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insagt1

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Everything posted by insagt1

  1. insagt1
    Last night was great for Twins fans....they didn't lose to the Yankees! Wouldn't break my heart if any rainout against the Evil Empire is not made up. Two games today. Is there ANY way Twins win one of them? With our current lineup its not likely. But to level the playing field a little....please DO NOT throw one single strike to Aaron Judge, unless you still want that death wish.
  2. insagt1
    Even when mired in a real significant slump, Yanks will ALWAYS find ways to beat the Twins. I wish they never had to play them. They just can't beat the Yankees.
  3. insagt1
    Also lost in all of this--is Arraez quietly bowing out of the AL batting race, after leading it most the season. It wouldn't surprise anyone if he ended the year under .300. Don't know why but his AB's have become weak. Lazy fly ball outs and routine grounders. He just isn't the same player he was for the first several months. Awful time to lose his bat.
  4. insagt1
    Vintage Twins-Yanks. Twins always find ways to lose and look bad doing it. Yanks only had to play just good enough to win the game. Even when tied, Twins had no shot at all. The Yanks are in their heads and it doesn't matter who fills out the unis..its always the same. When the games mean something, Twins just run and hide. If they truly wanted to win, they don't pitch to Judge. Its strategy, not ego. Judge can beat you with one swing, and today was Exhibit A of how thats done. Pagan and Megill have become the dud duo of the AL. Both are disasters....with 'good stuff' that gets hit all over the inhabited earth.
  5. insagt1
    Even though Yanks are playing real poorly and not scoring runs...when they face the Twins they flip the switch unfortunately. They are kryponite for Twins. And as injured and messed up as Twins are now...I think if they steal 1 game it will be amazing. And I REALLY want to be wrong on this gloomy prediction!
  6. insagt1
    O's fans were initially upset..but then realized the 'closer" in waiting was Bautista...and he has been lights out awesome. So far I think he has been a disappointment mostly because of the high expectations placed on him. He was a failed starter who simply hit a hot streak as a reliever during the surprise re-awakening of the Orioles. He just isn't that good. Might turn out to be eventually but certainly not the bullpen 'savior'.. his last outing was really bad..including the ill timed deflection that prevented a game saving DP. Twins really don't have a 'closer' but the weak division remains up for grabs
  7. insagt1
    The clarification needed was the backdating of when the 60 days started for each guy. They still have to spend 60 days on that list before they can return...which was my response. More info was needed for my old brain!
  8. insagt1
    According to the definition of the 60 man IL, they have to remain on it for a minimum of 60 days before they can return. So that would mean both guys are out. yes it clears space on the 40 man, but the players can't come back if or when they are ready if it hasn't been 60 days. You can look it up and refute if you like, but thats how I read it.
  9. insagt1
    Billy Hamilton has made two bad moves already. Getting nailed at 3rd killing a rally and ultimately probably may have cost the Twins an important game. then today, spinning out and failing to score on a real 'gimmie'. Fortunately Miranda bailed him out, but not a particularly good start. I had commented a couple days ago that it looked like Larnach and Jeffers were done for the year when added to the 60 day IL. Someone said, no, it was only to get them off the 40 man roster, but they could return to play anytime before the 60 days. I don't think thats correct. Definition: 'players placed on the 60 day injured list must remain on it for a minimum of 60 days...and are temporarily removed from a club's 40 man roster'. Based on that, sure sounds like those two aren't coming back.
  10. insagt1
    Two disasters so far against Chisox. Lopez blew the Friday game all by himself and yesterday was simply a cover your eyes and hold your nose game. And the injuries keep coming. Polanco on the IL now, looks like Jeffers and Larnach are done for the year being shipped to the 60 day IL. Mahle is probably done. Who knows what lies in store for Buxton. Twins have looked terrible again. As for the AL Central---if the Orioles were in that division they would be in 1st place. Think about that one.
  11. insagt1
    Lost a little in all of this was the totally unexpected 'game save hit' by jake Cave. I never expected him to deliver a game tying two out in the 9th base hit. Correa finally showing some REAL enthusiasm lately. Maybe playing against his old team jazzed him up? Having a motived Correa surely can't hurt. Still, Twins have major problems on a daily basis. Now two of their most consistent hitters are really in bad slumps...Arraez (who is frittering away the AL batting title) and Miranda (who has been SO good in his rookie year) Would really help if they got back on the tracks. Sidenote: any here noticing that ever since the O's traded Lopez (their closer) to the Twins, the heir apparent Felix Bautista has turned into Mariano Rivera! He has been scary good. Guess the O's knew what they were doing. And so far ex-teammate Trey Mancini has not hurt them in these past two games. Can't expect them to beat Verlander today, but taking 2 of 3 from the Astros on the road is a pretty decent achievement. Actually O's have won 5 straight games in Houston. We can only hope that the Twins are in enough games to test the value of Lopez, who they figured would be their closer for the rest of the season,
  12. insagt1
    Up to now I have remained silent on our manager and just focused on the players. But Rocco's latest speech basically giving the players permission to just go out and have fun, when they were still in contention, was the last straw. Losers are quick to pivot and just tell their charges that playing hard, intense ball isn't necessary when they start to fall apart; but rather just take the pressure off and have fun. That just doesn't play in my theatre. You are paid professionals and until its mathematically impossible to earn a post season spot, you go out there and bust your tail off and not cheat the fans who buy the tickets. And if the players support the 'fun' philosophy, you can tell they don't care anymore too. Not willing to put out the extra effort to battle out of the malaise that has dogged this team for over a month now. The 3 games against Houston were carbon copies of themselves. Astros only had to play hard enough to beat a disappearing team. To be somewhat fair, look at the lineup the Twins are rolling out. Injuries have drastically hurt who they should have been coupled with overall failures of the guys who still can play, but who are having miserable seasons. But if the leader doesn't care anymore, how can the players care? No, we can't crawl into their heads, I get that, but the 'eye' test is what we have and that test tells us this team just doesn't have it anymore. Can they turn it around if some of the players come back? Maybe, but I'd like to hear and see the manager show us the passion he had with the overturned out at home ahwile back.
  13. insagt1
    Says a lot when Twins pinch hit for a guy hitting .080 with a guy hitting around .140 (and who had just fanned 4 times in 4 AB's the night before) Twins cupboard is sure bare. Neither catcher can hit a lick. They got Sanchez for his bat. Where is it? The usual cast of suspects failed again. budding rally snuffed quickly with a killer DP and then the final out. You are not going to beat Houston in the 9th trailing by 4 every night. Even Arraez (.154 last 7 games) and Miranda (.214 last 7 games) are slumping again. Guardians meanwhile are building up a lead the Twins won't be able to catch anymore. Its over.
  14. insagt1
    I believe if Buck can physically get out there, he will play. The bigger issue is, will he contribute enough to make a difference? He really isn't our 'best player' if you look at his overall performance. He should be our best player. In fact many touted him as one of the best players in MLB before season started....IF..he stayed healthy. He didn't. His situational hitting has really taken a nosedive. His defensive skills have been short circuited to an extent because of his fragile body not allowing him to do the things that continue to astound us all. He has killed his share of rallies with k's with the best of them this year. My best guess is he is out for 2 weeks. By then Twins may know whether its worth rushing him back. If they are under .500 and more than 5 games behind, they will need to re-evaluate their options. Twins should ALWAYS be a better team with Buxton in the lineup. For the better part of the first half, that was very true. Not so much anymore. And I just have to think that the reason for his less than stellar season at the plate is that he has played the entire year hurt. And the compound effect of the daily grind has caught up with him. Meantime, the Twins are sinking slowly like the setting sun, and it certainly isn't all buxton's doing. But he is an accomplice.
  15. insagt1
    Read today someone wrote (maybe the beat writer) something to the effect that Buxton has all together managed to not be on the IL for first time since 2016. That is totally not true correct? He goes on the list every year, correct? He pretty much lives there, sadly. Every year, it never gets better for the guy. His body just does not allow him to be what he wants to be. Having said that, as have others--Buxton is not having a good season. His situational hitting, along with most his teammates, has been pretty sad, and as a result, the team is floundering. It isn't one player not getting it done. Its pretty much all of them from game to game, when it counts most. Even Arraez has come up short since the all star game when it comes to those necessary key hits the Twins aren't getting. Wish things were better, as we all wish. Let's hope they don't really fall apart completely vs Houston.
  16. insagt1
    They mustered nothing in the final 2 innings in a game that was there for the taking (Pagan didn't pitch!) No way they win any of the games against Houston. Buxton exiting again is just putting another nail in his season of perpetual injury. But realistically, his offense has been terrible, especially with RISP. Kepler is lost. Polanco is invisible. Why is beckham on the team? The Orioles had one like him...Phillips. Couldn't hit sand on the beach. Finally DFA'ed him. Twins probably won't finish .500. But the AL Central winner may be fortunate to end up a few games over .500, the way its shaping up. Right now though, our team is dead, lifeless and going thru the motions. Looks a lot like 2021 actually. The boos we heard in the 8th inning were out of total frustration. While directed at Kepler, they should have been directed at the whole team. For those here who really care about this team, the season is collapsing. For those who just follow metrics and enjoy beer and hotdogs, none of this matters.
  17. insagt1
    Sad to say, but when the likes of Eddie and Cruz were in town, they kept the team hopping. They had the enthusiasm and Cruz had the leadership. Not sure any of us expected so many of our 'stars' to have such rotten seasons. Then factor in the injuries. Sano probably wouldn't have added much. Kirilloff might have helped, but he was never really healthy from the get-go. Jeffers was terrible offensively and just a tad better defensively. His replacements have been terrible. Sanchez's bat has turned into a wet noodle. Buxton has been a terrible disappointment. What is keeping the torches and pitchforks away are the 28 HR's. But he hasn't had very many 'big' hits in a long time. His 'k' count is Sano-esque and, well, I think he's having a lousy year. Oh yeah, and of course the poor guy just can't stay healthy. Polanco is playing like he is in a trance. There is nothing there this year. Nothing. Kepler too is basically a wasted spot in the lineup. Correa is having an OK year, if his name was anything other than Correa. He's a gifted fielder on most nights, but his offense, when it matters, is MIA. So, this is probably a 3rd place team in baseballs WORST division. (name one worse than the AL Central) How badly does this outfit want to win the division? The 'eye test' says pretty clearly...not very badly. However, with 45 to play, there is still time to suddenly get it right. If they want to.
  18. insagt1
    You see hockey players constantly playing thru injuries. They never want to sit. Baseball is a daily grind, which is different. With Buxton, its a different injury every season. His body is just not compatible with the way he wants to play. This is not a small sample size. He has been hurt every single year of his baseball existence. This year his knees have hurt all season long. Maybe he does need to just sit it out for 2 or 3 weeks and then get him back in CF for the duration. Twins need him, but they don't need an off and on Buxton who is striking out every 2 1/2 PA's and who can't patrol CF. Its not working.
  19. insagt1
    So they lost both games to the Dodgers...but realistically I didn't expect to win either of them. Dodgers are playing .700 ball...a totally unrealistic clip for mid August. I doubt they will win 2 against the Yankees. Evil Empire is struggling now, but they never struggle against the Twins! Out last go-round with both Sox and Guards did not go well at all. Can that change? It must if Twins are to have any chance. Want to be optimistic..but have to throw in a dash of realistic. It will be an uphill battle for Twins to win the division now.
  20. insagt1
    I don't think 30-22 will get it done. Hedging that bet, if the top 3 in the Central just beat each other up, and its still a close horse race on Labour Day ....then maybe it could do the job.
  21. insagt1
    Twins have been trending down for a long time now. Too many key players are having off years. You can usually compensate when one, maybe even two key players struggle, but Twins have several, in the lineup and on the mound. Rocco stated he isn't focused on the standings or post season. Thats totally Bull. Of course he and the players are focused on making post season. If not, why even play the games when you have been in 1st most the season. I assume he is simply saying 'all the right things' publicly, even though we fans know its crapola. Buxton's knee issues aren't going to go away by giving him a day or two off. This is now a chronic problem...added to his litany of injuries that have robbed him of his incredible skills. While its not fair to ignore the 27 dingers, its also not fair to ignore the strikeouts, the low BA and OBA and his diminished value on the bases and in CF. Correa has not been a bust, but he has been quite a disappointment, especially offensively. Polanco hasn't come out of his season long funk yet and we're running out of time. Kepler has been a disaster. There has been little offense from the catchers. Even our bright light Arraez wasn't Arraez for an entire month. (he does seem to have snapped out of his slump) Playing teams under .500 in the final 6 weeks isn't always a free pass to victory. Twins need to figure it all out pretty soon or all those head to head games in September will be meaningless. If you are 5 or 6 games back by then, its really lights out. If this team finishes a tad over .500, it will have been a decent improvement from last year. But after a 4 month tease in 1st place, it wont seem like an improvement at all. They must be gnashing their teeth in Chicago these days too. That team has yet to wake up. That leaves Cleveland. Are they the favorites now? But what we have seen of the Twins these past several weeks does not in any way engender confidence that they can turn the corner. guess we'll just have to see.
  22. insagt1
    We always worried that Buxton couldn't stay healthy. This year a new wrinkle...he has been sort of injured all season long. He is not having a good season. He has hit some HR's, but he is also striking out a ton...nearly Sano-esque, which kills a lot of rallies. Since his knee is hurt, he loses more of his tools...base stealing and playing in the field everyday. And it also seems to be impacting his offense. So with Buck not being Buck, and Correa not being the Correa we paid for; and Kepler having a terrible season; and Polanco struggling; and the pitching less than stellar...can we realistically be disappointed that this is probably a 3rd place team in a weak division? Is it too late to recover? No. Did we expect to compete with the Dodgers? No, not too many teams this year have. Our only hope is the 17 games left with Chi and Cleve. If they can't win those, then they don't deserve post season anyway. This year's team is pretty flawed...better than last year, but not really worthy of winning a division. At least, for now.
  23. insagt1
    No chance he'll be back this season unless twins are totally out of the race and they just want to give him some courtesy AB's to say goodbye. He just never learned to be a legit major league hitter. Sort of like Adam Brett Walker...could hit the ball a mile..when hr connected...which wasn't very often.
  24. insagt1
    I think the head to head with Cleveland and Chicago decides the division. Twins have 17 games left with those two. If they can beat them, they will win the division. If not, they finish 3rd and out of the playoffs. While Twins have been woefully inconsistent, thankfully so have the Guards and Sox. No one really wants to step up and take charge. but I think that will be changing. I'm not real confident the Twins have the horses to compete, but we'll see.
  25. insagt1
    Outside of the very informed posters here, I wonder how many 'baseball fans' out there have a clue about all the letters and numbers being tossed about in MetricLand. I don't know what most any of it means, and to be fair, I don't care either. too much analysis can reduce this game to not being fun. OK, rant over on that one. What I am 'seeing' when watching Carlos play is a guy who is having an off-year...based on what was expected. Failure? No. bust? No. Disappointing for what he cost? Yes, so far. This is not a good time for him to be slumping. Not a good time for Twins to have to face the Dodgers when 1st place is hanging by a thread. For them to win the AL Central, they need to have their key guys all playing better...that means Correa, Buxton, Polanco and Kepler all need to start getting the job done. None of them are having particularly great seasons. but there is still time and until they drop a couple to the Dodgers, they are still on top, by a razor thin margin. We have yet to see the Correa we thought we were getting. I hope that changes.
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