Handing out Twins midseason awards
At the onset of the season, I made predictions about the players on the Twins that would stand-out above the rest. Those predictions from Spring Training did not go exactly as planned but the Twins season has not gone exactly as planned in 2011. The season is only half over and a lot can change in [...]
What are the options in the Nishioka, Plouffe debate?
This past offseason the Twins put a lot of money down in hopes of striking gold with a player from Japan. Tsuyoshi Nishioka joined the Twins for Spring Training and the hype surrounding him continued to grow as the start of the season approached. Fans were left to wonder what to expect from this star [...]
Will the real Casilla please stand up?
The Twins entered the 2011 season with a clear plan for their middle infield. That plan included Tsuyoshi Nishioka being the second baseman and Alexi Casilla occupying shortstop role. That plan has gone through some significant changes throughout the first half of the season. Nishioka’s injury and poor play by Casilla in the early portion [...]
No longer piranhas, Twins now the ‘[bleeping] sardines’
In 2006, White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen nicknamed the Twins the piranhas, the term specifically applied to shortstop Jason Bartlett, third baseman Nick Punto, outfielder Jason Tyner, and second baseman Luis Castillo. Well.. those players no longer play for Minnesota, but a new batch of Twins got Guillen a little frustrated after a rough loss against the Twins Thursday. After [...]
What do Twins do with Nishioka, Casilla?
Alexi Casilla is arguably playing the best baseball of his life, both defensively and at the plate. Tsuyoshi Nishioka was activated from the 60-day disabled list Wednesday and played only shortstop during his rehab assignments with the anticipation of playing shortstop when he returns to the Twins. Problem is, Casilla is playing well – with [...]
Gardy wants Twins to stay aggressive when regulars return
Twins manager Ron Gardenhire spoke all summer about how he wanted to get speed in the lineup, and he got just that from non-regulars filling in for injured players. Players that would normally be in different roles or were called up from Triple-A Rochester are playing the style Gardenhire has expected from day one. Outfielder Ben Revere, called [...]
Signs point strongly to Nishioka returning as starting shortstop
Tsuyoshi Nishioka is expected to make one final rehab stint at Triple-A Rochester before returning to the Twins sometime next week. What position will he play? Second base… shortstop? Nishioka played three straight games at shortstop for Class A Fort Myers and will likely do the same in his stop at Rochester. Alexi Casilla is currently [...]
Twins, Casilla avoid arbitration, agree to a deal
The Twins and infielder Alexi Casilla agreed to a one-year $865,000 contract, avoiding arbitration, according to Jon Heyman of SportsIllustrated.com. Casilla, 26, earned $437,500 last season as a bench player. With the departures of shortstop J.J. Hardy and second baseman Orlando Hudson, Casilla is expected to start in the middle infield. In limited playing time last [...]
Punto Re-Aggravates Hamstring
Minnesota Twins infielder Nick Punto left Thursday’s game after re-aggravating his left hamstring. This being after he returned from the 15-day disabled list two days earlier. Thursday was the first time Punto saw action since returning from the list after sitting on the bench on Wednesday. Infielder Alexi Casilla substituted for him at shortstop in the [...]
Punto off DL; Will Return as a Backup
The Minnesota Twins are expected to option catcher Jose Morales to Triple-A Rochester and activate infielder Nick Punto from the disabled list before their next game on Tuesday against the Chicago Whitesox. The team announced Punto will rejoin the active roster as a backup at shortstop, third base and second base. Third baseman Danny Valencia [...]
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