jimbo92107

It shows that SDI hits the mark like an old shotgun hits the side of a barn. Lots of scatter, but from a short distance, it'll do.

The extraordinary thing about Sano is....He still has the same problems at the plate. He still puts too much waggle into his bat. He still waves at balls low and outside. He still swings under too many pitches. But in each of those aspects, Sano has improved, and the results have been extraordinary. To me this suggests that Sano could get considerably better than he is right now. A little less waggle, and he could be pounding baseballs like a hammer pounds nails. A little more willingness to go oppo late in counts, and he could become a monster oppo homer hitter. A little narrower vertical zone, and he could get even more walks. Best of all, all these things are achievable. If Sano keeps refining his technique, he could reach superstar status.

A strong support system allows individuals to shine. The Twins do their minor leagues about right.

I'm fine so long as the Rally Rattlesnake stays out of the dugout. The last place we want to see Nature show up is at a baseball stadium.

In an RBI situation...hmmm... First I'd go Arraez, because of bat control. He'll barrel it up almost every time. Second I'd go Gonzo, for he is super hot right now. Third I'd go Cruz, for he's a perfect blend of power and bat. Fourth I'd go Sano, because he's got nightmare power, and his approach has improved immensely. Sano has the potential to be the scariest bat in the lineup, but he's not quite done refining his approach. He still has trouble with high pitches, and I still see him flail at the low outside curve, tho nowhere near as much as a couple months ago. Taking walks has greatly improved his game. If Sano continues to bash outside pitches oppo, and then learns to turn on inside stuff....ohboy. Meanwhile he could still get rid of more of that extraneous bat waggle, and keep working on quickening his hands. Short to it, long thru it. Like Garver, plus 50 pounds of muscle.

There are signs of destiny (density?) in this 2019 Twins squad. They have a special mix of skilled veterans, talented youth, core strength, and very flexible position players. It has allowed Baldelli to make out a roster every game that looks competitive, if not dominant. I can't wait to see Astudillo get back and spell our two regular catchers, then stand in for Cron, then give Sano a break at 3B, etc. The Twins were tearing up the league when Astudillo was rotating around the infield.

Best thing of the game: Tie between Dyson and Schoop. Twins desperately need Dyson to be what he was for the Giants, and today he got close. Schoop meanwhile has been riding the bench a lot lately as Sweet Luis wows the league with his rookie debut. Schoop looked very...well rested, and he played with happy enthusiasm. Adrianza and Sano also were good things, but not so surprising. Kepler...well, he's just looking like a core player for this talented wave of Twins squads. Each new season he appears to get noticeably better.

Another game, another homer for El Cherubo. With just a pinch more plate discipline, Torts could make the jump to AAA!

I thought the Twins were being more intelligent this season with the Injured List, but it looks like they're pushing it too much with Cron. If the man's thumb ain't right, then let him rest it until it is. As mentioned, Sano can play 1B while several other guys can play 3B at least as well, and Sano's glove at 1B seems about even with Cron's right now.

How about they just play the damn game and not deliberately try to injure each other? I don't buy tickets to watch umpires come center stage, and I don't buy tickets to watch grumpy men express their false machismo. Most of all, I don't buy "rules" that are so shameful that brave men are too chicken to write them down on paper. I believe in specialties and division of labor. Let boxers and MMA guys punch and kick each other for money. Baseball players are supposed to play baseball, period. We don't need them to remind us of the good old days of barbaric social ineptitude.

From my cloaked orbital chalet, I sipped a squeeze bottle of pinot noir while considering whether to obliterate Milwaukee. Bad beer, bunch of hooligans... burp. On paper this 2019 Twins squad looked potent at the plate, but dubious on the mound. They proceeded to launch enough missiles to trigger my automatic shields and laser retaliation drones, but I calmed the drones...good doggies, just the mailman. Meanwhile, this particular mix of players in April produced a startling burst of great baseball. Flashing in the ultraviolet were Perez, Odo, Berrios, Cron, Schoop, Buxton, Rosario and Polanco. Sparking high-energy neutrons were Kepler, Gonzo, and some surprisingly effective relievers. I'm still a little incredulous about Harper, but he still gets a generous assortment of awkward whiffs. Now in the dog days, some things have become clear. The illusion of a good bull pen has evaporated. Perez has returned to earth. Gibson continues to gyre and gabe. Schoop has practically disappeared in the shadow of a new star, Luis Arraez, who appeared in a basket one day on the Twins doorstep with a note: "Play Him." Among the pleasant surprises is Sir Gonzo, a utility player of the same magnitude as Eduardo Escobar. How did Houston let him escape? Also pleasant has been the gradual development of Miguel Sano's hitting game, replacing his long, loopy swing with an almost Garver-like quick to the ball flick. They still go over the fence... Questions remain, of course. Can the Twins regain a lead in the Central? Can't really blame them for losing it, given Cleveland's incandescent run after the mid-point. Almost no way so many Twins hitters could remain that hot. Now it will come down to a more normal mix of good hitting with good pitching. The FO has been playing musical chairs to find good arms in the minors...a couple more rounds of music to follow...Graterol? Thorpe? Duran? All of them? Whoops, now I'm floating out of range. Running low on beer and wine, might send a laser drone to fetch some... Oh, and monkeypaws, I forgot to mention, your blimp has a little leak just above the left tail fin. You should consider switching to helium gas. Hydrogen has a bad rep!

Regardless of these awards, Arraez has a chance to be a Polanco-level player, and one of the best pure hitters in the league. It's nice to have a player that bats .350 or better. Also, I predict that Arraez will become a slick fielder at 2B, once the Twins quit screwing around and plant him where he belongs.

Smeltzer or Thorpe, flip a coin. Thorpe throws harder, Smeltzer has better command. No real way to decide. Use them both, but put Perez in the pen.

I wouldn't mind seeing Dobnak start a game. At every level he has adapted and figured out how to win. This is the highest level. Maybe he'll adapt here, too.

Beginning to see why Randy Dobnak raced thru the Twins system to the majors. He is brave, he's got a live arm, he throws strikes, and he rolls with the punches. Dobby's stuff isn't amazing, but he can make the ball bend in various directions. He can pop the glove at about 94, but he changes speeds, and he throws strikes. Quick move home from the set, and he throws strikes. Holds runners well on first base, and he throws strikes. Clearly, his stuff is hittable, as Cleveland's guys revealed. However, Dobs did not appear to get ruffled by what seemed like every other guy rifling a ball to the outfield, and he got a little lucky with some ground balls. They got hits but no runs. Is this the 'comfortable collar?' Possibly, but the velocity of some of those hits is worrisome. Could be that Dobnak's biggest gift is that he doesn't walk anybody, and he keeps pouring strikes thru the zone. Let's hope he avoids the middle. Jim Kaat seemed to like the kid.

Since the Twins are thrashing around looking for something positive, might as well invite Graterol to the party. Who knows, if they keep playing musical chairs with talented prospects, maybe one or two will shine. We already know Smeltzer looks real, and Thorpe looks promising. If Graterol is a high prospect, maybe he will bust out with great stuff. I'd also like to see Duran and Balasovic get a shot before the regular season is through. As others have observed, a big heater should not be wasted in the minor leagues.

I will grant that 100 mph will beat some guys no matter where in the zone it goes. However, there are also guys that can time a 100 mph heater and rifle it right back where it came from, or over the fence. Even a guy like Aroldis Chapman needs enough command to avoid the middle of the zone. Velocity by itself does not get it done.

Agree with rghrbek that if we have a simple case of tendinitis, then rest and plentiful massages should get him back on the mound in good shape in a couple weeks, maybe three weeks tops. The nightmare scenario would involve a gradually increasing level of seriousness and delays, featuring dubious new medical terminology like "bilateral vehicular shoulder phlebitis" or some other such crap. The Twins did not trade two valuable prospects in return for an obscure medical educational experience. Okay Dyson. Rest up, eat some steak, get your rub downs and stretching, hot packs, pills, etc. See you in a couple weeks, or we will want to know why.

Can Graterol throw strikes without throwing the ball down the middle? I, for one, think that's important.

Teflon forearm skid plates, and a small, discrete air bag inside his hat. Boy, would Buxton slide a long way...

I like the guys with ERA's below 1. And investment charts that always go up.

That is sooooo true. Jake Cave is about 50/50 on those flat out dives for sinking liners. Half are great catches, but the other half go right through him, rolling slowly to the fence as their guy rounds first with a big grin on his face. I hate those big grins.