Shoe or swordfish?

A fisherman went out for a day of fishing in the ocean. After a few minutes he felt a nibble on his line. Now, this ocean was renowned for the countless abandoned shoes and tires resting at the bottom, but that didn’t stop the fisherman. Even though there was very good chance of getting stuck with a shoe, the hope of a swordfish propelled him on.

But what does his line hold? He doesn’t know, can’t know, but wouldn’t dare let go.

That is how the Minnesota Twins are looking right now. Nobody knows what 2009 will bring, but the hope of a World Series appearance forces them, and us a fans, on.

Obviously, a huge determining factor of whether the Twins get a shoe or a swordfish depends on what bait you use, or what team you field. If Bill Smith decides that it would be best for the organization if he didn’t sign any fresh talent, the weight at the end of our line may be in vain.

Or would it?

Would focusing on 2010 year and slating 2009 as a “rebuilding year” really hurt the franchise? As Rodney King said, “can’t we all just get along?” Why can’t those two ends of the spectrum collide and form a new philosophy? A new baseball mindset where all is not won or lost in one year, but long periods of time are not set aside for internal growth.

Sure, the Minnesota minor league system holds some promising young talent, but the Twins can win now without them. At least, that is the way fans should think.

There are pitfalls to that motivation, though. When you hope for a swordfish you can only be disappointed with lesser results. If you go into the season knowing that there is a shoe at the end of your line, you have to be grateful, whatever the results.

That raises the official question for 2009: Do the Twins focus on 2009 or 2010? Long-term or short-term?

Discuss what you would prefer in the comment section. Do you want the Twins to focus on 2010 and call this upcoming year a “rebuilding mode”? Or, would you prefer the Twins to go all-out this year and sign whatever and whoever it takes to bring a championship in 2009?

The do-or-die, or the wait-until-next-year? A compromise, maybe? Please discuss this, and whether you think the Twins will pull up another swordfish in 2009, or be stuck with a shoe.

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A brief post today, as I have been very busy.

• Aaron Gleeman has some notes about the Twins’ 40-man roster and the moves that were recently made. He also touches on the incredible control of a certain Kevin Slowey. I had never realized how great he was until I read this:

He faced 344 right-handed batters and handed out a grand total of three walks while striking out 57 and allowing a .246/.254/.383 line. Not only did his ratio of 19 strikeouts per walk versus righties lead baseball, the next-best mark was Mike Mussina at 8.3-to-1 and no other starter was above 7-to-1.

• Warren Williams has an interesting piece up on Bleacher Report throwing around the possibility of the Twins trading for Garrett Atkins. Would the Twins be willing to give up Michael Cuddyer? A very good read, please check it out.
   
• Joe C. reports that Double-A New Britain will be managed by Tom Nieto. Nieto was a catcher on the ‘87 Championship team.
   
• Josh Johnson of Josh’s Thoughts also has his thoughts on the recent moves the Twins made to their 40-man roster. 

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Matt Garza

Ask anyone in the media who won the Rays-Twins trade that took place last winter, and the verdict is already in. Irrespective of what happens to Delmon Young and Matt Garza from here on out, the Twins got hosed and the Rays made out like bandits.

And all it took was one game.

Not to take anything away from Matt Garza, who shook off Dustin Pedrioa’s early blast to lead the Devil Rays into the World Series en route to claiming ALCS MVP honors, but it seems to be to be a little early to place him in the pantheon of “Incredible Trades” along with Lou Brock, Joe Nathan (and Francisco Liriano), and Jeff Bagwell.

Those three trades were epic failures, and it is simply too soon to put that tag on Delmon Young.

Garza’s line for the year was a good, but far from overwhelming, 11-9, 3.70 ERA, 1.24 WHIP. Thankfully, Delmon Young really hit the skids and that’s where Garza’s extreme value comes from…. right?

Delmon’s drop in production, his sophomore slump if you will, is more a factor of too much hype and less of an actual decrease in production. 

His rookie numbers, good for second place in the ROY voting(.288/.316/.405) aren’t all that different from this year’s slash line (.290/.336/.405). So, while many fans expected more out of the super talented kid, he wasn’t nearly as bad as many perceived him to be this season.

I’m more than willing to agree that over the course of this season, Matt Garza was the prize of the Twins-Rays trade. He pitched well on the biggest stage the Rays have seen so far in franchise history. Garza may continue to be the best piece in that deal, but it is far too soon to call Delmon Young a flop and to add Matt Garza’s name to the list of players you can’t believe someone traded.

Dan Wade, Bleacher Report

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I know this has exactly nothing to do with the Twins, but I think a break from baseball is in order. I’m sure there are college basketball fans out there, and I’m sure some of you have heard the news that Arizona Wildcat’s coach Lute Olson has retired. This hits home for me especially because Tucson, Arizona is where I call home. I wrote up this article in his honor, and I thought I’d share it with you guys. Enjoy!

Lute Olson

Excitement rippled through the crowd that day in 1983. When word spread of Lute Olson’s hiring by the University of Arizona you could almost hear the screeching of brakes. The red and blue train of Wildcat basketball—at the time located in the depths of despair and little hope—was being turned around completely.

Everyone knew Arizona’s dull days may be over. 

Lute Olson enjoyed 24 years of great success as the head basketball coach of the Arizona Wildcats. His tenure made him one of the most charismatic, brilliant, and loved coaches of all time.

How could one not smile when looking at a 74-year old, white-haired head coach stomping up and down the court after a referee? The fact that he did so without the use of profanities only enshrined him more in the hearts of his fan base.

Despite Olson’s long list of accomplishments, this recent news of his stepping down will be coupled with a storm of controversy. 

Back in May 2008, Olson stated that he planned to coach for another five to six years, or at least until his contract ran out in 2011. This same promise was issued to many potential players, including top recruits Abdul Gaddy, Mike Moser, and Soloman Hill. All three have commited to Arizona, but Gaddy is quoted as saying that this announcement will certainly make him think again and possibly change his mind entirely.

It is ironic that the main cause of debate surrounding Olson’s retirement was also perhaps the strongest aspect of his coaching ability.

Olson had no trouble finding the top high school players in the country and getting them to commit to Arizona. He was renowned for his nationwide roving eye for talent; he didn’t limit his searches to the Southwest.

In fact, Olson has produced some of the greatest NBA stars of all time. Steve Kerr, Mike Bibby, Gilbert Arenas, Jason Terry, Damon Stoudamire, Andre Igudala, and Richard Jefferson are all products of Lute Olson and the Arizona Wildcats. Former Wildcats have amassed over $500 million in NBA contracts.

Those astounding numbers and his sensational recruiting methods say nothing about Olson’s brilliant basketball mind. Who would have thought that a North Dakotan Norwegian would have one of the highest basketball IQs in the world?

The list of things that Olson has provided for the city of Tucson and the University of Arizona is endless. 312 consecutive weeks in the Associated Press national poll. Five seasons holding the #1 position in the poll. 24 straight NCAA Tournament appearances. Four trips to the Final Four. One National Championship.

589 wins.

Lute Olson

All this success seems to be coming to a crashing halt, though, according to various members of the Arizona fanbase. Some believe that Olson shouldn’t be held in such high regard now that he backed out on a promise to future recruits, current players, the University, and every fan who ever sported a blue and red shirt.

The majority of the blame for Olson’s departure is being thrust upon health concerns, though. His first wife—Bobby Olson—died of ovarian cancer in 2001. Lute Olson took a leave of absence for the entire 2007-08 season due to his own “medical condition that was not life threatening.”

Whatever the condition was, it certainly played a role in Olson’s decision to leave basketball entirely.

Arizona basketball would never have reached the height of success it has without the work of Lute Olson. This two-time Coach of the Year played an instrumental role in the lives of hundreds of young men across the country, and he will never be forgotten.

While some may say that this is the end of Lute Olson’s legacy on college basketball, some know it to be just the beginning.

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Denard Span’s first game as a Twin was on April 6th against the Kansas City Royals. Going 0-2 with a walk was an innocent enough major league debut, but what Minnesota fans didn’t know about Span would pleasantly surprise them in the future: this kid could do everything.

Read the rest of this entry »

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