cHawk

It’s not like he’s giving up smoke rockets to the warning track. Most of the time it’s routine grounders. An example of BABIP being meaningful was Kirilloff’s start. An example of it not was Polanco’s start. He’s gotten 34 Outs on BIP: 3 of them Barrels 1 of them Solid Contact 3 of them Flares/Burners 27 of them Poor (combines Under, Topped, and Weak)

*Polanco, Sanó, Kepler show encouraging signs. The bullpen doesn’t* Allow me to fix that: “Polanco, Sano, Kepler show encouraging signs. Cody Stashak doesn’t” Stashak gave up all of the runs, the rest of the pen was solid. That being said, this was all against the worst team in the league, and it’s not close. Robles looked good and Colome was getting more Whiffs with his cutter.

Thank the lord Waddell is gone. Looking forward to watching Larnach.

Exactly. My point was that the players don’t get zero, like some are saying.

The amount of talent doesn’t matter if you can’t work as a team. That’s the case with this team right now.

Once again, players need to be held accountable for poor performance. They’re getting paid to play way better than they are right now, and most of them are probably capable of playing the way they’re paid to play. Those of you who say “It’s the manager’s job to make sure the team does well” you’re right. (Well, actually more half-right). Managers can’t control their players. This idea that no player should ever be held accountable at all for poor performance is horse****. Go ahead. Explain to me how Maeda shouldn’t be held accountable for pitching like absolute ASS. Just tell me how Donaldson shouldn’t be held accountable for striking out on three pitches yesterday. Just tell me how Colome shouldn’t be held accountable for throwing BP with the game on the line. Just tell me how Arraez and Blankenhorn shouldn’t be held accountable for botching BASIC PLAYS IN THE FIELD WITH THE GAME ON THE LINE. (And BADLY, too) Also, ask yourself these questions: Should we not blame Gary Anderson at all for missing from 39? Should we not blame Brett Favre for throwing that INT? Should we not blame Blair Walsh for...you know what? Should we not blame Polanco for Game 1 of the playoffs last year? I think I know my answer to the those questions

If we remove the 5 worst games, we then have: Scored 10+ Runs: 0 Times Scored 9 Runs: 1 Time Scored 8 Runs: 1 Time Scored 7 Runs: 0 Times Scored 6 Runs: 2 Times Scored 5 Runs: 1 Time Scored 4 Runs: 2 Times Scored 3 Runs: 8 Times Scored 2 Runs: 5 Times Scored 1 Run: 0 Times Shutout: 0 Times That’s 13 games out of 20 where we score 3 or fewer, which is even worse. Sano may very well come around. I do like Kirilloff, he’s a legit MotO bat. But the offense was bad all last year, putrid in the playoffs, and bad so far. I see it as quite optimistic to predict that it will turn around. Nobody has been in sync.

Curses are not real. And Eddie is exactly replacement level, hate to say it. If Eddie can get “clutch” hits so can Donaldson, Cruz, Buxton, Arraez, and Kirilloff.

We have not been “ok” offensively. Let’s break down our run production into a stem and leaf plot: Scored 10+ Runs: 5 Times Scored 9 Runs: 1 Time Scored 8 Runs: 1 Time Scored 7 Runs: 0 Times Scored 6 Runs: 2 Times Scored 5 Runs: 1 Time Scored 4 Runs: 2 Times Scored 3 Runs: 8 Times Scored 2 Runs: 6 Times Scored 1 Run: 2 Times Shutout: 2 Times That massive mark at 10+ completely inflates or Run Differential. Almost half the time, we score 2 or 3 runs. Those 10 Run games shouldn’t be separated from the 5 or 6 run games. That is called stat padding. For example, Ben Roethlisberger did not have a good game in the wild card game against the Browns this past year, despite the fact that his team scored 37 and he had a PR ~90. The game was well out of reach by the first quarter, in which his team scored 0, were down 28-0, with 3 turnovers. Those 37 points were stat padding against a backup secondary in garbage time.

We’re not just talking about Kepler and Polanco, they’re bunny turd balls on top of the already massive ****cake. We’re talking about Taylor Rogers and Tyler Duffey pitching like absolute ass in motion. We’re talking about Maeda giving up 6 HR in 2 games. We’re talking about Nelson Cruz and Josh Donaldson, instead of being the veteran leaders and quality players they were and are supposed to be, striking out on three pitches in key spots. We’re talking about Luis Arraez, a major league player, overthrowing first by about 40 feet. None of those guys have “a large sample size of suck”. And even then, Kepler and Polanco don’t even appear to be TRYING. If they’re not talented but they’re really trying, they would be putting together half-decent ABs but unable to hit the ball hard. What are we seeing? 4-Pitch Strikeout after weak dribbler after Popfly. The players don’t wear mind-control helmets, they aren’t robots, and Rocco isn’t a mad scientist. When you boil it down it’s one human (the manager) working against forty others (the players). Players need to be held accountable for poor performance.

I agree with this split. We’re blasting the FO and Rocco but, while they deserve criticism for sure, the players need to come first. It feels like this team is constantly fighting against itself, nobody getting on the same page and, as a result, failing miserably at everything. When the offense shows up, the bullpen doesn’t. When the pitching shows up, the bats go bye bye. When the relievers find themselves in some trouble, the defense does NOT help out. Arraez never should’ve been at 3rd in the Oakland game, Blankenhorn shouldn’t have been at short. But Arraez is a major league player. He should have some idea of where to throw, and he misses by 40 feet. Was it dumb to pull Donaldson? Of course. Bad decision. But any major league player should be able to make that throw. That isn’t Rocco. That’s the players. With the bullpen in general, why does Rogers serve up meat so much? Duffey? Robles, who’s been rock solid thus far, giving up a game-tying HR to...let’s see here: Jonah....Heim?? Maeda, of course, was going to regress. But this kind of regression couldn’t have been predicted by anyone. Kepler and Polanco look like they don’t even care. Not bothering to work the opposing pitcher...not even taking professional ABs. I suggest trading Kepler while he still has SOME value, because rate of change in production function v(t) is negative right now, and a(t) is too. Polanco, at this point, has basically no value. I would rather see Gordon and Larnach in their spots. Falvine did not do a good job with the pen, it’s been said over and over. I’m not going to address that, because enough has been said. Rocco is making questionable decisions. But given the attitude of his players, he basically is forced to put the whole team up on his back and it just isn’t happening.

If we’re actually playing good baseball then then we may have a shot.

I mean if he got 6 Outs (without crapping himself) he must’ve done something right that he hasnt done thus far.

Okay, for the record, Rocco has not done a good job thus far. But fire him in early May? Geez.

I mean Colome was encouraging...right? Right? Oh FFS. What the hell is wrong with our offense? They appear to be smothered in cheese. I know Stashak technically gave up the lead. We can’t ignore that. But dammit if we can’t clutch up at some time we aren’t going anywhere! :bangshead: P.S. I wasn’t watching the broadcast, but was there actually a “Fire Rocco” sign in the stands? Holy sh-t.

And hopefully we see an upgraded Twins team/bullpen by Monday as well.

Sano and Cave have no value. Kepler, some value.

Here, we will find out how competent Falvine really is. He obviously made errors this offseason, and now he has the opportunity to address them (again). Will he do it? Past history doesn’t say that he will.

Please explain Waddell and not Alcala. Or actually, ROGERS and not Alcala

Oh no...no. No! NO!!!!

Waddell needs to be gone. He is not a major league pitcher. And Rocco deserves that “ovation” given to him. His managerial decisions have contributed to an 11-17 start to what should’ve been a series we were supposed to compete for a world championship. He needs to right the ship, and now. Not convinced he’s capable of doing it. From the game thread, any sort of relief help is a must. Shane Greene and Oliver Perez might be able to help. Call up Derek Law and NO. MORE. WADDELL.

In that context we have four decent goalies and four bad ones.

Well hopefully tonight is a blip in the radar for the pen going forward... Waddell is not a major league pitcher. He has little to no control, and throws 85. Enough said. When you only have four decent relievers it’s hard to get around. Perhaps Thorpe could be a long reliever. Caleb Thielbar is also not a major league pitcher, I think that’s been said enough. Glad the offense is clicking though.

Colome and Shoemaker should be DFA’d or sent down, end the experiment, it hasn’t worked. The bats need to keep clicking now. If they don’t, we won’t win games.