Sam Morley

I don't know what Molitor said about it. Haven't read it yet. link it for me, if you have it, please. Obviously, I don't think Molitor is insane. Neither do I think he would put someone in RF who has not had any preparation for playing RF. If Molitor puts Sano in right, then Sano has been preparing, at least in practice or something, but it would still take some authority away from my comment for sure. If we were talking about left, I'd be much less insistent, but RF is really hard. From my experience, I'd much rather play center than right. The ball just does really weird things over there. Also, I definitely think Sano has the ability to be a good right fielder. He for sure has the arm, and from everything I've seen, he runs pretty well. Also, even though I think it's crazy, I would rather see him in RF in a Twins uniform than not see him in a Twins uniform.

To be clear, I don't think it's crazy for him to make a controlled transition to playing OF. I think it's crazy to call him up and stick him in right. Your example of Plouffe definitely takes some strength out of my assertion, but I think the circumstances with Plouffe were different. The team was struggling, and I think they were desperately trying to find a place for him to play. He was already in the big leagues, and he was failing miserably at his current position. 2012 was the season he hit 24 dingers, so he was having too much success at the plate to take him out of the lineup and send him down to learn OF. I don't remember how all that played out- if he moved to third because he played poorly in right, or what, but he didn't last long out there- and those teams had some pretty lousy outfielders.

It might also take the league 15 games to acclimate to them.

This. I would even rephrase to say that I would be relieved of ever watching the NFL again if the Vikings won a super bowl. I also agree with this: It wouldn't be magical if it were guaranteed. The magic is believing in your chances, maybe even against odds. I would give up, without hesitation but heavy heart, any of the following: Byron Buxton, Twins Daily, a Twins winning record for the next 10 years, etc, in exchange for the permanent removal of video review/challenges, the infinite promise of no pitch clock or any other clock to "speed up the game", the removal of the all-star game deciding home field advantage in the world series, and an infinitely replenishing veto card for any other nonsense the league/espn cooks up to mar the game.

Definitely didn't read every post in this thread, so I'll probably be redundant. I want to see Sano up now. I think Molitor can deal with juggling him, Plouffe, and Mauer at third/first/DH. I think he should play third the most and DH the least. I think Plouffe and Mauer should split the remaining time at first/DH. But also just go with the hottest bat. Suggestions that Sano be called up and play RF are 99.9% insanity. The missing .1% considers the extreme outside chance that he is secretly really really good at playing RF. To suggest that someone who has never even sniffed RF in pro ball try it for the first time in MLB shows absolutely no appreciation for or understanding of the challenges of RF. I noticed that people are putting Sano in league with the likes of Bryant, Gallo, Correa, and the other young hot shots, which is good; it has seemed like in other recent past threads regarding Sano, people have forgotten how good he is. He is definitely as good as those guys and maybe better. One poster suggested that Sano needs to be all around a better player than Plouffe before he can replace him at third. Whether that is the case or not, he might actually be an all around better player than Plouffe now. There's no way to argue that with any real clout. It's a case of talent vs. experience. And if we want someone who mashes to come up from AA to play RF, isn't there someone there who does that and already plays RF?

anybody else have the radio broadcast on and hear Dazzle say the Cardinals are "sundamentally found."

Yeah, I thought it was hit pretty hard too. When he hit it, I thought it was going through.

Nice. That's one of my favorite stadiums. I was there five or six years ago for a series, and Nick Punto hit a home run. I think Liriano struck out Michael Young three times. He was just falling over at his change up.

Yeah, I agree. I hope you are right. I think that's all possible. I hope he rebuilds his value and stays with the team. Well, I don't think he will rebuild value by hitting at AAA other than it being a neccesary step to getting back to the show. I think the only place for him to rebuild value is in the big leagues. And, it seems like he has his work cut out for him getting back. I think Rosario would really have to tank for Arcia to take his spot. Rosario is far and away better defensively and has always been a more highly regarded prospect. I definitely don't want to see Rosario falter so that Arcia can get another shot. Arcia is still really young. It's hard to imagine the type of realistic return we would get that would be worth the risk giving up on him at such a young age. Oh, and Delmon can hit.

Ryan has never budged at all on Sano playing third. He's been pretty adamant about him staying there, from everything I've read. I think if they had any inclination about moving him elsewhere, they would do it now. Why keep playing him at a position where you don't plan for him to play? He hasn't even had a sniff at first, not even with Dalton Hicks out. If his main weakness is occasional sloppiness at third, he needs to keep playing third until he's polished. He can't come up and DH/pinch hit/garb time. From the footage I've seen, and everything I've ever read, he absolutely has the chops athletically to play third. Even checking the box scores, he's regularly on the starting end of double plays. I think the bulk of his errors came early in the season. I usually check the Chattanooga box scores daily and they've been much less frequent. What makes you think that TR like Plouffe so much he wouldn't trade him? You might be right, I'm just wondering what makes you say that. I'm sure they do like him a lot. I like him a lot too. I don't think they're really liking him will keep them from making the best decision. I think that TR is capable of moving him if it's the best thing to do. I think you could be right about stalling on the Sano/Plouffe situation until the offseason, but I think that would be a mistake. Not a terrible mistake, just an annoying one to me who wants to see Sano now.

I think we need to find a more balanced approach to the issue of steroids/PEDs past and present in baseball. I think that for the present, it's good that it is very clearly against the rules. This makes it clear that it is "cheating" to use them. I think aside from the rule, it gets much more complicated to make a strong case that it is cheating. My line of reasoning here is something like: If a player takes something that will lead to improvement in his performance and the something he takes has very serious associated short or long term health risks, it is cheating. I think both of these contingencies have to be in place. Players should not have to confront the choice of taking any dangerous substances in order to compete. That being stated, I think the issue is still very grey. If it is health we are concerned with, then surely we are hypocrites. The very act of playing the game is certainly detrimental to short term health, and often detrimental to long term health. In studies on longevity, stress is the number one antagonist. I think the grind and pressure of a major league baseball season is responsible for extraordinary stress. I do not guess that fans are concerned with the long term health of professional athletes. I know that the leagues are not. If then we are to separate health concerns from the matter of taking something in order to elevate performance, it seems reasonable to challenge what be the difference between taking something and taking any other sort of action that might elevate performance, such as lifting weights or adhering to specific diets? No matter, the public and the league, have decided it is cheating and there is a rule now, so it is cheating. I wish there was more clarity about the list of banned substances. I think that with each banned substance there should be a very clear and thorough explanation for why that substance is on the list. I think that health risk should be the sole determining factor for why a substance is on the list. I think the lists should be categorized into substances intended obviously for performance enhancement and substances intended for injury recovery (surely there would be crossover). I think it would be a terrible mistake to shut the door on scientific advancements in synthetic substances that might safely yield faster recovery periods and longer careers. I think that the careers of Bonds, Rodriguez, and others of the 'steroid era' should be looked upon in awe. PEDs aside, they are in the company of the greatest ever, but in addition they showed us what could be accomplished with the combination of chemistry and very dedicated training. I think, in part, sports are about pushing the boundaries of human ability. In this case, it is within the context of baseball. Here is what a human can do under these conditions. Baseball has been played for a long time, and its standards are firmly established. For some athletes, the choice to take a PED would be about keeping his career alive, or getting his career going, or reaching a monetary incentive. For me, these athletes are entirely empathetic and quickly forgiven. In the case of a Barry bonds, or Alex Rodriguez, something else is at stake. I think these athletes are chasing perfection in their chosen discipline. I think they are craftsmen and artists. I think they would do anything to push the limits of accomplishment. And I don't really even mean the numbers (although in baseball the numbers are meaningful and have iconic and almost aesthetic value) but I mean the feeling of driving a ball over the fence, and pursuing that feeling and that moment until someone wrenches the bat from your hands. I can't blame them for that. On the contrary, I admire them for it. As for the present state of the league and its handling of PEDs, I hope that it begins to take its foot off the gas with its pursuit of offenders. I don't think major leaguers should be tested as constantly as Big Papi suggested he is. I think testing should be focused in the minor leagues as that is where the created advantage is most unfair, with players trying to break into the league. I think the precedent is most effectively set in the minors as well. It should be easier to influence younger players as well as direct them with strict accountability. Today, ARod got his 2000 rbi, and regardless of what people think, history is his. The runs will not come off the books.

I drove to Stout's on Snelling and Larpenteur with the pregame on the radio. Dazzle was introducing the national anthem as I parked. I walked to the doors with my brother, who had arrived separately. "We could be missing a diving catch," he said. We hustled up a step entering the bar, scouring the rooms for the best TV spot. None, NONE, of the TVs had the Twins game on. Image courtesy of Credit: Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports I drove to Stout's on Snelling and Larpenteur with the pregame on the radio. Dazzle was introducing the national anthem as I parked. I walked to the doors with my brother, who had arrived separately. "We could be missing a diving catch," he said. We hustled up a step entering the bar, scouring the rooms for the best TV spot. None, NONE, of the TVs had the Twins game on. We sat at the bar. I can't count how many times I've gone into a bar this season and had to ask the bartender to put on the Twins game. They did have the Mets-Braves game on though, and the X-Games. I wasn't too concerned about missing anything since Buxton was batting ninth and we were away. I very well should've been concerned; by the time they changed the channel, we were watching Mauer bat with one out and a run on the board, and postulating whether Dozier or Rosario was responsible. If anyone out there in TD-land has recommendations for Twins game bar viewing in Hamline-Midway, let me know. If only there was somewhere within five minutes walking and three dollar premiums on tap... No matter. I drove to the bar to see Byron Buxton's debut, and see it I did. If I have grandchildren, I will be able to tell them all about it. And in case I forget, here is the written account. Byron Buxton is skinny. I knew that. I thought maybe the promotion would've added some bulk. Nope. It did somehow convince him to wear his pants long. Barry Bonds was pretty skinny for his debut, as was Junior. I wonder whether Buxton will stick with number 25. I don't know, I just don't feel as confident as I should about buying a jersey. On Buxton's at-bats: OK, could someone punch Nick Martinez in the face and tell him to throw the kid one, ONE, stinking fastball! Jeez. I feel like the first three ABs could be boiled down into one AB: curve ball over, taken, strike one; curve ball over, taken, strike two; curve ball over, taken, strike three. What a mind-eff. What are the rules of batting here, Ted Williams Science of Hitting style? By the time you get to that third AB, after two called first pitch curve ball strikes and two 0-2 counts, are you thinking, 'no way he does it again; he'll throw the curve, but way off the plate to see if I chase' or 'no way I let him beat me on that s@#t first pitch again.'? On the Rangers' young, speedy hotshot outfielder, Delino Deshields Jr: What was he doing there five feet away from second base to end the inning after a terrific bunt for a base hit? What was he doing running into the left field wall when he could've stopped five feet before it? What a wild game. With Fielder, Moreland, and Gallo all batting in a row, my brother said, "sheesh, how many first basemen do the Rangers have?" And we thought Leonys Martin's homer was a replay of Gallo's. I think they landed in the same damn seat. It was good to see Hughes keep it together, and keep the team in the game, but he was definitely hit hard and was bailed out by some defense- Dozier's leaping snag and DP for one; Mauer picking Deshields off 2nd after the run scored as well. As disappointing as Mauer has been at the plate since his move, he's been pretty good at first. Who would have thought that in Byron Buxton's debut, the Twins would hit four triples and none would be by Buxton. I thought I heard a blurb that only once before in history has a team hit three triples in one inning and scored only one run. I thought I also heard a blurb that maybe Escobar missed a safety squeeze sign and that's why Robinson was picked off third by Robinson. It's too bad if that's the case. A safety/suicide squeeze is such an exciting and rare play, especially for the go-ahead run. The sound was off on the TV broadcast in the bar, so I only got to see the interview with Buxton's fiancee... I think these guys are getting married waaaaayyyy too young... I was going to say something about Suzuki facing Keone Kela and it being Hawaiian vs. Hawaiian, and that being rare and cool, but I just double checked Kela's profile page and he was born in California. Casey Fien pitched really, really well. I didn't think there was any way a player would wrench the award for worst AB of the game away from Buxton's third AB, but then Justin Smolinski whiffed on a bunt, bunted foul, and swung wild and missed, tying him with probably hundreds of guys for the worst AB of all time. Personally, I hate sacrifice bunting; and I know Earl Weaver and maybe Bill James have my back. So even if Smolinski had been successful, I would've thanked him for the free out. He should've gone back to the dugout after strike two. He should've just stayed in the dugout in the first place. When Buxton squared around in his fourth AB, I'm hoping he was inspired not so much by Smolinski, but rather by Deshields' sac bunt-turned-bunt single. Somehow it ended up somewhere in the middle; a pretty god-awful bunt, but in fair play at least. They did get the lead runner which makes the free out look pretty terrible, but Buxton on first is probably just as good as anybody else on second. I know that it seems like a good idea to give up an out to move a runner from second to third when you only need one run late in the game, and I think this is one of the only situations in which sac bunting is maybe acceptable- especially if the bunter has a pretty decent shot of getting on with a decent bunt- but I think you have as good a chance getting a hit in three at-bats as you do getting a sac fly or hit in two. But, as you know, all ended well. Eddie Rosario murdered that ball to center, and Buxton scored standing from first. Probably any of our usual nine hole hitters (Santana, Hicks, Robinson, etc) would've scored, but Buxton definitely made it a no-doubter, and it was a perfect ending to the game. He's definitely the spark the Twins needed to keep things from spiraling out of control. Hopefully he can make a quick adjustment in his approach at the plate coming into a tough series against St. Louis. They are coming after you, dude, and not with fat fastballs. If only Arcia was around to tell him, "Just try to pull it every time." or Delmon to tell him, "Just go up there and try to hit the foul pole." or maybe Hicks should tell him, "Hey, you're not up here to work the count; put that first pitch hanging curve ball in the seats." One last thing, "let it Sano", please. View full article

How can Arcia's value be rebuilt? I love Arcia, but do you think he will have much opportunity going forward with the Twins? This is a good post and thread. I don't have much to add. I like Trevor Plouffe, I like that he's one of our draft picks, and that he came up through our system. I'm really happy he's turned into a good player. But, I want to see Miguel Sano wearing a Twins #24 jersey playing third base, like, yesterday. It would be great if there was some convenient solution that involved keeping Plouffe. But there is not room for him in the outfield (he's balls slow anyway). There is the other corner over there- so in my mind it comes down to Plouffe or Mauer. I think in the recent past, a lot of people have said we should wait to see if Plouffe's value goes up and then trade him; and now that his value is up, people don't want to see him go. I think we should stick to our past instincts on Plouffe. His value is up now. Trade him now. Bring up Sano. I think there's obvious risk with that move because the team is doing well and Plouffe is a significant part of that, but Sano is a generational talent, so I think there is a good enough chance the team could improve even immediately.

I drove to Stout's on Snelling and Larpenteur with the pre-game on the radio. Dazzle was introducing the national anthem as I parked. I walked to the doors with my brother, who had arrived separately. "We could be missing a diving catch," he said. We hustled up a step entering the bar, scouring the rooms for the best TV spot. None, NONE, of the TVs had the Twins game on. We sat at the bar. I can't count how many times I've gone into a bar this season and had to ask the bartender to put on the Twins game. They did have the Mets-Braves game on though, and the X-games. I wasn't too concerned about missing anything though, since Buxton was batting ninth and we were away. Should've; by the time they changed the channel, we were watching Mauer bat with one out and a run on the board, and postulating whether it were Dozier or Rosario responsible. If anyone out there in TD-land has recommendations for Twins game bar viewing in Hamline-Midway, let me know. If only there was somewhere within five minutes walking and three dollar premiums on tap... No matter, I drove to the bar to see Byron Buxton's debut, and see it I did. If I have grandchildren, I will be able to tell them all about it. And in case I forget, here is the written account. Byron Buxton is skinny. I knew that. I thought maybe the promotion would've added some bulk. Nope. It did somehow convince him to wear his pants long. Barry Bonds was pretty skinny for his debut, as was Junior. I wonder whether Buxton will stick with number 25. I don't know, I just don't feel as confident as I should about buying a jersey. On Buxton's at-bats: okay, could someone punch Nick Martinez in the face and tell him to throw the kid one, ONE, stinking fastball! Jeez. I feel like the first three ABs could be boiled down into one AB: curveball over, taken, strike one; curveball over, taken, strike two; curveball over, taken, strike three. What a mind-eff. What are the rules of batting here, Ted Williams Science of Hitting style? By the time you get to that third AB, after two called first pitch curveball strikes and two 0-2 counts, are you thinking, 'no way he does it again; he'll throw the curve, but way off the plate to see if I chase' or 'no way I let him beat me on that s@#t first pitch again.'? On the Rangers' young, speedy hotshot, outfielder, Delino Deshields Jr: What was he doing there five feet away from second base to end the inning after a terrific bunt for a base hit? What was he doing running into the left field wall when he could've stopped five feet before it? What a wild game. With Fielder, Moreland, and Gallo all batting in a row, my brother said, "sheesh, how many first basemen do the Rangers have?" And we thought Leonys Martin's homer was a replay of Gallo's. I think they landed in the same damn seat. It was good to see Hughes keep it together, and keep the team in the game, but he was definitely hit hard and was bailed out by some defense- Dozier's leaping snag and DP for one; Mauer picking Deshields off 2nd after the run scored as well. As disappointing as Mauer has been at the plate since his move to first, he's been pretty good at first. Who would have thought that in Byron Buxton's debut, the Twins would hit four triples and none would be by Buxton. I thought I heard a blurb that only once before in history has a team hit three triples in one inning and only scored one run. I thought I also heard a blurb that maybe Escobar missed a safety squeeze sign and that's why Robinson was picked off third by Robinson. It's too bad if that's the case. A safety/suicide squeeze is such an exciting and rare play, especially for the go-ahead run. The sound was off on the TV broadcast in the bar, so I only got to see the interview with Buxton's fiancee... I think these guys are getting married waaaaayyyy too young... I was going to say something about Suzuki facing Keone Kela and it being Hawaiian vs Hawaiian, and that being rare and cool, but I just double checked Kela's profile page and he was born in California. Casey Fien pitched really, really well. I didn't think there was any way anyone would wrench the award for worst AB of the game away from Buxton's third AB, but then Justin Smolinski whiffed on a bunt, bunted foul, and swung wild and missed, tying him fwith probably hundreds of guys for the worst AB of all time. Personally, I hate sacrifice bunting; and I know Buck Weaver and maybe Bill James have my back. So even if Smolinski had been successful, I would've thanked him for the free out. He should've gone back to the dugout after strike two. He should've just stayed in the dugout in the first place. When Buxton squared around in his fourth AB, I'm hoping he was inspired not so much by Smolinski, but rather by Deshields' sac bunt turned bunt single. Somehow it ended up somewhere in the middle; a pretty god-awful bunt, but in fair play at least. They did get the lead runner which makes the free out look pretty terrible, but Buxton on first is probably just as good as anybody else on second. I know that it seems like a good idea to give up an out to move a runner from second to third when you only need one run late in the game, and I think this is one of the only situations in which sac bunting is maybe acceptable- especially if the bunter has a pretty decent shot of getting on with a decent bunt- but I think you have as good of a chance getting a hit in three at bats as you do getting a sac fly or hit in two. But, as you know, all ended well. Eddie Rosario murdered that ball to center, and Buxton scored standing from first. Probably any of our usual nine hole hitters (Santana, Hicks, Robinson, etc) would've scored, but Buxton definitely made it a no-doubter, and it was a perfect ending to the game. He's definitely the spark the Twins needed to keep things from spiraling out of control. Hopefully he can make a quick adjustment in his approach at the plate coming into a tough series against St. Louis. They are coming after you, dude, and not with fat fastballs. If only Arcia was around to tell him, "Just try to pull it every time." or Delmon to tell him, "Just go up there and try to hit the foul pole." or maybe Hicks should tell him, "hey, you're not up here to work the count; put that first pitch hanging curveball in the seats." One last thing, "let it Sano", please.

Sooo... thoughts on what exactly is going on in the background of the Jose Velez pic... ???

What about their approach over the last hundred years?

I'm with you. I've got not beef with A-Rod.

Unforgivable.

No, the 24th ranked RF in major league baseball is not bad.

Hey, watch it. Kevin Slowey was framed!

Good news on Landa. What are the plans for him? Are they going to stretch him out to start, or will he be in the bullpen for good? How was his velocity?

6-9 AM, that's when I get to work too!

Maybe his strategy is to make everyone think he'll swing at "ANYTHING" and just as soon as their fooled, he's going to start drawing all these walks everybody around here loves so much. But seriously, when guys first come up they get challenged in the zone a lot; it's hard to draw walks when pitchers are throwing in the zone. Anyway, I'm sure he'll even out. I hope he sticks.

When you see the clip that Parker included, how can anyone even dispute his defensive chops? For a third baseman, he's really the total package. I am in agreement with others, including Terry Ryan, that the errors are not even a concern at this point. It is interesting to ponder though. Why do we make mistakes? Seth, you attribute it here to occasional lapses in concentration. I suppose that's certainly possible. But consider this: a hundred thousand times you stop at a red light, but one time you blow through it. Were you concentrating in that moment, no; but were you really concentrating any more during the hundred thousand other times? I am a carpenter, and say I make a hundred thousand accurate measurements in month, but once in a while I inch trick a measurement- I don't think I am concentrating any less in the instance that I make the mistake. Further, it's the kind of mistake I made much more frequently when I was less experienced- even though I was probably concentrating harder on that type of task than I do now. My point here isn't necessarily to say that Sano's proclivity for defensive mistakes are not due a lack of concentration (who can know what's another's mind at any given time?). My point is to suggest that it is rather (or additionally) lack of experience. Maybe even as simple as muscle memory. Even on plays that appear routine, there must be infinite possibility for subtle differences. It would take countless in-game repetition to become automatic. Sano has only been playing third for a couple of seasons, and the difference between third and short is significant. I will say, as a middle infielder, I wanted nothing to do with third base. It's weird over there. Seth, as you say he is an athlete, he has the hands, he has the arm. He's going to be a third baseman. In my opinion, his bat is ready now. I don't think that what happens with Sano is dependent at all on Trevor Plouffe. Plouffe will be, what, 29 this summer? He's playing really well, as he should, being in his prime. Do we have reason to project continued improvement and increased production from him? Perhaps? I don't know, but it seems to me most players begin trending downward once they reach their thirties. A down-trending Joe Mauer is palatable, and certainly Torii Hunter seems to have bucked the trend altogether, but a down-trending Trevor Plouffe with a lurking Miguel Angel... no way.