gil4

Kennys Vargas (adopt-a-prospect) Born: Aug. 1, 1990, Canovanas, Puerto Rico High School: Luis Hernaiz Veronne HS, Canovanas, P.R. Ht.: 6-5 Wt.: 215 (allegedly) Bats: B Throws: R Acquired: Undrafted Free Agent First of all, Kennys Vargas is a big dude. In this photo, the “little guy” on the right is Miguel Sano, and there aren’t too many people who can make Sano look small. I’m not sure where the listed weight of 215 came from, but I’m not buying it. (Maybe it was his birth weight.) Vargas’ status as a prospect is solely due to his ability to hit for power. Entering his age 22 season, he has yet to play more than 44 games in a year, so it’s difficult to gauge exactly what he will be. His defense is suspect at first and he has served a 50 game suspension for violating the substance abuse policy (for taking an unapproved weight loss supplement.) But in the limited time we have seen him, he has put up some pretty impressive numbers. Time isn’t on his side and 2013 will likely be a sink-or-swim year for him. He will need to show that he can put up the big numbers over a full season and can’t afford many more missteps if he is to remain a prospect. Prospect rankings: Seth Stohs: #12 BA: #29 Gleeman: #30 TwinkieTown: Not ranked Stats coming into the year: [TABLE=width: 91%] Year Team League G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO SB CS AVG OBP SLG OPS 2009 TWI GCL 35 109 12 28 7 [/TD] 3 18 17 34 2 .257 .369 .404 .773 2010 TWI GCL 39 142 24 46 15 1 3 26 13 40 1 .324 .388 .507 .895 2011 ELZ APP 44 174 27 56 11 6 33 15 50 .322 .377 .489 .865 2012 BEL MID 41 154 22 49 10 1 11 36 28 41 [TD] .318 .419 .610 1.030 [/TABLE]

I'll take Kennys Vargas if he's still available

Maybe I just can't relate, because I still clearly remember and still complain about the weather at a scheduled double-header in 1975. I'm sure it says more about me than about those who won't care/remember. For the record, I do agree that outdoor baseball in summer is worth the inconvenience of a few rainouts in April.

We couldn't have nearly as much fun with that.

If we can get someone to take Mauer and Doumit off our hands we can clear some room for him. I guess that would make Butera his back-up, but with an offensive force like that, who needs a back-up? (equally toungue-in-cheek)

I think a part of it was it seems like a long time ago that Silva was with the Twins (although it really hasn't been all that long) and he looked like an old guy even though he wasn't. I have two teenage boys and one who is now 21, and I still try to keep up with them on the basketball court, with mixed (but usually painful) results. (As long as I can stay on the perimeter and shoot 3's and you can find a reasonably slow person for me to guard, I'm good. Until the next day.)

It's also especially true of lower-priced starting pitchers. I keep forgetting about that darned 2nd year. If I keep that up, maybe the rest of the world (including Correia and the Twins) will forget about it too.

I did like the Twin Domes concept with a shared roof between two stadiums (which wasn't seriously considered), but I liked what we ended up with better until this April.

Here is where I see the communication breakdown. You are trying to compare the defense of guys who have been through the culling process. Is defense at the catcher position important? Obviously, yes. Is the difference between "good enough for the majors" and "deserving the Gold Glove" important? Until we can quantify that in a meaningful way, you're just guessing or giving style points.

Something doesn't add up with that. If that were true, then it would cost $640M just to finish .500. ($8M x 81). I also don't think there is a true linear cost for wins, even if you have an average.

They aren't real double-headers if you have to leave the stadium and pay again. Then again, the whole concept of double-headers has been ruined for me by the two that I have been to: July 27, 1978 Game One: NYY 11, CLE 0 Game Two: CLE 17, NYY 5 (and it wasn't that close - the Indians led 15-0 after 4-1/2) July 27, 1978 Cleveland Indians at New York Yankees Play by Play and Box Score - Baseball-Reference.com July 27, 1978 Cleveland Indians at New York Yankees Play by Play and Box Score - Baseball-Reference.com Aug 1, 1975 Game 1: CHW 5, MIN 1 (called after 6 innings, an hour into the third long rain delay of the night) Game 2: ppd, rain August 1, 1975 Chicago White Sox at Minnesota Twins Box Score and Play by Play - Baseball-Reference.com Those were the two worst experiences I have had at the ballpark. (Still better than work, of course, and I still can't resist the idea of two games for the price of one.) I can watch baseball all day and was never the type to leave a game early. I always have to make sure that I go to games with people who understand when a game is over. (10-0 in the top of the 8th = NOT over. Players shaking hands on the field after the last out = over) Even when the third rain delay started in that 1975 game (when I was 10) I grudgingly left/was dragged from the stadium before the game was officially called. I saw the lakes forming in the infield, and I knew it was getting late (twi-night dh), but there was still the possibility of them finishing one game and playing another without me.

Carlos Silva - 1979? I would have guessed he was about 5 years older than that, which would still have made me 10 years older than him, which is a depressing thought. Thanks for ruining my day! (OK, I'm over it now.)

I think it's happening again.

Last I heard, the break-even point for stolen bases was around 70%, so the total value of those 43 SB attempts was less than zero. We can hope that it resulted in learning and improved skills to change it to a net positive for future attempts (which is what the minors are for).

"...my current residence is hell, under the dominion of Satan" Common misconception. Satan is not even there now, he's on the loose. When he gets there, he won't be in charge, he will be an inmate.

Too bad. Confidence can be fixed with a couple of base hits. Inability to make contact it a bit tougher and is frequently incurable.

Can't we take away Boone's birthday for his performance with the Twins?

Twins are 3-2. Second favorite (Yankees' opponents) are 4-1.

I think I remember that. One thing I would like to see on that is groupings. Are they spread out fairly evenly or do they come in clusters and then stop for a while? It seems like (there, I'm doing it again) when he's struggling he's hitting a lot of ground balls to 2nd, and when he's not, he hardly ever does.

"J Mauer grounded out to second." Seems like that's happening a lot again.

I can't find that in my book - you must have an older version.

Are playoff tickets on sale yet?

Guilty as charged. I can't even discuss the Cubs without mentioning my favorite baseball song of all time:

So there are actually 7 teams with negative HR totals? Did they hit foul balls over the backstop and run the bases backwards?

I had no idea. If he was that much of a beer drinker, I'm surprised the gang at Cheers didn't recognize him. (They cut off the best part, where they go thought his wallet and discover he really is Wade Boggs.)