If Morneau doesn’t come back, Mauer to first base for Twins?
[picappgallerysingle id="9443711"]There’s been a lot speculation about whether Minnesota Twins first baseman Justin Morneau will ever recover enough from his July 7th concussion to return to baseball. There’s also been a lot of speculation about the damage to Joe Mauer’s knees as a result of playing catcher. There’s a lot of concern that Mauer’s joints won’t be able to handle the rigors of catching without drastically shortening his major league baseball career.
First of all, let me just express how terrific I think Justin Morneau is. The Minnesota Twins is a baseball team undisputedly built around Morneau, and rightly so – the guy is an MVP, he was on track in 2010 to have a monstrous season, and he’s an all-around nice guy. I’d like nothing more than to have Morneau playing for the Twins into his forties.
However, Justin Morneau is also regularly injured – and often rather severely (broken back, anyone?). This latest concussion, one of several Morneau has sustained, has been particularly scary because it’s a head injury that has proven to be incredibly serious and unpredictable. In short, Morneau is a little fragile. Some guys get hurt more often and more severely than other players, and Morneau is one of those guys.
I think this offseason is going to be the time when Morneau decides whether it’s worth it for him to continue playing baseball, given the history and frequency of his injuries. And I think it’s quite possible that Morneau will pack it in and retire. While it would be sad, I wouldn’t blame him – he has a wife and two little kids to think about.
So, this concussion and the fact that Morneau can’t seem to rid himself of the after-effects just might be enough to cause Morneau to call it quits. And if Morneau doesn’t rejoin the Twins next season, the Twins have a hole at first base because Michael Cuddyer is greatly needed back in right field.
So, here’s a thought that’s been suggested by many, and I agree: why not put Joe Mauer and his iffy knees at first base?
Yes, Joe Mauer has been a terrific catcher for the Twins, but his hitting is far more important than his catching – I think everyone can agree on that (though Mauer needs to stop hitting two-out singles with no one on base and start hitting when his teammates actually are on base).
If Mauer continues to play catcher, his knees are going to fall apart. Mauer, much like Morneau, is a somewhat physically fragile baseball player. He wasn’t technically on the Twins’ DL in 2010, but Mauer played many games as a designated hitter due to nagging injuries and rested the last several games of the regular season after receiving a cortisone shot in his knee. Mauer’s fragility combined with playing catcher should definitely cause the Twins some concern.
The Twins are lucky, though, because they have a terrific back-up catcher in Drew Butera. The guy can’t hit (although he showed us in 2010 that he can deliver a perfect suicide squeeze bunt), but Butera’s a great catcher. And the Twins have a solid back-up catcher in Jose Morales, who can hit – and quite well. So, why not have Butera take over as catcher and put Mauer at first base? If Carl Pavano stays with the Twins, that’ll certainly make him happy.
Mauer is athletic enough that the Twins don’t need to waste him as a designated hitter, plus you want Mauer to play every game. The Twins could easily put Mauer at first base – or out in left field, and have Delmon Young DH (and release Jason Kubel). That could work, too. In fact, that could work even if Morneau returns.
The idea, anyway, is to save Mauer’s knees, because he’s much more valuable to the Twins for his hitting than Mauer is for his catching.
By the way, I have no hard facts to support the hypothesis that Justin Morneau isn’t going to return to the Twins, but in my heart I feel that Morneau won’t be back. And while I’m very sad about that possibility, it does open up some options for the Twins to move Joe Mauer out of the catcher position and into another spot that won’t take such a toll on Mauer’s body.
So, I say that if Justin Morneau doesn’t return to the Minnesota Twins, make Joe Mauer the first baseman. And if Morneau does return, move Mauer to left field. I’m not sure if the Twins would ever actually move Mauer from the catching position, but given Mauer’s injury history, it certainly is something the Twins should think about.
Twins veteran Michael Cuddyer to have offseason knee surgery
[picappgallerysingle id="9528053"]It’s turns out that there’s perhaps a reason for Michael Cuddyer’s low output this 2010 baseball season – Cuddyer’s been suffering from a right knee injury all year, and he’ll require arthroscopic surgery sometime this offseason. The nature and details of the injury to Cuddyer’s right knee are unknown.
A bum knee sure makes sense of Cuddyer’s unusually low numbers this season, which I had attributed to his selfless shuffling of defensive positions whenever needed.
Cuddyer started the season in right field, his regular position, but also played third base before finally ending up at first base from early July through the end of the year. Cuddyer took Justin Morneau’s position after Morneau was knocked out of the season with a concussion.
Nobody on the Twins staff, including Cuddyer, mentioned his right knee all year, but Cuddyer now admits that it bothered him all season, though he also asserts that it didn’t hamper him on the field. I’ll bet it did – between position hopping and his bad knee, it explains why the stalwart Cuddyer batted only .271 with 14 home runs for the Twins in the 2010 baseball season.
Cuddyer was always my favorite Twins player until Jim Thome showed up, and if Thome leaves before next season, Cuddyer will be my favorite Twins player again. The Twins would have been sunk without Cuddyer this season, and the fact that Cuddyer played wherever he was needed with a bad knee the whole time – and never mentioned it – just shows what a stand-up guy Cuddyer is. Some other folks (Brett Favre, I mean you) ought to follow suit.
Michael Cuddyer is a class act, and the Minnesota Twins are lucky to have him.
Depressing: Yankees sweep Twins in ALDS, Twins done for year
[picappgallerysingle id="9935984"]Well, what everyone feared has inexplicably come true: the New York Yankees swept the Twins in the ALDS, effectively ending the Twins 2010 season. How utterly depressing. The Yankees seem to have some sort of weird choke-hold on the Twins; things that were routine for the Twins in the regular season were impossible to achieve against the Yankees in the ALDS. Like, you know, hits. So, the Twins are now done for the year. And swept by the Yankees, at that.
The Twins are now in second place in MLB history with the most consecutive postseason losses at twelve in a row. Only the Boston Red Sox have more (and not many more) at thirteen. Boo.
After watching the Rays rally and beat the Rangers, I thought that maybe, just maybe, the Twins could rally, too. After all, it wasn’t impossible anymore – the Rays had just done it. And in the eighth inning, I almost got my wish with a big double from Danny Valencia, and hits from Denard Span and Orlando Hudson.
And then, Joe Mauer stepped to the plate. I’m pretty mad at the Twins’ marquee player right now. The most popular player in the American League by far (as evidenced by All Star voting), highest paid guy on the team (evidenced by the $184 million, eight-year contract), third highest batting average in the AL – you’d think Joe Mauer could have come up with a big hit in the eighth against the Yankees. Not that he needed to be a hero and get a home run. But how about a double? Mauer’s hit a lot of those this year.
Nope. How about a whole lot of nothing?
And Jason Kubel. Oh my, Jason Kubel. Is this the same Jason Kubel who hit a grand slam off Mariano Rivera, of all pitchers, earlier this year? Where is that Jason Kubel, I wonder? Gone, I guess. Just gone. Needless to say, the Twins did not drive in more than one run in the eighth inning, and they lost to the Yankees 6-1.
Mauer and Kubel – together – went 3 for 20, no RBI, and a combined batting average of .150. That, frankly, is hideous.
It’s just very weird that the team with the highest batting average in baseball with runners in scoring position (.285) could come in and get crushed. And I mean, crushed. It wasn’t like we had a bad inning here or there – every inning was bad. Except for maybe two. Over the whole series.
Anyway, Twins, it’s over for another year. I feel bad for Ron Gardenhire. He didn’t do anything different than he’s done all year (although, with Kubel hitting .080 in the postseason, moving him to the cleanup spot, even with a right-hander pitching, was a very questionable move – Kubel finished .069), but the Twins just couldn’t make anything happen. What can you do when your guys can’t hit? Nothing.
And thus, the Twins go quietly at the hands of the Yankees this 2010 postseason. Same old song. What a disappointment.
Twins fans most mad about Mauer’s postseason hitting – or lack thereof
[picappgallerysingle id="9441798"]In a current Star Tribune poll, Minnesota Twins fans voted an overwhelmingly that the most disappointing thing about this year’s ALDS between the Twins and the New York Yankees is Joe Mauer’s hitting – or lack thereof. An astounding 69% of those who voted (and something like 26,000 folks have voted so far) chose Mauer’s lackluster at bats over Jesse Crain’s relief, starting pitching, or Ron Gardenhire’s decisions. Mauer’s not getting the love this postseason.
Nor should he. Our eight-year, bazillion-dollar guy is hitting around .200 this postseason (which is still better than Jason Kubel at a horrendous .080 batting average).
Now, how can that be? How come Joe Mauer isn’t coming up with hits like Mark Teixeira and Curtis Granderson are? Mauer has a better regular season batting average than anyone on the Yankees team, so why can’t he produce a worthwhile hit now?
I’ve made excuses for Mauer this year. Not in the second half of the season – he didn’t need them then. But Mauer’s lackadaisical first half of the season, I felt, could be attributed to a big contract hangover. I think that 168-million-dollar thing stayed with Mauer like a bottle of bad booze stays with you the day after you wish you hadn’t consumed it.
But now, Mauer’s got no excuse. The contract hangover has worn off, he’s been playing well for the Twins, and there isn’t any reason why Mauer shouldn’t be stepping up and getting those big hits. That’s what your top guys are supposed to do.
Instead, Mauer looks thoroughly uncomfortable out there at the plate. And unfortunately, looking uncomfortable is about all Mauer is doing at the plate.
So, Joe Mauer, we Twins fans need you to step up on Saturday night at Yankee Stadium. Instead of hitting a two-out single in the eighth inning with nobody on base, try a single with a runner in scoring position. It can still be in the eighth, if you want, and it can still be a single. But the Twins need to start hitting with runners in scoring position, or we’re finished.
It’s not too late. But after Saturday, it will be. Saturday’s your day, Joe Mauer. So please start hitting.
Twins lose to Yankees again in ALDS game 2. I’m so mad.
[picappgallerysingle id="9441794"]I can’t believe I’m really writing this, but the Minnesota Twins have fallen to the New York Yankees again in game two of the ALDS, and are now in danger of being eliminated from the playoff race. That’s right. The Twins lost. Again. To the Yankees. Again. Might be eliminated in the third game of the ALDS. Again.
I find this year’s Twins and Yankees ALDS quite offensive. Game two was just horrifying. And the most infuriating thing is that the Yankees aren’t a better team than the Twins, even if they’re acting like it right now. But because they have so much more confidence, the Yankees outplay the Twins every time. Every time. The Yankees hit when they need to. The Twins don’t.
After game one of the ALDS, the Twins should have looked shocked that they lost to the Yankees. The Twins should have looked stunned. They didn’t. Instead, the Twins just looked depressed; resigned to their fate, like they knew it was coming and ought to just go cry in the corner. So, even though I tried to remain optimistic about game two, my heart sank like a stone when Lance Berkman hit that two-run homer and the Yankees took the lead 4-2.
Turns out I was right to be concerned. The Twins never even had a shot at a comeback. They just kind of stared, glassy-eyed, at the field. Ron Gardenhire even got himself ejected to try and fire the Twins up – to no avail.
I just don’t get why the Twins are so terrible in the postseason. It makes no sense at all. I can’t come up with any reason why they shouldn’t be just as aggressive and successful as they were in the regular season. And yet, the Twins haven’t been able to get past the first round of the postseason – without fail – since 2002. Yuck. Come on, guys. Even the Vikings can get through the first round of the playoffs without too much trouble.
Speaking of the NFL, I want everybody to take a big whiff of this Yankees stink for a minute. You smell that? That stink is what’s going to happen in the National Football League if they eliminate salary caps. That’s right. The richest owner, the biggest spender, will load up on all the best players, and we’ll have the same problem over there.
Anyhow, the Twins have a respite today to think about what it is they’ve done in the past couple of days – namely, a whole lot of nothing. The Twins now find themselves in an 0-2, must-win situation tomorrow night at Yankee Stadium. I’m trying to feel optimistic, trying to keep my chin up, trying not to give up on the Minnesota Twins.
But with eleven postseason losses in a row, they’re making it awfully hard.
