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mikelink45

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Everything posted by mikelink45

  1. mikelink45
    For a few years we had discussions on Dobnak, Thorpe and Smeltzer. Smeltzer has dropped out of the storyline and I think the other two will soon as well. If the younger prospects are even close to what we are reading then these borderline pitchers need to get out of the way. Dobnak has shown that he is not a RP and he is really marginal as a starter. He will last longer because he has a contract. But let's hope Balazovic, Duran, Winder, Sands...are better than this threesome.
  2. mikelink45
    Nothing against this article or the writer, but if this is the status of baseball where we really care about a twins writer appearing on a game show then I am too old to continue being a fan.
  3. mikelink45
    I'm beginning to think that the NFL and the NBA are involved in these negotiations or whether lack of negotiations. Baseball is doing everything I can to not just fall from being America's game, but being a footnote in history
  4. mikelink45
    I look forward to the day when all the stats reverse themselves and we discover that arms can't pitch every other day so a bullpen has to be set up with a starting pitcher that actually gets innings. I think we're either going to see pictures eventually start to take innings like they should or will start seeing six man rotations and they will be forced to extend the roster to accommodate for all the arms that are needed. Of course the problem is we see already is that there are not that many arms that are viable and so we will continue to have a lot of mediocre pitching. And I don't mean just the twins I mean overall in baseball. I see comments about not paying so much for proven closures and that's fine. But I also have seen numerous comments about the junk heap pictures that we keep grabbing hoping that they will rebound with another good year or find some magic in a slider. I'm sorry to say but this is one area where safer metrics has really adversely impacted baseball from my perspective.
  5. mikelink45
    I have been trying to follow Wallner and have really liked what he has done - not a Rooker, not a Sabato - lump those two together for now, but a ballplayer who makes contact, can field, can throw and does bat. I would love to see him progress to AAA this year. But for now I join the Lewis and Duran bandwagon, and yet the man I really want to see is Balazovic - never seen him pitch, but we have heard so much about him the last few years that my curiosity is running high.
  6. mikelink45
    Perhaps we can name a trash can for him!
  7. mikelink45
    It was an interesting path until I read "Fisher profiles similarly to that of Jake Cave". Now I am worried.
  8. mikelink45

    My Twins HOF vote

    mikelink45 commented on Greglw3's blog entry in Greg Allen

    Martin was amazing - he did great for a short time everyplace he went - of course the players were burnt out when he left, but they had wonderful years until then. 19 years and 48 ejections. The Twins won 97 games in his one year.
  9. mikelink45
    Thanks for finding something to write about. Let's see Maciel - what can we make of him to create another 5 stories? It's going to be slim pickings. After the 12 Twins of Christmas we will need to start an Alphabet series - the best Twin for each letter. Tough going and especially when they are not going to talk again until January. Why?
  10. mikelink45
    I hope he simplifies the issue for Larnach - I remember the first few years of Buxton and all the tweaks and changes that ultimately led to more confusion than success.
  11. mikelink45

    My Twins HOF vote

    mikelink45 commented on Greglw3's blog entry in Greg Allen

    I loved Tovar, he brought so much to the game, he was a talented Arraez in his time. So versatile and dependable. I would have my second vote for Roy Smalley. He has become an integral part of Twins lore and a great spokesman for the team. What is interesting to me is whether the Twins will continue to do this every year or is there a cutoff where no one is truly deserving of the honor?
  12. mikelink45
    Now the question - how do they fix this? They have a multitude of coaches. Who is working with him? What do they do to change this and save a good player?
  13. mikelink45
    Let's hope Buxton is healthy. This list is not filled with ready to go CF options, although I think Celestino really grew during the season and I would be fine if they needed him and called him up to fill in. Much better than Kepler and definitely better than Cave.
  14. mikelink45
    I am not excited about the SS market and the Twins willingness to sign one of the two remaining big names, but I did not see Donaldson being signed either. They could surprise. If not experiment with Lewis, Gordon and Martin rotating in and out. I think I am like most fans and don't expect 2022 to be a success so I think it is a good year to try out various options - SS and Pitching and get ready for 2023.
  15. mikelink45
    This was an intriguing list. Duran needs to make the Twins this year. I am not sure if that is a breakout - I think it is just inevitable. The same with Balazovic. Like DMAN I am not in on Sabato. I would be higher on Wallner who is much like Sabato except he make more contact and best of all he has an excellent arm and can field providing us with Kepler's replacement.
  16. mikelink45
    I am content with one FA if it is quality and your choice makes great logic. Rodon, Ober, Ryan and two of Balazovic, Winder, Sands, Bundy, Duran, Richardson, Canterino, Strotman would give me some hope for the future (even though I am a Bundy sceptic). They are not going to fill out the staff unless there is a massive trade, so a good anchor and a rotation of young arms lets us see what might be happening beyond 2022.
  17. mikelink45
    Right now Donaldson is 3B and he has been good when not injured. There are not a lot of great 3B players and teams do not seem to plan for 3B like they do SS assuming that their failures in the field at SS can slide over to 3B. Arraez is definitely deserving of 3B time and could take over if needed. Miranda is my hope for the future but I have to temper my expectations - a lot of players have a career year and then never get close to it again (Kepler). The real question about Donaldson is who else wants him? And how badly.
  18. mikelink45
    This is a nice winter discussion, but I cannot help but feel that it is not worth a lot of thought. Larnach, Kepler, Buxton, Celestino is fine. The best option was LaMonte Wade, but we whiffed on that. They might even put Miranda out there.
  19. mikelink45
    Thanks for the insight. I would take Moran because the BP is desperate and it looks like he has already fit in, but 8 and 9 are interesting because I know nothing about them and thus they have no flaws! Vallimont scares me. I do not have faith in him so that means he should be the shining star and Rosario is a mystery like 8 and 9.
  20. mikelink45
    My problem with all of this is the out of control spending, payrolls, and everything about the greed. I do not like forcing teams to spend money if they have poor players - sometimes it isn't tanking, it is just a bad roster, so does that roster deserve more money? I like revenue sharing the way it is done in the NFL. But I also know that it is possible for a team to be the almost good, but not really bad category for decades and I do not want to be part of that. Tear it down and build it back up is not a bad formula. But perhaps a timeline - when you sink to the bottom you have 3 years and then you start losing your position in the draft order? I do not have a really great solution. I like to see minor leaguers play and I am glad they are starting to address housing, but with all the money both sides are squabbling about I would like to see the price of tickets dropped to a scale of $1 - $10 and award the fans with a little of that extra wealth. That would get fans back in the seats where we can all spend too much on hot dogs, beer, and other concessions.
  21. mikelink45
    I understand - Perry was wonderful and deserves to be on the list, but I was there for that special game and thus it overwhelms all other pitching memories.
  22. mikelink45
    Nicely done. I like your top five - you might need a pitcher, but for bats I would take all five. As someone half a century older I can tell you that it was a pleasure to see all of them play. Your remembrance reminds me of the perspective that we each have as the game becomes part of our personality and thus the players we just missed become legends and the players we start with become our standards of comparison. Kaat, Blyleven, Santana, Morris, Nathan are my Pitching five and thus the current use of pitchers is just not what I like to see. You will have a different standard to work with, but no matter the age, those early years of our own fandom are filled with great players and stories.
  23. mikelink45
    His trade value is at the lowest point. Two lost seasons have to make others concerned. Why would a team trade a player who could be an outstanding talent unless they are blown away with the return. His value is down, our need for him is up. I am ready to say take the SS position and show us you are ready or not. Unless they grab one of the really good SS that are left it is time to gamble on his potential.
  24. mikelink45
    Yes - Manfred is really trying to control the messages rather than delivery real compromise.
  25. mikelink45
    Tough to care when neither side demonstrates that they do.
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