The Twins are in an excellent position.  They are baseball's hottest team, and they will be heading to the postseason possibly getting a man who has anchored their rotation for many years (Brad Radke) back.  

 Despite a stress fracture and torn rotator cuff, Radke has battled back to give the Twins one final run.  It was evident before the season that this was Radke's farewell tour.  His shoulder slowly giving out as Radke said no more surguries.  His 9 million may be too much for his direct production, but he is the unquestioned leader of this pitching staff, and acts as a second pitching coach.  (It was Radke who taught Johan his devastating change-up).  If there was true justice there would be an award somewhere for Radke, but baseball doesn't have an AL "All Team Chemistry" award.  

Radke has shown more heart this season than most pitchers show in a career (see Carlos Silva leaving a 1 hitter with an upset stomach).  He is penciled in to start thursday.  It's a shame he doesn't have 3 starts left this season to get his pitch count up, but it looks as if he will be only built up to 80 pitches by the time the postseason comes around. 

 Thursday will be an emotional night for Twins fans everywhere.  His final regular season start in the metrodome.  Ending a career where he endeared himself to fans everywhere despite his propensity to give up first inning home runs. 

But this article is not about my borderline obsession with Radke, it's about the AL awards.  So without further adui, I bring to you the AL awards.

 AL MVP:  Justin Morneau.  I've been barking up this tree since the Twins run started, and my statement still stands.  Justin Morneau has been the biggest bat in the Twins line-up for the entire season.  His 30+ home runs are a first since '91, and his RBI totals are amongst the best in the league.  But Morneau is not just a HR hitter.  He is batting over .325 this season and played stellar defense over at first base. 

Other Candidates for this award include Ortiz, Dye and Jeter.   Ortiz and Dye are basically disqualified for failing to qualify for the playoffs.  Yes there is precident for an MVP from a non-playoff team (A-Rod).  But in a season where there are 4 candidates with similar qualifications, playoffs must be a prerequisite.  This leaves Jeter.  Yes Jeter has been a spark plug for the Yankees, and helped keep the Yankees winning even with Sheffield and Matsui injured.  But the Yankees losing two outfielders is barely a chink in the armor.  They still have A-Rod, Giambi, Posada, and Robinson Cano.

 AL Cy Young:  Johan Santana.  Johan had some stiff competition from his teammate Liriano before he went down with injury, and Halladay was on his heels up untill a few weeks ago.  But Johan has pulled away, and as he closes in on the pitching triple crown, It would be  a serious oversight if Johan doesn't win this award for the second time in his career.  (really, This should be a 3 peat, Fuck bartolo Colon)

AL ROY:   Justin Verlander.  Despite his recent starts, Verlander is one of the biggest reasons the Tigers have won the division.  This award lost it's competition as Liriano went down with injury, but there is not a more deserving candidate this year than Verlander.  (Despite a strong crop of rookies)

AL Manager of the Year:  Ron Gardenhire.  Call me a homer, I'm sure some of you already have with my Morneau pick, but no manager can claim what Gardenhire can.  He took a team that started out 25-33, 12 games out of first place.  He revived the career of Cuddyer (deemed a bust before this season's 100+ RBI performance). 

Ron saw 4 outfielders go down with injury in a matter of a few days.  (Kubel's knees worsened, Lew Ford out, Torii Hunter stress fracture, Shannon Stewart Plantar Faciatis (season)).  Mr. Gardenhire trotted out guys like Jason Tyner, Josh Rabe, Rondell White in the outfield and found production.  He turned Nick Punto from an often injured utility man, to a gold glove contending 3rd baseman (Chavez will win it rep alone though).  Jason Bartlett went from inept in the field to an adequate fielder and a .300+ hitter. 

Gardenhire saw his pitching staff disolve in front of him as Radke was injured, Liriano went down, Boof Bonser, Scott Baker and Carlos Silva struggle.  Yet the Twins kept finding ways to win. 

AL Comeback player of the Year:  Frank Thomas.  Thomas was counted out long ago, yet his career has been revived in Oakland and has done it with little protection.  Thome makes a strong case as well, but his comeback comes being protected by Dye and Konerko, compared to (who the hell protects Thomas anyway?).

There they are folks, the awards the way I see em. 

Early Playoff predictions:

Twins - Yankees:  Twins win this series in 5.  In a 7 game series, it would unquestioningly be the Yankees, but in a 5 game series the Twins must only win 1 game that Johan does not pitch.  Personally the Yankees pitching staff doesn't scare me like it did at one point. 

A's - Tigers:  The Tigers are fading fast, but the A's are everyone's favorite postseason opponent.  The Tigers win this one in 4 en route to an all AL Central ALCS. 

Twins - Tigers:  I believe this is the Tigers year, had Liriano come back healthy the Twins would be unstoppable, but without him they lack a second dominant pitcher.  The Twins lose in 7.  (Johan undefeated in the playoffs)




 

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As Week 3 comes to an end, fans everywhere have finally gotten a true picture of what their team is like. Some teams are elated that they find themselves a contender, others shift their focus to the 2007 draft.

The Vikings find themselves viewed in a state of purgatory. Quite unsure of how they truly stand. They beat two playoff teams from last season, albeit in unimpressive fashion. The Vikings lost to the Bears, a game the Vikings threw away with Bad late game play-calling, and costly turnovers. The opportunistic Bears made the Vikings pay for every mistake, and did not show any quit.

But that loss still leaves a sour taste in Viking fans and players alike. this was a game that the Vikings should have won. A botched hand-off lead to a Rex Grossman TD late in the 4th quarter as the Vikings were trying to run down the clock. Even after that TD, the Vikings still had a chance to come back, but Brad Childress' obsession with the unexpected backfired on him.

Interesting what a difference a week makes eh? The Vikings were praised for Childress innovative play calling when Ryan Longwell threw for a touchdown pass. But this week throwing deep on a 4th and 2, Brad proved to be too smart for his own good.

But these two plays are completely different situations. When Brad Childress called the Longwell play, he was behind and was in what looked to be a nothing to lose situation. But on this 4th and 2, the Vikings were down to their last play and Childress chose to throw it deep to Williamson. An unexpected play (no questioning that) which I'm sure surprised the Bears. But it was innefective for what seems to be an obvious reason. Brad Johnson is not a good QB. He is a good game manager, but not the QB anyone would want to be in a come from behind situation. Brad has been unable to throw a catchable deep-ball since the beginning of the season, and this toss was no different. Going deep to Williamson was as effective as Denny Green taking a knee in the '98 Championship game. With 2 time outs remaining and 1:30ish left on the clock, the Vikings could have ran the ball or thrown short to keep the drive moving, without taking an unnecessary risk. That deep ball showed a lack of faith in the Vikings offense to get it done without the aid of trick plays. It showed that Childress despite having McKinnie Hutch and Birk to run behind, refuses to let the Vikings continue a game-plan that worked all game in the waning seconds.

Now had this play worked, many of you may say that I would be praising Childress. You would probably be right, but that is because only when something fails, is the concept behind it examined. Brad Johnson, for everything he is, is not a deep ball passer. He does not have the zip necessary to throw a deep ball (especially against a defense like the bears). Brad's "deep" ball is basically leaning back and floating the ball as far as he can.

The Vikings play Buffalo next week. A team playing much better than I expected, but is still unlikely to be a playoff contender. The Vikings (like all teams) need to beat bad teams, and this is one of those situations.

Now onto the Controversy. Ever since Brad Johnson was given the starting job in Minnesota, the media has speculated on his contract. Every media outlet at one point or another had an article about an "impending holdout" from Brad Johnson, citing nothing more than the fact that he is the lowest paid starter. Ignoring statements by Brad Johnson that a holdout will not happen, the media has tried to stir controversy at every opportunity.

I guess I understand the "logic" behind the speculation. Brad is paid less than several back-ups which would cause some tension. He is also in a very interesting position of power considering the fact he is the only viable starter on the roster (Does anyone want to see Brooks Bollinger play?). All this considered, without looking to hard into it, one could speculate that Brad is unhappy with his contract. But at every opportunity, Brad has stated he will not hold out.

You might be asking why I choose to bring this tired story up again. Well SI.com has posted an article writing by Don Banks stating that Vikings fans should not be surprised when Brad begins his holdout mid-season. In the article he goes as far as stating "you can almost count on it" (referring to a Brad Johnson holdout).

This is yet another example of the media stirring up trouble. Their sole purpose seems to be creating controversy where it isn't. I've made similar complaints about the media's coverage of Randy Moss and Terrell Owens.

I thought when the preseason ended, the Brad Johnson contract coverage would stop, but as week 3 comes to an end we are still bombarded by the coverage of a controversy that doesn't exist.

One Half Game. That's all the Tigers lead over the Twins amounts to. The Twins were down by double digits at one point in the season, and now they are nipping at the heels of the sliding Tigers.

One might as how the hell are the Twins doing this? They have a rookie filled pitching staff and an inexperienced line-up. There is no way this team shouls have the league's best record since the all star break. Liriano's injury was supposed to break the Twins, but they have found a way to keep winning, and keep winning the series. The Twins produce from the top to the bottom. But the bats of 4 players have stood out. Mauer hitting in the 3 hole has slid a bit in his batting production (.380 down to a terrible .344 :) ). He has made a living off of getting on base for the big bats that follow.

Had you told me Cuddyer could would be a 100 RBI player last season, I would have laughed in your face, and called you stupid. Finally given a consistant position, Cuddyer has responded by knocking in over 100 runs. Following Cuddyer (Chants of MVP are heard in the background) Justin Morneau has developed into the slugger Twins fans everywhere have expected him to be. The first twin to hit 30 home runs since 91, and his 123 RBI's leads the team. He has given the Twins a legit power bat and has produced well in the line-up. Torii Hunter has had a late-season push, hitting several clutch HR's, and has an outside shot at 30 HR (he has 28 now).

Not to mention the play of Jason Bartlett, Nick Punto, Luis Castillo, and even Rondell White (to a point). The Twins line up is much better than it's being credited for.

But the biggest surprise is in the ability of the Twins pitching staff to stay alive despite serious injuries to Radke and Liriano. Johan has proven himself the true ace of the staff (despite the flavor of the month comments earlier about Liriano). If he doesn't win the AL Cy Young the award will officially become a joke. He is on pace to win the Pitching Triple Crown (Wins, ERA and K's). But beyond Johan, the Twins are getting production from a sinkerballer who lost his sinker (Silva whom has had 3 consecutive solid starts). A rookie Named Boof, A rookie who began the season at Single A (Garza), And a mix of Scott "I've Never Shaved" Baker, Matt Guerrier and Brad Radke (when healthy).

This staff full of rookies has proven that the Twins pitching depth in the minors is no mirage like the Twins Outfield "Depth" (Cuddyer is the only one of Restovich, Mohr, Ford & Cuddyer to become anything). The Twins have the potential for a dominant rotation in the future, and the playoff experience they will gain this season as rookies could prove infinitely valuable for the future.

The Twins biggest strength has been the AL's best bullpen. The Twins have the luxury with Rincon, Reyes, Crain, Neshek and Nathan to effectively end games after the 6th inning. There isn't a team in baseball that can match-up with the Twins bullpen, and this dominating unit has been the biggest reason for the Twins success.

The Twins will likely face the Yankees in the playoffs. A team that has given the Twins much trouble over the years in the playoffs. Their line-up of superstars that makes Matsui a number 8 hitter will be a handfull for Twins pitchers. The Twins have a better chance to beat the Yankees in a short series than a long one, so they can trot out Johan Santana twice. The Twins will only need to win one game outside of Johan's starts to take the series. This is a mentality the Twins need to keep. Just win one because Johan is gonna bring his A game.

The Twins should be the feel good story of the playoffs. They are a team counted out at one point and now sit 1/2 game behind the Tigers. They have Brad Radke on his fairwell tour who has pitched with a torn labrum, and is attempting to come back with a stress fracture in the same shoulder. The Twins are a team full of kids, and they get it done the old fashioned way with pitching and defense.

Fear the Twins American League, because this team shouldn't even be here, so they have nothing to lose.


In case anyone was wondering where I went...Once again i have taken a month long sabbatical from the blog... I got caught up in college life and just couldn't find the time for it. I'm now a freshman at THE University of MInnesota.

So this post is dedicated to the realistic MVP candidates. Which may include some names you haven't thought of.

Earlier i made a post campaigning Radke for the MVP, obviously he will not get it, because the voters are all about sexy numbers, not intangible impact.

The AL MVP discussion is irrelevant without mentioning Ortiz. So I will get the obligatory... Ortiz is so damn clutch argument out of the way now. His late-game heroics have been well-publicized... and I mean WELL publicized. (ESPN should move their studios to fenway for easier access to Ortiz highlights).

His bat is incredible. But with the Sox slipping in the standings, his MVP that seemed to be a lock a week or so ago, is looking less secure.

A DH has an incredible hurdle in their path to the MVP. They are automatically lowered in the standings due to the fact they do not play defense. It's a fair criticism, because if their numbers are close to a position players, the defensive play could tip the scales away from the DH.

For a DH to win the award his numbers would have to be well above the rest, and Ortiz's are not far enough ahead at this point for him to deserve the award (although if I were a betting man, I'd put my money on Big Papi because of the support he has gathered from the media monster located in boston... I mean bristol.

If not Ortiz, who else?

Well there are several other candidates. Manny Ramirez is having a great season, and is quietly keeping pace with Ortiz, with much less fan-fare. Manny is a headcase, and a liability in the field, but it's his presence that forces opposing managers to pick their poi sen in late innings. (Walk ortiz to face manny?)

But neither Boston candidate deserves the award. One thing that must be considered is a player's impact on the team. The Red Sox have two MVP candidates, which means they could survive without one of those players IMO. They may not be a contender, but they would still be a winning team.

Of course a Yankee has to be mentioned in this conversation. The obvious candidate seems to be Jeter. In a year where everything went wrong for the Yankees in terms of injuries, Jeter was a rock and kept the Yankees close to the Bo-sox. But Jeter is also hurt by the team around him. MVP means most valuable, and Jeter's value to the Yankees is huge, but because he is surrounded by superstars, nobody can say that the Yankees would suck without him.

A couple more candidates at DH include Jim Thome and Travis Hafner, but their absence in the field, coupled with numbers that do not separate themselves from the rest of the candidates, make them unappealing candidates for the award. (also, in Hafner's case, the success of the Indians is also a factor)

So with all of these players undeserving... who the hell deserves it?

Joe Mauer has received some publicity for the MVP race. While his numbers are very nice, and surprising for a catcher with his defensive ability, his impact on the Twins is not greater than one of his teammates.

Justin Morneau. Morneau plays firstbase for the Twins, and has had the quietest spectacular season this year. His numbers are right behind Ortiz in terms of HR, RBI and is ahead in Average. He is the Twins first 30+ HR hitter since 1987. He leads the league in 2 out RBI (yes, ahead of Mr. Clutch Ortiz). And his glove has put him on baseball tonight's webgems several times this year.

SO I present to you, the AL's most deserving MVP candidate half of you never even considered before. Justin Morneau

Baseball is a beautiful thing. It's a timeless game that shows you don't need to be an athelete to be successful (Ex. Dennis Reyes). The sport is one of the few that can be accurately broken down statistically, which widens it's appeal to even the nerdiest among us :). But the game also contains many intangibles that don't show up in a stat-book, giving appeal to the purists.

But there are some things fundamentally wrong with the sport I have grown to love. Most of those problems come down to economics.

In every sport their is a gap between the large markets, and the small markets. Football is the best example of how that can be overcome. But in baseball the gap between the have's and Devil Rays has become nearly insurrmountable.

Many Yankee apologists claim that the Yankees luxury tax dollars are doing plenty shorten the gap. Which is partially true. The revenue sharing, which the Yankees are the greatest donor, has kept many franchises afloat in the past few years, including the bumbling Royals.

But the Luxury tax is not enough. The Yankees, Red Sox and other large market clubs will trade those millions for championships every day of the week becuase of the dollars they bring in.

My suggestion to fix this problem is nothing new. Baseball needs a salary cap.

The biggest reason baseball needs a salary cap is not the cummulative number that the Yankees and Red Sox reach in player contracts. Those numbers are well publicized, and beaten to death by people like me.

The reason the Yankees and Red Sox are bad for baseball are individual player contracts. I'll use Johnny Damon as the example.

Johnny Damon was plucked from the Red Sox by the Yankees. With that, came claims of evil empire from the Bo-sox faithfull who fail to realize they sold their souls when they bought a world series in 2004.

Damon's contract is greatly overvalued in terms of production, but the Yankees don't care... what's overpaying 5-10 million when you have a 200+ million dollar payroll? What Damon's contract did was effectively set the bar for contracts to come. Centerfielders like Hunter and Mathewe's Jr. will look at Damon's millions and demand comprable contracts.

Baseball contracts have little to do with what a player's production is worth, it has everything to do with what team is willing to overpay the most for said player's services. With the Yankees and Bo-sox continually setting the bar at this level for contracts, small market teams like the Twins face tough decisions. Can they afford to keep a veteran who has been the face of the franchise for years AND lock-up their emerging young talent? Or will they be forced to pick and choose which players they can afford to lose to keep their finances out of the red?

Should teams be forced to deficit spend to keep pace with the Brenner's? Of course not! Yet most Yankee and Red Sox apologists point to the rich owners and say "invest more in your team, and you can be just like us!" Well I don't think anyone in their right mind would want to be like them.

I propose a soft salary cap. The Maximum salary would be somewhere between 85-100 million dollars. But there would be ways for teams to keep their own talent together.

Free Agency would work like this:

Re-Signing/Arbitration period. Arbitration rules would remain in effect, no changes to that portion of the offseason. Teams have an unlimited payroll to re-sign their own players, They can exceed the cap to re-sign their own players granted that 65% of that roster has spent 3 or more years either on the team's roster, or in that team's minor league system.

This would encourage teams to build baseball teams the way it was intended. Through great minor league scouting, and building a franchise from the ground up.

Unrestricted Free Agency Period: at this point, any un-signed player would become a free agent, their former teams lose the right to re-sign them and exceed the cap at this point.

Teams over the cap can sign players to minor league contracts not to exceed 500K to fill out their roster.

This is a system very similar to the NBA style system, which I think would work much better than the Laisse-faire type of system currently used