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Otaknam

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  1. Otaknam

    High Marks??

    Otaknam commented on Doc Munson's blog entry in Fantasy GM

    It’s all about the pitching, especially the starters. The Twins have no ace or number two starters that have emerged. Until that happens no playoff run is possible.
  2. Otaknam
    Pretty negative take. As a long time Twins fan if I felt that the off season moves would be pointless I’d turn my attention elsewhere instead of deciding to be frustrated.
  3. Otaknam
    Done with Baldelli! I agree with other posts that Rocco’s dogmatic inflexible analytics approach has to be discarded from time to time in favor of using his intuition. His refusal to let the SP go past five innings is only the most obvious example. That works if your bullpen is solid but no one will argue that was the case this year. When starters are removed after five solid innings and 75 pitches to bring in a guy like Pagan, the only conclusion is that Rocco has no instincts for managing. Also his inflexibility on giving players days off is puzzling. Apparently those are scheduled many days in advance. Players do needs days off but there are times when the hottest hitter is on the bench because it was scheduled a week ago. Let him keep taking for a few more games. There were also times when both Correa and Buxton were benched while the team was struggling. How does that make sense? I just see Rocco managing by computer algorithm instead of with the instincts you expect from a competent manager.
  4. Otaknam
    Obviously there is no correlation between the first start and career success. Not sure why you raised the question.
  5. Otaknam
    I’d sign him for one year for depth and see how the year plays out. Maybe he could be a trade trip mid summer if Lewis is ready.
  6. Otaknam
    Thx for pointing out the definition of a quality start. Maybe a five inning start is a Rocco quality start. The rest of us know better.
  7. Otaknam
    Still hopeful on Martin. His stolen base numbers are eye catching though Rocco wouldn’t let him steal a base because maybe someone behind him in the lineup might hit a home run. Earl Weaver reincarnated.
  8. Otaknam
    The injuries did decimate the team but Rocco should not get a free pass. His slavish devotion to analytics and lack of trust in his starters was frustrating, especially with a bullpen that was poor. His Earl Weaver refusal to utilize the speed he had to occasionally steal a base or try a hit and run, especially when the offense was sluggish, a frequent occurrence, was a head scratcher. And of course the many base running blunders says to me the coaching staff didn’t do a good job. I wish they’d move on from him.
  9. Otaknam
    Given the team’s collapse I say it’s time to give SWR his last start this year at the big league level. That would help to calm the jitters to have SWR get a start this year in pace of Bundy. What’s the downside?
  10. Otaknam
    Every time Buxton runs the bases, slides, or goes after a fly ball I cringe, expecting another injury. He is clearly a difference maker when in the lineup but he can’t be counted on. Having him DH to prevent more injuries would help, but he might need a designated runner like in senior softball to prevent pulled a calf or hamstring.
  11. Otaknam
    I’ve become skeptical of the team’s future starters, given the mounting injuries. Also, as noted by a previous posting, hardly anyone on this list has averaged more than five innings. How is that developing a workhorse pitcher, especially when Rocco doesn’t trust his starting pitchers to go through the lineup a third time? No workhorse free agent pitcher would ever sign here with that philosophy. So count me skeptical that this management and coaching staff can develop top flight starters.
  12. Otaknam
    Tanking in baseball is a crap shoot because top talent is harder to project than it is in other sports. Of course there are occasionally a Ken Griffey Jr. or Carlos Correa available who are viewed as can’t miss prospects.
  13. Otaknam
    It does give you hope. The key is for the starters to remain starters and hopefully one of them can become at least a number two starter. The team will go nowhere without high end starting pitchers. Five number 3, 4, or 5 starters won’t get you to the World Series.
  14. Otaknam
    With minor league starters dropping like flies I have to wonder about their approach to developing pitchers. In fact given the mountain of injuries on the big league club, resulting in a majority minor league lineup in a series they had to win, it makes you wonder about the entire medical staff’s handling of injuries.
  15. Otaknam
    Another season of moving on from baseball once the NFL starts. The predictable Buxton injury was especially frustrating. Trades for broken down pitchers Paddock and Mahle that didn’t help this year were especially aggravating and a black mark on the FO. Lost a lot of minor league arms for 7 starts total.
  16. Otaknam
    Since the Twins won’t pay big money for a top of the rotation free agent starter, the FO took a measured risk with mid rotation starters with injury concerns. And ir hasn’t turned out well. The larger problem is the inability to develop potential number one and two starters, which are essential to making a strong playoff run. The current team will not be positioned for any playoff run until that happens. Also the injury problems of their highly regarded minor league starters is a concern, especially since the organizational theory of four to five innings that Rocco dogmatically follows, using a computer algorithm instead of actually managing on a game to game basis, is also applied in the minors. Pretty disappointing about how this team is managed.
  17. Otaknam
    Good luck to Varland making his debut in the Bronx. It will be a start to remember. It is some good starting pitching news for the team after so many of their promising starters have been injured, non productive, or traded, which doesn’t bode well for the team going forward. They still don’t have a legit ace or number two starter.
  18. Otaknam
    Just a suggestion. Show their their position and height/weight and age next to their names?
  19. Otaknam
    That’s a mediocre batch of starters. Three solid number 3s and fill ins, an indictment of the FO for its inability to develop front end starters. The team has no chance to make a run until that happens.
  20. Otaknam
    An excellent summary of how I view Rocco. The injuries aren’t his fault and neither is the acquisition of Pagan. But I agree that he doesn’t seem to have a feel for using his pitching staff. Analytics can take you only so far.
  21. Otaknam
    The Twins shouldn’t and won’t pay Bundy an $11 million option to give them 4-5 innings as a number 5. Of course every starter is a number five to Rocco and thus they, can’t be trusted to pitch to the lineup a third time. No highly regarded free agent pitcher would ever sign here if the manager has no trust in them to pitch past the sixth inning or a COMPLETE GAME, whatever that is.
  22. Otaknam
    Wallner has more speed than Gallo so that should help his on base percentage. He is considered a better defensive outfielder and has a great arm and likely profiles as a right fielder. His strikeouts will be high but hopefully he learns to drive the ball to all fields and doesn’t frustrate like Sano, who failed to adjust and never became a big league hitter. One home run or nothing player is enough!
  23. Otaknam
    Good point! Having to convert infielders to outfielders on the fly is an indictment of the FO. And having half your lineup be minor leaguers who can’t hit is a prescription for disaster. That’s on the FO. Then mix in Baldelli’s poor handling of the starters and the injury problems….
  24. Otaknam
    I’m so frustrated with Rocco’s mishandling of his starting rotation. Bundy is solid for five innings with a low pitch count and the computer algorithm tells Rocco to take him out. Giving the starters a longer leash with the still leaky BP makes sense to any baseball fan except Baldelli. How can that be worse than what they are doing? Rocco has no intuition for baseball.
  25. Otaknam
    let’s hope he becomes as good as the good Berrios. The maddening thing about Berrios is his inconsistency: good game, then dominant game, then a stinker, good game, below average game, dominant game, stinker. Rinse, repeat as the Jays are finding out. He’s a number three starter at his best. Is that worth $131 million over 7 years?
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