Game Thread: Royals@Twins 10/3 12:05PM

[Craig Arko]

He missed #24. Annoyance With Made Up Words. I didn't bother to make up a name for it.

At some point, all words were made up. Even these.

[spinowner]

 

Twins' record in May: 20-7. Twins' record the rest of the season: 63-71.

 

 

Twins' record in June: 11-17. Twins' record the rest of the season: 72-61. An 87 or 88 win pace. Wild card for sure.

Touche. However, being 13 games over .500 in May was certainly a bigger outlier than being 6 games under .500 in June. I'm not posting this to be negative, but one hot month was enough to help cover our shortcomings, at least somewhat. That said, I'm certainly optimistic about 2016. We made significant strides this year and I think there will be further strides made next year. Can't wait for February!

[David HK]

 

On Boyer's throw: He was next to the line and still moving that way when trying to throw. He had no path to throw the ball unless he got it over Cain's shoulder or head. Bloopers, nubbers, line drives, hit by pitch or walk--the Twins couldn't get Cain out.

That play is only partly on Mr. Portly, chugging off the mound in slo-mo.  It's mostly on Mauer, for not giving him an inside target.  That is just 1B play 101.  The target he gave (or didn't bother to give) was right in the runner's path.  I know he had to scramble to get over there, but you have to give that pitcher an INSIDE TARGET!!!  It's exactly the same as when a catcher has to throw a dropped 3rd strike over there.  You have to set up inside-- if the pitch gets away outside, you set up outside.  Not directly in the path of the F-ing baserunner.  Even if you're scrambling, you have to want and anticipate the throw there.  FFS- this crap should be locked down in February and March.  PFP, as Bert is so fond of saying.

[David HK]

Sorry, all this happened in the middle of the night for me, and I had all of that misery to greet me Sunday morning.  Almost enough to drive me back to church.  

 

I just finished ripping on Mauer, now it's Poof's turn.  Yes, he's tons better at 3B than in the past.  He's more than just competent over there, but the same issues just keep popping up- his positioning and readiness.  That was a tough liner, with some wicked slice on it.  But if you're not standing straight up like a statue of a pudgy Herman Munster as the pitch comes, in, you can move with it.  Fer cryin' out loud, I played old man baseball in LA in the 00's, and I made that play time and again.  Even slow as molasses as I am, if you're positioned, and ready to move, you've got a leg up, and at least give yourself a chance.  Poof has come a long way, and made some great plays, but some of them needn't have been great in the first place if he's got his head in the game.

[David HK]

There.  That's over with.  On a final note, I want to thank the Twinkies for giving me a reason to spew vitriol in OCTOBER for a change.  None of us expected this, and it was one wild ride.  It was really special through this late summer, to care about what happened day to day.  You have to admit, looking at the roster as it is, it's hard not to think, 'what the h... are they doing in the race?'  I'm not banking on another good run next year, but I am much more hopeful, and looking forward to the coming of spring.  

 

Thanks, too, to all the TD folk out here- I discovered this site last year, I think, and started as a regular "user" (ohh, my veins...) this spring.  The people I've come across and conversed with really helped make me feel at home, in a place so far away from there.  

 

I'm already anticipating the banter around the hot stove.  

 

Thanks, all.  Let's get 'em tomorrow.

[jokin]

 

That play is only partly on Mr. Portly, chugging off the mound in slo-mo.  It's mostly on Mauer, for not giving him an inside target.  That is just 1B play 101.  The target he gave (or didn't bother to give) was right in the runner's path.  I know he had to scramble to get over there, but you have to give that pitcher an INSIDE TARGET!!!  It's exactly the same as when a catcher has to throw a dropped 3rd strike over there.  You have to set up inside-- if the pitch gets away outside, you set up outside.  Not directly in the path of the F-ing baserunner.  Even if you're scrambling, you have to want and anticipate the throw there.  FFS- this crap should be locked down in February and March.  PFP, as Bert is so fond of saying.

 

Thanks you David.  Speaking as a former 1B myself, I found myself yelling at the screen at Mauer, on that play, not Boyer, he has to get their faster, claim at least half of the front of that base with his foot, and getting that glove lined up with Boyer's likely throw-path.  

 

(BTW, you won't mind if I find a way to coin that phrase, "Partly on Portly", I did a full-on post-midnight computer screen-drenched spit-take... spot on!) So anyway, despite what some might say, it might have been Partly on Portly, but it was Mainly on Mauer... and not to pick on him alone, there were 6 errors called in the last 2 days, and at least 4 more that could/should have been errors, as well. Pretty clear that this team just plain used up all of the luck and pixie dust left in their duffel bags.. 

[Jham]

To me, a 1 game Wild Card doesn't even feel like playoffs.  These last few weeks have been as enjoyable watching them pull together and find a way to stay in it till the end to the point where losing a 1 gamer wouldn't have added much for me. 

 

I can't be mad at Boyer.  He wasn't even supposed to be in baseball this year.  He's been occasionally pretty good, and sometimes very very bad.  Mostly depending on usage and his ability to snap off a breaking ball for a K now and then.  I think we got more out of him than I expected, and it's not his fault that he pitched himself into a set-up man position.  

 

What disappoints me about the season is the 2nd half collapses of Dozier, Gibson, and Perkins, the confirmation that Mauer will never again be Mauer, and failure of Buxton and Meyer to make even a small impact.

 

Hughes continued his good year/bad year Dr. Jekyl thing.  He should be good next year!  (out of the pen I hope).

 

Molitor seemed to have a very quick hook with starters.  I wonder if that's organizational protection of arms.  Our starters wore down.  Our bullpen wore down.  Catch 22 I guess.  Yes, Milone was coming off a tired arm yesterday.  But 2 days in a row, our starters were locked in a pitchers duel with Santana and Young, and Milone and Ventura.  Both times Molitor pulled his starter and immediately fell behind.  In both instances, Yost stuck with his starter for another inning and kept us on lock down.  

 

Perkins needs to get with Guardado and start working on being dominant without throwing 97.

 

May is an asset in the pen and in the rotation.  I'm thinking he helps out more in the pen

 

If Dozier doesn't want to be a better Lew Ford, he needs to make adjustments and hit the ball the other way.

We should be set up for a big run next season.  We have to upgrade the rotation.  We could still use upgrades in a number of areas.  The easiest places to upgrade would be corner outfield, catcher, and 1B.  Other than catcher, we're locked in with what we have, and upgrades are unlikely.  We have depth in the rotation and the pen, but neither is much above average.

 

This could be the biggest off-season for trades in team history.  

 

[spinowner]

 

That play is only partly on Mr. Portly, chugging off the mound in slo-mo.  It's mostly on Mauer, for not giving him an inside target.

I'll strongly disagree. You're saying that Boyer is so stupid that he can throw only where Mauer's glove is? Sorry, but I don't think that's true. Boyer has to throw to the fair territory side of the runner. It's 100% on him. And I don't think Boyer forgot, I think he just made a bad throw. Errors happen.

[spinowner]

 

Sorry, all this happened in the middle of the night for me, and I had all of that misery to greet me Sunday morning.  Almost enough to drive me back to church.  

 

I just finished ripping on Mauer, now it's Poof's turn.  Yes, he's tons better at 3B than in the past.  He's more than just competent over there, but the same issues just keep popping up- his positioning and readiness.  That was a tough liner, with some wicked slice on it.  But if you're not standing straight up like a statue of a pudgy Herman Munster as the pitch comes, in, you can move with it.  Fer cryin' out loud, I played old man baseball in LA in the 00's, and I made that play time and again.  Even slow as molasses as I am, if you're positioned, and ready to move, you've got a leg up, and at least give yourself a chance.  Poof has come a long way, and made some great plays, but some of them needn't have been great in the first place if he's got his head in the game.

Concur.