Minnesota - The Mauer Years

[YEAH DAAAAWG]

ewing: You have no idea how accurate that sounds right now....

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

June 8, 2012

Tigers 7 - Twins 3
WP - J. Verlander (6-2), LP - T. Hanson (3-3), SV - N/A
HR - DET R. Raburn (10)

Not the way I was hoping to start this series. This series is huge for us at this point in the season, and I'd really love to take 2 of 3.

POTG - DET R. Raburn 2-5, 2 R, HR, 3 RBI

June 9, 2012

Tigers 5 - Twins 3
WP - J. Turner (2-1), LP - S. Baker (2-6), SV - J. Valverde (16)
HR - DET J. Larish (5)

Well there goes 2 of 3. Hopefully we can salvage one game. Lincecum is going in the series finale, but that's never a guarantee with the run support we've gotten for him (or lack thereof).

POTG - DET bullpen (P. Coke + J. Valverde) 3.2 IP, 0 H, 0 BB, 0 ER, K

June 10, 2012

Tigers 7 - Twins 9
WP - D. Farquhar (1-0), LP - R. Perry (1-3), SV - J. Mijares (16)
HR - MIN C. Parmelee (6)

We just manage to avoid the sweep. Although The Tigers really gave us a run for our money, scoring three in the top of the ninth to make it interesting (and nauseating).

POTG - MIN K. Suzuki 1-3, BB, R, 2 RBI

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Minnesota Twins 30-30
7.5 GB of Detroit Tigers for first place in AL Central
5.0 GB of Boston Red Sox for first place in AL Wild Card
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

June 11, 2012

Marlins 8 - Twins 2
WP - C. Volstad (7-4), LP - Z. Greinke (6-3), SV - N/A
HR - MIN H. Pence (13), FLA L. Morrison (7)

Zack Greinke made one crucial mistake in the game - allowing Logan Morrison to hit a three-run homer in the 6th inning on a hanging curve. This loss puts us under .500, and makes me extremely frustrated and angry with this team. This team is WAY too talented to be playing this poorly!

POTG - FLA L. Morrison 3-5, HR, 6 RBI

June 12, 2012

Marlins 10 - Twins 3
WP - M. Rosier (1-2), LP - (T. Hanson (3-4), SV - N/A
HR - FLA L. Morrison (8), H. Ramirez (7), G. Sanchez (3)

Seriously, this is getting ridiculous. How can a team with so much talent in every facet of the game play this poorly?! We have Gold Glove caliber fielders at almost every position, we have former Cy Young winners, the reigning AL Rookie of the Year, and All-Star level players at almost every position! And we're 6-14 in our last 20 games and two games under .500!

POTG - FLA H. Ramirez 2-5, HR, 4 RBI

June 13, 2012

Marlins 5 - Twins 6
WP - F. Nieve (3-3), LP - C. Qualls (1-4), SV - N/A
HR - MIN H. Pence (14)

Holy crap - A WIN! Barely. We scored three in the bottom of the ninth to send the game to extra innings, and then we won in the tenth on an RBI double by Hunter Pence.

POTG - MIN H. Pence 3-4, HR, 2 RBI, GW 2 RBI 2B

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Minnesota Twins 31-32
8.5 GB of Detroit Tigers for first place in AL Central
5.0 GB of Boston Red Sox and Seattle Mariners for first place in AL Wild Card
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

June 15, 2012

D'Backs 2 - Twins 6
WP - T. Lincecum (4-7), LP - B. Webb (6-6), SV - N/A
HR - MIN C. Headley (15), ARI L. Scott (7)

Two wins in a row! And Lincecum even got a win! Is the sky falling!?

POTG - MIN T. Lincecum 5.2 IP, 6 H, 4 BB, ER, 8 K

June 16, 2012

D'Backs 0 - Twins 3
WP - Z. Greinke (7-3), LP - D. Haren (3-9), SV - J. Mijares (17)
HR - MIN T. Neal 2 (16)

Three in a row? Is this a sign that our cold streak is coming to an end, or the end of the world? I'm guessing the end of the world. Either way, Greinke narrowly missed out on another shutout, going 8.2 innings before getting pulled, and striking out 10.

POTG - MIN Z. Greinke 8.2 IP, 3 H, 2 BB, 0 ER, 10 K

June 17, 2012

D'Backs 7 - Twins 8
WP - A. Burnett (6-2), LP - L. Cormier (1-3), SV - J. Mijares (18)
HR - MIN D. Cooper 2 (13), ARI C. Young (10), R. Wheeler (3)

A sweep? Be right back, I need to move my laptop into my bomb-shelter.

POTG - MIN D. Cooper 3-5, 2 HR, 2 RBI, 3 R, 3B

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Minnesota Twins 34-32
8.5 GB of Detroit Tigers for first place in AL Central
5.0 GB of Boston Red Sox for first place in AL Wild Card
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Thoughts

Well, we won 4 in a row to close out the past couple weeks. We're still 8.5 back in the division, though. But hopefully this is the beginning of another one of those massive hot streaks we like to go on.

[ewing6]

The curse of Joe Mauer looms, OOOOOOO

[YEAH DAAAAWG]

June 18, 2012

Twins 3 - Nationals 4 (in extras)
WP - C. Carlson (1-4), LP - J. Mijares (0-2), SV - N/A
HR - WAS J. Flores (5)

We had no shortage of opportunities to break this game wide open, but double plays killed us everytime.

POTG - WAS bullpen (M. Capps + B. Jenks + J. Carlson) 4 IP, 3 H, BB, 0 ER, 2 K

June 19, 2012

Twins 10 - Nationals 5
WP - N. Blackburn (3-4), LP - J. Lannan (4-4), SV - D. Farquhar (1)
HR - MIN D. Cooper 2 (15), D. Span 2 (5)

Multi-homers game by both Denard Span and David Cooper powered us to our fifth win in six games.

POTG - MIN D. Span 3-5, 2B, 3 R, 2 HR, 4 RBI

June 20, 2012

Twins 2 - Nationals 4
WP - S. Strasburg (7-3), LP - F. Nieve (3-4), SV - J. Carlson (19)
HR - WAS D. Espinosa (13)

Our first run-in with the infamous Stephen Strasburg went about how you'd probably except. We eked out one run against him over seven innings, and he racked up 7 K's. We managed to mount a small rally in the ninth, scoring once and putting the go-ahead run at the plate, but Jemile Weeks grounded out to end the game.

POTG - WAS S. Strasburg 7 IP, 4 H, 4 BB, ER, 7 K

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Minnesota Twins 35-34
9.5 GB of Detroit Tigers for first place in AL Central
5.0 GB of Boston Red Sox and Seattle Mariners for first place in AL Wild Card
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

June 22, 2012

Twins 2 - Astros 3
WP - L. Nunez (3-3), LP - J. Mijares (0-3), SV - N/A
HR - MIN C. Headley (16)

Greinke continued his hot pitching, going seven innings and allowing just one earned run while striking out eight. The game went to extra innings, though, and Lance Berkman singled home the winning run from second.

POTG - HOU L. Berkman 1-4, GW RBI

June 23, 2012

Twins 0 - Astros 2
WP - J. Lyles (6-1), LP - T. Hanson (3-5), SV - L. Nunez (11)
HR - HOU R. Kalism (5)

Jordan Lyles dominated us, plain and simple. He pitched eight shutout innings with eight K's. Hanson was a tough-luck-loser, as he pitched seven innings of two-run ball himself.

POTG - HOU J. Lyles 8 IP, 5 H, 3 BB, 0 ER, 8 K

June 24, 2012

Twins 6 - Astros 3
WP - S. Romo (6-3), LP - S. Gervacio (2-3), SV - J. Mijares (19)
HR - MIN D. Span (6), HOU J. Keppinger (7), R. Kalish (6)

Denard Span saved us from the sweep. We trailed in the ninth inning, but we were able to load the bases in the inning, and then Span was able to unload them with a grand slam.

POTG - MIN D. Span 1-5, GW grand slam

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Minnesota Twins 36-36
9.5 GB of Detroit Tigers for first place in AL Central
6.0 GB of Boston Red Sox and Seattle Mariners for first place in AL Wild Card
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

June 25, 2012

Twins 1 - Phillies 0
WP - N. Blackburn (4-4), LP - M. Buehrle (3-8), SV - J. Mijares (20)
HR - N/A

Helluva pitching duel between Nick Blackburn and Mark Buehrle. Blackburn pitched 8.2 innings before getting relieved in favor of Jose Mijares, who recorded his 20th save of the season. Buehrle allowed just one run over seven innings. The only run of the game came via a double play with no outs and the bases loaded.

POTG - MIN N. Blackburn 8.2 IP, 6 H, 3 BB, 0 ER, 3 K

June 26, 2012

Twins 5 - Phillies 3
WP - T. Lincecum (5-7), LP - J. Ramirez (1-3), SV - J. Mijares (21)
HR - MIN T. Neal (17)

Lincecum won his second start in a row - narrowly. We scored two runs in the top of the ninth on Thomas Neal's two-run homer. Those runs proved crucial, as the Phillies scored all three of their runs in the bottom of the ninth inning.

POTG - MIN T. Lincecum 8.2 IP, 6 H, BB, 2 ER, 8 K

June 27, 2012

Twins 9 - Phillies 0
WP - Z. Greinke (8-3), LP - A. Bastardo (2-6), SV - N/A
HR - MIN J. Hardy (5), D. Span (7)

I think it's safe to say Greinke is officially back to the Greinke that won the Cy Young last season. He threw his third complete game shutout of the season, striking out ten in the process, and lowering his ERA to 3.40.

POTG - MIN Z. Greinke CG, SHO, 6 H, BB, 10 K

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Minnesota Twins 39-36
9.5 GB of Detroit Tigers for first place in AL Central
5.0 GB of Seattle Mariners for first place in AL Wild Card
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

June 28, 2012

Royals 11 - Twins 2
WP - A. Crow (6-4), LP - T. Hanson (3-6), SV - N/A
HR - KCR B. Butler 2 (9), J. Giavotella (2), A. Gordon (11), G. Gross (4), B. Pena (1)

The Royals had a field day with our pitchers. Hanson allowed seven runs in 4 innings and gave up three homers. Former Twins farmhand Aaron Hicks batted third in the game and went 3-5 with a run and a steal.

POTG - KCR A. Crow 7 IP, 8 H, 0 BB, 2 ER, 3 K

June 29, 2012

Royals 4 - Twins 7
WP - S. Romo (7-1), LP - S. Burnett (0-4), SV - J. Mijares (22)
HR - MIN K. Suzuki (3), C. Parmelee (7), KCR G. Gross (5)

Chris Parmelee put the game in our hands with his three-run homer in the 8th inning to break a 4-4 tie.

POTG - MIN C. Parmelee 2-4, GW 3-R HR

June 30, 2012

Royals 7 - Twins 3
WP - K. Gibson (6-5), LP - N. Blackburn (4-5), SV - N/A
HR - KCR B. Butler (10), A. Gordon 2 (13)

The Royals again beat us with one of our former top prospects. Kyle Gibson pitched 7 innings of three runs. Aaron Hicks also went 1-4, scoring two runs and driving in another.

POTG - KCR K. Gibson 7 IP, 7 H, 3 ER, 4 K

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Minnesota Twins 40-38
11.5 GB of Detroit Tigers for first place in AL Central
4.5 GB of Boston Red Sox and Seattle Mariners for first place in AL Wild Card
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Thoughts

The Tigers are really trying to put the division away early. I'd say they've succeeded at that, if not for the run we made at them last season, going from 9 or 10 games back around the ASB to staying hot on their heels all the way to the last week of the season. If we can get the bats hitting again, we should be able to make another run at the playoffs, as this year's pitching staff is even better than last year's.

ERA    Z. Greinke  3.40
Wins   Z. Greinke  8
Saves  J. Mijares  22
AVG    C. Headley  .332
HR     T. Neal     17
SB     D. Span     12

Stats

Batting

Player Name	Team	AB	H	HR	RBI	Avg	OBP	SLG	SB	CS
Weeks, Jemile	MIN	322	79	6	31	.245	.318	.348	5	2
Span, Denard	MIN	322	87	7	28	.270	.353	.379	12	6
Cooper, David	MIN	318	80	15	51	.252	.325	.434	0	3
Neal, Thomas	MIN	294	86	17	40	.293	.394	.524	1	0
Hardy, J.J.	MIN	293	68	5	30	.232	.269	.348	0	0
Headley, Chase	MIN	286	95	16	55	.332	.385	.587	0	1
Pence, Hunter	MIN	274	89	14	46	.325	.394	.558	5	3
Parmelee, Chris	MIN	250	63	7	31	.252	.342	.388	2	1
Suzuki, Kurt	MIN	224	47	3	28	.210	.263	.304	2	1
Morales, Jose	MIN	54	16	2	9	.296	.316	.407	0	1
Casilla, Alexi	MIN	15	5	0	1	.333	.375	.467	0	0
Greinke, Zack	MIN	7	2	0	0	.286	.286	.429	0	0
Blackburn, Nick	MIN	5	0	0	0	.000	.000	.000	0	0
Lincecum, Tim	MIN	4	0	0	0	.000	.000	.000	0	0
Baker, Scott	MIN	4	0	0	0	.000	.000	.000	0	0
Hanson, Tommy	MIN	3	0	0	0	.000	.000	.000	0	0
Nieve, Fernando	MIN	2	0	0	0	.000	.000	.000	0	0
Farquhar, Daniel	MIN	1	0	0	0	.000	.000	.000	0	0
Burke, Chris	MIN	0	0	0	0	.000	.000	.000	0	0
Salazar, Oscar	MIN	0	0	0	0	.000	1.000	.000	0	0
Ross, Cody	MIN	0	0	0	0	.000	.000	.000	0	0
Mijares, Jose	MIN	0	0	0	0	.000	.000	.000	0	0
Romo, Sergio	MIN	0	0	0	0	.000	.000	.000	0	0
Guerrier, Matt	MIN	0	0	0	0	.000	.000	.000	0	0
Burnett, Alex	MIN	0	0	0	0	.000	.000	.000	0	0

Pitching

Player Name	Team	Starts	W	L	ERA	IP	K	SV	CG	OBA
Greinke, Zack	MIN	15	8	3	3.40	98.0	100	0	3	.216
Blackburn, Nick	MIN	11	4	5	4.50	58.0	18	0	1	.312
Lincecum, Tim	MIN	16	5	7	3.51	105.0	115	0	2	.264
Baker, Scott	MIN	15	2	6	5.14	77.0	57	0	0	.270
Hanson, Tommy	MIN	16	3	6	5.33	82.2	74	0	0	.259
Nieve, Fernando	MIN	5	3	4	5.40	61.2	49	0	0	.290
Farquhar, Daniel	MIN	0	1	0	5.29	47.2	41	1	0	.222
Mijares, Jose	MIN	0	0	3	1.88	28.2	24	22	0	.259
Romo, Sergio	MIN	0	7	1	1.99	49.2	54	1	0	.203
Guerrier, Matt	MIN	0	1	1	4.95	40.0	30	1	0	.292
Burnett, Alex	MIN	0	6	2	4.30	46.0	30	0	0	.250

[YEAH DAAAAWG]

July 1, 2012

Red Sox 1 - Twins 4
WP - T. Lincecum (6-7), LP - J. Lester (7-3), SV - J. Mijares (23)
HR - MIN C. Headley (17)

We kicked off this big series with a big win. Lincecum showed us why we blew up the team to bring him in, as he pitched seven innings and allowed just one run on one hit, while walking three and striking out nine. Headley also continued his excellent hitting, hitting his team-leading 17th homer of the season and driving in two runs.

POTG - MIN T. Lincecum 7 IP, H, 3 BB, ER, 9 K

July 2, 2012

Red Sox 5 - Twins 4 (in extras)
WP - F. Doubront (1-0), LP - F. Nieve (3-5), SV - N/A
HR - MIN C. Parmelee (8), BOS D. Pedroia (8), J. Gaston (11)

This game was so frustrating and heart-wrenching it isn't even funny. We came back from down 4-3 in the 11th inning to tie it at 4-4, but we just couldn't get any offense after that. We really need to win these next two games against the Red Sox. It would go miles at helping us in the Wild Card chase.

POTG - BOS J. Gaston GW HR in 15th

July 3, 2012

Red Sox 4 - Twins 0
WP - J. Beckett (4-7), LP - T. Hanson (3-7), SV - N/A
HR - BOS K. Youkilis (9)

This season has been beyond frustrating so far. How the HELL are we only 41-40?!

POTG - BOS J. Beckett CG, SHO, 2 H, 3 BB, 9 K

July 4, 2012

Red Sox 4 - Twins 1
WP - K. Slowey (7-7), LP - N. Blackburn (4-6), SV - J. Papelbon (22)
HR - BOS J. Gaston (12)

Beaten by a former Twin again. Slowey went 7.1 innings and allowed just one run with 11 K's, and lowered his ERA to 3.08. The guy couldn't even get his BAA as low as .308 when he was with us.

POTG - BOS K. Slowey 7.1 IP, 8 H, 0 BB, ER, 11 K

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Minnesota Twins 41-41
14.0 GB of Detroit Tigers for first place in AL Central
6.5 GB of Boston Red Sox for first place in AL Wild Card
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

July 6, 2012

Twins 9 - Blue Jays 10
WP - B. Cecil (4-6), LP - T. Lincecum (6-8), SV - J. Gobble (19)
HR - TOR W. Aybar (13)

We can't even beat the Blue Jays? Seriously, this is preposterous. We're 41-42. So much for World Series or bust....

POTG - TOR W. Aybar 2-4, BB, 3 R, HR, 2B, 2 RBI

July 7, 2012

Twins 5 - Blue Jays 11
WP - C. Jenkins (1-7), LP - Z. Greinke (8-4), SV - N/A
HR - N/A

A guy who was previously winless won a start against Zack Greinke, one of the best pitchers in the league. Just a microcosm of how poorly this season has gone for us. Thank God the All-Star Break is less than a week away.

POTG - TOR C. Jenkins 7 IP, 5 H, 0 BB, ER, K

July 8, 2012

Twins 13 - Blue Jays 9
WP - F. Nieve (4-5), LP - M. Belisle (7-2), SV - N/A
HR - MIN T. Neal (18), TOR J. Cust (2)

We had to score 4 runs in the top of the ninth just to get into extra innings just so we had a CHANCE to win this game. I'm wondering if it would be such a bad idea to just tank the rest of the season and go for the high draft pick next year.

POTG - MIN H. Pence 4-6, 3 R, 2 RBI

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Minnesota Twins 42-43
14.0 GB of Detroit Tigers for first place in AL Central
7.0 GB of Boston Red Sox for first place in AL Wild Card
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

July 9, 2012

Twins 2 - Royals 6
WP - K. Davies (6-7), LP - N. Blackburn (4-7), SV - S. Burnett (1)
HR - KCR I. Desmond (4)

How are we so continuously able to underperform our talent and lose to teams that have absolutely no business beating us?

POTG - KCR K. Davies 6.1 IP, 9 H, 3 BB, 2 ER, 3 K

July 10, 2012

Twins 2 - Royals 1
WP - S. Romo (8-1), LP - C. Rosa (0-2), SV - M. Guerrier (2)
HR - N/A

Lincecum goes 8.1 innings giving up only one run and striking out 10 and still can't get a win. What in God's name is going on here?

POTG - MIN T. Lincecum 8.1 IP, 4 H, 4 BB, ER, 10 K

July 11, 2012

Twins 1 - Royals 2
WP - N. Arguelles (3-2), LP - (8-5), SV - L. Coleman (16)
HR - N/A

Thank God for the All-Star Break....

POTG - KCR N. Arguelles 7 IP, 6 H, BB, ER, 2 K

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Minnesota Twins 43-45
15.0 GB of Detroit Tigers for first place in AL Central
9.0 GB of Boston Red Sox for first place in AL Wild Card
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Thoughts

ASB coming up.

[jshaw]

told you, should have let the Tigers get Lincecum

[YEAH DAAAAWG]

told you, should have let the Tigers get Lincecum

I shudder at the thought of where the Tigers would be if I had let them sign Lincecum.

[YEAH DAAAAWG]

Minnesota Twins First Half Review

High Points

• Our top two starters are performing as well as we could have hoped for
  
  • Tim Lincecum - 6-8 W-L, 3.33 ERA, 124.1 IP, 140 K, 38 BB, .251 BAA
  • Zack Greinke - 8-5 W-L, 3.53 ERA, 112.1 IP, 112 K, 40 BB, .220 BAA
• Some individual players are having excellent offensive seasons
  
  • 3B Chase Headley - .317/.370/.552, 17 HR, 61 RBI
  • RF Hunter Pence - .313/.379/.516, 14 HR, 52 RBI
  • LF Thomas Neal - .293/.387/.512, 18 HR, 54 RBI
• Chris Parmelee has been a pleasant surprise
  
  • 1B Chris Parmelee - .256/.350/.404, 8 HR, 38 RBI
• Jose Mijares and Sergio Romo have been deadly at the end of the game
  
  • CL Jose Mijares - 34 G, 36 IP, 2.25 ERA, 9 BB, 31 K, .255 BAA, 23 SV, 1 BS
  • SU Sergio Romo - 49 G, 57 IP, 1.89 ERA, 18 BB, 64 K, .206 BAA

Low Points

• We're vastly under-performing my expectations
• After a red-hot start to the season, David Cooper has hit a wall
  
  • 1B David Cooper - .246/.320/.417, 15 HR, 56 RBI
• Everyone not named Hunter Pence, Thomas Neal, or Chase Headley is having a pretty awful year
  
  • CF Denard Span - .714 OPS
  • 2B Jemile Weeks - .646 OPS
  • C Kurt Suzuki - .596 OPS
  • SS J.J. Hardy - .619 OPS
• The bottom three starters in the rotation all have ERA's North of 5.00
  
  • Tommy Hanson - ERA 5.64
  • Scott Baker - ERA 5.14
  • Nick Blackburn - ERA 5.07

Thoughts

Pa-effing-thetic. I don't see how this team has managed to perform this poorly, especially the pitchers. Hanson, Baker, and Blackburn are all extremely talented guys, and the defense behind them is good, if not great. Despite that they're still posting ERA's that are ridiculously high. I just don't get it. If I'm still out of it leading up to the deadline I may trade off Hanson and Baker and get what I can for them, since their contracts are expiring anyways. I have no intention of blowing the team up, but I'm definitely gonna look at what's out there for guys I think are replaceable.

[YEAH DAAAAWG]

American League Leaders

Wins

R. Porcello     (DET)     11
A. Colome       (TBR)     11
B. Anderson     (OAK)     11

ERA

B. Erbe         (BAL)     2.73
D. Gutierrez    (TEX)     2.92
R. Porcello     (DET)     2.95

Strikeouts

T. Lincecum     (MIN)     140
N. Hagadone     (CLE)     121
Z. Greinke      (MIN)     112

Innings Pitched

T. Lincecum     (MIN)     124.1
B. Anderson     (OAK)     121.2
K. Gibson       (KCR)     121.1

Batting Average

B. Butler       (KCR)     .331
B. Wallace      (TOR)     .331
J. Borbon       (TEX)     .330

Home-runs

R. Howard       (CHW)     28
G. Halman       (SEA)     28
D. Viciedo      (CHW)     23

RBI

M. Cabrera      (DET)     78
B. Butler       (KCR)     69
M. Sweeney      (TBR)     69

Steals

J. Ellsbury     (BOS)     36
E. Andrus       (TEX)     35
G. Nunez        (DET)     33

National League Leaders

Wins

C. Billingsley  (LAD)     15
C. Kershaw      (LAD)     10
Y. Gallardo     (MIL)     10

ERA

C. Billingsley  (LAD)     2.56
E. Arnett       (MIL)     2.61
W. Pelzer       (SDP)     2.62

Strikeouts

C. Kershaw      (LAD)     147
W. Pelzer       (SDP)     134
Y. Gallardo     (MIL)     131

Innings Pitched

P. Maholm       (PIT)     130.1
J. Garland      (SDP)     129.2
C. Billingsley  (LAD)     126.2

Batting Average

B. Revere       (SFG)     .355
S. Marte        (PIT)     .335
E. Burriss      (SFG)     .329

Home-runs

B. Jackson      (CHC)     25
P. Alvarez      (PIT)     25
M. Jacobs       (ATL)     21

RBI

P. Alvarez      (PIT)     74
R. Braun        (MIL)     73
R. Zimmerman    (WAS)     69

Steals

C. Gomez        (MIL)     38
B. Revere       (SFG)     38
R. Davis        (WAS)     35

[YEAH DAAAAWG]

League-wide Standings at the ASB

[YEAH DAAAAWG]

National League ends All-Star Game losing Skid!

The National League was finally able to halt it's long-standing losing streak in the Midsummer Classic! Works for me, since it means the Tigers won't be getting home-field advantage when they eventually make it there.

The Twins had 3B Chase Headley named to the team as the starting third baseman. Additionally we had starters Zack Greinke and Tim Lincecum elected to the squad, and reliever Sergio Romo. Headley went 0-3 with a walk and two strikeouts in his first All-Star appearance, Greinke pitched two scoreless innings, allowing just one hit, and Romo pitched 0.2 innings and allowed two runs on three hits, getting the loss in the game. Lincecum did not appear in the game.

National League National League at American League American League
July 13, 2012

                     1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 +  R  H  E
National League (NL) 1 0 1 0 0 0 1 2 0    5 13  1
American League (AL) 1 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0    3  6  0

NATIONAL LEAGUE              ab  h bb  r hr bi  k sb     avg
Eric Young (2B)               4  0  0  0  0  0  1  0    .295
 Chris Volstad (P)            0  0  0  0  0  0  0  0    .000
 Brandon Webb (P)             0  0  0  0  0  0  0  0    .000
 Pablo Sandoval (P)           1  1  0  0  0  1  0  0    .312
 Zack Braddock (P)            0  0  0  0  0  0  0  0    .000
 Jimmy Rollins (P)            0  0  0  0  0  0  0  0    .246
Brett Jackson (RF)            5  2  0  0  0  1  0  0    .246
Pedro Alvarez (DH)            5  2  0  1  1  1  0  0    .325
Albert Pujols (1B)            5  2  0  0  0  0  0  0    .307
Ryan Braun (LF)               4  1  1  1  0  0  2  0    .287
Brian McCann (C)              3  0  0  0  0  0  2  0    .305
 Buster Posey (P)             0  0  0  0  0  0  0  0    .303
David Wright (3B)             4  0  0  0  0  0  1  0    .310
Danny Espinosa (SS)           4  2  0  2  1  2  1  0    .257
Matt Kemp (CF)                4  3  0  1  0  0  0  0    .320
TOTALS                       39 13  1  5  2  5  7  0

   2B:  Matt Kemp 2, Brett Jackson
   HR:  Danny Espinosa, Pedro Alvarez

   DP:  Albert Pujols, Eric Young, Danny Espinosa
   E:  Brian McCann

                           ip  h bb hr  r er  k pit    ERA
        Chad Billingsley  2.2  3  1  0  3  1  7  66   2.56
           Chris Volstad  2.1  3  0  0  0  0  2  32   3.72
            Brandon Webb  2.0  0  0  0  0  0  2  26   3.78
           Zack Braddock  2.0  0  1  0  0  0  1  30   1.58
                  TOTALS  9.0  6  2  0  3  1 12 154

AMERICAN LEAGUE              ab  h bb  r hr bi  k sb     avg
Gustavo Nunez (SS)            3  0  0  1  0  0  1  0    .301
 Brandon Erbe (P)             0  0  0  0  0  0  0  0    .000
 Zack Greinke (P)             0  0  0  0  0  0  0  0    .000
 Brandon Erbe (P)             0  0  0  0  0  0  0  0    .000
 Henry Rodriguez (P)          0  0  0  0  0  0  0  0    .000
 Sergio Romo (P)              0  0  0  0  0  0  0  0    .000
 Danny Gutierrez (P)          0  0  0  0  0  0  0  0    .000
Wilkin Ramirez (LF)           3  1  0  2  0  0  0  1    .314
Joe Mauer (C)                 4  2  0  0  0  0  1  0    .310
Miguel Cabrera (DH)           3  0  0  0  0  1  1  0    .304
Matt LaPorta (1B)             4  1  0  0  0  1  1  0    .327
Greg Halman (CF)              3  1  1  0  0  1  2  0    .304
Chase Headley (3B)            3  0  1  0  0  0  2  0    .317
Aaron Hill (2B)               4  0  0  0  0  0  2  0    .302
Austin Jackson (RF)           4  1  0  0  0  0  2  0    .319
TOTALS                       31  6  2  3  0  3 12  1

   HBP:  Wilkin Ramirez
   GDP:  Miguel Cabrera

                           ip  h bb hr  r er  k pit    ERA
          Rafael Soriano  1.0  2  0  1  1  1  1  16   1.70
            Brandon Erbe  3.0  3  1  0  1  1  4  59   2.73
            Zack Greinke  2.0  1  0  0  0  0  2  36   3.53
         Henry Rodriguez  1.0  3  0  1  1  1  0  25   1.74
             Sergio Romo  0.2  3  0  0  2  2  0  14   1.89
         Danny Gutierrez  1.1  1  0  0  0  0  0  19   2.92
                  TOTALS  9.0 13  1  2  5  5  7 169

     WP: Brandon Webb
     LP: Sergio Romo
     SV: Zack Braddock

     Temperature: 94F
     Wind: 2 MPH (left to right)
     Attendance: 50,000
     Time: 3:14

[YEAH DAAAAWG]

A Look Back.....

Two seasons ago on this day, July 14th, we made a massive deal, acquiring Zack Greinke from the Royals in exchange for some of our top prospects. Now I'd like to take a look back at that and see how the deal panned out for both teams.

It's obvious how it panned out for us. In Greinke's first half-season with us in 2010 he posted an 8-4 record with a 2.92 ERA, and helped propel us to the playoffs. The next season, in 2011, he posted some of the best numbers we've seen from a pitcher in recent memory on his way to winning the Cy Young Award, going 19-6 with a 2.03 ERA and striking out 231 in 230.1 innings, while walking only 45 and holding his opponents to a .206 batting average. This season hasn't been quite as magical as last, but it has been very good despite that. He's 8-5 in 18 starts and is sporting an ERA of 3.53, and has struck out 112 to 40 walks in 112.1 innings, as well as posting a .220 batting average against. Other accolades include making the All-Star team both this year and last year as a Twin, winning the 2011 American League Cy Young award and pitcher's Gold Glove, and throwing 7 complete game shutouts as a Twin. We got an absolute stud out of the deal.

The Royals didn't do too bad for themselves either, though.

One of the centerpieces of the deal was starting pitcher Kyle Gibson. Gibson has become an excellent starter for the KC Royals. Rated at 90, the 24-year old Gibson is 23-20 in 61 career starts, sports a 3.58 ERA, 334 K's to 74 walks in 382 innings, and a .251 opposing batting average. Additionally he has made the All-Star team in both of his full seasons with the Royals.

One of the other players we sent to the Royals was highly-touted pitching prospect Carlos Gutierrez. Carlos hasn't panned out nearly as well, appearing in only 4 major league games and peaking out at 73 at the age of 25. He appears to be a career minor leaguer.

The second biggest name in the deal was CF prospect Aaron Hicks. Hicks is rated at 82/94 and is only 22 years old. Although he has only had a cup of coffee in the bigs, he didn't do too bad in that cup of coffee, posting a line of .266/.357/.367 with a homer, 12 RBI's, and 14 steals. His minor league numbers suggest he should become nothing less than an All-Star in the major leagues. Last year in A-ball he posted a line of .331/.414/.610 with 23 homers, 108 RBI, and 31 steals, and this season in Double-A, before getting called up to the bigs due to an injury for the Royals, he was hitting .341/.415/.514 with two homers, 35 RBI, and 17 steals. Not only is Hicks a force at the plate, but he swallows up fly balls in center-field like a vacuum and has a cannon for an arm. The jury is still out on Hicks, but all indications are that he will be a very, very good major league player.

The last player the Royals got was catcher Wilson Ramos. Ramos hasn't panned out as well as I thought he would, but he should still have a solid major league career ahead of him. Rated at 81, Ramos talent definitely lies at the plate, not behind it. Last season in AA Ramos hit .330/.379/.514 with 10 homers and 69 RBI's, and in 338 ML at-bats over the past couple of years he's hit .287/.328/.426 with 9 homers and 39 RBI. Not eye-popping numbers at the major league level, but he'll definitely have a career as a catcher in this league. He is a liability defensively, however. His arm is decent, and he has good range as a catcher, but he is not known for his ability to call a game.

Although it's still a bit early to tell how this side will turn out for the Royals, I think it's safe to say that this trade will be mostly fair in the end. Even if Hicks doesn't turn out to be a star, Gibson already has, and they got a guy who can be a solid major league catcher for a few years. If Hicks does turn out to be great, well then, the Royals will look back on this trade pretty fondly. I can't say I'm disappointed with the rewards I have reaped either. Although it appears I've paid a heavy price in prospects, I've gotten a perennial All-Star and Cy Young contender.

[YEAH DAAAAWG]

Twins announce tandem of Deals

We were able to agree to one deal with the Los Angeles Dodgers, and another with the St. Louis Cardinals, following the All-Star Game.

The deal with the Dodgers will send shortstop J.J. Hardy 83 to LA. In exchange, we acquire starting pitching John Maine 81. After starting off the year pretty well, Hardy has cooled off to the tune of a .619 OPS. John Maine has been enjoying a moderately successful season. He's collected 7 wins against 3 losses, and posted a 3.69 ERA in 102.1 innings. He's also struck out 103 to 49 walks, and has maintained an impressive BAA of .226. Although Maine's numbers for the year are appetizing, the main reason I chose to acquire the 31-year old righty is due to his expiring contract. The move frees me up to either re-sign him if I so choose (unlikely), or let him go at the end of the season and see if I can sign another starting pitcher.

The next deal, with the Cardinals, sends struggling starters Tommy Hanson 83 and Scott Baker 83 to St. Louis for 23-year old shortstop Pete Kozma 85/87. Both Hanson and Baker's contracts expire at the end of the year, so the Cardinals can choose to re-sign them if they perform well for them, or let them go and allocate the money elsewhere. We, on the other hand, get a very young, very talented shortstop (something the Cardinals had a large surplus of). Kozma, like Hardy, is a defensive stud, and has the potential to win multiple Gold Gloves in his career. However, unlike Hardy, Kozma possesses a little something called plate discipline and contact ability. Kozma in the minor leagues never had a season above A-ball in which he batter under .321, and this season at AAA he was hitting a ridiculous .421/.481/.607 in 45 games. He'll jump right into the starting line-up to replace Hardy, and likely do a very good job at it.

The moves leave me a little dry in the starting rotation, where after Lincecum and Greinke at #1 and #2 will be Maine 80, Blackburn 75, and Luke Hochevar 69 in that order. However I had no intention of re-signing either Hanson or Baker at season's end, and the return of Kozma is way better than anything I thought I would be able to get. Acquiring Maine fills up one of those openings left by Hanson and Baker with a fairly successful major league pitcher, and allows me to do just as I had planned to do with Hanson and Baker - release him at the end of the season and target someone else in free agency.

[YEAH DAAAAWG]

July 15, 2012

White Sox 3 - Twins 0
WP - D. Hudson (4-11), LP - J. Maine (7-4), SV - M. Thornton (12)
HR - N/A

John Maine's first start as a Twin went very well, our line-up just couldn't muster any offense. Maine went six innings and allowed only three runs on six hits while striking out four.

POTG - CHW D. Hudson 6.2 IP, 4 H, 6 BB, 0 ER, K

July 16, 2012

White Sox 0 - Twins 8
WP - N. Blackburn (5-7), LP - J. Peavy (4-12), SV - N/A
HR - N/A

I don't understand Nick Blackburn. He either throws eight innings and allows somewhere between zero and three runs, or he just gets lit up. This time he did the first one, tossing a complete game, 4-hit, shutout.

POTG - MIN N. Blackburn CG, SHO, 4 H, 2 BB, 4 K

July 17, 2012

White Sox 0 - Twins 6
WP - T. Lincecum (7-8), LP - G. Floyd (4-8), SV - N/A
HR - MIN C. Headley (18)

Lincecum made his first start since before the All-Star Break, and what a start it was. Lincecum went 8.2 innings of shutout baseball, gave up only four hits and four walks, and struck out ten. The game also lowered his ERA to 3.11.

POTG - MIN T. Lincecum 8.2 IP, 4 H, 4 BB, 0 ER, 10 K

July 18, 2012

White Sox 2 - Twins 7
WP - Z. Greinke (9-5), LP - S. Baker (2-7), SV - N/A
HR - MIN D. Cooper (16)

I'm not exactly sure how Baker ended up on the White Sox so soon after we traded him to the Cardinals, but he did what he's done all season - suck. He went only 1.1 innings before giving up four runs and getting yanked from the game. Conversely, Greinke lasted seven innings and gave up only one run on six hits and struck out seven. The offense had a field day, collecting 15 hits, drawing 7 walks, and scoring 7 runs.

POTG - MIN Z. Greinke 7 IP, 6 H, 0 BB, ER, 7 K

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Minnesota Twins 46-46
15.5 GB of Detorit Tigers for first place in AL Central
8.5 GB of Boston Red Sox for first place in AL Wild Card
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

July 19, 2012

Indians 5 - Twins 7
WP - W. Ohman (1-0), LP - D. Davidson (1-3), SV - J. Mijares (24)
HR - MIN C. Headley (19)

4 wins in a row is never a bad thing, but at the game time I don't want to get my hopes up.

POTG - MIN C. Headley 2-4, BB, 2 R, HR, 3 RBI

July 20, 2012

Indians 3 - Twins 1
WP - K. De la Cruz (9-5), LP - F. Nieve (4-6), SV - C. Perez (19)
HR - MIN T. Neal (19), CLE M. LaPorta (22)

Nieve pitched a good game, allowing only two runs over six innings, but De la Cruz just did him one better.

POTG - CLE K. De la Cruz 7 IP, 3 H, 2 BB, ER, 5 K

July 21, 2012

Indians 3 - Twins 8
WP - L. Hochevar (1-0), LP - J. Masterson (4-3), SV - N/A
HR - MIN D. Span (8), CLE N. Weglarz (3)

Hopefully Hochevar just showed us a sign of things to come. The former Royal went 6.1 innings and allowed only three runs to earn his first win as a Twin.

POTG - MIN L. Hochevar 6.1 IP, 6 H, 2 BB, 3 ER, 6 K

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Minnesota Twins 48-47
15.5 GB of Detroit Tigers for first place in AL Central
7.5 GB of Boston Red Sox for first place in AL Wild Card
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

July 22, 2012

Twins 5 - Orioles 7
WP - B. Jacobson (4-4), LP - W. Ohman (1-1), SV - K. Mickolio (25)
HR - MIN C. Headley (20), BAL B. Roberts (11)

Will Ohman undid some solid work by Tim Lincecum, allowing a three-run homer in just 0.1 innings of work - a home-run that ultimately made the difference.

POTG - BAL B. Robert 1-4, GW 3-R HR

July 23, 2012

Twins 3 - Orioles 1
WP - Z. Greinke (10-5), LP - B. Jacobson (4-5), SV - J. Mijares (25)
HR - N/A

Greinke gets double-digit wins for the 5th season in a row after winning this start against the O's. I hate to think of where we'd be if not for Greinke and Lincecum leading our rotation.

POTG - MIN Z. Greinke 7 IP, 2 H, 2 BB, ER, 6 K

July 24, 2012

Twins 4 - Orioles 10
WP - B. Jacobson (5-5), LP - A. Burnett (6-3), SV - N/A
HR - BAL N. Reimold (25), N. Markakis (15)

Just about everyone we sent to the mound got knocked around like a pinata. Maine started the game poorly, allowing four runs in three innings, but ultimately it was the bullpen that got saddled with the loss. Burnett allowed two earned runs in just 1.1 innings, while Farquhar allowed two runs without even recording an out. Even Mijares allowed a run in 1.2 innings at the end of the game.

POTG - BAL N. Reimold 3-5, 2 R, HR, RBI

July 25, 2012

Twins 8 - Orioles 3
WP - N. Blackburn (6-7), LP - B. Matusz (7-9), SV - D. Farquhar (2)
HR - MIN H. Pence (15), BAL S. Moore (1)

We earned a series split with the Orioles thanks to some strong pitching by Blackburn and Farquhar. Farquhar pitched three innings of relief, allowing just a single hit over the three innings, and Blackburn allowed three runs over six innings of work. Hunter Pence had a phenomenal game at the plate, going 5-5 with a homer and 2 RBI.

POTG - MIN H. Pence 5-5, HR, 2 RBI

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Minnesota Twins 50-49
16.5 GB of Detroit Tigers for first place in AL Central
8.0 GB of Boston Red Sox for first place in AL Wild Card
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

July 26, 2012

Twins 5 - Tigers 2
WP - L. Hochevar (2-0), LP - J. Weaver (6-7), SV - J. Mijares (26)
HR - MIN J. Weeks (7), DET A. Jackson (13)

Hochevar had his second quality start in as many starts with us, throwing seven innings and allowing only two runs. However it was Jemile's three-run homer in the second that ultimately made the difference on the scoreboard.

POTG - MIN J. Weeks 1-3, 3-R HR in 2nd inning

July 27, 2012

Twins 6 - Tigers 4
WP - F. Nieve (5-6), LP - R. Porcello (11-5), SV - J. Mijares (27)
HR - MIN J. Weeks (8), D. Span (9), C. Parmelee (9), DET. R. Strieby (20)

We were able to win inspite of Lincecum's failure to make it through the 3rd inning of the game. Nieve pitched five excellent innings of relief, and got a lot of help from the offense.

POTG - MIN F. Nieve 5 IP, 4 H, ER, 4 K

July 28, 2012

Twins 4 - Tigers 5
WP - J. Verlander (11-2), LP - Z. Greinke (10-6), SV - J. Soria (5)
HR - MIN D. Span (10), H. Pence (16), DET M. Cabrera (22)

The Tigers narrowly avoid getting swept by us, and I do mean narrowly. Greinke, like Lincecum the day before, failed to make it through the third inning before getting pulled from the game. If we had gotten anything close to what we can normally rely on from Greinke, we probably win this game.

POTG - DET J. Verlander 7 IP, 5 H, 0 BB, 3 ER, 5 K

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Minnesota Twins 52-50
15.5 GB of Detroit Tigers for first place in AL Central
8.0 GB of Boston Red Sox for first place in AL Wild Card
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

July 30, 2012

Mariners 3 - Twins 1
WP - E. Bedard (10-2), LP - J. Maine (7-5), SV - D. Aardsma (29)
HR - N/A

Maine remains winless as a Twin, despite a few quality starts. Meanwhile Bedard was dominant, giving up just one run (on an RBI single to the #9 hitter) over seven innings.

POTG - E. Bedard 7 IP, 7 H, 2 BB, ER, 6 K

July 31, 2012

Mariners 6 - Twins 7
WP - D. Farquhar (2-0), LP - M. Pineda (9-4), SV - J. Mijares (28)
HR - MIN T. Neal (20), SEA J. Cantu (11), D. Ackley (12), G. Halman (31), A. Liddi (2)

Neither starter had a particularly good outing, as both went only 4.1 innings and allowed five or more runs. We gave up a lot of homers (4 to be exact), but we managed to keep them to solo and two-run homers and minimize the damage.

POTG - MIN T. Neal 1-4, 2-R HR

August 1, 2012

Mariners 5 - Twins 1
WP - C. Lee (8-7), LP - T. Lincecum (7-9), SV - M. Robles (1)
HR - M. Saunders 2 (12)

Saunders drove in three runs on two homers to power his team to a win.

POTG - SEA M. Saunders 3-5, 2 HR, 3 RBI

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Minnesota Twins 53-52
15.0 GB of Detroit Tigers for first place in AL Central
8.5 GB of Boston Red Sox for first place in AL Wild Card
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Thoughts

We're actually playing pretty well right now. Even so, I still think we're in way too deep a hole to crawl back up and make the playoffs. I'm about ready to mail it on this season and start to get prepared for the off-season.

[YEAH DAAAAWG]

ERA    T. Lincecum 3.47
Wins   Z. Greinke  10
Saves  J. Mijares  28
AVG    C. Headley  .316
HR     C. Headley  20
SB     D. Span     18

Stats

Batting

Player Name	Team	AB	H	HR	RBI	Avg	OBP	SLG	SB	CS
Weeks, Jemile	MIN	435	112	8	40	.257	.324	.363	6	3
Span, Denard	MIN	434	117	10	38	.270	.352	.382	18	6
Neal, Thomas	MIN	397	109	20	53	.275	.377	.479	1	0
Headley, Chase	MIN	392	124	20	75	.316	.373	.548	2	1
Pence, Hunter	MIN	388	120	16	61	.309	.377	.503	8	3
Cooper, David	MIN	374	96	16	64	.257	.336	.436	0	4
Parmelee, Chris	MIN	320	81	9	45	.253	.358	.397	3	1
Suzuki, Kurt	MIN	302	72	3	36	.238	.287	.325	3	1
Kozma, Pete	MIN	82	19	0	4	.232	.297	.293	1	0
Morales, Jose	MIN	74	17	2	11	.230	.289	.311	0	1
Salazar, Oscar	MIN	34	5	0	2	.147	.256	.147	0	0
Casilla, Alexi	MIN	33	9	0	2	.273	.333	.364	1	0
Maine, John	MIN	32	2	0	3	.063	.118	.094	0	0
Punto, Nick	MIN	21	2	0	3	.095	.231	.143	1	0
Greinke, Zack	MIN	7	2	0	0	.286	.286	.429	0	0
Ross, Cody	MIN	6	1	0	1	.167	.286	.333	0	0
Blackburn, Nick	MIN	5	0	0	0	.000	.000	.000	0	0
Lincecum, Tim	MIN	4	0	0	0	.000	.000	.000	0	0
Nieve, Fernando	MIN	2	0	0	0	.000	.000	.000	0	0
Farquhar, Daniel	MIN	1	0	0	0	.000	.000	.000	0	0
Hochevar, Luke	MIN	0	0	0	0	.000	.000	.000	0	0
Mijares, Jose	MIN	0	0	0	0	.000	.000	.000	0	0
Romo, Sergio	MIN	0	0	0	0	.000	.000	.000	0	0
Burnett, Alex	MIN	0	0	0	0	.000	.000	.000	0	0
Ohman, Will	MIN	0	0	0	0	.000	.000	.000	0	0

Pitching

Player Name	Team	Starts	W	L	ERA	IP	K	SV	CG	OBA
Maine, John	MIN	21	7	5	3.93	123.2	120	0	0	.235
Greinke, Zack	MIN	21	10	6	3.50	128.2	126	0	3	.219
Blackburn, Nick	MIN	16	6	7	4.87	85.0	29	0	2	.320
Lincecum, Tim	MIN	23	7	9	3.47	148.0	160	0	2	.252
Nieve, Fernando	MIN	6	5	6	5.18	80.0	60	0	0	.297
Farquhar, Daniel	MIN	0	2	0	4.70	67.0	55	2	0	.230
Hochevar, Luke	MIN	2	2	0	3.38	13.1	11	0	0	.245
Mijares, Jose	MIN	0	0	3	2.22	44.2	36	28	0	.243
Romo, Sergio	MIN	0	8	1	1.69	64.0	76	1	0	.209
Burnett, Alex	MIN	0	6	3	3.73	62.2	46	0	0	.223
Ohman, Will	MIN	0	1	1	4.82	9.1	4	0	0	.278

[YEAH DAAAAWG]

End of Season

So, due to my frustration with the way the season had gone, combined with the expectations I had before the season started, and my anxiousness to get to the off-season and start to build for next season (since I obviously wasn't going anywhere this season), I decided to sim through to the end of the season.

We actually made a fairly legitimate run at the post season over the final two months, and finished at 85-77. That tied us with Cleveland for second in the AL Central, 12 games behind the Detroit Tigers, and 10 games behind the Red Sox in the Wild Card.

Pitching

Greinke finished the season phenomenally, leading the AL in wins (18), and ERA (2.89) and giving himself a pretty good shot at his second consecutive American League Cy Young Award. He also finished with 227 K's in 218 innings, and a .212 BAA. Our big off-season acquisition of Tim Lincecum panned out pretty well in the end, too. Lincecum finished at 14-9 with a 3.41 ERA and 238 K's in 222.0 innings. Jose Mijares finished the year with a career high 40 saves and an ERA of 3.42. Sergio Romo had a superb year setting up for Mijares, appearing in 77 games and posting an ERA of 1.69 while holding opposing batters to a .197 batting average. The rest of the pitching staff pretty much blew ass, and that's probably why we didn't make the playoffs, but I can't say I'm surprised.

Hitting

Overall, our offense finished very strong. Thomas Neal set a new career high in homers at 33, although his rate stats did drop a touch, going from .313/.447/.523 his rookie season to .293/.401/.529 this season. Chase Headley had his best season as a major leaguer, hitting career high's in homers (28), RBI (108), batting average (.316), OBP (.378), slugging (.551), and OPS (.929). Hunter Pence also had a career year, hitting .300/.356/.491 with 25 homers and 94 RBI's. Cooper's numbers came back up after a relatively poor first half of the season, and he finished at .286/.366/.462 with 24 homers and 106 RBI. Parmelee enjoyed moderate success as a rookie, finishing the year with a line of .253/.379/.449 with 20 homers and 75 RBI. There were a couple guys who played like crap, though. Span and Weeks posted sub-.700 OPS figures, after having OPS numbers over .800 last year. Suzuki was equally poor at the plate, but I wasn't expecting much offense from him, certainly not as much as I was from Span and Weeks.

On the Farm

We had some interesting developments on the farm over the end of the season, as well. Former first rounder Kevin Watson's peak dropped below 80, to 78. However, two of our draft picks from this year, John Bradford and Gabe Thorington, experienced nice spikes in peak, going to 87 and 89 respectively. Pitcher turned outfielder Juan Lizardi posted absolutely monster numbers in A-ball this year, hitting .369/.451/.686 with 38 homers and 128 RBI. He's still only rated at 68/77 and his defense is so bad that it doesn't really surprise me, but he could still be an asset to a major league team in a few seasons.

Around the rest of the League

Oakland finished with the best record in the American League, at 101-61, while the Dodgers finished with the best record in the National League (and all of baseball) at 110-52. The Dodgers success was due in large part to a ridiculously talented pitching staff. Their staff featured 2 starters (Billingsley and Kershaw) with ERA's under 3.00, and no one else that pitched more than 150 innings finished with an ERA higher than 3.92. The bullpen was equally good. Broxton posted a 1.33 ERA with 48 saves, and no one in the 'pen had an ERA higher than 4.87. I may have to look into breaking up the Dodgers a little for the sake of competitive balance this off-season, but I also may not because arguably their best pitcher may hit the free agent market, in Chad Billingsley. If he does so, you can bet I'll be on that like white on rice. The rest of the playoff teams were:

AL East - Tampa Bay Rays
AL Central - Detroit Tigers
AL West - Oakland A's
AL Wild Card - Boston Red Sox

NL East - Washington Nationals
NL Central - Milwaukee Brewers
NL West - LA Dodgers
NL Wild Card - Colorado Rockies

The World Series

The World Series pitted the defending champion A's against the ML-best Dodgers. The Dodgers handled the A's with seemingly no problem, beating them in five games. Prior to winning the World Series, the Dodgers were actually given a run for their money by the Washington Nationals, going 5 games with them in the NLDS. They handled business with Colorado easily, sweeping them in four games. The A's had an easier run to the World Series, losing only two games combined between the LDS and LCS, but they got slaughtered in the Series and failed to win back-to-back titles.