Thursday Thoughts

It's been awhile since the last entry on this blog, but I am ready to go at it full steam again. Here are my thoughts on all the teams closest to my heart.

TWINS:
This team has been so hard to figure out for most of the year. Just when it seems like they are ready to take off, they shoot themselves in the foot or someone goes on the DL. The Twins were finally able to get two games over .500 with yesterday's 5-1 win in KC, capping off an impressive 6-3 road trip. They have been very good on the road lately, which hopefully puts to rest their early road struggles.

I was able to take in a couple games in Milwaukee and St. Louis this past week and fun times were had. The new Busch Stadium is now one of my favorites after seeing it for the first time. St. Louis is a great baseball city and the atmosphere inside and outside of that ballpark is terrific. The two things I liked the most about Busch were the skyline and the red color scheme. Very cool place to watch a game.

The four games I saw on the road (first two in each series) were a microcosm of the Twins season so far. They played great in the first games in Milwaukee and St. Louis (Liriano was a little shaky in Milwaukee), but they followed up those performances with lackluster ones the very next day. Nick Blackburn throwing the ball into left field in Milwaukee was diseased and the Twins looked helpless against some poor pitchers on Saturday in St. Louis. The Twins have to start stringing some wins together and sweeping poor teams instead of just taking two out of three. St. Louis was a very unimpressive team to me and we missed Carpenter, so we should have swept. We also missed Gallardo in Milwaukee and Grienke in KC, but still only came away with two out of three in both cases. Don't get me wrong, I will take a 6-3 road trip every time. However, that doesn't mean giving away games like they did in all three cities is acceptable. When your longest winning streak this year is four, you know you have to do a better job sustaining momentum.

I thought the Twins would take off after Joe Mauer came back on May 1, yet they have remained hovering around .500. What accounts for the lack of improvement in record since Mauer's arrival? You could point to a lot of things, but I believe more than anything it has been inconsistency in the starting pitching. This inconsistency was there before Mauer returned and it has remained there since. Nick Blackburn has been by far the most consistent starter, strining together eight consecutive quality starts. Kevin Slowey has gotten good run support and for the most part been pretty effective, leading the club with 10 wins. It's the other three starters that have been the problem. Scott Baker, Francisco Liriano, and Glen Perkins have been very hit or miss so far.

However, the recent statistics seem to indicate they may be turning it around. Scott Baker was 4-0 with a 3.20 ERA in June and had strung together six consecutive quality starts before going only five innings in his last one. Francisco Liriano was 2-1 with a 3.77 ERA in June and was terrific his last time out in St. Louis. Glen Perkins was 2-1 with a 3.15 ERA in June in three starts and started July off on a good note yesterday in Kansas City. It is no surprise to me that June was the first winning month for the Twins. Success all starts with good starting pitching, and the Twins got it for most of this month. If Perkins, Liriano, and Baker can continue to improve like they did in June, good times are ahead for the Twins. Credit these pitchers and pitching coach Rick Anderson for getting them on track.

The bullpen is still an issue for this team. The Twins have already parted ways with Luis Ayala and Craig Breslow since the start of the season and sent a struggling Jesse Crain to Rochester. For the time being, they are going with a six man bullpen, which is one man less than normal. I am less concerned than most about their bullpen situation, but I still do have a few worries. I love their two pronged setup attack of Matt Guerrier and Jose Mijares. Matty was extremely over worked last year and leads the AL in appearances so far this year, which is a cause for concern. However, the presence of Mijares lessens that concern for me. The fact that you can really use either guy in the eigth inning, or both, makes it less likely that one will get over worked. If the starter goes seven innings, Gardy has the luxury of playing the match ups with his two setup guys in the eighth to get it to The Hammer Mr. Nathan in the ninth. As for the middle and long relief, that has been the problem for the Twins so far. Ayala and Breslow were awful and Sean Henn has been pretty bad himself. Two guys, however, have stepped up for the Twins in this role. Knuckleballer R.A. Dickey has proven to be a key addition to the pen. In fact, I would argue the man has saved the pen this year. He has come in when a starter has a bad day and eaten up innings to avoid burning out the rest of the pen. Bobby Keppel, albeit in only two appearances, has looked very good so far. I love the hard sinker that he throws that dives out of the zone and his quick pace on the mound. With that being said, for the Twins to expect Dickey and Keppel to continue to dominate when they haven't throughout their careers would be naive. The manager wants more bullpen help and he needs it. I want the Twins to attempt to trade for either Jeremy Affeldt (Giants) or Matt Capps (Pirates), two guys on bad teams who could pitch in the late innings and take pressure off of Guerrier and Mijares.

The lineup has been inconsistent at times, but for the most part has been solid and fairly powerful. Now that the Twins finally have everyone healthy in the lineup, I think their lineup is the best and deepest in the division. One guy who has really stepped up this year has been Brenden Harris. He has played a very solid shortstop since taking over on a regular basis as the starter and has done a good job getting on base in front of Joe Mauer in the two hole, which is crucial. Harris also did a great job leading off when Denard Span was on the DL. This lineup has been unexpectedly powerful this year. When your 3-7 guys are Mauer, Morneau, Kubel, Cuddyer, and Crede, you are in pretty darn good shape. Delmon Young and Carlos Gomez have also started to heat up a little bit and Nick Punto has been swinging the bat better as well. I don't think hitting will be a problem for the Twins in the second half.

So, after that long analysis, where does that leave us? I think the signs point to a strong push by the Twins for the division title. I believe that when healthy, as they finally are, the Twins are the best team in the division. It will likely come down to Minnesota, Detroit, and Chicago. The Tigers have the best starting pitching, the White Sox have the best bullpen, and the Twins have the best lineup and defense. So, what gives Minnesota the edge? Depth in both the starting pitching and the lineup, along with the best closer in the game. The Tigers have the most talented staff with Verlander, Edwin Jackson, and Rick Porcello. However, the Twins have better four and five starters, which is critical to winning division titles. The Twins also have a lineup led by Joe Mauer and Justin Morneau, two of the top five players in the AL. They have depth up and down the lineup. The White Sox bullpen as a whole is better than the Twins bullpen, however, we have the better closer in Joe Nathan. The formula for the Twins in the past has been getting solid starting pitching and just enough hitting to win. This year, their lineup has picked up some of the slack as well. Minnesota is the most balanced team in the division, which is why they will be the champions.

By the way, the acquisition of 3B Joe Crede has been absolutely huge for this squad. Crede has become my favorite player on the team. He plays gold glove caliber defense, takes good at bats, hits bombs, and goes about his business in a very professional way. I love the guy and never get tired of shouting CREDE......YEEEEEEeeeeeeeeSSSSSSSS!!!!!!! Great signing by Bill Smith to solidify the hot corner.

This home stand coming up is a huge one for the Twins, as they face Detroit, New York, and Chicago. Let's hope they can go into the All-Star break on a roll and continue it in the second half, when the fun really begins. Let's play!


WOLVES:
I am in the minority, but I love what new GM David Kahn has done so far. Giving McHale the ax was a long overdue move and a good one, just from a PR perspective alone and getting fans back to Target Center. The Wolves are so fortunate to have had Ricky Rubio fall into their laps at number 5. If he does play here this year or next, he could turn around the franchise. Rubio is an unbelievable passer and floor general. The Wolves need to call Rubio's bluff. If he says he is playing in Spain, tell him that's fine but we still control his rights when he returns. Under no circumstances should the Wolves trade Rubio until at least next year at this time. If they trade him and he succeeds tremendously wherever he goes, it could be the death of the Timberwolves. Hold onto him and be patient. Kahn is playing it perfectly so far. I hope Rubio plays here this year, but if not, it will be nice to find out what Jonny Flynn can do as the starting point guard. Plus, you'll probably end up with a better draft pick next year. The dilemma is that Rubio's agent is likely fearful of Flynn outshining his client if they do play together. One may have to go. It's a tough situation and I'm glad it's not my job to figure it out. I really did want Tyreke Evans on this squad, but I am happy how it turned out. We got two good players.

The Wolves were really thrown into a corner when James Harden and Evans were off the board at number five. Most people thought at least one would be available for the Wolves to nab. As it turned out, both were gone and the Wolves had to improvise. For those that criticize what Kahn decided to do, I ask you to propose a better solution than the one he came up with. Most would say we should have taken Steph Curry over Flynn. However, he is still a point guard and we would have the same dilemma we have now! Kahn and his people loved Flynn and I do to. He is a dynamic scorer, he's tough, strong, and has a great personality. Plus, he is much better on defense than Curry. Apparently, Flynn held his own against the much taller Evans in the Wolves workout. I love the Flynn pick. Obviously, passing up Rubio was not an option. Kahn would have been the laughing stock of basketball, despite the dicey situation we are in now with Ricky. Another option would have been to select my USC boy DeMar DeRozan with the number six pick. I would have been cool with that because I think the guy will be a star eventually on both sides of the ball in the NBA. However, shooting is his weakness and the last thing the Wolves need is a weak shooting 2 guard. I do think DeMar will improve his shooting, however, and the Wolves might eventually regret passing on him. I do understand and agree with what they did though. Take the best two players and worry about it later. Kahn housed the best two PGs in the draft. Do I think they can play together? Probably not, but we can work it out later. I also love the Wayne Ellington pick at 28. I think it's a big steal. The guy can shoot and play hard nosed defense. Wolves fans will like him.

I hate to look back on past history, but I can't help but think that this franchise delayed its development by at least a year when they traded O.J. Mayo for Kevin Love. While Love is much better than I thought he'd be, he plays the same position as Al Jefferson. I do not think that Love and Jefferson can play together on a championship caliber team. I think Love will eventually either be the sixth man or be traded. So, you used your number three pick to get a bench player. Does that make any sense? No! When you're rebuilding, you try to fill holes. Mayo would have filled the scoring 2 guard hole. Rubio/Flynn fill the point guard hole. Next year, the Wolves will likely fill the center hole because the 2010 draft is heavy on big men. So, by trading Mayo, you now have another hole to fill in either 2010 free agency or the 2011 draft. Plus, who knows if you'll be able to get a player of Mayo's caliber, who will average 20 ppg throughout his career. The Wolves primary needs now are a center and a scoring 2 guard. They had the scoring 2 guard in Mayo, but traded him for a guy who plays the same position as their best player. Smart move. As someone who wants the Wolves to be good again as quickly as possible, I can't help but look back on that trade as a mistake. Thank you, Mr. McHale.


VIKINGS:
Brett Favre's arrival looks to be inevitable and I can't wait for his signing to become official. No intelligent football fan can honestly say the Vikings shouldn't make this move, considering who they have a quarterback now. A healthy Favre fills the only true hole on this team and puts them squarely into the category of a Super Bowl favorite in the NFC. For those that say this doesn't put the Vikings into that category, I would ask you why. If healthy, this offense will be unstoppable. Adrian Peterson might be the biggest benefactor of Brett's arrival because opposing defenses will have to respect the pass with Favre under center. AD will run wild and Bernard Berrian, Percy Harvin, Bobby Wade, and Sidney Rice will finally have a Hall of Fame quarterback throwing to them. We aren't pursuing Favre to win in the regular season. We've already done that without him last year. We are getting him to lead us to wins in the postseason and hopefully, one big win in Miami on Super Bowl Sunday. The Packers-Vikings games this year, especially the one in Lambeau, will be must see TV. For those Packers fans that say we can have Favre, we will gladly take our chances with Football Immortality over Aaron Rodgers. It's Mission Miami and nothing else for the Purple the moment Favre arrives. Should be a fun ride.


USC BASKETBALL:
I am still very sad that Tim Floyd is no longer the coach of this team. What an incredible job he did in his four years at USC bringing the program to national prominence. He led the Trojans to three straight NCAA Tournament appearances and three straight 20 win seasons for the first time in school history. Timothy, as I like to call him, poured his heart out for his team and the University and should be commended for it. I am disgusted with how AD Mike Garrett threw Floyd under the bus and refused to publicly support him during trying times. The lack of commitment to basketball in the athletic department is astounding and it all starts with Garrett. With the new Galen Center, this program was on the rise. However, you need strong commitment from your AD and USC didn't have it. Garrett didn't publicly say anything positive about Floyd when he was considering leaving for Arizona (In fact, he basically invided Tim to leave) and didn't support Floyd when the very questionable allegations came out about him. Garrett also put a ton of restrictions on who Floyd could recruit. Do you think he's ever done that with Pete Carroll? Tim Floyd, the best coach in USC Basketball history, deserved better.

Despite the national perception, USC still has some talented players to work with this year. I hated the Kevin O'Neil hire at first, but I am coming around to it and am willing to give him a shot. The man is a good friend of Floyd's and like Tim, is a strong defensive coach. It also helps from a recruiting and X's and O's standpoint that all of Floyd's assistants are staying put. I think that the Trojans can compete for a spot in the NCAA Tournament this year with the talent they have on their roster, especially when you consider how weak the Pac-10 will be. The Trojans will likely start Marcus Simmons, Dwight Lewis, Marcus Johnson, Leonard Washington, and Alex Stepheson. Donte Smith, Nikola Vucevic, Kasey Cunningham, Evan Smith, and Guy Landry will be the primary bench players. That is not a bad group of guys at all. The Trojans will be very deep and strong in the frontcourt with Washington, Stepheson, Vucevic, and Cunningham. They will struggle shooting from outside, as they did last year, but will play great defense and get high precentage shots in the lane. I am glad O'Neil said he expects this team in the tournament because they should be with the talent they have on the roster. I am very excited to see Alex Stepheson, the transfer from UNC, showcase his game. Guy Landry is a recruit that is not being talked about, but is rated an 88 by ESPN and should play solid minutes for the Trojans. Kevin O'Neil certainly has some talent to work with thanks to his predecesor Tim Floyd. The real question will be if O'Neil can attract the same quality of talent Floyd was able to attract to USC.


USC FOOTBALL:
Fall camp starts August 8 and I am getting more and more excited for the season and this team. Aaron Corp needs to be solid if he wants to keep freshman Matt Barkley from taking his QB job. I am excited to watch the defense again this year, especially because they have to replace so many guys. The linebackers of Michael Morgan, Malcolm Smith, and Chris Gallipo should be extremely fast and maybe as good as last year's star studed group. Taylor Mays is the best safety in the country and I can't wait to watch him destroy people in his senior year. The offense returns everyone except WR Patrick Turner. Look for the offense to be extremely good with first year guy Jeremy Bates calling the plays. I am glad this team won't start the year at number one. It's a little less pressure and I can't wait for them to prove people wrong this year. They are hungry for a title and have all the tools to do it. They will have to be road warriers, however, to get it done. Their toughest games will be at Ohio State, Oregon, Notre Dame, and Cal. If they make it through that stretch unbeaten, they will be in the BCS Championship game because the home schedule is a cake walk this year.