h2oface

I didn't know what it meant, until I read this, and I pay attention. I believe him.

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.

Excellent article and research. Thanks for posting it.

I certainly do not have the same opinion. Not underpaid? People accept being underpaid all the time when they get to do what they love, especially at that young age, and the carrot on the string dangling in front of them every minute of every day is what makes them accept it. The whole "intern" system in all business is based upon working for a pittance, or even nothing, for the dream of "making it", and the explotation is rampant. MLB is no exception. Even with the projected raises for the 2021 season, if there is a next season..... it is still very exploitative, with the dream being the reason they do it, and accept it. Please note the "from" numbers. Even the "Up to" is pathetic. https://mlb.nbcsports.com/2020/02/16/mlb-to-raise-minor-league-salaries-for-2021-season/ The raises (for 2021) will range between 38 percent and 72 percent. Here are the weekly raises broken down by level: Rookie and short-season: Up to $400 from $290 Single-A: Up to $500 from $290 Double-A: Up to $600 from $350 Triple-A: Up to $700 from $502 While the raises are nice, it is not nearly enough. This still does not guarantee minor league players a livable wage. As the Associated Press notes, Triple-A players can earn $14,000 for their five-month season and short-season players can earn $4,800 for their three-month season. Minor leaguers are not paid during the offseason or for spring training. Major League Baseball for years lobbied Congress to prevent minor league players from earning worker protections like a minimum wage and overtime pay, earning a legislative victory last year. The raises are a fraction of what they might otherwise pay in a just society. (I think the meal allowance for this year is $25/day. I don't know what it is next year) and from the MILB site, for 2020....... https://www.milb.com/about/faqs-business#11 Q. What do Minor League players earn? A. Minor League Baseball player contracts are handled by the Major League Baseball office. Here are the salary ranges: First contract season: $1,100/month maximum. After that, open to negotiation. Alien Salary Rates: Different for aliens on visas as mandated by INS (the United States Immigration and Naturalization Service). Meal Money: $25 per day at all levels, while on the road. There are signing bonuses for some, sure, and it buys many of them away from a valuable education and college, but that is a bonus, and not a salary. I challenge anyone to make it on that pay in this day and age. Add a family that may be starting... and help must come from elsewhere.

Now they can just pay less people horribly. But still horribly.

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.

Tom Froemming, you are a maniac.

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.

A Play-off! Next up, 1965 against 1987, the two winners play for the title. You might get the 87/91 matchup you are looking for. But some adjustment needs to be made. Rosters can only be 25 players, not everyone that played for the team at anytime during the year. If a player was suspended (like Pineda), they don't get to play. If they were traded during the season, or released or sent down and didn't finish the year on the team..... not on the roster. I don't mind those that may have been off the playoff rosters of the teams because of injury being able to be on the active roster for the simulations. But this simulation seems to allow for many of the above, and unlimited rosters, and therefore pretty unrealistic.

As much fun as this is, and the write ups are great, it has just gotten absurd. First Neagle, who had pitched all of 20 inning as a rookie in 1991 with a .329 average against is lights out and started instead of Scott Erickson (20-8, 3.18 ERA, .248 average against) for game 3, and then Erickson is skipped and Tapani gets game 4 on 2 days rest! NEAGLE WASN'T EVEN ON ANY OF THE POST SEASON ROSTERS (and never pitched for the Twins again past those 20 innings)! And neither was Pineda. Come on! I don't care who wins, and the premise is really interesting, but the computer games should at least be representative of resonable choices that would be made, and the whole Erickson debacle the computer has picked is just not. At least it didn't have Magill pitching in relief for the 4th game in a row...... (as if he would have pitched in the first 3.... after being sold to Seattle in July). Buxton playing in the post season, too. I guess non of that matters. It is just for fun. I have too much time on my hands these days.....

Don't miss Heezy1323's timely article on the TJ surgery..... http://twinsdaily.com/blog/1036/entry-11878-ucl-reconstruction-techniques/