Squirrel

Yes and no. In the playoffs you are starting out from zero regardless of your record to get there. Many teams can and do get hot and perform beyond what their record was during the season. Tht doesn’t mean I have huge hopes that the Twins will outperform Houston or whoever in the playoffs as the probability is low. But, in baseball who knows.

They could have been in on the FA market. I’m actually okay with the trades they made for starters despite the results. But I am not as forgiving that attention was given to the BP. If they are going to rely on their BP as they have, then we need a BP filled with closer types

I think Chief was Franklin's teacher when Franklin went to school. Whatever Franklin said about baseball he got it from Chief

Then it's a wonder you even care about posting here about the Twins. I, for one, do care if they make the playoffs. That's the goal, no matter how much confidence (or lack thereof) I have in the team, no matter how overmatched they might be in the playoffs. Making the playoffs gives you a chance, even if slim, to keep playing. No playoffs, it's over. While I'm frustrated and disappointed with some things, my prediction at the beginning of the season was 80-84 wins and no playoffs. So, I'll be good and want them to, make the playoffs. Enjoy your football.

Plus, plus talent plus IQ ... that's the definition of a HoFer.

I’d be curious to know, and I’m sure the info is easily figured out but I don’t feel like putting together a math research project, how much of an increase of spending was there within other teams as a way to compare? And what were their allocations? I mean, if everyone increased spending by that much, then, well, so what. But if we increased spending by that much and everyone else 10-20%, then I’d be looking deeper at the numbers. Did we close that gap at all in our payroll to the top teams comparing the percentage of how much more they spent? And then figure into that, how much costs went up in that same time. And, on top of that, maybe it wasn’t Pohlad who just loosened things a bit, but the current FO made a better case as to why he should? Just saying they increased spending by this much tells me little.

You do know I was being facetious, I assume

Caleb Thielbar for closer!

Before this back and forth goes any further, I’m going to say you both have a point here. I agree that those in the FO do know more than most of us. They have more information than we do, for one, so their decisions are made from more than speculation, assumption and emotion like that of the average fans, or even above average fans, as is the case at TD. ? However, the proof is in the pudding. While I have no doubts they know more than most of us, they still haven’t shown us that in results. I didn’t think the Twins would be ‘in the hunt’ (which, technically, they still are) this season, that only shows the weakness of the division. At the start of the season, I had the team finishing in the 80-84 range. In May the team gave me reason to hope, but I’m at a ‘shrug, whatever’ point now. However, the FO, despite knowing more, has missed the mark in more than a few instances. And that, frankly, surprises and annoys me. They are paid not only to know more, but to do better. Somewhere in their realm, things are not right in their evaluation of players and their injuries and their risk. jjswol said above it’s too soon to judge the trade and I tend to agree. However, given the number of ‘mistakes’ made so far in this FO’s era, I will remain skeptical until I see results. I hope they know something and both Paddack and Mahle come back next season and prove it. But until then, they have earned my skepticism and annoyance.

Pathetic and embarrassing on so many fronts

Yeah ... I had that piece custom made to fit inside a closet. The thought then (19yrs ago) was to create an 'office' space in the main bedroom and then leave the guest room completely as a guest room. Well, with much improved internet, with wifi (and I should have made this move years ago), when I have guests, I can just move my computer somewhere else for a few days as it's not connected to anything but the outlet. Now I can reclaim the closet it was in. This is part of my 5-yr plan before selling and moving back home.

Before and after moving my desk …

Most know my mantra pretty much is "It's just a game." Or sometimes "Hope for the best, prepare for the worst." Sometimes it's both at the same time because sometimes it's necessary to work harder at trying to keep perspective when you lose when you don't want to lose and/or you need to win. Of course, I never want to lose, but that just isn't reasonable or practical. It happens, move on, get over it. But we have reached that point in the season where 'moving on' from a loss means you are done for the season. Yeah, okay, so some of you are saying, there is still plenty of baseball left. I don't really agree with the plenty part, but we are still in striking distance, and, as it is baseball, anything can happen ... either way. But as time goes on it gets less pragmatic to keep hopeful. I'm still hoping, though, but I'm not going to say anything about the upcoming matchups, because I really don't want to think about it. I mean, okay, we are facing Cease and Giolito, that's going to be tough ... and they are facing Mahle and Bundy. Mahle on his first game back after ... I just hope it's a very put together outing, and he gets past 4 innings (working 6 would be great!). I wasn't going to think about it, but now I'm thinking about it. I have no more fingernails to bite! Cease and Giolito are going to be tough ... let's hope our offense makes it tough on them instead. And, incidentally, as disappointing as it was to lose last night to the White Sox, a team I hate losing to more than I hate losing to the Yankees, I was more saddened by Serena Williams' loss in the U.S. Open. I wanted one more championship for her. She is one of THE. FIERCEST. athletes I've ever watched play and, as a tennis player myself, I just marveled at what she could do with jaw-dropping amazement. There is no comparison for me ... not even Duran's splinker! Lineups will be posted when they are available and I get around to it. I am in the midst of some major house chores ... I moved my desk (which is a tall desk and shelving unit, custom made, solid, heavy, 7.5' high, 3' wide, 2.5' deep), and all its contents; pictures later). I'm happy about it ... I can't even describe what joy this work brings me ... lol ... I'm now sitting next to a window while I work and not an internal hallway. Oh, and the obligatory ... it's a nice day in Chicago. Weather should not be a negative factor in playing the game.

But we already have a couple of those ... just saying, that the field is deep, both in the majors and the minors. And true, you never know with injuries, but at best he would be a bench person with us, and in Cincinnati he will likely get greater opportunities, maybe even as a starter. Just saying that his playing time would be far more limited with us than there, and that this is a better opportunity for him. It was a good trade for everyone ... us, them and him.

I would generally agree that I'd like to see Duran 'closing', but as terry said above, I'd rather Duran face the heart of the order if they come up in the 7th or 8th in a close game, and not wait until the the 9th. I mean, you wait until the 9th, the heart of the order is up in the 8th, and you give the ball to someone else and they cough up the lead, then what? I don't think there are designated inning roles anymore. The days of 'Duran only pitches in the 9th' are over. But, I do think he's our best pitcher out of the pen and I want him in the highest leverage situation. This is why you should have a pen filled with 'closers'. That was the failing of the FO this past off-season ... I think having an awesome BP is more important than having a starting rotation filled with 1's and 2's.

Alotta ifs in there ... I can't read the future. But given who we have now, both in the majors and the minors, still not sure he would have had a solid place, which is why he was expendable to trade.

Farm

I have that on and am following the baseball game on gameday

I hope we win tonight because I'm eating my chicken dinner now. Only, it's not chicken, it's duck. It's still a bird, though

He's finally healthy. And yes, patience. Many on here lost patience for him a while ago. Glad he's forcing some crow into their diets

Probably has something to do with it

I hate losing to the White Sox more than the Yankees. Yes, I really do.

I'm not sure he'd have even gotten a real chance next year, either. I think it was a good trade for everyone involved.

I hear this a lot ... 'so and so just doesn't have much of a baseball IQ' ... what exactly does that mean? That they lack knowledge of the game, or are just poor executers or are prone to mistakes? I think it fair to ask 'What was he thinking?' and being disappointed at decisions made in a split second and think you'd have done it differently for a better outcome, but I'm very doubtful that it's because a lack of knowledge of the game and how to play, i.e. IQ, but rather issues of inexperience.