Hosken Bombo Disco

If you cheat and start with Connie Mack, you might get to five.

Sounds interesting. I will check it out.

I will probably keep it. Inertia will prevail. Hayes's coverage of the Twins is not very compelling. If that's what I was in it for, no way. On the other hand, the Athletic writer following the Cardinals wrote a couple articles that took down their manager. It wasn't necessarily great old-fashion gumshoe journalism but in today's age, it was gutsy enough. Great stuff and great style by that writer (on phone, not gonna search, can't think of name). I also look forward to Russo and Johnny K should the Wild or Wolves ever make a run. I read Brandon's Twins commentaries, but haven't read much of anything Twins related since May or June. Ironically, the best Dozier article I've ever read was by a Dodger writer on the Athletic week or two ago, after the trade. Sub req - https://theathletic.com/470042/2018/08/13/doubt-brian-dozier-and-he-will-prove-you-wrong/ (warning: language) Excerpt: '...When the Twins filtered into the lobby, they learned their hotel had no power. Frazzled front-desk staffers rushed to hand out flashlights and room keys to the traveling party. After a minute or two, heads turned as sweet sounds echoed throughout the darkened space. Brian Dozier had found the grand piano. He began to entertain. “He’s the kind of guy that breaks the ice for everybody,” said Astros reliever Ryan Pressly, who was then Dozier’s teammate. Over seven successful seasons in Minnesota, Dozier became the Twins’ clubhouse leader and their most visible player, embracing the relative spotlight. He learned Spanish to speak to his Latino teammates. He found a condo in Minneapolis’ hip North Loop neighborhood and often walked to work at nearby Target Field. He did community events, visited burgeoning breweries and relished the similarities between Southern hospitality and what locals call “Minnesota nice.”...'

Well, shortstop was not an organizational weakness last winter. There was a credible report that Pittsburgh was asking for Gordon as part of the Gerrit Cole negotiation. I don't think that would have been a PR disaster.

Maybe a good compromise would be to call him up, but as a part-time player or sometimes DH.

Of my three examples, the Rangers were below .500 on Aug 13, the Twins were below .500 in September, and the Rockies hovered around .500 most of the season (last below .500 on July 15 but half a game above .500 on Aug. 23). Your condition that a team spend an unbroken period of time below .500 since mid-April is a pointless technicality. It only reaffirms my opinion that the Twins should have held and played out the schedule with their best players. At this point, and it's just a gut feeling, but I'd even bet that if Falvey and Levine could do it over, they would, and they would keep Dozier, Escobar, and Rodney in favor of a soft sell of Pressly and Lynn, similar to last year. They still get Austin and a solid minor league starter from Houston, they keep their fan favorites, and not as many empty seats once the Vikings start their season.

Glad they are taking a look. We lost several productive MLB pitchers from our system last offseason, so this is good.

i have no idea. At least they are taking a look.

Radio guys ready to retire Kohl Stewart's number Poll question: first ballot HOF or second ballot?

Very possibly. Good observation.

"Logan, can you play one more game on your bad hip for us tonight, so that Tyler can get acclimated?"

I'm not trolling, and not singling you out, I just genuinely have no idea what to do with comments like this. I suppose I could let them go unanswered, but answering them could also provide an educating opportunity too, for people who just aren't aware or are new to following baseball. Who the hell knows. Most important to me is I don't want fans to think comebacks don't happen or that pennant races can't be exciting. 2015: Texas Rangers were 8.0 GB in division on July 27, third place in West, behind the Twins in the Wild Card, went ahead and traded for Cole Hamels, won division. 2009: Minnesota Twins were 7.0 GB trailing Detroit in September. 2007: Colorado Rockies epic win streak. We don't see this sort of thing every season, but really, the examples are numerous. Did the Twins have a chance? Yeah, of course they did.

I think what people will come to realize is that these guys are just another front office. There is nothing special about them. They are new to this, and full of ideas, ideas that probably aren't much different that other front office ideas. They want the public to withhold judgment on them until some date far in the future, after they have built their "sustainable, championship caliber" organization, which will be a date of their choosing, which will be after half of us here are dead, I suppose. And if they are looking to sell expiring contracts of favorite players at every deadline, it's going to be a long, long road for everyone. You are speaking as someone who is following the Twins, much like the national writers. I'm speaking as a fan. I wanted to see how this season unfolded with our key pieces coming back. Seven games back was a daunting challenge, but doable. It has been done. It will be done again.

I can, and will again! April/May/June was ugly, and the pieces weren't there. But once July rolled around, we had: Polanco returning from suspension;Santana returning from injury Sano and Buxton to recall from the minorsDozier's half season surge to hope forThe pieces were there. Basically the same team that made the surge last year, slightly different bullpen. The front office could have done a "light sell" of Pressly and Lynn and would have been praised just the same. Instead, they pulled the plug and are rightfully getting raked across the coals--not so much on Twins Daily where the loudest posters seem to be on board with the sell off, but in the community in particular, the sell off doesn't seem as popular. Again, heading into July, same lineup as last season. Same players coming back. Pieces were there.

I am fine with him answering the question that way. If I were in that locker room I'd be pissed too.

You're joking, right? Castro went down, and they failed to find a reliable catcher. Buxton was allowed to play on a broken toe. They ought to have stepped in and kept Reed from being overworked. Those are the ones that pop to mind. As far as Santana not "taking accountability" tonight, he said he missed his spots on those pitches that went for home runs. There was no sour grapes in that interview. I don't know what else he is supposed to say.

I wasn't. Was anyone?

Disagree completely. Santana was asked a question and answered it candidly and professionally. I appreciate that. Isn't that what we say we want, instead of the canned answers all the time? As for the other players joining the team, they know what's up. Field, Drake, whoever, they know what's going on. I doubt they would be insulted by what Santana said. They are getting a chance to play. It is what it is.

Twins Fest is not an arbitrary deadline, in my opinion. Also, that was roughly the deadline the front office set during the Dozier talks the prior offseason. In Cobb's case (or Darvish), he could be introduced at Twins Fest and ready for camp in Feb, and it's a different story, whatever he signs at, 4/60 or whatever. The silver lining is the Twins have that additional free agent money to spend this offseason.

Since you are going down this road again (in a Rodney thread), I will say, again, that I disagree completely with just about everything above The key with Darvish/Arrieta/Cobb/Lynn was signing them in the normal period. The front office used Twins Fest (mid-late-January) as a target for trading Dozier the year before, so that would have worked as a good deadline for signing a free agent starter. I would have signed Cobb but during the normal signing period. And no, I would not have signed Rodney. What about closer, then? Dunno. These guys are supposed to have "the data." Maybe Reed or Pressley. Reed was a good signing. I would have hung on to Burdi and Chaggy, too.

I'm not head over heels for Mauer forever, I just don't see how it's a bad option for 2019. We can be fairly sure what we're getting. Solid defense and some on base. He showed cracks in both, but IMO he's just as likely to "rebound" towards 2017 levels than continue a second year of decline. Remove Mauer right now, and it's one more position to fill with question marks and worry about.

I much prefer Mauer at first and Kepler in RF on opening day, than Kepler at first and Cave in right. We can agree to disagree. I think Mauer is more likely to OPS at .750 than Cave at .775 in 2019, though I hope they both hit those marks. Not to mention the unpredictability of having two guys at new positions versus two guys at positions where they are already comfortable.

That's quite a plan.

Obviously you are interpreting it differently. Fine, whatever. There are a lot of great MLB players right now; including first baseman, and as hitting goes, Mauer is a below average first baseman. I don't know what the realistic alternative is the next year or two. A wish for Austin or Rooker to excel or platoon with each other seems like a stretch. Moving Kepler to 1B seems like robbing Peter to pay Paul.

And his OPS since the start of 2016 is .761. Other than 2014 and 2015 when he was coming off a lot of lost time to concussion, and learning a new position, he has been good. I get the power argument, Joe doesn't hit for power, but would you take a . 761 OPS from Mauer in 2019 with gold glove caliber defense?