Random Stuff

I've been absent from the blog since the Orioles series started, which is really too bad since the Twins have been playing well, stoking the dying embers of the fans' hopes for a post-season run. Here are some notes on things from the last few days that I haven't yet been able to comment on:

1.) First things first -- I am not retracting my statement that I don't think the Twins have a legitimate chance at the playoffs. They have the offensive firepower of, say, the Swedish Army. They have a bunch of young guys in the rotation. Injuries have been piling up. But, even though I don't think a run for the playoffs will ultimately be successful doesn't mean that I'm not having fun with the thought. If it happened, it would require a great month-plus of play, and that would be fun to watch. I just caution those whose optimism has been rekindled from the Twins last 4 games to remember that three of the them have come against the Orioles, a team that just gave up 30 runs to the Rangers. In other words, it doesn't mean much. Let's see how they play against Cleveland before we get too excited.

2.) Dennys Reyes has been placed on the DL to make room for Chris Heintz, who gets called back up largely because Joe Mauer has a tweaked hamstring and will miss at least several games. That comment I made about injuries would be applicable here. As for why Heintz got the call over Jose Morales, who has had an excellent year -- the answer is pretty simple. Heintz is on the 40-man roster, and has a bit of Major League experience. Morales will get his shot soon enough -- if not this September, then certainly next spring.

3.) Torii Hunter seems to have rebuffed the Twins in a recent effort to sign him. Fair enough -- but this is interesting to me more of what it signifies about the Twins plans than it is for the rejection itself. After all, there's still time for the Twins and Hunter to come to a meeting of the minds, but the fact that they're pursuing him at all indicates that the team recognizes how much trouble they'll be in if Hunter leaves the team this off-season. More on this after the season, but for now, suffice it to say that I support this move. There's just no way to replace Hunter in the lineup with anything available through free agency, and a trade for an offensive player of his quality is highly unlikely. Even if his productivity falls off at the end of any deal, the Twins probably need to accept that if they're to have any chance of success in the next 2 or 3 years.

4.) Nice to see Jason Bartlett go 4-for-4 yesterday to get his average up to .275. Not so nice to see Nick Punto fall back to .200 after going 0-for-2.

5.) A Twins sweep today could help build some significant momentum going into the potentially huge 3 gamer against Cleveland that starts tomorrow. A bad series against the Indians would just about kill the Twins playoff hopes -- a sweep against the Indians, however, would make things very interesting.