Wednesday, March 29, 2006
Them Durned Injuns!
The Indians just inked Grady Sizemore to a 6-year deal, with a team option for a 7th year. Victor Martinez and Jhonny Peralta also earned long-term deals recently, and Travis Hafner and C.C. Sabathia are signed through 2007, with club options for 2008. The club is said to be working on a deal with Cliff Lee, as well.
Without an increase in payroll, the Twins may be playing for second or third in the division for the forseeable future. The minor league system is still in pretty good shape, but without some more hitting prospects developing into very good major leaguers (Jason Kubel, Denard Spahn, Trevor Plouffe, Henry Sanchez, etc.), the Twins will continue to be a team that both scores and gives up few runs. I, for one, hope to see the Twins use some of that incredible minor league pitching depth to make some deals for big-time hitting prospects, if not proven big leaguers.
Without an increase in payroll, the Twins may be playing for second or third in the division for the forseeable future. The minor league system is still in pretty good shape, but without some more hitting prospects developing into very good major leaguers (Jason Kubel, Denard Spahn, Trevor Plouffe, Henry Sanchez, etc.), the Twins will continue to be a team that both scores and gives up few runs. I, for one, hope to see the Twins use some of that incredible minor league pitching depth to make some deals for big-time hitting prospects, if not proven big leaguers.
Tuesday, March 28, 2006
Play-by-play Recap of Kirby's Memorial Service
I meant to write this up a couple weeks ago, but I'm just getting to it right now.
After the shocking news that Kirby Puckett had died shortly before his 46th birthday, it was announced that there would be a public memorial service at the Metrodome on Sunday, March 12. I thought about attending, but had plans to get together with friends for dinner and the Sopranos premier. Also, the weather was pretty nasty, and the idea of standing outside the Dome for a couple of hours didn't sound very appealing. The event was being broadcast locally, so I opted to record it, and watch it later that night. What follows is an irreverent, abbreviated play-by-play of the memorial service.
The Twins had originally asked Bob Costas to emcee the event, but he had a "prior engagement" after the private memorial service held in a Plymouth church earlier in the day, so Twins announcer John Gordon did an admirable job filling in for him. Apparently the Twins included Torii Hunter in the original list of speakers, without asking him first. Hunter declined, saying that he would probably just cry the entire time. You'd think they would check with him before publishing a list of speakers.
Gordon started off by introducing the Pucketts and the Olsons (kirby's fiancee), and also pointed out Puck's agent, Ron Shapiro, which he pronounced "Shapyro." Maybe that's the way Ron's name is pronounced, but I don't think so! That's the only name that Gordon butchered during the service, which is pretty astounding. The guy never figured out how to include the "r" sound in Carlos Baerga's last name, and his attempts at former Twins prospect German Gonzalez's name should be parodied in a comedy sketch someday. ("herman," "jerman," "german,[hard G]" "germon," etc.)
Then Gordon said "Please welcome pop local band G. B. Leighton to perform Kirby's favorite song, 'God Bless a Broken Road.'" A few years back, the Twins had a rally down at Peavey Plaza, and G. B. Leighton performed a song he had written for the occasion, which was absolutely horrible. It included lyrics about hitting homers in the Dome, and Hunter roaming the field. This song wasn't quite as bad.
After Leighton's less-than-inspiring musical tribute, for Twins GM Andy McPhail took the mic. I guess it makes sense to start with the best speaker, but everyone else pailed in comparison. McPhail was extremely eloquent, and got a little choked up towards the end. He talked about the clubhouse camaraderie that the late 80s Twins had, something he's never seen replicated, and he credits Kirby. He also talked about Shane Mack, the former first-round pick of the San Diego Padres, who developed into a pretty good ballplayer with the Twins. McPhail said that Mack would never have finished his development without the "gentle and constant support and enthusiasm he received from the player 20 yards to his right." No, not Johnny Moses- Kirby Puckett, of course. They cut to Mack in the crowd, and I didn't even recognize him! He's got a shaved head, and no 'stache. It was pretty freaky to see all the old Twins. They've aged quite a bit since '87 and '91, which makes sense, because that was a long time ago.
Cal Ripken followed McPhail, and kept his speech nice and short. He talked about how he never encountered a player that was more fun to play against than Kirby, and how his enthusiasm was contagious (a recurring theme throughout the evening).
Dave Winfield was next, and he's another great speaker. He said Kirby would be embarassed at being the center of attention. "He was a good man." That was another recurring theme- Kirby was a good (or great) man, regardless of what Frank Deford said. Winfield also recounted the fishing trip Puckett took him on- the first time Winnie ever fished.
Next up was Jim "Mudcat" Grant. "He called me Cat-man, and I will always remember that for the rest of me. He dearly loved that song 'What a Wonderful World,' and he really would want you to hear it tonight." Mudcat was accompanied by a Wayne Coyne-looking dude on electric guitar (local musician Martin Devaney, apparently). During the song, a graphic on the screen read "Jim Mudcat Grant: MUSIC ARTIST." Just in case we were wondering what business a former big league pitcher had singing, I guess.
Next up was a bunch of Puckett Scholars, led by Keon Blasingame, 1998 Puckett Scholar. It was very touching. (No, you perverts, not that kind of touching.)
Next up was Harmon Killebrew. Harm is a Twins legend, a Hall of Famer, and a really nice guy. But he's an awful public speaker. He droned on for a long time, said things like "I don't know why they asked me to speak," and spent 5 minutes talking about how badly Garth Brooks had wanted to be there, but was unable. He did talk about how Puck always called him "Killer," and how he never heard him call anyone by their first name.
After Killebrew's painful ramblings, they cut to video of Kirby announcing David Letterman's Top Ten List, which was fun to see again.
Top Ten Ways to Mispronouce Kirby Puckett
After a great collection of video highlights spanning Kirby's career, Ron Gardenhire stepped up to the podium. He said that the highlight of his career will always be the high-five he received from Puck when he was rounding third after his Game 6 homer. Gardy also said "I can promise you this: as long as I'm runnin this baseball team, we will play the game with respect. We will run every ball out and we will give you a show every time you come here, because that's what Kirby would want us to do." Very true. But would he want Juan Castro starting at shorstop?
Danny Gladden and Al Newman were next. Gladden talked about Kirby hitting balls he had no right swinging at. Newman talked about how the two of them would fall asleep on one another, because neither of them would stop talking through the night. He also said, quite emphatically, "He was a good man, and I believe he was a good family man. Most importantly, he was a good friend." Newmie refrained from talking trash about Gardenhire, probably out of respect for Puck.
Kent Hrbek came next, and said "I won't remember the hits, the hustle, the catches...they're all gonna happen again, by different people. What I'm gonna remember is his smile...the laughter...the clubhouse pranks...and havin a good old time." He also said the biggest thing he remembers is all the dogs and cats in Minnesota named "Kirby." If someone had a cow or a horse, they named it "Herbie." "I was always second fiddle to Puck, and I loved every minute of it."
Tom Kelly finished things up, and he was his typical grumpy self. He said "I think we've heard enough speeches today." He told all the players in attnedance to stand up behind him, and told the crowd to get their cameras out. He also complained about all the reporters who wanted to interview him (big surprise). He mentioned that there was another star from the 1987 team who "really wanted to be here today. He just couldn't."- Jeff Reardon. He finished with "That's why you people are here today. To show the respect...I'm done."
After a gospel choir sang a song, they turned down the lights in the Dome, and had a spotlight on a Puckett jersey in center field.
After the shocking news that Kirby Puckett had died shortly before his 46th birthday, it was announced that there would be a public memorial service at the Metrodome on Sunday, March 12. I thought about attending, but had plans to get together with friends for dinner and the Sopranos premier. Also, the weather was pretty nasty, and the idea of standing outside the Dome for a couple of hours didn't sound very appealing. The event was being broadcast locally, so I opted to record it, and watch it later that night. What follows is an irreverent, abbreviated play-by-play of the memorial service.
The Twins had originally asked Bob Costas to emcee the event, but he had a "prior engagement" after the private memorial service held in a Plymouth church earlier in the day, so Twins announcer John Gordon did an admirable job filling in for him. Apparently the Twins included Torii Hunter in the original list of speakers, without asking him first. Hunter declined, saying that he would probably just cry the entire time. You'd think they would check with him before publishing a list of speakers.
Gordon started off by introducing the Pucketts and the Olsons (kirby's fiancee), and also pointed out Puck's agent, Ron Shapiro, which he pronounced "Shapyro." Maybe that's the way Ron's name is pronounced, but I don't think so! That's the only name that Gordon butchered during the service, which is pretty astounding. The guy never figured out how to include the "r" sound in Carlos Baerga's last name, and his attempts at former Twins prospect German Gonzalez's name should be parodied in a comedy sketch someday. ("herman," "jerman," "german,[hard G]" "germon," etc.)
Then Gordon said "Please welcome pop local band G. B. Leighton to perform Kirby's favorite song, 'God Bless a Broken Road.'" A few years back, the Twins had a rally down at Peavey Plaza, and G. B. Leighton performed a song he had written for the occasion, which was absolutely horrible. It included lyrics about hitting homers in the Dome, and Hunter roaming the field. This song wasn't quite as bad.
After Leighton's less-than-inspiring musical tribute, for Twins GM Andy McPhail took the mic. I guess it makes sense to start with the best speaker, but everyone else pailed in comparison. McPhail was extremely eloquent, and got a little choked up towards the end. He talked about the clubhouse camaraderie that the late 80s Twins had, something he's never seen replicated, and he credits Kirby. He also talked about Shane Mack, the former first-round pick of the San Diego Padres, who developed into a pretty good ballplayer with the Twins. McPhail said that Mack would never have finished his development without the "gentle and constant support and enthusiasm he received from the player 20 yards to his right." No, not Johnny Moses- Kirby Puckett, of course. They cut to Mack in the crowd, and I didn't even recognize him! He's got a shaved head, and no 'stache. It was pretty freaky to see all the old Twins. They've aged quite a bit since '87 and '91, which makes sense, because that was a long time ago.
Cal Ripken followed McPhail, and kept his speech nice and short. He talked about how he never encountered a player that was more fun to play against than Kirby, and how his enthusiasm was contagious (a recurring theme throughout the evening).
Dave Winfield was next, and he's another great speaker. He said Kirby would be embarassed at being the center of attention. "He was a good man." That was another recurring theme- Kirby was a good (or great) man, regardless of what Frank Deford said. Winfield also recounted the fishing trip Puckett took him on- the first time Winnie ever fished.
Next up was Jim "Mudcat" Grant. "He called me Cat-man, and I will always remember that for the rest of me. He dearly loved that song 'What a Wonderful World,' and he really would want you to hear it tonight." Mudcat was accompanied by a Wayne Coyne-looking dude on electric guitar (local musician Martin Devaney, apparently). During the song, a graphic on the screen read "Jim Mudcat Grant: MUSIC ARTIST." Just in case we were wondering what business a former big league pitcher had singing, I guess.
Next up was a bunch of Puckett Scholars, led by Keon Blasingame, 1998 Puckett Scholar. It was very touching. (No, you perverts, not that kind of touching.)
Next up was Harmon Killebrew. Harm is a Twins legend, a Hall of Famer, and a really nice guy. But he's an awful public speaker. He droned on for a long time, said things like "I don't know why they asked me to speak," and spent 5 minutes talking about how badly Garth Brooks had wanted to be there, but was unable. He did talk about how Puck always called him "Killer," and how he never heard him call anyone by their first name.
After Killebrew's painful ramblings, they cut to video of Kirby announcing David Letterman's Top Ten List, which was fun to see again.
Top Ten Ways to Mispronouce Kirby Puckett
| 10. | Kooby Pickett |
| 9. | Creepy Pockets |
| 8. | Bernie Crumpet |
| 7. | Turkey Bucket |
| 6. | Buddy Hackett |
| 5. | The Puckett Formerly Known as Kirby |
| 4. | Punky Brewster |
| 3. | Kent Hrbek |
| 2. | There once was a man from Nantucket who Kirbied his very own Puckett |
| 1. | Englepuck Kirbydink |
After a great collection of video highlights spanning Kirby's career, Ron Gardenhire stepped up to the podium. He said that the highlight of his career will always be the high-five he received from Puck when he was rounding third after his Game 6 homer. Gardy also said "I can promise you this: as long as I'm runnin this baseball team, we will play the game with respect. We will run every ball out and we will give you a show every time you come here, because that's what Kirby would want us to do." Very true. But would he want Juan Castro starting at shorstop?
Danny Gladden and Al Newman were next. Gladden talked about Kirby hitting balls he had no right swinging at. Newman talked about how the two of them would fall asleep on one another, because neither of them would stop talking through the night. He also said, quite emphatically, "He was a good man, and I believe he was a good family man. Most importantly, he was a good friend." Newmie refrained from talking trash about Gardenhire, probably out of respect for Puck.
Kent Hrbek came next, and said "I won't remember the hits, the hustle, the catches...they're all gonna happen again, by different people. What I'm gonna remember is his smile...the laughter...the clubhouse pranks...and havin a good old time." He also said the biggest thing he remembers is all the dogs and cats in Minnesota named "Kirby." If someone had a cow or a horse, they named it "Herbie." "I was always second fiddle to Puck, and I loved every minute of it."
Tom Kelly finished things up, and he was his typical grumpy self. He said "I think we've heard enough speeches today." He told all the players in attnedance to stand up behind him, and told the crowd to get their cameras out. He also complained about all the reporters who wanted to interview him (big surprise). He mentioned that there was another star from the 1987 team who "really wanted to be here today. He just couldn't."- Jeff Reardon. He finished with "That's why you people are here today. To show the respect...I'm done."
After a gospel choir sang a song, they turned down the lights in the Dome, and had a spotlight on a Puckett jersey in center field.
Say it ain't so, Gardy!
Why the hell is Ron Gardenhire so obsessed with Juan Castro? If the Twins' main problem last year had been defense up the middle, I can understand him wanting to go with the guy who he thinks has the best glove. But the problem wasn't defense, it was offense. Castro provides about as much offense for the Twins as I did for the Highland Catholic baseball team in 1987. (Of course, my .500 OBP and 2 stolen bases in 2 attempts probably puts me head and shoulders above Castro.)
If Jason Bartlett is healthy, I don't think Terry Ryan will let Gardy start Castro over him, but a dinged hammy gives the Twins' manager the excuse he's probably been dreaming about. Playing baseball "the Twins way" is a great idea when it comes to running out ground balls, but Gardenhire, like TK before him, seems enamored with guys who are as inept with the bat as he was (Gardy had a career .573 OPS; Castro's is .610). Of course, if it were completely up to Gardy, I think we'd see a roster completely filled with good-glove middle infielders who can't hit- a recent quote: "Like I've said all along, I'm really going to try to find a way to keep Luis Rodriguez on the ballclub."
If the Twins are serious about contending for the division, would they really be talking about starting Tony Bautista and Juan Castro? Ugh.
If Jason Bartlett is healthy, I don't think Terry Ryan will let Gardy start Castro over him, but a dinged hammy gives the Twins' manager the excuse he's probably been dreaming about. Playing baseball "the Twins way" is a great idea when it comes to running out ground balls, but Gardenhire, like TK before him, seems enamored with guys who are as inept with the bat as he was (Gardy had a career .573 OPS; Castro's is .610). Of course, if it were completely up to Gardy, I think we'd see a roster completely filled with good-glove middle infielders who can't hit- a recent quote: "Like I've said all along, I'm really going to try to find a way to keep Luis Rodriguez on the ballclub."
If the Twins are serious about contending for the division, would they really be talking about starting Tony Bautista and Juan Castro? Ugh.
Friday, March 24, 2006
Random Stuff
There's definitely no better time of the year for a sports fan. The NCAA basketball tournament is simply the most entertaining sporting event in existence. Spring Training is in full gear. The NFL draft is less than a month away. The NCAA hockey tourney is underway, and the Gophers look poised to make a run at the title. The NBA and NHL postseason is approaching (neither of which I personally care about, but there are plenty of people out there who do).
I do have one major problem with the NCAA basketball tournament, though. Why don't they stagger the starting times of the games in the first round? Every year there are moments where 2 games are coming down to the wire, and CBS can only air one at a time. It makes no sense whatsoever. Stagger the tip-off times by 20-30 minutes, and you solve that problem.
As long as I'm bitching about that, the NCAA hockey scheduling is crazy, as well. The championship game is played Saturday, April 8, at 7 PM Eastern Time. Sounds good. The semifinal games are played Thursday, April 6, at 3 PM and 8 PM! You've got a total of three games to be played, and you schedule one at 3:00 (that's noon on the West Coast) on a Thursday? I realize there aren't very many college hockey fans out there, but...
TWINS
Tony Bautista's name came up the other day, in a Baseball Prospectus daily email:
Bottom 5 2006 AL Starting Third Basemen, by PECOTA Projected VORP
Player, Team, Projected VORP
Tony Batista, MIN, -0.3
Sean Burroughs, TBA, 4.5
Aaron Boone, CLE, 6.4
Joe Crede, CHA, 9.0
Brandon Inge, DET, 13.5
Yep, that's right- dead last. And a negative VORP. How lovely! On the bright side, one of the local baseball writers (I'm too lazy to find the article right now) recently penned the phrase "if Bautista makes the team." Gardy seems determined to add some veterans to the clubhouse, regardless of whether they actually help the team on the field, so I'm not going to hold my breath waiting for the "out machine" to get cut.
VIKINGS
The signing of Mike McMahon means we won't see Joey Harrington wearing Purple this season. Not that I'm a fan of Harrington, but the Vikings better do some sort of planning for the future. This article makes it sound like Childress may be trying to trade up and grab one of the top 3 QBs in the upcoming draft. I'd love to see them move up and draft Leinart, but I doubt it will actually happen. The Vikings also signed a couple more players: safety Tank Williams and pass-rushing DE DeQuincy Scott. Williams was charged with a DUI a year ago, so he fits right into the proud Purple tradition.
I do have one major problem with the NCAA basketball tournament, though. Why don't they stagger the starting times of the games in the first round? Every year there are moments where 2 games are coming down to the wire, and CBS can only air one at a time. It makes no sense whatsoever. Stagger the tip-off times by 20-30 minutes, and you solve that problem.
As long as I'm bitching about that, the NCAA hockey scheduling is crazy, as well. The championship game is played Saturday, April 8, at 7 PM Eastern Time. Sounds good. The semifinal games are played Thursday, April 6, at 3 PM and 8 PM! You've got a total of three games to be played, and you schedule one at 3:00 (that's noon on the West Coast) on a Thursday? I realize there aren't very many college hockey fans out there, but...
TWINS
Tony Bautista's name came up the other day, in a Baseball Prospectus daily email:
Bottom 5 2006 AL Starting Third Basemen, by PECOTA Projected VORP
Player, Team, Projected VORP
Tony Batista, MIN, -0.3
Sean Burroughs, TBA, 4.5
Aaron Boone, CLE, 6.4
Joe Crede, CHA, 9.0
Brandon Inge, DET, 13.5
Yep, that's right- dead last. And a negative VORP. How lovely! On the bright side, one of the local baseball writers (I'm too lazy to find the article right now) recently penned the phrase "if Bautista makes the team." Gardy seems determined to add some veterans to the clubhouse, regardless of whether they actually help the team on the field, so I'm not going to hold my breath waiting for the "out machine" to get cut.
VIKINGS
The signing of Mike McMahon means we won't see Joey Harrington wearing Purple this season. Not that I'm a fan of Harrington, but the Vikings better do some sort of planning for the future. This article makes it sound like Childress may be trying to trade up and grab one of the top 3 QBs in the upcoming draft. I'd love to see them move up and draft Leinart, but I doubt it will actually happen. The Vikings also signed a couple more players: safety Tank Williams and pass-rushing DE DeQuincy Scott. Williams was charged with a DUI a year ago, so he fits right into the proud Purple tradition.
Monday, March 13, 2006
Purple Promptitude
The Zygified version of the Vikings has clearly demonstrated one thing: they know what they want, and they'll go after it in a hurry. Firing Tice, hiring Childress, attempting to move Daunte, and signing free agents have all been done aggressively and quickly.
Dave's post earlier this week addressed the needs of the Purple as the signing period for free agents finally arrived. We Minnesota sports fans are conditioned to not give a crap about free agents; instead we look forward to the draft, where we can (usually) afford to sign the guys we want. This year's different, as Zygi and the gang seem determined to make us forget all about Red McDuck.
Re-signing Koren Robinson was the first move, and I like it a lot. If he returns to his beer-drinking, hell-raising ways, the Vikes are protected- they didn't fork over much guaranteed money. Robinson was a playmaker on special teams, and his receiving stats should improve drastically (2005: 22 catches, 347 yds, 1 TD)- Mike Tice eased Robinson into the game plan last year.
The Vikings then proceeded to wine, dine, and sign three players almost immediately after the 11:01 PM kickoff to free agency '06.
Chester Taylor
With the Vikings finally willing to spend that extra cap money, some of the Purple faithful were having visions of Edgerrin James running wild on the Metrodome turf. Others speculated that a young stud RB might be selected in the first round of the upcoming draft. The Vikings surprised us all by signing Chester the Molester. Taylor caught 41 balls last year, and has looked good running the ball in limited work with the Ravens over the past four seasons. I love this move. Childress is implementing the West Coast Offense, and Taylor seems like a great fit. He's young and hungry, but has four years of NFL experience, unlike an unproven rookie. Don't be surprised if Taylor is the 2006 version of LaMont Jordan. Of course, Fran Foley is making comparisons to Priest Holmes!
The best part about the Taylor signing? The money. The Vikings gave him a 4 year, $14.1 million deal, with $5.6 million guaranteed. Denny Green's Cardinals gave Edgerrin James a 4 year, $30 million contract, with $11.5 million up front! I'm not suggesting that Taylor's a better RB than Edge, but he has 1815 fewer NFL carries, and one less major knee surgery.
Ryan Longwell
Rather than go after the top dog (Viniateri), the Vikings quickly signed former arch-nemesis Longwell. Sure, it was a lot of money to invest in a kicker, but Vikings fans are happy to finally have a kicker who is both reliable AND has range. Much has been made about his career-low FG % last year, but Longwell was 4-5 from 50+. Good kickers can be successful for decades, and they all have off years. Longwell must be salivating at the thought of exchanging those Lambeau games for Dome games.
Ben Leber
I don't know much about this one, other than the fact that Napoleon Harris was not the answer at linebacker last year. An improved Vikings defense was fun to watch, but the linebackers were brutal. Childress and new defensive coordinator Mike Tomlin seem to think Leber is a good fit for our new defensive scheme. I assume another LB or two will be drafted next month.
Steve Hutchinson
If it goes through, this will be the biggest move the Vikings make this off-season. Daunte sure would have liked to have this guy blocking for him at the beginning of last season! Adam Schefter says that there's a clause in the offer sheet that all but assures that Hutchinson will be a Viking. The contract-to-be dictates that Hutchinson be the highest-paid O-lineman on his team. This means that the Seahawks would have to pay him more than Walter Jones, if they match the offer. Sounds phishy to me. In any case, Hutchinson would be a huge addition (pun intended) to the Vikings' line- a Minnesota team adding a young, All-Pro player via free agency? Pinch me...
What about the QB position? With the big-time prospects gone by the time the Vikings' pick comes around, the draft probably won't yield a long-term solution. Childress seems fine with letting Brad Johnson steer the ship for a while. There are rumors that a veteran backup (Fiedler, Detmer, Weinke, Frerotte) will be signed, which would be fine for this year, but what happens in '07? '08? I'm holding out hope that the Vikings can land Josh McCown, or even Patrick Ramsey or Matt Schaub. Of course, the smart move would be to hold onto Daunte, and see how his rehab goes. At this point, the rumors say that no one will even surrender a second-round pick for The Inferno. Releasing him seems counter-productive. If Childress and Daunte can kiss and make up, he could be our QB of the future, or at least net the Vikings something in return.
Dave's post earlier this week addressed the needs of the Purple as the signing period for free agents finally arrived. We Minnesota sports fans are conditioned to not give a crap about free agents; instead we look forward to the draft, where we can (usually) afford to sign the guys we want. This year's different, as Zygi and the gang seem determined to make us forget all about Red McDuck.
Re-signing Koren Robinson was the first move, and I like it a lot. If he returns to his beer-drinking, hell-raising ways, the Vikes are protected- they didn't fork over much guaranteed money. Robinson was a playmaker on special teams, and his receiving stats should improve drastically (2005: 22 catches, 347 yds, 1 TD)- Mike Tice eased Robinson into the game plan last year.
The Vikings then proceeded to wine, dine, and sign three players almost immediately after the 11:01 PM kickoff to free agency '06.
Chester Taylor
With the Vikings finally willing to spend that extra cap money, some of the Purple faithful were having visions of Edgerrin James running wild on the Metrodome turf. Others speculated that a young stud RB might be selected in the first round of the upcoming draft. The Vikings surprised us all by signing Chester the Molester. Taylor caught 41 balls last year, and has looked good running the ball in limited work with the Ravens over the past four seasons. I love this move. Childress is implementing the West Coast Offense, and Taylor seems like a great fit. He's young and hungry, but has four years of NFL experience, unlike an unproven rookie. Don't be surprised if Taylor is the 2006 version of LaMont Jordan. Of course, Fran Foley is making comparisons to Priest Holmes!
The best part about the Taylor signing? The money. The Vikings gave him a 4 year, $14.1 million deal, with $5.6 million guaranteed. Denny Green's Cardinals gave Edgerrin James a 4 year, $30 million contract, with $11.5 million up front! I'm not suggesting that Taylor's a better RB than Edge, but he has 1815 fewer NFL carries, and one less major knee surgery.
Ryan Longwell
Rather than go after the top dog (Viniateri), the Vikings quickly signed former arch-nemesis Longwell. Sure, it was a lot of money to invest in a kicker, but Vikings fans are happy to finally have a kicker who is both reliable AND has range. Much has been made about his career-low FG % last year, but Longwell was 4-5 from 50+. Good kickers can be successful for decades, and they all have off years. Longwell must be salivating at the thought of exchanging those Lambeau games for Dome games.
Ben Leber
I don't know much about this one, other than the fact that Napoleon Harris was not the answer at linebacker last year. An improved Vikings defense was fun to watch, but the linebackers were brutal. Childress and new defensive coordinator Mike Tomlin seem to think Leber is a good fit for our new defensive scheme. I assume another LB or two will be drafted next month.
Steve Hutchinson
If it goes through, this will be the biggest move the Vikings make this off-season. Daunte sure would have liked to have this guy blocking for him at the beginning of last season! Adam Schefter says that there's a clause in the offer sheet that all but assures that Hutchinson will be a Viking. The contract-to-be dictates that Hutchinson be the highest-paid O-lineman on his team. This means that the Seahawks would have to pay him more than Walter Jones, if they match the offer. Sounds phishy to me. In any case, Hutchinson would be a huge addition (pun intended) to the Vikings' line- a Minnesota team adding a young, All-Pro player via free agency? Pinch me...
What about the QB position? With the big-time prospects gone by the time the Vikings' pick comes around, the draft probably won't yield a long-term solution. Childress seems fine with letting Brad Johnson steer the ship for a while. There are rumors that a veteran backup (Fiedler, Detmer, Weinke, Frerotte) will be signed, which would be fine for this year, but what happens in '07? '08? I'm holding out hope that the Vikings can land Josh McCown, or even Patrick Ramsey or Matt Schaub. Of course, the smart move would be to hold onto Daunte, and see how his rehab goes. At this point, the rumors say that no one will even surrender a second-round pick for The Inferno. Releasing him seems counter-productive. If Childress and Daunte can kiss and make up, he could be our QB of the future, or at least net the Vikings something in return.
Sunday, March 12, 2006
Santana- 61 pitches
--LHP Johan Santana was allowed to throw 61 pitches in his World Baseball Classic opener Tuesday, 11 more than the limit the Twins agreed to allow. Team officials were not pleased. "Don't get me started," said Twins manager Ron Gardenhire, who has had other issues with the WBC as well. "Don't even go there."
How ridiculous is that? It's bad enough that these guys are risking injury right before the season begins, but then Santana goes over his pitch limit? What a bunch of BS.
How ridiculous is that? It's bad enough that these guys are risking injury right before the season begins, but then Santana goes over his pitch limit? What a bunch of BS.
Monday, March 06, 2006
Puck Memories
It sounds like #34 is going to be removed from life support tonight. What a sad, sudden end for a baseball player who was such an important part of so many Minnesotans' lives (especially kids). Bob Sansevere, who I think is nearly worthless as a sportswriter, did have an interesting line in his column today. He said that he was told "Puckett didn't take care of his body because he believed he wouldn't live past 50. Both his parents died young, and Puckett was convinced that would be his fate." Well, Kirby didn't make it past 45.
Puckett was somebody who lived and breathed baseball for almost his entire life. If it weren't for the effects of glaucoma, Puck could have been around for a handful of additional seasons, perhaps making a run at 3,000 hits. Kirby's final season (1995) saw him hit 23 HRs (his highest total since '88), with a career-high OBP of .379. His defense was definitely declining, but he would have gotten plenty of at bats at DH. (Besides, I'd take Kirby circa 1996 in my outfield over the 2005 Shannon Stewart every damn day.) I'm sure Kirby wasn't even considering retirement heading into the 1996 season, and then it was suddenly over. The adjustment to life after baseball didn't appear to go smoothly for him, as stories of assault, infidelity, and depression began to surface.
I wonder how many sports stars have had as much of an effect on children as Kirby did. As you'll read over and over in the news over the next few days, Puck "played the game the right way." I'm not sure how swinging at balls 2 feet outside of the strike zone can be considered the right way, but that's not what TK and the gang meant. They were talking about his attitude. He showed up early for practice, stayed late, always ran out grounders, went down on a knee to field ground balls in the outfield, and always had a grin on his face. In addition, Puck was very active in the community. Basically, he was the perfect sports star for kids to idolize.
Ask most people about Kirby Puckett, and they will first think of Game 6- a two-word phrase that signifies so much to Twins fans. People from an earlier generation all remember where they were when they heard Kennedy had been shot; all my friends remember exactly where they were when Kirby took Charlie Liebrandt deep in the 11th inning on October 26, 1991.
My favorite story to tell about Kirby happened in 1987. My mom, dad, and I went to Milwaukee to visit my brother at Marquette, and it just happened to coincide with a weekend the Twins were playing the Brewers at Milwaukee County Stadium. My mother wanted to take a trip to Door County, so we had to decide whether to see the Twins play Friday night, then head up to Door County, or head to Door County first, and catch the Sunday afternoon game. Frank Viola was pitching Sunday, but my brother convinced us that the Friday game was the one to attend.
The Friday game featured Les Straker vs Chris Bosio, and it was a classic pitcher's duel. The Twins managed just 2 hits off Bosio, and hit into double plays following both singles. With one out in the bottom of the sixth, Robin Yount attempted to steal second, and the Twins gambled correctly (perhaps some successful sign-stealing), calling a pitchout. Unfortunately, Sal Butera hit a sliding Yount with the throw to second. Greg Brock doubled Yount home, and the Brew Crew won the game 1-0.
While Viola didn't pitch particularly well on Sunday, Kirby Puckett had a career day, going 6-6, with 2 home runs, 2 doubles, and a fence-scaling leap in center to steal a grand slam from Robin Yount. I was understandably bummed that I wasn't at that game, but the World Series victory over the Cardinals more than made up for it.
