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jimbo92107

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Everything posted by jimbo92107

  1. jimbo92107
    Surgery, then rehab rehab rehab, for twelve freeeekin months... What is Royce Lewis going to do with all his free time? Can he sing or paint? Will he do some community work? Appear as a guest commentator with Dick Bremmer? I would love to see him show up at Little League parks in the Twin Cities, to give fielding and hitting tips to kids. I bet he'd love that, too. Imagine getting a key tip on how to throw a ball from Royce Lewis. Any little kid would die for that. Pass along some of your pro knowledge to kids, Royce. It will make your rehab year a joyful time.
  2. jimbo92107
    Bundy is today what he's going to be for the rest of the season - a 50/50 chance of pitching well or poorly. He'll wind up with an ERA of over 6, yet now and then he'll shut down some team. Would Canterino or Balazovic do worse? We'll be wondering that until it happens.
  3. jimbo92107
    You play the Nyorks, you go to war, baby. You better bring some mean old relief pitchers that give up runs only after the toughest fight. Our boys weren't ready. How are they supposed to get ready in the cushy, weak Central Division? This bullpen needs some serious changes.
  4. jimbo92107
    I was surprised how Chris Archer dominated the usually potent Yankee lineup. Even more surprised was I to learn that he has won 20 games against them. What is it about Archer's style that gives all those home run hitters such difficulty? He definitely attacks the zone, throwing a lot of pitches in what looks like hittable locations, but on the periphery. He also attacks outside the zone, but he manages to deliver his sucker pitches with the same motion as his strikes. Mostly he keeps the ball low, but he'll sprinkle in a high tight pitch now and then. Good job of mixing up pitches. Even so, his stuff looks "hittable." It doesn't have a lot of late action, just good location, and he does avoid the middle of the zone pretty well. Maybe that's the lesson for Twins pitchers facing the Nyorks: Don't try to throw anything freakish, just attack around the periphery, avoid the middle, and mix up your pitches. Sounds simple, but actually it's not.
  5. jimbo92107
    I gotta bone to pick with the Twins organization about Jermaine Palacios. Here is a young man with the size and shape of a young Alex Rodriguez. He's a big, athletic guy, yet they have him hitting in a stance and style hat guarantees he will never hit for power. Jermaine Palacios should have a stance like Chili Davis: Front shoulder closed, front hip pointing at the pitcher, front heel lined up with rear toe, weight back on inside of rear foot. It's a simple power stance I once taught to a complete novice in 30 seconds. Then you meet the ball no later than a line you draw from the front toe. This guy should be terrifying opposing teams with exit velocities rivaling anybody in the league. Why the Twins taught him to tippy toe through an at-bat, that's just coaching malfeasance. Let this man swing a bat for real!
  6. jimbo92107
    The key to this evaluation is, as Cody referred, the low quality of the AL Central. Berrios fed off these poor teams regularly, allowing him to pile up wins and keep his ERA relatively low. Now, he's facing better teams, with better hitters. Assuming he's throwing about the same stuff, we see what happens. Flip side, Twins got Martin and SWR, two good prospects in the Toronto system. Again, referring to the low quality of the AL Central, there's no reason to feel bad about either guy's future. Martin will be a super sub, and SWR will be pitching vs. relatively mediocre teams. Both should do well here. Twins win because they are in a weak division, and were able to replace Berrios with an untested rookie, Joe Ryan. Toronto loses because they didn't realize how narrow was the margin by which Berrios was effective, even against weak teams. If Martin pans out merely as a solid player, it's an even deal. If either he or SWR is a star, then the Twins win big.
  7. jimbo92107
    Soon as I saw Pagan warming up, I thought, "Game over, he'll cough up two runs." I don't even count that as a particularly insightful prediction. It's just Pagan's modus operandi this season. Clearly he's got the stuff to get guys out, but first he has to walk a guy and give up a home run. After that, he'll burn right through any lineup. Wish I knew what it took to fix this guy.
  8. jimbo92107
    Good article, good discussion, but I would table any trade talk for a couple weeks. Let's watch and see how Gordon handles the next several games, especially at the plate. I'm seeing a look on his face that reminds me a little of Buxton, after he knew he'd found his swing. Don't be terribly surprised if Nick Gordon goes on a hot streak.
  9. jimbo92107
    I'm calling much hubbub, little real damage. Royce Lewis twisted his knee, possibly smacked his knees together as he crash landed. I did not see a large twisting action or a real hard smash of one knee against the other. Thus, I'm a guessin' that the tissues in his repaired knee have a few spots that are going to be tender for some time beyond functionally "healed." Sonny Gray needs a hot shower and a massage on his sore back. I bet he could pitch his next game, but the Twins will be careful with him, let him rest for a turn. Frankly I'm glad - this will give Smeltzer, Sands, etc, to get a chance to show their starter stuff. Question: If Devin Smeltzer does another 7-innings of shutout pitching, will the Twins DFA him? What's the guy gotta do to get a regular starter's slot? He's not just a pitch-to-contact guy, he usually gets a handful of K's per game, sometimes more. The only thing he doesn't do is tickle the laser speedo at 93 mph. 87 to 91 is his heater's velo. Thing is, he commands it, like all his pitches. I see opposing batters get very frustrated with Smeltzer. Why can't they straighten one out on him? It's because he's skillful, clever, and bulldog tough. MLB has seen finesse pitchers do well before. Devin Smeltzer is one of those guys. Plug him into the rotation, and enjoy your winnings. Oh, I forgot: Nick Gordon, y'all! Been trying to tell people, this is a guy that's gradually getting better and better. We're starting to see a look of confidence on his face that wasn't there before, when his life was one chunk of bad luck after another. Today we're seeing a fashionable, confident young man that's really starting to feel like he belongs on this excellent baseball team. Stay tuned for more good things from Gordon.
  10. jimbo92107
    I would rather bring Smeltzer into the rotation, have him pitch 6 or 7 innings, then bring in Archer to cut loose for 2 innings. Archer has been good for two innings so far, but not much further. Maybe he could amp up his heater a couple clicks if he's not trying to pace himself. Maybe then he'd avoid those long at-bats with ten foul balls.
  11. jimbo92107
    Cavaco who? Man, I was wondering what the FO was thinking on that draft day... do another Royce? A lot of experts thought it was a serious reach. I'm still wondering that they saw in the kid, but maybe he's just starting to show it. Good luck to him, no expectations here...
  12. jimbo92107
    Bundy got another lease on life today, pitching smart, the way he did his first couple starts. Trevor Megill may have lost the game, but I still like him, because he is... tALlllll...
  13. jimbo92107
    Let me tell you something about bears. First, on average, bears don't like us, and we don't cotton much to them, either. Bears are grouchy, prone to sudden violence, and have massive teeth and claws. A bear can literally tear you head off with one swipe of a huge paw. Luckily, they don't often do that, or the rangers would have a final say. Safe to say Richard Nixon never had a bad encounter with a bear, and neither has Tyler Duffey. That's about all the two men have in common. Like most Americans, Duffey probably has seen the Nixon tattoo on Roger Stone's back, and he may casually have wondered if its eyes move. They do. Duffey's curveball has always been his bread and butter, his on-field pass to watch pro baseball for free. On the other hand, his four-seam fastball attracts baseball bats the way a full picnic basket could reel in Yogi and Boo Boo from miles away. From a safe distance and with the blessings of anonymity I have sometimes clamored for Duffey to modify his straight heater to duck and swerve and such. Sometimes he'd come up with something that would work for a while. This appears to be happening again. At this point, I should wind it up by pulling together some comment that combines an observation about bears, Nixon and Duffey. Nope, I got nothing.
  14. jimbo92107
    Nick Gordon, Gilberto Celestino and Luis Arraez are key parts of this multifaceted experiment. All three "subs" have been performing at a level that on most teams would rate a starting position. But they are subbing for guys that have even more of a factor the team needs. Gordon can sub for any IF or OF position. Even pitched an inning. Celestino is the team's fastest outfielder not named Buxton. Arraez is a bit small at 5'10", but he's actually a good first baseman, and a great hitter. The other key parts of the experiment are multi-inning relievers in the pen. Duran can go several innings, but he's too valuable as a closer now that Taylor Rogers is gone. Jax is holding his own, possibly getting better. Pagan is terrifying, but clearly talented. Winder was doing well before he went on the IL. Smith is a one-inning wonder. Duffey and Thielbar are pitching well, but how long can they last? The FO clearly wants each reliever to be able to go a minimum of two innings. To make that happen they may promote one or two starters from AAA around mid-season. Looks like a good experiment so far...
  15. jimbo92107
    Steer could be like Brian Dozier, but with home run power now, not a few years later...
  16. jimbo92107
    Hey all you rebuilding mlb teams, does your organization need a hard-hitting, talented infielder that can play 3B, 2B, 1B or SS? Got any good veteran starting pitchers?
  17. jimbo92107
    Great defense and pitching in this one, punctuated by the last out, a grounder off Duran, right at the best infielder in the league. Correa grabbed the ball, stomped on second base and delivered a thunderbolt throw to end the game. Boom, done! Let's go eat!
  18. jimbo92107
    If you have a moment, compare the homer clips of Spencer Steer and Alex Isola for weight transfer. The kinetic chain theory recommends achieving separation between each stage in the chain. Both Steer and Isola complete their weight transfer before firing their hands. If anything, Isola's swing seems even more potent than Steer's. Both guys appear to bring bat to ball with max power via efficient mechanics. Unless mlb goes to a completely dead ball, these guys will be cranking a lot of baseballs over fences. BTW, somebody down there is a great hitting coach.
  19. jimbo92107
    Being a long-time Twins fan, I hate to give my fellow fans hope. However, this 2022 squad is beginning to look like one of the highest quality teams in the league. I realize there are others, so I have refrained from blurting "World Series" to most people, other than one old buddy, who chuckles wistfully, as you might expect. They're pretty close to having the pitching, and they still have a couple minor leaguers, Balazovic and Canterino, that could do well. However, this is a bullpen-dependent pitching staff, like the one KC used several years ago to win it all. That means they must solidify the pen. In the field, they have a couple superstars, and several guys that are playing like stars, at least for now. Kepler may be a key, if he can keep riding his hot streak against lefties. Celestino could be absolutely vital if Buxton continues to be fragile. Never enough pitching, never too much good hitting. Computer tip for the day: Don't spray foamy glass cleaner directly on your laptop keyboard. I thought my PC was inhabited by an evil demon for the next several hours. All those little short circuits trying to type my PIN for me... ? Tip 2: Compressed air helps somewhat. Or just sit the machine in front of a fan and walk away for a while.
  20. jimbo92107
    Buck needs a week off. Celestino is no drop off right now. Pagan comes thru again, but will give us all gray hairs. Urshela is having the kind of hot streak that will keep Royce Lewis stuck in AAA. Skol!
  21. jimbo92107
    This game bodes well for the season. Bailey Ober came in off the IL and showed he was exactly the same good pitcher. Cano showed he needs another month in AAA. Bring up Moran again. Biggest good omen was the comeback. Twins teams in the past have often gone flat in late innings. This squad fought back hard, and put enough pressure on KC's pen to make it crack. Twins teams in playoff years could rally like this fairly often. Best of all, KC is not a pushover. They've got some good young talent, and their bullpen can throw flames. It took a lot of plate discipline to pressure that pen into mistakes. I will include sweet Luis in that number. He got scrawed. Speaking of Arraez, maybe the Twins should leave him at 1B and count their blessings. 1B could be the easiest position on his knees, the one thing that could crash his season. Otherwise (foibles aside), he reminds me more and more of Tony Gwynn. Great eye for the zone, and he can barrel it up just about every time. Is Luis Arraez the fiery heart of this Twins team?
  22. jimbo92107
    Sweet Luis Arraez is becoming the heart of this Twins baseball team. He's scrappy, determined, savors every ball that comes his way. Joe Ryan makes it look easy. His unhurried, deliberate delivery makes it look like pitching at the highest level is just an easy game of catch with his buddy Ryan Jeffers. It's as if a guy throwing batting practice suddenly finds himself striking out everybody. A pleasure to watch.
  23. jimbo92107
    Devin Smeltzer can win at the mlb level...when he's got this defense behind him. Urshela playing 3B like an All Star. Correa at SS. Polanco playing 2B like an All Star. Miranda playing decent 1B. Then the outfield, possibly the fastest OF the Twins have had since Rosie Buck Kepler. Celestino's arm - as good as Rosario's? More data needed. Still, I can see why the FO doesn't want Smeltzer at this moment to be a regular in the rotation. Pitch to bad contact is an old Twins maxim, but today's FO wants more K's. Smeltzer in the past has racked up more K's, so he'll probably be back. Long live the fighters!
  24. jimbo92107
    When your team wins 14 to 4, you don't feel the need for one young star like Royce Lewis. Still, his solo home run for the scuffling Saints seemed like a lonesome cry from across the river. Larnach hit one, too, which is good news for the Twins outfield and for super sub Nick Gordon, who can't give infielders a day off if he's stuck in left field. Twins need a stronger bat out there, as well as Larnach's stronger arm. Speaking of which, Matt Wallner, y'all! 440-foot bash, and I hear he's a converted pitcher, so I figure his arm is at least adequate. Future right fielder? First base? MLB is a business of constant transitions. Only outright superstars get to stay put at their positions for long. Otherwise, some youngster with fresh body parts could take their job. That puts a lot of pressure on players that are just a whit above average. The Twins have a few guys like that...
  25. jimbo92107
    Major league ballplayers are some pretty tough dudes, and Alex Kirilloff is working to prove that now for himself and the Twins. However, it's going to take a lot more than a couple good days at the plate to show that his injured hand has truly healed. Does it hurt on a check swing? A ball off the label? Off the end? Like everybody else here, I'm pulling for Kirilloff to get back to the Twins. He's a good 1B, and Jose Miranda is scuffling at the plate. Miranda is the one that needs some seasoning in St Paul. I'd say Miranda also needs to get some reps at 3B and 2B, as well as corner outfield. He and Royce Lewis should be playing musical chairs at about five positions. Frankly, that's the future of baseball, at least for young players. Hit like crazy, and learn as many positions as you can. Maybe add a decent knuckleball to the mix, too...
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