Stewart, Romero Up... Cave, Duffey Down

[Channing1964]

Wasn't it kind of obvious to everyone that Cave would have to be the first to go? As one of the guys with options I would imagine he will get a lot of frequent flyer miles between home and Rochester this summer.o

[ashbury]

I expect the Twins to go back to 12 pitchers when Sano is ready.

Sano will improve the offense so much that the manager can just put the pitching staff on cruise-control?

[jorgenswest]

At the start of the season it wasn’t obvious to me that they would keep 3 catchers over Cave.

[ashbury]

At the start of the season it wasn’t obvious to me that they would keep 3 catchers over Cave.

In fairness, I don't think anyone anticipated that 3 catchers (yes, including Castro) would have OPS above .800 and Cave would be in the .500s.

[Danchat]

 

In fairness, I don't think anyone anticipated that 3 catchers (yes, including Castro) would have OPS above .800 and Cave would be in the .500s.

If Cave was given enough PAs, I think we could see him get into the .700s. I don't hate that he's been optioned, but he's nice depth to have if one of our OFs (probably Buxton) ever get hurt. I'm still high on Cave as a good 4th OF.

[Mr. Brooks]

If Cave was given enough PAs, I think we could see him get into the .700s. I don't hate that he's been optioned, but he's nice depth to have if one of our OFs (probably Buxton) ever get hurt. I'm still high on Cave as a good 4th OF.

This doesn't change that. He's a phone call away if there is an injury.

[bighat]

I might be the odd man out here but I have liked Jake Cave from Day 1. Here's hoping he gets another chance to be the 4th OF.

[Doomtints]

 

Sano will improve the offense so much that the manager can just put the pitching staff on cruise-control?

 

Yes. Sano is a proven superstar game changer and will drive this team to sustained success.

[Doomtints]

 

 

Wasn't it kind of obvious to everyone that Cave would have to be the first to go? As one of the guys with options I would imagine he will get a lot of frequent flyer miles between home and Rochester this summer.o

 

Even if he had been playing well he would have been the first to go.

[yarnivek1972]

And this is why you probably don’t count on a guy that doesn’t miss bats. 46 pitches, 29 strikes for Stewart. 1 swing and miss. 1.

[Channing1964]

It could have been worse, but I still am not sure I understand why we had to throw Stewart out there tonight. Wouldn't it have made more sense to push everybody up a day and bring a AAA dude to start in one of the double header games last Saturday? This reminded me of last year at the end of the year when you knew we had no chance. All these games count man....come on. Everyone could look ahead and see it was gonna be Verlander tonight. I'm sorry Kohl Stewart, I know he gave it all he had but our coavhing staff basically handed this game to the Stros. Let me see some competency in the handling of the pitching staff. THIS makes us look ill prepared, and definitely not ready to be a playoff team.

[jimbo92107]

 

I’m not old enough to remember when Duffey was on.

Duffey's great curve ball looked like his entre to the bigs, and for a while, it was. Problems arose when his heater never really developed. It was and still is a very straight pitch, which for some reason he still has trouble keeping out of the middle of the strike zone. Thus relegated to one plus pitch, hitters could simply foul off or lay off his curve balls, then sit on his BP heater. Boom, boom, boom. 

 

Bert Blyleven had an interesting comment/observation as he watched Duffey implode during a recent outing. He said Duffey's lack of fast ball command might hark back to a lack of a simple drill, where a pitcher sees how many fast balls in a row he can throw for strikes. This drill helps establish a vital foundation of fast ball command, which Duffey most certainly lacks. 

 

It also suggests an interesting contest for Twins pitchers. Which of them is best at hitting the outside edges of the strike zone with fast balls, curves, etc? It might even be an interesting contest for All Star weekend. Add the Command contest to the Home Run derby. Kind of a state fair midway game for professional hurlers. Winner gets a HUUUGE stuffed animal!

[Channing1964]

Duffey's great curve ball looked like his entre to the bigs, and for a while, it was. Problems arose when his heater never really developed. It was and still is a very straight pitch, which for some reason he still has trouble keeping out of the middle of the strike zone. Thus relegated to one plus pitch, hitters could simply foul off or lay off his curve balls, then sit on his BP heater. Boom, boom, boom.

 

Bert Blyleven had an interesting comment/observation as he watched Duffey implode during a recent outing. He said Duffey's lack of fast ball command might hark back to a lack of a simple drill, where a pitcher sees how many fast balls in a row he can throw for strikes. This drill helps establish a vital foundation of fast ball command, which Duffey most certainly lacks.

 

It also suggests an interesting contest for Twins pitchers. Which of them is best at hitting the outside edges of the strike zone with fast balls, curves, etc? It might even be an interesting contest for All Star weekend. Add the Command contest to the Home Run derby. Kind of a state fair midway game for professional hurlers. Winner gets a HUUUGE stuffed animal!

that all sounds great. I am wondering if he is just having trouble adjusting to the new approach. I guess they are trying to have him buy into the philosophy of tunneling. (delivering the ball on the same plane so that the hitter cant recognize the pitch until much later)