Twins and Losses

Ricky Nolasco hasn’t made many friends in Twins Territory over the past few seasons. Have you forgotten some of the reasons why? Well for starters; this, and lets not forget this gem to start to season. Not to mention Ricky has been underwhelming during his run with the Twins. The Twins knew what they were getting when they signed Nolasco: an average pitcher with strikeout potential. Over the first two seasons of his four-year deal with Minnesota, Nolasco has pitched 196 1/3 innings. That would be his fifth highest career total for IP, unfortunately it happened over two seasons, instead of one. Ricky’s ERA and WHIP have ballooned since he left MIA and LAD too. His ERA since joining the Twins is 0.84 and 2.21 higher than his career average in 2014, and 2015 respectively. His WHIP has jumped up .193 and .391 over the last two seasons. That’s generally not a good sign for a pitcher coming up on their mid-30’s, who still has a year after this remaining on his contract. The good (bad) news (depending on which side of the fence you fall) is that Ricky’s spring training starts looked good. While Tyler Duffey was anointed the fifth starter coming into spring, Ricky Nolasco pitched better, against the same kind of competition. At the time Duffey was cut from spring training, Ricky’s ERA was 2 points lower, and his strikeouts were significantly higher (I believe Ricky was down to a 4.05, with 18 SOs, vs. Duffeys 6.71 ERA and 4SOs to 3BBs). Unfortunately Nolasco’s stats ballooned in his last few outings, and his ERA was north of 5.00, fully understanding that spring training isn’t always the best barometer of whom to bring back to the Twin Cities. If healthy, and in the mindset that he can help the team (or himself through a trade), Nolasco won’t hurt this team. While many fans will be hoping for another injury (we want May/Duffey/Berrios, dammit!), my hope is that Nolasco pitches so well, a potential playoff team will take him off our hands at the trade deadline. Another interesting idea would be flipping Duffey to the bullpen, and May to the starting rotation should this occur, or in the future. May has enough pitches to start, while Duffey could use his time in the bullpen to develop another pitch or two. That’s an article for another time though. The money doesn’t matter nearly as much as the roster spot. The Twins have some great pitching options waiting in the Wings (see what I did there?) who may not have much more to prove. The signings of Phil Hughes, Ervin Santana, and Nolasco have put some of those players on the back burner. We’ve seen the contracts being demanded by pitchers these days, so the lengths and costs were going to rise. This could be a good thing if Terry Ryan and the front office aren’t sold on Berrios, Meyer, May, and many others not being ready for primetime just yet. Having some proven starters to wait out the development of the younger arms isn’t a bad plan, you just hope you aren’t wasting precious time with the rookies. I’m not sold on the Twins making a strong post-season run quite yet. I think 2017 is a more realistic season for the Twins to start making waves again. This year will be one laden with hope. Hope that Miguel Sano continues to mash taters. Hope that Byron Buxton gets his bat going in the majors. Hope that Byung-ho Park isn’t lost in translation. Hope that Joe Mauer can return to a semblance his former self. And hope that Carlos Nolasco is more of a Ricky, than a Richard. Follow Twins And Losses: Twitter: @TwinsAndLosses Facebook: Twins And Losses Website: twinsandlosses.com

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.

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

A few weeks removed, and it looks like this is a trend, not a mirage. SMALL SAMPLE SIZES FTW!

In a season which began with about as many ups and downs as can be imagined, our favorite MLB team has inexplicably soared back in to relevance, at least for the time being. The offseason was as interesting as can be expected from a Terry Ryan-led club can be. A hometown Hall-of-Famer was brought in to captain the ship. A former fan favorite was brought back to mentor many young outfield prospects, to inject some life and passion in to a decidedly mild clubhouse, and also to finish out a good (if not great) career back where it started. A legitimately talented starting pitcher was brought in to further stabilize a shaky rotation. A surprisingly effective catcher was re-signed to hold the place that was once defensively occupied by a seemingly fading hometown hero. Then the harsh reality that all we Minnesota fans know all to well came back to smack us in the face, earlier than expected. Whether it was stupidity or negligence, one single player was able to suck the life out of the fan base from within the organization. We, as Twins fans, have come to expect disappointment from our squad. That said, this season it happened far earlier than anyone expected. The regular season began as expected, with the Twins floundering against a Tigers team that was the Goliath to the Minnesotan David. For casual fans, it was a time for eye-rolling and cheap jokes. For the die-hards, it was simply business as usual. Then, something happened. I can’t say exactly what the catalyst was. Perhaps Torii punched someone. Maybe Molitor gave a fiery speech. Who knows? Somehow these Twins seem to have pulled it together. The starting pitching, if not stellar, has been sufficient. The bullpen, which by all accounts was the greatest question mark on the team, has come around. The offense has finally been producing at a level that we all expected and hoped it to. As evidenced by recent stretch that has seen Minnesota score at least 5 runs in seven of its last ten games, this team can produce offensively. They can hit the long ball, and have enough speed to manufacture runs (if the baserunners will keep their wits about them). The gates have opened to the string of highly-touted prospects being ushered up to the show. It began with Trevor May stepping in for the much-maligned Ricky Nolasco, who was placed on the DL (again). After a shaky late-season call-up last year, May beginning to show that he may actually belong with the big-league club. Next, it was Eddie Rosario. And boy, did he make a grand entrance. I’m sure you’ve by now seen the video of him teeing off on the very first MLB pitch he saw for an opposite-field home run (and his family’s awesome reaction). With the obligatory small-sample-size caveat, he has followed that impressive first one-pitch at-bat with at least one RBI in all but one of his games thus far. Again, not jaw-dropping, but as Twins fans, we’ll take production however we can get it. Who will be the next prospect in line? Byron Buxton, after a slow start at double-A, has roared to life recently. Miguel Sano hasn’t is following in the same vein on the same team, and there is little doubt that he can drive a pitch he likes all the way to the Minneapolis Farmers’ Market when given a chance. Jose Berrios may well have passed up the floundering Alex Meyer who seems to be trying to stay in AAA as long as possible. As of May 11th, Berrios has a 3.25 ERA, with 45 strikeouts to just 13 walks at AA. With plenty of reinforcements preparing to offer support when needed, and the promise of Ervin Santana returning from suspension to make his Twins regular-season debut (although he wouldn’t be eligible for postseason play, if the Twins somehow made a run at a playoff spot), could this unfamiliar level of acceptable play be sustainable? Time will tell. The good news, my friends, is that this team is fun to watch again. At least for now. (Follow Marc on Twitter: @marcosMN)

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

Like Vader's lightsaber cleaving through the Jedi Temple, the Minnesota Twins figured out how to get some hits. Last year's offense has finally shown up fashionably late (Kasota Gold? [Am I doing this right?]). Anyone who Everyone thought the Twins were on pace for a historically bad season. Like, 100 plus losses bad. I've been called a Pohlad Pocket Protector, a homer, and a Gardy Guy; but to think this team would have the worst record in the Twins' franchise history is preposterous at best. The Twins aren't going to contend for the World Series in 2015. They also aren't going to call up a batch of rookies that are still figuring out how to baseball consistently. Byron Buxton is slowly coming around with the Lookouts. He's starting to get his bearings after only playing in 31 games last season. Buxton's OBP (.300) and OPS (.748) are okay. It's not a stretch to think those numbers will improve as long as he continues to learn, and stays healthy. Miguel Sano's season with Chattanooga has a Aaron Hicks-esque look to it. Sano is hitting a paltry .143 with a .333 OBP and .619 OPS. People need to remember he missed all of last season, and his best stat line was with the Fort Myers Miracle in 2013. Considering Sano is on the 40-man roster, and one of the first able to be called up, it'll take some strong months of growth if we're going to see his debut in 2015 at Target Field. Hitting was, and still could be, an issue down the road. Corey Kluber won't be a great test tonight for the Twins. He may be 0-1 on the season, but his stats are very similar to his 2014 Cy Young campaign. Minnesota will need to get quality pitching from all five of their starters, whoever they might be. The bullpen will need to step up and keep the team in games. Expect the Twins to end right around last year's record. I pegged them at 77-85 this season behind strong seasons from Mauer, Dozier, Hughes, Gibson, and May Milone. The defense needs to step up, and the bats must continue to hit their mark. If Luke Skywalker can hit the exhaust port on the Death Star with a pair of proton torpedoes, the Twins can hit a few home runs out of Target Field (like this Kennys Vargas laser). Follow Twins And Losses on Twitter, and check out our website.

Twins will need to add Buxton to the 40-man roster for him to get called up. I'd like to see both of them stay healthy for an entire season before we start calling for our rookies. They're still young enough that another year in the minors won't hurt them.

“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.

"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**

(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

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

It's all a marketing ploy to sell more merch. One that needs to stop.

To each their own. I just don't understand why the Twins go in cycles. You can keep the M for the road, and TC for home. Makes sense to those who live in town.

You do understand that they're called the Minnesota Twins, not the Twin City Twins, right?

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.”

It seems a little inappropriate to call Kennys Vargas “Little Papi”. According to Baseball Reference he is an inch taller (6’ 5”) and weighs thirty-five pounds more than Mr. Ortiz. One can assume that this comparison has more to do with their skills with a bat than their impressive physical stature. They may not be the quickest nor the best when it comes to flashing the leather but they do both possess an important skill, one that Jeremy Clarkson of Top Gear fame deems the most vital, though his reasoning pertains to motor vehicles: Power. Over the last thirty days Kennys has put himself among some very impressive company thanks to his prowess with a baseball bat.He ranks 5th in MLB in RBIs (23), 13th in hits (33), 13th in batting average (.333), 16th in slugging percentage (.525) and 18th in on base plus slugging (.890). If we compare his stats to just those in the American League he stands 3rd in RBI, 6th in hits, 6th in BA, 7th in SLG and 8th in OPS. So he’s top 20 in the MLB and top 10 in the AL. Not bad for a guy who was called up to the majors from AA- New Britain less than a month ago. So "not bad." In fact, Baseball Reference has a stat called "OWn%" which is the percentage of games a team with nine of said player batting would win given average defense and pitching. Team Kennys would be averaging 7.4 runs per game and sitting high above the rest of the league at 117-45. That is about as likely as Roger Goodell handing out suitable suspensions for violating certain NFL policies, but not bad. Not all of Vargas’ stats are as rosy as those mentioned above. With great power comes great responsibility and part of said responsibility is patience at the plate. In the very small sample size of his twenty-four games played, Kennys has a strikeout rate of 26.2% compared to a walk rate of 3.7%. Not so good. His K/BB rate is 7.0, which is also… not so good. He does hit home runs at the same pace he draws walks though. Surprisingly, for a player with so little time in the majors his plate discipline isn’t terrible: http://i1169.photobucket.com/albums/r502/ectofoto/ScreenShot2014-08-28at64416PM_zps550d591a.png A few things we can gather from the chart above: • Vargas sees more pitches outside the zone than in the zone. Not at all uncommon for batters new to MLB. For example, just over 50% of the pitches thrown Danny Santana’s way are in the zone and he’s been hitting consistently since the beginning of May. • Of those outside pitches, Kennys has swung at less than half of them, showing he has a decent grasp on what is and isn’t in the zone. Even when he does swing at pitches he technically shouldn’t, whether chasing or fouling off, he’s still able make contact more than half the time, which is encouraging. • While he may not see as many pitches in the zone, he seems to have a good grasp where the zone is as evidenced by a 31% increase in swing tendencies and contact made when the ball crosses the plate in the zone. For perspective, this season Joe Mauer has swung at 53% of pitches in the zone and made 90% contact. A 4% difference in contact on strike pitches between a guy who has been in the majors for a month and a three-time batting champ isn’t too shabby. Overall, Vargas has some work to do when it comes to leaving the bat on the shoulder on pitches that are balls. But his contact percentages on pitches both in and outside the zone are an indication that he knows what he can and cannot touch. This will go a long way toward building his foundation as a solid hitter. I do fear the day where opposing pitchers take note of Kennys' tendencies at the plate. With 28 strikeouts and four walks in 99 at-bats, it’s hard to see those numbers getting much worse, but then again at the beginning of the year we all thought Chris Colabello would be our run-producing machine for the season. I think we’re all expecting a DH who plays 1B every once in a while and mashes the ball with such strength that we'll hear Dick Bremer turn nearly speechless, aside from a feeble “…Oh my…”, as was the case in Houston when Kennys planted a ball halfway up the second deck in right field. He certainly has some work to do at the plate when it comes to walks and strikeouts. But if the lineup of the future includes a second-coming of the Bash Brothers in the switch-hitting Vargas and lefty Oswaldo Arcia cranking back-to-back moonshots, you can bet the cameras at Target Field won’t shy away from showing the upper deck seats as much as they have recently. The sun may be setting on another 90+ loss season for the Twins and you've probably stopped reading this because football is right around the corner, but if you're a die-hard like I am, you'll stay tuned-in to the bitter end to see what Vargas (and the other young'uns) can do. Click here to view the article

[Originally posted on twinsandlosses.com] It seems a little inappropriate to call Kennys Vargas “Little Papi”. According to Baseball Reference he is an inch taller (6’ 5”) and weights thirty-five pounds more (275) than Mr. Ortiz. One can assume that this comparison has more to do with their skills with a bat than their impressive physical stature. They may not be the fastest nor the best when it comes to flashing the leather but they do both possess an important skill, one that Jeremy Clarkson of Top Gear fame deems the most vital (albeit his reasoning pertains to motor vehicles): power. Over the last thirty days Kennys has put himself among some very impressive company thanks to his prowess with a baseball bat. He ranks 5th in the MLB in RBI (23), 13th in hits (33), 13th in batting average (.333), 16th in slugging percentage (.525) and 18th in on base plus slugging (.890). If we compare his stats to just those in the American League he stands 3rd in RBI, 6th in hits, 6th in BA, 7th in SLG and 8th in OPS. So he’s top 20 in the MLB and top 10 in the AL. Not bad for a guy who was called up to the majors from AA New Britain less than a month ago. So not bad in fact that if he stays at this pace, using Baseball Reference’s OWn% (percentage of games a team with nine of said player batting would win given average defense and pitching) the Twins would be sitting high and mighty above the rest of the league at 117-45 thanks Team All-Kennys averaging 7.4 RC/G (runs created per appox. 27 outs). Unfortunately, that is about as likely as Roger Goodell handing out suitable suspensions for violating certain NFL policies. Not all of Vargas’ stats are as rosy as those mentioned above however. With great power comes great responsibility and part of said responsibility is patience at the plate. In his twenty-four games played (yes, yes, very small sample size) Kennys has a strikeout rate of 26.2% compared to a walk rate of 3.7%. Not so good. His K/BB rate is 7.0, which is also… not so good. He does hit homeruns at the same pace he draws walks though Surprisingly, for a player with so little time in the majors his plate discipline isn’t terrible: http://i1169.photobucket.com/albums/r502/ectofoto/ScreenShot2014-08-28at64416PM_zps550d591a.png A few things we can draw from the chart above: • Vargas sees more pitches outside the zone than in the zone. Not at all uncommon for batters new to the MLB; for example just over 50% of the pitches thrown Danny Santana’s way are in the zone and he’s been hitting consistently since the beginning of May. • Of those outside pitches, Kennys has swung at less than half of them, showing he has a decent grasp on what is and isn’t in the zone. Even when he does swing at pitches he technically shouldn’t, whether chasing or fouling off, he’s still able make contact more than half the time, which is encouraging. • While he may not see as many pitches in the zone, he seems to have a good grasp where the zone is as evidenced by a 31% increase in both swing tendencies and contact made when the ball crosses the plate between the black. For perspective, this season Joe Mauer has swung at 53% of pitches in the zone and made 90% contact. A 4% difference in contact on strike pitches between a guy who has been in the majors for a month and a 3-time batting champ isn’t too shabby. • Overall, Vargas has a little work to do when it comes to leaving the bat on the shoulder on pitches that are balls, his contact percentages both on those pitches in and outside the zone is an indication that he knows what he can and cannot touch, and that will go a long way when building his foundation as a solid hitter. I do fear for the day where opposing pitchers take note of Kennys tendencies at the plate. With 28 strikeouts and 4 walks in 99 total at bats, it’s hard to see those numbers getting much worse but then again at the beginning of the year we all thought Chris Colabello would be our run producing machine for the season. I think what we’re all expecting is a DH who plays 1B every once in a while and mashes the ball with such strength we hear Dick Bremer nearly speechless aside from a feeble “…Oh my…” as was the case in Houston when Kennys planted a ball halfway up the second deck in right field. He certainly has some work to do at the plate when it comes to walks and strikeouts, but if the lineup for the future includes a second coming of the Bash Brothers in the switch hitting Vargas and righty Oswaldo Arcia back to back, you can bet the cameras at Target Field won’t shy away from showing the upper deck seats as much unless one of them cranks a moonshot. The sun may be setting on another 90+ loss season for the Twins and you've probably stopped reading this because football is right around the corner, but if you're a die hard like I am you'll tune in to the bitter end to see what Vargas (and the other youngins) can do.

I totally agree, Paul. It would've been nice to see these changes being made right before, or immediately after the ASB. Injuries halted May's progress for a bit, and Meyer has had control issues. Not to mentions Meyer's big problem of not being on the 40 man currently. Vargas has been a ton of fun to watch, and the pitchers we picked up via trades have been a great addition. I'm patiently waiting for the likes of Sano and Buxton to get healthy and back into their grooves. Could we expect to see them at the tail end of Sept 2015?

Thanks for the kind words!

"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.

There's a phenomenal Twitter account (@Ex_Twins_News) that covers everything you're talking about. He's one guy who does it all so some of the updates are sporadic. I've asked him to write for Twins And Losses, and those could easily be posted here as well.

Dammit you are good. Another delicious article.

(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??