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Platoon

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Everything posted by Platoon

  1. Platoon
    RBI’s and BA don’t mean anything. There are all kinds of ways to get on base besides hits. Like walks, HBP, or when the catcher misses that 2 strike slider outside the other batters box you swung at trying to hit a 5 run HR. As for RBI’s the runners should be able to figure out how to score without someone else’s help.
  2. Platoon
    I think the points about the 2019 season and the 2020 season have some validity. The Twins schedule for the 2020 season would have been perfect if the Little Sisters of the Poor had been added to that schedule. As for 2019 that was a combination of a FO loading up on all offensive players, and the league cooperating by supplying them with helium filled baseballs. Yes everyone played the same season, but you take the air outa those baseballs and the Twins definitely would not have that much regular season success. And some teams that focused more on defense would have been more successful. The juice in the baseballs impacts the differences between pitching/defense oriented teams vs offensive oriented teams considerably.
  3. Platoon
    Since the topic is 2021 not 2019 or 2020 I put down the players and the FO. I do wish there had been an "injuries" box to check. The players performances are fairly obvious. Even the uninjured have performed subpar, and many of the injured haven’t been exactly stellar before they got hurt. There seems no doubt the FO has not been developing high caliber young pitching talent, at least not any that has played in a Twins uniform. I don’t think Rocco is fault free, but some of problems have filtered down by the FO attempts at using reclamation projects for the bullpen of what was supposed to be a legitimate WS contender. That said he hasn’t given a clinic on managerial game time decision making. Baseball remains a pitching, defense dominated game. Yes you can beat the crap out of some pitchers, on some days. But being a legitimate threat against good teams, with good pitching is not done by outhitting them.
  4. Platoon
    I had the same feeling over the positioning. You are a sitting duck. At least in the more traditional way, you have some protection unless the ball comes up off the dirt!
  5. Platoon
    Maybe he’s grading on a curve?
  6. Platoon
    Well as I mentioned, baseball is a hard game to determine effort made. Since you used Donaldson in particular so will I. When looking at his play so far this year it’s certainly not up to his previous levels. I always liked him on other teams. But something is amiss. It’s possible he just isn’t the player he used to be? Making the FO picking him up for 4? years a pretty bad move. If that’s not it then there could be other reasons? Hidden injury? Hidden attitude? It’s really hard to say. His offense isn’t very good right now, but that’s not really an issue for this discussion. Hitting comes and goes. His defense is another thing. He has botched a number of simple high school grade plays. That doesn’t have to denote "lazy" but it could denote lack of focus? Which is a common cause of making simple mistakes! And which is what I originally referenced.
  7. Platoon
    Thanks. I guess I misspoke. I actually meant how many actual games have his stone cold hands cost this year. All I know is 3 runs given up vs one solo HR, leave you short two runs!
  8. Platoon
    Let’s talk about fundamentals, basics. Fundamentals are fundamental because you are taught them from the beginning of the game. Likely heard about them preteen, then traveling league, VFW, High School, Legion, and college ball. I am not a huge Rocco fan, but I don’t think he has to "teach" fundamentals. But he should emphasize and enforce them. Ben R. knows how to avoid interference, and he surely knows there’s someone already on third. Donaldson, Arreaz and Simmons know how to field and throw. But they aren’t doing it. Knowing the fundamentals isn’t the problem. Executing them is. And that seems to be coming from a lazy lackadaisical attitude from some of the players. Some of it’s the "new" environment. There’s no shame in not getting a bunt down, or moving a runner up, or for that matter even hitting a cutoff man. Strike out? Oh well, next AB I will just take three more crazy hacks cuz thats the new normal. Baseball is a hard game to determine how much effort is being expended by the players. But there just seems something wrong with this teams focus. Even now there seems a lack of urgency. But it’s getting late, early.
  9. Platoon
    Therein lies the problem with Mitch Garver. A solo bomb, and three runs given up because he can’t catch a one hop bunny. Since I see all of Dobnaks runs are earned, baseballs aversion to handing out errors ends up costing him 3 earned runs, and Simmons a nice assist. Is there a stat on how many games Garvers stone hands have cost the Twins this year?
  10. Platoon
    Dobnak features a ‘stache , but not much else? Or, you don’t have much else? (Easy setup for you you Chief)
  11. Platoon
    I tried it with the Cyrillic alphabet a couple times, but a lot of my answers came out backwards and upside down!
  12. Platoon
    I dropped mine when they included letters in the problems..... you should never mix math and the alphabet..
  13. Platoon
    I noticed the Twins W-L record, hitting, and pitching have improved since we have gotten rid of the pesky Sox, and A’s. Coincidence? Hard to say. Brocks comments on hitters being too homogeneous is pretty spot on. Correctly or not current emphasis is on launch angles, back spin, and frankly distance. This is fine for maybe 2/3 of the players. The other third see where the money is and try to replicate something that they can’t achieve. IF you don’t have the power to drive the ball, then your attempts at launch angle become what we always called a "can of corn". Brocks other comment on pitching back to back may be too universal. Rogers history doesn’t seem to indicate that that’s a good plan for him personally.
  14. Platoon
    There not only undeated, they haven’t lost any games! ?
  15. Platoon
    They’re what?
  16. Platoon
    When the cord is cut don’t the burly guys both fall over backwards? And then file a work comp claim against the Finlander? A German would eliminate that by using a side cutter, thus saving himself the expense of the two litigious burly guys.
  17. Platoon
    I really can’t see the team getting to .500, even with a fairly easy schedule. But there is an unknown here. The White Sox. If they are running full throttle it’s unlikely the Twins will have any chance to catch them. The Sox would have to do their part in any scenario. As for the FO I doubt anything will make them become more than a very casual buyer at the most. I certainly wouldn’t invest much, and tie myself up for the future, to get into a play in game. As for selling, I would.. these players were supposed to be the core for a successful run, and haven’t been. Playing helium ball as they did in 2019 and continue to attempt, is not a recipe for a sound competitive team. It’s a recipe for padding your stats against sub playoff quality pitching. Some of the veterans are really getting into the long of tooth area, and our homegrown core has disappointed far more than succeeded. I very sadly include Buxton. He just has not been able to stay on the field, and I highly doubt he will re-up here anyway. It’s a shame, he was everything his potential teased us with, and he is truly the only difference maker the Twins have. If someone want to buy in on the continuing Sano illusion feel free. Buy I have gotten off that train.
  18. Platoon
    One of my concerns about moving the mound back, and they are trying that in an Indy league this summer, it that hitters will increase their level of over swinging. Of course they also may increase the times they put the ball in play, but a can of corn fly ball isn’t exactly drama. Not often noted is the lack of action plays put on by the offense, steals hit and runs, and of course the dreaded B word. These have also fallen victim top the analytical mindset. Numbers may not lie, but they certainly have ruined both watching the game, and discussing strategy. I remember the "good old days" when questioning the bunt the previous day would get Kelly in a foul mood for his whole Sunday show, and Sid would ask the caller "where’d you ever manage". Life was good! ?
  19. Platoon
    Following is a link to an article by Ed Thoma, who wrote a baseball blog for years. I know at times it was carried on TD. I found the closing pretty spot on. Follow the link below to view the article. Year of the Pitcher 2.0 is damaging to game https://mankatofreepress-cnhi-app.newsmemory.com/?publink=37b6e9d22_1345d80
  20. Platoon
    As long as this team seems to expend its energies and assets on hitting vs pitching, this will continue to be the trend. This HR happy team just won a game with IIRC all runs scored via the long ball. This seems their identity since 2019. But someone took some of the bounce outa the ball and it’s not as easy to do this year. Throw in the fact that in any sport offense is the least predictable portion of the game and you have the win big, lose small Twins. Yes you may be able to bully enough mediocre pitchers during a season to be competitive, but once you get into the playoffs, those guys are watching on ESPN with the rest of us. The ones you could run all over are in the other dugout! The Twins have been unlucky health wise no doubt. They maybe aren’t really as bad as their record, but the difference is not enough to make them a contender. But there just doesn’t seem to be anything in the works to turn this around soon. If there were magic Uber talented players down in milb waiting to come up, they are well hidden from us. Especially on the pitching front. The Twins window was based on Sano, Buxton, Kepler, Berrios, Garver, Polanco, Duffy, etc. So far the only one of this group that has been close to that level of play has been Buxton, and his contributions continue to be muted by his injuries. Right now what you see is a big, slow bumbling baseball team which will win if it runs into some helpful pitching.
  21. Platoon
    Why is this happening? Could it be a generation of hitters fed the mantra of hitting the bottom of the ball to increase backspin. And carry? A generation of hitters sold on the "offense is 4 bags at a time theory"? Or hitters that think think making contact in a pitchers count is for weenies? Or, all of the above?
  22. Platoon
    All this talk about, "if you want to win the WS you won’t be using a position player", or "if you don’t want to get a HR hit off your position player, play better" have absolutely nothing to do with the UR. The adherence to the UR has for years controlled the parts of the game that aren’t covered in the book. ALL sports have acceptable standards for behavior towards other players or teams that are on the short end of a blowout. And that’s what the UR are about. Treating your opponent with some respect, and I imagine sympathy when it’s not his day. Because in the future, some day won’t be yours. Piling on in any sport is frowned on by any respectable coach, manager, or player. The operative word in that sentence is "respectable". To those who say, "well if you don’t want to be embarrassed play better", I counter with: If you don’t want to get called out by your own coach, or hit in the ass the next day with a message FB, then don’t swing at a 3-0 bunny, don’t steal a base, or for that matter if you do square up a 3-2 floater and it goes out, don’t act like you just hit the winner in game 7! Kudos to the Sox LaRussa for trying to yell "take" before the pitch, and later calling out his hitter and letting the Twins know he wasn’t on board with that behavior. And the same for Duffy taking a stance properly, below the belt. As for those who think that it’s fine to kick a dog when it’s down, there really isn’t anything I can say that wouldn’t get me warning points! ?
  23. Platoon
    They did, and weren’t bad at it. But the show was Eddie. You don’t lose many games when you don’t give up any runs. For instance, MN Twins 2021! ??
  24. Platoon
    I think you have your Kings mixed up. It’s a good thing Eddie Feigner is on that mound up in the sky. He didn’t take kindly to being dissed. There weren’t many hitting it at all, not to speak of how far. From Wiki: On February 18, 1967, Feigner appeared in a celebrity charity softball game against many Major League Baseball players. In the game Feigner struck out Willie Mays, Willie McCovey, Brooks Robinson, Roberto Clemente, Maury Wills, and Harmon Killebrew all in a row.[1][
  25. Platoon
    Yup, manly men, being manly!
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