h2oface

Looking at those stat summaries, I don't see why Busenitz isn't the winner of May. In my world, AAA gets the nod of AA, when they are that close, regardless of the back story.

Well, every minor league report prospect summary has Garver on it, and he hasn't been in the minors for all this year and the end of last. I seems that in Twins Territory and Twins Daily lore, anyone can be a prospect.

I understand an 80% chance to stay at catcher, or 100, or 50 or 20, or even zero. I have no idea what non-zero means. Seems that if people want to communicate, they won't do it in code. Non-zero could mean anything then? Like anywhere between zero and 100% chance? Now that is sticking your predictive neck out, big time. I find it interesting that this FO spends 24 million or so on a catcher that can't hit, because they like glove first, but they draft a hitting catcher, but don't sign a Ramos or a hitting catcher to play for the Twins.

Who needs pitching, anyway.

The old (or should I say young?) age thing again, eh? That is such an insult to an athlete, if you ask me. Which you didn't. But age should never be used for an excuse. Players don't want age to be used against them, either.

I would call Dozier consistently underrated, not overrated. Unless you just want to ignore the last several years final numbers. You may find him overrated, but predictions are always he will do worse, and he has just gotten better for that 4 or 5 year run. If six and a half games out with 2/3 of a season is the end of the season, most teams should just quit now. Will they? Nope. That is because it isn't close to a selling point.

Granite hitting .200 for the year.... and still leading off. It seems this problem with odd choices in batting order is a system infection.

Even more inclusive, this is a long time losing team's tradition. If a team is losing, it is a universal condition. Following one team so closely, it is easy to think these things just happen to the team of interest.

Sano's homer barely made it out, yet, Sano did not run out of the box. He lollygagged and watched it and finally started toward first. What is wrong with this guy? RUN OUT OF THE BOX!!

Buxton's hitting is all on him. He has been in the league for over 3 years, now. Time to stop babying him. He was not injured for the start of the year. Take out the about 50 toegate at bats, and he is still horrible for 2018. Buxton, himself, injury excepted, needs to become a consistent hitter in this league, and that is on him and his mind.

Damn. 3 outings in a row Addison Reed has given up the game. Stats still look good, though, if you like your stats. Tonight, an 86 mph hanging slider. right. down. the. middle.

It was obvious from the start that Romero didn't have it this night. Exactly, what was the point to let him get destroyed? Save the pen? What, one or two outs? I don't get the point, Molitor.

Maybe it is the hitting coach that is the problem? Maybe? Molitor is the manager, but it would seem he would know something about hitting, too.

Sure that stat line. The answer to the rhetorical question. It doesn't include the 3 losses and 2 blown saves, nor the direct failures of the last two outings, but usage is a problem, totally agreed, and when it makes one look good, ERA is always one to pull out of the hat, and when it doesn't, it is best to go with how ERA is a horrible stat and not representative. I will just forget about the last 2 outings, the 3 losses, and get back on the bus.

Someone explain to me again how Addison Reed is so good, please?

I agree, that the pitching has come around. I have to just forget about the times that, in those one run games, (and 2 run games), that they were actually ahead or tied, and the improved staff gave up the game late, like the most recent 3-1 loss in which both Duke and Reed failed the team painfully, regardless of the offense. I don't know that Sano will ever see his potential, for a number of reasons. Tic toc. The season is quickly passing us by.

Assuming both May and Santana are going to be helpful after the surgeries is a fools gambit. Maybe they will, but I see so many looking at their return as a rescue, assuming they will pitch like before they went out, and especially May, he was never that good. Soooooooo no rush, but there is call for Gonsalves before May (the pitcher not the month), if you ask me. The sooner the better.

Zach Duke and Addison Reed have strange ideas of a birthday present. Duke given a single left handed batter to get out, with two outs, and gives up a single. In comes Reed now with runners on 1st and second.... righty on righty, and in two pitches virtually in the same place, middle up in the zone..... the two out double scores both Berrios' walk and Duke's single. The speedy outfield playing shallow and a single turns into the double. Reed really got no one out (a double and a single in 3 4 seam fastballs in the middle of the zone)...... as Buxton gets really lucky and gets an outfield assist on a horrible throw home. There goes the ballgame, because the vaunted offense makes Leake look like a Cy Young candidate after he has been blasted by other teams for the first two months of the year. I'll say it for Berrios. Thanks a lot pen. How is our new hitting coach looking for you?

In light of how well these draft picks have been doing......... and the scant chance they ever make it to the show, ...... this is a great deal, and I applaud it. The acquired catcher should be 27 or 28 by the time he could be ready for the show in this system, even if he does make it. Ho hum. Nothing to see here. At least Hughes has good weather to lose games in for his home team.

Ha. Bravo. Or.... get the guy at home and then the double play. You can have your tradition. And I will have it too, because that is what they will still do.

Great summary of the well known traditional thought. It is still what is so often bought. If you score the game's not a bore And the method is still the common lore. It was once said that a 4 man rotation was the thing. But now a 5 man is king. A run is much harder to get back than another out And if the hitters don't hit, it will make you pout. About tradition Pulaski Academy doesn't care One can be greater, if they dare. https://youtu.be/vbgqKHxzTfU Now you don't have to look for rhymes. I made it easy for you this time.

Carson Smith, Red Sox reliever, is on the fence about whether he will have to have surgery on his right (pitching) shoulder after suffering a subluxation last week, and seeking a second opinion. Missing the 2016 season, and part of the 2017 with TJ recovery, he suffered the disaster after angrily tossing his glove, showing his emotion over a poor outing. Some like to see grown men, who, whether they like it or not, are examples for our children and grandchildren, behave like kids having a temper tantrum. We witnessed, when he was pulled, the same behavior from Lance Lynn a couple days ago after 6.2 innings of shutout ball, and it is presented as a video clip in Tom Froemming's always appreciated recap article: http://twinsdaily.com/_/minnesota-twins-news/minnesota-twins/min-6-det-0-lynn-shows-will-to-win-r6788 Lynn, like Chapman, also missed the 2016 season recovering from TJ. Some see this type of behavior as emotion and passion, passion that can spark a team. Maybe that is true. Personally, I see it as ridiculous, childish, and unimpressive. A player and a leader can show emotion and passion in so many more advantageous, positive, and more beneficial ways. Over the years, so many players have injured themselves punching walls and coolers, and other needless and unimpressive behavior. In this case, it wasn't even a poor outing for Lynn, it was a great start, a great day, for him and the team! He did the same thing as Chapman. Sure, Chapman's was a freak injury, and it could never happen again, or even to Chapman, except it did and could. Thousands have done the same thing, and no problem, including Lynn during this game. In fact, it is somewhat of a common occurrence. Lynn could have just as well come in the dugout looking for high fives and being exuberant, and he would have been bathed in team spirit and congratulated by the whole team, and created a passionate happy dugout, and fired everyone up with his passion, and even though he has been slow to help his new team, shown some leadership. Instead, he had to mope alone on the bench, and get no love from the rest of the team that basically ignored him then, and let him sit alone in all that misdirected emotion and passion. I am impressed by the player who, even when they are upset, or slumping, or having a bad outing, still find a way to take a breath and then be a vocal cheerleader and express positive unselfish emotion. And it really isn't about them being an example, it is just that temper tantrums is passion misdirected, and not something that can help anything. Hitting walls, smashing coolers with baseball bats, throwing gloves........ coming out of the dugouts and fighting to have a teammates metaphorical back after he purposely threw a ball at a batter on pupose....... I am not impressed. But I was impressed with Lynn's day on the mound..... finally.... and I hope the players notice what happened to Carson Chapman, and that it makes them think hard about doing something that has no reward, and could freakishly take them off the field and away from the game and team, and not let them do what they are so lucky to be doing, and getting paid millions to do it. The leadership and passion and emotion for this team is open for the younger stars to step into, and I hope they gel and really start showing it, and have fun winning 90 plus games. The more positive future leaders becoming leaders now and expressing themselves, the better. This division is open for a leader, and it may as well be the Twins.

Hence, the wrap up.... "Too soon to tell though, but not to wonder about." Perhaps you already do agree with me. And I am now agreeing with the non-fan prognosticators........ the AL Central really sucks.

One of the things that has changed...... is the managers. Winning managers. And some coaches. It still takes players to perform, and that is always a carosel, but managers that won is one of the variables that has changed. Everyone that competes likes to win, but in the end, the minors is for development. And the faster the better. Anything else is gravy.

Goodrum is proving to be another misidentified toss off. Good for him. It is looking like he was ready, even though this team's brain trust never really thought so. Too soon to tell though, but not to wonder about.