David HK

In jest or not, I'm likin' me some Luis Arraez. I hope he gets a good look in the spring. We might have a baby Altuve on our hands. Nothing would please me more than to get Esco back, too, but that is FAR from a given. Seems to be a lot of posts that reflect some wishful thinking there.

I've been on record too many times on these boards railing on the guy. I give him at best a D. Loved Molly as a player, former Gopher, and well-deserved Hall Of Famer. But as a manager of my home team, nope. While it's true, issues like Morrison, Sano, Buxton, Dozier and others woefully under-performing are beyond his purview, the measure of a mgr is putting his team in the best position to compete, despite these challenges. That means not putting slumping players in the middle or top of the order and just leaving them there. Bullpen, lineups, in-game decisions, lack of fundamentals, all of those issues and more have been debated to death here, and all of them show the mgr lacking. My latest case in point- a conversation related on-air by Dick recently, in which he queried Molly about which players on the roster he trusted to get a bunt down. His answer: Two. My question: WHY ONLY TWO?!? My God, if you have a fundamental problem on your team, get those coaches and players moving in the direction to fix it! The baserunning lately? The brain-farts in the field? Why is this stuff not being addressed?!? And here's the kicker-- it's not a season in which we're going to be catching Cleveland. That has been apparent for weeks now, if not months. Molly's complete lack of faith in younger players, and unwillingness to give them a decent shot when called up is not the way to move forward. I'm sick of seeing quick hooks, sick of seeing young guys called up and then sitting on their butts for days on end, sick of seeing guys, when they do get a chance to play, wildly out of position! (Astudillo, anyone?) Lastly, where is the fire? No, not everybody needs to be a rah-rah cheerleader, but during a game, that dugout looks like a morgue, and Molly looks like a disinterested spectator. I want to see someone in that dugout next season, encouraging some emotion and passion in there. Heck, even if you have to fake it, at least the team can LOOK like they care. I wanna see someone like Ozzie in there next year.

This was a tough one, with 2 woeful teams trying to give the game to each other. It was a race between the Twins' woeful pitching vs. the Tigers' woeful hitting, and fortunately the Twinks were not as good at being bad today.

I'm not sure how I feel about this "opener" motif. But I am sure about how the Twinks' minor leaguers are pulling it off. It seems every time I read one of these, the "opener" has put the team in a hole in the first. It could be an interesting tactic, and several teams look like they're trying it- but come on, boys, if you're gonna be the opener, maybe open something besides the floodgates.

There are a lot of interesting ideas posted here. For example, I'm far from the only one startled, but intrigued by the thought of Odor being turned into a reliever. But--- nearly all of those intriguing options depend on having a Mgr who's open to trying these things- and that is NOT the guy in the Twinks' dugout. In the absence of Belisle (thank heaven), it already looks like he's settled on Hildy, and is just going to keep on keepin' on shoving the same pegs into the same holes til this woeful season ends- with no evidence generated about future pitching stocks for next year and beyond. None, repeat, none of the above ideas are likely to happen with MoY in the dugout.

Is there anybody on the planet, except for maybe MoY, who isn't willing to give Trevor MAY a shot in the closer role? Maybe he just got the wrong Trevor in the wrong inning. Or maybe it's just better to have a burned-up sidewinder who's put up a WHIP over 2.00, and ERA of 12+ lately? Fer God's sake...

OH yeah....

I'm really happy for the kid. I hope he does well, and doesn't get an early hook if he runs into a spot of trouble. That said, it kind of smells like a showcase for a package trade...

I didn't like all the moves, but they're made now, and we'll see what develops from the minor-league haul. At least a couple of them are very encouraging, but years away. I also like the fact there's more room to add some FA's next season, but--- (**OK, I admit, I'm beating a drum here that some may be tired of hearing--) I can't imagine a quality FA looking at how the ballclub has been constructed and (especially) managed, and want to be in that same dugout. I am wholly convinced they need to make a change in that dugout, and the sooner the better. Then, a fresh start all around.

Don't forget- we still have Belisle!!

Too late. That was already on page 428 of the most recent tax law that nobody bothered to read. Except me, of course.

Sure he was 'given a shot.' Not at catcher, of course. But at 2B, CF, (where he'd never played before), and at 3B, where he made that one error that time, so of course he's no good. And then, he didn't put himself in the game when somebody, anybody, should have been PH'ing for BWilson in crucial situations, or anything like that. If MoY is in the dugout, does anyone from AAA actually get a real "shot?"

Yeh, good idea- so MoY can play Willians at 2B, and Adrianza on the OF... Let's just go ahead and maximize that flexibility factor...

Not, methinks. If not for trades, I reckon, he'd still be down there workin'. As he should.

I'm echoing some comments here- some reason can't like nor quote on the mobile-- But my gawd, for a team like this to gut it out like this- In Fenway - they didn't deserve this loss. Losing key guys in the trades notwithstanding, this loss is all on the MoY, and his inane BP usage this past week. Rosario is a hero. Even lance Lynn stepped up like a mensch. Ultrashort bench, half of whom is the inexplicable B.Wilson, and still they fought. And their MoY didn't give em a proper chance to win, a chance any number of TD posters could have set up better. So many things have gone wrong this season, but once again this year, so many games have been fritted away by the dugout.

...and in the continuing saga of the Twinks dugout bringing players up, only to sit them down, or use them in positions they've never played in the major, or minor league level... Welcome to the show, Willians!

.... and Magill had 4 days off.

I have this recurring bad dream that they keep BD and move Esco. That would make me sad.

Ah, Ash- A true gem of a report. I can almost smell the onions on that sausage roll. Although enjoying "a" craft brew on an 84 degree day was a little suspect, especially considering that eyeball race....