Kuzul

The Minnesota Twins appear to have a revolving door at second base.

When the 2009 season began, the Abbott and Costello routine was, “Who’s on third? I don’t know.”

Now it’s, “What’s the guy’s name on second?”

This past week, eight Twins declared for free agency. Among them was second baseman Orlando Hudson.

For the four-time Gold Glover and two-time All-Star, it begs the question—what is it wrong with Hudson?

If Hudson does not re-sign with the Twins, and the odds of that happening appear unlikely, it will be four teams in four years for the switch-hitting second baseman. 

Between two stints on the disabled list Hudson played 126 games at second this season. That’s the most since Luis Castillo played in 142 games in 2006.

For the Twins, they will be searching for their sixth second baseman in eight years.

The last player to hold the position longer than two consecutive seasons was Luis Rivas, the Twins second baseman from 2001-2004.

Hudson hit .268 with six home runs and 24 doubles. He stole 10 bases in 13 attempts. Next month he will turn 33, and after being paid $5 million this last season, he is expendable.

Manager Ron Gardenhire and general manager Bill Smith are going to give Alexi Casilla another shot to secure the position for 2011.

In 2008 Casilla played 95 games at second. A season in which he hit seven of his eight home runs and batted a career best .281. 

In 2009 Casilla and Nick Punto split duties at second. The Twins did not pick up Punto’s option for 2011, so until they make their next move it looks like second base is Casilla’s to lose.

It’s difficult to fathom what Gardenhire is looking for in a second baseman.

It was no secret that Gardenhire did not appreciate Hudson’s attempt to play through his injuries this past season. It got to the point where Gardenhire did not believe Hudson’s assessment on his readiness, and the fact that he would repeatedly wince and grimace while trying to play hurt. 

Typically not a power position, the Twins have had two multiple gold glove winners making the turn at second. Along with Hudson the Twins had Luis Castillo playing second in 2006 and 2007.

Every regular second baseman since Rivas, Castillo, Punto, Casilla and Hudson, all have been switch-hitting singles hitters with some speed and little power. 

In his one and a half seasons with the Twins, Castillo hit .299, the highest among the group, while Hudson hit .268, the second highest.

The problem is both Castillo and Hudson came with price tags north of $5 million, a price the Twins don’t seem willing to pay long term.

In Casilla the Twins appear to have another Punto clone.

The difference is Punto was going to cost the club $5 million in 2011, while Casilla was only paid $427,000 in 2010.

Here’s how the three compare:

Orlando Hudson: 32 years old, .280 career batting average with 83 home runs, one every 50.2 at bats. Salary in 2010—$5 million .

Nick Punto: 32 years old, .247 career batting average, 13 home runs, one every 189 at bats. Salary in 2010—$4 million.

Alexi Casilla: 25 years old, .249 career batting average, eight home runs, one every 119.8 at bats. Salary in 2010—$437,500.

We’ve seen what Casilla can do, and what this clubs needs is an upgrade. Hudson is the best fielder of the bunch, and at this point I do not see Casilla improving to match Hudson’s abilities.

Like Punto, Casilla’s best role may be as the utility back up for the team. With batting averages in the mid 200’s, and with little to no home run power, neither Punto nor Casilla are good options as everyday players. The only edge Casilla has over Punto is his price tag. 

Perhaps the Twins are making the move to Casilla to save some payroll so Smith can make a run at signing free agent Cliff Lee.

I know, it was a struggle for me to complete that last sentence without laughing, but a person can always hope.

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As the Twins head into the winter there are some questions that need to be answered.

Among them, who will be the starting outfield for the second season in Target Field?

Will Michael Cuddyer return to right field, pushing Jason Kubel to a backup role?

Perhaps Joe Mauer will move to left field in order to save the wear tear of catching an entire season, and Delmon Young would move to right.

Is Denard Span better suited as a platoon player? As the everyday center fielder this past season he had the lowest batting average and slugging percentage in his short three year career. 

I compared the outfield for every Twins team since they moved to Bloomington in 1961.

Here are the top 10 outfields in Minnesota history.

The ranking is based on fielding percent, total errors, and assists.

Home runs and RBI were included because, especially for corner outfielders, these are typically considered power positions.

The total wins for each team was included to break any ties.

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Well at least Joe Mauer, Jim Thome, and the rest of the Minnesota Twins will be well rested. They only needed to put in 27 innings of postseason baseball.

After the Twins clinched the AL Central division title on September 21, manager Ron Gardenhire put the team on cruise control allowing his regulars to rest and get healthy.

With another early exit to the Evil Empire known as the New York Yankees, Gardenhire’s strategy backfired, and now the manager of the year candidate may find himself on the hot seat. 

Instead of having a well rested, finely tuned ball club that won the most games in the second half of the season, they entered the playoffs rusty, and ill prepared after losing eight of their last 11 games of the season.

Even having the home field advantage in pitcher-friendly confines of Target Field, where the Twins had the best home record in the American League, could not help them. 

Yet once again the Twins have gone down to defeat at the hands of the New York Yankees in the divisional round of the playoffs. Gardenhires’ playoff record is 6-21, and 1-10 against New York.

In consolation they can point to the fact that they were not the victims of a no-hitter, and nearly beat Cy Young candidate CC Sabathia.

Mauer, the reigning AL MVP, was not a factor in the series going three for 12 with no runs scored and no RBI.

Delmon Young, who led the team with 112 runs batted in, did not drive in a single postseason run.

Only four Twins in the series had two hits in the same game.  

The Twins who entered post season with the third best regular season batting average of .273, could only muster a .220 average against the Yankees, while New York hit a playoff best .292 in sweeping the Twins. 

With a brand new stadium and the tenth highest payroll in baseball, the expectations this year were far greater than any other year in Gardenhire’s tenure as manager.

Winning the AL Central, the sixth title in his nine seasons, is no longer enough.

The Twins go into the off season with several questions and concerns.

Will Justin Morneau be able to return from the concussion he suffered in July, or like former Twins’ third baseman, Corey Koskie, never shake the effects and end up retiring?

Was the wear and tear of catching too much for Mauer and caused his poor performance in the ALDS?

Speculation around Mauer changing positions will resurface—in the event Morneau does not return, should Mauer be the Twins’ next first baseman? 

Will general manager Bill Smith address the desperate lack of power this off season?

Can and should Smith sign Thome for next year, who led the Team with 25 home runs this season?

Yet, there are still some bright spots from 2010.

There’s hope for next year if 26-year-old Francisco Liriano, and 27-year-old Brian Duensing can continue to improve and develop into consistent starters. 

Along with Carl Pavano, these three make a pretty good foundation to build a starting rotation, but one of them has to emerge as the clear ace of the staff.

Young had a breakout year, finally producing like many people expected. Only 24-years old, Young has the opportunity to be a cornerstone player along with Mauer. 

The 2011 season will be a pivotal one for Gardenhire. The novelty of Target Field and the lure of outdoor baseball will still draw big crowds to the park, but anything short of making it to the World Series could spell the end of his reign as the Twins’ skipper.

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The Minnesota Twins have won their sixth divisional title. This is Ron Gardenhire‘s sixth title in nine years as the manager of the Twins.

Currently sitting at 92-60, the Twins have the best record in baseball. At 8-2 over the past 10 games, the Twins have been the hottest team in the American League since the All-Star break.

This is the 12th time in Twins history they have exceeded 90 wins. Incredibly for Gardenhire, this is the fifth time he has accomplished it.

The New York Yankees (92-61) and the Tampa Bay Rays (93-61) are right on their heels. 

For the Texas Rangers, currently sitting with 84 wins, they will have to go 6-4 to end the season and join the AL 90-win club. 

Here are some interesting facts and stats from the American League since the current divisional format was put in place in 1994. 

The divisional champions have won an average of 93.1 games.

The AL East champion has the highest average at 95 games.

Compare that to the AL West champion with an average of 91.9, while the AL Central champion averages 91.7.

In the 15 years since the wild card was introduced, the team has come out of the AL East 12 times.

Boston, with only two division titles, has won the wild card seven times, more than any other team in the American League.

At 92.1 wins, the average record of the wild card team exceeds the average for both the West and Central division champions.

The first year of divisional play the season was canceled due to a players’ strike. In the 15 World Series since, the American League representative has come out of the East division 10 times. 

All the more proof that the AL East is one of the best, if not THE best division in baseball.

Only three teams have failed to win a division title since 1994—the Detroit Tigers, Kansas City Royals, and the Toronto Blue Jays. 

The Tigers made it to the World Series as the wild card in 2006, leaving only the Jays and Royals to be shut out from a divisional playoff series.

The New York Yankees have won the most division titles with 12.

The Cleveland Indians are second with seven, and with their 2010 AL Central title, the Minnesota Twins are third with six.

So what does all of this mean?

Not a whole lot. As with securities, past performance does not guarantee future returns. 

But it probably means whoever aspires to make it to the World Series will have to beat at least one AL East team to get there.  

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The Minnesota Twins became the first team in baseball to clinch a playoff spot. They still have 10 games remaining to play out the season. 

For manager Ron Gardenhire this is a luxury he has not been afforded in the past.

The past two years, the American League Central division title needed to be determined by extending the season by one game. In 2008, the Twins lost a 1-0 game to the Chicago White Sox. In 2009, the Twins repaid the favor to the Detroit Tigers. Even 163 games wasn’t enough as the tie-breaking game required three extra innings as the Twins won 6-5.

Even the Twins’ divisional title in 2006 was not decided until the final game of the season.

The Twins stumbled into the playoffs, losing the first two games of a three-game series with the Chicago White Sox. 

They clinched the division by winning the the final game of  the series—the final game of the regular season.

Thankfully for the Twins, who were battling with Detroit for the division lead, the Tigers were swept at home by the Kansas City Royals, a team that went into the series with 100 losses.

So what is Gardenhire and the Twins to do?

The Twins are currently battling the New York Yankees and the Tampa Bay Rays for the best record in the American League. Currently, the Yankees hold a half-game lead over the Twins, and a two-and-a-half game lead over the Rays.

Should the Twins strive to win as many games as possible to secure home-field throughout the American League playoffs, or rest their regulars and set up their pitching rotation for the playoffs?

I say do both.

The Twins close out the season with a three-game series at Detroit and Kansas City and then host Toronto for four games to end the season.

The Twins are are 9-6 against the Tigers this year and 12-3 against the Royals. If they can win five of six, along with a split against the Blue Jays, the Twins could possibly end the season with a 99-63 record.

Consider that the Yankees’ remaining schedule has two games with the Rays, six against the Red Sox, and three against the Blue Jays, all teams they have a combined record of 22-21, it is entirely possible New York could go 6-5 in their remaining games finishing at 98-64, one game behind Minnesota.

On top of this, after Tampa Bay finishes the series with the Yankees they will face the cellar dwellers of the three divisions—Seattle, Baltimore, and Kansas City, teams they have a combined record of 17-8 against. The best case scenario for the Twins would be for the Rays to go 9-3 in their final 12 games and tie the Yankees at 98-64, and 9-9 versus each other.

How poetic would it be if only the Rays and Yankees had to play an extra game to determine the divisional winner?

Of course, for all of this to occur, the Twins would have to play to win the rest of the season.

With Joe Mauer currently out of the lineup with a sore knee, and Michael Cuddyer having played first base every game except one in place of Justin Morneau, it might be wise to give him a couple of days off.

The bench players, along with September call-ups, have been doing a good job over the past 10 games, providing a rest for the starters, with the Twins winning eight of 10 games. 

In fact, in the third game against the Cleveland Indians, it looked more like the Rochester Red Wings on the field.

Look for Mauer and Cuddyer to get multiple games off over the next week, while Gardenhire assesses his options for the postseason roster.

Outfielder Ben Revere could possibly make it because of his speed, while Jose Morales, a switch-hitting catcher, will get some looks as a potential backup for first base.

Jason Repko could make it as a late-inning defensive outfield replacement.

That leaves Nick Punto, Alexi Casilla, and Matt Tolbert to battle for the utility infielder role.

As far the rotation goes, the Twins appear to be set.

Since returning to the rotation, Nick Blackburn is only 3-2 in six starts, but has a 1.81 ERA and a 0.99 WHIP. He joins Carl Pavano, Francisco Liriano, and Brian Duensing.

There is a fine line between resting your regulars and staying sharp. Gardenhire is not practiced in the art of coasting to the finish, so it will be interesting to see what his approach will be.

With an unbalanced schedule, the best record does not always fall to the best team. There have been plenty of people who point out that the top three teams in the AL East would all lead the AL West and contend for the AL Central divisions.

With a 52-25 record at home, the Twins need to strive for the best record in the American League.

The Twins could use every advantage they can get their hands on.

Now, if only they could get Morneau back in the lineup.

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For Minnesota, the magic number for clinching the American League Central title (8) is smaller than the Twins’ lead in the division (9).

Since the All-Star break no one has been better than the Twins this year—and over the past 50 years there are only two teams that have been this good. 

At 88-58, they are but one half-game from the best record in all of baseball and home-field advantage through the American League Championship Series.

The Twins are near the top of the team leader boards for defense, offense and pitching. 

Their .278 batting average is tied with the Rangers for tops in the league.

They have the second-best fielding percentage of .988, behind the Yankees’ .989. 

Their team ERA is 3.77, second only to the Oakland A’s at 3.59. 

Include the inaugural season of Target Field, and all of this points to a potential third World Series championship for the Minnesota Nine.

Yet something just doesn’t feel right.

Here’s my look at five things that just “feel” wrong, and an attempt to change that—in my own mind, at least.

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 Ron Gardenhhire’s Minnesota Twins are well on their way to winning the AL Central.

This would be Gardenhire‘s sixth division title in nine years.

Another division title was within reach, if not for a 1-0 loss in game 163 against the Chicago White Sox in 2008.

Since he took over for Tom Kelly in 2002, Gardenhire‘s record is 792-644, a .551 winning percent.

He has guided the Twins to four ninety-win seasons, and his team is poised for its fifth this season. Compare that to only three for Kelly over 15 seasons. 

Only once have the Twins finished below .500 under Gardenhire‘s leadership.  

Incredibly over the same time span, every other AL Central division team has had their skipper named the AL Manager of the Year, while Gardenhire has finished second five times—twice to a division counterpart.

His .551 winning percentage is better than any of the last 10 AL managers to win the award.

Has his success been held against him?

Here are some interesting statistics for the AL Manager of the Year winner since 2000.

• 2009: Mike Scioscia’s Angels lost three more games than the previous season.
• The average turn around from the previous season is 23.3 more wins. Gardenhire‘s best turnaround has been only 13 wins.
• The average record for the winner was 97-65. Gardenhire‘s best season was 96-66 in 2006.
• 2003: Tony Pena’s Royals improved an incredible 34 games from 2002—and still finished third in the AL Central.
• Four of the 10 winners of the award did not win their division.

Is the fact that Gardenhire took over for a two-time World Series Champion manager being held against him? Kelly, even though he won to World Series Championships, never had to win a divisional round in the playoffs.

Until the team started to increase its payroll, he has managed one of the lowest payrolls every year.

Gardenhire has done more with less than every other manager, with perhaps the exception of Joe Maddon in Tampa Bay, who won the award in 2008. In his first season, while managing the lowest payroll in baseball, Gardenhire had to also deal with the foreboding talk of contraction of the team—a year in which the Twins won 94 games.

There’s talk that Texas Ranger’s manager, Ron Washington, is the leading candidate this season. The Rangers should win the AL West for the first time since 1999. But the division is weak, and the Rangers may not finish with a record any better than last season.

The problem is Gardenhire and the Twins have been a consistent, winning ball club.

The manager of the year is usually recognized for turning around a losing team, something Gardenhire has not had to do.

Perhaps for next year, the Twins should tank it, and strive to lose, so Gardenhire has a chance in 2012.

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The dog days of summer are waning, and the cooler drier air of fall is not far away.

With fewer than 26 games remaining for the playoff contending teams of the American League, there are still a couple of questions that need to be answered.

Who will win the American League East?

Can the Chicago White Sox catch the Minnesota Twins?

With MVP candidate Josh Hamilton out of the line up and Cliff Lee missing a start, are the Texas Rangers in a free fall?

Here’s my breakdown for the four AL playoff contending teams, and how they will finish out the regular season.

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With 18 home runs for the season going into Saturday’s game against the Texas Rangers, there was no doubt that Jim Thome would advance up the all-time home run list.

Just as he did to surpass former Minnesota Twin Harmon Killebrew, Thome blasted two home runs at Target Field, to tie and then move past Mark McGwire for ninth place on the all-time home run list.

Thome led off the bottom on the third inning with a solo shot off Rangers‘ pitcher Colby Lewis. He pulled an 0-1 fastball into the upper-deck seats in right field tying him with McGwire with 583 round-trippers.

In his next at bat in the bottom of the fourth, Thome worked the count to 3-2, and drove a curve ball off Lewis into the bullpen for a three-run home run, giving him eighth place on the all-time list to himself.   

With 584 homers, Thome has his sites set on Frank Robinson, who is next on the list with 586 home runs.

Due to a stiff back, Thome had been limited to a single pinch-hit appearance in the current home stand before returning to the lineup as the DH, going hitless in four appearances on Friday. 

Thome has been a great addition to the Minnesota Twins this season. In his twentieth season, he has provided a veteran presence in the clubhouse. With Justin Morneau out since the All-Star break, Thome has been the primary home-run supplier for the first place Twins. 

Thome’s 20 home runs this season leads the Twins. He has been averaging a home run every 11.8 at bats.

Used by manager Ron Gardenhire on a semi-regular basis as the Twins’ DH, the Twins need to extend Thome’s contract for next season. With how effective the 40 year-old Thome has been, there is no doubt he can be a factor for at least another year. 

Gentleman Jim has been a class act, not only this season for the Minnesota Twins, but for his entire career.

Even though there are those who hold the fact he will finish his career as a designated hitter against him, Thome should be a first ballot inductee into the Baseball Hall of Fame.

Congratulations Jim Thome!

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On Friday the Minnesota Twins acquired Brian Fuentes from the Los Angeles Angels.

On Saturday Fuentes earned his first Twins‘ save against the Seattle Mariners. For Fuentes it was his 24th save of the season.

For the Minnesota Twins, Fuentes gives their bullpen a proven closer—that makes three proven closers since Joe Nathan injured his pitching shoulder in spring training.

Within an hour of arriving at Safeco Field in Seattle, Fuentes had his first Twins’ save, giving him 24 for the season.

Jon Rauch started the season as Nathan’s replacement. He has 21 saves, a 3.40 ERA and a 1.38 WHIP.

The Twins traded catcher Wilson Ramos to the Washington Nationals for All-Star closer Matt Capps on July 29th. Capps has six saves in 13 appearances for Minnesota.

Combined in 2010, the three-headed closer of Rauch-Capps-Fuentes has 77 saves, a 3.10 ERA and a 1.30 WHIP.

Minnesota General Manager Bill Smith has acted quickly after the Twins’ bullpen lost their two left-handed relievers, Jose Mijares and Ron Mahay. 

On Wednesday the Twins claimed left-handed reliever Randy Flores off waivers from the Colorado Rockies. Flores has pitched 27.2 innings with a 2.96 ERA and 1.28 WHIP.

The addition of Fuentes gives Manager Ron Gardenhire some extra flexibility at the end of games.

Rauch will probably alternate with Jesse Crain and Matt Guerrier for the eighth inning set-up role, while Capps and Fuentes gives the Twins a left-handed and a right-handed closer for the ninth. 

The Twins needed a closer with some experience, and with three post-season saves, the 34 year-old Fuentes gives them just that.

Nick Blackburn impresses with eight and two-thirds innings of shutout baseball.

On Saturday, starter Nick Blackburn found himself in some early trouble in the first inning. With two outs, he gave up back-to-back hits putting runners on first and third. He would get the next batter to end the inning, and then pitch into the ninth not allowing another hit. 

The Twins would pick up a run in the top of the third when Danny Valencia, J.J. Hardy and Denard Span would provide three hits in a row scoring the only run the Twins would need.

With one out in the second Blackburn would walk Ryan Langerhans, and then set down the next 22 batters, until with two outs in the ninth he would walk Chone Figgins.

With the winning run at the plate Gardenhire wasted no time bringing the left-handed Fuentes to pitch to the left-handed hitting Russell Branyan.

Fuentes had an easy four-pitch save, striking out Branyan on a 91 mile per hour fastball.

In his two starts since returning from Rochester, Blackburn has pitched 15.2 innings, allowing only three earned runs (a 1.72 ERA). He has dropped his ERA for the season from 6.66 to 6.02.

If Blackburn continues to pitch this well, Gardenhire will have some tough decisions to make when Kevin Slowey comes off the DL.   

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