Tagged: Twins
12/30 Hot Stove – New Years Resolutions from MLB Network
We’re coming up on our first anniversary on January 1, so it’s time for our MLB Network New Year’s resolutions. Here’s what some our talent will be asking for in 2010:
Harold Reynolds – Trim the fat off of the fat cats. The gap is too wide between the big clubs and the little clubs. Look at the big free agents; they can only go three or four places: Dodgers, Yankees, Red Sox, Phillies, and Angels. This is not a trend I want to continue to see because it puts the beautiful job Bud Selig has done in jeopardy.
Matt Vasgersian – Grow to be the size of a real host.
Trenni Kusnierek – An all mid-market World Series! Bring on the Twins and Brewers!
Hazel Mae – Cover more team and player charity events. It’s important to me to help them move forward and give their causes national exposure.
Greg Amsinger – My resolution is I will not say this for an entire year: “Manny Being Manny.”
11/23 Hot Stove – The Left Wing
The AL MVP winner was not much of a surprise; Joe Mauer had a terrific season, and he deserves this award.
He hit against lefties and he hit against righties while playing arguably the most demanding position on the field and winning a Gold Glove.
He had a dynamic year.
The Twins were a team decimated by injuries, and Joe was no exception, missing all of April with an injured back. He came back with a bang, blasting a home run in his first at bat, and he carried the Twins from that point on. The Twins pulled off something special in the AL Central, and Mauer was a key component in that charge to the playoffs.
Greg, Al, Mitch and I will be talking to Joe at 6pm ET, on Hot Stove.
The runners up had terrific years, but Mauer Power was just too much.
Derek Jeter silenced his critics this season, proving he his can still play the shortstop position at a high level for a World Championship team. He also hit the ball pretty well too.
Mark Teixeira was everything the Yankees hoped he would be when the opened the bank for him. He performed under the pressure of New York, had a great year at the plate and is also the best defensive first baseman out there right now.
Speaking of first baseman, there is no doubt that Albert Pujols is going to win the NL MVP tomorrow. As long as he’s breathing, in uniform, and at the ballpark, he’s the best player in the NL. No question he is the total package.
Tony La Russa called him the best player he’s ever managed He’s managed a cluster of great players, including Rickey Henderson, Mark McGwire, and Jose Canseco, but Albert is a once in a lifetime kind of player.
And just in case you’re wondering, Pujols is 0-1 against my change-up. Got him to pop up. – Dan Plesac
Click here to watch the interview with Joe Mauer from Monday night.
10/7 MLB Tonight – The Hot Corner with Hazel Mae
Here’s what’s HOT……Quick Pitch and the Twins.
For those of you wondering where Quick Pitch has been. It’s back and better than ever just in time for the postseason.
Quick Pitch will be perfect for those who can’t catch every game live because we are going to condense each game down to around 12 minutes. You’ll be able to experience the game without missing any key plays, blended with the TBS and radio announcers calls directly from the game. Also included will be postgame reaction from the players, coaches, and our very own expert analysts.
It’s going to be the full highlight experience so sit back and enjoy! Make sure you tune in after MLB Tonight to the postseason edition of Quick Pitch.
All of the Division Series matchup’s are intriguing, but I’m really looking forward to the Yankees-Twins series. It looked bad for this Twins team as they were 7 games back in early September with Justin Morneau done for the season, but Joe Mauer and a group of role players exploded in September going 17-4.
This is what the Twins have done the last 20 years. They scratched and clawed their way to another AL Central crown.
Since Justin Morneau went down those role players stepped up big time. Position by position guys like Michael Cuddyer, Jason Kubel, Delmon Young, Nick Punto, and the self-proclaimed good luck charm Orlando Cabrera finished the season with a bang.
The Twins have had some bad breaks in the Bronx this season, but you can’t count them out after the heart they’ve shown down the stretch. We all know what to expect from the juggernaut Yankees, but let’s see what this Twins team has left in the tank in 2009.
Can you feel it? I can. The playoffs are heating up! – Hazel Mae
10/2 MLB Tonight – Thing’s Things
So we’ve got two undecided playoff spots to debate tonight at 9.
The Rockies are going into this final weekend series against the Dodgers with plans to knock them from the NL West crown. Colorado wants to win the NL West and face St. Louis whom I feel they match up better with. The Rockies pitching matches up better with the Cardinals hitters. And their line up would rather face the Cardinals big right-handers than the Phillies big left-handers. So, look for Jim Tracy to go for it in these three games to try and take the division.
Looking to the AL Central, Detroit will finish this weekend on top. The Twins have given a valiant effort, but they will just come up a little short. It just goes to show that even though you can’t win a division in April, you can lose one. The Twins were just not able to get their season together in time.
And with the last series being played in the Metrodome, let me just say that it was the loudest place I’ve ever played in my life. Next year, those Twins better find some hairy ball players because it’s cold in Minnesota. – Mitch Williams
9/25 MLB Tonight – Thing’s Things
Tonight at 11, we’ve got the playoff races flowing on tap.
Only one interesting playoff race is going on right now, and it’s in the AL Central. The showdown between the Tigers and Twins is going to be a fight to the finish.
I mean for me, what makes baseball exciting is that after the long season it comes down to four games to determine it all.
One team’s going home.
One team’s going to the playoffs.
Who’s it gonna be??
In the NL, it’s plain and simple; the bullpen that pitches the best is going to carry their team in the playoffs.
To me, the Dodgers have the potential to make it to the series because they have the best bullpen. With Jonathan Broxton, George Sherrill, and Ramon Troncoso firing on all cylinders they could be taking the Dodgers for a long ride in October.
And if we’re talking about bullpens, we should probably talk about the Phillies. It’s simple, if they don’t get Scott Eyre and J.C. Romero back, it’s trouble.
If Brad Lidge can’t get his game straightened out, more trouble.
Add the playoffs and that’s a whole heap of trouble. The offense is going to have to score a ton of runs with that bullpen. – Mitch Williams
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