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jkcarew

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Everything posted by jkcarew

  1. jkcarew
    Around 1984 (might have been ‘85) Tony and Kirby Puckett played on a fall league slow-pitch softball team in a league that I was in. Can’t make it up. NEVER would happen these days. Of course we were in awe and trying to engage them the entire time. Tony was incredibly friendly, but couldn’t hardly get a word in edgewise with Puckett’s constant chatter. I think we played them one or two double-headers. To my recollection, Oliva homered in every at-bat. After the first couple, we told him he didn’t have to run the bases. They were all no-doubters. He would have been around age 47 at the time, limping severely…but just LOVED swinging a bat. There was nobody among us 20-something year olds…including Puckett…hitting the ball as far as Tony was. I can’t really remember his mid 60’s seasons. Started ‘remembering’ Twins games in 1968 or 1969. And I remember, at that time, my parents and uncle (who, respectively, grew up Tigers and Cardinals fans) considered Oliva to be the best player on the club. A club with Harmon Killebrew…still in his prime…on it.
  2. jkcarew
    I don’t like ‘one size fits all’ approach. Each guy is unique and Soto sure has a different frame than Raya. Also, I’m not sure anyone knows exactly what makes one guy break down, while another doesn’t. The heavily cautious approach certainly doesn’t guarantee nothing goes bump in the night. At some point, they have to handle the load or it’s moot. Still, he’s 19...you’re gonna start slow. I’m just hoping they keep an open mind and let things evolve rapidly if, in fact, the responses indicate that he’s capable.
  3. jkcarew
    Many of us may think that Julien is a potential all-star level hitter. But, Rocco gives every indication he thinks Julien’s ceiling is Randy Bush. He might be right and he might be wrong…but how will we ever know if he’s wrong?
  4. jkcarew
    Nice game overall for the bats…and also the bullpen. (The bullpen was good in both Brewers games.) Nice win. The good: I liked the decision to go with Stewart and Jax in the 7th and 8th. Good job of adapting/reacting to the circumstances of the game as it unfolded. Something that Rocco hasn’t necessarily been great at, IMO. The bad: The top of the 4th inning was an embarrassing clown show…all on Rocco. If you’re replacing your leadoff hitter in the 4th inning…in itself, highly questionable…and do so with a mediocre hitter (being kind), a guy who feels his best chance to drive in runs with two outs and the bases juiced, is to try to score the guy from 3rd with a perfectly placed bunt…well…clown show. The fact that the pitch hitter showed zero confidence in his own ability to drive the ball for a base hit (that probably scores TWO runs) and instead bunted on his own, makes Rocco look WORSE, not better, for having put him in there in the first place. In the 4th inning.
  5. jkcarew
    This looks like a situation where the “save” happens in the 8th inning. Or we score a bunch more runs. I’m fine with either.
  6. jkcarew
    I’m reminded… 2-out 3-run homers are good.
  7. jkcarew
    Other than that one swing, he seems to be very much in acclimation mode at the AAA level. 6 K’s in his first 13 PA, and zero BB.
  8. jkcarew
    So Varland is #4 and Paddack is #5? Or did Rocco make up his mind that he was going to use all five (even though he wouldn’t have “needed” to) on this pass as a ‘tryout’ for the 4th spot going forward?
  9. jkcarew
    Buxton swinging it pretty good. Unfortunately, he’s not getting the ball in the air. In the past…in the stretches where he’s making hard contact…the HR’s have come in numbers. It’s a problem he’s never had. Still, it’s only a problem because nobody else is hitting much of anything. Hate to say it, but I don’t think this lineup is going to win many games by spraying singles and doubles all over the place. And I don’t think we can just ride the starting pitching, either. Power needs to kick in.
  10. jkcarew
    The FO will believe it when they see it. And then they’ll say we “competed”.
  11. jkcarew
    Come on, man. 4 games,,,one in which he got on base twice and another where he doubled and scored a run. Also, only 3 K’s now in 14 PA.
  12. jkcarew
    And yet, you can win 85 games (with an ALC schedule) and hang ALC pennants doing this. Which, sadly, is the goal of this organization.
  13. jkcarew
    Pitching ended up giving us a chance. Batters didn’t take them up on the offer. Shocking lack of power through 4 games.
  14. jkcarew
    NOT the Joe Jackson that I was expecting.
  15. jkcarew
    I might feel different if it was with a good hitter.
  16. jkcarew
    So Varland is #4?
  17. jkcarew
    I’d like to THINK their due diligence processes were competent enough to pick up on Mahle’s arm health…but Hajjar (well regarded at the time), Encarnacion-Strand, AND Steer…that hints otherwise.
  18. jkcarew
    I think this is a pretty good take on it. Probably not a “bad” deal in a vacuum (we’ll see). But not what was indicated nor expected or desired for a contend-now team.
  19. jkcarew
    I agree…this was different. We actually KNEW this pitcher was broken BEFORE we acquired him. But how again is that supposed to make me feel better??
  20. jkcarew
    I miss the days when just Buxton…(and a recently acquired arm, of course)…were the only ones on the IL. Much simpler times.
  21. jkcarew
    The Vernal Equinox is in the rear view mirror, my friend. Your only job now is to avoid any sudden movements or shifts of weight that could knock the earth’s axis off its 23-degree angle. And I don’t want to hear any excuses.
  22. jkcarew
    Spahn and Sain then pray for rain?? Lopez and Ryan then lots of cry'in. (I hope it never catches on.)
  23. jkcarew
    Love watching Ryan pitch. Just keep keeping the fly balls in the park.
  24. jkcarew
    But he was ok to pitch on the back fields (as reported by TD)? And he’s suddenly OK to go this weekend? Doesn’t make a ton of sense to me. The good news is that regardless…he’s getting paid.
  25. jkcarew
    It’s evident the organization respects what he’s done, and who he is. Agree he’s easy to pull for. Still, seems highly unlikely he gets back into major-league plans any time soon. He’s not rostered and wasn’t included among a host of non-rostered pitchers that got spring training invites. I think it would take something truly extraordinary to unturn this page.
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