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It's been widely known since the beginning of the 2016 Major League Baseball season that this would be David Ortiz's last. No, not because he went on a city tour a la Kobe Bryant or Derek Jeter. Instead, simply because Ortiz suggested he'd hand them up. Recently, he wrote a piece on The Player's Tribune thanking Minnesota, where it all began. Really though, it's Minnesota that should be thanking him. You see, without David Ortiz, the Minnesota Twins and Major League Baseball would look vastly
After getting off to the worst start in franchise history, the Twins appear to be turning things around this month, but is that something fans should be excited about? It seems like a crazy question, but when you look at the big picture could it be in the best interest of the team's future to tank the rest of the season? In the MLB there is nothing but incentives to tanking a season. The worse your record is the higher up you draft and the bigger your allotted bonus pool is to divvy out to tho
There was a time when the Minnesota Twins could consider catcher as one of the least concerning positions on their roster. That time period ended when Joe Mauer suffered a traumatic brain injury that forced him to switch positions. Now, as the organization looks to solidify their backstop, more questions than answers are currently present. In 2016, Kurt Suzuki has re-emerged as a viable option. After a 2014 season in which Suzuki was named to his first All Star Game, the Twins rewarded their f
A trip down memory lane would reveal that Joe Mauer the catcher is a player both the Minnesota Twins and Major League Baseball miss. He was one of the best to ever play the position, and his bat combined with his glove, made him one of the most athletic backstops ever. Concussions and injuries ended that narrative way too soon, but Mauer is emerging in his new home now as well. That whole elite athlete narrative, well Mauer personifies it. Turning down a scholarship to go and play quarterback
There's a saying that goes something like, "No one knows you're clueless until you open your mouth and remove all doubt." On July 18, 2016 the Minnesota Twins fired long time General Manager Terry Ryan. It was a much needed move, and one that could have been made a long time ago. But then Jim Pohlad spoke, and so did Dave St. Peter. Pohlad is the owner of the Minnesota Twins. He's one of the most disconnected, at least based on appearances, in the world of sports. On May 6, 2016. he was featur
In baseball, and in life, the only constant is change. The Terry Ryan era has come to an end and with Rob Antony in charge, it will be an interesting couple of weeks until the trade deadline. In the short term, the change should not have any impact on the Twins Minor League organizations or day to day business with the affiliates, but when a new General Manager arrives later this year or during the offseason, expect to see a slew of changes. Transaction Report: Brandon Peterson promoted to C
That really just happened. In the middle of the 2016 season, just weeks before the non-waiver trade deadline, the Minnesota Twins made one of the most monumental moves in franchise history. Terry Ryan's time as General Manager has finally come to an end. In the midst of a near guaranteed 90 loss season, Jim Pohlad has finally seen enough. When it comes to baseball minds, there are few better in the game than Terry Ryan. He is an adept talent evaluator, a great person for the sport, and arguabl
Terry Ryan was fired on Monday, July 18 as the Minnesota Twins General Manager. Ryan was the Twins GM from 1994-2007 and again from 2011 until now. The end of his career will be marred by some of the worst seasons in Twins history. That, along with the current worst record in baseball, led to Ryan's demise. It shouldn't be what defines him. Ryan took a small market team and made them into a consistent playoff contender through much of the 2000s. Billy Beane constructed the Oakland Athlet
In the minor leagues on Sunday there were several standout performances on both the pitching side and the hitting side as Minnesota Twins affiliates went 4-1 on the day. Top pitchers were on the mound for Chattanooga and Fort Myers, but they wouldn’t quite compare to the TOP pitcher on the mound Sunday afternoon for Rochester. Elizabethton’s offense unloaded on opposing pitching and there were big RBI efforts in nearly every game. To see who did what and where on Sunday, keep reading! RED WI
After watching Sano just drop a pop up that any little leaguer would have caught, it is time for me to comment. TRUTH Sano is a better outfielder than a 3b, you clamored for a trade of Plouffe, then for Sano to move to 3b, what now brown cow? IF Sano is ever to play the field, the only position for him is currently occupied....by a horrible contract... So yes maybe Sano can play the field...but it would have to be at 1b Dont run from this, I was the only one saying Sano wont be any bet
About a week ago, I wrote a piece about baseball embracing a new piece of technology. As hitters have gone up to the plate for the last hundred or so years using a relatively similar form of lumber, the baseball bat has become dated technology. As local journalists around the Twin Cities reported on Kurt Suzuki's adaptation to a new way of hitting, I was interested to learn more. The previous piece highlighted the bat in which those aforementioned journalists (Cold Omaha and Pioneer Press) dis
The All-Star festivities are all over and the big boys start playing baseball again on Friday night, but things are still busy in the Minor Leagues, with all of the affiliates in action on Thursday night. Continue reading to find out more detail about Thursday in the Twins farm system: RED WINGS REPORT Norfolk Tide @ Rochester Red Wings Box Score Byung Ho Park had his first multi-hit night since Independence Day, going 2-4 with a home run, and 3 RBIs. He's still hitting just .241 in AAA,
Brad Radke was drafted 25 years ago. He arrived in 1995 and averaged over 30 starts a year through 2006. The Twins haven't developed a pitcher of his quality since. I wondered about today's better pitchers. What were their numbers in the minors? In particular I wondered about strike outs and walks. Those numbers are relatively fielding independent. I went to fangraphs as teams were hitting the 81 game point in the season. Starting with 2013 through mid 2016, I sorted the pitchers by fWAR and p
Coming into the 2016 Major League Baseball season, the Twins outfield was expected to have plenty of youth. Phenom Byron Buxton had taken over in center field, while slugger Miguel Sano was being asked to play in right. Expectations for Buxton to compete in the Rookie of the Year race were there, and the Twins had high hopes. Through the first half, it's been the guy who came up last, Max Kepler, that may have stolen the show. Making his MLB debut on September 27, 2015, Max Kepler had seen the
A season ago, the Minnesota Twins finished 83-79, just missing a playoff berth for the first time since 2010. While the season was a significant turnaround from the four straight 90 loss campaigns that preceded it, the final result was one that seemed somewhat of a mirage. Fast forward to where we are now, and the lack of consistency that was an underlying message a year earlier, has once against been this club's biggest problem. In 2015, Paul Molitor amassed 83 victories in his first year at
At the All-Star break, the Twins sit with a terrible 32-56 record and it is only that good because they've won the last three series against three AL West clubs. For most of the season, the Twins have scored the fewest runs in the AL while allowing the most. I wasn't totally surprised that the Twins pitching staff was bad, but it just doesn't seem right that they would be last in runs scored justifiably because they weren't getting on base and not hitting when they did manage to get runners in s
By all accounts, this has been a lost season for the Twins. Glen Perkins: done for the season. Phil Hughes: done for the season. Kevin Jepsen: cleared waivers on the day that Chi Wen Hu, the pitching prospect sent to Tampa Bay to acquire Jepsen, pitched a perfect 1-2-3 inning in the Futures Game with only five pitches including a fastball that touched 97 MPH… …you know, just to name a few. While a recent stretch of power hitting and “good enough” pitching has propelled the Twins to a p
First of all I am not from Minnesota, but I am following baseball in USA and I cheer for Twins. So I am writing this as an outside fan. Last week I was in Minnesota and while there I just had to visit the Twins stadium! I've seen it many times on TV, but now seeing it with my own eyes, I must say I was amazed. I really liked it and I enjoyed the view. The great heights and just the mass of the stadium really put an impression on me. Moreover the screen on the top of the stadium looks really magn
I threw out a question the other day on Twitter asking if the Minnesota Twins should look into trading Brian Dozier while he’s hot. I got several responses ranging from absolutely to not a chance. Bear with me and see if you agree that Trading Brian Dozier might be a good thing for the Twins. The Minnesota Twins are in a spot where they should think about improving this team in any way possible. They have prospects that are ready or very close to ready for a shot at significant playing time on
It's funny sometimes how others share a similar thought process to your own. That happened for me today as I prepared my coverage of the Twins for the week here at Off The Baggy. One topic I wanted to highlight and touch on was the ability Terry Ryan has shown to nab some very solid minor league signings heading into the season. MLB Trade Rumors released a piece with the best of the 2016 year, and of course, Minnesota had three entrants. It's pretty easy to pick out that the Twins have gotten
The 2016 Major League Baseball season wasn't supposed to go like this for the Minnesota Twins, but then again, maybe it was. Reliant upon an influx of youth, Paul Molitor's club was expected to score runs, and do so in bunches. Pitching should've been an improved aspect, but still could've been an assumed deficiency for this club. Through the first half however, nothing went right, right up until the end. As the dust settled and the 2016 season enters the All Star Break, the Minnesota Twins fi
My cell phone is what keeps me updated. Life, politics, sports. Whatever. That includes the Minnesota Twins. Whenever they score, or are scored upon, I get an update. Lately I have been seeing more of the former. The Twins have averaged 7.8 runs per game in July while going 7-3 to begin the month. They have scored in double figures four times in those ten games. Compare that with just one instance of double figure scoring in the first 78 games. Kurt Suzuki, the Twins catcher I still believ
In the Minor Leagues on Sunday afternoon for the Twins, one affiliate pounded out fourteen hits and scored nine runs, but ended up losing in a slugfest. Another got all the runs they would need in a victory in one inning. In Chattanooga, a top prospect and 2016 performer was on the mound for his AA debut. How would it go? To find out how it all went down in the minors on Sunday, keep reading! RED WINGS REPORT Rochester 3, Scranton/Wilkes-Barre 2 Box Score Rochester got all the offense they
On Saturday, Tait went 2-for-4 with a walk and his 17th double. The 19-year-old is hitting .219 with 17 doubles and 15 home runs at High-A Cedar Rapids.
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