Unofficial Game Thread 5/14 (The Twins already scored a run, so you can save yourself some pain by avoiding this thread)

[IndianaTwin]

 

How many Eduardos/Edwards/Eds/Eddies are currently major league hitters?  I feel like we should trade for at least 7 of them.

 

Eduardo Nunez

Edwin Encarnacion

 

But can we also have

• Paul Edward Goldschmidt
• Michael Edward Brett Saunders
• Ednel Javier Baez
• Willson Eduardo Contreras
• Stephen Edward Piscotty
• (There's a few others, but I don't feel like typing them.)

The rotation's doing pretty well, so we probably don't need Clayton Edward Kershaw, but Cody Edward Allen could come in handy in the 8th right now. 

 

On the other hand, if middle names count, someone forgot to tell Robert Edward Grossman...

[John Kelsey]

Warm up Reed and Pressly, we've got a game to lose!

[Cap'n Piranha]

 

Eduardo Nunez

Edwin Encarnacion

 

But can we also have

• Paul Edward Goldschmidt
• Michael Edward Brett Saunders
• Ednel Javier Baez
• Willson Eduardo Contreras
• Stephen Edward Piscotty
• (There's a few others, but I don't feel like typing them.)

The rotation's doing pretty well, so we probably don't need Clayton Edward Kershaw, but Cody Edward Allen could come in handy in the 8th right now. 

 

On the other hand, if middle names count, someone forgot to tell Robert Edward Grossman...

 

Since we're going out on limbs, what if we traded with Atlanta for Freddie Freeman, and forced him to change his name to Eddie Eeman?  That works, right?

[Cap'n Piranha]

Magill up in the pen; I vote we go for the 9 out save.

[gocgo]

Pretty sure the bull pen wouldn't blow a one run game twice in 24 hours.

[IndianaTwin]

 

I'd love to know the source.  And the methodology for the metric.  I haven't seen an 'official' metric along these lines.  Maybe I'm not looking in the right places.  Do I think the shift saves net runs?  Yes.  Would I trust a metric to rank or establish absolute value of the shift.  Not necessarily.  Lot of subjectivity (and/or assumptions and data that is hard to establish).  We'll see.

 

FWIW...my gut tells me the Twins really haven't saved more runs that every team (save one) with their use of the shift.  If for no other reason that the staff is near the bottom of the league with regard to their ground ball rate. 

 

Yeah, it would be interesting to read more. Billjamesonline makes reference to "Shift Runs Saved."

 

I'm surprised we haven't heard of folks trying to quantify it, but it does seem like it would necessarily need to be somewhat objective. When is it a "shift," for example, compared to shading a player a few steps? 

 

 

[IndianaTwin]

 

Since we're going out on limbs, what if we traded with Atlanta for Freddie Freeman, and forced him to change his name to Eddie Eeman?  That works, right?

 

Apparently the name "Ted" had fallen out of favor with parents in the 90s -- I can't find any of them still playing.

 

One would think that Williams would still be able to hit better than some of the guys we've got, but he's on a bit of, uh, a cold streak.

 

[bighat]

Tie game...no way the Twins score again, another good start wasted.

 

I dislike this team right now.

[Cap'n Piranha]

Lynn over 100 pitches, clearly starting to lose it, and Molitor keeps him in.

 

Does Molly want to get fired?

[jtkoupal]

Hey, Jack. You got your wish. Lynn stayed in the game past 100 pitches.

 

Oh, by the way, he gave up 3 runs to a bunch of scrubs at the bottom of a bad lineup.

[slash129]

Poop

[slash129]

C'mon Eds ... Steal it back

[wsnydes]

It would seem that Molitor's strategy lately is to extend his starters in order to not have to pitch anyone other than his bullpen horses.  While I generally applaud the notion of letting starters go deeper, when said starter is losing steam is not the time to let them continue.  

 

Feel for the game and the pitching staff is a hallmark of good managers.  Molitor has none.

[lukeduke1980]

 

It would seem that Molitor's strategy lately is to extend his starters in order to not have to pitch anyone other than his bullpen horses.  While I generally applaud the notion of letting starters go deeper, when said starter is losing steam is not the time to let them continue.  

 

Feel for the game and the pitching staff is a hallmark of good managers.  Molitor has none.

It wasn't Giancarlo up there...it was Jacoby.

[Cap'n Piranha]

It feels like there is just a big disconnect between Falvine and Molitor, in how they look at the game and approach it.  I can't shake the suspicion that Falvine was going to part ways with Molitor at the end of last season and get their own guy, but the surprising run to the playoffs forced them to keep Paul around.

[nicksaviking]

Has anyone considered putting all the batters in the bullpen and put the bullpen guys in the lineup?

[VATwinsFan]

The weekend series in Cleveland should be a real delight.

[jkcarew]

Not a fan of benching/resting Sano.  Doesn't matter what recent results have been.  He just turned 25 and is one of your very few current hopes for real production.  Either option him and have him work on it in the minors, or play him.

[Han Joelo]

I'm back!  Man, the last day of school for 1st and 3rd graders is a pretty big deal.  Glad I didn't miss it for this steaming pile of canine excrement.

[Han Joelo]

 

The weekend series in Cleveland should be a real delight.

Yeah, they'll win the series, instill a modicum of hope and then...I can only assume the Twins have the Orioles next, or Royals.  Someone really bad they can lose to.

[wsnydes]

 

It wasn't Giancarlo up there...it was Jacoby.

Any major leaguer can hurt you.  Slump, no slump, whatever.  If you're out of gas, you're out of gas.  It was apparent after the leadoff triple.  This team can't afford to take such things for granted.

 

This isn't the first time in the last couple of weeks that he's tried it.  It's worked for him a time or two.  It's backfired on him as well.

[MangLitch]

  http://gifimage.net/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/dumpster-fire-gif-4.gif

[jkcarew]

 

Not a fan of benching/resting Sano.  Doesn't matter what recent results have been.  He just turned 25 and is one of your very few current hopes for real production.  Either option him and have him work on it in the minors, or play him.

Even as I'm hitting send, I'm remembering that sending someone like Sano to the minors to work on things would require a roster move due to the ridiculous current construction of the 40-man.  Not that I'm advocating that...but it's just another example of how the construction of the roster is not in any way in balance with the needs of the major league team.

[Han Joelo]

I'd trade Sano straight up for Niko Goodrum right now.  

[S.]

Garbage calls by the home plate ump and looked like he was trying to bait Kepler into an argument so he could toss him.

 

Also, garbage game by the twins.

[VATwinsFan]

Pretty bad.

[Han Joelo]

I wish Kepler would have taken that bait.  This team is listless.

[Puckett34]

[wsnydes]

So Sano doesn't PH with a chance to tie????????????

[Platoon]

Garbage calls by the home plate ump and looked like he was trying to bait Kepler into an argument so he could toss him.

 

Also, garbage game by the twins.

Normally I don't bitch too much about plate umpires. I have done it, and it's not easy. But that third strike was intentional. And I also normally don't believe managers accomplish much by screaming, but Molitor should have came out and got tossed over that. That one was blatant retaliation over Keplers conversation. I wonder if Kep said, Ach dere leiber? Voss iss lohs.