Twin Terrors

There were two big returns last night on the Major League baseball schedule. One, unexpected - Albert Pujols for the St. Louis Cardinals at US Cellular Field in Chicago - the other, long awaited - Roger Clemens at Minute Maid Field in Houston.

Pujols' return was anticlimatic. He went 0-4, unable to help his team avoid a three-game sweep at the hands of the white hot White Sox.

Clemens walked to the mound before the first inning with the hopes of an entire city's baseball fans on his shoulders. He's the horse the Astros and their fans hope they can ride to a second consecutive World Series appearance.

I had set my DVR to record this game while I watched the Sox/Cardinals pitchers' duel but not for the reason most would think. I set it almost a week earlier, before I realized that it was the game in which Clemens would return.

Why? For the last few weeks I have made it a point to record a Francisco Liriano start any chance I've get. The first time, it was just to see what all the fuss was about. I had seen Liriano come out of the Twins bullpen a few times but I really wanted to check out what he had when he started a game.

Well, there's a reason I continue to record every single one of his starts.

This kid is absolutely phenomenal and on a night in which Roger Clemens was the main attraction, Liriano was the show.

In eight starts this season for the newly resurgent Minnesota Twins, Liriano sports a 7-1 record, a 2.17ERA and a 1.06WHIP. In his last three starts he is 3-0 with a 1.64ERA (4 ER in 22 innings).

It seems unfair for a team that already has Johan Santana to add a carbon copy to its rotation. Liriano, like Santana, sports a plus fastball and a slider. But from what I can see, Liriano's slider appears to be harder for batters to pick up. It's also clear that Santana, who in my opinion has the best changeup in MLB, has been tutoring Liriano on that pitch as well.

When a pitcher has three above-average pitches that he can throw for strikes at any time, well, hitters don't stand much of a chance. And Liriano's delivery is seemingly the same for each pitch too.

The worst part?

As if it isn't hard enough to decipher between his fastball and changeup, his slider breaks extremely late. So each and every pitch, the batter is stuck trying to figure out which of three he's seeing - because they all look the same.

It is incredibly hard to hit when you have to think up there.

I have to wonder, just how did the Twins manage to pull off the coup that brought Liriano to Minnesota? Does Minnesota GM Terry Ryan have incriminating photos of Giants GM Brian Sabean? One of Barry's syringes?

Ryan not only got Liriano, but Joe Nathan and Boof Bonser. Nathan has been a lights out closer when given the opportunity in Minnesota. In a little over two-plus seasons, Nathan has converted 98 of 107 save opportunities (some of them being the 2 inning type).

Boof Bonser (if that's not an instant entry into the MLB Name Hall of Fame, I don't know what is) is a 24 year old right-hander who has had some struggles in his first five starts for the Twins. He is 1-1 with a 5.81ERA, but the Twins see some potential in the kid.

So what did Ryan have to give up for this future ace, lights out closer, and a possible #3 kind of guy?

AJ Pierzynski.

Now this isn't a knock on Pierzynski by any means. He was a large factor in the Chicago White Sox winning the 2005 World Series, and as of right now is in the top ten of the American League batting race. Still, the Twins weren't getting rid of Pierzynski because they wanted to, it was more of a necessity.

They had to make room on the big league roster for former #1 overall pick Joe Mauer. So why would Sabean give up so much when he had so much of the leverage? To make it worse, Pierzynski never fit into the San Francisco clubhouse and was gone after only one season.

Sabean still has to wake up in the middle of the night screaming "Liriano!!"

In reality it could turn out to be one of the most lopsided trades in Major League history.

Back to Liriano.

With Santana, Liriano, Torii Hunter and The Natural, Joe Mauer(he of the Major League best .375 batting average) behind the plate, the Twins might not be as far away as a lot of us thought to start this season.

Admittedly, a Wild Card berth may be very tough to come by for the Twins. They trail the White Sox by 10 games as of now, and it doesn't appear that the Sox are going to start losing anytime soon. Plus they still have to play the White Sox and Tigers another 22 times, and will have to win an overwhelming majority to surpass either team. (As of now the Twins have a combined 4-12 record against both teams).

Still, anytime you can throw out Johan Santana and Francisco Liriano on the mound 2 of every 5 games, you have a shot.

These two could be the Twin Terrors in Minnesota for years to come.