AL Central

I’m sure that tonight many Twins fans are again ruing management’s decision to send Matt Garza to the Rays before the 2008 season.  The deal has definitely played out better for the Rays so far, and the Twins could sure use Garza’s strong right arm this season. Nevertheless, Twins fans still have plenty to be hopeful for in this deal.

So long Joel Zumaya, Brandon Inge, Carlos Guillen, and Magglio Ordonez.

Hello Ryan Perry, Don Kelly, Scott Sizemore, Danny Worth, Will Rhymes, and Jeff Larish.

The Detroit Tigers are hurting, but the end to the summer of 2010 could set the table for a great run of success for years to come.

Because of this run of injuries, the Tigers will probably not make any significant moves at the trading deadline.  That means prospects like Jacob Turner and Andy Oliver will remain in the organization as opposed to being traded for Dan Haren or Ted Lilly.

If losing Brandon Inge for 4-6 weeks with a broken hand wasn't enough to rattle the Detroit Tigers, being without Magglio Ordonez's bat surely is.

Ordonez, who had an ankle sprain to begin with, broke his foot while sliding into home during the Tigers' 3-2 loss to the Toronto Blue Jays on Saturday night.

It was the Tigers' eighth loss in their last 10 games, and they are now 2.5 games behind the A.L. Central-leading Chicago White Sox.

Buster Olney passes on a rumor that the Giants had scouts eyeing the Royals’ Jose Guillen. Sigh!

One of the definitions of an idiot is someone who cannot learn from his mistakes.  Guillen isn’t worth anything more than a single B-grade prospect, if that, but he’s exactly the type of overrated psuedo-power hitter Giants GM Brian Sabean has overrated so many times in the past.

It’s really unbelievable. The Kansas City Royals just can’t catch a break. Even when one of their best trade chips is having his best season, something goes wrong.

The Royals got some bad news on Friday when they learned that outfielder David DeJesus will be out for the year.

DeJesus will undergo season-ending surgery on Monday to repair a torn ligament in his right thumb.

DeJesus hurt the thumb when he crashed into the wall at Yankee Stadium on Thursday night.

I think of all the words that New York Yankee fans could use to describe Carl Pavano, workhorse would not be one of them.

While Pavano clearly wasn’t a workhorse in New York, he has been one in Minnesota, and in 2010, he has become one of the best pitchers in the American League.

Pavano tossed his second complete game in a row last night as he and the Minnesota Twins blanked the Baltimore Orioles 5-0. Pavano allowed just five hits, walked one, and whiffed four in the 102-pitch effort.

For some reason people feel closers should get some kind of leeway when they are simply not being good pitchers.

Coaches and players want to cite different years in which a closers' save totals were high, but when your job is to pitch one inning, your years can change with a couple hard hit balls.

In Bobby Jenks' case it's been many hard hit balls.

Closers can be created. After all, it's just pitching one inning for pitchers who, at one time, were pitching nine.

The acting and baseball community lost a great one yesterday as actor James Gammon, who famously played manager Lou Brown in the movie, Major League , passed away at the age of 70. He passed away at his home in Costa Mesa, CA. 

This is definitely sad news. Gammon's Lou Brown character in Major League was one of the classic sports movie characters of all time. You know a guy is great in a role when you can’t picture anyone else playing that character.

Since starting the season with a 37-20 record in April and May and looking like they would run away with the AL Central, the Minnesota Twins have gone 15-23 in June and July and now find themselves 4.5 games back of the unbelievably hot Chicago White Sox.

I think the Twins desperately need to trade for an ace in order to turn things around. Let’s see what has been going on with the Twins…

What a roller-coaster ride it has been.

From 9.5 games out and nine games under .500 to sole possession of first place thanks to a 25-5 record to close out the first half.

At 49-38, the White Sox are where many predicted the team to be before the season began, but no one could have predicted the road the team would take.

The White Sox have lost one series since June 1 with winning streaks of 11 and currently eight during this 30-game stretch.