Souhan is an A-Hole...

...and speaking of Minnesota Sports Reporters who don't know carp, La Velle Neal seems to be completely ignorant about our minor leaguers.

We need a whole new group of people who take their job seriously and who aren't trying to be the story themselves.

IMO Souhan did this because he wanted to be able to say he had something to do with Mauer having a good turn around 2012. He can say his pressuring Mauer made him play better. He wants to get credit where credit won't be due.

Mauer WILL have a very good season in 2012. I am guessing more in line with his 2006 numbers.

Mauer doesn't care what Souhan thinks and many others don't either. Mauer isn't the type of person or player that gets vocal. Most likely he'll never be a vocal individual either.

if players START listening to souhan i'll be worried

Most fans don't either.

Hey Puck, may be you can apply to work at the STrib, if not you or Pcrnat could be a fine spokes person for Joe Mauer. Heck I bet you guys would be willing to do it for free.

I don't see whats wrong with the article. He called Mauer out and wants him to take more responsibility as a player.

And I also don't know Pcrnat that where you get that Souhan wrote this article so he can take credit for Mauer's success this coming season.

"And I also don't know Pcrnat that where you get that Souhan wrote this article so he can take credit for Mauer's success this coming season. "

Well i'm not sure where pcr got it from but if i had to guess it's because that's the kind of do*che that souhan is

Yeah any body thinking that Mauer will have a successful year just cuz he called him out and wrote an article is not only stupendous but quite funny. He could be a d*ocuhe but I bet he is not thinking that.

Heck I bet Ewen21 or 4th never ever thinks that even though they have have given Mauer grief all year.

FORT MYERS, Fla. -- The Twins announced a new policy this season, as all injury updates will come from general manager Terry Ryan or assistant general manager Rob Antony instead of manager Ron Gardenhire.

It's a change from last year, when head trainer Rick McWane gave daily injury updates before regular-season games.

"There are a few reasons [for the change] but No.1, that's the way I've always done it," Ryan said. "Two, I'd just as soon have Gardy manage the ballclub and not worry about giving his medical [report] every day. Three, Rob or I will be on almost every trip and certainly at home we'll do it. Four, I don't want any confusion in communication description and that's the reasons."

I don't see what's wrong with bringing these things to light either. Joe needs to start understanding that he just can't camoflague in with the rest of the team and be just one of the guys. Totally fair piece from Souhan there.

Someone has to lead the "Fun Bunch"......throw bats in the shower....."lollygagers" of course most of them are in trouble with the "you throw the ball, you hit the ball, you catch the ball" philosophy

Because that is exactly the way Souhan is...along with not using his own original information when he writes.

Then you haven't listened to Souhan's comments on Reusse's radio show in the afternoons.

Update from Souhan today on the Reusse radio show. When asked by Reusse "if the Mauer criticism will ever die", Souhan answered "only until he is injured again". Souhan also was asked about and he spoke about his Twins' coverage this ST and he said he wanted 'One last shot at Mauer'.

Shocking...I'm totally shocked.

I'd be curious to know who his sources are. Easy to just say you talked to some people and they said this or that. Who are they?

He eludes to Nathan and Cuddyer, two people who were supposedly all about staying with Minnesota forever, leaving because of Mauer....because, well they couldn't possibly be people who left for more money (especially Cuddy, of course)

He writes, 'He didn't notice that some of the teammates who slapped him on the back were also befuddled by his demeanor'...okay, which ones...you say something like that as if it's fact, say who the players are.

He wrote: 'All of them said they believed Mauer viewed criticism aimed at him as ignorant and irrelevant.' While he'd have every right to believe that, they're making assumptions...whoever the anonymous 'they' are.

I have issues with stories that have no actual quotes from actual people...especially when it's talking about what people are saying or thinking. It's easy to say whatever you want, whether it's true or not, under the blanket of anonymity...and even easier to just write whatever you want without having to quote someone where people could, you know, go verify what was supposedly said.

Factual inaccuracies? There isn't one actual quote. I could come on here and say a bunch of people said this or that...and maybe some did...but did they have other reasons, like jealousy, personal agendas, etc? How would we know since we have no idea who said what?

Briefly: General manager Terry Ryan said the Twins won't necessarily break camp with three catchers, which has been assumed since they signed Ryan Doumit to back up Mauer. Drew Butera was the backup the past two seasons.

"We're not locked in to three catchers," Ryan said. "Somebody has to step up and take a job here."

-- Danny Valencia has changed his number from 19, which he wore the past two seasons, to 22, which he wore in high school and at the University of Miami.

Well now we can hope there are only two catchers coming North after Spring Training.........

Way too often we've been told things like this and, in the end, what happens is what was easily predictable all along.

Here's to being pleasantly shocked out of our minds...

Remember though, Doumit is already been penciled in as primary DH by Gardy...so, if that's the case, that's an even bigger indicator Butera is in.

True but I am hopeful that Terry Ryan has some input on which players come North.
I'd be thrilled to be shocked into something out of the ordinary.

He has all the input...it's his decision...he just takes Gardy's wishes into account.

If push comes to shove and Gardenhire is pushing for a third catcher, I hope Ryan shoves back with a resounding no........

have a good one!

YOu need quotes from actual players to believe that something was amiss in that dugout between Mauer and his teammates? ARe you for real?

Cuddyer himself said there was a lack of accountability in the clubhouse. What more do you need than that? Delmon Young supposedly said "why should I play hurt when Mauer doesn't?" and that got him traded. Mauer is a sacred cow. Why would any player step into the middle of a controversy and assassinate their own image by killing Mauer in the press?

Do we REALLY need actual quotes here to validate what Souhan said? We observed this team on a daily basis last year. There was certainly tension with Mauer not getting on the field. Just about everyone was wonder what was going on with him on a daily basis. Certainly his teammates had to be confused with the situation. You don't think there was any resentment? Dan Gladden gave you all you need to know from the player perspective when he said this on a Chicago radio station:
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"You've got to, I don't want to say sugarcoat it, but it's a fine line: He's your player, your $23-26 million guy and you're not going to bash him," Gladden said. "You gave him the money because he was a good player. The problem is, the good player in the first year of this eight-year deal isn't able to come out and perform right now due to injuries and a lot of people can speculate as to what happened in spring training. Did he come into camp or not in shape, did he work at it real hard in spring training? Those are the question marks.

"It didn't work out for him and then bilateral weakness popped up, which Joe adamently denies that that's what it was, people just keep talking about it. He had some leg problems, he wasn't in shape when he came in camp. He didn't have enough time in camp, I think he hurt his arm and that was the big deal, was that he had a little arm problem and rather than try to play through it, let's just shut him down and start over."
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When an ex-player/ team employee openly questions a player's work ethic--ESPECIALLY a player on the order of Mauer--it takes an awful lot to get there. He wouldn't say stuff like that just for kicks ya know!

To think there is no validity to what Souhan said because there is no quote to attribute to anyone really is bizzare to me. I just gave you that one from Gladden. Cuddyer said there was a lack of accountability. Delmon SUPPOSEDLY questioned him behind the scenes. There ya go. Do you really think players would line up Mauer in the media like that? Maybe if something similar happens this year you have anonymous comments starting to pop up.