twinsfan34

At the MLB level, it would seem that a Manager is best able to make 'tweeks' to a player's 'development.' Taking what they have and capitalizing on it. Rest, matchups, baserunning decisions, situational knowledge (re-enforcement). I'm not sure it's 'development' at the Big League level though. Getting a pitcher to land on the ball of his foot (Nolan Ryan's message to Randy Johnson) - likely should have been discovered by personnel along the way to the majors. Nolan Ryan was a retired player not even in the Mariners' organization, he just wanted to help a player out. I think Paul Molitor would point something out if he saw it. If a player isn't doing as well as he thinks he should be in the big leagues - he should be seeking out ways to remedy that. Your manager, position coaches, teammates, other players, former players, etc. I guess I don't see a manager making the lion's share of those 'tweeks'... You want someone fun to play for. Who makes smart decisions that are ahead of the speed of the game. But ultimately, players have to make the plays. Get on base. And then the Manager can manage the game. The Twins struck out more than any team EVER in MLB history, save 2 teams!! That has to change.

Were those pitchers coming from the NL? (those who saw their SO/9 go down) For those who saw their SO/9 go up, did they go to the NL after leaving the Twins? For 2013, pitchers struck out 43% of the time and hit .132 overall. It's not as extreme as before with an extended interleague schedule, but it still makes a difference. There's 20 interleague games, thus there's a 6.25% (half home, half away) reduction in affect for AL teams. So whereas pitchers might get 3 AB a game (pinch hitters, extra innings, lots of other factors), but would strike out 43% of the time. Now, it is true that DH's strike out more than ever these days. But even a high % would be 20% range as a whole. While the batting average hike is more than 100 pts. I'm not saying this as support for Anderson as a pitching coach. Maybe we should get Brunansky to switch to pitching coach - he got his hitters to get the 3rd MOST strikeouts in MLB History! Just think what he could do with the pitching staff...

Welp, even though we lost, 5th it is. Lost around $800,000 in salary slot value though. Wish the Twins had a FA they could 'lose' this offseason by a team outside the top 10 picks as to gain an extra 1st RD pick.

The Braves own the head to head tiebreaker, so if the two teams finish tied, Atlanta would have home field advantage in the playoff...so Cardinals will still be playing to win.

Samardzija is pitching tomorrow afternoon too. So Cubs are putting their best foot forward so to speak. And the Cardinals are starting Jake Westbrook (#5 starter)...maybe they pull the starters too. Would be ideal. Just hope the Twins don't pull "a Vikings" and win the last game of the year...when it's so timely.

Cheer for the Phillies tonight. They're up, botton of the 9th. Atlanta loses, Cardinals get the best NL record, they could rest their starters tomorrow then. Cubs Win! Cubs Win! Cubs Win! So we can hope...

Honestly, I'm not in a position to really comment on that with any weight. From what I've read and seen in interviews with Terry Ryan and Molitor is Ryan didn't feel Molitor would make a good 'bench coach' next to Gardy. Most interpreted that as they are both strong decision makers. e.g. can't have two captains on one ship. Molitor has great freedom currently as the "roving minor league instructor" and also has a great perspective on the talent in the minor leagues [all levels]. He also has no doubt begun to form some relationships with the players in working with many of them 1-on-1. So, given that, it might be OK to suspect Terry Ryan is listening to Molitor, as he's definitely in a position to speak to those types of changes.

I'm not sure how much others in the organization are on the same page as Paul Molitor, but he is in the organization and a person gaining more and more influence. He was interviewed on 1500espn Thursday. Bullet List: - Robinson Cano getting $305M - Dozier and Arcia are bright spots. - Dozier should hit around .270 when all said and done. - Twins Front Office being open to putting something exciting on the field, point blank, seeing if young players can play - Miguel Sano - 50% he's in the bigs next year at the start of the season - it's on him. - Buxton - you can't put a regular time-table on the guy. There's something inside him unlike all the others.

Tied with the Cubs now 66-93. Although, if tied, it goes to team with the worse record last year (Cubs #3, Twins #4)...so yeah. We have to 'beat' them outright to get the #4 pick this year.

Agreed. He'd be in my top 3.

That's a good summary. - It hasn't been utilized to it's full potential by Twins management (But I believe it has been done for Development reasons - no reason to 'develop' platoon players - see if they can hit either side) - It doesn't work for the short-half of the Platoon, that is to be a "platoon" player it is best if they hit RHP well. - To be solely a "platoon" regular, it would reason the hitter need to hit at least .280 vs that strong side of the platoon (usually RHP). A question, for those to do some research. Who are some good platoon players? What did the hit vs. LHP or vs RHP. Were these "platoon" players, maybe "combos" is a better word - mostly RH or LH for the "long half" of the platoon (e.g. Pagliarulo vs Leius in 1991).

Totally agree. IF somehow Parmalee is on the Twins Roster and playing 80+ games (platoon) - the Twins won't be winning many games. I'd put the over under at 70 Wins.

You nailed it.

I didn't mention Doumit, as he is a switch-hitter and didn't have a platoon to match position (C, RF) wise in the hierarchy of subs that would have benefited the team. He typically already starts at DH or C when Mauer wasn't available. So I guess I didn't factor him as much of a 'platoon' eligible player more of a necessary backup (when Mauer was healthy) as the team didn't carry more than 2 Catchers. I wonder what Ryan's definition of "platoon" is versus others who question it? I honestly only feel Plouffe would make it as a "platoon" eligible player going forward. But, even so, his "platoon" skill is hitting LHP, which, honestly, is not that beneficial. However, most RH hit LHP better. Factor in, what if Miguel Sano hits the big club in 2014? He mashes lefties. I see Aaron Hicks as a starter or gone. Hoping he doesn't go the way of Joe Benson ("toolsy", great defense, never panned out). Either Willingham can hit or he can't. He generally kills LHP so might be a situational 4th OF vs LHP (but you don't keep someone who only faces LHP - not enough ABS). Although the '4th OF' typically is a LH who hits RH pretty well (e.g. Randy Bush a la 1991) as it's a 3-to-1 ratio of available ABs. The rest of those guys are hoping to be a serviceable defensive replacement. Florimon might be the only one that qualifies. If many are thinking the Twins aren't trying to maximize the turd-pile of players we currently have - I CAN go along with that, in the sense of maximizing every little match-up. This does not feel like the 1987 Twins or the 1991 Twins or even the Twins of the early 2000's where pitching changes and timely Pinch Hitters were the norm. The Front Office here doesn't particularly care if we go 60-102 or 68-94. I get a sense they're trying to see if there's an everyday player in the players we have. Versus trying to "develop" a bunch of platoon players (don't have the roster spots for such development, thus my '18 players + Mauer' comment). I would ask this...as many of our top prospects are sitting in A-, A+, & AA...so 2-3 years away. Who do you think makes the cut to that time from this team? I would say only Plouffe out of those "platoon" eligible players would make the cut. Florimon, maybe as a Al Newman play everywhere defensive replacement. But that's a stretch with Santana & Goodrum flashing plenty of defense and they may be able to hit too - and if there's any inclination they can hit, they'll be given every opportunity to push Florimon out the door.

Wish the games weren't so spaced out...like a double header or Day/Night games - I'd love to go if that was the case.

It would seem if Terry Ryan wouldn't want to employ it - the manager for 2014 and beyond (whether Gardenhire or a new 'hire') would also have a similar philosophy. To Ryan's point, 'who would you platoon?' has some merit. I'm not sure we really have that serviceable of players on offense to do it. And to maybe win another 5-10 games this year - would that make the difference? Maybe they want a high pick this year as if Draft experts are right, being in the top 5 picks will yield a very good prospect in 2014. It could work for 2-3 roster spots on the team, often a 3rd/4th OF scenario, as well as a 3rd middle IF who could put in work at 2B/SS/3B. Someone mentioned 1991. We did sorta did it at 3B in 1991 with Scott Leuis ® and Mike Pagliarulo. We definitely did it with Pagliarulo as his ABs are very skewed to facing RHP. Leuis is about even, but was defeinitely better vs. LHP. Leuis - 71 AB .254 AVG vs RHP, 128 AB .305 AVG vs LHP Pagliarulo - 349 AB .284 AVG vs RHP, 16 AB .188 AVG vs LHP Randy Bush (163 AB .302 vs RHP, 2 AB .000 AVG vs LHP) was a 4th OF/DH and he could have been considered "platoon" to an extent - as he faced pretty much only RHP, however it didn't seem he really had a platoon mate. More of just a situational 4th OF. In 1991, the Minnesota Twins hit .280 as a team that year. The difference was we had 6 full-time hitters who hit .277 or higher that year (Brian Harper, Kent HrBek, Check Knoblauch, Shane Mack, Kirby Puckett, Chili Davis), including 3 hitters over .310 (Harper, Mack, & Puckett). A lineup that resembles something more similar to the St. Louis Cardinals this year. The 2013 Twins don't have a regular, other than Mauer, hitting over .259 (Morneau - no longer with the team). Dozier is next at .249. Arcia only has 356 AB, or I would have said him, even so, he's only hitting .256. We'd have to do 9 platoons, or 18 players + Mauer to get a similar team average as we did in 1991. But then again...could we even get close to that? Let's see what we have to work with... Florimon can't hit anybody (.235 vs RHP, .188 vs LHP). Plouffe hit better vs LHP, however, only 2 HR in 107 AB (.234 vs RHP, .299 vs LHP). Willingham couldn't hit a barn, lefty or righty (.210 vs RHP, .215 vs LHP). Hicks couldn't hit anything either (.203 vs RHP, .186 vs LHP). Parmalee isn't much better than any of these guys (.250 vs RHP, .172 vs LHP). Thomas couldn't hit any better than Florimon (.228 vs RHP, .175 vs LHP). Escobar was about even (.238 vs RHP, .231 vs LHP). Colabello, well, he's consistent against either hand (.193 vs RHP, .186 vs LHP). So again... Ryan, "On this club, who would you want to platoon?"

Great point!! "Minnesota elements", much like old Met Stadium with the Vikings #10th best home-field advantage of all time in NFL History, come through again.

Given Pelfrey was a 1 year deal. How do you feel about the money spent on Correia? $4.5M for 2013 and 2014. Would you be happy or content with adding another Correia? Or rolling the dice with the Andrew Albers' of the organization? And possibly tanking it (as the Astros are doing and the Tampa Devil Rays did) to get the #1 pick each year.

'tis true. But it's all we got. Half a game behind the Cubs for #4. 3 games ahead of dropping to #6 with 7 games to go. I think we can sit no worse that #5. Well, Arcia hit well. Got caught off 1B on that nice hit off that big curve...

Buxton makes contact with the ball somewhere around , touches 1st around , touches 2nd around , and slides into 3rd at . So give or take...11 seconds or less to make it from home to 3rd...Just wow.

Two things could contribute to Arcia's decline. 1. Is it that pitchers and scouting reports have 'figured' him out? 2. Is that wrist injury still nagging him? Looking at his AB vs. Pitchers, it doesn't look like he's had more than 6-7 ABs vs any given pitcher. Oswaldo Arcia Batter vs Pitching Stats - ESPN Then looking at his HOT/COLD zones - you find he's hitting Fastballs as most LH's do, well down low (over .300) and not so good on fastballs just above the belt. That said, his dip has changed dramatically after the injury, strikeout range does from 28% K/AB ratio to 37% K/AB ratio while his average has dipped from .284 to .221. For background, his entire minor league K/AB rate was 21%. He hit .300+ everywhere he went. I could see him hitting .280+ 20-30 HR 80+ with 120-150 K per 500-550 AB. Is that good enough to be the Twins LF for 2014 through 2018? Probably. Would Adam Walker or JD Williams be better? Or provide better K% rates? It's hard to project as Arcia hit .300+ everywhere, neither of those guys has provided a .300+ season yet. So in the Twins system, I don't see anyone (At this time) displacing him from LF. (Assuming Rosario sticks it out at 2B). Walker has a better arm for sure. Maybe RF arm. A comment on Aaron Hicks probably might be in order here...but I digress. It's probably too early to make a 'hasty' decision on Arcia on the offensive end. He's at least as serviceable defensively at LF as Kubel and Delmon Young - so I think he'll be fine as a LF.

As long as we're no worse than 5th. I'm pretty happy about it. It looks like the Brewers and Mariners have favorable schedules to stay with a better record than the Twins. I'd love for the Cubs to end up worse, but they play ATL, STL, & PIT - top 3 teams in the NL - all still vying for better seedings in the playoffs. I like both the NC State products, LHP and the SS. However, for the Twins...not sure SS is a higher priority. The LHP will likely go top 3. The big power righty, Tyler Kolek, a high schooler from TX, might be a possibility at #4 or #5. He would fit in with their timetable of developing arms, e.g. Stewart, Barrios, etc. Scout.com: Top 5 Prep Arms For The 2014 Draft