jimbo92107

Everybody's hurt, and things look gloomy. Orders for the day: Attack!

True dat. Span is the only guy on the team right now that's hitting the way he should.

I remember seeing Pedro Florimon earlier. Beautiful shortstop, and his batting stance looked great. I wasn't sure why he wasn't hitting, but maybe he just needed to find the right mental approach at the plate. Or it could be as simple as figuring out when to shift his weight. Joe Benson may need to work on his approach too, but I wonder if he's just feeling the pressure of high expectations. This whole "professional" thing can take the fun out of the game. In fact, this whole Twins team should sit down and watch a few Washington Nationals games. Young team, great talent, great pitching. But especially watch the wonder kid, Bryce Harper. He plays like a pirate hot on the trail of fresh booty. He runs hard, swings hard, throws hard, but most of all he thinks hard, always looking for a way to beat his opponent. First inning Sunday Cole Hammels hit Harper right in the back with a 93mph fastball. A couple minutes later, Harper's on third, with a runner on first. Hammels threw to first base--and Harper stole home, timing his move perfectly. Some people thought that was somehow unfair, because Hammels had displayed remorse for hitting Harper. Well, guess what? Harper found something sweeter than an apology from Cole Hammels. The Nationals lost the game, but it was a lot more fun to watch than any Twins game this year. My advice to Joe Benson would be, don't worry about your approach at the plate; just play the game like Bryce Harper. Play with the attitude of Pete Rose, Ty Cobb, and Willie Mays. Every game is like a fat treasure ship just waiting to be boarded. You be the pirate that figures out how to snatch the booty. There's always a way, matey.

It's good to see Ron Gardenhire man up and assume responsibility for this team's miserable performance. However, the recent history of his management style indicates to me that mouthing the words of accountability are not sufficient. It strains credulity to think that so many otherwise good baseball players cannot perform well at the plate for the Minnesota Twins. I keep thinking back to what David Ortiz said, that when he would hit a ball really hard, Tom Kelly would burst from the dugout shouting, "Hey, hey!" as if it was wrong to swing hard. There is a fine line between plate discipline and timidity, and it looks to me like this Twins team has crossed that line. Instead of looking eager to smash anything in their hitting zone, these guys look worried about swinging at anything outside the strike zone. If you think of the pitcher/batter relationship as a game of cat and mouse, timidity is what instantly makes you the mouse, and we all know who wins that game. Consider the Tampa Rays. Their guys have the right attitude. They look to jump all over anything in their hitting zone, which is different from the strike zone. Batting practice is supposed to be about learning to expand the area of pitches you can smash. You get your elbows up so you can smash a high ball, then adjust down for lower pitches. Was it a strike? Doesn't matter; the only question is, can you smash it? Now obviously it's harder to smash everything a major league pitcher throws at you. They vary the speed from mid-90's to mid-70's, throw the ball with various spins, etc. Worst of all, they're so rude, they won't even tell you what they're about to throw. Sort of. Great hitters know things that shift the advantage back in their direction. They can study statistical tendencies, and they can study video of a pitcher's delivery. They look for tip offs that reveal what's coming. A couple years ago Francisco Liriano was tipping his pitches so obviously that I wrote several rants about it. Standing on the mound, he would lower his right shoulder. Here comes a slider. Raised shoulder = fastball. Not too surprisingly, he was getting killed, because everybody (except the Twins pitching coach) was having a wonderful time reading his pitches. It's great when you know what's coming. For pitchers that don't flash a neon sign like Liriano, batters are stuck with tendencies and pitch recognition. Again, some pitchers are easier to read than others. Some guys raise their elbow higher when they go into their fastball motion, or their knee. Clever pitchers learn to make their delivery look the same for all their pitches, differing only by the grip and wrist action right at the release point. Some of them change their facial expression for a particular pitch. It can get subtle. Or not. Anyway, none of these savvy tricks work if you're timid at the plate. The mouse never beats the cat, and this Twins team will not win 60 games. A team attitude change doesn't happen until you change the source of the attitude. It ain't coming from the players.

Timid and passive at the plate. What's with these guys, have they completely forgotten why hitting is FUN? Take the "strike zone." Stop calling it that. It's a "hitting zone," and it's a lot bigger than the area Jared Weaver was throwing into. Biggest problem with the Twins is pitching, sure. Gotta score ten runs to win half their games. But the second biggest problem with this team is a loser's attitude towards hitting. These guys are stepping up to the plate wondering if they should swing the bat or not. Will it be a strike? Oh no, that one was so close! Screw that attitude. Smashing baseballs is fun, and all hitters should practice smashing baseballs in every area of the hitting zone. Some people can expand their hitting zone to above their heads, like Kirby Puckett, or off the bounce, like Yogi Berra. My point is, when a pitcher looks at you, he should see a guy that's getting ready to smash anything within reach, not just balls in that little tiny "strike zone." If he wants to throw it a foot outside, fine. In that case you might not swing. Now I suppose some of you are thinking, "Boy, that's a sure fire way to look like a fool at the plate." More foolish than what we saw tonight? Fire Gardenhire and Vavra. Their crappy hitting philosophy has ruined this baseball team. Hire Terry Francona or somebody young and enthusiastic about hitting, like Tom Brunanski. By the way, this is not to take credit away from Jared Weaver. He did what he was supposed to do, to a team that has a completely wrong attitude towards hitting. When batters look timid and indecisive, a good pitcher should make them look like fools. Just like Tuesday night, making Twins hitters look foolish was not all that hard. It will happen again and again, until their attitude changes. Instead of wondering whether to swing, learn to smash everything within reach. It's a lot more fun.

Liriano has been missing precision and consistency. Both those things come from precise control of your balance and footwork. Does anybody here see Liriano controlling his balance and footwork with precision on a consistent basis? Hell no. Every pitch starts and finishes differently, even on a "good" day when he gives up only 4 runs. To fix Liriano's delivery is going to take a lot of work. First, make sure he finishes in the same place on every pitch, preferably in position to field his position. The old "chicken wing" finish with his right elbow crooked, weight over the stride leg, drive leg swings around parallel like an outrigger, throwing arm relaxed and dangling between right thigh and chicken wing. It worked pretty good for Koufax, Lefty Grove, etc. Thing is, he has to finish on balance and ready to field. Liriano doesn't do that, either. Even if Liriano physically is unable to do a standard delivery, even if his pitches absolutely require throwing himself through that funky pirouette, well, then he needs to have a consistent recipe for that delivery, one that ends with him on balance, finishing the same way each time. Such a recipe may be possible, but so far we have seen little evidence of it. On the other hand, I don't think Liriano needs to do his twirly dance to get guys out. I have seen him finish in the standard folded-over, on balance position, and it worked just fine. His fastball still popped, and his slider still slid. Liriano's twirly dance does not impart more speed or spin to a baseball than he could by executing a standard delivery properly. All it does is create uncertainty about his release point, plus risk wrecking his elbow and shoulder...again. After all this time, Francisco Liriano still appears to be a pitcher in search of mechanics that will bring him consistent success. Why not try mechanics that have worked for others?

Meanwhile, Terry Francona is on vacation... Ron Gardenhire is not a bad manager, but he's not great with young players. A guy that can inspire young players is what this team needs in the coming rebuilding years. Either Francona, or even Tom Brunanski would provide a more vigorous, aggressive approach that appeals to rising baseball players and the fans that watch them play. That, and the Washington Nationals starting pitchers would put this team on a winning track... ;-)

Parmalee to AAA, Burroughs gone, bring up Dozier and Benson, Clete Thomas gone. Okay, that takes care of my first wish... ;-) Maloney gone, Gray gone, Slama up, Diamond up. Two... Butera up. Grrr. Plus 150 points on his batting average. This is fantasy, after all. Three.

I hate to tell you this, AJ, but some of those same morons heckling you...some of them actually vote, in elections. How's that for a horrible thought?

Liriano's problems start right at the beginning of his motion. Sadly, the beginning of each pitch looks a little different, so the result is unpredictable. I've heard Uncle Bert talk about coming to a balance point. Liriano needs to do that consistently, with consistent rhythm. Right now, his rhythm sucks. Maybe he needs to listen to some funky reggae.

You scared the fish.

Agree with the first four, but I'd adjust the fifth guy for more power. Span Mauer Willingham Morneau Valencia (v. LHP)/Parmelee (v. RHP) Parmelee/Valencia Doumit ... This way you follow Morneau with a somebody that hits well against the particular starter's handedness. Doumit comes after those two until he starts getting more than one hit every couple games. The main point is a good one: Mauer batting second is much more of a threat than Carroll. We've even seen it happen when they tried it a couple years ago. Of course, it would be nice if occasionally Mauer would break his personal rule of always taking the first pitch. I've never seen anybody get more first-pitch medium fastballs right down the middle than Joe. Even if he swings at 1 out of 10 first pitches, that means his average on those pitches can't be any higher than .100. If he just goes up there hackin' like the rest of them, would that really make him a worse hitter?

You guys are nuts. Danny Valencia is a solid MLB third baseman gradually refining his game. At the plate, he flips his wrists and the ball caroms off the wall. Yes, he makes an error now and then, and yes, he's not hitting great...yet. But at the end of the year, when he's got over a hundred RBIs, you'll be wondering what the heck you were thinking replacing him with an unfinished rookie like Dozier. Few players on this team are shoe-in's to be here next season. Mauer, Morneau, Span. After that, I'd put Valencia, Hendriks...and after that, the possibilities expand a lot. Dozier may replace Carroll or Casilla, but they'll keep both vets because they're each more productive and versatile than Burroughs. If Willingham hits 30+ HRs, he'll be too expensive, so Benson will replace him. An OF of Benson, Span, Thomas would be good defensively...better if corner guys can hit. The Twins struggled for a decade to find a solid third baseman. Valencia is it, until either Sano or Levi Michael bumps him out.

Liriano's vertical pivot point is off line. If you study the delivery of various great pitchers (I looked at Walter Johnson, Lefty Grove and a few others), you can see one element that is common to all of them. At the end of their follow through, you could run a broomstick from the outside of their plant foot almost straight up between their chicken wing (glove arm) and their throwing arm, in the crook of their two elbows. I have dubbed this "hugging the broomstick," and Liriano was doing that in 2010, but not now. Today Liriano's broomstick is leaning towards third base, where it should be leaning towards home plate. Two other things I see from these photos: 1) He's pitching from a few inches farther towards the third base side of the rubber. Maybe that's why he's opening up...he thinks he needs to do that to get the ball over the plate. 2) Look how much lower his butt is...He's squatting down much more than last year (trying to look like Koufax?), which for most guys merely wastes energy and produces a lower release point, flatter trajectory. Here's a funny thought: If Liriano would simply stand in the middle of the rubber, it would fix his delivery. Can it possibly be that simple?

I'm a Luke Hughes fan. If he makes it through waivers, I'll be surprised. He's a tough-nosed utility guy that can play several positions, and he doesn't look intimidated by the big league stage. Twins will be lucky if they can get him to Rochester. That said, what Hughes offers is similar to Plouffe, who was a first round draft pick. If nothing else separates them, you keep the first rounder.

This is why you don't promote or demote people based on the first six games of the season. Revere went to AAA because he needs playing time. If Parmelee goes to AAA, it will be for the same reason, not because he hasn't had a torrid hitting streak. On the other hand, I see no reason to yank Clete Thomas from the lineup as long as he's on a hot streak.

Parmelee's not lost. Like a lot of players, he has difficulty hitting major league pitching. In the field, he has been solid.

I haven't noticed a racial or racist trend how the Twins form their roster. All the players they've drafted have fit a profile that comes from their baseball philosophy. They have acquired black, white, hispanic, etc, with no apparent concern over skin color. How many of us (and the Twins) want to see Benson LF, Hicks CF, Span RF? If there's one flaw in the Twins contract philosophy, it's that they're cheapskates. They let Santana and Hunter go because they thought they could get by with cheaper players. Same with Orlando Hudson. Some leave because they're too expensive, some because they're dubious investments, some because they don't fit the long term plans. I'd be interested to hear Jesse Mandell-McClinon's opinion of this matter a few years from now, when Hicks, Sano, Rosario, etc., are regulars. Or maybe Sano and Rosario don't count, because their names end in a vowel... ;-)

I'll try to remember the Power L when I'm coaching kid ball this summer. I wonder if that would improve my forehand...

I don't know how many people here remember when Span played right field, but he was fantastic. Bring up Benson, move Span to right, then sit back and enjoy a good outfield. Willingham has his clumsy moments (not his reputation), but with a boom stick like that, you accept the occasional misadventure in the field.

I think Brian Duensing is a better pitcher than people realize. A lot of young pitchers have up-and-down seasons when they first emerge from the minors, then later stabilize into consistent performers. I think Duensing is about ready to show that he can do the job consistently, as a reliever or a starter. At the moment, I'd still rather see him in the bull pen because he's very effective, but if needed he could step in and spot start as well as Swarzak, or better.

Swarzak doesn't have overpowering stuff, but he does have a great bulldog attitude. Key to his success will be developing precision, being able to pick corners, vary his speed, etc. In other words, he needs to become a clever bulldog with good aim. Hendriks takes Baker's spot, but Swarzak may contend for it if Hendriks falters. Of the two, Hendriks appears to have more talent, but Swarzak has the bulldog attitude. Reminds me a little of Blackburn that way. Who in the minors could step up? No idea, but I'd love to see David Bromberg succeed this year.

This is like trying to win at poker when you don't get to have any aces or face cards. No matter how much you shuffle it, the deck is stacked against you. It comes down to performance on the field. Span, Mauer and Morneau have got to start performing at their potential. I don't expect them to stay cold all season, but so far the top three guys have not been finding many baseballs with their bats. In fact, the whole lineup has been making the other team's pitchers look like nothing but aces. Hey, poker again!

You've got multiple guys coming back from injuries, guys fighting off old age, guys trying to have a "break through" year, guys arriving from different teams, and a couple of guys trying not to embarrass themselves as rookies. Every one of them is fighting hard as hell to stay in the majors, looking for some way to help this team win. Every one of them would be overjoyed if you had some secret tip that would enable them to get an edge. Instead, you question their desire to win. What is the point of enduring all the struggles and pain these guys go through, if they don't crave to win every single game? What is the point of struggling for years in the minor leagues, if a guy suddenly decides to stop trying hard at the highest level of his sport? Some players clearly struggle to find the right balance of relaxation and alertness at the major league level. But none of these guys lacks heart, and none of them feels good about being accused of not trying hard enough. All this kind of speculation can do is make fans feel angry and players feel a little more desperate.

I was in San Diego during Gregg Maddux's last year. He could still get people out when his heater clocked 88mph, but when he couldn't get it above 86, they started clubbing him pretty bad. I suppose by his age he started losing some precision, too. He'd start to tire by the 5th inning, and then his stuff would start drifting over the middle...Boom. Pavano's a little like that. The velocity's not as important as with other pitchers because he can spot the ball so well. When he can't spot the ball anymore, then he's done. So far, he's hanging on with control. If that starts to go, then giving up a mere four runs per outing will be the good old days.