mikelink45

I agree that its time to make a change with Archer. Pen looks like a good place for him to finish the year. Maybe a piggyback for Bundy?

86-76. Finish 2 ahead of Cleveland and 3 ahead of the Sox.
Win at least one playoff game.
 

My only request is that we finish competitively.  Give us some excitement.  I see us so outclassed in the playoffs that that is not exciting, but the race to get in is.  Play hard, pitch well, and show emotions.  

My only request is that we finish competitively.  Give us some excitement.  I see us so outclassed in the playoffs that that is not exciting, but the race to get in is.  Play hard, pitch well, and show emotions.  

My only request is that we finish competitively.  Give us some excitement.  I see us so outclassed in the playoffs that that is not exciting, but the race to get in is.  Play hard, pitch well, and show emotions.  

Gaetti and Hrbek were brought up way at the end of the season in '81 just so the Twins could get a look at them. That was typical in those days. The fact they started as full time players in '82 (their rookie season) is a testament to Manager Billy Gardner as well as to their talent. Gardner didn't give out "rest" days or constantly screw around with the lineup. If you made the team you played, usually one position and often the same spot in the lineup. I doubt either Hrbek or Gaetti would have gotten in over 140 games if Rocco had been their manager. More playing time means more player development when you're a rookie. Not playing regularly, in my opinion, is hampering the development of Kirilloff, Miranda and Larnach. All three should be around 70 games by the All-Star break, Larnach excepted of course, but I don't see that happening. So a smaller sample size to work from.
Anyway, the point I was trying to make is the 2022 rookies aren't doing half bad at the plate despite limited playing time and often playing out of position. 

Little article from 10 years ago for people who've forgotten about the Miguel Sano age controversy. What if Sano really was 3 years older and now he's 32 instead of 29? In any case, the Twins were comfortable with signing him regardless of what they felt like his real age was.

I'm also on the fence of whether I think the Twins are likely to pick up Kepler's option considering how Kepler is playing now. Kepler is an adequate starting outfielder in terms of value, a 2 WAR kinda guy. That's not a guy you need to replace, but not a guy you build a team around, either. With a swing that looks very pretty but spends too little time in the meat of the contact zone and an extreme pull tendency, he just doesn't forecast as a guy who'll ever make the most of his plate discipline. It's the same gripe many people have had with Kepler over the years. It just FEELS like he could hit .300 with 25 HR instead of .225 with 30 HR if he wanted to. I don't think this front office makes any decisions based on popularity, but even if they did, Kepler doesn't feel like a fan favorite.

Polanco... In a position where the Twins have far too much depth already, I thought Polanco's position was set in stone at the end of last year. Arraez slumped badly down the stretch last year causing his stock to fall quite a bit and he was banged up quite a bit last year as well. This year, he's on pace for 139 games and I could see him playing in even more than that... and he's taken a big step forward at the plate. He's even showing signs of developing more pop lately. I still feel strongly that one of Polanco or Arraez NEEDS to be traded. The Twins are wasting value putting a middle infielder at DH or 1B. Even now, Polanco arguably has more value, but he's also more expensive.

I really liked this article and your analysis.  I have long thought Enlow was not qualified for our top prospect ratings and you seem to confirm that for me.  I also hated the Sabato pick.  Do we need a new Sano? 
Jeffers can still come around, Larnach keeps working and can be an acceptable part of the line-up. Leach is a complete miss. 
Wallner feels like he could surprise and do what Sabato was expected to do.
This is not a very impressive showing for the FO, but I think it is accurate.  
I am really sorry we traded Petty, but if Gray can stay healthy it is an okay trade. 

If Petty stays healthy, he may become the most valuable of all of these players who have been drafted by Falvey. He was very impressive when I was at Spring Training this year. He was the pitcher, who, when warming up, the other players and coaches would watch. His sizzling pitches were darting in and out of the strike zone. He is a special talent who will be successful in the majors for many years. Therefore, Falvey gets an A+ in drafting Petty. However, in my report card, Falvey gets an F for trading him away, even though I love Gray. I would have made Petty untouchable in a trade. I understand the injury risk with an 18 year old fire-balling pitcher, but I tell you, Petty is special and is worth the risk. In three years the Reds will have Hunter Greene and Chase Petty as two young exciting and personable "Aces". 

I really liked this article and your analysis.  I have long thought Enlow was not qualified for our top prospect ratings and you seem to confirm that for me.  I also hated the Sabato pick.  Do we need a new Sano? 
Jeffers can still come around, Larnach keeps working and can be an acceptable part of the line-up. Leach is a complete miss. 
Wallner feels like he could surprise and do what Sabato was expected to do.
This is not a very impressive showing for the FO, but I think it is accurate.  
I am really sorry we traded Petty, but if Gray can stay healthy it is an okay trade. 

Great report, love how you show your work and I read the entire thing and was nodding my head.
My only disagreement comes from this quote regarding Trevor Larnach: "I'm going to ignore his huge slump over the last month, and especially last couple of weeks and hope it's luck related rather than a repeat of last season." -- Since his debut, there has always been a huge group of fans lining up to make up excuses for his poor play. A guy like Miranda goes 0-for-5 and Twins fans are ready to jettison him to the Mighty Mussels, meanwhile Larnach goes 2-for-40 over a 3 week stretch and it's "just bad luck". But hey, it's your article and you can ignore and/or include anything you want! I just happen to disagree on Larnach.
But like I said, great work dude and thanks for the post. Very impressed with your thoroughness and even more impressed with how you were able to get it down in writing for the masses. Well done.

Nicely done, but I think Snell is done and I think Tampa knew that when they let him go. 

Thanks Tim , I really like trade talk so I really enjoyed going over your article. You did an excellent job presenting your case and you hit our needs right on the head.
Yet IMO Snell is over-hyped. Snell had success in the shorten season, I don't give any credence in that, only in a full season. IMO he isn't any better than what we have, yet will be much more expensive.
I was really hoping that Campusano would materialize but I think he's over-hyped. When they say they don't know if he'd stick at catcher, for me that raises red flags. Jeffers is a hitting catcher, he has just learned some bad mechanics and even with his bad arm I still take him over Sanchez. 
I still have a bad taste from the Rogers/ Paddack trade and I'm very leary of any trade with them. Besides if I'd trade Kepler it'd have to be a for an established front line SP, that can help us right now not an iffy catcher that might help us in the future.
Last year I advocated for Musgrove, that away from PIT he'd really blossom. PIT offered us Musgrove and all it'd have taken was a simple counter offer but that didn't happen. Later SD stole him away from PIT.

This means nothing, but it was fun.  Thanks
 

Thank you for bringing the greatest leftie of all time into this conversation.  Remember a banquet maybe 20 years ago when a kid asked him how hard he threw.  His somewhat cranky response was that how hard you throw makes zero difference if you can put all of your pitches where you want, when you want.  Loved that rotation of Spahn, Burdette, Buhl and Conley.

This is correct. The fatigue does increase the chance of injury often due to a slight variance in form. The max effort also leads to more mistakes the modern pitcher or stubborn pitcher will invariably attempt to power through. At times, I was guilty of this and it never was effective for more than a pitch or two and caused issues.

Max effort pitching probably has the biggest impact on innings pitched, to be honest. There's also perception that pitchers become less effective as batters have the opportunity to see the pitcher's offerings multiple times through the order, though there are plenty of pitchers out there who have results which contradict that line of thinking.
Based on personal experience, putting maximum effort into anything, from lifting weights to sprinting to chopping wood results in a massive drop off in stamina.
Fatigued pitchers become injured pitchers.

I think that changing balls so often is ridiculous - but the eras of Spahn and Radtke were not like the old Cy Young and Hoss Radburne days where a ball was used all nine innings. I do know there were rabbit ball years during Spahn's 21 years of pitching as well, but the Bomba year demonstrated how the ball can change the game.

A right on review  ,,,, 
It would be alot better if Manfred and owners loved the sport as much as the ( loyal fans ) did ,,, I'll take it another step though  , it also seems like the players don't love what they do and I guess that is business now adays  ....
Fire Manfred and hire Ken Rosenthal who is enthusiastic and knowledgeable of the game .

I think you have to also take into consideration the balls that are used. Todays baseballs are much different and changed out every time they hit the dirt. 

There are some other variables such the size of the ball park, indoors versus outdoor, the lighting of the park, prevailing winds, humidity, temperature, plus other variables. Thank you for bringing up Warren Spahn because he is the greatest and only 5’8” and his desire to succeed. 

Interesting story, I love learning more about the history of the world's greatest game.

I agree with the Killebrew and Vic Power takes, but there was ANOTHER Twins 1B-man who hit left handed and threw right handed.  He just came up as a 2B-man.  That guy was Rod Carew.  One small correction I'll point out:  You have Mauer and Morneau BOTH winning the MVP in 2006.  Morneau was the 2006 winner.  Mauer won in 2009 when he hit .365 with 28 HR's.  I also think Kiriloff is destined to be a 1B-man who occasionally plays a corner OF spot.  He's our best player there.  Sano is destined to be our DH most of the time who occasionally plays 1B.  I think Kiriloff could be a sneaky good fantasy baseball selection next year in the later rounds.  Not sure if he'll be a 1B-man exclusively or also have some OF eligibility but I think he's ready to break out.  If the lockout continues, Kiriloff should jump to the Wild and skate on the same line as Kaprisov.    

I really liked this look at historic 1B and how the Twins have used the position.  If we extend the list to Twins history Harmon Killebrew played 1B for 14 of his 21 seasons.   Bats R - throws R.  The trend did not start in the first two decades.  My eye test - back then both eyes worked - said Vic Power (3 years a Twin) was the best fielding and most fun of all the 1B - he was also R/R.  994 Fielding average, 7 gold gloves, 
Thanks for your new era review!

I like 1 - 8, but players like Chase Perry, Miller, and Cavaco have to show something - I am glad it is Wallner over Sabato.  Good list - its just 12 players for me, but that is fine, I am in the minority.