Jump to content
Twins Daily
  • Create Account

Platoon

Verified Member
 View Profile  See their activity

  • Posts

    5,830

  • Joined

  • Last visited

  • Days Won

    6

 Content Type 

Profiles

News

Minnesota Twins Videos

2026 Minnesota Twins Top Prospects Ranking

2022 Minnesota Twins Draft Picks

Minnesota Twins Free Agent & Trade Rumors, Notes, & Tidbits

Guides & Resources

2023 Minnesota Twins Draft Picks

The Minnesota Twins Players Project

2024 Minnesota Twins Draft Picks

2025 Minnesota Twins Draft Pick Tracker

2026 Minnesota Twins Draft Tracker: Picks & Bonuses

Forums

Blogs

Events

Store

Downloads

Gallery

Everything posted by Platoon

  1. Platoon
    Golf. Camping. Bowling. Not necessarily in that order.
  2. Platoon
    I would like this is even more if I knew what a plural/collective noun was. I was raised on a farm, so I got the grain and chaff thing pretty well in hand!
  3. Platoon
    It's quite possible that both could have a MLB career. Arrez may be a better hitter for average. I have no distinct take on his defense yet, but I doubt it's "elite". He does appear to be a tough out and the AB the other night was exceptional. He will likely regress, his current numbers would seem unsustainable. Astudillo? Nothing in his game indicates he is baseball stupid. His combination of eye and contact rate will allow him to adjust to MLB pitching. And like Arrez, he won't hit .350 as he had at one time. His versatility and in game awareness are definite pluses. Players who can catch, play OF, and IF are rare, and valuable. Unless you expect that versatility to be combined with elite level defense? Either way it may be too early to anoint Arrez, and the same too early to bury La Tortugas!
  4. Platoon
    To the defensive lapses you can add Cron's footwork on that Sano throw. He got himself locked up and didn't shift his feet, or he could have likely saved that play. Another negative play was, I assume, Arrez not diving on the ball up the middle to knock it down, that would have saved a run at the time. The night before a passed ball. This just has not been even a decent defensive team recently.
  5. Platoon
    I have always been a believer in Buxtons talent and the idea that he will become not a good player but a great one. But the injury thing is starting to get real. It's not simply bad luck. There are a lot of players who go all out. But they aren't always hurt. While he has unbelievable flat out speed, he seems to have no "athleticism". That may seem odd to say, but he is always slamming into a wall, not jumping into it. He doesn't seem to round his route at a wall, simply runs into it the like the coyote in the old Roadrunner cartoon. And when he falls/dives it always seems more like a crash. I know this seems piddling, and yes I wish I had his level of athleticism, but then again I am not playing CF in MLB baseball. His next great improvement better not be hitting the slider, it better be staying off the IL!
  6. Platoon
    I would not have to even read it to know that this would be some form of butt kissing by Sid. That's all he has ever done, and all he will ever do!
  7. Platoon
    Baldelli is sort of a enigma to me as a manager. Many of the traditional cause of fan discontent over a manager come (came) from in game moves. With then "new" form of baseball, there is little of that to discuss. That sort of leaves bull pen moves and roster use. I won't include lineup order, since we have apparently come to the conclusion that where a player bats has minsicule affect on the game? Overall I like much of what Rocco is doing. He is somewhat hamstrung by the lower tier of his pen, and I have a queasy feeling in my tummy that if the pennant race gets tight, he will over use Rogers. But that remains to be seen. It's awfully easy to coddle your relievers when you are on an offensive tear and are up by 7 all the time. One last thought. A lot of the Twins flexibility issues in the past were compliments of Molitor. One had to be semi vision impaired to fail to notice that some callups never got their shoes dusty. The FO can only call them up.
  8. Platoon
    Update: Brian is alive and well!
  9. Platoon
    Polanco could be one of the biggest beneficiaries of the defensive shift of anyone in MLB. That times have changed is a good deal for him. Leaving him at the traditional SS position would expose both his arm and his lack of range. Since he now plays roughly a third of the time around or on the right side of 2nd base, his defensive flaws are mitigated. His offense is what I always expected. It's what will guarantee him a roster spot in MLB for the foreseeable, and hopefully considerable future.
  10. Platoon
    To expand on Brock's comments, one could take the Turtle as an example. Some on this site see him as postionally flexible. Others see him as defensively berift at every position he plays. No names will be mentioned to protect freedom of expression. Brock's use off Buxton is semi correct. Semi? Yes, due to the fact that Buxtons enormous athletic ability would likely allow him to play quite a few different positions, albeit not to the caliber that he does CF. Mauer as a catcher v IF is a perfect correlation. That leaves us with the Turtles and Marwins of the world. Good enough to play numerous positions at a sufficient level to be rostered, but never so outstanding that their talent at one spot is so overriding, their manager doesn't want to lose that level of defense. Positional "inflexibility" is a good thing up the middle. Flexibility is easier to take on the edges. Polanco is another good example. On a team with an excellent defensive SS, he would be a perfect candidate for a super IF sub. Plays everyday for his bat at some IF spot. Doesn't "hurt" the team with his glove, and helps with his bat. Nice example of postionally flexible.
  11. Platoon
    107% with Mikelink on the desire for actual baseball to be played. Great SS's, speed, steals, hustle doubles, and hold unto your Nick Punto bobblehead and occasional squeeze bunt. Sooner or later fans will tire of watching the Jason Castros of the world hit 20 dongs in a season. HR's will become yesterday's singles. As for the ball? It does seem that according to the people who throw it and hit it every day, it has changed. And, if MLB wants to change the ball, they can. It's their league, and their gazillions of dollars floating around it. But then don't let the Manferd (sp) stand there and tell us it isn't any different. That's insulting.
  12. Platoon
    The reason that everyone was so surprised that the Twins started the season with the record that they did, is that it was unexpected in relationship to the talents of the players on the field. This isn't meant to be derogatory. But it is surprising. Raise your hand if you expected the Twins to run at a 103 clip all year! They spent ten weeks with numerous players operating at career high levels. Normally you have a couple, this was practically an entire roster. There were some younger players who will continue at a higher than previously shown levels due to their maturation, but some of the veterans have seen their peaks for the season. In essence, the Twins weren't THAT good, and the Indians weren't THAT bad. They are headed towards where they likely belong, very close to each other.
  13. Platoon
    Also lost in the chaff was the ball off Polancos glove, not an error (at least in MLB) but not an impossible play either. As for the other side of defense, the throw by Marwin was truly one of the better ones I have seen made. No setup, just turn and heave. Also nice footwork by Castro to anticipate the hop and set up the tag!
  14. Platoon
    Maybe some of the Twins hitting success can be attributed to hitting your pitch when you see it. If someone is sitting behind you constantly telling you to take a few pitches, your pitch may be gone by then. Being an agressive hitte is not synonymous with being a stupid hitter. Take a walk if you get one, hit your,pitch if it shows up, no matter the count!
  15. Platoon
    Can I TRIPLE like this? Let's put the shoe on the other feet. The hated Sox, fill in your color, have someone on third with one, or no outs. Our beloved Dick/Bert surmise for all to hear that our esteemed hurler desperately needs a K. They don't say he needs a GB to the SS playing back. Or a fly ball. The only other option is an IF pop up. Yes a bases loaded DP is wonderful, but if the hitter struck the ball, it won't necessarily go to an IF's mitt. But a SO will go to the catchers mitt!
  16. Platoon
    Excellent point, pretty soon catcher will become an offensive position like RF.
  17. Platoon
    I agree how hard it is to quantify fielding. Then there is the issue of guys like Sano and Polanco, guys who the harder the ball is hit, the better they field it. Little hippoty hops drive them crazy. Astudillo won't ever look good fielding, he doesn't present athleticism. Cron has surprised me with his digs. Cave? I have wondered from almost day one why anyone wanted him on an MLB roster. His glove is suspect, his arm is no better, and he sure isn't playimg for his bat. Catching has changed so much. An arm isn't even necessary except to throw the ball back to the pitcher. Blocking the ball is very important, makes the pitcher secure in the low breaking stuff. But calling a game?? Have asked this question forever, if the catcher is calling the game, why is he always looking towards the dugout between pitches? Is PaPa Johns delivering soon? Lol
  18. Platoon
    Sano has become the poster child for the 3 true outcomes hitter! SO swinging! SO called! SO checked swinging!
  19. Platoon
    Well there's doubling down, and then there is doubling down! The commentator who made the point about finding relief arms to miss bats basically disposes of the theory that SO's are simply another out. A SO makes your BABIP a moot point. It could be .800, it could be .173, but if you don't hit the ball it makes no difference. With runners in scoring position, especially third with less than two outs, nothing would please me more as a pitcher than to see him standing in the batters box. If I executed my pitches, he is almost a certain SO. No hit, no sac fly, no chance of an error, or even a walk. Last year I thought it was his conditioning. This year, in better shape, is more of the same. Maybe he will work his way out of it. I thought he would be a generational power hitter. He is young enough to do that, but so was Arcia. Arcia didn't have quite his talent, but they are on the same path.
  20. Platoon
    This confirms the (recently held) theory that SO's are better than hitting the ball!
  21. Platoon
    I am convinced the Sox walked Kepler unintentionally, intentionally one time, and should have done it twice to get to Sano. Obviously the last Kepler AB that was not an option. While the upside for Sano v La Tortugas is considerable, no one will convince me that Twins at the current time are not a better team with The Turtle at third base and Sano in either the Twins dugout, or Rochesters. Last night should have put a fork in the theory that strike outs are simply just another out!
  22. Platoon
    "An Ineffective Offense"? Picking nits here a little, but just a couple points. Good. Pitching. Beats. Good. Hitting. This wasn't as much a case of an ineffective offense, as it was a case of an excellent pitching performance by Porcello. As it was by Berrios. Much more a case of effective pitching! And a much more interesting game to watch. Dick and Jack made a valid point. Games like this each pitch counts, vs just waiting for the next three run bomb.
  23. Platoon
    I did exactly the same thing for the same teams. Boston at MN, and I wrote my game thread as a Boston home game. References to the Green Monster and all that. Had to rewrite the whole damn thing!
  24. Platoon
    Correct. I was referring to fans who thought he should return some to JP. I assume they thought JP would then go find the elusive bullpen arm.
  25. Platoon
    I was a big fan of both players. And both as noted had an unfortunate injury that upended their careers. While I am not a believer that athletes owe me anything other than their production on the field, I was still sorely disappointed when the somewhat sordid details of Pucketts personal life became known. To me that did indeed tarnish him, both on and off the field. Mauer on the other hand has had not a blemish, with the exception of bi lateral leg weakness, on his resume. Fans who think his contract diminished his value are wrong. Fans who thought he should give some of it back are simply delusional. Joe Mauer wasn't the reason the Twins didn't spend more money, that matter lies soley with ownership. While the two can co-exist as players, Kirbys personal issues will always taint him, at least in my eyes.
×
×
  • Create New...