Gardenhire has this fetish for using scrub players way too often. You remember when he would play Denny Hocking often back then. Now, he uses Nick Punto a lot. I know Gardy was a scrub himself so I understand his affinity for them, but this is Major League Baseball and his job is to put the best lineup on a nightly basis. I understand using Punto when you take a series, but this team needs to get a split at least, so why Punto is playing?

exactly...if we have the series then go ahead and play Punto...but I still say that Punto should only be used as defensive sub in late game situations...if he gets more than 100 AB I am going to start a chant at the dome:

"Cut Punto, he sucks."

I'm really hoping for a win tomorrow. If we can get a split, I'll be happy. Then hopefully we can get some more good pitching this weekend against the Royals.

Remember, tomorrow's game is a day game...

I am surprised that Nick Punto does not get booed at games.

I know it's Minnesota Nice, but.

I would boo him just for his appearance at games.

BTW, who has more value on his team? Mark Madsen or Nick Punto.

tough...I would have to say Madsen maybe just because I hate Punto for a good reason...he sucks...plus, Whitman doesnt play bad players (aside from Jaric)

I did think that play by Punto was awesome. And as someone questioned earlier, yes Punto does get a hit before Mormeau...

true...that did surprise me...

here is a late Aprils Fools joke:

Bill Smith after noticing how Punto batted today, traded him to Cincinnati (our fav trade partner), for a highschool player.

Well, that is all folks...

If I could change one thing in this game...it would have been the WP thrown by Blackburn.

oh, and if I could have changed one thing on Offense today...it would have been a Morneau homer in the seventh....

It's been an hour and I am still ticked off after this.

I hope the players are too. Sometimes, I wonder though. I mean as long as they get paid, that's all that matters, right.

I am sure Gardenhire will come up a perfect alibi and he will give that same nonsense talk that he gives after a loss like that one about how the other guy was so good and such. Unreal. That's another thing I hate about Gardy. He always has to give the other teams credit every freaking time the Twins get outworked.

Q: Since Harris has played every game and tomorrow is a night game, will Gardy feel obliged to play Punto at second base in case he "overworks" Harris?

Everett will be at SS, Mauer behind the plate, Kubel will DH, Lamb will hopefully be back at 3B, Cuddy in RF, Gomez in CF, Morneau at 1B, Slowey on the mound, but who will be at 2B?

Make no mistake that Nick Punto is playing tomorrow.

That's a guarantee.

That's what makes it so frustrating.

I am so sure Ron Gardenhire will praise Joe Saunders tonight.

I will scream too when I read it at the Strib and the PP tomorrow.

Hats off to Nick.

Man he was great out on the mound.

He threw strikes. He was very poised. I liked how agresssive he was against Vlad, Garret, Torii and others. In the fifth inning, he threw 49 strikes out of 63 pitches, which is very impressive. He did a darn good job. I am so proud of him. I hope he pitches like that all season. If he does, the Twins got a hidden treasure. Glad to see him to do well. This puts more pressure on Slowey and Boof to perform more than ever.

Yesterday I said the first two games were a karmic methaphor for yin and yang. Today, it's yin and yang and yang. Ugh, as in ugly.

Now the team seems to be pressing. Don't they believe the cliche that it's only the third day of the season?

Two questions that I'm sure someone here knows the answer to:

1. What the heck does Vavra tell the guys during a game about their at-bats? Swing hard and swing early? Try to screw yourself into the dirt at homeplate because it looks good in slow-mo? When you've got a guy on first, whatever you do, don't take a pitch to give the guy a chance steal and get us out of yet another double-play opportunity.

2. Speaking of that, does anyone in the universe ground out to second more than Mauer?