Riverbrian

I was about 22 when I made my first trip to Vegas. I had about 1,000 bucks with me and I was ready to try it all. I checked into the hotel, dropped my bags off in my room... Said "here I am" and rode the elevator down to the lobby. To make a long story shorter... I went back to my room 45 minutes later with 30 bucks in my hand. Although the escort named Samantha that I hung around with was very nice and she felt sorry for me. The next day I had enough of the gambling thing and decided to sightsee. I didn't want to see no damn dam. So I got in the car and drove a ways to check out Death Valley arriving around noon with 30 bucks in hand. To make a long story shorter... I took a wrong turn and my car overheated. I had driven past a ranger station 4 or 5 miles back and decided to walk back that direction. To make a long story shorter... There were animal skulls and mesquite everywhere and you have to understand that the creosote bush starts to look the same after awhile and I got turned around and headed the wrong direction. It must have been around 3PM when I collapsed. My skin was blistering, I was crawling toward mirages, my breathing was getting shallower and my mouth was so dry that my tongue was stuck to the roof of my mouth. I had to pry it loose with my fingers. My thirst was so great that I stuck my face into the sand and tried to drink it. To make a long story shorter... I could feel myself drifting in and out of consciousness. Just when I thought my end had come. Some guy named Gary from Lone Pine California pulled up on a dirt bike. It was actually a regular bike but after riding through the desert... It got dirty and became a dirt bike. Gary asked if he could lend a hand and I begged him for water. He whipped out a cantine and said 15 bucks and it's yours. As I reached for the money. Gary went on to show me something else. Authentic passes good for 72 holes of golf at Augusta National and he was charging 30 dollars for them. To make a long story shorter... I'm no fool. I gave him 30 bucks and off Gary went. As I laid there drinking more sand, I stared at those passes, someday I would meet the challenge of Amen Corner.

Baseball is about ringing the bell when the bell is in reach. This is the Diamond moment. He has passed test #1. The next test is the regression. Can he battle back from it. I love what I'm seeing thus far. No walks today. This is a pitcher that is limiting his mistakes. A team will have earn it against him.

You'd listen to Otero but you can't handicap Buxton cuz he's in the Powell region. With this high of a pick... Serious cross checking has to be happening. Powell may be the better snake oil salesman but here's to hoping that the Twins have more then Powell's ratings and advocacy. Great post though. I was not thinking about that angle. I'm gonna put you down on my smart poster list. You got me thinking now.

Plouffe can turn it around on a dime. It is possible and I have... Plouffism? Trevor can also easily go back to bad ways and end up getting Plouffed by baseball. Its all In his hands now. This isn't a Gardy or Vavra thing. This is Plouffe and what he can dig down deep inside himself and find.

Honestly, I was excited about the trade at first. #1 pick overall... In the majors and performing at a very young age. It didn't take long for that excitement to turn to horror. To this day... Delmon is the only Twin that I've hated. Maybe a month of watching and it was obvious that he didn't give a crap. I told everyone that I prayed for a big year so he would get some trade value for trade. I was sure that he had to be in the Gardy doghouse. He had that year and Nothing!!! A Twin he remained until his Value dropped to a relief pitcher who might make it and then the trigger was pulled. I understand why the trade was made but I don't understand why they didn't move him at the first sign of increased value after he unveiled his attitude and what he was in a Twins uniform. Bill Smith was in charge.

I enjoyed the research... It was a very interesting read. This isn't a slam of the research because I do appreciate it, but I wouldnt place much credence in it. 1. High School Pitchers would logically be more apt to reach the elite status because the elite arms are being drafted and paid money to not attend college. College guys are later bloomers (not in all cases). 2. Hitters are a safer bet because pitchers tend to have their arms fall off. The research was interesting but fairly predictable. The baseball draft is a crap shoot. Every team has missed and missed a lot. If you want the safe pick. I doubt that he is available or has a neon sign flashing safe over his head. Personally, I would not shy away from pitching because they are injury risks. They are and that means you need more to cover. Everybody is searching for pitching because it is critical to a teams fortune. The Twins pitching hole is about as steep as it gets. If you think you can trade Arcia for pitching... Umm...good luck with that. You can trade Arcia for soon to be free agent pitcher X but the Twins won't be looking for that guy. The college guy gets here quicker... Time is an issue... and if TR isn't factoring in time when determining the BPA for us... He is failing as Deron Johnson's boss. Im ok with Buxton being the draftee but damn it... He better be safe. He can't be a miss cuz we will be waiting for him and while we are waiting. Our team will be trying to figure out how to overcome 5 runs a game. We need to draft a hundred pitchers and hope that 10 percent work out. If Buxton is the guy and his learning curve is like Hicks. Tack on some more years to our comeback.

I won't pretend to know the players because I don't. I've been reading a little so I will do mine based on What I think the organization will do and what I've read. 1. Astro's take Appel... I'm reading that this is a done deal. 2. Twins take Gausman... In a draft where every player seems to have question marks? I wonder if there is enough of a BPA difference to ignore the biggest need pitching. I've read that Gausman is the most MLB ready arm in the draft. 3. Mariners take Buxton... They have been building their pitching for a little while. They are moving into the offensive phase. 4. Orioles take Almora... They have Young Pitching... They have a young SS... Surprise pick of Almora here. 5. Royals take Correa... They have organizational strength everywhere. This is a BPA pick. 6. Cubs take Zimmer... They need pitching and Pitching Quick... A college Arm makes sense. 7. Padres take Marrero... They could use a fast track infielder. 8. Pirates take Zunino... Was probably banking on Marrero but Surprised and Happy that Zunino falls to them. 9. Marlins take Giolito... After the Cubs... This is the team that will roll the dice on this kid. 10. Rockies take Hawkins... Something tells me that Pitching will not be the Rockies Direction.

Ok... It says no question that he can stay at short and before the paragraph is complete. mayo contradicts that with he's 6 3 and near 200 pounds which suggests a move to 3b. Thats kind of like saying. Without question... I do not believe in reincarnation.... But I did in my past life. Personally I would like to read about a high round SS that projects to actually be a SS. I'm beginning to think they don't exist.

The question in this scenario is... After the 1st round picks... How youthful do you go? Do you take a Rizzo with no MLB cred over Adrian Gonzalez? Grandal over McCann? Bauer over Halladay?

Give me the young left hander Kershaw. I'll pass on Kemp and take an Adam Jones type CF later.

Honest answers only. 1. In consideration of the state of the Twins at the time. Would you have made the trade for Delmon Young? Try to be honest with removal of hindsight. 2. Once acquired, how would you have handled him. Would he still be a Twin or gone at the first sign if trouble? 3. Do you understand Bill Smiths thinking at the time or is Bill Smith now in the Ron Davis doghouse?

The Twins should collect arms like a Northern Idaho Militia. I think Epstein trading with his former team to acquire him speaks volumes and I think Epstein Designating 25 year old Bowden for assignment shortly after kinda unspeaks those volumes. Especially for a 29 year old so so replacement. However, in the name of arm collection. I'd sign him.

Hey North... Hey man Thanks... Now I can pick out the highlights of the scenery. My hands are in the river. Chief... About a 2 on the making fun of me meter but I do appreciate the effort. I gotta ask the significance of the 1 in the middle of the exclamation points. The only time I can think its appropriate for an exclamation after 1... Would be a real important countdown of sorts or a very surprising temperature reading in Tucson. Look at us now... Multi quote capable. I gotta move to another thread... Ignore the topic and do this Multi quote thing somewhere else now. North is going to regret teaching us this.

Joe Mauer... One of the Sweetest Swings in the Game... Athletic enough to play multiple positions well in my opinion... One of the best players in the game. I can't say enough good things about Mauer. However, he is vastly overpaid for his overall production and I would have paid it and with the chance to do over. I would have paid it again. The baseball market just works that way.

With egg on my face and an admitted lack of 2012 knowledge I have to ask. How do you quote multiple quotes in one reply? I hit "reply with quote" and it neatly puts it in a box for me. Adding another quote to the original quote is beyond my talents. That skill could come in handy. Yes... Everyone can make fun of me for not knowing this but teach me while making fun of me.

I actually kinda like POUTINE. Its just that over the past month. I'm kinda running out of things uniquely Canadian.

Great post... I agree completely. I'm am worried about the state of Twins pitching and fear a stretch of mediocre or worse because of it. I would trade anyone for an arm. I don't see Willingham as giving back much in return unless he continues to rake up to the all star break and injuries deplete a contender. Willingham will most likely be with us in 2014 because his value to us will be much greater than the value he provides as trade bait. 2014 is The year our return to glory begins. (hopefully).

Nice... I was reading along and I actually stopped and googled Peabody Firefrost. Two points for you Bark. I'll take my usual minus one.

Hey North... You know what your biggest problem is? POUTINE!!! its almost criminal what you do to your french fries... Other then that... I find no traces of ignorance.

Funny shirt... I'd wear that... If I had one. I'd get stared at... But I'm used to it.

I will be drinking, smoking, eating asbestos, bathing in formaldehyde and strapping a transmitting cell phone to my head permanantly because Baseball will have made me invincible.

I remember my Grandmother who was 95 years old at the time had just baked some Cookies. I stopped by to visit and she asked me if I wanted a fresh baked Cookie right out of the oven and she set down a glass of milk for me and gave me a kiss. I replied... "what the hell you old bat... Are you saying that I look like someone who needs one of your Cookies. My god... raisin Cookies... You put raisins in everything... Cookies... Stuffing... Hamburgers... Look... Take a look... See this... you have raisins in this glass of milk. Get a clue... Can I just stop by without you peddling your raisins and smothering me with your Grandmother breath". In retrospect I may have over reacted to my Grandmother but thankfully not as bad as you just did with this post.

One more thing... Plouffe knows it... You can see it in his body language. I feel bad for the kid. He just has to realize that he can do this... Look for his pitch... not the pitchers pitch...

In the end... Baseball is about opportunity. I can't give you any names but I'm convinced that there are quite a few baseball players who could have been superstars or at least everyday starters in MLB who never got the chance because someone was blocking them or a decision maker marginalized his skills by focusing on one negative trait while ignoring something positive. Who knows... Maybe Lars Anderson is destined for MLB greatness but will never get the chance because Adrian Gonzalez is blocking him. Ryan Vogelsong on Jose Bautista got an opportunity and they made the most of it when that opportunity arose. How many players never got a chance. I don't know the answer but I'm sure that there are quite a few. Trevor Plouffe is at such a crossroads right now and his opportunity is right now. He's at the right place at the right time and he is blowing it because he can't produce consistently. The Twins don't want to let him go because he has potential to be a flexible guy with Pop. They don't want to play him either because he is taking the O-Fer to new levels. Trevor could be pressing trying to prove something in every at bat... I don't know but he has to get disciplined and he has to do it right now... Because his opportunity is right now and there are many players who just didn't get the chance that Plouffe is getting right now. He will sit back and look at this year as the year that cost him a career if he doesn't get it together.