jimbo92107

I wouldn't mind seeing Byron Buxton win a ring in Dodger blue. It sure ain't happening here.

Welcome to the Saint Paul Saints, Mr. Jenkins. Congratulations, you have arrived at the pinnacle of baseball in the Twins organization. Enjoy it while you can; at some point next season, you may be demoted to the major league club.

Are the Twins still playing? Sorry, I dropped out for few weeks... I hear the Pohlads decided there's a little more blood in the cow after all... Oh drears... I suppose they have to keep playing, all the way to the end... Ownership has drained all the fun out of this team. From here, it would be hilarious if the Saints sold more tickets than the Twins. I hear the Saints are kinda fun to watch. I wonder if they still have that cute little pig delivering baseballs...

When I first saw Chris Paddack in San Diego, I thought he was going to be a right handed Clayton Kershaw. Two TJ surgeries later, I'm afraid his repertoir just isn't that special anymore. His fastball isn't that fast, and his curveball doesn't curve much. He can fool a few people by changing speeds and spotting his pitches, but it doesn't last, and a team that's familiar with his stuff can jump all over him, as the Twins did today. Meanwhile, the Twins are going nowhere this season, but at least they're doing it in a fairly interesting way. Keep bringing up the kids. That'll get some butts in the seats. So will lowering ticket prices. Oh, and have a Brooks Lee "Pencil Day." First ten thousand fans get a #2 pencil! I wonder if some kids won't know what a pencil is...

Rojas and Roden? Could be a couple decent players. For Varland?? No. As already observed, Louis Varland's value to the team was still being explored. What we did know was that his velocity had taken the usual tick upwards after moving to the bullpen. We also could see that he can now strike out hitters with his well-spotted 98 mph fastball and hard-diving knuckle curve. Possibly another dominant closer. What I had failed to mention was that other thing - the hometown angle. Yes, Varland is a hometown kid that made good and caught on with the local professional baseball team. Yes, the hometown crowd loved him, because he was a big, friendly example of the kind of athletic Minnesota gentleman we all associate with Joe Mauer, Jack Morris, Dave Winfield, etc. We all like examples of the best of us. Problem is, the Pohlads don't care. They're just local bankers, billionaire oligarchs that like to pose as hometown baseball fans. They aren't, not really. To them, the Twins are just another asset, a long term investment whose value varies from year to year, and which could be enhanced by trading a few human resources. They are looking to sell the team, so by their calculations, stripping it down to the bolts will simplify the upcoming transaction.

Emancipate Byron Buxton. Don't chain the man to this losing franchise any longer. Let him go to a team that has a chance to contend. I don't even care if it's the Yankees or the Dodgers. Let him go. Set him free. He's done his time in baseball pergatory. The wolves finally unshackled Kevin Garnett. Time for the Twins to do the same for Buxton. I would ask for a couple hard-throwing, low minors pitchers. Every team has those. We have loved Buxton. Let him go.

The Varland trade was eckstrah spechul stooooooopid. Hometown boy with live arm, under control until the end of the decade, his ceiling completely unknown since he starting throwing shortarm. It's quite possible whoever gets him will switch him right back to a full windup, and wind up with a good starter. What did they get in return? Light hitting, average outfielder, and a lefty prospect, possibly decent. Stoooooooooooooopid.

Fire sale was needed, but the way they went about it was an epic fail. "85 cents on the dollar" pretty much sums it up. Out of ten deals, not a single one looks like they got any real value. Especially stooopid was Varland. His future could still be a very good starter. Same with Jax. If nothing else, they could have gotten a whole bunch of really promising lower minor leaguers, like guys that throw hard, hit hard, field good, etc. They didn't. At this point, they should finish the tear down, keeping maybe just Jeffers and a couple decent fielders. Unload Ryan, Buxton, and Pedro. Get a bunch of top guys in Low A. At the moment, the only redeeming social value for fans is, the minor leagues will always be a ray of hope. Okay then, start bringing up a revolving musical chairs of kids. BTW, Sabato at first base. Just do it. First rounder, right? Let's find out.

Although he was always professional on the field, and he remained civil in the media, it was pretty clear that Minnesota was not where Carlos Correa wanted to play baseball. Nonetheless, he did his job, respected his contract, and now he's going back to Houston, where he will be a 3B with a strong arm, and a completely average bat. Farewell, C4. Time to look for new answers at Short. There is always a fresh crop of farmhands eager to seek money and glory at the club level. I have zero predictions about this club right now. We'll see what happens by the end of the season. My only advise would be to try everybody, and see who sticks. Remember, Michael Cuddyer started out as a sub-standard infielder, who eventually became an all-star in Right Field. I'm still hoping Wallner catches on in RF.

Sad commentary that the most entertaining thing the Twins have done all year was to sell off half the team. However, as fans we must acknowledge the undying TRVTH of baseball: It's a little kid's game played by young men. As such, it requires periodic revolutions. Sometimes management must mash that RESET button and watch the pokey old Windows machine reboot... Speaking of which, where can I buy a cheap new Windows 11 computer? And a cheap new G5 phone? But I digress... Perhaps it is best to remind ourselves why we come here. Baseball, like life (sigh), is not about the destination, but the journey. TD is a good place to keep tabs on stuff we kinda sorta wished we could still do, like throw at that sizzling sixty, swing a bat hard enough to break a lamp, run fast enough to catch a bus, etc. Well, you can't be tweny on Shuger Mountin, and you can't be forty in TV baseball. The ushers and the barkers move us along, but at least we can still sit in the bleachers and yay-rah-rah for a while. That kind of entertainment does require an influx of new blood now and again. It has begun. May it be entertaining.

If your glass is half full...of that foamy stuff that erupts like a volcano(!), then a fire sale at the deadline is just the thing to make fan sites like TD even more popular. Let me tell you about a group of guys that just had a wonderful night of sweet, giddy dreams: Every ballplayer in the Twins minor league system. It's not that these underpaid, overworked young men wish any ill on the players at the club level...they just wish they'd go away! And over the last few days...oh, boy! Seems like half the players that were getting clutch hits, closing games, eating innings and playing multiple positions just left town. It surprised me a bit to see that Byron Buxton was not (yet) emancipated from this mess. Face of the franchise? What franchise?? Buxton's first (relatively) healthy, all-star season, and the team has collapsed, again. Kevin Garnett can sympathize. Now, a whole new game of musical chairs can begin. I expect to see several more trades soon, because the Twins still have a logjam of infielders, many of whom are currently stashed in AAA and AA, and some of whom could play at league level elsewhere. Lots more promotions, too. Hey you, minor leaguers: Any of you pitch? Any of you steal bases? Play outfield? Shortstop? Pound baseballs for distance? The sun comes up on a new era in Minnesota. Let wild surmises launch like colorful balloons. Sweet dreams, boys.

To be brutally honest, the Twins need a fire sale. The only player I would not trade is Ryan Jeffers, because a solid star catcher is soooo hard to find. Byron Buxton deserves better than to be stuck in Minnesota for his whole career. Like Garnett and the Wolves, he has paid his dues. Let him go somewhere with a chance at a ring. The rest of the squad is just draft picks and prospects waiting to be harvested. I'm not going to blame Falvey and Levine for this mess. They succeeded in Cleveland, so they tried to do it again here. Fact is, Cleveland was a run of luck that could not be replicated. Also, this team is owned by stingy billionaires, not sports fans. Bad situation. The Pohlads probably don't have the cajones to do a fire sale while they're trying to sell the team, but the new owners would be smart to do it. Clear the decks and start over. Sell the old car for parts, then buy a new one. This team does not just need a little tweaking around the edges. It needs a full overhaul.

Practially falling over with every swing, lurching left, right, forward, his head jerking... With that approach, major league pitchers would toy with him, make him look like a fool. There's a hitting drill where the batter stands on an inflated inner tube, to make sure they stay centered. I'd have young Quentin standing on an inner tube for the next six months. During that time, I'd work him on drastically reducing his trigger zone. He needs to be a power hitter with a stingy zone. Otherwise, he might not make it out of AA. Also, if he's had TJ surgery, then it's outfield or nothing. Those infield snap throws are much harder on the elbow than a big outfield heave, where you get a couple big strides into the throw, plus full body rotation. So, we have a possible good corner OF, with some possible power, if he can get his balance centered and narrow his zone.

First, it's a reversable decision. If he sucks as a starter, Jax can move back to the pen. Second, the Twins appear to be good at converting starting prospects to bullpen arms. If one of them can finally become a starter, that may provide hope to the rest of the guys that still dream of being a starter. Third, Jax doesn't need to be great to become a starter for the Twins. Not like this squad is going anywhere.

I'm liking Brooks Lee more and more. Baseball is in his blood. Perfect bunt to win a game, and his hitting is becoming more solid all the time.

He's a secret ingredient, but you have just an ounce of it.

What a total screw job. That's two good reasons for Robo Ump: Missed calls on key pitches, and then the complaining batter gets immediately tossed by a touchy, incompetent umpire.

No chin straps in baseball. I don't know why.

More than any other physical attribute, what I want to see from Carson McCusker is the look in his eye that says, "I am the hunter, you are the prey." What I saw in his first at bat was more like, "Wow, look at all those people in the stands!" "Is that a pitcher?" "Oh, shoot! I have no timing at all!" Hopefully, I will see something different soon. Heck, even if you have to fake it, at least go up there looking like a hungry wolf, young man. Fake it 'till you make it.

One possible benefit: Every delay lets Buck and Correa recover from their head banging. Also, we got to see the new guy swing his very large bat. Sorry, Crusher did not remind me of a Yankee.

Looks like no more baseball until Wednesday. Rain, rain, go away...

Eh...the radar says, don't hold your breath for this game to continue.

Outside curve gets McCrusher. That pitch was outside the zone until the last six inches. What a curve.

Is this guy seriously larger than Aaron Judge? Sounds like he should be playing Tight End for the Vikings.

13 wins. Impressive. Good offense, magical pitching.