So Mauer has raised...

by Johnny Safron on Aug 18, 2009 11:32 PM EDT Comment 18 comments

...his average 30 points this month. It's a wonderful thing to miss that first month. He's still has a small enough amount of ABs that a tear like this can have an impact.

If he were to miraculously hit .400, he would do it having raised his average nearly 50 points in the final two months of the season.

As it is, he already has more hits than he had last month in 106 PAs (he's in his 70s now) and he should also pass up his June hit total.

His OBP for the month is about.525.

The Red Sox most certainly are seeing this and searching for more items of commerce - such as wall board, tire gauges and lint traps - to put their logo on to sell to the rabid Nor'easters in order to raise the ching to sign this guy in 2012.

And he's done it with Morneau in a funk.

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Is there anything he can't do?

He’s just unreal.

This is a good read. Fluff, mainly, but still fun.

by fischean on Aug 19, 2009 1:10 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

We must

I want to say, baseball is my first love, but with this team sinking, I’m already starting to turn over in my head to Vikings season. But I’m going to make sure to keep watching lots of games this year, for Joe Mauer alone. Mauer is having a truly special season this year. Not just like one that we see often and is very good, but truly he is doing something baseball only sees once every many years. Don’t look now, but there’s only about 6 weeks of the season left, and Joe Mauer is within .20 points of .400. It’s still a small, distant chance, but it’s entered the realm of realistically possible.

Please enjoy Joe Mauer this year, even if this team keeps sinking. He’s doing something that is truly rare and amazing, and I don’t want to miss it just because Fransisco Liriano can’t throw a stinking fastball over.

"You can't sit on a lead and run a few plays into the line and just kill the clock. You've got to throw the ball over the damn plate and give the other man his chance. That's why baseball is the greatest game of them all."
~ Earl Weaver
"In God we trust. All others must provide evidence."
~ Billy Beane

by AdamOnFirst on Aug 19, 2009 3:29 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

It won't be the first time Twins' fans have done that

The scenario at the Met was to wait for Killebrew’s last at-bat before the crowd fled during the Twins’ down seasons. Then it was the same thing for Carew: people wanted to stay around and watch Rodney Cline flick his wrists at a ball.

To a lesser extent, Puckett filled that role, but he didn’t play that long, was surrounded by better players and played on a couple of title teams, so it was a little different.

The big parallel between Carew/Killebrew years and Mauer this season is the pitching. The entries in many of those earlier years were like today, so Twins’ fans clung to the star hitters.

For a team game, fans certainly are adaptable to the misery of a bad season if they have players like those men to turn to.

Bloggin' the bloggers since 1938.

by Johnny Safron on Aug 19, 2009 10:41 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Every player goes through down years...

Puckett had 85,86,89,90,93,94,95. Killebrew was actually in quite a few pennant races… 65,67,69,70. It wouldn’t surprise me if the Killer Twins actually had a better overall winning percentage than the Puckett Twins. I’d have to double-check though.

Lately we’ve been spoiled. 2-1-1-1-3-1-3-1T-3 since 2001. That’s pretty consistently competitive.

The team pitching this year has of course been a disappointment though. We were pretty solid from 2004-2007 and at least average going back to 2001, but this year we’ve really tanked.

by DavidRF on Aug 19, 2009 2:26 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Speaking of that

Lately we’ve been spoiled. 2-1-1-1-3-1-3-1T-3 since 2001. That’s pretty consistently competitive.

I’m surprised how many folks are calling for Gardy’s head on a stick this year, but I guess that’s already a fanpost.

"Don't take life for granted, because tomorrow isn't promised to any one of us." -Kirby Puckett

by less cowbell, more 'neau on Aug 19, 2009 4:30 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Yeah, well...

…none of these detractors has a job in baseball, so you have to consider what they know.

Bloggin' the bloggers since 1938.

by Johnny Safron on Aug 19, 2009 8:22 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Yeah, but...

91 wins, for example, before the post-season playoffs debuted meant your team was going nowhere. The Twins were 13 games back of the Yankees in ’61 with 91 wins. They were second in ’66, but again, no post-season. There was only one carrot then.

Bloggin' the bloggers since 1938.

by Johnny Safron on Aug 19, 2009 8:21 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

The average is one thing

What is truly amazing is the power. He leads the league in slugging — while hitting over .380? He has as many walks as strike-outs. He is within distance of a home run crown.

This is more than special. I know Ted Williams was a pretty fine player, but really, someone put these numbers into context and show me who has ever done anything even remotely similar to this in the modern era of baseball.

And, remember this date: July 9th, 2009. That is the last time Joe Mauer tried to bunt in a baseball game. I predict it will never happen again.

by Old Twins Cap on Aug 19, 2009 10:11 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

He'll bunt again...

Mantle used to bunt from time to time… just enough to keep the infield honest. Plus, I’m sure he’ll still have the occasional cold streak where he wants to switch things up.

by DavidRF on Aug 19, 2009 2:18 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

By coincidence...

…that’s the date I began to write off this Twins’ team, although the bunt was not the cause of the effect.

Bloggin' the bloggers since 1938.

by Johnny Safron on Aug 19, 2009 10:35 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

I think this feels like 1977 to me

That team had three great hitters and too little pitching. But I watched ’till the end just to see of Carew would get on a hot streak and make it to .400.

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

by cmathewson on Aug 19, 2009 10:49 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Going to KC

I’ve planned to go to KC this weekend for a long time and have had thoughts of canceling the trip. However, the combo of being a diehard Twins fan and Joe Mauer’s ridiculous season is enough for me to still drive 600 miles for baseball.

Peyton's good but have you ever heard of Jeff George?

by halfchest on Aug 19, 2009 11:53 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs