Cuddyer Lands On The Disabled List, Span Called Up
Posted on April 4th, 2008 – 11:28 PMBy La Velle
The Twins placed outfielder Michael Cuddyer on the 15-day disabled list Friday because of a dislocated and lacerated right index finger. After examining Cuddyer at HCMC, doctors told the Twins that he would need two weeks to recover.
The Twins have called up outfielder Denard Span from Class AAA Rochester to replace Cuddyer on the roster. Span, one of the final cuts in camp, is 3 for 9 after two games with a stolen base. Knowing how the Twins think, they normally call up the last players cut if there’s an early injury.
Cuddyer was unavailable for comment after the game. Word was that he was still at the hospital getting treatment.
Cuddyer’s injury overshadowed a couple good things that happened on Friday.
One, how many times do we get to see a squeeze play?
Twins manager Ron Gardenhire used the former Astros to set up what turned out to be the winning run. Lamb led off the inning with a hard hit double into the right field corner (against a lefty, too). Lamb moved to third on Matt Tolbert bunt and then took off for home as Adam Everett dropped a useful bunt in front of home plate.
“I decided that he was a National League guy and knows how to bunt, let’s try something different and squeeze,” Twins manager Ron Gardenhire said. “Lamb did a super job at third base. He waited, waited and didn’t leave too early and Everett got it down.”
I thought it was a fitting play in a game that was a bunt-best. Kansas City’s Joey Gathright opened the game with a bunt single to the right of the mound, stole second easily and eventually scored on a fielder’s choice. The Twins’ Carlos Gomez, seemingly offended by someone trying to play like him, bunted for a hit to open the bottom of the inning, stole second easily then scored on Joe Mauer’s single.
The other thing was Scott Baker and his in-game adjustments. Baker wasn’t sharp the first two innings. Royals hitters were fouling pitches off and really extending at-bats. But Baker got locked in during the third inning and was able to last 62/3 innings before Pat Neshek entered the game.
“I just wasn’t executing pitches very well,” Baker said. Basically it came down to if I was going to survive the outing it was a point in the game where I needed to make some pitches.”
Check out Baker’s pitches by inning (according to my math):
1st inning: 21 pitches
2nd: 20
3rd: 11
4th: 6
5th:12
6th: 10
That’s making adjustments.
One more thing. Did you see Cuddyer clean Mark Gruzielanek’s clock as he tried to break up the double play in the first inning?
88 Responses to "Cuddyer Lands On The Disabled List, Span Called Up"
Really thought Pridie would be the choice over Span.
Will Span start in center with Gomez moving over to right?
I have no problem with Span getting the call as he has worked his “tail off” and has earned this chance. However, Gardy better not think this is a great chance to give Gomez some rest every 2 or 3 days!!!
Go-Go needs to play every day.
Don’t want my first post to look like I have a problem with Span. Just thought it would make more sense to bring up Pridie given the fact that he can play all of the OF positions.
Anyway, good luck Span, and happy to see the victory tonight.
Speedy recovery to Cuddy.
Does this also mean that Delmon will get a shot at the three hole? That would be really nice to see him stake his claim to it with an early opportunity.
Also, hopefullly we will get to see Kubel every day now, he definately has earned it. Good post on that the other day at ag.com
Gotta say it’s kinda scary to have the only guy with any significant experience playing the OF in the Dome being Jason Kubel.
I thought it might be Pridie, too. I’m wondering if Span will become the 4th OF while Kubel or Monroe see most of the starts, with the other DHing. That said, having Gomez and Span in the same OF should make it tough to get balls in to the gap between them.
I guess this will mean we get to see the iron man Jason Kubel in the OF more?
That’s too bad for Cuddy. The last thing you want to see happen to a guy who’s slumping is to have him get injured.
But it’ll be interesting to see Gardy’s comeback lineup tomorrow. Can’t have Mauer/Kubel/Morneau frontloading the lineup with lefties.
Delmon to the 3rd spot? It could happen. Span would likely sit, unless Gardy wants to keep one of Kubel/Monroe on the bench.
Speaking of Monroe. He’s now the only Twin hitter to not get a hit. (I think even Redmond has one)
I give him to the end of the KC series, then hand the job to Kubel. If MOnroe can’t get it in a week or two’s worth of PHs or spot starts it may be a good time to cut ties early and let Span/Pridie take over.
How about Span leading off in CF.
Gomez plays RF bats 2nd against RHP, 3rd against LHP.
Mauer bats 3rd against RHP, 2nd against LHP.
Morneau stays 4th.
Delmon stays 5th in LF.
Kubel plays DH EVERY GAME.
Monroe occasionally plays RF when Gomez rests Span in CF.
Tolbert/Harris/Everett share SS-2B equally.
Span is your 4th or 5th OF, he got sent down, he doesn’t get called up to play over the 4 guys who made the team.
CF Gomez
C Mauer
DH Monroe
1B Morneau
RF Young
LF Kubel
3B Lamb
2B Harris/Tolbert
SS Everett
Flip Monroe-Kubel in LF/DH and Span, Punto, Redmond, & Harris/Tolbert are your bench players.
Last thing I would do right now is screw around with Gomez. He is playing well in center and doing a great job leading off. If I am Gardy I am not changing the one piece that seems to be working.
I would consider a lineup with both Gomez and Span in front of Mauer. Yes, I prefer Mauer in the 2 hole, but with the loss of a big bat why not put the added speed in front of him and manufacture more runs.
Gomez
Span
Mauer
Young
Morneau
Kubel
Harris
Lamb
Everett
I would go with something like that except have Delmon play right and Gomez play left or have Kubel play left and Gomez dh if he isn’t comfortable in left for whatever reason. because Delmon has more experience in RF.
haha there’s no way monroe is batting third.
it should, and my guess probably will be:
gomez
harris
mauer
morneau
young
kubel
monroe
lamb
everett
These are your 20008 MN Twins, Monroe steps into Cuddy’s spot and bats third, he’s just as good an option as Cuddy in the 3-hole.
Sorry, should be 2008, but hey, with nepotism and the Twins system, 20008 could be right!!
did you see Monroe wiff on everything in that last at bat?? As if this has not been said enough - we need to plug Kubel into the everyday slot and let him be the man. AG.com has broken down the stats and now I’ve seen it first hand! Monroe is nothing more than a 5th OF/pinch hitter
kmack, i laughed when i read frankies response, but laughed more at your rebuttal.
i would think monroe needs to get a hit before he bats in the top 5.
i like the idea of young in the three spot. i have a funny feeling that if they give him a shot there, he’ll stick around and wont leave.
I would like to congratulate morneau on his first hit of the season. if i would have known it would have taken this long, i would have frozen a maple leaf last fall and sent it to him usps on opening day as a token of my appreciation.
This is exactly why the Twins are smart to emphasize bringing up talent through a good minor league system. Right now they’re as well-stocked as I’ve ever seen them, and it’s paying off as Cuddyer got nicked up. In comes Denard Span, and if Slowey stays out a couple weeks, they can bring one of several good prospects up for a taste of the Show………Plus, if one of the new guys gets hot….well, that’s what fans love.
This is a opportunity, not a problem. With one move, the Twins lineup is going to look a lot better. If this move were made one week ago, the Twins would be 4-1 right now. Here is the lineup:
1. Gomez, CF
2. Mauer, C
3. Bonds, DH
4. Morneau, 1B
5. Young, LF
6. Kubel, RF
7. Lamb, 3B
8. Harris, 2B
9. Everett, SS
I know its three lefties in a row. If necessary, move Young up one spot in the lineup ahead of Morneau, but that means Morneau-Kubel-Lamb later. Not a big deal, really.
I wish I could find the quote from Gardy last fall about how nice it would be to have Bonds in the lineup. He didn’t say Bonds by name, but it was clear that is who he was referring to.
I really think Bonds would have a positive influence on Young and Gomez in terms of plate discipline, which this team sorely needs. Aside from the glaring fact that the Twins would benefit tremendously from Bonds bat in the lineup.
In terms of the “circus”; I just don’t see it. The HR chase is over. This is Minnesota, not NY or Boston. Bonds would probably like the lower level of scrutiny here.
If the Twins FO is serious about trying to contend this year, this is the right move. Detroit is already showing how the pre-season hype came with serious risks. Don’t be surprised if Bonds winds up in Detroit, and kills the Twins all year.
Found it. A Joe C article from September.
Bonds a Twin? Ridiculous, but …
By Joe Christensen, Star Tribune
Last update: September 27, 2007 - 11:50 PM
BOSTON - The Twins are so determined to bolster their lineup for next season, there were indications Thursday they would even consider signing Barry Bonds.
The San Francisco Giants have announced they will part ways with Bonds at season’s end. The all-time home run leader wants to play next year, but soon he’ll be a free agent looking for a job.
The chances of Bonds signing a free-agent contract in Minnesota are still remote, but the market could be limited. Bonds, 43, has battled knee problems, and most expect him to sign with an American League team so he can be a full-time designated hitter.
Several AL teams already are set at DH. The Red Sox have David Ortiz, the Yankees have Jason Giambi, the White Sox have Jim Thome, the Indians have Travis Hafner, and the Blue Jays have Frank Thomas.
The Twins can’t speak about Bonds right now without tampering, but Twins manager Ron Gardenhire left some strong hints Thursday when asked about the team’s DH wishes for 2008.
One perception is the Twins need a DH who can also play solid defense in a pinch. On the days Joe Mauer needs a break from catching, for example.
So a classic DH, in the Ortiz mold, might not work, right?
“I guarantee we would find a way,” Gardenhire said, laughing. “We had [Ortiz] once. I’m not tampering. I’m just saying: I would find a way.”
The Twins entered Thursday ranked 25th in the majors with 704 runs scored. With eight home runs from the DH spot, they were tied for last among AL teams with Seattle. Minnesota’s on-base-plus-slugging percentage from the DH spot, .738, ranked 12th in the AL.
“If we go out and find a DH who is just a DH, that would be fine,” Gardenhire said. “What Mauer needs, on his days away from catching, is to sit on the bench and relax.
“Everybody keeps saying he’s hurting his legs squatting. Maybe that takes its toll, but every time he’s hurt himself, it’s been on the bases.”
Gardenhire was then asked, hypothetically, what he thought about getting a DH who hits more home runs than anybody but doesn’t have the greatest clubhouse reputation.
“Hypothetically, I think we could try to make just about anything work,” he said. “I think if people come here and get with our system, I think they’d enjoy it.”
Seriously, though, Bonds? Indications around the Twins are, yes. Maybe they’ll never get him, but that’s how serious they are about scoring more in 2008.
I would move Delmon over to right and put Kubel in left. That’s where both of them played most of last year.
Good morning, twinkie fans!
I’m thrilled to see Carlos Gomez is hitting well in leadoff for you! Isn’t he something? He’s got so much talent.
Question: If Epstein called Bill Smith today and wanted to trade Ellsbury for Gomez straight up now, would you do it?
Stay away from Bonds! To say you would have been 4-1 now if you had had Bonds is pure speculation and no sure thing at all. I know your GM will not sign Bonds anyway. No sane GM will when he might be tied up in his trial — or worse jail — soon.
So, would you trade Gomez for Ellsbury?
Before you answer, you might want to look at how Ellsbury hit in spring training and in the first few games of this season.
delmon has got to go to three. he should be there permanently anyway.
gardy is too loyal sometimes for the teams own good. priddie should have been the choice as he is more versatile. could they be trying to showcase span for a trade? he has no future with the club.
It was refreshing to see a young Twins pitcher actually make in game adjustments and I even saw a Twins starter throw inside. Stunning. Amazing what happens when you get the hitters to stop diving over the plate instead of just nibbling at the corners with weak off speed stuff. Hope Boof, Slowey & company were paying attention.
The Cuddyer injury just looked gruesome. I feel bad for the guy.
Projected lineup…
Span CF
Gomez RF
Mauer C
Young LF
Morneau 1B
Monroe DH
Lamb 3B
Harris 2B
Everett SS
Probably should be:
Gomez CF
Mauer C
Kubel RF
Young LF
Morneau 1B
Monroe DH
Lamb 3B
Harris 2B
Everett SS
Hopefully Cuddyer gets back quickly (and then they can have him bat 5th with Young batting 3rd.
Gomez
Mauer
Young
These 3 by far have been the best hitters in the first 5 games. If young would have been in the 3 spot we would have won 3 games instead of 2. This should be the way it goes even if Cuddy was not hurt. GO TWINS
[…] Velle E Neal III noted last night that Michael Cuddyer went on the DL with a dislocated right index finger and laceration. Denard Span was called up to take his spot. […]
When the Twins call a player up from the minors, he plays immediately.
If Span produces in his first game or two, Monroe will still be looking for his first hit sometime late next week.
I wouldn’t trade Gomez for anyone at this point. Talk about entertainment value. I don’t think if we swapped Gomez back for Santana our record would be any different(maybe worse) and we wouldn’t have Go-Go to watch every night.
Iowa,
I would trade Gomez for A-Rod. (only if the Yankees would continue to pay 100% of A-Rod’s contract) lol
I was at the game last night and I am already sick of watching Monroe. Stick him on the bench and start Kubel at DH. Young to right and Span in left.
Are you guys crazy suggesting Span in CF and Gomez to RF. What games have you been watching? Gomez gets to more balls than the aging Hunter can even track down!
Agreed sane, I expect Span to be in the lineup today unless he’s delayed in his arrival. It sure is encouraging to have as many lineup options as have been presented in this blog. Think of how grim it would have been last year if Cuddy would have been hurt early. The options were pretty slim a year ago.
I agree that Gomez gets to more than Hunter does… but so does Span… Gomez has played RF. Span has never played a corner position even in the minors.
kmack: Monroe just as good of an option in the 3 spot???!!
Great, the Twins are turning into Van Halen post-David Lee Roth.
Ryan, I agree that Gomez looks good in center, but it’s early in the year and early in the careers of Span and Gomez. I don’t have a big problem if Gardy experiments a little bit. Especially if Span can produce offensively and they want to keep in the lineup.
T-bone, although I’m not ready yet to show Monroe the door, he sure has looked pathetic at the plate. More like an over matched rookie than a veteran whose had success. At this point I just hope that more people get going offensively and make it easier to sit Monroe down if he’s not producing.
If Monroe hadn’t homered in his first two ST games, would he have gotten the start in 3 of 5 games?
If Span wants to play in the bigs, he will show he can play anywhere. I just think Gomez is a player who thrives on confidence and if you take him out of center you could send him the wrong message. If he has a string of games with bad mistakes in CF then give Span a start to show Gomez he doesn’t have it made out there. I like Tolbert too, but that was a costly rookie mistake in the first inning, not taking the out at second, and it cost us a run.
It’s interesting to me that after 5 games, and I know it’s only 5 games, the starting pitching has been real good with the exception of Slowey, while the offense has struggled. I am one of many who thinks the offense will produce but questioned how much we would get out of the mostly young and inexperienced starters. If the pitching continues to resemble what we’ve seen thus far, and the offense gets up and running this could be a real fun summer!
Will everyone who dumped on BS and the Twins FO after the Santana trade please form ten lines to prepare your apologies.
Too early?
OK, but as of today:
Gomez .450 BA, .476 OBP, 1.026 OPS 4/4 SB
Ellsbury .182 BA, .182 OBP, .364 OPS, 0/0 SB
I apologize for gloating.
When (if?) Ellsbury ever catches up, you won’t be able to find me.
I think Gomez might be encouraged if Gardy shows faith in his ability to try a corner outfield spot if it makes the team better, at least for the short-term. I’m guessing that over the next couple of weeks we’ll see several variations in the outfield until Cuddy comes back.
sane, I love your honesty!
Twins starting pitchers through 5 games:
30 innings pitched
30 hits allowed
Only 1 Walk!
15 K’s
13 runs
12 earned runs
I’d take those averages for the balance of the 2008 season with our bullpen!
Keep gogo where he is and have Kubel play left and let span and monroe be the 4th OF/DH.
How about some love for Gardy?
Harris gets the flu and now playing 2B for the Twins ……….Oh, God, NO!!
MATT TOLBERT!!!!!!!!!!!!
Does LNP have the flu, too?
No, I think Gardy just suffered a surge of sanity. Gotta love the skipper. He sacrificed his only MLB son for the good of the team.
I wish Cuddyer would have slid into third like he did into second on the play you mentioned Joe. I’m not a big fan of the head-first slide and Cuddyer’s injury is proof of that. There was no advantage to him sliding head-first into third base on that play.
Great to see the suicide squeeze. Good timing with your number 9 hitter up and perfectly executed.
Sorry, I meant La Velle.
While I feel bad that Cuddy got hurt, the one good thing about the injury is that now Delmon Young will bat third, which is where he should be. Cuddy is not the ideal number 3 hitter, Young is.
For those of you that suggested that Span is going to start in center, you guys have a lot to learn about baseball. Gardy is not going to put Span in the leadoff spot, considering the way Gomez has been doing. Also, Kubel will play in left and Monroe will be the DH. That’s pretty safe to assume. Span will get some occasional playing time and will move back down to the minors when Cuddy returns.
As for signing Bonds, I like the idea. With the way the Twins young pitching has done over the past week, getting Bonds will make us a more serious contender. Then again, we would probably have to cut Craig Monroe because we would have too many outfielders. If Monroe has a bad April, I would definitely consider doing it.
i think the best idea is this….
(till cuddy is better)
gomez CF
mauer C
young LF
morneau 1st
kubel RF
harris 2nd
lamb 3rd
tolbert ss (he should be playing right now not everett)
span dh (hes not taking the outfield spot away from gomez.. cause then 20 thousand of the fans wouldnt come anymore…he would be good behind tolbert cause tolbert likes to get on base and also he likes to get on base.. span is good in front of gomez cause then span walks then steals second gomez bunt safe 1st and 3rd gomez steals mauer either drives in 2 runs or gets out then young gets 2 runs 
Can’t Gomez just play both right and center, and then the Twins field an extra infielder? That would be an interesting experiment…
They cant give span the start over kubel or gomez. They made the team and have played well. Span will be the fourth outfielder and thats it. You obviously cant move gomez to right or out of the leadoff because he hasnt done anything wrong. And you cant replace cuddy with span because he doesnt offer enough offense.
“For those of you that suggested that Span is going to start in center, you guys have a lot to learn about baseball”
“With the way the Twins young pitching has done over the past week, getting Bonds will make us a more serious contender.”
If you want to parlay the chances of Span NOT playing CF and chances of the Twins signing Bonds, I AM ALL IN!!!
BTW, I would like to learn a little about baseball. It looks interesting.
ok for those barry fans.. let me say this once and only once… MINNESOTA WILL NEVER SIGN BARRY BONDS!!!!!!!!!! HE HAS TO MUCH ON HIM FOR A MIDWESTERN TEAM TO WANT… THATS WHY THE TIGERS SAID NO TO HIM AND WE DID TOO BEFORE THE SEASON STARTED… THE MIDWESTERN TEAMS DONT WANT THAT KIND OF THING ON THEIR BACKS…
there you go… thats why we nor anyone in the al central wants him.. fans in the midwest dont like all the negative that comes on him…
I can’t even understand the mentality that wants to move Go-Go from CF or leadoff for Span. You have to be pretty blind to what has been happening to suggest that.
Young will move to #3 the rest will vary depending on who’s pitching and who’s playing.
span will get two ‘acknowledgement’ starts and the rest will put him on the bench. But I must say a decent bench with speed is a plus. He may actually stick if he sees game time since we’re one pitcher heavy right now.
GoGo may become the most entertaining player the Twins have had since Kirby. Let’s just hope he stays healthy and becomes even more disciplined at the plate.
He seems to have plenty of heart and desire.
It looks like Kubel will be the primary starter in RF and Monroe in DH, with Span as utility OF on the bench. There is no way that Gomez should move from his fielding position and his position in the batting order. He is the twins future CF and leadoff man for many years. Also, Mauer has been successful in the #2 hole and he is needed there to take pitches so Gomez has the opportunity to steal bases. He is not moving. I think that with Kubel practically taking Cuddyer’s spot in the lineup, either he or Delmon bat 3rd (with the other one batting 5th.) Knowing that Gardy won’t like 3 lefties in a row, most likely Delmon would be in the 3 hole and Kubel in the 5th.
Gomez
Mauer
Young
Morneau
Kubel
Monroe
Lamb
Harris (or Tolbert until healthy)
Everett
I’ll just post what I think the Twins lineup should be.
Gomez CF
Mauer C
Kubel LF
Young RF
Morneau 1B
Monroe DH
Lamb 3B
Harris 2B
Everett SS
Keep the lineup the same for players learning a new position like Gomez batting leadoff and Mauer batting second.
Twins have a woeful lack of power.
thrylos98′
“He is the twins future CF and leadoff man for many years.”
CF, yes!!!!
Leadoff hitter, I’m not so sure.
The kid has big time power which he is currently sacrificing to be the leadoff hitter. IMO he will soon be the Twins #3 hitter and the leadoff hitter will be a Span/Ellsbury/Ben Revere type. (High OPB, low SLG)
sane,
How do you spell OBP?
there you go… thats why we nor anyone in the al central wants him.. fans in the midwest dont like all the negative that comes on him…
Nobody wants Bonds. If anybody wanted him, he’d be signed somewhere by now.
Heck, even the Rays passed on a chance to sign him.
First of all, I love the Bonds idea! It will never happen, he’s probably not a TK or Gardy “type of guy.” Anyway, it would push me in the direction of purchasing MLB ticket to watch the club this year (Though watching Go-Go is pushing me in that direction anyway.)
With Cuddy out, I think Span will get at least a start or two in right (as someone said an ‘acknowledgement start.” But after that, I expect Monroe and Span to split time there and Kubel to stay in his DH role. Kubel is by far the weakest defensive outfielder of the three. And moving Gomez to right? You’ve got to be kidding. He won the job. Span needs to take right and earn his spot and playing time.
sane,
Gomez might develop some 20hr power down the road. If he does, and if he develops a better eye (i.e. not swinging on sliders & curves out of the zone), he could be a Rickey Henderson type of leadoff hitter, but still a leadoff hitter. At this point, Gomez is actually more valuable bunting the ball than trying to pull it to the LF
I would put this lineup out….
CF - Span or RF - Gomez
RF - Gomez C - Mauer
C - Mauer LF - Young
1B - Morneau 1B - Morneau
LF - Young DH - Kubel/Monroe
DH - Kubel 3B - Lamb
3B - Lamb 2B - Harris
2B - Harris SS - Everett
SS - Everett CF - Span
I just think the defensive upgrade of Span over Kubel or Monroe in the outfield is too much to pass up…
liondragon,
I know the Twins don’t want to sign Bonds because of the baggage. You’re right. But the fact of the matter is that signing Bonds would make them a serious contender THIS YEAR. I personally still think they can contend with their talented young pitching staff when Liriano returns and a pretty solid lineup once Morneau starts hitting. But signing Bonds would greatly improve their chances this year. Bonds, Morneau, and Young would be one of the best 3-4-5 combos in the game. I know the chances are slim to none becasue of the baggage. All I’m saying is that it would be a great move…good players are more important than perfect harmony in the clubhouse…just look at the Yankees.
So, let’s be positive and predict that Denard Span plays great and sticks with the club, considering we are one pitcher heavy. Then what?
I think Cuddy needs to be our version of Brandon Inge and move back to 3B.
I also think Go-Go can grow into a #3 hitter. So, down the road:
1. Span (RF)
2. Mauer (C)
3. Gomez (CF)
4. Morneau (1B)
5. Young (LF)
6. Kubel (DH)
7. Cuddyer (3B)
8. Tolbert/Harris (2B)
9. Everett/Casilla (SS)
thrylos98,
“Gomez is actually more valuable bunting the ball than trying to pull it to the LF”
Roger that!
Gomez may force opposing teams to play a five-man-infield.
I am surprized the Twins didn’t go with Garret Jones to give this team some power.
Let’s not forget the goal is scoring runs not stat building. OBP is a secondary stat to runs scored. You use it help figure out who might be the most likely to score. However, in this case we only need to look at runs scored. When go-go starts hitting for more power then you’ll have to weigh RBI potential against what you lose by moving him out of the LO. Where did Ricky Henderson bat?
I take that back the Twins would have had to put him on the 40 man roster then when Cuddyer comes back they would risk losing him again.
It would be crazy to move Gomez or Young around in the outfield. They are only 4 games into the season playing in the dome and to move them around now knowing that in 2+ weeks Cuddy comes back they would be moving again. Gardy doesn’t roll that way. Kubel and Monroe will be in right until Span proves he can field out ther. Same with hitting. Gomez is the only plus right now in the batting order and a rookie. No way is Gardy messing with that.
PJS,
You would rather have Span in LF for range and Young in RF for arm.
Brian F,
Span’s defensive abilities do not outweigh Kubel’s offensive abilities. Kubel is finally healthy and he needs to play almost every day in order to be effective. We need some power in the lineup…we can’t have our 7-8-9 guys be Harris, Everett and Span, as you suggested. And there is NO WAY, Gomez should move out of the leadoff spot and out of centerfield for span!!! Gomez won the lead off hitter job and the center field job. As many have suggested, Span will be a 4th outfielder and nothing more.
Fair enough, sane.
But if Cuddyer is a fixture in right, I’d prefer to continue to have Young get comfortable in left.
PJS,
I was referring to your “down the road” lineup after the Cuddyer to 3B switch.
Jason Kubel has a starting role on this team. He is the starting DH on most nights against RHP.
That is the right role for him. He cannot stay healthy playing in the field, and he cannot hit LHP (.239 the last 3 years).
I really don’t understand the MN fans love affair with him. One guy wants him to hit third, and push Morneau up to fifth.
Bonds=Poison
I think what we’ll see now that Cuddy went down is Monroe in right, Kubel at DH. Gardy seems to like Monroe and he is probably a better fielder than Kubel. Plus, I don’t like the idea of Kubel getting hurt by playing in the outfield.
Span IMO, will be a 4th outfielder and if he wants to stick in the mlb, he better learn to play every outfield position.
No way Gardy takes Gomez out of center or off the leadoff spot with the way he has been playing. He is the reason we have won the games we have.
Oh also with Bonds. Even if the Twins did want to sign him which is very unlikely, I doubt that he would want to come and play here as the Twins are not considered a contender.
This will be the sixth twins game and 2nd not aired. wtf is up with that. Hey you lazy fsn workers including you dickbert get off your lazy ass and work once a while cheap ass bastards. while your at replace the wild announcers, id rather listen to britney spears than those two idiots.
k im done venting, well least its a nice day to be outside!!
Lineup is out:
C. Gomez
M. Tolbert
J. Mauer
J. Morneau
D. Young
J. Kubel
C. Monroe
M. Lamb
A. Everett
This will be the sixth twins game and 2nd not aired. wtf is up with that.
Today it’s because the regular Fox network is starting with their ‘game of the week-style telecasts and Fox’s deal with MLB does not allow local team telecasts to compete with that. Fox has selected one of three games to send your way, depending on region of the country, and all of the other day games are off-limits. In short, blame corporate Fox and Bud Selig, not FSN, not Dick and Bert, etc.
Anyone have any ideas for following the game online? I typically can watch the game on MLB Ticket, but damn Fox/MLB conspiracy ruins Saturdays.
Gomez seems to be open to instruction from the staff.We are better served to have him make mistakes up here,were the staff can tell him what he did wrong in that night’s game and hopefully minimize future mistakes.
I agree that the Twins appear unlikely to sign Bonds. I’ve said before, I still think this is a huge double standard in MLB; there is a player with a positive PED test in Twins’ bullpen, and admitted wife beaters on mlb rosters.
But two points about Bonds:
1)On helping the team: Would you rather give 300AB to Craig Monroe, or Barry Bonds? Because let’s face it, Monroe is getting at least 300 Twin AB this year.
2)On negativity in the clubhouse: Is there anyone on the Twins bench who is going to say, after (gomez/young/morneau/monroe) flailing at a pitch well out of the strike zone to strike out or pop up on the first pitch, “Why were you swinging at that? You should only be swinging at pitches you can drive.” I don’t think anyone in the Twins clubhouse is doing that now. Bonds would have the respect, especially of young players like gomez and young, to do that.
So, on both counts, I think Bonds wouls help the Twins.
As for him not wanting to go to MN–
I think he wants to play, and get 3000 hits. MN has won a lot, lasy I checked. We’re not the O’s (or this year’s Giants.)
