We've heard lately that the Twins GM Terry Ryan doesn't care about home runs and that the Twins need to pitch, play defense and get a single here and there.
I read LENIII's account of the game yesterday and I begin to wonder about whether anyone is actually looking at the scoreboard. I don't mean to disparage LENIII and if you have been paying attention, I've pretty much decided to lay off of the local media (I'm bored with them and frankly, I'd rather write nothing than write another Top Jimmy column).
But when I read about all the focus on Bartlett's tag at second on a steal attempt -- as if that's the key play of the game -- I get a little tired. The play was covered on TV as well. Damn that Bartlett! He cost us the game! LENIII:
The Twins could have thrown out Rob Mackowiak on a steal attempt in the fifth, but Bartlett caught Mike Redmond's throw in front of the bag and tried to reach back to tag Mackowiak.
"I know I've been getting outs doing it that way," Bartlett said. "I've been telling myself I need to stop catching it out in front. I need to stop doing it and it's something I have to keep stressing on myself. Straddle that bag."
He didn't. Mackowiak was safe and later scored the first of two runs in the inning as Chicago took a 3-0 lead.
"Two runs," Gardenhire said. "That's a ballgame."
Two runs. That's a ballgame.
Yes, Kubel made a boneheaded play trying to advance to third on a grounder to third (do we have a baserunning coach?). Yes, Bartlett should let the ball come to him. (My brother and I used to run a pickoff play in softball -- he played short and I played first. On a hit to left field the play was always on. If the runner strayed too far off of first, he'd throw behind him. If the throw was online, I applied the tag before I caught the ball. I realized that the ball moved faster than my arm and I was also presenting a tag early for the umpire to see. Doesn't Bartlett understand this?)
This poor execution on plays happens a lot and it puts the lie to the idea that the Twins do "the little things". They don't do the little things, and they don't do the big things (at least when it comes to things other than on the bump).
Nevertheless, the Twins put a big fat goose egg on the board yesterday. Never, in the history of the game has a team won a game scoring zero runs. The Twins cannot fail to execute "the little things" and hope to win, because the 2005 offense is back. Focusing on "the little things" is apparently Minnesota chic, but if the Twins could actually hit the ball with some authority, every little play that is poorly executed wouldn't be such a big deal. The Twins are 12th in the AL in slugging at an anemic .381, besting only Oakland and Chicago. This is primarily because the Twins have just 18 home runs, dead last in the league and barely half the league average. We don't care about those, of course. All we need is a single, a bunt, steal third, and bunt the runner home. Or something like that.
Let's hope that this anemic offense is temporary situation, but hoping isn't the same as doing something about it. I'm a fan. All I can do is hope (or despair). The General Manager, however, can do something.
I wrote a letter in today's cup of coffee on this, and won't repeat it here. Suffice it to say that everything you've said is absolutely correct.
Never, in the history of the game has a team won a game scoring zero runs.
Amen.
As for Kubel's baserunning miscue--it essentially didn't matter. It's no excuse for that sort of thing, but really, what's the big deal? At least as far as I can tell, Bartlett would've been out if Kubel didn't get thrown out, and Punto grounded out to second in the next at-bat. Kubel's miscue was the difference between Punto leaving a runner at first and Punto leaving a runner at second. The little things don't even matter if you can't do things like hit the damn ball.
And as for Mackowiak scoring as the result of stealing second--it seems misguided at this point to belabor the Twins' ability to keep their opponents from stealing. It's one thing they've been great at so far this year. When it actually becomes a recurring problem (like, for instance, the inability to hit the baseball), then it might be time to focus on a miscue here or a miscue there.
apropos of the "not doing the big things" line, I note that TWO DIFFERENT A's players hit pairs of HRs yesterday. Oakland had a total of 6 HRs in the game and 9 XBH overall. Steroid investigation time.
Sure, Cust hit 2 HR worth 3 runs total, but his defense probably cost the A's 4 runs at least. Pitching and defense and pitching and defense and defense and defense and pitching and defense. That's what I want.
crap, I don't even care about the HRs; what ever happened to the doubles? If they can't hit it over the fence, I'd like to see them returning to hitting it off the fence.
The Twins are third in the AL in doubles, so that's not necessarily the problem, although I get that you mean lately.
All our troubles are a thing of the past. It's a new day.
What is there to talk about? Rabe vs. Kubel? I guess I'd do anything to get Rabe off the active roster.
weren't they considering Perkins for the 11 man bullpen and extra bench player in interleague?
Ooooh, there's an idea I hadn't thought of. I wouldn't be opposed to that, but considering the state of the bench, we might as well just let the pitchers hit for themselves.
“Two runs,†Gardenhire said. “That’s a ballgame.â€
sure, for the Twins' "offense".