JB_Iowa

Atta Boy, Arcia!

Couldn't get it done in the 9th today, though. And I still don't think Morneau in Minnesota would approach what he is doing in Colorado. He needed a change of scene. Maybe Joe does, too but it will be harer to get him one.

And maybe he fully appreciates it and it just puts more pressure on him. It is impossible for any of us to really comprehend what it takes to succeed at the major league level.

Berardino updated his blog from earlier today with Gardenhire's comments on Hicks. http://blogs.twincities.com/twins/2014/06/25/twinsights-aaron-hicks-optioned-to-double-a-new-britain/ He will play all three outfield positions in New Britain but I honestly don't think that the Twins see his ceiling as a 4th outfielder. The Twins will have pretty much all outfield positions open next year (Arcia isn't without his struggles either). Buxton may advance quickly or he may not -- obviously this year was a big set back. This sounds mostly to me about putting Hicks somewhere he is comfortable (part of the reason for New Britain over Rochester is that he is familiar with it and had success there). Gardenhire also had this comment: “Torii went down and back up and down and back up,” Gardenhire said. “It happens. (Hicks) is not the first person. He’s not going to be the last person. It’s about trial and error up here. This guy has a lot of talent. When it finally does really click on him and he’s able to carry the same confidence that he had a few years ago into this level consistently — put the ball in play, not worry about home runs, not worry about numbers, just worry about (putting) the ball in play more — he’ll be fine. We think he will be. We like his ability, because he’s got a lot of that.”

LOL. And I rarely use anything labeled "instant" even though I'm one of the least patient people around.

Fair enough. I just think he's struggling so much and in such a doghouse with Gardenhire, it just isn't going to work to have him w/the major league club right now.

Really interesting article from Jon Heyman at CBS sports about a possible ban on smokeless tobacco in the last CBA negotiations: http://www.cbssports.com/mlb/writer/jon-heyman/24597614/mlb-tried-to-ban-smokeless-tobacco-but-players-union-balked MLB is said by people involved in the talks to actually have “pushed very hard” for the banning of smokeless tobacco in those discussions, with the players' union pushing back just as hard to keep it legal in the game. The union, driven on this issue by its players, ultimately won the point, though some rule refinements were intended to lessen usage and the harm caused by it. The argument between MLB bigwigs and the union and its players was said to have grown “contentious” at some point, at least in the eyes of MLB officials. And one MLB person, asked who among the players appeared to be against the banning proposal, noted, “It was all of them.” ... n the end, while MLB's own survey found that smokeless tobacco usage is down to only a strong minority, at 33 percent, there isn't one player who is recalled by MLB officials who stood up against the vocal users and the teammates who supported them. The good news, I guess, is that usage is down from 50% to 33% over the last 20 years. With the ban in the minors, maybe that figure will continue to drop.

Thrylos, I'll ask you the same question I asked Shane above. Do you really think that being w/the major league club right now is in Hicks' best interests (and ultimately in the Twins' long term best interests)??? I think Hicks is the Twins best CF at the present time. I also think he can benefit greatly from some time away from the mlb spotlight (especially with the rabidity of some of the fans I've read on posts about him).

Especially when making it a point to say that it was "official"??

Watched Neshek pitch an inning for the Cards today. If it weren't for the arm action, I wouldn't have recognized him. Geez that full beard looks hot for a St. Louis summer.

Tim Lincecum w/ a no-hitter against the Padres. Better than against the Twins, I guess.

Shane, I think Hicks is the Twins' best CF option but do you really think that being w/the major league club is in Hicks' best self interests (and ultimately in the Twins' long term best interests)???

I think that is exactly what they are trying to do. The following quotes are taken from a couple of different posts by Mike Berardino in the "Twins Now" blog on the Pioneer Press: Sunday's post: “If a guy doesn’t feel comfortable, what are you going to do?” Ryan said. “You can’t force something like that. I’m going to support Aaron Hicks on how he feels the most comfortable going up to the plate. He’s still a young man. He’s still learning the game. There’s still a lot of upside.” ... “We’ll have to see if we can salvage this thing,” Ryan said of Hicks. “He’s certainly salvageable. We haven’t given up on Aaron Hicks at all. He’s the best center fielder we have in this organization right now until you see what (Byron) Buxton can do once he gets to the upper levels.” From a post today: Asked Sunday whether he regretted bringing Hicks straight to the majors off that 2012 season, Twins general manager Terry Ryan minced no words. “Well, it hasn’t worked out,” Ryan said. “There are players that do skip that it has worked out. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t. He was next in line. I made a decision. It hasn’t worked out right, so I’ll take responsibility.” To me, it is an acknowledgment that there is shared responsibility. The Twins didn't have many options after trading Span and Revere and Hicks went out and "won" the job in ST 2013. But he couldn't sustain that performance during the season. Unfortunately the Twins had pretty much put their eggs in the Aaron Hicks basket by that point. The same thing also happened this spring. Aaron Hicks also has responsibility if the quotes about his preparation were correct. As for his giving up switch hitting in May, it looks to me like an act of desperation from a young player who was floundering. He needs to be able to work this out away from the major league spotlight. At this point, I too believe that Hicks' confidence has to be at an all-time low. I hope he can get his game stabilized and eventually work his way back to the big league roster -- perhaps in September. Edit: There is an element of "punishment" in this (so to speak) in that Hicks could have been kept on a rehab assignment another two weeks (at major league pay) and then optioned to NB. By optioning him now, he is back at minor league pay (I think) and his accrual of major league service days is stopped. Again, per Berardino's blog entry today: Players accrue big-league service time while on rehab assignments in conjunction with the major league disabled list, so there is some financial component to ending a rehab assignment early. Hicks entered the year with 124 days of big-league service time and has accrued 87 more through Tuesday, putting him at 211 career days: one year and 28 days. A full year of service time is 183 days. In fairness, I think the Twins view it as "good contract management" not punishment.

Well, there goes my theory that they were thinking of calling him up before that.

Well, I never expected this after Gibson's inning.

Angels have to love that from Morales!

So, Trout's 2nd career will be as an actor???

Did Gibson golf yesterday? Now that Hicks is in NB, Gibson lost his favorite partner.

I don't even think I'll make it through this first inning.

“He’s getting better,” Twins general manager Terry Ryan said Tuesday. “He’s able to do most everything.” Buxton still isn’t able to take batting practice but Ryan said the former No. 2 overall draft pick had progressed to dry swings and tee work in addition to taking fly balls in the outfield. .... “There’s some encouragement coming out of there,” Ryan said. Ryan said there is a timeline for Buxton’s return, but he did not want to share it publicly because previous timelines have “meant nothing” for the five-tool talent. Even with Buxton’s lengthy absence, Ryan said there is no organizational fear surgery will ultimately be needed. http://blogs.twincities.com/twins/2014/06/24/twinsights-byron-buxtons-rehab-providing-some-encouragement-terry-ryan-says/ This from Berardino at the PP. Similar info coming out from Bollinger. Assume the Strib just isn't quite as fast in getting the info out.

Do the Angels even have a gap?

Actually this wikipedia article does a pretty good job of explaining it. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minor_League_Baseball And what jokin is call A- can also be called A-short season -- and there are only 22 MLB teams with A-short season affiliates and the Twins don't appear to be one of them. What trivia we learn here!

Okay so is it A-, A and high A Does that make A- "low A"??? Sematics are always fun.

I think the confusion comes from calling "A" low A. There are only A and high A so that's probably where you and I differ. I guess A can be thought of as "low A" since it's not "high A" but technically it is "A".

CR is A Fort Myers Miracle are "A Advanced" (I'd call it High A, I guess). I thought Elizabethtown was low A but it is actually called "Rookie Affiliate". I know Berardino thought Burdi might end up at E'town but they put him in CR. I think that was pretty much as high as anyone thought he'd start.