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PopRiveter

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Everything posted by PopRiveter

  1. PopRiveter
    Good writeup. Feels like there was potential for a much better outcome this year, but it would have required a number of good breaks. It’s gotten pretty bleak lately.
  2. PopRiveter
    I can’t let this go. I will try hard to be respectful, but I just can’t see this the way you do. Buxton, Polanco, Kepler, Sano, Kiriloff, and Jeffers all made the opening day roster and all were out hurt. It was painfully obvious that a Plan B lineup was on the field. First line of defense this year included opening day roster bench players who are now regulars-Arraez (thank God), Gordon & Celestino (both having risen to perform above expectations). These were supposed to be supplemental talent, not the core group. Then comes the frontline contigency minor league group which was led by Garlick, Miranda, Lewis (out), Larnach (out). It’s been a lot of blows to the depth of the lineup. Most everyone has lost some time and all the lifelines have been used extensively. At this point, the attrition has overwhelmed the team. Again, this isn’t even touching on the pitching. Is it an excuse? You can decide that for yourself. Is it an inescapable truth? Yup. 100%
  3. PopRiveter
    This article twice characterized Wnder looking good today. I disagree. He was getting hit hard and managed to take advantage of some nice breaks. Glad he got through it, but I don’t think many of us there today felt confident with the frequent hard contact he was allowing.
  4. PopRiveter
    Apparently you weren’t at the game today like I was, watching an outfield of Cave/Celestino/Garlick. The Twins had to field that group because injuries have sidelined Buxton, Kepler, Kiriloff, Larnach, and Contreras. All higher options on the depth chart than the players that were actually playing. The infield is missing Polanco, Sano, Lewis and Jeffers. That’s without even mentioning the many pitching injuries that have gutted the starting and relief corps. The team is broken. They are cooked. They are severely injured. I feel it’s disingenuous to claim otherwise.
  5. PopRiveter
    Maeda can hardly be categorized the same as Paddack and Dyson. He was a season and a half post-trade before he lost time to injury. I see him as an example of the times it pays off- pitchers who become available for a reasonable price because of lingering injury concern, but who then contribute beyond their price tag. I'd put Maeda's name alongside Pineda on that list. I'm holding out hope Archer will prove he belongs in that grouping as well, but that would require he reverses some current trends. There certainly aren't many examples of that being a successful strategy.
  6. PopRiveter
    I totally get the frustration and desire to aim it at a culprit. Not sure I am convinced whether Rocco is to blame. The team sees a totally different manager than he allows the public to see and I can't distinguish which on-field decisions are actually mandates from the FO. The management style is too clinical and impersonal for my tastes, but I wasn't complaining while it was working in April and May. After a hot start, the team has gone 41-51 in their past 92 games. That is a last-place pace in a pretty sizeable sample. I see talent on the offensive side, but it hasn't gelled and the pitching has sunk to match my preseason worries. Maybe they just aren't a very good team. In the standings, they are still positioned to make a run, but I've become convinced that this team just doesn't have it in them.
  7. PopRiveter
    As a boy, I became a fan of baseball because I loved the postseason games of '87 and '91. At present, I love regular season baseball more than any other sport, but the playoff version of baseball is unrecognizeable. It is not played like the same game and to my eye, the officiating starts to look like the NBA where the star players get the benefit of every call. I've lost interest in the MLB postseason. I hope that changes someday. I've gotten to the point where I avoid Twins playoff games in recent years to keep myself from getting upset or depressed. I have my fun in the regular season. That is all MLB allows.
  8. PopRiveter
    Excellent article. I didn’t want him, but Bundy has been a pleasant surprise. However, IMO Pagan is the absolute worst kind of pitcher you can have around. Someone whose “stuff” looks so good that he keeps getting innings despite the fact that he fails at a pitcher’s actual job-getting outs. Sad truth is, he was less effective at getting outs than Duffey or Smith, but those guys were cut for ineffectiveness. The even-worse pitcher stays around to keep sinking the team because he looks better failing. “Stuff” can be deceiving.
  9. PopRiveter
    This might be the best argument for him to not opt out. The only reason to not exercise the opt-out is if CC believes playing in MN at $35 mil (with a short-term contract) is better than whatever else he will be offered. If he truly loves playing here and his goal is to stay, he has to weigh his current contract against what he thinks the Twins will offer him this winter as a free agent. In that case, he might realistically expect the Twins would offer him something like 4 yr/$100m. If I were him in that scenario, I'd probably stick with the 2yr/$70 I already have. But only if I was convinced that I exclusively wish to stay a Twin. If he's fine with leaving MN, he instead has to weight his current contract against what the field will offer and someone will be willing to go higher in salary and years. This is still the most likely reality for any player who chooses Boras as an agent. I expect his is where he's truly headed until he proves otherwise.
  10. PopRiveter
    I’m going to the game tonight for the first time since the Pre-Covid days of yore. I’ll have a talk with the boys and try to get ‘em on track. It’s gotten a bit ugly out there.
  11. PopRiveter
    For any of those inclined to dump on Archer, I submit this stat. Short starts? Yes, but he’s held opposing hitters to an OPS of just .680 That’s better than league average and better than Mahle, Ryan, Bundy, Smeltzer, Ober or Winder. Sonny Gray is the only Twins starter who has a better opponent OPS (.654) Heck, our 100+ mph, short burst super reliever Duran is holding opposing hitters to an OPS of .619 If our most dominant reliever holds opponents to a .619 OPS, I am not inclined to be disappointed or critical of a starter who holds them to .680 He’s trended down recently. Here’s hoping it is a blip. Might be one of our better hopes for a dominant playoff pitcher (starter or bp)
  12. PopRiveter
    You had me at “Jake Cave and Tim Beckham are also in the lineup.”
  13. PopRiveter
    Geez. I hate this situation, but Ted’s writeup is about perfect. He really fairly represented every facet of this issue. I feel like I’ll always hear the Tiffany song “Could’ve Been” in the back of my mind whenever I think of Sano.
  14. PopRiveter
    Crazy to think that this was a valid TD feature article on May 29: … and I’m 0% picking on Ted. It was a valid concern and a fine article. Today, Gordon has instead anchored his place on the team and proves his value on repeat. The 2022 Twins are getting a lot of contribution from this particular “bubble guy.” As I write this, Aaron Hicks is batting for the Yankees. .226/.347/.319 @ $6m I’ll take Nick 100 times out of 100. That’ll make me sleep a little better.
  15. PopRiveter
    This is probably what I needed to read this morning. I have been feeling like they should just stand pat and let the cards fall where they may. Send the team the message that “You are the cavalry. Step up.” But truly, bullpens can often be patched without paying a huge penalty and this team could be so much stronger with a couple bullpen reinforcements. If they fall apart, at least don’t give up much.
  16. PopRiveter
    Ugh. I feel terrible for him right now.
  17. PopRiveter
    I'm right there with you. Can't believe I was looking forward to this.
  18. PopRiveter
    Archers Strike percentage this year is 59.9% For comparison Corbin Burnes strike percentage is 62.9%
  19. PopRiveter
    You are entitled to your own opinion and you choose pretty safe ground when you continually call any player cooked, because you'll eventually be right with every player. I personally saw a lot more potential upside in Archer's pitching a few week's ago than I've seen in any other member of this rotation. The strategy seemed to be slowly build him up in hopes that he can be a reliable starter by the time the playoffs arrive. If they prove unable get Archer back on track, I personally don't see much hope for this team. I mean, maybe Joe Ryan can start every game of a playoff series.
  20. PopRiveter
    In June, he contributed 27 innings with a 1.67 ERA and held opponents to a .156 batting average Then, he hit the IL and he's now pitched just twice since. So yes. It is absolutely disingenuous to characterize today's season-low 3 IP, season high 6 BB, season high 6 ER outing as what he does "most days."
  21. PopRiveter
    He looked pathetic today. I'm not arguing that. He pitched better for the entire month of June than any other Twins pitcher and we've only seen him twice since, so we can overreact as much as we like, but if you proclaim every starter "cooked" and cut them all after one bad outing, you'd have already discarded every starter in the league.
  22. PopRiveter
    Seriously? "Most days"? Look at the game logs. This tied his shortest start of the season and was certainly one of the few worst outings he's had as a Twin. Most every starter has some days where they just can't find it. We just saw Sonny gray have a similar meltdown against Chicago. To act like today's lousy outing was representative of Archer's season is totally disingenuous.
  23. PopRiveter
    Man alive, is he ever off his game today.
  24. PopRiveter
    Nice way to get the team out of trouble. Way to go Polo!
  25. PopRiveter
    Thanks for calling that to our attention. That is a cool feature
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