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O-Hud Set to Join Twins: via Bullpen Catcher February 04, 2010 at 10:17 PM; Second baseman Orlando Hudson Makes Twins Central FavoritesIt will be announced within the next few days that the Twins have come to an agreement with former Los Angeles Dodgers second baseman Orlando Hudson. Hudson's signing will be squeezed between the signing of DH Jim Thome and what is sure to be the soon announcement of a 10-year-deal between the team and 2009 AL MVP Joe Mauer.It's a hell of
Thome in the lineup!: via Bullpen Catcher January 26, 2010 at 11:11 PM; Adding Jim Thome to the lefty-dominated Twins lineup is a great move. For a baseball-paltry $1.5 million contract, Thome joins a team with powerful lefties Joe Mauer, Justin Morneau, Denard Span and Jason Kubel. There isn't a team in the league with enough lefties to roll out in late innings against this crew.It's just too bad we couldn't have had Thome for the last 3-4 years. He would have 650 ca
My New Second Favorite Blog: via Bullpen Catcher July 20, 2009 at 11:35 PM; Yep, I've finally had it with Punto.Read this for a summary of why ...
Bullpen? We Don't Need No Stinkin' Bullpen!: via Bullpen Catcher May 16, 2009 at 05:59 PM; Time to make a changeAfter two late-inning blown games in New York, it's time to deem the Twins bullpen an official mess. But it's not just those two losses in New York that appropriate a move to help the team, it's the last two season's worth of poor relief pitching that dictate finding a solution -- and fast.The Twins starting pitching is solidifying as the season moves along. The Big Five are g
MLB Gameday: via Bullpen Catcher May 15, 2009 at 09:11 AM; Gameday Best Of Recent MLB InnovationsIs there any better thing than the pitch-by-pitch approach used by MLB in its free Gameday package? Thursdays at work are significantly better with an afternoon Twins game on in a browser on my computer.I often monitor multiple games when I'm not at the ballpark and it used to be an outstanding function while working on deadline at the newspaper.Obviously MLB
Back in the Pen!: via Bullpen Catcher May 06, 2009 at 10:59 PM; After a too-long hiatus, the Bullpen Catcher has returned to the pen.Time for a few thoughts about the first month of the Twins season:Well, the Twins bullpen leaves a lot to be desired. When you have a knuckleballer in there, a few folks who can't keep the ball down, and Joe Nathan playing less than stellar, things are just not going to go well for this team. Right now it's starting pitching or n
Crede Can You Take The Twins "Higher"?: via Bullpen Catcher March 18, 2009 at 08:20 PM; Photo from Getty ImagesAt long last the Twins made a signing that made sense today.General Manager Bill Smith nabbed oft-injured Joe Crede for one year that will pay the former White Sox third baseman $2.5 million plus incentives. With incentives, Crede's contract could add up to the $7 million which he was initially asking.The signing comes a day before the mandatory Spring Training reporting dat
An Unlikely Flier at Third Base?: via Bullpen Catcher March 18, 2009 at 08:20 PM; First: There's this rumor about the Twins and Michael Young of the Rangers. Not out of the blue nor out of the question, but if Young waves the no-trade clause to Minnesota and the Twins piece a package together well, who knows?In recent days, we in the bullpen have been thinking about a third base option that doesn't involve money, doesn't threaten the current pitching rotation, doesn't cost muc
Blyleven Non-Election A Huge Mistake: Again!: via Bullpen Catcher March 18, 2009 at 08:20 PM; Jim Rice and Rickey Henderson were elected into the Baseball Hall Of Fame today. The voters didn't elect pitcher Bert Blyleven, outfielder Andre Dawson and a couple of others worthy of HOF status.Rice enters the Hall in the final year of his eligibility. Henderson and Rice are undoubtedly Hall of Famers and certainly deserve the honor. Unfortunately, the baseball writers' idiotic unwritten rules a
Michael Young A Great Option: via Bullpen Catcher March 18, 2009 at 08:20 PM; Recent reports about Texas Rangers shortstop Michael Young requesting a trade are intriguing. The Twins certainly could use Young at shortstop (he's bailing on Texas because the Rangers want to move him to third base). If they did that, Nick Punto could slide over into the third base platoon and all would be happy in Twinsville.There are two problems with this scenario, however. First, the Twins w
Reusse Has It Right: via Bullpen Catcher March 18, 2009 at 08:20 PM; Today's column by Patrick Reusse of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune hits the offseason right on the nose. Give it a good read if you have a few moments. {I won't even go out of my way to point out most everything he writes in that column has been said here previously.]
Twins Enter New Year Same As Old Year: via Bullpen Catcher March 18, 2009 at 08:20 PM; In an offseason thus far dominated by the New York Yankees spending money like they got a government bailout, the Minnesota Twins remain virtually the same team fielded at the end of the 2008 season.Not that anyone in their right mind expected the tight-stringed Twins to be big players in any kind of market, let alone during an economic recession. Come on: wasn't it odd to even hear the Twins men
The Off-Season That Could Be: via Bullpen Catcher March 18, 2009 at 08:20 PM; The Twins enter tonight's opening salvos in the free agent market in a surprisingly good position. Unlike last year, the team doesn't have any glaring free agents set to leave, threatening to leave, or pushing the limits of "what should we do with this guy?" (see Carlos Silva).If all of the Twins free agents left the team for other pastures, it wouldn't break or much hurt this team. Left-handed ag
Twins Sent White Sox To Their Demise: via Bullpen Catcher March 18, 2009 at 08:20 PM; After watching the White Sox get schooled by the Rays in the first two games of the ALDS, it's pretty obvious the Twins took whatever last bit of spunk Chicago had left.The Angels/Red Sox series is certainly more competitive and entertaining. Over in the NLDS, it looks like the Brewers are suffering the same pre-playoff hangover as the White Sox. It is puzzling, though, why the Cubs have been so
Time To Think About 2009: via Bullpen Catcher March 18, 2009 at 08:20 PM; Nick Blackburn tossed one hell of a game Tuesday night. Unfortunately, the only highlight for the Twins was the pitching combo of Blackburn, Jose Mijares and Joe Nathan. Giving up five hits to the White Sox is more than Twins fans could ask at this point in the season. One run allowed should also be enough.The bottom line is that the Twins lineup has not been a playoff lineup for a month. When
Detroit (Not) Rock City: via Bullpen Catcher March 18, 2009 at 08:20 PM; I'm not sure which was worse Monday afternoon: Watching the terrible fill-in programming on WGN-TV as the White Sox and Tigers waited out a rain delay or Detroit's horrific pitching display during the game.When Alexei Ramirez sat on that terrifically terrible pitch by Gary Glover in the sixth inning, things got worse. Ramirez has always reminded me of Alphonso Soriano both in stature and batting s
Finally, A Win: via Bullpen Catcher March 18, 2009 at 08:20 PM; Sunday's win over the Kansas City Royals kept the Twins in first place and has many of us watching WGN-TV tomorrow at 1:05 p.m.It was nice to see the Twins get some hits. It was even better to have Scott Baker look like a formidable pitcher against the Royals crummy offense. And, yes, wasn't it nice to see Joe Mauer not hit into a single double play?Let's hope the Tigers are peeved they have to
How 'bout My Minnesota Twins?: via Bullpen Catcher March 18, 2009 at 08:20 PM; Years back I worked with a guy named Mike Augustin who would yell loudly across the newsroom, over the phone or type on the top text line of his raw stories: "How 'bout my St. John's Johnnies!?" or simply: "Myyyyyy Cubbies!"Auggie usually was most boisterous when it was an underdog or a team overcoming long odds.Thursday night Auggie was yelling across the heavens to St. Peter: "Myyyyyy Minnesota
White Sox Being The White Sox: via Bullpen Catcher March 18, 2009 at 08:20 PM; The Twins winning the first two over the White Sox is a major step. Now just a half game out behind Chicago, the Twins are proving a reality of baseball: The White Sox are poised for another of their patented season-ending blowups. Sure, Chicago is just as hobbled and have as tired a starting pitching staff as the Twins, but the White Sox also had a 2.5 game lead heading into the final handful of
It's Over: via Bullpen Catcher March 18, 2009 at 08:20 PM; Tuesday was just another in a line of too many bullpen blow-ups and lost chances for the Twins. I think it's official: The pennant run for 2008 is over.The arms are too tired, the bats too inconsistent and the next two series feature teams just too strong for the Twins to overcome and continue this unbelievable run.