45 replies to this topic

[Brock Beauchamp]

 

The 2001 squad collapsed over the bizarre trade and Guzman going down with an injury. They felt like a "team" and they wouldn't be able to get it done without everyone in place. I think the team aspect is very similar to this team.

I don't think that's the case at all. The 2019 squad started the season with Sano, possibly their best slugger (though everyone's so good right now it's almost a moot point), on the IL. Later, they had their two best overall hitters (Cruz and Garver) go down for a few weeks each.

 

The team played some of its best baseball during that stretch of play.

 

If a pitcher goes down, things could get ugly, but thus far the team has weathered some really good players spending extended time away from the field and no one missed a beat.

[HawksNest]

Great wrap, per usual. Thanks for putting these together!

 

I'm very much looking forward to monitoring the trade market over the next 6 weeks.

 

We have more than enough ammo to go out and make a few trades if Falvine decide to do so. A combination (to varying degrees of course depending on the return) is more than enough to land starter and/or a bullpen arm or two. 

 

Larnach

Balazovic

Duran

Gordon

Cave

Rooker

Arraez

Wander Javier

Enlow

Alcala

Moran

Rortvedt

Gonsalves

Thorpe

 

That's a pretty solid and deep pool of prospects to draw from to get something done.

 

Edited by HawksNest, 10 June 2019 - 09:41 AM.

[Doomtints]

 

I don't think that's the case at all. The 2019 squad started the season with Sano, possibly their best slugger (though everyone's so good right now it's almost a moot point), on the IL. Later, they had their two best overall hitters (Cruz and Garver) go down for a few weeks each.

 

The team played some of its best baseball during that stretch of play.

 

If a pitcher goes down, things could get ugly, but thus far the team has weathered some really good players spending extended time away from the field and no one missed a beat.

 

Well, yes, this team also doesn't have a dunderheaded GM or a manager who wanted to retire.

 

But, as you said, if two key pitchers go down the team might struggle just to tread water ... and it may not even take injuries for this to happen, just simple regression.

 

Like the comparison or not, it's a valid one. Both teams are playing better than anyone expected, both have dominated the AL for the first part of the year, and both teams are remarkably thin in at least one area.

The same thing happening twice is unlikely, but it's not impossible. Even still, a team with half a bullpen setting team W-L records is unfathomable.

Edited by Doomtints, 10 June 2019 - 11:18 AM.

[MMMordabito]

 

Great wrap, per usual. Thanks for putting these together!

 

I'm very much looking forward to monitoring the trade market over the next 6 weeks.

 

We have more than enough ammo to go out and make a few trades if Falvine decide to do so. A combination (to varying degrees of course depending on the return) is more than enough to land starter and/or a bullpen arm or two. 

 

Larnach

Balazovic

Duran

Gordon

Cave

Rooker

Arraez

Wander Javier

Enlow

Alcala

Moran

Rortvedt

Gonsalves

Thorpe

 

That's a pretty solid and deep pool of prospects to draw from to get something done.

 

Add Lewis, Kirilloff and Graterol - especially if a name like Syndergaard starts getting tossed around

[SomeGuy]

The biggest disappointment for the Twins so far this year has been an advertisement on the radio broadcasts. The one about Twins tickets. The one about Twins tickets. The one about Twins tickets.

[h2oface]

 

......It's hard not to keep talking about the Twins being on a pace to shatter the team record for HRs, but we're also on pace to top the team record for doubles, set back in 2002. (record 348, current pace 354) The biggest thing that's going to stop this team from knocking off that record is the fact that we hit so many HRs! (btw, the 2002 Twins squad? hit 167 HRs for the year. the 2019 team might clear that by the all-star break!)

 

Seattle comes into town with one more homer than the Twins (126 to 125), albeit with 5 more games played. Could be some balls flying out......

[Fritzderkat]

It's hard not to keep talking about the Twins being on a pace to shatter the team record for HRs, but we're also on pace to top the team record for doubles, set back in 2002. (record 348, current pace 354) The biggest thing that's going to stop this team from knocking off that record is the fact that we hit so many HRs! (btw, the 2002 Twins squad? hit 167 HRs for the year. the 2019 team might clear that by the all-star break!)

 

I'm sure I'm way late on this, but I've been ill.

How many here are convinced that the home run totals are rather totally a result of MLB screwing with the ball because normally no team hits four in one game with any sort of regularity, hardly ever, and secondly because a lot of these guy with 10-15 HR would at this point in the season normally be expected to have around 2, maybe 3 to 5.

It is what it is, I realize, but am I one of only a few who care about the integrity of the game?

[Brock Beauchamp]

 

How many here are convinced that the home run totals are rather totally a result of MLB screwing with the ball because normally no team hits four in one game with any sort of regularity, hardly ever, and secondly because a lot of these guy with 10-15 HR would at this point in the season normally be expected to have around 2, maybe 3 to 5.

It's most definitely not "totally" due to the ball. Teams have figured out that a certain type of swing generates flyballs and that flyballs are more productive than groundballs. As a result, teams are drafting and developing players to use a swing that facilitates lots of flyballs/line drives. Add in improved conditioning and stronger players and you get more home runs.

 

The ball likely has a role but it's far from the only factor in play here.

[Mike Sixel]

 

It's hard not to keep talking about the Twins being on a pace to shatter the team record for HRs, but we're also on pace to top the team record for doubles, set back in 2002. (record 348, current pace 354) The biggest thing that's going to stop this team from knocking off that record is the fact that we hit so many HRs! (btw, the 2002 Twins squad? hit 167 HRs for the year. the 2019 team might clear that by the all-star break!)

 

I'm sure I'm way late on this, but I've been ill.

How many here are convinced that the home run totals are rather totally a result of MLB screwing with the ball because normally no team hits four in one game with any sort of regularity, hardly ever, and secondly because a lot of these guy with 10-15 HR would at this point in the season normally be expected to have around 2, maybe 3 to 5.

It is what it is, I realize, but am I one of only a few who care about the integrity of the game?

 

It's partly the ball, but are other teams on pace to shatter the record? 

[Doomtints]

 

Seattle comes into town with one more homer than the Twins (126 to 125), albeit with 5 more games played. Could be some balls flying out......

 

Good cautionary tale for crowning ourselves champions too soon.

[drivlikejehu]

 

Good cautionary tale for crowning ourselves champions too soon.

 

Who crowned the Twins champions?

[Fritzderkat]

Wahl, now that there seems to be agreement on several reasons for the home run surge, how 'bout answering my other question: What is this doing to the integrity of the game?

For reference, in the good old days, sluggers had to earn their swats and dink hitters were dink hitters. How is it reasonably possible to contrast stats set today with, say, stats set in the '40s and '50s? It's not, from and practical standpoint, so it's silly for the leaguesteamsand sports media to keep running with it. A record every week, possibly on any given night. Stand by! Tape at 11 

 

[Mr. Brooks]

Wahl, now that there seems to be agreement on several reasons for the home run surge, how 'bout answering my other question: What is this doing to the integrity of the game?
For reference, in the good old days, sluggers had to earn their swats and dink hitters were dink hitters. How is it reasonably possible to contrast stats set today with, say, stats set in the '40s and '50s? It's not, from and practical standpoint, so it's silly for the leaguesteams and sports media to keep running with it. A record every week, possibly on any given night. Stand by! Tape at 11

I don't understand how this conflicts with the integrity of the game?
Teams and players have made adjustments since baseball started, how is this different?
Was the increased emphasis on base stealing from the late 70's through the early 90's an encroachment on the integrity of the game? Does anyone look back at Brock, Coleman, and Henderson's historically disproportionate stolen base numbers with some sort of asterisk?

[snotboogie]

 

The biggest disappointment for the Twins so far this year has been an advertisement on the radio broadcasts. The one about Twins tickets. The one about Twins tickets. The one about Twins tickets.

Thanks for putting that ear worm back in my head.

[jkcarew]

 

Wahl, now that there seems to be agreement on several reasons for the home run surge, how 'bout answering my other question: What is this doing to the integrity of the game?

For reference, in the good old days, sluggers had to earn their swats and dink hitters were dink hitters. How is it reasonably possible to contrast stats set today with, say, stats set in the '40s and '50s? It's not, from and practical standpoint, so it's silly for the leaguesteamsand sports media to keep running with it. A record every week, possibly on any given night. Stand by! Tape at 11 

I think "integrity of the game" is fine (IMO), as long as playing fields are level. For those that equate the integrity of the game with the state of historical records...that ship left port before this year, with both home runs and strikeouts. Approach, ballparks, the baseball, etc.

 

It doesn't bother me any more than it does to hear announcers drone on and on during NFL games about the amazing passing yards and receiving yards players x and y have. Just as meaningless, if not more so, than 2019 HR numbers in MLB. I tend to tune that out, and enjoy the competition of the game.

[Mike Sixel]

 

Wahl, now that there seems to be agreement on several reasons for the home run surge, how 'bout answering my other question: What is this doing to the integrity of the game?

For reference, in the good old days, sluggers had to earn their swats and dink hitters were dink hitters. How is it reasonably possible to contrast stats set today with, say, stats set in the '40s and '50s? It's not, from and practical standpoint, so it's silly for the leaguesteamsand sports media to keep running with it. A record every week, possibly on any given night. Stand by! Tape at 11 

 

I don't even know what integrity of the game means.....they are all playing by the same rules. The only thing about the game that matters in terms of "integrity" is if it is a fair contest at the time it takes place.

[Brock Beauchamp]

 

Wahl, now that there seems to be agreement on several reasons for the home run surge, how 'bout answering my other question: What is this doing to the integrity of the game?

For reference, in the good old days, sluggers had to earn their swats and dink hitters were dink hitters. How is it reasonably possible to contrast stats set today with, say, stats set in the '40s and '50s? It's not, from and practical standpoint, so it's silly for the leaguesteamsand sports media to keep running with it. A record every week, possibly on any given night. Stand by! Tape at 11 

MLB integrated in 1947, which changed the level of competition, rendering old stats largely outdated.

 

MLB expanded in 1961 (and other years), which lowered the level of competition, rendering old stats largely outdated.

 

MLB lowered the mound in 1969, which gave hitters an advantage, rendering old stats largely outdated.

 

The AL added the DH in 1973, completely skewering old team stats, rendering them largely outdated.

 

Through the 80s and 90s, an influx of Latin players invaded the league, rendering old stats largely outdated.

 

I could go on but you probably get my point by now.

[h2oface]

And regarding integrity... there has been a better option to call instantaneous balls and strikes for at least ten years, yet...... the game continues to let umpires guess, and to the tune of about 10-15% wrong each game. 

[Fritzderkat]

 

I don't even know what integrity of the game means.....they are all playing by the same rules. The only thing about the game that matters in terms of "integrity" is if it is a fair contest at the time it takes place.

 

[Fritzderkat]

All of these comments are helpful. Somehow in my dotage I forget that everything is relative.

Beauchamp puts it very well. The only things missing are domed stadiums and artificial turf.