Riverbrian

Nice Job on this post... I agree. That leads to the inevetible conclusion... The Inevetible rebuild. One of the most disapointing developments from the past 5 years has been the fall of the farm system. It use to be the pride of baseball and now it's not. The Farm system has to be rebuilt and it has to start very soon or the return to a pennent chasing type team will be delayed. The Twins will have to strongly consider trading whichever player can bring young talent in return if they can't turn things around. If they don't think about the rebuild soon... It will be years of putting in spare parts to surround the M&M boys before finally starting to rebuild because it's inevitable. Morneau isn't an attractive trade option at this point with his health issues and salary. It's questionable if Mauer is a great option with his health issues and high salary and no trade clause but someone may want Joe at the trade deadline. Denard Span could fetch a little but not a lot. The Twins have very little pitching to move of significant value. Someone like Kyle Gibson could come back strong and then be moved for a couple of arms but that would take a couple of years of proving that he's an ace. You can't trade someone like Sano since that's the type of player you are looking to acquire. I can't tell you how disapointed I am... Considering the value that we have let get away for nothing and how it set the Twins program back. Santana turned into Gomez and 3 other guys. The 3 other guys are nothing and Gomez Turned into Hardy and Hardy was traded for nothing. Garza and Bartlett turned into Delmon and 2 other guys. The 2 other guys are nothing and Delmon was traded for Nothing. Flat out bad GM'ing during this time period. Meanwhile the Rays were able to turn Garza into a boatlaod of prospects from the Cubs and they are competing in the AL East at half the salary and have AAA guys ready to fill in should someone fall. I hate to say it... The best course of action for the Twins may be to get as young as they can... quickly... and then lose badly for a few years and draft college age players and draft very very well. Be bad for a couple of years and get ready for the arrival of Sano, Hicks, Arcia and Rosario. Take player salary off the books and re-invest that salary into the scouting department. Make sure that every base is covered in the scouting department. Terry Ryan has a very difficult job ahead of him. This year will probably be the canary in the coalmine. If the canary dies... It should signal a youth movement and it could start at the trade deadline. If the canary dies and they don't go to a youth movement... Just settle in your chair and watch the mediocrity fill the room from floor to ceiling until you decide that you just can't live here anymore.

In 2006 Lirano possessed one of the most devestating sliders in all of baseball. That pitch alone produced the numbers that he put up. Batters would have to think about it and it made his fastball and other pitches more effective. I don't know if it's true or not but rumor is... That same devestating slider was a main reason for his arm problems. Since the surgery that slider has not been the same and until it comes back to form. He will have to find another approach to returning to 2006 status. He still has a good slider but it was really realy nasty in 2006. I also don't know personally but another rumor is that he goes through stretches where he doesn't trust his stuff. It's a head thing from time to time with Francisco. In reality, we are talking about two different pitchers. The 2006 Version was a completely different animal and if that guy was still around without injury. He'd be in the same room as Verlander and Halladay. The Twins would have their #1 and contract time would be very interesting.

If your pitching philosophy is to not walk batters. It's a great philosophy. If your Defensive philosophy is to not give the other team extra outs. It's a great philosophy. Batters will fail 7 to 8 times out of 10. Take the odds of that and play ball. It's the free stuff... Errors and Walks that will kill you in the end. Managing a Baseball Team and playing Texas Hold Em are a lotta like. Those that understand the odds and play the odds don't always win every hand but they win more then they lose and therefore win.

I would have gone with Mauer behind the plate. Scioscia is aggressive on the bases. I also would have benched Doumit for the game for failing to move Willingham over to 3rd base with no outs in the 8th inning yesterday. Burroughs or Hughes could play 1B against the lefty or DH with Morneau at 1B. His head might survive a game in the field. Or maybe this is the perfect lineup for today and I'm just gonna sit back and watch it with full faith.

My baseball bucket list is the rest of them. On top of the list. Fenway and Wrigley along with PNC, Petco, Minute Maid and new Marlins park.

If we played the Orioles 162 times this year. The Twins would flirt with the playoffs and end up with a 2013 draft choice around the 20th spot.

Hindsight is 20-20... It's obvious now that letting Ortiz go was a mistake but it wasn't obvious at the time. The Baseball Highways are littered with these things and and you can only see it looking through the rear view mirror. If you want to hang someone over Ortiz... Get a lotta Rope because there are baseball execs everywhere that deserve the noose in that context. The Twins got Ortiz from the Mariners. I'm sure the Mariners in hindsight should be kicking themselves as well. The Mariners also traded Shin Soo Choo to the Indians for not much. The Astros and Marlins are kicking themselves over letting Johan Santana go. The Dodgers would love to have Shane Victorino on the roster right now. They had him but he was a rule 5 selection by the Padres and returned to the Dodgers. Then he was a rule 5 selection by the Phillies and the Phillies tried to send him back to the Dodgers. This time the Dodgers said no and he remained in the Philly system. The Indians gave Brandon Phillips away to the Cincinatti Reds. The D-backs left Dan Uggla unprotected. The Orioles, Rays, Royals and Pirates all had Jose Bautista and the Blue Jays got him from the Pirates for next to nothing. The Rays would love to have Josh Hamilton and have nothing to show for him. The Giants would love to have kept Joe Nathan or Liriano. This is just what I can think of using the very top of my head. There are more out there. The baseball highways are littered. To be upset about David Ortiz is a tough grading curve.

lol... Where were all you guys when I was getting beat up over my support for Ben Revere in that other thread... lol... I coulda used the support. lol. I agree with everything you say. This team needs players who are giving it everything they have. Put a couple of these guys in the lineup and it starts to rub off and bingo... culture change. Another thing... Guys who break their face for the team will put fans in the seats.

Im sure you know that coaches at all levels tell players with speed like Ben has and power like Ben has to hit the ball on the ground. Looks to me like a coachable kid who listens. lol... Even better, I love the concentration of action up the middle. That explains the consistent .300 batting average. I'm disappointed that there isn't any blue around the 500 foot line! Seriously... Not to speak for Cdog... I think it was the word hits... Assuming base hits that he was questioning. If the ball scoots through the infield it's not an infield hit. I don't believe the vast majority of his base hits were infield hits either. It maybe a question of phrasing.

I get the Cano point. I dont believe certains positions have to be a certain type of hitter. In a ballpark like target field I am not afraid to lineup Revere and Span together side by side. I remember Lonnie Smirh and Willie Wilson giving the Twins fits in 1985 and using that formula all the way to the World Series. I'm not saying that will happen this year if Gardy takes my advice tho lol... The trade bait is another angle and I agree 100 percent. Look what the Braves paid for Bourn last year. Actually the Astros got hosed but the Braves wanted Bourn. There are teams that value speed and really need it. We have holes to fill.

Im cool with that. I also believe that Revere hasn't proven anything. He played well last year but so did Velencia two years ago. I believe that Doumit has proven what he can do and it isn't enough to negate the defensive risk. I like Doumit at DH and backup catcher and even backup OF and 1B on occasion. Play him just don't kill your OF range potential for a 15 dinger guy when Revere is in the dugout. Given the choice... Revere is my guy because he has .300 potential based on his contact rate speed and minor league track record. 50 Stolen base potential based on 34 steals in roughly two thirds of a season and I believe he can improve his walk rate and most importantly... The ball is gonna get knocked around the park and we need guys who can chase them down and provide defensive inspiration(which can be infectious) for what looked last year like a defense stuck in mud. In a nutshell...I believe Revere has earned the starting job based on a decent rookie performance last year set against a backdrop of the worst baseball played since Calvin Griffith owned the team and sold everyone. I do not believe that Terry Ryan has brought in a better option. Revere hasn't earned the job yet nor has he played badly enough to have it ripped from his hands either.

This is just a discussion and opposite points of view. I'm hopeful that everyone takes the discussion in that spirit. I want vodkadave and the greatest poster alive to realize that I'm on your side even if I'm against your side.

I'm not saying Revere is a slam dunk. I'm saying he's the best of our current options. Its actually 484 PA and that is a small sample size especially since he's facing Verlander and Bruce Chen now. It's not even a year of work. Only the absolute elite rookies come flying out of the box so please give the kid a break. He's young... Young players improve or they are forced to change careers. Saying he has to hit .320 to earn his job is flat out misguided but I respect your right to say it and his track record suggests that he just might do that. I'm only dismissing Doumits OPS because he's a vet and what he is... has been established. Im happy with Doumit in a Twins uniform. We need the help. I just don't buy the argument that he hits enough to risk the range and defensive ability with our pitching staff and questionable overall Twins offensive potential. A once a week ball that doesn't get cut off or caught could be 3 runs and we can't afford 3 runs. Not THIS TEAM. We are not the Rangers and everyone here knows that. That's my argument and I stand by it so go ahead and throw every stat at me. I know what they mean and It means nothing because Revere played last year for the first time and I thought he played well and my expectations of the rookie were realistic. I've seen too many rookies come up and get eaten alive only to ride it out and become ballplayers a couple of years later. Revere was a rookie last year and he didnt get eaten alive. He just isn't your kinda ballplayer. I've been forced to defend the little guy and his value and potential. It has turned into this Revere man crush from me and in reality I would relegate Revere to my bench the minute Mike Trout or Corey Hart is traded for. You can argue stats with me all day long... lol... Maybe Revere starts gapping some balls in the weeks, months or years to follow. Maybe he just keeps beating out bull**** IF singles. I don't care. Either way he's on base and he is manning a corner and preventing extra base hits with his wheels and glove. His stats are fine... Better than Plouffe or Parmelee overall so far but that isn't the point. Baseball is more than stats that's the point. There is room for power and there is room for speed. Don't hold the lack of speed against Adrian Gonzalez and don't hold the lack of power against Michael Bourn. If you want to overlook defense and the effect on stats... Look at the performance of Mr. Velencia yesterday. No errors were charged to him but his bad defense on two plays cost the Twins and Liriano 3 runs. Lirianos ERA went from 4.50 to 11.25 because of Danny. This stuff happens all the time and pitchers ERA's are effected by it. The Twins defense was unwatchable last year and all of our starters stats were inflated as a result. The easiest way to lose a game is to give the opponent extra outs. Defense is huge... From a morale and scoreboard standpoint and if you don't realize that, you need to watch the game and take your nose out of the stats for a second... I know that last line sounded snotty but I do say that respectfully... You can sacrifice defense for hitting but you gotta have the hitting to do it. We don't!!! That's the point. The point really isn't Revere.

Very Funny... I just spit my soft drink on my keyboard laughing. Personally, I'm choosing to remain optimistic and this weekend makes it hard. So, just to go with the current flow. Anyone know who the Top Amateur will be for the 2013 Draft? Any Harpers or Strausburg out there?

If you can't strike them out... Don't walk them. When those extra base hits happen. They are less damaging without the bases clogged on free passes. Rather elementary. In the End, I'd like to have the Phillies Rotation but if you don't... Don't walk batters. It's not the perfect answer but if it's the best you can do. Do it.

With another 90 loss season. Gardy will be respectfully let go with a very pleasent news conference. Everyone will say how much they enjoyed working together. Tears will be shed and a new manager with a new direction will be in place for next year. Gardy will get a job if he wants managing a different team almost immediately and Rick Anderson will follow him. The Mets would be my first guess.

Yes .304 and it's a small sample size. .385 in the minors with a much larger sample size. OPS .606 in the Majors and .793 in the Minors I also know that OPS is Slugging Percentage plus on base percentage and that means not just home runs. It's total bases and it's the power hitters that typcially do well in that Catagory and Revere is not a power hitter and probably never will be so using that stat to judge him is a little unfair although his OPS in the Minors is higher then both Plouffe and Parmelee and they are supposed to be power hitters. I know he needs to draw more walks based on last year but being that he is the closest thing to Eddie Gaedel in the major leagues today. I firmly believe that is something that will be learned down the line and be another club in his bag. I also know that there is more to baseball then Batting Average. I also know that there is value in someone who has a good contact rate and can stretch singles, walks and errors into two bases with the stolen base and that won't show up in the OPS. I know what all the stats mean. They have value but to reduce the game and opinions based upon them as your sole reference is a mistake. I'm sorry Bill James but that is true. Sometimes you just need a spark plug and Revere has that potential. Would I start Revere in the corner outfield over Josh Hamilton. No I would not. We don't have Josh Hamilton. We have Ryan Doumit with a .334 On Base percentage and career OPS of .775 and a pitching staff that feels overworked if they have to throw a ton of pitches to strike out batters so they let them hit the ball at Gardy and Rick Anderson's instruction. With our roster... I would start Ben Revere and I wouldn't think twice about it. Those who disagree with me are looking for a different type of ball player and that's OK... However I do believe that the type of ball player you are looking for... Does not exist on this current Twins Roster. Also keep in mind... The White Sox tried to load up on the long ball and failed. The Tigers tried it before as well and failed. The Piranhas from Minnesota beat them each time. You need a combination. Good Pitchers can take away your power and it's nice to have guys like Revere scrap something out in those situations. Play some little ball... defend and move the runners over when the chance presents itself and win a one run game with a sac fly against a pitcher that is dealing. It's not my intention to denegrate Doumit, Plouffe or anyone on the Twins team. I'm being forced to by defending Revere. No matter what... I'm glad he is with us. I'm pulling for him and everyone. If Plouffe can carry over his batting from Rochester last year to the major league level. I'll be the first guy to say start him and put Revere on the bench. Until then... Revere is my guy. Signed Respectfully Riverbrian

The one thing that Mr. Ryan did was give this team a little more depth and that is a good thing. Use that depth and move the players around. Go in with the attitude that no one has a job cemented. Make them play well for more playing time. Make them contribute and hold them accountable. Our depth is one of our best features. Utilize it and I love the lineup today for that reason.

Teflon... It drives me personally crazy. In the odd chance that Mauer goes down with an injury and Doumit has been taken out. It will be late in the game. Put the pads on Willingham for an inning and call up Towles for tomorrow. If it worries you so much. Start working with Plouffe on footwork behind the plate, calling pitches and have him spend some time in the film room and charting pitches. PREPARE FOR IT if it worries you. If Doumit or Mauer is DH'ing and the catcher gets hurt. Put the DH behind the plate and let the pitcher bat for the rest of the game. Let him swing or pinch hit for him when his spot in the lineup comes around and call up Towles for tomorrow. I'm not a Gardy hater but this overblown fear of running out of catchers is a hole in his game.

Hey Seth... Keep up the good work... I'm a Fan. I love what you do.

Let it rock... Let's run it up the flag pole and see if someone salutes. Let's throw it against the wall and see if it sticks. I'm all for moving things around a little. Here's to a 1-2 start to the season after today.

Safeco was OK... Just had to rank it behind the other places I've visited. My Family sat in the LF Upper Deck for part of the game. I spilled my beer a couple of times because that stupid train horn would blow behind us and startle me. Safeco was better after we decided to walk around and find a different open seat. I Still can't put Safeco in the same class as AT&T or Kaufman or Rangers Ballpark. Rangers Ballpark was a cool experience. My Family sat out in CF. My 2 sons were waiting for the homerun to dead center so they could run out on the grass after it. Sigh... It never happened.

Here's a quote from Danny Velencia from the Trib. "[Liriano] kept us in the game," Valencia said. "We didn't get any run support for him, and we didn't make a couple key plays." What's this "WE" crap. Velencia misplayed two balls with two outs in the 4th inning. Personally costing the Twins 3 runs in that inning. Down 3-0 after 4 is better then Down 6-0 after 4. Liriano wasn't compeletely sharp but he wasn't completely bad either. Neither of those balls that Velencia misplayed were ruled errors but a major league ball player has to make those plays. If he does... Liriano works out of the jam down 3-0 and his pitch count is at 64 and he's ready to go in the 5th and then who knows. I love stats... they do have value but sometimes a pitcher with a high ERA... has a high ERA because they suck and sometimes a pitcher with a high ERA... has a high ERA because of his defense playing behind him or bad luck. Sometimes the defense looks like Velencia did yesterday and no error is charged or sometimes the perfect pitch is blooped down the line for a bases clearing pop double. This stuff doesn't show up in the Box Scores or stats. Even Halladay will work himself into jams on occasion and needs his defense to make a play to get out of it. Velencia needs to understand that he has not cemented an every day major league job for the long haul. Twins fans are waiting for the arrival of Sano. Velencia needs to get back to that energy he displayed as a rookie when he was trying to prove he belonged instead of assuming he belongs. I'm looking forward to Burroughs getting the start today. I hope Burroughs plays well and gives Velencia something to think about.

lol... Revere has hit 5 home runs in 5 or 6 years of professional ball. How high do you think his OPS should be in consideration of his skill sets. Sometimes it's not about the ability to clear the fences. Sometimes it simply about not making outs on offense and making outs on defense. Sometimes it's about running face first into the wall and robbing Vlad and showing casual players like Velencia and Delmon Young how it's done. Sometimes it's about beating a ball into the ground and forcing the SS to bobble or throw it away because he has to damn well hurry. Sometimes it's about the attention the pitcher has to pay to someone like that sitting on 1st base taking a lead and the fastball he has to deliver to the next better because he can't throw anything off speed. Please understand that I don't believe they should start working on the Ben Revere bust at Cooperstown. He is what he is. I just think that his play as a whole is getting under valued and I think he has earned a starting job and he'd have it if Mornaeu could play 1B and Revere in LF would help us win games. My point is also not so much about Revere as its about the grasping on to someone with 15 home run potential and ignoring the fact that 15 home run potential guys are everywhere and nothing special. If the best you can do is 15 home runs. A dinger every two weeks. Give me range speed and effort to mix in some of that 15 dinger power. This team as a whole does not have enough overall hitting or overall pitching to survive poor range, bad gloves or lack of effort. I'm not comfortable with Willingham and Doumit combining to handle two thirds of the spacious Target OF with a pitching staff that pitches to contact.

No panic here. I still believe this team could win 82 games this year and I still believe that they could lose 95. The first step is to realize that we don't have any hitters that resemble Braun or Kemp. Getting upset with them for not hitting like Braun or Kemp is pointless. The second step is to realize that we have two players who are paid like they are Braun and Kemp but they haven't performed like it lately and it doesn't leave a lot of money to sign players who actually perform like Braun or Kemp. It's ok to be upset with them... They are well compensated for your utter disdain. The third step is realizing that we don't have any pitchers that resemble Halladay or Kershaw. Getting upset with them for not pitching like Halladay or Kershaw is pointless. The fourth step is to realize that without hitters who hit like Braun or Kemp and pitchers who pitch like Halladay and Kershaw. You better be able to catch the ball to avoid the gifting of unnecessary runs like today DANNY VELENCIA (did I say that out loud) and you have to develop that clutch thing and be able to stroke a key hit from time to time. Make a key pitch or catch from time to time. In other words. Learn to win the close game. The final step is to realize that there are only a couple of teams loaded with Brauns and Kemps... Teams that can just beat you silly(yet still lose on occasion because it just doesn't fall right on a given day). The rest of the teams... They are in the same boat as us to varying degrees. So serve me up a glass of that "if everything goes right kool-aid". I'll drink it... Stranger things have happened. Get Gardy and Ryan thinking about defense until we can find a couple Brauns and Halladays so we can survive our mistakes and for god sake lets not expect Ryan Doumit and Jamey Carroll to lead us to the promised land. Let's just hope they play decent and dont screw things up. Heres to the next 160... or 159 with a rainout.