Carlos Gomez - Which Side of My Brain Wins?

Throughout my schooling & work life, I was frequently given the opportunity to take various personality tests, many of which would establish whether I was dominant in my left or right brain. All that was actually established is that I clearly have no idea. Sometimes I was barely left, sometimes barely right, and almost anytime the middle was an option, I seemed to fall right there (no pun intended). This makes sense for many reasons: I write & eat left handed, yet am right handed in any athletic activities, and text message right handed as well. I was a teaching assistant for a Logic class in college, yet I spent my younger years writing stories, telling myself stories when I was bored, thinking up imaginary worlds, etc. (no, I didn't think I was in those imaginary worlds, so I wasn't completely nuts). Just like all those personality tests, the trade of Minnesota Twins outfielder Carlos Gomez to the Milwaukee Brewers for shortstop J.J. Hardy leaves me right in the middle.

Since Americans always lean toward the right first (when two paths appear, we veer right; in retail stores, we go right first...sometime go ahead and compare the right & left sides of a Best Buy store), I will start with the left. I like this trade. Carlos Gomez is a coveted "5 tool" player, but at times he seems to have left most of the tools in the box at home (for those who don't know, a 5 tool player is considered to be excellent in speed, hitting power, hitting average, fielding ability & throwing ability). We all know Gomez had speed & combined with his great glove, he could make some amazing plays. However, his strong arm had a tendency to throw about 15 feet to the side of his intended target, his power numbers are barely above little Nicky Punto, and his batting average is, well, average.

Then there is that small issue of a crowded outfield. Denard Span has shown that he needs to be an everyday player, and now he will be the Centerfielder, and not the utility outfielder. Michael Cuddyer had a phenomenal year, and with Justin Morneau taking back 1st base, Cuddy will return to right field. Delmon Young used late August & September to give us a glimpse of why he was drafted #1 overall by the Tampa Bay (then) Devil Rays. He is still the most awkward runner I have ever seen, but apparently has some speed if you can get past the complete lack of style. GM Billy Smith said Delmon had become a better teammate as well, which is important. Now if only Jose Mijares could get someone to hit him more often, since that really fired him up,so he could knock out 50 homers a year...and finally, Jason Kubel.

Kubel should be the everyday DH, but he likes to play in the field, so every so often Gardy will throw him out there in right or left. When he gets to the ball, he actually is a much better fielder than people give him credit for, but the key phrase is "when he gets to the ball." I'm not sure who would win a foot race between Kubel and nearly 40-yr old Mike Redmond. So the outfield is full, and Gomez was spending most games on the bench, until being inserted late as a defensive replacement. His tendency to swing out of his shoes at any count, in any game situation, which put him at a disadvantage against most pitchers in the league. Plus, speed on the bases is only good if you know how to use it. He seemed to think he could outrun the ball on throws to second, which led to way too many "caught stealing" box score entries.

Finally, the Twins need a shortstop. Smith had already talked to Orlando Cabrera's agent the morning before the trade, and he said OC was going to be looking in a different direction, so going after Hardy was a logical choice. He had the worst year of his career in 2009 (though the numbers overall looked better than Gomez's), but he was an All-Star in 2007, and he's still only 27 years old, with 2 years left on his contract. Usually it seems the Twins wait until late February to try to fill these holes, but this time they took advantage of the opportunity right away, and can now decide what they want to do with 2nd, 3rd & various pitching possibilities.

Well, that was the logical side, which usually takes up more space as it requires analyzing & supporting arguments. Now for the more passionate right side of the brain.

I love Carlos Gomez!! How can you not love a kid who is always smiling & having fun, who can fly around the bases and the outfield like a cheetah and who has really fun hair? Go-Go would always bring the energy. Even when he would swing out of his shoes, you always knew he was trying as hard as he could, even if he wasn't thinking enough. After losing perennial Gold Glove centerfielder Torii Hunter, it was a lift to have Gomez racing around the same territory as Torii & Kirby before him, chasing down everything in sight. He was the top outfielder in Baseball Tonight's Web Gems, even though he was rarely a starter this season.

If he could've slowed down a little bit, he would've had even more Web Gems, but when you're that fast, you're able to get to balls while still on your feet, that others could only dream of catching. Racing a ball down and staying on your feet will never make Web Gems. What Twins fan didn't feel secure with Gomez in CF & Span in RF late in a game? The Twins probably don't make the playoffs without this line-up, as Span chased down a sure run-scoring extra-base hit in right during the final game in Detroit, in which a Tigers win could've ended the season 5 days earlier than the eventual conclusion.

Speaking of making the playoffs, Carlos Gomez may have come off the bench, but how crucial was he in Game 163 in the last Twins win ever at the Metrodome? Getting that big 12th inning hit, and then that speed...as soon as Alexi Casilla singled the ball between 1st & 2nd, there was no question that Go-Go could race from 2nd to home with time to spare, to clinch the American League Central Division title. That old baggy roof stadium went nuts as he crossed the plate & then flew up in the air like a young Michael Jordan after the game winning shot over Craig Ehlo.

Who could forget that night on the southside of Chicago in 2008, when Gomez managed to become the first Twin to hit for the cycle since Kirby Puckett in 1986. Hitting for the cycle requires many of those 5 tools - power for the homerun, average to get that single & double, and speed to get the triple (unless hell freezes over like it did this year, when Jason Kubel managed to get a cycle). Seeing the joy on his face as he crossed first base to complete the cycle just gave me the chills!

Sure, the kid made mistakes & played like he wasn't always sure what game he was in, but the key word there is "kid." He's only 23 years old. Justin Morneau was 24 in his first full season in the majors, and his .239 average did not exactly scream out "MVP" (he'd have to hit the ripe old age of 25 for that to happen). It seems awfully early to give up on the only member of the Johan Santana trade who had shown any real potential in the last 2 seasons. And most importantly, I just liked Go-Go. There's a reason his jersey was so popular with Twins fans and it had nothing to do with his stats on the field; he has charisma & excitement, which is contagious for anyone who is able to see him, in person or on TV. We will miss Gomez!

There, I clearly solved that issue. Obviously the right side of my brain won...wait, what? Oh, the left side is claiming victory now. Hmm...I guess only time will tell!

Bipolar Twins & other Random Thoughts

I have been absolutely pathetic about blogging lately, and even if I have good reasons/excuses, I don't like it. So, I am just going to put some random thoughts together here, to make myself feel better, even if no one reads them!


Is there any sort of bipolar medication available for baseball teams? The Twins are about to head out on the road for a 10 game road trip. They have a league leading 21 wins at home (with 12 losses), but also have the basement all to themselves for road games, winning only 6 & losing 16. Only the NL Washington Nationals are worse on the road, but they are just as bad when they play at home. For people who like numbers, the Twins have won 64% of their games at home, and just 27% on the road. I thought perhaps they are just scared of playing outside (which they'd need to get over by next year), but they only claimed 1 of the 3 indoor games at Tampa Bay last weekend, so that's not it either.

I dug a little deeper into the stats (but only about as deep as I could dig in my old sandbox...which wasn't too deep), and still remain confused. Twins pitchers have a 4.59 ERA at home and a 5.16 ERA on the road. That half a run or so is not a huge disparity considering the staggering difference in the final results. Twins pitchers do give up many more walks on the road than at home (3.3/gm on the road, 2.4/gm at the Dome), but that hasn't translated into more earned runs. Opponents hit .275 against Twins pitchers at the Dome, and .272 in their own parks. Huh? No issue there. As for the Twins hitters, they bat .278 under the white baggy roof, and .263 when exposed to the outdoor elements (or the St. Pete catwalks & sting rays in the outfield).

So how can the team essentially have the same overall hitting no matter where they play, but have seemingly no clutch hitting when away from the friendly confines of home? (No, I don't actually expect that anyone will have the answer, but if you think you do, feel free to share!)

And now for the random thoughts:

• First thought is something I shared on Twitter a few days back, but I wanted more than 140 characters to elaborate. When it comes to the actual flavor of the food, I have always preferred Burger King to McDonald's, for burgers or breakfast options (although not for the fries). However, I so deeply despise their last few years worth of ads, that I might just decide to never eat there again. Guys dressed up as a burger & a chicken sandwich going after McDonald's, Wendy's & Subway? And while Ronald McDonald inspires smiles & thoughts of "his" charity work and the Ronald McDonald Houses, the Burger King King is, well, creepy at best!

• How does Serena Williams keep matching up with "cheaters" on the red clay of Roland Garros (otherwise known as the French Open, but they want to be cool like Wimbledon, which is not known as the British or English Open). In most sports, players will try to get away with whatever they can. NBA players act as if they have never fouled anyone...ever, when they know it was their elbow in someone else's gut. NFL offensive lineman try to hold their defensive match without the refs noticing. MLB fielders are happy to act as if they caught the ball on the fly, when they know it has grass stains on it from the short-hop it took before finding their glove. Golf & Tennis are different. In golf, players keep their own scorecard and have to be honest. In tennis, if the ball hits your arm rather than your racquet, and ends up being a winner, and the ump doesn't notice, you admit it, you don't turn away, smirk, and claim the point. Sort of like what Serena ran into with Justine Henin a few back, when Justine asked for "time" and Serena saw this and held up on her serving motion hitting the ball out. The Ump did not see this, and ruled it as being out, and Justine never said a word, even though replay clearly showed her hand asking Serena to wait (which Serena did not need to do, as the game is supposed to move at the server's pace, but she was being the good sport that tennis players are supposed to be on the court). The worst example may have been in men's tennis though, in last year's Olympics, the event built on good sportsmanship, when James Blake hit a shot to Fernando Gonzalez, which nicked the top of his racquet before flying past the baseline, which should've made it Blake's point. Once again, the ump didn't see it, and Gonzo just kept his mouth shut, which disturbed Blake, one of the nicest guys in sports - it takes a lot to irritate him!
  

• Is it my imagination, or have the Minnesota Twins had an awful lot of great games on days they aren't televised? I am quite thankful for the FS North Squeeze Play, so I can at least see those hits & runs, and add them to my little highlight videos that I keep for myself (because I listen to Bert's announcement each game about what I can't disseminate), but in this day & age, I should be able to catch every game on TV. I have MLB Extra Innings. If the local station doesn't want to show it, then the Cleveland broadcast shouldn't be a blackout! I also technically live far away enough from the Dome that it shouldn't be a blackout anyway, but because parts of my city are close enough, I fall under that blanket. But I digress...my point was that they've had some great games not on TV! Kubel's two 3-run homers in the first 2 innings today, Twins big comeback after Scott Baker collapsed in the 6th vs. the Tigers, Game 1 of the absurdly high scoring doubleheader in Chicago 2 years ago (which didn't even have a Squeeze Play!!), and these are just the ones off the top of my head.
  

• On Wednesday (June 3), Cleveland Indians pitcher Cliff Lee yet again jawed at Carlos Gomez for bunting. I like what Jim Souhan said during the FS North broadcast; something along the lines of "Telling Carlos Gomez to not bunt is like telling Johan Santana not to throw a change-up." Why is there an appropriate & inappropriate time to bunt? Considering the Indians came back from a 10-run deficit earlier this season, they should know better than any team that no lead is safe, and when there is no clock, no team is ever out of a game. So why is there a time that bunting is not ok? (Well, other than with 2 strikes, when you haven't done it successfully ever, or almost ever). Then after the game, Lee says he doesn't want to discuss it with the media. If you don't want to talk about it after the game, how about not running your mouth about it during the game either? Just a thought...
  

• Last week, thanks to DirecTV, I could watch live French Open tennis matches from 6 different courts. As long as my favorite players were not relegated to an obscure court with no cameras, I could watch the match of my choice at any time. However, if I wanted to watch Rafael Nadal battling Robin Soderling in the 4th round, eventually losing for the first time ever on Paris' red clay, I had to wait until the match had been over a couple hours, before being allowed to watch it on NBC. Now, as I write this, it is just a few hours until the Men's semifinal matches begin, but they are not available to watch live either, because NBC couldn't possibly shorten or cancel the Today show for a day. If they don't think the tennis ratings will outweigh the Today show, then why don't they let the real tennis fans watch it live on the Tennis Channel, and then they can show the replay to people who don't care if they know the results before watching the match. In the age of the internet, text messages, twittering, etc., having the semifinal of one of the 4 Grand Slam tournaments available only on tape delay, is simply unacceptable. Imagine how football fans would revolt if the NFL did that with a Saturday playoff game. Don't buy the exclusive rights to the match if you don't intend to show it live. (Thank you to ESPN2 for pushing ESPN First Take back a few hours on Thursday, so the Women's semis could actually be seen live!) Of course, those of you on the Pacific Coast (and perhaps the Mountain time zone too) experienced this frustration last year with each and every Michael Phelps "live" race from China, as NBC couldn't be bothered with showing it before prime time...except that by the time his races started, it actually was prime time on the West Coast too. Also unacceptable...and also NBC...but I'm guessing they don't care about my opinion!
  

That's all for now. Hopefully I will not leave so much time between my random thought sharing in the future!