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insagt1

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Everything posted by insagt1

  1. insagt1
    I get it guys. I really do. And the above explanation of wRC+ was very instructive to me. I just think that sometimes 'progress' doesn't add to the enjoyment of simply watching a baseball game. Mike-really your comment was not nice. My point honestly was just that Too many 'stats' reduce the game to something that maybe we the fan, don't require while sitting in the stands, having a beer, a dog and enjoying a summer evening at the ballpark. In any event, a little humor here isn't bad. We can't take each other too seriously. As the immortal Sly Stone once said...different strokes for different folks. I got to watch Hoyt Wilhelm pitch a no-hitter against the Yankees (before he was known as a relief specialist of his era) Saw Stan Musials last major league hit. Bob Gibsons incredible 1.12 ERA season. Bill Stoneman's no-hitter in the very first month of the Expo's existence. I didn't have all the metrics, nor did any other fan of that day, but we enjoyed the games immensely, armed with just BA, HR's and RBI. Today its totally different, I know that. And for today's fan, they seem to like all the new metrics. But the day is coming when guys like me won't be around to reminisce about of how the game was in the 'olden days'. It wasn't perfect, but it was fun and many of the players were pretty special. Was it 'better' than today's game? Its all in the perspective of the fan watching the games. And they (we) all have value!
  2. insagt1
    Amazing that despite all the injuries, the guys who are playing seem to be having their worst career year, or close to it. Memory is a bit fuzzy, but I seem to remember that way back in the day Earl Weaver used to issue fines for stuff like not getting a runner in from 3rd with less than 2 outs. (and Earl subscribed to the 3-run HR offense) Storm clouds started forming when Twins unloaded the AL batting champ for a 'hopeful' starting rotation 'ace'. Then they cast k-king Sano adrift and added his clone Gallo to replace his k's. They 'won' the Carlos Correa sweepstakes from Mets and Giants and so far all they 'won' was a 3 month struggle and a BA barely over .200. Wow. The strikeouts with runners on, for me, is the most aggravating part of this season. And it isn't close to improving. I would be ready to tell these guys to lay one down with a runner on 3rd. What can it hurt except perhaps a bunch of egos?
  3. insagt1
    one poster tried to justify this trade by instructing us that Arraez is merely a 'one-tool' player. Guess doesn't matter that the one tool is a sledge hammer that Twins sorely miss in their punch-out lineup this season. His average 'd' cannot nullify what he brings to the lineup. (Imagine him being the Twins DH this season...Buxton not withstanding) Always tricky trading an everyday player for a pitcher that will only make possibly 25-30 starts, pitching maybe 6 innings, unless that pitcher is Cy Young. Twins rolled the dice and so far things haven't gone well. Is this Monday morning Q-backing? No--Arraez won the batting title last year. Twins knew what they were giving up. Even if Lopez turns it around and wins 8 or 9 games 2nd half, Twins have not received equal value in that trade. At least not in 2023. Could Arraez come back to earth 2nd half and flop badly? Always that chance, but as a pure hitter, probably not. That would be like saying Gallo will stop striking out beginning July 1. (if he's still on the team) It was a trade that shouldn't have happened.
  4. insagt1
    I always chuckle when the metrics come out. It took me years to internalize the made-up stat OPS as being all that relevant to the overall pleasure of watching baseball. You take two existing stats and you add them together, you do the hokey-pokey and you turn yourself around, and thats what its all about...apparently (I'm just messing with any of you who live and die by these things these days...you have to remember I used to watch Stan, Ted, Warren, Whitey and Willie...in their primes!) Wrc+---Do I need a top-secret clearance to have that one explained, or do I really have a need to know? (my battle station aboard ship was radio central...a lot went on there) Mickey Mantle ---1960 Me: boy did he give that ball a long ride! My buddy: Sure did, that guy can sure hit! 2023 if Mantle was still around. Me: did you catch the launch angle of that HR. My buddy: yeah and the exit velocity was something else. Casual observer: you guys need to have a few beers and just enjoy the game! This year's Twins won't make the playoffs. Trivia: how long has it been since the Twins have won a playoff GAME?
  5. insagt1
    agree with everything you said except your opinion of Arraez's value to this team. If ever a team needed someone like him (a batting champion no less) in a lineup filled with players who strike out regularly and kill rallies on a nightly basis its the Twins. We can forgive Gallo for his shortcomings and yet he has added very little to the success of this team, so far. As of this day, Twins have not gotten value for the Arraez trade, unfortunately...and surprisingly. In your quiet hours I think you would admit that there are probably around 30 MLB teams that would welcome such a 'one tool' player as Arraez, without blinking. Twins were hoping to catch some lightning in a bottle by trading for a pitcher that would do better than an ERA of 4.30 and have just 3 wins so far. It has only been 3 months but if we had to grade his contribution so far, it would not be a good one. But the season is a marathon, not a sprint so we'll see. If I were in Vegas, I'd say as soon as they put Buxton back in CF, he will go down within 1 to 2 weeks. He is already hurt so what is anyone really expecting. Buck only knows one speed so one diving catch, one sprint against a wall, one anything really...and that will be that.
  6. insagt1
    if what the organization feeds us is mostly true, he can't play in the field. He is too banged up. So DH is the only option and they were hoping they would get good value for that move. Instead we are seeing Buck at his worst. He started out OK but in the last month we have watched him become totally impotent at the plate. His 'k' rate is shockingly horrible now. His plate approach appears to be showing us a guy who has lost his confidence. Since coming off the IL, he has yet to get a hit and has only made contact a few times (being generous) Carole King once sang: sometimes you win, sometimes you lose and sometimes you choose between the two (Sweet Seasons) When Buck isn't hurt, he's our 5 tool star. Problem is he is almost always hurt and we keep waiting for that not to happen. is he salvageable? Only time will tell. Meanwhile the entire team is failing. 1st place under .500 is unsustainable. We all know that. (an aside to all this, if I could undo the Arraez trade, I'd do it yesterday)
  7. insagt1
    Hahaha..shows how useless some stats are!
  8. insagt1
    With Twins now down by 6, its safe to bring Pagan in to mop up. Nothing on the line so he'll probably do OK.
  9. insagt1
    watching this team hit with runners on is a total exercise in frustration. Our so-called power hitter pops out and then the guy who did hit the unexpected HR strikes out. and so it goes.
  10. insagt1
    can't hit, can't pitch..every aspect of their game has gone south right now.
  11. insagt1
    an the Twins response....one two three and back on the field. The Vasquez HR was clearly a huge mistake. Other than that, this team looks totally disengaged out there.
  12. insagt1
    and another 'k' for Buck. He just looked at the pitch and walked off. He looks like a guy who dearly doesn't want to be in the game right now.
  13. insagt1
    Ego? No. But should he go to St Paul...somehow...yes. His AB's are painful to watch. He is completely lost. Maybe a mistake, long bomb will pop the scab, but right now, he shouldn't be in a lineup that has 8 others who can barely make contact anymore as well. Is he hurt? 'disrespectfully' for him thats like saying the sun comes up every morning. He's always been hurt. I don't think thats exaggeration at all. His body appears to be unable to take the grind at the level he wants to play at...which is all out. Looking more and more like that won't change. And thats a darned shame because a more exciting player one could never find, when he was 'on'. If Twins want to win this division, they have a lot of tough decisions to make. The team is in a pretty deep trough and so far no one seems to be able to step up and change things around. For a fleeting game or so, it looked like Correa was that guy, but he has also stepped back into the shadows. And Gallo is clearly playing for his job right now. His leash has to be snugged up tight.
  14. insagt1
    the 'k' is the most useless out in baseball. k's occur a whole lot more than GIDP's and sometimes the DP does result in a run. A k almost never does unless the ball gets by the catcher. Its boring to watch hitter after hitter fail to make contact as much as the Twins do. If you have one slugger on your team who k's a lot, you can get by; but not a whole lineup of them. I think they miss Arraez helping them on the importance of making contact. So far that trade has been a huge fail for Minnesota...but I'm willing to give it more time. The pitcher they coveted has not been very special, yet. But the bat they lost, has been glaringly obvious. If Gallo can't hit the ball, remove him. If Buck can't figure out why they need to find a way to put him back on the IL to get him to St. Paul for a couple weeks, they need to do it now.
  15. insagt1
    no logic for Oakland, who was 12-50 to sweep Milwaukee last week, then beat TB twice. Except that the games are still played on the field, not in the stat book. Twins suddenly, as a team have stopped not only hitting but making contact. The k's have been very discouraging. Two guys who should be leading the way offensively (Buxton and Gallo) are leading the way in ks...in record numbers, Twins can't hit with bases loaded. They collectively are in a huge funk. So far the rest of the division isn't going anywhere either but eventually teams like Cleveland and Chicago will wake up and leave Twins in the dust, unless they figure out how to make contact with the ball.
  16. insagt1
    Nice to see Hicks get a fresh start with the O's. He is really starting to hit again and the players really like having him around.
  17. insagt1
    Buxton and Gallo are k'ing just about every AB these days. And the end doesn't seem in sight for it to stop. Gallo always strikes out and Buxton is completely lost this season. Is he hurt to the extent he can't hit anymore? Or even make contact? Might be just two options for him: send him to AAA for awhile to either regain his stroke or his confidence. He may really not like it but if the guy has any integrity he will recognize he's hurting the team. Can't hit, field or run. What am I missing? 2nd option is simply to shut him down for the season and see if its remotely possible for him to heal. We have seen zero evidence of that over his career, but it might save his career. Is this over-reacting? Look at what he's done this year...especially in May and June. Its just plain ugly. Gallo--he should be released, sooner the better. On a team where just about everyone strikes out too much, the two above mentioned players lead the way. I'd like to see the Gallo Experiment end. He's a bad fit. If Kepler can be traded for something that can help the team, he needs to go too. If they promise to never use Pagan in any game on the line situations, he can stay I suppose. Celestino won't be much of an improvement. He can't hit either. Is Miranda likely to get another chance this season? Neither Vasquez nor Jeffers can hit and they are at best average catchers. Polanco will be out for a lengthy period of time. Same with Gordon apparently. This team may need a flush of sorts. The just completed mess with Detroit was very ugly. Will they ever improve? Time will tell.
  18. insagt1
    Buxton is becoming a real concern. His AB's are awful. Could he use some time in St. Paul to reset?
  19. insagt1
    Buxton's return to the lineup has been less than stellar. I have to wonder if the guy is ever going to be the guy he was supposed to be. Its pretty sad watching him flail away, while he also can't play the field. I'm thinking give him rope until he sinks under .200...then sit him down, send him down (probably can't but maybe should) or (I don't have another option at the moment) Then there is Gallo. Another of the mighty K-Boys on a team loaded with them.
  20. insagt1
    some here might be ancient enough (like me!) to remember the fightin' A's of the 70's...you know the team that won 3 straight world series! They seemed to hate each other and their owner, the owner hated them, and it was a circus. 3 world series rings. Guess you just never know, huh. (sidenote: I attended one of those WS games with my navy buddies...walked up to the window day of the game and bought tickets for around $10 bucks or so...maybe a tad more) Twins pen is pretty bad in long relief. If Bass is out there, maybe give him a shot? I think the Jays and MLB blew that whole 'issue' way out of proportion. Guy said some things, was told uh-uh and he apologized (probably didnt mean it either) The world didn't end, nor should it have. Baseball stick to baseball. Pitch, catch, throw, hit, field...fans cheer or boo, have a dog and a brew and go to games to get away from the stress of the world, not add on to it.
  21. insagt1
    What is most frustrating is that as a DH, Buck isn't performing adequately. He is prone (a lot) to long batting slumps where he will go over 20 AB's without a hit. His k rate hasn't improved either, so he isn't making productive outs with runners on. I too would be satisfied if he could improve his offense, then let him DH until or if his body can ever heal to point where he can play the field. Right now sad to say, his real value to the team in 2023 isn't very much, unless you are happy with a DH hitting around .220 or worse, with a k every 2 1/2 AB's or worse. He may be the most frustrating problem facing the team right now. With Pagan, Kepler or Gallo, they all can be removed if needed. Not so with Buxton. I really hope the young man gets it fixed because he is such a gamer.
  22. insagt1
    when you pinch run for a guy who is playing well, in a game where you need 1 run...he better be stealing. So doesn't matter if the world knew Castro was running. Speed is a weapon Twins have forgotten about for many seasons. I can think of many times when Buck was on 1st in that situation, and he never ran and often the GIDP followed. (another of Buxton's tools that have been retired from his toolbox) I suppose the worst that could have happened was Castro gets tossed at the plate and Solano takes 2nd. So now you have 1 out and still a runner in scoring position. Glad it didn't go that way though because of the inordinate number of k's the Twins hitters have been getting. Glad to see the stolen base making a comeback. Last week Rochester was nursing a 1 run lead in the 8th inning, runners on 1st and 3rd 2 outs. Pitcher paid no attention to the runner at 1st and he waltzed uncontested to 2nd. So now a base hit not only ties the game, the lead would change. And thats exactly what happened. Cautionary tale. Wings lost a game because they ignored the runner. Stolen bases are an exciting part of the game.
  23. insagt1
    I have zero confidence that Gallo can help the Twins. Unless the whiff rate decreases dramtically I expect to see him gone by the ASG. This isn't just a bad year..it has been his norm for many seasons. Kepler needs a change of scenery and I think he has trade value. Needs to be done. Twins roughed up one of the top closers in the business last night. Shows they can't be perfect all the time. (even Mariano lost a game 7 in the WS, incredibly) Any guess how Buck will be used when he is reactivated? His bat is too weak to be the regular DH (at least so far) and within one week of playing CF, his knees will give way, or something else that will sideline him indefinitely.
  24. insagt1
    Didn't get it done in the 8th but a real nice 9th. Actually the way the Twins have failed to hit in the clutch lately I don't blame Castro for taking a chance to score that tying run. Could have easily ended up with 3 k's against this tough closer. Well--they blew a tough one Sunday. Won a good one tonite, Thats baseball!
  25. insagt1
    probably the last guy you want up in that spot is someone who strikes out once every 2 AB's. And he watches a pitch right down the middle, showing you how little confidence he brings this season. Visions of Sano in similar situations. It is the rare game this year when the Twins strike out fewer than 10 times. Their lineup just doesn't work. I wish Farmer had a chance to hit. This team is pretty frustrating
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