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insagt1

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Everything posted by insagt1

  1. insagt1
    Yeah, but in years past, how often did they remove Sano, for any reason in the middle of a game?
  2. insagt1
    Someone mentioned Arraez earlier on...wondering what will happen with him. He is the de facto AL batting champ that makes regular contact on a team that strikes out like crazy. His name should be so far off the table as to be invisible. Twins have not done well with their division leading brethren so far. Yanks, Stros, Brew....when the competition gets tough, Twins are an also-ran. Their pitching can't keep up and the hitting is woefully inconsistent...as all those shutouts will attest. Still...they can win a division and get to the dance., so thats the goal, without mortgaging the farm. But they can't win with the pitching staff they currently have. No possible way.
  3. insagt1
    interesting to me that Sano batted 9th and was removed after going 0-2 with a 'k'. I have to think Twins are letting him get a few AB's as a courtesy to what he has done as a Twin. There is no place for him anymore. He may catch fire for awhile, but I wouldn't it bet on it. I think he'll be gone soon.
  4. insagt1
    Its not how many you give up, it's WHEN. If its 6-6 in the 8th...its like a new game. Your pitcher can't give up runs then. Closers are paid to get that done more often than not. Twins don't have any shutdown pitchers and this year the starters seem to be allergic to pitching more than 3 or 4 innings. Blame is a useless exercise...but last night it was on the bullpen, no question. Their guys were nails, ours were noodles.
  5. insagt1
    Twins just have to get more than 4 innings from their starters. It is getting ridiculous how the starters are going this season. Duffy--he was terrible last night. The first role for anyone pitching late in the game MUST be throw strikes. Duran was lucky he got the call to end the 8th. Great framing by the catcher I feel saved his bacon. Duffy came in and was all over the place. If you're gonna lose, make the other guy hit the ball. But Duran was also very wild. Neither one last night exuded confidence in a tie game. I'm also not impressed with Pagan at all. He hasn't gotten any better as the season wears on. I was hoping though that the game winning SF was going to go foul. In that case you would want the right fielder to let it drop, correct? Because once he catches it, game over. Do players think about that in the heat of the moment. Do the coaches scream, 'let it drop'..if they are pretty sure it will be foul. The pessimist in me still thought, even if it was foul and left alone, Duffy would have walked in the winning run anyway. Hader is not perfect, but more often than not, he comes in and quickly gets the job done by throwing strikes. Neither Duran nor Duffy did that last night so the end result was not surprising...just disappointing. I'd rather lose a game with a 400 ft HR than have walks in the 9th factor in the defeat.
  6. insagt1
    Unless they could score some huge pitching improvement, no. As it is, the lineup isn't really working this year. And even Arraez is going thru his biggest slump --only 4 for his last 26, which has seen his outworldly BA slide to .338. Neither Correa or Buxton have reached the heights the Twins frankly expected. Buck has 23 dingers, but thats it., and his 'k' count is very concerning along with a BA and OBP substantially sub-par. Correa flirted briefly with .300 but July hasn't been particularly kind to him. Up and down the lineup, not too many Twins are enjoying great success at the plate, consistently. We are seeing glimmers from Miranda and finally Kirilloff and thank goodness for that. Dumping Correa now would create chaos, since there really isn't a replacement for him. And the Twins are still very much in contention, even though they are definitely trending in the wrong direction at the moment.
  7. insagt1
    If we knew that, we would be running the team!! We'll get there one day
  8. insagt1
    Look at history. For decades starters we're supposed to pitch deep into games. Today there are so many stats clogging up the works everything has been analyzed to death. So you have a staff of starters now conditioned to only pitch a handful of innings and a seriously overused bullpen. The game has gone cockeyed. Does everyone have to throw 100 mph to get hitters out today? I look at the 1971 Orioles pitching staff and remember when watching the good pitchers ply their craft was sheer fun. Today you are a star if your ERA is 4.00 and you somehow struggle thru 5 innings.
  9. insagt1
    I think the general consensus is pretty clear. Almost no one here really thinks the Twins can win the Series this year. Again, only one team can win it all. But competing for it is better than not competing for it. Twins haven't won a playoff game since Lincoln was President, I get that, but every year they go to the dance, at least they have a shot. One day, they WILL win a game or a series or two. If they were buried in last place, this whole discussion would probably be moot. The fact that they have stumbled their way to the top, in a weak division, at least allows for the fun at the ballpark. I don't want them to mortgage the farm just to 'sneak in' this year. I don't think anyone does. OTOH, I also don't want them to take the position that this season doesn't matter either. Its an interesting balance that the FO has to deal with. Let's see where it all goes.
  10. insagt1
    very interesting discussion for sure. There have always been two schools: one says if you are winning, try to win. The other says always look to the future--even if the future never arrives and never be satisfied. In pro sports, winning is always more important and more fun than losing. Making post season is always more exciting for fans than saying, well we have a 5 year plan (that might never work). People buy tickets NOW, to watch the team NOW. So if you have a shot, you take it. Gretzky always said 100% of the shots you never take aren't goals. You don't miss out on getting to the dance just because the other participants are better. There can only be one world series winner...that means everyone else didn't win, but they competed. I am and have been leery for years about these '5 year plans'.. which to me often mean an excuse in case they don't work. Bird in the hand. It may only be a sparrow, but would Twins fans trade places with the Nationals, or Royals, or A's? How much fun were the games after the ASG last year for Twins fans? They were meaningless. I absolutely hate what has happened to pitching in baseball. suddenly before our eyes, the starting pitcher has become obsolete. For over a century this was never a problem, Why now can a starter not go more than 4 innings. Why are pitchers removed from games where they are pitching no-hitters? That folks...NEVER happened in years past. So what we have is a gassed, worn out bullpen, along with starters who just can't do their jobs. Twins need pitching, ANY kind of pitching. They need someone who can shut the game down in the 9th. (they have no one) They need starters who know when handed the ball that they will be out there 6 or 7 innings, minimally. Whatever they can do in the next couple weeks to keep the team competitive will be good. No point in saying 'wait till next year' when this year is still on the table, right? In my short wish list I would like to see Sano traded (or released...there is no room for him); I want Correa and Buxton to play like superstars again. (they haven't) I'd like to Arraez win the batting title. I'd like to see Polo and Kepler have better 2nd halves. And I want the Twins to compete with Cleveland and Chicago right to the end.
  11. insagt1
    Adam Brett Walker...man he hit some of the longest HR's in Red Wings history. They were Luke Easter-esque (for those old enough to remember the Rochester Icon) But he struck out so much its easy to see why Twins gave up on him. They have a history of players who strike out too much. Still when he connected, it was pretty exciting. Arcia..another one who should have been better. In his last stint with Rochester, he completely fell apart. One prospect I thought should have made it was Michael Restovich. He had such a sweet swing and tons of potential...just never materialized. Toss in Terry Tiffee, Josh Rabe,Alexi Casilla, Danny Valencia and of course who can forget Boof Bonser!!
  12. insagt1
    I agree with all those who feel the Twins are a mess right now. Only reason they are in 1st is because Cleveland and Chicago haven't hit their stride yet. But both have demonstrated they can beat the Twins pretty regularly now. You can't win without pitching. (yes, we have 13 pitchers...but are they any good?) While the term is overrated and overused, Twins don't have anything close to a 'closer' or shutdown pitcher. The bullpen is shot...when you must use 6 and 7 pitchers every night (or so it seems), its easy to see they are gassed. The starters rarely make it thru 5 innings anymore, and if they do its not the 'quality start'. The hitters are also not carrying their weight. Can you think of a weaker starting outfielder in an All Star Game than Buxton? He has 23 HR's..thats where it stops. He is barely a .200 hitter this year and his 'k' total is Sano-esque. In short, he looks awful up there now. Team has been blanked 11 times. there are far too many games where the offense just doesn't show up. Is this really a 1st place team? No it isn't. Are they like Atlanta last year? Time will tell. Can they get things straightened out going forward? Maybe. Will Sano help? Doubtful. Will Twins make some trades by August 1st? I think so. Will they still be in 1st place by the end of the month? Probably not. After last season, were our expectations for this team too high? Probably. Most would say they have already over-achieved. But this is why they play the games, right? No one could have imagined the 110 loss Orioles to be .500 right now. You just never know. We can't lose hope, but at the same time we need to be realistic. I'd love to see monster 2nd half's from Buck, Polo, Correa and Kepler (if he's still around)
  13. insagt1
    What has been lost in these discussions and which I believe has contributed the most to the bullpen failures is the demise of the starting pitcher. I don't know when this actually started for real, but starters now don't seem to be able (or want) to pitch more than 3 or 4 innings. So many are being removed before they even qualify for a 'win'. Complete games are totally gone. When you have to start using your pen, every night, in the 4th inning or 5th...sure your pen will be gassed. I'd love it if the starters returned to the landscape again...like they did for over the past century. that would surely help.
  14. insagt1
    Buxton is certainly an anomoly of sorts. Growing up thru the 50's and 60's, I can't remember ever seeing someone in the ASG with a BA of .215! His value to the team, when healthy, can't be overstated. But it does trouble me that right now he isn't hitting a lick..save the odd HR. His 'd' is unparalleled. But there certainly is room for improvement.
  15. insagt1
    Most may not agree but something is nagging at me. If you look strictly at the stats (and nothing else) is Buxton really another Sano? Buck's career BA is around .240ish which is higher than Sano's but not appreciably so. They both hit HR's and they both strike out a ton. Bucks 'k' total this year has been alarming to me...one of the highest in the AL. Buck is no longer stealing bases, at all. Granted his HR's are usually game deciders, but still he isn't getting on base as much as we would like, is he? Buck's defense is clearly much better than Sano's. Still, I have to wonder why he was selected to the ASG frankly. He has been kind of an enigma this season. In their secret moments, given how much he has been 'protected' and pampered this season, to keep him in the lineup, I have to wonder if the Twins expect a bit more than a BA in the low .200's with a ton of strikeouts and not able to use his blinding speed to turn walks into doubles. Make no mistake, he is still a marquee player, but he has gone thru a couple of real bad slumps. Do we feel he needs to be better 2nd half? Or is everyone satisfied with what he is contributing? Just wondering, not criticizing, but observing.
  16. insagt1
    It's still hilarious when you are 4.5 games ahead! The pen is a trainwreck..but what ever happened to the player they called 'starting pitcher'.. he's gone. No one has any. Every game requires 5 or 6 pitchers. That's just plain wrong.
  17. insagt1
    Pretty clear..everyone feels it's time to cut him loose and I agree. There's really no spot for him anymore. Hope they can trade him for someone. It's not worth benching any current player for the infrequent homeruns he might hit amidst the k's and just so-so 'd'. Time to go.
  18. insagt1
    Cleveland got 3 hits today...and 10 walks. When 1 hit was a 2 out walkoff HR you know life is not going right. Last 2 losses were just too horrible to watch . Twins announcer simply said...I'm going to puke. That's about right.
  19. insagt1
    Twice the game became unwatchable. Blowing the 5-1 lead...and that weak HR by a guy who isn't even hitting .200 to get it started. Then the 9th inning meltdown. If you can't hold a 3 run lead, at home, in a division battle for 1st place...you really don't deserve to be there. Kirilloff is not a regular 1st baseman and that ball hit to him should have been fielded. The bloop single that tied the game probably would have been an out if Buck was in center. But the pitching was awful and so was the strategy. Worse, how did the Twins answer in the 9th? The same way they did the night before in the 11th. A meek and quick exit. With Buxton probably on shaky ground to remain on the field; with the bullpen in shambles; with the rest of the lineup so incredibly inconsistent, I agree with those who are saying we won't make the playoffs. Cleveland is on the march, winning two games that they probably should have lost. Last two losses really hurt. Last night's was the dagger. Remember too, Cleveland has SIX games in hand on us. The tea leaves don't favor us. Twins are in deep trouble.
  20. insagt1
    I mentioned it above. They looked like little leaguers in the field. When I saw Arizona's lineup I actually wondered if they were a legit major league team. They sure showed us last night. And getting runners on 2nd and 3rd does no good if nobody can bring them in.
  21. insagt1
    Flat out ugly game. No clutch hitting, lousy pitching, very sloppy fielding..just one big mess against a lineup that the Saints could beat. Guardians are hot and have several games in hand. They are ready to take over the division. Twins need to regroup and try to start a winning streak or the good and perhaps lucky start will be for naught. It was painful watching last night. Very poor show.
  22. insagt1
    i'm betting, without looking that many of those 38 wins came towards the beginning of those 20 years. Twins haven't earned many wins against NY lately, thats for darned sure.
  23. insagt1
    buck just doesn't look like the dynamo we are used to seeing. He looks uncomfortable at the plate more often than not. He still isn't mashing the ball with authority. Twins no longer get to use his speed on the bases, or his dynamic outfield play. His fragility is taking away many of the tools that made him one of the most exciting players in MLB. He isn't that anymore. His toolbox is full of broken or rusty tools. Would 10 days on the shelf help his knee? Not if its as busted up as they are suggesting. As for the Twins as a 1st place team. Won't be long before they are not anymore. The rest of the division will catch up with them soon enough. these 3 games with NY couldn't have come at a worse time since Twins can't win any of them. They simply don't know how to beat the Yankees.
  24. insagt1
    TWins are winning without any offensive contributions from Buxton. Imagine what the lineup will look like when Buck finally snaps out of this very serious slump. Hope this isn't because of an injury that is being hidden. It has gotten very concerning, but hopefully he'll eventually battle out of it. As for Arraez--probably the best trade never made. He's sure a gamer and willing to play anywhere.
  25. insagt1
    Buxton's slump is pretty major actually. Hopefully he will be snapping out of it soon. While 'worry' when the team has picked him up with a lot of wins, is not critical, he is our go-to guy and we need his bat. This is his worse stretch in a long time. At least he is getting on base. Today's win was pretty awesome. Its rare to make that kind of comeback.
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