First Wave of September Call Ups

[Craig Arko]

 

Who was dropped from the 40-man roster to add Eric Fryer?

Per Berardino, it's Wheeler.

[sane]

 

"A 3rd catcher only comes into play if you have to pinch hit for BOTH of them or they both get injured.

The odds of that happening are slim"

 

Its not BOTH pinch-hit-for; OR BOTH injured.

It can be ONLY ONE injury AFTER you have self-inflicted the pinch-hitter occurrence.

If you pinch-hit for your catcher, you just put yourself ONE BAD FOUL TIP away from NO CATCHERS!

You need three, although the third catcher can be for emergency only.

 

[nicksaviking]

 

I don't see the harm.  Vargas hits for Zuke in the 7th, we go to extras, Hunter pinch hits for Herrmann in the 10th, and Fryer can catch.  It might not happen, but why not carry that extra C?

 

Calling up Fryer isn't stopping them from calling up an additional bat as well.  For all the talk of bad roster management, NOT having a 3rd catcher in September is just that.

 

There wouldn't be any harm if Fryer didn't have to be re-added to the 40-man and if Molitor hadn't already made comments implying there's not enough room to call up too many players.  IF the choice was/is between Pinto and Fryer, Pinto should have been called for being a right-handed bench bat even if no one wants him to catch.

[nicksaviking]

 

 

Its not BOTH pinch-hit-for; OR BOTH injured.

It can be ONLY ONE injury AFTER you have self-inflicted the pinch-hitter occurrence.

If you pinch-hit for your catcher, you just put yourself ONE BAD FOUL TIP away from NO CATCHERS!

You need three, although the third catcher can be for emergency only.

 

Which happens once a decade? I'll take those odds if it means a righthanded bat with some power for the bench.  Particularly as mentioned, since the consequence is simply suiting up the emergency catcher for an inning or two.  Big deal.

 

Edit: The Twins are facing lefty Chris Sale tonight, which underscores why the chances that they'll need a right handed bat off the bench in a key situation is more likely than two catchers having to leave the game.

[sane]

 

Which happens once a decade? I'll take those odds if it means a righthanded bat with some power for the bench.  Particularly as mentioned, since the consequence is simply suiting up the emergency catcher for an inning or two.  Big deal.

If the emergency catcher is Pinto, and he isn't cleared medically to catch, you only have two catchers.

[jimmer]

"Conventional wisdom among coaches and managers is that restricting innings for young starting pitchers, and slowly increasing the number of innings pitched over several years, gives pitchers' tissues sufficient time to adapt to the workload of a major league season," said Thomas Karakolis, lead investigator on the study. "But all our data shows that these strategies really make no difference in preventing injury."

'"Injury is the result of workload exceeding the capacity of the body's tissues, so while counting innings is a tempting way to measure workload, it's actually a very flawed method," said Karakolis. "If coaches are looking for ways to prevent injury, simply limiting the number of innings is not the answer. They have to look at how hard a pitcher's body is working during each inning, each pitch."


http://www.scienceda...50406121354.htm

[sane]

 

"If coaches are looking for ways to prevent injury..They have to look at how hard a pitcher's body is working during each inning, each pitch."

And HTF do you measure THAT??

Rectal thermometer reading?

[Mike Sixel]

 

And HTF do you measure THAT??

Rectal thermometer reading?

 

According to the study, not by innings pitched.

 

That said, whatever. Clearly they don't want one of their best pitchers up here and in the playoffs. It clearly shows that they aren't doing everything they can to win this year. Which is their choice, clearly, but it speaks volumes about THIS year, and how important it is to this FO.

[sane]

Minnesota Twins selected the contract of Eric Fryer from Rochester Red Wings.
Minnesota Twins sent Jason Wheeler outright to Chattanooga Lookouts.
Minnesota Twins recalled A.J. Achter from Rochester Red Wings.
Minnesota Twins recalled Danny Santana from Rochester Red Wings.
Minnesota Twins recalled Michael Tonkin from Rochester Red Wings.
Minnesota Twins recalled Kennys Vargas from Rochester Red Wings

 

Confirmed by mlb.com

[drjim]

 

And HTF do you measure THAT??

Rectal thermometer reading?

 

Generally accepted that fatigued pitches will lead to increase strain which will lead to increased chance of injury. That's the theory behind pitcher abuse points and would seemingly apply to to large jumps in innings loads.

 

Again, I'm happy for the quotes of a study that says nothing, but baseball teams, which have huge incentives to get this right, especially with young pitchers, don't push pitchers past certain increases year over year, from the most old school to the most analytical.

 

This doesn't mean Berrios shouldn't have been up here two weeks ago, but does mean that it was never an option to have him slide into the rotation and pitch through the end of the season making a start every fifth game at that point.

 

If the Twins had a desire to have him start at the end of the season it would have taken a plan that was implemented in April, but considering the expectation of the team and even Berrios it is hard to fault the Twins for not doing that.

 

It is quite easy to fault them for not putting Berrios in the May start and to use his innings on the Twins instead of in the minors.

[JustinCB]

From Kiley McDaniel's prospect chat today:

 

Comment From Lumpy
Jose berrios wasn’t called up?!!! Are the twins even trying?

Kiley McDaniel:

Berrios was the most impressive pitching prospect I watched this year and Terry Ryan was two rows in front of me at that outing….so he knows what he has. Maybe he is so impressed he wants to control the service time and/or have leverage for an extension. Let’s be positive!

[gocgo]

Why is there an assumption that Kepler will help the team right now?  He's done well at AA, but, according to the coaches, he's not ready for big league breaking balls yet.  Is he going to improve an outfield of Rosario, Buxton, and Hicks?  Every at bat counts in a race for the postseason.  I see no need to bring him up just to test him out.

[Rosterman]

Same old same old. Sigh. If you aren't calling up guys on the 40-man (Darnell, Thompson) then waiver then out and add people you do care about.

[nicksaviking]

 

If the emergency catcher is Pinto, and he isn't cleared medically to catch, you only have two catchers.

 

Which is still more of a luxery than having only one RH bench bat that can hit. 

 

I'm fine with everyone getting called up, they can have 40 men on the bench for all I care.  That didn't sound like the plan though.  If there's not room for everyone, pinch hitters should be the main focus as that's been a problem all year.

[Hosken Bombo Disco]

 

From Kiley McDaniel's prospect chat today:

 

Comment From Lumpy
Jose berrios wasn’t called up?!!! Are the twins even trying?

Kiley McDaniel:

Berrios was the most impressive pitching prospect I watched this year and Terry Ryan was two rows in front of me at that outing….so he knows what he has. Maybe he is so impressed he wants to control the service time and/or have leverage for an extension. Let’s be positive!

 

This could be read many ways.

 

Maybe Berrios shouldn't have pitched so well.

 

[sane]

 

"If the Twins had a desire to have him start at the end of the season it would have taken a plan that was implemented in April".

 

Thank you "drjim" for your clear, informative and (I feel) on-the-mark explanation.

Much appreciated

[stringer bell]

I think we all should take a step back about who wasn't recalled. Rochester has to have someone to play their games for the last week and the Lookouts have playoffs coming after the regular season ends. Right now, the three prospects left at Chattanooga would all benefit from playing an additional ten AA games. At that point, I think at least Kepler should be recalled and maybe Polanco. Darnell has been outstanding lately and is on the 40-man, so recalling him after his next start might be a nice reward, the same for Pat Dean, but he isn't on the 40-man and maybe Bowden, whose numbers look pretty good.

 

Another guy to reward is Beresford. It might keep him in their organization another year if he get a cup of coffee this month.

[jimmer]

Whenever Ryan calls up Kepler and Berrios THAT will be the right time.  Just like it wasn't the right time for Buxton to be called up (cause, as we read here by so many, he wasn't ready) until Hicks got injured. THEN he was ready.  Those precious few days were vital to his development.

[scottz]

Phil Miller is reporting, from a Twins source:

 

Berrios added: “I respect the boss and the decision.”

 

Careful, J.O., that kind of good soldier attitude will put you in a long term bullpen role next to Trevor May.

[Brock Beauchamp]

I get the Berrios frustration but I have to admit I'm a bit puzzled by the consternation over Kepler.

 

1. Twins staff has all but said they're skeptical Kepler is ready for MLB and might struggle with breaking balls.

 

2. Where is Max going to play? Very soon, the Twins roster is going to contain Buxton, Rosario, Hicks, and Hunter. They're in the middle of a postseason run. Three of those guys either need plate appearances and/or have performed to a level Kepler will have difficulty matching in a cup of coffee.

 

3. Chatanooga is going to the playoffs. Kepler will not only get regular playing time but he'll get to experience participating in that atmosphere.

 

If the Twins want to call up Max so he can experience MLB after Chatanooga is finished playing but with the realization he won't get a lot of playing time with the Twins, that's fine. If they don't want to call him up at all, I'm not going to get too hot and bothered about it... The guy is going going to miss out on all of 10-20 MLB PAs anyway. There's simply no way to get him much more playing time than that given the roster. The Twins have a starting OF of players no older than 25 years old. Those guys should get the plate appearances, not Max.

[Winston Smith]

 

If the emergency catcher is Pinto, and he isn't cleared medically to catch, you only have two catchers.

Is there a reason they couldn't bring up both Fryer and Pinto? Fryer and Hermann should never be used as PH. Pinto could be used only as a PH.

[Mike Sixel]

Is someone asking for him to be up before the playoffs are over in TN? My point is, there is no harm in bringing him up, and giving him a taste of the life......

 

The Twins coaches also thought Hicks was ready 2 years ago, and last year, so you'll excuse me if I'm not 100% sold on their opinion, and if we can't question their opinions and decisions, your advertisers should cut what they are paying you.....

[Brock Beauchamp]

 

and if we can't question their opinions and decisions, your advertisers should cut what they are paying you.....

Seriously? You're gonna go there, huh?

[Winston Smith]

Was Wheeler the guy put on the 40 man instead of Gilmartin last winter? If so Terry should have a talk with the scout that made that call, hindsight being 97.28%.

[sane]

We all can question decisions made by those making decisions...AND

we all can question opinions made by those NOT making decisions.

[Brock Beauchamp]

This thread is not about who can say what about whom. If you want to discuss that topic, feel free to do so in the MinnCentric forum.

 

Consider this an informal warning. Keep it on topic.

[sane]

Was Wheeler the guy put on the 40 man instead of Gilmartin last winter? If so Terry should have a talk with the scout that made that call, hindsight being 97.28%.

Actually, 40 guys were put on the 40 man instead of Gilmartin last winter. Those decisions also factor in "who is most likely to be selected in Rule V?". Not an exact science, "Mind-Reading by Amateurs"

[Winston Smith]

Actually, 40 guys were put on the 40 man instead of Gilmartin last winter. Those decisions also factor in "who is most likely to be selected in Rule V?". Not an exact science, "Mind-Reading by Amateurs"

Still a good chance to do an after action report. What did we miss in this guy and what did we see that wasn't there in the other? They might learn something about the process that needs improving. No mind reading involved!

[drjim]

Still a good chance to do an after action report. What did we miss in this guy and what did we see that wasn't there in the other? They might learn something about the process that needs improving. No mind reading involved!

I imagine after action reports aren't exactly for public consumption.

[USAFChief]

 

I imagine after action reports aren't exactly for public consumption.

On the other hand, consumption reports often result in public action.