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stringer bell

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Everything posted by stringer bell

  1. stringer bell
    Delmon is primarily going to play right field for the Orioles this season. He was quoted as saying that he always has felt more comfortable there. I doubt it will be a night and day difference, but I thought that with his strong arm he always profiled as a right fielder.
  2. stringer bell
    First of all, because of the dimensions at TF, left field is more spacious IIRC, but right field is trickier due to the high wall, with an overhang and limestone. It seemed to me that Arcia was more comfortable in right last year than he was in left in 2013. Further, I always saw Arcia as a right fielder. He's got a good arm, but limited range. However, he has played left field before and actually saw much more time in left than right with the Twins in 2013. I see the move of Arcia to left as short term and in my opinion it made the Hunter acquisition much more problematic. Time will tell, I guess, but to me this just delays Arcia's progress in dealing with the quirks of Target Field's right field.
  3. stringer bell
    The Twins response has been that he might be better in left, which I don't believe. It is about accommodating Mr. Hunter IMHO.
  4. stringer bell
    Like most other topics on TD, each side can cherry-pick numbers to support their case. The one factor not mentioned is that Hunter hit after one All-Star, and in front of two of the very best hitters in baseball. He won't have that protection with the Twins.
  5. stringer bell
    I agree that if someone wants a guy to get 'em over or get 'em in, Mauer is not ideal. He, however, is a career .320 hitter with a better than .400 OBP. I would like to see him drive the ball more and if he does, he should hit third.
  6. stringer bell
    Nobody called Nolasco fat last year, but he seemed bigger than I remembered him as a Marlin or a Dodger. Halsey reported that he had slimmed down--maybe that will be the magic elixir for him. It didn't work for Vanimal when he was with the Twins, but Delmon had his best year when he had noticeably slimmed down.
  7. stringer bell
    Where does Danny Santana fit in your options?
  8. stringer bell
    Two different athletes with different skill sets. The big test for Hicks has always been whether he can hit enough. Rosario has profiled as a hitter--he's played different positions and had problems off the field. While Hicks failed, Danny Santana took advantage of his opportunity with only a month's worth of AAA and less than stellar numbers at AA. If Rosario is better than Hicks this spring, there is no reason why he shouldn't get the job. I doubt that will happen and I am certain that spring training stats shouldn't be the determiner. I think Rosario can and will be an above average hitter and I have my doubts about Hicks.
  9. stringer bell
    None....both are out of options.
  10. stringer bell
    I share Doc's hypocrisy... let's call it ambivalence about Nolasco. He has a track record of being pretty good and very durable. However he has has himself to blame, probably hiding an injury and giving indications that he was unhappy in Minnesota. He can get back in Twins' fans good graces with good performance and keeping his love for LA and displeasure with Minnesota weather to himself.
  11. stringer bell
    Not all stolen bases are equal, for sure. Also, it is vital that the success percentage be above 70%. I think it is tough to quantify the value of putting pressure on the opponent. I believe that the running game should be utilized more by the bottom of the order, where scoring without the stolen base is more of a long shot.
  12. stringer bell
    Yes, he should be in the conversation. He had a good, albeit short, run with the Twins last year. While most factors indicate he will not sustain his good performance, he did perform well last year and that can't be denied or taken away. Even with his good performance, he would need a platoon partner because he struggles mightily against left handed pitching. I like Schafer's base-stealing and speed in general. For someone hitting down in the order, base stealing ability can help by Schafer getting himself into scoring position whenever he reaches base.
  13. stringer bell
    Except for catchers with absolute cannon arms, it is on the pitchers. Neither Suzuki nor Pinto have cannons, so they need help from their pitchers. The key thing is for the catchers to stay fundamentally sound so that the average runners don't take advantage of them. Pinto was a mess by the time he was optioned last year. Someone needs to stay on the catchers to stay sound in their technique.
  14. stringer bell
    I liked Bostock when he played and his death was tragic. I'll echo Seth that a lot of things have to break Eddie's way for him to start the season with the Twins. The first step has already occurred and I think it was a big step--Rosario excelled against top prospects in the AFL. He needs to carry good performance in all facets of his game forward, while those competing with him show their flaws. He also needs to stay out of trouble and demonstrate that he isn't a "bad actor". I am hoping that all of this comes to pass and Rosario breaks camp with the club, but I won't be broken up if he plays well and is sent to AAA, with the idea that he is the first recalled when either an infielder or outfielder is needed.
  15. stringer bell
    Regarding Gardenhire's batting orders: I think he was very locked in to leaving certain hitters in certain spots in the order. Sometimes, by default, there was a bad match with another player. For example, until 2013 he always kept Mauer at #3 and Moreneau behind him. With a couple of less-than-great offensive players, sometimes Gardy would put someone like Casilla (or earlier Punto) in the #2 spot because he didn't want to move the Mauers, Morneaus and Cuddyers around. This was reflected in the field with the famous move of Revere to right field. At various times keeping Span in center, Cuddyer in right and Willingham in left despite causing problems with other positions.
  16. stringer bell
    I'll dispute both Santana (great OBP) and Mauer (hits behind runners). Santana had a high batting average, but his OBP was barely better than Dozier's, who hit 77 points lower in batting average. A big reason I don't want to see Mauer hit second is that he almost never hits the ball to the right side of the diamond, advancing a runner with an out. Also, so many of his singles are to left, which often don't score runners from second, unless there are two out. First inning scenarios for Mauer not advancing runners when making an out and not scoring runners in scoring position with a hit do not fit.
  17. stringer bell
    I have to check my "busy" schedule, but I'll certainly volunteer to take on a couple of series. Writing in tandem with RiverBrian--dream or nightmare?
  18. stringer bell
    Because he won't make the team (and shouldn't).
  19. stringer bell
    Love the article. I would dispute the title, however. The Twins were among the better teams in the AL from '62-'70, with the outliers being '64 and '68.
  20. stringer bell
    I believe I went to another game during that series. My wife was pregnant with our first child and it was really warm. I recall the Twins winning the game and Carew making a fantastic play on a slow roller to first. Yes, I thought the Twins were on their way that summer. Carew was having a season for the ages, several guys were going very well including Bostock and Hisle, and Mauch was managing his his talent admirably.
  21. stringer bell
    I'll weigh in on this. I think that pitch framing happens, but it isn't as clear cut as the statistics might indicate. Further, there are other skills in being a catcher--first and foremost is developing a rapport with the staff, so that they feel comfortable pitching. Of course, if you hit like Mike Piazza, you can catch like Mike Piazza and be a Hall of Famer.
  22. stringer bell
    OK, what is the proper "in shape" weight for Vargas? I would guess he could carry at least 260 pounds, if not more, on that huge frame.
  23. stringer bell
    I'm going to follow Thrylos on the "honor the Senators" tangent. I would lay that on Calvin and his family. They moved the club to Minnesota, changed the nickname and the uniforms and did precious little to connect the Senators and the Twins. Should the incoming market (Minnesota) have automatically become long-time Senators fans? I don't think so. In the 60s, making an keeping the connection with the old-time Nats could have been done, but it wasn't. Again I was only six when the club came here, but I recall every milestone as setting club records in the early years--in other words the Senator history didn't count. Calvin and his family chose to connect more with Minnesota's minor league history (Miller and Saints) rather than the 60 years the old Senators toiled in the nation's capitol. Carl Pohlad bought the Twins in the 80s. For him and his administration to re-establish a big connection with the old Washington Senators didn't make much sense. Unlike Calvin, he and his administration had no connection with DC Now for my opinion. I agree that the Twins shouldn't forget the Senators. Murals and whatnot showing what happened to the franchise for the first 60 years fits better than tributes to Minnesota baseball. Any history of the franchise should feature the Griffiths and their long history in DC. However, the Washington legacy has been given away and it's not really worth it to try to get it back.
  24. stringer bell
    Nice post Doc! Congratulations on that 1000th post. I share many of the same feelings and experiences and agree that Twins Daily has been a great site to share my fandom with Twins fans.
  25. stringer bell
    You will note, Thry, that the four teams you named kept their nickname when they moved. The Browns became the Orioles and I don't believe they discuss their history in St. Louis much, if at all. I believe the expansion Senators were in Washington only eight years, the Rangers have been in Texas for over 40, they can and should have claim to the eight mostly forgettable years in the 60s. The Senators were bad for most of their 60 years, but they certainly had some good years and great players. I think the Twins owe the great players in their franchise credit for what they achieved. However, when I was a lad and the Twins moved here from DC, I cared not one bit for the exploits of the Washington Senators from '01-'60.
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