From Worst to Best: The Twins Have Slain Their Strikeout Demons

I think the whole strikeout thing is more nuanced. I get it - it’s ugly to watch people flail away but often times it doesn’t matter if you k or fly out or hit a dribbler. There are times that it does. Obvious situation being man on third with less than two outs or man on second and nobody out. Take last night when Buck scored on the contact play. Jeffers had weak contact and beat the ball into the dirt. Everything you don’t want as a hitter yet it scored Buxton. The nuanced part comes here: I don’t think in today’s game you can have two different approaches as a hitter - it’s too difficult. If approach is the three true outcomes but then you have an at bat where you can’t strike out I just don’t think it can be done. Your mindset has to be about preventing strikeouts all the time so you are confident you can do it when you really need to put the ball in play. Just my theory. 

1 hour ago, Linus said:

I think the whole strikeout thing is more nuanced. I get it - it’s ugly to watch people flail away but often times it doesn’t matter if you k or fly out or hit a dribbler. There are times that it does. Obvious situation being man on third with less than two outs or man on second and nobody out. Take last night when Buck scored on the contact play. Jeffers had weak contact and beat the ball into the dirt. Everything you don’t want as a hitter yet it scored Buxton. The nuanced part comes here: I don’t think in today’s game you can have two different approaches as a hitter - it’s too difficult. If approach is the three true outcomes but then you have an at bat where you can’t strike out I just don’t think it can be done. Your mindset has to be about preventing strikeouts all the time so you are confident you can do it when you really need to put the ball in play. Just my theory. 

Justin Morneau has said something similar on the broadcasts:  hitters spend so much time honing their swings that for most of them it's difficult to have a different approach with, for example, two strikes, or a man on third with less than two outs.

(Of course Justin makes excuses a lot. 😁 )

54 minutes ago, Karbo said:

But it has been done for over 100 years.

And how many years have guys thrown 100 with wicked spin rates?

56 minutes ago, Karbo said:

By Jeffers making contact they scored a run. If Jeffers strikes out there is no run scored.

Uh that’s what I said. 

44 minutes ago, Linus said:

And how many years have guys thrown 100 with wicked spin rates?

More than you think.

7 hours ago, Parfigliano said:

Making contact makes for a better offense in baseball.

And it's more democratic, and oodles more fun to watch!

We are winning more than last year and people are down on this team. Some people just can’t be happy.  So many positives about this team! People need to relax and enjoy the show!!

This is the first time management has done anything about it.  I have yelled at the screen to "Send him down" a hundred times to Julien and then he went down.  Career shot in Minnesota - now that Brooks Lee has arrived -  and he can take his stubborn attitude of "I can tell when a pitch is 1/4" outside" somewhere else.   Maybe Buxton won't become the next Sano!!  And Wallner will have to quit striking out or he, too, will remain in St. Paul.

50 minutes ago, JD-TWINS said:

LET’s FIRE THE WORTHLESS HITTING COACH!! Let’s DFA 4-5 guys!! …….,etc.,etc. Can’t believe they don’t sign Blake Snell!!!

We cant go too much deeper in reserves/AAA guys or we get a decline in talent that will be forced to play daily.  Farmer and Margo have had disappointing seasons so far.  Something will have to be done if everyone gets healthy at the same time in August/Sept. it always work’s itself out tho. 

1 hour ago, Karbo said:

And how long have hitters had the advanced video, and detailed advance scouting, not to mention advanced year round training? IMO it's a wash.

I think we are in agreement but don’t know it. What I am saying is that hitters need to be in a non - strikeout frame of mind all the time in order to be good at it. Yes years ago players had a “two strike” approach but they generally tried to prevent strikeouts all the time. It was considered an embarrassment to strike out before the three true outcome approach. 

I never bought into the notion that the 2023 Twins Earl Weaver approach was a good idea, despite some who defended this with analytical nonsense. It was certainly hard to watch player after player flailing away with unproductive at bats. I find it hard to believe that professional hitters can’t modify their approach depending on the count. It seems like they would have practiced this during batting practice all the way through the minors, such as taking the ball the other way or focusing on contact, not just power, with a RISP and less than two outs. Glad they seem to be evolving. Now maybe Rocco can add an occasional hit and run and a stolen base here and there. 

1 hour ago, CCHOF5yearstoolate said:

Nolan Ryan was the only guy who definitely threw 100 before the steroid era. Maybe Bob Feller did, but that's pretty much it.

I'd guarantee it's fewer than you think. There's a reason Bob Feller's fastball is legendary - he was one of extremely few guys who could throw that before the recent pitching revolution. 

There is an article, on this look it up.

1 hour ago, CCHOF5yearstoolate said:

So memorable you can't find it, eh? I'd defy you to name more than 3 pitchers before the 90's who threw 100 mph. 

If you believe Nolan Ryan threw 108 mph I've got a bridge in Mankato to sell you. 

Not wasting my time on you baseless opinion.

6 hours ago, RpR said:

Not wasting my time on you baseless opinion.

That's ironic given you were asked to provide a basis for your opinion.  You are making a claim while providing no evidence.  It seems perfectly reasonable to ask you to support your position with a few names.  

54 minutes ago, CCHOF5yearstoolate said:

Thanks for proving my point though. 

What that you have no proof of your point, LOL.

Not related to your whims but this is interesting.

Of a man named Johnny Vollmer, who could really hurl the ball. He had a windmill style, a gift that was his power, To throw the softball by you at a hundred miles an hour.

https://msf1.org/the-story-of-fireball-johnny-vollmer-one-of-the-nations-greatest-fast-pitch-softball-hurlers/