LaBombo

Have to admit I was totally wrong about Butera. Thought he would never contribute to the organization. Drew da man!

So you're saying we shouldn't have the slightest concern about an AA hitter with contact issues skipping AAA just because the last AA hitter with contact issues who skipped AAA was a disaster at the plate?

It's hard to think of a Twins starter whose 2014 performance would be harder to predict at the moment than Albers. Maybe Deduno.

Let's hope the Twins won try to charge an extra 15 bucks for that like they thought about for bp.

Yes. He is.

Pop culture co-opting extravaganza...extra innings edition! http://www.kids.ct.gov/kids/lib/kids/images/symbols/pappy.jpg Real guy: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/5f/Pappy_Boyington.jpg/180px-Pappy_Boyington.jpg Link for the chronologically or retentionally challenged: chttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7iadRi_d5do Over and out, even though I hear they don't use either any more...

Yeah. At least he still looks better than Deduno 2012, aka Deduno No Mas

No. But... Season ain't over yet... http://www.its-prof-again.co.uk/CitySlickers.jpg

Scooter? Huh. Had always pictured you as more of a tricked-out trike guy... http://www.austinwaterponds.com/spinners.JPG

We were framed! Wait. Out-framed!

Future Core Player bright spot of the game: After a flailing K, Breaking Bad wisely decides to not risk another failed bat demolition, possibly over his head this time. Get to know 'em!

The Official Scent of Twins vs. Royals 2013...

Next year, and every year after that until one of us wins the race to contraction...

Well, I do know for certain that they've been so bad at diagnosing and treating injuries and managing DL/no DL determinations that Terry Ryan was forced to briefly removed his "pretty good pitchers"/"meaningful games in September"/'remain calm, all is well' public relations mask to admit that they were in serious need of off-season evaluation. And yes, I'm aware that the Twins' organizational rate for TJ surgery is roughly league average. But when you're a franchise that's prided itself on collecting pitching prospects who don't throw hard enough to break glass, then maybe you should be at or at least near the bottom of that list.

8/12/13 - Albers not as sharp 2nd time out, scatters 9 hits in 4 2/3 innings. 8/17/13 - Albers shelled in shortest outing yet. 8/17/13 - Albers a last minute scratch after experiencing elbow tightness warming up 8/22/13 - Albers to skip a turn to rest sore elbow "a few days". 9/04/13 - Albers placed on 15 day DL - left elbow 11/24/13 - Albers' offseason workout pain leads to second opinion, TJ surgery; eyes 2015 return.

In an organization that's probably only 2 or 3 more blown UCL's away from being the first franchise in baseball to require preemptive Tommy John surgery for pitchers when they're drafted, a little bit of caution could go a long way.

Best suggestion so far... http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m5f2kof1em1qcv5upo1_500.gif

You're far from the only one using that adjective; just thought I'd throw out some numbers for a guy who still doesn't seem to get credit from a surprising number of people for being one of the AL's best. KC's situation is very different from the Twins of today. They have a solid young core coming off various shades of down years, sort of like the 1985 Twins had. Most of those guys either returned to form or even took big strides forward in 1986, maturing as individuals and as a team before winning it all in '87. This doesn't look like KC's year, but they're on pace to finish with 85 wins, light years ahead of the '86 Twins and exactly as many as the '87 champs. Detroit will have something to say about the division championship again next year, with almost all their major pieces signed through 2014, so 85 wins probably won't get it done next year either. But KC has a very good 1/2/3 rotation (although Santana's a free agent due a big payday), Wade Davis improving at least peripherally, and a couple of 2014-ETA pitching prospects. Almost all of their hitters are young enough to potentially make '86-Twins-like strides forward. So while the Tigers will probably own the Central again next year, the division has not historically had two Yanks/BoSox-style titans most years. A Royals wildcard bid seems possible, and will look even more likely if their kids turn it up in the two remaining months of this season. Short story long, no, wouldn't trade Sano or Buxton for two years of Shields. He's a free agent anyway FA when they might contend in 2015, so they could sign him without losing a prospect. Well, if they did that sort of thing, anyway. But no, sir, no Correia either. His upside was a couple of extra meaningless wins yet no real trade value, and his downside has been on display since his Faustian bargain's 30 day free home trial expired at the end of April.

+ 1,000. Here's a list of the AL pitching leaders in cumulative WAR since Shields' first full season, 2007: Justin Verlander - 38.7 Felix Hernandez - 34.4 C.C. Sabathia - 33.5 Jered Weaver - 27.2 Jon Lester - 26.0 James Shields - 24.4 Josh Beckett - 23.8 Zack Greinke - 22.4 No other pitcher has a total higher than 20. Verlander is in a class by himself, with Felix, CC and Greinke (if credited with his total WAR of 30.7 in both leagues) not far behind. But Shields compares very favorably with the next group down. He threw more total innings than they did in that span, and trails only Felix and Verlander by about 20 innings in the group above him. His FIP and K rate match up well with Weaver and Lester too. And contrary to the belief that he would see a decline in his numbers in a less pitcher-friendly home park, Shields has put up 2013 stats that are mostly either in line with or better than his career averages. If the word "solid" is to be applied to Shields, it should be in the context of 'solid compared to the aces of AL playoff contenders' since his full-season debut. Referring to him as "solid" compared to other pitchers in general either seriously undervaluing him, or deliberately understating his value to bolster an argument against the wisdom of the trade, which is controversial enough without giving Shields his due.

Pitchf/x is probably far from perfect. But it seems to know that a pitch is a ball instead of a strike when a pitcher has just painted the inner edge of the batter's box opposite the hitter. Major league umpires sometimes do not.

Totally agree with your first two very good points, but... second-guessing? There were plenty of reasons before the season started to believe that Hicks wouldn't be ready, and that Diamond would regress and/or struggle to return to form. For that matter, most of what's currently ailing the Twins has been utterly predictable to this point. And most of it was predicted, before the season started. That's not second-guessing, that's just pointing out that the front office was basically doing this to itself: http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e113/bigblu89/Gifs/FightClubPunch.gif

When I saw the title, I wondered if it was about Willingham's market value going up, or about the Twins' weak offense looking better relative to rest of the league after some of their PED-fueled power hitters sit down for the year.

It will be much easier to put my complete faith in pitchF/x framing stats when MLB starts using them as a grading and possibly even a disciplinary tool to police home plate umpiring. Until then framing will be as much about umpires being good or bad at their jobs as it is about catchers being good or bad at framing.

84... and humid, though? Makes all the difference...

Pffft. That's a dry heat, compared to Bahrain, at least. Fewer casualties due to enemy action, though. Ok, fine, you ran in the less favorable runners' park.