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LastOnePicked

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Everything posted by LastOnePicked

  1. LastOnePicked
    There's a lot of good to say about Baldelli. I'm still left wondering why his teams don't perform in the strongest spotlights, though. Closers have had trouble here. Division leads have often been lost midseason or late season. Twins have often folded in the playoffs under his leadership, despite this year's nice mini-run through the Wild Card series. I mean, I agree with the points made in his favor, but they just can't get over the hump. I did not expect a WS this year, but not getting to Pablo and Game 5 just smacks of all the same old story for this club. They can't make a win happen in crucial situations. Is that managing? Is it roster? Is it something intangible? It's just hard to say. After the WC series win, Baldelli told the crowd that his team had "a lot more to show." They didn't. Was that overconfidence, or just a misread of the Astros strengths/Twins weaknesses? Oh well. Welcome back, Rocco. Let's see what 2024 brings.
  2. LastOnePicked
    I'm glad that you posted this, Mike. This helped ease my anger over losing both of those games at home. Thoughtful explanation of Rocco's moves.
  3. LastOnePicked
    I think this is the cold splash of reality, yes. It was great he came back for the playoffs, but the last time I took a look at pitchers who tried to come back from two Tommy John surgeries, it wasn't a pretty sight. I'll hope for the best, but a lot of question marks are already piling up on 2024's door.
  4. LastOnePicked
    I don't think there's a lot of hand-wringing, Nick. Fans seem pretty clear-eyed about the situation. Buxton has never been healthy as an MLB player for any real sustained stretch. There's no reason to believe he will be. When in doubt, the trend is your friend. Mauer had an MVP season. Buxton has merely had two player-of-the-month stretches. I'm sorry if this annoys you, but fans are rightfully looking for replacements on the roster. If there's more there, great, but I certainly don't see any reason whatsoever to count on more from Buxton.
  5. LastOnePicked
    I agree with what others have said: the hitting side of the game just isn't ready yet for a long playoff run. When you make around 50% of your outs without even putting the ball in play, you have little else to do but hope for the long ball. In the playoffs, the pitchers you face are much less likely to make a mistake pitch. 2024 could be rough. They'll likely be missing a #2 starter, and a large segment of the lineup is due for a sophomore slump. The hope is that Correa is healthier, but I think we have to start admitting that Buxton is out of the picture. Are Lewis, Julien and Wallner ready to elevate their game? Can Jeffers sustain his success? Can Kirilloff ever get a clean shot at a healthy season? Because to go further, you're going to need all of them at or near peak performance. I think we're a lot further off from a WS than most fans think at this point. The weaknesses that were exposed in this Astros series may be difficult to fix in just one offseason. Not sure if there's any payroll flexibility either. But, here's hoping that the hunger inspires a strong returning team in 2024.
  6. LastOnePicked
    Sorry, just to clarify - a "big boy" team is a team that can reliably return to the postseason and make LCS noise along the way. Didn't happen for the Braves or Dodgers this year, but they've both recently proven they can make it there. The Twins haven't ... yet. That's the mark I'd love to see them reach.
  7. LastOnePicked
    First of all, fun article, Stu. Your what-ifs hurt my heart. As for this comment, I'm not a Rocco "hater" per se, but here are what would likely be a few rebuttals to your defense: 1) He has had the luxury of talented rosters and the highest payrolls of any Twins manager. 2) He also established the longest playoff losing streak in American sports. 3) This was the easiest division in all of MLB during those years. 4) Arguably, some of those changes don't seem to be getting the team very far in the postseason. I think when I'm frustrated with Rocco's Twins, it's when they're favored to win and just can't/don't come through. Not pulling out a single win at home against the Astros really stings. Is that solely his fault? No. Does he bear shared responsibility? Absolutely yes. But he'll be back. We'll all get to continue this debate in due time.
  8. LastOnePicked
    I think you're right. The question I'm left with is probably better left for later in the offseason: Can you actually turn this team into a "big boy"? The Royals had two shots in their window of contention and made the most of both of them. Let's see what this version of the Twins can learn from teams who have bounced back hard the next year.
  9. LastOnePicked
    I am 50% with you, all the way. Seriously, I'm good on heartbreak. One of these years, I want to watch a Twins team that snaps opponents' necks. I'm curious for 2024, but this series made it clear that, despite some gains, they're still a long ways off from being one of "big boys" in MLB.
  10. LastOnePicked
    Brooks LeeWalker JenkinsEmmanuel RodriguezMarco RayaCharlee SotoDavid FestaAustin MartinTanner SchobelBrandon WinokurLuke KeaschallYasser MercedesKala'i RosarioYunior SeverinoByron ChourioJordan BalazovicJose RodriguezBryan AcunaDanny De AndradeSimeon Woods RichardsonBrent Headrick
  11. LastOnePicked
    2-18. What's the big deal, everyone? Totally joking. I've got chills again and tears in my eyes. Either I've got COVID or Twins playoff fever. Love this team. Lemme scrub all my 2023 TD posts, and then I can tell you that I knew they had it in them all along. Keep it up, boys. This is how the magic gets made, a game at a time.
  12. LastOnePicked
    I have chills watching those clips. Absolute [redacted] chills. What joy. Go Twins.
  13. LastOnePicked
    This team is good, but not great. I like them, but I wouldn't be a bit surprised to see the streak extended to 0-20. Yes, they were a much better second half team. Yes, their second half schedule was much easier. It comes down to grit at this point. It's where managing, coaching and cohesion matter. However, as 1987 and 1991 taught me, it's also where fan support matters, too. And that's maybe the team's biggest weakness at this point. Die-hard Twins fans are great, but after the humiliating streak, there aren't all that many left. I don't expect a rowdy crowd for this series. And if it's a nailbiter, the players may need a boost. They're probably expecting us to step up, but many Minnesotans are expecting them to step up first. We'll just have to see how it shakes out.
  14. LastOnePicked
    Yeah, against my better judgment, I'm just gonna set aside any pessimism this postseason. I just like this team a lot. Win or lose, I'm with them. They won this thing decisively, batted through some tough spots and have played some very good baseball. Take each game as they come. If these Twins play up to their potential, they can hold their own and then some.
  15. LastOnePicked
    Thanks for these weekly recaps, Nick. Well done as always. Even when I follow the team day-to-day, I still appreciate the weekly recaps as a way to look at trends and highlights. And a nice tribute to Pagan in this one, too. We'll see how it goes, but I have a ton of admiration for a guy who struggled yet kept showing up and kept finding ways to have his potential match is performance. He and Kepler each silenced their critics in exactly the right way.
  16. LastOnePicked
    I asked this team just to win every series since the two crucial Cleveland matchups. I think they darn near have. Should I push my luck and ask them to win every playoff series, too?
  17. LastOnePicked
    Oh, trust me. It's better to have won and lost 18 straight than never to have won at all. I would glad give you the '87 and '91 experiences, if I could. Magic. Just magic.
  18. LastOnePicked
    Sure, a few more wins like this are nice, but if I were the manager, I would be sooo tempted to wrap like 3/4 of this roster in bubble wrap for the next week and just put some fringe players on the field. Maybe even invite a few fans to play.
  19. LastOnePicked
    Well ... a little praise maybe. MAT, Solano, Farmer, Castro - all good pickups to give the roster depth. Specifically to this point, the bullpen held up well enough to jump above AL Central opponents. And it's possible that they saw Varland's stuff would play well as a reliever, and they read the reports well that Paddack and Stewart could come back and possibly deliver. All while losing no prospects at the deadline. That matters for a team that is going to need the farm system to keep delivering. But you're right. The real test of their choices at the deadline is ahead.
  20. LastOnePicked
    Hey, there are a number of folks here on Twins Daily who kept spirits up, who remained optimistic all season and who saw this division championship coming, even early on. If that's you, this often-pessimist toasts you all tonight. Enjoy this victory, and let it be the first of many toasts this offseason. Go Twins. Good work.
  21. LastOnePicked
    I'm completely with you. Let's win this thing on the field tomorrow.
  22. LastOnePicked
    Twins, last week I know I urged you to "just win every series," but I hope it was clear that I would have also been okay with the occasional sweep, too. Apologies for the confusion, and thanks for taking my earlier request seriously.
  23. LastOnePicked
    I know we're all feeling good. I'm feeling good, too. BUT, it might be a little early to start hanging '24, '25 and '26 AL Central pennants on the ramparts of Target Field. Let' just get this one locked down first. Baseball is a funny, fickle game sometimes. For all we know, KC may break out again one of these years, I want to see that pipeline annually produce global top-100 pitching prospects before I get too comfortable predicting any sort of dynasty.
  24. LastOnePicked
    A win tomorrow and I think it's in hand. We're in good shape regardless, but a win tomorrow would kinda hammer in that final nail. And I would love it.
  25. LastOnePicked
    I am starting to wonder if perhaps - perhaps - I overestimated the threat of Cleveland this season. OR, if I had underestimated our Twins. Either way, I'm good with my mistakes. But keep going, boys. Let's close out the Central early!
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