The following appears in this weekend's Dugout Splinters insert, part of the June edition of GameDay magazine.

Who’s On Third?

When the Twins brought in Mike Lamb over the off-season, his two-year contract said exactly what fans who study the home team’s farm system have been thinking for years:  there’s nobody ready to play third base, everyday, at a decent level, in the upper echelons of the minor leagues.  Approaching the halfway juncture of the campaign, Lamb’s had a difficult time transitioning into a full-time role.  As a result, the Twins are experimenting with a new platoon.

Matt Macri and Brian Buscher’s minor league numbers won’t blow anyone away, but they’ve been consistent on the offensive side of the ball, and while neither of them are Gold Glove defenders they’re more than serviceable.  Buscher’s made four starts and has gone 7-for-16 since his recall, in addition to making a couple of slick looking plays at the hot corner.  Macri, on the other hand, is getting playing time less consistently but has reached base in eight consecutive games in which he’s received a plate appearance.  While it’s not an ideal long-term situation, the Twins have done worse in recent years.

While the organization insists that Lamb will still get his time (they’ve invested too much money in his space on the roster to just let him loose), there’s a very legitimate possibility that if his performance isn’t approaching expectations by the end of the summer, the Twins may continue searching for an in-house replacement at third base and simply filling that spot in the lineup with the hot bat.  As it stands, Lamb hasn’t played since June 14^th, and is 1-for-27 on the month.

For those of us interested in what’s in the pipe line, there are a few minor league third basemen you’ll want to keep your eyes on:  Luke Hughes, Danny Valencia and Deibinson “DJ” Romero.  The way Hughes has been tearing the cover off the ball in double-A (.335/.407/.618), it’s likely he’ll be getting a promotion to Rochester sooner rather than later.  Who knows?  We may see the Australian get a cup of coffee come September.

The Bullpen’s Back End

With the injury to Pat Neshek and recent axe brought down on Juan Rincon, the Minnesota relief corps is going through what should be known as The Yearly Shuffle.  ’06 saw the establishment of Jesse Crain, the emergence of Neshek and the revamped Dennys Reyes.  ’07 saw the legitimization of Neshek and maturation of Matt Guerrier.  This season is about to witness an increased reliance on both Guerrier (at one time the long-relief guy) and Crain (still working his way back to form after the injury and time off).  Those two and Joe Nathan make up the strong end of the bullpen bench.

On the other side of the bullpen pine sit four more arms.  Reyes the LOOGY, Craig Breslow the new guy, and then there are the four B’s:  Brian Bass and Boof Bonser.  These are the two men fighting for a single role, and unfortunately it’s called “mop up duty”.  June hasn’t been horrible to Bass, but it hasn’t been kind.  For Bonser, it’s been a maddening season, as even in relief he hasn’t been effective.  He’s allowed a run in five of his six relief appearances.

If the starters could go a full seven innings more often, and the Twins could get by on three relievers, a LOOGY and a closer, then we’d have less to worry about.  Unfortunately, in today’s game, that’s not plausible.  All six (or in our case, seven) of a team’s relief corps are needed to get through the season, and at some point a less effective relief pitcher will be used in a high-leverage situation.  You want to stay out of those situations.

It’s still baseball, which means it’s a situation that could work itself out.  But as it stands a team that wants to contend will wear its bullpen thin over the course of the seasons when it has a pair of unreliable relievers.  If one of the two don’t manage to find their groove soon, don’t be surprised if the Twins decide to make a move.  While Bass is out of options, some believe Bonser could pass through waivers and be assigned to triple-A.  Stay tuned…

Offense Rising

The Twins have established themselves as one of the league’s highest-scoring offenses, to the surprise of many.  It’s been a steady improvement across the board, not just in scoring runs but in those categories that most directly correlate with how many runs you score:  on-base percentage and slugging percentage:

As you can see, since May the Twins have been a far more effective offense.  This month’s improvements have been seen in the sheer number of extra-base hits that have been recorded.  In May, it was the additional walks.  The bottom line for a team that needs to score more runs than most squads looking to contend, is that runners need to continue to be on base.  Power has been hard to come by and inconsistent, so patience and the willingness to take a walk are keys.  Minnesota has good pure hitters, but they need runs in order to take advantage of those talents.  Hopefully, with patience, the power will come.

ON THE HILL  

Friday:  Scott Baker  (2-2, 3.71 ERA)

¨        2008:  51.0 IP, 51 H, 42 K, 9 BB, 8 HR

¨        2007:  9-9, 4.26 ERA, 143.2 IP, 102 H, 29 BB

¨        Fastball, changeup, curveball, slider

¨        Scott has performed brilliantly since his return, even notching a quality start his last time out when he wasn’t completely in control.

¨        He isn’t allowing a lot of base runners, but hitters are making good contact and putting the ball over the fence at above average rates.  One good start at this point, however, would drop that ratio back to average.

Saturday:  Nick Blackburn  (5-6, 3.87 ERA)

¨        2008:  86.0 IP, 106 H, 46 K, 15 BB, 7 HR

¨        2007:  0-2, 7.71 ERA, 11.2 IP, 19 H, 8 K, 2 BB

¨        Fastball, changeup, curveball, slider

¨        A minor tweak and a rough outing in his first two June starts were the biggest hiccups in Nick’s season thus far, but against Cleveland in his last start he was back in form.  But that was June 11^th, and he hasn’t pitched since.

¨        Blackburn’s peripherals are some of the most solid in the starting rotation.  His good season isn’t a fluke—he’s earned it.

¨        His fastball can get a little sink to it, and on some pitch charts actually comes up as a sinker.

Sunday:  Livan Hernandez  (7-4, 5.51 ERA)

¨        2008:  96.1 IP, 141 H, 29 K, 15 BB, 13 HR

¨        2007:  11-11, 4.93 ERA, 204.1 IP, 1.60 WHIP

¨        His quality start on June 17^th was his first in exactly a month.  ERA on May 17^th:  3.88.

¨        For success, he needs to induce ground balls.  Lots and lots of ground balls.  Especially once he gets through the order once, it’s imperative he keeps the ball on the ground—because he’s not striking anybody out.

¨        The intriguing thing about Livan—the thing that will keep teams interested in his services if the Twins decide they want to trade him—is that certain peripherals aren’t horrible:  line-drive percentages, home runs percentages, ground ball percentages…they’re all right around average.  He just gives up a lot of hits.  Sure, he’s very hittable, but he’s had some bad luck, too.

[Editor's note:  Please forgive the formatting.  We've different fonts all over the place here, and it's far too time-consuming to re-type the entire thing than just cut-and-paste from Word.  It's still readible...right?  Enjoy your Friday, everyone.]

The following appears in the Dugout Splinters insert of GameDay for the Tuesday - Thursday series versus the Washington Nationals.

Batten Down the Hatches

This is it.  We're entering that stretch of the season where the teams in the middle of the pack either make a run, fall away or, even worse, tread water.  That's what the Twins did in '07, and all it did was confuse the heck out of everyone.  Looking at the team as it is now, there are more than a few holes that need patching to keep the vessel afloat.

What's Working...

There are a couple of obvious positions that are pretty well afloat, and of course they're the predictable ones:  catcher, first base, second base, closer.  At any one time you could probably pick a pair of starting pitchers that are doing well, maybe even throw in a trio of relievers.  Feeling generous?  Jason Kubel's 10 homers and .758 OPS aren't horrible, so we'll count the designated hitter position as satisfactory, although he's done the best offensively while playing in left field.

What's Not Working...

Pretty much everything else.  There's been a revolving door at third base and shortstop, which has netted the Twins some pretty mediocre defense, three home runs and a .239/.285/.327 line.  While Brian Buscher and Matt Macri have succeeded in limited time this year, it's far too early into that experiment to deem it a successful platoon.  The corner outfield positions haven't provided the power, or run production in general, that we were hoping for.  Both Delmon Young and Michael Cuddyer have stepped up their contributions, but it's a long season, and they both have a long way to go.  In center field, Carlos Gomez is playing good defense, but has only stolen two bases since May 11^th, while getting caught five times in between.  Then there's the pitching staff, which seems to leak runs at a much higher rate than Twins fans are used to.  That includes the bullpen, which is going into its first home series without Juan Rincon.

Unfortunately, with the way this team is set up, there isn't a lot that can be done.  There isn't any position player help to bring up, and Francisco Liriano won't resurface until after the All-Star break...unless Livan Hernandez gets traded or someone gets hurt.  And those are two scenarios in their own rights.  But with only one trade chip (whose stock isn't very high at the moment), it's what-you-see-is-what-you-get with the Twins.  And if we're going to judge the next month and a half by what we've seen so far this season, we might be in for some stormy weather.  Red sky in the morning...

Course and Heading?

If you're into the clues that will tell you where the team will be heading in the coming weeks, there are a couple of things you can be on the lookout for.  First, note which major league pitcher is on the same schedule as Liriano.  Liriano will be a starter when he does return, and he'll have to replace somebody.  Second, make a note of how often Craig Monroe gets playing time.  Denard Span is doing very well in Rochester, and if Monroe continues to struggle at the plate something might happen.  Ron Gardenhire has expressed his desire to get Span onto his bench.  Finally, take careful note of which relief pitchers are being put into high-leverage situations.  Gardenhire manages his bullpen very well when there's a hierarchy, even if it's predictable, so look for him to establish roles.  Matt Guerrier, Jesse Crain and Dennys Reyes have decent numbers, but the results of his choices will also determine the back-end of the bullpen...and that's where the questions lie.

All-Stars:  Who Should Go?

With the game less than a month away, it's a good time to start discussing potential representatives for the All-Star game.  At its best, balloting for the mid-summer classic is a popularity contest.  At it's worst, it can be seen as an exhibition in ignorance.  While Joe Mauer trailed Boston backstop Jason Varitek by less than 41,000 votes on Monday, it was Ivan Rodriguez who came in third place for catchers.  He of the .262/.304/.366 line is somehow beating out great seasons from Dioner Navarro (.327/.363/.446), Gerald Laird (.293/.351/.425) and A.J. Pierzynski (.301/.344/.437).  Does it make sense?  I'm not sure, but I'd love for you to tell me the last time All-Star voting got it right, because I'm clueless.

It's also fair to argue that you'd rather see names you recognize on the roster, which makes complete sense.  Why vote for someone you've never heard of?  But then we're getting into a completely different realm of questions having to deal with why exactly we vote for who we vote for.  If you're voting for I-Rod over Navarro, it can only be because you recognize his name, and so you're voting him in based on the merits of his distinguished career.  But is that how we vote?  Are we voting for guys with great careers?  Or are we voting for guys having great seasons?

So when you're sitting in your seats this month and someone comes by and hands out a fist full of ballots, ask them what we're supposed to be voting on.  Ask your neighbor.  Start a debate.  It's baseball, and that's part of the fun!

ON THE HILL  

Tuesday:  Livan Hernandez  (6-4, 5.84 ERA)

• ¨ 2008: 89.1 IP, 136 H, 28 K, 15 BB, 13 HR
• ¨ 2007: 11-11, 4.93 ERA, 204.1 IP, 247 H, 34 HR
• ¨ Fastball, changeup, curveball, slider
• ¨ Hernandez hasn't gone longer than six innings OR allowed fewer than five runs since May 17^th.
• ¨ Don't let the ERA splits fool you (4.67 home, 7.00 away); the only real difference in the Dome is that he gets more ground ball outs. He's still being hit just as hard, and opponents are still reaching base just as often.
• ¨ That's the thing with Livan-it's not just how often he gets hit, but HOW he gets hit.
• ¨ The Twins need him to have a good start if they want to get back any trade value.

Wednesday:  Kevin Slowey  (3-6, 4.70 ERA)

• ¨ 2008: 51.2 IP, 52 H, 35 K, 7 BB, 9 HR
• ¨ 2007: 4-1, 4.73 ERA, 66.2 IP, 82 H, 47 K, 11 BB, 16 HR
• ¨ Fastball, changeup, curveball, slider
• ¨ After a brief bump in the road on June 8^th, Slowey got back on track in his last start, going eight innings and allowing just a pair of runs.
• ¨ Slowey was actually "stronger" as his last outing went along-his first fastball was clocked at 89, his final one clocked at 93.

Thursday:  Glen Perkins  (2-2, 4.57 ERA)

• ¨ 2008: 45.1 IP, 59 H, 27 K, 12 BB, 8 HR
• ¨ 2007: 0-0, 3.14 ERA, 28.2 IP, 23 H, 20 K, 12 BB
• ¨ Fastball, changeup, curve/slurve
• ¨ Perkins notched his first quality starts in four chances his last time out, lasting six innings in Milwaukee.
• ¨ He doesn't get many ground balls, and hitters square up well on his stuff, but if he can keep the ball in the park and the defense keeps the miscues to a minimum, he'll mitigate the damage.
• ¨ While he doesn't throw the breaking ball(s) as often as his fastball/changeup combo, they're vitally important to his success. He'll need to throw them for strikes.

The following will appear in the June kickoff of GameDay, of which I was fortunate enough to be Guest Editor for the second time this year.  Thanks again to GameDay and John Bonnes, as well as to my contributing authors for the monthly features and our graphic artist, Jay.

In Bloom

Minnesota went 15-13 in the second full month of the '08 season, which was good enough to keep them right in the thick of the AL Central.  Entering play on Monday, this leaves them one game off the pace set by current division leaders Chicago.  After a generally lethargic performance by the offense in April, a number of players stepped up their game in May.  The overall difference in team offense between April and May is a pretty stark contrast:

The arrival of Alexi Casilla couldn't have come at a better time.  He's still raw, but his patience at the plate is paying huge dividends.  In 50 May at-bats he raked, putting together a scathing line of .340/.417/.520.  Nobody's under the delusion that he can sustain this level of production all year, but his peripherals look great, and he's been a perfect fit at the top of the order with Carlos Gomez.

Speaking of which, Casilla wasn't the only one to flash some improved plate discipline.  The aforementioned Gomez hit .299/.348/.449 on the month, working six walks as opposed to the disappointing single one in all of April.  If Alexi and Carlos continue to hit well at the top of the order, they're going to give the middle of the order plenty of run-producing opportunities.

Know what?  I think they're up to the challenge...the M&M boys destroyed pitching in May.  Joe Mauer, even after a relatively cold close to the month, put together an astounding .333/.442/.387 performance, including an incredible 19 walks.  Justin Morneau had already hit well in April, but he did even better in May.  While "only" hitting four home runs, he once again displayed the ability to let power be a secondary trait when simply being an exceptionally good hitter and merely driving the ball will do.  He batted .336/.405/.496, hitting with authority to all fields.

With the pitching hitting some stumbling blocks last month it's even more imperative that the bats stay alive.  If the as-of-yet under-performing Delmon Young and Michael Cuddyer (both have had brighter moments recently) can join the guys listed above, we might be talking about a legitimate pennant race by this time next month.

State of the Pitching Staff

First things first:  In case you haven't heard the status of Nick Blackburn (who was hit in the face by a line drive on Sunday afternoon), he expects to make his next start on Friday against the White Sox.  All gold stars and warm fuzzies there.

As for the rest of the boys, there's been some good mixed with some bad.  Boof Bonser had a target on every pitch he threw in May (six starts, 30.1 innings, 38 hits, 35 runs, 8.60 ERA), and is likely headed to the bullpen.  While Thursday's starter is still listed as TBA as of this printing, it's likely that Scott Baker will take Bonser's slot.  Last week, under the guise of keeping Glen Perkins on a 5-day rotation, Bonser's start was bumped back a day.  That move happened to coincide with Baker's final rehab start...wink-wink, nudge-nudge.  If for any reason Blackburn is unable to go on Friday, you might see Boof make one final start there before getting a new role.

On the whole, while there were some big boosts from certain hurlers in May (specifically Kevin Slowey and Perkins), it was still the pitching (and defense for that matter) that kept the offensive boom from netting more than a +2 record for the month:

ON THE HILL  

Tuesday:  Kevin Slowey  (2-4, 3.38 ERA)

¨        2008:  34.2 IP, 30 H, 24 K, 6 BB, 6 HR

¨        2007:  4-1, 4.73 ERA, 66.2 IP, 82 H, 47 K, 11 BB

¨        Fastball, changeup, curve, slider

¨        For a guy who "doesn’t have a strikeout pitch", he does pretty well.

¨        He threw a complete game in his last start, but still threw fewer pitches than he had in his previous three.

¨        As far as Slowey is concerned, accuracy is king.  He won’t overpower anyone, but all of his pitches can be thrown for strikes.  When he’s on his game he’s a marksman, and it’s beautiful

Wednesday:  Glen Perkins  (2-2, 3.90 ERA)

¨        2008:  30 IP, 37 H, 16 K, 6 BB, 4 HR

¨        2007:  0-0, 3.14 ERA, 28.2 IP, 23 H, 20 K, 12 BB

¨        Fastball, changeup, curve/slurve

¨        He had his first rough start in five his last time out, managing only four innings.

¨        Perkins has been throwing his changeup a bit more often this season, but at the cost of how often he uses his breaking balls.  This could be because of how similar is fastball is to his changeup in movement, which makes it more deceptive.

¨        He’s been hit very hard this year, especially for a guy who’s putting up solid number as he has.  Nearly 30% of balls-in-play against him have been line drives, which are the most difficult BIP to turn into outs.

¨        At least half of his breaking balls will miss the strike zone, according to pitch records.  It’s his only pitch with much horizontal break, but there can be a lot of it.

Thursday:  Scott Baker  (2-0, 4.09 ERA)

¨        2008:  33 IP, 31 H, 29 K, 5 BB, 6 HR

¨        2007:  9-9, 4.26 ERA, 143.2 IP, 162 H, 102 K, 29 BB

¨        Fastball, changeup, curve, slider

¨        Baker made his two rehab starts, and pitched well on both occasions.

¨        He gets good movement off both of his breaking balls which, opposite of Perkins, have less spin than his fastball and changeup.

¨        Baker relies on location just like Slowey.  Neither one of them are over-powering, but where Slowey can paint his pitches where he likes, Baker’s able to attack a bit more direct.

 The following will appear in the Gameday Program for this weekends series against the Yankees.  I wrote it.  I have reservations about giving away my pearls of genious and wisdom for free, but I though, ah, what the hell.

April Showers Bring…

April was not a kind month to the hitters of the Minnesota Twins.  They finished the month with the worst On Base Percentage and the third worst Slugging Percentage in the AL and scored more runs than only the lowly Royals.  Carlos Gomez, the centerpiece of the Johan Santana trade, was exciting for the first few games before showing his inexperience en route to a dreadful .253/.260/.354 (Batting Average/On Base Percentage/Slugging Percentage) hitting line.  Michael Cuddyer spent most of the month hurt, Joe Mauer hit a lukewarm .298 with 0 home runs, Jason Kubel did little outside a few home runs, Mike Lamb hit below the Mendoza line, and Delmon Young did nothing to add power to the lineup.

May brought the flowers as promised.  The Twins have rebounded to score 129 runs so far in May, 3rd most in the American League, while putting up the third best On Base Percentage in the league and a surprisingly solid sixth best Slugging Percentage.  The Twins also managed to defy their usual problems with plate patience by drawing the third most walks in the AL and striking out the third fewest times.

Leading the improvement charge was Carlos Gomez.  After sitting out a game in Oakland on April 23rd, Gomez hit a home run and a single in his return to the lineup and hasn’t looked back since, posting a  .317/.367/.505/ line with 4 home runs total and 8 stolen bases in 10 chances.  All this was capped by his astounding cycle performance on May 7th in a 13-1 drubbing of the hated White Sox.  Gomez still strikes out a lot, but after only one walk in the entire month of April his 6 in May are doing wonders for his OBP, which is doing wonders for his ability to actually use his speed as a leadoff hitter.

Jason Kubel returning to form has also had a big effect on the Twins offense.  After a bad April that had Craig Monroe threatening for more at bats in the DH spot, Kubel has gotten on track in May with a .264/.344/.472 line with 2 home runs in 53 at bats.  After a dreadful 20/3 K/BB ratio in April, he has found his plate eye again with an even 7/7 ratio in May.  After years of seeing players like Jason Tyner and Lew Ford spend lots of time in the DH spot, it’s nice to see Kubel start to thrive in the role.

There is more room for improvement too.  Michael Cuddyer has stunk up the batters box since his return and is now hitting a putrid .237/.304/.319.  Cuddyer is an important hitter for the Twins since most of the Twins best hitters are all left handed and productive Cuddyer makes it much harder for opposing managers to create favorable matchups against Mauer, Morneau, and Kubel late in the game.  Meanwhile, Delmon Young has also struggled at the plate with a mediocre .268 BA and almost no power.  The Twins expected to have more than one home run between their two starting corner outfielders by now.  Fortunately, Cuddyer’s established track record and Young’s age gives us plenty of reason to think they’ll bounce back soon and give the offense another boost.

And, sure, it doesn’t have anything to do with offense, but Fransisco Liriano is still down in AAA slowly getting his control and velocity back…

The Little Things?

The media, both local and national, has long praised the Twins for “doing all the little things right.”  But it doesn’t seem like this year’s Twins got the memo.  The Twins defense this year has been quite bad by several different measurements.  Team Defensive Efficiency measures the percentage of balls in play that a team turns into outs.  Even seemingly small variations in this number can have enormous effects on the effectiveness of a team’s ability to prevent runs.  Currently, the Twins DEF ranks them at 24th in baseball, a very bad place to be for a team that is supposed to pride itself on defense and pitching.  The Twins are also making more mistakes than most teams as they have already committed 40 errors, 4th most in baseball.  And all of this isn’t taking into account a whole host of other mistakes the Twins have made such as Delmon Young’s recent misplay that turned a blooper down the line into a game-tying inside the park home run or Brendon Harris’s continued struggles at turning the double play.

Another thing the Twins have been used to is a rock solid bullpen.  The Twins bullpen has been downright pedestrian this year, ranking in at 8th in the American League in ERA.  Losing 8th inning ace Pat Neshek has had a predictably bad effect on the bullpen as the Twins relievers have given up more runs in May than the relievers of any other AL team.  This is all after signing the still-dominant Joe Nathan to a contract worth at least $47 million this offseason.  Unfortunately, Nathan hasn’t been used terribly often this year, having logged only 20.1 innings so far, which represents only 13% on the bullpen’s total innings.  A lot of pitchers are going to have to step up to fill Neshek’s funky shoes and it seems like the best pitcher on the team should be asked for a little extra as well.

ON THE HILL  

Friday: Glen Perkins (2-1, 2.77 ERA, 5.5 K/9)

•    2008:  26 IP, 16 K, 27 H, 4 BB, 4 HR
•    (AAA):  33.1 IP, 27 K, 28 H, 19 BB, 2 HR
•    After missing most of last year with a shoulder injury, Glen Perkins has made the most of his time in the majors since his callup with 4 great starts against some of the league’s top offenses.
•    Perkins has stranded over 90% of his runner allowed on base so far this season.  Unfortunately, history shows that number to be impossibly high for any pitcher to sustain over time, so unless he starts allowing fewer baserunners he’s likely to start seeing more runs score.

Saturday: Boof Bonser (2-6, 6.16 ERA, 5.6 K/9)

•    2008:  61.3 IP, 68 H, 40 K, 17 BB, 8 HR
•    2007:  173 IP, 199 H, 136 K, 65 BB, 27 HR
•    Boof will be happy to see the month of May end.  After a solid April with a 3.75 ERA, Boof has been throwing batting practice in May to the tune of a 9.59 ERA…
•    And there may be good hope for Boof going forward. Bonser has stranded only 52% of his runners so far.  That number is bound to improve, helping Bonser’s ERA.
•    Boof may be running out of chances though.  With Scott Baker returning from the DL, Bonser may find himself the odd man out if he doesn’t find his stuff soon.

Sunday: Nick Blackburn (4-3, 3.39 ERA, 4.8 K/9)

•    2008: 71.2 IP, 38 K, 86 H, 11 BB, 4 HR
•    2007 (AAA): 110.2 IP, 57 K, 96 H, 12 BB, 7 HR
•    And you thought the Twins lost Carlos Silva.  Blackburn has showed why he was ranked the Twins best prospect by Baseball America this offseason.  He doesn’t strike many out, but he walks very few and gets a lot of ground balls.
•    For a change of pace, Blackburn has stranded a totally average number of runners and all of his peripheral numbers align with his results.  His performance so far has been legit.

Monday: Livan Hernandez (6-2, 4.22 ERA, 2.7 K/9)

•    2008:  70.1 IP, 22 K, 90 H, 13 BB, 9 HR
•    2007:  204.3 IP, 90 K, 247 H, 79 BB, 34 HR
•    Hernandez’s signing was a controversial move for the Twins.  His fastball routinely guns in around 85 MPH, his performance has suffered over the last few years, he was blocking the youngsters, and the move to the AL, league of the DH, would balloon his ERA off the charts.  Or so it seemed…
•    Instead, Hernandez has done a nice job for the Twins.  He still has a laughably low strikeout rate, but he’s cut his walk rate in half and given a nice boost to the number of grounders he induces.  With all the injuries to the bullpen, Hernandez’s steady 200 innings may be just what the doctor ordered.

Continue reading this post »

The following appears in GameDay magazine's Dugout Splinters insert for the Minnesota Twins, for this week's series with the Texas Rangers.

Help Wanted

You’re only as strong as your weakest link, the sum of the parts is greater than the whole, the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few.  Wait…was that The Wrath of Khan?

Injuries and unexpected performances are a part of baseball, and the Twins are certainly no exception to the rule.  Additionally, it’s not as though they’ve been to minor players:  Michael Cuddyer, Kevin Slowey, Adam Everett, Scott Baker, Nick Punto, Pat Neshek and Matt Tolbert.  That’s a lot of middle infielders, and the Twins were fortunate to have as many off-days as they did with the injuries to a pair of starters.  It’s frustrating because the division is beating itself up a bit, so playing .500 ball has kept the Twins at, or near, the top of the AL Central.

Once again, career back-ups and unproven minor leaguers are being asked to step up and fill in the gaps.  Alexi Casilla, the 23-year old speedster, was brought up to replace Punto.  When Tolbert went down, 34-year old journeyman Howie Clark was brought up.  With former Astros Mike Lamb and Adam Everett unable to take advantage of their playing time, and with Brendan Harris not hitting as the Twins had hoped, it’s easy for both Casilla and Clark to look at their callups as an opportunity to impress rather than a necessary evil.

Clark, drafted in ’92 by Baltimore, saw his major league debut 10 years later and has bounced between Toronto and the Orioles since.  With his third franchise, he made his debut with the Twins Sunday, but there aren’t any delusions about what he can or can’t bring to the club.  So, even if he plays well, he’s likely back to Rochester when Punto or Tolbert return.

Casilla, while likely in line for the same fate as Clark when Punto returns, is a player on another path.  Lightning quick but frustratingly raw, the organization still views Alexi as part of the infield’s future.  If he plays well, he’ll still be optioned back to Rochester, but he’ll have made it an easy decision for the team when they decide to make a change later in the summer.  This season in Rochester he’s in many ways the same player he’s always been:  fast but undisciplined on the bases, makes some mental mistakes in the field, complicated by basic mechanical problems (chicken and the egg, anyone?), zero power.  The main difference, and it’s a big one, is that he’s drawing significantly more walks.  As a result, his batting average was a paltry .219, but his on-base percentage was a respectable .350.  He hasn’t seen much time, and you can count his plate appearances with the Twins on one hand this season, but he’s extraordinarily exciting to watch.  And if this spike in his walk rate is an indication of better plate discipline or pitch recognition, that’s very good news for the Twins.

Unfortunately, infield replacements aren’t the only place that the Twins are looking to for more help.  A handful of position players pegged as regulars have had an achingly difficult time contributing offensively.  Of all the offenders, Delmon Young is Suspect #1.

Young doubled and tripled in the final game against the Rockies on Sunday, and although he’s on a bit of a hot streak (.326/.367/.391 since April 22), it’s important to remember that it’s all relative.  There’s still a baffling lack of power in his game, which is something that he hasn’t legitimately flashed as part of his repertoire since he was in double-A in 2005.  What’s more problematic are the trends we’re seeing this season, as he hasn’t been making consistent, solid contact.  Coming into the series with the Rangers, just under 16% of his balls in play have been line-drives (league average is around 20%).  Additionally, more than 60% of his balls in play are ground balls; ground balls are easily converted into outs.

In the big picture, there’s not reason to fret over Delmon yet.  This team is on a path to 2010, and Young’s successes (or lack thereof) need to be analyzed in terms of The Big Picture.  He’s only 22, and is still developing.  Still, he’s struggled this year, so here’s to hoping he can keep putting it together and can add power to this little hot streak he’s been on.

Mike Lamb and Cuddyer, unlike Young, are established and veteran performers.  Lamb was brought in to give the Twins a boost offensively from the hot corner, and is struggling to do so.  Cuddyer, who had been hot coming off the disabled list, has been equally as cold over the last few games.  Between them they’ve combined for 11 doubles, a triple (courtesy of Cuddyer on Sunday afternoon) and only a solitary home run.  Finally, Jason Kubel has had another disappointing start to the season after his torrid finish to ’07.  He’s had the power (5 doubles, 4 home runs), but no plate discipline and has been making poor contact on the whole.

Baseball has a sense of balance, but the Twins have been unlucky and unfortunate offensively so far this year.  Hopefully balance can be restored sooner, rather than later.

ON THE HILL  

Monday: Boof Bonser (2-5, 5.37 ERA)

¨        2008:  52 IP, 55 H, 33 K, 15 BB, 5 HR

¨        He’s had a rough 3 starts in May, but they’ve all had just one bad inning each.  Avoiding the proverbial “big inning” would be good.

¨        His tight curve has always been his money pitch, but the slider’s been bearing its teeth a bit more recently.  Just having it as a decent show pitch can make everything else much more effective.

Tuesday: Glen Perkins (0-1, 3.75 ERA)

¨        2008: 12 IP, 14 H, 9 K, 2 BB, 3 HR

¨        Perkins has made two quality starts in as many appearances, and is looking for a permanent role in the starting rotation.

¨        Fastball in the low-to-mid 90’s, a good changeup (low-80’s) and, according to some scouting reports, two kinds of breaking balls (73-78 mph).  You could call them both curveballs; one breaks sharply, the other one loops in a bit slower.

¨        For the most part, Perkins has been a fly-ball pitcher in his tenure with the Twins.  Fortunately, even though he’s allowed three home runs in just 12 innings, he also has excellent control.  As he continues to garner experience, a combination of stuff and control should limit how many bombs this fly-ball pitcher allows.

Wednesday:  Nick Blackburn (4-2, 3.77 ERA) 

¨        2008: 57.1 IP, 68 H, 30 K, 10 BB, 2 HR

¨        Blackburn doesn’t strike a lot of guys out, and isn’t necessarily a ground-ball pitcher, so he relys a lot on his defense to convert balls in play into outs.

¨        From the stretch, Blackburn can be slow to the plate.  Watch to see how aggressive Texas is on the bases.

¨        Standard arsenal:  fastball, change, curve, slider.  The fastball isn’t overwhelming, but looks faster than it is due to very effective off-speed stuff.

Thursday:  Livan Hernandez (6-2, 3.88 ERA)

¨        2008: 65 IP, 80 H, 21 K, 11 BB, 9 HR

¨        Fielding-independent stats indicate he’s pitching over his head, but that’s common for profiles like Livan when they succeed.

Note: This feature appears in the May issue of GameDay, on which Jesse served as the guest editor.  My thanks to him for the opportunity, and for not complaining when I turned in my usual nonsensical drivel.

If you were alive and computer-literate during the mid-1980s, you might remember text adventure games.  These were designed to provide mild entertainment without using graphics, sounds, or indeed anything at all that might be in any way visually stimulating.  Instead, you read line after line of descriptions of the room you happened to be standing in, while typing incredibly repetitive commands like “look at rock” and “get potion” and “go west” to progress. 

Inevitably, the game would require you to run around picking up objects and rubbing them against other objects and so on and so forth until you either unlocked the random combination the game designers had set for you, or (more likely) gave up and wandered outside in search of any diversion that didn’t involve being made to feel stupid by a game that repeatedly said to you, “I’m sorry, I didn’t understand that,” after you had typed something blindingly obvious like “dunk your stupid electronic head in a lake.”

Nowadays, of course, there are video games that simulate in realistic detail everything that happens on a baseball field - unhittable knuckleballs on a windy day, home runs off the facing of the upper deck, Prince Fielder’s ill-fitting uniform pants, etc.  But I find myself yearning for a simpler time - a time when graphics were non-existent and cheap laughs could be had by typing cuss words and watching a game admonish you to watch your mouth.  Which is why I’ve come up with the following simulated game - it’s the Minnesota Twins, in text adventure format.

Minnesota Twins - The Text Adventure

Greetings!  You are standing in a musty-smelling hallway, surrounded by concrete and outside a room marked "Home Locker Room."  Clearly, you're at the Metrodome.  As which Twin would you like to play the game?

> trade everyone immediately
I'm sorry, Mr. Smith - you’ve already completed this game. You may be looking for "Florida Marlins - The Text Adventure."

As which Twin would you like to play the game?

>nick punto
Congratulations!  You are Nick Punto!  Your advantages are speed, defense, and no reason to duck when returning to the dugout.  Your weaknesses include an aversion to first base.

Your first at-bat is upcoming.  You get a bat and head out into the batter’s box... and here’s the pitch! 

>swing
You have swung and missed. 

The set by the right-hander... and the pitch!

>swing
You have swung and missed again.  You step out of the batter’s box and briefly stare at the bat as if it is riddled with mysterious holes.  Some wag in the crowd behind you yells, “Don’t blame the bat for this!”

You have an 0-2 count.  The pitcher looks in for the sign, and delivers another pitch.

>close eyes and swing
Success!  You’ve actually made contact!  You’re running to first base... the shortstop is up with the ball... Looks like it’ll be a close play!

>run standing up through first base
I’m sorry, I didn’t understand that.

>run standing up through first base
I’m sorry, I didn’t understand that.

>sigh

>slide headfirst into first base
About time you figured this out... 

You slide headfirst into first base... and you’re out by three feet, yet again!  Luckily, you remain short and a middle infielder, so you’ll be staying on Ron Gardenhire’s roster.  But it might be best if you picked a different Twin as whom to play this game.

As which Twin would you like to play the game?

>alexi casilla
Try back when you’re older, bub.

As which Twin would you like to play the game?

>livan hernandez
Congratulations!  You are now Livan Hernandez!  Your strengths are - hey, is that a pie?  Mmm... pie...

It’s the fifth day, so you’ve taken the mound yet again - and worked into the seventh inning.  Unfortunately, there are now runners on the corners with two out - allow a hit here, and you’re sunk.  Better come up with a good pitch to throw to this guy.

>try to eat ball
No, Livan!  Throw it!

>throw fastball 95 mph
Ha!

>throw fastball 85 mph
Ha!

>throw curve 51 mph
You break off a pitch that curves some, but mostly is affected by gravity.  The ball approximates the trajectory of a pop fly.  Several players in the dugout wet themselves laughing.  The batter is laughing too hard to swing.  Luckily, the umpire is a more stolid soul, and manages to call strike three.  You’re out of the inning!

>go to Murray’s eat the big steak
You’ve been talking to Mr. Oliva, haven’t you?  Anyway, your turn in the rotation is over - it’d be best if you picked another Twin.

As which Twin would you like to play the game?

>carlos gomez
Congratulations!  You are Carlos Gomez!  You can run faster than anyone else on the team - even fast enough to outrun some of your mistakes.  As the leadoff hitter and center fielder, you must be disciplined... a word that, unfortunately, you have not yet learned.

It’s your first at-bat, and you have a 3-0 count.  Here’s the pitch... it’s looking to be a good two and a half feet outside...

>pull ball over left-field fence for super-awesome home run
You take a gigantic cut and miss strike one, which ends up going into the first-base dugout on the fly.  A glance into the home dugout shows that Joe Vavra is softly weeping.

The pitcher comes set again... and the pitch!

>sprint up line wildly while attempting to bunt
You get an early start - too early.  Not only do you step out of the batter’s box and miss the bunt, but the ball hits you in the butt and is declared strike two. 

You look into the dugout again.  Ron Gardenhire is holding a piece of cardboard that has “DO NOT BUNT” printed on it, in marker.  Scott Ullger, at third base, has given up on actual signs and is miming a swing.  You step back in... and here’s the pitch!

>bunt again
You lay down a perfect bunt.  You’re across first base before the third baseman can even pick up the ball.

Your rating is 5/5 - and you’ll have many more chances at this game.  Congratulations!

Note: This is the second feature for the May issue of Gameday, which Jesse edited for John Bonnes, a.k.a. TwinsGeek. Some of you might find the the points familiar. But I wrote it for the general audience. So bear with me on that. Hope you like it.

"Wow!" That's the sound you hear from the fan next to you when Carlos Gomez makes a play you've never seen before. The speedy center fielder, obtained from the Mets in the Johan Santana trade, has started strong for the Twins in 2008. As of this writing, he was hitting .326/.356/.465 with five steals in six attempts and several sparkling plays in center.

"Ugh!" That's the sound you hear from the fan next to you when Carlos Gomez overthrows the cut-off man or runs into his own bunt in fair territory or strikes out on three pitches with the bases loaded. The raw center fielder has struggled at times to make contact and hit pitches the opposite way. As of this writing, he has struck out 11 times against just two walks in 45 plate appearances. Extrapolating that over 700 plate appearances, he'll strike out 171 times with only 31 walks--hardly the kind of numbers you would expect from the everyday lead-off hitter.

Few players in recent Twins history have been such a study in contrasts. At just 22 years old, Gomez has plenty of time to smooth out the rough edges. But unlike prospects such as Jason Bartlett or Matt Garza who were kept in the minors to work on things, the Twins expect him to file off the burrs at the major league level, while playing a key role in helping the team win. And unlike Bartlett and Garza, Gomez does not have the raw minor league numbers that might suggest that he's ready for this challenge. The question is, why do the Twins think Gomez is ready now?

Examining his minor league record, the answer isn't as difficult as it seems. The first thing you notice is that Gomez was rushed to the majors, where he made his debut as a 21-year-old in May of 2007. As you might do with his both beautiful and ugly play, you can read that in two ways: He either could use more minor league seasoning or he thrives on tough competition. The Twins have chosen to interpret it in the second way. To see why, you have to look not just at raw numbers, but at trends.

This won't be the first time Gomez was thrust into a role where it appears he's being rushed. In 2006, Gomez skipped a level, going straight from Low A Hagerstown to AA Binghamton--a tall order for a 20 year old. He struggled to make the adjustment to AA early, but when he did adjust, he became a force in the Mets' line-up, finishing with a .281/.349/.423 line with 41 steals in 50 chances. His raw numbers don't suggest dominance, but he did dominate in the second half of that year.

Gomez used the confidence he gained in AA as a springboard to early success in AAA New Orleans to start the 2007 season, where he hit .286/.363/.414 with 17 steals in 21 attempts. At that time, Mets vice president of player personnel Tony Bernazard had this to say to Baseball America: "Carlos Gomez showed last year that he can adjust to a league. He can adjust to difficult periods of time. He doesn't panic. He maintains his confidence level."

The Mets liked Gomez's ability to adjust enough to call him up to the majors on May 13, 2007. Just as he had the year before, Gomez initially struggled with the adjustment to the new level. But in early June, when he began to see regular playing time, he thrived, finishing the month with a .299/.351/.403 line with 7 steals in 9 tries. In early July he broke the hamate bone in his wrist, and his season was basically lost at that point. The Mets brought him back primarily as a pinch runner in September, but the long lay-off and spotty playing time took a toll, and he only went 3 for 17, finishing the year with the these disappointing numbers: .232/.288/.304.

This spring the blogosphere was abuzz with the debate over whether Gomez was ready to stay in the majors or he needed more seasoning in the minors. Considering the Twins history of being careful not to rush their top prospects, most polls favored sending him down for a couple of months to work on things. For the first two weeks of the season, the Twins have been rewarded for bucking their conventional wisdom and letting him learn at the major league level. Twins fans can only hope they find themselves saying "Wow!" much more often than "Ugh!" in 2008.

I was fortunate enough to be asked by John Bonnes to be the editor of the May, 2008 edition of GameDay (thus my absence here over the last few days).  It's shaped up to be an extraordinary issue, and I'm incredible proud of the content.  Thanks to John, GameDay, and to the contributing authors for making it a fun and easy gig.

Below is my contribution.  Enjoy, and be sure to find your GameDay vendor in front of the Dome!

“Every person puts out a different heat,” says Michael Cuddyer to Denard Span, “and that’s how I find your card.”  Span’s hand is resting on Cuddyer’s, as the center field prospect plays the mark in the latest magic trick perfected by the Minnesota right fielder.  Span is laughing as the trick continues, until in the end Cuddyer finds both the nine of clubs and the king of diamonds, neither being where Denard thought they would be.

Therein lies the magic in what Cuddyer does:  he goes about his business, does his job, succeeds.  Yet nobody appears to be any the wiser.  In a lineup with the likes of Justin Morneau, Delmon Young and Joe Mauer, Michael Cuddyer somehow pulls a vanishing act.

On some level, it makes sense.  He hasn’t won a batting title, or an MVP, or a Cy Young award.  He’s not expected to be one of the game’s best young hitters, doesn’t boast the speed of an F-15, and the throne of Future Ace doesn’t rest on his shoulders.  His comments to the press don’t incite water cooler conversation about the etiquette (or lack thereof) of professional athletes in the press.  Even on the day he signed his three-year, $24 million contract, it was seen as a secondary highlight to the 2006 MVP’s new deal.  There’s something old school about the way Cuddyer goes about his business, and in today’s sports and media world this means he often gets overlooked.

On another level, however, missing him makes no sense at all.  Michael Cuddyer has been with the Twins longer than any other position player on the major league roster.  Both Juan Rincon and Cuddyer made their debuts way back in 2001, albeit in very limited time.  No other current Twin debuted before 2003.  It’s bizarre to think that Cuddyer, at just 29, is now the elder statesman thanks to all the turnover Minnesota has been witness to these last couple of off-seasons.

While some of us in the seats may not think “Cuddyer” when given the words “Minnesota Twins” in a word association test, it’s a given that the Twins organization, from top to bottom, hasn’t forgotten about him.  Of course there’s the brand new, multi-million dollar contract to prove it.  There’s Ron Gardenhire’s placement of Cuddyer right in the middle of the batting order (third in 2008, up to the thumb injury).  Then there’s the role he’s been settling into slowly over the last couple of years:  team leader and sound bite machine.  This is backed up by his new position in the locker room, as he requested and was granted Torii Hunter’s old locker.  It’s near the showers and has an empty locker next to it, leaving plenty of space for the media while keeping the familiar location for where to go to grab a good quote or two.

The sound bite is where we, as fans, get to see how leadership takes form.  In the wake of the Hunter and Santana departures, fans were unhappy with how the two players had handled the situation.  Going further back, fans were often split by Hunter’s freedom in front of a microphone.  Whether you bought into that hype or not, one thing is certain:  Cuddyer’s sound bites prove him to be a team player.  He doesn’t flaunt his opinions, and when he does mention them they’re stated in good taste.

When asked about the possibility of playing in center field, he remarked, “I'm in no place to dictate to the manager where I'll play.  At the same time I'm comfortable in right.  I don't think you can argue with the results in right.  I know the baggie, and I know everything that goes on with playing that position. If I had my preference I'd stay in right field."

When commenting on his and Justin Morneau’s new contracts, he said, “There [have] been a lot of negatives going around this off-season with losing Torii and Carlos and the whole Johan situation. To have some positive light for the fans is pretty special."

Finally, when talking about the “Twins way,” he had this to say:  “Try to play the game as it was meant to be played, stick up for your teammates, and don't show anybody up. That's the way.”

Over the course of his career there are quotes just like these.  Cuddyer has a penchant for doing and saying the right things, and as a result both he and the team come off in a much more positive light.  His off-the-field track record helps confirm his status as a team leader.

Yet there’s nothing about his game which deserves to be glossed over, either.  In his two full years in right, Cuddyer’s appeared in 91% of the Twins’ regular season games, hitting .280/.359/.469.  Those numbers are good enough to make him 24 OPS points better than the league-average right fielder in that same span.  In that period he’s been hitting in the cleanup position in the batting order more often than any other slot, usually right between Mauer and Morneau.  Still he’s somehow overlooked.  Would you overlook whatever you put in a sandwich?  I submit that you would not.

Defensively Cuddyer’s acquired a reputation for being a head-hunter, notching 15 kills (and an American League-leading 19 outfield assists) from right field in 2007.  In fact, in a study done by John Walsh of The Hardball Times in January, it was concluded that Cuddyer saved the Twins about 14.6 runs by holding and killing base runners.  That was good for best in baseball from his position.  As last summer progressed you could actually notice when the base runners started respecting that cannon, because suddenly the better ones weren’t trying to take an extra base on hits to right field.

Michael Cuddyer has come a long way since his debut with the Twins seven seasons ago.  His roles have changed and expanded, but he’s growing into his new shoes with aplomb.  He keeps his head down, throws down a new magic trick from time to time, flashes an easy smile, and in spite of being the media’s new go-to guy manages to get overlooked for his solid on-the-field product.  Cuddyer is the walking example of Teddy Roosevelt’s quote:  Speak softly and carry a big stick.

Don't let the dimples deceive you.  He can hit, he can throw, he's a leader and his slight of hand will give your slight of hand the smack down.  He's come a long way since cutting Johan Santana in half.