Before the game, I told Joe, 'Just put down the fingers and I'll throw what you call'.

I don't know how you prepare for those things. We're not used to seeing it and it's embarrassing for this organization and our fans. I put that on my shoulders -- that's my baseball team out there.

Billy Beane wrote a book, that was backed by - I think - Bill James, that said that stealing a base isn't a very good idea.

"Twins win totals, 2002-2006: 94, 90, 92, 83, 96. Four division titles in five years. You're telling me that a team that won four division titles in a five year stretch ending in 2006 is the seventh worst franchise in all of sports?

"There were so many times over the course of the last 20 years - when we had Greg Gagne, he was so fast, and people said, 'Why doesn't he steal more bases?' And Tom Brunansky, 'Well, he hits for power, but he's only a .270 hitter,' " he said. "I've kind of quit looking at what (players) can't do and how you wish they could do this or that and kind of appreciate them for what they (can) do."

Joe [Mauer] just picked his nose. Now, what does that mean?

I'm tired of going out there and feeling the way I am on the mound. I haven't been comfortable in awhile. It's frustrating. I'm ready for my stuff to start feeling right, and for me to start throwing pitches that I'm comfortable with; something that I can trust.

"I've got to say this is one [home run] that's going to be on top of my list. Verlander is a good pitcher. We joked around in the clubhouse when we were on the same team about how he's going to just deal me up and I'm not going to get any hits. But [Saturday] I got to rub it in on him a little bit."

With injuries and illness, we haven't been able to have the same lineup day after day. And without it, it's hard to get consistency. As guys are starting to get healthy, we'll get in those situations where the offense can get going again.

"So the comeback continues. No one said it was going to be easy, and it's not an easy thing when you sit out that long. We believe this young man is going to be a very, very good pitcher for us. It's going to take a lot of work, and we'll see where we are at over the next few days and make some decisions on what to do next."