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MileHighTwinsFan

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Everything posted by MileHighTwinsFan

  1. MileHighTwinsFan
    Did we all forget that we have a new pitching coach? What happened with Worley and Liriano is irrelevant. It will be interesting to see who the Twins target with Allen on board.
  2. MileHighTwinsFan
    I think the comparisons to Sandoval and Yeager shows he has value in the market. If the Giants empty the piggy bank to land Lester, I would not be surprised if they come calling. Plouffe is a solid and affordable option with several years of team control. Based on that logic, the the team should avoid a long term deal.. On the other hand, if the team sees Plouffe as a versatile and important part of the rebuild, I could see them locking him in soon. Another good season could increase the price tag considerably. Knowing that the team will likely have to open their pocket books for free agents and extensions to prospects down the road, it might make sense to make a deal now. It all depends on how Plouffe fits into their long term plans.
  3. MileHighTwinsFan
    What I find amazing is how on a forum where we are often talking about very sophisticated analyses of player statistics and game strategy that the biggest debates are about some of the greatest cliche's in sports: We need a new coach, we need a new coach from outside the organization, we need new management and we need to empty the piggy bank to get the most expensive free agents on the market. If it was as simple as all that - the Twins would win the World Series every year. Can we move past the false dichotomy of whether a coach is from inside the organization/outside the organization and talk more about what each coach has actually done and can bring to the team? I am much more interested in learning more about: The types of pitchers Neil Allen produced in Tampa Bay.What Gene Glynn did in Rochester that turned that team into playoff contender.How Molitor's philosophy and knowledge will translate to new personnel and new game strategy.
  4. MileHighTwinsFan
    I worry a little that his athleticism will only take him so far and make him susceptible to funks like he experienced during the regular season. While he does a good job keeping his hands back, his back foot is slipping and his body is too far out front. I would like to see his home run from the AFL championship game to see if he did a better job keeping his weight back.
  5. MileHighTwinsFan
    He pitched for a team that had Gardy as the 3rd base coach, clearly inside and completely co-opted into the Twins lose just to spite the fans mentality.
  6. MileHighTwinsFan
    So by that definition - Molitor, Cuellar, Brunansky, and Steinbach are all external guys. None spent their formative years with the Twins and have had only a limited number of years with the organization.
  7. MileHighTwinsFan
    I find people's concern about finding an external candidate somewhat arbitrary. When does an "external guy" become an internal guy? After a year with the team, 6 months, 6 weeks? What they need is a coaching staff with a range of perspectives and experiences. Whether that person was with the team last year is largely irrelevant if they have unique skills, capacity, experience and knowledge that adds value.
  8. MileHighTwinsFan
    Seems like the game is beginning to move in Schaefer's direction. It appears that speed on the base paths and in the field are becoming more highly valued. Schaefer, while not in the league of a Jarrod Dyson, provides a similar profile. A late inning pinch runner who can then move to the outfield as a defensive replacement for Arcia.
  9. MileHighTwinsFan
    Spending big money on arms two years in a row seems very unlikely. The team is still a year away, at least, from truly competing. A trade is far more likely, particularly if it is a pitcher where the team has several years of control. That could mean parting with a top prospect or two. Money is not the primary asset for the team, the deepen or league system is. Look for moves to come from there.
  10. MileHighTwinsFan
    Isn't his work on defensive shifts more significant and a better metric for measuring his impact?
  11. MileHighTwinsFan
    Something tells me we will see Buxton next year for no other reason than to utilize his speed both defensively and offensively. The bat may need time to adjust - but he could make an impact in the field and on the basepaths very soon. While Molitor won't necessarily clamor for him to be promoted, my guess is that he is the centerpiece of his team philosophy. Short of a major set back - I really think we will see him next year.
  12. MileHighTwinsFan
    Good piece. Maybe the biggest thing I see Molitor needing to learn is how to delegate and trust his coaches. I sense that he has some very clear and specific ideas on how he wants to run this team. The concern may be that his intellect and attention to detail may become a problem if he doesn't trust his staff to execute his vision. A good manager knows when to rely on his staff and when to insert himself into the conversation. Will Molitor strike that balance or will he veer toward micro-management.
  13. MileHighTwinsFan
    The question for me is whether his performance will impact plans to find an outfielder via free agency? Do they pencil him in as a 2015 call up and spend their money elsewhere. My gut tells me that the team would like to see Rosario grab the left field job early in 2015. I also think they want to give Hicks one more shot at center. With Arcia and Schaefer locks - there does not appear to be much room in the outfield.
  14. MileHighTwinsFan
    Congrats Molly. If you are able to get your players to play at a fraction of the level you performed at over your career, you will be successful.
  15. MileHighTwinsFan
    It would have been nice for the 3B coach to at least wave him around and give him a late stop sign. That would have at least drawn a throw of some kind. As it was, he took the pressure off the defense in what was a frantic moment.
  16. MileHighTwinsFan
    Or the greatest 3B coach in baseball history.
  17. MileHighTwinsFan
    An interesting move would have been to pinch run Gore and pinch hit Dyson. It would have made them defend against a squeeze and opened up an opportunity to slap one through. They were not going to beat MadBum going straight up with him. They should have at least played it out in a way consistent with Royals baseball.
  18. MileHighTwinsFan
    Oh what could have been. Gordon bearing down on Buster Posey, the poster child for the new home plate rule. Does the lane Posey had to provide give Gordon the opportunity to slide his hand around a tag? It would have been one of the most talked about plays in baseball history! But alas it was not to be. 528.com makes the case that Alex Gordon should have gotten the green light, even if his likelihood of scoring was only 30%. When I saw Perez kick the ball toward the left field corner, I was convinced Gordon was going to run. Instead, Gordon got the stop sign and pulled up to third just as Crawford caught the ball in left center and turned to make what would have been a very long relay to the plate. We all know what happened next as a gimpy Salvador Perez popped out to KFP to end it. In the end it was a bit ironic - the Royals had made it to the World Series by relentlessly testing opposing defenses with their aggressive base running. While Gordon does not have near the speed of Cain, Escobar and Dyson - he definitely has the grittiness and guile to have made it. The Royals literally stopped just short of making history.
  19. MileHighTwinsFan
    Winning will bring back the casual fan. Spending for the sake of spending or hiring a manager from outside the organization is not going to cut it. There are plenty of teams that have tried to spend their way out of the doldrums only to be saddled with ridiculously large contracts and another season of losing. - see Toronto Blue Jays. Even teams that are competitive now, but have not fulfilled their potential find themselves with big contracts and a very uncertain future - See Tigers and Angels. Whatever the club decides this off season - I expect it to be based on a sound philosophy and strategy to get the team back to the playoffs. The assets in the minor leagues are there - the question is how they use them. The Royals made a decision to part with a slow footed, power hitting - but highly regarded prospect in favor of two pitchers that ultimately put them over the top. They didn't break the bank to do it - but they leveraged the non-financial assets they had to make it happen. Part of the answer will require patience as the likes of Sano, Buxton, Berrios complete the journey to the majors. But I expect that it will require that the team parlay some of these assets into much needed parts. The Twins don't need a multi-million dollar pitcher whose best days are behind him. But a trade of a key prospect that results in acquiring a critical piece of the puzzle, without an albatross of a contract around his neck, could be the answer. The point is use the assets you have to build the team you need to win. Don't simply throw money at the problem.
  20. MileHighTwinsFan
    As ineffective as our starting pitching was last year - I would be shocked if there were any signings of starting pitchers. Trades are another matter - like the Royals, the Twins may consider moving one of their bright offensive prospects for a starting pitcher that has an agreeable contract or would be under team control for some time.
  21. MileHighTwinsFan
    With Rosario raking in AZ Fall League - I hope he is given every opportunity to compete for a starting outfield job in the spring. I don't think they are ready to give up on Hicks yet, Arcia is set in right and they have Schaefer as a great choice for a 4th outfielder. The question is whether they will consider a significant signing for an outfielder given where they are at. My sense is that they need to go big, or not at all. Makes no sense to go with a borderline starter/reclamation project at this point - as the Twins like to do.
  22. MileHighTwinsFan
    Really disappointed in the delay in the start of the World Series. Would have liked to have seen it start last night. I know all the reasons about schedules and football, but it really has diminished the momentum that postseason had built. I think the key will be the KC starting pitching. Unlike the other teams KC has faced, I expect the Giants to be far more savvy at getting runs early in order to take the KC bullpen out of the equation. Buster Posey is key behind the plate. If he can control the running game, Giants win. I like Baumgartner in Game 1 - taking away the KC home field and their mojo. Giants in 6.
  23. MileHighTwinsFan
    What is intriguing about the Cards is about who they jettisoned and who they kept. Pujols, Freese and Craig are now gone - and in all cases nowhere near the players they were. The fact that the team did not waste resources on a player past his prime (Pujols) or that they were able to get value back for another that was past his peak (Craig) speaks to how the team knows its talent well and does not allow loyalty stand in the way of success. Conversely, the Twins seem to have lost players who still have a lot of baseball left in them and brought back players that do not. While it is hard to argue with the decision on Morneau. Cuddyer and Hunter were players who had a lot of baseball in them, not to mention being outstanding leaders in the clubhouse. Conversely, players like Pelfrey, Kubel, Bartlett, Capps and others were players clearly past their primes. The Twins need to do a better of job of knowing who to invest in and who to let go.
  24. MileHighTwinsFan
    There are many interesting elements to the play. 1. The fact that the umpires on the field did not know whether the play was reviewable caused the situation. Once the 3rd base umpire denied the appeal at third the game should have went on and Ausmus should have been told point blank that the play was not reviewable. 2. The fact that the umpires, upon seeing the blatant mistake on the video screen, conferred with the intent to get the call right despite the rules, suggests that replay has fundamentally undermined their authority. It seems like the authority of umpires and their control of the game has been compromised by sharing their role with a 5th umpire in New York. Because it is a play of two separate-but related events that a single camera can't capture, I can understand why, as a general rule, tag plays aren't reviewable. However, shouldn't umpires have the option to consult video on their own if their goal is to make the right call? In the end, wouldn't this reestablish their authority and reinforce the overall goal of getting the call right? The fringe benefit is that we would return to the era of the unhinged rhubarb as managers try to convince umpires to look at the tape.
  25. MileHighTwinsFan
    Summer of '49 and October, 1964 by David Halberstam provide bookends to a transformative era in baseball. '49 follows a classic pennant race between William's Red Sox and Dimaggio's Yankees. The '49 season ushered in an era of dominance for the Yankees where the team would play in 14 of 16 of the next World Series. October '64 tells the story of the true end of the color barrier in baseball with the World Series between the Yankees and Cards. A St. Louis team made up of several talented African Americans (Brock, Gibson and Flood) bring an end to the Yankees 16 year reign of dominance.
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