SwainZag

Oops didn't see you posted it here before I made a thread. But great news!

Can you believe he has pinch hit 9 times this season? A healthy 0-9 in those 9 AB.

As per @DerekWetmore on Twitter. I can probably speak for the majority of this board to see him play!

Actually.....it's been the veterans of that team stepping up. Rangers 3 best hitters in September Choo .455/.571/.636 Beltre .324/.388/.493 Fielder .258/.402/.455 Hamels and Colby Lewis have been their best starting pitchers and the bullpen has been lights out. They did call up a few youngsters, but it's the old talent leading the way.

It would help if you actually read my post. I said.....He is by far the best Twins hitter with runners in scoring position this year, which is 100% true. I could post stats backing it up, but you can look it up if you really like. How if you OBP heavily watered down? It's a static number based on hits and walks. I think everyone on the planet knows Joe isn't a prototypical 3rd hitter. In a perfect world he would hit 2nd, but with the Twins lacking anything in the middle of the order outside Sano, it has to do for now. In your own post you said "with his eye at the plate he should be hitting .295+, 20+ hrs., 80+ rbi's, and .400 + OBP at 23 million a year.MINIMUM." He has done that one time in his career, in 2009 when he won the MVP. And you want that minimum. It's not going to happen.

I have no problem with the pinch running in the 9th. They were playing to win with no outs. Sano has had recent hammy trouble and Trevor runs like he is pulling a trailer. Losing their bat if the game goes to extras isn't ideal, but you gotta play to win in that situation.

I don't see how you can say you wouldn't be a little worried about Verlander going forward. Arm injuries are first sign of decline, followed by declining K rates. He might not fall off the table, but paying that much for a guy with a 3.80 FIP.....and he has 4 more years left? When using the quote, "Etc etc who were well worth the price." to talk about a group of guys who are under the age of 30 and/or in the 1st year of a multi year deals they better be worth the money. It's the 150+M in the rest of those deals you need to worry about. I am not comparing that list to Nolasco, Hughes and Santana. I was merely stating a lot of those guys have the majority of their contracts at old ages yet to happen. Kazmir would have been a good signing. He is making $13M this year and will probably make a whole lot more than $10M next season on the open market.

This is quite the list. Let's break it down. Verlander: $28M per season for the next 4 years with a 5th year vesting option. Is 32, has made $20 and $28M the last two seasons, was injured this year, has a FIP over those 2 years of 3.73 with declining strikeout numbers. How's that contract looking going forward? Scherzer: How does he even make the list? He is in the 1st year of a gigantic contract. He technically has 6 years left on his deal, but he will be paid for 14 more years. What will the Nationals this of this contract later as they are paying him $15M per season until he is 47 years old? Grienke: One of the few that actually looks good. At age 31 he is having his finest season of his career. With only 3 years @ ~25M apiece left, he could be worth it for the entire length of his contract. Kershaw: In the middle of this prime at age 27, he does not belong on this list. Yes, he makes a ton of money, $35M per, but will become a free agent following his 32 year old season. Felix: Age 29, has 4 years left on his deal worth ~$27M. He has certainly been worth his contract so far and even with a down year is an ace. His contract is set up well. Lester: Having a fine year at age 31 in the first year of a 6 year deal with the Cubs. Has he been worth it this year, certainly. But his contract, which averages ~25M takes him through age 36. Calling him worth it so far, not even 20% into his contract, seems premature. Hamels: He is in year 3 of 6 of his deal. At age 31, he is certainly been worth it thus far. His contract takes him through age 34 and averages $23.5M a season. So on this list you have Kershaw and Felix, who are under the age of 30, still in their prime and still with the team they were drafted by. Lester and Scherzer two players who signed deals long deals who are still in the 1st year of their deal. Grienke and Hamels, both in the middle of their contracts, both signed through 34 and both playing very well, and then there is Verlander....who very much looks like an albatross going forward. I the 5 year contract Sabathia signed in 2011 worth $23M per season, he was above average for exactly 1 of them, 2012. Injury or not he has been a below average pitcher with another year and possibly 2 left on his deal. In your original post you said the Twins could "easily sign" David Price and have $10M left over to sign a real #2 starter. At age 30 at the level that Price is playing at, you are realistically looking at 28-30M per season, for 6-7 years. That's not an easy contract for anyone to sign. The Twins aren't the Dodgers or the Yankees. Who is this solid #2 they are going to sign for $10M that is going to be better than Hughes/Santana? How long is that contract going to be?

How often are squeeze plays successful? If that ball is hit a little softer or throw isn't on the money, Shane is probably safe.

Dang, that was a great throw

A bunt I approve in, nice job Buck

Yes!!! Ploooooooofe!

What a terrible time for a passed ball......c'mon Trev, take advantage!

Good....eye?

Well got out of the jam only down 1, let's see some fireworks tonight in the bottom half

Sigh.

Alright Jepsen.....let's see you wiggle your way out of this one.

Geeeezzzz Plouffe, that one almost went over everyone's head and hit the backstop

I turn it on just to catch the Sano double, yesssss! C'mon Plouffe!

I don't know if you can quantify a bunt single and a badly played chopper as being a hot hitter. Not saying I agree with punch hitting for him, but it's not like he was just crushing the ball.

Dozier: (with less than 2 outs) PA w/ runner on 1st: 57 PA w/runners on 1st and 2nd: 18 PA w/runners on 1st and 3rd: 5 PA w/ bases loaded: 9 Plouffe: (with less than 2 outs) PA w/ runner on 1st: 66 PA w/runners on 1st and 2nd: 23 PA w/runners on 1st and 3rd: 10 PA w/ bases loaded: 13 So essentially Plouffe has been in a DP situation 23 more times and grounded into 19 more double plays than Dozier.

The Twins dropped the middle game of the 3 game set with the Tigers last night in a hard fought game that saw rookie phenom Miguel Sano strike out with the tying on 2nd to end the game. Phil Hughes labored through 3 innings, throwing 65 pitches and giving up 3 runs on 6 hits in his first start in nearly 5 weeks after coming off of the DL. Tonight's game will be one of four these two teams have against each other, and the last at Target Field for the year. 1. Tiger's Run Over. The Royals winning last night officially eliminated the Tigers from the AL Central division race and ending the Tigers 4 year run of Central Division Championships is over. Think about this. The last time the Tigers didn't win the Central......the Twins did. 2. Wild Card. With the Rangers beating the Astros for the 2nd straight night and the Stros dropping 7 of their last 10, Texas now sits atop the AL West. The Twins are now chasing the Astros for the 2nd Wild Card spot and sit 1.5 games behind them. This could all change again if Houston could top Texas tonight, but for now it's Houston dead ahead. 3. Mauer. With his 1/3 night with a couple of walks, he extended his streak to reaching safely to 35 straight games. Before last night's game in the 34 games streak he was hitting .292/.376/.400. 4. Norris. Last night we saw Hughes on a pitch count coming back from injury and tonight we will Daniel Norris in a similar position. Norris will likely be capped at around 50 pitches so it could be a long night for the Tigers pen, which would very much be in the Twins favor. Norris, as you know, was the main piece coming to the Tigers in the David Price trade. If Norris pans out the way the Tigers hope he does, this could be the first of many times he takes the bump against the Twins. 5. Santana. Has their been a bigger enigma for the Twins this season outside of Ervin Santana? After the whole big contract/PED suspension debacle, he is like a yo-yo with his small stretches of great pitching or getting shelled. In his last 3 starts he has given up 3 ER, has walked 4 and struck out 27 in 22 innings. In the 3 starts prior? 14 ER, 6 BB and 9 K in just in 16.1 IP. Let's hope the current mini run of good starts will continue. 6. Miggy. Coming off the DL and hitting like a man possessed, Cabrera has found himself in a rare slump in the month of September. In 14 games and 59 PA, he is hitting a Drew Butera-esk .192/.288/.231. He will be absent from the Tigers lineup. Even with him in a slump, in my mind, no Miggy in the lineup is positive for the Twins. Weather: It should be a nice night in the Twin Cities for tonight's game as we have a game time temperature of 80 degrees with a small chance of precipitation and a slight breeze blowing to the south. Lineups: Motor City Kitties Gose CF Kinsler 2B J.Martinez RF V.Martinez DH Castellanos 3B Collins LF McCann C Avila 1B Romine SS Norris P Minnesota Twins Aaron Hicks CF Brian Dozier 2B Joe Mauer 1B Miguel Sano DH Trevor Plouffe 3B Torii Hunter RF Eddie Rosario LF Chris Herrmann C Eduardo Escobar SS Ervin Santana P So far in my two game day threads I am 1-1. Seeing as this will more than likely by my last one of the season, bring me home a win and a winning record for the season boys! Thanks for allowing me to help out, these have been fun. GO TWINS!

This should help you out. http://www.baseball-reference.com/leagues/MLB/1901.shtml

That's why I didn't put authors up, I thought that would make it OK, even considering one of the quotes was my own. Wasn't meant to put anyone down, but more of the attitude adjustment over the year, but I understand.

Dat speed.