John Bonnes

http://traffic.libsyn.com/gleemangeek/GATG_05172015_FINAL.mp3

To the Twins credit, they took advantage, stringing together five hits and a walk in seven at-bats. Joe Mauer's triple was the ballgame's breakthrough hit, but give some credit to Trevor Plouffe and Kurt Suzuki for their alternate but effective approaches in Mauer's wake. Plouffe went up hacking, going after the first pitch and delivered a second triple and a fifth run. Suzuki alternately worked a 3-1 count before his double, which ended Lobstein's night after 2.1 innings and mostly cemented the game. Lobstein is not terribly well known outside of Detroit and has a funny name, so it might be tempting to write this game off as the Twins taking advantage of a bad pitcher. That's at least partially true. Lobstein is only in the rotation because of Justin Verlander's status and his likely path is that of a back-of-the-rotation starter. But he also entered today's game with a 3.00 ERA. In his last start he threw 7.2 innings while giving up just one run - and it was unearned. He has oddly been one of the Tigers most consistent pitchers this year, so while the Twins did what they were supposed to do, they also did something that no other team has done this year when they chased him early. Overlooked Gem I'm sure starting pitcher Ricky Nolasco will get plenty of credit for this win, but the most valuable pitcher was Twins reliever Michael Tonkin. He entered the game in the bottom of the seventh, leading 6-2 but with runners on 1st and 2nd and no outs and needing to face the heart of the Tigers order: Ian Kinsler, Miguel Cabrera and Victor Martinez. Four batters later he walked off the mound and into the dugout with three outs and no change in score. Fangraphs will tell you that he cut Detroit's chances to win that game from 16% to less than 4% with his work. He did get a little help. Danny Santana ranged pretty deep into left field to get the first out on a pop fly. Eddie Rosario got to a ground ball in a hurry to make sure that Cabrera's single didn't drive home (the admittedly hobbled) Jose Iglesias from second base. And Tigers manager Brad Ausmus helped by writing Victor Martinez in the cleanup spot in the Tigers lineup. Martinez looks totally lost right now. His batting average is down to .226. His OPS is just .603. He left six Tigers on base tonight, going 0-4 with three strikeouts. This game could've been much tighter with any contribution at all from him. Come, America to Comerica This was my first visit to Comerica Park and I left a lot more impressed than I expected. I've been somewhat reluctant to give it the benefit of the doubt because I loved the Tigers old ballpark, Tiger Stadium, so much. But they did Comerica right. Nearby are some decent establishments to socialize before the game. We chose Cheli's Chile Bar where they have a beer garden with standard but good fare and inside they have 20 or so taps. Michigan has a vibrant craft brew culture, and you'll find that reflected almost everywhere, including in the ballpark, where there's an enclave near the main gate with 11 craft beers on tap. Comerica doesn't have a signature architectural feature, other than maybe the big concrete cats all over, but it stays visually interesting with lots of levels, entertaining side areas and appealing decorations that tie in the Tigers rich and long history. My favorite is the ballplayer sculptures by Lou Cella in center field, which are a cool combination, both realistic and abstract. The weather was cold, but the Tigers fans were friendly, the ballpark was fun, the beer was good and the Twins got a relatively easy win. Comerica isn't making it into my Top Ten MLB ballparks, but it's close, and an easy "thumbs up." It's worth a special trip and I'd love to come back.

http://traffic.libsyn.com/gleemangeek/GATG_05102015_final.mp3

The move would be somewhat surprising as Rosario has had a slow start in AAA Rochester, especially in relation to outfielder Aaron Hicks, who is hitting .289 with a 869 OPS. It's possible that the Twins want to replace Arcia’s left-handed bat in the lineup and while Hicks is a switch-hitter, he has suffered from the left side of the plate. However, the Twins have not commented on the decision, or even acknowledged it. Rosario has had a roller coaster ride in the minors over the last two years. In 2013, he finished a tremendous year between High A and Double-A as a 21-year-old, firmly establishing himself as one of the top 100 prospects in the minor leagues. However, that offseason it was revealed that he would serve a 50-game suspension for taking a drug of abuse, later revealed to be marijuana. The suspension meant he started 2014 late and his second go-around in AA went far worse (.237/.277/.396) than it had the year before (.284/.330/.412). However, he recovered somewhat with an outstanding showing in the Arizona Fall League, hitting .330 with a 755 OPS. Rosario continued to recover his prospect status in spring training, making a bid to go north with the Twins as their everyday center fielder. Ultimately, that job was handed to a platoon of Shane Robinson and Jordan Schafer, with Rosario being sent to AAA-Rochester. Rosario has split time in center field and right field with Hicks so far this year. In Rochester, Rosario was hitting .242/.280/.379 with three home runs. He also had 17 strikeouts versus just five walks. However, he hasn’t struck out since back on April 25th, having drawn two walks since then, demonstrating that an adjustment has possibly been made.

Game Most Likely To See A Twins Comeback The A’s have started this year the way they finished last year. You would think that would be a good thing for a team that made the postseason. It’s not. Oakland was 72-45 on August 9th and in first place in the AL West by four games. They finished ten games behind the Angels after finishing the year with only 16 wins in their last 45 game stretch. They held on – by one game – for the last Wild Card spot over Seattle, but lost the Wild Card play-in game to the Royals. They had the greatest run differential in the American League but it meant nothing within days of the end of the regular season. Fast forward to this year, where the A’s have outscored their opponents by eighteen runs – but are somehow four games below .500 and in third place in the AL West. The biggest culprit seems to be a bullpen whose 4.92 ERA ranks last in the American League. They still have two relievers – Tyler Clippard and Evan Scribner – who are exceptional and can handle high leverage innings. But get their starters out in the middle innings and the A’s must rely on much less dependable arms. Monday night’s A’s starter, Jesse Hahn, has just a 2.86 ERA, but he has yet to pitch more than six innings and the only time he made it through the sixth was in his first start of the year. Plus, he’s been dealing with a blister issue. Getting him – or any of the A’s starters – out of the game early bodes well for some late inning excitement in Target Field. Winner: Monday Game Most Likely To See Some Weird Sh… Stuff Monday night is May the fourth, which sounds like “May the Force” which means it’s Star Wars Night at the ballpark. There is a special ticket offer which allows you to get a special “Hughes the Force” (which sounds like “Use the force”) bobblehead that has pitcher Phil Hughes dressed up like a Jedi. It occurs to me that some of you have no idea what any of that previous paragraph means. Just trust me – there are going to be some bizarre things going on at Target Field that night, especially because it was also Comic Con weekend….oh, you don’t know what that is, either. Again, trust me. One way or the other, you’re going to remember Monday night. Winner: Monday Game To Go To If You’re A Minnesota Wild Fan You’ll miss the first half of the Wild game if you go to Tuesday night’s Twins game. I might suggest going to the afternoon game on Thursday and then heading over to 7th Street for some pregaming before the 8:30 faceoff. Pace yourself. Winner: Thursday Game Most Likely To See A Twins Win The A’s starter on Wednesday night is Scott Kazmir, who has resurrected his career and is sporting a 1.62 ERA this year. He also beat the Twins twice last year, though they did score five runs against him in the second of those. But other than Kazmir, things look quite a bit better. We’ve covered Hahn on Monday, and the other two starters have both been vulnerable. Drew Pomeranz, who starts on Thursday, hasn’t pitched more than 5.1 innings since his first start of the year. And Jesse Chavez, who starts Tuesday, was just moved into the rotation. Winner: Thursday, and I say that knowing full well that Ricky Nolasco is pitching for the Twins. Game Most Likely To Stay Dry After having a gorgeous weekend, the week looks like it’s going to be wet, which is the way it should be. It doesn’t look like there will be any rainouts, but Monday is the only night without a decent chance of rain. Winner: Monday. Best Giveaway At least if it rains on you on Thursday, it won’t ruin your shoes. You can wear the flip-flops that the Twins are giving to the first 10,000 fans for that afternoon game. Nothing says “I value you as a client” more than seeing each others' bare feet. Winner: Thursday

http://traffic.libsyn.com/gleemangeek/GATG_05032015_fINAL.mp3

Watching him might be fun for pitching connoisseurs, but likely won’t be for Twins fans. Sale has a career 2.37 ERA versus the Twins, which includes nine starts and eight relief appearances. Not that the suspension would have pushed him back more than a single game anyway, but he’s appealing it, which is why the Twins get to see him this homestand. Winner: Thursday, unless the Twins can find a way to get Sale suspended some more. Hmmm… Best Game To Watch the White Sox Lose Their Minds We all know by now that the way to make the White Sox go Defcon 6 and pile up a bunch of suspensions is to yell at one of them after a comebacker. But that takes a special kind of crazy, as demonstrated by Royals pitcher Yordano Ventura. Unless the Twins plan on putting Oswaldo Arcia on the mound, I don’t think we have a player who can generate those kind of fireworks. But hitting a few Sox with pitches might do the trick. Only one pitcher on the Twins staff has hit more than one guy with a pitch this year: Mike Pelfrey. He’s also known as one of the nicest guys in the game, unfortunately. But that won’t necessarily stop the White Sox. Winner: Sunday, because Pelfrey pitches that day. Unless the Twins decide to let Oswaldo Arcia pitch, in which case you do whatever it takes to make it to the ballpark Like miss the birth of your only child. Trust me on this. . Best Weather The baseball gods might not like Twins fans, but we’re in good standing with the weather gods this year. We have four straight days of 70s and 80s coming up and May is just starting. It doesn’t look like rain during game time for any of the matchups right now, with the possible exception of Sunday. So let’s go with: Winner: Saturday, because it’s an afternoon game and 81 degrees. #SuckItWinter Least Likely To Interfere With Binge Watching The NFL Draft Winner: Sunday, which is also the day there is a chance for rain. The weather gods apparently hate the football gods. Best Game For Getting A Free Beer And Celebrating The Wild In The Playoffs Friday night the Twins play at 7:00 and whenever you lose interest in the game, you can stroll two block over to Mason’s (6th and Hennepin) and join the MinnCentric guys, including yours truly, at our Wild Support Group Game One Party. It’s free and includes a free beer and “Lucky Lemon Bar”. It does not get better than this. Winner: Friday Best Game For A Sneaky Twins Victory The White Sox this year only have a 541 OPS as a team against left-handers. That includes a loss against Tommy Milone, who takes the hill for the Twins on Saturday afternoon. The White Sox just haven’t faced many southpaws so far this year – but that’s a good thing too. Winner: Saturday Best Game At Which To Catch A Home Run Ball White Sox first baseman Jose Abreu has started 2015 right where he ended 2014 – by slugging the snot out of defenseless baseballs. He already has five home runs on the year and most have been pulled to left field, which is the easiest place to hit home runs in Target Field. By the way, I see a pair or tickets in the second row of section 128, right next to the left field foul pole, for just $11 apiece on Ticket King. Winner: Four way tie. Best Game At Which To Meet The Love Of Your Life Twenty-five years ago tonight I was mocked for my exceptional volleyball skills by a cute Philadelphia blonde. Four years to the day later, I married her. We have spent most April 30ths since then, and several other key moments, at baseball games and Thursday night will be no exception. If you’re looking for magic in this world, I highly recommend a baseball park. It has worked for me. Winner: Me.

It occurs to us that this might be a winning recipe, so we’re calling all Twins Daily readers to Masons Barre and Resturant (6th and Hennepin) to watch Game 1 of the Wild-Blackhawks series. Writers from Twins Daily (including yours truly) and other sites will be there to talk Wild playoffs, Twins minor leagues, Vikings draft or United’s stadium. And you’ll get a free beer on us to thank you for all your support of our dismal teams. We’ll also be sampling the #WildSupportGroup’s new “Lucky Lemon Bars” which we feel are sure to guarantee a Wild victory. Three Olives Vodka will anchor this sweet lemony concoction that is guaranteed to raise spirits or drown sorrows, again for free. Never has a support group been quite so enabling. I mean that in a good way. So you have plans Friday night, and so do your friends if you’re kind/smart enough to invite them. Set aside some time, head over after dinner, stroll over after the Twins game. No matter how you do it, SHOW UP. It’s rare you get to be part of someone buying the house a round. It’s even rarer you get to see a Minnesota team in the playoffs. Either way, it’s time you get to feel like a winner.

There weren't a lot of pitchers with high strikeout numbers. That surprised me because when one thinks of tall pitchers, one focuses on the best tall pitcher: Randy Johnson, who ranks second all-time in strikeouts. The pitchers were: Mike Smithson (6’ 8”), who debuted in 1982 as a 27-year-old, Randy Johnson (6’ 10”), who debuted in 1988 as a 24-year-old, Eric Hillman (6’ 10”), who debuted in 1992 as a 26-year-old, Mark Hendrickson (6’ 9”), who debuted in 2002 as a 28-year-old, Chris Young (6' 10"), who debuted in 2004 as a 25-year-old, Chris Volstad (6' 8"), who debuted in 2008 as a 21-year-old, Jeff Niemann (6' 9"), who debuted in 2008 as a 25-year-old and Doug Fister (6' 8"), who debuted in 2014 as a 25-year-old. Looking at their minor league records, Smithson, Hendrickson, Volstad and Hillman all had very mediocre strikeout rates, with the highest at 6.2. Fister’s was only 6.70, though he might end up being the second most valuable starting pitcher on this list. He was fairly effective when he debuted at 25 years old, but it wasn’t until he was traded to Detroit as a 27-year-old that he ratcheted up his control and started posting sub-4.00 ERAs. Meyer, on the other hand, has a 10.4 K/9 in his minor league career. That’s higher than even Randy Johnson had in the minors. The only other pitchers with a rate above mediocre are Chris Young (7.4 K/9) and Jeff Niemann (8.9 K/9). Young debuted as a 25-year-old, was decent as a 26-year-old, and looked like a future star as a 27-year-old. But his career was derailed shortly thereafter by multiple injuries and three surgeries, including facial reconstruction from a hit to the face and two independent shoulder surgeries. He is a great “what if?” (Thanks to Thrylos for helping research this.) But Meyer, who has been shut down each season due to a sore shoulder, reminds me most of Niemann. Niemann was drafted fourth overall and, as the Rays then were apt to do, signed to a major league contract. That’s significant because that meant he was on the 40-man roster and his three option years were needed as he worked his way through the minors. Niemann posted some outstanding numbers in the minors, but also suffered from shoulder and groin injuries, including an offseason shoulder surgery. He made a brief appearance in the majors in 2008 but was promoted to the club for good in 2009 as a 26-year-old, because he was out of options. He had a good rookie year and started well the next year, but faded badly as the season went on due to shoulder and back problems. The next two years were decent, but both were marred by injuries; he made just 31 starts over the two seasons. In his fifth year, he was battling for a job in spring training as a 30-year-old in the Rays rotation when they discovered that he had to undergo shoulder surgery. He hasn’t pitched in the minors or majors since. So to recap, Niemann was "rushed" to The Bigs as a 26-year-old. His career lasted a little over four years. He started less than 100 games. His overall record was 40-26 with a 4.08 ERA. Meyer and the Twins have a luxury that Niemann and the Rays did not; Meyer's demotion this year will only use the first of his three options. He won't need to be promoted for good until he is 28 years old. And as for caring for his shoulder, it's easier to limit and care for a pitcher who is out of he glare of the bright lights of The Show. It could also be, like Johnson, he's going to need some additional time to work through his control issues. Meyer posted a 4.4 BB/9 rate in Rochester last year, which is about 50% worse than average in the majors. At the beginning of this year, that rate is much worse, with a walk rate over 8 per nine innings. And, of course, it's likely to get worse in the majors. But he has three more years to work through those issues in Rochester if he needs them, without starting his service time clock. It may be that delaying his debut in the majors hurts his prospect ranking, but it's not clear that it hurts his long-term development. A look at other tall pitchers reveal that they often need extra time to harness their control and need to be cautious about with their workload to avoid injuries. Those areas should be the focus, not their age. if you would like to know more details about how this list of pitchers was assembled, see Part 1 of this story. Thanks to Thrylos, Hosken Bombo Disco, Jokin, 70charger & Kevin for their assistance in researching this study.