Article: MIN 6, BAL 2: Good Gibby Rides Again!

[terrydactyls]

I live in Maine so I do not get to see many Twins games (unless they are playing the Red Sox). But last night, DirecTV found a Baltimore station that I don't pay for and recorded the game. I noticed it in my recording list when I was looking for something to watch. This happens periodically so I have DirecTV record anything with Minnesota Twins mentioned. Because it was a Baltimore broadcast, it also had Baltimore announcers. The color analyst was Jim Palmer, who I always thought was one of the best pitchers of his era. Throughout the entire broadcast, even after Gibson was removed from the game, Palmer kept remarking how Gibson clearly had the Oriole batters off balance all night because of his variety of pitches. Palmer was very impressed. And, in my experience, getting the opponents broadcasters to say anything nice about the other team is quite rare. And if Jim Palmer liked what he saw last night, that makes 2018 a little brighter.

[diehardtwinsfan]

Hopefully this is an omen of things to come with Kyle. Him taking a big step forward would be a huge addition to this staff. 

[Otto von Ballpark]

I live in Maine so I do not get to see many Twins games (unless they are playing the Red Sox). But last night, DirecTV found a Baltimore station that I don't pay for and recorded the game. I noticed it in my recording list when I was looking for something to watch. This happens periodically so I have DirecTV record anything with Minnesota Twins mentioned.

Thanks for the report, it is fun to listen to the other team's announcers sometimes. (Except the White Sox!)

 

You should get MLB Extra Innings with your DirecTV:

 

https://www.directv.com/sports/mlb

[Otto von Ballpark]

If Gibson record three more consecutive no-hit innings, he gets credit for the no-hitter, right?

Sounds good! We could even drop the "consecutive" requirement, if necessary.

[bird]

Yesterday was the very first time I ever used the words Gibson and fun in the same sentence.

[USAFChief]

If Gibson record three more consecutive no-hit innings, he gets credit for the no-hitter, right?

In bowling, we call that an “Andy Verapapa.”

[Squirrel]

Gibby is definitely the prime subject of the game wrap, for sure. But Rosario's catch ... did anyone notice this tidbit in the Tribune's post game write up?

 

“It hit in here,” Rosario said, demonstrating where the ball struck his glove. “When I went to the floor, the glove [hit] and the ball went up. It was slow motion.” Rosario pantomimed the ball in front of his eyes, and his move to pluck it out of the air with his bare hand.

 

He’s made that play before, sort of.

 

“The outfield coach [Jeff Pickler], he has us practice everything,” Rosario said of an expanded set of drills the Twins instituted this spring. “Sometimes I lie on the [ground] and Pick throws balls at us. A lot of drills.”

 

http://www.startribune.com/postgame-rosario-practiced-juggling-catches-gibson-was-effectively-wild/478474923/

 

Rosario seems to be saying that that catch was a result of the practice and drills Pikler has put them through. Not sure what to make of it because that seems like a difficult thing to practice let alone replicate and practice, but kudos to Pikler for his outfield preparations.

[bean5302]

Gibson has seemingly had talent beyond his results since his TJ, seemingly 100 years ago, and every year people expect this is the year Gibson figures it out.

 

He's no longer a spring chicken (he's 30) and he's been trying to sort of reinvent himself quite a bit over the past few years. I think it's reasonable to temper expectations given that Gibson is probably a somewhat better version of Nick Blackburn. Throwing 59 of 102 pitches for strikes and working from behind most of the game will usually result in you getting shellac'd so the results don't necessarily line up with the actual performance.

 

I'm not complaining that the Orioles put up a bunch of zeros against the Twins while Gibson was on the mound, but I just don't think this was some sort of epiphany for Kyle.

[terrydactyls]

One thing Palmer mentioned that I hadn't picked up until he mentioned it, was that even though Gibson was a little wild, he was always wild low and away. Then he said that when Cashner was wild, he put it in the middle of the plate and the Twins put it in the outfield seats. So I watched how Gibson pitched over the next few innings and Palmer was dead on. Whereas I was getting frustrated with all the low and outside pitches, Palmer saw the value. I still wish Gibson threw more strikes but I also liked that his wildness was also harmless. Does Blyleven come up with stuff like that?

[Mr. Brooks]

One thing Palmer mentioned that I hadn't picked up until he mentioned it, was that even though Gibson was a little wild, he was always wild low and away. Then he said that when Cashner was wild, he put it in the middle of the plate and the Twins put it in the outfield seats. So I watched how Gibson pitched over the next few innings and Palmer was dead on. Whereas I was getting frustrated with all the low and outside pitches, Palmer saw the value. I still wish Gibson threw more strikes but I also liked that his wildness was also harmless. Does Blyleven come up with stuff like that?

Prefaced with the fact I didn't watch the game. But, I don't think walks are harmless.

[terrydactyls]

I didn't say that walks are harmless. I said being wild low and away is harmless. I know several consecutive "harmless" pitches become one harmful pitch. But I'll still take a harmless pitch over a homerun any day, which was the point Mr. Palmer and I were trying to convey.

[Mr. Brooks]

I didn't say that walks are harmless. I said being wild low and away is harmless. And, in anticipation of your next contrarian comment, I know several consecutive "harmless" pitches become one harmful pitch. But I'll still take a harmless pitch over a homerun any day, which was the point Mr. Palmer and I were trying to convey.

Well, again, I didn't see the game. But it doesn't necessarily take consecutive "harmless" pitches to become one harmful pitch. Falling behind in the count gives the hitter an advantage.

 

I get the point. But I think "less harmful", would be more accurate terminology.

 

To me it depends on the situation. If you are up 0-2, absolutely waste a pitch, they might chase. In that scenario, I'd agree it's probably harmless.

If you are already behind, or it's the first pitch of the AB, then I absolutely don't agree, as good hitters feast when they get ahead in the count.

[jmlease1]

I'm not prepared to hand Gibson any awards yet. The control wasn't there and he was lucky to get through 6 innings against a team that really isn't all that good. A better team makes him pay for those walks. The K's were encouraging, but we need to see him string together some good outings in a row.

[ashbury]

In bowling, we call that an “Andy Verapapa.”

I had never heard of him before. Thanks for the best YouTube search I've done in the past fifteen minutes:

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lft_N1Rv8eA

[USAFChief]

I had never heard of him before. Thanks for the best YouTube search I've done in the past fifteen minutes:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lft_N1Rv8eA

He's also famous for claiming a 300 game anytime he rolled 12 consecutive strikes...regardless if they were all in the same game.

[wabene]

Well here we go again. Guess I'm a Gibroni all over again. I've been waiting for Gibby's talent to take over for years. Every year I'm all in. I do think it's been the mental aspect all along, which seasoning could improve. Personally I give credit to the new front office. Many eyebrows were raised when he was sent down last year. Just might have been the kind of strong message he needed.

[beckmt]

It was also commented on the Twins broadcast when Gibson was wild it was low.