stringer bell

Feller was from Van Meter IA IIRC. The story was that a major league scout was looking for directions, and asked young Bob, who was behind a plow on the farmstead. The story was that Bob picked up the plow to point to the high school ball field.

Send him.

First of all, managers are reluctant to make any pinch-hitting moves unless the game is tied or the hitting team is behind. Benches are too small to lose a bench player early and when your team is ahead. Secondly, pinch hitting numbers in the AL should be more closely examined. When the Twins pinch hit for a regular in a laugher, it isn't the same as hitting for Santana with the Twins down a run in the eighth. I know Gardenhire was skewered for not wanting to expose his backup catcher, but that is exactly what Molitor has done. I can recall him pinch hitting for Herrmann in one AL game and doing a double switch in an NL game, but I don't think he hit for Suzuki all year. Suzuki and the shortstop would be about the only players it would figure to pinch hit for, unless Robinson started the game. Every individual pinch hitter would have extreme SSS, but if I recall correctly, Robinson has gotten on quite a few times as a pinch hitter.

I don't like "trap videos" no matter the political viewpoint. Scott Walker had this done to him (taped phone call), and I try to discount what was said there. I know that ACORN was undone by heavily edited undercover video and this isn't the first of this type to target Planned Parenthood. The editing is the thing. The nine minute video is damning, but reading the entire transcript reveals a much different story.

My point, perhaps poorly made, was that the Twins have had over half a season to bolster the 'pen from within, with the biggest move so far being ???? I guess Pressly is pretty established if he can fully recover from his injury. Otherwise, there are two fading and flailing right handers, two lefties currently performing well over their heads and two guys who won't get a sniff in any game where the outcome isn't 90% settled. If the front office and Molitor don't trust May pitching late, why would they trust Oliveros, Achter, Rogers, Duffey, Meyer, or anyone on the AA roster? They pretty much have to go outside the organization and I would go for quality like Clippard or Will Smith rather than patches.

The Twins currently have a seven-man bullpen, but really it is less than that. Included in the seven pitchers are Rule 5 pick JR Graham, who hasn't been used in high-leverage situations since April and Trevor May, who is a "starter-in-waiting", not really considered an option when the game is on the line. That leaves closer Glen Perkins and four other guys to be used when the game is on the line. Lefty Brian Duensing has put together a real nice month after being dreadful and injured for the first two and a half months. Ryan O'Rourke was recalled to be a lefty specialist, but has fared well against all hitters in a real small sample size. The right handers have floundered at mid-season. Casey Fien has struggled in the last three weeks. He's allowed five homers in 28 innings and while his WHIP is pretty good, his ERA has ballooned to 4.45. Blane Boyer has also come down to earth. After a nice run from mid-April to early June, he has slid to where he can't be considered close to reliable. Boyer has a low strike out rate (<4.5 per 9) and has allowed the first batter he has faced to reach something like 11 of his last 15 appearances. Boyer's WHIP now sits at 1.31. This is all evidence that the Twins need to add bullpen arms. After considering this matter for a while, I am convinced that the only way they get significant help is by trade. Struggles by members of the bullpen have existed all year and a couple were replaced (Ryan Pressly is injured). Only Boyer and Fien have been consistently trusted to pitch the eighth in a close game, if someone from the organization hasn't been promoted and given that opportunity up to now, it is very doubtful that the manager would resort to someone in the system this late in the season with the team in contention. IMHO, there are only two avenues to better relief pitching in high leverage late-inning situations: 1) the current guys must improve or 2) someone needs to be brought in to pitch in those situations. I think Option 1 is dubious at best and the right guy(s) need to be brought in if Option 2 is to work.

Former Twin, former Gopher two-sport star and AD, Paul Giel of Winona.

Papelbon has already stated he wants to be traded to a contender where he will close. The Twins already have a closer, they need an eighth inning guy, while that could be someone else's closer, it won't be Papelbon. I am also guessing that if an established player wants to go to a contender, he isn't thinking about the Twins, who are widely seen as pretenders despite their record.

Suzuki's throwing on the steal of third really wasn't the problem. That a real good base stealer was emboldened to go to third with nobody out is the problem.

More bullpen help is needed. That is obvious. I'd say make a trade, but currently both Fien and Boyer don't look capable of handling high-leverage innings. Neither strike out enough guys. It is tough that they are kind of going four corners with May and nursing along a Rule 5 guy. That leaves the leverage to Fien, Boyer, Duensing, and O'Rourke. Right now, the left handers are performing all right, but I wouldn't put money that it will continue and the right handers just aren't getting the job done. One other note, Lawrie absolutely made up for his error in the ninth. He was busting it on his one-hop liner and made a great base-running move to advance on the ball in the dirt. Scoring from second with two out was easy.

Molitor's problem is that he doesn't have a "second best reliever". Huge gap between Perkins and everybody else. Even though Clippard gave up the lead in the ninth, I'd take him to pitch the eighth over anything the Twins have.

Boyer in. May not be a one-run game after the eighth.

All right. Bottom of the order needs to get it going.

I'll go with Jerry Terrell as a hometown ballplayer. Not quite from my hometown, but close enough.

I am not a prude and I have facial hair myself, but Ervin needs to shave the Amish beard and cut the hair.

The Twins rank in the middle for runs scored and their team OPS is in the middle (9th last I looked). They have outpitched their peripherals by much more than they have outhit their underlying metrics. Further, three offensive changes have been made since April-May, two of which are undoubtedly positive. I expect the offense to be at least middle-of-the road the rest of the way. I am not as optimistic about the pitching.

The guy I had the most baseball cards for when I was a young fella: Felix Mantilla.

Michael Restovich of Rochester. Outstanding athlete who never mastered the curve ball, kinda reminds me of Joe Benson.

Jerry Kindall, another 60s Twin and Minnesota native.

I don't know if we can count on Pinto playing another game for anyone this year. He probably wasn't right after being hit in the head in mid-March, as reflected by his poor hitting. He was disabled over five weeks ago and I've seen no word that his return is imminent. This appears to be a lost season for Pinto, his last option year.

On to Twin Minnesota natives: Dick Stigman from Nimrod, Minnesota.

Robinson will survive the season IMHO. Well suited to bench duty with occasional starts. Capable in all three outfield positions with good speed. Sure, bring up Arcia if there is some way to get him in the lineup (Plouffe's paternity leave), but he is a poor choice for "bench bat". BTW, we'll probably see "Sugar Shane" start a game or two on the road trip since the Twins will be facing three lefties in the next five games.

The only major league pitcher I know of with a career ERA of infinity: Fred Bruckbauer of Sleepy Eye.

Four more hits for Swim. I know he's versatile (C, 1B, OF) and he hits line drives. Will he ever reach the seats?

Duffey is a right hander. Rogers is a left hander with dramatic L/R splits.