Monday, April 23, 2007

Recap? 4/23/2007 Twins 3, Indians 7

To say I'm furious would be an extreme understatement. I'm not angry about the loss tonight nearly as much as I am about the manner in which we lost, the poor decisions that were made, both by players and by Gardenhire. That and what may have been the worst strike-zone I've seen from a major league umpire in a long, long time.

I'm too angry to really write well so, I'm just going to start listing the negatives, as there really were no positives tonight.

- Ron Gardenhire. This is the second game in a row that he's allowed his hitters to swing away completely unrestrained and to disastrous effect. Over the last two games Twins hitters not named Mauer have hit precisely .164 and drawn two walks. I can't begin to explain my overwhelming frustration, but suffice it to say, I want to hit everything that moves. Seriously, I'm violently angry about this. There is just NO excuse.

Furthermore, the Twins unwillingness to take pitches and work counts has once again allowed an inferior starting pitcher from an inferior team to win games they had no business winning. People said the offense would be the strength of this team, but clearly its the club's greatest liability.

Why in the Sam's-you-know-where did Gardy let Crain, a guy who's made precisely one appearance after missing a week + with tendinitis try and pitch more than one inning? Now I've heard and believe that Gardy is probably the best bullpen manager in baseball but that decision makes no sense. None. Not with Joe Nathan resting on his laurels. Not that Nathan fared any better but seriously... Perhaps the Twins need to hire a VP of common sense.

- Last year Justin Morneau won the MVP. This season the only award he should win is LVP. Tonight was just a microchasm of his miserable, terrible, no good, really bad, amazingly awful, ungodly abhorrent, appalling, repulsive season. Send him to the minors, trade him for Doug Meintkeiwcz, I don't care, just don't let me see him or I'll wring his neck. After yet another 0-fer, this time with two GIDP's and three at-bats that lasted precisely one pitch I'd be glad to see him strike out looking four times a night for about a week just so I knew he had any idea how to take a darned pitch.

Against such vaunted pitchers as Jorge De La Rosa, Jeremey Sowers, and Raphael Betancourt, and rule five pick, Joakim Soria, he's 0-9 with two strikeouts, two GIDP's and has looked beyond terrible at the plate.

- You know things are going bad when Torii Hunter is the only hitter who is consistently working the count.

- Nick Punto needs to be optioned to the minors immediately for Chris Heintz, at least he may be able to hit above .195... I'm through with him and he'll need to hit .300 before the season is out to change my mind. He's a fringe player at best and probably in over his head even as a backup to the regular utility infielder.

- Glen Perkins, despite his decent outing tonight has no business being on a Major League staff. His stuff is average at best and his control is going to get him slaughtered.

5 comments:

Nick M. said...

Corey, I suspect that in your anger at the Twins and Punto that you might have fell off your chair.

Corey Ettinger said...

Anonymous, for someone who says so many derogatory things about me, you show little courage when you write without giving a name.

You show even less intelligence in saying, "you write crappy." Seeing as how thats terrible writing in itself... or when you mis-spell fascist.

I'm simply going to keep deleting your comments, and if need be, I'll make all of the pages moderator controlled.

Nick, while I didn't knock the chair over this time, I did have to get up and go for an extended walk.
Nick,

Nick M. said...

Well, I recall a similar Punto-related incident at BWW. But if you have now become less violent in your reactions, thats progress. Punto isn't worth that, right?

Corey Ettinger said...

No, but Morneau might be.

Anonymous said...

RESPEK MAH 1st amendment!