Game Thread, Twins Vs. Rangers, 8/12 @ 7:10pm CT

[sampleSizeOfOne]

Repetitive Game Thread Syndrome...

 

Dog days of August gettin' to ya? Is everything on Twins Daily starting to sound similar? To mush together, like you've heard it before? Even the game threads? Even the game threads?

Well perhaps you're suffering from um...

 

Repetitive Game Thread Syndrome...

 

Well, worry no more! We're going to bust out somehow, even if we gotta break that whole wheel of karma to do it! Yes today we gather the pretty buds of the re-in carnations, and wear 'em on our jacket pockets or in our hair or both, where neither birds nor bees can get at 'em! We're skippin' the groove, man!

 

1. Great farm system: Sano up. Buxton down.

 

Both livin' up to their current expectations. Did i forget to mention Rosario, Meyer, Duffey?  Well, did i?

 

Ryan and his folk are revin' up the combines on this here farm system over the next few years... It's gonna be fun!

 

1. Mike Pelfrey!

 

"Give it to Mike. He'll eat anything... Mikey likes it!"

 

Oh, not that Mike? Sorry. Pelfrey. Right. Too lazy to do my own research, MLB says he got knocked around last game, as well as last game against this here Ranger team. Sounds like a chance to show 'em up, and pitch a whale of a game! Just as long as there are no harpoons involved...

 

1. Nick Martinez?

 

MLB's game preview says he got a W against that there hot new Astros team with Carlos Gomez and all, allowin' 1 run while 1 hitting 'em and 1+1+1 walkin' 'em through 1+1+1+1+1 innings. But sportin' an ERA more than 6 since the break? He aughta fit right in here...

 

1. Only .500 ball? Fire Gardy!

 

I'm sorry... That was Callous, wasn't it? I'm sure he's enjoying some time recuperating from the grind of the season, and is glad for this team's success, even if he's not in the middle of it.

 

At least we know we can count on the rubber band this time. We've barely stretched it at all this season.

 

1. Great farm system: Sano up. Buxton down.

 

Both livin' up to their current expectations. Did i forget to mention Rosario, Meyer, Kepler?  Well, did i?

Ryan and his folk are revin' up the combines on this here farm system over the next few years... It's gonna be fun!

1. But no, i jest, really.

 

Game Threads have always impressed me with expressing similar ideas differently, using the same words in new and different ways. All the newest and improved proven time warn thread bare um... i forget. The exception that proves the rule, that sort of thing. Creative, friendly (like Texas driving), whispering words o' wisdom, let it be...

 

1. Weather is always new and unusual. Not so much the descriptions of it, though:

 

This Afternoon: Sunny, with a high near 86. South southwest wind around 10 mph.

Tonight: Partly cloudy, with a low around 69. South southwest wind around 10 mph.

 

1. The line ups are always new and unusual too!

 

Rangers

Pitching. Nick Martinez {R}

 

1. Delino DeShields {R} CF

2. Shin-Soo Choo {L} RF

3. Prince Fielder {L} DH

4. Adrian Beltre {R} 3B

5. Mitch Moreland {L} 1B

6. Josh Hamilton {L} LF

7. Elvis Andrus {R} SS

8. Rougned Odor {L} 2B

9. Bobby Wilson {R} C

 

Twins

Pitching. Mike Pelfrey {R}

 

1. Aaron Hicks {S} CF

2. Brian Dozier {R} 2B

3. Joe Mauer {L} 1B

4. Miguel Sano {R} DH

5. Trevor Plouffe {R} 3B

6. Torii Hunter {R} RF

7. Eddie Rosario {L} LF

8. Kurt Suzuki {R} C

9. Eduardo Nunez {R} SS

 

... Klato... Ferrata ... Nnnn... Nunez!

 

(I said the words... Well, basically. Maybe not every exact syllable...)

Haven't i read this somewhere before?

[Hosken Bombo Disco]

Paul Molitor, what a sense of humor you have, benching Escobar after he saved your ass last night

[USAFChief]

Nice job, SSOO! Gracias!

[sampleSizeOfOne]

Nice job, SSOO! Gracias!

De nada.

 

Alas, i might actually be running off and missing some o' the game.

 

If i do, y'all hold the fort, okay?

[USAFChief]

De nada.Alas, i might actually be running off and missing some o' the game.If i do, y'all hold the fort, okay?

Won't be the same without you, but we'll do our best.

 

Or worst, as the case may be.

[Brock Beauchamp]

Why can't Escobar just play every day? Why is that such a difficult decision for Molitor?

[Gibby]

 

  The dude is clutch.

[wavedog]

Let's go for a win streak. I would have played Escobar and maybe given Plouffe a rest instead. Hope Molitor is correct.

[twinsnorth49]

 

Why can't Escobar just play every day? Why is that such a difficult decision for Molitor?

Not only that, when he does play why is such a difficult decision to bat him 8th ahead of Zuke?

[JB_Iowa]

A scoreless first 1/2 inning.  What a relief!!!

 

GO TWINS!!!!  Let's score early and often.

[twinsnorth49]

Well that was efficient.

[JB_Iowa]

Atta Boy!!! HR Aaron Hicks!!

 

 

[wavedog]

On the Texas broadcast they had the stat that Pelfrey's era at home is 2.05 and on the road its approx 6.50. All is blowouts have been on the road. Way to start the game Hicks!

[jimbo92107]

While it's true that Aaron Hicks doesn't have the same power from the left side of the plate, this much power will suffice. It all came together on that swing. Now he knows it's there.

[twinsnorth49]

Hicksie!!!!!!! That's the leadoff guy we thought he could be.

[Cap'n Piranha]

Paul Molitor, what a sense of humor you have, benching Escobar after he saved your ass last night

Is it possible Molitor thinks all Eduardos look alike, a problem which is exacerbated by them dressing alike?

[ScrapTheNickname]

I see that Hicks' BABIP (before the home run) was .314.

 

I wonder ... and now all you smarty pants can inform me ... what is a "good" BABIP supposed to be?

 

In other words, how high above the batting average would be considered a good BABIP? I imagine this hasn't been established, but what are some theories?

 

For example, Dozier's BABIP is .269 (24 points above his BA).

Mauer's BABIP is +41.

Note: In Mauer's MVP year his BABIP was .373 and his batting average was .365. (so close together).

 

I guess I'm just having a conversation with myself here! But it occurs to me that perhaps the closer one's BABIP is to BA the more accurate your batting average is?

 

 

[JB_Iowa]

CBU:  1-0 Twins after 1 complete.

[Brock Beauchamp]

While it's true that Aaron Hicks doesn't have the same power from the left side of the plate, this much power will suffice. It all came together on that swing. Now he knows it's there.

I have no idea what to think of Hicks right now. His season OPS against righties is approaching .650.

 

Before the recall, his overall OPS was below .650. His OPS against righties had to be well under .600 at that point.

 

Has Hicks actually become an acceptable hitter against RHP and we just haven't acknowledged it yet?

[jimbo92107]

Texas scouting report on Hicks: Go ahead and challenge him with fastballs down the middle. He's got no power from the left side. ;-)

[Monkeypaws]

Love the way Pelf has thrown, vs. Seattle, and again tonight - totally laying it in there and saying "hit this chump."

 

When he is on, he is a pretty good pitcher.

 

BTW, congrats to Iwakuma on the no-hitter, who outdueled Pelf recently, and carried a 1 hitter into the 9th.

[jimbo92107]

 

 

I have no idea what to think of Hicks right now. His season OPS against righties is approaching .650.

Before the recall, his overall OPS was below .650. His OPS against righties had to be well under .600 at that point.

Has Hicks actually become an acceptable hitter against RHP and we just haven't acknowledged it yet?

This goes back to his last demotion to AAA. Hicks apparently adopted the Cuban-style leg kick and bat wave from both sides. It has taken longer to get comfortable with the new mechanics from the left side, but it's coming along. He's finally getting real drive from his rear leg, and he's learning how to really snap the barrel through the zone. His "French Mistake" butt push is finally gone.

 

Nothing temporary about it. This is Aaron Hicks 2.0, with a full-body swing. From now on he will have home run power from both sides, and his average will go up at least 50 points from the left side, simply from the extra velocity.

[USAFChief]

 

I have no idea what to think of Hicks right now. His season OPS against righties is approaching .650.

Before the recall, his overall OPS was below .650. His OPS against righties had to be well under .600 at that point.

Has Hicks actually become an acceptable hitter against RHP and we just haven't acknowledged it yet?

Since his recall, I haven't noticed any major difference in his LH or RH swings, approach, or eye.

 

I have no idea the results, but personally I'm not worried about LH Hicks at all right now.

[ScrapTheNickname]

 

This goes back to his last demotion to AAA. Hicks apparently adopted the Cuban-style leg kick and bat wave from both sides. It has taken longer to get comfortable with the new mechanics from the left side, but it's coming along. He's finally getting real drive from his rear leg, and he's learning how to really snap the barrel through the zone. His "French Mistake" butt push is finally gone.

 

Nothing temporary about it. This is Aaron Hicks 2.0, with a full-body swing. From now on he will have home run power from both sides, and his average will go up at least 50 points from the left side, simply from the extra velocity.

French Mistake?

[Cap'n Piranha]

I see that Hicks' BABIP (before the home run) was .314.

 

I wonder ... and now all you smarty pants can inform me ... what is a "good" BABIP supposed to be?

 

In other words, how high above the batting average would be considered a good BABIP? I imagine this hasn't been established, but what are some theories?

 

For example, Dozier's BABIP is .269 (24 points above his BA).

Mauer's BABIP is +41.

Note: In Mauer's MVP year his BABIP was .373 and his batting average was .365. (so close together).

 

I guess I'm just having a conversation with myself here! But it occurs to me that perhaps the closer one's BABIP is to BA the more accurate your batting average is?

It's hard to say what a "good" BABIP is, since hitters differ so much. IIRC, home runs aren't considered balls in play, so a guy like Dozier who hits a disproportionate number of homers will have a lower BABIP. Meanwhile, a guy who beats out a lot of infield hits with speed will probably have a higher BABIP. It's also in my opinion indirectly related to how many pitches a player swings at outside the zone (since those are more likely to be pop-ups or weak grounders), and directly related to hard hit percentage, since hard hit balls are more likely to be hits.

[JB_Iowa]

Another good inning for the Pelf.

 

CBU:  1-0 Twins.  Middle 3rd.

[Blake]

Aaron Hicks has been a pleasure to watch this year. 

 

The Twins are in line to have an incredible outfield over the next few years.

[jimbo92107]

 

French Mistake?

From the Mel Brooks movie, Blazing Saddles. The entire cast of Brooks's movie busts through the sets of other movies, including a Busby Berkley dance number with Dom Deluise as director. The actors are doing a very fey dance number while singing, "...stick out your tush, hands on your hips, give 'em a push, that's how we're doing the French Mistake..." something like that.

 

Some batters do the "French Mistake" by shoving their butt away from the plate as they swing the bat. This is a very effective way of removing any significant power from your swing, leaving only your arms to propel the bat. Aaron Hicks was doing the French Mistake until he came back from his most recent demotion to AAA. Now he's doing the Cuban Kick and the Dominican Bat Wave, two far better dance moves at the plate. The results are what we are now seeing from Hicks.

[USAFChief]

Ah Miguel Sano, ah dontchaknow!

[JB_Iowa]

SANO!!!!