Jump to content
Can the Twins close out a game against the Reds and get back in the win column? Join the conversation! ×
Twins Daily
  • Create Account

Mark G

Verified Member
 View Profile  See their activity

  • Posts

    1,153

  • Joined

  • Last visited

  • Days Won

    3

 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

Forums

Blogs

Events

Store

Downloads

Gallery

Everything posted by Mark G

  1. Mark G
    "I don't trust these defensive stats unless they match up with the eye test." Agreed!
  2. Mark G
    Agree completely..............almost. I still like Thielbar. He only made 1.3M this year, and has 2 years arbitration left. He shouldn't be too expensive for another year or two.
  3. Mark G
    I know this is probably shouting from the bleachers, so to speak, a minority of one, probably. What if we were to sign Urshela, leaving him at 3rd, trade Polanco while he still has decent value, put Arraez at 2nd primarily with Gordon as the utility guy filling in, use Miranda and Kirilloff at 1st with the other DHing when not in the field. That is one medium priced IF guy and 4 pretty cheap ones, and a pretty decent batting order. It leaves money to sign Correa, or pitching if Carlos leaves, and the outfield has more than enough guys to fight it out for 4 spots. And find a catcher!! Now, if Carlos does leave, we may have to live with a stop gap FA for a year until one of our guys are ready, but we could fit one into the budget. I will try not to read the responses; I get scolded enough at home.
  4. Mark G
    No brainer. He is your starting 3rd baseman. His numbers match up with virtually anyone on the team all told, less power than Buck but hits for a much better average, has numbers overall that match pretty well with Correa and Miranda, and doesn't hit as much for average as Arraez, but has more power. Absolutely a better defensive 3rd baseman than Miranda, and I am SO sick and tired of saying 10M is too much to pay for a player with his overall performance. I would sign him to an extension, maybe 2 years with a team option for a 3rd, and if the team goes south you could trade him with his contract control being a good bargaining chip. He is a good all around player and not a problem child as far as I have ever read. Sign him!
  5. Mark G
    I wonder about the context of that clip; what was said before and after would be helpful to know. It is in contrast to the article I read in Wednesday's paper about him wanting very much to stay long term. He used the analogy about being married vs. dating, saying he wanted to marry an organization and was waiting for the Twins to, in his words, "pop the question". It was a very positive article with more quotes suggesting he would like to stay here, but he did imply it would take a long term contract. The ball is in JP's court; he has to decide relatively soon. I have to believe the team wants him back, and Rocco would love to pencil his name in the lineup 140 times a year. But if it comes down to nothing but money, wish him well next week, because it will be the last we see of him.
  6. Mark G
    Boy, it is nice to see another appreciating Urshela. I have loved him from the beginning, and I really hope they stay with him next year and maybe beyond. He has another year of arbitration left, so we have the option, but I think it will be contingent on signing Correa. If we do, we would probably cut payroll in other areas, Urshela being one of the cuts, but I sure hope we keep him.
  7. Mark G
    Point well taken. I do hope he gets that split contract, though.
  8. Mark G
    Very good question; I wish I could answer it. I say that because there was an article yesterday about Correa, and how he said once again he would like to stay long term if it could be worked out. As he put it, he is waiting for them to "pop the question". He wants to get married to an organization, not just date one. Yes, his words, not mine. He wants to stay. What say you, JP?
  9. Mark G
    Agreed. I have always liked the Caveman. He plays all 3 positions more than decently, is easy on the payroll, and has some pop from time to time. I don't expect a 4th outfielder to hit more than Mauer, just more than Jeffers.
  10. Mark G
    No, but we might assume they won't be healthy and successful here. Just kidding...............sort of.
  11. Mark G
    I agree with everything here...........except.........the buck stops with Jim Pohlad. These are his people, hand picked by him and supported by him. He oversees everything in this organization, and has the final say in who runs it. The FO, as we know it, is still run by JP. Every one works for him. He is the only one who can change things. And this extremely humble observer doesn't think he will.
  12. Mark G
    As Harry Truman once said, "the buck stops here", meaning that eventually the responsibility for the actions (or lack of them) of the people he put in place rested with him, as he was the one who put them in place and was supposed to oversee their work. If it is ap ra po for the President to accept responsibility, it should also rest on the owner of a franchise who, also, puts people into place and is the overseer of their work. There are mistakes and missteps to go around, as Cody points out, but the buck has to stop with JP. And only JP can make the changes necessary to improve the team going forward, either by putting better people in place, or by demanding more, and demanding accountability out of the people already in place. What say you, JP? Where does the Twins buck stop? (and I don't mean Byron)
  13. Mark G
    Point well taken, and it is true. But your car being valuable in and of itself doesn't get you anything but offers for that car. It doesn't take you anywhere else. A car that leads a fleet, and leads it to the winners circle, will get the award because without it, the fleet finishes lower. Your collection is what it is, even with the best car; it will never win anything as a collection. Being the best (which I don't give to either one because their roles are completely different and they both excel at their roles) individual doesn't make you the most valuable leader, leading your team to heights higher than they would have reached without you. The whole time Trout was considered the best player in the game the team didn't win, anymore than they are winning now. I could make a case that without Clase, Cleveland wouldn't be in the playoffs. Houston, on the other hand, is stacked; no one player is making a difference because their talent runs too deep. Without any one of them the team still wins. The Yankees can't say that about Judge, and Cleveland can't say that about Clase. Just being the best is not what the award is about; again, it's not the player of the year award. It is supposed to go to the player who was the difference maker between where they are and where they would have been, and without Ohtani they would have finished below Texas and still above Oakland. Not much of a difference. Judge may have literally carried his team to the division title. Without him they would still have made the playoffs in some manner, but without him they do not win the number of games they did. As much as I love to have a give and take, I learn a lot from all the articles and feedbacks, this one is such a no brainer I don't get why it came up.
  14. Mark G
    That may very well be true, but you are right about not being MVP. The MVP is solely, SOLELY, for the most VALUABLE player. Would the Yankees win the division without Judge? Would the Angels be........oh, I don't know, in 4th place instead of 3rd, if they didn't have Ohtani? This is NOT the player of the year award, it is the most valuable. Where would this player's team be without him? I don't know how this is even a discussion.
  15. Mark G
    "That’s absolutely worth $10M, we are way better with him in the lineup compared to the alternatives." Yes, when in the lineup means in CF, not when it means DH. The occasional solo HR does not compensate for the .224 average, 34% strike out rate, and low RBI numbers, not for 10M (and from now on it will be 15M). It is worth it when his defense is added to those plate numbers, but he played the field, what, 36 percent of the games? Worth is purely a relative opinion; it is in the eye of the beholder, so to speak. I know, I know, they have the new computer spread sheets figuring out what each win is worth in terms of dollars, etc., but even that is relative. One owner may buy into that, while another owner doesn't, and that determines what contract offers are made to what players through the years. I would submit that JP thought Buck's worth was just as much a matter of fan and clubhouse perception as he did the on the field numbers. And maybe, just maybe, that is the only worth that matters. Just one extremely humble observer's thoughts.
  16. Mark G
    That can lead through 2/3 of the race, then go to the barn. What horse finishes the race?
  17. Mark G

    This team has no heart

    Mark G commented on Doc Munson's blog entry in Fantasy GM

    I would agree. When I think about it, Nelson was a big part of the '19 and '20 teams, and his leadership was clearly noticeable. He was traded in '21 and just a memory in '22. Is it just a coincidence that a lot of us have noticed a decline in the focus and the drive this team has shown? Is it just a coincidence that a lot of us have seen what appears to be clear deficiencies in the manager's and coaches abilities to raise this team up to the level needed? Is it just a coincidence?
  18. Mark G
    My father taught me very well the difference between asking a question of someone, and questioning someone. He also taught me the difference between critiquing something or someone, and criticizing the same. What I suggested are critiques and questions, not criticizing, but that is just me. I, for one, never questioned the stats of the young guys coming up; I asked why we aren't producing the "workhorses" the article based its premise on. My critique was we concentrate too hard on strike out stuff, and not enough on stamina and arm build up which would produce guys able to go deeper into games. Others can speak for themselves, but I don't see these questions as negative. Nor do I celebrate 4-5 inning starts as our pitchers come up through the system, because that is all they will be able to do once they get here. The minors is the place to build up strength and durability; once they get to the show it will be much harder. That, to me, is a critique, one that is worth of consideration by those of us who follow the team. But, again, that is just me. I also value the give and take on this site, because that is what keeps the interest alive when the team appears dead.
  19. Mark G
    I am a little lost here; the article began with the premise that we were trying to develop workhorses within our system. Then the pitchers listed had stats that showed a lot of strikeouts, per usual, but where were the innings? Only Varland averaged more than 5 innings a game, and that was not a lot over, unless I missed something. I know I am in a minority here, but if I have to choose between strike outs and innings, please, give me the innings. Far too much intensity and energy is going into striking out people all the time, to the point that pitch counts become everything. Again, did I miss something? From the numbers listed in the article, all I see is the same philosophy on the farm that I see in the show. Where are the workhorses?
  20. Mark G

    This team has no heart

    Mark G commented on Doc Munson's blog entry in Fantasy GM

    While I have no doubt whatsoever that the individual players you mention did their best to fight through the injuries, and individually showed "heart" in their efforts, there is a large difference between individual "heart" and team "heart". Yes, the team is made up of 26 individuals all doing their best to help the team as a whole, but the total body (team) does not show the will, the strength, the thirst, the "heart" needed to overcome individual injuries and down stretches every player will have at one time or another. Individual players still need to produce individual stats to warrant contract extensions, so it takes strong leadership to pull the individuals together as a unit and show the heart a team needs to defeat another team on a consistent basis. And very few players are Nelson Cruz, that can play that role well. It takes the manager, the coaches, and the FO to pick 26 players that fit the mold they are looking for, then do the molding into a cohesive team with the "heart", or desire to succeed under any circumstances. A lot of us just don't see that, especially as this team fades away in the heart (pardon the pun) of a pennant race. Hence, a lot of changes need to be made.
  21. Mark G
    Someone correct me if I am wrong, but didn't I read somewhere early in the pre season last year that Urshela has played SS in his career? What would be so wrong with him as a stop gap solution? We have the control for one more year, and it would be at 9 or 10 mil probably, but he has had a pretty good career so far and might be worth keeping around anywhere on the left side of the infield depending on the need. We just might regret not tendering him if Correa leaves. I, for one, hope we can get Correa back on a long term deal. But in leu of that Gio just might be a pretty decent plan B.
  22. Mark G
    I would have to agree. He started slow, being new here and then missing a little time, but he came around and is showing what we thought we were getting. Wouldn't it be nice to see the SS position locked down for years to come? I would like to see them do a long term deal. I hear the folks who want to see Lewis take it and hold it, but 2 major season ending knee blow outs by age 23? Too much of a Buxton esq risk. Find a way to make it work for Correa and solve that position for most of the decade. If I am wrong about Lewis, think of the trade chip we would have.
  23. Mark G
    Ah, not the problem. And, it appears............not the solution. If we do not have a solution in the dugout, where do we have one? Is Falvine the solution? Is JP? is it the pitchers who can't see a batter 3 times? Or the player who can't decide when to take a base and when not to? Who, or what, is the solution? The organizational approach throughout the minors? The medical/trainer staff charged with the duty of keeping our guys in one piece throughout the season? Who, or what is the solution? For well over a century, it was the manager who got the credit, and/or the blame, for virtually everything involving the players and the game by game results. What is it about this team that ends that accountability? Is it JP and his penchant for continuity? Is it the 101 win first year that we have been reminded of for 3 years? Does anyone smarter than me have answers to any of the above?
  24. Mark G
    "I'm also not a fan of scheduled days off (except maybe in Buxton's case). Your best players should be on the field until they decide they need a break. Probably an unpopular opinion." Not with me.
  25. Mark G
    I thought it was interesting that Tony LaRussa and Terry Francona were given their criticisms and cudos, but our leader of the pack was conveniently left out of the discussion. Why? Was he a non factor? Did he play a role at all? Or did Ted want to avoid the refrain from previous articles about Rocco? In the end, we can't have this discussion without bringing up the person with the most control over the game by game, inning by inning decisions which have the most impact on the season. Every other team will.
×
×
  • Create New...