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Blog Entries posted by Twins and Losses

  1. Twins and Losses

    Free Fallin'

    By Twins and Losses,


    Blog
    The Minnesota Twins gutted the 2025 iteration of the team at the trade deadline, and dumped a lot of salary for the latter end of 2025, and in the immediate seasons to come. As of 8/1/2025, the Twins have $48,892,857 dollars on their payroll for next season. That comes in the form of Byron Buxton, Pablo Lopez, and Justin Topa; who I frequently forget is on the roster. Oh, and that also includes another $10 million from the ghost of Carlos Correa. Every other player that is currently on the roster is either in an arbitration year, or is pre-arbitration eligible.
    Not only will the team look drastically different, the dreams of crawling over the $150 million season salary total is all but dead. Unless the Twins magically find a buyer that wants to spend post haste, I expect the remaining fans will see a lot of the St. Paul Saints' best players in Minneapolis very soon. Selfishly I'm hoping to see Peyton Eeles in a Twins jersey as that might be the only thing that gets me tune in for a game for the remainder of the season. Old friends Edouard Julien, Austin Martin, and Jose Miranda should be on their way back to the major league (lol) club, while new faces like Alan Roden and Taj Bradley will be put to work to patch the massive holes ownership left after yesterday's bloodbath.
    The economy is bad, the news cycle is somehow worse, and one of the last things that brought any amount of joy to Minnesotans was taken out back and shot. It's up to you to figure out how and if you want to support the Twins going forward. I'll personally be staying away from Target Field as I don't want to ruin the last good memory I have of the team, which involved Joe Ryan, Paul Skenes, a Twins win, and Nelly. Discounted jerseys will be readily available, along with premium sight lines, for the rest of 2025. Ads will pop up depicting "chill vibes" and "great ticket prices" as the Twins' marketing department is forced to work overtime coming up with any promotion to get more than one-thousand butts in the seats.
    The Twins will look drastically different in 2026, and we can only hope that the ownership does as well. Why did the Twins go from a fire sale to a tire fire in a little over three hours yesterday? We won't know for sure as the Pohlad family will force Derek Falvey or Dustin Morse out in front of the media to sheepishly explain why the team traded away future stalwarts like Jhoan Duran and Griffin Jax, along with the Twins' highest paid free agent Carlos Correa. The Pohlad family will avoid the media, and facing the proverbial music, for as long as possible. I expect the next time we see Joe Pohlad will either be to announce that family has found a buyer, or that his head was found on a spike outside of Target Field. At this point, either outcome would be fine for most Twins fans.
     
  2. Twins and Losses
    The National League team I root for is the San Diego Padres, so it hurt even more when the Cleveland Indians traded catching prospect Franciso Mejia to San Diego for All Star closer Brad Hand and reliever Adam Cimber to bolster their most glaring weakness headed into the “second half” of the season. Remember, Cleveland was the team that didn’t think Matt Belisle was fit to stay in their reliever corps. Why the Twins made a move for Belisle is beyond me, but we’re already getting off topic.
     
    Hand was the subject of many trade rumors last July, and after the season had ended. The Padres apparently waited for the right opportunity and got a very good prospect from the Indians’ minor league system. Getting a pitcher of Cimber’s caliber is just the icing on top for Cleveland, still missing Cody Allan, Josh Tomlin, and Andrew Miller from their bullpen as they deal with injuries.
     
    Dan and I were not large proponents of the Twins selling this trade deadline on the last two Supershows, mentioning Brian Dozier as the one player we’d be okay with leaving to get a chance to win on a contender. With a bolstered bullpen, and an offense slowly waking up from a first-half slumber, the Indians may make another improbable run and find themselves twenty games ahead of Minnesota and Detroit if their production stays consistent, and their players stay healthy.
     
    People were quick to point out Brad Hand as the best piece in the trade, but Adam Cimber is actually having a slightly better season than Minnesota’s own, though not by much:
     
    Cimber – 48.1 IP, 3.17 ERA, 10 BB, 51 SO, 2.32 FIP, and a 1.076 WHIP
    Hand – 44.1 IP, 3.05 ERA, 15 BB, 65 SO, 3.17 FIP, and a 1.083 WHIP
     
    Cimber also owns a .4 WAR in 2018, to Hand’s -0.1. Not much is separating these two pitchers, and their numbers are far and away better than just about anything Cleveland trotted out before the All Star Break.
     
    Twins fans should be worried about the arrival of Hand and Cimber to Cleveland, but is it a forgone conclusion that the Tribe will run away with the AL Central? Should Cleveland fans be gearing up for a ticker tape parade come October? I’m not so sure.
     
    Here’s what Cleveland did in the win/loss column for the first 95 games of their season:
     
    28-13 vs. AL Central
    24-30 vs. rest of league
     
    As much as I’ll hold out hope that the Twins make one of the most impressive runs in August and September, I will concede that it doesn’t look great for the Twin Cities Twins. However, winning the division isn’t everything. Here’s how Cleveland stacks up against their potential playoff partners:
     
    2-5 vs. NYY
    2-5 vs. SEA
    3-4 vs. HOU
    7 games remaining against BOS
     
    With 67 games remaining in their schedule, Cleveland will get DET (6 total / 3 @ home) KC (10 total / 3 @ home) MIN (10 total / 7 @ home) and CHW (9 total / 3 @ home). 35 of Cleveland’s remaining games are vs. AL Central opponents. 19 at home vs. 16 on the road. The Indians’ front office is hoping that Hand and Cimber bolster bullpen, that the rest of the team stays healthy, and that they win more on road; especially against non-AL Central opponents. The Indians would have the 3rd best record in the AL East and the 4th best in the AL West. Yikes.
    Let’s break down what Cleveland’s AL Central record looks like:
     
    KC 4-2 (H) 3-0 (A)
    DET 4-0 (H) 3-3 (A)
    MIN 2-1 (H) 2-4 (A)
    CHW 6-0 (H) 2-2 (A)
     
    That’s a record of 16-3 at home vs. 10-9 away against AL Central opponents. Clearly the Indians are better at home than on the road, and if not for the Twins taking 4 of 6 from them at Target Field, the ratio would look a lot better. It’s hard for me to sit down and look at Cleveland’s roster and point and scream that they’ll have a chance at making it out of the ALDS, let alone winning the ALCS or the World Series. They’re a good team being floated by a bad division, something Twins fans are all too familiar with.
     
    Even with Corey Kluber, Francisco Lindor, and the newly acquired Brad Hand; Cleveland will still have a tall task ahead of them once/if they make it out of the AL Central. The Indians do not have winning records against New York, Seattle, and Houston during the regular season; and I can’t see Boston losing more than they win in their upcoming 7 games. Stranger things have happened in baseball, but the path to the World Series in the AL Central will almost be impossible to navigate in 2018.
     
    - Panda Pete
     
    (Originally posted on TwinsAndLosses.com)
  3. Twins and Losses
    Putting a runner on base in extra innings, limiting the amount of trips to the mound, and different clocks have been implemented by MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred over the last few seasons in an effort to speed up the game of baseball. While we here at Twins And Losses didn’t mind the pace of play before Manfred’s time-saving chang… What’s that? The average length of a MLB game hasn't really gotten shorter? Huh, that’s odd.
     
    Actually it isn’t in my humble (and slightly ill-informed) opinion. According to SI dot com, “It took a record 3 hours, 5 minutes and 11 seconds to complete a baseball game, up from 3 hours and 42 seconds last year.” In fact, the average game length back in 2014, the season before Manfred replaced known douchecanoe Bug Selig; was around 3 hours, 8 minutes. While Manfred may have shaved a whopping 2 minutes, 49 seconds off of a baseball, the fact remains that Manfred’s crusade to shorten baseball games in the most tedious way possible isn’t really working.
     
    Today I’m going to propose a better way to tackle pace of play and the dwindling numbers of MLB fans tuning in to watch games: market the sport better. On tomorrow’s Twins And Losses Supershow, we talked about how marketing the game better could drive more fans to stadiums and purchasing cable subscriptions to watch their favorite baseball teams play.
     
    One way to improve the fan base is by marketing to each specific region, as opposed to marketing 8 to 10 superstars to an entire country. If the goal is to attract younger fans, then market Brian Dozier in the midwest, Mike Trout on the west coast, and Aaron Judge in one half of New York. Instead of filming 3 commercials feauting the top ballplayers in America; spend the time, and money to market to every single team in the United States and Canada.
     
    Younger fans aren’t going to convince their parents to stay up late on a school nice to watch Mike Trout hit a dinger, especially if the game is starting at 8 or 9PM out west. Get younger fans excited about Jose Berrios and Byron Buxton, players they can watch 162 games a season. Work out deals to put these marketable young stars in high visibility locations. Don’t just air MLB commercials on FSN; air them on Cartoon Network, Disney XD, and other channels young fans are going to watch. Parents will be resistant at first, but it’s amazing how they slowly erode over a week of their kids screaming to go to Target Field on a Saturday or Sunday afternoon.
     
    If there’s no local flavor, or a reason to watch a Twins game, what do you think is going to happen to the attendance and TV ratings? If you want to try to shorten the average game, that’s fine. But you should also be working on other ways to increase the fan base. If 162 3 hour long games is too many, then shorten the numbers of games played. If the only changes you’re willing to make are implementing a thousand new rules to shave off 3 seconds at a time, you’ll kill the spirit of baseball that the die-hard fans grew to love. How can you not love an at-bat with this much suspense and intrigue?!
     
    Baseball isn’t for everyone. There are some people who love the fast pace and big hits of football and hockey, and will never find the chess match of baseball to be exciting or worth watching for an entire season. Tobacco companies nailed marketing of their cancer causing products, and maybe MLB should follow suit; hook ’em young so they grow up wanting more, and stop worrying that a baseball game takes 3 hours to play.
     
     
    Originally posted on TwinsAndLosses.com
  4. Twins and Losses
    Athletes and sponsorships go together like peanut butter and ladies. After recovering from the ultra-successful campaigns of Tinactin and Gold Bond, Odor Eaters has finally stepped out of the shadows; and one of the newest Twins’ pitchers is the benefactor.
     
    Between the usual Sheboygan Sausage and Kwik Trip commercials this season on FSN, expect to see Jake Odorizzi’s Odor-Eeze’s. Available at Target, Wal-Mart, Rite Aid, and other stores; Jake Odorizzi’s Odor-Eeze’s will tackle the toughest foot odor. Professional athletes are no stranger to stinky, sweaty feet. From the harsh conditions of spring, summer, and fall; Jake Odorizzi’s Odor-Eeze’s will stop foul smelling tootsies before they start.
     
    “Personally, I’m happy he was able to land such a great deal!” said Logan Morrison, a teammate of Odorizzi during their tenures with Tampa Bay. “Jake’s feet didn’t really stink to begin with, at least not that I could tell. The bonus is that there’s been enough samples around the clubhouse that I’ll never have to worry about rank feet this season.”
     
    Twins second baseman Brian Dozier had this to say, “John Madden – legend. Shaq – can do it all. And now Odo will be in the Mt. Rushmore of foot powders. This will be great not just for Jake, but for all of us,” as Dozier motioned to a corner of the locker-room where Phil Hughes and Kyle Gibson were seen standing and laughing.
     
    Jake Odorizzi’s Odor-Eeze’s will be on sale starting Opening Day, March 29th, and the first 5,000 fans will receive a free sample at the Twins’ home opener April 5th against the Baltimore Orioles.
     
     
    Originally posted on TwinsAndLosses.com
  5. Twins and Losses
    I really didn’t think I needed to write this article. I really didn’t think I’d let the awful commentary on social media get to me. I figured it would die down after a few days. I was wrong. Very wrong. For having signed two notable named Asian players, Twins Territory (and what I hope is a very vocal minority[see what I did there?]) sure is up-in-arms about potentially signing two more.
     
    With the news of the Twins actively pursuing both Yu Darvish (who comes with his own set of health concerns) and Shohei Ohtani (a young Japanese phenom who can pitch and hit), there seems to be a few comments on every article or Twitter comment thread about the fears of signing another Asian ballplayer.
     
    For being one of the largest continents on the planet (even encompassing parts of Russia), Asia is made up of 48 different countries. Some of the bigger countries of note are China, Russia, India, Japan, Saudi Arabia, Iran, and South Korea. Huh. There are a lot of countries in Asia where the people who reside there sure don’t look alike. In fact, they don’t even speak the same language or share a government.
     
    But for Twins fans, it’s been an almost daily occurrence where some Rube (see: casually racist social media user) has made a comment about not taking a chance on another Asian ballplayer since Tsuyoshi Nishioka and ByungHo Park didn’t pan out in the major leagues.
     
    Injuries aside, and the fact that they “look alike” (which they don’t at all, unless you just see a tan skinned person with black hair who comes from the same continent and assume they’re from the exact same place), the Twins have the potential to sign a possible once-in-a-lifetime player in Shohei Ohtani, and a 4-time All Star in Yu Darvish. Improvements to the one part of the team Twins fans have complained about improving for almost a decade: pitching.
     
    I jumped ahead though. Let’s go back to Nishioka and Park. Nishioka is a Japanese baseball player who plays in the Nippon Professional Baseball Organization, based in Japan. Byung-Ho Park is a Korean baseball player who plays in the Korean Baseball Organization, based in Korea. While those two countries are relatively close to each other, they are not the same.
     
    Neither are the Caucasian, Latino, and African ballplayers that have come through the Twins’ organization over the years, in much larger quantities too. Some Twins fans are now basing their choice to not pursue Ohtani specifically, based on the fact Nishioka and Park didn’t work out. Seems like an incredibly small sample size to base your opinion on, and it also comes off as racist. I don’t see these same people crying wolf that the Twins shouldn’t have chased after Royce Lewis, Hunter Greene, or Brendan McKay based on the fact that former Caucasian and African-American players didn’t pan out. If it didn’t matter then, why should it matter where Ohtani comes from?
     
    The Twins have an opportunity to sign a superstar ballplayer to join an already impressive young core of talent from the across the planet. Take a look at the Twins’ 25-man roster this season and see what countries all of the players that helped contribute to a postseason berth for the first time since 2010 call home. After you’ve done that, find it in yourself to consciously stop using the “Nishioka and Park” argument against signing Ohtani. If you’re incapable of doing so because you can’t figure out how to say you don’t trust an unproven player with no MiLB or MLB experience (there, I figured it out for you!), then maybe you should keep your awful opinions to yourself.
     
    And no, we don’t all look alike.
     
    – Panda Pete (South Korean)
  6. Twins and Losses
    The Twins lost a tough game against the Red Sox 9-2. Hector Santiago only lasted through 2 innings due to a rain delay, Eddie Escobar hit a long bomb off former Twin Fernando Abad, and Eddie Rosario went 3-4 at the dish. There’s “The Cycle” for today. Let’s get into more pressing issues: pitching.
     
    Before the season started, Dan and I both said that the key to the Twins winning more often than losing was by getting quality starts from their starting rotation. In the month of April and parts of May, it looked like the Twins were getting that, and then some. Now at the end of June, the other shoe has fallen and a rotation that was outperforming their career stat lines has come crashing back to Earth, if not a little worse. This doesn’t include a potent hitting attack that’s been spotty and quiet for stretches in 2017.
     
    Through 16 games started this season, Ervin Santana has 11 quality starts (QS). Jose Berrios is second with 6 QS in 9 games (#nice). After that, things get very ugly. Hector Santiago has 5 QS is 13 starts, Phil Hughes is 3 of 9, Kyle Gibson is 2 of 13, and Adalberto Mejia is 2 of 9. No other Twin to start a game this season has posted a quality start. That equates to 29 quality starts in 75 games played for a +/- of -49 games without a quality start.
     
    The most notable effect of this is how bad the bullpen’s gotten in the wake of being used earlier and more often. Once a top 3 bullpen through the first month of the season, they now rank 29th out of 30th in MLB, worse than where they were in 2016 (23rd). Thus far in 2017, the Twins’ bullpen has won them 8 games and lost them 9.
     
    In the offseason between 2015 and 2016, fans were clamoring for the front office to sign bullpen help. To the chagrin of many, help did not arrive, and the bullpen was exposed very early for what it was, below average. The same storylines arose during the offseason after 2016 and the Twins signed a couple of veterans on low risk, low reward contracts – Matt Belisle and former Twin Craig Breslow.
     
    I’ll let you check out the stats of those two players, along with every other Twin to pitch on the major league roster this season. However, the bullpen is not where I would look to improve the team. When used properly, the Twins’ bullpen actually performed well. Some of that may have been small sample sizes with a relatively inexperienced core (Rogers, Duffey, Boshers, etc), but they were getting some decent results through April.
     
    As soon as the Twins’ starters fell off, the bullpen was heading out to the mound to try and salvage a rough outing from the likes of Mejia, Gibson, Hughes, and whatever soul they pulled from waivers, or the Rochester Red Wings. Thus far, Nick Tepesch, Nik Turley, and Adam Wilk have not added any value or stability to back Ervin (who’s definitely returned to form) and Jose Berrios (who’s pitched very well in 2017). The injuries to Hector Santiago and Phil Hughes; along with Glen Perkins’ injury last season; and Trevor May (#EYEbros) and Ryan O’Rourke before the season even started depleted much of the depth that the Twins could have had within the organization.
     
    I’m not going to debate if the Twins have a true ace on the staff, but I am going to advocate keeping Ervin Santana (even if his trade stock isn’t terribly high, to begin with). With a myriad of questions surrounding Kyle Gibson’s effectiveness as a starter, Phil Hughes’ health, and the growth of Adalberto Mejia as a starter; the Twins only have two options that I would pencil in for the start of 2018: Ervin Santana and Jose Berrios (barring a midseason meltdown). Hector Santiago is an unrestricted free agent after this season, Gibson is arbitration eligible in 2018, Phil Hughes and Ervin Santana are signed through 2019, and the Twins have team control of Mejia and Berrios through 2019.
     
    We’re finally getting some news on Glen Perkins and his rehab, and he still has ways to go before he’ll even factor into the Twins’ major league plans in 2017, and possibly 2018. We know that Trevor May was in line to win the fifth starting spot this season, but Tommy John surgery can be unpredictable in regards to what a pitcher looks like after they’ve healed. The same issue plagues Ryan O’Rourke who looked to be a solid middle reliever in this year’s bullpen. Spring training will be the first time May and O’Rourke will truly be tested in their rehab, and that’s banking on neither of them having any setbacks before the trip down to Fort Myers. We haven’t even talked about the command issues Ryan Pressly has dealt with, or what happened to Michael Tonkin from 2016-2017, and we’re not going to today.
     
    Before you tear into the relievers for blowing a game (unless it’s the truly awful 2017 version of Matt Belisle), look at the issues that have preceded the call to the bullpen; the starters. I’m not saying the bullpen couldn’t use another solid arm or two because they could. The biggest issue is that 29 quality starts out of 75 games will wear on the best bullpens in the game, and the Twins don’t have that safety net.
     
    - Panda Pete
     
    Originally posted on Twins And Losses.
     
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  7. Twins and Losses
    By all accounts, this has been a lost season for the Twins.
     
    Glen Perkins: done for the season.
     
    Phil Hughes: done for the season.
     
    Kevin Jepsen: cleared waivers on the day that Chi Wen Hu, the pitching prospect sent to Tampa Bay to acquire Jepsen, pitched a perfect 1-2-3 inning in the Futures Game with only five pitches including a fastball that touched 97 MPH…
     
    …you know, just to name a few.
     
    While a recent stretch of power hitting and “good enough” pitching has propelled the Twins to a positive start to the month of July, they still find themselves sitting a mere thirteen games out of fourth place in the AL Central at the All Star Break. The front office has been scrambling to come up with an attraction to bring fans back to the stadium once regular season baseball resumes next week in case the bats come back cold.
    They may have a solution: Twinkiemon.
     
    Riding the coattails of the newest cultural phenomenon Pokemon GO, the Twins have taken Niantic’s groundbreaking idea and thrown it into a mixing bowl with a splash of Twins Way and a dash of Total System Failure. The result is a revolutionary new way to interact with Target Field that the Twins are calling ‘Twinkiemon GO.’
     
    Instead of walking around in public trying to capture fictional creatures in hopes of training them for battle, the user of the much-anticipated app will instead wander aimlessly around Target Field attempting to catch Rays of Hope. Examples of these rays include Kepler’s Potential, Buxton’s Defense, Retro Mauer, Axe Bat Suzuki and Something Called Robbie Grossman.
     
    There are also a few special holographic Rays, more rare than the others and indeed harder to catch as they have been seldom to come by lately. Park Bang headlines this cast of crafty rays followed by Quality Start Milone, Healthy Plouffe, Career Average Nolasco and Major League Berrios.
     
    When you collect enough of these Rays of Hope, you able to craft them together in a mini game to create a Silver Lining. That lining is then used to affectively shut down your phone so you are free to enjoy the reason you came to the ballpark in the first place which is buying a helmet full of nachos, a beverage of your choice and watching a game of baseball.
     
    “We’re trying to get more youths to the ballpark any way we can,” said Terry Ryan when asked about the app. “With certain players calling baseball ‘tired’, we were looking for ways to spice things up a bit here at Target Field.”
     
    Twinkiemon GO is expected to hit the iOS and Android markets after the All Star Break, and the Twins hope to attract more patrons by offering a one time only opportunity to capture the limited edition All Star Nunez.
     
    Find us at twinsandlosses.com or on Twitter at @twinsandlosses
  8. Twins and Losses
    Red Squadron was the legendary flight of X-Wing pilots who fought in the Battle of Yavin. Red Squadron featured the likes of Wedge Antilles, Luke Skywalker, and Jek Porkins. While two of those three went on to have exceptional careers with the Rebellion, mostly because the rest of them were blown up, one memorable member crashed and burned on the surface of the Death Star.
     
    "I've got a problem here." - Jek
    "Eject." – Biggs Darklighter (#RIP)
    "I can hold it." - Jek
    "Pull up!" - Biggs
    "No, I'm all—Aargh!" – Jek (#RIP)
     
    I can only visualize the Twins’ season as Jek Porkins’ futility in trying to get his X-Wing from becoming a pock mark on the Death Star. While Red Squadron eventually *SPOILER ALERT* blew up the Death Star, it doesn’t seem like the Twins will be on the winning side in a while. Overconfidence in the offseason has led to another season of abominable Twins baseball.
     
    As someone who doesn’t have TV service or easy access to Target Field, I’ve been living vicariously through radio broadcasts, highlights, and recaps this season. I don’t live far enough away to use MLB TV properly, and I’m not going through the nightmare of changing my IP address again. Not that I would do such a thing, because that’s illegal…
     
    I also don’t have much of a desire to go to the games this year either. Even my father, another Twins baseball diehard, wants to go to CHS Field and see the Saints for his belated Father’s Day gift. I guess that happens when your team is in #TotalSystemFailure.
     
    Things are bleak across Twins Territory. Outside of a decent series against another awful team (the Phillies), the Twins have looked just as bad. That adds to the four previous seasons of failure. Relying on the younger players hasn’t played out nearly as well as anyone would’ve hoped. Buxton, Kepler, Rosario, Duffey, May, Meyer, Berrios, and Sano have all struggled at the major league level this year. Granted, a few of them are still “young,” but the others are not. That’s a troubling sign.
     
    John Ryan Murphy has not figured it out, even at Triple-A Rochester. Oswaldo Arcia has been designated for assignment. The Twins have called almost everyone up that is even remotely ready for a shot at the majors. Not good news considering the putrid seasons the veterans have been putting in. The starting rotation is a complete clusterf*ck, the bullpen might have better chances using a pitching machine, and the guys who hit the ball, aren’t.
     
    When you have to look at Eduardo Nunez and Kurt Suzuki as two of the better players this year, you know things are not looking up. That’s not a knock on what either of these two players has done this year. Nunez was supposed to have this potential when he was with the Yankees, and it never materialized. The question remains if Eduardo will be able to keep this trend up for the season. Suzuki’s use of the “axe bat” has shown promise to turn around the offensively deficient catcher, which is good news for everyone. While Kurt isn’t getting any younger, the question raised is: Will the Twins extend, trade, or let Suzuki walk during/after the season? As of now, it doesn’t look like there are better options to challenge the Flyin’ Hawaiian.
     
    Hot starts from Joe Mauer and Byung-Ho Park have since cooled off. Joe will find playing time because he’s a threat to get on base, even if he isn’t hitting well. My brother however, is seeing a little less playing time as the struggles of being a major league hitter have caught up to him. Park still leads the Twins with 12 home runs, and his only competition has been the streaky, and injured, Miguel Sano. Hell, even Mauer has seven home runs on the season, putting him fifth on the team this season in out of the park power.
     
    The injuries to Plouffe, Gibson, and Perkins right out of the gate didn’t help this team. The returns of Gibson and Plouffe haven’t helped much either. Sano has been a liability defensively, and hasn’t shown the hitting prowess that makes up for his defensive inadequacies. There are more relievers with two wins, than starters (and I don’t like wins as a stat), but I think it illustrates the ineffectiveness of the starting pitchers. The Twins have used twenty-three pitchers this season. Twenty. Three. That definitely says something about their lack of urgency to upgrade pitching.
     
    The Twins are not making the playoffs this year unless A) All of the other teams in the AL Central literally die or 2) They can play the Phillies the remainder of the season. Never forget the lesson we learned from Jek Porkins’ overconfidence. It would be wise to start looking towards 2017 and beyond, before overconfidence in this team turns into a full blown rebuild.
  9. Twins and Losses
    Spring Training 2016 has been an interesting one thus far.
     
    While there is baseball being played on the field, it is after all, spring training baseball. Minor leaguers and non-roster invitees desperately try to cut out roster spots by showing their worth, veterans look to get themselves right for the upcoming season; and the media jumps all over the flavor of the week, and runs their coverage into the ground.
     
    Early in Spring Training the story was Yoenis Cespedes and his newly acquired fleet of automobiles, which ranged from several hundred horsepower to quite literally one horsepower... well, two horsepower and a Norse god if you count his riding partner Noah Syndergaard.
     
    After that we had last years MVP Bryce Harper come out with his opinion that baseball is “tired” and that bat flips aren’t a big deal (they’re not) which spurred Goose Gossage to colorfully spew his opinions about how he thinks the game of baseball should be played to anyone that would listen or put a microphone in front of his face.
    Then there was, and to some degree still is, “LaRoche Gate,” which saw veteran Adam LaRoche hang up his cleats in regards to a disagreement with the White Sox front office over the presence of his son Drake in the clubhouse more than some of the heads of the organization were comfortable with.
     
    The Hot Take Flavor of the Week this week is brought to you by one of my favorite people in all of baseball, Joe Maddon.
     
    Sidenote: I would have loved to see the Twins sign Maddon as the new skipper when the Gardy Era finally succumbed to it's slow-motion, dumpster-fire-off-a-tall-cliff ending. He was actually the only person I wanted more than Molitor. Don’t get me wrong, I love Molly and watching him turn the club around last season, despite not having any previous managerial experience, was a sight to behold, but it's an intriguing "what if" to consider.
     
    According to FTW! MLB writer Ted Berg, Maddon held a meeting last Sunday with what he calls his “lead bulls,” a group of eleven established veterans, to go over the team’s policies for the upcoming season. Afterwards, Maddon had a few quotes for the media that I absolutely loved, specifically regarding the Cubs dress code.
    “If you think you look hot, wear it” Maddon said. “The previous generation really frowns on upon non-collared shirts, which I’ve never understood. They’ve always been in favor of the collared shirt, and that's been more acceptable than the non-collared shirt.” He went on to say, “The $5,000 suit on the airplane makes no sense to me what so ever. I don’t know who you’re trying to impress.”
     
    In a game that seems to be gun-shy when it comes to “new school” ideas like Sabermetrics, bat flips, or even off the diamond attire, it’s nice to see that some managers don’t take themselves too seriously. Earlier this spring, Maddon showed up in a 70's van blasting Earth, Wind and Fire for crying out loud.
     
    http://i1169.photobucket.com/albums/r502/ectofoto/Screenshot_2016-03-22-00-06-21-1_zpsjwunobng.jpg
    This is the face of a man who just doesn't care.
     
    Baseball has always been a sport of unwritten rules, but it's also still a game meant to be played for fun and we shouldn’t hold player back from being who they really are. If Jose Bautista wants to bat flip after crushing the most important home run in Toronto since Joe Carter in ’93, I’m OK with that. If Jose Fernandez wants to pump his fist after a big strikeout and stare Bryce Harper back to the dugout, that’s fine by me. If Carlos Gomez wants to leave a pile of bubblegum in the outfield every once in a while, I'll laugh just like the next guy out there who sees it. I have no problem with players celebrating their accomplishments as long as they’re not being insufferable.
     
    With the influx of foreign players into the MLB, culture clashes are bound to happen. Bat flips are huge in Korea. Wearing your emotions on your sleeve is common in Dominican leagues. This isn’t the baseball of old, this is a new era of baseball where star players want to give us a show. Let's grab a hot dog, some helmet nachos, a beer and just see what happens.
  10. Twins and Losses
    Bat flips. Comparable to sack dances, banging into the boards after a sick goal, and holding your shooting pose after a 3 in the NFL, NHL, and NBA respectively. Why do many American baseball fans hate a good bat flip?
     
    I’m not talking about the weak bat flips (tosses) you see on your TVs from time to time. I’m talking about a true show with flourish. The Korean Baseball Organization loves a good bat flip. Maybe it’s my heritage that has me looking for epic bat flips from time to time. Maybe my love of the WWE has me looking for theatrics in all sports. Maybe I secretly wish I could hit a home-run in beer league softball to flip my damn bat just one G.D. time!
     
    Seems many MLB’ers feel the same way as the American audience. A good bat flip will most likely be rewarded by a 90+ MPH fastball in your back your next time around the line-up.
     
    Is it because baseball players and fans in America want to see their favorite sports stay “pure?” Is it because the home run itself is more appealing than the bat flip itself? Is the showmanship and spectacle of a bat flip taking away from a monster moon shot? Are pitchers not confident enough in themselves that a power banana rocks the little confidence they have? Is a bat flip just a giant middle finger to the opposing team?
     
    I’m not entirely sure why the bat flip is such a taboo thing to do. I’ve always enjoyed a good end zone celebration after a touchdown. Jared Allen sack dances were always fun to watch. Not so sure about dances after tackles for a 5+ yard gain. You’re just doing your job, and not doing it well. You don’t need to dance. NHL goal celebrations are always a treat. Hell, the fans even throw their hats on the ice after a hat trick.
     
    I took a quick poll on Twitter (A.K.A. doing no research myself, and asking my friends how they feel) and the responses I got were mostly in favor, or indifferent of bat flips.
     
    @alex_kienholz said, “They are good as heck and we need more tbh.” @jordankdwb replied with, “Bat flips are badass! When Torii does his dope bat flip you know it’s outta the park.” @88mugsy88 answered, “I do not dislike them. I do not find it disrespectful.” @deathbywater simply stated, “They’re fun.”
     
    @ex_twins_news was more neutral with their response, “subtle ones, there’s a fine line.” When asked if the KBO bat flips were too much, they sent me a link to this David Ortiz GIF as clarification as to what’s over the line (http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-wDiVTjg_gY8/U9ZLyzfnffI/AAAAAAAArFU/dGyFSfwxaGY/s1600/david-ortiz-bat-flip.gif). Though Ex_Twins_News did link me to a Pedro Florimon bat flip that they liked a bit more (http://cjzero.com/gifs/FlorimonHRBatFlipAnaheim.gif). And ultimately, Ex_Twins_News is a fan of the bat toss, not flip (of which there is a difference).
     
    Wolves Twitter even chimed in, as @averagejer said, “I might not qualify as a baseball fan but: no- it seems like a new thing to get excited about in a classic game. It’s weird.” Jer did clarify his original tweet with this, “I should clarify. I don’t dislike them or like them.”
     
    I think AverageJer and Ex_Twins_News represent a good portion of the majority of fans, though I find myself more in line with the first group: I’m pro-bat flip. If I lose credibility over my stance, then I’m not sure I want to be part of this group anyways…
     
    The bat flip will most likely be a topic of contention in this year’s owners meetings (no it won’t, that’s sarcasm), and I’m excited to see how this development will unfold in the future. If you belt a solid homer over the fence and the mood strikes you, flip that bat like you’ve never flipped it before. Just know that in the current baseball culture, the next fastball you see will be aimed at you, and not the strike zone.
     
    Where do you stand on the fervor surrounding bat flips? Are you for them, or do you think the only thing that should be flipped are houses and pancakes?
     
    – Panda Pete
    TwinsAndLosses.com
    @PandaPete21 / @TwinsAndLosses
  11. Twins and Losses
    The Twins got off to a very rough start for the 2015-16 season going 1-6 in the first week which is about the worst possible start for a new manager in Paul Molitor. They didn’t even manage a run until their third game, but the second week of the season has been quite the turnaround.
     
    One thing that has surprised me about the Twins is the play of Phil Hughes. He hasn’t been performing to what I expected of him. It’s also worrisome to see Brian Duensing hit the DL so early in the year.
     
    The Twins bounced back and won the series against the Royals and Indians. They’ve been a smooth 4-1 over their last 5 games. Plouffe had a walk-off winner in the opener of the series against the Indians. Then to finish out the series, Trevor May tossed one of the best games of his career. Heybeef went 6 IP, gave up one earned run, and had zero walks. Also Torii Hunter hit a three run bomb for his first home run of the year and first as a Twin in 8 years.
     
    If the Hometown 9 can continue their streaky hitting and good pitching they could maybe put together a couple winning streaks and get into second place. We all know that Detroit has the best chance of winning the division, going 10-2 to begin the year. Miggy and Cespedes have been some of the most dominant hitters in the game. Cespedes had 2 HR, Including a grand slam in the 9-1 win against the White-Sux last Sunday.
     
    They’ve been powering The Motor City Kitties to the best record in the league. The Twins sit in last in the AL Central. The Royals series hasn’t gone well for the Twins at Kaufmann. Maybe it’s the moldy hot dogs the team’s been eating in the visiting locker room. Let’s hope for another nice stretch of baseball and see what May brings us. Pun intended.
     
    ** Ryan Schaal is a guest writer for Twins And Losses. You can follow him on Twitter: @ryan7997
  12. Twins and Losses
    “WILL THEY DO IT? WILL THEY GIVE IN TO THE TEMPTATION OF THE BUTTON? THE BEAUTIFUL, SHINY BUTTON! THE JOLLY, CANDY-LIKE BUTTON!”
     
    The temptation is real folks. Three games into the season and some of Twins territory already have their grubby little fingers massaging the red, circular form of the Panic Button.
     
    Sure, this season may be starting out on the same dismal path of the last three seasons. Sure, the Twins have scored just one, measly run of offense that wasn’t even charged to the pitcher. Sure, they’ve produced fewer hits (14) than we’ve allowed runs (22). Sure, we’ve only had one pitcher make it past the fourth inning. Sure, our shiny new $54 million toy is suspended half the season. Sure, our $49 million acquisition from last year has crapped his pants in almost every start he’s had since joining Minnesota and one start into the season already has elbow discomfort. Sure, our hometown nine is on pace to be outscored 1188-54 for the season. But people, people, for the love of whatever holy deity you pray to, get your finger off that panic button. It’s three games into the season for crying out loud.
     
    Yes, some of the moves early in the season have been absolutely mystifying (looking at you in the rotation, Pelfrey), and yes, we have a plethora of talent (May, Meyer, Rosario, etc.) that have done all they can do in the minors or spring training and for all intents and purposes should be in majors taking their licks honing their game in Kasota gold, but patience is a virtue.
     
    Yes, the outfield is a complete mess right now. Eduardo Escobar was playing left field in the final game of the Detroit series. Jordan Schafer looks almost as lost in center field as Aaron Hicks. Torii Hunter still has flashes of brilliance but is going to be 40 before I’m stuffing three orders of cheese curds into my face at the State Fair in September. Byron Buxton may be the Chosen One, but set back after freak injury last year has pushed his timetable back a bit. For perspective, he played fewer games in the minors last year than Torii has celebrated birthdays.
    The infield seems to be a little more settled. Mauer seems more comfortable in his new home that resides ninety feet from his old home. Dozier signed a four year extension that will keep #2 at the two bag for the foreseeable future. Danny Santana is finally getting an extended look at his native position with results still in question, but the outlook is optimistic. Plouffe has been relatively solid at third but who knows how long it will be until Sano is up in the majors mashing taters and stealing bases. Stealing a base. Ok, maybe that was a one-time deal, but when you have the no. 12 prospect in all of baseball nipping at your heels, stepping up is the only option for Trevor.
     
    Am I as frustrated as everyone else at the miserable start to the season? You’re damn right. Am I worried about the rotation having an ERA higher than Wiz Khalifa? You’re damn right. Do I want to see the young guns up in Minneapolis to see if they can really sink or swim? You’re damn right. But am I ready to mash the panic button and deem this a lost season when we’ve only played three games on the road against a Tiger team who won the AL Central last year? Not a chance, and neither should you.
  13. Twins and Losses
    (Good morning everyone! Panda here with a post from my friend Ryan. You can find him on Twitter dot com [@ryan7997]. Let him know what you think. He's an aspiring broadcaster/sports writer type. I mean, who doesn't want to be like Bonnes and I?!)
     
    The Twins are fast approaching their 2015 season. They have a lot of work to do if they want to be atop the A.L Central. With an ERA of 4.57 and giving up on average 10 hits a game, the Twins pitching staff really has to work on pitching.
     
    There was a couple bright spots on the pitching staff and the first one was Phil Hughes. He never really had success in the Bronx due to the fact that he was a flyball pitcher and Yankee Stadium is not a pitcher's ballpark. Being a flyball pitcher at target field fits him perfectly and he showed why in 2014. While producing 16 wins during the season he led the pitching staff in that category. He gave up only .5 walks a game and had 5.8 Strikeouts per game. Over the offseason he signed a three year 42 million dollar contract extension through 2019.
    The other surprise was Kyle Gibson in the early part of last season. Posting a 13-12 record, he was dominant in the early going having an 8-7 record with a respectable 3.92 ERA before the All-Star Break. He fell off the map after the All-Star break going 5-5 with a putrid 5.17 ERA.
     
    Ricky Nolasco had a horrible 2014 campaign going 6-12 with an awful 5.38 ERA. We signed him to a 4 year deal but if he doesn’t have a bounce back 2015 season we could see him gone within the next year or so.The Twins added 2008 All Star Ervin Santana to the mix as well. He is a nice addition to a struggling pitching staff. He looks to bring his experience to a staff that lacks playoff experience. With the Braves he posted a 14-10 record while having a 3.95 ERA.
     
    With the Twins being in the top half of the league in runs, BA, OBP, and slugging %, they're poised for another great season. Brian Dozier is coming off of a spectacular year with 23 HR and 21 SB. If he doesn't up the home run and RBI totals from last year, I'll be surprised. I also think that the Twins might call up Miguel Sano for the 2015 season. The powerful slugging 3rd baseman out of the Dominican Republic has tons of power and has quite the arm at the hot corner. Byron Buxton might be a midseason call up. He is a 5 tool player and the number 1 prospect on MLB.com. Joe Mauer is coming off a rough 2014 campaign. He missed 42 games and hit a poor (for his standards) .277 with only four home runs. I think he will have a bounce back year and hit above .300.
     
    The Twins haven't made the playoffs since the opening of Target Field in 2010, and that's almost tragic. I'm pegging them to surprise everyone this year and go 88-74 and get in the Wild Card spot for the 2015 Playoffs. #WorldSeriesHomeboy
  14. Twins and Losses
    "Why in the name of all things Holy did they send Miguel Sano to Chattanooga - AA?? Not only did Sano show his power, but he even stole a base! Sano did everything you could ask of him this spring, and he was rewarded by spending another season toiling in the minor leagues.
     
    What's the point of getting top prospects if you're not going to use them?! It's obvious that Terry Ryan has no idea what he's doing, and Paul Molitor is just another pawn in Ryan's game of saving the Pohlad's money. I thought things were going to change in 2015: New manager, new pitching, and a new spring training facility.
     
    Clearly I was wrong. The Old Boy's Club is alive and well in Twins Territory. Joe Mauer is going to fail to earn his contract for another season. Phil Hughes will pitch like Scott Baker because he has that huge contract. What does he have to work for anymore?! Mike Pelfrey will be the Twins 5th starter since the Twins wouldn't put him in the bullpen or AAA due to his contract.
     
    We're going to lose, and we're going to lose in a historically bad way. Kasota Gold is stupid. Changing 'Twins Territory' is stupid. Taking out the pine trees in centerfield was stupid. Everything the Twins do is stupid. The Twins suck, and I won't watch another game until they win the Series in 2037!"
     
    **Obligatory "THIS IS A SATIRICAL POST" reminder**
  15. Twins and Losses
    Like the Rebels preparing for the Imperial invasion on Hoth, it’s time to dust off this hunk of junk. She may not look like much, but she’s got it where it counts. Was that enough Star Wars references in one sentence? Probably not. I’ll see what else I can do for you.
     
    We took a bit of a break during the offseason. It wasn’t our plan, we just don’t follow the minor/fall/winter leagues like a lot of others. Instead of struggling to compete with the more knowledgeable writers, and re-hash the same story another time, we decided to sit back and enjoy the information like everyone else.
     
    With that being said, the Minnesota Twins have been busy this off-season. They fired long time manager Ron Gardenhire, and his pitching coach Rick Anderson left the team on his own. Paul Molitor was named the new-look Twins manager, the Twins unveiled new uniforms (All Kasota gold err’thang!), and the Twins added a few players to the major league and minor league rosters.
     
    Paul Molitor was announced as the new manager for the Twins, after beating out another former Twin (Doug Mientkiewicz), and Torey Lovullo. Molitor will get new jerseys, some new players, and lean on the wealth of talent in the minor leagues to make the Twins relevant once again. Dougie Baseball will get a promotion from the Fort Myers Miracle, to the new AA team; the Chattanooga Lookouts. He’ll get even more time to coach the rising stars, like Byron Buxton, Miguel Sano, and J.O. Berrios. The Twins major and minor league teams look to be in good hands, which is always reassuring as a fan.
     
    Torii Hunter returned to the Twins after spending time with the Angels and Tigers. Hunter, who’s now 38 years young, will hope to mentor the younger players, and be the clubhouse leader Joe Mauer hasn’t been (according to most rubes who’ve never actually been in the clubhouse). He’ll bring his career .279 BA in a move to help an already productive Twins line-up. While his defense may be suspect, one should look back and remember some of the other outfielders the Twins have had the last few years… Actually, don’t. It’s bad. I’m looking at you, Delmon Young.
     
    The Twins also signed one of their long-standing free agent targets, the pitcher formerly known as “Johan” Ervin Santana. The 32 year old will try to do something for the Twins that the first Johan hasn’t in quite some time; pitch a whole season for an MLB club. Santana has a career ERA of 4.17, along with an average of 215 IP. With so many younger players looking to crack the roster this year, the Twins signed Santana to a 4 year deal, worth $55 million. Ricky Nolasco and Mike Pelfrey were not what the Twins bargained for, and this move was made to bolster a sub-par starting rotation. With Tommy Milone, Kyle Gibson, Trevor May, and Alex Meyer in the mix, the Twins have a log jam at SP for the first time in awhile. My hope is that the Twins will put the talent on the 25-man roster, and worry about the money secondly.
     
    TwinsFest was this weekend, with a myriad of former, current, and future Twins set to attend. It was the first sight of baseball after a long, cold, winter filled with speculation, angst, and a sliver of hope. Most of us (who are old enough) have had enough beer, whiskey, and whatever else makes us forget about the past season. And if you haven’t, the TwinsDaily Winter Meltdown was be another great opportunity to purge your memory of 2011-2014.
     
    Hopefully you all had fun at TwinsFest, and the Winter Meltdown! May the OPS+ be with us all!
     
    www.twinsandlosses.com
    @TwinsAndLosses
  16. Twins and Losses

    Save The "M!"

    By Twins and Losses,

    http://www.twinsandlosses.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/30c5ebfa57730257176efea5450657cd.jpg 
    Originally posted on www.twinsandlosses.com
    @TwinsAndLosses
     
    No, this isn’t a post about the recently demolished Metrodome (R.I.P. and screw you, Zygi), this is a post about something near and dear to my heart: The Twins’ “M” logo.



    I’m a huge fan of the “M” logo the Twins have used since 1987. It seems that every year past 2010, the Twins have made small steps in moving closer and closer to the far inferior “TC” logo as the go to logo on their ball caps. Well the Twins officially “retired” the “M” logo before the start of the 2014 season, and I don’t need to tell you how that has negatively affected the season.
     
    From ESPN.com (article linked below): “The Twins have had two navy alternate jerseys in recent years — one for home, one for the road — but now they’re scrapping the home version, along with their alternate “M” cap.”
    I understand the point in removing some of their extra jerseys. I feel that most teams have way too many to begin with (I’m looking at you, Oregon Ducks…). Three jerseys should be the max, along with a retro uniform if the mood strikes you.
     
    I don’t get why the team would also scrap their second logo that took them to two World Series championships, 6 more division titles, 2 MVPs, a three-time batting champion, a two-time Cy Young winner, 2 ROTYs (One if we’re giving Knoblauch the Chris Benoit treatment [too soon?]), and a MOTY award.
     
    Call the Pohlads, e-mail Dave St. Peter, and bring signage to the games and let the Twins know we mean business. The Twins had some of their best years with the “M” cap, and it’s easy to see why. What letter is “M” flipped upside down? W. And what does “W” stand for in sports? Winning. You might think to yourself, “Smartass, what does the ‘TC’ stand for then?” Well the easy answer is “Twin Cities,” but anyone who’s watched the Twins from 2011-present knows it’s stands for something entirely different.
     
    “Totally Clueless.”
  17. Twins and Losses

    New Hopes

    By Twins and Losses,

    "Joe Mauer. Now that's a name I've not heard in a long time..."
     
    Joe Mauer might be the crazy, old wizard of Minnesota Twins lore at some point, but the former MVP has shown that he still has some magic left. The Minnesota Twins beat the Houston Astros 4-2 last night. Mauer returned to the line-up after missing six weeks, and went 2-4 with a walk and an RBI. Not a bad return for the 3 time Batting Champion. After the game he stated that he, "...expects his oblique soreness to continue for the rest of the season (Berardino, Pioneer Press)." I think it's safe to say that most Twins fans at this point expect his leg and back issue to continue for the rest of his career.
     
    Tommy Milone, the pitcher acquired for Sam Fuld, made his Twins debut, and went six strong innings. He gave up 8 hits, and 2 earned runs, off of 2 solo home runs. Milone struck out 5, and issued 3 walks. Milone was yanked after 97 pitches, typical for most Twins pitchers who flirt around the magical '100' number. It wasn't a shocker to see Jose Altuve hit a homer, but it was Chris Carter who really surprised me. As a former wide receiver for the Vikings, it's pretty disheartening to see him playing for the Astr...no? Wrong guy? Sorry.
     
    Danny Santana had a great night. He was 3-5 at the plate with a run. Kennys Vargas is going through some growing pains, and had a rather forgettable night. He was 1-5 with 2 strikeouts. Jordan Schafer was 0-3 with a walk, run, and strikeout. Brian Duenslinger picked up the win after Milone drew a no decision, and Glen Perkins got his 29th save of the season. Not bad for a team that only has 53 wins on the season.
     
    Josh Willingham was traded to the Kansas City Royals for RHP Jason Adam. Adam is 23 years young, and owns a career 4.67 ERA in 27 starts between Double-A and Triple-A. He's pitched 100 strikeouts to 34 walks, which is a nice line for the youngster. The Royals hope to add a veteran "bat" to their line-up. *stifled laughter*
     
    The Twins are on a two game winning streak, and chasing the White Sox for 4th place in the AL Central. If the Twins can find some sort of a spark by calling up their minor leaguers, and adding some fresh faces to the team, I still don't expect them to finish any higher than 3rd, and that's quite the stretch.
     
    In Twins And Losses news, we have some announcements coming up within the month. Stay tuned for that, and thank you for the support! We appreciate everyone who's taken the time to read our posts, and left a comment, or engaged in conversation with us.
  18. Twins and Losses
    (Originally posted on www.twinsandlosses.com)
    The Twins know when to Fuld them. They know when to walk away, know when to run.
    The Twins made moves after they convinced themselves that they were much better off than they actually were. Colabello was red hot to start the season. Gibson was putting up impressive stats for his first month. And Joe Mauer was non-existent. Well Bello cooled off, Gibson isn't the fireballer we thought, and Mauer is still M.I.A.
    That's not to say the Twins don't have some good pieces in the mix. Perkins has become a fine closer, with a few bouts where he does his best Eddie Guardado impression. Brian Dozier was almost an All Star. An average June, that's continued into July hasn't done much to prove the doubters wrong. Dozier is still one of the better players on the 25 man roster, and it's not even close.
    Aaron Hicks and Josmil Pinto have been sent to the minors, and haven't been seen or heard from since June. Sam Fuld closed the door on the Aaron Hicks experiment for the time being, and Kurt Suzuki's red hot season has allowed the Twins to let Pinto develop at AAA. Pinto has battled injuries, and his stats have been anything but impressive. Eric Fryer is hardly a threat in the line-up, but Gardy and Co. are more content to roll with Zuke and Fry Guy for this season.
    Speaking of Gardy, he might be fired this season. His entire staff might go too. And hopefully Terry Ryan is out the door shortly after they've been escorted from the premises. If there's a failure at the major, minor, and managerial levels (4 seasons of 90+ losses would be one example), then the general manager is equally to blame. Bill Smith got his grubby little fingers into the cookie jar and left crumbs for TR during his short tenure as GM. Ryan has done a good job stocking the minors, but some of his major league moves have been questionable at best. I think the fan base is pointing a lot of blame at the manager and pitching coach, and not enough at the GM.
    One downfall of writing an article all day is that things happen. Things like Sam Fuld being traded to the Oakland Athletics (who also landed Lester and Gomes for Cespedes) for Tommy Milone. Milone was pretty much bumped from the A's rotation with the addition of Jason Hammel, and Jeff Shamallamadingdong (Samardzija). A lefty with a career 3.84 ERA (automatically the lowest on the Twins starting staff FYI), Milone has been sent to AAA. Maybe for a test and tune, but it'd be a shame to keep Milone in the minors for the remainder of the season. It's not like the Twins have done that with any other minor league pitcher this seas...
    Kendrys Morales, another low cost waiver signing, turned into Stephen Pryor. Between Scott Boras, and personal greed, Morales ended up back in Seattle, playing for a lot less money, on a team that ended up having a good shot at the post-season. Pryor owns a career 2.81 ERA in 34 games pitched. He's been out since 2013, dealing with multiple surgeries. He's the kind of player the Twins can develop into a middle/long reliever, and possibly a set up man. His velocity is down from the high 90's to the low 90's. Hopefully that will come up a few MPH after he's healthy.
    The Twins also signed undrafted rookie Brandon Poulson earlier this week. The kid's touched 99 and 100 on the radar. He's improved his control since just last fall. Did I mention he ran a 6.60 60 yard dash in his socks? Oh, he's also 6'4". He's been sent to Elizabethton to play rookie ball, and get acclimated with the pros but should see time in Fort Myers in the not-too-distant future. Poulson's legend may grow to Paul Bunyan-esque levels if he continues to improve and impress with each stop on his way to the majors.
    Kennys Vargas is set to make his major league roster debut, days after Terry Ryan said he'd probably have to make a stop at AAA - Rochester before getting called up. Vargas is a great prospect possessing both power and speed. He'll hopefully be one of the many rookies who help turn this franchise around sooner rather than later. I hope he doesn't struggle like Aaron Hicks did when he jumped from AA - New Britain to the majors. Time will tell, and I personally think Vargas is a better ball player than Hicks could ever hope to be.
    The tradeline looms like a dark cloud over Twins Territory. Maybe the Twins will get lucky and someone will take Ricky Nolasco off our hands for free. Maybe we could even package JJ Barea in and free up some cap space for the Wolves too. Hell, why not try to find an All Star goalie for the Wild. I'm sure the LA Kings would take Mike Pelfrey for Johnathan Quick. amitire??
  22. Twins and Losses
    (originally posted on www.twinsandlosses.com)
    Awhile ago there was a debate surrounding two prominent names near and dear to every heart that beats within Twins Territory that was trying to work out which is/was the better player. A comparison of skill not only with the bat and glove but also the passion in which they play(ed) and their leadership qualities. I’m talking about Mark Rosen’s son vs. The Cannonball. Kid Sideburns vs. Pucky Smiles. Mauer vs. Puckett.
    But I ask you fellow fans, are we asking the right questions? Should we be comparing two of our most beloved players when doing so is like asking which Twins logo you prefer, the “M” of the “TC”? You like them both, just for different reasons. As Abraham Lincoln once said, “A house divided against itself cannot stand” and I must say I agree.
    Instead of comparing two folklore heroes let us instead parallel two southern boys, albeit one from a little more south than the other. Not only are they well known to Twins fans but also both are still active players giving this evaluation an additional dimension the Joe/Kirby discussion had lacked. I propose this showdown to you: an up-and-comer squaring off against a well-established slugger. The Curly Fro vs. The Golden Flow. The Igniter vs. Big Papi. Dozier vs. Ortiz.

    The Competitors:


    [TABLE=width: 640]


    Name:[TD=width: 148]Brian Dozier[/TD]
    [TD=width: 148]David Ortiz[/TD]


    [TD=width: 148]Age:[/TD]
    [TD=width: 148]27[/TD]
    [TD=width: 148]38[/TD]


    [TD=width: 148]Hometown:[/TD]
    [TD=width: 148]Tupelo, MS[/TD]
    [TD=width: 148]Santo Domingo, DR[/TD]


    [TD=width: 148]Height:[/TD]
    [TD=width: 148]5’ 11”[/TD]
    [TD=width: 148]6’ 4”[/TD]


    [TD=width: 148]Weight:[/TD]
    [TD=width: 148]190 lbs. (86 kg)[/TD]
    [TD=width: 148]250 lbs. (113 kg)[/TD]


    [TD=width: 148]Position:[/TD]
    [TD=width: 148]Second Base[/TD]
    [TD=width: 148]Designated Hitter[/TD]


    [TD=width: 148]Experience:[/TD]
    [TD=width: 148]2 years[/TD]
    [TD=width: 148]17 years[/TD]


    [TD=width: 148]Debut:[/TD]
    [TD=width: 148]5/7/2012[/TD]
    [TD=width: 148]9/2/1997[/TD]

    [/TABLE]


    Offense*
     


    This is where I initially got the idea for this expose that you are perusing. It all started out innocently enough as a short story about how I think Brian Dozier has a shot at an All-Star nod this year, yet the deeper I dove into the numbers the more times I saw the names “Dozier” and “Ortiz” in close proximity to one another. Two pages of notes later I decided to split the numbers into three “rounds” complete with pretty spreadsheets. Before we begin, if you’d like to get more into the mood, I suggest cueing up
    for an enhanced experience.

    Round One: “Primary Stats”


    [TABLE=width: 640]


    [/TD][TD=width: 44]AB
    [TD=width: 44]R[/TD]
    [TD=width: 44]H[/TD]
    [TD=width: 44]2B[/TD]
    [TD=width: 44]3B[/TD]
    [TD=width: 44]HR[/TD]
    [TD=width: 44]RBI[/TD]
    [TD=width: 44]BB[/TD]
    [TD=width: 44]SO[/TD]


    [TD=width: 44]Dozier[/TD]
    [TD=width: 44]167[/TD]
    [TD=width: 44]40[/TD]
    [TD=width: 44]43[/TD]
    [TD=width: 44]4[/TD]
    [TD=width: 44]0[/TD]
    [TD=width: 44]11[/TD]
    [TD=width: 44]25[/TD]
    [TD=width: 44]30[/TD]
    [TD=width: 44]38[/TD]


    [TD=width: 44]Ortiz[/TD]
    [TD=width: 44]154[/TD]
    [TD=width: 44]22[/TD]
    [TD=width: 44]46[/TD]
    [TD=width: 44]8[/TD]
    [TD=width: 44]0[/TD]
    [TD=width: 44]11[/TD]
    [TD=width: 44]25[/TD]
    [TD=width: 44]24[/TD]
    [TD=width: 44]29[/TD]

    [/TABLE]
    See what I mean? By examining only these eight stats one might think that our two fighters ballplayers are nearly identical at the plate, and the numbers point in that direction.
    Dozier (AB, R, BB, SB) and Ortiz (H, 2B, SO) notch three points but they also split three categories (triples, home runs, runs batted in) to tie the first round at five. Some stats are expected such as Dozier’s lead in runs (tops in the MLB) and Ortiz’s lead in hits (although surprisingly close) but others are rather impressive. For example, Dozier has more walks even though he hasn’t been intentionally walked at all this season while Ortiz has been given nine free passes (none via the Twins). Another is the tie in HR and RBI since Dozier blushes at the notion of being thought of as a power hitter while Ortiz is known for nothing but. At the end of the first round it’s all tied up.


    Round Two: “Secondary Stats”


    [TABLE=width: 640]


    [/TD][TD=width: 63]SB
    [TD=width: 63]BA[/TD]
    [TD=width: 63]OBP[/TD]
    [TD=width: 63]SLG[/TD]
    [TD=width: 63]OBP[/TD]
    [TD=width: 63]WAR[/TD]


    [TD=width: 63]Dozier[/TD]
    [TD=width: 63]12[/TD]
    [TD=width: 63].257[/TD]
    [TD=width: 63].374[/TD]
    [TD=width: 63].479[/TD]
    [TD=width: 63].853[/TD]
    [TD=width: 63]1.8[/TD]


    [TD=width: 63]Ortiz[/TD]
    [TD=width: 63]0[/TD]
    [TD=width: 63].299[/TD]
    [TD=width: 63].394[/TD]
    [TD=width: 63].565[/TD]
    [TD=width: 63].959[/TD]
    [TD=width: 63]1.5[/TD]

    [/TABLE]
    As you might have expected this is where Ortiz starts to make some noise for himself on the spreadsheet. Already an established (and feared) batter he takes four out of six in this round even though I slipped stolen bases in there to make a case for Dozier (he’s tied with Ben Revere for 6th in the league) however unfair that may be for Ortiz. While BD only gets two points for the round, it should be noted that his OBP is only twenty points behind Papi while batting more than forty points worse. In fact, the numbers Dozier has put up in OBP, SLG and OBP are good for the second best in the MLB for second basemen behind only Chase Utley and his 1.8 WAR ties him for 15th in the entire MLB with Carlos Gomez and places him twenty spots ahead of Papi in that grouping. Regardless, at the end of the second round now Ortiz leads the overall point total 9-7.


    Round Three: “Expanded/SABR Stats”


    [TABLE=width: 640]


    [/TD][TD=width: 49]P/PA
    [TD=width: 49]XBH[/TD]
    [TD=width: 49]SF[/TD]
    [TD=width: 49]RC[/TD]
    [TD=width: 49]SecA[/TD]
    [TD=width: 49]AB/HR[/TD]
    [TD=width: 49]BB/PA[/TD]
    [TD=width: 49]BB/K[/TD]


    [TD=width: 49]Dozier[/TD]
    [TD=width: 49]4.18[/TD]
    [TD=width: 49]15[/TD]
    [TD=width: 49]3[/TD]
    [TD=width: 49]32.9[/TD]
    [TD=width: 49].455[/TD]
    [TD=width: 49]15.2[/TD]
    [TD=width: 49]14.8%[/TD]
    [TD=width: 49]0.79[/TD]


    [TD=width: 49]Ortiz[/TD]
    [TD=width: 49]3.92[/TD]
    [TD=width: 49]19[/TD]
    [TD=width: 49]0[/TD]
    [TD=width: 49]33.8[/TD]
    [TD=width: 49].422[/TD]
    [TD=width: 49]14.0[/TD]
    [TD=width: 49]13.3%[/TD]
    [TD=width: 49]0.83[/TD]

    [/TABLE]
    Once again we see a dead heat between the two. Dozier appears to be slightly more patient at the plate posting better figures in P/PA and BB/K while Ortiz continue to flex his muscle both figuratively and literally by notching more XBH, RC and fewer at bats between home runs. Dozier’s impressive SecA is not only higher than Ortiz’s but every other player in the MLB aside from the human videogame that is Troy Tulowitzki (.586), Jose Bautista (.494), and Giancarlo Stanton (.465). Pretty good company if you ask me. The end of the third round still has David Ortiz in the lead by a score of 13-11.


    Defense
     


    I am aware that this part of the comparison may not be very fair to David Ortiz since he doesn’t exactly play in the field much these days but defense is an important part of the game and Dozier’s incredible play this season needs to recognized. Here’s a shot of his numbers so far:

    Round Four [Part One]: Brian Dozier


    [TABLE=width: 640]


    GP[TD=width: 44]FULL[/TD]
    [TD=width: 44]TC[/TD]
    [TD=width: 44]PO[/TD]
    [TD=width: 44]A[/TD]
    [TD=width: 44]E[/TD]
    [TD=width: 44]DP[/TD]
    [TD=width: 44]FPCT[/TD]
    [TD=width: 44]RF[/TD]
    [TD=width: 44]DWAR[/TD]


    [TD=width: 44]42[/TD]
    [TD=width: 44]381[/TD]
    [TD=width: 44]209[/TD]
    [TD=width: 44]77[/TD]
    [TD=width: 44]129[/TD]
    [TD=width: 44]3[/TD]
    [TD=width: 44]26[/TD]
    [TD=width: 44].986[/TD]
    [TD=width: 44]4.86[/TD]
    [TD=width: 44]0.0[/TD]

    [/TABLE]
    To shed some light to the assessment of the above stats, consider this: he is second in the MLB in games played, assists, total chances and third in full innings played; in the AL he is third in both range factor and double plays turned. Heck, he’s had multiple web gem moments at the quarter-point of the season and was even featured in an ESPN Sports Science segment. He credits his composure on the field amidst all the action that comes his way to Tom Kelly for teaching him to “keep calm” out there. For a small contrast between Dozier and Ortiz on the field, Brian’s 1.6 DWAR this season is better than any that Ortiz has ever posted by more than a run and a half. Always the humble kid from Mississippi, he never fails to credit his teammates with his success while sporting an infectious smile. Need a refresher of this defensive prowess? I got one right
    .
    Round Four [Part Two]: David Ortiz


    Never known for flashing this leather, Ortiz wasn’t a bad first basement just… not exciting nor has he ever posted a positive DWAR. Nor was he really ever at first base. In his previous sixteen seasons Ortiz started 250 games at 1B whereas Dozier has started 183 in three seasons. Like I said, not exactly a fair fight. I even tried to look up “David Ortiz defensive highlights” and got nothing except a clip of him from game three of the 2013 World Series.
    Total Points: Brian Dozier – 3, David Ortiz – 0 (DNQ)

    Round Five: “Passion/Leadership”


    We’ve all heard Ortiz’s rousing speech to the city of Boston proclaiming it as “their f-king city” and know that his veteran presence in the dugout has helped bring the Red Sox together time and time again through player-only clubhouse meetings and (my own theory) the fact that no one would want to make a man of that size and stature angry which makes his leadership qualities undeniable. Papi has always been know as a player who wears his heart on his sleeve and has no problem doing what needs to be done in order to notch a “W” up on the board thanks to a seemingly inextinguishable fire to win raging inside his rotund midsection.
    While his hot start this season has been one for the ages in Twins Territory, Dozier just isn’t as well established in the clubhouse to garner as much respect although I doubt if he called a meeting he would be the only one in attendance. If you’ve seen him play you know he has no problem laying everything on the line to make a play at second base that has you wondering “How did he do that?” followed by “Thank [insert preferred religious figure here] he’s on our team.” I’m sure with time Dozier will have no issue becoming an elder statesman in the future within Twins locker room but that comes with experience and tenure with the club. I’m not saying he’ll be a Puckett or Hunter, although he seems to show the same amount of passion for the game, but if his skills continue to flourish at the rate they are right now we could have a leader similar to the one we thought we’d get with Joe Mauer.
    Total Points: Brian Dozier – 1, David Ortiz – 2
    Final Scorecard: Brian Dozier – 15, David Ortiz – 15

    Conclusion:


    As it sits, the Twins are getting this kind of production out of a younger player for $540,000 while the Red Sox pay $15 million for slightly better hitting and no defense. We’re only at the quarter point of the season so we’ve yet to see if any of the aforementioned numbers are sustainable but given the information you have just read (unless you skipped to the bottom to see who won in which case welcome back): Who would you rather have?
    *All stats current as of 5/19/14
  24. Twins and Losses
    (Originally posted on twinsandlosses.com)
     
    Haikus written for each of the Twins Opening Day 2014 starters
     
     
    This was our lineup,
    An ode to Opening Day,
    Looks different now.
     
     
    C – Kurt Suzuki
    We all know his age,
    Yet still showing he has it.
    Mauer wants his knees.
     
     
    1B – Joe Mauer
    Moved to first this year,
    He found that sweet swing again!
    Uh oh, back spasms.
     
     
    2B – Brain Dozier
    Should be an All Star,
    Have you seen this dude’s Web Gems?
    Please bring back the hair.
     
     
    3B – Trevor Plouffe
    He knows how to hit.
    He has made the adjustments.
    Now, consistency.
     
     
    SS – Pedro Florimon

    He can’t swing a bat,
    Is the glove really worth it?
    Here comes Santana.
     
     
    LF – Josh Willingham
    Been out since April,
    Was hitting two ninety four,
    Now can’t hit a tee.
     
     
    CF – Aaron Hicks
    Fly ball against wall,
    Now on seven day DL.
    Needs more Triple A.
     
     
    RF – Oswaldo Arcia
    Hurt after four games,
    Wrist still sore in rehab stint.
    Thank God he’s still young.
     
     
    DH – Jason Kubel
    Hey we know this guy,
    Welcome back to Loserville.
    Better than Cleveland?
     
     
    SP – Ricky Nolasco
    Big free agent splash,
    Forty-nine million bucks.
    Bring back Garza please.
  25. Twins and Losses
    http://www.twinsandlosses.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/sb2cn.jpg
     
    (Originally posted on twinsandlosses.com)
     
    #IfTheTwinsWereWWE (CC: Phil Mackey, Dana Wessel), Joe Mauer would be "The Heartbreak Kid" Shawn Michaels. Joe has had more back and knee problems than Kurt Angle, Hulk Hogan, and The Undertaker combined. **
     
     
    Alas, this post is not about Joe, nor is it an article where I tear my shirt ala Hulk Hogan when I finish writing. No, this post is to compare the 2013 Twins versus the 2014 Twins. We'll look at team stats to see: A) If the Twins are on pace to avoid 100 losses, In a better place than 2013, and C) Slowly turning the franchise for the better.
     
     
    Through May 1st, the Twins were 12-14 in 2014. They were last at .500 on 4/30. The Twins are 4-4-1 in series wins, losses, and spilts. The 2013 Twins were 12-12 through May 1st, and last at .500 on 5/13/2013. The Twins were 4-3-2 in wins, losses, and splits. Let that sink in for a moment. The 2013 Twins were NEVER at or above .500 after May 13th.
    The Twins pitching staff currently holds a 4.78 ERA. They've given up 147 runs, 141 of them earned. They've thrown 170 strikeouts, to 102 walks. The 2014 pitching staff is on pace for 821 strikeouts, and 570 walks. That's, uh...that's not so good. Especially when you put R. Nolasco ($12 mil) and P. Hughes ($8 mil) into the mix.
     
     
    Meanwhile, the 2013 Twins had a team ERA of 4.55, 985 SOs, and 458 BBs. They did all of that with guys like P.J. Walters and "Shining" Scotty Diamond (#FreeScottDiamond). Vance Worley never pitched in the majors for the Twins past May, and we were saddled with many innings of "Pelf" and "Corre-dog." ***
     
     
    Let's take a look at hitting, seeing as I'm a glutton for punishment. 2014 has a .248 BA, to .343 OBP. In comparison, the 2014 Red Sox are .244, and .337. The Twins have 268 SOs, to 141 BBs. The Likes of Dozier, Plouffe, Colabello have helped the Twins to 250 Hs, 149 Rs, and 135 RBIs. That would put the 2014 Twins on pace for:
     

    1497 strikeouts.
    788 walks.
    1397 hits.
    832 runs
    754 runs-batted-in.

    Here's the 2013 Twins in comparison:
     

    1430 strikeouts.
    533 walks.
    1346 hits.
    614 runs.
    590 runs-batted-in.

    ...the Twins are currently on pace to score more runs (+218), RBIs (+164), hits (+51), and BBs (+255). And the Twins got big name free agents, such as Jason Kubel, Jason Bartlett, and Kurt Suzuki. Not exactly Murderer's Row, but the Twins have always found ways to win with many Not-Ready-For-Primetime Players. Josmil Pinto, Bull-Dozier, Chris Colabello, and Trevor Plouffe have been the heart and soul of this team 29 games into the season.
     
     
    When you look at the stats, the players, and their record, it's hard to say that the Twins are over-achieving. Dozier and Plouffe have seemed to figure out how to play at the major league level, while guys like Mauer, Nolasco, and Hughes will (hopefully) get better as the season goes along. The Twins spent money on pitching, and somehow ended up with better hitting out of the deal. That makes sense.
     
     
    I predict the 2014 Twins will stay around .500 rest of the way. My quick math has the Twins at 75-87 should they continue to play at the same pace. The Twins are finding pieces that fit the style Ron Gardenhire manages best, and doing so while keeping the payroll well below the $120 million spent in 2010. Time well tell if the Twins will regain their AL Central dominance, but they look to be headed in the right direction.
     
     
    -PL
     
     
    ** Slight exaggeration. Those three combined have had more injuries than Vikings have had quarterbacks.
     
     
    *** I don't know what Gardy has dubbed Correia. Kevy? Corry? Reia-y?
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