stringer bell

More accurately, this is his last option year. The Twins of course could recall him and then later option him, but next year he would have to be exposed to the rest of MLB to be sent to the minors.

As long as the starting pitching holds up, the Twins will not sink like the '11 Pirates. There is certainly a possibility that they fade, especially if the bullpen isn't addressed. I don't think they are a cinch to avoid the basement of the Central--I think it is possible all five teams finish above .500. That said, they are in position to challenge all season.

A hyphen between the third and fourth word would make your statement much clearer. Grammar police out.

Delmon was a big reason why the Twins won their division in 2010, He even stepped it up a bit in the field IIRC.

I confess I got a little misty-eyed. He's a player I like, I have spoken to him and he seems very genuine and down-to-earth and he really, really deserved the honor. Combined with the very real possibility that he won't be selected to another All-Star game, it is and was pretty special. It certainly made his walk-offs all the more special, too.

Hate to quibble, but just because there are more caught stealings doesn't mean the team is running the bases poorly. Base stealing is only part of base running. Just because the results were poor doesn't necessarily mean the instruction was poor.

In this home stand both Dozier and Plouffe have stolen third without a throw. Dozier also stole second when faster runners were caught. It is about timing, getting a great jump and choosing the right pitch. Few guys are capable of stealing when a competent pitcher/catcher tandem are focused on stopping them. Buxton has the speed to be one of those guys. He's not there yet. The young guys all need to improve.

You mean Oswaldo Wilson Ramos Arcia?

Molitor indicated that he gave Eddie the green light if the first baseman was playing behind him (he was) and if Soria "lifted his leg" (didn't slide step). Soria did lift his leg and Eddie took off without getting much of a lead or a good break for second. It shouldn't have been close, but it was.

We really don't know. First of all, Buxton needs to recover from his injury. Right now, it's improving but not totally healed. When he is healed up, most likely he will go to Rochester or Chattanooga for rehab. He is allowed 20 days (IIRC) and if he is raking in those 20 days, the Twins may activate him. Most likely he will struggle a bit and the Twins will option him to the minors. This depends on both how Buxton is playing and how Hicks is playing. There is no doubt that Hicks is playing better now than Buxton did when he was recalled. That could change in the month or so when Buxton should be healed up.

No one claimed him either. I realize if they claimed him, that the claiming team would pick up his contract, but if Felix is all the way back, that shouldn't matter. I wonder if he'll be able to hit the same velo his next time out. He hadn't pitched in more than a week.

I'm jumping the gun by a day, but the Twins are approaching the All-Star break and they certainly qualify as contenders. After beating Detroit today, they are tied for the second best record in the league at eight games over .500. One can't help but be a little optimistic about the Twins chances for the last 74 games. Today was a high point, not only hammering Detroit's starting pitcher, but also the mid-game announcement that Brian Dozier would indeed make the 2015 All-Star team, all on the heels of the startling comeback the earned the Twins a near miraculous victory on Friday night. However, there are obvious flaws on the team. The leading percentage hitter currently is Joe Mauer, hitting in the mid-.270s and until this home stand the Twins had struggled to score runs for the better part of six weeks. We've seen a bullpen that is far from dominant and still have unsettled and unproductive positions (catcher and shortstop). The starting staff continues to allow far fewer runs than their peripherals would suggest. Since the Twins outstanding month of May, analysis has focused on how the club is winning and also if they can sustain that performance. Most analysts still think the club is suspect. A good example is Baseball Prospectus, which provides a Postseason Probability for each team. They currently peg the Twins at 21.6%, lower than the Tigers (2.5 games behind the Twins) and the Indians (4.5 behind Minnesota). This is supposedly scientific analysis. The team is far different that the one that opened the season in Detroit. Eddie Rosario has claimed an outfield spot, Aaron Hicks appears to be here to stay this year, and several members have changed in the bullpen. The rotation has added Ervin Santana to the rotation. I think more changes are in the offing. Either by trade or promotion, I think the bullpen will continue to be redone. Byron Buxton figures to return to Minnesota after a rehab and perhaps an option to AAA, Oswaldo Arcia has begun to pound the ball at Triple A, I am still not convinced the Twins are a playoff team, but it looks like they could easily be in it for the two and a half months. I'm predicting a couple of moves that will fortify the bullpen (perhaps trading for a lefty reliever and promoting a hard thrower) and also perhaps a trade for a catcher, who could help this year and beyond. I would expect improvement from the offense, combined with a bit of regression from the rotation. I have predicted 85 wins for the club since they broke camp in Florida. I hope that number is reached although I'm not sure if it will be enough to gain admission to the post season.

I presume the comments were tongue-in-cheek, but I have wondered it Buxton could have caught a couple of balls the fell for doubles during this series. I have thought that Hicks was better coming in and going laterally than going back on balls, the excellent catch against Parmelee notwithstanding. No question that Hicks has had far better plate appearances since his latest recall. Keep it up Aaron!

I have steadfastly stuck with 85 wins since the start of the season. The unforeseen positives and negatives have cancelled each other out and I think that trend will continue. It looks to me that there will be a real cluster of teams close to 85 wins--a play-in game to make the play-in game? That would be a regular season game and require an 86th win, so I guess I'm predicting that Twins will lose a game 163 and not make the playoffs.

Isn't this usually how it goes? Every year, players drop out and replacements are named. I was upset that Dozier didn't get named for the first vacancy (Gordon) and with his continuing strong performance, I was pretty sure he would get named for the next vacancy, no matter what position the drop-out played. That said, if Dozier didn't make the club, I wasn't going to watch the All-Star game. Now I will. It is a small deal, but now Baseball Reference will list him as an All-Star in his bio, richly deserved for both a fine player and a class act. I'd love to see him make a difference in the game.

Bartolo Colon begs to differ.

Yes, he's looking much better. I still have my doubts that he should be considered a candidate for a regular corner outfield role. That said, he's the best center field option the contending Twins have right now (including a healthy Byron Buxton--I don't think he's quite ready) and I hope he continues to play well and hit decently from both sides of the plate.

You're far too modest Dave. Two years before your ultra-successful "Stick a Fork in Hunter" thread, you called for Dozier's release IIRC. I'm saying he wouldn't be where he is without you.

Two hits including a long homer for Torii today. He was 3-26 going into the game. The batting average had sunk into the .250s. I guess we will have to ride out the snags and he'll probably finish the year close to last year's numbers. Torii has been okay in right field and undoubtedly a positive influence on the other young outfielders and position players. I don't want him back next year, but it looks like Terry Ryan made a decent signing in bringing in the almost 40-year old.

I still think May can be more than an afterthought in the bullpen. With the fade of Boyer and Fien right now, they really need help in the setup area. Pelfrey is the guy on the hook still, but I think he earned at least a couple more starts after being effective against the Tigers. Note that he did better than both Santana and Hughes. IIRC Gibson has really struggled against the Tigers, so it isn't inconceivable that Pelfrey will have the best start against the rival Tigers. May has started 24 games in the majors, while he hasn't completed his development I don't think being out of the rotation for a month or two will adversely effect him.

Pretty good job by the beleaguered left hander.

I don't think Dozier will be the last guy on the bench. There is a realization that he's a great ballplayer.

The ump has called high strikes all game. The pitch was close, too close to take.

Bring on the bullpen?

It looks like seven will have to be enough.