jimbo92107

Are we talking about the "Pagan Sacrifice" I saw last season? Seemed to me that his problem wasn't any particular pitch, but that, at some point in an outing, his command would falter. First, he would walk two guys in a row on pitches that nobody would swing at. Then, he would over-correct on the next batter, throwing the ball right about down the middle. Boom, two or three runs score, putting the team in a hole, or deeper in a hole. Oh, and after that, he'd mow down the next guy or two like a Cy Young candidate. The Pagan Sacrifice. No, I would unload him in an instant. Let him turn some other manager's hair gray.

Fulmer looks like he still has plenty of gas in the tank. Not a shutdown guy, but a good, determined reliever. If they can keep his price tag reasonable, sign him.

As much as all the hits, I remember all the players from opposing teams that clearly are big fans of Louis Arraez. He'd be trading hugs with seemed like half the guys that checked in at first base. One of the true nice guys in baseball. Congratulations also to Louie Varland, who sure does look like a talented young starter for the next decade. Pretty soon the Twins may not need to hire many rental pitchers anymore. Wouldn't that be great... Disappointing season, but with harbingers of good times ahead. I'm binging on harbingers! Happy winter, Twins players. Don't tweak your backs swinging those golf clubs!

Yep, the White Sox are swinging the bat like they got nothin' to lose. Twins should, too. Let 'er fly!

Kubel / Kirilloff comp is only partial. You can hit with a patched together knee, but not if your wrist gives you stabbing pain with every swing. I feel bad for the kid. Kirilloff clearly has dreamed of being a great baseball player since he was a child, and now that dream is threatened by a body part smaller than a dime. It's just not fair...but that's life - not fair. We're all pulling for him, very carefully.

Baseball seasons are wars of attrition, but it seems like the Twins have been stockpiling talent to the point where even bad luck may get overwhelmed. The tipping point may come from three or four top prospects that may start the season in AAA or AA. Varland, Balasovic, SWR, and Lee could see significant time in '23. Might also say that about Martin, who seems to be rebounding from a bad year. Biggest problems seem to be Kirilloff and Paddack, followed by Mahle. Well, you spin the wheel and hope that one will hit, the other two pitch. Keep Gordon and Bundy around. A super-sub and a veteran that survives without a big heater are great examples for everybody. I would part ways with Jake Cave, however. His ceiling is now well known, and with a guy like Martin coming up, we might as well see if he's a better 4th outfielder. One intriguing factor could be Miranda, if he comes back lean and mean and ready to play good 3B. Working out for six months with Carlos Correa could get just about anybody into great shape. Maybe the Twins could ask for a package deal. Send everybody to work out with Carlos. That might be the best move this organization ever made.

SWR: Great stuff, improving command. Legit future starter sometime in 2023. Once he loosened his death grip on the ball, he started missing bats. Dick is right that Griffin Jax is one of the best stories of the year. His slider is what Joe Ryan should work towards. His game is so polished now, I wonder if could try starting a game or two. He and Ryan should exchange notes.

Another congratulations to another rookie's first cup of coffee. Simeon Woods Richardson. I won't be typing that whole name very often, but he's liable to have half a dozen nicknames in his first season. SWR for now. I love his straight over the top pitching motion, with that steep downward plane that Uncle Bert talks about. He'll get tons of ground outs, plus an occasional titanic homer hit off that delivery. When an uppercut swing hits a downward plane baseball, that's how a ball goes into low earth orbit. It'll be fun to see what his stuff does to mlb hitters.

We could wind up seeing a verrrry different Twins squad next season. Possibly gone: Urshella, Corea, Polanco, Kepler, even Buxton. In their places: Miranda, Lewis, Brooks Lee, Kirilloff, with Arraez subbing 3b, 2b, 1b. Outfield, Larnach, Martin, Wallner. You could still have Celestino and Cave as backups, with Gordon as super-sub. I won't even get into the pitching staff. Mind-blowing.

I could see an outfield of Larnach, Martin/Celestino and Wallner. Strong arms in the corners, fast CFs improving at the plate. Infield: Urshella the rock at 3rd, Lewis SS, Araez 2B, Miranda 1B. All good hitters, the latter three working to improve their defense. This would mean that Buxton and Correa go elsewhere, but youth movements are pretty constant in baseball. And I haven't even mentioned Brooks Lee, who will probably force his way onto the mlb lineup sometime next season...

Roy Smalley said it - Bailey Ober's performance was important because it gives the young pitcher a huge boost of confidence going into off season workouts. He knows now that his stuff is good enough to get multiple whiffs and swinging K's. Now he can shore up his strengths and work on eliminating his weak points. It would be nice to see a bit more velo on the heater, so he can use that as a K weapon, not just as a decoy. Otherwise, if his command remains good and his health is good, Ober looks like a very successful mlb pitcher.

On a team that's already loaded with stars, Buxton's 50 percent availability works out just fine. I loves me some Buxton, but trade him to the Yanks or Dodgers. Then he can heal up right, because he doesn't have to carry the team.

Lopez was right about the pitch that set him off, but still, a pitcher's life is full of minor injustices, at least until Robo Ump takes away the human error factor. A closer cannot afford to let anybody see that he's getting ruffled. For Lopez, coaching is not what's needed. He needs a sports psychologist. I say this will all due respect and good intentions.

Speaking of the Pagan virus... I'd like to ask every Twins Daily fan to go out and get vaccinated, whatever the current nasty virus is called. Much as we are frustrated by the Electric Pagan Sacrifice, we cannot honestly blame him for the pandemic. Can we? Whatever. Go get the jab; don't wind up on the slab.

There you have it. Joe Ryan's last two starts reveal definite "Ace" potential, and that's against a very good hitting Cleveland team. If and when he gets a little better command of his slider, he'll be shutting teams down on a regular basis. Here's a question to mull over the winter: Having seen how good a closer / setup man Jhoan Duran is, would you indulge his preference to be a starter in 2023? Obviously he's a great closer, but if the young man can get similar results over 5 innings as a starter, isn't that more valuable? Imagine a young Roger Clemens as a closer. He would have been great, too. But what a waste!