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mikelink45

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Everything posted by mikelink45

  1. mikelink45
    We have such a backlog of LF candidates that I cannot root for Garlick to make the team even though he has been hitting so great in ST.
  2. mikelink45
    arthritis, stiffness, sight changes, back tightens, muscle loss are all part of the 40s and they cannot be avoided. He will slow down - everyone does. I wish him the best maybe he can be another Julio Franco and play until he is 48! His backups have thump, but Cruz has something better - he can actually get hits when he doesn't get homers. Let's hope that aging curve for him does not catch up.
  3. mikelink45
    I agree with the current lineup, but expect Kiriloff and Larnach to replace him soon and that will be better for all outcomes.
  4. mikelink45
    Speed is a tool that can play well in the playoffs when the bats get stifled by a dose of the best pitchers.
  5. mikelink45
    I love that Astudillo keeps playing all over the field and hitting well on a team that is really poor at bat this spring. The lineup looks like they are still in the playoffs - no hits, no runs - time to wake up. I know Nick Nelson keeps saying he is not high on the turtle, but the turtle has not been behind the plate, at 3B, in LF and he has been one of our most aggressive and effective batters. .389 .450 1.117 so far. He might be the second utility man.
  6. mikelink45
    I love Arraez first with Buxton and Simmons ahead of him for the last three ABs so they can use their speed. Which is a big issue for me. Has the league already forgotten what Rickey Henderson did? The greatest leadoff hitter of all time. Speed still counts even if it is 8th/9th in the order. A SB is a valuable asset as is OBP and plate discipline. I keep trying to think of the reasons for Kepler to bat first - not OBP, not BA, not speed on the bases. Power is his asset and number 4 seems a better slot.
  7. mikelink45
    So glad we moved Kyle on - his numbers just do not say major league starter, but he is now the vet on their staff. I look forward to the last few weeks of ST. Berrios really fell flat against the worst team in baseball - not good. Time to get up and get back to the level you belong J O. Or was he down because Maeda is the opening day starter?
  8. mikelink45
    It might not be fielding, it might be that he fell down.
  9. mikelink45
    I hate to join the chorus, but Kepler is not my favorite outfielder. I agree with the fact that CFs are not bad hitters - I think a guy out west named Trout puts that to rest. This is just a way of saying he isn't as bad as we think he is, but I hate seeing him lead off, I just have not seen the progress I had expected. Let's hope he makes you look good and all us commenters look bad - any time a Twin does better than I expect is good. But Kepler just does not give me confidence.
  10. mikelink45
    It might be the walk that he took two games ago that caught my attention the most.
  11. mikelink45
    I love the way he plays, but I think we are one year too early on this discussion. Let's see how he does as the super Sub.
  12. mikelink45
    I love the way he plays, but I think we are one year too early on this discussion. Let's see how he does as the super Sub.
  13. mikelink45
    One player I haven't heard talked about very much is astudillo he is done everything that's been asked of him and has done it well this spring. I know that a lot of people think he was just a good humor story 2 years ago, but I've been very impressed with how he has played this spring. No predictions, but he deserves some credit.
  14. mikelink45
    I would go with Kirby - what he did in the WS was enough to make me a believer.
  15. mikelink45
    I want Buxton, but after watching the spring training games if he is not there I want Celestino - I do not want to downgrade the position with Cave, Kepler or even Broxton. CF is a prime defensive positions and Celestino shows that he is next in line.
  16. mikelink45
    What we need to do is a simple formula - pitch well +hit more than homers +field well =victory. And to add to the basic formula - the manager needs to not over use the bullpen, maybe mix in a SB, and give a little Piranha magic when the big lumber is not hitting the new ball over the fence.
  17. mikelink45
    Nicely done - I am waiting for the Twins first cuts. Some of the pitchers that they signed to look at seem like they are ready to fall off the team and let the coaches concentrate on the players who will be in the majors for us.
  18. mikelink45
    High hopes and the idea of a hitter who can get both average and power is really exciting
  19. mikelink45
    Time to get on Alex's bandwagon - a real prospect, a nationally ranked prospect. We have seen Soto and Acuna rake as young OFs. Now I want a young stud in our lineup. Go Kiriloff.
  20. mikelink45
    I hope not - Broxton is hitting off prospects and fill ins and is starting to see his numbers go down as quality rises. There is a reason he was available. I like him, I am not his fan. Kiriloff does not need to meet and early spring training numbers - the last three weeks of ST is when it starts to count unless you are a real fringe prospect or a minor league signing.
  21. mikelink45
    I am a little disappointed by this list. Kiriloff and Larnach are not surprises, but below them the list looks weak. For his minor league career Blankenhorn has a 325 OBP and a 431 slugging with a 257 AV - that is not a hitting tool and yet he is rated number 3. We will hope Sabato and Wallner and others will rise. I would put Celestino at three with a career 274 and an OBP of 346. Then lets hope when Lewis comes back he jumps to the top with his speed and potential.
  22. mikelink45
    I would love to see Balazovic jump over the Dobnak, Thorpe, Smeltzer group. He pushes the quality up and in addition I would like to see Duran join him. I want those two to be the ones who jump in when one of the starters goes down. The three we have had the last few seasons are filled with storylines, but I want the talent to rise.
  23. mikelink45
    All the Ace talk is a distraction - he is a very good pitcher and what we need is for him not to have an August Swoon. We need him to be consistent. The Twins have never had that true Ace except for Santana and Pascual, but we have had some very good pitchers who consistently gave us the chance to win - Perry, Kaat, Radke, Viola, Morris (too late in his career to be a full season Ace), Baker, Zahn, Tapani, Goltz, Grant, Boswell, and even HOF Blyleven. Just pitch well. Getting 2 mph more is not the answer or the real need.
  24. mikelink45
    Please put Kepler at 4 - not that I really like him there, but so far we do not have a number 4 and his hitting is more suited for that spot. Arraez is a natural, beyond him I don't care.
  25. mikelink45
    No - Maeda was great - for one year, that was 1/3 of a year. Like Maeda but lets see a full year.
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