MLB: What went wrong with the Twins?

As of the beginning of May 4th, the Minnesota Twins have 2 fewer wins than the second-worst team in baseball Kansas City Royals. Their 6-18 record puts them solidly in last place in the entire major league.

The next worst record in the AL? The L.A. Angels, who sit at 10-16 after thoroughly thrashing Minnesota in a three-game series earlier this week.

Sure, the season is still young. Only 24 of 162 games have been completed. But nothing so far points to the early-season struggles as an aberration.

The biggest question in this whole mess of the past season and a month is where to place the blame. Personally,  I do not blame the players. They are assembled as a team and play to their ability. If Jamey Carroll struggles to hit, especially at age 38, I do not blame him for the Twins signing him to a 2-year deal and handing over the shortstop position to a utility guy.

The blame lies in two places: the front office and the coaching staff.

Hindsight is always 20/20, but Bill Smith made some absolutely horrible deals in his tenure as GM. He made some good deals as well, especially while the Twins were in the hunt in 2010, but not enough to offset how much he as hurt this ballclub for the unforeseeable future.

So while the coaching staff has to work with the players they are given, manager Ron Gardenhire has a reputation for throwing players under the bus while coddling others and having an influence on front-office moves. Add to the fact that numerous pitchers see success after leaving the Twins (ex. R.A. Dickey, Phillip Humber, Kyle Lohse to name a few) and it is hard to put too much trust into pitching coach Rick Anderson.

But back to Billy Smith, ex-GM and his mountain of horrible personnel decisions.

-Trading Matt Garza and Jason Bartlett for Delmon Young and Brenden Harris. There were a couple of other of players involved but they all played minor, if any roles on either club. Harris was a Gardy “doghouse” player and never found consistency in the starting rotation. Young looked absolutely ridiculous playing the outfield as he clobbered around and I for one was not sad to see him go to Detroit.

Bartlett, after finally solidifying the SS position for the Twins was dealt and became a key role in the Rays’ rise to a top-level MLB club. Let’s not even get into how many shortstops the Twins have used since Bartlett departed. Garza has since bounced around but threw a no-hitter and is sorely missed as a rare Twins pitcher who can strike batters out.

-Trading away Johan Santana for Carlos Gomez & three players who never sniffed the majors for the Twins (minus a couple Phil Humber losses).

Santana was a 2-time Cy Young award-winner and easily the most dominating lefty in the game when he was traded to the Mets. The Twins would have been better off keeping Johan on their roster for his last season under their control and netting some draft picks for letting him walk. Smith was even offered a package from the Red Sox including Jon Lester, CoCo Crisp, and Justin Masterson. I think I’d take that 100 out of 100 times if I could do it over.

-JJ Hardy to the O’s for Jim Hoey and Brett Jacobson. Hoey and Jacobson went on to be Class AAA or lower relievers last season while Hardly played stellar D and hit 30 homers. To know that he was essentially given away to make room for Nishioka and his $14 contract ($5 million bid + $9 million over 3 years) makes me sick.

-Allowing the entire bullpen to walk away following a 2010 division title. The Twins allowed Matt Guerrier, Jesse Crain, and Jon Rauch, all middle-relief staples over the previous 2 or more seasons, thinking that they could all be easily replaced. Wrong. Joe Nathan struggled in his return from Tommy John and Capps was atrocious for much of the summer as he battled injuries.

-Signing Joe Mauer to an 8yr/$184 million dollar contract. From 2011-2018, Mauer will make $23 million per season. Mauer is a great player, but he does not even come close to providing 23 million dollars of value. The Twins in no way can afford to give one-quarter of their payroll to a single player, especially a player who specializes in opposite-field singes.

I do not blame Mauer for this. He had an MVP campaign in 2009 and reaped the benefits. He will never come close to the power numbers (28 HR, 96 RBI) of 2009 again – remember how many of those home runs were in the first few rows if the shallow LF Metrodome seats?

The Twins are obviously not contenders in the America League anymore. I do not know what the answer is, but it is definitely not more of the same. I cannot handle more of Alexi Casilla’s apathetic brand of baseball or Drew Butera getting at-bats with his .178 career batting average. This team needs to be rebuilt with youthful, energetic, and defensive-minded players. I am hopeful that Terry Ryan can finally get away from the standard Twins “pitch to contact” crap in this year’s draft and find a future ace. But even then, Rick Anderson will probably just tell him to quit striking so many guys out and “let your defense pick you up.”

Consider this an open-letter to the Twins organization. I am not going to lie, I am pretty damn good at assembling a team from scratch on MLB The Show 11 on PS2. Just give me one chance!

Coyotes in Sioux Falls: Good idea?

BY JEREMY HOECK
jeremy.hoeck@yankton.net

A scheduled home football game for the University of South Dakota with the defending national champion is moving nearly 70 miles north this fall.

USD receiver Will Powell (P&D File Photo)

In a bold move to tap into the state’s largest market, USD announced Thursday that it is moving its showdown with last year’s FCS champion North Dakota State to Howard Wood Field in Sioux Falls on Saturday, Oct. 20.

So continues an effort by USD to reach out to the state’s biggest alumni base.

“We’re excited to show people in Sioux Falls what Division I football is like,” athletic director David Sayler said by phone shortly after the press conference in Sioux Falls. “They’ve probably seen it before, but now they’ll really feel it.

“The best way to do that is to bring in a team that has good regional exposure.”

You can read more online at www.yankton.net, or by following Jeremy on Twitter at twitter.com/jhoeck

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My first reaction to hearing this news a while back was, “Really?”

As someone has been around the USD circle for 10 years, it’s not exactly a surprise that the school wants to strengthen its foothold — or some might argue, start a foothold — in the state’s largest city. It makes sense, really: Biggest alumni base, more sponsorship opportunities, etc. With the success the Summit League basketball tournaments have had in Sioux Falls, there is no doubt a strong interest for Division I athletics in that city. USD is simply trying to take advantage of that.

On the other hand, I can understand why some people are puzzled by this move. You’re taking arguably your biggest home game of the season and moving away from the DakotaDome, a place where USD has a significant homefield advantage. Remember, the Coyotes upset top-ranked and defending national champion Eastern Washington in Vermillion last fall.

In essence, you’re giving away the biggest home game of the season. North Dakota State, which is unquestionably one of the most well-followed teams in terms of fan support in the region, will no doubt bring with it thousands upon thousands of green and yellow clad fans. Sure, USD’s move to open up tickets to season ticket holders first will help the Coyotes avoid a massive allotment of NDSU fans, but I question the selection of that game in particular. If this is truly a test-the-water kind of experiment, why not start with Illinois State or Western Illinois, see how it goes, and work from there. Maybe move next year’s South Dakota State game there?

What’s to stop Sioux City from stepping up and offering a chance for USD to host Northern Iowa in Sioux City? (Location would be an issue, I know, just an example). Or for that matter, why not hold some sort of basketball exhibition with Mount Marty College over here in Yankton.

Spurred by the success of South Dakota State, USD no doubt wants to increase its exposure across the state; to show that, hey, there are two Division I schools in South Dakota. That’s partly why I understand the rationale behind Thursday’s announcement, to start a tradition of Coyote athletics in Sioux Falls. On the other hand, there are inherent risks with taking games — especially one like North Dakota State — away from your true home, in Vermillion. Improving the gameday atmosphere is something USD needs to tackle first, in my opinion, before trying to cater to alumni bases in cities, no matter how far away they are.

Agree? Disagree? Let us know.

2012 Major League Baseball Preview – AL

Here is my very amateur preview at the upcoming Major League Baseball season, starting with the American League. Agree? Disagree? Please comment!

*Order of teams are their predicted finishes in the division*

American League

AL EAST

1) BOSTON RED SOX: Call me crazy but I see the Sox bouncing back in a big way from their epic September collapse of last season. If Carl Crawford plays the way he should, and is paid, he will form a monster speed combination with Jacoby Ellsbury (.321, 32 HR, 105 RBI, 39 SB last year!). Much of the season will hinge on Daniel Bard’s addition to the rotation, how well Clay Buchholz comes back from injury, and how Andrew Bailey (24 SV, 3.34 ERA) adjusts to closing for a contender. If Ellsbury, Pedroia, Gonzalez, and Ortiz combine for 109 HR’s again like last season, it could be a good year at Fenway.

2) TAMPA BAY RAYS: No manager seems to fit his club as well as Joe Maddon does with this youthful Rays club. I am concerned with how much pressure is being put on SP Matt Moore heading into the season, but everything I’ve read says he is the real deal. The Rays use their youth and energy to their advantage against the veteran Boston and New York clubs in the always-tough East and do not back down from any challenges. LF Desmond Jennings is a key, he batted .259 with 20 steals along with decent pop (10 HR) in about half a season last year. If BJ Upton and Carlos Pena can keep from striking out so much and the bullpen holds together, expect the Rays to make the playoffs.

3) NEW YORK YANKEES: The Yankees are a veteran team, and by that, I mean that they are old. AARP old. Their closer and left side of their infield is a combined 115 years old! New York still has plenty of talent, especially considering the fact that Curtis Granderson, Robinson Cano, and Mark Teixeria are all in the primes right now. I still don’t think that they can withstand injuries to any of those players or their a member or two of their starting rotation in this ultra-tough division. Someday Mariano Rivera will no longer pitch and CC Sabathia’s weight will catch up with him…. right?

4) TORONTO BLUE JAYS: The Blue Jays are a good team that are stuck in a great division. They have some solid pieces in place: Leadoff hitter: Yunel Escobar (.369 OBP, 48 RBI’s last year), Cleanup: Jose Bautista (43 bombs, 103 RBI’s), Staff Ace: Ricky Romero (15 wins, 2.92 ERA); but they will continue to get beat up in division games again New York, Tampa, and Boston and finishing at .500 wont get them close to the AL East crown.

5) BALTIMORE ORIOLES: Combine a crazy-intense division stocked with excellent hitters with the Orioles weak pitching staff and you will see why Baltimore will continue to dwell in the cellar of the AL East. There is a reason that the Orioles have finished sub .500 for 14 straight seasons. They do have a number of exciting offensive players though, (67 home runs between Mark Reynolds and JJ Hardy last season) so along with their beautiful ballpark they should still be fun to go watch in person. Not that I would know. I do bet the Twins would take Hardy and his 30 homers last season back over the Nishioka fiasco of 2011.

AL CENTRAL

1) DETROIT TIGERS: With all the hoopla surrounding the Tigers this offseason, a certain Denny Green press conference comes to mind. Should we just crown their a** already? Miguel Cabrera and Prince Fielder will obviously make for a scary 3-4 punch in the middle of the lineup, but they will also make for a scary set of corner outfielders on defense. If the bats fall silent, as even the best tend to do, there will be plenty of pressure on Justin Verlander (24-5, 0.92 WHIP) and the rest of the rotation to pick up the slack. Detroit is by no means loaded with All-Stars so Cabrera, Fielder, and Verlander need to stay healthy in order for them to conquer the weak central.

2) KANSAS CITY ROYALS: After nearly two decades of futility, the future is finally bright for KC as they are loaded with young talent both on the major league club and in their farm system. Their lineup sports the youngest average age in the AL. The Royals have got to be excited about Alex Gordon finally emerging as the star he was forecast to be. The decade ahead could be really good for Royals fans; I predict they finish above .500 this season.

3) CLEVELAND INDIANS: The Indians are not particularly flashy at any certain position, but they surpassed most expectations last season and there is no reason to think they wont be a decent .500 team once again. Hard to believe this club played for an AL pennant just over a half-decade ago and has lost CC Sabathia and Cliff Lee during that time. Just think if they could have afforded to keep that left-handed starting duo. Yikes!

4) CHICAGO WHITE SOX: The White Sox are a veteran team and aging fast. I have not been a fan of the moves Kenny Williams has made in recent years, but then again, I also didn’t think Adam Dunn would completely tank (.159 BA, 11 HR, 177 strikeouts) and Jake Peavy (7-7 4.92 ERA) would find such a liking to the DL. If Dunn and Alex Rios starting mashing the ball like Paul Konerko (31 HR, 105 RBI’s last year), then this could be an extremely potent lineup. And seriously, did anybody anywhere really see Phil Humber (9-9 3.75 ERA) out-pitching Peavy in the Sox rotation a year ago? Didn’t think so.

5) MINNESOTA TWINS: As much as this pains me as a die-hard Twins fan, I just can’t envision a scenario in which the Twins finish better than 3rd in the central at the very best. Joe Mauer is making 23 million/year to slap singles, Justin Morneau is a shell of his former self, the defense and “Twins Baseball” of years past seems long gone and the rotation is filled with back-end options that are injury-prone. More on the Twinkies in a separate preview later.

AL WEST

1) LOS ANGELES ANGELS: Not only do the Angels add Albert Pujols (.299 BA, 37 HR, 99 RBI in an “off” year), but they also get Kendrys Morales back from his broken leg suffered in 2010. Morales was batting .290 with 11 HR in late spring when he injured his leg after a walk-off homer and now if healthy, he gets to possibly bat behind Pujols. With a rotation that adds CJ Wilson, that makes three pitchers who won at least 16 games a year ago and four starters with an ERA of 3.38 or under last season. If Torii Hunter and Vernon Wells contribute and Erick Aybar and Howie Kendrick can set the table for Pujols… look out!

2) TEXAS RANGERS: Well, the defending AL champs lost CJ Wilson to the rival Angels but added Japanese phenom Yu Darvish. Darvish faces quite the tall order of anchoring the rotation as a MLB transplant. It should be interesting to see how Joe Nathan fares in the closer role but he pitched very well for Minnesota in the second half of last season. Even if Nathan falters, the Rangers have Mike Adams and/or Koji Uehara as right-handed bullpen options. All eyes will be on Josh Hamilton in his contract year. I see Texas finishing a strong second in the West and making the playoffs as a wildcard.

3) SEATTLE MARINERS: The M’s are a team that need to figure out what they are doing, and quickly. Felix Hernandez is wasting away in his prime (14-14 3.47 ERA last year) while Ichiro Suzuki (.272 BA, first season that he didn’t reach 200 hits) only has so much gas left in the tank. Hisashi Iwakuma comes over from Japan to join a rotation that needs Jason Varas and Kevin Millwood to post solid injury-free seasons to remain competitive with the Angels and Rangers. The Mariners definitely cannot afford to see Chone Figgins continue to struggle (.188 BA, .241 OBP last year).

4) OAKLAND ATHLETICS: Oakland has a decent set of building blocks in their lineup, but they also make baffling moves such as jettisoning closer Andrew Bailey and starters Trevor Cahill and Gio Gonzalez while adding Manny Ramirez as a free agent. The lineup definitely needs to improve throughout, so hopefully the players acquired in the previously mentioned trades make eventual impacts on the lineup and pitching staff. For now, the A’s are doing the concept of “Moneyball” no favors.

Wildcard Teams: Tampa Bay Rays and Texas Rangers

Sioux Falls “Irishman” Road Races

Oh what a difference a year can make. Last March, the Irishman road races, held the Saturday of or before St. Patrick’s Day, in Sioux Falls featured 30 degree temperatures and 30-40 mph winds. This year….. 50-60 degrees and sunshine.

For the second consecutive year, I was able to compete in all three St. Patrick’s Day Road Races that make up the ever-popular Irishman. The Irishman starts with a 9 a.m. 5-mile run that starts near the entrance to Falls Park on Phillips Ave. in downtown Sioux Falls. Following that, at 11:30 a.m., is the 5k which also runs through Falls Park before reaching the turnaround point and running straight back to the start line. At 2 p.m., just before the annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade, the mile is run straight down Phillips Avenue from 17th street down to 6th street in front of thousands of green-clad parade spectators.

Each of the three races are timed and scored separately and if you choose to do all three then your times are combined to give you an “Irishman” time. Due to the better weather conditions and being in general better shape than last year I saw big improvements in my Irishman.

I dropped my total time 4:44, from 59:33 a year ago to 54:49 this year. My 5-mile time improved 3:07 to 30:38, while my 5k dropped 1:27 to 18:47 and my mile improved by nine seconds to 5:14. My Irishman placed me seventh overall out of 243 participants.

This year’s overall winner was former Mount Marty assistant cross country and track coach and All-American from Dakota State, Chris Heezen. Heezen won the 5-mile and 5k and placed second in the mile to finish with an Irishman of 48:01.

Complete results here.

More info about the Irishman and St. Patty’s Day road races is available here.

I would strongly recommend this race to any runners/joggers/walkers as it is very well organized and includes numerous festive and dressed-up participants. *If you do decide to compete, register as early as possible as the entry fees skyrocket as race day approaches*

The author in his sweaty 5k post-race glory

More info about the Irishman and my races and goals going in at my personal blog here.

I plan on competing in the Missouri Valley Christian Academy 10k this Saturday, March 7th at Riverside Park in Yankton. There is also a 5k and 1/2 mile children’s fun run.

More info here.

Race recap as well as a recap of the first quarter of the Mount Marty track and field season to come next week.

Lancers Shine at Indoor Nationals

By all accounts, the 2012 indoor track season was a successful one for the Mount Marty Lancers. Although both men’s and women’s teams managed only a 10th place showing in the 11-team GPAC meet in Lincoln, Nebraska on Feb. 17 & 18, three individuals competed in the NAIA Indoor Championships and two of those earned All-American status.

The Lancers traveled to Geneva, Ohio to compete in the national meet on March 1-3. Trevor Lopour made his second nationals appearance in the high jump but was unable to clear the opening height.

Samuel Lopez also made his second appearance at the national meet, competing in the open 800 meter run after being a member of the qualifying 3200 meter relay team last year. Lopez ran 1:55.5 for the 800 in his preliminary heat and advanced to the eight-athlete final, in which a finish would guarantee a top-eight finish and the All-American award that comes with. Lopez struggled a bit in the final but held on to finish a solid eighth and earn his first All-American award as a sophomore.

“Sam ran all-out in his prelim, which is exactly what he had to do.” Head coach Randy Fischer said. “He was pretty fatigued for the final, but he put himself in position to be an All-American. It was a great effort on his part.”

The third and final athlete to compete at nationals was senior Katie Breuer. Breuer, a former state champion pole-vaulter from Madison, was making her third indoor nationals appearance but had struggled to place to this point. Not this year however, as Katie cleared 11-9 3/4 to place 5th and earn her first All-American award. This was the first time in nearly a decade that two separate athletes from Mount Marty earned All-American awards at the same national meet.

“We knew that Katie had the potential to earn All-American and place very well, and she finally hit the right day where she hit her marks and had some great vaults,” Fischer said.

Men’s All-Americans               Women’s All-Americans

Katie Breuer and Sam Lopez show off their All-American awards. (Photo Credit: Sandy Breuer)

The Lancers begin their outdoor track & field season on March 30 in Wayne, Nebraska at the Wildcat Classic.

*Look for a blog post detailing results from the Irishman road races, held on March 17 in Sioux Falls, early next week*