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  1. iTwins
    I was surprised by Perk's comments. Primarily because you don't see that type of honesty from players. Usually it's the same, safe, boiler plate stuff. You certainly don't see that kind of honesty come out with a players name attached. (It's frequently hidden under "a team source" or "someone with the team"). I don't think Perk is wrong and if he's honest with himself, Pinto knows everything Perkins said was true. I can see the benefit of a face of the team coming out and saying "Hey, fix this if you want to be a fixture on the team" maybe it'll motivate Pinto to work harder - I hope it does.
  2. iTwins
    You simply can't do much better than Pino has done in AAA this season. He's earned a shot to see if it translates to the big leagues.
  3. iTwins
    This team baffles me at times. They show flashes of being able to run off a long streak of wins, then they revert to the Twins of 2011-2013 and simply look pathetic. The bonus is they've been able to play Jekyll & Hyde almost evenly this season. Assuming they don't hit a tailspin like they have during each of the last three seasons, I'll still shoot over (78-81 wins) but I'm not nearly as comfortable saying that as I have been.
  4. iTwins
    They all have their flaws that keep me from endorsing any of them as a "favorite". I like some of things Jack brings up and he's generally been fun in the booth (not taking too things seriously) but then he goes old school "strikeouts are an overrated out" and "pitching to the score" and he just loses me. Smalley has moments of brilliance. His highlights of Arica's hand drop as he "loads up" pre swing was brilliant and well explained. The issue I have with him is that he can become too verbose. He simply cannot make a concise point. TK is a brilliant mind with a droning voice. If he had ANY inflection or any sense of when to let a game breathe, he'd be my favorite. As it is, too monotone, too much non stop mumbling. All things considered, I enjoy Bert. He's uses too many cliches and can repeat the same stories (and he has a heck of a time with names) but he makes some good observations and has fun in the booth. Hopefully FSN doesn't have to worry about replacing him for a while.
  5. iTwins
    I think so. If he tosses another clunker (probable, against this Jays lineup) I don't think the Twins will wait to make a move. 2-7 with the worst numbers of any AL starter shouldn't warrant him any longer of a leash than he's already gotten.
  6. iTwins
    Agreed. Really, any bullpen role would be a good fit for Pelfrey. Even in long relief I'd think he'd be able to add a little more velocity to his fastball.
  7. iTwins
    I was pleasantly surprised at how quickly he got back to hitting at a high level after missing 50 games. He absolutely should be in AA at this point. I hope he keeps it up - congrats to Eddie!
  8. iTwins
    That may be what he's trying to do, but I don't know if it's necessary. I'd like to think most fans know well enough than to expect a rookie to come out of the gate and look like Jose Fernandez. (I'll readily admit, I could be wrong here. I sometimes give other fans credit for being smarter than they really are) Sure, May or Pino or Darnell could come up and get knocked around, but what exactly is Correia doing right now that's any different? If he wants to stand by Correia - fine. Correia's on his roster, I don't have an issue with the manager backing him up in the media. My issue comes in where the assertion that "the minor guys can struggle too" is a reason to keep mediocore veterans on the roster.
  9. iTwins
    I'd rather have Escobar and Burdi than Drew, but I've never been a big Drew fan - so that could be a biased take. All things considered, I'll take youth over the veteran - especially when the Twins aren't likely to contend this year. If the question becomes Ervin Santana or Burdi, however, I'll change my tune entirely.
  10. iTwins
    I get that Gardy isn't going to throw Correia under the bus and I don't think I'd want him to (not that I agree with his entire take - but I don't think he should say "Correia sucks, get me someone else" either). However, his whole "The guys in triple A have ups and downs too" rubs me the wrong way. No one is saying that Meyer, May, Pino - etc. are going to come up and never struggle but evidence is looking pretty good that Correia is more "down" than "up" anymore and the guys in Rochester have shown quality and consistent stuff all year. Don't disparage the guys in the minors to defend your starter. Most fans are too smart to fall for that and it just comes off as an excuse.
  11. iTwins
    Max left last night's game in the 7th due to injury. This afternoon, the Miracle announced that he would be going on the 7 day DL. I haven't heard any specifics regarding the type of injury Max suffered, but I'll add any info as I find it.
  12. iTwins
    This is exactly what I've been wondering for a while. We know who Kevin Correia is and we know that his previous starts have been built on a whole lot of luck (smoke and mirrors, if you will). Why then, do we have to wait for something to go completely wrong before we make a move?
  13. iTwins
    It appears the excitement of Kepler starting at 2B may be misplaced. Mike Berardino (who was just as surprised at Kepler at 2B as the rest of us) is now saying that the whole thing may be typo. It sounds like Eddie Rosario started at 2B for the Miracle last night, while Kepler played CF (a decision that makes a whole heck of lot more sense). If it was a typo, it was a doozy - Baseball Reference and all the other media outlets ran with it. Even the recap of last night's game lists the plays at 2B going to Kepler. So, either Kepler played his first game at 2B EVER or someone with the Miracle made a mistake and we've got a comical story to share. Stay tuned!
  14. iTwins
    I'd be remiss if I started this week's updated with anything other than this: Max Kepler played second base for the Miracle last night. This was Max's first appearance at 2B EVER in the minors. He's been used all over the field this season, mainly at CF and 1B - but is commonly believed to be a corner outfielder by the time he's big league ready, so the start at 2B was a bit of a surprise. For what it's worth - he did a solid job. He had 2 defensive opportunities during the game and made both plays. That's good enough for a 1.000 fielding percentage, for those scoring at home. On offense, the past week was a bit up and down (much like the entire season has been). A rain out and a day out of the lineup have given Max only 3 games since last update. He had a solid outing on May 29th, drawing 2 walks and scoring a run in 2 official at bats. That was followed by a terrible 0-4 outing on May 30th, "highlighted" by 3 strikeouts. Last night featured an average 1-4 outing, as the entire Miracle offense strugged to drive in runs. Here's where Max's numbers stand for the season: [TABLE] Year Age AgeDif Tm Lg Lev Aff G PA AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB CS BB SO BA OBP SLG OPS TB GDP HBP SH SF IBB 2014 21 -1.7 FortMyers FLOR A+ MIN 44 178 153 24 34 5 4 2 23 2 1 19 27 .222 .322 .346 .668 53 3 4 1 1 [TD][/TD] [/TABLE] Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Original Table Generated 6/3/2014.
  15. iTwins
    It's from the At Bat App. You can sort the "stats" section by different categories and leagues. It's a cool feature.
  16. iTwins
    It's an interesting theory regarding Rosario and the Twins immediate CF needs... I'll just point out that the Miracle have been playing Max Kepler out of position (CF) for nearly the whole season - so it's not a huge surprise that they'd run Rosario out there when given the first opportunity. That allows Kepler to move to his natural position (corner OF) and helps get Rosario in the lineup. It'll be interesting to see how the Miracle play Rosario as the weeks go on.
  17. iTwins
    Agreed on many points already made. We were lucky enough to get a little value from the veterans (Kubel, Correia, Pelfrey - although the latter two's value could be debated) but that well looks to have run dry. Time to adapt and update the roster. More time for Pinto, opportunities for Meyer, May, Darnell -etc. Up until the last 7 games (2 series), the Twins have been fun to watch this year. I'd love to see the team keep that rolling by adjusting the roster as needed. (Even if the wins don't keep coming, I think many fans would enjoy watching the future pieces of the team get some real playing time).
  18. iTwins
    Kepler has had a good week. He's raised his batting average 14 points from last week and picked up some key hits for the Miracle along the way. His RBI double on May 24th proved to be the winning run and his 3 RBI double on May 25th helped "close out" a 6-1 Miracle win. The extra base hits have helped his slugging and OPS as well. After a slower than expected start to the season, it's great to see Kepler have a solid week. [table] [thead] YearAgeAgeDifTmLgLevAffGPAABRH2B3BHRRBISBCSBBSOBAOBPSLGOPSTBGDPHBPSHSFIBB[/thead] 201421-1.7FortMyersFLORA+MIN40162140213244223211723.229.327.357.6845034010[/table] Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Original Table Generated 5/28/2014.
  19. iTwins
    Perkins, Hughes and Dozier all have earned a spot this year. Fien could find his way on the team as a reserve / injury replacement as well. Of all the candidates, Doizer probably has the longest shot simply because of the well known second basemen in the AL. That being said, I can't see Dozier missing this ASG with the way he's been playing. He'll be on it as a reserve, even if it's a last minute addition. (The old, "Oh, suddenly the starter is injured" trick)
  20. iTwins
    Exactly. It's just a matter of depth. Sizemore will let Hicks get at bats in AAA, which it looks like he could certainly use. I'm all for the Twins grabbing the first veteran CF who hits waivers - I mentioned Sizemore simply because it looks like he may be the first one to come available.
  21. iTwins
    I keep waiting for Max Kepler's numbers to perk up. Like you mention, the secondary stuff is all solid - so his numbers SHOULD be better but they're just not there yet. I hope it's simply a combination of poor luck and a pitcher friendly league holding him back at the moment.
  22. iTwins
    Big league moves: Arcia for Santana, Willingham for Colabello, Fuld for Chris Herrmann (mix and match as you see fit, but I think it's those three up, those three down). Minor league moves: Trevor May comes up at some point to replace Kevin Correia (after Correia turns in two clunkers). Alex Meyer replaces Mike Pelfrey, if / when Pelfrey shows his velocity is simply gone. (Reports from Rochester had him still throwing 2-3 MPH lower than he should be). Waiver wire: If the Red Sox cut Sizemore, I'd be interested to see what the Twins do. I could see a case where they'd try to snag the vet and send Hicks to Rochester.
  23. iTwins
    You can view the page at http://twinsdaily.com/content.php/3007-Fantastic-Fien
  24. iTwins

    Fantastic Fien

    iTwins posted an article in Twins

    When a team is mired in a rut of three losing seasons, it’s easy to overlook players who are achieving beyond expectations – especially when those players are relief pitchers. After all, who cares if you have a lights out righthander when the team is constantly down 6-0 by the third inning? For that reason, you could be forgiven if you’ve missed what Casey Fien has been doing over the past three years with the Twins. Since the Twins signed Fien as a minor league free agent from the Detroit Tigers organization, he’s developed into one of the better relief pitchers in baseball. In 2014, Fien is posting career best numbers.The 6’2" righty currently boasts a 3-1 record with a 1.89 ERA and 13:4 strikeout to walk ratio. His strong start helped him take over the 8th inning role from Jarod Burton in early April and he’s kept the role absolutely locked down through sheer dominant performances all season. Fien has only allowed an earned run in 2 of his 20 outings (oddly enough, both against Cleveland) and has rarely even yielded a hit. Take a look at his game logs from 2014: [TABLE] Date Opp Rslt Dec IP H R ER BB SO HR HBP ERA Mar31 CHW L3-5 [/TD] 0.2 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.00 Apr2 CHW L6-7 H(1) 1.0 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 0.00 Apr4 CLE L2-7 1.0 3 3 3 0 0 0 0 10.12 Apr6 CLE W10-7 H(2) 1.0 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 7.36 Apr10 OAK L1-6 1.0 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 5.79 Apr13 KCR W4-3 W(1-0) 0.1 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 5.40 Apr17(2) TOR W9-5 W(2-0) 1.0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 4.50 Apr20 KCR W8-3 0.2 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 4.05 Apr23 TBR W6-4 W(3-0) 2.1 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 3.00 Apr25 DET L6-10 1.0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2.70 May Opp Rslt Dec IP H R ER BB SO HR HBP ERA May1(2) LAD L3-4 1.0 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 2.45 May3 BAL W6-1 1.0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 2.25 May4 BAL W5-2 H(3) 1.0 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 2.08 May7 CLE L3-4 L(3-1) 0.2 2 1 1 0 0 0 0 2.63 May9 DET W2-1 H(4) 1.0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2.45 May11 DET W4-3 H(5) 0.2 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 2.35 May15 BOS W4-3 H(6) 1.0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2.20 May16 SEA W5-4 H(7) 0.2 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 2.12 May20 SDP W5-3 H(8) 1.0 0 0 0 1 2 0 0 2.00 May21 SDP W2-0 H(9) 1.0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 1.89 19.0 12 4 4 4 13 1.89 [/TABLE] 　 That’s a lot of zeroes. Fien is currently 12th in WAR among AL relievers (0.6) and ranks 17th BABIP (.222), 16th in BB/9 (1.89), and 16th in FIP (.233). Those rankings become even more impressive once you factor in that most of the players ahead of Fien are other team’s closers (Glen Perkins, Greg Holland, Koji Uehara – etc.). In short, outside of the true elite bullpen arms (i.e., closers) there are not many relievers pitching better than Fien in 2014. Of course, whenever a player is having a career year, the talk always turns to regression. How soon will the player "return" to his career averages and how far will the "fall" be? Thankfully Fien’s overall numbers show that if he does experience any regression this season, it might not be that dramatic. Take a look at his numbers since joining the Twins ‘pen: [TABLE] Year[TD=width: 25%]K% [TD=width: 25%]BB% [/TD] [TD=width: 25%]BABIP [/TD] [TD=width: 25%]2012 [/TD] [TD=width: 25%]22.7% [/TD] [TD=width: 25%]7.5% [/TD] [TD=width: 25%].229 [/TD] [TD=width: 25%]2013 [/TD] [TD=width: 25%]29.9% [/TD] [TD=width: 25%]4.9% [/TD] [TD=width: 25%].280 [/TD] [TD=width: 25%]2014 [/TD] [TD=width: 25%]18.3% [/TD] [TD=width: 25%]5.6% [/TD] [TD=width: 25%].222 [/TD] [/TABLE] Essentially, Fien’s advanced numbers all point towards one thing: consistency. Even if Fien’s early season hot streak cools, he’s still a high strikeout, low walk reliever who should continue to excel in late game situations. The question then turns to what the Twins should do with Fien going forward. He’ll be (Super-2) arbitration eligible at the end of this year, and is under team control through 2019. He’s 31 years old, so the Twins should be cautious about locking him in to a long term deal – especially given how volatile relievers can be (See: Valverde, Jose), but he’s clearly providing value for the team in the short term. He could be a potential trade asset for the team if they fall out of contention before the trade deadline* or the team could simply choose to retain Fien and enjoy the quality arm out of the bullpen. *As an aside: Do you know how nice it was to type "IF they fall out of contention by the deadline" and really mean IF – winning baseball is fun. We should do it more often. Casey Fien is quickly becomeing a fan favorite. His enthusiasm and fire on the mound is a blast to watch. This season he’s become the very definition of a "bulldog" out of the ‘pen for the Twins and is one of the few Twins pitchers who is not afraid to attack hitters and pound the strike zone with scorching fastballs. Fien has elevated his game to a new level this season – whether he can maintain this strong start remains to be seen but either way the Twins (and Twins fans) have to be enjoying the fantastic output from Casey Fien so far.
  25. iTwins
    I can see both points - since Hughes is rolling, why not let him face the Yankees? Maybe he'll shut them down and continue pitching on his hot streak. The Yankees aren't exactly world beaters at this point - why duck them? Then again, he's still a flyball pitcher, and flyballs have a habit of becoming souvenirs in Yankee Stadium. I'd hate to see a shelling get into Hughes' head and mess with all of this progress he's made this season.
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