h2oface

I wonder how long Marwin has with the Twins. This has to affect how he is regarded by his teammates, no? While I am personally not someone who really cares about sign stealing, and feels the method is not important, if the goal/result is the same...... it is surely not the majority opinion, nor MLBs, and certainly not the players. This has to make him a tainted person in the clubhouse. I don't see how it can be good for "chemistry".

"Every year, to survive the dog days of summer, teams end up having to find games from outside their planned five starters. So how many of those did the Twins need in 2019? Exactly 16 games. They came from Devin Smeltzer (6), Randy Dobnak (5), Lewis Thorpe (2), Kohl Stewart (2), and Cody Stashak (1). The good news for 2020 is that three of those five names are the first three in line to get starts again. They’ve been there." The good news...... and the bad news..... The bad news for 2020 is that three of those five names are the first three in line to get starts again.......

Thanks for the article. I love this stuff, and you made it very understandable. Interesting that the Twins consider $3 million for Hill to maybe essentially flush down the toilet a low risk, but ponying up the $375 K to keep Berrios happy becomes an issue and something to fight over. Baseball is a weird business.

B minus overall. The number one goal was a pitcher that could challenge or take over the top spot from Berrios. Massive fail. The starters = treading water, (Odorizzi, Pineda - partial year due to suspension, Bailey ~ Gibson) and one - Hill - may not even pitch all year. The relievers - treading water - and I hope Clippard can repeat his last year instead of doing a Dyson of some sort. The bolster gomes from Grateral Catcher? I hope Jeffers comes up and force benches Avila (ala Arreaz/Schoop) when Avila goes out with injury. So average move. Bringer of Rain (thankyouthankyouthankyou) is a godsend makes it all above average, but the thing we needed most, the top of the line pitcher (and really, we needed 1 top pitcher and one 2-3, but one would be a top grade, just with no +) is the limiting factor, and I mean limiting.

Is the -.2 for Dyson his total fWAR for the whole year, or just for the time he was on the Twins? And Perez was 1.9 for the year? That amazes me. Sure seems to leave out a lot of his horribleness for a lot of the year.

If they can get Salazar with a minor league contract, that is my pick. Maybe he is ready to stay healthy?

Interesting that Garver could be a Johnny Bench Award (college baseball's top catcher) finalist (1 of 3) in both 2012 and 2013, and runner up to Turner in 2013, it he was a terrible catcher. Try to stop him now, eh? https://www.baseball-almanac.com/awards/johnny_bench_award.shtml No, this FO did not hold him back. The previous did, in my opinion. I know many did not appreciate Garver until recently. I read about it for years. I guess I still will. I also think Jeffers is and should be ahead of Rortvedt (hence the original quick post), but it is great to have both near. Things can change in a wink with catchers.

He was always, pretty much, kept one level behind Turner, until it was basically impossible to deny him. That is how he was held back, and what I said before. And now.... he is being projected to regress by many, instead of improve more. I might have different glasses........

Good work.

or your spelling .... but that is not really important.

Perhaps the arguable consensus of the Front Office and TD staff and most posters and prospect ratings and projections and rate of promotion until Garver couldn't be denied, and they finally ...... finally got it? Who knows if Garver couldn't have been accelerated and here at least a year (or more) sooner (and nobody knows and can't know because it was never tried) without being held back behind "glove first/no bat" Turner all through the minors. That is what I mean by mistake, if I have to spell it out.

Rortvedt is to Jeffers as Turner was to Garver. No need to make the same mistake over and over.......

Seriously? Is there a report on that I can read?

What is the story on the tendon in Cruz's wrist? The ruptured extensor carpi ulnaris (ECU) tendon. I guess it is still not a problem, eh? I haven't heard anything.

Having one's foot on the pitcher's rubber to throw a pitch isn't a problem either. But there is still an official rule, instead of a memo. And it appears the way signs are stolen, and clarifying that, has been an "official problem" for at least 2+ years, now. "Anyone who has ever spent a lot of time around baseball know that signs get stolen." ???? well of course......

This is exactly why I don't pay much attention to prospect ratings. I have especially ignored the Wander Javier hype. I pick Nick Gordon as this years late bloomer. 24 already. 2 years until prime age, according to some recents articles on TD. Late at 24? Yup, especially since he has been in the org since, what, 18? and he was a #1 pick. 5 overall. I hope he doesn't join Kole Stewart and Levi Michael as a total first round bust.

Like I said...... I don't have a problem with the decision. Thanks for the clarification on the memo/directive date. Looks like it was September 15, 2017. https://www.nytimes.com/2017/09/15/sports/baseball/red-sox-fined-stealing-signs-yankees.html As far as I can figure out, there is still no actual MLB rule that addresses sign stealing. I wonder why? It doesn't appear to be added in the rules that were adopted/changed and went into effect at the start of the 2019 season. It seems there should be an actual rule, instead of just an "executive order", so to speak. https://www.mlb.com/news/mlb-rules-changes

Ah. Stealing signs is OK, then, but the way you steal them and communicate them becomes the point, not what you are doing? I guess the sticking point then is the cameras in real time? Like the runner on second gives signals in real time? I will always think, regardless of the MLB present stance, that it is up to the defense to always figure out a way to communicate in secret. I really don't care about using tech. It will only get better. I understand that the penalties given were because the directive was made. But the directive was after the event, no? The rule was instituted at the beginning of the 2019 season? I could be wrong. I don't have a problem with the decision, in light of the directive in place. I find Flannery's take, and info, interesting. That's why I posted it. I think the biggest way an at bat is affected is all the incorrect umpire calls, and that can be fixed, immediately if not sooner.... with tech.

Tim Flannery's take..... albeit from 2017...... https://www.facebook.com/timflanneryandthelunaticfringe/photos/a.199919013424603/1451548821594943/?type=3&eid=ARBaeApX8nQ-CcOLhPXPIIlver5xDGixj3bCCr-qzabVGGCD1RiBBU6wI6_nyGaU0z-gG_soYixEtJWx&__xts__%5B0%5D=68.ARAN_TucCFV_94Jvv0xFon2jjKV4SFOV0msiXLvJh5avRbQXWzCfAk2pe0uXNNuuC94YpHCMvwQQO3TSO0HMjKQHSoYLkAxe2t_OHa5UzRyJxvOg7nFkLJbMKckf4NWmxuf947lG-0cbW8pDXXNKYgn2cgO6Zvj2GK99jDg8fT6BdrUty5vinCyxt9Q4Aa6u4WEIY5Lw9RS6JvZkbGP06Oo6PNzouoGsY2QTSNs4GBhn07t-NHTh4YHlV7vm4xK0OOndY6QvOYFKBurEE6B5Kx2YMw2mEfdo19MXRpzjvQIw-BSVRNEkUL9ddD_mmKdrLuUgbzW1xQz0SlL106-i&__tn__=EEHH-R In case the link doesn't work for you because of facebook protocol "They are fining teams who try to steal signs ...hahahaha..got out just in time . Ok...I feel a need to speak out, normal is changing, and today's norm is not the norm. For 26 years I was in the big leagues , 10 as a player, 16 as a 3rd base coach , 20 if you count the other years learning the craft in the minor leagues , from Boise , to Wichita. The seriousness of the writer, the expertise from the front office man, the commissioner, to those who have never lived it. Here it is...I have 25 World Series games under my belt, 7 elimination games, and a 7th game of a World Series. 5 World Series ,3 World Championships I know it don't mean much to those in front of a computer, with the answers and all the rules. So I'm gonna make a long story short. I had a video camera on every 3rd base coach every single night, I spent hours logging tapes trying to steal your signs and finding a way to beat you. You as well did it, in New York I knew the Valentine Mets did it, I knew the Cubs did it, I knew the Dbacks, St. Louis did it, I caught them, that's when the fun begins , you **** em up by changing signs, you tell the boys " if I put a hit and run on first pitch don't do anything, they will pitch out and now they don't have the signs, and you're in a hitters count" the list goes on and on.....if you aren't smart enough ( and believe me this isn't rocket science, it's being somewhat aware) it's your fault, now the game is turned into no breaking up double plays , don't slide hard at home, don't block the plate.if you are not creative enough to derail them, you've stopped thinking. As far as some of the greatest baseball writers who I love, read and listen to, and hang with. You are so off on the sign stuff. It's a high stakes poker game, big money especially as coaches . If you get caught , if your signs are stolen and you don't know in the moment they are close, they are on you...your not thinking, and now because of that the commissioner comes in not understanding, the writers write stealing signs is wrong. We had an advance scout that could watch your 3rd base coach for 3 days and be real close to getting his signs. He would send his report and I would watch you, or have a camera on you, if you haven't played , you don't understand how important this part of the game should be. You don't understand I would not only try and steal your hit and run sign, I would put our hit and run on that my guys knew, then in the same sequence put the other teams hit and run on so when they look at their cameras that we all used to steal the signs they would see and in their minds " **** they have the same sign for hit and run we have". It's propaganda war fare, its trying to beat you......so why you claim people aren't watching baseball because it takes to long, I say your taking the smarts out of it. ...I tried every night for 16 years to steal your signs either writing every thing you did down, or by looking at tapes because I had a camera on you, just like you had on me. Please leave the game alone, and every writer who wrote articles on this..be in church Sunday,because I know for a fact everyone of you looked at body language , vibe, and found a way to snake another writer to get the feature, get the win., leaving it with no creativity, no thinking, and the dumbing down of the greatest game ever......not that I know anything about it....Peace Tim Flannery."

How about his new nametag!

That's the Ticket!!!!!

......In 2017, an unknown Japanese player made his journey across the Pacific in search of the elusive MLB contract...... Ohtani unknown? Even I knew about Ohtani! I had never heard of Oscar Colas, though. Thanks for the article.

I don't agree. Stealing signs is stealing signs. I don't care how it is done. The result is the same. It is up to the defense to figure out a way to keep their secret communication secret. This is the tip of the iceberg. It will only get more invasive. Degrees of the "stealing" does not matter to me. And it isn't stealing, really. It is the defense not being clever enough. I know the ruling finds it has degrees of acceptance, but I just disagree. What will they do when we figure out how to read minds?

I have never agreed that First Base is the least difficult. Involved in more plays that any position except catcher.... having the cover the base the most often and field the position, pick terrible throws...... I don't get how it becomes the easiest to play. Not a fan of adding Castellanos, regardless.

When Robbie Grossman is a Gold Glove finalist last year (and Brian Dozier a winner one year), I don't know anything about defense.