This afternoon the Twins will throw Francisco Liriano at the Pirates.  You can catch the live audio from the game on MLB.com.  Lineups for today:

TWINS
SP Francisco Liriano (LHP)
1. Denard Span, RF
2. Alexi Casilla, 2B
3. Delmon Young, LF
4. Michael Cuddyer, DH
5. Brian Buscher, 1B
6. Wilson Ramos, C
7. Carlos Gomez, CF
8. Matt Tolbert, SS
9. Matt Macri, 3B

RP: R.A. Dickey, Matt Guerrier, Craig Breslow, Jose Mijares, Bobby Keppel and Rob Delaney.

PIRATES
SP Tom Gorzelanny (LHP)
1. Nyjer Morgan, LF
2. Freddy Sanchez, 2B
3. Nate McLouth, CF
4. Ryan Doumit, C
5. Adam LaRoche, 1B
6. Craig Monroe, RF
7. Brandon Moss, DH
8. Andy LaRoche, 3B
9. Jack Wilson, SS

…..

Links from around Twins Nation

Nick and Nick discussing if the Royals are for real.

Twinkie Town’s observations from Spring Training

This week the injury we will be covering is the very common and often debilitating herniated disc. The athlete we will be using as an example will be Joe Crede. A new member of the Minnesota Twins, Crede has had a successful career, and has even appeared in an All-Star game. Unfortunately for Mr. Crede, the last two seasons have been haunted by back pain caused by a herniated disc in the lumbar spine.

History of Joe Crede’s Battle with a Herniated Disc in the Lumbar Spine

Crede’s battle with a herniated disc in the lumbar spine dates back to 2004, a season during which he played in 144 of the White Sox 162 games. White Sox fans know that Joe Crede’s back problems were an on-again, off-again topic through 2005 and 2006, two seasons in which Crede was generally healthy and played in 282 out of 324 games total. Obviously Crede was able to manage the lingering problems from the original injury as he turned in his two best seasons in 2005 and 2006, hitting 52 home runs combined.

In 2007, however, Crede played in only 47 games. After trying epidurals for the pain, he eventually had surgery, a microdisectomy, after being unable to manage the pain any longer. Despite a great first half to 2008, after which Crede played in the All-Star game, the back problems produced by the herniated disc came back in earnest. He again had a microdisectomy, after fluid from the same disc was pinching a nerve.

As mentioned, Joe Crede has tried both epidural shots and surgery to treat his back problems. The following is the opinion of the Mountain View Pain Center, and these are some of the options we offer our patients. It is important to start conservatively and measure the improvements before heading into the surgery. This means working with the body to begin the healing process, before using drugs, or removing something through surgery. Of course, there are several different ways this injury can affect someone, and surgery maybe the only option, but the philosophy of the Mountain View Pain Center is to explore natural ways to heal the body, using surgery as a last option.

Typical Causes of Herniated Discs

Now let us backtrack to the original injury suffered by Joe Crede: the herniated disc in the lumbar spince. The most common cause of disc injury is poor biomechanics (moving improperly, which we are all guilty of doing). Discs are most commonly torn by lifting a weight while twisting; getting something heavy out of the backseat of your car is an example. As we all know in the game of baseball, especially at the plate, the body goes through some twisting and contouring with a driving force.

Typical Symptoms and Non-Surgical Treatments for Herniated Discs

The first step is to determine what symptoms we have and address them accordingly. The most common types of pain from a disc injury are low back pain and/or radiating pain into an extremity. We are using low back pain as our example, but radiating pain into the leg is often experienced with this type of injury. In many cases you can just have leg pain and no back pain. The reason the pain is referred to as “radiating” is because the disc material will bulge out causing inflammation and put pressure on a nerve, and the pain will follow that specific nerve’s pattern. For example, a herniation of the L3 disc will put pressure on the L4 nerve, causing pain to radiate down the posterior (back) of a leg.

To determine if a herniated disc is causing you pain, your doctor will perform an examination and orthopedic tests. If your doctor determines that a disc is the problem, the next step is to take a simple X-ray to rule out any underlying problem with the bones or joints. The next step is an MRI; from here you will be able to see the level and severity of the herniation. It is also important to know that the size of the herniation does not necessarily correspond to the severity of pain. In fact, some people can have a large herniation with no symptoms at all, and some can have a very small lesion and experience immense pain. From the results, the doctor will be able to determine if your herniated disc can be treated with natural therapy or if surgery is required.

The initial phase of such an injury is often described as a patient saying, “I heard a pop and then all of a sudden I was in incredible pain.” The pop they heard is the tearing of the annular fibers of the disc. In the acute stage, or a few days after the injury, a patient can be in a lot of pain, and experience some inflammation and swelling. The patient comes in saying, “Doctor, just get me out of pain, please!” To immediately address the pain, the first step is to reduce swelling by cooling the area with ice, being careful not to put the ice directly on the skin. (Yes, you can get a burn from ice!) You can alternate ice on and off twenty minutes at a time. DO NOT use heat; it will increase swelling and you will regret it. At the Mountain View Pain Center, in this situation we like to use a therapy called Hi Volt, which is an electronic modality. The purpose of this modality is to decrease pain and move that edema (swelling) out of the affected area.

Once the initial pain is relieved, we can begin treatment of the injury. A treatment we often choose to begin with at the Mountain View Pain Center is a method called flexion distraction treatment, coupled with other therapies to reduce swelling. The flexion distraction treatment works by widening the disc space and causing the herniation to essentially get “sucked back into the disc”. This treatment can be done by utilizing chiropractic techniques to relieve pressure on the herniated disc.

Another technique we use is called traction therapy, otherwise known as long axis distraction. Here the doctor will use a DTS machine (decompression therapy) set to specific settings unique to each patient. The machine will gradually begin to pull and will slowly separate the two vertebrae pushing on the disc. The purpose here again is to relieve the pressure on the disc. Many patients have found that treatment with a DTS machine is a safe and cost-effective treatment, and have found relief without the need for surgery.

Once the patient is out of pain, the rehabilitation can begin. It is important to remember that just because the pain is no longer there, it does not mean the disc is back to normal. A full disc recovery can take up to 3 months. The purpose now switches to restoring the body back to its normal function. This is done by low back exercise and simple core exercises. A set of very popular exercises used for disc treatment are called Mackenzie exercise (extension exercises). Your physician will be able to instruct you on the proper way to perform these.

Another preventative step that can be taken is supplementation to strengthen the discs or joints, or supplements that help with inflammation. Check with your doctor or physician before taking any supplements to see what is right for you and make sure there are no risks to taking these vitamins.

Some supplements for simple joint care are:

• Glucosamine sulfate (500mg) with MSM (methylsulfonylmethane) (250mg): Glucosamine sulfate helps to stimulate specific components of your cartilage. MSM helps with pain and has been shown to be an anti-inflammatory
• Omega fatty acids: Many are known as fish oils, they have multiple benefits besides anti-inflammatory, they also build cell membranes, and help improve neurologic and cardiovascular function. Omega fatty acids are not just good for your discs, they are essential to life.
• Quercetin/Bromelain: Also have anti-inflammation effects. These can be found naturally in vitamins, but not usually in the amounts useful to aid in inflammation.

These come in several brands, and we are not here to recommend specific brands of vitamins or supplements, just to inform the sports fans on injuries they see in themselves or many of their favorite athletes. If you decide you would like to know more about a specific vitamin or advice on the supplements we use, feel free to call, and we can point you in the right direction.

At Mountain View Pain Center we have seen and experienced that for the most effective pain recovery, conservative treatments should be utilized first before epidural injections and back surgery. However it is important for your doctor to acknowledge the importance of co-treating patients in their best interest for recovery. At Mountain View Pain Center our primary care is chiropractic and physical therapy, however if we determine a patient can benefit from another provider’s care we will refer them with no questions asked. The goal is to get the patient pain-free and restore them to healthy function in the manner that is most suitable to the patient.

Epidural Injections for Treating Pain Caused by a Herniated Disc

Joe Crede had the option to get an epidural injection, what is that?

An epidural injection is the administration of medication that can cause both a loss of sensation (anesthesia) and a loss of pain (analgesia), by blocking the transmission of signals through nerves in or near the spinal cord. It is used to treat swelling, pain, and inflammation associated with neurological conditions that affect nerve roots, such as a herniated disc and radiculopathy (radiating pain).

The injections themselves can be painful and produce uncertain results. Studies show that epidural injection may provide short-term pain relief for patients when conservative treatments have failed. Simply put, epidural injections do not produce long term results hence the patient has to keep getting them to reduce the symptoms they are having. Possible side effects of epidural shots can be increased pain, loss of sensation, infection, and nerve damage. Follow the link to learn more about the side effects of using epidural injections to treat pain.

Herniated Disc Surgery

When it became clear the injury would not heal on its own, or that natural methods would be unsuccessful in correcting the problem, the choices Joe Crede faced were epidural shots or surgery. Prior to 2007, Crede had been able to manage the pain through at least four epidural treatments. However, in 2007, Crede determined that the temporary relief provided by the epidurals was not enough. At that point he opted for the microdisectomy, and then unfortunately experienced a re-herniation of the same area. Thus, the microdisectomy had to be repeated again a year after the first surgery.

In some circumstances it may be determined that back surgery is the best option. However, surgery is not always needed, and unfortunately many surgeries are unnecessary and cause further complications. Studies have shown that more than half of lower disc surgeries do not successfully relieve symptoms. As mentioned above, at the Mountain View Pain Center we believe that surgery should always be a last-resort option. For Joe Crede, surgery finally came three years after the initial onset of the injury. Despite the relative lack of success Crede experienced with the first surgery for his herniated disc, both he and the Minnesota Twins are hoping that the second microdisectomy will allow him to move forward and have a healthy, productive season.

According to Crede, the early prognosis is that the second surgery appears to have been more successful. His first microdisectomy was performed in L.A., and he says that for 10 days he had to stay in L.A. and had trouble even walking. His second microdisectomy was performed in Dallas, and he says that he was able to go home in two days. Before signing his new contract with the Twins, Crede’s back was examined thoroughly by their medical staff, and “passed with flying colors.” Upon arriving at Twins Spring Training camp in Fort Myers, FL, Crede declared himself “pretty close” to full health

Joe Crede’s Recovery from a Herniated Disc

As for Crede’s recovery, it is hard to tell as we have not treated him, or monitored his progress or rehab program. As mentioned before not all surgeries are successful; however, many surgeries are. As an elite athlete I am sure he has the opportunity to see top-notch doctors, and receive many options of rehab techniques. Of course any fan wishes him a speedy recovery, and hopes to see him out on the field all season long.

Once again, the information and recommendations presented in this article are the professional opinion of the Mountain View Pain Center, and represent some options that we offer to properly treat you and your symptoms. Please contact your primary care physician for more information and what is best for you, and please do not try these treatment recommendations on your own; doctor supervision is required.

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The Trainer’s Room is written exclusively for Midwest Sports Fans by Denver chiropractors Dr. Niall McNally and Dr. Ihsan Erhuy of the Mountain View Pain Center in Denver, CO. You can contact them by leaving a comment below or sending an email to info@mountainviewpaincenter.com.

Dr. Niall McNally is certified in chiropractic neurology and has a strong background in sports injuries and in the rehabilitation of common nagging athletic problems. Dr. McNally also is trained in pediatrics, orthopedics, and nutrition. He graduated from the University of Central Oklahoma and successfully completed his Doctor of Chiropractic degree at the Parker College of Chiropractic in Dallas, TX.

A very active athlete, Dr. McNally played hockey up into the junior level. In fact, it was his love for hockey, and the Colorado Avalanche, that originally gave him the idea to one day practice sports medicine and chiropractics in the area.

Dr. Ihsan Erhuy specializes in motor vehicle accident injures, back, neck, and extremity problems, as well as treating pregnant patients and children. He is certified in the Diversified, Gonstead, Thompson, Upper Cervical, Activator, Sacral Occipital, Applied Kinesiology, Soft Tissue techniques.

Originally from Adana, Turkey, Dr. Erhuy graduated from the University of Arizona and also susuccessfully completed his Doctor of Chiropractic degree, along with his bachelor of science in health and wellness, at the Parker College of Chiropractic in Dallas, TX.

After my misadventure trying to accurately characterize the level of disappointment I felt after hearing that IU had to self-report a minor recruiting violation in the basketball program, and then writing about the rift between Shuan Rogers and Eric Mangini, I feel the need to write something that is decidedly upbeat and positive.

So here they are, the five baseball players that I am rooting for in 2009 who are not playing their home games on the South Side of Chicago.

Joe Crede, 3B, Minnesota Twins

This one is easy.

Ever since Joe Crede was a White Sox farmhand and the heir apparent to Robin Ventura at third base, he has been one of my favorite White Sox players. He was always inconsistent at the plate, but did produce in the clutch — especially during the 2005 World Series run. And what he lacked in consistency at the plate he more than made up for by being one of the best, and most underrated, defensive third baseman of the 2000s.

Questions about Joe Crede’s back and the presence of young talents like Josh Fields and Dayan Viciedo compelled the White Sox to let Joe go, and he ended up in Minnesota. While I feel a natural rivalry with the Twins, I do not hate them like I hate the Indians, Tigers, and Cubs. Something about the way they play and Ozzie’s affinity for the “piranhas” has rubbed off on me. Joe Crede will fit in perfectly with the Twins, and I hope that he stays healthy and has a good season.

Of course, I wouldn’t mind it if he struggles when the Twins play the White Sox, but I hope that he can begin a solid second act in his very solid career. I think all White Sox fans appreciate the many good years that Joe Crede gave us, and I would assume that the majority are wishing him well in his new digs.

Ken Griffey Jr., OF/DH, Seattle Mariners

The Kid’s White Sox career was brief and unspectacular, and is in no way part of the reason why I am rooting for him in 2009. I have always admired Ken Griffey for the all-around excellence of his skills during his amazing first decade in the Major Leagues. It is unfortunate that he was unable to stay healthy in Cincinnati and that he has become “just another guy” since leaving Seattle.

Yet, with each new allegation of steroids that comes to light about baseball’s superstars from the late 90s and early- to mid-00s, Ken Griffey Jr’s accomplishments become more and more impressive. There are very few guys for whom steroid allegations would surprise me anymore, but Griffey is definitely one of them.

Although his skills have eroded and he is not even 50% of the graceful and elegant defensive player he once was, he still has that same sweet (albeit slower) swing and is one of the true, pure legends of the last twenty years in baseball. Now he gets to go home where it all started and provide some nostalgic joy to Mariner fans who may not have much else to cheer for this season. I would love to see Griffey put together an unexpectedly productive season at the plate and every now and then flash the brilliance that made him one of the most exciting young players baseball has ever seen.

Josh Hamilton, OF, Texas Rangers

The real life Roy Hobbs.

I hear that so much living down here in Dallas that it is almost cliche now — but only because it is so exceedingly true.

Josh Hamilton’s story is truly one of redemption and the triumph of the human spirit. I realize that his problems and addictions were almost exclusively self-inflicted, but every now and again it is good and inspiring to see someone lift themselves up after hitting rock bottom, reminding us of just how powerful human will can be when truly put to the test.

Add the backstory to Hamilton’s ridiculous talent and you have one of most compelling figures in all of sports as far as I’m concerned. It goes without saying (although I’m about to say it) that everyone is hoping beyond hope that the redemption story of Josh Hamilton was written without any illegal performance-enhancers and that he can stay on the straight and narrow. If so, he has the ability to become one of baseball’s brightest stars heading into the new decade.

Dontrelle Wills, SP, Detroit Tigers

While living in Miami in 2004 and 2005 I got to witness Dontrelle Willis’ ascension to stardom during his early years with the Florida Marlins. When he first came up with the Fish, he reminded me of the pitching version of a poor man’s Ken Griffey Jr with his attitude and enthusiasm. Yet, Willis’ numbers have always been somewhat up and down — no doubt a byproduct of his unique delivery — and there was the DUI and then the rumors that he and Miguel Cabrera were not exactly the best clubhouse influences during their last year in Miami.

Still, when I think of Dontrelle Willis I think of a guy who is a ball of entertaining energy, who seemed to be maturing as a pitcher before he got to Detroit, and who is renowned for being involved in the community. He is also someone that young African-American baseball players in America can look up to, during a time when African-American representation in the Major Leagues continues to dwindle.

Most of all, I just love watching Dontrelle Willis pitch. Obviously if he makes the Tigers’ rotation he will be pitching for an AL Central enemy of the White Sox, so I hope his control eludes him when the Tigers and White Sox play; but I would like to see Dontrelle make a triumphant return to the Majors and get his career back on the right track.

Albert Pujols, 1B, St. Louis Cardinals

Simply put, he is the most consistently great hitter I have seen in my lifetime. Even better than The Big Hurt.

Look at his career stats — they are unreal from Day One. And so far Pujols has avoided any significant rumors of ever being on steroids. You certainly can’t point to any particular season or groups of seasons as showing a Bonds- or McGwire-type pop in production.

If anything, he would have to have been on steroids his entire career, that’s how great the numbers are that he puts up on annual basis.

Albert Pujols also appears to be the ultimate team player. He has led the Cardinals to an improbable World Series and I have never heard him complain despite a steady erosion over the last couple of years of the offensive production around him in the Cardinals lineup. He just goes out every day and proves that he is the best all-around hitter in the game.

I can tell you right now that if I get the #1 pick in any fantasy drafts this year I won’t even consider A-Fraud — I’ll go right for Pujols. I prefer to pack my fantasy teams with players I actually like rooting for, and few non-White Sox players fit that bill like Albert Pujols.

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So now that I’ve given you my list, it’s your town. Who are the players that are not on your favorite team that you will be rooting for in 2009? The comment section awaits.

He will be missed and the reactions on Chicago’s 670 The Score this morning had the Southside callers sick to the stomach at the idea that Minnesota, of all teams, signed him. This sentiment will fade in due time, but if he’s in the playoffs this year and The Good Guys are not, I will cut myself.

Not really, but I will NOT root for the Twinkies.

Side note: I have thought about if anyone else would laugh (besides me) if Kirby Puckett made a come back and Bobby Jenks plunked him in his good eye, blinding him in both for good. Don’t judge. I always will laugh at multiple pudgy baseball statures like Bobby Jenks, Kirby Puckett, John Kruk, Fernando Valenzuela….Mike LaValliere.

Where was I?

Oh yeah, Joe Crede. I am afraid Crede’s career might not be totally over after the Minnesota signing, though it is only a one year deal. But then again I wouldn’t ever make that claim — unless, that is, the Cubs signed him (where every player goes to die). Rest In Peace Milton Bradley.

Joe, I hope you come to MSF, get this file, and download it to your IPod before you go hunting in Missouri and listen. Because Hawk Harrelson calling your clutch home runs is priceless. Thanks for giving us life at 3B after Robin Ventura. (FYI…I cut this from highlights played by Waddle and Silva on 670am The Score 06.08.2008:

Hawk Loves Joe Crede

And just in case you don’t want to download the mp3, here is a little picture video in tribute to Joe Crede:

Howard Sinker – “It’s a good move”
How does this look to you (Joe Crede addition edition)?

Twinkie Town – “If he’s healthy enough to log all those plate appearances, I’m optimistic he’s also healthy enough to provide some pretty good defense at the hot corner as well. If the worst happens and he’s unable to shake his injuries, then there’s nothing about this contract that will handcuff the organization.”
Crede Signs With Twins; Cruz In the Works?

SethSpeaks – “I am completely comfortable with the contract they have agreed to. The risk is eliminated”
Belief in Crede? Let’s See!

Twins Territory – “Unbelievable deal”
Crede’s a Twin

Midwest Sports Fans – “It’s a great evening to be a Twins fan”
Joe Crede to Sign With Minnesota | Juan Cruz Deal Looming

Twins Geek – “Not great, but [we're] quite a bit better than [we] looked 48 hours ago”
Big Rocks

Nick and Nick – Would much rather the Twins have gone after Mark DeRosa or Orlando Hudson
Another Ship Sails

Reports indicate that the Minnesota Twins have inked a deal with All-Star third basemen Joe Crede. Given that he can stay healthy, Crede provides stability at a position that has been an anomaly for the Twins since the days of Corey Koskie. There have been plenty of debates about whether the Twins should sign the former White Sox third basemen to a deal given his health problems, but no one has doubted the upgrade that he provides when healthy.

LaVelle Neal also reports that Minnesota is preparing to do a sign and trade with Arizona for reliever Juan Cruz, speculating that it could happen within the next 24 hours. Maybe Boof Bonser’s shoulder is worse than management thought. It’ll be interesting to see what names get tossed on the table to get Cruz.

I don’t know what you guys did with the Minnesota Twins front office, but I’m loving it.

…

Quick preview of the new batting order with the addition of Crede:

Order:
Span
Casilla
Mauer
Morneau
Crede
Kubel
Cuddyer
Punto
Gomez

Bench:
Young/Harris/Buscher/Redmond…

Rotation
Liriano/Baker/Slowey/Blackburn/Perkins

Relief:
Nathan/Cruz/Crain/Ayala/Breslow/Guerrier/Mijares/Bonser/Humber

Of course, the Twins are going to have to make some decisions on their 40-man shortly, but I think that Twins Nation will be more than willing to have to make those choices given the circumstance.

It’s a great evening to be a Twins fan!

The Twins however seem to have set their sights on Juan Cruz. Cruz has played for the Cubs, Braves, A’s, and Diamondbacks and has had quite the up and down career, having twice exceeded the 6 ERA mark. However, Juan Cruz’s best year was arguably last season as he produced a 2.61 ERA over 57 games and would almost certainly be the Twins’ set-up man. This is speculation that LaVelle Neal cites, but nevertheless its good hot stove news and keeps the Twins faithful hopeful after a lackluster offseason.

No news out of the Joe Crede-front over the past 48 hours. Given the market, it seems imminent that he will sign a contract with Minnesota as heavy rumors have pointed in that direction last weekend. If healthy, Crede’s bat would vastly improve our lineup – but it’s quite the risk for him to stay healthy playing 81 games. But as for now, we haven’t heard much from the Crede-front since last week.

Teams linked to Crede:
Minnesota – Harris/Buscher
Giants – Sandoval, Aurillia, Uribe

Teams who may be able to use him:
Tigers – Inge
Phillies – Feliz
Cardinals – Glaus (Injured through April, Crede could be a replacement)
Astros – Blum/Boone

Teams that have shown mild interest but probably can’t use him:
Angels – Figgins (Rumored to have some interest, just signed Abreu so I doubt the spend any more, especially with Figgins)
Rangers – Young (Attended his workout, probably no longer interested knowing Young will be a Ranger in 2009)

Teams who have a very slim chance:
Royals – Gordon
Blue Jays – Rolen
Nationals – Zimmerman
Diamondbacks – Reynolds
Marlins – McPherson (Won’t pay for him)
Dodgers – Blake (Just signed Blake, but always have cash)
White Sox – Fields (Don’t want him back)
Pirates – LaRoche – (Reportedly not interested)
Brewers – Hall/Lamb (Not likely, seem to be satisfied with Bill Hall/Mike Lamb)

Teams who have no chance in acquiring Crede:
Boston – Lowell
Yankees – Rodriguez (Unless something really funky happens here with the steroid case)
Orioles – Mora
Rays – Longoria
Indians – DeRosa
Mariners – Beltre
Athletics – Chavez
Mets – Wright
Braves – Jones
Cubs – A. Ramirez
Rockies – Atkins
Padres – Kouzmanoff
Reds – Encarnacion

This boils the market down to essentially 8 teams who have or could have marginal interest in acquiring Joe Crede for the 2009 season. Of those who haven’t expressed public interest: The Tigers, Phillies, Astros, and Diamondbacks could feasibly use him and should be able to withstand the payroll hit associated with acquiring Crede. Another team who could have interest, the St. Louis Cardinals, lost Troy Glaus through mid-April and have a chance to be interested in him as a temporary replacement knowing Glaus’s health history.

But again, none of these teams have publicly expressed interest and this is entirely speculation.

Of those who have shown interest, the Rangers probably are out now knowing that Michael Young is sticking around for 2009. The other team with mild reports of interest are the Angels, but with the recent addition of Bobby Abreu, it seems likely they’re done spending.

The one team that has actually offered Crede a contract seems to be going in a different direction. San Francisco’s recent signings of Aurillia and Uribe seem to signal that they are moving away from the Crede offer, if they haven’t pulled it already. Combine Aurillia and Uribe with Sandoval and it seems like they’re content throwing a bunch of mediocrity at the wall and hoping something sticks.

But again, these are all potential teams Crede could go to. Only the Giants and Twins have actually shown interest, but even then it seems like the Giants have lost their lust for him. And the Twins know that.

The Twins are still in on him. With such a limited market for Mr. Crede, the Twins are likely laying low, waiting for him to pull his ridiculous $7M price tag down due to lack of interest. Until then, Scott Boras and the Twins FO will be content playing the waiting game.

In other Crede news today:

LaVelle Neal just posted a nice piece on the value of Joe Crede based on the top performing third basemen last year. Right now Crede wants $7M with incentives up to $11M. LaVelle thinks that $5M with incentives just past $8 seems fair.

With the addition of Ayala, our relief options have opened up. We won’t have to see guys like Guerrier, Crain and Breslow every night meaning that we will have much fresher arms in the latter part of the season, something that lost us a chance at the postseason in ’08. Ayala has gotten a pretty bad rap among fan commentary, but given the right situation; he should be a good fit in our relief rotation and should compete for the setup job.

A Joe Crede signing is looming.

In a press conference yesterday, Jim Pohlad stated that a Joe Crede signing made sense to him:

“We’re not done. The season hasn’t started yet,” Pohlad said. “Frequently, transactions do occur during Spring Training, so it still could happen. There is nothing from us saying, ‘Don’t go get anyone. We’re done. Go into the season and keep your fingers crossed.’ … We still have room in our payroll, and if there are opportunities [to add a player], we’ll pursue them.

Pohlad doesn’t make the personnel decisions, he just cuts the checks, but we at least we know Pohlad’s wallet isn’t holding up the deal. Pohlad was optimistic that the Twins were not done making deals this offseason, contrary to previous reports.

Scott Boras also had some noteworthy quotes this week regarding Joe Crede:

“Joe Crede has been cleared to play and is ready to compete every day, as any other player would be going to camp,” Boras said. “And he’ll be doing so in about 10-14 days…Joe Crede is healthy, the playing surface he plays on is not an issue.”

Boras is obviously trying to sell his client to the Twins, noting that he is healthy and the playing surface (the Metrodome turf) is not an issue. Crede’s back problems have worried Twins officials for some time as playing on turf only intensifies the likelihood of injury.

Acquiring a healthy Joe Crede would be a huge upgrade for Minnesota. Crede hit 17 home runs before his injury as he was on pace to put 30 over the fence by season end. If we get anywhere near that sort of performance from Crede and the rest of our team stays healthy, we should be eyeing postseason play. But again, the keyword being a ‘healthy’ Crede.

Brandon Warne from SethSpeaks.net puts together an argument against acquiring Joe Crede, stating that a Buscher/Harris platoon puts up similar numbers at a fraction of Crede’s cost and health problems.

Jim Pohlad also pointed out that payroll should significantly increase after 2009 as several players are up for arbitration (that and a massive Joe Mauer contract is looming). This gives us some hope that we can keep the core of our young talent together for a few more years, but fans are skeptical as the Pohlads have promised an increased payroll for years.

The Twins also reached middle ground with Matt Guerrier on Thursday, signing him to a 1.475MM dollar one year deal for 2009. Guerrier’s a good pitcher who is best noted for being overworked during the latter part of the 2008 season.

In what could only be called a huge success, thousands upon thousands flocked to the Metrodome to catch a glimpse of their favorite players and take part in the many events and attractions the event had to offer. Even the line getting into the stadium formed hours before the doors were opened. But those willing fight frostbitten hands and frozen feet were rewarded with prized autographs from Joe Mauer, Justin Morneau, and about 50 other current and former Minnesota Twins.

Even Harmon Killebrew came out to sign for the fans all weekend.

Lines ranged from being 3.5 hours at the longest for Mauer and Morneau, to lines where you could walk right up to the players and within seconds have a signature. It all depended on who was signing at what times, locations, and even who was signing after that group at the same location.

Lines could look deceptively long at any point because everyone could be queuing up for the group signing after the current one. This made for some comedy when the Carlos Gomez line (who was signing after Casilla and Slowey at the same location) was wrapping around the bottom of the stadium prior to him signing, leaving a massive queue for Alexi Casilla and Kevin Slowey with literally no one coming up to ask for their autographs as fans would be jeopardizing their spot in line to grab a Gomez sig (Carlos Gomez is quite the draw among Twins fans). On average the lines would take 45 minutes to get through depending on the time you arrived at the queue, but there was quite a big variation from line to line.

If you were an autograph seeker, ‘hurry up and wait’ was the name of the game all weekend.

Guys who seemed genuinely excited to be there for the fans: Joe Nathan, Ben Revere, Alexi Casilla, and Ron Gardenhire come to mind; and there didn’t seem to be a bad egg among the bunch. It helps that in Minnesota that you seem to always be rooting for a group of ‘good guys’ (not to be confused with Hawk and DJ’s misinterpretation of ‘good guys’).

TwinsFest was an excellent event that certainly raised its share of money for the community fund it sponsors. Nearly every player gave up their weekend to sign autographs, take pictures, and talk with the local radio station. It’s a wonder why more teams don’t do this.

A quick photo diary of the weekend:

View of Twinsfest from inside the Metrodome. Thousands of fans showed up for the event raising a substantial amount of money for the local community.

Local sports writer La Velle Neal chats with former members of the Twins.

Justin Morneau signing autographs in the press box. Morneau’s line took many over 3 hours on Sunday.

Joe Mauer signing autographs in the press box. Mauer, fortunately, will be ready for opening day.

Harmon Killebrew, the greatest Minnesota Twin ever, signs autographs. Killebrew’s line was relatively short on Sunday taking less than 30 minutes.

Carlos Gomez signs autographs in the center of the stadium. This area was the chaotic part of TwinFest as hundreds of people lined up for these autographs caused lines and bottlenecks all over the Metrodome floor.

An upstairs queue where you would typically find a Mauer, Morneau, or Killebrew signing. These lines were massive and you had to make sure you were close enough to the player in the queue, because when their time for signing was up, everyone who was still in line gets shut out.

In other news:

The team reports to Florida in a few weeks!

Jason Kubel’s deal is rumored to be 2 years and $7M dollars. Solid signing for the Twins.

Brandon Lyon and Russ Springer seem to have signed elsewhere, leaving Eric Gagne as the last remaining free agent reliever with rumors tying to Minnesota.

Joe Crede is still a large target on Minnesota’s radar. He will work out next week for the Giants and Twins. MLBTradeRumors.com believes that he will be in Minnesota when it’s all said and done. We’ll see how much a year on our concrete turf plays a factor as his aging body hasn’t faired too well in recent memory.

Fans have thrown Ben Sheets’ name around with the Twins a few times this week, but there really isn’t any traction there.

Joe Mauer will be ready to go on Opening Day after minor kidney surgery. Good news for the Twins faithful as a fast start would be a welcomed change for Minnesota.

Other than that everything’s been pretty quiet in the AL Central this week.

So what possibly could the Twins be thinking?

Minnesota must not have thought the price of DeRosa or Blake was worth the premium on production of a Buscher/Harris platoon. Crede seems to be too much of a health risk. Beltre and Wigginton seem to be too pricey. Gun-shy from the previous failures of similar signings in Mike Lamb and Adam Everett, it may be the case that the Twins want to play the wait-and-see game, that is, until the midseason trade deadline.

The hope is that someone emerges at the trade deadline that either has a bigger bat or comes at a smaller price. If the Twins are in contention at midseason, they pull the trigger on somebody that helps push them over the hump, knowing that it will be money well spent. If Minnesota is already out of contention by the trade deadline, they wouldn’t have wasted precious dough on someone that probably wouldn’t have made up the difference of them being in or out of playoff contention. At that point, management would probably just wait and see how Danny Valencia has progressed, a third base prospect the organization is pretty excited about.

In other news: Kenshin Kawakami signed a three year deal with the Atlanta Braves. It was wishful thinking that the Twins would pick him up and round out our opening day staff, but it certainly wasn’t a necessity. No rumor on the price tag.

LEN3 reports that the Twins do not seem to be in the running for Joe Crede as his health risk is a factor. Only in the case that Crede “is healthy” and “lets it be known that he’s not afraid of Field Turf for one season” that the Twins would give him a shot. He’s thirty years of age and hasn’t played a full season since 2006, do the math.

In more exciting news, the Twins may take a look at Chad Cordero who played long toss for several teams this week. Cordero missed quite a bit of time after shoulder surgery but certainly could be a nice 8th inning setup man, especially if he returns to a glimmer of his previous form. Currently the Diamondbacks, Brewers, Mets, Rangers, and Tigers seem to be taking a look.

Also, former Twin J.C. Romero got busted for doping. He’s denying it.

Quick AL Central Round Up:

Cleveland signed Carl Pavano to a one year, $1.5 Million deal with $5.3 more in incentives. Seems to be pretty low risk at that price, but again, he’s already guaranteed more than almost our entire staff this season, which is amazing to think about. Couple this with the DeRosa signing and its apparent the Indians are trying to close some much needed gaps from last season.

The White Sox may be looking to deal Jermaine Dye. This would be a huge boost to the rest of the AL Central as Dye always seems to be the toughest out in Chicago.

The Tigers seem to be pretty quiet right now, only eyeing a little relief help.

Kansas City signed utility man Willie Bloomquist to a 2 year, $3 Million dollar deal. Just pointing out that’s less than half the price of Punto.

Juan Uribe and his regal goatee are the best thing that the Sox could have hoped for down the stretch. Starting the year, no Sox fan would have told you that the key moment would have happened at the end of July when we realized that “GoldenTee” was the man on the hot corner.

I remember sitting at game against Cleveland in June, up around section 526 thinking, “Man, Crede is in a contract year. How much is it gonna’ cost to lock that down?” He was hot, a third baseman that made White Sox fans love everything happening on the left side of the field in combination with Carlos Quentin being the most underrated thing in baseball coming out of Arizona. The glove of Joe Crede was like a wall and our ground ball pitchers, like Marky Mark Buehrle, loved that security. Buehrle loved it so much he won every game he started in June and had an ERA of 1.60. John Danks floated down to 2.10 that same month. It seemed like, with that defense, all we had to do was hit a few homers, coming from anywhere in the lineup, and we could win big games. We did, too, sweeping both the Cubs and Twins.

Then comes July, things start slowing down and sure enough Crede gets sent to the sixty day DL on the 25^th. Who waltzes in but the Golden Boy himself. We were skeptical: the bat, the feet, the beard. Plus, who could replace Joe Crede down the stretch?

The reporters were merciless on manager Ozzie Guillen, not giving Uribe any staying power: “What’s the word on Crede?” “When do you expect Joe to return?”,”Any injury updates? Joe Crede?”, “Can you call Joe Crede at his home and ask him if he thinks he can play soon?” Until he officially said on September 5th, “I have to be honest with you because I’m tired of people asking me the same question about Joe. Joe is not going to be with us and I don’t expect him to be back [this] season. I don’t know if it’s going to be true or not. That’s my plan.”

Finally, fans and media stopped and realized…Wait a second, the Wizard of Oz is right again. Juan Uribe has stepped up. Take your time in Charlotte, Joe, and get that back healthy, bud.

Juan Uribe did step up, by the numbers and otherwise – Crede batting .248 on the year and Uribe at .255 were even. Crede tossed up 17 homers to Juan’s 7, but Juan was almost perfect in the field, He only had 8 errors in 98 games, to Crede’s 20 errors in 97. He more than stepped up; he overshadowed Joe Crede. That may have been because of his bulky frame and huge rear but nonetheless, who needs Smokin’ Joe, when you got Fumando Juando?

What isn’t seen on paper or in the interviews are the intangibles. He’s known as a vet, a team guy and someone that brings that energy back to the sometimes childish locker room. What more can you ask for when a huge injury scares everyone heading into crunch time, and you are trying to fend off a Minnesota Twins team always within striking distance?

By September even Ozzie was scared, “I know it’s been the hardest season because for the first time since I’ve been here, we weren’t expected to win.” He followed that with “If we don’t win this thing, it’s almost like I wasted my time, I wasted my players’ time, their effort.”

But the gang held on. Players stepped up.  Then it looked like Crede was back and Ozzie pulled Orlando Cabrera, and dropped Uribe at short. Orlando Cabrerra got a late scare and a wakeup call in Baltimore with Uribe filling in at shortstop for a few appearances. OC probably wondered if his job was safe, with Uribe so solid and while Crede looked like he might get the corner back. Orlando Cabrera realized he needed to start picking up his game and that he wasn’t getting paid $10 million for laying down on the job. Cruise control was getting him nowhere in July but when he felt a little fire under him in August, he popped up batting .292 at the end of August. When Crede landed back on the DL, it put Uribe back at third. Then, OC held on, getting real serious about his job and is batting .365 here in September.

When then Sox needed Juan Uribe, he kept them up. He stepped up huge when an All-Star fell to injury. Then he played so well, Crede didn’t need to come back and OC needed to step up. Juan Uribe kept the Sox moving, and lifted the play of his team through the second half of the season, doing his job on and off the field. People saw the team sliding at any moment. We slipped a little here and there but managed to stay alive and a half a step ahead of the Twins till this point. This team has proved their toughness with the help of the Sox “Golden Boy” this year. All you gotta’ wonder is will this carry them into the postseason and how far can we go when we get there?