Riverbrian

IMO... This is the Post of the Night and it's gonna be hard to top.

I agree with Nick. If Sano doesn't get the strikeouts under control. He will be Chris Carter. He may even have to get a new drivers license or identification that says Chris Carter on it.

I've been saying all along. "I Hand Cleveland Nothing".

Perfect Last Line

The Twins kick off a 3-game series in Seattle tonight and I’m going to be serious for once in my life. I’d like everyone’s attention as I ask for assistance and cooperation from all in order to achieve an objective together. The Objective: Game threads will be a sanctuary from unmistakable hard-nosed negativity. There is precedence for this objective because the game threads used to be a sanctuary from the overly disappointed and they used to be against the grain of some very painful (out of contention by June) seasons. So I believe it can happen again, even with a better baseball team to complain about. But it can’t happen without buy-in from the important contributors… which of course is all of you. The reasoning for this type of sanctuary was that we had enough outlets for the disgruntled in every other forum topic on Twins Daily. If you wanted to express your displeasure with Kevin Correia, you could. There was probably an active thread where it was being discussed and if not, you could always start one and then there would be a brand new topic of discussion created (new content is actually healthy for any website). But… most importantly, it didn’t drag everyone else down when they were just trying to watch the game and didn’t feel like hating the team. By not allowing the 'overly doomed and gloomed,' it gave us (everyone) ONE thread… just one thread... that was “everything sucks” free. We used to have this described environment and it was incredibly fun, but for some reason we let it slip away through a gradual eroding of what was always a blurry purpose. That blurriness makes it hard to define clear lines, so here we are today asking if we can get back to where we were before, with the understanding that it is indeed a vague request. We used to describe the game thread experience as a bunch of friends in the left field bleachers just having a good time watching the game and talking about anything. If you remember the Randy Quaid character from the movie Major League, you’ll know what not to be. Nobody really wants to sit next to that guy. Randy Quaid wouldn’t want to sit next to another Randy Quaid because I’m not sure that misery loves company. Have you tried to complain to someone about your financial troubles who is busy complaining about his gushing head wound? Have you ever been the person who didn’t have financial problems or a gushing head wound, stuck in an elevator during that conversation? With that said and for additional clarity, this is very important: Don’t take any of this to extremes. This isn’t a request for blinders or dishonest discussion. I’m not saying that comments can only be “It’s OK, Sunshine” after someone boots a ball. I’m not saying you can’t express displeasure when someone strikes out with a runner on third and one out. Just keep in mind that the game is inherently loaded with failure so you shouldn’t have to bang your head into the wall every time it happens. It should be baked into the process by now because its baseball and failure happens every single inning without fail. We just need a collective effort to keep us all self-aware of the content we individually produce. You can criticize but if you want to tear something apart, take it to one of the other threads, pay attention to your heaviness, and try to dull the bluntness of it. I don’t know, pretend your kids are watching you lose your composure. Have fun if you can. These walls are going up around the game threads. They might take a little while to construct but they are going up. The Mods have been discussing this and we don’t know how this will work because it is impossible to put in a neat, easy-to-swallow capsule. It was decided that the best place to start was with an appeal to all of you for help, expressly stating it as a common goal for those who would like to be a part of it. With this… it has now been expressed. Now, while important… I’m not sure that this should be the topic all the way until game time, so I’ve come up with 5 topics of things to think about for everyone to discuss if you’d like to get back to normal. The Mariners had Cano and Dee Gordon. Now 2B is a hole? Are there people who actually think Cats are better than dogs? What would life be like sharing a one bedroom apartment with a mountain gorilla? Romero vs. Paxton: Great matchup for such a late start. Where was the Joe M conversation this week? ____________________ Lineups: TWINS Brian Dozier(R ) 2B Eddie Rosario(L) LF Miguel Sano(R ) 1B Eduardo Escobar(S) 3B Max Kepler(L) RF Mitch Garver(R ) C Robbie Grossman(S) DH Ehire Adrianza(S) SS Byron Buxton(R ) CF Fernando Romero(R ) P MARINERS Jean Segura(R ) SS Guillermo Heredia(R ) CF Mitch Haniger(R ) RF Nelson Cruz(R ) DH Kyle Seager(L) 3B Ryon Healy(R ) 1B Ben Gamel(L) LF Mike Zunino(R ) C Gordon Beckham(R ) 2B James Paxton(L) P Game-time forecast: It doesn't matter. There's a roof on that airplane hangar. Go Twins! Play ball! Click here to view the article

Happiness may not be the right word in that context... I'm just not going to fixate on him. The pen is coming around... the guys we need to hold and preserve are showing ability. Hughes will be used in non leverage situations so there is no reason to fixate on him. If Molitor starts using him with the bases loaded and 1 out with a 1 run lead in the 7th. I'll probably start fixating on Molitor.

And I think he can do it!!!

And I think he can do it!!!

I just watched the replay on the Kepler play at the plate. He may have been out but I have no idea how they reverse that. That was flipping close.

You gotta believe Doc... You gotta believe... He can lower that ERA and it starts tomorrow.

I made it home in time to watch that play. If he would have been out... I would've said it was a bonehead move. He wasn't out... so I'm saying it was genius base running and I'll high five him.

15 pages to catch up on. I stopped at page two and decided to work backwards instead.

Close enough!!!

That still counts. He can put the tools of ignorance on so it's the Gardy 3 Catcher Special.

Can never be 100% sure if you are responding correctly to any one's point. But... My response was based on the assumption that he meant... Washington just called up a 19 year old Soto so the Twins could do the same. If I was correct in that assumption... my point was the situations are different. The Nationals calling up Soto so the Twins should do the same isn't a similar comparison. Necessity is the mother of invention. Eaton and Kendrick are done for the year, they ain't coming back creating a massive hole in LF. They can call up Soto and see if he can fill that hole or they can spend the rest of the year treading water with Cave type fill in's. They opted to see if Soto can keep doing it and if he can't they buy some time and probably try to swing a trade down the road to fill the hole. The Nationals probably did not want to start a 19 year old's service clock this soon but he became the most sensible option. The Twins are different... they are expecting Sano back which will move Escobar to SS and eventually Polonco will come back to provide even more depth. To call up Gordon they will have to put him on the 40 man roster and it is quite possible that they will send him back down to the minors not long after they do so he can play every day. Once he is placed on the 40 man roster. It starts his service clock. Soto was placed on the 40 man roster because he had a chance of staying on the roster all year. Providing he doesn't crash and burn. I get the sense that you and others are saying... call up Gordon and Wade and just cut Adrianaza and Grossman(or Cave). I understand why everyone feels that way but my guess is going to be that the Twins front office thinks higher of both Grossman and Adrianaza than you and the others are saying. I've been making this point all along. The Twins had the opportunity to make a trade to upgrade Adrianaza and an opportunity to sign or trade an upgrade over Grossman and they elected not to. They broke camp with Adrianaza and Grossman and this tells me that they felt they could get the job done. This was their dice roll. As for Gordon... my guess is that we won't see him this year unless we have a couple of season ending injuries clearing the path like the Nationals experienced... or a Dozier we ain't making the playoffs trade at the deadline.

I spend high draft picks on both Buxton and Sano in my fantasy draft so my expectations were also high and the pay back thus far disapointing. I think the light switch gets turned on very brightly for both once they grasp that strike zone. If they keep swinging at the stuff out of the zone... it'll take awhile and we don't have that kind of time.

I'll never pretend or participate in a clubhouse leader discussion because I don't know. It seems that asking Buxton to be a clubhouse leader is a ways off since he seems to be seeking advice right now. However... IMO... The front office has designated Buxton as a necessary production leader. When they didn't sign a right handed bat and chose LaMarre. They put all the Eggs in Dozier, Sano and Buxton basket. Molitor has been trying to balance Lefties and Righties all year long. If Dozier is struggling, Sano is hurt and Buxton is hurt and struggling. Then the Right Side is completely drained and the club is going to have a hard time stringing hits together because Molitor has them spaced out evenly. By not signing that Right Handed hitter... the front office is forcing Buxton, Sano and Dozier to be production leaders and that ain't happening. Buxton is critical to getting this team where it wants to go. It isn't about Rah-Rah in the clubhouse. It's simply production during the games.

Not disagreeing but the it should be pointed out that the Nationals have a lot of injuries and a couple of recent long term injuries to the OF with Eaton and Kendrick both being placed on the 60 Day DL. As a result Soto is probably up to stay. If those injuries don't occur, Soto could hit .500 in AA and still not get a roster spot.

We are well into the month of May and it doesn’t seem like we’ve had much AL Central action. It’s about time that we get some. Starting tonight, the Tigers come to town for a 3-game series at Target Field. Since it’s the Tigers… that means that ‘you know who’ is coming to town… the guy whose last name starts with a “G”. Love him or hate him, you can’t deny that he was one of us. He was a part of us for such a long time that his face is still probably burned into your memory. Speaking for myself, and I assume others, I wish him nothing but the best. It is indeed a homecoming for Niko Goodrum. Here are some things to think about: 1. Top (Non Trump) News Story of the Day: Harry and Meghan got married on Saturday in front of Elton John and a few others. Even if it was an American gal, for the life of me I don’t understand why we care at all on this side of the pond. But obviously we do care because 29.2 million viewers in the U.S. tuned in to watch the wedding. It was broadcast on ABC, CBS, NBC, CNN, MSNBC, Fox News, E, TLC, Univision, BBC America and even HBO. So, with so many channels broadcasting the same thing, who won? NBC did with 6.4 million viewers. Although, I will say that I won because I woke up, turned on the TV, scrolled the channels, saw what was happening, quickly turned the television off and went out and mowed my lawn instead. My wife heard the lawn mower and ran out to tell me that the neighbors were going to complain about mowing at 6AM. Sure enough, my neighbor did come out in pajamas to complain. He said that he was trying to watch the wedding and the lawn mower was making it hard to hear. 2. Our Twins: I think it’s safe to say that the Twins have not been playing inspiring baseball. However… the Twins are still only 2 games behind the Indians for 1st place. So, imagine what happens when they become inspired. It’s important for them to know that it is going to be OK… if Plan A fails… there are 25 other letters. 3. The Tigers: Ron Gardenhire currently has 1,088 victories as a major league manager which ranks 54th on the all-time list. That means only 53 managers since the dawn of time have won more games. Ron is even better on the all-time lost list ranking 46th with 1,064 losses. Connie Mack is the greatest manager of all time with 3,948 losses. BTW… with John Hicks on the Tigers roster, they of course… have 3 catchers. 4. Today’s Joe M Conversation: Maddon: All right, guys, gather ‘round and tell me what you hear. Maddon’s Iphone: Laurel Mauer: Cool… this is that internet thing. Maddon’s Iphone: Laurel Morgan: I heard Laurel Montana: What? Are you crazy? It said Yanni. Maddon: Morgan, sit down… relax. Maddon’s Iphone: Laurel McCarthy: Yanni Mauer: Definetly Yanni Maddon: Joe… Joe… relax now. Deep breaths now, Morgan… I hear Laurel, too... it’s okay. Morgan: You should… the man said Laurel… I don’t know what you two are up to… the man said Laurel. I’ll beat you both to a pulp if you don’t knock it off with that Yanni crap. Mauer: Play it again. Maddon’s Iphone: Laurel Morgan: See… Laurel Montana: Once again… Yanni Morgan: I don’t know why I hang around with the bunch of you. I don’t like you, Montana. Maddon: Just another thing to divide us all. McCarthy: We need to take off the ‘United’ and just call it 'The States' pretty soon. 5. New Doctor: I’m looking for a new doctor. At my appointment a couple of weeks ago, she grabbed my tie, checked her watch, declared me dead, and then left the room. ____________________ Lineups: TIGERS Leonys Martin(L) CF Nick Castellanos(R ) RF Victor Martinez(S) DH John Hicks(R ) 1B Niko Goodrum(S) 3B James McCann(R ) C JaCoby Jones(R ) LF Jose Iglesias(R ) SS Dixon Machado(R ) 2B Blaine Hardy(L) P TWINS Brian Dozier(R ) 2B Max Kepler(L) RF Eduardo Escobar(S) 3B Eddie Rosario(L) LF Mitch Garver(R ) C Logan Morrison(L) 1B Robbie Grossman(S) DH Ehire Adrianza(S) SS Byron Buxton(R ) CF Jose Berrios(R ) P Gametime forecast: low 60's, cloudy with a chance of rain, winds at 6mph from the ESE. Click here to view the article

It started rough but has been improving in my opinion. I have a reasonable amount of faith in all of the current members. This faith will probably be rollercoasteresque but my current thermometer reading is alright.

Probably no chance of that person being me.

I've been happy with the pitching. Some like to focus on Lynn but I like focusing on Romero, Odorizzi, Berrios and Gibson and I've been happy with those 4. The Bullpen has been decent so I've been happy with the pitching. Defense, baserunning and hitting is another story. It's looking like we are going to need better health and performance from the healthy.

This is what exactly what I'm struggling with. I want to give the front office the benefit of the doubt and I'm trying but something isn't clicking with me. We broke camp with: Morrison Castro Mauer Dozier Sano Escobar Rosario Buxton Kepler Garver Adrianaza Grossman LaMarre Somebody had to believe that at least Adrianaza and Grossman could play full time when the DL stints start. Yet one can't hit and the other can't be trusted in the field. LaMarre was hot in spring training, he was hot when he got limited opportunities and he was hot when he was sent down to AAA for a day but Molitor wouldn't play him even if Morrison was hitting .087. I'm trying to give the benefit of the doubt but... the roster seems to be contingent upon everybody staying healthy for the entire year or the mistaken belief that Adrianaza and Grossman can be full time regulars in the IF and OF.