silverslugger

Just adding my two cents, which is very similar to a lot of the other comments. Make better in game decisions in terms of situational baseball. Actually have a plan with a running game. Have expectations in terms of defense. I don't even care about post-season wins at this point. Do those things listed above well, and the rest will take care of itself if the front office gives you the horses and the horses maintain average health compared to the league.

I don't need Rocco to be a rah, rah guy in the dugout trying to light a fire. I don't need Rocco to be the Manager thrown out of a game every other week. I need Rocco to know when to hit and run, when to call for a bunt, how to create chaos on the bases and in the batter's box that the other teams defense must account for. I also need him to know when to pull a starter and how to manage a bullpen. IMHO, he falls woefully short in each and every one of those areas and it hamstrings the Twins.

Anyone know what the Twins record is in extra inning games under Baldelli since the implementation of the runner on 2nd rule?

I've been a Twins fan since the mid-70's as a young boy. Went through the days of a weekly Saturday game and Monday Night Baseball. Twins were rarely on either, so had to listen to 'CCO. Lived out of State when Cable first started telecasting 60ish games a season, so continued to listen to 'CCO and other affiliates from afar. Enjoyed watching many games a year while Twins were on FSN and I had DirecTV. Also went to a few games a year despite being 250 miles from Twin Cities. Cut the cord when DirectTV got up to $170 a month for me and switched to $60 Hulu. Enjoyed watching FSN on Hulu for a couple years. Then, poof, a switch to Bally and it's all gone. Also, I live in some sort of baseball created viewing hell called Iowa where the Twins/Brewers/Royals/White Sox/Cubs/Cardinals all choose it as part of their blackout territory. So, no baseball on TV for me. I watch a few games a year now when the Twins play the Sox and it's on Hulu. I listen a bit on the radio, not as much as before. I get my Twins fix here, for the most part, rarely even watch any highlights from anywhere on the 'net. I haven't gone to a game since this mess began and haven't spent any money on Twins merch...REFUSE. They will get none of my hard earned $$$. As an aside, I'm 57 and grew up worshipping baseball. The powers that be are absolutely killing the game. I teach in a High School. When I started teaching in the late 80's many kids were still interested in baseball. Now, almost none of them. The only ones interested are the very few who have grown up as little leaguers/legion ball/school ball. 95% of kids don't have a clue and don't give a care. 30 years from now, MLB and it's fanbase is going to look much, much different than it does now. Much, Much, Different!

I don't disagree that they've lived up to the value of the contracts they signed. I think the bigger issue here though is the loss of opportunity from signing these players. In order to fully understand value, I think we have to ask what the Twins could have done instead of signing these two with those dollars. We also have to look at the cost of signing in terms of it's effect on bullpen use/overuse. When you sign two reclamation projects and they both end up being starting less than innings eating starting pitchers almost the entire year, well, that's 40% of your rotation killing the 'pen.

In terms of analytics. I don't think it's whether or not a manager uses analytics. They all use analytics to a certain extent. Heck, HR's, BA, and RBI's are old-school analytics. It's just that we've now enhanced those stats with newer, more meaningful stats. It's ultimately the choices the Manager makes in game on when and HOW to use the analytics/stats at your disposal. I would suggest we have several years worth of data that suggest that our current Manager has very little "feel" for how to manage a game based on the analytics available vs. situational baseball. An example: pure analytics, based on years of baseball stats, tell you not to give up the out with no outs when a runner is at 2B to sacrifice the runner to 3B. Of course, this data does not take into account that it's extra innings and score or die. It doesn't take into account the increased pressure put on the defense if you're batting in the top of the inning and they have to defend against a bunt. A bunt may well result in man at 3B, man at 1B and still no outs. It doesn't account for the pressure put on the offense of the home team in the bottom half to score if the visiting team DOES ultimately score that run on a sac fly in the top half. Generally, Rocco has been horrible in extra inning situations ever since this runner on second business came into existence. Just one example.

There is a very clear reason why Pagan is still on the team and this time it has nothing to do with Baldelli (More on Baldelli in a moment). Pagan is still on the team because of the stubbornness (is that actually 3 b's, 3 n's, AND 3 S's, LOL). They traded away an all-star closer and team favorite within 24 hours of opening day for two controllable players. The one blew up in their face immediately and the other has had a sizzling fuse all season. It's their desire to prove they got something in return even though it's been nothing but a big pile of pooh to this point. Enough with the hubris and be done, DFA Pagan and move on. Baldelli, where does he come into play in this. Well, simply, he has absolutely no acumen for situational baseball and his management of the pitching side of things is horrendous. The Twins no longer have the Bomba Squad, that was a rarity, and need to do the little things (situational) well. Unfortunately, they almost never do the little things well. I'd take that Manager in Cleveland any day of the week over our current version.

I'll state the obvious. Can we just DFA Pagan already? Having him still on the team at this point is an insult to our collective intelligence. Then again, Baldelli's in-game decision-making is also often an insult to our collective intelligence.

Barring injury, he'll fit very nicely...in a trade package. As a single piece in a trade, the Twins might get some other org's #15-#25 prospect IF the Twins send the buyout money as well. Am I undervaluing Sano? I'm just over waiting for him to be the next Miguel Cabrera that we all hoped he would be. I'd love for him to be on the team and have his signature August/September hot streak. I just think it's less likely than ever after sitting out with injury. And we can't afford to give him a month of at bats waiting for his bat to catch up to MLB pitching.

It's days like today and weeks like this week that I thank my lucky stars that Sinclair/Bally Sports North/THE Minnesota Twins/AND MLB have completely screwed me out of being able to watch this horrendous mess on TV. I used to watch the Twins quite a bit before I decided that $175 per month for DirecTV was ridiculous. I used to go to a few Twins games each year (it's a 500 mile round trip for me). Now, the only way I keep track of the Twins and their minor league affiliates is through TwinsDaily. Sorry for the curveball here, it's probably in the dirt, just like the Twins bullpen. Now, back to our regularly scheduled programming.

All I had to read were three words that told me NO, U...C...and L!

Just another way in which the powers that be are making the game un-watchable. And to think, this explosion of the "need" to have position players pitch supposedly meaningless innings comes at a time when managers are complaining that their pens are being limited from 9 down to 8 pitchers. Who's baseball universe did I wake up in?

A far from petty attempt at your part to play the muse (ic) and a wonderful breakdown of the past weeks news. Somewhere, someone is saying don't do me like that unless your willing to pay me a Kansas City sized Royalty. Your work is too good so respond by saying don't do me like that.

Just another in a long line of questionable decisions by this organization. Miranda should be on the field no less than 5 days per week, with at least 1 or 2 of those at 3B. Also, the problem with trading Urshela going into the deadline, contending teams that are serious about making a playoff run aren't looking for "league average" at 3B. They want a top 10 player at the position. The Twins have floundered for over a Month now being a less than .500 ballclub. Two words...More Miranda!

He hasn't played a game since May 26 and is listed as being on the 7 day DL, anyone know his injury status?

So you're thinking the Twins like Tucker more than Cameron at this point? Is Cameron just not as signable? Perhaps you could give what you see as the Twins board, top 7 or 8? Thanks for all your analysis Jeremy, it's been fun to read.

Perhaps the disparity speaks more to what the pitchers are doing rather than anything Joe is doing. Maybe with nobody on base pitchers are much more willing to pitch around Joe and nibble on the corners. Of course, he's not walking in these instances which means he's probably chasing a bit which speaks to the aggressiveness mentioned by a previous poster. This would be an interesting subject for Parker to address in only the way he can. Two perceptions on my part over the past few years; 1) Joe doesn't seem to be getting the benefit of the doubt on the outside edge with umps anymore. I think pitchers are pitching that outside edge to him so often now that the umps are calling more strikes just off the plate because there are so many pitches pitched there. Also, and this has been dealt with quite a bit, but I still feel Joe has probably been the biggest loser when it comes to the dynamics of Target Field. So many of his high drives to left field seem to die on the warning track. Left field is great for hitting homers, if they're line drives.

Watching Steve Sax throw the ball to first base > watching the Twins play the Yankees

I'll add my two cents as a Twins fan who was perplexed and disappointed upon finding out the Twins were acting like sellers at the '07 deadline and then only sold off a bit piece for a negligible return.

Okay, lots of references to marriage and rings on this thread so how about this one? Being married to Phil Cuzzi and watching him work a Twins/Yankees game > actually watching the Twins/Yankees game.

Being a lawyer arguing for Carl Pohlad's estate against the IRS in court > watching the Twins play the Yankees

Hanging out with the Twins bullpen gang after the Yankee game > watching the Twins play the Yankees

Okay, I was reading a rather thoughtful and insightful article about the plight of the Twins situation leading up to the trade deadline and then I read this; "Most of the trade speculation this season has centered on Morneau, a potential free agent. That's because he's such a good player he probably will be too expensive for the Twins to re-sign. n I read this..." What? He's been a great player in the past. He's a "good" player now. The ONLY reason the Twins would have for not paying him in future years is because he may want GREAT player money and clubs, including the Twins, would only be able to pay GOOD player money. Plus, the Twins may choose not to give him a 2 or 3 year deal because he may block up and coming players including the already here Chris Parmelee. Whatever you say Tom Powers, don't say the Twins can't afford Justin Morneau's next contract. That's just silly talk with all of the potential money coming off the books and all future players under team control for the next few years. Seriously!

Last night's game is a perfect example of how a manager can burn out a bullpen over the course of a season. How many pitches did Fien throw to finish the 7th inning? 2? Two? Seriously! Fien has been pitching much better than Buron lately and had to get up and warm up for all of 2 pitches. You either keep Fien in to pitch the 8th or you go to your most talented pitcher who also happens to be left-handed to pitch to two lefties and a righty in the 8th. Also, Doumit looked dumb-founded behind the plate last night. Just watching him absolutely butcher the catcher position defensively last night was enough to let me feel comfortable with the possibility of him leaving via trade sometime in the next 30 days.

http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/mlb-big-league-stew/st-louis-cardinals-draw-christian-cross-pitcher-mound-173805257.html It looks like the St. Louis Cardinals grounds crew has been decorating the mound with some religious symbolism from time to time. I guess I don't personally have a problem with this. The author goes to great lengths to suggest a lack of tolerance for several other religions. I guess I didn't realize there were so many baseball fans of other faiths. Thoughts?