h2oface

I am so sick of all of the FO offseason pitching acquisitions.... Robles, Happ, Colome...... at least they terminated Shoemaker. It is just ridiculous to keep playing them. Hard to trust them shaping the team anymore.

Trey Cabbage was the Twins choice for Hitter of the Week. He played in all six games for the (AA) Wind Surge. He hit .304/.320/.652 (.972) with two doubles and two home runs. Jose Miranda - six games last week, he hit .321/.345/.714 (1.059) with two doubles, three homers and six RBI (for AAA St. Paul). What. Are you just getting tired of giving Miranda more recognition? ?

Pohlad may be fibbing, but if not, it seems that most have it wrong about the fire sale going beyond the soon to be free agents. https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2021/07/twins-trade-rumors-rebuild-max-kepler.html

It seemed to me, watching Simmons pat his chest as he walked in with Gordon, that the communication was made and that Simmons bailed or felt that Gordon wasn't going to stop and bailed. Simmons was owning the horror of what had just happened. Without hearing from Simmons and Gordon, all is just supposition on what happened as it was apparent that either could have caught the fly if the other wasn't there. Gordon was playing deep, and got a horrible jump, but the fly was in the sky for plenty of time. The Baldelli assumption that they both lost the ball ...... seems conjured up by Baldelli for the press conference, as he had to say something that could be sold. “It’s obviously a hard way to lose a ballgame; a game that we played pretty hard in,” manager Rocco Baldelli said. “It’s a tough time to be in the field and have to go get some kinds of fly balls. Obviously, Nick lost that one in the sky.” One would think that Simmons would speak out about it, as the veteran. They both made the decision to not hit the other. Probably the right decision, considering the season. No need to take each other out for with no stakes on the line in this dreadful season. “We are challenging our guys and we are sending them out there in unfamiliar spots and seeing what they can do,” Baldelli said. “And this is going to happen. It’s not something you ever want to deal with or you want to see, but when it does happen, you understand why it happened.”

"A ghost from Kenta Maeda’s last start came back to haunt him, as he failed to retire the leadoff hitter, issuing a walk." A walk that was a missed called strike three. A perfect pitch. One that the batter can't make himself swing at, and was right on the bottom corner of the zone. That would have been 3 outs before the hit, HBP, and the triple. That would have changed quite a bit.

Ssssssshhhhhhhhh ?? Only the Twins and Tigers fans even know about that. Nobody else was paying any attention. Whatever door you come through to get there - back, side or front - you are there. I just hope that if and when he comes in the game, there are no inherited runners on base..... ?

2021: Twins 4.5, MLB 8.8 = 4.3 difference 2020: Twins 3.8, MLB 7.8 = 4.0 difference 2019: Twins 3.2, MLB 7.4 = 4.2 difference Yup. Relatively, basically treading water, even though slightly increased.

Great article, Tom, and awesome info!

Some like to use generalities to complain about others being critical, and call it complaining, and complain about that, and make it about who they think is the complainer, instead of just presenting their own ideas and moving on. How did you feel about the original post and subject of the thread, and how Kirilloff and Larnach are doing? Ynoa was traded for Jaime Garcia, who I would never want, ever, and many didn't as I remember (but I can't speak for others and include them in a group speak, which is never fair - but I do remember hearing the groaning, even though it was just typing), and it turns out, a couple days later, that the Twins didn't want him either. But the Braves knew who they wanted, and apparently, why, and got him. Impressive vision. But, "It is not an easy job, and only one Team is ultimately successful each year."

Well, I am impressed by the Duo, but not getting starry eyed, and neither is anyone else, it seems, that is not a Twins' fan. I guess if you cherry pick the ones that are not doing so well, and ignore those that are, they look better in that light. The second half of the season will be the test.... https://www.si.com/mlb/2021/07/06/mlb-rookie-of-the-year-race-the-opener And no reason to "just let go" of the recent gaffs, like Baddoo and Ynoa, that people who are paid to get it right instead of wrong are responsible for. Accountability is key to a successful Organization, especially when you use that spot to pick up released players like we saw this off season, some which are already gone, and some which we still have and still are .... well.... not helping. It is not an easy job, and only one Team is ultimately successful each year. But no reason to pretend it didn't happen, especially since it was just a couple of months ago, and it still hurts.

Thanks for this. Awesome stuff.

Ah, the ol' passing the blame...... and left out the other s, too, apparently. ?

But Pressly, maybe. No indication that he wouldn't have, either.

Ryan Pressly. Pressly, Pressly, Pressly! NOT PRESSLEY. (And Duffey, NOT Duffy! But that is another story.....) Thanke you (and I have no idea who Colombe is - Alex Colome?Danny Coulombe?). Use all the stats and limits and unlimited years (regarding prospects) you want. I am totally bummed watching players we traded (and could have re-signed instead for more years) or just let go helping other teams while the guys we got age out in the minors and when they get here are 25 and older and still not ready for the show. I have no faith in our FO rental. They are doing what they do for money, and would bail for more in a flash. And that's the way it is, July 8, 2021.............

I guess since deGrom got rained out tonight, someone had to get "deGrom'ed" instead of deGrom. Two walks with a wet ball and a slippery mound in the light rain, and a plate umpire that takes his sweet time to call the third strike so the catcher has to throw to second just in case. Simmons should have had that throw from Jeffers, anyway - and he even had another error in the game. Sano is not getting any smarter. I don't know what to say to those that think Berrios is not the best we have. A team does not get better to trade the best they have. We are not a better team with Alcala and Celestino instead ofAll-Star Pressly right now, and we won't be without Berrios. What do you want? More prospects you can call up and have play sloppy, and pitchers that are already 25 and older and still aren't ready? - because that is what our minor league system seems to culture. And our MLB staff now, too. Hell, bring in free agents and they get worse! All those prospect hope and dreams will do is get immersed in the system, and we see how ready they are when they get here. They make mistakes that should be figured out by that time they are in high school or college. May as well blame Garver, too, just for good measure. He had to have been doing something wrong even if he is on the IL. ? And Colome. Seriously Baldelli? Colome?

He sure looked like an All-Star in Monday's game against the Sox!

Every time someone writes about Rogers, they leave out the most important stat for a reliever. Inherited Runners Scored. Relief. When a pitcher comes in and lets most of the runners on base score (and with Rogers, it has more than once been on his first pitch!), that is not my idea of "relief". Those runs all go to his teammates, and he gets by scott free on his numbers. To ignore that when talking about Rogers this year is unsound and cloaks the true story.

Check this. Ohtani's first inning tonight. He walked the bases loaded, followed by a couple singles, a strikeout and a ground out, a HBP, and a walk. With 4 runs in, the bases loaded and two outs, the top of the order coming up again, Maddon had had enough, and replaced him with former Twin, Aaron Slegers, who only needed one out to provide the relief that is his purpose and reason for being in the game. Slegers promptly gave up a bases clearing double on his second pitch to DJ LeMahieu, and all 3 inherited runners scored. I guess it doesn't matter if you are a current Twin, or a past Twin, this is not your year for giving up inherited runs, and it only takes one or two pitches. The Yankees led 8-4 into the top of ninth, but now Chapman walks the bases loaded, and then gives up a grand slam to Walsh! The Angels score 7 in the 9th and win it, 11-8. 19 runs Braves 20-Mets 2 , 22 runs, Brewers 15-Cubs 7, 22 runs, Nats 15-Rays 6, 21 runs, Marlins 11-Phillies 6, 17 runs. 16 runs scored in the 13-3 butchering of our Twins, and it doesn't even make the top 5 in runs scored in a game today. And pitchers all over the place are not finding their command. Unless they perhaps, don't throw it so hard...........? trouble with grip? Anyway, that doesn't explain why our Twins only got 5 hits........

The five year old flipping his bat/stick (was he lefty then, or is the film just flipped)at 5:50 is classic.

I wish we were getting 4 of his best seasons, and there is still time, I guess, for a couple. Cruz is a believer of strong seasons in the late 30s (and 40s so far). I wish he would hire a full time leg masseuse or messeur or PT person to travel with him and keep his legs fit to perform at his peak and not get hurt. But aside from that, I like Donaldson. I find it funny that there is an article like this disparaging all of these guys. I guess anything is fair game in seasons like this. I like interesting complex personalities. I like bite and creativity. And he is saying the truth. I like folks celebrating and having fun and getting in umpires' faces. Most of the time they deserve it. I liked Pierzynski. Funny guy. Real funny. Lynn would be my recent least favorite, and not because I am judging hearsay news about him.... he just was horrible on this team, to me his body language seemed like he didn't like it here, and he mailed it in. I bet Donaldson doesn't have any boring friends.

Pay Berrios and keep him. No trade of Berrios will make this a better team. I am sick of strangers and hope and dreams.

The only wish/ask, when you bring in a reliever with 2 outs and anyone on base anywhere, and especially scoring position -- is to not let the runner score and get the one out and out of the inning. The only wish/ask, so not hard for me (or every fan of said team) to wish for it, at all.

Yes, a runner was on second, and yes, Polanco deflected it, but to me, holding the line does not include giving up what would be the winning run of the game, and that was Coulombe's inherited runner scoring. Sure, you can ignore it and minimize it especailly with all the other plays in the game, and it was charged to Maeda ...... but.... to me, a reliever does his job when he is brought in with runners on and only needs one out, and gets it, instead of giving up a hit to the first batter and the inherited runner scores.

Ha! I have never even heard of Bill James and really don't see his 1976 or so essay as part of the recent discussion here on TD. But thanks for mentioning him. Interesting.

I feel, to assume that a different player would hit the same as said player in the more pressure packed opportunity, is folly. Maybe they would, but so many don't. So many can get hits with no pressure added, and then not deliver when it would count more.