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

Not good at all! After 3 games it’s officially panic time!!! Need sweep/series win against white sox!!!

Horribly ugly game.  Almost as ugly series overall.  Decision on choice for the 26th roster spot......well, whodathunkit, but so far it is looking like a good move.....

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. 

And it's snowing in the two States north of Missouri.  Let's all just go back to bed and pretend that the 2025 MLB season didn't start in March, sheeesh!

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

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  

45 minutes ago, Parfigliano said:

Dobnak did his job.  The rest did not.

And this is his reward ⚾️

I was completely tied up doing other things today and just now saw the score. Lucky me that I had other things to do.

This is just one series. 3 games. It happens. But if they lose the series to the CWS we'll know we have some major problems.

Props to Dobber. The man did his job. No one else did.

2 minutes ago, PDX Twin said:

They'll be there to pick up their obscene paychecks.

I haven't been paying close attention to games, but when I've been actively watching, there seems to be absolutely zero energy or enthusiasm in any player. It looks like they are "mailing it in" and playing out the string like it's end-of-season, out-on-contention garbage time instead of the first week, when you set the tone for the season. 

Maybe it's time for some phantom injuries and callups for the prospects. Honestly, they can't do worse than what we are seeing and should add some energy.

As I posted after yesterdays game, aside from 6-7 weeks at the end of 2023 this team has lacked having a personality for 4 full seasons now. Very lifeless and listless team. This is very much a problem. 

22 minutes ago, Hosken Bombo Disco said:

I am thinking it is not fun for these guys to come to the clubhouse. They are already dragging. It showed in the final few innings I saw of the opener, and in some of Rocco’s comments about spring training, This regime has always seen its players as statistical profiles assigned a uniform number, and it finally caught up to them late last summer. Simulation models do not run collapses like that last season, but human beings do. 

They look lifeless out there. Would have gone with Austin Martin over Gasper and I would have given Kiersey some ABs this series. This team desperately needs some energy and excitement. It is more often found with young players than it is retreads or guys that have been here a while and are way too comfortable.

After this weekend I think I'll wait a while before turning my free trial to Twins TV to a paid subscription. 

What a lifeless series. Very disappointing.

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.