The Best News of the 2011 Baseball Season

A few days ago, I got a Tweet that was the best Twins news I’ve had all year:  the 2012 schedule.

I have a hard time even remembering to check www.twinsbaseball.com for the latest news.  And when I do check it, headlines like “Twins unsure if Morneau will return this season” barely garner a superficial scan of the article.  And it’s a really bad sign that I can’t even muster up the desire to turn the radio on for the game or the pre/post game coverage.  Like everyone else, I just want this misery to be OVER.

But hope springs eternal (at least in my heart), and that’s why I am excited to have a look at next year’s schedule.  The first thing I checked was when we host the Brewers.   This summer, I met up with my closest college friends for a Twins-Brewers game in Milwaukee.  (No surprise, it was a Twins loss.)  The plan is to make this a tradition, alternating seasons between Miller Park and Target Field.  Last year, I had my first tailgating experience.  This year, I hope to introduce my friends to the glories of Target Field.  (And nicer fans.)

I hope our guys will be healthy, as it’s hard to extol the virtues of Joe Mauer over Ryan Braun when Mauer’s not even playing.  For most of this year’s game, the best I could legitimately say was that Mauer was better looking than Braun.  Mauer did pinch hit late in the game, and he actually got a clutch hit.  But, not surprisingly, the 2011 Twins couldn’t do anything with it.  Pavano pitched a game worth forgetting, we had very little offense, and we played poorly enough to be easy targets for the person pushing the buttons on the sound effects that day.

While I don’t believe our mid-game cartoon “race” around Target Field can compete with Miller Park’s “Sausage Races”, and we can’t tailgate, I think the rest of the ballpark experience might win out:  gorgeous view from anywhere, electric atmosphere, giant scoreboards, and Minnesota nice.  Oh, and of course, I expect we’ll have a winning team next year.

One of my favorite moments of the day was when my friend’s six-year-old son (product of a “mixed” marriage of a MN mom & a WI dad) said that we can be happy whichever team wins.  I’ll let him be happy regardless of the outcome.  I’ll be happy when the Twins beat the Brewers, but I’ll enjoy the company and new tradition no matter what.

Ironically, I’ve decided to cheer for the Brewers for the remainder of this year.  I didn’t like how the Arizona fans treated Prince Fielder when he exercised his option to choose his teammates for the Homerun Derby.  But only for this year, which will work out just fine since it’s expected to be Fielder’s last year on the team.  If Morneau doesn’t recover, or doesn’t recover well enough, might the Twins be looking for a First Baseman/DH with some homerun power?

Beating a Dead Horse

July was a mirage.  I’m beginning to think the month didn’t exist.  As every commentator, fan, and armchair manager has stated, the Twins basically pretended to make a run at the point in the season when it could hurt the most.  Going 16-13 in July, up to the non-waiver deadline, the Twins gave the illusion that we might recover this year.  I was on the “best-recovery-in-history” bandwagon far longer than was reasonable.  I just couldn’t believe this season was happening.  I clung to the belief that #itshappening.

By contrast, August was 7-21.  I attended three August games, all losses.  It’s painful to think the Twins (and their fans) have to put up with it for 18 more days, or 16 more games.  Although I’m a fan who still catches the game when I’m able, it’s no longer with the expectation of any enjoyment.  It’s purely out of loyalty for the team that I know exists somewhere underneath the rubble of this season.  It’s surreal.

Rather than re-hash the scraps that have been left by others wiser than I, here are some of the favorite facts and frivolity I’ve come across in the last week or so, and the surmises I’ve made:

·         Chuck James’ Sep 11 tweet of “Feels good to be at home with the family, but would love to still be playing” seems incredibly anticlimactic after his Sept 4 tweet of “No luck this year on a sep call up. Hope for better luck next year. Maybe the twins will let me go, so mabe another team can give me a shot.”  Sorry, buddy, but if you’re an (almost) 30-year-old pitcher who hasn’t had much more than a season in the big leagues, I wouldn’t suggest insulting the team that still has you on the payroll.

·         Also regarding Chuck James:  If I were a player and the Twins couldn’t find a place for me as this season crashes and burns, I’d start looking at a new career.

·         Although a shameless Mauer fan, even I was chagrined that the boys weren’t able to come up with any homeruns in between Joe’s #2 & #3 on the year.  (Thank you http://twitter.com/#!/RhettBollinger for tweeting that fact.)

·         It’s a testament to the Twin’s respect for Cuddyer that his wrist hasn’t earned him a trip to the DL.  It's also a testament to the fact that we have called up anyone who might be able to pass for a major league player at a Halloween party.

·         I disagree with most of the commentators I have heard; I do think the majority of this season’s problems were related to injury.  The injuries might be caused by related, inherent problems.  However, we have a team that, when healthy, would be quality.

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As a final note, I want to put this in the context of “real world” important things.  I wrote this post on September 11, 2011, ten years after our nation’s tragedy.  As I read repeatedly in the September 11, 2001 coverage from the  MLB archives, in the end, baseball doesn’t matter.  To all of the heroes, recognized and unrecognized, thank you from the bottom of my heart.

Mauer: Weak or Misunderstood?

At the risk of sacrificing all of my creditability, I’ve decided to share my unpopular response to this question.  As a new and unknown Twins blogger, I don’t have a lot of credibility to lose anyway!

I think the question of whether Joe Mauer is weak or is misunderstood is a fair question, but I don’t think it’s been addressed fairly.  The rhetoric I’ve heard (and read) from many area sports media “gurus” almost exclusively argues that Mauer is weak, won’t tough it out, or is simply lazy now that he has a large contract.

I believe there is a lot more to the story.

I will concede that I do not have the clubhouse access that a sports reporter generally does, and many reporters have had the opportunity to be around the Twins organization and around Mauer for years.  I do know that what is said during public interviews and press conferences by the organization and by individual players is generally diplomatic and pro-team; rarely does one actually learn anything.  And much of the frustration I hear expressed by these sports gurus is that the clubhouse access isn’t giving them any real information either.

And so, out of this frustration, has come the “Mauer is weak” argument.  I’ve heard three main points given in support of this argument:

1.       Mauer should be more like Michael Cuddyer, who plays when he’s hurt, frequently volunteers himself to be the team’s hero, and speaks eloquently to the media.  Mauer got the contract because he was the face of the Twins organization, but Cuddy is the real Twins leader; Mauer is just the pretty boy.

I think the saddest consequence of this is that I’m SO tired of hearing variations of the above, that I’ve begun to react negatively to praise about Cuddyer, almost like I would if Cuddy was running a smear campaign against Mauer.  I don’t think Cuddy is; I do think a number of the sports commentators are.  It’s never been a secret that Mauer is a quiet, introverted guy who shies away from media attention.  I think it’s a false assumption that a bunch of money will automatically turn a quiet, uncomfortable-when-on-the-spot guy into a savvy, sound bite guy.  I mean, sure, his commercials have improved (somewhat), but those are scripted and get several takes.  You can’t always coach someone into being adept at working with the media, just like you can’t always coach a player from another continent into becoming a major league shortstop.  It doesn’t make Mauer (or Nishi) a bad guy, but it may mean our expectations are wrong, and we need to admit that.  Maybe more importantly, it seems to me Mauer has been judged by benchmarks that were never communicated to him; while the sports commentators may disagree with me, I don’t think it’s necessarily intuitive that a lot of money means a jump from being the face to being the voice of the team.

I also have some reservations about whether Cuddy is always doing what is best for the team and/or himself when he insists on playing, particularly in the recent wrist injury.  Actually, much as I like Cuddyer, I don’t know that he’s the demigod some have lately made him out to be.  Mauer just hit his 500^th RBI in Wednesday’s game.  Cuddy had 510 RBIs at the end of last season.  Mauer has 908 games and 3,871 plate appearances under his belt.  At the end of last season, Cuddy had 1,000 games and 3,971 plate appearances.  Mauer’s RBIs per game was slightly higher than Cuddy’s (.551 vs. .510) and just about dead-on in RBIs per plate appearance (.129 vs. .128).  Yes, it’s only one statistic.  But it seems to me that much of the media rhetoric about Cuddy vs. Mauer lacks statistical consideration.  And, I may just write a future post on Cuddy vs. Kubel…

Oh, and anyone who thinks Mauer is the only “pretty boy” on the team hasn’t heard the chatter about Cuddy in the TF ladies’ room.  Just sayin’.

2.       The organization continues to baby Mauer because of his celebrity status.

I actually think there is some validity to this statement.  However, when I hear this type of commentary, it generally includes the implication that Mauer expects this treatment.  Being a private person is different than having an attitude of entitlement, but sometimes reserve is confused for snobbery.  (Think Georgiana Darcy in Pride and Prejudice.)  I think Mauer’s All-Star Break vacation to Duluth proved that he doesn’t expect excessive celebrity treatment.

Additionally, Ron Gardenhire may talk around an issue, but lying just isn’t his style.  So when he supports Mauer outright, I’m inclined to think he really means it.  My favorite Gardy quote in response to criticism about Mauer followed the July 1 win against the Brewers, when Gardy gave Mauer credit for a solid batting performance and for helping Liriano keep on track (no small feat):  ``For those of you around here long enough you've seen it plenty of times and those of you who doubted him you should slap yourself right in the face.  Go ahead, all you guys who doubt him because he's pretty damn good.''

While that may be my favorite quote, because it is so Gardenhire-esque, probably a more important quote is from last Saturday’s post-game press conference:  “He's played hurt more than any of these other guys have, and he's not getting credit for that, which sucks…he doesn't talk about (injuries), and he shouldn't have to.”  If one means “Gardy babies Mauer” when they say “the Twins baby Mauer,” I don’t think that’s accurate.  I don’t think Gardenhire babies anyone.  Just ask Danny V.

3.       Now that Mauer has the money, he doesn’t feel the need to work hard.A few weeks ago, I was listening to a post-game radio conversation, and a woman called in and crticized Mauer's work ethic.  One of the sport experts cut her off and basically said that Mauer is one of the hardest working players on the team.  The commentator went on to say that he’s had the opportunity to spend time with the team during spring training, and he said Mauer is one of the first at the park each day and one of the last to leave.  When Mauer’s there, he’s working hard and focused on what he’s doing.  Score one for the media here.  It has, however, been interesting to hear some of the sports guru conversation about whether Mauer works out effectively; after the injuries suffered by the team this year, I sincerely hope the training and medical programs will be evaluated, across the board.

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In the end, I do think it’s more accurate to say Mauer is misunderstood than he is weak, but I don’t believe that lets him off the hook.  In large part, Mauer was pretty naïve about how his massive contract would change how the media and the fans would critique him.  I hope he is able to learn to be a little more media savvy, but more importantly, I hope the media will be a little less quick to find a scapegoat so they can sensationalize the situation to garner attention.   Then again, that’s a pretty naïve hope on my part.  But I will continue to wear my Joe Mauer t-shirts to the ballpark and cheer for my favorite catcher.  (Or First Baseman.  Or Right Fielder.)

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Websites I used:

http://www.startribune.com/sports/twins/blogs/124902039.html
http://www.1500espn.com/sportswire/Gardenhire_says_Mauer_plays_hurt_more_than_any_of_these_other_guys082711
http://www.baseball-reference.com/