Post by The Vermont Bombers on Dec 12, 2014 22:17:42 GMT -5
A Sacrifice Worth "Bear"ing.
Twins Release "Big Bear" and Garcia, extend Peden
Bloomington, Minn
Friday, July 21
“The Big Bear” has been released to the wilds of Free Agency, free to find a new home as the Twins waived the 37 year old Mike Garcia last night. The Twins also waived and released fellow veteran Starting Pitcher Ruben Gomez, bringing an end to their respective tenures with the rebuilding franchise. Both pitchers had short tenures with the Twins, pitching for a little over a year with the team after being acquired a month apart during the middle of last season. The team made one other move last night as well, as it signed veteran Catcher Les “Gooch” Peden to a one year, 2 million dollar extension.
The release of Garcia was unsurprising. While the veteran pitcher had started the season in the rotation, he was shifted to the bullpen in June after three starts and never acclimated to it. While starting, Garcia had been decent but not consistently effective. His best month came in May when he went 3-2 in five starts with an ERA of 3.24. Garcia’s biggest problem on the mound was his declining control and it came back to haunt him frequently. At the point where he was released, his strikeout to walk ratio was an even one to one and he was clearly getting frustrated. His frustration came to a head on July 9th when Garcia came out of the bullpen against the Tigers. Garcia gave up six runs on three hits and three walks without recording an out. Minnesota went on to get shellacked, eventually losing the game 17-4.
That in and of itself wouldn’t have been a big issue, pitchers have bad outings. It was how Garcia reacted how when Manager Cookie Lavagetto came out of the dugout to remove him from the game. Lavagetto extended his hand for the ball, which Garcia slammed into it. Lavagetto let the action pass and stepped to the side so that Garcia could walk from the mound. The pitcher did so, striding to the dugout after the traditional “good game” pat from his Manager. As Garcia walked to the dugout with his head down, the Detroit crowd rode the veteran starter mercilessly, raining down taunts and abuse on him. Garcia took the majority of it in stride, not reacting until he was on the first dugout step. No one is entirely sure what was said, but someone in the front row finally said the one thing that the pitcher could no longer ignore.
What came next would have surely been extremely ugly had his teammates not held him back. Whatever had been said, the infuriated veteran threw his glove into the stands and tried to leap up onto the roof of the dugout. Had he not been restrained by his teammates, he looked like he was determined to end up in the stands. It had all of the makings of Ty Cobb’s infamous 1907 assault on groundskeeper Bungy during a spring training game in Augusta, Georgia. Garcia was eventually dragged into the clubhouse. Although Garcia issued a public apology the next day and was suspended for the next five days. His last appearance for the Twins would come against the Yankees at Metropolitan Stadium. The Twins would release him six days later.
Ruben Gomez’s situation was a bit different. He had asked to be traded at the beginning of the season, desiring to go to a contender. The Front Office and Garcia both agreed to keep the request private as the two sides still had a good working relationship and Garcia was well liked in the clubhouse. Team Management tried to send Gomez to a contender, offering him to numerous contending teams. The Twins were unable to find a taker for the veteran Starter and with the team nowhere near contention for at least another couple of seasons, he was getting steadily more frustrated with his situation. Gomez requested and was granted his unconditional release with the remainder of this season and all of the 1962 season left on his contract.
The releases of Garcia and Gomez made room in the Minnesota rotation for young left hander Bill Kirk, who the Twins have high hopes for. Kirk had been pitching out of the bullpen and other than a brutal May, when he pitched to an ERA of over 10.50, he’d settled down in June and July. Kirk had not allowed a hit in his last 5 innings, while striking out 3 and walking one. Kirk has exceptional control that he’s still getting used to, however if his last five appearances are any indication, he could be an incredibly effective, if not dominant starter. He’ll slot into the rotation in the 5th spot.
Minnesota is expected to call Reliever Ralph Mauriello up from Triple-A Syracuse to replace Kirk in the bullpen.
Kirk and Mauriello will get to throw to a familiar glove man, as the Twins are expected to call top rated prospect Tom Haller up from Triple-A next year. In the meantime, Kirk will get to keep pitching to to veteran Catcher Les “Gooch” Peden and well get to keep doing so through at least the remainder of next season. The Twins first personnel action yesterday was to ink their veteran backstop to a one year, two million dollar extension. Peden is having a career year in his age 37 season and was nominated to his second All-Star game for his efforts. Peden is currently sporting an average of .259 while also sporting career best numbers in Home Runs (18) and RBI (61) while playing solid defense behind the plate.
Retaining Peden makes a lot of sense. While no one expects him to repeat what he’s done this year, Peden gives the Twins a reliable veteran backup to Haller. Peden and Haller have spent time talking shop on off days this season and the two have developed a friendship, in addition to a “mentor-student” relationship. Having Peden in the clubhouse, as well as on the field to offer him guidance and keep him calm when necessary (and Haller is known to be very calm regardless of the situation) will only serve to give Haller invaluable experience as well as much needed occasional rest. Re-signing Peden is an investment in the future by overpaying in the present.
If Haller’s career ends up looking like everyone thinks it will, the present overpay will look like the steal of the future.
