Weaver taking a no - no into the 9th.

 

Would have been perfect but batter got on on a strike 3 passed ball.

The Twins are really, really bad. I'd go as far to say they're in worse shape than the Astros, as at least the Astros have decent young players.

The Twins are really, really bad. I'd go as far to say they're in worse shape than the Astros, as at least the Astros have decent young players.

 

And he no-hits them. Good! Twins turning around seasons for Red Sox and now Angels.

Where was that pitch to Span?

 

I'd call a strike too.

I've always loved Weaver.

The Twins are really, really bad. I'd go as far to say they're in worse shape than the Astros, as at least the Astros have decent young players.

 

Twins offense is fine. They need new middle infielders, but they have a really nice core group of guys that can hit the ball. Obviously not tonight, but it's good enough. Plus they have some good hitters in the minors too, so they'll be able to make those additions just fine.

 

The main problem is that they have no pitching. They have a team ERA of 5.59 and their starters have had just 5 quality starts in 24 games. Seriously. Wrap your mind around the fact that Jake Peavy has as many quality starts as the entire Minnesota Twins do, and then you realize how bad that pitching staff is. And, unless I'm missing something, there isn't a lot on the way up either.

 

Denard Span needs to be the first one to go for them. Mauer and Morneau are far too expensive and injury riddled to get much of anything for, but the Astros got 4 decent players for Bourn, so I don't see why the Twins can't do the same with Span.

 

The Twins are an incredibly loyal organization, so I might be wrong, but I don't think Gardenhire will be back next year barring something miraculous (and with Pavano, Blackburn, and Marquis in the rotation, I don't see any miracles on the way). That entire team seems like it needs a new face, and following this year is probably the time.

 

What's more amazing to consider is that, in my lifetime, the Twins have had 2 managers. I turn 25 in July. The Sox have had like 7 or 8 or I don't know, and the Marlins have had like 8 different managers and they've been around fewer than 20 years. It's stupid.

Twins offense is fine. They need new middle infielders, but they have a really nice core group of guys that can hit the ball. Obviously not tonight, but it's good enough. Plus they have some good hitters in the minors too, so they'll be able to make those additions just fine.

 

The main problem is that they have no pitching. They have a team ERA of 5.59 and their starters have had just 5 quality starts in 24 games. Seriously. Wrap your mind around the fact that Jake Peavy has as many quality starts as the entire Minnesota Twins do, and then you realize how bad that pitching staff is. And, unless I'm missing something, there isn't a lot on the way up either.

 

Denard Span needs to be the first one to go for them. Mauer and Morneau are far too expensive and injury riddled to get much of anything for, but the Astros got 4 decent players for Bourn, so I don't see why the Twins can't do the same with Span.

 

The Twins are an incredibly loyal organization, so I might be wrong, but I don't think Gardenhire will be back next year barring something miraculous (and with Pavano, Blackburn, and Marquis in the rotation, I don't see any miracles on the way). That entire team seems like it needs a new face, and following this year is probably the time.

 

What's more amazing to consider is that, in my lifetime, the Twins have had 2 managers. I turn 25 in July. The Sox have had like 7 or 8 or I don't know, and the Marlins have had like 8 different managers and they've been around fewer than 20 years. It's stupid.

 

Losing Kyle Gibson to TJ surgery really set them back. Obviously, Baker too, but Baker was never more than a solid/decent 3/4 type of guy, their equivalent of Gavin Floyd with a notch less in terms of stuff.

 

Carroll and whoever they're playing at 2B (and nothing was worse than Nishioka and Casilla last year, well, maybe Tolbert and Hughes) are just band-aids.

 

Ben Revere looks like another Span without as much pop in his bat or the ability to get on base via the walk. Aaron Hicks has yet to fulfill his potential, too.

 

They're in a similar situation with us vis a vis Morel/Beckham with Danny Valencia, they'll have to be patient with him. But this is kind of his make-or-break season.

 

The Ramos/Capps trade was another mind-blowing one, to go along with Hoey for JJ Hardy. If you plugged Ramos and Hardy into that line-up, it would instantly be more formidable, but it's still coming down to the health of Mauer and Morneau and the weight of their huge contracts around the neck of the franchise.

 

They're going to have to clear the decks by dealing Span, trying to get SOMETHING for Liriano (talk about past the sell-by date, last year after his no-hitter against us he was still a valuable commodity around the game), just get Matt Capps off the books completely...

 

 

 

 

Weaver taking a no - no into the 9th.

 

Would have been perfect but batter got on on a strike 3 passed ball.

 

He walked a batter too, unless of course that walk took place after the 3rd strike pass ball, and would have been the 3rd out. I have no idea if that was the case though.

He walked a batter too, unless of course that walk took place after the 3rd strike pass ball, and would have been the 3rd out. I have no idea if that was the case though.

 

No. Passed ball in the 2nd, walk in the 7th.

The Twins are really, really bad. I'd go as far to say they're in worse shape than the Astros, as at least the Astros have decent young players.

 

Plus they still owe $189 million to Mauer and Morneau (counting this year). To put that in perspective the Sox owe $91.5 million to Peavy, Rios, and Dunn.

I've always loved Weaver.

 

How many no-hitters/perfect games is that since 2010? Gotta be around 10 (not including Armando Gallaraga's). It's still a big accomplishment whenever somebody pulls it off. But it definitely isn't what it once was. Back-2-back no hitters should be the new OMG standard.

http://sports.yahoo.com/news/jered-weaver%...EYUuEuMHuo5nYcB

 

Jered Weaver’s no-hitter for the Angels came with relief, just not the usual kind

 

By Jeff Passan | Yahoo! Sports – 6 hours ago

 

Protocol called for Jered Weaver to sit in the same spot on the bench, all alone with his thoughts, ready to stifle the Minnesota Twins for one more inning and record a no-hitter. Except that Wednesday night, baseball etiquette had to wait.

 

Nature called first.

 

An emotional Jered Weaver hugs his father, Dave, after recording the final out of his no-hitter. (AP)"I had to pee so bad," Weaver told MLB Network about his sprint to the restroom following the eighth inning. "Superstition had to go out the window."

 

Turns out the baseball gods have bladders, too, and they wouldn't dare smite the brilliance Weaver had spent 2½ hours fashioning beforehand. It was plenty easier to record the final three outs without his kidneys feeling like they're going to burst, and that's exactly what the 29-year-old did to polish off the best performance of his career and the second no-hitter in this young baseball season.

 

The most ill-timed bathroom break since Forrest Gump told President Kennedy he had to pee ended up a humorous addendum to a magical evening for a Los Angeles Angels club devoid of many through its first 25 games. For one night at least, nobody cared that Albert Pujols went homerless again.

 

Everyone hung on Weaver's 121 pitches, particularly the final 10 in the ninth. Twins shortstop Jamey Carroll hit one as far as Jamey Carroll can, and it went in the scorebook as a flyout to left field. Denard Span worked a strong at-bat until Weaver caught him looking at a front-door two-seam fastball that would have made Greg Maddux proud. And Alexi Casilla sent Torii Hunter back in right field until he secured a tough on-the-run catch and started the celebration.

 

"Yeah!" screamed Weaver's dad, Dave. "He (expletive) did it!"

 

Moments earlier, with one out separating his son from history, Dave Weaver did what any dad would: He picked up his plastic cup of beer and took a nice tug. It was like he knew he'd be celebrating and wanted to pregame a little.

 

The festivities turned emotional from the jump. Water welled in Weaver's eyes soon after he locked down the 10th no-hitter in Angels history, and it expelled itself as he hugged his dad. Dave Weaver raised two major-league sons, Jered and older brother Jeff, and short of Jeff locking down the 2006 World Series for the St. Louis Cardinals, dad couldn't have a prouder moment.

 

Jered always was different – a little gawkier than Jeff and without quite the harrumph on his stuff. Of the 112 starting pitchers who qualify this season, Weaver ranks 93rd in average fastball velocity at 88.6 mph. Unlike Justin Verlander, Weaver doesn't gain velocity as the game goes on. He peppered the ninth-inning strike zone with 86- and 87-mph fastballs.

 

Yes, fastballs.

 

And because he's got such artistic command of the strike zone – his career strikeout-to-walk ratio is 3.23-to-1, and it was 9-to-1 Wednesday – Weaver can get away with what otherwise would seem a junk fastball. His awkward delivery, how he hides the ball with a purpose, the Southern California haircut – it's all part of the package with Weaver. A package that the baseball-worst Twins mustered nothing against

 

This was the sort of thing the Angels hoped for when they locked Weaver into a five-year, $85 million deal last season. Considering that Weaver's agent, Scott Boras, builds much of his reputation around massive free agent scores, Weaver re-signing before he hit the feeding frenzy – and at a below-market rate – represented a touchstone moment for the Angels.

 

"This is why I stayed here," Weaver told the crowd. "For you guys."

 

They feted him appropriately, and off he went into the clubhouse, into the night, into the remainder of a season still ripe with possibilities and a career with potential to be among the best of his generation. No matter how bad the Twins are, Jered Weaver made his first no-hitter look all too easy.

 

Easy as one, two, pee.

Jon Morosi ‏ @jonmorosi

 

First round of ’04 draft has thrown four no-hitters: Verlander (2), Humber, Weaver. Next up, Phil Hughes? @GioGonzalez47?

Plus they still owe $189 million to Mauer and Morneau (counting this year). To put that in perspective the Sox owe $91.5 million to Peavy, Rios, and Dunn.

 

That's got to be a near death sentence for that franchise the next ...., how many years is that over? I can't say that I would ever feel bad for the Twins, but those were pretty foolish contracts that they gave to those 2 guys. I know that they had to answer to what would have been an angry fan base if they would of let Mauer go in free agency, but that would of looked like a brilliant move now. I believe at the time they signed those guys they had at least a strong clue to the long term health prognosis of both of them.

 

It would of taken a G.M. with some stones not to do it, but it would of been the correct move to let them walk, or trade them a year or so prior to them walking. Does anyone remember the prospects that they were offered for Mauer ( I think from the Yankees) a year or so before his free agency?

Plus they still owe $189 million to Mauer and Morneau (counting this year). To put that in perspective the Sox owe $91.5 million to Peavy, Rios, and Dunn.

 

Morneau is only due $28 mil through 2013. It's the $161 mil through 2018 due to Mauer that is gonna really hurt them.

Morneau is only due $28 mil through 2013. It's the $161 mil through 2018 due to Mauer that is gonna really hurt them.

 

The Sox owe less than that to Rios.

The Sox owe less than that to Rios.

Well yeah, but we also owe Rios $12.5 million for 2014 (+$1 million buyout) while Morneau's contract is over after 2013.

Sad Panda

 

Henry Schulman ‏ @hankschulman

 

CONFIRMED: Pablo Sandoval has fractured his left hamate bone.

Finally given a chance to (mostly) start, Kila Ka'ahuie is hitting .314 so far, .375 OBP. He leads all Oakland regulars by 39 and 18 points in each of those categories thus far. Not showing much power yet, but still, doing pretty well in his first year with starting AB's. And his minor league numbers would indicate the power will come too, with time.

 

Finally given a chance to (mostly) start, Kila Ka'ahuie is hitting .314 so far, .375 OBP. He leads all Oakland regulars by 39 and 18 points in each of those categories thus far. Not showing much power yet, but still, doing pretty well in his first year with starting AB's. And his minor league numbers would indicate the power will come too, with time.

 

Soxtalk's favorite ex-Royal

Mariano Rivera was helped up off the ground and put on a cart.

 

He may have blown out a knee shagging BP.

Mariano Rivera was helped up off the ground and put on a cart.

 

He may have blown out a knee shagging BP.

Holy S***

They're just saying "twisted knee" and an MRI is set for tonight.

 

I saw the video. Rivera went back to the wall on a Jayson Nix-hit flyball. Planted his foot on the track and was hurt before he even touched the wall. So it wasn't like he was goofing around trying to steal a BP homer.

 

Unfortunate. I hope he's ok.

That would just destroy the Yankees.

Video

 

http://espn.go.com/new-york/video/clip?id=7888283