Twins record: 58-81
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MLB Game Wrap
I give Kevin Slowey a solid 7-star rating for today's game. However, I give the offense (non-Mauer division) an absolutely-serious, whopping 1-star rating. No, I did not listen dispassionately before I rated.
Hitter of the Week: Trevor Plouffe
Pitcher of the Week: Kevin Slowey
LOL, DK.
Way to pull in this week's threads, dude!
According to Souhan, today's game cemented Slowey's rep as a malingerer because he asked out of the game with a tight hamstring.
I know I've been one guy hard on Slowey, but come on, really? Souhan is insufferable, and I'm not entirely sure that it's just because he's an organizational mouthpiece. I think he's just a genuine jerk.
Someone needs to put him out of my suffering.
Souhan just makes up his mind who is soft and who is not. Whether he's repeating what he's told or not, I don't know, but the trainer came out in the middle of the game to check on Slowey who landed funny on his leg, which was pointed out by the Angels broadcasters. Slowey managed to pitch the next couple innings before coming out. Instead of being lauded for managing to pitch through the pain, he's called a malingerer for requiring the bullpen to get two whole outs. The day before, Duensing comes out in the second inning because of an "oblique strain." That's got to be made up right? Who ever heard of that? Then there's Justin Morneau and Denard Span who miss how many games because they have headaches? From what, watching Butera hit? or Nishi do anything on an MLB field?
Souhan is obviously a genuine jerk. In the past he's at least had the room to make his ridiculous assessments because of the situations, but ragging on Slowey after this performance doesn't do his credibility any favors.
It reminds me of when Silva was sick when he was pitching. He pitched six shutout innings against the Rays and looked to be cruising and then came into the dugout and said he was sick and couldn't go anymore. He was vilified for coming out with a "tummy ache." If he had told someone at the beginning of the game that he wasn't feeling well and to just be prepared, he would have been a hero for gutting it out through six innings. In the end, no one knows how an athlete is filling except the athlete himself. I really don't see how an athlete would take himself out of a game if he really wasn't hurt or sick. Every one of them knows the toughness mentality that pervades in sports and to have that sort of thing hurt your reputation could ruin everything you've worked for. What would be the point of an athlete coming out if he didn't need to?
Not that I would ever wish misfortune on anyone, but it would be interesting to see what, if anything, Mr. Souhan would say if he was sick or injured and couldn't write his column for a few weeks.