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jimbo92107

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Everything posted by jimbo92107

  1. jimbo92107
    Like bighat, I did see Byron Buxton's titanic foul ball to the 5th deck. Is the gravity slightly weaker in Canada? Was there an updraft from a nearby mountain? Consider that at some point, this man is going to straighten one of those out. Betcha that'll be on the highlight shows...
  2. jimbo92107
    A game or two ago I tried to list in order which Twins starters were most dominant. Now, I'm getting confused. Four Twins starters have made it look easy in their past starts. Even Pineda, coming off a blown elbow and knee, is starting to look good. Gibson's performance today was sweet music, like Frank Viola. His arm was so loose, it was just a hinge transmitting energy from below. The ball was flowing from his hand to any spot he desired, with just the right spin to make the batter whiff clean. He was like a magician flicking cards to any spot in the audience. Magnificent. What's interesting to me (and I could be wrong about this) is that I think I'm seeing similar improvements in all Twins pitchers. Their throwing mechanics seem to be improving. Is this the effect of Wes Johnson's coaching? If so, the guy should get a raise. This was in fact one of the theories on why the front office brought in Johnson - because he really does improve pitchers. If that is true, then the Twins could be in for an amazing season.
  3. jimbo92107
    I believe Martin Perez's cutter is here to stay, and that it will in fact get better as the season wears on. I remember Santana's repertoire, but Martin's cutter reminds me more of Liriano's wipe-out slider, the one that would sometimes hit a right handed batter in the rear foot. Perez's cutter slices and dives a lot like Liriano's slider, but Perez throws it at 89 to 91mph, where Liriano's slider was usually arriving at 89. Perez also scatters his cutter around the zone, where Lirano's slider was strictly lower right corner, or just below and inside. Perez's repertoire could get even better. We can see that his fastball command has vastly improved, even as he added more heat. But wait, there's more! Perez has yet to explore his use of the change up, which his better command may enhance. I saw him throw one outside to a rightie a game or so ago...it faded away and sank, almost like Johan's change. If Perez adds that weapon, he might have three plus pitches in his mix. At that point, he could become a Cy Young candidate. And another case of beer for Wes Johnson.
  4. jimbo92107
    I like how the veterans are supporting this team. Cron, Cruz, and Schoop have been supplying timely hits and homers, while Gonzo has filled the defensive gaps, and now his bat is coming alive. The other factor is the effect of Wes Johnson's coaching. Really looks to me like he has had a positive effect on Odorizzi and Perez, while I see no signs of any negative effects. Odo's compact delivery looks even more efficient now, practically effortless, and Perez...well, he's just a different pitcher now.
  5. jimbo92107
    One thing I noticed right at the end - Aroldis Chapman is NOT as overwhelming or unhittable as Mariano Rivera used to be. Yes, he brings it 97 to 100, but he does not mask his off-speed stuff that well, so careful observation can tell when he's bringing the gas, and when he isn't. Also, his gas is straight, and his off-speed stuff is not wipe-out on its own. Oh, and one other thing I noticed...just pitch around Sanchez.
  6. jimbo92107
    Jet lag. Get back there and beat 'em senseless on Saturday.
  7. jimbo92107
    Not only is Martin Perez pitching great, but he's creating some very colorful bubbles!
  8. jimbo92107
    At the start of the season I figured Berrios and Gibson would be the two best pitchers in the ro, and so far that's true, as Gibson is rounding into form. After that, Odo was supposed to be my #3 horse, soaking up average innings. He's been better than that lately, especially against the Astros lumber company. I also figured that Pineda would be an average pitcher this season, if his arm issues were solved. Not so good there - on the mound Pineda looks fidgety, and he's shrugging his shoulder like he's working through scar tissue or something. At least he's not grabbing for his elbow. The big surprise has been Martin Perez. Wow, a talented but unsuccessful pitcher suddenly finds a few extra mph on his heater, then finds a cutter that is slicing through the league. WT wonderful F? We sometimes hear about a guy that finds a new pitch, but Perez (via Wes Johnson?) has discovered two. His heater not only is going 95 to 96, but he's spotting it really well, both his 2- and 4-seamer. But where did this ace cutter come from? Is it just an amped-up version of his usual cutter, or is it a new pitch? Either way, I'll take it, and it looks like Perez is loving it out there.
  9. jimbo92107
    Looks like Martin Perez has caught lightning in a bottle. His new 96mph heater really compliments his 90mph cutter. Plus, it looks like Perez is really enjoying himself on the mound. He was grinning between pitches. Fun to see.
  10. jimbo92107
    Great win, and the best thing was seeing Gibson nearing peak form. He was having a little trouble nipping the edges with his heater, and he did leave a few pitches right over the middle. Luckily, the Orioles hitters seemed to have very little idea what was coming next, so even when Gibson accidentally pipelined one, they were not expecting it, and they were biting on Gibby's ducking curve a lot. Credit should also go to Mitch Garver for calling a good game and keeping everything in front of him, tho his blocking skills were almost unneeded.
  11. jimbo92107
    I'm willing to give Jason Castro credit for helping Berrios navigate through this game with iffy off-speed stuff. Good job Castro, and he also hit a rocket home run. I just wish Kepler would stop hitting those easy pop flies! ;-)
  12. jimbo92107
    I do feel bad that Torts missed his game day. It wouldn't have hurt Gonzo to get a day off and start El Cherubo at 3rd. Instead, he rides the pine until late, Baldi shamefacedly puts him in, and the little chubby guy of course gets a hit. If he starts at 3rd, does he hit for the cycle? Now, we'll never know. Submitted with tongue in cheek for our buddy, Riverbrian.
  13. jimbo92107
    I had no idea he was relying on a new cutter today. I thought the main improvement was the extra couple mph on his heater that he learned from Wes Johnson. Apparently that extra velo, plus his cutter, makes Perez into almost a new pitcher. I'm all for that.
  14. jimbo92107
    Gotta admit, I really like Rocco Baldelli. Very upbeat attitude, loves to compliment his players, and his compliments are very specific and enlightening. Twins lucked into a very good skipper.
  15. jimbo92107
    Sounds like Bailey Ober and Jordan Balazovic could be candidates for a bump to the next level up. I know it's early, but I'm just saying... ;-)
  16. jimbo92107
    Twins front office just doesn't make moves like this. Unless the guy is Korean or something. It's got to be a cheap gamble, or it won't happen.
  17. jimbo92107
    Of course, the rookie pitcher, just barely hanging on, can shake off the veteran first round draft pick catcher known for his defensive catching prowess. Sure, he can shake off his call. It might even happen, one time in about a hundred. Otherwise, the rookie throws whatever the catcher asks for, and tries to hit the glove each time. In a pressure situation, it's Castro's call.
  18. jimbo92107
    No, Castro didn't ask for it in the Correa's wheelhouse. The real problem is that Ryne Harper's fastball has no significant movement. He does a good job of mixing it in with his many curves, but his relative lack of command of the heater, combined with its barely adequate velocity and lack of movement, make it meat for the league's best hitters, of which Carlos Correa is definitely one. I mentioned later that Harper could try adding one more pitch, but after mulling it over I think he should try to learn the cutter technique used by Greg Maddux and Bartolo Colon. Both men threw the pitch in the upper 80's to low 90's for great effect. A cutter like that would give Ryne Harper a fastball as effective as his curve balls at getting multiple whiffs. Of course this is a simplistic solution offered by a dubious source of sports wisdom. However, Harper looks like the kind of pitcher that might make it work. He already is a control pitcher with relatively fine command of a difficult pitch, the curve. The Maddux-style cutter would allow him to throw a fastball at the left side of the zone, then have it break outside the zone late, at least getting the ball off the bat's sweet spot, unlike his current heater, which tracks nice and straight right into the heart of the lumber. Other than that, he could keep throwing curves, which is my gripe about Castro. The catcher should know which pitches to avoid, not just which locations. If Correa was having trouble straightening out the curve, then keep flashing number 2. Giving Correa a cut at Harper's BP heater on a 3-2 count strikes me as just irresponsible. Frankly, it'd be better to walk the guy.
  19. jimbo92107
    After giving up a 3-run homer tonight, this may not be the best time to sing Harper's praises. However, I do now see what form of magic he is throwing. It's the curve ball that he can throw at many speeds and to many locations, avoiding the middle most of the time. Harper's fast ball goes between 89 and 91, which is not impressive, except that his motion is pretty similar to his curve. The homer was Castro's fault, for giving in to a good hitter, Carlos Correa. Trouble was, it needed to be located in a corner, not middle in. For Harper to stick in the show, he needs to start hitting corners with his meager heater. Then he can use the gas to finish off hitters, after getting them in a hole with the curve. That, or develop a third pitch, like a slider or a good change. Harper's curve/heater combo isn't quite enough, after hitters get more accustomed to his repertoire. Or, he can just throw more curves. Very seldom do guys square that up, even if they're expecting it. One other option would be for Harper to learn that little cutter that kept Bartolo Colon in the majors for an extra ten years. Somebody got his phone number?
  20. jimbo92107
    Always bat Buxton ahead of a guy with great contact hands. Rosario or Astudillo. Either of them raps a single down the line, Buxton scores from first base. If he steals 2nd before the hit, Buxton scores in a jog.
  21. jimbo92107
    How fleeting is fame - I completely forgot about Tyler Jay. If he shines this first half, I wonder if there's any chance this former high 1st rounder gets a shot at the Twins bullpen.
  22. jimbo92107
    I'm impressed that Schoop has the same line drive homer power as CJ Cron. Schoop is actually a pretty big guy. This could be a fun season to watch Twins baseball.
  23. jimbo92107
    True, which means theoretically a baseball could enter the zone from the sides or from above, and be a strike. Not from below, though. That would require a bounce. Also when Dick says, "Over the outside corner," that describes a vertical vector traveling upwards from that corner, unto infinity. So, a "strike over the x corner" is grammatically and technically correct. However, Bremmer's "strike ON the outside corner," when the pitch was between the upper and lower corners, it inaccurate. Possibly better to say, "Strike, intersecting the outer line segment between upper and lower corners." Or, as Nine of Twelve might say, "Strike, intersecting the outer face of the pentagonal prism." Let's see Dick say that ten times!
  24. jimbo92107
    Nobody will dub Dick Bremmer's play calling "edgy."
  25. jimbo92107
    I think they kill the Night King. But he comes back to life in the quantum realm. With the Red Witch. Ant Man is there, too.
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