Game Thread (8/26): Twins vs. OAK, 1:10 pm CDT

[USAFChief]

 

How did the Hipster burn his hand?

He did something before it was cool.

[ashbury]

He did something before it was cool.

Ah, if only there were a theme to this game thread so far....

[USAFChief]

 

No argument here. But hopefully he watches video of that play, and agrees he needs to participate in limberness/flexibility training, to get that board out of his back.

Maybe Mauer can participate in training to learn how to hit a ball into the seating area above the batter's eye, too.

[USAFChief]

I remember as a very young child I felt as if I was a man trapped in a woman's body.

 

...

 

 

And then I was born.

[slash129]

I remember as a very young child I felt as if I was a man trapped in a woman's body.

 

...

 

 

And then I was born.

Haha

[Mike Sixel]

 

We missed Mauer's first-base stylings on that low throw from Logie Bear, denying us the DP. Just a fielder's choice, not E3 since you can't assume the double play, but it's a play that the traditional defensive stats don't catch. Hopefully DRS, or whatever, dings Austin for that.

 

scoops and missed scoops are in the advanced stats, yes.

[USAFChief]

 

scoops and missed scoops are in the advanced stats, yes.

[ashbury]

I remember as a very young child I felt as if I was a man trapped in a woman's body.

 

...

 

 

And then I was born.

They say many traits are established at conception.

[Winston Smith]

 

Maybe Mauer can participate in training to learn how to hit a ball into the seating area above the batter's eye, too.

Hard to teach an old dog new tricks.

[mrmpls]

Mr Mcgill  -ouch

[jimmer]

There are times when it is really hard to watch this team. Might be time to stop my yearly ML:B subscription to extra innings.  

[ashbury]

That was a reeeeally nice catch in RF by Piscotty on Kep. I thought he was going to come up just short.

[ashbury]

AUSTIN!!!! ^ 2

 

(No Piscotty heroics on that'un.)

[yarnivek1972]

The ball off the bat of Tyler Austin makes THAT sound.

[Craig Arko]

I wonder if Austin will have a positive effect on Sano, in terms of using the whole field.

[yarnivek1972]

None, they're pretty comfortable around burnouts.

 

So, what did the deadhead say when he ran out of weed?

I feel the need, the need for WEED.

[VATwinsFan]

There are times when it is really hard to watch this team. Might be time to stop my yearly ML:B subscription to extra innings.

 

I've said the same thing every year since, oh, about 8 years ago, but somehow the subscription keeps getting renewed.

[Fargoguy]

Austin and Sano could hit a lot of home runs next year.

[Fargoguy]

Time to make another call to the pen. Every ball is getting hit hard.

[yarnivek1972]

Austin and Sano could hit a lot of home runs next year.

And strike out 500 times between them.

[yarnivek1972]

Maybe try someone else Paul?

[yarnivek1972]

That was not a beautiful swing by Sano, for the third out.

His homerun last night is his only hit in his last 21 AB. 9 K, 2 BB in that span.

 

Well, he looked like a MLB hitter for about 2 weeks anyway.

[VATwinsFan]

Twins pitchers all but shut down Davis this series, but they still get outhomered 10-5.

[Twodogs]

Also, he's getting ahead in the count. Which is a pleasant change from certain recent games by other pitchers. Just a little of this, a little of that, standing between him and a really good game today.

 

^{_{No jinx.}}

I have not been impressed with Berrios at all lately. Making me start to wonder about him?

[jimmer]

See, that's the kind of play that is GREAT when Cave makes it but he gets hammered when he doesn't.

[ashbury]

That guy on the mound for Oakland turns his cap just like our guy!

[jimmer]

Kepler is going to jack this one out 

 

edit: Ooops ;-)

[ashbury]

See, that's the kind of play that is GREAT when Cave makes it but he gets hammered when he doesn't.

I'm one of those hammerers, and of course it's pure second guessing. But the player still has to make the right guess and/or judgement. All comes down to risk versus reward, and visual judgement, and at the end of the day results. The one in CF at KC for a homer looked like no-hope from our vantage point behind home plate, but probably looking different from the other direction. And the game situation in KC was such that merely corralling it for a single wasn't a game-loser, but the HR was. Bottom line, if you don't play safe and pull up, you better make the play. The one today in RF was a little different in that playing safe seems less of an option given the slice of the ball - and of course he judged correctly that it wasn't going to drop too soon. Game of inches, as always.

[USAFChief]

 

I'm one of those hammerers, and of course it's pure second guessing. But the player still has to make the right guess and/or judgement. All comes down to risk versus reward, and visual judgement, and at the end of the day results. The one in CF at KC for a homer looked like no-hope from our vantage point behind home plate, but probably looking different from the other direction. Bottom line, if you don't play safe and pull up, you have to make the play. The one today in RF was a little different in that playing safe seems less of an option. Game of inches, as always.

MLB outfielders are expected to be able to judge whether they can come in and make the play a foot off the ground, or pull up because the ball is going to bounce a foot in front of where they can get their glove. 

 

So I don't think it's "second guessing." Dive and come up short, turning a single into a HR? That's not bad luck, or an accident, or "one of those things."

 

That's a mistake by the outfielder. Preventable, and not OK, and one of the things that differentiates between good, and poor, MLB defenders. The good ones don't guess...they know which play to try. 

[jimmer]

 

I'm one of those hammerers, and of course it's pure second guessing. But the player still has to make the right guess and/or judgement. All comes down to risk versus reward, and visual judgement, and at the end of the day results. The one in CF at KC for a homer looked like no-hope from our vantage point behind home plate, but probably looking different from the other direction. And the game situation in KC was such that merely corralling it for a single wasn't a game-loser, but the HR was. Bottom line, if you don't play safe and pull up, you better make the play. The one today in RF was a little different in that playing safe seems less of an option given the slice of the ball - and of course he judged correctly that it wasn't going to drop too soon. Game of inches, as always.

All defenders, even the very best ones, make bad judgments on plays.  Hunter was a GREAT CF for us and at least twice during the playoffs, he made HUGE errors in judgment on balls he thought he could get to and couldn't.  And Hunter had WAY more experienced when those plays happened than Cave is now. Didn't mean Hunter wasn't great in CF with us, just meant he made some bad calls. Never been a perfect defender.