Adios, amigo
A
few days before my birthday (Aug. 2), I got the chicken pox. I was one of the
first in my neighborhood, so the party was cancelled. Not postponed. Cancelled.
Then
later that day, I found out that the Minnesota Twins traded five players for
Frank Viola, the hero of the 1987 World Series and the reigning AL Cy Young
award winner.
I
was miserable. To this day, its still the worst birthday of my life. I bring
it up because I couldnt help but notice the parallells yesterday when the same
two teams consumated a trade for another Cy Young winner, Johan Santana.
Only
this time, instead of chicken pox, car trouble was the first distressing sign.
After almost a year of running smooth my Dodge Stratus (I DRIVE A DODGE
STRATUS!) decided to start sputtering yesterday. Then Johan got traded. And
even though its almost exactly 18 years and six months later, I felt just as
awful as I did on that fateful birthday. Maybe even worse.
I
revered Johan Santana during his remarkable Twins career. I tried not to miss
any of his home starts, partly because I absolutely loved watching him pitch,
partly because you never knew when you were going to see something amazing.
Like
the 2005 start that I watched from the front row of the upper deck in
right-center. Johan threw eight shutout innings, and the Twins won 1-0 despite
getting one-hit by Freddy Garcia. (The one hit was an eighth-inning homerun by
Jacque Jones.)
Or
the start in 2006 when Johan out-dueled Curt Schilling, striking out 14 but
settling for a no-decision. (The Twins won in extra innings).
Or
his complete-game shutout against his new team this past summer 9 innings, 4
hits, 0 walks, 1 strikeout, 92 pitches -- which resulted in a head-shaving for
Bert Blylevyn.
Or
his last memorable start as a Twin. On Sunday, August 19, Johan was at his all-time
best at home against the Texas Rangers. I had lived in Mitchell for exactly a
week, and that Sunday was my first day off. I was ecstatic to finally enjoy
watching my favorite team and my favorite pitcher in my new apartment.
It
was one of those games where youre calling your friends by the fifth inning,
just to make sure that theyre watching and what youre seeing is really
happening. Other than two hits by Sammy Sosa, Johan was as dominant as a
pitcher can be.
His
numbers -- 8 innings, 2 hits, 0 runs, 17
strikeouts were impressive enough, but they dont even tell the whole story.
By the seventh inning, Johan clearly carried an air of invincibility. By that
points, his stuff was working so good and the Rangers were so defeated, he just
knew he was striking out every single hitter that came up.
The
final pitch, to strike out the side in the eighth, will be my lasting memory of
Johan as a Twin. Once the pitch left his hand, he aggressively hopped towards
home plate, positive that another hitter would helplessly flail at the
unidentifiable pitch. When the batter inevitably swung and missed, Johan
triumphantly punc hed his left fist into the air and the Metrodome crowd
erupted.
Alone
in my apartment, I yelped, then had to sit in silence for a moment, almost in
disbelief at what I was seeing. That was the last pitch I would see Johan throw
in a Twins uniform. I was working during his final starts of the season,
leaving that 17-strikeout gem as my final Johan-related Twins memory.
Ultimately,
its an extremely fitting parting shot, and I hope that will be the way I
choose to remember the Johan-era. At this point, Im too sad to know.
I
could get into the trade itself, whether the Twins got the best deal, what I
think about baseball when a team literally has no chance to re-sign its
(somewhat) homegrown stars. But the bottom line is, the Twins just had to trade
away the best pitcher in baseball. Since 2003, he leads the entire major
leagues in the pitching triple crown (wins, ERA, strikeouts). Thats four
seasons of almost unprecedented dominance, and, at just 28, there could be four
or five more with similar (or better) results.
The
only thing keeping me sane during the last 36-plus hours has been the hope that
Francisco Liriano comes back as good as he was in 2006. I know the chances arent
great, but for 15 starts that seaon, he was clearly in the same class as
Santana. Liriano not only had the stuff, he also had the mental makeup of an
elite starter. He pitched better in big games, and had the same intense command
that Johan always had on the mound.
The
other redeeming factor is the outcome of the other lopsided deals in Twins
history. Eight-year-old Matt was pissed when Viola was dealt, but it more than
made up for it in 1991 when some of the prospects the team received in return
helped win a World Series. Could the four Mets prospects help us win a World
Series? Sure. When that happens, Ill call it a great trade. Not until then. Not
with how much I personally enjoyed watching Johan do his thing.
Either
way, I know that Opening Day (March 31 vs. Torii and his new team) just got
tougher. Not only will the pre-game warmups start with a song other than
Santanas Smooth, but Torii Hunter will be jogging to center from the
opposing dugout in the bottom of the inning. Talk about a double whammy.
Its
going to hurt again on Opening Day, 2010, unless for some reason Liriano has a
Cy Young or two and Johan has fizzled in the Big Apple. That will be the first
game in the Twins new ballpark, and rather than thank the taxpayers (who paid
for 2/3 of the stadium) by giving the best pitcher on the planet enough money
to stay out of his own pocket, Carl Pohlad will probably be greedily sitting
behind a desk somewhere, counting his money and cackling in a sinister fashion.
No
matter what happens, Ill always look back on the Johan-era with the fondest of
memories. Im completely confident that someday Ill be telling my grandkids
about the best left-handed pitcher Id seen in my life, and Im willing to bet
his first name starts with a J and ends with an ohan.
After
that, Ill probably start rambling about the economics of baseball and how it
was crap that he couldnt retire a Twin. Then my grandkids will slowly walk
away from grandpa and his crazy rant.
The
point is, even when Im a senior citizen, I fully expect to devlove into a
crazy rant anytime that Johan Santana is the subject. He wasnt a good pitcher,
he wasnt even a great pitcher. He was transcendant. And now hes gone.
Goodbye,
Johan. And thanks for every strikeout, every inning, and every moment that made
me laugh, scream, cheer or clap. I knew I was watching greatness every pitch.
A
glass case of emotion
Dont
let the sub-head fool you & the Johan portion of this is over. Instead, its a
quote from Anchorman, just like the title of my college roomates new blog:
Punting Baxter.
My
friend Anthony Maggio, also a sportswriter, is now blogging at http://puntingbaxter.wordpress.com/.
Head over and check it out. Since hes an alum of fantasy sports site
Fanball.com, its a certainty that Magshs blog will feature fantasy thoughts
and advice more often than mine (never), and he also roots for the Bears, Cubs
and Bulls, so Chicago fans would like his stuff more than mine, too.
Hes
just lucky hes not a White Sox fan. I wouldnt link to that crap. Hes also
lucky that he was in Frontier Hall, room 169 as a college freshman, and I was
down the hall with Rap in 182. Neither of us are lucky that Ben Stading was
around the corner, though. None of us.
Super
Sunday
I
heard that the Patriots play some team this weekend. The real big news from the
game? The new Twins Territory commercial will air for Minnesota-area viewers
(Im hoping this includes the southern Dakota).
If
you havent seen the movie Out Cold, I feel sorry for you.
Posted by: matthiggins51 on 1/31/2008 at 12:08 AM | Comments (1) | Permalink
Back in Black
That's right, I'm back. And when you add in the backdrop color ... you get the title.
First of all, I'm shocked to see people still have been checking in on my blog fairly regularly. Thanks for staying interested even though I haven't posted in forever.
In case you didn't know, I left the Stillwater Courier in August to become the Sports Editor at the Mitchell Daily Republic in Mitchell, South Dakota. The Daily Republic is a Forum Communications paper, and it was a good opportunity for me to both move up the ladder, and to a daily from a weekly. After a longer-than-expected adjustment period, I think things are going great with our sports section here now, and I think that we have a great working relationship going with the sports scene in Mitchell and the surrounding communities.
A lot has happened, obviously, since my last blog. The Gophers went 1-11, the Packers went 14-3 and then broke my heart, Torii Hunter bolted for Anaheim on Thanksgiving and "Johan Watch" has consumed me since early December. If you have anything specific from the past few months that you'd like me to comment on, please submit a comment or e-mail me at mhiggins@mitchellrepublic.com.
Part of the reason I took some time off from the blog is that columns are now a regular part of my job, so I was selfishly saving some of my best writing for the left-hand column of the Daily Republic's sports page. However, with spring training right around the corner and Tubby doing a pretty good job with Gopher basketball, I feel it's time I got back to work on Extra Points. So from here on out, I'll be using this space to publish my columns that appear in the paper, and to expand on thoughts or ideas that don't fit or work with our paper.
I'll start right now, by posting a pair of columns that ran in our paper this week. The first might be a new subject for some of you. My main beat out here is Dakota Wesleyan University sports, and the first column deals with the 17th-ranked men's basketball team. The second is a familiar topic -- the Twins -- and the two big extensions given out on Friday. Here they are...enjoy. Feel free to send me feedback about anything at any time.
No.
17 Tigers are a well-kept secret
This
column originally appeared in the Friday, Dec. 25 Mitchell Daily Republic
Funny
how a team can be ranked 17th in the nation, but still feel like a well-kept
secret in its own town.
Thats
the case with the Dakota Wesleyan University mens basketball team, which has
raced out to an 18-5 record and is contending for both a Great Plains Athletic
Conference title and a second-straight berth in the NAIA national tournament.
However,
far more seats are open than occupied any time the Tigers tip off at the
Worlds Only Corn Palace, and though I have a few guesses, I really cant
figure out why.
All
I heard since I began at The Daily Republic in August is what a basketball
hotbed Mitchell and the surrounding area is. I guess all the people saying that
forgot to include the words high school.
Last
weekend, the Corn Palace was in serious jeopardy of violating fire codes when
it was packed to capacity for the Hanson Boys Basketball Classic. Anytime the
beloved Mitchell High School boys take the floor, it might not be a sell-out,
but there are definitely enough fans there to make for a viable home-court
atmosphere.
Its
possible the Kernel die-hards dont take to the Tigers the same way because
theyre not 100 percent homegrown. While DWU features some good area talent
like All-GPAC performer Preston Broughton (Corsica) and Platte native Rocky
Nelson, there isnt a Mitchell player on this years roster, and without that
clear-cut local connection, maybe people arent as interested.
Early
in the season, I heard a lot of people say, Once Mitchells season starts,
DWUs attendance will pick up because then people know its basketball season.
If that was true in the past, its not the case this year. The Corn Palace
turnstiles have been turning at the same rate all year long.
The
Corn Palaces off-campus location doesnt seem to be a valid excuse. DWU
athletic director Chad Vogel said that they tried to start a bus for students
who lack transportation to and from the Tigers games. However, not a single
student showed up for the bus, so the idea went up in fumes.
Speaking
of the Corn Palace, the tourist-attraction arena itself is a reason to attend
games. How many NAIA basketball venues offer full concessions (plus a Dippin
Dots cart), the option of bleachers or cushioned, arena-style seating, a
pro-style four-sided scoreboard and even a close-circuit broadcast of the
on-court action in the lobby so spectators can hit the bathrooms or concession
stands and not miss a second of the action? I havent been to a ton of NAIA
arenas, but I would guess very few can even come close to matching the
amenities at a DWU game.
And,
like the Mitchell High games, the DWU athletic department does a solid job of
making sure the entertainment extends beyond the court. Music fills the arena
during timeouts, halftimes are always more than two guys sweeping the floor and
a pair of Tigers are always on the prowl.
At
most NAIA schools, you dont have two mascots, a halftime show for each game,
things like that, Vogel said. We feel like were putting a product out there
thats worth the price of admission. If were not getting the right things out
there, wed like to know what it might be, but were doing what we can to make
this a family-friendly event. Wed sure welcome any ideas that people might
have.
Beyond
all the extra-curriculars, the thing that keeps coming back to me is that
Mitchell is a basketball town. The fact that the product that head coach John
Hemenway has put on the floor isnt drawing in big crowds is still the most
shocking aspect to me.
This
version of the Tigers races up-and-down the floor, creating fan-friendly,
high-scoring, fast-paced games that would captivate even the most causal of
basketball fans. And on top of that, DWU is good. Really good. And really fun
to watch.
Broughton
is as athletic a player as youll see. Senior point guard Andrew Lasche is a
cerebral player the perfect conductor for the Tigers high-flying offense. USD
transfer Colby Fitzgerald can catch fire from the outside at any time. Ike
Muoneke and Brady Wiebe provide the inside muscle and Marcus Vontz, Scott
Nelson and Chase Walder do a little bit of everything. From a fans standpoint,
the Tigers have a little bit of everything, making them versatile and fun to
watch.
The
GPAC is an elite NAIA conference again this year, and earlier home games
against Northwestern College, Hastings College and Wednesdays 85-79 win over
Briar Cliff University were flat-out great mens college basketball games,
regardless of division. Its almost shocking that more people didnt come out,
in a basketball town, to see the game played at such a high level.
Fortunately
for the hardwood hard-cores in Mitchell, theres still time left. The Tigers
are home three more times in the regular season, and theres a good chance they
could host a GPAC tournament game as well. Two of the games are huge. DWU hosts
unbeaten and top-ranked Morningside College (which leads the Tigers by 2.5
games in the standings) on Wednesday, Feb. 6 and in-state rival Sioux Falls
closes the regular season at the Corn Palace on Friday, Feb. 22.
Vogel
said that maybe next season theyll have to try a few new twists to put some
more fans in the stands, but the best thing for DWU would be for Tiger fever to
spread through the community, and for the teams current small, dedicated
following to become a large, loyal following.
Next
year we need to look at special ticket promotions and try to get some clubs
involved, Vogel said. But our venue in unbelievable and the main thing is
that weve got the 17th-ranked team in the country.
We
do appreciate the people that come. We have some fantastic, very loyal fans.
Wed just like to clone them a couple time.
Good
Friday for Twins fans
This
column originally appeared in the Saturday, Dec. 26 Mitchell Daily Republic
To
call this Minnesota Twins off-season tumultuous might be an understatement.
General
Manager Terry Ryan stepped down, the most beloved Twin since Kirby Puckett
bolted for the West Coast and a pitching prospect often referred to as untouchable
was dealt in the hopes off adding life to a sometimes lifeless lineup.
And
thats without even mentioning Santana Watch.
Since
early December, any time I see anything Twins-related on TV, in the newspaper
or on the Internet, I have to pause and brace myself that this could be the
news that Johan Santana, the best pitcher in baseball, has been traded to
another team.
Add
it all up, and Minnesota fans definitely needed some good news with the teams
annual Twins Fest kicking off at the Metrodome Friday. Miraculously, thats
exactly what happened.
The
club outdid itself by announcing not one, but two (gasp) long-term contract
extensions for the heart of its order. 2006 MVP Justin Morneau got the richest
deal in Twins history at six years, $80M, and the nationally underrated right
fielder Michael Cuddyer got three more years with a club option for a fourth.
Early
rumors have swirled that this was set up so the club could gain some goodwill
with its fans before sending Santana off for a mediocre prospect package, and
that truthfully wouldnt surprise me with how shrewd new GM Bill Smith has
proven to be thus far.
But
when you look beyond the surface, these signings are the banner achievement of
an off-season that really wasnt all that bad.
Smith
has been a pleasant surprise as Ryans no-nonsense replacement. He instantly
has shown the propensity for doing things his predecessor wouldnt like
moving surplus pitching for hitting (Matt Garza for former No. 1 overall pick
Delmon Young) and inking players to deserving, long-term deals. At Fridays
press conference, Smith insisted that the Morneau and Cuddyer signings werent
a change of philosophy in the Twins front office, but, thankfully for
Minnesota fans, Smiths actions are drowning out his words.
More
importantly, Smith didnt blink in the face of pressure from the Yankees or Red
Sox in the Santana negotiations. He set Santanas price and refused to budge.
Seeing someone stand up to the Steinbrenners was downright enjoyable.
Smith
also brought in a handful of infielders to give us options beyond Nick Punto
and Alexi Casilla. No ones going to jump for joy at the signings of Mike Lamb,
Adam Everett or the trade for Brendan Harris. But to think some combination of
those five can hold down three infield spots isnt far fetched, and well have
a little depth.
As
much as it hurt me personally to see Torii Hunter sign with the Angels it was
also the right move, especially now that the Twins used the money to lock up
Morneau and Cuddyer into the new stadium. Much smarter to use the money on guys
heading into their prime rather than out of it. Itll hurt on opening day when
Hunter jogs out to centerfield in a different uniform, but not as bad as
keeping him at the expense of Morneau and Cuddyer would have.
Now,
the only big questions as spring training nears are the Johan situation and
centerfield. Now that theyve locked up their offensive nucleus, will they make
a similar commitment to keep the pitching staff intact? Can they get him to
take four or five years instead of six or seven? Will they trade him to a big
market? And who the heck is going to replace No. 48?
For
the first time all off-season, I dont care.
In
the spirit of Twins Fest and todays two big signings, Im going to forget
about Johan-gate and Francisco Lirianos rehab and instead focus on the
positives that today brought for the clubs present, and its future.
Most
baseball fans may view a pair of contract extensions as a small step, but for
Twins fans, Friday was a giant leap in the right direction.
Posted by: matthiggins51 on 1/27/2008 at 5:43 PM | Comments (0) | Permalink
Looking ahead...
It’s a little later than anticipated, but here are my second half thoughts, desires, predictions and expectations for the Minnesota Twins. Although the way the first post-All-Star week has played out has already altered my thinking and my approach numerous times, which I think speaks to the Twins single biggest problem of 2007: A complete lack of consistency.
Has there been a bigger microcosm for this season than the last six games? The Twins come back from the All-Star break, and dominate a four-game series against Oakland thanks to otherworldly starting pitching, and hitting that didn’t knock the cover off of the ball, but it got the job done. There was a little bit of everything – some decent offensive outputs, big at-bats, good games, and then a few clutch performances in Sunday’s impressive come-from-behind win where they looked auspiciously like the club we grew to love in 2006.
Then, the Tigers came to town. With the division lead slimmed to six games, and two great starts from Matt Garza and Johan Santana, the Twins should only be trailing by four. However, the bats decided to take two games off (other than Cuddyer last night) and suddenly we’re eight games back.
How many times this year have the Twins wasted a good pitching performance? I suppose a good journalist would look that up and include, but truthfully I don’t think I want to know because it might push me over the edge. After the last two games, I’m certifiably unstable. I feel like I spent both nights being interrogated for four hours apiece instead of watching baseball. After each game I was mentally, emotionally and physically drained, and it’s only July, for crying out loud. I'm irritable, drained and probably shouldn't be writing a "second half predictions" column in this state, but I'm hoping it ends up being therapeutic.
It’s how the whole season has been - nothing resembling consistency on either side of the spectrum. A team that put up 32 runs in one doubleheader (in recent memory) is also completely capable of going days and games without scoring more than five runs. One day, they’re coming back with confident, explosive offense and the next they’re stranding 13 runners on base. They’re no rhyme, no reason and thus far, little explanation.
The only silver lining is that there is one group who appears to be getting more consistent – the starting pitchers. So far in the unofficial second half – six games, six quality starts. If that continues, Detroit and Cleveland better keep their eyes on their rear-view mirrors.
I think there are a few reasons why these mid-July games are so big (or maybe seem so big). First of all, the Twins are facing a lot of franchise-changing decisions, and some of them hinge on where we sit in the standings in the next week or two. Regardless, I don’t think they’re trading Torii Hunter before the 31st, but if they appear dead in the water, the possibility would cast an unbearable cloud over the franchise.
On the flip side, had they gotten just one or two clutch hits and made this a tight division race, the Twins instantly become buyers in a market that is unusually weak, but not without options. Torii wants Dimitri Young, some people want Ty Wigginton – I just want something.
I feel like Terry Ryan owes us. It’s easy to second-guess, but the argument could be made that the Twins are sitting eight games back because of the organization’s decision to go the Ramon Ortiz-Sidney Ponson route instead of the Kevin Slowey-Scott Baker-Matt Garza route. Now that they’ve corrected their rotation errors and have the pitching staff going in the right direction, they need to do the same thing to the lineup.
I know that Rondell White is supposed to be back to help someday, but when? He’s had more setbacks than OJ’s search for the real killers. There’s no consistency in left field, or at the designated hitter spot, and Punto continues to be flat out bad at the plate. However, if they were to address left or the DH, you can sacrifice from offense from Punto for his defense/base running/intangibles.
In short, the Twins need at least one move, if not two. Here’s what I’d do. (I’m not going to name specific players because I don’t know exactly who’s going to be available and what they’ll cost.) Get someone to be an every-day DH. Teach Garrett Jones how to play left. Get rid of one of their useless bench players (Lew Ford, Luis Rodriguez) so they can keep Chris Heintz up and DH or pinch hit Mike Redmond if need be. Leave Punto in the nine hole and hope he continues to play great defense and give you at least a little more with the bat. While they’re at it, ship someone else out, too, so Alexi Casilla can come back up to give Luis Castillo days off here and there and give us absolute lightning speed on the bench if we need it.
If you have to give up a good, young pitcher and maybe a Kubel or another player to do that, fine. I realize how important it is to covet young pitchers, but two things keep coming back to me. Number one, we won’t have room next year for all of them. The rotation is probably going to be some sort of Santana, Garza, Francisco Liriano, Baker, Bonser combination, so if you can get something really good for Slowey or Perkins, so be it. Roll the dice. Number two, JD Durbin. At one point, “The Real Deal” could’ve gotten us a boatload in trades, but we kept him and watch him fizzle out. That means that these prospects aren’t all “can’t miss.” The team is so close to being great, so now it’s time to take a shot.
There’s a big difference between what I want to happen, and what I think will happen. While part of me thinks that this might actually be the year we make some sort of move (especially considering how the last two games against the Tigers played out), I doubt Ryan pulls the trigger, unless we get can something for basically nothing.
At some point, we have to stop being a team looking to the future and become a team trying to live in the present. The future could be now. We have the best pitcher in baseball and one of the best bullpens from top to bottom. Torii is playing the best ball of his career, and we have some great young talent at the major league level both in the lineup and in the rotation.
Prediction
Let me preface this by reminding you that I am ever the Twins optimist, but with our current roster, I don’t see us catching Detroit. The Tigers have the look of a championship team – even more so than they did a year ago at this point. They do the little things well, they have great pitching and a deep lineup that features baseball’s best hitter this season – Magglio Ordonez.
However, I do see us catching and passing the Indians. We still have 13 games with Cleveland, and another 13 with Kansas City that should help us gain some ground. The Indians remind me of the Tigers a year ago – a good team who got out to a great start, but this is relatively new to this group and they’re not as battle tested as the Twins. Plus, Sabathia is fading while our ace is gaining steam, and Hafner hasn’t been his usual superhuman self. I don’t think Cleveland’s ready.
That would give us a good shot at the Wild Card. I don’t see the Yankees fading completely from the picture, and the Mariners have played some pretty good ball, so it’s going to be an interesting race, but I think the Twins will get the wild card and get into the playoffs. Their starting pitching has just been too good to ignore lately.
The requirement is that at some point the Twins show some semblance of consistency. There’s little to no evidence that they’re capable of it, but I think it all comes back to the pitching. If the pitching stays strong, the hits should come. If they do, we’re looking at a playoff team.
However, that isn’t just a big “if.” It’s huge.
Hey AJ…
“Hey AJ” is postponed due to the author’s frustration with Joe Mauer this week.
Posted by: matthiggins51 on 7/19/2007 at 2:15 PM | Comments (0) | Permalink
Back From Vacation...
To quote the great Neil Diamond, “Hello, again, hello.”
(Yes, I stole this
title from a great season three episode of The Office. Also, regarding
Neil Diamond, if you've never heard one of his live albums, immediately
run to the store right now and buy one and listen to it today.)
Sorry it’s been awhile, but like the Minnesota Twins, I’ve been on a long road trip. Unfortunately, mine was more successful than the Twins’ 5-6 run through Detroit, New York and Chicago.
I was in the Colorado Rocky Mountains with my family last week, and while most of our activities on vacation were centered around the great outdoors, we did find ways to keep in touch with our favorite baseball squad. Cousin Tony gets inning-by-inning updates text-messaged to him, and he got the best cell service in the Rockies. Plus we caught a few games on TV during meals at places that are smart enough to have the MLB package.
While we were mostly disappointed with the updates, it was a big relief that Santana won in the Bronx on the fourth, and it was great getting the inning-by-inning updates during Friday’s doubleheader with the hated White Sox as the huge offensive numbers just piled up throughout the two games. Luckily, when I got to excitedly tell my parents, “It’s 12-0 now!” during the second game while we were shopping in Estes Park, there was a little girl wearing a White Sox within earshot. Yes! Take that, Chicago!
Our other baseball experience on vacation was the Rockies-Mets game at Coors Field on the Fourth of July. We went early to get “Rockpile Tickets” - $4 centerfield bleacher seats that only sell the day of the game. We waited in line for about an hour and a half in blistering heat and eventually got our tickets and made our way into the stadium.
I really like Coors Field. I really like how one side of the stadium sees the mountains in the distance, while the outfield sees the Denver skyline. I really liked how the ushers were all nice and friendly and actually invited you to occupy the good seats for batting practice and photos of the stadium. But I REALLY liked the “Fantasy Broadcast” booth in right field.
For just eight bucks two people could broadcast a half-inning of the game and get a DVD copy of their performance, so obviously Cousin Tony and I had to sign up and do it. We were scheduled for the top of the first, so we got to do a little pre-game show, and the Mets’ half of the first inning. We weren’t prepared to do a full 15-minute pre-game show, so after going through the starting lineups, and struggling with the name “Yorvit Torrealba,” we naturally gave a recap of Santana’s win in Yankee Stadium that day, and then ran down a list of our favorite presidents and Americans since it was the Fourth. I went with Honest Abe, the Great Emancipator, while Tony picked Martin Van Buren, because of the bitchin’ sideburns.
The play-by-play was fun, although the finished product was a disappointment. You can barely hear us on the DVD, which I guess should be expected for eight bucks, but there was a lot of gold on the air that day that can’t be heard, including constant comments about Rockies’ starter Josh Fogg looking hungover, a remark about Paul Lo Duca being slower than Barbaro after the injury and Tony’s great line about Jose Valentin having one of the best pedophile mustaches in all of sports. Unfortunately, it’s all muffled. We’ll have to go back and do it again someday and scream at the top of our lungs, but like I said, it was still fun for eight bucks. I hope the people in the concourse who could hear us over the speakers had a sense of humor.
After the game, they had a great fireworks show, but the best part was that they emptied the outfield bleachers onto the field, so we got to see the show from the centerfield grass. It was a cool touch, especially walking out of the tunnel onto the field.
Oh, and the Rockies won 17-7.
We spent the first two days of the trip in Rocky Mountain National Park, seeing the sights, looking for wildlife, trout fishing and being short of breath in the high altitudes (up to 12,000 and 13,000 feet in spots).
We saw a ton of elk, including some huge bulls, and a spectacular bull moose on Tuesday afternoon. We also got to observe our new favorite animal, the marmot, on different occasions. No bears, although one was spotted near our campsite, and no Bighorn Sheep, which was a bummer for my old man, and it meant no chances to mimic Will Ferrell's great Robert Goulet sketch. "Oh look, a bighorn! You don't even blink, do you? Staring contest, me and you ... go! You win, you always do."
After spending the fourth in Boulder and Denver, we waited out a horrendous hail storm in our camper on Thursday while watching the Twins cough up a game to the Yankees on Tony’s laptop (our site had wireless internet). Friday we drove to Vail and headed home Saturday. It was a great time – I love the mountains – but it’s also great to be back.
One last vacation story. There is a sports memorabilia store in Estes Park that exceeded any possible expectations. On sale were old posters of players who were retired or with new teams. Our favorites were a David Justice Yankees poster and one titled “The Bear Necessities” featuring Brian Urlacher, Anthony “A-Train” Thomas and Jim Miller. They actually wanted full price ($6.99) for these. We couldn’t talk them down, even after convincing them that both Thomas and Miller don’t play for the Bears anymore. It’s too bad. That Bears poster would’ve been a great gift for our friend Big Party.
Luckily, I did make one purchase there. I bought a Vlade Divac basketball card plaque for $2.99 that I found in a cardboard box full of random items. This will now be the traveling trophy for my fantasy basketball league. It’s perfect in every way.
It’s Derby time
Not the Kentucky version – the Home Run Derby. I’ve always liked this event. I can even remember back to when I was 12 and I had most of my little league all-star team over after practice to watch Ken Griffey, Jr. win the home run crown.
However, I’ve never had much of a rooting interest in the event. Now, with the Canadian Crusher Justin Morneau involved, it’s 10 times as exciting for me. I’m pretty sure a Twin has never been in the Derby in my lifetime, so it’s really cool to finally see it happen. Throw in Prince Fielder and it’s going to be a great show.
I just hope that they give Morneau’s home run distances in meters instead of feet. After all, they use the metric system in Canada.
I’ll be rushing home right after Camp Cliff’s doubleheader tonight to watch “Big Canada” take his swings. I set the DVR last night, and I can’t wait.
All-Star Break
We’re at the unofficial halfway point of the season, and we find the Twins seven back in the wild card and eight back in the division. Last year at this time we were nine and 13 back, respectively, but this has not looked like last year’s team.
Maybe Garza’s emergence is what we need. I didn’t see his start, but it sounded like he finally looked like a top prospect, mostly thanks to a slow curveball to go along with his mid-90s fastball.
Maybe it’s Rondell White coming off the DL after the break. We could definitely use some more pop in the lineup (on a consistent basis) and a little more depth, and The Rock should provide both. He was great in the second-half last year, and his addition could also take some pressure off of Jason Kubel, who inexplicably shaved his beard off in favor of a hideous looking goatee. If it doesn’t work, go back to the beard, Kubes.
Maybe Terry Ryan surprises me and actually makes a move. We have more young pitching talent than almost any team in baseball. We have five legitimate starters (Garza, Boof, Kevin Slowey, Scott Baker, Glen Perkins) who are young and ready to contribute, not to mention a hopefully-repaired Francisco Liriano waiting in the wings. Move just one of those guys to get a bat. Please, Terry. My birthday is on August 2, but I’ll gladly take a power-hitting third baseman, DH or left fielder on (or before) July 31 as an early birthday present.
I’ll be back later this week with a full look at the second half of the season for the Twins, as well as a recap from the All-Star Festivities.
Draft recap
This will be quick.
Corey Brewer – Yes, great pick. The Bucks taking Yi Jianlian – hilarious. Joakim Noah – absurd.
Hey AJ…
“Hey AJ” is a regular installment of Extra Points that suggests things that Joe Mauer should say to AJ Pierzynski when he gets up to bat against the White Sox. “Hey AJ” is brought to you by the Facebook Group: “The White Sox, Second Class Citizens.”
“Hey AJ, I heard an ugly rumor that you’ve only thrown out three of 39 potential base-stealers this year? That isn’t true is it? What? It is? Ouch. Sorry, dude.”
Posted by: matthiggins51 on 7/9/2007 at 3:37 PM | Comments (0) | Permalink
The NBA's finest night
We now interrupt your regularly scheduled Twins-related blog to actually spend some time talking about the NBA. You’ve been warned.
Out of the three major professional sports, I’m the coldest on pro basketball. However, I love the NBA draft. I had watched each and every draft in its entirety from 1993 to 2004. I had to skip the 2005 draft because I had front-row tickets above the Twins dugout for a Santana start, but that doesn’t mean I wasn’t on my cell phone getting updates constantly. I even staged a mild celebration when a “friend” misinformed me that the Wolves had drafted Sean May. Notice how I use the word “friend” loosely there.
My first two real basketball fan memories are Jordan and the Bulls beating the Lakers for their first title, and rooting for the Fab Five. In retrospect, that’s weird because now I hate all things Michigan, but I’ll never forget the first time I saw Chris Webber play as a freshman in college. They made basketball seem so (gasp) fun, despite what Billy Packer thought.
When Webber declared for the draft a year later, I began my yearly ritual of draft-watching. I think part of the reason I love the draft so much is because I’m more of a college hoops guy, and the draft is almost a way to say goodbye and good luck to players I enjoyed watching so much at the collegiate level. Whether it was Webber in 1993, Bobby Jackson in 1997, Dwyane Wade in 2003 or JJ Redick last year, I was always hinging on the moment my favorite college players would hear their name called by the commish.
After a year off, I watched most of last year’s draft, but I just couldn’t get fired up about an event that featured a foreigner named “Andrea” as the top pick. It reminded me of the Kwame Brown/Eddy Curry/Tyson Chandler year. However, I did spend the whole first hour hoping the Wolves would draft Brandon Roy, and instead of just not drafting him and upsetting me right away, they had to draft him and then trade him. I was happy with Foye and cash, but there was still disappointment (which may sum up the experience of rooting for the Wolves).
Anyway, I’m back on board this year, baby. I wish I could remember what I first thought about the NBA’s age limit. I think I was against it, but in hindsight it’s going to make the drafts so much better, starting with this year. In the top 10 alone we could have two transcendent college players taken (Oden, Durant), three back-to-back national champs (Horford, Brewer, Noah) and recognizable heroes from the NCAA tourney (Conley, Jeff Green).
That alone would make this draft one of the most memorable in recent years, but on top of it there is endless trade speculation, starting with local legend Kevin Garnett.
It’s seemed foreseeable that the Wolves were going to have to eventually trade KG and start over, but now it’s downright inevitable. Some blame his huge contract. I blame a front office who opted for Troy Hudson over Chauncey Billups, brought in Ricky Davis, Mark Blount and Marko Jaric and gave away first-round draft picks like they were a giant chicken handing out coupons in front of a grocery store.
(Two thoughts on the draft pick thing – shouldn’t the Wolves understand the value of first round picks more than ANY other franchise after losing all those picks because of the Joe Smith fiasco? And how the hell did Elgin Baylor swindle McHale to give him Sam Cassell AND a future first rounder for Jaric? Shouldn’t they have had to include a pick with Jaric to get Cassell from us? I have to stop, I’m starting to see red.)
I’ve always dreaded the sight of KG in another uniform. He’s a high-character guy who rarely complains (despite getting dealt some crappy hands here). He’s one of the hardest worker in the league. He’s an automatic double-double and an absolutely fierce rebounder. He’s an athletic freak who has constantly developed his mid-range game.
But above all that, he is the Minnesota Timberwolves. For proof, go to a Wolves game and watch the opening tip. After the starting lineups are announced, all the players from the visiting team and the four other Wolves all assemble for the jump ball, with some exchanging hi-fives, elaborate handshakes or those awkward "guy hugs" and the refs get ready to toss the ball up. But all have to wait, because they’re in Garnett’s house.
KG goes over to the scorers table and throws a handful of powder in the air (a tribute to Jordan that LeBron ripped off this year). Then, he makes his way around the court, greeting every starter on the opposing team and hi-fiving his teammates. Once that’s done, he walks all the way to the corner of the court that is opposite the Wolves’ bench and he salutes the crowd and beats his chest a few times. Finally, he makes his way back to half-court, crouches for the tip, and nods to the ref.
He’s that big in Minnesota. Games don’t start until KG looks at the ref and nods that it’s OK to throw up the jump ball. Opponents, refs and an arena full (sometimes) of people are required to wait for the start of the game until KG goes through his pre-game ritual, and everyone seems to understand. The fans literally hang on his every move. Opponents watch him with respect. This is KG’s house. We don’t start until he’s ready.
There’s no way he will ever be this revered or this important to another team or another city. Kevin Garnett IS professional basketball in Minnesota. Elsewhere, he’s a great player finishing a great career. Here, it’s different. It’s special.
But it looks like it’s over. The last few days have been rampant with Garnett trade speculation. Boston, Phoenix, Los Angeles, Atlanta. He’s been mentioned with almost every team other than the Wolves in the last week, and as hard as this is to see for a long-time KG fan, it’s time for both sides to say goodbye.
The ideal trade is sending him to Phoenix for Amare Stoudemire and mixing in a few other players on each side. I’d be happy heading into next year with Foye, Stoudemire, Craig Smith, whoever we get at No. 7 and Rashad McCants as our young nucleus. Foye and Stoudemire and flat-out studs, Smith appears to be serviceable, and then throw in McCants (a shooter) and a defense/glue guy like Corey Brewer or Jeff Green and that’s at least a team with a hopeful future.
If that’s not going to happen, I also don’t mind the three-way with Minnesota, Phoenix and Atlanta that would send Garnett to the Suns, Stoudemire to Atlanta and the third and 11th picks to the Wolves along with a few expiring contracts to make it work. Actually, I rarely mind any three-ways, but this one could be particularly good if the other options are exhausted. The Wolves could take Al Horford at No. 3, Brewer/Green at No. 7 and Acie Law at No. 11. Not bad. (Although if this deal DID go down, the first thing I’d do is call Seattle and just see if No. 3 and No. 7 interest them at all for No. 2. I’m not saying they’d do it, I’m not saying it’s even the right move, I’m just saying I’d make the call).
Had Garnett not revoked the Celtics, I would have liked that trade, too. Al Jefferson, Gerald Green, Theo Ratliff’s expiring deal and the No. 5 pick for KG would have been a winner. Then you hope Conley falls to No. 5 and you still take your pick of Brewer/Green at No. 7 so your nucleus becomes Conley, Foye, McCants and Green in the backcourt and Jefferson, Smith and Brewer/Green in the front court. As Borat would say, “I will like it! I will like it very much!” If I had my choice, this is the deal I would’ve done, followed by the Stoudemire deal and the Hawks coming in third. The Lakers don’t even exist in this scenario to me. Rebuilding teams don’t want Lamar Odom.
There’s also a good chance that nothing could happen, and this could all be worthless speculation. This is actually the way I’m starting to lean. And that would be OK, too. After fearing a future with no KG, us Minnesotans would hopefully appreciate him more this season. Plus, Foye should be primed for a breakout year, and whoever the Wolves get at No. 7 should be able to help right away. Will they be good enough to win the West (or even their division)? No, of course not. But will they be more watchable than last year? They’d have to be.
Regardless of what happens, the KG saga adds a ton of intrigue to my favorite NBA event of the year. Now, I won’t only be tuning in to bid adieu to college hoops’ best talents (and occasionally staring quizzically at the TV when a foreigner is drafted), but I’ll also be waiting to see if it’s also the day we say goodbye to KG. I can’t wait.
And if I were Portland, I’d take Durant. Boom.
Give him a bat ... or don't ...
A double and a triple in two games as a hitter this season? Johan Santana has officially proven he can do whatever he wants on a baseball diamond. At this point, I’d believe that he painted the Sistine Chapel or discovered penicillin.
After his RBI triple against the Marlins on Sunday, I got a text message from my Cousin Todd that said: “Do you think Johan can play third?”
Probably – but I don’t want to find out. He’s going to cost the Twins enough as just a pitcher. Imagine if he could hit, too? He’d be the real life version of Steve Nebraska, only way less crazy, and I’d bet the Yankees would offer more than $55 million for four years, which is what they gave Nebraska in the underrated baseball movie, The Scout. Extend his contract first, THEN get him in the lineup.
And as far as comedy goes, try and find the clip of Johan shaving Bert Blyleven’s head after throwing a complete-game shutout to win a bet between the two. Fantastic television. My only hope is Bert keeps betting him he can’t do things throughout the season.
Hello, John
I think most people were too busy trying to find out if their TVs broke during the final episode of The Sopranos to watch what came on next on HBO, but if you stayed tuned in for the premier of John from Cincinnati, you are a genius.
After hearing my roommates talk about the first two episodes, I used HBO On Demand to get all caught up on Sunday morning, and now I know what they were talking about – that show is mind-blowing. I honestly don’t want to say too much and give anything away for anyone who hasn’t seen it and intends to, but I am definitely. I spent all Sunday afternoon thinking about the first two episodes, then after I watched the third episode when it ran on Sunday night, I spent all of Monday thinking about that one.
I’m pretty confident that not EVERYONE will like this show. It definitely has a niche, and definitely will come off as too pretentious or too weird or too vulgar for some people, but it’s part sci-fi, part family drama, part surf show with a little bit of comedy and a lot of great dialogue sprinkled over the whole thing. I urge you to at least give it a shot.
Dollar Dogs
How about Scott Baker last night? Does anyone else wish that Baker would just find a nice, safe, middle-of-the-road area and stay there? He’s either crap or gold, it’s never a solid, average start. He either gets rocked or throws a gem. Personally, I don’t know if I can handle the Baker-coaster. I just want him to settle in as a solid fourth- or fifth-starter.
Having said that, it was a joy watching him pitch against the Blue Jays last night. I’m off to the Dome for dollar dog night. Let’s hope Boof makes it money well spent.
Hey AJ…
“Hey AJ” is a regular installment of Extra Points that suggests things that Joe Mauer should say to AJ Pierzynski when he gets up to bat against the White Sox. “Hey AJ” is brought to you by the Facebook Group: “The White Sox, Second Class Citizens.”
“Hey AJ, which one of those women is your wife again? Oh … her? Really? Is she funny or does she have a really good personality or something? I don’t know if you heard, but my last girlfriend was Miss USA. Yeah, it just didn’t work out. She wasn’t hot enough. But it’s cool because Tom Brady can probably just set me up with some Victoria’s Secret models. Bet you’ve never been on a date with one of those.”
Posted by: matthiggins51 on 6/27/2007 at 4:03 PM | Comments (0) | Permalink
