Game Thread: Twins v Red Sox, 4/20 @ 12:35pm CT

[jkcarew]

3-4 swing through NY, BOS not a disaster. Pitching in this game means nothing to me (other than Pagan, I guess). Whatever happens with the rest...they're simply throwing the ball over the plate hoping that it will be hit at someone so the guys can shower and get on the plane.

Consistency of the offense remains my question.

[USAFChief]

2 minutes ago, chpettit19 said:

I fully agree. Maeda absolutely may pitch himself into the pen at some point this year. I'm not suggesting he has to stay in the rotation all year. I'm suggesting it's April 20th. I'm suggesting this is his 3rd start.

I have a problem with comparing putting him in the pen in April to what the Dodgers did. I have a problem with the narrative that contracts don't matter in April. I have a problem with the idea that 2 starts was giving him "every chance to start" or however people want to word that. I get that it's just the nature of fandom that it's all live in the moment. But suggesting the team should be making big decisions on players after 2 starts is crazy, and terrible team management.

You know what's crazy? Thinking any decisions about role or playing time should be based on contract incentives  

That's crazy. And terrible team management. 

[stringer bell]

7 minutes ago, tony&rodney said:

Julien has more pitches called strikes that are clearly outside of the strike zone than any player in memory. This was something I noted and commented on a number of times last year. Confusing.

I don't know if we can generalize that on so few at-bats, but Julien had a plate appearance stolen from him there. The delay strike was followed by two strikes that were well out of the zone. I have thought Larnach has gotten more than his share of bad ball/strike calls so far this year, especially with two strikes.

[mnfireman]

Just now, Dman said:

Yeah I saw that too.  Ump was calling a tight zone all day and then he opened it up very wide to Jullian?  I take it Jullian questioned his ability to call balls and strikes at some point and he decided to stick it to him?  Only thing I can think of.  Once an umpire gets prickly all objectivity goes out the window. I hope the league forces them to review these calls especially two really bad ones to the same player in the same at bat.

Not listening today, but Sirius XM had the Boston feed for the first two games and the announcers for them were commenting how bad the strike zone was both nights. The umpires seem to be making the best argument for automated strike zones. 

[RickOShea]

1 minute ago, davidborton said:

Yeah, there is an edge to some of the posts which I normally don't sense in these forums.

Yes, the egos need to be checked at the door (myself included).  Too many opinions expressed as facts and vice/versa.  A little bit of knowledge can be a dangerous thing.  One of my favorite sayings, "Ignorance is worse than the sins, that it causes".  I definitely have to do a better job.

[tony&rodney]

2 minutes ago, Dman said:

Yeah I saw that too.  Ump was calling a tight zone all day and then he opened it up very wide to Jullian?  I take it Jullian questioned his ability to call balls and strikes at some point and he decided to stick it to him?  Only thing I can think of.  Once an umpire gets prickly all objectivity goes out the window. I hope the league forces them to review these calls especially two really bad ones to the same player in the same at bat.

The mysterious thing is that this seems to be an ongoing issue. I have yet to see Julien speak at the plate or question a call, but he certainly may have done so or displayed body language which irritates an umpire. I just haven't seen it. For a guy with a very good idea of the strike zone, he faces tough odds when pitchers do not need to throw strikes to him.

[chpettit19]

1 minute ago, USAFChief said:

You know what's crazy? Thinking any decisions about role or playing time should be based on contract incentives  

That's crazy. And terrible team management. 

Well you better start calling 30 Major League Baseball teams and tell them to quit thinking about contract incentives. They all do it whether you like it or not, whether it's right or not. They all do it. Especially in April. I'm sorry you're disappointed in how every team runs their team.

[sampleSizeOfOne]

Now let's vulture Castro the win!

[tony&rodney]

3 minutes ago, stringer bell said:

12 minutes ago, tony&rodney said:

 

I don't know if we can generalize that on so few at-bats,

I agree but it was noticeable on milb.com all of last year.

[Fire Dan Gladden]

59 minutes ago, h2oface said:

A bit dispupettittatious here today, eh?

I think you mean disputatious.    Dispupettittatious is only when Andy Pettitte is trying to start the argument. 🙂

I am just happy not to be the one getting yelled at today...

[Vanimal46]

1 minute ago, Fire Dan Gladden said:

I think you mean disputatious.    Dispupettittatious is only when Andy Pettitte is trying to start the argument. 🙂

I am just happy not to be the one getting yelled at today...

We can change that…

WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!!

[h2oface]

2 minutes ago, Fire Dan Gladden said:

I think you mean disputatious.    Dispupettittatious is only when Andy Pettitte is trying to start the argument. 🙂

I am just happy not to be the one getting yelled at today...

I think you know what I did there...... 😇

[USAFChief]

We might have found a role for Castro.

[Muppet]

They should have just brought Castro in in the 3rd. 

Again, another silver lining... All their worst pitchers won't be available to pitch tomorrow (assuming the game isn't snowed out)

[Dave Borton]

I am too much a traditionalist. 13 pitchers on roster, 13 more in StP and an infielder lobs the ball up at 40 mph. An insult.

[TwinsDr2021]

If Maeda misses time, I want Varland, not Ober. And can we be done with Gordon?

[jkcarew]

21 minutes ago, sampleSizeOfOne said:

Any update on Maeda?

Yes: He has contract incentives.

[USAFChief]

Just now, TwinsDr2021 said:

If Maeda misses time, I want Varland, not Ober. 

Concur

[RickOShea]

I need to go to the store.  My supply of canned worms is almost out.

[stringer bell]

1 minute ago, davidborton said:

I am too much a traditionalist. 13 pitchers on roster, 13 more in StP and an infielder lobs the ball up at 40 mph. An insult.

Yeah, I laughed and then said "I hate this".

[Vanimal46]

1 minute ago, davidborton said:

I am too much a traditionalist. 13 pitchers on roster, 13 more in StP and an infielder lobs the ball up at 40 mph. An insult.

I’m just incredibly bored with position players pitching. It used to be a rare occurrence as little as 10 years ago. Now it’s utilized way too much. Position players even tried to throw hard too! 

[stringer bell]

2 minutes ago, TwinsDr2021 said:

If Maeda misses time, I want Varland, not Ober. And can we be done with Gordon?

Why Varland over Ober?

[RickOShea]

1 minute ago, USAFChief said:

Concur

 

1 minute ago, USAFChief said:

Concur

"You can't always get what you want"...................Rolling Stones

[chpettit19]

4 minutes ago, jkcarew said:

Yes: He has contract incentives.

Now that's quality stuff right there. Well done.

[RickOShea]

Hey, quit messing with the over and under numbers!

[stringer bell]

Castro flies out. Pitchers can't hit.

[RickOShea]

1 minute ago, stringer bell said:

Castro flies out. Pitchers can't hit.

Best line of the day!

[h2oface]

Look at the bright side. Gordon got a hit and raised his average over .100, Kepler got a double and a single, Castro got a double and a homer, Correa got a hit and is over the Mendoza line again, Miranda got a hit (don't look and see what Spencer Steer is doing), and Buxton didn't strike out!

[TwinsDr2021]

3 minutes ago, stringer bell said:

Why Varland over Ober?

Younger, seems more durable and probably ends up taxing the pen less, And I assume he is on some sort of innings limit this year. Plus I am a fan of guys that are younger with their upside ahead of them (not that Varland is all that young, but he is compared to Ober)

[CRF]

I was in the car most of the afternoon listening to Cory and Dazzle. Was watching Pagan on tv as bad as it sounded on the radio?