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Kirby_waved_at_me

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Everything posted by Kirby_waved_at_me

  1. Kirby_waved_at_me
    WWJockettyD?
  2. Kirby_waved_at_me
    He's still a couple years shy of most athlete's physical peak - it could be awhile before his on field performance matches his potential. Hicks was probably rushed to the majors, a lot of people will agree with that. He might need more seasoning at AAA, or maybe he's as good as he's going to get... I bristle at the critics that question his work ethic because I feel that a lot of that stuff is coming from hearsay from (in my opinion skewed) beat writer columns and from opinions that people in the organization formed of him early on. I think about how much Carlos Beltran would get ripped for looking lazy, or on the flip side how Joe Mauer gets criticism for not showing enough outward emotion . . . Professional athletes seem to get burned both ways - either they are called robots (or worse, lazy) for not showing "enough" emotion, or they are called arrogant for showing "too much" emotion. I think judgements of a player should be results based, rather than a judge of their personality. We don't know how much Aaron Hicks cares about baseball, only he can ever know that for sure. Hicks has a lot of things in his game that can be improved, that part is objective. If he had been hitting .300 since he was called up, but had the same expression on his face, he probably wouldn't have the reputation of being lazy or aloof or out of touch.
  3. Kirby_waved_at_me
    Hopefully the Twins didn't spend too much on the New Britain system this year...
  4. Kirby_waved_at_me
    Danny Santana has the opposite platoon split, though he still hit over .300 vs. lefties. If the Twins use Santana in CF against lefties and start Eddie at SS in those games, they are probably maximizing the opportunites for both guys. Aaron Hicks also hits LHP better than RHP... So Hicks in LF, Santana in CF, Escobar at SS (unless the Twins sign a FA left fielder that mashes LHP)...
  5. Kirby_waved_at_me
    Escobar is my favorite Eduardo - and I was really surprised by all the doubles this year. I think he has played his way into a regular gig with the Twins, it will be interesting to see how the next manager wants to use him along with Santana.
  6. Kirby_waved_at_me
    I think it made sense for him to catch as long as Morneau was producing at first base - I could see a strong argument for him to have moved a year earlier than he did. It shouldn't really matter where a hitter plays in the field if he's a great hitter. But it does improve a whole lineup if a traditionally weak position has an elite hitter occupying it. It was a treat to have Mauer and Morneau in the same batting order, and adding Thome as a DH for a short time was icing on the cake. Having a HOF level bat that can catch, or play SS, or CF is great because those are so rare. It's easier to supplement a lineup with a corner infielder or outfielder that can hit for power, that's what a majority of players at that position have to do to make it to the majors. Vargas and Sano and Arcia mashing with Buxton, Dozier, and Mauer getting on base in front of them could be really special - assuming they can all exist in the same lineup without sacrificing too much defensively.
  7. Kirby_waved_at_me
    So, Josh Beckett is retiring, creating an opening in the Dodger rotation - LA is expected to go after Scherzer. but if another team sign Max, maybe good 'ol Ricky Nolasco is more appealing to LAD after all.... Or not. That Kemp or Ethier or Crawford for Ricky (and friends) is a little more likely, but still pretty unlikely. Also, the NL West is going to have several new GMs this offseason (AZ, COL, SD all have new hires), now's the time for Terry Ryan to loot those minor league systems and/or make a run at some more major league pitching!
  8. Kirby_waved_at_me
    maybe deer or elk hides instead of beef... ?
  9. Kirby_waved_at_me
    I'm saying it again - Mauer needs to do the whole Rocky IV workout montage and come to Spring Training with a gnarly beard after spending the winter in the North Woods chopping wood and doing one arm push-ups.
  10. Kirby_waved_at_me
    Nice! I will take an 0-4 over DNP-injured from Buxton any day.
  11. Kirby_waved_at_me
    Good point - I also wonder if there are people that have inquired or applied for the job that the media hasn't picked up on.
  12. Kirby_waved_at_me
    What will having broken his arm do to his progress this year? I'm curious to see how he swings the bat early in the year.
  13. Kirby_waved_at_me
    I think of the players on that list, Torii is the most likely to end up coming back. I think A.J. would only have been an option if Suzuki had left via Free Agency, but with his contract I don't see the Twins going after A.J. (unless it's be a bench coach - HA).
  14. Kirby_waved_at_me
    Glynn-y is easier than Mientkiewicz-y, though... I'd like to hear about more outside candidates. Are the Twins actually looking outside the org, or are the rumors about Lovullo, Chip Hale, and John Russell just lip service?
  15. Kirby_waved_at_me
    Maybe a good "new ceiling" comp might be someone like Matt Holliday - a little dumpy in the outfield, but power near 30 homers a year and an average that can climb with some better plate discipline. On BBREF, Hall of Famer Ralph Kiner was listed as a comp based on MLB performance through age 23. That might be pushing it a bit... Other names - Dayan Viciedo, Dave Kingman, Chris Young, Travis Snider, Elijah Dukes, Adam Piatt, Brian Buchanon ... lots of range there, which is to be expected for a 23 year old. If he ended up having Dave Kingman's career arc, that would be pretty darn good. Of course, it's still so early in his career, he can go in a lot of different ways.
  16. Kirby_waved_at_me
    I bet he can get his average up towards .250 to .275 if he can curb that K-rate. His line drive rate went up from 20 to 25 % since his rookie year, but his K% was steady at 31%
  17. Kirby_waved_at_me
    I was at a game when he broke a bat over his knee Bo Jackson - style after a strike out. He definitely is an entertaining player, I hope he can start putting it all together in 2015.
  18. Kirby_waved_at_me
    Does anyone recall what the ceiling for Arcia was supposed to be while he was a prospect? Were they comparing him to guys like Carlos Lee, Nelson Cruz, Juan Gonzalez, etc. or was he expected to be more like a 20 Homers / 20 doubles kind of player? If he continues to improve, I could see him reaching 25-30 HRs a year.
  19. Kirby_waved_at_me
    Speaking of the Athletics, Samardzjia is already expensive, maybe he's a trade candidate with just a year left on his contract... Donaldson is great, and under team control until 2018, the A's don't have to be in a hurry to deal him this off-season.
  20. Kirby_waved_at_me
    I think Olivia is to Cuban players as Willie Mays, Hank Aaron, Mickey Mantle, etc. are to United States born players, or Roberto Clemente is to Puerto Rican born players. The Stones were British, man... Your point is well taken though, it's probably not that much of a factor for a 20 something looking to make more money than they've ever seen in their life.
  21. Kirby_waved_at_me
    OH - oops. Thanks for clearing that up, because I even had the thought "Wait, I though Ozzie didn't even get along with Cubans in Miami" Regardless, here's an article from PiPress in July that has several recent Cuban defectors singing the praises of Tony O - I do wonder if having Oliva around would encourage a guy to sign with Minnesota... Cespedes will be a Free Agent after 2015 . . . http://www.twincities.com/sports/ci_26155210/all-star-game-tony-oliva-relishes-role-mentor
  22. Kirby_waved_at_me
    I agree with all of that (I'd rather have Lester and Sano) - I am saying that for the Twins to do it, it would be a desperate move, and that the Royals trading for Shields were more or less backed up against the wall. They had to do something to start winning again after so many years in the basement. The Twins have had 4 awful seasons, the first being a total shock and the last three being a series of attempts to re-start the engine. I don't think the Twins will have the same issues that the Royals had, but the key question is how long are the Twins willing to wait?
  23. Kirby_waved_at_me
    Why isn't Tony Oliva already facilitating the Minnesota-Cuba Pipeline? He's actually Cuban. Ozzie is from Venezuela. It might be a really awkward / indelicate question to ask the great Tony O, but what role does he have in the fact that the Twins have rarely ever signed a Cuban defector? And that the only big name Cuban-born players signed by the Twins have been closer to the end of their MLB careers (Livan Hernandez, Kendrys Morales)? Does he advise The Twins in some capacity one way or the other? As in, does Tony O say "don't sign any Cuban players," or does he say "Why don't you sign more?"
  24. Kirby_waved_at_me
    Trading away Myers and Odorizzi to get Shields and Wade Davis was the move of a team desperate to change their fortunes. Are the Twins desperate yet? I don't think they are in that place at the moment. I personally would be o.k. to see the Twins make another bold move in the mold of the Span and Revere trades, but this time doing the opposite - taking a gamble in trading a prospect to get a Starting Pitcher (or 2) or Outfielder (or 2) that is already making an impact in the majors. Buxton, Sano, Vargas, Kohl Stewart, Berrios, etc - there should be a willingness to part with one or more from the long list of prospects (though typing that stings a bit). The proposals for half way guys like Pinto or Arcia (not prospects anymore, not yet stable ML talent) will be light and disappointing. Maybe someone offers a package to the Twins for Arcia that mirrors the return the Rays recieved for Delmon, but I just don't see that happening. If the Twins are not willing to make a drastic change, they will not see a drastic improvement in the standings for a couple years (at least). Some fans are willing to wait for homegrown talent to arrive, but how long will it be before the Twins get desperate?
  25. Kirby_waved_at_me
    Peter Gammons wrote that Orioles bench coach John Russell might be in the running, though I think that's just Gammons doing a little P.R. for one of his East Coast buddies.
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