Riverbrian

They seemed non-competitive on Television as well. ?

This type of thinking is only going to drive you crazy. The Pirates beat the Dodgers last night... again! The Pirates win the season series between the two clubs 5-2. Good teams average 6 wins every 10 games. Average Teams average 5 wins every 10 games Bad Teams average 4 wins every 10 games. The bad teams are beating somebody and it isn't just the other bad teams that they collect their W's against. In baseball... the sun never shines bright enough for hay making.

There Is No Such Thing As A Pitching Prospect. While it's clearly an overstatement, it is really hard to deny the accuracy of the implication. Injury rates with pitchers are rising to the point of injuries being actually expected, this has led to a change in usage to try and lessen the attenuation, which in turn lessens the value of those who stay somewhat healthy because the workload is managed. The combination of injuries, workload management and short windows of effectiveness means questionable success rates in comparison to hitters. Front offices need sure things with the early rounds, they can't afford to miss. Early round misses happen a lot and each time it happens it will set a franchise back. Missing also can't be good for job security for the advisors or for the actual front office. It's hard to blame anyone for retreating to the safety (safer) net of hitters who succeed at higher rates, there is simply too much at stake. I look at it a little differently... when you look at these numbers they say dial it down on drafting pitching but sometimes when the numbers look like they say dial it down... they are really saying dial it up. The numbers are not saying you should avoid drafting pitching because it's hard, they only look like they do... the numbers are actually saying that drafting pitching is hard so you have to spend more energy on it to restore the balance. Yes... injuries have diminished the value of individual pitchers. Yes... Workload management (rest and pitch counts) has diminished the value of individual pitchers. Yes... the short shelf life, quick decline of effectiveness has diminished the value of individual pitchers. All this is true but the one thing that has not diminished, is the need for pitching. Every team still desperately needs it. You have to dial it up against the odds to increase the odds and restore the balance. Pitching is a numbers game. Draft a lot of it, acquire a lot of it and promote it quickly while there are still bullets in the gun.

Gordon has been getting opportunity this year and he is poised for more opportunity in the immediate future. Gordon can help his major league career right here... right now. I'll be pulling for him. Although... I'm not sure what you mean exactly by "Probably the same ones calling for Lewis to be called up to play any position".

He went after the baseball hard and made the catch. Just like I hope all players go hard after the ball and make the catch. Good Job Royce... Thank You. Hope you heal up soon.

Devin Smeltzer: "My wife told me this morning, I need to throw more changeups down and away, and I agreed. And that's what we did." Dear, Falvey, Lavine and Baldelli As long as they are hanging zeros. Please keep Devin and his wife in the rotation.

He started the game at 1.74. improved to 1.04

7 innings of 2 hit - shut out ball tonight. ERA down to 1.04 Smeltzer wants to stay. Someone should prepare a snack tray and make him feel at home.

In extreme conditions... Furlongs are necessary for the survival of certain species.

Kyle Garlick was drafted in the 28th round by the Dodgers in 2015 after he set the single season home run record at Cal Poly Pomona. He never showed up in the top prospect rankings (28th round picks rarely do) but he worked his way up the Dodger farm system anyway by hitting right handers and left handers. In 2019 with AAA Oklahoma City while also taking occasional cups of coffee with the Dodgers when they needed a body. Kyle hit 23 Home Runs in 81 games at AAA with a BA of .314. Outfielders also on the roster with the Dodgers in 2019 were names like Cody Bellinger, Joc Pederson, Alex Verdugo, AJ Pollack, Chris Taylor and Enrique Hernandez so playing time was going to be hard to find. The Dodgers are also a platoon inclined orientation. Joc Pederson was someone for example that they didn't want facing left handers (49 AB's against lefties in 2019). Garlick became the guy who could take those AB's away when he was in town and he was limited to facing left handers despite no indication that he needed to be platooned in the minor leagues. In just 48 AB's... Garlick did pretty good. 3 Jacks with an OPS+ of 117. In 2020 the Dodgers added Mookie Betts to the OF options making it even harder for Garlick to crack an already loaded roster and he was also out of options so understandably he was designated for assignment. 5 days later the Phillies traded for him and gave him a roster spot. During the Covid Year... he had 23 AB's total and those 23 AB's were not good. The Phillies DFA'd him on January 18, 2021... The Braves claimed him off waivers 4 days later and DFA'd him before spring training on February 5, 2022. 6 Days later the Twins claimed him off waivers. We've all seen him since then. All of this is important when trying to decide just who Kyle Garlick is. How can anyone know? He hit the ball hard in the minors against left and right handers in an organization that was stacked to the brim with talented OF'ers. The Dodgers made him a short side platoon when he got his limited chances along side lots of talent who also want AB's. The Phillies didn't do anything with him during Covid 2020 and the Twins have continued the short side platoon started briefly by the Dodgers in 2019. He sure looks like he can hit. I just wonder if he has gotten a fair shot to grab something with both hands.

Good Teams average 6 wins every 10 games. 6*16=96 (160 games) Average Teams average 5 wins every 10 games. 5*16=80 Bad Teams average 4 wins every 10 games. 4*16=64 Every 10 games there is variance from these averages for all teams regardless if they are a good, average or bad team. There will be 10 games stretches where bad teams will win 7 games or more and there will be 10 game stretches where good teams will lose 7 games or more. The Ranges above are very consistent year over year. I mention all of this to point out that there is no such thing as cushy competition. Bad teams will beat you but I'm reading a lot of posts taking the Royals and Tigers for granted while talking about this stretch of games being time to make hay. If anybody has the ability to predict when these stretches will happen. Stop following baseball and invest in the stock market instead. ? 10 game intervals were chosen by me for example purposes and simple math.

In France it's called a "Royale with Pole".

Just want to point out that the "quarter pole" is not the first quarter... It's the last quarter of the race. Carry On Everyone! We got lots of race left.

And it will stay in that range.

Garlick mashes Righties!!!

There are some things you should know: A. If what comes next isn't good. You will be forced to spend your enthusiasm during horrible times. Trust me on this... you do not want to do that - I once let a woo-hoo out at a funeral and I'm not kidding... nearly everyone in the chapel turned around to look at me. In the end... I found that to be awkward, unsatisfying and very very hard to explain afterwards. B. The body is always producing enthusiasm. It is produced by the appendix. If you don't use it at regular intervals the organ will eventually burst from the pressure. If those people would have just adequately expressed enthusiasm at decent intervals, they would still have their appendix. Surely, you've noticed how all people who have had their appendix removed are stolid and languid afterward. 86.7% of all people who have had their appendix removed become butlers, librarians, air traffic controllers and Twinsdaily posters. Just let it out man... You can't take it with you.

In my world... If you play well.... you get the chance to show that you can keep doing it. He threw a real solid 5 innings last time out. Eager to see what he does tonight.

Innings management is probably a consideration. Winder only threw 74 innings last year and zero in 2020. Although... Same could be said about Joe Ryan.

Yep Or Lewis can remain static somewhere and others move around to accommodate but you are 1000% correct. Nobody needs to get splinters in their rear to accommodate the arrival of someone playing fantastic. This is not EITHER OR extremes.

Honestly Brandon... I really like your support for Miranda. It's a refreshing viewpoint. I think he should already back in St. Paul but I'm hoping he will come back to Target Field and shine at a later time in the near future. I'll also concede that it's hard to prep someone for another position with 2020 and 2021 being non-existent for Royce. As for the planning... those players... they are dynamite... they blow those plans to smithereens, time and time again. ?

I often agree with the majority of things you post. Gotta disagree here. 1. I don't know if Lewis is comparable to Buxton on the flexibility value scale. Buxton when healthy is the best defensive CF in the business so you are correct that you shouldn't move him around. However, his knee could change that on a dime. I don't know if Lewis is at that level (or close to) or even projected to be at that level (or close to) defensively. That's not saying he's a bad defender. 2. I agree that front offices have to be forward thinking and I agree that becoming our SS for the next 6 years has extreme value. However, if you are truly forward thinking, locking a guy into a spot for 6 years isn't forward thinking at all. There are many things from a permanent nagging injury to a better defensive SS coming though the system that could happen in the next 2 years (let alone 6 years) that will cause (or should cause) a change of course. 3. Sending Lewis down to the minors isn't a permanent move. But neither is playing 3B or LF for a period of time while Correa mans SS and then returning to SS when the coast is clear. If something happens to Wander Franco... the Rays will put Taylor Walls back at SS.. it's not like he was ruined playing other positions. Trea Turner started in CF with Washington... Moved to SS. Was traded to the Dodgers and he played 2B and now he's back at SS. 4. No front office in baseball has the shelf life to ignore now completely. Yes, please... think about the future, but if you ignore now... you won't be in place when the future gets here. 5. If a player is performing... let him. ?

Buxton when in the lineup is setting a new level of performance. He is simply awesome right now. Buxton's willingness to commit to the Twins and the State of Minnesota makes him one of us and moves him into the group of my favorite all time Twins. I will not let the times that he is not on the field diminish my enjoyment of the times that he is on the field. I'll take what I can get. He's worth every penny. Go get em Buck... I drink to your health.

Yep... Gordon is that guy that someone might claim so you hang on to him in the name of the depth And also that guy who isn't producing enough to take AB's away from others.

By the way. Through all of the Royce Lewis discussion. I did forget to say one thing. Welcome back Carlos Correa!!! You'll be a sight for sore eyes.

The next guys in line are getting multiple position training as we speak. Austin Martin is playing both SS and OF Spencer Steer is playing 2B, 3B and SS. We don't know where Martin and Steer will be needed when they get that roster spot. The front office doesn't know where the injury or hole will occur. Handling Martin and Steer like this creates multiple paths to the majors should they demonstrate the talent to succeed. You have to prepare for success.