The Top Ten Right Fielders in MLB Today

Let's go!

10.) Jeff Francoeur, Kansas City Royals
2011 stats: .285 avg., 20 HRs, 87 RBI, .805 OPS, 47 doubles
Francoeur played a major role in Kansas City's surprisingly effective offense last year, one that finished sixth in the AL in runs and second in doubles.  Furthermore, Francoeur had the kind of season that was reminiscent of his early years with Atlanta, as he put together his best all-around year since 2007. Francoeur's 47 doubles and .805 OPS were both career highs, while his 20 home runs and .285 average were the second-highest totals of his career. Additionally, his 47 doubles were second among all AL hitters, trailing Miguel Cabrera by only one two-bagger. Despite his solid season, he can still be an incredibly erratic and streaky hitter. He also possesses one of the best arms in baseball out in right.

9.) Nelson Cruz, Texas Rangers
2011 stats (124 games): .263 avg., 29 HRs, 87 RBI, .821 OPS
Cruz, when healthy, possesses an absolutely frightening bat that features as much power as anyone else on this list. However, the statement "when healthy," carries a significant amount of weight when discussing Cruz, as he has never played in at least 130 games in any season of his seven-year career. One can only imagine the kind of numbers he would put up if he were ever completely healthy, as you can see the amount of damage he did above in just 124 games last year. Additionally, his exploits in the postseason are not to be ignored, as he has 14 homers, 27 RBI and a 1.019 OPS in just 33 career playoff games.

8.) Carlos Beltran, St. Louis Cardinals
2011 stats: .300 avg., 22 HRs, 84 RBI, .910 OPS
Beltran split time between the Mets and Giants last year and for the first time since 2008, he played in 140 games. Beltran continues to show that he can be a significant threat at the plate when healthy, recording the third-highest OPS total of any right fielder in the game last year. Upon his arrival in San Francisco, Beltran continued to hit well, recording a .323 average and a .940 OPS in just 44 games with the club. Unfortunately, he could not carry the lineup alone, as his supporting cast around him was very ineffective (excluding Pablo Sandoval). He does not steal too many bases anymore, but he still has decent range in the outfield, and he will be looked upon to be a major contributor for the Cardinals entering 2012.

7.) Corey Hart, Milwaukee Brewers
2011 stats: .285 avg., 26 HRs, 63 RBI, .866 OPS
Lost in the power show that Ryan Braun and Prince Fielder put on last year in Milwaukee was Corey Hart and his performance. You know a team's offense is powerful when a guy can have an .866 OPS and still finish third on the team, and that is exactly what happened last year with Hart. Even though he is not on the level of power hitting that teammate Ryan Braun is on, he still brings a dangerous bat to the plate with him.

6.) Jay Bruce, Cincinnati Reds
2011 stats: .256 avg., 32 HRs, 97 RBI, .814 OPS
Though he may frustrate some Reds fans, Bruce had a rock-solid year last year. Although his OPS dropped by 32 points and his average dropped by 25 points, his home run and RBI totals continue to climb. For the fourth consecutive season, Bruce increased his home run and RBI output, setting new career highs in both categories. In addition to the power he displays, Bruce also brings a great throwing arm to his position. Sometimes fans can expect too much too soon, and those who are frustrated with Bruce's play need to remember that he will be 25 this year. Anybody who already has 100 career home runs and 277 RBI by the age of 25 should be looked upon with a great deal of optimism.

5.) Hunter Pence, Philadelphia Phillies
2011 stats: .314 avg., 22 HRs, 97 RBI, .871 OPS

Pence split time between Houston and Philly last year, and it is not surprising to see why Philly was jonesing for him so much. Pence is a consistent hitter, as you can be certain he will finish with 20-25 homers, 80-90 RBI and a .280-.300 average. He recorded a career-high 97 RBI last year, which was no doubt boosted by the fact that he joined Philadelphia's solid offense. Pence will definitely be an integral part of the Phillies offense this year and in the coming seasons.

4.) Mike Stanton, Miami Marlins
2011 stats: .262 avg., 34 HRs, 87 RBI, .893 OPS
When looking at raw power and nothing else, I believe Stanton is the strongest man in the majors right now. Honestly, I feel like he did not hit a single homer under 400 feet last year! Of course, I am exaggerating, but his exhilarating power impressed many who watched him play his first full season last year, leading all NL right fielders in home runs while finishing second overall to Jose Bautista. His only flaw at the plate was his high strikeout total, whiffing 166 times. If he continues to hit with the kind of power he has, people will learn to overlook that flaw. Pencil him in for 40 homers easily in 2012.

3.) Lance Berkman, St. Louis Cardinals
2011 stats: .301 avg., 31 HRs, 94 RBI, .959 OPS
Believe me, it feels strange putting him this high on the list, and you can be sure that he will not appear on any of my lists next year (barring an encore performance, of course). Aside from that, 2011 was a renaissance year for Berkman, as many believed he was approaching the sunset of his career with declining numbers the last several seasons. His contributions to the Cardinals were invaluable, and there is no doubt that they would not have made the postseason without the unexpected big year from him. He was one of only four right fielders to hit at least .300 last year, and his stunning .959 OPS was second among his peers at the position, trailing only the mighty Jose Bautista. Berkman will likely spend most of 2012 playing at first base. The Cardinals still have a great team even without Pujols, but if they wish to repeat as World Champions, they will likely need similar production from Berkman again.

2.) Justin Upton, Arizona Diamondbacks
2011 stats: .289 avg., 31 HRs, 88 RBI, .898 OPS, 21 SBs. 39 doubles
Upton was overshadowed by other big names in the NL that were a part of the MVP discussion last year, but there is no denying how valuable the young right fielder was to the Diamondbacks. With five seasons under his belt already, the 24-year-old had the best year of his career up to this point, recording career-highs in home runs, RBI, doubles and steals, while falling one point short of his career-high OPS total of .899 that he reached in 2009. He also helped lead a young Arizona team to a surprising division title, the franchise's fifth since their formation in 1998. The best has yet to come for this dynamic and talented outfielder.

1.) Jose Bautista, Toronto Blue Jays
2011 stats: .302 avg., 43 HRs, 103 RBI, .447 OBP, 1.056 OPS
Bautista continued his stunning rise to becoming one of baseball's elite hitters last year, as he put together an even better all-around offensive performance than his breakout 2010 season. Although he hit 11 less homers than he did in 2010, his average and OPS went up significantly, proving that he belongs in the discussion of baseball's best hitters. Not only is Bautista the best right fielder in baseball right now, you could make the argument that he is the third best hitter in the game right now, trailing Miguel Cabrera and Albert Pujols. What he did last year proved that 2010 was no fluke and at age 31, he will definitely have a few more years like this left in him.

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Is this it for Justin Morneau?

The struggles that Twins first baseman Justin Morneau has dealt with regarding post-concussion symptoms have been well documented. When talking with reporters from camp at Fort Myers Friday morning however, he hinted that he might consider calling it a career if he does not get better.

From the Minneapolis Star-Tribune:

"I’m obviously not going to continue to mess around with this if it continues to be a problem. There comes a point where you can only torture yourself for so long." -Justin Morneau

Sox/Twins rivalry aside, this is just a terrible thing to watch. Morneau, when healthy, is one of the top first basemen in the game, and the Twins expected him to be one of the franchise's cornerstones for the next several seasons, along with Joe Mauer. Sadly, this goes to show you how devastating a concussion injury can be. We know more now than ever before about the lingering effects of concussions, and teams are becoming smarter when it comes to clearing players to return. An unfortunate corollary to this is the potential for careers to end or decline prematurely, as it can be incredibly difficult to return to full strength when battling with post-concussion issues (Morneau even went as far as using the word "torture" in describing his battle).

It has been nearly two years since he suffered his concussion sliding into Blue Jays second baseman John McDonald during that unfortunate night in Toronto, and I do not blame him in the least for becoming weary from battling through this adversity. Hopefully for him, the Twins, their fans and the game, he can get better and return to his elite level.

My wildly outrageous 2011 MLB Predictions

• With Opening Day quickly approaching, it's always fun to predict how the season will play itself out. Here's how I think the 2011 season will go down. It'll be more fun seeing how wrong I am at the end of the season, too. Let's go!
  
  Division Predictions (asterisk denotes Wild Card winner)
  
  AL East:
  
  1. Boston Red Sox (97-65). The new acquisitions of first baseman Adrian Gonzalez and left fielder Carl Crawford will pay huge dividends to a team that is already very talented. Should everybody stay healthy, a division title is a certain lock for the Carmines.
  2. New York Yankees (88-74). Their lineup will still mash, but will their pitching be deep enough behind C.C. Sabathia to keep pace with the rest of the AL? My guess is that it won't be.
  3. Toronto Blue Jays (86-76). Much like the Yankees, the Jays will have a very formidable lineup, but there are still several question marks regarding their pitching. Also, will Jose Bautista have an encore performance at the plate this year? Chances are that he won't hit 54 home runs again, but he'll still be a very intimidating presence in their lineup.
  4. Tampa Bay Rays (79-83). The Rays may say that their pitching will still be good, but the losses of Carl Crawford, Rafael Soriano, Carlos Pena, Jason Bartlett and Matt Garza will just be too much for them to overcome.
  5. Baltimore Orioles (69-93). Their lineup looks better, and they have some young pitchers with the potential to be good, but I still think they're a year or two away from moving out of the AL East basement.
  
  
  AL Central:
  
  1. Chicago White Sox (93-69). With the new acquisition of 1B/DH Adam Dunn, Chicago's lineup will easily be the toughest in the division. Their pitching, while not overwhelming, will be good enough for them to capture their fourth division title since 2000.
  2. *Minnesota Twins (91-71). Even though they did not do much to improve themselves in the off-season, the Twins usually still find a way to get things done, and this year won't be any different, as they will capture the American League Wild Card.
  3. Detroit Tigers (87-75). They will certainly improve on last year's mediocre performance, but will their starting rotation be deep enough behind Verlander to propel them to the postseason. My guess is that they will be good, but not good enough.
  4. Kansas City Royals (68-94). Apparently they have the best farm system in baseball, so their days of misery may not last for too much longer. However, they won't be good at all this year.
  5. Cleveland Indians (61-101). Their bullpen improved last year, but that still doesn't make up for a dreadful starting rotation, and a lineup that has a steep talent drop off once you look past Shin Soo-Choo and Grady Sizemore.
  
  
  AL West:
  
  1. Texas Rangers (88-74). A strong lineup coupled with some solid pitching will vault the defending American League Champions back into the playoffs.
  2. Oakland A's (87-75). Oakland will put up a fight, as they will boast the best starting rotation in the American League for the second year in a row. However, their lack of offense will get the best of them.
  3. Los Angeles Angels (78-84). Losing out in the free agent sweepstakes will definitely cost the Angels this year, as their lineup continues to age.
  4. Seattle Mariners (65-97). At least they have Ichiro and Felix Hernandez to keep people interested.
  
  
  NL East:
  
  1. Philadelphia Phillies (102-60). The Phillies will roll to a fifth consecutive division crown behind the best rotation in baseball and a very strong lineup.
  2. Atlanta Braves (86-76). The Braves will be solid, but will they be good enough to reach the postseason again? With the multitude of deep teams in the NL, I don't think Atlanta quite stacks up to the rest of the pack. Besides, if it wasn't for San Diego's September collapse last year, the Braves would not have reached the postseason.
  3. Florida Marlins (81-81). They always seem to be stuck in gear. They are the MLB poster-child for "average."
  4. New York Mets (77-85). They could potentially be better, but we've been saying that for the last couple of years. I'll let them prove it to me before I put them ahead of the Marlins.
  5. Washington Nationals (67-95). DC's lineup should be okay, but their pitching will be wretched, especially without Strasburg.
  
  
  NL Central:
  
  1. Milwaukee Brewers (95-67). The Brew Crew are going "all in" this year, and with the additions of Zack Greinke and Shawn Marcum to their starting rotation, the Crew will have their best season since 1982.
  2. *Cincinnati Reds (93-69). Their lineup will be great again, but their pitching should be even better than last year, as their young arms will certainly improve.
  3. St. Louis Cardinals (84-78). Losing Adam Wainwright for the season will really, really hurt the Cards. Plus, an erratic lineup behind Albert Pujols and Matt Holliday certainly won't help matters.
  4. Chicago Cubs (82-80). They won't be as dreadful as they were last year, but any improvements they make this year will be only marginal.
  5. Houston Astros (70-92). Not much to say about the Astros, other than they aren't all that great.
  6. Pittsburgh Pirates (65-97). The Bucs will be dreadful, but they won't lose 100 games again. Their lineup will be stronger than most people expect, but their pitching will easily be the worst in baseball.
  
  
  NL West:
  
  1. Colorado Rockies (91-71). In a very competitive division, the Rockies will march to their first division title in team history behind a strong lineup and some solid pitching.
  2. Los Angeles Dodgers (90-72). LA will narrowly miss the playoffs, but they will hang tough into the final week of the season behind a decent offense and a deep rotation.
  3. San Francisco Giants (80-82). The defending World Champions will experience a lay over, as their offense won't be nearly as clutch as they were last year.
  4. San Diego Padres (73-89). Last year was a fluke, trust me. They'll get a good year out of Mat Latos however, as he will settle in even more to become the unquestioned staff ace.
  5. Arizona Diamondbacks (68-94). They'll improve marginally, but they still won't be that good.
  
  
  Postseason
  
  American League Division Series:
  Boston Red Sox over Minnesota Twins 3-2. The Twins will finally win a playoff game, and not only that, they'll push Boston to a fifth and deciding game before the Red Sox take care of business at home.
  
  Chicago White Sox over Texas Rangers 3-0. Chicago will make easy work of the defending American League Champions, sweeping them out of the playoffs.
  
  National League Division Series:
  Philadelphia Phillies over Cincinnati Reds 3-1. Bad luck will strike the Reds again in the form of facing the formidable Philadelphia Phillies, but they won't get swept this time though.
  
  Milwaukee Brewers over Colorado Rockies 3-1. Milwaukee will finish off the Rockies in an easy four games.
  
  American League Championship Series:
  Chicago White Sox over Boston Red Sox 4-3. The White Sox, in shocking fashion, will take down the heavily-favored Boston Red Sox in seven games.
  
  National League Championship Series: Philadelphia Phillies over Milwaukee Brewers 4-2. The Phillies will reach the World Series again for the third time in four years, but not without a fight, as Milwaukee will give them fits.
  
  World Series
  Philadelphia Phillies over Chicago White Sox 4-1. The Phillies are just too strong for Chicago, dispatching them in a quick and easy five games to take home their third title in team history. I'm not completely drinking the kool-aid right now.
  
  Awards
  
  AL MVP: Carl Crawford, Boston Red Sox.
  
  NL MVP: Ryan Braun, Milwaukee Brewers.
  
  AL Cy Young: Justin Verlander, Detroit Tigers.
  
  NL Cy Young: Roy Halladay, Philadelphia Phillies.
  
  AL Rookie of the Year: Kyle Drabek, Toronto Blue Jays.
  
  NL Rookie of the Year: Aroldis Chapman, Cincinnati Reds.
  
  AL Manager of the Year: Bob Geren, Oakland A's.
  
  NL Manager of the Year: Ron Roenicke, Milwaukee Brewers.
  
  Other wild and ridiculous predictions:


• Joey Votto will not repeat as a MVP winner, but he'll become the first Reds player in 38 years to win a batting title, hitting .347.


• Adam Dunn will have a field day in Chicago, becoming the first player in White Sox history to hit over 50 home runs. He'll finish with 53.
  


• There will be four 20-game winners in baseball this year, with two of them coming from the Phillies (Roy Halladay and Cliff Lee). John Danks of the White Sox and Justin Verlander of the Tigers will be the others.
  


• Verlander will have the best year of his career by far, as he will become the first pitcher since 2002 to strike out 300 batters in a season.
  


• The National League will win the All-Star Game once again, securing home field advantage in the World Series for the second year in a row.
  


• After 32 years of managing and after a disappointing third-place finish, the Cardinals' Tony LaRussa will announce his retirement at season's end.
  


• Even though the Nationals insist that this won't happen, star prospect Bryce Harper will be called up to the big leagues in September.

As I already mentioned at the beginning of this post, I may be completely wrong at the end of the year when I go back and look at this. However, it's always fun to make predictions on how the year will turn out, then looking back to see how right or how wrong you are!

The 30 Team/30 Day Report Cards: Day 27- Minnesota Twins

Ah, those pesky Twins. Let's get this one over with.

Minnesota Twins
Record: 94-68 (AL Central Champions, six games ahead of Chicago)

Batting Leaders
Batting Average: Joe Mauer (.327)
Home Runs: Jim Thome (25)
RBIs: Delmon Young (112)
On-base Percentage: Joe Mauer (.402)

Pitching Leaders
Wins: Carl Pavano (17)
Strikeouts: Francisco Liriano (201)
Innings Pitched: Carl Pavano (221)
ERA: Francisco Liriano (3.62). Bullpen- Brian Duensing (1.80).
WHIP: Carl Pavano (1.19). Bullpen- Matt Guerrier (1.10).
Saves: Jon Rauch (21)

Highlight of the Year: On September 21, the Minnesota Twins clinched their sixth division title in nine years with a 6-4 victory over the Indians at home. The White Sox held up their end of the bargain, losing their game in Oakland 7-2 for the Twins to win the division outright instead of playing another one-game playoff.

Lowlight of the Year: Another year, another sweep at the hands of the Yankees, as Minnesota could not hold off the Bronx Bombers in the division series. They lost the third and final game of the series 6-1 in New York to wrap up their ninth straight postseason loss to the Yankees, and their 12th straight loss in the postseason overall dating back to 2004.

The Lowdown:
Playing their unique brand of baseball, the Minnesota Twins were able to outlast Detroit and Chicago once again for their sixth division championship since 2002. They really are a model of efficiency for small-to-mid-market teams to follow, as the Twins, even when faced with the prospect of crippling injuries, are able to plug in their holes time and again. It happened once again this year, as the Twins were missing two of their key pieces for the majority of the season. All-star closer Joe Nathan missed the entire season last year following Tommy John Surgery, and first-baseman Justin Morneau missed a significant amount of time during the second half of the season following a concussion. However, Minnesota persevered with a deep bullpen and a very consistent lineup. They were also able to maintain steady play throughout the season, as the team did not get into a really bad slump for an extended period of time. Plus, they were able to weather a furious charge by Chicago during the season, and their phenomenal head-to-head record against the Sox was one of the many reasons why the Twinkies ended up on top again.

Offense:
Minny's offense ran like a well-oiled machine once again, finishing sixth in MLB in runs (781), third in batting average (.273), second in on-base percentage (.341) and seventh in slugging (.422). Their consistency with driving runners in easily made up for their lack of home runs, as the team finished 19th in MLB with just 142.

The one player who personifies the consistency and relentlessness of their lineup has to be Joe Mauer, who put together another great season at the plate. While Mauer's power dwindled significantly (he fell to just nine home runs last year from 28 in 2009), he was still raking average-wise, finishing with a team-high clip of .327.

While the Twins weren't phenomenal in the home run department, they still had some players capable of busting the ball out of the park in a hurry. Delmon Young appears to finally be emerging as a force in the lineup, hitting a solid .298 with 21 home runs and a team-high 112 RBIs. Also, Jason Kubel still provided a touch of power, hitting 21 home runs as well.

Perhaps the biggest surprise of them all in the Twins lineup had to be the intimidating Jim Thome. The thing that was surprising about his season last year was the fact that he continued to be a threat at the plate power-wise, as he received more playing time once Justin Morneau went down with a concussion. Thome practically put the team on his back during August and September, as he went on a tear power-wise that saw him finish the season with a team-high 25 home runs. Thome stepping up to fill the void left by Morneau was huge, considering Morneau had a .345 average with 18 home runs and 56 RBIs in just 81 games. What could have been a potentially dire situation for the Twins turned into just a minor setback once Thome came through.

Overall, this is one of the best lineups in baseball, and it's quite surprising that they don't receive more credit than they do.
Final Grade: A+

Pitching:
Once again, the Twins didn't feature a lights-out number one starter, but they did feature a stable of capable starters to keep them in ballgames more often than not. The best performance out of their rotation actually came from another unlikely source, as Carl Pavano had a renaissance year on the mound last year. Pavano finished with a 17-11 record with a 3.75 ERA in 221 innings, by far his best totals since 2004.

Backing Pavano up was another pitcher who had a renaissance year in 2010, as Francisco Liriano finally settled back down to be the pitcher many thought he would be when he burst onto the scene in 2006. Liriano finished 14-10 with a 3.62 ERA and a team-high of 201 strikeouts in 191 innings, great numbers from someone who people wondered if he would ever regain the form he featured during his rookie season.

While the rest of the starting rotation was merely average, their bullpen was anything but average, finishing eighth in MLB in ERA at 3.49. Even though they were missing Joe Nathan during the season, they received great performances from just about everybody else, as a whopping seven relievers finished with ERAs below 3.50. The team largely used two closers during the season, as Jon Rauch and Matt Capps each alternated duties, finishing with 21 and 16 saves respectively. Minnesota also received great performances in the set-up role from Matt Guerrier and Jesse Crain, as each appeared in over 70 games and finished with ERAs of 3.17 and 3.04 respectively. The trio of lefties in Jose Mijares, Ron Mahay and Brian Duensing were also reliable, as Mijares and Mahay would finish with ERAs of 3.31 and 3.44 respectively, while Duensing was great as both a reliever and spot starter, finishing with a 1.80 ERA out of the bullpen.

The Twins would end up finishing 11th in MLB in ERA (3.95), eighth in WHIP (1.29), 16th in quality starts (86), 24th in "batting average against" (.266) and 12th in home runs allowed (155). While those stats aren't exactly outstanding, they aren't that bad, either.
Final Grade: B-

Wild Card: Delmon Young
At age 25, it finally seems as if Delmon Young is beginning to emerge as the player many thought he would be when he first came up with Tampa Bay in 2006. His .298 average with 21 home runs and 112 RBIs would all be career-highs, along with recording a career-low 81 strikeouts. After a great season like that at such a young age, I think Young is here to stay.
Final Grade: A-

Overall:
Minnesota had another great season, but they are really going to have to find a way to get out of the first round of the playoffs. Their poor showing in the first round is what will keep me from giving them an A+. Now that I'm finished praising the Twins, I can finally go wash my mouth out with soap.
Final Grade: A

Check back soon for the report card on the New York Yankees!

I'll keep this one short and sweet

Tonight, the Sox enter their biggest series of the season, but I suppose you didn't need me to tell you that. With the Sox sitting at 79-64 and six games behind the Twins entering tonight, they will need to sweep the series to even have a remote chance of making a comeback. Even then, trailing by three games with 16 left to play is still a tall mountain to climb, but I'm sure the Sox would rather take their chances with that. Here's how the pitching matchups look for this series:

Tonight: John Danks (13-10, 3.54) vs. Francisco Liriano (13-7, 3.24)
Wednesday: Gavin Floyd (10-12, 3.91) vs. Brian Duensing (8-2, 2.02)
Thursday: Mark Buehrle (12-10, 3.99) vs. Carl Pavano (16-11, 3.47)

Needless to say, I'm pretty confident about the chances of the Sox pulling off a sweep. I know it's a tall order, and it might even be a fantasy, but crazier things have happened. I'm not giving up hope just yet. Let's go Sox!

Ugh...is this really how it's going to end?

It was another series loss for the Sox this weekend, and this time, it was at the hands of the lowly Kansas City Royals. After three lengthy extra inning games at Kauffman Stadium, it really stings when you lose two out of three to a team you are supposed to beat. It stings even more when you lose those games in the thick of a pennant race. As Ozzie Guillen told the Chicago Tribune after Sunday's loss, "it was a very horseshit roadtrip."

This weekend's series also represented the fifth consecutive series loss for the Sox dating back to early August. Their last series victory came way back on August 3-5, when they took three of four from the Tigers in Detroit. Since then, they have lost three out of four to Baltimore, four out of six against Minnesota (in two combined series), two out of three against Detroit and two out of three last weekend against Kansas City. They're 3-7 in their last ten games, while Minnesota is 7-3. Now with the Sox being 4.5 games behind the Twins entering tonight, one has to wonder how much the Sox have left in them.

It would be one thing if the Sox were losing series against teams like the Yankees, Rays and Rangers. However, in the five series they have lost, the Twins were the only team they faced that had a winning record. Since the Twins are the team they are battling against for the AL Central title, you think it would be beneficial to at least split the six games they played against them, right? Wrong. The Sox lost both series.

Let's face it, if you are unable to beat the Twins head-to-head, you better be able to beat up on the dregs of the American League to make up that ground you lost. Unfortunately, the Sox have not been able to do this. Every loss stings during the heat of a pennant race, especially when there is very little time left, but it stings even more when they are dropping games in bunches against horrible teams. Since the Sox begin a three game set tonight at home against Baltimore, let's hope that this series will mark the beginning of a turnaround. If the Sox cannot take two of three against Baltimore, this season might be over.

What do the Sox have left in them?

One has to be thinking about that question posed in the title of this entry. Really, what do they have left in them? This past series against Detroit this weekend was supposed to be one the Sox were supposed to win, especially considering that they took three of four from them on the road a little over a week ago and because Detroit has been reeling since the All-Star Break. Unfortunately, that did not happen, as the Sox lost two out of three to the Tigers, including an uninspiring 13-8 loss yesterday.

Now the Sox are entering what could be their most important series of the season, as they begin a three game set in Minnesota on Tuesday. The Sox sit three games behind the Twins entering this series, and it's not a stretch to believe that if the Sox lose this series, their playoff chances could be in jeopardy. I'm not trying to be pessimistic, I'm just being realistic. There's no getting around this one, the Sox NEED to take this series. If they lose two out of three or get swept, they could be looking at either a five or six game deficit with 41 left to play. On the flip side, if the Sox take two of three from the Twins or sweep them, they could be just one game out or tied with them with the same amount of games left.

I know a five or six game deficit with 41 left is not insurmountable. Bigger deficits have beeen overcome in a shorter amount of time (just look at last year's Twins for proof). However, when you consider how hot the Sox had to get in order to make their way back into contention, one has to wonder if they will have one more big run left in them if the worst case scenario happens. Can they reel off one more furious push toward the division crown? Especially when they still have a whopping seven games left against Boston and another three left with New York?

Even though the Sox are 3-7 in their last ten games, I'm still very optimistic about the Sox's chances of taking this series. I already like the fact that our three best starters (Danks, Floyd and Buehrle) are lined up for those three games. The Sox usually don't play well in Minnesota, but I figure they're finally due for a series win up there. Plus, they don't have to worry about that wretched dome anymore, either. So how about it? Two out of three won't be bad, but a sweep will be nice.

I think I am going to be sick...

A word of warning: What you are about to read here is a rant. It may not completely make sense to you all, but, of course, that is the purpose of a rant. I'll probably have a coherent response to this news once Spring Training begins, and I have cooled off.

Anyway, in this developing piece of absolutely revolting news, Big Jim Thome has officially signed a one-year deal with the Minnesota Twins- the hated, reviled, disgusting, rotten, putrid, wretched, absolutely loathsome, Minnesota Twins- worth $1.5 million, plus another $750,000 in incentives. As much as I utterly despise that franchise, I would like to wish the big man the best of luck. He has always, and will forever be, one of my all-time favorite players to watch, regardless of the uniform he's in, and him donning a wretched Twins jersey will not change that one bit. However, the thing that absolutely made my blood boil was not the fact that he's on the Twins, but it is the fact that the Sox did not even try to bring him back!

The first thing that really got under my skin was seeing that the Sox did not plan on bringing Thome back, despite him expressing an interest in returning. Thome appeared to be very willing to come back at a hometown discount, and knowing that the Sox have a glaring hole at DH, his return would have been a very good move for the club. Well, I guess signing Thome would have made wayyyyy too much sense to Ozzie Guillen and Kenny Williams. He would have been more than adequate at filling their hole in that part of their lineup. Meanwhile, Ozzie continues to spew this garbage about being a more flexible team, while their biggest rival (and defending AL Central Champion) just added more depth to an already explosive lineup. If you knew the Twins were interested in Thome, and if you knew that you still had a large hole to fill in the lineup, why on earth did you not try to bring him back?

So what now? What is it that Sox fans can look forward to at the start of the season? Well, they can look forward to having a rotating DH featuring Andruw Jones (who has not had a productive season since 2006), Mark Kotsay (who is nothing more than a back-up outfielder), and Jayson Nix (who is okay, but someone I'd rather not see in the lineup more than once per week). This problem is just one among several in a lineup that is already full of question marks. Some of the other problems in their lineup include whether or not Carlos Quentin can stay healthy and whether or not Alex Rios will ever become productive again. Those two guys need to be healthy and producing if the Sox want a shot at the division title. Konerko cannot carry this offense by himself anymore like he did in 2004-2005; he needs help. If he is not going to get help from the DH hole, and if Quentin and Rios are not healthy and producing, where is he going to get help from?

I'd never thought I would say this about this team, but for the first time in a long time, I am not confident about their starting lineup heading into this season. Also, I never thought that a decent offseason would be negated by such a stupid move (or lack thereof) until now. I was confident that the Sox would bring back Thome at a discount, but now I have to look forward to the triumvirate of garbage at the DH hole. Ozzie and Kenny better know what they are doing with this year's team.

The 30 Day/30 Team Report Cards: Day 20- Minnesota Twins

Welcome back, everybody! I hope you all enjoyed your Christmas, and I hope you all received fantastic gifts as well! Today's team to receive a report card will be the AL Central Champions, the Minnesota Twins. Let's get started, shall we?

Minnesota Twins:
Record: 87-76 (American League Central Division Champions).

Batting Leaders:
Batting Average: Joe Mauer (.365)
Home Runs: Michael Cuddyer (32)
RBIs: Jason Kubel (103)
On-base Percentage: Joe Mauer (.444)

Pitching Leaders:
Wins: Scott Baker (15)
ERA: Nick Blackburn (4.03). Bullpen- Joe Nathan (2.10).
Strikeouts: Scott Baker (162)
Innings Pitched: Nick Blackburn (205.2)
WHIP: Joe Nathan (0.93). Starters- Scott Baker (1.19).
Saves: Joe Nathan (47)

Highlight of the Year: After trailing in the division by seven games as late as September 6, the Twins stormed back to win the division, taking out the Tigers at home in a one-game playoff on October 6, 6-5 in 12 innings.

Lowlight of the Year: Getting blasted by the Yankees in a three-game sweep in the playoffs from October 7-11. The Twins now have nine consecutive losses in the postseason, dating back to 2004.

The Lowdown:
After coming so close in 2008, the Twins were determined to finish the job in 2009, and that job was to win the AL Central. They were bringing back everyone from the 2008 team, with a few key additions added to the mix. They strengthened their left side of their infield by adding shortstop Orlando Cabrera and third baseman Joe Crede, and they also had outfielder Michael Cuddyer healthy and producing for a full season again. Even though their pitching regressed a bit from '08, they were still solid, and they were kept afloat by an outstanding offense that knew how to drive in runners when it mattered the most. Minnesota also played fundamentally sound baseball during the season, which meant that they rarely lost a game in which they beat themselves. Despite this, the AL Central was still a tough three team race between them, Detroit and Chicago. In the end though, it was Minnesota that prevailed once again, as they caught fire in September to take their fifth division crown of the decade.

Offense:
The Twins featured another very efficient offense in 2009, as they finished fifth in the majors in runs scored with 817. Their offensive efficiency was further exemplified by their high team average of .274, which was third in MLB behind only the Yankees and Angels. They also proved that you do not need to hit a lot of home runs to have a successful offense, as their modest total of 172 home runs was good enough for 13th in MLB. They featured a lot of key parts in their lineup, the biggest of which was catcher Joe Mauer.

Despite missing the first month of the season, Mauer did not miss a beat once he returned, as he hit a home run in his first at-bat of the season on May 1 against Kansas City. The beat did not stop for Mauer, as he continued on a torrid pace throughout the summer, finishing with a major-league best .365 average, 28 home runs and 96 RBIs, all of which were also career-highs. This spectacular season was good enough for the St. Paul native to earn his first career AL MVP, likely the first of many to come.

Mauer's right-hand man in the lineup was of course, first baseman Justin Morneau. The big lefty from British Columbia put together another fine season at the plate, hitting 30 home runs and driving in 100 to go along with a .274 average. However, his numbers would have certainly been considerably better if he did not go down with a stress fracture in his lower back on September 15, an injury which obviously ended his season.

It would seem that if the Twins lost Morneau during the time they needed him the most, their season would be doomed to another near-miss. However, Jason Kubel and Michael Cuddyer stepped up in his void and carried the team (along with Mauer) to the postseason. Kubel had the best year of his career by far, as he hit .300, with 28 home runs and 100 RBIs. He was complimented by Cuddyer, who also put up an outstanding year, hitting a career-high 32 home runs while driving in 94. With the performances of Mauer, Morneau, Kubel and Cuddyer, the Twins barely missed becoming the first AL team to feature four 30-home run hitters since the White Sox turned the trick in 2006.

Altogether, this is a very outstanding and very underrated lineup that should get a lot more credit for what they do. They managed to score a lot of runs, but, despite the performances of their "big four," they did not hit a ton of home runs. They are like a well-run machine; they get the man in from third with a sac-fly, they go the other way with a pitch instead of trying to jack it out of the park, and they also have smart baserunning that keeps them from running themselves out of an inning. Fundamentals never take a day off, and that's what keeps this lineup churning.
Final Grade: A+

Pitching:
As mentioned earlier, their pitching staff collectively regressed a bit from their 2008 performance. Their team ERA rose from 4.16 in '08 (13th in MLB) to 4.50 this year (23rd in MLB). Kevin Slowey going down with a season-ending injury in July was certainly a reason for this, as he was one of their best starters in '08. He was also off to a nice 10-3 start this year as well, before going down. Also, the continuing struggles of Francisco Liriano did not help matters, either. Despite this, the staff did receive some solid performances this year, as they were led by Scott Baker. He put together a decent campaign, going 15-9, with a 4.37 ERA, which was just a tad below the AL average of 4.45. He also did a fair job in not allowing runners to get on, as his WHIP was a respectable 1.19. Nick Blackburn also put together a decent season, going 11-11 with a 4.03 ERA.

Their 'pen was led by closer Joe Nathan, as always. He continues to quietly put up some of the best numbers in baseball in the closer's role, as he went 47 for 52 in saves, with a 2.10 ERA. His WHIP this year was microscopic, as it was an absolutely sick 0.93. Lefty Jose Mijares and righty Matt Guerrier also put together great seasons out of the 'pen, as they each recorded ERAs under three (Mijares- 2.34 ERA in 71 appearances, Guerrier- 2.36 ERA in 79 appearances). Guerrier's WHIP was almost on the level of Nathan's, as he finished at 0.97 on the season.

Overall, the Twins' staff was okay, as they finished 12th in runs allowed with 765. The thing that they are able to do so well is throw strikes, as they allowed the second-least amount of walks in the bigs, issuing just 466 free passes. However, this can come at a cost, as teams are usually able to put the ball into play at a higher rate. Opponents were able to .272 clip, which tied for the sixth-worst in the majors. They were still a pretty decent staff in spite of this, but they really benefited from an outstanding offense and a slightly weaker AL Central this year.
Final Grade: C+

Wild Card: Defense
Want proof of how the Twins are fundamentally sound? They only committed 76 errors on the season, which tied for the second-least in the bigs. If you are going to have a pitching staff that lets the offense put the ball in play more often than not, you better have a good defense behind you.
Final Grade: A

Overall:
This team is a classic example of "being good enough to get there, but not good enough to win it all." The Twins usually put a competitive team out on the field more often than not, but once they get to the playoffs, they usually fold. Now I know that they don't exactly have enough money to go after a big name free agent. However, I think that the time has come for the Twins to make a splash at the trading deadline. They are basically one piece away from being capable of winning it all. Their penny-pinching ownership and front office needs to just say "the hell with it" and make a splash. So what if you're unable to sign the player in the offseason after making the trade? Nobody will fault you for trying too hard. Just look at the Brewers. Nobody is exactly casting stones at them for trading for Sabathia in '08, and failing to sign him in the offseason. The Twins have come to an organizational crossroads with the possibility of Joe Mauer becoming a free agent, and it will certainly be interesting to see what they do. Will they finally break the bank to sign their hometown hero, so they can continue to be competitive, or will they play it cheap and not sign him, thus keeping the status quo of the organization?

Ugh, heaping this much praise on a franchise that I truly abhor really makes me want to vomit, but they really do a lot of things the right way.
Final Grade: A-

Check back tomorrow for the report card on the Florida Marlins!