Game Thread: Twins @ Orioles - 4/6, 6:05pm

[Kwak]

My the left-handed compliments about Parmalee! It seems no matter what good thing he does, people wish it were done by someone else.

[gil4]

Twins are 3-2. Second favorite (Yankees' opponents) are 4-1.

[Lesser Dali]

Excellent win for the Twins.

 

As much as it pains me too say it, Aaron Hicks has looked awful thus far. Offensively he has looked over matched and tight and he looks pretty tightly wound while patrolling CF also. We are only 5 games in and you most definitely should not hit the panic button, but I cannot imagine they can let him struggle like this after the next 2 series.

 

Hopefully they give him a day off tomorrow, give him some words of encouragement and a kick in the rear, and he can start anew in Kansas City and right his ship.

 

The last thing I want to read is "I told you so" commentary coming from the crowd that believes Hicks needs more seasoning and that we may lose a year of service time if we play out this string too far.

 

Come on Hicks - Let's get this S@#t started!!!

[Riverbrian]

Excellent win for the Twins.

 

As much as it pains me too say it, Aaron Hicks has looked awful thus far. Offensively he has looked over matched and tight and he looks pretty tightly wound while patrolling CF also. We are only 5 games in and you most definitely should not hit the panic button, but I cannot imagine they can let him struggle like this after the next 2 series.

 

Hopefully they give him a day off tomorrow, give him some words of encouragement and a kick in the rear, and he can start anew in Kansas City and right his ship.

 

The last thing I want to read is "I told you so" commentary coming from the crowd that believes Hicks needs more seasoning and that we may lose a year of service time if we play out this string too far.

 

Come on Hicks - Let's get this S@#t started!!!

 

No worries...

 

Give Hicks some time... Go over some film... See how he responds to some ideas. Let him get adjusted to facing Verlander and Hammel instead of AA guy and AA guy.

 

With that said... I'd certainly consider giving Mastro a start tomorrow. He hasn't started yet... It's time.

[IdahoPilgrim]

With that said... I'd certainly consider giving Mastro a start tomorrow. He hasn't started yet... It's time.

 

Twins website says he has a bruised ankle and is not able to play nine innings. Apparently he hurt it Monday getting ready for the home opener. It sounds like later next week before he's ready to start.

[Riverbrian]

Twins website says he has a bruised ankle and is not able to play nine innings. Apparently he hurt it Monday getting ready for the home opener. It sounds like later next week before he's ready to start.

 

Thanks Knud... I wasn't aware.

 

Although, I'd imagine that Mastro would want to play and is probably giving Gardy a pretty good Monty Python Black Knight impression right now.

 

"Tis but a Scratch".

 

At least I'd hope he is.

[Lesser Dali]

No worries...

 

Give Hicks some time... Go over some film... See how he responds to some ideas. Let him get adjusted to facing Verlander and Hammel instead of AA guy and AA guy.

 

With that said... I'd certainly consider giving Mastro a start tomorrow. He hasn't started yet... It's time.

 

River Brian, you are a man of optimism - That's a compliment.

 

It seems apparent to me that Hicks has let this bad start to his season get into his head, and that is the thing that concerns me the most. I do not want to see Hicks' start to this season get any worse than it is now.

 

Obviously people in the right positions think his make-up is good and he can handle the adversity, and I trust that to a certain extent, but every now and then some high end prospects get Mind "Bleeped" with their first exposure to the MLB and have a long road back to recovery.

 

To take a page from your book of optimism - Hicks will turn this around and all will be good. In the next 3 games he will figure some things out and hold his own, with a few bumps in the road as the season progresses.

[snepp]

Downright adequate, even? Not a liability, perhaps?

 

Reasonably adequate?

[stringer bell]

I predicted before the season started that Hicks would be sent to the minor at some point this season. The way he finished the spring, I thought I was going to be wrong. It seems really early to send him down, but so far he has been pretty close to dreadful.

[Lesser Dali]

I predicted before the season started that Hicks would be sent to the minor at some point this season. The way he finished the spring, I thought I was going to be wrong. It seems really early to send him down, but so far he has been pretty close to dreadful.

 

In honor of my grandfather, I will use a quote he used quite often:

 

"It's time for Aaron to S@#T or get off the pot."

[glunn]

In honor of my grandfather, I will use a quote he used quite often:

 

"It's time for Aaron to S@#T or get off the pot."

 

I think that some patience may pay off here. He is jumping to the majors from AA.

[Riverbrian]

River Brian, you are a man of optimism - That's a compliment.

 

It seems apparent to me that Hicks has let this bad start to his season get into his head, and that is the thing that concerns me the most. I do not want to see Hicks' start to this season get any worse than it is now.

 

Obviously people in the right positions think his make-up is good and he can handle the adversity, and I trust that to a certain extent, but every now and then some high end prospects get Mind "Bleeped" with their first exposure to the MLB and have a long road back to recovery.

 

To take a page from your book of optimism - Hicks will turn this around and all will be good. In the next 3 games he will figure some things out and hold his own, with a few bumps in the road as the season progresses.

 

Its just hard to know what's happening. Sometimes players have bad stretches in July... Sometimes they are in April... But they all have bad stretches.

 

Thats the hard part about playing in your fifth major league game. No one is sure what you can do and if you start with a bad April stretch it isn't a good first impression.

 

Obviously... If Hicks doesn't get it going... Like Stringer said... A trip to Rochester would be predictable but players can also get hot and that hot time could be right around the corner for him. You just don't know but each plate appearance against guys like Guthrie and Neise can only be good.

 

Until that hot time... While he is struggling at the plate... Catch everything in CF... Use that hose when you get a chance. Say yes sir to Gardy, Bruno and Mauer/Morneau... Get to the park early each day and go over film.

 

Most of all... Relax... Don't press and have fun. Look for your pitch and See the ball... Hit the ball...

[Lesser Dali]

I think that some patience may pay off here. He is jumping to the majors from AA.

 

Stepping aside my homage to my grandfather, I had earlier stated that you should let Hicks have a few more baseball series to right his ship. If he is batting .050 after 12-15 games and playing a stiff Center Field, it would seem logical to send him down to AAA or AA to get his legs back under him... right?

 

I want to be clear on this - I am a big Aaron Hicks fan and he is one of the reasons I was excited to watch this team because he won the CF job. In my heart, I can honestly say, I do not want him to fail more than anyone who participates on this site.

 

Aaron needs to pull it together in the next 9 games to make it clear his development is not being choked by being in the big leagues and he is not choking the Twins chances of coalescing a line-up.

[glunn]

I am not sure how you come to 9 games, but I agree with your thesis that at some point it might make sense to send him down. But if Hicks goes to triple A, who should the Twins bring up to replace him?

[Lesser Dali]

Its just hard to know what's happening. Sometimes players have bad stretches in July... Sometimes they are in April... But they all have bad stretches.

 

Thats the hard part about playing in your fifth major league game. No one is sure what you can do and if you start with a bad April stretch it isn't a good first impression.

 

Obviously... If Hicks doesn't get it going... Like Stringer said... A trip to Rochester would be predictable but players can also get hot and that hot time could be right around the corner for him. You just don't know but each plate appearance against guys like Guthrie and Neise can only be good.

 

Until that hot time... While he is struggling at the plate... Catch everything in CF... Use that hose when you get a chance. Say yes sir to Gardy, Bruno and Mauer/Morneau... Get to the park early each day and go over film.

 

Most of all... Relax... Don't press and have fun. Look for your pitch and See the ball... Hit the ball...

 

Hey RB. I would like to think you know I am in Hicks' corner. It has been a rough first 5 games for him - very rough. His play has been comparable to the looks of Sandra Bernhard.

 

He needs to get rid of his yips, wrangle his fears and anxieties, and play the game of baseball. Hell, he might need a demotion to put it all together, but I am hoping he can summon his baseball greatness in the next few days and begin to climb the charts of positive output.

 

That does not mean going 4 for 4 - it might mean a 1 for 4, 2 for 5, 1 for 3 games... after 15 games, if he is hitting under .100, and playing a scared CF, that may be a sign he should not be on the big league club.

 

I do not think it will come to this.

[Lesser Dali]

I am not sure how you come to 9 games, but I agree with your thesis that at some point it might make sense to send him down. But if Hicks goes to triple A, who should the Twins bring up to replace him?

 

Sorry, I meant 10 games as I skipped over our series finally with the O's tomorrow. As far as OF's go on the Twin's 40 man roster, we have 2 who should not be called up as of yet - Arcia and Benson - after that we have no one, except for Herrmann (C/OF) - I could envision that happening.