Those who follow sports learned a valuable lesson this week. After watching Tom Watson nearly win the British Open before fading down the stretch and finally losing a playoff to Stewart Cink, we learned that sometimes age is nothing but a number. We learned that just because somebody is older, that doesn't mean they can't compete on the big stage.
BALTIMORE -- The Twins optioned 24-year-old second baseman Alexi Casilla to the minors Wednesday, calling up infielder Matt Tolbert to replace him.
Casilla has struggled offensively this season, hitting .167 over 24 games with just two extra-base hits to his name, but Minnesota manager Ron Gardenhire was clear that his demotion was about more than just his troubles at the plate.
"He's not playing the whole game, not running balls out, not doing everything that's involved with being a Minnesota Twin," Gardenhire said, citing two specific examples -- one where Casilla didn't run out a bunt and ended up getting doubled off and another where he ran all the way down to first base with the bat in his hand.
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Absolute best team in baseball that you've never heard of. The Twins don't spend a lot of money nor do they make a lot of headlines. What they are good at, however, is winning. The Twins won the American League Central Division every year from 2002 to 2004 and again in 2006. In 2007 they finished third in the division and in 2008 they lost a one-game playoff to just miss the post season. This team wins with a small-ball, almost National League feel or approach.
FanHouse continues its 2009 MLB Preview with a look at the Minnesota Twins.
Last year was supposed to be the season in which the Minnesota Twins finally had to deal with reality. They traded Johan Santana to the Mets because they couldn't afford him any longer, and the heart and soul of the team, Torii Hunter, left for the glitz and glamor of Los Angeles. Then the Twins went out and won 88 games and were one run shy of making the playoffs after losing to the White Sox in a one-game playoff for the Central title. This is just what the Twins do. They defy everyone's expectations but their own, and odds are they're going to do it again this season.
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Most people will tend to agree with the following statement: Today's players are bigger and stronger than their counterparts from 15 years ago. However, if you look at stolen base statistics from 1993 you'll find that 45 players swiped 20 or more bases that year. Six players even stole more than 50 bags. In 2008, only 37 players notched 20 or more stolen bases, with only three swiping 50 or more.
I've often felt that Minnesota Twins outfielder Michael Cuddyer has been unappreciated. His teammates Justin Morneau and Joe Mauer get all the attention (well, as much attention as the Twins get anyway), while he puts up solid numbers every season and gets no real fanfare. Plus, besides his bat, the guy is pretty good out there in the field and he has a cannon for an arm.
It's got to be pretty frustrating for Cuddyer, but probably not as frustrating as the 2008 campaign has been for him. Injuries have kept him sidelined the majority of the season, and now when he was so close to getting back on the field for Minnesota, he goes and breaks his hand while rehabbing in Rochester.
"I don't know if this season can get any more frustrating on a personal level. The play happened last night while I was rehabbing in Rochester. I was on first base after a walk when Garrett Jones hit a fastball off of Ross Ohlendorf. I jumped, but apparently not high enough and the ball hit the top of my foot, cracking the second metatarsal. I am not sure of a time frame for the injury, but they say typically four weeks or so is pretty normal for something like this. So hopefully I will still be able to get back and give a boost as the beginning to middle of September and pennant race is in full go. The thing that frustrates me the most is that I really pride myself in preparing to play a full season, but no matter what you do you can't prepare for a dislocated finger, torn ligaments and a broken bone! Like I said, though, the goal for me is to get myself ready to help us in some capacity in September."
There are a lot of people who felt the Twins should have made a move before yesterday's deadline, myself being one of them, but instead the Twins decided to stand pat with what they have. It's a move that may hurt them now that they've lost second baseman and team spark plug Alexi Casilla could miss the rest of the season.
Still, sometimes it's not the trades that you make as much as it is the players you get back from the disabled list. Of course, Francisco Liriano has been off the disabled list for a while and blowing hitters away in Triple-A, but the team has just now decided to call him up. Though that does mean they have to make room for him, and that's why the team designated both Livan Hernandez and Craig Monroe for assignment.
Hernandez is 10-8 with a 5.48 ERA in 23 starts and has allowed 199 hits in 139 2/3 innings. He pitched poorly in his last start against Chicago on Wednesday and gave up five runs in the first two innings of his previous start against Cleveland.
Left-handed pitcher Francisco Liriano, a sensation in 2006 before an arm injury knocked him out of action for more than a year, will take his spot in the rotation. Randy Ruiz, a 30-year-old career minor-leaguer, can play first base and right field. But he will likely be used as a right-handed designated and pinch hitter.
Minnesota Twins second baseman Alexi Casilla has been somewhat of an unsung hero for the surprising Twins this season. He didn't play his first game of the season for Minnesota until May 11th, but since joining the team Casilla is hitting .323/.360/.438 with 38 runs driven in. Another player who's been performing well but under the radar in Minnesota is starter Glen Perkins.
Much like Casilla, Perkins didn't start his season with the Twins until May 10th, but has gone 7-3 in 15 starts since. Still, neither had the best time in New York as the Twins were just swept by the Yankees in the Bronx, but Perkins' memory of things seems to be a bit tainted.
During the fifth inning of yesterday's game, the Yankees had runners on first and second with one out and Jose Molina at the plate. Molina hit a ground ball to Brendan Harris at third and after Harris threw to Casilla at second, Alexi started walking slowly to the dugout. He'd completely forgotten that he had only made the second out of the inning, and never threw to first to complete the double play.
Needless to say, Perkins wasn't very happy about it and yelled at Alexi while on the field. It didn't help matters at all a few pitches later when Justin Christian lined a two-run double down the left field line to break up a scoreless tie.
You'd think a guy hitting .205 with a .552 OPS in September might head into the winter worried about his starting job. Not so fast, says Ron Gardenhire, who recently said he's leaning toward moving Nick Punto from third base to second, despite the fact that his performance at the plate this year suggests that he'd struggle against the local American Legion team that plays down the street. From La Velle E. Neal's blog on the Star-Tribune:
" We already know what we've got with Nick,'' Gardy said. "We know we've got a player. And (Alexi Casilla) has all the tools in the world. Nothing's a given. You have to go out and play. But if we were to start right now I would say Nick would have a head up on him, believe me there. I know what he can do, catch the ball and make all the plays. So he's got a lead going into spring training, as far as I'm concerned.
"I hope he comes out and has a good spring. I like him in my lineup, somewhere. He makes things exciting. But he's got to play. Got to come back and rebound, we all know that.''
Honestly, I think this is an outstanding decision. Of course, I say that as a Tigers fan and not someone looking out for the Twins' best interest. Because otherwise, I'd think that it's because the Twins know what they have in Punto that they'd be willing to give Casilla a chance, not the other way around. Granted, Casilla hasn't hit much better in limited big-league action this year, but he's only 22 years old and has a career .298 average in the minors.
But hey, everyone knows baseball isn't won with numbers like hits and runs and outs! No, it's won with grit and hustle and heart. And who has more than Little Nick Punto?
Obviously during the course of a baseball season, you have to try new things. It's even more important to change things up when your original plan isn't working. As a result you end up with some wild and crazy ideas, like the one the St. Cloud Times columnist Mick Hatten has for Ron Gardenhire.
This next move is going to sound radical: Have Joe Mauer lead off.
Why? Perhaps all these sabermaticians are warping my mind, but why not have the guy with the best on-base percentage on the team bat lead off?
On the Twins roster, Mauer's .396 on-base percentage is the best on the team - by 40 points.
...
If Mauer is regressing into a nonpower hitter, this team needs a lead-off hitter. Remember Hall of Famer Wade Boggs? For those of you not old enough to remember him, Boggs was a slow-footed third baseman and contact hitter extraordinaire.
Boggs had one season in which he had a slugging percentage of better than .490 (.443 for his career). But Boggs' career on-base percentage was .415. Like Mauer, he took a LOT of pitches. If Mauer wants to watch strike one and strike two go right down the middle of the plate, it's a lot easier to take if he's leading off.
If Mauer (.463 career slugging percentage) is turning into the next Boggs, he should lead off like Boggs did for the majority of his career.
Those who follow sports learned a valuable lesson this week. After watching Tom Watson nearly win the British Open before fading down the stretch and finally losing a playoff to Stewart Cink, we learned that sometimes age is nothing but a number. We learned that just because somebody is older, that doesn't mean they can't compete on the big stage.
BALTIMORE -- The Twins optioned 24-year-old second baseman 
Fantasy baseball draft season is coming, so you best be prepared by delving through 
Grand Theft Guide is FanHouse's fantasy baseball draft kit guide to all the base-stealers that matter in your league.
I've often felt that Minnesota Twins outfielder 
There are a lot of people who felt the Twins should have made a move before yesterday's deadline, myself being one of them, but instead the Twins decided to stand pat with what they have. It's a move that may hurt them now that they've lost second baseman and team spark plug 
Minnesota Twins second baseman 
You'd think a guy hitting .205 with a .552 OPS in September might head into the winter worried about his starting job. Not so fast, says 
Obviously during the course of a baseball season, you have to try new things. It's even more important to change things up when your original plan isn't working. As a result you end up with some wild and crazy ideas, like the one the 
