Friday, April 11, 2008

Tampa Bay Trade A Wash?

By M.Haas

Is it too early to call the Matt Garza and Jason Bartlett to Tampa for Delmon Young and Brendan Harris a wash? Of course. Is it a wash right now? Maybe.

Garza left his second start of the season after experiencing numbness in his throwing hand. That doesn't sound good. He was placed on the disabled list with radial nerve irritation. From what I understand about nerves, I can only guess that it's not good to irritate them. Kind've a bummer that their newly acquired young pitcher gets injured just a few weeks into his Rays career. But wait, he pitched with this condition last season too? Tampa Bay traded for a pitcher with a bum arm. Oh, boy. Looks like the Twins really pulled one on the Rays. Billy Smith is like a used car salesman.


But if Smith thought he was getting a brand new powerful Cadillac for the Mustang-with-the - bad transmission, he's wrong. Delmon Young isn't hitting bombs like he's supposed to. I've come to the sad (and premature) realization that it might not be Delmons fault - it might be The Twins Way Of Doing Things. For some reason, this organization is big on 'hitting it the other way.' Which is all fine and good, but for certain guys, I believe you should just let 'em swing. I remember a story that this former Twin told when he arrived on his new team. I'm really very paraphrasing here.

"There was a guy on 2nd with no outs, it was a close game. I came up and (somehow moved the guy to third base, while making an out) I came back to the dugout expecting high fives. The manager came over and asked what I was doing. I said that I had moved the guy to third. He told me I was here for one reason: to knock in some *@#% runs. That's when my whole philosophy changed. "

Who said that? You guessed it. David Ortiz.

Delmon Young is hitting every damn ball to right field. We'll get into the Free Jason Kubel movement next week, but for now, I'm saying Free Delmon Young. Swing for the fences, young padawan.

So while the Rays got a fixer upper of a Mustang, and the Twins have turned an exciting Cadillac into a Taurus, I sit here and wish for our economical and reliable Prius, Jason Bartlett.

10 comments:

Daymonster said...

I kept thinking it was all some sort of car was illusion. You kept calling the players cars and the whole thing was a wash.

Karlee said...

I miss the Prius.
The Prius who led the mlb in errors at short stop, that is.

Joe Mauer would be a FORD.
Fix Or Repair Daily.
Ohhhhh, I'm a bitch.

And Punto is a smart car.
<3

Daymonster said...

punto is a broken moped

haasertime said...

hahahahahahaha

Nick N. said...

I don't think Delmon's hitting tendencies have anything to do with the Twins' philosophies. He was doing the same thing in Tampa last year; in fact, his power has been missing ever since he reached the high minors.

bizmarkie507 said...

One thing I notice about Gardy, is his love for putting terrible hitters in the 2 hole. he'd rather have two outs and nobody on for the heart of our order than perhaps a 2-0 lead in the first.

Gardenhire, please stop doing that.

TwinsWin83 said...

well said wuturs. very well said.

I also like your point Mike, I think that Minnesota is where power hitters go to die. Maybe that will change in the tiny new ballpark?

Anonymous said...

Nick. N. is right - Delmon hasn't had power since he was in like single A. The last couple of years, all he does is strike out, hit grounders and singles. It's sad; the Twins thought they were getting a power hitter but instead got a right-handed Joe Mauer with really terrible plate discipline. And who doesn't play catcher.

In other words, not a great combination.

haasertime said...

worse than mauer? talk about a buzz kill...


thanks for the info Nick
thanks for the info Ryan

gardy puts terrible hitters in the two whole because all we have are terrible hitters.

Karlee said...

we all have horrible hitters.
BUT Kubel.

haha