A Firestorm to Purify the 2008 Minnesota Twins

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FSpHXH6TOo8

RECOVER AND MAKE YOUR THROW

Gomez cannot execute walk-off fake bunt -- swings at multiple pitches out of the zone, snaps bat over knee.

DETROIT — It's not necessarily wise to provoke someone who throws a baseball 98 mph, but try telling that to Carlos Gomez. When Justin Verlander became irritated that Gomez and Alexi Casilla kept squaring around as if to bunt on each of their three plate appearances against him, the pair came to a quick decision.

"He stared at them, and I think they were like, 'We're bunting more now,' " manager Ron Gardenhire said. "That's kind of the way they are. They enjoy that stuff."

And Gomez is certain it benefits his team. Verlander "is great pitcher," Gomez said, "but his mind is not good."

That's why the pair of Domincans kept faking bunts (though each actually did bunt in the third inning, both right back to Verlander for easy outs). "He be (angry) and then he try to throw too hard and then he throw (a) ball," Gomez said. "He throw many pitches and get (mad) and make a mistake for (Joe) Mauer or (Justin) Morneau. That's what I told Casilla — 'Me and you go to work on this guy and (mess) up his mind, and then Justin and Mauer get good opportunities to hit.' "

Sure enough, Verlander got angry, and he stared at Gomez when he came to the plate in the fifth inning. Gomez said he relished the confrontation, because it meant Verlander was focused more on him than on his pitching.

"'Why you look at me like that? No, no, you no intimidate me,' " Gomez described of his reaction, which was to return the right-hander's glare. "I'm not a player you look at and my head (goes) down. Hell no, I look at you, too."

Verlander's velocity amped up from the mid-90s early in the game to 98 mph in the later innings, proof, the center fielder said, that the pitcher was angry. "I think it does (irritate him)," Gardenhire said, "and he throws better. So I don't know if it's a good strategy."

Top of the 1st
C Gomez -- Groundout: P-1B (Front of Home)
A Casilla -- Strikeout Looking
J Mauer -- Walk
J Morneau -- Groundout: SS-1B (Weak SS)

Top of the 3rd
C Gomez -- Bunt Groundout: P-1B (Front of Home)
A Casilla -- Bunt Groundout: P-1B (P's Left)
J Mauer -- Lineout: LF (Deep LF)

Top of the 5th
C Gomez -- Groundout: 3B-1B (Weak 3B)

Top of the 6th
A Casilla -- Flyball: LF (Deep LF)
J Mauer -- Flyball: CF (Deep CF)
J Morneau -- Strikeout Swinging

^^yeah this was the 1st time i've seen the twins all year and they took some TeRrIbLe swings. lawd. get one new hitting coach or something

ST. PAUL - It's not "Purple Rain" but a "Purple Game" tonight as the St. Paul Saints celebrate Prince's 50th birthday.

A cover band will play some of Prince's hits as fans walk through the gates at Midway Stadium. The Saints will wear purple jerseys, and instead of numbers on their uniforms, the Saints will have symbols -- just like Prince did when he went by a symbol instead of a name.

Fans are encouraged to wear some of the more outrageous outfits the Minneapolis-born rocker has worn over his career. And fans also will have a chance to win what's described as a really little red Corvette.

The Saints take on the Wichita Wingnuts at 7:05 p.m.

sweet

So many bunts

Need a lot of them here...

http://www.startribune.com/sports/twins/23999629.html?location_refer=Twins

The constantly bunting bundle of energy that is Carlos Gomez might rub opponents the wrong way. One of those times occurred Sunday, when the Twins center fielder and leadoff hitter apparently irritated Cleveland All-Star lefthander Cliff Lee.

Gomez attempted to bunt on an 0-2 pitch in the first inning but pushed the ball too close to the mound. Lee fielded the ball, threw him out, then said something to Gomez after the play.

Lee and Gomez then jawed at each other after Gomez reached on an infield single in the third.

"I was just trying to do my job and he ... jumped on me,'' Gomez said after the Twins won 4-3. "He say, 'Stop bunting.' But not like that. With bad language.

"And I say, 'You do your job and I do my job.' My coaches tell me what we have to do."

Gomez said bunting is a big part of his game and he's not going to stop doing it.

"I know he won't be mad when he throws me four sliders in a row,'' Gomez said. "It's your job to do whatever, throw me 10 sliders in a row. If I strike out, OK. I get you next time. But don't be mad when I bunt.''

When Lee was asked about his conversations with Gomez, he replied, "It was nothing.''

Gomez's infield hit was his 36th of the season, tops in the majors. He is batting .346 with five runs scored over his past six games.

With bad language.

Gomez and Casilla, avid fake and real bunters, remain in Verlander's head.

Minnesota - Top of 1st
Justin Verlander pitching for Detroit
C Gomez bunt grounded out to pitcher.
A Casilla struck out looking.
J Mauer walked.
J Morneau flied out to left.

Minnesota - Top of 3rd
Justin Verlander pitching for Detroit
M Lamb grounded out to second.
D Span struck out swinging.
C Gomez lined out to center.

Minnesota - Top of 5th
Justin Verlander pitching for Detroit
D Span grounded out to shortstop.
C Gomez struck out looking.
A Casilla grounded out to shortstop.

Is "constantly bunting bundle of energy" shorthand for .300 on-base pct?

Jul 23 LHP Francisco Liriano threw seven shutout innings for Class AAA Rochester Tuesday night, striking out 10 batters. The starter has allowed just one earned run in his last five starts and is 9-0 with a 2.37 ERA in his last 10 starts.

They still won't call him up because LOLivan (starter #5) is leading the team with 10 wins (and a 5.29 ERA/1.58 WHIP)

Twins general manager Bill Smith, on Livan Hernandez, who improved to 10-6 with a 5.29 earned-run average with Saturday's victory over Texas: "I'll take the (10) wins. Who do you want, a guy who's 10-15 with a 2.80 ERA or a guy who's 16-8 with a 7.00 ERA? I'll take the 16-8."

link please!

lol

http://www.twincities.com/ci_9935898

Smith is also high on... Livan's experience.

I hate stupid teams.

Someone should ask Bill Smith about Nolan Ryan's 8-16, 2.76 ERA season.

Perkins flipping out at Casilla for not knowing the number of outs/Perkins not covering first base = great combination of events

Ryan was a gamer though, apples and oranges.

When GMs say stuff like that, sometimes I wonder if they're just saying that to protect their guy from criticism, whether it's honest or not.

Ryan DID walk a lot of people. What do you want? Walks AND strikeouts or neither? Scott Baker > Ryan

MINNESOTA'S CARLOS GOMEZ LEFT THE GAME IN THE BOTTOM OF THE FIRST INNING WITH AN APPARENT HIP INJURY.

Two big why-the-hells:

Gomez, yr leadoff hitter with a .282 OBP?? needs to be in AAA.
Liriano not up??

Liriano is still re-learning how to win, and after that happens, he will need to spend at least one week washing Livan's feet.

Looks like Span has been (deservedly) moved to the top of the order, but who knows if he can prey upon a pitcher's head like Gomez.

Span has been making some ridiculous plays in the outfield.

"Walk-off fake bunt" = worst combo of words ever

LOLivan allows 9 hits, 5 ERs, 1K:2BB in 4 innings. Pure gamer.

it was a joke apparently: LOLivan DFA'd and Liriano activated:

http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/news?slug=txtwinsliriano&prov=st&type=lgns

And now they are in first place.

and should be the favorites here on.

Seriously?

I look at their offense and just don't see how they could be competitive with the White Sox, but their pitching is good, and their bullpen is amazing.

I have faith in Gardy coming up short, tho, and I'm hoping he comes up short prior to the post-season.

Can't believe they'd actually be further ahead in 1st if they just replaced 3 Livan starts w/ 3 Liriano starts.

Chris D (Capital City): Twins or White Sox?

Rob Neyer: I'm going with the White Sox because, as I wrote in my blog a few minutes ago, the Twins can't keep hitting with runners in scoring position like they have been.

lol @ Livan's "gutty" 1st start for the "hard-charging" Rockies:

2.2 IP, 7 H, 9 ER, 4 BB, 1 K

Minutes or months, Rob?

Went to my first game this season and snapped this picture, which I just know will warm Morbs' heart.

http://photos-g.ak.facebook.com/photos-ak-sf2p/v308/203/62/513642357/n513642357_866286_8850.jpg

1. carl pohlad

2. http://minnesota.twins.mlb.com/images/2006/05/26/aLei8fMJ.jpg

The New Britain Rock Cats, the Minnesota Twins' Double-A Eastern League affiliate, have placed OF Joe Gaetti on the disabled list where he will remain for the remainder of the 2008 season.

Gaetti, 26, joined New Britain last Thursday in Erie, PA after being acquired from the Oakland Athletics organization. Leading off the 2nd inning - in his one and only AB in a New Britain uniform - the North Carolina State product belted a HR far over the LF fence. As he began to circle the bases, the son of Minnesota Twins Hall of Famer Gary Gaetti collapsed between HP and 1B with what turned out to be a torn Achilles'
tendon. He was replaced on the base paths and in LF by Brandon Roberts.

Joe Gaetti's 2008 line in New Britain:

1 AB, 1 Hit, 1 Run, 1 HR, 1 RBI - BA: 1.000.

3. Denard Span!

Keith Law: (1:42 PM ET ) Where would they be if they hadn't dealt Santana? Three games up? Five? Their good season is, to some degree, an indictment of their baseball philosophy - they may have traded away a playoff berth and a dominant postseason rotation (you want to face Johan-Liriano-x-x-Johan in a five-gamer, no matter who solves for "x?") and took a disappointing package of prospects rather than shoot for the playoffs and take two picks at the end of the year. I haven't seen anyone else take that line.

Did anyone believe the Twins were throwing away a potential playoff run when that deal went down? Look at those lineups. Their DH spot has been held down this year by Craig Monroe and Jason Kubel. Brendan Harris, Nick Punto, Carlos Gomez...

Even if they got pocket lint in exchange for Santana, their starting pitching (outside of letting Livan stink up the joint for a month before cutting bait and bringing back Liriano) hasn't been the team's problem, unless you can argue that, w/out Gomez, Span would've seen time in the OF to start the year AND he would've produced like he has to date.

(Expos-t)

And what the fuck I'll whore myself.

+1 Law: "Kansas City Royals shortstop Mike Aviles, left, chases and tags out Minnesota Twins' Carlos Gomez in a rundown between first and second base in the second inning of a baseball game Thursday, Sept. 11, 2008 in Minneapolis"

Mike Aviles is such a bad-ass.

Liriano since the call-up:

GS: 8
W/L: 5-0
ERA: 1.57
WHIP: 0.95
BAA: .194

185 1/3 innings this year. If he has a limit, will they ignore it to get to the playoffs?

RIP

Way to jinx.

http://d.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/p/ap/20080926/capt.83e2be0a8a4d49968441f6953a534ad1.white_sox_twins_baseball_mnpb113.jpg

that much closer to an all-indoor TBS dome show.