Minnesota Twins Daily Morning Dip: Houston, we have a champion

Minnesota Twins Daily Dip, November 2nd, 2017

Welcome to the November 2nd edition of the Daily Dip, your daily piece of news and notes here on Puckett’s Pond, offseason edition. You’ll find the most recent news of the Minnesota Twins organization, stories from around the game, and links to any information you may want to know about the Minnesota Twins or baseball as we work our way through the hot stove season!

Minnesota Twins Scores, News and Notes

Arizona Fall League Update

Mesa used a 5-run 8th inning to defeat Surprise 8-5. LaMonte Wade started in right field, going 0-3 with a run scored, walking once and striking out twice. Sean Miller got the start at second base, going 1-4 with an RBI and a strikeout. None of the Twins pitchers threw on the day.

Surprise will play a 2:30PM CT game against Mesa today.

Twins players totals in the AFL:
Chris Paul, 11 games, 44 AB, .275/.326/.400, 2 2B, HR, 2/12 BB/K
Sean Miller, 9 games, 34 AB, .324/.361/.353, 2B, 2 SB, 2/8 BB/K
LaMonte Wade, 13 games, 47 AB, .234/.357/.383, 2 2B, 3B, HR, SB, 7/7 BB/K
Andrew Vasquez, 7 games, 9 1/3 IP, 0.96 ERA, 0.75 WHIP, 1/10 BB/K
Thomas Hackimer, 6 games, 7 2/3 IP, 3.52 ERA, 1.57 WHIP, 5/7 BB/K
Tyler Jay, 7 games, 6 2/3 IP, 6.75 ERA, 1.95 WHIP, 3/7 BB/K
Ryan Eades, 7 games, 8 1/3 IP, 0.00 ERA, 1.08 WHIP, 2/8 BB/K

Vavra leaves for Detroit

Bench coach Joe Vavra left to join Ron Gardenhire‘s staff in Detroit, so now the Twins will be in the market for a new bench coach.

World Series game 7: Houston Astros 5, Los Angeles Dodgers 1

Though neither starter could get out of the 3rd inning, the Astros were able to keep the Dodgers off the scoreboard, while the Yu Darvish allowed 5 runs in 1 2/3 innings before he was pulled. The pitching performance of the night went to Charlie Morton, who came in to open the 6th inning, throwing 4 innings, allowing a run on 2 hits and a walk, striking out 4.

George Springer hit a home run and a double to seal his spot as the MVP of the entire World Series, as he hit .379/.471/1.000 in the series with 3 doubles and a record-tying 5 home runs.

Notes from around baseball

Next: Possible Twins bullpen moves

One Last Thing

Sometimes you cannot help your path in the league and how it affects the way fans of a team looks at you. In 2004, the Minnesota Twins made the move to open up playing time for their young, slugging first baseman Justin Morneau. However, to do that, they had to trade fan favorite, first baseman Doug Mientkiewicz, to the Boston Red Sox. Twins fans followed the deal, noting that the Red Sox traded away long-time fan favorite Nomar Garciaparra as well, but they received Mientkiewicz and shortstop Orlando Cabrera in the deal.

When 5 years to the date later, the Twins acquired Cabrera in a midseason deal from the Oakland Athletics, fans still held a grudge with Cabrera for “costing the team” their fan favorite. Even though Cabrera went .289/.313/.430 for the Twins and played a solid shortstop down the stretch to help the Twins make it to game 163 (and hitting a home run in the game) in 2009 against Detroit and into the playoffs against the Yankees, many fans just remember that he hit .154/.267/.154 for a .421 OPS in the division series.

Cabrera finished with a more than respectable .272/.317/.390 line in his major league career over 15 years, winning 2 Gold Gloves, and finishing with a championship ring from that 2004 World Series.

Cabrera turns 43 today. Happy birthday, Orlando!

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Minnesota Twins Daily Morning Dip: Houston, We have a champion

By Benjamin Chase | Nov 2, 2017