Twins thrive on affordable home cooking

The Minnesota Twins have an owner, Carl Pohlad, who’s pathologically unwilling to invest in his own product despite having billions in his coffers. Their ballpark calls to mind a giant garage. Their offseasons are notable for the exoduses of popular veterans, and their trade deadlines come and go in resolute silence. As small-market success stories go, the Twins always seem to get short shrift.

In the early part of this decade, it was the Moneyball A’s who held us in rapt attention, and these days it’s Tampa Bay who gets the column inches. Still and yet, the Twins win and win often. There’s a simple reason for that — the Minnesota Twins are the best organization in baseball.

MLB.com: Reeling Dodgers fall to D-backs

The Dodgers’ losing streak reached eight Friday night in the opener of a showdown series against the first-place Diamondbacks, an 8-3 defeat that dropped Los Angeles 4 1/2 games back for the first time in two months.

Nomar Garciaparra committed two errors and Jeff Kent suffered a knee injury in the loss that saw the Dodgers strand another nine baserunners. They’ve lost all eight games on this three-city trip, are five games below .500 and only 1 1/2 games ahead of third-place Colorado.

MN Star-Tribune: Slowey, Mauer, Morneau crush A’s

Hours after watching Rocky pummel Ivan Drago, the Twins jumped on Oakland starter Dan Meyer for six runs in the second inning and cruised to a 12-2 victory at McAfee Coliseum. The Twins improved to 4-5 on the trip and pulled a half-game behind the first-place White Sox, who lost 8-0 at Boston.
...
This time, the Twins racked up a season-high 20 hits.

Joe Mauer, who came in batting .214 for the road trip, matched his career high with five hits and matched his season high with four RBI. He went 5-for-6, allowing him to retake the AL batting lead at .324.

Justin Morneau had four hits, including his 39th and 40th doubles of the year. He went 4-for-5, raising his average to .313.

MLB.com: Rays secure first winning season

“Zorilla" made history on Friday night.

Starting in place of regular shortstop Jason Bartlett, Ben Zobrist made good on the nickname coined by manager Joe Maddon, as the utility man blasted his first career grand slam to help the Rays cruise to a 14-3 victory at Tropicana Field. With the win—their 82nd this season—the Rays secured the first winning season in franchise history. The club maintained a 4 1/2-game lead atop the American League East.
...
Lost in the firestorm was starter Scott Kazmir, who tossed 5 1/3 innings of shutout baseball, scattering three hits and finishing with six strikeouts. With the win, all five of the Rays’ starters have crossed the 10-win threshold this season.

ESPN: Astros 3, Cardinals 2

Lance Berkman hit a game-ending solo home run off former teammate Russ Springer to lift the Houston Astros to a 3-2 win over the St. Louis Cardinals on Friday night.

Berkman’s 27th homer of the season was his third last at-bat game winner. He drove a 2-1 pitch off the facade in left field, and fireworks exploded while he rounded the bases. The Astros raced out of the dugout, and Berkman flipped his helmet in the air as he leaped onto home plate.

MLB.com: Mets ride Beltran’s slam to big win

The Mets’ recent Bullpen Infection Tour continues!

Carlos Beltran hit a game-winning grand slam on Friday night, and the Mets, held silent over the previous eight innings, parlayed that into a 5-4 victory over the Marlins.

With two outs in the ninth, Marlins closer Kevin Gregg loaded the bases on two ground-ball singles and a hit batsman, then served up the first-pitch grand slam, which needed only seconds to clear Dolphin Stadium’s right-field fence.
...
Luis Ayala recorded the final three outs for his third save with the Mets.

ESPN: Brewers win for sixth time in seven games behind Braun, Bush

Ryan Braun hit a three-run home run, and the Milwaukee Brewers handed the Pittsburgh Pirates their eighth straight loss with a 3-1 win Friday night.

Dave Bush (9-9) allowed one run in 6 2/3 innings for Milwaukee, which began the day with a 3½-game lead over St. Louis in the NL wild-card race.

Salomon Torres picked up his 26th save for the Brewers, who have won six of seven games and improved to 9-1 against Pittsburgh this season.

MLB.com: White Sox stopped cold by Dice-K

Missing out on Josh Beckett this weekend at Fenway Park might pay dividends for the White Sox on Saturday night, when they face rookie right-hander Michael Bowden.

It certainly didn’t help the White Sox against Daisuke Matsuzaka and Boston during Friday’s 8-0 whitewash at Fenway Park, marking the second straight loss on this 10-game road trip for the South Siders.

Matsuzaka (16-2), who originally was scheduled to pitch Saturday with an extra day of rest, moved into Beckett’s slot and shut down the White Sox (76-58). Chicago managed two singles and had only one runner move as far as second base.

SportTicker: Astros sign OF Erstad, RHP Moehler to one-year extensions

The Houston Astros signed outfielder Darin Erstad and righthander Brian Moehler to one-year extensions on Friday.

Erstad agreed to a $1.75 million contract plus bonuses, while Moehler signed a $2.3 million extension plus bonuses. Moehler’s extension includes an option for 2010.
...
Erstad, 34, entered Friday hitting .293 with three home runs and 26 RBI in 118 games this season. The 36-year-old Moehler is 9-5 with a 3.99 ERA in 25 games - 20 starts - in 2008. He is 4-1 with a 3.52 ERA in eight starts since the All-Star break.

Pagliarulo Vindicated:  Pavano Contributes

Really. I’m serious.

STL Post-Dispatch: Carp[enter] considered for relief role

With the schedule running out of games and the rotation running out of starts, the Cardinals have approached Chris Carpenter about returning to the team as a reliever, pitching coach Dave Duncan said Friday.

Carpenter threw a 60-pitch session Friday afternoon and left it saying he felt as good or better than in several of the starts he made. But with only one month to go in the regular season and the likelihood he could only squeeze two or three starts from Carpenter into the month, Duncan said he talked with Carpenter about finding a way for him to pitch more regularly and more immediately.

That could mean time in the bullpen.

“He may not come back as a starter,” Duncan said. “It is important for him to pitch before the season ends.”

Carpenter, who is recovering from a muscle strain in his right shoulder, is open to the possibility.

MLB.com: Phils don’t get close call, fall to Cubs

Ryan Howard made the safe call as he touched first base, ahead of Derrek Lee’s scramble for the ball and off-balance throw to pitcher Jeff Samardzija covering.

First-base umpire Chris Guccione disagreed, ruling Howard out, ending the seventh inning and keeping the score tied. The run that would’ve scored on the play, with Jimmy Rollins streaking from third, no longer counted, and the close play resulted in the ejection of third-base coach Steve Smith, who vehemently argued.

Alfonso Soriano took care of unbreaking the tie in the bottom of the seventh, and his solo homer off Clay Condrey held up in a 3-2 win over the Phillies at Wrigley Field. The loss dropped the Phils 1 1/2 games behind the Mets in the NL East, pending New York’s game against Florida on Friday night.

Runs were at a premium all day. Chicago’s Rich Harden and Philadelphia’s Joe Blanton, Oakland teammates less than two months ago, surrendered two runs apeice, and escaped jams to avoid further damage.

NYT:  Family of Bonds’s Trainer Feeling More Pressure

Federal authorities are considering criminal charges against both the wife and mother-in-law of Greg Anderson, Barry Bonds’s former personal trainer, in an effort to pressure Anderson to testify against Bonds, according to a lawyer for Anderson’s wife and other people familiar with the investigations.

It looks like the race between the NYPD and the US Attorney’s office for the coveted “Jack-Booted Thug of the Year” Award is going to go right down to the wire.

Josh Beckett to 15-day DL

The Red Sox announced moments ago that Josh Beckett is suffering from a strained right elbow and has been placed on the 15-day disabled list, retroactive to Aug. 18.

MLBPA seeks to build a firewall around Alvarez

The Pirates’ disputed contract agreement with Pedro Alvarez will be the primary focus—and not that of any other player—of the Major League Baseball Players Association’s grievance with commissioner Bud Selig’s office, a source disclosed today.

The union will contend, based on phone records, that Alvarez did not agree to his $6 million signing bonus until after midnight. (The Pirates’ position is that he spoke the words “I accept” into the phone roughly two minutes before midnight.)

The union will contend further that the Pirates’ case was the only one in question. The Pirates have cited the Kansas City Royals’ talks with first baseman Eric Hosmer as having gone past midnight, but the Royals’ position is that an agreement was reached before midnight and all that was missing was approval.

Fehr = Boras tool?

Deadspin: Cops Tell Different Tale About Fan Who Was Ejected Over “God Bless America”

The NYPD, however, has a different recollection and shared it with the Daily News:

“A police spokesman said Campeau-Lampion was thrown out because he was “standing on his seat cursing, using inappropriate language and acting in a disrespectful manner while reeking of alcohol.”

Amazing, my entire faith in the honesty of Drunk Atheists has been shaken. Why would he have lied to Deadspin? Why? WHY!?!

October Gonzo: Crazy Time (Another Installment in MLB’s brillaint Marketing Strategy)

To further pound in that “There’s Only One October!” (as was discussed yesterday), MLB has blogs up at MLBlogs that deal SIMPLY WITH OCTOBER. Here’s the one of Rick Gonzelez, the guy who has already started showing up in the commercials.

What great insight can he bring us?

Any baseball fan knows that when you get to October, you throw everything out the window because you know crazy things are bound to happen.

And this year? Turns out crazy stuff is happening all over the place ALREADY.

I totally wasn’t expecting Palin either.

Alvarez deadlock affects Hosmer, Royals

Royals Corner sources have confirmed that Hosmer did not dress for Thursday night’s game, and that it was indeed directly related to the situation with Alvarez and the Pirates. The organization is tight-lipped about the situation, and we still do not know whether Hosmer’s exclusion from the lineup came at the request of Boras, minor league baseball, or Hosmer himself, but we understand that he isn’t likely to suit up again until baseball resolves the impasse. At issue is the question of whether or not a contract signed after the midnight August 15 deadline is valid, even if, as in the case of both Hosmer’s and Alvarez’s negotiations, an extension was granted by the commissioner’s office.

That wasn’t part of the deal Blackheart. THAT WASN’T PART OF THE DEAL!!!!!

“Kid who fell onto the field going after a BP Ball” Speaks!

Campbell, a Yankees’ fan at heart, was in Philadelphia with a group of friends and their parents to take in a key Mets-Phillies game. They arrived early for batting practice and anticipated any long flies that might come their way in the outfield.

But for one approaching shot, Campbell leapt forward just a little too far as he tried to catch it. He lost his balance and began an unnerving plunge out of the stands and onto the outfield warning track.

Campbell, who thankfully had some experience in bracing for falls on his trampoline at home, had the good sense to turn his body while in midair and wound up landing on his side.

The fall immediately got the attention of Mets’ starting pitcher Mike Pelfrey, who was shagging his own flies in the outfield. As Pelfrey turned, a shaken Campbell neared the pitcher for some security and collapsed at his waist.

Good thing he didn’t fall onto the field at Yankee Stadium during God Bless America. Instead of the Ryan Howard bat he got from the Phillies, he would have got a swift kick in the ass by the red, white and NYPD blue.

Tip of the hat to Deadspin.

Hank has eyes on Sabathia, Burnett for offseason—Newsday.com

Maybe he should start sending the bags of money now.

A day after promising that the Yankees will be busy in the offseason addressing their needs, Hank Steinbrenner yesterday named two pitchers in whom the Yankees have interest.

“Everybody’s looking at [CC] Sabathia and [A.J.] Burnett, not just us,” Steinbrenner said during yesterday’s game against the Red Sox. “We’ll see. The main concern is, are their arms going to be OK after this season?”

Ebert scolds Mariotti for “ugly way” he left Sun-Times

One thumb down!

What an ugly way to leave the Sun-Times. It does not speak well for you. Your timing was exquisite. You signed a new contract, waited until days after the newspaper had paid for your trip to Beijing at great cost, and then resigned with only an e-mail. You saved your explanation for a local television station.

As someone who was working here for 24 years before you arrived, I think you owed us more than that. You owed us decency. The fact that you saved your attack for TV only completes our portrait of you as a rat.

Washington Times: Loverro: Kasten’s impact not visible

Thom Loverro throws a life preserver in the direction of Stan Kasten.  If you read between the lines or some of the vaguely sourced reports there’s a rift between him and the cheapo Lerners.  And it’s likely to come to a head this offseason over our good buddy, Jim Bowden.

Kasten’s legacy as one of the most successful sports executives of his time during his tenure running three Atlanta sports organizations - the Braves, Hawks and Thrashers - is in danger of earning a tarnished asterisk with the Nationals.

If Kasten is not steering this ship - and it’s difficult to believe that he is - then he needs to find a life preserver and jump because, as the great Micheal Ray Richardson once said, “The ship be sinking.”

Draft Pick Compensation vs Trade Return

I’m not sure when this came online, but I do not remember seeing it mentioned here.  Usually I seem to mention Camden Depot and sometimes (or maybe once) Repoz did.

This article is interesting as it uses the Adam Dunn trade as an example and impetus to analyze what one really gets when you choose draft pick comensation over trading a guy.  It would have been nice if he had compared it to the Soriano non-trade.  Instead of dealing, they got Josh Smoker who seems to have a lively arm, but batters have a lively piece of wood against him.  Ooh, that came out wrong.  They also got Micheal Burgess who has some incredible power in the Salley League, but also strikes out a bit.  Both are 19, so the minors are their oyster still.

For a type A free agent, you have a 63% chance of getting a MLB player if you are able to receive a late first round pick. That drops to 51% chance if the late first round pick is replaced with an early second round pick. In addition, a type B free agent is associated with a drafted player who has a 29% chance of reaching the bigs.

Francisco Rodriguez chases 57

Tonight Francisco “K-Rod” Rodriguez saved his 51st game of the season in pursuit of the MLB record 57 games saved held by Bobby Thigpen for the 1990 Chicago White Sox. With over a month left in the season, here’s saying he breaks it. Having said that, there are several by-products that will invariably result from such an accomplishment and I wanted to look over those here now.

The Onion: Hawaii Wins Little League World Series

THIS is a Onion article.

The Hawaii team, known for its powerful lineup of short, fat Skill 5 hitters, defeated the Mexico team 12-3 in the championship game of the Little League World Series, a four-round, single-player tournament held from 2 p.m. to 3:15 p.m. Sunday. A majority of the games were played in Speed Mode.

Hawaii’s offensive outburst was led by such stars as Glen, who had three hits and four RBI on the afternoon, as well as right-handed cleanup hitter Adam, who was 2-for-3 with a double and home run. Leadoff man Thomas chipped in with a home run of his own, which prompted two identical cheerleaders in the crowd to wave their pompoms in front of a giant neon “HOMERUN” sign.

“I say it every year—the short, fat players have the most power,” said commentator Orel Hershiser after the game. “When you’ve got guys like Byron, guys like Steven even though he’s just a Skill 2, guys like the ‘Big A’s’—Aaron, Adam, and Alan—you’re going to score a lot of runs. It would take a stellar pitching performance to shut this team down, and unfortunately for Mexico, Ramon did not have his best stuff today.”

Ahhh… NES…

Foul ball blinds Hoppers fan, crushing his left eye

Carroll Master hadn’t taken his seat yet at the Grasshoppers game Friday. He didn’t know who was at bat. He didn’t even see the hit that sent a baseball wide of first base, into the stands, hitting his left eye, crushing the eye and breaking the bones around it.

The 50-year-old maintenance manager took his family to the game with a big group — 16 friends, neighbors and relatives, including eight children. They had great seats: fourth row, section 113, right behind first base.

Master visited the concession stand first and was stepping over his seat from the row behind, handing out sodas and french fries, when the ball hit him.

He doesn’t remember how he got out of the stands for paramedics to reach him. He does remember being sure his eye was completely gone and being astounded to hear the game continuing.

Life Sucks. Then your left eye gets squished by a foul ball.

Pitt Post-Gazette: Kovacevic: Alvarez case a personality clash?

For all the ticking clocks, terse exchanges and now a full-blown drama between Major League Baseball and its players’ union, it might be easy to lose sight of perhaps the most pivotal aspect of the Pirates’ Pedro Alvarez saga:

Why did they bother?

Why did the Pirates get into a process they knew could descend into this type of mess, given all teams’ history of difficult negotiations with Scott Boras, Alvarez’s high-profile agent?

And why did Boras engage the Pirates, whose history had been to avoid him at all costs?

Pirates fan: A baseball fan addicted to the irrational.

KC Star: Royals’ Olivo expresses frustration with playing time, Hillman

“It’s only, what, (29) more games?” [Miguel Olivo] said. “I’m going to do my best during that and that’s it.”

His words to The Star are the first public signs of frustration — non-José Guillen division — from a Royals player during what is quickly devolving into a disappointing season, even by Kansas City standards. He and the team hold mutual options for next year, and Olivo said there’s no way he’ll return.

“Hell no,” he said.

This frustration lies in what he sees as no communication with manager Trey Hillman and especially a lack of playing time… “(Hillman) doesn’t like me, that’s how it’s been since spring training,” he said. “I think he just doesn’t think about me. The thing is, I can play baseball. Maybe for him, I’m not that good playing for him. Maybe that’s how it’s been.”

St. Petersburg Times: MLB, umpire: Call against Aybar was wrong

Upon further review, umpire Doug Eddings was wrong about the controversial obstruction call involving Willy Aybar in Sunday’s game at Chicago.

Mike Port, MLB’s vice president of umpiring, told the St. Petersburg Times on Thursday that it was “a missed call” and that in making the split-second decision, Eddings thought he saw runner A.J. Pierzynski “impeded more than he was” by Aybar, the Rays’ third baseman.

“Looking back at that occurrence, for the first and last time, it was a missed call,” Port said. “And it was not because Doug Eddings, an umpire with 10 years experience, and 10 before that in the minor leagues, didn’t know the application of the rule, but just that in the moment in applying the rule, he saw something he thought was more than it turned out to be.”
...
Port said that after watching replays, Eddings was “the first to admit” he was wrong and said so to MLB officials who regularly review controversial plays. There is no recourse, however, for the Rays.

MN Star-Tribune: Suzuki outduels Crain in ninth for A’s

The Bay Area has greeted them with unseasonably warm temperatures—86 degrees for Thursday night’s first pitch—but with the Athletics reeling, this hardly spurred a ticket rush at McAfee Coliseum. The announced crowd of 12,357 was the smallest to watch the Twins all season, and they responded with another flat effort.

Once again, the game fell to reliever Jesse Crain, and once again the Twins came away disappointed. Kurt Suzuki drilled an RBI double to left with one out in the ninth inning, giving Oakland a 3-2 victory.
...
Losing for the fifth time in six games, the Twins fell to 3-5 on the 14-game road trip, leaving them 1 1/2 games behind the White Sox in the AL Central.