h2oface
-
Posts
11,136 -
Joined
-
Days Won
6
Content Type
Profiles
News
Minnesota Twins Videos
2026 Minnesota Twins Top Prospects Ranking
2022 Minnesota Twins Draft Picks
Minnesota Twins Free Agent & Trade Rumors, Notes, & Tidbits
Guides & Resources
2023 Minnesota Twins Draft Picks
The Minnesota Twins Players Project
2024 Minnesota Twins Draft Picks
2025 Minnesota Twins Draft Pick Tracker
2026 Minnesota Twins Draft Tracker: Picks & Bonuses
Forums
Blogs
Events
Store
Downloads
Gallery
Everything posted by h2oface
-
Much better than a planned, focused and regular training regimen, you think?. I understand, and I have done something similar a couple different winters after the dreadful 2010 Haiti quake. With the trip there, the different eating and water intake, I would say not as decent a "workout" as you might think, unless you are speaking from experience instead of supposition. Quite a bit of downtime waiting for supplies (which always seemed to be a problem), etc. But then, the 3-4 weeks our group spent could be a bit different deal, but the building programs I was exposed to are all pretty similar. I think it is honorable, and certainly rewarding, just not what he needs to be doing to extend his ability to not fade so drastically as the year moves on, and certainly not a cardio workout. I don't think he is doing it this year, anway (I recall reading somewhere). Point is, he can do that for years and years after his baseball career is over. It is surely an honorable thing to participate in. The chimes are sounding for doing something different in the off season, as what he has been doing (and what some other teammates are doing, including folks like Mauer, Hughes, and Perkins) is not helping him/them last a whole season.
-
Dozier's winters in Haiti don't seem to provide for his physical stamina in the second half of the season. While fulfilling to him, it isn't providing well for his being in good enough shape to last a whole season. Perhaps he should hang with Berrios some and get in condition that might help him as a ball player in his ball playing years.
-
I believe that Wade Davis was forced upon KC to complete the trade. Tampa had converted Wade to the bullpen the year before, and he had good success. Because of his relatively high salary (in KC's eyes, at least, and Tampa's to require they take the salary dump), KC still had hopes he would be successful as a starter, which was a failure and resulted in a Nolasco/Pelfrey year and an ERA in the 5s. Davis became the goldmine from that trade, and Wil Myers has been exposed as overrated at this point. I call it a big win for KC, but it wasn't because of their shrewdness, but a bit of luck.
-
I am so excited to see if..... 7 to eight years down the road.... if he can contribute to some team. I just can't wait. One of the most exciting parts of baseball, especially if you get lucky enough to get picked by the Twins. I guess the good news would be they would actually have him playing outfield for all those years, instead of having him play something else until he is actually in the show. That would be something different..... train a guy to play what he will actually play. What a revolutionary plan.
-
88.
-
I don't see Billy Beane as "being let go". True, he is no longer the GM, but he chose the new GM, David Forst, who was Beane's right hand man and Assistant GM for some years, and the A's and Beane didn't want to lose him to enticing offers from other teams. Billy Beane is now the Executive Vice President of Baseball Operations, and still the man where the buck stops. The change of titles had been in the works for a couple of months before it was announced. This April, the Giants basically did virtually the same thing with Brian Sabean as executive vice president of baseball operations and Bobby Evans the team’s GM. I don't see the Giants as letting Sabean go, either, as both moves are considered promotions, and both Sabean and Beane are head of all baseball operations.
-
I don't think there was a rebuild. And I have to believe "one of the most honest people in the world" that was one of the Twins brass that said there was not one. Many of the folks that are supposedly part of the rebuild and referenced by the rebuild claimers as part of the rebuild, were drafted before that trade you speak of, and while the Twins were competing and achieving playoff births (Sano, Rosario, Kepler to name a few.... others may know a more complete list) as a general matter of business. For me, a rebuild means gutted, purged, and starting over. For a GM to sign aging average lower end to middle of the pack salary starting pitchers to 4 year contracts instead of going with youth and actually blocking youth...... this does not signal rebuild. For a GM to keep the high salaried Mauer instead of taking the hit and moving him somehow ... this does not signal rebuild. Houston went for a rebuild. Atlanta is rebuilding. Philadelphia is rebuilding now. 20 years of mediocrity (KC) is not a 20 year rebuild, it is just a bad team for 20 years. Perhaps "you don't have to call something by its name, for it to be that thing", but perhaps one can also call something a name that it isn't, just because they want to, or that it may be popular with a group one wants to identify with. The lack of going with youth more aggressively, even if they lose all year (how much worse could it have been with 99 and 96 loss seasons), signals no rebuild. I would have loved to see a rebuild, personally.
-
Let's Stop Discounting Tommy Milone
h2oface replied to Nick Nelson's topic in Twins Daily Front Page News
Is there an inside joke or reason for Milhone instead of Milone? Just curious.... I noticed that you use an alternate spelling consistently, and wonder if I am missing something..... -
Let's Stop Discounting Tommy Milone
h2oface replied to Nick Nelson's topic in Twins Daily Front Page News
I certainly can't say "very good", nor can I support it with the most recent year's stat lines if I could say it . It might even be a stretch to say league average. -
Can anyone show me a quote from ownership or management in which they claim the Twins were/are in a "rebuild"? The only statements I can remember is that they emphatically stated they were not in a rebuild. Is this something that people like to assume or say, even though those running the team claim is not true? It seems to be a popular thing to claim, even though it seems to be refuted by all team representatives.
-
Let's Stop Discounting Tommy Milone
h2oface replied to Nick Nelson's topic in Twins Daily Front Page News
I think the the most teams look at Milone the same way, and are discounting him.. I know if I was attending a game, and Milone was the starter, I would be disappointed (although not as disappointed as I was when I had to watch Pelfrey last year in the series against the Angels out here in California). If I was to be the man that selected the "average pitcher(s)" to keep if I needed to cull from all the other wide selection of "average pitchers" on the roster, Milone would be one of the first. Maybe I am not being statistically fair, but sometimes one can't really put the finger on reasons.The thing I like about Milone, is that if I needed another average pitcher for injury replacement, it could turn out OK if I needed Tommy Milone to step in. I don't think that is what role Milone would like to play, though. -
I guess then the score is Epstein and Luhnow - 2, Terry Ryan - ZERO. I see them vastly different in that they Lohnow (who wasn't even in baseball until 2003) and Epstein are on the edge and pushing development in the new and changing baseball world, and Ryan is doing what he mostly always has (international markets' exception noted... and given credit for). I see them vastly different.
-
Correct. I was really referring to Wade's growth as his transition in that role. Interesting that the Royals still tried to have him be a starter that first year in KC in 2013..... I was making the comparison that Nathan was not a closer previous to coming to the Twins, and it seems that both KC and the Twins got some fortunate luck from both of these deals.
-
Hey.. just ask Ryan..... he honestly says that the Twins were never in a "rebuild", so I don't know how it could have been a shorter period of time. And didn't the Royals consider Shields an ace? I think they did, and Wil Myers was definitely a prospect that was traded to get him, along with Jake Odorizzi, Patrick Leonard and Mike Montgomery. (They got the Nathan/Liriano luck with Wade and how he transitioned to the bullpen monster) Perhaps you are only considering the Greinke trade?
-
Quite an assumption that the author feels like a scorned job applicant. Perhaps not an assumption. We all have the right to our own feelings. Should I feel real stupid now for not being part of the right club, and lacking nuance? I think that the characterization of the one side - "on the one side are people that will always despise the ownership and management of the Twins, some to the point of claiming anything good that has ever happened was either lucky or was forced upon Ryan." - is lacking in nuance. There is quite a bit of diversity among those that want a change in management. They might also realize that ownership is different and not necessarily needing to be classified with management here - especially general management - and ........ "always" might be lacking in nuance. How about using an example like Luhnow (Houston) or Epstein(Cubs), instead of easy prey like Preller. Now how does it read?
-
I guess what I am trying to say is.... I am an individual, and not part of "we" in general. The "we" you speak of, were definitely a pack, and liked it together and cooperatively, as I remember. I was talking about my concern for his UCL, and the mediocre career line, even then. I really hope I end up wrong, but last years .400 ERA/.416 FIP are right in line with his career line, and I have little hope it will get better. I do realize a lot of fans will put up with mediocre and average, and call it a good move.
-
Maybe I am missing something here... so don't let me put words in your mouth if I am. I don't mean to. I would much rather have Liriano and what he has been paid and how he has performed since the trade than Escobar and his line and the money paid. That is how I have to look at the decision. Could Liriano have progressed to his last 3 years performance with Gardenhire and Anderson messing with him? Probably not. But just comparing the two's performance and cost since the trade, I see it as a bigh Liriano win, and not Escobar.
-
Trade Santana before his UCL finally tears all the way..... do it now before you can't.
-
Hey........ you left out Pelfrey! Hughes' initial contract was fine..... and the extension was the Ryan classic. Agreed. Do you think Ryan would have extended him if he had waited until this off season? Ryan over reacts after one good year. Not the signs of a smart GM to me. My not liking the Santana signing from the get go holds plenty of water to me, as does all of my feelings about all of the signings, and I don't really care if it doesn't to you. We all have the right to decide what we feel and like. Santana is a career 4.16 ERA/4.26 FIP pitcher. And getting older. No one is blaming Ryan for his PED suspension. It is likely Santana would have been pretty close to his career norm even if he had pitched all year, and that is a .500 pitcher, on a just over .500 team. Treading water. One of those on the staff is OK. Maybe even two, if you also have signed an ace, and a number two. 4 of them.... yuk. When Santana's UCL does finally rip fully while under contract with the Twins, and more season(s) are lost.... remember I told you so. Just as with Wainwright from the Cards, it is only a matter of time, and Santana is stretching it, figuratively and literally.
-
I wince to be included in "we all wanted". I am not part of the we that ever wants mediocre free agent pitching. Terry Ryan's selections, while in charge of a budget he claimed had no restrictions, to me, are despicable. I never liked Nolasco (always does and did worse than projected), Hughes (I contend, even with a total outlier in 2014, will continue to be the Phil Hughes the Yankees let go, and will once again start the season horribly just like is his past history, and was foolishly extended after his first year), and Santana's roided lost half season and partially torn UCL that I am convinced is finally going to tear totally after all these 7 or 8 or so years..... and don't even get me started on Pelfrey! But I read all the apologists' posts. And then there is the bullpen trash and Milone too, I guess. No guts, no glory. I would always rather go for gusto, even if I drown, rather than tread uninteresting waters. And May goes to the pen, and young starters are blocked for .500 pitchers. That is how you build a .500 team, and not how a team that can go deep in the playoffs is built. One Price or Greinke or Scherzer, etc, would be better than all 4 of the dreaded innings eaters (and cheaper per season) - at least in my we group, which maybe is just me.
-
What Holes Still Must Be Filled?
h2oface replied to Nick Nelson's topic in Twins Daily Front Page News
It really surprises me how most give Phil Hughes a pass, especially with how horrible he is in April. Those games count as much as all the others in the season, and there is no reason to keep making the same mistake, after his problem is identified, over and over and over again. Forget the drastic loss of velocity and his coming back from injury. Just consider his history in April. At least put him in the bullpen for the start of the year. May could be entrenched in the rotation by then, or not, and Hughes could be the answer for the pen. Or not. At least you are trying to do something different and trying to stop the same April results from happening yet again. "Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results." ~ Albert Einstein -
Well, sometimes satire misses the recipient. The athletic bit is just repeating the meme about the reasons of sending Sano to the outfield. But seriously, to reply to your two words for me, briefly, as to not go to far off subject...... just think how much better Colon might be if he was a person that took care of himself, especially at his age. Being in shape and athletic condition never hurts and can help one achieve being the best they can be. Being soft and out of shape certainly didn't help Perkins or Hughes last year. But by all means, if you are fond of the tubby exceptions like Colon and Sabathia (I guess Sabathia can't be used as an example anymore), embrace it as you like.
-
Like It Or Not, May Is Bullpen Bound
h2oface replied to Nick Nelson's topic in Twins Daily Front Page News
Why do folks keep worrying about restricting budget? The "most honest man in baseball", according to many posters, keeps telling us (well documented and directly from the honest horses mouth) that the Twins' budget has no restrictions. That has to be true, right? Start spending the money. Don't worry about the money, and improve the team. Dump salary when a player hurts the team. Of course, since these actions don't happen, maybe there is some untruth about the oft mentioned and quoted "no restrictions on the budget". -
Trevor May Should Be In The Rotation
h2oface replied to Tom Froemming's topic in Twins Daily Front Page News
I'm with you 100%. Trevor May should be in the rotation. More on that in the other article's comments Like It Or Not, May Is Bullpen Bound. I won't be redundant and repeat it here. -
Like It Or Not, May Is Bullpen Bound
h2oface replied to Nick Nelson's topic in Twins Daily Front Page News
Rotation. Certainly things can change, but start the season in the rotation. The future of the bullpen is in the farm. If May shows he cannot improve as a starter, the pen is open to him. It would be a shame if the bullpen isn't taken seriously by the GM for yet another year. Hughes could at least start the first month in the pen. He is historically horrible the first month of the season. Every season but one in his career, and even in his best year of 2014, he was horrible in April. Let Hughes get warmed up in the pen, especially with all the questions surrounding him after the major loss in velocity last season and his inability to be in shape when the season started, and to stay healthy. It could possibly be that Hughes is the new bullpen weapon - what he needs to really help the Twins is a lessor load, and he may be fated to do the Wade Davis thing for the rest of his career (wouldn't that be nice). May will not be entering the season "interested to see what he can do heading into a season with the preparation and mindset of a relief pitcher." He will be preparing to start, and making the preparations, in his mind, to start. He will be on a mission to prove Molitor and Ryan wrong. It is only in the managements mindset, or other fans, that the place for him for 2016 is to be a relief pitcher. The right call, for now, for at least the first 5 rounds of starts, is May to the rotation.
