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Jim Crikket

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Everything posted by Jim Crikket

  1. Jim Crikket
    My point is that Vegas doesn't give a damn if they are "way off". They set the line where they're almost certain they'll get half of bettors to bet the over and half the under, because they make money on the vig. They have absolutely no interest in being "right" about anything except about setting the line where they evenly split the bets. And because a lot of gamblers are complete idiots, lines like this are based heavily on the prior season's results.
  2. Jim Crikket
    This is involving a lot more conversation than the subject is worth, but... My thought was simply that IF the Twins really feel they've seen enough of something in Doyle that they liked in the past, whether last season or in AFL, that they think he could develop in to a Big League pitcher... but not necessarily ready to make the jump from AA to MLB... then there's some irony in that they might be better off if he sucks just a bit this spring so Chicago is willing to trade him for something marginal in return. The Twins definitely shouldn't give away a "better player," or at least not one that has a better chance of contributing to the Twins at some point. Of course, "better" is a subjective term. Naturally, if he totally blows, there's no point in a discussion
  3. Jim Crikket
    I dunno. If Doyle doesn't look any better this spring than what the White Sox thought he would (and they left him unprotected, so they can't be TOO high on him), they could be open to some kind of deal. Given what normally happens with Rule 5 picks, I can't believe the Twins would use the #2 pick on a guy from an organization that they don't think would be at all open to a trade. I just think fans take these "rivalry" things more serious than GMs do.
  4. Jim Crikket
    I've never seen the Twins release any minor league rosters until right before they break camp. Until then, they're broken down rather loosely in to groups based on where they may project players to start the season, but they're competing for spots in Spring Training, too. If you're down there, it's possible to figure out who's slotted to go where every morning just by noting which groups they're taking BP or fielding practice with or who which pitchers are getting their throwing in at the same time (and which coaches they're working with). They spend March kind of shifting guys up and down (and, unfortunately, occasionally releasing players) and then figure out where they want them to start the season.
  5. Jim Crikket
    The irony is that the better Doyle performs in ST games, the tougher it will be for the Twins to keep him. Assuming he doesn't pitch so well that they feel he's worth keeping on the 25-man roster, their only shot at keeping him would be by working out a deal with the White Sox. If he doesn't pitch well, the Twins probably wouldn't need to give up much at all to keep him. But if he starts getting guys out regularly, the Sox can demand more in compensation to allow the Twins to keep him at AAA. So... maybe we should hope he sucks at least a little bit?
  6. Jim Crikket
    I think I read they start games on Thursday, but I don't remember where I saw it and I've been drinking heavily lately so I may have imagined it
  7. Jim Crikket
    I guess it's about what I would have expected when you consider that oddsmakers don't base these things on what they necessarily believe will happen, but what they believe is likely to result in half of the bets being placed on both sides. You don't have to read many national media experts to figure out that virtually nobody expects the Twins to have even a decent year. That being the case, most people across the country inclined to bet on this kind of thing are also going to discount the Twins chances. I'll be surprised and very disappointed if the Twins don't win well above 73 games.
  8. Jim Crikket
    Apparently, the Twins are using the old Red Sox practice fields for some of their minor leaguers. While they obviously needed more room and it's understandable that they'd take advantage of that facility being available now, it does mean it will be less likely that fans will have a chance to watch all the minor leaguers go through workouts down there. I'm assuming it's the youngest of the minor leaguers that are shipped across town.
  9. Jim Crikket
    They just opened minor camp a few days ago and don't start playing games until later this coming week. Hopefully, we'll start seeing more reports out of that side of the complex in a few days.
  10. Jim Crikket
    While I agree with BD57, in general, the only point I'd make is with regard to rehab assignments. Pitchers have gone to Rochester as part of their rehab more than hitters have and that's primarily because, as a pitcher, you want to face the highest level hitters you can. Hitters are generally more concerned about just getting timing down and getting some work in the field and that can be done at any level. Since the Miracle play their games at the Twins' winter complex, they have training facilities and staff down there that aren't necessarily available at other minor league clubhouses. Of course, if the Twins did find a way to place an affiliate in St. Paul, that would no longer be an issue, since the rehabbing player could work out with Twins staff at TF.
  11. Jim Crikket
    Some of these pitchers are stepping up. It will be interesting to see who maintains that level of performance as teams give their regular starters more plate appearances each game.
  12. Jim Crikket
    In other news, Vandy just beat Kentucky in the SEC championship game, Amazing emotional moment for the Commodores coach. Yes, Im multitasking today
  13. Jim Crikket
    I'm actually assuming Thompson got an inning early today to see what he could do before all the Yankee minor leaguers come in, knowing he'll be headed to the back fields tomorrow or Tuesday.
  14. Jim Crikket
    Our guys do realize that they're allowed to actually hit the ball, too, right?
  15. Jim Crikket
    Helluva play in the field guys. Benson played it well, nice relay and tag to finish.
  16. Jim Crikket
    Yeah PLUNK those f'ing Yankees, Blackie!
  17. Jim Crikket
    Very nice first inning for Blackburn
  18. Jim Crikket
    That's not the same thing... your example would be comparable to the Twins selling Yankees merchandise, not Rochester. If I owned a retail store in Iowa City that I decked out in black and gold and the U of I provided merchandise for me to sell, but they ended up fielding bad teams and crappy merchandise that didn't sell, while ISU merchandise turned out to be in high demand, I would sell what my customers are willing to pay for. DakotaTwins is right, this isn't about loyalty, it's about two businesses doing what they need to do to make money. Neither party is harmed in any way. You may not care about the community of Rochester, but the Red Wings organization certainly does... it must. They aren't owned by the Twins, they are merely a business partner. They make their money based on selling what those in the Rochester community want to buy. It's not surprising that a lot of that is Yankees merchandise.
  19. Jim Crikket
    Since ANY player you pick up in the Rule 5 draft is, by definition, another team's rejection, I presume that means you would have the Twins not draft anyone in the Rule 5 draft, I gather. I respectfully disagree. I also disagree that "every" blogger who's talked about the bullpen predicts he will make the roster. That said, you stated in your prior post that you're surprised everyone assumes Doyle will make the roster out of ST, and now you say that you fully expect that to be the case. Since it sounds like you are one of those who assume that will be the case, you probably shouldn't be surprised that others do, too. For the record, I'm not one of them. I expect them to try to work a deal with Chicago to keep him in the organization, but I also maintain it's far too early to assume anything with regard to him.
  20. Jim Crikket
    thrylos, I guess I don't understand why you think the Twins "don't owe Rochester" anything, beyond what they're contractually obligated to provide... but you think the people running the Rochester organization DO owe the Twins something beyond what's in their contract. Rochester is, I believe, a community owned organization, and their ability to maintain a quality facility relies on income. The crapfest that the Twins have provided recently, in terms of talent, has meant Rochester has lost revenue, so if they have a way to generate more revenue by selling merchandise of a team that's popular with their community fan base, I don't see why they "owe" the Twins anything that would be beyond what's in their contract either. If the Twins had a problem with an affiliate selling another team's merchandise, they need to include restrictive language in their contracts with affiliates. Of course, most minor league organizations would likely tell the Twins to shove that language up their ass and sign a different team.
  21. Jim Crikket
    Who is this "everyone" that you think is "assuming" Doyle breaks camp with the Twins? I haven't read any such thing. Things have been written about him, but they are primarily the sorts of historical background stories that you would expect about a players new to the organization. The Twins are giving him a hard look and, until today's game, he had pitched adequately. Whether he breaks camp with the Twins or not, they have to see enough of him to make a decision concerning whether they want to keep him on the 25-man roster, try to make a deal with Chicago to keep him like they did with the Braves to keep Diamond last year, or simply send him back to the White Sox. I'd be really surprised... and extremely disappointed... if the Twins made a knee-jerk decision based on watching him pitch a couple of innings today. They are working with him every day, watching him perform when he does pitch in games (he's had one decent outing and one poor one... plus a decent performance in a "B" game... so far). There are still more than three weeks worth of Spring Training games to play. None of the new pitchers competing for spots have anything locked up based on an inning or two of pitching in a couple of games and I don't think anyone is assuming otherwise.
  22. Jim Crikket
    I'm curious about this. The only "protection" I understood community-owned teams had has to do with not having to worry about an "owner" uprooting the franchise and moving it. But that wouldn't protect the community from losing their Major League affiliation and, therefore, their membership in a particular minor league (such as the MWL). If a team has private ownership, it's certainly easier to pick up and move whenever a stadium lease expires. But communities also can lose their teams when affiliation contracts expire and neither their existing affiliate nor any other MLB organization enters in to a new agreement to provide players. There are also certain standards that minor league baseball requires each team's stadium to meet and older stadiums that are not renovated to meet those standards are also a risk to a community losing their team. (Cedar Rapids was definitely threatened with loss of their MWL team if they hadn't built a new stadium a decade or so ago.) I'm very certain that Beloit's community ownership would not preclude the Twins from moving their MWL affiliation elsewhere after their current contract expires at the end of this season. I would think that, unless Beloit could attract another MLB affiliate (which might be difficult with an unresolved stadium situation), they very possibly could lose their spot in the MWL. The Snappers, as an organization, could continue to exist, but without an agreement in place with a MLB organization to provide players, they would essentially be a baseball team without a roster.
  23. Jim Crikket
    Twins President Dave St. Peter indicated at an appearance this winter that a possible affiliation with the Saints was something the Twins could be interested in at some point. It was obvious that he and the Twins would not wade in to discussions until after the issue of a new stadium for the Saints was resolved (obviously to avoid the perception that any public financing would be benefiting the Twins, among other reasons). He mentioned how great it would be for Twins fans to have a guy like Sano playing in St. Paul this summer. Veeck and the Twins are smart enough not to enter in to any sort of affiliation agreement prematurely, but I came away with the feeling that there was certainly interest in exploring the possibility once the stadium issue gets worked out one way or another. The assumption is that they'd put their MWL low-A club in St. Paul, but honestly, there's really no reason to think St. Paul couldn't support a AAA team, outside of possible geographical challenges since St. Paul would be on the extreme edge of either the IL or PCL. They wouldn't be "competing" with the Twins any more than they do now. They attract about 8,000 fans per game already and somehow the Twins have managed to stay in business.
  24. Jim Crikket
    Pearce with a heck of a diving stop on a ground ball to his right over at 3B. then up and a solid throw to first.
  25. Jim Crikket
    Maloney has to have a shot at making this team if he keeps it up. He's been as consistent as any of the RPs so far.
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