Riverbrian

Lawrie... Every night!!!

"It's that Inning" -- Stringerbell

Now i want a T-Shirt that says exactly that.

You may have to trademark that quote for Phil

Doot Doot Doot-Do I'm doing the piano part now.

And that commercial... It's Dirty... It could be a graphic without being graphic birds and bees demo.

Yeah... It's on me... But I'd like ChiTown or JB to clarify it.

And the man in the suit has just bought a new car from the profit he's made on your dreams

But it wasn't the bullet that laid him to rest... Was the low spark of high heeled boys.

Ok... I'm back... Had to go yell at some kids for awhile. So I get home and my wife is sitting on the couch watching TV... The curtains are open... I come home... Sit down on the couch... She hands me the remote and asks me how practice was. I turn the game on and tell her that it was pretty normal indoor practice and she gets up and goes to do something in the kitchen. One minute later she comes into the living room and stares at me. And says... "Why are the curtains open"?

Its ok... Just tell Ash you've been reading his stuff.

No... The DH can only bat for the pitcher. Ash... They've stopped reading your stuff

Wait a Sec... Bautista is starting in CF... I bet the Jays wish they had a Bartlett now.

Happens all the time in Canada

5 to 2

There's a Kawasaki vs. a Suzuki. Gladden is going to hate this because he is a Harley Guy!!!

Tap Tap Tap... ChiTown... Tap Tap Tap... ChiTown... Tap Tap Tap... ChiTown. ChiTown: What do ya want Sheldon? Sheldon: I need the lineups!!! ChiTown: Lineups? Sheldon: Baseball nomenclature for the systematic placement of nine athletes selected by the team supervisor that declares the exact order of batters to face the opposition and where they have to stand when playing defense. ChiTown: Oh (Pause) In a bit Sheldon: So... I should wait right here. ChiTown: Yep Right Here (Door Slams) ------------------------------------------- Geez, settle down, man ... Game-time forecast: Mostly cloudy. Winds blowing in from right field at 5-15 m.p.h. Temperature near 40. (Yikes, it's gonna be a cold one tonight!) Jays: SP, Morrow Melky Cabrera LF Munenori Kawasaki 2B Jose Bautista CF Adam Lind DH Edwin Encarnacion 1B Dioner Navarro C Moises Sierra RF Brett Lawrie 3B Ryan Goins SS Twins: SP, Hughes Brian Dozier 2B Joe Mauer 1B Trevor Plouffe 3B Chris Colabello RF Jason Kubel LF Josmil Pinto DH Kurt Suzuki C Aaron Hicks CF Pedro Florimon SS --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Things to Think About: 1. The Blue Jays -- The AL East Division Leading Blue Jays are coming to town. 7-6 is good enough to be on top of the East. The Twins at 6-6 would be just a half game out if we were in the East... But No!!! We are in the death trap called the AL Central. I wish we could play in a cupcake division like the AL East!!! 2. Brett Lawrie -- This one comes with a Video (Yeah I'm High Tech) This is the most recent example of jaw dropping defensive skill. The level of defense played by Brett Lawrie is a whole new level. Brooks Robinson has nothing on what is happening today at the hot corner. Sorry to the old guys who watched Brooks play. Brooks was the best for his time but today's top end 3B talent is leaps and bounds better. Brett Lawrie, Nolan Arenando of the Rockies and Manny Machado of the Orioles are incredible defenders. The likes of which have never been seen before and they are on display on almost a nightly basis. I know that Lawrie is out there and I know that Arenando is out there and it's part of what was my defensive frustration with Plouffe. He can't do this stuff and I want someone who can do this stuff. 3. Trevor Plouffe -- I retract what I just said about Trevor Plouffe... If he continues to hit and use the whole field like he has been doing. He doesn't have to play like Lawrie at 3B. I defensively forgive him... so he doesn't have to get defensive about it. 4. Phil Hughes -- Start number 3 for the Twins... It's been one bad inning in each start. The other innings have been great. Let's see if he can prevent the bad inning. At least give up just one run an inning for a change of pace. 5. Canada -- Canadians come down to the states often but we don't get up to Canada much in return. The last time I was in Canada was before passports were required. My Sister went up there once and ran into a moose. She called my other sister to pick her up because her car was wrecked and my other sister ran into another moose on the way. They called me to come get them both. I told them they had to walk home. I'm not an idiot... I recognized the pattern immediately.

I am excited about Gibson thus far. It might be ump related but I will really get excited when his WHIP comes down.

I don't expect Florimon to turn into Tulo. However... He needs to watch how Plouffe is hitting right now. Plouffe is going with the pitch all of a sudden and it's awesome. Plouffe isn't trying to pull everything and it's working. This year... I'm watching Florimon pull outside pitches and grounding out weak time and time again. He's technically flawed and if he fixes it... He could surprise us all. Sadly... some people never fix it. On the D side of things... I'll say it again... A play made or not made... isn't just a single stroke in a column or UZR chart. Anytime a play is made that others don't make... you take a large step toward preventing a big inning. Anytime a play is not made... that extra out can lead to a Bartman sized crooked number. Official scorers are much to easy going. Those crooked numbers decide ball games... I will always be a D guy in the pursuit of wins. Florimon and Dozier are a fantastic pair and better than most keystone combo's.

I really can't argue any of this... I can only speculate. I believe you are right... Actions speak volumes. I believe the Twins feel the offense was addressed. Just not to my satisfaction or yours. My guesses based on the Twins actions: I think they think Hammer was gonna get paid in the final year of his contract and capable of rebounding to his typical level and they were not gonna flush the money down the toilet on an off year. I think they believe Kubel was a solid addition at a bargain... Just one year removed from a 30 HR season. I think they thought Plouffe would either get the job done or Sano would be replace him. I think they wanted to get Mauer out from behind the plate after his concussion and 1B was the spot. I think they like Pinto enough to trade Doumit but don't want to put all eggs in his young basket just yet and wanted a vet catcher to work with the money spent on a starting rotation until Pinto says... OK the job is mine now with his bat and glove. A vet catcher with better game management than Doumit and Suzuki was the best option after A.J turned them down. I think they loved Brian Dozier defensively at 2B and were pretty excited about his bat and thought it would only get better. I think they don't want to part with a draft pick for Drew plus the money he wants and I think every team feels the same way because he still out there and the Mets, Pirates, Giants, Yankees, Angels, Tigers and Twins have middle infield question marks. Drew and Morales will sign with a club when SS and 1B become problematic for them without a doubt or after that draft pick is no longer an issue. I also think that MI is weak across the board and someone liked Bartlett as a sleeper. I also think trading for a decent SS is so expensive that it would mortgage the future. I admit... I have no idea what the immediate thinking is about CF. I am completely stumped. And you and I agree about Bonofacio. I don't understand that either. There were affordable CF options out there. I think the Twins think the pieces are in place if everybody would just do what they are supposed to do. I also think the Twins would trade Dozier if someone called and met a certain price. I don't think anyone is gonna meet that price in April because teams are built and now they are watching them to see how they do. In the off season they are building... In July it's step on the gas or triage. Major trades in April and May are rare. I don't think... The Red Sox will panic with Pedroia and Middlebrooks in April... Unless they know its a long term injury and Brock Holt is stinking up the place. By July... They will know where they are bleeding and pick up bandages or rent some hand grenades to make other teams bleed. If Dozier is hitting .250 plus and heading for 20 plus home runs... With his defense at 2B and his salary. You gotta get something real nice in return. The real nice stuff... Teams don't want to part with the nice stuff at any cost.

I'm pretty sure the Red Sox wouldn't trade Bogaerts... I'm saying that's about the only deal I would consider. Sheesh... I gotta work on my transparency. As for Revere/Span... That's a good point. My guess... Those were off season trades and not an April Trade. I think those are two different animals. I don't believe the Twins have ever uttered the thought "Punt 2014". I think some fans have uttered that thought for them but not the front office. I think they want to win this year and spent millions on pitching to try and do that. I'm also of the opinion... Just a guess... Nothing more... That the Twins had Span on the block for quite some time and would only pull the trigger if a team actually came around to trade the desired package. If the desired package wasn't reached... I believe the Twins would have kept Span. I think the Nats were interested but didn't want to part with Meyer and that was the asking price. They finally agreed when Upton signed with Braves. I think Upton and Span domino'd to the Phillies. I think its possible that the Phillies package was something they discussed for Span and the Phillies may have been hesitant at that as well. I think the Twins felt their need for pitching was more acute at the time than it is now... After signing Hughes and Nolasco to multi year deals and Gibson/Meyer in the majors and closer to the majors. I think the Twins would trade anybody not named Joe if the team came up to a certain price. For Dozier... That price would have to be high and few teams would pay it in April. Come July... Who knows. Come off season when teams are built... who knows.

I believe that Brian Dozier is exactly the type of player the Twins would want to acquire in trade talks with any team. Young... Cost Controlled and getting it done. Trading Willingham makes sense... Trading Dozier makes no sense unless the Sox give up Bogaerts in return. I also believe... We don't officially have 2B depth until Rosario actually gets to the majors and performs. Trading a young Dozier for younger unproven players is doing the same thing my cat does... Spinning around in circles... Chasing its tail.

OK... I'm sure Brock will apologize for the rolling eyes comment. But let's focus more on the discussion. Brock's post was at least 98 percent on topic.. Your post quoted above has no topic discussion in it. And now my response to your response as moderator has no topic discussion as well and that is how things get off the rails. If you didn't like the rolling eyes comment... I understand... Report it!!!

It all could be... I've seen him play a handful of times and nothing scared me at all. I'm a defense freak to a fault. I can't stand bad defense and When I see bad defense... I'm pretty judgmental and I say "there it is". I always like to see for myself... And I don't belong to the church of defensive metrics. However a handful of times ain't nothin in the grand scheme of things. I watch a lot of baseball but no way can I watch enough to be 100 percent and I apologize for being cocksure enough to give that impression. Nunez has certainly played more games than I've seen him play by a large margin. It's much easier for me to say Delmon Young was a butcher because I saw him butcher many many times in a Twins uniform. I'm hard on Plouffe and I'm pretty locked on that position and no written article, scouting report or defensive metric will change my mind. Only Plouffe will change my mind. I've also seen these reports take on a life of their own first hand. The Ben Revere arm for example. Teams were gonna run all over Ben's arm... Some people lost their minds over it... They didn't run all over Ben but it didn't stop people from claiming the world would end if Ben had to make a throw. Some folks tend to make mountains out of molehills. I will probably get a chance to see Nunez night after night for myself and increase my sample size. I've seen enough of Florimon to believe he's a top 5 defender at the SS position. His bat is another story. Right Now... My head is leaning toward moving Dozier into the middle of the order and finding a decent leadoff hitter. I kinda hope Nunez could be that guy cause I don't know how to get that guy otherwise. Gardy tho... May do something completely different regardless so my wish for a leadoff hitter is pointless and could be miles from context. With that in mind... Brock is right... No reason to lose sleep over it. The difference between the players involved is 6 of one... Half dozen of the other. I was upset about the Gomez trade because I recognized his unbelievable talent right away. I was pretty darn sure that Gomez would be what he is right now. I saw Gomez play and it was obvious much like the first time I saw Wacha pitch. Nunez ain't in this zip code from my recollection. I was upset about the Ramos trade because I didn't like Capps and Ramos looked a lot like Pinto does to me right now. Nunez ain't in this room either. I was sad about the Revere trade but understood it because the pitching was pretty frightening. Nunez is a Twin now... I'm pulling for him. Sometimes a player revives himself ala Nate McLouth and many times they don't but it's always worth a shot. Nunez will carry no baggage with me... He will have to boot his way to that... I can wait to see for myself.

Let me Guess... I'm wearing a green shirt.... And Ash has no shirt at all.