Sinker: Why The Twins Will Stink

[one_eyed_jack]

That's the only way that I can see it... I'm not blind to all the concerns that many of us have. I seriously wouldn't be opposed to placing a big question mark somewhere in the team logo this year because of all the questions marks that we have at this moment in time.

 

My expectations are measured in my opinion. I'm not going to declare the Twins pitching staff on par with the rest of the league. I simply expect that it will be better through strength in numbers... Or at least Mediocre through Numbers.

 

As long as Gardy doesn't trot a struggling pitcher out there time and time again waiting for improvement from the struggler.

 

If the team is serious about turning to the next pitching option instead... If a goal of average pitching can be produced in 2013 by avoiding the really bad pitcher.

 

The games will be closer... The daily battles will be tighter and then we get a chance to find out what everybody else can do. If the team is fighting for wins instead of the air getting taken out of the balloon early in the game. We will begin to know who can help us and who can't going forward.

 

"To believe is to be strong... Doubt Cramps Energy... Belief is Power" Last year's pitching staff left the team doubting way too often last year.

 

This is how the Twins can shock us all... even me. I'm not betting on a winning record. I'm just hoping for progress and a feeling... even if it's a small tiny little feeling that we can win on any given night because without that feeling... It will be a long year because "Doubt Cramps Energy".

 

I simply choose to believe that just average pitching could have a big effect on the outcomes of our squad. Not looking for a WS Title this year... Just improvement and a reason for the players to compete because it's 4-4 in 8th inning instead of 6 to 1 in the 4th.

 

---Yeah when you're starting pitching is that bad, it makes everything more difficult. It burns out your bullpen. It keeps your defense on the field for long stretches. (God I remember some innings that just seemed interminable last year.) And the offense feels like they've got to put up 8 runs every night. So hopefully better starting pitching will ease things up on everyone. I'm still not terribly optimistic about this team, but like you said, it could at least mean more competitive games. I think we'll probably come out on the wrong side of a lot of those, but it's better than the game being over by the 5th inning.

[Nick Nelson]

I think fans tend to get overly accustomed to a certain vibe and lose their perspective.

 

In the 2010-2011 offseason the Twins were coming off three straight winning seasons. I remember disliking many of their moves and expressing a foreboding feeling about the coming year. I was constantly accused of being overly negative for no reason. And even my most pessimistic premonitions fell short of what actually took place.

 

The last two years have been as bad as can be. Assumptions are that experiments will go poorly and injuries will pile up. That's reflected in Howard's tone, which is understandable.

 

But the Twins have two former MVPs, under 32, as healthy as they've been in years, and a bunch of potentially solid pieces around them. It's just not that outlandish to think the pitching could be around average and this team could hang around .500, which would make it an interesting and (IMO) satisfying season. All they need is some good breaks and, while we haven't seen many of those the past couple years, they do happen. Look at the 10 years prior.

[one_eyed_jack]

Well Nick, as someone who spends his winters following the Timberwolves, I'd sure as hell like to see some good breaks for the Twins in 2013. Because this T-Wolves season, so filled with early promise, has been one bad break after another. It's been maddening to watch.

 

I don't think you're wrong about being able to hang around .500. But I feel like another decent arm and a solid middle infielder would have increased our ceiling from '.500 team' to 'outside division threat', and it's frustrating that the team couldn't or wouldn't figure out a way to make that happen. Yes, the rotation is better and you've got a couple of studs in the lineup, but there's too many question marks entering the season for me to be too optimistic.

 

At least at this point. It's still to early and too damn cold. I'll be more in the hope-springs-enternal mode as the ice starts to melt and opening days is in sight.

[Kobs]

a bunch of potentially solid pieces around them

 

Who?