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December 17, 2008

On the Beat

Degree of Difficulties

by John Perrotto

The speed at which baseball news travels and creates the potential for controversy never ceases to amaze. Even comments made at an agricultural trade show in North Dakota can generate headlines in a matter of moments.

Twins manager Ron Gardenhire was making a public appearance at a show in Fargo earlier this month when he was asked how he planned to fit four outfielders into three starting spots next season. He gave a typically candid answer, saying that he would prefer to have a starting outfield of Michael Cuddyer, Carlos Gomez, and Denard Span, which would leave Delmon Young as the odd man out. "Those three guys need to play every day," Gardenhire said. "Delmon is in the mix. He's a helluva player, a helluva talent, but to me, those three guys should be your outfield, and you go from there." The remarks were dutifully reported by the Fargo Forum, and off they went.

It was no surprise that Gardenhire tried to do a little damage control when he met with reporters last week during the Winter Meetings in Las Vegas. "I'm not going to say it was taken out of context because I said what I said, but it was kind of left off there," Gardenhire said. "It wasn't a shot at anybody; I wouldn't do that. I have a lot of respect for Delmon, because there is a guy who played the last two months of last season with a bad ankle and came to the ballpark every day. He was one of the reasons we got into a one-game playoff." (The Twins lost the tie-breaker game for the American League Central title to the White Sox.)

Twins general manager Bill Smith called Young's agent and was told that there were no hard feelings. While Young has been temperamental in the past, having been suspended for 50 games in 2006 for throwing a bat at an umpire while at Triple-A Durham in the Rays' farm system, Gardenhire doesn't foresee any problems when the Twins report to spring training in Fort Myers, Florida in two months. There is also a chance Young won't be with the Twins when spring training begins; they've let other teams know he is available in trade as they pursue a third baseman. "I would call him in a heartbeat and tell him 'my bad,' because you shouldn't have to answer those questions and shouldn't have to deal with that," Gardenhire said. "That was me screwing everything up, more than anything else."

Smith suggested that perhaps Gardenhire was trying to light a fire under Young by making the comment. "It was a fire I lit, all right," Gardenhire said with a smile before turning serious. "I don't light fires under players. All my guys play. It was just winter conversation with my farmer friends, and the next thing I know I'm hunting and I was in the Aberdeen (SD) newspaper, and I went, 'Whoa, Chrysler.' I had a gun with me, though. Just kidding. That was a joke, OK? I don't want to start another fight."