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tony&rodney

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Everything posted by tony&rodney

  1. tony&rodney
    People are really fixated on Julien's defense. Where are the 15 articles and hundreds of comments trashing Royce Lewis for his glove? FWIW, I'm not interested in either. Take a look at the recent MLB player draft and specifically the players chosen by the Twins. Teams take guys who can hit, maybe have a chance to actually play MLB. In a perfect world, these hitters learn to be good fielders. Julien and Lewis are good examples. Julien is better than he was a year ago. He stays or goes based on his bat, not his glove.
  2. tony&rodney
    Sounds like some people wish the Twins were keeping pace with the White Sox. The younger and more inexperienced players need to earn their way and make contributions but in baseball the more experienced players are more often tasked to lead. With a patched up position roster filled with inexperience (Julien, Castro, Lee, Wallner, Martin, Camargo), the vets need to lead and hope the youth step up. The Twins still have the same goal as when the season began and it is still obtainable. 10 games above .500 with 64 to go. The games versus Cleveland will be key.
  3. tony&rodney
    Matthews looked good. He gave up two hard hit balls in the first inning but settled in nicely. Matthews is a big dude. It seems like he could go a few more innings but I guess the org looks carefully after these arms. I always thought the sixth and seventh innings were good for learning how to pitch. Matthews surely is going to get a bunch more eyes if he continues his season with his current mo.
  4. tony&rodney
    Wait. Didn't the Twins open the season with Buxton-CF, Jeffers-C, Lewis-3B, Correa-SS, Santana-1B, and Kepler-RF as regulars? That seems like 5-7 core players. Castro was already seen as a regular but used wherever needed. When players are out with injuries, teams do whatever works which often is difficult. The Dodgers had to move Betts to the infield due to some irregular performances and now with Betts out they have to shuffle players around. This has always been a part of baseball. Platooning has been effective for many successful teams. Hopefully, the Twins begin August with Correa, Lewis, and Miranda back in the everyday lineup, healthy and productive. Until then, the team will need to hustle a little bit.
  5. tony&rodney
    Who are those 5-7 core players who you would put into the lineup today and where?
  6. tony&rodney
    Very disappointed by the poor throw by Martin but Jeffers put himself in a bad position and then actually made the tag with the glove while holding the ball in his bare hand. In these days of challenges and TV replays, this was a brain fart. I know the angst is high with Vazquez behind the plate but I can't help thinking he makes that play by staying back on the bad throw and making a quick tag. Then again, Christian had an egregious miss on an easy one bounce throw home from the outfield to get a runner not long ago. The Twins needs to scuffle for runs every inning. The Phillies are a mean bunch of hombres. We get to face their top three arms. Should be a fun series.
  7. tony&rodney
    The focus on the manager is bordering on desperate. The players make the plays, whether it is pitching, fielding, or hitting. I might prefer a bunt, a steal, or a hit and run once in a while. Falvey does not. So I'm left with the other results. The Dodgers and other good teams also follow a similar script. This may bother me some but it isn't out of the ordinary and Baldelli isn't the devil. It is true that a healthy Lewis and Miranda may help the team, but if we look at the number of games played one should realize that it makes more sense to count on Miranda. Anything provided by Lewis will be a bonus, greatly appreciated but also unexpected. The team received huge shots from Buxton and Larnach today along with decent contributions from Santana, Julien, and Vazquez. Castro continues to be the team MVP. Kepler and Jeffers need to get with it and step forward. Wallner, Martin, and Lee looked inexperienced, which they are. Maybe next year but hopefully in August for these three. Any experience they get will certainly help them. They should improve. The next three games will test our pitching and give direction to any trade deadline moves. The series with Milwaukee was exciting despite the disappointment. Also 38,000 fans for two games is a plus.
  8. tony&rodney
    The Twins are minus their best player, Carlos Correa. His absence has a trickle effect, particularly on the defense. Right now the Twins are 10 games above .500 and well ahead of preseason projections. They also have a decent schedule in August. The next three games are important as Philly likes to club the ball.
  9. tony&rodney
    I'm not sure, maybe the author will explain further, but there were numerous people who adamantly felt that Joseph Mauer should not have been elected to the HOF or at least not on the first ballot. Mauer also received significant criticism locally for earning too much money. Maybe that is the reference, I'm not positive.
  10. tony&rodney
    I'm not suggesting Julien is a fantastic player, but what exactly are the options right now? Lee is needed at 3B and is a little over matched at the plate currently although he should be fine with some experience. Martin is not going to start at 2B and he looks like he is over swinging. That leaves Julien. At some point your objection to all things Julien sounds personal or just that you made up some idea about him in your mind and now must stick to your guns. Julien has been fine in the field and looked decent at the plate as well the last two games. Dreaming on past players is as futile as wishing for next year's players. The Twins will have to make it work with what they have on the roster. This is the team Falvey put together and if you are a fan of the Twins it is what we will live with for the next two months.
  11. tony&rodney
    Nice at bat by Larnach.
  12. tony&rodney
    Me too. I don't get it. If all you do is look at a box score or stats, you are missing out. I don't know these players and thus don't have a warm feeling for this guy or that guy; I just watch them play. There is a long record of players getting to the majors as sub par defensive players and becoming solid to excellent with the glove just as we see veterans decline in time. Give credit where credit is due.
  13. tony&rodney
    Mostly good at bats that past inning.
  14. tony&rodney
    Timely and it is noteworthy that Mauer received massive criticism from Twins fans, albeit loved by many others. National writers and comments from the coasts frequently wrote about how baffled they were concerning the barbs directed towards Mauer.
  15. tony&rodney
    The Twins have to win with the players on the field. That means more from Larnach, Buxton, and Kepler to lead the team.
  16. tony&rodney
    Excellent.
  17. tony&rodney
    I'm wondering if Walker Jenkins is ready for Cedar Rapids, where the weather is cooler and there are fewer rainouts and wet fields. Seems like the kid could handle a jump in competition, but I'm in no hurry if the experts believe he needs a full year of low A ball.
  18. tony&rodney
    I understand numbers and have worked with them my entire life, but I do not understand those who fail to use what they see above the numbers or those who fail to acknowledge improvement in a player. In yesterday's game, two players received credit for hits in one inning.. One was a grounder to shortstop and another was a bunt that was inexplicable botched. When Martin threw home there was criticism of his glove tap but the timing of his throw would not have mattered because Jeffers reached for the ball instead of letting it come to him and then tagged the runner with his glove with the ball in his hand. The numbers won't show these plays. I won't suggest Julien is without his flaws on either side of the ball. The question is who plays 2B right now? Julien will need to produce if he wants to hold his spot in the lineup but right now, he is all the Twins have for the position. Currently Julien's glove puts him ahead of the other choices but he does need to hit too.
  19. tony&rodney
    An all time great - no question. The two things that always struck me about Mauer whenever I saw him play is how talented and unselfish he was as an athlete. Among many memories of watching Joe, an early one stood out. In the boy's state tournament, Mauer had one of the most amazing all around games I have ever seen in basketball. Mauer put up ridiculous numbers in a close loss to Osseo. Joe was a force all over the court with a triple double and nearly double digit blocks as well. The amazing thing is that Osseo was double-teaming and occasionally tripling up on Mauer and Joe still managed to find the open player or score on his own. Osseo had three D1 players and a really good team. I argued many times that the Twins should choose Mauer #1, based on his array of talent. He did not disappoint.
  20. tony&rodney
    Peralta is a really tough pitcher. I was hoping that the Twins would take a few more pitches that inning and hopefully get him out of the game.
  21. tony&rodney
    Julien is the focus of the question. Edouard has always hit and he should be fine. The Twins need a larger contingent to contribute. There has been quite a dropoff this year from Jeffers and Kepler and inexperienced players like Miranda, Lewis, Lee, Martin, Larnach, and Wallner need to step forward as well. Buxton has been decent thus far in 2024, but only Correa and Castro have been truly above average. The offense needs those highly drafted guys to produce or the season will crater.
  22. tony&rodney
    Time for the young guns to step up. Correa has been really good this year on both sides of the ball and he cannot be replaced. The only antidote is for multiple players to have consistently strong performances. The time to gain is now with a bunch of home games coming in August. Julien is just a part of the group that needs to step forward.
  23. tony&rodney
    The offense will need to get in tune starting today. Cleveland and other teams will be pushing every day. The Twins looked tired in San Francisco. Lee has been in a bit of a slump and may be needed at shortstop. It will be interesting to see the lineup tonight. Frddy Peralta is a good pitcher. I think we see Julien back at second base. Whatever transpires with the lineup, the Twins will need to hit their way into the playoffs. While I like the pitching overall, the staff is more set up to hold opponents to 3-4 runs and does not project as a group that throws shutouts or hold offenses to one or two runs. I'm expecting an AL Central Division title and the Twins start 5 games back with a deficit in head to head wins versus Cleveland. Should be fun.
  24. tony&rodney
    Flipping back and forth between games, I wondered about a few things. No Jenkins or Emmanuel. Julien was listed on Gameday as an extra but must be in Minneapolis. Can he lead the Twins again? Keaschall seems to exude confidence and control of his at bats. Can he get pushed to the Saints in August? McCuster takes pretty good at bats and seems like he is improving and becoming a guy worth watching despite being older. Raya looks more and more like a relief pitcher, which seems harsh because he is still young. Lastly, watching these minor league games is interesting, both on its own and to get reminders of the vast disparity between MLB and the minors.
  25. tony&rodney
    Jenkins wasn't in the lineup tonight after a week off. Hmmm. Patience is needed when thinking about prospects.
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