Cardinals 9, Twins 2: Bailey Ober Really Hates Missouri in March

[Twins_Fan_in_NJ]

46 minutes ago, Nashvilletwin said:

Just a couple of thoughts:

1. Why start Ober if he were ailing? Maybe it’s just too hard for Rocco to adjust his mindset.

2. What was up with Provus on Castro’s home run call? It made the score 8-2 and he made it sound like the Twins just walked off the World Series. It was embarrassing.  On the other hand, maybe he was just showing some heart.

3. Dobnak - gritty outing, doing just what he’s supposed to do.  Other than Castro and maybe Larnach, can any other Twin make that claim after this series?

4. This team needs leadership and it should come from Correa and Buxton. They’ll show up. Eventually. Maybe.

5. Actually this next series is important. Hate to show up for the home opener series 0-6. Minnesota sports fans, especially Twins fans, are renowned front runners. They jump on and off the bandwagon very quickly.

6. Have we fired Rocco yet?  Outclassed in every element of the game this series, including heart.

7. Morneau talking about how Contreras’ hitting woes could be partly due to changing positions was interesting. Aah, what does he know - that can’t be?   Changing positions all the time is a core plank of the Rocco strategy  

I was verbally eviscerated by a fair amount of posters for harping too much about Rocco's shortcomings last year. 

This team is flawed. Absolutely flawed. So this isn't all on him.

But...he's going into his 7th season as manager. Pretty short shelf life in MLB for managers. Words can fall on deaf ears long before that. Coming off of last year's collapse, with basically the same team, it really doesn't bode well for the manager.

Whatever it is Rocco is telling these guys, it's just not working anymore. 

[T.O.]

39 minutes ago, Nashvilletwin said:

Just a couple of thoughts:

1. Why start Ober if he were ailing? Maybe it’s just too hard for Rocco to adjust his mindset.

Does rocco have a mind?

2. What was up with Provus on Castro’s home run call? It made the score 8-2 and he made it sound like the Twins just walked off the World Series. It was embarrassing.  On the other hand, maybe he was just showing some heart.

 I love the Twins broadcast team but the more they talk about how great a Twins player is the more it rubs our face in the face that they really suck much/most of the time.

3. Dobnak - gritty outing, doing just what he’s supposed to do.  Other than Castro and maybe Larnach, can any other Twin make that claim after this series?

And then they send him down? Or was that even true?

4. This team needs leadership and it should come from Correa and Buxton. They’ll show up. Eventually. Maybe.

Over paid prima donas. When I see Correa hit into a double play I want to vomit. When Buxton finally does something and does his "Buck Truck" the same.

5. Actually this next series is important. Hate to show up for the home opener series 0-6. Minnesota sports fans, especially Twins fans, are renowned front runners. They jump on and off the bandwagon very quickly.

They could snap out of it. Not holding my breath.

6. Have we fired Rocco yet?  Outclassed in every element of the game this series, including heart.

Does he have one. Is he even human?

7. Morneau talking about how Contreras’ hitting woes could be partly due to changing positions was interesting. Aah, what does he know - that can’t be?   Changing positions all the time is a core plank of the Rocco strategy  

 

[jkcarew]

1 hour ago, jkcarew said:

If the club plans on being down 7 or 8 runs by the 3rd inning frequently, Dobnak was 100% the right decision. Gotta give credit where credit is due. 

PLUS…you can DFA him any time you want.

Although, now that the contract will be expiring…I suppose someone could claim him as the season progresses.

[jkcarew]

The good news is Buxton’s on pace for 54 RBI…which would only be 2 off his career high!

[hitterscount]

This team cannot be sold soon enough.  This team is not a serious contender for anything, including the AL Central. Any manager that thinks that leading off Matt Wallner is a good tactical move is clueless. 
They have basically the same players in Larnach and Wallner, neither of whom have shown they are everyday MLB players. A serious team could go with one, but to count on both is malpractice. They don’t have a legitimate first baseman, at the plate and fielding. Duran’s throw yesterday on a swinging bunt told me all I needed to know about France’s defensive ability. 
And then there is the clueless manager… the team’s laid back who gives a sh** uninspiring play is a mirror image of his leadership and decisions. 
Checked out early today and will not be following until we get on a heater. Being a bandwagon fan is what I have become. 

[baul0010]

Twins better do something quick.  3 games in and losing attention span.  Seems like a continuation from the 2nd half of last season.  

[Vanimal46]

3 games into the season and it might be time for a closed door meeting…

[Parfigliano]

2 hours ago, thelanges5 said:

This is from Dan Hayes and explains the performance. But why even make the guy start?

 

Managerial incompetence on full display.

[djm24]

57 minutes ago, Hosken Bombo Disco said:

A display of zero appreciation. 

Zero appreciation. That is the absolute truth. To quickly DFA him after his good performance in that game is a blatant  insult. To make matters worse, the game was barely completed when Randy was notified that he was being DFA'd (again). I'm sure THAT news did wonders for his ego. Imagine him feeling good after the game and undoubted receiving compliments from his teammates only to suddenly get that dour news. That is heartless. Then again, the FO apparently is more concerned with  Dobnak's "bad" contract than they are with any good performance he shows. That's sad.

Also, I read that he is being quickly DFA'd because the FO wants a "fresh arm" from St.Paul, namely Stewart. Why a "fresh arm? Why wasn't Stewart added to the roster instead of Dobnak? Was Randy just being given a one-game "showcase"?

To be polite, this organization is far from "5 star" when it comes to running a MLB team. I don't fault Dobnak if he is "counting the days" until this season ends. I wish him much luck.

 

 

 

 

[USAFChief]

2 minutes ago, djm24 said:

Zero appreciation. That is the absolute truth. To quickly DFA him after his good performance in that game is a blatant  insult. To make matters worse, the game was barely completed when Randy was notified that he was being DFA'd (again). I'm sure THAT news did wonders for his ego. Imagine him feeling good after the game and undoubted receiving compliments from his teammates only to suddenly get that dour news. That is heartless. Then again, the FO apparently is more concerned with  Dobnak's "bad" contract than they are with any good performance he shows. That's sad.

Also, I read that he is being quickly DFA'd because the FO wants a "fresh arm" from St.Paul, namely Stewart. Why a "fresh arm? Why wasn't Stewart added to the roster instead of Dobnak? Was Randy just being given a one-game "showcase"?

To be polite, this organization is far from "5 star" when it comes to running a MLB team. I don't fault Dobnak if he is "counting the days" until this season ends. I wish him much luck.

 

 

 

 

Yup. Randy should show this organization a thing or two and opt out of that contract.

That'd show em

[djm24]

4 minutes ago, USAFChief said:

Yup. Randy should show this organization a thing or two and opt out of that contract.

That'd show em

Yep, my friend. I agree. Right now my dream is for him to sign with another organization when the season ends. Even if it's a minor league contract. And then work his way back to being at least a respectable pitcher in the MLB. But, it's always nice to dream I guess.

 

 

[rv78]

Been saying it for years... Rocco is the problem. The players are showing the same enthusiasm for the game as he does. None. They play with no confidence, he gives them none. Batting Wallner leadoff when he has shown to be a slow starter in the spring is as much of an idiot move as it can get. Pitching Ober today when he had at least 2 other options in Paddack and Woods-Richardson shows his level of intelligence, None. It just amazes me how anyone so inept at making smart decisions can keep his job as a Manager. The only way things will get better for this team is if we get new Owners to start, then new Front Office personnel, and a new Manager. The only way that will happen is if they totally stink up the season. It started at the end of last season and we're off to a good start this season. Sorry, but that's what I'm hoping for because, again, it's the only way things will change for the better. 

[jkcarew]

48 minutes ago, djm24 said:

Zero appreciation. That is the absolute truth. To quickly DFA him after his good performance in that game is a blatant  insult. To make matters worse, the game was barely completed when Randy was notified that he was being DFA'd (again). I'm sure THAT news did wonders for his ego. Imagine him feeling good after the game and undoubted receiving compliments from his teammates only to suddenly get that dour news. That is heartless. Then again, the FO apparently is more concerned with  Dobnak's "bad" contract than they are with any good performance he shows. That's sad.

Also, I read that he is being quickly DFA'd because the FO wants a "fresh arm" from St.Paul, namely Stewart. Why a "fresh arm? Why wasn't Stewart added to the roster instead of Dobnak? Was Randy just being given a one-game "showcase"?

To be polite, this organization is far from "5 star" when it comes to running a MLB team. I don't fault Dobnak if he is "counting the days" until this season ends. I wish him much luck.

 

 

 

 

I can guarantee Dobnak knew he would be DFA’d as soon as he had an extended outing regardless of how the outing went. If he stays healthy, it’s highly likely that he’ll be DFA’d, reassigned, and called up multiple times this year.

 

[bean5302]

Ober's a solid starter and it did seems like he was down by about 1mph vs. last year. Easy to second guess Baldelli's decision to send him out there given the information floating around about Ober needing an IV yesterday.

Dobnak pitched 5.1 innings so he wasn't going to be eligible for bullpen use for a while. The Twins DFA'd him because it's expected Randy will clear waivers. They'll be able to add Dobnak back to the roster when they need him.

I don't think it would be absolutely shocking for a team to grab Dobnak at this point, but still highly unlikely another team grabs him, even though he's only owed $3MM this year with cheap team options later.

[djm24]

2 hours ago, Hosken Bombo Disco said:

A display of zero appreciation. 

 

47 minutes ago, USAFChief said:

Yup. Randy should show this organization a thing or two and opt out of that contract.

That'd show em

 

29 minutes ago, rv78 said:

Been saying it for years... Rocco is the problem. The players are showing the same enthusiasm for the game as he does. None. They play with no confidence, he gives them none. Batting Wallner leadoff when he has shown to be a slow starter in the spring is as much of an idiot move as it can get. Pitching Ober today when he had at least 2 other options in Paddack and Woods-Richardson shows his level of intelligence, None. It just amazes me how anyone so inept at making smart decisions can keep his job as a Manager. The only way things will get better for this team is if we get new Owners to start, then new Front Office personnel, and a new Manager. The only way that will happen is if they totally stink up the season. It started at the end of last season and we're off to a good start this season. Sorry, but that's what I'm hoping for because, again, it's the only way things will change for the better. 

Yep. Rocco is part of the problem. He's made plenty of blunder moves.But IMO, most of the fault lies first with the owner's reluctance to free up some cash so the FO can pursue players other than those found in the dumpster. Sure, they have ".money woes" but give the fans a decent team and the money is recouped via higher attendance. Also, IMO, Rocco complies totally with the FO in order to keep his job   I feel the FO has him under their thumbs.

Obviously player moral is down for some reason. After Correa being so upbeat during ST about the upcoming season, why is he still hitless? Uncharacteristic of him.

Twins players not only need to do well and win the White Sox series. Oherwise, there's a real problem somewhere.

[Old Crow]

3 hours ago, Aggies7 said:

Always an excuse isn’t there? Beyond tiring to constantly hear it. Was the entire team sick since Thursday?

They certainly looked it the entire series. 

[Fatbat]

For all the people who ripped on Dobnak as not being a legit MLB’r. Shut up. 

[USAFChief]

41 minutes ago, Fatbat said:

For all the people who ripped on Dobnak as not being a legit MLB’r. Shut up. 

29 other teams can have him if they concur. Let's see if any do.

[Senior Softball Guy]

The home plate ump was horrible (for both teams), but Ober can't visibly display it like he did. St. Louis was crushing balls against him. I don't think the White Sox will be as compliant as last year. On the bright side the Saints look like a juggernaut!

[JADBP]

WHAT JUST HAPPENED???!  What in the world are Twins management thinking?  From the mlb.com/twins.....we learn:

Throughout the latter stages of Spring Training, even as Bailey Ober kept racking up strong results, he repeatedly told reporters that he nonetheless felt a bit out of sync. His velocity was down, and though he was getting hitters out, he was not pleased with his delivery.

Unfortunately, just as Ober felt he had mostly ironed out those wrinkles, another complication struck. He got sick. Ober spent much of Friday in bed and Saturday taking IVs as he battled a virus. 

And so Ober never really ramped up in ST, never really got it "in sync."  OK, so maybe he needs an extra week or two of prep and repetition to get in sync?  Then he gets puke-virus-sick and is taking intravenous antibiotics for two days laid up in his hotel room...and the very next day he is asked to don a Twins uni and provide a max effort athletic performance.  Come on, what is the chance that he is fully recovered?  What is the chance that he is even 50% recovered?  Who is the absolute moron that asked foe--or--even allowed Bailey to go out there and pitch on Sunday.  It should have been obvious during warmups that he was not 100%.  It should have become slap-across-the-face obvious that he wasn't gonna last much longer after the first inning of 28 pitches of declining quality. 

Same thing last year with Ober pitching.  Blink and it is suddenly a half dozen runs.  That's a FAILURE on the part of part of the manager.  Why did the Rocco keep running him out there?  Why wasn't Dobnak warming up in the first inning if Bailey was sick and questionable?  Why didn't they see this in warmups? They're hanging over the railing...why didn't they see this in the first inning?  Why didn't they hit pause and use one or two mound visits in the first or second innings.  They could talk to Bailey and assess his health.  They would buy extra time for Dobnak to warm up.  Why did they do NOTHING until the StL had score EIGHT runs?  Did they not see the train wreck happening? The train was blowing its whistle for the last three days...Ober was not ready, don't run him out there.  This one is 1000% on Rocco,  He should have scratched Ober.  Let him skip a turn.  If he wants, he can throw a simulated game, but DO NOT let him pitch in the game.  It became a throwaway game.  And, this is MLB, not Little League.  These games count just as much as a game in September. Its a LOSS. 

But, immense kudos to Dobnak. He SHOULD have started the game,  I find it immensely heartless to send him back down.  What a D!@# move.  

 

[djm24]

2 hours ago, Fatbat said:

For all the people who ripped on Dobnak as not being a legit MLB’r. Shut up. 

Thank you, friend. But you KNOW they won't. They need a "punching bag" and because of his contract, Dobnak is it.

[djm24]

20 minutes ago, JADBP said:

WHAT JUST HAPPENED???!  What in the world are Twins management thinking?  From the mlb.com/twins.....we learn:

Throughout the latter stages of Spring Training, even as Bailey Ober kept racking up strong results, he repeatedly told reporters that he nonetheless felt a bit out of sync. His velocity was down, and though he was getting hitters out, he was not pleased with his delivery.

Unfortunately, just as Ober felt he had mostly ironed out those wrinkles, another complication struck. He got sick. Ober spent much of Friday in bed and Saturday taking IVs as he battled a virus. 

And so Ober never really ramped up in ST, never really got it "in sync."  OK, so maybe he needs an extra week or two of prep and repetition to get in sync?  Then he gets puke-virus-sick and is taking intravenous antibiotics for two days laid up in his hotel room...and the very next day he is asked to don a Twins uni and provide a max effort athletic performance.  Come on, what is the chance that he is fully recovered?  What is the chance that he is even 50% recovered?  Who is the absolute moron that asked foe--or--even allowed Bailey to go out there and pitch on Sunday.  It should have been obvious during warmups that he was not 100%.  It should have become slap-across-the-face obvious that he wasn't gonna last much longer after the first inning of 28 pitches of declining quality. 

Same thing last year with Ober pitching.  Blink and it is suddenly a half dozen runs.  That's a FAILURE on the part of part of the manager.  Why did the Rocco keep running him out there?  Why wasn't Dobnak warming up in the first inning if Bailey was sick and questionable?  Why didn't they see this in warmups? They're hanging over the railing...why didn't they see this in the first inning?  Why didn't they hit pause and use one or two mound visits in the first or second innings.  They could talk to Bailey and assess his health.  They would buy extra time for Dobnak to warm up.  Why did they do NOTHING until the StL had score EIGHT runs?  Did they not see the train wreck happening? The train was blowing its whistle for the last three days...Ober was not ready, don't run him out there.  This one is 1000% on Rocco,  He should have scratched Ober.  Let him skip a turn.  If he wants, he can throw a simulated game, but DO NOT let him pitch in the game.  It became a throwaway game.  And, this is MLB, not Little League.  These games count just as much as a game in September. Its a LOSS. 

But, immense kudos to Dobnak. He SHOULD have started the game,  I find it immensely heartless to send him back down.  What a D!@# move.  

 

The reason why Ober was allowed to pitch is perhaps the manager lacks common sense. (Not to mention those in the FO)

[djm24]

26 minutes ago, JADBP said:

WHAT JUST HAPPENED???!  What in the world are Twins management thinking?  From the mlb.com/twins.....we learn:

Throughout the latter stages of Spring Training, even as Bailey Ober kept racking up strong results, he repeatedly told reporters that he nonetheless felt a bit out of sync. His velocity was down, and though he was getting hitters out, he was not pleased with his delivery.

Unfortunately, just as Ober felt he had mostly ironed out those wrinkles, another complication struck. He got sick. Ober spent much of Friday in bed and Saturday taking IVs as he battled a virus. 

And so Ober never really ramped up in ST, never really got it "in sync."  OK, so maybe he needs an extra week or two of prep and repetition to get in sync?  Then he gets puke-virus-sick and is taking intravenous antibiotics for two days laid up in his hotel room...and the very next day he is asked to don a Twins uni and provide a max effort athletic performance.  Come on, what is the chance that he is fully recovered?  What is the chance that he is even 50% recovered?  Who is the absolute moron that asked foe--or--even allowed Bailey to go out there and pitch on Sunday.  It should have been obvious during warmups that he was not 100%.  It should have become slap-across-the-face obvious that he wasn't gonna last much longer after the first inning of 28 pitches of declining quality. 

Same thing last year with Ober pitching.  Blink and it is suddenly a half dozen runs.  That's a FAILURE on the part of part of the manager.  Why did the Rocco keep running him out there?  Why wasn't Dobnak warming up in the first inning if Bailey was sick and questionable?  Why didn't they see this in warmups? They're hanging over the railing...why didn't they see this in the first inning?  Why didn't they hit pause and use one or two mound visits in the first or second innings.  They could talk to Bailey and assess his health.  They would buy extra time for Dobnak to warm up.  Why did they do NOTHING until the StL had score EIGHT runs?  Did they not see the train wreck happening? The train was blowing its whistle for the last three days...Ober was not ready, don't run him out there.  This one is 1000% on Rocco,  He should have scratched Ober.  Let him skip a turn.  If he wants, he can throw a simulated game, but DO NOT let him pitch in the game.  It became a throwaway game.  And, this is MLB, not Little League.  These games count just as much as a game in September. Its a LOSS. 

But, immense kudos to Dobnak. He SHOULD have started the game,  I find it immensely heartless to send him back down.  What a D!@# move.  

 

Why would those in the FO want to ruin their reputation by making a smart move?

[UK Twin]

Of all the stupid things Rocco has done in his time as Twins manager, starting Ober who was still recovering from a virus for his first start of the season has to be right up there. If it was later in the season with 50 or 60 innings pitched then maybe I could understand the decision. But he's only thrown a handful of innings from ST so his body isn't going to be at 100% anyway even without the virus.

We're 0-2 (now 0-3), we needed our starter to give us 5 or 6 good innings to give us the best chance of winning. Fuming with Rocco TBH. He also benched Bader for Saturday's game after he hit a HR on his Twins debut. Just don't get it.

[UK Twin]

5 hours ago, djm24 said:

 

 

Yep. Rocco is part of the problem. He's made plenty of blunder moves.But IMO, most of the fault lies first with the owner's reluctance to free up some cash so the FO can pursue players other than those found in the dumpster. Sure, they have ".money woes" but give the fans a decent team and the money is recouped via higher attendance. Also, IMO, Rocco complies totally with the FO in order to keep his job   I feel the FO has him under their thumbs.

Obviously player moral is down for some reason. After Correa being so upbeat during ST about the upcoming season, why is he still hitless? Uncharacteristic of him.

Twins players not only need to do well and win the White Sox series. Oherwise, there's a real problem somewhere.

TBF to Correa, the ball is coming off his bat at a good velo. The first 2 games,the average coming off his bat was 99mph. Very unfortunate not to get any hits in the first 2 games. 

[shimrod]

3 hours ago, UK Twin said:

TBF to Correa, the ball is coming off his bat at a good velo. The first 2 games,the average coming off his bat was 99mph. Very unfortunate not to get any hits in the first 2 games. 

Correa would have multiple hits if were hitting against the Twins D. Cardinals have looked sharp in the field. Reminiscent of Twins teams of the past. 

[DJL44]

16 hours ago, jkcarew said:

If the club plans on being down 7 or 8 runs by the 3rd inning frequently, Dobnak was 100% the right decision. Gotta give credit where credit is due. 

If they're down by 8 runs it doesn't matter who you put in. That's when teams use a position player to pitch. It would be better to give innings to someone who might have a future with the club.

14 hours ago, Hosken Bombo Disco said:

A display of zero appreciation. 

They're giving Dobnak $3M worth of appreciation this year. He knows his job.

15 hours ago, Parfigliano said:

Dobnak did his job.  The rest did not.

It was good to see Wallner get a double and a walk, the outfield assist was icing. Willi Castro is doing everything he can to help the team win.

 

 

 

[terrydactyls]

13 hours ago, Vanimal46 said:

3 games into the season and it might be time for a closed door meeting…

I'm afraid that a closed door meeting might be too much effort for this team to expend.  

Personally, I would prefer to see Martin, Rodriguez, Keaschell, Kiersey, and Eeles playing for the Twins.  At least there would be some enthusiasm and hustle displayed.  It would be fun to watch players stealing bases, running out ground balls, and encouraging one another instead of leaning over the dugout railing discussing tax shelters.

[Fatbat]

10 hours ago, USAFChief said:

29 other teams can have him if they concur. Let's see if any do.

He keeps pitching like yesterday, sometime this season, someone will pluck him off waivers. 29 other teams need a long man in the pen. 

[USAFChief]

1 minute ago, Fatbat said:

He keeps pitching like yesterday, sometime this season, someone will pluck him off waivers. 29 other teams need a long man in the pen. 

He's on waivers now.