Jham

I hope Robinson's job is secure when he returns. He was having a nice season here before this happened. I'd hate to seem him punished for having a family emergency. Of course, the skeptic in me wonders whether there is an emergency and whether this is just a way to get him an extra week of severance pay before waiving or assigning.

Can we get past these blanket statements. Hunter is one of our best players, and very well could be again next year, a year we're expected to compete, unless you want to push the timetable back yet again. No one is or should be off limits on a team that has lost 90 games in 4 straight years. There is a distinct possibility that extending Hunter (or any other FA for that matter) and trading Rosario or Hicks or Arcia or whoever will provide more value than trading Hunter and holding on to our youths, some of which are bound to fizzle out and return nothing. Think moving Denard Span to make room for Aaron Hicks vs. moving Hicks while he had value and holding on to Span. It's all about returning value in the short and long term.

If "upgrading" to Hicks is the only thing keeping us from winning the division, then trade for a real CF or call up Buxton and make a serious run. Personally, I have not seen CF situation as that horrible. In fact, I consider it a step up from what Hicks has provided us.

Agree completely. When I talked about Hicks as a failed prospect, I wasn't trying to generalize the feeling of the entire forum. All I meant is that Hicks has been passed by Rosario on pretty much every single prospect list I've seen. As such, I thought this move was more aggressive than typical for a front office oft criticized for being overly-conservative. I thought it was a positive sign that they are willing to take some risks and go with higher upside guys over the obvious choice. Of course, as others have stated, it could just be that the organization had other reasons for holding Hicks back. Hicks has impressed me with the season he's putting together in Rochester. What a pleasant surprise it would be if he could turn his career around and live up to the expectations of a high draft pick! Even if he never hits, I think he can be a good defensive replacement on a major league bench.

http://m.twins.mlb.com/min/video/topic/70087564/v104150183/oakmin-rosario-hits-a-homer-in-first-career-atbat Compare with: I do find it odd that this forum supports Hicks who many view as a failed prospect with maybe Shane Robinson upside, over Rosario who was tagged by many as a bona fide prospect. I really thought there'd be more celebration over him getting a chance over the more experienced Hicks. Alas the Twinsdaily forum is a tough audience to please... which I love. The Tommy Milone clip is just included for fun.

I somewhat agree. I think expectations need to be realistic. I just don't think May 4th is the time to be declaring that we don't care about winning when we're playing well and in the hunt. I think our young players are getting valuable experience. Winning is not only more fun, it is also motivating. I think it gets guys to play harder and practice harder. The Lookouts seem to have phenomenal chemistry. Winning together has almost certainly furthered their development. Winning allows the flexibility to bring guys up when they are ready as opposed to throwing prospects against the wall and seeing who sticks. Yes, sacrificing player development for a couple more wins is probably not the play. I just don't believe player development requires losing on a big league squad with no chance night in and night out. When players need more development, we typically send them down to the minors, not promote them to the majors.

I will say this, we've been fooled a hundred times over the years by spring training warriors and September call-ups who light it up when the games mean nothing. Experiencing winning and dealing with pressure has to be part of any learning curve. But not every player is ready for the failures that inevitably come with a major league promotion. It seems like most of us agree that young players are going to cost you some games. No one likes to feel like they lost a game for the whole team and about a state's worth of fans. There is value to allowing prospects to come up and follow in the footsteps of some veterans without feeling like they let everyone down if they boot a ball or strike out. Look how the shortcomings of Hicks, Florimon, Nishioka, and to a lesser extent Parmalee were magnified because we had to depend on them to play every day. They became local punching bags and had no where to hide because we had no one else. Sitting for a couple days has seemed to help Vargas, Arcia, and Santana this year. Could we have done that and kept winning if we didn't have Nunez, Hunter, or Shane Robinson on the team? Our young guys are getting experience, our veterans are playing well, our team is winning, and we're still complaining? Really? I think this is ideal. We aren't forced to bring guys up who aren't ready. We're (so far) winning games while allowing our young players to rest when they get overwhelmed. Learning to win brings us closer to the goal than learning to hold on to a roster spot. Find a way to help the team (IE take a walk instead of trying for a HR, make the routine play in the field even if you just struck out) even if you're struggling. That's called being a professional. That's what we're instilling. And to those who don't think our success is sustainable, I would ask this: Who is vastly outperforming expectations at this point? Robinson? Pelfrey? Maybe Plouffe after his awful start? Can we really call Gibson or May's success unexpected? Our biggest weakness is the pen, which happens to be the easiest/cheapest area to address via trade or waiver. If Buxton provides any sort of upgrade in CF, and E. Santana comes back at his career average, I can't imagine we'll be any worse than we are now, and we have a significant chance to be better. I hope that turns out, and I think that is and should be the goal. I VEHEMENTLY disagree with any notion that having Vargas, Arcia, Santana, Gibson, May, Graham, and probably Pinto, Meyer, and Buxton experience a major league pennant chase will somehow stunt the development of the team going to next year. Then we can supplement with guys like Sano, Rosario, Berrios, and Burdi to a team that has already shown an ability to compete. Funny, I see that as progress. I guess I just don't get it.

Only someone who had never been to a Special Olympic event, never seen the joy on the faces of the individuals who compete, and never appreciated the hard work of the thousands of dedicated individuals who make these events possible would ever mock it. So my advice would be A) go volunteer at an event, and be prepared for one of the more heart-warming and gratifying experiences of your life; Donate $10 to the Special Olympics for every off-colored joke or "R" word and encourage your friends and office mates to do the same; or C) choose a less offensive analogy. Also, Milone, Pelfrey, May, Hughes, AND Gibson have ALL looked pretty capable this year. So I would not agree with the analogy anyway.

Seriously? We've almost run out of guys to promote. We're back to giving Hicks a fourth chance. Rosario got himself suspended. Buxton hurt himself in his first game back after hurting himself. Hick's hitting ability has receded faster than his hairline. Chris Hermann is actually on the team. Arcia is actually on the team. Colabello, Parmalee, and Benson were all given ample opportunity. Ben Revere was called up mid-season, ran with it, and returned fair trade value. We gave guys opportunities who earned them whether they were a prospect or not, and and now we've ran out. I am sure Ryan knew he was overpaying for Hunter. What choice did he have? Can you imagine what the thread would be if we HADN'T signed another outfielder and Hicks had continued his record-breaking career of offensive futility. And if you think Hick's MLB walk rate is sustainable given his utter inability to hit, then I just so happen to have a bridge for sale!

I respectfully disagree. I heard Ryan talk about the signing. He admitted Hunter may not be an upgrade defensively, but he stated that the free agent market wasn't loaded with outfielders that could both field AND hit. Based on career numbers and last year's numbers, Hunter is a significant offensive upgrade, well not necessarily a downgrade defensively as we were already bad. Who should we have signed who would take a one year deal? I know playing prospects is a popular idea on this forum, but the average fan might be tired of the parade of failing minor leaguers. I'd rather see Hunter try to relive the glory days than watch a never-ending carousel of Parmalee/Colabello/Hicks playing themselves out of the league one by one. Bear in mind, most fans would rather see someone they've heard of than some fringe prospect they haven't. Doesn't make them worse fans, and their money is just as good as ours. Just because every hipster is guzzling down the latest greatest hop-heavy micro-brew doesn't mean the stadium should stop selling Miller Lite. Our fan base is more than Twins Daily. I don't believe Hunter is a problem on this team. I do not think he is the difference between winning or losing this season, and I do not think that plying Hunter this year will cost us any wins in the future whatsoever. We had extra money. We needed to fill out the roster. We have few vocal leaders. We have few veteran hitters. The free-agent market was week. And we had extra money. Is he perfect? No. Does he solve our defensive shortcomings? No. Is he an upgrade offensively? Absolutely.

Can this forum please be less reactionary than the average fan base. Hunter has his limitations at this point of his career. I get that this will probably always be a prospect-heavy medium, but Hunter deserves more respect than he's receiving. On the field, I think the whole team is pressing, but we're seeing improvements. Of those who are struggling, Hunter is the least of my concerns. (Compared to Sano and Buxton, Rosario, Santana, Escobar, Dozier post-extension, Vargas and Arcia who were my two favorite players). Despite most of the team struggling to hit, and Hughes being 0-3 and playing some really good/hot baseball teams, we've actually hung in pretty well after a tough start. Let's calm down and put down the pitchforks. I mean, even Boyer is looking better of late.

So I'm assuming you've seen this maneuver before? I never have. To me, given that the rule is open to interpretation, the argument that a gimmick is legal on a "technicality" is less persuasive to me than the common sense application. IE, if a pitcher delivers the ball in a way that no pitcher ever has, that is a balk. "Technically" Tom Brady's arm is coming forward. Common sense says he's not trying to throw it, it's a fumble. #tuckrule. That play fit the definition of a fumble and an incomplete pass. The refs chose to interpret a technicality when they did not have to. If the refs call a fumble, no one outside of New England remembers that play. I'm a lawyer, except when I'm posting here. Judges hate technical arguments. So should umps. Never should they decide a call based on a technicality if they can resolve it based on a simple reading of the rule. On a close call, who should we award? The pitcher who was caught napping, and made a panicked throw to the plate, or the heady base runner who picked up on the pitcher's cadence and made a smart play based on his belief that a pitcher couldn't do what he did.

The knuckleball is an actual pitch. Many pitchers throw a knuckleball. How many pitchers throw pitches before they finish stepping? 0. Your comparison isn't fair. Obviously there is grey area in the rule. But throwing a knuckle ball is well within the rule, like getting pulled over at .05 Blood Alcohol. IMO, short-arming a throw before finishing your natural throwing motion is outside, or perhaps in the grey area, I'd argue a .22, but others may think it's a .08+- .01.

Put it this way. In the many years, and many millions of pitches I've seen, I have NEVER seen a pitcher deliver the ball before his front foot touched down. That's a XXX,000,000/1 ratio. If that's not considered deception or an "alteration" then there is no such thing. Put another way, if the ump had ruled a balk and provided the explanation that the pitcher clearly altered his natural delivery beyond simply speeding up his usual delivery, would there have been a thread like this on the KC forum? I doubt it.

Pelfrey really did not pitch all that well did he? He got into the same number of jams as usual, but then balls were hit at fielders instead of between them? If the double plays were just FC, wouldn't he have given up a good 3 or 4 runs and we would have probably lost? I've never been a big Pelf fan, but results aside, I need to see a bit more. I was fooled by Deduno last year. Luck is luck. Don't get it confused with stuff. At the same time, Pelfrey owes us, and Nolasco may be worse yet. Maybe Pelf really has turned a corner. If that's the case, I throw him 120 pitches every 3rd day until the wheels fall off or his arm falls off, whichever comes first. My bet is on the wheels, because I'm still not convinced he's even average.

I like Suzuki and think he has some value. I think he brings enough to the table to be a starting catcher, but probably is better suited toward splitting time at this point of his career. Obviously, we've seen all the "wild pitches" this year, many of which a better defensive catcher may have saved. I am really starting to wonder about Kurt's ability to call a good game. He seems to call for a lot of fastballs on the outside corner. Obviously, that's a good pitch, but after 5 in a row, it becomes a lot more hittable. Yesterday, with runners at second and third, no one out, up two, with the number eight hitter at the plate. We needed a strikeout or at least a ground ball to the left side to prevent the tying run from advancing to third. Instead, Suzuki called for fastball after fastball on the outside corner, until the batter timed it up and just shot one to Dozier, one run in, the other to third. He came in to tie the game on a sac fly. Royals later take the lead and win. Pinto could have done that I'm pretty sure. Pinto needs at bats when he comes up, and not at the expense of Suzuki. We have bigger problems than Zuk right now. Arcia's swing is broken, and Vargas needs some polishing. I'd send down Vargas as he hasn't faced AAA. Pinto can DH and spell Zuk without disrupting other positions.

How many concussions/CI before he learns to settle back another 6 inches.

How I imagine the managerial discussion went: TR: Who do you think should start at shortstop? Gardy: I like Escobar at Short and Santana in Center. TR: You're fired. Mientkiewicz: Whoever gives us the best chance of winning. TR: We'll let you know. Molitor: Whoever you think is best, sir. TR: You're hired! We're starting Santana at shortstop even though it leaves a gaping hole in center, Escobar is better and still young, scouts say his infield D is mediocre, and we're really just looking for a stop-gap to Polanco. I am positive TR orchestrated this, but Molitor is still the manager and ultimately responsible for line ups.

But in the end, wasn't Swisher technically doing us a favor by trying to get Nishioka out of the league on opening day?

Correct me if I'm wrong, but i think we actually outscored them over the last 2.5 innings. Tigers are lucky the series ended when it did.

Nolasco quotes postgame: "I put in a lot of hard work and all that, but one start isn't going to kill you as far as mental-wise, so I just have to go back to work and do what I have to do for the next one." "I got myself into a bad situation," Nolasco said. "I couldn't make a pitch. A couple balls fell for them. I didn't give us a chance to win. The game got out of control early. There's not much you can do." Nowhere did he say anything about an elbow. It sounds like he was generally unconcerned with the start and was ready to go out again and do better. Then the next day his elbow hurt? I don't buy it. Nolasco's velocity didn't dip by much after facing Avila, as he remained in the game to throw six more pitches, including three sliders and three fastballs registered at 88, 88 and 87 mph.

We're getting to the point where our first high draft picks may not even be around by the time our latest high draft picks make it up.

Awesome account of some behind the scenes action. About time we lit a fire under these kids. We need them to get better quickly. Here's hoping that hard-work and hard-coaching pay off.

Has everyone pretty much changed their minds on Milone for Fuld? It seems like the response last summer was 95% positive with Ryan being praised from all angles. Now, it appears Fuld would be our starting center fielder. Just think, we could have had Fuld AND Trevor May to start the season. Oh boy! I actually saw a lot I liked toward the end of last season. And it's not like we don't have suitable options for many of our glaring holes, or lack of trade bait for that matter. If CF is a, well, the other CF, then we could in a pinch go back to Santana, or call up Hicks or Rosario. If corner D is a problem, we can DH Hunter or Arcia and call upon a Rosario or throw Escobar out there since we'll be chucking him out there anyway... If Pelfrey's terrible or Boyer comes down to earth, or Stauffer retires to sell pot pies, Meyer, May, or Hamburger seem plenty capable to work their way into the league from the pen.

Some were very critical of Gardy for playing favorites, but he was at least dogged in asking the FO for more talent. He voiced on numerous occasions his desire to have Gibson, Meyer, and May called up. He publicly disagreed with the FO on the Santana displacing Escobar debate. Molitors first few moves as manager: Santana to short, and Meyer/May back to AAA. I can't say I'm offended by anything that happened regarding the cuts provided they are short term. Hey, if Theo Epstein says he's never had a rookie break with the team, then I'm ok with our studs taking a month to get into a grove before coming up, hopefully with some confidence. If Kris Bryant isn't coming north, should Eddie Rosario? I would guess Rosario will be the first call up, as soon as he's ready. Molitor's hinted at as much. Hamburger will be added back as soon as Boyer fails or Pelfrey is traded. May will be up if he can show he's ready and Milone stumbles. It's still a competition, but eventually the season starts and you have to choose a guy. Meyer is the perfect candidate to get some experience in the pen before preparing to start next year. If we get to mid-June and most of this has taken place, I think most of those complaining will be satisfied, and I believe that is the teams ultimate hope.