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jimbo92107

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Everything posted by jimbo92107

  1. jimbo92107
    When the Twins signed Dylan Bundy, I thought it was a low-risk, low-reward gamble. Hadn't heard news about Bundy for quite a while, but what I did hear sounded like a guy whose arm was pretty much shot. First few games, I thought the Twins lucked into a mature pitcher with a new repertoire of dink and dunk off speed stuff. Then he had a spell where it looked like the league read his book and was beating him with it. Finally on Saturday Bundy showed that he can still be the pitcher from the first few games, and even a little better. Eight innings of one-run ball. He was getting first-pitch strikes with a slow curve, and AZ wasn't sitting on it. Bundy appears to be using a "just enough" approach. Just enough velo and command with his heater. Just enough bend and command with his curves and sliders. An occasional change-up, just enough fade. The common factor was command. He threw 70 percent strikes, and most of his off-zone pitches were sucker balls. It was a command performance, and it may have rescued the bullpen for the next series. Great job by Dylan Bundy.
  2. jimbo92107
    The big comeback year from TJ is 2 years after, not 1 year after. Takes a pitcher about a year to find his game again. Don't expect a lot from Kenta. Love him for trying, but don't bet on it.
  3. jimbo92107
    This isn't shaping up to be a Twins win-it-all year, but if they want to get as close as possible without selling the farm, they need to add one good reliever, then bring up every hot bat in St Paul. DFA Duffey and Smith Bring up Canterino and Balazovic Bring up Kirilloff and Spencer Steer In the playoffs, your #4 and 5 rotation pitchers become relievers, because you're trying to win each 3 of 5 series. Bringing up the hot bats puts a little more pressure on opposing pitchers. We have seen that pressure rise close to the breaking point lately, but not quite bubble over into bunches of runs. Steer and Kirilloff add just enough pressure to blow the lid off some games.
  4. jimbo92107
    There's only one commonality between Arraez and Astudillo: Both rarely whiff. However, where Tortuga could barrel up just about any pitch, he did not have a plan for where to hit the ball. Arraez actually picks his spots to hit the ball depending where he sees gaps in the defense. Also, Arraez is perfectly willing to take a walk, which El Cherubo considered an insult to his manhood. Or something. It's almost like Astudillo was more concerned with looking like a hero than with doing whatever he could to help the team win. I still liked Astudillo, because he was a gamer all the way. But Arraez is fully engaged in winning games, whatever it takes. Both are fun to watch, but Arraez is a more effective ballplayer.
  5. jimbo92107
    Soto is getting his pro forma cuppa coffee because he's a long-time minor league veteran, so they are doing him a bit of respect. The only way he doesn't get DFA'd pretty quickly is if he hits home run after home run, a Twilight Zone scenario where he does a deal with a mysterious stranger in a darkened hallway. I hope he at least gets to play in a game or two... Meanwhile, deep within the lead-shielded confines of their sanctum sanitorium, the FO's hivemind is bubbling over the same issues we are. After exhaustive statistical analysis and billions of computed probability scenarios, they will conclude on the previously mentioned platoon of Kirilloff, Larnach and Arraez. This will give the team plenty of DH's, and bats on the bench, while saving Sanchez from DH duties. Don't be surprised if Kirilloff is called back up within the week. Certainly in the next couple weeks...
  6. jimbo92107
    Kirilloff's bat will give him at least a decade in the majors, IF his wrist issues don't drive him out of the game. Baddoo was unforgivable. The kid was clearly dynamite, and should have been protected. Tyler Wells was just another tall, lanky minor league pitcher among several we heard about at TD. Their success goes up and down, and Baltimore grabbed him after a downturn, I assume. Anybody's guess which tall, lanky minor league pitcher will actually make it. Jax could be a solid middle reliever for years to come. Gotta like that guy.
  7. jimbo92107
    Tony Gwynn seems a better comp to Arraez. One of my favorite features is how Luis will stretch an at-bat out for several extra pitches, making the pitcher run up his count. Then he strokes an easy single, right where he aimed it. Remember Carew's advice, right before Arraez's hot streak? "Crouch a little lower."
  8. jimbo92107
    I think Cole Sands has a good chance to be a solid mlb pitcher. We have all seen his good innings, where his heat rides low and his curves bend right near the edge, also low. That stuff will definitely get a lot of guys out. Regardless of age, it takes a year or two of experience for a rookie to figure out how to plug the holes in his game. Sands may not be quite ready to dominate, but what he needs to learn will not come at the AAA level. Twins should consider moving him to the bullpen, maybe replacing one of several weak links there. Let Sands cut loose with a hotter heater and fewer pitches for the remainder of the season. Then build him up physically and mentally to get back into the starting rotation.
  9. jimbo92107
    Listening on radio, I heard Dan Gladden repeat what I said a few days ago, that Duffey's curveball has lost its bite. Since spinning the ball has been his bread and butter his whole career, losing the spin is a very bad sign for Duffey. Possible that he's hiding some muscle or tendon pain, but without his curve, Duffey's other stuff is delicious cookies for hitters. At this point, if he needs to seriously reinvent himself (again), I think it's time Duffey did that somewhere it won't hurt the team. Twins desperately need to pursue a couple of veteran relief pitchers, so they can DFA Duffey. Not saying he can't come back, but his tricks aren't working anymore.
  10. jimbo92107
    Keep Sweet Luis at First Base all season to save those knees. When he gets a day off, either rest him or DH him, depending how his knees feel. He will win a batting title. Farewell to Chi Chi, we barely knew yea, except by your inflated ERA. The Twinkies have very modest requirements for their starting pitchers, beginning with, don't give up three runs in the first couple innings. The team appears to have a better bet with other arms on the roster or emerging from St Paul. So it goes. Meanwhile, good win for the "B team" of position players. Good plate discipline to draw a couple walks before Arraez walked up. Yes, he can hit for distance. Normally he does not, because he's so good at advancing runners, and swinging for homers would lower his average drastically. Arraez is more valuable than a typical power hitter for a couple reasons. First, he can very quickly dispel the notion that the opposing pitcher has "unhittable stuff." Second, he shows the rest of the team how to work counts, draw walks, and induce pitches down the middle. Today we saw the ultimate example of the result of plate discipline. Two walks to load up the bases, pitcher opening up his chest too soon, balls sailing arm-side. After six straight balls, he could not afford to walk in a run, so at 2-0, Arraez knew he could load up and sit on something pretty much right down the middle. Boom, there it is.
  11. jimbo92107
    Smeltzer further cements his rightful place in the starting rotation. Who else on the staff goes that deep into a game, more than once? Pagan was used properly this time. Five runs ahead, and his worst implosion was for two or three runs. With little pressure, he worked his stuff the way he's supposed to. Very live arm, just needs to get his confidence back.
  12. 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.
  13. 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.
  14. 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.
  15. 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.
  16. 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!
  17. 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.
  18. 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.
  19. 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.
  20. 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.
  21. 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.
  22. 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...
  23. 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...
  24. 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.
  25. 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...
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