Unofficial A.L. Central Thread

[AshevilleApp]

It's always nice when the Tigers win and the Twinkies lose. Need to get as far ahead as possible, as the Twinkies will surge again.

And the Chi Sucks as well.

[TwinTownBisonFan]

I may have officially lost all patience and understanding with Joe Mauer. He comes back from the DL and the skid begins... it hardly seems like a coincidence.

Right now he just seems so contrary to everything being done the "Twins way" they are letting one player call the shots and put himself above the team... it's sad... I was skeptical of him when they drafted him, but came around during his run from 06-10... but this year has renewed every one of my doubts...

[AshevilleApp]

I may have officially lost all patience and understanding with Joe Mauer. He comes back from the DL and the skid begins... it hardly seems like a coincidence.

Right now he just seems so contrary to everything being done the "Twins way" they are letting one player call the shots and put himself above the team... it's sad... I was skeptical of him when they drafted him, but came around during his run from 06-10... but this year has renewed every one of my doubts...

What has he done?

[Gil Dobie]

Dodger beat Twins by 2 TD's, Detroit and Cleveland win.


.............KC loses

[AshevilleApp]

Dodger beat Twins by 2 TD's, Detroit and Cleveland win.


.............KC loses

That game was brutal. LA had something like 24 hits. Twins had 3 errors.

[Gil Dobie]

Dodger beat Twins by 2 TD's, Detroit and Cleveland win.


.............KC loses

That game was brutal. LA had something like 24 hits. Twins had 3 errors.

Most hits given up in Twins history.

[TwinTownBisonFan]

I may have officially lost all patience and understanding with Joe Mauer. He comes back from the DL and the skid begins... it hardly seems like a coincidence.

Right now he just seems so contrary to everything being done the "Twins way" they are letting one player call the shots and put himself above the team... it's sad... I was skeptical of him when they drafted him, but came around during his run from 06-10... but this year has renewed every one of my doubts...

What has he done?

Twins were rolling... he comes off the DL and they lose 6 straight.

Twins pitching had been the best in the bigs for 3 weeks... one week with Mauer behind the plate and they're getting hammered again.

His game calling has apparently gone to shit.

More than that though... he just doesn't seem to give one flying fuck. Twins getting shellacked 15-0 last night and he's on the bench yucking it up with Morneau and Capps...

[Grizalltheway]

What has he done?

Twins were rolling... he comes off the DL and they lose 6 straight.

Twins pitching had been the best in the bigs for 3 weeks... one week with Mauer behind the plate and they're getting hammered again.

His game calling has apparently gone to shit.

More than that though... he just doesn't seem to give one flying fuck. Twins getting shellacked 15-0 last night and he's on the bench yucking it up with Morneau and Capps...

I'd be doing the same if I had that kind of moolah coming my way, regardless of performance.

[Gil Dobie]

What has he done?

Twins were rolling... he comes off the DL and they lose 6 straight.

Twins pitching had been the best in the bigs for 3 weeks... one week with Mauer behind the plate and they're getting hammered again.

His game calling has apparently gone to ****.

More than that though... he just doesn't seem to give one flying ****. Twins getting shellacked 15-0 last night and he's on the bench yucking it up with Morneau and Capps...

Mauer DH's and Twins win.

[AshevilleApp]

Tigers turn to get hammered last night. Two grand slams. At least Cleveland and Chicago lost though. Twins picked up a game.

[TwinTownBisonFan]

Twins were rolling... he comes off the DL and they lose 6 straight.

Twins pitching had been the best in the bigs for 3 weeks... one week with Mauer behind the plate and they're getting hammered again.

His game calling has apparently gone to ****.

More than that though... he just doesn't seem to give one flying ****. Twins getting shellacked 15-0 last night and he's on the bench yucking it up with Morneau and Capps...

Mauer DH's and Twins win.

Last nights game did little to dispel the notion that he can't handle the pitchers... Rene Rivera, the scrub catcher got the job done...

[AshevilleApp]

Mets missed an extra point on one of their two TD's, but got a late field goal. Tigers only managed three field goals.

[Gil Dobie]

Verlander gets #11 today, lowers his era again.

[Gil Dobie]

Tigers lose to the World Champions

[Ivytalk]

Capps blows a big 9th inning lead. And they call that guy a closer?

[Gil Dobie]

Tigers get pounded again by the World Champions

Victor Martinez injured, day-to-day

[clenz]

Looks like Joe will be filling Morneau's place at first by the AS break

http://www.americanchronicle.com/articles/yb/160919648" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
By John Shipley, Pioneer Press, St. Paul, Minn.

July 3--The Twins are about ready to throw Joe Mauer into the pool and see if he can swim. The question regarding the lifelong catcher playing first base is no longer if, but when.

"We're going to do that no matter what. He's going to play," manager Ron Gardenhire said before Saturday night's game against the Milwaukee Brewers at Target Field. "He's going to get out there pretty soon. I think he's pretty much ready to go."

In fact, Gardenhire nearly penciled Mauer in at first on Saturday because Luke Hughes came to the park with a sore knee, though he was later deemed OK to play.

Mauer said he's as ready as he'll ever be.

"It's probably going to be one of those things where I just go out and do it," he said. "Ideally, you'd like to get in a couple spring training games, but that's not what the situation is right now.

"Really, the only reason I'm taking ground balls and things like that is because we've had so many injuries, and if that's a way I can help out the team, that's what I'm going to do. But ideally, yeah, you'd like to get an exhibition game, or whatever, in first. But that's not where we are."

While fighting through injuries during nearly all of his six full major league seasons, Mauer has consistently insisted that he is and should be a catcher. Asked if he's worried that even a temporary move to first base would inch him closer to changing positions, Mauer said, "No, not at all."

Nothing personal: If Carlos Gomez hit

against everyone the way he hits against the Twins, he'd be an all-star. In 10 games against his former team, he's hitting .387 (12 for 31) with three homers and nine RBIs.

Why?

"They've had the bad luck that, every time I feel good at the plate, I face them," he said. "This is how it feels."

Gomez has been playing mostly against lefties, so he wasn't in the lineup Saturday against the Twins' Carl Pavano, even though he was 2 for 4 with a homer and a double in the Twins' 6-2 victory Friday. In each of his past two games against the Twins -- who traded him to Milwaukee after the 2009 season -- Gomez faced lefty Francisco Liriano.

"This is the first time I've seen Frankie in my life," said Gomez, who has gone 3 for 5 with two homers and three RBIs against his former teammate. "If you see what happened with Frankie, they missed the pitches. They missed their location, and they were good pitches to hit, and I took advantage."

Gomez will sometimes hot dog it after good plays, but Gardenhire said the Twins know not to take it personally.

"He's a really, really nice kid," the manager said. "He's very passionate, and it comes across when you talk to him. Sometimes that gets him in trouble on the baseball field because he gets too excited. What we learned is that he doesn't really try to show people up; it's just that he gets overzealous sometimes. He gets so excited that things get a little out of whack."

Briefly: Doctors removed the cast from Justin Morneau's wrist, which the first baseman reported is feeling better. He may now work on exercises to improve his range of motion, trainer Rick McWane said.

- Left fielder Delmon Young (bruised ankle) is scheduled to fly to Rochester this morning to begin a rehab assignment with the Red Wings. He is eligible to come off the disabled list July 10, the day before the all-star break.

- Kevin Slowey (abdominal strain) is scheduled to start for Rochester and throw 60 pitches on Tuesday.

[AshevilleApp]

Another good outing by Verlander in another Tiger loss.

If they don't change the rotation this week, it looks like he'll be starting on Sunday as well. Would this keep him out of the All Star game?

[Gil Dobie]

Another good outing by Verlander in another Tiger loss.

If they don't change the rotation this week, it looks like he'll be starting on Sunday as well. Would this keep him out of the All Star game?

I have been hearing that you can't pitch in the all-star game if you pitch on Sunday.

[TwinTownBisonFan]

Twins narrow the gap to 7 games after beating Tampa last night 3-2...

Capps looked like he was ready to give up the game after giving up a homer to BJ Upton and putting two men on... Gardy goes to Glen Perkins who slams the door.

The Twins closer situation - and bullpen situation in general - will be the determining factor in whether they can actually make a run in a soft division this year...

[Gil Dobie]

Mauer to play first base on Thursday, Capps to rest and Baker to skip a start for the Twins after losing to the Rays today.

[AshevilleApp]

Tigers finally give Brad Penny some run support and a win. He's pitched well in his last several outings but had come away with losses or no decisions.

Four games at KC heading into the break.

[AshevilleApp]

Another good outing by Verlander in another Tiger loss.

If they don't change the rotation this week, it looks like he'll be starting on Sunday as well. Would this keep him out of the All Star game?

I have been hearing that you can't pitch in the all-star game if you pitch on Sunday.

Apparently that's the case. He's scheduled to start on Sunday and that makes him ineligible on Tuesday. On the plus side though, he's also scheduled to start the first game after the break.

[DJH]

Mauer is currently dominating in his first career game at 1st base tonight. Has made several great defensive plays already.

[TwinTownBisonFan]

Mauer is currently dominating in his first career game at 1st base tonight. Has made several great defensive plays already.

he was pretty good - dominating? no - but at least he hit tonight... and moreover - the Twins won... on a great catch by Butera.