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jimbo92107

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Everything posted by jimbo92107

  1. jimbo92107
    Keuchel is having trouble adjusting to the thin air. His game depends on spotting the ball very precisely, which he isn't doing right now. Boom, boom, boom. I'm guessing Varland will blow them away with his heater.
  2. jimbo92107
    Ball sure does fly in Colorado. Must be the fresh air. Interesting how little the thin air seems to affect curveballs from Caleb Thielbar. Still a long, slow arc. He could probably slow it down and fool even more guys. The extra speed difference might even make his fastball look faster. Dallas Keuchel's slider didn't look that bad, either. Betcha he could make the adjustment just like Thielbar, and then do pretty well in Colorado. I see the number one requirement for a Rockies prospect: Must be able to hit baseball over fence.
  3. jimbo92107
    Another "good news, bad news" comment...
  4. jimbo92107
    Seemingly unnoticed, Willie Castro lately has been putting on a wonderful demonstration of offensive and defensive excellence. Twice in this latest series Castro laid down perfect bunts. First one was a face-high fastball that he somehow got on top of, steering it between the pitcher and third baseman. Thursday he laid down another perfect bunt, this time a drag bunt between pitcher and first baseman. Both bunts were perfectly placed, allowing Castro to dash to first with no throw. This, from a clutch hitter who can bang it over the fence or between outfielders. On the bases, he continues to be the team's best threat to steal and put pressure on every pitcher. With his glove, Castro has performed show stopper catches in the outfield, while showing off a strong, accurate arm at every position. I'm not sure what else he could do to prove his value as a baseball player. He would be on any conceivable post season roster I can think of.
  5. jimbo92107
    First and only live game for me. Did I miss anything? Both sides played pretty conservative ball. I'd say this week Baldelli got a good look at most of his starter/relievers. Kenta dominated with little trouble for three innings. Varland dominated for two. As for hitting...meh. Again, they were playing conservatively. Maybe the main focus is, "Don't hurt yourself." In the last few meaningless games before playoffs, you don't want to pull an oblique by swinging out of your shoes at a changeup. Anyway, it was fun watching Sonny Gray pitch, from the standing room area down the first base line. Chatted with my brother, had a beer, got some nasty nachos... Everything they serve at the ballpark is heavily processed food, isn't it? Oakland won, while the Twins tinkered like it was spring training. Good to see baseball live, for once.
  6. jimbo92107
    I will be allowed to watch the last regular season game from a special pet carrier somewhere in the stadium. After that, it's back to the storage closet...
  7. jimbo92107
    Duran came into his latest game to test out a few off-speed pitches, between his usual fireballs. Twins are using these last meaningless games to rest certain players, and to give some returning pitchers a tryout at relief duty. The last series is in Colorado. I wonder if Duran would like to enter one of those games to see if he can pop the mitt at 105...
  8. jimbo92107
    Two blown calls by the plate ump to end the game. The giveth and the taketh... Waiter - I'll have the mini-chicken dinner.
  9. jimbo92107
    Keuchel should have thrown the last guy two more slow changes on the glove side. Hitter was so far off time, no way could he adjust. Oh well, see if Jax has his usual stuff...
  10. jimbo92107
    It was almost like a magic trick - ball bounces off the wall, fielder turns his back, ball hits him in the butt and dribbles off to one side. The runners never saw it, nor did the fielder, but he felt it hit his back. Odd play. Cool how the Twins are using the last few games as try-outs for the bullpen. I liked Duran working on his curveball.
  11. jimbo92107
    A's are starting to see the ball vs. Pablo. The game begins... Still finishes them off, good play by Polo at 3rd. Good scoop by Barrels. Rooker could be a scary hitter with that tight wrist snap.
  12. jimbo92107
    Pablo Lopez is TOYING with this A's lineup. Like he can make the ball carve through the air any way he wants. Pretty amazing stuff. All the Twins gave away was a batting champion? Good deal.
  13. jimbo92107
    Baldelli said it: Usually at the end of a season you're looking at a pitching staff that is injured, weary, or breaking down physically and emotionally. This season, for some reason, the Twins seem to be brimming with pitchers getting healthy just in time to help with a playoff push. Tell you one thing...Chris Paddock loves throwing a baseball really hard. Not always the best way to get guys out, but it's sure fun to watch. He was enjoying the hell out of his new elbow. I wonder if it's time to stop putting an innings limit on Bailey Ober. He looks all growed up to me...
  14. jimbo92107
    This depends heavily on what the team does in the playoffs. If they get killed in the first series, Gray will want to bail. If they fight through a couple rounds, he might want to stay.
  15. jimbo92107
    Chris Paddack's first few relief appearances could be both quite revealing and quite useful. At a minimum, his innings will let worn-down Griffin Jax rest up for the playoffs. At best, Paddack will show us some of the great arm that made him a star early in his career. As for Emilio Pagan...eh. I know he's been pitching great for a while now. But...eh. Emotional scars from the Pagan Sacrifice...eh. Will TD fans ever really trust him? One way to find out - use him a lot in the last few regular games! Let him close for Duran. Pitch him multiple innings. Use him!
  16. jimbo92107
    Ever have a torn facia? I have. Healing is not a matter of weeks, it's a matter of months. Correa may well be back in the lineup for the playoffs, but he will NOT be healed up. His foot will feel like a burning knife is cutting through his arch. The only good news is that, if he aggravates the injury, it will heal before spring training.
  17. jimbo92107
    With Correa and Lewis both on the IL, this is an "all hands on deck" situation. Granted, Kyle Farmer has been a good replacement for Correa, so far. But with the playoffs looming, the team needs to bring up the most effective reinforcement for two key positions, shortstop and third base. That does not call for Austin Martin, that calls for Brooks Lee. Like Martin, Lee is an excellent base runner, but Lee was raised to be an infielder, and Lee is a switch hitter with good plate discipline. Also, Lee has never showed signs that he is overmatched at any level. The game is not "too fast" for him, nor do the pitchers throw too hard. He grew up a baseball junkie, under the tutelage of his father, a high-level college baseball coach. Lee's game may benefit from refinements and adjustments, but that didn't stop the Twins from keeping around Kirilloff for the playoffs, or Julien this season. Both guys needed to improve their fielding, and both did so. Lee already is an excellent fielder, and the "pressure" of playoff baseball is hardly likely to traumatize the young man. I think Brooks Lee is ready to put pressure on this team's opponents. The Twins should get a spot on the 40 man roster ready for Brooks Lee.
  18. jimbo92107
    I wouldn't do that, unless injuries forced my hand. Rather have Jax close, or Brock Stewart. Might even think about Maeda for closer - the man has no fear. Varland isn't accustomed to high-leverage relief.
  19. jimbo92107
    Congratulations to Rocco and his boys. Long, tough season, but the Twins kept grinding, and now they're back in the playoffs. One thing they might consider, as a secret weapon... Bring up Brooks Lee. The rookie would be a valuable bench add for various reasons, including subbing for 2B, SS, or 3B, plus pinch hitting and pinch running. Give him a cuppa for a good season in the minors. If he takes off, keep him around.
  20. jimbo92107
    This game showed a lot of things, one of which might have been: Hunter Greene. That kid has dynamite stuff, and he's got the build to have a good career. We got Royce Lewis, an everyday player that also looks like he'll have at least a good career. We also got to see Willie Castro confirm his status as one of the best players on this team. Meanwhile, Jorge Polanco showed that he's still a clutch player, showing guys like Eddie Julien and Brooks Lee that 2nd Base isn't up for grabs anytime soon.
  21. jimbo92107
    Twins FO is a little more willing to move on from previous stars to new kids. The Sano/Buxton window has closed. Now, it's time to move on to the next group of stars, possibly before Correa moves on. Notice they've already moved on from last season's hired guns, like Mahle. This new group looks more reliable, putting pressure on opponents most of the time. When you've got Gray and Lopez to start the playoffs, then Ryan, you're looking pretty good. With Maeda and Ober backing them up with spot starts and long relief, that's a pretty strong playoff rotation. At that point, you've got some pretty good bats in the lineup, led by Lewis, who is having a phenomenal second half. Any of Correa, Polanco or Kirilloff could get hot at any time. Castro is clutch, Wallner has serious pop, and Kepler can emerge anytime. This is a squad that can win more than a few playoff games.
  22. jimbo92107
    Bring up Martin as super utility along with Castro. Lewis to CF, Miranda to 3B, and be ready for Lee to crowd the infield after burning it up in St Paul. That's a huge amount of flexibility, which the Twins love. I hate to say it, but it's time to move on from Buxton. He's a superstar when healthy, but he's so seldom healthy...
  23. jimbo92107
    I don't expect Varland to be as effective as Jax has been this season out of the bullpen. Jax has a full set of good pitches and great control...until lately. Varland has one plus pitch, plus one good pitch. If the cutter fails, his heater isn't enough to survive. For that reason I'm hoping Brock Stewart gets very healthy very quickly. I'd rather see Steward in the BP than a tired Jax or Paddack, who is a scary long-shot. If I'm the Twins, I don't pitch Paddack unless every other option is injured.
  24. jimbo92107
    I saw Chris Paddack when he first came up for the San Diego Padres. I was immediately impressed with his stuff (think Joe Ryan plus 3 mph on each pitch). I was sure he was bound for superstar status. He even appeared to have an easy, throw-all-day motion. Boy, was I wrong about that! Now, after two TJ surgeries, can Paddack's arm survive the intense stress of throwing a baseball at high velocities? Did Twins coaches figure out what it was about his mechanics that caused the problem, or was it simply genetics? Is Paddack now doing exercises to prevent further damage? We'll see some answers pretty soon. The Twins would be most fortunate to get an arm of Paddack's magnitude in their bullpen.
  25. jimbo92107
    Frustration is the diagnosis. Pressure is the answer. Pro hitters like to talk about "process," rather than isolated instances of success or failure. They spend years refining their processes, which consist of purifying their swings, analyzing game situations, reading subtle physical signs that pitchers and other players give off, etc. The result of all that work isn't a guarantee of getting a hit at any particular time, but it is supposed to make hits more likely. That is where pressure comes in. If a hitter is doing all the stuff he has been practicing, then the pitcher should face maximum pressure from each of that player's at bats. If that is not happening, the first thing to look at is if each batter appears to be applying as much pressure as possible, in the form of plate discipline, situation analysis, swing mechanics, etc. Even acknowledging how hard it is to hit a baseball thrown by a major league pitcher, it is hard for me to believe that the entire Twins lineup was applying as much pressure as they could.
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