Platoon

IIRC in the Atlantic league the plate umpire could overrule a "mistake" by the bot? Seems odd that such perfection would need correction by a mere mortal? I imagine Robo umps are coming. I really do not think they will improve the game. Something will be lost. That said, I will gladly be on board with Robo perfection once the players all play and the managers all manage to perfection, and the vendors don't spill any beer. Why do we expect perfection from 4 guys on the field, and not from the other 30,000 in the stadium? I would think that the fiascos the NFL is going through attempting to perfect football officiating would be enough forewarning?

I could easily get behind this idea.......

Since numerous teams hit more home runs than usual the most obvious reason is the Titleist 3 that replaced the normal MLB baseball. It's true that the odd part is that the Twins hit the most. There is no doubt the maturation of some younger players also contributed. And, there is no doubt that there are players who hit HR's way above their pay scale this year. I didn't do the math, but I think Garver, for example, would extrapolate into a 50 HR hitter given a full season of AB's. I can't really believe anyone thinks he is that level power hitter. Castro and Kepler were over their heads also.Edit: I just did the math. Garver hit .33 HR per game, which in a full season = 54. This year he played in 93 games and hit 31 Bombas. Last year he played in 102 games and hit SEVEN. While he actually had 24 fewer plate appearances in 2018, that doe not account for the difference whatsoever.

Interesting article in Wapo about the plate umpiring, the players and managers thoughts on it, and some comparisons to the unintended consequences the NFL is dealing with due to an expansion of electronic officiating. https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2019/10/28/game-umpire-controversy-raises-question-should-mlb-use-an-electronic-system-make-calls/?wpisrc=nl_most&wpmm=1

That they did. It's sort of a shame they couldn't have made it 104 games. Or maybe 103? Or even 102? They had a great offensive year, along with something like 20 other teams and the company that makes MLB baseballs. But that does not hide the fact that this isn't a good defensive baseball team. Those flaws were painfully exposed in the playoffs. Those deficiencies coupled with more or less the same level pitching, and one had better hope that the Bombas continue at a high level.

There were lots of stats explaining how well Cron hit the ball and wasn't rewarded for his above league average efforts. There was little mention of how his defensive shortcomings contribute to the less than stellar performance of he other three infielders. I realize that 1B is a bat first postion. But considering the question marks surrounding the pitching staff, some consideration has to be given to improving the teams defense. Somewhere! Since we seem locked in on Sano, Polanco, and Arrez it doesn't seem that defense will be addressed next year, yet again

If I was a MLB FA pitcher and someone offered me a chance to pitch in front of the Twins IF, and frankly their catchers, I would have to give serious thought to the wisdom of that idea. Oh they can hit, but that is one awful looking IF. It's almost inconceivable that this orginisation cannot draft and develop a SS who doesn't need his offensive prowess to justify his playing that position?

I think George Springer is a wonderful ball player. But WHAT IF George Springer had ran out of the box on that double instead or posing for 40'? WHAT IF he had ended up at third and scored on that one out FB to RF? Springer would still look good in a Twins uni, but that was a mistake. I wonder what TD would look like today if it had been a Twins WS and it had been Eddie?

I have been an Edde fan, but this year his play and his seeming blasé attitude have been sometimes confounding. But to really know what's up one would need to know the answers to two questions, the true answers which we will never find out. First is how his legs really were. Season long nagging injury? Or not? Second was his apparent non chalance driven by a dislike for being forced to RF? This questions isn't in defense of such dislike, it's meant to analyze his actual behavior and results.

IF the rest of the infield wasn't so god awful lousy you could probably do what has been done for ages in baseball at all levels. Good defense in the middle, and offense on the corners. I know the shifts change the dynamics to an extent, but the fundamental still is applicable. If Polanco and Arrez weren't so glove challenged I imagine Sano wouldn't be such a problem defensively at third. That and the fact that Mauers glove is missed far more than many had anticipated at the top of the year. Those who had salivated for years wishing for more power at 1B now have comparison to judge the benefits of someone who can catch a baseball at the at position v someone who will hit a few more HR's.

The Twins had a wonderful season hitting the ball. Those numbers were accumulated over 162 games, many of which were played against the KC, Chicago, Detroit, and Blatimores of the world. Last time I looked those teams weren't in the playofs. In playoff baseball defense is likely the easiest to replicate from the regular season. Then likely pitching. By far the least likely tool to duplicate into the post season is offense. I really don't think the Twins diminished output should have surprised anyone.

Well once the last Trogosaurus has been turned into crude oil, everyone really won't be in the same place. The "haves" will be more likely to add depth and talent to their teams via free agency and expensive extensions. The "have nots" will not. While everyone may be in the same place in the future, they may not be able to remain there.

Putting your top three hitters in a bunch near the top of the order is something I wish the 1965 Twins had thought of. . I always see mentions of where players hit in the order makes no difference? But actually it does. Which is why playing the regular season in one manner and the playoff batting order in another is puzzling. There will be two other factors in place next year. The afore posted three hitter minimum somewhat mitigates the need for LRLR. And of course which baseball will MLB dig out of the closet next year. In principle I don't disagree with the OP, but I would prefer two OB guys up first. Say Averrez (sp) and Polanco. Then probably Cruz, Garver, and Sano. Or switch Garver and Cruz. Sano IMHO remains the power hitter I would most like to oppose in a big situation. He is 5 times more likely to SO than homer. And he still has not been able to calm himself in big situations. A 5 run HR often seems his thought process. Those are odds I can work with. The Twins didn't lose only because the wind blew more into LF, or the RF porch in Yankee stadium is ridiculously close to home plate. They lost because the Yankees had a better pen, one better SP at least and a far superior defense. The defensive gap alone was enough to turn the series their way.

I would have used Duffy the same way I did during the season. I say this even though I was concerned he might revert to his "deer in the headlights" look of previous years. But he had earned the chance this year, and one has to have someone to fill that spot. On this team that was him. As for Dobnak and Littel? No way that Dobnak starts in NY. FB v GB ratio be damned. He had no chance in those bright lights. Put him in the friendly confines of Target Field. Zach Littel was not the man for that slot either. May preferably and Romo if I didn't trust May. But that screws up the game in later innings.

10/14: Jim Pohlad quoted in a Sid Hartman column "there will be no restrictions on payroll">>>>>>>> For some reason I thought I had read this quote from one of Sid's previous columns, so I looked back. I found it in 2018, 2017, 2016, 2015............................... 1964, 1963, 1962, and 1961. While I assme it was Calvin and Carl who issued the earlier quotes, the fact that the Twins have always been a family run enterprise may explain the fact that Sid has never quoted ownership in full. The words "to family members" was either consciously omitted, or in a more likely scenario Sid didn't have his hearing aid turned all the way up? .

As Derek Falvey and Thad Levine look to build a consistent winner, their goal will be in the form of projectable success. While owning one of the best farm systems in baseball, and now having a Major League roster flush with controllable talent, they’ll look to stack the deck in their favor for years to come. Rather than sacrificing high level assets for a fleeting hope or additional percentage points, they’ll be calculated and well thought out in pushing for consistency.>>>>>>>> This. The Twins will have to and should build from within. They don't have the money to instantly "buy" a winner. But good scouting, good coaching, and good orginisational structure can make the a Twins consistently competitive. Thinking the Twins can or will match the Yankess and Dodgers spending are ignoring math and history. As I noted in another post, this roster is far from one SP and one RP away from the top bracket.

I have first hand experience in this matter. While coaching a youth team in the championship game for our local league. Apparently the game coincided with a local town celebration, and the Over 60 municipal band decided to play at the park. They chose as their location the bleachers behind the third base bench. Apparently unawares of baseball etiquette they would play during an ongoing at bat, or any other action that got in their way. You could not hear the umpires balls and strikes, you could not hear the ball hit the bat, and you could not converse with your players. I finally asked the home town, plate ump to see if they could restrict their talents to between innings. Which he did, and they agreed to. I on the other hand was roundly booed but the locals, which at that level I imagine was some sort of first. maybe that's why to this day I absolutely abhor loud grating music at sporting events. IF you have to make artificial noise to excite your fans, maybe you should consider the fact that your team isn't very entertaining on its own.

Like everybody, I like managers who let it all hang out at pressers. And pregame interviews. Let's the fans and players know exactly where they stand. The White Sox had one a few years ago, he was really forthright. But I think he retired or something, haven't seen him in quite awhile?

I read endless comments all year about Rocco's lack of depth in his comments. I just got done listening to a pre series podcast by a noted curmudgeon sportscaster about the futility of listening to anything Rocco said. This gentleman also opined that Rocco can talk for twenty minutes and not say a singe thing. I listened to him a couple times, and since he didn't ever say anything of substance, I simply spent my time learning to knit. I wouldn't walk across the street to hear whether he thought it would rain today. 45 minutes into the discussion, in the rain, he still wouldn't have told you what he really thought. Therefore I simply can't understand the angst and surprise that he didn't turn into an orator. This is what he is, and that is one of the reasons they hired him. Frankly I think he is moreso 33% of the management team, rather than an actual manager in the historical sense of the word.

Same game. And all the hitters using whippier, harder maple bat bats. All the hitters being superior athletically and better trained. All the hitters catch up to 98. Hitters built like NFL linebackers. Different approach? 3 true outcomes. No hitting for contact with the bases loaded, no outs. No moving a runner. No pitching inside. Pitchers have improved. Hitters have improved. Same game! Lastly, in 1991 good pitching beat good hitting! In 2019, same game!

Same game. Different mentality. Still 3 outs, 4 balls, 3 strikes, and 9 innings. Amd good pitching generally trumps good hitting. Same game.

Speaking of out analyzed? This WAPO piece is semi snarky, but addresses that issue. https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/mlb/a-former-uber-driver-drew-an-alds-start-in-yankee-stadium-and-the-twins-got-lost/2019/10/05/4556b8e8-e632-11e9-b403-f738899982d2_story.html

I purloined this from WAPO. A modern version of an old classic. https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2019/10/01/casey-bat-poem-baseball-modern-era/?wpisrc=nl_ideas&wpmm=1

The Yankees live in that environment all year long. There seems far more pressure there than occurs in other places, such as Target Tield. Yankees fans expect to get to the playoffs every year. Twins fans hope to. There is a difference. I assume fly ball v ground ball rate was at the heart of the Twins inexplicable decision to start a Dobnak in that high pressure venue. But the single biggest difference overall was plate discipline. Berrios lives off that little breaking ball sliding off the outside corner. I think it was Garver who said they like to start that pitch as a strike and let them chase, but they didn't. Nor did they chase Dobnaks low stuff. And when a sinker ball pitcher has to bring it up, it never ends up well. The Twins somewhat faced the same situation. But they did not lay off the stuff off the plate. While they notoriously feasted on FB all year, they never forced the Yankees to throw them any. Just kept swinging. Sano was the most visible of the bunch, but not at all alone in that regard. The strike zone didn't cost the Twins either game. There were pitches missed for both teams. When fans call for Robo umps, and still complain when a pitch is obviously out of the box, it tells me Robo umps won't stop the whining at all. If you have questionable pitching, and surround it with questionable glove work nothing good will come of it. Every play is magnified, and every out is precious. Remarkably I can see a way for the Twins to get back to NY. It's slim, Ordorizzi would have to become Big Jake. (Google it) Berrios would have to throw at least seven innings on short rest. And Severino would have to misplace his talent. While I wont take bets it's doable.

This is why I have struggled getting into all the excitement over the offensive success of the past season. While there are instances of hitting based teams winning in the playoffs, its not often they can sustain the offense all the way through three series against quality pitching. Hitting is hard, and it tends to be streaky, and it's not as easily repeatable as good pitching and good defense. Pitching has been the preemminent factor in all levels of baseball forever. And until someone completely changes the rules, or the shape of the field, it will continue to be so.