Blackjack

So if you can see that he's tipping his pitches, why can't the Twins coaches???!!!!!!!!! Head shaking...

Lets revisit this next year at this time, if he's still hitting at the same pace, then maybe I'll be convinced. Right now is too small of a sample size. Pitchers are going to try different tactics, lets see if Byron can adjust. Not convinced yet. It will also be interesting to see at this time next year how much time BB spends on the injury list. There is fine line between playing hard and playing smart and I don't think he plays smart. Diving for every ball and running into walls is going to get him hurt. Are you better off having a great player play 100 games a year (with 50 on the disabled list) or are you better off having a very good player play 150 games??

The problem is that most of the young 'speed' guys don't even know how to bunt. They should be forced to do it 4-5 times a week when they are in the minors, just so they learn how. And the more they do it, the more confident they would be bunting. Thing about it, you never bunt during a game, then you get up to the majors and the manager calls for a bunt - what do you think the results will be??

The frustrating part to me was the last part about playing the young guys vs trying to win now, 'being fair to his pitchers and the other veteran players'. How about looking at the big picture?? If playing Murphy (or any other young guy) helps them make the playoffs in 2017 or 2018, DO IT!!!! Don't worry about the feelings of some player that probably won't be here in 2018.

Hoping the young guys develop and hoping that the starting pitchers have a few goods starts is enough reason to listen to the last few games. Plus the fact that after Oct. 2 they won't be an option. On Sunday afternoon I was in my tractor mowing, listening to the Twins, Cory mentioned the Viking score, so I did tune in and listen to the 4th quarter -- and then turned it back to the Twins. That Viking announcer has to be the worst....

I knew you'd ding me on starting a blog, that it isn't that hard to do. Some day, when I'm bored and have time, I'll try it. I just wanted to point out that most sites all you have to do is click on the 'new topic' button and you're off, and since most sites are sorted by date, if its a good topic it stays on top - or it fades away. Easy peasy.

Chitown, Several thoughts and comments: This is a great forum for info on the Twins, to get the latest news, updates on the minor leagues, and to hear other people’s thoughts on the Twins. I followed Seth over here from Seth Speaks and I’m impressed with the all the in-depth Twins info – I’ve learned a lot!!!!! I participate in some other forums on birdwatching, fishing, tractors, hunting, food plots, cooking, etc. – you can find a forum on just about anything nowadays -- I’m going to use that experience to comment on this forum. 1) You know and I know that people will say things behind a keyboard that they wouldn’t say to your face. You have to learn to have a thick hide. You learn in a hurry which ones are knowledgeable, those you pay attention to, and which ones are blowing off steam – all the time – those you ignore. I’ve even felt that on this site I’ve had a couple of people ‘stalking’ my posts, tearing them apart because I’m commenting as a fan, not as a stat nerd. That’s what happens on the internet, people are braver behind a keyboard than they would be to your face. 2) Part of the problem is that people are almost too passionate about the Twins and it boils over into their posts. Other forums are more helpful, if you ask a questions, people jump in and help you. Not here. They nitpick everything that they don’t agree with. It’s just a game people!!!!! Kids are getting bombed in Syria!!! Baseball is pretty irrelevant compared to the rest of the problems in the world. 3) This site is moderated very hard, harder than any site I go to. It’s kind of the nature of the beast in comment sections for the topic to wander off topic, then it dies out, then you move onto the next one. It’s your choice, it’s your playpen, you can make the rules but then live with the ‘extra’ work. I can leave a topic on page 2, come back the next day and skip to the last page, see if its still interesting. You as a moderator have to slog thru all the drivel to see if some silver-tongued keyboard devil has written something ‘bad’. You make that choice, live with it. 4) Most sites, once you have a login, all you have to do is find the right topic and click on the ‘start new topic’ tab, and you can start a topic or ask a question, here you have to start a blog – too complicated for my taste. Not going to do it. There’s times I’d like to ask a baseball question but not jumping thru the hoops here. 5) The ‘English police’ have mellowed out. That’s good. When it first started every bad phrase and misspelling was jumped on. Don’t take my comments personally!!! I’m just sharing my observations and experiences as related to other sites!!

The neighbor kids would disagree. You should have seen the smiles on their faces when I grew pumpkins a few years back and let them come and take whichever one they wanted. The only qualifier was that their Dad had to be able to lift it into the truck. Trade Dozier before he turns into a pumpkin. Or gets hurt. Or even if you think he'll hit 40 HR's the next two years -- very doubtful, IMHO -- but trade him for pitching. Enough said in this thread. Its all starting to get repeated. It will be interesting to see what the new Twins management does with Dozier.

Even if he does remain good he's still your best trade chip to improve the pitching. He could just as easily regress, get hurt, etc. and then who do you trade to improve your pitching??

You are correct, the results of the trade are what count. Anytime you make a trade its a crapshoot, Ryan tried to get pitching when he traded Span and Revere, but it didn't work out. There was a very nice encouraging article on cbssports.com concerning the trades that Detroit make last for Price and Cespedes, they got a nice return that's helping them a year later. It can be done. http://www.cbssports.com/mlb/news/tigers-in-the-hunt-this-year-thanks-to-players-they-got-in-cespedes-price-trades/

Pumpkin not definitive for you?? You got the drift. I said what I meant - trade him at peak value before he turns into a pumpkin, or a dud, or gets hurt, or turns in another ho-hum performance leading up to trade deadline in 2017, cutting back on his value. Trade him at peak value. He's a very good player but does the Twins no good when they can't pitch.

Nope, just going off past history, a crappy second half last year, poor start this year. I don't care if he hits 40 HR's each of the next two years, without better pitching, we'll continue to see headlines like yesterday 'Dozier hits 3 HR's and Twins still lose by six'. Thats fun, isn't it?? Trade him while he's hot and at peak value before he - possibly, maybe, probably, theoretically - use any term you want - goes cold again and isn't worth as much.

I'd still trade Dozier before he turns into a pumpkin. THE TWINS NEED PITCHING!!!!!

As streaky as Dozier is, what are the odds that he continues to be a 6+ WAR player?? Cash in while he's hot!!!! By next June he might be back to hitting .199 again. The Twins need pitching and he's your best trade chip!!! What good is it to have a guy hit three home runs and lose by 6????!!!!

I don't think anybody is saying Polanco = Dozier but with Polanco around Dozier is expendable. Good teams trade from their surplus to fill other holes. Right now the Twins have a surplus of second basemen.

The Twins are going to lose 100 games WITH Dozier, how important is he to the Twins? You have Polanco waiting as a replacement, trade Dozier while his value is high, before he goes into a three month slump -- for pitching.

Lets just hope he plays smart and stays healthy. Plus lets see what happens for a month, and the beginning of next year, this a pretty small sample size.

I think 'veteran presence' is overrated. Play your core players together for 4-5 years and the leaders of the group will emerge. The coaches on the team can fill in the blanks, thats what they are there for. Trade Dozier, the Twins are losing 100 games WITH him. You need to get better players and he's your biggest poker chip. And its is a big game of chance. After Meyer, Berrios, May, etc. you wonder if they can find and develop pitchers but you have to try. The current crop isn't getting it done.

The Twins aren't going to contend in 2017, trade Santana while his value is high. Trade him for a catcher or other position player - that can be flipped for pitching. Trade Dozier for pitching and trade him while his value is high. Commit to a rebuild, play the young guys next season, and hope they develop by 2018.

Gibson isn't going anywhere. Good starting pitching is too hard to find and as he proved last night, he has the potential. I wouldn't hesitate to extend him for 3-4-5 years either. He may not be an ace but he can be a consistent starting pitcher for years to come.

The Twins seem to like to teach them at the major league level where games count rather than using the minor leagues. Think Plouffe coming up as a shortstop and all of a sudden its "oh shoot, he can't make the throws". Polanco -- played all year a 2nd base and when he comes up, "lets see if we can play him at short, we didn't notice he was blocked by Dozier". Headshaking.

I'm not saying Berrios is a bust by any means, its just that its obvious that its going to take months and years before he becomes a top end reliable starter. So then the rest of these 'top' prospects are in AA and lower, its depressing. Pitching is what the Twins desperately need in order to be competitive and most if it is years away. Depressing.

Kind of depressing since we're seeing how poorly our highly rated prospects Buxton and Berrios have done, none of these lower rated players can reasonably be expected to help the Twins any time soon. As Nick said, trading Dozier for pitching should be a top priority. Dozier won't be a factor when the Twins are finally competitive.

Another big difference between Buxton and Kepler is that Kepler plays 'smarter' on defense, he realizes he doesn't have to be superman, doesn't try to run thru walls, collide with other players, etc. Buxton's multiple stints on the injured list has also slowed his development.

With his streaky nature and the fact that you have Polanco ready to step in, sell high and trade him for pitching. Starting pitching!!