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mikelink45

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Everything posted by mikelink45

  1. mikelink45
    I have a hard time seeing how Souhan's column is controversial. He wrote the truth - the figures are there for anyone to check. Joe was great and on his way to the HOF. Right now he has moved to the margins of the hall and if he continues to play at the level that he is currently performing he will fall short. Hunter, never a HOF, continues to play in a way that invigorates the team and is productive. I would take Hunter over Mauer for the time since Mauer left the mask behind. This is a fact, not a bash, I feel really bad that Mauer's career took this path.
  2. mikelink45
    Thanks - not much to take away, but fun to look at. We struck out with Morales, but it not because he was not good, he just was not a player last year for us or anyone else. JJ Hardy is on the bottom of this list but the top of dumb decisions on this list. The last note would be that I would rather Mauer had gone to CO and Morneau had stayed at first for us.
  3. mikelink45
    This has nothing to do with a change in Twins philosophy. Remember our shortstop call up last year. Polanco was convenient and could fill, but it was not a changing of the guard.
  4. mikelink45
    Now is good. I would have taken Hicks over Rosario, but on the other hand it this is just a two week call up for Arcia then it would be a great time to give Buxton a look at the majors and if he is ready they will not be able to send him down when the time comes.
  5. mikelink45
    Let's call up a new GM! The idea of filling the roster with nice safe guys is getting old. Hicks should get the Rosario call up and see if the lessons are in place, Beresford should get a seat on the MLB bench, Olivaros should be in the pen and in June we should see Buxton. Let's get a GM who is willing to make some moves that feature youth.
  6. mikelink45
    I worry about the entire progression of minor league players in the Twins system. I watch the cubs, astros, etc get their players up and in the bigs and they seem to have a more major league ready transition. Think of Hicks, Arcia, Vargas... What is it with the Twins system that make slow progression more common that quick impact in the big leagues?
  7. mikelink45
    All the arguments over journeyman miss the real story line. In today's world we call them replacement players - the ones that score zero. They fill the places and are neither positive or negative. Plouffe is a replacement player and has value as that. He is not a journeyman, a star, an all-star, but he is good and he has a place.
  8. mikelink45
    It is true that they are young and the pitchers are older, but the really good ones get to the bigs when they are young and I am having a difficult time finding a record of Twins getting young players to the majors and seeing them take off and succeed. Beyond the Box Score had an article why has MLB been getting younger. Could be an anamoly but the Mike Trout, Bryce Harper, George Springer examples are starting to become more prevalent than in the days when Griffey jr. surprised everyone. In Baseball prospectus an article called Overthinking it states: Grant promotions too early or too often, and they risk jeopardizing his future by burying him on the bench or subjecting him to the mental and physical rigors of major-league life before he’s equipped to handle them. Delay advancement too long, and they threaten to sabotage his development in a different way, blunting his talents against inferior competition while more expensive players with shorter shelf lives take up space on the big-league roster. After some good graphs we get this eye-opening statement: As expected, the Twins led the pack in being slow to the bigs. Twins position-player call-ups accumulated an average of 2617 minor-league PA before making it to the Metrodome, roughly 200 more than the next-highest organization (the Angels) and a full season’s worth of action above average. For all of us who think the wait has been too long, this says a lot. Trying to remember that these reports are about a lot more than Buxton and Sano there are a lot of things to think about - like new management (not manager) at the top.
  9. mikelink45
    It is the same answer we have been looking for all year - bring up the young guys - sink or swim with them and move on the roster fillers. Both should be up and soon - preferably for the next home stand. I am really sorry to see Vargas struggle and I do believe he can get it straight and be back up, but AAA seems like the best for a few week.s
  10. mikelink45
    I think we have a real development problem with the Twins. We have the number 1 rated minor leagues and have had for a few years. Yes Buxton and Sano were hurt last year - we they the only reason we were number 1? Where are the break out guys. Arcia has moments, Santana has moments, Vargas has a September, Gibson is on and off, May - we hope will be good. But we have problems in starting, relieving, fielding, hitting - see the stats, Mauer leads with 269 and most would love to reach the Mendoza line. We have a bad outfield, our SS is the subject of this concern...We have had 4 terrible years and still nothing exciting. Houston blew it up, Cubs blew it up and they are hoping to rise, we brought in players like we only needed a patch and where are we and what is our hope?
  11. mikelink45
    Hicks is the only answer. So what if he failed the last two years - it is not the first time that has happened to a player. Get him in there and let him play center and bat 9th. Of course with the Twins batting averages - we have Mauer as our leading hitter with a .269 average (ESPN stats) Trevor Plouffe and Hunter .234. Suzuki .216 and the rest 200 or less and we are worried that Hicks might not hit when he gets up here! Anyone that can catch a ball would be refreshing. Hicks is batting 250. (Rochester website) Of course there is Pinto who is batting 314 And do not trade. We want Buxton up by July and anyone TR trades for stays and blocks - see the pitching staff.
  12. mikelink45
    Good pitcher, not an ace. His record will suffer if we match him against the number ones on the other teams. But he has tremendous value and the goal is to get others to pitch past him. He is our current standard for pitching. It would not match the standard of the majority of teams, but it is a start.
  13. mikelink45
    I like Souhan's article and he did not say immediately. If Buxton puts together two solid weeks, give him a shot. Then if it is too much send him down, but give him a taste of the bigs, give us a sense of what he brings and move all those mediocre options off the table. A taste of the bigs is not a disastrous thing. If the team handles it right and lets him know he is coming up for just two weeks, handles his expectations right, they can send him back without damage, and, if he does light it up - welcome. I remember when Griffey got up and they wanted to send him down. But he would not let them, his performance kept him in the league and everyone benefited.
  14. mikelink45
    Okay the Twins have had some success on the homestand, but please make us happier and start the transition. The minor league bullpen pitchers look ready, the major league - not so much. Lets start there.
  15. mikelink45
    I was opening that the day off after the opener would be a day the Twins brain trust did some dramatic things that would spur interest. What a concept that would be.
  16. mikelink45
    I suspect he did, but is the bench the way to motivate Arcia? I do not know anything about him, but his talent has not evolved in the Majors and I put that on the coaches and the team. Figure it out. If you have a valuable employee help him reach his potential.
  17. mikelink45
    I keep talking about the Twins business model as well as their antiquated baseball strategy. Letting young players wear out in the minors instead of the majors makes no sense unless you are like the Yankees of old and just keep hoisting World Series Cups on to your shelf. But a bad team? However, it is a fact that MLB is a business and as such paying attention to fans in general and your most loyal in particular is important. I say bring up a minor league stud every homestand - make it exciting - see if you can fill some seats and maybe win some games. Do they want the best ball park to be an empty ball park?
  18. mikelink45
    Play Arcia - If Rosario beats him out fine, but not Shane Robinson and Schaffer and Nunez and Escobar. Give him confidence. Remember the old story about Mays going 0 for 24 (I think my memory is right on that) and Durocher told him he was the CF and he would stay in the lineup. He gave him both the chance and the confidence. Instead of grumbling about his attitude lets help him get a good attitude and help the line up too.
  19. mikelink45
    Sano and Buxton strike outs validate their being sent down. I hope this straightens out fast.
  20. mikelink45
    My biggest issue is the fact that we are a losing team, but we continue to backfill like we have a few holes and we can compete while the message from the organization has been (year 5 now) look at all we have in the minors. The Twins attendance has floundered. They depend on a lot more ticket buyers than those of us who read and respond to blogs, but they do not use their 20 - 25 roster spots to appeal to those who want to see the great minor leaguers in the major leagues. This is pure business public relations misses and sports are business. Even if the players come up, go back down, and have some lumps in the majors it is better than putting our a product where the response is boredom.
  21. mikelink45
    Nice list - levity is a good thing and if the Twins have a great weekend we will all be happier.
  22. mikelink45
    This is wonderful. It keeps me Twin focused even when the MLB club leaves me bewildered. Thanks. Lookout - they're coming
  23. mikelink45
    Sorry, but there is no place to misplace a concern on the team at this point.
  24. mikelink45
    It is only two games, but I think Nolasco and possible injury, Santana and drugs, and the horrible display that these two games have put on make it hard to have the patience to say its early, let's wait and see. Four 90 loss seasons call for something to give us hope and the Twins have failed to see that they are the business that they have talked about for years. Yes it is a business and sometimes you have to swallow your baseball pride and do a few favors for the people who buy the tickets. This roster has failed to give us something to hang on to. It has failed to give us hope. That is a bad business decision.
  25. mikelink45
    At this point I am more concerned with the way Shaffer played today - he is supposed to be the one fielder in the Outfield and he looked terrible. Nolasco might pitch some good games, but overall he has a long ways to go to be the worst, I saw some good pitchers get raked these two days so I won't panic over one start from a mediocre pitcher.
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