jokin
-
Posts
11,852 -
Joined
-
Last visited
-
Days Won
8
Content Type
Profiles
Minnesota Twins News, Rumors & Analysis
Minnesota Twins Videos
2026 Minnesota Twins Top Prospect Rankings
2022 Minnesota Twins Draft Picks & Signing Bonuses
Minnesota Twins Trade & Free Agent Rumors
Minnesota Twins Fan Guides & Resources
2023 Minnesota Twins Draft Picks & Signing Bonuses
The Minnesota Twins Players Project
2024 Minnesota Twins Draft Picks & Signing Bonuses
2025 Minnesota Twins Draft Picks & Signing Bonuses
2026 Minnesota Twins Draft Picks & Signing Bonuses
Forums
Blogs
Events
Store
Downloads
Gallery
Everything posted by jokin
-
It will be interesting to hear the response from the counterpoint of view. Nick and Mike are nailing this case down pat. Well done. Christy, Nurse, TW0, anyone?
-
More experts making the case. From Mike Rosenbaum (lead writer for MLB Prospects): "Speaking of the devil, what Byron Buxton is doing this season at Low-A is unbelievable. Top draft pick Buxton has nearly mastered Low-A after only five weeks, and he’s pacing the Midwest League in nearly every offensive category (and has reached base in every game played thus far). The 19-year-old has one of the highest ceilings among all minor league position prospects, and he is making a strong case for a top-10 overall ranking by midseason."
-
Anything to avoid the logjam of Boras clients at the top of the draft. Nice.
-
As he should have. Pressly can and should shoot for staking out a potentially nice Jesse Crain-like career, he has the nice fastball like Crain, he just needs to get a little better command of his breaking stuff. Crain started out in his major league career with K%es like 12.8% and 7.7%, to go with K/9 numbers like 4.67 and 2.82. Pressly's minor league K% numbers were pretty much in the high teens-to-mid-20%s and averaged a K/9 of 7, mostly as a starter. He's got a 16% K rate and a 6.32 K/9 number as a Twin thus far, so he's off to good start.
-
Great point Ggb. Twins SOP with promotions of convenience as 3 non-propsects get "promoted" for non-meritorious production, skipping A ball outright. Mejia appears to have the best minor league record of the 3- and is repeating A+ ball, but doesn't appear to have a position established and is quite small in stature. In addition to Roberts, when and where do Max Kepler and Delbinson Romero go when they finally breakout from EST hell?
-
The answer it "yes" or you're not a "real" fan.
-
For starters, how about acquiring a proven leadoff hitter to replace what they traded away? I would think when determining their offseason priorities, besides SP, that would have been the #1 imperative for the Twins FO. Unless they had willingly chosen to go the cheap route filled with hope, or, out and out tank it, er, I mean, had "low expectations for this year".
-
Morneau is having a poor year. But the 2 guys immediately batting above him in the order are more than doing their jobs by getting on base and OPSing at very high rates. To this point, the 1, 4-5 men in the order haven't done their jobs well, at all, with the 9-hole marginally higher. Here's the Batting Order OPS: #1 .489 #2 .842 #3 .843 #4 .633 #5 .608 #6 .891 #7 .817 #8 .588 #9 .690 2012 OPS #1 .691 #2 .650 #3 .838 #4 .803 #5 .858 #6 .704 #7 .592 #8 .631 #9 .671
-
And yet, other clubs had bad years and got right back up on their horses and went about retooling/reloading/rebuilding in one offseason and not cutting payroll. Furthermore, FA prices will be going up in the future, especially with the $25M infusion from the TV deal. These other clubs read the writing on the wall, why NOT the Twins? By contrast, the conspiracy of cutting payroll by the Twins is right there in front of us, for all to see. And we're only in Year Two of the payroll-cutting. I was practically tarred and feathered all last year for saying the Twins were going to do what they actually had been doing, and then continued to do in the offseason, and appear more than happy to repeat next offseason. Can you find me the quote again from management about the "50% commitment" to the loyal and faithful fans for building them TF?
-
I give Pedro all the credit in the world for going out there and at least trying. But somehow, I think this is the only complete phrase he's mastered, given he used it 5 times. ( if you got "I just put a good swing on de ball..." from anything else he said, you might want to apply for Wilkin's job! ) I just try not to do too much.... ....I just try not to do too much... ....I just try not to do too much... ....I just try not to do too much... ....I just try not to do too much...
-
With the lack of CF depth- organization-wide, it seems impossible, even in the Twins organization, that they will choose the all-too-familiar and stultifyingly slow promotional path for Buxton--- if--- he keeps up anything close to his current blistering pace. Here's what Sickels said about Buxton from last night: "Everything you've heard about Byron Buxton's tools is true. He actually didn't have a great game last night as a hitter, but I'll have the details about that in my full report. However, the tools are simply amazing. I knew he was at least a 70 runner but if anything his speed is underplayed. There are reports that he's been clocked at 3.70 down the line this year and I'd believe it. I didn't get a stopwatch on him, but in the first inning he made my jaw drop by hitting a routine ground ball to the third baseman, who made a normal play and got off a normal throw. . .which Buxton beat easily for a single. That's not far from Billy Hamilton fast. Buxton is a true blazer. " http://www.minorleagueball.com/2013/5/9/4316308/minor-league-ball-gameday-may-9 I for one, would like to have the majority of the new wave talent comfortably ensconced in their positions by early 2015. Barring injury, it would be inexcusable if Buxton continues to impress as he is and he isn't made ready by then, at the latest.
-
The only ripple down I see in the stats is from the leadoff spot. Here's the slash line that ranks worst in the league for that place in the order: .197/.246/.242/.488 And that number is way up due to Dozier and Carroll replacing Hicks. Here's what's actually happened over the season and in May: Mauer OPS .846 May OPS .1156 Willingham OPS .877 May OPS .657 Morneau OPS .684 May OPS .673 Parmelee OPS .611 May OPS .678 Plouffe OPS .793 May OPS .1125 Doumit OPS .713 May OPS .1136 Arcia OPS .810 May OPS .1023 Hicks OPS .441 May OPS .704 Dozier OPS .607 May OPS .598 Florimon OPS .663 May OPS .778 To reiterate, I don't see a ripple down effect from moving Mauer up. What I do see is no solid plan, only hope, from management that somehow a reliable leadoff hitter would rise to the challenge and take the spot. Of their own accord, Morneau clearly isn't carrying his weight, Parmelee still has the jury out with his streakiness, while Hicks and Dozier have a ways to go to be considered decent major leaguers. The other 6 players listed in the order above are well on their way to having anywhere from career-norm to career-best seasons at the plate.
-
But then, Arcia would no longer have his interpreter. If Florimon or Escobar are nominated to take over, something is bound to get lost in the translation.
-
It looks like others have read this thread, used the information supplied and then made their own inquiries, and then, drawn their own conclusions: Mackey: Byron Buxton could move up the ladder faster than people think - Minnesota Twins news | 1500 ESPN Twin Cities ? Minnesota Sports News & Opinion (Twins, Vikings, Wolves, Wild, Gophers) | Sportswire: Minnesota Twins I'm hoping he will still be in CR while I still have a chance to see him play. If not, I plan on making a side trip to Fort Myers from my planned trip to Orlando in July.
-
To be fair, it looked like he directly addressed Hicks more professionally than his histrionic display with his bench coaches. I think it even appeared that Gardy may have been USAFChief-like when directly addressing Hicks in the dugout. And Hicks is in the starting lineup- to me (admittedly one of the biggest Gardy critics out there), that was a gentle "kick in the tail, you're better than that, now go out there and get after it" admonishment. It might even work.
-
Game Thread: Twins @ Red Sox, 5/8 - 6:00pm
jokin replied to Brock Beauchamp's topic in Archived Game Threads
Gardy and Hicksie seemed to have made nice. -
Game Thread: Twins @ Red Sox, 5/8 - 6:00pm
jokin replied to Brock Beauchamp's topic in Archived Game Threads
This one is truly bizarre. 2 lefties in a row in Fenway? And a short-rookie looking for boosts in his confidence? This was the perfect night for the Gibson spot start given that he is starting tonight for Rochester. -
Game Thread: Twins @ Red Sox, 5/8 - 6:00pm
jokin replied to Brock Beauchamp's topic in Archived Game Threads
Gardy has finally seen enough of the adventures in fielding. The little elf is once again asserting his stabilizing influence on the field, not just as the "celebrated locker room mentor" role that the FO foisted upon him in April. -
Yep.
-
To put it in perspective, Gladden also last night finally came out with his version of the backstory about his fight with Lombardozzi back in '91. Gladden was rather proud of himself for setting Lombo straight by beating him up on Gladden's front lawn- Gladden seemed to take some credit from that incident for winning the World Series that year.
-
Absolutely spot on Winston. I can see why you so aptly chose your 1984 avatar. Subtle (and not so subtle) changes in the "message", not-so-glowing "rewrites" of once-friendly biographic memes all come down from on-high. Hicks will be down in Roc. before the month is out, once they are either convinced Benson is ready, and/or Mastro isn't going to be ready any time soon- which would open a roster spot for Thomas.
-
You weren't from the R Lee Ermey school of discipline, were you? It sure looked like Gardy was expressing himself in Ermey-like language to Ullger and Vavra right after the catch. Maybe Gardy uses those 2 to get it out of his system, he was certainly less demonstrative when he finally addressed Hicks.
-
I've been following Pinto's numbers closely, he's having the breakout season among Twins minor leaguers that few are touting. Thanks for the work, Keenan! In addition, giving everyone a further idea of where his hitting rates in his League, Pinto is 2nd overall in the entire Eastern League in BA (.347) and OPS (.964) and Hits (44), while 1st in RBI (29) and Total Bases (71), and one behind the league leader in HR (6). Now the only question about his game that seems to be holding him back is his defense. I have admittedly never seen him play, but the defense (or lack thereof) seems to be the rap on him. His career caught stealing rate is only 33%, but is there something more significant that the Twins are concerned about? He's been in the organization going into his 8th season now!
-
Wow. You're already in support of writing off this season and "settling" for more of the same-old, same-old? When, if only your wish (mine too!) for 2 "quality free agent starters" had been granted, it's now pretty obvious with 6 weeks of play in the books, that this team, for all its glaring holes and needs, and sputtering rookies and sophs soon making the necessary adjustments, and slumping regulars soon firing on all cylinders, would have been plenty good enough to compete in this division?
-
Has any CFer ever had more "lucky" OF assists in such a short span of time than Aaron Hicks? You're post is right on, Seth. Hicks's career path has been continually a 2 year adjustment to each successive level. I posted in the spring that a AAA demotion or two for Hicks was probably inevitable- Certainly, other talented Twins players have been up and down, it won't be the end of the world if/when the boom falls on Hicks. The problem right now is the glaring lack of alternative legitimate options at the position.