Twins and Losses

Dan and Panda are back with a bunch of baseball talk. Pretty sweet for December, yeah? We talk about the vacant managerial position at AAA, the Twins' hiring of Masa Abe, whether the Twins have a shot at Darvish or Ohtani (we know the answer to one at least), why some Twins fans suck, and whether or not we should let steroid users into the Hall of Fame. Check out this episode and all previous episodes on Spreaker, iTunes, Google Play, Stitcher, and Pocket Casts! Don't forget to like share, and leave a comment! https://www.spreaker.com/show/twins-and-losses-supershow

Thanks, Doc!

Thank you, dbminn!

Remind me to buy you a beer at the Winter Meltdown or Pub Crawl, Tom. - Panda

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)

The Twins might be done for 2017, but the Supershow will never die! With Stubbs out of town, the boys invade New Thompson South. Dantez and Panda break down the 2017 post-season, reminisce about Glen Perkins’ major league career, machinate on what might happen with the 2018 Twins, and what games they’d love to see on a N64 Classic! You can find this show and all previous shows on Spreaker, iTunes, Google Play, Stitcher, and Pocket Casts. Don’t forget to leave a like, comment, and share this with your friends and family! https://www.spreaker.com/user/the4dpodcastnetwork/twins-and-losses-supershow-episode-47-we

With broad smiles, infectious laughter, and more good baseball than bad, the 2017 Minnesota Twins actually looked like they were having fun more days than not. Gone were the memories of forgettable seasons, forgettable players, and milquetoast post-game interviews. The 2017 Twins showed personality, and a markedly improved product on the field. For their troubles, they got a small taste of the post-season to end their 2017 season. The crazy thing to think about is that only Joe Mauer and Glen Perkins were the only remaining players to have made it to the post-season as a member of the Twins. I tend to think of guys like Brian Dozier, the former Trevor Plouffe, and even Kyle Gibson as being guys who were able to experience a crushing defeat by the Yankees back in 2010, but that wasn’t the case. They all got a chance to experience that in 2017 instead! After an incredibly top of the first inning which saw the Twins leading 3-0, the Yankees stormed back and defeated the Twins in the Wild Card game to end a season, that by most accounts, exceeded expectations. Even Dan and I were off by eight to ten games for our pre-season predictions, and we’re usually the two who are spewing all sorts of rose-colored optimism. But if you were to ask members of the Twins organization if they exceeded expectations, I bet you’d find that they all knew they were capable of a season like this. If the 2016 season was getting dumped on prom night after your date told you they was in love with your best friend, 2017 was finding a great fling for the summer before you left for college. Fleeting, fun, but ultimately unsatisfying. The Twins showed some signs of life from various players throughout the year, and it was when their prized power-hitter went down with a leg injury, that the team started to fire on all cylinders. Byron Buxton finally broke out offensively, to match his almost in-human defense. Eddie Rosario showed his power wasn’t a fluke, and that he was also capable of providing a strong defense alongside Buxton. Jorge Polanco came back from almost getting demoted to showing that he’s a capable shortstop and an above-average hitter. Jose Berrios seemed to keep his command issues at bay and showcased his penchant for strikeouts at the major league level. Meanwhile Kyle Gibson, a veteran pitcher known for not being consistent, figured out how to be consistent and played a massive part in keeping the Twins’ playoff hopes alive. Ervin Santana, Brian Dozier, and Joe Mauer all had wonderful seasons, and the bullpen surprised us with names like Trevor Hildenberger and Taylor Rogers. But that was 2017, and the Twins will have plenty of work to do this offseason. The Twins will need to figure out what they’re going to do with their starting pitching. Hector Santiago is a free agent, along with Bartolo Colon, and neither would seem to factor into the Twins’ rotation for 2018. Meanwhile injuries to Phil Hughes, short and sometimes inconsistent outings from Adalberto Mejia, and the health of Trevor May (who this author is one-hundred percent pulling for) would all be in-house candidates to try and shore up the starting rotation. Kyle Gibson is arbitration eligible, and would make a strong case to received a raise after his amazing second-half of the season. The Twins also need a pitching coach for the major league team, so I imagine that will be something Derek Falvey and Thad Levine work to rectify sooner rather than later. James Rowson worked his magic with the Twins’ hitters this season, getting guys like Byron Buxton and Joe Mauer to levels some didn’t think were possible. For a young and unproven Buxton, Rowson was able to take Buxton’s sub-.100 batting average up above .250 for the season. More than that, Buxton showed consistency at the plate, something we hadn’t seen from him with the big league team. Meanwhile the often maligned Joseph Patrick Mauer returned to form, hitting .305, an OBP of .384, and an OPS of .801. All in all, not bad for a guy accused of being soft and trying to make his way back from a concussion that threatened his playing career. Now we get to the wild card of the Twins; Miguel Sano. I will fully admit that I’m not sold on him defensively or offensively (a fact I’ve made known on the podcast all season). There are facets of his game that I’m not a fan of (massive strikeout numbers, temporary lapses in defense), and his overall durability. Can he be an offensive juggernaut? Sure. Will his defense improve? Yes, so long as he puts the work in. Am I alarmed by his continued struggle with his weight? No. Is there reason to believe he can also improve in that area? Without a doubt. When I hear comparisons of Pablo Sandoval and Billy Butler, it does not inspire confidence in me that Sano is currently on the right track. What Sano does have going for himself is that he’s young, has a great group of talent around him, and teammates and coaches that want him to succeed. As of this writing, another power hitter with a penchant for strikeouts is currently 5 of 34 in the post-season. Two of those five hits have been for monster home runs, but you’d like to see him on base more often, and have less than the 21 strikeouts he’s currently accrued. Just saying. The Twins will have a lot to do and talk about from now until February. They’ll have new faces challenging for roster spots. Familiar faces will return from injured reserve with a lot of fire in their bellies to prove they belong once again. Most of all they’ll have a Hall of Fame manager returning to the dugout with a team of players that finally got a taste of the post-season. A team with another off-season of growth and maturity. A team with a foundation that could be the start of another World Series winning franchise. Don’t quit on the Twins yet, because they’re just getting started.

Dan and Panda recorded a bonus Supershow after the Twins clinched their post-season berth! Check out their thoughts on the Twins and their potential competition on the long and winding road to another World Series title! http://www.spreaker.com/user/the4dpodcastnetwork/twins-and-losses-supershow-bonus-edition

Yes the title is a wrestling joke. Yes I hate Apple IS 1984. Yes the Twins are on the cusp of a trip to the post-season for the first time since 2010. Regardless, a few weeks ago we had Sean Thornton (Bleeding Royal Blue) on the podcast to fill in while Dan was out of town. Sean and I have never met as he lives in Kansas and I’m in Minnesota (Shout out to Barry for introducing us online!). One of the topics Sean brought up was the Royals’ winning the World Series, and all of the bandwagon fans that started to fill Kauffman Stadium after their World Series appearance, and subsequent win the following season. As a Minnesotan, one of our favorite past times is ripping the Chicago Blackhawk’s fan base for being a bunch of bandwagon fans. It also doesn’t help that they can claim multiple Stanley Cup trophies to Minnesota’s collective zero. The Wild’s slogan of “The State of Hockey” isn’t just because we have another NHL franchise in the state (Norm Green STILL sucks), but because most of us have played hockey at some point in our life. Outdoor rinks pop up every winter in neighborhood parks, and possibly a neighbor’s backyard. Whether you own a pair of hockey skates, figure skates, or even shoes and boots; you can always find a sheet of ice to play on. The same can’t be said for baseball, where the Twins got their start in 1961. It’s not that baseball was new to Minnesota when the former Senators arrived, it’s that baseball isn’t a sport you can easily play throughout the year when 5-7 months are below freezing and the fields have been turned into ice rinks. I can remember playing baseball and softball in cooler weather and having pain shoot up my arms as the aluminum bat connected with the colder than usual ball. That’s not ideal, nor does it feel too good. Luckily winter doesn’t last the entire year and we get around 5 months of warm weather to play baseball. For guys like Dan and I, the start of spring training is our groundhog seeing it’s shadow. Spring is officially on the way, and so is baseball. For as beautiful as Target Field is, there have been some terrible home owners where snow boots and winter coats have trumped wearing a jersey and jeans. But that’s okay because God invented alcohol to keep us warm!… Wait, that’s not true. I’m an Eagle Scout, so allow me to tell you all about “false heat…” Alright, I’ll spare that topic for a different day. What I’m trying to say is Dan and I love baseball. Baseball isn’t just something we talk about when we’re bored. Baseball is something we talk about all year round. We are the guys that will sift through the Twins’ Reddit page for any morsel of news. Some days I’ll send Dan a text at 4:30 in the morning when I see something noteworthy I’ve scrolled past on Twitter. Other times Dan will text me after 8PM (bedtime for a morning show radio host) to let me know about a Brian Dozier in-the-park home run off a bunt. For as taxing as running and producing your own podcast can be, we still enjoy doing it throughout the year because it allows us to talk about baseball, and enjoy it together. We’ve talked about being a gatekeeper on previous podcasts. How it’s uncool to prevent someone from liking what you enjoy just because they haven’t been into it, or know as much as you. I’m not saying that all bandwagon fans will be honest about it. Trust me, you all know one of your friends or family members “that’s totally loved the Twins since *enter their birth-date here*,” even though they’ve never been to the Metrodome or Target Field, and hates Joe Mauer because “this guy at the bar said he got hurt once.” Those kinds of “fans” will always exist (stares longingly at the cities of Chicago and New England and Dallas and New York and Los Angeles and their fans spread throughout the country), but that doesn’t mean all bandwagon fans are like that. You can help a bandwagon fan become a casual Twins fan (this potential post-season run would be a great starting point), and you can turn your casual fans into a hardcore fan. If the Twins win the World Series this year, I know who it’s going to mean more to, and it’s probably not the person who just bought a shirsey to wear to the ticker tape parade. - Panda Pete (Originally posted on TwinsAndLosses.com)

With Panda out of commission, Stubby J and #FacebooklessDan put together an amazing show filled with just about everything but baseball (it's the Stubbs effect, just trust me). Get your fill of pop culture, food, and a teensy bit of sprotsball on this week's episode of the Twins And Losses Supershow on Spreaker, iTunes, Google Play, Stitcher, and Pocket Casts; only on the The 4D Podcast Network! http://www.spreaker.com/user/the4dpodcastnetwork/twins-and-losses-supershow-episode-45-wh

We're back with a brand new show! This week Dan and Panda talk about the changes made to the All Star Game, expectations for the Twins in the 2nd half of the season, and they answer many mailbag questions. And as promised (way back in spring training times), they F I N A L L Y got a chance to sit down with #MNTwins pitcher Trevor May to talk everything from Tommy John rehab to Twitch streams! Check out the new show on Spreaker, iTunes, Google Play, Stitcher, or Pocket Casts! http://bit.ly/2art78Q

Happy 4th of July! To celebrate we brought a show filled with lots of Twins talk, and we dive into some Star Wars news with the fury of a thousand Roman candles. As a special treat, we got #OldFriend (emphasis on old) Barry Campbell, with Hockey Wilderness, back to break down all the Wild news since the NHL Expansion Draft! Find our show on Spreaker, iTunes, Google Play, Stitcher, and Pocket Casts; search "Twins and Losses Supershow." Part of The 4D Podcast Network. http://www.spreaker.com/show/twins-and-losses-supershow * This podcast was originally posted on Spreaker.com

Also from Eric on Twitter dot com: "Don't know enough about QS and how much that matters (5 behind league avg), but Twins are getting about 35 fewer innings out of starters than league average, which paces to 70+ more IP all year by mediocre pen."

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. Follow Twins And Losses on Twitter Follow Dan on Twitter Follow Panda on Twitter

With his streaming schedule, Trevor doesn't stream on days he's pitching. He also does shorter streams based on his baseball schedule. As someone who's been watching him since last August, video games are what he likes to do when he's not playing baseball.

Dan and Panda return with one of the more eclectic episodes, and that's saying something. The Dastardly duo are joined by the self-proclaimed "Batman & Nightwing," Giles and Ben of "Giles And The Goalies," part of the Cold Omaha network. Twins and Wild talks, and general debauchery are on tap. http://www.spreaker.com/user/the4dpodcastnetwork/twins-and-losses-supershow-episode-30-tw

HEY YOU! YEAH YOU IN THE BACK. We didn’t forget about you. Brand spankin’ new Supershow is live for your listening pleasure! This week Dan and Panda give their 2017 predictions for your Minnesota Twins (if you like Max Kepler, we have good news for you), and they also talk a bit about Brian Dozier’s trade status, and Joey Bats. Dan forgets that RBI and hits are not the same thing... The gang is also joined by Barry Campbell (Hockey Wilderness) as they talk in depth about the Wild, and what they want in the next NHL jersey / sweater rebranding. Download / stream this episode from Spreaker, iTunes, Google Play, Stitcher, and Pocket Casts; search “Twins And Losses Supershow.” http://www.spreaker.com/show/twins-and-losses-supershow

New show is live! Dan, Panda, and Stubby converse about Terry Ryan, along with bad deployment of stats. The gang is also joined by Bill Bohl (A Wolf Among Wolves, Fear The Sword) as he stops by to chat about the Wolves' offseason. Stream or download using the link below; or check out iTunes, Google Play, Stitcher, and Pocket Casts! The 4D Podcast Network http://www.spreaker.com/show/twins-and-losses-supershow

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

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.

#FireMollie #FireRyan #TotalSystemFailure All of these lovely hashtags have been making the rounds with the Twins off to a lackluster start to the season. Lots of opinions, ideas, and ways to fix the Twins have been floated around by casual fans, up to legitimate Twins writers. Today, we’re going to tackle the #FireMollie and #FireRyan crew. My biggest question is: what does that fix right now? It's very obvious that a lot of the younger players were not as ready as everyone initially thought. While I don't disagree that some form of Molitor/Ryan will probably be let go, or asked to step down soon, that doesn't change the fact that this seems to be a systemic failure within the entire Twins organization. If you want to fix that problem, you need to find the real source. I don't think it's only Molitor & Ryan, I think it goes much deeper than that. There's plenty of blame to go around, and the players should be held accountable too. Jose Berrios, Alex Meyer, and Byron Buxton appear to be talented players. They also appear to be at a AAAA level right now. While Berrios and Buxton are young, Meyer is starting to fall out of that category at age 26. Trevor May seems to be carving out a relief role for the foreseeable future, while Meyer has again dealt with fatigue, and command issues. When Ben Revere and Denard Span were shipped off for May and Meyer respectively, Twins fan wanted to get something of value from two of their favorite players. While May is trending up, Meyer doesn’t seem to be trending at all currently. Miguel Sano is definitely not making the splash many fans had hoped he would this year. Byung-Ho Park has stolen the spotlight from the young player, which might be for the better. Spotlights only amplify flaws, and Sano has struggled in a few different spots this season. His outfield defense has been…sub-optimal, and his hitting hasn’t been as dynamic as it was in 2015. Sano’s offensive stats are down across the board, and his WAR has plummeted 1.7 to 0.5 since 2015. While firing both Molitor and Ryan seems to be the easy “solution,” I’m not on board with it unless it comes with sweeping changes across the entire organization. Jim Pohlad needs to sit down and look at what the plan is going forward. What players are you planning on building a franchise around. Which players can you trade to get your team back on track. What managers, general managers, and other coaches can you get to put your plan into motion. This isn’t just at the major league level, this should start down with the E-Town Twins, and work its way up to Minneapolis. I personally think Paul Molitor has been dealt a tough hand, and has done the best with what he has. I also think Terry Ryan has tried his best to re-stock the minors and build another winner. That being said, I don’t know if Ryan, in particular, is the best man for the job anymore. His best today might not be what his best 9 years ago was. Time will tell who’s right or wrong, but firing TR and Mollie today won’t salvage this season. No, the problem lies deeper than the just the GM and manager. Follow Twins And Losses Twitter - @TwinsAndLosses Facebook - Twins And Losses Website - Twins And Losses

This week the boys invade Thompson Home Studio with producer Stubby J (Three Guys Talking, Ring General Radio). They break down their favorite NL teams, Bartolo Colon’s homer, and rant about manners on the internet. Brandon Warne – Journalist joins Dan and Panda this week to break down the current status of the woeful Minnesota Twins. Download or stream from Spreaker, iTunes, Google Play, Stitcher, or Pocket Casts! http://www.spreaker.com/show/twins-and-losses-supershow

Daniel and I are huge fans of the television show, “Community.” Outside of the former “Top Gear,” it’s the show we watch the most when we hang out. Since the current Minnesota Twins team is a bunch of underachieving misfits (sans Mauer, Park, and a few others), we decided to compare current and recent Twins players as some of your favorite faces at Greendale. Greendale’s school slogan is “E. Pluribus Anus,” which is fitting for the kind of baseball the Twins have played through the month of April. Britta Perry – Kevin Jepsen: This wasn’t much of a stretch. If you’ve ever watched the show, you know Britta is the butt end of most jokes, much the same way Jepsen has been the butt end of a bad bullpen. As someone who’s constantly blamed for ruining things, Jepsen has blown enough saves this year that he’s the teams Britta. We see flashes of Britta’s genius(?), kind of like Jepsen’s 2015 with the Twins. However, it happens infrequently, and it’s not enough to rely on either of them. He is human tennis elbow, he is the pizza burn on the roof of the world’s mouth, he is the opposite of Batman. Jeff Winger – Miguel Sano: While the lead role of Community would better fit someone like Plouffe, Mauer, or even Dozier; Miguel has shown he has the personality of one Mr. Winger. Maybe a bit full of himself after his debut last season, he’s still a young player looking to find his way. While Jeff has his goals and dreams, along with his selfishness, and many insecurities; Sano seems to be a big picture guy. Miguel wants what’s best for the team, while Jeff wants what’s best for him. Hopefully Sano will mature quickly, and find the swing that Twins fans grew to love in a few short months. Shirley Bennett – Brian Dozier: Dozier has a sweet, Southern likeability to him, much like Shirley has a sweet, Lord driven likeability to her. Most of the time they’re lovely, and even keeled... Most of the time. Sometimes they’ll fly off the handle when things aren’t going their way. Through it all both of them find ways to dig down and achieve their roles to the best of their abilities. While I enjoy watching these two have meltdowns (especially when Dozier is yelling about balls and strikes on his way back to the dugout), it’s the friendly smiles and laughter that keeps you coming back. Though sometimes at a distance. And let’s be honest; the Dozier’s Christmas card was the best thing you saw in 2015. Troy Barnes/Abed Nadir – Eduardo Escobar, Eduardo Nunez, Eddie Rosario: “Ed, Edd, and Eddy” would be a much better comparison, but these three are rarely brought up without one of the other two being named. Just like Troy and Abed, the Eddie’s seem bound to each other. While I don’t know if they have a sweet handshake, or if they’ve ever hosted a fake TV show together; the Eddies come up clutch. Just look at what Rosario and Escobar did throughout last season. Now Nunez is hitting like his job depends on it. Though if his job depended on how often his helmet stayed on his head, he’d be gone faster than his helmet falls off his head. Pierce Hawthorne – Ricky Nolasco: The elder statesman of the group, Pierce isn’t liked or respected by many of his peers. While his peers may like him, Twins Territory seems pretty hell bent on shipping Ricky Nolasco as soon as humanly possible. While doing just enough to stay productive and in the good graces of his Greendale classmates, Nolasco has seemingly done the same through 2016. Off to a better than his career average start, Nolasco has been rather dependable. Much like Pierce, Twins fans are waiting for the other shoe to drop, and see the not so nice side of Ricky. That is, the Ricky that looks very similar to Kevin Jepsen, A.K.A; Britta. Maybe Ricky’s in it for the long haul, or maybe Ricky’s in it for Ricky. Either way, Ricky hasn’t been the villain since spring training. Hopefully Ricky’s turned a new leaf in Minnesota. Hopefully… Annie Edison – Joe Mauer: I don’t think Joe has ever had a reliance on Adderall (possibly Kemps milk), but he’s definitely the goody-two-shoes of the Twins. Annie never wants conflict or to disappoint people, and is usually reliable. Sound familiar? Mauer’s had a rebirth in 2016 to the delight of some, and to the chagrin of those who wish he’d catch, hit 30+ dingers, and knock in 110+ RBIs in a season (psssst, #ItsNotHappening nerds). I guess the better comparison would be John Cena; a solid contributor who does what he can to help the team. While half of the fans are excited to see Joe healthy and hitting, others want their power first-baseman to do what Byung-Ho Park was brought in to do. Guess you can’t please everyone, no matter how good your career has been. Ben Chang – Oswaldo Arcia: Ken Joeng’s portrayal of the borderline insane Ben Chang seems to fit Arcia well. While not always the focal point, and not always helpful, Arcia is definitely an enigma. Teammates described Arcia earlier this year with the following; “Overreacts to everything, loves to be the center of attention, and the hair isn’t working.” I don’t think I ever questioned Ben Chang’s hair style, but that would describe him to a T. In the later seasons of Community, Chang became more of a frenemy (yes, I’m ashamed I used that too) and had some memorable episodes. Arcia’s April had some ups and downs, but he looked more like his 2014 self than 2015, which should give Twins fans hope that he can help the team this year, and in the future. “Dean” Craig Pelton – Torii Hunter: Yeah, Torii’s not around this season, but you can bet he’s not far away from what’s happening with this team. The Dean was a outrageous (Torii’s dance parties), a unifying force when things weren’t going well (2015), and a helpful mentor when need be. While The Dean was insecure in himself, and had some odd fetishes that turned some people off, Torii was very staunch in his beliefs, and wasn’t afraid to butt heads when he thought he was right (see: The Dean’s insane costumes, and Torii ripping his jersey off in April/May 2015). Torii was an advisor for a few weeks in spring training, helping to shape and mold the outfield to be the best they can be. I can’t imagine he won’t be a coach for the Twins in some capacity very soon. Torii breathes baseball, the same way The Dean breathes Greendale. If Torii starts to show up in questionable costumes with no reason, the comparison will be officially complete. Magnitude – Byung-Ho Park: “Magnetic Attitude,” or Magnitude, for short; he’s described as a one man party known for his catchphrase, “Pop, pop!” In fact, that’s about all Magnitude says during all six seasons of Community. Byung-Ho Park, known by his nickname, “#ParkBang,” is a one man wrecking crew. Park’s up to 6 home runs as of this writing, and has captured the hearts of Twins Territory with his smile, and monster home runs. Park’s English is getting better, but fans and teammates continue to call him by #ParkBang, and I’m not mad about that at all. Park’s shown that he’s learning on the fly, and his stat line continues to improve each week. He’d be a main player on offense and defense, if only we could get rid of that under-achieving Mauer guy… /sarcasm We obviously missed a good chunk of the roster, and that was by design. There just weren’t enough memorable characters to fill out this article. And as much as I’d like to keep making comparisons, this article is for a very specific audience. We did decide that Ron Gardenhire is the Leonard of the Twins, and Danny Santana is the Starburns, based on their questionable hair choices. What did you think? Did we miss some easy comparisons? Do you agree or disagree with our choices? Let us know in the comments section, and don’t forget to follow us on the Innanetz. Facebook: Twins And Losses Twitter: @TwinsAndLosses / @PandaPete21 www.twinsandlosses.com

Panda and Daniel break down their favorite NL teams, the current state of the woeful Twins, and discuss the passing of a Minnesota icon. Download or stream today's show off Spreaker, iTunes, Google Play, Stitcher, and Pocket Casts. Part of the The 4D Podcast Network.

Photo by Ezra Shaw, Getty Images It’s finally happened: the Minnesota Twins have remembered how to hit. Like a bear awakening from it’s winter slumber, the Twins offense seems to have lumbered out of it den, scratched it’s stomach a few times, yawned and proceeded to go about its business. That business seems to be winning. One bear in particular seems to be overjoyed at the opportunity to be out in the warm spring air, basking in the sunlight and devouring some poor creatures to satisfy it's hunger. That bear is Eduardo Nunez, and he’s hungry for baseballs. Over the past seven games Nunez is posting a .545/.600/.682 slash line with some whipped cream and a 1.341 OPS cherry on top. In addition to those “Hey don’t you mean Miguel Sano” type numbers, he also leads the team in batting average, OPS, stolen bases and is tied for most runs scored (albeit his sample size is smaller than most). When a baseball player goes on a streak like the, people always want to know what his secret is. They ask if he modified his swing, if he changed his approach at the plate, if it was extra time in the batting cages, or was it a rum loving Voodoo figure… you know, typical stuff Here at Twins and Losses, we like to take a slightly different journalistic approach when seeking the answers we want and when it comes to Eduardo Nunez we thought we knew just where to look, off the beaten path where no one would ever suspect: the helmet. I recently sat down with Nunez’s helmet and asked a few questions, presented below in the transcribed version of the conversation: Twins and Losses: Thanks for meeting with me Mr. Helmet, it’s a pleasure to speak with you. Nunez’s Helmet: Not a problem, I’m happy to do it. TL: How are the wife and kids? NH: They’re great, Karen is still in the National Pro Pitch softball league, our daughter Marie in college now supporting one of the girls at Stanford and our son Calvin just moved up to Junior League this year. TL: Glad to hear it, you have a lovely family. I hate to just jump right into this but I know you’re short on time so I have to ask, how is it being Eduardo’s helmet? NH: Oof, I knew this was coming. It’s uh… it can be tough at times ya know? It’s an on again off again relationship roller coaster. Sometimes it feels like a rerun of a Lifetime movie. I want to be supportive but I feel like sometimes he just doesn’t want me around. Sure he always comes back eventually but it wears on a helmet. TL: I’m sorry to hear that. You guys have been through a lot together in your time here in Minnesota, would you say that it’s been a pleasant experience overall? NH: There have been good times and bad times. No one wants to lose 90 games, but when you can start to see hard work hard pay off in the form of an above .500 record last season, you get the feeling you’re on the right track. TL: Eduardo has been one of the hottest hitters for the Twins over the last handful of games, what do you think has contributed to that? NH: I think we finally got on the same wavelength. He always seemed to be thinking a million miles an hour in the batters box and I just needed him to be calm, slow the game down and let the pitches come to him. When I fall, he always picks me back up puts me right where I need to be and I want to do the same for him. TL: Would you say you’re the main factor in his recent success? NH: I certainly can’t take all the credit, that wouldn’t be fair to Bruno and everyone else that’s helped him out from training staff to other teammates, but I will take some. TL: Do you ever get any wisecracks from the other helmets for your acrobatics on the field? NH: I would say I get some, but not really any more than anyone else. Sure I’ll get the occasional “fly boy” or “Humpty Dumpty,” or asked if I’m practicing my tumbling routine for the big regional meet but it’s a give and take kind of clubhouse. Heck, some of those helmets like Joe Mauer’s are so full of pine tar they sound like they’re from the Louisiana Bayou. TL: Is there a legendary helmet, sort of a mythical tale that all the Twins helmets have to know? NH: Mythical? I don’t know about that. I do know that one helmet no one will ever forget would be Ben Revere’s after he pulled that sommersault triple back in 2011. From what I hear, that helmet was talking all spring about how he was going to get Benny the Jet to do it, and no one believed him. He’s more of a frat legend than mythical tale though. TL: That triple will always have a special place in my heart. I heard that his dad made him run bases for an hour after that game. NH: No kidding? TL: I can’t say for certain, but I like to believe it’s true. Do you and Eduardo ever think about going for the record of Most Times Losing a Helmet in a Season? NH: It’s not really something we strive to do… it’s more of an organic experience that we’ve become accustomed to… almost a routine if you will. Sure it never feels good to hit the infield dirt, that stuff is like sandpaper, but whether he’s coming to get me after running out an infield hit, or someone has to hand me to him after a headfirst slide on a steal attempt; as long as he’s safe on base I’m happy to do my part. It’s a rough and tumble lifestyle, but we’re friends and that’s what friend do. TL: He’s lucky to have you. What does a helmet like you do in the off season? Are you out hitting the links with your teammates or taking the family on vacation? NH: I like to keep it pretty low key during my downtime, relax and reflect on the season for a week or two afterwards. You know, what could have been and how to prepare for next year, but after that I turn the baseball side off and enjoy my time off. It’s normally pretty cold around here during the winter months so my options are pretty limited. I’ll play some pond hockey with my son, head over to Afton Alps a few times, and over Christmas break we always take a family vacation to Hawaii. Other than that I’m usually inside binge watching Netflix, or playing MLB The Show. TL: You sir are living the dream. One more thing before we wrap this interview up, are you aware that you’re sort of a cult hero around Twins Territory? NH: I’ll hear stuff around the locker room and I know that people on social media like to keep count of how many times I’ll dismount, or make a Eduardo Nunez Helmet hash tag. I really appreciate the support and my fans, but I’m just the same old helmet I ever was. I put my human on one head at a time. TL: Are you on Twitter at all? NH: Naw, social media isn’t really my thing. I’m aware there are several parody accounts and I find that hysterical, but I’ll let them speak for me. Besides, there’s no way I’d ever reach Boring Joe Mauer status, that dude’s on another level of popularity. TL: They do an excellent job with that account, that’s for sure. Well Mr. Helmet, I thank you for taking some time out of your day to talk to Twins and Losses, it’s been an absolute joy. We hope to catch up with you later on in the season, see how things are going and wish you the best of luck in the season to come. NH: Thank you, it’s been fun. Hopefully in a few months we can talk playoffs. TL: Don’t we all. Well there you have it folks, the definitive Eduardo Nunez Helmet interview. If you’d like to hear more from Twins and Losses visit our website at twinsandlosses.com or find us on Facebook and Twitter. Don’t forget to check out our Twins and Losses Supershow podcast on the 4D Podcast network, also available on iTunes and Spreaker.