice the aftereffects of using IE on the work laptop during the day, with it's lack of spell checking.
10 hits would be a bit unbelievable, but if Capps were also to pitch, the box score might look like this unbelievable one
Four blown saves for one team! Thirteen pitchers across both teams with a negative WPA!
Twayn, I can grab next Friday. Enjoy your vacation.
Thank you, sir. You are a gentleman and a scholar, and there are not many of us left.
I'm going to really need this vacation after doing everything that has to be done to go on vacation.
So very true. Sometimes I wonder if it'd just be easier to half-ass everything at work for a week, sleep in and leave early, skip meetings, and take a half-week of vacation because I'm mailing it in.
They're excessive, but I think they were to be expected given the fact that he's a Twins lifer.
nor do I think it would be unprecedented given his service time and career numbers. I can see Cuddy mashing lefties for a few years yet.
That said, if some team is willing to give us some good prospects...
Cuddyer's camp looks at it as a pay cut. He's at a career-high 138 OPS+ and he's on pace for a career-high 4.0 rWAR. Plus, he had his first AS appearance and the Twins gush over his intangibles. I wouldn't take that offer.
Oh, I know where it comes from...I just don't think he should be expected to replicate that at his advancing age.
All things considered, those numbers wouldn't bug me that much, until he proves I should be bugged.
As a defensively challenged outfielder with a career 112 OPS+ going into his age 33 season, Cuddyer isn't going to likely be more valuable to many other teams than he is to the Twins once you factor in his persona and fan following. It might be a pay cut, but he's not exactly the kind of guy who has ever featured young player skills as the driving component of his game. Any team who signs him to a contract longer than three years at a rate Cuddyer's camp thinks he's worth is going to be paying handsomely for a bench player by the end of it, I'll bet.
I highly doubt anyone will offer him more than three years and more likely two with an option. I was referring more to the yearly dollars. His versatility would make him extremely valuable, even in a bench role, for a contending team. Benches continue to shrink with bullpens expanding, so players that can fill in at many positions are more valuable. Until rosters expand, which probably won't be too far along, I think you'll see less and less DH-only players since they cannot give another player a day off from playing the field. And I wasn't really saying the Twins should offer him more, I'm just saying from Cuddyer's perspective that was not a great offer.
Thing is, as he ages, his versatility is likely to become far less versatile. There are plenty of players capable of filling in at OF/1b/DH for less than Cuddyer's apparently demanding, and there's certainly no guarantee Cuddyer continues to produce at the level he has this season, or even that he remains playable in the outfield.
In fact, his production this season is highly anomalous. From 2005-2010, what one can consider his prime seasons (ages 26-31), Cuddyer averaged 1.6 rWAR/season. In a post-Gary Matthews, Jr. baseball world Cuddyer is far more likely to get offers based on that level of expected production that his is on what he does this season. Cuddyer might think differently, but any team that pays him much more than what the Twins just offered him is very likely throwing their money away.
Some team might decide Cuddyer's worth the risk because his career averages have been brought down by some unhealthy seasons, and of course they will magically keep him healthy and productive. I wish that team good luck.
and of course they will magically keep him healthy and productive
cle-ver
Yeah, he's getting a pay cut from any team that signs him*. Might as well stick with a team that he likes and that likes him.
*I don't know, weirder things happen.
I would like to see the Twins do an Aggy deal where they trade Cuddyer and then re-sign him in the offseason. The biggest problem there is losing a draft pick if he is a Type A. Maybe part of a deal would include Cuddyer not being offered arbitration.
I'd like them to re-sign Cuddyer for about $5-6 million per year, primarily to DH. Two years tops with an option for a 3rd year. He's a great clubhouse guy and he'll probably be an announcer for the team some day, but the Twins really shouldn't spend much more than that with an aging corner outfielder. It strikes me as the type of move which would lead Smith to trade a player who they "can't afford" to re-sign Cuddyer.
Relatively light TJ archives on this date:
-In 2009, he described Percy Harvin and wrote, "To find a guy in more positions, you'd have to consult the Kama Sutra." Later, he wrote, "Harvin will have a chance to be a part of more strange formations than the rocks at Stonehenge."
-4 years ago, we found out that Michael Cuddyer is "the most likeable high-profile athlete in the Twin Cities"
Kama Sutra jokes? Ugh.
Funny enough, rather than consulting the Kama Sutra, you could probably consult the Twins and look under "C"
or "[redacted]"
I think 75% of what I dislike about his writing is his strained metaphors.
We're a little worried here about news that someone we know being reported missing. Mrs. Runner and I are casual friends with their family, and Runner daughter graduated with and goes to college with their son.
With some of his personal effects missing it would at least seem like there's no foul play at work, but I hope he turns up safely.
All I heard was "golf clubs" but yeah, who knows?
Satisfied the needs of a varied customer base in a timely and coitus manner.
Someone actually was suggesting this to put on a resume for someone that worked at a restaurant in an article I edited. Was this restaurant in the red-light district?
She must have received a lot of tips.
I would guess that at some point she also got the shaft.
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HQZi7tmWhR4
Actually, the author was a male.
D'oh!
Apparently youngest bro and family are attending tonight's game; he sent a photo of the long line outside the stadium. And he's told me that one of the Hrbek/Gant bobbleheads has my name on it! What a guy. With raucous full house tonight, I hope Thome hits a couple out.
I'm a little disappointed I'm not going to get a Bobblehead tonight. I only have three* in my ridiculous collection, and a Hrbek/Gant one would fit in perfectly. Plus, I was at that game.
*Bill James, Jesse Ventura, and a talking Chuck Thompson. Seriously.
I have Al Newman and Razor Shines.
That is some liiiiiiight hitting.
I have no bobbleheads; cards in three ring binders are easier to dust around. Still, I'm not going to say no.
Puckett, Torii, Koskie, and somehow, Ichiro. I don't like bobbleheads usually, but people give them to me anyway. However, I do want the Hrbek/Gant one.
Jesse Ventura and the Panda are my only two. My brother owns one of Gov'nor Schwarzenegger with an Uzi, courtesy of me.
Jesse Ventura and Matt Lawton here.
Ichiro, Ken Griffey, Jr., and Goldy Gopher here. The only thing I have to say for myself is I've never stood in line for one.
Oh man, I'd love a Junior bobblehead.
They made a Junior Ortiz bobblehead?! o_O
Don't call me junior!
G-Man and _elm_n here, both given to me. If I were into bobbleheads at all I'd be much more inclined to politician bobbleheads than athletes.
Span sitting after the long travel and Mauer at first base, meaning Buehrle gets to face this lineup:
1. Ben Revere, CF
2. Matt Tolbert, 2B
3. Joe Mauer, 1B
4. Michael Cuddyer, RF
5. Jason Kubel, DH
6. Danny Valencia, 3B
7. Delmon Young, LF
8. Tsuyoshi Nishioka, SS
9. Drew Butera, C
Great, there's nothing like having 4 major-league hitters in your lineup.
how did you get to four?
Maybe he's still hopeful that Valencia's BABIP will improve?
Or that Delmon's will return?
I think you can get to four by including the small fractions
Yup, I was counting Delmon and Danny as one-half each.
Following up on yesterday's discussion of players with the most teammates ever, JoePos tells me that M.S.* retired. There goes my ridiculous HOF plaque with the Twins winning the WS in 2014.
*
PS. Do we really need to keep spoilering this?
I hope that Thome goes from 599 to 600 quickly, because I don't want to miss it, but also don't want to keep following games like that.
Stat of the Day: Since June 2 the Twins are 34-22 and have outscored their opponents 249-244. So, we're pretty fortunate the Twins aren't 19 or 20 games under .500.
Take that, Pythagoris!
The Twins don't seem to screw around with close losses very often, I'll give them that.
Not lately. In April and May, they screwed around with every kind of loss imaginable.
Yeah, I try not to think about those months, as a rule.
Question of the Day: How long until the Twins send Nishioka to the minors, if at all? And, how long will it be before admitting it was a mistake and just letting Nishi go, if at all?
Never and not until middle of next year.
I hope they send him to the minors first, to at least give him a chance to get accustomed to the new country and everything before cutting ties. I don't think he's going to be a star over here, but I still hope that he could be at least league average.
I agree with this. I don't have a problem with the move to get Nishioka, but I do have a problem that their backup plan was basically Casilla or Tolbert. If only they had an above average shortstop who could hit and had good range who could play short while Nishi sorts himself out. If only.
Dick and Bert occasionally reference Hardy, and say "Well, it didn't work out for him here, but it's nice to see him get that extension in Baltimore..."
...how did it not work out for him here? How was he not the answer at shortstop?
he had a grating personality.
Dick 'n Bert never said he wasn't the answer at shortstop. And they didn't say it didn't work out for the Twins, only that it didn't work out for him. I don't see anything in their statement that doesn't agree with what we've been saying, just that they're saying it in a manner cloaked in company line.
How was he not the answer at shortstop?
He didn't run fast enough.
Hardy has been hitting well, but his defensive metrics have been declining over the last several years. He's no longer an above-average defensive shortstop and will most likely be below average in the next couple years. He certainly would have been better than what the Twins have gotten this year at shortstop overall but I don't think he would have been a good long-term answer at shortstop.
I think given the nearly annual turnover of the Twins' middle infield, the lack of better options in the minor leagues, and the scarcity of good shortstops available on the free agent market it would have been prudent to try to keep him around for this year and the next couple. I don't think he'd be a top 5 shortstop for that whole contract, but I mean, I'm getting pretty tired of seeing Matt Tolbert and Nishioka over there.
Only the Twins would use that as rationale to sign a younger shortstop who is already below average in the field and has the potential (at best) to be average with the bat.
That's more of a problem with the scouting than the rationale.
can they send him to the minors without exposing him to the waiver wire? I guess Im not sure about that for foreign players
Well, me and the family are off to visit my sister's family in Des Moines. The 4-hour car ride is not something I'm looking forward to right now.
I did thirty hours over two days a month ago. You've got this.
If you want tickets to the I-Cubs game tonight, let me know. I have a bunch I need to use.
I mentioned the tickets to my sister, and she throws out "they (the I-Cubs) suck." I'm tempted anyhow, but there's 10 of us. Do you know who they're playing?
They're playing Fresno. And they are kinda bad. And it's raining still. But every Friday is fireworks. I don't think I'm going anymore, but I can get you tickets if you need them.
The Yakima Bears were pretty terrible outside of CarGo, Mark Reynolds and a handful of relief pitchers while I was there, but it was always a fun atmosphere, whether I was the mascot that night or just slinging beer.
Yeah, it's been raining pretty much since about an hour after we got here. If the kids were more excited about it, I'd be all over it, but with six kids eight years old or younger, it would probably be more trouble than it's worth. Fireworks would've been cool, though. Thanks for the offer, MagUidhir!
No worries. Anytime you're in Des Moines, let me know.
I'll be doing a 12-hour drive to Tulsa on Sunday. Fun times.
Twayn, will this be your Last Trip to Tulsa?
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GXBYrp6Uzas
Not likely, too much family down there. We're setting our watches for Tulsa Time.
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iDmaolgc5Rg
So it's "24 Hours [to and] From Tulsa"?
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hkYRPumSU_8
I did 19 hours in one 21-hour period to go from northwestern Washington to SoCal.
Adam and I drove 23 hours straight from Des Moines to Phoenix. When we did it the second time we had the good sense to bring a 3rd person.
I did the 19 hours solo. Lots of caffeine and singing and bopping to music.
I did a two-day, 28-hour drive (Yakima to Blue Earth) solo. For me, it was all about books on tape. That kept me going.
My body tried so hard to shut me down for the night. "Stop at this motel. It's only two hours behind schedule. What's the difference?"
I'm doing a four-hour trip today, too, to visit my parents and my brother who's visiting from Virginia.
We're driving to Akron for a wedding next week. After spending time the previous two summers in Seattle and Denver, this is a bit of a letdown.
I put about a thousand miles on the rental car last week, what with the trips back and forth to Spamtown, and back and forth to my parents' cabin. But no more than ~5 hours in any one day. I am too old for spending a zillion hours straight in a car.
Was down in Albert Lea last weekend for in-laws anniversary celeb. Got in some upper 90F golf - quite humid and very fast, dry greens.
Michael Beasley, yep.
well, the guy was harshing his mellow...
That was... underwhelming.
At most he is consistent.
Joe Pos on Moss and Matt.
I can get behind that. CT, get on it.
I'll review video of Stairs and try to formulate something accordingly.
Professional Hitter Pale Ale.
I'm thinking it should probably be something robust, yet one-dimensional.
Something extremely malty with hints of maple?
I was thinking more something that's really hoppy and packs a punch.
Stone IPA is really hoppy, one-dimensional and needs a better name. There it is.
I know one of the brewers at Stone. I thought the Pale Ale was better than most, though I am less impressed with the Leviathan Ale.
I know one of the brewers at Stone.
Rob needs to organize a West Coast caucus.
Stone's Vertical Epic series has been fantastic, and I am a fan of the Imperial Russian Stout and the Smoked Porter.
And Stone no longer likes Wisconsin, so they are unavailable here. We are a tough nut to crack.
aren't all non-millercoors products banned in wisconsin?
Huh, I thought a Stairs-themed beer would be a stout of some sort, but that's more wordplay than beer style.
I'm looking for volunteers to cover tonight's game recap and next Friday's game recap. We're heading out on vacation Sunday. I have to do laundry, mow the lawn front and back, get the van serviced, pay all the bills, etc., etc., etc., so I probably won't be watching tonight's game. I'm going to really need this vacation after doing everything that has to be done to go on vacation.
I can cover tonight's recap.
Thanks, bro.
*notices bS googling for images under "steaming pile" search*
I don't have access to MLB radio at home for the moment (until we purchase a new computer), so my re-cap will be driven by the game log.
No pressure or anything.
I'd keep an eye on Gameday, or there's liable to be a huge subtrefuge campaign to be wielded in the game logs.
You mean like Blackbrun and Dumatairt pitching a combined
shutoutno-hitterten-hitter? bS wouldn't possibly buy something that impossible, would he?I see you also notice the aftereffects of using IE on the work laptop during the day, with it's lack of spell checking.
10 hits would be a bit unbelievable, but if Capps were also to pitch, the box score might look like this unbelievable one
Four blown saves for one team! Thirteen pitchers across both teams with a negative WPA!
Twayn, I can grab next Friday. Enjoy your vacation.
Thank you, sir. You are a gentleman and a scholar, and there are not many of us left.
I'm going to really need this vacation after doing everything that has to be done to go on vacation.
So very true. Sometimes I wonder if it'd just be easier to half-ass everything at work for a week, sleep in and leave early, skip meetings, and take a half-week of vacation because I'm mailing it in.
So apparently the Twins offered Cuddyer a two year, $16 million extension but he'd prefer to negotiate after the season. Not sure how I feel about those numbers.
They're excessive, but I think they were to be expected given the fact that he's a Twins lifer.
nor do I think it would be unprecedented given his service time and career numbers. I can see Cuddy mashing lefties for a few years yet.
That said, if some team is willing to give us some good prospects...
Cuddyer's camp looks at it as a pay cut. He's at a career-high 138 OPS+ and he's on pace for a career-high 4.0 rWAR. Plus, he had his first AS appearance and the Twins gush over his intangibles. I wouldn't take that offer.
Oh, I know where it comes from...I just don't think he should be expected to replicate that at his advancing age.
All things considered, those numbers wouldn't bug me that much, until he proves I should be bugged.
As a defensively challenged outfielder with a career 112 OPS+ going into his age 33 season, Cuddyer isn't going to likely be more valuable to many other teams than he is to the Twins once you factor in his persona and fan following. It might be a pay cut, but he's not exactly the kind of guy who has ever featured young player skills as the driving component of his game. Any team who signs him to a contract longer than three years at a rate Cuddyer's camp thinks he's worth is going to be paying handsomely for a bench player by the end of it, I'll bet.
I highly doubt anyone will offer him more than three years and more likely two with an option. I was referring more to the yearly dollars. His versatility would make him extremely valuable, even in a bench role, for a contending team. Benches continue to shrink with bullpens expanding, so players that can fill in at many positions are more valuable. Until rosters expand, which probably won't be too far along, I think you'll see less and less DH-only players since they cannot give another player a day off from playing the field. And I wasn't really saying the Twins should offer him more, I'm just saying from Cuddyer's perspective that was not a great offer.
Thing is, as he ages, his versatility is likely to become far less versatile. There are plenty of players capable of filling in at OF/1b/DH for less than Cuddyer's apparently demanding, and there's certainly no guarantee Cuddyer continues to produce at the level he has this season, or even that he remains playable in the outfield.
In fact, his production this season is highly anomalous. From 2005-2010, what one can consider his prime seasons (ages 26-31), Cuddyer averaged 1.6 rWAR/season. In a post-Gary Matthews, Jr. baseball world Cuddyer is far more likely to get offers based on that level of expected production that his is on what he does this season. Cuddyer might think differently, but any team that pays him much more than what the Twins just offered him is very likely throwing their money away.
Some team might decide Cuddyer's worth the risk because his career averages have been brought down by some unhealthy seasons, and of course they will magically keep him healthy and productive. I wish that team good luck.
and of course they will magically keep him healthy and productive
cle-ver
Yeah, he's getting a pay cut from any team that signs him*. Might as well stick with a team that he likes and that likes him.
*I don't know, weirder things happen.
I would like to see the Twins do an Aggy deal where they trade Cuddyer and then re-sign him in the offseason. The biggest problem there is losing a draft pick if he is a Type A. Maybe part of a deal would include Cuddyer not being offered arbitration.
I'd like them to re-sign Cuddyer for about $5-6 million per year, primarily to DH. Two years tops with an option for a 3rd year. He's a great clubhouse guy and he'll probably be an announcer for the team some day, but the Twins really shouldn't spend much more than that with an aging corner outfielder. It strikes me as the type of move which would lead Smith to trade a player who they "can't afford" to re-sign Cuddyer.
Relatively light TJ archives on this date:
-In 2009, he described Percy Harvin and wrote, "To find a guy in more positions, you'd have to consult the Kama Sutra." Later, he wrote, "Harvin will have a chance to be a part of more strange formations than the rocks at Stonehenge."
-4 years ago, we found out that Michael Cuddyer is "the most likeable high-profile athlete in the Twin Cities"
Kama Sutra jokes? Ugh.
Funny enough, rather than consulting the Kama Sutra, you could probably consult the Twins and look under "C"
or "[redacted]"
I think 75% of what I dislike about his writing is his strained metaphors.
We're a little worried here about news that someone we know being reported missing. Mrs. Runner and I are casual friends with their family, and Runner daughter graduated with and goes to college with their son.
With some of his personal effects missing it would at least seem like there's no foul play at work, but I hope he turns up safely.
All I heard was "golf clubs" but yeah, who knows?
Someone actually was suggesting this to put on a resume for someone that worked at a restaurant in an article I edited. Was this restaurant in the red-light district?
She must have received a lot of tips.
I would guess that at some point she also got the shaft.
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HQZi7tmWhR4
Actually, the author was a male.
D'oh!
Apparently youngest bro and family are attending tonight's game; he sent a photo of the long line outside the stadium. And he's told me that one of the Hrbek/Gant bobbleheads has my name on it! What a guy. With raucous full house tonight, I hope Thome hits a couple out.
I'm a little disappointed I'm not going to get a Bobblehead tonight. I only have three* in my ridiculous collection, and a Hrbek/Gant one would fit in perfectly. Plus, I was at that game.
*Bill James, Jesse Ventura, and a talking Chuck Thompson. Seriously.
I have Al Newman and Razor Shines.
That is some liiiiiiight hitting.
I have no bobbleheads; cards in three ring binders are easier to dust around. Still, I'm not going to say no.
Puckett, Torii, Koskie, and somehow, Ichiro. I don't like bobbleheads usually, but people give them to me anyway. However, I do want the Hrbek/Gant one.
Jesse Ventura and the Panda are my only two. My brother owns one of Gov'nor Schwarzenegger with an Uzi, courtesy of me.
Jesse Ventura and Matt Lawton here.
Ichiro, Ken Griffey, Jr., and Goldy Gopher here. The only thing I have to say for myself is I've never stood in line for one.
Oh man, I'd love a Junior bobblehead.
They made a Junior Ortiz bobblehead?! o_O
Don't call me junior!
G-Man and _elm_n here, both given to me. If I were into bobbleheads at all I'd be much more inclined to politician bobbleheads than athletes.
Span sitting after the long travel and Mauer at first base, meaning Buehrle gets to face this lineup:
1. Ben Revere, CF
2. Matt Tolbert, 2B
3. Joe Mauer, 1B
4. Michael Cuddyer, RF
5. Jason Kubel, DH
6. Danny Valencia, 3B
7. Delmon Young, LF
8. Tsuyoshi Nishioka, SS
9. Drew Butera, C
Great, there's nothing like having 4 major-league hitters in your lineup.
how did you get to four?
Maybe he's still hopeful that Valencia's BABIP will improve?
Or that Delmon's will return?
I think you can get to four by including the small fractions
Yup, I was counting Delmon and Danny as one-half each.
Papi pouting. Hahahaha.
He should get the extra RBI. Not because I think he deserves it or care how many RBIs he has, but because errors are stupid.
Well, the scoring of errors is stupid, anyway.
(Puts video in queue of evidence against "players don't care about their statistics.")