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mikelink45

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Everything posted by mikelink45

  1. mikelink45
    It's the third time May has missed time with a back injury this season, as he also missed 23 games in June with back spasms. He saw a specialist at the Mayo Clinic before his return and thought he had found the root of his problem, but will seek another opinion and will see specialist Dr. Robert Watkins in California. "It's been tremendously frustrating [for him]," Molitor said. "At some point you even wonder when you can't find the exact source of the problem, you start thinking worst-case scenario. I think he's going to be OK over time, but we need to start putting together a program where his focus this winter will be on being healthy." May's back issues have only flared up when pitching in relief, so Twins interim general manager Rob Antony said he's hopeful May will start next year. "He'll be told as he was last year to go home and prepare to be a starter and hopefully he comes in and wins a spot in the rotation next spring," Antony said. "He didn't earn one this spring and he had success as a reliever so it was easy enough to put him back in the pen. But I'd like to see him earn a job as a starter next year." By Rhett Bollinger / MLB.com | @RhettBollinger | September 13th, 2016
  2. mikelink45
    Why are we surprised? Last year May was hurt and we were told that he should go to the starting rotation for his physical well being. Pitching is a terrible difficult physical demand and if he was breaking down in the bullpen, how was starting going to change that? I hate to see any player go down, but disappointment, not shock is my response. Now, concentrate on the young pitchers. Help them to succeed. Push the mediocre aging pitchers out at the same time.
  3. mikelink45
    Good-bye been nice to know you. I think a part of the lyrics of Supertramp wrap this up: Goodbye stranger it's been nice Hope you find your paradise Tried to see your point of view Hope your dreams will all come true or Now some they do and some they don't And some you just can't tell like And some they will and some they won't With some it's just as well
  4. mikelink45
    I am definitely in favor of #2 and #3 which is why #1 is third on my list. Let a manager designate 4 pitchers for a 9 inning game. That's it. If it goes beyond 9 they can do what they want. But think of the strategy. Do you use all three relief pitchers in the 7th inning or do you have to wait and hold one in reserve? Get the relievers in a rotation and teach them to throw more than 1 inning. Get rid of the one LOOGY and other specialists who throw more warm-ups than pitches. The real issue is on the mound and these three address that. No one wants to watch a parade to the mound of catchers, pitching coaches and managers. Limit mound visits to 1 per inning, signal changes from the dugout. Left for intentional walk, right for I want a new pitcher!
  5. mikelink45
    I like your presentation in this article. I am unable to analyze and critique, but the essay and comments cause me to think about the variations in players natural abilities and I am pleased to see someone finding what is good for them even if it bucks the trend. Didn't our new batting coach say that he wanted to coach the individuals and not try to find one answer that everyone needs to follow?
  6. mikelink45
    I was reading this with some hope and satisfaction (the same thing I felt about Berrios the last two years) and the question came to me that maybe Seth can inform me on the historic success of pitcher promotions. When I look at prospects I also know that what is said and what happens in that huge jump to MLB don't always match. I think of David Clyde, or the Twins Eddie Banes https://coffeyvillewhirlwind.wordpress.com/2008/07/04/1973-eddie-banes-debut/. I like this article http://www.baseballamerica.com/minors/161161/#PSGsmMmrjtSX6esB.97 but it does not answer my question. What are the real odds that the pitchers in this article, or a similar article for all the teams, will actually make the majors and the rotation for more than the old cup of coffee?
  7. mikelink45
    I will fill in since I am old enough to see all the teams and, yes, this is the worst. We always had a Dave Goltz, Pascual, Kaat, Boswell, Blyleven, Viola, Radtke...and they gave us a reasonable chance - Santana is that guy for this team, but his performance does not measure up to those former Twin rotation leaders. Of course it is the sum of all five pitchers that really counts (or doesn't count) and we have had some historically bad groups. http://www.baseball-reference.com/teams/MIN/staff.shtml
  8. mikelink45
    Why bother with bringing in all the bodies to ST if we just set the rotation over the winter? This is ridiculous. If the "big four" prove to have the velocity, the skills, and composure to lead us to the promised land fine. But compete! If we are already posturing for opening day, a month away, we are wasting opportunities. In the last six years our best has been a near .500 team, our worst 103 losses, and in the last six years to are 407 - 565, a pct of .419. http://minnesota.twins.mlb.com/min/history/year_by_year_results.jsp and their pitching stats are easy to check out: http://www.baseball-reference.com/teams/MIN/pitchteam.shtml I might also suggest that the Twins might like to revisit the fact that attendance has gone down steadily in all six years. So, here is the ultimate question - why are these pitchers secure? Why are they not worried about some young arm just shoving them out of the way?
  9. mikelink45
    This was really an excellent presentation that filled in a lot for me. For one thing it appears that there are many Latino instructors in the low minors and I think that is really helpful for the young players trying to adapt to all the issues that surround them. I had no idea so many were signed for the minors. Is there a reason for this? I counted 30 on your two lists. Are we short on minor leaguers?
  10. mikelink45
    Love the bunt, Mickey Mantle was the master of the drag bunt, just between the pitcher and first base. It was really disruptive to the other team.
  11. mikelink45
    Sano is a great story and I look forward to having him get back on track which I think he will. Still - I hate strikeouts. I do not care about the sabermetric BS that K's are not a big deal - they are. Like other posts I still wish there was a Latino coach to work with our southern players and to communicate in the most effective way.
  12. mikelink45
    Not only do we agree, but I am a birdwatcher and ran an Audubon Center for 38 years, so where does your handle come from? Surely not the Orioles, Blue Jays, Cardinals.
  13. mikelink45
    Nice essay. I sure hope this is as good as it sounds. On the other hand, I think that their judgment of the pitching development and coaching is flawed. Duffey needs a third pitch, Berrios is not harnessing his talent...those are jobs for coaches to straighten out.
  14. mikelink45
    Well at last I see something positive for this season and the reason the pundits give us a better win-loss record than last year. It is because there is only one team in the division that is truly worthy of post season so we will be better because the teams we play the most will be better! Positive energy is flowing now. All we need is for Cleveland to underestimate us again and relax and let us play near .500 against us for the season. This is a good summary of the Indians and I enjoyed the insights and thoughts. But I would add one more thing - Terry Francona. His managing both player and game was really good and if there is a WAR for managers he has a high one.
  15. mikelink45
    Why does every article on Twins pitching make this season seem so depressing - everytime I look at one of the rotations with so many replacement level and below starters, hangers on like Vogelsong and Tepesch, returning injured arms like Perkins and Hughes, head scratchers like Santiago, and statements about all that Berrios has to learn (who is teaching him) - I am looking for some light somewhere. Then we justify Haley because we are admitting our rotation is so inept we need a mop up guy, maybe two to just soak up innings - would not matter if the era was in double digits. Where is the hope? Wait until next year? Its only been five years, what's one or two more? Something has to change.
  16. mikelink45
    It is the ability to be close, but also to be unpredictable. When they assume a ball and you throw a tough strike - that is pitching.
  17. mikelink45
    Thanks for the update. I did not know this, but it is false hope for me since I would love to see Santiago packed and gone. I think Escobar is better than Ehire for the bench. Gibson has one more year to show that he has more than one good year in him. He would be next after Santiago to be moved to clear the deck.
  18. mikelink45
    Nicely done. I hope you did not tear a rotator cuff typing this.
  19. mikelink45
    At least we had one game we could get excited about this spring and it was not today or yesterday.
  20. mikelink45
    This is a bad reflection on the new FO. Santiago is no mystery and he is no salvation. Getting him last year to get rid of Nolasco was smart. Keeping him this year is not.
  21. mikelink45
    I cannot judge this, I only think of all the injuries over all the years where we have waited and delayed and then finally did what was needed. I hope that this was not poor judgment, but there have just been too many instances where we wait and wait and suddenly the player is lost for a longer period.
  22. mikelink45
    This is a depressing column. Not that it is wrong, it's just that a 103 loss team should be adding quality not questions.
  23. mikelink45
    Until our new favorite minor leaguer advances Rosario and Kepler need to get almost all outfield and batting reps. When K emerges he takes the weaker of the two.
  24. mikelink45
    I would have to say that based on this Tweet the new design is the best ever. Now I have to go and look at it.
  25. mikelink45
    I would love to see him prosper and force a place in the MLB rotation at trade time.
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