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Ncgo4

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Everything posted by Ncgo4

  1. Ncgo4
    The real unknown in this is just how deeply and how quickly the Twins go into the tank. They could break out of the slump and retake the best record in the East. But it is also possible that they go into a protracted period of 2-8, 3-7 & 4-6 ten game streaks. Where the Twins go, and if down, how quickly will determine how much pressure management will feel to move on with the children. If they were to lose another 5 or 6 in a row the volume will be deafening! If poor attendance become no attendance, ownership will finally make themselves heard.
  2. Ncgo4
    Yes, Buxton at lead off and Mauer coaching 1st base.
  3. Ncgo4
    This love of Plouffe/Hicks/Mauer is a complete mystery to me. Plouffe is a career .246 hitter and for the year is at .250. He's projected to hit about 20-25 HRs and maybe have 75 RBIs. Hicks is at .256 and is on target for about 5 HRs and maybe 20 RBIs. Mauer is ontarget to hit .250 with 6 HRs and about 80 RBIs. He may also lead the team in double plays. None of these are players that cannot be replaced. Sano to 3rd, Hicks to center and Plouffe to first. There is no way whatsoever that this doesn't improve the lineup.
  4. Ncgo4
    Buxton in CF is a no brainer at this very moment. Much better defense much better hitting, much much better base running and waaaay better power. Sano to third and Plouffe to 1st is equally a no-brainer. A first baseman hitting 2nd and projecting 5 HRs, a 260 BA, 65 RBIs and leading the team in DPs? You gotta be kidding me! The real question is what if Ryan does nothing and pitching returns to last year's form? You'll be able to rent center field for weddings during the 7th inning stretch. I hope these are the pitchers we thought we were getting, but I'm not heading to Vegas to bet on it. Another 10 games like the last 7 and the sh*t storm will be well under way. Let's hope it doesn't happen, but stay away from your bookie if you think the last week was just a bump in the road.
  5. Ncgo4
    Be very interested to see both Berrios and Stewart today. Hoping Stewart has a good outing. He needs to begin to show more of his amazing potential. Berrios is even more interesting. I hope I'm wrong but I believe the starting pitching situation for the Twins is an illusion. Or at least a few months of over-achievement. I think most of our starters are going to revert to their average and if so, then we'll see how Mgmt reacts. We have Santana coming back in a month but will they call back Tommy Milone and even call up Barrios? If so, what will they do with large contract non-performing starters like Nolasco and Pelfrey? At some point the Twins may face the unenviable choice of eating $30 million in contracts or doing what's best for the team. That's the great thing about baseball. Santana can hit .320 for an entire year and then hit .220 the next. A pitching staff can have a 5.20 ERA and follow it up with a 2.90 ERA. Usually, however, the anamolies don't last the entire year. Let's hope the Twins keep it up.
  6. Ncgo4
    2nd straight game without the big guy. Is this just a rest for him or is there an injury or dog house deal going on?
  7. Ncgo4
    You said it!
  8. Ncgo4
    That was a bomb Rosario hit! Upper deck. Then followed it up with a great defensive play going back in left.
  9. Ncgo4
    Hu pitched on May 19th for Rochester and not since. He's not scheduled to pitch today or tomorrow, either. Is something up?
  10. Ncgo4
    Get on a winning streak and lots of players begin to look like All Stars. We do not have a starting pitcher that should be considered a first or second level starter. When Santana gets back we will have one more. If Berrios has a few more quality starts he should be considered for call up. He won't be, of course, because mgmt doesn't to drop one of those $50 million or $30 million stupid contracts they gave away. Hu is also moving to AA very shortly (I pray) and may have better basics than Berrios. As far as Sano, I don't know what they do, but he's such a huge (no pun intended, should have said major) potential talent that neither Plouffe or Mauer can be allowed to stand in his way. We're talking 35-40 HR talent and this just doesn't come around often.
  11. Ncgo4
    I'm thrilled with what's happening, but I'm still not convinced it isn't in some part smoke and mirrors. The Twins have been hitting in clusters and have been scoring runs well beyond what the stats suggest they should. For example, excluding Toronto which is a mile ahead of all other teams, the Twins are eigth in runs scored. Yet among all teams in the top 16, only 2 others have a lower on base % than our twins. My guess is that this should even out over the season. On the positive side, we are playing in a division with several really bad teams, especially Chi and Cleveland, so this should help us since we play most games within our division. And our defense has been very solid, especially with Hicks in center. My biggest question, though is the pattern of calling up players. Will they make changes quickly enough when better options are available in the minors. I. E., Milone in Rochester.
  12. Ncgo4
    Let me tell y'all I am one impressed fan of our Mr. Hu. This was a stellar performance. 2 hits and 1 ER in 6 innings. At AAA and he's only 21. That's 6 starts this year at A and 1 at AAA with an ERA of < 1.5. There is no reason whatsoever to fly him back to Ft. Myers except to collect his jammies and laundry. He has absolutely taken away any question about his place in the list of prospects. There were questions about how they would deal with Barrios...HA! Now they have a real chance to screw up.
  13. Ncgo4
    These awards are the kiss of death. Button is lauded for his bat finally coming alive and he immediately goes back into the toilet. Sano wins player of the month and he immediately goes 0-8 with 6 k's. Apparently talking about minor league hitter's streaks is tantamount to talking about a pitcher's in-progress no hitter.
  14. Ncgo4
    Who is this guy? He sure isn't anyone from the Twins roster earlier this year. But isn't this the way managers dream it'll work? Slight injury or lack of performance so you send them down to AAA to get them back in shape or to wake them up and a light bulb goes off! I cannot imagine his next start isn't in the Bigs. Good luck Tommy!
  15. Ncgo4
    You recon his stomach was churning last night? Hope they didn't make him ride the bus up I-95 to Durham. LOL
  16. Ncgo4
    I also agree about 5 weeks being too little to make an assessment...with 1 exception, Hu. Chih-wei has been so dominating that he is clearly the class of his league and a Top 10 prospect. His spot start in Rochester is evidence the Twins think so, too. Seth, I have a question about this. By announcing this so far in advance it will make Chih-Wei stew over this with a possible Taiwan press frenzy around him. Is this usual for an early announcement about such a move? Has he relocated with Rochester already to become somewhat acclimated? Is this possibly a move on the Twins to max the pressure to really test him?
  17. Ncgo4
    I would love to see him not necessarily shut the opposition down, but pitch well. If so, I assume it's the last he's seen below AA. Very important move by the Twins. Clearly not forecasting, because each move up, particularly, I suppose, at this level is much bigger than the last move. But if he can pitch anything like he has at A, he moves up with Berrios as 1 of the top 2 pitching prospects. I would guess that this will be a huge event in Taiwan. Seeing the way the Japanese and Korean press react to golfers in the U S, it will be very interesting to see if the Taiwan press reacts similarly to this. Could be major pressure on our Mr. Hu, beyond anything a 21 year old American might face. Good luck Hu!
  18. Ncgo4
    Looking at the picture of Sano reminds me of some of his outbursts on the field. Clearly he does not possess an over-abundance of self control. Guess that applies to his eating habits as well. But he can MASH!
  19. Ncgo4
    Another ho-hum start for Who? Yes. 5 innings of shut out ball. I note that he was done after 5 innings with about 79 pitches. This must be a pitch count they are holding him to. Is it possible that another couple of starts like this and the Twins might not have a choice but to move him up. He may just be showing that he's waaaay ahead of the competition.
  20. Ncgo4
    Well, clearly Buxton is reading this forum. All you analysts talking about patience (by me and by Buxton at the plate) has proven prophetic. .455 since my post, including doubles, triples and SB's, so you fine people have clearly figured this out. Crazy numbers, and encouraging for a major league team that is showing just enough to make minor league talent seem even more important for the near future.
  21. Ncgo4
    We are now 19 games into the season and our two superstars-to-be are having frightfully dismal starts to the season. I'm sure it's too early to panic, but here's where I'm at a loss. I'm a fan not a baseball person. So I'll ask a question of the baseball people. Given that our dynamic duo has been out a whole year, do we just have patience and wait or is there something the coaching staff should be or maybe is already doing? Any input is really appreciated.
  22. Ncgo4
    Depressing to see the Dailey lines on Buxton & Sano? Sure, but not to worry, IMHO. Both were out of ball for a full year. Each has significantly cut down on the K's recently. We'll see them pop soon.
  23. Ncgo4
    Get rid of him. He's too short to be a pitcher. He started tonight and I'll bet he got killed. Just a sec, I'll check his line. 6.1 innings 6 hits 1 run (earned) 1 BB 11 K's A home run AND a walk? In the same game? Get rid of him NOW! He and Chih-Wei Hu are my favorite pitching prospects. Young, ferocious and just the kind of prospect that Twins Mgmt doesn't seem to get their heads around. Just like Johan Santana who should have been starting at least one year and maybe a year and a half sooner. Jose and C-W will get the call if only because they won't be denied. Unless, of course, we can find and sign a 35 YO washed - up has-been starter that's tall.
  24. Ncgo4
    Great article. Hard to feel bad for a marginal player who "only" made $50 million in a career because an equally marginal player made $100 million. I've always felt that a few players in each team (2 starting pitchers, 1 reliever and three great fielders/hitters) should make 90% of the team's salary with the rest of the team at league minimums. The thought of Joe Mauer making what he's making just makes me nuts. A 6' 5" player hitting .315 with 10 HR's and 80 RBI's at his salary is so disproportional to value it's insane. Ryan saying we could contend this year shows how crazy things are. We probably don't have a starting pitcher that any team would want as a 1st, 2nd or 3rd starter. We don't have a single position player who could complete for a key starting position on a contending team. Methinks, perhaps, our Mr. Ryan has gotten into Rosario's herbs. But I really believe Buxton, Sano, Berrios et al are the basis for our resurgence. Hey! I'm a baseball fan.
  25. Ncgo4
    All this talk of him as a bad fielder is way premature, every analyst I've read saidhe seems to not have any real problems with good hands or movement. The only question was his attention span on each play. He's a big guy, no question, but he's not fat, just really big and broad. No reason at all that for the next 10 years with a cannon of an arm he couldn't remain a good 3rd baseman. He seems very driven and I can't imagine that he won't stay in shape. If that proves to be wrong, then we're in fo a disappointment. But until then, worry about his hitting and strike outs. That's the real key to any stardom.
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