¡VIVA RIVAS!

Here are a few Twins items I've been saving up. Some I've had for quite a few weeks, so it's possible you've read about a few of these already:

Pags Sighting
One half of the 3B platoon for the 1991 World Series champions Twins has surfaced. Mike Pagliarulo was interviewed for this Washington Post story about D-Mat -- or as my rabid Red Sox friend calls him, "The Gun from the Rising Sun" -- and the gyroball:

"There is no gyroball. I don't know who came up with that," said former major leaguer Mike Pagliarulo, who owns a scouting company that provides reports on Japanese players for major league teams. Matsuzaka, according to Pagliarulo, "doesn't throw anything that's any different from what anyone else throws. Oh, and he also doesn't wear a cape, and doesn't fly."

An M & M break-up

From Sid: "Twins stars Joe Mauer and Justin Morneau will no longer be the odd couple living together in Mauer's St. Paul townhouse. Morneau announced he has bought his own home."

Well, waddya know, the Big Canadian wins an MVP and he moves out and buys a new house. What's next, good doctor, a date with the 2005 Miss USA? "Ever since I won the MVP, I don't know, it just seems like Joe and I don't have anything in common. I have all these new friends, and I'm really busy going to parties and stuff." It's OK Joe, don't cry. Justin says he would really like to be friends because, you know, you've been such a big part of his life and he can't imagine it without you. Do you want me to tell him anything for you? There, there, take a big bite out of that Jimmy John's and forget all about the man who broke your heart.

Some Busta' Love
If you have ESPN Insider, check out Buster Olney's blog today. He praises the Twins as an organization, offering Ryan's speech at Radke's press conference, which took several minutes, as an example of how great the team treats everyone. (It can be seen in its entirety on startribune.com) Here's an excerpt:

"If you didn't know better, if you didn't know that Radke was an All-Star who won 148 games and averaged more than 200 innings a year and made more than $60 million in salary during his career, you'd think you were watching a company picnic. The press conference for a Major League Baseball team somehow had all the intimacy of a farewell picnic for a 40-year employee at the local hardware store."

OZZIE SPEAKS

"When you hear that, I don't know what people are drinking," said Guillen, who admired the Twins' scrappy play so much this year, he gave their lineup a nickname. "I don't think Barry fits good with the piranhas. Barry is a shark. He's not a piranha. I don't see Barry there." -- from the Pioneer Press

UN-DELL
He just re-upped with the Twins for a very reasonable $2.5 million, but when it was still in question, Rondell made a self-deprecating comment that offered a glimpse into why everyone loves Rondell the human being.

"If they have me back, they'll get the real Rondell, not the 'Undell,' " White said from his home in Gray, Ga. -- Pioneer Press

Super Saver MVPs
Jeter may have been a favorite MVP candidate for some prominent national writers, but there's no arguing that this year's MVPs, Morneau and Howard, offered their teams a much better value.

You can mix n' match the salary combinations 100 different ways -- per home run, per hit, per RBI, etc. -- but I'm going to stick with a per game comparison:

In 2006, Derek Jeter ($20.6 million) made as much money in three gamesas Justin Morneau ($385,000) earned all year. Jeter made as much money as Ryan Howard ($355,000) made in all of 2006 in a little under three games. That means, of course, that the Yankees paid Derek Jeter in five games what BOTH the AL and NL MVPs made all of last year.

For the record, last year Howard and Morneau combined for 92 HR and 279 RBIs. Jeter? 14 HR and 93 RBIs. (For all you critical thinkers: Yes, I should include other statistics for a fair comparison, but this is all about some cheap-shot Yankees bashing -- not being fair and balanced.)