mikelink45

I understand the reaction and as someone who posted a not very optimistic prediction for the rest of the season on another TD article, I can only say that those who keep telling us not to panic, not to over react can enjoy a winter trying to figure out when it is appropriate to panic. Dobnak could not keep going on forever, but what were the impacts of Rosario and Kepler and Polanco's fielding on his results? I do not know it is a real question. How many of Dobnak's runs were the result of Thorpe (and why is he back with the team?)? Another Bullpen game - so our BP which at least got rest the last two days is now stretched again and we will be playing the White Sox. The last BP game came before we played the Indians. How did that work out? I hate BP games. Vargas batting fifth? What is that all about? Adrianza PR for Rosario - did Eddie break a leg? Oh the questions I have. Will we wake up against the White Sox? I do not like third place.

I feel stronger with my prediction (which was made before the DH) - Let's see the Twins are now 5 - 7 vs Detroit and KC. Yup, those are bad teams and we will feast on them. Time for the team to wake up.

This season is so erratic that you could reverse your predictions and have just as much chance to be right. I have no idea what will happen, who will recover and be good (recovery is not enough), who will get injured next, if our BP can stand up to the overuse - even with so many arms. I will predict a 500 record the remainder of the season until these players come back and perform at the level that we expect. If they are all back August 31 and playing well I will still hedge and say 16 - 12. Watch out for the White Sox and the Indians - not only are they good clubs, but we have created a Romo backlash that helps motivate them.

Nice work, but I don't want any of them.

Why the desire to punish the players - listen to the message - that is what counts. Who do you want to have the money? The owners? By not punishing the players the teams can express support and that is essential.

I will defer to you because none of these arms interest me and I do not have your acquaintance with lesser known relievers. It would seem odd that Philadelphia has been trading to shore up its relief corp and we would find a good one in their scrap pile.

I will take them - Sano would not make it because of the slow start, but right now he is what we dreamed of. The obvious other list is those are the five we thought would be all-stars - Berrios, Rogers, Donaldson, Buxton, Oddorizzi. Also a case can be made for Rosario - his HRs, and his ARM!

Let me make a case for not signing him. He does not want to be here! That actually says it all. Players do well when they are satisfied with their team and situation. He blew us off, took the money, laughed on the way to the bank and headed to Texas. I do not want or need him. If he comes I will hope he loses every game, not that he will care. Please stop this. There are other players out there who are not as obnoxious

I cannot refuse to play baseball, basketball, hockey, soccer, but I would if I could. I will support those who can, I will stand for the Black Lives Matter and not confuse it with the need to respect all lives. I will always feel a connection with the American Indian and the genocide of that Indian race in our nation. I will sympathize with the racism that affect the Chinese who built our railroads and the Japanese put in prison camps. I grew up in a black neighborhood, I spent time with my relatives on the reservation in Lac Court O'Reilles, WI. To deny racism is to be blind to the world around us. To say that racism exists in only one color of people would be wrong, but the record of treaties broken, of people sold and resold exceeds other stories. I want to trust the police, but they continue to disappoint me. I want to think that we have gone beyond lynching, but it is not acceptable to have white nationalists in uniform using guns instead of ropes. Destruction of property, looting, defacing the cities is not acceptable, but neither is the indignity of those who complain because freeways are blocked, because peaceful people with tears in their eyes deserve our sympathy and understanding. Baseball took half a century to recover from the racism of Cap Anson. It kidded itself that it was the great major league but was it. Who was better? When Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier with Branch Rickey and Larry Doby, it became a flood in the NL and suddenly we had Aaron, Robinson, Mays, Banks, and other great stars giving the NL a period of dominance. It should have been an awakening. The same was true of other sports and the NHL is still in the backwash of history. Sports have always been a measure of our nation and its progress. Despite our racism Jesse Owens in the Berlin Olympics was a great national victory. Louis over Schmeling was a blow to the Nazi claims of superiority. But the Black gloves held skyward in during their medal ceremony in the Olympic Stadium in Mexico City on October 16, 1968, by two African-American athletes, Tommie Smith and John Carlos offended many – it should not have. It was appropriate and is still meaningful. We have let hate stop the progress towards equality. We have let selfish motives block the rights of people easily identified by skin color as different. We should not be moving towards fascism; we should be moving towards compassion. Our nation should not be worshiping guns, but rather the opportunity of equal rights for all and I mean ALL. I am growing old with the candle of hope flickering in the winds of hate that have been unleashed in our nation. Please - is Peace and Love really a bad slogan to live by?

I am seeing a trend in posts and the Pint sessions - we just have to get to the playoffs, don't worry about winning the division...I can't stand it. I want to win. We should have done better at Cleveland, we should not be making excuses for losses. Sorry, but once we get into the acceptance of losing in any circumstance we prepare for post season losing too. Play to win, play hard, and if you lose don't say it is acceptable.

We have a 60 man roster and have not used it. We have the talent within. No to any and all trades. Promote, heal, and heat up for the playoffs

No - this seems like the old Terry Ryan method - let's bring back everyone ever associated with the Twins. In particular Lynn really left me cold. When he left he was not looking in the rear-view mirror wishing he did not have to leave.

I am so ready to see a couple more from St Paul. I know - we are winning, but Adrianza has been over exposed - couldn't Blankenhorn have handled third for a week? I keep hearing about all the left handed bats - including subs Cave and Wade, but your article mentions Rooker and there is no reason he could not be the fourth OF for a while. I remain puzzled that they did not have Balazovic there for the fundamentals development that you discuss. The taxi squad confuses me. If they travel with the team can they just be quickly added to the roster when there is an injury or need?

He will not be available. Time to look inward.

I agree that the BP games are getting to have too large a carryover. The fact that we could not bring in a starting pitcher is a failure of the leadership.

What other choice do we have?

It is amazing to have three good catchers. It reminds me of the Berra, Blanchard, and Howard time with the Yankees. They used them in the OF as Pinch Hitters, and at 1B to get them ABs. I love it. Jeffers also makes me want to have one of the prospect OFs up.

Why did Maeda go only 5 innings? The BP is overused and a starter picking up one or two more innings would mean a lot. The BP games are really pushing the relievers and the chart for BP use is very enlightening. Thanks for putting that up each day. Coloume and Duffey are the only two really rested for Hill's game tonight.

If we do not have starters in St Paul that we can try then we have a failure by the front office in their planning for the season. When you have 60 players you should have every position covered.

And why not - I would also talk Balazovic but he was not put on the 30 man extra team. Just keep trying arms. Judgment without trying does nothing for me.

That seems like a sound idea, but we are relying on Poppen and Alcala in crucial places - aren't they rookies? Look around the league at the young players coming in and there are some great success stories as well as failures. Do we limit ourselves because of Berrios and Burdi? Burdi did not lack talent, he was just the injury equivalent of Buxton.

Rogers still needs to pick it up. BP games drain the BP and we should be able to find someone to start - I do not care what level Duran has been at - if he can throw five use him. We have four BP pitchers who did not pitch and are available and now we face Cleveland.

It is fascinating to me that Rosario hits the bomb that wins the game and Sano is the big topic here and on the Pint. Dobnak had struggles and has had to face KC three times already, but again Duffey gets more love in the Pint broadcast. Love Dobnak's consistency. I am sure it will blow up somewhere a long the line, but this is quite a streak that Dobs has put together. Career 7 - 2, 1.69 era, 1.074 WHIP. With all the Twin starter issues I give Randy the team MVP for the season to date (2 games from the half way mark.

Why is Cave batting number 5 or anywhere in the top six?

Maybe the problem is getting players into scoring position because they are not there enough to score based on your stats. I do think we are missing Arraez bat and I am tired of the Garver/Cave etc in the top of the lineup.