Pretty, Pretty, Pretty Please Gardy....

[PierBridge]

I can't stand Ruesse at all.

Hopefully this turns him back into the beast he was earlier in the season.

Those weren't cheap hits last night they were stung!

Go Delmon!

[greebs]

lots of players have been contributing lately off and on and it's really paying off in the win/loss column. much better having a bunch of players doing their job rather than relying on one hot hitter to carry the team. even tolbert has had some big hits lately.

let's hope it continues and gardy doesn't feel the need for punto to have to play a bunch to make up for all the games he's missed while injured.

[soldoncass]

Who actually votes for Twin's MVP? ....the players, or sportswriters? Right now I'd vote for THOME.....Think about the DH's he replaced.....in the clubhouse and at bat, he shows leadership to the young guys. I can think of several others though that deserve votes, at different times/ways.....Povano, Crain, Duensing, Cuddy, Young, Valentia, and BOTH closers (after losing Nathan late). With a TEAM game/approach, it is hard to eliminate ANYBODY, but THOME...from a part time DH spot....21 home runs make it easy for me.

[PierBridge]

I would think Mauer followed by Delmon for Team MVP with maybe Pav a distant 3rd.

I agree with Greebs other than his Punto take. We need him on the field to solidify our defense which has been a cluster smuck to say the least of late.

[greebs]

This team has done quite well without punto. Tolbert and casilla can fill in just as well as punto. And puntos defensive numbers wouldn't be as good without morneau to make those saves.

[PierBridge]

LOL good one....quite well with-out Morneau too!

[greebs]

Morneau was team mvp prior to injury. With him we might have best record in baseball. Nobody has really replaced what morneau produces but you can't say that about puntos replacement who might still be in minors without injuries to all our middle infielders.

[PierBridge]

We "gardy and I" couldn't disagree more with you on Punto so lets just leave it at that.

And as far as Morneau goes it's astounding how much better our record is with-out him versus with him the last 2 seasons.

[greebs]

Pier, could you post those astounding numbers for us? I don't know what those numbers are but you make it sound like they have been substantially better without him in the lineup. Are you of the opinion that had he been out the whole season that the team would have a better record than they have now?

I know too that the winning percentage has gone up quite a bit the past few weeks and punto has not played. using the same rational as you use with morneau, how come then do you want punto back playing a bunch when the team has won at a higher pace without him playing?

[DonBo]

In 2009, Morneau played in 117 of the first 118 games and the team went 56-62. He missed a week in August and the team went 5-1 without him. He came back and played in 18 more games before being shut down for the whole season on Sept. 12. The Twins were 9-9 in those 18 games.

After Morneau was removed from the lineup for good because of a stress fracture in his back, the team went 17-4 and won the AL Central. Overall in the 2009 regular season, the Twins were 65-70 when Morneau played and 22-6 when he didn't.

Morneau played in 81 games with the Twins this year before suffering the concussion July 7. The Twins lost that game to fall to 45-39, a .536 winning percentage. Since then, they have gone 34-18 (.654).

[Coach1310]

We "gardy and I" couldn't disagree more with you on Punto so lets just leave it at that.

Okay Pier.... I'll bite AGAIN! Since you think Punto needs to be in the lineup, who should he be replacing? When Valencia is healthy there is ABSOLUTELY ZERO reason Punto should play third. You have been very pleased with Hardy at short and Hudson may be a little dinged, but he has much more to offer than Punto.

Punto can provide some solid untility play and his defense is well documented, but to get him in the lineup someone has to sit..... who are you pulling to put Punto in?

[greebs]

[Big Tom]

who are you pulling to put Punto in?

Can he play Center Field? Punto won't get picked off at first and not much of a drop in offense either.

[Big Tom]

How 'bout that. Even a blind squirrel finds a nut. Nice Triple from Denard.

[SledNeck]

Denard made the right choice switching pants styles

[Big Dave2]

Okay Pier.... I'll bite AGAIN! Since you think Punto needs to be in the lineup, who should he be replacing? When Valencia is healthy there is ABSOLUTELY ZERO reason Punto should play third. You have been very pleased with Hardy at short and Hudson may be a little dinged, but he has much more to offer than Punto.

Punto can provide some solid untility play and his defense is well documented, but to get him in the lineup someone has to sit..... who are you pulling to put Punto in?

Maybe I'm wrong but I don't think Pier is advocating that Punto start on a regular basis over any of the other infielders on the team. I do think he is a great utility fielder who can give any infielder a day off or even fill in on a regular basis in case of an injury. All the infield positions are playing pretty well right now so even though I like Punto and what he does for this team, he is in the right spot right now, on the bench.

[blue_healer_guy]

who is punto?

[PierBridge]

Correct Dave, although you left out spot starter which has and WILL be his continued role on the team no matter how much you guys P n' M about it.. it's not my fault some of posters think there favorite player at any particular position can and will play or pitch every inning.

Punto has earned double his pay this season and if you don't see that there's nothing that can be done for YUZ and like stated in my last post it's time to move on with this insurmountable impasse we're at...

[blue_healer_guy]

8 million?

[mainbutter]

How much longer are they going to allow cuddy to ruin this ball club?

I get a sick feeling when he steps up to the plate. He can't see the ball or something.

It's been two months since this was posted, and it REALLY seems like cuddyer has turned things up lately. He's driven in runs that were key in winning a game MULTIPLE times in the past 8 weeks.

Another hitter that has turned things up has been Hardy. That solo home run yesterday won us the game (granted, we wouldn't have needed it if we didn't give up two runs in the 9th) rather than likely having things go into extra innings. He's had a few key hits with RISP late this season.

You'd like to think we could have a team full of people who could hit like mauer and morneau, and be able to play every position and make zero errors. The fact of the matter is that we have an extremely strong defense with great defensive players, and if we have only a handful of guys who don't seem to ALWAYS drive in runs or get on base, we should count our lucky stars.

We have just about the strongest team in baseball right now IN SPITE OF all our injuries. Gardy and the rest of the off-field guys are doing their job well.

Then again, all this is coming from an Astros fan who counts his season lucky if he has ONE guy who can drive in runs. in 2005 I think Lance Berkman drove in something like 70% of our runs.. and we still made it to the world series! lol.

[thatoneguy]

Cuddyer has gone from absolute garbage to almost mediocre - I'll grant him that. He's definitely had some big hits, and fewer wasted at-bats (though still too many).

They'll need him - and everyone else - firing on all cylinders if they hope to beat NY or Tampa.

[Coach1310]

Correct Dave, although you left out spot starter which has and WILL be his continued role on the team no matter how much you guys P n' M about it.. it's not my fault some of posters think there favorite player at any particular position can and will play or pitch every inning.

Punto has earned double his pay this season and if you don't see that there's nothing that can be done for YUZ and like stated in my last post it's time to move on with this insurmountable impasse we're at...

I understand he will continue to be a spot start type of guy.... I can live with that, but will you please elaborate on WHY you think Punto has earned double his salary this season?? I know you aren't a stats guy so you can basically say whatever you want and say, "well... I just think so", but I'm curious as to how you can believe he has earned twice his salary.

[Big Dave2]

Correct Dave, although you left out spot starter which has and WILL be his continued role on the team no matter how much you guys P n' M about it.

[Scott K]

Puntos value is off the bench, and being the backup. "No" bench player is worth more then a couple million. Punto will be taking a HUGE pay cut to stay with the Twins next year, or he will be riding the bench with another team, for less money. I like Punto, and would love to have him back next year, for say 1.5 million.

[soldoncass]

Ruesse has an article today in the Press about the MVP for this year. No mention of Delmon. Haters everywhere. Granted his fielding is Single A level. But anyone who thinks the Twins are where they are now without his bat hasn't watched or listened to the games or oughta lay off the drapes.

Twins announcers were actually talking about Twin's MVP on radio a couple days ago....Gladdin thought it would be CUDDY, because of his versatility with all the injuries we've had. Will be interesting, for sure.

[PierBridge]

All you would have had to done Coach is watch the beginning of season with all the injuries and all the position's Punto excelled at to understand the statement that Punto has earned DOUBLE his pay. Thats why they paid him because he is the BEST in the game at playing 2nd, 3rd, and short at the blink of a switch!!!! Defense wins championships and we are the best again this year!!!!!

We're not going to bother going over Punto's other intangibles that go over most of batting average only crowd in here.

So "FMer's" just keep 2nd guessing everything the Twins do and we'll continue to have the Best most entertaining while killing time at work Baseball forum in the Land....

Go Twins!

[PierBridge]

Gardy said it to a while back about Cuddy. It's a bit of stretch but they both understand what an all around professional player he is and what an asset he is to the Twins.

Then again what in the hey do Gardy and Gladden know about baseball....

[PierBridge]

On a side note I really miss the tags that bring you back to the 1st unread post.

Tough to keep up with all the problems I cause!!!!

[Scott K]

On a side note I really miss the tags that bring you back to the 1st unread post.

Tough to keep up with all the problems I cause!!!!

By clicking on the bold topic, it should automatically bring you to your first unread post.

[blue_healer_guy]

Since this is a gardy subject, no more of after a day off and a day off in 3 days, no more of the pavano, butera expieriment. You better not use it in the postseason, time to get rid of it. If Pav cant pitch to Mauer, you cant pitch him.