mikelink45

I see Santana gone next year, the last year of his contract we are paying for DL, I am not a believer in May - he has been in the TD columns for years now - start, relieve...He is not doing that well in rehab. Lynn should be traded. Pineda looks good because we have not seen him all year, but for me I would have Gonsalves slated for the rotation with Berrios, Romero, Gibson, and Odorizzi (who also could be traded). Rooker is a younger Sano, Morrison, let him cut down the Ks before we pull him up (and I was one who really hoped he'd soar to the top. For me, we have wasted the year with Gordon. The Polanco suspension was made for giving him a trial.

I am not sure I can criticize Molitor on BP use. We do not have the arm that we can ride like some teams. Our collection is definitely middle of the pack, not an outstanding pen and with the current over use of the pen by all teams I do not think there is a great formula. However, using a pitcher (Pressly) until he burns out is not good strategy. Berrios pitching 9 and Gibson 7 is a good formula. I am running out of ideas for this team and my desire to see some of our upside minor league players is not going to fly with this FO.

Baseball draft will never match basketball and Football where we see the players on big stages and know that their talent will immediately transfer to the team. I know nothing about any of these players except what TD writes. Never saw them and will not see them in a Twins uniform for 4 years or more - if ever. The only thing the draft means to me is to satisfy my curiosity about what positions were drafted in the first 10 rounds. 3 RHP, 2 C, 3 OF, and 1 3B. Tells me nothing, but it is interesting after our last few SS drafts.

I have been gone for a week guiding a trip in the Black Hills and Badlands so I am turning to TD this morning to help me catch up. I look at the lineup and see two starters above 260 - Rosario and Escobar. Overall the pitching looks good, but a two person lineup is tough to win with. So I went back through the weeks box scores and pitching looks good - except I have to ask what is happening to Pressly? Did he get burnt out? Odorizzi has his ERA growing. Romero and Berrios looked solid. Last week I was told by one of the readers that LOMO had turned it around. His BA is still 191 and it is June. Not pleased with that. I prefer his bats go to Sano - even though his Ks still depress me. Where is Dozier. Aren't we getting close enough to half a season for him to wake up and take off again? Do we really think Adrianza is better than Gordon? Or is Adrianza like LaMarre and Cave - additions by our smart FO who have to get lots of opportunities before we can bring up our own guys - Gordon and Wade? Still not a FO fan. I will be home for a week now so I should catch up, did I miss any other important details?

That's great news. I've been waiting for him to heat up all season. But I really like the fact that are number 5 7 13 14 and 16 prospects all had multi-hit nights as well. Overall a very good night for our hitters

I have felt throughout the Falvey era that they lean towards their own Acquisitions over the players they inherited. I'm happy for Littell but I have to believe that Gonsalves has to be frustrated by seeing so many go up before he even gets a chance. So I hope littell is great and Romero comes back from his last loss, but I hope we soon see Gonsalves too.

That was a fun win. A nice combination of all aspects of the game - lets enjoy a lot of these games in the next month and maybe we can start talking about bigger issues (like post season) later.

This is not an uplifting posting, nor should it be. Look where we are. So Dozier will go crazy for a while - big deal the season is 162 games. What do we grab hold of as an anchor going forward? I don't know. The most dependable players over the last two years are Rosario who is constantly criticized and Escobar who is consistently projected as a bench player.

The rest of the league has figured him out. He is half a year player. What do you trade for that?

I like ideas like this - see my blog on Jim Kaat's ideas. My desire was to limit the number of pitchers eligible to be used in a game. Have the manager designate 3 or 4 (your choice) and then the strategy really ratchets up. Mound visits and relief pitching is boring and time consuming. I am fine with your limits on rosters too. Something has to be done to keep our sport interesting to future fans.

There is only one real decision for Joe - what is the best choice for the rest of his life to be healthy and meaningful; what is the best for his family and him?

What is happening with Akil Baddoo? I was hoping for another really good season and he seems over matched instead. For a number 10 prospect I had high hopes for this season. Can you explain what the reasons are?

Welcome to June. Another month and the story seems to be changing again. But the fact that we have now flipped our issues from hitting to pitching leaves us in the same place - losing. We lost when we did not hit, we lost when we did not pitch, we lost on the road and now we lost at home. Reed has really let us down recently and that stands out because he was supposed to be our steady hand in the BP. But other than that it is hard to make comments. We are 22 - 30. We are not in third place in our weak division and KC is just 2 behind us while we are 6.5 behind the Indians. And we are 10 behind in the Wild Card standings. We need to rattle off a 14 game winning streak to begin to regain significance.

I am trying to think of a clever post. But I can't. We stink. How's that. I know there are lots of rationalizations, but listening to tonight's game and thinking 22 - 30 - 8 games below 500 in the worst division in baseball and then coming up with excuses just does not seem satisfying. Trying to find good stories in Morrison who I am reminded has done well since he was horrid, but still batting 196 and I shudder - this is good? Seeing Grossman hitting 217 and fielding the same makes me shake. Having LaMarre in center because he hit well early in the spring leaves me frustrated. Watching our Vet Dozier hit HRs when the game is not on the line and bat 237 makes me weep. Seeing our big slugger at 206 completely frustrates. Yes Kepler has been a good story, but only a 246 story and Escobar keeps holding his own and even batting 4th, but in fact he is batting 259. The Twins still have a chance. Mathematics has no soul, no emotions, so yes, we are not out of it. If only my head understood mathematics because I am having a hard time being positive.

I like this. In fact I like both Granite and Wade up and LaMarre and Grossman out. Save the defense! The offense from the two that we currently have is nothing worth saving.

Buster Olney wrote a column that spoke to my frustrations. In the long run baseball is not being hurt by time of game - it is dying of boredom. When we base a game on strikeouts, walks, and homeruns we might as well have a home run and a throwing contest instead of a ball game. http://www.espn.com/blog/buster-olney/insider/post/_/id/18564/olney-parts-of-baseball-are-disappearing-before-our-very-eyes I miss stolen bases. If you saw Vince Coleman, Maury Wills, Lou Brock or Rickey Henderson you know there was an extra tension, suspense, and anticipation. Each pitch was exciting because baseball had an element of the unknown - a mystery. I loved it. Now the Twins could have that if Buxton gets on base, is not injured and is encouraged to go. But in all time rankings only Rajai Davis is in the top 100, #73 with 402. Jacob Ellsbury is 118 with 343. Then Hanley Ramirez is 187 - 281. Now I love bunt singles, but I also enjoy a good sacrifice. The leader in the all-time standings among active players is Elvis Andrus who is Number 395 with 100 sacrifices. The sacrifice, done well adjusts the defense, creates speed, and can lead to miscues and base running adventures. I really loved hit and run too, but who does it any more? It is not for everyone, but for those who could control the bat it could be an excellent play. I like action. A full count walk or strikeout is a minimum of seven pitches. Are they exciting? NO. At least they addressed the intentional walk. Okay a home run is exciting - for 2 minutes - of a three hour game. The most exciting player for the Twins right now is Rosario because he is always looking to take another base. It pressures the other team. I love it. I also love those who can challenge the shift. Little things, lots of them, filling up the innings is fun baseball. Could a team built with speed like the old St Louis Cardinals under Whitey Herzog, the dodgers of Maury Wills, the A's of Rickey Henderson or the Go-go White Sox of Aparacio and Fox win now? I would love to see someone try.

Sad to read of Buxton's continuing injury. I was moved by your article to put together a blog on injuries. Too often as fans we underestimate them - concussions, sprains, or any other injury creates a complex set on internal actions that we cannot judge. But with that being said, I am concerned about Santana, his last year on the contract is beginning to look like a short one. But more important, over the years the Twins have had way too many injuries where the staff gives us an optimistic prognostication only to slip into week to week to eventually prolonged absence. It made me look up Trevor May. The last report from Roto World was May 22 - "Trevor May (elbow) allowed three earned runs over four innings Tuesday in a rehab start with Triple-A Rochester. May was supposed to go five innings, but his pitch count rose quickly as he surrendered two walks and three hits -- including a homer to former teammate Trevor Plouffe. The 28-year-old right-hander has displayed diminished fastball velocity in his recovery from Tommy John surgery and will likely need a couple more minor league rehab outings before the Twins consider adding him to their active roster. May 22 - 8:20 PM" But CBS reported this week - https://www.cbssports.com/fantasy/baseball/news/twins-trevor-may-struggling-at-triple-a/ "However, his struggles at Triple-A, especially with his control (eight walks in 10.2 innings), indicate he may need a few months in the minors before he's ready to return." Anything more to add or are we having another rain storm?

I had to stop reading the Buxton portion of the WHEN IT RAINS, IT POURS article today because it sent my mind back through the history of Baseball. I was luck enough to be a kid when Dizzy Dean was announcing games and he always made me smile, but as I learned more and more about him and his amazing, but too short career I learned lessons that continue to plague me. One injury cannot be isolated from the rest of the body. When I am suffering from various injuries that were accumulated in a lifetime of adventures and guiding my wife will sing a versus from skeleton song - https://www.lyricsondemand.com/miscellaneouslyrics/childsongslyrics/dryboneslyrics.html to remind me that everything is connected. For Buxton to play with a broken toe is exactly what Dizzy Dean did and it killed his career. ]https://www.fangraphs.com/tht/tht-live/the-dizzy-dean-injury-cascade/[/url] When asked about the injury Dean said, "“Fractured. Hell, the damn thing’s broken!”" Dean's injury happened during the All-Star game - "Initially, most thought Lou Gehrig, not Earl Averill, delivered the most damaging shot against Dizzy Dean in the 1937 All-Star Game. It wasn’t until later in the summer that the impact of Averill’s low liner that ricocheted off the toe of the Cardinals ace began to be understood." "Dean returned to St. Louis and had the aching toe examined by Dr. Robert F. Hyland, the club physician. Hyland said the toe was bruised, not broken, and prescribed rest for Dean, according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Dean, who had a 12-7 record and 2.41 ERA, was scratched from his scheduled start July 11 versus the Reds. During his recuperation, Dean clipped a newspaper photo showing his bandaged foot, autographed it, inscribed “Thanks, Earl” and mailed it to Averill. Though Dean still was limping, Cardinals management instructed him to join the team in Boston. When he arrived, manager Frankie Frisch asked Dean whether he could pitch. Dean said he could. On July 21, two weeks after he was injured, Dean started against the Braves in Boston. He pitched eight innings and yielded two runs, but he altered his delivery to compensate for the pain in his toe. By throwing with an unnatural motion, Dean damaged his arm." https://retrosimba.com/2017/07/08/dizzy-dean-and-his-final-painful-cardinals-days/ Dean tried to continue pitching even though he was hurt - the worst thing he could do. Buxton is our future and he has a history of injuries, but looking at his build and the way he plays it is not surprising. Someone needs to help him make decisions because players will always play. In case we need reminding - here is a good site to look at 25 careers that were ended early by injuries. We might add the career altering of concussion to Mauer - http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1022656-25-potentially-immortal-baseball-careers-derailed-by-injuries#slide5 We can also add the shortened career of Kirby Puckett, and the impact of bad knees on Tony Oliva, I know that I get caught up with critiquing players, but I also have to set back and realize that if they are injured and not playing it is frustrating them too.

I enjoyed your thoughts. The advantage the NBA has is that one player can change a team. Mike Trout might be the best in a generation, but he has not made it to the world series. He cannot change many games by himself, where LeBron almost tells his team to get out of his way, like Jordan did with the Bulls. We cannot make baseball reach that individual level, although we came close during Koufax dominate years when his games were must watch, or when Sosa and McGwire lifted the game from the doldrums. Of course in basketball there are also teams that cannot reach the public limelight - I cannot remember a single Clipper for example. Even though I am not a basketball fan, I still see the dominant personalities and wonder why baseball has not this at least regionally. Baseball has a good chance at individual recognition if the team exploits there advantage since the lack of equipment means we see the individuals face and can recognize them. My disagreement with you is on pace of play. I have been a baseball fan for most of my 72 years, but I get bored. The random special plays are usually during the bathroom and concession breaks and require the replay video to enjoy. I do not like to sit still for 3 - 3 1/2 hours and in this era of alphabet syndromes, most people do not. So if we want the game to be on personalities rather than stats - note the NBA focuses on the players, then we do need a faster game, a shorter game. And it can be done. Part of that effort has to be on the players themselves - pointing at Dozier here - and their policing of acceptable behavior. Get over yourself. So you are losing and they steal a base, so they clobber the ball and flip their bat, so they show exuberance - the way to react to this is to wait for your turn and do something special. The fifth major sport, not mentioned in your essay is Soccer. I liked to play, I hate to watch it, but that does not matter because the world does. This is a sport where the visibility of the player is obvious and they react with lots of emotions. Unfortunately they do not score enough for most of us, but the world loves it. It is a sport of great international players and that is promoted. Baseball is also a sport of great international players and we do not do enough to build off that. This is a contrast with the other two major sports or rather the equipment leagues. Without numbers you can not recognize the players and these are 300 pound monsters on the football field. In hockey they are less covered - their head gear does not hide their faces. Hockey lines change so often it is hard to recognize who is out on the ice and that impacts our ability to be involved with the individuals. The first line is usually all that we know, but we have to rotate through 3 or 4 lines to get there. Hockey should use their individuals better, but they also suffer from the fact that they need to have an influx of Canadian and Northerners to provide a fan base. The NFL is the most popular and losing its popularity. It is the dictator league. From Goodell to the owners there is a flaunting of power on the top, characterized by the most recent ruling on protests. The individuality of the players are being squashed and the game is evolving to a pass and catch contest. So far it has really been the violence of the game against the artistry of the run and catch, but is that going away? The NFL has dropped from my favorite with Baseball to a much lower position with the other sports and they are the ones doing damage to their own sport.

This is terrrific - especially when the MLB team has been less than sterling. So here are some more questions. From the top prospects we now have Garver off the list and we certainly have some who should drop and some next ten that should move up. When will you update the prospect list? Next question - who should be in MLB (Gordon of course), but who else would you put on the Twins to give them a spark? Sleger certainly did his part last night and up until last night Romero did too.

"Cleveland beat the White Sox tonight, meaning the Twins are now 5.5 games back of first place in the AL Central. They’re already 9.5 games out in the Wild Card." This line from your report really sums up the season! Since the other divisions have already reduced our chances for a wild card to almost nil, we have to look at Cleveland, but what does the comparison show? In Team Batting - Cleveland is #4 in the AL while the Twins are 13 based on runs In HRs Cleveland is 3 and Minnesota is 14 - it is the same in OPS. How about pitching? Cleveland 8/Twins 9 - in ERA, In BAA Cleveland separates - 6 to the Twins 9. We are tied in Fielding Pct. I loved having us bring up Slegers - its good to use our own talent. We all knew Fernando was not going to be unhittable all year, but this was bad. Some of you might be able to answer this for me. It seemed as if the fielding let him down - not that it wasn't a bad game for him, but even though there were not errors there were missed judgments. If the batters need to be behind by 8 runs to loosen up we will be in trouble. Lets hope they stay loose for Cleveland.

I like Escobar's consistency more than Dozier's half year excellence.

Okay - two months - one good, one bad. Which is accurate? Will he be in the middle?

It looks like Gonsalves is slipping down the pecking order. Any reason for his recent slips? Boy would I love the Kernels bats in the Twins order. I know they are young, but we just look so bad.

I am impressed. Nice insight. Get them to the bigs ASAP!