As the ultimate reward for their loyalty, today the White Sox gave season ticket holders an unprecedented opportunity to chat with pitcher John Danks, pitching coach Don Cooper and new hitting coach Jeff Manto.  The event was facilitated by long-time White Sox and Chicago Blackhawks public address announcer Gene Honda.

As both a journalist, super fan and yes season-ticket holder, I must admit that this was without a doubt the best reward the White Sox have ever offered their most loyal fan base in addition to an exceptional platform to promote their upcoming Sox Fest event, scheduled from January 27th through January 29th.

The White Sox opened with left-handed pitcher John Danks, who despite going 8-12, with a 4.33 ERA in 2011, is expected to become the Sox opening day pitcher and staff ace due to the departure of Mark Buehrle, who signed with the Miami Marlins in the off-season.

Danks, who signed a five-year, $65 million contract extension over the winter, spoke with the poise and diplomacy that you would expect of a leader.  While many fans, experts and sports writers believe the White Sox are entering a re-building phase, Danks remains optimistic.

“While some great players have been traded, there is a lot of talent left on this team,” Danks said.  “We may have lost some great arms in Mark Buehrle and Sergio Santos, but we also got some great arms for the future.”

While entertaining a variety of questions ranging from his comfort level pitching to Tyler Flowers to his the prospect of playing a major league game with his brother Jordan Danks patrolling the outfield, Danks even revealed the hitter he fears facing most.

“Michael Cuddyer,” he said.  “A.J. and Buehrle would joke I should get the ball when I got him out because it was a historical event,” Danks said.

Danks also shared very candid feelings on Chicago White Sox fans.

“They let us hear it when we do something good, and they let us hear it when we do something bad,” Danks said.  “That’s a good thing too because we should be held accountable for the way we play.”

On the season ahead, Danks looks forward to working with new manager Robin Ventura and believes there will be differences in working with his new skipper.

“Ozzie was pretty loud and vocal,” Danks said.  “Robin’s style appears different.  While I lobe Ozzie to death, he’s all I’ve known.  I’m excited to work with Robin.”

UP NEXT: Don Cooper and Jeff Manto  

I told you ESPN has a coastal bias! That the Eastern Seaboard Programming Network totally overlooks the Midwest; especially the upper midwest. Look at the graphic above where they drew Wisconsin in the shape of Minnesota!

But I understand the confusion, I mean why should they pay attention to Wisconsin? It’s not like the Green Bay Packers are the reigning NFL champions, and the only remaining undefeated team in the league. Or the Wisconsin Badgers are about to make back to back Rose Bowls on the strength of not one, but two Heisman candidates. Or that the Milwaukee Brewers have the NL MVP in Ryan Braun and reached the NLCS.

Oh wait, it’s exactly like that.

from The Post-Game

As the all-seeing CNBC sports business reporter Darren Rovell shows in one of his tweets, ESPN’s SportsCenter did a report on Braun and Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers in front of an artist’s rendering of … Minnesota.

Follow the link above to see how Minnesota fans answer the reality that the Twins, Gophers and Vikings are terrible. And that the Timberwolves would be the same, if the NBA weren’t on lockout.

By the way, if you’re not following Rovell on Twitter, you really should.

We have ESPNChicago, ESPNDallas already (ESPNBoston and ESPNNewYork are just redundancies) can’t wait for ESPNMinneapolis! or ESPNMilwaukee!

Paul M. Banks is CEO of The Sports Bank.net, a Google News site generating millions of unique visitors. He’s also a regular contributor to Chicago Now, Walter Football, Yardbarker, and Fox Sports.

A Fulbright scholar and MBA, Banks has appeared on live radio all over the world; he’s also a member of the FWAA, USBWA and SPJ. The President of the United States follows him on Twitter (@Paul_M_BanksTSB) You should too.

Here’s a listing and synopsis of some of the top prospects in the Arizona Fall League. Many reside in the AL Central and NL Central divisions. The Chicago Cubs have two.

by David Malamut
Robbie Grossman    Pittsburgh Pirates
Wil Myers      Kansas City Royals
Junior Lake     Chicago Cubs
Brian Dozier     Minnesota Twins
Matt Adams     St. Louis Cardinals
Josh Vitters     Chicago Cubs
Terry Doyle     Chicago White Sox
Brad Boxberger    Cincinnati Reds

Grossman was the 6th round pick of the Pirates in the 2008 draft. The 21 year old outfielder hit .295 in 134 games for Bradenton of the Florida State League. This was his second straight year in Bradenton. He had 13 homers in 616 plate appearances with 34 doubles and two triples.

Myers was the 3rd round pick of the Royals in 2009 this 20 year old kid spent last year in AA Northwest Arkansas; in 99 games he hit .254 with 8 homers and 49 driven in. In 2010 he split the season between the Royals two A level teams and hit .315 in 126 games with 14 homers, 37 doubles and 83 driven in. Plus 12 stolen bases and 3 triples. Last year was the first time in his career that he wasn’t behind the plate. He made the move to the outfield and committed seven errors in 202 chances.

Lake was signed out of the Dominican Republic in 2006 by the Cubs. He is a 21 year old infielder. With Starlin Castro at short the Cubs might have a decision to make about where to play Lake. He has played mostly short the last few years. His hitting is ok, he hit .279 combined in Daytona and Tennessee last year. In 116 games he had 12 homers and 51 driven in. That includes 109 strike outs and 19 walks.

Dozier was the 8th round pick of the Twins in 2009. He is a middle infielder who split last year between New Britain and Fort Myers. He hit a combined .320 in 127 games with 9 homers, 33 doubles and 12 triples. He stole 24 bases, had 55 walks and only 66 strikeouts.

Adams was the 23rd round pick of the Cardinals in 2009. He is big, 6’3″, 230 at the age of 23. Last year in Springfield he hit .300 in 115 games with 32 homers and 101 driven in. In his three year career he has 64 homers. The thing is last year he struck out 90 times and walks 40 with an on base percentage of .923. Adams is a first baseman and last year he only made eight errors and turned 85 double plays

Vitters has been a prospect for the Cubs for the past few years. He was their first round pick in the 2007 draft, third pick overall. Last year he spent his second one in Tennessee and hit .283 in 129 games. With 14 homers and 81 driven in. He has been the Cubs next third baseman for the past few years. With Aramis Ramirez likely gone it’s his turn.

Doyle was the White Sox 37th round pick of the 2008 draft. He went 7-5 with a 3.24 era in Birmingham last year. In 15 games started he had two complete games and one shutout. In pitching 100 innings he struck out 73 and walked 22 giving up 91 hits. He spent 11 starts last year in Winston-Salem, going 1-5 with a 2.84 era with one complete game. In his minor league career he has a 26-23 record with a 2.94 era in 94 games.

Boxberger was the Reds 1st round pick in 2009, 43 overall. Last year he split time between Carolina and Louisville. Combining to go 2-4 with a 2.03 era in 55 games. He would save 11 of them in 62 innings he gave up 32 hits and 93 strikeouts.

Voice of A Season Ticket Holder
(Kane County Cougars)

Malamut.net

Ryan Doumit signed a one year contract for $3 million with the Minnesota Twins yesterday. This gives Joe Mauer a fairly expensive back up for the 2012 season.

by David Malamut

Mauer, who will be 29 this year, is coming off another injury plagued season in which he played in only 82 games. He hit .287 with 3 homers and 30 runs batted in.

The one problem is that while Doumit can hit well, he really has no position. He is iffy at catcher and first base and is best suited to DH full time. Plus Doumit has spent plenty of time on the disabled list himself.

He has played many positions during his major league career: the outfield, first base and catcher. He really isn’t that good at any of them. I do not see how this is a good signing for the Twins as his defense will likely cost them more runs than he drives in.

Offensively, it provides the Twins with another bat, he is a career .271 hitter in 611 games, all with the Pittsburgh Pirates. He really only has two full seasons with over 100 games and 400 plate appearance, in his seven year career. He’s clubbed 67 homers, with 15 being his career high in 2008.

Doumit was the second round pick of the Pirates in the 1999 draft out of Moses Lake high school in Washington.

This past week Minnesota Twins owner Carl Pohlad dismissed general manager Bill Smith from his role despite giving him the dreaded vote of confidence after the team’s ninety-nine loss season. It was mentioned that the change was due to philosophical differences and that Smith was offered another role within the organization in baseball operations.

I can understand that there would be turmoil on a club that was expected to compete for the division once again and tanked the season, but the manner in which this maneuver took place is nonsensical. The top assistants to Bill Smith are remaining intact in their posts. Ron Gardenhire undoubtedly will be in the dugout on opening day and Terry Ryan was brought in to be the interim general manager with no timetable on filling the position permanently.

I wouldn’t suggest this, but I could understand the decision if the team was clearing house and going into a whole new direction after last year’s collapse. They aren’t doing so for the aforementioned reasons. In addition, Ryan’s priorities in the offseason seem to be with the free agents that formerly played with the team. What’s the definition of insanity again?

Terry Ryan was used to operating with a miniscule payroll during his previous tenure as general manager and he will have to take a cut again this year of around thirteen million. This is largely due to the fact that the team struggled so much last year, so attendance is likely to lag somewhat behind the previous record setting pace. Also, the honeymoon period with the stadium is ending with more focus heading to the on the field product.

If you do what you’ve always done, you’ll have what you’ve always had. Since the team won sixty-three games last year, then why do they prioritize looking at all of their past free agents first? Minneapolis is not like Chicago or other big cities around the country. There is a sense of loyalty that is uncommon in professional sports and I applaud that for the most part. However, winning takes precedence in the professional realm and it is not disloyal to go separate ways when terms of a contract are satisfied. Albert Pujols is talking with Ozzie Guillen and the Florida Marlins. Terry Francona is offering his services to the people of Saint Louis. Sometimes a fresh voice and a change of scenery is just what the doctor ordered.

It is unfair to simply criticize a move and not offer any solutions. It must be clear by now that I would not have dismissed Bill Smith. How much could have changed in a month’s time if Pohlad’s remarks at the conclusion of the season weren’t disingenuous? I would actually make Jason Kubel my first free agent priority from the previous group because he is a natural hitter and still relatively young. The health of Joe Mauer and Jason Morneau is critical for the future well being of the franchise, so their offseason routines are of more important than anything else that may occur.

When have I ever turned down free White Sox tickets? Yesterday, on the last day of the season of 2011. Sure, I did have legitimate work obligations, and the Chicago weather was lousy. But if I were free, and it were 75 and sunny, I’d still take a pass.

Baseball is dying among my generation, and MLB doesn’t seem to care why/how.

Sure it’s easy to write this essay the day after after my favorite team mercifully ended one of the most disappointing seasons in recent memory. Losing is one thing, losing when you went “All In” like the slogan says, out-spending almost everybody to the point that expectations were sky high…only to fall on your face, well that’s the worse kind of losing. And two days ago they parted ways with my favorite baseball personality of the decade Ozzie Guillen, so that hurts too.

But I’m a life-long Chicagoan, and I know better than anyone how disappointing, prodigious losing in baseball is a way of life. 2011 was just routine in the second city. (Don’t even get the Cubs fans started. I think Brian’s piece here sums it up)

No, this disinterest in baseball is more a global phenomenon, and it’s due to the much larger issues at work.

And yes, I’m aware that last night was quite possibly the greatest regular season night in baseball history. But it still doesn’t fix the larger problems at work.

1. A horribly regressive and complete horseshit policy towards internet media

Anyone who knows me well is aware that my growing disinterest in baseball begins here, but it’s just one of many factors. Was it professional of me to use Ozzie Guillen’s favorite swear word here? Absolutely not,. I should be above that, but what we’re dealing with here is so backwards and self-destructive in the long run for the good of the game that is requires the word “HORSESHIT.” MLB’s pig-headed, stuck-in-the-1950s policy towards internet media is actually a problem for many more people than just reporters like me who specialize in the internet medium. It’s a problem for anyone who consumes baseball online.

People aren’t going to the internet for baseball news anymore (how’s that going to work for MLB when newspapers die out?). And it’s easy to see why. (more on that in the second point)

But first- baseball still has a clause in their collective bargaining agreement prohibiting media access for representatives of web sites or blogs. Why? Because they don’t want any video highlights of any game getting posted anywhere other than the prescription service they want you to purchase. They also want their site to be the ONLY source of internet coverage. Therefore, lots of vanilla, bland and dull “stories” about the team from “reporters” who work for MLB.

No wonder people are passing on it. And when you can’t embed baseball video on your blog…you’ll be less interested in blogging about it.

Take a look at page 205 of the CBA, (which would actually be page 217 in this pdf) which discusses club media regulations. You’ll notice the very first point mentions “press, radio and television” and absolutely nothing about the world wide web.

Pretty much sums it up. But here’s how it affects you the fan, and kills their own product in the process:

2. MLB’s official websites and their horrible coverage

Here’s an actual email from a MLB Communications Director (I’ll keep the name and team anonymous for privacy concerns):

We try to avoid providing credential
access to websites, bloggers, etc. who are only seeking to
create/generate information and entertainment content for their own
economic enrichment. In these cases, we would be overwhelmed by
requests and would be badly positioned to be, basically, subjectively
deciding who got in to clubhouses and pressboxes and who did not.
While you can probably argue that the industry might be sacrificing
eyeballs and coverage, I think most of us feel comfortable that MLB
and (team) news is readily available online, particularly through
our own offerings at MLB.com and (team’s site)

Like it would kill their lazy asses to actually look at the many free to access third-party websites which detail any given site’s reach and traffic numbers? And then make your decision based on who had enough influence to be worth it? That’s too much to ask?

Online traffic is dying for baseball. Search driven traffic for baseball content is shriveling up fast. And here’s one reason why. Baseball is the hardest sport to write about because there’s so many games, and no writer anywhere should ever waste his time on a game preview and/or recap. With 162 games, no single one is ever worth previewing, and with games pretty much every day, a recap has only 12 hours of shelf life. Why bother? When you’re at the ballpark storylines emerge naturally. When sitting at home in front of the television, not so much.

3. MLB’s Declining Attendance, Audience

These are the 12 sports franchises losing the most fans. (Yahoo)

5. Oakland Athletics
• Decrease in attendance: 33.51 percent
• 2001 W-L record: 102-60 (finished 2nd in AL West)
• 2010 W-L record: 81-81 (finished 2nd in AL West)
• League championships last decade: none
More on the A’s decline

4. Pittsburgh Pirates
• Decrease in attendance: 33.78 percent
• 2001 W-L record: 62-100 (finished 6th in NL Central)
• 2010 W-L record: 57-105 (finished 6th in NL Central)
• League championships last decade: none
More on the Pirates’ decline

3. Seattle Mariners
• Decrease in attendance: 40.54 percent
• 2001 W-L record: 116-46 (finished 1st in AL West)
• 2010 W-L record: 61-101 (finished 4th in AL West)
• League championships last decade: none
More on the Mariners’ decline

2. Baltimore Orioles
• Decrease in attendance: 44.00 percent
• 2001 W-L record: 63-98 (finished 4th in AL East)
• 2010 W-L record: 66-96 (finished 5th in AL East)
• League championships last decade: none
More on the Orioles’ decline

1. Cleveland Indians
• Decrease in attendance: 56.08 percent
• 2000 W-L record: 91-71 (finished 1st in AL Central)
• 2010 W-L record: 69-93 (finished 4th in AL Central)
• League championships last decade: none
More on the Indians’ decline

NOTICE HOW THE TOP 5 ARE ALL MLB TEAMS??

I’ve seen a lot of traffic decline for baseball content, and I’m a business man before I am a fan. Just like Ozzie is out for his own financial interest than he is ballclub loyalty. And Sox Owner Jerry Reinsdorf is a franchise Chairman before he is a sentimental decision maker.

As MLB related traffic declines (even for the content that invoved the reader winning free gas! Bleieve it or not), I become less interested in publishing it. Baseball’s online presence shrinks, and the vicious cycle continues.

4. Yankees vs. Red Sox?? YAWN! Coastal Domination…..DON’T CARE!

I run a Midwest sports site, so watching the Central Division champions get their asses handed to them every year in October does nothing for my business, and New York Yankees versus Boston Red Sox in the ALCS is BORING! Having the wild card ALWAYS come out of the AL East is TIRED AND PREDICTABLE!

YAWN.

I know you can’t blame the league for this, but would it kill them to try and equal the financial playing field a little bit? That would cut down on the NYY and BOS spending dominance at least; and that could translate to the record on the field.

At least the BoSox historically collapsed late last night. That makes the 2011 postseason a little more interesting, and the St. Louis Cardinals got in as the wild card. So I get to watch three, not two central division teams fail to survive the first round.

Or maybe the Milwaukee Brewers can redeem us this year? Or maybe I’ve turned into the cynical bastard version of Stan Marsh from that South Park episode.

5. It’s not the 1980s anymore

There’s a reason you see so many Cialis and Viagra commercials during Major League Baseball telecasts- it’s pretty much the only demographic they have left! Baseball’s core fan base is aging. And it’s funny because as I age, I realize MLB will never be to me what it was in the 1980s when I was a kid. Maybe it’s the powder blue road uniforms of the era, maybe it’s the notion of perceived innocence, maybe it’s being a child, and I’m a grown up now.

My nephews can enjoy this game now, and I can enjoy the fact that they enjoy it. Maybe I’m not so cynical after all.

6. Too many leagues

Why do independent leagues even exist? Seriously, did the Lake County Fielders ever need to exist? I mean all it does is put off going to community college for a couple years, if you’re a player. With Low A, High A, AA, AAA, and Rookie ball, don’t we have enough minor league teams already? This dilutes the value of the sport.

Paul M. Banks is CEO of The Sports Bank.net, an official Google News site that generates millions of unique visitors. He’s also a regular contributor to Chicago Now, Walter Football.com, Yardbarker, and Fox Sports

He does regular weekly radio spots in Chicago and Cleveland and has appeared on live shows all across the world from Houston to New Zealand. The President of the United States follows him on Twitter (@Paul_M_BanksTSB) You should too

The Minnesota Twins are evidence of Murphy’s Law taking effect this season. Whatever could have gone wrong certainly has for the ball club. That is why it is time for pitching coach Rick Anderson to take his approach and turn it upside down. Some say, “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” This staff is busted into a million little pieces right now.

Glen Perkins has been one of the few hurlers to post a winning record, but it is with such a small sample size that it is hard to get very excited about it. Jim Thome has recently lifted the spirits of those around the team by attaining his 600^th home run. It is especially welcome, because he is the antithesis of Barry Bonds. Everyone has nothing but well wishes to pass along to him to commemorate the tremendous accomplishment.

Rick Anderson should throw pitch counts and innings pitched out the window for the remainder of the season. What he should be looking for is effectiveness no matter for what the duration is. Some of the staff may be attempting to pace themselves to keep some energy in the tank for later innings. Going for broke makes sense at this time because nothing else is working. Having the same approach will only attain similar results.

Heading to a four or six man rotation could do the trick. Either way, players will be taken out of their comfort zone. Being comfortable is fine if everything is matriculating as expected, but it is the last place a pitcher should have refuge if it’s not. The lesser of the two options makes a little more sense because then the squad could be rid of the weakest link. Then this person could still get the normal amount of work done by pitching simulated games. It would make more sense to do this than give him a traditional bullpen role, especially if he is seen as a starter for years to come.

The organization has always had a philosophy of pitching to contact. That shouldn’t be the case any longer because the collective earned run average of the staff is through the roof. Going for strikeouts should take priority now because then they don’t have to pitch out of the stretch and have their focus deviated from the batter. There are many players out of position defensively for the team. This means that the likelihood of getting great plays to bail them out of tenuous situations is slim.

Calling up Zack Greinke of the Milwaukee Brewers would not be a bad idea. He has done a one eighty on his season and could provide a few tips for success. It could be simple things such as diet and a workout regimen. A different game day routine could even make a profound difference in future results attained. Greinke does have a tremendous amount of run support from one of the top two line-ups in the National League, but he has still held up his end of the bargain.

We knew this was coming, just a matter of when. The Chicago Cubs today officially fired General Manager Jim Hendry, naming Assistant GM Randy Bush as his interim successor. Owner Tom Ricketts issued a statement saying that the search for Hendry’s long-term replacement has already begun.

Hendry, 56, was named Vice President/General Manager on July 5, 2002 and departs as the third-longest tenured general manager in the National League. He is the GM in franchise history to oversee three post-season clubs (2003, 2007, 2008) and is the first Cubs general manager to lead the franchise to consecutive post-season berths.

Of course, that accomplishment is a little bit inflated given:

1.) the Cubs prodigiously futile history. and 2.)  the fact that Hendry ruled in an era of playoff expansion, only a handful of Cubs GMs had that advantage. 3.) He had the benefit of building teams with additional payroll; as the Cubs spent a lot more money on players during his era, than in previous regimes.

Hendry was the third-longest-tenured general manager in franchise history behind John Holland (1957-75) and James Gallagher (1940-49).

Overall, Hendry’s legacy is one of mediocre over-spending. His clubs went 749-748 during his time, and he signed the most expensive player in Cub history, Alfonso Soriano. The deal looks like a tremendous albatross today. But Hendry was also responsible for the Kosuke Fukudome and Carlos Zambrano deals, expensive liabilities that hold the club back. Overall, Hendry lasted a season or two longer than he truly deserved. His high point probably came in 2004.

After a surprise NL Central division title in 2003, and an iconic 5-outs-from-the-World-Series showing in that postseason, Hendry had the greatest off-season in Cubs history. Hendry added star players Greg Maddux and Derrek Lee to that winning club. Unfortunately, the St. Louis Cardinals ran away with the division, but Hendry pulled the trigger at the trade deadline to land Nomar Garciaparra. On paper, they should have won the wild card by a large margin, but instead choked it away down the stretch.

The ’08 team Hendry built won close to 100 games; but choked massively in the postseason.

Prior to the Cubs, Hendry spent three seasons in the Florida Marlins organization (1992-94) and eight seasons as the head coach of the Creighton Blue Jays, where he was named the 1991 National Coach of the Year after leading Creighton to a third-place finish in the College World Series.

Bush, 52, has been the assistant general manager with the Cubs for the last five seasons. He joined the Cubs for the second time on January 26, 2005 as a special assistant to the general manager and was promoted to assistant general manager December 20, 2006. Bush also worked for the Cubs in 1999 as minor league hitting coordinator.

A two-time World Champion with the Minnesota Twins (1987 and 1991) as a first baseman/outfielder, Bush played all 12 big league seasons with the Twins from 1982-93 after being selected in the second round of the 1979 Draft.

Paul M. Banks is CEO of The Sports Bank.net, an official Google News site that generates millions of unique visitors. He’s also a regular contributor to Chicago Now, Walter Football.com, Yardbarker, and Fox Sports 

He does regular weekly radio spots in Chicago and Cleveland and has appeared on live shows all across the world from Houston to New Zealand. You can follow him on Twitter

The Minnesota Twins have been plummeting in the American League Central standings. There win percentage may be lower than Adam Dunn’s batting average by the end of September. The Scott Baker injury recently put the icing on the cake of a disastrous season. Fans looking for a bargain in the Twin Cities should look to purchase tickets secondhand during an NFL Sunday. They could pick up the seats for next to nothing.

In analyzing the struggles of the ball club, the most glaring shortcoming is the lack of RBI production from those who should have provided more impressive numbers. Delmon Young, Jason Kubel, Justin Morneau, and Joe Mauer were all expected to have substantially more runs batted in. Usually the team can weather the storm if one of its players falls off, but when it’s almost everyone, good luck.

The lack of production from the starting pitchers is worrisome. During a year where offense took a back seat, the earned run averages of the starting staff is increasing at an alarming rate. Francisco Liriano is very unpredictable. Nick Blackburn can be mistaken for a batting practice pitcher at times. It’s obvious that the rotation is in shambles when Kevin Slowey gets called in for duty out of obscurity and the dog house.

Infielder Tsuyoshi Nishioka doesn’t have the arm to play shortstop in the Major Leagues. He also might not have the mental make-up for overall success. If I had to pick one end of the spectrum for an extreme, it would be lackadaisical over uptight. When the media talked to Ken Griffey Jr. in postgame press conferences, he often couldn’t even tell you the pitchers’ names that he faced or whether they were righties or lefties. Nishioka is not only physically overmatched, but mentally as well.

Injuries have been the most obvious component of the squad’s downfall this season, but the lackluster production from the fringe players is a major concern. Matt Tolbert, Danny Valencia, and Drew Butera hit for dismal averages. Tolbert and Butera also don’t possess the kind of power that can override some of that lack of efficiency.

Joe Mauer and Justin Morneau have long had the reputation as calm, cool, and collected. These are tremendous attributes for baseball players and golfers. Boxers or MMA fighters might not value these traits to quite the same degree. A team, however, does need some fiery characters to keep players on their toes and motivated. Second baseman Orlando Hudson played this role in the past, but one has to wonder where this will come from now.

In September the Twins should take some chances on young players at the AA level. Going for broke with the prospects makes more sense than calling up the same guys repeatedly who have already reached their potential. A long shot can shine through when given the opportunity on occasion. If there are some growing pains along the way, it won’t affect the team’s ability to make the playoffs. The youthfulness could provide the aforementioned spark.

American League fans in Chicago and Minneapolis have experienced tremendous disappointment so far this season. The lackluster play of their clubs has had many sitting on their hands at US Cellular and Target Fields. There are actually tremendous parallels between the two situations. It starts with a list of three disappointing players on each roster.

Jake Peavy came to the windy city with high expectations after all of his past success in San Diego. Unfortunately, his health has taken a turn for the worse and he is now not in his twenties anymore. His record is under five hundred so far this season after twelve starts and he is giving up more than five runs a game.

Adam Dunn is not hitting near his potential. The average at .166 is unthinkable considering his track record in the National League. Does this scenario sound familiar? With under forty runs batted in thus far, he leaves Paul Konerko high and dry in the order. Dunn is listed as the designated hitter, but he has mostly provided strikeouts.

Alex Rios is hitting around two hundred after over one hundred games played. His six home runs and twenty four runs batted in are also anemic. The aforementioned lack of punch in the order has been a major strain on the win totals of the starting pitchers in the rotation. They have done their jobs by and large without support offensively. Rios is obviously not responsible for how much teams want to pay him, but he should feel guilty about his lack of production.

Justin Morneau has been out for around a year due to a concussion and neck issues. I have compared him in the past to Mark Teixeira of the Yankees. He is actually more valuable to the team though because he doesn’t have the likes of Robinson Cano and Curtis Granderson around him. This void has been catastrophic for the Twins.

Joe Mauer will probably take home about three quarters of a million dollars for every run that he drives in this season. His bilateral leg weakness put him on the shelf for an extended portion of the schedule. Ironically, he is still a good value for the organization because of all the revenue he generates through jersey sales, ticket revenue, and a higher asking price for broadcast rights. Nobody loves a hometown hero more than a Minnesotan.

Joe Nathan has not only voluntary taken himself out of the closer role earlier in the season, but he also has missed considerable action. He has only garnered eight saves in eleven opportunities. This doesn’t tell the entire story though, because his walks and hits per innings pitched is only slightly over one. A closer that didn’t close is just one of many issues that Ron Gardenhire has had to sift through.

Front office leaders Ken Williams and Bill Smith have a tremendous amount on their plates as they head into the stretch run. The decisions that they make in the offseason will have ramifications for years to come.