Twins @ Brewers: July, 3 (Tuesday Afteroon)

[Hosken Bombo Disco]

Sausage race was rigged

[Fritzderkat]

Speaking of the Moodies, never cared much for them but that first album reminds me of a long night in Madison once.

I've seldom seen a manager show less emotion than Mollie. Being one of the best all-time ball players of his era, an infielder, you wouldn't expect him to handle pitchers all that well, which he apparently doesn't. But wouldn't you think as a guy with a lifetime average of over .300 and more than 3,000 hits, he could squeeze something--anything!--out of these guys? Major League hitting is hard, no doubt, but while he's at it how about teaching them how to bunt, keep from being picked off and caught in a pickle, and throw to the cut-off man? Is that asking too much? I ask you.

[h2oface]

 

I f-Ing hate walks. Throw it down the middle, and if they crush it, hats off to the hitter. Kinda like Gibson did after getting a 5-1 lead. Almost walked the first hitter, but grooved one and the batter hit one out.
Have no problem with that!

The home run pitch I would not call a groove, and there was no almost walk - Pina was the leadoff hitter (unless you meant that a 2-0 count on low pitches that barely missed an almost walk.....). It was a 93 mph two seamer fastball with downward movement in the very low edge of the strike zone (albeit middle of the plate), often even called a ball, just like the 1st pitch of the at bat in virtually the same place, was. Pina reached down and golfed it with a line drive homer that didn't clear the fence by much. Sometimes, the batter just wins. Plus, Gibson and the Twins would have been out of the inning with the score 5-3 if not for the error by the catcher playing 3rd base. 

 

I would rather have a walk than a homer, any day. Walks only knock runs in if the bases are loaded. Throwing it down the middle is never a good idea, if you want to pitch for a spell in the show.

[howeda7]

Odds that Magic Fingers Wilson is allowed to hit next inning? I'll go 90%.

[Cap'n Piranha]

Odds that Magic Fingers Wilson is allowed to hit next inning? I'll go 90%.

Looks like you were low by about 10 percentage points.

[tvagle]

At least Wilson's BA only drops one point per ground out/pop out

[drock2190]

Superman looking a little rough these days.

[Otto von Ballpark]

I bet Molly’s playing Wilson because Wilson needs a few more days at the ML level to be vested.

I don't think so. First of all, he gets service time whether he plays or sits on the bench. And second, Wilson came into the year with 5 years, 57 days service, so he's not really close to any particular meaningful threshold. I think Doug Mientkiewicz held on for 10 years to get lifetime health insurance for his spouse.

 

http://www.businessinsider.com/nfl-nhl-nba-mlb-retirement-pension-plans-lockout-2011-1

 

MLB players must play 43 days in the majors to earn a minimum $34,000 annual pension plan. Just one day in the majors gets them lifetime healthcare coverage. After 10 years in the big leagues, benefits grow to $100,000 annually.

[howeda7]

I'm not a "fire the manager" guy in mid-season because it does no good. But...yeah go ahead. I've seen enough.

[drock2190]

Moya>Littell

[tvagle]

Yup...couldn't have used Moya yesterday

[rghrbek]

2 hits in 8 innings...tired of this.   A no hit catcher, a catcher at 2nd base...there are 0 silver linings at this point.

[ewen21]

 

I'm not a "fire the manager" guy in mid-season because it does no good. But...yeah go ahead. I've seen enough.

You don't even need to much about baseball.  Just watch the man.  He is totally divested

[Cap'n Piranha]

Since June 22, the day after the HBP, Esco is 4 for 41, with 2 doubles. He’s striking out almost 25% of the time, has a .362 OPS, and a -11 wRC+. No one can convince me there isn’t something wrong that needs rest.

[Broker]

Anybody check the hotel to see if the offense forgot to go to the game?

[VATwinsFan]

What's actually somewhat impressive is only two Ks in 3 innings against Hader.  The dude is averaging almost two Ks/inning.

 

It's not much, but it's something.

 

Sort of.

 

Isn't it?

[rghrbek]

 

Anybody check the hotel to see if the offense forgot to go to the game?

No, there are ghosts at the pfister

[Hosken Bombo Disco]

no batters swinging at anything, weird

 

 

guess it was just too much effort

[Blake]

 

Since June 22, the day after the HBP, Esco is 4 for 41, with 2 doubles. He’s striking out almost 25% of the time, has a .362 OPS, and a -11 wRC+. No one can convince me there isn’t something wrong that needs rest.

And, from what I understand, it was intentional and there was no reason to hit Escobar.

 

 

[VATwinsFan]

Nothing like taking called 3d strikes when you're down 2-0 in the 9th.

[jun]

Seeing how Craig Counsell handles his pitcher, I really want our MOY gone ASAP.

Counsell had so much trust in his reliever so that he let him go 3 innings even though he had at least two more dominant relievers in the bullpen. As soon as the pitcher walked a batter, pitching coach came out immediately. By letting one dominant pitcher pitch 3 innings, Counsell saved another dominant pitcher for tomorrow perhaps for multiple innings as well. That's how a shutdown bullpen works.

 

[Blake]

Yay, game over on a called strike! Go Morrison!

[operation mindcrime]

Nice to see the bats show up today!

[mrmpls]

Awesome Again, 

[VATwinsFan]

How thoroughly.......demoralizing.

[jun]

 

Nothing like taking called 3d strikes when you're down 2-0 in the 9th.

You never win a game by looking at pitches. I would like to see the hitters go down swinging. At least they have tried.

[Blake]

I'm going to say this, and I know it's probably controversial, but, here goes:

 

The Twins are not a bad team. They are a good team with good baseball skills.

 

However, the Twins are a bad attitude team. And that attitude appears to have greatly affected their play on the field.

 

Put Hunter back in that clubhouse ASAP.

[Blake]

 

Nice to see the bats show up today!

Yes, and they went home in pristine condition! No scuff marks from those nasty baseballs for our bats!

[mrmpls]

Win tomm. and sweep the homestand b4 the break and were right back in it, NO PROBLEM !!

[Hosken Bombo Disco]

 

I'm going to say this, and I know it's probably controversial, but, here goes:

 

The Twins are not a bad team. They are a good team with good baseball skills.

 

However, the Twins are a bad attitude team. And that attitude appears to have greatly affected their play on the field.

 

Put Hunter back in that clubhouse ASAP.

I think you are on to something. However, my solution would be to remove the free agents they signed.