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mikelink45

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Everything posted by mikelink45

  1. mikelink45
    They really proved the value of defense and bullpen! Their speed also played big in ways that metrics cannot measure. When they got someone on the other team got an extra degree of nervousness and that causes problems. It is what I hope Buxton, Polanco, Kepler, Rosario do for the Twins.
  2. mikelink45
    As one who hoped not to have Vogelsong on the roster I am happy, but the pitching of Chargois is starting to get alarming. He is 27, he has a good arm, but his outings are looking very poor and I am sorry to see this. This is the ST that he should have been impressing. Boshers is also looking like he lost the sparkle that got him through last year.
  3. mikelink45
    Maybe someone should talk to Sano about the sluggers market that we saw in this FA season. Teams are getting past the nonsense that K's don't matter. I am concerned with him more than with Buxton because he had early success and did not think he had to apply himself, while Buxton struggled and had to work through his difficulties which could only make him a better player long term.
  4. mikelink45
    Nice article. It is fun to see a player take off and make the most of their talent.
  5. mikelink45
    My concern is the veteran factor - one I cannot accept. As I wrote in another forum - we not only have a number of veterans around on the mound, at 1st, at 2nd, we have veteran coaches, more than ever before, and three hang around and be a veteran presence guys in Hawkins, Cuddyer, and Hunter. We do not need more clogging the roster. Breslow has not looked good. Let him go. Get on with the young players. We need players to be ready in the next few years, Breslow is going to flame out and not be there when a good pitcher is needed. Vargas vs. Park is interesting and I have to think that Park is putting on a good show to be kept and I think Molitor would lean towards him. I do not care about Santana at this point, the under performing vets are more of a concern. Get the first 24 right then we can worry about Santana.
  6. mikelink45
    I cannot quantify the manager effect, but I can see some managers who seem to move players to higher performance and seem to out maneuver the opposition. I cannot put a number on this, but I would take Madden and Bochy any day. And one of the reasons they succeed is that their job is more than the game itself, it is about creating the clubhouse culture. Those teams do not sign washed out vets to make their team culture better. The Stubbs, Vogelsong, Tepesch, Breslow, Belisle, Giminez signings do nothing for me. We have a Hall of Fame Manager and a massive collection of coaches, who played, have been around mlb and should be providing the leadership needed. The young players do lack for wiley vets - they have Dozier, Mauer, Castro, Escobar, Santiago, Santana, Perkins, Hughes, Kintzler, Bosher, Belisle in the 29+ age group and could end up with more - that is half the active roster. With the coaches, the three feel good old timers - Cuddyer, Hawkins, and Hunter, and this group they might consider a psychologist before cluttering up the team with more feel good vets. http://m.twins.mlb.com/roster/
  7. mikelink45
    It is time. I look at age as a major factor for pitchers because arm and shoulder issues are inevitable. Age 27 is actually getting old for a real prospect. Its time to put him in and sink or swim.
  8. mikelink45
    It is too bad that we are so focused on us that we cannot accept and appreciate the World Classic. It really is a great thing and I hope it expands and creates even more acceptance.
  9. mikelink45
    We draft bullpen pitchers to generate starters, we load up with Burdi, Reed, Hilgenberg...as the relief staff of the future and we think of a rotation of great arms and prospects. Then we take two of the top prospects and put them back in relief with a truckload of other relief prospects, none of which we want to bring to the majors and this is supposed to give us a feeling of future greatness. Good god what the hell is this all about. Wasn't is supposed to be Jay, Gonsalves, Berrios, Mejia, Romero - the rotation of the future. Maybe we are so into the new relief corp idea that we are going to have specialist that start in the second inning and carry on one per inning through the nine. No starters, just a mess of relievers. Maybe a roster of 16 pitchers and a starting nine. I guess I might have given away the fact that this is not news that makes me really happy.
  10. mikelink45
    This is an interesting group of prospects. My only disappointment is having Garver sent down this early. I would like to see him work with major league pitchers. If there is a possibility of having him up this year it would be good for him to be familiar with the pitchers he might see later on. I get the impression that Granite is far above Palka in the Twins thinking. Is this correct? Is Goodrum on his way to being a utility player?
  11. mikelink45
    I am here with my prejudice for young players. We once dipped in to the big payroll and extended years with a guy named Mauer and I have seen more whining and anguish over that than almost anything the Twins have or have not done. I look at the big contracts like Pujols and Fielder and Howard where teams go crazy paying for past performance with little expectation of getting what the contract is supposed to buy. The Cubs did not succeed because of Lester, they got there by developing players and if the TD rankings of prospects and reports from Florida are to be believed we just might have the talent ready to rise. Better we get the young arms producing and then let the other guys give them the big extensions for the end of their careers. The nucleus is there, the potential is there, even at SS where the pundits weep over Polanco's fielding we have Javier and Gordon coming along. This team is two years from going past contending to a real threat. Load up the young guys and get it going. No more Hughes, Nolasco, Santiago, Pelfrey, Correia, Pavano, Hernandez, Rogers... Get the talent coming up to produce, it is the only way this team can truly be competitive over the long run. I understand what you are saying, but I do not want any of these players. I would prefer the young potential prospects over guys who have already stressed their arms and have limited years ahead.
  12. mikelink45
    Many players have real country pride and we should respect, not condemn them for this.
  13. mikelink45
    I got to Vogelsong and stopped. I could not continue. That would be the worst and if it happens my enthusiasm will be cut too. Nothing better than tweaking the worse pitching staff with an old over the hill (his hill was quite low) arm that gives us nothing to hope for. I can only hope you are wrong.
  14. mikelink45
    I enjoy the analysis of the individuals along with their placement. I do wonder if the Twins will find a new approach to getting the starters to the MLB team earlier than in the past. Of course that entails dropping the older replacement players. I suppose Tepesch, Vogelsong, Stubbs, Paulson, etc will hand around since they can be placed or jettisoned at any time and fill up lineups when needed, but I do not feel any attachment to them and I hope the Twins do not either.
  15. mikelink45
    I can agree with your posting. I enjoy your comments and I wanted to get a second reaction from you. I have a little different take - not on stats, but performance in Spring, but like your comments and reactions.
  16. mikelink45
    One comment that struck me in this posting was about extra padding for the outfield. I do not know what is right, but with Million Dollar assets all over the outfield I believe it would be the responsibility of the league to find a safer method for padding the fences and protecting the players. It is in the leagues interest as well as the player. Stubbs in AAA is a good protection, not on the MLB roster and like most of the postings I would pull up Granite. He is 24 and most good players are in the majors by 25.
  17. mikelink45
    I have never felt as informed about the minors as I do with your reports. Thanks.
  18. mikelink45
    Perhaps Spring Training is a good time to learn how not to give up HRs when the wind is blowing out, or in Hughes case, not to give up so many under any circumstances. I understand he is returning from injury and I want to see him succeed, but I do not want to give gratuitous pats on the back when they are not earned. No "at a boys" for a performance like this and no balling out. Move on is the only thing to do, but realistically.
  19. mikelink45
    I like them 1 and 2 and even if Buxton raises his power numbers, I like the havoc on the base the most. I loved the 1959 Go Go White Sox with Aparicio in lead off and Nellie Fox batting second. They really set the stage for Landis and Klusewski and others, but they also upset the other team, and disruption is important. I prefer them on base before Dozier and Sano come up because they will score on almost any hit and perhaps take an extra base when the sluggers whiff. White Sox Lineup from world series scorecard: http://www.baseball-cards-and-collectibles.com/1959-World-Series.php Roster: http://www.baseball-reference.com/teams/CHW/1959.shtml#site_menu_link and a nice bio of Nellie Fox - http://sabr.org/bioproj/person/46572ecd
  20. mikelink45
    I am old school. I like speed. I like the disruption. I remember the Rickey Henderson, Maury Wills batters that distract and worry the pitcher, hurry up the defense and generally make the other team uncomfortable. Buxton Polanco Sano Dozier Park Kepler Mauer Castro Rosario
  21. mikelink45
    No, Haley did not do alright. He got all four pitches over the plate and they got all four into the outfield for hits. I am tired of hearing that people do well when it requires a suspension of thinking to believe it. He stunk. We know what good pitching is. They throw the ball, the other teams whiffs, grounds out, fails to score. Very simple.
  22. mikelink45
    Pitch the ball well, catch the ball well and call it framing. Okay. What this article said to me was that a catch should have physical control of his own body so that he doesn't allow his motion to follow the breaking motion of the pitch. Makes sense.
  23. mikelink45
    Unless Vargas catches fire or Park ends the spring poorly, I would bet on Park. Even if the FO is different, the investment in Park is still there by the Twins and the rest of the FO would like to see it pay off.
  24. mikelink45
    If this happens I will be finding another team to root for.
  25. mikelink45
    "Outside of the homers, it was mostly an encouraging outing." I am still trying to wrap my mind around this assessment. Other than losing 103 games last year the Twins looked pretty good!? 5 innings, 4 runs - I do not see the silver lining other than the fact his arm did not fall off.
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