Morneau out for the season

LEN3 reports: Stress fracture in his back. I wonder how long it's been bothering him. Since the All-Star break, I'm thinking. At least that would explain things. (Joe Crede's out for the year, too.)

over 2 years ago cmathewson 61 comments 0 recs |

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that sucks

Hopefully he has no complications!

by Hjorvarthr on Sep 14, 2009 11:52 PM EDT reply actions

Ugh!

I heard on the radio on the way home from the game. I felt sick to my stomach. Get well soon, J-Mo!!!

"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 14, 2009 11:59 PM EDT reply actions

This Does Suck...Hopefully Kubel can get Healthy and The current Squad can pick up the pace and bring us to the playoffs.

by TonyO on Sep 15, 2009 12:01 AM EDT reply actions

this is pretty sad

a healthy Morny is a big producer for the team. Hope he gets better soon.

by fischean on Sep 15, 2009 12:04 AM EDT reply actions

Whoo hoo,

this is good news for our playoff hopes as we can put someone at first who can start producing offensively again.

all right, the ‘good news’ part should be in sarcastic font I suppose because its never “good” news, but seriously he wasn’t helping our winning percentages any since the all star break.

by montanatwinsfan on Sep 15, 2009 12:11 AM EDT reply actions

troll

"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 15, 2009 12:17 AM EDT up reply actions

what's the point

of going to the playoffs without Morneau? They wouldn’t have a chance without him.

everyone who’s ridiculed his late-season production should apologize. The dude was playing with a broken back.

by by jiminy on Sep 15, 2009 12:26 AM EDT up reply actions

should be ridiculed for not getting it checked out sooner. His .174/.273/.322 line since August 1st is brutal and has cost this team a chance at the playoffs. Especially hitting directly after a hitter who hit .391/.443/.621 in that same stretch.

by Milt on Tilt on Sep 15, 2009 10:02 AM EDT up reply actions

just saying

"If you go out there and you don’t feel like you’re helping anyone, that’s when you kind of take a step back and say, ‘All right. Maybe I’m doing more harm than good,’" Morneau said.

We were asking this two weeks ago. Just saying

by Milt on Tilt on Sep 15, 2009 10:15 AM EDT up reply actions

What makes you think he didn't?

I’m sure the team knew exactly what he was going through and told him to play through it. There’s a strong culture on this team that you don’t use injury as an excuse. So he told them he was hurting, they said can you still play, and he said yes. You’re faulting him for playing through pain?

I think the Twins do have a ridiculous habit of postponing medical exams for long periods. But that’s on the team, not him.

by by jiminy on Sep 15, 2009 11:15 PM EDT up reply actions

maybe he thought Torii

would come back and take a swing at him (LNP duck!) if he didn’t try to play through the pain?

by caluofmn on Sep 15, 2009 10:19 AM EDT up reply actions

hardly fair to put our missing the playoffs on Morneau

Yes, he probably should have done something sooner about his back. And yes, his poor performance lately has hurt the team. But he still has an excellent .878 OPS for the season. The Twins not making the playoffs has much more to do with other players than Morneau.

by what_would_gil_thorp_do on Sep 15, 2009 3:59 PM EDT up reply actions

dude you'd throw tc bear under the bus

my floor is looking pretty dirty... BETTER GET OUT THE BROOM!!!

by natetheskate on Sep 15, 2009 12:31 AM EDT up reply actions

and put the pictures on FAIL blog

by caluofmn on Sep 15, 2009 10:19 AM EDT up reply actions

Ugh

At least this explains his poor performance recently. But I still hate seeing him out for that long. Get well soon, Justin.

by what_would_gil_thorp_do on Sep 15, 2009 12:17 AM EDT reply actions

It explains it...

…only if he’s had a stress fracture for a month and a half.

Good thing he didn’t participate in the All-Star home run derby or people would be using that as an excuse.

By the way, how did that All-Star derby affect Mauer?

Guess we can put that one to rest, too.

Bloggin' the bloggers since 1938.

by Johnny Safron on Sep 15, 2009 12:49 AM EDT up reply actions

Wow

You’ve really gotten your Depends in a twist over Morneau, haven’t you?
I wonder how long Johnny Safron would last in a MLB game with a lumbar stress fracture?

"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 15, 2009 10:40 AM EDT up reply actions

Wow

You really can’t accept the fact that for three seasons Morneau has finished the season as more or less Nick Punto.

Bloggin' the bloggers since 1938.

by Johnny Safron on Sep 15, 2009 6:33 PM EDT up reply actions

Come on Johnny

2nd Half Morneau 2008: .350 / .481 / .831
Punto 2008: 344 / .382 .726

2nd Half Morneau 2007: 318 / .384 / .702
Punto 2007: .291 / .271 / .562

and drum roll please…

2nd Half Morneau 2009: .310 / .402 / .713
Punto 2009: .322 /.281 / .603

my floor is looking pretty dirty... BETTER GET OUT THE BROOM!!!

by natetheskate on Sep 15, 2009 10:07 PM EDT up reply actions

Hey, Room Temp's back

Missed ya’ shadowing me.

Good reading?

Bloggin' the bloggers since 1938.

by Johnny Safron on Sep 15, 2009 11:26 PM EDT up reply actions

Room Temp?

Am I like Zach Braff here? Can you call me Newbie?

my floor is looking pretty dirty... BETTER GET OUT THE BROOM!!!

by natetheskate on Sep 16, 2009 10:22 AM EDT up reply actions

Cause and effect

You might have them reversed here, Johnny.

my floor is looking pretty dirty... BETTER GET OUT THE BROOM!!!

by natetheskate on Sep 16, 2009 10:25 AM EDT up reply actions

didn't mean to say that here

my floor is looking pretty dirty... BETTER GET OUT THE BROOM!!!

by natetheskate on Sep 16, 2009 10:26 AM EDT up reply actions

The cause is that I write...

…the effect is, you read and respond.

That’s been the cause-effect for months now.

Bloggin' the bloggers since 1938.

by Johnny Safron on Sep 20, 2009 12:59 AM EDT up reply actions

Wow

Your shameful hatred has blinded you. Did you drop your monocle in your hot toddy? Kicking a man like Morneau when he is down is nothing short of disgusting.
You are a troll.

"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 15, 2009 10:16 PM EDT up reply actions

I've come to realize he's not a troll

but more like Dr. Cox on Scrubs.

my floor is looking pretty dirty... BETTER GET OUT THE BROOM!!!

by natetheskate on Sep 15, 2009 10:38 PM EDT up reply actions

Nope

Dr. Cox has good qualities. Johnny’s a troll.

"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 15, 2009 11:34 PM EDT up reply actions

Morneau:

Four months of production: $11.6 million.

Flailing through eight crucial August games: eight 2-run losses.

Handing over the division to the Tigers: pathetic.

Bloggin' the bloggers since 1938.

by Johnny Safron on Sep 15, 2009 11:27 PM EDT up reply actions

little Johnny:

Attacking the man who hit 30 HR for us: pathetic.
Attacking the man who played despite a lumbar stress fracture: cowardly
Johnny Safron: a pathetic little troll

You are a troll.

"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 15, 2009 11:40 PM EDT up reply actions

hello, the dude was playing with a broken back.

Criticizing a guy for playing through pain is stupid. That decision is made by the coaching staff. They are the ones who screwed up, not Morneau. The coaches should have known something was wrong, but they thought he was their only hope and told him to keep playing, so he did. He gave it everything he had, without complaint or excuses. It was stupid to play him, but you can’t fault a guy for giving everything he had and doing what he was told.

You’re clinging to a narrative that has no meaning. This year’s problems are not necessarily related to last year and the year before. You don’t know what went wrong the previous two years. No one does, because he’s not a whiner, and he doesn’t make excuses.

What is your theory anyway? Besides that he’s pathetic?

You can always find times when people make outs and people get hits. Isolating one set from the other doesn’t reveal meaning, it creates arbitrary meaningless comments. You can’t judge a guy just by the part of the season you don’t like. Look at his season numbers as a whole. Personally, I’ll take them.

We all already knew his numbers went down at the end of the season the last three years. That’s not a new observation. Now we also know you’re really, really angry about it. But hearing how unhappy you are doesn’t give us any new insight into Morneau.

We get that you’re frustrated he didn’t hit better at the end. So are we all.

What exactly is your point?

by by jiminy on Sep 16, 2009 12:08 AM EDT up reply actions

Johnny's just being hyperbolic right now

You can’t blame someone with an .878 season OPS and 100 RBI for a team’s problems.

my floor is looking pretty dirty... BETTER GET OUT THE BROOM!!!

by natetheskate on Sep 16, 2009 10:24 AM EDT up reply actions

Our friend Wikipedia says stress fractures develop over time

my floor is looking pretty dirty... BETTER GET OUT THE BROOM!!!

by natetheskate on Sep 15, 2009 12:32 PM EDT up reply actions

Do those stress fractures recur every September?

Hey, if so, Morneau’s off the hook for the past three late-summer tumbles.

Bloggin' the bloggers since 1938.

by Johnny Safron on Sep 15, 2009 6:34 PM EDT up reply actions

It was the home run derby last year

In 2007 it was the weather

my floor is looking pretty dirty... BETTER GET OUT THE BROOM!!!

by natetheskate on Sep 15, 2009 10:09 PM EDT up reply actions

Good thing this happened

Hanging Morneau’s third-straight late-summer slide on an ear infection just wasn’t working.

Bloggin' the bloggers since 1938.

by Johnny Safron on Sep 15, 2009 11:31 PM EDT up reply actions

Cause and effect

You’re reversing the two, babe.

my floor is looking pretty dirty... BETTER GET OUT THE BROOM!!!

by natetheskate on Sep 16, 2009 10:26 AM EDT up reply actions

Somebody call Hrbek!

Seriously, though.

Seth Stohs: “…the Twins should consider putting both Crede and Morneau on the 60 Day DL and getting Danny Valencia and Brock Peterson to the Dome.”

by benhertz on Sep 15, 2009 4:06 AM EDT reply actions

If the Twins don't want to bring up Valencia this year,

Matt Macri is a utility infielder, and played 38 games at 1B for Rochester, although he struggled offensively.

Brian Buscher could also see a spot start or two at 1B.

by benhertz on Sep 15, 2009 4:25 AM EDT up reply actions

Posted elsewhere

The bump in playing time will go to Gomez and Buscher. They could use Pridie as a spare outfielder for the remainder.

by DJL44 on Sep 15, 2009 9:59 AM EDT up reply actions

Kinda glad

Sounds like this has been an ongoing problem from last year as well. It would explain alot. Lets just hope playing next year on grass will help his stay a bit more healthy. I really hope they dont make the playoffs. It would be embarassing.

by dakotajim on Sep 15, 2009 8:00 AM EDT reply actions

Another Twins "fan"

I really hope they dont make the playoffs. It would be embarassing.

Since when is winning your division embarrasing? Only one team in each division gets to claim that, even in the Central Division. So what if MN or Det or CWS gets in and are swept in the 1st round? They’re still the division champs.

"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 15, 2009 10:33 AM EDT up reply actions

The Twins are not a playoff caliber team.

The whole division is embarassing. It is a joke. Getting swept by the Yankees is not my idea of fun. Then the FO will all praise themselves and Gardy for getting in and say, “See, we don’t need to make any big changes”. Why be happy with such minimal skill? With 500 baseball? Satifaction should come with being a contender after winning a division, not in hoping to win at least one game or keep a couple close in the first round.

by dakotajim on Sep 15, 2009 10:54 AM EDT up reply actions

This is true...

but I would still want to see the Twins win the division. The Tigers aren’t that great either-a barely above .500 team in a sucky division. So, if the Tigers don’t really deserve it, why not the Twins? Even if they lose in the first round of the playoffs, they won something. :\

by fischean on Sep 15, 2009 11:00 AM EDT up reply actions

2006 CARDINALS 2006 CARDINALS 2006 CARDINALS 2006 CARDINALS

"There are only two things that are infinite, the universe and human stupidity, and I'm not sure about the former." - Albert Einstein

by BeefMaster on Sep 15, 2009 11:48 AM EDT up reply actions 1 recs

Yankees haven't won a playoff series since 2004

… and you can look it up.

They are working on their new mystique as a choker franchise. :-) The ghosts that used to haunt the Red Sox are now haunting them.

Winning a bad division is less embarrassing than finishing second in one (or third).

by DavidRF on Sep 15, 2009 11:54 AM EDT up reply actions

1987 TWINS 1987 TWINS 1987 TWINS 1987 TWINS

my floor is looking pretty dirty... BETTER GET OUT THE BROOM!!!

by natetheskate on Sep 15, 2009 12:41 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs

1987, two divisions, two team playoff. 2009, much different story.

1987 was a competitive year. How many teams in the AL had a better record than the Twins as compared to this year?

by dakotajim on Sep 16, 2009 8:53 AM EDT up reply actions

Not much different

Four teams in the AL East had better records than the Twins in ‘87 – over half that division. That was back in the days of the balanced schedule, too, so it wasn’t like they were just beating up on Baltimore and Cleveland all year. The Twins also had a Pythagorean record of 80-82, tied for 8th in the league (and behind three other teams in the AL West).

If the Twins win their division this year, there will almost certainly be four teams with better records than them (NY, Bos, Tex, LA), and potentially as many as six (TB, Sea).

"There are only two things that are infinite, the universe and human stupidity, and I'm not sure about the former." - Albert Einstein

by BeefMaster on Sep 16, 2009 9:58 AM EDT up reply actions

what's the prognosis?

Is there a specific treatment for this that will improve his long-term diagnosis now that its been diagnosed? Or is this one of those things where there’s nothing they can do but tell him to rest. I’m hoping its the former.

by DavidRF on Sep 15, 2009 10:11 AM EDT reply actions

I heard

a 3 month recovery. I don’t know any more than that.

by Milt on Tilt on Sep 15, 2009 10:14 AM EDT up reply actions

Rest is the only treatment until the bone heals

Maybe the rest will do him good. He’s stepped up his offseason training every year for the last five in the hopes of going deeper in the season with success. Every year, he’s actually started his slump earlier. I think he needs to back off the intense work outs and let his whole body recover. It worked for Mauer.

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

by cmathewson on Sep 15, 2009 10:20 AM EDT up reply actions

Anyone checked out SSS lately?

Justin’s injury is on their front page…with some lovely comments.

by fischean on Sep 15, 2009 11:59 AM EDT reply actions

Such nice people there.

by what_would_gil_thorp_do on Sep 15, 2009 4:03 PM EDT up reply actions

they really do seem like a kind bunch of folks, don't they?

by fischean on Sep 15, 2009 4:45 PM EDT up reply actions

There is nothing worse in sports than ripping a guy for playing hurt

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

by cmathewson on Sep 15, 2009 5:00 PM EDT up reply actions

what about going the Torii route

and ripping guys for NOT playing hurt. To the media. Because you like to hear yourself talk.

by Milt on Tilt on Sep 15, 2009 5:02 PM EDT up reply actions

Yeah, that's almost as bad

Torrii’s a jerk. But I’ll be the first to say the Twins would be leading this division if they could have afforded to sign him. Not only do they miss his bat in the middle of the order, but letting him go led to the Delmon trade.

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

by cmathewson on Sep 15, 2009 5:04 PM EDT up reply actions

SKOOOOOOOOOOL VIKINGS, LETS WIN THIS GAME SKOOOOOOOL VIKINGS...

"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 Sep 15, 2009 1:32 PM EDT reply actions

Seriously though

I hope Justin enjoys his early offseason and get’s well for 2010 and Target Field.

by AdamOnFirst on Sep 15, 2009 1:32 PM EDT reply actions

Morneau

Justin doesn’t make excuses, from what I’ve seen. Perhaps this explains the 7-70 nosedive, perhaps not. I was at the dome on Friday when he belly flopped at first to try to evade a tag. I applauded the effort. I hope that didn’t further aggravate his injury.

by Alexi Casilla All-Star on Sep 15, 2009 2:30 PM EDT reply actions