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mikelink45

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Everything posted by mikelink45

  1. mikelink45
    Berrios is the only one I believe in. He has demonstrated his skills, met every challenge and equally important he has the attitude to succeed. He is small framed and could flame on early which leads to my Twins frustration - use him now, it is not about years of team control, but having him perform when he is healthy and strong. The other two are not on my radar at all. Kohl Stewart needs a strong year this year before I become a believer. At this point his ceiling is - Tommy Milone and his floor is in the minors. Talent has to meet performance. I am cannot measure potential. Jay has gotten a lot of press this winter in the blogs but he has not done anything in professional leagues that I can base hope on. Having Tyler Duffey break out this year he might have been a better third pitcher on this list because he needs to perform this year to prove that last fall was not a fluke. What is his ceiling? Will they figure out his curve? Will his curve destroy his elbow or shoulder?
  2. mikelink45
    The issue is why someone who makes the salary he makes, a guaranteed salary could not be forthright before this. Being honest might have led to a solution.
  3. mikelink45
    Thanks for the Stats. I did not know that. Back to the drawing board, but then if he is starting to have troubles with the other side too - I still have a real concern if Molitor does not think he can move him from the finish and in a hurry.
  4. mikelink45
    Bullpens are erratic at best and looking at Perkins three years of stats shows a diminishing level. In the BP a small difference is magnified. It is important to be ready to rotate the players out of their roles and get constant fresh or refreshed arms in. I would be happy to see the Twins get really aggressive and eat Nolasco's contract if he does not perform, move on from Fien, and start to rotate the young arms in and out until they reach their comfort level. I doubt anyone sees a Series ring this year and that is what we should be building towards. Start working the players who can eventually take us to the top in to the pen and elsewhere. I am pleased they did not sign any relief pitchers and I hope that the team will be ready to move the top three relievers around and vary their roles. I believe that MLB teams are starting to shift in their use of relief pitchers - thanks to KC and the Yankees are looking like they are ready to jump in with a use the best against the best hitters opportunity. The Save has to go and our bullpen is a good example. We do not need the traditional LOOGY - we have Perkins. Use him when that lefty comes up and for the others that bat that inning, whether 7,8, or 9. Match the pitcher and the batter not the pitcher and the inning. We the numbers we have in this article we can do well and forget about those who only can get a lefty out.
  5. mikelink45
    I have memories of Jimmy Hall in the sixties - he had such promise but a beanball - Jimmie Hall played for several years after 1965, but never again as a more than a stop-gap. Some of his decline may be attributed to a beaning, but in any case, his dramatic fall-off left the Twins with a gaping hole in center field - http://sabr.org/research/surprising-disappointment-minnesota-twins-late-1960s finished his promising career, just as it turned Mauer and Morneaus, and knees took out Oliva from a HOF career and Earl Battey from behind the plate. All the lists in the world cannot predict the injuries, the events that turn people from star to washed up. I love the lists because they begin with such promise and allow all our optimism to shine. Until a player moves in to the top 20 they are just a nice story, but when they start to surface in the tops of the various lists and there is some consistency it becomes a valuable way to muddle through the off season and look forward to spring training. Jimmy Hall stats - http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/h/hallji02.shtml
  6. mikelink45
    The real question is - what is the starting rotation after the all star break. Injuries, performance and no more service time conversation will bring us to the real future. (And hopefully some trades of vets for rebuilding the minors or capturing a key piece).
  7. mikelink45
    This is tough to sort out. In the past Gardy would have had his favorites, but Molitor has not been here long enough for us to figure out what traits are really appealing to him for companions on the bench. Danny Santana has not done enough to give him what seems like a guaranteed slot - there are many one year wonders who have come to baseball and knocked the cover off the ball and then could not do anything in subsequent years. Bob Hazle of the Milwaukee Braves was a great example. Here is a really good summary of that year - I was at the ball park to see some of his games: http://research.sabr.org/journals/1957-hurricane-swept-braves-to-pennant or you can check this out and see the top 25 one year wonders from Bleacher Report http://bleacherreport.com/articles/713369-baseballs-25-biggest-one-hit-wonders-of-all-time What this means to me is that Spring Training is to sort out a roster and winter conversation means nothing. Is Santana a player or a one year wonder? I do not know, but I do not like to think that he is almost guaranteed a roster spot and that is how the conversations have gone. Arcia is more interesting, but again, he has to show that he has matured. Of the three Tonkin seems the best bet, but we have to figure out the Nolasco pitching squad - what do we do with him? Have him sit on the bench and talk to Joe Mauer or put him in where he will push out a starter with more potential or a reliever who has no more options?
  8. mikelink45
    Buxton and Rosario - the runs they save in CF and LF will make up for the runs lost in RF and their bats will bloom as the summer temps rise.
  9. mikelink45
    Thanks for the note = you get my point, it is not criticism, but rather a perspective on the fun of making predictions about one of the most difficult aspects of baseball. If we were able to look at the player and know how they would develop the drafts would be a lot more accurate and productive. A lot of players who seem to lack some talent surpass those who seem to have everything. Then factor in age, distraction, maturity, injury, opportunity, and coaching and we have an amazing complexity that can not be solved with analytics. Ask the Browns how they feel about using their scouting to draft Manziel in round one! Keep predicting, ranking, and writing. I love it.
  10. mikelink45
    That's my point - these are fun, but the variables of personality, health, and opportunity are beyond prediction. I wanted Meyer to be on the roster last year - that was a mistake. But my want was based on all the ratings since I really know nothing about the individual. My comment was not a criticism, but hopefully a perspective for when we are demanding action on rookies. Which I still do - I want Buxton to start - for example.
  11. mikelink45
    Buxton, Rosario give us gloves to protect our less than stellar pitching staff. Lets not forget that defense counts. RF is Sano and the back up is Arcia or one of the grab bag assortment that the Twins signed. Then lets see what they do with Kepler if last year is not followed by regression. I am amazed at how many people on these blogs seem to have written off a 22 year old with superstar potential have a partial year where he did not even have enough bats to lose his rookie status. "Mays began his major league career with no hits in his first 12 at bats. On his 13th at-bat, he hit a home run over the left field roof of the Polo Grounds off future Hall of Famer Warren Spahn.[17] Spahn later joked, "I'll never forgive myself. We might have gotten rid of Willie forever if I'd only struck him out." Mays' average improved steadily throughout the rest of the season. Although his .274 average, 68 RBI and 20 homers (in 121 games) were among the lowest of his career," - wikipedia Patience is okay with special players.
  12. mikelink45
    Gleeman had Alex Meyer ranked 4 and Tyler Duffery #31 in 2015. These rankings are fun because they create conversation, but for accuracy they might not be your first reference. The top three were a given and the rest is a crap shoot, but enjoyable. I love the analysis because it does add to our knowledge and recognition of the names as they pass through the system.
  13. mikelink45
    It is all about numbers - TR brings in a lot of question marks with hopes that one or two shine in Spring Training.
  14. mikelink45
    TR makes his move! His M.O. seems to be to make a couple moves with some significance at the beginning of Free Agency then sit and watch the other teams maneuver before picking up dregs just before Spring Training. Like players, general managers have tendencies and TR does not divert from his. The only thing left is one we hope he avoids - signing an overrated vet for too much money and too many years - Nolasco, Santana, Correa...
  15. mikelink45
    I always find this interesting, but I lack the ability to see these players so I cannot question the lists. I am pleased that the Twins have four on it considering that Sano and Duffey and Rosario made it to the majors last year. There is always the unrated player that has the motivation to move forward and hopefully we have a lot of players in the next 100. I do not see why people are concerned about Jay's absence. The minor league stats I pulled up showed only 19 inning. Too few to give him a rating. We watched Burdi fly up to the list and then plunge off. This is the minor leagues and that happens. What is the percentage of top 100 players that makes a big league career of over 6 years? How many of them star?
  16. mikelink45
    I just finished reading the Peter Gammon blog and found it really had a message for this thread - http://www.gammonsdaily.com/peter-gammons-bullpen-stability-proves-vital-as-pendulum-of-dominance-continues-toward-pitching/ Hopefully the Twins have the pitching coaches in majors and minors to do what Peter describes, I have no way of judging them, but the one final aspect that I fear is the analytics. The Twins have shown real reluctance in jumping fully in to the new era of advance statistical analysis and Gammons blog really makes a case for more. TR please read the blog and ask your in-house stats man to interpret.
  17. mikelink45
    There is confusion in some postings. This is a good article and the simple issue as I see it would be: if you are going to sign someone, get someone good, quit filling the slots with low paid, low expectation vets - use minor leaguers that at least have an upside. It is the type of player we sign that causes our regrets.
  18. mikelink45
    You said an intriguing group and I am still looking for something intriguing. At this point, roll the dice with the young guys, forget about another savvy vet. There is nothing here that looks better than Burdi or Rogers or any other number of players in the minors. So we do not have a LOOGY - Perkins has shown that it does not matter which way the batters swing if you throw good stuff. We are going to be around .500 again, build for the future - our young guys should be ready in another year for a bigger push and we should have that in mind with the 40 man.
  19. mikelink45
    The Twins know how to stoke the old Hot Stove! Busher, Strong, Abad...way to go Terry, I bet you had to fight off a lot of teams to get these guys.
  20. mikelink45
    Good grief - I have been hearing for the last month that we should sign him. Now all of a sudden we did not want him. Most Twins fans thought this was the last chance to do something. I love playing the young guys, but where are all the proponents?
  21. mikelink45
    It seems like a lot of discussion for the 25th man on the active roster. He is useful and that is about all you can ask for in that situation. I am more concerned about Santana and Arcia for whom we actually have hopes. Youth on a bench is usually not a good situation - tough to get no ABs or Reps and suddenly be in the lineup. At 28 Nunez has enough experience and stability to handle it.
  22. mikelink45
    Santana in CF is getting boring. He has either regressed or he is showing what he is. Either way, we need Buxton's defense and some patience while he puts his game together. Torii took some time to get his act together and Buxton has too many tools for us to be impatient. On the other hand, there is a long list of players who come up and have a terrific first season, but never find the promise. I may be the only person on this blog post old enough to remember Bob Hazle who came up to the Milwaukee Braves and set the league on fire. A sure superstar - batting 403 for 41 games and helping propel the 1957 Braves to the championship - to be followed by .211 and .179. Check this out for good history - http://www.baseballprospectus.com/article.php?articleid=18058 Danny could survive on speed and versatility, but you have to either bat of field and right now both look questionable.
  23. mikelink45
    I keep hoping someone at TD will research the TR tendencies. It seems to me that this is his system - sign early and back off unless someone is left out there that gets Terry excited at the very end.
  24. mikelink45
    Its okay to forget about him, unless there is a miracle somewhere waiting to drop in Nolasco's lap we all want to forget him and hope the Twins do to. Better to lose the money than the games.
  25. mikelink45
    Good luck to Ben - he seems to get too much criticism from Twins fans - the teams that want him now include three besides the Twins. The biggest thing for the Twins is that TR now does not have to answer questions about Storen. Soon the other relievers will be gone and TR can tell us how the Twins were really close on a number of them.
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