tony&rodney

People are creatures of habits and training. When pitchers are trained to throw 60-90 pitches they begin to lose their edge after that limit is reached. The physical aspect of pitching is quite strenuous and requires a recovery period for the body to rebound. Some pitchers are able to throw 10-20 nearly every day and from these guys we get the term "rubber arm". Other guys need several days once they are fully warmed up and actually appear in a game. Still other pitchers are effective for 10-30 pithes every other day. Griffin Jax seems to fit this mold. If the prospects are only throwing 40-80 pitches per start for several years as they push their way through the minor leagues, it is unlikely that they will be effective throwing more pitches once they reach the major leagues. Another aspect that comes into play for a starting pitcher is how they use their pitches in the first couple of innings. Most pitchers today use their entire arsenal of pitches in the first and second innings. This means that the batters have seen the whole repertoire of offerings and can plan off of that information. Pitchers also fire their bullets in the first inning, meaning a guy who throws 95 will unleash several 95 mph fastballs right away. Contrast this with Verlander who often saves his best speed for the late innings or crucial situations and often goes through a lineup once with just one or two pitches and you can see that the hitters have more of a challenge on their hands. Naturally talent (stuff) plays a big role but pitching has multiple layers to it and I don't see that the training is using length as an option. We saw Mahle throw nearly three innings of junk pretty effectively by scattering his offerings around the zone. Hopefully he is not injured and just has a tired arm, which is often helped with a few extra days off. Throwing 120 pitches will not break a pitcher if they are not abusing their arms with total max effort, but it does take time to build up and when a pitcher reaches their limit it usually is noticeable first by the pitcher themselves and also by those most familiar with the pitcher's norms. This is why Baldelli was concerned with Mahle almost immediately in the first inning. Mahle also was aware but stated that he felt fine and had no indications of anything untoward concerning his physical health. It took until two were out in the third inning before Baldelli decided he needed to remove Mahle and we will soon learn what was wrong. I would suggest that careful training of pitchers to build their stamina is possible. I'm not sure that is a goal of current baseball organizations as we see quite a bit of maximum effort deliveries.

The dugout was loose and feeling good tonight. The Twins needed a game like this.

Take a chance on one FA, like the signing of Correa this year. Correa? Hopefully, but likely not returning. Judge - 5 years at $50M per year? Sure, why not. Verlander for 2 years and $80M total. It would be fun to have Judge or Verlander.

Pagan has been unfortunate, nearly a curse, a guy who impresses with his stuff, manages a few scintillating appearances but leaves the ball dead middle again and again with predictable results. The challenge of pitching is to command the zone with all of your pitches and control where the ball goes when it leaves the hand making it difficult for the batter to square up successfully. Pagan simply cannot do this difficult task.

I wouldn't get down on Joe Ryan. He is a decent pitcher. When the Twins acquired him from Tampa Bay he did not arrive with high credentials and the Twins hoped he could step right in and be an effective starting pitcher toward the back of the rotation. Joe has done that and more. The expectations that he could fill one of the top three spots in a good rotation were nor reasonable or fair. Hopefully next year Ryan sits as the #4 starter and he can fling without any pressure or outlandish thoughts of being a top of the rotation guy.

I don't know this to be true and actually doubt it.

Julien needs to get some starts for the Saints. There is room for him at 2B and I would hope he might be available to learn the outfield (LF) as well.

Normally, I would agree that using a revolving door of players doesn't necessarily bring better outcomes. Duffey and Smith were no longer effective pitchers for a team trying to win games. Pagan has better velocity but putting the ball on a tee repeatedly has proven through several years and many opportunities that Pagan is not a good choice if a team wants to win some games. The chances that A Sanchez does as poorly as Pagan are low and besides they would be used differently. Frankly it puzzles me why we have not seen Archer transitioned into the bullpen as a two inning option. I wonder if his contract contains specific usage details, which would be odd. Jovani Moran is an obvious improvement despite the walks.

The players seem really down and not very focused.

There is something odd about a MLB starting pitcher who is a veteran needing to be sat down after 65 pitches against a very poor hitting opponent. The velocity shown by many pitchers today is impressive but most of the velocity is from relief pitchers. Ryan sits around 90-92 with Bundy checking in a few clicks higher and Mahle around 92-95. These are all very good fastballs but not out of the ordinary for good pitchers in the 21st century. Why is there such a drop in pitch counts in the last few decades? Bert Blyleven would groan when a pitcher was taken out with 100-110 pitches, suggesting that when a guy is cruising along throwing another inning was practical. If 100 pitches is a standard for a decent starting pitcher, where does the Twins management team derive their opinion that 60-80 is the ceiling for most of their pitchers? Mahle threw 100+ pitches in ten starts for the Reds but now cannot reach 90 pitches? There must be some model the Twins use but it sure isn't working as the bullpen has struggled to fill five innings per game all year. When a team develops a strategy based on the models they deem most likely to produce a positive outcome and it results in a series of fails, there needs to be some reflection. The refusal to consider some change, adjustment, or just some different trial runs in game philosophy in many areas seems just stubborn at this point; pride maybe. The Twins seem to disdain running, bunting, sacrificing, IBB, and other parts of the game. Most egregious is how the model decides the moves and not the performance being shown. Thus we don't see "let him pitch- he is strong" or "he is off-get him out of there" and other human decisions. The Twins management must be watching the games but there are times it isn't obvious. There would never be a place for Tom Kelly or Ron Gardenhire in this organization much less a guy like Terry Francona. I'm mystified as to the plan.

Perhaps Julien can be promoted to St. Paul when Martin is sent back to Wichita. It is getting late in the schedule but Julien to move up, but he certainly has done everything he can to prove he is ready for the next challenge.

The way the Twins played and managed the Saturday night game in Anaheim brings me pause to my previous optimism; the game was distressing.

A couple of thoughts from watching a number of Saints games, especially last nights game. Balazovic hit 99 with his fastball and had decent movement on his pitches last night. He totally hung a curveball for the two runs. Command and control will be his friend if he can harness his stuff. He looks a little emotional at times when he misses or doesn't get a call, nothing too unusual. He is a big dude and needs a ton of repetitions and side work to refine his pitches. If Balazovic can gain control and command the Twins will really have a top of the rotation pitcher, but it might take another two years. Wallner has a large frame that hurts the ball when he connects. He has a good eye and looks like he is learning how to hit decent pitching. While he does have a great arm, Matt is a little slow to react in the outfield. He actually looks pretty athletic but clearly needs to take a ton of fly balls and line drives to improve in the field. Finally, Michael Helman plays like he intends to get his time in MLB. He is good on both sides of an inning, playing defense and hitting with a plan.

It does feel like the low point for the Twins. This also means that the way forward will be up and up. We have seen snippets of Polanco reversing course and hope Correa and Buxton will follow. Baseball has a long season and the grind is real. Today is a good opportunity to see the positive possibilities of the remaining schedule.

The Twins remain in a holding pattern with a fair collection of mid and back of the rotation arms.

Thank you.

Twins will win it all.

I do get the disappointment with Correa, Buxton, Polanco, and Kepler. I'm hoping for a big push to close 2022 from each/all of those guys. Two things to consider: 1) let Pohlad be disappointed or ecstatic with how the money is spent and allow yourself the luxury of enjoying the players for what they are; don't give in to attaching money to people. 2) Baseball players are not robots and they actually have higher expectations of themselves than their fans, but sometimes the human element comes into the equation. Baseball is a fun game, enjoy it.

Nick Gordon has shown that he has the skills to improve at each level when he gets another opportunity. This year he received another shot and he has stepped forward. Now he will need to hone more specific skills and become more consistent to keep a position. One skill that boosts the odds in Gordon's favor is his athleticism and versatility. Speed and improved defense at a number of positions creates more opportunities for Gordon to stay in the lineup. If Nick can improve against left-handed pitching (reference to Brock's article about how Gordon has been used) and lay off the high fastball, he may find himself a regular with his name in the lineup on a regular basis. While we might like so many things about Trevor Larnach, Gordon has better speed and has shown stronger defensive skills. We all love the energy he brings and the more line drives Gordon hits the more fans in his corner.

Is it possible that fans have become far too obsessed with a player's salary? The Twins have shown, repeatedly, that they will spend money to their budget. The year and players available are the puzzle pieces that get put together to complete the roster each year. This last iteration included a big chunk of the budget left unspent and a player, Correa, fell into their lap. I expected that the Twins could afford a budget of $150 million for 2022 but $135 million is fair. We should likely expect the same next year as well. If Correa stays, there is less to spend. If he leaves, other opportunities can be surveyed. It is not so easy to hit on those choices. For this year and the near future, Correa fits. Now, it may be true that Carlos Correa has not been a statistical superstar thus far this year but he has been a good player. That cannot be refuted. While I am willing to live with Jermaine Palacios next year if Carlos Correa opts out of his contract, I would not really expect that his play would equal the work of Correa at shortstop. Andrelton Simmons was a magician at shortstop for Atlanta and the Angels but the guy we saw last year and who was released after hitting less than .100 for the Cubs minor league team and struggling in the field was ready for the Senior Mens League circuit. He still had it for two games per week when lucky. Simmons was a great player, Correa is still good. Forget the money for a few moments and appreciate the routine plays as well as those good plays that Correa has made thus far this year. I'm a little disappointed in the performances of Correa, Buxton, Polanco, and Kepler and was sad to see that Sano, Duffey, and Smith were finished. Nevertheless, if we are going to pick teams, I'm still choosing to like Carlos Correa and all of the skills he can bring to the table.

Perhaps the biggest change for fans is that Nick Gordon no longer is viewed as an empty at bat. Gordon is swinging the stick with authority and I feel pretty good when he comes to the plate.

Cotton, A. Sanchez, Moran, even Smeltzer are all better. Pagan has a good arm though, misses bats with strikes one and two, and Falvey's romance with Paddack included Pagan, so it might be tough to separate. I guess the Twins wait for one or two of Winder, Ober, and Maeda to be ready. In the meantime, Pagan might get used in blowouts or just put on the IL

There was zero reason, zero, to overturn the call on the field. It was clear from the live action and confirmed by video replays and photo still shots that Merrifield slid directly into Sanchez, the catcher. There was a clear lane for the runner to go to the side and Whit would not have even needed to reach for the plate. He was going to be out, easily, and made a quick decision to slide into Sanchez, which was clear when he promptly appealed to the umpire who immediately shook his head no. Baseball needs to either drop replay entirely, revamp the time taken for replays, or fire those nameless and faceless New York umpires for egregious calls like the one made today. Any BlueJay fan who watches the play would be dishonest to claim this as a fair call because Merrifield could have chosen to slide to the side instead of directly into the catcher. I agree with Baldelli, this was one of the worst calls ever from New York. The umpires on the field clearly were embarrassed by the call, which they had made correctly.

I can only base my thoughts concerning the skills of Jermaine Palacios on watching him play via milb.com and the few games he had with the Twins. Hopefully there is someone specifically looking to analyze his game and the changes he has made to improve with his bat this year, because right now Palacios is possibly the most exciting position player (or at least the closest to MLB) in the Twins farm system. His performance this year at AAA has earned him a shot to play up a level. Palacios needs to be added to the 40 person roster unless some very accurate metrics can unequivocally show that he will not be useful in the major leagues.

I'm a fan of Correa and hope he breaks out for the remainder of the season. i also hopes he returns next year. That said, I'm not in on a long contract for Correa and if he leaves, the Twins may be able to take a similar short term gamble on another player. Verlander.