Jump to content
Twins Daily
  • Create Account

PopRiveter

Verified Member
 View Profile  See their activity

  • Posts

    755

  • Joined

  • Last visited

  • Days Won

    1

 Content Type 

Profiles

News

Minnesota Twins Videos

2026 Minnesota Twins Top Prospects Ranking

2022 Minnesota Twins Draft Picks

Minnesota Twins Free Agent & Trade Rumors, Notes, & Tidbits

Guides & Resources

2023 Minnesota Twins Draft Picks

The Minnesota Twins Players Project

2024 Minnesota Twins Draft Picks

2025 Minnesota Twins Draft Pick Tracker

Forums

Blogs

Events

Store

Downloads

Gallery

Everything posted by PopRiveter

  1. PopRiveter
    10.05 Base Hits A base hit is a statistic credited to a batter when such batter reaches base safely, as set forth in this Rule 10.05. (a) The official scorer shall credit a batter with a base hit when: (2) the batter reaches first base safely on a fair ball hit with such force, or so slowly, that any fielder attempting to make a play with the ball has no opportunity to do so; (3) the batter reaches first base safely on a fair ball that takes an unnatural bounce so that a fielder cannot handle it with ordinary effort, or that touches the pitcher’s plate or any base (including home plate) before being touched by a fielder and bounces so that a fielder cannot handle the ball with ordinary effort; The subsequent rules repeatedly make reference to "ordinary effort" on the part of the fielder. The scorer must have either thought Grossman had "no opportunity" to make the play (seems unlikely) or that it would have taken more than "ordinary effort." Seems to me the scorer thought it would have been extraordinary for Grossman to grab that ball on the run. You certainly don't have to agree with his judgement.
  2. PopRiveter
    "Let's Cut Miguel Sanó Some Slack" You had me at "Let's Cut Miguel Sanó" ! Sorry, I'm not sure I necessarily agree with that joke, but I had to make it.
  3. PopRiveter
    Yeah, and Ben Rortvedt has played 0 innings this season since he's been injured all year so... Maybe the right move was to keep Garver like most of us thought they should have in the first place?
  4. PopRiveter
    Luis Madero and Willians Astudillo are now teammates in Jacksonville. I'm sure they are over it. They are young men playing a game with heightened emotions. Punching a pitcher surely isn't okay, but beaning a hitter can be pretty awful in it's own right. Remember when Torii Hunter punched Justin Morneau? Guys do dumb stuff. I get to be an irrational fan and I can choose to forgive the players I like and forever hate those I don't. You have the same right.
  5. PopRiveter
    For what it is worth, he's hitting .364/.440/.545 for their AAA affiliate. I'm not blind to what he is, but every team needs to employ some AAAA/replacement type players throughout a season and I find those underdog roleplayers easy to root for when they have some personality and especially when they have a standout skill such as Astudillo's ridiculous contact ability. He has struck out 25 times in 533 plate attempts!!!!! Modern baseball may never see another hitter with such an extreme low strikeout rate.
  6. PopRiveter
    100% I deeply love his style of play. I was selfishly sad when they released him, but the logic made sense. He was buried behind impressive depth, However, after they moved Garver and Rortvedt, I became honestly frustrated. That depth is gone and my favorite 2021 Twin would have been a useful piece. Hard for me to imagine the Jose Godoy era will make me forget La Tortuga. Don't listen to Ted! ?
  7. PopRiveter
    “Oh my golly!” -Black Francis, the Pixies “That Byron is so hot right now” -Mugatu, Zoolander ”I literally can’t believe what I’m witnessing” -Me, this afternoon
  8. PopRiveter
    Your article provides an excellent answer to the main question facing the team. I was going to list the OPS comparison if you didn't already have it, but you nailed it. Now, Will the lineup turn it around?
  9. PopRiveter
    Agree to disagree. I can easily my mind back to the days of Pedro Florimon and even way back to the days of Andrelton Simmons. This lineup needs Carlos Correa to hit like Carlos Correa always hits. He will eventually, but I’m getting antsy for the bat to arrive.
  10. PopRiveter
    1. I've been very pleasantly surprised by Bundy. I expected him to struggle until being discarded. He is proving me very wrong. 2. I always liked Carlos Correa despite hating Houston. It's hard to imagine he could become less likeable as a Twin, but if I'm being honest, his at-bats have been frustrating me so far. 3. No surprise to me that Jhoan Duran is getting most of his outs by means of the K, but I am surprised he's served up 2 home runs, 6 hits, 2 walks, 4 earned runs in his 6 innings. He looks entirely unhittable to me, but he's got to learn sequencing or something.
  11. PopRiveter
    I seem to remember the Red Sox (or Yankees?) once moved one of baseball's best starting pitchers from the mound because he was such a good hitter. I feel like it worked out pretty well. Wish I could remember that player's name... But seriously, a week as a DH while he's ramping back up might make sense. As a long term strategy? Hahahaha! I laugh until milk shoots from my nose- and I am not drinking milk.
  12. PopRiveter
    I agree with a lot of your thoughts here. First and foremost, we did need Rogers. He was the most stable, centerpiece of this bullpen. Without him, there are a lot of unknowns to sort through. I think the offense on paper took a step backward, but it is nowhere near as bad as what we're seeing. I still expect them to be a decent run-producing group. but I don't necessarily have confidence in all the same names as you. I fully trust Buxton, Correa, Arraez and Polanco. I feel we can count on Sano and Sanchez to hit for power and a very low batting averages. Kepler will hit for a similarly low batting average with fewer strikeouts and fewer home runs. He'll surely pull a lot of double play balls into the shift. I won't lose any sleep if they move on from him. His greatest asset is his ability to fill in as an average fielding CF. To my eye, Kiriloff and Larnach are 2 flips of the same coin. One or both will likely turn out to be productive this season. Jeffers isn't an offensive asset. Urshela? meh. I like the glove. Gordon? no thanks. I think Astudillo would've been a much better fit as bench depth now that we have one poor hitting cather and a second poor fielding catcher at DH, and he's much more reliable for a tough at-bat as a pinch hitter.
  13. PopRiveter
    I think the most hopeful thing I see is that this offense can’t continue to be this comically ineffective. The bats have to break out substantially. No team ever hits .182/.274/.329 The rotation has been almost equally surprising but for the opposite reason. Here’s to some better weeks. I want this baseball season to still mean something by the time Minnesota finally exits sweater weather.
  14. PopRiveter
    It sure feels that way, but 9 games is ~1/17th of a season. LA Vikes Fan, when a Vikings offense looks really bad in the first game of the season, is it time to replace the skill position players on offense? Might feel like it, but c’mon, it’s just time to regroup for week 2. This lineup looked pretty solid on paper heading into the season and they definitely can’t underperform like this much longer. The team as a whole is hitting .187 No player on this team has ever hit that poorly for long. They’ll undoubtedly improve but how quickly? How deep will the hole be when they turn it around? These guys have to be their own cavalry and they better show up asap.
  15. PopRiveter
    Teamwide triple-slash line is .189/.283/.369 right now. The bats need to come alive. It’s been tough sledding so far facing very strong teams, mostly in cold weather. I’m optimistic this group will finds its way, but Buxton and Gray both leaving games with injury is frightening.
  16. PopRiveter
    As per the usual, your article contains more fun than most. I'm fully aligned with your thoughts on Electric Feel and Hikoutei. At some other stops along the way, I'm reminded that I hear things differently at age 45 than folks of your vintage. For example, I can't get enough London Calling and it will make me less likely to tear into Max if he hits ~.200 again this year. Thanks for adding a scoop of ice cream to the TD content feed. It is a very welcome element.
  17. PopRiveter
    100% agree. I want a path to more Arraez at-bats. I've no illusions that he'll start being a good fielder out there, but in my opinion he can Josh Willingham left field as long as he keeps delivering the toughest outs in the lineup, and as long as his knees keep functioning.
  18. PopRiveter
    This is a really fair assessment. I'm one of those fans who see his at-bats and think, "This is a special hitter! I wish more players handled at-bats like this." I trust him more than any other hitter to give a hard-fought at-bat in a tight situation and I enjoy his style of hitting more than most modern hitters. But, his fielding is below average. I don't expect he'll ever add much power. He's not fast. His knees chronically hamper him. There are already arguably better overall options in place at each of the positions he plays... ...And yet, I'd love to watch a baseball game with a lineup of 9 Luis Arraez's. Not sure what should be done if an injury to another infielder doesn't open a path to more playing time.
  19. PopRiveter
    Great series wrap. You captured it all just right. I miss Taylor Rogers, but this is a team that is very easy to get excited about.
  20. PopRiveter
    No sir. I don't support dumping team leaders the day before opener. I just can't care about a team without some holdovers and continuity and this is a bit of a chump move to pull on Rogers if you ask me. Selfishly, I just lost the reliever I cared about the most and I'm substituting a couple names that won't mean anything to me for a year or two. Just doing a quick bb ref cram- Paddack and Pagan both look like reasonable pieces with potential to contribute. If they'd acquired them a couple weeks ago, I'd probably view this trade very differently. As it is, it just puts a bad taste in my mouth for opening day. Thanks Falvey/Levine.
  21. PopRiveter
    I don't get the general dismissal of Archer. I see a pitcher who has been not just good, but excellent when healthy. He's young enough to still get strong after an from injury, he was trending very well post surgery and is now and far enough removed to start firing on all cylinders again. I think he's got too much upside, is too young, and has been too effective to compare to a 38 year old J.A. Happ, or either Shoemaker or Bundy (who'd been both been solid-but-unspectacular at their very best.) I see his acquisition more like when the Twins signed Pineda, except we don't have to wait through a rehab year. He should be good to go out of the gate. He might prove me wrong, but I think he'll more likely prove the skeptics wrong. Bundy's leash should be MUCH shorter. These are not comparable pitchers.
  22. PopRiveter
    This helps me put his production in context. I've been frustrated primarily with his extreme low batting averages. I'm old enough to care about that. He looks athletic, balanced, and in-control during at-bats. It always seems like he should be one of the better hitters on the team and you should be able to expect an 800-or-better OPS, But he's only produced like that one time. With a lot of players who underperform, you can imagine some adjustment or better coaching might unleash more of their talent, but he looks like he's already doing everything right. Apparently, I am not giving him enough credit for his fielding or those WAR values would be lower. His fielding is excellent. He seems like a good element in the clubhouse. He stays healthy. He doesn't make dumb mistakes. He sometimes contributes on offense. Until he's blocking an undeniable talent, I guess I shouldn't complain. Go Max! You're just fine I guess!
  23. PopRiveter
    This is a little off. It was 3 years (you are seeing 2018 3 times-I did the same thing.) During those 3 years, his FIP (expected ERA with fielding neutralized) was 3.81, 3.40, 3.75. Average is 4.20 By comparison, Berrios best ever FIP in MN was 3.47 In 2021, no starter other than Berrios posted a FIP below 4.10. Also, his WHIP through 2015 was 1.19. From 2016-18 it rose to 1.28. If Archer were to return to the production of any of his seasons other than 2019, he would likely be the Twins best starter in 2022. Injuries make that a very big IF.
  24. PopRiveter
    This is the first time I've seen a projected rotation that looks plausible. The Archer signing makes a real difference in my opinion. Still looks shaky. For a comparison... 2021 Opening Day Rotation: Maeda, Berrios, Pineda, Shoemaker, Happ I don't think you should ever feel good about swapping out a full rotation.
  25. PopRiveter
    I was a lot more excited about this news before I read the comments from all my TD brethren. Archer has pitched parts of nine seasons, and he's been a below-average starter in just one of those. He missed 2020 and most of last season with injury, but when he came back, he was right back to 9.8K/9 and a league average FIP. As long as he is healthy enough to pitch in 2022, he should be an asset and this contract is structured such that the real risk is just the innings they commit to him. There were definitely better FA starters available before the lockout, but that ship sailed long ago. I see Archer as a starter with a realistic chance to be very good. He's a much better option than I thought they'd find with Opening Day just 9 days away. And to equate him with Dylan Bundy? That is a joke. Bundy's career ERA and FIP are 4.72/4.69, while Archer's are 3.87/3.66- that's like a full run apart. Bundy's career average rate stats are not much better than those of Archer's worst season. When healthy, there's no comparison. Rich Hill is a much more accurate comp.
×
×
  • Create New...