Thread: Article: Samuel Deduno showing progress in World Baseball Classic

Originally Posted by twinsnorth49

Back to Deduno, 7 K's in 4 innings is the most interesting thing any Twin pitcher has done this spring.....by far.

Against a real lineup no less.

I just like watching him pitch... Pure baseball entertainment. It's like watching Evil Knievel jump over buses. On the edge and every once in awhile he bounces off the last bus.

He was one pitch from getting yanked in the 1st inning. The Bullpen was going and he was sitting 3-0 with the bases loaded against Adam Jones before coming back and getting the K on a beautiful spinner.

Baseball beauty at it's finest... Watching him struggle against Bloomquist who was just trying to bunt and I'm saying to myself... Just lay it in there... take the out... You can't walk a guy who is trying to bunt and he almost did.

Each time he walked off the mound... Arms pumped in the air following the K. Crisis avoided. How can you not love this game? I wish I would see that kind of emotion during the regular season.

I really hope that Deduno gets a good look when he gets back to Twins Camp. You are right... That and Hicks hitting 3 dingers is the spring training story thus far.

Originally Posted by Riverbrian

Each time he walked off the mound... Arms pumped in the air following the K. Crisis avoided. How can you not love this game? I wish I would see that kind of emotion during the regular season.

I think I remember Deduno leaving the field exactly the same way several times last year.

I asked this in the thread about the game, but that seems to be left for dead while this one may still be a little more active. Anyone who watched feel like giving a brief recap of the Deduno vs. Mauer plate appearances?

I'd rather watch a random guy pitch, than a predictably bad guy pitch. I'd rather have a guy give me one great game, on ok game, and two bad games, than a guy give me 4 below average to bad game. At least with the first guy, you win 1 game, maybe three.....I don't get how predictability is a good thing, if the prediction is a 5+ERA....

Originally Posted by CDog

I think I remember Deduno leaving the field exactly the same way several times last year.

I asked this in the thread about the game, but that seems to be left for dead while this one may still be a little more active. Anyone who watched feel like giving a brief recap of the Deduno vs. Mauer plate appearances?

Cdog... From Memory... It seemed like typical Mauer at the plate...

1st inning... Deduno just got the 2nd out of the inning by ringing up Ryan Braun... A runner was on when Joe stepped up and he ripped a single the opposite way to left. Deduno was looking pretty good until Joe singled... The Wheels then started to fall off a little... He walked Stanton fairly quickly and he didn't really look like he could find the zone and the bullpen got up and the Manager came out for a visit. He followed that with 3 bad pitches in a row to Adam Jones and you could see him blowing air out of his cheeks and he came back with 3 straight strikes to ring up Adam Jones.

In the Third? I think it was the third... He was working Joe inside and Joe grounded out to 1B. Deduno had settled down by this point and was looking like he belonged out there.

Deduno is far more compelling than Correia and Pelfrey. The Twins really sold the fans, the veteran players and Gardy down the stinking river with this rubbish.

Originally Posted by PseudoSABR

Nick Blackburn and Jason Marquis say hello.

Jason Marquis was a one year deal, and Nick Blackburn would still be in competition for a spot in the rotation if he was healthy.

Unlike Corriea or Pelfrey, Deduno has potential upside to be something other than a 5 starter. I agree he's a project, but he could also turn into a pretty decent pitcher, even at 28. What I like about what he did, is that he surrendered 2 walks to a very patient team USA lineup. That will likely be the toughest lineup he faces all year long, and he went 4 innings, struck out 7, and only walked 2. Personally, I think he deserves a spot in the rotation, at the very least, he's more deserving of a spot on the 40 man than some of the other crap on it. This season is lost. Figuring out if a guy like Denduno can be an above average fill at a position of extreme need in this org for the forseable future is well worth it.