Optimism

[stringer bell]

I realize that the meltdown of the bullpen is historic. 28 runs in 9 innings during the Houston series has to approach a record. While the starters weren't great for the just completed series (a total of 12 runs in 18 innings) it was the bullpen innings that were dreadful. It might even be possible that this incompetence is the signal that the club can't be competitive for the long run.

 

I want to remind everyone that it is a long season. Current slumps might be forgotten and we will barely remember the names of Belisle, Wheeler, Rucinski and more. The Twins have only played 30% of their schedule. There can and should be a lot more turnover.

 

I do have a question. Was Wheeler on the 40-man and designated for assignment before? If so, he could choose free agency, I guess.

 

I do want to remind the TD fan base that the Twins are still in first place, and have been for about three weeks. They have put together two winning months in the first month of the season.

[Riverbrian]

 

I realize that the meltdown of the bullpen is historic. 28 runs in 9 innings during the Houston series has to approach a record. While the starters weren't great for the just completed series (a total of 12 runs in 18 innings) it was the bullpen innings that were dreadful. It might even be possible that this incompetence is the signal that the club can't be competitive for the long run.

 

I want to remind everyone that it is a long season. Current slumps might be forgotten and we will barely remember the names of Belisle, Wheeler, Rucinski and more. The Twins have only played 30% of their schedule. There can and should be a lot more turnover.

 

I do have a question. Was Wheeler on the 40-man and designated for assignment before? If so, he could choose free agency, I guess.

 

I do want to remind the TD fan base that the Twins are still in first place, and have been for about three weeks. They have put together two winning months in the first month of the season.

 

I'm 100% behind you. Anything can happen. 

 

Tis but a scratch. 

[ashbury]

I do have a question. Was Wheeler on the 40-man and designated for assignment before? If so, he could choose free agency, I guess.

I posted incorrectly earlier, and removed the post, but in case someone saw it, here's the correction: Wheeler was on the 40-man before the 2015 season.

 

http://www.startribune.com/wheeler-enjoys-cool-moment-of-being-in-mlb/425336663/.

[Otwins]

I am just glad we are not in Houston's division. They are really good. Made us look like a minor league team but teams can look a lot different by September. I think our only hope is two or three relievers stepping forward from the minors. Help will be expensive on the trade market.  A lot of teams looking for pitching.   

[Bark's Lounge]

I'm glad that Stringer started this topic and Brian was the first to respond. You two guys are voices of baseball reason and rationality.

 

I tend to agree with you guys, but this week has been very concerning. The Astros flat out embarrassed us and it seems like we have no home field advantage, it is a barren landscape.

 

Bad series happen, but they need to get out of their home field psychological rut and we have to hope upon the highest mountain of hope that guys like Chargois and Melotakis can fill the bullpen void sooner than later.

 

I will leave it at that, as like you two, I still have some hope in this team.

[darin617]

It is great to see the Twins finally dipping into double A to bring up Randy Rosario. It's too bad that Nick Burdi had to have surgery or it would have been only time before we saw him in the majors.

I am tired being a Twins fan where we always seemed to leave arms in the minors forever before they got a chance. Hopefully this doesn't turn into a revolving door but it is great that we are no going to be afraid to make changes.

[glunn]

The Indians lost today, and we still have reason to care (unlike last year).

 

The Twins are still 14-5 on the road. The road is their friend.

 

Tomorrow night they play in Anaheim, and Trout is on the DL. Without Trout, the Angels are not a great team.

 

Sano's stomach flu cannot last forever.

 

Tomorrow will be my first live game of the season. I will be sitting behind the Twins dugout ready to bellow at Molitor if he makes any bad moves.

 

I have the same seats for Saturday, when Berrios should be on the mound. Without Trout, the Angels could be shut out or worse.

 

 

[Bark's Lounge]

 

The Indians lost today, and we still have reason to care (unlike last year).

 

The Twins are still 14-5 on the road. The road is their friend.

 

Tomorrow night they play in Anaheim, and that fish guy is on the DL. Without the fish guy, the Angels are not a great team.

 

Sano's stomach flu cannot last forever.

 

Tomorrow will be my first live game of the season. I will be sitting behind the Twins dugout ready to bellow at Molitor if he makes any bad moves.

 

I have the same seats for Saturday, when Berrios should be on the mound. Without that fish guy, the Angels could be shut out or worse.

Glunn, make the Twins sweep the Angels. Use what voodoo or black magic you have to. That's a demand, not a suggestion!

[KirbyDome89]

"It might even be possible that this incompetence is the signal that the club can't be competitive for the long run."

 

We didn't need to see historic ineptitude to realize the bullpen/starting pitching will hold this team back. 

 

 

[PseudoSABR]

Pitching depth is a maddeningly problem (especially and obviously in the bullpen). The FO did not do enough to address the depth in the offseason. (Clearly, Falvey/Levine didn't really believe they had a competitive team, or else they would have spent more to assess obvious ML weaknesses.)  This is especially offensive given their strict protocol on the development of their actual pitching prospects (Reed, Melo, B̶u̶r̶d̶i̶)--which isn't a bad thing, if the team wasn't competitive.  Perhaps the FO's willingness to promote Rosario portends good things later this summer. 

[HitInAPinch]

I'm not surprised by the Twins losing to the Astros.  They are flat-out a FAR better team.  The VOLUME of those losses did.  We've seen similar in the more recent World Series years:  you beat the guys you're expected to beat:  on the other days, you get your butts kicked.  

 

The position players are developing nicely.  But there will be more ups than downs, IMHO.  

Pitching staff:  the phrases "oh boy" and "DUCK!" come to mind.  Berrios looks like a keeper now, irregardless of the perfunctory butt-kicking by the Astros.  I, too, like the call up of Rosario.   

 

After 6 years of total, undeniable frustration, I'm looking at the positives this year and the future.

[Platoon]

Despite the recent losses (whuppings), this is a much more interesting team to watch than in the previous who knows how many years. The young position players have a lot of ceiling left. But my lack of investiture and optimism stems from the inability to see a path forward to a competent pitching staff. There are several factors involved. Injuries to high end RP prospects have been brutal. as have some injuries to the SP rotation. The overall lack of pitching depth in the orginisation is now very apparent. While some FO moves have been questioned, they are at least making moves, but there really are not a lot of options. What is also disheartening is that our prime trade piece was found to have little value. And I certainly would not trade any of the young position players, we frankly have no replacements. Rebuilding this pitching staff is going to take time, luck, and imagination. Lastly Molitor. He needs to go. At best he might be suited for a veteran offensive lineup. At worst, he is the manager of the Twins!

[drjim]

Twins still have 4th best record in the AL. Don't underestimate how mediocre the majority of the league is at the moment.

 

Twins have obvious flaws, but so does everyone else other than Houston.

[bighat]

 

I'm glad that Stringer started this topic and Brian was the first to respond. You two guys are voices of baseball reason and rationality.

 

I tend to agree with you guys, but this week has been very concerning. The Astros flat out embarrassed us and it seems like we have no home field advantage, it is a barren landscape.

 

Bad series happen, but they need to get out of their home field psychological rut and we have to hope upon the highest mountain of hope that guys like Chargois and Melotakis can fill the bullpen void sooner than later.

 

I will leave it at that, as like you two, I still have some hope in this team.

 

Bark you mirror my thoughts. It's hard not to feel very pessimistic after being destroyed during that home series. Don't forget that Tampa put a whipping on us before Houston even got to town. It's one thing to lose a few close games, but the wheels have really come off here.

 

I think many of us were cautiously optimistic before the most recent homestand. The Twins need to show their fans that they want to play at Target Field and have an advantage when playing there. It's concerning to see how terrible they are playing at home and it really dashes the optimism.

 

That said, I'm glad this thread was started as well. The spotlight's on the Twins now, and they desperately need a 'W'.  They had a winning month. June is here. They can start to turn it around with just one victory, let's hope that happens tonight. 

[Vanimal46]

Twins still have 4th best record in the AL. Don't underestimate how mediocre the majority of the league is at the moment.

 

Twins have obvious flaws, but so does everyone else other than Houston.

Correct. All they really have to worry about is the Central. Cleveland's pitching is feeling that WS hangover, Detroit is nothing special, and the other 2 teams could lose 100 games.

[wsnydes]

There's still a lot of baseball to be played.  Baseball has always been a marathon, not a sprint so they can weather this storm and still be just fine.  It's good for the young core to have some adversity in my view.

[Squirrel]

Most of the games so far this season have been fun to watch ... emphasize most, and not all, so it goes in any sport. Well, and recent past would have that reversed. Baseball is a long season and can and usually is full of surprises ... whether that be on a daily basis or a season basis. Some times good teams underperform and bad teams overperform, good players have a bad day/season, bad players have a good day/season, and despite the stats/metrics, sometimes the unexpected happens. It's a long season and not everything is predictable. But I think this bullpen was and many called it early on. I was hoping for the unexpected there. Didn't get it. But ... silver lining, perhaps ... changes are being made and I hope continue to be made and we'll see where we are in a month or two. I'm still hoping for the best and preparing for the worst because that's how I deal with every season.

[Craig Arko]

 

Most of the games so far this season have been fun to watch ... emphasize most, and not all, so it goes in any sport. Well, and recent past would have that reversed. Baseball is a long season and can and usually is full of surprises ... whether that be on a daily basis or a season basis. Some times good teams underperform and bad teams overperform, good players have a bad day/season, bad players have a good day/season, and despite the stats/metrics, sometimes the unexpected happens. It's a long season and not everything is predictable. But I think this bullpen was and many called it early on. I was hoping for the unexpected there. Didn't get it. But ... silver lining, perhaps ... changes are being made and I hope continue to be made and we'll see where we are in a month or two. I'm still hoping for the best and preparing for the worst because that's how I deal with every season.

And the changes are being made while still in first place; a difficult but worthwhile point to remember.

[Jerr]

Many times before this season started, I prepared myself for a bad year...so far it ain't happened!!!

Games have been mostly fun and if, one bet on the Twins being in first place, at this time???? Coulda made a few bucks    

Just sad to see them suck so bad at home.......my only concern.

[Squirrel]

And the changes are being made while still in first place; a difficult but worthwhile point to remember.

Yeah, but I really don't pay attention to standings until after the all-star break, so it's pretty much game to game for me, hoping to win more than we lose, hoping to have good games to watch. That's how I get through a long season ... first place or last place at this time of the season ... I just shrug. Its neither an optimistic nor pessimistic response, it's mostly a 'whatever' respone when talking about standings.

 

Edit: Although it does pull at me and I do check ... but I also keep it in perspective.

[Puckett34]

A bad 15 inning game and a terrible bullpen pitching series against the Astros does not make a season.  The hitting for the most part has been good, not great.  Worth noting that the Twins have the same amount of wins through 49 games this year as they did through 80 last year on July 2nd. 

 

The Twins have their problems, yes.  But they are going in the right direction.  I think so anyway, the Astro series aside.  Shoot, anything is an improvement on last year. I just want them to have a winning month each month.  Two down, four to go.

[ashbury]

Magic number is 107 to clinch the division, 100 for a wildcard spot. Just Win, Baby!

[bighat]

 

i will also be there Saturday and will use any Voodoo around. It looks like the match up is Santana v. our old friend Ricky Nolasco. My son is an Angels fan and already hates Nolasco.    

 

Your son sounds like a wise young man!  Enjoy the game!  Hey, maybe Bert will circle you.

[yarnivek1972]

The Indians lost today, and we still have reason to care (unlike last year).

 

The Twins are still 14-5 on the road. The road is their friend.

 

Tomorrow night they play in Anaheim, and that fish guy is on the DL. Without the fish guy, the Angels are not a great team.

 

Sano's stomach flu cannot last forever.

 

Tomorrow will be my first live game of the season. I will be sitting behind the Twins dugout ready to bellow at Molitor if he makes any bad moves.

 

I have the same seats for Saturday, when Berrios should be on the mound. Without that fish guy, the Angels could be shut out or worse.

They still have that guy with 599 career homeruns...

[drjim]

They are built a little different, but these Twins remind me a little of the 2015 Astros, with the exception being that the Astros invested in the bullpen in the previous offseason.

 

A somewhat unexpected ace backed up by a shaky rotation, an emerging offensive core building around some vets, but also some actual relievers. They held on to win the wild card and almost knocked out the Royals.

 

The Twins really should have spent some money on a reliever or two. Really might cost them a playoff spot.

[drjim]

Back to winning and still have third best record in the AL.

[Darius]

This lineup is starting to settle in, I think. Sano is an MVP candidate. Mauer is very sharp. Kepler gets better every night. I think Grossman might be for real. Guys like Rosario and Buxton are taking decent ABs. If Dozier goes on another tear at some point, it could be extremely fun to watch.

[brvama]

Optimistic, yes! I had no illusions of a playoff team however it is certainly possible. I see a team that is growing before our eyes. I think that is what most of us wanted this year. The comparison of the '15 Astro seems appropriate, but with different warts. While there's disappointment with the offseason bullpen moves it seems they are at least sifting through the chaff in the system. I'll give them a bit more time sorting that out, but that's my nature. This team reminds of watching.my grandchildren grow up. Exacting!

[brvama]

Not exacting but EXCITING.

[Linus]

Lefthanded and breathing.