Spring Training Games Thread 2021

[sampleSizeOfOne]

One thread to rule them all...

 

Er. Sorry. Got a bit ahead of myself. (Power does tend to go to one's head.)

 

Anyway, seein' as Spring Training Game discussion might not merit the attention to autoarchive threads, or assign new people to introduce every single one of 'em, i figured i'd try to mush it all into one oversized month long thread. Feel free to fix that if ya want.

 

March Day... The 1st of March. We are playing at Tampa Bay, come noonish Minnesota time.

 

And here be the Lineups i came across online.

 

2020 American League Champ Twins

 

0. Lewis Thorpe ( L) P
1. Luis Arraez ( L) 2B
2. Ryan Jeffers (R ) C
3. Jake Cave ( L) CF
4. Brent Rooker (R ) LF
5. Trevor Larnach ( L) RF
6. Kyle Garlick (R ) DH
7. Travis Blankenhorn ( L) 1B
8. Andrew Romine ( S ) SS
9. Tzu-Wei Lin ( L) 3B

 

2020 American League (from the East) Champ Rays

 

0. Tyler Glasnow (R ) P
1. Austin Meadows ( L) LF
2. Yoshi Tsutsugo ( L) DH
3. Mike Zunino (R ) C
4. Joey Wendle ( L) 2B
5. Yandy Diaz (R ) 1B
6. Brett Phillips ( L) CF
7. Mike Brosseau (R ) 3B
8. Taylor Walls ( S ) SS
9. Josh Lowe ( L) RF

 

If we can beat them, does that mean we can make the World Series?

[Squirrel]

I like this idea ... one thread for all of spring training. Title changed to reflect this, and thread pinned to the top. And anyone who wishes to participate in a ST game thread ... put the day's lineup in and begin ... wherever the last left off ... for all of March

[Sielk]

Man, I really wish there would be an opportunity to watch the game. After the encouraging reports on Thorpe I wanted to see him. But the Rays' radio broadcast will have to do, I guess.

[Sielk]

Brent Rooker just hit the first Twins bomba of the year!

[MNT1996]

Looks like Rooker wants that LF starting job the most so far

[Squirrel]

 

Man, I really wish there would be an opportunity to watch the game. After the encouraging reports on Thorpe I wanted to see him. But the Rays' radio broadcast will have to do, I guess.

There doesn't even seem to be gameday ...

[Sielk]

 

There doesn't even seem to be gameday ...

Which is weird, because you can see pitch counts and the current at bat and so on in mlb.tv. No idea why that isn't showing up on gameday.

[Squirrel]

 

Which is weird, because you can see pitch counts and the current at bat and so on in mlb.tv. No idea why that isn't showing up on gameday.

There is no gameday option ... only option is audio

[Sielk]

 

There is no gameday option ... only option is audio

Yes, that's what I meant. Badly phrased on my part, sorry.

[MNT1996]

Cave, Garlick, Rooker, Kirilloff, Broxton ... that LF competition is going to be spicy

[sampleSizeOfOne]

You can get a summary by entering Gameday for another game, the click on the Twins game in the top banner.

 

It only offers boxscore and plays, but really that's most of i care about.

[sampleSizeOfOne]

Looks like we missed the ol' 1-2-6-2-6 Fielders' choice double play to end the 3rd.

 

Which (myopically) stands as the difference in the game.

[Dman]

I know, I know it is just spring training and it means nothing but my bleeding heart can’t let it go.  So meaningless first impressions of todays game are as follows.

 

I thought Thorpe did a nice job today he had a walk and hit a batter but he gave up no hits and no runs. After the slightly wild first inning it looks like he might live up to the early season hype.

 

Rooker and Garlick with homers and Cave with a double all say high to Alex Kirilloff with extra base hits.  Letting him know there will be competition for left field this spring.  Larnach had a rough day but we are only two games in.

 

Arraez was doing his normal routine, 1 hit, one walk, no K’s day, only to be outdone by possible Sire of Fort Meyers, Andrew Romine who went 2 for 3 today and out OPS’d Arreaz.

 

Jeffers got a hit but also left three guys on base early on in the game. The surprising Blankenhorn showed a good eye at the plate with two walks.  Maybe there is hope for a good utility guy there yet.

 

I know the conditions this early in the season are not ideal but Minaya with three walks did not help himself today.  He has time to turn it around but golly gee wiz he is in the basement right now.  At least Andrew Vaquez is back and although he didn’t have his K stuff today he made quick work of it with a double play ball.  Nice job Andrew good to see you back.

 

He’s real wild one; Mr. Anderson might need the matrix to keep his ball in the strike zone.  Wes Johnson has his work cut out for him.  He has to throw strikes to get guys out so hopefully there is vast improvement soon.

 

Jax did what Jax does pitch to contact and get guys out.  Not sure if he can continue to make that work but he has done well to this point so here’s hoping he continues to roll.

 

And finally who the heck is Luke Farrell?  Can someone on this site fill me in because he got three K’s in his one inning of work and he put himself on the Sire for Fort Meyers map and I didn’t even know he was on our team.  Pretty dominant inning of work so will be keeping my eye on him hoping this wasn’t peak Ferrell and it is all downhill from here.

 

That is what my heart says.  My brain says I am full of it and none of this matters at all.

[Eris]

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Luke_Farrell

 

Most interesting tidbit is he is the son of John Farrell, former RedSox manager.

[Eris]

From Fangraphs

Farrell has bounced around the league the last four years — the Twins will be his sixth organization in that span — and has yet to put everything together at the highest level. He does, however, possess an excellent slider that generates plenty of swings and misses, with a 41.2% whiff rate. Fittingly, he’s been steadily increasing his usage of that pitch, hitting a new high of 42.0% last season while with the Rangers. He also started throwing his curveball more often, and that pitch generated nearly the same whiff rate as his slider. With a fastball that doesn’t have the velocity needed to be effective without some measure of deception or some other separating factor, Farrell’s path to success probably looks something like Wisler’s, where he leans on his breaking balls far more often.

[Dman]

 

From Fangraphs
Farrell has bounced around the league the last four years — the Twins will be his sixth organization in that span — and has yet to put everything together at the highest level. He does, however, possess an excellent slider that generates plenty of swings and misses, with a 41.2% whiff rate. Fittingly, he’s been steadily increasing his usage of that pitch, hitting a new high of 42.0% last season while with the Rangers. He also started throwing his curveball more often, and that pitch generated nearly the same whiff rate as his slider. With a fastball that doesn’t have the velocity needed to be effective without some measure of deception or some other separating factor, Farrell’s path to success probably looks something like Wisler’s, where he leans on his breaking balls far more often.

 

Thanks for that!  That takes a little bit of the steam out of it for me as that is kind of the Ryne Harper scenario.  Without a tough fastball it is hard to make it.  Maybe Slider/Curve can get it done?  Will have to wait and see I guess.  Anyway he had a good day today. 

[DocBauer]

Tickled pink to see Thorpe have a good day after all the positives we've heard about his mental/emotional state and great physical condition coming in.

 

Maybe it's been LF, Australian or the incredible tough luck he had early in his career, but I've been rooting for him for some time now. While he is not a flame thrower, his career milb numbers are excellent. I saw flashes in 2019 when he was brought up. The extra option year is a gift not only for the Twins but for him.

 

Now, he just needs to keep working hard and keep his positive attitude. Rotation and bullpen, there is going to be opportunity for him this season.

[Nine of twelve]

 

There doesn't even seem to be gameday ...

 

 

Which is weird, because you can see pitch counts and the current at bat and so on in mlb.tv. No idea why that isn't showing up on gameday.

There has to be someone to enter all the data, someone paid by MLB and/or the teams involved. My guess is that there wasn't such a someone today.

[Squirrel]

 

There has to be someone to enter all the data, someone paid by MLB and/or the teams involved. My guess is that there wasn't such a someone today.

Yeah ... I noticed several games didn't have the Gameday option. No worries ... I was listening ... until I wasn't

[Sielk]

Okay, new day, new game.

 

Lineups are as follows:

 

Twins:

0. Barnes P

1. Kepler RF

2. Buxton CF

3. Polanco 2B

4. Sanó 1B

5. Kirilloff LF

6. Astudillo C

7. Riddle SS

8. Broxton DH

9. Miranda 3B

 

Braves:

0. Anderson P

1. Inciarte CF

2. Adrianza SS

3. Ozuna LF

4. d'Arnaud C

5. Riley 3B

6. Almonte RF

7. Kipnis 2B

8. Sandoval 1B

9. Lamb DH

 

Old friend Ehire Adrianza says hi. No tv but there is a Braves radio broadcast of the game available. Unfortunately the Braves don't seem to have statcast but the plays should be available here.

 

Go Twins!

[sampleSizeOfOne]

6-0 seems rather decicive. At least our winning percentage is well above the pathagorean.

 

Sorry i didn't check in earlier...

[Sielk]

Well, it was the third spring training game and their runs came against Barnes, Coulombe and Gibaut...

 

I wish we could have seen Winder's inning after there was so much talk about him. Sounded like he did really well.

[sampleSizeOfOne]

Er... decisive? Sorry for my poor spelling yesterday.

 

Today?

 

Boston:

0. Nick Pivetta (R ) P
1. Enrique Hernandez (R ) SS
2. Marwin Gonzalez ( S ) 2B
3. J.D. Martinez (R ) DH
4. Rafael Devers ( L) 3B
5. Hunter Renfroe (R ) RF
6. Christian Vazquez (R ) C
7. Bobby Dalbec (R ) 1B
8. Cesar Puello (R ) LF
9. Michael Gettys (R ) CF

 

Minnesota:

0. Jose Berrios (R ) P
1. Luis Arraez ( L) 2B
2. Mitch Garver (R ) C
3. Nelson Cruz (R ) DH
4. Jake Cave ( L) CF
5. Kyle Garlick (R ) LF
6. Brent Rooker (R ) RF
7. Andrew Romine ( S ) SS
8. Tzu-Wei Lin ( L) 3B
9. Aaron Sabato (R ) 1B

 

 

We got this!

 

They are following the age old strategy of batting the second baseman second.

We are 1upping them by batting ours first!

 

But their second baseman does seem familiar...

 

Anyway, i may end up bein' too busy to check in on things this afternoon.

Y'all may have to bring it home.

[MMMordabito]

Garv-bomb!!

 

Add some Garv-sauce to a Jagr-bomb, drink, cheer on the home run, vomit, repeat.

 

 

[stringer bell]

Garver goes oppo. 1-0 Twins.

[sampleSizeOfOne]

A Garver homerun the difference in the game after 2.

 

Good to see. Or at least read about on the gameday.

 

Addendum edit: Double Ninja'd. Beat that!

[Brock Beauchamp]

Colomé not in mid season form.

[MNT1996]

Oof the bullpen is not looking sharp so far this spring 

[stringer bell]

Very early. Still Columé did not look good.

[sampleSizeOfOne]

 

Oof the bullpen is not looking sharp so far this spring 

Still needing a tune up?

 

Remember, good vibrato can hide a lack of perfect pitch...