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TopGunn#22

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Everything posted by TopGunn#22

  1. TopGunn#22
    Great article. A nice trip down memory lane. I agree with tony&rodney that the rule change eliminating take out slides at 2B was a huge step in the right direction. Luckily for Twins fans (and baseball fans in general) Rod Carew was able to come back from his take out slide and become a HOF player. I love the delicious irony that Allen kicked the game winning field goal against the Buckeyes. Woody Hayes spurned him, and he made Woody pay. :)
  2. TopGunn#22
    I would like to echo LA Vikes Fan on his assessment of Dodgers manager Dave Roberts. I'm not really a fan of Rocco, but I have stated on TD posts in the past and will do so again..."Nobody does LESS with MORE, than Dave Roberts. Every season, Dodgers ownership and FO gives him whatever he needs... Mookie Betts? No Problem!! Trea Turner and Max Scherzer? Here you go! Freddie Freeman?? Piece of Cake! Shohei and Yammamoto?? Are you kidding? Consider them on the team Dave!! (there are many other players I could mention). And except for the Covid shortened season, the Dodgers haven't won a full season World series since Orel Hershiser pitched them to it in 1988. That's not all on Dave Roberts, but it's hard to argue that the Dodgers organization hasn't done EVERYTHING to win a World Series for Dave Roberts and year after year after year he falls short. So yeah, if you backed me up against a wall and told me I had to choose between Rocco and Roberts...I'd take Rocco.
  3. TopGunn#22
    Let's assume he clears waivers, which is not out of the question. If it becomes a free for all with suitors, the Twins should be going tooth and nail to bring him back. It's hard not to emphatically agree that Twins ownership, and to a lesser degree (but still warranted) front office doesn't deserve a Twins post season since they haven't done anything to earn it. But as a fan, I would love to see this reunion and see the Twins in the postseason.
  4. TopGunn#22
    Varland is the easy answer. The sooner the better. Why wait until mid-September when a playoff spot is on the line. Do. It. Now. Winder is a viable candidate. Paddack a little more iffy, but if he's healthy and his velo is good he makes a good candidate. Joe Ryan was a little surprising to see. I just assumed he would be shut down for the season. Festa would be my next favorite after Varland but I wouldn't worry about getting him "ready" for a bullpen role. He's needed in our rotation now thru the end of the regular season. I don't agree that you need to "prepare" a guy to LIGHTEN his load. Rocco would never use him in back to back games in the post season anyway. I love Festa's stuff. And in the sprint that is the playoffs as opposed to the marathon of the regular season, he could transition smoothly to a bullpen role. The Dodgers never had to "prepare" Kenta Maeda to swing from the rotation to the bullpen come the playoffs. I'm not ready to give up on Kody Funderburk. He's a lefty with some nasty stuff who seems like he's been battling one nagging injury after another since spring training. I remember how good he was last year and if his stuff is what it should be, HE would be the guy to replace Okert. Not sure at all about Tonkin or Raya but appreciated seeing their names included as options. Finally, I echo the previous question about Matt Canterino. WHERE IS HE?!?!?!?? I've been looking for some kind of mention all year in the minor league reports (which I appreciate and are always interesting) but where is he? Has he even thrown 20 innings this year? Canterino has the "stuff" to be a real difference maker but he's invisible. Can someone give us a report on the entirety of his season? This was supposed to be kind of a make it or break it year for him.
  5. TopGunn#22
    I have no problem with Lewis working out at 2B. It's clear that if we make the playoffs neither Julien or Farmer is an option for the position. Someone stated that Brooks Lee will not make the playoff roster unless there is an injury. I vociferously disagree. Lee is ON that playoff roster ahead of either Farmer or Julien. One of the things about Lewis that I find interesting is that he had a cannon for an arm when we drafted him. He had Tommy John surgery, but he's a couple years removed from it. Most pitchers come back after rehabbing with the same or even great velocity. What has happened to Lewis's arm strength. He frequently bounces throws to 1B from 3B. Lee clearly has a better arm. If Lewis still had "his cannon" we wouldn't be talking about moving him to 2B. I also don't agree with the concern that Lewis would be in greater danger of getting injured playing 2B. This might have been the case in the rough and tumble 1960's and 1970's when base runners routinely went in hard to 2B to "break up the double play. But that's just not the case anymore. If I'm the Twins, once Brooks Lee is healthy, I just might DFA Farmer. he certainly wouldn't be on MY playoff roster with Lee, Lewis and Miranda on the team. I'm not 100% sure the Twins are trading Julien this off season with his value cratering. But much like Kirilloff, I would hang onto him and see if they catch fire with St. Paul and far better with the Twins in 2025. THEN I would consider trading Julien at the deadline to pick up some pitching.
  6. TopGunn#22
    I would put Rocco FAR DOWN on the list. I'm NOT a fan. I would really rather have Paul Molitor as the manager. Molly did more with less. I truly believe that if Molly had the talent the last couple years that Rocco did the Twins would have done better. Why no love for Sam Mele ?? He did a very good job from 1961-1967.
  7. TopGunn#22
    I agree Linus. As the centerpiece of the Polanco trade I primarily focused on him being a RH bat to counter all our LH corner OF bats. That he has a cannon for an arm is interesting. If he develops into a .280/.350/.490 corner OF with 20-25 HR production an OF that has Wallner in RF and Gonzalez in LF would be interesting. With Jenkins in CF I don't know where that leaves Emm-Rod but it just goes to show how much depth we have in our farm system and that all of them will not and cannot be Twins. As far as a timeline, by this time next year we will have a much better idea where the pieces may fall. Emm-Rod could already be a Twin. Jenkins and Gonzalez will probably be advancing in the system. Kepler will be gone and we will have another season to gauge where Wallner, Larnach and Kirilloff are.
  8. TopGunn#22
    Jim Kaat always said that what helped him the most in his development into a big league pitcher was his manager in his first year in the minors requiring him to pitch out of difficulty. Kaat said something like, "He'd come out to the mound and he'd tell me, well sonny, you've dug yourself into a bit of a hole. Let's see you figure out a way out of it." Now, Kaat had a decent fastball, but he was always more concerned with location than velocity. Teams didn't obsess over pitch counts like they do nowadays either. But it's well past time for Raya to throw a minimum of 80 pitches per outing come hell or high water. At this rate, he's being pigeonholed into a 5-inning SP at best and probably a middle relief pitcher at worst. Take off the darn training wheels and let the kid learn how to pitch!! Let him learn how to deal with adversity and grow.
  9. TopGunn#22
    Cody, I agree 100% that not resigning either was a good move. Maeda has been horrible for the Tigers. He started showing signs of falling off a cliff last year with his uneven performances and he's been a dumpster fire this year. Gray is the tougher call, but I thought there would be no way he could duplicate his 2023 CY Young runner-up season. I think the Cardinals overpaid and Sonny is their problem now. I disagree with the idea that not signing them provided the Twins with "flexibility" at the trade deadline. The Twins would have been stiff as a board at the deadline no matter what. They had clear needs for one rotation spot and one or two bullpen arms and the FO/Ownership fell flat. While Cleveland and Kansas City made moves, the Twins added a pitcher that their manager clearly has no confidence in using in any kind of high leverage situation. The Twins would have been better off calling Varland up to take the spot Richards now occupies. Instead, we're treading water while Cleveland stumbles and the Royals are breathing down our neck. Now, had they not been entirely focused on cutting payroll and instead invested that money this off season in Blake Snell, you'd be looking at a playoff rotation of Snell, Lopez and Ober. I'd ride with that. Or, if they had traded Kepler to the Yankees for Nestor Cortes you would be seeing more Wallner & Larnach and at least have a veteran major league LH starter in your rotation. It does not bode well for the Twins to be so heavily reliant on THREE rookie pitchers no matter what their talent and potential is. One rookie pitcher...OK. THREE? It's like watching Mullins play QB for the Vikings. Something good might happen, but that interception is lurking just around the corner.
  10. TopGunn#22
    I don't ever remember a time when the Twins farm system seemed to be in a better place. Prospects thriving on both the mound and position players. On the one hand, you could see the Twins parting with one or two guys to get an established player that could help the team NOW this off season. On the other hand, you realize that ownership and FO will probably not be adding any sizable payroll in the near future. It's a good problem to have from a talent standpoint, but you have to admit that the Twins are pretty darn young right now, with guys like Lewis, Lee, Miranda, Julien, Wallner, Larnach, and Kirilloff on the hitters side, and Matthews, Festa, SWR, on the pitching side. With guys like Emmanuel Rodriguez, Walker Jenkins, Luke Keashall and Winokur pushing hard (and don't sleep on Culpepper) something's gotta give. They just won't have room for all of these guys.
  11. TopGunn#22
    This is a GREAT time to bring this topic up. With the Twins bullpen in complete self-immolation mode we are 2-weeks too late to bring Varland up and put him in the pen. He's a power arm who can be used in high leverage situations if he's throwing one or two inning stints. How many late game leads do the Twins need to blow before this front office has the caffeine from their morning coffee kick in??? The twins went out and got a complete non factor for their bullpen at the deadline (Richards) who Rocco is rightly reticent to use in a high leverage situation. Honestly, as far as a starting pitcher is concerned, Dobnak would probably do just as well as Varland. But Varland COULD be a difference maker in the pen. And to make this move NOW in no way puts Varland out of contending for a starting rotation spot for 2025. DO IT !!!
  12. TopGunn#22
    Winokur was drafted in the same draft we picked Jenkins I believe, maybe in a high, compensatory round. He was always intriguing to me at 6:6 and playing SS and CF. It indicated to me that the kid had some impressive athleticism and a solid arm. Watching the 3 HR's he crushed, I completely agree with whoever said the kid does NOT have a violent swing. It's smooth and precise. Not to put this on him, but his swing looks a little like Aaron Judge. Judge knows he's a big dude and ballparks just must seem small to him. Unlike the violent swing Sano had, Winokur just seems to know that he doesn't have to overpower the ball to get it to sail out of the park. I'm not sure he can stay at either SS or CF, although Ripken at 6:4 did at SS for many years and Judge at 6:7 plays a very good CF. But at 6:6 and with that athleticism, he will be a plus defender wherever he lands...Corner Outfield, 1B or even CF. He's a guy to keep an eye on.
  13. TopGunn#22
    As a kid in 6th grade for that 1969 Twins team I was a Billy Martin kid. I loved the aggressiveness on the bases. In 1969, Carew stole home 7 times but Cesar Tovar also stole 45 bases ! We were fun to watch. Even if the Twins had kept Billy Martin to manage the ballclub in 1970 (they went with Bill Rigney) I think Martin would still have been gone after the 1970 season assuming we would have won the West Division and maybe even won just one game against the Orioles in the 1970 playoffs. Billy was just too combative and he demonstrated that even after he earned his "Dream Job" managing the Yankees. It's true George Steinbrenner was a tough boss, but when he would inevitably fire Billy the Yankees still won. 1969 will always be my favorite Twins team. Billy Martin was the manager. I loved his aggressive style. But he had so many demons he just couldn't overcome that his career track was predictable. Billy was a good manager, that is undeniable. But the stress and chaos he brought weren't enough for him to be someone's manager for 15 years.
  14. TopGunn#22
    TREMENDOUS !! This is vintage RandBalls Stu !! There's always a healthy bit of truth in satire, it's just overlaid with some very clever humor. You my friend, always deliver the goods and you did so in spades this time. My weekend will be spent chuckling about this constantly. I feel like I should say to my wife "Hey Honey, lets skip the Joe Mauer day on Saturday and go to the hanging of the Financial Prudence Banner on Sunday instead !!!" Many thumbs UP !!
  15. TopGunn#22
    We gave up nothing to get very little. Richards could surprise and pitch decently for a couple weeks but I agree with others who think he could get DFA'd by the end of August and we'll go with some young arms come September 1st.
  16. TopGunn#22
    I agree with mikelink45! Thanks for all the video. It really helps you see his stuff. Anyone that consistently throws mid 90's and can hit 97-98 has a major league fastball. What impressed me was the sharp break and movement of his slider and curveball. Even with MLB making $5-$15 million dollars available to about 8 teams (the Twins being one of them) with the stipulation that the money cannot be pocketed by ownership, it must be spent to improve the ballclub, I just don't see the Pohlad's taking advantage of this. It's possible we see Matthews up sometime in August as opposed to a high profile trade. The big difference between Matthews and, say, Festa or Varland is command. That walk rate is IMPRESSIVE. Maybe 2 more starts for St. Paul and he's part of the big league club. The development of Matthews may make Varland becoming a bullpen piece a certainty.
  17. TopGunn#22
    This is a very interesting agreement and lots of good comments regarding it. I just can't believe that MLB or the MLBPA would agree to any of this extra income unless there was a specific stipulation that this revenue be spent to improve a team's roster. They simply cannot just let teams pocket this money (as the Pohlad's are most likely to want to do). EVERYTHING about this process should be made public. No team getting money should be able to just pocket it. There are nine teams that fall within the parameters. The Rockies are the only team that is a certainty NOT to take advantage of this. That leaves 8 teams who could. The Twins will have no excuses if they fail to take advantage of this. They need a pitcher to slot in at #3, behind Lopez and Ryan and ahead of Ober and SWR. This "pennies from heaven" revenue gives the Pohlad's a reason to spend a little to improve the ballclub. If, after this possible shot in the arm with potential revenue the Pohlad's remain averse to spending additional money, there is still a pitcher in Mexico who could be had for the league minimum and who would probably relish an opportunity to pitch in meaningful games against Cleveland.
  18. TopGunn#22
    I have no doubt at all that Twins ownership will use the excuse of slightly lower attendance this season to stand pat at the trade deadline. It's the Pohlad way. I was a little surprised at the TV revenue figures listed in the article. I had always thought that Twins 2023 TV revenue from Diamond Sports was $55 million (the article listed it as $60 million for 2023). And I thought the figure we all discussed on TD after it was announced the team was going back to Diamond Sports for this year was $47 million (roughly 85% of what 2023's revenue had been). Whatever the precise revenue figures are, really isn't relevant to the Pohlad's. They were going to cut salary/expenses no matter what for 2024. Cleveland, Detroit and Kansas City all made moves to be competitive and it's worked out pretty well for the Guardians and Royals. Heck, the Royals just added Hunter Henry to their struggling bullpen. That's a decent move. I don't disagree that the biggest additions the Twins can and will make before or soon after the trade deadline will be Royce Lewis, Brock Stewart and Justin Topa (and maybe Varland to the BP). However, none of those moves improve the starting rotation. Adding a SP who at worst would slot in as the #3 behind Lopez and Ryan and pushes Ober to #4 and SWR to #5 is a need that should filled if the Pohlad's are serious about defending their A.L. Central crown and making some noise in the playoffs. The American League pennant is there for the taking. The Yankees suddenly look beatable. The Astros ain't the Astros anymore. Cleveland is catchable and beatable. Seattle has gotten no help at all offensively from Jorge Polanco and despite great pitching has a weak lineup top to bottom. The team to beat is Baltimore, and the only chance the Twins have is to get healthy and find a SP who has similar talent to Lopez and Ryan. But I'm not holding my breath that such a move will be made.
  19. TopGunn#22
    Yeah, I would really like to see them sign Hill. Spend a little over his slot to make it happen.
  20. TopGunn#22
    Typical Twins draft so far in that they went Hitter, Hitter, Hitter before selecting LHP Hill with their 4th pick. Then a couple catchers and an OF (and one of the catchers can play OF). Then 3 pitchers in a row (looking forward to calling Jason Doctorcyzk "Doc" when he finally makes it to the big leagues). I like the picks so far, especially LHP Dasan Hill. Hoping they can sign that kid. His video and his projectability are attention getting.
  21. TopGunn#22
    I think Doc Gast made a great point of trying not to sell low. But that's not always in the cards you're dealt. Sometimes you have to factor in the number of guys that have passed a prospect by in your system. I'm sure the Cubs thought they were getting a heck of a pitcher in Ernie Broglio back in 1964 and for whatever reason, felt they didn't need Lou Brock anymore. These types of discussions always ramp up around draft time/trade deadline time. A team adds new talent and some players just don't perform due to injury or lack of talent. There is no doubt that Kirilloff has the talent. He hasn't been able to stay healthy. But corner outfield spots are going to get pretty crowded even with the probable departure of Max Kepler this off season. 1B can be filled by Miranda and Julien going forward. If I can get a young, hard throwing LHP (whose stock is also "distressed" at this time) I would make that trade KNOWING that I have Miranda, Julien, Castro, Larnach, Wallner, E-Rod, and maybe even Kiersey waiting in the wings. Detmers is an excellent suggestion for this type of possible trade. Someone like Joe Adell would NOT be someone I'd be interested in. I wonder what other suggestions Ted or anyone else would have?
  22. TopGunn#22
    I would do it. There comes a time when you just can't wait any longer. Kirilloff fits this profile. The Angels have guys like Detmers and Adell that do as well. I'd take a chance on a young lefty SP.
  23. TopGunn#22
    Because the Pohlad's own the team, money will always be tight. They will spend from time to time but never for an extended length of time. If the topic is improving our starting pitching significantly at little cost, there is only one guy our there who can deliver on BOTH of those criteria. He's been discussed before. If we were to make a trade, I agree with the "Ober Principal" in that, if we're going to acquire someone, he not only needs to be better than Paddack, he must at minimum meet what Ober provides and better yet, exceed it. That is the only way we get better in our rotation. Adding fringe guys to our rotation like Shoemaker, Happ, DeSclafani and the like never have and never will have a positive impact. The Twins will only tread water with guys like this. They won't reach the beach. The bullpen could improve quite a bit if Stewart and Topa enter the mix and Varland moves into a BP role.. Especially if Stewart picks up where he left off. The rotation is NOT going to improve if the twins do nothing. We are expecting Lopez and Ryan to pitch like Aces. Last night, Ryan fell far short of that. We have shaved a decent amount of Cleveland's lead as we get ready to head into the All Star break, but I predict we won't catch them unless we give our rotation a shot in the arm.
  24. TopGunn#22
    Walker Jenkins is talented and I believe he will continue to get better and better. His lack of power so far this year is a slight concern. All he needs is a 2-week power tear and any concern washes down the drain. There is no question in my mind that 2025 will be the year for E-Rod. He should probably be in St. Paul sometime soon and will probably be back in St. Paul to begin 2025, but E-Rod will be up and playing regularly for the Twins by June of next year and might just get a cup of coffee this year. Walker Jenkins is a talent that the Twins FO will not be able to contain. He's 6:5 225 pounds. The power will come. It won't be immediate but soon enough, he will be a Twin. The thought of Royce Lewis, Brooks Lee, E-Rod and Walker Jenkins with a host of other highly thought of Twins prospects (Miranda, Julien, Wallner, even Larnach and Kirilloff) is a feeling similar to the T-Wolves situation where you have Ant, KAT, Rudy and McDaniels with Dillingham and Shannon, maybe throw in a Leonard Miller/Luke Garza? it's an exciting NOW as well as an exciting future.
  25. TopGunn#22
    There will be a lot of names tossed out into the buffet of players available come the trade deadline. Some will be too costly, some too risky, some a little too hot, some a little too cold. In the buffet of names that have been listed I'm being a little choosey. I don't like anything on the buffet yet but I'm happy to keep looking.
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