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knothole61

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Everything posted by knothole61

  1. knothole61
    HK, It's been tough...see you next year. 138 days and 15 minutes until the start of spring training 2025.
  2. knothole61
    Well...yeah, Perkins is my favorite. I must admit though that after listening to Denard not too long ago, I was excited to hear Morneau back in the booth. Look, he was truly a great player and is a real student of the game. I actually think that he gives the best analysis of incoming pitchers, although, like everything else, he gives too much analysis at times. Also, he bleeds for the Twins, which might be the reason he makes so many excuses for them, and I can understand, although not appreciate that. The bottom line on Morneau for me is that he never met a soliloquy he didn't like! If the Twins continue with a color guy (or gal) rotation I'd keep him in it, but will hope that he can begin to make his point with the sharpness and precision common to the best in the business. Sad loss tonight..."there is no joy in Mudville."
  3. knothole61
    Ouch!!
  4. knothole61
    Wow! I was 90% sure that they would sweep the mediocre (at best) Marlins to save their season--such as it remains. But...they lazed their way through another offensive no show, even though the stakes were very high. I'm surprised (is that surprising?) and completely baffled. I think someone on TD said that the Twins looked tight tonight due to the weight of "must win" pressure, but I don't see that. Instead, they seem resigned to defeat due to the weight of weeks of abject failure. Miranda shares an all-time MLB consecutive hits record (all-time MLB, you know, something the likes of DiMaggio, Williams, Musial, etc., etc. have never accomplished) and now he looks completely lost at the plate. He's swinging as if the goal was to hit the bottom of the ball and pop it up resolutely--at that he has become very good! And Jeffers, a god at the beginning of the season, has struggled mightily since then--I cringe when he is up in a clutch situation. I mention those two, but most of the team has fallen flat offensively since that fateful, final game loss in Texas...so strange. Praise, however. must go to Correa, a true professional who continues to field his position with aplomb and to hit for average despite the lingering pain he must be enduring from his chronic injuries. Hats off to Carlos! With KC's win tonight and our latest miserable loss, Minnesota needs to pick up two games in five days just to tie KC, and depending on what Seattle can manage to do, thereby slouch into the last playoff spot. Sadly the odds of the Twins making the postseason are low. Therefore, reflective of the last few weeks of slow but certain death, I offer a 2024 season epitaph in the slightly-altered words for T.S. Eliot: This is the way the season ends/Not with a bang but a whimper. Sorry Peter, I love your passion man but for me it's time to say "Go Vikings!"
  5. knothole61
    Preach MrAV! The Sawx must have been licking their chops when Irvin took the mound. Hey Rocco, the fact that Boston has seen Irvin a ton and absolutely light him up in Fenway might have been the most important factor to consider when contemplating using him in that situation.
  6. knothole61
    JD, I can agree to some extent that the position of hitting coach is overrated. Most MLB players have been hitting a pitched baseball very well since they were 7 years old or so. A pitching coach, especially at the MLB level, can tweak things at times, but any thought that they truly revamp the approach of skilled hitters seems shortsighted. A manager, however can, and should, improve the hitting of his players but putting them in the most favorable position to succeed. When a manager selects a line up that is cohesive and complimentary; when he has an intimate knowledge of which players perform best (or worst) against which pitchers; when he knows when to bench a struggling player and even get in their face a bit (this is frowned on by the modern world, but Sparky Anderson, Earl Weaver, and many other great managers of the past were experts in that lost art); when he emphasizes the fundamentals including bunting for hits--when an MLB manager does this and more he becomes the most important factor in improving the hitting and performance in general of his players. At least that's how it seems to me.
  7. knothole61
    "Any given team on any given day..."
  8. knothole61
    Madness!
  9. knothole61
    Right, my bad...I remember that he was drafted in 2018 or 2019 and I'm aware that he will turn 27 before next season starts, so I assumed that he must have accrued a good deal of service time. But, of course, now that I think about it, he has spent most of his seasons in the minors. All the better then...thanks for setting me straight.
  10. knothole61
    And just like that the Twins are one game from the #2 wild card spot...one game! Granted, they have messed up mightily for a few weeks now but there's no denying that this endgame will be very exciting. Another night of offensive offense but a ton of credit must go out to the bullpen-they were magnificent! Some thoughts regarding the roster going forward: Lewis is an eager and undisciplined kid but I think he will mature and figure things out soon to become a productive middle of the order guy for several years to come. As for Lee, I have no clue what he might or might not become. Clearly he deserves a long look but he might end up in AAA hell with the likes of Julien and (sadly) Kirilloff. That brings me to Wallner: lock him up. Sign him for 6 lucrative years as soon as possible and do not try to save every penny you can on of his future contracts. He is one of the few Twins who take what I consider to be professional at bats most of the time. He looks good in the box and his swing is a thing of beauty, and what power! Dare I say, he even looks good striking out, as opposed to Lewis who does a solid impression of a town ball player when waving at distant third strikes! Hey Thad, grapple Wallner and his 900+ OPS to the roster with hoops of steel, and do it now.
  11. knothole61
    And an in-game injury to Jim Kaat that likely cost us the pennant...1967, ouch! Boston 92-70; Twins and Tigers 91-71; White Sox 89-73--and of course it was winner take all in the A.L. back then!
  12. knothole61
    Although resorting to second guessing may be seen as "the last refuge of a scoundrel" I do believe that it has seldom been more justified than in connection with tonight's 10th inning meltdown. That kid never should have been sent out there in that crucial situation...never! Bring in Sands or, god forbid, allow Duran to throw more than 11 pitches--do so, and the Twins would likely have notched a very important win tonight. In the books we lost by one run, but against the dynamic duo that Rocco saw fit to employ in the 10th there's no telling how many runs the Guardians could have managed if so needed. In my admittedly humble opinion that decision was just plain wrong. Rocco has led a successful baseball life, and the numbers will tell you that he is an above average manager. Still, I'm moved, once again, to say that at times he demonstrates a genuine lack of something that is essential for a manager, something that can't easily be quantified but that must be put to use: namely, common sense.
  13. knothole61
    Hey 5, I have my sights set on the #2 wild card spot and as of now we are exactly one loss behind KC for that more coveted spot. So, I'm glad that the Tigers won tonight but I'm happy to let them lose tomorrow now that we're essentially just a game back of KC. They say that Detroit has a pretty easy remaining schedule, but they do have one more in KC and 3 in Baltimore and I can see at least 2 and maybe 3 losses in there. We win the tie in the pairing with Detroit and I think that we can stay ahead of them the rest of the way. It all means nothing of course if we can't take care of business going forward. This would be a great time to get hot.
  14. knothole61
    I haven't done a statistical deep dive, but off the top of my head (and forgive me if I state the obvious) until recently the Twins were missing Correa and his .906 OPS, and Buxton and his .863 OPS, while Castro, Lee, and Lewis have experienced extensive slumps--and then there was that whole Julien thing!
  15. knothole61
    A much needed win, but a minimum of 3-4 is necessary on this tough road trip. Did any one else find the guy sharing the broadcast with Provus to be insufferable? I mean, an occasional insightful tidbit can help spice up the call but this guy gave a full, minutiae-filled seminar on pitching and hitting tactics with all the pedantry of one of those guys who promised to deliver the secrets of financial success on 10 cassette tapes (for only $29.99!) back in the 1970s. He drove me up a wall,
  16. knothole61
    Man...they really look like they're just going through the motions at this point. And Lewis is probably the saddest spectacle of all. It's not just his lack of production, it's the truly subpar at bats he's been taking. He has a ton of potential and is still an exciting young player, but he's reached a point now where the pitchers have the book on him and he needs to be able to adjust to that. Lewis, it may truly be said, has never met a neck-high fastball he didn't like. Please pardon my optimism, but all need not be lost. If Rocco can find a way to rally his seemingly lethargic troops, there's no reason we can't move ahead of KC in the wild card race by season's end. IF (big IF) Correa and Buxton can return in a week or ten days and play themselves into shape by October 1st, then our chances look much better. In addition to the potential offensive benefits their presence would provide is the fact that Correa anchors the infield and Buxton the outfield defensively. It is hard to overestimate how much the Twins have suffered without their gloves in play. In addition, I'm convinced that Correa, when playing, provides a significant emotional boost to the team as well. He's a natural leader with a high baseball IQ and significant playoff experience. At this point, give me a chip, a chair, a chance, and Correa.
  17. knothole61
    Whew...what a night! My scrolling finger is hot from all of the vituperation in evidence after this latest fiasco of a loss. And, yes, I'd have left Ober in to start the 8th and lifted him after a first walk or hit in that frame. He was magnificent tonight; on the road and against a solid team. I fall into a kind of diffident middle ground regarding the Twins' skipper. It's hard to argue with success, and clearly he's had some. And I also have to admit that he is better than most of the Twins' managers I have critiqued over the years: and that goes back to the days of Cookie Lavagetto and his .414 winning percentage. Having said that, I am also aware that he tends to infuriate me at times more than most any other in that long line of managers. It's akin to that line from The Who, "and he and Tommy were worlds apart," or the way that the high school "math guys" or the distance runners on the tra,ck team (especially the 10 K specialists) seemed to be living in different, far more rigid and statistical, universe than me. I'll end with a needed, in my humble opinion, olive branch offering to the group. Despite the frustration of the last couple of weeks, (if the Twins lose tomorrow they will have lost 14 for the last 20-yes?) I feel it's important to remember that the folks who post the comments that drive you to distraction are in fact your brothers and sisters; members of a scarred yet still hopeful fraternity. I urge one and all to disagree without disrespect, and also to realize that we share a deep bond as we navigate both the sunlight and the shadows of this annual journey from spring to fall, and most often from hope to despair. Win Twins!
  18. knothole61
    Another tough loss; but the hope I take from this one is that Varland looked good for two innings before the inevitable implosion. For whatever reasons, he really can't be trusted in the long run, but for an inning or maybe two, I think the Twins have found a shiny new bullpen piece--a sixth or seventh inning Mr. Clean?
  19. knothole61
    Ex...I pretty much agree with this sentiment. I believe that because of Rocco's traumatic injury history in MLB he uses an overabundance of caution with his players. At times it is maddening. My instincts (admittedly imperfect) tell me, for example, that Buxton could have been in the lineup a week or so ago--and who knows when he is likely to appear at this point? The case with Correa, however, seems a bit more complicated. Plantar fasciitis is a very tricky and painful thing. And, as we all know, Correa's problems with it kept two teams from signing him in free agency. In my experience, it felt like someone was driving a nail up into my heel with every stride or step. So, I think they will keep him on the shelf for now and try to get him back at short by playoff time.
  20. knothole61
    A sad and seemingly uninspired loss tonight in Tampa. I've been confident until now, but I'm about ready to concede the Division to Cleveland. I thought that the Guardians would sputter against KC but they are back to their winning ways based on solid pitching, some power, and pesky small-ball at times. Poor KC has been in a death spiral since losing a very good ball player in Vinnie Pasquantino. You simply can't go down to Tampa and lay an egg against an out-of-contention team before a sparse crowd when you are in the midst of a genuine pennant race. Rocco, play a hunch man--take a chance and throw caution to the wind just once. For the rest of September make a bonfire of your charts and graphs. Lose your "modest stillness and humility" and instead "imitate the action of the tiger." Oh, and let Buxton back even if he's only 99% healed. I believe that the Twins will play in October but the path to the World Series is much less fraught for a division winner than a wild card.
  21. knothole61
    Funny...you just sent me to YouTube to listen to "the Night They Drove Old Dixie Down."
  22. knothole61
    J, first you'll need to admit that you can never be cured. Thereafter, with true diligence, hopefully you can learn to manage it.
  23. knothole61
    Crazy season...the Twins have been pretty awful for the past 10 days or so, while losing games in the most gut wrench of fashions. And yet...and yet, they find themselves just two losses behind the co-leaders of the A.L. Central! It's kind of a miracle really. I admit that this may be pollyannaish to some degree, but I like the position that we are in. Even with a win tomorrow and a three game set with Pittsburgh coming up, I don't think that Cleveland can stop their slide--after all they will soon have to play six in a row on the road against KC and the Dodgers. In addition, the recent home stand debacle against the Royals, and their losing ways in general of late, must have fostered some serious doubts within the Guardians' organization and fan base. I think that KC will be the target for the Twins going forward (they look very solid right now) and not only do the Twins seem to have their number on the diamond this year, but they have only to end up tied with KC after 162 to take the Division. Win a tough one against Sale tomorrow and then take the next two series against Toronto and Tampa Bay and we'll roll into KC on September 6 in a strong position and with our destiny in our own hands. Despite the disappointments of the last several days, we have nothing to lose but our chains and a world to win-or something like that!
  24. knothole61
    I've watched or listened to some 10,000 MLB games in my life and I've never witness a player being interviewed on the field during play, and I'm horrified. Apple has gone too far! I've put up with the endless stream of probable outcomes, banal and distracting dugout interviews, and too-hip announcing combos, but I draw the line at putting a mic and earpiece on a player and having him field questions when his complete concentration should be placed on fielding the ball Did that really happen? Really? I throw up my hands and leave those of you who crave this kind of intrusive experience (what I consider sacrilege) to your Brave New World, while gladly I bid Apple adieu.
  25. knothole61
    Too many weak links in the pen...it's really painful to watch. From the beginning this seemed like a trap series to me. Coming off what should have been a four-game sweep of the reigning world champions (and on the road at that!) I sensed a good bit of confidence afoot that the Twins might take 2 of 3 in San Diego. But I knew that the Padres are a good team and, judging from my experiences in Petco Park, the young, well-lubricated, and vocal fan base (truly Wrigley-esque) can create an intense, playoff like, environment even on a pleasant Tuesday evening in August. Baseball is very streaky and it’s too soon to give up, even on a Division pennant, but this "54 hours" of bullpen implosions has been hard to take.
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