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tony&rodney

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Everything posted by tony&rodney

  1. tony&rodney
    Do we have to wait a decade? Can Falvey develop a successful style of his own? I'm not sure that trying to copy the Dodgers, Rays, Guardians, Braves, or Yankees will work for the Twins. There must be some possibility that a team can achieve success using different combinations of other team's strategies that meld to form a separate identity. Going down the rosters of the Minnesota and Cleveland teams position by position and including the top ten prospects from their minor leagues does not offer much relief for the future. There needs to be some changes in the roster for the Twins to compete and we need our young players to step up. I'm hopeful, but both an abandonment of The Plan and an urgent focus on fundamental baseball in addition to making some roster additions are needed to make the Twins competitive in 2023. If Falvey and crew insist that they are going in the right direction, which would be a failure to reflect on their practices, the Pohlad family should be alarmed.
  2. tony&rodney
    Let us not compare our development of pitching to Cleveland. It is true that Cleveland finds pitchers via trades and every other avenue, but if you just look at 2022 and then look forward, Cleveland could be stacked with guys they drafted. Bieber, McKenzie, Civale, and Plesac are all good (as previously mentioned) but Sam Hentges may soon be converted to a starting pitcher. Then there are top prospects such as Espino, Williams, Bibee, Morris, Gaddis, Allen, Curry, and a couple of others all pretty equal to or more highly rated than our top guys like SWR, Raya, and Prielipp. Quantrill came from San Diego and he is the lone outsider in the starting group. Cleveland is running crazy right now with possible options for pitchers. Like everyone else on any other team there is always the matter of health and opportunity, but Cleveland is primed for a run with their pitching staff. Expect Daniel Espino to arrive next year and I'm just guessing that Hentges may get stretched out but maybe he is more valuable as the lefty in his current bullpen role. Cleveland is the standard in drafting and developing pitchers. For the Twins .... Let's hope the Twins can catch some luck with a few of their guys and get them going at the top level. Ryan (via trade), Winder, Ober, and Varland is a start but none of these guys are proven yet. Ryan had a fantastic year though. Simeon Woods Ricardson may be seen next year and hopefully Raya, Festa, and Prielipp come along in 2-3 years as well. Get pitching any way possible but also give the talented young guys some opportunity.
  3. tony&rodney
    Correa is the best player we have had since Mauer was injured. It would be tough to see him go, even if it is most likely the case.
  4. tony&rodney
    The post discusses the risk inherent in bold and aggressive moves. Is there a consensus that the Twins have made any bold and aggressive moves? FWIW, I do agree with the title. Seattle does too.
  5. tony&rodney
    Agree with the need for health. I don't have access to the medical files but the comments we receive on health are meaningless. Just one of many examples is the 6-8 week IL stint for Larnach that is now nearly double what was reported by the Twins. If there is a good chance due to proven medical knowledge that any player will more likely than not be able to make it through half of a season I would take a long look at their inclusion going forward. Again, I defer to medics and the Twins call on these issues. Do you believe that health would have made enough of a difference this year? I'm not buying that excuse myself, based on the record from late May to August. The 2022 Twins did not play well during an extended period even when they ran out their regulars. To drag out what I have stated in other threads ... I don't need to see people fired, released, or traded. I do expect some reflection on what was a fail: 1) The Plan and 2) the lack of fundamental play. The current group should all be able to make some changes from the front office down to the coaches and players.
  6. tony&rodney
    Illusionary ... sums it up.
  7. tony&rodney
    Respectfully, I disagree. I get that many people agreed with lifting Ryan and Bremer spent a week telling us that Baldelli made the right move. I disagree and believe the players did too. There are times when pitchers have suffered from throwing too many pitches, for sure. The poster for this is Johan Santana when he threw his no hitter for the Mets. Ryan was under zero stress and it is simply an assumption, albeit by many, that Ryan would be harmed going back out to the mound. I understand the point made by the Twins but I disagree. Winning matters and so does how you win.
  8. tony&rodney
    There is a decent chance that is true. Additionally, one wonders if Mahle will be back if the medical reports show he is bordering on toast. Nevertheless, there will be opportunities to add pitching via trade or free agency and the young pups (some not so very young) could be a pile of good mid to back rotation guys (Ryan, Ober, Winder, Varland, & SWR) to support Maeda and whomever arrives next. Paddack has one year left - 2024. So the Twins have a decision there as well.
  9. tony&rodney
    2023? I don't know about next year, anything can happen. Cleveland is on the verge of making history with their young and inexperienced roster. They also have among the most talented pitching and position ready players at AAA and AA in all of baseball. Cleveland is looking like they are going to win the AL Central amidst a full rebuild. Where does that put the 2023 Twins? At the very least, they are looking up.
  10. tony&rodney
    The reality is that many of the current "core" are susceptible to the injury bug and unlikely to play the 140 games needed to be worth their salary. Many of us on Twins Daily like our Twins: Jeffers, Kirilloff, Arraez, Polanco, Larnach, Buxton, Kepler, Maeda, and more that seem like players who could jell and win. None of these players were able to stay on the field and the players added, Pagan, Paddack, Lopez, Fulmer, Gray, Mahle, Bundy, and Archer were an uneven bunch that amounted to "not much gained or lost'. Sanchez was a warrior behind the plate, delivering his best glove season in his career. He has lost his stick mostly though. Urshela has been a wonderful player but his real contributions are more our positive impressions than his amazing performance. It would be tough to criticize either player. I admire their work this year. The biggest issues in my opinion are two: the Twins have a very rigid system that ignores the game on the field in any moment, which is termed The Plan; and the Twins disdain for classic fundamental baseball is befuddling. The constant display of a lack of fundamental baseball is often so glaring that I am forced to spend a few minutes looking at Zillow or something else inane before coming back to the game at hand. I'm hopeful that their is some reflection on the part of management in November.
  11. tony&rodney
    Can't fault the Twins for trying to add players at the trade deadline. The mistake is The Plan. The recently completed five game series was a lesson in baseball fundamentals at its core. To the end Cleveland was able to focus despite the raw shenanigans of the Twins reliever. The White Sox would have had words or cleared their bench in a couple of instances, but Cleveland just hits line drives and goes about the business of playing baseball. Two teams in direct contrast to each other in nearly every facet of the game. The future can deliver change though.
  12. tony&rodney
    Totally agree that the Twins will most likely keep Mahle, but they need more than 100 innings from a guy that will earn @$10 million. Mahle at his best is a good #3 type guy. The Twins gave up players to get him but that should not be the reason they keep him if he is indeed burdened with a bum shoulder making him a poor gamble going forward. The Twins should know sufficient information about Mahle's shoulder to make an informed decision.
  13. tony&rodney
    If this is the case the Twins should not offer arbitration; sunk cost of business.
  14. tony&rodney
    Balazovic has work to do but definitely has the stuff. When I watch him I see a guy with a live fastball that moves and a good breaking balls with sharp bend. The problem is twofold: inexperience and he seemingly gets frustrated which is pretty useless to point to except that he often grooves pitches after not getting a close call or making a poor pitch. JB needs polish ecause his ability to command his arsenal of above average offerings is poor. He is pretty much the opposite of Joe Ryan or Bailey Ober, guys who display both command and control of their pitches. Balazovic can still be a very good MLB starting pitcher. He needs to be throwing 80-110 pitches every start and learn to harness his pitches.
  15. tony&rodney
    The Twins struggled against teams with winning records, Cleveland did not. Cleveland has a pile of position players and pitchers that are highly rated and ready after showing their skills at AA and AAA. The Guardians are flush with talent that just needs an opportunity. They are in first place now with the youngest team in baseball. This offseason will be interesting. We hope that Polanco, Kepler, and all of the other injured players will return to full health. The Twins are in a tough spot because they have a number of players whose injuries have become more frequent. I hope their lineup gets 140 games from Arraez, Kirilloff, Polanco, Miranda, Larnach, Buxton, Kepler, and Gordon plus contributions from other healthy bodies but this is difficult to imagine given the last two years. Losing Correa would create a massive hole in the team imho. We assume that Gray and Mahle will be back but we don't know what will occur in the next few months. I will not be surprised by any player getting traded or released from the roster. The Twins need healthy players who want to play for the Twins. Only Falvey can make that determination. The failure to play fundamental baseball remains an issue, but a normal Spring Training could alleviate those issues if the brain trust sees fit to acknowledge that shortcoming. Finally, the Twins need an alternative voice in the dugout to help Baldelli and Falvey would need to be onboard with a more flexible style of managing the players and games. In sum, I don't believe anything is certain about the 2023 Minnesota Twins.
  16. tony&rodney
    Hopefully some miracles intervene because the team today looks unsteady. What you say holds truth and you are generous to have Ryan at the top of the rotation. Maybe the Twins can get a catcher in front of Jeffers who is an adequate reserve; health for 1B-Kirilloff; health for 2B-Polanco; defensive reps for 3B-Miranda; SS-Correa returns; LF-no idea; CF-Buxton for 81 games and ?; magic dust for RF-Kepler; and insane luck for the pitching staff. Hope is all fans have.
  17. tony&rodney
    The slide may have started on June 1, but the error on a routine ground ball last night brought my ridiculous hopes to a halt. I have enjoyed and appreciated the articles. Twins Daily writers are crazy hopeful and supportive of the Twins. I hope Wallner among others gets plenty of at bats. Cave deserves to play as well. Varland, Winder, Ober and perhaps a few others should get innings. Buxton, Polanco, Kepler, Larnach, and Jeffers as well as those pitchers currently on the IL need to heal entirely, meaning these players should not return and risk further injury. If the team is going to win the remainder of their games it will need to be those on the current roster who accomplish the task.
  18. tony&rodney
    The lack of fundamental baseball shows up in nearly every single Twins game. That and The Plan with starting pitching are a sorry combination. I just don't understand it. I expect if the Twins win in 2023, the regime carries on and if attendance plummets ....?
  19. tony&rodney
    Routine grounder to short, booted by Palacios. Very sad because earlier this summer Palacios looked smooth and had improved his offense considerably with St. Paul. Now he looks slow and entirely overmatched on both sides of the ball. I had hoped he was a possibility. Cleveland with the tiebreaker now has an 8 game lead. It's hard to be a Twins fan.
  20. tony&rodney
    Seems like there might be some further research into ways to prevent injuries, but there is likely quite a bit known at this time; there is much still to learn though. I believe teams are on this at this time. All sports and physical activity require separate skills. Comparisons are pretty pointless, but natural exercises. Athletes at the highest levels perform feats on a regular basis that ordinary people, even those who were MVPs in high school or college conferences, cannot achieve. The training done to improve oneself amongst these professionals may help or ironically hinder their bodies. My experiences were with the common crowd, below the highest levels of professional sports. It did include playing with and against many former professionals. FWIW. Catching is brutal in summation. It isn't just the foul balls, bats, collisions, or fastballs thrown when a curveball was called. These are minor. The crouching is nothing in the moment but it adds up over time to an incredible degree. Ice, stretching and running help only to a point. Pitching is pretty violent. In short stretches, 1-2 innings, the arm gets abused but the body is ok. Pitching 7-9 innings is the most demanding physical exercise I have ever done. The body is sore in every spot possible, but not injured. Ice, stretching, and running help somewhat, but only a couple of days can really allow the body to recover. Pitching is much more strenuous than anything I ever experienced in football, basketball, biking, or running. I always thought gymnasts were the ultimate athletes but I could never attempt their routines. The position players face the usual strains and stresses of all athletes and muscle tears, pulls, and chronic small injuries build up. The professional athlete at the highest levels must operate at peak efficiency to find success. The physicality of separate sports varies widely. Football has ridiculous brute strength and speed (super violent) and marathon runners combine speed, incredible endurance, and mental fortitude. I think it is all relative making the comparisons worthless, but I would think that MLB teams would further examine how Cal Ripken managed to stay on the field.
  21. tony&rodney
    Jeffers has not been as good as Sanchez, whether one uses metrics or the eye exam. Jeffers could easily eclipse Sanchez as soon as next season, but he is still in the learning stages. I expect Jeffers to start in 2023. Sanchez came into this year as a long ball threat at the plate and with a reputation (earned) as one of the poorest catchers in the American League. I was not a fan of Sanchez. What have we seen? Sanchez has been in the lineup often and is a tough guy. At the plate, the bat has slowed down and he struggles any time he gets behind in the count. Lately, we have seen Sanchez using right field less frequently than he usually does. In any event, Sanchez at the plate is no longer the feared bat that the Twins hated to face when he played for the Yankees. Surprisingly, to me, Sanchez has been improved behind the plate. He is still not stellar but he has had his best season as a catcher. There have been fewer moments where he bungled pitches. Overall, I would say the Twins have received more from Gary Sanchez than they could have expected. What does this mean going forward? Jeffers will get the job and Sanchez will be looking for another team. The Twins will continue to have problems behind the plate, but we can hope that Jeffers improves enough to be average. I am skeptical that the Twins will prioritize an acquisition of a frontline catcher, if one is even available. I am very concerned about Jorge Polanco, Byron Buxton, and Alex Kirilloff. One has never proven anything really but his career, with all of its promise, is quite uncertain. Polanco has been the heart of the team, playing through some difficult pains the past several years. Byron has struggled to stay on the field. Both Jorge and Byron may have reached a point where their injuries are no longer going to allow them to regain past promise or performances. Neither of their contracts are debilitating to a team but their loss in the field and in the lineup is huge. The 2022 Twins never changed course from the expectations built in to having these two in the games. A 2023 team will need to plan for a team that does not include all three of those injured players and be delighted if they can play. Right now, either they play or put them on the 60 day IL and let someone else have an opportunity.
  22. tony&rodney
    Injuries happen in sports and it isn't likely that every team can make it through a schedule with their primary players healthy enough to play. When a player goes down another steps in and has an opportunity to succeed. This season the Twins had some losses. There are players that have had previous issues staying healthy. Some guys who stepped in had decent results. It is rather pointless to point to injuries as a determining factor in this season because there were many opportunities to win games that eventually were losses. The Twins are run one way. Some like it and others are not so enamored. The issue with the Twins strategies are that they appear to be quite rigid in their approach. When the personnel changes due to injuries, the strategies remain in place despite vastly different skill sets and talents. Flexibility and preparation is important to an athlete and I would submit that this season we have witnessed a prime example of why those same things are important for management as well. The problem with the 2022 Twins was a failure to plan. If there was any excuse that might make sense it would be the shortened Spring Training which meant that some plans were abandoned, such as extensive practices on basic baseball fundamentals. Injuries did not hamper the 2022 Twins as much as their lack of fundamentals.
  23. tony&rodney
    Good home run for Jeffers and he had a great swing on a single in the 1st inning. There was more though. Jeffers had a very, very poor at bat in the bottom of the 9th inning. He looked overmatched in that at bat, slow.
  24. tony&rodney
    Tomorrow it looks like Varland and Moran in Game 1 and Winder and Sanchez in Game 2; sweep.
  25. tony&rodney
    The White Sox lost tonight because they made an error in a critical situation. The Twins lost with the Gordon error and Sanchez not going back to the screen and then looking for the ball after it got past him. Urshela and Miranda are covering ricochets up either line because you cannot give up two bases on that play which is why it is so rare. Cleveland makes the play to end the game on a slow roller. Can't win if you can't make the plays.
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