insagt1

I'm old too and I don't like the unwritten rules. What I do like has now been expressed several times. You don't defy your manager. If he says 'take'..thats the rule! Period. If he takes and then swats a 3-1 pitch over the fence...let the debate begin. I have seen many managers over the years yank a player immediately when they disobey the order of the manager. Anyone here remember seeing live, the Billy Martin-Reggie Jackson dust-up in the dugout? Earl would pull players for not hustling. And there are many others. So the 'sin' is not swinging at a 3-0 pitch by a position player in a blowout....its openly defying your managers instructions. No need to write that rule.

Problem with the metrics as we watch the games day in and day out....the stats just don't equate with the results. Twins have won most their games in blowouts, which tend to skew the offensive stats. We may not make a lot of errors, but the ones we do make seem to cost us games every time. Donaldson's errors come to mind. His are mind-numbing goofs that rookies make. And those in my mind tend to negate the flashy plays he can and does make. Winning all those high scoring games, only to lose 5 or 6 after that by one run doesn't help much. So I really don't trust the stats. Only the W-L record....and that stat is pretty crappy. The old Jim Rome cliche comes to mind...'scoreboard baby'.

The only player batted around here that makes me real sad is Buxton. How often does a team get a player that everyone in baseball talks about in glowing terms for every aspect of his game? He is such a treat to watch...except that we don't get to watch him very much. If he doesn't have any particular loyalty to the organization (for bringing him along and dealing with all his injuries), yeah you let him go to the highest bidder...preferably via a trade I guess. But if the guy ever gets healthy...we will surely miss him. Thing is...will we get full value for him? And with all his injuries, what is considered full value when talking trade? Anyone in Minnesota have a feel for how he feels about the Twins? Any talk at all about wanting to stay? Or is it just simply...whoever pays me the most gets me.

and I'm sure Kelly stole that from Tommy Lasorda...who said that many years ago....and he probably took it from someone before him. The 1962 Mets (40-120) took that wisdom to task!!?

If/when Buxton comes back, I would give him one last shot and being able to play healthy the rest of the season. If he ends up again on the IL, then I think the Twins have little choice but to move our most exciting player. He is of no use to us when he can't play...which unfortunately is way too much. A sad situation for sure. Berrios is really not our 'ace'. He can't string together solid outings...rarely pitches deep into games, and when he starts to 'lose it', he goes downhill quickly. We all keep waiting for him to be our ace, but it doesn't look that will ever happen. I really wonder how much he would yield on the trade market?

number of teams who have done that are few and far between however. Until the Twins learn the fine art of manufacturing runs without the HR ball, they will never crawl out of this hole in 2021. Amazing how awful Garver can look at the plate. Yeah he hit one out but the other 3 AB's were hard to watch. Would be nice to see the team actually string some wins together. Maybe THAT would give us hope. Anyone guess how long Buxton will be out? I'll say till after the AllStar game. All of his injuries are 'serious' and once he comes back he is just one dive, one crash into a fence or one infield hit legged out away from another one, sadly.

unwritten rules should just go away. The board seems completely divided on this issue. However, if your manager says 'take', then you take. Under any scenario. If a team 'gives up' though and uses a position player to pitch...then let the chips fall where they may. There was no way Twins were going to come back so get the game over with. I'll stand by my thinking that a hitter trying to get a hit anytime is different than a runner stealing a base in a blowout. Hitter has to hit. runner doesn't have to run. As for some of the other crap...'showing up' a pitcher by flipping the bat or admiring your blast; or a pitcher doing a dance if he gets a big strikeout...big whoop. Let there be some emotion in the achievement and don't have such thin skins. But one 'unwritten rule' that should be written is you never ever throw at a guys head. Yes there are 'accidents' but usually you know when they happen. Head-hunting is way off limits. IMO

I don't think they are unlucky at all. If you look at the 7 extra inning losses....they lost all those games on merit. They couldn't bring in a runner from second with no outs and the other guys, playing fundamental baseball, did. they have failed to modify their approaches as the situation calls. They don't have a clue how to advance runners. the pitching hasn't been unlucky...it has been terrible. The only area that one might allow a bit of bad luck would be injuries. Every team has them, but the Twins have had more than their share, one could argue. Then there is Buxton. Possibly the most exciting player in the game....his body is not compatible with playing the game hard day after day. Don't know if that will ever change.

If they are gauging their hitting success solely on how hard they hit the ball...they are sadly going to never improve.

listening to many baseball guys this morning on various shows, most are astounded at what has happened to the Twins. On paper, a much better team. On the field, a total trainwreck. Was it true that 30 pitches were thrown before an out was recorded? Refsnyder has been kicking around AAA for years., I have seen him play against the Red Wings a whole bunch of times and he always hurt us. Let him play. Why not? He did last night something very few Twins have done this year. He actually got a real hit and RBI with a runner on 2nd. What a concept! Recall Gordon. Let him play. Some took exception to a Sox hitter swinging for a HR in the 9th of a 15-4 game. I say, garbage. When you bring in a position player to pitch, you are raising the white flag and giving up. But the batter still has to bat and every PA affects his personal stats. If he wants to swing...so be it. No ones nose needs get out of joint. Different situation if a runner tries to steal under similar circumstances. The runner, unlike the batter, doesn't have to go, and in a 15-4 game, he doesn't need to steal a base. Injuries continue to ravage the Twins. But the pitching has been less affected and they are collectively ....terrible. I wonder when someone will finally snap...when maybe there will be some changes in how they are playing the game? I think Cruz needs some rest. Except there isn't anyone to really sub in for him at the moment.

Donaldson and Simmons (yesterdays HR notwithstanding) have been disappointments. They haven't 'sparked' the Twins to win games. When Donaldson makes an error, its usually a game changing costly one too. Any word on Turtles hand? On an unrelated note, your former AAA team Rochester is off to a Twins-like 2-10 start with their new parent Washington. The team is putrid and this is probably the worst start I can remember. Organization so far has 'ignored' talking about it since the home opener is tomorrow and they desperately need fans. The Saints are 5-7. I wish, despite the Twins incompetence, we were still with them. (the Nats are in last place too) In the 10 years 2009-2018 with Syracuse, they only provided them with 3 winning teams. Our other parent before Minnesota is also in last place (Baltimore) I'm having a nightmare season so far!

As has been the case in so many games recently, Twins had the chance to score a ton of runs. But they just cannot deliver with men on base. Opposing pitchers know this and they go full out for the strikeout with less than 2 outs. And they usually get it. Then after an improbable comeback, they simply pee it away in the 9th. Our million dollar infielder with yet another bad error. And of course, a strikout results in a wild pitch and a winning run. Why not? Its the Twins 2021. Bad teams find ways to lose, even when they shouldn't. Todays game was a hot mess of missed opportunities and crappy 'd'..when it counted most. The good news...the cheap run in the 9th prevented an 8th extra inning embarrassment. Silver lining.

Did anyone on Planet Twins think that after Keplers single couldn't score Turtle from 2nd, Twins would actually score a run with 1st and 3rd no outs? Its nearly comical how many times they have loaded them up or had 2nd and 3rd with NO outs and never scored a run this season. Here's one for the books...when was the last time a team pinch hit a .121 hitter for a .111 hitter? Of the Twins 12 wins, only 5 of them have been 'close'. Two 2-0 wins and 3 one run games....but one of those should never have been. Twins were up 6-0 late and let Texas get 5 before Rogers somehow got the 3rd out. So clearly in the rare cases where Twins win, its usually a blowout. they are totally non-competitive once they fall behind. Even a 1 run deficit is too big for these free swingers. I agree with those who feel Rocco needs to light a bonfire and start burning. Or someone on this roster needs the old closed door team meeting, where a lot of screaming and expletives are let out. Might sound immature, but heck they gotta try something different, don't they? When Sano comes up, he should never take a strike. He needs to swing at anything in or near the strike zone. Twins really aren't paying him to get walks. Personally I think he needs to be sent down...preferably to AA...to play everyday and regain whatever is left to his confidence to square up a baseball. He can't help the Twins right now and all the blathering about how he 'can' carry the team on his back once he heats up is nonsense and wishful thiinking. Simmons is turning out to be a very mediocre pick-up. Has a decent glove. Can't (or isnt ) hitting worth a darn. Why not give Gordon a shot? See what he's got. Might turn out to be a nice surprise. What have they got to lose? Finally, I fear that once Buxton comes back...maybe in 3 weeks, he will play 5 or 6 games and then it will be: bruised this or that; pulled hammy; messed up hand or wrist; or pick anything else...and he'll be out for even a longer stretch. I'm beginning to lose hope that our superstar is just too fragile to play MLB at the level he wants to play it. His body won't let him. Such a talent.....just isn't working. Just imagine a healthy everyday Buxton in our lineup. Cruz has 9 dingers so far. but lately you can see he too isn't driving the ball like we are used to seeing. He is 40 and perhaps this season will be it for him. If Twins are dead and buried by july 4, it might be a kindness to send him to a contender.

Twins start this season is not that they are in a 'slump'. The losses are all the same. Poor pitching, absolutely no hitting with RISP; no ability whatsoever to overcome deficits; and far too many k's. This has been consistent all season long. Most their wins have been blowouts, which will happen from time to time. Something has to be changed. The old saw is you can't fire the players so you fire the manager/coach. That may work but OTOH, collectively this team just doesn't 'work' right now. Its broken. And I don't think any of us saw this coming...to the extent it is happening. Too much talent to be this bad. But when the pieces don't fit together, talent can't overcome the problems. You can throw all the statistics out there on what 'should happen', but baseball still is all about putting runners on and driving them in. And then preventing the other guy from doing the same. Twins can't do either apparently....ergo 12-23 and falling.

What is happening however is that our guys can't get the 3rd strike or 3rd out before allowing a run. Their guys pretty much stop us every time...no matter how many outs or men on base. It defies odds when an opposing pitcher can stop us from scoring a run with no outs and a runner on 2nd 6 out of 7 times. I don't think thats normal. And our run production in innings 7-10 is abysmal. meanwhile our pitchers are giving up runs every game when it matters most. Can't crawl into a guys head...but it sure 'looks' from body language that the Twins collectively have zero confidence right now. After Keplers surprise HR in the 8th, we followed it with two singles. Somehow once again, nothing resulted.

They lose the same way all the time. When was the last time that someone got a clutch late inning hit to tie the game or take the lead? Bullpen---just bad enough..again. First Robles lets an inherited runner score. then typical Rogers...he gets 2 outs and then gives up the RBI hit to turn it into a 2 run game again. Meanwhile Twins strike out at every opportunity. None of them escape this. 12 more men left on. They had chances galore and just never got the clutch hit. And often the RISP were with less than two outs. Twins are now the worst team in MLB and they have earned every bit of that. The hitters look frustrated from the time they step up to the time they walk back to the dugout. Time for a shaleup...something...anything

Is it possible that these games keep getting worse and worse? I'm convinced that the Twins could get a bases loaded walk and somehow not have the run score. Don't ask me how....ask them. They have the patent.

Very honest summary! Sometimes even optimists must be realists to maintain credibility. While speaking of Polanco, Garver, and Kepler...it might be noted that Cruz actually has slowed quite a bit. He isn't producing runs like he did in April. Donaldson too, until he had a decent game this weekend. His production has been, to be honest, poor so far, considering what is expected. And I guess it wouldn't be the Twins if Buxton didn't find an injury that would take him out of action for many weeks. Sigh...

Want to vent on this. And in NO WAY do I mean to impune any posters opinions because they all matter, whether they agree with mine or not. So here is mine: Lately the 'new toy', the flavor du jour seems to be how hard balls are hit and exit velocity. Seemingly after every AB, you hear the talking heads go...and that ball was hammered, it was hit a a million miles an hour..it was really timed etc etc. And honestly, does any of that really matter? Really matter? I am a 73 year old baseball fan who remembers watching Bob Gibson pitch for Rochester; Jim Frey win an I.L. batting title before becoming a successful major league manager. Watching the Brooklyn Dodgers on TV. Mickey Mantle slug mammoth HR's. Enjoy watching Cal and Wade play in baseballs longest game (Rochester vs Pawtucket 33 innings). Lou Brock, Tim Raines, Rickey H and Maury Wills steal bases at will. The grand old game was just plain fun, with runs, hits, errors and RBI. Hitting a ball 'hard' doesn't materially mean 'better'. In fact some of the hardest hit ground balls are easy DP's...while the tappers and 3 hoppers sometimes keep innings going. A bloop in front of a charging outfielder playing too deep can bring home runners with 2 outs, while a hard hit fly ball to deep center field accomplishes nothing. Its not how hard you hit the ball, its where it goes. Twins stink at situational hitting because they are all swinging from their heels...resulting in a boatload of strikeouts and hard hit routine outs. Nellie Cruz can smoke a ball off the right field fence and only get a single. Twins can put a runner at 3rd with one out and Sano will strike out. then the next hitter pounds a hard hit but poorly placed fly ball to end the inning. And so it goes. If you are a Yankee fan (blasphemy of course) you knew it only took a 296 ft fly ball down the right field line to circle the bases. Didn't have to be hit 500 mph to clear the fence. A bleeder thru the infield accomplishes in many cases more than a 110 mph ground shot right at someone..plus the hard hit grounder gives the fielder more time to get the out. What I guess I'm trying to say is I think its a superfluous stat that some may find interesting, but overall its no marker as to how good a team or player is. Twins may 'win' the hard hit ball contest, but they aren't winning games. Sano can mash...that is when he connects...which isn't very much. How valuable has he been? Their k count this season, with runners on, is toxic.have they forgotten baseball fundamentals? Or have they not learned them at all? I don't care how hard the ball is hit. just hit 'em where they ain't...as the saying goes. Personally, I wouldn't miss the expressions 'barreling up' exit velocity or launch angle if they quietly disappeared from the landscape. but thats just me. Thanks for listening. If you disagree, I respect that, just as I hope you respect my thoughts as well. (I also witnessed the first Montreal Expo game...and their first HR was hit by a pitcher!!) Ah memories. Keep the faith my friends...better days may be ahead.

The comparison with Donaldson was telling...and sad. Its also sad when a utility player hitting over .300 is still maligned. Most of the Twins BA's are pathetic. When a utility player has to play this much, your team is in deep trouble. His extra inning production is poor...as is the ENTIRE team. Scoring only in one game out of 7. Not being able to bat in a runner from 2nd (except for a Buxton HR) The Twins are a mess. As a team, they are a mess.. Yesterdays loss was pathetic. 16 left on base. k after k.

Some things just keep repeating and repeating: Twins bullpen blows another save Twins bullpen loses its 7th extra inning game Byron Buxton is injured Miggy Sano strikes out again,,,and again Twins hitters can't hit with RISP and finally... KKKKKKKKKKKKKKK Thats all this team does now....strike out, strike out and strike out some more. Double digits just about every night. While the pen is just awful, just about every game, the hitters have become the equally as lousy culprits. All of them. Donaldson suddenly is as lost as all the rest of the them. His stats over the past couple weeks are putrid. And of course, its always nice when you are 0-6 in extra innings to start out with a wild pitch. Twins have scored in only 1 of the 7 games...with a runner at 2nd and no outs. thats almost not possible. Its no longer early. All the analytics in your computers can't change 11-19 (6-17 over the last 23) The team is broken...just about every aspect. Unless they are ahead by 10 with 2 innings to go, no win is a lock with these guys. Sad

The 9th and 10th inning numbers defy description. They also take a decent 2 3/4 hour game and turn it into a 3 1/2 hour game..complete with the associated ugliness. I don't understand the 'Rogers is unlucky' thing. They have hit some very hard shots against him and there is no defense for the ball clearing the wall. Stretching out the starters might be an option, but probably not a very effective one. Take Berrios..when he goes bad, its a landslide of bad...usually resulting in a dugout full of runs with no outs, to the point where he has to come out. Would be nice to get 7 innings from our starters at least 3/5 of the time. The craziness is our best start was opening day when Berrios came out after 7 innings of no-hit ball. Wonder how it would have played out had they let him stay? i would never consider trading Buxton for relief pitchers. he is Mr Excitement and one of the only reasons to watch the Twins so far. Start working now on a way to keep him (assuming he can play a full season) Donaldson, for me, has been just slightly OK so far. His offense has not been all that stellar, for what we got him for. His 'd' can be spectacular but he'll make routine mistakes too. The offense has to take some lumps. When the opposition scores 28 runs in the 9th and 10th and you counter with 3...no need to continue that sentence. Yep--the pen is a hot mess and as we have seen, not an easy fix.

Rogers is awful. Still. And so is most the pen. Yeah, a win, but how many times will we have a 'closer' get a 3 run lead in the 9th and still make it a nail biter? Kirilloff over Sano? Wouldn't make me sad at all. Until Kirilloff goes into a major slump at the plate, you ride that horse every game. I believe Sano is expendable...maybe Twins could get an arm to two for him? Sano fans say its just about time for him to go on a tear. And that could be true, except throughout his career, the 'tears' don't last long. But thats why I'm not the GM. Only a fan! Right now though, the pen is the major headache. Nearly no one is doing the job, when it matters. 5-0 lead late and a final score of 6-5 just won't do, if this team is to compete.

Kirilloff may present the Twins with some food for thought. While he also strikes out a lot, could he be the new regular 1B..relegating Sano to spot starting or even to being traded? Will be interesting to see what develops over the next couple of weeks. I feel the Twins will be starting Kirilloff everyday to see what he's got. He just might make Sano a spare part. I suppose its a nice problem to have. I'd like to see Donaldson produce more runs, but not complaining. Is Garver finally putting it together? Time will tell. Agree on the assessment of Barrios. This has been his issue throughout his career...even down in Rochester, it was the same thing. He's lights out for several innings but then completely loses it. (remember when he had to be taken out after 4 2/3 innings when the Twins were up something like 14-0 and he just couldn't get the outs needed to get the easy win)

Colome's confidence at the moment is shot. Yesterday was a classic example. He goes in trying to keep it a one run game and walks 3 men and hits another, forcing in a run and leaving a mess for another reliever to clean up (unsuccessfully) When you cant go in and throw strikes...when your outings so far this year have been brutal...much of the trouble is mental. Its possible that he has just completely 'lost it', but that is unlikely. whatever the case, he is a major headache for the Twins right now.