Reusse on the Twins

[gunnarthor]

Fun little article by everyone's favorite writer - http://www.startribune.com/not-signing-greinke-that-was-a-controversy-i-ll-be-darned/369584271/

 

Mostly it's a bunch of quick hit observations on the team but one thing that jumped out at me was that the Twins want Sano in the OF partly because they are worried about his weight and think if he's DH-only, it'll go up.

 

He also suggests that Molitor will keep Buxton in the majors no matter how he's hitting.

[Nick Nelson]

Lots of good stuff here. The comment on Buxton is interesting. 

[drjim]

I personally thought the Buxton comment was obvious. Twins don't trade Hicks otherwise.

 

 

 

The Twins had outfield options without adding Sano to mix: Rosario and Buxton for left and center, with Max Kepler and Oswaldo Arcia to compete for right field, and Danny Santana as an extra outfielder.

What if Buxton isn’t ready as a hitter? You bat him ninth and wait until he starts figuring it out. Buxton isn’t going back to minors, not as long as the manager and his coaches have anything to say about it.

 

I appreciate the reliever comments the most. I generally agree. They are short a lefty but one could emerge, but otherwise it shake out OK.

[Seth Stohs]

 

He also suggests that Molitor will keep Buxton in the majors no matter how he's hitting.

 

Yeah, I definitely agree with this. That was the clear sentiment at Twins Fest... They aren't going to hand him anything, and I think he has to show that he won't just be completely overwhelmed at the plate, but I think the odds are he's the starting CF.

[Riverbrian]

im not sure if I like the article or not

 

We'll see

[nicksaviking]

 

im not sure if I like the article or not

We'll see

 

Ha. I agree that there isn't a whole lot to take Ryan to task over, on the other hand, I don't think there's a lot to take the fans to task over either, and Reusse did.

 

--Several complaints rolled in about Ryan not being grilled properly.

“About what?’’ I had to ask a radio colleague.

He said: “They are mad the Twins didn’t sign Zack Greinke.’’

Have to admit, I didn’t realize that was a controversy. I spend way too much time in the real world.--

 

Oh, really? Some fans wanted Greinke and didn't understand the realities of the situation? Shocking, surely the other 28 teams who didn't get Greinke had no such fans.

 

This kind of stuff frustrates me, and it's why I can't listen to Dan Barreiro or read many op-eds anymore. In a country where getting 60% of the votes for president is a landslide, you get yellow journalists taking one of the few topics that 90% of people agree with or at least understand, and act like the 10% are some huge intolerable majority who need to be put in their place with their unique wisdom.

 

This Greinke bit needed to be included in this article just as much as the crazy guy on the corner screaming about aliens needed to be included, yet for some reason the Greinke stuff is the title of his article.

[DaveW]

 

Ha. I agree that there isn't a whole lot to take Ryan to task over, on the other hand, I don't think there's a lot to take the fans to task over either, and Reusse did.

 

--Several complaints rolled in about Ryan not being grilled properly.

“About what?’’ I had to ask a radio colleague.

He said: “They are mad the Twins didn’t sign Zack Greinke.’’

Have to admit, I didn’t realize that was a controversy. I spend way too much time in the real world.--

 

Oh, really? Some fans wanted Greinke and didn't understand the realities of the situation? Shocking, surely the other 28 teams who didn't get Greinke had no such fans.

 

This kind of stuff frustrates me, and it's why I can't listen to Dan Barreiro or read many op-eds anymore. In a country where getting 60% of the votes for president is a landslide, you get yellow journalists taking one of the few topics that 90% of people agree with or at least understand, and act like the 10% are some huge intolerable majority who need to be put in their place with your unique wisdom.

Yeah it's pretty much garbage, and a big reason why Reusse and the majority of his counter parts are on the way out. Print dying is ultimately going to be one of the best things to ever happen to sports journalism without a doubt.

[Otto von Ballpark]

 

I appreciate the reliever comments the most. I generally agree. They are short a lefty but one could emerge, but otherwise it shake out OK.

I think focusing on a lefty obscures the issue.  The Twins had plenty need for another good reliever, regardless of throwing hand.

[mazeville]

 

Ha. I agree that there isn't a whole lot to take Ryan to task over, on the other hand, I don't think there's a lot to take the fans to task over either, and Reusse did.

 

--Several complaints rolled in about Ryan not being grilled properly.

“About what?’’ I had to ask a radio colleague.

He said: “They are mad the Twins didn’t sign Zack Greinke.’’

Have to admit, I didn’t realize that was a controversy. I spend way too much time in the real world.--

 

Oh, really? Some fans wanted Greinke and didn't understand the realities of the situation? Shocking, surely the other 28 teams who didn't get Greinke had no such fans.

 

This kind of stuff frustrates me, and it's why I can't listen to Dan Barreiro or read many op-eds anymore. In a country where getting 60% of the votes for president is a landslide, you get yellow journalists taking one of the few topics that 90% of people agree with or at least understand, and act like the 10% are some huge intolerable majority who need to be put in their place with their unique wisdom.

 

This Greinke bit needed to be included in this article just as much as the crazy guy on the corner screaming about aliens needed to be included, yet for some reason the Greinke stuff is the title of his article.

 

Do you listen to talk radio? Read comments in Strib blogs and sometimes here? A lot of fans think the Twins should have gone out and signed someone akin to Grienke. And plenty of bloggers like Gleeman throw fuel on that fire by heavily criticizing payroll -- which is an indirect way of saying that the team should sign a major free agent like Grienke -- even though the Twins' awful losing in recent years demanded a cheap, build-from-within strategy.

 

Also, Reusse, or even radio talkers and newspaper columnists, hardly have the market cornered for criticizing the most vocal and critical fans. Hell, fan criticism provides about a third of the fodder bloggers use to fill pages. That's kind of the point. Fans criticize a team's moves, and then others criticize the criticism.

 

 

[Otto von Ballpark]

 

Mostly it's a bunch of quick hit observations on the team but one thing that jumped out at me was that the Twins want Sano in the OF partly because they are worried about his weight and think if he's DH-only, it'll go up.

But didn't they shut him down from playing at all this winter, to focus on controlling his weight by other means?  Regular season defensive game time seems like a relatively small percentage of a player's total exercise.  Couldn't they have achieved the same thing by giving him a lot of practice reps in the outfield, but only an occasional start?

 

Or, for a fraction of Park's $24 mil, they could have given Sano a contract with weight clause bonuses, no?  Reusse suggested on his radio show that Sano's original signing bonus has been largely depleted and he might respond well to financial incentives (would be curious if we've talked long-term deal with him yet).

[twinsnorth49]

 

Ha. I agree that there isn't a whole lot to take Ryan to task over, on the other hand, I don't think there's a lot to take the fans to task over either, and Reusse did.

 

--Several complaints rolled in about Ryan not being grilled properly.

“About what?’’ I had to ask a radio colleague.

He said: “They are mad the Twins didn’t sign Zack Greinke.’’

Have to admit, I didn’t realize that was a controversy. I spend way too much time in the real world.--

 

Oh, really? Some fans wanted Greinke and didn't understand the realities of the situation? Shocking, surely the other 28 teams who didn't get Greinke had no such fans.

 

This kind of stuff frustrates me, and it's why I can't listen to Dan Barreiro or read many op-eds anymore. In a country where getting 60% of the votes for president is a landslide, you get yellow journalists taking one of the few topics that 90% of people agree with or at least understand, and act like the 10% are some huge intolerable majority who need to be put in their place with their unique wisdom.

 

This Greinke bit needed to be included in this article just as much as the crazy guy on the corner screaming about aliens needed to be included, yet for some reason the Greinke stuff is the title of his article.

Yeah, this kind of patronizing crap just ends up showing how clueless these guys are for the most part. 

[Mike Sixel]

I don't listen to sports talk radio at all anymore, and that is one of the reasons why. Plus, there are just so many other, more interesting, things to do.

[DaveW]

Yeah, this kind of patronizing crap just ends up showing how clueless these guys are for the most part.

It's literally the lowest hanging fruit.

[gunnarthor]

 

It's literally the lowest hanging fruit.

Well, it certainly worked on getting some people to pick it since this post was about the Sano and Buxton notes.   

[drjim]

 

I think focusing on a lefty obscures the issue.  The Twins had plenty need for another good reliever, regardless of throwing hand.

 

Depends on the contract, but I don't necessarily agree, other than they can always use more talent, but for RH wouldn't take much for the benefits to outweigh the costs.

[nicksaviking]

 

Do you listen to talk radio? Read comments in Strib blogs and sometimes here? A lot of fans think the Twins should have gone out and signed someone akin to Grienke. And plenty of bloggers like Gleeman throw fuel on that fire by heavily criticizing payroll -- which is an indirect way of saying that the team should sign a major free agent like Grienke -- even though the Twins' awful losing in recent years demanded a cheap, build-from-within strategy.

 

I barely listen to talk radio anymore, and I wouldn't read Strib comments in a million years. Obviously those in the minority and those that don't understand always make the most fuss, the world has always been this way, and every member of the media who cater to readers or fans knows this. The only reason they stoke the flames is because screaming lunacy is always good for business, and more so today than in the past.

 

And implying that Aaron Gleeman was asking for Greinke just because he says the Twins could have a larger payroll isn't any different than the leaps of logic the yellow journalists are using to con people into reading.

 

Gleeman did not ask for Greinke, and I also can't find any Gleeman pieces that heavily criticize payroll.

[Blackjack]

Most columnists get read by writing something controversial, that's why Greinke got added. 

[drjim]

 

Ha. I agree that there isn't a whole lot to take Ryan to task over, on the other hand, I don't think there's a lot to take the fans to task over either, and Reusse did.

 

--Several complaints rolled in about Ryan not being grilled properly.

“About what?’’ I had to ask a radio colleague.

He said: “They are mad the Twins didn’t sign Zack Greinke.’’

Have to admit, I didn’t realize that was a controversy. I spend way too much time in the real world.--

 

Oh, really? Some fans wanted Greinke and didn't understand the realities of the situation? Shocking, surely the other 28 teams who didn't get Greinke had no such fans.

 

This kind of stuff frustrates me, and it's why I can't listen to Dan Barreiro or read many op-eds anymore. In a country where getting 60% of the votes for president is a landslide, you get yellow journalists taking one of the few topics that 90% of people agree with or at least understand, and act like the 10% are some huge intolerable majority who need to be put in their place with their unique wisdom.

 

This Greinke bit needed to be included in this article just as much as the crazy guy on the corner screaming about aliens needed to be included, yet for some reason the Greinke stuff is the title of his article.

 

I look at it completely the other way. Someone like Reusse is not really engaging in a forum like this with mostly intelligent debate, they interact most with the feedback that comes back the quickest, usually Twitter responses. That is, unfortunately the 10% you refer to.

 

But yes, I would agree you aren't listening to sports radio or reading op-eds if you want intelligent analysis. Is anyone naive enough to think that is what those mediums provide?

[Blackjack]

 

 

Lots of good stuff here. The comment on Buxton is interesting. 

 

I always thought they did Hicks a disservice by batting him first too much, the pressure got to him and then he'd tank.  it will be interesting to see if Molitor DOES bat Buxton ninth.

[drjim]

 

Yes, and the minority and those that don't understand always make the most fuss, and every member of the media who cater to readers or fans knows this. The only reason they stoke the flames is because screaming lunacy is always good for business.

 

And implying that Aaron Gleeman was asking for Greinke just because he says the Twins could have a larger payroll isn't any different than the leaps of logic the yellow journalists are using to con people into reading.

 

I also can't find any Gleeman pieces that heavily criticize payroll.

 

Strange that media members would interact with people who interact with them and actually consume their products.

 

You realize that the people on this board are in the small minority of fans overall right? If you are on this board making intelligent comments mass media isn't really designed for you.

[nicksaviking]

 

 

But yes, I would agree you aren't listening to sports radio or reading op-eds if you want intelligent analysis. Is anyone naive enough to think that is what those mediums provide?

 

The nujobs can have the talk radio and the op-eds.

 

Can I at least read subjective reporting? Is there nowhere for the rest of us to go any longer? Is it too much for Reusse and anyone who thinks they are still an actual journalist to ignore the crazies like the rest of us do in the real world?

 

Don't pay them any mind and they'll have to go elsewhere.

[Vanimal46]

But yes, I would agree you aren't listening to sports radio or reading op-eds if you want intelligent analysis. Is anyone naive enough to think that is what those mediums provide?

I would hope not. I listen to sports talk radio solely for the entertainment aspect, and hope those that do listen are like me, and don't listen to it as gospel.

 

Maybe Reusse encounters these 10% of folks from his radio show, I'm not sure. I prefer the KFAN show style of entertainment with sports sprinkled in instead of sports talk all the time on 1500 ESPN.

[BrianTrottier]

 

Fun little article by everyone's favorite writer - http://www.startribune.com/not-signing-greinke-that-was-a-controversy-i-ll-be-darned/369584271/

 

Mostly it's a bunch of quick hit observations on the team but one thing that jumped out at me was that the Twins want Sano in the OF partly because they are worried about his weight and think if he's DH-only, it'll go up.

 

He also suggests that Molitor will keep Buxton in the majors no matter how he's hitting.

 

Here's the actual quote from Reusse: "The Twins aren’t going admit it, but it’s my belief the No. 1 reason they want Sano in the field is his weight. He weighs between 265 and 270 pounds, and I think the Twins fear he could get heavier if he’s not playing in the field."

 

Maybe Reusse is right, but it is just speculation as far as we know. 

[drjim]

 

I would hope not. I listen to sports talk radio solely for the entertainment aspect, and hope those that do listen are like me, and don't listen to it as gospel.

Maybe Reusse encounters these 10% of folks from his radio show, I'm not sure. I prefer the KFAN show style of entertainment with sports sprinkled in instead of sports talk all the time on 1500 ESPN.

 

And I would rather dip my head in a boiling hot vat of asphalt than listen to KFAN, so there's that.

 

I will admit to being a Reusse apologist, but he certainly mixes in some bad stuff with the good, like any writer.

[drjim]

 

The nujobs can have the talk radio and the op-eds.

 

Can I at least read subjective reporting? Is there nowhere for the rest of us to go any longer? Is it too much for Reusse and anyone who thinks they are still an actual journalist to ignore the crazies like the rest of us do in the real world?

 

Don't pay them any mind and they'll have to go elsewhere.

 

Is subjective synonymous for catering exactly to your preferences?

[Brock Beauchamp]

 

I think focusing on a lefty obscures the issue.  The Twins had plenty need for another good reliever, regardless of throwing hand.

I don't have a problem with them ignoring the RHP market. Between May, Duffey, Burdi, and Meyer, there's enough RHP upside to adequately fill the pen (or at least cross your fingers and hope it works out, the talent is certainly there).

 

But not picking up a real lefty solution is a problem for me.

[nicksaviking]

 

Is subjective synonymous for catering exactly to your preferences?

 

No, just giving details and letting the readers interpret what they mean.

 

This is not subjective:

 

--He said: “They are mad the Twins didn’t sign Zack Greinke.’’

 

Have to admit, I didn’t realize that was a controversy. I spend way too much time in the real world.--.

 

That's not subjective. Don't make that comment. The easiest way to not have to make that comment is to not acknowledge the idiot who caused you to think that. If Reusse thinks his job as a reporter for the Strib means he has to respond to people like that, than he has his newspaper job and his call in radio job mixed up.

[Craig Arko]

Best talk radio available (sports or otherwise)? Classical and jazz. Thank me later.

[drjim]

 

No, just giving details and letting the readers interpret what they mean.

 

This is not subjective:

 

--He said: “They are mad the Twins didn’t sign Zack Greinke.’’

 

Have to admit, I didn’t realize that was a controversy. I spend way too much time in the real world.--.

 

That's not subjective. Don't make that comment. The easiest way to not have to make that comment is to not acknowledge the idiot who caused you to think that. If Reusse thinks his job as a reporter for the Strib means he has to respond to people like that, than he has his newspaper job and his call in radio job mixed up.

 

It was a blog post not an article or even an op-ed - so I think the standards on that are less.

[nicksaviking]

 

It was a blog post not an article or even an op-ed - so I think the standards on that are less.

 

You're probably right. The complaint perhaps should be aimed at the Strib still running it with that stupidly misleading headline, but really with the Strib, take a number.