jokin

If you want to celebrate Twins bare-bones budget cutting and pulling for raw rookies who give a good effort, then I'm right with you on Dozier. I actually like his grit, enthusiasm and occasional sparkling plays at SS. I thoroughly enjoyed his 9th inning Fenway bomb on Thursday night. But with the "New Era" Twins and TF, the means by which that they were supposed to be competitive with the premier teams, sitting through years of the exact opposite in production numbers at SS is unacceptable. Even more unfortuantely, Dozier's upside appears to be vastly limited in comparison to Hardy. When Hardy was aged 24/25 he was hitting ~25 HRS with an .820 OPS and an OPS+ of 115 (Dozier currently has a .604 OPS and an OPS+ of 65). He also carried a double-digit UZR versus Dozier's SSS on defense, but still concerningly negative UZR. Hardy is still a premier defensive SS in an admittedly very down year offensively. Even with that being said, Hardy ranks 2nd in SS HRs with 15 and a good portion of his poor production numbers can be ascribed to bad luck- he carries a league worst for SS BABIP of .235. If and when that number returns to more historical norms, Hardy's contract is well-justified (he's actually currently ahead of pace in earning his $7.14M this year as he is currently nearly valued close to $6M with still two months left in the season- Dozier's current value is nearly -$1M.

Yeah, I don't expect Rocketpig to be on here 24/7, but certainly there should be someone, especially during an actual game.

I think all your skill and acumen is about to be put to the test.

And he had all kinds of trouble keeping the low-pitched balls out in front of him in Diamond's start against the Whities.

TWINS (45-60) 1. Denard Span, CF 2. Ben Revere, RF 3. Joe Mauer, C 4. Josh Willingham, DH 5. Justin Morneau, 1B 6. Danny Valencia, 3B 7. Darin Mastroianni, LF 8. Brian Dozier, SS 9. Jamey Carroll, 2B Starting pitcher: LH Brian Duensing (2-6, 4.53 ERA) RED SOX (53-53) 1. Jacoby Ellsbury, CF 2. Dustin Pedroia, 2B 3. Cody Ross, RF 4. Adrian Gonzalez, 1B 5. Ryan Lavarnway, DH 6. Will Middlebrooks, 3B 7. Carl Crawford, LF 8. Kelly Shoppach, C 9. Mike Aviles, SS Starting pitcher: LH Felix Doubront (10-5, 4.37 ERA)

But wouldn't the chance to return to your home country and make about the same be even more appealing?

Good news on both, Pudge Jr also had a single. Buxton was 1-2 with 2RBI and reached base 3 additional times. The Red Sox appear to have some control issues at this level. Not only did they walk 9 men in 9 innings, they also had 6 HBPs- Buxton was hit twice. Curiously, even with the 15 free tickets along with 5 hits, the Twins could only muster 4 runs. I guess the Red Sox qualified for the pitching buzzword of the day, "effectively wild". Gotta love MiLB.

Rochester is much closer to the rest of the Midwest.

As an aside, did anyone else notice at least 4 different announcers with at least four different ways to pronounce his first and last names. Bert's attempt was the most cartoonish on the surname, while Dick was insistent that his first name is most definitely: Sam-WELLLLL.

With all that movement on his fastball, I would immediately schedule Deduno and Capps together for daily dual mechanics workouts. Working together at opposite ends of the spectrum and they might solve both sets of problems!

Nice analysis and demonstration of how the Pohlad's conduct business and play for keeps. "Fairly small FM station"? I only know of the station's existence when accidentally landing on it, their numbers are microscopic, I didn't even know the call letters until yesterday. From MNPost in May: "K-TWIN, which dumped hip-hop for a rock-based format and local morning show, sunk like a stone. In March, the station had to a 1.7 percent share of the total Twin Cities audience, down from a 4.1 a year earlier."

Following your suggestion: Hyperbole- Excessive, Exaggeration, A deliberate exaggeration used for effect, From the Greek: an "over"/"throw". I think all of your characterizations qualify under these definitions, I "colorfully" pointed out that as a self-proclaimed birdwatcher you might also be prone to writing about your yellow-bellied sapsucker bird-viewing exploits when in fact all you saw was a common woodpecker from your sycamore, so yes, I am familiar with the usage of the word, hyperbole. I still don't understand how correctly identifying someone in a political position who is used to not letting himself being pinned down on specifics makes one a hypocrite. I fail to detect even a smattering of verisimilitude between your personal attacks on me with wildly overblown characterizations such as, "cowardly" or "smearing" or "disparagement at its lowest" or "hypocritical"--- and identifying a businessman for doing what businessmen do and using the descriptive phrase "wiggle room" in the process. This all comes down to the point that you, Nick and others aren't realistically addressing. You glossed over and then denied the fact that the Twins cut ("slashed") the payroll after a record-setting financially successful season. At the time this news became public, there were also reports that further payroll cuts might be necessary and seriously considered in successive years. You correctly identified the Pohlad commitment to the percentage of revenues that will be dedicated to the payroll- and there is a scenario underway where ownership can keep their alleged "promise" that you hold in high regard. There is a strong possibility that final ticket revenues might come in as much as 20% lower than last year (they're currently down 11% and slackening demand is evidenced in stubhub ticket prices at giveaway level). To further JPs need for wiggle room, season ticket renewals this fall may also suffer a significant decline. If this holds true and other revenue sources decline at similar rates, and, the Twins project a similar year next year, those 20% revenue haircuts in back-to-back years to your business bottom-line hurt you where you live, even in Jim's humble abode. So, I ask again, if these circumstances fall into place, as they likely can, will the 2013 payroll increase, decrease or stay the same? 20% from $98M is $78.4M. Even with a potential payroll at $85-$90M, there is little room to get a #2-potential SP level FA pitcher in your wish list scenario, they start at close to $15M, and, you have to overpay in the process of convincing them that the Twins will be competitive. I also find it extremely problematic that there is a trading partner with someone willing to part with a #2-potential starter for someone on the current Twins roster, short of giving away the "farm", as well (goodbye Sano and maybe more). I'm guessing that Terry Ryan is instead looking for some more Rule 5 lightning to strike twice. We are actually in agreement that it was a "misguided gamble" to enter into the 2012 season with a SP staff with that many question marks, short of another off-loading of fixed 2013 salary cost, the reality of the financial numbers and continued question marks concerning the pitchers themselves suggests that the Twins will be forced to similarly gamble again in 2013.

Forbes may not estimate future revenues but the Twins surely do. Using the numbers given and the fact that attendance is actually currently down 11% with the looming prospect of larger drop off heading into September, with presumably commensurate fall offs in other revenue streams, an 11% drop off yields estimated revenues of $189.5M. If the trend continues with falling season ticket renewals for 2013, the revenue estimates could cascade ever lower.

I know it's over-optimistic-night, but those 10 Revere dingers in HS are intriguing....Ben Revere has a strong football background, as well, starring in high school (supposedly averaged 3 TDs/game his senior year) and genetic lineage with both his grandfather and father playing and coaching the sport at Eastern Kentucky University. Is there a chance he might develop a more powerful football physique of a body that might yet yield more power to his batting stroke? Remember when Kirby Puckett first came up and went homerless early on in his career, we know how that turned out. I know they aren't the same player, but they are both high contact rate free swingers and a hard-working kid like Revere could easily work some off-season strength training into his workout routine. Here's hoping.

And there's the rub. Sal Jr continues to make himself indispensible. The only way DVal would stick past Sunday is via waiver trade or going back to 12 pitchers with Perduno/Perdomo heading back to Perditiono.

Lot of ifs in there, but I'm pulling for him too, in a strange sort of way. His very presence at age 29 and the results he is achieving out there defies the basic expectations demanded by the Twins braintrust and frankly, basic common sense, as well. And did you notice that Ben Revere is hitting a tad more deeply to the gaps, on occasion, during this 16 game hit streak? More fun stuff after a nice win.

Don't see it mentioned here, a heckuva nice game by the rookie out at SS, too.

As I just posted in the game thread, give Gardy, Andy and Ryan credit for giving him a shot and sticking with him. Sam's approach to the game is antithetical to everything they stand for. With his magician-like escape artist techniques from ever-impending BBs and 3-2 pitch count disasters, if he continues this unlikely success, perhaps he could eventually adopt "The Great Deduno" moniker.... did everyone catch his sheer expressions of joy and relief on his final out? Fun stuff.

Nice win in a clean, crisp, briskly-paced game. I never would have guessed that the Twins could participate in a game lasting all of a mere 2:35 with Sam Deduno on the mound. It's hard to figure how he's taken 'til 29 to suddenly figure things out. Hopefully the league won't soon figure HIM out and reveal that he's little more than just a mirage manipulating mirrors like a magician. Give Gardy, Andy and Ryan credit for their willingness to give the kid a shot even though his approach is antithetical to everything they preach. Gotta keep pulling for him.

I sincerely apologize to you oldnurse if you find my characterization of what a good businessman or politician does as a matter of course as somehow offensive or de-constructive. I sincerely doubt that JPohlad would find any offense in my statement should he accidentally happen upon Twins Daily (not holding my breath that he even knows TD exists).

Good, ironic that a name-calling insulter should be the immediate post after yours calling for the banning of insulters. I have no doubt you are keeping track of the "spirit" of intention in Dave's personal insults when he chooses the path of most obtusivity.

Great. I think we have now had it confirmed that the powers-that-be monitor this website, at least by "not particularly well" proxy. Let's see, identifying a businessman for being a good businessman by not saying something he later will regret is now "a license to smear them" a "low thing to say" and "cowardly behavior"- I'm beginning to think that yellow-bellied sapsucker you claimed to have seen might have been a little bit of hyperbole on your part. Despite the evidence you presented, you conveniently omitted the fact that the FA signings were replacements, not upgrades, and the payroll was still cut significantly overall. The rest of your comments drone on in meaningless garble (or warble, I guess, in your particular case). I am genuinely glad that the club went the extra mile to spend nearly every penny of that ~$12M in draft allotment, doing the things that clubs should automatically do should make Jim the early favorite for Executive of the Year. Next time you see Jim, tell him I will be the first one on here praising him when he acquires the two #2 quality starters you prophesy and/or brings in fresh blood and new perspectives both in the FO and and the field coaching staff.

The first problem with your statement is that the Twins dug their own "budget confines". The second problem is the Twins didn't choose to "gamble a bit" with the rotation, they were all-in on hope and change with Pavano and Baker already walking red flags in showing major treadware on their arms in 2011, and to say that Blackie and Liriano "underperformed" is being kind to a fault. Together with Marquis, they were the worst 3 SPs in all of baseball, and it wasn't close. The reality is, they were stuck with 4 dead-weight, apparently unmovable contracts (although they certainly could have tried harder on Blackburn, and especially Liriano), so it was a gamble, but a major gamble, perhaps reasonable under the circumstances. Willingham was a good signing, but he didn't add to club needs, he replaced half of what they lost to FA in the OF and is a worse OFer than his already-mediocre-to-bad-defensively predecessors. The other fixes were the "easy ones" and well-done on TR's part, deserving of a congratulatory hand clap rather than a back slap- lest you forget, the Twins are worse than last year with all those fixes- they currently have a .423 winning percentage, a year ago to the day their percentage was .459. The glaring need at SP could have been easily shored up in outbidding and overpaying the signing of one-year deals to a couple of the many SP FAs (Maholm, etc.) with nary a raise in payroll from 2011 and most likely a huge decrease if they could have moved Liriano and/or Blackburn in the offseason- and that all goes back to the Twins and the digging of their own budget confines.

i certainly wasn't talking in code, for the umpteenth time, of course the Twins are paying the players on DL and are also on the hook for Marquis and the actual payroll reflects this. I explicitly, and repeatedly, stated that I referred only to the players currently active on the field. I then listed the aforementioned DLers who are virtually assured of being gone either in August or by season's end. From there, I took admittedly large license to cynically parse Pohlad's answer to Walters about the payroll going into next season. Given the past Twins history and the recent background stories about further cuts in payroll in the works, is it unreasonable to think and project from the current roster that a lower payroll in 2013 is a possibility? I noticed Nick Nelson still hasn't responded to my comment on the Twins level of commitment based on a percentage of the revenues, falling attendance this year, and the distinct likelihood of a significant drop in season ticket renewals for next year. I think that's plenty of reasons why Pohlad needs to carve out the wiggle room on a precise payroll number, with the distinct possibility that the number will most certainly not be higher, has a very small chance of remaining the same and could very well, and most likely will, be lower. Will it be $85M? I sure hope not, but that worst-case scenario can't be dismissed out of hand.

Yes, it is bad manners to small-mindedly attack fellow posters on Twins Daily. With respect to Pohlad, I don't see any name calling and you couldn't identify any such instance on my part, I was not having a discussion with Pohlad and I fairly, but mildly colorfully, described what he, and others in political/business situations do for a living, he is a (very) public figure who has benefitted directly from public participation in the building of Target Field. Do you really have a problem with free speech in this situation, because apparently your characterization with parsing the party line is "the epitome of smallness". Right.