Cup of Coffee

May 31, 2012: Being Prepared

151 Comments

I set this up a couple of days ago because I didn't expect to be online yesterday. If something major happened yesterday that I'm not mentioning here, there's the reason.

151 thoughts on “May 31, 2012: Being Prepared”

          1. My boss tells me someone on the Sox got beaned earlier in the game and this was retaliation for that, which may have been in retaliation for the dirty slide?

              1. right, and the slate should have been clean then. Yeah, maybe a warning should/could have been issued with the AJ beaning, but how more obviously intentional could that ejection pitch have been? AJ didn't even ATTEMPT to catch it. Get a life, Hawk.

            1. Between this and his takeout slide against the Twins, I'm starting to think that AJ might be just a touch overagressive out there sometimes.

            2. At least he slid into the bag, unlike when he slid into Dozier(?) last week and the bag was four feet away.

      2. "You've got to be beeping me."

        That whole rant is filled with such TV-safe anger. He practically calls the umpire a melon farmer.

        2. 'You got to be bleeping me" is probably the worst use of "bleeping" ever. I wasn't aware that kidding or joking were verboten from national telecast.

          1. Actually, it was appropriate because the ump had eaten Hawk for dinner the night before and now needed to eliminate the remaining waste from his colon. I'm glad he pre-bleeped himself because I don't want the children of Sox Nation (or really any children (or really anyone at all)) to have to hear the Hawk Harrelson prounce the word "Defecating" on a cable "broadcast". (Or really any other words for that matter.)

    3. Umpires don't "know what the game of baseball is about?" I guess I was unaware that I was supposed to get more bean ball wars when I watched baseball.

    4. I don't know if MLB can fine Hawk directly, but they ought to fine the White Sox on account of this. He has no business criticizing umpires--and really he's criticizing the whole lot of them--over a completely justified ejection. Don't throw fastballs behind hitters and you won't get thrown out of the game.

      1. if i were the white sox, i would do something proactively to ensure there's no waves.

      2. I don't know if it's in that clip, but at one point he says something along of the lines of this guy has been out to get us. I'm pretty sure I've heard Hawk say that about 5 or 6 different umps.

    8. Thanks all! It went pretty well. 3-4 weeks until I hear about a 2nd interview.

        1. Yeah... it's not the type of office that has a single opening that they're looking to fill, but rather it's more of an "always has openings for qualified persons" office.

  3. Huh, Wally Szczerbiak got all up in KG's grill last night via twitter:

    @WSzczerbiak: KG is another one who lacks the #clutchgene always has!

    Not sure if Wally is the right guy to send that message (and I'm not sure if I agree with the message).

    1. according to Doogie:

      Darren Wolfson ‏@DarrenWolfson
      Wally wanted to fight him in the trainer's room once. KG backed down. RT @Hendrew: @DarrenWolfson See Wally's tweet about KG? No love lost.

      1. Eugene asked Wally what he needed to use to shift gears on his manual-tranny truck.

  6. Although I have a hard time listening to his on-air voice, Reusse really does a nice job in his columns. Great little write-up about Consensual Pork. Though the take is not all that surprising, I liked this bit:

    He never argues balls and strikes. He goes about his business. And if you strike him out, he doesn't go back to the dugout and whine. He's just going to try to get you in the next at-bat.
    -Ron Gardenhire

    The guy is beginning to make inroads onto my "Favorite Twins" list.

    1. Son of a... I accidentally clicked the comments. It is recommended that no one does the same.

      1. and then there's Shecky

        At this point in his career, Mauer should be categorized as a good player who, by luck of timing and birthplace, fell into a ridiculous payday. He's Donald Trump, without the orange comb-over.

        2. Okay I shouldn't respond to this, but it drives me crazy how people focus specifically on Mauer's money as being a hinderence on the team.

          Pavano is making $8.5 million this year. Capps $4.5 million, Blackie $4.75 million, Nishi $3 million (in AAA), Marquis $3 million (in AA for the Pads). I'd say those five players, making about what one Joe Mauer does, are a bigger waste of resources than Joe. Sure, Pavano & Blackie are going to give you innings, but they aren't great innings. They could plug the PJ Walterses and Scott Diamonds of the world into the rotation, and Deolis Guerras & Lester Oliveroses into the pen on serf contracts and get far more valuable production.

          The team was hamstrung with awful contracts last year too. If the team is working with a $100 million budget, that's $77 million after Mauer's contract ($62 after Morneau's) left to fill out the roster. They just need to prioritize resources. Pavano, Capps, and Marquis are all off the books next year. That $16 million could pay a good portion of the annual salary of a top flight pitcher, plus a couple of guys on the league minimum in the bullpen... or it could pay for a few wily veterans. I know what I think is a better use of resources. Quality over quantity.

          2. This is basically just like A-Rod in Texas. Alex Rodriguez was never a problem for that team, though plenty of fans saw it that way.

      2. Too late! There are those who look at things the way they are, and ask why... I dream of Cuddyer in RF and Willingham in LF, and ask why not?

        WHY NOT CUDDYER IN RF AND WILLINGHAM IN LF? BUTERA HAS DONE A GREAT JOB HANDLING PITCHERS AND HAS IMPROVED HIS HITTING. MAUER NEVER HAD A DIFFERENT SWING AND HIT MOST OF HIS FLY BALLS TO LEFT FIELD AND HITS MOSTLY GROUNDERS TO THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE DIAMOND. MOST OF THE LONG FLY BALLS HE HITS TO LEFT FIELD IN TARGET FIELD ARE CAUGHT. THE TWINS PAID MAUER A LOT OF MONEY FOR HIS HITTING IN THE METRODOME. A TRADE OF MAUER SO THE TWINS COULD SIGN THREE PLAYERS LIKE WILLINGHAM FOR THE SAME MONEY MAUER RECIEVES SHOWS HOW MAUER IS NOW MORE OF A HINDRANCE THAN HELP UNLESS THE OWNERSHIP IS WILLING TO SPEND GREATER AMOUNTS THAN BUDGETED.

        1. Whenever I try to read an all-caps post, all I hear in my head is "BZZZZZZZZZ".

              1. I assume that these points can be exchanged for tickets that can be used to purchase options to attend a pre-sale for... something.

                Sweet.

                2. Bart: Okay, what can I get for twelve, count 'em, twelve
                  prize tickets?
                  Pimple-Faced Teen: Two thumbtacks and a moustache comb. Or five
                  rubber bands and an ice cube.
                  --------------------------
                  Lisa: What’d you get?

                  Bart: Mustache comb. You?

                  Lisa: Fake mustache…wanna comb it?

    2. i was going to bring this up, and this seems like as good a place as any:

      in calcaterra's daily recap of the games, there was this:

      Twins 4, Athletics 0: Oakland stinks on ice right now. Letting Francisco Liriano — who had been one of the worst starters in all of baseball so far this year — shut you out on three hits over six innings is damn nigh inexcusable. Josh Willingham homered and drove in three. He has to be serious trade bait at the deadline, right?

      [italics added]

      is this something that should even be considered? i was very pleased with the contract, and even more pleased with his performance (and yes, like him as a player as well). that said, with the contract and the performance, he might bring an impressive haul. my vote is no, but...

      1. I would be against it this year. He's got a three year deal so why trade him away in year one when it seems to me that he can keep up decent production for the life of that contract? Maybe if the Twins stink this bad again next year despite his production, then sure. In short, I also vote no.

        1. yea, that contract is very club-friendly. If the Twins could get several really good prospects with which to restock the farm system, then maybe.

      2. Maybe Craig forgot he's on a three-year deal. I could see him being traded next summer or definitely the year after if the Twins haven't improved at all. Right now though, it makes sense to keep him and see where the team will be in the next two years.

      3. I agree with the consensus. I'd hang on to him in hopes the team gets better sooner ('12) rather than later ('14). If at the trade deadline next summer the Twins are still a .333 club, I'd shop him.
        On the other hand, if TR gets a crazy good offer for him in 6 weeks (and the team has continued to struggle), I'd consider a trade for a good starting pitcher prospect. I guess the mini-winning streak last year causing us to let _elm_n, Kubes and Cuddiier go for little-to-nothing is still on my mind.

      5. I would be willing to trade Willingham this year. He's got a good contract for two more years. That's worth a lot. The cupboard is bare, you guys.

      6. I dont know about trading* Willingham. How does it look to other free agents that a guy just signed a 3 year deal, and is productive, and then spun off a quarter way through that contract.

        *unless the trade is a no doubter, 2 blue chips involved.

        1. It looks like a team that's willing to send you to a contender? I don't relish the idea of trading the guy, but I have a feeling he can see where the team is headed, would understand the decision and perhaps even appreciate the opportunity to compete...he's a good player who has spent the past 2 seasons on bad teams.

          1. He's spent almost his whole career on bad teams. He was on two 90-plus loss teams in Washington, and the best Marlins team he was appreciably part of won 84 games.

      7. I'm still hung up on the premise that Liriano sucks and will always suck because he had half a dozen crappy starts this year. I wonder if he also now expects Phil Humber to pitch a perfect game every time he starts.

        1. Yeah, there's no doubting that Liriano still has great stuff. If he's got his command on any given day, he's going to be tough to hit by anyone. Of course, that's a big if.

    3. Mauer and Willingham batting back-to-back have .408 and .401 on-base averages. No one else has two regulars in the lineup in the AL that are both reaching base that often, at least no one that has enough PAs. The Twins haven't had two players reach base at least 40 percent of the time since Matt Lawton and Corey Koskie in 2000. Mauer, Morneau and Thome all did it in 2010, but of course Morneau and Thome didn't have enough PAs to qualify for the leaders.

      1. whatever. When did "OBP" become a stat? We need some old-time sluggers up there, grippin' and rippin'.

  7. If you think the Twins could be good again in year 3 then you keep him... I'm not too optimistic that will be the case, but it should be clearer next year, so I'd keep him.

    1. No kidding. BA's top-ten prospects in the Twins system going into this season were, in order, Sano, Benson, Rosario, Hicks, Arcia, Michael, Hendricks, Gibson, Parmelee, and Dozier.

      Sano is 19 and at single-A Beloit. I suppose he has an outside chance of making the big club by 2014.

      Benson has been terrible and, apparently, hurt?

      Rosario 20 and also at single-A Beloit. Also, outside chance of making the big club by 2014.

      Hicks has been mediocre

      Arcia is 21 and in his second season at high-A Ft Myers. (only 59 games there last year after promotion from Beloit). I would hope that he would be moved to at least AA this season and have a shot to make the big club next year.

      Michael was sent straight to high-A Ft Myers to start his pro career. He's had a rough start (205/304/277), but one can dream that he will get it figured out quickly and progress up the organization for a debut in 2014.

      Hendriks looks like he could be a useful back-of-the-rotation starter

      Gibson -- who knows what he will have when he comes back?

      Parmelee is a spare part

      Dozier hasn't proven that he can hit major league pitching yet, but we can hope for something in the Jason Bartlett territory or a little better. Please?

      That's a whole lotta "no help soon".

              1. Different context...maybe like "that beer is bad*" v. "that beer is bad**".

                That call was absolutely boo v. Joe's BB ahead of Willinghammer's blast - BOOOOO.

                *skunk/swill
                **awesome/delicious
                edit: My bad. More accurately a mixed metaphor.

                    3. I know where you're going with this, but I have to say that I don't really get the gourmet slider thing. If I want something called a slider I'll go to white castle.

                    5. I used to work with these cats that would go to WC for lunch. Heard, but cannot confirm, that one feller downed 40 of said slidage. I can't even imagine...

                    6. 40? I knew a dude in Dul-Youth who drove to Hinckley to go for 50 sliders in a sitting. The story has it that he made it to 48, but couldn't close the deal.

                    7. The way that looks in the sidebar, I read NBB's as someone would "go to the WC to down a 40..." and I filled in Olde English. And I thought "who goes to the bathroom in the middle of the work day for a 40 of malt liquor?" I've had a lot of beer the last two days.

                    9. Same guys would go to Mongolian steak house. Piled up the plates with frozen meat and such. Rouch. Easy with the dragon sauce, fellas.

                    10. just because i wanted to say it somewhere, and here seemed most appropriate: i made carnitas bahn mi sammiches tonight. my lips are still tingling.

                    11. to meat: I had to get four in there. Proper sammiches would have been hard.

                      to hj: WINNING!

                      to the rest of youse: hilarious that this thread segued into White Castle. I love this place.

                    12. I had an old boss that had a number of standing food eating bets. I tried 40 sliders in an hour and lost. Once they get cold, the onions, bun, and burger form an unholy glue alliance.

                      I did win $50 for chugging a bottle of Rose's Lime Juice another time though. So proud.

      2. You may be underestimating Hendriks. He has low walk rates and low HR rates in the minors and average K rates. The average AL starter has a 6.9 K rate and his career K rate in the minors is 8.1 and about 7 in AA and AAA, so I would think he would project to at least average if not better.

      3. Benson had surgery on his hamate bone and I think he's out for six weeks or so. I wondered if his start was due to the injury. Arcia struggled last year after returning from elbow surgery, which is why he's back in Ft. Myers and is the team's leading hitter (by more than 100 points of OPS) while still being one of the youngest. Hicks is the youngest player in New Britain and has the second best OPS for his team and his .742 OPS is better than he had in Ft. Myers and the league average is just .706.

        2. I certainly hope you are right on Hendriks. But he's your basic, mediocre-fastball (averages ~90)/slider/curve/changeup guy. I suppose he has a ceiling of BRadke, which would be awesome.

          In the minors, he lived off of excellent control (5.24 K/BB ratio) and the ability to keep the ball in the park (0.3 HR/9). That HR/9 rate is not sustainable in the Majors for a guy who doesn't live off of dive-in-the dirt sinkers and splitters. And even then.... Case in point: Derek Lowe for his MLB career has carried a 62.7 pct GB rate, contributing to his 0.72 HR/9 career mark.

  8. In Sid's column today, he "writes" about how dire the academic situation was at the UMN when Coach Kill came on board. He then describes how Kill, with the academic staff, put a plan into place to get the kids to go to class and get good grades, with great results. He then ends that item with this nugget:

    One thing is for sure under the reign of outgoing athletic director Joel Maturi: If you want to compete in any sport, you go to class. And the recent results have been phenomenal.

    Didn't the previous 6 paragraphs basically contradict this statement? It took a coach from the outside to identify a huge academic problem that was on Maturi's watch and then fix it.

    1. The recent results have been phenomenal.

      I'm not sure exactly what recent results he's talking about. Another thing that's really choice about this is that Sid has long argued that the overly stiff academic requirements at Minnesota has not allowed them to compete for the elite athletes. Now he says that our boys were a bunch of slackers who couldn't get their asses to classes until Sheriff Kill got to town.

      1. Oh, I see that he meant that if you flunk out, you can't play. Now our guys are performing in the classroom. That's somewhat admirable, but this wasn't about results on the field.

  10. its not Music Friday yet, but I gotta say that The Black Keys album 'El Camino' still kicks butt 6 months after its release.

  11. .
    .
    Dear Facebook,
    Had a nice chat with my nephew in Afghanistan, who is doing well. Sorry to hear about your stock - get well soon.
    Love,
    Rhu

    2. while very, very true, part of this was incited by the way the story was reported. The description I read said that she caused the suitcase to fall on his hand. Why not just say that the suitcase fell? Why bother to include the wife part? That was just asking for trouble from ijiots.

  13. The Twins through 50 games this year are closer to first place (by one) game than they were at the same point in 2006. They were as much as 12 games back as late as July 15. The Twins were still 7 1/2 back of the wild card at that point. I would consider it a win if the Twins are still that close to the playoffs in six weeks.

    1. the Whities are 9-1 in their last ten games, 19-11 in their last thirty, while the Twins are 4-6 and 13-17. So the Twins have lost five games on the Sox in the last ten despite having won three straight.

      1. Well, if you can lose five games in the standings in 10 games, then you can certainly gain five games in 10. They'll be in first before July!!!!1111!!!

    2. Wasn't the reason that they were so far behind that year more to do with the fact that Detroit was REALLY good rather than they were REALLY bad?

      1. They were four games under .500 through 50. They were nine games over .500 on July 15.

        1. I am eagerly anticipating the 2012 Twins' 26-13 run! They'll almost be .500!

    3. So which two starting pitchers are going to end the season with a sub-3.00 ERA?

      2. Ha! If they do make a run like that, they'll probably have to do it differently. Instead of brilliant pitching making up for average offense, they'll have to have brilliant offense making up for (hopefully) mediocre pitching. Let's face it, the pitching will still have to drastically improve for the Twins to make a run.

  15. more Joe Mauer awesomeness: he has reached base 87 times this year. That is ties for second in the AL (Hamilton, Jeter. Konerko leads with 91)

      1. No, that's tied for second. One player with 91, three players tied for second at 87.

        1. I'm not good at math, but I'm pretty sure that makes him #1 out of players with illnesses that don't exist.

        2. Ah. I had read that Hamilton, Jeter and Konerko were all tied with 91.

        3. Boys, boys, let's just compromise and say they are all tied for third, okay?

          1. I'm pretty sure that Josh Hamilton won this thing, didn't he? What a great story that kid is.

    2. I should have made that clearer to read
      1. Konerko 91
      2. Hamilton, Jeter, Mauer 87

  16. Ex-Twins: 2012 to date stats. Who's who? Bartlett, Cuddyer, Hardy, Hudson, Kubel, Ortiz, Young.

    A. 323/394/1003
    B. 297/385/846
    C. 271/330/818
    D. 260/307/773
    E. 245/292/657
    F. 207/270/583
    G. 133/240/432

    Spoiler SelectShow

  18. Did a Sprint Triathlon after work tonite at Lake Terramuggus. Wasn't in prime form, as had done a decent run on Monday, and a tough group ride on Tuesday - but did OK. The first mile run after the bike ride is always the challenge.

  19. The sports story of the day? OK City beating S.A.? No, it was this:

    Oklahoma Gov. Mary Fallin presented TNT analyst and former NBA All-Star Charles Barkley with a pair of boots, a steak and an order of lamb fries

    Mmm, ballin'

    1. Oklahoma Gov. Mary Fallin presented TNT analyst and former NBA All-Star Charles Barkley with a pair of boots, a steak and an order of lamb fries. Still hungry after meeting the Governor, Barkley asked his driver to pull through the White Castle drive thru, where he ordered two dozen sliders.

      FTFY

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