theBOMisthebomb

me·di·o·cre /ˌmēdēˈōkər/ adjective of only moderate quality; not very good. Castro played 12 seasons, that is true. That doesn't mean he wasn't mediocre: Career OPS+ 92 Lifetime BA .227 Career WRC+ 93 Sure, he had a legitimate career. Not every player can be a star. Baseball Reference has Castro with only two seasons above 2 WAR. You can respect the overall career and still judge the results as mediocre.

He earned $50 MM + in his career for rather mediocre performances, so congratulations to him for that.

I didn't realize/had forgotten that Joe pitched that poorly against winning teams. If he can clean that up a bit, the overall numbers might really shine. Joe Ryan is my guy, I recently learned he pitched in college at California State University, Northridge (CSUN). My dad graduated from CSUN and I was born in Northridge.

After the #5 and #6 seeds made it to the NLCS in 2022, I say yes. This is assuming by currently constructed, it means after the Twins have spent their payroll for 2023 and the other offseason maneuvers are complete.

At this point in the off-season, everyone is tied for first place.

This was a rather complete list. Luis Arraez and Joe Ryan are my additions. Tack on the new uniforms and logos for good measure.

The old Google/Wiki combo tells us, "Since the death of her father in 1938, Triplett collected $73.13 per month from the Department of Veterans Affairs. She was eligible to inherit her father's pension due to cognitive impairments which she had, qualifying her as the helpless child of a veteran. The total amount she received was about $73,000, or $344,000 when adjusted for inflation. Widespread public awareness of Triplett's status occurred in 2013 as the result of a Daily Mail story about her. After the 2018 death of Fred Upham, the son of William H. Upham, she became the last surviving child of a Civil War veteran."

This reminds me of the lady who collected on the Civil War pension until 2020. "Irene Triplett (January 9, 1930 – May 31, 2020) was the last recipient of an American Civil War pension. Her father had fought for both the Confederacy and later the Union in the Civil War."

If that happens, I will seriously consider cancelling my 20 game season ticket package. No thanks, hard pass on Sano returning to Minnesota.

I find it funny that Chris Carter's photo on BB Ref has him in a Twins hat even though he played zero regular season games for the Twins. I guess the Twins signed him in May 2018 from the Angels for cash.

Just curious, how did he look very below average? I remember the bad throw and error at Oakland in 2021 to give away a game, that was at third base though. I think he went through a tough stretch around that same time in 2021 also in left field. What did you see very below average in 2022?

I can't really see the difference, it looks essentially the same to me. After seeing the side by sides and reading the headline, I thought this was Stu's Friday contribution.

The process of selecting the winner seems like a good combination of old school and new school, at least on the face of it. Seven coaches from each team vote and they also use the ABR Defensive Index (SDI). Voting Rules The Rawlings Gold Glove Award® represents overall fielding excellence, and it is not an award based solely on fielding metrics and statistics, nor does it factor in offensive production. Only the manager and six (6) coaches for each Major League Baseball team vote, for a total of seven (7) votes per team. Each person must sign the completed Ballot in order to be considered valid. Managers and coaches cannot vote for their own players and can only vote for players in their own League. Managers and coaches cast votes for players at particular positions, not in general terms; i.e. qualified LF instead of three general OF. Eligibility for a Rawlings Gold Glove Award closely follows qualification standards set forth in MLB Rule 10.22 (Minimum Standards for Individual Championships). Only players listed in the resource guide are eligible for a Rawlings Gold Glove Award at the specific position listed. For rules on player qualification for a particular position, please see the “Notes & Glossary” section of the resource guide. Qualified players are sorted in alphabetical order. The votes are confidential between Major League Baseball and Rawlings Sporting Goods Company, Inc. SABR Defensive Index The SABR Defensive IndexTM (SDI) is a measure of the number of runs saved by a player's defensive performance over the course of a season, compared to the average defensive player at that position. The SDI combines measures from six (6) different defensive data sources and includes factors that rate the defenders arm strength and accuracy, range and his sure-handedness, along with the number of “excellent” and “poor” fielding plays he makes. The SDI also incorporates a rating for a player's ability to turn double plays (2B and SS), fielding bunts (primarily P, C, 3B, and 1B) and scoops of throws in the dirt (1B). For catchers, blocking balls in the dirt and stolen bases/ caught stealing are also included. For pitchers, the SDI includes his ability to hold runners on base and control the running game. A positive SDI number indicates that a player was above average compared to other players at his position this season. Conversely, a negative SDI number means the player performed below the league average at this position this season.

The "all prospects are suspects" saying really resonates.

Cave hustles, so that warrants a tribute that he has earned respect? I'd say it points to how uncommon it is to see a guy hustle full time in today's game.

Yes, the no one over the age of 35 comment confused me as well. I think it should be under 35. I'd vote for Friends reruns over Night Court. Friends was much more popular and has a wider audience and appeal. I'm guessing many in the proper age group have forgotten Night Court.

I say to blame the Baseball Gods.

Then, Louie Varland on Thursday could throw a gem.

Jeez, show a little bit of class. The guy has worked his whole life to get to this point and just got his first MLB knock. Take the foot off the gas on the criticism for at least a day. If this is all he accomplishes for baseball in this life he is top of the class in the big picture. Hitting a home run in the majors is an accomplishment to be proud of.

Fair enough and not totally unwarranted critiques of Miranda and Arraez. While you do back it with some numbers, it just seems odd to point the finger or even mention those two as any part of the problem.

Three more games this season. Watching Ohtani and Trout on Friday and Saturday night. Then, playing hooky the last home game of the season. I don't understand the comments about bailing on attending games because they are now out of the race, etc. To each his/her own, I guess. For me, I enjoy the game itself, the sights and sounds of Target Field, and (hopefully) nice weather for outdoor baseball.

Yes, if the Twins can win tonight and sneak 2 out of 3 from Houston and San Diego can get a two game mini sweep of Cleveland then things might smell differently. I'm surprised to see so many Twins fans on the ledge.

It doesn't take much imagination to find a 2-5 or 1-6 record as a distinct possibility. The Astros have a distinct advantage in Tuesday night's TBD v. RHP Justin Verlander matchup. I'm sure glad that game is getting featured on MLB Network.

It would be nice to thread the needle with Correa not setting the world on fire the rest of 2022, the Twins still making a long playoff run with Correa's legendary playoff production leading the way, topped off by Correa returning to the Twins in 2023 because he can't get a better offer.

Losing to any Wisconsin entity only infinitely increases the pain, so that added to my frustration.