Minnesota Twins Dynasty

[santana57liriano47]

Started off with the original rosters. Made some smaller trades for Austin Kearns, Felipe Lopez, Garrett Atkins, Brad Hawpe towards the beggining of the season, then at the trade deadline I needed some relief pitching, so I went and got Rheal Cormier who was playing good. I made my only big move of the season at the trade deadline where I traded Brad Radke, Shannon Stewart, and a prospect for Juan Pierre, Wade Miller, and Michael Restovich.
Here's the lineup, stats, and awards from my season one team.

Minnesota Twins - 88-74 (6 games behind Cleveland for AL Central title) [Won the award for most team strikeouts]

C - Joe Mauer (.242, 3 hr, 53 rbi) [Gold Glove for catcher]
1B - Justin Morneau (.260, 21 hr, 94 rbi, 1 sb)
2B - Luis Castillo (.248, 2 hr, 64 rbi)
3B - Garrett Atkins (.298, 5 hr, 66 rbi)
SS - Felipe Lopez (.278, 12 hr, 66 rbi)
LF - Juan Pierre (.308, 2 hr, 53 rbi, 72 sb) [Gold Glove for LF]
CF - Torii Hunter (.249, 27 hr, 94 rbi, 1 sb) [Gold Glove for CF, Silver Slugger for CF]
RF - Austin Kearns (.287, 21 hr, 79 rbi, 1 sb)
DH - Rondell White (.368, 6 hr, 28 rbi, only played in about 20 games all season)
DH - Brad Hawpe (.291, 10 hr, 64 rbi)
DH/RF - Michael Restovich (.238, 1 hr, 7 rbi, only played in 11 games)

SP - Johan Santana (20-5, 1.52 era, 341 k's, 266 inn) [Cy Young, AL]
SP - Wade Miller (11-5, 4.20 era, 69 k's, 175 inn)
SP - Carlos Silva (4-16, era around 6.40, dunno about k's and inn)
SP - Joe Blanton (14-12, 3.19 era, 92 k's, 200 inn)
SP - Francisco Liriano (10-13, 4.32 era, 205 k's, 189 inn)
RP - Rheal Cormier (14-0, 2.52 era, 78 k's, 108 inn)
RP - Jesse Crain (5-2, 5.34 era, 3 sv, 42 k's, 64 inn)
RP - Juan Rincon (3-6, 2.35 era, 2 sv, 49 k's, 65 inn)
CL - Joe Nathan (3-3, 1.76 era, 40 sv, 57 k's, 66 inn)


I'm in free agency right now (otherwise i'd put all the players stats). Some key free agents I let go are, Rondell White (wanted too much money), and Carlos Silva (absolutly sucked). Others were just minor players.
The Boston Red Sox won the World Series 4 games to 1 versus the St. Louis Cardinals. I don't remember all the awards, so I can't tell you the winners.

I'll update you every once and awhile with lil' articles about what I'm doing and nuts like that. Season 2 will be much more in depth.

[santana57liriano47]

Minnesota Twins Looking for #2 Starting Pitcher in Free Agency
St. Paul (AP)---- Reports out of the Minnesota Twins front office claim the Minnesota Twins are looking for a number three starting pitcher. Last season, Carlos Silva was Minnesotas third starter in the rotation, but after going 4-16 with an ERA of over 6.40, the Twins let him go test the free agent market. There are many players the Twins could pick up. Wade Miller, the teams number two starter last season after coming to Minnesota via trade with the Chicago Cubs, isn't fit to be a number two starter. The likely candidates Minnesota is to go after include former Mets pitcher Aaron Heilman, young strikeout master Oliver Perez, Seattle reliever/starter Rafael Soriano, Angels reliable starter John Lackey, injury prone Kerry Wood, former Tigers/Yankees/Dodgers/Angels starter Jeff Weaver, former Indians pitcher Cliff Lee, and former Washington ace Livan Hernandez.
The Twins are also looking for some bullpen help and some bench help. Some names are, Derrick Turnbow, Damaso Marte, and Octavio Dotel.

[Oakland Athletics GM]

Go with Perez, Lackey, Lee or Hernandez.

[santana57liriano47]

I went with Perez. I also signed some backups, and DH....Alfonso Soriano (only 86 overall though). I'm about to start Season 2.

[Texas Rangers GM]

horrible offseason..an offseason for me is picking up an ace a big bat and some good releivers.anything else is considered horrible.BTW your horrible.

[santana57liriano47]

BTW, I play it the right way. If I don't get every player I want + go 162-0 I'm not going to freak like you. I can watch my players get better. And I picked up a big bat in A-Fons. Didn't need an Ace but got a reliable #2. Helped my bullpen by getting young Chin-Tsi Tsao (sp?), whose overall 73 or 74. Don't worry...I'm fine with the way I do things.

[Texas Rangers GM]

wait,so now theres a right and wrong way to control your team?

[santana57liriano47]

Not really no. I just don't think they way the Yankees do it is right. If baseball got smart, and put a salary cap on, (like 100mil) the Yankees would be the worst team in the league hands down. It's not really right/wrong, it's more of.... i can't really think of the word to describe it. But when I do...i'll tell you.

[Kansas City Royals GM]

santana57liriano47 said:

Not really no. I just don't think they way the Yankees do it is right. If baseball got smart, and put a salary cap on, (like 100mil) the Yankees would be the worst team in the league hands down. It's not really right/wrong, it's more of.... i can't really think of the word to describe it. But when I do...i'll tell you.

I agree, and it gets boring with all the trans actions

[santana57liriano47]

Season 2 is finished. I'll update you this weekend.

[santana57liriano47]

Well, season 2 was a season with ups and downs. Started off the season a great 8-0, but after month one, we were only 14-8 if I remember correctly. It was downhill from there, were our lowest point was being 8 games under .500. But, after that all-star break, we just dominated. We went on 5+ game winning steaks contantly, and in the "Last 10" when it showed the power rankings, we were constantly 7-3, 8-2, 9-1. We came within 4 games of winning the division, and 0.5 winning the wild card. Then the team basically came to a hault, and decided the playoffs weren't important, and the White Sox ran away with the division, and the Angels played well enough to take the Wild Card.
I didn't really make any trades this year. I made 1 that I remember, and it was a big one. My pitching rotation (aside from Johan), was just horrible. Everyone had ERAs of 7.00+. So, I decided to go out and get 8-0 Ben Sheets. I gave up Oliver Perez (81), Chin-Hui Tsao (76), and some prospect who'd never reach it to the big leagues for me anyway.
Austin Kearns played great again, and his rating just skyrocketed from 79 to 92 somewhere in the season. He's proved to be my best pure hitter.
The Chicago White Sox won the World Series 4 games to 1 over the Chicago Cubs.

Minnestoa Twins 90-72 (178-146 overall in GM career)

Final 2007 Standings

AL Central-
1. Chicago White Sox 99-64
2. Cleveland Indians 91-71 (7.0 GB)
3. Minnesota Twins 90-72 (8.0 GB)
4. Detroit Tigers 60-102 (38.0 GB)
5. Kansas City Royals 55-107 (43.0 GB)

Wild Card-
1. Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim 92-70
2. Cleveland Indians 91-71 (1.0 GB)
3. Toronto Blue Jays 91-71 (1.0 GB)
4. Minnesota Twins 90-72 (2.0 GB)

Stats

Batting (avg | hr | rbi | sb)
1. Juan Pierre | .291 | 3 | 59 | 46 (77 overall)
2. Luis Castillo | .268 | 10 | 58 | 1 (68 overall)
3. Torii Hunter | .268 | 20 | 102 | 1 (80 overall)
4. Alfonso Soriano | .250 | 18 | 68 | 37 (86 overall)
5. Justin Morneau | .270 | 19 | 95 | 1 (69 overall)
6. Garrett Atkins | .318 | 9 | 86 | 1 (72 overall)
7. Austin Kearns | .320 | 21 | 81 | 1 (92 overall)
8. Joe Mauer | .293 | 10 | 77 | 0 (67 overall)
9. Felipe Lopez | .311 | 17 | 93 | 1 (74 overall)
Bench:
Brad Hawpe | .247 | 1 | 21 | 0 (73 overall, 43 games, 162 AB)
Lance Neikro | .237 | 3 | 27 | 0 (64 overall, 56 games, 211 AB)
Michael Restovich | .283 | 0 | 8 | 2 (73 overall, 23 games, 103 AB)
Mike Redmond | .260 | 1 | 13 | 0 (63 overall, 28 games, 96 AB)

Pitching (W-L | ERA | SO | IP)
1. Johan Santana | 22-4 | 2.18 | 315 | 235.1 (98 overall)
2. Ben Sheets | 19-5 | 2.45 | 148 | 226.1 (90 overall)
3. Wade Miller | 10-13 | 4.59 | 112 | 184.1 (77 overall...pitched a Perfect Game)
4. Joe Blanton | 9-12 | 4.05 | 176 | 196.1 (76 overall)
5. Francisco Liriano | 11-11 | 5.38 | 245 | 182.2 (74 overall)
Bullpen (W-L | ERA | SO | IP | SV)
MRP. Rheal Cormier | 3-3 | 3.42 | 69 | 113.0 | 2 (72 overall)
LRP. Jesse Crain | 4-1 | 2.86 | 53 | 91.1 | 2 (76 overall)
LRP. Ray Wilson | 2-0 | 3.00 | 27 | 33.0 | 0 (73 overall)
SU. Juan Rincon | 5-3 | 1.70 | 40 | 56.1 | 0 (71 overall)
CL. Joe Nathan | 6-4 | 1.55 | 69 | 35.0 | 35 (92 overall)

Awards:

SP, Johan Santana (AL Cy Young)
C, Joe Mauer (AL Gold Glove-Catcher)
RF, Austin Kearns (AL Silver Slugger-Right Field)
Minnesota Twins (Speed Demons with 91 stolen bases) (Strikeout Kings with 1,317 strikeouts)