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stringer bell

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Everything posted by stringer bell

  1. In today's game, 100 mph doesn't make anyone unhittable. There are far too many guys that hit 98+ on a regular basis. I'm still not sure that Gratoral should be on the prospective postseason roster.
  2. Yes, it is a loss and keeps the magic number at 7. The Twins struck out only 5 times in the game and drew 5 walks. Chicago struck out 14 times and drew one walk. From those stats, who do you think wins the game? Chicago's BABIP was 9-20, while the Twins were 3-24. One of those games.
  3. Joe Mauer was in the majors at 21 and as a 22-year old hit .294 for the Twins.
  4. Arraez complements this team quite well. There is ample power, but putting guys on base before the extra base hits has to be a high priority. He has great strike-zone disciple combined with great contact skills. Arraez should continue to get on base a lot. For him to be a repeating All-Star, he would have to develop some power or continue to be a top 10 percentage hitter. Luis doesn't have great speed, which would be a helpful trait on this version of the Twins. I've seen his defense as acceptable and would add that he seems to make the proper plays and limits mental mistakes.
  5. Actually, I still let Arraez hit with the team already ahead and a runner or third and less than two outs. He is so much more likely to make contact and get that insurance run home. Yes, if you are looking for an extra-base hit there, you probably hit for Arraez, not when a single or productive out is needed.
  6. Pérez and Gibson have been in the rotation for almost the entire season. We've seen a couple of good starts from Pérez and a couple of bad ones recently and Gibson has been pretty bad for a month and a half. I think each should get two more audition starts to see if they can put it together and have competitive starts in the postseason. If so, one or both get starts against Houston/New York, if not we resort to bullpen games and starts from guys who have spent the majority of the season in AAA.
  7. Agreed. But I would give a healthy, rested Twins lineup a chance against anyone. Verlander, Cole and Grienke is as good as it gets right now, but I'd still give the Twins a sluggers chance against them.
  8. I don't get the Gibson thing either. Perhaps because of his illness, the brain trust doesn't think he has the stamina to go even five innings, so they want to see what he can do in the bullpen? For a batter and a half, Romero looked like the real deal and Eddie probably should have caught Kipnis' drive to left.
  9. I'm far from a huge Schoop fan and he had a bad game today, but he is a competent major league second baseman. His contribution has gone up as of late with more playing time because of all the injuries. He quite likely will get plate appearances in the (hoped for) playoffs and is an injury away from playing every day. I kind of scoffed when the commentators were giving him so much credit for his fielding yesterday and today he showed his downside. He has made a lot of errors and his quickness and leg speed is marginal.
  10. I don't think it is about rest as much as about health. Kepler has made several awkward swings where he is definitely in pain, same for Cron, and probably also for Cruz. Replacing them today with healthier players makes sense for today and for the postseason IMHO. It would be great if Cave and/or Gonzalez are ready to go because those two are big league players who will certainly be on a postseason roster and they probably need plate appearances to get ready. I don't relish the thought of seeing Miller, LaMarre or Wade get at-bats, but whatever it takes to get Kepler, Cron and Cruz as close to 100% as they can be is what is needed.
  11. While nothing is clinched, I will now feel much better if Cron and Kepler aren't in the lineup tomorrow or for the next series. I do hope that Cave and Gonzalez make appearances soon, which could keep lineups on a par with what they were today. Cruz left early, more wrist discomfort?
  12. Molitor's health improved when he became a DH. He was a great hitter and had a Hall of Fame career principally because of his hitting. Maybe Buxton can find durability, but I doubt it will be because he became a DH.
  13. I am usually quite skeptical about promoting people and expecting them to make a big splash. In this case, I think it is worth considering. Kirilloff has been red hot in the AA playoffs and he is a top prospect. The Twins have at least three outfielders (I'm counting Gonzalez) with injury issues who may or may not be available for postseason. If Buxton can't swing a bat or Kepler or Gonzalez is out for a week or more to come, I think the Twins should recall Kirilloff and throw him in there.
  14. Some interesting points here. Did he get the diuretic in the Dominican? Could it in fact have been purchased over-the-counter? In my recollection, no drug-related suspension has been reduced as Pineda's was, which tells me there is something different about this specific case. We will probably never know all the details, but the result is that the Twins have lost another piece at a crucial time.
  15. Didn’t catch the GG game, but see they prevailed in OT. They are a second-tier pick in the Big Ten West, but IMHO the division is wide open.
  16. Today’s win gives the Twins a chance for a knockout blow against Cleveland. I think two wins in the six games against the Indians the next two weekends is enough, but a series win or, better yet, a sweep might bury the Tribe. Also, losing this series really hurts the defending champs. They trail Tampa and Oakland by 6.5 and Cleveland by 5.5 and would have to catch two out of those three to get a wild card.
  17. All five starters have reached 10 wins. None have been consistently good, but they’ve all had their moments.
  18. It varies with the individuals--some guys produce best with a pat on the back. Others, a sharper blow a bit lower. I think a possible Romero non-recall would equate much more with treatment Brian Dozier received in his rookie year. Dozier was less than so-so in his debut season and sent down. He didn't play great in Rochester after being sent down and wasn't recalled when the Triple A season ended. This corresponds roughly with what has happened with Romero this year. IMHO, the non-recall of Buxton was at least 75% about service time. Service time is at best a small factor in whether Fernando Romero is or should be recalled.
  19. Well, that leaves three from the 40-man roster not promoted. Nick Gordon (injured list at AAA), Steven Gonsalves (rehabbing while on injured list at AAA) and Marcos Diplan (pitching for Pensacola). The final member of the 40-man roster not on the Twins' active roster is Kyle Gibson.
  20. 1) More than 90% of Qualifying Offers are refused. 2) QOs are for one year and I've heard there is no such thing as a bad one-year deal. 3) Despite his inability to pitch deep into games, Odorizzi had an All-Star first half and is pitching acceptably in the second half. I believe absolutely that the Twins should extend a Qualifying Offer to Jake, and negotiate on a 2-3 year extension. That gives absolutely no guarantee that he'll be a Twin next year. In addition, FWIW, I'd extend a Qualifying Offer to Pineda, too.
  21. I didn't want to start another thread, so I'll post this on the game recap thread--are we certain that Odorizzi gets the ball tomorrow? If one of the callups (Thorpe or Smeltzer) is rested enough, wouldn't it make sense to give Odorizzi an extra day and have him start the Boston series? I really don't like the idea of a second-tier starter pitching to a desperate Boston team in Fenway.
  22. So, who gets the starts for Gibson? I like Thorpe's stuff the best of the callups, but Smetzer makes the most out of his ability. No Kohl Stewart for me, thanks.
  23. If the Twins get the lead up over five games, I think it might figure that Smeltzer or Thorpe start an occasional game against the Tigers, Royals or White Sox, perhaps as soon as Sunday or Monday. While I don't have a lot of trust in any of the starters, I do believe in them more than the AAA guys.
  24. I agree with the statement above and would say that Gibson doesn't have the kind of raw stuff to attack with fastballs or try to bend a breaking ball over the plate. He needs hitters to chase and if they don't, a lot of pitches are just out of the strike zone. When he has excellent command, he can be very good, without his best command, he can be pretty good, but far from dominant.
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