Friday Thoughts

-Remind me, why did I ever think the Twins would beat the Yankees? I don't buy the BS from Ron Gardenhire about there being no mental block when these two teams match up. Gardy has posted a far worse record against the Yankees than any other squad and it's because there IS a mental block and it starts with him. Gardy manages scared and his team plays scared when the Yankees come to town. When you hear Gardy whining about how one mistake against the Yankees can cost you the game, you know he is afraid of the mighty Bronx Bombers. It is no coincidence that his team played not to lose instead of playing to win. Scott Baker and Francisco Liriano were afraid to throw strikes. Gardy tried to be a magician and mix up the lineup on Wednesday and Thursday. Why the hell would you bat Jason Kubel behind Michael Cuddyer against a righty?! Stop over analyzing and go with the lineup that's been successful for most of the year. You don't have to split up the lefties agains a righty. Plus, Mauer and Morneau hit lefties well. Also, tell me what other manager in the game would bat Matt Tolbert second? The answer is nobody. You have to place some blame on the players who were on the field, but a team usually takes on the attitude of its manager and said manager was scared of the big boys from the Bronx. Fifth straight series win...DEAD! Momentum from the Detroit series...DEAD!

-Cuddy in front of Kubel on Wednesday really disturbed me and it very easily could have cost us the game. Cuddy comes up in the 7th inning, bases loaded. A base hit gives us the lead. What does he do? Predictably, he strikes out, swinging at two pitches that bounced before the plate and looking like a hitter who shouldn't be in the majors. That's why you can't trust a pure guess hitter like Cuddyer to come through in the clutch. Yes, Cuddy is putting up some pretty solid numbers this year. However, when you dive deeper into the numbers you will realize that he is hitting under .230 with runners in scoring position and all of his home runs seem to come in non-clutch moments.

-This team needs a shot in the arm. We seem to be a pitcher or hitter away every year and this year is no exception. I know it's probably pointless to even mention because the Twins front office seems to be content with being mediocre in a terrible division year in and year out. Rarely, if ever, do they go full out for the World Series. Shannon Stewart is the only deadline difference maker the Twins have ever acquired in my lifetime. Do I expect anything this year? Nope. However, Bill Smith would do a lot for this fan base and for convincing Joe Mauer, Justin Morneau and Joe Nathan (pieces you need to hold on to) to stay here long term if he were to acquire a difference maker(s) at the trade deadline this year. The main need, in my opinion, has shifted from a bullpen arm to a second baseman, due to the emergence of Bob Keppel in the pen. Freddy Sanchez would be a perfect fit here. He is a former batting champ and plays solid defense. He solves two problems: the number two hitter in the lineup and the lack of production at the bottom of the order. Putting him in the two hole would allow Brendan Harris to move down to the eight spot. In addition, the anemic hitting Nick Punto would shift to his more natural utility position and the non-major league caliber Matt Tolbert (.178 avg) would be back in the minors where he belongs. Hitting Sanchez and Mauer 2-3 would be very nice. Two former batting champs right in front of Morneau, Kubel, Cuddy, and Crede. However, all this dreaming is probably a moot point because Bill Smith is afraid to make a trade after failing miserably with the Santana and Garza deals. My plea is for him to be bold and make a deal. I know the Twins don't like to part with part prospects, but the time to win is NOW. You have the best two players int the AL in Mauer and Morneau and the best closer in the game in Nathan. Plus, the AL Central sucks this year and is very winnable. But do you just want to win a bad division, or try to go all the way? I opt for the later.

-As I said, bullpen help isn't as critical as finding a second baseman who can hit and fill the two hole. However, names like Matt Capps and Jeremy Affeldt are still two guys I would target. It is naive to think that Keppel and R.A. Dickey, two guys that have bad career numbers, can continue the influential runs that they are on. It's possible they could, but the front office needs to assume the worse and add another power arm to this pen. The pen was clearly the reason that the Twins couldn't finish off the division last year and the FO refused to address the issue. Learn from the mistake and address it this year before it implodes again.

-I think there are three players on the team who wouldn't be picked up by another MLB team if the Twins cut them right now: Nick Punto, Matt Tolbert, and Brian Buscher. Gardy loves light hitting infielders though, so we have to keep them. Right?

-Speaking of Gardy, if we don't win the division this year, his job should be on the line. Call me crazy, but he has not gotten the job done over the past few years. Miss the playoffs this year and it would be the third year in a row with no post season in the corn fields. This team is clearly the most talented in the division and there are no excuses for not winning it this year. It seems that Gardy never gets any criticism from the Twins faithful. I think he is a mediocre field manager at best. I know he is great in the club house, but you have to get it done on the field. Since this team needs a spark right now, I would fire hitting coach Joe Vavra immediately. Just look at the swings players like Buscher, Punto, Tolbert, Young, Gomez, and Harris are taking right now. They are way to aggressive and look like they are trying to hit it out of the stadium every time. A lot of our hitters are undisciplined, they don't work counts, and can't hit with runners in scoring position. Plus, our offense is too inconsistent right now. It's unacceptable with the talent we have on the roster, so I would relieve Vavra of his duties.

-This White Sox series starting tonight is pivotal heading into the break. We need at least two of three. Luckily, we have Blacky going tonight, so we should win this one. Grab one of the next two and you're fine. The Sox have won two of three both times in Chicago, so we need to return the favor. They don't play well at the Dome, but we can't count on that with the hot stretch they're on now. The key to the series: starting pitching. Twins starters had an ERA over 6.00 in the Yankees series. Get in front early, get the starters to go 6 or 7 solid innings and you're in good shape. Gotta take care of business against the Dirty Hated South Siders. Time for Mauer and Morneau to shine. Vibing a Crede bomb against his old squad. Suck the White Fox!!!

-My prediction date for the Favre signing is July 16 (next Thursday). Single game tickets go on sale on the 20th, so you get the weekend buz right before then. I am extremely pumped up for it to happen. I want a Super Bowl so badly and Favre gives my favorite squad the best chance at their first Lombardi trophy. Can't wait to go to training camp!

-Chad Ochocinco is absolutely insane. Tweeting from the sidelines?! You have got to be kidding me. Players get paid millions of dollars to focus 100% on a football game for three hours once a week. Stop being stupid, Ocho. Also, don't mess with comish Roger Goddell because this guy doesn't tolerate BS like this. Act like a grown man for once. I get more sick of this guy every day.

-Some NFL predictions for you: Randy Moss will re-emerge as the top receiver in football, the Cardinals won't make it back to the playoffs while the Seahawks will, the Cowboys will miss the playoffs again, and the Vikings will go 13-3 with a healthy Favre and beat the Eagles in the NFC Championship game in the Dome. It's Mission Miami!

-Kevin O'Neil has already picked up two solid recruits (one from the Class of 2010, one from 2011). This guy is quietly going about his business and is a very hard worker. He isn't letting the NCAA investigation get in his way. I am beginning to believe more and more in this guy. The real test, however, will be when he hits the court this year and tries to take a tournament caliber team to the Dance for the fourth straight year.

-All of this complaining about the cost of the Michael Jackson memorial is stupid. He is possibly the greatest entertainer of all time. Regardless of his strange behavior at times, he deserves a big tribute for his contributions to the music world and what he did for the African American community and the global community at large.

-The NBA is going to be extremely awesome this year. The Lakers, Spurs, Celtics, Cavs, and Magic have all upgraded their already talented rosters. There's going to be a lot of good teams in both conferences this year and it will be one of the most fun years to watch in recent NBA history.

-Starting to think the Wolves should have traded down with the Knicks and taken DeRozan. That way, Rubio wouldn't be scared that another point guard would out play him. The odds would be more likely the Spainard would play here. Plus, DeRozan could be extremely good in a few years. We may regret not taking him, just like we should regret trading another USC guard named O.J.

-Breaking News: Joe Mauer to compete in home run derby on Monday! His high school coach will pitch to him. It might not be what the fans love to see, but Joe will hit almost every one of his bombs out to left. I wouldn't bet against him. I think this is awesome. For those who think it will ruin his swing, this isn't any ordinary player. It's Joe Mauer, aka Baby Jesus, aka God. Don't worry about it.

Have a great weekend everybody!