Home Run Derby

I know the Twins are a good team, but anyone who thinks they have a shot at the AL Central is insane, and it has nothing to do with four of their starting pitchers never pitching 200 innings in a season (Blackburn, Baker, Perkins, Slowey - Hell, Baker is the only one with 100 IP in the Bigs prior to this season). 

Nope, like most things in this country, you can blame the Republicans.

Check out the Twins’ Schedule from August 21st - September 21st.  It is a nut buster. 

Starting August 21st, they go on the road for 15 straight in 16 days (LA, Oak, Sea, Tor) because of the GOP convention (Sept 1-4), then get to come home for 6 games (Det, KC) before heading out for another 10 games on the road in 10 days (Bal, Cle, TB).  That is 25 road games in a span of 33 days with only two days off with six days at home.

So blame the Republicans, Twins fans. 

Unless you are up 5-6 games by August 21st, chances of holding the division will be poor.  This team (like most) is below .500 on the road.

So last year on July 8th 2007, the White Sox ponied up and did something they don’t usually do.  They signed a pitcher to a sizeable long-term contract. 

Their staff Ace, Mark Buehrle.  

Buehrle signed for Four years, $56 Million with a limited no-trade clause for 2008 and escalators if traded after that.  Plus, he got the White Sox to wear Camouflage jerseys for a game in 2008.

Buehrle deserved it.  He was HUGE in their World Series Championship run (2005) and an overwhelming fan favorite.  He was on the frickin Wheaties Box.  And even with all the contract speculation (read: distraction) in the first half of 2007, Buehrle was having a very good season for the White Sox.

Buehrle Pre-Contract 2007

Not to mention the No-Hitter he threw on April 18, 2007.  When you take into consideration the offensive woes and pitiful bullpen the White Sox had in 2007 … it’s even more impressive.

But since he signed the contract … like many players who get the big payday … Buehrle hasn’t been so great …

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There’s lots of reasons to go to a Major League Baseball game …

But sometimes, that’s just not enough to make you pay $40 for a ticket and drink a beer for $7, especially if the team sucks … and MLB Teams know it.  So they offer trinkets and bawbles to get your butt in a seat.  Yep, we’re talking promotions and giveaways.  And we usually fall for it.

The majority of these handouts are overdone retreads of stuff like t-shirts and floppy hats and plastic doodads like keychains and flashlights and bobbleheads.  Bobbleheads are great, but unless you’re the table in front of Mike and Mike or Mottram and Steinz, how many do you need?

But sometimes, the team’s marketing squad does something creative … here are the best ones you can try to grab in 2008.

Joe Mauer Fishing Lure - Minnesota Twins (May 2)

Now this is cool.  In a state with 10,000 lakes, you’re gonna need something to catch bass with when the Twins are on the road.   

Mind you, I’m not sure how many times an MLB team has given away anything with six sharpened barbs on it before.  This could be a one-and-done event, because you just know someone’s gonna lose an eye from this thing.  Given out to the first 5,000 fans over the age of 18.

No boys, this will not help you catch anything like Mauer’s ex-girlfriend, former Miss USA Chelsea Cooley.  No girls, this will not help you catch Joe Mauer.

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  Day 1 is in the books and the Royals are now in the rearview mirror.  On to Day 2 of our journey to preview 30 teams in 30 days.  Be sure to check out SkyKing’s preview too! Next team up is the Twinkies.  And boy how things have changed for the tenants of The Triple-H Metrodome.  And no, when I say Triple H, I don’t mean this guy…or anyone else in Degeneration X for that matter.

Anyway I digress.  This should be a year filled with uncertainity for the Twins.  Lots of new faces and quite a few question marks in the starting staff with the departure of Johan Santana, and to a lesser extent Carlos Silva, who will be replaced in the rotation with talented but unproved kids like Kevin Slowey and Scott Baker.  Not to mention the return of Francisco Liriano from major arm surgery. 

Francisco….Francisco.  That’s fun to say (anyone who knows what movie that quote is from please chime in in the comments section - it’s a pretty easy one. maybe Richie can offer a prize- do we have HRD t-shirts, yet?). 

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We’ve analyzed the Senior Circuit’s 2008 trip through the American League … let’s move on to the Junior Circuit’s 2008 Interleague opponents. 

Teams from the American League always have a bit of a dilemma for their road Interleague games, because there’s no DH in NL Parks.  On top of that, AL pitchers have to hit for themselves, which they don’t do in their other 144 games. 

Is it a disadvantage?  The AL leads the NL 1,250 to 1,202 in Interleague games over the past ten seasons … so not really.  Then again, maybe that Win-Loss Record would be even more in favor of the AL if DH’s could rake against NL Pitchers.

But it still doesn’t sit well with some AL Managers …

We hate it when our pitchers have to start hitting. We have to do a lot of extra work and take a lot of risks for not that many at-bats.
Ron Gardenhire, Manager, Minnesota Twins (2005)

Gardy’s gonna dislike it even more this season, without the NL-killing Johan Santana in his rotation anymore.

But when you’re 100-75 in ten years of Interleague Play, you don’t seem to mind …

If we played National League teams, the Central Division, we might win 150 games in that league.
Ozzie Guillen, White Sox Manager (2006)

Let’s take a look at the AL Central and see if there’s anyone with an early schedule advantage … on paper.  Matched up against the pitching-rich NL West … someone will surely have an advantage if they avoid two of the tops teams.

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So the Minnesota Twins didn’t keep Johan Santana.  Instead, they traded him to the Mets for prospects and thereby didn’t have to pay him anything near the $137.5 million that the Mets guaranteed Santana. 

So with all that money saved, what’s a Baseball Team to do? 

• Go get the next best available (but slightly cheaper) free agent pitcher?
• Get new, more comfortable uniforms?
• Lower ticket prices? 

Naaahhh.

If you’re the Minnesota Twins … you go and get a commercial during the Super Bowl … let’s watch …

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Justin Morneau is thinking long-term. 
Both on and off the field.

Minnesota Twins’ 1B Justin Morneau signed a $80 Million, six-year deal with the Minnesota Twins over the weekend.  

I think that makes the 2006 American League MVP the highest paid Canadian in the history of Major League Baseball.  He’s certainly the highest paid Twin.

But $80 Million is no fun unless you’ve got someone to share it with, right? 

Say hello to the future Mrs. Justin Morneau … Ms. Krista Martin.

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In 2008, the Toronto Blue Jays and Kansas City Royals are going to do something that no baseball team has done since 1991.

They’re going to break out the Powder Blue Uniforms. Mind you - they’ll be only occasionally be used as home alternate uniforms, but that’s a feat in and of itself. I don’t think anyone’s ever worn the powder blue in their home stadium before.

The Royals will be wearing blue shirts (with white pants) while the Blue Jays will go completely retro and bust out the baby blue from head to toe. The Jays will also bring back their old logo, a pullover jersey, and their old two-color cap. I have one of those hats. I love it.

There’s no word yet as to how often the Royals and Jays will do this in 2008, but the vibe is that they’ll do it enough that they petitioned MLB to add the uniforms to their regular cache of kits.

The St. Louis Cardinals have worn powder blue throwbacks in road games twice (2005 vs Tampa Bay and 2007 vs Milwaukee).

Considering that we’ve hardly seen powder blue for the last sixteen seasons (and the fact that no one under the age of 21 likely has any memory of powder blue baseball) let’s take a trip down memory lane and revisit the teams that dared … to wear blue.

Prepare yourselves for a trip when the blue wasn’t just in the azure sky over the field. And watch out for lots of polyester pullovers and stirrups.

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Watch as this Mulleted Twins fan invades Miller Park in Milwaukee.  Be sure to check out …

• The Mullet
• The Sunburn
• The Pornstache
• The Stained Wifebeater T-Shirt
• The Sweatpant Shorts
• The “Circle my Mullet” sign for Minnesota Twins Announcer Bert Blyleven
• His post-game dance moves

Oh yeah. 

That guy has it all.