Riverbrian

Parmalee is out of options? I learned something new. That kinda changes the dynamics. I assumed that Morneau would be back with us next year but if Parmalee is out of options that kinda crowd things at 1B. Is Parmalee considered to be an important part of the Twins Future or is he projected to be a backup. Whatever the answer to that question will be important in determining what needs to be done with Morneau. If Parmalee is part of our future... He can't go through another year like this year with the time spent on the MLB bench. Parmalee will have to move in front of Justin next year on the depth chart. Wouldn't he?

The dirty little secret is that Twins Daily is exactly what Terry Ryan tried to use. At least he wanted to because he recognizes the cost savings. However, Rocketpig and I can't agree on the value of Revere. Cdog and Vodkadave are at odds on another player. He tried to fire himself after reading Thrylos but after reading Seth Stohs he gave himself a raise instead. It all became too confusing so he's gone back to listening to his staff from the good ole boys club. What a huge mistake on his part.

I'd hate to be the guy who you have something against. The injuries are a concern no doubt but it is quite possible that he can turn around and it can happen real quick.

They have a big board and TR writes stuff on it. Underneath his wife's request to bring home Milk, Bread and Catfood is an organizational depth chart. TR also has spread sheets and information on his computer with scouts projections, contract information, performance reviews and information that is compiled on players inside the organization and from other teams throughout the minor league system and outside of professional ball. And if that wasnt enough... He has a personal secretary that keeps him on schedule and will hand him stuff if he has misplaced it. He also has an assistant GM plus three special assistants to the GM (actually 8 special assistants if you count Molitor, Herbie, Oliva, Carew and Blyleven). They also have a research manager and just plain ole researchers. The Twins have a director of baseball operations and a minor league director and people who work under them. They have a director or scouting and a pro scout coordinator and a boatload of plain ole scouts who go to multiple games at major league parks, minor league parks, along with college and high school fields. I should also mention that the scouting happens not only on American soil but also internationally. These scouts bring stopwatches and radar guns just to be equipped with thing a ma jigs that help in evaluation. Plus the scouts talk with coaches and find out information about a players makeup and they write stuff down with pen, pencil or type it on iPads or laptops or smart phones and send it off. If that wasn't enough... Scouts and their opinions are not just taken as gospel. They have cross checkers who reevaluate any lofty advocacy for a scout in the field to make sure the guy isn't out of his mind. Terry Ryan also has an experienced major league manager, a manager at each level of the farm system, multiple coaches at all levels of the organization including pitching, hitting, base running, catching, infield and outfield defense specialists. Heres the kicker. A bunch of these guys actually get together from time to time and hold meetings to communicate and they send email back and forth when they are not meeting and they talk on the phone as well. Numbers for everyone are saved on cell phones. If Terry Ryan needs to talk with his pro scouting coordinator. He just scrolls down his contact list on his phone to Vern or his secretary will call him and say "please hold for Terry Ryan and then transfers the call to Him. With all of these people working for the owner, Terry Ryan and the good of the organization. I would be surprised if there is no plan in place. The overwhelming majority on this board including me. Have Fangraphs and some internet reading material written by people not inside any organization and we use that to form opinions on players that we see occasionally at games we attend or watch on TV. So let's hang em. Thats all the information I need. Fan Graphs and an opinion. I'm good to go.

I can only guess... It does seem to be a bit soon to be throwing in the towel after such a large FA splash this past off season. The only thing that makes sense is that after all the money spent on FA this year and falling short. The Bank is drained and now FA signings for the 2013 squad is not an option. They fell short and still need to improve and don't have much in the upper levels of the farm. Retooling will have to take a different route. Just a guess.

I just did a google search with "Baker Twins Pussy". The only thing that came back was a quote from DPJ on Twins Daily... A website for Shannon and Shauna Baker. And a long list of porn sites. Naturally, it'll be difficult to focus on the Twins for an afternoon at least... With these new web discoveries deserving my attention.

I hear ya and Shane... It drove me out for a little while myself. The combination of that and seemingly less posts from guys like you did seem to tip the balance in the wrong direction. There are guys on this board worth reading... You are one of them. There are some new guys worth reading as well. There are some on this board that I disagree with but are still worth reading but yeah... we gotta get the balance back.

Hey North... Good to have you back. Haven't seen you posting in awhile. The Board isn't the same unless you are here.

No Argument here... Although, you can't dismiss it out of hand. Gardy obviously thinks differently. I have no way of knowing... I can only make assumptions based upon on how Gardy sets his lineup. Drew brings something to the team in Gardy's opinion. Based on what I know... I wouldn't play Butera at all... Gardy is in the position to see hear and feel something else. The fact that Butera is catching Liriano exclusively is a telling sign of something. I don't know what it is but I won't dismiss it cuz the Catcher is the captain of your defense. Big Job... Important Job. I believe that Butera catching says more about the job that Doumit and Mauer are doing while working with the pitchers or certain pitchers. Mauer and Doumit hit much better so why is Gardy willing to absorb the offensive loss to catch Butera. That's the question that needs to be answered in my mind. I think it's crazy to be afraid of DH'ing your catcher and driving yourself to the need of having a third catcher. I don't think it's crazy at all to match up your battery combo.

Catchers contribute a bunch to pitchers. Work done in the film room prior to the game. Work done in the bullpen prior to the game. The calling of pitches during a game. The recognition of what is and what is not working during the game. Knowing What good looks like for each pitcher and what bad looks like for each pitcher. The setting up of hitters. Knowing the hitters. The trips to the mound to steady a pitcher. Knowing which pitchers want the visits and when to not visit when the pitcher looks like he needs one. Knowing which pitchers will tell you to stay the hell away and when its time to go visit the mound anyway. Catchers do not get nearly enough credit for their role in every game. Catchers don't make pitchers throw harder but they can make them seem harder... if they do a nice job setting up the pitch. With all of that... A couple things. Joe Mauer should be capable of all of the above. Ryan Doumit as well. They are Veteren catchers. Drew is less experienced behind the plate. If Drew is better at it... It doesn't mean that Drew is amazing. If true... What it does is speak badly for Joe and Ryan and that's "IF true". If true... I'd be more concerned about Joe and Ryan. That's where the coaches come in. They should have a handle on... Who does all of this well. I don't think you can prove anything with stats on this subject but it's fun to watch some try. Personally I don't think Butera should play at all. He should just be that 3rd catcher backup that makes Gardy feel better and keeps Doumit out of the OF. The coaches have more information than I do.

I don't doubt that. 2nd year of a 5 year deal and then the club falls apart around him while he sits out with a concussion. All of sudden he becomes the focus of a trade to the Nationals. He wasn't expecting a collapse of that nature when he signed that contract and his name is the one being tossed around in a trade. Time has gone by now... He's had enough time to come to grips with the business. When I say can't handle the trade talk... I say that he can still go out and function as a ballplayer. He might not like the trade talk but I don't believe that it lessens him as a player. If trade talk does diminish Denard on the field... Trade him tomorrow and don't look back cuz trades can become a shadow at any time. I give him the benefit of the doubt. My boss will throw his stapler in fits of rage. Shake it off and do his job.

Joe Mauer is perhaps the only player on this squad that can reasonably assume they are Twins for life. For everyone else...Trades... FA signings... Cuts... Are part of the game. Span may want to stay and thats great but I'm sure that Span knows that he could end up somewhere else. If trade talk effects him... We should move him for that reason. It wouldn't be good to have someone that unsteady on the roster. I don't believe for a second that Span can't handle trade talk.

Butera on the roster keeps Doumit out of RF and puts him in the DH spot when Doumit isn't catching himself. So... Stretching for a point I know. Butura on the roster improves this team by improving OF defense indirectly. I think the 3 catcher thing is unnecessary and I still do... but Gardy doesn't... So... if Butera makes it better... His presence on the roster is necessary. Going into the season... I wished real hard to never see Butera again. Right now... I can live with his current plate production and 3rd catcher role. Catchers do have an effect on pitcher performance... I won't go as far to say that Butera has positively improved pitcher performance but you can't discount Seth's point either. Go Drew!!! I apologize to you for my lack of patience earlier this year. Next year... There will most likely be a different context to consider... Not sure how I we feel about Drews role with the organization next year.

I'd like to see some more walks but it makes little sense to wring your hands over his current BB% To say that he is probably never going to be a great OBP guy. Is kinda like saying that the 2012 Twins Baseball Draft is a fail. He's 24 and way too soon to make that call. 10 walks in 236 at bats this year. 4.1% League average is 8.1% 53 games played and he would need 9 more walks to reach 8.1%... That's 1 walk every 6 games. It wouldn't take much of an adjustment to pull that off. He's 24 years old. 13 More Walks in 53 games and he reaches that 10% mark. That's one more walk every 4 games. That's not impossible for a guy that looks like Eddie Guedel. It's too soon to be calling out the Anti Revere Crowd and it's too soon to be saying that the wheels are going to come off.

I really wish you the best. I will be watching for sure. This sounds like it was quite a project.

I hear ya... I actually agree with what you are saying to a point. I'm just hopeful that folks can enjoy the speed while it's here cuz it's fun to watch. I also believe that Ben Revere is faster and a better hitter than Christian Guzman. If his speed declines... Let's cross that bridge when we come to it. We have an army of young OF'ers coming up. If they out play Ben... Then they out play him. Right now... It's his time. I have always said that if we had Corey Hart or Shin Soo Choo... I'd have Ben playing in Rochester. We don't.

I know... but for that year... Adam Dunn was worthless... You take his power away and you ain't got much. If it happens to Ben... Yeah we got a problem. Speed is pretty much what he's about. Right now... He's running just fine... He might struggle with an injury in years to come but there is also the possibility that he keeps running into his 30's. The whole point is that attributes can collapse for any player for a time and nearly every player has specific attributes that are crucial to the job they do. Saying Ben is a leg injury away from being worthless is valid but it also can be said that a wrist injury to Justin Morneau can do the same. Speed declines as you age and so does power. Power is bat speed and you lose it over time as well.

Likewise... If I ever become a downtrodden, cynical ass, overloaded with hypocrisy and self loathing. Stay behind your keyboard big boy. I'm sure that Cap tipping you do means something to everyone amongst all the Hatred. I typed something positive!!! OH MY GOD!!! Let's put a stop to that right now!!! No one should be able to get away with that... We can't have that on this site.

I should have included this in my last reply. Ben is a 3 tool player and superior at those 3 tools. I don't get the 1/2 part. Speed, Defense and Hitting for average. He is substandard at the other tools. Power and Arm Strength. Justin Morneau is also a 3 tool player. Power, Hitting for Average(at least he was) and Defense(I think he does all right) I don't know if Justin qualfies with his Arm and I'm pretty sure he doesn't qualify with his speed.

Adam Dunn: 38 Homers in 2010 to 11 in 2011. Joe Mauer: 28 Homers in 2009 to 9 in 2010. Adrian Gonzalez 27 Homers in 2011 to 6 so far in 2012 Defense: Off the top of my head... Chuck Knoblauch started picking off people in the crowd with his throws for some reason. I'm sure there are example of good fielders whose error totals spiked and perhaps stayed there.

Thank you... Those words were chosen by me exactly for that purpose.

I was thinking the same thing about that last at bat. Young players can try and force things at times. Curt and others did a nice job laying out what Ben has been doing so far at the plate statistically in this thread. His discipline at the plate could use some improving.

If he has a leg problem... He's done... I agree... His Speed is that important. His Speed is probably top 5 in the Majors right now. I don't know maybe top two. I don't have a stopwatch. His OF Glove is probably top 5 in the Majors right now. Subjective I know... But hopefully we won't deny his ability to catch the ball. I've seen more catches from him than I've seen in the past couple of decades from everyone else. His ability to make contact is top 10. You can look that up. So he has other things working for him. But Yeah... If his legs go... You got a problem... I agree. Just like if Adam Dunn loses his power. Just like if Justin Morneau loses his ability to hit lefthanders. Just like if Mariano Rivera loses his cutter. Just like if Einstien has a labotomy. Just like if Kate Hudson gets hit in the face by Peter Brady with a Football. It alludes me why everyone is just hung up on what he can't do and waits for the failure that they are sure is coming. Meanwhile the guy keeps making plays. His legs are fine right now... He's Young... he can add a little more discipline to his game as time goes on and draw a few more walks. I choose to enjoy it and than I come to this site and everyone talks about the negatives. His Noodle arm... His lack of extra base hits... It's like being negative about Joey Votto because he can't play SS. Ben is who he is and what he is... Has been pretty good. Mike Trout is not on this team!!! Nor is Ryan Braun. For us... That means we get to watch a player like Ben do what he's doing and it alludes me that some don't seem to be enjoying it. I hope Aaron Hicks comes up and is an absolute monster I'd love to have Aaron and Ben in the Same OF... If Joe Benson comes up and starts battling his tail off... Great... If he can be that Extra Base machine with the rocket arm that everyone craves... Super... I'll gladly stand here and type the words that Ben should be the 4th OF'er or traded. But... Not in 2012... with this team... and I don't think 2013 either... I got Ben's back and it makes me seem like I got a man crush. I get that... I don't care... I'm just responding to what seems to be an endless string of negative posts about a 5-9 guy who's battling his tail off!!! It was a hell of an effort. Hanging on a ten foot fence after running maybe 30 yards and getting his glove on the ball. If he would have made the catch... It would have been one of the all time greats... The conditions for that play to happen is such a rare thing. The Ball coming down to where the guy is hanging is lucky... Or being able to hang in the right spot is talent... It's a shame it didn't happen because it will be hard for those conditions to converge again. That's why you don't see it everyday. I made a positive comment!!! And I'm sorry if that didn't sit well with some of you posters.

OK... I agree... and lets not forget about his arm. Now Name a player that doesn't have any failures!!!

What Failures? After you answer that. Name a player that doesn't have any!!! You call it hyperventilating... OK... I was saying... So Close... If he catches that... It would have been... Was I wrong?