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lake_guy

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Everything posted by lake_guy

  1. lake_guy
    The proposal by the owners is an interesting anchor point to the negotiations. To put out there that there is a floor and a cap signals to me that the owners are finally starting to get serious about addressing the competitive imbalance. As stated in other comments the union needs to introduce true revenue sharing, that would be fun to watch how the owners respond. I would also like to see the players add in updating fan access to watch games from this goofy and irrelevant blackout scheme they have today. It will only draw more fan interest and help market the players. Why should the players do this? Because the owners surely won't. Unfortunately it appears there is enough of them with big interests to keep it as it is.
  2. lake_guy
    Won't be surprised if Simmons is in the FO plans for next year at the right price. As mentioned in these comments and elsewhere, the Twins need to focus their money on pitching and what are they gonna find that's overall better than Simmons with whatever is left over? Maybe a trade will be done to fill this hole but it isn't like whatever we put out there with what we have today is going to be that much better.
  3. lake_guy
    I watch a lot less this year, a big reason is because they're awful but several contributing factors really make it hard to even just enjoy the game for what it is and that's because: The time between pitches is out of control. Please bring in the pitch clock. Defensive shifts have drained away too much action. The counter argument is that players should adjust and exploit the shift. Well...it's been long enough and they aren't doing it so I have no hope it will happen. I like the challenges and the instant replay but come on, why does this take so long? When a reliever comes in they get 2 pitches to acclimate and then game on. They've been warming up already, And lastly, the technology is there to use the robot umps so let's get on with it. It's become annoying as **** to watch missed calls and just adds to the overall bleh for me. As if all that wasn't enough there's this elephant in the room called competitive balance which has been rotting away MLB since free agency started. Baseball needs a salary cap and a floor to help ensure ALL of the teams are able to field a team that has some shot at the post season.
  4. lake_guy
    My guess is the guaranteed money was too low and regardless how much it makes sense for a player like Buxton to have an incentive laden contract, there has to be some considerable pressure from the agents and the union not to go too far down that path for someone as talented as he is.
  5. lake_guy
    Exactly my thoughts too, that new agreement is a huge factor to consider. I'm not sure how they will do this but I expect owners to find a way to get closer to something like a salary cap. Maybe it's just a higher luxury payroll tax but the sport has to get some level of control over the spending (both threshold and ceiling) to get some more competitive balance. Players want the years shortened to free agency, maybe that's the key for them.
  6. lake_guy
    There has been a couple of times this season where Smalley has said what he thought they should do for pitch selection for a specific at bat and it made some sense and the Twins don't do it and get burned. Today for example Dobnak is pitching to Yordan Alvarez and Dobnak is behind 2-0 and grooves one that gets hammered for a HR. Smalley notes that Bregman, a right hander, is up next. He is also a good hitter but Smalley's point is the % is better righty/righty and with how Alvarez is hitting the ball if you're behind already don't give him anything to hit. To me it didn't look like the catcher was setup outside, if anything the catcher was sitting low but in the middle. The point to all of this is I've been wondering about pitch selection all season, this isn't the first time they've called a head scratching series of pitches. Yes, pitchers need to execute but ya gotta work with what you have and this season it isn't much. Catchers look into the dugout but how much of the game is their call?
  7. lake_guy
    Exactly, someone does. No way a Tom Kelly coached team or looking externally a Ned Yost team would be performing like this. And there were several years both of those coaches had low levels of talent and their teams weren't playing like this.
  8. lake_guy
    That was brutal. Can't say I'm a fan of the new positioning they do, seems it leaves them more open to foul tips off of the top of their legs. That foul tip can find a catcher in the swim suit area regardless but just looks like they are way more exposed than the traditional crouch.
  9. lake_guy
    Given how the last few years of FA contracts have been going I suspect the next CBA the owners are going to get much closer to some type of salary floor AND cap. To accomplish that the owners will need to give up some years of control which I think they will do. In this scenario we will see more players available every year and teams will go for even more of the shorter contracts because the FA quality pool will be wider and deeper every year. Nothing wrong with betting on yourself but players will also need to understand that the turnover and deeper FA pool can actually reduce their leverage. All of this is to say IMO if I'm Buxton or Berrios I would strongly consider trying to get something done now.
  10. lake_guy
    Wonder why the Twins aren't expected to sign any of the top 5 players? They are tied with a few teams with the top money, why would you not get one of those players?
  11. lake_guy
    Let's hope this guy and whoever else they sign is durable given what looks to be the Twins strategy to limit starting pitching to about 5 innings. They need guys with rubber arms like Clippard and back in the day everyday Eddie.
  12. lake_guy
    Tom makes several great points but one that jumps out at me is a reminder of how much playing time our utility guys got in the last couple of years. Rocco is adamant about load management and when you factor that in plus injury history to Donaldson (calves), Polanco (ankle) and Arraez (knees) a signing like this one does make a lot of sense because it gives Rocco more load management options. I'm not as sold that they need a utility guy who needs to cover the outfield as much as for the infield positions. He'll find room for all of them to play and we're gonna need it.
  13. lake_guy
    I can recall a few articles about how Garver was talking hitting with Donaldson. Not saying Donaldson was giving him bad advice, I just wonder if Garver didn't start thinking and talking about all of it too much and then add on the unbelievable 2019 season and it sure looks to have the makings of a guy that got into his own head too much.
  14. lake_guy
    How about this for a win-win approach. Give a team x number of shifts per game just like is done today with challenges. That would satisfy the analytic wonks of the game because it could use all of those deep analytic models to help determine the best time to use it and give the old school what they want with more traditional baseball but gives the manager some strategic moves to make. On another note, I don't think limiting or eliminating the shift would be a pace of play problem because it introduces more opportunity for action that fans actually want to see. It's the mound visits, batter stepping out, pitcher taking too long that are the real issue.
  15. lake_guy
    I recall Gardy always wanted three catchers right? While I see the utility of it is this a common thing to do? And of all the playoff teams the last few years I wonder how many of them used up three roster spots on catchers?
  16. lake_guy
    Agree with your assessment. With Cruz we also need to be mindful of that slump the last part of the season. Yes, he did produce in the playoffs but would think the FO will be shy about having too much money into potentially two guys (Cruz and Donaldson) that are injury risks or in the case of Cruz time is catching up to him.
  17. lake_guy
    Follow the Twins closely and it's the first time in the last few years that I've ever really seriously thought it's time to clean house, I've seen enough. Keep Maeda, Berrios, Jeffers and Arreaz and bring up the next wave for good. The rest of the 40 man are all expendable. And please get a bench coach that can balance out Rocco's ongoing stupid moves.
  18. lake_guy
    Agree with you on our shaky bullpen but it will be interesting to see how Houston does in the playoffs now that they aren't cheating.
  19. lake_guy
    Agree, he is the ace of our staff. Now watch the Twins pitch Berrios in game 1.
  20. lake_guy
    Surprise! The Yankees will do just enough to get home field advantage because they have the talent and the motivation to do it. The Twins on the other hand following Rocco's plan will rest players so they're ready for the playoffs instead of pushing like crazy to win all of the remaining games so they don't face the Yankees. And like clockwork the Twins will go into NY and won't have the horses to get it done. Berrios may have looked good pitching to the Cubs to make the ESPN analysts say he is the #1 starter but I disagree, the Yanks will eat him alive. Maeda deserves the #1 start.
  21. lake_guy
    Anybody else starting to wonder if Shelton was the enforcer/no nonsense coach to ensure the players really gave max effort. This team just doesn't seem to have much drive and it isn't like there's much fire coming off of Rocco. He's pretty good at making excuses for them though.
  22. lake_guy
    The Yankees and all of their fans are looking at the standings and have to be thinking whatever it takes let's do all we can so we play the Twins.
  23. lake_guy
    Given all that has occurred with players testing positive or pitching injuries seems crazy to trim the rosters from 30 to 28 this coming Thursday. How is that not a simple win for fans, players and owners to keep it at 30?
  24. lake_guy
    I would absolutely attend more Saints games. I suspect the level of attendance at the Saints games has a whole lot more to do with the price and the fun atmosphere. If they don't mess with either of those as a Twins fan I would love it. But definitely a hit to the players and coaches they draw from and the league they would be exiting.
  25. lake_guy
    It looks like the owners understand that there is only so much revenue that will be generated in a season, seems they should share that projection and center the payroll negotiations around it. Game revenue from fans in the stands is not trivial but it seems the players don’t understand or are simply unwilling to factor it in given their latest proposal. Player’s can’t expect the owners to willingly lose tens of millions of dollars, they have lost sight of the fact that there is real economic risk to operate a league. Oh and they should all agree that whatever that broadcast revenue is should be shared equally between the teams playing each game. If the big market teams don’t like this they should just schedule games only among themselves and see how that goes. Maybe this goat rope of a season will finally spark the much needed dialogue among all of the stakeholders to come up with a workable plan that is equitable for all stakeholders. I really like baseball but I’ve grown almost despondent over the lack of equity in the league with big and small market teams. No other professional league is this stupid about competitive play, It makes no sense.
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