USAFChief

two out, hit to the OF. I make em thrown out the runner every time.

Do we know that about Buxton?

I don't think one "starts" to drop off a cliff. Perhaps you're thinking of "decline."

Still looking for game thread vols for May 12, 13, and 23. Do The Right Thing! http://media.breitbart.com/media/2016/01/Spike-Lee.jpg

We're both idiots. We're still here following this team.

Someone broke into my car, and left 4 Twins tickets on the front seat bah-dum-tschh

but, it's still Iowa.

ick

This isn't true. The 2017 Twins went 12-11 in April, 14-12 in May, 20-10 in August, and 14-14 in September. 14-15 in June. The only bad month they had was July, 10-15. They also weren't a fluky one-run game team: 15-18 in one-run games. They finished two games ahead of their pythagorean record. They finished just about exactly where their play dictated they should. They were a little better than a .500 team throughout the season. For the record I also don't agree their hot August was due entirely to who they played.

Some thoughts: - some of this is self inflicted. Keeping Kinley meant you guaranteed your manager was playing with a 24 man roster, for example. The Fernando Rodney Experience would have some rough patches, at minimum, for another. Settling for Grossman as your 4th OFer and LaMarre as your 5th OFer AS YOUR PLAN COMING OUT OF SPRING TRAINING is self inflicted pain, and I have no sympathy. A team fancying itself a contender doesn't try to get away with that. Phil Hughes. Phil Hughes is completely, totally, unquestionably NOT bad luck, or unforeseeable circumstance. That is 100 percent on the front office. - It's remarkable how much worse the defense looks when you remove Buxton and Polanco (and Polanco isn't really a very good SS). Escobar is really stretched as an everyday SS, Sano has some talent but is inconsistent at 3rd. Dozier's arm is even worse than last year, if that's possible. Watching Grossman run in place as a ball 10 feet to one side or the other scoots by him to the wall and a runner scores from first easily is painful. Rosario's inexplicable throws seem to still pop up once a week or so. Mauer is a good defender at first, but he's already taken SIX days off from first base duty. Six! So barely a month into a season where off days have fell like snow flakes in April, the team hasn't benefited from that defense in a quarter of their games. Can someone explain to me why a first baseman needs ANY days off, much less 1 in four? Especially as the team's injury and W/L situation crumbles? Some things I'd try: Mauer plays 1st base every day. Adrianza is my every day SS. Escobar goes back to his utility job. I love's me some EE, but he just gives away too much at short to play there every day. I move Rosario down in the order. The inability to control the strike zone is just too damaging in the middle of the few rallies they generate, particularly when you're already forced to endure a massive whiff rate from Sano. I also have my OF coach sit down with Rosario and go over, one last time, where and why we make certain throws. Next time he airmails an ill conceived throw to the backstop, he sits. "That's just Eddie" excuses stop now. This is supposed to be major league baseball. Play like it. Find a fourth OFer. At this point, it might be impossible, and for sure you're going to overpay in a trade, but do it. The idea that Buxton/Kepler/Rosario were going to play every day for 6 months was never going to happen. And you don't have anyone to back them up. Admit your mistake and try to fix it. Hughes' time on the roster is over, immediately. Thanks for your service, hard work trying to return, and best of luck to you in the future. The checks will be in the mail for another 16 months.

I believe he’s at Ft Myers. Thank you, thank you, I’ll be here all week. Try the chicken.

we have to wait THAT long??

Four weeks ago I did. I’m still hopeful. Delusional, too, maybe. But still hopeful.

No, it’s not. But I couldn’t care less about a few walks. That’s not what wins games, either.

That’s what I don’t understand...what is the thought process? I hope it’s money. I hate that, but at least I can understand it. I hope, really really hope, it’s not that someone thinks he is a viable MLB pitcher.

It’s rare for players to drop off a cliff. I think he’ll hit.

Agree with comment above...there are no baseball reasons why Phil Hughes has gotten a start for thus team. Also agree that Morneau--one of my favorite Twins ever--was rather...bland and monotone in the booth. And while I'm at it...would it be possible for Mauer to drive in a run on occasion? Perhaps not start every AB with runners on base by looking at two strikes?

That's kind of the point. I'm not sure what you do about the bullpen, except hope it gets better. It was built with Hildenberger, Rogers, Duke, and Rodney as featured parts. There aren't reasonable alternatives. But there isn't any reason Phil Hughes NEEDS to be on the roster. ANYwhere. There are other starters in Rochester, and giving one or two of them some starts till Santana returns seems to me WAY more likely to have some minimal success than Phil Hughes throwing 88 with bad command and no breaking stuff to speak of. It's just...inexplicable. Why?

Can someone explain to me WHY Phil Hughes started this game tonight? What is the reasoning? Seriously. Is it the money? Because I can sort of understand that. Do they feel like they "owe" him one last opportunity, out of loyalty or something? Or do they actually think he's the best available option? I hope to all heck it's not this. This would not be a good thing.

Outscored 13-3 after the 1st inning. So far.

He needs to improve quite a bit to be a AAAA reliever.

Votto, who everyone brings up every time I complain about Mauer, has swung at the first pitch twice tonight. HR, double.

I come to the game thread with a heavy heart tonight. My friend Sal, who used to meet me for a beer most every afternoon, passed away yesterday. We had a deal...we both loved baseball soooo much, and we wondered whether there would be baseball in heaven. Our deal was, the first to die would come back and tell the other if there was baseball or not. Well, I got a visit from Sal this afternoon. "I have good news, and bad news, my friend," he told me. "The good news is, there IS baseball in heaven. The bad news is...you and I have box seat tickets to take in a doubleheader this Sunday."