twins

[knoppers]

looks like the new starting pitching we brought in did pretty good for there first starts for the twins. lets hope they keep it up.

nice to see hicks get going today, many more hits to come.

[Dave S]

It will be interesting to see how this season plays out. Gardy's job is on the line after last season. One more performance like that and he's gone.

[DonBo]

Yep, pretty nice start to the season, but why is it that the only game they lose is the only game I'm at?

[Dave S]

why is it that the only game they lose is the only game I'm at?

The same thing happens to me but the way they've played the last few years there's better odds to see them lose

[Musky Buck]

The new throwers hopefully it takes time before the hitters figure them out some mostly coming from the NL to us. At least it isn't Pavano, Blackburn, etc. those dudes threw batting practice and struck out no 1 hardly. I like all the new blood, keeps things fresh, everyone is trying to show each other why they made MLB. We need a good healthy season so it's easier to dissect after the season the direction we need to go. Pelfrey is a big dude.

[mrklean]

how long till there first injury 2 more weeks?

[Rick G]

how long till there first injury 2 more weeks?

I thought Hicks was going to be the first one down today, that foul ball he hit off his foot looked pretty nasty

[knoppers]

they need to move hicks down in the order, cannot have someone that never gets on base leading off. he scored his first run tonight, thats not good enough for a lead off hitter.

[mrklean]

hes on pace to break the strikeout record right now

[SledNeck]

Joe Mauer has 7 strike outs already. Not Good

[schmitty3]

Remember when he used to never strike out? It used to be so rare, now he seems to missing fastballs right down the middle consistently...

[DonBo]

Seriously? We're 6 games into the season, in first place I might add, and you're already throwing these guys under the bus?

True, Hicks has not looked ready to face big league pitching yet, but give the kid a chance. His spring training numbers were way off the charts. He earned his spot here and I think he needs more than 6 games to prove himself.

And Mauer? Really? So what if he strikes out now and again, he'll still probably hit 340 and chase another batting title.

[B. Amish]

hey, we're on pace to win 108 games!

[mrklean]

hey, we're on pace to win 108 games!

way to be postive at least were not saying were on pace to lose 108....yet

[Musky Buck]

Sorry Donbo, but Mauer deserves some ripping. 2 walks and 7 K's and zero RBI's ? .267, I don't care how early it is for 186 million, there are NL pitchers with way better batting stats than that. And there are tons of hitters with a worse average but with the ability to provide timely hits. Mauer's average will be fine but will he deliver any hits when we need them, so far in his career they are few and far between, especially the last couple years, ick. If we move him to first he'll be the softest hitting 1B in the league with a Mark Grace average. He should be in his prime, we can maybe next year it, next year,next year, until that ridiculous contract is gone. I actually haven't seen a game yet this year so after watching twins highlights I was wondering if he was on the disabled list ? 0 not 1 RBI cmon. A sac fly, a bean ball with bases loaded, a bases loaded walk, an rbi groundout, anything cmon. 32 at-bats and 0 rbi. Cuddy hitting .478 with 7rbi's for heavens sake. I know he'll be 4-5 tonight with 5 rbi's lol. He'll bounce back and provide great play, but he sure seems out of sync so far.

[Musky Buck]

Also Morneau, he has been absent the past 3 seasons and isn't off to a rip roaring start this year, 2 of his 3 rbi's were a gift of Adam Jones and the sun. That concussion do more damage than they thought ? 62 at bats for the M and M boys and really 1 RBI between them, they need to amp up their seemingly lacksadaisical approach. Time to try something new, the 3 C's calm,cool,collected needs to turn into agressive, eager, and hungry again. Advice to Mauer, get a lighter bat, that Ash club he uses seems like there's little bat speed. Use a Maple from Max bats like Kubel, Morneau etc. If this is kinda the way these 2 guys ride out their contracts it's idk. Thankfully they can right the ship, it's only April 9th but it seems like same ol same ol. A carry over from last year. Maybe instead of all those firings last year by Gardy maybe it was Gardy who needed to go, he seems to think the M and M are off limits or something, cmon Gardy get in their kitchen and make them uncomfortable.

[B. Amish]

Sorry Donbo, but Mauer deserves some ripping. 2 walks and 7 K's and zero RBI's ? .267, I don't care how early it is for 186 million, there are NL pitchers with way better batting stats than that. And there are tons of hitters with a worse average but with the ability to provide timely hits. Mauer's average will be fine but will he deliver any hits when we need them, so far in his career they are few and far between, especially the last couple years, ick. If we move him to first he'll be the softest hitting 1B in the league with a Mark Grace average. He should be in his prime, we can maybe next year it, next year,next year, until that ridiculous contract is gone. I actually haven't seen a game yet this year so after watching twins highlights I was wondering if he was on the disabled list ? 0 not 1 RBI cmon. A sac fly, a bean ball with bases loaded, a bases loaded walk, an rbi groundout, anything cmon. 32 at-bats and 0 rbi. Cuddy hitting .478 with 7rbi's for heavens sake. I know he'll be 4-5 tonight with 5 rbi's lol. He'll bounce back and provide great play, but he sure seems out of sync so far.

who's he supposed to drive in? hicks? lol.

and he's a career .342 hitter with runners in scoring position.

if he hit behind a guy with, oh i don't know, a .404 on base percentage (mauer's), he'd have a 100 rbi every year.

[B. Amish]

and last year he hit .372 with RISP and had a .500 OBP with RISP.

he is thee reason willingham had a career year.

[Musky Buck]

How about drive in yourself. Willinghams career year was the year before with Oakland, who was the reason for that ? He played in less games is why his numbers didn't equal or better last season. I'm sick of Mauer getting a pass, Ponder would be shot, Zach Parise and Suter would be wounded, superstars when healthy should play above the rest of the league really that's all I'm saying. He'd bat 8th for me until he finds himself, he's no 3 hitter at least they figured that out.

[greebs]

lets face it, mauer ain't ever going to live up to the contract $. it's not his fault he's getting paid that much. we are getting out of him pretty much what he's capable of doing and that's a guy who is not going to produce power numbers but will hit for a high % most years.

it's way too early to get down on any of the players yet. even the mvp's of the league have stretches of games where they don't hit well. I do agree that putting hicks in the leadoff spot puts added pressure on him that probably shouldn't have been done but they really don't have another prototype leadoff hitter unless mauer leads off, plus we all know the coaching manual says the cf must bat leadoff.

we better just enjoy them being above .500 for now cuz it likely won't last long.

[Hoyt4]

Still going to lose 100 games.

[Musky Buck]

How'd the 9th inning go last night ? He's tardy in the 1st and oppo's a solo tilt then in the 9th. At 6'5" and 231 pounds and missing the perfect hitting elements in the metrodome, but I agree baseball is tougher than most sports, shooting late free throws isn't awful, not even scoring and having a great hockey game you can hide, playing QB you can't hide and facing 90+ pitching late in the game isn't an easy task, but please put it in play for a chance.

[bassinboy3]

Wow last night was like batting practice for KC! hard to watch!

[Scott M]

Hicks is really struggling. Game 1 was a harbinger by the looks of it...

[schmitty3]

Back to reality, the Twins suck again

[DrJuice1980]

Bases loaded, bases loaded, no runs. Mauer needs to do something, up top of 9 yesterday bases loaded K, 7th inning today. Chances are there though, that's the tough part.

[schmitty3]

Yea looks like Mauer spent a little too much time on his paddle board workout this summer. Never seen a guy, let alone a batting champ miss so many fastballs right down the middle.

[Musky Buck]

It's early it's early. For right now I don't want to hear the words former MVP, don't want to hear that for a few months. 2 nights in a row with the sacks juiced, a game changing at bat facing righties with no room to put him, they come at him and he looked_________. Sick maybe ? One that certainly has the best bat control in the game. I've rarely seen him deliver in the biggest moment of the game, seen him deliver a lot in 12-4 games etc. rarely the close game, but tonight's a new night and for Joe's sake it's a good thing there's 162 of em.

[harvey lee]

Joe will get his hits that count, it's a long season.

With the line up we have, it is going to be a LONG season too.

Not to be negative but what have the Polands done to make this team anything close to a contender? It is going to be a long season as our pitchers if we are honest are medium at the very best. Our htting line up is also questionable.

If it were for a few balls dropping in for the first 4 games or so, we would maube have 2 wins.

I see no way this team will be any more competitive than last year.

I guess we will have to wait and see. I am hoping it will turn out better but I just do not see it in the line up the Twins have. We did not gain much in our pitching staff to say they will be alot better either, way to many questions yet to be answered.

[Musky Buck]

I read Gardy isn't happy with Hicks effort, then sit Joe down too and tell him I'm disgusted with your bases loaded efforts the past 2 nights, do you need to sit down for a couple, cmon geezus. 1 RBI 2 walks 10 K's, I'm sorry but that's just plain awful regardless of your contract or who you are or what time of the year it happens or where you bat in the line-up. You start out 9 games like that in high school and you're wearing a JV suit in a hurry. Bet Tom Brunansky is concerned lol. He turns 30 on the 19th Joe that is. The catcher really needs to be the leader like it or not whether you're hitting or not. Since Thome has left I haven't seen much leadership coming from any of em. Lead by example fine but if you're not providing any examples then are you leading. Take a bat Joe and go Carl pavano on a water cooler so I know you truly care. If he showed me any signs of life like that I'd be off his case honestly.