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tony&rodney

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Everything posted by tony&rodney

  1. tony&rodney
    The next 13 games may determine how much time the team gives the current group before reaching down to AAA for Rodriguez and Culpepper. The defense is getting exposed consistently. The physical limitations are real but I'm a little disappointed in the mental mistakes. The Twins can, at the very least, clean up the little stuff.
  2. tony&rodney
    The Twins are going to have struggles. Looking for instant help isn't happening. That will need to wait until a few plants push up, get green, and flower. Hope people can wait. In the meantime we are getting some good starting pitching. If guys like Ryan, Bradley, Abel, and others continue on the right path, there will be gloves coming aboard at some point. Keep the faith.
  3. tony&rodney
    Mean people suck. There is no way to spin the said comments as acceptable. There is nothing worse than when individuals or groups of people debase our species with crass unacceptable public behavior. Duran was within bounds to flip off the person who made the comment.
  4. tony&rodney
    Senior Mens Leagues and Town Ball teams have great variance. Some are as good as college teams. Professional baseball players are good athletes and MLB players are elite at their skill level. Most fans couldn't play catch with an MLB guy much less get a bat on the ball if they tried to hit. There is a special skill level needed to play in the majors, few have it. Despite any unhappiness fans may have with this hitter, fielder, or pitcher it is good to remember that they get paid and we pay. That said, even MLB fellows lose their edge. When they lose the fine line of skill needed to remain in The Show, they are prime pickups for a local nine. In the 80s, 90s, and 00s, I played against more than a few former MLB players who still loved baseball and got a kick out of playing with the dad bods. One pitcher was only four months removed from being DFA'ed. So, eventually when there is a player ready to replace X, Y, or Z the Twins will make roster moves. Until that moment the 26 person roster is what Twins fans will get to support.
  5. tony&rodney
    Fun read. Emmanuel, as you correctly state, is a prospect precisely because his bat can produce loud velocity. He needs to put in a strong month before he receives serious consideration. Ellwanger wants to visit Iowa by May. Let him. Cedar Rapids isn't a bad place. Funny hat that Culpepper wore to the Twins game today. I wonder if any Twins folks (player or others) will be catching a Saints game on their day off tomorrow.?
  6. tony&rodney
    A little sloppy by the Twins today. Good to remember that the Red Sox have a good hitting team. Woods Richardson has been a decent pitcher for the Twins. Yes, he was missing location today but don't forget his good days.
  7. tony&rodney
    Stuff happens. The defense has been steady most of the time and the Twins have done better reducing mental mistakes until today. The three mental mistakes are what I want to see disappear. Can the Twins be a team that comes back? They have shown a ton of emotion. Maybe we see a little resilience now.
  8. tony&rodney
    I do think people need to give massive credit to the players. Mick Abel was absolutely dominant last night. He was in command of five pitches and simply didn't give hitters much of a chance to hit the ball. Abel didn't really throw any pitches that either Bradley or Morris can throw, but the location and consistency was top notch. This is extremely difficult for any pitcher and takes practice, development, and mental awareness. The coaches are next in line, for any credit given, due to their relationships and specific guiding. The Twins have a TOR pitcher in Joe Ryan with three guys capable of running through a lineup when they are on their games in Bradley, Abel, and Morris. Obviously, Morris is still learning and refining his pitches and could really benefit from a good changeup. The pitchers who figure it out and maintain their excellence throughout the year and over time are not common. The fight to be one of those guys is what we see Bradley and Abel working toward right now. The team that rosters these pitchers benefits. It is exciting to think and wonder if these dudes will emerge from the huge piles of pitchers wanting to complete that journey from prospect to stalwart. The entire fortunes of a team can change when a team finds four guys who can shut down opposing offenses. It will be interesting to follow the quest. A couple of notes from the game last night. The Twins continue to avoid mental mistakes and play hard, which I believe was an important goal for this roster. It was a little funny that Shelton was a bit nervous about not letting Abel go out for the 8th inning.
  9. tony&rodney
    The idea has existed forever in baseball. Look for your pitch to hit early and put a big swing on it. Thereafter, especially down in the count, get the bat to the ball and force a play. Mick Abel demonstrated yesterday that this is difficult when a pitcher has several pitches working and stays out of the hitting zone. One ball was hit hard - Anthony had a line drive single to CF. The other hits were bleeders. If Boston gets a couple of bloops and Abel then gives up a cookie, the evening might unfold differently. Pitchers who stay out of the zone make for a miserable experience for hitters. Great article that shows the importance of planning ahead of time and then executing it. Mental fortitude will determine, to an extent, whether the Twins can continue to find success against pitchers. That and hoping the team doesn't run into guys who are on their game like Mick Abel was last night.
  10. tony&rodney
    Defense is huge.
  11. tony&rodney
    Civility and perspective perhaps. Sports are entertainment. The Wild and Timberwolves have drawn well despite neither winning any championships due to an exciting product (at least from the view of their fans). The Twins are more fun to watch right now than they have been for several years. One would hope that there are enough fans of baseball in Minnesota that attendance numbers begins to show something approaching respectful levels. It seems reasonable that fans stayed at home when the team was playing in 30-40 degree F temperatures with a drizzle and wind making it late November (or March/early April) comfort. 74 F and sunny, there should be a good crowd on Wednesday afternoon. I sure hope so. Toronto is a fabulous city though and despite not really liking the stadium, I totally enjoyed going to games in Toronto. To the post, I could easily see Andrew Morris sliding into the rotation should the need arise. For now he provided a solid choice in long relief. Morris is still refining his pitches, the arrow is up on him.
  12. tony&rodney
    Jovani Moran just never was able to throw strikes for the Twins. His pitches are tough to hit square and he has moved the ball all over the last 3 innings. Sometimes it takes quite a while to learn and not everyone gets enough looks. That said, I hope the Twins hit ropes off of him if he comes out for another inning.
  13. tony&rodney
    Many people would agree with you on Outman and Kreidler too. Pitchers would not agree with you on RK. Joe Ryan actually called out his defensive play. The hope (for me) is that the Twins can get to a place where the gloves are at least average or better and that those guys hit as well. I'm ok with replacing Outman with Rodriguez if he gets to play 5 times a week. We will never know if any team had interest in trading for Emmanuel but I was ok with that for a fair return and I have been among those who are high on ER. Roden cannot play centerfield. He has looked really weak in the corners for St. Paul. He takes walks but has a ton of swing and miss in his game. You might find yourself casting sideways glances at Roden. I think the outfield will sort itself out by June. Sadly, the discussion over 12th and 13th player is not too exciting at this time. We can only hope for the best. The unbalanced roster with weak reserves is a mark on the front office. There have been numerous opportunities to complete trades in the last three years. There should be this summer as well.
  14. tony&rodney
    I could see the Twins keeping Kreidler, who also cannot hit, and sending out Outman when Lewis returns. Kreidler is a far better fielder even in the outfield. However, Kreidler cannot hit a lick either but has a great glove. I thought having an IL sitting pitcher (Brock Stewart) was a better choice than acquiring Outman. The guys like Emmanuel Rodriguez and Walker Jenkins are not really ready for MLB. Alan Roden is struggling at the plate and looks lost in the outfield. So, sadly, not good choices. Easy to agree that James Outman looks woeful at the dish but I will just appreciate the two plays he has made in the outfield for now. Choosing to see something positive.
  15. tony&rodney
    April 13 is early. May 13 might mean more. Also, defense matters. Change is coming but it might be a few months.
  16. tony&rodney
    $
  17. tony&rodney
    These weekly summaries are good to look over. Nick, this could be a week that could be difficult to replicate for the remainder of the season. My take is that the Twins are putting together good game plans and the players are doing everything they can to play well. The effort is really strong. The number of mental errors is greatly reduced. I'm disappointed in the number of negative views as indicated by comments riding players. Time for me to back off from criticisms myself. The Twins do not have the talent of either the Detroit or Toronto teams but they took it to them this past week. There can be a moderate amount of success if the players maintain their enthusiasm and effort to back some strong pitching as the season progresses. I'm appreciative of the clubs efforts thus far. It is still not even half way through April and the season is long. Here is to celebrating / cheering on the past week's games.
  18. tony&rodney
    Calvin stated that not keeping Killebrew was his single biggest regret. The Killer was done but wanted to play one more year. They both moved past it.
  19. tony&rodney
    Kaat, Carew, and Blyleven were moved for the same reason that Calvin sold the team. Also why Judge isn't a Twin. CG made more than his share of mistakes to be sure.
  20. tony&rodney
    Oh I'm a big fan of putting players who are ready right in The Show. I just have watched a ton of Prielipp and he is raw. Of course one cannot know but it also isn't a good idea to put a sheep in the pasture with wolves. FWIW, I never disliked Calvin. At a party during the 1987 World Series I has a nice little 45 minute visit with Mr. Griffith. I talked with him a couple of others times as well. He was as pure of a baseball guy as ever existed. It was all he knew. He was awkward as hell talking to people about anything else. It was Calvin who insisted that Rod Carew be in the lineup.
  21. tony&rodney
    Tristan Gray needs to get some playing time even after Royce Lewis returns unless he turns into a pumpkin from now to when Lewis comes off the IL.
  22. tony&rodney
    I'm not sure a pitcher throwing 99 (98.6) needs much more projection, especially if said guy has been seen as a control artist. He does need more refinement on his breaking stuff and I wish he could master a good change. Last season, Morris was tipping his pitches with his glove placement and he struggled to fix the issue (via Saint announcer). This season Morris opened the year working on breaking pitches, so he is definitely not a finished product. Hard to know where he could potentially slot, dependent on his ability to miss more bats, reduce pitch counts, and maintain health while throwing as hard as he does.
  23. tony&rodney
    Prielipp puts quite a few pitches right down the middle. He has a good slider and changeup but his fastball has been getting hit. He has had good luck on balls hit hard at fielders. Prielipp has a bright future but has missed a ton of time and just needs innings. I think he might get eaten alive at the MLB level. He may come on quick though, especially as it warms up. If you watch the Saints, the bullpen is not pretty. Even though Matthews is starting he could be the next guy, but he pitched yesterday. Brebbia is not on the 40 person.
  24. tony&rodney
    Good win for the Twins. Those big innings with a few added on are huge. The Twins have been playing about as good as they can and I'm pleased to see the run of action cutting way down on mental mistakes. Too much focus on Outman. No he has not looked worthy at the plate. I have watched most of the Saints games and while Roden has drawn a number of walks and is fighting at the plate he isn't hitting that well and he has looked lost in the field. None of the other outfielders are ready yet either. So .... suffer a little with Outman. Hard to get too down on Lee or others when they are going full out. Athletes have physical limits too. In addition to a few plays that we want Lee to make (he can't) there were a few balls that Martin catches in left field. However, Larnach also is playing hard in the field and working at the plate. We might like Ozzie Smith playing shortstop (in his prime, not now) and Kwan in left field but those guys are not a part of the Twins team. I'm shaking my head and wanting those plays made but also realistic about the odds. The Twins have three games versus Boston before a day off. There isn't anyone in the Saints pen worth calling up. .... really. Seven relief pitchers, all well rested, should be more than enough to cover the starting pitching. Morris would be ready to go next Saturday and maybe Friday night in support of Ryan and Bradley. I won't be surprised if the Twins call up a pitcher but four of the guys in AAA on the 40 person roster pitched yesterday or today. Maybe Klein but he is struggling a bit. Kent? I hope not. The best bet looking at the schedule is to keep Morris on the roster.
  25. tony&rodney
    My first paragraph rejects changes to the current system unless they change to all ABS or back to umpires. I say keep it. My second paragrapg requests a reduction of time allowed to challenge outs - make it 5 seconds. That stops the obvious egregious calls.
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