Twins

[LPS]

Just a matter of time.  Done deal.

[Gunner55]

https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/35434317/sources-all-aaa-parks-use-electronic-strike-zone-23

[dutchboy]

Much like Biden being President just because it happens doesn't mean i'll like it.

August 26th, Twins are still in first place.

[KEN W]

Has to be better than what I have seen this year. Players are complaining and they are right.

[dutchboy]

The game I played and fell in love with as a kid has become sterilized. Some things I understand, some I don't. Major changes since I was a kid.
Hitters are all padded up. There is no fear of being hit. Pitchers refuse to pitch up & in. You can't take a player out at second on a double play. You can't roll a catcher no matter where he is standing. Hitters are given the plate, pitchers have little recourse than to throw it over the plate to get whacked. The balls are juiced and used anytime MLB wants to step up the offense. Stickem is outlawed to increase the offense. Fields are smaller and defense is optional for some teams.

Robo umps after 3 years will have killed the game from the gamesmanship aspect. There will be no arguing, no managers getting tossed. The front office will control the game 100%.

BTW, for those of you who think baseball is slow and hard to watch.....a 9 inning baseball game properly played is shorter than a NFL game.

August 26th and the Twins are still in first place.

[Steve-o]

The Golden Age of Baseball is a victim of today's bigger, stronger, faster athletes - plus the outrageous money - like all major pro sports.

I don't think baseball was ever envisioned to be a contact sport.  Wasn't it Pete Rose's play at the plate - taking out the opposing catcher - which changed the game for a while?  I don't want to see catchers injured because of a blocking play at the plate.  Nor do I want to see 2nd basemen knocked out of a game because runner (who is more or less already out) slides in hard with spikes high.

As for pitching, I don't know when pitchers stopped pitching up and in on a regular basis.  It was probably a combination of several things - one of which is so many, harder throwers. 

Bottom line is...  no one wants to see someone's season or career ended because of one unnecessary play in one game of a 162 game season.

As for umps...  I have never been a fan of umps who have their own interpretation of the strike zone.  Baseball excused this forever, claiming as long as it was called the same for both sides there was nothing wrong with it.  If they end up with robo umps, they will have brought it upon themselves.

[Steve-o]

I'm no Rocco apologist, but I liked his moves last night.

I think he got what he could out of Ryan.  There was no reason to ask him to go toe-to-toe with Scherzer with a 6 game lead in the division and already having won two of the 4 games in the series.  Let the bullpen do their job.

Thielbar gave up a run, but they got it right back.  Pagan did his job.  And I liked that Rocco put Duran in the 8th to face the top of the lineup instead of saving him for the 9th - do what is best for the team, not just what is best for the closer.  Duran did his job.

I think this was the 2nd time in recent memory that Rocco put Jax in for the 9th.  Nothing wrong with challenging players from time to time to see if they will step up.  Jax just wasn't up to the task last night. 

[Steve-o]

I thought I missed yesterday's game and didn't turn on the TV until what turned out to be the 13th inning!

It was nice to see the Twins get one back from the Rangers in the very the same way we gave one to the Rangers the night before.   

[Steve-o]

Preview from Cleveland, OH...

Guardians’ postseason begins Monday night against the Twins at Target Field

The calendar inside Ramon Laureano’s head says it’s time for October baseball.  Laureano and the Guardians have jumped ahead of the traditional ways of marking time because they have no choice. They trail the first-place Twins in the AL Central by six games with 31 to play.  “These are going to be playoffs games,” said Laureano. “We go to Minneapolis now and then we play them again at home. This is the playoffs.”  The Guardians have the youngest roster in the big leagues, but most of it went to the postseason last year. Laureano and Calhoun have been away from October a lot longer than that so they’re enjoying this.
...
Its too early to start thinking about "Magic Numbers," but after these two series with the Guardians, it ought to be a lot more clear.  Will the race be over or will it go down to the wire?   

[dutchboy]

Twins sweep at home would end it.

[Bobberineyes]

Sorry,  with so many games in a season its tough for me to keep tabs. But if the season ended today who would they play in the playoffs??? And in your opinion would they make the next round?

[KEN W]

Tampa would be the WC team they would play today.

[dutchboy]

With their pitching they can hang with anybody in the American League except Houston & Seattle.

[Gunner55]

Some more good work by the young guys in the bullpen yday, 2 in a row for Winder. Funderburk looked good too for being a 15th Rd pick in '18. His stats in AAA were good, hope they both can keep it up.  https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/38279714/twins-option-starting-pitcher-bailey-ober-triple-st-paul

[Steve-o]

I hope the batting is for real and sustainable.  Maybe the lads are getting hot at the right time of the year.   

In all of MLB, since the All Star Break, the Twinks are 5th in On Base Percentage (behind Seattle, Huston, Atlanta, and LA).  And they are 3rd in Slugging (behind only Seattle and Atlanta).   

Ya gotta love a guy named Kody Funderburk on your squad.  I hope he turns out to be a folk-hero and fan favorite.  He looks like one of the Hanson brothers from the movie Slapshot.    You see a lot of guys do well in their debut, but get hit a little harder after the league has time to watch their tape.  Good luck Kody.   

[Gunner55]

It's almost impossible to have too many decent LH'ers in the bullpen IMO, especially this time of year. The #2-6 guys were 0-8 w/RISP last night & that hasn't been happening much lately. Still up by 6 & according to ESPN they have a 96.9% chance of making the playoffs, Cleveland sits @ 2.9%. Getaway day today & Gray gets the ball, a 12:10 start.

[Steve-o]

How come no one is talking about Buxton?  Did I miss something?   

Since I asked, I thought I'd check The Google... 

Byron Buxton, Alex Kirilloff could be back with Twins very soon

The Twins announced Tuesday that Buxton and Kirilloff will begin rehab assignments at Triple-A St. Paul beginning Wednesday, so it's safe to assume that if all goes well they'll be back with the Twins within a week or so.

The easiest solution to lineup construction issues would be splitting time in center field with Buxton and Michael A. Taylor, while Kirilloff splits time at first base with Donovan Solano. That would eliminate the issue of having to bounce Royce Lewis and Jorge Polanco all over the field and it would keep Matt Wallner's bat in the lineup.

 

[glenn57]

  who are these twins you talk about??

Don't worry they get into the tournament I'll be on the bandwagon.

[Steve-o]

Ya gotta love a guy named Kody Funderburk on your squad.  ... You see a lot of guys do well in their debut, but get hit a little harder after the league has time to watch their tape.  Good luck Kody. 

Looks like Kole Calhoun did his homework.   

[Bobberineyes]

What about Galo, haven't heard his name in a while..

[KEN W]

He is in rehab. Coming back soon like Buxton.

[Gunner55]

Calhoun has hit LH'ers better (.320) than RH'ers (.250) this season. In fact, Bremer & Smalley questioned Rocco for bringing in Thielbar in the 8th inning because he might have to face him, & he did as Kwan singled & Ramirez walked. Said Funderburk: "I gave him a heater, and he hit it. You can’t fall behind.

[Gunner55]

He is in rehab. Coming back soon like Buxton.

No sign of Gallo on the IL, that I could find. https://www.espn.com/mlb/team/injuries/_/name/min/minnesota-twins

[Steve-o]

He hasn't been playing the field much, but they have been trotting him out there every so often as DH or PH.  He is what they thought he is.  He is good for a long fly ball (that may or may not go over the fence) or a strike out.  I've been seeing more the latter lately, which is why he prolly hasn't been in the lineup as frequently - with all the rookies starting to hit.

[dutchboy]

August 31 and the Twins finish the month in first place.

[Steve-o]

28 games remaining.  5 game lead.  3 head-to-head with the Guardians.  (I don't know how those head-to-head games change things.)

If the Twins go 14-14 (.500), the Guardians will need to go 20-8 (.714) to overtake the Twins.   

But the jaded MN sports fan in me isn't lurking too far below the surface and stranger things have happened.   

If the Twins play three games under .500, 11-17 (.392), the Guardians only have to play 3 games over .500, 17-11 (.607) to take the Twinks. 

Someone check my math, please.   

[dutchboy]

Only thing that matters is the upcoming series in Cleveland. If the Indians sweep we have a race, otherwise it's over.

[Gunner55]

Buxton started in CF for the Saints on Wednesday. He played 7 innings, going 1-2 with 2 BBs.

[Steve-o]

I hope his return serves as a catalyst.  I think it is the key to unlocking this team for the playoffs.

They brought Taylor in primarily for defense, but since the All Star break he leads the team in home runs (10).  However, Taylor is still 7th in batting average in that span, and around 7th-9th in on base percentage. 

There is room for Buxton to make an impact, but not if he is still ice cold from the plate on his return.

[Steve-o]

Report: Twins will be 'aggressive' on waiver wire Thursday

The waiver wire is filled with talent after the Los Angeles Angels dumped multiple players amid their free fall in the AL West. Among those released are relief pitchers Matt Moore and Reynaldo Lopez, two solid pitchers who would be huge additions to any bullpen, much less the a Minnesota bullpen that has been plagued since the All-Star break.

"I'm told the Twins worry, in particular, about the Reds claiming a guy or two. But based on the Twins losing to the Guardians the last two days, they now have waiver priority over the Diamondbacks and the Giants," said Wolfson.

"[The Twins] had interest in Matt Moore back in the winter. Reynaldo Lopez, yes, how would you turn that down? So those two relievers in particular, let's see what happens," Wolfson added.

There is already a report out that the team has made at least 3 waiver claims.   

I don't know how all this works, or if anything will come of it.  Good luck to the lads.