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tony&rodney

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Everything posted by tony&rodney

  1. tony&rodney
    Maybe a very short explanation .... we can't expect change until the offseason. Why? Others have already explained - $$$.
  2. tony&rodney
    They were fun to watch (mostly) last night.
  3. tony&rodney
    Yes, he has been ok. Note .... not special. However, in fairness to Julien there isn't anyone on the current 26 person roster better at 2B. 2nd however .... he needs to have good at bats on a consistent basis. It may be totally anecdotal but when Julien is real bad at the plate for numerous trips to the dish, he takes it out to the field. Worth an addition is that Keaschall, who is not having many good plate appearances looks quicker and stronger at 2B than was expected. He turns the DP pretty decently and has a fair arm. We will almost certainly see him if those above cannot stay healthy or play good baseball, but right now I am not seeing much evidence that LK is ready. He does not lack for confidence though and can bust out any day.
  4. tony&rodney
    If the Twins need a shortstop because they don't trust both Lee or Castro (think they do), the guy is Fitzgerald from AAA Saints. He is a decent shortstop and behind McCusker has had the best at bats of those at AAA. Lee at 3B and Castro at SS is my choice for a few days.
  5. tony&rodney
    A little surprised that the squadron of Julien fans have not noted his play in the field recently. Fair?
  6. tony&rodney
    It was immediately ruled an E3 (missed catch).
  7. tony&rodney
    Baldelli is here for 2025. Shift your worries to the weather.
  8. tony&rodney
    Maybe a statue calling for a pause on all articles and comments related to ownership.
  9. tony&rodney
    Castro is a utility player. It is his best role. Willi works hard to make the plays but he does not have the skills of a normal regular position player. The fact that Castro must play nearly every day puts him in a difficult spot because the ball finds him. We should be thankful Castro manages to fill holes all around the field but expecting him to be better in the field ignores his limits. I'm pretty happy with his hustle even when he blunders. Right now Castro looks a little lost at the plate too. The injury to Austin Martin was bad luck because he would have been a good choice as a second utility player. I'm still not able to understand the Gasper situation but maybe Lady Luck will rear her head there.
  10. tony&rodney
    Keaschall could DH, but Larnach sure has been hobbling the last two days. He ran slower than Vazquez each of the last two games and i wondered if he was struggling with turf toe again. I would not put Larnach in the field for a few games unless he can pick it up.
  11. tony&rodney
    I know Wallner left the game due to some type of leg injury and Correa had something wrong with his hand/wrist. What was not discussed to my knowledge was Larnach. He was really hobbling in left field yesterday and was barely moving in today's game. He surely has something .... lower body injury for sure. Sure looks like Keirsey Jr. should be getting some playing time, which can be an opportunity.
  12. tony&rodney
    Wanted to add that the Twins seem like they are working really hard but playing tight. I know everyone faces the same elements but what a drag to come out of Spring Training in Florida to play baseball in freezing weather. The good news for me is that most of the ice is off the lake. Also the more times I see replay challenges the more I want these rules tweaked. 10 seconds to challenge and the replay official gets 30 seconds to make a decision. 2 challenges per team. Disagreed with the calls that went the Mets way tonight, but I am totally biased. When baseball uses the ABS, it must be used on every pitch. J.T Realmuto was called out on a pitch 8-10 inches outside yesterday in a key spot of the game. FWIW, I was hoping for a San Fran win too, but the call was egregious in a key spot.
  13. tony&rodney
    Watched Twins on big screen, Saints on small screen. Both pretty good games. Twins need to pick it up with who they have. Hopefully Correa and Wallner just need tomorrow and Thursday off. Keaschall is playing really well in the field but is still looking for his swing. Emmanuel is off balance and guessing at times. Both are doing fine but need some time. The best swings are from McCusker. He had a 111+ mph line drive off the center field fence to drive in both runs. Morales had a couple of nice catches including one to save and end the game. Matthews looked dominant at times but faded a bit. Neither Festa, Matthews, or the other minor leaguers are built up for higher pitch counts yet it seems. Hope Festa find a gear tomorrow.
  14. tony&rodney
    I think I have seen every plate appearance this season of McCusker's. He still has some work to do on pitches out of the strike zone. He hits the ball as hard or harder than Wallner. He is a decent base runner as well for his size. Defensively he gets relatively fair jumps and covers ground. I would say he is better than Larnach and maybe. better than Wallner in the outfield, so close to average. No doubt McCusker is worth paying attention to but he is not ready yet.
  15. tony&rodney
    There were a number of folks on Twins Daily willing to gamble on a trade of Lopez, Ryan, or Ober last winter. My take is all three are really good but I did wonder what type of offers were out there for one of the three. The same was proposed for one of Duran or Jax. Others were also put forward as potentially bringing back some value to improve the roster. Most people would agree that trades which make the team more competitive are worthy. One must admit that we don't actually know the value of Twins players as perceived by other teams much less what return is possible. Falvey was happy to gain Gasper. The beating from the Cincy and Baltimore trades may have made DF forget the Miami and Tampa Bay trades. I guess it is really tough to know. One thing we can agree on is that it doesn't work to just release everyone. Win tonight ... feel better tomorrow.
  16. tony&rodney
    David Festa can be very effective when he mixes his pitches and keeps the ball away from the whomp um zone, like many pitchers. Festa does have swing and miss pitches. Hopefully Baldelli watches Festa throw 85-105 pitches tonight across 7 innings. FWIW, Festa was ranked #5 among Twins prospects last year but I don't remember him on anyone's top 100 lists.
  17. tony&rodney
    How many people on Twins Daily are actually thinking a full scale White Sox, Orioles, Astros, Tigers, etc. type rebuild is necessary or acceptable? I'm not sure I can stomach 3-5 100+ loss seasons. I sat right behind Dusty Baker when the Twins were eliminated just a couple of years ago. The team needed some changes then to take another step forward. That step was not adding the two guys most commonly named: Jordan Montgomery and Rhys Hoskins. The Twins needed an infusion of speed, defense, and athleticism. This was and remains my thought. The problem wasn't ownership spending, although the ownership group seems to totally be out of place when it come to running public relations or a business. The problem was identifying and acquiring players. This is always a bit of a gamble and creates some anger and disagreement at times. There were thousands of angry comments when Luis Arraez was traded. My suggestion in October of 2023 was to trade Royce Lewis and Edouard Julien. That would have really pissed off some people. So here we are with the team that Falvey has put together. The Twins added Coulombe, Bader, France, and Gasper. Falvey professed great confidence in this team. How far will this team go? Next, what changes will result in positive change if you think change is needed? My best guess is that 3-4 moves could be made but the cost may be high. What players does the team keep from the current group or target from other teams? Realism is needed. Gambling can always result in a worse situation. This where the team is now. Personally I'm still going to wait until June before getting too excited. The Twins are 5-12 today. Game #60 is on June 2nd. If the Twins are playing the same at 18-42, there is a real serious problem. If the team is at 25-35, a sliver of light is still visible. Going 20-23 from now until then is not exactly crushing it but there may then be a few changes made to at least restore some positive vibes. Until then I am hoping for the best and thinking positive.
  18. tony&rodney
    I'm concerned by the weak performance but will wait until he passes 100 plate appearances. The Twins are as cold as the weather. The roster is all there is for now and patience will be the only option until mid May at the earliest.
  19. tony&rodney
    FWIW, I watched 4 of his at bats this season. Gonzalez looks way better, more balanced, than at any time last year. His bat is his tool. Last season he was the singular worst outfielder playing professionally I think I have ever seen. I only saw him scoop up a base hit and throw it to the cutoff man this year, but he actually came in on the ball and actively used his glove on the play. Improvement happens in dribbles at times. He does look like he could hit. The question becomes whether he will ever be more than a DH. Whoever rated him highly before was watching him hit only and had not seen him play in the field.
  20. tony&rodney
    Pittsburgh, Oakland, Colorado, Anaheim, Miami, Tampa Bay, and others have some ownership issues as well. Minnesota Twins fans have company. It seems like a long shot that the team will sell in the current economic uncertainty and an expected difficult CBA to negotiate in the near future along with the collapse of RSNs. If you are a Twins fan it is probably time to just forget about the team selling until is actually sells. It will save one unnecessary stress. Perhaps the Pohlads will make some changes after this year if they still own the team, although their seeming disinterest makes that probability low as well. Maybe the best hope is for Falvey to have a spiritual conversion of sorts in a baseball sense. In July the Twins make 3-4 trades to change the dynamics of the team. Just don't bet on anything.
  21. tony&rodney
    Nick, best piece of satire yet - well done Nelson.
  22. tony&rodney
    This is correct. It was Castro out of position given the way the Twins run cuts. Castro also forgot to cover second base for a force out, but Correa who was looking for the short toss managed the throw to first for the out. Castro is decent at third and shortstop on occasions and probably better than Larnach in left field but Willi struggles with second base. As ridiculous as it sounds the best lineup with this roster has Lee at 3B, Castro in LF unless Bader is playing, Larnach at DH, and Julien at second base. Hopefully some trades are in the works but April is usually a dead zone for change.
  23. tony&rodney
    The Twins seasons are pretty closely tied to Buck and Carlos. They are the two best defenders and potentially the offensive sparks too. Right now Baldelli should give both of them a little vacation and put them back in the lineup in Atlanta on Friday. Maybe a bit of a reset could help.
  24. tony&rodney
    Falvey is likely flummoxed that the team is not hitting. Fielding, base-running, and fundamentals are not points of emphasis in his design; it is a bonus if it happens. The Twins were constructed to hit.
  25. tony&rodney
    It seemed like there was some conversation in the dugout and Ryan may have been suggesting he wanted another inning. I couldn't tell (sound off on Twins games for obvious reasons). It is a long season and wear and tear is cumulative to an extent. Nevertheless, the idea that pitchers cannot throw 110+ pitches will get looked at closer eventually. The guys who are max effort flamethrowers are more susceptible to injury in most cases, but teams are protective of their starters. Money (paid in salary or invested in bonuses and time developed) is certainly more important than it was decades ago. Still it seems like communication and observation should overrule magical pitch counts.
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