Game Thread: Twins vs Orioles, 5/10/16 @ 7:10 PM CT

[David HK]

 

Good luck on that! My buddy owns a Boston bar here in NYC, back when the Bruins won the cup they were able to "book" The Cup and some of the players to show up for a night at the bar, what is insane is they send along two security folks from the NHL at all times to escort said Stanley cup to to make sure no crazy hi-jinx occur, and they "retire" the cup rather early in the night (I think it was 10pm, but I can't recall exactly)  I really, really wanted to drink some sort of alcohol out of the cup, but sadly the rules prevent that, along with non players holding the cup over their head and a whole list of other rules.

I need to dig up those pics though, it was still fun to be in the presence of, and get a couple pics with something so historic.

Webb-Ellis Cup- the Rugby World Cup trophy, came to HK last year.  Same deal, guards, no touchy, and especially no-drinky.  No fun!

 

[Riverbrian]

 

Anyone.  Tonkin.  If the pitcher can't get any thing over but one pitch, you pull him, any pitcher that can get more than one pitch over the plate would have been better than Jepsen.

 

Right, had Terry Ryan spent 30 million on the bullpen this team would be winning!  For all the criticisms we can throw at the Front Office, had they done what we wanted (a CFer, bullpen help) this team would still have an atrocious record.    Every player outside of Park, Mauer, and maybe Arcia is under performing, that's not roster construction problems...

 

I half agree with you on this... I was just thinking about this today. If Terry Ryan would have done exactly what I wanted him to do... CF and two bullpen arms... We probably are still struggling to win games because everybody is struggling. 

 

However... If we were just average instead... If things didn't blow up from every direction... This bullpen couldn't hold it... So I still got to put this on TR. 

[Intramural Legend]

 

Nunez, Duffey, Nolasco, Abad, Tonkin, May, Berrios, would all like to have a word.

 

As great as Mauer started, lets not totally ignore he has been slumping....

 

Nolasco, Tonkin, and Berrios are probably not bragging about their season so far

[LaBombo]

 

Gallows humor...

 

... the answer to Ernest and Julio Gallo baseball.

[Platoon]

Source?

I distinctly remember a game we were ahead, I think it was early April, and I know May pitched. He must have, Molitor pitches him in every game.

 

Edit: Sorry, I looked it up. That game was actually in ST!

[operation mindcrime]

Watching this team is "punishment" \m/

[David HK]

 

Preaching to the choir man, preaching to the choir. Though, I still think May should be in the rotation.

At this point, I basically want the Twins to either go on fire, and somehow win 90 games then win it all, or go down in flames, lose 100+ and force the Pohlads to fire Ryan, Molitor and the rest. Looks like the latter is much more likely at this stage unfortunately.

I have no idea why May wasn't given the next inning.  I did that throw up in mouth thing when I saw Jeps in there.

[Riverbrian]

 

 

Webb-Ellis Cup- the Rugby World Cup trophy, came to HK last year.  Same deal, guards, no touchy, and especially no-drinky.  No fun!

 

 

Cool Hat

 

(high five)

[Aggies7]

Watching this team is "punishment" \m/

Ooo kinky!

[David HK]

 

Cool Hat

 

(high five)

First (UND) and last (Kowloon) clubs I'll ever play for.  Had to go for the symbolism that evening.

[USAFChief]

 

Anyone.  Tonkin.  If the pitcher can't get any thing over but one pitch, you pull him, any pitcher that can get more than one pitch over the plate would have been better than Jepsen.

 

Right, had Terry Ryan spent 30 million on the bullpen this team would be winning!  For all the criticisms we can throw at the Front Office, had they done what we wanted (a CFer, bullpen help) this team would still have an atrocious record.    Every player outside of Park, Mauer, and maybe Arcia is under performing, that's not roster construction problems...

Well, we don't know what would have happened had TR addressed the bullpen.  

 

And in any case, Pseudo, "it wouldn't have been enough" is never a reason to not address a weakness.  Never.  Not to mention, were every other player OVERperforming, we'd still have a weak bullpen kicking away winnable games.

 

"It's OK he didn't address the dumpster fire, because as it turns out, a tornado hit too" isn't how I want to see the GM do his job.

[David HK]

Argh.  Pens scored in OT, Caps are done.  No more Nhl for me this year, shucks.

[Aggies7]

Vikings open up four months tomorrow

[DaveW]

 

I half agree with you on this... I was just thinking about this today. If Terry Ryan would have done exactly what I wanted him to do... CF and two bullpen arms... We probably are still struggling to win games because everybody is struggling. 

 

However... If we were just average instead... If things didn't blow up from every direction... This bullpen couldn't hold it... So I still got to put this on TR. 

NTM The Twins are now crappy again, for the 4th year in the 5 years since TR has been back. I get Pseudo's argument that a couple signings wouldn't have taken the Twins from the worst team in the AL to the best, but at what point does TR actually get the blame? It has been his club (again) for 5 seasons now, 4 have been pathetic/terrible/embarrassing, one has been "meh" ok, but still not a playoff appearance. During this 5 year stretch the Twins (and TR) have the worst record in all of baseball, when are we able actually to blame him for it, and suggest that maybe the Twins would be better off with a new GM?

[PseudoSABR]

 

 However... If we were just average instead... If things didn't blow up from every direction... This bullpen couldn't hold it... So I still got to put this on TR. 

But we're not average, and we have to stop thinking about things blowing up from every direction as some kind of bad fortune.  It's systemic.  Every player from last year (beyond Mauer) is under performing.  The team didn't look ready to start the season.  They are undisciplined on the field, in the batters box, and on the base paths.   If TR had gotten two more bullpen arms, Jepsen would still probably be Molitor's second guy, and we get a similar outcome.  

 

And if everything's going well that means Buxton hits and Jepsen is playing well, we can't pick and choose some alternative rosy picture and use that to figure out who to blame.  

[PseudoSABR]

 

Nunez, Duffey, Nolasco, Abad, Tonkin, May, Berrios, would all like to have a word.

Nunez, the guy everyone wanted TR to non-tender?  Berrios wasn't even on the team last year.  Duffey is duplicating his performance.  May is duplicating his performance.  Tonkin and Nolasco are improved.  And TR picked Abad off the scrap heap (can't give him credit for it, now can we).  So we've named seven players on a 25 man roster (and really counting the one's we've already let go, that's out of like 30 guys or so), most of whom are pitchers.  

 

Defend Molitor, what is he doing to keep his job.  Would two more bullpen arms and centerfielder make Molitor look like a good manager? I don't think so.

[DaveW]

 

But we're not average, and we have to stop thinking about things blowing up from every direction as some kind of bad fortune.  It's systemic.  Every player from last year (beyond Mauer) is under performing.  The team didn't look ready to start the season.  They are undisciplined on the field, in the batters box, and on the base paths.   If TR had gotten two more bullpen arms, Jepsen would still probably be Molitor's second guy, and we get a similar outcome.  

 

And if everything's going well that means Buxton hits and Jepsen is playing well, we can't pick and choose some alternative rosy picture and use that to figure out who to blame.  

So who's fault is it? If TR was a freshman GM for the Twins I would sort of understand your stance, but the dude has been driving the ship for a half decade now (and over a decade prior with no real results) At what point do people stop giving TR the benefit of the doubt and realize that maybe, just perhaps he is the reason why this club hasn't sniffed a world series in 25+ years.

[Riverbrian]

 

But we're not average, and we have to stop thinking about things blowing up from every direction as some kind of bad fortune.  It's systemic.  Every player from last year (beyond Mauer) is under performing.  The team didn't look ready to start the season.  They are undisciplined on the field, in the batters box, and on the base paths.   If TR had gotten two more bullpen arms, Jepsen would still probably be Molitor's second guy, and we get a similar outcome.  

 

And if everything's going well that means Buxton hits and Jepsen is playing well, we can't pick and choose some alternative rosy picture and use that to figure out who to blame.  

 

Plenty of blame to go around in this total system failure. This one is so bad... I think Glunn has to shoulder some responsibility. 

 

 

[LaBombo]

 

Vikings open up four months tomorrow

 

yaaaaaay!

 

 

 

 

http://images.performgroup.com/di/library/sporting_news/96/68/blair-walsh-kick-ftr-011016jpg_zdbxjut3332g1bjg9lv0wpoot.jpg?t=757575746

[DaveW]

 

 

Nunez, the guy everyone wanted TR to non-tender?  Berrios wasn't even on the team last year.  Duffey is duplicating his performance.  May is duplicating his performance.  Tonkin and Nolasco are improved.  And TR picked Abad off the scrap heap (can't give him credit for it, now can we).  So we've named seven players on a 25 man roster (and really counting the one's we've already let go, that's out of like 30 guys or so), most of whom are pitchers.  

 

Defend Molitor, what is he doing to keep his job.  Would two more bullpen arms and centerfielder make Molitor look like a good manager? I don't think so.

I don't see anyone actually "defending" Molitor a whole lot. The one constant in these last several seasons without making the playoffs isn't Jepsen, Molitor, or anyone else in the bullpen or lineup.  It's Ryan.

[operation mindcrime]

Are we going to be sellers at the deadline? \m/

[DaveW]

 

 

yaaaaaay!

 

 

 

 

http://images.performgroup.com/di/library/sporting_news/96/68/blair-walsh-kick-ftr-011016jpg_zdbxjut3332g1bjg9lv0wpoot.jpg?t=757575746

I'm just hoping that FG miss builds "character" personally, and allowed the Vikes a draft pick that wasn't too low to draft the answer at WR.

 

SKOOLLLL

[USAFChief]

 

But we're not average, and we have to stop thinking about things blowing up from every direction as some kind of bad fortune.  It's systemic.  Every player from last year (beyond Mauer) is under performing.  The team didn't look ready to start the season.  They are undisciplined on the field, in the batters box, and on the base paths.   If TR had gotten two more bullpen arms, Jepsen would still probably be Molitor's second guy, and we get a similar outcome.  

 

And if everything's going well that means Buxton hits and Jepsen is playing well, we can't pick and choose some alternative rosy picture and use that to figure out who to blame.  

So if I undertand you correctly, your position is TR assembled such a bad roster that he shouldn't be held responsible for not trying to improve it.

 

 

[sampleSizeOfOne]

Now the baseball game is over, shall we ge back to discussing competitive opera?

 

Yeah, sorry i am missing more than i am making... Probably wouldn't affect the outcome much, but, well something about Missouri and company... I forget.

 

Anyhow, i would throw my hat in with the fans of comic opera... leastwise if i can understand the words.

[DaveW]

 

but if we're trying to determine the source of the season's failures, I don't think we can connect TR's failures to the calamity is the Twins. 

But can we connect TR's failures to the lack of success his teams have had under his leadership overall? (One playoff series win in 18 seasons, trending towards 4 90 loss seasons in 5 seasons since he has come back?)

[Platoon]

And it continues! I could live with the non FA in the BP, since it seemed the stated plan was to bring in some of the younger relief arms. But we don't. We just keep shuffling mediocre talent. I have no idea whether Chargois, Meyer, Buxton, Polanco, Kepler, Burdi et al will make it or not. But we have reached the time and place to find out. I am likely going to get killed for saying this after Plouffes night, but it started with the keeping Plouffe thing. It set the OF up to be a disaster. Buxton, Hicks, or Kepler would have caught that deep fly ball in CF, and the line drive to Sano was catchable by an actual OF. But in reality this isn't the result of just a BP decision or Plouffe non trade. It's the result of years of just gettin by, and now the chickens have come home, and it ain't just to roost!

[Kwak]

The Twins need to change (what--change?) their use of pitchers.  relax the 100 pitch limit.  Berrios should have pitched the 6th.  Use RPs for two innings, or longer!  This tired concept of 1 pitcher, one inning kills the pen.

[PseudoSABR]

 

So who's fault is it? If TR was a freshman GM for the Twins I would sort of understand your stance, but the dude has been driving the ship for a half decade now (and over a decade prior with no real results) At what point do people stop giving TR the benefit of the doubt and realize that maybe, just perhaps he is the reason why this club hasn't sniffed a world series in 25+ years.

Dude.  Again, what would we have TR do - two bullpen arms, and (a veteran) centerfielder.  That doesn't prevent Molitor from putting Jepsen out there too long, or keep the Twins from striking out at record pace.   We were looking to add a few parts, not reconstruct the roster.   The team looks listless and undisciplined; I know you hate TR, so you can go ahead and blame him, but for my part there's a problem connecting TR's failure in getting bullpen and outfield help to the actual failures on the field.  THat's not giving TR a pass, it's assessing with whom the failure most lies.

[Aggies7]

yaaaaaay!

 

 

 

 

http://images.performgroup.com/di/library/sporting_news/96/68/blair-walsh-kick-ftr-011016jpg_zdbxjut3332g1bjg9lv0wpoot.jpg?t=757575746

You dog.

[Platoon]

yaaaaaay!

 

 

 

 

http://images.performgroup.com/di/library/sporting_news/96/68/blair-walsh-kick-ftr-011016jpg_zdbxjut3332g1bjg9lv0wpoot.jpg?t=757575746

Yet more pain and suffering!