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Dantes929

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Everything posted by Dantes929

  1. Dantes929
    Pennants are won based on everything. Being elite in defense in one area can be game changing. I would make the contention that last year Kansas City may have won the wild card spot on the strength of Gordon's defense. 15 assists means 15 runners you have kept from advancing while also recording an out. It can also mean keeping other runners from even trying. Now add in balls tracked down vs falling based on range and the conclusion seems rather obvious that the difference between Delmon Young and Alex Gordon or the difference between Rosario and Willingham can change the results of game which changes the results of pennants. I watched a 3 games series a few years back and saw plays made by Tampa that I didn't think possible and plays not made by Dyoung, etc that should have been made and they all seemed like high leverage plays. There was plenty of delta there and I believe it made the difference in two of the games. Of course offense is a huge component but its simple math. The guy that creates 20 runs above replacement offensively but gives up 5 defensively should be less valuable than a guy that creates 12 offensively and saves 5 defensively.
  2. Dantes929
    Ah, yeah. He wasn't always out of shape and even when he was heavy he was very agile around first, did the over the shoulder catch as well as anyone and saved Gagne from countless errors. Short memory if you just think of him as the tub of lard that took out turf in the Legends game. He was a Great first baseman several of those years. .
  3. Dantes929
    According to quotes above by different people Rosario has a better arm, better range, better DWAR, and while I think Gordon is terrific the eye test also tells me Rosario has been terrific as well. I have seen little of Gordon this year but saw a boneheaded play by him tonight trying to throw out Buxton allowing Dozier to go to second which was important at the time. Here's the problem I have with GG. it doesn't matter if Rosario is better this year. There is no chance he wins over Gordon.
  4. Dantes929
    How do they decide this stuff? Hrbeck had some of the finest defensive 1b seasons I have ever seen but never got one which makes me think it is more politics than performance. Rosario has had a fantastic season throwing guys out which should count for something and is probably where the arm comment came from. I have been thinking all year that Gibson should get the GG for pitcher. Very impressed with his athleticism. HIs footwork and quick release on attempted bunts is fantastic. He also covers 1st well and of course had that highlight play earlier this year. Again, I think he is as good as anyone out there but doubt he even gets consideration.
  5. Dantes929
    lol. Just about everything messes up my game. That part about effortless power is not myth but is a little like the Holy Grail. Difficult to obtain and harder to keep. Pretty much only happens when my golf pro is watching and disappears as soon as he leaves. Theory is still good.
  6. Dantes929
    A lot of parallels to golf here. It never ceases to amaze me how just a slight tweak to alignment, grip or just keeping connected can make the difference between shanks or weak slices and effortless power. When I see power hitters try to pull the ball by opening up too soon or stepping toward the line (bucket) it makes me wonder where the hitting coaches are. Its akin to trying to stop slicing your drives by opening up your stance and shoulders which just accentuates and causes more slices. Monreau, Cuccyer, Young, Willingham and Kubel have all been guilty of this in the past. I have no objection to pulling the ball. Its TRYING to pull the ball that is the problem. You can see in the videos that stepping toward the pitcher creates a more centered, balanced and hence more powerful turn of the hips. A lot like golf.
  7. Dantes929
    All relevant points. Buxton is projected to be an offensive weapon whereas Flormon never was. If Buxton is still batting .200 when he has as many at bats then the comparison will be more apt. The real question is whether the Twins have better options. I don't care to see an infielder out there unless it is Santana. Would you rather have a non hitting elite defensive center fielder out there in Buxton or a non hitting defensive mediocrity in Hunter out there in a playoff chase. There is rarely a convenient time for a player to struggle but some players need to do it and maybe need to do it several times before they shine. I would stick with him. On his days off he is still an asset as a pinch runner and a late inning defensive replacement. In games he starts where we are behind late he can be lifted for :Vargas. No point sending him back down now. Maybe in a week or two he will have made us forget his bad start. Hard to believe every scout that has ever seen him can be wrong.
  8. Dantes929
    This is really myopic. Not only was the rotation worse but Perkins blew 4 games alone when he was perfect the 1st half.. Look at the first and 2nd half splits of Hunter and Dozier. When Mauer and Morneau were tearing it up in 2009 the Twins stayed at around the .500 mark. They were .500 without Mauer and they stayed .500 after Mauer went on his MVP tear. It was only when Punto, Cuddyer, Punto and others started playing well that the Twins became contenders even though Morneau got hurt in the last month. Does anyone think the Twins would have been .500 until September that year without Mauer and Morneau? My point is that it is a team game so you can't just look at the record before and after. Twins were sinking fast in July with a main culprit being the offense. There is no way to know how much Sano influenced the team except by gut feel. If all else stays the same a guy hitting 25 homers in half a season is more valuable than a guy hitting 25 homers over a full season but probably not as valuable as guy hitting 40 over a full season. I would say if he continues to have an OPS over 1.00 for the rest of the season and the Twins stay relevant he should get some consideration in the top 10 but not the top 5.. That is still a BIG IF. To this point this season Dozier is still the team MVP. Unless he tanks badly from this point and Sano keeps his hot streak going Dozier will remain MVP and should get more league respect as well.
  9. Dantes929
    "More often than not, being in the middle isn't going to produce the results to get you to the top." :To be fair, with 30 teams, more often than not, nothing you do will get you to the top.
  10. Dantes929
    "More Left Hand -- Around 10 years ago... I invented a left-handed hammer and I was sure that I was going to get rich. Turns out there were no left-handed nails and the venture failed miserably." Reminds me of when my brother tried hanging a picture. He put the head of the nail against the wall and started hitting the point, obviously with no success. He said " A real idiot made this nail. He put the head on the wrong end" I said "You're the idiot. That nail was made to go on the opposite wall".
  11. Dantes929
    I hope that word means what you think it means.
  12. Dantes929
    Currently the Indians are ahead of the O's. Odds are against them but they have beaten the odds before.
  13. Dantes929
    In 2006 the Twins needed to go 24-14 to win the division though of course they didn't know it at the time. II am guessing a similar analysis at the time would have shown. 1. Twins need to take at least 6 of 7 from the Royals since all the games were at home and KC lost 100 games that year. Result. The Twins lost 3 of those games. 2. Near the end it was said that Santana needs to run the table for them to have a chance. Result. We lost two of his last three starts. 3. Twins were tied with 3 games left and we had a good Chicago team at home and Detroit had a 100 loss Royal team at home I am sure the thought was we had to sweep to tie and instead we won 1 game while Detroit got swept to win it outright. Of course the Tigers totally collapsed at the end of the season and the Twins finished hot. Twins were then swept while Detroit got to the WS where they lost to a Cards team that had 83 regular season wins. Just saying it rarely follows odds and projections which is what makes pennant chases fun. Since the team that holds the spot by 1.5 games currently is on a pace for 85 wins that is the magic number I am guessing at. Twins would need to go 18-14. If they do this it will probably end up with a few losses to teams the consensus is they shouldn't lose to and wins against teams they are behind..
  14. Dantes929
    Have not seen anyone demanding that. Next year is a new year and if he gets out of the gates fast this slump might just be an ancient memory. And its not like he can't turn it around this year. In a week this slump might be an ancient memory.
  15. Dantes929
    People forget the mental part of the game. He is pressing, unless every scout that has seen him is totally clueless. Tell him he is going to play every game the rest of the year so he isn't afraid of making an ou and being benchedt. His defense will save runs and its not like Hunter has been doing much.
  16. Dantes929
    That's just baseball. In just a few short weeks you might be saying you were right in wishing we had traded him.
  17. Dantes929
    "Tyler Duffey was pitching best for the Red Wings when he was called up. He was drafted the same year as Berrios, but he is three years older because he went to college. He is mature. He was ready for the big leagues. And, he was clearly nervous when he made his debut. It’s fair to say he’s calmed down well over his last three starts. Summary There are “business” reasons for the Twins to wait until about April 20, 2016, to call him up, but the fact that the Twins are in strong playoff contention in 2015 and the opinion that he may be the best pitcher in the organization right now, it seems pretty apparent (in my humble opinion) that JO Berrios should spend most of September with the Minnesota Twins." I am fine with the conclusion. Get him up here especially in relief though Duensing, Jepsen, and May have been really good its always nice to have another good option . The idea that he is the best pitcher in the organization right now is a bit far fetched especially in light of your comment about Duffey who indeed did have a better ERA at AAA and I would not put Duffey ahead of May, Jepsen or even Milone and others. Let him get a few major leaguers out before even speculating that he might be the best pitcher right now. . .
  18. Dantes929
    I love this stuff and sneer at it at the same time. My favorite seasons were 2006 and 2009. Fans were saying the Twins had to sweep a certain series to have a chance. Instead they lost 2 of 3 but then won 4 of the next 5 while the Tigers lost 6 of 7. You just never know how many it takes. Just win today. And how about a shout out to the bullpen. They take a lot of abuse but rarely get recognized when they do well. .
  19. Dantes929
    Wow, I liked AJ but the Twins had three of the closest and most exciting finishes in all of baseball history in 2006, 2008 and 2009. Not coincidentally those were the 3 years of Muer's batting titles (3rd in 2010). Its not close even without throwing in Nathan, Lriiano and Bonser. Some can't stand the playoff results but I wouldn't trade those seasons for taking 3rd place each year with AJ. And I liked AJ.
  20. Dantes929
    I see baseball prospectus has them at 6%. Their odds of making the playoffs are about 10 times greater than the 87 team had of winning the WS. Probably not going to happen but would be a lot of fun if it did and the chances are why I watch. If it was 100% I wouldn't bother.
  21. Dantes929
    First of all the Twins played .741 baseball in May so there is some reason to think it is in the realm of realistic possibility especially since we now have Sano and Buxton and whatever help we might get from Jepsen, Cotts and maybe Berrios. There is more talent on the field. Secondly, there is no telling what it will take just based on short recent history. I am ok if they win 25 or even 24 and take my chances. Do I think it will happen. Probably not but I am guessing most teams that have played .700 ball for 40 games did not think it would happen before it did. Beat the Orioles tonight would be a good start..
  22. Dantes929
    I guess you could say the rotation or the offense has been the culprit but if you are looking at one guy, then yeah, it is Perkins by far that has been the biggest reason. 5 blown games and an ERA of 8 in the last month. Its demoralizing to the team. Nothing against him since he was one of the biggest reasons for the good first half but it is what it is. Nathan was a very big reason for the Twins success last decade but he was also the biggest factor in the lack of playoff success (yes, it was Nthan that blew the leads against the Yankees, not Gardenhire). The young guys don't feel the stress of playing the Yankees but maybe Perkins still does. His bad streak really pretty much started against them and now it continues..
  23. Dantes929
    And the walks killed him. He is an ace when he throws it where he wants because he has good stuff that moves but you can see he misses the glove often and when missing up in the middle most people get hit. He just lost his command. Rosario helped him out but Plouffe's error could have been a double play that would have got them out of the inning. .
  24. Dantes929
    First, I don't consider it a bridge too far. 1.5 games back is too far? On this day in 2006 they were 8.5 games back. 1.5 games can change in two days. Of course it can go farther south as well but competitive doesn't mean come close and lose it means come close and either win or lose and so far I am happy that the Twins have been competitive. Of course I would like the pen to be stronger but has the lack of moves really been the culprit here. Since the all star game our all star closer has blown 4 games. Should the Twins have tried to upgrade what was the best closer in baseball in the 1st half? Lack of scoring and a bad stretch of starting pitching was the main culprit so far post ASB. In fact the pen just won two more games for them this past weekend. The pen gets slammed but they just pitched 7 innings giving up just one run (Perkins). IMO the relief corps has struggled most when the game was likely lost anyway and have held strong numerous occasions when the Twins were very close after short starts by the rotation. I would like better but it can't all be laid on them. There was a post a week ago about how the Twins rotation were all above and in some cases well above 5 ERA since the break and the Twins scored an average of 2.6 runs in the losses.
  25. Dantes929
    I said his future was as a platoon player where he would be quite valuable alongside a guy like Arcia. His overall numbers are very good but driven by an OPS from the right side of 1.022. His left side numbers are better than I thought they would be but still not very good. Broken record here. He could have been really good if he never took a swing as a left handed batter. I am hoping to be proven wrong and he eventually hits .280 as a lefty.
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