Teflon Twinkies: A Poll to Determine the Greatest Twins of the Metrodome Era -- Man in the Middle Edition

by Cloud City Twinkies on Feb 8, 2009 7:56 PM EST Comment 5 comments

With Minnesota set to say its long goodbye to the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome this season, it's time to determine the greatest players the Twins have placed under the Teflon Confines, position-by-position.

Three roster spots have been determined so far -- closer, first base and third base -- with Joe Nathan, Justin Morneau and Gary Gaetti earning the nods.

Now the poll turns its focus several yards from G-Man and the hot corner to the ever-critical shortstop position.

So, who you got?

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no doubt about this one

its Gagne all the way. Both SSs are excellent but, given a choice, I would take Gagne over Guzman any day!

by 33MorneauMVP on Feb 8, 2009 9:51 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

+1

Like Gaetti, Gags had the best career of any Twin at his position under the Teflon or the Blomington high sky. Versalles was the most talented SS in Twins history, but his career was ruined by the back injury.

Guzman has an awful lot of talent. But he let it go to his head and he only really had a couple of good years as a result. That what you get sometimes when you rush kids. Same goes for Rivas. I also think the shoulder injury hurt him worse than anybody knew until he came back from surgery and showed the kind of player he might have been if they’d taken care of it in 2001 when he first hurt it.

"You're thinking too much. Just have fun." -- Bennie "The Jet" Rodriguez in Sandlot

by cmathewson on Feb 8, 2009 10:00 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

It's real tempting

to take Guzman here just for the dynamic he would bring to the top of a lineup, but alas, I’m gonna go with the steady Gagne, also. At SS his better glovework would add more to the team than what Guzman has on him with the bat in his hands. Gagne wasn’t a slouch with the bat, so his solid overall contributions mean more to me.

by smoooooth on Feb 9, 2009 9:05 AM EST reply actions 0 recs

Gagne, easily

He was the Opening Day shortstop seven times. No one played more games at shortstop in a Twins’ uniform. Period. Only one Senator in the Senators/Twins’ franchise topped him.

Gagne’s errors by year spanning ‘86-’91: 28, 18, 18, 14, 9.

76-game errorless streak in ’91.

Didn’t take a lefty deep in ‘87, then hit two off lefties in post-season ’87. Until Puckett hit a couple dingers in ’91 series, Gagne was the Twins’ post-season HR leader with four, after he homered in Game 1 of ’91 Series. At the time, it was also the most post-season homers ever hit by a shortstop.

Also probably holds the record among Twins’ starters for looking over his shoulder to see if Tom Kelly would pinch hit for him in late-game situations.

Bloggin' the bloggers since 1938.

by Johnny Safron on Feb 9, 2009 9:11 PM EST reply actions 0 recs