On the One Hand
by RandBall's Stu on Sep 11, 2009 12:01 PM EDT
in Speculation
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PrintOn the one hand, the Twins are what they are. That is, a .500 team.
On the other hand, the Tigers were just swept by Kansas City.
On the one hand, 5.5 games is a lot of ground to make up in three weeks.
On the other hand, the next nine games are at home against Oakland, Cleveland and Detroit. That is, two AAA lineups and the team they're trailing.
On the one hand, if they somehow make the postseason, the Twins will deservedly be an afterthought.
On the other hand, the 2006 St. Louis Cardinals were also an afterthought.
On the one hand, Joe Mauer is the American League MVP for anyone with eyes to see.
On the other hand, if the Twins crap out for good this homestand, prepare to welcome your 2009 American League MVP, Derek Jeter.
On the one hand, this might happen even if the Twins roll off 22 in a row, because, if Will Leitch is to be believed, New York sportswriters really want to give Jeter his lifetime achievement award this year.
On the other hand, there is no other hand. Seriously, [redacted] the New York media in the ear.
Detail your hopes and dreams for the rest of the season, or predict just when and how it all comes crashing down, in the comments. Or talk about the Vikings. Really, do what you want, I'm not your mother.
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On the one hand...
…Five of the Twins seven minor league clubs made it to the playoffs.
On the other hand, Six are gone and the Rock Cats are down 0-2 in a best of five against a team they struggled against all year. A team that lost very few players to the World Cup while the Rock Cats lost three including two of their better hitters.
On the one hand, the Red Wings didn’t make the playoffs.
On the other hand, it seems like much of the opening day roster is now with the Twins and are trying to make it.
On the one hand
On the one hand, Justin Morneau’s career triple slash in Twins wins is: 323 /.395 /.587
On the other hand, his triple slash is Twins losses is: 230/.296/.403
On the one hand, if he gets hot the Twins could rattle off a long winning streak and put some pressure on the Tigers.
On the other hand, his career triple slash in September is: 254/.324/.417
On the one hand, the Twins suck.
On the other hand, the Twins suck.
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You mean
winner
"Don't take life for granted, because tomorrow isn't promised to any one of us." -Kirby Puckett
"No, you don't understand It’s a metaphor for A SERIES SWEEP!!!!!!!" -natethejinx
by less cowbell, more 'neau on Sep 11, 2009 4:46 PM EDT up reply actions
Speaking of sucking...
How ’bout them Wolves? Miss KG much?
"Don't take life for granted, because tomorrow isn't promised to any one of us." -Kirby Puckett
"No, you don't understand It’s a metaphor for A SERIES SWEEP!!!!!!!" -natethejinx
by less cowbell, more 'neau on Sep 11, 2009 4:53 PM EDT up reply actions
Nice post!
On the one hand, the Twins are what they are. That is, a .500 team.
On the other hand, the Tigers were just swept by Kansas City
.
This is baseball, anything could happen! I’m not about to roll over so easy on our boys. We can still do this!
"Don't take life for granted, because tomorrow isn't promised to any one of us." -Kirby Puckett
"No, you don't understand It’s a metaphor for A SERIES SWEEP!!!!!!!" -natethejinx
by less cowbell, more 'neau on Sep 11, 2009 2:32 PM EDT reply actions
I guess I did not know the Cards in '06 were as lousy as our bunch has been
So maybe I do believe in miracles!
- AND WE CAN BUILD THIS THING TOGETHER, STANIDNING STRONG FOREVER, NOTHINGS GONNA STOP US NOW! *
I always loved that one.
On the one hand, Scott Baker pitched for the Twins in April and May.
On the other hand, Scott Baker pitched for the Twins in June and August.
—
On the one hand, this Twins season carries a terrible curse.
On the other hand, this season comes with a free frogurt!
On the one hand, the frogurt is also cursed.
On the other hand, you get your choice of topping with the frogurt!
by what_would_gil_thorp_do on Sep 11, 2009 3:30 PM EDT reply actions
I'll do my part
On the one hand, Nick Punto has started 103 games.
On the other hand, Alexi Casilla has started in 72 games.
"You're thinking too much. Just have fun." -- Bennie "The Jet" Rodriguez in Sandlot
I'm pretty sure those are both the same, horrible hand
"There are only two things that are infinite, the universe and human stupidity, and I'm not sure about the former." - Albert Einstein
Jeter for MVP
On the one hand, this might happen even if the Twins roll off 22 in a row, because, if Will Leitch is to be believed, New York sportswriters really want to give Jeter his lifetime achievement award this year.
Something I didn’t know until earlier this year – the fact that the Yankees have eleventy billion reporters covering them might not matter unless they’re really influential, because the MVP voters consist of just two BBWAA members from each city (not each team). The Yankees and Mets combined have as many local MVP voters as the Royals.
"There are only two things that are infinite, the universe and human stupidity, and I'm not sure about the former." - Albert Einstein
I did not know that.
No, really, I didn’t.
by RandBall's Stu on Sep 11, 2009 6:29 PM EDT up reply actions
I have to concede that there's no Yankee MVP bias...
Not in the past 30 years or so anyways.
Their sportswriters do act like internet trolls from time to time though… I mean, turn the MVP into a lifetime achievement award? Its like they want the fans of the other 29 teams to hate them.
Maybe its to build up that “Yankee mystique” where they trick other teams into thinking they can’t play their own game of baseball against them.
Jeter had the better case in 2006 against weaker competition
And yet, Justin Morneua won, for which he still gets booed in NY.
AS long as the Twins put up a respectable showing the rest of the way, Mauer should get it. Consider Carew in 1977. The Twins finished at 84-77, in fourth place in the AL West. He won the award handily because he flirted with .400 for some of the year and had a great overall season.
"You're thinking too much. Just have fun." -- Bennie "The Jet" Rodriguez in Sandlot
Jeter had a great case in 1999
Far and away his best season. Texas some sort of stranglehold on head-scratching MVP picks from that time period though and I-Rod stole it from him.
Story of the season...
One the one hand, the Twins have the second-highest team OPS+ in the league, with 106.
On the other hand, the Twins have the second-lowest team ERA+ in the league, with 91.
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by Andersklasen on Sep 11, 2009 7:51 PM EDT reply actions 1 recs
Pretty much breaks down just like that
Going into the season, I would have expected these numbers closer to being reversed. Maybe not OPS+ as low as 91, but lower than the pitching.
by Adam Peterson on Sep 12, 2009 10:51 AM EDT up reply actions
Defense
On the one hand, the Twins have an overall UZR of -33.5 runs (28th in MLB, 13th in AL).
On the other hand, the Tigers have an overall UZR of +39.9 runs (5th in MLB, 4th in AL).
Considering defense alone, the Tigers have a 73.4 net run advantage.
This more than cancels out our 40.2 run advantage offensively (+35.0 to -5.2), as well as out 8.7 run advantage on the mound.
The biggest offenders defensively?
Cuddyer (RF): -13.4
Young (LF): 11.3
Casilla (2B): -9.0
Cabrera (SS): -6.2
Harris (3B): -3.5
On the plus side:
Crede (3B): 11.4
Span (LF):6.9
Gomez (CF): +3.6
Morneau (1B): +1.9
Cuddyer a below average defender
ok we knew he was bad, but worse than Delmon Young bad?
by montanatwinsfan on Sep 13, 2009 10:10 AM EDT up reply actions
Much more time
Cuddyer has played more, so the UZR has added up for him.
Looking at UZR/150:
Cuddyer: -13.9
Delmon: -17.8
What’s scary is when you look at the components of UZR:
Cuddyer’s Range Rating (RngR) is almost twice as bad as Delmon for the year (-14.1 vs -7.1). I’d have to check how this stacks up across the rest of the majors, range-wise.
by Adam Peterson on Sep 13, 2009 1:03 PM EDT up reply actions
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