jimbo92107

As Sun Tsu once said, "If your enemy wants help with a selfie, be sure to cut off his head." Now, during the game I admittedly lost my cool, and there's really never a good time to do that. With regards to pitchers throwing their first pitch at the head of a Yankee batter, I hope nobody took this seriously. I meant it as a metaphor for the general practice of using violence in sports. That said, none other than Uncle Bert has often advocated "pitching inside," which assumes a certain risk of going a little too far inside. If guys like Stashak and Littell and Graterol and Duffey pitch inside to the Yankees, it might reduce the size of their smug grins as these hitters lean out over the plate, ready to extend their arms for yet another home run. On such occasions I ask nobody deliberately to harm a fellow baseball player. All I ask Twins pitchers is to consider what really good pitchers have done about such things in the past. What would Bob Gibson do?

Let's remember that there is a public perception of the Yankees, but it can be very different from how the players themselves view this match up. The Bombas speak for themselves - Yankee pitchers know damn well how the Twins won 101 games this season, just as Twins pitchers know how the Yankees got here. The players know that this is going to be a hard fought slug fest. For that reason I would suggest that Baldy's boys should work the count in Game 1, other than that first pitch, where the leadoff hitter should try to take that first center-cut heater well over the fence. Yankee hurlers probably will start off nibbling around the edges, seeing if they can get excitable Twins hitters to bite on sucker pitches. Be ready to take a few walks, then cash in!

If Garver puts in more defensive work this off season, he might start 2020 as a top defensive backstop. At that point the Twins should let Castro go, then bring up Rortvedt or Jeffers as the #2 catcher.

So, you're saying pitcher's duels....maybe not in this series.

One step right, one step back for Stanton. I see a role for Alka Smeltzer in this matchup. On the other hand, Berrios better avoid throwing flat. And keep Perez away from these guys, he already throws too flat.

I look forward to the Twins/Yankees series. Two good teams, pretty evenly matched, and both setting records for home runs in a season. The series will depend quite literally on which players get hot at the right time. Berrios could pitch a shutout, or Sano could hit ten home runs. Or it could go the other way.

Damn Yankee hackers!

Here's an innovative idea: Just let the darn pitcher catch the ball. We're treating them like babies out there. These guys have been catching pop-ups since they were little kids. The pitching mound is not an obstacle course from American Ninja. Baldelli can solve this problem pretty easily. Just tell them that pop-ups in front of the rubber are the pitcher's call. Behind the rubber, it's the shortstop's call, and he's not going to give it to the pitcher. This particular pop-up would have been an easy catch for Duffey, but he's not going to stand there and get sandwiched by Torts and Arraez, so I don't blame him for bailing out.

Twins site says Arraez has a sprained ankle, and is going to have further testing. All fingers crossed at this time...

A team needs to be pretty darned good to win 100 games. Now try doing that while finishing the season with only 2 of the season's initial starting pitchers still performing well, while the other 3 are either sick, out of whack, or suspended. What's their secret? Nelson Cruz tipped us off early in the season when he said opposing pitchers were going to fear the Minnesota Twins. Indeed, even while getting surprisingly good performances from its starters, the Twins often buried their opponents under tons of runs. When you're ahead by four runs in the second inning, it's easy to attack the zone. On the other hand, we must give full credit to the Twins pitching staff and the amazing coaches that re-formed, re-claimed, and resurrected some guys that surprised the league. Tyler Duffey and Trevor May both looked like they were about to become ex-Twins, before Wes Johnson taught them the mechanical magic tricks that nudged their heaters well over 95 mph. In addition, both men reduced their repertoire of pitches, becoming two-pitch monster relievers. Who'd of thunk? Same deal with Zack Littell - a low-90's heater got boosted to mid-90's with a good slider. Another monster two-pitch reliever. Then there's That Dobnak Show. Unlike most magicians, Randy Dobnak appears to have pulled himself out of a hat, with the help of Wes and the boys. Together they have conjured a third starter, just before they needed one for the Tournament. Where'd that squirrel go? We need somebody low to the ground, for squeeze plays!

If the situation were a bit more normal (no colitis for Gibson, no suspension for Pineda), then there would be no Perez vs. Dobnak debate. Unfortunately, here we are, with just two good starters, headed into a playoff series against the Yankee lumber company. Now, Riverbrian tossed out as a joke that with Dobnak's 2.0 ERA, all of 20 innings, maybe he should start Game 1 vs the Yankees. If we look at HOW Dobnak got his very low ERA, that idea doesn't look quite so silly. Randy Dobnak is never going to pitch pretty, like Cole Hammels. Dobnak looks like he sneaked onto the field straight from a pre-game tailgate party, stole a uniform, then talked his way onto the mound. The only thing missing is a mustard stain on his chin. But then when you watch Dobnak pitch... Compact delivery. Good mechanics. Consistent release point. On balance. Good rhythm. Attacks the strike zone. Hard to read his pitches. Bulldog tenacity. No apparent fear. Good movement. Avoids the middle. Good hop on the heater. I have a feeling that this guy is just plain a major league pitcher. He belongs here, at the top level of competition. Randy Dobnak could be the All American mutant mutt that Bill Murray hails in Stripes. He don't look like much, but the man gets it done. Around this time a year from now, I don't think people will be wondering if Dobnak can pitch in a playoff game. I bet a million dollars of Pohlad money that he'll be just fine out there against the Yankees. Go get 'em, Randy!

I don't know whom to credit for Randy Dobnak. This is a guy that looks like a young, innings-eating horse for the next decade. Nothing about his game whispers "fluke" or "flash in the pan." His tempo is excellent - under 15 seconds per pitch, unless a guy swings, then it's about 20 seconds. His motion is compact and efficient, with no obvious physical clues to distinguish his heater from his slider. He is on balance, with good rhythm. He attacks the zone from the first pitch. Not quite the sewing machine precision of Odorizzi, but good enough to throw lots of strikes. Best of all, Dobnak's strikes are all around the zone, so a hitter has little idea where the next one will be. And Dobbie's stuff breaks in all directions. How was he not drafted? Did he really learn all this stuff from the Twins organization? Did Twins scouts simply identify him as a good candidate, good clay, and then they shaped him into a major league pitcher? I mean, we know that's the intention with every pitcher in the minors, but why did it work so well with Dobnak? Anyway, the team somehow seems to have conjured a solid starter out of thin air. Good timing, Twins coaches! Dobnak does not show the hesitation or self-doubt of a rookie pitcher. Like Smeltzer, he just keeps attacking, but Dobnak's heater tops out in the mid-90's. I do wonder if Wes Johnson added a couple mph with his magical mechanical trickery. Johnson has upped the mph for several pitchers here. Dobnak apparently is a very coachable guy.

I did in fact see a bunch of guys on the bench wearing dark glasses.... tee hee!

Tweeted this to Rocky: A crafty man devised a plan to foil the Lords of Probability. His force depleted, yet he defeated all their odds...with ability!

Previously I wrote that Gibson simply wasn't healthy enough to pitch. After seeing him work a few innings in relief, I'm more on the fence. If Gibson looks better in relief in the last few games, then his stuff and command could be valuable in a bullpen game vs. the Yankees.

I may be the only one, but I'd like to thank Michael Pineda for his contribution to this division championship. Pineda came back from both TJ surgery and knee surgery to provide solid starting pitching for the Twins, right up until he got popped for PEDs. He is not the only guy on this team that has gone through this suspension, and hopefully he will come back better for it. If Pineda can come back clean and manage his health in a more responsible way, I hope to see him next year in a Twins uniform. Skol Twins!

Tough decision, but Sano's rise as a power hitter in the second half has convinced me. Best thing the Twins can do next season is trade Buxton for a prospect, then fast-track Lewis, Larnach and Kiriloff, along with the promising starters in AA. Time to harvest the farm system. Bring up Ben Rortvedt to back up Garver, release Castro.

Completely agree with your list, and thank you for putting the best three left over as 1, 2, 3 in order. 1. Cody Stashak, RHP Stashak has remarkably good form, a repeatable delivery, effective stuff. With form that good, confidence comes easy. 2. Zack Littell, RHP Like Stashak, Littell has excellent form, and in his relief role his stuff plays especially well. Littell has some bulldog in him. Future starter. 3. Brusdar Graterol, RHP There is a possibility that Graterol gets destroyed if he loses his nerve. With just a few innings at the mlb level, we just don't know if he can take playoff pressure. On the other hand, he can blow hitters right out of the box, and I have less hesitation to give him the ball (with bases clean) than later options. Grats will give up some hits, but his game can absorb scattered hits with lotsa K's. 4. Lewis Thorpe, LHP Buy: Thorpe's future as a starter. Sell: Thorpe's present as a reliever. Thorpe needs another off-season of coaching to get his mechanics worked out. Right now he's breaking Bert's first rule: Stay back on the rubber. Thorpe launches himself at the plate too soon, which makes everything else go out of whack. The only reason he gets near the strike zone is because he's an athlete. If he gets the mechanics down, he won't need to compensate for his lack of rhythm. 5. Kyle Gibson, RHP Gibson is below the bottom of this list. I consider him physically unable to perform the duties of major league pitcher. 6. Fernando Romero, RHP Romero has the same problem Thorpe has: He launches himself too soon off the rubber. Added to that, Romero also sinks down, rather than staying tall. Another off-season training with Wes Johnson may cure that. If so, he's back to being a starter. 7. Ryne Harper, RHP I actually have Harper as the first alternate behind Graterol. His stuff is legitimately whiffable, even after the league "figured him out." I think he was dealing with arm problems, and he's better now. Problem is, Graterol throws vapor rockets. 8. Trevor Hildenberger, RHP Would be my second alternate, but he has not yet showed his prior effectiveness. 9. Kohl Stewart, RHP Stewart may continue to develop gradually, but I no longer consider him a valuable prospect, not with other guys passing him up like a bicycle on the highway. 10. Jorge Alcala, RHP Alcala is the most raw of all these guys. No way would I trust him in a playoff game. I'd go get Balasovic first. Or some guy from AAA. Actually, most of the promising arms are in AA...Ober, Sands, Durhan. I'd grab those guys before most from the bottom of this list.

Hat tip, Mary Tyler Moore show. At the funeral for a Chuckles the Clown, Ted quotes the harlequin's signature line: "A little song, a little dance, a little seltzer down your pants." Mary of course cannot help it, she laughs at the funeral.

With Perez it may depend on how well he absorbs Wes Johnson's coaching. When he does it right mechanically, Perez is great. If he can get that back, I'm fine with him. Gibson, on the other hand, should not pick up another baseball until he is fully recovered from his terrible problem with ulcerative colitis. He looks gaunt, weak, and I am frankly worried that he might have some kind of physical collapse if he exerts himself, especially at a pro baseball level.

Andrew's original premise focused on the plus side of using Dobnak to start ALDS game 2. To that I must add that "all hands on deck" is understating the situation. For the Twins, all hands are not available anymore. Gibson should not touch a baseball until his weight is back over 150 pounds, and one sandwich ain't gonna do it. Pitching Perez is like playing Russian roulette, only the revolver has not just one bullet in it, but three. Low-leverage relief or mop up duty for Perez. That leaves a fairly talented group of rookies, unless you want to see how many innings Duffey can pitch. Actually, he and Littell could probably start a game and go four or five innings of reasonable ball.... Point is, there isn't much choice now. Twins will need to patch together a bullpen game, then hope the bats come alive for about ten runs. Yes, the kids aren't quite ready. Yes, they'll be facing Houston or the Yankees. Yes, they could choke under all that pressure. That's your 2019 Twins, folks. Next season these guys will be a lot more stable emotionally, and have better technique. Next season we might see Graterol starting, and maybe another couple guys from this group. Next season we might get Pineda back. But right now, Baldi and the boys have to choreograph some serious sleight of hand with newborn magicians. It should surprise nobody that this probably won't work. Certainly not against hot-hitting Houston posting Justin Verlander, Garrett Cole and Zack Greinke. The Lords of Probability are tittering in our general direction. Still, somebody has to go out there. Yo Dobnak, you available? As a final request, we grant thee absolution from any environmental disasters resulting from your brave attempt. Go out there and have fun, kid!

Your logic is unassailable; thus, it will not happen. However, if it did, I would pitch Dobbie first, then hit 'em with some Smeltzer in their pants. The young lefty has shown an ability to baffle hitters with his slow stuff, and he doesn't. walk. people. Between Dobs and Smelt, you could get 6 or 7 innings with the team still in the game. After that it's Duffey, Romo, and Rogers slams the door.

It's like I told my kids in summer league baseball: "You can't always win, but sometimes, you can make your opponents very happy."

We do not exist as discrete creatures. We are managers of an enormous zoo of animals and plants that compose our guts and the rest of our bodies. When the zoo gets thrown out of balance (by for instance the over-use of antibiotics, or antibiotics in our food), then all manner of things can and do go wrong. A fecal transplant can actually cure certain diseases. Ulcerative colitis is one of several targets. Others include Crone's disease, C. Diff, and some claim it has reduced symptoms of asthma.

The "yuck factor" for this is high, but I wonder if Gibson's doctors have considered a fecal transplant. https://www.webmd.com/ibd-crohns-disease/ulcerative-colitis/news/20190122/fecal-transplants-may-help-ease-painful-colitis#1 This treatment has produced semi-miraculous results in some people for whom drug therapies have been ineffectual. By simply adjusting the gut flora/fauna in this way, people have been cured of several auto-immune diseases, and diseases that are resistant to penicillin related drugs. Kyle Gibson should stop pitching, right now. His health is degrading before our eyes, and I don't want to see him literally collapse on the mound. Get well first, Kyle Gibson. We don't need a championship badly enough to cost your health.