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Linus

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Everything posted by Linus

  1. Linus
    Since he has a chance to solve a huge problem for us, Santana should be playing SS exclusively, whether it is here or Rochester. Why anybody (including Gardy) would think it is a good idea to start asking him to play multiple positions when he is still trying to master the one most important to us is beyond me. Run Esco out there if you feel the need to continue this boneheaded experiment. This is classic Gardy: a couple years ago he would have cut off his own hand before he would put an infielder in the outfield. Now he thinks half the guys on the roster are Ben Zobrist. Where did the "defense is more important than anything" manager go?
  2. Linus
    I was a strong advocate that both Hicks and Pinto start the year in Rochester and prove they belonged here. I'm willing to admit that Pinto has acquitted himself pretty well with the bat (not so much behind the dish) but I'm not happy to say that it is now pretty apparent that Hicks has no business in the big leagues. I'm fine with letting guys "struggle" in the bigs when there is an indication they are getting it and / or they've proven they can hit AAA pitching. With Hicks, neither is apparent. Rajai Davis (his game costing blunder aside) would look pretty good in CF on a one year deal. I wish the Twins would have pursued him harder.
  3. Linus
    It was inevitable that the hot streak would end, and now that it has, it would be a good time to let him sit. I haven't noticed that anybody is pitching him differently but I have noticed that "the lunge" is coming back albeit in a lesser form. At the beginning of the year his balance was markedly different (better); he now seems to be off balance again, leaning over the plate. In the end, he should be a right hand platoon option at first and DH. (No more outfield play, please).
  4. Linus
    I really like Doziers baserunning
  5. Linus
    I actually really like this idea. He's hopefully going to end up there anyway when Sano comes along. Plouffe in left and Esco at third would have been a far superior defensive alignment. We could do this on occasion going forward
  6. Linus
    Yeah, I realize its been a short time but he's been dinged up more than just the wrists. He sat out the last of the season with a bruised knee and had a couple other hangnails. I hope I am wrong but its been often enough to be noticed. These type of players are murder for Gardy because he seems a lot more inclined to "give a guy a day" than to tell him to play. While I've never bought into the whole "Twins medical staff is at fault for injuries" meme, I do think they've been caught up in having guys miss multiple days without DLing them only to have it linger for too long before they finally DL them. I was impressed how quickly they moved on Arcia and Willingham at the beginning of the year and was clearly the right decision.
  7. Linus
    Agreed. Except for the very elite prospects, you really have to throw a lot against the wall to make something stick. Boy would it be huge though if he developed into a competent MLB shortstop.
  8. Linus
    Well add this one to your list: Oswaldo Arcia. I'm afraid we are seeing something more than some "bad luck" on the injury front. He's been dinged up the majority of his big league career, although I don't know what his track record was in the minors regarding trips to the DL. Guys like this kill your roster because they frequently need a couple of days but you really can't DL them. So, you play short.
  9. Linus
    I'm a little more high on him than this I guess (not really focusing on rankings I guess). Maybe because its really hard to find "true" shortstops and, to my eye, he clearly has the athletic ability to play there. Whether he ever polishes up the fielding and consistency at the plate will determine if my optimism is completely misguided.
  10. Linus
    I'm curious why you don't think Santana's ceiling is that high? Fast, strong arm, rangy with some pop in the bat. He's clearly got a ways to go but he has some athletic ability.
  11. Linus
    We've all certainly been a little frustrated with the management of our hometown 9 the last couple of days. Here's something to discuss on the positive side: Brian Dozier has turned into a damn fine baserunner. He has enough speed but it is so clear that he has the instincts to properly judge the situation and how aggressive he can be. He has scored several runs in the last month just by catching the other team napping or not making the proper throws, etc. Dare I say that he reminds me of Molitor on the bases......
  12. Linus
    To expand on this even further, consider these Gardy habits and their affect on the roster: 1. 3rd catcher to "protect" against losing the DH spot 2. Bullpen handling. He uses so many pitchers to get so few outs that they are stuck with 13 pitchers no matter how hard they try to get down to 12. 3. Security blanket / favorite guy spot no matter if needed or if it makes sense. Each of these three costs us a grand total of 3 roster spots, maybe 4 if you consider it possible to go with 11 pitchers (don't know how many teams do that these days). So, these are not just annoying little habits - they have a very really effect on the roster management.
  13. Linus
    One thing that I think is getting too much attention here is the whole age thing. We want the team to get better, not necessarily younger. I get the idea that you would like every position to be filled with a young, promising player as that secures your future. The facts, however, are that many young players don't pan out so strategically inserting a veteran player that improves your club is perfectly fine. The Twins got very young in the Becker / Stahoviak era and it ended up a disaster. The key distinction is that they make the club better, which Bartlett, Guerrier et al do not. Suzuki, yes; Kubel maybe to probably not.
  14. Linus
    Here is my theory which is, of course, conjecture just like everything else. It seems to me that Gardy had an inordinate amount of sway during the Bill Smith era and I see signs of it now when Rob Antony is in charge. Gardy makes up his mind about things and players and, sometimes, it appears that these decisions are made on subjective feelings or hunches. You combine that with Gardy's strong will to win (which I commend him for) and you have the perfect storm for bad, bigger picture personnel decisions. Of course, the most obvious example of this is the whole Bartlett fiasco which has Gardy written all over it. It seems that TR must be more assertive with him in these situations. The latest thing I have read that scares me is Gardy's public criticism of Danny Santana. He's already getting an attitude about the kid after his first week in the big leagues. It seems that Gardy doesn't like talented (but undeveloped) middle infielders. Maybe because they aren't grinders from Oklahoma?
  15. Linus
    Don't see it. Best case scenario: a cup of coffee in the bigs as a utility guy.
  16. Linus
    I believe he was referring to all hitters, whether they start off hot or cold. This is my concern with bringing up Parms: we can find a roster spot for him but will he get consistent playing time? Our manager is trying to grind out wins, not develop players so that is a problem. Unless and until they clear up the roster of the half dozen corner OF / DH types, you might as well leave him in Rochester so he can play everyday and call him up after they finally run through all the others. Developing players need to play, alot. At what level is less important than having the experience of getting out there. That's why I think they are doing Pinto a disservice by not being behind the plate much. Pretty hard to become a better catcher when you don't catch much.
  17. Linus
    I can't wait until we get onto the next fad. Strikeouts are not the be all / end all. I think we all get that they are handy to get out of jams but many guys have been successful in this league with variety and excellent control. My bigger concern with both pitchers isn't the lack of strikeouts but with the lack of control. Gibson is close, however. He has thrown a bunch of pitches that have not missed by much.
  18. Linus
    Morris is considerably better than Bert. Bert is kind of fun in that he is irreverent but he offers no insight. Morris will actually say something informative even if it doesn't reflect kindly on the home team. Provus / Gladden are far superior to the TV guys. Dick is Minnesota nice but he is such a homer that it really does get silly sometimes.
  19. Linus
    The greatest condemnation in this situation is that Hicks has shown no actual production to indicate that he is ready for the majors. One of the Moneyball lessons is to place more importance on actual results and less on projection. Hicks being the regular center fielder is based completely on projection, especially after last year. He should have started in Rochester and learned how to hit. Not only was the a mistake for the big league club but a mistake for his development. The way we are headed two straight lost years for him.
  20. Linus
    His minor league walk rates indicate that what we saw yesterday is pretty much what we will get. He does have some stuff, which is nice to see but he really looks like a guy that doesn't command it well. The slow as molasses thing doesn't help either.
  21. Linus
    OK, this is the poster child for why strikeouts are overrated. The guy needed 110 pitches to make it to the 4th innning. We need that like we need a hole in the head.
  22. Linus
    Sigh.....another wait until the weather warms up excuse. I believe it is cold every April and sometimes May. I believe the MLB season always starts at the beginning of April. I'm interested in pitchers that can compete the entire season including the first two months.
  23. Linus
    That is outstanding....wish I would have thought of it. Here's hoping that the Kentucky thing is a little different.
  24. Linus
    Sticking to the title of the thread.....I'm giving LEN3 no credit. In all the years he has covered the Twins, the only thing I've learned from his work is where good restaurants are in Ft. Myers. Anybody even mildly paying attention knew the Twins were one injury away from another centerfield mess. Now that it has happened, he is stating the obvious. Thanks goodness for Twins Daily - you get more meaningful thought and info here in a week than you do from the LEN3 in a year.
  25. Linus
    Two thoughts here: first, Johnson can't get out of town fast enough for me. I cannot stand pitchers who work slow and don't throw strikes. Second, I am getting really sick of Gardy bemoaning his "tired" bullpen. When nobody pitches more than an inning at a time, of course your bullpen is going to be tired. They throw more pitches getting loose than they do in the games. Gardy's little nonsensical habits are getting old.
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