CDog

Assuming the cited data sources are accurate (or close to it), doesn't Curt's latest data simply indicate that over time batted balls have shifted slightly from left field to right field? Note that "Curt's" most recent data is fairly old, while the others are more current.

The recent Detroit series? Mauer went to the plate 19 times, swung at the first pitch 3 times, took Strike 1 eight times and took Ball 1 eight times.

He's not "always" behind in the count or even close. He's been 0-1 163 times this year and 1-0 153 times. These are typical splits for him. He gets a smaller % of 1st pitch strikes than the league average (as he always has). And he doesn't even get fastballs "every" time on the first pitch, let alone batting practice ones. All that stuff is recorded so there's no need to rely on faulty perceptions.

You lowballed your own point...it's been two months. Man that first month+ hurts more every day! Agree with the previously made point: I think one of the bigger requirements is Morneau improving even half-way from where he's been to where he "should" be.

Yeah...weird. The wiki page says November 7 and references an article by Rhett Bollinger. I went to that article and it does, in fact, list that date as well. But that didn't seem right, and I have since found that the Star Tribune reported on September 8 that the surgery had been completed the day before. So hopefully this third try will get it right...Gibson will be a few days short of 19 months removed from surgery by Opening Day. Whew! Glad we got that settled!

Seriously. To me (TM Ron Coomer), he's THE big wild card for next year. He'll be something like 20 months out from TJ surgery by Opening Day, so he should be "all the way back" physically. But I don't know what to expect when he wasn't really fully developed even before the surgery. But if he could be where he was "supposed" to be, boy would that be a HUGE help. EDIT: Just looked and according to wikipedia he had his surgery in early November last year. I had thought it was August for some reason. So if wiki is accurate, he'll only be about 17 months out from surgery. Still "should" be all the way back by then, or very close, if all went and goes well.

Sounds like you had a good time. Felt like commenting on a few things you mentioned and only included those in the quote above. I numbered my responses in order of the bullet points left... 1) Amazing what winning can do. I went to a Friday night game and a Sunday afternoon game in 2005 and it sure wasn't full. In fact, on the Sunday game, the few people there had left most of the lower bowl to fill in the top where they could be under the shade of the overhanging deck. We went and sat right in the front row, right behind the Twins dugout and there was hardly anybody sitting anywhere near us! I looked up the attendance numbers and they were 28,877 and 20,882 but I would be shocked if there were nearly that many people actually there for much of those games, if at all. 2) As mentioned in 1), I wonder how much of that is because of the recent winning. When I was there, the concourses were as full as the seats, it seemed. Part of that could be because it was, as you say, HOT!!!! Which brings me to... 3) I don't know the normal cycles, but we were there in late August and even the locals were talking about the heat. Wow. Took your breath away. As you said, even then the night game was fairly tolerable, but the afternoon game was ridiculous (hence the aforementioned abandonment by most people of the seats in the sun). They offered unlimited refills on some drinks, including a wonderful lemonade that I had about 8 or 9 20 oz glasses of, which I thought was a nice touch to help combat the heat. 4) Aren't people wonderful? How in the world do you even react to something like that? Ugh. 5) Very much agree with you about the ballpark. I don't know why it annoyed me as much as it did, but I hated the concourses, how small and closed in they were, and that you couldn't watch the ballgame from there. It may have been touchier for me because I waited for a concession for innings. Yes, innings. Basically all of the "new wave" of ballparks are nice, but I just don't think it's quite in the class of many of the others. 6) Also agree that the location is "middle of nowhere-ish" and my personal preference would be to have more unique and interesting food and entertainment options around. I'm sure there are those that would prefer what is there, though. 7) Cowboy stadium tour sounds pretty sweet! Love the thought of guys just breaking out into a game! Thanks for the recap. Good stuff.

Cuddyer's illusions have been replaced and maybe even exceeded by Willingham's allusions. The guy is like Dennis Miller and never gets credit for it.

Already had! Although you fall well below Bremer's blame level since he did it more and had a wider audience. Ended the 8th heading to commercial talking about them being 3 outs from a shutout and then started the 9th going on and on about never seeing the Rangers shut out at The Ballpark. And no, I don't believe in jinxes...but it's fun to blame people! Haha.

I could be wrong, but I'm fairly sure the Twins can make him any offer they want. The $12+M is only to qualify for a compensation picks. They're still welcome to offer him $1M if they want. I think.

See! They got him right in the mind!!!!! (Any Slap Shot reference is a good reference. It's a rule.)

After I asked, I sorta figured based on just how bad they were. So much for figuring out the motives since the crime appears not to have happened!

Maybe his move started being ruled a balk! Haha.

Interesting. That ON 0-2 or AFTER 0-2? (I'm lazy and semi-busy or I'd just look it up.)

Not really a correction since I'm sure it was just a "typo," but it was a single. But more so, I wanted to use that comment to segue to something about the larger point... In between some of the ridiculous stuff Mitch Williams said last night (there's a whole thread on that), was something that caught my interest. He talked about there being more 0-2 hits (and I think he added that many were extra-base/home runs) than he could ever remember and thought it was at least partially due to the pitch count. In other words, pitchers trying to get through batters on fewer pitches were more likely to "give in" and throw something hittable 0-2 to avoid throwing extra pitches. Part of why I found it interesting is because it's not really something that can be checked (at least not the motivation part), so in that sense it was at least thought provoking. Basically I'm distracting myself from watching the game as intently as I had been because it's stressing me out, so I figured I'd do some typing. Feel free to ignore or discuss.

Cuddyer's career ERA is 0.00. A move from the bullpen to starting would make perfect sense.

And likely don't sign Willingham/Doumit (one, the other, or both) if they kept them.

Payroll the last seven years at Metrodome: $56M, $54M, $57M, $63M, $71M, $57M, $65. Payroll the first three years at Target Field: $98M, $113M, $94M. That promise was kept.

I know it's not the focus of this thread, and maybe it's just a quibble on the use of "a few years," but the Twins won their second straight division 21 months ago and the Vikings were an eyelash from the Super Bowl after a 12-4 season (their second straight division title) just over 2 years ago.

And throw in a trip to Texas to face their lineup for the weekend AND the fact that the position players are such that in-game substitutions are pretty rare.

In the postgame, Gardenhire seemed to think that Burnett walking Berry was the big mistake of that inning, so I would imagine that's what had him upset. I wouldn't have expected him to go with Robertson there with Cabrera on deck anyway, regardless of Robertson being ready or not, would he? As for Perkins, not only had he pitched the 2nd and 3rd, but also the 1st and 30th. Was the first time in his career he'd worked four straight days according to the radio broadcast. I'm guessing that had something to do with the second day off (I wondered if it being a day game mattered, but don't know how much that would matter).

If you haven't already deleted it, as mentioned already, the first four innings are full of weirdness that you might find interesting. The plays at the plate (I got to wondering if I had ever seen back to back pitches lead to tag outs at home), the missed pickoff tags, the three-way collision, etc. I'd quickly stop, delete, and move on with your day not much after that 4th inning, though, unless you're fairly masochistic.

Probably, but it's different if they (right fielders) are catching a higher % of fly balls hit their way (which would surprise me, especially by that margin) or if they're actually getting that many more chances (which is also slightly surprising, but makes more sense). Or some combination. Mostly curiosity, though.

I know the above has been out there before, but is there corresponding data that you (or anyone else) knows of on balls hit to the various fields? I'm curious if there's just more balls hit to RF and that's all there is to it, or if there are more in the air but fewer on the ground, or if it's possible RF's are just showing more range, or something else.

I've really enjoyed what Roy has brought to the booth this year. Very clearly a guy who, at the very least, has spent a LOT of time thinking about and studying the game (and hitting in particular).