Results tagged ‘ Jim Thome ’
“Dunn” For
As if I needed another reason to be thankful I’m not a White Sox fan…
The Pale Hose just signed big Adam Dunn to a 4-year deal.
Okay, so last year the Sox don’t bring back Jim Thome because they wanted to get more versatile both on the field and in the batting lineup. So, he goes to the Twins and helps knock them out of the division race.
Now, they bring in a guy who can’t field a lick and strikes out even more than Big Jimmy.
Boggling.
A Different Feeling
Last year ended (at least the regular season) about as exciting as a Twins season has ever come to a close (see above).
This year obviously felt a little different. For most of today’s regular season finale against the Toronto Blue Jays, the 3-4-5 batters were: Drew Butera, Ben Revere, and Trevor Plouffe.
This occured due to the Twins trying to rest guys for the playoffs, but it was still a bit disconcerting to see the team lose so many games after clinching. I’m not too worried, though, for this reason:
Last year in the ALDS against the Yankees, the Twins Brendan Harris, Nick Punto, and Matt Tolbert in the starting lineup. No such thing will happen this year, as those guys are replaced (respectively) by Jim Thome, Orlando Hudson, and Danny Valencia.
We know that our first-round opponent this year will again be the Yankees, but I’ll have more on that matchup in a later post.
Final AL Central Standings:
| y-Minnesota | 94 | -68 | . | - |
| Chi White Sox | 88 | -74 | 6.0 | |
| Detroit | 81 | -81 | 13.0 | |
| Cleveland | 69 | -93 | 25.0 | |
| Kansas City | 67 | -95 | 27.0 |
Take A Bow
Another one of those games where the Royals pretty much hand us a win and all we have to do is take it from them.
However, in the midst of a 10-3 drubbing, Jim Thome continued to amaze:
Once again, a mighty hack from Big Thome produced a deep bomb over the right field bleachers and bouncing around out on the pavilion. This one (#586) tied him with Frank Robinson on the all-time list.
As long as his back holds out down the stretch and through the (hopefully!) playoffs, he could be just the bat we have been looking for against the likes of the Yankees or Rays (no more Brian Buscher coming off the bench in key playoff spots).
Notes:
-Ben Revere makes his major league debut. Exciting player who could help in the field and on the bases down the stretch.
-Very intriguing to see Pat Neshek back on the mound. He struggled tonight, but if he can get right he could be a deadly weapon in the pennant race.
Preview (82-57, 1st, 4.5 GA CWS): Zack Grienke (8-11, 3.87) vs. Brian Duensing (7-2, 2.09)
Looking Back, Looking Forward
Didn’t get to see the game today, but heard the happy news that the Twins won, AND Jim Thome hit another laser beam into the right field bleachers.
Just a few days ago, Thome hit #584 to pass this guy…
…on the all-time list.
Now, he’s gunning for this guy (who finished at 586):
Once Thome passes Frankie and sits at eighth all-time, that is “all” he’ll move up slot-wise on that list this season. Alex Rodriguez currently has 604, while Sammy Sosa would be catchable at 609 if Thome were to play another season at his current production level.
For now, though, it’s just nice to have a power bat in the middle of the lineup with Morneau still getting too many headaches to risk a comeback. Let’s just hope now that he can save his energy a bit for the playoffs and the Twins keep fending off the pesky White Sox.
Preview (81-57, 1st, 3.5 GA CWS): Brian Bannister (7-11, 5.95) vs. Francisco Liriano (12-7, 3.27)
Piranhas No More
In 2006, Chicago White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen gave the Minnesota Twins the nickname “piranhas” for there ability to “peck away” at you until they finally succeed. Basically, Ozzie was just frustrated that a team featuring the likes of Jason Bartlett, Lew Ford, Luis Castillo, Nick Punto, Juan Castro, and Jason Tyner could beat his band of sluggers. The Twins were that pesky team you should beat, but don’t more often than not.
Just recently, though, Guillen announced that the Twins were no longer piranhas. You know what I say to that? Great!
It was fine to watch that small-ball, attacking style of offense over the course of the regular reason, but once the playoffs were at hand it always failed us. It’s common sense, really: give too many important at-bats to Punto, Brian Buscher, Tyner, or the like, and eventually (once you face good pitching) you will start to falter. That is exactly what happened in the 2006 ALDS against the A’s.
Really, it comes down to this. Take a look at these two players, and tell me who you would rather have up in a key spot against, say, Mariano Rivera in the playoffs:
Yep.
Preview (70-51, 1st, 4.0 GA CWS): Dan Haren (1-3, 3.44) vs. Brian Duensing (6-1, 2.00).
More Bailouts Than Obama (aka Don’t Mess Around With Jim)
Tonight’s Twins-White Sox game featured more bailouts of Twins’ pitchers than the Obama Administration:
First, Scott Baker stunk it up once again, giving up a bevy of hard-hit balls, including a moonshot from Paul Konerko in the early innings:
However, the Twins also got dingers of their own from Delmon Young and Orlando Hudson, as well as a big triple from Jason Kubel, to stay in the game.
With the Twins leading 5-4 going into the bottom of the ninth, Matt Capps was brought in for the save situation. The first batter, Alexei Ramirez, homered to tie the game, but Capps was bailed out by a huge, bases-loaded double play to end the inning.
In the tenth, Jon Rauch took the mound and, with one out, gave up three straight singles to once again allow the White Sox to score a run, giving them a 6-5 lead. Rauch, for the second time in as many games, couldn’t even finish off his inning and had to be replaced:
At this point, though, is when Big Jim took matters onto his own, rather broad shoulders:
In the bottom of the tenth, Delmon Young sent a rocket right through the crotch (almost literally) of Matt Thorton. Up stepped Jim Thome, and three things happened in rather short fashion:
1. The ball rocketed towards the right field pavilion;
2. The ball landed, giving Thome career homer #581, and the first walk-off jack at Target Field;
3. A shaving cream-filled towel quickly homed in on Thome’s face, courtesy of one Nick Punto.
Every win against the Sox is a good win at this point, but it’s so much sweeter when Thome does it to his former mates! Next to Delmon Young choosing to punch AJ Pierzynski in the face instead of sliding into home plate, Thome’s blast is easily the highlight of the season-series with these two clubs so far. Can we drop them even further back tomorrow?!
Preview (69-50, 1st, 4.0 GA CWS): Gavin Floyd (8-9, 3.70) vs. Francisco Liriano (11-7, 3.26).
And…We’re Back!
For the first time since July 2, the Twins are alone atop the AL Central division!
It helps when you hit 5 home runs off the Pale Hose, including #579 in the career of Jim Thome.
Scott Baker kept the ball in the park just enough to be awarded the victory on the mound.
Hey, I remember what this feels like…does it have to end?!
Preview (64-49, 1st, 1.0 GA CWS): Glen Perkins (0-0, 0.00) vs. John Danks (11-8, 3.30). Welcome back, Perk. Now go win a game in a pennant race.
Making ‘Em Sweat
Last night, the Minnesota Twins look for all the world to be headed to another disappointing loss on the road. Down 5-2 after five innings, Carl Pavano was getting beat by the long ball and the bats weren’t doing much of anything (besides grounding to Lyle Overbay, that is).
However, that is when the bats started to heat up:
Not only did it take back-to-back jacks from Morneau and Kubel to jump back into the game, but big hits were also needed from Mauer (dinger), and doubles by Thome and Delmon Young (who finished the game 3-3) since the pen kept serving up the meatballs.
As much as everyone is worried about the Twins right now, I think that our hitting is what it is and we aren’t going to change anything. If we continue to trot out a Span-O-Dawg-Mauer-Morneau-Cuddy-Kubes-Big D-Big Jim-JJ lineup, we’ll score runs:
If it doesn’t, then we probably just don’t deserve to make the playoffs anyway, so why worry? Thus, are biggest area of improvement will be pitching. Cliff Lee would be huge, but enough so to mortage away guys like Wilson Ramos and Aaron Hicks? At this point, I would have to say yes. With that kind of potent lineup day in and day out, we may actually have a chance to take on the mighty Yanks in the playoffs this year (one always has to assume that the AL road to the World Series runs through the Big Apple), but not without a few pitchers to hold back their firepower. Sending Lee, Liriano, and Pavano/Slowey/Baker/Blackie to the mound would give as at least a fair shake against their big bats, I think, though of course nothing is guaranteed.
Another key…more pictures like this:
Notes:
-Too bad Delmon Young won’t win the Final Vote balloting, but Kevin Youkilis probably deserves it. Just as long as Swish doesn’t make it…man I hate that guy!
Preview (45-38, 2nd, 0.5 GB DET): Kevin Slowey (8-5, 4.57) vs. Marc Rzepczynski (0-0, 0.00). The Tigers needed some late-inning heroics to preserve their division lead last night, so let’s keep the pressure on. I don’t want to be two games back heading into Comerica this weekend.
A Solid Nine
This afternoon, the Twins rapped out 9 hits (two apiece from Morneau, Kubel, & Cuddyer) against the Tigers, while Kevin Slowey followed Blackie’s example and turned in his first quality start in ages, beating the Tigres 5-1 and pushing them just a bit further back in the AL Central standings.
The thing I wanted to comment on today, though, is the kind of lineup the Twins will be able to put on the field everyday once JJ Hardy gets back from his injury (likely this weekend):
1. Denard Span, CF
2. Orlando Hudson, 2B
3. Joe Mauer, C
4. Justin Morneau, 1B
5. Michael Cuddyer, 3B
6. Jason Kubel, RF
7. Delmon Young, LF
8. Jim Thome, DH
9. JJ Hardy, SS
Wow…Thome batting eigth?! Of course, the two concerns are Cuddy’s defense at third and Thome’s status as everyday player (even at DH), but if those things pan out, that lineup could be as deadly as any order this side of the Yankees in the American League. Plus, Gardy could (and would) bring Nick Punto off the bench as a defensive sub at practically any infield position late in the game.
I know that the Twins have always been a streaky bunch of hitters the last few years, with Young, Cuddyer, and Morneau (although perhaps not his ’10 form) prone to terrible dry spells, but that is where the depth comes in. When guys 1-9 can provide big hits, it would take every single one of them in a slump to slow production.
Notes:
-It was nice to see Slowey strike a few guys out today. Whereas Blackburn needs the ball to dive to get outs, Slowey needs to have his perfect control, which will lead to some K’s in big spots.
Preview (43-35, 1st, 1.5 GA DET): Jeff Niemann (6-2, 2.72) vs. Carl Pavano (9-6, 3.33). Man, if Pavano was any shorter, he’d be the spitting image of this guy:
Three Times…A Charm
After the Twins jumped out to an early 2-0 lead in the first inning against the Tigers tonight, then just as quickly fell behind 3-2, it looked like perhaps another one of “those” nights would transpire.
However, Blackburn settled down nicely (not spectacular, but enough to give him another turn in the rotation for sure), and let the batters take over.
The obvious player of the game was Denard Span, who tripled three times (tying a club record held by Ken Landreaux in 1980), drive in five runs, and scored twice to kick-start an offense that, by all means, needed a little jolt to the backside.
Joe Mauer and Michael Cuddyer also picked up clutch hits to break out of some batting doldrums, while Jim Thome hit career home run #572, putting him within one of Harmon Killebrew (I wonder if the Killer will be at the park tomorrow afternoon?!), en route to an eventual 11-4 victory that moved the Twins back into first place.
Notes:
-That outfield wall may not have too many balls fly over it at Target Field, but it sure gives fielders (especially towards that right-center area) fits with all those angles jutting out. First Thome hits a three-bagger, than Span does him two better in a single game!
Preview (42-35, 1st, 0.5 GA DET): Andrew Oliver (0-1, 3.00) vs. Kevin Slowey (7-5, 4.79). Hopefully Slowey can make like his rotation buddy Blackburn and give us another quality start to retain first place.
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