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Startribune.com sports coordinator Howard Sinker used to cover the Twins and now shares season tickets with friends in Section 219 of Target Field. He blogs about baseball from the perspective of a long-time fan who loves the game, doesn’t always believe the hype and likes hearing what others think.
White Sox built in Twins' image? Not quite
Posted by: Howard Sinker under Twins game coverage, Twins offense Updated: August 11, 2010 - 10:16 AM
A game like Tuesday's was the high end of what the Twins signed on for when they put together their current roster.
Maybe not five home runs a night, but a batting order in which Jim Thome provides a real DH threat hitting from the seventh spot and the bottom of the order has J.J. Hardy instead of a posse of players nicknamed for a fish. The Twins are a team that can shed labels like scrappy and all related synonyms if favor of being solidly constructed, as they would say, on the offensive side of the ball. And good enough on defense.
While it can be foolish to disparage a main rival that has the ability to sizzle and catch fire, the frequently stated notion that the White Sox have built themselves in the Twins' image doesn't really hold up. Playing at US Cellular is an invitation to field a team that could go on a slow-pitch softball tour during the off-season.
Bless leadoff man Juan Pierre and all for helping Orlando Hudson through the hard times in Los Angeles last season, but he can't throw and what's being considered a good year for him on offense means he's putting up statistics a tiny bit south of Denard Span, whom we properly consider to be struggling this season.
And Pierre has five more extra-base hits (14) than Jason Repko in about 425 more plate appearances.
And did I say Pierre can't throw? Does he remind anyone else of Jason Tyner?
The number of down years on a contending team is chilling. Carlos Quentin is a one-trick power pony with an OBP lower than any Twins regular except for Hardy (and a bad glove). The middle infielders have struggled at the plate and that combo of Alexi Ramirez and Gordon Beckham has 24 errors, compared with 14 for the seven players who have filled those positions for the Twins this season. (I know errors aren't the best measure of quality, but they're good for a quick comparison.)
And the Sox decided they didn't have a spot for Jim Thome this season, with the end result being that Andruw Jones and Mark Kotsay are hitting home runs at a slugger's pace but getting on at less than Brendan Harris' career pace. Kotsay's OPS is .668... Jones' is .744... Thome's is .969.
A.J. Pierzynski is having an awful season -- .233/.270/.345.
Give the White Sox credit -- a lot of credit -- for battling their way to the top of the division while tearing through a weak interleague schedule and using their power to great advantage in their home park.
Give Ozzie Guillen credit -- a lot of credit -- for holding the White Sox together and getting them from nine games under .500 in early June to 13 games over .500 today.
Give some thanks that the White Sox couldn't work out a deal for Washington slugger Adam Dunn, even though many people thought they were on the verge of getting it done.
But a schedule that includes seven more games with the Red Sox and three more with the Yankees, teams the Twins have finished flailing again, does Ozzie and his team no favors.
Neither should their eight games remaining against the Twins.
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