Showing posts with label Minnesota Twins. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Minnesota Twins. Show all posts
Monday, August 15, 2011
Wednesday, August 10, 2011
No Longer Twins
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| Nathan, left celebrates his recording setting 255th save as a Twin. |
After preserving a 5-2 lead with a perfect ninth inning against the Boston Red Sox, Nathan surpassed Rick Aguilera as the club's all-time saves leader. It was the 256th save of Nathan's career and his 255th as a Twin.
Aguilera played 11 of his 16 major league seasons with the Twins with his final save for the team coming in 1999 during his second stint in the Twin Cities. A three-time All-Star, Aguilera was hoping to be in attendance when Nathan passed his mark, but was unable to due to a prior commitment.
As for their current closer, Nathan is coming off a year where he missed the entire 2010 campaign, needing Tommy John surgery to repair a torn ligament in his pitching elbow. The Texas native started this season as the Twins closer, but had a shaky start and promptly removed himself from the role. Matt Capps, who filled in for Nathan most of 2010, resumed the role up until now.
It was apparent when the season started Nathan had rushed himself back and was not fully healthy. In the 10 April games he appeared in, Nathan posted a career-worst earned run average for a month at 10.00. His May was a little better lowering his ERA to 7.63 on the year, but then only pitched twice in June before resuming his closing duties in July.
The hard throwing right-hander tied Aguilera's franchise record of 254 on the 26th of July. Who knew when they traded for then-twenty-eight-year-old right-hander it would be the beginning of something special.
Nathan was acquired from the San Francisco Giants in a deal prior to the 2004 season, that is still one of the most lopsided trades in baseball history. The Twins shipped their veteran catcher A.J. Pierzynski to the West Coast in return for Nathan, and two minor league pitchers. One of those being a young left-hander out of the Dominican Republic named Francisco Liriano.
In their first season with their respective clubs, it yielded very different results. Pierzynski, who was coming off a career-year in Minnesota after setting career-highs in batting average (.312), home runs (11), and RBIs (74), disappointed many in his only season by the bay.
The All-Star backstop saw his average drop to .272, forty points below the previous season. And while he matched his home run total and eclipsed his career-high in RBIs with 77 from the year before, it was his demeanor many didn't like, starting a reputation as one of the most disliked players around the majors.
Pierzynski also killed multiple rallies that season, leading the majors in grounding into double-plays with 27.
Pierzynski headed back to American League Central following the '04 season, signing with the Chicago White Sox. A place he is has been the last seven years, winning a World Series title his first year on the South Side.
On the other hand, Nathan and Liriano continued to develop into two the brightest young pitching stars in baseball.
Nathan has been making headlines of his own ever since the trade went down. In his first year as a full-time closer, Nathan recorded 44 saves in 47 opportunities, made his first All-Star appearance, finished twelfth in the AL MVP voting and fourth for the Cy Young Award.
Nathan is now a four-time All-Star and recorded 40 plus saves three of the seven season he has been closing for the Twins, including a career-high 47 the year before his injury.
Although Nathan has yet to show his dominance on baseball's biggest stage. In the eight games he has appeared in the postseason, Nathan as posted a 7.88 ERA, converting only 1 of the 3 save opportunities he has been given. Those statistics make the numbers of his piers, like Mariano Rivera, who owns every postseason pitching recording known to man, that much more impressive.
Meanwhile Liriano, burst onto the scene in 2006 with his unbelievable fastball and devastating slider, finishing third in the Rookie of the Year voting and was selected to his first All-Star game. Then in 2007 Liriano fell victim to Tommy John Surgery and was headed for the knife.
He missed the entire '07 season, but since has come back with a bang, throwing the first no-hitter of the '11 season earlier this year.
Now with Nathan back to form, we can look for the Twins to get back to their winning ways and compete for another division crown in 2012. Until then Nathan reminds us to remember the past while honoring the present.
Aguilera played 11 of his 16 major league seasons with the Twins with his final save for the team coming in 1999 during his second stint in the Twin Cities. A three-time All-Star, Aguilera was hoping to be in attendance when Nathan passed his mark, but was unable to due to a prior commitment.
As for their current closer, Nathan is coming off a year where he missed the entire 2010 campaign, needing Tommy John surgery to repair a torn ligament in his pitching elbow. The Texas native started this season as the Twins closer, but had a shaky start and promptly removed himself from the role. Matt Capps, who filled in for Nathan most of 2010, resumed the role up until now.
It was apparent when the season started Nathan had rushed himself back and was not fully healthy. In the 10 April games he appeared in, Nathan posted a career-worst earned run average for a month at 10.00. His May was a little better lowering his ERA to 7.63 on the year, but then only pitched twice in June before resuming his closing duties in July.
The hard throwing right-hander tied Aguilera's franchise record of 254 on the 26th of July. Who knew when they traded for then-twenty-eight-year-old right-hander it would be the beginning of something special.
Nathan was acquired from the San Francisco Giants in a deal prior to the 2004 season, that is still one of the most lopsided trades in baseball history. The Twins shipped their veteran catcher A.J. Pierzynski to the West Coast in return for Nathan, and two minor league pitchers. One of those being a young left-hander out of the Dominican Republic named Francisco Liriano.
In their first season with their respective clubs, it yielded very different results. Pierzynski, who was coming off a career-year in Minnesota after setting career-highs in batting average (.312), home runs (11), and RBIs (74), disappointed many in his only season by the bay.
The All-Star backstop saw his average drop to .272, forty points below the previous season. And while he matched his home run total and eclipsed his career-high in RBIs with 77 from the year before, it was his demeanor many didn't like, starting a reputation as one of the most disliked players around the majors.
Pierzynski also killed multiple rallies that season, leading the majors in grounding into double-plays with 27.
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| Pierznyski only spent one season with the Giants. |
On the other hand, Nathan and Liriano continued to develop into two the brightest young pitching stars in baseball.
Nathan has been making headlines of his own ever since the trade went down. In his first year as a full-time closer, Nathan recorded 44 saves in 47 opportunities, made his first All-Star appearance, finished twelfth in the AL MVP voting and fourth for the Cy Young Award.
Nathan is now a four-time All-Star and recorded 40 plus saves three of the seven season he has been closing for the Twins, including a career-high 47 the year before his injury.
Although Nathan has yet to show his dominance on baseball's biggest stage. In the eight games he has appeared in the postseason, Nathan as posted a 7.88 ERA, converting only 1 of the 3 save opportunities he has been given. Those statistics make the numbers of his piers, like Mariano Rivera, who owns every postseason pitching recording known to man, that much more impressive.
Meanwhile Liriano, burst onto the scene in 2006 with his unbelievable fastball and devastating slider, finishing third in the Rookie of the Year voting and was selected to his first All-Star game. Then in 2007 Liriano fell victim to Tommy John Surgery and was headed for the knife.
He missed the entire '07 season, but since has come back with a bang, throwing the first no-hitter of the '11 season earlier this year.
Now with Nathan back to form, we can look for the Twins to get back to their winning ways and compete for another division crown in 2012. Until then Nathan reminds us to remember the past while honoring the present.
Tuesday, May 3, 2011
No-No Lirano
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| Liriano receives congratulations after tossing the 7th no-hitter in franchise history. |
When the calendar turned May the result was much of the same with a 10-3 loss in Kansas City and received a much need day off Monday.
Left-hander Francisco Liriano was set to take the mound with a 1-4 record and 9.13 earned run average, putting his future in Minnesota in doubt.
Something magical was about to occur for the 27-year old lefty at U.S. Celluar Field.
Liriano tossed the seventh no-hitter in Twins history, but was nothing close to perfect, struggling with his command of the strike zone, walking six Chicago White Sox. Liriano, who has been known in his young career to be a strike out pitcher, only recorded two strikeouts in Minnesota's 1-0 win.
That's the third fewest number of strike outs in any no-hitter.
The game's lone run came on Jason Kubel's third home run of the year in the fourth inning off right-hander Edwin Jackson. Jackson tossed a no-hitter of his own last season while pitching for the Arizona Diamondbacks.
The last Twins pitcher to toss a no-hitter was another left-hander, Eric Milton, who did so in the Metrodome against the then-Anaheim Angels on September 11, 1999. Oddly enough Lirano's comes days after the assassination of Al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden.
As a rookie in 2006, Liriano was an instant phenom with Minnesota, going 12-3 with a 2.16 ERA, looking to follow in the foot steps on fellow teammate and ace left-hander, Johan Santana.
Liriano was hampered by an arm injury that required Tommy John surgery, costing him the entire 2007 season. It took Liriano two full seasons to regain form and get back to the pitcher that once had so much promise. Last season, Liriano got back to his winning ways throwing a career-high 191.2 innings and striking out 201 batters, eclipsing that mark for the first time in his career.
He also record a career-high 14 wins, helping the Twins win their sixth American League Central Division title in nine years.
2010 was known as the year of the pitcher with six no-hit and/or perfect games thrown, this is the first of 2011 and it comes from an unexpected customer. Prior to his injury, the baseball world always thought after watching Liriano in '06 that he would some day throw a no-hitter in the big leagues and now has done so.
Liriano had not thrown a shutout or even a complete game for that matter at the Minor or Major League level until now, one he won't soon forget. Liriano lowered his ERA to 6.61 on the season, but his strikeout-to-walk-ratio did not improve. He has walked 24 hitters this season compared to his 20 strikeouts.
Liriano threw 123 pitches on the South Side to complete the no-hit bid.
With a healthy Justin Morneau and catcher Joe Mauer nearing his return from the disabled list, this might just be the jolt the Twins had been waiting for to shake off a terrible April. Fresh off his '10 AL Manager of the Year Award, Ron Gardenhire looks to the right the ship before the surprising division leading Cleveland Indians run away with the AL Central.
The win takes the Twins out of the division cellar for the moment putting them a half game up on Chicago.
At least for one night the Twin Cities can sleep a little easier knowing Liriano said No-No.
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