ashbury

We just need better analytics, to give us the "home runs per dead fish slider" ratio in Spring.

Very fair point in addition.

MLBTR has an item stating that the Phillies would be willing to trade Jimmy Rollins. In the article, it's stated: "Rollins, 35, struggled at the plate in 2013, batting .252/.318/.348..." Meanwhile our resident starter pleased some fans with his progress, posting .221/.281/.330. I don't particularly advocate trading for Rollins, as I assume the Phils want prospects the Twins won't want to part with and the Twins won't want to invest $11M a year in an aging player. I'm just mindful that one team's "struggled" can be better on offense than another team's "incumbent shortstop".

Probably a little late to snare Beltran, but let's keep dreaming big!

Nothing on Revere on MLBTR at this writing. Maybe their sleuths will see this thread and start something.

What stands out to me is the absence of any mention of Christopher Herrmann. With AAA a likely starting location for Pinto, it sounds like a FA acquisition of some kind is all but assured. Question is whether to get a glove man for cheap, to complement Doumit's skillset, or go for a more complete but far more expensive player.

I like this reasoning too, particularly the two throw-ins of the deal. Mastro (though I love him like a son - he was my 2012 TD adoptee ) is barely above waiver-wire fodder and if a team considers him a sweetener I gladly include him. Fien is a guy who, when I think ahead to possible playoff games, doesn't seem like one of the pitchers who drives the other team nuts when you roll out three guys to suffocate their seventh-inning rally. You have to give up talent to get talent, and Dozier as the key piece to get a good pitcher is a reasonable choice. And I am all for bundling multiple players to get an upgrade, in contrast to recent Twins history of trading one guy and getting two "maybes" in return.

http://fuuka.worldathleticproject.org/boards/b/thumb/1376/51/1376513126653s.jpg

Much appreciated. What a relaxed atmosphere. Lucky guys to be at that level.

I would guess that, more often than not, the identity of the clubhouse's true leader(s) becomes evident only in the rearview mirror. But like it or not, it's Joe Mauer's team for the foreseeable future.

Is the 2013 team Ryan's "Glen or Glenda"?

Folks, When the Twins announced their players being sent to the Arizona Fall League (AFL), John Bonnes made an off-hand comment about a Twins Daily road trip. Something of that magnitude might be a little fanciful, but I'm thinking about going and he and I agreed maybe a clearinghouse would be useful for those who plan to go, or are considering it. The Twins players will be on the Glendale Desert Dogs. All the AFL games are in the Phoenix area. Our guys have games from October 8 to November 14; here is a link to the full schedule: http://mlb.mlb.com/milb/stats/stats.jsp?t=t_sch&sid=l119&cid=454&y=2013 Team roster is here: Major League Baseball | Winter Leagues | Arizona Fall League | MLB.com: Events USAFChief lives somewhere in or around Tucson, a two-hour car ride away, and has offered a bit of interaction with anyone who makes the trip, but no rights or privileges for his barcalounger (ahem, "Ekornes Stressless, full leather", per Chief). I think one or two others spoke up expressing interest too. Anybody with ideas about going, feel free to post a response here, and if some sort of critical mass begins to develop we can take it from there. At this point, I think any vague but possible idea of going is worth mentioning, without it being a commitment for now. I am considering a trip there during the week of October 14, regardless of whether anyone else goes.

Earlier today while reading another post I spent some time trying to find a pre-season interview with Terry Ryan that said more than "if we'll win our share." Actually I find the opposite in this December interview: Mackey: Will Twins compete in 2013? 'We have to be realistic,' GM says | 1500 ESPN Twin Cities ? Minnesota Sports News & Opinion (Twins, Vikings, Wolves, Wild, Gophers) | Sportswire: Minnesota Twins "I think the goal here is to get better," Ryan said. He danced around the question of competing in 2013. "We'll try," he said when asked directly. I don't see where he insists. Does someone have a different source to point to where he does?

A woman is only a woman, but a baseball game... is a day at the park. / because I don't smoke cigars, and for that matter I've never Kippled

The love that dare not speak its name?

If you're asking how the moderators react, well, it's going to be case-by-case. Satire is by nature caustic, and the best satire burns your skin off without your even realizing you were the target until too late. (Another way of saying why what I tried was just too heavy-handed.) Simply poking a little fun, ought in principle to pass muster, but even then it's risky: "fun" is in the eye of the beholder. If you really think the target of your comment will smile, even grudgingly, maybe it will be OK. But if your intent is just to straighten somebody else out, I dunno - just stick to the facts as you see them, would be my advice, and keep the direct personal comments and the alleged humor out of it. I definitely recommend not trying assess the specific gravity of the content of anybody's coinpurse.

In a thread elsewhere:

In response to a forum reply that I felt crossed a boundary, where the writer questioned the courage of Andrew Albers, instead of just deleting the post I decided to try a bit of "see how you like it". Since it stirred up some controversy, I am posting here the private message I later sent: Brock and I were both basically reacting to one sentence: Albers could have at least had the balls to fight for it if he really wanted it. Nothing else in your several posts was an issue for me at least. And your choice of the word "balls", while also off-color and thus a mild problem, isn't the issue either; you could have said Albers could have at least had the courage to fight for it if he really wanted it. and it would still have been a problem. Please review the Updated Comment Policy if you are unclear. Rule #1 is 1. Personal attacks or insults towards other commenters, the post author, journalists, teams, players, members of baseball organizations or agents. (You can be critical, but not personal.) There is just no place in the forums at TD for a comment like yours about a player's courage. Your reaction to my questionable choice of a "see how you like it when it is directed at you" response demonstrates that the advice I was given to just delete comments that harm the tone of any given thread may work best in the long run; it's not some omniscient power but simply a way to keep threads from degenerating. Maybe your response was in that same vein but I don't think so; you just seemed to not like it to have your own courage questioned or to have someone presume to know what goes on inside your head. Yet that's what you wanted to do regarding Albers' ninth inning. Please instead accept the criticism in the spirit it was intended, to recognize when a comment you're about to post approaches an area where a moderator will need to step in. Most people manage to steer far clear, and mostly you do too I think.

In response to a forum reply that I felt crossed a boundary, where the writer questioned the courage of Andrew Albers, instead of just deleting the post I decided to try a bit of "see how you like it". Since it stirred up some controversy, I am posting here the private message I later sent: Brock and I were both basically reacting to one sentence: Albers could have at least had the balls to fight for it if he really wanted it. Nothing else in your several posts was an issue for me at least. And your choice of the word "balls", while also off-color and thus a mild problem, isn't the issue either; you could have said Albers could have at least had the courage to fight for it if he really wanted it. and it would still have been a problem. Please review the Updated Comment Policy if you are unclear. Rule #1 is 1. Personal attacks or insults towards other commenters, the post author, journalists, teams, players, members of baseball organizations or agents. (You can be critical, but not personal.) There is just no place in the forums at TD for a comment like yours about a player's courage. Your reaction to my questionable choice of a "see how you like it when it is directed at you" response demonstrates that the advice I was given to just delete comments that harm the tone of any given thread may work best in the long run; it's not some omniscient power but simply a way to keep threads from degenerating. Maybe your response was in that same vein but I don't think so; you just seemed to not like it to have your own courage questioned or to have someone presume to know what goes on inside your head. Yet that's what you wanted to do regarding Albers' ninth inning. Please instead accept the criticism in the spirit it was intended, to recognize when a comment you're about to post approaches an area where a moderator will need to step in. Most people manage to steer far clear, and mostly you do too I think.

For later reference:

For later reference:

From the game thread today, regarding Dozier batting second:

From the game thread today, regarding Dozier batting second:

I liked it too. My comment about meds was serious in exactly whatever degree Bark's was serious about getting off them.