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BigTrane

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Everything posted by BigTrane

  1. BigTrane
    Is this Devil's Night? When do we play Detroit?
  2. BigTrane
    Go figure.
  3. BigTrane
    "Florimon shows bunt"
  4. BigTrane
    You have to ask?
  5. BigTrane
    China calling... online! Point #1 is good, the comparison with TK.. not so sure. TK retired with a losing record. If you factor in what fans have been saying/give Gardy a decent roster for the last 2-3 seasons, and his record would likely look much better- and it's already better for WP than TK's. Point #3: Colabello is on fire... so far, the happy surprise has been seeing good offensive production. Kinda crazy question, but wtf- what if the Twins actually hit and produce runs this year? Just curious...
  6. BigTrane
    Gardy is only the 2nd Twins/Senators manager to reach this mark. Walter Johnson, Sam Mele, Bucky Harris, and *gulp* even Clark Griffith pale in comparison. Love him or loathe him, Gardy deserves credit for what he's done for the club, and I hope all are happy for the man. While there are good arguments that it's time for a change (and agree with some), I still clearly remember the late-era TK years, as well as the Quicilici, Mauch, Goryl, Gardner, and Miller years. That's my context. Props!
  7. BigTrane
    At least a 50/50 shot at this point, imo... bringing in Molly speaks volumes. Still, give the guy his due. He's in the record books, esp. W/L for Twins managers. Big Train got 350, Bucky Harris got 429, and Sam Mele 522. There is only one other mgr. w/1K+ wins- TK. This is not a small thing- especially in the present era .
  8. BigTrane
    Also nice to see my man Dozier set the tone with that pop. Great game for him, and Collobello is on fire. Pinto does good, Kube does good, and Mauer seems to be finding his stroke. Too early to say, of course, but- there is some offense in this team. Liking that big time.
  9. BigTrane
    Nice that Gardy got 1K vs. Indians after the er, indescribable end of the season last year. Listening to the radio feed, and the 1-club, 1K achievement is special... don't think we'll see much more of that in the future. A moment to savor.
  10. BigTrane
    Congrats, Gardy!
  11. BigTrane
    Are you the betting type?
  12. BigTrane
    "Dozer"... sounds like Sleepy in Snow White.
  13. BigTrane
    'Cause they'd rather be calling a Cards game.
  14. BigTrane
    You called that one!
  15. BigTrane
    Anybody get the feeling the FS1 guys would rather be calling a Cards game?
  16. BigTrane
    Ruled a wild pitch... nice little gift there.
  17. BigTrane
    Unless, of course, it's The Ghost In The Invisible Bikini, in which case, the ghost is visible, and the bikini is not. Sadly, what's under the bikini is also not visible. So there's your choice.
  18. BigTrane
    Best wishes to Sweet Music, we're pulling for ya.
  19. BigTrane
    Great thread! Best I can offer is a possible opportunity/emerging area. I'm in China right now, and obviously Taiwan, South Korea, and Japan are all baseball hotbeds. Baseball was making inroads in the mainland, then the bottom fell out. When baseball was dropped as an Olympic sport following the Beijing Olympics, government funding dried up overnight, and the China Baseball League closed shop 4 seasons after. Following the Australia opener this season, I saw a story that MLB is considering opening the season in Taiwan next. I see this as a far-sighted move (if it pans out). Consider: baseball is huge in Taiwan and a good number of players have made the jump to MLB. With the end of the CBL in the Mainland (and Olympic status)- but considering the popularity of baseball in Taiwan... and also the desire on both sides to bridge the cultural and social gaps between them- then baseball would seem to be an ideal 'bridge'. Imagine Taiwanese players and coaches injecting life into the game here... Consider, then, the population of China... if only a small percentage adopt the game, you're still talking about millions. If even a fraction of that develop into MLB-level talent, it's a huge win. Hopefully MLB is truly serious about expanding the game worldwide. Australia was a big pain to many, but from my vantage point it looked like a wise gamble and a healthy investment in the future. Let's see the game go global!
  20. BigTrane
    As an expat teacher, I only get back to MN in the summer. This was a trip I wanted to make last year, but went to the North Shore instead. This year, I'll be making this trip- so thanks for all the useful suggestions and information. Thorough coverage of the Twins' farm system is one of the main reasons I keep on coming back, and makes TD superior to other teams' fan sites, imho. Unparalleled coverage.
  21. BigTrane
    I'm in China, so I'm struggling with an equally frustrating, though distinctly different situation... I have spent nearly 3 hours trying to watch game #3 on MLB.tv, and am still only 36 minutes in. So my heart goes out to all the Iowa fans (what is the situation in Wisconsin?- assume Dakotas are ok). I also have family in LA, and they have no Dodgers games- though that's because of the club, more than the cable company. (Might also toss in: A's can't move because of Giants' territorial rights.) No matter what, the current situation is clearly unfair, and results in punishing the most willing (to spend!), supportive fans. So short-sighted.
  22. BigTrane
    Hey, why not? I'll put my name on this one... 51 views and no posts... After the AJ debacle, I was on board early w/Suzuki, basically as a guy who could help Pinto make the transition. Nobody believed in his bat, and even I had some skepticism. Still, the guy doesn't strike out like your average '13 Twins hitter... For the record, I never saw the Suzuki vs. Pinto debate as an either-or. We'll see more Suzuki early, less later- a transition is in place. Meantime, he's looking good with the bat so doubters think: without his production, what would or OF stats look like at this point? More power to ya, Kurt!
  23. BigTrane
    Where's the Suzuki spray chart? Seems like he's accounted for 90+% of the Twins OF so far. That's at least as *interesting* as the CB Bucknor balk call.
  24. BigTrane
    Seems like the ventilation is taking effect... good! Deep breath, everyone! A week or two ago, where would you have put the Braves, Rangers, and A's? I thought so... and now? 162 is a hell of a slog, and anything can- and does- happen. Even before you get out of the gates. What goes on in between- numbers be damned- is a crapshoot. Anybody want to project DL time for specific players? 2012-2013 BoSox repeated Twins worst-to-first WS title. It can happen, it just did! Likely? Not so much, but still... To make the playoffs, things need to break right. Dodgers 42-9 run? Where's that, in the math, especially after their crap start? Random really means random, and that includes bizarre happenings. Think about streaks. They happen all the time, but explain them with math. On balance, Twins pitching looked very good in ST, while the hitting and running games (my pet peeve) sucked. I miss the Carew/Oliva mayhem-on-the-basepaths style of play... seems like Gardy is stuck in that era, but doesn't have the players to pull it off. My cause for optimism this season is Dozier, Hicks, Arcia, and Pinto. Anything else is gravy. For those down on Gardy, the reason for hope might be seeing Molly take the helm at the end of the season. Even odds. Baseball: the Great Leveler.
  25. BigTrane
    Ever since the Mauer decision, people around here have been debating... and worrying about Gardy's tendencies. I supported signing AJ (our clubhouse needs a jolt) but he was signed and then it was a choice between basically Arrencebia ans Suzuki. I voted Suzuki, and given the options, I stand with that. You're right that getting a well-liked, well-respected trusted vet behind the dish brings no guarantees. Point taken. We could talk about pitch framing (which, at present is still pretty intangible), pitch-blocking, etc. You link this to "efforts to improve the offense", and that's where I lose you.. where in baseball would one find an offensive replacement for Mauer? Isn't the link to have Suzuki groom Pinto? Don't we want to see him pan out instead of pull a Hicks?
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