Game 52 - Twins vs. Indians

[glunn]

Denard Span CF

Ben Revere RF

Joe Mauer C

Josh Willimgham LF

Justin Morneau 1B

Ryan Doumit DH

Dozier SS

Carrol 2B

Plouffe - 3B

Sp- P.J. (the "Wall") Walters

[glunn]

Nature abhors a vacuum, so I am creating this thread for today's game. I wish that I could figure out how to edit the title because I forgot to add the date, which is 6/2/12

[glunn]

Where is everyone? Too depressed after yesterday's game?

[NorthwestTwinsFan]

Where is everyone? Too depressed after yesterday's game?

I just started watching. Weird start time kind of threw me off. Nice to see Mauer hit one out.....although it would be even nicer to see a Twins starter get through 5 complete innings every once in a while.

[NorthwestTwinsFan]

I just started watching. Weird start time kind of threw me off. Nice to see Mauer hit one out.....although it would be even nicer to see a Twins starter get through 5 complete innings every once in a while.

Wait, tomorrow's game has the unusual start time, not today's. Disregard my previous post...I'm still getting use to living in the Pacific Time Zone.

[glunn]

I just started watching. Weird start time kind of threw me off. Nice to see Mauer hit one out.....although it would be even nicer to see a Twins starter get through 5 complete innings every once in a while.

Glad to see you NTF. The game is not in my cable package today so I am "watching" on cbssportsline.com. It's not easy being a Twins fan in California.

 

Did Mauer hit it far?

[glunn]

Wait, tomorrow's game has the unusual start time, not today's. Disregard my previous post...I'm still getting use to living in the Pacific Time Zone.

You are in Seattle?

[NorthwestTwinsFan]

Glad to see you NTF. The game is not in my cable package today so I am "watching" on cbssportsline.com. It's not easy being a Twins fan in California.

 

Did Mauer hit it far?

I'm actually following the game online as well.....I usually watch the games on MLB.com, but it's blacked out today for some reason. I live just north of Seattle. What part of California do you live in?

[glunn]

I'm actually following the game online as well.....I usually watch the games on MLB.com, but it's blacked out today for some reason. I live just north of Seattle. What part of California do you live in?

Beverly Hills - swimmin pools, movie stars and not enough Twins games. This blackout sucks.

[gil4]

Nice inning by Burton. Hopefully we can get to Capps with at least this three-run lead. It won't feel safe, but it will feel as close to safe as we can hope for.

[nicksaviking]

I would like some physicist to explain to all of us how that Mauer HR made it out of the park. I don't know if I've ever seen a ball with that low of a trajectory make it over the fence. That line drive shows that Mauer still has plenty of power, normally his swing just does not naturally take advantage of it.

 

Nice to see Plouffe perk up. Two run producing hits and unbelievably only one was a HR. Boy would it be nice if he could find away to be a short term answer at 3B.

[glunn]

Nice inning by Burton. Hopefully we can get to Capps with at least this three-run lead. It won't feel safe, but it will feel as close to safe as we can hope for.

Another couple of runs in the top of the 9th would be nice. The top of the order is hitting today.

[NorthwestTwinsFan]

Beverly Hills - swimmin pools, movie stars and not enough Twins games. This blackout sucks.

Oh yeah, I guess it says "Beverly Hills" right there on your location.

 

Hopefully the Twins can tack on a run or two. No lead ever feels safe this season.

[glunn]

Hopefully the Twins can tack on a run or two. No lead ever feels safe this season.

The Twins need to beat the Indians at least once this year, and today seems like a good day to do that.

[glunn]

Is Mauer going for the league record in GIDPs?

[glunn]

Twins WIN. Nice game even though the Wall struggled.

[nicksaviking]

37 GiDP's will be tough to reach, but he might be stubborn enough to do it. The defense plays him right up the middle because that is obviously his preference. The 2B is giving plenty of room on his 1B side if Mauer would only try to pull the ball. Of course he could avoid the infielders all together if he would stop thinking that a 58% groundball, 18% flyball rate is the key to winning a batting title. A 25-29% flyball rate won him batting titles in the past, I don't know what has changed the last two years. His three seasons where his groundball rate was +50% were the only seasons he did not hit over .300.

[Bark's Lounge]

Boy would it be nice if he could find away to be a short term answer at 3B.

As of now, for the most part, he pretty much is. For the season I really do believe he will hit over .230 even though some might find that hard to imagine. He has power and has been okay at 3B (except for a couple "In your face" mistakes). I have pimped Plouffe way to much, but I still believe he can be an answer, rather than a player who creates a question because of his performance. Keep throwing him out at the hot corner - let's make our final judgement in October.

[Montecore]

Beverly Hills - swimmin pools, movie stars and not enough Twins games. This blackout sucks.

I'm in Malibu across the street from Geoffrey's. 4 2/3 scoreless relief, not bad.

[Riverbrian]

As of now' date=' for the most part, he pretty much is. For the season I really do believe he will hit over .230 even though some might find that hard to imagine. He has power and has been okay at 3B (except for a couple "In your face" mistakes). I have pimped Plouffe way to much, but I still believe he can be an answer, rather than a player who creates a question because of his performance. Keep throwing him out at the hot corner - let's make our final judgement in October.[/quote']

 

I think he can do it. I don't see high average but I do see pop potential and I think he will find that stroke. At least I hope he finds that stroke. MLB pitchers are tough and he has to even up those battles he had been losing.

[stringer bell]

As of now' date=' for the most part, he pretty much is. For the season I really do believe he will hit over .230 even though some might find that hard to imagine. He has power and has been okay at 3B (except for a couple "In your face" mistakes). I have pimped Plouffe way to much, but I still believe he can be an answer, rather than a player who creates a question because of his performance. Keep throwing him out at the hot corner - let's make our final judgement in October.[/quote']I pretty much agree. Plouffe hasn't been glaringly bad at third--in particular he has thrown much better from third than short--and he has hit several long balls. If he gets his BA considerably north of the Mendoza line, he could be a real contributor. Plouffe fills a glaring need in Twins position player--RH power.

[glunn]

37 GiDP's will be tough to reach, but he might be stubborn enough to do it. The defense plays him right up the middle because that is obviously his preference. The 2B is giving plenty of room on his 1B side if Mauer would only try to pull the ball. Of course he could avoid the infielders all together if he would stop thinking that a 58% groundball, 18% flyball rate is the key to winning a batting title. A 25-29% flyball rate won him batting titles in the past, I don't know what has changed the last two years. His three seasons where his groundball rate was +50% were the only seasons he did not hit over .300.

Great analysis, Nick. It explains a lot.

[glunn]

I'm in Malibu across the street from Geoffrey's. 4 2/3 scoreless relief, not bad.

We should start a Los Angeles county Twins fan group.

[Bark's Lounge]

I think he can do it. I don't see high average but I do see pop potential and I think he will find that stroke. At least I hope he finds that stroke. MLB pitchers are tough and he has to even up those battles he had been losing.

Repetition is the key. Without playing him almost everyday we will never know. Let him bat against tough RHP's, throw him into the fire, let us figure out who Plouffe really is.

[jm3319]

I would like some physicist to explain to all of us how that Mauer HR made it out of the park. I don't know if I've ever seen a ball with that low of a trajectory make it over the fence. That line drive shows that Mauer still has plenty of power, normally his swing just does not naturally take advantage of it.

I'm not physicist, but I'll give it a try: He hit the ball and it had a certain height, which happened to be higher than the outfield wall, at the precise moment that the ball crossed the plane of the outfield fence during the ball's trajectory. This is remarkably similar to roughly 100% of other homeruns ever hit anywhere.

 

I also live in LA, near USC. Glad to see I'm not the only poor Twins fan stuck out here, although we're not missing much this season.

[ashbury]

As of now' date=' for the most part, he pretty much is. For the season I really do believe he will hit over .230 even though some might find that hard to imagine. [/quote']

 

A week or so ago I had thought about posting something to the effect that Plouffe could well end up with a better BA than Dozier by the end of the season.

[nicksaviking]

I'm not physicist, but I'll give it a try: He hit the ball and it had a certain height, which happened to be higher than the outfield wall, at the precise moment that the ball crossed the plane of the outfield fence during the ball's trajectory. This is remarkably similar to roughly 100% of other homeruns ever hit anywhere.

 

I also live in LA, near USC. Glad to see I'm not the only poor Twins fan stuck out here, although we're not missing much this season.

Clearly you did not watch the game as the ball at no point appeared higher than the outfield fence. At this time a higher power is the only explanation. Still waiting on the physicist. Californian arm-chair scientists can continue to speculate without a thesis and theoretical proof.

[Bark's Lounge]

A week or so ago I had thought about posting something to the effect that Plouffe could well end up with a better BA than Dozier by the end of the season.

You should have! I would have been a first responder defending your article. I don't know how it has happened, but I have become a Plouffetivist. I guess there are worse things. My guess is that they will indeed end up with a similar BA - hopefully closer to .250 than .200.

[glunn]

Nice one, Bark -- "Plouffetivist" -- we should start a baseball academy that teaches Plouffetism.

[Bark's Lounge]

Nice one, Bark -- "Plouffetivist" -- we should start a baseball academy that teaches Plouffetism.

I hope I get to be a professor at this academy.