Thursday, June 19, 2008

Are We Done?

This is the confessions of desperate Twins fan. Here we are in the midst of a lukewarm June month and I feel the need to speak my troubles to the rest of the Twins fans world.
The Twins have survived in a division that has feed off of mediocrity for nearly a decade now but now is the time for them to take full advantage of that.

Not only have the Twins survived this long on youngsters and over-the-hill vets but there has been no attempt to adjust those means despite the fact that they are still hanging around. We are three months into the season and the less-then-loaded Twins remain 4.5 games out of first place behind the White Sox.
So what are we to think of our boys in white and blue pin-stripes? Apparently not enough to believe they can contend.

There isn’t going to be a team to make a major move on the division title over the next two months so it would be in this team’s best interest to make a trade to acquire a decent pitcher that could fill the hole in the starting rotation. Or a bat? (that has been a need on the block for how many years now?)

Call me bat shit crazy but I think the Twins could make a move at this time. The time is now in a division that is as weak as the AL Central. The Tigers are underachieving as well as the Indians and if the Twins are to make that move they better do so quickly because the window is quickly closing. Everyone seems to want to conseed and say the Twins can not compete for a few years but this division is ripe for the taking and a team as inexperienced and unsure as the Twins might be perfect for that gig if the bats come around and the bullpen realizes its place on the team.



soup said...

If Livan has one more good start, I say we trade him while he is still worth something. I could roll with a blackburn, slowey, baker, perkins, and Liriano rotation. I think with that rotation and our lineup, we could stay in contention. We are currently 6th in the A.L. in runs scored and 3rd in runs given up. I think we can keep that up.

I'm nervous that Cleveland is going to start playing good baseball.

Daymonster said...

I am not so sure, with DET and CLE right behind us with much better teams I am worried as soon as we make a move they won't suck any more.

I guess if it means getting rid of anyone young, I am against it. Livan going? No problem with that, but I don't want to sacrifice some of the future just because the AL central is sucking right now.

For 2 reasons:
Soup is right, the Indians won't be sub .500 for long.
Even if we win the division I don't see the Twins being consistent enough to get out of the first round.

I feel very pessimistic right now, so feel free to cheer me up.

TwinsWin83 said...

I guess the point im trying to make without being able to make it is this: isnt anyone else fed up with the fact that the powers that be within the organization have seemed to conceed the next couple of seasons under the banner that the team cant compete until their young talent develops? Yet they are competing in a weak division RIGHT NOW without even knowing it or trying for it.

Why just bide our time until 2010 when we dont have too? Why not repect your fan base enough to try and put your best foot forward right now instead of expecting them to wait it out?

People will say that the indians and tigers will make their expected move here shortly but its mid June now, and they have yet to do so. Sure it could happen but the Twins seem to be blissfully unaware of their current position. They are in second place and only 4 games back in a very medicore division.

So why not make a move and shock the world and show their fans they still have a pulse and want to compete?

Daymonster said...

I agree, but the question is what move(s) can be made that will put them over the hump.

An upgrade in the rotation, maybe. But what else? I just don't see the Twins being good enough to win this division barring some great move that I can't even think of.

Livan for Johan... straight up?

Tricia said...

I wish Delmon would start showing us some of that power we were told he'd have. Can you imagine if he really got his bat going? We need the hitters to give Scotty run support, and that would be good for a few more wins. And in the next series against the White Sox, the pitchers have to make the hitters more uncomfortable. I'm no expert, but judging by the number of home runs they hit against the Twins in the last series, they were feeling pretty good at the plate. The bullpen seems to be improving. You could be a Mariners fan right now. There's also 89 games left to play. Feel any better now? (I am very much a glass half full kind of person.)

soup said...

One could also make the argument that we are in contention right now, why change anything?

If we make a move for a starting pitcher it's going to be someone like bronson arroyo. It would be someone that is probably not better than the pitchers in our organization.

I think our team's best chance of getting better and contending is through 1) subtraction (read:Livan) 2) be patient with our young players and let them get better (kubel, young, gomez, casilla, just about all of our pitchers). We also need to realize that bass is a fine pitcher for long relief, but has no place pitching in a close game.

If we make the playoffs, we are done in the first round. But if we made the playoffs, I would have no complaints about the season.