Thanks, and you're now officially the primary character witness at my competency hearing, provided your rates are reasonable.

 

Also, if I had known my post was going out to dinner, I would've had it wear something a little nicer. Maybe next diatribe, after Correia's four year extension...

 

Speaking of dinner, some of us are dining-in early. Thanks so much for that stomach-turning proposition.

 

Speaking of stomach-turning, TV turning, propositions.....Joe Mauer has now been pulled from tonight's 3-catcher lineup.....and possibly goes on the 7-day concussion DL. Pardon me while I lose my rib roast.

Speaking of dinner, some of us are dining-in early. Thanks so much for that stomach-turning proposition.

 

Speaking of stomach-turning, TV turning, propositions.....Joe Mauer has now been pulled from tonight's 3-catcher lineup.....and possibly goes on the 7-day concussion DL. Pardon me while I lose my rib roast.

Reverse peristalsis chain reaction! Also, I believe Chief deserves either the credit or the blame for the orignal Wes Craven-esque proposition of KC and the Sunshine Band getting extended. "Do a little dance, make a little love, extend tonight!" Apocalyptic yet infused with a catchy pop sensibility...

Some people try to live through their kids, Gardy tried to have a career through Punto. Gardy attributed the 2006 turnaround to Punto becoming the everyday 3B, not Morneau's monster run from June until the end of season. I think he even lobbied for Little Nicky to get some MVP love. And everything stated here has a ring of truth to it - as spectacular has Punto could be on the field, he also messed up the fundamentals, be it a missed bunt or a strikeout looking with a runner on second and nobody out to running himself into an out during a potential rally. Simply put, he was Gardy's pet. Some of the things he did would get other players buried on the bench or sent out of town, but not Little Nicky.

Reverse peristalsis chain reaction! Also, I believe Chief deserves either the credit or the blame for the orignal Wes Craven-esque proposition of KC and the Sunshine Band getting extended. "Do a little dance, make a little love, extend tonight!" Apocalyptic yet infused with a catchy pop sensibility...

Wait...what??

Some people try to live through their kids, Gardy tried to have a career through Punto. Gardy attributed the 2006 turnaround to Punto becoming the everyday 3B, not Morneau's monster run from June until the end of season. I think he even lobbied for Little Nicky to get some MVP love. And everything stated here has a ring of truth to it - as spectacular has Punto could be on the field, he also messed up the fundamentals, be it a missed bunt or a strikeout looking with a runner on second and nobody out to running himself into an out during a potential rally. Simply put, he was Gardy's pet. Some of the things he did would get other players buried on the bench or sent out of town, but not Little Nicky.

 

That's another one of my points... Punto didn't put himself in the lineup. I'm sure when it was in it, he was happy. I would be too. It's like people expect him to ask out of the lineup or something.

 

It's kind of like being upset at Brett Favre or Tim Tebow for ESPN loving them and talking about them. It's not their fault, and there's no reason for them to try to stop it. But, the angst/hate goes to Tebow, Favre, Punto.

That's another one of my points... Punto didn't put himself in the lineup. I'm sure when it was in it, he was happy. I would be too. It's like people expect him to ask out of the lineup or something.

 

It's kind of like being upset at Brett Favre or Tim Tebow for ESPN loving them and talking about them. It's not their fault, and there's no reason for them to try to stop it. But, the angst/hate goes to Tebow, Favre, Punto.

 

I don't buy that. When you choose to be a public figure, you take the good with the bad. Along with the millions of dollars, and all the perks, you agree to take some unfair criticism at times.

If you don't want people to not like you for things out of your control, go be an accountant or a dentist or something.

Of course, the hate can get out of hand at times, but I don't think it was with Punto. Plenty of people liked him. It's not like he was universally hated.

That's another one of my points... Punto didn't put himself in the lineup. I'm sure when it was in it, he was happy. I would be too. It's like people expect him to ask out of the lineup or something.

 

It's kind of like being upset at Brett Favre or Tim Tebow for ESPN loving them and talking about them. It's not their fault, and there's no reason for them to try to stop it. But, the angst/hate goes to Tebow, Favre, Punto.

 

Point taken. We flail against Punto as much for the way he was used like a regular and given four chances to fail when most guys only get three, as for his bone-headed, hot-dog, wild-ass plays. But this was a thread about the comparison between Punto and Carroll. Both were good utility players. Both had their ups and downs. Carroll ended his Twins career on a down, somewhat sullying his otherwise good numbers (whereas Punto had 7 years of ups and downs to balance out his inconsistency). This accounts for a lot of Sinker's issue.

 

Still and all, perhaps the more vocal Twins fans appreciate playing the way they were taught to play. I can't recall a grounder hit right at him where he simply gloved it, planted and threw. Even when he had a routine play, he had to circle around it and make it look spectacular, a la Juan Castro. There was just no need to play the game that way. And he couldn't bunt, run the bases or otherwise play situational baseball to save his life. For me, his career will always be defined by this play:

 

 

On the other hand, I could count on one hand the times Carroll failed to make the routine play in a solid, fundamental way. That made him a good role model for the young guys (unlike Punto, who helped turn Alexi Casilla into a freak).

If you don't want people to not like you for things out of your control, go be an accountant or a dentist or something.

 

The Straight Dope: Do dentists have the highest suicide rate?

That's another one of my points... Punto didn't put himself in the lineup. I'm sure when it was in it, he was happy. I would be too. It's like people expect him to ask out of the lineup or something.

 

It's kind of like being upset at Brett Favre or Tim Tebow for ESPN loving them and talking about them. It's not their fault, and there's no reason for them to try to stop it. But, the angst/hate goes to Tebow, Favre, Punto.

 

Which is what I said in bullet two, way back on page one....