Jham

Who would definitely be better, gettable, and not cost us a compensation pick which basically acts as a trade anyway? Drjim summed up the scenario absolutely perfectly. If Shields walks and HR which seem unrealistically high this year come down, than now is the time to try to attain him. If Stewart never translates his tools into big league success, now is the time to trade him while he's still rated as a top 5 prospect and still putting up great numbers that aren't sustainable unless he gets a lot more K's. The only way to win trades is to sell high and buy low. The same reasons that everyone brings up in doubting Shields are the only things that MIGHT (i suspect he's not) make him available. All are valid points, but I see his pedestrian stats as a function of the walks and bad luck (HR) which badly skew his FIP etc. His K's show that he's still hard to square up, and if he can limit walks, he could be truly elite, even giving up HRs. HIs xFIP accounting for an avg. HR rate is a solid 3.66, even with all the walks. If he has his career avg. walks he's probably in the low 3s for FIP and ERA. From what I know about FIP, and SIERA, pitchers with high K rates (like Shields) tend to be better able deal with higher walk totals, and should give up fewer and less harmful HR. Thus Shields is more valuable than other pitchers with guys with similar peripherals but fewer K's. This seems to be supported by his still solid ERA. To me, our goal should be 95 wins + next year. I find it highly unlikely that Berrios, Duffey, or May gives us a better chance next season every 5th day than Shields. Doubly so in the playoffs. All this being said, I think San Diego is smart enough to play the bounce back rather than deal him low.

Right, accuracy matters. Ask Roberto Kelly.

I agree. My initial thought when Duffey was pulled was that it was a bit quick. Duffey was putting together a line better than May has ever had in his whole career against a quality line up. He didn't seem like he was tiring, and K'd a guy on 3 straight curves one batter before giving up a single on a get me over curve. But given May's recent dominance, can't blame the manager for considering May more of a sure thing. It was a close call. I have a problem with May staying in after the 4 pitch walk. Particularly because the 4 pitch walk loaded the bases. And May now just has to throw strikes with little regard to quality. As an aside, I've always wondered just how much young players party after a big Saturday night win before a Sunday day game... Sano 0-4 4k's, Bux 0-3 K, May a million earned runs, Rosario helped the team most by skipping the game altogether.

Anyway, Astros poured it on after Kuechel wiggled out of that 7th inning jam with some help on our part. We were probably not winning after that. Overall, good series, we're continuing to play well. If we play like we did this series the rest of the way, we'll be darn close.

Do you prefer we ignore what happens? I get that knowing the result gives you a big edge in evaluating a move. But because someone reacts to an occurrence doesn't mean they're overreacting. Except probably Dave (JK).

Anyhow, Provis was completely in tune with the shift in momentum after the Stros got out of that jam. Good news is this team tends to be resilliant after crushing losses.

Right, cuz Duffey was pitching so horribly, and May's just proven so much... Duffey still had a shutout and had struck out the prior batter on 3 pitches. If you don't question the move, you must not have seen what ensued. That's not revisionist history. That's assuming May doesn't = Mariano Rivera. He doesn't. What about taking him out after a 4 pitch walk? You could see he didn't have it today. Anyway, I agree with your last statement.

0-3, BB and 2K against one of the best lefties in the game... Vargas on the bench....

Duffey or May?

All Provis talked about was the change in momentum after Molitor refused to challenge the call at third. He also commented that bunting is not Escobar's strength and that he hit a home run in his last at bat...

Ha I proclaimed him the future closer in the other forum. He didn't have it today...

Molitor probably should have gotten May after the 4 pitch walk... I also leave Duffey in...

I think the closer position more than any other demonstrates the fascinating juxtaposition between predictive stats, statistical results, and the eye test. Great points by most everyone on this blog. Fact of the matter is that Perkins has worn down for 2 years straight under a normal work load. His velocity and K% was down all year despite getting great results for the first half of the season. Is the second half luck catching up with him? A change in his approach or hitter awareness? Lack of confidence after a shaky All-Star Game? His pitch tracking, shown somewhere in this blog awhile back, showed his slider was starting to elevate. Whether this is soreness, fatigue, or nerves, I have no idea. Personally, I think he was making up for his decline with fantastic location this spring. As the season wore on, his location started to go. I don't think we can expect his velo to come up dramatically, and his slider is flattening out. He can still be elite if he can peg his spots, but that's still a pretty big if. It did seem like his confidence took a hit, especially after A-Rod and the Yanks got him. He seems to take blown saves harder than many other elite closers. His mental toughness appears strong, but not unshakeable. Regarding closers in general, I think a good one gives you a strong psychological advantage. It helps define roles for other arms, and it causes the opposing team to press even more when trailing late. We can argue about predicting success based on non-metric based factors, but I enjoy looking at them because they make the game more interesting to follow for me. It even makes statistical analysis more interesting for me. Trying to figure out why someone is outperforming or under-performing their metrics is one of the most enjoyable parts of following Twinsdaily. Cue Glen Perkins, and Trevor May, our future closer whose firey nature, use of adrenaline, and success since moving to the pen make him a natural fit.

What's the status John Ferrell in Boston? As soon as he was diagnosed, I thought Dougy would be there next year. I'm not sure Mientkiewicz can play the game well enough (say the right things) in order to get hired, but he's an absolute winner as a coach and manager.

The atmosphere at tonight's game is absolutely.... humid.

And they walk Dozier to gave the 23 mil dollar man. Not embarrassing at all.

A little late, but Mauer needs to learn to stretch.

I am fine with Sano DHing and getting some time at third with Plouffe going to first and Mauer to the bench. At this point, we don't really have a DH that can outproduce Mauer, but that shouldn't be super hard to go get, even using internal options. Our best line-up probably doesn't have Mauer in it if he's not catching next year. Mauer came up as a 4 or 5 tool prospect at a premium position, but his best tool now may actually be his arm... which he never uses at first... Hold on to Plouffe, trade Hicks, Kepler, Buxton or Rosario.

Cleveland is really starting to roll... As the schedule stands, we get Chris Sale twice, 7 against the firecracker Indians who will almost certainly set their rotation to have Kluber and Salazar face us twice, at Houston, and 6 with KC. If we make it, we'll have earned it, and I'd consider us quite live. Hard to see without the rotation catching a second or third wind. Maybe Hughes can provide that.

Suuuuper simple solution. Never go to a game ever and you'll never have to deal with a wave, or a beer vendor calling too loud, or a person walking down the row at the wrong time, or having to deal with emptying parking lots, or any of the other inconveniences which come with the ballpark experience. Stay at home with your jerky and Busch Light, and you'll never have a problem! If watching tens of thousands of people have fun at the same time makes you that upset, baseball may not be the national pass time for you. I'm sure there are some white-hot debtor/lender mediation blogs out there somewhere.

Hmmm... I didn't see where Kepler was nominated... I just shouldn't vote then? Either would be fitting nominees or recipients. On the aside, ABW has put together great RESULTS so far at every level. Kepler not so much. This isn't a prospect ranking. This is recognition for a great year. They've both had outstanding seasons. I'm almost as skeptical of Kepler's ability to continue mashing at this rate without hitting more HR's as I am in Walker's ability to continue putting up league leading numbers while striking out every 4th PA. But this post is about celebrating accomplishments. Well done ABW. Keep refining the approach and turn those doubters into believers.

They were giving us a run and a runner if he gets it down on the right side anywhere past the pitcher.

Bunting to beat a shift w/2 outs, runner on third, pitcher with 1 hit in 2 games. .. i dunno.

First baseman was almost on the grass. ..

Can't rosario bunt here?