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jokin

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Everything posted by jokin

  1. jokin
    Add Mitch Garver to the list. Didn't do much last night, but his bat and high OBP proclivities are finally kicking into high gear after a long adjustment period to High A. For June, his BA was .330 with a .416 OBP.
  2. jokin
    1) And who knows what Sano could have done last year? He hit 35 HR in 2013 with a .280 average in A+ and AA- and at age 20! 2) Great point on Schwarber vs Sano. I comped them in the minor league thread. Sano actually out-performed Schwarber from late April to now (once he shook off that lost 1.5 years).
  3. jokin
    Well-stated. Vargas needed regular ABs to put to use what Bruno was imparting to him in the cage. It appears they still aren't on the same page. Molitor is currently riding Nunez's hot hand at the plate and giving him regular playing time at SS- to the detriment of the defense, why didn't he ride a bit longer with Vargas in May- when he couldn't hurt the defense at DH?
  4. jokin
    Indeed, it could very well happen, the odds for failure at the plate are probably better than 50% for the near future. But the most important thing going forward is that the page has now been turned.
  5. jokin
    Wow. The complete opposite is likely closer to the truth. Buxton's debut was far from a debacle - given the level of pitching that he faced, the results were pretty much as expected. Even if Buxton doesn't initially hit out of the chute, he inordinately helps to make the Twins OF suddenly one of the best in the league. Whereas, at this point, Sano has little else to offer if he initially struggles at the plate.
  6. jokin
    Your supposition about their contender-status may prove to be true (I'm in the same camp as you on this one), but the Central and maybe one of the Wild Cards are as up for grabs as they have been in years. Lots of flawed teams in the AL, so many that are just one injury away from taking a huge step back to the pack- only 85 wins might very well win the division/grab a Wild Card berth. Rosario in CF already missed at least one ball last night that Buxton would have had a decent shot at making a play on. Rosario in LF and Buxton in CF is the best possible defensive lineup that the Twins can put out there. Assuming that he can get back to 100% health and AAA rehab readiness before July turns to August, I would give Buxton at least 100 PAs (another 15-20 games) before banishing him to AAA.
  7. jokin
    And he's a 0.3 bWAR player in his first taste in the majors. Trust B-Ref! And trust me also when I say, "Buxton ain't Hicks!"
  8. jokin
    But that's just it, he's shown he didn't have to hit to still make a difference. And at the plate we're only talking about 30-some PAs, most of which were against some of the best pitchers in the game, and some while playing with a significant hand injury. That's no where near clear enough to make sweeping conclusions. Ryan himself noted that Buck's track record has been as a slow starter at the plate at EVERY LEVEL he's played at. When he's back and fully healthy, let's give him at least 100 PAs, and preferably 200 before a decision is made that he needs to go back down to the minors.
  9. jokin
    Uhh, the politician characterization still works with your analogy. If Ryan ends up making the real HOF, it will be more based on the politics of baseball and the Old Boys Club, plus his longevity "achieved" with a club that doesn't fire anybody. And there's no denying that the Hall and the Hall voters, is/are a very political body.
  10. jokin
    I liked everything except the last paragraph: For sure, he needs to go there on rehab, and perhaps a bit longer if he gets off to a slow start (and assuming that he passes a course in AAA in Sliding 101). But he's proven by the eye test that he's clearly MLB ready in the OF, he actually appears to be on the verge of elite CF defense, and his 0.5 dWAR in only 11 games confirms that assessment- he can still be a net help to the Twins if they're still in the hunt upon his return. Regardless of how the Twins are doing, I think he will be best served going forward by having the opportunity to get close to 200 MLB PAs to close out the season.
  11. jokin
    Yep, Sano's clearly not ready. "In Terry We Trust"
  12. jokin
    And he's obviously never been asked or taught to bunt (remember when Buxton said he hadn't been asked to lay down a sacrifice bunt since Rookie League?). This is a major indictment on the Twins developmental philosophies- and we've seen that lack of fundamental soundness played out in recent years with prospect after prospect, as they've been called up and been exposed. Having said all that, as I've posted elsewhere, Buxton still produced a net 0.3 WAR in only 11 games played- he's a freak athlete with a far better future than Billy Hamilton has- Buck's fully capable of learning the remedial lessons at the highest level that weren't taught to him in the lower minors.
  13. jokin
    You forgot the requisite emoticons: :s-instagib:
  14. jokin
    Yep. That was a do or die catch, Montgomery had a man on 3rd, and the hitter likely would have made it to 3rd had he missed the catch. As I said previously, I don't see Torii making that catch. The Twins might have their 2016, doubles-hitting RF in one Max Kepler. He's definitely earned a promotion to AAA- will the FO wait until after the IL All Star break to move him up?
  15. jokin
    And that wouldn't be just because the Red Wings are playing in Allentown, PA later this week, right?
  16. jokin
    Plouffe's missed time on the DL at least once, in each of his major league seasons- and missed time in the minors, as well. Based on his actual career track record, he's bound to hit the DL in 2015 at some point. Buxton's series of injuries in 2014 was disconcerting, to say the least. But Buxton seems to have made a concerted effort this season to be much less reckless in the outfield than in the past. We need to remember that this kid not only has the pressures that accompanies being ranked as the #1 prospect, but he is also internally driven to be the best and do things the right way. I'm guessing that he will quickly show that he's in the process of learning yet another valuable lesson in the matter of how to properly slide into bases upon his return. The injury bug only hit for the first time last season. It's way too soon to brand the still-just-21-year old Buxton as seemingly destined to be forever labelled as "fragile" or "injury-prone".
  17. jokin
    I know they care about getting some kind of return on their most expensive FA ever.
  18. jokin
    Not too impressive starting out. 7 IP, 2 HR, 7 hits, 2 BB, 1 HBP, 3 K . But he's finishing out strong, 97 pitches, 65 strikes. And Pawtucket has Castillo and Victorino batting 1-2, with 6 major leaguer-experienced guys batting 1 through 6. The Twins will start him on July 5, whether we approve or not.
  19. jokin
    Something they already knew? That Meyer is the superior talent?
  20. jokin
    Meyer's slider was devastating when I saw him pitch last season. It's important to note, that Meyer's velocity didn't hit top end until after about 40 pitches thrown, wherein he frequently and consistently was hitting 98 and 99, all the way to 90 pitches. Hopefully, he can find a way to crank it up sooner than that. This is where he should have been much sooner than now, hopefully he really benefits from the coaching/training/video upgrades. I think the Twins have positioned him well to respond to the new challenge- in his last appearance in Rochester yesterday, he threw 9 pitches, 7 strikes, 1 K, 2 batters faced, in .2 IP, that's probably a good way to start out.
  21. jokin
    About time. Who's next? Sano, Kepler, Polanco, Rogers?
  22. jokin
    He's crushed AAA pitching in the past. Two possibilities besides "attitude": 1) tinkering with his approach at the plate 2) something still physically bothering him
  23. jokin
    Looking a little less likely after tonight....!
  24. jokin
    Umm, everyone KNOWS that chicks dig the longball... And why is it that you often don't quit when you're clearly ahead? There's no "fair" when it comes to instances of fainting symptoms. Syncope is definitely more prevalent in females than males. (True story..... Flying home yesterday evening, a young gal of 21 years of age, literally fainted at my feet right in the aisle of the 737. As flattered as I wish were the case, women tend to have lower blood pressure, higher estrogen levels, and are more subject to certain triggers than males. In this particular instance, alas, it was likely more related to the Washington DC Heat Index of 103 degrees.than my "glory days" reminiscences.)
  25. jokin
    Yep. The one game I saw down there, Walker hit a homer deep and high to right center, the one area of the park where the wall is a bit lower. That game saw both Sano and Polanco settle for XBH on balls hit very high off the walls, balls that surely would have been home runs in most every major league park. Plus the wind usually blows in from left or center. Without benefit of spray charts, I would have to think that both Walker and Sano have probably lost a half dozen home runs due to the park factors in Chattanooga.
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