Ford hot after return from surgery

by MagikLair on May 20, 2007 4:49 PM EDT

05/20/2007 3:33 PM ET
Notes: Righting left field
Ford hot after return from surgery; Kubel back to DH

http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20070520&content_id=1975846&vkey=news_min&fext=. jsp&c_id=min&partnered=rss_min

Ford is hitting .250 (5-for-20) with two doubles and three RBIs in his first five games back. It's been the consistent play he's provided the club both offensively and defensively that has made him the go-to guy in left field.

Too bad this site isn't biased at all... Whatever the Twins say they print word for word.

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Hmm

That's not really hot at all. He looked stupid today in a couple spots.

He is good at D though.

Baseball is great because you cant take a knee or kill the clock. You gotta put the ball over the plate and give the other guy his damn shot E Weaver abridged

by AdamOnFirst on May 20, 2007 6:18 PM EDT reply actions

I'm not sure

whether to be impressed or depressed with the fact that he led the team in OPS in 2004.

Probably some of both.

by gophersw on May 20, 2007 7:27 PM EDT up reply actions

Well

Well, he DID have a great year that year. Or at least a great April.

Baseball is great because you cant take a knee or kill the clock. You gotta put the ball over the plate and give the other guy his damn shot E Weaver abridged

by AdamOnFirst on May 20, 2007 7:40 PM EDT up reply actions

I know

it just seems so impossible now.

by gophersw on May 21, 2007 8:46 PM EDT up reply actions

Not that hard

Most hitters like the ball out over the plate, so pitchers try to pitch inside. That's where Lew likes the ball. So they pitched to his strength and he hit something like .400 for a month.

As soon as they figured that out, they started pitching him away away away and way in. Time after time, he'd chop the ball down the line to the third baseman. He never made the adjustment. If he used the whole field with his speed, he'd be a .300 hitter. But he only gets hits on mistake pitches on the inner half of the plate. Since the pitchers made the adjustment in May of 2004, he's been a .250 hitter.

Anyway, I have no confidence that he'll ever make the adjustment after three years of choppers to the left side of the infield. The only way he has been able to get as many hits as he has since his good year is all the infield hits he gets off of the hard dirt in front of the plate at the Dome.

But he's basically worthless on the road. Turn the page on this guy.

Free Kevin Slowey.

by cmathewson on May 21, 2007 10:47 PM EDT up reply actions

Duplication.....

Ford or Tyner. We must choose and run with one, soon.

Kubel is more of the future than eitehr of the above duo.

I would rather have Garrett Jones (for now) coming off the bench.

But we must keep Lew...because we are paying him a million bucks.

Luver of Twins history, cards and the minor leagues.

by twintown on May 20, 2007 7:56 PM EDT reply actions

.250 is not hot

.250 is what to expect from Ford, with an OBP of .320 and a SLG of .360. Offensively, he's replacement level. He's a good defender, but I'd rather have four at bats of Kubel than two extra outs in left field.

Free Kevin Slowey.

by cmathewson on May 20, 2007 8:31 PM EDT reply actions

Ford

There isn't any way Ford is worth two more outs than Kubel per game. Maybe MAYBE is four or five games.

Baseball is great because you cant take a knee or kill the clock. You gotta put the ball over the plate and give the other guy his damn shot E Weaver abridged

by AdamOnFirst on May 20, 2007 8:34 PM EDT up reply actions

Best case

I was just taking the best case. Even if he got two more outs than Kubel in a game, I would still rather have Kubel's bat in there.

Today Ford made one catch I'm sure Kubel would not have made, but he also misjudged a ball he should have caught. I'd say that's a pretty typical day for him. So you're right, he isn't worth two extra outs. But Gardy acts like he is, twice playing him against right-handed pitchers this weekend and keeping one of his hottest hitters (Kubel) on the bench. That was pathetic managing, IMO.

Free Kevin Slowey.

by cmathewson on May 20, 2007 8:49 PM EDT reply actions

Today we saw...

12 PA for Punto, Ford, Rodriguez, and Tyner

and

3 PA for Bartlett and Kubel

Brilliant.

by ubelmann on May 20, 2007 9:51 PM EDT up reply actions

Yeah

Yeah, quite poor.

I'd be much more angry if Bartlett and Kubel were getting bigger results, but their mediocrity is still better than the out pit that is L-Rod.

Baseball is great because you cant take a knee or kill the clock. You gotta put the ball over the plate and give the other guy his damn shot E Weaver abridged