Raising the Mauer panic level...

[mshnd06]

I sincerely hate to say it, but...I'm looking forward to the 2019 season

[Mr. Brooks]

Start worrying when TR signs a .150 hitting first baseman off the scrap heap and tries to demote him to AAA to teach him a lesson in the Twins Way. That is the only tool Ryan seems to think is at his disposal at this point.

 

Slumps are slumps. Mauer will be fine.

How many years is this slump going to last?

[DrNeau]

Mauer is 6 for his last 46. 

[DocBauer]

 

The money side of his contract isn't really the problem to me, although an extra $10-$15 million to play with might be nice. The problem is he's entrenched at 1B for years with a bat the seriously underperforms that position. That's one of the easiest positions to find a big bat, which we desperately need, and that option is off the table for the duration of his contract. Instead, we have to put our young offensive tackle in right field which is dragging down the overall defense and may be affecting Sano's offense as well. Even if Mauer's contract were $10 million/yr he'd probably still be entrenched at 1B with a full no-trade clause and that, to me, is the biggest hindrance.

Not going to disagree with you in principal. But there are many ways to construct a team, and a lineup. Sometimes a team has a lesser bat at a specific position, but have a stronger bat at a position that is well above average. Just an example, but when Puckett was a dominant offensive CF, most/many teams were still employing defensive, poorer hitting players at the same position. Mauer himself, in his prime, was WELL ABOVE the norm as a hitter at the catcher position.

 

While 1B does, typically, have a more potent bat than Mauer, I have seen such All Star players as Grace, Joyner and Hernandez make major contributions without being a typical power threat. And this goes to a point made previously by Vanimal46 concerning waiting too long to move Joe elsewhere, what if Mauer had been moved to 1B sooner? What if he had been moved a year or two before his concussions and further physical battering behind the plate? (NOTE: it's probably pretty hard to move a Gold Glove, All Star, batting champ catcher from behind the plate) IF Mauer was at 1B, still hitting .300+ with a top OB%, 35+ doubles and 10-12 HR, he would still be a HUGE asset, even not being a true power threat.

 

The problem isn't him playing 1B, it's just that, sadly, he isn't close to the hitter he once was.

[Wizard11]

Mauer could be hitting like Mike Trout this season and this team would still stink. The blame game is lame.

[Mr. Brooks]

Mauer could be hitting like Mike Trout this season and this team would still stink. The blame game is lame.

Yeah I don't think a single person in here is trying to lay the blame for this season at Mauer's feet.

Excellent straw man though.

[Wizard11]

I don't know Mr. B. It sure sounds like if only Joe didn't take up so much payroll, hit for power, and led with a Paul Bunyan personality, we would have a great team. Perhaps I misunderstood the prior narrative.

[USAFChief]

 

I don't know Mr. B. It sure sounds like if only Joe didn't take up so much payroll, hit for power, and led with a Paul Bunyan personality, we would have a great team. Perhaps I misunderstood the prior narrative.

I think the point is, if everyone else was doing great, we'd still have a first baseman, entrenched in the lineup, making $23M and putting up pretty meager numbers.  

 

It's a problem.

[Mr. Brooks]

I don't know Mr. B. It sure sounds like if only Joe didn't take up so much payroll, hit for power, and led with a Paul Bunyan personality, we would have a great team. Perhaps I misunderstood the prior narrative.

Yep, still nobody said remotely anything like that.

People can be critical of a player who is struggling without suggesting all our problems would be solved without that player.

 

Exactly what rule are you suggesting Wizard?

That we shouldn't criticize any player, since we are so bad no one player makes a difference?

Or that we can only criticize the very worst player on the team and nobody else?

Or that we can criticize anyone but Mauer, no matter how bad he plays?

Exactly what is it you are getting at?

[Wizard11]

Chief, I agree it is a problem. Seems in fact to be a roster full of problems. It would be interesting to be a bug on the wall in that clubhouse and have a chance to get direct info on the mood and commitment. On paper this team does not look anywhere near this bad.

[Wizard11]

Nah Mr.B, I am cool with the negative views on Mauer. I think like a lot of readers, I am just wore out on the Mauer complaints.

[USAFChief]

 

Chief, I agree it is a problem. Seems in fact to be a roster full of problems. It would be interesting to be a bug on the wall in that clubhouse and have a chance to get direct info on the mood and commitment. On paper this team does not look anywhere near this bad.

Can't argue with that.

 

Except (as I'm sometimes inclined to do...) I'll argue just a bit anyway.

 

Take a look at tonight's lineup.

 

Then compare it to Toronto's

 

This team really isn't all that talented.  Our 3 hole hitter, for example, is sporting a .730 OPS over the past 2.25 years.

 

Our 3 hole hitter.

[Wizard11]

Yep Chief, we definitely do not have the equal of Toronto's lineup. It does seem though like the individual parts should add to something exceeding a .244 winning percentage. In 50 years of watching Mahor League baseball, I strain to remember a team with this bad of record 41 games in. (I strain to do a lot of things these days). The few that come to mind were much more obviously bad.

[DrNeau]

What's going on with Mauer? I thought he felt "great". He's on pace for .262 / 10 / 50. Surely he can do better than that, right? Maybe two years from now, we'll find out what injury he suffered on May 2nd, 2016 (the beginning of and cause for his recent slump). 

 

[DrNeau]

ESPN has Mauer's projections listed as follows: 

 

G: 158

AB: 565

HR: 8

RBI: 41

 

LOL. Wow. At what point will this become an issue to the team, that their starting 1B is on pace for approximately 40-something RBIs for the entire season? 

[Squirrel]

 

ESPN has Mauer's projections listed as follows: 

 

G: 158

AB: 565

HR: 8

RBI: 41

 

LOL. Wow. At what point will this become an issue to the team, that their starting 1B is on pace for approximately 40-something RBIs for the entire season? 

And that's funny because ... ?

[twinsnorth49]

 

And that's funny because ... ?

Because he seems to be under some strange belief there have been runners on base for him to drive in.

 

Now that's funny!!

[Mr. Brooks]

Because he seems to be under some strange belief there have been runners on base for him to drive in.

 

Now that's funny!!

He's had 84 runners on base (over 71 PA)this season, and has exactly 3 XBH in those 71 PA.

[USAFChief]

Going into today, Mauer has 71 PAs with runner(s) on base.

 

.255/.451/.314

 

3 XBH's. 9 RBI

[jorgenswest]

Going into today, Mauer has 71 PAs with runner(s) on base.

.255/.451/.314

3 XBH's. 9 RBI

Looks like other teams are pitching around him and attacking the guys behind him who are more unlikely to put the ball in play.

[Minniman]

 

Mauer could be hitting like Mike Trout this season and this team would still stink. The blame game is lame.

 

The Twins could be hitting like Boston this season, and Mauer would still be stinking.

 

[Wizard11]

Minniman...That would be great if the Twins as a roster hit like Boston and Mauer still stunk.  The record would certainly look better and they would be a lot more interesting.

[mikelink45]

I feel really bad about Joe's demise, but I also am frustrated that the Twins have let this stop them from putting the best lineups and batting orders in place.  Please Joe hit .275, if you are pouting because you are hitting third I have no sympathy for you.  I do not care how much you earn, you would be on the bench if I could choose and I am not one of your haters.  I do not care who gets to spend the Pohlad money, I just want a good team. 

[DrNeau]

 

Looks like other teams are pitching around him and attacking the guys behind him who are more unlikely to put the ball in play.

If by "pitching around him" you mean "throwing it right down the pipe every single time he comes to the plate", then you're spot-on. 

[DrNeau]

 

And that's funny because ... ?

It's funny because, now that we are going on three years of this, we are now "raising the panic level". 

[blindeke]

Mauer bashing is really the most boring thing. I can't watch a game at a St. Paul bar without someone muttering "$23 million" whenever Mauer makes an out. I've stopped trying to argue with any of those lunks.

[Seth Stohs]

 

Mauer bashing is really the most boring thing. I can't watch a game at a St. Paul bar without someone muttering "$23 million" whenever Mauer makes an out. I've stopped trying to argue with any of those lunks.

 

It's the worst kind of fandom for so many reasons. And $23 million hasn't stopped them from spending. We all knew when it was signed that it would never probably make baseball sense. I used to argue, but whaddya do? 

 

Someone this weekend said something like, "Maybe I shouldn't expect him to hit .330 anymore." Ya think?

[Squirrel]

 

It's funny because, now that we are going on three years of this, we are now "raising the panic level". 

So you revel in someone doing poorly on the team you claim to love. Not someone, specifically Mauer. Okay. I really find no humor in anyone playing poorly, but okay, I get it. You are here just to jump on Mauer because, well, he's the only one doing poorly on this team. I guess I just don't find these things funny. But to each his/her own.

[Mike Sixel]

 

Mauer bashing is really the most boring thing. I can't watch a game at a St. Paul bar without someone muttering "$23 million" whenever Mauer makes an out. I've stopped trying to argue with any of those lunks.

 

Putting aside the money.....is he actually good compared to other 1B, this year, last year, the year before? if not....why can't fans bash him?

 

Now, some think you should never bash a player, but cheering makes sense. I've never really understood that stance, but maybe that is your stance, and I'm cool with that.

 

But, the only reason these guys are millionaires is that people actually care if they do well in their jobs. Part of caring is being mad when they don't do their jobs. So, they can either work fro $30 an hour or less, or they can put up with people actually caring about what they do and being rewarded for that....

[KGB]

 

Mauer bashing is really the most boring thing. I can't watch a game at a St. Paul bar without someone muttering "$23 million" whenever Mauer makes an out. I've stopped trying to argue with any of those lunks.

Is it still okay to bash Ryan and Molitor?  It seems they don't get the Mauer exception.