mikelink45

I am ready to take a chance. What are our options? Do you think Slegers really has potential? It we do not get Cobb or Lynn is there anyone out there with the potential to make us better? I am not a believer in Hughes, Pineda is not ready. Put the young guys in. Like I said before they can be pulled when Santana comes back. I do not care if it is Gonsalves or Romero or both. But I want us to do something to move us forward - especially towards 2019.

I can understand your arguments and there are some good points, but I will retain my position and say that $10million - what the Jays paid, is over paying for a pitcher like Garcia. We seem to have different lens and through mine I see a subpar pitcher while you see an average pitcher. We might not be too far apart, but I maintain that if we are going to sign someone then a Cobb or Lynn has the potential to make us better and Garcia has the potential to make us the same.

I would love to see Mauer continue to rise and demonstrate that those poor years were all concussion caused, but I am skeptical of whether he can do it. In someways, his Minnesotan attitude has hurt him too. Unlike Hunter and the gang that the FO signed to be the cheerleaders and veteran leadership, Mauer does not fit into that category, he just has that "Lake Wobegon" personality. If he applies himself he could go until 40, the real question is whether he contributes what the FO thinks we need. He will go to FA because we cannot afford the contract at 80% of his current and I question what his value would be on the market when I look at this years FA market. Will they bring him back - I am about 50-50 right now.

If a 5 - 10 record, a 1.408 WHIP, a 4.41 era, a 6.03 runs allowed per 9 innings with the Yankees, a RAA of -5 for the Yankees, makes him average I will continue to say that we can use our rookies to equal the output of this 31 year old pitcher and we should.

Unless he falls apart this spring - put him in the rotation. Give him at least until Santana comes back then send down if needed, but hopefully he will have proven his value by then. Good pick for #4. Now for Romero to advance quickly.

I disagree. They can have Garcia - look at his record. Only 2015 was good. He is a filler, a replacement level. We can rotate minor league arms and be better off. I am pleased that he is gone. If we talk Lynn or Cobb fine, but Garcia is not an improvement.

Just keep track of some of the past observations. We all know about pendulums. Stats, and theories are great and can make a difference. Talent, ability, speed, and instinct still count.

They Played for the Love of the Game Untold stories of black baseball in Minnesota By Frank White This is the third book written about black baseball in Minnesota which might be an indication of how important this was to the history of Minnesota and the history of Baseball. Frank White, a St Paul native, is a perfect writer for this topic. His father, Louis Pud White, was an outstanding, if little remembered catcher in the baseball leagues as evidenced by Buck O’Neil, and he was a friend of Dave and Steve Winfield. This is a thoroughly researched and well written book that really uncovers some special experiences and beyond black baseball, shows how important baseball was in all the towns of the Midwest, if not the entire country with semi-pro teams gathering both press and audiences all over. These teams were lucky in one season because Major League baseball created one of the great injustices of all time by excluding blacks from all their leagues which meant that not only are the records suspect before Jackie Robinson joined the Dodgers but gave the local semi-pros and eventually the Negro Leagues some real stars. And if you want a villain in this it would be Cap Anson, who deserves to be taken out of the Hall of Fame. If we question the veracity of Barry Bonds, Mark McGwire, Roger Clemens, Shoeless Joe, Pete Rose, than this is the individual who committed the most grievous offense when he refused to let his White Stocking team play against the Newark Giants of the International League if their two black players played in the game – he set the town for the exclusion of black players in the majors. In the first decade the St Paul Colored Gophers were dominate, even winning the fictitious, but still accepted championship of Black Baseball in 1909 when they defeated the Giants of Chicago. Minneapolis had a top team too with the Keystones and great players who would not be recognized without this book entertained the ticket holders. In the 1920’s the Negro National League formed and even though the St Paul Colored Gophers were an established power Minnesota was deemed too far and too expensive and thus was left out. A second injustice, this one much more serious and reflective of the racism that still exists was The Association of Minnesota Amateur Baseball Leagues decision to ban colored players. African Americans had been part of many teams, but from 1927 – 1947 no African American was allowed to play. The idiocy of racism was such that catcher Lee Davis was a Ho-Chunk Indian and Indians were playing MLB, but his skin was too dark, so he had to play in the black leagues. While Billy Williams, who was black, was invited by the Baltimore Orioles to play on their Montreal team as an Indian. The more I read, the madder I become with the stupidity of racism. It is fun for me to look at players who came from my Alma Mater – Minneapolis Central, but it is also crazy to see teams in places like Pipestone, Des Moines, Bertha fielding excellent teams because racism forced these players to the outposts of baseball. After all the struggles of Jim Crow and blatant racism it is sad to see the switch to track, basketball, and football by many top black athletes, but it makes sense. Those sports offered scholarships and new opportunities. Baseball did not exactly open the major league floodgates after signing a few top players. The book captures that demise and baseball would to well to reflect on its missed opportunities. The story of black baseball in the 1950s shifted to three minor league teams – St Paul Saints, Minneapolis Millers, and the St Cloud Rox. With players like Willie Mays, Roy Campanella, Orlando Cepeda, Ozzie Virgil, and Lou Brock among the many great stars that graced the Minnesota diamonds. But since Dave Winfield we have seen very few African Americans from Minnesota get a chance. Thanks to the author who works for the Twins in the RBI program – reviving baseball in the Inner City – maybe the future will take us a step towards the years of great African American baseball players. In the end, we find this most American sport is also a window into our own history and mores. This book is truly a history of African American people in Minnesota through the lens of Baseball just as baseball reflects our racial tensions, our addictions to drugs, temptations to gambling, the challenging aspects of war, and now our need for speed and quickness because of diminished attention spans.

I know that we have all obsessed over the pitchers, but one more thing jumps out - Garver does not need another year of full time minor league service. This is not a young man and he has done what he needs to do in the minors. He will not start here, at least let him gain service time in the majors.

Good question. He might prove himself in the first month by showing the agility that brought him to us in the first place. I am not concerned with the stats as much as the ability to show that he has not lost something during rehab. Until they get on the field they are suspect. Just like the listings of prospects that include newly acquired players who have not shown the mental adjustments combined with physical attributes. It is not a long time process and it is not stat driven so in a sense there is no real guideline, I just have my own mental system of processing. In the same way, I am fine with fast forwarding prospects, letting them get in above their head and see how they handle the challenges - I loved the aggressive promotions of players like Griffey and even Willie Mays who only got 35 games as a Miller before jumping to the majors. I hope that Kiriloff makes me look bad. If I were making the prospect list which is beyond my ability I would not have anyone in the top ten that was not in the field the previous year. I would make a note that if they come back with the same ability they would be ranked???

When you consider the innings you need to add the Japanese League innings. The joint does not care where the wear and tear took place. I am delighted that we did not go that far to sign him. Good essay.

I am the skeptic - as usual. Until he proves himself he is not a top ten prospect let alone #5 for me. I can only judge a player from time on the field and he has not had enough time to convince me that he should be at this level. All we have is the fact we drafted him #1, he had a great first year and then he blew out his shoulder. Rehabilitation is difficult and different for every person. I know as I am trying to recover from my knee replacement. I would love to see him be a star, but let him come back and earn his place back on this list.

It is not his strikeout rate that is impressing us. That can be corrected if he is willing (as I hope Sano will be too).

It's too early to be too excited since baseball does grind players down and injuries destroy dreams, but this player has really captured the imagination of so many that I am catching the Wander fever too and I am delighted that the FO seems aggressive in their promotions.

No they have not advocated that, I am suggesting the Twins be open to that. But the TD reports give me confidence that they might be ready.

If our TD writers are accurate, if their reports have considered all the trials and errors in their progress then I am ready to give them a chance.

Other than Blankenhorn I have to ask - who are these guys? Does that mean that we have a new and exciting group coming up or that we don't go this deep with the prospects that matter?

They have proven it in the minors, they have shown their ability so that they have ranked themselves as top prospects. It is like looking for a job and being asked what their prior experience is when they are looking for their initial experience. Give them a chance - see what we have.

I love his approach and his talent - put him at 1B, DH, get him in the bigs this season. Tony Oliva started hitting in the bigs at 23, Griffey at 19. Give this bat a chance.

Gonsalves and Romero have to be told that it is up to them whether they are Twins or minor leaguers. Its time to step up.

Yawn- Seth, I need you to convince me that I should disregard the things you have written about our prospects. I need to know that a 31 year old pitcher is actually better than what we have in our prospects and if you do my expectations of our young talent will take a big hit.

I love this and I hope the Twins are really aggressive with him, Rooker, and Lewis. Remember the Kid? Griffey at 19 in mlb. I love it. move fast, get the talent to the bigs and soar with it.

Its over with. The only thing worth discussing is what we are going to do with the assets we have of the players we can still sign or trade for. I was tired of the Darvish posts already, please lets stop - the Cubs have him. What will we do?

I have enjoyed your responses to my posts. I love to write posts that might agitate and get discussion going. Thank you for reading what I write and responding with interesting and challenging posts.

If you have followed my posts (rants) I am not unhappy. Good luck Cubs. I do not know about the other pitchers - of course on an early posting I said why Garcia is an absolutely nooooooo for me. One good year - 2015, lets go young. See what our minor league pitchers can do and look at 2019 if they cannot perform. Lynn or Cobb for one or two years is okay, not my choice, Archer is preferred, but make sure we can afford him and trading Kepler is okay. The best thing is, I do not have to read anymore Darvish essays. He did not want us and I did not want him.