h2oface

Well, it sure pissed off the white nationalists that he was elected, and woke up and accentuated their racial agendas. But Obama didn't cause that "racial division". I guess it was caused by the majority of the American people that voted for him, both elections. Usually, when the person that gets the most votes becomes President, it is more unifying. Seemed to me to be a much more comfortable time.

Wow. First electing a black president is progress, and in the same breath, it apparently hurts the country, and sets us back by stirring up racial divisions, which is not progress. That doesn't really work for me. I read that Brock called the guy's point asinine. I think, if asked for my third party opinion, I would agree, but I'm also betting that surely he can come up with points that aren't asinine, therefore he is not asinine, nor did Brock call him that. Pointedly, I'm not a mod..... but I can read pretty good.

Now that's funny! .....Only Kepler's mother's father was in the military - US Military, not German, he was American - US Army Intelligence Officer ...... sneaky ....... could be an outlier.....

Well, I certainly understand that is your opinion of this 27 year old that was born in Germany, the son of an American mother (daughter of a U.S. Army intelligence officer, who moved around the country and the world as her father received different postings, finally setting in San Antonio, Texas as a teenager - Max might even be able to get dual citizenship?) and a German father. And we do fundamentally disagree. But I doubt he isn't fullfilling his contract with the Twins, and I doubt there is language in it that obligates him to some of the things you are assuming are not in his plans for the future. I know you are of a generation that views the world in a significant lens through twitter and instagram feeds and likes. The story isn't over, and neither is Kepler's part in it, probably. Thanks for speaking out. Words are great. Actions will do more, and I suspect you have some up your sleeve. But yup. I don't put baseball players, or professional athletes on a pedestal, or expect them to be more than an athlete for the short time of their lives that they can. I just expect them to get better every year, and be MVPs. The whole team. So there is my fanciful, demanding expectation. And it only leads me to disappointment. Such is my tragic life.

Thanks for this......

This whole leader thing is something created by others that want heroes. Just because someone is a professional athlete, does not make them a leader. It makes them lucky. Lucky that their natural talent and hard work has gotten them something others aspire to. It doesn't automatically give them a platform that they have to aspire to or engage in. That does not automatically come with the territory. That expectation is not a fair one to have, in my opinion. But then, baseball players are not heroes to me. They don't have to have a command of the language, politacal aspirations, be a poet, be an activist, or include me into their private life at all. They can, but to me, it is not what he is required to do. At all. Entrusted to be a representative leader in this city where he is known and admired? Not by me. I expect him to get a bunch of hits and not not drop the ball and throw some runners out. No hero. No leader. Just a lucky 20-something that gets to play baseball for a lot of money. He is in his 20's! Not a leader in my book, at all. Time for Billy Bob's acceptance speech at the 2015 Golden Globes again.......

Same here! I pay way too much attention and probably shouldn't. I would probably have lower blood pressure and like people more. When I had several different radio shows, each with a niche (Folk & Beyond, Zydecajun Conspiracy, Acoustic Windows, and Jazz Songlines), people would come up to me all the time and say "hey, do you know so and so? No? Oh you gotta hear them!" I always felt like I should, like wtf is wrong with me..... until I realized it is OK to not know everything. One just can't know everything, no matter how hard they try. I had no idea there was a blue lives matter flag/symbol/emblem or mask. And I am not going to punish myself for being ignorant in that regard. I am certainly not going assume Kepler did, or should if he didn't. Nor am I going to assign "leader" to baseball players or any athlete just because more people might know them because the are a professional athlete. I fear for the world being left to our grandchildren and children. Nothing will be solved on this thread, that is for sure. I am grateful for the post, though, for now I know so much more about those that post here. Made some good notes. Thanks for the post. "Today I’m sad. Sad that conditions were such that such events as happened in the last week were inevitable. Sad that people who love and are loved by others hate some on sight. Sad that sometimes that hate is perhaps justified. Sad that an expression of a righteous message is tinged by, conflated with and justifies acts of violence, destruction and theft in so many beautiful cities and on the eve of the reopening of some of the businesses now destroyed. Sad that some of this destruction has nothing to do with the dynamic and is being brought by other factions trying to stir things up. Sad that I’m told I “dont get to have an opinion on this” because I’m white. Sad that I can’t quite agree with this when so many whom I respect do. Sad that my perspective is so incomplete. Sad that I am part of the problem, Sad that I don’t know the solution. Sad that knowing the solution would not make it so. Sad that I believe that."

I agree, totally. And I hope he gets in on the first ballot. I fear, though, it will be a struggle. If, like Puckett, and had no choice but to leave the game because of the freakish injury, and he would have retired with concussions that forced him out of the game early, I think he would have been a lock. Absolute lock. But the relatively mediocre seasons at first....... didn't do him any favors for the HOF. They also count, now. Instead of being forced out as one of the best catchers to ever play the game, he added seasons that were not HOF material. Bilateral Voting Syndrome. He has my vote, though.

Still all hope and dreams, so far. Something to write about. Something to talk about, but until they do anything in the bigs, it is all talk.

Sano/3B with Cruz/DH. By far.

It really doesn't matter if a player only played one season in the decade in my opinion. Outlandishly stellar for his total performance on the team? If I am selecting a team to represent the Twins, and could have Cruz on it, I certainly would have him in the DH slot. Same with Sano over Plouffe at third. And seriously, this is fantasy, so if I could have a healthy Buxton playing center, I wouldn't pick anybody else. Not even close. Not happy to have Buxton in center field? I am happy anyday he is playing in center.

1- Nathan - hands down. Nobody even close. 2- Reardon 3- Aguilera 4- Worthington 5- Perkins Eddie? I can't shine that up like some can. He was lucky to have a manager that kept using him.

Am I the only one that expects a couple of bonafide starters as good or better than Bauer (it appears the 2018 is an outlier, no?) coming from our system, and surfacing this season or next? I mean, isn't it time that the "pitching expertise" lauded in the article starts to be performance of the pitchers developed, and not just talk in the Twin Cities? It happens all the time around MLB, and we salivate about it finally being farmed here. It's time.

His cheeks do the Dizzy when he throws the ball........ I like it.

Outfielders, like the all-star team - and this is a all-star team of speed - are outfielders. Top 3 outfielders. It doesn't matter which field they played the most of. Plug them in and let them run.

Is there a game log and box score for this game? "You can find the box score and pitch-by-pitch results for Game Seven attached below."

Is there a game log and box score for this game?

All other teams thank you for this article.

You can keep playing because you love the game, and you want to get back to the greatness you once were. But if you finish your career on a prolonged slide, and not even close to the greatness that puts you in the HOF..... you have knocked yourself out of the Hall, and diminished your 7 year greatness. Mauer will have the same problem, regardless of his greatness as a catcher. I think it is a snub to be a one and done on the ballot for Johan, absolutely. I don't think he would have ever, or will ever, eventually be elected to the HOF, however.

Yet Dizzy Dean had 150, Sandy Koufax 165, Roy Halladay 203, Don Drysdale 209, Pedro Martinez 219, Whitey Ford 236, Bob Gibson 251, just to name a few. In fact the "average pitching HOF'er" has 246 wins. While the relievers that are factored into that average will skew that a bit, (perhaps a stat guy can filter out the relievers), just a look at the list and it is blatant. I think the 300 wins thing has been the "automatic" number (only Clemens has 300 and is not in), but not the only counting stat that matters..... https://www.baseball-reference.com/awards/hof_pitching.shtml

Koufax also pitched off of a 15 inch pithcer's mound, and in Dodger Stadium, it was more like 18 inches (legendary). Koufax had 6 pretty pedestrian years to start his career, but the final 6 were the ticket. Santana, like Mauer, finished his career on the slide. Best to go out in glory for a ticket to the HOF. Mauer was a lock, like Puckett, if he would have retired after the concussion year. Now.......? Best to go out in glory.

.....and in only one month! 8 decisions. Must have pitched every 3rd or 4th day.

It shouldn't be a surprise that Moya pitched anymore. Apparently Baldelli got hit in the head by a foul ball during batting practice. Harper has pitched in 3 games, and Moya in 3. Magill in 3. The 2019 fans are livid. Smeltzer and May in 2, Rodgers and Duffey only in 1. Romo hasn't pitched. They will either be rested.. or rusty. Erickson hasn't pitched at all.

Hill could be a bonus, but I, for one, am not planning on him contributing. Thanks for the amazing discussion of the procedure and options, Heezy. I love this stuff.