Riverbrian

I agree... would have rather seen things like this done in June or July. Waiting until September kinda puts the ole' back against the wall unnecessarily.

Y'all can look into a clubhouse and talk passionately about the lack of leadership eh. I just wanted to see if I could start a sentence with a southern expression and finish the sentence with a Canadian expression. Leadership is a funny thing. On August 1st the Tigers were 52-57. Leaving Detroit were Carson Kelly, Andrew Chafin, Mark Canha and Ryan Flaherty. They completed the vet cleanout when they just DFA'd Gio Urshela on August 15th. While calling up Jung, Sweeney and Torkelson from Toledo. The last of the last vets. Javier Baez got hurt on August 23. He is done for the year. The reason I mention the Tigers. I'm kinda curious if those who can see into the Twins clubhouse and speak so passionately about leadership... can you also look into the Tigers clubhouse and tell me who is leading that club? They are 21-14 since the trade deadline. 15-8 since August 15th and have made up 6.5 games of ground on the Twins. They have 25 million on the books next year for Baez along with 10 million for Maeda and 4 million for Colt Keith. On top of that... only 6 players Arb Eligible, only Skubal due a huge Arb number. Anyway... just wondering... who is leading those Tigers.

Maybe the Royals don't like sliders? Dunno. I'm too lazy to research on this Sunday. Friday night... I couldn't figure out why Rocco all of sudden loaded up on left handed hitters against Ragans. Later I looked it up and found out that Ragans has been tougher on right handers.

I'm not going to defend nor assail Rocco. This morning when looking the Twins results over. This was my only question. Why Duran in the 8th to face 6, 7 and 8 in the order. Actually one more question. How quickly did Jax get up and warmed. Out, Single, HBP Single and Duran is out? When would you even start thinking about pulling Duran. After the 1st out? No After the Fermin Single? No After the HBP.? Maybe but probably No After the Isbel Single... Most likely you start thinking about getting someone warmed up at this point. But for some reason Jax was already ready to go. J My Guess... Rocco already wanted Jax over Duran to face the top of the order and that's why Duran in the 8th. Just some guessing from someone who didn't watch the game because I was watching North Dakota come from behind to beat Montana.

I do that... It's on Channel 695 in HD on my cable.

The key to effective messaging is repetition. I'm not targeting all ya on Twindaily. 😁

The runner behavior is just another indication that the actual act of stealing in that situation basically negates the mindset of a double play.

I had to do a double take looking at the lineup... I think I'm seeing it correctly. Wallner, Larnach and Julien in the lineup against a left handed pitcher? I won't have anything to complain about. I'm going to have to find some things that my wife does that bug me and have a conversation with her.

Same Consideration for both. I'm Ok with Lewis at SS if it gives us the best team when you consider the context of the rest of the team. If he is the best option at SS... then yeah... I'm OK. And that's why I was OK with Polanco at SS back in 2019. He was the best option at the time and we won 180 games that year. It's not that I thought Polanco was the best SS. It's not what you strive for but in 2019 the choice was basically Polanco or Adrianaza. I'm putting a 6 next to Polanco's name if that's the case. All I'm asking in this discussion is for everyone to just look at the current context of the team. What gives us the best lineup? In the current context of this team... September 2024. I think the best lineup includes Lewis, Miranda, Santana, Larnach, Wallner and Kepler. Although... I will strongly consider Castro over Kepler... I'm just thinking that Castro will be needed elsewhere. In the current context of this team... right now... at this moment. If you want Lewis, Miranda, Santana, Larnach, Wallner and Kepler in the lineup. Someone has to move off the corner and into the middle. Lewis makes the most sense. He will be fine. Get him comfortable and he will think everything is Ok like I do.

So True... Sometimes injuries actually make your team better.

Yep... Don't forget Profar. I'll never understand this fear of moving players around.

Yep the Red Sox moved him to the OF because of the presence of Dustin Pedroia. OF was how he could make an impact quicker because Pedroia was going nowhere. Not only do clubs move players around based on team needs when they are vets... they do it when they are young.

These are the types of players that you move around to find a place for their bat. You are not taking a large hit at his primary position if they move. You don't move Arenado off of third base because he is an exceptional 3B perhaps the best in history. You are going to take a fairly large defensive reduction at the position. With that said... If St. Louis found themselves in a situation where Jordan Walker for example is available to play 3B, they had a decent OF to fill in for Walker for example... and they were just plum out of SS's for whatever reason injuries or an OPS of .108. They would move Nolan to SS to fill the massive hole and present the best lineup they can. With that said... Lewis is an OK defender at 3B and he will be an OK defender at 2B. He would be an OK defender in the OF. He isn't Arenado but he's OK. Getting Miranda, Lewis and Santana, Wallner, Larnach and Kepler into the same lineup makes the team better. Will we need it come playoff time? That's yet to be determined but it's certainly possible when you look at the current landscape. I have no problem with Lewis at 2B. My problem is that we should have considered this sooner and we would know for sure if there were going to be massive problems with him at 2B. Maybe tried it as soon as the combination of these things. 1. Lewis is healthy and playing 2. Miranda and Santana are looking like productive important members of the team. 3. Julien was not looking like a productive member of the team. I don't like the desperation end of the season switch but I'm grateful it's happening late in the season instead of Game 1 of the playoffs. Once he gets a little confidence and comfortable... He won't be as concerned about it.

I've never thought of this but... thinking about it. It's a fantastic idea. Major league pitchers have pretty good control but one problem is the value of pitching inside is to rewarding. The high inside fastball is real hard to catch up with. If you throw high and inside you'll plunk some guys. MLB wants more offense... this could create it. Good idea at first blush... I'm on board.

I actually agree with a lot of what you are saying. It's your first sentence that is going to be the dark cloud, not a silver lining. With the rigid unbendable platoon system that the Twins have devised. In order to keep our lefthanders away from left handed pitching. They have actually made Margot and Farmer somewhat critical to the operation. If Margot and Farmer are removed from the roster. If they get hurt or we just cut them at this late date in the season. Who does Rocco call on to face the left handed pitcher. Lee could replace Farmer and short side it the rest of the season but we barely have a need for that since Julien isn't guaranteed a playoff spot. Helman can replace Margot but what do we have in Helman? Or what do we have in Lee for that matter? What we do have is Wallner, Kepler, Larnach that because of the absence of Margot and Farmer that will have to all of sudden have to face the left hander because of the lack of alternative options. There are two bad scenarios. 1, Margot and Farmer are not available mainly Margot and needing Wallner and Larnach to play against lefties when it really really really matters. 2. Other players are not available meaning that Margot and Farmer need to be relied upon vs Right Handers. This is called painting yourself into a corner and using low value paint to do so.

I agree that the margins are small. I also agree that not making plays... giving teams an extra out increases the odds of a crooked number and I believe the crooked number creates losses. We are not arguing that point. I disagree that good managers don't ask that from their teams. This isn't a Twins thing. All teams move players around based on team needs. Some players will remain at the same position but you will see in-season adjustments from managers based on need. My fantasy baseball league has multi-position eligible players all over the place. 😄

Betts spent the off-season and spring training preparing for 2B in 2024. Lux was preparing for SS in 2024. Lux at SS didn't go well so they moved Betts to SS and Lux back to 2B. Managers make decisions like this based on what makes the team better. Betts moved back to the OF because the Dodgers sent Outman to the minors. Later on they sent Pages to the minor leagues and they released Jason Heyward because the OF hasn't been performing. Last year it was the IF that was struggling and getting hurt. Rojas is hitting better this year while the OF collapsed on them so Betts flows to the low spot. It was 2023 when the Dodgers abruptly moved Betts to 2B and SS out of the Dodger blue. The reason they did that. Necessity is the mother of invention. Dave Roberts will play his players wherever it makes his overall lineup stronger. Vargas and Rojas were not hitting the ball in 2023. Peralta, Outman and Heyward were holding down the OF and producing so Betts goes IF. The Dodgers move players around all the time to fit what the team needs of them and they do it all the time.

He may have got the runner at 2nd. It would have been close but there was too high a probability that he wouldn't have. It would have been close either way but if he was going to get him at 2nd... He had no time to make that decision. The runner was stealing 2B to stay out of the double play and he would have had to reposition to throw around the runner. Once the runner is past him... he knows the runner is stealing. His mindset is going to change to home... on that alone. If you are going to tell me that you expect Kyle Farmer, Willi Castro, Tommy Herr, Chase Utley, Jose Altuve and Ryne Sandberg to instinctively through experience and talent throw to second in that situation. I don't believe that for a second. The play was at the plate.

You'll find some that will argue with you on that because this type of thing is pretty subjective around these parts and Kepler has his fans on this website. I won't argue with you on the decision to bench Kepler. Lewis can certainly remain at 3B if Kepler is on the bench. Wallner RF, Larnach LF, Lewis 3B, Santana 1B and Miranda DH. It works for me. If everyone is healthy come playoff time. You have chosen Castro at 2B at the expense of Kepler. I'd probably do the same. If Correa is hurt or Buxton is hurt. Castro is no longer a 2B option in the playoffs... He is our SS or CF. Now you are choosing Julien, Lee or Martin over Kepler. This gets a little harder to digest and right now Carlos Correa can't put his spikes on. Buxton has had a set back. Injuries... are such a wild card. All this Lewis at 2B drama could all be for naught because: A. Lewis could be the guy hurt for the playoffs B. Wallner, Larnach, Santana, Miranda or Kepler... Any of those 5 could be hurt for the playoffs. If that's the case... there is no need to move Lewis anywhere because we need a 3B and this 2B drama is just pointless. This is all just getting ready for as many things that Baseball is going to possibly throw at us in the next month. Teams need to do this because getting caught flat footed come playoff time is worse than Lewis playing 2B in Tampa. 100 times worse.

I have no idea what Keirsay will be in the major leagues. I have no idea what kind of opportunity he will get to be something in the big leagues. However... I was impressed with Keirsay in CF after the triple. He got to it at full speed, briefly had the ball before running into the wall at full speed. Hitting the wall at full speed can and will jar a ball loose. I watch OF'ers lay up on catchable balls. I'll take what Keirsay did every single time.

Players get hurt... they get hurt on all 29 teams. Sometimes they get hurt in September during a stretch run... sometime they get hurt before or during the playoffs. If the Twins are not prepared for the possibility of injury... they are not prepared for the playoffs. It's OK we will forget this injury stuff and talk of log jams next off-season.

Do the Math. Think it through. The playoffs are coming soon. Here are some questions for the aghast crowd? How do you play Lewis, Miranda, Santana, Larnach, Wallner and Kepler in the same lineup? Take your time... work the puzzle. Who plays SS or CF if either Correa or Buxton is hurt for the playoffs? Correa still can't get into spikes. Buxton just suffered a set back. They are not the picture of health... Lewis hasn't been either. Assuming Castro is the answer in both cases. Who plays 2B if Castro is in SS or CF? Yes we can throw some low OPS names to play the spots but I'd like to point out that the highest OPS on the team is working the corners. Lewis, Miranda, Santana, Larnach, Wallner. So if Lewis remains at 3B because he has some concerns. Here's the final question. Between Miranda, Santana, Larnach, Wallner and Kepler. Who sits so Castro or Lee or Julien can play 2B? One last question... from the group of Lewis, Miranda, Santana, Larnach, Wallner and Kepler that are playing the corner spots. Who makes the most sense to move to a middle spot? Think it through. Don't take too long thinking about it because it's September 6th and the playoffs start in three weeks.

He didn't mess up the play at 2B the other day. The runner on first is off with the pitch. The odds of getting him at 2nd was low. If he goes for it and doesn't get it... we would all be talking about how an experienced 2nd baseman makes the throw home. If he drills the runner in the back trying to make the play at 2nd because he would have had to throw around the runner which would require additional time to get in position to throw around the runner. We would be talking about how an experienced 2B would have thrown home. The runner was off with the pitch. He was stealing second base to stay out of the double play. HOME WAS THE RIGHT PLAY!!! The throw home was nearly perfect for tag application. The runner is out at home if Vazquez handles the nearly perfect throw.

I just want to take a moment and remind everyone that the people on this website will be voting on November 6 and good luck to the rest of us. Hopefully, a small minority of us noticed that this thing was posted Tuesday. Hopefully a small minority of us noticed that this thing quotes Monday. Hopefully a small minority of us noticed that he has since played 2B on Wednesday. Not a GOOD LOOK? So he gets punched in the mouth for speaking his opinion on Monday. Plays 2B anyway on Wednesday and it's not a GOOD LOOK? Which part is not a good look... the being honest part or the actually doing something that he had reservations doing part? We are really really screwed as a society because the majority of us will read this and tell others that Royce Lewis is refusing.

This accidentilly got turned into a individual player discussion but it's really a manager philosphy team discussion if I'm not wrong. Judge has played DH 37, RF 7 and LF 5. Grisham has played CF 64 times... 49 starts. Jazz Chisolm was acquired and moved to 3B immediately by the Yankees. Jazz had never played 3B in his professional career prior to his acquisition. 25 Starts at 3B and 1 start in CF for the Yanks. Verdugo has played all 3 OF positions and Soto has seen some time in LF. Rizzo, Torres and Volpe have only played 1B, 2B and SS so there is that. The Dodgers. Ohtani has been the DH pretty much every day... But, they invented moving players around especially in the infield. Betts, Taylor, Kike and Rojas have been all over the infield and outfield. The Royals are pretty static but they do move Perez between C, 1B and DH to get his bat in the lineup and Mikael Garcia plugs into 2B,3B and he plays SS on the rare Witt day off. Player movement is not a unique thing.