I’m lumping you all in the same category as people calling Verlander “the worst pitcher ever” (really? remember hearing about a no-hitter? really?).

What else is he supposed to do with this line up (besides put Inge at 3rd like I always pray)? He has shuffled it somewhat, you want him to draw names from a hat? Yeah thats sound managing. He’s confronted with a situation that nobody could have predicted and while he might seem slow to adjust to it, since we don’t know the root cause there’s no way of knowing what needs fixing.

If you change everything at once it doesn’t help you isolate the real problem. I’d rather tinker slightly until we find the real issue than think we fixed it and have it bite us in the @ss come october (assuming we make it).

Trading Sheff would be difficult and likely wouldn’t yield a good value in return. The market for DH’s isn’t exactly a seller’s market (teams weren’t exactly falling over themselves to sign F Thomas). I heard somebody point out that Sheffs injury affects his ability to throw more than it does hit, although I don’t think you can argue it has had no effect on that. What might work is to stick him on the DL until his shoulder can handle the strain of throwing and then stick him in LF. JJones has been a train wreck at the plate and is below average defensively…combine that with Sheff mentioning that he feels like fielding gets him more involved in the game and you’re looking at a nice addition down the stretch if he heals. With the DH open, we make the obvious move of saving the team from Guillen’s glove/arm…four effing runs because of that error!!!

I would much rather suffer through .250 Inge than 2nd in errors Guillen. Seriously, if the rest of the line up was playing close to potential wouldn’t you plug in anyone that wouldn’t specifically cost you games no matter what their average?

FYI – i have an unfair advantage using this argument…i live in chicago and watch the bears (see Rex Grossman).

I think one thing is becoming clear about this team. Guillen can’t field the ball… He just CAN’T…. And we desperately need to do everything we can to fix our greatest weakness, defense & pitching. This situation is screaming the corse of action this team needs to take: trade Sheffield for whatever we can get, DH Guillen and put Inge at 3rd. Then perhaps we need to move Granderson to bat 3rd and to figure-out who you are going to get to bat leadoff.

- Prior to Tolbert’s double, Kenny had been cruising with two outs and a 3 run lead. I’m impressed Leyland even had someone getting loose.
- After the double, you had four choices: stick w/ Kenny, a lukewarm Miner, an even less warm Seay, or someone completely cold.
- Miner got a groundball, it just happened to bounce 80 feet in the air.
- Leyland pulled Miner as soon as he had another reasonable option.
- The Twins only had two freakin well-hit balls that inning.

Aside for the Guillen error, it was just a monumental string of bad luck. If you still havent come to terms with the fact that luck can play a huge factor if it happens all at once, I suggest you watch more basketball instead.

I don’t understand how you can defend the pitching change to Miner. This move was horrible!!! Leyland had Cruceda, had Seay. Situations like this call for your BEST reliever, not your mop-up guy. I realize how Miner has pitched better as of late, but he has been absolutely terrible at stranding inherited runners all season and his recent good appearances should not have given anybody any confidence.

Seriously, what would you have expected of other teams? Wouldn’t the Yankees have put Joba Chamberlin in that situation…. WHY IS OUR MANAGER SUCH A RETARD? ERRRR!!!!!

I agree wholeheartedly about the need for flexibility, but I’m pretty sure we are not going to see it. After 2+ years of watching Leyland’s managerial style I have seen nothing to indicate that there is much creativity there. He’s a push-button type (with a very narrow comfort zone) and he doesn’t even do that particularly well (the R/R combo from today is the theoretical best, but I agree that the selection of Miner was dubious.) And that sort of decision making sets a tone as well.

I don’t think that Leyland’s mind is out of it, but I do think that he has the god complex where he’s convinced that he can set the tone, regardless of situation or circumstance.

For example, I think he made up his mind prior to the game to use Miner in the 7th and Cruceta in the 8th, without any regard to the situation. Similarly, he hates to shuffle the middle of the order so much that when the lead-off spot is open or Polanco is injured, he’ll gladly put guys with career OBPs of .340 or less (Pudge and Thames) in the one and two hole rather than slide Guillen or Sheffield up.

Continuing, he treats all of his pitchers the exact same (again, with no regard to the circumstances of the game). Kenny is a veteran pitcher, Guillen just made an error, and Kenny has had Gomez’s number all game. But rather than let the veteran pitch out of it, he brings in the reliever with the least confidence on the team. Because he wants R/R combination. Just a little flexibility, please.

Here’s another Leyland example from Friday night:

Lopez comes in to pitch in relief of Galarraga in the 7th with us down only 4-1. The first batter up lines out. The next FOUR hitters get line drive hits. Who is warming up in the bullpen after the 4th consecutive hit? – nobody – not even somebody soft tossing. And it wasn’t like the pen had been overworked in NY. This is a SNAFU for him. I just don’t think Leyland’s mind is ever on all aspects the game simultaneously. And the players don’t seem to be consistently prepared – the unevenness between the NY and MN series couldn’t be more stark – that is his responsibility as well.