Offseason Wish List.

It's the worst time of the year, baseball off-season. However, to help hold me over until the snow melts again, I can talk about what the Twins should do to improve the club. And they should really listen to me, because I'm on Twitter a lot. Here is what I want to see from the Twins before the regular season starts.

TRIM THE 40 MAN FAT

The Twins have already got rid of some of the players who didn't deserve a spot on the 40 man going into the offseason. Johnny Field and Oliver Drake were already snatched up by other squads, and the Twins declined the options on Logan Morrison and Ervin Santana. That's a great start to opening up some spots for free agents and prospects, but I would go farther. There are 3 more pitchers who I think can be taken off. Chase De Jong, Tyler Duffey, and John Curtiss could all be removed today and I wouldn't bat (baseball joke) an eye. They are right handed relievers or swingman, and are totally replaceable. You could also get rid of Zack Granite and Robbie Grossman (especially since Grossman is due to make about 4 million this year) and I would be cool with that as well, especially after the team picked up Michael Reed.

GET A SHORTSTOP

Big distinction here. The Twins have about as much depth at middle infield as I have hair left on my head, but there Jorge Polanco is going to play either 2nd or short. I think he needs to shift over to 2nd, because he was pretty bad at short last year. There are a few players I would love for the Twins to target (field, man my jokes are lame).

In free agency, I would love the slick-fielding Jose Iglesias. If they are available for a trade, the Twins should try and snag either Jean Segura or Andrelton Simmons. Those two would take a significant haul of prospects to get them, but I'm willing to part with anyone not named Lewis or Kirilloff. Pair the new guy with Polanco and Ehire Adrianza as your bench dude, and you got a decent middle infield.

PITCHING

What's the award for most groundbreaking blog post? Well whatever it is, I'm about to win it for this bomb of news, the Twins need pitching. Let me just polish my bloggy here and tell you what they should do.

For the most part, they have a decent starting rotation (unless you go after Patrick Corbin or grab a stud in a trade), but the bullpen still needs some quality arms. Now I'm not a huge fan of paying a bunch for relievers, and I would rather go with starters as multi-inning relievers. There are a couple of guys in the Twins organization that I would love to see go that way, Fernando Romero and Adalberto Mejia.

If you have to go the free agency route for relief pitching, I would like David Robertson, Adam Ottavino, or Kelvin Herrera if you can get him on a one-year deal. Another option that I would really like since he can be effective as a starter or a 100-inning reliever would be Nathan Eovaldi. After his dominant October, he will probably cost a lot, but the Twins had a boatload of money to spend.

GRAB JOSH DONALDSON FOR 3RD BASE

Aside from the top two studs at the top of the draft class, Josh Donaldson has the best chance to make a huge impact for a ball club. The last couple years he's been struggling with injuries, but when he's healthy, he is pretty dang good. I would love to sign him for a 1 or 2 year deal (for as much money as he wants since it's not a long-term deal) with an option and see what he's got left in the tank. That means shifting Miguel Sano over to 1st base, which most people think he's going to end up over there anyway. 

And lastly...

SIGN ME TO A FRONT OFFICE POSITION

I'm assuming Derek Falvey and Thad Levine are big fans of the blog, so I figured I should make my pitch. I would be really good at grabbing coffee and I know some pretty good jokes. It could be the move to put the organization over the top. I'll be waiting for the phone call or DM on Twitter. Or you know, just do the other things on my wish list. Your choice.   

Random Thoughts

Hey look a cute dog!


I try to write something every week for this stupid thing, but I don't have much to say on one particular topic this week. So let's get random with some thoughts that are dancing through my mind.


-Halloween is becoming my favorite holiday. I love horror movies, and this month gives me an excuse to watch as many as I can. Also, with my son at the age of being able to walk around and enjoy being outside, I'm excited to go trick-or-treating with him for the years to come.


-Speaking of horror movies, there are some underrated ones you should check out. 1974 Black Christmas, Goodnight Mommy, The Descent, Creep, Frailty, Better Watch Out are all worth your time.    


-I will never not laugh at kids making fart noises with their mouths.


-I recently watched some old school Rugrats episodes, and those parents are super neglectful. Those kids are gone for hours before the parents even realize they left the playpen. I think a call to DSS is in order.


-I think Hedgehogs are cool animals.


-To sports, it looks like Rocco Baldelli is going to be the next Twins manager. He's a young guy who should relate to the players, and he comes from a smart organization. I think it's a slam dunk hire, but I'm sure I'm wrong and the team will win 14 games next year.


-I'm not breaking any news, but I don't think the Timberwolves are going to be any good. KAT looks like he doesn't want to be there, and if he's not contributing, this team will struggle big time. I'm guessing they win somewhere between 37-42 games and miss out on the playoffs.


-The Wild aren't going to be much better. They are SOOOOO hard to watch.


-The Gopher Football Team is really, really bad, but I'm not off the PJ Fleck Train yet. The team is super young, and I would give him until 2020 until you start thinking about a new coach.


-I almost never use semicolons when I write. Commas all day son.


-Political ads are worthless. They say nothing and they are EVERYWHERE. I can't even watch stupid videos on YouTube without watching some crazy claims that my State Senator used to work for Hitler or a candidate for Governor murders puppies. If you want to learn about who to vote for, listen to debates and look at their respective voting records.


-I'm not a science expert, but why doesn't glue stick to the bottle? Is it because it hasn't dried yet?


Well, this was a giant waste of time. Have a great day.

The Best in the Biz

This Timberwolves season is probably going to be terrible, but there is a silver lining. The Wolves have arguably the best announcing duo in the NBA.

Excited for the start of the @Timberwolves season because I get to listen to @JimPeteHoops and @tweetdavebenz kill it on commentary. #bestinthebiz

— Leland Steva (@lsteva3) October 17, 2018

That got me thinking about the power rankings of the best announcers and sports writers who work in this market. For the most part, they have some pretty terrible on-field products to write and talk about, but they do a great job. There's a lot of talent, including a lot of people who sadly won't make my list, but here are my top 10 sports personalities in this area.


Honorable Mention: Mike Berardino


Mike just left the Pioneer Press to go cover Norte Dame. While he was here, he was a Twins beat reporter who wasn't afraid to ask tough questions and make fun of dumb people on Twitter. He would have made the list if he wasn't such a traitor.


10. Paul Allen

Paul Allen is a little too much of a homer for my taste, but you can't argue with the enthusiasm that he has when he calls a game. He loves football, and you can feel the energy every Sunday. The "Minneapolis Miracle" call was amazing, and it still gives me chills.


9. Derek Wetmore


Derek Wetmore is a very good writer who uses statistics to shape his work. His coverage of the Twins is great, and he does an amazing job of interacting with his readers on social media. His Friday Facebook Q&A sessions have gotten me through plenty of boring afternoons at the office. He has a dry sense of humor, which I greatly appreciate as well.


8. Alan Horton


Poor Alan Horton, he's been calling Timberwolves basketball on the radio for more than a decade. Not just that, but he does it by himself. Still, he does a great job of painting the picture of what's going on the court, and he's interviews with players are usually entertaining as well. He definitely does the best job with the least amount to work with in this market.   


7. Aaron Gleeman


Aaron Gleeman started as a self-made blogger covering the Twins, and has rose to an editor-in-chief of one of the biggest baseball sites in the country. Still, he finds time to write about the Twins, and his statistics he uses on Twitter are always fascinating. His latest piece on Joe Mauer was fantastic and worth the read. Plus, his "Gleeman and the Geek" podcast with John Bonnes is the only way I get through Mondays.


6. Jon Krawczynski 


Jon Krawczynski is such an amazing writer, even though he has the cover the Wolves. He's been working on the beat just about as long as the organization has been irrelevant, but he still finds way to write stories that are interesting and engaging. There's no better example that his work with KG about the Jimmy Butler fiasco. His writing alone is worth a subscription to The Athletic.


5. Dave Benz 


Dave Benz is the Wolves play-by-play announcer for FSN. He uses the perfect amount of statistics and calling the action to make every game feel fresh. He also has an infectious personality that shines in high-pressure games. Plus, his videos on his Twitter page are pretty funny.


4. Michael Russo


Russo, much like Jonny K, is worth the price of a subscription. If I'm watching a Wild game, I have to have Michael Russo's Twitter timeline up, because the knowledge he has for the game is unbelievable. He crafts amazing stories, and it seems like he never takes a day off. Follow him on Twitter, trust me it's worth it.


3. Marney Gellner


Marney Gellner is a Minnesota legend. What can't she do? She does sideline reporting, play-by-play, and covers every sport in the market with amazing skill. A perfect example of how she can handled any situation, just check out this interview with a clearly hammered Josh Duhamel.

God Bless Vodka, and God Bless Marney Gellner.


2. Cory Provus


Whether it's Twins Baseball or Big 10 Basketball, Cory Provus just knows how to call a game. My favorite thing about Provus is his ability to let it breathe and not talk over the natural sounds of the game, which can be difficult as a radio announcer. When he does open his mouth, he usually has an amazing call to take the action on the field to the next level. I feel like he doesn't get the love in this market that he deserves.


1. Jim Petersen


It's hard to put into words just how great Jim Petersen is at what he does. In an era where color commentators spend the majority of a broadcast talking down to new age information, Jim Pete thrives with it. He talks about statistics, but he also talks about what is happening on the floor. He can inform an audience without talking down to them. He's also one of the nicest people on the planet and he talks with people on Twitter during a game, which is so awesome. Petersen is on another level, and I'm so glad he's one of us and he's in this market.

Thank You

It's not the craziest amount of traffic, but it still means a lot to me. This week Heartbreak Heroes got over 1,000 page views! I never imagined I would have that many eyes on this silly little blog, but I appreciate all the support.

This is just a fun thing to do, but hopefully others are enjoying the ride as well. Thanks again and here's to another thousand views!

Grab Your Popcorn

Sports and movies are probably my two favorite hobbies in this crazy world, so let's pair them together. Sports itself can provide more unscripted excitement then a movie ever can, but there are some that get the feeling right. I recently published my top 10 favorite movies over at Bat Flip Sports, so go check that out. However, I got more sports movies to talk about. Here are some movies that just missed my list.

THE SANDLOT

The Sandlot just missed my top 10 list, but I love this movie so much. It's super dependent on nostalgia, but I think it does a great captures the feeling of playing baseball with your friends. Also, you can't argue with the characters and the memorable lines.

HOOSIERS

Hoosiers is about a small-town basketball team and their quest to a state championship. Gene Hackman and Dennis Hopper are worth the watch alone, but the inspirational story will stick with you as well. It's a perfect example of how sports can bring communities together.

WARRIOR



If you haven't watched this movie, holy hell are you missing out. This is the most underrated sports movie ever. I don't want to give away much because not a lot of people have watched it, but I will say the action is crisp, the characters are deep and thought out, and it's a great glimpse into the world of MMA. Seriously, watch it.

Now there's a lot of good movies, but man there's some terrible sports movies out there as well. Here are 3 to stay away from.

THE BLIND SIDE

Don't tell my wife because she loves this movie, but this is an overrated pile of garbage. The movie is melodramatic, Sandra Bullock's character is one-note, and it handled the legitimate racial issues so poorly. Even Michael Oher, the NFL player the movie is based on, has issues with the film.

SPACE JAM

My 8-year-old self is going to be pissed, but have you watched Space Jam lately? It's really bad. The movie, which has the whole collection of Looney Tunes at its disposal, gives most of the screen time to pro athletes and their terrible acting skills. That soundtrack is still dope though. 





ROCKY V

As far as I'm concerned, this isn't a Rocky movie. This movie takes the character of Rocky Balboa to a place he didn't need to go, and the drama of the movie just comes off as silly. Don't watch it under any circumstance. There are plenty of much better Rocky options for you. 



Thank You Joe

This shirsey symbolizes my heart today. I got this Mauer memorabilia years ago, and now, its worn down and past its prime. However, I still wear it and it gets the job done, much like Joe Mauer did for the final few years of his career. It's looking like Mauer could be done playing (he hasn't announced it, but with that event at Target Field yesterday it sure looks like it) it's time to get retrospective up in here.

What. A. Moment. 😭😭😭#JM7 #MNTwins pic.twitter.com/8IWw2TEPLq

— Minnesota Twins (@Twins) September 30, 2018

Now that I've dried my tears from an amazing final game for the 2018 Twins, I want to look back at Mauer's career. He will always have a special place in my heart because he was the first superstar I ever watched for the Twins who started and ended his career in front of me. You should check out  other writers who can lay out their thoughts on Mauer better than I ever could (Aaron Gleeman, Derek Wetmore, and Dan Hayes are a good place to start, but there are many others) but to me, his career goes two separate ways. Let's take a look at some of the ways I will remember Joe Mauer.


1. Best In The Business

Joe Mauer is really, really good at baseball. He went into the 2001 draft as a Minnesota kid who could do it all athletically, including famously striking out just once in High School. Still, there was a large collection of fans who wanted the Twins to use the 1st overall pick on USC pitcher Mark Prior. The Twins made the right choice, as Prior had a great start to his career before it derailed because of injuries. Mauer currently has the 4th highest WAR ever for a 1st overall pick, behind generational talents Alex Rodriguez, Ken Griffey Jr, and Chipper Jones.


Even after his decreased numbers at 1st base, he currently has a career slash line of .306/.388/.439, and an OPS+ of 124. His OBP of .388 is the 5th highest among active players, behind Superstars Joey Votto, Mike Trout, Paul Goldschmidt, and Miguel Cabrera. His .306 career batting average is behind Cabrera, Jose Altuve, Ichiro (who is still listed as a current player), Votto and Trout on the active list. That's some really impressive company. He also did this while playing the majority of his game at the most grueling defensive position.


Mauer had one of the most memorable seasons for me when he won the 2009 MVP, hitting .365/.444/.587 with 28 homeruns. He did that while playing just 138 games, because he missed the first month or so of the season because of injuries.


Mauer is the only catcher ever in the American League to win a batting title, and he did it 3 times. In games played at catcher, Mauer collected an OPS of .890. That's the 3rd highest for the position all-time. Add in the fact that he was a really good defender (3 time Gold Glove winner) and Mauer was one of the best players in the MLB for a decade. Then you add 5 average to above-average seasons at a more offensive-oriented position, and that makes for one spectacular career.


2. Criticism

Even though he was a great player, it wasn't enough for a collection of the Twins' fan base. Mauer did some things that have never been done before on a MLB diamond, but he will be remember by some for the things he couldn't do.


Getting on base was and will always be Mauer's most valuable skill set, but for years he's been criticize by his lack of homerun power. Aside from his pop-up year in 2009 when he hit 28 bombs, Mauer's highest total was 13 in 2006. In his 15 years in the majors, he hit single digit homeruns in 9 of them. He's also penalized for his lack of RBI production, never breaking the 100 mark in a single season, despite hitting .334 for his career with runners in scoring position.


Mauer is one of us, so he is a quiet kid who doesn't like to put the attention on himself. That led him to be criticized for not being the vocal leader who would yell and rally the troops. However, there's a lot of articles out there about how Mauer was a great teammate. Just look at how all the players are talking about Sunday's game and you can see what type of impact Number 7 had on the organization.


Media members also took Mauer to task because of his lack of "toughness" and not willing to stay on the field. There was also the bilateral leg weakness fiasco from the Twins' front office that added to the fire that Mauer wasn't always willing to "rub some dirt on it" and get out there and play. Plus, there was and still is a notion that Mauer should never have gotten out from behind the plate. However, Mauer suffered a very serious brain injury that clearly affected his on field production (career OPS of .873 before the concussion and a .746 OPS after) and he decided to move out to 1st base to protect his overall well being after his playing days were over.


Last but certainly not least, Joe Mauer's contract. After years of winning battling titles while making a below-average salary, he signed an eight year contract where he made 23 million dollars a year. While he didn't produce as well as he did in his earlier years, that's pretty common for long-term deals in baseball. The idea that Mauer's contract was a hindrance on the team never made sense to me. The league doesn't have a salary, so the team's payroll can technically be as high as the ownership would want. Also, the team handed out bad contracts to starting pitchers that weren't that much less than what Mauer was making, so that had a bigger reasons for the teams struggles in my mind.


I'm rambling here. Joe Mauer is an amazing baseball player that didn't deserve all the hate that he got from this fan base. From what I've read and heard, he is a class act on and off the baseball field, which is more than we can say for other players who are put on a higher pedestal in this market. I hope Mauer finds himself in the Hall of Fame (which Jay Jaffe's JAW Measurement shows he has a good shot) but if he doesn't I will continue to wear my beaten-down shirsey with pride.

It's Award Time Baby!

Sadly, my favorite sport's regular season is wrapping up. Sadly sadly, my Minnesota Twins are nowhere near the postseason, so I have to do something to pass the time. So here are my award picks for this season. I will not pick the Manager of the Year award, because that award is pointless. This might get a little nerdy, but it's my damn blog so deal with it.


AL MVP:


1. Mookie Betts
2. Jose Ramirez
3. J.D. Martinez
4. Mike Trout
5. Alex Bregman


The top spot is a no brainer really. Mookie Betts has been freaking fantastic on both sides of the ball. The dude is leading the league in batting average and slugging percentage, and his amazing defense has helped him collect a 10.7 WAR (according to Baseball-Reference) which is the best in baseball. All of these guys on this list have had spectacular seasons, but Betts is the best player this year on the best team. It's a pretty obvious pick.


NL MVP:


1. Christian Yelich
2. Javy Baez
3. Nolan Arenado
4. Freddie Freeman
5. Lorenzo Cain


This one isn't as obvious. The NL is more pitcher-dominated than the AL. I'm kind of a stickler for the MVP to go to a position player, so I don't consider pitchers for this award. It's close between Yelich and Baez, but you can't argue with that .321/.391/.576 slash line for Yelich. The man who looks like Pete Davidson from SNL is leading the league in batting average, slugging, OPS, and OPS+, so I'm giving him the nod.


AL Cy Young:


1. Blake Snell
2. Justin Verlander
3. Chris Sale
4. Corey Kluber
5. Trevor Bauer


Blake Snell is having a stupid season. I don't care about the W-L record for starting pitchers at all because it's a useless stat. But all the other stuff, including a league-leading 1.90 ERA and a 7.0 WAR shows that Snell deserves the award. But man, this is a loaded field of talented pitchers, and players like Gerrit Cole and Edwin Diaz didn't even crack the top 5.


NL Cy Young:


1. Jacob deGrom
2. Max Scherzer
3. Aaron Nola
4. Zack Greinke
5. Kyle Feeland


This is really a 3 horse race, but deGrom deserves this award. If he gets punished by not having enough wins (which isn't his fault because he plays on the crappy Mets) I will find each writer who voted for someone else, track them down and give them a stern talking to. The dude is leading the league in ERA, ERA+, FIP, and HR/9 while striking out 11.2 batters per 9 innings. That's insane, and while Scherzer and Nola have had great seasons, they don't compare to deGrom. Please voters, do the right thing. Or don't, but be prepared to be talked to by a passive-aggressive Minnesotan.

AL Rookie of the Year:


1. Shohei Ohtani
2. Miguel Andujar
3. Joey Wendle


Ohtani is doing some unbelievable things. Yes he's not pitching anymore, but his 3.31 ERA over 10 starts still counts this season. Then you add in the fact that he's still swinging it well since coming back from injury (21 homeruns with a .925 OPS over the whole season) while Andujar is slowing down, it make sense to award Ohtani for his breakthrough season.


NL Rookie of the Year:


1. Ronald Acuna Jr.
2. Juan Soto
3. Harrison Bader


The rookie class is led by two players who can't even drink yet. While Soto is putting together an unbelievable season as a 19 year-old (I didn't even wear matching socks when I was 19) you have to give the nod to Acuna Jr. The 20 year-old has a .926 OPS with 26 homeruns and above average defense. He is the real deal, and I'm pumped to watch him even after he starts crushing beer.


Surprisingly on this terrible Minnesota Twins team, there are no players who deserve award recognition. Crazy how that works out.

More of the Same

Brace Hemmelgarn-USA TODAY Sports

Man, this franchise just can't get out of its own way.

The Athletic (which if you're a Wolves fan and you're not following Jon Krawczynski you're doing it wrong) was the first to report that Jimmy Butler is asking to be traded away from the Timberwolves just days before the franchise's media day, and just a few weeks before training camp.

So to recap, it's been a little more than a year since the Wolves got Butler from the Chicago Bulls. Minnesota shipped youngsters Kris Dunn, Zach LaVine, and the draft pick that turned into Lauri Markkanen. Those are three pretty promising players with upside. In return, the Wolves got 59 (very good) games from Butler and one game of Chicago's draft pick Justin Patton, who is now dealing with another serious injury. The Wolves got to the playoffs for the first time in I think 40 years, but they were quickly disposed of by the Houston Rockets in 5 games.

It looked like the writing was on the wall, as there's been multiple reports for months now about a disconnect between Butler and the Wolves young superstar Karl-Anthony Towns. KAT also hasn't signed his rookie max extension, which many consider a simple step for a young player, but not for this franchise. Shams Charania reported that Towns wouldn't sign an extension until the Butler situation was resolved. Well, it looks like it might be resolved soon.

This is just another problem for a floundering franchise. I could list all the issues, but my hands would get tired from typing everything. We'll see how this all plays out in upcoming weeks, but I'm sure it will end up terrible just like everything else Minnesota Timberwolves.

The Dark Side Of Fandom

(Photo: Jeff Hanisch, USA TODAY Sports)

Sometimes it's embarrassing to be a fan. Look, I get that it was frustrating to watch Daniel Carlson be bad at his job, but the amount of vitriol he's been getting over the past 24 hours is ridiculous. We have all been bad at our jobs (in my case, more bad days than good days) but we don't have millions of people watch us struggle. Carlson, who I'm like 98 percent sure didn't want to miss those kicks, is being treated like he murdered a bunch of puppies. The poor kid has a Twitter account, and this is the post he made on September 11th:

To which "fans" wrote out these responses. Fair warning, bad language coming up, and I'm not even posting the worst stuff.

I'm obsessed about sports more than pretty much anything, but I've never understood personally attacking someone because they don't do their jobs up to your standards.

Carlson was waived today by the Vikings. Imagine yourself as a kid right out of college, and you get fired from your first professional job just months into your career. I understand he made more money than most of us dream of, but think about how heartbreaking that would be for a person who is trying to establish themselves in their field. I'm sure Carlson is at a low point right now in his life, and having to be harassed and verbally attacked is only making that low point lower.

Remember folks, this is just a game that has no real meaning on the world. Go ahead and wear your jerseys, cheer loud, hate the Packers, and boo the refs. However, let's be civil about this and remember these are real people with real emotions. Be nice to each other ok? Thanks.