Jump to content
Twins Daily
  • Create Account

rv78

Verified Member
 View Profile  See their activity

  • Posts

    1,911

  • Joined

  • Last visited

 Content Type 

Profiles

News

Minnesota Twins Videos

2026 Minnesota Twins Top Prospects Ranking

2022 Minnesota Twins Draft Picks

Minnesota Twins Free Agent & Trade Rumors, Notes, & Tidbits

Guides & Resources

2023 Minnesota Twins Draft Picks

The Minnesota Twins Players Project

2024 Minnesota Twins Draft Picks

2025 Minnesota Twins Draft Pick Tracker

2026 Minnesota Twins Draft Tracker: Picks & Bonuses

Forums

Blogs

Events

Store

Downloads

Gallery

Everything posted by rv78

  1. rv78
    Platooning is only going to be as good as the players that you platoon with. When it involves guys hitting .211 .217 .179 .214 it isn't going to be successful, period. It's a worthless attempt to gain an advantage when you imploy specialist hitters against a certain kind of pitcher.... and they are still bad hitters. Then add in the regulars that are hitting .247 .165, .207 .221 .240 and it's not too difficult to see the real problem. These guys just can't hit. Correa can't and never will carry this team, which is what a $30+M superstar is suppose to do. It's way past time for everyone to admit Buxton is the biggest flop in Twins history. Most of the time he can't play and when he does he can barely hit his weight. Kepler who was hitting .300 early on has seen his average drop to .263 and it won't be surprising to anyone if he is back to his old self of hitting in the .220's by the all-star break. Vazquez is washed up offensively. The savior to play 1B, Santana, is one of those specialist, hitting a robust .217. Farmer is hitting a Galloesqe .179. There's your 6 highest paid hitters on the team. Roughly $80 million dollars worth of crap offense. Collectively those 6 are hitting .219. Maybe, just maybe the youngsters who aren't good enough to play everyday or trusted to hit against opposite throwing pitchers really wouldn't be much worse or even possibly be better if given the chance.
  2. rv78
    So you are saying that the off-season acquisition of Manuel Margot was NOT a success? How dare you suggest that this FO has made a mistake. Off to the JoeyGallo's with you. Anyhoo..... don't expect the FO to admit a mistake by replacing that mistake. Oh, and if they did? The replacement would just be another mistake. I suspect they'll add another injured arm to the roster before they try to fix any previous mistake.
  3. rv78
    Disagree. They found money for Santana, Margot and a bunch of 1 year wonders for the bullpen. Spent money to keep Farmer for a bench/platoon spot. Spending power, even if it was limited, was wasted on floor type players, not on players that would IMPROVE the team. This happens pretty much every year. Even last year when they spent extra money they wasted it on a guy like Joey Gallo. But that's ok..... We know you drink the kool-aid. The first thing this FO looks for and wants in a starting pitcher is to see if he has an injury.
  4. rv78
    The Twins aren't going deep in any playoff scenario if they even make the playoffs this year. You need at least 3 legit shutdown starters to make a deep playoff run and their 4 best, Lopez, Ryan, Paddack and Ober are hit and miss at anytime. As we saw last year with Sonny Gray, all it takes is 1 bad outing to end a playoff run and Lopez, Ryan, Paddack and Ober do that consistantly. No point in trading prospects away for a 1/2 year of a big bat that won't make enough of a difference. A hot player at the right time like, Wallner or Larnach or Kirilloff or Miranda or Lewis will accomplish the same thing as adding Alonso. Stay the course, keep building from within, let the youngsters play, and add a true verifible ACE starter. It's the last piece to the puzzle, another HR bat won't matter.
  5. rv78
    So Lewis is a lock at 3B. The FO will not waiver from this in no way, shape, form or reason. ??? Why is this a stubborn and stupid plan? Lewis is probably the most athletic player of.... Miranda, Lewis and Julien. So who would be the best player of the 3 to play in a different position other than what they are used to playing? The answer is the one who is the most athletic. I agree in giving Julien a reset in AAA. When Lewis comes back it would be the perfect time. Let Miranda stay at 3B. Put Lewis at 2B. If a Lewis who has played a ton at SS in the minors cannot handle 2B then moving Polanco there was totally wrong. Is there anyone here that thinks Lewis canNOT play 2B? I doubt it. Let Rocco platoon Kirilloff and Santana to death at 1B. Santana isn't going anywhere just like Gallo had to suck for 2/3rds of a season before they would admit they made a mistake. Santana is version 2 of Gallo, so he's here for the majority of the season whether you like it or not. Margot is the RHanded Outfielder they so coveted going into the season. He like Santana isn't going anywhere. Pick your young player that will get sent down, Larnach, Julien, Kirilloff, or Miranda. The spot won't be opened by a veteran. This FO doesn't operate that way.
  6. rv78
    It is apparent you do not understand the meaning of my statements. The Manager should be setting an example. He is the Leader. Any comments to the media about the shortcomings or faults of his players should either be completely withheld or he should address them in a way that shows he is partially responsible, and that should be done EVERYTIME. It doesn't matter if this is the first time for Duran or any other player for that matter. If you want to believe that is what turned Keplers season around then so be it. Did Rocco make the same comments at the start of this season too since Kepler is one of the best hitters so far in 2024? I don't remember that happening. Maybe, just maybe, Kepler decided to quit swinging for the fences and trying to pull every pitch, which correlates to only having 4 HR's but leading the team with a .311 BA and tied for the team lead in doubles with 12. Sure, it's a small sample size so far this season and by the end of June Kepler could be back to his usual .220 BA. Let's hope if that happens it doesn't take Rocco another half of a season to make those same comments to wake Kepler up again.
  7. rv78
    Who has been openly critical to the media in the past? Rocco. Not the players. As I understand it, this is the first time a player has been that way. Rocco has done it multiple times. As I said before........... Do as I say, not as I do.
  8. rv78
    Never said Rocco was suppose to support Duran's comment. I was inferring, he shouldn't be critical of players comments to the media when he does the same thing. When he criticizes his players to the media for not changing their approach at the plate which he has done multiple times and did again by saying “You can’t take three, four, five innings to adjust to what the starting pitch is doing to you. That’s not quality professional baseball.” who is setting the example? They have a word for people like that..... it's "hypocrite". Maybe what Rocco should have said was... We made the wrong call or My pitcher just didn't make a quality pitch when he needed to and took some responsibility. If he's such a great Manager then why does it take his players three, four, five innings to adjust or why don't they change their approach at the plate from the very 1st at bat? I thought he was so good with his players, such a great communicator. Yet stuff like this is happening? Maybe in the players only meeting, they discussed, and decided, not to listen to Rocco.
  9. rv78
    Do as I say, not as I do.
  10. rv78
    If you are a player in AAA that is being blocked by a Joey Gallo you have to ask yourself.... just how bad am I? Or..... What do I have to do to replace this schmuck on the major league roster? It's almost as if batting averages mean nothing anymore. Hit a HR or make an out and all is good. Afterall, what was the driving factor in the last 2 games with the Nats? 4 HR's on Tuesday and 2 more on Wednesday = 2 Twins wins. They really need to have everyone swinging for the fences on every pitch. It's about the only way they can score. Or is it, because they are swinging for the fences on every pitch.
  11. rv78
    Where does Miranda go when Lewis comes back? DH? Who goes down? Kirilloff since Miranda could be the backup 1B? We all know the FO loves it's veterans and only leave as a last resort, so Santana is here for the long haul. Julien definitely needs a reset, just as much as Kirilloff. Can Miranda play 2B? Maybe keep him at 3B and put Lewis at 2B. Something is going to have to give and Miranda has shown he belongs here.
  12. rv78
    I'm sure there's a dumpster level starting pitcher that is hiding an injury this FO has their eyes on.
  13. rv78
    Okay..... If the players have limited or even no control on what/how they play, then, will the Manager and Coaches ever be held accountable? It also makes one wonder .... will Rocco continually tell the press that the players approach needs to change when it fact they are likely doing what they are told. Sounds like, if Duran had the choice, he would have thrown something different. Rocco blames the players, when quite possibly, all they are doing is what he and his Coaches want. And I thought Gardy was good at throwing his players under the bus. Rocco has him beat by a country mile.
  14. rv78
    Because Rocco doesn't know any better and makes the same type of calls.
  15. rv78
    You forgot Mahle and DeSclafani.
  16. rv78
    To some extent I respectfully disagree. Margot, Santana, Correa, even extending an unreliable Buxton were all done with defense in mind. Add Gallo to that equation last year............ because his bat says he should've retired a long time ago. Plus this FO has been drafting or trading heavy for SS for years and SS are known for their defensive talent .... Lewis, Lee, Martin, Miller not to mention the later round picks. If they are drafting and trading specifically for bats and we now have players that can't hit then there is another aspect of the game they are trying to do that is missing or fundamentally wrong, because it isn't working. As I said in another article, most players need consistant playing time to be consistantly good. Rocco is consistantly platooning leftys and rightys based on pitchers faced and with that there is no consistancy of playing time for the Twins hitters. Why constantly do it when it doesn't work? Only a Manager that is blind, stubborn, or mentally incompetant would. There's the problem.
  17. rv78
    I'm not. Rocco isn't that bright. Remember, he is the one who had Buxton and Correa rest on the same day a couple of years ago and couldn't figure out how to keep that from happening when their "scheduled" days off fall on the same day. He's the same guy that will use a predominately righty lineup against a lefty pitcher even though the pitcher has opposite splits. Or he'll bat his .190 hitter in the 3 hole of the lineup and the guy hitting .275 in the 9 spot only because they are a lefty or a righty verses that pitcher that day. He thinks rest prevents injuries. The only time it does is because they didn't play. If you are so tired that you'll hurt yourself then you are doing something more strenuous than just playing baseball or you have an underlying condition that is aggravated by playing, so you should be on the Il. Rocco and or the FO's philosophy, which I think are tied at the hip are the problem with this team. Fire Falvey, Lavine, Rocco and his coaches and go back to old school baseball and a lot of problems will go away.
  18. rv78
    Miranda, Kirilloff, Martin are young. They need playing time at 1 position to settle in and get comfortable there. Bouncing them around between different positions isn't helping. Corey Koskie had a brick for a glove when he started playing 3rd for the Twins but was given the chance to get better with "regular" playing time at that position. He didn't have to play another position while doing so and got very respectable with his glove. Put the players where they belong, play them everyday so they get comfortable and quit the musical chairs positioning of players in the field. Margot was a long-shot to be worth anything and was brought in to be a backup. Utility players like Castro are what they are for a reason. They don't belong in the lineup almost daily just because they can bat left-handed or right-handed against an opposite throwing pitcher. Why is it these young players are good at every level as they progress through the minors but when they get into Rocco's system of platoon and play somewhere else different today from last time you played 3 days ago that they struggle? It's not hard to see why.
  19. rv78
    Only way things will change for the better is for fans to stop attending games and send ownership the message that this is NOT ok. I agree that the organization has been remade but I'd beg to differ that it is in a good place. Falvine should have moved on before the crap they have assembled blew up in their face. Name 1 player currently on this team, that consistantly plays good baseball all year, every year. There isn't one. Their highest paid player and supposed team leader left the team for greener pastures sending a message that he could care less about the Twins and that backfired in his face only to be saved by the fools in the FO. A known cheater who didn't want to stay here is your leader? Sure... great move. All of the starting pitchers are inconsistant including your Ace who isn't really an Ace. The bullpen is worse, including the go to guys of Jax and Duran. Most of the hitters can't hit, especially when there are runners on base. Their defense is average at best and that's a stretch. Most of the main guys you want in the lineup can't stay healthy. The Manager is totally inept at managing a lineup and a bullpen. The FO continues to bring in washed up veterans or injured pitchers thinking that somehow that is actually improving the team. I've been tellin you guys this team is a joke but most all of you keep drinking the kool-aid. Chug Chug.
  20. rv78
    Not sure what to do? How about a complete reboot starting with the FO. This is their team. Their highest paid hitter is an average hitter who plays great defense, getting superstar money. Their 2nd highest paid hitter has a career .239 average, also plays great defense but can't stay on the field. They've brought in a catcher that can't hit anymore but plays great defense. Went and got an aging veteran to play 1st base who's past his prime, can't hit his weight but still plays decent defense, so he gets the majority of time at his position. Is there a trend here? A utility player leads the team in AB's. Why? Are the players, who are suppose to have a regular position, not good enough to play everyday? But a Utility guy can play more? Want to solve most of the hitting problems? Want to start scoring more runs? Play your regulars everyday. Stop platooning them to death so they can get AND stay in a rhythm. Put some faith in your young hitters and show them some confidence instead of yanking them from the lineup every time a matchup doesn't look like it is in their favor. Want to ruin a hitter? Show doubt in their ability and replace them when a number on a piece of paper tells you to do so. If analytics are so good, then why does this team struggle to hit and score consistantly? If this team is better because of it then I'd hate to see how they'd be without it. IMO... I think it makes them worse for the very reasons I pointed out. I've watched baseball for over 50 years and the way Rocco manages a lineup on a daily basis is one of the biggest detriments to hitting and scoring runs consistantly. It's good to play consistantly. It's good to bat in the same spot in the lineup everyday. If a hitter struggles against a certain handedness pitcher will he ever get better by not being able to face that type of pitcher? Maybe the FO should identify players that can hit against both and target those players instead of those that can't. Why did everyone think they needed to add a right-handed bat this off-season? How about just adding a good bat that can hit both lefty and righty pitchers? Then it wouldn't matter. It's not complicated. But they are so enamored with analytics and launch angles and matchups that they have lost sight of just playing the game.
  21. rv78
    Unfortunately looking ahead to a "friendly" stretch in the schedule doesn't make you a better team. It just makes you "look" like a better team. My guess is, the Yankees, Orioles and Guardians look at the Twins as part of their "friendly" schedule.
  22. rv78
    Poor pitching, poor hitting, poor managing. Let's blame the umps. Ober laid an egg followed by Funderburk and why is he on the team Jackson. Rocco, note to self, if you use your better pitchers, the game may not get out of hand giving you a slight chance to come back and win a game. When your worst bullpen pitchers have pitched the most in the last week you are doing a poor job of managing your bullpen. Note to this FO, when you have a worthless player, waiting to DFA him makes you look worse at doing your job than signing him in the first place. Who stole the sausage? It belongs to the better team on the field on that particular day. Competition wise, this team can't keep up with the good teams.
  23. rv78
    Every win is important, but it’s even more important to be healthy entering the playoffs. Not if it takes every win to GET to the playoffs and/or it improves your seed in the playoffs. I've already seen Rocco throw enough games away by resting his best players to last a lifetime. Take a player like Buxton, the only way he doesn't get hurt is if he doesn't play at all. How many injuries has he had that would have been prevented with more rest? Probably Zero. Pulling up lame with a sprained knee or busting your hand from a HBP have nothing to do with rest. Take almost any injury for that matter. How about Royce Lewis, would rest have prevented his injuries? Surely he wasn't "TIRED" from the long grind of the season when he strained his right quad on opening day? If you need rest... to prevent injuries then you are a fool. What you need... is to be in better shape and play within yourself. Trying to do too much, or more than your body is accustomed to.... has more to do with injuries than not enough rest.
  24. rv78
    All of the comments about not covering bases and having options doesn't explain nor have anything to do with the multiple innings usage. As analytical as the FO and Rocco are, it doesn't take special glasses to see Alcala is a really good pitcher, probably another 7th or 8th inning guy when he is used as a 1 inning guy. Add in the fact that Rocco is known for "protecting" his players by not over-using them. One thing I will never understand, is the over-use of analytics for some things and the complete ignorance of it for others.
  25. rv78
    To me, the "pipeline" is what is there, being developed in the minors, regardless of how they got there, (drafted or traded for). Any "MLB ready" pitchers regardless of how they got here are not coming from your pipeline. They are covering up for the deficit in your pipeline. PLopez, JRyan, CPaddack are not Twins pipeline pitchers. They were acquired to make up for the lack of pitchers in the pipeline, either quality or quantity wise or both by this FO. Without those 3 pitchers how good would we be able to say this FO has done building a pitching pipeline? I would say it has been a complete failure, Without Sonny Gray and Kenta Maeda and Pablo Lopez and Joe Ryan in 2023 how good would the team have been due to the "pipeline"? No need to go back any farther because there is no one that came from the pipeline. I also don't like to include relievers in the "pipeline" discussion because they are more often than not, starters that failed to become legit MLB starters. Why should pitchers drafted to be starters and failed, be considered part of a good pipeline? They just aren't. They had to take on another role that wasn't expected or desired of them. So we have 3 "pipeline" pitchers in Ober, Varland and SWR in 2024 starting games. Ober has been reasonably successful and has his spot secured in the rotation. Varland looks like he's destined for the bullpen which means he failed, and we have SWR who has thrown a total of 4 games which hardly leads to any solid evidence that he is going to be successful longterm. IMO, the pitching "pipeline" has consisted of a couple of drops and the end of the drought is no where to be seen.
×
×
  • Create New...