Game Thread: Twins v Tigers, 4/19/24 @ 7:10 CT

[Parfigliano]

1 minute ago, Winston Smith said:

Some teams might fire the manager in this situation, the Twins will just add more excuses to the script.

Starting in 2 minutes in the post-game show

[jaimedude]

At least the Wolves play tomorrow so I can skip watching the Twins. I may decide to right size ticket purchases and not attend any games. I suggest other Twins fan's do the same. Signing Vazquez and Gallo last year should get you booted. Here's looking at you Lavine. 

[Nothingbutaletdown]

5 minutes ago, USAFChief said:

******* Thielbar.

Another brilliant decision, Rocco.

Who else is he supposed to put in? Cole Sands? We all know Duran would’ve thrown if he was here. Hell, even Topa. Not defending Rocco because half his decisions are head scratchers but at some point the players have to do their job too. 

[gil4]

2 minutes ago, $tryf4Life said:

yikes. 

 Twins are a tough watch. 

Maybe they need to grow some mullets, smoke some Marlboros, and shotgun some Lite beers.  It seemed to work for Detroit.

[jkcarew]

Just now, Vanimal46 said:

Entirely predictable. Where's the pinch hitter?

Pinch hits for Julien (who hit the ball hard in two of his PA tonight, and hadn’t K’d, fwiw)…then lets Vazquez hit with the game on the line. What the he— is going on?

[Riverbrian]

4 minutes ago, Irishman said:

Why did Baldelli put Theilbar in the 9th inning?   Real dumb move!  

Left Handers at the plate. 

 

[Tlaker]

2 minutes ago, Danchat said:

That wouldn't change the incredibly questionable quality of lineups we are seeing...

True…. but his managerial skills are absolutely atrocious as well! Throw the damn computer in the Mississippi and manage old school…. he won’t because he is incapable of doing it.

[IndyTwinsFan]

4 minutes ago, Parfigliano said:

Starting in 2 minutes in the post-game show

Should be interesting to hear what Rocco's excuses are this time.

[Twins_Fan_in_NJ]

Baseball gods told us how this season was going to go when Lewis went down on opening day. 

[Parfigliano]

1 minute ago, Tlaker said:

True…. but his managerial skills are absolutely atrocious as well! Throw the damn computer in the Mississippi and manage old school…. he won’t because he is incapable of doing it.

Its like he shouldnt have the job

[IndyTwinsFan]

5 minutes ago, Nothingbutaletdown said:

Who else is he supposed to put in? Cole Sands? We all know Duran would’ve thrown if he was here. Hell, even Topa. Not defending Rocco because half his decisions are head scratchers but at some point the players have to do their job too. 

That last point is spot on.  The players need to start performing, because for the most part, they're failing miserably thus far. 

[Parfigliano]

Mets pounding Yamamoto like its Midway.

[howeda7]

10 minutes ago, Parfigliano said:

When they are 12-24 can they start playing the kids and fire the manager and staff.

Any firing that doesn't include Falvey is pointless. This team is his vision. 

[Vanimal46]

4 minutes ago, Twins_Fan_in_NJ said:

Baseball gods told us how this season was going to go when Lewis went down on opening day. 

That injury really took the wind out of my sails. Tonight was the first game I've watched beyond an inning or two since opening day. Being 7 games behind on April 19th doesn't help either. 

[Schmoeman5]

2 minutes ago, Twins_Fan_in_NJ said:

Baseball gods told us how this season was going to go when Lewis went down on opening day. 

Question. Where do you think the 6-12 Twins would be with Lewis? 3 games better? Playing .500 baseball.  That's kinda what they hovered around last year until they pulled away at seasons end

[Rosterman]

We need to put the WIN back in tWINs!

[jkcarew]

22 minutes ago, Nothingbutaletdown said:

Who else is he supposed to put in? Cole Sands? We all know Duran would’ve thrown if he was here. Hell, even Topa. Not defending Rocco because half his decisions are head scratchers but at some point the players have to do their job too. 

I would expect Rocco to have a sense for when you need to give a new horse a chance rather than continuing to lose with the horse you know.

It’s been the case for a good while now that Rocco shouldn’t have any plans that include Thielbar in high…(let alone very high) leverage.

 

[Hubie29]

14 minutes ago, jaimedude said:

At least the Wolves play tomorrow so I can skip watching the Twins. I may decide to right size ticket purchases and not attend any games. I suggest other Twins fan's do the same. Signing Vazquez and Gallo last year should get you booted. Here's looking at you Lavine. 

55 year twin fan.  Didn't go to a game last year and won't go to a game this year. If you need a baseball fix like I do, I suggest high school games and road trips to minor league games.  The Twins won't get my business back until some heads roll. 

[knothole61]

9 minutes ago, Irishman said:

Why did Baldelli put Theilbar in the 9th inning?   Real dumb move!  

That's two blown games from him this year and, if memory serves, he dished up the game winning homer in our final playoff game in 2023. He's on a roll. I know that lefties are treated with kid gloves because...well, because they are lefties (and Thielbar has an added feel-good, born-in-Minnesota connection) I believe. Still, I cringe like a dog at the sight of a rolled-up newspaper every time I see him warming up these days. He has some impressive career stats: I'm just saying that at 37 he seems to be in the twilight of a decent career, and that his twilight has been very costly for the Twins.    

[knothole61]

11 minutes ago, Parfigliano said:

Mets pounding Yamamoto like its Midway.

They are filled with a terrible resolve...

[jkcarew]

1 minute ago, Schmoeman5 said:

Question. Where do you think the 6-12 Twins would be with Lewis? 3 games better? Playing .500 baseball.  That's kinda what they hovered around last year until they pulled away at seasons end

I think the question is…with Lewis and Correa.

I think close to 500…yeah…8-10, 9-9. It takes two of the challenged bats and puts them on the bench…and it moves most of the other challenged bats down two rungs in the batting order. Add an effective Duran, and 9-9 seems reasonable, even with middling luck.

But, too many guys underperforming for this to look very ‘good’ even if those guys were here/healthy.

[Tlaker]

12 minutes ago, howeda7 said:

Any firing that doesn't include Falvey is pointless. This team is his vision. 

And he has no vision!!

[LastOnePicked]

I'm sorry, I'm ready to call it. This is 2021 again. It's over, friends. I know it's early, and I think there's every chance of playing +/- .500 baseball through the summer. But this hole is just too deep, too sudden and too demoralizing. You can lose a division in April. It just happened ... again.

[Tlaker]

3 minutes ago, LastOnePicked said:

I'm sorry, I'm ready to call it. This is 2021 again. It's over, friends. I know it's early, and I think there's every chance of playing +/- .500 baseball through the summer. But this hole is just too deep, too sudden and too demoralizing. You can lose a division in April. It just happened ... again.

Amen brother! I will be happy to eat my words, but have seen enough of this front office and Rocco to not expect anything more than what is happening now…. just sucks!

[h2oface]

25 minutes ago, Nothingbutaletdown said:

Who else is he supposed to put in? Cole Sands? We all know Duran would’ve thrown if he was here. Hell, even Topa. Not defending Rocco because half his decisions are head scratchers but at some point the players have to do their job too. 

Why not? He is pitching great right now. Great results. Why not try something different and go with the hot hand instead of the just off the IL pitcher getting bombed? With no control. Throwing the ball away.......

[9moons27]

The Rocco bashing is so tedious. Come up with something better. A good manager maybe adds 5 wins to a team in a season. The manager isn't the problem with this team. It's the players.

[jkcarew]

5 minutes ago, LastOnePicked said:

I'm sorry, I'm ready to call it. This is 2021 again. It's over, friends. I know it's early, and I think there's every chance of playing +/- .500 baseball through the summer. But this hole is just too deep, too sudden and too demoralizing. You can lose a division in April. It just happened ... again.

You may be wrong for all I know
But you may be right

[h2oface]

32 minutes ago, jkcarew said:

You may be wrong for all I know
But you may be right

You listening to the Piano Man, again? (I mean, I shouldn't use his initials, eh?)

 

[jkcarew]

2 minutes ago, 9moons27 said:

A good manager maybe adds 5 wins to a team in a season

So…the difference between winning a division and coming in 2nd or 3rd?

Sometimes, it can be both. And there’s been plenty of criticism of the players. Tons.

[OvertheHill]

When do we stop dismissing this complete organizational failure to “early season cold starts”, “unfortunate injuries “ and “small sample sizes”?

Asking for a friend….

Honestly this has been the script for at least a few years: seemingly meaningless spring training, ice cold hitting at the beginning of the year, terrible if not undisciplined plate appearances throughout, forced/fruitless platoon and lineup decisions. And of course the roster construction. As big a fan as I am, I’m almost hoping for a complete meltdown that forces the organizational enema that would eventually restore some entertainment to Target Field. That’s a tough pill for me to swallow, but I can’t in good conscience financially support this current mess.