h2oface

Beat me to it. This seems to be the norm (maybe not to this degree) these days. Pitchers just don't think they need to be part of the defense, apparently. At times, the will have no choice. And it will hurt.

Man..... I can't believe that 3rd strike call Colome got. Truly amazing. That's what Colome needs to be effective, I guess - getting pitches called strikes that are 6 inches off the plate.

No. I would expect them to be able to handle even more because of less stress the year before, and because they still worked out and stayed in top shape anyway. But that is just in my dreams. My dream expectation. In reality, for some reason these days, I expect them to not last the season. It seems to be what happens, so expectation of it happening is reinforced.

It is always fun when one gets to watch the Team Mascot hit a home run AND pitch an inning.

This article was great about the the Rich Hill procedure, as was the one by this author Lucas Seehafer PT and the link to that on is in the Heezy article, too.

Thanks for the great informative article. Awesome read. In answer to the OP question...... why wouldn't one always get a second and third opinion even? If it involves surgery, for anything at all, I would get 2 opinions, just as a matter of sane and smart personal policy. The only guy I know of that the rest actually worked is Ervin Santana, but I think it is still partially torn all these years. Mostly, waiting just wastes time. The worst possible scenario for Maeda would be to wait several months, then try it, and have it blow or reinjure, and then one of the surgeries discussed. That would even take more time, and in his case, cost him a boat load of money with that goofy incentive laden contract.

Well, it works if I use my galaxy s8, but here is still what I get on my windows computer using chrome as the browser...... it just doesn't seem to load. It works on my ipad pro in chrome, though. Here on my computer, it just doesn't load the main video at all. Weird. I can use the others for the videos, but perhaps others are having the same problem on comupters and aren't commenting? Maybe it is just me. This computer is still old window 7, but everything else on this site has worked up until now.

I guess the limit is 9 runs - no double digit poundings. Barnes (7 runs in 5 and 109 pitches) and Jax (9 runs in 4.1 and 92). Robles would have walked both Gordon and Cave if they could have had better plate discipline. Watching Robles inherit runners on second and third with no outs in the 9th, and the boys not able to bring them in.... that hurt. Espeically after seeing Robles give it up to sooo many teams for us.

None of these play. All clicks go to another page, and then back with the next click. Circular. The videos never play.... at least for me. HELP!

None of these play. All clicks go to another page, and then back with the next click. Circular. The videos never play.... at least for me.

None of these play. All clicks go to another page, and then back with the next click. Circular. The videos never play.... at least for me.

AAA season ending, and prospect availability before the end of the season, if that is one's concern.... is confusing to say the least...... The way I am reading it, all AAA teams, regardless of record, will play until October 3, in the Final Stretch, which will really mean ??????, as it is basically all teams playing 10 additional games (seedings and opponents?) against 2 different teams/5 game series, and a 10 game dash to best record in 10 games with tie breakers - and the team with the best record in those games, among all 30 Triple-A teams, will be “awarded a prize from Major League Baseball,” The Champion is crowned, for the East, on Sept. 19 from the best record in the East after 120 game season. The West will have their own. St. Paul is currently 9.5 games back of Durham and behind 6 teams total. HELP! https://www.milb.com/news/playoffs-return-to-minor-league-baseball https://www.truebluela.com/2021/7/17/22580277/dodgers-minors-triple-a-schedule-oklahoma-city

.... and this one talks about a 10 game final stretch that includes all AAA teams ...... with the best record in those games, among all 30 Triple-A teams, will be “awarded a prize from Major League Baseball,” - and the acutal champion being crowned before the Final Stretch at the end of the 120 game season by best record. In St. Paul's case, that would mean they are currently 9.5 games behind Durham, and behind 6 other teams for the "championship" of the East. The West has their own champion. https://www.truebluela.com/2021/7/17/22580277/dodgers-minors-triple-a-schedule-oklahoma-city Congratulations, Triple-A teams. Your season just got two weeks longer, but no, unlike your minor league brethren, you will not have any playoffs in 2021. The conceit of the 10 extra games added to the end of the Triple-A schedule is that it makes up for half the games lost when the start of the season was delayed. The original Triple-A schedule was 142 games long, set to start on April 6, but in early March was postponed to start on May 6, with a 120-game schedule. Oklahoma City will play five games at Las Vegas from September 23-27, then finish at home with five games against El Paso from September 29 to October 3. That makes for a 130-game schedule, but it’s not that simple. Both Triple-A leagues (West and East) will crown a regular season champion, based on the best record through the 120-game schedule, which for Triple-A West ends on September 21. But they are calling those final 10 games the Triple-A Final Stretch — a trademarked phrase that sure seems ripe for a sponsor at some point — and the team with the best record in those games, among all 30 Triple-A teams, will be “awarded a prize from Major League Baseball,” per a press release this week. “With all 30 teams participating in this Final Stretch, all Triple-A players and communities will have the opportunity to win this year’s postseason tournament,” said Peter Woodfork, MLB’s senior vice president in charge of minor league operations. Only that’s not much of a tournament at all. It’s just all 30 Triple-A teams playing two more series. Meanwhile, Double-A, High-A and Low-A leagues will all play a best-of-5 playoff series to determine league champs. You know, like a real postseason. Triple-A got screwed.

"On Tuesday night the St. Paul Saints kicked off their biggest series of the season, facing off against the division-leading Toledo MudHens with big-time playoff implications." Sooooooo....... is there AAA play-offs? This article is confusing, and says that if you win the playoffs you still may not be crowned champs, because the champion will be the team with the best total overall record! Seth was saying yesterday, on the Predicting Minnesota’s Next 4 Top Prospects to Debut thread that there would be no playoffs. Now you are talking about AAA playoffs. Very confusing. Any light to shed? https://www.milb.com/news/playoffs-return-to-minor-league-baseball "July 1, 2021 Dust off your highest hopes because playoff baseball is returning to the Minor Leagues. After the COVID-19 pandemic canceled the 2020 season and pushed back the start of the 2021 campaign, the postseason was tentatively put on hold. But now, it's back for three levels. After the COVID-19 pandemic canceled the 2020 season and pushed back the start of the 2021 campaign, the postseason was tentatively put on hold. But now, it's back for three levels. At the Double-A, High-A and Low-A levels, the top two teams in each league will compete in a best-of-5 series, beginning Tuesday, Sept. 21. The Triple-A regular season was extended to Oct. 3, and champions will be crowned based off their overall records. The Florida and Arizona complex leagues will not have playoffs. The two teams from each league will be determined by best full-season winning percentage, regardless of division. Tiebreakers will be based upon: 1. Head-to-head record 2. Best winning percentage over last 20 games 3. Best winning percentage over last 21 games, etc. The Triple-A East was originally scheduled to end on Sunday, Sept. 19, but clubs on that circuit will begin two five-game series beginning on Wednesday, Sept. 22, with a pair of off days before the next one starts on Wednesday, Sept. 29. In the Triple-A West, which was set to end on Tuesday, Sept. 21, the two five-game series will begin on Thursday, Sept. 23, and Sept. 29. The team with the best record on each circuit following the completion of games on Oct. 3 will be declared the league champion." Kelsie Heneghan is a writer for MiLB.com. Follow her on Twitter @Kelsie_Heneghan.

Sano. Who replaces Maeda will not be getting his roster spot, but somebody elses 26 man spot. From MLB Rumors - Aug. 23: As expected, the Twins placed Maeda on the 10-day injured list due to right forearm tightness. The placement is retroactive to August 22. Miguel Sano was reinstated from the paternity list and will take Maeda’s spot on the active roster.

I can't remember the exact number, but the FO had the 40 man down to 33 or 34 at one point around the rule 5, I think. Several spots, more than 3 for sure, and I could be wrong, but at one point, as they were dropping players off the roster and preparing for the rule 5, I think it there were 7 spots open. Then they starting signing junk pitchers, most that have long since been gone, or still suck in AAA (like Ian Gibaut (7.38 ERA in 26 games with St Paul) from the Rangers and left-hander Brandon Waddell from the Pirates -just two of the many.) Right there are your spots for Baddoo and Wade. The spots were there. More than enough. The FO just blew it for junk pitching.

Joe Ryan is 25. tic toc. Time to get him in the show. Immediately if not sooner. Jose Miranda. St. Paul is in the play-off hunt? Really? So, I hear over and over and over from the writers and so called experts how what happens in the Minors when it comes to a winning team doesn't matter. It is not about a team winning, it is about process and development. But all the sudden, it isn't, toward the end of the season? Right. Time to see if he can do the same thing he has done at AA and at AAA without a lull. Immediately if not sooner. Moran? I guess. Just about everytime I look at the boxes lately and he has been pitching he is giving it up and not looking so great, but I have not really been following his whole season. So sure, let's see him. He is already 24 and a lefty. I would rather see him than the Vincent's! (just checked out game logs... last 4 games.... gave up runs in 3 of them, 5 earned total, in 7.1 innings, 6 hits, 2 homers, 6 walks, 10Ks, 2 blown saves) Martin? Unless he is moved to AAA, he cannot be brought up this season anyway. Teams can only move players up from AAA this year (or the Taxi-squads, but I don't know if they are still doing the Taxi Squads now)

Right. That's what we need. Mr "circle of awareness", Cheatin' A.J. Hinch. Good plan.

Standing: 5th Place in AL Central (18.0 GB) 5th place sounds and reads so much gentler that LAST PLACE! Back in the Cellar again! I feel so dirty.

Not being able to get on top of the high heat wasn't that extraordinarily bad. I can't believe you are likening Polanco to Donaldson at this moment in time. One guy is Mr. Walk-off, and actually tried to hit the high fastball and put it in play....... and the other has been Mr. Watch-it, and was, in my opinion, certainly more egregious, if either was, for not protecting the plate and zone with two strikes and the bases loaded - looking at the close strike, watching the change up without at least an attempt at tipping it foul with a protective late flip of the wrists. And Polanco's 8th inning homer meant he has no quit in him. I don't find that meaningless. I don't ever find MLB home runs "meaningless". Some are way more important and clutch, but a homer is always a good and meaningful at bat. Yes. Polanco gets a well deserved pass on this sequence, and Donaldson does not. Exactly.

Gerrit. Gerrit Cole. It's an unusual spelling. I need to rabbit hole that name. I would go with Garrett as the most familiar. This made me curious as to its roots.

I was really hoping JD would get to Cole. Too bad.

Yup. Postponed already. Like a snow day in Virginia, when they close the schools for the next day from the weather forcast (but many times, it is a nice day). But Hurricanes and floods.... nothing to mess with. Good call. They had to shut down the big Central Park Reopening Concert early today, too!

That's because they never have anybody (only Berrios has made it in the last 5 years, and they just traded him away) that is ready that comes from their system. Talk all you want about the prospects. That is the fact. Bring Ryan up before he becomes part of this system, and see what he's got, at 25, before the Twins can mess with him.

Truth is very often hard to take, and excuses will always be made.