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jkcarew

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Everything posted by jkcarew

  1. jkcarew
    I guess. Game 1 would be the game where one could catch at least the hint of the odor of victory. I'm not one to buy into the "if they had only won game one" theory, they had time to show they were ready for this level/stage, but the outcomes speak for themselves. Oh, well. Maybe Steven Tyler had it right back in the early 70's... I know nobody knows Where it comes and where it goes I know it's everybody sin You got to lose (in 3 straight humiliating games to the Yankees) to know how to win NEXT YEAR, baby!
  2. jkcarew
    I'm thinking there are two takes on the season... One, the Twins were a great team...about as good as any team in the league...and choked horribly in the playoffs. Two, the Twins were a good, not great, team...who's statistics/numbers were inflated due to the schedule...and went limping into the playoffs against a superior opponent Scenario One, you chalk it up to inexperience; you try to put another version of the 2019 pitching staff together, and you have another run at it. Scenario Two, you are forced to at least consider big hairy moves. To, me..even if you believe what happened is scenario One, you hope the FO believes it was Two.
  3. jkcarew
    Really? Mixing one win around the three losses we saw would have made a difference? I think I'd make a large wager that, while that might be the case for fans, the players/team wouldn't have looked at it that way. I certainly hope they wouldn't have looked at it that way. A series win would have been great, next a truly competitive series loss...but they'll have to settle for that late series in Cleveland for the division as their inspiration. There's always something to build on...it's the execution part that's hard Could argue that the utter failure makes it more, not less, likely that aggressive moves are made to get the club to a championship level. OK, that's ridiculous. I'm just up here trying.
  4. jkcarew
    Hearts not into something that's usually fun. Sigh. Too many fielding mistakes, too many bad decisions, too many poorly executed pitches, too many instances of batters not being able to hold their water. Honestly, it takes a dozen examples to rationalize even a sniff at one win. And that would be one win. Did I say sigh yet?
  5. jkcarew
    If you really believe effort/urgency/caring were the fundamental issue in this year's post-season (your post includes strong language to that effect), then we've discovered a reason your 'frustration' (and that of those that share that view) would be 'different' than mine. I think it's much more likely that several players and the manager were trying way TOO hard, made a ton of mistakes in the process, and were quickly overwhelmed by a team that was a little bit better and a little bit more experienced. Look, I've acknowledged the "I'm not frustrated at all" comment was a poor choice. But, IMO, a lot of the sentiment in this thread (broader thread) goes beyond the perspective of what should/shouldn't have been said in a 2019 post-game presser...and just feels more like people being so mad at the outcomes...including irrelevant past failures...that they're looking for almost anything that helps them express their outrage. I 'get it' as a fan. But I'm not agreeing with it. It was a post-game presser, not a press conference to summarize the season...and it was pretty much identical to every post-game presser he's ever done...huge win or horrible loss.
  6. jkcarew
    OK...Yep...should have chosen different words there. The rest of what I’m reading in this thread I don’t agree with. It’s not Rocco’s job to share in the psychotic angst of Twins fans based on history that he wasn’t a part of. And I would feel patronized more than anything else if he went out of his way to act like he shared our angst. That particular choice of words notwithstanding, his job is winning games, not PR. The only person I care that he admits his mistakes and feelings of failure to...is himself.
  7. jkcarew
    I'm not a Rocco guy...yet. Kinda think almost anyone could have managed this club to a 95-win season. The team was very good offensively (obviously)...and the schedule really was that bad. It. Just. Was. Only 32 wins against +500 teams to get to a total of 101...unprecedented, for sure. Adrianza hitting home runs off Verlander in May not withstanding, there isn't anybody (objective and rational) that EXPECTED the Twins to beat either the Yankees or the Astros in this post-season. So, we're angry because it was more noncompetitive than we expected? OK. But why does Rocco have to apologize for frustration based on the history? One of the posts above (with which many seem to agree) literally states Rocco should have said "I sucked and I apologize that you fans had to go through this again". Again? Rocco's lost one series here. If it's anyone's job to do a mia culpa, it would probably be the Polad's in the Twins current circumstance. My two cent...the only thing a player or manager ever has to apologize for is lack of effort or preparation. And even when those apologies are in order, they don't make me feel better. Just fix it.
  8. jkcarew
    And only managed to cobble together $37M in career earnings so far. The shame!
  9. jkcarew
    The 1969 club is the first that I can remember following...Carew batting title, Killebrew MVP, division championship in the first year of divisional play. In retrospect, I'd say 1970 was the worse. We didn't know it at the time, but...Killebrew was just about done being Killebrew, and it was the same for other aging stars like Perry/Tovar, etc.; Oliva was about done being Oliva (the knee);...and Twins fans were about to find out that their owner had no interest whatsoever in competing in the transforming market. Soon Jim Kaat and Luis Tiant would be posting multiple 6-8 WAR seasons with other teams...Kaat having been waived in 1973 because he was having a bad year (and Griffith didn't want to pay him $45K), and Tiant simply released after the 1970 season because Griffith didn't want to pay him $50K while he worked on re-inventing his delivery. Meanwhile, the farm was about to embark on a about a 13-year stretch of producing absolutely nothing. The 1970 series against the Orioles was easily as noncompetitive as this 2019 series was, and the 1970 debacle ushered in an era that made the late 1990's or the 20-teens seem like a golden age. Next worse, 2006. 2019 was bad...but recency makes it worse than it will be remember, I think. (I hope.)
  10. jkcarew
    It's really easy to argue that the 2006 team was better all-around team than this year's team. The 2006 team was top-5 offensively in the AL, and the pitching was top 1 (or 2, if ERA is your thing). Goes without saying the defense played a more positive factor that it did for the 2019 club. 2006 club also won more than lost against other winning teams...a necessity that year, since the AL Central only had one club that lost more than 84 games that year. Also, pretty easy to argue that the 2019 Yankees are stronger than the 2006 A's. But yes, it's not like the stars were aligning for the Twins in 2006, either...given Liriano's situation and the fact that Radke's arm was in the process of basically falling off.
  11. jkcarew
    The team that had no relationship, in any way, to the clubs of past post-season failures...that team is suddenly somehow 0-16 in the playoffs? No this team is 0-3 in the playoffs. Maybe this club will never break through, like the others...but maybe they will. IMO, the take away for the front office (and objective fans) should be: the modern post-season is not at all a "just get there and anything can happen" proposition. That narrative has been myth for a while now. You don't get through two rounds, winning 7 games, against the best in baseball without having multiple players capable of dominating very good opposition. And I'm not wasting time getting worked up about the sweep or the scores. It was painful, yes...but you either win or you lose. You were either good enough or you weren't. Maybe the flop works in fan's favor. Based on the level of play they had established in the second half (to say nothing of other issues) this club wasn't sniffing the WS this year. Meanwhile, the FO should (I hope) be forced to acknowledge that the current club...despite the gaudy regular-season numbers, really isn't that close. That would be a good thing...not a bad thing.
  12. jkcarew
    Huh? The Yankees competition in the East was a collective 46 games under .500. The Twins competition in the Central was a collective 104 games under. The ALE wasn't as strong as it's been in the past...but it was easily more competitive than the ALC.
  13. jkcarew
    Disgrace baseball? No. Embarrass their fans, maybe...although I don't know why. Sometimes the other team is better. Sometimes you play poorly, and make things worse. And the Orioles of the late 60's beat the Twins in back-to-back series 6 games to 0...total runs were 43 to 15.
  14. jkcarew
    Anyone who thinks the Twins were a legitimate "100-win" team this year....in the historic sense of what it has meant to be a 100-win team...might be susceptible to unrealistic expectations for this post-season. The Twins were 5-games under 500 against teams with winning records. 10 teams were better than that, but the Twins got to play an AL Central schedule Having said that, I do think there are a number of Twins struggling under the harsh lights, making the match-up worse than it needs to be...Rocco is probably one.
  15. jkcarew
    I'm somewhat surprised by the first two games, but not that surprised the Twins are 0-2 at this point...and it has nothing to do with curses or the Yankees 'being in the Twins heads'. It has to do with the 2019 Yankees being better than the 2019 Twins. I thought the gap was relatively narrow, but maybe not. After all, the historic weakness of the Twins 2019 schedule warps perceptions. Fact is, there has probably never been a 100-win team in the history of MLB with a worse record against +500 teams than the Twins had in 2019. Over 40% of the total wins were recorded against Det, KC, and the White Sox. The schedule probably didn't just skew the win totals, but individual and team stats as well. Match-ups that look even, really aren't. Doesn't mean the Twins aren't good...or good enough to win a post-season game or two. Just not THAT good...and not nearly as good as the super-teams that exist in 2019. Gotta get top-end pitching in 2020.
  16. jkcarew
    The Twins chances are based on getting big leads early...which by definition means a starter going at least 5 innings in a somewhat effective manner. Our best starter didn’t really come close to doing that. That’s probably the most disappointing thing to me in a disappointing game.
  17. jkcarew
    Agreed. The 2020 question seems to be...have him for a full season as a reliever...or half a season as a starter. I'll go with full season as a reliever...but that might not be the right choice for his long-term value. It will be interesting to see what develops.
  18. jkcarew
    Arraez in the lineup and batting 9th. I was wrong-er than you were . Does beg the question...how/when/why would you use Schoop, then? Pinch-hit late against Britton/Chapman? Which of our left-handed bats would you do that for? If Castro is in the game, you're pinch-hitting Garver. Maybe Kepler given his rust? Maybe a late-inning defensive replacement for Arraez?
  19. jkcarew
    With his current swing/approach, I don't see Arraez developing Altuve's power. Of course, Altuve didn't develop his power until later...so, maybe. But, I think Arraez would need to change his approach, and he doesn't have much incentive to do that...yet. Altuve developed power later...but he was also more or less 'forced' to make aggressive adjustments after OPS'ing 740/678 in his first two full seasons. Also, Altuve is much faster than Arraez. Much.
  20. jkcarew
    My bet's rest...with another left-handed bat used to PH if/when the situation dictates (Adrianza filling in defensively). But, I wouldn't bet much.
  21. jkcarew
    If Adrianza is healthy, that's a nice development. And Arraez too, of course. I'm assuming Arraez gets another day to rest the ankle today. Rust is a factor for everyone given the way the post-season schedule plays out...but especially for Kepler, Adrianza...and even Gonzalez and Cron.
  22. jkcarew
    Chris Martin: how not to impress your teammates.
  23. jkcarew
    And yet, 6 days later, Mays single-handedly won the only game the Twins managed to win in the ALCS. 8+ innings and 1 run. Making Mays the answer to this question...who is the only Twins pitcher to win an ALCS game since David West in 1991?
  24. jkcarew
    "Arraez is the most traditional leadoff stud that you can think of." - huh? A 'traditional' lead-off guy would be able to run. Arraez is almost exactly a traditional number TWO guy...bat control, put the ball in play, hit-and-run, etc. Given the way the modern game is played, however...I have no problem leading him off. Give that we still have Schoop, I don't think Arraez is as vital to have against lefties/Paxton...but, you still want him, obviously.
  25. jkcarew
    If you absolutely ignore Severino...which this article basically does, yes, the Twins might have an advantage in the starting pitching. Severino first pitched in a competitive game back on Sept 1. Five weeks ago. I'm guessing he worked out once or twice beyond the game action he's seen. Can the Twins get to him? Of course. But, they'll have to deal with him and I'm sure he'll be ready to go as deep as any Twins pitcher (other than Berrios) has a reasonable chance of going.
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