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Kwak

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Everything posted by Kwak

  1. Kwak
    Catcher isn't my first choice--but I can't see why a guy can't develop his defense simultaneously with his offense. It seems to me that all position players are required to develop both offense and defense.
  2. Kwak
    I read where the preffered demographic is: Female, age 18-45. So, OK, that's who I am!
  3. Kwak
    Given how much the Twins shelled-out for pitching this off-season (and the value obtained!), I'm hoping they can select a potential top-of-the-rotation pitcher too. A team can win in the playoffs with top starting pitchers and a bit of offense--but they often lose with mediocre pitching and solid offense.
  4. Kwak
    However, in 2013, Liriano was instrumental in helping his team qualify for the playoffs for the first time in 20 years, and was named comeback player of the year in the National League.
  5. Kwak
    I conclude from this article that the Twins will play the least worst in the OF, the 2nd worst at DH, and nail the worst guy's behind to the bench. Wow! When the slant of the article is this skeptical of the abilities of the three, I find it difficult to be optimistic about this team winning anything.
  6. Kwak
    My, my. When I posted that the Twins should just let the marginals "slug it out" in Spring training then cut the losers--in comes the mod to scold me that the Twins "need options". Is it just me, or has there been a change in philosophy? I would have bet $ to doughnuts last April that the Twins would never pop to sign three (3!) free-agents pitchers whose combined annual salaries are in that forbidden zone (or was?) that Smith proposed to "fix the pitching". Yet here we are discussing "who's fifth"? Last year's discussion was more like: " Diamond is #1, Correria for sure, who are the others?" Well, approximately $30MM later--now we digress about #5. Gardy got "his wish"--players who "have won before" (veterans from playoff teams). Last year was about: "I don't need to spend $30MM to fix the pitching". Another season, another plan.
  7. Kwak
    Or maybe Garza was gambling that he could do much better than the Twins' offer. Garza didn't act on the Angels' offer. It's difficult to say Garza "lost" when one tries to count $50MM.
  8. Kwak
    Reading a bit closer and we find that a Trea Turner error led to the first two runs. Three runs were scored with the help of a second Err by 3B shortly followed by a hung-slider--3-run HR. I'm guessing that his change-up isn't "plus" because Rodon did confess to being "slider-happy". But, he will have been selected by the time the Twins select so ....
  9. Kwak
    Over. Keeping Sano around longer accomplishes multiple things: everybody gets to know him better (since he will become a fixture), allow Sano to be more comfortable with "being at the top", and turn the screws on some (I'm looking at you Plouffe) veterans who haven't yet fully established themselves with the Twins.
  10. Kwak
    Out of options means that a player must be put on waivers so that another team may claim said player. If unclaimed, he can be outrighted to a minor league affliate or released. Players that have sufficient major leauge service time, if unclaimed, may elect to become a free agent.
  11. Kwak
    I don't think there will be a 5th starter. I think there will be a rotation of 4 starters, 4 spot-starters/long relief, 4 short relief/set-up/LOOGY, and 1 closer. There will be plenty of starts for the "spot" guys to display their wares and allow the flexibility to use a LHP (or RHP) based on match-up consideration as well as "go with the hot hand", yet provide cover for not reusing a "spot" guy because he had a poor game. The cover story is "options", flexibility to permit Gardenhire to use anybody he wants without a media circus due to using someone else to start a game. We have heard many times the word "options" with respect to pitching (plus this was the tactic used ten years ago). There really isn't a "defined" #5 guy anyway, so why claim there is one?
  12. Kwak
    My preference isn't Presley, but I'm sure he will be the starter. I would start Hicks, but given how the roster was built for ST, I believe things will be veteran-friendly. The plan is to avoid losing 90 games and that's why lots of money was spent on FA pitchers and guys like Kubel, Bartlett and Suzuki were added. Veterans, guys "who have won before", guys who will "get after it", you get my drift.
  13. Kwak
    Hicks isn't the future CF. Will he be adequate at a corner? We will have to wait and see. Please consider the oh-so-many top prospects the Twins have and then ask: "who stays?, who plays?, and who leaves? Guys are stacking-up in the minors and this must be the last year to indulge in the use of place-holders. I understand the FO taking steps to avoid another 90-game losing season, as well as the assuaging the manager with veteran-players. But they simply can't sing the same refrain about "the best minor league system"--and then not play them. There are very few who care about the W/L records at the affliates--they want to see the Twins win! The minor leagues can be left to their own devices.
  14. Kwak
    There isn't any competition for the starting CF job--it's Presley. His only competition was Mastroianni--and he was DFA'd. Hicks--he goes to Rochester. I expect an early trip for Hicks to the minor league training camp. Hicks will spend months at Rochester--and maybe all year. It depends on the performances of Presley and Arcia as well as for Hicks. This year I expect to see veterans up-and-down the active roster--the youth "had better get after it"--or else its back to Rochester.
  15. Kwak
    Compare Springer to Sano. Then add about another 100 pts to the OPS. It's great that Twins fans gush over their "prospects", but the same rubric must be applied for other team's prospects! In short, it is unrealistic to get on "fan girly" with future Twins players, and then apply different logic to dismiss those on other teams. As you can see, it is a lot easier to find a plus CF than it is a plus SS. My goodness, the Twins have had substantial difficulty in finding an average SS, much less a superior one.
  16. Kwak
    The Astros have George Springer for CF. Correa was the correct choice for them--and as a bonus, Appel refused to sign in 2012 so they got him in 2013. They showed considerable foresight by choosing as they did.
  17. Kwak
    The Twins didn't extend Gardenhire to not let him manage his way and incorporate his ideas. He will begin with 13 pitchers (and with the full blessing of Ryan!) because that's his way (Ryan's too!). Lots of options--just not very good options--but that's another thread. There will be 3 catchers (and don't include Mauer as one!)--because that's the way they (he) do things. Instead of a huge competition for pitchers and jobs--there will be a mock competition. We already know four starters, a fifth? I'm guessing it will be a lot like 2004--four locks and a rotation of others for the fifth (spot) starts. That make keeping 13 pitchers appear to be a useful if not necessary. Leopards don't lose their spots, zebras their stripes, and the Twins Their Way of Doing Things. If change was desired--we would have seen it in the managerial positions. There wasn't any change there and we shouldn't expect any change in team philosophy. This season is "back to the veterans": the four locks in the rotation, the ex-Twins, and a sprinkling of veterans from other teams. The youth--stays in the minors. Until when you ask? Next year is my guess.
  18. Kwak
    Work? with what? He allows too many balls to drop in front of him to claim he is a "plus defender". And then there's his BAVG--ugh. From my perspective, this had better be a big turnaround season for Hicks or else it will be time to move him to another franchise. The Twins OF pipeline in the minors is loaded with prospects. These guys can't be held back to give extra chances for Hicks--he must produce or else he should be traded for whatever can be had.
  19. Kwak
    I agree with the second statement--he needs to play--and prove his value as a CF! The problem with waiting for results in AAA, then wait some more for results for the Twins is the continued promotion/demotion cycle we've seen too many times. The entire system gets clogged when the FO refuses to make "the tough call". The Twins need offense--and only getting CF numbers from a corner OF really hurts. The Twins are already facing the power droughth potential at 1B with Mauer (reference Morneau's pre-injury numbers and use those as the needed standard of performance at 1B). Repeating that for a corner OF dilutes the positive effect of (the hoped for) big numbers from 3B when Sano is promoted. Being "league-average" should not be a goal--the Twins need to be better than league average. Hicks has to show "it" ASAP! Then he could be traded to solve problems elsewhere.
  20. Kwak
    It's time to eliminate the "non-prospects". Some, we have seen pitch, some came from other teams. Let them duel it out in Spring training--and then cut right-to-the-bone--so those from the lower levels (with upside) get their innings to develop. The "feel-good" stories should not be the operating philosophy.
  21. Kwak
    I'd rather hear "Roll out the Barrels" than "Take Me Out" for the 7th inning stretch.
  22. Kwak
    If the twins had selected Correa (hypothetically of course) we: would have been singig his praises just as loud as is done today with Buxton; not be woried at allwho plays SS this year; probably kept Ben Revere; and Hicks spending most of 2013 in Rochester.
  23. Kwak
    It seems to me that almost every year (except 2014!) is labeled as a "weak draft". Perhaps to deflect blame for a team for "drilling dry holes". Generally overlooked is how well a team developed their players. The metric isn't very good because we would never know what would have happened if a guy went to a different team.
  24. Kwak
    Money does talk--Twins are bribed by InBev. However, there are seats available in RF. There should be a correlation between price of beer and Twins record--sort of like was done with a former Twins LFer (Rondell White??) at a few bars.
  25. Kwak
    Unfortunately none of the young men have BPA stamped on their forehead.
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