Jon Laging, Sports Talk

The Minnesota Twins are at .500. They have won and lost an equal number of games. While normally this is not a cause for celebration for a team, it is in this case.

The team had hit its lowest point 10 games before, losing to Seattle as Carl Everett hit a walk-off home run and the Twins lost 10-9. The future looked bleak.

Then came the renaissance. The dismissing of Tony (Slowfoot) Batista and the trading of Juan Castro. I think Castro was traded so Gardenhire wouldn’t keep running him out to shortstop. I don’t know what Gardy’s infatuation with Castro was. Maybe he mowed Gardenhire’s lawn every Saturday.

You would never know it from Twins’ announcers Dick and Bert, but the Twins had in Castro and Batista, about the slowest left side of the infield in the majors. Their range was bad and the defense of their play was they caught everything they got their hands on. (That’s like saying Phoenix’s temperature of 115 is not bad, because there is little humidity. Not so, 115 degrees is hot, dry or not). Also, they didn’t always catch what they got their hands on. Batista did not and I saw Castro miss a popfly that cost a game. Jason Bartlett did the same in spring training and was sent to Triple A.

The team’s defense has jumped from about 66 percent of balls hit being outs to about 72 percent. Now, that’s not a pure statistic. A lot depends on how the pitching is doing. However, one hand washes the other. The better the infield is, the better a pitcher performs.

Ever since Nick Punto took over third base, Bartlett became shortstop and Jason Kubel started in left field the team has gone on a winning streak.

Perhaps one of the best things that happened to the Twins is Shannon Stewart going on the disabled list. I saw Stewart lose a game by not getting to a very catchable ball. As my old coach would say. &8220;He looked like a drunken sailor out there.&8221; Not only that, I’ve seen sixth graders with better arms.

The new additions have helped, but the resurgence of the pitching staff, plus the hitting of Mauer, Morneau and Cuddyer have contributed very strongly to the team’s recent record.

Blyeven keeps insisting on &8220;Do the little things.&8221; Home runs and doubles help too, Bert.

The team’s pitching has gone from last in the league to about the middle of the pack and appears to be headed toward last year’s proficiency. However, as was true with last year’s team, the Twins need to score runs to utilize its pitching.

So this question is paramount. Can the Twins&8217; hitters keep up the surge? Let’s hope so.

Also there is an important addition that last year’s team and pitching staff didn’t have and his name is Francisco Liriano. (The Cisco Kid.)

Now supposing most or all of these variables remain positive, is it too late? More than a third of the season is gone and the Twins stand 11 games down. They have won seven straight and have only gained a game and a half on the Detroit Tigers.

Let’s do some projections. If the Tigers play at their current pace, they will win 109 games. If the Twins were to catch them, they would have to win 75 out of their remaining 94 games or around 80 percent.

That is not going to happen. It appears our team has dallied too long to be masters of their destiny. However, I don’t think the Tigers or the White Sox will continue their torrid pace. Also it is easier to come from behind, as the leading teams start looking over their shoulder in August. Still, it is an awful long way to go.

(Jon Laging writes on local and regional sports topics from his home in Preston.)