DocBauer

This game was amazing! Like Tom pointed out, this is not a bad lineup or slumping team. This one of the best teams in MLB and we have been holding our own. 2 of 3 on this honest and with just a couple of points. 1] I still believe in the stuff and career of Pineda. But apparently he just doesn't match up with Houston. It happens. I still like what he brings, how he has looked, for the most part, so far. 2] I barked about the Perez signing. I have made references to being optimistic and looking up recipes to eating crow. I am not a superstitious person by nature. But if i can keep doubting Perez and he keeps doing stuff like this, then understand and forgive if I keep posting doubts to keep the mojo working! Hell of a performance!

Frankly, I think the article/debate is way too early. Pure talent, potential, the position he plays, he could easily be #1 before the season is done. Oh wait...his Twins-mate Kirilloff could be ranked even above him. It's an interesting debate, but one I think should be discussed about mid season or beyond.

Oh hell, I can't just shut up! LOL Odorizzi is just one of those guys you just keep waiting to turn a corner! You saw glimpses late last year, and you saw glimpses this year before mysterious wildness took over. I love how he works high in the zone in today's game of low ball hitters and launch angles. It's the crap in the umpires mask and above the catchers reach that befuddles me. Is what we saw tonight, or his first start, and glimpses in the starts between maturation, (similar to Gibson mid 2017), and the work of Johnson? Or just a welcomed blip on the radar? I know what I am hoping for.

Honestly, does it get much better than this?

I think it was Brock who made a great quote the other day stating that the Twins are doing what good teams are supposed to do: (paraphrasing) Beat up on the lesser teams, play a game or two above decent teams, and be competitive against the top teams. I am thoroughly enjoying the power, production and potential of this lineup! (Some guys will inevitably cool down some, but others are just hitting their stride). While not yet fully hitting on all cylinders, Gibson is finding himself. Pineda is not there yet, but we are seeing what he can do. Odorizzi has been a bit Jekyll and Hyde, but we are also seeing some great moments. I remain skeptical but increasingly optimistic by the surprising Perez. The pen still scares me. You can't have just 3 guys you can count on. But May suddenly is starting to look like the guy be was last season and the first half of ST. Harper looks good as your 7th or 8th guy. Can Mejia accept his role and settle in? Magill is back. Can Johnson help him find consistency with his mid 90's FB and power slurve? Can Romero take lightening stuff and just hit the zone more consistently? Again, I'm scared/worried for the long haul. But there are actual arms here I like! Something nobody is talking about, and I haven't watched every game to be sure, and I have no clue what metrics are showing for the early season thus far, but can we have a shout out for the defense? While there have been a few questionable plays/games early, the defense so far has impressed me.

One of the things you can't see in a before is what he brings to the team in regard to intangibles. That being experience, approach and knowledge. Something the FO hinted/spoke about before his signing and after his signing, I am hoping those things will continue throughout the season, which they absolutely should, but will also have a positive affect on Sano when be finishes his rehab and joins the team.

Bad stuff: NOOOOO as to Astudillo tweaking anything!! Good stuff: 1] Agreed Berrios is evolving. A game where something doesn't seem to work right? He just adjusts and throws what is working. That is a PITCHER. 2] I am about to look up recipes for crow in regard to Perez. (I didn't get to post in last night's thread) 3] Kepler and Cron beginning to heat up. 4] Couple consecutive good outings by May. A good one from Mejia today. Harper OK so far. Magill mediocre in his debut, but glad to have him back and hope he helps. Romero not great last night, but not bad. Stuff still looks nasty! Pen still needs at least one more arm, if not two, to become GOOD. Can Romero be one of those at least? I'm having a blast with this season so far!

Also feel bad for Dozier. Really like and respect the guy and wish him the best. Hope he turns it around. In regard to Polanco, always felt he had the athleticism to play SS. Always felt be was a bit behind the 8 ball in how he was used and bounced around. I will give Molitor credit because he believed the kid could play the position and hit. I think we all realize the offensive ability and potential. But his defense keeps getting better and better. I have ABSOLUTELY no problem moving him to 2B in 1-3yrs in favor of Lewis or Javier. (Whole different arguement). But, a believer in Schoop then and now, what would be wrong with this pair for the next couple of years? IMO, worst case scenario is too much talent on hand and you have to make a move to open a spot via trade. Would suck to have that kind of problem, right?

A note, I don't think the Twins bet on 1yr of Schoop. I think they would have been happy for an option or second year. I think Schoop is betting on himself for a 1yr. That being said, two things you never do, or hesitantly do, is bet on a guy coming off a career year, or a poor year. The Twins have done both this year, and done so smartly. 1] Dime a dozen 1B power hitting types. Cron always put up solid numbers, but didn't play daily, got bounced or played behind other guys, but put up solid numbers. He finally got more than 500 AB in 2018, made some reported adjustments, had a career year, and was known by his new manager. The results, so far, are somewhat expected. He is providing a solid bat with power. Unexpected is just how good he has been defensively! Did anyone see or expect this? He looks as good as anything we saw Mauer do at 1B, or as anyone we have seen for YEARS at 1B. (Except for a few guys, we've been spoiled at 1B defensively for most of 30+ years). 2] Schoop plays a nice 2B. A lot of people want to scare you with a tremendous 2017 vs a really poor and injury plagued 2018. What about a couple very nice and productive years in '15 and '16? Only 27 and 2 really good years, one great year, and one bad season and he's some question mark? Come on! Lewis is a year or two away. Gordon has real potential but is a year away, especially due to injury digging his 2019 start. Despite real infield depth, the other talent is a couple years away. This was a great move! I hope we re-sign him, already, for another season or two.

He allowed a big blast tonight. He has allowed a few inherited runners to score. Is he special? Nope. Can he find a role and be successful? Yes, yes he can. He can be good to excellent as the 6th or 7th man who pitches an inning or 2 as a mid or long guy who presents an entirely different look. He produces weak contact, despite the HR allowed Monday, and generally has good control. He spots his average FB well. But no doubt his curve, at different speeds, is the key. If he can continue to hit the zone with curveballs that change speed, he can absolutely be part of an effective pen. As much as I root for him, I can't help but compare him to Magill. Magill lacks some consistency to be sure. But his FB sits 92-94 with a slider/slurve that can be devastating with just a little more consistency. Which one would you put more faith and expectation in?

Brian, I agree with you in theory, but not absolutely. Good or bad, right or wrong, some guys just feel more comfortable in certain spots/situations. I think it comes from experience and mental acceptance. As an example, I offer up Manny Ramirez. For a time, he resisted being put in the clean-up spot. For whatever reason, and I'm sure it was mental, he truly accepted his role and became one of the most dangerous and prolific #4 hitters of his era. Confidence, experience, there is no easy answer. I prefer Kepler, and his LH bat and potential, hitting lower. But I totally get Rocco's idea of him leadoff. Barely a month in, I'm patient. Polanco could be effective, IMO, in ANY of the top 3 spots. And while Rocco was been fairly static with his lineup, he has also been clearly flexible as well. Buxton has so much potential it's scary! We all knkw this. Right now, we are just starting to see the potential of this talented, healthy and determined young man. I am NOT saying Buxton is fragile in any way or form, but he's dealt with a lot from expectation to injury. In a deep and talented lineup, he is excelling as the "bottom" hitter setting the table for the top of the order while driving in runs. He has also "re-invented" himself, finally, as a hitter where he seems to make contact and let his natural gifts make things happen. Ultimately, he could hit in various spots and be a stud. And while I get hitting 9 robs him of some plate appearances, I am more focused on development and confidence and approach before I move him up. What's working is working. And working well!

A lot of great news and great points of discussion! 1] You can't just "take away" a bad start, in the case of Odorizzi. But in the course of a season, there will absolutely be clunkers. And as early as the season still is, removing that clunker shows a guy actually throwing pretty well. His problem, thus far, is a sudden loss of control mid-game. Why and how does it get fixed is the question. I would prefer him as my 5th SP, not my 4th, but he is solid if the sudden control hiccups can be curtailed. 2] Offensively, we have seen the potential of this team. I maintain the offense is just heating up. Someone, in another thread, and I forget now who, pointed out we had such a high OPS that regression seemed inevitable. I don't disagree with that. The point is a few guys have been white hot and a few guys are just starting to really warm up. Meaning, overall, IMO, the lineup becomes more balanced and deeper as everyone starts to perform to their ability. 3] Bullpen. Ugh! Its an ongoing issue, right? I still say its been better than at least I expected, despite a couple blown games. May is a huge key. His stuff is way too good to be struggling the way he has been. Not sure what's holding him back. But a mkre steady May does a lot! It's easy to say Mejia is here because he's out of options. But he's here because his stuff is good! About a month in, we've seen very good and very bad from Mejia. Can attitude, (Not a bad one, just accepting his role), and Johnson smooth him out to be more consistent with his stuff? If those 2 can settle in, this pen suddenly has 5 pretty good arms available. And it's not exactly far-fetched to see that happening. I absolutely agree with h2oface in regard to inherited runners scoring. And Harper should be more than a good story with good but perhaps skewed numbers at this point. But he shows potential. You have to start somewhere. But I would refrain from cannonizing him at this point. But, a rookie, a possible find, still only in the first 30 days of the season, I wouldn't villianize him yet either. You need and should have 5 guys you can count on. We aren't there yet, but could be. You need one guy who has a role and is solid in that role. It's OK, even on great clubs, to have a 7th spot rotating from various prospects and the such. Unfortunately, we aren't there yet. Brings me to point #4. 4] Pressly. To this day, I wouldn't have made that trade. Pressly was not always good/great. We need to remember that! The FO felt the deal was too good to pass up. Maybe so. Time will tell. But trading from weakness is never smart, IMO. He could be that one extra arm we really need right now. Instead, we are waiting for Romero, or someone else, to step forward or make a move for help at some point. May settles down, so does Mejia, and at least one of Reed, Magill, Reed, Romero, or someone else steps forward, we are suddenly taking a deep and welcoming breath. But I would have stuck with what I had.

I think the OP echoes things I have said elsewhere. Catcher is such a hard position to accurately quantify in regard to value. Oh, it's easy to compare offensive numbers. Caught stealing is another number easy to measure, however, a good portion of CS can also be related to opportunity and who is on the mound, and how well they hold runners on. Despite advanced metrics such as pitch framing, I remain somewhat skeptical as I don't know how you take the receiver, the pitchers and umpires involved, and come up with a viable statistic that is entirety accurate. (Maybe the match is accurate and simply illudes me). At the end of the day, what is most important is nuanced things that can't be measured such as setting up a target, having the confidence of a staff, etc. A lot of people didn't like Suzuki, for instance, but a lot of pitchers have spoke how they liked throwing to him. I appreciate the various numbers presented in the OP, but as pointed out, opportunity catching certain pitchers, and Castro missing so much time in 2018, can easily skew numbers as well. I think it comes down, often, to an eye test, for lack of a better explanation. A guy just seems comfortable and efficient and quiet behind the plate, blocks balls, and just seems to handle the staff. I think Castro is largely positive in this regard. I believe we saw his value in 2017 and witnessed his loss in 2018 when Garver, a rookie, and Wilson, a solid journeyman, were the primary backstops. I believe Castro offers real value as an experienced example and mentor to the young Garver and Astudillo, especially if he is taking an active role in mentorship. There is no need for the Twins to "dump" anyone at this point. Roster issues in regard to Sano could easily be a month away. For as long as they can, I would love to keep Castro around while using Garver more and more as the primary. Castro's presence also allows Astudillo to play multiple spots while still taking turns behind the dish. I think we can all agree the future of the Twins doesn't include Castro. Garver keeps getting better and has a bat to make him, potentially, one of the top offensive catchers around. The same for Astudillo as the backup and useful role player. Depending on how injuries could affect the roster, not to mention using an odd option or two available, eventually a move will take place. I want to utilize Castro for as long as possible, but at some point the best move for all involved is for Castro to be moved to a team needing catching help.

I really wanted to make some comments after the double header sweep but just didn't have opportunity. But after winning today, and sweeping the series, my points seem just as prevalent today. Winning, and being 12-7 at this point is the most important thing. (Just stinks it feels like we gave up 2-4 wins we should have had, but you can't win them all). Despite a few questions and concerns, this has the loom of a pretty good and competitive team. Don't want to speak for anyone else, but I'm having a lot of fun right now! A few thoughts/opinions: 1] Next to the Twins actually winning all 3 games, the biggest highlight was listening to Blyleven and Kaat in the booth for the weekend. Not only reminiscing and telling old stories, but their Basball knowledge and opinions about today's game, especially the changes in how pitchers are used prepared and developed was priceless. 2] This offense is just warming up and already looking dangerous. 3] As a team, the defense is much, much improved. 4] Can't we just admit Garver has improved behind the plate, may be one of the best offensive catchers around, and just admit he's the #1 guy back there at this point? 5] Can we also admit that the Cron signing was good? Yes, we can debate a power hitting 1B/DH type may be a dime a dozen. Guy is a decent hitter with power coming off his best season after a few adjustments and finally getting 500AB. He's starting to heat up now and is playing an excellent 1B. Without bringing in a certified All Star, could they really have done any better? 6] Don't worry about Gibson. His illness was as serious as it was unfortunate and untimely. He's been a little behind, has flashed his old self, has been building himself up still, and looked a lot more like his old self today. We have seen enough from Pineda, Perez and Odorizzi to at least be optimistic. We need to see more. But Gibson will not be a problem. 7] The pen has issues and is scary. But it's also been better than we feared. May settling in, Mejia adapting to his new role and settling in would go a long way to helping things. With luck, at least 1 of Magill and Reed will be back soon and improve things. FA, trade or successful promotion, we need at least one more good arm. But the pen has been better, thus far, than I think any of us expected.

Heard a quote late in the game he was feeling better but maybe not ready yet. Don't know if it's injury related or if he has the same bug plaguing Kepler. Perhaps someone can shed more light?

Damn you Falvey! You are as clever and sadistic as Khan! (I don't care if it's the wrong universe). But to add insult to injury, there is no way to shout out... "Faallveey!" and have the same effect! Damnit, I'm a Twins fan, not a miracle worker!

A very honest interview. Surprisingly honest. I think we can all agree concessions are just ridiculous at ballparks, even though we sort of accept it and deal with it. Beer prices here in Omaha at a AAA Stormchasers are around $7. Personally, I think slightly lower pricing, anywhere, would balance out with more purchases vs simply charging more. But to me, the biggest point is a better product on the field. I think we all know that. It also seems valid that when a team performs well and is in the hunt, it's the next season where attendance really bumps. Almost a delayed reaction and anticipation you may be missing out on something.

Seems Watson, who I felt disappointed in last season, is off to a good start. I know he is young and needs work and time, but I'm starting to really like Balazovic.

Not going to bang on Pineda. Some days your starter just doesn't have it. We've actually beat up a couple high profile pitchers this early season. It happens. Key is what happens his next start. This offense can be dangerous, and they've had very good games, but it feels like they are out of Sync a bit. The pen is tightrope walking. And I don't knkw if that's going to change anytime soon, unfortunately. May and Mejia settling down and just pitching to their capabilities would go a long way to making me feel better. We have blemishes, we have areas to improve on. Is it just me being an optimist, but I kinda like this team and just feel a little more consistency could go a long way. I absolutely feel we were the better team this whole series. Feels like we coulda/shoulda/woulda swept the whole thing...but we didn't. Sucks. Do the Jays have our number? It happens. There is always tomorrow. But it just feels like we really lost an opportunity this series.

Agreed! I still believe in May, despite a rough start. I like Mejia's arm, despite a hot/cold start to the season. I could go on and on but won't. Doesn't it just feel like we're a couple arms away from being a reaĺy good team?

This is the way it's supposed to work! It's the way the last 2 previous nights were supposed to go! Look, your lineup, your starter, your pen are all going to fail at times. It happens. But this team has the loom of being fun and interesting and being competitive. We have a winning record despite letting a few games slip away. As Jumbo stated above, it just feels like we are a couple savvy moves away from really realizing full potential.

Great write-up! And a lot of bard work involved. I liked the signing when it happened, and still like it. What I really like is his overall career numbers, when healthy. I like the way Rocco has used him thus far. Good health, I think he is a really nice 3rd SP who will get stronger as the season goes along, rebounding from his surgery.

Alcala's good start to the season has me hopeful his secondary stuff is coming along nicely.

This loss stunk, plain and simple. Very disappointing to blow a SP performance and lead like that. Too much I like to copy and paste so going to hit a few topics. 1] Mejia was, may yet be, a SP. He's used to facing batters from both sides of the plate. The LH arguement doesn't really work in this case. [Resting arms and using what is available]. 2] What I don't understand is a fresh Harper pitching well and not going out for the next inning. 3] The pen is short. Period. But Molitor would use his top arms down by 3 runs in hope of a comeback. In the great scheme that is a 162 game season, Rocco appears to be willing to take chances or give up a game here and there for the bigger picture. It stinks, but you simply can't win them all. 4] I am not sold on Perez even a bit at this point, good ST or not. But that was a NICE game he pitched! I like this rotation a whole lot better with another arm equal to Gibson or Pineda with Odorizzi or Perez as the 5th guy, but that was nice. 5] Not speaking to anyone/post in particular, but we can't "generally" praise Garver for defensive growth and helping Berrios work through a game where he didn't have his best stuff, and then blame Garver for Mejia not having his best stuff. Sometimes guys just have bad games and your team loses.

Personally, I don't think HHH is being bitter at all. I just think he's feel a bit lonely, even with his new coffee/beer drinking buddies. I have not reached retirement age yet, still many years away, assuming I, or anyone can truly "retire" in today's world, but I have witnessed enough retirees to knkw there is an adjustment period to your new life. Despite being a Minnesota native, he may simply not enjoy fishing, hunting, and the such. I think he's still in an adjustment phase of his retirement. There is nothing wrong with taking stock of your life's work and experiences and reflecting on them. Soon, he will reflect on all he did, and all he offered and experienced, and bask in incredible moments such as two WS and playoff experiences and record setting seasons, not to mention a plethora of special events. And he will bask over coffee and brews with his brethren, and recount happy days. I offer up a genuine THANK YOU, HHH, for all you did and provided. Now go out to pasture and recount your worth with honesty, and just the right amount of hyperbole, and bask. Just don't be afraid to offer a welcoming Teflon hand to your brethren when they join you and the others at the corner hangout.