Royals 2, Twins 1: Twins Plead No Defense in Kansas City

[Mike Sixel]

9 minutes ago, KirbyDome89 said:

Ok, but is that really a point in favor of the Brooks Lee savior argument?

Who said he was a savior? No one. 

[Vanimal46]

21 minutes ago, Mike Sixel said:

If they don't turn this around, you have to blow it up this deadline imo. If you can.

Gonna be tough to sell off underperforming veterans… Everyone that’s been clamoring to play the kids will get their wish maybe by May 1 when the Twins are buried in the standings 

[Mike Sixel]

Just now, Vanimal46 said:

Gonna be tough to sell off underperforming veterans… Everyone that’s been clamoring to play the kids will get their wish maybe by May 1 when the Twins are buried in the standings 

Hence, if you can.

And, I hate to say this, but the pitching pipeline is deep, and Lopez and one other vet could be good, even if the offense isn't..... Giving them plenty of value. 

Frankly, I'm ready for Lee, Keaschell, and maybe Rodriguez. Gasper shouldn't be here. I have no idea how to fit the other two in right now. If only Keaschell could actually play second, or Eeles hadn't gotten hurt....

[Vanimal46]

I’m not passionate about firing Rocco, but it’s time. It’s abundantly clear the players on this roster aren’t playing for him anymore. Move on before this becomes a lost season. 

[1985Fan]

32 minutes ago, Vanimal46 said:

I’m not passionate about firing Rocco, but it’s time. It’s abundantly clear the players on this roster aren’t playing for him anymore. Move on before this becomes a lost season. 

No way Falvey fires his chosen one. New owners will have to clean house. Doesn’t look like new owners will happen until offseason, at the earliest. If Pohlads even sell the team. Going to be a long season. 

[JADBP]

Yeah....I am sorry, but this team looks like a bunch of high school kids trying to play pro ball.  Its embarrassing.  It would be more frustrating if we didn't that there really is some high level skill, talent and power in all of these professional athletes.  

So, let's look at he big picture.  The Twins management have done absolutely nothing to support these players.  Last season, they cut payroll and added dumpster-dive players.  They were competitive some of the season, but management bailed on them at the trade deadline, getting for a player that they kept what, 2 weeks?  It was like they said "See, we made a trade!" 

This last offseason, they let some good players walk and, as usual, went dumpster diving at the end of the offseason, when all the good, low cost gems were lost.  Traded for nothing.  

SO, basically, the team has been going backwards for at least 2 years.  Bringing up an occasional good prospect like Lee or Lewis keeps hopes up, but the injuries...just ugggly!  

What is really going on?  Is there any hope at all this season?  NO.  Give it up.  

1. The owners don't want the team anymore.  Meaning they could care less about the team, the players, the fans, the success or failure of the franchise--they are done and want to cash out.

2.  The team is hideously, deeply in dept.  Obviously whoever has been running the organization has little to no business skills.  Whoever buys the team is going to have to pay off and estimated $450 million in debt--meaning the value and the price is reduced by $450 mill.  Too bad the Pohlad's are holding out for top $$.

3.  Wait, this story gets better!  Not only do the Pohlad's want to sell the team, dump that $450 million in debt while pocketing over  $1.5 Billion, but they also want to retain management control of the team after they sell off their ownership!  On what planet are these morons living??  Even if there was some logical reason to do so, would you want the current management, who ran up this enormous debt and who ran a competitive team into the ground, still running the show?  Are you kidding me?????

OK, so the ownership has completely trashed this team in many ways, while being arrogant enough to think that someone would allow them to continue to run the team.  What do you expect the players to think about this sh17show that ownership is running.  I am surprised that they even bother to show up to play.  And, when they do, are they going to bound over large dog houses to play their best?  Are they going to get serious about warmup stretches and batting practice?  Or are they biding their time to get some experience and move on to the next team willing to pay them?  Or just sitting on the trainer's bench counting their Millions?

[JADBP]

sorry for the repeat....

[JADBP]

I just can't imagine someone buying the team, then letting baby-Pohlad continue to run the team.  The teams finances are trashed...and who's fault is that?  Man oh man, with that expectation, they will never sell the team!

 

[JADBP]

Unless they sell the team to someone as stupid as themselves.  

[Mark G]

2 hours ago, Vanimal46 said:

I’m not passionate about firing Rocco, but it’s time. It’s abundantly clear the players on this roster aren’t playing for him anymore. Move on before this becomes a lost season. 

I am, for all the reasons you listed above.  

[Aerodeliria]

We've had three years to set the infield and get players who can at least throw the ball to first base. Apparently, we still only have one player who can. It's all about focusing on getting the fundamentals right at least. This loss (to me) is as bad as coughing up the six-run lead...

[BrokenCompass]

6 hours ago, USAFChief said:

I would have thought SOMEone would ask Baldelli "why pitch to Pasquantino with 1 out and the go ahead run on 3rd? Slowest man in baseball on deck? A RH hitter to boot?" 

150 years of managers walk Pasquantino there.

But not Rocco.

I mean, I know it's not a good situation either way, but c'mon.

 

Hard to blame pitching or Rocco for what's happening. Rocco can't go out and sign Juan Soto. Rocco can't go out and sign Pete Alonso. 

The Twins are in a familiar place: can't score runs. It's not Rocco's fault.

It's because they have bad players.

 

[howeda7]

The continued presence of Mickey Gasper, Christian Vazquez, Chris Paddock and Rocco Baldelli in the Twins dugout is an insult to all Twins fans. On a completely dead-ass and lifeless team, they still stand out for their ineptitude and and inability to do their job at even the most basic level. If the organization has any pride, they should all be gone by Friday. 

[CRF]

Bad...just bad. Brutally bad. Biblically bad. BAD! I suppose Pablo will be out for a month now too. 

[Mark G]

37 minutes ago, CRF said:

Bad...just bad. Brutally bad. Biblically bad. BAD! I suppose Pablo will be out for a month now too. 

You don't have to beat around the bush; tell us just how bad it was.  🤭

[LewFordLives]

In addition to Buxton, Miranda would have had a golden sombrero had Baldelli not pulled him for Wallner.

[TwinsDr2021]

Wait, what 29 year old rookies aren't solid league major league players? That can't be true! I thought the more time you spent in the minors the better a player becomes?

[Twinsoholic]

2 hours ago, BrokenCompass said:

Hard to blame pitching or Rocco for what's happening. Rocco can't go out and sign Juan Soto. Rocco can't go out and sign Pete Alonso. 

The Twins are in a familiar place: can't score runs. It's not Rocco's fault.

It's because they have bad players.

 

Hey BrokenCompass, your point that it is hard to blame “pitching or Rocco” does not actually address Chief’s complaint, which you quoted. Chief’s point is a good one: why on earth would the manager think it was a good idea to pitch to Vinnie rather than walk him to set up the possibility of a double play to get out of the inning, leaving Witt stranded at 3rd? Vinnie bats left-handed while Perez bats right-handed, and Perez is a slow runner. Your pitcher is right-handed. As Chief notes, 100+ years of baseball managing says the manager has the pitcher walk Vinnie rather than pitch to him in such a situation. Witt should never have been at 3rd—that is all on Jax. But, given the error by Jax, Rocco compounds it by not having Jax intentionally walk Vinnie. 

[mikelink45]

Good news. We are a game up on the White Sox 

[Riverbrian]

Just plain ole bad baseball being played by our local 9.

This team has to get this team out of of this thing. This isn't an individual problem... this is an entire team that has played bad baseball for the first 11 games of the season. Only this team can determine how the next 11 games are going to go. 

Would you like to make a couple of errors and survive? Sorry you can't make a couple of errors and survive because there is no margin for error being created by our offense.  The offense is really really bad right now. I understand that Ragans is pretty good... when I say the offense has been bad... it has nothing to do with Ragans... It's been 11 games bad.  

Power? Nope we are tied for last in team home runs. 6 of them total. Harrison Bader has half of them. 

Speed? Nope... 5 stolen bases. 

OK... no power... no speed. Then we must be a station to station team full of vets who know how to keep that line moving and produce runs. Nope...  tied for last out of all 30 teams with a team OBP of .264

This team came out of spring training playing bad baseball. They and only they can pull themselves out of this.

I hope they start pulling. 

[Whitey333]

One player on this team that has really missed me off so far is Ty France.  He doesn't hustle at all.  At least 6 times this year and twice yesterday he barely jogged to first base while grounding out.  Yes he would have probably been out anyway but if you can't run hard to first 3 or 4 times per day you shouldn't be playing.  He is an embarrassment to the team and Rocco does nothing about it.  A lifeless team like this should at least try and make it look like they care.  This team is dead and has been since last August.  

[chpettit19]

7 hours ago, Mike Sixel said:

Hence, if you can.

And, I hate to say this, but the pitching pipeline is deep, and Lopez and one other vet could be good, even if the offense isn't..... Giving them plenty of value. 

Frankly, I'm ready for Lee, Keaschell, and maybe Rodriguez. Gasper shouldn't be here. I have no idea how to fit the other two in right now. If only Keaschell could actually play second, or Eeles hadn't gotten hurt....

FYI, Keaschall has been playing 2B every other game to start the season for the Saints. He's playing the field.

[rv78]

8 hours ago, 1985Fan said:

Four K’s for Buxton. He looks totally overmatched at the plate. 3 of 4 AB’s were not competitive either. 4 pitches each. No fouls in his AB’s, so he must not be seeing the ball at all. Not good. Take a day off to reset. 
 

It would probably be better if he'd get one of his 3 month injuries. At this point 1 day isn't going to be enough.

[rv78]

2 hours ago, BrokenCompass said:

Hard to blame pitching or Rocco for what's happening. Rocco can't go out and sign Juan Soto. Rocco can't go out and sign Pete Alonso. 

The Twins are in a familiar place: can't score runs. It's not Rocco's fault.

It's because they have bad players.

 

Hard NOT to blame Rocco when he doesn't hold his players accountable for NOT running hard to first base every time. The difference between winning and losing close games can boil down to hustle. Bobby Witt just proved that. Do you think Rocco was watching? Even if he was, nothing will change. He's just a poor manager. 

[mickster]

9 hours ago, FlyingFinn said:

I hope that was the last Gasp(er) for Mickey.

Not an Austin Martin fan, but I think it is time he replaces Gasper - at least until Lee is ready

[Twinsoholic]

5 minutes ago, rv78 said:

Hard NOT to blame Rocco when he doesn't hold his players accountable for NOT running hard to first base every time. The difference between winning and losing close games can boil down to hustle. Bobby Witt just proved that. Do you think Rocco was watching? Even if he was, nothing will change. He's just a poor manager. 

Great point about hustle rv78. We also saw hustle when Altuve tagged up at 3rd and scored on a line drive to Bader—Harrison threw the ball to second, and Altuve then dashed to the plate. What a heads up play by Altuve to help spark the Astros comeback win. Bader should either have thrown home to ensure that Altuve stayed at 3rd, or he should have thrown the ball to Correa if Correa was in the standard cut off man position. Altuve would not have tried to run on Correa if he was in the standard cut-off spot. 

[shimrod]

3 hours ago, BrokenCompass said:

It's not Rocco's fault.

It's because they have bad players.

Rocco has to manage around the abilities (and lack thereof) of the players he has. It doesn't appear he's doing a good job of that. Putting a dangerous hitter on an open base to get your pitcher a better matchup is just good management. 

Guess a couple others already said this. Still true. 

[Sjoski]

9 hours ago, $tryf4Life said:

Not a major league baseball player....although this doesn't look like a major league team. 

Been saying it for years...the Twins are the best triple A team in the majors. 

[Linus]

Said this before the season started - teams that make lots of mistakes will do poorly in close games where each missed play is magnified. If they were scoring 5 runs a game some of this stuff wouldn’t cost them games but they aren’t so it does. 

[Twins_Fan_in_NJ]

Any updates on Pablo?