Twins' Nick Punto: From breakthrough to broken down

Nick Punto was a key to the Twins' 2006 success, but his struggles in '07 are representative of the team's overall play.

By Joe Christensen, Star Tribune

Last update: May 14, 2007 - 10:50 PM

These were Nick Punto's words, raw and unvarnished, at the low point of a very frustrating six weeks: "Can't get a hit to save my life, and then I knock the MVP out of the game."

Punto was "wired for sound" during Saturday's Fox telecast, and that's what viewers heard the Twins third baseman say to umpire Paul Schreiber after making the one-hop throw that broke Justin Morneau's nose against Detroit.

It was a poignant moment for the Twins that represented all their struggles during a 3-8 stretch that dropped them to fourth place in the AL Central.

After the game, Punto peeled off the microphone, walked up to hitting coach Joe Vavra and asked a favor.

"I said, 'Joe, do you mind staying for 10, 15 minutes?' And he was like, 'We've got all night.' "

The Metrodome emptied for all but the cleaning crew and the deadline-challenged sportswriters. While Punto's teammates were enjoying a leisurely Saturday evening, he and Vavra were in the batting cage, trying to rediscover Punto's 2006 form.

Last June, Punto took over third base for the Twins and finished with a breakthrough season. He batted .290 with a .352 on-base percentage, giving the Twins a speedy presence from the No. 2 spot in the batting order.

They rewarded Punto in February with a two-year, $4.2 million contract.

Now, Punto is batting .218 with a .312 OBP. Manager Ron Gardenhire thought about benching him Sunday, but after hearing of the two-hour postgame session with Vavra, the skipper kept Punto in the lineup, batting ninth.

"He'll get there," Gardenhire said. "You have to love the guy because he's a workaholic, and he doesn't let one part of his game take over the other."

Despite his offensive struggles, Punto has turned in a host of highlight-reel defensive plays.

The Phillies have 11 errors by third basemen this year. The Reds and Royals have nine. The Twins have none.

And that's worth noting, since Twins third basemen -- Punto and Luis Rodriguez -- have combined for the 26th-worst offense of 30 major league teams.

Their third base OPS (on-base plus slugging percentage) is .591. The American League average is .742.

Teams normally rely on their corner position players to be run-producers. The Twins knew they were sticking with more of a table-setter in Punto. His struggles wouldn't be so glaring if Twins left fielders didn't rank 29th in OPS, at .528.

Perhaps the most mind-boggling stat is this: Twins third basemen, left fielders and designated hitters have combined to hit one home run. That was a majestic shot from Rodriguez on April 14, when he subbed for Punto at third.

The division-leading Tigers, for comparison, have 17 home runs from their DH, third basemen and left fielders.

"With me, the swing's there, it's just a matter of timing," Punto said. "We went down there [to the batting cage] and just kind of broke it down a little bit. We did more talking than anything."

Punto responded Sunday by going 1-for-3 with two walks. Vavra viewed it as a positive step. And Morneau returned to first base, so Punto's very public concern about knocking out the MVP were eased.

"I'm fine," Punto said. "Mentally, I'm fine.

"It's just no fun to struggle. But I'm pretty positive, and I know I'll get through this."

Joe Christensen • jchristensen@startribune.com