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Sure the team made the playoffs and also made a quick exit, but there are ex-Twins who are now in the league Championship series. I will start with my surprise - Aaron Slegers is a RP for the Tampa Bay Rays. He was in just 11 games, started 1, saved 2. He had a 3.46 era this year and a WAR of 0.5 Then there is Nick Anderson a RP for the Tampa Bay Rays. Drafted by Milwaukee, A free agent sign by the Twins in 2015 and traded for Brian Schales in 2018. He had a 1.1 WAR in the BP with a 2 - 1 re
They cheated. They cheated. There were 23 home runs hit in the ALDS this year. The ones from the A's because they were a genuinely good team, but the ones from the Astros had to be from cheating. If you don't believe me, let me rephrase that for you. The ones from the Astros, the 29-31 Astros with a .483 winning percentage, had to be from cheating. Oh, and let's talk about that record. In the playoffs, the Astros are 5-1. And here's the funny thing. None of their games have been at home. In 2020
MLB’s Brain Drain: The Minnesota Twins are hiring but it would seem that the industry as a whole might be in trouble. However the next several years play out, it appears that the baseball industry is in a liminal space. Front office gigs, long glamorized, have become less desirable to those with options. The individuals who remain in the industry feel underpaid, undervalued, and overstressed. The most conscientious are concerned that an already exclusive industry is going to build larger ga
If the Twins number one decision this winter is whether or not to re-sign Nelson Cruz, the second most important may be what to do with left fielder Eddie Rosario. The home-grown prospect is due for a raise in arbitration and at a project $9 million or so, it’s down to crunch time. Eddie Rosario’s all but established as a big-league veteran by now, but it’s also well known what his production profile looks like. He’s a free swinger that has the ability to do damage while leaving a significant
I am still watching the playoffs and with the Twins out of it I picked two more teams to root for - Miami and Oakland and - well - they are not doing to well so far. But still this is some exciting baseball. The Yankees bats remind us why we did not want to play them, but their 18 strikeouts remind me of why the HR or nothing is either lethal or a bomb (a negative bomba). So Tampa Bay is 1 - 1 and of course I am cheering for Tampa Bay. And Nick Anderson (we traded him for Brian Schales in one
Wednesday was about as ugly as it gets. After giving away the game to Houston on Tuesday, Minnesota watched their Postseason hopes go up in flames, for an 18th consecutive loss. Now out of the end-of-season-tournament, how can we put a Twins spin on the great baseball action still left? If you missed what the San Diego Padres did yesterday afternoon and into the evening, that’s really too bad. It’s performances like those that define October baseball. The Twins are out of it, and so are countl
Wow – the combined AL/NL Central division had 7 teams in the 16 team post season mix. That must be a great division so we can take great pride in all our wins, right? Maybe not. Let us look at the division record for the first round. This is for those of you who have decided not to watch any more baseball until spring. The game does go on even if the Twins do not. And if you did see other series you would see something that we missed in the Twins series, besides relief pitching, batting, and f
Yes, the number in the title is not an exaggeration. The true odds of the moment we find ourselves in at the close of the Twins 2020 postseason campaign, brief as it was, comes to one in 69 billion. Somewhere in the galaxy, Zaphod Beeblebrox fired up the Improbability drive and Minnesota got caught in the wake. Let's do some math, shall we? Setting a baseline Now, there's a very good chance you've seen the number 262,144 floating around Twins Twitter in the last day or two, and that's beca
A lot of you probably won't like this, but I'm ready for a big shakeup this offseason. Being a great regular season team that does absolutely zero in the playoffs doesn't sit well with me. At some point, they have to accept that maybe these guys just don't have what it takes to perform on the biggest stage. I'd make everyone available (offensively) except Donaldson, Arraez, Buxton, the catchers, and maybe Sano. Other than that, I'd make a full blown effort to resign Cruz and usher in the Royce
Well, it looks like yet another post-season let down is in the works. That's the thing. You are either "get busy living or get busy dying". Too bad. They had so much going for them.
Whew! We made it! I know I can’t be the only person who wouldn’t have bet much money a couple of months ago on the chances of MLB even having a Postseason in 2020. It looked pretty bleak when the Marlins and Cardinals started things off with a bunch of postponed games. But here we are. The American League starts their first round on Tuesday and the National League gets going on Wednesday. And, yes, the Minnesota Twins will be participating in this rather strange endeavor, having squeaked t
The non-injury injuries: why the Twins might have trouble against Houston The Minnesota Twins completed the whirlwind COVID season atop their division. They are a different team than the one that won over 100 games last year, and probably much more likely to make an October run, thanks to improved starting pitching. On paper the Twins are a better team than the Houston Astros this year. From starting pitching to bullpen to lineup, Minnesota is just superior.* But one significant issue could
While it did seem like we would struggle to have baseball in 2020 for a period of time, Sunday marked the culmination of the regular season. Major League Baseball overcame outbreaks and adverse conditions to reach its destined conclusion. Now, as a member of the IBWAA, I needed to look back and hand out some votes. Just like the BBWAA, the Internet Baseball Writers Association of America votes on all major award categories on a yearly basis. The results will be tabulated and revealed at a late
Welcome to this week’s What I’m Reading. This is a collection of interesting or insightful articles that you might enjoy. The Brilliance of Brad: Facing American League-favorite Oakland in the opening round of the 2002 playoffs, the Twins got off to a horrendous start. Radke issued a one-out walk in the first inning to Scott Hatteberg and Pierzynski’s error on Eric Chavez’s two-out single would ultimately lead to two runs scoring. The Twins got a run back in the top of the second inning
- Kenta has been an Ace so far this year. I'm pretty sure the Nationals had Scherzer, Strasburg, and Corbin. They went up against Cole, Verlander, and Greinke. We need Berrios and Pineda to be dominant. - Buxton has been the player all the Buck truthers have hoped. He has 10+ defensive runs saved plus 13 homeruns. He is the MVP of the Twins along with Cruz. - Rookers injury hurts this team. He came up and played really well. I Think it is too late to call up Kiriloff which is unfortunate.
All offseason the talk was that the Minnesota Twins needed an ace. Someone that could slot into the rotation at the level of Jose Berrios or higher would fit that bill. There was plenty of consternation when it took moving Brusdar Graterol to land the piece, but Kenta Maeda is here to stay. The Dodgers signed Maeda out of Japan and his first season in the majors came at 28-years-old. Despite being relied upon for over 500 innings while with Los Angeles, Maeda was often shuffled back and forth
I've had a lot on my mind as we head into the 2020 MLB postseason, and have been sharing my thoughts over on my YouTube channel. This short season resulted in the playoffs sneaking up on me, but I found some time to get things off my chest. First up ... ATTN: Pissy Twins Fans
Yes, I'm calling you out!!! This was recorded shortly after the White Sox series, and I was fed up with the way a lot of Twins fans were throwing shade at the White Sox while also dumping on the Twins at the same tim
Nelson Cruz has been everything the Twins could have expected for 2019 and 2020. He's stayed relatively healthy, hit both with power and for average, he's been available to play except for two ten-day stays on the Injured List and he has been a team leader and mentor for all players on his team. Cruz has been far and away the best hitter both last year and this year. Despite all of his contributions, I am not sure my favorite team should bring back Nelson Cruz for the 2021 season. There is a t
I hear the Pint commentators, I see the bloggers and TD writers and the posts saying the 16 game losing streak to the Yankees does not count - there are Twins who were not even born when this began - okay I exaggerate. But some were pretty young. It is a different team, different players - and that is true. I think we have said that in every playoff appearance. Don't tell me that the players don't know about this - heck they might even read this rambling essay. Fans know it, the media knows it
No, the season isn't over, but in terms of winning the division, it almost certainly is after a disheartening series loss in Chicago. The Twins were overwhelming favorites to win the Division, at least. The FO came thru this offseason by signing Donaldson and greatly strengthening the rotation by trading for Maeda and signing Hill and Bailey. Results in an improved rotation are self-evident to the point where this can now be considered the strength of the team. But what happened? Sure the
Welcome to What I'm Reading. This is a collection of interesting or insightful articles I’ve read this past week. Behind Nelson Cruz’s Maniacal Preparation: From his Seattle Mariner days but a reminder of how much work the 40-year-old Cruz puts in to maintain his elite level of play. Nap time can vary, but it’s daily. “If we play at home, I like to do it after BP,” he said. “If we are on the road, I do it before BP.” Post nap will include a dip in the cold tub for about five minutes, fo
The Minnesota Twins begin a four-game set tonight in Chicago, and it’s arguably their most important series of the year. How much importance lies in the amount of weight put on Postseason positioning, however. After sweeping the Cleveland Indians over the weekend Rocco Baldelli’s club has all but put a nail in that proverbial coffin. Terry Francona’s squad has another tilt with the White Sox yet to play and cannibalizing divisional foes shouldn’t help them climb back into the race. That leaves
It is universal that you have to beat everyone to win the World Series. I get that. But is there a playoff seeding that might be more preferable than even one or two seeds higher? That is the question. As it stands (games through September 10, roughly 15 games to go), the AL standings show: Rays A's White Sox Twins Blue Jays Astros Indians Yankees We know some things are pretty certain - the 2nd and 3rd place teams in the AL Central are likely to be the #4 and #7 seeds (best secon
I am not a follower of Donald Trump. I have participated in several no kings rallies and am disgusted with what he and his followers have done to our country and the world. I would like to know what most Brazilians feel about the United States now and about the folks our citizens have elected to represent us.
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hello Seth......you'll wanna correct the date in headline of today's minor league report. :-) Brad· 0 replies
I am not a follower of Donald Trump. I have participated in several no kings rallies and am disgusted with what he and his followers have done to our country and the world. I would like to know what most Brazilians feel about the United States now and about the folks our citizens have elected to represent us.· 1 reply
