Is this all there is? Is there nothing more???

[killebrewlover]

The title of this entry is stealing a line from a movie, which escapes me for now (Aliens 3?).  Twins lose their home opener to SF after a 2-4 road trip, following a 4-2 home stand, which followed a 2-4 road trip, which followed a 5-2 home stand, and so on.  As a result, the Twins stand at 25-23 a quarter of the way through the season.  Are we relegated to this level of inconsistency for the rest of the season?!  There is plenty of talent on this ball club.  Loads of it!  And yet here we are at only 2 games over .500 and the lead in the Division in jeopardy with every passing day.  We have yet to play Detroit.  And Cleveland is leading the series 1-2 so far.  Does anyone really think these two teams won't take advantage of the situation with the Twins so far this year??!!  I suppose the only silver lining is that we are in the Central Division.  Otherwise we'd be 9.5 back in the East, and 4.5 back in the West.

So, I repeat.  Is this all there is?  Is there nothing more?  Despite all the platitudes and excuses surrounding a "bad luck" set of scenarios, such seems to be the case.  This is not a rant.  Simply an observation.  And one that will reset my expectations for the remainder of the Twin's season.  Time to get revved up for the college football season...

[tarheeltwinsfan]

"Is That All There Is" is a song made famous by Peggy Lee. It is about a woman, who is disillusioned with her life's unique events. When she was a child, she watched her house burn, later she was excited to go to a circus, and later she fell in love for the first time. All of these events left her disappointed and she asks, "Is that all there is?" It is a melancholy tune, full of sadness. But another person might view these same 3 life events differently.  One's attitude can affect one's view of life. I try to be optimistic, especially about things over which I personally have no control. However lately I have found myself humming the tune to this song, after watching another lethargic series of poor at bats by Twins hitters with runners in scoring position, as the Twins' house smolders.   

[Muppet]

My prediction is that the Twins will be the first team to win the division with a record of under .500 and then go on to win the world series after upgrading their team by trading for two mediocre relievers at the trade deadline. 

[JD-TWINS]

1 hour ago, killebrewlover said:

The title of this entry is stealing a line from a movie, which escapes me for now (Aliens 3?).  Twins lose their home opener to SF after a 2-4 road trip, following a 4-2 home stand, which followed a 2-4 road trip, which followed a 5-2 home stand, and so on.  As a result, the Twins stand at 25-23 a quarter of the way through the season.  Are we relegated to this level of inconsistency for the rest of the season?!  There is plenty of talent on this ball club.  Loads of it!  And yet here we are at only 2 games over .500 and the lead in the Division in jeopardy with every passing day.  We have yet to play Detroit.  And Cleveland is leading the series 1-2 so far.  Does anyone really think these two teams won't take advantage of the situation with the Twins so far this year??!!  I suppose the only silver lining is that we are in the Central Division.  Otherwise we'd be 9.5 back in the East, and 4.5 back in the West.

So, I repeat.  Is this all there is?  Is there nothing more?  Despite all the platitudes and excuses surrounding a "bad luck" set of scenarios, such seems to be the case.  This is not a rant.  Simply an observation.  And one that will reset my expectations for the remainder of the Twin's season.  Time to get revved up for the college football season...

Miranda didn’t show up this year & I don’t think there’s anyone that follows Twins/baseball that didn’t think he was probably our 3rd or 4th best offensive weapon. Almost zero positive production to date & working on himself in St. Paul.

Polanco was the other anticipated 3rd or 4th best offensive weapon. Didn’t play first 25 games or more & now out for another 8-9 minimum. Solid when available but tough to be consistent as a club with him in 40% of the games.
 

Kirilloff has been great - only played 15 games or so to date.

Gordon was brutal for first 35 games and just getting going (needed in CF) and he’s now out for how long???

Kepler has been out for 20 games.

Correa is lifetime .279 hitter & he’s around .208……..better things to come.

Farmer got hit in the face & had oral surgery and missed 20 games or so.

Miranda - Kepler - Polanco - Gordon - Mahle - Maeda……..none of these are on 26 man roster & we’re in essentially every game. Couple calls from umpires last week and a couple better bullpen performances and we’re 28-20. I get our record is what it is but we’re not far off pretty good!

Our current 5 starters are a combined 17-5 with a 2.83 ERA. I’d say that’s pretty good and gives reason for optimism.

Hitting & health will be a roller coaster for rest of the year…………..our bullpen is the issue and we have potential help/solutions over next 15-30 days. Maeda - Balazovic - Headrick should all be additions to the pen over next few weeks.

Moran - Stewart - Jax - Lopez - Duran are decent core but we need to fill out the other 3 spots with effective guys.

 

[Major League Ready]

• Polanco and Kepler need to stay healthy.
• Thielbar and Maeda in the BP would help a bunch.
• It sure would help if Royce could give us the same boost he provided last year.
• Kirilloff / Polanco / Lewis should make our lineup much better than what we had to start the year.
• Correa's ABs have been looking much better.  He was swinging at a lot of bad pitches early in the year.

Maybe it's optimistic but I think there is hope.  Perhaps we can do what Cleveland did in the 2nd half last year.

[Schmoeman5]

8 minutes ago, JD-TWINS said:

Miranda didn’t show up this year & I don’t think there’s anyone that follows Twins/baseball that didn’t think he was probably our 3rd or 4th best offensive weapon. Almost zero positive production to date & working on himself in St. Paul.

Polanco was the other anticipated 3rd or 4th best offensive weapon. Didn’t play first 25 games or more & now out for another 8-9 minimum. Solid when available but tough to be consistent as a club with him in 40% of the games.
 

Kirilloff has been great - only played 15 games or so to date.

Gordon was brutal for first 35 games and just getting going (needed in CF) and he’s now out for how long???

Kepler has been out for 20 games.

Correa is lifetime .279 hitter & he’s around .208……..better things to come.

Farmer got hit in the face & had oral surgery and missed 20 games or so.

Miranda - Kepler - Polanco - Gordon - Mahle - Maeda……..none of these are on 26 man roster & we’re in essentially every game. Couple calls from umpires last week and a couple better bullpen performances and we’re 28-20. I get our record is what it is but we’re not far off pretty good!

Our current 5 starters are a combined 17-5 with a 2.83 ERA. I’d say that’s pretty good and gives reason for optimism.

Hitting & health will be a roller coaster for rest of the year…………..our bullpen is the issue and we have potential help/solutions over next 15-30 days. Maeda - Balazovic - Headrick should all be additions to the pen over next few weeks.

Moran - Stewart - Jax - Lopez - Duran are decent core but we need to fill out the other 3 spots with effective guys.

 

Gotta love that optimism. The Twins are right there. Ready to knock that door down. And I believe the spark that will ignite them is less than 10 days away from joining them. And his name is Royce Lewis 

[gunnarthor]

The central is pretty bad so I think we will win it. I got to watch yesterday's game - first one of the year! - and remembered I don't really like Rocco. Not sure any of this is on him, necessarily. I just don't like him as a manager. 

Anyhow, we should be fine. We have enough talent to hold off the rest of the central. Probably won't make a lot of noise in the playoffs but making the playoffs is, IMHO, better than not making the playoffs. And we have some nice young hitters coming up in the somewhat near future. 

[Woof Bronzer]

Yes.

[sun]

I think that the FO underestimated just now much that Arraez's bat meant to the team.. The FO was relying on other players to make up for his hitting but solo HR's & not enough hits with RISP seems to be the norm.. There's bright spots but there's also injuries. Pitching is important but the team still needs to find a way to score more runs every day. If winning were too easy then after a while being a Twin's fan wouldn't be any fun. So I'll take any wins that they can muster & keep hoping for the best.

[LewFordLives]

That quote is from Star Trek: The Motion Picture.....after Spock mind melds with Vegur and discovers the emptiness it's feeling inside.

[tarheeltwinsfan]

1 hour ago, JD-TWINS said:

Miranda didn’t show up this year & I don’t think there’s anyone that follows Twins/baseball that didn’t think he was probably our 3rd or 4th best offensive weapon. Almost zero positive production to date & working on himself in St. Paul.

Polanco was the other anticipated 3rd or 4th best offensive weapon. Didn’t play first 25 games or more & now out for another 8-9 minimum. Solid when available but tough to be consistent as a club with him in 40% of the games.
 

Kirilloff has been great - only played 15 games or so to date.

Gordon was brutal for first 35 games and just getting going (needed in CF) and he’s now out for how long???

Kepler has been out for 20 games.

Correa is lifetime .279 hitter & he’s around .208……..better things to come.

Farmer got hit in the face & had oral surgery and missed 20 games or so.

Miranda - Kepler - Polanco - Gordon - Mahle - Maeda……..none of these are on 26 man roster & we’re in essentially every game. Couple calls from umpires last week and a couple better bullpen performances and we’re 28-20. I get our record is what it is but we’re not far off pretty good!

Our current 5 starters are a combined 17-5 with a 2.83 ERA. I’d say that’s pretty good and gives reason for optimism.

Hitting & health will be a roller coaster for rest of the year…………..our bullpen is the issue and we have potential help/solutions over next 15-30 days. Maeda - Balazovic - Headrick should all be additions to the pen over next few weeks.

Moran - Stewart - Jax - Lopez - Duran are decent core but we need to fill out the other 3 spots with effective guys.

 

Thank you, JD, for those encouraging reminders. You are correct, the Twins are pretty good, even with the problems which the Twins have had this year and help is on the way. I'm glad your glass is half full and thanks for sharing. 

[wsnydes]

1 hour ago, sun said:

I think that the FO underestimated just now much that Arraez's bat meant to the team.. The FO was relying on other players to make up for his hitting but solo HR's & not enough hits with RISP seems to be the norm.. There's bright spots but there's also injuries. Pitching is important but the team still needs to find a way to score more runs every day. If winning were too easy then after a while being a Twin's fan wouldn't be any fun. So I'll take any wins that they can muster & keep hoping for the best.

I think the Arraez factor is overstated.  I liked him, but he's a table setter.  Table setters still need someone to drive them in.  Nobody else in the lineup is hitting, so I don't think he's the cure-all that some want him to be.  He'd most often just end up another notch in the LOB column.  His presence wouldn't make this lineup a legitimate contending lineup.  There are more pieces needed than an Arraez.  I agree with those that say Lewis can provide a spark, but it'll still take Kirilloff and Larnach, among others, to really bring the lineup around.  

[KirbyDome89]

5 hours ago, killebrewlover said:

And yet here we are at only 2 games over .500 and the lead in the Division in jeopardy with every passing day. 

They went 2-4 last week and extended their lead over Cleveland. Detroit isn't a real threat and KC & Chi are already done for the year. This division is f***ing awful. I wouldn't be too worried about anybody blowing by the Twins right now. 

[Mike Sixel]

Given what this board predicted at the beginning of the year, they are right on pace....with CC being BAD, Polanco not playing much, and Buxton at DH and not CF at all. The amount of virtual angst written about a team that is meeting expectations astounds me. 

[Craig Arko]

21 minutes ago, Mike Sixel said:

Given what this board predicted at the beginning of the year, they are right on pace....with CC being BAD, Polanco not playing much, and Buxton at DH and not CF at all. The amount of virtual angst written about a team that is meeting expectations astounds me. 

That’s people for you. It’s how I came to prefer dogs.

[Old Twins Cap]

It's not just angst for Twins fans. 

Fact is, Twins are a boring team.  They don't come through in the clutch, neither on offense, nor in relief, nor on defense.

Who wants to watch a team that leads the league in Ks?  Can't run the bases?  Don't build rallies?  Fiind ways to lose games against good teams?

Best just to read the box scores the next day then go through the inevitable disappointment of watching them underperform in real time.

 

[USAFChief]

4 hours ago, Mike Sixel said:

Given what this board predicted at the beginning of the year, they are right on pace....with CC being BAD, Polanco not playing much, and Buxton at DH and not CF at all. The amount of virtual angst written about a team that is meeting expectations astounds me. 

Can you point me to what "this board" predicted?

 

[killebrewlover]

7 hours ago, KirbyDome89 said:

They went 2-4 last week and extended their lead over Cleveland. Detroit isn't a real threat and KC & Chi are already done for the year. This division is f***ing awful. I wouldn't be too worried about anybody blowing by the Twins right now. 

I seem to recall this same argument last year about mid season.  "Don't worry.  It's an awful division.  The Twins will win in the long haul."  I know the teams are not the same as last year.  I don't think the situation is any different....

[Azalea Park Bob]

11 hours ago, Muppet said:

My prediction is that the Twins will be the first team to win the division with a record of under .500 and then go on to win the world series after upgrading their team by trading for two mediocre relievers at the trade deadline. 

Mediocre relievers would be a HUGE upgrade. 

[killebrewlover]

11 hours ago, Muppet said:

My prediction is that the Twins will be the first team to win the division with a record of under .500 and then go on to win the world series after upgrading their team by trading for two mediocre relievers at the trade deadline. 

LOL funny.

[gil4]

11 hours ago, Muppet said:

My prediction is that the Twins will be the first team to win the division with a record of under .500 and then go on to win the world series after upgrading their team by trading for two mediocre relievers at the trade deadline. 

Sign me up!

[KirbyDome89]

2 hours ago, killebrewlover said:

I seem to recall this same argument last year about mid season.  "Don't worry.  It's an awful division.  The Twins will win in the long haul."  I know the teams are not the same as last year.  I don't think the situation is any different....

Fair, I guess. I did say the same thing last year. The Twins played sub .500 ball for three months and still held onto first place a week into September, before a total collapse, which is kinda my point. I can definitely see some of the same old warts, but Memorial Day week is way too early to be worrying about this putrid division. 

[gunnarthor]

2 hours ago, killebrewlover said:

I seem to recall this same argument last year about mid season.  "Don't worry.  It's an awful division.  The Twins will win in the long haul."  I know the teams are not the same as last year.  I don't think the situation is any different....

You're not wrong and I really didn't like last years team. That said, I think this is slightly different - mainly how bad Cleveland is. This Twins team has a bit more depth (I think). I am worried about the pitching regression that's coming and how that can create a death spiral. But, unless Cleveland gets right, I don't think we're going to be caught.

[dxpavelka]

This team is exactly what we should have known it would be.  Slightly better than last year.  Which MIGHT be good enough to win the AL Central.  We upgraded most of the team.  Slightly.  Didn't do enough to upgrade the hitting.  You reap what you sow.

[MABB1959]

14 hours ago, Old Twins Cap said:

It's not just angst for Twins fans. 

Fact is, Twins are a boring team.  They don't come through in the clutch, neither on offense, nor in relief, nor on defense.

Who wants to watch a team that leads the league in Ks?  Can't run the bases?  Don't build rallies?  Fiind ways to lose games against good teams?

Best just to read the box scores the next day then go through the inevitable disappointment of watching them underperform in real time.

 

At least you get to watch them on TV.  Not having access to watch games probably affects attendance and if attendance drops we won't even be able to afford a top starter ever.  

[John Belinski]

22 hours ago, Muppet said:

My prediction is that the Twins will be the first team to win the division with a record of under .500 and then go on to win the world series after upgrading their team by trading for two mediocre relievers at the trade deadline. 

I am not sure what you are drinking, but it is surely making you make wild claims that will never come true.

[OvertheHill]

Again, I'm too depressed to go back and study the box scores, but it seems likes weeks since the Twins strung together two consecutive hits in an inning. I'm in my 60's and a lifelong Twins fan and I can't ever remember having this feeling. I know that the three true outcomes approach to baseball that is now endemic leads to this more often, but there just doesn't appear to be any changes in sight to the fact that each guy looks like he goes up there with zero situational awareness or ability to do anything beyond swing for the fences.

Is that something that get fixed, or is that just the way the FO wants it? As previously pointed out, it makes for seriously boring baseball.

 

And lose that vest and kids fishing pole. Its embarrassing.

[John Belinski]

21 hours ago, sun said:

I think that the FO underestimated just now much that Arraez's bat meant to the team.. The FO was relying on other players to make up for his hitting but solo HR's & not enough hits with RISP seems to be the norm.. There's bright spots but there's also injuries. Pitching is important but the team still needs to find a way to score more runs every day. If winning were too easy then after a while being a Twin's fan wouldn't be any fun. So I'll take any wins that they can muster & keep hoping for the best.

Trading Arraez for pitching help was not a bad trade since the Twins got some pitching help. The really bad trade or give away was trading Gio, who is hitting .304, and getting nothing in return. The Twins would have a better record if he was our starting 3rd baseman. I am concerned that our front office is just not doing their job of helping the Twins be a better team.

[bighat]

15 hours ago, Old Twins Cap said:

It's not just angst for Twins fans. 

Fact is, Twins are a boring team.  They don't come through in the clutch, neither on offense, nor in relief, nor on defense.

Who wants to watch a team that leads the league in Ks?  Can't run the bases?  Don't build rallies?  Fiind ways to lose games against good teams?

Best just to read the box scores the next day then go through the inevitable disappointment of watching them underperform in real time.

 

Absolutely miserable to watch. 

I'd rather see a team that can hit go 62-100, while losing games 10-9 or 9-6 on the regular. 

Instead we're going to have to watch the Twins struggle and wheeze to produce anything on offense on their way to a 75-87 season. 

Nightmare season, nightmare last few years - especially after signing Buxton, Correa, Pablo Lopez to long term deals and having guys like Joe Ryan and Sonny Gray giving us incredibly solid pitching. 

To be unable to capitalize on all of the above especially combined with an incredibly wide open window in the division is beyond unacceptable. 

[killebrewlover]

9 hours ago, gunnarthor said:

You're not wrong and I really didn't like last years team. That said, I think this is slightly different - mainly how bad Cleveland is. This Twins team has a bit more depth (I think). I am worried about the pitching regression that's coming and how that can create a death spiral. But, unless Cleveland gets right, I don't think we're going to be caught.

Hmmm... Okay.  But don't rule out the Tigers in this discussion.  They're right there with the Twins and Cleveland.